Determination of Alternative Design of Hornbill Estuary Embankment in Semarang City with Process Hierarchy Analysis Method

Rob’s condition in Semarang is exacerbated by the decrease in the soil level which has a part in the expansion of rob puddles. Therefore, this research is needed to determine the alternative design of the Tenggang River estuary embankment. Researchers collect data with interviews and surveys, then made analysis with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method which is one of the decision making models in the selection of Embankment Design, the levee design consists of three selected design alternatives. This research focused on decision making based on perceptions of Professionals, Experts, Academics and community leaders.. Where the design of the Embankment consists of 3 alternative designs with priority factors based on analysis and equations of the criteria in the selection of the design, namely, topographic factors (0.133), geology (0.312), hydrology (0.125), Society (0.186), cost (0.113) and benefit (0.131).

Establishment of foundation nurseries of new grape varieties using method of green grafting in the growing conditions of the Tersko-Kuma sands

Целью работы являлось создание первичных маточников интенсивного типа новых сортов винограда ускоренным методом. В работе представлены результаты закладки первичных маточников методом перепрививки корнесобственных насаждений сорта Цветочный в качестве подвоя на новые селекционные сорта столового назначения Илья, Памяти Смирнова, Барт, ИРС на песчаных землях ОАО «Винхоз «Бурунный», Чеченская республика. Зеленые прививки осуществлялись методом окулировки на зеленый побег с пробуждением глазка на высоте 20-25 см и 40-45 см над уровнем почвы, без пробуждения глазка - на высоте 20-25 см. По результатам данных за 2018 и 2019 гг. сделан вывод о перспективности создания маточников методом зеленой прививки окулировкой. Лучшие данные по приживаемости прививок и их развитию получены в варианте выполнения прививки методом окулировки на высоте 20-25 см с пробуждением глазка, приживаемость прививок в среднем по сортам составила от 74 до 94 %; в варианте с производством окулировки на высоте 40-45 см - 71-88,5%. Метод перепрививки кустов на высоте 20-25 см от поверхности почвы позволил на следующий после прививки год заготовить от 0,86 до 4,2 стандартных черенков нового сорта с одного куста. The aim of the work was to establish intensive type foundation nurseries of new grape varieties by an accelerated method. The paper presents the results of establishing foundation nurseries using sugreffage method of own-rooted plants of the ‘Tsvetochniy’ variety as a rootstock for new breeding table varieties ‘Ilya’, ‘Pamyati Smirnova’, ‘Bart’, ‘IRS’ on sandy lands of OJSC Vinkhoz Burunny of the Chechen Republic. Green grafting was carried out using method of oculation on green shoots with bud awakening at a height of 20-25 cm and 40-45 cm above the soil level, without bud awakening at a height of 20-25 cm. Based on the data results for 2018 and 2019, the prospects of establishing nurseries using method of green grafting were concluded. The best data on grafting survival ability and development was obtained in the variant of oculation with bud awakening at a height of 20-25 cm and ranged from 74% to 94%; in the variant with oculation at a height of 40-45 cm - 71% - 88.5%. The sugreffage method of bushes at a height of 20-25 cm above the soil level allowed harvesting the next year after grafting from 0.86 to 4.2 standard cuttings of new variety per one bush.

A Vertical stratification of arthropods in the dry ecosystems of Colombian Guyana: morphological patterns and their ecological implications

Introduction: Despite growing interest by the ecosystems derived from the Guyanese formations, the vertical structure of the communities and relationships of the biota with the climatic conditions in these ecosystems are unknown. Objective: Characterize the structure and vertical composition of the arthropod fauna associated with three of the most representative ecosystems of the Northern area of the serranía de La Lindosa in Colombia based on morphological and ecological parameters. Methods: The arthropod fauna was sampled, from the subsurface soil level to the shrub and tree stratum. The fauna was determined up to the level of family or supraspecific group and the values of Alfa and Beta diversity were determined. Body length measurements were made, and the coloration and trophic level of each group were determined. Results: The composition and diversity of the arthropod fauna was different in each ecosystem and vertical stratum and most of the groups in all the ecosystems studied present low abundances. Groups of phytophagous and predatory habits were frequent in all ecosystems and the highest biomass of arthropod fauna comes from groups of polyphagous habits, of medium size and great abundance. Light and dark colorations are the most frequent in landscape-scale. Conclusion: The ecosystems studied are characterized by the low values of diversity and replacement and the large number of non-shared groups that apparently respond to the microclimatic characteristics; however, there are some generalities on a landscape scale such as the greater richness and abundance of groups in the intermediate strata, the greater proportion of groups with phytophagous habits and medium body sizes, and the predominance of dark colorations in the lower strata.

