The Scale of Constructing Mountainous Cities in Yunnan Province based on “Benchmark” Farmlands

In 2011, Yunnan provincial committee and government proposed the strat- egy of constructing mountainous cities in order to protect farmlands and guarantee crop safety, which makes full use of hills and gentle-slopes and transforms land use pattern. However, social and economic development performs unevenly in Yun- nan, supplemented by varied geographical conditions, so that constructing mountain- ous cities should proceed as per local conditions. The research proposed the con- trol of constructing mountainous cities provided crop safety under the principle of farmland protection and measured the quantities of demanded construction lands ac- cording to science of population prediction and ekistics, based on which the control scales of constructing mountainous cities were determined by multiplying basic farm- land coefficient and the area of newly increased construction lands. The research is of significance for guiding the construction of mountainous cities and avoiding the occupation of construction lands on farmlands.

Distribution of Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Biomass Along a Latitudinal Gradient in Farmlands of Songliao Plain,Northeast China

Soil enzymes activities and microbial biomass have an important influence on nutrient cycling. The spatial distribution of soil enzymes activities and microbial biomass were examined along a latitudinal gradient in farmlands of Songliao Plain, Northeast China to assess the impact of climatic changes along the latitudinal transect on nutrient cycling in agroecosystems. Top soils （0-20 cm depth） were sampled in fields at 7 locations from north （Hallun） to south （Dashiqiao） in the end of October 2005 after maize harvest. The contents of total C, N, and P, C/N, available N, and available P increased with the latitude. The activities of invertase and acid phosphatase, microbial biomass （MB） C and N, and MBC/MBN were significantly correlated with latitude （P 〈 0.05, r^2 = 0.198, 0.635, 0.558, 0.211 and 0.317, respectively）, that is, increasing with the latitude. Significant positive correlations （P 〈 0.05） were observed between invertase activity and the total N and available P, and between acid phosphatase activity and the total C, C/N, available N, total P and available P. The urease, acid phosphatase, and dehydrogenase activities were significantly correlated with the soil pH and electrical conductivity （EC） （P 〈 0.05）. MBC and MBN were positively correlated with the total C, C/N, and available P （P 〈 0.05）. The MBC/MBN ratio was positively correlated with the total C, total N, C/N, and available N （P 〈 0.05）. The spatial distribution of soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass resulted from the changes in soil properties such as soil organic matter, soil pH, and EC, partially owing to variations in temperature and rainfall along the latitudinal gradient.

Review of Current Status and Research Approaches to Nitrogen Pollution in Farmlands

In this paper, the history, current status, and research approaches to nitrogen pollution were reviewed using systems analysis and deductions. The seriousness of N pollution world-wide was highlighted and recommendations were made to address the situation. A new hypothesis based on phytoremediation, which means the use of plants to directly or indirectly degrade or remove contaminats from soil and water, was proposed.

A Brief Study on pH, Exchangeable Ca²⁺and Mg²⁺in Farmlands under Tobacco-Rice Rotation in Xuancheng City of South Anhui

