To solve the contradiction between supply and demand of land, the con- struction of land resource security guarantee system is an important part to coordi- nate the economic development and cultivated land protection ...To solve the contradiction between supply and demand of land, the con- struction of land resource security guarantee system is an important part to coordi- nate the economic development and cultivated land protection in the core grain pro- duction region. Based on the deep analysis on the land resources characteristics and problems using the combined method of literature review method with qualita- tive and quantitative analysis, we constructed the land resource security system for different categories according to the land use principles of optimization, intensivism, improvement, and overall planning, and proposed the corresponding supporting mea- sures. The results showed that controlling the new increase, promoting the reclama- tion and improvement of land are the basis for land resource security, clearing the idle, improving the utilization rate of stock are the core of the efficient use of land resources, and establishing a unified urban and rural construction land market is the key to promoting the economical and intensive utilization of land resources, provid- ing scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of land resources in the core grain production regions.展开更多
Acorns of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata Maxim. are often predated by small mammals and birds in natural forests. These animals not only eat the acorns during the acorn ripening season, but also cache and hoard most...Acorns of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata Maxim. are often predated by small mammals and birds in natural forests. These animals not only eat the acorns during the acorn ripening season, but also cache and hoard most of the remaining acorns on the forest floor in the soil for their future use. These buried acorns form the main seed resource for regeneration. Burying depth is potentially important for germination and for seedling development. The effects of burying depth on germination and seedling development in relation to acorn size were studied in an experiment, in which acorns were planted at 6 cm-, 12 cm- and 18 cm-depth. The experimental results showed that fewer acorns germinated as burying depth increased. From the deeply buried acorns fewer seedlings emerged at later time than from those acorns buried less deeply. They appeared to have more difficulties to emerge above-ground than die seedlings from shallowly buried acorns. The deeply buried acorns and their seedlings also appeared to be more susceptible to rot. Acorn size did not significantly affect germination and emergence of the seedlings. As early emerged seedlings had longer developmental periods in their first growing season, and therefore grew better than die late emerged seedlings, seedlings from die shallowly buried acorns took the advantage.展开更多
Hg in acid soil could be activited by liming and become available to plant, if excessive or insufficient amount of lime was applied. The changes of Hg activity in acid soil with different rates of CaCO3 amendment Were...Hg in acid soil could be activited by liming and become available to plant, if excessive or insufficient amount of lime was applied. The changes of Hg activity in acid soil with different rates of CaCO3 amendment Were studied by a pot experiment. To predict the adequate amount of lime application, a simple method using the pH (EDTA) as an indicator was suggested. The suitable range of lime application was the amount of lime addition when the pH of soil-EDTA system was.raised to 4.0-4.3.展开更多
In order to screen the antioxidant capacity of commonly consumed indigenous foods of tropical region, vegetables, fruits, tea, oil seeds, legumes, spices and cereal were analyzed. Among the vegetables, green chili sho...In order to screen the antioxidant capacity of commonly consumed indigenous foods of tropical region, vegetables, fruits, tea, oil seeds, legumes, spices and cereal were analyzed. Among the vegetables, green chili showed the highest total oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL) and lipophilic ORAC (L-ORACFL); whereas, bean showed highest hydrophilic ORAC (H-ORACFL) content. The H-ORACFL of vegetable samples varied between 2.26 to 23.08 ~tmol of Trolox equivalent (TE)/g of fresh weight (FW) and L-ORACFL content widely varied from 0.20 (sweet pumpkin) to 16.95 (green chili). The range of H-ORACFL values of fruits showed large variation (0.45-178 Ixmol of TE/g FW). All four different types of tea showed high H-ORACFL (1,295.84-2,709.11 lamol of TE/g), in contrast to negligible amount of L-ORACFL. In legumes, H-ORACFL content ranged from 16.22 to 140.54; whereas, L-ORACFL ranged from 4.43 to 25.78. Porso millets showed higher L-ORACFL value (19.4) as compared to H-ORACFL (0.8). In case of spices, L-ORACFL content varied from 29.75 ± 0.00 to 1,575.24 ± 39.63, which is considerably higher as compared to H-ORACFL (61.68 ± 1.71 to 272.82± 1.05) content. Comparatively, spices showed much higher H-ORACFL values as compared to fruits analyzed. In case of selective vegetables, fruits and tea samples, the total phenol content was highly correlated with the H-ORACFL content.展开更多
