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.     

风电场环境影响评价原则及评价重点研究

针对风电场环境影响评价的评价原则及评价重点进行了探讨性的研究。提出了风电场环境影响评价应以早期介入和避让措施优先为基本原则；对风电场环境影响评价重点进行了识别，并提出风电场选址的环境可行性分析是风电场环评的重中之重；风电项目建设对生态环境的影响及风机噪声、光影影响也是风电场环境影响评价的重点，并创造性的提出风机噪声光影联合防护区的概念，以期对风电场环境影响评价提供理论及技术参考依据。     

有机肥处理对旱地红壤细菌群落及玉米生产力的影响

为探明旱地红壤细菌群落特征及玉米生产力对不同有机肥处理的响应，基于自2002年设置在中国科学院鹰潭红壤生态实验站的有机培肥长期定位试验，采用Illumina高通量测序，研究不同有机肥（不施肥，M0；低量有机肥，M1；高量有机肥，M2；高量有机肥加石灰，M3）处理下土壤细菌群落多样性和结构以及玉米生产力的变化.结果发现，与M0相比，土壤pH、有机质（SOM）、全氮（TN）、全磷（TP）含量和玉米生产力在不同有机肥（M1、M2和M3）处理下均显著增加，其中M3处理的提升效果最佳.施用有机肥显著提高了土壤细菌群落的Shannon、Evenness、Chao1与ACE指数，重塑了细菌群落结构.基于随机森林模型分析，土壤性质中的pH和TP显著影响土壤细菌多样性，而pH、SOM、TP和TN对土壤细菌群落结构影响显著.相关性分析和结构方程模型分析表明，土壤TP和SOM可以通过改变土壤细菌多样性和群落组成间接影响玉米生产力.研究结果从指导我国南方红壤区农田合理施肥的角度，为农田土壤质量提高及耕地产能提升提供科学依据.     

不同温度下微生物和纤维素酶对发酵猪粪理化特性的影响

采用恒温发酵培养试验,研究了5℃和25℃时分别接种纤维素酶(X)、枯草芽孢杆菌(K)和EM菌(E)及其组合对新鲜猪粪发酵中的全氮、铵态氮、有机质、p H及微生物数量的影响.结果表明,5℃条件下,猪粪中微生物生长受抑制,细菌、真菌、放线菌数量均明显低于25℃,发酵终期猪粪有机质含量为70%~83%,p H值为7.16~7.36;25℃条件时,发酵终期猪粪有机质含量降至61%~72%,p H值升至8.09~8.94.与对照相比较,25℃下添加微生物和纤维素酶的处理有机质含量降低了2.95%~7.70%(除了K和XE处理),C/N值降低了4.04%~37.59%(除了XK处理),p H值增加了1.7%~26.8%.在总的添加量一致的条件下,发酵剂组合KE、XE、XK、XKE对猪粪发酵的效果优于单一发酵剂的X、K、E处理.     

麦秆酸预处理后与猪粪混合发酵提高产气量的效应研究

为了研究不同水平的酸处理对麦秆混合发酵过程中各指标变化的影响,本试验通过测定不同醋酸浓度、时间处理后的麦秆与猪粪混合厌氧发酵进程中还原糖、挥发性脂肪酸(VFA)含量,以及p H值变化和甲烷产量,探究各指标的关系并优化得出最佳醋酸处理组合,以期为酸预处理混合发酵实现高甲烷产量提供可靠的理论依据.结果表明,醋酸处理后的麦秆通过与猪粪混合发酵可明显提高甲烷单位产量,增幅为124.28%~207.40%.发酵过程中还原糖、VFA、p H值间相互影响.通过响应面法建立模型,得到醋酸处理的最优组合为浓度3.35%、时间6.75d,最大甲烷单位产量751.97 m L·g-1(以VS计).     

家庭农场土地征收补偿问题研究

随着未来家庭农场数量的逐渐增加与经营土地面积的不断扩大,与快速城镇化相伴随的土地征收区域不可避免会与家庭农场经营的土地范围相交叉或重叠。家庭农场主通过整合作为集体经济组织成员分得的承包地和市场化交易获得的承包地实现土地适度规模经营,因此,在家庭农场土地被征收时,应确保家庭农场主获得科学合理的补偿标准,并妥善处理家庭农场主与拥有不同类型农地权利的众多相关主体之间的利益分配关系。本文采用文献资料法和理论分析法,区分点状征地、线状征地和面状征地三种不同情况,分析了家庭农场土地征收的后期生产经营影响,在土地承包关系"长久不变"的政策框架下,深入剖析了家庭农场土地征收涉及的农地权利类型。然后,构建起家庭农场土地征收补偿标准理论模型,以及家庭农场主、政府、集体经济组织、农民等权利主体之间的收益分配理论模型。具体而言,家庭农场主根据自有土地、通过土地流转获得的土地、通过土地退出获得的土地所占的比重以及不同类型土地权利所对应的价值标准分得相应的征地补偿收益;政府通过税收参与征地补偿收益分配;集体经济组织凭借土地所有者身份依法分得相应比例的补偿收益;农民获得的征地补偿收益为承包经营权价值扣除其让渡给家庭农场主的农地权利价值后的剩余部分。最后,本文从四个方面提出了相应的对策和建议:1做好家庭农场发展规划;2提高征地补偿标准并将间接损失纳入补偿范围;3建立家庭农场规模化经营土地的征收补偿收益分配机制;4保障抵押权人(金融机构)对征地补偿享有优先受偿权。     

