Life Sciences Commons^™

Management Regimes And Its Impact On The Wetland Fisheries Management In Assam, Ganesh Chandra

Ganesh Chandra

Assam is endowed with copious aquatic wealth in the form of beels, swamps, ponds and rivers. The floodplain wetlands (beels) extending over one lakh hectare, constitute the most important fishery resource of the state. The beels are considered as one of the most productive ecosystems owing to their characteristic interactions between land and water system. These wetlands are the common property resource and under different management regimes. These wetlands are under various management regimes, i.e., private management (individuals and groups), fishermen cooperative management, Community-based fisheries management (decentralized management, Government works as facilitator) and open access. Most of the unregistered beels …

Crop Decision-Making To Protect Soil And Water, David J. Muth

David J. Muth

David Muth, a founding partner and senior vice president for analytics at AgSolver Inc., discusses crop decision making in the context of soil and water protection.

Mitigation Site Soil Characteristics And The Effects Of Inoculation, Nursery Fertilizer Practices And Irrigation On Survival And Growth Of Mesquite (Prosopis Glandulosa) In The Coachella Valley, California, David A. Bainbridge, Marcelle M. Darby

David A Bainbridge

Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana (mesquite, honey mesquite) is a small to medium sized leguminous tree that was once common in the low desert of California. Widespread destruction of mesquite woodlands in the Coachella Valley of southern California for fuel wood, agricultural and urban development, and urbanization has reduced once vast stands to isolated remnants. The rerouting and widening of Highway 86 in the Coachella Valley was a typical example of ongoing mesquite woodland removal. Despite the recognized need for mitigation, relatively little information on mesquite establishment in California is available. This research explored mesquite establishment by replanting on an abandoned …

Quantifying The Changes In Landscape Configuration Using Open Source Gis. Case Study: Bistrita Subcarpathian Valley, Dan A. Chelaru, Ana M. Oiste, Florin C. Mihai

Florin C MIHAI

Gradually, the study of the landscape became a core topic of enviromental studies, due to its interdisciplinary research methods, integrating both natural and socio-economic data. The goal of the study is to quantify the structural evolution of Bistrita subcarpathian valley landscape, by using several GIS applications, having an important role in highlighting its functionality. The applications were realized for the extended area limit of Bistrita subcarpathian valley, which presents a complex landscape morphology, with features ranging from forested mountains to densely populated lowlands. The analysis was based on the two land cover maps resulted from the extraction of the spatial …

Selection And Phenotypic Characterization Of A Core Collection Of Brachypodium Distachyon Inbred Lines, Ludmilla Tyler, Johnathan U. Fangel, Alexandra D. Fagerström, Michael A. Steinwand, Ted K. Raab, William Gt Willats, John P. Vogel

Ted K. Raab

The model grass Brachypodium distachyon is increasingly used to study various aspects of grass biology. A large and genotypically diverse collection of B. distachyon germplasm has been assembled by the research community. The natural variation in this collection can serve as a powerful experimental tool for many areas of inquiry, including investigating biomass traits. We surveyed the phenotypic diversity in a large collection of inbred lines and then selected a core collection of lines for more detailed analysis with an emphasis on traits relevant to the use of grasses as biofuel and grain crops. Phenotypic characters examined included plant height, …

Soil Penetrometer, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

A simple easy to build impact soil penetrometer can provide very useful information on soil strength. This can be very important for restoration planning and management of soils in agriculture and forestry.

Soil Solarization, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Soil solarization makes use of the energy of the sun to heat soil and kill weeds and pathogens. Single, double, or bubblepack plastic and be used to increase soil temperature. Multiple growth benefits are often realized.

Disease Risks Posed By Wild Birds Associated With Agricultural Landscapes, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

No abstract provided.