The northeastern China is an important commodity grain region in China,as well as a notable corn belt and major soybean producing area.It thus plays a significant role in the national food security system.However,larg...The northeastern China is an important commodity grain region in China,as well as a notable corn belt and major soybean producing area.It thus plays a significant role in the national food security system.However,large-scale land reclamation and non-optimum farming practices give rise to soil degradation in the region.This study analyzed the food security issues coupled with global climate change in the northeastern China during 1980–2000,which is the period of modern agriculture.The results of statistical data show that the arable land area shrank markedly in 1992,and then increased slowly,while food production generally continually increased.The stable grain yield was due to the increase of applied fertilizer and irrigated areas.Soil degradation in the northeastern China includes severe soil erosion,reduced soil nutrients,a thinner black soil layer,and deterioration of soil physical properties.The sustainable development of the northeastern China is influenced by natural-artificial binary disturbance factors which consist of meteorological conditions,climate changes,and terrain factors as well as soil physical and chemical properties.Interactions between the increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation in the region led to reduced accumulation of soil organic matter,which results in poor soil fertility.Human-induced factors,such as large-scale land reclamation and non-optimum farming practices,unsuitable cultivation systems,dredging,road building,illegal land occupation,and extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides,have led to increasingly severe soil erosion and destruction.Solutions to several problems of soil degradation in this region requiring urgent settlement are proposed.A need for clear and systematic recognition and recording of land use changes,land degradation,food production and climate change conditions is suggested,which would provide a reference for food security studies in the northeastern China.展开更多
Based on the data from the Cost-benefit Data of Farm Produce and the China Agricultural Yearbook, this paper aims to examine the spatial and temporal change characteristics of total grain production and its affecting ...Based on the data from the Cost-benefit Data of Farm Produce and the China Agricultural Yearbook, this paper aims to examine the spatial and temporal change characteristics of total grain production and its affecting factors. The results show that: 1) During 1980 to 2007, total grain production increased from 3.20 ~ 108 t to 5.02 x 108 t in China, with annual increasing rate of 1.68%. From the regional disparities, most of the regions present increasing trend of total grain production except for several regions with higher level of economic development; 2) Grain sown area decreased from 1.17 × 108 ha in 1980 to 1.06 x 108 ha in 2007, which has negative effect on total grain production; 3) The increase of grain yield per unit area caused by land use intensity changes contributed to the increase of total grain yield greatly. However, as the land use intensity showed that farmers pay more attention to labor-saving input but not yield-increasing input, the less enthusiasm of farmers in grain production may become an important constraint on fu- ture grain production increase in China; 4) Based on the results, this paper proposed different land management poli- cies in different regions, for example, the government should protect cultivated land, promote large scale production. As to the less developed regions, the government should pay more attention to agricultural subsidies to promote farm- ers' enthusiasm in grain production.展开更多
To evaluate the temporal patterns of N deficiencies in corn and assess the ability of remote sensing to diagnose N deficiencies during the vegetative growth of corn, three field-scale experiments were conducted with v...To evaluate the temporal patterns of N deficiencies in corn and assess the ability of remote sensing to diagnose N deficiencies during the vegetative growth of corn, three field-scale experiments were conducted with various rates (56, 112, and 168 kg N ha-1 ), timing (early and late applications) and placement (injected into soil and dribbled on soil surface) of N fertilization in a split-plot design. Relationships between canopy reflectance during the growing season and yield data at the end of growing season were studied for different treatments. Results showed significant variation in both grain yields and canopy reflectance among the three cornfields. The N fertilization made in early June resulted in low canopy reflectance in early July, but the differences disappeared as the season progressed. The effect of N rates on canopy reflectance was not significant in early July but it gradually became detectable in mid-July and thereafter. The fertilizer placement had a significant effect on grain yields only in one field but not on canopy reflectance in all three fields. These observations suggest that the deficiency of N developed under field conditions is a dynamic phenomenon, which adds complexity for accurately defining "N deficiency" and effectively developing management strategies for in-season correction. Remote sensing throughout the season helps collect information about important interactions that have not been given enough attention in the past.展开更多
The Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) inhabits a range of tropical and subtropical zones in South,Southeast and East Asia.As this heron breeds singularly in dense forests,its detailed ecology is not well k...The Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) inhabits a range of tropical and subtropical zones in South,Southeast and East Asia.As this heron breeds singularly in dense forests,its detailed ecology is not well known and only piecemeal information on its diet is available.Thus,we quantitatively estimated its diet menu with an analysis of pellets and stomach contents in the subtropical Yaeyama Islands of southern Japan.The results showed that the heron frequently foraged on land snails,arachnids,freshwater crabs and insects;no fish were detected.Although the earthworm was believed to be a primary dietary source of this species,it was not detected in our results,as it does not remain in pellets due to its high digestibility.This indicated that this bird dominantly depends on soil animals that inhabit humid forest floors.While the heron does not directly utilize aquatic habitats,they likely prefer moist forests caused by watery environments such as streams and swamps.Wet forests should be conserved for maintaining populations of this heron species.展开更多
