Genomic resources of broomcorn millet: demonstration and application of a high-throughput BAC mapping pipeline

Background With high-efficient water-use and drought tolerance, broomcorn millet has emerged as a candidate for food security. To promote its research process for molecular breeding and functional research, a comprehensive genome resource is of great importance. Results Herein, we constructed a BAC library for broomcorn millet, generated BAC end sequences based on the clone-array pooled shotgun sequencing strategy and Illumina sequencing technology, and integrated BAC clones into genome by a novel pipeline for BAC end profiling. The BAC library consisted of 76,023 clones with an average insert length of 123.48 Kb, covering about 9.9-fold of the 850 Mb genome. Of 9216 clones tested using our pipeline, 8262 clones were mapped on the broomcorn millet cultivar longmi4 genome. These mapped clones covered 308 of the 829 gaps left by the genome. To our knowledge, this is the only BAC resource for broomcorn millet. Conclusions We constructed a high-quality BAC libraray for broomcorn millet and designed a novel pipeline for BAC end profiling. BAC clones can be browsed and obtained from our website (http://eightstarsbio.com/gresource/JBrowse-1.16.5/index.html). The high-quality BAC clones mapped on genome in this study will provide a powerful genomic resource for genome gap filling, complex segment sequencing, FISH, functional research and genetic engineering of broomcorn millet.

Sustainable life practice for preschool pupils: Sustainable environmental education program (SEEP) model

Global pollution can only handle with education in early childhood. Especially, the pre-school period is an important time for environmental education. It is seen that current pre-school education programs generally include environmental education but it has missing parts. The aim of the study is to add the built environment elements to the environmental education programs that include only natural elements such as trees, animals, etc. The environment is basically divided into two parts as natural and built (man-made structures). There is no environmental education program in the literature that includes these two basic subjects. The built environment includes architectural elements such as buildings, bridges, and infrastructure systems. All people use these systems and should have knowledge about them. The complete Sustainable Environmental Education Model has been created which is including both natural and built environmental elements for preschool pupils in the study. The LEED criteria were taken as a reference while planning the model. The model was applied to 134 (5 years old) pupils who studying pre-school education for eight months. As a result of the model application, the level of awareness of pupils who have never study any environmental education before, according to the beginning of the program, is from 23.37% to 79.81% in sustainable areas, from 23.87% to 85.32% in "efficient water use", from 13.80% to 91.79% in efficient energy use and from 13.78% to 82.98% in the usage of waste materials It was determined that it increased. The designed model can be the solution for global pollution.

Understanding household water-use behaviour in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa

Climate change, population growth and industrial activities continue to threaten water security, especially in the semi-arid regions. Demand management policies are essential in minimising the effects of acute water shortages. Such policies require information on household water consumption patterns and their behavioural practices. This study examines household water consumption behaviour and the adoption of water-efficient appliances in Johannesburg, South Africa. The study uses probit regression models to analyse survey data collected from 889 households during the period November 2017 to February 2018. Results show that while most households do not have water-efficient appliances installed in their homes, they do practise water-efficient behaviour. Older respondents as well as males and lower-income respondents are found to be more likely to practise efficient water-use behaviour. However, biographical variables do not generally influence the adoption of water-efficient appliances. These results are essential for policy-makers when formulating targeted water demand management policies. Thus, policy-makers should focus more on younger people, women and higher-income households when developing campaigns on efficient water-use behaviour.

Genomic Resources of Broomcorn Millet: Demonstration and Application of a High-throughput BAC Mapping Pipeline

Background: With high-efficient water-use and drought tolerance, broomcorn millet has emerged as a candidate for food security. To promote its research process for molecular breeding and functional research, a comprehensive genome resource is of great importance. Results: Herein, we constructed a BAC library for broomcorn millet, generated BAC end sequences based on the clone-array pooled shotgun sequencing strategy and Illumina sequencing technology, and integrated BAC clones into genome by a novel pipeline for BAC end profiling. The BAC library is consisted of 76,023 clones with an average insert length of 123.48 Kb, covering about 9.9-fold of the 850 Mb genome. Of 9,216 clones tested using our pipeline, 8,262 clones were mapped on the broomcorn millet cultivar longmi4 genome. These mapped clones covered 308 of the 829 gaps left by the genome. To our knowledge, this is the only BAC resource for broomcorn millet.Conclusions: We constructed a high-quality BAC libraray for broomcorn millet and designed a novel pipeline for BAC end profiling. BAC clones can be browsed and obtained from our website (http://eightstarsbio.com/gresource/JBrowse-1.16.5/index.html). The high-quality BAC clones mapped on genome in this study will provide a powerful genomic resource for genome gap filling, complex segment sequencing, FISH, functional research, and genetic engineering of broomcorn millet.