Pearl Millet Breeding Lines Developed At Icrisat:A Reservoir Of Variability And Useful Source, Mahalingam Govindaraj

Mahalingam Govindaraj

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) conducts inter-disciplinary and partnership-based research for the genetic improvement of its mandate crops. During the 1970s and 1980s, the pearl millet improvement at ICRISAT, Patancheru, emphasized on: (i) developing a diverse range of traitspecific composites, based on the germplasm largely from the Western and Central Africa; (ii) improving them by the process of recurrent selection, principally for grain yield and downy mildew (Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet ) resistance; and (iii) developing open-pollinated varieties (OPVs)

Opportunities For Energy Crop Production Based On Subfield Scale Distribution Of Profitability, Ian J. Bonner, Kara G. Cafferty, David J. Muth, Mark D. Tomer, David E. James, Sarah A. Porter, Douglas L. Karlen

David J. Muth

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while benefiting soil and water quality and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits, energy crops remain largely unaccepted due to concerns over their practicality and cost of implementation. This paper presents a case study for Hardin County, Iowa, to demonstrate how subfield decision making can be used to target candidate areas for conversion to energy crop production. Estimates of variability in row crop production at a subfield level are used to model the economic performance of corn (Zea mays L.) …

Effects Of Deterioration Parameters On Storage Of Maize: A Review, Rashid A. Suleiman

RASHID A SULEIMAN

Maize (Zea mays L), commonly known as corn in the United States, is the third most important cereal grain worldwide, after wheat and rice. It is a basic staple grain for large groups of people in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. In tropical countries, a large proportion of the maize is harvested and stored under humid and warm climatic conditions, which subsequently results in rapid deterioration of the grains, mainly because of growth of molds and pests. This study reviewed the main factors that lead to deterioration of maize in tropical countries and suggests ways of preventing the identified causes. …

Effect Of Bio Field Treatment On The Physical And Thermal Characteristics Of Silicon, Tin And Lead Powders., Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Silicon, tin and lead powders belong to group IV in periodic table and exhibit decreasing semi conducting nature towards the bottom of the group. These are very useful in producing non ferrous powder metallurgy components.

In the present investigation silicon, tin and lead powders are exposed to bio field. Both the exposed and unexposed powders are later characterized by various techniques. The average particle size, after an initial decrease is found to increase with increase in number of days after treatment although the size is lee than that exhibited by untreated powder, suggesting the operation of competing mechanisms fracture and …

Effect Of Variability In Rainfall Characteristics On Maize Yield In Gboko, Nigeria, Emmanuel Msughter Adamgbe, Fanan Ujoh Ph.D

Dr. Fanan Ujoh

The study examines the impact of variability in rainfall characteristics on maize yield in a tropical setting. The study design involves the collection and analyses of data on rainfall characteristics and maize yield at Gboko LGA in Benue State, Nigeria. The methodology adopted is the use of archival data on rainfall and maize yield for 30 years, collected from the Agro-Meteorological Unit and Farm Department of Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev (AOCAY). The data was analyzed using mean, correlation and regression analysis to establish cause and effect relationship be- tween rainfall characteristics and maize yield at the study area. …

Semi-Automated Classification Of Gray Scale Aerial Photographs Using Geographic Object Based Image Analysis (Geobia) Technique, Ahmed Harb Rabia, Fabio Terribile

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Aerial photography is an important source of high resolution remotely sensed data. Before 1970, aerial photographs were the only remote sensing data source for land use and land cover classification. Using these old aerial photographs improve the final output of land use and land cover change detection. However, classic techniques of aerial photographs classification like manual interpretation or screen digitization require great experience, long processing time and vast effort. A new technique needs to be developed in order to reduce processing time and effort and to give better results. Geographic object based image analysis (GEOBIA) is a newly developed area …

Land Suitability Analysis For Policy Making Assistance: A Gis Based Land Suitability Comparison Between Surface And Drip Irrigation Systems, Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia, H. Figueredo, T. L. Huong, B. A. A. Lopez,, H. W. Solomon, V. Alessandro