African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) play an important role in house hold food and nutrition security among many communities in Uganda. However, there is limited information on the value chain. Yet, the contribution...African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) play an important role in house hold food and nutrition security among many communities in Uganda. However, there is limited information on the value chain. Yet, the contribution of AIVs in terms of food and nutrition security is undisputable. A cross sectional survey targeting 60 respondents including farmers, key informants and extension officers was conducted to assess the systems of production system of the AIVs, profile an inventory and diversity of the cultivated AIVs in Agweng sub-county, Lira district. Semi-structured questionnaires and direct field observation were used to gather the necessary data. The findings revealed that AIVs form a very important part of the diets of the local populace both during the normal and off seasons as well as hard times among others. However, a number of constraints were reported to hinder the AIVs value chain including lack of quality seed, competition from exotic vegetables, low market demand, pests and diseases infestation, among others. The most commonly cultivated and consumed vegetables were cowpeas, hibiscus, pumpkins and crotolaria among others. The reasons for cultivation and consumption included source of food, high nutritive value and short maturity period. Other reasons were medicinal, resistance to pests and diseases, source of cash income and resilient to harsh weather conditions. In contrast, lack of quality seeds, bitterness, low market demand and difficulty in preparation contributed to their neglected use. Therefore, in the wake of climate change and variability there is need for deliberate investment to improve adaptability and acceptance of these vegetables. There is also need for sensitization of farmers on the benefits of AIVs, developing an effective means of improved seed production and distribution to replace the farmer-to farmer seed exchange and conservation of AIVs germplasm as the strategies to improve AIVs production in the study area.展开更多
Restoring soil quality is the main evaluation norm of the reclamation. In order to reveal the effects of mushroom waste on the quality improvement of reclaimed soil in coal mining areas, the physical, chemical and mic...Restoring soil quality is the main evaluation norm of the reclamation. In order to reveal the effects of mushroom waste on the quality improvement of reclaimed soil in coal mining areas, the physical, chemical and microbial characteristics of soil are studied. The results show clear improvement in the soil after using mushroom waste. Because of human cultivation and fertilization, cultivated soil after reclamation exhibits high comprehensive quality and the index of quality of surface soil reaches 0.64 and 0.73. The average index of surface soil quality is as high as 0.52 and 0.54. In comparison, the quality of reclaimed soil of forest land is low, with average index of 0.40. The effects of mushroom waste are mainly on the surface soil in the first 2 years after the application. After that period, with the decomposition of mushroom waste, soil quality index tends to be the same as the original soil. The quality of surface soil is higher than that of subsoil, especially after the application of mushroom waste, at which point the soil quality reaches a peak at about 15 cm. Cultivated soil after reclamation has great variance in quality, after the coefficient of 24.74%. Mushroom waste can reduce such variation, particularly with long-term use. The variance efficient falls to 3.59% after 3-year application.展开更多
The pot-culture method combined with chemical and statistical analyses was used to get basic data for determination of the food-security indexes related to combined pollution of Cr and phenol in soil-rice systems.Regr...The pot-culture method combined with chemical and statistical analyses was used to get basic data for determination of the food-security indexes related to combined pollution of Cr and phenol in soil-rice systems.Regression analyses according to the experimental result indicated that the critical concentrations of Cr andphenol in brown rice were 0.37 and 0.33 mg kg-1, respectively, under the condition of Cr-phenol combined pollution.展开更多
China has to raise agricultural productivity in its limited and shrinking farmland to guarantee food security for its huge and ever-growing population. Sustainable soil nutrient management is of paramount importance t...China has to raise agricultural productivity in its limited and shrinking farmland to guarantee food security for its huge and ever-growing population. Sustainable soil nutrient management is of paramount importance to the world's most populous country. Critical challenges the country is facing in sustaining soil fertility and in alleviating the hazardous impact of intensive fertilizer use are discussed in this paper. It is emphatically pointed out that national strategies as well as area-specific action plans with respect to scientific nutrient management are urgently needed to balance productivity and sustainability in the future. Relevant proposals for addressing those challenges are also presented.展开更多
Soils are the foundation of civilizations and the basis for human food production.Mollisols in Ukraine and Northeast China are two out of the four major Mollisol regions in the world.The natural areas from which Molli...Soils are the foundation of civilizations and the basis for human food production.Mollisols in Ukraine and Northeast China are two out of the four major Mollisol regions in the world.The natural areas from which Mollisols developed are the prairies and steppes that experience temperate and freezing conditions.This review paper introduces the general climate,vegetation,and topography of Mollisols regions in Ukraine and Northeast China,analyzes their properties,including soil texture,soil organic matter content,soil bulk density,pH,cation exchange capacity and other chemical properties,and compares the property changes and management practices of Mollisols in relation to sustainable grain production.展开更多
