Combining emission inventory and isotope ratio analyses for quantitative source apportionment of heavy metals in agricultural soil.

PubMed

Chen, Lian; Zhou, Shenglu; Wu, Shaohua; Wang, Chunhui; Li, Baojie; Li, Yan; Wang, Junxiao

2018-08-01

Two quantitative methods (emission inventory and isotope ratio analysis) were combined to apportion source contributions of heavy metals entering agricultural soils in the Lihe River watershed (Taihu region, east China). Source apportionment based on the emission inventory method indicated that for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn, the mean percentage input from atmospheric deposition was highest (62-85%), followed by irrigation (12-27%) and fertilization (1-14%). Thus, the heavy metals were derived mainly from industrial activities and traffic emissions. For Ni the combined percentage input from irrigation and fertilization was approximately 20% higher than that from atmospheric deposition, indicating that Ni was mainly derived from agricultural activities. Based on isotope ratio analysis, atmospheric deposition accounted for 57-93% of Pb entering soil, with the mean value of 69.3%, which indicates that this was the major source of Pb entering soil in the study area. The mean contributions of irrigation and fertilization to Pb pollution of soil ranged from 0% to 10%, indicating that they played only a marginally important role. Overall, the results obtained using the two methods were similar. This study provides a reliable approach for source apportionment of heavy metals entering agricultural soils in the study area, and clearly have potential application for future studies in other regions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMPARATIVE DIVERSITY OF FECAL BACTERIA IN AGRICULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT ANIMALS TO IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE TARGETS FOR MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING

EPA Science Inventory

Animals of agricultural significance contribute a large percentage of fecal pollution to waterways via runoff contamination. The premise of microbial source tracking is to utilize fecal bacteria to identify target populations which are directly correlated to specific animal feces...

Tracing crop-specific sediment sources in agricultural catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, William H.; Ficken, Katherine J.; Taylor, Philip; Russell, Mark A.; Walling, Desmond E.

2012-02-01

A Compound Specific Stable Isotope (CSSI) sediment tracing approach is evaluated for the first time in an agricultural catchment setting against established geochemical fingerprinting techniques. The work demonstrates that novel CSSI techniques have the potential to provide important support for soil resource management policies and inform sediment risk assessment for the protection of aquatic habitats and water resources. Analysis of soil material from a range of crop covers in a mixed land-use agricultural catchment shows that the carbon CSSI signatures of particle-reactive fatty acids label surface agricultural soil with distinct crop-specific signatures, thus permitting sediment eroded from each land-cover to be tracked downstream. High resolution sediment sampling during a storm event and analysis for CSSI and conventional geochemical fingerprints elucidated temporal patterns of sediment mobilisation under different crop regimes and the specific contribution that each crop type makes to downstream sediment load. Pasture sources (65% of the catchment area) dominated the sediment load but areal yield (0.13 ± 0.02 t ha - 1 ) was considerably less than that for winter wheat (0.44 ± 0.15 t ha - 1 ). While temporal patterns in crop response matched runoff and erosion response predictions based on plot-scale rainfall simulation experiments, comparison of biomarker and geochemical fingerprinting data indicated that the latter overestimated cultivated land inputs to catchment sediment yield due to inability to discriminate temporary pasture (in rotation) from cultivated land. This discrepancy, however, presents an opportunity since combination of the two datasets revealed the extremely localised nature of erosion from permanent pasture fields in this system (estimated at up to 0.5 t ha - 1 ). The novel use of CSSI and geochemical tracers in tandem provided unique insights into sediment source dynamics that could not have been derived from each method alone. Research

Source Units Developed as Part of an Internship Program in Agriculture/Agribusiness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mannebach, Alfred J., Ed.

This guide includes 12 source units of instruction developed by teachers of vocational agriculture who participated in an internship program in agriculture/agribusiness, which was designed to up-date the knowledge and skills of teachers of vocational agriculture in their areas of teaching specialization and to develop source units of instruction…

Developing unique tracers to distinguish nutrient contributions from agriculture and wastewater sources in the Choptank River and Anacostia River watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Eutrophication is a major problem for the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The efficacy of the restoration efforts implemented is restricted by the inability to differentiate nutrient sources. This study assessed the use of stable tracers in order to discriminate between urban and agricultural nutrient sou...

Urban PM in Eastern Germany: Source apportionment and contributions from different spatial scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Pinxteren, D.; Fomba, K. W.; Mothes, F.; Spindler, G.; Herrmann, H.

2017-12-01

Understanding the contributions of particulate matter (PM) sources and the source areas impacting total PM levels in a city are important requirements for further developing clean air policies and efficient abatement strategies. This presentation reports on two studies in Eastern Germany providing a detailed picture of present-day urban PM sources and discriminating contributions of local, regional and long-range sources. The "Leipzig Aerosol 2013-15" study yielded contributions of 12 sources to coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles, resolved by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) from comprehensive chemical speciation of 5-stage Berner impactor samples at 4 different sites in the Leipzig area. Dominant winter-time sources were traffic exhaust and non-exhaust emissions, secondary aerosol formation, and combustion emissions from both biomass and coal burning with different relative importance in different particle size ranges. Local sources dominated PM levels in ultrafine and coarse particles (60% - 80%) while high mass concentrations in accumulation mode particles mainly resulted from regional import into the city (70%). The "PM-East" study compiled PM10 mass and constituents' concentrations at 10 urban and rural sites in Eastern Germany during winter 2016/17, which included a 3-week episode of frequent exceedances of the PM10 limit value. PMF source apportionment is performed for a subset of the sites, including the city of Berlin. Contributions from short-, mid-, and long-range sources, including trans-boundary pollution import from neighbouring countries, are quantitatively assessed by advanced back trajectory statistical methods. Data analysis in PM-East is ongoing and final results will be available by November. Funding is acknowledged from 4 federal states of Germany: Berlin Senate Department for Environment, Transport and Climate Protection; Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology; State Agency for Environment, Nature Conservation and

"New World" and Mexican Contributions to Agriculture and Food.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochin, Refugio I.

1990-01-01

Argues that Hispanic-Americans can find reason for pride and positive self-images in their cultural heritage and contributions to California agriculture. Traces history of foods and plant propagation in Mesoamerica. Discusses corn, vanilla, chocolate, chiles, tomatoes, and other foods significant for their culinary legacy. (CH)

The contribution of human agricultural activities to increasing evapotranspiration is significantly greater than climate change effect over Heihe agricultural region.

PubMed

Zou, Minzhong; Niu, Jun; Kang, Shaozhong; Li, Xiaolin; Lu, Hongna

2017-08-18

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a major component linking the water, energy, and carbon cycles. Understanding changes in ET and the relative contribution rates of human activity and of climate change at the basin scale is important for sound water resources management. In this study, changes in ET in the Heihe agricultural region in northwest China during 1984-2014 were examined using remotely-sensed ET data with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Correlation analysis identified the dominant factors that influence change in ET per unit area and those that influence change in total ET. Factor analysis identified the relative contribution rates of the dominant factors in each case. The results show that human activity, which includes factors for agronomy and irrigation, and climate change, including factors for precipitation and relative humidity, both contribute to increases in ET per unit area at rates of 60.93% and 28.01%, respectively. Human activity, including the same factors, and climate change, including factors for relative humidity and wind speed, contribute to increases in total ET at rates of 53.86% and 35.68%, respectively. Overall, in the Heihe agricultural region, the contribution of human agricultural activities to increased ET was significantly greater than that of climate change.

Relative Contributions of Agricultural Drift, Para-Occupational ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Increased pesticide concentrations in house dust in agricultural areas have been attributed to several exposure pathways, including agricultural drift, para-occupational, and residential use. Objective: To guide future exposure assessment efforts, we quantified relative contributions of these pathways using meta-regression models of published data on dust pesticide concentrations. Methods: From studies in North American agricultural areas published from 1995-2015, we abstracted dust pesticide concentrations reported as summary statistics (e.g., geometric means (GM)). We analyzed these data using mixed-effects meta-regression models that weighted each summary statistic by its inverse variance. Dependent variables were either the log-transformed GM (drift) or the log-transformed ratio of GMs from two groups (para-occupational, residential use). Results: For the drift pathway, predicted GMs decreased sharply and nonlinearly, with GMs 64% lower in homes 250 m versus 23 m from fields (inter-quartile range of published data) based on 52 statistics from 7 studies. For the para-occupational pathway, GMs were 2.3 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-3.3; 15 statistics, 5 studies) in homes of farmers who applied pesticides more versus less recently or frequently. For the residential use pathway, GMs were 1.3 (95%CI: 1.1-1.4) and 1.5 (95%CI: 1.2-1.9) times higher in treated versus untreated homes, when the probability that a pesticide was used for

Perfluorinated Compounds in Greenhouse and Open Agricultural Producing Areas of Three Provinces of China: Levels, Sources and Risk Assessment

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanwei; Tan, Dongfei; Geng, Yue; Wang, Lu; Peng, Yi; He, Zeying; Xu, Yaping; Liu, Xiaowei

2016-01-01

Field investigations on perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) levels in various environmental matrixes were reported, but there is still a lack of PFAA level data for agricultural environments, especially agricultural producing areas, so we collected soil, irrigation water and agricultural product samples from agricultural producing areas in the provinces of Liaoning, Shandong and Sichuan in China. The background pollution from instruments was removed and C4–C18 PFAAs were detected by LC-MS/MS. The concentrations of PFAAs in the top and deep layers of soil were compared, and the levels of PFAAs in different agricultural environments (greenhouses and open agriculture) were analyzed. We found the order of PFAA levels by province was Shandong > Liaoning > Sichuan. A descending trend of PFAA levels from top to deep soil and open to greenhouse agriculture was shown and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) was considered as a marker for source analysis. Bean vegetables contribute highly to the overall PFAA load in vegetables. A significant correlation was shown between irrigation water and agricultural products. The EDI (estimated daily intake) from vegetables should be of concern in China. PMID:27973400

Contribution of anthropogenic phosphorus to agricultural soil fertility and food production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ringeval, B.; Nowak, B.; Nesme, T.; Delmas, M.; Pellerin, S.

2014-07-01

Agricultural intensification over the last few decades has been accompanied by the extensive use of anthropogenic phosphorus (P) derived from mined phosphate rock. Given the increasing scarcity of P resources, accurate estimates of the reliance of agriculture on anthropogenic P are required. Here we propose a modeling approach for assessing the contribution of anthropogenic P to agricultural soil fertility and food production. We performed computations at country level, and France was chosen as a typical western European country with intensive agriculture. Four soil P pools were identified based on their bioavailability (labile versus stable) and origin (anthropogenic versus natural). Pool evolution between 1948 and 2009 was estimated by combining international databases and a simple biogeochemical model. An optimization procedure demonstrated the necessity of representing a stable P pool capable of replenishing the labile pool within 14 to 33 years in order to match country-scale observations. Mean simulated P pool sizes for 2009 (0-35 cm soil horizon) were 146, 616, 31, and 156 kgP/ha for natural stable, anthropogenic stable, natural labile, and anthropogenic labile pools, respectively. We found that, on average, 82% (min-max: 68-91%) of soil P (sum of labile and above defined stable) in that year was anthropogenic. The temporal evolution of this contribution is directly related to the integral of chemical fertilizer use over time, starting from 1948. The contribution of anthropogenic P to food production was similar at 84% (min-max: 72-91%), which is greater than budget-based estimates ( 50-60%) commonly reported in the literature. By focusing on soil fertility and food production, this study provides a quantitative estimation of human perturbations of the P cycle in agroecosystems.

Using Microbial Source Tracking to Enhance Environmental Stewardship of Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Sherry; Rose, Joan; Flood, Matthew; Aw, Tiong; Hyndman, David

2016-04-01

Large scale agriculture relies on the application of chemical fertilizers and animal manure. It is well known that nutrients in excess of a plant's uptake and soil retention capacity can travel to nearby waterways via surface run-off and groundwater pathways, indirectly fertilizing these aquatic ecosystems. It has not yet been possible to distinguish water quality impacts of fertilizer from those derived from human and animal waste sources. However, new microbial source tracking (MST) tools allow specific identification of fecal pollution. Our objective was to examine pollution risks at the regional scale using MST, mapping and classification and regression tree analysis. We present results Bovine M2 genetic marker data from three flow regimes (baseflow, snow melt, and post-planting rain). Key landscape characteristics were related to the presence of the bovine markers and appear to be related to fate and transport. Impacts at this regional watershed scale will be discussed. Our research aims to identify the impacts of agricultural management practices on water quality by linking nutrient concentrations with fecal pollution sources. We hope that our research will provide guidance that will help improve water quality through agricultural best management practices to reduce pathogen contamination.

Source apportionment of fine particulate matter in China in 2013 using a source-oriented chemical transport model.

PubMed

Shi, Zhihao; Li, Jingyi; Huang, Lin; Wang, Peng; Wu, Li; Ying, Qi; Zhang, Hongliang; Lu, Li; Liu, Xuejun; Liao, Hong; Hu, Jianlin

2017-12-01

China has been suffering high levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). Designing effective PM 2.5 control strategies requires information about the contributions of different sources. In this study, a source-oriented Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was applied to quantitatively estimate the contributions of different source sectors to PM 2.5 in China. Emissions of primary PM 2.5 and gas pollutants of SO 2 , NO x , and NH 3 , which are precursors of particulate sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA, major PM 2.5 components in China), from eight source categories (power plants, residential sources, industries, transportation, open burning, sea salt, windblown dust and agriculture) were separately tracked to determine their contributions to PM 2.5 in 2013. Industrial sector is the largest source of SNA in Beijing, Xi'an and Chongqing, followed by agriculture and power plants. Residential emissions are also important sources of SNA, especially in winter when severe pollution events often occur. Nationally, the contributions of different source sectors to annual total PM 2.5 from high to low are industries, residential sources, agriculture, power plants, transportation, windblown dust, open burning and sea salt. Provincially, residential sources and industries are the major anthropogenic sources of primary PM 2.5 , while industries, agriculture, power plants and transportation are important for SNA in most provinces. For total PM 2.5 , residential and industrial emissions are the top two sources, with a combined contribution of 40-50% in most provinces. The contributions of power plants and agriculture to total PM 2.5 are about 10%, respectively. Secondary organic aerosol accounts for about 10% of annual PM 2.5 in most provinces, with higher contributions in southern provinces such as Yunnan (26%), Hainan (25%) and Taiwan (21%). Windblown dust is an important source in western provinces such as Xizang (55% of total PM 2.5 ), Qinghai (74%), Xinjiang (59

Identifying sources of dissolved organic carbon in agriculturally dominated rivers using radiocarbon age dating: Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sickman, James O.; DiGiorgio, Carol L.; Davisson, M. Lee; Lucero, Delores M.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

2010-01-01

We used radiocarbon measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to resolve sources of riverine carbon within agriculturally dominated landscapes in California. During 2003 and 2004, average Δ14C for DOC was −254‰ in agricultural drains in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, −218‰ in the San Joaquin River, −175‰ in the California State Water Project and −152‰ in the Sacramento River. The age of bulk DOC transiting the rivers of California’s Central Valley is the oldest reported for large rivers and suggests wide-spread loss of soil organic matter caused by agriculture and urbanization. Using DAX 8 adsorbent, we isolated and measured 14C concentrations in hydrophobic acid fractions (HPOA); river samples showed evidence of bomb-pulse carbon with average Δ14C of 91 and 76‰ for the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, respectively, with older HPOA, −204‰, observed in agricultural drains. An operationally defined non-HPOA fraction of DOC was observed in the San Joaquin River with seasonally computed Δ14C values of between −275 and −687‰; the source of this aged material was hypothesized to be physically protected organic-matter in high clay-content soils and agrochemicals (i.e., radiocarbon-dead material) applied to farmlands. Mixing models suggest that the Sacramento River contributes about 50% of the DOC load in the California State Water Project, and agricultural drains contribute approximately one-third of the load. In contrast to studies showing stabilization of soil carbon pools within one or two decades following land conversion, sustained loss of soil organic matter, occurring many decades after the initial agricultural-land conversion, was observed in California’s Central Valley.

[Spatial heterogeneity and classified control of agricultural non-point source pollution in Huaihe River Basin].

PubMed

Zhou, Liang; Xu, Jian-Gang; Sun, Dong-Qi; Ni, Tian-Hua

2013-02-01

Agricultural non-point source pollution is of importance in river deterioration. Thus identifying and concentrated controlling the key source-areas are the most effective approaches for non-point source pollution control. This study adopts inventory method to analysis four kinds of pollution sources and their emissions intensity of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in 173 counties (cities, districts) in Huaihe River Basin. The four pollution sources include livestock breeding, rural life, farmland cultivation, aquacultures. The paper mainly addresses identification of non-point polluted sensitivity areas, key pollution sources and its spatial distribution characteristics through cluster, sensitivity evaluation and spatial analysis. A geographic information system (GIS) and SPSS were used to carry out this study. The results show that: the COD, TN and TP emissions of agricultural non-point sources were 206.74 x 10(4) t, 66.49 x 10(4) t, 8.74 x 10(4) t separately in Huaihe River Basin in 2009; the emission intensity were 7.69, 2.47, 0.32 t.hm-2; the proportions of COD, TN, TP emissions were 73%, 24%, 3%. The paper achieves that: the major pollution source of COD, TN and TP was livestock breeding and rural life; the sensitivity areas and priority pollution control areas among the river basin of non-point source pollution are some sub-basins of the upper branches in Huaihe River, such as Shahe River, Yinghe River, Beiru River, Jialu River and Qingyi River; livestock breeding is the key pollution source in the priority pollution control areas. Finally, the paper concludes that pollution type of rural life has the highest pollution contribution rate, while comprehensive pollution is one type which is hard to control.

Variability in source sediment contributions by applying different statistic test for a Pyrenean catchment.

PubMed

Palazón, L; Navas, A

2017-06-01

Information on sediment contribution and transport dynamics from the contributing catchments is needed to develop management plans to tackle environmental problems related with effects of fine sediment as reservoir siltation. In this respect, the fingerprinting technique is an indirect technique known to be valuable and effective for sediment source identification in river catchments. Large variability in sediment delivery was found in previous studies in the Barasona catchment (1509 km 2 , Central Spanish Pyrenees). Simulation results with SWAT and fingerprinting approaches identified badlands and agricultural uses as the main contributors to sediment supply in the reservoir. In this study the <63 μm sediment fraction from the surface reservoir sediments (2 cm) are investigated following the fingerprinting procedure to assess how the use of different statistical procedures affects the amounts of source contributions. Three optimum composite fingerprints were selected to discriminate between source contributions based in land uses/land covers from the same dataset by the application of (1) discriminant function analysis; and its combination (as second step) with (2) Kruskal-Wallis H-test and (3) principal components analysis. Source contribution results were different between assessed options with the greatest differences observed for option using #3, including the two step process: principal components analysis and discriminant function analysis. The characteristics of the solutions by the applied mixing model and the conceptual understanding of the catchment showed that the most reliable solution was achieved using #2, the two step process of Kruskal-Wallis H-test and discriminant function analysis. The assessment showed the importance of the statistical procedure used to define the optimum composite fingerprint for sediment fingerprinting applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated approach to assess heavy metal source apportionment in peri-urban agricultural soils.

PubMed

Huang, Ying; Li, Tingqiang; Wu, Chengxian; He, Zhenli; Japenga, Jan; Deng, Meihua; Yang, Xiaoe

2015-12-15

Three techniques (Isotope Ratio Analysis, GIS mapping, and Multivariate Statistical Analysis) were integrated to assess heavy metal pollution and source apportionment in peri-urban agricultural soils. The soils in the study area were moderately polluted with cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg), lightly polluted with lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr). GIS Mapping suggested Cd pollution originates from point sources, whereas Hg, Pb, Cr could be traced back to both point and non-point sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) were mainly inherited from natural sources, while Hg, Pb, and Cd were associated with two different kinds of anthropogenic sources. Cluster analysis (CA) further identified fertilizers, waste water, industrial solid wastes, road dust, and atmospheric deposition as potential sources. Based on isotope ratio analysis (IRA) organic fertilizers and road dusts accounted for 74-100% and 0-24% of the total Hg input, while road dusts and solid wastes contributed for 0-80% and 19-100% of the Pb input. This study provides a reliable approach for heavy metal source apportionment in this particular peri-urban area, with a clear potential for future application in other regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contamination, source, and input route of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural soils.

PubMed

Wang, Ning; Li, Hong-Bo; Long, Jin-Lin; Cai, Chao; Dai, Jiu-Lan; Zhang, Juan; Wang, Ren-Qing

2012-12-01

Contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural topsoil (0-5 cm) and the contribution of groundwater irrigation and atmospheric deposition to soil PAHs were studied in a typical agricultural region, i.e. Hunpu region, Liaoning, China. Concentrations of total PAHs ranged from 0.43 to 2.64 mg kg⁻¹ in topsoil, being lower than those found in other wastewater-irrigated areas. The levels of PAHs in soil declined as the distance from a water source increased. Concentrations of individual PAHs were generally higher in upland than in paddy topsoils. The calculated nemerow composite index showed that agricultural soil in the region was "polluted" by PAHs. A human health risk assessment based on the total toxic equivalent concentration showed that the presence of elevated concentrations of PAHs in the soil might pose a great threat to the health of local residents. Ratios of pairs of PAHs and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that pyrogenesis, such as coal combustion, was the main source of PAHs, while petroleum, to some extent, also had a strong influence on PAHs contamination in upland soil. The distribution patterns of individual PAHs and composition of PAHs differed between irrigation groundwater and topsoil, but were similar between atmospheric deposition and topsoil. There were significant linear correlations (r = 0.90; p < 0.01) between atmospheric deposition rates and average concentrations of the 16 individual PAHs in soils, while no significant relationships were observed between irrigation groundwater and topsoil in levels of PAHs. These suggested that PAHs in agricultural soils were mainly introduced from atmospheric deposition, rather than from groundwater irrigation after the phasing out of wastewater irrigation in the region since 2002. This study provides a reference to ensure agricultural product safety, pollution control, and proper soil management.

Climate change mitigation: the potential of agriculture as a renewable energy source in Nigeria.

PubMed

Elum, Z A; Modise, D M; Nhamo, G

2017-02-01

Energy is pivotal to the economic development of every nation. However, its production and utilization leads to undesirable carbon emissions that aggravate global warming which results in climate change. The agriculture sector is a significant user of energy. However, it has the potential to be a major contributor to Nigeria's energy supply mix in meeting its energy deficit. More so, in the light of current and impending adverse effects of climate change, there is a need to contain GHG's emissions. This paper focuses on bioenergy utilization as a climate change mitigation strategy and one that can, through effective waste management, enhance sustainable economic development in Nigeria. The paper employed a critical discourse analysis to examine the potential of the agricultural sector to provide biofuels from energy crops and other biomass sources. We conclude that Nigeria can reduce its GHG emissions and greatly contribute to global climate change mitigation while also alleviating its energy supply deficit if the agricultural and municipal wastes readily available in its towns and cities are converted to bioenergy. Such engagements will not only promote a clean and healthy environment but also create jobs for economic empowerment and a better standard of living for the people.

Source Contributions to Premature Mortality Due to Ambient Particulate Matter in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, J.; Huang, L.; Ying, Q.; Zhang, H.; Shi, Z.

2016-12-01

. Industries and residential sources were the two leading sources to ΔMort, contributing to 0.508 (30.5%) and 0.366 (21.9%) mp, respectively. Secondary ammonium ion from agriculture sources, secondary organic aerosol and aerosols from power generation sources were responsible for ΔMort of 0.204, 0.179 and 0.172 mp, respectively.

Phenology Information Contributes to Reduce Temporal Basis Risk in Agricultural Weather Index Insurance.

PubMed

Dalhaus, Tobias; Musshoff, Oliver; Finger, Robert

2018-01-08

Weather risks are an essential and increasingly important driver of agricultural income volatility. Agricultural insurances contribute to support farmers to cope with these risks. Among these insurances, weather index insurances (WII) are an innovative tool to cope with climatic risks in agriculture. Using WII, farmers receive an indemnification not based on actual yield reductions but are compensated based on a measured weather index, such as rainfall at a nearby weather station. The discrepancy between experienced losses and actual indemnification, basis risk, is a key challenge. In particular, specifications of WII used so far do not capture critical plant growth phases adequately. Here, we contribute to reduce basis risk by proposing novel procedures how occurrence dates and shifts of growth phases over time and space can be considered and test for their risk reducing potential. Our empirical example addresses drought risks in the critical growth phase around the anthesis stage in winter wheat production in Germany. We find spatially explicit, public and open databases of phenology reports to contribute to reduce basis risk and thus improve the attractiveness of WII. In contrast, we find growth stage modelling based on growing degree days (thermal time) not to result in significant improvements.

Evaluation of agricultural nonpoint source pollution potential risk over China with a Transformed-Agricultural Nonpoint Pollution Potential Index method.

PubMed

Yang, Fei; Xu, Zhencheng; Zhu, Yunqiang; He, Chansheng; Wu, Genyi; Qiu, Jin Rong; Fu, Qiang; Liu, Qingsong

2013-01-01

Agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution has been the most important threat to water environment quality. Understanding the spatial distribution of NPS pollution potential risk is important for taking effective measures to control and reduce NPS pollution. A Transformed-Agricultural Nonpoint Pollution Potential Index (T-APPI) model was constructed for evaluating the national NPS pollution potential risk in this study; it was also combined with remote sensing and geographic information system techniques for evaluation on the large scale and at 1 km2 spatial resolution. This model considers many factors contributing to the NPS pollution as the original APPI model, summarized as four indicators of the runoff, sediment production, chemical use and the people and animal load. These four indicators were analysed in detail at 1 km2 spatial resolution throughout China. The T-APPI model distinguished the four indicators into pollution source factors and transport process factors; it also took their relationship into consideration. The studied results showed that T-APPI is a credible and convenient method for NPS pollution potential risk evaluation. The results also indicated that the highest NPS pollution potential risk is distributed in the middle-southern Jiangsu province. Several other regions, including the North China Plain, Chengdu Basin Plain, Jianghan Plain, cultivated lands in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, also showed serious NPS pollution potential. This study can provide a scientific reference for predicting the future NPS pollution risk throughout China and may be helpful for taking reasonable and effective measures for preventing and controlling NPS pollution.

Wetlands and Agriculture in Africa: Major Sources of N2O?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gettel, G. M.

2015-12-01

Papyrus wetlands in East Africa are rapidly being converted to agricultural production in an effort to increase food security. This conversion is often seasonal, with wetlands being used for grazing and crop production of maize, sugarcane, and rice during dry seasons, and flooding occurring during wet seasons. An important question with respect to greenhouse gas production is whether wetland conversion to agriculture increases N2O fluxes. This trend has been shown in temperate regions where increased N2O fluxes are positively related to low soil C:N ratios, especially when soil moisture content remains high. In order to examine whether denitrification contributes to N2O flux, we measured potential denitrification rates (PDR by acetylene block method) in intact papyrus wetlands and agricultural converted wetlands in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda, and also performed multivariate analysis to relate soil characteristics to PDR. Agricultural land-cover types included maize, sugarcane, rice, and grazing. Results showed that intact wetlands are potentially important sources of N2O, as PDR in papyrus vegetation were consistently the highest (p<0.05; 128 - 601 μg N2O g DW-1 hour-1) while grazing sites showed the lowest (0.1 - 0.5 μg N2O g DW-1 hour-1). Rates were second highest in rice fields (2.3 - 303 μg N2O g DW-1 hour-1), and intermediate in maize and sugarcane (6.5 - 75 μmg N2O g DW-1 hour-1 and 5 - 30 μg N2O g DW-1 hour-1 respectively). PDR across all sites was inversely related to soil C:N ratio, with nitrate consistently limiting PDR in the wetland sites while soil carbon limited PDR in agricultural sites. This is seemingly in contrast with other findings that show that lower C:N ratios result in high N2O fluxes from drained wetland sites. However, flux measurements along with more realistic process-based measurements of denitrification are urgently needed to more fully understand the effect of agricultural conversion of wetlands in East Africa.

Historical contributions of phosphorus from natural and agricultural sources and implications for stream water quality, Cheney Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pope, Larry M.; Milligan, Chad R.; Mau, David Phillip

2002-01-01

An examination of soil cores collected from 43 nonagricultural coring sites in the Cheney Reservoir watershed of south-central Kansas was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in September 1999. The cores were collected as part of an ongoing cooperative study with the city of Wichita, Kansas. The 43 sites (mostly cemeteries) were thought to have total phosphorus concentrations in the soil that are representative of natural conditions (unaffected by human activity). The purpose of this report is to present the analysis and evaluation of these soil cores, to quantify the phosphorus contributions to Cheney Reservoir from natural and agricultural sources, and to provide estimates of stream-water-quality response to natural concentrations of total phosphorus in the soil. Analysis of soil cores from the 43 sites produced natural concentrations of total phosphorus that ranged from 74 to 539 milligrams per kilogram with a median concentration of 245 milligrams per kilogram in 2-inch soil cores and from 50 to 409 milligrams per kilogram with a median concentration of 166 milligrams per kilogram in 8-inch soil cores. Natural concentrations of total phosphorus in soil were statistically larger in samples from coring sites in the eastern half of the watershed than in samples from coring sites in the western half of the watershed. This result partly explains a previously determined west-to-east increase in total phosphorus yields in streams of the Cheney Reservoir watershed. A comparison of total phosphorus concentrations in soil under natural conditions to the historical mean total phosphorus concentration in agriculturally enriched bottom sediment in Cheney Reservoir indicated that agricultural activities within the watershed have increased total phosphorus concentrations in watershed soil that is transported in streams to about 2.9 times natural concentrations. Retention efficiencies for phosphorus and sediment historically transported to Cheney Reservoir were calculated

Cellulosic-based ethanol and the contribution from agriculture and forestry

Treesearch

Robert D. Perlack; Bryce J. Stokes; John Ferrell; Mary Bohman; Kenneth E. Skog; Dennis P. Dykstra; Patricia K. Lebow; Patrick D. Miles

2008-01-01

The cellulosic feedstocks (see chapter 2) needed to produce 20 billion gallons per year (BGY) of second-generation and other renewable fuels can come from a wide variety of cropland and forestland sources, including imports. The impact of producing these biofuels on U.S. agriculture and forestry will very much depend on the relative proportions of cropland- and...

Severe situation of rural nonpoint source pollution and efficient utilization of agricultural wastes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

PubMed

Zhang, Tong; Ni, Jiupai; Xie, Deti

2015-11-01

Rural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution caused by agricultural wastes has become increasingly serious in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), significantly affecting the reservoir water quality. The grim situation of rural NPS pollution in the TGRA indicated that agrochemicals (chemical fertilizer and pesticide) were currently the highest contributor of rural NPS pollution (50.38%). The harmless disposal rates of livestock excrement, crop straws, rural domestic refuse, and sewage also cause severe water pollution. More importantly, the backward agricultural economy and the poor environmental awareness of farmers in the hinterland of the TGRA contribute to high levels of rural NPS pollution. Over the past decade, researchers and the local people have carried out various successful studies and practices to realize the effective control of rural NPS pollution by efficiently utilizing agricultural wastes in the TGRA, including agricultural waste biogas-oriented utilization, crop straw gasification, decentralized land treatment of livestock excrement technology, and crop straw modification. These technologies have greatly increased the renewable resource utilization of agricultural wastes and improved water quality and ecological environment in the TGRA.

Investigating the sources of sediment in a Canadian agricultural watershed using a colour-based fingerprinting technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthod, Louise; Lobb, David; Owens, Philip; Martinez-Carreras, Nuria; Koiter, Alexander; Petticrew, Ellen; McCullough, Gregory

2014-05-01

The development of beneficial management practises to minimize adverse impacts of agriculture on soil and water quality requires information on the sources of sediment at the watershed scale. Sediment fingerprinting allows for the determination of sediment sources and apportionment of their contribution within a watershed, using unique physical, radiochemical or biogeochemical properties, or fingerprints, of the potential sediment sources. The use of sediment colour as a fingerprint is an emerging technique that can provide a rapid and inexpensive means of investigating sediment sources. This technique is currently being utilized to determine sediment sources within the South Tobacco Creek Watershed, an agricultural watershed located in the Canadian prairies (south-central Manitoba). Suspended sediment and potential source (topsoil, channel bank and shale bedrock material) samples were collected between 2009 and 2011 at six locations along the main stem of the creek. Sample colour was quantified from diffuse reflectance spectrometry measurements over the visible wavelength range using a spectroradiometer (ASD Field Spec Pro, 400-2500 nm). Sixteen colour coefficients were derived from several colour space models (CIE XYZ, CIE xyY, CIE Lab, CIE Luv, CIE Lch, Landsat RGB, Redness Index). The individual discrimination power of the colour coefficients, after passing several prerequisite tests (e.g., linearly additive behaviour), was assessed using discriminant function analysis. A stepwise discriminant analysis, based on the Wilk's lambda criterion, was then performed in order to determine the best-suited colour coefficient fingerprints which maximized the discrimination between the potential sources. The selected fingerprints classified the source samples in the correct category 86% of the time. The misclassification is due to intra-source variability and source overlap which can lead to higher uncertainty in sediment source apportionment. The selected fingerprints

Use of a multi-isotope and multi-tracer approach including organic matter isotopes for quantifying nutrient contributions from agricultural vs wastewater sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, C.; Silva, S. R.; Young, M. B.

2013-12-01

While nutrient isotopes are a well-established tool for quantifying nutrients inputs from agricultural vs wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sources, we have found that combining nutrient isotopes with the C, N, and S isotopic compositions of dissolved and particulate organic matter, as part of a comprehensive multi-isotope and multi-tracer approach, is a much more diagnostic approach. The main reasons why organic matter C-N-S isotopes are a useful adjunct to studies of nutrient sources and biogeochemical processes are that the dissolved and particulate organic matter associated with (1) different kinds of animals (e.g., humans vs cows) often have distinctive isotopic compositions reflecting the different diets of the animals, and (2) the different processes associated with the different land uses (e.g., in the WWTP or associated with different crop types) often result in significant differences in the isotopic compositions of the organics. The analysis of the δ34S of particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been found to be especially useful for distinguishing and quantifying water, nutrient, and organic contributions from different land uses in aquatic systems where much of the organic matter is aquatic in origin. In such environments, the bacteria and algae incorporate S from sulfate and sulfide that is isotopically labeled by the different processes associated with different land uses. We have found that there is ~35 permil range in δ34S of POM along the river-estuary continuum in the San Joaquin/Sacramento River basin, with low values associated with sulfate reduction in the upstream wetlands and high values associated with tidal inputs of marine water into the estuary. Furthermore, rice agriculture results in relatively low δ34S values whereas WWTP effluent in the Sacramento River produces distinctly higher values than upstream of the WWTP, presumably because SO2 is used to treat chlorinated effluent. The fish living

The Relationship between Agriculture Knowledge Bases for Teaching and Sources of Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Amber H.; Kitchel, Tracy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the agriculture knowledge bases for teaching of agriculture teachers and to see if a relationship existed between years of teaching experience, sources of knowledge, and development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), using quantitative methods. A model of PCK from mathematics was utilized as a…

Understanding Stream Channel Sediment Source Contributions For The Paradise Creek Watershed In Northern Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rittenburg, R.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E. S.

2013-12-01

Excess sediment from agricultural areas has been a major source of impairment for water bodies, resulting in the implementation of mitigation measures across landscapes. Watershed scale reductions often target upland erosion as key non-point sources for sediment loading. Stream channel dynamics, however, also play a contributing role in sediment loading in the form of legacy sediments, channel erosion and deposition, and buffering during storm events. In-stream contributions are not well understood, and are a potentially important consideration for Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). The objective of this study is to differentiate stream bank and stream bed sediment contributions and better understand the role of legacy sediments. The study area is the Paradise Creek Watershed in northern Idaho. We modeled sediment yield to the channel system using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model, and subsequent channel erosion and deposition using CONCEPTs. Field observations of cross-sections along the channel system over a 5-year period were collected to verify model simulations and to test the hypothesis that the watershed load was composed predominantly of legacy sediments. Our modeling study shows that stream channels contributed to 39% of the total annual sediment load for the basin, with a 19-year time lag between sediments entering the stream to leaving the watershed outlet. Observations from long-term cross sectional data in the watershed, and a sediment fingerprinting analysis will be presented to better understand sediment contributions from within the stream channel system.

Tracking sediment through the Holocene: Determining anthropogenic contributions to a sediment-rich agricultural system, north-central USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gran, Karen; Belmont, Patrick; Finnegan, Noah

2013-04-01

Management and restoration of sediment-impaired streams requires quantification of sediment sources and pathways of transport. Addressing the role of humans in altering the magnitude and sources of sediment supplied to a catchment is notoriously challenging. Here, we explore how humans have amplified erosion in geomorphically-sensitive portions of the predominantly-agricultural Minnesota River basin in north-central USA. In the Minnesota River basin, the primary sources of sediment are classified generally as upland agricultural field vs. near-channel sources, with near-channel sources including stream banks, bluffs, and ravines. Using aerial lidar data, repeat terrestrial lidar scans of bluffs, ravine monitoring, historic air photo analyses, and sediment fingerprinting, we have developed a sediment budget to determine the relative importance of each source in a tributary to the Minnesota River, the Le Sueur River. We then investigate how these sources have changed through time, from changes evident over the past few decades to changes associated with valley evolution over the past 13,400 years. The Minnesota River valley was carved ~13,400 years ago through catastrophic drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz. As the Minnesota River valley incised, knickpoints have migrated upstream into tributaries, carving out deep valleys where the most actively eroding near-channel sediment sources occur. The modern sediment budget, closed for the time period 2000 to 2010, shows that the majority of the fine sediment load in the Le Sueur River comes from bluffs and other near-channel sources in the deeply-incised knick zone. Numerical modeling of valley evolution constrained by mapped and dated strath terraces cut into the glacial till presents an opportunity to compare the modern sediment budget to that of the river prior to anthropogenic modification. This comparison reveals a natural background or "pre-agriculture" rate of erosion from near-channel sources to be 3-5 times lower

ALTERNATIVE POLICIES FOR CONTROLLING NONPOINT AGRICULTURAL SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

This study of policies for controlling water pollution from nonpoint agricultural sources includes a survey of existing state and Federal programs, agencies, and laws directed to the control of soil erosion. Six policies representing a variety of approaches to this pollution prob...

Using Strontium Isotopes in Arid Agricultural Soils to Determine a Sink or Source of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, A. C.; Jin, L.

2014-12-01

Arid and semi-arid regions of the world are predicted to continue to expand through land degradation and prolonged drought events. Agricultural practices in these drylands degrade soils through elevated salinity, sodicity and alkalinity. Indeed, flood irrigation loads salts onto the soils including carbonate minerals in the form of calcite. Alfalfa and Pecan are salt tolerant and commonly grown in the arid El Paso region, but need irrigation using Rio Grande water with little to no contribution from local ground waters. We hypothesize that the irrigation is loading extra Ca and bicarbonate to soils and anthropogenically enhancing the precipitation of carbonates. We intend to monitor soil CO2 efflux after irrigation, characterize soil minerals, and combine them to isotopic data of soil, irrigation, and drainage waters to link the sources of Ca and C, kinetics of calcite precipitation, to irrigation events. This will include strontium isotopic analysis to determine the source of calcium in the agricultural fields, U-disequilibrium isotopes to estimate the carbonate ages, and CO2 efflux to monitor atmosphere-soil exchange. Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to change during flood irrigation when soils are saturated. After irrigation events, evaporative effects increase Ca and dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in soil waters leading to precipitation of calcite and thus elevated CO2efflux. Preliminary measurements in the pecan field show a marginally significant difference in CO2 fluxes before and after irrigation (p=0.07, t-test). Carbon dioxide emissions are lower during moist conditions (0.6 g m-2hr-1 CO2) than those in dry conditions (1.0 g m-2hr-1 CO2). Future C isotope data are needed to identify the source of extra CO2, biogenic or calcite-precipitation related. A water leachable extraction of alfalfa soils shows 87Sr/86Sr ratios ranged from 0.7101 to 0.7103, indicating Rio Grande river as a dominant calcium source. Further Sr isotopic analysis of

Understanding Multifunctional Agricultural Land by Using Low Cost and Open Source Solutions to Quantify Ecosystem Function and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsmoo, Joel; Anderson, Karen; Brazier, Richard; Macleod, Kit; Wilkinson, Mark

2016-04-01

There is a need to advance our understanding of how the spatial structure of farmed landscapes contributes to the provision of functions and services. Agricultural land is of critical importance in NW Europe, covering large parts of NW Europe's temperate land. Moreover, these agricultural areas are primarily intensively managed, with a focus on maximizing food and fibre production. Such landscapes therefore can provide a wealth of ecosystem goods and services (ESs) including regulation of climate, erosion regulation, hydrology, water quality, nutrient cycling and biodiversity conservation. However, it has been shown they are key sources of sediment, phosphorous, nitrogen and storm runoff contributing to flooding, and therefore it is likely that most agricultural landscapes do not maximize the services or benefits that they might provide. The focus of this study is the spatio-temporal assessment of carbon sequestration (particularly through proxies such as above-ground biomass) and hydrological processes on agricultural land. Understanding and quantifying both of these is important to (a) inform payments for ecosystem services frameworks, (b) evaluate and improve carbon sequestration models, (c) manage the flood risk, (d) downstream water security and (e) water quality. Quantifying both of these ESs is dependent on data describing the fine spatial and temporal structure and function of the landscape. Common practice has been to use remote sensing techniques, e.g. satellites, providing coarse spatial resolution (around 30cm at 20° off nadir) and/or temporal resolution (around 5 days revisit time at <20° off nadir). In this paper we will explain how imaging data from lightweight and easily deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to generate structure from motion (SFM) products describing the very fine detailed (<3 cm pixel resolution) structure of the agricultural environment. We will demonstrate how these products can be delivered using advanced free

7 CFR 1703.122 - Matching contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program § 1703.122 Matching.... (e) Any financial assistance from Federal sources will not be considered as matching contributions...

Impact of changes in labor resources and transfers of land use rights on agricultural non-point source pollution in Jiangsu Province, China.

PubMed

Lu, Hua; Xie, Hualin

2018-02-01

This study systematically explores the likely mechanisms driving the effect of the transfer of agricultural land use rights (ALURs) on agricultural non-point source pollution (ANSP) in the context of changing agricultural labor resources. It quantitatively estimates the direction and degree of this influence from a microeconomic perspective using data from rural households. The results reveal that economies of scale caused by ALURs transfers contribute to reducing both the ANSP and marginal costs of inputs. Changes in agricultural labor resources lead to reductions in agricultural labor supply and negatively impact on ANSP. Encouraging farmers to participate in ALURs transfers, therefore, helps to reduce ANSP. The government and related departments should implement policies that support farmers who decide to rent an entire village's land or the adjacent land to achieve economies of scale. Accelerating the development of small farm machinery that is suitable for smaller farm plots and the elderly can serve to reduce the use of chemical fertilizer and promote green production and sustainable agricultural development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Verification of Agricultural Methane Emission Inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desjardins, R. L.; Pattey, E.; Worth, D. E.; VanderZaag, A.; Mauder, M.; Srinivasan, R.; Worthy, D.; Sweeney, C.; Metzger, S.

2017-12-01

It is estimated that agriculture contributes more than 40% of anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions in North America. However, these estimates, which are either based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology or inverse modeling techniques, are poorly validated due to the challenges of separating interspersed CH4 sources within agroecosystems. A flux aircraft, instrumented with a fast-response Picarro CH4 analyzer for the eddy covariance (EC) technique and a sampling system for the relaxed eddy accumulation technique (REA), was flown at an altitude of about 150 m along several 20-km transects over an agricultural region in Eastern Canada. For all flight days, the top-down CH4 flux density measurements were compared to the footprint adjusted bottom-up estimates based on an IPCC Tier II methodology. Information on the animal population, land use type and atmospheric and surface variables were available for each transect. Top-down and bottom-up estimates of CH4 emissions were found to be poorly correlated, and wetlands were the most frequent confounding source of CH4; however, there were other sources such as waste treatment plants and biodigesters. Spatially resolved wavelet covariance estimates of CH4 emissions helped identify the contribution of wetlands to the overall CH4 flux, and the dependence of these emissions on temperature. When wetland contribution in the flux footprint was minimized, top-down and bottom-up estimates agreed to within measurement error. This research demonstrates that although existing aircraft-based technology can be used to verify regional ( 100 km2) agricultural CH4 emissions, it remains challenging due to diverse sources of CH4 present in many regions. The use of wavelet covariance to generate spatially-resolved flux estimates was found to be the best way to separate interspersed sources of CH4.

Rhizosphere Microbiome Modulators: Contributions of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria towards Sustainable Agriculture

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Rhizosphere microbiome which has been shown to enhance plant growth and yield are modulated or influenced by a few environmental factors such as soil type, plant cultivar, climate change and anthropogenic activities. In particular, anthropogenic activity, such as the use of nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers, is associated with environmental destruction and this calls for a more ecofriendly strategy to increase nitrogen levels in agricultural land. This feat is attainable by harnessing nitrogen-fixing endophytic and free-living rhizobacteria. Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Azospirillum and Bacillus, have been found to have positive impacts on crops by enhancing both above and belowground biomass and could therefore play positive roles in achieving sustainable agriculture outcomes. Thus, it is necessary to study this rhizosphere microbiome with more sophisticated culture-independent techniques such as next generation sequencing (NGS) with the prospect of discovering novel bacteria with plant growth promoting traits. This review is therefore aimed at discussing factors that can modulate rhizosphere microbiome with focus on the contributions of nitrogen fixing bacteria towards sustainable agricultural development and the techniques that can be used for their study. PMID:29570619

Agricultural Science Teachers' Barriers, Roles, and Information Source Preferences for Teaching Biotechnology Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mowen, Diana L.; Wingenbach, Gary J.; Roberts, T. Grady; Harlin, Julie F.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine barriers, roles, and information source preferences for teaching agricultural biotechnology topics. Agricultural science teachers were described primarily as 37 year-old males who had taught for 12 years, had bachelor's degrees, and had lived or worked on a farm or ranch. Equipment was perceived as the…

Evaluating agricultural nonpoint-source pollution programs in two Lake Erie tributaries.