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Land suitability assessment for irrigation is a very important tool not only in terms of agriculture development planning, but also to overcome the global problem of water scarcity. The aim of this study is to spatially evaluate land suitability of the study area, Kilte Awulaelo district in Ethiopia, for surface and drip irrigation methods based on GIS and remote sensing approaches. This work has been done as a part of the 29th Course Professional Master in Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare, Florence, Italy. Final suitability maps show the irregularity of suitability classes’ distribution over the study area. Results show that only …

Introducing A New Parametric Concept For Land Suitability Assessment, Ahmed Harb Rabia

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

In an ecosystem, there is need to establish the quantity and quality of resources and their suitability for a certain range of land uses in order to assure its future productivity and sustainability of biodiversity. Parametric methods are widely used for land suitability evaluation. A new parametric concept “equation” of land suitability evaluation has been proposed to improve results of land suitability evaluation. Land suitability assessment for wheat production was conducted in order to compare results of the suggest method with classical parametric methods. Organic matter, CaCO3, pH, Slope, texture, drainage, depth, EC and altitude were recognized as factors affecting …

Chromium Reducing And Plant Growth Promoting Novel Strain Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Osg41 Enhance Chickpea Growth In Chromium Amended Soils, Mohammad Oves

Mohammad Oves

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Bio Field Treatment On The Physical And Thermal Characteristics Of Vanadium Pentoxide Powders., Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Vanadium pentoxide powders are very useful in producing ferrous as well as aluminium alloys, in removing carbon and sulphur and as catalysts in synthesizing ammonia and sulphuric acid. It is also used as corrosion inhibitor petroleum and chemical processing.

In the present investigation V2O5 powders are exposed to biofield. Both the exposed and unexposed powders are later characterized by various techniques. The average particle size is found to decrease with increase in number of days after treatment up to a maximum of 15.9% in 110 days indicating severe fracture at agglomerate/ crystallite boundaries. The BET surface area showed a surprising …

Biofield And Fungicide Seed Treatment Influences On Soybean Productivity,Seed Quality And Weed Community, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Soybean production in Iowa USA is among the most productive for raínfed regions in the world. Despite generally having excellent soils, growing season temperatures and rainfall, soybean yields are decreased by weed interference and inadequate available soil water at key stages of crop development. A field study was conducted at two locations in lowa in 2012 to determine if seed-applied fungicide or biofield treatments influenced weed community, soil volumetric water concentration and soybean yield and quality. Application of biofield treatment resulted in lower density of tall waterhemp density, greater soybean stand density at R8 stage and greater seed pod-1 compared …

Impact Of Biofield Treatment On Ginseng And Organic Blueberry Yield, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

This study tested the Null Hypothesis forthe effect of BioField Energy applied to two separate crops under typical growing conditions, namelyginseng and organic blueberry in commercial plantings in Wisconsin and California, respectively. Following treatment to replicated plots in standard experimental design, data were collected at harvest for yield quantity and quality. Ginseng plants treated both pre-harvest and a combination of pre- and post-harvest showed market grade increases of 33.3% and 40.0%, respectively. Point of sale gross return for this crop is dependent upon tuber quality, and from these data the economics of these treatments were calculated. Based on stand adjusted …

Agricultural Geo-Engineering; Past, Present & Future, Erich J. Knight Mr.

Erich J Knight Mr.

Historic hall marks of GHG emissions are reviewed, providing repeated demonstration of anthropogenic land use changes on climate forcing.

New Astrophysical and Paleoclimate concordance with extinction events demonstrating climate adaptation by prehistoric man.

A review of new research concerning Soil Carbon, Carboniferous Aerosols, extent of Pyrolytic-Carbon fraction in soil and the first survey of the extensive deep soil carbon sink.

How thermal conversion technologies can integrate and optimize the recycling of valuable nutrients while providing energy and building soil carbon.

