Cumulative impact of GM herbicide-tolerant cropping on arable plants assessed through species-based and functional taxonomies.

PubMed

Squire, Geoffrey R; Hawes, Cathy; Begg, Graham S; Young, Mark W

2009-01-01

In a gradualist approach to the introduction of crop biotechnology, the findings of experimentation at one scale are used to predict the outcome of moving to a higher scale of deployment. Movement through scales had occurred for certain genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops in the UK as far as large-scale field trials. However, the land area occupied by these trials was still <1% of the area occupied by the respective non-GM crops. Some means is needed to predict the direction and size of the effect of increasing the area of GMHT cropping on ecological variables such as the diversity among species and trophic interactions. Species-accumulation curves are examined here as a method of indicating regional-scale impacts on botanical diversity from multiple field experiments. Data were used from experiments on the effect of (GMHT) crops and non-GM, or conventional, comparators in fields sown with four crop types (beet, maize, spring and winter oilseed rape) at a total of 250 sites in the UK between 2000 and 2003. Indices of biodiversity were measured in a split-field design comparing GMHT with the farmers' usual weed management. In the original analyses based on the means at site level, effects were detected on the mass of weeds in the three spring crops and the proportion of broadleaf and grass weeds in winter oilseed rape, but not on indices of plant species diversity. To explore the links between site means and total taxa, accumulation curves were constructed based on the number of plant species (a pool of around 250 species in total) and the number of plant functional types (24), inferred from the general life-history characteristics of a species. Species accumulation differed between GMHT and conventional treatments in direction and size, depending on the type of crop and its conventional management. Differences were mostly in the asymptote of the curve, indicative of the maximum number of species found in a treatment, rather than the steepness of the curve. In winter oilseed rape, 8% more species were accumulated in the GMHT treatment, mainly as a result of the encouragement of grass species by the herbicide when applied in the autumn. (Overall, GMHT winter oilseed rape had strong negative effects on both the food web and the potential weed burden by increasing the biomass of grasses and decreasing that of broadleaf weeds.) In maize, 33% more species-a substantial increase-were accumulated in the GMHT than in the conventional, consistent with the latter's highly suppressive weed management using triazine herbicides. In the spring oilseed rape and beet, fewer species (around 10%) were accumulated in the GMHT than the conventional. The GMHT treatments did not remove or add any functional (life history) types, however. Differences in species accumulation between treatments appeared to be caused by loss or gain of rarer species. The generality of this effect was confirmed by simulations of species accumulation in which the species complement at each of 50 sites was drawn from a regional pool and subjected to reducing treatment at each site. Shifts in the species-accumulation parameters, comparable to those measured, occurred only when a treatment removed the rarer species at each site. Species accumulation provided a set of simple curve-parameters that captured the net result of numerous local effects of treatments on plant species and, in some instances, the balance between grass and broadleaf types. The direction of effect was not the same in the four crops and depended on the severity of the conventional treatment and on complex interactions between season, herbicide and crop. The accumulation curves gave an indication of potential positive or negative consequences for regional species pools of replacing a conventional practice with GMHT weed management. In this and related studies, a range of indicators, through which diversity was assessed by both species and functional type, and at both site and regional scales, gave more insight into effects of GMHT treatment than provided by any one indicator. Species accumulation was shown to discriminate at the regional scale between agronomic treatments that had little effect on species number at the field scale. While a comprehensive assessment of GM cropping needs to include an examination of regional effects, as here, the costs of doing this in all instances would be prohibitive. Simulations of diversity-reducing treatments could provide a theoretical framework for predicting the likely regional effects from in-field plant dynamics. Accumulation curves potentially offer a means of linking within-site effects to regional impacts on biodiversity resulting from any change in agricultural practice. To guide empirical measurement, there is a scope to apply a methodology such as individual-based modelling at the field scale to explore the links between agronomic treatments and the relative abundance of plant types. The framework needs to be validated in practice, using species-based and functional taxonomies, the latter defined by measured rather than inferred traits.

Nutrient cycling potential of camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz.) as a cover crop in the US Northern Great Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berti, Marisol; Samarappuli, Dulan

2017-04-01

Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz.] is an industrial oilseed crop in the Brassicaceae family with multiple uses. Currently, camelina is not used as a cover crop, but it has the potential to be used as such in maize-soybean-wheat cropping systems. The objectives of this study were to determine the agronomic performance and nutrient scavenging potential of winter camelina in comparison with other common cover crops. Experiments were conducted in Fargo, ND in 2015 and 2016, and in Prosper, ND in 2015. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement with three replicates. The main plot was the sowing date and the subplot were camelina cultivars as well as other common cover crops in the area. Sowing dates were targeted to 15 August and September 1, although the final dates varied slightly each year. Biomass yield, N content of the biomass N uptake and P uptake was evaluated. Winter camelina N and P uptake ranged between 21 and 30.5 kg N ha-1 and 3.4 to 5.3 kg P ha-1. The nutrient scavenging potential of winter camelina was similar to other cover crops although slightly lower than turnip (Brassica rapa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars which had significantly higher P uptake than winter camelina and the other cover crops in the study. An evaluation of spring regrowth and cover indicated that only rye, winter camelina, and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) survived the winter, although a few plants of triticale (x Trticosecale Witt.) and rape were found on a few plots. Because of the high variability on the plots there were no significant differences among the surviving cover crops on soil coverage. The soil coverage for rye cultivars was 25 and 35% and for camelina cv. Bison was 27%.In 2016, biomass yield was not significant for sowing date, cultivars, or their interaction. Winter camelina cultivars biomass yield fluctuated between 1.15 and 2.33 Mg dry matter ha-1 on the first sowing date while pennycress biomass yield was 1.40 Mg ha-1. In the second sowing date all crops had about half the biomass yield than the first sowing date. In conclusion, even though winter camelina may not provide much soil cover in the fall, the ability to survive the winter and scavenge nutrients in the autummn and spring gives this crop an excellent potential to be integrated as a cover crop in maize-soybean-wheat cropping systems in the US Midwest.

Increasing in-stream nitrogen concentrations under different bioenergy crop management practices in central Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jomaa, Seifeddine; Thraen, Daniela; Rode, Michael

2015-04-01

Understanding how nitrogen fluxes respond to changes in land use and agriculture practices is crucial for improving instream water quality prediction. In central Germany, expansion of bioenergy crops such as maize and rape for ethanol production during the last decade led to increasing of fertilizer application rates. To examine the effect of these changes, surface water quality of a drinking water reservoir catchment was investigated for more than 30 years. The Weida catchment (99.5 km2) is part of the Elbe river basin and has a share of 67% agricultural land use with significant changes in agricultural practices within the investigation period. For the period 2004-2012, the share of maize and rape has been increased by 52% and 20%, respectively, for enhancing bioenergy production. To achieve our gaols, the semi-distributed hydrological water quality HYPE (Hydrological Predictions for the Environment) model was calibrated for discharge and inorganic nitrogen concentrations (IN) during the period 1997-2000.The model was validated successfully (with lowest performance of NSE = 0.78 and PBIAS = 3.74% for discharge) for three different periods 1983-1987, 1989-1996 and 2000-2003, which are charaterized by different fertilizer application rates. Results showed that the HYPE model reproduced reasonably well discharge and IN daily loads (with lowest NSE = 0.64 for IN-load). In addition, the HYPE model was evaluated successfully to predict the discharge and IN concentrations for the period 2004-2012, where detailed input data in terms of crops management (field-specific survey) have been considered. Land use and crop rotations scenarios, with high hypothetical percentage of acceptance by the farmers, revealed that continuous conversion of agricultural land into bioenergy crops, will most likely, lead to an enrichment of in-stream nitrogen, especially after spring storms.

Temporal changes in climatic variables and their impact on crop yields in southwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hong-Bin; Gou, Yu; Wang, Hong-Ye; Li, Hong-Mei; Wu, Wei

2014-08-01

Knowledge of variability in climatic variables changes and its impact on crop yields is important for farmers and policy makers, especially in southwestern China where rainfed agriculture is dominant. In the current study, six climatic parameters (mean temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, temperature difference, and rainy days) and aggregated yields of three main crops (rice: Oryza sativa L., oilseed rape: Brassica napus L., and tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum L.) during 1985-2010 were collected and analyzed for Chongqing—a large agricultural municipality of China. Climatic variables changes were detected by Mann-Kendall test. Increased mean temperature and temperature difference and decreased relative humidity were found in annual and oilseed rape growth time series ( P < 0.05). Increased sunshine hours were observed during the oilseed rape growth period ( P < 0.05). Rainy days decreased slightly in annual and oilseed rape growth time series ( P < 0.10). Correlation analysis showed that yields of all three crops could benefit from changes in climatic variables in this region. Yield of rice increased with rainfall ( P < 0.10). Yield of oilseed rape increased with mean temperature and temperature difference but decreased with relative humidity ( P < 0.01). Tobacco yield increased with mean temperature ( P < 0.05). Path analysis provided additional information about the importance and contribution paths of climatic variables to crop yields. Temperature difference and sunshine hours had higher direct and indirect effects via other climatic variables on yields of rice and tobacco. Mean temperature, relative humidity, rainy days, and temperature difference had higher direct and indirect effects via others on yield of oilseed rape.

Temporal changes in climatic variables and their impact on crop yields in southwestern China.

PubMed

Liu, Hong-Bin; Gou, Yu; Wang, Hong-Ye; Li, Hong-Mei; Wu, Wei

2014-08-01

Knowledge of variability in climatic variables changes and its impact on crop yields is important for farmers and policy makers, especially in southwestern China where rainfed agriculture is dominant. In the current study, six climatic parameters (mean temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, temperature difference, and rainy days) and aggregated yields of three main crops (rice: Oryza sativa L., oilseed rape: Brassica napus L., and tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum L.) during 1985-2010 were collected and analyzed for Chongqing-a large agricultural municipality of China. Climatic variables changes were detected by Mann-Kendall test. Increased mean temperature and temperature difference and decreased relative humidity were found in annual and oilseed rape growth time series (P<0.05). Increased sunshine hours were observed during the oilseed rape growth period (P<0.05). Rainy days decreased slightly in annual and oilseed rape growth time series (P<0.10). Correlation analysis showed that yields of all three crops could benefit from changes in climatic variables in this region. Yield of rice increased with rainfall (P<0.10). Yield of oilseed rape increased with mean temperature and temperature difference but decreased with relative humidity (P<0.01). Tobacco yield increased with mean temperature (P<0.05). Path analysis provided additional information about the importance and contribution paths of climatic variables to crop yields. Temperature difference and sunshine hours had higher direct and indirect effects via other climatic variables on yields of rice and tobacco. Mean temperature, relative humidity, rainy days, and temperature difference had higher direct and indirect effects via others on yield of oilseed rape.

Impact of living mulches on the physical properties of Planosol in monocropped maize cultivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaneckas, Kęstutis; Adamavičienė, Aida; Šarauskis, Egidijus; Kriaučiūnienė, Zita; Marks, Marek; Vaitauskienė, Kristina

2018-04-01

The complex mutual interactions between soil properties and plants in high-biodiversity mono-cropping agro ecosystems have not been widely investigated. For this purpose, during 2009-2011, a stationary field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station of the Aleksandras Stulginskis University to establish the effect of a multi-component agrocenose (maize, living mulch, weeds) on the physical properties of the soil. Spring oilseed rape, white mustard, spring barley, Italian ryegrass, black medic, Persian clover and red clover were sown as living mulch into maize inter-rows. The stability of >1.0 mm aggregates increased between the beginning and end of the maize vegetative period in almost all of the crops containing living mulch. The greatest competition for moisture content between the inter-crops and maize was observed at the beginning of the vegetative period because of living mulches of long growing seasons using the most moisture. In many cases, the shear strength of the soil was significantly reduced by the living mulch in the middle of summer, when it covered the maize inter-rows. These findings show that the monocropping of maize with living mulch stabilises or improves the physical characteristics of the soil, highlighting its potential for sustainable maize growing.

Nitrous oxide emissions from crop rotations including wheat, oilseed rape and dry peas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeuffroy, M. H.; Baranger, E.; Carrouée, B.; de Chezelles, E.; Gosme, M.; Hénault, C.; Schneider, A.; Cellier, P.

2013-03-01

Approximately 65% of anthropogenic emissions of N2O, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), originate from soils at a global scale, and particularly after N fertilisation of the main crops in Europe. Thanks to their capacity to fix atmospheric N2 through biological fixation, legumes can reduce N fertilizer use, and possibly N2O emissions. Nevertheless, the decomposition of crop organic matter during the crop cycle and residue decomposition, and possibly the N fixation process itself, could lead to N2O emissions. The objective of this study was to quantify N2O emissions from a dry pea crop (Pisum sativum, harvested at maturity) and from the subsequent crops in comparison with N2O emissions from wheat and oilseed rape crops, fertilized or not, in various rotations. A field experiment was conducted over 4 consecutive years to compare the emissions during the pea crop, in comparison with those during the wheat (fertilized or not) or oilseed rape crops, and after the pea crop, in comparison with other preceding crops. N2O fluxes were measured using static chambers. In spite of low N2O fluxes, mainly due to the site's soil characteristics, fluxes during the crop were significantly lower for pea and unfertilized wheat than for fertilized wheat and oilseed rape. The effect of the preceding crop was not significant, while soil mineral N at harvest was higher after the pea crop. These results should be confirmed over a wider range of soil types. Nevertheless, they demonstrate the absence of N2O emissions linked to the symbiotic N fixation process, and allow us to estimate the decrease in N2O emissions by 20-25% through including one pea crop in a three-year rotation. On a larger scale, this reduction of GHG emissions at field level has to be added to the decrease due to the reduced production and transport of the N fertilizer not applied to the pea crop.

IMI resistance associated to crop-weed hybridization in a natural Brassica rapa population: characterization and fate.

PubMed

Ureta, M S; Torres Carbonell, F; Pandolfo, C; Presotto, A D; Cantamutto, M A; Poverene, M

2017-03-01

Wild turnip (Brassica rapa) is a common weed and a close relative to oilseed rape (Brassica napus). The Clearfield® production system is a highly adopted tool which provides an alternative solution for weed management, but its efficiency is threatened by gene transfer from crop to weed relatives. Crop-weed hybrids with herbicide resistance were found in the progeny of a B. rapa population gathered from a weedy stand on the borders of an oilseed rape (B. napus) imidazolinone (IMI)-resistant crop. Interspecific hybrids were confirmed by morphological traits in the greenhouse and experimental field, survival after imazethapyr applications, DNA content through flow cytometry, and pollen viability. The transference of herbicide resistance was demonstrated even in a particular situation of pollen competition between both an herbicide-resistant crop and a non-resistant crop. However, IMI resistance was not found in further generations collected at the same location. These results verify gene transmission from oilseed rape to B. rapa in the main crop area in Argentina where resistant and susceptible varieties are found and seed loss and crop volunteers are common. Hybridization, introgression, and herbicide selection would be associated with the loss of effectiveness of IMI technology.

Distance from forest edge affects bee pollinators in oilseed rape fields.

PubMed

Bailey, Samantha; Requier, Fabrice; Nusillard, Benoît; Roberts, Stuart P M; Potts, Simon G; Bouget, Christophe

2014-02-01

Wild pollinators have been shown to enhance the pollination of Brassica napus (oilseed rape) and thus increase its market value. Several studies have previously shown that pollination services are greater in crops adjoining forest patches or other seminatural habitats than in crops completely surrounded by other crops. In this study, we investigated the specific importance of forest edges in providing potential pollinators in B. napus fields in two areas in France. Bees were caught with yellow pan traps at increasing distances from both warm and cold forest edges into B. napus fields during the blooming period. A total of 4594 individual bees, representing six families and 83 taxa, were collected. We found that both bee abundance and taxa richness were negatively affected by the distance from forest edge. However, responses varied between bee groups and edge orientations. The ITD (Inter-Tegular distance) of the species, a good proxy for bee foraging range, seems to limit how far the bees can travel from the forest edge. We found a greater abundance of cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.) of Andrena spp. and Andrena spp. males at forest edges, which we assume indicate suitable nesting sites, or at least mating sites, for some abundant Andrena species and their parasites (Fig. 1). Synthesis and Applications. This study provides one of the first examples in temperate ecosystems of how forest edges may actually act as a reservoir of potential pollinators and directly benefit agricultural crops by providing nesting or mating sites for important early spring pollinators. Policy-makers and land managers should take forest edges into account and encourage their protection in the agricultural matrix to promote wild bees and their pollination services.

Distance from forest edge affects bee pollinators in oilseed rape fields

PubMed Central

Bailey, Samantha; Requier, Fabrice; Nusillard, Benoît; Roberts, Stuart P M; Potts, Simon G; Bouget, Christophe

2014-01-01

Wild pollinators have been shown to enhance the pollination of Brassica napus (oilseed rape) and thus increase its market value. Several studies have previously shown that pollination services are greater in crops adjoining forest patches or other seminatural habitats than in crops completely surrounded by other crops. In this study, we investigated the specific importance of forest edges in providing potential pollinators in B. napus fields in two areas in France. Bees were caught with yellow pan traps at increasing distances from both warm and cold forest edges into B. napus fields during the blooming period. A total of 4594 individual bees, representing six families and 83 taxa, were collected. We found that both bee abundance and taxa richness were negatively affected by the distance from forest edge. However, responses varied between bee groups and edge orientations. The ITD (Inter-Tegular distance) of the species, a good proxy for bee foraging range, seems to limit how far the bees can travel from the forest edge. We found a greater abundance of cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.) of Andrena spp. and Andrena spp. males at forest edges, which we assume indicate suitable nesting sites, or at least mating sites, for some abundant Andrena species and their parasites (Fig. 1). Synthesis and Applications. This study provides one of the first examples in temperate ecosystems of how forest edges may actually act as a reservoir of potential pollinators and directly benefit agricultural crops by providing nesting or mating sites for important early spring pollinators. Policy-makers and land managers should take forest edges into account and encourage their protection in the agricultural matrix to promote wild bees and their pollination services. PMID:24634722

Oilseed rape: learning about ancient and recent polyploid evolution from a recent crop species.