PubMed

Forster, D Lynn; Rausch, Jonathan N

2002-01-01

During the past three decades, numerous government programs have encouraged Lake Erie basin farmers to adopt practices that reduce water pollution. The first section of this paper summarizes these state and federal government agricultural pollution abatement programs in watersheds of two prominent Lake Erie tributaries, the Maumee River and Sandusky River. Expenditures are summarized for each program, total expenditures in each county are estimated, and cost effectiveness of program expenditures (i.e., cost per metric ton of soil saved) are analyzed. Farmers received nearly $143 million as incentive payments to implement agricultural nonpoint source pollution abatement programs in the Maumee and Sandusky River watersheds from 1987 to 1997. About 95% of these funds was from federal sources. On average, these payments totaled about $7000 per farm or about $30 per farm acre (annualized equivalent of $2 per acre) within the watersheds. Our analysis raises questions about how efficiently these incentive payments were allocated. The majority of Agricultural Conservation Program (ACP) funds appear to have been spent on less cost-effective practices. Also, geographic areas with relatively low (high) soil erosion rates received relatively large (small) funding.

Assessment of sources and fate of nitrate in shallow groundwater of an agricultural area by using a multi-tracer approach.

PubMed

Pastén-Zapata, Ernesto; Ledesma-Ruiz, Rogelio; Harter, Thomas; Ramírez, Aldo I; Mahlknecht, Jürgen

2014-02-01

Nitrate isotopic values are often used as a tool to understand sources of contamination in order to effectively manage groundwater quality. However, recent literature describes that biogeochemical reactions may modify these values. Therefore, data interpretation is difficult and often vague. We provide a discussion on this topic and complement the study using halides as comparative tracers assessing an aquifer underneath a sub-humid to humid region in NE Mexico. Hydrogeological information and stable water isotopes indicate that active groundwater recharge occurs in the 8000km(2) study area under present-day climatic and hydrologic conditions. Nitrate isotopes and halide ratios indicate a diverse mix of nitrate sources and transformations. Nitrate sources include organic waste and wastewater, synthetic fertilizers and soil processes. Animal manure and sewage from septic tanks were the causes of groundwater nitrate pollution within orchards and vegetable agriculture. Dairy activities within a radius of 1,000 m from a sampling point significantly contributed to nitrate pollution. Leachates from septic tanks caused nitrate pollution in residential areas. Soil nitrogen and animal waste were the sources of nitrate in groundwater under shrubland and grassland. Partial denitrification processes helped to attenuate nitrate concentration underneath agricultural lands and grassland, especially during summer months. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of waste water treatment plants to pesticide toxicity in agriculture catchments.

PubMed

Le, Trong Dieu Hien; Scharmüller, Andreas; Kattwinkel, Mira; Kühne, Ralph; Schüürmann, Gerrit; Schäfer, Ralf B

2017-11-01

Pesticide residues are frequently found in water bodies and may threaten freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. In addition to runoff or leaching from treated agricultural fields, pesticides may enter streams via effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). We compared the pesticide toxicity in terms of log maximum Toxic Unit (log mTU) of sampling sites in small agricultural streams of Germany with and without WWTPs in the upstream catchments. We found an approximately half log unit higher pesticide toxicity for sampling sites with WWTPs (p < 0.001). Compared to fungicides and insecticides, herbicides contributed most to the total pesticide toxicity in streams with WWTPs. A few compounds (diuron, terbuthylazin, isoproturon, terbutryn and Metazachlor) dominated the herbicide toxicity. Pesticide toxicity was not correlated with upstream distance to WWTP (Spearman's rank correlation, rho = - 0.11, p > 0.05) suggesting that other context variables are more important to explain WWTP-driven pesticide toxicity. Our results suggest that WWTPs contribute to pesticide toxicity in German streams. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Downstream mixing of sediment and tracers in agricultural catchments: Evidence of changing sediment sources and fluvial processes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ralph, Timothy; Wethered, Adam; Smith, Hugh; Heijnis, Henk

2014-05-01

Land clearance, soil tillage and grazing in agricultural catchments have liberated sediment and altered hydrological connectivity between hillslopes and channels, leading to increased sediment availability, mobilisation and delivery to rivers. The type and amount of sediment supplied to rivers is critical for fluvial geomorphology and aquatic ecosystem health. Contemporary sediment dynamics are routinely investigated using environmental radionuclides such as caesium-137 (Cs-137) and excess lead-210 (Pb-210ex), which can provide information regarding sediment source types and fluvial processes if sediment sources can be distinguished from one another and mixing models applied to representative samples. However, downstream transport, mixing and dilution of radionuclide-labelled sediment (especially from sources with low initial concentrations) can obliterate the tracer signal; sometimes before anything of geomorphological importance happens in the catchment. Can these findings be used as evidence of sediment source variations and fluvial processes when the limits of detection (of Cs-137 in particular) are being exceeded so rapidly downstream? Sediment sources and downstream sediment dynamics were investigated in Coolbaggie Creek, a major supplier of sediment to the Macquarie River in an agricultural catchment with temperate to semi-arid climate in Australia. Radionuclides were used to discriminate between the <63 micron fraction of sediment sources including forested topsoils (Cs-137 11.28 +/- 0.75 Bq/kg; Pb-210ex 181.87 +/- 20.00 Bq/kg), agricultural topsoils (Cs-137 3.21 +/- 0.26 Bq/kg; Pb-210ex 29.59 +/- 10.94 Bq/kg) and sub-soils from channel banks and gullies (Cs-137 1.45 +/- 0.47 Bq/kg; Pb-210ex 4.67 +/- 1.93 Bq/kg). Within the trunk stream, suspended sediment, organic matter and Cs-137 and Pb-210ex concentrations declined downstream. Results from a mixing model suggest that agricultural topsoils account for 95% of fine sediment entering the channel in the

Spatiotemporal patterns and source attribution of nitrogen pollution in a typical headwater agricultural watershed in Southeastern China.

PubMed

Chen, Wenjun; He, Bin; Nover, Daniel; Duan, Weili; Luo, Chuan; Zhao, Kaiyan; Chen, Wen

2018-01-01

Excessive nitrogen (N) discharge from agriculture causes widespread problems in aquatic ecosystems. Knowledge of spatiotemporal patterns and source attribution of N pollution is critical for nutrient management programs but is poorly studied in headwaters with various small water bodies and mini-point pollution sources. Taking a typical small watershed in the low mountains of Southeastern China as an example, N pollution and source attribution were studied for a multipond system around a village using the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) model. The results exhibited distinctive spatio-seasonal variations with an overall seriousness rank for the three indicators: total nitrogen (TN) > nitrate/nitrite nitrogen (NO x - -N) > ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), according to the Chinese Surface Water Quality Standard. TN pollution was severe for the entire watershed, while NO x - -N pollution was significant for ponds and ditches far from the village, and the NH 3 -N concentrations were acceptable except for the ponds near the village in summer. Although food and cash crop production accounted for the largest source of N loads, we discovered that mini-point pollution sources, including animal feeding operations, rural residential sewage, and waste, together contributed as high as 47% of the TN and NH 3 -N loads in ponds and ditches. So, apart from eco-fertilizer programs and concentrated animal feeding operations, the importance of environmental awareness building for resource management is highlighted for small farmers in headwater agricultural watersheds. As a first attempt to incorporate multipond systems into the process-based modeling of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, this work can inform other hydro-environmental studies on scattered and small water bodies. The results are also useful to water quality improvement for entire river basins.

ASSESSMENT OF RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL NONPOINT SOURCE PESTICIDE RUNOFF IN ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) runoff may result in significant discharges of pesticides, suspended sediments, and fertilizers into estuarine habitats adjacent to agricultural areas or downstream from agricultural watersheds. Exposure of estuarine fin fish and shellfish to to...

Implementation and evaluation of PM2.5 source contribution ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Source culpability assessments are useful for developing effective emissions control programs. The Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM) has been implemented in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to track contributions from source groups and regions to ambient levels and deposited amounts of primary and secondary inorganic PM2.5. Confidence in this approach is established by comparing ISAM source contribution estimates to emissions zero-out simulations recognizing that these approaches are not always expected to provide the same answer. The comparisons are expected to be most similar for more linear processes such as those involving primary emissions of PM2.5 and most different for non-linear systems like ammonium nitrate formation. Primarily emitted PM2.5 (e.g. elemental carbon), sulfur dioxide, ammonia, and nitrogen oxide contribution estimates compare well to zero-out estimates for ambient concentration and deposition. PM2.5 sulfate ion relationships are strong, but nonlinearity is evident and shown to be related to aqueous phase oxidation reactions in the host model. ISAM and zero-out contribution estimates are less strongly related for PM2.5 ammonium nitrate, resulting from instances of non-linear chemistry and negative responses (increases in PM2.5 due to decreases in emissions). ISAM is demonstrated in the context of an annual simulation tracking well characterized emissions source sectors and boundary conditions shows source contri

Fingerprinting Sources of Suspended Sediment in a Canadian Agricultural Watershed Using the MixSIAR Bayesian Unmixing Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. P.; Owens, P. N.; Gaspar, L.; Lobb, D. A.; Petticrew, E. L.

2015-12-01

An understanding of sediment redistribution processes and the main sediment sources within a watershed is needed to support watershed management strategies. The fingerprinting technique is increasingly being recognized as a method for establishing the source of the sediment transported within watersheds. However, the different behaviour of the various fingerprinting properties has been recognized as a major limitation of the technique, and the uncertainty associated with tracer selection needs to be addressed. There are also questions associated with which modelling approach (frequentist or Bayesian) is the best to unmix complex environmental mixtures, such as river sediment. This study aims to compare and evaluate the differences between fingerprinting predictions provided by a Bayesian unmixing model (MixSIAR) using different groups of tracer properties for use in sediment source identification. We used fallout radionuclides (e.g. 137Cs) and geochemical elements (e.g. As) as conventional fingerprinting properties, and colour parameters as emerging properties; both alone and in combination. These fingerprinting properties are being used (i.e. Koiter et al., 2013; Barthod et al., 2015) to determine the proportional contributions of fine sediment in the South Tobacco Creek Watershed, an agricultural watershed located in Manitoba, Canada. We show that the unmixing model using a combination of fallout radionuclides and geochemical tracers gave similar results to the model based on colour parameters. Furthermore, we show that a model that combines all tracers (i.e. radionuclide/geochemical and colour) gave similar results, showing that sediment sources change from predominantly topsoil in the upper reaches of the watershed to channel bank and bedrock outcrop material in the lower reaches. Barthod LRM et al. (2015). Selecting color-based tracers and classifying sediment sources in the assessment of sediment dynamics using sediment source fingerprinting. J Environ Qual

GCAM 3.0 Agriculture and Land Use: Data Sources and Methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kyle, G. Page; Luckow, Patrick; Calvin, Katherine V.

This report presents the data processing methods used in the GCAM 3.0 agriculture and land use component, starting from all source data used, and detailing all calculations and assumptions made in generating the model inputs. The report starts with a brief introduction to modeling of agriculture and land use in GCAM 3.0, and then provides documentation of the data and methods used for generating the base-year dataset and future scenario parameters assumed in the model input files. Specifically, the report addresses primary commodity production, secondary (animal) commodity production, disposition of commodities, land allocation, land carbon contents, and land values.

NASA's Contributions to Controlled Environment Agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Raymond M.

2016-01-01

It may come as a surprise, but NASA has been a long-standing sponsor of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) research. This is based on the potential for using plants (crops) for life support systems in space. Through photosynthesis, crops could produce food and oxygen for humans, while removing CO2. In addition, plant transpiration could help purify waste water. NASAs interest in bioregenerative life support dates back to the late 1950s. At that time, much of the testing focused on algae, but over the years moved toward higher plants as CEA techniques improved. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, extensive testing was carried out at different universities to gather horticultural data for a range of crops, including wheat, soybean, lettuce, potato, sweet potato, cowpea, rice and more. These studies examined different electric light sources, mineral nutrition, recirculating hydroponics, effects of CO2, temperature, photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and photoperiod on the crops, and identified cultivars that would be useful for space. Findings from these studies were then used to conduct large scale (20 sq m), closed atmosphere tests at Kennedy Space Center, and later at NASA Johnson Space Center, where plant growth chambers were linked to human habitats. Results showed that with high light input and careful horticultural management, about 20-25 sq m of crops under continuous cultivation could produce the O2 for one person, and about 40-50 sq m could produce enough dietary calories. The ability to sustain these production levels and accurately assess system costs and failures needs further study. In all likelihood, the use of plants for life support will evolve, where for early missions like the International Space Station, crops will be grown in small chambers to provide supplemental fresh foods. As mission durations and distances increase, the systems could expand to assume more of the life support burden. But the constraints of space travel require that these

Agricultural lung diseases.

PubMed Central

Kirkhorn, S R; Garry, V F

2000-01-01

Agriculture is considered one of the most hazardous occupations. Organic dusts and toxic gases constitute some of the most common and potentially disabling occupational and environmental hazards. The changing patterns of agriculture have paradoxically contributed to both improved working conditions and increased exposure to respiratory hazards. Animal confinement operations with increasing animal density, particularly swine confinement, have contributed significantly to increased intensity and duration of exposure to indoor air toxins. Ongoing research has implicated bacterial endotoxins, fungal spores, and the inherent toxicity of grain dusts as causes of upper and lower airway inflammation and as immunologic agents in both grain and animal production. Animal confinement gases, particularly ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, have been implicated as additional sources of respiratory irritants. It has become evident that a significant percentage of agricultural workers have clinical symptoms associated with long-term exposure to organic dusts and animal confinement gases. Respiratory diseases and syndromes, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, organic dust toxic syndrome, chronic bronchitis, mucous membrane inflammation syndrome, and asthmalike syndrome, result from ongoing acute and chronic exposures. In this review we focus upon the emerging respiratory health issues in a changing agricultural economic and technologic environment. Environmental and occupational hazards and exposures will be emphasized rather than clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods of prevention, from both engineering controls and personal respiratory perspectives, are also addressed. PMID:10931789

Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture: Development of a Regional Water Reuse Decision-Support Model (RWRM) for Cost-Effective Irrigation Sources.

PubMed

Tran, Quynh K; Schwabe, Kurt A; Jassby, David

2016-09-06

Water scarcity has become a critical problem in many semiarid and arid regions. The single largest water use in such regions is for crop irrigation, which typically relies on groundwater and surface water sources. With increasing stress on these traditional water sources, it is important to consider alternative irrigation sources for areas with limited freshwater resources. One potential irrigation water resource is treated wastewater for agricultural fields located near urban centers. In addition, treated wastewater can contribute an appreciable amount of necessary nutrients for plants. The suitability of reclaimed water for specific applications depends on water quality and usage requirements. The main factors that determine the suitability of recycled water for agricultural irrigation are salinity, heavy metals, and pathogens, which cause adverse effects on human, plants, and soils. In this paper, we develop a regional water reuse decision-support model (RWRM) using the general algebraic modeling system to analyze the cost-effectiveness of alternative treatment trains to generate irrigation water from reclaimed wastewater, with the irrigation water designed to meet crop requirements as well as California's wastewater reuse regulations (Title 22). Using a cost-minimization framework, least-cost solutions consisting of treatment processes and their intensities (blending ratios) are identified to produce alternative irrigation sources for citrus and turfgrass. Our analysis illustrates the benefits of employing an optimization framework and flexible treatment design to identify cost-effective blending opportunities that may produce high-quality irrigation water for a wide range of end uses.

Atmospheric aerosol source identification and estimates of source contributions to air pollution in Dundee, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Y.; Oduyemi, K.

Anthropogenic aerosol (PM 10) emission sources sampled at an air quality monitoring station in Dundee have been analysed. However, the information on local natural aerosol emission sources was unavailable. A method that combines receptor model and atmospheric dispersion model was used to identify aerosol sources and estimate source contributions to air pollution. The receptor model identified five sources. These are aged marine aerosol source with some chlorine replaced by sulphate, secondary aerosol source of ammonium sulphate, secondary aerosol source of ammonium nitrate, soil and construction dust source, and incinerator and fuel oil burning emission source. For the vehicle emission source, which has been comprehensively described in the atmospheric emission inventory but cannot be identified by the receptor model, an atmospheric dispersion model was used to estimate its contributions. In Dundee, a significant percentage, 67.5%, of the aerosol mass sampled at the study station could be attributed to the six sources named above.

Improved estimation of sediment source contributions by concentration-dependent Bayesian isotopic mixing model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ram Upadhayay, Hari; Bodé, Samuel; Griepentrog, Marco; Bajracharya, Roshan Man; Blake, Will; Cornelis, Wim; Boeckx, Pascal

2017-04-01

The implementation of compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) analyses of biotracers (e.g. fatty acids, FAs) as constraints on sediment-source contributions has become increasingly relevant to understand the origin of sediments in catchments. The CSSI fingerprinting of sediment utilizes CSSI signature of biotracer as input in an isotopic mixing model (IMM) to apportion source soil contributions. So far source studies relied on the linear mixing assumptions of CSSI signature of sources to the sediment without accounting for potential effects of source biotracer concentration. Here we evaluated the effect of FAs concentration in sources on the accuracy of source contribution estimations in artificial soil mixture of three well-separated land use sources. Soil samples from land use sources were mixed to create three groups of artificial mixture with known source contributions. Sources and artificial mixture were analysed for δ13C of FAs using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The source contributions to the mixture were estimated using with and without concentration-dependent MixSIAR, a Bayesian isotopic mixing model. The concentration-dependent MixSIAR provided the closest estimates to the known artificial mixture source contributions (mean absolute error, MAE = 10.9%, and standard error, SE = 1.4%). In contrast, the concentration-independent MixSIAR with post mixing correction of tracer proportions based on aggregated concentration of FAs of sources biased the source contributions (MAE = 22.0%, SE = 3.4%). This study highlights the importance of accounting the potential effect of a source FA concentration for isotopic mixing in sediments that adds realisms to mixing model and allows more accurate estimates of contributions of sources to the mixture. The potential influence of FA concentration on CSSI signature of sediments is an important underlying factor that determines whether the isotopic signature of a given source is observable

Contribution of bank erosion to the sediment budget of a drained agricultural lowland catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerdan, Olivier; Foucher, Anthony; Vandromme, Rosalie; Salvador-Blanes, Sébastien; Gay, Aurore; Landemaine, Valentin; Evrard, Olivier

2017-04-01

Following the shift towards more intensive agriculture in cultivated lowlands in Europe, field sizes have increased and stream valley meanderings have been removed and realigned along new straight field borders. These modifications have led to profound alterations of the hydromorphology of the streams. To test the impact of these modifications, the long-term and current volumes of sediment originating from stream banks were calculated as they provided potential sources of sediment in a large pond located at the outlet of a small agricultural lowland basin under strong anthropogenic pressure. Bank erosion was measured using several methodologies, i) over a short period using a set of erosion pins along a small stream (1400 m long) to quantify the material exported during a single winter season (2012/2013); ii) over the last 69 years using an original approach involving the comparison of a compilation of three-dimensional historical stream redesign plans from 1944 vs. new measurements conducted in 2013 (DGPS and LiDAR data); iii) over several decades by using tracers (137Cs) that can differentiate between surface and subsoil erosion. At the catchment scale, total sediment exports were estimated from 1945 to 2013 combining seismic imagery and core dating in the lake. Sediment exports decreased with time, from 300 t. km-2.yr-between 1954 and 1980 to 95 t. km-2.yr-1 between 1980 and 2013. Today, erosion rates recorded at the outlet of the catchment vary between 90-102 t.km-2.yr-1. Therefore, the order of magnitude of the mean export rate is approximately 180 t. km-2.yr-1 for the last 70 years. The contribution of channel banks to this sediment export was the highest ( 30%) between 1954 and 1980 when the ditches were constructed. For the entire period since the landscape modification, the contribution of bank erosion is lower but still reaches 20%. Bank erosion can therefore be considered as a significant contributor to the sediment budget of the lowland catchments that

A modeling study of coarse particulate matter pollution in Beijing: regional source contributions and control implications for the 2008 summer Olympics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Litao Wang; Jiming Hao; Kebin He

In the last 10 yr, Beijing has made a great effort to improve its air quality. However, it is still suffering from regional coarse particulate matter (PM10) pollution that could be a challenge to the promise of clean air during the 2008 Olympics. To provide scientific guidance on regional air pollution control, the Mesoscale Modeling System Generation 5 (MM5) and the Models-3/Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) air quality modeling system was used to investigate the contributions of emission sources outside the Beijing area to pollution levels in Beijing. The contributions to the PM10 concentrations in Beijing were assessed formore » the following sources: power plants, industry, domestic sources, transportation, agriculture, and biomass open burning. In January, it is estimated that on average 22% of the PM10 concentrations can be attributed to outside sources, of which domestic and industrial sources contributed 37 and 31%, respectively. In August, as much as 40% of the PM10 concentrations came from regional sources, of which approximately 41% came from industry and 31% from power plants. However, the synchronous analysis of the hourly concentrations, regional contributions, and wind vectors indicates that in the heaviest pollution periods the local emission sources play a more important role. The implications are that long-term control strategies should be based on regional-scale collaborations, and that emission abatement of local sources may be more effective in lowering the PM10 concentration levels on the heavy pollution days. Better air quality can be attained during the Olympics by placing effective emission controls on the local sources in Beijing and by controlling emissions from industry and power plants in the surrounding regions. 44 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Source Contributions at Regional Distances

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-14

Reston, VA 22091 Pasadena, CA 91125 Mr. William J. Best Prof. F. A. Dahlen 907 Westwood Drive Geological and Geophysical Sciences Vienna, VA 22180...PL-TR-91-2130 AD-A240 859 SOURCE CONTRIBUTIONS AT REGIONAL DISTANCES Karl Koch William Soroka Brian Stump Southern Methodist University Department of... William Soroka. Brian Stumo 13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVERED 114 DATE OF REPORT (Year, Month, Day) 115. PAGE COUNT Final ReDort I FROM09AUG88

Urban and agricultural contribution of annual loads of glyphosate and AMPA towards surface waters at the Orge River catchment scale (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botta, Fabrizio; Chevreuil, Marc; Blanchoud, Hélène

2010-05-01

exported amounts was carried out at the River scale. Different origins (agricultural zones, urban areas and wastewater treatment plants) were assessed to determine the contribution of each usage. These investigations showed the high impact of storm waters and wastewaters upon the Orge River contamination (90%), whereas the agricultural zone contributed to only 10 % of the glyphosate contamination of the River. Glyphosate contaminates the river by direct flow of rainfall sewers towards surface waters. AMPA in the Orge river originates from both degradation of glyphosate in agricultural soils (29%) and from urban sewers (79%). Glyphosate amount transferred via overflows between sewers is the main source (more than 95%) in wastewaters during application period and rainfall events, but represents only 50% of the annual load in wastewaters that reach treatment plants (WWTP). AMPA, always detected in wastewaters and WWTP, is partly related to domestic wastewaters (18 to 23% of the total load). A difference between glyphosate and AMPA load inputs in the Orge River and outputs load at the outlet was registered: Glyphosate load is decreasing downstream as AMPA is increasing, suggesting a degradation of glyphosate into the river. The rule of sediments could have a significant influence of the dynamic transport of glyphosate. The results of the budget calculation are supported by a strong and logical data collection, coupled with detailed spatial information and consciousness of estimation accuracy. Keywords: Catchment, glyphosate, AMPA, inputs, budget

Sediment source apportionment in Laurel Hill Creek, PA, using Bayesian chemical mass balance and isotope fingerprinting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, Heather; Massoudieh, Arash; Gellis, Allen C.

2015-01-01

A Bayesian chemical mass balance (CMB) approach was used to assess the contribution of potential sources for fluvial samples from Laurel Hill Creek in southwest Pennsylvania. The Bayesian approach provides joint probability density functions of the sources' contributions considering the uncertainties due to source and fluvial sample heterogeneity and measurement error. Both elemental profiles of sources and fluvial samples and 13C and 15N isotopes were used for source apportionment. The sources considered include stream bank erosion, forest, roads and agriculture (pasture and cropland). Agriculture was found to have the largest contribution, followed by stream bank erosion. Also, road erosion was found to have a significant contribution in three of the samples collected during lower-intensity rain events. The source apportionment was performed with and without isotopes. The results were largely consistent; however, the use of isotopes was found to slightly increase the uncertainty in most of the cases. The correlation analysis between the contributions of sources shows strong correlations between stream bank and agriculture, whereas roads and forest seem to be less correlated to other sources. Thus, the method was better able to estimate road and forest contributions independently. The hypothesis that the contributions of sources are not seasonally changing was tested by assuming that all ten fluvial samples had the same source contributions. This hypothesis was rejected, demonstrating a significant seasonal variation in the sources of sediments in the stream.

Exploration of risk factors contributing to the presence of influenza A virus in swine at agricultural fairs

PubMed Central

Bowman, Andrew S; Workman, Jeffrey D; Nolting, Jacqueline M; Nelson, Sarah W; Slemons, Richard D

2014-01-01

Influenza A virus infections occurring in exhibition swine populations at agricultural fairs during 2012 served as a source of H3N2 variant influenza A viruses transmitted to humans resulting in more than 300 documented cases. Prior to the outbreak, this investigation was initiated to identify fair-level risk factors contributing to influenza A virus infections in pigs at agricultural fairs. As part of an ongoing active surveillance program, nasal swabs and associated fair-level metadata were collected from pigs at 40 junior fair market swine shows held in Ohio during the 2012 fair season. Analyses of the data show that the adjusted odds of having influenza A virus-infected pigs at a fair were 1.27 (95% confidential interval (CI): 1.04–1.66) higher for every 20 pig increase in the size of the swine show. Additionally, four of the five fairs that hosted breeding swine shows in addition to their junior fair market swine shows had pigs test positive for influenza A virus. While the current study was limited to 40 fairs within one state, the findings provided insight for veterinary and public health officials developing mitigation strategies to decrease the intra- and inter-species transmission of influenza A virus at fairs. PMID:26038494

Transported vs. local contributions from secondary and biomass burning sources to PM2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Bong Mann; Seo, Jihoon; Kim, Jin Young; Lee, Ji Yi; Kim, Yumi

2016-11-01

The concentration of fine particulates in Seoul, Korea has been lowered over the past 10 years, as a result of the city's efforts in implementing environmental control measures. Yet, the particulate concentration level in Seoul remains high as compared to other urban areas globally. In order to further improve fine particulate air quality in the Korea region and design a more effective control strategy, enhanced understanding of the sources and contribution of fine particulates along with their chemical compositions is necessary. In turn, relative contributions from local and transported sources on Seoul need to be established, as this city is particularly influenced by sources from upwind geographic areas. In this study, PM2.5 monitoring was conducted in Seoul from October 2012 to September 2013. PM2.5 mass concentrations, ions, metals, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water soluble OC (WSOC), humic-like substances of carbon (HULIS-C), and 85 organic compounds were chemically analyzed. The multivariate receptor model SMP was applied to the PM2.5 data, which then identified nine sources and estimated their source compositions as well as source contributions. Prior studies have identified and quantified the transported and local sources. However, no prior studies have distinguished contributions of an individual source between transported contribution and locally produced contribution. We differentiated transported secondary and biomass burning sources from the locally produced secondary and biomass burning sources, which was supported with potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis. Of the total secondary source contribution, 32% was attributed to transported secondary sources, and 68% was attributed to locally formed secondary sources. Meanwhile, the contribution from the transported biomass burning source was revealed as 59% of the total biomass burning contribution, which was 1.5 times higher than that of the local biomass burning source

Emergy evaluation of the contribution of irrigation water, and its utilization, in three agricultural systems in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dan; Luo, Zhaohui; Webber, Michael; Chen, Jing; Wang, Weiguang

2014-09-01

Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate the contribution of irrigation water, and the process of its utilization, in three agricultural systems. The agricultural systems evaluated in this study were rice, wheat, and oilseed rape productions in an irrigation pumping district of China. A corresponding framework for emergy evaluation and sensitivity analysis methods was proposed. Two new indices, the fraction of irrigation water ( FIW), and the irrigation intensity of agriculture ( IIA), were developed to depict the contribution of irrigation water. The calculated FIW indicated that irrigation water used for the rice production system (34.7%) contributed more than irrigation water used for wheat (5.3%) and oilseed rape (11.2%) production systems in a typical dry year. The wheat production with an IIA of 19.0 had the highest net benefit from irrigation compared to the rice (2.9) and oilseed rape (8.9) productions. The transformities of the systems' products represented different energy efficiencies for rice (2.50E + 05 sej·J-1), wheat (1.66E + 05 sej·J-1) and oilseed rape (2.14E + 05 sej·J-1) production systems. According to several emergy indices, of the three systems evaluated, the rice system had the greatest level of sustainability. However, all of them were less sustainable than the ecological agricultural systems. A sensitivity analysis showed that the emergy inputs of irrigation water and nitrogenous fertilizer were the highest sensitivity factors influencing the emergy ratios. Best Management Practices, and other agroecological strategies, could be implemented to make further improvements in the sustainability of the three systems.

Source apportionment of heavy metals in agricultural soil based on PMF: A case study in Hexi Corridor, northwest China.

PubMed

Guan, Qingyu; Wang, Feifei; Xu, Chuanqi; Pan, Ninghui; Lin, Jinkuo; Zhao, Rui; Yang, Yanyan; Luo, Haiping

2018-02-01

Hexi Corridor is the most important base of commodity grain and producing area for cash crops. However, the rapid development of agriculture and industry has inevitably led to heavy metal contamination in the soils. Multivariate statistical analysis, GIS-based geostatistical methods and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor modeling techniques were used to understand the levels of heavy metals and their source apportionment for agricultural soil in Hexi Corridor. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were lower than the secondary standard of soil environmental quality; however, the concentrations of eight metals (Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V and Zn) were higher than background values, and their corresponding enrichment factor values were significantly greater than 1. Different degrees of heavy metal pollution occurred in the agricultural soils; specifically, Ni had the most potential for impacting human health. The results from the multivariate statistical analysis and GIS-based geostatistical methods indicated both natural sources (Co and W) and anthropogenic sources (Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V and Zn). To better identify pollution sources of heavy metals in the agricultural soils, the PMF model was applied. Further source apportionment revealed that enrichments of Pb and Zn were attributed to traffic sources; Cr and Ni were closely related to industrial activities, including mining, smelting, coal combustion, iron and steel production and metal processing; Zn and Cu originated from agricultural activities; and V, Ti and Mn were derived from oil- and coal-related activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agriculture and Water Quality. Issues in Agricultural Policy. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 548.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowder, Bradley M.; And Others

Agriculture generates byproducts that may contribute to the contamination of the United States' water supply. Any effective regulations to ban or restrict agricultural chemical or land use practices in order to improve water quality will affect the farm economy. Some farmers will benefit; some will not. Most agricultural pollutants reach surface…

Source identification and spatial distribution of arsenic and heavy metals in agricultural soil around Hunan industrial estate by positive matrix factorization model, principle components analysis and geo statistical analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaowen; Wei, Shuai; Sun, Qianqian; Wadood, Syed Abdul; Guo, Boli

2018-09-15

Characterizing the distribution and defining potential sources of arsenic and heavy metals are the basic preconditions for reducing the contamination of heavy metals and metalloids. 71 topsoil samples and 61 subsoil samples were collected by grid method to measure the concentration of cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr). Principle components analysis (PCA), GIS-based geo-statistical methods and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) were applied. The results showed that the mean concentrations were 9.59 mg kg -1 , 51.28 mg kg -1 , 202.07 mg kg -1 , 81.32 mg kg -1 and 771.22 mg kg -1 for Cd, As, Pb, Cu and Zn, respectively, higher than the guideline values of Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils; while the concentrations of Ni and Cr were very close to recommended value (50 mg kg -1 , 200 mg kg -1 ), and some site were higher than guideline values. The soil was polluted by As and heavy metals in different degree, which had harmful impact on human health. The results from principle components analysis methods extracted three components, namely industrial sources (Cd, Zn and Pb), agricultural sources (As and Cu) and nature sources (Cr and Ni). GIS-based geo-statistical combined with local conditions further apportioned the sources of these trace elements. To better identify pollution sources of As and heavy metals in soil, the PMF was applied. The results of PMF demonstrated that the enrichment of Zn, Cd and Pb were attributed to industrial activities and their contribution was 24.9%; As was closely related to agricultural activities and its contribution was 19.1%; Cr, a part of Cu and Ni were related to subsoil and their contribution was 30.1%; Cu and Pb came from industry and traffic emission and their contribution was 25.9%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An innovative expression model of human health risk based on the quantitative analysis of soil metals sources contribution in different spatial scales.

PubMed

Zhang, Yimei; Li, Shuai; Wang, Fei; Chen, Zhuang; Chen, Jie; Wang, Liqun

2018-09-01

Toxicity of heavy metals from industrialization poses critical concern, and analysis of sources associated with potential human health risks is of unique significance. Assessing human health risk of pollution sources (factored health risk) concurrently in the whole and the sub region can provide more instructive information to protect specific potential victims. In this research, we establish a new expression model of human health risk based on quantitative analysis of sources contribution in different spatial scales. The larger scale grids and their spatial codes are used to initially identify the level of pollution risk, the type of pollution source and the sensitive population at high risk. The smaller scale grids and their spatial codes are used to identify the contribution of various sources of pollution to each sub region (larger grid) and to assess the health risks posed by each source for each sub region. The results of case study show that, for children (sensitive populations, taking school and residential area as major region of activity), the major pollution source is from the abandoned lead-acid battery plant (ALP), traffic emission and agricultural activity. The new models and results of this research present effective spatial information and useful model for quantifying the hazards of source categories and human health a t complex industrial system in the future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From deposition to erosion: Spatial and temporal variability of sediment sources, storage, and transport in a small agricultural watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Florsheim, J.L.; Pellerin, B.A.; Oh, N.H.; Ohara, N.; Bachand, P.A.M.; Bachand, Sandra M.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Hernes, P.J.; Kavvas, M.L.

2011-01-01

The spatial and temporal variability of sediment sources, storage, and transport were investigated in a small agricultural watershed draining the Coast Ranges and Sacramento Valley in central California. Results of field, laboratory, and historical data analysis in the Willow Slough fluvial system document changes that transformed a transport-limited depositional system to an effective erosion and transport system, despite a large sediment supply. These changes were caused by a combination of factors: (i) an increase in transport capacity, and (ii) hydrologic alteration. Alteration of the riparian zone and drainage network pattern during the past ~ 150 years included a twofold increase in straightened channel segments along with a baselevel change from excavation that increased slope, and increased sediment transport capacity by ~ 7%. Hydrologic alteration from irrigation water contributions also increased transport capacity, by extending the period with potential for sediment transport and erosion by ~ 6 months/year. Field measurements document Quaternary Alluvium as a modern source of fine sediment with grain size distributions characterized by 5 to 40% fine material. About 60% of an upland and 30% of a lowland study reach incised into this deposit exhibit bank erosion. During this study, the wet 2006 and relatively dry 2007 water years exhibited a range of total annual suspended sediment load spanning two orders of magnitude: ~ 108,500 kg/km2/year during 2006 and 5,950 kg/km2/year during 2007, only 5% of that during the previous year. Regional implications of this work are illustrated by the potential for a small tributary such as Willow Slough to contribute sediment – whereas large dams limit sediment supply from larger tributaries – to the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay Delta and Estuary. This work is relevant to lowland agricultural river–floodplain systems globally in efforts to restore aquatic and riparian functions and where water quality

Sediment sources in a small agricultural catchment: A composite fingerprinting approach based on the selection of potential sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Huiping; Chang, Weina; Zhang, Longjiang

2016-08-01

Fingerprinting techniques have been widely used as a reasonable and reliable means for investigating sediment sources, especially in relatively large catchments in which there are significant differences in surface materials. However, the discrimination power of fingerprint properties for small catchments, in which the surface materials are relatively homogeneous and human interference is marked, may be affected by fragmentary or confused source information. Using fingerprinting techniques can be difficult, and there is still a need for further studies to verify the effectiveness of such techniques in these small catchments. A composite fingerprinting approach was used in this study to investigate the main sources of sediment output, as well as their relative contributions, from a small catchment (30 km2) with high levels of farming and mining activities. The impact of the selection of different potential sediment sources on the derivation of composite fingerprints and its discrimination power were also investigated by comparing the results from different combinations of potential source types. The initial source types and several samples that could cause confusion were adjusted. These adjustments improved the discrimination power of the composite fingerprints. The results showed that the composite fingerprinting approach used in this study had a discriminatory efficiency of 89.2% for different sediment sources and that the model had a mean goodness of fit of 0.90. Cultivated lands were the main sediment source. The sediment contribution of the studied cultivated lands ranged from 39.9% to 87.8%, with a mean of 76.6%, for multiple deposited sediment samples. The mean contribution of woodlands was 21.7%. Overall, the sediment contribution from mining and road areas was relatively low. The selection of potential sources is an important factor in the application of fingerprinting techniques and warrants more attention in future studies, as is the case with other

Global fire emissions and the contribution of deforestation, savanna, forest, agricultural, and peat fires (1997-2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Werf, G. R.; Randerson, J. T.; Giglio, L.; Collatz, G. J.; Mu, M.; Kasibhatla, P. S.; Morton, D. C.; Defries, R. S.; Jin, Y.; van Leeuwen, T. T.

2010-12-01

savannas (44%) with smaller contributions from tropical deforestation and degradation fires (20%), woodland fires (mostly confined to the tropics, 16%), forest fires (mostly in the extratropics, 15%), agricultural waste burning (3%), and tropical peat fires (3%). The contribution from agricultural waste fires was likely a lower bound because our approach for measuring burned area could not detect all of these relatively small fires. Total carbon emissions were on average 13% lower than in our previous (GFED2) work. For reduced trace gases such as CO and CH4, deforestation, degradation, and peat fires were more important contributors because of higher emissions of reduced trace gases per unit carbon combusted compared to savanna fires. Carbon emissions from tropical deforestation, degradation, and peatland fires were on average 0.5 Pg C year-1. The carbon emissions from these fires may not be balanced by regrowth following fire. Our results provide the first global assessment of the contribution of different sources to total global fire emissions for the past decade, and supply the community with an improved 13-year fire emissions time series.

Global Tree Cover and Biomass Carbon on Agricultural Land: The contribution of agroforestry to global and national carbon budgets.

PubMed

Zomer, Robert J; Neufeldt, Henry; Xu, Jianchu; Ahrends, Antje; Bossio, Deborah; Trabucco, Antonio; van Noordwijk, Meine; Wang, Mingcheng

2016-07-20

Agroforestry systems and tree cover on agricultural land make an important contribution to climate change mitigation, but are not systematically accounted for in either global carbon budgets or national carbon accounting. This paper assesses the role of trees on agricultural land and their significance for carbon sequestration at a global level, along with recent change trends. Remote sensing data show that in 2010, 43% of all agricultural land globally had at least 10% tree cover and that this has increased by 2% over the previous ten years. Combining geographically and bioclimatically stratified Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 default estimates of carbon storage with this tree cover analysis, we estimated 45.3 PgC on agricultural land globally, with trees contributing >75%. Between 2000 and 2010 tree cover increased by 3.7%, resulting in an increase of >2 PgC (or 4.6%) of biomass carbon. On average, globally, biomass carbon increased from 20.4 to 21.4 tC ha(-1). Regional and country-level variation in stocks and trends were mapped and tabulated globally, and for all countries. Brazil, Indonesia, China and India had the largest increases in biomass carbon stored on agricultural land, while Argentina, Myanmar, and Sierra Leone had the largest decreases.

Global Tree Cover and Biomass Carbon on Agricultural Land: The contribution of agroforestry to global and national carbon budgets

PubMed Central

Zomer, Robert J.; Neufeldt, Henry; Xu, Jianchu; Ahrends, Antje; Bossio, Deborah; Trabucco, Antonio; van Noordwijk, Meine; Wang, Mingcheng

2016-01-01

Agroforestry systems and tree cover on agricultural land make an important contribution to climate change mitigation, but are not systematically accounted for in either global carbon budgets or national carbon accounting. This paper assesses the role of trees on agricultural land and their significance for carbon sequestration at a global level, along with recent change trends. Remote sensing data show that in 2010, 43% of all agricultural land globally had at least 10% tree cover and that this has increased by 2% over the previous ten years. Combining geographically and bioclimatically stratified Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 default estimates of carbon storage with this tree cover analysis, we estimated 45.3 PgC on agricultural land globally, with trees contributing >75%. Between 2000 and 2010 tree cover increased by 3.7%, resulting in an increase of >2 PgC (or 4.6%) of biomass carbon. On average, globally, biomass carbon increased from 20.4 to 21.4 tC ha−1. Regional and country-level variation in stocks and trends were mapped and tabulated globally, and for all countries. Brazil, Indonesia, China and India had the largest increases in biomass carbon stored on agricultural land, while Argentina, Myanmar, and Sierra Leone had the largest decreases. PMID:27435095

Chloride Sources and Losses in Two Tile-Drained Agricultural Watersheds.

PubMed

David, Mark B; Mitchell, Corey A; Gentry, Lowell E; Salemme, Ronald K

2016-01-01

Chloride is a relatively unreactive plant nutrient that has long been used as a biogeochemical tracer but also can be a pollutant causing aquatic biology impacts when concentrations are high, typically from rock salt applications used for deicing roads. Chloride inputs to watersheds are most often from atmospheric deposition, road salt, or agricultural fertilizer, although studies on agricultural watersheds with large fertilizer inputs are few. We used long-term (21 and 17 yr) chloride water quality data in two rivers of east-central Illinois to better understand chloride biogeochemistry in two agricultural watersheds (Embarras and Kaskaskia), the former with a larger urban land use and both with extensive tile drainage. During our sampling period, the average chloride concentration was 23.7 and 20.9 mg L in the Embarras and Kaskaskia Rivers, respectively. Annual fluxes of chloride were 72.5 and 61.2 kg ha yr in the Embarras and Kaskaskia watersheds, respectively. In both watersheds, fertilizer chloride was the dominant input (∼49 kg ha yr), with road salt likely the other major source (23.2 and 7.2 kg ha yr for the Embarras and Kaskaskia watersheds, respectively). Combining our monitoring data with earlier published data on the Embarras River showed an increase in chloride concentrations as potash use increased in Illinois during the 1960s and 1970s with a lag of about 2 to 6 yr to changes in potash inputs based on a multiple-regression model. In these agricultural watersheds, riverine chloride responds relatively quickly to potash fertilization as a result of tile-drainage. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Potential pollutant sources in a Choptank River subwatershed: Influence of agricultural and residential land use and aqueous and atmospheric sources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agriculture and animal feeding operations have been implicated as sources of water pollution along the Choptank River, an estuary and tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. This study examined a subwatershed within the Choptank River watershed for effects of land use on water quality. Water and sediment...

Identification of nitrogen sources to four small lakes in the agricultural region of Khorezm, Uzbekistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shanafield, M.; Rosen, M.; Saito, L.; Chandra, S.; Lamers, J.; Nishonov, Bakhriddin

2010-01-01

Pollution of inland waters by agricultural land use is a concern in many areas of the world, and especially in arid regions, where water resources are inherently scarce. This study used physical and chemical water quality and stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) measurements from zooplankton to examine nitrogen (N) sources and concentrations in four small lakes of Khorezm, Uzbekistan, an arid, highly agricultural region, which is part of the environmentally-impacted Aral Sea Basin. During the 2-year study period, ammonium concentrations were the highest dissolved inorganic N species in all lakes, with a maximum of 3.00 mg N l−1 and an average concentration of 0.62 mg N l−1. Nitrate levels were low, with a maximum concentration of 0.46 mg N l−1 and an average of 0.05 mg N l−1 for all four lakes. The limited zooplankton δ15N values did not correlate with the high loads of synthetic fertilizer applied to local croplands during summer months. These results suggest that the N cycles in these lakes may be more influenced by regional dynamics than agricultural activity in the immediate surroundings. The Amu-Darya River, which provides the main source of irrigation water to the region, was identified as a possible source of the primary N input to the lakes.

Levels, sources and probabilistic health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the agricultural soils from sites neighboring suburban industries in Shanghai.

PubMed

Tong, Ruipeng; Yang, Xiaoyi; Su, Hanrui; Pan, Yue; Zhang, Qiuzhuo; Wang, Juan; Long, Mingce

2018-03-01

The levels, sources and quantitative probabilistic health risks for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in agricultural soils in the vicinity of power, steel and petrochemical plants in the suburbs of Shanghai are discussed. The total concentration of 16 PAHs in the soils ranges from 223 to 8214ng g -1 . The sources of PAHs were analyzed by both isomeric ratios and a principal component analysis-multiple linear regression method. The results indicate that PAHs mainly originated from the incomplete combustion of coal and oil. The probabilistic risk assessments for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks posed by PAHs in soils with adult farmers as concerned receptors were quantitatively calculated by Monte Carlo simulation. The estimated total carcinogenic risks (TCR) for the agricultural soils has a 45% possibility of exceeding the acceptable threshold value (10 -6 ), indicating potential adverse health effects. However, all non-carcinogenic risks are below the threshold value. Oral intake is the dominant exposure pathway, accounting for 77.7% of TCR, while inhalation intake is negligible. The three PAHs with the highest contribution for TCR are BaP (64.35%), DBA (17.56%) and InP (9.06%). Sensitivity analyses indicate that exposure frequency has the greatest impact on the total risk uncertainty, followed by the exposure dose through oral intake and exposure duration. These results indicate that it is essential to manage the health risks of PAH-contaminated agricultural soils in the vicinity of typical industries in megacities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Basic biogenic aerosol precursors: Agricultural source attribution of volatile amines revised

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, U.; Sintermann, J.; Spirig, C.; Jocher, M.; Ammann, C.; Neftel, A.