New discoveries from the Advanced Spectrometry & Meta-Genomics studies in soil microbiology which demonstrate unaccounted for ecological services provided by …

Exploring Alternatives For Sustainable Development In The Tamiahua Wetlands, Luis Felipe Luna-Reyes, Jorge A. Durán-Encalada, Erick R. Bandala

Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation JEMI

This article presents a preliminary System Dynamics model developed to analyze the sustainability of a natural reserve in Mexico: the Tamiahua Wetlands. Wetlands are often referred to as nature’s kidneys because they filter contaminants from water. In spite of their importance, wetlands are endangered areas around the world. In order to build the model we take into account the Fishbanks model developed by Meadows (2004) as a starting point. Then, the model considers variables related to changes in total and economically active populations, and contaminants in water. The preliminary model presented in this study implies that fishing activity in the …

Deep Pipe Irrigation, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Deep pipe irrigation uses a vertically placed section of pipe to deliver water to the roots of plants. This reduces evaporation and increases water use efficiency. Deep pipes can be filled by hand, drip or rainwater catchment.

Planting Desert Sites, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Desert planting requires great care in preparing plants, handling plants and planting. With proper consideration of soil, climate and water availability plants can be established despite severe conditions of high temperatures, high winds, herbivory and lack of water.

Site Assessment For Environmental Restoration, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Restoring degraded desert ecosystems is challenging but it can be done. The first key step is understanding the site history and understanding the disturbance and current site conditions. With this information the appropriate steps can be taken to improve the site ecosystem function and structure.

Container Plants For Desert Restoration, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Container planting is essential for most desert restoration work because direct seeding is rarely successful. The containers best suited for desert planting are often taller (deeper) to facilitate root development. Fertilizer management, inoculation, irrigation and pruning can be used to maximize root growth with minimal shoot development.

Combating Deserttification In Asia, Africa And The Middle East, Victor Roy Squires Dr

Victor Roy Squires Dr

The fight against land degradation in terrestrial ecosystems forms one of the most complex challenges with regard to the various global environmental problems. It is most intensively linked to human life quality and to current living conditions in the poorer countries of the drier biomes on earth. The concept of the combat of desertification, as rooted in the charter of the United Nations Convention to combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD), can also be transferred to a wider sustainability agenda for the more humid ecosystems where accelerated land degradation, loss of biodiversity and vulnerability to climate change are emerging issues of …

Comparative Study Of Various Pretreatment Reagents On Rice Husk And Structural Changes Assessment Of The Optimised Pretreated Rice Husk, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr

Teck Nam Ang Dr.

The performance of alkalis (NaOH and Ca(OH)2) and acids (H2SO4, HCl, H3PO4, CH3COOH, and HNO3) in the pretreatment of rice husk was screened, and a suitable reagent was assessed for subsequent optimisation using response surface methodology. From the assessment, HCl that hydrolysed rice husk well was optimised with three parameters (HCl loading, pretreatment duration, and temperature) using Box-Behnken Design. The optimised condition (0.5% (w/v) HCl loading, 125oC, 1.5 hours) is relatively mild, and resulted in ~22.3 mg TRS/ml hydrolysate. The reduced model developed has good predictability, where the predicted and experimental results differ by only 2%. The comprehensive structural characterization …

An Assessment Of The Effects Of Desertification In Yobe State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental and socio-economic problems of our time. Desertification describes circumstances of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from the climatic variation and human activities. The fundamental goal of this thesis was to assess the effects of desertification in Yobe State, Nigeria. The present threat of desertification in the sahel has reached an alarming stage where crops cultivation and animal rearing/grazing are no more productive, soil has lost its nutrient/fertility, various infrastructure had given way because of windstorm from the neighbouring Niger Republic and sand dunes had taken over. The …

Buried Clay Pipe Irrigation, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

The buried clay pipe method of irrigation is one of the most efficient systems known and is ideal for gardeners and small farmers. Buried clay pipe irrigation uses a buried, unglazed clay pipe filled with water to provide controlled irrigation to plants as the water seeps out through the clay wall at a rate that is influenced by the plant's water use. It has been used for more than one hundred years.This auto-regulation leads to very high efficiency--considerably better than drip irrigation and many times better than conventional surface irrigation. This also reduces weeds, increases yields, and can speed maturity …