PubMed

Mason, A S; Snowdon, R J

2016-11-01

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is one of our youngest crop species, arising several times under cultivation in the last few thousand years and completely unknown in the wild. Oilseed rape originated from hybridisation events between progenitor diploid species B. rapa and B. oleracea, both important vegetable species. The diploid progenitors are also ancient polyploids, with remnants of two previous polyploidisation events evident in the triplicated genome structure. This history of polyploid evolution and human agricultural selection makes B. napus an excellent model with which to investigate processes of genomic evolution and selection in polyploid crops. The ease of de novo interspecific hybridisation, responsiveness to tissue culture, and the close relationship of oilseed rape to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, coupled with the recent availability of reference genome sequences and suites of molecular cytogenetic and high-throughput genotyping tools, allow detailed dissection of genetic, genomic and phenotypic interactions in this crop. In this review we discuss the past and present uses of B. napus as a model for polyploid speciation and evolution in crop species, along with current and developing analysis tools and resources. We further outline unanswered questions that may now be tractable to investigation. © 2016 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Comparison of SPI and SPEI applicability for drought impact assessment on crop production in the Danubian Lowland and the East Slovakian Lowland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labudová, L.; Labuda, M.; Takáč, J.

2017-04-01

Drought belongs among the main impact factors considering crop yields. Therefore, this paper is focused on the assessment of drought occurrence and intensity as well as on its impact on crop yields on the Danubian and the East Slovakian lowlands with the spatial resolution at district level. Yield data were the main limitation of the study, which resulted in the limited length of the assessed period (1996-2013). The standardized yields of ten crops (winter wheat, spring wheat, winter barley, spring barley, rye, maize, potatoes, oilseed rape, sunflower, and sugar beet) were correlated with monthly, 2-, and 3-monthly standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index (SPEI). For this purpose, the common significance level of alpha = 0.05 was used. The temporal evolution of both indices and drought occurrence during the period 1961-2013 were assessed for each district. Most crops show a higher correlation with the SPEI than with the SPI in contrast to potatoes, which reached a higher significant correlation using the SPI. The correlation also increases with increasing number of months within a time step. The highest correlation can be seen between maize and the 3-monthly SPEI in August representing summer precipitation and potential evapotranspiration conditions. Furthermore, a very high correlation was recorded considering sugar beet, which is influenced mainly by summer precipitation, because the correlation coefficient between the sugar beet and the 3-monthly SPI is as high as using the 3-monthly SPEI. Crop yields in the East Slovakian Lowland do not seem to be influenced by wet/dry periods identified using the SPI and the SPEI as their correlation with both indices is quite low and insignificant.

Characterization of the pollen beetle, Brassicogethes aeneus, dispersal from woodlands to winter oilseed rape fields

PubMed Central

Barbu, Corentin Mario; Franck, Pierre; Roger-Estrade, Jean; Butier, Arnaud; Bazot, Mathieu; Valantin-Morison, Muriel

2017-01-01

Many crop pests rely on resources out of crop fields; understanding how they colonize the fields is an important factor to develop integrated pest management. In particular, the time of crop colonization and damage severity might be determined by pest movements between fields and non-crop areas. Notably, the pollen beetle, Brassicogethes aeneus, previously named Meligethes aeneus, one of the most important pests of winter oilseed rape, overwinters in woodlands. As a result, its abundance increases in oilseed rape fields near wooded areas. Here, we assessed the spatio-temporal patterns of the dispersal from woodlands to oilseed rape fields in diversified landscapes of a same region. We observed on four dates the abundance of pollen beetles in 24 fields spread in the Eure department, France. We modeled the abundance as a result of the dispersal from the neighboring woodlands. We compared the modalities of dispersal corresponding to different hypotheses on the dispersal origin, kernel shape and sources of variability. Within oilseed rape the distance to the edges of woodlands is not the main determinant of pollen beetle abundance. On the contrary, the variability of the abundance between fields is largely explained by the dispersal from neighboring woodlands but there is considerable variability between dates, sites and, to a lesser extent, between fields. The two dispersal kernels received similar support from the data and lead to similar conclusions. The mean dispersal distance is 1.2 km but seems to increase from a few hundred meters the first week to more than two kilometers the fourth, allowing the pollen beetles to reach more distant OSR fields. These results suggest that early varieties away from woodlands and late varieties close to the woodlands may limit attacks at the time when oilseed rape is the most sensitive. PMID:28841712

Crop-noncrop spillover: arable fields affect trophic interactions on wild plants in surrounding habitats.

PubMed

Gladbach, David J; Holzschuh, Andrea; Scherber, Christoph; Thies, Carsten; Dormann, Carsten F; Tscharntke, Teja

2011-06-01

Ecosystem processes in agricultural landscapes are often triggered by resource availability in crop and noncrop habitats. We investigated how oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus, Brassicaceae) affects noncrop plants in managed systems and semi-natural habitat, using trophic interactions among wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis, Brassicaceae), rape pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus, Nitidulidae) and their parasitoids (Tersilochus heterocerus, Ichneumonidae). We exposed wild mustard as phytometer plants in two cropland habitat types (wheat field, field margin) and three noncrop habitat types (fallow, grassland, wood margin) across eight landscapes along a gradient from simple to complex (quantified as % arable land). Both landscape and local factors affected the abundance of rape pollen beetles and parasitoids. Rape pollen beetle infestation and parasitism rates on these plants were lower in noncrop habitats and higher in wheat fields and field margins, whereas beetles and parasitoids responded differently to landscape scale parameters. We found the hypothesized spillover from OSR crop onto wild plants in surrounding habitats only for parasitoids, but not for pollen beetles. Parasitism rates were not related to landscape simplification, but benefited from increasing proportions of OSR. In contrast, rape pollen beetles benefited from simple landscape structures, presumably due to multi-annual population build-ups resulting from long-term OSR planting (as part of the crop rotation). In conclusion, we showed that spillover from cropland affects parasitism rates on related wild plants outside cropland, which has not been shown so far, but can be expected to be a widespread effect shaping noncrop food webs.

[Effects of different catch modes on soil enzyme activities and bacterial community in the rhizosphere of cucumber].

PubMed

Li, Min; Wu, Feng-zhi

2014-12-01

Effects of different catch modes on soil enzyme activities and bacterial community in the rhizosphere of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) were analyzed by conventional chemical method, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time PCR methods. Pot experiment was carried out in the greenhouse for three consecutive years with cucumber as the main crop, and scallion (Allium fistulosum), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and oilseed rape (Brassica campestri) as catch crops. Results showed that, with the increase of crop planting times, soil urease, neutral phosphatase and invertase activities in the wheat treatment were significantly) higher than in the scallion and oilseed rape treatments, and these enzyme activities in the oilseed rape treatment were significantly higher than in the scallion treatment. PCR-DGGR analysis showed that cucumber rhizosphere bacterial community structures were different among treatments. Scallion and wheat treatments maintained relatively higher diversity indices of bacterial community structure. qPCR results showed that the abundance of soil bacterial community in the wheat treatment was significantly higher than in the scallion and oilseed rape treatments. In conclusion, different catch treatments affected soil enzyme activities and bacteria community and changed the soil environment. Wheat used as summer catch crop could maintain relatively higher soil enzyme activities, bacterial community diversity and abundance.

Root morphology and seed and leaf ionomic traits in a Brassica napus L. diversity panel show wide phenotypic variation and are characteristic of crop habit.

PubMed

Thomas, C L; Alcock, T D; Graham, N S; Hayden, R; Matterson, S; Wilson, L; Young, S D; Dupuy, L X; White, P J; Hammond, J P; Danku, J M C; Salt, D E; Sweeney, A; Bancroft, I; Broadley, M R

2016-10-04

Mineral nutrient uptake and utilisation by plants are controlled by many traits relating to root morphology, ion transport, sequestration and translocation. The aims of this study were to determine the phenotypic diversity in root morphology and leaf and seed mineral composition of a polyploid crop species, Brassica napus L., and how these traits relate to crop habit. Traits were quantified in a diversity panel of up to 387 genotypes: 163 winter, 127 spring, and seven semiwinter oilseed rape (OSR) habits, 35 swede, 15 winter fodder, and 40 exotic/unspecified habits. Root traits of 14 d old seedlings were measured in a 'pouch and wick' system (n = ~24 replicates per genotype). The mineral composition of 3-6 rosette-stage leaves, and mature seeds, was determined on compost-grown plants from a designed experiment (n = 5) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Seed size explained a large proportion of the variation in root length. Winter OSR and fodder habits had longer primary and lateral roots than spring OSR habits, with generally lower mineral concentrations. A comparison of the ratios of elements in leaf and seed parts revealed differences in translocation processes between crop habits, including those likely to be associated with crop-selection for OSR seeds with lower sulphur-containing glucosinolates. Combining root, leaf and seed traits in a discriminant analysis provided the most accurate characterisation of crop habit, illustrating the interdependence of plant tissues. High-throughput morphological and composition phenotyping reveals complex interrelationships between mineral acquisition and accumulation linked to genetic control within and between crop types (habits) in B. napus. Despite its recent genetic ancestry (<10 ky), root morphology, and leaf and seed composition traits could potentially be used in crop improvement, if suitable markers can be identified and if these correspond with suitable agronomy and quality traits.

Components of a rice-oilseed rape production system augmented with trichoderma sp. Tri-1 control sclerotinia sclerotiorum on oilseed rape

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes serious yield losses on many crops throughout the world. In two field trials conducted at the same location in consecutive years, a treatment containing formulated Trichoderma harzianum-1 (Tri-1) resulted in oilseed rape seed yield that was significantly greater than...

Diverse effects of arsenic on selected enzyme activities in soil-plant-microbe interactions.

PubMed

Lyubun, Yelena V; Pleshakova, Ekaterina V; Mkandawire, Martin; Turkovskaya, Olga V

2013-11-15

Under the influence of pollutants, enzyme activities in plant-microbe-soil systems undergo changes of great importance in predicting soil-plant-microbe interactions, regulation of metal and nutrient uptake, and, ultimately, improvement of soil health and fertility. We evaluated the influence of As on soil enzyme activities and the effectiveness of five field crops for As phytoextraction. The initial As concentration in soil was 50mg As kg(-1) soil; planted clean soil, unplanted polluted soil, and unplanted clean soil served as controls. After 10 weeks, the growth of the plants elevated soil dehydrogenase activity relative to polluted but unplanted control soils by 2.4- and 2.5-fold for sorghum and sunflower (respectively), by 3-fold for ryegrass and sudangrass, and by 5.2-fold for spring rape. Soil peroxidase activity increased by 33% with ryegrass and rape, while soil phosphatase activity was directly correlated with residual As (correlation coefficient R(2)=0.7045). We conclude that soil enzyme activities should be taken into account when selecting plants for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Management for Enhancing Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in a Rice-Oilseed Rape Rotation System in China

PubMed Central

Yousaf, Muhammad; Li, Xiaokun; Zhang, Zhi; Ren, Tao; Cong, Rihuan; Ata-Ul-Karim, Syed Tahir; Fahad, Shah; Shah, Adnan N.; Lu, Jianwei

2016-01-01

The use of efficient rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application is important with regard to increasing crop productivity and maintaining environmental sustainability. Rice-oilseed rape rotations are a mainstay of the economy and food security of China. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out during 2011–2013 in Honghu to identify the most appropriate N application rates for enhancing crop productivity and N use efficiency for rice (Oryza sativa L.)-oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) rotations. Six N fertilizer treatments (RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4, RO5, and RO6) were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. ROx represented the N fertilizer application rates (kg ha−1) for rice and oilseed rape, respectively. Grain yields from plots receiving N fertilizer were significantly increased by 59–71% (rice) and 109–160% (oilseed rape) during the total rotation (2011–2013), as compared to RO1 (control; no application). Furthermore, a similar trend was observed for N accumulation, ranging from 88 to 125% and 134 to 200% in aerial parts of rice and oilseed rape, respectively. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was significantly higher (38.5%) under RO2 and lower (34.2%) under RO6 while apparent N balance (ANB) was positively lowest under R05 (183.4 kg ha−1) followed by R02 (234.2 kg ha−1) and highest under R06 (344.5 kg ha−1) during the total rotation. The results of grain yield, NUE, and ANB indicated that the R02 rate of N application was superior. This information should help to develop a cost-effective and environment-friendly N management strategy for rice-oilseed rape rotation systems of central China. PMID:27746809

Nitrogen Fertilizer Management for Enhancing Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in a Rice-Oilseed Rape Rotation System in China.

PubMed

Yousaf, Muhammad; Li, Xiaokun; Zhang, Zhi; Ren, Tao; Cong, Rihuan; Ata-Ul-Karim, Syed Tahir; Fahad, Shah; Shah, Adnan N; Lu, Jianwei

2016-01-01

The use of efficient rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application is important with regard to increasing crop productivity and maintaining environmental sustainability. Rice-oilseed rape rotations are a mainstay of the economy and food security of China. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out during 2011-2013 in Honghu to identify the most appropriate N application rates for enhancing crop productivity and N use efficiency for rice ( Oryza sativa L.)-oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.) rotations. Six N fertilizer treatments (RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4, RO5, and RO6) were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. RO x represented the N fertilizer application rates (kg ha -1 ) for rice and oilseed rape, respectively. Grain yields from plots receiving N fertilizer were significantly increased by 59-71% (rice) and 109-160% (oilseed rape) during the total rotation (2011-2013), as compared to RO1 (control; no application). Furthermore, a similar trend was observed for N accumulation, ranging from 88 to 125% and 134 to 200% in aerial parts of rice and oilseed rape, respectively. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was significantly higher (38.5%) under RO2 and lower (34.2%) under RO6 while apparent N balance (ANB) was positively lowest under R05 (183.4 kg ha -1 ) followed by R02 (234.2 kg ha -1 ) and highest under R06 (344.5 kg ha -1 ) during the total rotation. The results of grain yield, NUE, and ANB indicated that the R02 rate of N application was superior. This information should help to develop a cost-effective and environment-friendly N management strategy for rice-oilseed rape rotation systems of central China.

Trace elements bioavailability to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown subsequent to high biomass plants in a greenhouse study.

PubMed

Neu, Silke; Müller, Ingo; Herzig, Rolf; Dudel, E Gert

2018-05-12

Multielement-contaminated agricultural land requires the adaptation of agronomic practices to meet legal requirements for safe biomass production. The incorporation of bioenergy plants with, at least, moderate phytoextraction capacity into crop rotations with cereals can affect trace elements (TE) phytoavailability and, simultaneously, constitute economic revenues for farmers outside the food or forage sector. Hence, in a crop rotation pot study sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), modified for high biomass and TE accumulation by chemical mutagenesis, was compared to winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) as pre-crop. On two agricultural soils with different TE loads, the crops´ potential for phytoextraction and for impacts on TE uptake by subsequent winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied. The results showed that rape tolerated high-level mixed contamination with metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) and As more than sunflower. In both soils, labile metals concentration increased and soil acidity remained high following sunflower. Furthermore, enhanced grain As accumulation in subsequent wheat was observed. By contrast, soil acidity and Cd or Zn accumulation of subsequent wheat decreased following rape. In the short term, moderate phytoextraction was superimposed by nutrient use or rhizosphere effects of pre-crops, which should be carefully monitored when designing crop rotations for contaminated land.

Modelling the impact of climatic conditions and plant species on the nitrogen release from mulch of legumes at the soil surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudinat, Germain; Lorin, Mathieu; Valantin-morison, Muriel; Garnier, Patricia

2015-04-01

Cover crops provide multiple services to the agro ecosystem. Among them, the use of legumes as cover crop is one of the solutions for limiting the use of herbicides, mineral fertilizers, and insecticides. However, the dynamic of mineralization is difficult to understand because of the difficulty of measuring nitrogen release from mulch in field. Indeed, residues are degraded at the soil surface as mulch, while the nitrogen uptake by the main crop occurred simultaneously in the soil. This work aims to study the dynamics of nitrogen mineralization from legume residues through i) the use of a model able to describe the physical and biological dynamic of mulch and ii) a data set from a field experiment of intercropping systems "oilseed rape-legumes" from different species (grass pea, lentil, Berseem clover, field pea, vetch). The objective of the simulations is to identify the variations of expected quantities of nitrogen from different legumes. The soil-plant model of mulch decomposition PASTIS-Mulch was used to determine the nitrogen supply from mulch available for rapeseed. These simulation results were compared to the data collected in the experimental field of Grignon (France). We performed analyzes of biochemical and physical characteristics of legume residues and monitored the evolution of mulches (moisture, density, cover surface, biomass) in fields. PASTIS simulations of soil temperature, soil moisture, mulch humidity and mulch decomposition were close to the experimental results. The PASTIS model was suitable to simulate the dynamic of legume mulches in the case of "rape - legume" associations. The model simulated nitrogen restitution of aerial and root parts. We found a more rapid nitrogen release by grass pea than other species. Vetch released less nitrogen than the other species. The scenarios for climate conditions were : i) a freezing in December that causes the destruction of plants, or a destruction by herbicide in March, ii) a strong or a weak rainy spring. Climatic conditions had a strong impact on the simulated release of nitrogen. Nitrogen supply was higher when degradation begun early with a rainy spring. Conversely, the degradation was lower when the degradation started late with a dry spring. Root release was less sensitive to climate and most of the nitrogen in the roots returned to the soil in a few weeks. The impact of "species" on the decomposition was explained not only by their chemical properties but also by their physical properties. The climatic conditions had different effects according to the species.

Reanalyses of the historical series of UK variety trials to quantify the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to trends and variability in yield over time.

