scholarly journals Bridging Mediterranean cultures in the International Year of Soils 2015: a documentary exhibition on irrigation techniques in water scarcity conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 789-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Barontini ◽  
V. Boselli ◽  
A. Louki ◽  
Z. Ben Slima ◽  
F. E. Ghaouch ◽  
...  

The paper presents the activity performed at the University of Brescia by students and researchers, belonging to different Mediterranean cultures and different disciplines, to prepare a documentary exhibition on irrigation techniques in water scarcity conditions, on the occasion of the International Year of Soils 2015. Traditional irrigation techniques were identified as a key aspect of soil conservation and agricultural practices, to build living and autopoietic ecosystems, also in adverse climatic conditions, and to adapt to climatic changes. Being a structural source of ecosystem survival, and being based on long-lasting observation of the climate and of the environment, they have deep roots in local cultures and they were identified as a common ground also for multicultural interaction. The core of the exhibition is structured in sections focused on techniques for collecting groundwater, atmospheric humidity and surface water, on water lifting techniques and on water distributive systems. The final section of the exhibition is devoted to the oases which are presented as an equilibrium ecosystem, established upon the alliance between man and nature and founded on the capability of collecting water.

1988 ◽  
Vol 27 (4II) ◽  
pp. 595-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eshya Mujahid Mukhtar ◽  
Hanid Mukhtar

Agricultural production depends upon certain crucial inputs e.g., water, fertilizer etc. In the less developed regions of South Asia in general, and the indo-Pakistan sub-continent in particular, the use of these inputs depends not only upon the financial affordability but also upon the institutional accessibility of farmers to these inputs. Besides high economic costs, bureaucratic controls and corruption regarding the distribution of inputs have created problems of limited accessibility, especially to the small farmers. In the absence of any credit, information and/or input distribution networks, the use of these inputs, and related productivity gains, become confined to that class of farmers which not only has better access to these inputs but is capable of using them in the best possible way e.g. use of water and fertilizer in the appropriate amount and at the appropriate time. This paper attempts to study how input use and input productivity vary across farm sizes, with some reference to the infrastructural and institutional factors, whose development play an important role in improving the distribution and productivity of inputs. For such an analysis, a comparison of the two Punjabs i.e. Pakistani and Indian Punjabs, presents an ideal framework, Separated by a national boundary since 1947, the two Punjabs enjoy a common history and culture, similar agricultural practices and agro-climatic conditions, Government policies in the two Punjabs, however, have not only differed between the two provinces at the same time, but also over time in the same province. It may be noted that due to certain policy measures, land distribution, tenancy conditions, promotion of agricultural co-operatives and provision of infrastructural features, such as roads and electricity, are relatively more improved in Indian than Pakistani Punjab.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Agathe Roucou ◽  
Christophe Bergez ◽  
Benoît Méléard ◽  
Béatrice Orlando

The levels of fumonisins (FUMO)—mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides—in maize for food and feed are subject to European Union regulations. Compliance with the regulations requires the targeting of, among others, the agroclimatic factors influencing fungal contamination and FUMO production. Arvalis-Institut du végétal has created a national, multiyear database for maize, based on field survey data collected since 2003. This database contains information about agricultural practices, climatic conditions and FUMO concentrations at harvest for 738 maize fields distributed throughout French maize-growing regions. A linear mixed model approach highlights the presence of borers and the use of a late variety, high temperatures in July and October, and a water deficit during the maize cycle as creating conditions favoring maize contamination with Fusarium verticillioides. It is thus possible to target a combination of risk factors, consisting of this climatic sequence associated with agricultural practices of interest. The effects of the various possible agroclimatic combinations can be compared, grouped and classified as promoting very low to high FUMO concentrations, possibly exceeding the regulatory threshold. These findings should facilitate the creation of a national, informative and easy-to-use prevention tool for producers and agricultural cooperatives to manage the sanitary quality of their harvest.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 144
Author(s):  
Dianxi Zhang ◽  
Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽  
Naveed Ahmad ◽  
António José Filipe ◽  
Phung Anh Thu ◽  
...  

