Simulating Soil Water Content,Evapotranspiration, and Yield of Variably Irrigated Grain Sorghum Using AquaCrop

Use of models to simulate crop production has become important in optimizing irrigation management in arid and semiarid regions. However, applicability and performance of these models differ across regions, due to differences in environmental and management factors. The AquaCrop model was used to simulate soil water content (SWC), evapotranspiration (ET), and yield for grain sorghum under different irrigation regimes and dryland conditions at two sites in Central and Southern High Plains. Prediction error (P_e), estimated as the difference between simulated and measured divided by measured, for SWC ranged from ?17% to 4% in fully irrigated, ?3% to ?10% in limited irrigated, and ?16% to 25% in dryland treatments. The P_e within ±4%, ?5%, and ?17% to 24% were attained for seasonal ET under fully irrigated, limited irrigated, and dryland conditions, respectively. P_e values for grain yield were within those previously reported and ranged from ?10% to 12%, ?12% to 7%, and 9% to 17% for fully irrigated, limited irrigated and dryland conditions, respectively. Overall performance of the AquaCrop model showed it could be used as an effective tool for evaluating the impacts of variable crop and irrigation managements on the production of grain sorghum in the study area. Finally, the application of the model in the study area revealed planting date has a significant impact on sorghum yield and irrigation requirements, but the impact of planting density was negligible. Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on Optimizing Ogallala Aquifer Water Use to Sustain Food Systems. See the February 2019 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

Key factors that influence households’ tree planting behaviour

Despite a decrease in indigenous forests and a growing demand for tree products in developing countries, tree planting activities are not considerably expanding in Tanzania. In this paper, we analyse factors that influence households’ tree planting behaviour, as well as the number of trees planted. Coast and Morogoro regions in the east of Tanzania were selected as the case, and data was gathered from 202 households in 11 villages in these regions where tree planting programmes have been or still are active. A Heckman model is used to analyse the factors that drive tree planting behaviour. Results indicate that households get wood energy from forest reserves (57%), in addition to their own planted trees (9.1%). Emperical findings show that the most important factors have significantly positive effects on households’ tree planting behaviour, as well as the extent to which it was implemented. These factors include households’ land sizes, households’ awareness of tree planting programmes, tree planting for wood energy, and the age of the head of the household. The right/freedom to harvest and transport tree products, households’ attitudes towards tree planting, and family size have significantly negative effects on households’ tree planting behaviour. This paper is perhaps the first comprehensive study to analyse the factors that influence households’ tree planting behaviour in Tanzania, and it uncovers results that are useful, even for other developing countries with similar conditions.     

FACTORS CONTROLLING RUNOFF NUTRIENT LOSS FROM CULTIVATED LAND IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA1

ABSTRACT A stepwise multiple regression was used to evaluate the relative importance of antecedent-, event-, and high-intensity-precipitation amounts; runoff volume; and precipitation nutrient contents and concentrations in determining nutrient losses in runoff. Plots were fertilized at high, medium, and low rates and had cultivation ridges oriented up-and-down slope or on the contour. Runoff volume was the important factor in determining the loss of NO₃, soluble PO₄, total PO₄, and soluble K ions in runoff from fallow, corn, or soybean plots. NH₄-N loss was controlled mainly by the precipitation content and antecedet precipitation since fertilizer had been applied. Nutrient losses were greater from plots fertilized at the high rate and from plots with cultivation ridges oriented up-and-down slope rather than on the contour.     

黑龙江省中部漫川漫岗区坡耕地的治理──垄作区田水土保持措施的应用

本文对黑龙江省中部漫川漫岗侵蚀区坡耕地利用现状和采取的水土保持耕作措施进行了总结分析，提出了在黑龙江省坡耕地治理中应用垄作区田技术标准和发展方向。     

四川盆地油桐适宜栽培高度及分布

本文对油桐产油量立体变化与气候生态条件的关系进行了客观定量的研究,提出了油桐适宜栽培高度的气候生态指标;并结合四川盆地年平均气温分布特点,揭示了油桐适宜栽培高度的分布规律,还根据有关生态学和经济学原理,对油桐发展战略进行了探讨。     

Contour Farming Based on Natural Vegetative Strips: Expanding the Scope for Increased Food Crop Production on Sloping Lands in Asia