2011-08-01

Despite recent evidence on an important role of volatile amines in the nucleation of particulate matter, very scarce information is available on their atmospheric abundance and source distribution. Previous measurements in animal housings had identified livestock husbandry as the main amine source, with trimethylamine (TMA) being the key component. This has led to the assumption that the agricultural sources for amines are similar as for ammonia, emitted throughout the cascade of animal excretion, storage and application in the field. In this study, we present the first micrometeorological flux measurements as well as dynamic enclosure experiments showing that the amine source strength from stored slurry is negligible, implying significant consequences for the global amine emission inventory. In the case of cattle, amine production is attributed to the animal's rumination activity and exhalation is suggested to be an important emission pathway, similar to the greenhouse gas methane. Fodder like hay and silage also emits volatile amines, potentially assigning these alkaloid compounds a key function in enhancing particle formation in remote areas.

The Treatment Train approach to reducing non-point source pollution from agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, N.; Reaney, S. M.; Barker, P. A.; Benskin, C.; Burke, S.; Cleasby, W.; Haygarth, P.; Jonczyk, J. C.; Owen, G. J.; Snell, M. A.; Surridge, B.; Quinn, P. F.

2016-12-01

An experimental approach has been applied to an agricultural catchment in NW England, where non-point pollution adversely affects freshwater ecology. The aim of the work (as part of the River Eden Demonstration Test Catchment project) is to develop techniques to manage agricultural runoff whilst maintaining food production. The approach used is the Treatment Train (TT), which applies multiple connected mitigation options that control nutrient and fine sediment pollution at source, and address polluted runoff pathways at increasing spatial scale. The principal agricultural practices in the study sub-catchment (1.5 km2) are dairy and stock production. Farm yards can act as significant pollution sources by housing large numbers of animals; these areas are addressed initially with infrastructure improvements e.g. clean/dirty water separation and upgraded waste storage. In-stream high resolution monitoring of hydrology and water quality parameters showed high-discharge events to account for the majority of pollutant exports ( 80% total phosphorus; 95% fine sediment), and primary transfer routes to be surface and shallow sub-surface flow pathways, including drains. To manage these pathways and reduce hydrological connectivity, a series of mitigation features were constructed to intercept and temporarily store runoff. Farm tracks, field drains, first order ditches and overland flow pathways were all targeted. The efficacy of the mitigation features has been monitored at event and annual scale, using inflow-outflow sampling and sediment/nutrient accumulation measurements, respectively. Data presented here show varied but positive results in terms of reducing acute and chronic sediment and nutrient losses. An aerial fly-through of the catchment is used to demonstrate how the TT has been applied to a fully-functioning agricultural landscape. The elevated perspective provides a better understanding of the spatial arrangement of mitigation features, and how they can be

Management of unregulated agricultural nonpoint sources through water quality trading market.

PubMed

Mahjoobi, Emad; Sarang, Amin; Ardestani, Mojtaba

2016-11-01

Water quality trading (WQT) could be an innovative policy to incentivize farmers to implement best management practices (BMPs) for their activities. This study focused on assessment of involving unregulated agricultural nonpoint sources (NPS) into the WQT market in Gharesoo watershed in the west of Iran. It also proposes a methodology to determine location-based trading ratios as well as environmental penalty cost to achieve a more well-designed market structure. Trading activities in different scenarios were described by trading volume (TV), participation rate (PR), total exchanged value (TEV), and other market parameters in order to achieve a better comparison of market performance. Results showed that, by applying NPS to the Gharesoo watershed, total phosphorous (TP) trading market could increase TV, PR, and TEV up to 11, 1.7 and 7.5 times, respectively, depending on which level of BMPs are implemented by them. Additionally, it could save 29% of the total cost of implementing a TP total maximum daily load in this watershed compared to the 'command and control' approach. Furthermore, the agricultural sector could profit by $5.49 million (or $75/ha) by choosing solutions such as terrace systems and filter strips to register into the market. This profit can be allocated to the development of new agricultural technologies.

Sources and processes contributing to nitrogen deposition: an adjoint model analysis applied to biodiversity hotspots worldwide.

PubMed

Paulot, Fabien; Jacob, Daniel J; Henze, Daven K

2013-04-02

Anthropogenic enrichment of reactive nitrogen (Nr) deposition is an ecological concern. We use the adjoint of a global 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) to identify the sources and processes that control Nr deposition to an ensemble of biodiversity hotspots worldwide and two U.S. national parks (Cuyahoga and Rocky Mountain). We find that anthropogenic sources dominate deposition at all continental sites and are mainly regional (less than 1000 km) in origin. In Hawaii, Nr supply is controlled by oceanic emissions of ammonia (50%) and anthropogenic sources (50%), with important contributions from Asia and North America. Nr deposition is also sensitive in complicated ways to emissions of SO2, which affect Nr gas-aerosol partitioning, and of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which affect oxidant concentrations and produce organic nitrate reservoirs. For example, VOC emissions generally inhibit deposition of locally emitted NOx but significantly increase Nr deposition downwind. However, in polluted boreal regions, anthropogenic VOC emissions can promote Nr deposition in winter. Uncertainties in chemical rate constants for OH + NO2 and NO2 hydrolysis also complicate the determination of source-receptor relationships for polluted sites in winter. Application of our adjoint sensitivities to the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios for 2010-2050 indicates that future decreases in Nr deposition due to NOx emission controls will be offset by concurrent increases in ammonia emissions from agriculture.

Implications of salinity pollution hotspots on agricultural production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Floerke, Martina; Fink, Julia; Malsy, Marcus; Voelker, Jeanette; Alcamo, Joseph

2016-04-01

Salinity pollution can have many negative impacts on water resources used for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Elevated concentrations of salinity in irrigation water can lead to decreased crop production or crop death and, thus, causing an economic problem. Overall, salinity pollution is a global problem but tends to be more severe in arid and semi-arid regions where the dilution capacity of rivers and lakes is lower and the use of irrigation higher. Particularly in these regions agricultural production is exposed to high salinity of irrigation water as insufficient water quality further reduces the available freshwater resources. According to the FAO, irrigated agriculture contributes about 40 percent of the total food production globally, and therefore, high salinity pollution poses a major concern for food production and food security. We use the WaterGAP3 modeling framework to simulate hydrological, water use, and water quality conditions on a global scale for the time period 1990 to 2010. The modeling framework is applied to simulate total dissolved solids (TDS) loadings and in-stream concentrations from different point and diffuse sources to get an insight on potential environmental impacts as well as risks to agricultural food production. The model was tested and calibrated against observed data from GEMStat and literature sources. Although global in scope, the focus of this study is on developing countries, i.e., in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as these are most threatened by salinity pollution. Furthermore, insufficient water quality for irrigation and therefore restrictions in irrigation water use are examined, indicating limitations to crop production. Our results show that elevated salinity concentrations in surface waters mainly occur in peak irrigation regions as irrigated agriculture is not only the most relevant water use sector contributing to water abstractions, but also the dominant source of salinity pollution. Additionally

Source contribution analysis of surface particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in northeastern Asia by source-receptor relationships.

PubMed

Inomata, Yayoi; Kajino, Mizuo; Sato, Keiichi; Ohara, Toshimasa; Kurokawa, Jun-ichi; Ueda, Hiromasa; Tang, Ning; Hayakawa, Kazuichi; Ohizumi, Tsuyoshi; Akimoto, Hajime

2013-11-01

We analyzed the source-receptor relationships for particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in northeastern Asia using an aerosol chemical transport model. The model successfully simulated the observed concentrations. In Beijing (China) benzo[a]pyren (BaP) concentrations are due to emissions from its own domain. In Noto, Oki and Tsushima (Japan), transboundary transport from northern China (>40 °N, 40-60%) and central China (30-40 °N, 10-40%) largely influences BaP concentrations from winter to spring, whereas the relative contribution from central China is dominant (90%) in Hedo. In the summer, the contribution from Japanese domestic sources increases (40-80%) at the 4 sites. Contributions from Japan and Russia are additional source of BaP over the northwestern Pacific Ocean in summer. The contribution rates for the concentrations from each domain are different among PAH species depending on their particulate phase oxidation rates. Reaction with O3 on particulate surfaces may be an important component of the PAH oxidation processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative identification of nitrate pollution sources and uncertainty analysis based on dual isotope approach in an agricultural watershed.

PubMed

Ji, Xiaoliang; Xie, Runting; Hao, Yun; Lu, Jun

2017-10-01

Quantitative identification of nitrate (NO 3 - -N) sources is critical to the control of nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in an agricultural watershed. Combined with water quality monitoring, we adopted the environmental isotope (δD-H 2 O, δ 18 O-H 2 O, δ 15 N-NO 3 - , and δ 18 O-NO 3 - ) analysis and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) mixing model to determine the proportions of riverine NO 3 - -N inputs from four potential NO 3 - -N sources, namely, atmospheric deposition (AD), chemical nitrogen fertilizer (NF), soil nitrogen (SN), and manure and sewage (M&S), in the ChangLe River watershed of eastern China. Results showed that NO 3 - -N was the main form of nitrogen in this watershed, accounting for approximately 74% of the total nitrogen concentration. A strong hydraulic interaction existed between the surface and groundwater for NO 3 - -N pollution. The variations of the isotopic composition in NO 3 - -N suggested that microbial nitrification was the dominant nitrogen transformation process in surface water, whereas significant denitrification was observed in groundwater. MCMC mixing model outputs revealed that M&S was the predominant contributor to riverine NO 3 - -N pollution (contributing 41.8% on average), followed by SN (34.0%), NF (21.9%), and AD (2.3%) sources. Finally, we constructed an uncertainty index, UI 90 , to quantitatively characterize the uncertainties inherent in NO 3 - -N source apportionment and discussed the reasons behind the uncertainties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing the ozone formation potential of agricultural sources in California's San Joaquin Valley: A computational and experimental approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Cody Jerome

The global pattern of expanding urban centers and increasing agricultural intensity is leading to more frequent interactions between air pollution emissions from urban and agricultural sources. The confluence of these emissions that traditionally have been separated by hundreds of kilometers is creating new air quality challenges in numerous regions across the United States. An area of particular interest is California's San Joaquin Valley (SJV), which has an agricultural output higher than many countries, a rapidly expanding human population, and ozone concentrations that are already higher than many dense urban areas. New regulations in the SJV restrict emissions of reactive organic gases (ROG) from animal sources in an attempt to meet Federal and State ozone standards designed to protect human health. A transportable "smog" chamber was developed and tested to directly measure the ozone formation potential of a variety of agricultural emissions in representative urban and rural atmospheres. After validation of the experimental procedure, four animal types were examined: beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, and poultry, as well as six commonly used animal feeds: cereal silage (wheat grain and oat grain), alfalfa silage, corn silage, high moisture ground corn, almond shells, almond hulls, and total mixed ration. The emitted ROG composition was also measured so that the theoretical incremental reactivity could be calculated for a variety of atmospheres and directly compared with the measured ozone formation potential (OFP) under the experimental conditions. A computational model was created based on a modified form of the Caltech Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism and validated against experimental results. After validation, the computational model was used to predict OFP across a range of NOx and ROG concentrations. The ROG OFP measurements combined with adjusted agricultural ROG emissions inventory estimates were used to predict the actual ozone production in the SJV

Agricultural non-point source pollution of glyphosate and AMPA at a catchment scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada, Elena; Perez, Debora; De Geronimo, Eduardo; Aparicio, Virginia; Costa, Jose Luis

2017-04-01

can be attributed to deposition of soil particles that are washed from the field. On the other hand, more than 90 % of the soil samples had glyphosate and AMPA. The highest concentrations were found in the month of June, corresponding to the fallow period were glyphosate is applied as a chemical weed controller in no-till systems. Glyphosate and AMPA detection in groundwater samples was 24% and 35%, respectively. The highest glyphosate levels in groundwater also corresponded to the month of June. Glyphosate occurrence in groundwater was transient, that is, in most of the cases glyphosate was not detected in the subsequent sampling months. The contamination of shallow groundwater (<20 m) by glyphosate is likely relatively short-term in duration due to its fast degradation. These results indicate that there is a higher risk of agricultural non-point source pollution in the months of herbicide application, that may contribute to groundwater contamination. This is of extreme relevance in the southeast of the Buenos Aires Province, since the main source of drinking water and irrigation is from groundwater resources

Sources of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to Irish rivers: estimates from the Source Load Apportionment Model (SLAM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mockler, Eva; Deakin, Jenny; Archbold, Marie; Daly, Donal; Bruen, Michael

2017-04-01

More than half of the river and lake water bodies in Europe are at less than good ecological status or potential, and diffuse pollution from agriculture remains a major, but not the only, cause of this poor performance. In Ireland, it is evident that agri-environmental policy and land management practices have, in many areas, reduced nutrient emissions to water, mitigating the potential impact on water quality. However, additional measures may be required in order to further decouple the relationship between agricultural productivity and emissions to water, which is of vital importance given the on-going agricultural intensification in Ireland. Catchment management can be greatly supported by modelling, which can reduce the resources required to analyse large amounts of information and can enable investigations and measures to be targeted. The Source Load Apportionment Model (SLAM) framework was developed to support catchment management in Ireland by characterising the contributions from various sources of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) emissions to water. The SLAM integrates multiple national spatial datasets relating to nutrient emissions to surface water, including land use and physical characteristics of the sub-catchments to predict emissions from point (wastewater, industry discharges and septic tank systems) and diffuse sources (agriculture, forestry, peatlands, etc.). The annual nutrient emissions predicted by the SLAM were assessed against nutrient monitoring data for 16 major river catchments covering 50% of the area of Ireland. At national scale, results indicate that the total average annual emissions to surface water in Ireland are over 2,700 t yr-1 of P and 80,000 t yr-1 of N. The SLAM results include the proportional contributions from individual sources at a range of scales from sub-catchment to national, and show that the main sources of P are from wastewater and agriculture, with wide variations across the country related to local anthropogenic

Agricultural biotechnology and its contribution to the global knowledge economy.

PubMed

Aerni, Philipp

2007-01-01

The theory of neoclassical welfare economics largely shaped international and national agricultural policies during the Cold War period. It treated technology as an exogenous factor that could boost agricultural productivity but not necessarily sustainable agriculture. New growth theory, the economic theory of the new knowledge economy, treats technological change as endogenous and argues that intangible assets such as human capital and knowledge are the drivers of sustainable economic development. In this context, the combined use of agricultural biotechnology and information technology has a great potential, not just to boost economic growth but also to empower people in developing countries and improve the sustainable management of natural resources. This article outlines the major ideas behind new growth theory and explains why agricultural economists and agricultural policy-makers still tend to stick to old welfare economics. Finally, the article uses the case of the Cassava Biotechnology Network (CBN) to illustrate an example of how new growth theory can be applied in the fight against poverty. CBN is a successful interdisciplinary crop research network that makes use of the new knowledge economy to produce new goods that empower the poor and improve the productivity and nutritional quality of cassava. It shows that the potential benefits of agricultural biotechnology go far beyond the already known productivity increases and pesticide use reductions of existing GM crops.

User's Guide for the Agricultural Non-Point Source (AGNPS) Pollution Model Data Generator

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Michael P.; Scheidt, Douglas J.; Jaromack, Gregory M.

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND Throughout this user guide, we refer to datasets that we used in conjunction with developing of this software for supporting cartographic research and producing the datasets to conduct research. However, this software can be used with these datasets or with more 'generic' versions of data of the appropriate type. For example, throughout the guide, we refer to national land cover data (NLCD) and digital elevation model (DEM) data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at a 30-m resolution, but any digital terrain model or land cover data at any appropriate resolution will produce results. Another key point to keep in mind is to use a consistent data resolution for all the datasets per model run. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the Agricultural Nonpoint Source (AGNPS) pollution model of watershed hydrology in response to the complex problem of managing nonpoint sources of pollution. AGNPS simulates the behavior of runoff, sediment, and nutrient transport from watersheds that have agriculture as their prime use. The model operates on a cell basis and is a distributed parameter, event-based model. The model requires 22 input parameters. Output parameters are grouped primarily by hydrology, sediment, and chemical output (Young and others, 1995.) Elevation, land cover, and soil are the base data from which to extract the 22 input parameters required by the AGNPS. For automatic parameter extraction, follow the general process described in this guide of extraction from the geospatial data through the AGNPS Data Generator to generate input parameters required by the pollution model (Finn and others, 2002.)

Nitrogen deposition and its contribution to nutrient inputs to intensively managed agricultural ecosystems.

PubMed

He, Chun-E; Wang, Xin; Liu, Xuejun; Fangmeier, Andreas; Christie, Peter; Zhang, Fusuo

2010-01-01

Interest in nitrogen inputs via atmospheric deposition to agricultural ecosystems has increased recently, especially on the North China Plain because of extremely intensive agricultural systems and rapid urbanization in this region. Nitrogen deposition may make a significant contribution to crop N requirements but may also impose a considerable nutrient burden on the environment in general. We quantified total N deposition at two locations, Dongbeiwang near Beijing and Quzhou in Hebei province, over a two-year period from 2005 to 2007 using an 15N tracer method, the integrated total N input (ITNI) system. Total airborne N inputs to a maize wheat rotation system at both locations ranged from 99 to 117 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1), with higher N deposition during the maize season (57-66 kg N/ha) than the wheat season (42-51 kg N/ha). Plant available N from deposition for maize and wheat was about 52 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1), accounting for 50% of the total N deposition or 31% of total N uptake by the two crop species. In addition, a correction factor was derived for the maize season to adjust values obtained from small pots (0.057 m2) compared with field trays (0.98 m2) because of higher plant density in the pots. The results indicate that atmospheric N deposition is a very important N input and must be taken into account when calculating nutrient budgets in very intensively managed agricultural ecosystems.

A VSA-based strategy for placing conservation buffers in agricultural watersheds.

PubMed

Qiu, Zeyuan

2003-09-01

Conservation buffers have the potential to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution and improve terrestrial wildlife habitat, landscape biodiversity, flood control, recreation, and aesthetics. Conservation buffers, streamside areas and riparian wetlands are being used or have been proposed to control agricultural nonpoint source pollution. This paper proposes an innovative strategy for placing conservation buffers based on the able source area (VSA) hydrology. VSAs are small, variable but predictable portion of a watershed that regularly contributes to runoff generation. The VSA-based strategy involves the following three steps: first, identifying VSAs in landscapes based on natural characteristics such as hydrology, land use/cover, topography and soils; second, targeting areas within VSAs for conservation buffers; third, refining the size and location of conservation buffers based on other factors such as weather, environmental objectives, available funding and other best management practices. Building conservation buffers in VSAs allows agricultural runoff to more uniformly enter buffers and stay there longer, which increases the buffer's capacity to remove sediments and nutrients. A field-scale example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the within-VSA conservation buffer scenario relative to a typical edge-of-field buffer scenario. The results enhance the understanding of hydrological processes and interactions between agricultural lands and conservation buffers in agricultural landscapes, and provide practical guidance for land resource managers and conservationists who use conservation buffers to improve water quality and amenity values of agricultural landscape.

Tracking nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in human-impacted watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaushal, Sujay S.; Groffman, Peter M; Band, Lawrence; Elliott, Emily M.; Shields, Catherine A.; Kendall, Carol

2011-01-01

Nonpoint source nitrogen (N) pollution is a leading contributor to U.S. water quality impairments. We combined watershed N mass balances and stable isotopes to investigate fate and transport of nonpoint N in forest, agricultural, and urbanized watersheds at the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research site. Annual N retention was 55%, 68%, and 82% for agricultural, suburban, and forest watersheds, respectively. Analysis of δ15N-NO3–, and δ18O-NO3– indicated wastewater was an important nitrate source in urbanized streams during baseflow. Negative correlations between δ15N-NO3– and δ18O-NO3– in urban watersheds indicated mixing between atmospheric deposition and wastewater, and N source contributions changed with storm magnitude (atmospheric sources contributed ∼50% at peak storm N loads). Positive correlations between δ15N-NO3– and δ18O-NO3– in watersheds suggested denitrification was removing septic system and agriculturally derived N, but N from belowground leaking sewers was less susceptible to denitrification. N transformations were also observed in a storm drain (no natural drainage network) potentially due to organic carbon inputs. Overall, nonpoint sources such as atmospheric deposition, wastewater, and fertilizer showed different susceptibility to watershed N export. There were large changes in nitrate sources as a function of runoff, and anticipating source changes in response to climate and storms will be critical for managing nonpoint N pollution.

Using Microbial Source Tracking Markers to Predict Occurrence of Waterborne Pathogens in Urban and Agricultural Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Runoff from agricultural fields and urban landscapes may carry a variety of microbial contaminants that compromises water quality and increases the possibility of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. Establishing the relationship between microbial source tracking (MST) ma...

U.S.-State Agricultural Data. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 512.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Womack, Letricia M.; Traub, Larry G.

This report presents agricultural information for each state and the United States as a whole for the years 1981-1985. Included are data on population, land use, agricultural production, farm income, value of assets on farms, and selected characteristics of farms. The primary data sources are the "1982 Census of Agriculture," the…

The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale.

PubMed

Lelieveld, J; Evans, J S; Fnais, M; Giannadaki, D; Pozzer, A

2015-09-17

Assessment of the global burden of disease is based on epidemiological cohort studies that connect premature mortality to a wide range of causes, including the long-term health impacts of ozone and fine particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5). It has proved difficult to quantify premature mortality related to air pollution, notably in regions where air quality is not monitored, and also because the toxicity of particles from various sources may vary. Here we use a global atmospheric chemistry model to investigate the link between premature mortality and seven emission source categories in urban and rural environments. In accord with the global burden of disease for 2010 (ref. 5), we calculate that outdoor air pollution, mostly by PM2.5, leads to 3.3 (95 per cent confidence interval 1.61-4.81) million premature deaths per year worldwide, predominantly in Asia. We primarily assume that all particles are equally toxic, but also include a sensitivity study that accounts for differential toxicity. We find that emissions from residential energy use such as heating and cooking, prevalent in India and China, have the largest impact on premature mortality globally, being even more dominant if carbonaceous particles are assumed to be most toxic. Whereas in much of the USA and in a few other countries emissions from traffic and power generation are important, in eastern USA, Europe, Russia and East Asia agricultural emissions make the largest relative contribution to PM2.5, with the estimate of overall health impact depending on assumptions regarding particle toxicity. Model projections based on a business-as-usual emission scenario indicate that the contribution of outdoor air pollution to premature mortality could double by 2050.

Contributions to cities' ambient particulate matter (PM): A systematic review of local source contributions at global level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagulian, Federico; Belis, Claudio A.; Dora, Carlos Francisco C.; Prüss-Ustün, Annette M.; Bonjour, Sophie; Adair-Rohani, Heather; Amann, Markus

2015-11-01

For reducing health impacts from air pollution, it is important to know the sources contributing to human exposure. This study systematically reviewed and analysed available source apportionment studies on particulate matter (of diameter of 10 and 2.5 microns, PM10 and PM2.5) performed in cities to estimate typical shares of the sources of pollution by country and by region. A database with city source apportionment records, estimated with the use of receptor models, was also developed and available at the website of the World Health Organization. Systematic Scopus and Google searches were performed to retrieve city studies of source apportionment for particulate matter. Six source categories were defined. Country and regional averages of source apportionment were estimated based on city population weighting. A total of 419 source apportionment records from studies conducted in cities of 51 countries were used to calculate regional averages of sources of ambient particulate matter. Based on the available information, globally 25% of urban ambient air pollution from PM2.5 is contributed by traffic, 15% by industrial activities, 20% by domestic fuel burning, 22% from unspecified sources of human origin, and 18% from natural dust and salt. The available source apportionment records exhibit, however, important heterogeneities in assessed source categories and incompleteness in certain countries/regions. Traffic is one important contributor to ambient PM in cities. To reduce air pollution in cities and the substantial disease burden it causes, solutions to sustainably reduce ambient PM from traffic, industrial activities and biomass burning should urgently be sought. However, further efforts are required to improve data availability and evaluation, and possibly to combine with other types of information in view of increasing usefulness for policy making.

Source identification of eight hazardous heavy metals in agricultural soils of Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.

PubMed

Cai, Limei; Xu, Zhencheng; Ren, Mingzhong; Guo, Qingwei; Hu, Xibang; Hu, Guocheng; Wan, Hongfu; Peng, Pingan

2012-04-01

One hundred and four surface samples and 40 profiles samples in agricultural soils collected from Huizhou in south-east China were monitored for total contents of 8 heavy metals, and analyzed by multivariate statistical techniques and enrichment factor (EF), in order to investigate their origins. The results indicate that the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, As and Hg in soils are 16.74, 57.21, 14.89, 27.61, 44.66, 0.10, 10.19 and 0.22 mg/kg, respectively. Compared to the soil background contents in Guangdong Province, the mean concentrations of Hg, Cd, Zn, Pb and As in soil of Huizhou are higher, especially Hg and Cd, which are 2.82 and 1.79 times the background values, respectively. Cr, Ni, Cu, partially, Zn and Pb mainly originate from a natural source. Cd, As, partially, Zn mainly come from agricultural practices. However, Hg, partially, Pb originate mainly from industry and traffic sources. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combustion quality analysis of briquettes from variety of agricultural waste as source of alternative fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryaningsih, S.; Nurhilal, O.; Yuliah, Y.; Mulyana, C.

2017-05-01

The increasing in world population and the industrial sector led to increased demand for energy sources. To do this by utilizing the agricultural waste as a fuel source of alternative energy in the form of bio briquette. The aim at this study was to obtain data onto the characteristics of a wide variety of biomass briquettes from waste agricultural industry. The basic ingredients used are biomass waste from coconut husks, sawdust, rice husks and coffee husks. Each of these biomass residues are dried, crushed, then mixed with starch adhesives. This mixture is molded and dried using sunlight. Each type of briquettes was characterized and analyzed the physical-chemical properties, including calorific value, water content, fixed carbon content and the results were compared with charcoal and coal that was used as fuel in public. The results showed that bio briquettes from coconut husks get the highest calorific value of 4,451 cal/g.

Selection and application of agricultural wastes as solid carbon sources and biofilm carriers in MBR.

PubMed

Yang, Xiao-Li; Jiang, Qi; Song, Hai-Liang; Gu, Tian-Tian; Xia, Ming-Qian

2015-01-01

This paper examined the feasibility of agricultural wastes used as solid carbon sources and the effect of determined agricultural wastes on improving denitrification. Eight agricultural wastes were evaluated in MBR tests to find out their carbon release capacity, denitrification potential, leaching elements and surface properties. The results showed that retinervus luffae fructus, wheat straw, corncob and rice straw had higher carbon release capacity with COD of 13.17-21.07 mg g(-1)day(-1), BOD5 of 3.33-7.33 mg g(-1)day(-1) and respirable carbon of 8.64-10.71 mg g(-1)day(-1). Correspondingly, they displayed a good denitrification potential of 105.3-140.1mg NO3(-)-Ng(-1). Rice straw, retinervus luffae fructus and corncob were then applied in MBRs. These three agricultural wastes were found to be effective in enhancing the denitrification process, where the TN removal increased from 43.44% (control MBR) to 82.34, 68.92 and 62.97%, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

U.S.-State Agricultural Data. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 501.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Womack, Letricia M.; And Others

This report presents agricultural information for each of the 50 states and the United States. Data are provided on population, land use, agricultural production, farm income, value of assets on farms, and selected characteristics of farms, such as size, tenure, and farm organization. Primary data sources are the 1982 Census of Agriculture and the…

Land-atmosphere coupling and soil moisture memory contribute to long-term agricultural drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, S.; Newman, M.; Lawrence, D. M.; Livneh, B.; Lombardozzi, D. L.

2017-12-01

We assessed the contribution of land-atmosphere coupling and soil moisture memory on long-term agricultural droughts in the US. We performed an ensemble of climate model simulations to study soil moisture dynamics under two atmospheric forcing scenarios: active and muted land-atmosphere coupling. Land-atmosphere coupling contributes to a 12% increase and 36% decrease in the decorrelation time scale of soil moisture anomalies in the US Great Plains and the Southwest, respectively. These differences in soil moisture memory affect the length and severity of modeled drought. Consequently, long-term droughts are 10% longer and 3% more severe in the Great Plains, and 15% shorter and 21% less severe in the Southwest. An analysis of Coupled Model Intercomparsion Project phase 5 data shows four fold uncertainty in soil moisture memory across models that strongly affects simulated long-term droughts and is potentially attributable to the differences in soil water storage capacity across models.

Agricultural Wastes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jewell, W. J.; Switzenbaum, M. S.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of agricultural wastes, covering publications of 1976-77. Some of the areas covered are: (1) water characteristics and impacts; (2) waste treatment; (3) reuse of agricultural wastes; and (4) nonpoint pollution sources. A list of 150 references is also presented. (HM)

Environmental evaluation of high-value agricultural produce with diverse water sources: case study from Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Eric M.; Stokes-Draut, Jennifer R.; Horvath, Arpad

2018-02-01

Meeting agricultural demand in the face of a changing climate will be one of the major challenges of the 21st century. California is the single largest agricultural producer in the United States but is prone to extreme hydrologic events, including multi-year droughts. Ventura County is one of California’s most productive growing regions but faces water shortages and deteriorating water quality. The future of California’s agriculture is dependent on our ability to identify and implement alternative irrigation water sources and technologies. Two such alternative water sources are recycled and desalinated water. The proximity of high-value crops in Ventura County to both dense population centers and the Pacific Ocean makes it a prime candidate for alternative water sources. This study uses highly localized spatial and temporal data to assess life-cycle energy use, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, operational costs, applied water demand, and on-farm labor requirements for four high-value crops. A complete switch from conventional irrigation with groundwater and surface water to recycled water would increase the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with strawberry, lemon, celery, and avocado production by approximately 14%, 7%, 59%, and 9%, respectively. Switching from groundwater and surface water to desalinated water would increase life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 33%, 210%, 140%, and 270%, respectively. The use of recycled or desalinated water for irrigation is most financially tenable for strawberries due to their relatively high value and close proximity to water treatment facilities. However, changing strawberry packaging has a greater potential impact on life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions than switching the water source. While this analysis does not consider the impact of water quality on crop yields, previous studies suggest that switching to recycled water could result in significant yield increases due to its lower

Quantitative sediment source attribution with compound-specific isotope analysis in a C3 plant-dominated catchment (central Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alewell, Christine; Birkholz, Axel; Meusburger, Katrin; Schindler Wildhaber, Yael; Mabit, Lionel

2016-03-01

As sediment loads impact freshwater systems and infrastructure, their origin in complex landscape systems is of crucial importance for sustainable management of agricultural catchments. We differentiated the sediment source contribution to a lowland river in central Switzerland by using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA). We found a clear distinction of sediment sources originating from forest and agricultural land use. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the uncertainty of sediment source attribution in: (i) using compound content (in our case, long-chain fatty acids; FAs) rather than soil organic matter content to transfer δ13C signal of FAs to soil contribution and (ii) restricting the investigation to the long-chain FAs (> C22 : 0) not to introduce errors due to aquatic contributions from algae and microorganisms. Results showed unambiguously that during base flow, agricultural land contributed up to 65 % of the suspended sediments, while forest was the dominant sediment source during high flow. This indicates that connectivity of sediment source areas within the river changes between base and high flow conditions. Uncertainty, which might occur in complex, large-scale studies due to undetected source attribution and/or CSSI signature degradation, is low because of limited data complexity in our study (i.e., two-three sources and two tracers). Our findings are the first published results highlighting (i) significant differences in compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) signature of sediment sources from land uses dominated by C3 plant cultivation and (ii) the use of these differences to quantify sediment contribution to a small river.

Study on the quantitative relationship between Agricultural water and fertilization process and non-point source pollution based on field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Chen, K.; Wu, Z.; Guan, X.

2017-12-01

In recent years, with the prominent of water environment problem and the relative increase of point source pollution governance, especially the agricultural non-point source pollution problem caused by the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides has become increasingly aroused people's concern and attention. In order to reveal the quantitative relationship between agriculture water and fertilizer and non-point source pollution, on the basis of elm field experiment and combined with agricultural drainage irrigation model, the agricultural irrigation water and the relationship between fertilizer and fertilization scheme and non-point source pollution were analyzed and calculated by field emission intensity index. The results show that the variation of displacement varies greatly under different irrigation conditions. When the irrigation water increased from 22cm to 42cm, the irrigation water increased by 20 cm while the field displacement increased by 11.92 cm, about 66.22% of the added value of irrigation water. Then the irrigation water increased from 42 to 68, irrigation water increased 26 cm, and the field displacement increased by 22.48 cm, accounting for 86.46% of irrigation water. So there is an "inflection point" between the irrigation water amount and field displacement amount. The load intensity increases with the increase of irrigation water and shows a significant power correlation. Under the different irrigation condition, the increase amplitude of load intensity with the increase of irrigation water is different. When the irrigation water is smaller, the load intensity increase relatively less, and when the irrigation water increased to about 42 cm, the load intensity will increase considerably. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the fertilization and load intensity. The load intensity had obvious difference in different fertilization modes even with same fertilization level, in which the fertilizer field unit load intensity

Sustainability of agricultural water use worldwide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuninetti, M.; Tamea, S.; Dalin, C.

2017-12-01

Water is a renewable but limited resource. Most human use of freshwater resources is for agriculture, and global water demand for agriculture is increasing because of the growth in food demand, driven by increasing population and changing diets. Hence, measuring the pressure exerted by agriculture on freshwater sources is a key issue. The sustainability of water use depends on the water source renewability rate: the water use is not sustainable (depleting the water storage) where/when it exceeds the renewable freshwater availability. In this study, we explore the sustainability of rain and irrigation water use for the production of nine major crops, globally at a 5'x5' spatial resolution. We split the crop water use into soil moisture (from rainfall) and irrigation, with, for the first time, separating ground- and surface-water sources, which is a key distinction because the renewability of these two water sources can be very different. In order to physically quantify the extent to which crop water use is sustainable, we measure the severity of the source depletion as the number of years required for the hydrological cycle to replenish the water resource used by the annual crop production, namely the Water Debt. This newly developed indicator allows one to compare the depletion level of the three water sources at a certain location for a specific crop. Hence, we mapped, for each crop, the number of years required to replenish the water withdrawn from soil-, surface- and ground-water resources. Each map identifies the hotspots for each water source, highlighting regions and crops that threaten most the water resource. We found that the water debt with soil moisture is heterogeneous in space but always lower than one year indicating a non-surprising sustainability of rain-fed agriculture. Rice and sugarcane make the largest contribution to global soil moisture depletion. Water debt in surface water is particularly high in areas of intense wheat and cotton production

Microbial metabolites in nutrition, healthcare and agriculture.

PubMed

Singh, Rajendra; Kumar, Manoj; Mittal, Anshumali; Mehta, Praveen Kumar

2017-05-01

Microorganisms are a promising source of an enormous number of natural products, which have made significant contribution to almost each sphere of human, plant and veterinary life. Natural compounds obtained from microorganisms have proved their value in nutrition, agriculture and healthcare. Primary metabolites, such as amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, organic acids and alcohol are used as nutritional supplements as well as in the production of industrial commodities through biotransformation. Whereas, secondary metabolites are organic compounds that are largely obtained by extraction from plants or tissues. They are primarily used in the biopharmaceutical industry due to their capability to reduce infectious diseases in human beings and animals and thus increase the life expectancy. Additionally, microorganisms and their products inevitably play a significant role in sustainable agriculture development.

Comparison of Online Agricultural Information Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reneau, Fred; Patterson, Richard

1984-01-01

Outlines major online agricultural information services--agricultural databases, databases with agricultural services, educational databases in agriculture--noting services provided, access to the database, and costs. Benefits of online agricultural database sources (availability of agricultural marketing, weather, commodity prices, management…

Developing Surveillance Methodology for Agricultural and Logging Injury in New Hampshire Using Electronic Administrative Data Sets.

PubMed

Scott, Erika E; Hirabayashi, Liane; Krupa, Nicole L; Sorensen, Julie A; Jenkins, Paul L

2015-08-01

Agriculture and logging rank among industries with the highest rates of occupational fatality and injury. Establishing a nonfatal injury surveillance system is a top priority in the National Occupational Research Agenda. Sources of data such as patient care reports (PCRs) and hospitalization data have recently transitioned to electronic databases. Using narrative and location codes from PCRs, along with International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, external cause of injury codes (E-codes) in hospital data, researchers are designing a surveillance system to track farm and logging injury. A total of 357 true agricultural or logging cases were identified. These data indicate that it is possible to identify agricultural and logging injury events in PCR and hospital data. Multiple data sources increase catchment; nevertheless, limitations in methods of identification of agricultural and logging injury contribute to the likely undercount of injury events.

Agricultural production and nutrient runoff in the Corn Belt: Assessing dynamic environmental performance

EPA Science Inventory

Agricultural production in the Corn Belt region of the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) remains a leading source of nitrogen runoff that contributes to the annual hypoxic 'Dead Zone' in the Gulf of Mexico. The rise of corn production, land conversion, and fertilizer use in re...

Quantification of spatial and seasonal variations in the proportional contribution of nitrate sources using a multi-isotope approach and Bayesian isotope mixing model.

PubMed

Meghdadi, Aminreza; Javar, Narmin

2018-04-01

Spatial and seasonal variations in nitrate contamination are a globally concern. While numerous studies have used δ 15 N-NO 3 and δ 18 O-NO 3 to elucidate the dominant sources of nitrate in groundwater, this approach has significant limitations due to the overlap of nitrate isotopic ranges and the occurrence of nitrate isotopic fractionation. This study quantitatively assessed the spatial and seasonal variations in the proportional contributions of nitrate sources from different land uses in the Tarom watershed in North-West Iran. To achieve this aim, orthogonal projection of the hydrochemical and isotopic dataset of the principal component analysis (PCA) as well as correlation coefficient matrix (Corr-PCA) were evaluated to reduce the dimensionality of the inter-correlated dataset. Next, a nitrate isotopic biplot accompanied with a Bayesian isotope mixing model (SIAR) were applied to specify the spatial and seasonal trends in the proportional contribution of three dominant sources of nitrate (fertilizers, animal manure and residential waste) in the watershed. Finally, in order to provide a sensitive framework for nitrate source appointment and overcome the associated limitations of dual nitrate isotope application, the integration of boron isotope (δ 11 B) and strontium isotopic ratio ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) was introduced. The results revealed that the mean contribution of residential sewage increased (17%-27.5%), while the mean contribution of fertilizers decreased (28.3%-19%), from late spring to early autumn. Also, fertilizer was the highest contributor (42.1% ± 3.2) during late spring, especially in regions with more than 75% agricultural land. Meanwhile, the mean contribution of sewage was highest in early autumn (32.1% ± 2.8) in the areas with more than 20% residential land. These results were confirmed by coupled application of δ 11 B and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. This study provides a useful insight for environmental managers to verify groundwater pollution

Bayesian nitrate source apportionment to individual groundwater wells in the Central Valley by use of elemental and isotopic tracers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ransom, Katherine M; Grote, Mark N.; Deinhart, Amanda; Eppich, Gary; Kendall, Carol; Sanborn, Matthew E.; Sounders, A. Kate; Wimpenny, Joshua; Yin, Qing-zhu; Young, Megan B.; Harter, Thomas

2016-01-01

Groundwater quality is a concern in alluvial aquifers that underlie agricultural areas, such as in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Shallow domestic wells (less than 150 m deep) in agricultural areas are often contaminated by nitrate. Agricultural and rural nitrate sources include dairy manure, synthetic fertilizers, and septic waste. Knowledge of the relative proportion that each of these sources contributes to nitrate concentration in individual wells can aid future regulatory and land management decisions. We show that nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate, boron isotopes, and iodine concentrations are a useful, novel combination of groundwater tracers to differentiate between manure, fertilizers, septic waste, and natural sources of nitrate. Furthermore, in this work, we develop a new Bayesian mixing model in which these isotopic and elemental tracers were used to estimate the probability distribution of the fractional contributions of manure, fertilizers, septic waste, and natural sources to the nitrate concentration found in an individual well. The approach was applied to 56 nitrate-impacted private domestic wells located in the San Joaquin Valley. Model analysis found that some domestic wells were clearly dominated by the manure source and suggests evidence for majority contributions from either the septic or fertilizer source for other wells. But, predictions of fractional contributions for septic and fertilizer sources were often of similar magnitude, perhaps because modeled uncertainty about the fraction of each was large. For validation of the Bayesian model, fractional estimates were compared to surrounding land use and estimated source contributions were broadly consistent with nearby land use types.

A Bayesian Multivariate Receptor Model for Estimating Source Contributions to Particulate Matter Pollution using National Databases.

PubMed

Hackstadt, Amber J; Peng, Roger D

2014-11-01

Time series studies have suggested that air pollution can negatively impact health. These studies have typically focused on the total mass of fine particulate matter air pollution or the individual chemical constituents that contribute to it, and not source-specific contributions to air pollution. Source-specific contribution estimates are useful from a regulatory standpoint by allowing regulators to focus limited resources on reducing emissions from sources that are major contributors to air pollution and are also desired when estimating source-specific health effects. However, researchers often lack direct observations of the emissions at the source level. We propose a Bayesian multivariate receptor model to infer information about source contributions from ambient air pollution measurements. The proposed model incorporates information from national databases containing data on both the composition of source emissions and the amount of emissions from known sources of air pollution. The proposed model is used to perform source apportionment analyses for two distinct locations in the United States (Boston, Massachusetts and Phoenix, Arizona). Our results mirror previous source apportionment analyses that did not utilize the information from national databases and provide additional information about uncertainty that is relevant to the estimation of health effects.

Nitrate in aquifers beneath agricultural systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkart, M.R.; Stoner, J.D.

2002-01-01

Research from several regions of the world provides spatially anecdotal evidence to hypothesize which hydrologic and agricultural factors contribute to groundwater vulnerability to nitrate contamination. Analysis of nationally consistent measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey's NAWOA program confirms these hypotheses for a substantial range of agricultural systems. Shallow unconfined aquifers are most susceptible to nitrate contamination associated with agricultural systems. Alluvial and other unconsolidated aquifers are the most vulnerable and shallow carbonate aquifers provide a substantial but smaller contamination risk. Where any of these aquifers are overlain by permeable soils the risk of contamination is larger. Irrigated systems can compound this vulnerability by increasing leaching facilitated by additional recharge and additional nutrient applications. The agricultural system of corn, soybeans, and hogs produced significantly larger concentrations of groundwater nitrate than all other agricultural systems, although mean nitrate concentrations in counties with dairy, poultry, cattle and grains, and horticulture systems were similar. If trends in the relation between increased fertilizer use and groundwater nitrate in the United States are repeated in other regions of the world, Asia may experience increasing problems because of recent increases in fertilizer use. Groundwater monitoring in Western and Eastern Europe as well as Russia over the next decade may provide data to determine if the trend in increased nitrate contamination can be reversed. If the concentrated livestock trend in the United States is global, it may be accompanied by increasing nitrogen contamination in groundwater. Concentrated livestock provide both point sources in the confinement area and intense non-point sources as fields close to facilities are used for manure disposal. Regions where irrigated cropland is expanding, such as in Asia, may experience the greatest impact of

7 CFR 1484.51 - What are ineligible contributions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What are ineligible contributions? 1484.51 Section 1484.51 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT... AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES Contributions and Reimbursements § 1484.51 What are ineligible contributions? (a) The...

Important fossil source contribution to brown carbon in Beijing during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Caiqing; Zheng, Mei; Bosch, Carme; Andersson, August; Desyaterik, Yury; Sullivan, Amy P.; Collett, Jeffrey L.; Zhao, Bin; Wang, Shuxiao; He, Kebin; Gustafsson, Örjan

2017-03-01

Organic aerosol (OA) constitutes a substantial fraction of fine particles and affects both human health and climate. It is becoming clear that OA absorbs light substantially (hence termed Brown Carbon, BrC), adding uncertainties to global aerosol radiative forcing estimations. The few current radiative-transfer and chemical-transport models that include BrC primarily consider sources from biogenic and biomass combustion. However, radiocarbon fingerprinting here clearly indicates that light-absorbing organic carbon in winter Beijing, the capital of China, is mainly due to fossil sources, which contribute the largest part to organic carbon (OC, 67 ± 3%) and its sub-constituents (water-soluble OC, WSOC: 54 ± 4%, and water-insoluble OC, WIOC: 73 ± 3%). The dual-isotope (Δ14C/δ13C) signatures, organic molecular tracers and Beijing-tailored emission inventory identify that this fossil source is primarily from coal combustion activities in winter, especially from the residential sector. Source testing on Chinese residential coal combustion provides direct evidence that intensive coal combustion could contribute to increased light-absorptivity of ambient BrC in Beijing winter. Coal combustion is an important source to BrC in regions such as northern China, especially during the winter season. Future modeling of OA radiative forcing should consider the importance of both biomass and fossil sources.

Important fossil source contribution to brown carbon in Beijing during winter

PubMed Central

Yan, Caiqing; Zheng, Mei; Bosch, Carme; Andersson, August; Desyaterik, Yury; Sullivan, Amy P.; Collett, Jeffrey L.; Zhao, Bin; Wang, Shuxiao; He, Kebin; Gustafsson, Örjan

2017-01-01

Organic aerosol (OA) constitutes a substantial fraction of fine particles and affects both human health and climate. It is becoming clear that OA absorbs light substantially (hence termed Brown Carbon, BrC), adding uncertainties to global aerosol radiative forcing estimations. The few current radiative-transfer and chemical-transport models that include BrC primarily consider sources from biogenic and biomass combustion. However, radiocarbon fingerprinting here clearly indicates that light-absorbing organic carbon in winter Beijing, the capital of China, is mainly due to fossil sources, which contribute the largest part to organic carbon (OC, 67 ± 3%) and its sub-constituents (water-soluble OC, WSOC: 54 ± 4%, and water-insoluble OC, WIOC: 73 ± 3%). The dual-isotope (Δ14C/δ13C) signatures, organic molecular tracers and Beijing-tailored emission inventory identify that this fossil source is primarily from coal combustion activities in winter, especially from the residential sector. Source testing on Chinese residential coal combustion provides direct evidence that intensive coal combustion could contribute to increased light-absorptivity of ambient BrC in Beijing winter. Coal combustion is an important source to BrC in regions such as northern China, especially during the winter season. Future modeling of OA radiative forcing should consider the importance of both biomass and fossil sources. PMID:28266611

Tracing suspended sediment sources in the Upper Sangamon River Basin using conservative and non-conservative tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, M.; Rhoads, B. L.; Stumpf, A.