The changes in utilization of agricultural land have gradually grown into one of the major factors impacting grain output in China. This study explores the various components of agricultural production in China from t...The changes in utilization of agricultural land have gradually grown into one of the major factors impacting grain output in China. This study explores the various components of agricultural production in China from the land utilization perspective, involving changes in grain production per unit area, multi-cropping index, and adjustment of agricultural structure. Compared with the record values, different research methodologies are used to analyze the po- tential of above three components. The results indicate that grain production potential of 65.68×109kg was unexploited in 2006, in which 45.8×109kg came from the restructuring in agriculture. So we can infer that the reduction of grain production in China could be primarily attributed to agricultural restructuring in recent years. So the productive poten- tial can be fully restored by increasing agricultural investment, or recovering agricultural structure in favorable condi- tions. So we can say that China’s current condition of food security is good.展开更多
Enterprises are in competition with other enterprises operating in their fields. In today's world, enterprises need to increase their efficiency and productivity, the values of which, if below market conditions, they...Enterprises are in competition with other enterprises operating in their fields. In today's world, enterprises need to increase their efficiency and productivity, the values of which, if below market conditions, they need to raise. Data Envelopment Analysis, widely utilized in efficiency and productivity measurements is a method that measures the efficiency of one unit relatively, taking more than one input determines the efficiency of units with similar inputs and outputs and output simultaneously. DEA interactively Thus, not only the efficient units are determined, but an opinion is offered as to how the inefficient units can be improved. In this study, 12 enterprises that were among the first 500 enterprises in Turkey in 2008, active in Istanbul Stock Exchange and operating in food sector through Data Envelopment Analysis. In the model, activity rates were used as input values, rantability rates were used as output values. In conclusion of simultaneous analysis of input and output values, efficient and inefficient enterprises were determined.展开更多
The rate of food insecurity has increased tremendously over the past decade in Canada. This increase has been more pronounced in rural and remote areas especially among Aboriginal peoples. Substantial studies indicate...The rate of food insecurity has increased tremendously over the past decade in Canada. This increase has been more pronounced in rural and remote areas especially among Aboriginal peoples. Substantial studies indicated that nearly half of the on-reserve Aboriginal households in British Columbia (BC) suffer from some degree of food insecurity. Despite the valuable research about obtaining traditional food, the issue of access to market food has been less discussed in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess the local food environment of on-reserve Aboriginal peoples by using a proximity-based approach tool in terms of access to healthy food stores such as supermarket and grocery stores. In the first stage, the addresses of all healthy food stores were geocoded into a map layer. Then the locations of Aboriginal reserves were geocoded to a separate map layer. In the second stage, using "Closest Facility Analysis" tool in ArcGIS Version 10.3, the distance based on a 15-minute driving time was measured from each reserve to the closest healthy food destination on CanMapRouteLogistics network. The results indicated that 25% of Aboriginal reserves did not have reasonable access to healthy food stores. We concluded that Aboriginal peoples in low access rural reserves with lower socioeconomic status are at potential risk of perpetuate food insecurity.展开更多
Pollution of the environment, particularly the soil, appears to be one of the major contemporary issues. In addition, many studies point to the involvement of ecological risk of heavy metals into the food chain throug...Pollution of the environment, particularly the soil, appears to be one of the major contemporary issues. In addition, many studies point to the involvement of ecological risk of heavy metals into the food chain through edible plants like Spinaceae oleraceae L. and Lactuca sativa L.. This paper presents the results of the "ex-situ" application of phytoacumulation on the soils of contaminated terrain using the plant species of spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Sequestration of arsen from the soil by these plant species was observed through phytoaccumulation factor--PF and limit values (mg/kg). The main task and objective of this research was to establish the level of accumulation of toxic element As from the soil by plants and to calculate the PF factor of transfer. The experiment was set up in the control conditions where the soil from eight contaminated locations was placed in the experimental containers. The AAS method was used to analyze heavy metal in plant material and soil. PF factor values ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 which indicates that the spinach and lettuce plants rechargeable moderate compared to arsenic.展开更多