Prevalence and Distribution of Weed Flora in Some Major Sugarcane Growing Areas of Southern Guinea Savanna, Nigeria

Weed population survey was undertaken to determine prevalence and distribution of weeds, and asses weed flora shift in major sugarcane growing areas in Southern guinea savanna of Nigeria. The selected areas surveyed are namely Badeggi, Sulti, and Isenyi. The Sugarcane fields were assessed using 1.0 m x 1.0 m quadrat placed randomly at vegetative stage. Weed seedlings in each quadrat were clipped at the soil level and identified according to standards. Result revealed that a total of 38 weed species were recorded. Graminaea and compositae were most abundant and diversified families based on the number of species recorded. Individual weed species shows variation in their abundance, dominance and frequency. The most frequent weed species in the Sugarcane fields irrespective of the soil, climate and crop varieties were Hyptis suaveolens, Paspalum scrobiculata, Kyllinga squamulata, Dactylactenum aegypium and Cynadon dactylon and were considered as the most important species in the surveyed areas. From Similarity indices, variations were observed between locations. Accordingly, areas having similarity indices more than 60 % indicate similarities in weed community. Thus, when devising a weed control strategies same control option should be considered for the location that have similar weed flora and vise-versa.

Soil microbiota and microarthropod communities in oil contaminated sites in the European Subarctic

The present comprehensive study aimed to estimate the aftermath of oil contamination and the efficacy of removing the upper level of polluted soil under the conditions of the extreme northern taiga of northeastern European Russia. Soil samples from three sites were studied. Two sites were contaminated with the contents of a nearby sludge collector five years prior to sampling. The highly contaminated upper soil level was removed from one of them. The other was left for self-restoration. A chemical analysis of the soils was conducted, and changes in the composition of the soil zoocoenosis and bacterial and fungal microbiota were investigated. At both contaminated sites, a decrease in the abundance and taxonomic diversity of indicator groups of soil fauna, oribatid mites and collembolans compared to the background site were found. The pioneer eurytopic species Oppiella nova, Proisotoma minima and Xenyllodes armatus formed the basis of the microarthropod populations in the contaminated soil. A complete change in the composition of dominant taxonomic units was observed in the microbiota, both the bacterial and fungal communities. There was an increase in the proportion of representatives of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in polluted soils compared to the background community. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria—Alcanivorax, Rhodanobacter ginsengisoli, Acidobacterium capsulatum, and Acidocella—and fungi—Amorphotheca resinae abundances greatly increased in oil-contaminated soil. Moreover, among both bacteria and fungi, a sharp increase in the abundance of uncultivated organisms that deserve additional attention as potential oil degraders or organisms with a high resistance to oil contamination were observed. The removal of the upper soil level was partly effective in terms of decreasing the oil product concentration (from approximately 21 to 2.6 g/kg of soil) and preventing a decrease in taxonomic richness but did not prevent alterations in the composition of the microbiota or zoocoenosis.

