scholarly journals Basic Soil Data Requirements for Process-Based Crop Models as a Basis for Crop Diversification

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eranga M. Wimalasiri ◽  
Ebrahim Jahanshiri ◽  
Tengku Adhwa Syaherah Tengku Mohd Suhairi ◽  
Hasika Udayangani ◽  
Ranjith B. Mapa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
Global Databases ◽  
Crop Models ◽  
Global Soil ◽  
Rice Yields ◽  
Underutilised Crops ◽  
The Impact

Data from global soil databases are increasingly used for crop modelling, but the impact of such data on simulated crop yield has not been not extensively studied. Accurate yield estimation is particularly useful for yield mapping and crop diversification planning. In this article, available soil profile data across Sri Lanka were harmonised and compared with the data from two global soil databases (Soilgrids and Openlandmap). Their impact on simulated crop (rice) yield was studied using a pre-calibrated Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) as an exemplar model. To identify the most sensitive soil parameters, a global sensitivity analysis was performed for all parameters across three datasets. Different soil parameters in both global datasets showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower and higher values than observed values. However, simulated rice yields using global data were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than from observed soil. Due to the relatively lower sensitivity to the yield, all parameters except soil texture and bulk density can still be supplied from global databases when observed data are not available. To facilitate the wider application of digital soil data for yield simulations, particularly for neglected and underutilised crops, nation-wide soil maps for 9 parameters up to 100 cm depth were generated and made available online.

scholarly journals Simulations of the Soil Evaporation and Crop Transpiration Beneath a Maize Crop Canopy in a Humid Area

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 1975
Author(s):  
Tianting Guo ◽  
Chunwei Liu ◽  
Ying Xiang ◽  
Pei Zhang ◽  
Ranghui Wang
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Soil Evaporation ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Crop Models ◽  
Humid Area

Soil evaporation (Es) and crop transpiration (Tc) are important components of water balance in cropping systems. Comparing the accurate calculation by crop models of Es and Tc to the measured evaporation and transpiration has significant advances to the optimal configuration of water resource and evaluation of the accuracy of crop models in estimating water consumption. To evaluate the adaptation of APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems simulator) in calculating the Es and Tc in Nanjing, APSIM model parameters, including the meteorological and soil parameters, were measured from a two-year field experiment. The results showed that: (1) The simulated evaporation was basically consistent with the measured Es, and the regulated model can effectively present the field evaporation in the whole maize growth period (R2 = 0.85, D = 0.96, p < 0.001); and (2) The trend of the simulated Tc can present the actual Tc variation, but the accuracy was not as high as the evaporation (R2 = 0.74, D = 0.87, p < 0.001), therefore, the simulation of water balance process by APSIM will be helpful in calculating Es and Tc in a humid area of Nanjing, and its application also could predict the production of maize fields in Nanjing.

scholarly journals Review: Impacts of shade on cattle well-being in the beef supply chain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily N Edwards-Callaway ◽  
M Caitlin Cramer ◽  
Caitlin N Cadaret ◽  
Elizabeth J Bigler ◽  
Terry E Engle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Stress Susceptibility ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Shade is a mechanism to reduce heat load providing cattle with an environment supportive of their welfare needs. Although heat stress has been extensively reviewed, researched, and addressed in dairy production systems, it has not been investigated in the same manner in the beef cattle supply chain. Like all animals, beef cattle are susceptible to heat stress if they are unable to dissipate heat during times of elevated ambient temperatures. There are many factors that impact heat stress susceptibility in beef cattle throughout the different supply chain sectors, many of which relate to the production system, i.e. availability of shade, microclimate of environment, and nutrition management. The results from studies evaluating the effects of shade on production and welfare are difficult to compare due to variation in structural design, construction materials used, height, shape, and area of shade provided. Additionally, depending on operation location, shade may or may not be beneficial during all times of the year, which can influence the decision to make shade a permanent part of management systems. Shade has been shown to lessen the physiologic response of cattle to heat stress. Shaded cattle exhibit lower respiration rates, body temperatures, and panting scores compared to un-shaded cattle in weather that increases the risk of heat stress. Results from studies investigating the provision of shade indicate that cattle seek shade in hot weather. The impact of shade on behavioral patterns is inconsistent in the current body of research, some studies indicating shade provision impacts behavior and other studies reporting no difference between shaded and un-shaded groups. Analysis of performance and carcass characteristics across feedlot studies demonstrated that shaded cattle had increased ADG, improved feed efficiency, HCW, and dressing percentage when compared to cattle without shade. Despite the documented benefits of shade, current industry statistics, although severely limited in scope, indicate low shade implementation rates in feedlots and data in other supply chain sectors do not exist. Industry guidelines and third party on-farm certification programs articulate the critical need for protection from extreme weather but are not consistent in providing specific recommendations and requirements. Future efforts should include: updated economic analyses of cost versus benefit of shade implementation, exploration of producer perspectives and needs relative to shade, consideration of shade impacts in the cow-calf and slaughter plant segments of the supply chain, and integration of indicators of affective (mental) state and preference in research studies to enhance the holistic assessment of cattle welfare.