Based on the analysis on the status quo of natural resources input in Brain production and on the policy of Brain subsidies, this paper puts forward a new idea - establishing grain subsidies through assessing the valu...Based on the analysis on the status quo of natural resources input in Brain production and on the policy of Brain subsidies, this paper puts forward a new idea - establishing grain subsidies through assessing the value of the natural resources in Brain production. The assessment of the natural resources in Brain production provides rationale and reference standard for the policy of Brain subsidies, which will promote the sustainable use of natural resources accordingly. This paper concludes: (1) it is necessary for the grain subsidies to assess the full value of natural resources, including economic value, ecological value and social value: (2) the government should give farmers direct subsidies or environment subsidies according to the economic and ecological value of natural resources in grain production, (3) the social value of natural resources can be realized by establishing the country social security system, taking the social value as the criterion for the payment for part of farmers' insurance.展开更多
The poor performance of the agricultural sector as reflected in high prices of food stuffs as well as huge importation of food has been a major concern to many governments in Africa. Agriculture remains the backbone o...The poor performance of the agricultural sector as reflected in high prices of food stuffs as well as huge importation of food has been a major concern to many governments in Africa. Agriculture remains the backbone of Ghana's economy and women who constitute about 70% to 80% of farm labour face discrimination in terms of means of production such as land. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of women's land rights on food production in the Brong-Ahafo region which is Ghana's food basket. Several land reforms have been instituted to ensure equitable access to land in order to enhance food production, yet the study reveals that many women have limited or no access to land and experience insecurity of tenure, which affects their farming methods, choice of crops grown, and production levels, consequently, resulting in low incomes and poverty. Relevant Primary Rate Access (RPRA) tools were used to gather data. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics using Statistic Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft soRwares and presented into percentages, tabulation, and graphics. The research also revealed that the lack of awareness and education on land reforms and policies coupled with escalating land prices and complicated land transaction method are the major challenges to women's access and security over land. The study recommends the decentralization of the land title registration process, gender mainstreaming in the land title registration process, and intensification of advocacy on land rights, among others as crucial to improve women's access, control, and security over land for agricultural purposes展开更多
文摘To solve the contradiction between supply and demand of land, the con- struction of land resource security guarantee system is an important part to coordi- nate the economic development and cultivated land protection in the core grain pro- duction region. Based on the deep analysis on the land resources characteristics and problems using the combined method of literature review method with qualita- tive and quantitative analysis, we constructed the land resource security system for different categories according to the land use principles of optimization, intensivism, improvement, and overall planning, and proposed the corresponding supporting mea- sures. The results showed that controlling the new increase, promoting the reclama- tion and improvement of land are the basis for land resource security, clearing the idle, improving the utilization rate of stock are the core of the efficient use of land resources, and establishing a unified urban and rural construction land market is the key to promoting the economical and intensive utilization of land resources, provid- ing scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of land resources in the core grain production regions.
文摘Acorns of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata Maxim. are often predated by small mammals and birds in natural forests. These animals not only eat the acorns during the acorn ripening season, but also cache and hoard most of the remaining acorns on the forest floor in the soil for their future use. These buried acorns form the main seed resource for regeneration. Burying depth is potentially important for germination and for seedling development. The effects of burying depth on germination and seedling development in relation to acorn size were studied in an experiment, in which acorns were planted at 6 cm-, 12 cm- and 18 cm-depth. The experimental results showed that fewer acorns germinated as burying depth increased. From the deeply buried acorns fewer seedlings emerged at later time than from those acorns buried less deeply. They appeared to have more difficulties to emerge above-ground than die seedlings from shallowly buried acorns. The deeply buried acorns and their seedlings also appeared to be more susceptible to rot. Acorn size did not significantly affect germination and emergence of the seedlings. As early emerged seedlings had longer developmental periods in their first growing season, and therefore grew better than die late emerged seedlings, seedlings from die shallowly buried acorns took the advantage.
文摘Hg in acid soil could be activited by liming and become available to plant, if excessive or insufficient amount of lime was applied. The changes of Hg activity in acid soil with different rates of CaCO3 amendment Were studied by a pot experiment. To predict the adequate amount of lime application, a simple method using the pH (EDTA) as an indicator was suggested. The suitable range of lime application was the amount of lime addition when the pH of soil-EDTA system was.raised to 4.0-4.3.