Bioavailable Nickel and Zinc in Polluted Soil Alter the Growth of Non-pioneer Trees in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Background and aimsThe Brazilian Atlantic forest has been affected by the deposition of Ni and Zn, among other heavy metals adsorbed from atmospheric particles, which can be incorporated into the soil. If available in the soil, they can be absorbed by plant roots. The study aimed at testing experimentally the hypotheses: 1) Ni and Zn depositions increase their bioavailable fractions in the soil; 2) pioneer tree species demonstrate a greater potential to absorb Ni and Zn from the soil and less growth changes than non-pioneer species.MethodsThe experiment was carried out with six pioneer and non-pioneer species native to the Atlantic Forest, grown for 90 days in soil from an urban fragment of the Atlantic Forest, according to the treatments: soil with balanced fertilization (control) and soil enriched with Ni, Zn and Ni+Zn. At the end, the concentrations of Ni and Zn were determined in four soil fractions (F1: soluble; F2: linked oxides/hydroxides; F3: organic matter: F4: residual metals) and in leaves, stems/branches and roots. Mobility factors in soil, concentration ratios between treatments and respective controls, translocation index and relative growth rate in height, leaf number and total biomass were also calculated.ResultsThe results showed that Ni and Zn concentrations increased significantly in the bioavailable soil fractions (F1, F2). The absolute content of Ni and Zn in the plants directly reflected the soil level in the available forms.ConclusionsThe metal accumulation in the species occurred regardless of the successional group to which they belonged. Non-pioneer species showed greater susceptibility to the metals.

MODEL TESTING OF THE "PILE-SOIL" INTERACTION UNDER AXIAL FORCE

Modern marine structures (berths, breakwaters, offshore platforms, etc.) often include steel tubular piles of essential length (80-100 m and more) that should provide high bearing capacity in case of external axial loads application. Interaction between elements of the system “piled structure – soil media” is not studied sufficiently yet. It relates also to the bearing capacity of the long steel tubular piles of large diameter. One of the interesting peculiarities of long tubular piles behavior is the formation of soil plug at the piles tip. There are a lot of suggestion and methods aimed to increase piles bearing capacity under static pressing load. One of them relates to use of the additional structural element, i.e., the internal diaphragm welded to the internal surface of the pile shaft. Such approach has been applied in some practical cases of marine construction and demonstrated its effectiveness. At the moment there are no researches focused on study of the peculiarities of internal diaphragm application. So proposed research aimed to study two connected processes during steel tubular pile driving: soil plug formation at the tip of the open-end pile and soil behavior under the internal diaphragm fixed inside the tubular pile shaft. To study mentioned processes we provided several series of laboratory experiments fulfilled at the Geotechnical laboratory of the Department “Sea, River Ports and Waterways” in Odessa National Maritime University. In these experiments the model of steel tubular pile has been driven (pressed) into fine sand by mechanical jack. The first series was devoted to determination of the conditions related to the soil plug formation at the pile tip. The next series were aimed to study the influence of the flat rigid diaphragm inside the pile shaft. Obtained experimental results allow to conclude that (a) in the fine sand the plug is formatted at the comparatively early stage of pile installation (in case of our modeling – at the penetration depth of some 4-5 pile diameter); (b) our empirical assessment of the conditions of soil plug formation corresponds to the approaches based on PLR and IFR characteristics; (c) formation of soil plug at the pile tip is followed by decreasing of soil level in the pile shaft relatively its initial value (on completing the plug formation the soil level in the shaft become stable); (d) regarding above mentioned, we may note that in case of use of internal diaphragm on the recommended depth (5-7 pile diameters) there may be no contact between diaphragm and the soil inside the pile (e) application of the diaphragm may lead to increasing of the pile’s bearing capacity. It was proposed (and checked by our tests) the technological improvement based on sand filling into space under the internal diaphragm to provide constant diaphragm-soil contact and related soil resistance.