2015-12-01

As the awareness of water pollution, eutrophication and other water related environmental concerns grows, the significance of sediment in the transport of nutrients and contaminants from agricultural areas to streams has received increasing attention. Both the physical and geochemical properties of suspended sediment are strongly controlled by sediment sources. Thus, tracing sources of suspended sediment in watersheds is important for the design of management practices to reduce sediment loads and contributions of sediment-adsorbed nutrients from agricultural areas to streams. However, the contributions of different sediment sources to suspended sediment loads within intensively managed watersheds in the Midwest still remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to assess the provenance of suspended sediment and the relation between channel morphology and production of suspended sediment in the Upper Sangamon River Basin, Illinois, USA. The 3,690-km2 Upper Sangamon River Basin is characterized by low-relief, agricultural lands dominated by row-crop agriculture. Sediment source samples were collected in the Saybrook from five potential sources: farmland, forests, floodplains, river banks, and grasslands. Event-based and accumulated suspended sediment samples were collected by ISCO automatic pump samplers and in situ suspended sediment samplers and from the stream at watershed outlet. A quantitative geochemical fingerprinting technique, combining statistically verified multicomponent signatures and an un-mixing model, was employed to estimate the relative contributions of sediment from five potential sources to the suspended sediment loads. Organic matter content, trace elements, and radionuclides from soil samples were used as potential tracers. Our preliminary results indicate that the majority of suspended sediment is derived from floodplains in the downstream portions of the watersheds, while only minor amounts of suspended sediment are derived from upland

Contribution of natural terrestrial sources to the atmospheric chloroform budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhew, R. C.; Abel, T.; Pan, D.; Whelan, M.

2008-12-01

Chloroform (trichloromethane, CHCl3) is the second largest carrier of natural chlorine in the troposphere after methyl chloride, contributing to the reactive chlorine burden in the troposphere and to ozone destruction in the stratosphere. Our understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of atmospheric CHCl3 has undergone major adjustments recently, including the quantification of the total atmospheric burden of this compound, the estimated global source and sink strengths, and the relative contributions of anthropogenic versus natural contributions. Numerous natural terrestrial sources have been identified, including temperate peatlands, Arctic tundra, termite mounds, salt marshes, grasslands, forests and woodlands. However, the wide variability of fluxes within each ecosystem has complicated efforts to quantify the overall terrestrial source. In addition, the environmental and biogeochemical controls remain largely unknown. We shall present a comparison of recent CHCl3 flux measurements that cover a range of biome types and climatic conditions. To address within-biome variability, flux measurements from the Arctic tundra and temperate grasslands will be compared to common environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, soil moisture, solar insolation) and other trace gas fluxes (CH3Cl, CH4, CCl4). The generally poor correlations demonstrate that the variability of CHCl3 emissions may be affected by site-specific parameters that are not currently measured or by drastic changes in hydrologic conditions. Similar patterns are observed in laboratory incubations of tundra peat and grassland soils. We explore the possibility that the humification of plant material, which has been shown to produce organochlorine compounds through the chlorination of organic matter, may contribute to CHCl3 emissions. If this link exists, then CHCl3 production could potentially act as a proxy for organic matter degradation and carbon sequestration, essential biogeochemical and ecosystem

Nonpoint Source Pollution: Agriculture, Forestry, and Mining. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buskirk, E. Drannon, Jr.

Nonpoint sources of pollution have diffuse origins and are major contributors to water quality problems in both urban and rural areas. Addressed in this instructor's manual are the identification, assessment, and management of nonpoint source pollutants resulting from mining, agriculture, and forestry. The unit, part of the Working for Clean Water…

Information for Agricultural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaungamno, E. E.

This paper describes the major international agricultural information services, sources, and systems; outlines the existing information situation in Tanzania as it relates to problems of agricultural development; and reviews the improvements in information provision resources required to support the process of agricultural development in Tanzania.…

Earth Observation for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bach, Heike; Mauser, Wolfram; Gernot, Klepper

2016-08-01

The global and regional potentials of Earth Observation (EO) to contribute to food security and sustainable agriculture in the 2050-timeframe were analysed in the ESA study EO4Food, whose outcome will be presented (www.EO4Food.org). Emphasis was put on the global societal, economic, environmental and technological megatrends that will create demand for food and shape the future societies. They will also constitute the background for developments in EO for food security and sustainable agriculture. The capabilities of EO in this respect were critically reviewed with three perspectives 1) the role of EO science for society, 2) observables from space and 3) development of future science missions.It was concluded that EO can be pivotal for the further development of food security and sustainable agriculture. EO allows to support the whole economic and societal value chain from farmers through food industry to insurance and financial industry in satisfying demands and at the same time to support society in governing sustainable agriculture through verifyable rules and regulations. It has the potential to become the global source of environmental information that is assimilated into sophisticated environmental management models and is used to make agriculture sustainable.

Agricultural anaerobic digestion power plants in Ireland and Germany: policy and practice.

PubMed

Auer, Agathe; Vande Burgt, Nathan H; Abram, Florence; Barry, Gerald; Fenton, Owen; Markey, Bryan K; Nolan, Stephen; Richards, Karl; Bolton, Declan; De Waal, Theo; Gordon, Stephen V; O'Flaherty, Vincent; Whyte, Paul; Zintl, Annetta

2017-02-01

The process of anaerobic digestion (AD) is valued as a carbon-neutral energy source, while simultaneously treating organic waste, making it safer for disposal or use as a fertilizer on agricultural land. The AD process in many European nations, such as Germany, has grown from use of small, localized digesters to the operation of large-scale treatment facilities, which contribute significantly to national renewable energy quotas. However, these large AD plants are costly to run and demand intensive farming of energy crops for feedstock. Current policy in Germany has transitioned to support funding for smaller digesters, while also limiting the use of energy crops. AD within Ireland, as a new technology, is affected by ambiguous governmental policies concerning waste and energy. A clear governmental strategy supporting on-site AD processing of agricultural waste will significantly reduce Ireland's carbon footprint, improve the safety and bioavailability of agricultural waste, and provide an indigenous renewable energy source. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANT ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES OF RADIATIVELY IMPORTANT TRACE GASES

EPA Science Inventory

The report is an initial evaluation of significant anthropogenic sources of radiatively important trace gases. missions of greenhouse gases from human activities--including fossil fuel combustion, industrial/agricultural activities, and transportation--contribute to the increasin...

Sources and Uses of Weather Information for Agricultural Decision Makers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNew, Kevin P.; Mapp, Harry P.; Duchon, Claude E.; Merritt, Earl S.

1991-04-01

Numerous studies have examined the importance of weather information to farmers and ranchers across the U.S. This study is focused on the kinds of weather information received by farmers and ranchers, the sources of that information, and its use in production and marketing decisions. Our results are based on a survey of 292 producers from the principal agricultural areas of Oklahoma. Producers were classified into five categories related to their source of income from crop and livestock sales.Among temperature, precipitation, relative humility, and wind speed, temperature information was most widely received. Forecast lengths of highest interest were 24-h and 5-day forecasts. Precipitation information was used by many respondents for planting and harvesting decisions. Weather data and forecasts seem to be of greater value to diversified crop and livestock operators than specialized crop and livestock, perhaps due to more frequent timing decisions. Relative humility and wind information appear to be important especially during specific times of the growing season, for example, at harvest time and time of pesticide application. Television is the primary source of weather information for more than 60% of the producers.It appears that there may be a role for both public and private entities in transforming weather data and forecasts into recommendations to crop and livestock producers. Further research is needed to determine the potential value of weather information for alternative production, marketing and livestock decisions, different categories of producers, and different geographic regions.

Monitoring and Analysis of Nonpoint Source Pollution - Case study on terraced paddy fields in an agricultural watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shih-Kai; Jang, Cheng-Shin; Yeh, Chun-Lin

2013-04-01

The intensive use of chemical fertilizer has negatively impacted environments in recent decades, mainly through water pollution by nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) originating from agricultural activities. As a main crop with the largest cultivation area about 0.25 million ha per year in Taiwan, rice paddies account for a significant share of fertilizer consumption among agriculture crops. This study evaluated the fertilization of paddy fields impacting return flow water quality in an agricultural watershed located at Hsinchu County, northern Taiwan. Water quality monitoring continued for two crop-periods in 2012, around subject to different water bodies, including the irrigation water, drainage water, and shallow groundwater. The results indicated that obviously increasing of ammonium-N, nitrate-N and TP concentrations in the surface drainage water were observed immediately following three times of fertilizer applications (including basal, tillering, and panicle fertilizer application), but reduced to relatively low concentrations after 7-10 days after each fertilizer application. Groundwater quality monitoring showed that the observation wells with the more shallow water depth, the more significant variation of concentrations of ammonium-N, nitrate-N and TP could be observed, which means that the contamination potential of nutrient of groundwater is related not only to the impermeable plow sole layer but also to the length of percolation route in this area. The study also showed that the potential pollution load of nutrient could be further reduced by well drainage water control and rational fertilizer management, such as deep-water irrigation, reuse of return flow, the rational application of fertilizers, and the SRI (The System of Rice Intensification) method. The results of this study can provide as an evaluation basis to formulate effective measures for agricultural non-point source pollution control and the reuse of agricultural return flow. Keywords

Nitrate concentrations under irrigated agriculture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zaporozec, A.

1983-01-01

In recent years, considerable interest has been expressed in the nitrate content of water supplies. The most notable toxic effect of nitrate is infant methemoglobinemia. The risk of this disease increases significantly at nitrate-nitrogen levels exceeding 10 mg/l. For this reason, this concentration has been established as a limit for drinking water in many countries. In natural waters, nitrate is a minor ionic constituent and seldom accounts for more than a few percent of the total anions. However, nitrate in a significant concentration may occur in the vicinity of some point sources such as septic tanks, manure pits, and waste-disposal sites. Non-point sources contributing to groundwater pollution are numerous and a majority of them are related to agricultural activities. The largest single anthropogenic input of nitrate into the groundwater is fertilizer. Even though it has not been proven that nitrogen fertilizers are responsible for much of nitrate pollution, they are generally recognized as the main threat to groundwater quality, especially when inefficiently applied to irrigated fields on sandy soils. The biggest challenge facing today's agriculture is to maintain the balance between the enhancement of crop productivity and the risk of groundwater pollution. ?? 1982 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Agricultural Residues and Other Carbon-Based Resources as Feedstocks for Supercapacitor Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yong

Agricultural residues are generally considered as renewable, economical and environmental-friendly sources to produce carbon-based nanomaterials with many advanced applications. Agricultural residues and by-products generated from the agricultural industry, such as distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), are produced every year on a large scale but lack of proper utilization. As a result, seeking high-value applications based on agricultural residues is essential for the promotion of the economy in agricultural producing states like North Dakota, USA. With the fast development of nanotechnology in recent years, carbon-based nanomaterials have attracted intense research interests in the fields of chemistry, materials science and condensed matter physics due to many unique properties (e.g., chemical and thermal stability, electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, etc.). The development of low-cost nanomaterials using agricultural residues as feedstocks can be a promising route for the sustainable development of the agricultural industry. In this dissertation, the preparation of carbon-based materials from agricultural residues is explored. Many advanced applications are investigated, especially in the field of energy storage devices. The development of porous activate carbons were investigated in detail, and their application as electrode materials of supercapacitors was demonstrated. Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass to produce carbonaceous materials was also covered in this dissertation. In addition to traditional raw materials such as cellulose produced from wood industry, novel material sources such as bacterial cellulose were used to prepare nanocomposites that can be used for the electrodes of supercapacitors. This dissertation contributes to the sustainable development of the agricultural industry in North Dakota.

Efficacy of Bioremediation of Agricultural Runoff Using Bacterial Communities in Woodchip Bioreactors.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortensen, Z. H.; Leandro, M.; Silveus, J. M.

2016-12-01

California's agricultural sector is fundamental in the State's economic growth and is responsible for supplying a large portion of the country's produce. In order to meet the market's demand for crop production the region's agrarian landscape requires an abundance of nutrient rich irrigation. The resultant agricultural effluent is a source of increased nutrient content in California's watershed and groundwater systems, promoting eutrophication and contributing to negative impacts on local ecosystems and human health. Previous studies have examined the denitrification potential of woodchip bioreactors. However, research has been deficient regarding specific variables that may affect the remediation process. To evaluate the efficacy of woodchip bioreactors in remediating waters containing high nitrate concentrations, denitrification rates were examined and parameters such as temperature, laminar flow, and hydraulic residence times were measured to identify potential methods for increasing denitrification efficiency. By measuring the rate of denitrification in a controlled environment where potentially confounding factors can be manipulated, physical components affecting the efficiency of woodchip bioreactors were examined to assess effects. Our research suggests the implementation of woodchip bioreactors to treat agricultural runoff would significantly reduce the concentration of nitrate in agricultural effluent and contribute to the mitigation of negative impacts associated with agricultural irrigation. Future research should focus on the ability of woodchip bioreactors to successfully remediate other agricultural pollutants, such as phosphates and pesticides, to optimize the efficiency of the bioremediation process.

Investigating the Sustainability of Perennial Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherlin, C. E.; Brunsell, N. A.; De Oliveira, G.; Crews, T.; Vico, G.

2017-12-01

The changing climate leads to uncertainties concerning the sustainability of certain agricultural resources, and with the additional stresses of an increasing global population, uncertainty in food security will greatly increase. To adhere to future food demands in the face of this changing climate, perennial agriculture has been a proposed solution. However, it is equally important to assure that perennial agriculture is not negatively affecting the climate in exchange for this proposed more robust food source. We chose to examine the interactions between perennial and annual agricultural crops by focusing on the efficiency of exchanges with the atmosphere. This is done using the omega decoupling factor for 4 different sites as a way of quantifying the contributions of radiation and stomatal conductance over the resulting water and carbon cycles. This gives us an indication of how the plant canopy is interacting with, and influencing the local microclimate. Ultimately, this should give us an indication of the ability of perennial crops to aid in the climate mitigation process. We hypothesized that the perennial site chosen would have omega values more similar to the omega values of a natural grassland rather than an annual crop site. Using AmeriFlux towers to determine the canopy values needed to calculate the omega decoupling factor, we focused on the Kernza perennial crops being grown at the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas (KLS), in comparison to a natural grassland in Manhattan, Kansas (KON), a typical land cover model in Lawrence, Kansas (KFS), and an annual crop site in Lamont, Oklahoma (ARM). These results will allow us to move forward in the investigation of perennial crops as a sustainable food source.

Implementation and evaluation of PM2.5 source contribution analysis in a photochemical model

EPA Science Inventory

Source culpability assessments are useful for developing effective emissions control programs. The Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM) has been implemented in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to track contributions from source groups and regions to ambi...

Urban and agricultural sources of pyrethroid insecticides to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California.

PubMed

Weston, Donald P; Lydy, Michael J

2010-03-01

While studies have documented the presence of pyrethroid insecticides at acutely toxic concentrations in sediments, little quantitative data on sources exist. Urban runoff, municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural drains in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were sampled to understand their importance as contributors of these pesticides to surface waters. Nearly all residential runoff samples were toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and contained pyrethroids at concentrations exceeding acutely toxic thresholds, in many cases by 10-fold. Toxicity identification evaluation data were consistent with pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin and cyfluthrin, as the cause of toxicity. Pyrethroids passed through secondary treatment systems at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and were commonly found in the final effluent, usually near H. azteca 96-h EC(50) thresholds. Agricultural discharges in the study area only occasionally contained pyrethroids and were also occasional sources of toxicity related to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos. Discharge of the pyrethroid bifenthrin via urban stormwater runoff was sufficient to cause water column toxicity in two urban creeks, over at least a 30 km reach of the American River, and at one site in the San Joaquin River, though not in the Sacramento River.

7 CFR 983.72 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contributions. 983.72 Section 983.72 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PISTACHIOS GROWN IN CALIFORNIA...

Odor compounds in waste gas emissions from agricultural operations and food industries.

PubMed

Rappert, S; Müller, R

2005-01-01

In the last decades, large-scale agricultural operations and food industries have increased. These operations generate numerous types of odors. The reduction of land areas available for isolation of agricultural and food processing industrial operations from the public area and the increase in sensitivity and demand of the general public for a clean and pleasant environment have forced all of these industries to control odor emissions and toxic air pollutants. To develop environmentally sound, sustainable agricultural and food industrial operations, it is necessary to integrate research that focuses on modern analytical techniques and latest sensory technology of measurement and evaluation of odor and pollution, together with a fundamental knowledge of factors that are the basic units contributing to the production of odor and pollutants. Without a clear understanding of what odor is, how to measure it, and where it originates, it will be difficult to control the odor. The present paper reviews the available information regarding odor emissions from agricultural operations and food industries by giving an overview about odor problems, odor detection and quantification, and identifying the sources and the mechanisms that contribute to the odor emissions. Finally, ways of reducing or controlling the odor problem are discussed.

Constrained positive matrix factorization: Elemental ratios, spatial distinction, and chemical transport model source contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturtz, Timothy M.

Source apportionment models attempt to untangle the relationship between pollution sources and the impacts at downwind receptors. Two frameworks of source apportionment models exist: source-oriented and receptor-oriented. Source based apportionment models use presumed emissions and atmospheric processes to estimate the downwind source contributions. Conversely, receptor based models leverage speciated concentration data from downwind receptors and apply statistical methods to predict source contributions. Integration of both source-oriented and receptor-oriented models could lead to a better understanding of the implications sources have on the environment and society. The research presented here investigated three different types of constraints applied to the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model within the framework of the Multilinear Engine (ME-2): element ratio constraints, spatial separation constraints, and chemical transport model (CTM) source attribution constraints. PM10-2.5 mass and trace element concentrations were measured in Winston-Salem, Chicago, and St. Paul at up to 60 sites per city during two different seasons in 2010. PMF was used to explore the underlying sources of variability. Information on previously reported PM10-2.5 tire and brake wear profiles were used to constrain these features in PMF by prior specification of selected species ratios. We also modified PMF to allow for combining the measurements from all three cities into a single model while preserving city-specific soil features. Relatively minor differences were observed between model predictions with and without the prior ratio constraints, increasing confidence in our ability to identify separate brake wear and tire wear features. Using separate data, source contributions to total fine particle carbon predicted by a CTM were incorporated into the PMF receptor model to form a receptor-oriented hybrid model. The level of influence of the CTM versus traditional PMF was

O3 Source Contribution During a Heavy O3 Pollution Episode in Shanghai China

EPA Science Inventory

Source culpability assessments are useful for developing effective emission control strategies. The Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM) has been implemented in CMAQ to track contributions from source groups and regions to ambient levels and deposited amounts of O3. CMAQ...

7 CFR 955.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Contributions. 955.45 Section 955.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIDALIA ONIONS GROWN IN GEORGIA...

7 CFR 955.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Contributions. 955.45 Section 955.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIDALIA ONIONS GROWN IN GEORGIA...

7 CFR 955.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contributions. 955.45 Section 955.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIDALIA ONIONS GROWN IN GEORGIA...

7 CFR 955.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Contributions. 955.45 Section 955.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIDALIA ONIONS GROWN IN GEORGIA...

7 CFR 955.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Contributions. 955.45 Section 955.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIDALIA ONIONS GROWN IN GEORGIA...

A review of green- and blue-water resources and their trade-offs for future agricultural production in the Amazon Basin: what could irrigated agriculture mean for Amazonia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathuillière, Michael J.; Coe, Michael T.; Johnson, Mark S.

2016-06-01

The Amazon Basin is a region of global importance for the carbon and hydrological cycles, a biodiversity hotspot, and a potential centre for future economic development. The region is also a major source of water vapour recycled into continental precipitation through evapotranspiration processes. This review applies an ecohydrological approach to Amazonia's water cycle by looking at contributions of water resources in the context of future agricultural production. At present, agriculture in the region is primarily rain-fed and relies almost exclusively on green-water resources (soil moisture regenerated by precipitation). Future agricultural development, however, will likely follow pathways that include irrigation from blue-water sources (surface water and groundwater) as insurance from variability in precipitation. In this review, we first provide an updated summary of the green-blue ecohydrological framework before describing past trends in Amazonia's water resources within the context of land use and land cover change. We then describe green- and blue-water trade-offs in light of future agricultural production and potential irrigation to assess costs and benefits to terrestrial ecosystems, particularly land and biodiversity protection, and regional precipitation recycling. Management of green water is needed, particularly at the agricultural frontier located in the headwaters of major tributaries to the Amazon River, and home to key downstream blue-water users and ecosystem services, including domestic and industrial users, as well as aquatic ecosystems.

7 CFR 956.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Contributions. 956.45 Section 956.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SWEET ONIONS GROWN IN THE WALLA WALLA...

7 CFR 956.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Contributions. 956.45 Section 956.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SWEET ONIONS GROWN IN THE WALLA WALLA...

7 CFR 956.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Contributions. 956.45 Section 956.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SWEET ONIONS GROWN IN THE WALLA WALLA...

7 CFR 956.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Contributions. 956.45 Section 956.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SWEET ONIONS GROWN IN THE WALLA WALLA...

7 CFR 956.45 - Contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contributions. 956.45 Section 956.45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SWEET ONIONS GROWN IN THE WALLA WALLA...

Agriculture in the Mississippi River Basin; effects on water quality, aquatic biota, and watershed conservation.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agriculture has been identified as a potential leading source of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment enrichment of water bodies within the Mississippi River basin (MRB) and contributes to impaired water quality and biological resources in the MRB and the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). T...

7 CFR 1486.402 - What are ineligible contributions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What are ineligible contributions? 1486.402 Section 1486.402 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT... Reimbursements § 1486.402 What are ineligible contributions? (a) The following are not eligible as contributions...

Using multiple composite fingerprints to quantify fine sediment source contributions: A new direction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sediment source fingerprinting provides a vital means for estimating sediment source contributions, which are needed not only for soil conservation planning but also for erosion model evaluation. A single optimum composite fingerprint has been widely used in the literature to estimate sediment prov...

Tracing organic and inorganic pollution sources of agricultural crops and water resources in Güzelhisar Basin of the Aegean Region - Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarnecki, Sezin; Colak Esetlili, Bihter; Esetlili, Tolga; Tepecik, Mahmut; Anac, Dilek; Düring, Rolf-Alexander

2014-05-01

The study area Güzelhisar Basin is 6 km far from the city Aliaga, Aegean Region in Turkey which represents a rather industrialized area having five large iron and steel factories, but also areas of agriculture. Steel industry in Aliaga is causing metal pollution. Around Güzelhisar Basin and nearby, the dominant crop fields are cotton, maize, vegetables, olive trees and vineyards. Güzelhisar stream and dam water is used for irrigation of the agricultural land. Due to contamination from metal industry in Aliaga, organic farming is not allowed in this region. Industrial activities in the region present a threat on sustainable agriculture. The region is a multi-impacted area in terms of several pollutant sources affecting soil and water quality. The overall objective of the project is to trace back plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B), hazardous substances (i. e. persistent organic pollutants), radionuclides (40K, 232Th, 226Ra/238U), and metal contents (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) by examining the soils, agricultural crops and natural plants from Güzelhisar Basin and water and sediments from Güzelhisar stream and dam. Spatial distribution of pollution will be evaluated by regionalization methods. For this, an advanced analytical methodology will be applied which provides an understanding of sources and occurrence of the respective substances of concern. An innovative multi-tracer approach comprising organic and inorganic marker substances, will identify and quantitatively assess sources and their impact on water pollution and the pollutant pathways in this agricultural crop production system.

Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification

PubMed Central

Potts, Simon G.; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Vaissière, Bernard E.; Woyciechowski, Michal; Krewenka, Kristin M.; Tscheulin, Thomas; Roberts, Stuart P.M.; Szentgyörgyi, Hajnalka; Westphal, Catrin; Bommarco, Riccardo

2014-01-01

Background. Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production. Methods. We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat) located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient from simple to heterogeneous landscapes. Results. Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries’ commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness. Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild pollinators in

Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification.

PubMed

Bartomeus, Ignasi; Potts, Simon G; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Vaissière, Bernard E; Woyciechowski, Michal; Krewenka, Kristin M; Tscheulin, Thomas; Roberts, Stuart P M; Szentgyörgyi, Hajnalka; Westphal, Catrin; Bommarco, Riccardo

2014-01-01

Background. Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production. Methods. We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat) located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient from simple to heterogeneous landscapes. Results. Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries' commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness. Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild pollinators in

A new method for fingerprinting sediments source contributions using distances from discriminant function analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mixing models have been used to predict sediment source contributions. The inherent problem of the mixing models limited the number of sediment sources. The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a new method using Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) to fingerprint sediment source contr...

Sole-Source Lighting for Controlled-Environment Agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell.Cary; Stutte, Gary W.

2015-01-01

Since plants on Earth evolved under broad-spectrum solar radiation, anytime they are grown exclusively under electric lighting that does not contain all wavelengths in similar proportion to those in sunlight, plant appearance and size could be uniquely different. Nevertheless, plants have been grown for decades under fluorescent (FL) (1) + incandescent (IN) (2) lamps as a sole source of lighting (SSL), and researchers have become comfortable that, in certain proportions of FL + IN for a given species, plants can appear "normal" relative to their growth outdoors. The problem with using such traditional SSLs for commercial production typically is short lamp lifespans and not obtaining enough photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) when desired. These limitations led to supplementation of FL + IN lamp outputs with longer-lived, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps in growth chambers (3). As researchers became comfortable that mixes of orange-biased high-pressure sodium (HPS) and blue-biased metal halide (MH) HIDs together also could give normal plant growth at higher intensities, growth chambers and phytotrons subsequently were equipped mainly with HID lamps, with their intense thermal output filtered out by ventilated light caps or thermal-controlled water barriers. For the most part, IN and HID lamps have found a home in commercial protected horticulture, usually for night-break photoperiod lighting (IN) or for seasonal supplemental lighting (mostly HPS) in greenhouses. However, lack of economically viable options for SSL have held back aspects of year-round indoor agriculture from taking off commercially.

Nitrate in aquifers beneath agricultural systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkart, M.R.; Stoner, J.D.; ,

2007-01-01

Research from several regions of the world provides spatially anecdotal evidence to hypothesize which hydrologic and agricultural factors contribute to groundwater vulnerability to nitrate contamination. Analysis of nationally consistent measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey's NAWQA program confirms these hypotheses for a substantial range of agricultural systems. Shallow unconfined aquifers are most susceptible to nitrate contamination associated with agricultural systems. Alluvial and other unconsolidated aquifers are the most vulnerable and also shallow carbonate aquifers that provide a substantial but smaller contamination risk. Where any of these aquifers are overlain by permeable soils the risk of contamination is larger. Irrigated systems can compound this vulnerability by increasing leaching facilitated by additional recharge and additional nutrient applications. The system of corn, soybean, and hogs produced significantly larger concentrations of groundwater nitrate than all other agricultural systems because this system imports the largest amount of N-fertilizer per unit production area. Mean nitrate under dairy, poultry, horticulture, and cattle and grains systems were similar. If trends in the relation between increased fertilizer use and groundwater nitrate in the United States are repeated in other regions of the world, Asia may experience increasing problems because of recent increases in fertilizer use. Groundwater monitoring in Western and Eastern Europe as well as Russia over the next decade may provide data to determine if the trend in increased nitrate contamination can be reversed. If the concentrated livestock trend in the United States is global, it may be accompanied by increasing nitrogen contamination in groundwater. Concentrated livestock provide both point sources in the confinement area and intense non-point sources as fields close to facilities are used for manure disposal. Regions where irrigated cropland is expanding, such as

Contributions of Organic Sources to Atmospheric Aerosol Particle Concentrations and Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, L. M.

2017-12-01

Organic molecules are important contributors to aerosol particle mass and number concentrations through primary emissions as well as secondary growth in the atmosphere. New techniques for measuring organic aerosol components in atmospheric particles have improved measurements of this contribution in the last 20 years, including Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (STXM-NEXAFS), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and High-Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS). STXM-NEXAFS individual aerosol particle composition illustrated the variety of morphology of organic components in marine aerosols, the inherent relationships between organic composition and shape, and the links between atmospheric aerosol composition and particles produced in smog chambers. This type of single particle microscopy has also added to size distribution measurements by providing evidence of how surface-controlled and bulk-controlled processes contribute to the growth of particles in the atmosphere. FTIR analysis of organic functional groups are sufficient to distinguish combustion, marine, and terrestrial organic particle sources and to show that each of those types of sources has a surprisingly similar organic functional group composition over four different oceans and four different continents. Augmenting the limited sampling of these off-line techniques with side-by-side inter-comparisons to online AMS provides complementary composition information and consistent quantitative attribution to sources (despite some clear method differences). Single-particle AMS techniques using light scattering and event trigger modes have now also characterized the types of particles found in urban, marine, and ship emission aerosols. Most recently, by combining with off-line techniques, single particle composition measurements have separated and quantified the contributions of organic, sulfate and salt components from ocean biogenic and sea spray

Agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries and their possible contribution to food security.

PubMed

Ruane, John; Sonnino, Andrea

2011-12-20

Latest FAO figures indicate that an estimated 925 million people are undernourished in 2010, representing almost 16% of the population in developing countries. Looking to the future, there are also major challenges ahead from the rapidly changing socio-economic environment (increasing world population and urbanisation, and dietary changes) and climate change. Promoting agriculture in developing countries is the key to achieving food security, and it is essential to act in four ways: to increase investment in agriculture, broaden access to food, improve governance of global trade, and increase productivity while conserving natural resources. To enable the fourth action, the suite of technological options for farmers should be as broad as possible, including agricultural biotechnologies. Agricultural biotechnologies represent a broad range of technologies used in food and agriculture for the genetic improvement of plant varieties and animal populations, characterisation and conservation of genetic resources, diagnosis of plant or animal diseases and other purposes. Discussions about agricultural biotechnology have been dominated by the continuing controversy surrounding genetic modification and its resulting products, genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The polarised debate has led to non-GMO biotechnologies being overshadowed, often hindering their development and application. Extensive documentation from the FAO international technical conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries (ABDC-10), that took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 1-4 March 2010, gave a very good overview of the many ways that different agricultural biotechnologies are being used to increase productivity and conserve natural resources in the crop, livestock, fishery, forestry and agro-industry sectors in developing countries. The conference brought together about 300 policy-makers, scientists and representatives of intergovernmental and international non

Analysis of PAEs contaminants in water sources for agriculture, industrial and residential areas from local city district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qidan; Chen, Qixian; Wu, Fei; Liao, Jia; Zhao, Xi

2018-02-01

The technology of DEHP and DBP detection by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) was developed and applied in analysis of local water sources from agriculture, industrial and residential areas. Under the optimized sample pretreatment and detection conditions, DEHP and DBP were well separated and detected in 4 mins. The detection limit of DBP was 0.002 mg/L and DEHP was 0.006 mg/L, and it meets the Chinese National Standard limitations for drinking water quality. The linear correlation coefficient of DBP and DEHP standard calibration curves was 0.9998 and 0.9995. The linear range of DBP was 0.020 mg/L ∼20.0 mg/L, with the standard deviation of 0.560% ∼5.07%, and the linear range of DEHP was 0.060 mg/L ∼15.0 mg/L, with the standard deviation of 0.546% ∼5.74%. Ten water samples from Jinwan district of Zhuhai in Guangdong province of China were analyzed. However, the PAEs amounts found in the water sources from industrial areas were higher than the agriculture and residential areas, industries grow incredibly fast in the district in recently years and more attention should be paid to the increasing risks of water sources pollution.

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service overview for operational monitoring of current crop conditions and production forecasts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crutchfield, J.

2016-12-01

The presentation will discuss the current status of the International Production Assessment Division of the USDA ForeignAgricultural Service for operational monitoring and forecasting of current crop conditions, and anticipated productionchanges to produce monthly, multi-source consensus reports on global crop conditions including the use of Earthobservations (EO) from satellite and in situ sources.United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) International Production AssessmentDivision (IPAD) deals exclusively with global crop production forecasting and agricultural analysis in support of the USDAWorld Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) lockup process and contributions to the World Agricultural Supply DemandEstimates (WASE) report. Analysts are responsible for discrete regions or countries and conduct in-depth long-termresearch into national agricultural statistics, farming systems, climatic, environmental, and economic factors affectingcrop production. IPAD analysts become highly valued cross-commodity specialists over time, and are routinely soughtout for specialized analyses to support governmental studies. IPAD is responsible for grain, oilseed, and cotton analysison a global basis. IPAD is unique in the tools it uses to analyze crop conditions around the world, including customweather analysis software and databases, satellite imagery and value-added image interpretation products. It alsoincorporates all traditional agricultural intelligence resources into its forecasting program, to make the fullest use ofavailable information in its operational commodity forecasts and analysis. International travel and training play animportant role in learning about foreign agricultural production systems and in developing analyst knowledge andcapabilities.

Relative Contributions of the Saharan and Sahelian Sources to the Atmospheric Dust Load Over the North Atlantic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ginoux, Paul; Chin, M.; Torres, O.; Prospero, J.; Dubovik, O.; Holben, B.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

It has long been recognized that Saharan desert is the major source for long range transport of mineral dust over the Atlantic. The contribution from other natural sources to the dust load over the Atlantic has generally been ignored in previous model studies or been replaced by anthropogenically disturbed soil emissions. Recently, Prospero et.at. have identified the major dust sources over the Earth using TOMS aerosol index. They showed that these sources correspond to dry lakes with layers of sediment deposed in the late Holocene or Pleistocene. One of the most active of these sources seem to be the Bodele depression. Chiapello et al. have analyzed the mineralogical composition of dust on the West coast of Africa. They found that Sahelian dust events are the most intense but are less frequent than Saharan plumes. This suggests that the Bodele depression could contribute significantly to the dust load over the Atlantic. The relative contribution of the Sahel and Sahara dust sources is of importance for marine biogeochemistry or atmospheric radiation, because each source has a distinct mineralogical composition. We present here a model study of the relative contributions of Sahara and Sahel sources to the atmospheric dust aerosols over the North Atlantic. The Georgia Tech/Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model is used to simulate dust distribution in 1996-1997. Dust particles are labeled depending on their sources. In this presentation, we will present the comparison between the model results and observations from ground based measurements (dust concentration, optical thickness and size distribution) and satellite data (TOMS aerosol index). The relative contribution of each source will then be analyzed spatially and temporally.

Development paths of China's agricultural Pharmaceutical industry under Eco-agriculture background.

PubMed

Li, Jinkai; Gong, Liutang; Ji, Xi; Zhang, Jin; Miao, Pei

2014-07-01

Using pesticides has double effects. On one hand, it contributes to pests control and regulates the growth of crops; On the other hand, it does harm to the environment. To develop ecological agriculture should not only emphasize the output level of agriculture to pursuit of economic efficiency, but also need to keep the ecological environment protected and focus on the social benefits during the development of the industry. As a large agricultural country in the world, China is vigorously promoting the development of ecological agriculture, which is bound to put forward to developing the pesticide industry and green ecological development requirements to promote the transformation and upgrading of agricultural pharmaceutical industry. This paper discusses the mechanism of pesticide pollution on the ecological environment and analyzes China's agricultural problems in the pharmaceutical industry. Then study on the development of Chinese green pesticides and try to find the proper paths of agricultural pharmaceutical to achieve industrial upgrading.

Sources of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to Irish rivers and coastal waters: Estimates from a nutrient load apportionment framework.

PubMed

Mockler, Eva M; Deakin, Jenny; Archbold, Marie; Gill, Laurence; Daly, Donal; Bruen, Michael

2017-12-01

More than half of surface water bodies in Europe are at less than good ecological status according to Water Framework Directive assessments, and diffuse pollution from agriculture remains a major, but not the only, cause of this poor performance. Agri-environmental policy and land management practices have, in many areas, reduced nutrient emissions to water. However, additional measures may be required in Ireland to further decouple the relationship between agricultural productivity and emissions to water, which is of vital importance given on-going agricultural intensification. The Source Load Apportionment Model (SLAM) framework characterises sources of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) emissions to water at a range of scales from sub-catchment to national. The SLAM synthesises land use and physical characteristics to predict emissions from point (wastewater, industry discharges and septic tank systems) and diffuse sources (agriculture, forestry, etc.). The predicted annual nutrient emissions were assessed against monitoring data for 16 major river catchments covering 50% of the area of Ireland. At national scale, results indicate that total average annual emissions to surface water in Ireland are over 2700tyr -1 of P and 82,000tyr -1 of N. The proportional contributions from individual sources show that the main sources of P are from municipal wastewater treatment plants and agriculture, with wide variations across the country related to local anthropogenic pressures and the hydrogeological setting. Agriculture is the main source of N emissions to water across all regions of Ireland. These policy-relevant results synthesised large amounts of information in order to identify the dominant sources of nutrients at regional and local scales, contributing to the national nutrient risk assessment of Irish water bodies. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Airborne reduced nitrogen: ammonia emissions from agriculture and other sources.

PubMed

Anderson, Natalie; Strader, Ross; Davidson, Cliff

2003-06-01

Ammonia is a basic gas and one of the most abundant nitrogen-containing compounds in the atmosphere. When emitted, ammonia reacts with oxides of nitrogen and sulfur to form particles, typically in the fine particle size range. Roughly half of the PM(2.5) mass in eastern United States is ammonium sulfate, according to the US EPA. Results from recent studies of PM(2.5) show that these fine particles are typically deposited deep in the lungs and may lead to increased morbidity and/or mortality. Also, these particles are in the size range that will degrade visibility. Ammonia emission inventories are usually constructed by multiplying an activity level by an experimentally determined emission factor for each source category. Typical sources of ammonia include livestock, fertilizer, soils, forest fires and slash burning, industry, vehicles, the oceans, humans, pets, wild animals, and waste disposal and recycling activities. Livestock is the largest source category in the United States, with waste from livestock responsible for about 3x10(9) kg of ammonia in 1995. Volatilization of ammonia from livestock waste is dependent on many parameters, and thus emission factors are difficult to predict. Despite a seasonal variation in these values, the emission factors for general livestock categories are usually annually averaged in current inventories. Activity levels for livestock are from the USDA Census of Agriculture, which does not give information about animal raising practices such as housing types and grazing times, waste handling systems, and approximate animal slurry spreading times or methods. Ammonia emissions in the United States in 1995 from sources other than livestock are much lower; for example, annual emissions are roughly 8x10(8) kg from fertilizer, 7x10(7) kg from industry, 5x10(7) kg from vehicles and 1x10(8) kg from humans. There is considerable uncertainty in the emissions from soil and vegetation, although this category may also be significant

Occurrence and Transport of Agricultural Chemicals in Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, 2003-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baker, Nancy T.; Stone, Wesley W.; Wilson, John T.; Meyer, Michael T.

2006-01-01

Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, is one of seven first-order basins selected from across the United States as part of the Agricultural Chemicals: Source, Transport, and Fate study conducted by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The nationwide study was designed to increase the understanding of the links between the sources of water and agricultural chemicals (nutrients and pesticides) and the transport and fate of these chemicals through the environment. Agricultural chemicals were detected in Leary Weber Ditch and in every associated hydrologic compartment sampled during 2003 and 2004. Pesticides were detected more frequently in samples collected from overland flow and from the ditch itself and less frequently in ground-water samples. The lowest concentrations of pesticides and nutrients were detected in samples of rain, soil water, and ground water. The highest concentrations of pesticides and nutrients were detected in samples of tile-drain water, overland flow, and water from Leary Weber Ditch. Samples collected from the tile drain, overland flow and Leary Weber Ditch soon after chemical applications to the fields and coincident with rainfall and increased streamflow had higher concentrations of pesticides and nutrients than samples collected a longer time after the chemicals were applied. A mass-balance mixing analysis based on potassium concentrations indicated that tile drains are the primary contributor of water to Leary Weber Ditch, but overland flow is also an important contributor during periods of high-intensity rainfall. When maximum rainfall intensity was 0.5 inches per hour or lower, overland flow contributed about 10 percent and tile drains contributed about 90 percent of the flow to Leary Weber Ditch. When maximum rainfall intensity was 0.75 inches per hour or greater, overland flow contributed about 40 percent and tile drains contributed about 60 percent of the flow to the ditch. Ground

Invasive species in agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural production of food, feed, fiber or fuel is a local human activity with global ecological impacts, including the potential to foster invasions. Agriculture plays an unusual role in biological invasions, in that it is both a source of non-indigenous invasive species (NIS) and especially s...

Microbial Biomarkers for Native and Agricultural Soil Inputs to Atmospheric Particulate Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulton, J. M.; Herckes, P.; Fraser, M. P.; Collins, J.; Van Mooy, B. A.

2017-12-01

Intense dust storms (haboobs) erode desert soils and cause dramatic short-term increases in particulate matter (PM) concentration in the atmosphere. Background atmospheric PM levels in the southwestern United States also commonly exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, so episodic haboobs and normal weather patterns both contribute to aeolian transport. We analyzed fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM>2.5) dust fractions sampled in Tempe, Arizona for molecular biomarkers indicative of dust sourced from either native or agricultural soils. We focused on pigments and intact polar lipids (IPLs) that were also in soil crusts collected in the region. The PM samples were taken during two weeks (23 July to 5 August 2014) that included two haboobs during the first week and mostly calm weather with minor rainfall during the second week. We detected scytonemin, a diagnostic pigment biomarker for cyanobacteria, in all PM>2.5 samples, but its concentration was highest in haboob dust. Similarly, scytonemin was only abundant in PM2.5 samples taken during haboobs. Scytonemin is an important component of native biological soil crusts, protecting the crust community from UV radiation, and is ca. two orders of magnitude less abundant in disturbed agricultural soils. In biological soil crusts, scytonemin is associated with extracellular polysaccharides that are produced by cyanobacteria and bind soil into cohesive crusts. The association between scytonemin and haboobs suggests that native soil erosion is facilitated by high energy, episodic events that overcome crust cohesion. IPLs were abundant in agricultural soil crusts and included phosphatidylethanolamine from soil bacteria and a glucosylceramide from fungi. These compounds had similar concentration in haboob and background dust, suggesting agricultural or otherwise disturbed soils contribute more to ambient dust. In this study, we employed a new high resolution mass spectrometric method that produces molecular formulas and

Relative Contributions of Agricultural Drift, Para-Occupational, and Residential Use Exposure Pathways to House Dust Pesticide Concentrations: Meta-Regression of Published Data.

PubMed

Deziel, Nicole C; Freeman, Laura E Beane; Graubard, Barry I; Jones, Rena R; Hoppin, Jane A; Thomas, Kent; Hines, Cynthia J; Blair, Aaron; Sandler, Dale P; Chen, Honglei; Lubin, Jay H; Andreotti, Gabriella; Alavanja, Michael C R; Friesen, Melissa C

2017-03-01

Increased pesticide concentrations in house dust in agricultural areas have been attributed to several exposure pathways, including agricultural drift, para-occupational, and residential use. To guide future exposure assessment efforts, we quantified relative contributions of these pathways using meta-regression models of published data on dust pesticide concentrations. From studies in North American agricultural areas published from 1995 to 2015, we abstracted dust pesticide concentrations reported as summary statistics [e.g., geometric means (GM)]. We analyzed these data using mixed-effects meta-regression models that weighted each summary statistic by its inverse variance. Dependent variables were either the log-transformed GM (drift) or the log-transformed ratio of GMs from two groups (para-occupational, residential use). For the drift pathway, predicted GMs decreased sharply and nonlinearly, with GMs 64% lower in homes 250 m versus 23 m from fields (interquartile range of published data) based on 52 statistics from seven studies. For the para-occupational pathway, GMs were 2.3 times higher [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5, 3.3; 15 statistics, five studies] in homes of farmers who applied pesticides more recently or frequently versus less recently or frequently. For the residential use pathway, GMs were 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.4) and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2, 1.9) times higher in treated versus untreated homes, when the probability that a pesticide was used for the pest treatment was 1-19% and ≥ 20%, respectively (88 statistics, five studies). Our quantification of the relative contributions of pesticide exposure pathways in agricultural populations could improve exposure assessments in epidemiologic studies. The meta-regression models can be updated when additional data become available. Citation: Deziel NC, Beane Freeman LE, Graubard BI, Jones RR, Hoppin JA, Thomas K, Hines CJ, Blair A, Sandler DP, Chen H, Lubin JH, Andreotti G, Alavanja MC, Friesen MC. 2017

Relative Contributions of Agricultural Drift, Para-Occupational, and Residential Use Exposure Pathways to House Dust Pesticide Concentrations: Meta-Regression of Published Data

PubMed Central

Deziel, Nicole C.; Freeman, Laura E. Beane; Graubard, Barry I.; Jones, Rena R.; Hoppin, Jane A.; Thomas, Kent; Hines, Cynthia J.; Blair, Aaron; Sandler, Dale P.; Chen, Honglei; Lubin, Jay H.; Andreotti, Gabriella; Alavanja, Michael C. R.; Friesen, Melissa C.

2016-01-01

Background: Increased pesticide concentrations in house dust in agricultural areas have been attributed to several exposure pathways, including agricultural drift, para-occupational, and residential use. Objective: To guide future exposure assessment efforts, we quantified relative contributions of these pathways using meta-regression models of published data on dust pesticide concentrations. Methods: From studies in North American agricultural areas published from 1995 to 2015, we abstracted dust pesticide concentrations reported as summary statistics [e.g., geometric means (GM)]. We analyzed these data using mixed-effects meta-regression models that weighted each summary statistic by its inverse variance. Dependent variables were either the log-transformed GM (drift) or the log-transformed ratio of GMs from two groups (para-occupational, residential use). Results: For the drift pathway, predicted GMs decreased sharply and nonlinearly, with GMs 64% lower in homes 250 m versus 23 m from fields (interquartile range of published data) based on 52 statistics from seven studies. For the para-occupational pathway, GMs were 2.3 times higher [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5, 3.3; 15 statistics, five studies] in homes of farmers who applied pesticides more recently or frequently versus less recently or frequently. For the residential use pathway, GMs were 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.4) and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2, 1.9) times higher in treated versus untreated homes, when the probability that a pesticide was used for the pest treatment was 1–19% and ≥ 20%, respectively (88 statistics, five studies). Conclusion: Our quantification of the relative contributions of pesticide exposure pathways in agricultural populations could improve exposure assessments in epidemiologic studies. The meta-regression models can be updated when additional data become available. Citation: Deziel NC, Beane Freeman LE, Graubard BI, Jones RR, Hoppin JA, Thomas K, Hines CJ, Blair A, Sandler DP, Chen H, Lubin

Watershed sediment source fingerprinting: a view under the hood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, H.

