Assessing the Effectiveness of Winter Cover Crops for Controlling Agricultural Nutrient Losses

A nutrient loss reduction strategy is necessary to guide the efforts of improving water quality downstream of an agricultural watershed. In this study, the effectiveness of two winter cover crops, namely cereal rye and annual ryegrass, is explored as a loss reduction strategy in a watershed that ultimately drains into a water supply reservoir. Using a coupled optimization-watershed model, optimal placements of the cover crops were identified that would result in the tradeoffs between nitrate-N losses reduction and adoption levels. Analysis of the 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% adoption levels extracted from the optimal tradeoffs showed that the cover crop placements would provide annual nitrate-N loss reductions of 3.0%–3.7%, 7.8%–8.8%, 15%–17.5%, and 20.9%–24.3%, respectively. In addition, for the same adoption levels (i.e., 10%–75%), sediment (1.8%–17.7%), and total phosphorus losses (0.8%–8.6%) could be achieved. Results also indicate that implementing each cover crop on all croplands of the watershed could cause annual water yield reduction of at least 4.8%, with greater than 28% in the months of October and November. This could potentially be detrimental to the storage volume of the downstream reservoir, especially in drought years, if cover crops are adopted in most of the reservoir's drainage area. Evaluating water yield impacts, particularly in periods of low flows, is thus critical if cover crops are to be considered as best management practices in water supply watersheds.     

甘肃省作物布局演变及其对区域气候变暖的响应

根据甘肃省1985-2005年的气候资料和同时期主要作物播种面积等统计资料,利用快速聚类分析方法分析了气候变暖背景下甘肃省主要作物的种植格局和种植界限演变情况。结果表明:过去20 a里特别是进入20世纪90年代,在河西地区,玉米和棉花播种范围扩张趋势明显,种植面积比重显著增加,春小麦种植面积比重快速降低,种植范围大幅向祁连山浅山区退缩,种植结构的这种调整使玉米和棉花逐渐取代小麦成为河西主要作物,并最终导致该区主要作物种植格局从以小麦为主转变为以玉米和棉花为主;在中部地区,春小麦面积逐年缩小,冬小麦和杂粮种植扩张,玉米的种植比例逐年上升,马铃薯种植逐渐形成规模,形成了以小麦和玉米为主的种植格局;在东南部地区,春小麦和冬小麦面积逐年缩小,玉米、冬油菜和其他喜温的经济作物种植比例逐年上升。相关分析表明,上述作物种植格局的变化与气候变暖带来的积温增加及积温带北移东扩密切相关。     

不同前茬冬小麦土壤呼吸特征及影响因子分析

以不同蔬菜前茬处理的冬小麦田为对象,研究土壤呼吸变化特征、各影响因子对土壤呼吸的响应的通径分析以及计算全生长季农田碳汇强度.结果表明：①温度对土壤呼吸速率的响应随深度增加具有滞后性;土壤呼吸与土壤水分呈显著二次相关.②有效磷、速效钾、土壤脲酶、土壤温度、土壤水分对土壤呼吸变化的贡献较大,为主要影响因子.5种主要因子中土...     

Litter decomposition and nitrogen release in a sloping Mediterranean subtropical agroecosystem on the coast of Granada (SE, Spain): Effects of floristic and topographic alteration on the slope

On the coast of Granada (SE, Spain), an economically important area for subtropical fruit cultivation, the crops are grown on orchard terraces. Also, high amounts of fertilizers, often excessive, are used in this type of intensive agriculture. However, each year significant fractions of nutrients taken up by the trees return to the soil by fallen leaves. Using a litter-bag technique, we assessed the decomposition rates and N-release in various types of litter. Our main purpose was to compare two different agroecosystem scenarios: (1) an unaltered slope consisting mainly of a mixture of herbaceous plants (Papaver rhoeas, Convolvulus sp., Malva sylvestris, Reseda phyteuma, Anacyclus sp., Sinapis arvensis, Medicago sp.) among spontaneous perennial woody shrubs (Genista umbellata, Olea europaea, Lavandula officinalis, Phlomis purpurea, Retama sphaerocarpa), and (2) an altered slope cultivated with subtropical trees on terraces: loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), mango (Mangifera indica), avocado (Persea americana), and cherimoya (Annona cherimola), with groundcover plantings of aromatic, medicinal, and melliferous plants (AMMPs) on the taluses of the terraces, which are usually used for erosion control: Lavandula dentata, Thymus mastichina, Satureja obovata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Anthyllis cytisoides. In the leaves from the subtropical crops, we found the highest decomposition rates in cherimoya and the lowest in mango (1.30 and 0.64 years⁻¹, respectively). Leaves from mango and loquat registered initial peaks of N immobilization and later N-release, which was highest in cherimoya and avocado leaves (71.2 and 56.8% of the initial remaining N). In the spontaneous woody shrubs, O. europaea and G. umbellata were the slowest in decomposing (1.18 and 1.01 years⁻¹, respectively) contrary to L. officinalis, which decomposed fastest (2.22 years⁻¹). Only L. officinalis and P. purpurea registered a net N-release at the end of the study. The AMMPs showed different decomposition patterns: L. dentata registered the highest decomposition rates and Rosmarinus the lowest (1.9 and 1.1 years⁻¹, respectively). T. mastichina, L. dentata, and S. obovata had the highest N-release, whereas R. officinalis and A. cytisoides showed N immobilization (183 and 122% of the initial N). Knowledge of the dynamics of nutrient release and litter decomposition will be useful for predicting nutrient availability and nutrient cycles in these types of agroecosystems where subtropical orchards are grown on terraces.     

