植物篱是治理坡耕地水土流失的有效措施

植物篱是在坡耕地上按一定间距带状等高种植的具有拦截径流和土壤作用的水土保持措施。植物篱具有保土和降低水流速度效果好、减缓地面坡度、节省投资、经济效益较好和管理费用低等特点,应广泛推广应用。

Performance of Subsurface Constructed Wetland in River Rehabilitation

[ Objective] This study was to research the treatment effect of different media in undercurrent wetland on contamination, so as to pro- vide reference for rehabitating water body of river along small towns. [ Method ] Three different media of gravel, cobblestone and shale were used to rehabilitate water quality of contaminated river. [ Result ] Gravel, cobblestone and shale all performed well in removing TN, TP and CODw,, in contaminated water, of which gravel stuffed undercurrent wetland run best, averagely removing 49.4% TN, 34.7% and 48. 5% COD~, respectively. [ Conclusion] Undercurrent constructed wetland can effectively improve the water quality of contaminated river, and it is cheaper in cost and simpler in operation, thus suitable for generalizing in small towns of China.

Comparative Study of Rice Morphogenesis with Different Cultivation Methods

[Objective] The aim of this study was to compare the morphological char- acteristics of rice （Oryza sativa L.） with different cultivation methods and investigate the dynamics of organ growth and development characteristics of different rice culti- vars. [Method] Based on continuous field observation and destructive sampling over a growing season, detailed organ morphological data were obtained including leaf length, node number, plant height, tiller number, leaf angle, leaf area and specific leaf weight, to compare organ morphological differences among 4 rice cultivars of Baidao （indica）, Jinnanfeng （japonica）, 9325 （japonica） and 9915 （japonica） with 3 cultivation methods of field planting in Weigang, pot planting in Weigang, and field planting in Jiangpu. [Result] Maximum leaf length of each node gradually increased at the early growth stage and decreased at the later growth stage, the relationship between maximum leaf length and node position can be described by the equations y=a,,-~ and y=ax＋b; node number, growth duration, leaf length and plant height of pot planting rice in Weigang were smaller than that of the other two field planting meth- ods; the relationship between plant height and sunshine duration, plant height and GDD （growing degree days） can be described by the equation y=ax＋b, 19.23 ℃.d of GDD （≥10 ≥-d） and 8.12 h of sunshine duration were required to increase 1 cm of plant height; plant height, tiller number, and leaf area of Baidao were higher than that of the other 3 laponica rice cultivars, but the specific leaf weight and leaf angle were smaller. [Conclusion] Comparison of morphological characteristic differ- ences among rice cultivars is an important way to select water-saving and drought- tolerant rice varieties. In this study, the experimental results can be integrated into a rice functional-architectural model to simulate rice organ growth dynamics in a three- dimensional space, thereby providing reference for selecting water-saving and drought-tolerant rice cultivars.

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation on Plant Growth and Phthalic Ester Degradation in Two Contaminated Soils

A 60-day pot experiment was carried out using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) as a typical organic pollutant phthalic ester and cowpea (Vigna sinensis) as the host plant to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on plant growth and degradation of DEHP in two contaminated soils, a yellow-brown soil and a red soil. The air-dried soils were uniformly sprayed with different concentrations of DEHP, inoculated or left uninoculated with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, and planted with…

Effect of Tillage and Planting Methods on the Soil Properties, Grain Drill Performance, and Wheat Yield