scholarly journals Deep Neural Network and Polynomial Chaos Expansion-Based Surrogate Models for Sensitivity and Uncertainty Propagation: An Application to a Rockfill Dam

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1830
Author(s):  
Gullnaz Shahzadi ◽  
Azzeddine Soulaïmani
Keyword(s):  
Polynomial Chaos ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Uncertainty Propagation ◽  
Surrogate Models ◽  
Polynomial Chaos Expansion ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Chaos Expansion ◽  
Rockfill Dam ◽  
Parametric Studies ◽  
The Impact

Computational modeling plays a significant role in the design of rockfill dams. Various constitutive soil parameters are used to design such models, which often involve high uncertainties due to the complex structure of rockfill dams comprising various zones of different soil parameters. This study performs an uncertainty analysis and a global sensitivity analysis to assess the effect of constitutive soil parameters on the behavior of a rockfill dam. A Finite Element code (Plaxis) is utilized for the structure analysis. A database of the computed displacements at inclinometers installed in the dam is generated and compared to in situ measurements. Surrogate models are significant tools for approximating the relationship between input soil parameters and displacements and thereby reducing the computational costs of parametric studies. Polynomial chaos expansion and deep neural networks are used to build surrogate models to compute the Sobol indices required to identify the impact of soil parameters on dam behavior.

scholarly journals Identifying Controlling Factors of Bioaccumulation of Selected Metal(loid)s in Various Soil–Cereal Crop Systems within Cultivated Fluvisols

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1180
Author(s):  
Jan Skála ◽  
Radim Vácha ◽  
Jarmila Čechmánková
Keyword(s):  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
Cd Uptake ◽  
Crop Models ◽  
Successful Model ◽  
Model Reliability ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Single Extractions

The paired Fluvisol and cereal samples in both the field screening and controlled experiments are reported to elucidate the soil–crop relationship for As, Cd, and Pb in relation to changing contamination levels. Significant varietal differences in plant uptake were observed for crop type (barley, triticale) and the harvested part of the crop (oat shoots and grain). When parametrizing the stepwise regression models, the inclusion of soil properties often improved the performance of soil–crop models but diverse critical soil parameters were retained in the model for individual metal(loid)s. The pH value was often a statistically significant variable for Cd uptake. For As and Pb, the more successful model fit was achieved using the indicators of quantity or quality of soil organic matter, but always with lower inherent model reliability compared to Cd. Further, a single correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between extractable metal concentrations in soil solution and their crop accumulation. For Cd, there were strong intercorrelations among single extractions, the NH4NO3 extraction stood out with perfect correlation with plant uptake in both experiments. For As and Pb, the CaCl2 and Na2EDTA solutions outperformed other single extractions and were the better choice for the assessment of depositional fluvial substrates.

Governance of differential stakeholder interests in supply chains and networks

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.F.M. Wubben ◽  
H.J. Bremmers ◽  
P.T.M. Ingenbleek ◽  
A.E.J. Wals
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Health Claims ◽  
Stakeholder Dialogue ◽  
Stakeholder Interests ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
The Impact

Competing frames and interests regarding food provision and resource allocation, adding to the increased global interdependencies, necessitate agri-food companies and institutions to engage themselves in very diverse multi-stakeholder settings. To develop new forms of interaction, and governance, researchers with very different backgrounds in social sciences try to align, or at least share, research trajectories. This first paper in a special issue on governance of differential stakeholder interests discusses, first, different usages of stakeholder categories, second, the related intersubjectivity in sciences, third, an rough sketch of the use of stakeholder management in different social sciences. Social science researchers study a wide variety of topics, such as individual stakeholder impact on new business models, stakeholder group responses to health claims, firm characteristics explaining multi-stakeholder dialogue, and the impact of multi-stakeholder dialogue on promoting production systems, and on environmental innovations. Interestingly, researchers use very different methods for data gathering and data analysis.