2015-12-01

Sediment source fingerprinting procedures involve the discrimination of sediment sources based on physical and chemical properties and estimation of the contributions from those sources to mixtures of fine-grained sediment transported within watersheds. Sources of sediment widely considered include agricultural land uses, channel banks and geological zones. There has been a tendency in the literature for sediment fingerprinting to be presented as a technique that can deliver accurate and precise information on source contributions to sediment across a range of environments. However, recent research indicates that such a view of sediment fingerprinting cannot presently be supported. Furthermore, many past papers lack transparency in data processing and presentation that prevents the critical assessment of results and hinders wider uptake of the technique. Therefore, this contribution aims to delve 'under the hood' of sediment fingerprinting to promote further discussion and debate over future research needs and method limitations. It draws on important developments from the last two years concerning the effect of (i) tracer selection, (ii) tracer behaviour during transport, (iii) corrections to tracer datasets and (iv) the choice of mixing model on predictions of sediment source contributions. Sediment fingerprinting has the potential to make a very significant contribution to the measurement of contemporary sediment sources in watersheds, but cannot be viewed as an 'off-the-shelf' technique for widespread application until important challenges have been addressed.

Stable isotopic indicators of nitrous oxide and methane sources in Los Angeles, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Townsend-Small, A.; Pataki, D.; Tyler, S.; Trumbore, S.

2008-12-01

As urbanization increasingly encroaches upon agricultural landscapes, there are greater potential sources of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric contaminants. Measurements of the isotopic composition of trace gases have the potential to distinguish between pollutant sources and quantify the proportional contribution of agricultural activities to the total atmospheric pool. In this study, we are measuring the isotopic composition of greenhouse gases N2O and CH4 emitted from cropland, animal feeding operations, and urban activities in the South Coast Air Basin in southern California. The ultimate goal of our project is to utilize atmospheric measurements of the isotopic composition of N2O and CH4 combined with studies of source signatures to determine the proportional contributions of cropland, animal operations, and urban sources of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Measurements of the δ13C of methane show excellent separation between urban sources, such as vehicle emissions, power plants, oil refineries, landfills, and sewage treatment plants and agricultural sources like cows, biogas, and cattle feedlots. For nitrous oxide, soil N2O sources showed good separation from wastewater treatment facilities using δ15N and δ18O. Within soil N2O sources, the isotopic composition of N2O from cropland soils was similar to N2O emissions from urban turfgrass. These data indicate that nitrification may be as important a source of N2O as denitrification in urban soils. We are also measuring N2O fluxes from soils and from sewage treatment processes, and preliminary data indicate that urban N2O fluxes are higher than initially assumed by managers and regulatory agencies.

Agriculture of the American Indian--A Select Bibliography. Bibliographies of Agriculture No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Cecil L., Comp.

Sixty percent of the crops used in today's diet were developed by the American Indians, whose extensive agricultural technology spanned two continents and some 7000 years. The subject matter of this partly annotated bibliography not only covers the agricultural contributions of the American Indian, but also discusses aspects of technology,…

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN FACT AND SOURCE RECALL: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND BRAIN ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY

PubMed Central

Rajan, Vinaya; Bell, Martha Ann

2014-01-01

Source memory involves recollecting the contextual details surrounding a memory episode. When source information is bound together, it makes a memory episodic in nature. Unfortunately, very little is known about the factors that contribute to its formation in early development. This study examined the development of source memory in middle childhood. Measures of executive function were examined as potential sources of variation in fact and source recall. Continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) measures were collected during baseline and fact and source retrieval in order to examine memory-related changes in EEG power. Six and 8-year-old children were taught 10 novel facts from two different sources and recall for fact and source information was later tested. Older children were better on fact recall, but both ages were comparable on source recall. However, source recall performance was poor at both ages, suggesting that this ability continues to develop beyond middle childhood. Regression analyses revealed that executive function uniquely predicted variance in source recall performance. Task-related increases in theta power were observed at frontal, temporal and parietal electrode sites during fact and source retrieval. This investigation contributes to our understanding of age-related differences in source memory processing in middle childhood. PMID:25459873

Contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources to ambient ammonia in the Athabasca Oil Sands and north-western Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whaley, Cynthia H.; Makar, Paul A.; Shephard, Mark W.; Zhang, Leiming; Zhang, Junhua; Zheng, Qiong; Akingunola, Ayodeji; Wentworth, Gregory R.; Murphy, Jennifer G.; Kharol, Shailesh K.; Cady-Pereira, Karen E.

2018-02-01

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) is a short-lived pollutant that plays an important role in aerosol chemistry and nitrogen deposition. Dominant NH3 emissions are from agriculture and forest fires, both of which are increasing globally. Even remote regions with relatively low ambient NH3 concentrations, such as northern Alberta and Saskatchewan in northern Canada, may be of interest because of industrial oil sands emissions and a sensitive ecological system. A previous attempt to model NH3 in the region showed a substantial negative bias compared to satellite and aircraft observations. Known missing sources of NH3 in the model were re-emission of NH3 from plants and soils (bidirectional flux) and forest fire emissions, but the relative impact of these sources on NH3 concentrations was unknown. Here we have used a research version of the high-resolution air quality forecasting model, GEM-MACH, to quantify the relative impacts of semi-natural (bidirectional flux of NH3 and forest fire emissions) and direct anthropogenic (oil sand operations, combustion of fossil fuels, and agriculture) sources on ammonia volume mixing ratios, both at the surface and aloft, with a focus on the Athabasca Oil Sands region during a measurement-intensive campaign in the summer of 2013. The addition of fires and bidirectional flux to GEM-MACH has improved the model bias, slope, and correlation coefficients relative to ground, aircraft, and satellite NH3 measurements significantly.By running the GEM-MACH-Bidi model in three configurations and calculating their differences, we find that averaged over Alberta and Saskatchewan during this time period an average of 23.1 % of surface NH3 came from direct anthropogenic sources, 56.6 % (or 1.24 ppbv) from bidirectional flux (re-emission from plants and soils), and 20.3 % (or 0.42 ppbv) from forest fires. In the NH3 total column, an average of 19.5 % came from direct anthropogenic sources, 50.0 % from bidirectional flux, and 30.5 % from forest fires. The

Determinants of Urban Expansion and Agricultural Land Conversion in 25 EU Countries.

PubMed

Ustaoglu, Eda; Williams, Brendan

2017-10-01

Agricultural land conversion is resulting from ongoing complex interaction between the physical environment, policy settings and socio-economic factors. Case studies of the determinants of agricultural land conversion potentially contribute to the analysis of the main causes of land-use change. This can assist authorities and policy makers in understanding the relative importance of a wide range of factors on urban expansion and associated agricultural land-use change. This paper explores the determinants of agricultural land conversion to urban uses in the studied 25 European Union countries between 2000 and 2006. European-level as well as region-specific land-use changes are studied. The research is using the spatial data adapted from European Corine Land Cover maps of 2000 and 2006 and utilised other European sources regarding socio-economic, natural, geological, climate, and policy-related data. The differences in urbanisation processes observed in different regions in Europe emphasise the regional variations of urban conversion process of agricultural land use. This study identifies a combination of socio-economic drivers, policy-related factors, nature and location-based factors as key influences on agricultural land conversion processes in Europe. Specifically we found that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies were influential in curbing urbanisation and reducing agricultural land consumption.

Determinants of Urban Expansion and Agricultural Land Conversion in 25 EU Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustaoglu, Eda; Williams, Brendan

2017-10-01

Agricultural land conversion is resulting from ongoing complex interaction between the physical environment, policy settings and socio-economic factors. Case studies of the determinants of agricultural land conversion potentially contribute to the analysis of the main causes of land-use change. This can assist authorities and policy makers in understanding the relative importance of a wide range of factors on urban expansion and associated agricultural land-use change. This paper explores the determinants of agricultural land conversion to urban uses in the studied 25 European Union countries between 2000 and 2006. European-level as well as region-specific land-use changes are studied. The research is using the spatial data adapted from European Corine Land Cover maps of 2000 and 2006 and utilised other European sources regarding socio-economic, natural, geological, climate, and policy-related data. The differences in urbanisation processes observed in different regions in Europe emphasise the regional variations of urban conversion process of agricultural land use. This study identifies a combination of socio-economic drivers, policy-related factors, nature and location-based factors as key influences on agricultural land conversion processes in Europe. Specifically we found that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies were influential in curbing urbanisation and reducing agricultural land consumption.

Agriculture and Provincial Reconstruction Teams: Assessing the Effectiveness of Agricultural Advisor Projects in Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-11

employment in nonfarm sectors of the economy. Thus, agricultural development can contribute to the education of a rural population and assist the movement...categorized according to the ANDS objectives. In the ANDS, the four expected outcomes of the Agriculture and Rural Development Sector Strategy are: (1...States (U.S.) government, the U.S. Army, and the international community have identified rural and agricultural development as key components of long

Monitoring of full-scale hydrodynamic cavitation pretreatment in agricultural biogas plant.

PubMed

Garuti, Mirco; Langone, Michela; Fabbri, Claudio; Piccinini, Sergio

2018-01-01

The implementation of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) pretreatment for enhancing the methane potential from agricultural biomasses was evaluated in a full scale agricultural biogas plant, with molasses and corn meal as a supplementary energy source. HC batch tests were run to investigate the influence on methane production, particle size and viscosity of specific energy input. 470kJ/kgTS was chosen for the full-scale implementation. Nearly 6-months of operational data showed that the HC pretreatment maximized the specific methane production of about 10%, allowing the biogas plant to get out of the fluctuating markets of supplementary energy sources and to reduce the methane emissions. HC influenced viscosity and particle size of digestate, contributing to reduce the energy demand for mixing, heating and pumping. In the light of the obtained results the HC process appears to be an attractive and energetically promising alternative to other pretreatments for the degradation of biomasses in biogas plant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source Sector and Region Contributions to BC and PM2.5 in Central Asia

EPA Science Inventory

Particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations, seasonal cycles, source sector and source region contributions in Central Asia (CA) are analyzed for the period April 2008-July 2009 using the STEM chemical transport model and modeled meteorology from the WRF model. Predicted AOD valu...

COMBUSTION AREA SOURCES: DATA SOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

The report identifies, documents, and evaluates data sources for stationary area source emissions, including solid waste and agricultural burning. Area source emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, reactive volatile organic compounds, and carbon mon...

Shifting Patterns of Agricultural Diversity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although monocultural cropping systems can provide the greatest yield efficiency in the short term, more diverse agricultural landscapes may contribute multiple ecosystem benefits. The USDA's Cropland Data Layer provides a yearly map of the agricultural lands of the continental United States broken ...

The Contribution of Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use activities to Global Warming, 1990-2012.

PubMed

Tubiello, Francesco N; Salvatore, Mirella; Ferrara, Alessandro F; House, Jo; Federici, Sandro; Rossi, Simone; Biancalani, Riccardo; Condor Golec, Rocio D; Jacobs, Heather; Flammini, Alessandro; Prosperi, Paolo; Cardenas-Galindo, Paola; Schmidhuber, Josef; Sanz Sanchez, Maria J; Srivastava, Nalin; Smith, Pete

2015-01-10

We refine the information available through the IPCC AR5 with regard to recent trends in global GHG emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU), including global emission updates to 2012. Using all three available AFOLU datasets employed for analysis in the IPCC AR5, rather than just one as done in the IPCC AR5 WGIII Summary for Policy Makers, our analyses point to a down-revision of global AFOLU shares of total anthropogenic emissions, while providing important additional information on subsectoral trends. Our findings confirm that the share of AFOLU emissions to the anthropogenic total declined over time. They indicate a decadal average of 28.7 ± 1.5% in the 1990s and 23.6 ± 2.1% in the 2000s and an annual value of 21.2 ± 1.5% in 2010. The IPCC AR5 had indicated a 24% share in 2010. In contrast to previous decades, when emissions from land use (land use, land use change and forestry, including deforestation) were significantly larger than those from agriculture (crop and livestock production), in 2010 agriculture was the larger component, contributing 11.2 ± 0.4% of total GHG emissions, compared to 10.0 ± 1.2% of the land use sector. Deforestation was responsible for only 8% of total anthropogenic emissions in 2010, compared to 12% in the 1990s. Since 2010, the last year assessed by the IPCC AR5, new FAO estimates indicate that land use emissions have remained stable, at about 4.8 Gt CO 2 eq yr -1 in 2012. Emissions minus removals have also remained stable, at 3.2 Gt CO 2 eq yr -1 in 2012. By contrast, agriculture emissions have continued to grow, at roughly 1% annually, and remained larger than the land use sector, reaching 5.4 Gt CO 2 eq yr -1 in 2012. These results are useful to further inform the current climate policy debate on land use, suggesting that more efforts and resources should be directed to further explore options for mitigation in agriculture, much in line with the large efforts devoted to REDD+ in the

Contribution and efficiency of labor allocation analysis of income in household industry using raw material of agricultural commodity in South Sulawesi.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenriawaru, A. N.; Mahyuddin; Jamil, M. H.; Fudjaja, L.; Nurbaya, S.

2018-05-01

In South Sulawesi, various home industry businesses have grown. This industry is actually the basis of community livelihoods that need to be developed and nurtured by the government so family income get increased and the absorption of workers will improve the regional economy in general. The purpose of this study is to analyse the contribution of income, and efficiency of labour allocation in household industries made from raw agricultural commodities. The method of determining the respondents is done by direct appointment (purposive) on the industry players made from raw agricultural commodities. The type of research is quantitative descriptive and data are analysed using income analysis, cost analysis, income contribution analysis, Working Day (HOK) analysis and efficiency analysis of labour allocation. The results showed that the average income earned per year ranged from IDR. 16,866,867.- up to IDR. 125,271,500.-. There are 2 industries that have high contribution to family income such as banana chips industry and rice milling industry with value of 96.3% and 68.7% respectively. In the meantime, there are 5 industries with high average labour allocation efficiency of IDR. 218,135.- / HOK per day and above the efficiency standard of labour allocation based on UMR in South Sulawesi Province.

Agricultural production and nutrient runoff in the Corn Belt ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Agricultural production in the Corn Belt region of the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) remains a leading source of nitrogen runoff that contributes to the annual hypoxic 'Dead Zone' in the Gulf of Mexico. The rise of corn production, land conversion, and fertilizer use in response to ethanol policy incentives in recent years is well documented and may worsen this effect. We develop a spatially distributed dynamic environmental performance index (EPI), accounting for both desirable agricultural outputs and undesirable nonpoint source emissions from farm production, to examine the corresponding changes in environmental performance within the UMRB between 2002 and 2007, which is characterized by increasing policy incentives for ethanol production. County-level production data from the USDA agricultural census are aggregated to hydrologic unit code (HUC8) boundaries using a geographic information system (GIS), and a previously developed statistical model, which includes net anthropogenic nitrogen inputs (NANI) as well as precipitation and land use characteristics as inputs, is used to estimate annual nitrogen loadings delivered to streams from HUC8 watersheds. The EPI allows us to decompose performance of each HUC8 region over time into changes in productive efficiency and emissions efficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the corresponding changes in environmental performance for producers in this region at the watershed scale. The resu

7 CFR 1703.122 - Matching contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Matching contributions. 1703.122 Section 1703.122 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program § 1703.122 Matching...

7 CFR 1703.122 - Matching contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Matching contributions. 1703.122 Section 1703.122 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program § 1703.122 Matching...

7 CFR 1703.122 - Matching contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Matching contributions. 1703.122 Section 1703.122 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program § 1703.122 Matching...

7 CFR 1703.122 - Matching contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Matching contributions. 1703.122 Section 1703.122 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program § 1703.122 Matching...

Source contributions of fine particulate matter during one winter haze episodes in Xi'an, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Wu, Q.

2017-12-01

Long-term exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is found to be associated with adverse effects on human health, ecological environment and climate change. Identification the major source regions of fine particulate matter are essential to proposing proper joint prevention and control strategies for heavy haze mitigation. In this work, the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx) together with the Particulate Source Apportionment Technology (PSAT) and the Weather Research and Forecast Model (WRF), have been applied to analyze the major source regions of PM2.5 in Xi'an during the heavy haze episodes in winter (29, December, 2016 - 5 January 2017), and the framework of the model system is shown in Fig. 1. Firstly, according to the model evaluation of the daily PM2.5 concentrations for the two months, the model has well performance, and the fraction of predictions within a factor of 2 of the observations (FAC2) is 84%, while the correlation coefficient (R) is 0.80 in Xi'an. By using the PSAT in CAMx model, a detailed source region contribution matrix is derived for all points within the Xi'an region and its six surrounding areas, and long-range regional transport. The results show that the local emission in Xi'an is the mainly sources at downtown area, which contributing 72.9% as shown in Fig.2, and the contribution rate of transportations between adjacent areas depends on wind direction. Meanwhile, three different suburban areas selected for detailed analysis in fine particles sources. Comparing to downtown area, the sources of suburban areas are more multiply, and the transportations make the contribution 40%-82%. In the suburban areas, regional inflows play an important role in the fine particles concentrations, indicating a strong need for regional joint emission control efforts. The results enhance the quantitative understanding of the PM2.5 source regions and provide a basis for policymaking to advance the control of pollution

7 CFR 1400.7 - Commensurate contributions and risk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Commensurate contributions and risk. 1400.7 Section 1400.7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT... contributions and risk. (a) In order to be considered eligible to receive payments under the programs specified...

Which factor contribute most to empower farmers through e-Agriculture in Bangladesh?

PubMed

Rashid, Sheikh Mohammed Mamur; Islam, Md Rezwan; Quamruzzaman, Md

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was designed to investigate the impact of e-Agriculture on farmers of Bangladesh. Empowerment is stratified as economic, family and social, political, knowledge and psychological empowerment. Data were collected in Bhatbour Block of Dhighi union under Sadar Upazila of Minikganj District. Data were collected in two phases from the same group of respondents (in August, 2013 and September, 2015). Two sample t test and step-wise multiple regression method were used for analysis. The results showed that e-Agriculture had significant impact on the empowerment of farmers of Bangladesh. Additionally, the study concluded that the most significant factor behind the empowerment of farmer was the use of e-Agriculture which could explain almost 84 % of the total variation of the empowerment. Based on the findings, it is recommended that government should implement e-Agriculture based projects on a massive scale for the empowerment of the farmers.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in residential and agricultural soils from an electronic waste polluted region in South China: distribution, compositional profile, and sources.

PubMed

Zhang, Shaohui; Xu, Xijin; Wu, Yousheng; Ge, Jingjing; Li, Weiqiu; Huo, Xia

2014-05-01

A detailed investigation was conducted to understand the concentration, distribution, profile and possible source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in residential and agricultural soils from Guiyu, Shantou, China, one of the largest electronic waste (e-waste) recycling and dismantling areas in the world. Ten PBDEs were analyzed in 46 surface soil samples in terms of individual and total concentrations, together with soil organic matter concentrations. Much higher concentrations of the total PBDEs were predicted in the residential areas (more than 2000 ng g(-1)), exhibiting a clear urban source, while in the agricultural areas, concentrations were lower than 1500 ng g(-1). PBDE-209 was the most dominant congener among the study sites, indicating the prevalence of commercial deca-PBDE. However signature congeners from commercial octa-PBDE were also found. The total PBDE concentrations were significantly correlated with each individual PBDE. Principal component analysis indicated that PBDEs were mainly distributed in three groups according to the number of bromine atoms on the phenyl rings, and potential source. This study showed that the informal e-waste recycling has already introduced PBDEs into surrounding areas as pollutant which thus warrants an urgent investigation into the transport of PBDEs in the soil-plant system of agricultural areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Division of Agriculture

Science.gov Websites

Book Fact Sheets 2016 Farmers Markets List Farmers Market Resource Fact Sheets Product Seasonal development of an agriculture industry in the State. Alaska Grown Source Book 2016-2017 Alaska Grown Source Book Alaska Ag Day Proclamation Privacy Copyright System Status State of Alaska Department of Natural

Perceived agricultural runoff impact on drinking water.

PubMed

Crampton, Andrea; Ragusa, Angela T

2014-09-01

Agricultural runoff into surface water is a problem in Australia, as it is in arguably all agriculturally active countries. While farm practices and resource management measures are employed to reduce downstream effects, they are often either technically insufficient or practically unsustainable. Therefore, consumers may still be exposed to agrichemicals whenever they turn on the tap. For rural residents surrounded by agriculture, the link between agriculture and water quality is easy to make and thus informed decisions about water consumption are possible. Urban residents, however, are removed from agricultural activity and indeed drinking water sources. Urban and rural residents were interviewed to identify perceptions of agriculture's impact on drinking water. Rural residents thought agriculture could impact their water quality and, in many cases, actively avoided it, often preferring tank to surface water sources. Urban residents generally did not perceive agriculture to pose health risks to their drinking water. Although there are more agricultural contaminants recognised in the latest Australian Drinking Water Guidelines than previously, we argue this is insufficient to enhance consumer protection. Health authorities may better serve the public by improving their proactivity and providing communities and water utilities with the capacity to effectively monitor and address agricultural runoff.

Source contributions to United States ozone and particulate matter over five decades from 1970 to 2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nopmongcol, Uarporn; Alvarez, Yesica; Jung, Jaegun; Grant, John; Kumar, Naresh; Yarwood, Greg

2017-10-01

Evaluating long-term air quality trends can demonstrate effectiveness of control strategies and guide future air quality management planning. Observations have shown that ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the US have declined since as early as 1980 in some areas. But observation trends alone cannot separate effects of changes in local and global emissions to US air quality which are important to air quality planners. This study uses a regional model (CAMx) nested within a global model (GEOS-Chem) to characterize regional changes in O3 and PM2.5 due to the intercontinental transport and local/regional emissions representing six modeling years within five decades (1970-2020). We use the CAMx Source Apportionment Technology (OSAT/PSAT) to estimate contributions from 6 source sectors in 7 source regions plus 6 other groups for a total of 48 tagged contributions. On-road mobile sources consistently make the largest U.S. anthropogenic emissions contribution to O3 in all cities examined even though they decline substantially from 1970 to 2005 and also from 2005 to 2020. Off-road mobile source contributions increase from 1970 to 2005 and then decrease after 2005 in all of the cities. The boundary conditions, mostly from intercontinental transport, contribute more than 20 ppb to high maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) O3 for all six years. We found that lowering NOx emissions raises O3 formation efficiency (OFE) across all emission categories which will limit potential O3 benefits of local NOx strategies in the near future. PM2.5 benefited from adoption of control devices between 1970 and 1980 and has continued to decline through 2005 and expected to decline further by 2020. Area sources such as residential, commercial and fugitive dust emissions stand out as making large contributions to PM2.5 that are not declining. Inter-regional transport is less important in 2020 than 1990 for both pollutants.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. (TITLE SUPPLIED).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1966

AGRICULTURE IS THE MOST BASIC INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES AND, AS OUR SOURCE OF FOOD, FEED, AND FIBER, OCCUPIES A KEY ROLE IN THE ECONOMY OF THE COUNTRY. CHANGING DEMANDS AND SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS HAVE CREATED A NEED FOR INCREASED EMPHASIS ON TRAINING INDIVIDUALS FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE TOTAL INDUSTRY OF AGRICULTURE. THESE CHANGES HAVE…

Source apportionment of fine particles and its chemical components over the Yangtze River Delta, China during a heavy haze pollution episode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; An, J. Y.; Zhou, M.; Yan, R. S.; Huang, C.; Lu, Q.; Lin, L.; Wang, Y. J.; Tao, S. K.; Qiao, L. P.; Zhu, S. H.; Chen, C. H.

2015-12-01

An extremely high PM2.5 pollution episode occurred over the eastern China in January 2013. In this paper, the particulate matter source apportionment technology (PSAT) method coupled within the Comprehensive air quality model with extensions (CAMx) is applied to study the source contributions to PM2.5 and its major components at six receptors (Urban Shanghai, Chongming, Dianshan Lake, Urban Suzhou, Hangzhou and Zhoushan) in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Contributions from 4 source areas (including Shanghai, South Jiangsu, North Zhejiang and Super-region) and 9 emission sectors (including power plants, industrial boilers and kilns, industrial processing, mobile source, residential, volatile emissions, dust, agriculture and biogenic emissions) to PM2.5 and its major components (sulfate, nitrate, ammonia, organic carbon and elemental carbon) at the six receptors in the YRD region are quantified. Results show that accumulation of local pollution was the largest contributor during this air pollution episode in urban Shanghai (55%) and Suzhou (46%), followed by long-range transport (37% contribution to Shanghai and 44% to Suzhou). Super-regional emissions play an important role in PM2.5 formation at Hangzhou (48%) and Zhoushan site (68%). Among the emission sectors contributing to the high pollution episode, the major source categories include industrial processing (with contributions ranging between 12.7 and 38.7% at different receptors), combustion source (21.7-37.3%), mobile source (7.5-17.7%) and fugitive dust (8.4-27.3%). Agricultural contribution is also very significant at Zhoushan site (24.5%). In terms of the PM2.5 major components, it is found that industrial boilers and kilns are the major source contributor to sulfate and nitrate. Volatile emission source and agriculture are the major contributors to ammonia; transport is the largest contributor to elemental carbon. Industrial processing, volatile emissions and mobile source are the most significant

Factors Contributing to Attrition as Reported by Leavers of Secondary Agriculture Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemons, Laura L.; Brashears, M. Todd; Burris, Scott; Meyers, Courtney; Price, Margaret A.

2015-01-01

There exists in our profession a persistent shortage of quality teachers in our high school agricultural education classrooms. A multitude of studies have identified challenges faced by agriculture teachers, however, few, if any, have investigated reasons for attrition by directly asking leavers why they left. This study sought to identify reasons…

Trends analysis of PM source contributions and chemical tracers in NE Spain during 2004-2014: a multi-exponential approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandolfi, Marco; Alastuey, Andrés; Pérez, Noemi; Reche, Cristina; Castro, Iria; Shatalov, Victor; Querol, Xavier

2016-09-01

In this work for the first time data from two twin stations (Barcelona, urban background, and Montseny, regional background), located in the northeast (NE) of Spain, were used to study the trends of the concentrations of different chemical species in PM10 and PM2.5 along with the trends of the PM10 source contributions from the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. Eleven years of chemical data (2004-2014) were used for this study. Trends of both species concentrations and source contributions were studied using the Mann-Kendall test for linear trends and a new approach based on multi-exponential fit of the data. Despite the fact that different PM fractions (PM2.5, PM10) showed linear decreasing trends at both stations, the contributions of specific sources of pollutants and of their chemical tracers showed exponential decreasing trends. The different types of trends observed reflected the different effectiveness and/or time of implementation of the measures taken to reduce the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants. Moreover, the trends of the contributions of specific sources such as those related with industrial activities and with primary energy consumption mirrored the effect of the financial crisis in Spain from 2008. The sources that showed statistically significant downward trends at both Barcelona (BCN) and Montseny (MSY) during 2004-2014 were secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, and V-Ni-bearing source. The contributions from these sources decreased exponentially during the considered period, indicating that the observed reductions were not gradual and consistent over time. Conversely, the trends were less steep at the end of the period compared to the beginning, thus likely indicating the attainment of a lower limit. Moreover, statistically significant decreasing trends were observed for the contributions to PM from the industrial/traffic source at MSY (mixed metallurgy and road traffic) and from the industrial (metallurgy mainly) source at BCN

26 CFR 31.3401(a)(2)-1 - Agricultural labor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 15 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Agricultural labor. 31.3401(a)(2)-1 Section 31... SOURCE Collection of Income Tax at Source § 31.3401(a)(2)-1 Agricultural labor. The term “wages” does not include remuneration for services which constitute agricultural labor as defined in section 3121(g). For...

Feasibility of Estimating Relative Nutrient Contributions of Agriculture using MODIS Time Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton W.; Gasser, Gerald; Spiering, Bruce

2008-01-01

Around the Gulf of Mexico, high-input crops in several regions make a significant contribution to nutrient loading of small to medium estuaries and to the near-shore Gulf. Some crops cultivated near the coast include sorghum in Texas, rice in Texas and Louisiana, sugarcane in Florida and Louisiana, citrus orchards in Florida, pecan orchards in Mississippi and Alabama, and heavy sod and ornamental production around Mobile and Tampa Bay. In addition to crops, management of timberlands in proximity to the coasts also plays a role in nutrient loading. In the summer of 2008, a feasibility project is planned to explore the use of NASA data to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of near-coast nutrient source information available to the coastal community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the viability of nutrient source information products applicable to small to medium watersheds surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptually, these products are intended to complement estuarine nutrient monitoring.

Using a source-receptor approach to characterise VOC behaviour in a French urban area influenced by industrial emissions. Part II: source contribution assessment using the Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model.

PubMed

Badol, Caroline; Locoge, Nadine; Galloo, Jean-Claude

2008-01-25

In Part I of this study (Badol C, Locoge N, Leonardis T, Gallo JC. Using a source-receptor approach to characterise VOC behaviour in a French urban area influenced by industrial emissions, Part I: Study area description, data set acquisition and qualitative data analysis of the data set. Sci Total Environ 2007; submitted as companion manuscript.) the study area, acquisition of the one-year data set and qualitative analysis of the data set have been described. In Part II a source profile has been established for each activity present in the study area: 6 profiles (urban heating, solvent use, natural gas leakage, biogenic emissions, gasoline evaporation and vehicle exhaust) have been extracted from literature to characterise urban sources, 7 industrial profiles have been established via canister sampling around industrial plants (hydrocarbon cracking, oil refinery, hydrocarbon storage, lubricant storage, lubricant refinery, surface treatment and metallurgy). The CMB model is briefly described and its implementation is discussed through the selection of source profiles and fitting species. Main results of CMB modellings for the Dunkerque area are presented. (1) The daily evolution of source contributions for the urban wind sector shows that the vehicle exhaust source contribution varies between 40 and 55% and its relative increase at traffic rush hours is hardly perceptible. (2) The relative contribution of vehicle exhaust varies from 55% in winter down to 30% in summer. This decrease is due to the increase of the relative contribution of hydrocarbon storage source reaching up to 20% in summer. (3) The evolution of source contributions with wind directions has confirmed that in urban wind sectors the contribution of vehicle exhaust dominate with around 45-55%. For the other wind sectors that include some industrial plants, the contribution of industrial sources is around 60% and could reach 80% for the sector 280-310 degrees , which corresponds to the most dense

Source Contributions to Wintertime Elemental and Organic Carbon in the Western Arctic Based on Radiocarbon and Tracer Apportionment.

PubMed

Barrett, T E; Robinson, E M; Usenko, S; Sheesley, R J

2015-10-06

To quantify the contributions of fossil and biomass sources to the wintertime Arctic aerosol burden source apportionment is reported for elemental (EC) and organic carbon (OC) fractions of six PM10 samples collected during a wintertime (2012-2013) campaign in Barrow, AK. Radiocarbon apportionment of EC indicates that fossil sources contribute an average of 68 ± 9% (0.01-0.07 μg m(-3)) in midwinter decreasing to 49 ± 6% (0.02 μg m(-3)) in late winter. The mean contribution of fossil sources to OC for the campaign was stable at 38 ± 8% (0.04-0.32 μg m(-3)). Samples were also analyzed for organic tracers, including levoglucosan, for use in a chemical mass balance (CMB) source apportionment model. The CMB model was able to apportion 24-53% and 99% of the OC and EC burdens, respectively, during the campaign, with fossil OC contributions ranging from 25 to 74% (0.02-0.09 μg m(-3)) and fossil EC contributions ranging from 73 to 94% (0.03-0.07 μg m(-3)). Back trajectories identified two major wintertime source regions to Barrow: the Russian and North American Arctic. Atmospheric lifetimes of levoglucosan, ranging from 50 to 320 h, revealed variability in wintertime atmospheric processing of this biomass burning tracer. This study allows for unambiguous apportionment of EC to fossil fuel and biomass combustion sources and intercomparison with CMB modeling.

Resource Guide to Educational Materials about Agriculture. A Project of Agriculture in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. Office of the Secretary.

Designed to help teachers bring more information about agriculture into their classrooms, this resource guide provides a listing of materials relating to agriculture available from private and public sources. It describes materials available from more than 300 organizations and publishers who responded to a request regarding materials they were…

Watershed delineation and nitrogen source analysis for Bayou Chico, an urban watershed in northwest Florida

EPA Science Inventory

Nutrient pollution in stormwater runoff from urbanized areas contributes to water quality degradation in streams and receiving waterbodies. Agriculture, population growth, and industrial activities are significant sources of nitrogen inputs for surface waters. Increased nitrogen ...

The contribution of different information sources for adverse effects data.

PubMed

Golder, Su; Loke, Yoon K

2012-04-01

The aim of this study is to determine the relative value and contribution of searching different sources to identify adverse effects data. The process of updating a systematic review and meta-analysis of thiazolidinedione-related fractures in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was used as a case study. For each source searched, a record was made for each relevant reference included in the review noting whether it was retrieved with the search strategy used and whether it was available but not retrieved. The sensitivity, precision, and number needed to read from searching each source and from different combinations of sources were also calculated. There were 58 relevant references which presented sufficient numerical data to be included in a meta-analysis of fractures and bone mineral density. The highest number of relevant references were retrieved from Science Citation Index (SCI) (35), followed by BIOSIS Previews (27) and EMBASE (24). The precision of the searches varied from 0.88% (Scirus) to 41.67% (CENTRAL). With the search strategies used, the minimum combination of sources required to retrieve all the relevant references was; the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) website, Science Citation Index (SCI), EMBASE, BIOSIS Previews, British Library Direct, Medscape DrugInfo, handsearching and reference checking, AHFS First, and Thomson Reuters Integrity or Conference Papers Index (CPI). In order to identify all the relevant references for this case study a number of different sources needed to be searched. The minimum combination of sources required to identify all the relevant references did not include MEDLINE.

pH of Aerosols in a Polluted Atmosphere: Source Contributions to Highly Acidic Aerosol.

PubMed

Shi, Guoliang; Xu, Jiao; Peng, Xing; Xiao, Zhimei; Chen, Kui; Tian, Yingze; Guan, Xinbei; Feng, Yinchang; Yu, Haofei; Nenes, Athanasios; Russell, Armistead G

2017-04-18

Acidity (pH) plays a key role in the physical and chemical behavior of PM 2.5 . However, understanding of how specific PM sources impact aerosol pH is rarely considered. Performing source apportionment of PM 2.5 allows a unique link of sources pH of aerosol from the polluted city. Hourly water-soluble (WS) ions of PM 2.5 were measured online from December 25th, 2014 to June 19th, 2015 in a northern city in China. Five sources were resolved including secondary nitrate (41%), secondary sulfate (26%), coal combustion (14%), mineral dust (11%), and vehicle exhaust (9%). The influence of source contributions to pH was estimated by ISORROPIA-II. The lowest aerosol pH levels were found at low WS-ion levels and then increased with increasing total ion levels, until high ion levels occur, at which point the aerosol becomes more acidic as both sulfate and nitrate increase. Ammonium levels increased nearly linearly with sulfate and nitrate until approximately 20 μg m -3 , supporting that the ammonium in the aerosol was more limited by thermodynamics than source limitations, and aerosol pH responded more to the contributions of sources such as dust than levels of sulfate. Commonly used pH indicator ratios were not indicative of the pH estimated using the thermodynamic model.

Ammonia emissions from the agriculture sector in Argentina; 2000-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castesana, Paula S.; Dawidowski, Laura E.; Finster, Laura; Gómez, Darío R.; Taboada, Miguel A.

2018-04-01

Agriculture is one of the key economic sectors in Argentina and, in the last decades, the increase in prices and competitiveness of some grains has imposed important changes. In this process, crop cultivation occupied significant extensions of land areas previously dedicated to livestock farming, which in turn have experienced intensification in terms of production through an increasing share of feedlot systems. The agriculture sector is the main NH3 emitter in Argentina, however no inventory developed locally has been thus far available. We estimated the time series 2000-2012 of NH3 emissions, both at national and spatially disaggregated levels. National NH3 emissions in 2012 amounted to 0.31 ± 0.08 Tg, with the use of mineral fertilizers accounting for 43.0%, manure in pasture 32.5%, manure management 23.0% and agricultural waste burning 1.5%. Urea use was the major source of NH3 emissions and its application on wheat and corn crops dominated the trend. Emissions from open biomass burning were estimated but not included in the national totals because of the difficulties in differentiating between agricultural (i.e., prescribed burning of savannas) and non-agricultural emission sources. Compared to this work, NH3 emissions reported by EDGAR were 83% higher than our estimates. The time series of spatially distributed NH3 emission estimates clearly showed the effect of the expansion of cropland, the displacement of planted areas of N-fertilizes crops by competing soybean cultivation and the relocation and intensification of beef cattle production. This new inventory constitutes a tool for policies concerning the impact of agricultural activities on air quality and contributes with more accurate and updated information useful for atmospheric chemical transport modeling. The accuracy and applicability of the inventory may be improved by local studies aimed at refining the spatial disaggregation by focusing in specific areas of fertilizer application, reflecting

Spatial and temporal variation of sources contributing to quasi-ultrafine particulate matter PM0.36 in Augsburg, Germany.

PubMed

Li, Fengxia; Schnelle-Kreis, Jürgen; Cyrys, Josef; Wolf, Kathrin; Karg, Erwin; Gu, Jianwei; Orasche, Jürgen; Abbaszade, Gülcin; Peters, Annette; Zimmermann, Ralf

2018-08-01

to study the sources contributing to quasi-ultrafine particle (UFP) organic carbon and the spatial temporal variability of the sources. 24h quasi-UFP (particulate matter <0.36μm in this study) was sampled at a reference site continuously and at one of 5 other sites (T1, T2, T3, T4 and B1) in parallel in Augsburg, Germany from April 11th, 2014 to February 22nd, 2015, attempting to conduct 2-week campaigns at each site in 3 different seasons. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to measured organic tracers for source apportionment analyses. Pearson correlation coefficient r and coefficient of divergence (COD) were calculated to investigate spatial temporal variation of source contributions. 5 sources were identified comprising biomass burning (BB), traffic emissions (Traffic), biogenic secondary organic aerosol (bioSOA), isoprene originated secondary organic aerosol (isoSOA) and biomass burning related secondary organic aerosol (bbSOA). In general, good temporal correlation and uniform distribution within the study area are found for bioSOA and bbSOA, probably resulting from regional formation/transport. Lower temporal correlation and spatial heterogeneity of isoSOA were found at the city background site with local influence from green space and less traffic impact. BB demonstrated very good temporal correlation, but higher contributions at sites influenced by local residential heating emissions were observed. Traffic showed the least seasonality and lower correlation over time among the sources. However, it demonstrated low spatial heterogeneity of absolute contribution, and only a few days of elevated contribution was found at T3 when wind came directly from the street nearby. temporal correlation and spatial variability of sources contributing to the organic fraction of quasi-UFP vary among sites and source types and show source-specific characteristics. Therefore, caution should be taken when using one monitor site measurement to assess human exposure

Measuring Florida Extension Faculty's Agricultural Paradigmatic Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Laura A.; Murphrey, Theresa Pesl; Lawver, David E.; Baker, Matt; Lindner, James R.

2014-01-01

The demand for sustainable agriculture has increased, and many institutions, including the University of Florida, have adopted agricultural sustainability as a major goal. Extension has been identified as a critical information source, important in disseminating sustainable agricultural growing techniques. However, research has demonstrated that…

Analyzing the contribution of climate change to long-term variations in sediment nitrogen sources for reservoirs/lakes.

PubMed

Xia, Xinghui; Wu, Qiong; Zhu, Baotong; Zhao, Pujun; Zhang, Shangwei; Yang, Lingyan

2015-08-01

We applied a mixing model based on stable isotopic δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and C:N ratios to estimate the contributions of multiple sources to sediment nitrogen. We also developed a conceptual model describing and analyzing the impacts of climate change on nitrogen enrichment. These two models were conducted in Miyun Reservoir to analyze the contribution of climate change to the variations in sediment nitrogen sources based on two (210)Pb and (137)Cs dated sediment cores. The results showed that during the past 50years, average contributions of soil and fertilizer, submerged macrophytes, N2-fixing phytoplankton, and non-N2-fixing phytoplankton were 40.7%, 40.3%, 11.8%, and 7.2%, respectively. In addition, total nitrogen (TN) contents in sediment showed significant increasing trends from 1960 to 2010, and sediment nitrogen of both submerged macrophytes and phytoplankton sources exhibited significant increasing trends during the past 50years. In contrast, soil and fertilizer sources showed a significant decreasing trend from 1990 to 2010. According to the changing trend of N2-fixing phytoplankton, changes of temperature and sunshine duration accounted for at least 43% of the trend in the sediment nitrogen enrichment over the past 50years. Regression analysis of the climatic factors on nitrogen sources showed that the contributions of precipitation, temperature, and sunshine duration to the variations in sediment nitrogen sources ranged from 18.5% to 60.3%. The study demonstrates that the mixing model provides a robust method for calculating the contribution of multiple nitrogen sources in sediment, and this study also suggests that N2-fixing phytoplankton could be regarded as an important response factor for assessing the impacts of climate change on nitrogen enrichment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of contribution ratios of pollutant sources to a specific section based on an enhanced water quality model.

PubMed

Cao, Bibo; Li, Chuan; Liu, Yan; Zhao, Yue; Sha, Jian; Wang, Yuqiu

2015-05-01

Because water quality monitoring sections or sites could reflect the water quality status of rivers, surface water quality management based on water quality monitoring sections or sites would be effective. For the purpose of improving water quality of rivers, quantifying the contribution ratios of pollutant resources to a specific section is necessary. Because physical and chemical processes of nutrient pollutants are complex in water bodies, it is difficult to quantitatively compute the contribution ratios. However, water quality models have proved to be effective tools to estimate surface water quality. In this project, an enhanced QUAL2Kw model with an added module was applied to the Xin'anjiang Watershed, to obtain water quality information along the river and to assess the contribution ratios of each pollutant source to a certain section (the Jiekou state-controlled section). Model validation indicated that the results were reliable. Then, contribution ratios were analyzed through the added module. Results show that among the pollutant sources, the Lianjiang tributary contributes the largest part of total nitrogen (50.43%), total phosphorus (45.60%), ammonia nitrogen (32.90%), nitrate (nitrite + nitrate) nitrogen (47.73%), and organic nitrogen (37.87%). Furthermore, contribution ratios in different reaches varied along the river. Compared with pollutant loads ratios of different sources in the watershed, an analysis of contribution ratios of pollutant sources for each specific section, which takes the localized chemical and physical processes into consideration, was more suitable for local-regional water quality management. In summary, this method of analyzing the contribution ratios of pollutant sources to a specific section based on the QUAL2Kw model was found to support the improvement of the local environment.

Where Do Agricultural Producers Get Safety and Health Information?

PubMed

Chiu, Sophia; Cheyney, Marsha; Ramirez, Marizen; Gerr, Fred

2015-01-01

There is little empirical guidance regarding communication sources and channels used and trusted by agricultural producers. The goal of this study was to characterize frequency of use and levels of trust in agricultural safety and health information sources and channels accessed by agricultural producers. A sample of 195 agricultural producers was surveyed at county fairs in Iowa. Information was collected about the frequency of use and level of trust in 14 information sources and channels. Associations between age, gender, and education level and use and trust of each information source or channel were estimated using logistic regression. The sample consisted of 72% men with a mean age of 50.1 (SD = 15.6) years. Newspaper and magazine articles were the most commonly used agricultural safety and health information source or channel; 77% (n = 140) of respondents reporting using them at least monthly. Among those reporting monthly or more frequent use, 75% reported trusting mostly or completely, compared with 58% using and 49% trusting the Internet. High levels of use and trust of newspaper and magazine articles did not vary significantly by age, gender, or education level. Age in the highest tertile (57-83 years) was marginally associated with lower odds of using, as well as using and trusting, all the information sources and channels studied except for medical clinics (use only: odds ratio [OR], 3.51, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-15.64; use and trust: OR, 5.90, 95% CI, 0.91-38.42). These findings suggest that traditional media may be more effective than digital media for delivering agricultural safety and health information to agricultural producers. Medical clinics may be an untapped venue for communicating with older agricultural producers.

Barium as a potential indicator of phosphorus in agricultural runoff.

PubMed

Ahlgren, Joakim; Djodjic, Faruk; Wallin, Mats

2012-01-01

In many catchments, anthropogenic input of contaminants, and in particular phosphorus (P), into surface water is a mixture of agricultural and sewage runoff. Knowledge about the relative contribution from each of these sources is vital for mitigation of major environmental problems such as eutrophication. In this study, we investigated whether the distribution of trace elements in surface waters can be used to trace the contamination source. Water from three groups of streams was investigated: streams influenced only by agricultural runoff, streams influenced mainly by sewage runoff, and reference streams. Samples were collected at different flow regimes and times of year and analyzed for 62 elements using ICP-MS. Our results show that there are significant differences between the anthropogenic sources affecting the streams in terms of total element composition and individual elements, indicating that the method has the potential to trace anthropogenic impact on surface waters. The elements that show significant differences between sources are strontium (p < 0.001), calcium (p < 0.004), potassium (p < 0.001), magnesium (p < 0.001), boron (p < 0.001), rhodium (p = 0.001), and barium (p < 0.001). According to this study, barium shows the greatest potential as a tracer for an individual source of anthropogenic input to surface waters. We observed a strong relationship between barium and total P in the investigated samples (R(2) = 0.78), which could potentially be used to apportion anthropogenic sources of P and thereby facilitate targeting of mitigation practices. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Source apportionment and a novel approach of estimating regional contributions to ambient PM2.5 in Haikou, China.