The effect of conservation tillage methods and seeding machines on the soil physical properties, performance of grain drill, wheat yield, and wheat yield components was evaluated. The research was conducted in a split block experimental design with twelve treatments and four replications, and a local wheat variety （Shiraz） was planted in this study. Main plots were tillage methods including： （1） primary tillage using moldboard plow without moldboard; （2） primary tillage with disk harrow; and （3） primary tillage with chisel plow. Subplots were grain drill types including： （1） planting with Taka grain drill without furrower; （2） planting with Taka grain drill having furrower; （3） planting with Hamadan Machine Barzegar grain drill having furrower and runner opener; 4） planting with grain drill having ripple opener. Parameters including mean weight diameter of clods （MWD）, soil bulk density, uniformity of seed planting depth, seed distribution uniformity, seed emergence, crop yield, and crop yield components were measured. SAS software was used to analyze the collected data and the method of benefit to cost ratio was used to compare the treatments from the economic point of view. Results indicated that tillage method had no significant effect （P = 0.05） on the measured parameters. Plant per unit area, seed emergence, uniformity of seed planting depth, and MWD were significantly affected by the grain drill type （P 〈 0.05） while, the type of grain drill had no significant effect on the rest of measured parameters. Taka grain drill without furrower had the highest uniformity of planting depth and proper soil MWD, and grain drill with ripple opener had the highest seed emergence and plant per unit area. Interaction between tillage methods and grain drill types affected the soil MWD, seed emergence, and crop yield （P 〈 0.05） in such a way that the combination of primary tillage with disk harrow and planting with grain drill having ripple opener provided the highest crop yield.

A Limited Dependent Variable Analysis of Integrated Pest Management Adoption in Uganda

Integrated Pest Management （IPM） technologies can reduce pest damage to crops by emphasizing non-chemical control methods thereby reducing potential negative effects of chemicals on the environment while preserving profitability. This study investigates the adoption of eight IPM practices including intercropping, crop rotation, two improved varieties, incorporating a ＂striga chaser＂ in sorghum production, changing planting dates, altering planting density and fertilizer use. Explanatory variables include economic factors, social factors, management factors, and institutional factors. Results were consistent across logit and ordered logit analyses. Most factors affecting adoption across all crops and technologies are economic factors, including labor availability, technology resource requirements, technology complexity, and the level of expected benefits. Social factors are generally less associated with IPM technology adoption than either market or institutional factors. Results indicate that the evaluated technologies were scale-neutral and that farmer age and education level did not affect technology adoption.

Improving Indigenous Technologies for Sustainable Land Use in Northern Mountainous Areas of Vietnam

More than 30 ethnic groups are now living in northern mountainous regions, Vietnam, mainly relying on shifting cultivation with the fallow period being shortened from time to time. Naturally, soil fertility reduces from cycle to cycle, entailing the reduction of productivity. Large areas of moderately sloping lands suitable for upland agriculture have become bare after many cultivation-fallow cycles. The soils there have been severely degraded with more toxicity, low porosity, low water retention capacity and poor floral diversity. Normally, these lands cannot be used for food crop cultivation. So farmers in uplands have to rely on slash-and-burn practices for their livelihood. As there is no more forest with good soil in medium slopes, farmers go to cut forests in watershed, high slope lands and old forests up to the mountains’ top. There are ecologically and environmentally very sensitive areas, so their destruction will inevitably cause hazardous consequences in the whole basin. Meanwhile, cultivation in these areas has low economic efficiency and sustainability because the crop yield may decrease very fast due to severe erosion as the higher the slope, the more serious erosion. Consequently living standards of highland farmers remain low and unstable. Sustainable farming on these lands in the perspective of a seriously deteriorated ecology and environmental is not an easy task. There have been many projects trying to help mountainous farmers get out of their vicious circle. However, due to different reasons, the results gained are low, and in some cases, things ceased to move after the projects phased out. During past few years, based on the farmer experiences, the Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute has cooperated with local and international partners to implement different projects in order to solve the problems by developing simple, easy and cheap cultivation technologies, which can be accepted and applied by local poor farmers for sustainable agricultural production. The first results of our activities offered good opportunities for sustain food production, improve soil health, recharge of aquifers, and enhanced household income for better rural lively hoods in the upland eco-regions of northern Vietnam.