Bulimia nervosa with co-morbid avoidant personality disorder: behavioural characteristics and serotonergic function

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. BRUCE ◽  
H. STEIGER ◽  
N. M. KOERNER ◽  
M. ISRAEL ◽  
S. N. YOUNG
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Bulimia Nervosa ◽  
The Other ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Social Avoidance ◽  
Behavioural Inhibition ◽  
Avoidant Personality Disorder ◽  
Affective Instability ◽  
The Impact

Background. Separate lines of research link lowered serotonin tone to interpersonal submissiveness and bulimia nervosa (BN). We explored the impact of co-morbid avoidant personality disorder (APD), as a proxy for submissiveness, on behavioural inhibition and serotonin function in women with BN.Method. Participants included women with BN with co-morbid APD (BNA+, N=13); women with BN but without APD (BNA−, N=23), and control women with neither BN nor APD (N=23). The women were assessed for psychopathological tendencies and eating disorder symptoms, and participated in a computerized laboratory task that measured behavioural inhibition and disinhibition. Participants also provided blood samples for measurement of serial prolactin responses following oral administration of the partial 5-HT agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP).Results. The BNA+ group had higher scores than the other groups on self-report measures of submissiveness, social avoidance, restricted emotional expression, affective instability and self-harming behaviours. Compared with the other groups, the BNA+ group tended to be more inhibited under cues for punishment on the computerized task and to have blunted prolactin response following m-CPP. The bulimic groups did not differ from each other on current eating symptoms or on frequencies of other mental disorders.Conclusions. Findings indicate that women with BN and co-morbid APD may be characterized by interpersonal submissiveness and avoidance, affective instability, self-harm, behavioural inhibition in response to threat and lower sensitivity to serotonergic activation. These findings may indicate common, serotonergic factors, associated with social submissiveness, behavioural inhibition to threat and BN.

Rubber specialization vs crop diversification: the roles of perceived risks

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Min ◽  
Jikun Huang ◽  
Hermann Waibel
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of farmers’ risk perceptions regarding rubber farming on their land use choices, including rubber specialization and crop diversification. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey data of some 600 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna in Southwest China is employed. This paper develops a general conceptual framework that incorporates a subjective risk item into a model of farmers’ land use choices, thereby developing four econometric models to estimate the role of risk perceptions, and applies instrumental variables to control for the endogeneity of risk perceptions. Findings The results demonstrate that risk perceptions play an important role in smallholders’ decision-making regarding land use strategies to address potential risks in rubber farming. Smallholders with higher risk perceptions specialize in rubber farming less often and are more likely to diversify their land use, thereby contributing to local environmental conservation in terms of agrobiodiversity. The land use choices of smallholder rubber farmers are also associated with ethnicity, household wealth, off-farm employment, land tenure status, altitude and rubber farming experience. Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of the implications of farmers’ risk perceptions and shows entry points for improving the sustainability of rubber-based land use systems.

Impact of random soil properties on stress–strain response

2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Stolle ◽  
Peijun Guo ◽  
Gabriel Sedran
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Constitutive Modelling ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Strain Response ◽  
Constitutive Behaviour ◽  
Stress Strain ◽  
Deterministic Analysis ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Random Variability ◽  
The Impact

This paper analyzes the impact of natural random variation of soil properties on the constitutive modelling of geomaterial behaviour. A theoretical framework for accommodating variation in soil properties is presented. The framework is then used to examine the consequence of parameter variability on stress–strain relations. An important observation is that average soil parameters from a series of tests on small specimens, in which density of the specimens varies randomly, do not necessarily reflect the average constitutive behaviour of soil. Model predictions are shown to be consistent with the experimental data.Key words: random variability, deterministic analysis, soil parameters, constitutive model.

