scholarly journals Effects of Irrigation Regime on Soil Properties and Yield of Onion at Bontanga Irrigation Scheme of Northern Ghana

Author(s):  
Y. K. Agbemabiese ◽  
A-G Shaibu ◽  
V. D. Gbedzi

The study evaluated the effect of irrigation regime on soil properties and onion yield at the Bontanga irrigation scheme. Randomised Complete Block Design was used on Red Creole onion variety using four treatments: 117%, 100%, 80% and 60% of the crop water requirement of onion with five replicates. The results indicated that mean bulb weight ranged from 3.167 to 4.213 t/ha with no significant difference observed among the various treatments (P > 0.05). However, the irrigation regime of 117% recorded the highest yield, with the yield decreasing with decrease in water application rate. There were significant differences between the soil moisture content at different weeks after transplanting for the various treatments. There was no significant difference among treatments for soil pH and nitrogen, but there was a decline in soil pH and nitrogen with decrease in water application. There was a significant increase in soil Potassium and Phosphorus contents between initial and after irrigation regimes of 60 and 117%. There was no significant difference among treatments for organic carbon content. After application of the various irrigation treatments, there was a significant increase in soil magnesium and calcium contents with respect to the initial contents of the soil, but with no significant difference among treatments. There was also a significant difference between each treatment and the initial cation exchange capacity. Farmers should adopt the minimum 60% irrigation regime in order to save water, while increasing yield. The study results suggested vegetable farmers could apply only nitrogen fertilizers or organic manure since phosphorus and potassium are available through irrigation.

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashim Kumar Saha ◽  
Apu Biswas ◽  
Abdul Qayyum Khan ◽  
Md. Mohashin Farazi ◽  
Md. Habibur Rahman

Long-term tea cultivation has led to degradation of the soil. Old tea soils require rehabilitation for restoring soil health. Soil rehabilitation by growing different green crops can break the chain of monoculture of tea. An experiment was conducted at The Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) Farm during 2008-2011 to find out the efficiency of different green crops on the improvement of soil properties. Four green crops such as Guatemala, Citronella, Mimosa and Calopogonium were grown to develop the nutritional value of the degraded tea soil. Soil samples were collected and analyzed before and at the end of experiment. Soil pH was increased in all four green crops treated plots with the highest increase in Citronella treated plots (from 4.1 to 4.5). Highest content of organic carbon (1.19%) and total nitrogen (0.119%) were found in Mimosa and Calopogonium treated plots, respectively. Concentration of available phosphorus, calcium and magnesium in all green crops treated plots were above the critical values, while available potassium content was above the critical value in Guatemala, Citronella and Mimosa treated plots. Changes in soil pH and available potassium were significant, while changes in organic carbon content, total nitrogen and available calcium were insignificant. Changes in available phosphorus and magnesium were significant. The Agriculturists 2014; 12(2) 34-38


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domina Delač ◽  
Paulo Pereira ◽  
Ivica Kisić