Floodwater Depth Causes Different Physiological Responses During Post-flooding in Willows

Willows are widely planted in areas under risk of flooding. The physiological responses of willows to flooding have been characterized, but little is known about their responses during the post-flooding period. After the end of the stress episode, plants may modify some traits to compensate for the biomass loss during flooding. The aim of this work was to analyze the post-flooding physiological responses of willow under two different depths of stagnant floodwater. Cuttings of Salix matsudana NZ692 clone were planted in pots in a greenhouse. The experiment started when the plants were 2 months old with the following treatments: Control plants (watered to field capacity); plants partially flooded 10 cm above soil level (F10) and plants partially flooded 40 cm above soil level (F40). The flooding episode lasted 35 days and was followed by a recovery period of 28 days (post-flooding period). After the flooding period, height, diameter and total biomass were higher in F10, while F40 plants showed an increase in plant adventitious root production and leaf nitrogen content. During the post-flooding period, the photosynthetic rate, nitrogen, chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents were significantly higher in leaves of F40 than in Control and F10 treatments. Stomatal conductance and specific leaf area were higher in the previously flooded plants compared to Control treatment. Plants from F10 treatments showed a higher growth in height, root-to-shoot ratio, and carbon isotope discrimination than F40, while the opposite occurred for growth in diameter, vessel size and leaf area. We conclude that depth of floodwater not only causes different responses during flooding, but that its effects are also present in the post-flooding recovery period, affecting the growth and physiology of willows once the stress episode has ended. Even when flooding impacted growth negatively in F40, in the post-flooding period these plants compensated by increasing the photosynthetic rate, plant leaf area and xylem vessel size. Willows endurance to flooding is the result of both responses during flooding, and plastic responses during post-flooding.

Study on the Farmland Improvement Effect of Drainage Measures under Film Mulch with Drip Irrigation in Saline–Alkali Land in Arid Areas

Water scarcity and imbalances in irrigation and drainage are the main factors leading to soil salinization in arid areas. There is a recognized need for effective drainage measures to prevent and improve saline−alkali land. The principal objective of this project was to investigate the effects of drainage measures on soil desalination and farmland drainage in the process of improving saline–alkali soils; these measures included subsurface pipe drainage (SPD) and open ditch drainage (ODD). The results of the tests, conducted over two years, revealed that the soil desalination rate in the SPD test area was between 25.8% and 35.2%, the cotton emergence rate was 36.7%, and a 3.8 t hm−2 seed cotton yield could be obtained. The soil electrolytic conductivity (EC) decreased step by step over time, and the average annual decrease reached 10 dS m−1. The degree of soil salinization was reduced from a moderately saline soil level (8−15 dS m−1) to a weakly saline soil level (4–8 dS m−1). Thus, the phased goal of improving saline–alkali land was achieved. The soil desalination rate in the ODD test area was only 1/10 of the SPD area; high soil EC (9−12 dS m−1) and groundwater level (2–3 m) were the most limiting factors affecting cotton growth in the ODD test area. The current results show that the critical depth of groundwater level affecting farmland secondary salinization is 4 m. In order to improve the salt discharge standard, SPD technology should be used on the basis of ODD. For salt that has accumulated in the soil for a long time, the technical mode of drip irrigation and leaching, followed by SPD drainage, in combination with the current irrigation system can achieve the goal of sustainable agriculture development.

Mycorrhizal Inoculation Improves Mineral Content of Organic Potatoes Grown under Calcareous Soil

Soil mycorrhization can play an important role for the qualitative improvement of organically grown “early” potato tubers especially in low fertility soils (such as calcareous ones), by ameliorating plant uptake of limiting mineral nutrients in the soil. Hence, the objective of the present research was to elucidate the impact of soil mycorrhization on the tuber minerals content of three potato cultivars organically grown in two locations with different soil characteristics. Our data revealed the keyrole of soil mycorrhization on the tuber accumulation of Na, Cu, Mn, and P and on reducing the Na/K ratio, although the effects of soil mycorrhization were cultivar- and location-dependent. Accordingly, soil mycorrhization was able to enhance the levels of K and Ca in ‘Arizona’ and that of Mn in ‘Universa’, while it increased the Zn amount in all the cultivars under study. Additionally, soil mycorrhization significantly improved the levels of Cu and Mn in tubers in the location characterized by an initial higher soil level of these micro-minerals. This work highlighted the possibility to fortify organic early potato tubers, in terms of macro- and micro-mineral elements, by applying an eco-sustainable tool such as soil mycorrhization, provided that specific consideration is given to cultivar choice and soil characteristics.