Irrigation and crop improvement in temperate and tropical environments

1986 ◽  
Vol 316 (1537) ◽  
pp. 319-330 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Multiple Cropping ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Seasonal Signals ◽  
The Tropics

There is a strong interaction between irrigation and crop improvement, irrigation creating new opportunities and challenges for plant breeders while depending on their progress for its full benefits to be realized. In temperate environments the primary emphasis is on raising yield potential, especially as irrigation enhances the use of agrichemical inputs. Efficiency of water and energy use through the modification of physiological processes and of sensitivity to stress at various stages of the life cycle is also sought. In tropical environments, breeding for greater yield potential and more comprehensive pest and disease resistance are still important. However, shortening the length of the life cycle, reducing its sensitivity to seasonal signals and increasing yield per day may be more important than raising yield per crop because of the scope for multiple cropping made possible by irrigation in the tropics in the absence of contraints by low temperatures.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive Framework for Standardising System Boundary Definition in Life Cycle Energy Assessments

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
Hossein Omrany ◽  
Veronica Soebarto ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
Ruidong Chang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
System Boundary ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Boundary Definition ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

This paper aims to propose a comprehensive framework for a clear description of system boundary conditions in life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) analysis in order to promote the incorporation of embodied energy impacts into building energy-efficiency regulations (BEERs). The proposed framework was developed based on an extensive review of 66 studies representing 243 case studies in over 15 countries. The framework consists of six distinctive dimensions, i.e., temporal, physical, methodological, hypothetical, spatial, and functional. These dimensions encapsulate 15 components collectively. The proposed framework possesses two key characteristics; first, its application facilitates defining the conditions of a system boundary within a transparent context. This consequently leads to increasing reliability of obtained LCEA results for decision-making purposes since any particular conditions (e.g., truncation or assumption) considered in establishing the boundaries of a system under study can be revealed. Second, the use of a framework can also provide a meaningful basis for cross comparing cases within a global context. This characteristic can further result in identifying best practices for the design of buildings with low life cycle energy use performance. Furthermore, this paper applies the proposed framework to analyse the LCEA performance of a case study in Adelaide, Australia. Thereafter, the framework is utilised to cross compare the achieved LCEA results with a case study retrieved from literature in order to demonstrate the framework’s capacity for cross comparison. The results indicate the capability of the framework for maintaining transparency in establishing a system boundary in an LCEA analysis, as well as a standardised basis for cross comparing cases. This study also offers recommendations for policy makers in the building sector to incorporate embodied energy into BEERs.

scholarly journals A scalable and spatiotemporally resolved agricultural life cycle assessment of California almonds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Marvinney ◽  
Alissa Kendall
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Intensity ◽  
Central Valley ◽  
San Joaquin Valley ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Freshwater Use ◽  
California's Central Valley

Abstract Purpose California’s Central Valley produces more than 75% of global commercial almond supply, making the life cycle performance of almond production in California of global interest. This article describes the life cycle assessment of California almond production using a Scalable, Process-based, Agronomically Responsive Cropping System Life Cycle Assessment (SPARCS-LCA) model that includes crop responses to orchard management and modeling of California’s water supply and biomass energy infrastructure. Methods A spatially and temporally resolved LCA model was developed to reflect the regional climate, resource, and agronomic conditions across California’s Central Valley by hydrologic subregion (San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley, and Tulare Lake regions). The model couples a LCA framework with region-specific data, including water supply infrastructure and economics, crop productivity response models, and dynamic co-product markets, to characterize the environmental performance of California almonds. Previous LCAs of California almond found that irrigation and management of co-products were most influential in determining life cycle CO2eq emissions and energy intensity of California almond production, and both have experienced extensive changes since previous studies due to drought and changing regulatory conditions, making them a focus of sensitivity and scenario analysis. Results and discussion Results using economic allocation show that 1 kg of hulled, brown-skin almond kernel at post-harvest facility gate causes 1.92 kg CO2eq (GWP100), 50.9 MJ energy use, and 4820 L freshwater use, with regional ranges of 2.0–2.69 kg CO2eq, 42.7–59.4 MJ, and 4540–5150 L, respectively. With a substitution approach for co-product allocation, 1 kg almond kernel results in 1.23 kg CO2eq, 18.05 MJ energy use, and 4804 L freshwater use, with regional ranges of 0.51–1.95 kg CO2eq, 3.68–36.5 MJ, and 4521–5140 L, respectively. Almond freshwater use is comparable with other nut crops in California and globally. Results showed significant variability across subregions. While the San Joaquin Valley performed best in most impact categories, the Tulare Lake region produced the lowest eutrophication impacts. Conclusion While CO2eq and energy intensity of almond production increased over previous estimates, so too did credits to the system for displacement of dairy feed. These changes result from a more comprehensive model scope and improved assumptions, as well as drought-related increases in groundwater depth and associated energy demand, and decreased utilization of biomass residues for energy recovery due to closure of bioenergy plants in California. The variation among different impact categories between subregions and over time highlight the need for spatially and temporally resolved agricultural LCA.