PubMed

Mackay, I; Horwell, A; Garner, J; White, J; McKee, J; Philpott, H

2011-01-01

Historical datasets have much to offer. We analyse data from winter wheat, spring and winter barley, oil seed rape, sugar beet and forage maize from the UK National List and Recommended List trials over the period 1948-2007. We find that since 1982, for the cereal crops and oil seed rape, at least 88% of the improvement in yield is attributable to genetic improvement, with little evidence that changes in agronomy have improved yields. In contrast, in the same time period, plant breeding and changes in agronomy have contributed almost equally to increased yields of forage maize and sugar beet. For the cereals prior to 1982, contributions from plant breeding were 42, 60 and 86% for winter barley, winter wheat and spring barley, respectively. These results demonstrate the overwhelming importance of plant breeding in increasing crop productivity in the UK. Winter wheat data are analysed in more detail to exemplify the use of historical data series to study and detect disease resistance breakdown, sensitivity of varieties to climatic factors, and also to test methods of genomic selection. We show that breakdown of disease resistance can cause biased estimates of variety and year effects, but that comparison of results between fungicide treated and untreated trials over years may be a means to screen for durable resistance. We find the greatest sensitivities of the winter wheat germplasm to seasonal differences in rainfall and temperature are to summer rainfall and winter temperature. Finally, for genomic selection, correlations between observed and predicted yield ranged from 0.17 to 0.83. The high correlation resulted from markers predicting kinship amongst lines rather than tagging multiple QTL. We believe the full value of these data will come from exploiting links with other experiments and experimental populations. However, not to exploit such valuable historical datasets is wasteful.

Application of a rotation system to oilseed rape and rice fields in Cd-contaminated agricultural land to ensure food safety.

PubMed

Yu, Lingling; Zhu, Junyan; Huang, Qingqing; Su, Dechun; Jiang, Rongfeng; Li, Huafen

2014-10-01

This field experiment analyzed the phytoremediation effects of oilseed rape in moderately cadmium (Cd)-contaminated farmland and the food safety of successive rice in an oilseed rape-rice rotation system. Two oilseed rape cultivars accumulated Cd at different rates. The rapeseed cultivar Zhucang Huazi exhibited high Cd accumulation rates, higher than the legal limit for human consumption (0.2mgkg(-1)); Cd concentrations in the cultivar Chuanyou II-93 were all below the maximum allowed level. Planting oilseed rape increased the uptake of Cd by the successive rice crop compared with a previous fallow treatment. Most Cd concentrations of brown rice were below the maximum allowed level. The phytoextraction efficiency was lower in the moderately Cd-contaminated soil in field experiments. The results suggest screening rice cultivars with lower Cd accumulation can assure the food safety; the mobilization of heavy metals by roots of different plant species should be considered during crop rotation to assure food safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transgenic glyphosate-resistant oilseed rape (Brassica napus) as an invasive weed in Argentina: detection, characterization, and control alternatives.

PubMed

Pandolfo, Claudio E; Presotto, Alejandro; Carbonell, Francisco Torres; Ureta, Soledad; Poverene, Mónica; Cantamutto, Miguel

2016-12-01

The presence of glyphosate-resistant oilseed rape populations in Argentina was detected and characterized. The resistant plants were found as weeds in RR soybeans and other fields. The immunological and molecular analysis showed that the accessions presented the GT73 transgenic event. The origin of this event was uncertain, as the cultivation of transgenic oilseed rape cultivars is prohibited in Argentina. This finding might suggest that glyphosate resistance could come from unauthorized transgenic oilseed rape crops cultivated in the country or as seed contaminants in imported oilseed rape cultivars or other seed imports. Experimentation showed that there are alternative herbicides for controlling resistant Brassica napus populations in various situations and crops. AHAS-inhibiting herbicides (imazethapyr, chlorimuron and diclosulam), glufosinate, 2,4-D, fluroxypyr and saflufenacil proved to be very effective in controlling these plants. Herbicides evaluated in this research were employed by farmers in one of the fields invaded with this biotype and monitoring of this field showed no evidence of its presence in the following years.

Comparing net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange at adjacent commercial bioenergy and conventional cropping systems in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, Ross; Brooks, Milo; Evans, Jonathan; Finch, Jon; Rowe, Rebecca; Rylett, Daniel; McNamara, Niall

2016-04-01

The conversion of agricultural land to bioenergy plantations represents one option in the national and global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions whilst meeting future energy demand. Despite an increase in the area of (e.g. perennial) bioenergy crops in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, the biophysical and biogeochemical impacts of large scale conversion of arable and other land cover types to bioenergy cropping systems remain poorly characterised and uncertain. Here, the results of four years of eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) obtained at a commercial farm in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom (UK) are reported. CO2 flux measurements are presented and compared for arable crops (winter wheat, oilseed rape, spring barely) and plantations of the perennial biofuel crops Miscanthus x. giganteus (C4) and short rotation coppice (SRC) willow (Salix sp.,C3). Ecosystem light and temperature response functions were used to analyse and compare temporal trends and spatial variations in NEE across the three land covers. All three crops were net in situ sinks for atmospheric CO2 but were characterised by large temporal and between site variability in NEE. Environmental and biological controls driving the spatial and temporal variations in CO2 exchange processes, as well as the influences of land management, will be analysed and discussed.

Method of Determining the Filtration Properties of oil-Bearing Crops in the Process of Their Pressing by the Example of Rape-oil Extrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slavnov, E. V.; Petrov, I. A.

2014-07-01

A method of determining the change in the fi ltration properties of oil-bearing crops in the process of their pressing by repeated dynamic loading is proposed. The use of this method is demonstrated by the example of rape-oil extrusion. It was established that the change in the mass concentration of the oil in a rape mix from 0.45 to 0.23 leads to a decrease in the permeability of the mix by 101.5-102 times depending on the pressure applied to it. It is shown that the dependence of the permeability of this mix on the pressure applied to it is nonmonotone in character.

Effects of Cover Crops on Pratylenchus penetrans and the Nematode Community in Carrot Production

PubMed Central

Grabau, Zane J.; Zar Maung, Zin Thu; Noyes, D. Corey; Baas, Dean G.; Werling, Benjamin P.; Brainard, Daniel C.; Melakeberhan, Haddish

2017-01-01

Cover cropping is a common practice in U.S. Midwest carrot production for soil conservation, and may affect soil ecology and plant-parasitic nematodes—to which carrots are very susceptible. This study assessed the impact of cover crops—oats (Avena sativa), radish (Raphanus sativus) cv. Defender, rape (Brassica napus) cv. Dwarf Essex, and a mixture of oats and radish—on plant-parasitic nematodes and soil ecology based on the nematode community in Michigan carrot production systems. Research was conducted at two field sites where cover crops were grown in Fall 2014 preceding Summer 2015 carrot production. At Site 1, root-lesion (Pratylenchus penetrans) and stunt (Tylenchorhynchus sp.) nematodes were present at low population densities (less than 25 nematodes/100 cm3 soil), but were not significantly affected (P > 0.05) by cover crops. At Site 2, P. penetrans population densities were increased (P ≤ 0.05) by ‘Defender’ radish compared to other cover crops or fallow control during cover crop growth and midseason carrot production. At both sites, there were few short-term impacts of cover cropping on soil ecology based on the nematode community. At Site 1, only at carrot harvest, radish-oats mixture and ‘Dwarf Essex’ rape alone enriched the soil food web based on the enrichment index (P ≤ 0.05) while rape and radish increased structure index values. At Site 2, bacterivore abundance was increased by oats or radish cover crops compared to control, but only during carrot production. In general, cover crops did not affect the nematode community until nearly a year after cover crop growth suggesting that changes in the soil community following cover cropping may be gradual. PMID:28512383

Country-specific effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on honey bees and wild bees.

PubMed

Woodcock, B A; Bullock, J M; Shore, R F; Heard, M S; Pereira, M G; Redhead, J; Ridding, L; Dean, H; Sleep, D; Henrys, P; Peyton, J; Hulmes, S; Hulmes, L; Sárospataki, M; Saure, C; Edwards, M; Genersch, E; Knäbe, S; Pywell, R F

2017-06-30

Neonicotinoid seed dressings have caused concern world-wide. We use large field experiments to assess the effects of neonicotinoid-treated crops on three bee species across three countries (Hungary, Germany, and the United Kingdom). Winter-sown oilseed rape was grown commercially with either seed coatings containing neonicotinoids (clothianidin or thiamethoxam) or no seed treatment (control). For honey bees, we found both negative (Hungary and United Kingdom) and positive (Germany) effects during crop flowering. In Hungary, negative effects on honey bees (associated with clothianidin) persisted over winter and resulted in smaller colonies in the following spring (24% declines). In wild bees ( Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis ), reproduction was negatively correlated with neonicotinoid residues. These findings point to neonicotinoids causing a reduced capacity of bee species to establish new populations in the year following exposure. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Root length densities of UK wheat and oilseed rape crops with implications for water capture and yield

PubMed Central

White, Charlotte A.; Sylvester-Bradley, Roger; Berry, Peter M.

2015-01-01

Root length density (RLD) was measured to 1 m depth for 17 commercial crops of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) and 40 crops of winter oilseed rape [Brassica napus; oilseed rape (OSR)] grown in the UK between 2004 and 2013. Taking the critical RLD (cRLD) for water capture as 1cm cm–3, RLDs appeared inadequate for full water capture on average below a depth of 0.32 m for winter wheat and below 0.45 m for OSR. These depths compare unfavourably (for wheat) with average depths of ‘full capture’ of 0.86 m and 0.48 m, respectively, determined for three wheat crops and one OSR crop studied in the 1970s and 1980s, and treated as references here. A simple model of water uptake and yield indicated that these shortfalls in wheat and OSR rooting compared with the reference data might be associated with shortfalls of up to 3.5 t ha–1 and 1.2 t ha–1, respectively, in grain yields under water-limited conditions, as increasingly occur through climate change. Coupled with decreased summer rainfall, poor rooting of modern arable crops could explain much of the yield stagnation that has been observed on UK farms since the 1990s. Methods of monitoring and improving rooting under commercial conditions are reviewed and discussed. PMID:25750427

Rice Yield and the Fate of Fertilizer Nitrogen as Affected by Addition of Earthworm Casts Collected from Oilseed Rape Fields: A Pot Experiment.

PubMed

Huang, Min; Zhou, Xuefeng; Xie, Xiaobing; Zhao, Chunrong; Chen, Jiana; Cao, Fangbo; Zou, Yingbin

2016-01-01

The mechanism associated with improvement of soil nutritional status by oilseed rape crop, leading to better performance of rice crop, in rice-oilseed rape cropping systems is little known. The present study was aimed to test the hypothesis that earthworm casts produced during oilseed rape-growing season have positive effects on grain yield and fertilizer nitrogen (N) utilization in the subsequent flooded rice crop. A 15N-tracing pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of earthworm casts collected from oilseed rape fields on yield attributes in rice and the fate of fertilizer N. Soil treated with earthworm casts (soil: earthworm casts = 4: 1, w/w) (EC1) produced 39% higher grain yield than soil only (EC0). EC1 had 18% more panicle number and 10% higher spikelet filling percentage than EC0. Aboveground biomass and harvest index were higher in EC1 than in EC0 by 20% and 15%, respectively. SPAD values in flag leaves were 10% and 22% higher under EC1 than EC0 at 15 and 20 days after heading, respectively. EC1 had 19% higher total N uptake and 18% higher physiological N-use efficiency than EC0. These positive effects of earthworm casts on yield attributes offset negative effects of decreasing N rate from 0.74 g pot-1 (equivalent to the recommended field rate of 150 kg ha-1) to 0.44 g pot-1 (equivalent to 60% of the recommended rate). Fertilizer N retention rate was 7% higher while fertilizer N loss rate was 6% lower in EC1 than in EC0. Our study suggests that earthworm casts produced during oilseed rape-growing season are expected to have the following benefits on the subsequent flooded rice system: (1) improving growth and physiological processes in rice plants and consequently increasing rice grain yield, and (2) increasing fertilizer N retention rate and hence decreasing fertilizer N loss rate and reducing environmental risk.

Rice Yield and the Fate of Fertilizer Nitrogen as Affected by Addition of Earthworm Casts Collected from Oilseed Rape Fields: A Pot Experiment

PubMed Central

Huang, Min; Zhou, Xuefeng; Xie, Xiaobing; Zhao, Chunrong; Chen, Jiana; Cao, Fangbo; Zou, Yingbin

2016-01-01

The mechanism associated with improvement of soil nutritional status by oilseed rape crop, leading to better performance of rice crop, in rice-oilseed rape cropping systems is little known. The present study was aimed to test the hypothesis that earthworm casts produced during oilseed rape-growing season have positive effects on grain yield and fertilizer nitrogen (N) utilization in the subsequent flooded rice crop. A 15N-tracing pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of earthworm casts collected from oilseed rape fields on yield attributes in rice and the fate of fertilizer N. Soil treated with earthworm casts (soil: earthworm casts = 4: 1, w/w) (EC1) produced 39% higher grain yield than soil only (EC0). EC1 had 18% more panicle number and 10% higher spikelet filling percentage than EC0. Aboveground biomass and harvest index were higher in EC1 than in EC0 by 20% and 15%, respectively. SPAD values in flag leaves were 10% and 22% higher under EC1 than EC0 at 15 and 20 days after heading, respectively. EC1 had 19% higher total N uptake and 18% higher physiological N-use efficiency than EC0. These positive effects of earthworm casts on yield attributes offset negative effects of decreasing N rate from 0.74 g pot–1 (equivalent to the recommended field rate of 150 kg ha–1) to 0.44 g pot–1 (equivalent to 60% of the recommended rate). Fertilizer N retention rate was 7% higher while fertilizer N loss rate was 6% lower in EC1 than in EC0. Our study suggests that earthworm casts produced during oilseed rape-growing season are expected to have the following benefits on the subsequent flooded rice system: (1) improving growth and physiological processes in rice plants and consequently increasing rice grain yield, and (2) increasing fertilizer N retention rate and hence decreasing fertilizer N loss rate and reducing environmental risk. PMID:27880837

Nitrous oxide emissions from crop rotations including wheat, rapeseed and dry pea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeuffroy, M. H.; Baranger, E.; Carrouée, B.; de Chezelles, E.; Gosme, M.; Hénault, C.; Schneider, A.; Cellier, P.

2012-07-01

Approximately 65% of anthropogenic emissions of N2O, a potent greenhouse gas, originate from soils at global scale, and particularly after N fertilisation of the main crops in Europe. Thanks to their capacity to fix atmospheric N2 through biological fixation, legumes allow to reduce N fertilizer use, and possibly N2O emission. Nevertheless, the decomposition of crop organic matter during the crop cycle and during the residue decomposition, and possibly the N fixation process itself, could lead to N2O emissions. The objective of this study was to quantify N2O emissions from a dry pea crop (Pisum sativum, harvested at maturity) and from the subsequent crops in comparison with N2O emissions from wheat and oilseed-rape crops, fertilized or not, in various rotations. A field experiment was conducted during 4 consecutive years, aiming at comparing the emissions during the pea crop, in comparison with those during the wheat (fertilized or not) or oilseed rape crops, and after the pea crop, in comparison with other preceding crops. N2O fluxes were measured using static chambers. In spite of low N2O fluxes, mainly linked with the site soil characteristics, fluxes during the crop were significantly lower for pea and unfertilized wheat than for fertilized wheat and oilseed rape. The effect of the preceding crop was not significant, while soil mineral N at harvest was higher after pea. These results, combined with the emission reduction allowed by the production and transport of the N fertiliser not applied on the pea crop, should be confirmed in a larger range of soil types. Nevertheless, they demonstrate the absence of N2O emission linked to the symbiotic N fixation process, and allow us to estimate the decrease of N2O emissions to 20-25% by including one pea crop in a three-year rotation. At a larger scale, this reduction of GHG emissions at field level has to be cumulated with the reduction of GHG emissions linked with the lower level of production and transport of the N fertiliser not applied on the pea crop.

An endophytic bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Sasm3-enhanced phytoremediation of nitrate-cadmium compound polluted soil by intercropping Sedum alfredii with oilseed rape.

PubMed

Chen, Bao; Ma, Xiaoxiao; Liu, Guiqing; Xu, Xiaomeng; Pan, Fengshan; Zhang, Jie; Tian, Shengke; Feng, Ying; Yang, Xiaoe

2015-11-01

Intensive agricultural system with high input of fertilizer results in high agricultural output. However, excessive fertilization in intensive agricultural system has great potential to cause nitrate and heavy metal accumulation in soil, which is adverse to human health. The main objective of the present study was to observe the effects of intercropping and inoculation of endophytic bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Sasm3 on phytoremediation of combined contaminated soil in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The results showed that with Sasm3 inoculation, the biomass of rape was increased by 10-20% for shoot, 64% for root, and 23-29% for seeds while the nitrate accumulation in rape was decreased by 14% in root and by 12% in shoot. The cadmium concentration in rape increased significantly with mono-inoculating treatment, whereas it decreased significantly after intercropping treatment. By denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time quantitative PCR analysis, the diversity of bacterial community and the number of nirS and nirK gene copies increased significantly with inoculation or/and intercropping treatment. In conclusion, the endophytic bacterium Sasm3-inoculated intercropping system not only improved the efficiency of clearing cadmium from soil without obstructing crop production, but also improved the quality of crop.

Impacts of neonicotinoid use on long-term population changes in wild bees in England.

PubMed

Woodcock, Ben A; Isaac, Nicholas J B; Bullock, James M; Roy, David B; Garthwaite, David G; Crowe, Andrew; Pywell, Richard F

2016-08-16

Wild bee declines have been ascribed in part to neonicotinoid insecticides. While short-term laboratory studies on commercially bred species (principally honeybees and bumblebees) have identified sub-lethal effects, there is no strong evidence linking these insecticides to losses of the majority of wild bee species. We relate 18 years of UK national wild bee distribution data for 62 species to amounts of neonicotinoid use in oilseed rape. Using a multi-species dynamic Bayesian occupancy analysis, we find evidence of increased population extinction rates in response to neonicotinoid seed treatment use on oilseed rape. Species foraging on oilseed rape benefit from the cover of this crop, but were on average three times more negatively affected by exposure to neonicotinoids than non-crop foragers. Our results suggest that sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoids could scale up to cause losses of bee biodiversity. Restrictions on neonicotinoid use may reduce population declines.