A Method for Mass-rearing Aphidius gifuensis(Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae)

[Objective] This study presents a method for mass rearing of Aphidius gifuensis, a dominant endoparasitoid of Myzus persicae on tobacco in Southwest China. [Method] The tobacco cultivar Honghuadajinyuan(Nicotiana tabacum) was used as the host plant and M. persicae was the host insect. In a greenhouse, tobacco seedlings were reared in plastic trays. The seedlings at three-true-leaf stage were inoculated with two to three aphids per plant using aphid source with a parasitism rate of 47% ±3.9%. [Result] By this inoculation method, the aphids and parasites were simultaneously inoculated on host plants. After approximately 25 d of rearing, we were able to produce 82.5±5.17 aphid mummies per tobacco seedling. A total of 445 500 aphid mummies were produced in one greenhouse(36 rearing trays per greenhouse) during an approximately 50-day rearing period. The emergence rate was 93.4% ±2.76%, and 54% of the mummies were females. [Conclusion] The demonstrated technological feasibility of using tobacco seedlings for the mass rearing of A. gifuensis increases the potential for the biological control of M. persicae.

Organic Cultivation of Lemon Ballm （Melissa officinalis） in Macedonia

The possibility for perspective growing of medicinal, aromatic and spice plants, can be expected only if their cultivation is based on the principles of organic farming. The cultivation of this group of plants is usually associated with satisfactory yield level and raw materials with uniform quality. This paper contains the most important features of lemon balm （Melissa officinalis）, and methods of cultivation. Data of two annual activities are presented and they are related with organic system of cultivation in the central part of Macedonia. The objective of this study is to analyze, determine and demonstrate the economic viability of lemon balm organic production with irrigation. In the first year, there were only two moving, yielding 500 kg/ha of above-ground plant dry mass. In the second year, there were three moving, yielding 6,775 kg/ha of above-ground plant dry mass. Economic analysis is proved that profitability in organically produced lemon balm is obtained in the second year of growing when the profit reached $6,150/ha.

Comparison of Wheat Planting Methods and Residue Incorporation Under Saline-Sodic Soil

The present research was conducted to monitor the wheat productivity along with residue incorporation under saline-sodic soils by examining different planting methods at Zaidi Farm, Kakar Gill, Sheikhupura District, Punjab Province in 2007-2008. Randomized Complete Block Design （RCBD） with three replications was used having treatments： control （broadcast）, zero till wheat plantation, wheat plantation using happy seeder and wheat plantation on raised beds. It was observed that tillering was pretty higher （141 and 139 m2） under raised bed as well as happy seeder plantation as compared to zero tilled wheat and broadcast technique. A significant relation was detected among maximum straw and grain yield （4,898 and 1,752 kg-ha1） in raised bed followed by happy seeder planting method. The lowest grain yield was recorded in the broadcast method. Maximum net revenue earned by raised bed planting method （39,908 PKR） followed by happy seeder methodology （37,533 PKR）. The overall study suggests that raised bed and happy seeder wheat plantation are the superior planting methods.

Sustainable livelihoods in a Coptis-planting based rural community:a case study in Shizhu County,China

Coptis chinensis is a medicinal herb used in traditional Chinese medicine.This research features a case study in Shizhu County,China.Participatory Rural Appraisal(PRA) is used as the main tool for data collection.The study demonstrates that the current method of Coptis planting leads to forest destruction.Even with reforestation measures,it leads to the loss of biodiversity in the forest.It also shows that farmers cannot get satisfactory economic returns from Coptis planting,as the return is unstable and unpredictable.One alternative to the current Coptis planting mode is to incorporate it into the agroforestry system.Water shield planting also serves as a good alternative to Coptis planting itself.Improved methods of management,post-harvest processing,and marketing of Coptis are also proposed and analyzed.The intended contribution of this paper to the theoretical debate of sustainability shall be the provision of an example showing how agricultural production affects forest conservation.It also presents redressable measures to the negative consequences.Besides,one alternative livelihood pathway for the rural community in this case study is suggested.