枯草芽孢杆菌对微污染水体的净化作用

采用投加枯草芽孢杆菌的水质净化方法,系统考察了在典型南方夏季气温下,封闭的模拟微污染水枯草芽孢杆菌净化体系中,投菌浓度、主要环境条件（pH和溶解氧）及其冲击对净化效果的影响.结果表明,枯草芽孢杆菌的最佳投菌浓度为3.2×105cfu·mL-1,适宜的环境条件为：pH5～7,溶解氧4～6mg·L-1.投菌9d后,CODM...     

Production costs and operative margins in electric energy generation from biogas. Full-scale case studies in Italy

The purpose of this study was to observe the economic sustainability of three different biogas full scale plants, fed with different organic matrices: energy crops (EC), manure, agro-industrial (Plants B and C) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) (Plant A). The plants were observed for one year and total annual biomass feeding, biomass composition and biomass cost (€ Mg^?1), initial investment cost and plant electric power production were registered. The unit costs of biogas and electric energy (€ Sm^?3_biogas, € kW h^?1_EE) were differently distributed, depending on the type of feed and plant. Plant A showed high management/maintenance cost for OFMSW treatment (0.155 € Sm^?3_biogas, 45% of total cost), Plant B suffered high cost for EC supply (0.130 € Sm^?3_biogas, 49% of total cost) and Plant C showed higher impact on the total costs because of the depreciation charge (0.146 € Sm^?3_biogas, 41% of total costs). The breakeven point for the tariff of electric energy, calculated for the different cases, resulted in the range 120–170 € MW h^?1_EE, depending on fed materials and plant scale. EC had great impact on biomass supply costs and should be reduced, in favor of organic waste and residues; plant scale still heavily influences the production costs. The EU States should drive incentives in dependence of these factors, to further develop this still promising sector.     

Application of treated wastewater and digested sewage sludge to obtain biodiesel from Helianthus annuus L. seeds oil

Waste from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for Helianthus annuus L. production may be a viable solution to obtain biodiesel. This study achieved two objectives: assess the agronomical viability of waste (wastewater and sludge) from the Alcázar de San Juan WWTP in central Spain for H. annuus L. production; use H. annuus L. seeds grown in this way to obtain biodiesel. Five study plots, each measuring 6 m × 6 m (36 m²), were set up on the agricultural land near the Alcázar de San Juan WWTP. Five fertilizer treatment types were considered: drinking water, as the control; treated wastewater; 10 t ha^?1 of air-dried sewage sludge; 20 t ha^?1 of air-dried sewage sludge; 0.6 t ha^?1 of commercial inorganic fertilizer. Soil, irrigation water, sewage sludge, crop development and fatty acid composition in achenes oil were monitored. The 20 t ha^–1 dose of sewage sludge proved effective to grow H. annuus L. with similar results to those grown with a commercial fertilizer. However, precautions should be taken when irrigating with wastewater because of high salinity and nutrient deficiency. Sunflower oil was composed mostly of linoleic and oleic acid. The remaining fatty acids were linolenic, estearic, nervonic, palmitoleic, and palmitic.     

中国农产品虚拟耕地与资源环境经济要素的时空匹配分析

计算出1999~2009年中国各地区农产品虚拟耕地与人口、水资源、耕地资源、水土流失治理以及GDP等要素的基尼系数以及全国8大区域2009年农产品虚拟耕地 资源环境经济要素的不平衡指数。结果表明：(1）我国农产品虚拟耕地与各资源环境经济要素的地域分布匹配程度都不高；其中农产品虚拟耕地与人口、耕地的地域匹配程度相对较高，与水土流失治理之间的地域匹配状况次之，与GDP和水资源的地域匹配程度相对较低；(2）我国农产品虚拟耕地与各资源环境经济要素的外部公平性不高，黄淮海地区为农产品虚拟耕地 资源环境经济要素不公平性最突出地区，其次是华南、西北和东北地区     

昌吉州农田地膜污染现状及治理对策

通过对昌吉州农田地膜使用现状进行调查,阐述了地膜污染的危害,并提出了适期揭膜、残膜回收、推广新型生物膜等措施与防治对策。     

Nutritionally relevant elements in staple foods: influence of arable site versus choice of variety

Eighteen representative sites for the Austrian grain-growing and eight for the potato-growing zones (soils and crops) were investigated. On each site, total element contents (B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, Sr and Zn) were determined in 4–12 varieties of winter wheat (n = 136), 6 varieties of spring durum wheat (n = 30), 5 varieties of winter durum wheat (n = 15), 7 varieties of rye (n = 49), 5 varieties of spring barley (n = 30) and 5 varieties of potatoes (n = 40). Element accumulations in grain species and potato tubers varied significantly with site conditions, with the main exceptions for B in potatoes and wheat as well as for Zn, Cu and Co in durum wheat. On average, across all investigated sites, differences in varieties occurred concerning the elements Ca, Cd, Ba, Sr and Zn (except Zn in potatoes and winter durum). A rough estimation revealed that an average Austrian consumer of wheat, rye and potatoes meets more than 50% of the needs of daily element intake for K, P and Mg, between 36 and 72% for Fe, Zn and Cu, and more than 100% for Co, Mo and Mn. In particular, the elements Ca and Na have to be added from other sources.