Water scarcity is rising as a global issue, because the planet earth is facing a global water crisis, which is considered something that can destroy environmental sustainability of our planet. The fact is that humanity’s demand is depleting natural resources faster than nature can replenish itself; if human habits and unsustainable use of water resources do not change, water scarcity will inevitably intensify and become a major cause of conflict among different nations of the world. The water scarcity issue is a crucial issue but unfortunately it has not received due attention in past. Pakistan, which once was a water abundant country, now facing a situation of water scarcity. Pakistan has a poor irrigation system which results 60% loss of its water; Pakistan uses more water for crop production than other countries. Likewise, the country harvests water from rainfall, rivers, snow, and glaciers. The country is facing a serious water crisis that is caused by different factors, such as changing climatic conditions, rising population, poor irrigation system, poor political will, and rapid urbanization. The water crisis of Pakistan is expected to worsen in coming years. This is a drastic situation which calls for emergency measures. With this background, the present study provides a detailed view of the water situation in the country with challenges to water management. The study also suggests some recommendations for policymakers to improve the water crisis situation in the future.


Author(s):  
M.V. LAZKO ◽  
◽  
ADAM A. ABDERAKHIM

The paper presents the results of evaluating the efficiency of feed rations offered to broilers of the Arbor Acres cross, formed taking into account the climatic, geochemical conditions of Central Africa and its native food flora. The study was conducted on the basis of an experimental farm at the University of N’Djamena, the Republic of Chad. In the experiment, the authors used five formulas of feed rations, which are currently used by farms in the Republic of Chad for growing broiler chickens. They mainly contain locally availble ingredients. To increase the resistance of the poultry organism to unfavorable environmental factors, the chickens of the control and experimental groups were given “TETRACOLIVIT” and “AMIN’TOTAL” vitamins. The efficiency of feed rations was evaluated by determining the age dynamics of live weight, average weekly gains in live weight and blood biochemical parameters of broiler chickens of the Arbor Acres cross from 1 to 42 days of life. The formula of feed ration No. 1 proved to be the most effective in terms of the cross productivity.


2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ruiz ◽  
S. Abiven ◽  
P. Durand ◽  
C. Martin ◽  
F. Vertès ◽  
...  

Abstract. The hydrological and biogeochemical monitoring of catchments has become a common approach for studying the effect of the evolution of agricultural practices on water resources. In numerous studies, the catchment is used as a "mega-lysimeter" to calculate annual input-output budgets. However, the literature reflects two opposite interpretations of the trends of nitrate concentration in streamwater. For some authors, essentially in applied studies, the mean residence time of leached nitrate in shallow groundwater systems is much less than one year and river loads reflect annual land use while for others, nitrate is essentially transport limited, independent of soil nitrate supply in the short term and annual variations reflect changes in climatic conditions. This study tests the effect of agricultural land-use changes on inter-annual nitrate trends on stream water of six small adjacent catchments from 0.10 to 0.57 km2 in area, on granite bedrock, at Kerbernez, in Western Brittany (France). Nitrate concentrations and loads in streamwater have been monitored for nine years (1992 to 2000) at the outlet of the catchments. An extensive survey of agricultural practices from 1993 to 1999 allowed assessment of the nitrogen available for leaching through nitrogen budgets. For such small catchments, year-to-year variations of nitrate leaching can be very important, even when considering the 'memory effect' of soil, while nitrate concentrations in streamwater appear relatively steady. No correlation was found between the calculated mean nitrate concentration of drainage water and the mean annual concentration in streams, which can even exhibit opposite trends in inter-annual variations. The climatic conditions do not affect the mean concentration in streamwater significantly. These results suggest that groundwater plays an important role in the control of streamwater nitrate concentration. Keywords: nitrate, diffuse pollution, agricultural catchment, nitrogen budget, leaching, Kerbernez catchments


Russian vine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 85-89
Author(s):  
N.A Tikhomirova ◽  
◽  
M.R. Beibulatov ◽  
N.A. Urdenko ◽  
R.A. Buival ◽  
...  