<p><strong>The effects of mulch (<em>Olea europea</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em>) on burned soils: A preliminary study in Adriatic coast (Croatia)</strong></p><p>Delac, Domina<sup>1*</sup>; Pereira, Paulo<sup>2*</sup>; Kisic, Ivica<sup>1</sup></p><p><sup>1</sup>University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy, Svetosimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. (*[email protected])</p><p><sup>2</sup>Mykolas Romeris University, Environmental Management Laboratory, Ateitis street 20, LT-08303, Vilnius, Lithuania (*[email protected])</p><p> </p><p>In the recent decades the frequency and intensity of summer drought periods is increasing in Adriatic coast. These changes in climate increase the vulnerability to wildfires. Wildfires can change soil physical and chemical properties. However, these effects can be mitigated by mulching. The aim of this work is to study the effects of mulch (<em>Olea europea</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em>) on fire affected soils. The wildfire occurred on 28 July 2019 and affected an area of about 900 ha in Dalmatia, near Adriatic Coast (43°45'06.0"N 15°56'02.9"E with an elevation of 105 m a.s.l.).  The mean annual temperature is 15.8 °C, and the annual precipitation is 800 mm. It was affected agricultural land with dominant culture <em>Olea europea</em> and abandoned grassing where dominates <em>Pinus halepensis</em>. Soils are classified as <em>calcocambisols</em>. Twenty-five days after the fire, two plots (5 treatments per plot) were established and covered with <em>Olea europea</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em> mulch. A control plot was established as well. Soil were sampled (0 – 5 cm), twenty- days after fire (August, 2019), before mulch application, and then 3 months after fire (November, 2019). A total of 15 samples were collected per treatment (45 each sampling date). The soil properties analysed were soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), mean weight diameter (MWD) to express aggregate stability, and soil water repellency (SWR) measured with water drop penetration time method (WDPT) in different fractions (2 – 1 mm; 1 – 0.5 mm, 0.5 – 0.25 mm, and <0.25 mm). Soil pH was not significantly different among sampling dates and treatments. SOM was significantly different among sampling dates for <em>Olea europeae</em> treatment and control. <em>Olea europeae</em> treatment had a significantly higher SOM then <em>Pinus halepensis</em> and control treatment. MWD was significantly higher within <em>Olea europeae</em> treatment. Within <em>Pinus halepensis</em> and control treatment no significant difference was observed. The soil was classified as slightly water repellent (5 – 60 seconds) in <em>Olea europeae</em> soil finer fraction (0.5 – 0.25 mm and <0.25) in both sampling dates. In <em>Pinus halepensis</em> treatments and control, soil was wettable (<5 seconds), and no significant difference was observed among sampling date. Future sampling and analysis will be conducted during one year to estimate the effect of <em>Olea europeae</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em> mulch on soil properties.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Wildfire, <em>Olea europeae</em><strong>, </strong><em>Pinus halepensis</em>, mulch.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Acknowledgments</strong></p><p>This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Influence of Summer Fire on Soil and Water Quality” (IP-01-2018-1645).</p>


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 92-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad ZARE-MEHRJARDI ◽  
Ruhollah TAGHIZADEH-MEHRJARDI ◽  
Ali AKBARZADEH

The study presented in this paper attempts to evaluate some interpolation techniques for mapping spatial distribution of soil pH, salinity and plant cover in Hormozgan province, Iran. The relationships among environmental factors and distribution of vegetation types were also investigated. Plot sampling was applied in the study area. Landform parameters of each plot were recorded and canopy cover percentages of each species were measured while stoniness and browsing damage were estimated. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in vegetation cover for high and low slope steepness. Also, vegetation cover was greater than other cases in the mountains with calcareous lithology. In general, there were no significant relationships among vegetation cover and soil properties such as pH, EC, and texture. Other soil properties, such as soil depth and gravel percentage were significantly affected by vegetation cover. Moreover, the geostatistical results showed that kriging and cokriging methods were better than inverse distance weighting (IDW) method for prediction of the spatial distribution of soil properties. Also, the results indicated that all the concerned soil and plant parameters were better determined by means of a cokriging method. Land elevation, which was highly correlated with studied parameters, was used as an auxiliary parameter.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse O. Owino ◽  
Jackline J. Kemboi ◽  
Patrick M. Mwanje ◽  
Kennedy C. Ibuya ◽  
Grace A. Enyang’ ◽  
...  

Abstract ABSTRACT Background Dry regions are facing environmental challenges which have resulted in biodiversity and soil fertility loss. It is highly recognized that trees contribute a range of ecosystem services in urban environments. Rehabilitation using indigenous tree species in Kenya faces challenges as the country lacks guidelines on species site matching. The main objective of this study was to assess the ecological performance of rehabilitation efforts in two arid and semi-arid (ASAL) sites with varying number of tree species but not abundance in each of the sites. The study further determines the efficacy of rehabilitation by varying the number of species in degraded ASAL areas. This study employed ecological study technique using height, diameter at breast height (DBH), Soil pH and compared the performance of the tree species in the field against performance of similar species at their early growth stages in the nursery. Results The study results showed significantly higher soil pH in the nursery (p<0.05) than in both the degraded ASAL field sites. Similarly, the mean tree heights were significantly higher (p<0.05) in site with higher species diversity than site with lower species diversity. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the species DBH in the two sites. Conclusions Other than soil amendments for fertility improvement to increase rtrees perfomance, there is need to rehabilitate degraded areas with higher tree species diversity to achieve a resilient heterogeneous ecosystem. This study has shown how adding economic valuation of tree species would lead to awarenenss and importance on key native species.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097275312110000
Author(s):  
Madhava Sai Sivapuram ◽  
Vinod Srivastava ◽  
Navneet Kaur ◽  
Akshay Anand ◽  
Raghuram Nagarathna ◽  
...  

