Assessment of metals in fourteen species of vegetables and crops cultivated in a suburban area using multivariate analyses

Concentrations of seven metals (Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) were determined in 14 plant species including vegetables and crops from an agricultural area located at the Southern part of the Iranian capital, near the Tehran oil refinery. Different statistical methods, especially multivariate ones, were employed for the analysis of the results. Based on the results of agglomerative hierarchical method for clustering of the grid cells, some similarities between the dendrograms of Pb, Ni, and V and, furthermore, between Mn and Cr were observed that could be attributed to their similar distribution sources in the study area. The principal component analysis showed that with respect to accumulation of all the metals in the plant species, two main groups could be identified. The highest mean concentrations of all metals (except for Pb) were found in onions. In all plants the mean concentrations of Cd and Pb were considerably higher than limits stated in international guidelines for human consumption. The levels of the metals in onions exceeded these limits. Moreover, the Cr concentrations in mint and basil and the Zn concentrations in tarragon and parsley were higher than the established limits.     

Hydrolytic biodegradation of chlorothalonil in the soil and in cabbage crops

Broccoli and Chinese cabbage crops were treated at planting by pouring an emulsion of the fungicide chlorothalonil around the stem of the plant. During culture, chlorothalonil was biodegraded in soil into l,3‐dicarbamoyl‐2,4,5,6‐tetrachlorobenzene (compound 1), l,3‐dicyano‐4‐hydroxy‐2,5,6‐trichlorobenzene (compound 2), and l‐carbamoyl‐3‐cyano‐4‐hydroxy‐2,5,6‐trichlorobenzene (compound 3). Compounds 1 and 2 were the major metabolites in soil. In the harvested broccoli (in the flower) and Chinese cabbages (the leaves), the concentrations of chlorothalonil and of compounds 1 and 2 were lower respectively than 0.1, 0.1 and 0.5mg/kg fresh weight.     

民勤绿洲种植业结构调整及其对农作物需水量的影响

论文引入虚拟水理论,构建种植业结构调整需水模型,分析近33 a民勤绿洲种植业结构调整对农作物需水量的影响。结果表明：1）民勤绿洲粮食作物、经济作物与其他作物面积比重之比由1978年的84∶12∶4调整为2010年的25∶72∶3。粮食作物播种面积比重的下降主要是由小麦播种面积比重的快速减少所致。2）民勤绿洲农作物需水总量由1978年的2.15×10⁸ m³增加到2010年的2.49×10⁸ m³,粮食作物和经济作物需水总量之比由1978年的88∶12变化为2010年的31∶69。3）民勤绿洲种植业结构调整的生态节水效应在不同时段存在差异,1979—1998年,种植业结构调整对于农作物需水而言,未起到节水作用;1999—2008年,种植业结构调整的节水效果明显;2009—2010年,种植业结构的进一步调整导致需水量的快速增加,未起到节水作用。单位面积需水量较高的蔬菜、小麦、玉米等5种农作物面积比重之和的大小对节水效果起到决定性作用。     

提高农业用水有效性的水文学研究

中国北方15个省、区、市耕地面积占全国的55%,灌溉面积占全国灌溉总面积的48%,而水资源总量仅占全国的20%。区域水资源短缺和农业的进一步发展,要求提高农业用水有效性。本文从水文学角度,研究了华北、西北和东北3个地区水土资源特征;分析了作物熟制和适水种植的节水效益、农田供水量与产量的函数关系、农田棵间蒸发量和控制措施,以及提高高产农田用水有效性等水文试验研究结果;介绍了河北省南皮节水农业试验区的研究模式。     

When is overfishing underfishing?

The term overfishing is being used with increasing frequency to designate an undesirable level of fisheries exploitation. All too often, however, the term is taken as being self-evident. This article demonstrates that many definitions of overfishing are possible, depending essentially on what objective is being pursued for the fishery. Various possible biological and economic objectives are considered, both in a static and dynamic model of the fishery. Consideration is given to the best utilization of the fish stock from the viewpoint of the individual fishermen as well as that of society. It is shown that overfishing by one definition may be underfishing by another, and it is concluded therefore that anyone using the term overfishing ought, as a matter of course, to define it.     