pH, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ of soil can influence the yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco. Xuancheng city is the dominant tobacco-planting region in Anhui province since 2008. A general soil survey was conducted in Xuancheng city to understand the current situations of pH, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ of farmlands under tobacco-rice rotation and to decide whether continuous applying dolomite powders to abate soil acidification. In total 124 topsoil samples (0-20 cm) were collected from the typical farmlands and soil pH, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ were measured. The results showed that soil pH and Ca2+ and Mg2+ in Xuancheng city were generally in the suitable grades, pH ranged from 4.56 to 8.42 with an average of 5.87, exchangeable Ca2+ ranged from 1.01 cmol(1/2Ca2+) kg-1 to 100.55 cmol(1/2Ca2+) kg-1 with an average of 11.07 cmol(1/2Ca2+) kg-1, and exchangeable Mg2+ ranged from 0.14 cmol(1/2Mg2+) kg-1 to 2.86 cmol(1/2Mg2+) kg-1 with an average of 0.81 cmol(1/2Mg2+) kg-1, all spanned from the low grades to the high grades. To the whole Xuancheng city, 37.10%, 62.10% and 72.58% of the surveyed farmlands were in the low grades of pH, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+, respectively, while 52.42%, 25.00% and 20.97% of the farmlands were in the suitable grades, respectively. pH had an extremely significantly positive Napierian logarithm correlation with exchangeable Ca2+ and an extremely significantly positive power correlation with exchangeable Mg2+. In total about 338.2 kg·hm-2 of Ca2+ and 202.4 kg·hm-2 of Mg2+ are annually input into the farmlands, while about 110.4 kg·hm-2 of Ca2+ and 7.4 kg·hm-2 of Mg2+ are annually moved out from the farmlands, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ were annually increased by 225.2 kg·hm-2 and 187.6 kg·hm-2 in the farmlands, respectively. It is necessary to monitor the farmlands dynamically in order to decide whether continuous applying dolomite powders which should be dependent upon the specific conditions of individual farmlands.

Thoughts and Practice of Ecological Protection and Restoration of Mountains, Rivers, Forests, Farmlands, Lakes and Grasslands

The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stated that it was necessary to establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,treat the ecological environment as life,and coordinate the management of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands.In recent years,China has organized a series of pilot projects for the ecological protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands,breaking the boundary between administrative divisions,departmental management and ecological elements,and implementing conservation and restoration oriented towards the improvement of ecosystem services,so as to solve the problem of the lack of overall planning for ecological protection and restoration projects and the separated management of ecological elements.This study systematically elaborated the theoretical basis and connotation characteristics of ecological protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands.It proposed the implementation path of ecological protection and restoration project of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes and grasslands by taking the water source conservation area of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as a case,so as to provide reference for the implementation and decision-making management of ecological protection and restoration projects in various regions.

Study on Status quo of Nutrients in Soils of Farmlands in Gonggar County and Related Countermeasures

[Objective] The aim was to analyze nutrients distribution and proportion in soils of farmlands of Gonggar County in Tibet. [Method] According to survey of soils in Tibet, nutrients of farmlands in Gonggar County were analyzed and the countermeasures were proposed to achieve sustainable development of nutrients in soils. [Result] In Gonggar County in Tibet, farmlands with insufficient and less organic matter occupy 58.38%; farmlands with moderate contents of total N occupy 47.71%; farmlands with insufficient and less alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen represent 82.36%; the farmlands with moderate and rich total P take up 49.40% and 21.59% ; farmlands with insufficient and less rapidly available P represent 67.33%; farmlands with richer and rich total K occupy 76.14% ; farmlands with moderate and insufficient rapidly available K represent 72.21%. [Conclusion] Based on nutrients in soils of farmlands, the countermeasures for sustainable utilization of nutrients in farmlands are proposed, including increase of organic fertilizer, soil testing and formulated fertilization and adjustment of acid-base balance.

Maize Cultivation Techniques in Tonnage Farmlands in Tunliu County of Shanxi

In recent years,benefiting from the unique natural conditions and the promotion and application of agricultural science and technology,the level of maize production in Tunliu County continues to increase,and many tonnage farmlands are emerging. East Ligao Village in Ligao Town is famous for its tonnage farmlands throughout the county. Through a lot of research,maize cultivation techniques in tonnage farmlands are summed up in this paper from the aspects of plot selection,intensive cultivation,high-quality manure application,chemical fertilizers scientific application,disease-resistant high-yield superior varieties selection,reasonable close planting and strengthening field management,etc,which has certain guiding significance for the high yield of maize.