A Well-Balanced Ecosystem Uses Water Most Efficiently

Excess of a single nutrient, such as nitrogen, may boost plant productivity, but the imbalance leads to less efficient water use as plants scramble for the nutrients they lack.

What is recycled water, anyway? Investigating greenhouse grower definitions, perceptions, and willingness to use recycled water

As climate change and agriculture burden water resources globally, there is a need for more efficient water use including irrigation with recycled water in greenhouses. While research has proven that properly treated recycled water can be safe for use, many growers still express concern. Underlying most studies on growers' perceptions is the assumption that they understand recycled water the same way scholars and policy makers do—as municipally treated wastewater. We question this assumption and explore whether the ways in which growers conceptualize recycled water is associated with the ways they perceive its usability. Our findings reveal that growers define recycled water in four different ways—captured water, treated water, recirculation and in a general sense as ‘reuse’. These definitions do appear to suggest trends in the way recycled water is perceived by growers. While these definitions do not significantly affect growers' willingness to use, other factors such as prior experience using recycled water appear to be significant.

Climate change impacts on irrigation water resource in Switzerland

<p>According to climate projections, rainfall rates and summer discharge from snow and glacier melt in Switzerland are expected to decrease by the end of the 21<sup>st</sup> century. This may lead to limited water availability for irrigation in agriculture in the future and high irrigation water demand especially during the summer months, which consequently enhances the problem of water scarcity for agriculture.</p><p>These predicted changes make the identification of timescales, frequencies, and geographical pattern of water scarcity a fundamental concern for future agricultural practices. Therefore, the main aim of this work is to investigate climate change impacts on water resources and the consequences on irrigation water supply in Switzerland. By creating maps of the geographic distribution of natural water resources available according to climate projections until the end of the 21<sup>st</sup> century using ArcGIS, the severity of water scarcity is quantified, while regional differences and the most affected areas can be revealed.</p><p>The expected outcomes are increasing days of water scarcity per year over the course of the 21<sup>st</sup> century, while those regions furthest away from melt water sources and lakes will be most affected. This in turn might lead to restricted irrigation potential, making more efficient water use indispensable in Switzerland, while creating general shifts to more water-resistant crops in Swiss agricultural practices.</p>

Rancang Bangun Smart Meter System untuk Penggunaan Air pada Rumah Tangga Berbasis Internet of Things

Water is one of the mineral resources which is a source of basic human needs and has many uses including drinking, bathing, washing and so on. In urban areas, clean water services are generally provided by the government through the PDAM (Regional Water Company). In the use of water, sometimes the user is not able to control the use of water which causes an enlarged water bill as in one of the houses in Pancor, East Lombok Regency. In this area, monitoring is still carried out conventionally by checking the water meter used. Monitoring systems are now widely used as an alternative way to monitor one of them in monitoring water use. In this study, a system (Smart Meter System) that can be used to control and monitor water usage in the household for more efficient water use is designed. By using WeMos as a microcontroller, Water Flow Sensor and MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol as data communication, remote control and monitoring of water use in households can be done in real-time.

Growth of Cucumber Scions, Rootstocks, and Grafted Seedlings as Affected by Different Irrigation Regimes during Cultivation of ‘Joenbaekdadagi’ and ‘Heukjong’ Seedlings in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting

Irrigation scheduling and programming are very effective tools for efficient water use in a plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL). In order to confirm optimal irrigation schemes for the production of cucumber scions and rootstocks in a PFAL, in this study, four different start points of irrigation were applied by measuring the weight of the plug tray to compare the growth of cucumber scions and rootstocks cultivated in a PFAL. Additionally, the growth characteristics of cucumber seedlings grafted with scions and rootstocks cultivated between in a greenhouse and in a PFAL were investigated. Although the growth of cucumber scions and rootstocks was highest when irrigation was conducted at 70% of water content in a medium, the growth of grafted cucumber seedlings before and after transplanting was not significantly different among the irrigation treatments in a PFAL. However, water use efficiency (WUE) during cucumber scions and rootstock production in a PFAL was higher at 60% than at 70%. Considering seedling growth and the efficiency of irrigation such as WUE and irrigation schedule, the optimal start point of irrigation during the production of cucumber scions and rootstocks in a PFAL was determined as 60% of water content in a medium. When the optimal irrigation regime was applied to the production of cucumber scions and rootstocks in a PFAL, the morphological characteristics of cucumber scions and rootstocks cultivated in a PFAL were more suitable for grafting compared with that of the cucumber scions and rootstocks cultivated conventionally in a greenhouse. The favorable environmental conditions during the cultivation of cucumber scions and rootstocks in a PFAL also positively affected the flowering response of cucumber grafted seedlings after transplanting.