Postcolonialism

Geography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay Naylor
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
Accumulation By Dispossession ◽  
Indigenous Groups ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The Impact ◽  
British Colonies ◽  
Independence Movements

In the colonial period imperialism advanced in uneven ways across time and space globally. European exploration in the late 15th century first brought destructive, exploitative, and deadly changes to what became known as the Americas. The subjugation and elimination of Indigenous groups, which commenced during this period, created the conditions for accumulation by dispossession, enslavement (of both Indigenous groups and people stolen from Africa), plantation-style production systems, and the extraction of resources—the legacies of which still mark political, social, economic, and environmental landscapes today. Following rebellion and successful de jure (legal) independence from Europe in the late 1700s and early 1800s (starting with the radical uprising of enslaved peoples in Haiti), Western powers turned to new regions to regain such systems of control and resource extraction. In 1848, the Berlin Conference was held— also called the “Scramble for Africa,” where European powers divided the continent and created new sites of extraction. Such patterns followed in South and Southeast Asia as well as North Africa and Central Asia in the latter parts of the 19th century. As a result of these violent campaigns, there are very few places on the globe that did not sustain, at some point, a form of colonial-imperial relation. Independence movements were ongoing and by the end of the 20th century, de jure colonial control had all but disappeared. Decolonization had occurred and the global periphery entered the period of being postcolonial. Former British colonies were assembled into the Commonwealth, which changed relations from direct control and subjugation to allegiance to the Queen and for some, drastic changes in economic relations, (this had the effect of marginalizing Indigenous struggles in many of these places). Notwithstanding the legal separation of the colonies from imperial powers, de facto (in effect) colonial arrangements lingered and remain today, giving rise to a series of critiques and new ways of thinking about imperialism and the impact of colonialism, such as the theory of postcolonialism.

Can hemp hurd or paper mulch and biochar application improve weed management in matted-row strawberry production systems?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Greta G. Gramig ◽  
Samantha K. Hogstad ◽  
Patrick M. Carr
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Yield Data ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hemp Hurd ◽  
Amended Soil

Abstract During 2015 and 2016, studies were conducted at Absaraka and Dickinson, North Dakota to evaluate the impacts of hemp (applied at 1156 m3 ha−1) and commercial paper mulch, as well as soil-applied biochar (applied at 11.25 m3 ha−1), on weed suppression and strawberry growth during the establishment year, and on weed suppression and strawberry yield during the production year, in a matted row production (MRP) system. During 2015, biochar influenced dry weed biomass only within the hemp mulch, with slightly more weed biomass associated with biochar application compared to zero biochar (3.1 vs 0.4 g m−2), suggesting that biochar may have increased weed germination and/or emergence from beneath hemp mulch. Biochar application also slightly increased soil pH, from 6.9 in non-amended soil to 7.0 in amended soil. Strawberry runner number during 2015 was greater in association with hemp or paper mulch compared to zero mulch (4.5 and 4.9 vs 2.4 runners plant −1, respectively). This result mirrored a similar differential in per berry mass across sites (7.6 and 7.4 vs 6.2 g berry −1 for hemp mulch, paper mulch and zero mulch, respectively). These results may be related to hemp and paper mulch reducing maximum soil temperatures during summer 2015. During the establishment year, both hemp and paper mulch suppressed weeds well compared to zero mulch, although at Absaraka hemp mulch provided slightly better weed suppression than paper mulch. During the production year, both mulches continued to suppress weeds compared to zero mulch at Dickinson. However, at Absaraka, only hemp mulch provided weed suppression compared to zero mulch, possibly because of faster paper degradation caused by greater numbers of large precipitation events and greater relative humidity at Absaraka compared to Dickinson. Weeds were removed from plots during 2015 to allow separation of weed suppression from other possible mulch impacts; therefore, yield data do not reveal striking differences among mulch treatments. Because previous research has demonstrated the impact of weed management during the establishment of strawberries in a matted row system, we concluded that hemp mulch may provide more durable weed suppression compared to paper mulch, which would increase strawberry yield protection in an MRP system. Material cost may be an issue for implementing hemp mulch, as hemp hurd cost was 25 times paper mulch at the application rates used in this study. However, hemp mulch could still be a beneficial option, especially for organic strawberry growers desiring a renewable and environmentally sound replacement for plastic mulch who are able to find affordable local sources of this material.

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