The Utility of GIS for Assessing the Ecological State and Managing Armenian＇s Farmlands

The practicable solution to the problem of degradation of mountainous pastures/hayfields provoked by unplanned and unregulated use of farmlands is considered in the article. With the view of developing animal husbandry and managing pastures/hayfields, in 2011-2012, the Government of the Republic of Armenia under support of the World Bank implemented a Farm Resources Management and Competitiveness Program. The goal of the Program is ceasing a trend to overgrazing and degradation of close-to-village sites, using remote pastures/hayfields in the best effective manner, improving feed production and animal feeding networks, and promoting a growth in animal feed production volumes. To achieve that, the following works were planned and implemented successfully in 23 rural communities of six marzes of the RA （Republic of Armenia）, which was done by three stages. For the 23 communities series of cartographic layers was produced and a relevant database was compiled and mapped.

Investigations on Nitrate Pollution of Soil, Groundwater and Vegetable from Three Typical Farmlands in Beijing Region, China

The aim of this study was to determine the nitrate pollution status of soil, groundwater, and vegetable from three typical farmlands （croplands, vegetable fields, and orchards） in Beijing region. During the investigation, hundreds of the soil, groundwater, and vegetable samples from three typical farmlands were collected and analyzed. In addition, attributes of all samples were recorded for data analysis. The results showed that nitrate was substantially accumulated in soil profiles, while the soil nitrate concentrations of vegetable fields and orchards were higher than those of croplands. Nitrate concentration in 0-30 cm soil of vegetable field and orchard were 3.8 and 1.2 times of that of cropland, respectively. Nitrate content of groundwater in vegetable field was 13.8 mg L-1 （with the over-standard ratio 44.8%）, which was 2.8 folds of that in cropland. Nitrate concentration of groundwater under orchard was 9.3 mg L-1 （with the over-standard ratio 23.5%）, which was 1.9 folds of that in cropland. High concentrations of the nitrate in vegetables were detected, particularly green leafy vegetables ranked first with 2 685.5 mg kg-1, followed by rhizome vegetables, cabbages, and fruit vegetables. The nitrate over-standard ratios of rhizome vegetables, green leafy vegetables, fruit vegetables, and cabbages were 80.9, 37.9, 29.7, and 2.2%, respectively. The results revealed that the high nitrate concentrations of soil, vegetable, and groundwater might result from the high fertilization dose.

Losses of Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen and Their Mechanisms in the Desertification Process of Sandy Farmlands inHorqin Sandy Land

Soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(N)concentrations from bulk soils and soil particle size fractions in the different extent of desertified farmlands(potential, light, medium, severe, and most severe desertified farmlands)were examined to quantitatively elucidate losses of carbon and nitrogen and its mechanisms in the desertification process. Particle size fractions(2 -0.1 mm, 0.1 - 0.05 mm, <0.05 mm)were obtained by granulometric wet sieving from 30 sandy soils(0 - 15cm depth)of different desertified extent. It was shown that soil physical stability index(St)in most severe desertified farmlands was 5 -7% and St in other farmlands was less than 5 %, which contributed to very low soil organic matter content. This was the intrinsic cause that sandy farmlands in Horqin sandy land was subject to risk of desertification. Desertification resulted in considerable losses of SOC and N. Regression analysis indicated that SOC and N content reduced 0.169 g kg-1 and 0.0215 g kg-1 respectively with one percent loss of soil silt and clay content. Losses of SOC and N were mostly the removal of fine particle size fractions(silt and clay, and a less extent very fine sand)from the farmlands by wind erosion, which were rich in organic matter and nutrients, as well as the depletion of organic C and N associated with coarse particles(>0. 05 mm)in desertification process. The concentrations of C and N associated with sand(2 - 0.1 mm and 0.1 - 0.05 mm)significantly decreased with increase of desertified extent. Silt and clay associated C and N concentrations, however, were less changed, and in contrast, were higher in soils under most severe desertified extent than in soils under potential and severe desertified extent. The percentage of distribution in sand(>0.05 mm)associated C and N significantly increased with increase of desertified extent, suggesting that stability of SOC decreased in the desertification process.