文摘In order to screen the antioxidant capacity of commonly consumed indigenous foods of tropical region, vegetables, fruits, tea, oil seeds, legumes, spices and cereal were analyzed. Among the vegetables, green chili showed the highest total oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL) and lipophilic ORAC (L-ORACFL); whereas, bean showed highest hydrophilic ORAC (H-ORACFL) content. The H-ORACFL of vegetable samples varied between 2.26 to 23.08 ~tmol of Trolox equivalent (TE)/g of fresh weight (FW) and L-ORACFL content widely varied from 0.20 (sweet pumpkin) to 16.95 (green chili). The range of H-ORACFL values of fruits showed large variation (0.45-178 Ixmol of TE/g FW). All four different types of tea showed high H-ORACFL (1,295.84-2,709.11 lamol of TE/g), in contrast to negligible amount of L-ORACFL. In legumes, H-ORACFL content ranged from 16.22 to 140.54; whereas, L-ORACFL ranged from 4.43 to 25.78. Porso millets showed higher L-ORACFL value (19.4) as compared to H-ORACFL (0.8). In case of spices, L-ORACFL content varied from 29.75 ± 0.00 to 1,575.24 ± 39.63, which is considerably higher as compared to H-ORACFL (61.68 ± 1.71 to 272.82± 1.05) content. Comparatively, spices showed much higher H-ORACFL values as compared to fruits analyzed. In case of selective vegetables, fruits and tea samples, the total phenol content was highly correlated with the H-ORACFL content.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41171335)Hydroinformatics for Ecohydrology Program of United Nations Educational+2 种基金Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.20110490447)Beijing Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2012-49)
文摘The northeastern China is an important commodity grain region in China,as well as a notable corn belt and major soybean producing area.It thus plays a significant role in the national food security system.However,large-scale land reclamation and non-optimum farming practices give rise to soil degradation in the region.This study analyzed the food security issues coupled with global climate change in the northeastern China during 1980–2000,which is the period of modern agriculture.The results of statistical data show that the arable land area shrank markedly in 1992,and then increased slowly,while food production generally continually increased.The stable grain yield was due to the increase of applied fertilizer and irrigated areas.Soil degradation in the northeastern China includes severe soil erosion,reduced soil nutrients,a thinner black soil layer,and deterioration of soil physical properties.The sustainable development of the northeastern China is influenced by natural-artificial binary disturbance factors which consist of meteorological conditions,climate changes,and terrain factors as well as soil physical and chemical properties.Interactions between the increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation in the region led to reduced accumulation of soil organic matter,which results in poor soil fertility.Human-induced factors,such as large-scale land reclamation and non-optimum farming practices,unsuitable cultivation systems,dredging,road building,illegal land occupation,and extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides,have led to increasingly severe soil erosion and destruction.Solutions to several problems of soil degradation in this region requiring urgent settlement are proposed.A need for clear and systematic recognition and recording of land use changes,land degradation,food production and climate change conditions is suggested,which would provide a reference for food security studies in the northeastern China.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40971062)China Postdoctoral ScienceFundation (No. 20100480441)
文摘Based on the data from the Cost-benefit Data of Farm Produce and the China Agricultural Yearbook, this paper aims to examine the spatial and temporal change characteristics of total grain production and its affecting factors. The results show that: 1) During 1980 to 2007, total grain production increased from 3.20 ~ 108 t to 5.02 x 108 t in China, with annual increasing rate of 1.68%. From the regional disparities, most of the regions present increasing trend of total grain production except for several regions with higher level of economic development; 2) Grain sown area decreased from 1.17 × 108 ha in 1980 to 1.06 x 108 ha in 2007, which has negative effect on total grain production; 3) The increase of grain yield per unit area caused by land use intensity changes contributed to the increase of total grain yield greatly. However, as the land use intensity showed that farmers pay more attention to labor-saving input but not yield-increasing input, the less enthusiasm of farmers in grain production may become an important constraint on fu- ture grain production increase in China; 4) Based on the results, this paper proposed different land management poli- cies in different regions, for example, the government should protect cultivated land, promote large scale production. As to the less developed regions, the government should pay more attention to agricultural subsidies to promote farm- ers' enthusiasm in grain production.
基金Project supported by the Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network R, USA
文摘To evaluate the temporal patterns of N deficiencies in corn and assess the ability of remote sensing to diagnose N deficiencies during the vegetative growth of corn, three field-scale experiments were conducted with various rates (56, 112, and 168 kg N ha-1 ), timing (early and late applications) and placement (injected into soil and dribbled on soil surface) of N fertilization in a split-plot design. Relationships between canopy reflectance during the growing season and yield data at the end of growing season were studied for different treatments. Results showed significant variation in both grain yields and canopy reflectance among the three cornfields. The N fertilization made in early June resulted in low canopy reflectance in early July, but the differences disappeared as the season progressed. The effect of N rates on canopy reflectance was not significant in early July but it gradually became detectable in mid-July and thereafter. The fertilizer placement had a significant effect on grain yields only in one field but not on canopy reflectance in all three fields. These observations suggest that the deficiency of N developed under field conditions is a dynamic phenomenon, which adds complexity for accurately defining "N deficiency" and effectively developing management strategies for in-season correction. Remote sensing throughout the season helps collect information about important interactions that have not been given enough attention in the past.
文摘The Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) inhabits a range of tropical and subtropical zones in South,Southeast and East Asia.As this heron breeds singularly in dense forests,its detailed ecology is not well known and only piecemeal information on its diet is available.Thus,we quantitatively estimated its diet menu with an analysis of pellets and stomach contents in the subtropical Yaeyama Islands of southern Japan.The results showed that the heron frequently foraged on land snails,arachnids,freshwater crabs and insects;no fish were detected.Although the earthworm was believed to be a primary dietary source of this species,it was not detected in our results,as it does not remain in pellets due to its high digestibility.This indicated that this bird dominantly depends on soil animals that inhabit humid forest floors.While the heron does not directly utilize aquatic habitats,they likely prefer moist forests caused by watery environments such as streams and swamps.Wet forests should be conserved for maintaining populations of this heron species.
