• Authors:
    • Zhang, L. Q.
    • Ma, Z. M.
    • Lian, C. Y.
  • Source: Journal of Triticeae Crops
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A field experiment was carried out from March to July, 2007 in Zhangye oasis irrigation region of Gansu province to investigate the effects of a system of bed planting and furrow irrigation on the yield and water use efficiency of beer barley. Under conditions of a bed planting system, grain yield and soil temperature were increased. Compared with conventional flat planting, soil temperature of the 5 cm soil layer in bed planting treatment was raised by 1.27°C and 1.39°C in April and May, respectively. Beer barley plants grew more vigorously in the system of bed planting and furrow irrigation and consumed more water than in conventional flat planting, but the contribution of water to grain yield was greater, and thus bed planting and furrow irrigation showed a significant yield-improving and water saving effect. With the same irrigation quota, 1000-grain-weight increased by 2.10-5.37 g, grains/spike increased by 0.7-7.2, grain yield increased by 480.5-1 983.6 kg/ha and water use efficiency (WUE) was improved by 0.65-4.52 kg/mm/ha in bed planting and furrow irrigation, compared with conventional flat planting.
  • Authors:
    • Shen, X. J.
    • Zhang, J. P.
    • Zhang, J. Y.
    • Sun, J. S.
    • Liu, H.
  • Source: Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao
  • Volume: 23
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: To develop a suitable tillage mode and irrigation schedule of transplanted cotton following wheat harvest under sprinkler irrigation, a field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different tillage modes (conventional tillage and no-tillage) and different irrigation schedules (45 and 22.5 mm of irrigating water quota) on the water consumption, seed yield, water use efficiency, and fiber quality of cotton. Comparing with conventional tillage, no-tillage decreased the soil evaporation among cotton plants by 20.3%. Whether with conventional tillage or with no-tillage, deficit irrigation (22.5 mm of irrigating water quota) did not affect seed yield and fiber quality, while decreased the water consumption and improved the water use efficiency. No-tillage with 22.5 mm of irrigating water quota under sprinkler irrigation not only decreased the soil evaporation effectively, but also achieved water-saving, high quality and high yield of transplanted cotton following wheat harvest.
  • Authors:
    • Zhang, Y. L.
    • Zhang, H. Z.
    • Luo, H. H.
    • Zhang, W. F.
  • Source: Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao
  • Volume: 23
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Taking cotton cultivar Xinluzao 13 as test material, a soil column culture expenment was conducted to study the effects of water storage in deeper (> 60 cm) soil layer on the root growth and its relations with the aboveground growth of the cultivar in arid area with drip irrigation under mulch. Two levels of water storage in 60-120 cm soil layer were installed, i. e., well-watered and no watering, and for each, the moisture content in 0-40 cm soil layer during growth period was controlled at two levels, i.e., 70% and 55% of field capacity. It was observed that the total root mass density of the cultivar and its root length density and root activity in 40-120 cm soil layer had significant positive correlations with the aboveground dry mass. When the moisture content in 0-40 cm soil layer during growth season was controlled at 70% of field capacity, the total root mass density under well-watered and no watering had less difference, but the root length density and root activity in 40-120 cm soil layer under well-watered condition increased, which enhanced the water consumption in deeper soil layer, increased the aboveground dry mass, and finally, led to an increased economic yield and higher water use efficiency. When the moisture content in 0-40 cm soil layer during growth season was controlled at 55% of field capacity and the deeper soil layer was well-watered, the root/shoot ratio and root length density in 40-120 cm soil layer and the root activity in 80-120 cm soil layer were higher, the water consumption in deeper soil layer increased, but it was still failed to adequately compensate for the negative effects of water deficit during growth season on the impaired growth of roots and aboveground parts, leading to a significant decrease in the economic yield, as compared with that at 70% of field capacity. Overall, sufficient water storage in deeper soil layer and a sustained soil moisture level of 65% -75% of field capacity during growth period could promote the downward growth of cotton roots, which was essential for achieving water-saving and high-yielding cultivation of cotton with drip irrigation under mulch.
  • Authors:
    • Li, C. J.
    • Tian, C. Y.
    • Mai, W. X.