Soil quality assessment in different dammed-valley farmlands in the hilly-gully mountain areas of the northern Loess Plateau,China

There are numerous valley farmlands on the Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP),where suffers from low soil quality and high risk of soil salinization due to the shallow groundwater table and poor drainage system.Currently,research on the evolution processes and mechanisms of soil quality and salinization in these dammed-valley farmlands on the CLP is still inadequately understood.In this study,three kinds of dammed-valley farmlands in the hilly-gully areas of the northern CLP were selected,and the status of soil quality and the impact factors of soil salinization were examined.The dammed-valley farmlands include the new farmland created by the project of Gully Land Consolidation,the 60-a farmland created by sedimentation from check dam,and the 400-a farmland created by sedimentation from an ancient landslide-dammed lake.Results showed that(1)the newly created farmland had the lowest soil quality in terms of soil bulk density,porosity,soil organic carbon and total nitrogen among the three kinds of dammed-valley farmlands;(2)soil salinization occurred in the middle and upper reaches of the new and 60-a valley farmlands,whereas no soil salinization was found in the 400-a valley farmland;and(3)soil salinization and low soil nutrient were determined to be the two important factors that impacted the soil quality of the valley farmlands in the hilly-gully mountain areas of the CLP.We conclude that the dammed-valley farmlands on the CLP have a high risk of soil salinization due to the shallow groundwater table,alkalinity of the loessial soil and local landform feature,thus resulting in the low soil quality of the valley farmlands.Therefore,strengthening drainage and decreasing groundwater table are extremely important to improve the soil quality of the valley farmlands and guarantee the sustainable development of the valley agriculture on the CLP.

Brief Study on Microelement Contents in Topsoils of Farmlands in Xuancheng, South Anhui

The available contents of microelements in the topsoil can influence the yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco. Xuancheng is the dominant tobacco-planting region in Anhui province since 2008. In this paper, the topsoil available Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn contents of 4197 farmlands mainly under rice-rice rotation and wheat-rice rotation in 2008 and of 124 typical farmlands under tobacco-rice rotation in 2015 in Xuancheng city were analyzed in order to disclose the changes and spatial distributions of these microelements and to instruct the reasonable application of the microelement fertilizers. The results showed that the topsoil average available contents in the farmlands under rice-rice rotation or wheat-rice rotation in 2008 were 105.9 mg·kg-1 for Fe, 19.6 mg·kg-1 for Mn, 4.5 mg·kg-1 for Cu, and 3.0 mg·kg-1 for Zn, respectively, increased by 33.14%, 64.29%, 51.11% and 36.67%, respectively, compared with those in the 2nd Soil Survey in 1980s, and the historic, once intensive and overall application of microelement fertilizers was attributed to the great increases. The topsoil average available contents in the farmlands under tobacco-rice rotation in 2015 were 31.1 mg·kg-1 for Fe, 9.8 mg·kg-1 for Mn, 2.1 mg·kg-1 for Cu, and 0.3 mg·kg-1 for Zn, respectively, decreased by 70.63%, 50.00%, 53.33% and 90.00%, respectively, compared with those of the farmlands under rice-rice rotation or wheat-rice rotation in 2008, and the net deficiencies in the input and output of microelements were attributed to the significant decreases in the topsoil microelements. It is necessary to monitor the farmlands under tobacco-rice rotation dynamically and in time in order to decide whether applying microelement fertilizers or not.