The economic efficiency of the cultivation of grapes as a branch of agriculture depends on the adaptation of grape varieties to the soil and climatic conditions of the place of growth. When developing new agricultural practices and technological solutions for the cultivation of grapes, it is necessary to assess the econom-ic efficiency of the proposed innovative ap-proaches. The cultivation of such grape varie-ties is becoming important and relevant, which, with high productivity and the use of differen-tiated care technology, require minimal costs when servicing the bushes and harvesting. In-creasing labor productivity in the viticulture industry is the most important condition for the intensive development of production. One of these conditions today is the formation of a bush according to the technology element, the shape of a bush AZOS-1, which allows to re-duce the cost of care and harvesting of grapes. The conducted research on the technology of cultivation of table grape varieties in connec-tion with the use of a new form of bush made it possible to economically substantiate the economic efficiency of growing grapes.


Author(s):  
Tigran Simyan

В статье проводится семиотически-типологический анализ университетского пространства Ереванского государственного университета (ЕГУ). Данное исследование является продолжением дискурса «Университетское пространство». Культурные артефакты ЕГУ описываются не с точки зрения культурно-исторического подхода, а с использованием семиотического метода. Детально описывается пространственное «начало» университетского экстерьера, выявляются семантические и парадигматические особенности центральной скульптуры, а также интерьерный барельеф библиотеки ЕГУ и средневековые маркеры университетского пространства. Центральное пространство Ереванского государственного университета семиотизировано различными скульптурами, памятниками, барельефами, являющимися знаками социальной и культурной памяти, отсылающей к разным культурным пластам: от Средневековья до советской эпохи. «Начало» университетского пространства маркируется ключевыми фигурами армянской письменности, ставшими культурными константами интерьерного и экстерьерного пространства ЕГУ. В визуализации истории превалируют образы видных деятелей армянской средневековой университетской традиции. Изображённые фигуры Месропа Маштоца и Саака Партева отсылают к прошлому, на прагматическом уровне указывая на древность армянского алфавита и глубокие корни армянской схоластической университетской истории. Кроме средневековых деятелей культуры, в университетском пространстве представлены также видные деятели новой и новейшей армянской литературы (Абовян, Налбандян, Туманян, Чаренц), сыгравшие важную роль в становлении общественной и литературной жизни, приведшие к европеизации армянской литературы, а также к парадигматическим культурным переходам. Анализ эмпирического материла показал, что диапазон исторических артефактов вбирает в себя также и советскую эпоху (соцреализм). Подробный анализ барельефа соцреализма показал, что он является стереотипным артефактом советской эпохи, пропагандистской визуализацией советской тоталитарной идеологии.The article is semiotic-typological analysis of Yerevan State University (YSU) interior space and external grounds. It is a part of Yerevan City discourse, which depicts separate part of Yerevan downtown, and fragments of the interior and exterior space of YSU. Moreover, this article is a continuation of the discourse “University Space”. YSU cultural artifacts are described both by culturalhistorical as well as by a semiotic method. Russian reviews have described the semiotically labeled spaces of the university mainly by a cultural-historical approach. The cultural environment has become the meta-language concept of this approach. The cultural-historical methodology does not imply a semiotic metalanguage and analysis. This reveals psychological and cultural values, different historical eras and signs of identity, etc. The article is a detailed description of the starting point of the university exterior grounds represented by the central sculpture, interior works of art and bas-relief of the YSU Library. The central space of Yerevan State University is semiotized by various sculptures, monuments, and bas-reliefs. These are signs of social and cultural memory, referring to different cultural eras: from the Middle Ages to the Soviet Empire. The principal sculpture of the university garden represents the founder of Armenian alphabet Mesrop Mashtots and other prominent representatives of the Armenian medieval university traditions. The figures depicting Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev refer to the past, pointing to the antiquity of the Armenian alphabet and the deep roots of the Armenian scholastic university tradition. Among medieval cultural figures, we see other renowned poets and writers of New and Contemporary Armenian Literature such as Abovyan, Nalbandyan, Tumanyan, and Charents. They played an important role in the formation of public and literary life, leading to the Europeanization of Armenian literature, as well as to paradigmatic cultural transitions. The analysis of empirical material demonstrated that the range of historical artifacts also incorporates the Soviet era (socialist realism). Detailed study of the basrelief of socialist realism showed that it is a stereotypical artifact of the Soviet era, a visual propaganda of Soviet totalitarian ideology.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliane Ngoune Tandzi ◽  
Charles Shelton Mutengwa