Impacts of neonicotinoid use on long-term population changes in wild bees in England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodcock, Ben A.; Isaac, Nicholas J. B.; Bullock, James M.; Roy, David B.; Garthwaite, David G.; Crowe, Andrew; Pywell, Richard F.

2016-08-01

Wild bee declines have been ascribed in part to neonicotinoid insecticides. While short-term laboratory studies on commercially bred species (principally honeybees and bumblebees) have identified sub-lethal effects, there is no strong evidence linking these insecticides to losses of the majority of wild bee species. We relate 18 years of UK national wild bee distribution data for 62 species to amounts of neonicotinoid use in oilseed rape. Using a multi-species dynamic Bayesian occupancy analysis, we find evidence of increased population extinction rates in response to neonicotinoid seed treatment use on oilseed rape. Species foraging on oilseed rape benefit from the cover of this crop, but were on average three times more negatively affected by exposure to neonicotinoids than non-crop foragers. Our results suggest that sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoids could scale up to cause losses of bee biodiversity. Restrictions on neonicotinoid use may reduce population declines.

Impacts of neonicotinoid use on long-term population changes in wild bees in England

PubMed Central

Woodcock, Ben A.; Isaac, Nicholas J. B.; Bullock, James M.; Roy, David B.; Garthwaite, David G.; Crowe, Andrew; Pywell, Richard F.

2016-01-01

Wild bee declines have been ascribed in part to neonicotinoid insecticides. While short-term laboratory studies on commercially bred species (principally honeybees and bumblebees) have identified sub-lethal effects, there is no strong evidence linking these insecticides to losses of the majority of wild bee species. We relate 18 years of UK national wild bee distribution data for 62 species to amounts of neonicotinoid use in oilseed rape. Using a multi-species dynamic Bayesian occupancy analysis, we find evidence of increased population extinction rates in response to neonicotinoid seed treatment use on oilseed rape. Species foraging on oilseed rape benefit from the cover of this crop, but were on average three times more negatively affected by exposure to neonicotinoids than non-crop foragers. Our results suggest that sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoids could scale up to cause losses of bee biodiversity. Restrictions on neonicotinoid use may reduce population declines. PMID:27529661

Remote Diagnosis of Nitrogen Status in Winter Oilseed Rape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, S.

2016-12-01

Winter oilseed rape is one of the most important oilseed crops in the world. Compared with cereal crops, it requires high amount of nitrogen (N) supplies, but it is also characterized by low N use efficiency. The N nutrition index (NNI), defined as the ratio of the actual plant N concentration (PNC) to the critical PNC at a given biomass level, has been widely used to diagnose plant N status and to aid optimizing N fertilization. But traditional techniques to determine NNI in the lab are time-consuming and expensive. Remote sensing provides a promising approach for large-scale and rapid monitoring and diagnosis of crop N status. In this study, we conducted the experiment in the winter oilseed rape field with eight fertilization treatments in the growing season of 2014 and 2015. PNC, dry mass, and canopy spectra were measured during the different growth stages of winter oilseed rape. The N dilution curve was developed with measurements, and NNI was computed and analyzed for different treatments and different growth stage. For the same treatment, NNI decreased as more leaves were developing. Two methods were applied to remotely estimating NNI for winter oilseed rape: (1) NNI was estimated directly with vegetation indices (VIs) derived from canopy spectra; (2) the actual PNC and the critical PNC at the given biomass level were estimated separately with different types of VIs, and NNI was then computed with the two parts of the estimations. We found that VIs based solely on bands in the visible region provided the most accurate estimates of PNC. Estimating NNI directly with VIs had better performance than estimating the actual PNC and the critical PNC separately.

[Emission inventory of greenhouse gases from agricultural residues combustion: a case study of Jiangsu Province].

PubMed

Liu, Li-hua; Jiang, Jing-yan; Zong, Liang-gang

2011-05-01

Burning of agricultural crop residues was a major source greenhouse gases. In this study, the proportion of crop straws (rice, wheat, maize, oil rape, cotton and soja) in Jiangsu used as household fuel and direct open burning in different periods (1990-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005 and 2006-2008) was estimated through questionnaire. The emission factors of CO2, CO, CH4 and NO20 from the above six types of crop straws were calculated by the simulated burning experiment. Thus the emission inventory of greenhouse gases from crop straws burning was established according to above the burning percentages and emission factors, ratios of dry residues to production and crop productions of different periods in Jiangsu province. Results indicated that emission factors of CO2, CO, CH4 and N2O depended on crop straw type. The emission factors of CO2 and CH4 were higher for oil rape straw than the other straws, while the maize and the rice straw had the higher N2O and CO emission factor. Emission inventory of greenhouse gases from agricultural residues burning in Jiangsu province showed, the annual average global warming potential (GWP) of six tested crop straws were estimated to be 9.18 (rice straw), 4.35 (wheat straw), 2.55 (maize straw), 1.63 (oil rape straw), 0.55 (cotton straw) and 0. 39 (soja straw) Tg CO2 equivalent, respectively. Among the four study periods, the annual average GWP had no obvious difference between the 1990-1995 and 2006-2008 periods, while the maximal annual average GWP (23.83 Tg CO2 equivalent) happened in the 1996-2000 period, and the minimum (20.30 Tg CO2 equivalent) in 1996-2000 period.

Back-trajectory modelling and DNA-based species-specific detection methods allow tracking of fungal spore transport in air masses.

PubMed

Grinn-Gofroń, Agnieszka; Sadyś, Magdalena; Kaczmarek, Joanna; Bednarz, Aleksandra; Pawłowska, Sylwia; Jedryczka, Malgorzata

2016-11-15

Recent advances in molecular detection of living organisms facilitate the introduction of novel methods to studies of the transport of fungal spores over large distances. Monitoring the migration of airborne fungi using microscope based spore identification is limited when different species produce very similar spores. In our study, DNA-based monitoring with the use of species-specific probes allowed us to track the aerial movements of two important fungal pathogens of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), i.e., Leptosphaeria maculans and Leptosphaeria biglobosa, which have identical spore shape and size. The fungi were identified using dual-labelled fluorescent probes that were targeted to a β-tubulin gene fragment of either Leptosphaeria species. Spore identification by Real-Time PCR techniques capable of detecting minute amounts of DNA of selected fungal species was combined with back-trajectory analysis, allowing the tracking of past movements of air masses using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model. Over a study period spanning the previous decade (2006-2015) we investigated two specific events relating to the long distance transport of Leptosphaeria spp. spores to Szczecin in North-West Poland. Based on the above mentioned methods and the results obtained with the additional spore sampler located in nearby Szczecin, and operating at the ground level in an oilseed rape field, we have demonstrated that on both occasions the L. biglobosa spores originated from the Jutland Peninsula. This is the first successful attempt to combine analysis of back-trajectories of air masses with DNA-based identification of economically important pathogens of oilseed rape in Europe. In our studies, the timing of L. biglobosa ascospore dispersal in the air was unlikely to result in the infection of winter oilseed rape grown as a crop plant. However, the fungus could infect other host plants, such as vegetable brassicas, cruciferous weeds, spring rapeseed and winter rapeseed growing as a volunteer plant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of nitrification inhibitor DMPP on nitrogen leaching, nitrifying organisms, and enzyme activities in a rice-oilseed rape cropping system.

PubMed

Li, Hua; Liang, Xinqiang; Chen, Yingxu; Lian, Yanfeng; Tian, Guangming; Ni, Wuzhong

2008-01-01

DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) has been used to reduce nitrogen (N) loss from leaching or denitrification and to improve N supply in agricultural land. However, its impact on soil nitrifying organisms and enzyme activities involved in N cycling is largely unknown. Therefore, an on-farm experiment, for two years, has been conducted, to elucidate the effects of DMPP on mineral N (NH4(+)-N and NO3(-)-N) leaching, nitrifying organisms, and denitrifying enzymes in a rice-oilseed rape cropping system. Three treatments including urea alone (UA), urea + 1% DMPP (DP), and no fertilizer (CK), have been carried out. The results showed that DP enhanced the mean NH4(+)-N concentrations by 19.1%--24.3%, but reduced the mean NO3(-)-N concentrations by 44.9%--56.6% in the leachate, under a two-year rice-rape rotation, compared to the UA treatment. The population of ammonia oxidizing bacteria, the activity of nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase in the DP treatment decreased about 24.5%--30.9%, 14.9%--43.5%, and 14.7%--31.6%, respectively, as compared to the UA treatment. However, nitrite oxidizing bacteria and hydroxylamine reductase remained almost unaffected by DMPP. It is proposed that DMPP has the potential to either reduce NO3(-)-N leaching by inhibiting ammonia oxidization or N losses from denitrification, which is in favor of the N conversations in the rice-oilseed rape cropping system.

Agricultural crop harvest progress monitoring by fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hao; Zhao, Chunjiang; Yang, Guijun; Li, Zengyuan; Chen, Erxue; Yuan, Lin; Yang, Xiaodong; Xu, Xingang

2015-01-01

Dynamic mapping and monitoring of crop harvest on a large spatial scale will provide critical information for the formulation of optimal harvesting strategies. This study evaluates the feasibility of C-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) for monitoring the harvesting progress of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) fields. Five multitemporal, quad-pol Radarsat-2 images and one optical ZY-1 02C image were acquired over a farmland area in China during the 2013 growing season. Typical polarimetric signatures were obtained relying on polarimetric decomposition methods. Temporal evolutions of these signatures of harvested fields were compared with the ones of unharvested fields in the context of the entire growing cycle. Significant sensitivity was observed between the specific polarimetric parameters and the harvest status of oilseed rape fields. Based on this sensitivity, a new method that integrates two polarimetric features was devised to detect the harvest status of oilseed rape fields using a single image. The validation results are encouraging even for the harvested fields covered with high residues. This research demonstrates the capability of PolSAR remote sensing in crop harvest monitoring, which is a step toward more complex applications of PolSAR data in precision agriculture.

Persistence of seeds from crops of conventional and herbicide tolerant oilseed rape (Brassica napus).

PubMed

Lutman, Peter J W; Berry, Kate; Payne, Roger W; Simpson, Euan; Sweet, Jeremy B; Champion, Gillian T; May, Mike J; Wightman, Pat; Walker, Kerr; Lainsbury, Martin

2005-09-22

A series of rotation experiments at five sites over four years has explored the environmental and agronomic implications of growing herbicide tolerant oilseed rape and sugar beet. This paper reports on the population dynamics of volunteer rape (Brassica napus). The experiments compared four winter oilseed rape (WOSR) cultivars: a conventional cultivar (Apex) and three developmental cultivars either genetically modified (GM) to be tolerant to glyphosate or glufosinate, or conventionally bred to be tolerant to herbicides of the imidazolinone group. Seed losses at harvest averaged 3575 seeds m(-2) but ranged from less than 2000 up to more than 10000 seeds m(-2). There was a rapid decline in seed numbers during the first few months after harvest, resulting in a mean loss of seeds of 60%. In subsequent seasons, the seedbank declined much more slowly at four of the five sites (ca 20% per year) and the models predicted 95% seed loss after approximately 9 years. Seed decline was much faster at the fifth site. There were no clear differences between the four cultivars in either the numbers of seeds shed at harvest or in their subsequent persistence. The importance of the persistence of GM rape seeds, in the context of the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops and the role of good management practices that minimize seed persistence, are discussed.

Persistence of seeds from crops of conventional and herbicide tolerant oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

PubMed Central

Lutman, Peter J.W; Berry, Kate; Payne, Roger W; Simpson, Euan; Sweet, Jeremy B; Champion, Gillian T; May, Mike J; Wightman, Pat; Walker, Kerr; Lainsbury, Martin

2005-01-01

A series of rotation experiments at five sites over four years has explored the environmental and agronomic implications of growing herbicide tolerant oilseed rape and sugar beet. This paper reports on the population dynamics of volunteer rape (Brassica napus). The experiments compared four winter oilseed rape (WOSR) cultivars: a conventional cultivar (Apex) and three developmental cultivars either genetically modified (GM) to be tolerant to glyphosate or glufosinate, or conventionally bred to be tolerant to herbicides of the imidazolinone group. Seed losses at harvest averaged 3575 seeds m−2 but ranged from less than 2000 up to more than 10 000 seeds m−2. There was a rapid decline in seed numbers during the first few months after harvest, resulting in a mean loss of seeds of 60%. In subsequent seasons, the seedbank declined much more slowly at four of the five sites (ca 20% per year) and the models predicted 95% seed loss after approximately 9 years. Seed decline was much faster at the fifth site. There were no clear differences between the four cultivars in either the numbers of seeds shed at harvest or in their subsequent persistence. The importance of the persistence of GM rape seeds, in the context of the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops and the role of good management practices that minimize seed persistence, are discussed. PMID:16191596

Botrytis pseudocinerea Is a Significant Pathogen of Several Crop Plants but Susceptible to Displacement by Fungicide-Resistant B. cinerea Strains

PubMed Central

Plesken, Cecilia; Weber, Roland W. S.; Rupp, Sabrina; Leroch, Michaela

2015-01-01

Botrytis cinerea is one of the most important pathogens worldwide, causing gray mold on a large variety of crops. Botrytis pseudocinerea has been found previously to occur together with B. cinerea in low abundance in vineyards and strawberry fields. Here, we report B. pseudocinerea to be common and sometimes dominant over B. cinerea on several fruit and vegetable crops in Germany. On apples with calyx end rot and on oilseed rape, it was the major gray mold species. Abundance of B. pseudocinerea was often negatively correlated with fungicide treatments. On cultivated strawberries, it was frequently found in spring but was largely displaced by B. cinerea following fungicide applications. Whereas B. cinerea strains with multiple-fungicide resistance were common in these fields, B. pseudocinerea almost never developed resistance to any fungicide even though resistance mutations occurred at similar frequencies in both species under laboratory conditions. The absence of resistance to quinone outside inhibitors in B. pseudocinerea was correlated with an intron in cytB preventing the major G143A resistance mutation. Our work indicates that B. pseudocinerea has a wide host range similar to that of B. cinerea and that it can become an important gray mold pathogen on cultivated plants. PMID:26231644

Formulations of the endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis Tu-100 suppress Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on oilseed rape and improve plant vigor in field trials conducted at separate locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes serious yield losses in crops in The People’s Republic of China. Two formulations of oilseed rape seed containing the endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis Tu-100 were evaluated for suppression of this pathogen in field trials conducted at two independent locations....

Simulating evolutionary responses of an introgressed insect resistance trait for ecological effect assessment of transgene flow: a model for supporting informed decision-making in environmental risk assessment

PubMed Central

Meier, Matthias S; Trtikova, Miluse; Suter, Matthias; Edwards, Peter J; Hilbeck, Angelika

2013-01-01

Predicting outcomes of transgene flow from arable crops requires a system perspective that considers ecological and evolutionary processes within a landscape context. In Europe, the arable weed Raphanus raphanistrum is a potential hybridization partner of oilseed rape, and the two species are ecologically linked through the common herbivores Meligethes spp. Observations in Switzerland show that high densities of Meligethes beetles maintained by oilseed rape crops can lead to considerable damage on R. raphanistrum. We asked how increased insect resistance in R. raphanistrum – as might be acquired through introgression from transgenic oilseed rape – would affect seed production under natural herbivore pressure. In simulation experiments, plants protected against Meligethes beetles produced about twice as many seeds as unprotected plants. All stages in the development of reproductive structures from buds to pods were negatively affected by the herbivore, with the transition from buds to flowers being the most vulnerable. We conclude that resistance to Meligethes beetles could confer a considerable selective advantage upon R. raphanistrum in regions where oilseed rape is widely grown. PMID:23467842

Direct nitrous oxide emissions from rapeseed in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuß, Roland; Andres, Monique; Hegewald, Hannes; Kesenheimer, Katharina; Köbke, Sarah; Räbiger, Thomas; Suarez, Teresa; Stichnothe, Heinz; Flessa, Heiner

2014-05-01

The production of first generation biofuels has increased over the last decade in Germany. However, there is a strong public and scientific debate concerning ecological impact and sustainability of biofuel production. The EU Renewables Directive requires biofuels to save 35 % of GHG emissions compared to fossil fuels. Starting in 2017, 50 % mitigation of GHG emissions must be achieved. This presents challenges for production of biofuels from rapeseed, which is one of the major renewable resources used for fuel production. Field emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and GHG emissions during production of fertilizers contribute strongest to the GHG balance of rapeseed biofuel. Thus, the most promising GHG mitigation option is the optimization of nitrogen fertilization. Since 2012, field trials are conducted on five German research farms to quantify direct GHG emissions. The sites were selected to represent the main rapeseed production regions in Germany as well as climatic regions and soil types. Randomized plot designs were established, which allow monitoring (using manual chambers) impact of fertilization intensity on direct emissions and yield of the typical crop sequence (winter rape - winter wheat - winter barley). The effect of substituting mineral fertilizer with biogas digestate with and without addition of a nitrification inhibitor is also studied. Here we present results from the first cropping season. In 2013, annual direct N2O emissions as well as yield normalized N2O emissions from rape were low. This can be explained with the weather conditions as 2013 was characterized by a cold and long winter with snow until mid spring. As a result, emissions were smaller than predicted by the IPCC emission factors or by the Global Nitrous Oxide Calculator (GNOC). However, emissions still depend on nitrogen input.

Experimental evidence that honeybees depress wild insect densities in a flowering crop

PubMed Central

Herbertsson, Lina; Rundlöf, Maj; Bommarco, Riccardo; Smith, Henrik G.