风电场对米波雷达系统的影响研究

目的针对目前风电场对米波雷达的潜在威胁,研究风电场的有源干扰、无源散射、遮蔽对米波雷达系统的影响,为评估风电场对米波雷达系统的影响提供技术指导。方法根据风力发电机的工作原理和结构,对风电场的有源干扰进行实际测试,就风电场有源干扰对米波雷达系统周边背景噪声的影响进行分析,提出一系列应对有源干扰的措施;利用散射、刃峰绕射、多普勒效应等理论,就无源散射、遮蔽等因素对米波雷达系统的影响进行仿真计算和分析。结果风电场将引起米波雷达系统周边背景噪声恶化、虚警率提高、探测距离缩减、测向和测速误差等,导致米波雷达性能下降。结论风电场对米波雷达系统存在着巨大威胁,在米波雷达台站附近规划建设风电场前应进行严格的技术评估,保证国家经济建设和雷达系统性能不受影响。     

Characterizing sources of nitrate leaching from an irrigated dairy farm in Merced County, California

Dairy farms comprise a complex landscape of groundwater pollution sources. The objective of our work is to develop a method to quantify nitrate leaching to shallow groundwater from different management units at dairy farms. Total nitrate loads are determined by the sequential calibration of a sub-regional scale and a farm-scale three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport model using observations at different spatial scales. These observations include local measurements of groundwater heads and nitrate concentrations in an extensive monitoring well network, providing data at a scale of a few meters and measurements of discharge rates and nitrate concentrations in a tile-drain network, providing data integrated across multiple farms. The various measurement scales are different from the spatial scales of the calibration parameters, which are the recharge and nitrogen leaching rates from individual management units. The calibration procedure offers a conceptual framework for using field measurements at different spatial scales to estimate recharge N concentrations at the management unit scale. It provides a map of spatially varying dairy farming impact on groundwater nitrogen. The method is applied to a dairy farm located in a relatively vulnerable hydrogeologic region in California. Potential sources within the dairy farm are divided into three categories, representing different manure management units: animal exercise yards and feeding areas (corrals), liquid manure holding ponds, and manure irrigated forage fields. Estimated average nitrogen leaching is 872 kg/ha/year, 807 kg/ha/year and 486 kg/ha/year for corrals, ponds and fields respectively. Results are applied to evaluate the accuracy of nitrogen mass balances often used by regulatory agencies to assess groundwater impacts. Calibrated leaching rates compare favorably to field and farm scale nitrogen mass balances. These data and interpretations provide a basis for developing improved management strategies.     

微生物生理群在猪粪秸秆高温堆肥碳氮转化中的作用

在自制的强制通风静态堆肥反应箱中,猪粪与秸秆以鲜重7∶1的比例进行了堆肥化实验,在堆制的23 d里根据堆温变化分阶段采集堆肥样品,利用MPN法测定了堆料中纤维素分解菌和氮素微生物生理群的数量变化,同时测定了相应的碳、氮含量。结果表明,纤维素分解菌在稳定腐熟阶段较多,对于后期有机碳的降解和腐殖质含量的增大起了很大的作用,在堆制的23 d里,腐殖质增加了2.4%。整个堆制过程中,氨化细菌的数量最大且与氨气释放浓度和铵态氮含量呈显著正相关,都在高温期增加,降温期后减少,氨化细菌的数量在高温期的增加率远高于降温期后的减少率,而铵态氮在高温期的增加率远低于在降温后期的减少率,铵态氮总体上减少了74.1%;亚硝化细菌数量与硝态氮呈正相关;反硝化细菌数量在降温期上升幅度较大,堆制结束时为堆制初期的13倍,且与堆肥中硝态氮含量呈正相关;硝态氮含量增加了87.5%;堆肥后期硝态氮的增加可能与堆肥中存在能进行硝化作用的反硝化细菌有关。固氮菌数量在堆制结束时达堆制初期的2.61倍,主要在降温期增加较多,对堆肥中有机氮的形成起很大作用。     

Evaluation and validation of two different chromatographic methods (HPLC and LC-MS/MS) for the determination and confirmation of ochratoxin A in pig tissues

This study was undertaken to compare two different analytical methods for the determination and confirmation of ochratoxin A (OTA) in blood serum, kidney and liver of pigs. Sample clean-up was based on liquid-liquid phase extraction. The detection of OTA was accomplished with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined either with fluorescence detection (FL) or electro spray ionization (ESI+) tandem mass spectrometry (MS–MS). Comparative method evaluation was based on the investigation of 90 samples of blood serum, kidney and liver per animal originating from different regions of Serbia. The analytical results are discussed in view of the respective method validation data and the corresponding experimental protocols. In general, analytical data obtained with (LC–MS–MS) liquid chromatography electro spray tandem mass spectro metry detection offered comparable good results at the sub-ppb concentration level. The results indicate that the liquid chromatography electro spray tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was more specific and sensitive for the analysis and confirmation of ochratoxin A in pig tissues then high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method after methylation of OTA.