文摘African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) play an important role in house hold food and nutrition security among many communities in Uganda. However, there is limited information on the value chain. Yet, the contribution of AIVs in terms of food and nutrition security is undisputable. A cross sectional survey targeting 60 respondents including farmers, key informants and extension officers was conducted to assess the systems of production system of the AIVs, profile an inventory and diversity of the cultivated AIVs in Agweng sub-county, Lira district. Semi-structured questionnaires and direct field observation were used to gather the necessary data. The findings revealed that AIVs form a very important part of the diets of the local populace both during the normal and off seasons as well as hard times among others. However, a number of constraints were reported to hinder the AIVs value chain including lack of quality seed, competition from exotic vegetables, low market demand, pests and diseases infestation, among others. The most commonly cultivated and consumed vegetables were cowpeas, hibiscus, pumpkins and crotolaria among others. The reasons for cultivation and consumption included source of food, high nutritive value and short maturity period. Other reasons were medicinal, resistance to pests and diseases, source of cash income and resilient to harsh weather conditions. In contrast, lack of quality seeds, bitterness, low market demand and difficulty in preparation contributed to their neglected use. Therefore, in the wake of climate change and variability there is need for deliberate investment to improve adaptability and acceptance of these vegetables. There is also need for sensitization of farmers on the benefits of AIVs, developing an effective means of improved seed production and distribution to replace the farmer-to farmer seed exchange and conservation of AIVs germplasm as the strategies to improve AIVs production in the study area.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41171425)
文摘Restoring soil quality is the main evaluation norm of the reclamation. In order to reveal the effects of mushroom waste on the quality improvement of reclaimed soil in coal mining areas, the physical, chemical and microbial characteristics of soil are studied. The results show clear improvement in the soil after using mushroom waste. Because of human cultivation and fertilization, cultivated soil after reclamation exhibits high comprehensive quality and the index of quality of surface soil reaches 0.64 and 0.73. The average index of surface soil quality is as high as 0.52 and 0.54. In comparison, the quality of reclaimed soil of forest land is low, with average index of 0.40. The effects of mushroom waste are mainly on the surface soil in the first 2 years after the application. After that period, with the decomposition of mushroom waste, soil quality index tends to be the same as the original soil. The quality of surface soil is higher than that of subsoil, especially after the application of mushroom waste, at which point the soil quality reaches a peak at about 15 cm. Cultivated soil after reclamation has great variance in quality, after the coefficient of 24.74%. Mushroom waste can reduce such variation, particularly with long-term use. The variance efficient falls to 3.59% after 3-year application.
文摘The pot-culture method combined with chemical and statistical analyses was used to get basic data for determination of the food-security indexes related to combined pollution of Cr and phenol in soil-rice systems.Regression analyses according to the experimental result indicated that the critical concentrations of Cr andphenol in brown rice were 0.37 and 0.33 mg kg-1, respectively, under the condition of Cr-phenol combined pollution.
基金Project supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. KZCX3-SW-417 and KZCX2-413).
文摘China has to raise agricultural productivity in its limited and shrinking farmland to guarantee food security for its huge and ever-growing population. Sustainable soil nutrient management is of paramount importance to the world's most populous country. Critical challenges the country is facing in sustaining soil fertility and in alleviating the hazardous impact of intensive fertilizer use are discussed in this paper. It is emphatically pointed out that national strategies as well as area-specific action plans with respect to scientific nutrient management are urgently needed to balance productivity and sustainability in the future. Relevant proposals for addressing those challenges are also presented.
基金Under the auspices of CAS-Russia,Ukraine and Belarus Cooperation Program (2011)Bureau of International Cooperation Grant,Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.GJHZ0949)Harbin Bureau of Science and Technology for Outstanding Scientist (No.2010RFXYN044)
文摘Soils are the foundation of civilizations and the basis for human food production.Mollisols in Ukraine and Northeast China are two out of the four major Mollisol regions in the world.The natural areas from which Mollisols developed are the prairies and steppes that experience temperate and freezing conditions.This review paper introduces the general climate,vegetation,and topography of Mollisols regions in Ukraine and Northeast China,analyzes their properties,including soil texture,soil organic matter content,soil bulk density,pH,cation exchange capacity and other chemical properties,and compares the property changes and management practices of Mollisols in relation to sustainable grain production.
基金Under the auspices of National Key Technologies R&D Program of China (No. 2006BAB15B02)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40671009)
文摘The changes in utilization of agricultural land have gradually grown into one of the major factors impacting grain output in China. This study explores the various components of agricultural production in China from the land utilization perspective, involving changes in grain production per unit area, multi-cropping index, and adjustment of agricultural structure. Compared with the record values, different research methodologies are used to analyze the po- tential of above three components. The results indicate that grain production potential of 65.68×109kg was unexploited in 2006, in which 45.8×109kg came from the restructuring in agriculture. So we can infer that the reduction of grain production in China could be primarily attributed to agricultural restructuring in recent years. So the productive poten- tial can be fully restored by increasing agricultural investment, or recovering agricultural structure in favorable condi- tions. So we can say that China’s current condition of food security is good.