2016-01-01

While addition of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) improves pollination of many entomophilous crops, it is unknown if it simultaneously suppresses the densities of wild insects through competition. To investigate this, we added 624 honeybee hives to 23 fields of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) over 2 years and made sure that the areas around 21 other fields were free from honeybee hives. We demonstrate that honeybee addition depresses the densities of wild insects (bumblebees, solitary bees, hoverflies, marchflies, other flies, and other flying and flower-visiting insects) even in a massive flower resource such as oilseed rape. The effect was independent of the complexity of the surrounding landscape, but increased with the size of the crop field, which suggests that the effect was caused by spatial displacement of wild insects. Our results have potential implications both for the pollination of crops (if displacement of wild pollinators offsets benefits achieved by adding honeybees) and for conservation of wild insects (if displacement results in negative fitness consequences). PMID:27881750

Experimental evidence that honeybees depress wild insect densities in a flowering crop.

PubMed

Lindström, Sandra A M; Herbertsson, Lina; Rundlöf, Maj; Bommarco, Riccardo; Smith, Henrik G

2016-11-30

While addition of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) improves pollination of many entomophilous crops, it is unknown if it simultaneously suppresses the densities of wild insects through competition. To investigate this, we added 624 honeybee hives to 23 fields of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) over 2 years and made sure that the areas around 21 other fields were free from honeybee hives. We demonstrate that honeybee addition depresses the densities of wild insects (bumblebees, solitary bees, hoverflies, marchflies, other flies, and other flying and flower-visiting insects) even in a massive flower resource such as oilseed rape. The effect was independent of the complexity of the surrounding landscape, but increased with the size of the crop field, which suggests that the effect was caused by spatial displacement of wild insects. Our results have potential implications both for the pollination of crops (if displacement of wild pollinators offsets benefits achieved by adding honeybees) and for conservation of wild insects (if displacement results in negative fitness consequences). © 2016 The Author(s).

On the rationale and interpretation of the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops.

PubMed Central

Squire, G R; Brooks, D R; Bohan, D A; Champion, G T; Daniels, R E; Haughton, A J; Hawes, C; Heard, M S; Hill, M O; May, M J; Osborne, J L; Perry, J N; Roy, D B; Woiwod, I P; Firbank, L G

2003-01-01

Farmland biodiversity and food webs were compared in conventional and genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops of beet (Beta vulgaris L.), maize (Zea mays L.) and both spring and winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). GMHT and conventional varieties were sown in a split-field experimental design, at 60-70 sites for each crop, spread over three starting years beginning in 2000. This paper provides a background to the study and the rationale for its design and interpretation. It shows how data on environment, field management and the biota are used to assess the current state of the ecosystem, to define the typical arable field and to devise criteria for selecting, sampling and auditing experimental sites in the Farm Scale Evaluations. The main functional and taxonomic groups in the habitat are ranked according to their likely sensitivity to GMHT cropping, and the most responsive target organisms are defined. The value of the seedbank as a baseline and as an indicator of historical trends is proposed. Evidence from experiments during the twentieth century is analysed to show that large changes in field management have affected sensitive groups in the biota by ca. 50% during a year or short run of years--a figure against which to assess any positive or negative effects of GMHT cropping. The analysis leads to a summary of factors that were, and were not, examined in the first 3 years of the study and points to where modelling can be used to extrapolate the effects to the landscape and the agricultural region. PMID:14561314

Are herbicide-resistant crops the answer to controlling Cuscuta?

PubMed

Nadler-Hassar, Talia; Shaner, Dale L; Nissen, Scott; Westra, Phill; Rubin, Baruch

2009-07-01

Herbicide-resistant crop technology could provide new management strategies for the control of parasitic plants. Three herbicide-resistant oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) genotypes were used to examine the response of attached Cuscuta campestris Yuncker to glyphosate, imazamox and glufosinate. Cuscata campestris was allowed to establish on all oilseed rape genotypes before herbicides were applied. Unattached seedlings of C. campestris, C. subinclusa Durand & Hilg. and C. gronovii Willd. were resistant to imazamox and glyphosate and sensitive to glufosinate, indicating that resistance initially discovered in C. campestris is universal to all Cuscuta species. Glufosinate applied to C. campestris attached to glufosinate-resistant oilseed rape had little impact on the parasite, while imazamox completely inhibited C. campestris growth on the imidazolinone-resistant host. The growth of C. campestris on glyphosate-resistant host was initially inhibited by glyphosate, but the parasite recovered and resumed growth within 3-4 weeks. The ability of C. campestris to recover was related to the quality of interaction between the host and parasite and to the resistance mechanism of the host. The parasite was less likely to recover when it had low compatibility with the host, indicating that parasite-resistant crops coupled with herbicide resistance could be highly effective in controlling Cuscuta. (c) 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Detection of feral transgenic oilseed rape with multiple-herbicide resistance in Japan.

PubMed

Aono, Mitsuko; Wakiyama, Seiji; Nagatsu, Masato; Nakajima, Nobuyoshi; Tamaoki, Masanori; Kubo, Akihiro; Saji, Hikaru

2006-01-01

Repeated monitoring for escaped transgenic crop plants is sometimes necessary, especially in cases when the crop has not been approved for release into the environment. Transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) was detected along roadsides in central Japan in a previous study. The goal of the current study was to monitor the distribution of transgenic oilseed rape and occurrence of hybridization of transgenic B. napus with feral populations of its closely related species (B. rapa and B. juncea) in the west of Japan in 2005. The progenies of 50 B. napus, 82 B. rapa and 283 B. juncea maternal plants from 95 sampling sites in seven port areas were screened for herbicide-resistance. Transgenic herbicide-resistant seeds were detected from 12 B. napus maternal plants growing at seven sampling sites in two port areas. A portion of the progeny from two transgenic B. napus plants had both glyphosate-resistance and glufosinate-resistance transgenes. Therefore, two types of transgenic B. napus plants are likely to have outcrossed with each other, since the double-herbicide-resistant transgenic strain of oilseed rape has not been developed intentionally for commercial purposes. As found in the previous study, no transgenic seeds were detected from B. rapa or B. juncea, and more extensive sampling is needed to determine whether introgression into these wild species has occurred.

Does insecticide application in a winter oilseed rape field influence the abundance of pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus in nearby ornamental flowers and vegetables?

PubMed

Ahmed, Nur; Englund, Jan-Eric; Johansson, Eva; Åhman, Inger

2013-11-01

Pollen beetle is a pest that attacks oilseed rape as well as many other brassicaceous crops, garden vegetables and ornamental flowers. The present study was primarily carried out to investigate whether insecticide application in brassicaceous field crops might influence the abundance of pollen beetles in nearby private garden flowers and vegetables. At peak emergence of the new generation of pollen beetles, a significantly higher number of beetles were found in flowers, and in window traps, alongside untreated as opposed to alongside treated sections of the winter oilseed rape (WOSR) field. However, the type of flower played a role in the number of pollen beetles found in the flowers. The presence of pollen beetles in both ornamental and wild flowers was also significantly influenced by the direction of placement of the flowers. No pollen beetle, neither overwintering nor newly emerged, was observed in any of the brassicaceous vegetables placed along the field. The number of pollen beetles in the WOSR field strongly influenced the number of pollen beetles in nearby flowers of preference to the beetles, and insecticide treatment with Biscaya (thiacloprid) against pollen beetle in oilseed rape may thus help, indirectly, to protect nearby garden flowers from damage. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biological subsoil management: new insights into processes of structure building and implications for crop growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athmann, Miriam; Kautz, Timo; Köpke, Ulrich

2017-04-01

Large sized continuous biopores (diameter > 2 mm) in arable subsoils can contribute to enhance soil aeration, increase water infiltration, reduce water runoff and serve as preferential pathways for root growth. Biopores can be generated by taproots, but these pores probably have limited physical stability unless they are colonized by anecic earthworms and coated with worm cast. Long-term field experiments have shown that populations of anecic earthworms and numbers of biopores are promoted by perennial fodder cropping, no-till cropping and reduced tillage systems, i.e. extended soil rest. Potential effects of biopores on root growth of annual crops include accelerating access to deep soil layers, facilitating exploitation of water while simultaneously allowing nutrient acquisition from the pore wall and the bulk soil. Biopores can be considered as hot spots for nutrient acquisition of crops, especially when the pore wall is enriched in nutrients as a consequence of deposition of decaying plant material and feces of earthworms. However, the extent of such effects largely depends on physical properties of the bulk soil. Preferential root growth through biopores has been observed in many types of subsoil. The role of biopores is expected to be relevant especially when rooting in the bulk soil is impeded by high penetration resistance. Nevertheless, in hard-setting clay soils clumping of roots has been reported, when roots were unable to re-enter the bulk soil from biopores' lumen. Recent field experiments on a deep loamy Haplic Luvisol indicated increased biopore density in the subsoil promoting root growth of winter cereals and winter oilseed rape not necessarily resulting in significant effects on shoot parameters. Nevertheless, in a dry year increased biopore density had beneficial effects on N uptake, root and shoot growth and grain yield of spring crops.

Remote Estimation of Vegetation Fraction and Yield in Oilseed Rape with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Y.; Fang, S.; Liu, K.; Gong, Y.

2017-12-01

This study developed an approach for remote estimation of Vegetation Fraction (VF) and yield in oilseed rape, which is a crop species with conspicuous flowers during reproduction. Canopy reflectance in green, red, red edge and NIR bands was obtained by a camera system mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) when oilseed rape was in the vegetative growth and flowering stage. The relationship of several widely-used Vegetation Indices (VI) vs. VF was tested and found to be different in different phenology stages. At the same VF when oilseed rape was flowering, canopy reflectance increased in all bands, and the tested VI decreased. Therefore, two algorithms to estimate VF were calibrated respectively, one for samples during vegetative growth and the other for samples during flowering stage. During the flowering season, we also explored the potential of using canopy reflectance or VIs to estimate Flower Fraction (FF) in oilseed rape. Based on FF estimates, rape yield can be estimated using canopy reflectance data. Our model was validated in oilseed rape planted under different nitrogen fertilization applications and in different phenology stages. The results showed that it was able to predict VF and FF accurately in oilseed rape with estimation error below 6% and predict yield with estimation error below 20%.

Expansion of mass-flowering crops leads to transient pollinator dilution and reduced wild plant pollination

PubMed Central

Holzschuh, Andrea; Dormann, Carsten F.; Tscharntke, Teja; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf

2011-01-01

Agricultural land use results in direct biodiversity decline through loss of natural habitat, but may also cause indirect cross-habitat effects on conservation areas. We conducted three landscape-scale field studies on 67 sites to test the hypothesis that mass flowering of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) results in a transient dilution of bees in crop fields, and in increased competition between crop plants and grassland plants for pollinators. Abundances of bumble-bees, which are the main pollinators of the grassland plant Primula veris, but also pollinate oilseed rape (OSR), decreased with increasing amount of OSR. This landscape-scale dilution affected bumble-bee abundances strongly in OSR fields and marginally in grasslands, where bumble-bee abundances were generally low at the time of Primula flowering. Seed set of Primula veris, which flowers during OSR bloom, was reduced by 20 per cent when the amount of OSR within 1 km radius increased from 0 to 15 per cent. Hence, the current expansion of bee-attractive biofuel crops results in transient dilution of crop pollinators, which means an increased competition for pollinators between crops and wild plants. In conclusion, mass-flowering crops potentially threaten fitness of concurrently flowering wild plants in conservation areas, despite the fact that, in the long run, mass-flowering crops can enhance abundances of generalist pollinators and their pollination service. PMID:21471115

[Effects of sulfur on transformation of selenium in soil and uptake of selenium in rape].

PubMed

Liu, Xin-wei; Duan, Bi-huil; Xia, Quan-jie; Jiao, Wei; Guo, Zai-hua; Hu, Cheng-xiao; Zhao, Zhu-qing

2014-09-01

The high-quality, high-yield rape (Brassica napus L. cv. Xiangnongyou 571) was chosen as the experimental material to undergo seedling stage soil cultivation and solution cultivation. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of sulfur (S) on the fraction and species of amend selenium (Se) in soil by applying S fertilizer, and to reveal the mechanism through which S controls the Se uptake of rape. The results showed that applications of both Se at 5 mg.kg-1 and S at 150 mg.kg-1 could provide some boost to rape growth, however such boost was unremarkable; S application could significantly reduce Se content in shoots and roots by as much as 64. 0% and 39. 1% , respectively; S application could significantly decrease the pH value and increase the organic matter content by as much as 0. 65 units and 1.76 g.kg-1 , respectively; S application could significantly decrease soluble Se and Fe/Mn oxide-bound Se, and significantly increase organic matter-bound Se, however, there was no remarkable effect on exchangeable and residual Se. S could significantly decrease the content of Se(IV) in the soluble Se and significantly increase the content of Se(IV) in the exchangeable Se, with remarkable decrease in Se(VI) content in both fractions, and no remarkable effect on Se(II). S had a profound effect on the uptake of Se by rape seedlings when Se( IV) and Se( VI) were applied. The Se contents in shoot and root of the Se( VI)-treated rape were 7.3 and 3.2 times respectively as high as that of the Se( IV)-treated rape, while with a S rate of 2 mmolL-1, their Se contents were lower than 32.6% and 8.7% of that of the Se(IV)-treated rape. In conclusion, in addition to improving crop growth, appropriate amount of S fertilizer could also reduce soil pH and increase organic content, causing available Se in soil to be Fe/Mn oxide-bound and organic matter-bound, and retarding its transformation to Se( VI), thus reducing Se uptake by rape. This has significant value for regulation of Se content in crops from Se-rich regions, ensuring food quality and safety, benefiting the long-term use of soil Se resources and regional economic development.

Enhancing Soil Productivity Using a Multi-Crop Rotation and Beef Cattle Grazing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şentürklü, Songül; Landblom, Douglas; Cihacek, Larry; Brevik, Eric

2016-04-01

Agricultural production systems that include complimentary plant, soil and animal interaction contribute to sustainability. In sustainable livestock systems integrated with crop production, the soil resource is impacted positively. The goal of this research was to maximize beef cattle and crop economic yield, while improving the soil resource by increasing soil organic matter (SOM) and subsequently seasonal soil nitrogen fertility over a 5-year period (2011-2015). Each experimental crop field used in the study was 1.74 ha. Small-seeded crops were planted using a JD 1590 No-Till drill. Corn (C) and sunflowers (SF) were planted using a JD 7000 No-Till planter. The cropping sequence used in the study was SF, hard red spring wheat (HRSW), fall seeded winter triticale-hairy vetch (T-HV), spring harvested for hay/mid-June seeded 7-species cover crop (CC; SF, Everleaf Oat, Flex Winter Pea, HV, Winfred Forage Rape, Ethiopian Cabbage, Hunter Leaf Turnip), C (85-day var.), and field pea-barley intercrop (PBY). The HRSW and SF were harvested as cash crops and the PBY, C, and CC were harvested by grazing cattle. In the system, yearling beef steers grazed PBY and unharvested C before feedlot entry, and after weaning, gestating cows grazed CC. Seasonal soil nitrogen fertility was measured at 0-15, 15-30, and 30-61 cm depths approximately every two weeks from June to October, 2014. The regression illustrating the relationship between SOM and average seasonal available mineral nitrogen shows that for each percentage increase in SOM there is a corresponding N increase of 1.47 kg/ha. Nitrogen fertilizer applications for the 5-year period of the study were variable; however, the overall trend was for reduced fertilizer requirement as SOM increased. At the same time, grain, oilseed, and annual forage crop yields increased year over year (2011-2015) except for the 2014 crop year, when above average precipitation delayed seeding and early frost killed the C and SF crops prematurely. Crop yields were as follows for the 5 crop years in the study (2011-2015): (1) CC was 0.25, 10.5, 8.03, 1.53, and 7.22t/ha, (2) C silage was 4.08, 9.04, 9.91, 8.65, and 14.4 t/ha, (3) C grain was 1.04, 3.81, 6.09, 3.11, and 5.1 t/ha, (4) SF was 1.10, 1.96, 2.42, 1.31, and 2.29 t/ha, (5) PBY forage was 0.0, 7.68, 11.2, 9.3, and 8.72 t/ha. When cattle grazed annual forage crops (C, PBY, and CC), animal manure and trampling contributed to the overall improvement of soil fertility. These data suggest that the combined effect of a multi-crop rotation that includes animal grazing enhances soil fertility and subsequently crop yields, and animal production for a sustainable integrated agricultural system.

