Sustainable resource management coupled to resilient germplasm to provide new intensive cereal–grain–legume–livestock systems in the dry savanna

Sustainable resource management is the critical agricultural research and development challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. The accumulated knowledge on soil management gathered over the last 10 years, combined with solid crop improvement and plant health research at farmers’ level, has brought us to a stage where we can now address with confidence the intensification of cereal–grain–legume-based cropping systems in the dry savanna of West Africa in a sustainable and environmentally positive manner.Two sustainable farming systems that greatly enhance the productivity and sustainability of integrated livestock systems have been developed and implemented in the dry savanna of Nigeria. These are: (i) maize (Zea mays L.)–promiscuous soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations that combine high nitrogen fixation and the ability to kill large numbers of Striga hermonthica seeds in the soil; and (ii) miflet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaerth] and dual-purpose cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. Improvement of the cropping systems in the dry savanna has been driven by the adoption of promiscuously nodulating soybean varieties (in particular TGx 1448-2E) and dual-purpose cowpea. The rate of adoption is very high, even in the absence of an efficient seed distribution system. The number of farmers cultivating the improved varieties increased by 228% during the last 3 years. Increased production of promiscuous soybean has been stimulated by increased demand from industries and home utilization. Production in Nigeria was estimated at 405,000 t in 1999 compared to less than 60,000 t in 1984. Economic analysis of these systems shows already an increase of 50–70% in the gross incomes of adopting farmers compared to those still following the current practices, mainly continuous maize cultivation. Furthermore, increases in legume areas of 10% in Nigeria (about 30,000 ha in the northern Guinea savanna) and increases of 20% in yield have translated into additional fixed nitrogen valued annually at US$ 44 million. This reflects, at the same time, an equivalent increase in land-use productivity, and with further spread of the improved crops, there are excellent prospects for additional economic and environmental benefits from a very large recommendation domain across West Africa.     

活性炭性质对其吸附水中硝基苯性能的影响

通过对活性炭进行HNO3氧化及热处理改性,研究了活性炭性质对其吸附硝基苯性能的影响.以低温液氮(N2/77 K)吸附测定活性炭的比表面积和孔容、孔径分布;以Boehm滴定、零电荷点pHPZC的测定及元素分析定量表征活性发表面含氧官能团变化.结果表明:经改性后,活性炭比表面积及总孔容略有减小,表面性质发生较大变化.改性活性炭对硝基苯的吸附容量明显改变,吸附容量大小依次为:AC1′＞AC0′＞AC0＞AC1.经硝酸氧化后,比表面积下降、存在过多表面含氧官能团是导致AC1吸附硝基苯能力降低的主要原因;而AC1'表面适量酚羟基所提供的氢键吸附是其对硝基苯吸附量增加的主要原因.     

汞在鲤鱼组织中的蓄积、排出与血流速度的关系

本试验在10±1℃、不喂食条件下测定鲤鱼在30天受汞毒期间鳃、脑和肝胰脏蓄积汞和尾鳍微血管血流速度及30天解毒期间排出汞和血流速度的变化。试验结果:受毒期间鳃中汞的蓄积量最多,解毒期间鳃中汞的排出速度最快;受毒期间血流速度随受毒时间的延长而减慢,又随试验浓度的增高而减慢,解毒期间血流速度随解毒时间的延长而加快;受毒期间高浓度试验组鱼鳃、脑和肝胰脏中汞的蓄积量与血流速度呈负相关,解毒期间鱼鳃中汞的排出量与血流速度呈正相关,汞的浓度与血流速度呈负相关。     

氯化钠抑制下乙酸厌氧降解的动力学模型

作者利用五个实验室规模的完全混合反应器进行较长时间的半连续培养,研究在氯化钠抑制下乙酸盐的厌氧降解。结果表明,在不同条件下运行的反应器内,存在优势菌群的显著差异,因此在不同条件下运行的反应器对抑制有不同的响应。作者引入抑制因子的概念,建立了在氯化钠抑制下乙酸厌氧降解的动力学模型。同时指出反应器运行条件与菌群组成的联系以及菌群组成的差别对反应器运行状况的影响,在废水生物处理的动力学模型研究中应给予足够的重视。     

The macro implications of a complete transformation of U.S. agricultural production to organic farming practices

A national interregional linear programming model of U.S. agriculture is used to evaluate and compare two conventional and three organic production alternatives. The objective is to estimate the effects on production, supply prices, land use, farm income, and export potential, of a complete transformation of U.S. agriculture to organic practices. Crop yields and production costs are estimated for 150 producing regions for seven crops under both conventional and organic methods. Results indicate that compared with conventional methods, widespread organic farming leads to a decrease in total production, lower export potential, higher supply prices, higher value of production, lower costs of production, and higher net farm income. The United States domestic crop demand can be met with organic methods, but would be more expensive. Some interregional shifts in crop production would also occur.