文摘Enterprises are in competition with other enterprises operating in their fields. In today's world, enterprises need to increase their efficiency and productivity, the values of which, if below market conditions, they need to raise. Data Envelopment Analysis, widely utilized in efficiency and productivity measurements is a method that measures the efficiency of one unit relatively, taking more than one input determines the efficiency of units with similar inputs and outputs and output simultaneously. DEA interactively Thus, not only the efficient units are determined, but an opinion is offered as to how the inefficient units can be improved. In this study, 12 enterprises that were among the first 500 enterprises in Turkey in 2008, active in Istanbul Stock Exchange and operating in food sector through Data Envelopment Analysis. In the model, activity rates were used as input values, rantability rates were used as output values. In conclusion of simultaneous analysis of input and output values, efficient and inefficient enterprises were determined.
文摘The rate of food insecurity has increased tremendously over the past decade in Canada. This increase has been more pronounced in rural and remote areas especially among Aboriginal peoples. Substantial studies indicated that nearly half of the on-reserve Aboriginal households in British Columbia (BC) suffer from some degree of food insecurity. Despite the valuable research about obtaining traditional food, the issue of access to market food has been less discussed in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess the local food environment of on-reserve Aboriginal peoples by using a proximity-based approach tool in terms of access to healthy food stores such as supermarket and grocery stores. In the first stage, the addresses of all healthy food stores were geocoded into a map layer. Then the locations of Aboriginal reserves were geocoded to a separate map layer. In the second stage, using "Closest Facility Analysis" tool in ArcGIS Version 10.3, the distance based on a 15-minute driving time was measured from each reserve to the closest healthy food destination on CanMapRouteLogistics network. The results indicated that 25% of Aboriginal reserves did not have reasonable access to healthy food stores. We concluded that Aboriginal peoples in low access rural reserves with lower socioeconomic status are at potential risk of perpetuate food insecurity.
文摘Pollution of the environment, particularly the soil, appears to be one of the major contemporary issues. In addition, many studies point to the involvement of ecological risk of heavy metals into the food chain through edible plants like Spinaceae oleraceae L. and Lactuca sativa L.. This paper presents the results of the "ex-situ" application of phytoacumulation on the soils of contaminated terrain using the plant species of spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Sequestration of arsen from the soil by these plant species was observed through phytoaccumulation factor--PF and limit values (mg/kg). The main task and objective of this research was to establish the level of accumulation of toxic element As from the soil by plants and to calculate the PF factor of transfer. The experiment was set up in the control conditions where the soil from eight contaminated locations was placed in the experimental containers. The AAS method was used to analyze heavy metal in plant material and soil. PF factor values ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 which indicates that the spinach and lettuce plants rechargeable moderate compared to arsenic.
文摘Based on the analysis on the status quo of natural resources input in Brain production and on the policy of Brain subsidies, this paper puts forward a new idea - establishing grain subsidies through assessing the value of the natural resources in Brain production. The assessment of the natural resources in Brain production provides rationale and reference standard for the policy of Brain subsidies, which will promote the sustainable use of natural resources accordingly. This paper concludes: (1) it is necessary for the grain subsidies to assess the full value of natural resources, including economic value, ecological value and social value: (2) the government should give farmers direct subsidies or environment subsidies according to the economic and ecological value of natural resources in grain production, (3) the social value of natural resources can be realized by establishing the country social security system, taking the social value as the criterion for the payment for part of farmers' insurance.
文摘The poor performance of the agricultural sector as reflected in high prices of food stuffs as well as huge importation of food has been a major concern to many governments in Africa. Agriculture remains the backbone of Ghana's economy and women who constitute about 70% to 80% of farm labour face discrimination in terms of means of production such as land. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of women's land rights on food production in the Brong-Ahafo region which is Ghana's food basket. Several land reforms have been instituted to ensure equitable access to land in order to enhance food production, yet the study reveals that many women have limited or no access to land and experience insecurity of tenure, which affects their farming methods, choice of crops grown, and production levels, consequently, resulting in low incomes and poverty. Relevant Primary Rate Access (RPRA) tools were used to gather data. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics using Statistic Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft soRwares and presented into percentages, tabulation, and graphics. The research also revealed that the lack of awareness and education on land reforms and policies coupled with escalating land prices and complicated land transaction method are the major challenges to women's access and security over land. The study recommends the decentralization of the land title registration process, gender mainstreaming in the land title registration process, and intensification of advocacy on land rights, among others as crucial to improve women's access, control, and security over land for agricultural purposes