PubMed

Liu, Baoshuang; Li, Tingkun; Yang, Jiamei; Wu, Jianhui; Wang, Jiao; Gao, Jixin; Bi, Xiaohui; Feng, Yinchang; Zhang, Yufen; Yang, Haihang

2017-04-01

A novel approach was developed to estimate regional contributions to ambient PM 2.5 in Haikou, China. In this paper, the investigation was divided into two main steps. The first step: analysing the characteristics of the chemical compositions of ambient PM 2.5 , as well as the source profiles, and then conducting source apportionments by using the CMB and CMB-Iteration models. The second step: the development of estimation approaches for regional contributions in terms of local features of Haikou and the results of source apportionment, and estimating regional contributions to ambient PM 2.5 in Haikou by this new approach. The results indicate that secondary sulphate, resuspended dust and vehicle exhaust were the major sources of ambient PM 2.5 in Haikou, contributing 9.9-21.4%, 10.1-19.0% and 10.5-20.2%, respectively. Regional contributions to ambient PM 2.5 in Haikou in spring, autumn and winter were 22.5%, 11.6% and 32.5%, respectively. The regional contribution in summer was assumed to be zero according to the better atmospheric quality and assumptions of this new estimation approach. The higher regional contribution in winter might be mainly attributable to the transport of polluted air originating in mainland China, especially from the north, where coal is burned for heating in winter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources of particulate matter in China: Insights from source apportionment studies published in 1987-2017.

PubMed

Zhu, Yanhong; Huang, Lin; Li, Jingyi; Ying, Qi; Zhang, Hongliang; Liu, Xingang; Liao, Hong; Li, Nan; Liu, Zhenxin; Mao, Yuhao; Fang, Hao; Hu, Jianlin

2018-06-01

Particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere has adverse effects on human health, ecosystems, and visibility. It also plays an important role in meteorology and climate change. A good understanding of its sources is essential for effective emission controls to reduce PM and to protect public health. In this study, a total of 239 PM source apportionment studies in China published during 1987-2017 were reviewed. The documents studied include peer-reviewed papers in international and Chinese journals, as well as degree dissertations. The methods applied in these studies were summarized and the main sources in various regions of China were identified. The trends of source contributions at two major cities with abundant studies over long-time periods were analyzed. The most frequently used methods for PM source apportionment in China are receptor models, including chemical mass balance (CMB), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and principle component analysis (PCA). Dust, fossil fuel combustion, transportation, biomass burning, industrial emission, secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are the main source categories of fine PM identified in China. Even though the sources of PM vary among seven different geographical areas of China, SIA, industrial, and dust emissions are generally found to be the top three source categories in 2007-2016. A number of studies investigated the sources of SIA and SOA in China using air quality models and indicated that fossil fuel combustion and industrial emissions were the most important sources of SIA (total contributing 63.5%-88.1% of SO 4 2- , and 47.3%-70% NO 3 - ), and agriculture emissions were the dominant source of NH 4 + (contributing 53.9%-90%). Biogenic emissions were the most important source of SOA in China in summer, while residential and industrial emissions were important in winter. Long-term changes of PM sources at two megacities of Beijing and Nanjing indicated that the contributions of

Source tagging modeling study of regional contributions to acid rain in summer over Liaoning Province, Northeastern China.

PubMed

Gbaguidi, Alex E; Wang, Zifa; Wang, Wei; Yang, Ting; Chen, Huan-Sheng

2018-04-01

Strong acid rain was recently observed over Northeastern China, particularly in summer in Liaoning Province where alkaline dust largely neutralized acids in the past. This seems to be related to the regional transboundary pollution and poses new challenges in acid rain control scheme in China. In order to delve into the regional transport impact, and quantify its potential contributions to such an "eruption" of acid rain over Liaoning, this paper employs an online source tagging model in coupling with the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS). Validation of predictions shows the model capability in reproducing key meteorological and chemical features. Acid concentration over Liaoning is more pronounced in August (average of 0.087 mg/m 3 ) with strong pollutant import from regional sources against significant depletion of basic species. Seasonal mean contributions from regional sources are assessed at both lower and upper boundary layers to elucidate the main pathways of the impact of regional sources on acid concentration over Liaoning. At the upper layer (1.2 km), regional sources contribute to acid concentration over Liaoning by 67%, mainly from Shandong (16%), Hebei (13%), Tianjin (11%) and Korean Peninsula (9%). Identified main city-receptors in Liaoning are Dandong, Dalian, Chaohu, Yingkou, Liaoyang, Jinfu, Shengyang, Panjin, Tieling, Benxi, Anshan and Fushun. At lower layer (120 m) where Liaoning local contribution is dominant (58%), regional sources account for 39% in acid concentration. However, inter-municipal acid exchanges are prominent at this layer and many cities in Liaoning are revealed as important sources of local acid production. Seasonal acid contribution average within 1.2 km-120 m attains 55%, suggesting dominance of vertical pollutant transport from regional sources towards lower boundary layer in Liaoning. As direct environmental implication, this study provides policy makers with a perspective of regulating the

Agricultural soil greenhouse gas emissions: a review of national inventory methods.

PubMed

Lokupitiya, Erandathie; Paustian, Keith

2006-01-01

Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are required to submit national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, together with information on methods used in estimating their emissions. Currently agricultural activities contribute a significant portion (approximately 20%) of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, and agricultural soils have been identified as one of the main GHG source categories within the agricultural sector. However, compared to many other GHG sources, inventory methods for soils are relatively more complex and have been implemented only to varying degrees among member countries. This review summarizes and evaluates the methods used by Annex 1 countries in estimating CO2 and N2O emissions in agricultural soils. While most countries utilize the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default methodology, several Annex 1 countries are developing more advanced methods that are tailored for specific country circumstances. Based on the latest national inventory reporting, about 56% of the Annex 1 countries use IPCC Tier 1 methods, about 26% use Tier 2 methods, and about 18% do not estimate or report N2O emissions from agricultural soils. More than 65% of the countries do not report CO2 emissions from the cultivation of mineral soils, organic soils, or liming, and only a handful of countries have used country-specific, Tier 3 methods. Tier 3 methods usually involve process-based models and detailed, geographically specific activity data. Such methods can provide more robust, accurate estimates of emissions and removals but require greater diligence in documentation, transparency, and uncertainty assessment to ensure comparability between countries. Availability of detailed, spatially explicit activity data is a major constraint to implementing higher tiered methods in many countries.

Behavior of the main sources that contribute to ambient PM2.5 in Santiago since 1998

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barraza, F.; Lambert, F.; Jorquera, H.; Villalobos, A. M.; Gallardo, L.

2016-12-01

Santiago's inhabitants have been exposed to high concentrations of fine particle matter (PM2.5) for decades. To contribute to a solution for this long-standing problem it is necessary to clearly identify and quantify the agents that contribute to ambient levels of PM2.5. We present an analysis of a long historical elemental concentrations database measured in air filter particles taken in central Santiago from April 1998 to August 2012 (1243 daily samples). We identify and quantify the main sources that contribute to PM2.5 levels using the source-receptor models PMF 5.0 and UNMIX 6.0. . The 6 main sources that contribute to outdoor PM2.5 levels were: vehicles (13.26±0.42 µg/m3), industrial sulfates (6.60±0.0.47 µg/m3), copper smelters (5.12±0.29 µg/m3), residential wood burning (4.38±0.36 µg/m3), marine aerosols (3.39±0.24 µg/m3), and urban dust (1.07±0.42 µg/m3). The unexplained fraction amounts to 1.76±0.90 µg/m3). The similar results obtained with both receptor models suggest a robust estimation of the main Santiago PM2.5 source apportionment. The analysis of the time series of these sources shows that their absolute contribution to PM2.5 levels has been decreasing during the last decade (except for urban dust which is increasing), and shows the effectiveness of government emission reduction policies. However, these improvements have not been sufficient to reduce PM2.5 concentrations to daily levels below the Chilean standard of 50 µg/m3, let alone the WHO standard of 25 µg/m3.

Agricultural trade and the global phosphorus cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schipanski, M.; Bennett, E.; Riskin, S.; Porder, S.

2012-12-01

Trends of increasing agricultural trade, increased concentration of livestock production systems, and increased human consumption of livestock products influence the distribution of nutrients across the global landscape. Phosphorus (P) represents a unique management challenge as we are rapidly depleting mineable reserves of this essential and non-renewable resource. At the same time, its overuse can lead to pollution of aquatic ecosystems. We analyzed the relative contributions of food crop, feed crop, and livestock product trade to P flows through agricultural soils for twelve countries from 1961 to 2007. We then used case studies of P fertilizer use in the world's three major soybean export regions: Iowa (USA), Mato Grosso (Brazil), and Buenos Aires (Argentina) to examine the influence of historical P management and soil types on agriculture's environmental consequences. Due to the intensification of agricultural production, average soil surface P balances more than tripled from 6 to 21 kg P per ha between 1961 and 2007 for the twelve study countries. Consequently, countries that are primarily agricultural exporters carried increased risks for water pollution or, for Argentina, reduced soil fertility due to soil P mining to support exports. In 2007, nations imported food and feed from regions with higher apparent P fertilizer use efficiencies than if those crops were produced domestically. However, this was largely because imports were sourced from regions depleting soil P resources to support export crop production. In addition, the pattern of regional specialization and intensification of production systems also reduced the potential to recycle P resources, with greater implications for livestock production than crop production. In a globalizing world, it will be increasingly important to integrate biophysical constraints of our natural resources and environmental impacts of agricultural systems into trade policy and agreements and to develop mechanisms that

Relative contribution of lipid sources to eggs of lesser scaup

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cutting, Kyle A.; Hobson, Keith A.; Rotella, Jay J.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Takekawa, John Y.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Parker, Michael

2014-01-01

Studies of how birds mobilize nutrients to eggs have traditionally considered a continuum of possible allocation strategies ranging from income breeding (rely on food sources found on the breeding grounds) to capital breeding (rely on body reserves stored prior to the breeding season). For capital breeding, stored body reserves can be acquired either on or away from the breeding grounds, but it has been difficult to quantify the relative contribution of each, precluding identification of key habitats for acquiring nutrients for clutch formation. During 2006–2009, we explored the importance of spring-staging habitats versus breeding-area habitats for egg-lipid formation in female lesser scaup Aythya affinis using stable carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses. Although δ13C values for abdominal lipid reserves brought to the breeding grounds overlapped those of local amphipods, we were able to quantify the importance of local plant carbohydrates (seeds of emergent wetland plants) to the production of eggs. We compared the importance of local wetland seeds (overall δ13C: −29.1 ± 0.9‰ SD) to combined lipid stores and lipids from local amphipods (overall δ13C: −23.8 ± 2.2‰). Local seeds and stored body lipids contributed equally to egg lipid formation across years but we found evidence of annual variation in their relative importance. Wetland seeds contributed 39% (SE = 10%) to egg lipid production, and the importance of this source varied by year (90% CI = 47–75% in 2006, 13–42% in 2007, 29–65% in 2008, and 7–30% in 2009). In contrast to earlier studies that suggest lesser scaup predominantly employ a capital breeding strategy, our results suggest that in some years females may attain half of their energy for clutch formation from foods on the breeding grounds.

Size distribution, directional source contributions and pollution status of PM from Chengdu, China during a long-term sampling campaign.

PubMed

Shi, Guo-Liang; Tian, Ying-Ze; Ma, Tong; Song, Dan-Lin; Zhou, Lai-Dong; Han, Bo; Feng, Yin-Chang; Russell, Armistead G

2017-06-01

Long-term and synchronous monitoring of PM 10 and PM 2.5 was conducted in Chengdu in China from 2007 to 2013. The levels, variations, compositions and size distributions were investigated. The sources were quantified by two-way and three-way receptor models (PMF2, ME2-2way and ME2-3way). Consistent results were found: the primary source categories contributed 63.4% (PMF2), 64.8% (ME2-2way) and 66.8% (ME2-3way) to PM 10 , and contributed 60.9% (PMF2), 65.5% (ME2-2way) and 61.0% (ME2-3way) to PM 2.5 . Secondary sources contributed 31.8% (PMF2), 32.9% (ME2-2way) and 31.7% (ME2-3way) to PM 10 , and 35.0% (PMF2), 33.8% (ME2-2way) and 36.0% (ME2-3way) to PM 2.5 . The size distribution of source categories was estimated better by the ME2-3way method. The three-way model can simultaneously consider chemical species, temporal variability and PM sizes, while a two-way model independently computes datasets of different sizes. A method called source directional apportionment (SDA) was employed to quantify the contributions from various directions for each source category. Crustal dust from east-north-east (ENE) contributed the highest to both PM 10 (12.7%) and PM 2.5 (9.7%) in Chengdu, followed by the crustal dust from south-east (SE) for PM 10 (9.8%) and secondary nitrate & secondary organic carbon from ENE for PM 2.5 (9.6%). Source contributions from different directions are associated with meteorological conditions, source locations and emission patterns during the sampling period. These findings and methods provide useful tools to better understand PM pollution status and to develop effective pollution control strategies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evolution of air pollution source contributions over one decade, derived by PM10 and PM2.5 source apportionment in two metropolitan urban areas in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diapouli, E.; Manousakas, M.; Vratolis, S.; Vasilatou, V.; Maggos, Th; Saraga, D.; Grigoratos, Th; Argyropoulos, G.; Voutsa, D.; Samara, C.; Eleftheriadis, K.

2017-09-01

Metropolitan Urban areas in Greece have been known to suffer from poor air quality, due to variety of emission sources, topography and climatic conditions favouring the accumulation of pollution. While a number of control measures have been implemented since the 1990s, resulting in reductions of atmospheric pollution and changes in emission source contributions, the financial crisis which started in 2009 has significantly altered this picture. The present study is the first effort to assess the contribution of emission sources to PM10 and PM2.5 concentration levels and their long-term variability (over 5-10 years), in the two largest metropolitan urban areas in Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki). Intensive measurement campaigns were conducted during 2011-2012 at suburban, urban background and urban traffic sites in these two cities. In addition, available datasets from previous measurements in Athens and Thessaloniki were used in order to assess the long-term variability of concentrations and sources. Chemical composition analysis of the 2011-2012 samples showed that carbonaceous matter was the most abundant component for both PM size fractions. Significant increase of carbonaceous particle concentrations and of OC/EC ratio during the cold period, especially in the residential urban background sites, pointed towards domestic heating and more particularly wood (biomass) burning as a significant source. PMF analysis further supported this finding. Biomass burning was the largest contributing source at the two urban background sites (with mean contributions for the two size fractions in the range of 24-46%). Secondary aerosol formation (sulphate, nitrate & organics) was also a major contributing source for both size fractions at the suburban and urban background sites. At the urban traffic site, vehicular traffic (exhaust and non-exhaust emissions) was the source with the highest contributions, accounting for 44% of PM10 and 37% of PM2.5, respectively. The long

LARGE-SCALE PREDICTIONS OF MOBILE SOURCE CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONCENTRATIONS OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation shows concentrations and deposition of toxic air pollutants predicted by a 3-D air quality model, the Community Multi Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. Contributions from both on-road and non-road mobile sources are analyzed.

Recent trends/challenges in irrigated agriculture-Why is irrigation important in a discussion of agricultural migration?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

United States agriculture contributes 16% of the $9 trillion gross domestic product, 8% of U.S. exports, and 17% of employment while providing food to all citizens, despite the fact that only 2% of the U.S. workforces is on farms. Agricultural productivity has grown by 240% since 1948, while agricul...

Interpreting stream sediment fingerprints against primary and secondary source signatures in agricultural catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, Will H.; Haley, Steve; Smith, Hugh G.; Taylor, Alex; Goddard, Rupert; Lewin, Sean; Fraser, David

2013-04-01

Many sediment fingerprinting studies adopt a black box approach to source apportionment whereby the properties of downstream sediment are compared quantitatively to the geochemical fingerprints of potential catchment sources without consideration of potential signature development or modification during transit. Working within a source-pathway-receptor framework, this study aimed to undertake sediment source apportionment within 6 subcatchments of an agricultural river basin with specific attention to the potential role of contaminants (vehicle emissions and mine waste) in development of stream sediment signatures. Fallout radionuclide (FRN) and geochemical fingerprinting methods were adopted independently to establish source signatures for primary sediment sources of surface and subsurface soil materials under various land uses plus reworked mine and 'secondary' soil material deposited, in transit, along road networks. FRN data demonstrated expected variability between surface soil (137Cs = 14 ± 3 Bq kg-1; 210Pbxs = 40 ± 7 Bq kg-1) and channel bank materials (137Cs = 3 ± 1 Bq kg-1; 210Pbxs = 24 ± 5 Bq kg-1) but road transported soil material was considerably elevated in 210Pbxs (up to 673 ± 51 Bq kg-1) due to sediment interaction with pluvial surface water within the road network. Geochemical discrimination between surface and subsurface soil materials was dominated by alkaline earth and alkali metals e.g. Ba, Rb, Ca, K, Mg which are sensitive to weathering processes in soil. Magnetic susceptibility and heavy metals were important discriminators of road transported material which demonstrated transformation of the signatures of material transported via the road network. Numerical unmixing of stream sediment indicated that alongside channel bank erosion, road transported material was an important component in some systems in accord with FRN evidence. While mining spoil also ranked as a significant source in an affected catchment, perhaps related to legacy

Integrating Reading Instruction into Vocational Agriculture Classes. Miscellaneous Publication 586. Contribution Number 3813.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Dorothy D.; Cardozier, V.R.

An experiment was conducted to determine whether special reading instruction integrated with agricultural instruction would result in improved reading ability and increased achievement in subject matter. random assignment was made of vocational agriculture classes in 12 Maryland schools to experimental and control groups. Units on soil sampling…

Discrete Organic Phosphorus Signatures are Evident in Pollutant Sources within a Lake Erie Tributary.

PubMed

Brooker, M R; Longnecker, K; Kujawinski, E B; Evert, M H; Mouser, P J

2018-06-19

Phosphorus loads are strongly associated with the severity of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, a Great Lake situated between the United States and Canada. Inorganic and total phosphorus measurements have historically been used to estimate nonpoint and point source contributions, from contributing watersheds with organic phosphorus often neglected. Here, we used ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to characterize the dissolved organic matter and specifically dissolved organic phosphorus composition of several nutrient pollutant source materials and aqueous samples in a Lake Erie tributary. We detected between 23 and 313 organic phosphorus formulas across our samples, with manure samples having greater abundance of phosphorus- and nitrogen containing compounds compared to other samples. Manures also were enriched in lipids and protein-like compounds. The greatest similarities were observed between the Sandusky River and wastewater treatment plant effluent (WWTP), or the Sandusky River and agricultural edge of field samples. These sample pairs shared 84% of organic compounds and 59-73% of P-containing organic compounds, respectively. This similarity suggests that agricultural and/or WWTP sources dominate the supply of organic phosphorus compounds to the river. We identify formulas shared between the river and pollutant sources that could serve as possible markers of source contamination in the tributary.

Effects of agriculture upon the air quality and climate: research, policy, and regulations.

PubMed

Aneja, Viney P; Schlesinger, William H; Erisman, Jan Willem

2009-06-15

Scientific assessments of agricultural air quality, including estimates of emissions and potential sequestration of greenhouse gases, are an important emerging area of environmental science that offers significant challenges to policy and regulatory authorities. Improvements are needed in measurements, modeling, emission controls, and farm operation management. Controlling emissions of gases and particulate matter from agriculture is notoriously difficult as this sector affects the most basic need of humans, i.e., food. Current policies combine an inadequate science covering a very disparate range of activities in a complex industry with social and political overlays. Moreover, agricultural emissions derive from both area and point sources. In the United States, agricultural emissions play an important role in several atmospherically mediated processes of environmental and public health concerns. These atmospheric processes affect local and regional environmental quality, including odor, particulate matter (PM) exposure, eutrophication, acidification, exposure to toxics, climate, and pathogens. Agricultural emissions also contribute to the global problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural emissions are variable in space and time and in how they interact within the various processes and media affected. Most important in the U.S. are ammonia (where agriculture accounts for approximately 90% of total emissions), reduced sulfur (unquantified), PM25 (approximately 16%), PM110 (approximately 18%), methane (approximately 29%), nitrous oxide (approximately 72%), and odor and emissions of pathogens (both unquantified). Agriculture also consumes fossil fuels for fertilizer production and farm operations, thus emitting carbon dioxide (CO2), oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)), sulfur oxides (SO(x)), and particulates. Current research priorities include the quantification of point and nonpoint sources, the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of ammonia, reduced sulfur

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MCCOLLUM, EARL

RAPID CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE REQUIRES THAT TODAY'S AGRICULTURALIST BE A WELL-EDUCATED ARTICULATE TECHNICIAN. COMMUNITY COLLEGES CAN CONTRIBUTE THEIR GREATEST INFLUENCE ON THE FUTURE OF OUR SOCIETY AND NATION BY OFFERING SPECIALIZED AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN TRAINING FOR BOTH THOSE ENTERING THE FIELD AND THOSE WISHING TO UPDATE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND…

Source contributions to PM10 and arsenic concentrations in Central Chile using positive matrix factorization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedberg, Emma; Gidhagen, Lars; Johansson, Christer

Sampling of particles (PM10) was conducted during a one-year period at two rural sites in Central Chile, Quillota and Linares. The samples were analyzed for elemental composition. The data sets have undergone source-receptor analyses in order to estimate the sources and their abundance's in the PM10 size fraction, by using the factor analytical method positive matrix factorization (PMF). The analysis showed that PM10 was dominated by soil resuspension at both sites during the summer months, while during winter traffic dominated the particle mass at Quillota and local wood burning dominated the particle mass at Linares. Two copper smelters impacted the Quillota station, and contributed to 10% and 16% of PM10 as an average during summer and winter, respectively. One smelter impacted Linares by 8% and 19% of PM10 in the summer and winter, respectively. For arsenic the two smelters accounted for 87% of the monitored arsenic levels at Quillota and at Linares one smelter contributed with 72% of the measured mass. In comparison with PMF, the use of a dispersion model tended to overestimate the smelter contribution to arsenic levels at both sites. The robustness of the PMF model was tested by using randomly reduced data sets, where 85%, 70%, 50% and 33% of the samples were included. In this way the ability of the model to reconstruct the sources initially found by the original data set could be tested. On average for all sources the relative standard deviation increased from 7% to 25% for the variables identifying the sources, when decreasing the data set from 85% to 33% of the samples, indicating that the solution initially found was very stable to begin with. But it was also noted that sources due to industrial or combustion processes were more sensitive for the size of the data set, compared to the natural sources as local soil and sea spray sources.

Identifying Sources of Bias in Agricultural News Reporting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitaker, B. Kathryn; Dyer, James E.

2000-01-01

Articles from 1987-1996 issues of Farm Journal, Progressive Farmer, Successful Farming, Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report were analyzed, revealing lack of depth in reporting environmental and food safety issues and few presentation differences between agricultural and news publications. However, news magazines' artwork often conveyed…

Isotope evidence for agricultural extensification reveals how the world's first cities were fed.

PubMed

Styring, Amy K; Charles, Michael; Fantone, Federica; Hald, Mette Marie; McMahon, Augusta; Meadow, Richard H; Nicholls, Geoff K; Patel, Ajita K; Pitre, Mindy C; Smith, Alexia; Sołtysiak, Arkadiusz; Stein, Gil; Weber, Jill A; Weiss, Harvey; Bogaard, Amy

2017-06-05

This study sheds light on the agricultural economy that underpinned the emergence of the first urban centres in northern Mesopotamia. Using δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of crop remains from the sites of Tell Sabi Abyad, Tell Zeidan, Hamoukar, Tell Brak and Tell Leilan (6500-2000 cal bc), we reveal that labour-intensive practices such as manuring/middening and water management formed an integral part of the agricultural strategy from the seventh millennium bc. Increased agricultural production to support growing urban populations was achieved by cultivation of larger areas of land, entailing lower manure/midden inputs per unit area-extensification. Our findings paint a nuanced picture of the role of agricultural production in new forms of political centralization. The shift towards lower-input farming most plausibly developed gradually at a household level, but the increased importance of land-based wealth constituted a key potential source of political power, providing the possibility for greater bureaucratic control and contributing to the wider societal changes that accompanied urbanization.

Simulation of agricultural non-point source pollution in Xichuan by using SWAT model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Linan; Zuo, Jiane; Liu, Fenglin; Zhang, Xiaohui; Cao, Qiguang

2018-02-01

This paper evaluated the applicability of using SWAT to access agricultural non-point source pollution in Xichuan area. In order to build the model, DEM, soil sort and land use map, climate monitoring data were collected as basic database. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated for the SWAT was carried out using streamflow, suspended solids, total phosphorus and total nitrogen records from 2009 to 2011. Errors, coefficient of determination and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient were considered to evaluate the applicability. The coefficient of determination were 0.96, 0.66, 0.55 and 0.66 for streamflow, SS, TN, and TP, respectively. Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient were 0.93, 0.5, 0.52 and 0.63, respectively. The results all meet the requirements. It suggested that the SWAT model can simulate the study area.

Anthropogenic and geogenic Cd, Hg, Pb and Se sources of contamination in a brackish aquifer below agricultural fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastrocicco, Micòl; Colombani, Nicolò; Di Giuseppe, Dario; Faccini, Barbara; Ferretti, Giacomo; Coltorti, Massimo

2015-04-01

Groundwater quality is often threatened by industrial, agricultural and land use practices (anthropogenic input). In deltaic areas is however difficult to distinguish between geogenic and anthropogenic inorganic contaminants pollution, since these phenomena can influence each other and often display a seasonal cycling. The effect of geogenic groundwater ionic strength (>10 g/l) on the mobility of trace elements like Cd, Hg, Pb and Se was studied in combination with the anthropogenic sources of these elements (fertilizers) in a shallow aquifer. The site is located in the Po river plain (Northern Italy) in an agricultural field belonging to a reclaimed deltaic environment, near Codigoro town. It is 6 ha wide and is drained by a subsurface drainage system made of PVC tile drains with a slope of 3‰, which provides gravity drainage towards two ditches that in turn discharge in a main channel. The whole area has been intensively cultivated with cereal rotation since 1960, mainly using synthetic urea as nitrogen fertilizer at an average rate of 180 kg-N/ha/y and pig slurry at an average rate of 60 kg-N/ha/y. The sediments were analyzed for major and trace elements via XRF, while major ions in groundwater were analyzed via IC and trace elements via ICP-MS. Three monitoring wells, with an inner diameter of 2 cm and screened down to 4 m below ground level, were set up in the field and sampled every four month from 2012 to 2014. The use of intensive depth profiles with resolution of 0.5 m in three different locations, gave insights into groundwater and sediment matrix interactions. To characterize the anthropogenic inputs synthetic urea and pig slurry were analyzed for trace elements via ICP-MS. The synthetic urea is a weak source of Cd and Hg (~1 ppb), while Se and Pb are found below detection limits. The pig slurry is a much stronger source of Se (~19 ppb) and Pb (~23 ppb) and a weak source of Cd (~3 ppb) and Hg (~2 ppb). Although, the mass loading rate pig slurry is

Evaluation of land use and water quality in an agricultural watershed in the USA indicates multiple sources of bacterial impairment.

PubMed

Wittman, Jacob; Weckwerth, Andrew; Weiss, Chelsea; Heyer, Sharon; Seibert, Jacob; Kuennen, Ben; Ingels, Chad; Seigley, Lynette; Larsen, Kirk; Enos-Berlage, Jodi

2013-12-01

Pathogens are the number one cause of impairments of assessed rivers and streams in the USA and pose a significant human health hazard. The Dry Run Creek Watershed in Northeast Iowa has been designated as impaired by the State of Iowa because of high levels of Escherichia coli bacteria. To investigate the nature of this impairment, land use and stream bank assessments were coupled with comprehensive water quality monitoring. Physical, chemical, and biological parameters were measured at 13 different sites in the watershed, including pH, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia-N, nitrate + nitrite-N, total phosphorus, and E. coli. In addition, benthic macroinvertebrate communities were analyzed at seven sites, and optical brightener tests were performed late in the season. Results identified segments of the watershed that were more prominent contributors of E. coli, and correlations were observed between levels of E. coli and several chemical parameters, including ammonia-N, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Interestingly, distinct sites emerged as more prominent contributors of these elements during rain vs. non-rain events, suggesting different types of sources. Both the amount of rainfall and the time elapsed between the rain event and the sampling influenced E. coli levels during wet weather conditions. Nitrate + nitrite-N displayed a unique response to rain events compared with the other parameters, suggesting a different delivery route. Analyses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities were consistent with pollution trends. Collectively, these data suggest distinct agriculturally related E. coli contributions, as well as specific areas and practices for water quality improvement strategies. This study can serve as a resource for evaluating agricultural watersheds that are impaired for bacteria.

Source rock contributions to the Lower Cretaceous heavy oil accumulations in Alberta: a basin modeling study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berbesi, Luiyin Alejandro; di Primio, Rolando; Anka, Zahie; Horsfield, Brian; Higley, Debra K.

2012-01-01

The origin of the immense oil sand deposits in Lower Cretaceous reservoirs of the Western Canada sedimentary basin is still a matter of debate, specifically with respect to the original in-place volumes and contributing source rocks. In this study, the contributions from the main source rocks were addressed using a three-dimensional petroleum system model calibrated to well data. A sensitivity analysis of source rock definition was performed in the case of the two main contributors, which are the Lower Jurassic Gordondale Member of the Fernie Group and the Upper Devonian–Lower Mississippian Exshaw Formation. This sensitivity analysis included variations of assigned total organic carbon and hydrogen index for both source intervals, and in the case of the Exshaw Formation, variations of thickness in areas beneath the Rocky Mountains were also considered. All of the modeled source rocks reached the early or main oil generation stages by 60 Ma, before the onset of the Laramide orogeny. Reconstructed oil accumulations were initially modest because of limited trapping efficiency. This was improved by defining lateral stratigraphic seals within the carrier system. An additional sealing effect by biodegraded oil may have hindered the migration of petroleum in the northern areas, but not to the east of Athabasca. In the latter case, the main trapping controls are dominantly stratigraphic and structural. Our model, based on available data, identifies the Gordondale source rock as the contributor of more than 54% of the oil in the Athabasca and Peace River accumulations, followed by minor amounts from Exshaw (15%) and other Devonian to Lower Jurassic source rocks. The proposed strong contribution of petroleum from the Exshaw Formation source rock to the Athabasca oil sands is only reproduced by assuming 25 m (82 ft) of mature Exshaw in the kitchen areas, with original total organic carbon of 9% or more.

Farmers' Willingness to Adopt Conservation Agriculture: New Evidence from Lebanon.

PubMed

Chalak, Ali; Irani, Alexandra; Chaaban, Jad; Bashour, Issam; Seyfert, Karin; Smoot, Kaitlyn; Abebe, Gumataw Kifle

2017-10-01

With increasing food insecurity and climate change, conservation agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to intensive conventional agriculture as a source of food supply. Yet the adoption rate of conservation agriculture is still low. Our paper analyses the factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt conservation agriculture in Lebanon. The findings show that household characteristics-years of farming and farm size affect conservation agriculture adoption. However, household characteristics alone were insufficient to explain conservation agriculture adoption. We found that farming experience, information sources, frequency of irrigation, and severity of weed infestation in the past, participation in specific trainings, and farmers' perception about the long-term impact of conservation agriculture, were key determinants of conservation agriculture adoption. Our paper encourages policymakers to invest in conservation agriculture to overcome food insecurity and environmental changes affecting food systems in the Middle East. The paper also informs agribusiness firms to view conservation agriculture as a viable alternative to strengthen their business relationship with farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

Farmers' Willingness to Adopt Conservation Agriculture: New Evidence from Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalak, Ali; Irani, Alexandra; Chaaban, Jad; Bashour, Issam; Seyfert, Karin; Smoot, Kaitlyn; Abebe, Gumataw Kifle

2017-10-01

With increasing food insecurity and climate change, conservation agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to intensive conventional agriculture as a source of food supply. Yet the adoption rate of conservation agriculture is still low. Our paper analyses the factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt conservation agriculture in Lebanon. The findings show that household characteristics—years of farming and farm size affect conservation agriculture adoption. However, household characteristics alone were insufficient to explain conservation agriculture adoption. We found that farming experience, information sources, frequency of irrigation, and severity of weed infestation in the past, participation in specific trainings, and farmers' perception about the long-term impact of conservation agriculture, were key determinants of conservation agriculture adoption. Our paper encourages policymakers to invest in conservation agriculture to overcome food insecurity and environmental changes affecting food systems in the Middle East. The paper also informs agribusiness firms to view conservation agriculture as a viable alternative to strengthen their business relationship with farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

7 CFR 1775.34 - Source of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Source of funds. 1775.34 Section 1775.34 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants § 1775.34 Source of funds...

Resource Guide to Educational Materials about Agriculture. A Project of Agriculture in the Classroom. 1996 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. Office of the Secretary.

This resource guide provides a list of materials available from public and private sources on agriculture and related issues. More than 300 organizations and publishers were asked what materials they were producing that could help regular K-12 classroom teachers incorporate more information about agriculture into their instruction. This guide is…

7 CFR 1000.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1000.14 Section 1000.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDERS Definitions § 1000.14 Other source milk. Other source milk means all skim milk and butterfat contained in or...

7 CFR 1000.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1000.14 Section 1000.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDERS Definitions § 1000.14 Other source milk. Other source milk means all skim milk and butterfat contained in or...

7 CFR 1000.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1000.14 Section 1000.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDERS Definitions § 1000.14 Other source milk. Other source milk means all skim milk and butterfat contained in or...

7 CFR 1000.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1000.14 Section 1000.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDERS Definitions § 1000.14 Other source milk. Other source milk means all skim milk and butterfat contained in or...

7 CFR 1000.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1000.14 Section 1000.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDERS Definitions § 1000.14 Other source milk. Other source milk means all skim milk and butterfat contained in or...

Brief History of Agricultural Systems Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, James W.; Antle, John M.; Basso, Bruno O.; Boote, Kenneth J.; Conant, Richard T.; Foster, Ian; Godfray, H. Charles J.; Herrrero, Mario; Howitt, Richard E.; Janssen, Sandor;

Brief history of agricultural systems modeling.

PubMed

Jones, James W; Antle, John M; Basso, Bruno; Boote, Kenneth J; Conant, Richard T; Foster, Ian; Godfray, H Charles J; Herrero, Mario; Howitt, Richard E; Janssen, Sander; Keating, Brian A; Munoz-Carpena, Rafael; Porter, Cheryl H; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Wheeler, Tim R

2017-07-01

Agricultural systems science generates knowledge that allows researchers to consider complex problems or take informed agricultural decisions. The rich history of this science exemplifies the diversity of systems and scales over which they operate and have been studied. Modeling, an essential tool in agricultural systems science, has been accomplished by scientists from a wide range of disciplines, who have contributed concepts and tools over more than six decades. As agricultural scientists now consider the "next generation" models, data, and knowledge products needed to meet the increasingly complex systems problems faced by society, it is important to take stock of this history and its lessons to ensure that we avoid re-invention and strive to consider all dimensions of associated challenges. To this end, we summarize here the history of agricultural systems modeling and identify lessons learned that can help guide the design and development of next generation of agricultural system tools and methods. A number of past events combined with overall technological progress in other fields have strongly contributed to the evolution of agricultural system modeling, including development of process-based bio-physical models of crops and livestock, statistical models based on historical observations, and economic optimization and simulation models at household and regional to global scales. Characteristics of agricultural systems models have varied widely depending on the systems involved, their scales, and the wide range of purposes that motivated their development and use by researchers in different disciplines. Recent trends in broader collaboration across institutions, across disciplines, and between the public and private sectors suggest that the stage is set for the major advances in agricultural systems science that are needed for the next generation of models, databases, knowledge products and decision support systems. The lessons from history should be

A Description and Source Listing of Curriculum Materials in Agricultural Education. 1972-73.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Vocational Association, Washington, DC. Agricultural Education Div.

Listed are 246 curriculum material items in ten categories: field crops, horticulture, forestry, animal science, soils, diseases and pests, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, agricultural occupations, and professional. Most materials are annotated and all are classified according to the AGPEX filing system. Bibliographic and…

Contribution of biomass combustion to air pollutant emissions =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goncalves, Catia Vanessa Maio

In Portugal, it was estimated that around 1.95 Mton/year of wood is used in residential wood burning for heating and cooking. Additionally, in the last decades, burnt forest area has also been increasing. These combustions result in high levels of toxic air pollutants and a large perturbation of atmospheric chemistry, interfere with climate and have adverse effects on health. Accurate quantification of the amounts of trace gases and particulate matter emitted from residential wood burning, agriculture and garden waste burning and forest fires on a regional and global basis is essential for various purposes, including: the investigation of several atmospheric processes, the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, and quantification of the air pollution sources that affect human health at regional scales. In Southern Europe, data on detailed emission factors from biomass burning are rather inexistent. Emission inventories and source apportionment, photochemical and climate change models use default values obtained for US and Northern Europe biofuels. Thus, it is desirable to use more specific locally available data. The objective of this study is to characterise and quantify the contribution of biomass combustion sources to atmospheric trace gases and aerosol concentrations more representative of the national reality. Laboratory (residential wood combustion) and field (agriculture/garden waste burning and experimental wildland fires) sampling experiments were carried out. In the laboratory, after the selection of the most representative wood species and combustion equipment in Portugal, a sampling program to determine gaseous and particulate matter emission rates was set up, including organic and inorganic aerosol composition. In the field, the smoke plumes from agriculture/garden waste and experimental wildland fires were sampled. The results of this study show that the combustion equipment and biofuel type used have an important role in the emission levels and

Understanding Canadian Agriculture. "Understanding Economics" Series No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyns, R. M. A.

This document for secondary school Canadian students analyzes the role of agriculture in the national economy and in Canadian trade, describes characteristics of Canadian farms, and discusses governmental inlfuences on Canadian agriculture. The document stresses that agriculture is a large source of national wealth; about 30% of Canadian farm…

A Description and Source Listing of Curriculum Materials in Agricultural Education, 1970-1971.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Vocational Association, Washington, DC. Agricultural Education Div.

To provide teachers of vocational agriculture, agricultural supervisors, and agricultural teacher educators with information on current curriculum materials available to them, this annotated bibliography presents 207 references classified according to the AGDEX filing system. Topics are: (1) Field Crops, (2) Horticulture, (3) Forestry, (4) Animal…

7 CFR 3015.51 - Acceptable contributions and costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Acceptable contributions and costs. 3015.51 Section 3015.51 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE UNIFORM FEDERAL ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS Cost-Sharing or Matching...

7 CFR 3015.18 - Source of bonds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Source of bonds. 3015.18 Section 3015.18 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE UNIFORM FEDERAL ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS Bonding and Insurance § 3015.18 Source of bonds. Any bonds...

Determinants and impacts of public agricultural research in Japan: Product level evidence on agricultural Kosetsushi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukugawa, Nobuya

2017-12-01

The public sector is an important source of agricultural research as the agricultural sector in many countries consists of a number of individual farmers who have difficulty in bearing the cost of research and development. Public institutes for testing and research called Kosetsushi help agriculture and manufacturing improve labor productivity through technology transfer activities, whereby constituting an important component of regional innovation systems in Japan. This study establishes panel data of agricultural Kosetsushi and examines whether their research activities are responsive to local needs and which type of research effort is conducive to the promotion of agricultural product innovations. Estimation results reveal variations across plants in the impacts of agricultural clusters on research on the plant conducted by Kosetsushi located in the cluster. A positive impact is observed only for vegetable while negative or statistically insignificant relationships are found for rice, fruit, and flower. The impact of research on plant breeding on agricultural product innovations also varies across plants. Policy implications of the major findings are discussed.

Sources of methane and nitrous oxide in California's Central Valley estimated through direct airborne flux and positive matrix factorization source apportionment of groundbased and regional tall tower measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, Abhinav

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are two major greenhouse gases that contribute significantly to the increase in anthropogenic radiative-forcing causing perturbations to the earth's climate system. In a watershed moment in the state's history of environmental leadership and commitment, California, in 2006, opted for sharp reductions in their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adopted a long-term approach to address climate change that includes regulation of emissions from individual emitters and source categories. There are large CH4 and N2O emissions sources in the state, predominantly in the agricultural and waste management sector. While these two gases account for < 10% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions of the state, large uncertainties exist in their `bottom-up' accounting in the state GHG inventory. Additionally, an increasing number of `top-down' studies based on ambient observations point towards underestimation of their emissions in the inventory. Three intensive field observation campaigns that were spatially and temporally diverse took place between 2010 and 2013 in the Central Valley of California where the largest known sources of CH4 and N2O (e.g. agricultural systems and dairies) and potentially significant CH4 sources (e.g. oil and gas extraction) are located. The CalNex (California Nexus - Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) field campaign during summer 2010 (May 15 - June 30) took place in the urban core of Bakersfield in the southern San Joaquin Valley, a city whose economy is built around agriculture and the oil and gas industry. During summer of 2011, airborne measurements were performed over a large spatial domain, all across and around the Central Valley as part of the CABERNET (California Airborne BVOC Emission Research in Natural Ecosystem Transects) study. Next, a one-year continuous field campaign (WGC 2012-13, June 2012 - August 2013) was conducted at the Walnut Grove tall tower near the Sacramento

Growing Food for Space and Earth: NASA's Contributions to Vertical Agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Raymond M.

2015-01-01

Beginning in the 1980s with NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program and later the 1990s and early 2000s with the Advanced Life Support Project, NASA conducted extensive testing with crops in controlled environment conditions. One series of tests conducted at Kennedy Space Center used a large chamber with vertically stacked shelves to support hydroponic growing trays, with a bank of electric lamps above each shelf. This is essentially the same approach that has become popular for use in so-called vertical agriculture systems, which attempts to optimize plant production in a fixed volume. Some of the findings and commonalities of NASA's work during this period and how it overlaps with current interests in vertical agriculture will be presented in the talk.

A Description and Source Listing of Curriculum Materials in Agricultural Education, 1969-1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Vocational Association, Washington, DC. Agricultural Education Div.

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to provide teachers of vocational agriculture, agricultural supervisors, and agricultural teacher educators with information on current curriculum materials available to them. Classified according to the AGDEX filing system, the 163 references are grouped under the headings: (1) Field Crops, (2)…

Contributions and source identification of biogenic and anthropogenic hydrocarbons to secondary organic aerosols at Mt. Tai in 2014.

PubMed

Zhu, Yanhong; Yang, Lingxiao; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Chen, Jianmin; Ono, Kaori; Wang, Xinfeng; Xue, Likun; Wang, Wenxing

2017-01-01

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) collected at Mt. Tai in summer 2014 were analysed and the data were used to identify the contribution of biogenic and anthropogenic hydrocarbons to secondary organic aerosols (SOA) and their sources and potential source areas in high mountain regions. Compared with those in 2006, the 2014 anthropogenic SOA tracers in PM 2.5 aerosols and VOC species related to vehicular emissions exhibited higher concentrations, whereas the levels of biogenic SOA tracers were lower, possibly due to decreased biomass burning. Using the SOA tracer and parameterisation method, we estimated the contributions from biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs, respectively. The results showed that the average concentration of biogenic SOA was 1.08 ± 0.51 μg m -3 , among which isoprene SOA tracers were dominant. The anthropogenic VOC-derived SOA were 7.03 ± 1.21 μg m -3 and 1.92 ± 1.34 μg m -3 under low- and high-NO x conditions, respectively, and aromatics made the greatest contribution. However, the sum of biogenic and anthropogenic SOA only contributed 18.1-49.1% of the total SOA. Source apportionment by positive matrix factorisation (PMF) revealed that secondary oxidation and biomass burning were the major sources of biogenic SOA tracers. Anthropogenic aromatics mainly came from solvent use, fuel and plastics combustion and vehicular emissions. However, for > C6 alkanes and cycloalkanes, vehicular emissions and fuel and plastics combustion were the most important contributors. The potential source contribution function (PSCF) identified the Bohai Sea Region (BSR) as the major source area for organic aerosol compounds and VOC species at Mt. Tai. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources of heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils of a rapidly industrializing area in the Yangtze Delta of China.

PubMed

Xu, Xianghua; Zhao, Yongcun; Zhao, Xiaoyan; Wang, Yudong; Deng, Wenjing

2014-10-01

The rapid industrialization and urbanization in developing countries have increased pollution by heavy metals, which is a concern for human health and the environment. In this study, 230 surface soil samples (0-20cm) were collected from agricultural areas of Jiaxing, a rapidly industrializing area in the Yangtze Delta of China. Sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) and multivariate factorial kriging analysis (FKA) were used to identify and explore the sources of heavy metal pollution for eight metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cd, Hg and As). Localized hot-spots of pollution were identified for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd with area percentages of 0.48 percent, 0.58 percent, 2.84 percent, 2.41 percent, 0.74 percent, and 0.68 percent, respectively. The areas with Hg pollution covered approximately 38 percent whereas no potential pollution risk was found for As. The soil parent material and point sources of pollution had significant influences on Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd levels, except for the influence of agricultural management practices also accounted for micro-scale variations (nugget effect) for Cu and Zn pollution. Short-range (4km) diffusion processes had a significant influence on Cu levels, although they did not appear to be the dominant sources of Zn and Cd variation. The short-range diffusion pollution arising from current and historic industrial emissions and urbanization, and long-range (33km) variations in soil parent materials and/or diffusion jointly determined the current concentrations of soil Pb. The sources of Hg pollution risk may be attributed to the atmosphere deposition of industrial emission and historical use of Hg-containing pesticides. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 1484.50 - What cost share contributions are eligible?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... section, eligible contributions are: (1) Cash; (2) Compensation paid to personnel; (3) The cost of... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What cost share contributions are eligible? 1484.50... MARKETS FOR AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES Contributions and Reimbursements § 1484.50 What cost share...