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Energy Performance of Buildings: A Review of Their Life Cycle Impact

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia MIRABELLA ◽  
Martin RÖCK ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes SAADE ◽  
Carolin SPIRINCKX ◽  
Marc BOSMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Operational Energy

Globally, the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of energy use and it contributes approximately 30% of the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This high contribution stimulates research and policies to reduce the operational energy use and related GHG emissions of buildings. However, the environmental impacts of buildings can extend wide beyond the operational phase, and the portion of impacts related to the embodied energy of the building becomes relatively more important in low energy buildings. Therefore, the goal of the research is gaining insights into the environmental impacts of various building strategies for energy efficiency requirements compared to the life cycle environmental impacts of the whole building. The goal is to detect and investigate existing trade-offs in current approaches and solutions proposed by the research community. A literature review is driven by six fundamental and specific research questions (RQs), and performed based on two main tasks: (i) selection of literature studies, and (ii) critical analysis of the selected studies in line with the RQs. A final sample of 59 papers and 178 case studies has been collected, and key criteria are systematically analysed in a matrix. The study reveals that the high heterogeneity of the case studies makes it difficult to compare these in a straightforward way, but it allows to provide an overview of current methodological challenges and research gaps. Furthermore, the most complete studies provide valuable insights in the environmental benefits of the identified energy performance strategies over the building life cycle, but also shows the risk of burden shifting if only operational energy use is focused on, or when a limited number of environmental impact categories are assessed.

scholarly journals Breeding Temperate Japonica Rice Varieties Adaptable to Tropical Regions: Progress and Prospects

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2253
Author(s):  
Myrish Pacleb ◽  
O-Young Jeong ◽  
Jeom-Sig Lee ◽  
Thelma Padolina ◽  
Rustum Braceros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Philippines ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Japonica Rice ◽  
Rice Varieties ◽  
Temperate Japonica ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Northeast Asian ◽  
The Tropics

Temperate japonica rice is mainly cultivated in temperate regions. Many temperate japonica varieties have a superior grain quality that is preferred in Northeast Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and China. The changes in consumers’ preferences in Southeast Asia and Western countries has contributed to increasing the demand for temperate japonica. Most temperate japonica varieties developed in temperate regions typically exhibit extra-early flowering under the short-day conditions in the tropics, which usually results in severely reduced yields. Since 1992, we have been developing temperate japonica varieties that can adapt to tropical environments to meet the increasing demand for temperate japonica rice, having released six varieties in the Philippines. Especially, the yield of one of the temperate japonica varieties, Japonica 7, was comparable to the yields of leading indica varieties in the Philippines. Here, we discuss the current breeding initiatives and future plans for the development of tropical-region-bred temperate japonica rice.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Life Cycle Energy and Carbon Impacts for Passive Detached Accessory Dwelling Units and Their Design Implications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deva Siva Veylan
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Passive House ◽  
Accessory Dwelling Units ◽  
Passive Design ◽  
House Size

Detached accessory dwelling units are a building typology that, when built to passive design standards, can help reduce GHG emissions while addressing the socioeconomic pressures facing many housing markets. Energy performance metrics like those used in passive design standards are based on per unit of floor area and lead to a size-bias against smaller housing typologies. A life cycle assessment of cost-optimal passive house sizes ranging from 230 m² (2,500 ft²) to 30 m² (300 ft²) is performed to understand their total life cycle energy use and GHG emissions implications. Additionally, an analysis using BEopt examines operational energy use for 10 cost-optimal passive house sizes ranging from 230 m² (2,500 ft²) to 30 m² (300 ft²) across all 17 climate zones and examines how cost-optimal passive design changes with house size. The results show that per-occupant energy use and GHG emissions are similar or better for small house sizes and that cost-optimal passive design does not change significantly with house size.

scholarly journals Buckwheat Breeding. Past, Present and Future / Žlahtnjenje ajde v preteklosti, sedanjosti in prihodnosti

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Clayton G. Campbell ◽  
Mio Nagano
Keyword(s):  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Fagopyrum Esculentum ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Interspecific Crosses ◽  
Flower Number ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Fagopyrum Homotropicum ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nutritional Components