Background: Type 2 diabetes needs a better understanding of etiological factors and management strategies based on lifestyle and constitutional factors, given its high association rate with many cardiovascular, neurological disorders, and COVID-19 infection. Purpose: The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Diabetes-specific integrated Yoga lifestyle Protocol (DYP) on glycemic control and lipid profiles of diabetic adults. Along with the DYP intervention, the individuals residing in Chandigarh and Panchkula union territories in the northern part of India were assessed for Ayurveda-based body–mind constitutional type. Ayurveda describes body–mind constitution as “ prakriti,” which has been discussed from two angles, namely physiological and psychological as body and mind are correlated. Methods: Cluster sampling of waitlist control study subjects was used as the sampling method for the study. A total of 1,215 registered subjects (81 diabetic) responded in randomly selected clusters in Chandigarh and Panchkula. Ayurveda physicians did Ayurveda body–mind constitutional assessment called prakriti assessment (physiological body–mind constitution assessment) in 35 participants (23 diabetic, 12 prediabetic) as a part of the study. Results: A group of 50 subjects was randomly selected for yoga intervention out of 81 diabetes mellitus adults, and 31 subjects were enrolled as waitlist controls. A significant decrease in the glycosylated hemoglobin levels from 8.49 ± 1.94% to 7.97 ± 2.20% in the intervention group was noticed. The lipid profiles of the DYP intervention and control groups were monitored. Three-month follow-up results of lipid profile diagnostic tests in intervention and control groups showed a significant difference between the two groups ( P < 0.05). Most diabetic and prediabetic individuals were found to have pitta dosha ( pitta controls all heat, metabolism, and transformation in the mind and body) as dominant constitution type. Conclusion: The study results demonstrated significant positive effects of yoga in diabetic individuals. This study has indicated the evidence for the safety and efficacy of the validated DYP for community-level interventions to prevent maladies like brain damage and stroke.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Gaurav Mishra ◽  
Rosa Francaviglia

Northeast (NE) India is a typical tropical ecosystem with a luxuriant forest vegetation cover, but nowadays forests are under stress due to exploitation and land use changes, which are known to affect soil health and productivity. However, due to a scarcity of data, the influence of land uses and altitude on soil properties of this peculiar ecosystem is poorly quantified. This study presents the changes in soil properties in two districts of Nagaland (Mon and Zunheboto) in relation to land uses (forest, plantation, jhum and fallow jhum), altitude (<500 m, 500–1000 m, >1000 m) and soil texture (coarse, medium, fine). For this, a random soil sampling was performed in both the districts. Results indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and available potassium (K) were significantly influenced by land uses in the Mon district, while in Zunheboto a significant difference was observed in available phosphorus (P) content. SOC stocks showed an increasing trend with elevation in both districts. The influence of altitude on P was significant and the maximum concentration was at lower elevations (<500 m). In Mon, soil texture significantly affected SOC stocks and the available N and P content. The variability in soil properties due to land uses, altitudinal gradients and textural classes can be better managed with the help of management options, which are still needed for this ecosystem.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088506662199275
Author(s):  
Rupesh Raina ◽  
Nirav Agrawal ◽  
Kirsten Kusumi ◽  
Avisha Pandey ◽  
Abhishek Tibrewal ◽  
...  

Objective: Continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) is the primary therapeutic modality utilized in hemodynamically unstable patients with severe acute kidney injury. As the circuit is extracorporeal, it poses an increased risk of blood clotting and circuit loss; frequent circuit losses affect the provider’s ability to provide optimal treatment. The objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the extracorporeal anticoagulants in the pediatric CKRT population. Data Sources: We conducted a literature search on PubMed/Medline and Embase for relevant citations. Study Selection: Studies were included if they involved patients under the age of 18 years undergoing CKRT, with the use of anticoagulation (heparin, citrate, or prostacyclin) as a part of therapy. Only English articles were included in the study. Data Extraction: Initial search yielded 58 articles and a total of 24 articles were included and reviewed. A meta-analysis was performed focusing on the safety and effectiveness of regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) vs unfractionated heparin (UFH) anticoagulants in children. Data Synthesis: RCA had statistically significantly longer circuit life of 50.65 hours vs. UFH of 42.10 hours. Two major adverse effects metabolic alkalosis and electrolyte imbalance seen more commonly in RCA compared to UFH. There was not a significant difference in the risk of systemic bleeding when comparing RCA vs. UFH. Conclusion: RCA is the preferred anticoagulant over UFH due to its significantly longer circuit life, although vigilant circuit monitoring is required due to the increased risk of electrolyte disturbances. Prostacyclin was not included in the meta-analysis due to the lack of data in pediatric patients. Additional studies are needed to strengthen the study results further.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Ertan Saridogan ◽  
Mona Salman ◽  
Lerzan Sinem Direk ◽  
Ali Alchami