Tension on the Farm Fields: The Death of Traditional Agriculture?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oguamanam, Chidi

2007-01-01

Taking into account the historic transitions and progressions in agricultural science, this article examines the emergence of the phenomenon of agricultural biotechnology. It identifies pivotal sites of tension between agricultural biotechnology and alternative approaches to agriculture. The article identifies two distinct sources of contemporary…

Effects of disturbance on contribution of energy sources to growth of juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in boreal streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, R.W.; Bradford, M.J.; Grout, J.A.

2003-01-01

We used stable isotopes of carbon in a growth-dependent tissue-turnover model to quantify the relative contribution of autochthonous and terrestrial energy sources to juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in five small boreal streams tributary to the upper Yukon River. We used a tissue-turnover model because fish did not grow enough to come into isotopic equilibrium with their diet. In two streams, autochthonous energy sources contributed 23 and 41% to the growth of juvenile salmon. In the other three, fish growth was largely due to terrestrial (i.e., allochthonous) energy sources. This low contribution of autochthonous energy appeared to be related to stream-specific disturbances: a recent forest fire impacted two of the streams and the third was affected by a large midsummer spate during the study. These disturbances reduced the relative abundance of herbivorous macroinvertebrates, the contribution of autochthonous material to other invertebrates, and ultimately, the energy flow between stream algae and fish. Our findings suggest that disturbances to streams can be an important mechanism affecting transfer of primary energy sources to higher trophic levels.

Mobile laboratory measurements of atmospheric emissions from agriculture, oil, and natural gas activities in northeastern Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eilerman, S. J.; Peischl, J.; Neuman, J. A.; Ryerson, T. B.; Wild, R. J.; Perring, A. E.; Brown, S. S.; Aikin, K. C.; Holloway, M.; Roberts, O.

2014-12-01

Atmospheric emissions from agriculture are important to air quality and climate, yet their representation in inventories is incomplete. Increased fertilizer use has lead to increased emissions of nitrogen compounds, which can adversely affect ecosystems and contribute to the formation of fine particulates. Furthermore, extraction and processing of oil and natural gas continues to expand throughout northeastern Colorado; emissions from these operations require ongoing measurement and characterization. This presentation summarizes initial data and analysis from a summer 2014 campaign to study emissions of nitrogen compounds, methane, and other species in northeastern Colorado using a new mobile laboratory. A van was instrumented to measure NH3, N2O, NOx, NOy, CH4, CO, CO2, O3, and bioaerosols with high time resolution. By sampling in close proximity to a variety of emissions sources, the mobile laboratory facilitated accurate source identification and quantification of emissions ratios. Measurements were obtained near agricultural sites, natural gas and oil operations, and other point sources. Additionally, extensive measurements were obtained downwind from urban areas and along roadways. The relationship between ammonia and other trace gases is used to characterize sources and constrain emissions inventories.

Agricultural biotechnology and smallholder farmers in developing countries.

PubMed

Anthony, Vivienne M; Ferroni, Marco

2012-04-01

Agricultural biotechnology holds much potential to contribute towards crop productivity gains and crop improvement for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Over 14 million smallholder farmers are already benefiting from biotech crops such as cotton and maize in China, India and other Asian, African and Central/South American countries. Molecular breeding can accelerate crop improvement timescales and enable greater use of diversity of gene sources. Little impact has been realized to date with fruits and vegetables because of development timescales for molecular breeding and development and regulatory costs and political considerations facing biotech crops in many countries. Constraints to the development and adoption of technology-based solutions to reduce yield gaps need to be overcome. Full integration with broader commercial considerations such as farmer access to seed distribution systems that facilitate dissemination of improved varieties and functioning markets for produce are critical for the benefits of agricultural biotechnology to be fully realized by smallholders. Public-private partnerships offer opportunities to catalyze new approaches and investment while accelerating integrated research and development and commercial supply chain-based solutions. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Integrating Sensory/Actuation Systems in Agricultural Vehicles

PubMed Central

Emmi, Luis; Gonzalez-de-Soto, Mariano; Pajares, Gonzalo; Gonzalez-de-Santos, Pablo

2014-01-01

In recent years, there have been major advances in the development of new and more powerful perception systems for agriculture, such as computer-vision and global positioning systems. Due to these advances, the automation of agricultural tasks has received an important stimulus, especially in the area of selective weed control where high precision is essential for the proper use of resources and the implementation of more efficient treatments. Such autonomous agricultural systems incorporate and integrate perception systems for acquiring information from the environment, decision-making systems for interpreting and analyzing such information, and actuation systems that are responsible for performing the agricultural operations. These systems consist of different sensors, actuators, and computers that work synchronously in a specific architecture for the intended purpose. The main contribution of this paper is the selection, arrangement, integration, and synchronization of these systems to form a whole autonomous vehicle for agricultural applications. This type of vehicle has attracted growing interest, not only for researchers but also for manufacturers and farmers. The experimental results demonstrate the success and performance of the integrated system in guidance and weed control tasks in a maize field, indicating its utility and efficiency. The whole system is sufficiently flexible for use in other agricultural tasks with little effort and is another important contribution in the field of autonomous agricultural vehicles. PMID:24577525

Integrating sensory/actuation systems in agricultural vehicles.

PubMed

Emmi, Luis; Gonzalez-de-Soto, Mariano; Pajares, Gonzalo; Gonzalez-de-Santos, Pablo

2014-02-26

In recent years, there have been major advances in the development of new and more powerful perception systems for agriculture, such as computer-vision and global positioning systems. Due to these advances, the automation of agricultural tasks has received an important stimulus, especially in the area of selective weed control where high precision is essential for the proper use of resources and the implementation of more efficient treatments. Such autonomous agricultural systems incorporate and integrate perception systems for acquiring information from the environment, decision-making systems for interpreting and analyzing such information, and actuation systems that are responsible for performing the agricultural operations. These systems consist of different sensors, actuators, and computers that work synchronously in a specific architecture for the intended purpose. The main contribution of this paper is the selection, arrangement, integration, and synchronization of these systems to form a whole autonomous vehicle for agricultural applications. This type of vehicle has attracted growing interest, not only for researchers but also for manufacturers and farmers. The experimental results demonstrate the success and performance of the integrated system in guidance and weed control tasks in a maize field, indicating its utility and efficiency. The whole system is sufficiently flexible for use in other agricultural tasks with little effort and is another important contribution in the field of autonomous agricultural vehicles.

Cassava; African perspective on space agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katayama, Naomi; Njemanze, Philip; Nweke, Felix; Space Agriculture Task Force, J.; Katayama, Naomi; Yamashita, Masamichi

Looking on African perspective in space agriculture may contribute to increase diversity, and enforce robustness for advanced life support capability. Cassava, Manihot esculentaand, is one of major crop in Africa, and could be a candidate of space food materials. Since resource is limited for space agriculture in many aspects, crop yield should be high in efficiency, and robust as well. The efficiency is measured by farming space and time. Harvest yield of cassava is about 41 MJ/ m2 (70 ton/ha) after 11 months of farming. Among rice, wheat, potato, and sweet potato, cassava is ranked to the first place (40 m2 ) in terms of farming area required to supply energy of 5 MJ/day, which is recommended for one person. Production of cassava could be made under poor condition, such as acidic soil, shortage of fertilizer, draught. Laterite, similar to Martian regolith. Propagation made by stem cutting is an advantage of cassava in space agriculture avoiding entomophilous or anemophilous process to pollinate. Feature of crop storage capability is additional factor that determines the efficiency in the whole process of agriculture. Cassava root tuber can be left in soil until its consumption. Cassava might be an African contribution to space agriculture.

Long-term trends of ambient particulate matter emission source contributions and the accountability of control strategies in Hong Kong over 1998-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Zibing; Yadav, Varun; Turner, Jay R.; Louie, Peter K. K.; Lau, Alexis Kai Hon

2013-09-01

Despite extensive emission control measures targeting motor vehicles and to a lesser extent other sources, annual-average PM10 mass concentrations in Hong Kong have remained relatively constant for the past several years and for some air quality metrics, such as the frequency of poor visibility days, conditions have degraded. The underlying drivers for these long-term trends were examined by performing source apportionment on eleven years (1998-2008) of data for seven monitoring sites in the Hong Kong PM10 chemical speciation network. Nine factors were resolved using Positive Matrix Factorization. These factors were assigned to emission source categories that were classified as local (operationally defined as within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) or non-local based on temporal and spatial patterns in the source contribution estimates. This data-driven analysis provides strong evidence that local controls on motor vehicle emissions have been effective in reducing motor vehicle-related ambient PM10 burdens with annual-average contributions at neighborhood- and larger-scale monitoring stations decreasing by ˜6 μg m-3 over the eleven year period. However, this improvement has been offset by an increase in annual-average contributions from non-local contributions, especially secondary sulfate and nitrate, of ˜8 μg m-3 over the same time period. As a result, non-local source contributions to urban-scale PM10 have increased from 58% in 1998 to 70% in 2008. Most of the motor vehicle-related decrease and non-local source driven increase occurred over the period 1998-2004 with more modest changes thereafter. Non-local contributions increased most dramatically for secondary sulfate and secondary nitrate factors and thus combustion-related control strategies, including but not limited to power plants, are needed for sources located in the Pearl River Delta and more distant regions to improve air quality conditions in Hong Kong. PMF-resolved source

Emission Sectoral Contributions of Foreign Emissions to Particulate Matter Concentrations over South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, E.; Kim, S.; Kim, H. C.; Kim, B. U.; Cho, J. H.; Woo, J. H.

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigated the contributions of major emission source categories located upwind of South Korea to Particulate Matter (PM) in South Korea. In general, air quality in South Korea is affected by anthropogenic air pollutants emitted from foreign countries including China. Some studies reported that foreign emissions contributed 50 % of annual surface PM total mass concentrations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea in 2014. Previous studies examined PM contributions of foreign emissions from all sectors considering meteorological variations. However, little studies conducted to assess contributions of specific foreign source categories. Therefore, we attempted to estimate sectoral contributions of foreign emissions from China to South Korea PM using our air quality forecasting system. We used Model Inter-Comparison Study in Asia 2010 for foreign emissions and Clean Air Policy Support System 2010 emission inventories for domestic emissions. To quantify contributions of major emission sectors to South Korea PM, we applied the Community Multi-scale Air Quality system with brute force method by perturbing emissions from industrial, residential, fossil-fuel power plants, transportation, and agriculture sectors in China. We noted that industrial sector was pre-dominant over the region except during cold season for primary PMs when residential emissions drastically increase due to heating demand. This study will benefit ensemble air quality forecasting and refined control strategy design by providing quantitative assessment on seasonal contributions of foreign emissions from major source categories.

Fingerprinting aliphatic hydrocarbon pollutants over agricultural lands surrounding Tehran oil refinery.

PubMed

Bayat, Javad; Hashemi, Seyed Hossein; Khoshbakht, Korros; Deihimfard, Reza

2016-11-01

The analysis of aliphatic hydrocarbons, which are composed of n-alkanes as well as branched and cyclic alkanes, can be used to distinguish between the sources of hydrocarbon contamination. In this study, the concentration of aliphatic hydrocarbons, soil pH, and organic matter in agricultural soils located south of Tehran were monitored. Eighty-three soil samples were taken from two depth ranges of 0-30 and 30-60 cm. The results showed that aliphatic compounds ranged from 0.22-68.11 mg kg -1 at the top to 0.33-53.18 mg kg -1 at subsoil. The amount of hydrocarbons increases from the northern parts toward the south, and hydrocarbon pollutants originated from both petroleum and non-petroleum sources. Higher concentrations of aliphatic compounds in the southern parts indicated that, aside from the practice of irrigating with untreated wastewater, leakage from oil refinery storage tanks possibly contributed to soil pollution. The results also showed that several sources have polluted the agricultural soils. It is necessary to develop a new local pollution criterion as a diagnostic index that includes not only hydrocarbons but also other parameters such as heavy metal content in both soil and untreated wastewater, surface runoff, and other irrigation water resources to determine the exact origin of pollution.

Outsourcing Agricultural Production: Evidence from Rice Farmers in Zhejiang Province

PubMed Central

Ji, Chen; Guo, Hongdong; Jin, Songqing; Yang, Jin

2017-01-01

China has recorded positive growth rates of grain production for the past eleven consecutive years. This is a remarkable accomplishment given that China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization has led to a vast reduction of arable land and agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors. While there are many factors contributing to this happy outcome, one potential contributing factor that has received increasing attention is the emergence of agricultural production outsourcing, a new rural institution that has emerged in recent years. This study aims to contribute to the limited but growing literature on agricultural production outsourcing in China. Specifically, this study analyzes factors affecting farmers’ decisions to outsource any or some production tasks using data from rice farmers in Zhejiang province. Results from a logistic model show that farm size and government subsidy encourages farmers to outsource while ownership of agricultural machines and land fragmentation have negative effects on farmers’ decisions to outsource production tasks. Results also showed that determinants of outsourcing decisions vary with the production tasks that farmers outsourced. PMID:28129362

Outsourcing Agricultural Production: Evidence from Rice Farmers in Zhejiang Province.

PubMed

Ji, Chen; Guo, Hongdong; Jin, Songqing; Yang, Jin

2017-01-01

China has recorded positive growth rates of grain production for the past eleven consecutive years. This is a remarkable accomplishment given that China's rapid industrialization and urbanization has led to a vast reduction of arable land and agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors. While there are many factors contributing to this happy outcome, one potential contributing factor that has received increasing attention is the emergence of agricultural production outsourcing, a new rural institution that has emerged in recent years. This study aims to contribute to the limited but growing literature on agricultural production outsourcing in China. Specifically, this study analyzes factors affecting farmers' decisions to outsource any or some production tasks using data from rice farmers in Zhejiang province. Results from a logistic model show that farm size and government subsidy encourages farmers to outsource while ownership of agricultural machines and land fragmentation have negative effects on farmers' decisions to outsource production tasks. Results also showed that determinants of outsourcing decisions vary with the production tasks that farmers outsourced.

Energy for agriculture. A computerized information retrieval system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stout, B.A.; Myers, C.A.

Energy may come from the sun or the earth or be the product of plant materials or agricultural wastes. Whatever its source, energy is indispensable to our way of life, beginning with the production, processing, and distribution of abundant, high quality food and fiber supplies. This specialized bibliography on the subject of energy for agriculture contains 2613 citations to the literature for 1973 through May 1979. Originally issued by Michigan State University (MSU), it is being reprinted and distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The literature citations will be incorporated into AGRICOLA (Agricultural On-Line Access), the comprehensive bibliographic datamore » base maintained by Technical Information Systems (TIS), a component of USDA's Science and Education Administration (SEA). The citations and the listing of research projects will be combined with other relevant references to provide a continuously updated source of information on energy programs in the agricultural field. No abstracts are included.« less

Exposure to infrasonic noise in agriculture.

PubMed

Bilski, Bartosz

2017-03-21

Although exposure to audible noise has been examined in many publications, the sources of infrasound in agriculture have not been fully examined and presented. The study presents the assessment of exposure to infrasound from many sources at workplaces in agriculture with examples of possible ergonomic and health consequences caused by such exposure. Workers'-perceived infrasonic noise levels were examined for 118 examples of moving and stationary agricultural machines (modern and old cab-type tractors, old tractors without cabins, small tractors, grinders, chargers, forage mixers, grain cleaners, conveyors, bark sorters and combine-harvesters). Measurements of infrasound were taken with the use of class 1 instruments (digital sound analyzer DSA-50 digital and acoustic calibrator). Noise level measurements were performed in accordance with PN-Z-01338:2010, PN-EN ISO 9612:2011 and ISO 9612:2009. The most intense sources of infrasound in the study were modern and old large size types agricultural machinery (tractors, chargers and combined-harvesters, and stationary forage mixers with ventilation). The G-weighted infrasound levels were significant and at many analyzed workplaces stayed within or exceeded the occupational exposure limit (LG eq, 8h = 102 dB) when the duration of exposure is longer than 22 min./8-hours working day (most noisy - modern cab-type tractors), 46 min./8 hours working day (most noisy - old type cab-tractors), 73 min./8 hours working day (most noisy - old tractors without cabins), 86 min./8-hours working day (most noisy - combine-harvesters) and 156 min./8 hours working day (most noisy - stationary forage mixers with ventilation). All measured machines generated infrasonic noise exceeded the value LG eq, Te = 86 dB (occupational exposure limit for workplaces requiring maintained mental concentration). A very important harmful factor is infrasound exposure for pregnant women and adolescents at workplaces in agriculture. Very valuable work can be

Who pays for agricultural injury care?

PubMed

Costich, Julia

2010-01-01

Analysis of 295 agricultural injury hospitalizations in a single state's hospital discharge database found that workers' compensation covered only 5% of the inpatient stays. Other sources were commercial health insurance (47%), Medicare (31%), and Medicaid (7%); 9% were uninsured. Estimated mean hospital and physician payments (not costs or charges) were $12,056 per hospitalization. Nearly one sixth (16%) of hospitalizations were either unreimbursed or covered by Medicaid, indicating a substantial cost-shift to public funding sources. Problems in characterizing agricultural injuries and states' exceptions to workers' compensation coverage mandates point to the need for comprehensive health coverage.

Water in agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural water is a precious and limited resource. Increasingly more water types and sources are being explored for use in irrigation within the United States and across the globe. As outlined in this chapter relatively new regulations in the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) provide irri...

Peruvian Arid Coast and Agriculture, South America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The coast of Peru, between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains is very arid (16.5S, 72.5W). For several thousand years, water from numerous small streams has been used for traditional flood and canal irrigation agriculture. However, during the past decade innovative techniques have tapped new water sources for increased agricultural production. Ground water in the porous sedimentary rock formations has been tapped for well irrigation agriculture.

Evaluating Nitrate Contributions From Different Land Use Types Across a Regional Watershed Using Flow and Transport Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spansky, M. C.; Hyndman, D. W.; Long, D. T.; Pijanowski, B. C.

2004-05-01

Regional inputs of non-point source pollutants to groundwater, such as agriculturally-derived nitrate, have typically proven difficult to model due to sparse concentration data and complex system dynamics. We present an approach to evaluate the relative contribution of various land use types to groundwater nitrate across a regional Michigan watershed using groundwater flow and transport models. The models were parameterized based on land use data, and calibrated to a 20 year database of nitrate measured in drinking water wells. The database spans 1983-2003 and contains approximately 27,000 nitrate records for the five major counties encompassed by the watershed. The Grand Traverse Bay Watershed (GTBW), located in the northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan, was chosen for this research. Groundwater flow and nitrate transport models were developed for the GTBW using MODFLOW2000 and RT3D, respectively. In a preliminary transport model, agricultural land uses were defined as the sole source of groundwater nitrate. Nitrate inputs were then refined to reflect variations in nitrogen loading rates for different agriculture types, including orchards, row crops, and pastureland. The calibration dataset was created by assigning spatial coordinates to each water well sample using address matching from a geographic information system (GIS). Preliminary results show that there is a significant link between agricultural sources and measured groundwater nitrate concentrations. In cases where observed concentrations remain significantly higher than simulated values, other sources of nitrate (e.g. septic tanks or abandoned agricultural fields) will be evaluated. This research will eventually incorporate temporal variations in fertilizer application rates and changing land use patterns to better represent fluid and solute fluxes at a regional scale.

7 CFR 1126.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1126.14 Section 1126.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1126.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1131.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1131.14 Section 1131.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE ARIZONA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1131.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1033.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1033.14 Section 1033.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE MIDEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1033.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1007.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1007.14 Section 1007.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1007.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1032.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1032.14 Section 1032.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE CENTRAL MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1032.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1006.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1006.14 Section 1006.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE FLORIDA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1006.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1005.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1005.14 Section 1005.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE APPALACHIAN MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1005.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1005.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1005.14 Section 1005.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE APPALACHIAN MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1005.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1007.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1007.14 Section 1007.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1007.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1126.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1126.14 Section 1126.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1126.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1001.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1001.14 Section 1001.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE NORTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1001.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1131.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1131.14 Section 1131.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE ARIZONA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1131.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1006.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1006.14 Section 1006.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE FLORIDA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1006.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1032.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1032.14 Section 1032.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE CENTRAL MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1032.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1033.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1033.14 Section 1033.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE MIDEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1033.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1006.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1006.14 Section 1006.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE FLORIDA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1006.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1126.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1126.14 Section 1126.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1126.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1005.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1005.14 Section 1005.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE APPALACHIAN MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1005.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1005.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1005.14 Section 1005.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE APPALACHIAN MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1005.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1033.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1033.14 Section 1033.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE MIDEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1033.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1007.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1007.14 Section 1007.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1007.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1032.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1032.14 Section 1032.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE CENTRAL MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1032.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1007.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1007.14 Section 1007.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1007.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1131.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1131.14 Section 1131.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE ARIZONA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1131.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1033.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1033.14 Section 1033.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE MIDEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1033.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1007.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1007.14 Section 1007.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1007.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1001.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1001.14 Section 1001.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE NORTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1001.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1006.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1006.14 Section 1006.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE FLORIDA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1006.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1126.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1126.14 Section 1126.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1126.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1033.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1033.14 Section 1033.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE MIDEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1033.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1006.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1006.14 Section 1006.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE FLORIDA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1006.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1001.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1001.14 Section 1001.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE NORTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1001.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1005.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1005.14 Section 1005.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE APPALACHIAN MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1005.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1032.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1032.14 Section 1032.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE CENTRAL MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1032.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1126.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1126.14 Section 1126.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE SOUTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1126.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1131.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1131.14 Section 1131.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE ARIZONA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1131.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1001.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1001.14 Section 1001.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE NORTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1001.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1032.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1032.14 Section 1032.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE CENTRAL MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1032.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1131.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1131.14 Section 1131.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE ARIZONA MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1131.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

BIOMASS GASIFICATION FOR AGRICULTURAL ENERGY SOURCES AND SOIL ENRICHMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Phase I of the Biomass Gasification Project gave birth to many success stories and demonstrated enormous potential for members of the local agricultural community and for students within the university.

Community-building

Watauga County Cooperative Ext...

Nitrate source apportionment using a combined dual isotope, chemical and bacterial property, and Bayesian model approach in river systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yongqiu; Li, Yuefei; Zhang, Xinyu; Yan, Xiaoyuan

2017-01-01

Nitrate (NO3-) pollution is a serious problem worldwide, particularly in countries with intensive agricultural and population activities. Previous studies have used δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- to determine the NO3- sources in rivers. However, this approach is subject to substantial uncertainties and limitations because of the numerous NO3- sources, the wide isotopic ranges, and the existing isotopic fractionations. In this study, we outline a combined procedure for improving the determination of NO3- sources in a paddy agriculture-urban gradient watershed in eastern China. First, the main sources of NO3- in the Qinhuai River were examined by the dual-isotope biplot approach, in which we narrowed the isotope ranges using site-specific isotopic results. Next, the bacterial groups and chemical properties of the river water were analyzed to verify these sources. Finally, we introduced a Bayesian model to apportion the spatiotemporal variations of the NO3- sources. Denitrification was first incorporated into the Bayesian model because denitrification plays an important role in the nitrogen pathway. The results showed that fertilizer contributed large amounts of NO3- to the surface water in traditional agricultural regions, whereas manure effluents were the dominant NO3- source in intensified agricultural regions, especially during the wet seasons. Sewage effluents were important in all three land uses and exhibited great differences between the dry season and the wet season. This combined analysis quantitatively delineates the proportion of NO3- sources from paddy agriculture to urban river water for both dry and wet seasons and incorporates isotopic fractionation and uncertainties in the source compositions.

Brief history of agricultural systems modeling

DOE PAGES

Jones, James W.; Antle, John M.; Basso, Bruno; ...

2017-06-21

Agricultural systems science generates knowledge that allows researchers to consider complex problems or take informed agricultural decisions. The rich history of this science exemplifies the diversity of systems and scales over which they operate and have been studied. Modeling, an essential tool in agricultural systems science, has been accomplished by scientists from a wide range of disciplines, who have contributed concepts and tools over more than six decades. As agricultural scientists now consider the "next generation" models, data, and knowledge products needed to meet the increasingly complex systems problems faced by society, it is important to take stock of thismore » history and its lessons to ensure that we avoid re-invention and strive to consider all dimensions of associated challenges. To this end, we summarize here the history of agricultural systems modeling and identify lessons learned that can help guide the design and development of next generation of agricultural system tools and methods. A number of past events combined with overall technological progress in other fields have strongly contributed to the evolution of agricultural system modeling, including development of process-based bio-physical models of crops and livestock, statistical models based on historical observations, and economic optimization and simulation models at household and regional to global scales. Characteristics of agricultural systems models have varied widely depending on the systems involved, their scales, and the wide range of purposes that motivated their development and use by researchers in different disciplines. Recent trends in broader collaboration across institutions, across disciplines, and between the public and private sectors suggest that the stage is set for the major advances in agricultural systems science that are needed for the next generation of models, databases, knowledge products and decision support systems. Furthermore, the lessons from

Brief history of agricultural systems modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, James W.; Antle, John M.; Basso, Bruno

Agricultural systems science generates knowledge that allows researchers to consider complex problems or take informed agricultural decisions. The rich history of this science exemplifies the diversity of systems and scales over which they operate and have been studied. Modeling, an essential tool in agricultural systems science, has been accomplished by scientists from a wide range of disciplines, who have contributed concepts and tools over more than six decades. As agricultural scientists now consider the "next generation" models, data, and knowledge products needed to meet the increasingly complex systems problems faced by society, it is important to take stock of thismore » history and its lessons to ensure that we avoid re-invention and strive to consider all dimensions of associated challenges. To this end, we summarize here the history of agricultural systems modeling and identify lessons learned that can help guide the design and development of next generation of agricultural system tools and methods. A number of past events combined with overall technological progress in other fields have strongly contributed to the evolution of agricultural system modeling, including development of process-based bio-physical models of crops and livestock, statistical models based on historical observations, and economic optimization and simulation models at household and regional to global scales. Characteristics of agricultural systems models have varied widely depending on the systems involved, their scales, and the wide range of purposes that motivated their development and use by researchers in different disciplines. Recent trends in broader collaboration across institutions, across disciplines, and between the public and private sectors suggest that the stage is set for the major advances in agricultural systems science that are needed for the next generation of models, databases, knowledge products and decision support systems. Furthermore, the lessons from

Source contribution of PM₂.₅ at different locations on the Malaysian Peninsula.

PubMed

Ee-Ling, Ooi; Mustaffa, Nur Ili Hamizah; Amil, Norhaniza; Khan, Md Firoz; Latif, Mohd Talib

2015-04-01

This study determined the source contribution of PM2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 μm) in air at three locations on the Malaysian Peninsula. PM2.5 samples were collected using a high volume sampler equipped with quartz filters. Ion chromatography was used to determine the ionic composition of the samples and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of heavy metals. Principal component analysis with multilinear regressions were used to identify the possible sources of PM2.5. The range of PM2.5 was between 10 ± 3 and 30 ± 7 µg m(-3). Sulfate (SO4 (2-)) was the major ionic compound detected and zinc was found to dominate the heavy metals. Source apportionment analysis revealed that motor vehicle and soil dust dominated the composition of PM2.5 in the urban area. Domestic waste combustion dominated in the suburban area, while biomass burning dominated in the rural area.

Evaluating agricultural nonpoint-source pollution using integrated geographic information systems and hydrologic/water quality model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tim, U.S.; Jolly, R.

1994-01-01

Considerable progress has been made in developing physically based, distributed parameter, hydrologic/water quality (HIWQ) models for planning and control of nonpoint-source pollution. The widespread use of these models is often constrained by the excessive and time-consuming input data demands and the lack of computing efficiencies necessary for iterative simulation of alternative management strategies. Recent developments in geographic information systems (GIS) provide techniques for handling large amounts of spatial data for modeling nonpoint-source pollution problems. Because a GIS can be used to combine information from several sources to form an array of model input data and to examine any combinations ofmore » spatial input/output data, it represents a highly effective tool for HiWQ modeling. This paper describes the integration of a distributed-parameter model (AGNPS) with a GIS (ARC/INFO) to examine nonpoint sources of pollution in an agricultural watershed. The ARC/INFO GIS provided the tools to generate and spatially organize the disparate data to support modeling, while the AGNPS model was used to predict several water quality variables including soil erosion and sedimentation within a watershed. The integrated system was used to evaluate the effectiveness of several alternative management strategies in reducing sediment pollution in a 417-ha watershed located in southern Iowa. The implementation of vegetative filter strips and contour buffer (grass) strips resulted in a 41 and 47% reduction in sediment yield at the watershed outlet, respectively. In addition, when the integrated system was used, the combination of the above management strategies resulted in a 71% reduction in sediment yield. In general, the study demonstrated the utility of integrating a simulation model with GIS for nonpoini-source pollution control and planning. Such techniques can help characterize the diffuse sources of pollution at the landscape level. 52 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.« less

How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture.

PubMed

Horrigan, Leo; Lawrence, Robert S; Walker, Polly

2002-05-01

The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat--instead of feeding it directly to humans--involves a large energy loss, making animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production. The proliferation of factory-style animal agriculture creates environmental and public health concerns, including pollution from the high concentration of animal wastes and the extensive use of antibiotics, which may compromise their effectiveness in medical use. At the consumption end, animal fat is implicated in many of the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict industrial and newly industrializing societies, particularly cardiovascular disease and some cancers. In terms of human health, both affluent and poor countries could benefit from policies that more equitably distribute high-protein foods. The pesticides used heavily in industrial agriculture are associated with elevated cancer risks for workers and consumers and are coming under greater scrutiny for their links to endocrine disruption and reproductive dysfunction. In this article we outline the environmental and human health problems associated with current food production practices and discuss how these systems could be made more sustainable.

How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture.

PubMed Central

Horrigan, Leo; Lawrence, Robert S; Walker, Polly

2002-01-01

The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat--instead of feeding it directly to humans--involves a large energy loss, making animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production. The proliferation of factory-style animal agriculture creates environmental and public health concerns, including pollution from the high concentration of animal wastes and the extensive use of antibiotics, which may compromise their effectiveness in medical use. At the consumption end, animal fat is implicated in many of the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict industrial and newly industrializing societies, particularly cardiovascular disease and some cancers. In terms of human health, both affluent and poor countries could benefit from policies that more equitably distribute high-protein foods. The pesticides used heavily in industrial agriculture are associated with elevated cancer risks for workers and consumers and are coming under greater scrutiny for their links to endocrine disruption and reproductive dysfunction. In this article we outline the environmental and human health problems associated with current food production practices and discuss how these systems could be made more sustainable. PMID:12003747

Economic Analysis of Nitrate Source Reductions in California Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medellin-Azuara, J.; Howitt, R.; Rosenstock, T.; Harter, T.; Pettygrove, S. G.; Dzurella, K.; Lund, J. R.

2011-12-01

We present an analytical approach to assess the economic impact of improving nitrogen management practices in California agriculture. We employ positive mathematical programming to calibrate crop production to base input information. The production function representation is a nested constant elasticity of substitution with two nests: one for applied water and one for applied nitrogen. The first nest accounts for the tradeoffs between irrigation efficiency and capital investments in irrigation technology. The second nest represents the tradeoffs between nitrogen application efficiency and the marginal costs of improving nitrogen efficiency. In the production function nest, low elasticities of substitution and water and nitrogen stress constraints keep agricultural crop yields constant despite changes in nitrogen management practices. We use the Tulare Basin, and the Salinas Valley in California's Central Valley and Central Coast respectively as our case studies. Preliminary results show that initial reductions of 25% in nitrogen loads to groundwater may not impose large costs to agricultural crop production as substitution of management inputs results in only small declines in net revenue from farming and total land use. Larger reductions in the nitrogen load to groundwater of 50% imposes larger marginal costs for better nitrogen management inputs and reductions in the area of lower valued crops grown in the study areas. Despite the shortage of data on quantitative effects of improved nitrogen efficiency; our results demonstrate the potential of combining economic and agronomic data into a model that can reflect differences in cost and substitutabilty in nitrogen application methods, that can be used to reduce the quantity of nitrogen leaching into groundwater.

7 CFR 1030.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1030.14 Section 1030.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE UPPER MIDWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1030.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1124.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Other source milk. 1124.14 Section 1124.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1124.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1124.14 Section 1124.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1030.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1030.14 Section 1030.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE UPPER MIDWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1030.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1124.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1124.14 Section 1124.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1124.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1124.14 Section 1124.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1030.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1030.14 Section 1030.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE UPPER MIDWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1030.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1030.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Other source milk. 1030.14 Section 1030.14 Agriculture... and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE UPPER MIDWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1030.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1124.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Other source milk. 1124.14 Section 1124.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

7 CFR 1030.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Other source milk. 1030.14 Section 1030.14 Agriculture... AND ORDERS; MILK), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE UPPER MIDWEST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 1030.14 Other source milk. See § 1000.14. ...

Transport of particle-associated elements in two agriculture-dominated boreal river systems.

PubMed

Marttila, Hannu; Saarinen, Tuomas; Celebi, Ahmet; Kløve, Bjørn

2013-09-01

Transport of particulate pollutants in fluvial systems can contribute greatly to total loads. Understanding transport mechanics under different hydrological conditions is key in successful load estimation. This study analysed trace elements and physico-chemical parameters in time-integrated suspended sediment samples, together with dissolved and total concentrations of pollutants, along two agriculture- and peatland-dominated boreal river systems. The samples were taken in a spatially and temporally comprehensive sampling programme during the ice-free seasons of 2010 and 2011. The hydrochemistry and transport of particle-bound elements in the rivers were strongly linked to intense land use and acid sulphate soils in the catchment area, with arable, pasture and peat areas in particular being main diffuse sources. There were significant seasonal and temporal variations in dissolved and particulate fluxes, but spatial variations were small. Continuous measurements of EC, turbidity and discharge proved to be an accurate indicator of dissolved and particulate fluxes. Overall, the results show that transport of particle-bound elements makes a major contribution to total transport fluxes in agriculture-dominated boreal rivers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of PAHs from coal-tar pavement sealcoat and other sources to 40 U.S. lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Mahler, Barbara J.

2010-01-01

Contamination of urban lakes and streams by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has increased in the United States during the past 40 years. We evaluated sources of PAHs in post-1990 sediments in cores from 40 lakes in urban areas across the United States using a contaminant mass-balance receptor model and including as a potential source coal-tar-based (CT) sealcoat, a recently recognized source of urban PAH. Other PAH sources considered included several coal- and vehicle-related sources, wood combustion, and fuel-oil combustion. The four best modeling scenarios all indicate CT sealcoat is the largest PAH source when averaged across all 40 lakes, contributing about one-half of PAH in sediment, followed by vehicle-related sources and coal combustion. PAH concentrations in the lakes were highly correlated with PAH loading from CT sealcoat (Spearman's rho=0.98), and the mean proportional PAH profile for the 40 lakes was highly correlated with the PAH profile for dust from CT-sealed pavement (r=0.95). PAH concentrations and mass and fractional loading from CT sealcoat were significantly greater in the central and eastern United States than in the western United States, reflecting regional differences in use of different sealcoat product types. The model was used to calculate temporal trends in PAH source contributions during the last 40 to 100 years to eight of the 40 lakes. In seven of the lakes, CT sealcoat has been the largest source of PAHs since the 1960s, and in six of those lakes PAH trends are upward. Traffic is the largest source to the eighth lake, located in southern California where use of CT sealcoat is rare.

Investigating the contribution of shipping emissions to atmospheric PM2.5 using a combined source apportionment approach.

PubMed

Lang, Jianlei; Zhou, Ying; Chen, Dongsheng; Xing, Xiaofan; Wei, Lin; Wang, Xiaotong; Zhao, Na; Zhang, Yanyun; Guo, Xiurui; Han, Lihui; Cheng, Shuiyuan

2017-10-01

Many studies have been conducted focusing on the contribution of land emission sources to PM 2.5 in China; however, little attention had been paid to other contributions, especially the secondary contributions from shipping emissions to atmospheric PM 2.5 . In this study, a combined source apportionment approach, including principle component analysis (PCA) and WRF-CMAQ simulation, was applied to identify both primary and secondary contributions from ships to atmospheric PM 2.5 . An intensive PM 2.5 observation was conducted from April 2014 to January 2015 in Qinhuangdao, which was close to the largest energy output port of China. The chemical components analysis results showed that the primary component was the major contributor to PM 2.5 , with proportions of 48.3%, 48.9%, 55.1% and 55.4% in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. The secondary component contributed higher fractions in summer (48.2%) and winter (36.8%), but had lower percentages in spring (30.1%) and autumn (32.7%). The hybrid source apportionment results indicated that the secondary contribution (SC) of shipping emissions to PM 2.5 could not be ignored. The annual average SC was 2.7%, which was comparable to the primary contribution (2.9%). The SC was higher in summer (5.3%), but lower in winter (1.1%). The primary contributions to atmospheric PM 2.5 were 3.0%, 2.5%, 3.4% and 2.7% in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. As for the detailed chemical components, the contributions of shipping emissions were 2.3%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 1.0%, 1.7% and 0.1% to elements & sea salt, primary organic aerosol (POA), element carbon (EC), nitrate, sulfate and secondary organic carbon (SOA), respectively. The results of this study will further the understanding of the implications of shipping emissions in PM 2.5 pollution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of Estimating Relative Nutrient Contributions of Agriculture and Forests Using MODIS Time Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton W.; Gasser, Gerald; Spiering, Bruce

2010-01-01

Around the Gulf of Mexico, high-input crops in several regions make a significant contribution to nutrient loading of small to medium estuaries and to the near-shore Gulf. Some crops cultivated near the coast include sorghum in Texas, rice in Texas and Louisiana, sugarcane in Florida and Louisiana, citrus orchards in Florida, pecan orchards in Mississippi and Alabama, and heavy sod and ornamental production around Mobile and Tampa Bay. In addition to crops, management of timberlands in proximity to the coasts also plays a role in nutrient loading. In the summer of 2008, a feasibility project is planned to explore the use of NASA data to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of near-coast nutrient source information available to the coastal community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the viability of nutrient source information products applicable to small to medium watersheds surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptually, these products are intended to complement estuarine nutrient monitoring.

Pulmonary health effects of agriculture.

PubMed

Nordgren, Tara M; Bailey, Kristina L

2016-03-01

Occupational exposures in the agricultural industry are associated with numerous lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, lung cancer, and interstitial lung diseases. Efforts are ongoing to ascertain contributing factors to these negative respiratory outcomes and improve monitoring of environmental factors leading to disease. In this review, recently published studies investigating the deleterious effects of occupational exposures in the agricultural industry are discussed. Occupational exposures to numerous agricultural environment aerosols, including pesticides, fungi, and bacteria are associated with impaired respiratory function and disease. Increases in certain farming practices, including mushroom and greenhouse farming, present new occupational exposure concerns. Improved detection methods may provide opportunities to better monitor safe exposure levels to known lung irritants. In the agricultural industry, occupational exposures to organic and inorganic aerosols lead to increased risk for lung disease among workers. Increased awareness of respiratory risks and improved monitoring of agricultural environments are necessary to limit pulmonary health risks to exposed populations.

Application of particle size distributions to total particulate stack samples to estimate PM2.5 and PM10 emission factors for agricultural sources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Particle size distributions (PSD) have long been used to more accurately estimate the PM10 fraction of total particulate matter (PM) stack samples taken from agricultural sources. These PSD analyses were typically conducted using a Coulter Counter with 50 micrometer aperture tube. With recent increa...

Contribution of electric energy to the process of elimination of low emission sources in Cracow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lach, J.; Mejer, T.; Wybranski, A.

1995-12-31

At present energy supply belongs to the most important global problems. A significant part of energy is consumed for residential heating purposes. Depending on climatic conditions, fuel distribution and the level of technological development, the contribution of these purposes ranges between ca. 50% (Poland) and ca. 12% (Spain). The power engineering structure in Poland is based almost exclusively upon solid fuels, i.e. hard and brown coal. Chemical compounds (carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) produced in combustion process influence negatively the natural environment. The contribution of residential heating in this negative effect is rather significant. Because of the fact,more » that the resources of fossil fuels (the most important source of energy at present) are limited and their influence on natural environment is negative, efforts are made to find out more effective ways of energy consumption and to reduce the pollutant emission from heating sources. This problem is a topical issue in Cracow, especially during the heating season because the coal-fired stoves situated in the central part of the town remain the most important source of pollutant emission. These sources cause serious menace to the health of inhabitants; furthermore the pollutants destroy Cracow monuments entered in the UNESCO world list of human heritage.« less

CO source contribution analysis for California during ARCTAS-CARB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfister, G. G.; Avise, J.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Edwards, D. P.; Emmons, L. K.; Diskin, G. D.; Podolske, J.; Wisthaler, A.

2011-08-01

Air pollution is of concern in many parts of California and is impacted by both local emissions and also by pollution inflow from the North Pacific Ocean. In this study, we use the regional chemical transport model WRF-Chem V3.2 together with the global Model for OZone and Related Chemical Tracers to examine the CO budget over California. We include model CO tracers for different emission sources in the models, which allow estimation of the relative importance of local sources versus pollution inflow on the distribution of CO at the surface and in the free troposphere. The focus of our study is on the 15 June-15 July 2008 time period, which coincides with the aircraft deployment of the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission over California. Model simulations are evaluated using these aircraft observations as well as satellite retrievals and surface observations of CO. Evaluation results show that the model overall predicts the observed CO fields well, but points towards an underestimate of CO from the fires in Northern California, which had a strong influence during the study period, and towards a slight overestimate of CO from pollution inflow and local anthropogenic sources. The analysis of the CO budget over California reveals that inflow of CO explains on average 99 ± 11 ppbV of surface CO during the study period, compared to 61 ± 95 ppbV for local anthropogenic direct emissions of CO and 84 ± 194 ppbV for fires. In the free troposphere, the average CO contributions are estimated as 96 ± 7 ppbV for CO inflow, 8 ± 9 ppbV for CO from local anthropogenic sources and 18 ± 13 ppbV for CO from fires. Accounting for the low bias in the CO fire emission inventory, the fire impact during the study period might have been up to a factor 4 higher than the given estimates.

Wisconsin Radio and Television Agricultural Market News Programming. Wisconsin Agricultural Extension Service Research Report No. R2615, April 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroupa, Eugene A.; Walker, Douglas K.

The study determined what Wisconsin's 102 AM, 107 FM, and 21 television stations were providing as agricultural market information programming and documented the amount, timing, frequency, and completeness of broadcast agricultural market news reports. Data were collected on the sources of market price information, types of commodity and price…

Multifractal spectrum analysis of nonlinear dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shu-Peng; He, Ling-Yun

2010-04-01

Based on Partition Function and Multifractal Spectrum Analysis, we investigated the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets, namely, Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE for short) and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE for short), where nearly all agricultural futures contracts are traded in the two markets. Firstly, we found nontrivial multifractal spectra, which are the empirical evidence of the existence of multifractal features, in 4 representative futures markets in China, that is, Hard Winter wheat (HW for short) and Strong Gluten wheat (SG for short) futures markets from ZCE and Soy Meal (SM for short) futures and Soy Bean No.1 (SB for short) futures markets from DCE. Secondly, by shuffling the original time series, we destroyed the underlying nonlinear temporal correlation; thus, we identified that long-range correlation mechanism constitutes major contributions in the formation in the multifractals of the markets. Thirdly, by tracking the evolution of left- and right-half spectra, we found that there exist critical points, between which there are different behaviors, in the left-half spectra for large price fluctuations; but for the right-hand spectra for small price fluctuations, the width of those increases slowly as the delay t increases in the long run. Finally, the dynamics of large fluctuations is significantly different from that of the small ones, which implies that there exist different underlying mechanisms in the formation of multifractality in the markets. Our main contributions focus on that we not only provided empirical evidence of the existence of multifractal features in China agricultural commodity futures markets; but also we pioneered in investigating the sources of the multifractality in China’s agricultural futures markets in current literature; furthermore, we investigated the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms based on spectrum analysis, which offers us insights into the underlying dynamical mechanisms in

Framework and tools for agricultural landscape assessment relating to water quality protection.

PubMed

Gascuel-Odoux, Chantal; Massa, Florence; Durand, Patrick; Merot, Philippe; Troccaz, Olivier; Baudry, Jacques; Thenail, Claudine

2009-05-01

While many scientific studies show the influence of agricultural landscape patterns on water cycle and water quality, only a few of these have proposed scientifically based and operational methods to improve water management. Territ'eau is a framework developed to adapt agricultural landscapes to water quality protection, using components such as farmers' fields, seminatural areas, and human infrastructures, which can act as sources, sinks, or buffers on water quality. This framework allows us to delimit active areas contributing to water quality, defined by the following three characteristics: (i) the dominant hydrological processes and their flow pathways, (ii) the characteristics of each considered pollutant, and (iii) the main landscape features. These areas are delineated by analyzing the flow connectivity from the stream to the croplands, by assessing the buffer functions of seminatural areas according to their flow pathways. Hence, this framework allows us to identify functional seminatural areas in terms of water quality and assess their limits and functions; it helps in proposing different approaches for changing agricultural landscape, acting on agricultural practices or systems, and/or conserving or rebuilding seminatural areas in controversial landscapes. Finally, it allows us to objectivize the functions of the landscape components, for adapting these components to new environmental constraints.

Identification of in-sewer sources of organic solids contributing to combined sewer overflows.

PubMed

Ahyerre, M; Chebbo, G

2002-09-01

Previous research has shown that combined sewer systems are the main source of particle and organic pollution during rainfall events contributing to combined sewer overflow. The aim of this article is to identify in an urban catchment area called "Le Marais", in the center of Paris, the types of sediments that are eroded and contribute to the pollution of combined sewer overflow. Three sediment types are considered: granular material found in the inverts of pipes, organic biofilms and organic sediment at the water bed interface, identified as an immobile layer in the "Le Marais" catchment area. The method used consist, firstly, of sampling and assessing the organic pollutant loads and metallic loads of the particles in each type of sediment. Then, the mass of each type of sediment is assessed. The mass and the characteristics of each type of sediment is finally compared to the mass and characteristics of the particles eroded in the catchment area, estimated by mass balances, in order to find the source of eroded particles. The only identified type of deposit that can contribute to combined sewer overflows is the organic layer. Indeed, the solids of this layer have mean and metallic loads that are of the same order of magnitude as the eroded particles. Moreover, the mass of the organic layer considered over different time scales is of the same order of magnitude as the eroded masses during rainfall events and an erosion experiment showed that the organic layer is actually eroded.