Environmental Impact of Abandoned Asphalt Production Site on Soil, Water and Vegetables from Near Farmlands

An environmental investigation of soil, water and vegetable around Asphalt production plant for heavy metals;Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni) and Chromium (Cr) was carried out. Their mean concentrations in soil, water and vegetable were Zn (13.84 mg/Kg, 12.949 mg/L and 11.177 mg/Kg), Mg (3.728 mg/Kg, 0.125 mg/L and 21.837 mg/Kg), Cd (0.012 mg/Kg, 0.018 mg/L and 0.028 mg/Kg) and Pb (0.011 mg/Kg). Co, Ni and Cr were not detected. The results of physiocochemical parameters (pH, moisture content (%), conductivity (μS/cm), organic matter (%), organic carbon (%), CEC (cmol/Kg) and soil composition (%)) were all within the permissible limits by NAFDAC and NDWQS. Results of mineral composition of soil include (N (%) of 0.42, K (cmol/kg) 0.32, Na (cmol/kg) 0.28, Mg (cmol/kg) 3.40, Ca (cmol/kg) 3.80, ?(cmol/kg) 0.46 and (cmol/kg) 0.49);analytical results were within the acceptable range. The chemical parameters investigated for water samples are (Cl&#45 (mg/L) = 1871.20, ?(mg/L) = 12.60, ?(mg/L) = 10.20, NH3 (mg/L) = 8.20, DO (mg/L) = 9.40, BOD (mg/L) = 6.40 and COD (mg/L) = 12.80) within agricultural farmlands around the Asphalt production plant. From the analytical results, conductivity (μS/cm), N (%), ?(mg/L) were significantly different (p which are also the predominant mineral composition in the soil.

Future Development Direction of the Restoration of Mountains,Rivers,Forests,Farmlands,Lakes,and Grasslands and the Faced Problems

In this paper,the definition,connotation,and internal relationship of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands in China are elaborated,and the current situation of ecological restoration projects for mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands was introduced.Moreover,the problems that have arisen in the specific implementation process of pilot projects were analyzed,such as unclear target positioning,inaccurate analysis of ecological problems,insufficient engineering design systematicness,weak operability of evaluation standards,and weak coordination in engineering management.The development direction and major needs for the protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands in the future have been proposed from four aspects:theoretical research,engineering design,effect evaluation,and monitoring and supervision.

Current scenario and challenges of plastic pollution in Bangladesh:a focus on farmlands and terrestrial ecosystems

Plastic is considered one of the most indispensable commodities in our daily life.At the end of life,the huge ever-growing pile of plastic waste(PW)causes serious concerns for our environment,including agricultural farmlands,groundwater quality,marine and land ecosystems,food toxicity and human health hazards.Lack of proper infrastructure,financial backup,and technological advancement turn this hazardous waste plastic management into a serious threat to developing countries,especially for Bangladesh.A comprehensive review of PW generation and its consequences on environment in both global and Bangladesh contexts is presented.The dispersion routes of PW from different sources in different forms(microplastic,macroplastic,nanoplastic)and its adverse effect on agriculture,marine life and terrestrial ecosystems are illustrated in this work.The key challenges to mitigate PW pollution and tackle down the climate change issue is discussed in this work.Moreover,way forward toward the design and implementation of proper PW management strategies are highlighted in this study.

Promoting grain production through high-standard farmland construction:Evidence in China

Food security is a strategic priority for a country’s economic development.In China,high-standard farmland construction(HSFC)is an important initiative to stabilize grain production and increase grain production capacity.Based on panel data from 31 sample provinces,autonomous regions,and municipalities in China from 2005–2017,this study explored the impact of HSFC on grain yield using the difference-in-differences(DID)method.The results showed that HSFC significantly increased total grain production,which is robust to various checks.HSFC increased grain yield through three potential mechanisms.First,it could increase the grain replanting index.Second,it could effectively reduce yield loss due to droughts and floods.Last,HSFC could strengthen the cultivated land by renovating the low-and medium-yielding fields.Heterogeneity analysis found that the HSFC farmland showed a significant increase in grain yield only in the main grain-producing areas and balanced areas.In addition,HSFC significantly increased the yields of rice,wheat,and maize while leading to a reduction in soybean yields.The findings suggest the government should continue to promote HSFC,improve construction standards,and strictly control the“non-agriculturalization”and“non-coordination”of farmland to increase grain production further.At the same time,market mechanisms should be used to incentivize soybean farming,improve returns and stabilize soybean yields.