  • Source: Australian Journal of Crop Science
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Long-term use of drip irrigation technology may lead to root degradation and affect shoot growth and yield. A field experiment was conducted to investigate above- and belowground growth responses to drip irrigation under mulch film (DI) in comparison to flood irrigation under mulch film (FI) in cotton. The monolith method was used to harvest roots at seven timepoints in the growth periods, and the root length, and shoot and root dry weight were measured. The total root length per plant in the 0-10 cm soil layer was higher under DI, whereas in the 30-60 cm soil layer roots were longer under FI. From 65 to 96 days after sowing (DAS), the rate of increase in root length was lower under DI than FI. Total root length decreased after 125 DAS under DI, and was mainly centered in the 0-40 cm soil layer and at distances of 30-70 cm from drip-lines. The shoot:root ratio at 125 DAS was higher under DI than FI, but at 160 DAS the shoot:root ratio abruptly declined under DI. The decline in root length under DI during advanced growth stages may be attributable to the higher root density in shallow soil layers and the increase in the shoot:root ratio. These results suggest that, it are important to increase yield of cotton plants under DI early development of a deep root system and initial control of shoot growth by regulation of water and fertilizer supply.
  • Authors:
    • Qi, X. F.
  • Source: Research of Agricultural Modernization
  • Volume: 33
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Based on the statistical data of crop yields, cropland areas and agricultural inputs in the period from 2001 to 2010, the amounts of carbon absorption and emission of the farmland ecosystems in Dezhou were calculated, and the spatial-temporal variations and impact factors of carbon absorption and emission were analyzed. Carbon absorption of farmland ecosystem in Dezhou showed a trend from 2001-2010 and the carbon absorption of wheat, corn as the main food crops was significantly higher than other crops. The carbon emission showed the change of the increases after first reduces in Dezhou from 2001 to 2010. As the different the direction of agricultural development and the development characteristics in different counties there were different carbon emission; the carbon emission of chemical fertilizer was a larger proportion and a decreasing trend in the five ways of carbon emissions; carbon absorption was far greater than the amount of carbon emissions in Dezhou from 2001 to 2010 and there were a strong carbon sink of the farmland ecosystem. The correlation analysis results showed that carbon absorption was significantly positive correlated with the yields of wheat, corn and cotton. Significant positive correlations were observed between carbon emission and agrochemical inputs, power and fuels consumption, and cultivation and irrigation management.
  • Authors:
    • Shi, H.
    • Luo, Y.
    • Xue, J.
    • Wu, D.
  • Source: Journal of Nanjing Forestry University (Natural Sciences Edition)
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: By using in situ leaching device, a field experiment was conducted to study the nitrate leaching amount and density at 60 cm soil depth, nitrate accumulation in soil profile (0-80 cm) of poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem. Four treatments were installed, no fertilization (N 0, 0 kg/hm 2) conventional fertilization (N 140, 140 kg/hm 2), reduced N application (N 70, 70 kg/hm 2), increased N application (N 210, 210 kg/hm 2). The results indicated a positive correlation between quantity of leachate water and precipitation, the poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem can reduce the quantity of eluviate solution. The nitrate leaching loss increased according to the increasing N fertilization rate. In treatment spot N 210, the nitrate nitrogen loss from N fertilization at 60 cm soil depth was the greatest (13.89 kg/hm 2), it declined by 60.27% and 50.11% in poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem away from the poplar row 0.5 m and 1.5 m, respectively. The nitrogen leaching and accumulation were significantly lower in poplar-wheat intercropping ecosystem, and variances of the distribution for soil nitrate nitrogen were significant.
  • Authors:
    • Li, Y.
    • Liu, G.
    • Yang, L.
    • Ma, L.
    • Xia, L.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 28
  • Issue: 14
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Protective management of arable slope land plays an important role in protection of land resource and aquatic environment in Three Gorges region, China. Base on the regional natural conditions and the utilization of the arable slope land, four tillage modes with H1 (rotation of wheat and maize, wheat intercropped with horse bean, less tillage and ridge cultivation), H2 (rotation of wheat and maize, with Vetiveria ziz anioides contour hedges intercropped at slop length interval of 5 m), H3 (rotation of wheat and maize, with alfalfa contour hedges intercropped at slop length interval of 5 m), H4 (rotation of wheat and maize, conventional management) were conducted from Oct. 2009 to Oct. 2011. The differences of apparent recovery efficiency and Agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen and phosphorus between treatments were discussed, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus losses through slope land surface runoff were analyzed. The results showed that compared with H4, H1 increased phosphorus use efficiency by 0.06 kg/kg. No significant difference of biological and economic production, apparent recovery efficiency and agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen and phosphorus was observed among H2, H3 and H4, which showed intercropping with Vetiveria ziz anioides or alfalfa contour hedges wouldn't lead to the reduction of production. Furthermore significant effects on reducing soil erosion and sediment phosphorus loss were observed for H1, H2 and H3. Compared with H4, and sediment losses for H1, H2 and H3 decreased by 48.46%, 52.26% and 58.59% respectively, and sediment phosphorus losses decreased by 30.58%, 47.70% and 44.58% respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Francis, F.