Chemical transport model simulations of organic aerosol in southern California: model evaluation and gasoline and diesel source contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jathar, Shantanu H.; Woody, Matthew; Pye, Havala O. T.; Baker, Kirk R.; Robinson, Allen L.

2017-03-01

Gasoline- and diesel-fueled engines are ubiquitous sources of air pollution in urban environments. They emit both primary particulate matter and precursor gases that react to form secondary particulate matter in the atmosphere. In this work, we updated the organic aerosol module and organic emissions inventory of a three-dimensional chemical transport model, the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ), using recent, experimentally derived inputs and parameterizations for mobile sources. The updated model included a revised volatile organic compound (VOC) speciation for mobile sources and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from unspeciated intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). The updated model was used to simulate air quality in southern California during May and June 2010, when the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) study was conducted. Compared to the Traditional version of CMAQ, which is commonly used for regulatory applications, the updated model did not significantly alter the predicted organic aerosol (OA) mass concentrations but did substantially improve predictions of OA sources and composition (e.g., POA-SOA split), as well as ambient IVOC concentrations. The updated model, despite substantial differences in emissions and chemistry, performed similar to a recently released research version of CMAQ (Woody et al., 2016) that did not include the updated VOC and IVOC emissions and SOA data. Mobile sources were predicted to contribute 30-40 % of the OA in southern California (half of which was SOA), making mobile sources the single largest source contributor to OA in southern California. The remainder of the OA was attributed to non-mobile anthropogenic sources (e.g., cooking, biomass burning) with biogenic sources contributing to less than 5 % to the total OA. Gasoline sources were predicted to contribute about 13 times more OA than diesel sources; this difference was driven by differences in

Life from the stars?. [extraterrestrial sources contributing to chemical evolution on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pendleton, Yvonne J.; Cruikshank, Dale P.

1994-01-01

Scientists are now seriously considering the possibility that organic matter from interstellar space could have influenced, or even spurred, the origin of life on Earth. Various aspects of chemical evolution are discussed along with possible extraterrestrial sources responsible for contributing to Earth's life-producing, chemical composition. Specific topics covered include the following: interstellar matter, molecular clouds, asteroid dust, organic molecules in our solar system, interplanetary dust and comets, meteoritic composition, and organic-rich solar-system bodies.

Dynamics and sources of reduced sulfur, humic substances and dissolved organic carbon in a temperate river system affected by agricultural practices.

PubMed

Marie, Lauriane; Pernet-Coudrier, Benoît; Waeles, Matthieu; Gabon, Marine; Riso, Ricardo

2015-12-15

Although reduced organic sulfur substances (RSS) as well as humic substances (HS) are widely suspected to play a role in, for example, metal speciation or used as a model of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in laboratory studies, reports of their quantification in natural waters are scarce. We have examined the dynamics and sources of reduced sulfur, HS and DOC over an annual cycle in a river system affected by agricultural practices. The new differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry was successfully applied to measure glutathione-like compounds (GSHs), thioacetamide-like compounds (TAs) and the liquid chromatography coupled to organic detector to analyze HS and DOC at high frequency in the Penzé River (NW France). The streamflow-concentration patterns, principal components analysis and flux analysis allowed discrimination of the source of each organic compound type. Surprisingly, the two RSS and HS detected in all samples, displayed different behavior. As previously shown, manuring practice is the main source of DOC and HS in this watershed where agricultural activity is predominant. The HS were then transferred to the river systems via runoff, particularly during the spring and autumn floods, which are responsible of >60% of the annual flux. TAs had a clear groundwater source and may be formed underground, whereas GSHs displayed two sources: one aquagenic in spring and summer probably linked to the primary productivity and a second, which may be related to bacterial degradation. High sampling frequency allowed a more accurate assessment of the flux values which were 280 tC y(-1) for DOC representing 20 kg C ha(-1) y(-1). HS, TAs and GSHs fluxes represented 60, 13, and 4% of the total annual DOC export, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Learning as Issue Framing in Agricultural Innovation Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tisenkopfs, Talis; Kunda, Ilona; Šumane, Sandra

2014-01-01

Purpose: Networks are increasingly viewed as entities of learning and innovation in agriculture. In this article we explore learning as issue framing in two agricultural innovation networks. Design/methodology/approach: We combine frame analysis and social learning theories to analyse the processes and factors contributing to frame convergence and…

Agriculture intensifies soil moisture decline in Northern China

DOE PAGES

Liu, Yaling; Pan, Zhihua; Zhuang, Qianlai; ...

2015-07-09

Northern China is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Agricultural activities have intensified since the 1980s to provide food security to the country. However, this intensification has likely contributed to an increasing scarcity in water resources, which may in turn be endangering food security. Based on in-situ measurements of soil moisture collected in agricultural plots during 1983–2012, we find that topsoil (0–50 cm) volumetric water content during the growing season has declined significantly (p<0.01), with a trend of -0.011 to -0.015 m3 m-3 per decade. Observed discharge declines for the three large river basins are consistentmore » with the effects of agricultural intensification, although other factors (e.g. dam constructions) likely have contributed to these trends. Practices like fertilizer application have favoured biomass growth and increased transpiration rates, thus reducing available soil water. In addition, the rapid proliferation of water-expensive crops (e.g., maize) and the expansion of the area dedicated to food production have also contributed to soil drying. Adoption of alternative agricultural practices that can meet the immediate food demand without compromising future water resources seem critical for the sustainability of the food production system.« less

Agriculture intensifies soil moisture decline in Northern China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Yaling; Pan, Zhihua; Zhuang, Qianlai

Northern China is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Agricultural activities have intensified since the 1980s to provide food security to the country. However, this intensification has likely contributed to an increasing scarcity in water resources, which may in turn be endangering food security. Based on in-situ measurements of soil moisture collected in agricultural plots during 1983–2012, we find that topsoil (0–50 cm) volumetric water content during the growing season has declined significantly (p<0.01), with a trend of -0.011 to -0.015 m3 m-3 per decade. Observed discharge declines for the three large river basins are consistentmore » with the effects of agricultural intensification, although other factors (e.g. dam constructions) likely have contributed to these trends. Practices like fertilizer application have favoured biomass growth and increased transpiration rates, thus reducing available soil water. In addition, the rapid proliferation of water-expensive crops (e.g., maize) and the expansion of the area dedicated to food production have also contributed to soil drying. Adoption of alternative agricultural practices that can meet the immediate food demand without compromising future water resources seem critical for the sustainability of the food production system.« less

Agriculture intensifies soil moisture decline in Northern China

PubMed Central

Liu, Yaling; Pan, Zhihua; Zhuang, Qianlai; Miralles, Diego G.; Teuling, Adriaan J.; Zhang, Tonglin; An, Pingli; Dong, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Jingting; He, Di; Wang, Liwei; Pan, Xuebiao; Bai, Wei; Niyogi, Dev

2015-01-01

Northern China is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Agricultural activities have intensified since the 1980s to provide food security to the country. However, this intensification has likely contributed to an increasing scarcity in water resources, which may in turn be endangering food security. Based on in-situ measurements of soil moisture collected in agricultural plots during 1983–2012, we find that topsoil (0–50 cm) volumetric water content during the growing season has declined significantly (p < 0.01), with a trend of −0.011 to −0.015 m3 m−3 per decade. Observed discharge declines for the three large river basins are consistent with the effects of agricultural intensification, although other factors (e.g. dam constructions) likely have contributed to these trends. Practices like fertilizer application have favoured biomass growth and increased transpiration rates, thus reducing available soil water. In addition, the rapid proliferation of water-expensive crops (e.g., maize) and the expansion of the area dedicated to food production have also contributed to soil drying. Adoption of alternative agricultural practices that can meet the immediate food demand without compromising future water resources seem critical for the sustainability of the food production system. PMID:26158774

Current and Future Leaders' Perceptions of Agricultural Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingenbach, Gary J.; Miller, Rene P.

2009-01-01

Were elected state FFA officers' attitudes toward agricultural biotechnology significantly different from elected Texas legislators' attitudes about the same topic? The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in agricultural biotechnology perceptions or information source preferences when compared by leadership status:…

7 CFR 1484.50 - What cost share contributions are eligible?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What cost share contributions are eligible? 1484.50 Section 1484.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS PROGRAMS TO HELP DEVELOP FOREIGN...

[Sources analysis and contribution identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor air of Hangzhou].

PubMed

Liu, Y; Zhu, L; Wang, J; Shen, X; Chen, X

2001-11-01

Twelve polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in eight homes in Hangzhou during the summer and autumn in 1999. The sources of PAHs and the contributions of the sources to the total concentration of PAHs in the indoor air were identified by the combination of correlation analysis, factor analysis and multiple regression, and the equations between the concentrations of PAHs in indoor and outdoor air and factors were got. It was indicated that the factors of PAHs in the indoor air were domestic cuisine, the volatility of the mothball, cigarette smoke and heating, the waste gas from vehicles. In the smokers' home, cigarette smoke was the most important factor, and it contributed 25.8% of BaP to the indoor air of smokers' home.

Multiple models guide strategies for agricultural nutrient reductions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scavia, Donald; Kalcic, Margaret; Muenich, Rebecca Logsdon; Read, Jennifer; Aloysius, Noel; Bertani, Isabella; Boles, Chelsie; Confesor, Remegio; DePinto, Joseph; Gildow, Marie; Martin, Jay; Redder, Todd; Robertson, Dale M.; Sowa, Scott P.; Wang, Yu-Chen; Yen, Haw

2017-01-01

In response to degraded water quality, federal policy makers in the US and Canada called for a 40% reduction in phosphorus (P) loads to Lake Erie, and state and provincial policy makers in the Great Lakes region set a load-reduction target for the year 2025. Here, we configured five separate SWAT (US Department of Agriculture's Soil and Water Assessment Tool) models to assess load reduction strategies for the agriculturally dominated Maumee River watershed, the largest P source contributing to toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. Although several potential pathways may achieve the target loads, our results show that any successful pathway will require large-scale implementation of multiple practices. For example, one successful pathway involved targeting 50% of row cropland that has the highest P loss in the watershed with a combination of three practices: subsurface application of P fertilizers, planting cereal rye as a winter cover crop, and installing buffer strips. Achieving these levels of implementation will require local, state/provincial, and federal agencies to collaborate with the private sector to set shared implementation goals and to demand innovation and honest assessments of water quality-related programs, policies, and partnerships.

Two Model-Based Methods for Policy Analyses of Fine Particulate Matter Control in China: Source Apportionment and Source Sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Zhang, Y.; Zheng, B.; Zhang, Q.; He, K.

2013-12-01

Anthropogenic emissions have been controlled in recent years in China to mitigate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. Recent studies show that sulfate dioxide (SO2)-only control cannot reduce total PM2.5 levels efficiently. Other species such as nitrogen oxide, ammonia, black carbon, and organic carbon may be equally important during particular seasons. Furthermore, each species is emitted from several anthropogenic sectors (e.g., industry, power plant, transportation, residential and agriculture). On the other hand, contribution of one emission sector to PM2.5 represents contributions of all species in this sector. In this work, two model-based methods are used to identify the most influential emission sectors and areas to PM2.5. The first method is the source apportionment (SA) based on the Particulate Source Apportionment Technology (PSAT) available in the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx) driven by meteorological predictions of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. The second method is the source sensitivity (SS) based on an adjoint integration technique (AIT) available in the GEOS-Chem model. The SA method attributes simulated PM2.5 concentrations to each emission group, while the SS method calculates their sensitivity to each emission group, accounting for the non-linear relationship between PM2.5 and its precursors. Despite their differences, the complementary nature of the two methods enables a complete analysis of source-receptor relationships to support emission control policies. Our objectives are to quantify the contributions of each emission group/area to PM2.5 in the receptor areas and to intercompare results from the two methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of emission sources in PM2.5 formation. The results will be compared in terms of the magnitudes and rankings of SS or SA of emitted species and emission groups/areas. GEOS-Chem with AIT is applied over East Asia at a horizontal grid

Evaluating the critical source area concept of phosphorus loss from soils to water-bodies in agricultural catchments.

PubMed

Shore, M; Jordan, P; Mellander, P-E; Kelly-Quinn, M; Wall, D P; Murphy, P N C; Melland, A R

2014-08-15

Using data collected from six basins located across two hydrologically contrasting agricultural catchments, this study investigated whether transport metrics alone provide better estimates of storm phosphorus (P) loss from basins than critical source area (CSA) metrics which combine source factors as well. Concentrations and loads of P in quickflow (QF) were measured at basin outlets during four storm events and were compared with dynamic (QF magnitude) and static (extent of highly-connected, poorly-drained soils) transport metrics and a CSA metric (extent of highly-connected, poorly-drained soils with excess plant-available P). Pairwise comparisons between basins with similar CSA risks but contrasting QF magnitudes showed that QF flow-weighted mean TRP (total molybdate-reactive P) concentrations and loads were frequently (at least 11 of 14 comparisons) more than 40% higher in basins with the highest QF magnitudes. Furthermore, static transport metrics reliably discerned relative QF magnitudes between these basins. However, particulate P (PP) concentrations were often (6 of 14 comparisons) higher in basins with the lowest QF magnitudes, most likely due to soil-management activities (e.g. ploughing), in these predominantly arable basins at these times. Pairwise comparisons between basins with contrasting CSA risks and similar QF magnitudes showed that TRP and PP concentrations and loads did not reflect trends in CSA risk or QF magnitude. Static transport metrics did not discern relative QF magnitudes between these basins. In basins with contrasting transport risks, storm TRP concentrations and loads were well differentiated by dynamic or static transport metrics alone, regardless of differences in soil P. In basins with similar transport risks, dynamic transport metrics and P source information additional to soil P may be required to predict relative storm TRP concentrations and loads. Regardless of differences in transport risk, information on land use and

Source water assessment and nonpoint sources of acutely toxic contaminants: A review of research related to survival and transport of Cryptosporidium parvum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Mark J.; Montemagno, Carlo D.; Jenkins, Michael B.

1998-12-01

Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (PL-930123) in 1996 required that public water supply managers identify potential sources of contamination within contributing areas. Nonpoint sources of acutely toxic microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium parvum, challenge current approaches to source identification and management as a first step toward developing management plans for public water supply protection. Little may be known about survival and transport in the field environment, prescribed practices may not be designed to manage such substances, and infective stages may be present in vast numbers and may resist water treatment and disinfection processes. This review summarizes research related to survival and transport of C. parvum oocysts, as an example of an acutely toxic contaminant with nonpoint sources in animal agriculture. It discusses ∥1) significance of infected domesticated animals as potential sources of C. parvum, (2) laboratory and field studies of survival and transport, and (3) approaches to source control in the context of public health protection.

Agricultural Education in an Urban Charter School: Perspectives and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Kesha A.; Talbert, Brian Allen; Morris, Pamala V.

2014-01-01

Urban school districts are viable recruitment sources for higher education in agriculture and have the ability to play a significant role in efforts to increase agricultural education program numbers at the secondary level. Secondary school increases should lead to growth in agricultural college enrollments across the country. Increasing…

Evidence for carbon sequestration by agricultural liming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Stephen K.; Kurzman, Amanda L.; Arango, Clay; Jin, Lixin; Robertson, G. Philip

2007-06-01

Agricultural lime can be a source or a sink for CO2, depending on whether reaction occurs with strong acids or carbonic acid. Here we examine the impact of liming on global warming potential by comparing the sum of Ca2+ and Mg2+ to carbonate alkalinity in soil solutions beneath unmanaged vegetation versus limed row crops, and of streams and rivers in agricultural versus forested watersheds, mainly in southern Michigan. Soil solutions sampled by tension indicated that lime can act as either a source or a sink for CO2. However, infiltrating waters tended to indicate net CO2 uptake, as did tile drainage waters and streams draining agricultural watersheds. As nitrate concentrations increased in infiltrating waters, lime switched from a net CO2 sink to a source, implying nitrification as a major acidifying process. Dissolution of lime may sequester CO2 equal to roughly 25-50% of its C content, in contrast to the prevailing assumption that all of the carbon in lime becomes CO2. The ˜30 Tg/yr of agricultural lime applied in the United States could thus sequester up to 1.9 Tg C/yr, about 15% of the annual change in the U.S. CO2 emissions (12 Tg C/yr for 2002-2003). The implications of liming for atmospheric CO2 stabilization should be considered in strategies to mitigate global climate change.

Investigating the Sources and Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Matter in an Agricultural Watershed in California (U.S.A.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyda, R. Y.; Hernes, P. J.; Spencer, R. G.; Ingrum, T. D.; Pellerin, B. A.; Bergamaschi, B. A.

2007-12-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is ubiquitous and plays critical roles in nutrient cycling, aquatic food webs and numerous other biogeochemical processes. Furthermore, various factors control the quality and quantity of DOM, including land use, soil composition, in situ production, microbial uptake and assimilation and hydrology. As a component of DOM, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has been recently identified as a drinking water constituent of concern due to its propensity to form EPA-regulated carcinogenic compounds when disinfected for drinking water purposes. Therefore, understanding the sources, cycling and modification of DOC across various landscapes is of direct relevance to a wide range of studies. The Willow Slough watershed is located in the Central Valley of California (U.S.A.) and is characterized by both diverse geomorphology as well as land use. The watershed drains approximately 425 km2 and is bordered by Cache and Putah Creeks to the north and south. The study area in the watershed includes the eastern portion of the foothills of the inner Coast Range and the alluvial plain and encompasses diverse land uses, including orchards, viticulture, dairy, pasture and natural grasslands. The Willow Slough watershed represents a unique opportunity to examine DOC dynamics through multiple land uses and hydrologic flow paths that are common throughout California. Preliminary data show that DOC concentrations at the watershed mouth peak during winter storms and also increase gradually throughout the summer months during the agricultural irrigation season. The increasing DOC concentrations during the summer months may result from agricultural runoff and/or primary production in channel. In addition, initial results using the chromophoric DOM (CDOM) absorption coefficient and spectral slope parameters indicate seasonal differences in the composition of the DOM. Spectral slopes decreased during both the summer irrigation season and winter storms relative to winter

Decreasing Agricultural Irrigation has not reversed Groundwater Depletion in the Yellow River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Z.; Xie, X.; Zhu, B.

2017-12-01

Agricultural irrigation is considered as the major water use sector accounting for over 60% of the global freshwater withdrawals. Especially in the arid and semiarid areas, irrigation from groundwater storage substantially sustain crop growth and food security. China's Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a typical arid and semiarid area with average annual precipitation about 450 mm. In this basin, more than 52 million hm2 of arable land needs irrigation for planting wheat, cotton, paddy rice etc, and groundwater contributes over one-third irrigation water. However, agricultural irrigation remained a certain level or decreased to some degree due to water-saving technologies and returning farmland to forest projects. Then an interesting question arises: has the groundwater storage (GWS) in YRB kept a consistent variation with the agricultural irrigation? In this study, to address this question, we employed multi-source data from ground measurements, remote sensing monitoring and large-scale hydrological modeling. Specifically, groundwater storage variation was identified using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data and ground observations, and groundwater recharge was estimated based on the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) modeling. Results indicated that GWS in YRB still holds a significant depletion with a rate of about -3 mm per year during the past decade, which was consistently demonstrated by the GRACE and the ground observations. Ground water recharge shows negligible upward trends despite climate change. The roles of different sectors contributing to groundwater depletion have changed. Agricultural irrigation accounting for over 60% of groundwater depletion, but its impact decreased. However, the domestic and the industrial purposes play an increasing role in shaping groundwater depletion.

Influence of nitrogen and phosphorus sources on mycorrhizal lettuces under organic farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scotti, Riccardo; Seguel, Alex; Cornejo, Pablo; Rao, Maria A.; Borie, Fernando

2010-05-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) develop symbiotic associations with plants roots. These associations are very common in the natural environment and can provide a range of benefits to the host plant. AMF improve nutrition, enhance resistance to soil-borne pests and disease, increase resistance to drought and tolerance to heavy metals, and contribute to a better soil structure. However, agricultural intensive managements, such as the use of mineral fertilizes, pesticides, mouldboard tillage, monocultures and use of non-mycorrhizal crops, are detrimental to AMF. As a consequence, agroecosystems are impoverished in AMF and may not provide the full range of benefits to the crop. Organic farming systems may be less unfavourable to AMF because they exclude the use of water-soluble fertilisers and most pesticides, and generally they plan diverse crop rotations. The AMF develop the most common type of symbiosis in nature: about 90% of the plants are mycorrhizal and many agricultural crops are mycorrhizal. One of more mycorrhizal crops is lettuce, that is very widespread in intensive agricultural under greenhouse. Therefore, cultivated lettuce is know to be responsive to mycorrhizal colonization which can reach 80% of root length and contribute to phosphorus and nitrogen absorption by this plant specie. For this work four different lettuce cultivars (Romana, Milanesa, Grande Lagos and Escarola) were used to study mycorrhization under organic agricultural system, supplying compost from agricultural waste (1 kg m-2) as background fertilization for all plots, red guano as phosphorus source (75 U ha-1 and 150 U ha-1 of P2O5), lupine flour as nitrogen source (75 and 150 U/ha of N) and a combination of both. Lettuce plants were cultivated under greenhouse and after two months of growing, plants were harvested and dried and fresh weight of lettuce roots and shoots were evaluated. The number of spores, percentage of colonization, total mycelium and glomalin content were also

Assessing critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer planning and riparian restoration.

PubMed

Qiu, Zeyuan

2009-11-01

A science-based geographic information system (GIS) approach is presented to target critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer placement. Critical source areas are the intersection of hydrologically sensitive areas and pollutant source areas in watersheds. Hydrologically sensitive areas are areas that actively generate runoff in the watershed and are derived using a modified topographic index approach based on variable source area hydrology. Pollutant source areas are the areas in watersheds that are actively and intensively used for such activities as agricultural production. The method is applied to the Neshanic River watershed in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The capacity of the topographic index in predicting the spatial pattern of runoff generation and the runoff contribution to stream flow in the watershed is evaluated. A simple cost-effectiveness assessment is conducted to compare the conservation buffer placement scenario based on this GIS method to conventional riparian buffer scenarios for placing conservation buffers in agricultural lands in the watershed. The results show that the topographic index reasonably predicts the runoff generation in the watershed. The GIS-based conservation buffer scenario appears to be more cost-effective than the conventional riparian buffer scenarios.

Measurement of Ambient Ammonia and Surface-level Meteorological Forcing Variables near an Agricultural Emission Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, L.; Heuer, M. W.

2012-12-01

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) is a reduced form of reactive nitrogen that is primarily emitted from agricultural activities. NH3 volatilizes from animal waste and fertilized land directly into the atmosphere where it can either react with other gases to form fine particulate matter or deposit on surfaces through air-surface exchange processes. Field measurements in different ecosystems and under various conditions are necessary to improve the understanding of the complex relationships between ambient NH3 and meteorological parameters, such as temperature and relative humidity, which influence volatilization rates and ultimately, ambient concentrations near emission sources. However, the measurement of ambient NH3 is challenging. NH3 is hydroscopic and reactive, and measurement techniques are subject to errors caused by sampling artifacts and other interferences. Recent advancements have led to improved techniques that allow real-time measurement of ambient NH3. A cavity ring-down spectrometer was deployed at a cattle research facility in Knoxville, TN during spring 2012 to measure ambient NH3, and meteorological instrumentation was collocated to measure 3-D winds, temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and other parameters (z = 2 m). The study site was rolling pasture typical of the eastern Tennessee Valley and included two large barns and approximately 30-40 cattle. Daytime ambient NH3 averaged 15-20 ppb most days with lows of approximately 7 ppb at night. Higher concentrations (greater than 50 ppb) seemed to correlate with higher temperatures (greater than 27 C), although the data are not consistent. Several instances of 100 ppb concentrations were measured when temperatures were high and winds were from the direction of the barns. Overall, the study shows that ambient NH3 levels near agricultural emission sources may vary greatly with time and a variety of factors, including meteorological conditions. The data support the need for real-time measurements of NH

Spatially based management of agricultural phosphorus pollution from diffuse sources: the SCIMAP risk based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reaney, S. M.; Heathwaite, L.; Lane, S. N.; Buckley, C.

2007-12-01

Pollution of rivers from agricultural phosphorus is recognised as a significant global problem and is a major management challenge as it involves processes that are small in magnitude, distributed over large areas, operating at fine spatial scales and associated with certain land use types when they are well connected to the receiving waters. Whilst some of these processes have been addressed in terms of water quality forecasting models and field measurements, we lack effective tools to prioritise where action should be taken to remediate the diffuse pollution problem. From a management perspective, the required information is on 'what to do where' rather than absolute values. This change in focus opens up the problem to be considered in a probabilistic / relative framework rather than concentrating on absolute values. The SCIMAP risk management framework is based on the critical source area concept whereby a risk and a connection are required to generate a problem. Treatments of both surface and subsurface hydrological connectivity have been developed. The approach is based on the philosophy that for a point to be considered connected there needs to be a continuous flow path to the receiving water. This information is calculated by simulating the possible flow paths from the source cell to the receiving water and recording the required catchment wetness to allow flow along that route. This algorithm gives information on the ease at which each point in the landscape can export risk along surface and subsurface pathways to the receiving waters. To understand the annual dynamics of the locational diffuse P risk, a temporal risk framework has been developed. This risk framework accounts for land management activies within the agricultural calendar. These events include the application of fertiliser, the P additions from livestock and the offtake of P in crops. Changes to these risks can be made to investigate management options. The SCIMAP risk mapping framework has

How organic carbon derived from multiple sources contributes to carbon sequestration processes in a shallow coastal system?

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Kenta; Kuwae, Tomohiro

2015-01-01

Carbon captured by marine organisms helps sequester atmospheric CO2, especially in shallow coastal ecosystems, where rates of primary production and burial of organic carbon (OC) from multiple sources are high. However, linkages between the dynamics of OC derived from multiple sources and carbon sequestration are poorly understood. We investigated the origin (terrestrial, phytobenthos derived, and phytoplankton derived) of particulate OC (POC) and dissolved OC (DOC) in the water column and sedimentary OC using elemental, isotopic, and optical signatures in Furen Lagoon, Japan. Based on these data analysis, we explored how OC from multiple sources contributes to sequestration via storage in sediments, water column sequestration, and air–sea CO2 exchanges, and analyzed how the contributions vary with salinity in a shallow seagrass meadow as well. The relative contribution of terrestrial POC in the water column decreased with increasing salinity, whereas autochthonous POC increased in the salinity range 10–30. Phytoplankton-derived POC dominated the water column POC (65–95%) within this salinity range; however, it was minor in the sediments (3–29%). In contrast, terrestrial and phytobenthos-derived POC were relatively minor contributors in the water column but were major contributors in the sediments (49–78% and 19–36%, respectively), indicating that terrestrial and phytobenthos-derived POC were selectively stored in the sediments. Autochthonous DOC, part of which can contribute to long-term carbon sequestration in the water column, accounted for >25% of the total water column DOC pool in the salinity range 15–30. Autochthonous OC production decreased the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon in the water column and thereby contributed to atmospheric CO2 uptake, except in the low-salinity zone. Our results indicate that shallow coastal ecosystems function not only as transition zones between land and ocean but also as carbon sequestration filters

Targeting allergenic fungi in agricultural environments aids the identification of major sources and potential risks for human health.

PubMed

Weikl, F; Radl, V; Munch, J C; Pritsch, K

2015-10-01

Fungi are, after pollen, the second most important producers of outdoor airborne allergens. To identify sources of airborne fungal allergens, a workflow for qPCR quantification from environmental samples was developed, thoroughly tested, and finally applied. We concentrated on determining the levels of allergenic fungi belonging to Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Trichoderma in plant and soil samples from agricultural fields in which cereals were grown. Our aims were to identify the major sources of allergenic fungi and factors potentially influencing their occurrence. Plant materials were the main source of the tested fungi at and after harvest. Amounts of A. alternata and C. cladosporioides varied significantly in fields under different management conditions, but absolute levels were very high in all cases. This finding suggests that high numbers of allergenic fungi may be an inevitable side effect of farming in several crops. Applied in large-scale studies, the concept described here may help to explain the high number of sensitization to airborne fungal allergens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Raw sugarcane bagasse as carbon source for xylanase production by Paenibacillus species: a potential degrader of agricultural wastes.

PubMed

Di Marco, Enzo; Soraire, Pablo M; Romero, Cintia M; Villegas, Liliana B; Martínez, María Alejandra

2017-08-01

Paenibacillus species isolated from a variety of natural sources have shown to be important glycoside hydrolases producers. These enzymes play a key role in bio-refining applications, as they are central biocatalysts for the processing of different types of polymers from vegetal biomass. Xylanase production by three native isolates belonging to the genus Paenibacillus was approached by utilizing mineral-based medium and agricultural by-products as a convenient source to produce biocatalysts suitable for their degradation. While varieties of alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse were useful substrates for the strains from Paenibacillus genus evaluated, raw sugarcane bagasse was the most effective substrate for endoxylanase production by Paenibacillus sp. AR247. This strain was then selected to further improvement of its enzyme production by means of a two-step statistical approach. It was determined that the carbon source, provided as an inexpensive agro-waste, as well as phosphate and magnesium were the culture media components that most influenced the enzyme production, which was improved three times compared to the screening results.

Tracing sources of sulfur in the Florida everglades

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bates, A.L.; Orem, W.H.; Harvey, J.W.; Spiker, E. C.

2002-01-01

We examined concentrations and sulfur isotopic ratios (34S/32S, expressed as ??34S in parts per thousand [???] units) of sulfate in surface water, ground water, and rain water from sites throughout the northern Everglades to establish the sources of sulfur to the ecosystem. The geochemistry of sulfur is of particular interest in the Everglades because of its link, through processes mediated by sulfate -reducing bacteria, to the production of toxic methylmercury in this wetland ecosystem. Methylmercury, a neurotoxin that is bioaccumulated, has been found in high concentrations in freshwater fish from the Everglades, and poses a potential threat to fish-eating wildlife and to human health through fish consumption. Results show that surface water in large portions of the Everglades is heavily contaminated with sulfate, with the highest concentrations observed in canals and marsh areas receiving canal discharge. Spatial patterns in the range of concentrations and ??34S values of sulfate in surface water indicate that the major source of sulfate in sulfur-contaminated marshes is water from canals draining the Everglades Agricultural Area. Shallow ground water underlying the Everglades and rain water samples had much lower sulfate concentrations and ??34S values distinct from those found in surface water. The ??34S results implicate agricultural fertilizer as a major contributor to the sulfate contaminating the Everglades, but ground water under the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) may also be a contributing source. The contamination of the northern Everglades with sulfate from canal discharge may be a key factor in controlling the distribution and extent of methylmercury production in the Everglades.

Assessment of Contribution of Contemporary Carbon Sources to Size-Fractionated Particulate Matter and Time-Resolved Bulk Particulate Matter Using the Measurement of Radiocarbon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hwang, H M; Young, T M; Buchholz, B A

2009-04-16

This study was motivated by a desire to improve understanding of the sources contributing to the carbon that is an important component of airborne particulate matter (PM). The ultimate goal of this project was to lay a ground work for future tools that might be easily implemented with archived or routinely collected samples. A key feature of this study was application of radiocarbon measurement that can be interpreted to indicate the relative contributions from fossil and non-fossil carbon sources of atmospheric PM. Size-resolved PM and time-resolved PM{sub 10} collected from a site in Sacramento, CA in November 2007 (Phase I)more » and March 2008 (Phase II) were analyzed for radiocarbon and source markers such as levoglucosan, cholesterol, and elemental carbon. Radiocarbon data indicates that the contributions of non-fossil carbon sources were much greater than that from fossil carbon sources in all samples. Radiocarbon and source marker measurements confirm that a greater contribution of non-fossil carbon sources in Phase I samples was highly likely due to residential wood combustion. The present study proves that measurement of radiocarbon and source markers can be readily applied to archived or routinely collected samples for better characterization of PM sources. More accurate source apportionment will support ARB in developing more efficient control strategies.« less

Agricultural areas in potentially contaminated sites: characterization, risk, management.

PubMed

Vanni, Fabiana; Scaini, Federica; Beccaloni, Eleonora

2016-01-01

In Italy, the current legislation for contaminants in soils provides two land uses: residential/public or private gardens and commercial/industrial; there are not specific reference values for agricultural soils, even if a special decree has been developed and is currently going through the legislative approval process. The topic of agricultural areas is relevant, also in consideration of their presence near potentially contaminated sites. Aim and results. In this paper, contamination sources and transport modes of contaminants from sources to the target in agricultural areas are examined and a suitable "conceptual model" to define appropriate characterization methods and risk assessment procedures is proposed. These procedures have already been used by the National Institute of Health in various Italian areas characterized by different agricultural settings. Finally, specific remediation techniques are suggested to preserve soil resources and, if possible, its particular land use.

Indicators of the sources and distribution of nitrate in water from shallow domestic wells in agricultural areas of the New Jersey Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vowinkel, Eric F.; Tapper, Robert J.

1995-01-01

Previously collected and new water-quality data from shallow wells (screened interval less than 30 meters below the land surface) in predominantly agricultural areas of the New Jersey Coastal Plain were used to determine the relation of nitrate concentrations in shallow ground water to various hydrogeologic and land-use factors in the study area. Information on land use, well construction, hydrogeology, and water quality were used to predict the conditions under which concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen in water from domestic wells in predominantly agricultural areas are most likely to be equal to or larger than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 milligrams per liter. Results of the analyses of water-quality samples collected during 1980-89 from 230 shallow wells in the outcrop areas of the Kirkwood-Cohansey and Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer systems were used to evaluate the regional effects of land use on shallow-ground-water quality. Results of statistical analysis indicate that concentrations of nitrate in shallow ground water are significantly different (p= 0.001) in agricultural areas than in undeveloped areas in both aquifer systems. Concentrations of nitrate nitrogen exceeded the MCL in water from more than 33 percent of the 60 shallow wells in agricultural areas. Concentrations of hitrate in water from shallow wells in agricultural areas increased as the percentage of agricultural land within an 800-meter-radius buffer zone of the wellhead increased (r= 0.81). Concentrations ofhitrate in water from domestic wells in agricultural areas were similar (p= 0.23) to those concentrations in water from irrigation wells. These results indicate that most of the nitrate in water from domestic wells in agricultural areas results from agricultural practices rather than other sources, such as septic systems. Water-quality samples collected from 12 shallow domestic wells in agricultural areas screened in the outcrop areas of

Economic Drought Impact on Agriculture: analysis of all agricultural sectors affected

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil, M.; Garrido, A.; Hernández-Mora, N.

2012-04-01

The analysis of drought impacts is essential to define efficient and sustainable management and mitigation. In this paper we present a detailed analysis of the impacts of the 2004-2008 drought in the agricultural sector in the Ebro river basin (Spain). An econometric model is applied in order to determine the magnitude of the economic loss attributable to water scarcity. Both the direct impacts of drought on agricultural productivity and the indirect impacts of drought on agricultural employment and agroindustry in the Ebro basin are evaluated. The econometric model measures losses in the economic value of irrigated and rainfed agricultural production, of agricultural employment and of Gross Value Added both from the agricultural sector and the agro-industrial sector. The explanatory variables include an index of water availability (reservoir storage levels for irrigated agriculture and accumulated rainfall for rainfed agriculture), a price index representative of the mix of crops grown in each region, and a time variable. The model allows for differentiating the impacts due to water scarcity from other sources of economic losses. Results show how the impacts diminish as we approach the macro-economic indicators from those directly dependent on water abstractions and precipitation. Sectors directly dependent on water are the most affected with identifiable economic losses resulting from the lack of water. From the management perspective implications of these findings are key to develop mitigation measures to reduce drought risk exposure. These results suggest that more open agricultural markets, and wider and more flexible procurement strategies of the agro-industry reduces the socio-economic exposure to drought cycles. This paper presents the results of research conducted under PREEMPT project (Policy relevant assessment of the socioeconomic effects of droughts and floods, ECHO - grant agreement # 070401/2010/579119/SUB/C4), which constitutes an effort to provide

The Influence of Erosional Hotspots on Watershed-scale Phosphorus Dynamics in Intensively Managed Agricultural Landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, A.; Finlay, J. C.; Gran, K. B.; Karwan, D. L.; Engstrom, D. R.; Atkins, W.; Muramoto-Mathieu, M.

2017-12-01

The Minnesota River Basin is an intensively-managed agricultural watershed which contributes disproportionately to downstream sediment and nutrient loading. The Le Sueur River, an actively eroding tributary to the Minnesota River, has been identified as a disproportionate contributor of sediment and nutrients to this system. In an effort to identify best practices for reduction of phosphorus (P) in the context of intensifying agriculture and climate change pressure, we coupled investigation of source sediment P chemistry with an existing fine sediment budget to create a watershed mass balance for sediment-associated P. Sediments collected from primary source areas including agricultural fields, glacial till bluffs, alluvial streambanks, ravines, and agricultural ditches were analyzed for total- and extractable-P, and sorptive properties. Preliminary integration of these data into a mass-balance suggests that less than a quarter of the total-P exported from this watershed can be attributed directly to sediment inputs, likely due to the low P concentration of most sediment sources. While sediment may supply less than 25% of the total-P exiting the Le Sueur, a high proportion of total-P load ( 66% on average) is in particulate form. This finding indicates that sorption of dissolved-P from upstream sources onto fine sediment plays a major role in determining the form and reactivity of P in the watershed. Sorption processes convert dissolved-P into particulate-P, and may substantially alter the fate and reactivity of P in downstream channels and lakes. In highly erosive rivers, as the Le Sueur, where inputs of sediment from deep soil horizons are dominant, the dynamic relationship between sediment and dissolved-P must be evaluated and incorporated into models to forecast potential for P retention and export from the landscape. By incorporating results of this mass balance and analysis of sediment sorptive properties into existing models, we can develop strategies that

Agricultural sources of contaminants of emerging concern and adverse health effects on freshwater fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillitt, Donald E.; Buxton, Herbert T.

2011-01-01

Agricultural contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are generally thought of as certain classes of chemicals associated with animal feeding and production facilities. Veterinary pharmaceuticals used in animal food production systems represent one of the largest groups of CECs. In our review, we discuss the extensive increase in use of antibiotics in animal feeding operations (AFOs) around the world. AFOs are a major consumer of antibiotics and other veterinary pharmaceuticals and over the past decade there has been growing information on the occurrence, release, and fate of CECs from animal food production operations, including the application of pharmaceutical-containing manure to agricultural fields and releases from waste lagoons. Concentrations of CECs in surface and ground water in proximity to AFOs correspond to their presence in the AFO wastes. In many cases, the environmental concentrations of agriculturally-derived CECs are below toxicity thresholds. Hormones and hormone replacement compounds are a notable exception, where chemical concentrations near AFOs can exceed concentrations known to cause adverse effects on endocrine-related functions in fish. In addition, some agricultural pesticides, once thought to be safe to non-target organisms, have demonstrated endocrine-related effects that may pose threats to fish populations in agricultural regions. That is, we have pesticides with emerging concerns, thus, the concern is emerging and not necessarily the chemical. In this light, one must consider certain agricultural pesticides to be included in the list of CECs. Even though agricultural pesticides are routinely evaluated in regulatory testing schemes which have been used for decades, the potential hazards of some pesticides have only recently been emerging. Emerging concerns of pesticides in fish include interference with hormone signaling pathways; additive (or more than additive) effects from pesticide mixtures; and adverse population-level effects at

7 CFR 1001.14 - Other source milk.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Other source milk. 1001.14 Section 1001.14 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Milk), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MILK IN THE NORTHEAST MARKETING AREA Order Regulating...

Myconanotechnology in agriculture: a perspective.

PubMed

Kashyap, Prem Lal; Kumar, Sudheer; Srivastava, Alok Kumar; Sharma, Arun Kumar

2013-02-01

Myconanotechnology is an emerging field, where fungi can be harnessed for the synthesis of nanomaterials or nanostructures with desirable shape and size. Though myconanotechnology is in its infancy, potential applications provide exciting waves of transformation in agriculture and fascinate microbiologists and other researchers to contribute in providing incremental solutions through green chemistry approaches for advancing food security. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the research efforts on the mycogenic synthesis of nanoparticles with particular emphasis on mechanisms and potential applications in agriculture and allied sectors.

Triglyceride synthesis in epididymal adipose tissue: contribution of glucose and non-glucose carbon sources.

PubMed

Bederman, Ilya R; Foy, Steven; Chandramouli, Visvanathan; Alexander, James C; Previs, Stephen F

2009-03-06

The obesity epidemic has generated interest in determining the contribution of various pathways to triglyceride synthesis, including an elucidation of the origin of triglyceride fatty acids and triglyceride glycerol. We hypothesized that a dietary intervention would demonstrate the importance of using glucose versus non-glucose carbon sources to synthesize triglycerides in white adipose tissue. C57BL/6J mice were fed either a low fat, high carbohydrate (HC) diet or a high fat, carbohydrate-free (CF) diet and maintained on 2H2O (to determine total triglyceride dynamics) or infused with [6,6-(2)H]glucose (to quantify the contribution of glucose to triglyceride glycerol). The 2H2O labeling data demonstrate that although de novo lipogenesis contributed approximately 80% versus approximately 5% to the pool of triglyceride palmitate in HC- versus CF-fed mice, the epididymal adipose tissue synthesized approximately 1.5-fold more triglyceride in CF- versus HC-fed mice, i.e. 37+/-5 versus 25+/-3 micromolxday(-1). The [6,6-(2)H]glucose labeling data demonstrate that approximately 69 and approximately 28% of triglyceride glycerol is synthesized from glucose in HC- versus CF-fed mice, respectively. Although these data are consistent with the notion that non-glucose carbon sources (e.g. glyceroneogenesis) can make substantial contributions to the synthesis of triglyceride glycerol (i.e. the absolute synthesis of triglyceride glycerol from non-glucose substrates increased from approximately 8 to approximately 26 micromolxday(-1) in HC- versus CF-fed mice), these observations suggest (i) the importance of nutritional status in affecting flux rates and (ii) the operation of a glycerol-glucose cycle.

ASSESSING ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR AGRICULTURE IN IOWA, U.S.A.

EPA Science Inventory

The contributions of current industrial agricultural practices to environmental degradation and the social problems facing agricultural regions are well known. However, landscape-scale alternatives to current conditions have not been fully explored nor their potential impacts qua...

Modeling dry and wet deposition of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium ions in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, China using a source-oriented CMAQ model: Part II. Emission sector and source region contributions.

PubMed

Qiao, Xue; Tang, Ya; Kota, Sri Harsha; Li, Jingyi; Wu, Li; Hu, Jianlin; Zhang, Hongliang; Ying, Qi

2015-11-01

A source-oriented Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model driven by the meteorological fields generated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to study the dry and wet deposition of nitrate (NO3(-)), sulfate (SO4(2-)), and ammonium (NH4(+)) ions in the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve (JNNR), China from June to August 2010 and to identify the contributions of different emission sectors and source regions that were responsible for the deposition fluxes. Contributions from power plants, industry, transportation, domestic, biogenic, windblown dust, open burning, fertilizer, and manure management sources to deposition fluxes in JNNR watershed and four EANET sites are determined. In JNNR, 96%, 82%, and 87% of the SO4(2-), NO3(-) and NH4(+) deposition fluxes are in the form of wet deposition of the corresponding aerosol species. Industry and power plants are the two major sources of SO4(2-) deposition flux, accounting for 86% of the total wet deposition of SO4(2-), and industry has a higher contribution (56%) than that of power plants (30%). Power plants and industry are also the top sources that are responsible for NO3(-) wet deposition, and contributions from power plants (30%) are generally higher than those from industries (21%). The major sources of NH4(+) wet deposition flux in JNNR are fertilizer (48%) and manure management (39%). Source-region apportionment confirms that SO2 and NOx emissions from local and two nearest counties do not have a significant impact on predicted wet deposition fluxes in JNNR, with contributions less than 10%. While local NH3 emissions account for a higher fraction of the NH4(+) deposition, approximately 70% of NH4(+) wet deposition in JNNR originated from other source regions. This study demonstrates that S and N deposition in JNNR is mostly from long-range transport rather than from local emissions, and to protect JNNR, regional emission reduction controls are needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All

Potential alternative fuel sources for agricultural crops and plant components

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The changing landscape of agricultural production is placing unprecedented demands on farmers as they face increasing global competition and greater natural resource conservation challenges. However, shrinking profit margins due to increasing input costs, particularly of fuel and fertilizer, can res...

Non-agricultural ammonia emissions in urban China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Y. H.

2014-03-01

The non-agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions in cities have received little attention but could rival agricultural sources in term of the efficiency in PM formation. The starting point for finding credible solutions is to comprehensively establish a city-specific Non-agricultural Ammonia Emission Inventory (NAEI) and identify the largest sources where efforts can be directed to deliver the largest impact. In this paper, I present a NAEI of 113 national key cities targeted on environmental protection in China in 2010, which for the first time covers NH3 emissions from pets, infants, smokers, green land, and household products. Results show that totally 210 478 Mg, the NH3 emissions from traffic, fuel combustion, waste disposal, pets, green land, human, and household products are 67 671 Mg, 56 275 Mg, 44 289 Mg, 23 355 Mg, 7509 Mg, 7312 Mg, and 4069 Mg, respectively. The NH3 emission intensity from the municipal districts ranges from 0.08 to 3.13 Mg km-2 yr-1, with a average of 0.84 Mg km-2 yr-1. The high NH3 emission intensities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta region and Pearl River Delta region support the view that non-agricultural NH3 sources play a key role in city-scale NH3 emissions and thus have potentially important implications for secondary PM formation (ammonium-sulfate-nitrate system) in urban agglomeration of China. Therefore, in addition to current SO2 and NOx controls, China also needs to allocate more scientific, technical, and legal resources on controlling non-agricultural NH3 emissions in the future.

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum agricultural network alabama (cotton)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) is an excellent source of gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O) that can be beneficially used in agriculture. Research was conducted as part of the Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum Agricultural Network program sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute in collaboration wi...