Potential Effects of Oilseed Rape Expressing Oryzacystatin-1 (OC-1) and of Purified Insecticidal Proteins on Larvae of the Solitary Bee Osmia bicornis

PubMed Central

Konrad, Roger; Ferry, Natalie; Gatehouse, Angharad M. R.; Babendreier, Dirk

2008-01-01

Despite their importance as pollinators in crops and wild plants, solitary bees have not previously been included in non-target testing of insect-resistant transgenic crop plants. Larvae of many solitary bees feed almost exclusively on pollen and thus could be highly exposed to transgene products expressed in the pollen. The potential effects of pollen from oilseed rape expressing the cysteine protease inhibitor oryzacystatin-1 (OC-1) were investigated on larvae of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis ( = O. rufa). Furthermore, recombinant OC-1 (rOC-1), the Bt toxin Cry1Ab and the snowdrop lectin Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) were evaluated for effects on the life history parameters of this important pollinator. Pollen provisions from transgenic OC-1 oilseed rape did not affect overall development. Similarly, high doses of rOC-1 and Cry1Ab as well as a low dose of GNA failed to cause any significant effects. However, a high dose of GNA (0.1%) in the larval diet resulted in significantly increased development time and reduced efficiency in conversion of pollen food into larval body weight. Our results suggest that OC-1 and Cry1Ab expressing transgenic crops would pose a negligible risk for O. bicornis larvae, whereas GNA expressing plants could cause detrimental effects, but only if bees were exposed to high levels of the protein. The described bioassay with bee brood is not only suitable for early tier non-target tests of transgenic plants, but also has broader applicability to other crop protection products. PMID:18628826

Caesium-137 root uptake by agricultural and wild crops in post-Chernobyl landscape: the possibilities for phytoremediation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramonova, Tatiana; Shamshurina, Eugenia; Komissarova, Olga; Belyaev, Vladimir

2015-04-01

In spite of long term period after Chernobyl fallout (≈25 years after the accident) the level of Cs-137 in soils of contaminated landscapes remains several times more than radiation safety standard (= 37 kBq/m2). In particular, within the area of Plavsk radioactive hot spot (Tula region, Russia) current Cs-137 activities in soil are 460-500 Bq/kg (170-200 kBq/m2) on watershed, 580-680 Bq/kg (200-220 kBq/m2) in arable lower parts of slopes and 620-710 Bq/kg (210-280 kBq/m2) in untilled foots of slopes and river floodplains. To estimate the process of Cs-137 root uptake and incorporation of the radionuclide in plant tissues 6 agricultural crops of typical field rotation (spring barley, maize, summer rape, galega, potatoes, amaranth) as well as natural ecosystems of dry and wet meadows were selected for the detailed study. Total bioproductivity of agricultural crops varies between 1.7-3.9 kg/m2, natural grass ecosystems - 1.9-2.2 g/m2, and is obviously unaffected by radioactive land contamination. At the same time Cs-137 activity in total biomass slightly increases with Cs-137 activity in soil (correlation coefficient r=0.45) and with total biomass (correlation coefficient r=0.51) in the row: rape (5 Bq/kg) < amaranth, galega (17-19 Bq/kg) < barley, potatoes (31-37 Bq/kg) < maize (58 Bq/kg) < dry meadow (73 Bq/kg) < wet meadow (120 Bq/kg). Commonly, Cs-137 activity in vegetation of natural ecosystems with predominance of perennial grasses is significantly higher than in agrosystems with annual crops. But a substantial portion of Cs-137 in meadow vegetation is associated with belowground biomass, where the radionuclide's activity is 3-5 times greater than in the aboveground part. The distribution of Cs-137 activities between above- and belowground parts of agricultural crops greatly varies depending on the biological characteristics of plants: barley and maize (Gramíneae family) are also characterized by elevated Cs-137 concentrations in belowground parts (12-14 times higher than in shoots); rape (Brassicaceae family) and potatoes (Solanaceae family) are characterized by similar Cs-137 concentrations in the structural parts (but note, that belowground part of the last is mostly represented by modified shoots); while galega and amaranth (Fabaceae and Amaranthaceae families respectively) are characterized by higher Cs-137 activity in aboveground part (4-6 times more than in roots). Therefore, meadow grasses and cereals that are true accumulators of Cs-137 seem to be useless for phytoremediation purposes, as 86-97% of the radionuclide inventory is associated with roots and remains in soil after cutting of aboveground parts. On the other hand, galega and amaranth could be considered as agricultural crops potentially being used for phytoremediation, since 87-93% of Cs-137 inventory is located in shoots. Potatoes having rather high aboveground biomass and easily removed from soil underground part could be also used for phytoremediation. However, it should be clearly understood that in total Cs-137 inventory in "soil-plant" system the annual amount of the radionuclide's consumption (that may be alienated when harvesting) is less than 0.01%, while the rate of Cs-137 radioactive decay is estimated as about 2% per year. Study was conducted with the support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 14-05-00903).

Large-scale monitoring of effects of clothianidin-dressed oilseed rape seeds on pollinating insects in Northern Germany: effects on honey bees (Apis mellifera).

PubMed

Rolke, Daniel; Fuchs, Stefan; Grünewald, Bernd; Gao, Zhenglei; Blenau, Wolfgang

2016-11-01

Possible effects of clothianidin seed-treated oilseed rape on honey bee colonies were investigated in a large-scale monitoring project in Northern Germany, where oilseed rape usually comprises 25-33 % of the arable land. For both reference and test sites, six study locations were selected and eight honey bee hives were placed at each location. At each site, three locations were directly adjacent to oilseed rape fields and three locations were situated 400 m away from the nearest oilseed rape field. Thus, 96 hives were exposed to fully flowering oilseed rape crops. Colony sizes and weights, the amount of honey harvested, and infection with parasites and diseases were monitored between April and September 2014. The percentage of oilseed rape pollen was determined in pollen and honey samples. After oilseed rape flowering, the hives were transferred to an extensive isolated area for post-exposure monitoring. Total numbers of adult bees and brood cells showed seasonal fluctuations, and there were no significant differences between the sites. The honey, which was extracted at the end of the exposure phase, contained 62.0-83.5 % oilseed rape pollen. Varroa destructor infestation was low during most of the course of the study but increased at the end of the study due to flumethrin resistance in the mite populations. In summary, honey bee colonies foraging in clothianidin seed-treated oilseed rape did not show any detrimental symptoms as compared to colonies foraging in clothianidin-free oilseed rape. Development of colony strength, brood success as well as honey yield and pathogen infection were not significantly affected by clothianidin seed-treatment during this study.

Improving rapeseed production practices in the southeastern United States

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

Thomas, D.L.; Breve, M.A.; Raymer, P.L.

1990-04-01

Oilseed rape or rapeseed is a crop which offers a potential for double-cropping in the southeastern United States. This final project report describes the results from a three year study aimed at evaluating the effect of different planting and harvesting practices on establishment and yield of three rape cultivars, and the double cropping potential of rapeseed in the southeastern United States. The project was conducted on two yield sites in Tifton, Georgia during 1986--87, 1987--88 and 1988--89. The general objective of this research is to improve the seed and biomass yield of winter rapeseed in the southeastern United States bymore » developing appropriate agronomic practices for the region. The primary constraint is to grow rapeseed within the allowable period for double cropping with an economically desirable crop, such as peanut or soybean. Planting and harvesting are the most critical steps in this process. Therefore, the specific objectives of this research were: evaluate and improve the emergence of rapeseed by developing planting techniques that enhance the soil, water and seed regimes for winter rapeseed in the southeast, and evaluate and improve the yields of harvested rapeseed by developing techniques for determining the optimum timing of harvest and efficient methods for harvesting winter rapeseed in the southeast. 6 refs., 12 figs., 9 tabs.« less

Pleiotropic effects of herbicide-resistance genes on crop yield: a review.

PubMed

Darmency, Henri

2013-08-01

The rapid adoption of genetically engineered herbicide-resistant crop varieties (HRCVs)-encompassing 83% of all GM crops and nearly 8% of the worldwide arable area-is due to technical efficiency and higher returns. Other herbicide-resistant varieties obtained from genetic resources and mutagenesis have also been successfully released. Although the benefit for weed control is the main criteria for choosing HRCVs, the pleiotropic costs of genes endowing resistance have rarely been investigated in crops. Here the available data of comparisons between isogenic resistant and susceptible varieties are reviewed. Pleiotropic harmful effects on yield are reported in half of the cases, mostly with resistance mechanisms that originate from genetic resources and mutagenesis (atrazine in oilseed rape and millet, trifluralin in millet, imazamox in cotton) rather than genetic engineering (chlorsulfuron and glufosinate in some oilseed rape varieties, glyphosate in soybean). No effect was found for sethoxydim and bromoxynil resistance. Variable minor effects were found for imazamox, chlorsulfuron, glufosinate and glyphosate resistance. The importance of the breeding plan and the genetic background on the emergence of these effects is pointed out. Breeders' efforts to produce better varieties could compensate for the yield loss, which eliminates any possibility of formulating generic conclusions on pleiotropic effects that can be applied to all resistant crops. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identification of soil P fractions that are associated with P loss from surface runoff under various cropping systems and fertilizer rates on sloped farmland

PubMed Central

Li, Xinghua; Wang, Baona; Yang, Tewu; Zhu, Duanwei; Nie, Zhongnan; Xu, Junchi

2017-01-01

Soil phosphorus (P) fractions and runoff P concentration were measured to understand the fate of soil P entering surface runoff water during summer cropping season of different double cropping systems under two fertilizer regimes. The dominant form of runoff P was particulate P (PP). Runoff total P (TP) was higher at the vegetative growth stage and lower at the crop reproductive stage. TP and PP were derived mainly from soil Olsen-P, Al-P and Fe-P and amounts increased with sediment content in runoff water. Runoff P discharge was closely related to the changes in soil P forms. Soil Olsen-P, mainly consisting of some Ca2-P and Al-P, was increased by elevating fertilizer rate. Along with crop growth, there were active interconversions among Olsen-P, Org-P, Fe-P and O-Al-P in the soil, and some available P converted into Ca10-P, with O-Fe-P possibly being a transitional form for this conversion. The oilseed rape/corn system had less runoff TP at the early stage, and wheat/sweet potato system had a lower runoff P at the late stage. Intercropping corn with sweet potato in the field with oilseed rape as a previous crop may be helpful for alleviating runoff P load during the summer in this region. PMID:28650990

Identification of soil P fractions that are associated with P loss from surface runoff under various cropping systems and fertilizer rates on sloped farmland.

PubMed

Li, Xinghua; Wang, Baona; Yang, Tewu; Zhu, Duanwei; Nie, Zhongnan; Xu, Junchi

2017-01-01

Soil phosphorus (P) fractions and runoff P concentration were measured to understand the fate of soil P entering surface runoff water during summer cropping season of different double cropping systems under two fertilizer regimes. The dominant form of runoff P was particulate P (PP). Runoff total P (TP) was higher at the vegetative growth stage and lower at the crop reproductive stage. TP and PP were derived mainly from soil Olsen-P, Al-P and Fe-P and amounts increased with sediment content in runoff water. Runoff P discharge was closely related to the changes in soil P forms. Soil Olsen-P, mainly consisting of some Ca2-P and Al-P, was increased by elevating fertilizer rate. Along with crop growth, there were active interconversions among Olsen-P, Org-P, Fe-P and O-Al-P in the soil, and some available P converted into Ca10-P, with O-Fe-P possibly being a transitional form for this conversion. The oilseed rape/corn system had less runoff TP at the early stage, and wheat/sweet potato system had a lower runoff P at the late stage. Intercropping corn with sweet potato in the field with oilseed rape as a previous crop may be helpful for alleviating runoff P load during the summer in this region.

Modelling Pasture-based Automatic Milking System Herds: Grazeable Forage Options

PubMed Central

Islam, M. R.; Garcia, S. C.; Clark, C. E. F.; Kerrisk, K. L.

2015-01-01

One of the challenges to increase milk production in a large pasture-based herd with an automatic milking system (AMS) is to grow forages within a 1-km radius, as increases in walking distance increases milking interval and reduces yield. The main objective of this study was to explore sustainable forage option technologies that can supply high amount of grazeable forages for AMS herds using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. Three different basic simulation scenarios (with irrigation) were carried out using forage crops (namely maize, soybean and sorghum) for the spring-summer period. Subsequent crops in the three scenarios were forage rape over-sown with ryegrass. Each individual simulation was run using actual climatic records for the period from 1900 to 2010. Simulated highest forage yields in maize, soybean and sorghum- (each followed by forage rape-ryegrass) based rotations were 28.2, 22.9, and 19.3 t dry matter/ha, respectively. The simulations suggested that the irrigation requirement could increase by up to 18%, 16%, and 17% respectively in those rotations in El-Niño years compared to neutral years. On the other hand, irrigation requirement could increase by up to 25%, 23%, and 32% in maize, soybean and sorghum based rotations in El-Nino years compared to La-Nina years. However, irrigation requirement could decrease by up to 8%, 7%, and 13% in maize, soybean and sorghum based rotations in La-Nina years compared to neutral years. The major implication of this study is that APSIM models have potentials in devising preferred forage options to maximise grazeable forage yield which may create the opportunity to grow more forage in small areas around the AMS which in turn will minimise walking distance and milking interval and thus increase milk production. Our analyses also suggest that simulation analysis may provide decision support during climatic uncertainty. PMID:25924963

Modelling Pasture-based Automatic Milking System Herds: Grazeable Forage Options.

PubMed

Islam, M R; Garcia, S C; Clark, C E F; Kerrisk, K L

2015-05-01

One of the challenges to increase milk production in a large pasture-based herd with an automatic milking system (AMS) is to grow forages within a 1-km radius, as increases in walking distance increases milking interval and reduces yield. The main objective of this study was to explore sustainable forage option technologies that can supply high amount of grazeable forages for AMS herds using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. Three different basic simulation scenarios (with irrigation) were carried out using forage crops (namely maize, soybean and sorghum) for the spring-summer period. Subsequent crops in the three scenarios were forage rape over-sown with ryegrass. Each individual simulation was run using actual climatic records for the period from 1900 to 2010. Simulated highest forage yields in maize, soybean and sorghum- (each followed by forage rape-ryegrass) based rotations were 28.2, 22.9, and 19.3 t dry matter/ha, respectively. The simulations suggested that the irrigation requirement could increase by up to 18%, 16%, and 17% respectively in those rotations in El-Niño years compared to neutral years. On the other hand, irrigation requirement could increase by up to 25%, 23%, and 32% in maize, soybean and sorghum based rotations in El-Nino years compared to La-Nina years. However, irrigation requirement could decrease by up to 8%, 7%, and 13% in maize, soybean and sorghum based rotations in La-Nina years compared to neutral years. The major implication of this study is that APSIM models have potentials in devising preferred forage options to maximise grazeable forage yield which may create the opportunity to grow more forage in small areas around the AMS which in turn will minimise walking distance and milking interval and thus increase milk production. Our analyses also suggest that simulation analysis may provide decision support during climatic uncertainty.

Coordinate changes in gene expression and triacylglycerol composition in the developing seeds of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and turnip rape (Brassica rapa).

PubMed

Vuorinen, Anssi L; Kalpio, Marika; Linderborg, Kaisa M; Kortesniemi, Maaria; Lehto, Kirsi; Niemi, Jarmo; Yang, Baoru; Kallio, Heikki P

2014-02-15

Crop production for vegetable oil in the northern latitudes utilises oilseed rape (Brassica napus subsp. oleifera) and turnip rape (B. rapa subsp. oleifera), having similar oil compositions. The oil consists mostly of triacylglycerols, which are synthesised during seed development. In this study, we characterised the oil composition and the expression levels of genes involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis in the developing seeds in optimal, low temperature (15 °C) and short day (12-h day length) conditions. Gene expression levels of several genes were altered during seed development. Low temperature and short day treatments increased the level of 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid (18:3n-3) in turnip rape and short day treatment decreased the total oil content in both species. This study gives a novel view on seed oil biosynthesis under different growth conditions, bringing together gene expression levels of the triacylglycerol biosynthesis pathway and oil composition over a time series in two related oilseed species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of different types of crop straw on the transformation of pentachlorophenol in flooded paddy soil.

PubMed

Lin, Jiajiang; Meng, Jun; He, Yan; Xu, Jianming; Chen, Zuliang; Brookes, Philip C

2018-02-01

The incorporation of various types of crop straw to agricultural soils has long been practiced to improve soil fertility. However, the effects of crop straw on the fate of organo-chlorine pesticides in flooded paddy soils are not well understood. The dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in four vertical profiles (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50 mm depth) of two flooded paddy soils, a Plinthudult (Soil 1) and a Tropudult (Soil 2) was investigated following the application of four crop straws (rice, wheat, rape and Chinese milk vetch) to them. In all treatments, PCP dechlorination decreased with increasing soil depth. In the crop straw treatments, PCP was almost completely dechlorinated within 60 days, and rapidly transformed to 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenol, and further to 3,4,5-trichlorophenol. Further dechlorination of 3,4,5-trichlorophenol also occurred in all treatments except for the rape straw. It is possible that the NH 4 + and NO 3 - derived from the straw are responsible for the inhibition of the 3,4,5-trichlorophenol dechlorination. The reduction of Fe (III) and SO 4 2- increased following application of the crop straws. The RDA analysis indicated that the Fe (III) reducing bacteria might be involved in the ortho-dechlorination, while SO 4 2- reducing bacteria were involved in para- and meta-dechlorination of PCP. The complete detoxification of PCP depended upon both the crop straw type and soil properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aggressiveness Changes in Populations of Didymella pinodes over Winter and Spring Pea Cropping Seasons

PubMed Central

Laloi, G.; Montarry, J.; Guibert, M.; Andrivon, D.; Michot, D.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Ascochyta blight, caused by the necrotrophic ascomycete Didymella pinodes, is responsible for severe losses in winter and spring pea crops. Despite different climatic conditions, epidemics on winter and spring crops are due to a single population of D. pinodes, suggesting gene flow either between the two crops or from reservoir sources during the cropping season. This should lead to similar pathogenicity characteristics in isolates sampled from the two crops. However, these hypotheses have never been formally tested. We therefore sampled a total of 520 D. pinodes strains throughout a growing season from winter and spring pea plots (WP and SP, respectively) and from winter and spring trap plants (TWP and TSP). Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers revealed high genetic diversity within subpopulations, whereas pathogenicity tests showed that mean aggressiveness increases over the course of an epidemic. These results support the idea that alloinoculum contributes to the carryover of epidemics between winter and spring crops and that the most aggressive isolates are selected as an epidemic progresses. IMPORTANCE Ascochyta blight, caused by Didymella pinodes, is responsible for severe losses in pea crops. While previous studies have shown that ascochyta blight epidemics on winter and spring crops are due to a single population of D. pinodes, suggesting that isolates from the two crops present similar pathogenicity characteristics, that hypothesis have never been tested. Genetic analysis of subpopulations sampled throughout a growing season from winter and spring pea plots revealed high genetic diversity within subpopulations, whereas pathogenicity tests showed that mean aggressiveness increases over the course of an epidemic. PMID:27208102

[Biodiversity of phosphate-dissolving and plant growth--promoting endophytic bacteria of two crops].

