Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

新冠肺炎疫情期间我国居民洗手行为研究

直接接触和飞沫传播等方式是新型冠状病毒传播的主要途径,合理的洗手行为是切断暴露途径和降低病毒感染风险的有效防控措施,对于新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”）疫情的防控具有重要的作用.该研究于2020年2月25日—3月14日,采用电子问卷的方式调查了覆盖我国31个省（自治区、直辖市）1 728个县（区）18岁及以上的居民,收集共计8 330名成人的洗手情形及洗手时长等信息,分析不同暴露情景下的洗手行为及其影响因素.结果表明:女性、城市地区居民在洗手比例和洗手时长上均分别高于男性、农村地区居民.人群在一般暴露情景下的洗手比例较高,而对于病毒感染风险较高的暴露情景（如咳嗽或打喷嚏后、接触他人后等）的洗手率（分别为73.6%和83.9%）排名靠后,说明人群对病毒的传播途径和防护措施有待深入理解;在洗手时间上,根据WHO规定的洗手时长标准（20 s）,仅有41.7%的人群洗手时长合格（大于20 s）,城区居民洗手时长的合格率（42.0%）显著高于农村地区（39.7%）;总体上,具有外出经历的人群洗手比例较未曾外出的人群高,新冠肺炎疫情期间居住地是否存在新冠肺炎疑似和确诊病例显著影响居民的洗手行为,但是疫情最严重的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（37.2%）最低,反而疫情最轻的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（43.6%）最高,说明居民的洗手行为可能受疫情等多方面的影响.研究显示,相比于非疫情期间而言,疫情期间我国居民洗手行为发生率提高,洗手时长合格率提高,但是仍然水平偏低.应提高居民洗手行为意识,科学地执行洗手这一防护措施,相关政策制定以及个人防护应当进一步关注和重视洗手行为的防疫作用.      

长江源区水文气象要素变化及其与大尺度环流因子关系研究

长江源区水文气象要素变化及其归因研究一直备受全球关注,现阶段研究多侧重于水文气象要素时空变化特征分析,针对长江源区水文气象要素与大尺度环流因子相互关系的研究不足。论文利用Mann-Kendall法、去趋势波动分析法和小波分析法,探究长江源区1957—2012年水文气象要素趋势性、波动性和周期性变化规律,分析水文气象要素与大尺度环流因子的相关关系,通过研究水汽通量揭示大尺度环流因子对水文气象要素变化的驱动机制。结果表明：20世纪90年代,长江源区气候暖干化,进入21世纪后,长江源区气候暖湿化趋势明显;长江源区水文气象要素序列具有正长程相关性,长江源区气候未来会继续呈现暖湿化变化趋势。长江源区水文气象要素都存在着1~5、10~24和25~45 a三种时间尺度周期变化规律。南亚季风是影响长江源区降水量和流量较为重要的大气环流因子,南亚季风驱动下的西南方向气流是长江源区主导气流和水汽来源。     

Nitrogen isotope ratios in pine bark as an indicator of N emissions from anthropogenic sources

The article describes the use of Scots pine bark to identifynitrogen sources in eastern Germany, as well as background areas in Russia and Bulgaria, by using natural isotope ratios of total nitrogen (N_t) and individual N compoundssuch as ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrate (NO₃ ^-)and amid nitrogen (amide-N). The samples collected were analysed using an elemental analyser in connection with a gas isotope mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS). Natural ¹⁵N abundances in pine bark from impact areas suggest that the ammonium accumulated on the surface of the bark is releasedfrom livestock management. Bark of Scots pines growing near agricultural land had highly depleted ¹⁵N_t values (between –8 and –12), while bark from background areas (unpolluted areas) displayed slightly negative ¹⁵N_t values (mean ¹⁵N_t = –3.8). It is assumed that part of the N adsorbed on the bark surface is mainly derived from ammonia(mean ¹⁵N_t = –40.3) escaping from livestock housing and during the application of manure. This assumption is confirmed by experiments under controlled conditions in which manure samples were spread on soil. In addition, temporal and spatial variations of ¹⁵N_t abundances in pine bark from various locations in eastern Germany as wellas pine stands in Nature Park Dübener Heath are discussed.     

Technological system for sustainable development of Chinese agriculture

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4－AAP光度法测定污水中挥发酚的干扰规律研究及其应用

矿物油（原油、机油、柴油等）、苯胺、部分金属离子及ＣＩＯ－等物质对４－ＡＡＰ法测定污水中的挥发酚有干扰。本文采用标加干扰物的方法研究了各种干扰物质对挥发酚测定过程中的回收率的影响规律，得到总回收率Ｙ方程。由Ｙ值和４－ＡＡＰ法测定值ＣＤ可求得水样中挥发酚的实际含量ＣＴ（ＣＤ／Ｙ）。混和干扰物加标拟合实验结果的相对误差＜±５％。该方法测定实际水样的结果与４阶导数光谱法的结果基本吻合。本文是针对油矿区污水特点，提出的消除各种干扰挥发酚测定物质影响的研究方法。     

CFB锅炉燃烧高硫石油焦的灰渣综合利用研究

循环流化床锅炉在燃烧含硫石油焦时,通过加入石灰石在燃烧的过程中以固态的形式脱硫,燃烧后将产生大量的灰渣,过去处理灰渣最通常的方式是作土地填埋。从灰渣的化学、物理特性试验研究出发,寻找循环流化床灰渣在建筑材料、农业应用和水泥添加剂方面的利用途径,研究了更加经济有效的灰渣处理方法。     

机械强化污泥回流式一体化活性污泥法的运行机理研究

活性污泥通过机械搅拌强化污泥内循环回流,提高了污泥的活性,并且使污泥浓度可达到4.5kg/m3,用该机械强化污泥回流式一体化活性污泥法处理小区生活污水,当水力停留时间为3h,溶解氧为2.2mg/L,机械搅拌速度为250r/min时,CODcr、氨氮去除率均可达到83% 以上,出水达到国家污水排放一级标准.该一体化活性污泥法简单易行,运行成本低,投资小,操作维护方便,是生活小区生活污水适宜的处理工艺技术.     

燃煤锅炉除尘脱硫废水处理与循环利用技术

介绍了采用沉灰、沉渣中和、微滤三池毗连的废水处理方法及板式微孔过滤新技术，实现燃煤锅炉除尘脱硫废水封闭循环利用。