Contribution of water and radiation to growth and yield of pearl millet in Deccan plateau - A case study

In this study the agrometeorological data for the period from 1991 to 1997 have been used to study evapotranspiration demand and crop characteristics of pearl millet at Solapur. Crop coefficients, water use efficiency and radiation use efficiency have been worked out and discussed. This has been done for two varieties of the crop viz., ICTP-8203 and Shraddha. The study revealed that pearl millet crop consumed maximum amount of water during earhead emergence phase, followed by flowering phase. During earhead emergence and flowering phase together, ICTP-8203 variety used nearly 50% of total water used while shraddha consumed about 60%. The highest values of crop coefficient are seen during earhead emergence phase for both the varieties. Maximum photosynthetically active radiation is availed by the crop during its vegetative phase. Radiation use efficiency is more for ICTP-8203 variety than Shraddha variety.

An Overview of Urban Park Development in Zhengzhou, China

As essential elements of green spaces and social spaces in cities, urban parks significantly improve the quality of life and promote urban sustainability. Research on the development process of urban parks can be meaningful for coping with the current issues and future opportunities facing cities. This study takes Zhengzhou as the case aiming to outline the development process and characteristics of urban parks within the city. We adopted the empirical analysis to review the evolution processes and trends of Zhengzhou’s urban parks from the perspective of implementation approaches, spatial layout, and functions and uses. Results reveal four subsequent phases: the emergence phase (1949–1977), the growth phase (1978–1996), the acceleration phase (1997–2012), and the promotion phase (after 2012), according to the periods of urban development and the opportunities for green space development. The discussion includes development issues and strategies regarding land use approaches, user group needs, and public participation. The findings may help formulate adaptive and effective policies and planning tools for urban parks and provide a basis for further research on urban parks and Zhengzhou’s road to the ideal “Park City”.

Assay system for mesocotyl elongation and hydrotropism of maize primary root in response to low moisture gradient

We designed and validated a test system that simulates a growth environment for Zea mays L. maize seedlings under conditions of low moisture gradient in darkness. This system allowed us to simultaneously measure mesocotyl elongation and the primary root hydrotropic response in seedlings before the emergence phase in a collection of maize hybrids. We found great variation in these two traits with statistically significant reduction of their elongations under the low moisture gradient condition that indicate the richness of maize genetic diversity. Hence, the objective of designing a new test system that evaluates the association between these underground traits with the potential use to measure other traits in maize seedlings related to early vigor was achieved.

Actual evapotranspiration and response factors of the cowpea in Amazonian edaphoclimatic conditions

ABSTRACT Due to the sensitivity of the cowpea to water deficit during the dry season in the Amazonian environment, there is a need for studies related to water management and the optimization of annual yield. Thus, the objective was to estimate the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and the actual evapotranspiration (ETr), whilst also evaluating the effect of different irrigation depths on the yield response factor (Ky) and dry biomass (Kss) of the cowpea cultivar BR3-Tracuateua under edaphoclimatic conditions in the Amazon region. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks, with six replicates and four treatments: T1 (100% ETc), T2 (50% ETc), T3 (25% ETc), and T4 (0% ETc), commencing in the reproductive phase with a drip irrigation system. The total evapotranspiration recorded for the cowpea cultivar BR3-Tracuateua across the four treatments was 337.5, 284.35, 258.62, and 219.82 mm with an average consumption of 4.6, 3.90, 3.54, and 3.01 mm d-1 for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. The emergence phase showed evaporation rate of 5.19 mm d-1 and the reproductive, vegetative, and senescence ETc phases showed evaporation of 4.87, 4.84, and 3.32 mm d-1, respectively. The flowering stage had the greatest water demand (5.88 mm d-1). There was a significant difference in the crop yield among all treatments, with decreases of 18.91, 33.12 and 57.17% for T2, T3 and T4 in the grain yield, with a Ky of 1.48, and Kss of 2.03, 1.08, and 0.87 for the flowering, grain filling, and physiological maturation stages, respectively.

Niche Partitioning at Emergence of Two Syntopic Dragonflies

We investigated the ecological requirements in the emergence phase of two congeneric species of Aeshnidae, Aeshna grandis (Linnaeus 1758) and A. juncea (Linnaeus 1758), occurring in syntopy at the southernmost limit of their range. We sampled the exuviae of the two species at the peak of their emergence in three lakes in NW Italy. In each lake we defined 30 to 50 sampling plots along the lake borders where we checked for the presence of exuviae and collected data on the microhabitat composition. By modeling the response of the exuviae presence and abundance against the environmental parameters, we could highlight a partial differentiation in the ecological requirements of the two species at emergence. In particular, A. grandis is more influenced by the structure of the aquatic vegetation than A. juncea and the niche space occupied by A. grandis is wider, almost totally encompassing the one of A. juncea. We argue that A. grandis exploits microhabitats rich in aquatic plants to avoid competition with A. juncea. We suggest the preservation of well-structured aquatic vegetation as a key management practice to preserve the three studied populations of A. grandis, a species which has been recognized as Vulnerable for Italy according to the IUCN criteria.