PubMed

Huang, Jing; Sheng, Xiafang; He, Linyan

2010-06-01

We isolated and characterized phosphate-dissolving endophytic bacteria from two commonly cultivated crops. Phosphate-dissolving endophytic bacteria were isolated by plating and screening from interior tissues of rape and maize plants on NBRIP medium with tricalcium phosphate as sole phosphate source. Bacteria were characterized regarding characteristics that may be relevant for a beneficial plant-microbe interaction-indoleacetic acid, siderophore and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase production,and further classified by restriction analysis of 16S rDNA. Eleven typical strains were identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Thirty-two phosphate-dissolving endophytic bacteria were isolated from maize and rape plants and classified by restriction analysis of 16S rDNA in 8 different taxonomic groups at the similarity level of 76%. All the isolates could release phosphate from tricalcium phosphate and decrease the pH of the medium. The maximum phosphate content (537.6 mg/L) in the solution was obtained with strain M1L5. Thirteen isolates isolated from rape produced indoleacetic acid and siderophore, 68.4% and 63.2% of the strains isolated from maize produced indoleacetic acid and siderophore,respectively. 63.2% of the strains isolated from maize were able to grow on 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid as the sole nitrogen source. The eleven strains belonged to five different genera including Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Acinetobacter and Ralstonia. Phosphate-dissolving endophytic bacteria isolated from rape and maize plants have abundant characteristics relative to promoting plant growth and genetic diversity.

Plant sciences. Will GM rapeseed cut the mustard?

PubMed

Heritage, John

2003-10-17

Genetic modification can render crops resistant to herbicides, providing them with a growth advantage so that they can outcompete weeds. However, there are concerns about the possibility that transgenes could flow from GM crops into wild plant populations. In his Perspective, Heritage discusses these important issues in terms of a new report (Wilkinson et al.) that provides a nationwide assessment in the UK of the ability of the conventional crop, oilseed rape (Brassica napus), to form hybrids with its wild relatives.

Incapacitated and forcible rape of college women: prevalence across the first year.

PubMed

Carey, Kate B; Durney, Sarah E; Shepardson, Robyn L; Carey, Michael P

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to document the point and cumulative prevalence of incapacitated rape (IR) and forcible rape (FR) among first-year college women. Female students (N = 483) completed a health questionnaire (1) on arrival on campus; (2) at the end of the fall semester; (3) at the end of the spring semester; and (4) at the end of the summer following their first year of college. Before entering college, 18% reported IR (attempted and/or completed), and 15% reported FR (attempted and/or completed). During the first year of college, 15% reported IR (attempted or completed) and 9% reported FR (attempted or completed). By the start of the second year (lifetime prevalence), 26% and 22% had experienced IR and FR (attempted or completed), respectively. Both incapacitated and forcible sexual assaults and rape have reached epidemic levels among college women. Interventions to address sexual violence on campus are urgently needed. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of three types of oil crop rotation systems for effective use and remediation of heavy metal contaminated agricultural soil.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Zhou, Xihong; Tie, Boqing; Peng, Liang; Li, Hongliang; Wang, Kelin; Zeng, Qingru

2017-12-01

Selecting suitable plants tolerant to heavy metals and producing products of economic value may be a key factor in promoting the practical application of phytoremediation polluted soils. The aim of this study is to further understand the utilization and remediation of seriously contaminated agricultural soil. In a one-year field experiment, we grew oilseed rape over the winter and then subsequently sunflowers, peanuts and sesame after the first harvest. This three rotation system produced high yields of dry biomass; the oilseed rape-sunflower, oilseed rape-peanut and oilseed rape-sesame rotation allowed us to extract 458.6, 285.7, and 134.5 g ha -1 of cadmium, and 1264.7, 1006.1, and 831.1 g ha -1 of lead from soil, respectively. The oilseed rape-sunflower rotation showed the highest phytoextraction efficiency (1.98%) for cadmium. Lead and cadmium in oils are consistent with standards after extraction with n-hexane. Following successive extractions with potassium tartrate, concentrations of lead and cadmium in oilseed rape and peanut seed meals were lower than levels currently permissible for feeds. Thus, this rotation system could be useful for local farmers as it would enable the generation of income during otherwise sparse phytoremediation periods. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Arthropod Pest Control for UK Oilseed Rape - Comparing Insecticide Efficacies, Side Effects and Alternatives.

PubMed

Zhang, Han; Breeze, Tom; Bailey, Alison; Garthwaite, David; Harrington, Richard; Potts, Simon G

2017-01-01

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is an important combinable break crop in the UK, which is largely protected from arthropod pests by insecticidal chemicals. Despite ongoing debate regarding the use of neonicotinoids, the dominant seed treatment ingredients used for this crop, there is little publicly available data comparing the efficacy of insecticides in controlling key arthropod pests or comparing the impacts on non-target species and the wider environment. To provide an insight into these matters, a UK-wide expert survey targeting agronomists and entomologists was conducted from March to June 2015. Based on the opinions of 90 respondents, an average of 20% yield loss caused by the key arthropod pests was expected to have occurred in the absence of insecticide treatments. Relatively older chemical groups were perceived to have lower efficacy for target pests than newer ones, partly due to the development of insecticide resistance. Without neonicotinoid seed treatments, a lack of good control for cabbage stem flea beetle was perceived. Wide spectrum foliar insecticide sprays were perceived to have significantly greater negative impacts than seed treatments on users' health, natural enemies, pollinators, soil and water, and many foliar active ingredients have had potential risks for non-target arthropod species in UK oilseed rape fields for the past 25 years. Overall, 72% of respondents opposed the neonicotinoid restriction, while 10% supported it. Opposition and support of the restriction were largely based on concerns for pollinators and the wider environment, highlighting the uncertainty over the side effects of neonicotinoid use. More people from the government and research institutes leaned towards neutrality over the issue, compared to those directly involved in growing the crop. Neonicotinoid restriction was expected to result in greater effort and expenditure on pest control and lower production (0-1 t/ha less). Alternatives for future oilseed rape protection were then discussed.

Arthropod Pest Control for UK Oilseed Rape – Comparing Insecticide Efficacies, Side Effects and Alternatives

PubMed Central

Breeze, Tom; Bailey, Alison; Garthwaite, David; Harrington, Richard; Potts, Simon G.

2017-01-01

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is an important combinable break crop in the UK, which is largely protected from arthropod pests by insecticidal chemicals. Despite ongoing debate regarding the use of neonicotinoids, the dominant seed treatment ingredients used for this crop, there is little publicly available data comparing the efficacy of insecticides in controlling key arthropod pests or comparing the impacts on non-target species and the wider environment. To provide an insight into these matters, a UK-wide expert survey targeting agronomists and entomologists was conducted from March to June 2015. Based on the opinions of 90 respondents, an average of 20% yield loss caused by the key arthropod pests was expected to have occurred in the absence of insecticide treatments. Relatively older chemical groups were perceived to have lower efficacy for target pests than newer ones, partly due to the development of insecticide resistance. Without neonicotinoid seed treatments, a lack of good control for cabbage stem flea beetle was perceived. Wide spectrum foliar insecticide sprays were perceived to have significantly greater negative impacts than seed treatments on users’ health, natural enemies, pollinators, soil and water, and many foliar active ingredients have had potential risks for non-target arthropod species in UK oilseed rape fields for the past 25 years. Overall, 72% of respondents opposed the neonicotinoid restriction, while 10% supported it. Opposition and support of the restriction were largely based on concerns for pollinators and the wider environment, highlighting the uncertainty over the side effects of neonicotinoid use. More people from the government and research institutes leaned towards neutrality over the issue, compared to those directly involved in growing the crop. Neonicotinoid restriction was expected to result in greater effort and expenditure on pest control and lower production (0–1 t/ha less). Alternatives for future oilseed rape protection were then discussed. PMID:28076392

Aggressiveness Changes in Populations of Didymella pinodes over Winter and Spring Pea Cropping Seasons.

PubMed

Laloi, G; Montarry, J; Guibert, M; Andrivon, D; Michot, D; Le May, C

2016-07-15

Ascochyta blight, caused by the necrotrophic ascomycete Didymella pinodes, is responsible for severe losses in winter and spring pea crops. Despite different climatic conditions, epidemics on winter and spring crops are due to a single population of D. pinodes, suggesting gene flow either between the two crops or from reservoir sources during the cropping season. This should lead to similar pathogenicity characteristics in isolates sampled from the two crops. However, these hypotheses have never been formally tested. We therefore sampled a total of 520 D. pinodes strains throughout a growing season from winter and spring pea plots (WP and SP, respectively) and from winter and spring trap plants (TWP and TSP). Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers revealed high genetic diversity within subpopulations, whereas pathogenicity tests showed that mean aggressiveness increases over the course of an epidemic. These results support the idea that alloinoculum contributes to the carryover of epidemics between winter and spring crops and that the most aggressive isolates are selected as an epidemic progresses. Ascochyta blight, caused by Didymella pinodes, is responsible for severe losses in pea crops. While previous studies have shown that ascochyta blight epidemics on winter and spring crops are due to a single population of D. pinodes, suggesting that isolates from the two crops present similar pathogenicity characteristics, that hypothesis have never been tested. Genetic analysis of subpopulations sampled throughout a growing season from winter and spring pea plots revealed high genetic diversity within subpopulations, whereas pathogenicity tests showed that mean aggressiveness increases over the course of an epidemic. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Components of a Rice-Oilseed Rape Production System Augmented with Trichoderma sp. Tri-1 Control Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on Oilseed Rape.

PubMed

Hu, Xiaojia; Roberts, Daniel P; Xie, Lihua; Maul, Jude E; Yu, Changbing; Li, Yinshui; Zhang, Yinbo; Qin, Lu; Liao, Xing

2015-10-01

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes serious yield losses on many crops throughout the world. A multicomponent treatment that consisted of the residual rice straw remaining after rice harvest and Trichoderma sp. Tri-1 (Tri-1) formulated with the oilseed rape seedcake fertilizer was used in field soil infested with S. sclerotiorum. This treatment resulted in oilseed rape seed yield that was significantly greater than the nontreated control or when the fungicide carbendizem was used in the presence of this pathogen in field trials. Yield data suggested that the rice straw, oilseed rape seedcake, and Tri-1 components of this treatment all contributed incrementally. Similar treatment results were obtained regarding reduction in disease incidence. Slight improvements in yield and disease incidence were detected when this multicomponent treatment was combined with a fungicide spray. Inhibition of sclerotial germination by this multicomponent treatment trended greater than the nontreated control at 90, 120, and 150 days in field studies but was not significantly different from this control. This multicomponent treatment resulted in increased yield relative to the nontreated control in the absence of pathogen in a greenhouse pot study, while the straw alone and the straw plus oilseed rape seedcake treatments did not; suggesting that Tri-1 was capable of promoting growth. Experiments reported here indicate that a treatment containing components of a rice-oilseed rape production system augmented with Tri-1 can control S. sclerotiorum on oilseed rape, be used in integrated strategies containing fungicide sprays for control of this pathogen, and promote plant growth.

Cropping and sulfur fertilization influence on sulfur transformations in soil

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

Castellano, S.D.; Dick, R.P.

A 2 year field study was conducted to determine the effects of two S fertilizers (CaSO{sub 4} {center dot} 2H{sub 2}O (CS) or elemental S (ES)) at two fertilization rates (0 or 50 kg S ha{sup {minus}1} year{sup {minus}1}) on the temporal distribution of soil S fractions (inorganic SO{sub 4}, ester sulfate, and C-bonded and residual S), arylsulfatase activity, and microbial-biomass C and S in soil. The soil studied (a fine-silty, mixed, mesic Aquultic Argixeroll) was cropped with winter rape, Brassica napus L. var. napus or left uncropped. Sulfate levels (0-15 cm depth) were significantly affected by S-fertilizer treatment. Duringmore » the rainy winter season,k SO{sub 4} levels ranged from 7 to 13 mg kg{sup {minus}1} in CS plots, compared with 2 to 7 mg kg{sup {minus}1} in control plots. In the months from March to May, biomass S increased and SO{sub 4} levels decreased (<6 mg SO{sub 4}-S kg{sup {minus}1} soil), indicating S immobilization was occurring in the spring. Ester sulfate and residual S varied seasonally, whereas C-bonded S showed minimal seasonal fluctuations. Cropping significantly increased biological activity (arylsulfatase activities and biomass C) over uncropped treatments. Subsoil SO{sub 4} in the 60- to 90-cm depth being significantly affected by cropping and S fertilization. The limitations of using extractable SO{sub 4} as a soil test were shown by wide variations in SO{sub 4} over time (2-14 mg SO{sub 4} hg{sup {minus}1} soil) in control plots, even though there was a seed yield response to S.« less

Post-harvest N2O emissions were not affected by various types of oilseed straw incorporated into soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köbke, Sarah; Senbayram, Mehmet; Hegewald, Hannes; Christen, Olaf; Dittert, Klaus

2015-04-01

Oilseed rape post-harvest N2O emissions are seen highly critical as so far they are considered as one of the most crucial drawbacks in climate-saving bioenergy production systems. N2O emissions may substantially counterbalance the intended savings in CO2 emissions. Carbon-rich crop residues in conjunction with residual soil nitrate are seen as a key driver since they may serve as energy source for denitrification and, they may alter soil-borne N2O emissions. As oilseed rape straw is known to have high N/C ratio compared to other crop residues, its soil incorporation may specifically trigger post-harvest N2O emissions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine post-harvest N2O emissions in soils amended with various types of oilseed rape straw (with different N/C ratio) and barley straw in field and incubation experiments. In the incubation experiment, oilseed rape or 15N labelled barley straw were mixed with soil at a rate of 1.3 t DM ha-1 and studied for 43 days. Treatments consisted of non-treated control soil (CK), 15N labelled barley straw (BST), oilseed rape straw (RST), 15N labelled barley straw + N (BST+N), or oilseed rape straw + N (RST+N). N fertilizer was applied to the soil surface as ammonium-nitrate at a rate of 100 kg N ha-1 and soil moisture was adjusted to 80% water-holding capacity. In the field experiment, during the vegetation period 15N labelled fertilizer (15NH415NO3) was used to generate 15N labelled oilseed rape straw (up to 5 at%). Here, the three fertilizer treatments consisted of 5 kg N ha-1 (RST-5), 150 kg N ha-1 (RST-150) and 180 kg N ha-1 (RST-180). Post-harvest N2O emissions were determined during the period of August 2013 to February 2014 by using static flux chambers. In the incubation trial, cumulative N2O emissions were 5, 29, 40 g N2O-N ha-1 148 days-1 in non-fertilized control, BST and RST treatments, respectively. Here, emissions were slightly higher in RST than BST (p

Monitoring of the Spatial Distribution and Temporal Dynamics of the Green Vegetation Fraction of Croplands in Southwest Germany Using High-Resolution RapidEye Satellite Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imukova, Kristina; Ingwersen, Joachim; Streck, Thilo

2014-05-01

The green vegetation fraction (GVF) is a key input variable to the evapotranspiration scheme applied in the widely used NOAH land surface model (LSM). In standard applications of the NOAH LSM, the GVF is taken from a global map with a 15 km×15 km resolution. The central objective of the present study was (a) to derive gridded GVF data in a high spatial and temporal resolution from RapidEye images for a region in Southwest Germany, and (b) to improve the representation of the GVF dynamics of croplands in the NOAH LSM for a better simulation of water and energy exchange between land surface and atmosphere. For the region under study we obtained monthly RapidEye satellite images with a resolution 5 m×5 m by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The images hold five spectral bands: blue, green, red, red-edge and near infrared (NIR). The GVF dynamics were determined based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) calculated from the red and near-infrared bands of the satellite images. The satellite GVF data were calibrated and validated against ground truth measurements. Digital colour photographs above the canopy were taken with a boom-mounted digital camera at fifteen permanently marked plots (1 m×1 m). Crops under study were winter wheat, winter rape and silage maize. The GVF was computed based on the red and the green band of the photographs according to Rundquist's method (2002). Based on the obtained calibration scheme GVF maps were derived in a monthly resolution for the region. Our results confirm a linear relationship between GVF and NDVI and demonstrate that it is possible to determine the GVF of croplands from RapidEye images based on a simple two end-member mixing model. Our data highlight the high variability of the GVF in time and space. At the field scale, the GVF was normally distributed with a coefficient of variation of about 32%. Variability was mainly caused by soil heterogeneities and management differences. At the regional scale the GVF showed a bimodal distribution, which could be related to the different cultivation schemes of crops. We suggest to divide croplands according their distinctly different temporal dynamics of the GVF into "early covering - maturing" crops (winter rape, winter wheat, spring barley) and "late covering - non-maturing" crops (sugar beet, silage maize). Based on the achieved results we recommend that simulations with LSM should take into account this differentiation of croplands since it is to be expected that these two crop groups have pronounced differences with regard to energy partitioning at the land surface.

Nitrous oxide emission from wetland soil following single and seasonal split application of cattle manure to field tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill var. Heinz) and rape (Brassica napus, L. var. Giant) crops.

PubMed

Masaka, Johnson; Nyamangara, Justice; Wuta, Menas

2016-01-01

An understanding of the contribution of manure applications to global atmospheric N2O loading is needed to evaluate agriculture's contribution to the global warming process. Two field experiments were carried out at Dufuya wetland (19°17'S; 29°21'E, 1260 m above sea level) to determine the effects of single and split manure applications on emissions of N2O from soil during the growing seasons of two rape and two tomato crops. Two field experiments were established. In the first experiment the manure was applied in three levels of 0, 15, and 30 Mg ha(-1) as a single application just before planting of the first tomato crop. In the second experiment the 15 and 30 Mg ha(-1) manure application rates were divided into four split applications of 3.75 and 7.5 Mg ha(-1) respectively, for each of the four cropping events. Single applications of 15 and 30 Mg ha(-1) manure once in four cropping events had higher emissions of N2O than those recorded on plots that received split applications of 3.75 and 7.5 Mg ha(-1) manure at least up to the second test crop. Thereafter N2O emissions on plots subjected to split applications of manure were higher or equal to those recorded in plots that received single basal applications of 30 Mg ha(-1) applied a week before planting the first crop. Seasonal split applications of manure to wetland vegetable crops can reduce emissions of N2O at least up to the second seasonal split application.