In the agriculture of the future, there is a compelling place for agroecologically-based practices alongside practices based on the best available chemical, genetic, and engineering components. This paper explores this issue in the context of the development and spread of a conservation farming system based on natural vegetative contour buffer strips in smallholder production systems in southeast Asia. Farmers adapted contour hedgerow farming practices into a simpler, buffer-strip system as a labor-saving measure to conserve soil and sustain yields on steeply sloping cropland in Claveria, Mindanao, Philippines. Permanent-ridge tillage systems were also adapted to smallholder farming systems by researchers. Natural vegetative buffer strips resulted in gradually increasing yields, with an estimated benefit of 0.5t/ha/crop. They were seen to increase land values, facilitate investment in more intensive and profitable cropping systems, and expand the land base for food crop agriculture. They induced an institutional innovation of farmer-led Landcare organizations, which have spread this and other agroforestry practices to thousands of households in the southern Philippines.     

邛海流域设施葡萄园土壤养分与地下水污染特征研究

为揭示邛海流域设施葡萄园土壤养分的累积状况与地下水的污染特征,选取邛海北岸典型设施葡萄种植区为研究区域,采集不同种植年限的设施葡萄园和普通农田表层土壤以及相应区域地下水进行分析,并采用相关性分析方法探讨葡萄园表层土壤中氮、磷浓度,土壤理化性质与种植年限之间的关系。结果表明：设施葡萄园表层土壤中速效氮浓度平均为0.702 g/kg,速效磷浓度平均为0.135 g/kg,分别是背景（未耕作）土壤的8.2倍和6.5倍;土壤中总氮和总磷浓度与种植年限呈显著正相关,氮、磷养分会随着种植年限的增加在土壤中累积,且由于种植过程中磷肥的长期大量施用,土壤中磷素累积显著;设施葡萄园土壤pH与其养分浓度呈显著负相关,土壤电导率与其养分浓度呈显著正相关,氮、磷肥料的大量施用会加重土壤的酸化和盐渍化程度;设施葡萄园土壤养分淋失主要以硝态氮为主,地下水中硝酸盐浓度随着种植年限的增加而升高,对邛海水质存在潜在污染风险。     

公路的环境美学与景观

公路建设作为人类实践创造活动之一，它为人们所提供的不仅仅是交通便捷与安全的享受，而且还应有视觉上的娱悦和满足。一条公路，可以吸引人们的视觉，也可以使人们熟视无睹。这取决于公路在周围风景中的实际布局及详细设计和维护保养的程度。和谐、连贯、稳定等公路景观评价和设计中常常使用的概念。公路对景观的影响是不可避免的，符合美学原则的减轻措施是公路景观恢复的有效手段。一条精心设计的公路应与周围环境和谐一致，应该充分利用地形和景色，包括一些当地最好的代表植物，使其融入自然。并且在可能的情况下，凭籍自己独到的设计和上乘的品质，使其成为一个旅游观赏景区。     

不同种植方式对水生植物生长的影响

水生植物恢复是水体生态恢复与重建的一个关键,而人工快速大面积恢复沉水植物存在较大的难度。在淀山湖318国道近岸水域生态带内,运用水泥涵管覆土种植、箩筐覆土种植、纱布包裹覆土种植、编织袋覆土种植和竹签扦插法对水生植物进行种植。通过实验得出,运用水泥涵管覆土种植的芦苇存活率比用箩筐覆土种植的存活率高;运用水泥涵管覆土+竹签扦插法种植的狐尾藻存活率比其他几种种植方法的存活率高,几种种植方式下的生物量无显著差异。     

Co-Partnership in Forest Management: The Gwira-Banso Joint Forest Management Project in Ghana

The involvement of local communities, as well as the private sector and the government in forest management is now an important principle of tropical forestry policy and practice and a major component of most international forestry aid programmes. This paper present an analysis on the Joint Forest Management Project initiated by two timber companies (Ghana Primewood Products Ltd and Dalhoff Larsen & Horneman) in collaboration with local people in Gwira-Banso of Ghana. Conditions required for enhancing responsibility for and commitment to local forest management, and for an effective local participatory process were also analysed. The study began with the premise that incentives and good communication will enhance participation in joint forest management.The assumption was valid and the results from the survey showed that five broad issues prioritised by respondents to be essential for co-partnership in forest management are communication, financial support, tree planting, multiple land use and benefit sharing. The Project enjoys a great deal of support from the local community, but a number of factors make the continued support of local people a challenging task, including questions of immediate livelihood sources and tenure arrangements. Although this participatory forest management has been implemented over a relatively short period, there is evidence that government and private sectors can successfully involve local people in sustainable management of the forests.