    • Liu, Y.
    • Sun, J.
    • Zhou, H.
    • Cheng, D.
    • Chen, J.
    • Xie, H.
  • Source: Journal of Economic Entomology
  • Volume: 105
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The effects of intercropping wheat, Triticum aestivum L., with mung bean, Vigna radiate L., on the populations of English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and its natural enemies were evaluated by field and laboratory experiments. The population densities of aphids and their natural enemies were evaluated in the intercropped field against different row ratio combinations of wheat-mung bean. Results showed that wheat-mung bean intercropping caused a drop in aphid densities, and the ratio 12 wheat:4 mung bean brought about the largest drop (>18%). In addition, the population densities of coccinellids (ladybirds) and parasitoids and the species diversity of all the natural enemies of aphid were higher in the intercropped field than in the field planted only with wheat. However, intercropping did not influence the community indices (evenness and index of dominance concentration) of the natural enemies. Y-tube olfactometer bioassays were carried out in the laboratory to test whether odor blends of host and nonhost plants affect the host selection of S. avenae. Bioassays indicated that both apterous and alate aphids significantly preferred host plant odor over odor blends of host and intercropped species. Hence, the olfactory-based host location of aphids in the field might be affected by intercropping. The intercropping experiment clearly showed that increased crop species diversity suppresses aphid population growth and preserves the population of natural enemies of aphids. Our results also provide support for the "resource concentration hypothesis" and the "enemies hypothesis".
  • Authors:
    • Zhang, P.
    • Lu, C.
    • Xie, H.
    • Gong, P.
    • Yang, L.
    • Yang, B.
    • Xu, Y.
    • Zhang, W.
  • Source: Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 49
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Objective: The purpose of this project was to provide theoretical basis for the selection of suitable almond shape in almond-wheat intercropping systems through the research of four different almond tree cultivation shapes' canopy, photosynthetic rate and micro environment indicators, and the effect on lighting distribution and growth behaviors of intercropping wheat. Method: Ten years-old Wanfeng-almond trees were used as testing materials, and four structure treatments such as trunk-delaminating shape, open-center shape, spindle shape and high-stem round capitiform were set to study the difference among those four tree shapes and survey lighting distribution and wheat growth condition. Result: The load of per spindle shape tree was 1,184 per plants, which was lower than trunk-delaminating treatment. Due to small canopy volume of spindle shape, the load of unite projection plane was the highest, reaching 94.8 per m 2, and it was 2.06 times of trunk-delaminating treatment. The spindle shape tree's inner crown lighting distribution condition was better than other three treatments, reaching 31% of nature condition. Effect of spindle shape treatment on overshadow of intercropping area was lower, and stained lightly. The light intensity of overall intercropping area and at the both sides of the near crown areas was respectively 40.89% and 34.57% of nature condition. Conclusion: The preliminarily research showed that the spindle tree had high yield and lower influence on intercropping area, and it is suitable for the tridimensional composite planting system.
  • Authors:
    • Zhao, W.
    • Chen, J.
  • Source: Journal of Food and Drug Analysis
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: Supplement 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: In the recent 3 decades, along with the rapid development of national economy, dietary pattern and lifestyle have undergone significant changes in Mainland China. At the same time, the major causes of disease and death in Mainland China have shifted from predominantly infectious disease and diet-related deficiency diseases to overweight/obesity and other non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancers, etc. The characteristics of the dietary change are the decrease of cereal and vegetable consumption and the increase of animal foods and oil/fat consumption; although the average Chinese dietary pattern remains a plant food based diet. These dietary changes, in combination with the decrease of physical activity (sedentary life), continuous increase of tobacco and alcohol consumption have led to the rapid increase of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The overall contribution of NCDs death to the total death of Chinese people is around 80%. Current evidences have provided enough scientific basis for placing NCDs prevention and control as the high priority in public health; although further studies on the interactions between human genome and lifestyle factors are important for improving the effectiveness of prevention and control strategies.