Uterine septum can negatively affect reproductive outcomes in women. Based on evidence from retrospective observational studies, hysteroscopic incision has been considered a solution to improve reproductive performance, however there has been recent controversy on the need for surgery for uterine septum. High quality evidence from prospective studies is still lacking, and until it is available, experts are encouraged to publish their data. We are therefore presenting our data that involves analysis of the patient characteristics, surgical approach and long-term reproductive outcomes of women who received treatment for uterine septum under the care of a single surgeon. This includes all women (99) who underwent hysteroscopic surgery for uterine septum between January 2001 and December 2019. Of those 99 women treated for intrauterine septum who were trying to conceive, 91.4% (64/70) achieved pregnancy, 78.6% (55/70) had live births and 8.6% (6/70) had miscarriages. No statistically significant difference was found in the live birth rates when data was analyzed in subgroups based on age, reason for referral/aetiology and severity of pathology. Our study results support the view that surgical treatment of uterine septa is beneficial in improving reproductive outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shihao Zhao ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
Qiuping Zhang ◽  
Jiayi Zou ◽  
Zhangshu Xie ◽  
...  

AbstractMost of the cotton bollworm-resistant genes applied in cotton are more than 20 years and they all belong to Cry1Ab/c family, but the insect-resistant effects of Cry5Aa on cotton were rarely reported. The possible risk of resistance is increasing. The study synthesized a novel bollworm-resistant gene Cry5Aa artificially based on preferences of cotton codon. The new gene was transferred to cotton through the method of pollen tube pathway. The transgenic strains were identified by kanamycin test in field and laboratory PCR analysis. Meanwhile, an insect resistance test was conducted by artificial bollworm feeding with transgenic leaves and GK19 was used as a control in this study. Results showed that rate of positive transgenic strains with kanamycin resistance in the first generation (T1), the second generation (T2) and the third generation (T3) respectively were 7.76%, 73.1% and 95.5%. However, PCR analysis showed that the positive strain rate in T1, T2 and T3 were 2.35%, 55.8% and 94.5%, respectively. The resistant assay of cotton bollworm showed that the mortality rate of the second, third and fourth instar larva feed by the transgenic cotton leaves, were 85.42%, 73.35% and 62.79%, respectively. There was a significant difference between transgenic plant of Cry5Aa and GK19 in insect resistance. Finally, we also conducted the further analysis of gene expression patterns, gene flow and the effect on non-target pest in the study. The results showed that Cry5Aa gene had less environmental impact, and Cry5Aa has been transferred successfully and expressed stably in cotton. Therefore, the novel bollworm resistance gene can partially replace the current insect-resistance gene of Lepidoptera insects.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Cheuk Kei Lao ◽  
Bing Long Wang ◽  
Richard S. Wang ◽  
Hsiao Yun Chang

Background and objectives: Faced with the serious problem of an aging population, exercise is one of the most effective ways to maintain the health of the elderly. In recent years, with the popularization of smartphones, the elderly have increasingly accepted technological products that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI). However, there is not much research on using artificial intelligence bracelets to enhance elders’ motivation and participation in exercise. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of sports smart bracelets and multi-sport training programs on the motivation of the elderly in Macau. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with a randomized trial design in a 12 week multi-sport exercise training intervention. According to the evaluation, a total of sixty elders’ pre- and post-test data were included in this study. Results: After 12 weeks of multi-sport exercise training, the evaluation scores on the exercise motivation scale (EMS) increased significantly in the group wearing exercise bracelets and those taking part in the multi-component exercise program, and the degree of progress reached a statistically significant level, but the control group did not show any statistically significant difference. The influence of the combination of sports smart bracelets and multi-sport training programs on elders’ motivation is clearer. Conclusions: The use of sports smart bracelets by elderly people in conjunction with diverse exercise training can effectively enhance elders’ motivation and increase their participation in regular exercise. The combination of sports smart bracelets and multi-sport training programs is worth promoting in the elderly population.


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