Buckwheat crop improvement by breeding has been taking place over the past 100 years or more. During this time there has been improvements in many desirable agronomic characteristics which has resulted in higher yields in many of the breeding programs. Phenotypic modifications, such as dwarf, semi-dwarf and branching have been reported. There has also been an effort to increase flower number as this has been shown in cross pollinating buckwheat, to increase yields. Flower cluster modifications and their effects on yield have also been studied. Increased reports on the discovery of buckwheat wild species have been reported from several programs with many interspecific crosses having taken place. Several of these crosses were performed with Fagopyrum esculentum in efforts to increase variability which can be used to increase yield potential as well as to obtain increased nutritional components.  More recent efforts have focused on the development of self-pollinating buckwheat, both from introgression of genes from Fagopyrum homotropicum as well as from mutations in cross pollinating buckwheat. The main problem has been in breeding depression which has occurred in many of the reported attempts. However, high yielding homomorphic, self-pollinating varieties have been developed and are now in commercial production. There is now emphasis being placed on many of the nutritional aspects of buckwheat flour as well as value added components. It is expected that this will increase over time.  Key words: Buckwheat breeding, homomorphic, autogamous buckwheat.   Izvleček Žlahtnjenje ajde poteka že več kot 100 let. V tem času je bila dosežena izboljšava željenih agronomskih lastnosti, kar je pri mnogih programih žlahtnjenja omogočilo večje pridelke. Raziskovalci poročajo o fenotipskih modifikacijah, kot je pritlikava ali pol-pritlikava rast in razvejanje. Za povečanje pridelka so bile raziskane modifikacije socvetij. Število poročil o odkritjih divjih sorodnikov ajde in o mnogih medvrstnih križanjih se je v zadnjem času povečalo. V mnoga od teh križanj je bila vključena navadna ajda (Fagopyrum esculentum), da bi povečali  variabilnost, kar bi lahko omogočilo povečanje pridelka in izboljšanje prehranskih lastnosti. Novejša prizadevanja so se osredotočila na razvoj samooplodnosti pri ajdi, z vključitvijo genov vrste Fagopyrum homotropicum, kot tudi mutacij pri ajdi, ki se je opraševala navzkrižno.  Pri tem je bila glavna težava preseči  depresijo zaradi samooploditev, depresija se je pojavila pri večih poskusih samooploditve. Ne glede na to je uspelo dobiti visokorodne homomorfne samooplodne sorte za ponudbo na trgu semen. Sedaj se prizadevanja usmerjajo k izboljšanju prehranske vrednosti ajde in pomembnih sestavin v ajdovi moki. Pričakovati je, da se bo pomen prehranske vrednosti ajde sčasoma še povečeval. Ključne besede: žlahtnjenje ajde, homomorfnost, samo­oplodna ajda

Cradle Under the Canopy The Forest Origins of our Ape and Hominin Ancestors and the Tropical Forest Forays of the Genus Homo

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
Pan Paniscus ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Ape ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Genus Homo ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Game Hunting ◽  
The Tropics

The evolutionary proximity of the non-human great apes to us is often stressed in studies of animals, such as Kanzi, a bonobo (Pan paniscus) bred in captivity, that demonstrate their capacity to undertake tool-use and even utilize and comprehend language (Toth et al., 1993; Savage-Rumbaugh and Lewin, 1996; Schick et al., 1999). Likewise, studies of chimpanzees (Pan spp.) have highlighted the similarity of their emotional and empathetic capacities to those of humans (Parr et al., 2005; Campbell and de Waal, 2014). However, as noted by Savage- Rumbaugh and Lewin (1996), in palaeoanthropology and archaeology more broadly, the emergence of the hominin clade and, later, our species, is referenced in terms of the ‘chasm’ between ourselves and other extant great apes. Indeed, despite our genetic and behavioural proximity, extant non-human great ape taxa are often popularly characterized as living fossils of how we used to be. They are used as analogues for the subsistence and behaviour of the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) of humans and non-human great apes (Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1977; Goodall, 1986; Foley and Lewin, 2004) and it is almost as if the fact that they still occupy the tropical environments in which these hominoids likely evolved (though see Elton, 2008) allows them to be treated as static comparisons (Figure 3.1). Since Darwin wrote the Descent of Man in 1871, the forests of the tropics, and their modern non-human great ape inhabitants, have tended to be perceived as being left behind as the hominin clade gained increasingly ‘human’ traits of tool-use, medium to large game hunting, and upright locomotion on open ‘savanna’ landscapes (Dart, 1925; Potts, 1998; Klein, 1999). From this perspective it is perhaps unsurprising that tropical forests are seen as alien to the genus Homo and its closest hominin ancestors.

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