Participatory Development of No-tillage Systems without Herbicides for Family Farming: The Experience of the Center-South Region of Paraná

It is currently estimated that 40 million hectares worldwide are cultivated through no-tillage systems (Derpsh, 1998). Small family farms account for less than 50,000ha, half of them located in South America's Southern Cone (Wall, 1998). Many hypotheses have been offered to explain why so few small farmers have adapted to this method. The most simplistic ones relate this limited adoption to small farmers' traditionalism and to their rejection of innovation. Others point to the low technological development of animal-drawn equipment needed for this technology or the low educational level of family farmers.Results of work done in the Center-South of Paraná, Southern Brazil, by AS-PTA¹ in partnership with the region's Forum of Family Farmers Organizations, challenge these hypotheses and draw attention to the need for new approaches and processes of research and extension if the goal is to disseminate and implement appropriate no-tillage systems among family farmers. One requisite is to lower production costs of this method through elimination of herbicides and using green manure and cover crops that shift the crop-weed balance in favor of crops.     

农作物秸秆青贮新技术

在我国农村农作物秸秆普遍存在，文章就秸秆青贮方法进行了系统的介绍，指出它会起到变废为宝，拓宽饲养动物的原料，减少经济投入，增加经济效益的作用。     

Ethical and Value-based Aspects of the European Commission's Precautionary Principle

In February 2000, the EuropeanCommission adopted a Communication on theprecautionary principle. This states how theCommission intends to apply the principle andestablishes guidelines for its application. Thedocument is intended to inform discussions oninternational agreements. In particular, itprovides a defense of European Union (EU)precautionary policies in case of tradedisputes, for example, in case the EU isaccused of imposing unfair trade barriers onexports of genetically-modified (GM) productsfrom the United States under the rules of theWorld Trade Organisation. In the communication,the Commission emphasizes the scientificaspects of the precautionary principle, perhapspartly to counter claims from US officials thatthe EU's reluctance to accept GM imports is notbased on science but is politically-motivated.However, a principle is by definition a moralguide to behavior. In other words, it is anethic. The precautionary principle should beviewed as a complement to science, to beinvoked when a lack of scientific evidencemeans that outcomes are uncertain. Anyinterpretation of this principle needs to placeat least as much emphasis on its ethical andvalue-based aspects as on its scientificjustification. The Commission's interpretationrisks undermining the painstaking progress madeamong European Union member states inresponding to public concern about GM crops andfood by adopting increased precaution. Thispaper explores the balance between thescientific and ethical/value-based aspects ofthe precautionary principle as set out in theCommission's communication, to make the casethat it is the ethical and value-based aspectsrather than the scientific aspects of theguidelines that need strengthening.     

广安县农业气候资源定量分析与评价

本文就广安县农业气候资源及其要素对农作物的适宜性进行了定量分析与评价,找到了气候资源的优势和限制因素,提出了开发、利用措施。     

害虫对转基因Bt作物的抗性及其管理对策

至今为止,已经有２６种植物成功地转入了Ｂｔ毒蛋白基因,它们将在防治害虫中发挥重要作用．Ｂｔ作物释放的潜在风险是害虫的抗性进化．害虫对Ｂｔ毒蛋白产生抗性的机制包括行为躲避、生理生化机制及遗传机制．抗性等位基因的初始频率和抗性的遗传稳定性等特性影响着抗性管理对策的实施和效用．抗性管理对策包括Ｂｔ作物的轮作、转入多个杀虫基因、Ｂｔ毒蛋白高剂量表达、低剂量表达和目标特异表达以及避难所策略等,它们是互为补充的．其中,“高剂量／避难所”策略受到广泛的重视．但是,这些策略来自理论数学模型和实验室数据,其有效性尚需要田间实验的检验并得到进一步的完善