List of 85 typical catastrophic landslides from March 2004 to February 2024

Landslides are one of the most dangerous natural hazards that cause significant property damage and loss of life.Landslides often destroy farmland,villages,houses,factories,schools,roads and other facilities,injuring humans and livestock.Sometimes,entire towns are devastated by landslides.Due to their pervasiveness,varied triggering factors,and sudden occurrence,landslides are currently one of the most challenging natural disasters to prevent and mitigate.

Structure and functional heterogeneity of soil microbial communities in different farmland types on the Loess Plateau

Background,aim,and scope Soil microbes are important drivers of nutrient transformation and energy f low.Reclaiming forest land for agricultural use may have profound effects on soil properties and microbial communities.However,the response of soil microbial communities to soil reclamation in the dryland agroecosystem is less understood.Therefore,it is necessary to investigate the changes of soil microbial communities driven by land use conversion to promote nutrient cycling in reclaimed farmland.Materials and methods Based on the metagenomic technique,we evaluated the microbial composition and function of the newly created farmland(NF)after reclamation with two types of traditional farmland(slope farmland(SF),checkdam farmland(CF))on the Loess Plateau,and explored the response of nutrient cycling function to dominant genera and soil properties.Results The results showed that Proteobacteria,Actinobacteria,and Acidobacteria were prevalent in the three types of farmlands.Compared with SF and CF,NF increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Nocardioides,as well as genes related to amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism.The relative abundance of functional genes related to carbon and nitrogen cycling in the NF was higher than that in the traditional farmland(SF and CF).The relative abundance of nutrient cycling functional genes was positively correlated with dominant genera in the three types of farmlands.Except for pH,soil physicochemical factors were negatively correlated with genes related to amino acid metabolism and carbon cycle.Discussion Previous studies have shown that the nutrient conditions of the soil may intensify the competition between the eutrophic and oligotrophic microbial populations.After long-term cultivation and fertilization,the soil properties of traditional farmland were significantly different from those of NF,leading to the differentiation of dominant microbial groups.Microbes usually have functional redundancy to cope with changing environments.Soil microbes in traditional farmland may contain more genes related to replication and repair,cell growth and death,and environmental adaptation in response to disturbances caused by agricultural practices.On the contrary,the NF was less disturbed by agricultural activities,and the soil properties were more similar to forest land,so the carbon and nitrogen cycle function genes were more abundant.The nutrient cycling function was affected by the abundance of microbial dominant groups and soil properties,which may be related to the availability of soil nutrients and agricultural disturbance in different farmlands.Aspects of soil microbial-driven nutrient cycling in agriculture could be regulated in sustainable method.Conclusions The change from forest land to farmland kept more carbon and nitrogen cycling function in the newly created farmland,while long-term agricultural activities have drastically changed the functional structure of traditional farmland,resulting in the nutrient cycling function more concentrated to meet the needs of crop growth.Recommendations and perspectives Hence,it is necessary to apply sustainable agricultural method to regulate microbial-driven nutrient cycling.The insights are meaningful for sustainable agricultural development and land management in arid areas.

Soy Solace

Suffering from adverse weather conditions,Malawi’s farmers savour the prospect of exporting soya beans to the lucrative Chinese market.Like many farmers,Monica Haraba wakes up at 5:00 a.m.to get ready to harvest her soya bean crop at her farmland located on the outskirts of Lilongwe,Malawi’s capital.But like last year,she is expecting lower output due to adverse weather,especially draught.

A Fruitful Exchange

In the heart of South Africa’s rugged Swartberg and Koue Bokkeveld mountains lies the alps towering majestically above fertile citrus farmland,forming a wall that sustains enough rainfall to attract farmers to the south.Siabonga Mbete,34,grows tangerine-a small seedless fruit of the citrus family that is turning South African farmers into millionaires.