Standardization of crop yield estimation methods at various levels of farming helps to obtain accurate agricultural statistics as well as assessing the suitability of agricultural practices under various production conditions. The current paper reviews various maize yield estimation methods, taking into account available yield parameters, and it also analyses the yield gap between maize potential and attainable yield. The easiest and more reliable methods of yield estimation are based on yield parameters collected from the field. However, farmer estimation methods are cheaper and faster compared to any other method of yield estimation from farmers’ fields. This paper also elaborates on the importance of the use of more complex methods for yield estimation, such as remote sensing and crop modelling. These complex methods are more accurate and can predict yield before field harvest with less deviation from the exact harvest yield. However, they are very expensive and not efficient for small plots of land (less than 1 ha). Factors that contribute to the gap between potential and actual yield include poor implementation of agricultural policies, strict regulation of fertilizer inputs, vulnerability of smallholder cropping systems to adverse climatic conditions, occurrence of biotic and abiotic constraints, as well as unavailability of seeds and labor.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 510-527
Author(s):  
Svetlana Shibarshina

This article aims to distinguish and depict the features of communications and collaborations in contemporary universities through the concept of trading zones. The author also considers the role that the idea of a digital university might play in shaping interactions in transforming local context where different actors can find a common ground of exchange. The new contexts, including the pragmatic orientation of contemporary society and new technologies and environments, contribute to reconsidering the idea of the classical university, in which interactions between professors and students have outstepped customary collaborations in laboratories, as well as the idea of education and research integration. This article focuses on distinguishing new forms of interactions, boundary practices, and environments, which are suggested by today’s universities. Proceeding from them, the author argues that new concepts of the university, such as the digital university, and renovated campuses—to some extent—contribute to the adaptation of a renewed idea of Humboldt’s Bildung.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariangela Diacono ◽  
Paola Baldivieso-Freitas ◽  
Francisco Sans Serra

Optimization of the nitrogen (N) inputs and minimization of nutrient losses strongly affect yields in crop rotations. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of agricultural practices on yield and N use in a 4-year cereal-legume rotation in organic farming and to identify the best combination of these practices. The following treatments were compared: conventional plough (P) vs. reduced chisel (RC) tillage; composted farmyard manure (F) vs. unfertilized control (NF); and green manure (GM) vs. no green manure (NoM). No significant differences were found for N use efficiency between P and RC in each crop. The results suggested that legumes in the tested rotation do not need supplemental N fertilization, particularly if combining GM and F. The use of composted farmyard manure should be considered in a long-term fertilization plan for cereals, to allow a higher efficiency in N use. The residual effect of fertilization over time, along with the site-specific pedo-climatic conditions, should also be considered. In both tested tillage approaches, soil N surplus was the highest in plots combining GM and F (i.e., more than 680 kg N ha−1 in combination with RC vs. about 140 kg N ha−1 for RC without fertilization), with a risk of N losses by leaching. The N deficit in NoM–NF both combined with P and RC would indicate that these treatment combinations are not sustainable for the utilized crops in the field experiment. Therefore, the combination of the tested practices should be carefully assessed to sustain soil fertility and crop production.


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