From invention to industry from a social movement perspective: the emergence of the 3D printing industry

In the entrepreneurship literature, the phenomenon of industry emergence has been largely investigated from an institutional perspective. Appropriate institutions would allow then a group of individual entrepreneurs (“the heroes”) to create an industry through innovative ventures. New ventures create new industries and firm entry, survival, and exit drive industry evolution. Our research, however, explores what creates the favorable set of circumstances for new ventures to emerge and focuses on the pre-emergence phase and we propose that the patterns of emergence resemble those of social movements. Through an actor perspective, this research highlights the existence of diverse actors, not necessarily entrepreneurs, who are necessary to trigger a collective action during the pre-emergence phase of industries. This research is also distinct from entrepreneurial ecosystems as its development already requires some successful entrepreneurial action. The 3D printing industry was chosen as a single longitudinal case study, where the actors are the embedded units of analysis. The findings of the study lead to the identification of three aggregate dimensions—“Social Movement Composition,” Temporal Engagement,” and “Coalitions Development”—that were prevalent during the pre-emergence phase of the 3D printing industry. Our propositions emphasize the importance of large collective action and the role of multiple actors in order to create the conditions for, first, firm emergence and, the second, to the process of industry emergence.

From Invention to Industry from a social movement perspective: The emergence of the 3D Printing Industry

In the entrepreneurship literature, the phenomenon of industry emergence has been largely investigated from an institutional perspective. Appropriate institutions would allow then a group of individual entrepreneurs (‘the heroes’) to create an industry through innovative ventures. New ventures create new industries and firm entry, survival and exit drive industry evolution. Our research, however, explores what creates the favorable set of circumstances for new ventures to emerge and focuses on the pre-emergence phase and we propose that the patterns of emergence resemble those of social movements. Through an actor perspective, this research highlights the existence of diverse actors, not necessarily entrepreneurs, who are necessary to trigger a collective action during the pre-emergence phase of industries. This research is also distinct from entrepreneurial ecosystems as its development already requires some successful entrepreneurial action. The 3D Printing industry was chosen as a single longitudinal case study, where the actors are the embedded units of analysis. The findings of the study lead to the identification of three aggregate dimensions; “Social Movement Composition”, Temporal Engagement” and “Coalitions Development”, that were prevalent during the pre-emergence phase of the 3D printing industry. Our propositions emphasize the importance of large collective action and the role of multiple actors in order to create the conditions for, first, firm emergence and the second, to the process of industry emergence.

From Invention to Industry from a social movement perspective: The emergence of the 3D Printing Industry

In the entrepreneurship literature, the phenomenon of industry emergence has been largely investigated from an institutional perspective. Appropriate institutions would allow then a group of individual entrepreneurs (‘the heroes’) to create an industry through innovative ventures. New ventures create new industries and firm entry, survival and exit drive industry evolution. Our research, however, explores what creates the favorable set of circumstances for new ventures to emerge and focuses on the pre-emergence phase and we propose that the patterns of emergence resemble those of social movements. Through an actor perspective, this research highlights the existence of diverse actors, not necessarily entrepreneurs, who are necessary to trigger a collective action during the pre-emergence phase of industries. This research is also distinct from entrepreneurial ecosystems as its development already requires some successful entrepreneurial action. The 3D Printing industry was chosen as a single longitudinal case study, where the actors are the embedded units of analysis. The findings of the study lead to the identification of three aggregate dimensions; “Social Movement Composition”, Temporal Engagement” and “Coalitions Development”, that were prevalent during the pre-emergence phase of the 3D printing industry. Our propositions emphasize the importance of large collective action and the role of multiple actors in order to create the conditions for, first, firm emergence and the second, to the process of industry emergence.

Harvest Seasons and Physiological Quality of Buffel Grass cv. Aridus Seeds

The objective of this research is to study the maturation process of buffel grass cv. Aridus seeds in order to determine their best harvest season, aiming at maximum seed quality. During the inflorescence emergence phase, they were labeled upon showing from five to ten inflorescences emerged per m2. The first seed harvest was done 20 days after inflorescence emergence, and the other harvests were done at 5-day intervals, totaling six harvests. In each harvest season, the seeds were assessed as to water content, dry matter mass, germination, first germination count, seedlings emergence, emergence speed index, and electrical conductivity. The physiological maturity of buffel grass seeds (maximum germination, vigor and dry matter accumulation) occurs from 38 to 42 days after inflorescence emergence, moment when harvest must be done.