Crop Establishment Practices Are a Driver of the Plant Microbiota in Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus)

PubMed Central

Rathore, Ridhdhi; Dowling, David N.; Forristal, Patrick D.; Spink, John; Cotter, Paul D.; Bulgarelli, Davide; Germaine, Kieran J.

2017-01-01

Gaining a greater understanding of the plant microbiota and its interactions with its host plant heralds a new era of scientific discovery in agriculture. Different agricultural management practices influence soil microbial populations by changing a soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties. However, the impact of these practices on the microbiota associated with economically important crops such as oilseed rape, are still understudied. In this work we investigated the impact of two contrasting crop establishment practices, conventional (plow based) and conservation (strip–tillage) systems, on the microbiota inhabiting different plant microhabitats, namely rhizosphere, root and shoot, of winter oilseed rape under Irish agronomic conditions. Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequence profiling showed that the plant associated microhabitats (root and shoot), are dominated by members of the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The root and shoot associated bacterial communities displayed markedly distinct profiles as a result of tillage practices. We observed a very limited ‘rhizosphere effect’ in the root zone of WOSR, i.e., there was little or no increase in bacterial community richness and abundance in the WOSR rhizosphere compared to the bulk soil. The two tillage systems investigated did not appear to lead to any major long term differences on the bulk soil or rhizosphere bacterial communities. Our data suggests that the WOSR root and shoot microbiota can be impacted by management practices and is an important mechanism that could allow us to understand how plants respond to different management practices and environments. PMID:28848510

Thiamethoxam: Assessing flight activity of honeybees foraging on treated oilseed rape using radio frequency identification technology.

PubMed

Thompson, Helen; Coulson, Mike; Ruddle, Natalie; Wilkins, Selwyn; Harkin, Sarah

2016-02-01

The present study was designed to assess homing behavior of bees foraging on winter oilseed rape grown from seed treated with thiamethoxam (as Cruiser OSR), with 1 field drilled with thiamethoxam-treated seed and 2 control fields drilled with fungicide-only-treated seed. Twelve honeybee colonies were used per treatment group, 4 each located at the field edge (on-field site), at approximately 500 m and 1000 m from the field. A total of nearly 300 newly emerged bees per colony were fitted (tagged) with Mic3 radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders and introduced into each of the 36 study hives. The RFID readers fitted to the entrances of the test colonies were used to monitor the activity of the tagged bees for the duration of the 5-wk flowering period of the crop. These activity data were analyzed to assess any impact on flight activity of bees foraging on the treated compared with untreated crops. Honeybees were seen to be actively foraging within all 3 treatment groups during the exposure period. The data for the more than 3000 RFID-tagged bees and more than 90 000 foraging flights monitored throughout the exposure phase for the study follow the same trends across the treatment and controls and at each of the 3 apiary distances, indicating that there were no effects from foraging on the treated crop. Under the experimental conditions, there was no effect of foraging on thiamethoxam-treated oilseed rape on honeybee flight activity or on their ability to return to the hive. © 2015 SETAC.

Agroforestry: Conifers. (Latest citations from the Cab Abstracts database). NewSearch

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

Not Available

The bibliography contains citations concerning the use of lands forested with conifers for crop and livestock production. Citations cover the grazing of livestock and the production of crops, including tomatoes, soybeans, lespedeza, wheat, rape, taro, cotton, cabbages, ginger, watermelons, and strawberries. Livestock discussed include cattle, sheep, geese, and horses. Economic analyses and economic models are presented. (Contains a minimum of 147 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Use of field reflectance data for crop mapping using airborne hyperspectral image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nidamanuri, Rama Rao; Zbell, Bernd

2011-09-01

Recent developments in hyperspectral remote sensing technologies enable acquisition of image with high spectral resolution, which is typical to the laboratory or in situ reflectance measurements. There has been an increasing interest in the utilization of in situ reference reflectance spectra for rapid and repeated mapping of various surface features. Here we examined the prospect of classifying airborne hyperspectral image using field reflectance spectra as the training data for crop mapping. Canopy level field reflectance measurements of some important agricultural crops, i.e. alfalfa, winter barley, winter rape, winter rye, and winter wheat collected during four consecutive growing seasons are used for the classification of a HyMAP image acquired for a separate location by (1) mixture tuned matched filtering (MTMF), (2) spectral feature fitting (SFF), and (3) spectral angle mapper (SAM) methods. In order to answer a general research question "what is the prospect of using independent reference reflectance spectra for image classification", while focussing on the crop classification, the results indicate distinct aspects. On the one hand, field reflectance spectra of winter rape and alfalfa demonstrate excellent crop discrimination and spectral matching with the image across the growing seasons. On the other hand, significant spectral confusion detected among the winter barley, winter rye, and winter wheat rule out the possibility of existence of a meaningful spectral matching between field reflectance spectra and image. While supporting the current notion of "non-existence of characteristic reflectance spectral signatures for vegetation", results indicate that there exist some crops whose spectral signatures are similar to characteristic spectral signatures with possibility of using them in image classification.

Biodiversity of nematofauna of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.).

PubMed

Manachini, B; Landi, S; Tomasini, V

2005-01-01

Few data is available on the nematodes found in Brassicaceae, except for the most important plant parasite. However, studying the structure of nematofauna could be an important database for the soil quality and in order to assess the effects of future disturbance. This is particularly important considering that the diffusion of the canola crop in the world is increasing because of its use as a bio-diesel. Very diffused is also the Bt variety of oil seed rape, and, in this case, the study of the impact on the soil health and on bio-diversity is essential. In this research we have analyzed the nematode community, used as a bio-indicator of the soil condition. The nematofauna found in canola (Brassica napus var. oleifera) fields located in Southern Italy (Metaponto - MT) was investigated. The nematode community was studied considering its abundance, genus composition and trophic structure. Maturity and biodiversity indices were also calculated. A total of 5286 nematodes were extracted. They belong to 14 families and 24 genera. Bacterial and fungal feeders, 50.18% and 42.90% of the total respectively, dominated the trophic structure. Aphelencus is the most abundant genus (23.71%) followed by Acrobeloides (20.49%) and Aphelencoides (19.18%). Among plant feeders (6.59%), Pratylenchus is the dominant genus (2.20%) and Tylenchidae the main family (3.54%). No infestation of Meloidogyne, Heterodera or Naboccus, important plant-parasitic nematodes of canola crops, was recorded. Other important phytophagous were Helycotylenchus (0.5%), Trichotylenchus (0.5%) and Filenchus (0.9%). All of them had an abundance level below injury level. The indices of biodiversity are rather low (H'=0.93, J'=0.67), as is typical for agro ecosystems. However, the nematofauna community is quite well structured (N2=6.31, D=0.16) and the maturity index rather high (EMI=1.94). These values demonstrate that oilseed rape has a lower impact on the soil compared to other crop systems and that it could be taken into consideration for crop rotation programs. Canola could follow other more stressful crops, trying to maintain soil equilibrium.

Performance of winter rape (Brassica napus) based fuel mixtures in diesel engines

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

Wagner, G.L.; Peterson, C.L.

1982-01-01

Winter rape is well adapted to the Palouse region of Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington. Nearly all of the current US production is grown in this region. Yields of 2200 to 2700 kg/ha with 45 percent oil content are common. Even though present production only 2000 to 2500 ha per year, the long history of production and good yields of oil make winter rape the best potential fuel vegetable oil crop for the region. Winter rape oil is more viscous than sunflower oil (50 cSt at 40/sup 0/C for winter rape and 35 cSt at 40/sup 0/C for sunflower oil)more » and about 17 times more viscous than diesel. The viscosity of the pure oil has been found too high for operation in typical diesel injector systems. Mixtures and/or additives are essential if the oil is to be a satisfactory fuel. Conversely, the fatty acid composition of witer rape oils is such that it is potentially a more favorable fuel because of reduced rates of oxidation and thermal polymerization. This paper will report on results of short and long term engine tests using winter rape, diesel, and commercial additives as the components. Selection of mixtures for long term screening tests was based on laboratory studies which included high temperature oxidation studies and temperature-viscosity data. Fuel temperature has been monitored at the outlet of the injector nozzle on operating engines so that viscosity comparisons at the actual injector temperature can be made. 1 figure, 3 tables.« less

Impacts of adding different components of wood vinegar on rape (Brassica napus L.) seed germiantion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Xue; Liu, Xia; Zhang, Qian

2018-03-01

In recent years, wood vinegar has been widely used in the agricultural production. It can be used as the soil amendment, antibacterial agent and organic fertilizer. This study investigated the effect of wood vinegar on rape (Brassica napus L.) seed germination. The results in this study showed that 1% (v/v) wood vinegar had the greatest inhibition effect on the seed germination of rape (Brassica napus L.). The wood vinegar (WV) and the distilled wood vinegar at 98 - 130 °C (D2) significantly inhibited seed germination by 100%, compared to the control treatment. However, the distilled wood vinegar (D1) had significantly increased the shoot length and root length by 58.4% and 31.7%, respectively. These positive effects could be attributed to the improved soil fertility, increased nutrient supply, and further stimulated plant growth. Overall, the D1 could be a promising soil amendment to promote plants growth and enhance crop yields. Effect of adding different components of distilled wood vinegar on the seed germination of rape

The Three Lineages of the Diploid Hybrid Verticillium longisporum Differ in Virulence and Pathogenicity.

PubMed

Novakazi, Fluturë; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Sandoya, German; Hayes, Ryan J; von Tiedemann, Andreas; Subbarao, Krishna V

2015-05-01

Verticillium longisporum is an economically important vascular pathogen of Brassicaceae crops in different parts of the world. V. longisporum is a diploid hybrid that consists of three different lineages, each of which originated from a separate hybridization event between two different sets of parental species. We used 20 isolates representing the three V. longisporum lineages and the relative V. dahliae, and performed pathogenicity tests on 11 different hosts, including artichoke, cabbage, cauliflower, cotton, eggplant, horseradish, lettuce, linseed, oilseed rape (canola), tomato, and watermelon. V. longisporum was overall more virulent on the Brassicaceae crops than V. dahliae, which was more virulent than V. longisporum across the non-Brassicaceae crops. There were differences in virulence between the three V. longisporum lineages. V. longisporum lineage A1/D1 was the most virulent lineage on oilseed rape, and V. longisporum lineage A1/D2 was the most virulent lineage on cabbage and horseradish. We also found that on the non-Brassicaceae hosts eggplant, tomato, lettuce, and watermelon, V. longisporum was more or equally virulent than V. dahliae. This suggests that V. longisporum may have a wider potential host range than currently appreciated.

Application of rape pod sealants to reduce adverse environmental impacts.

PubMed

Bauša, Laimis; Steponavičius, Dainius; Jotautienė, Eglė; Kemzūraitė, Aurelija; Zaleckas, Ernestas

2018-04-01

Rape (Brassica napus L.) is a major global oilseed crop characterized by its high potential as an alimentary oil and in biodiesel production. The two most popular pod sealants (PS) used to reduce rape pod shattering are products in the pinolene range (di-1-p-menthene) and latex polymer products. Reports on the effective preservation of seed yield by these products are fairly contradictory. With this in mind, an experimental PS (PS4) that contained the active agents acrylic and trisiloxane was developed. Comparative experimental trials of the developed PS4 and three other PS (PS1, PS2 and PS3) containing active agents that are generally used for sealant production were conducted. The studies showed that the static and dynamic surface tension of PS4 was the lowest at the same concentration (2.0 g kg -1 ), consequently demonstrating the lowest spray drift. The chemical substances from PS had not penetrated the rape seeds in any of the PSs. The results indicate that treatment with PS4 exerts a beneficial effect in reducing rape seed yield loss (68-104 kg ha -1 in 2014 and 194-305 kg ha -1 in 2015) compared to other investigated PS. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Morphological and genetic perspectives of peach fruit responses to spring frost

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spring frost is one of the most unpredictable cropping factors in many peach production areas. A severe spring frost can wipe out an entire peach crop whereas a mild spring frost may naturally help thinning as is common practice in commercial peach production. The extent of frost damage depends on t...

The Emerging British Verticillium longisporum Population Consists of Aggressive Brassica Pathogens.

PubMed

Depotter, Jasper R L; Rodriguez-Moreno, Luis; Thomma, Bart P H J; Wood, Thomas A

2017-11-01

Verticillium longisporum is an economically important fungal pathogen of brassicaceous crops that originated from at least three hybridization events between different Verticillium spp., leading to the hybrid lineages A1/D1, A1/D2, and A1/D3. Isolates of lineage A1/D1 generally cause stem striping on oilseed rape (Brassica napus), which has recently been reported for the first time to occur in the United Kingdom. Intriguingly, the emerging U.K. population is distinct from the north-central European stem striping population. Little is known about the pathogenicity of the newly emerged U.K. population; hence, pathogenicity tests were executed to compare British isolates to previously characterized reference strains. In addition to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the pathogenicity of four British isolates was assessed on four cultivars of three Brassica crop species: oilseed rape (Quartz and Incentive), cauliflower (Clapton), and Chinese cabbage (Hilton). To this end, vascular discoloration of the roots, plant biomass accumulations, and fungal stem colonization upon isolate infection were evaluated. The British isolates appeared to be remarkably aggressive, because plant biomass was significantly affected and severe vascular discoloration was observed. The British isolates were successful stem colonizers and the extent of fungal colonization negatively correlated with plant biomass of cauliflower and Quartz oilseed rape. However, in Quartz, the fungal colonization of A1/D1 isolates was significantly lower than that of the virulent reference isolate from lineage A1/D3, PD589. Moreover, despite levels of stem colonization similar to those of A1/D1 strains, PD589 did not cause significant disease on Incentive. Thus, A1/D1 isolates, including British isolates, are aggressive oilseed rape pathogens despite limited colonization levels in comparison with a virulent A1/D3 isolate.

Gene Introgression in Weeds Depends on Initial Gene Location in the Crop: Brassica napus-Raphanus raphanistrum Model.

PubMed

Adamczyk-Chauvat, Katarzyna; Delaunay, Sabrina; Vannier, Anne; François, Caroline; Thomas, Gwenaëlle; Eber, Frédérique; Lodé, Maryse; Gilet, Marie; Huteau, Virginie; Morice, Jérôme; Nègre, Sylvie; Falentin, Cyril; Coriton, Olivier; Darmency, Henri; Alrustom, Bachar; Jenczewski, Eric; Rousseau-Gueutin, Mathieu; Chèvre, Anne-Marie

2017-07-01

The effect of gene location within a crop genome on its transfer to a weed genome remains an open question for gene flow assessment. To elucidate this question, we analyzed advanced generations of intergeneric hybrids, derived from an initial pollination of known oilseed rape varieties ( Brassica napus , AACC, 2 n  = 38) by a local population of wild radish ( Raphanus raphanistrum , RrRr, 2 n  = 18). After five generations of recurrent pollination, 307 G5 plants with a chromosome number similar to wild radish were genotyped using 105 B. napus specific markers well distributed along the chromosomes. They revealed that 49.8% of G5 plants carried at least one B. napus genomic region. According to the frequency of B. napus markers (0-28%), four classes were defined: Class 1 (near zero frequency), with 75 markers covering ∼70% of oilseed rape genome; Class 2 (low frequency), with 20 markers located on 11 genomic regions; Class 3 (high frequency), with eight markers on three genomic regions; and Class 4 (higher frequency), with two adjacent markers detected on A10. Therefore, some regions of the oilseed rape genome are more prone than others to be introgressed into wild radish. Inheritance and growth of plant progeny revealed that genomic regions of oilseed rape could be stably introduced into wild radish and variably impact the plant fitness (plant height and seed number). Our results pinpoint that novel technologies enabling the targeted insertion of transgenes should select genomic regions that are less likely to be introgressed into the weed genome, thereby reducing gene flow. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Production and fuel characteristics of vegetable oil from oilseed crops in the Pacific Northwest

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

Auld, D.L.; Bettis, B.L.; Peterson, C.L.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the potential yield and fuel quality of various oilseed crops adapted to the Pacific Northwest as a source of liquid fuel for diesel engines. The seed yield and oil production of three cultivars of winter rape (Brassica napus L.), two cultivars of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and two cultivars of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) were evaluated in replicated plots at Moscow. Additional trials were conducted at several locations in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Sunflower, oleic and linoleic safflower, and low and high erucic acid rapeseed were evaluated for fatty acid composition, energymore » content, viscosity and engine performance in short term tests. During 20 minute engine tests power output, fuel economy and thermal efficiency were compared to diesel fuel. Winter rape produced over twice as much farm extractable oil as either safflower or sunflower. The winter rape cultivars, Norde and Jet Neuf had oil yields which averaged 1740 and 1540 L/ha, respectively. Vegetable oils contained 94 to 95% of the KJ/L of diesel fuel, but were 11.1 to 17.6 times more viscous. Viscosity of the vegetable oils was closely related to fatty acid chain length and number of unsaturated bonds (R/sup 2/=.99). During short term engine tests all vegetable oils produced power outputs equivalent to diesel, and had thermal efficiencies 1.8 to 2.8% higher than diesel. Based on these results it appears that species and cultivars of oilseed crops to be utilized as a source of fuel should be selected on the basis of oil yield. 1 figure, 5 tables.« less

Forage Brassicas: establishment, management, and challenges

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Forage Brassicas are annuals that can be utilized as pasture during the spring, summer, and fall grazing seasons. Forage brassicas include varieties of rapeseed (rape), radish, turnip, swede, kale, and hybrids. Brassicas are able to produce up to 4 tons of DM/acre, and varieties of turnip, radish, a...

Variation of Bacterial Community Diversity in Rhizosphere Soil of Sole-Cropped versus Intercropped Wheat Field after Harvest.

PubMed

Yang, Zhenping; Yang, Wenping; Li, Shengcai; Hao, Jiaomin; Su, Zhifeng; Sun, Min; Gao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Chunlai

2016-01-01

As the major crops in north China, spring crops are usually planted from April through May every spring and harvested in fall. Wheat is also a very common crop traditionally planted in fall or spring and harvested in summer year by year. This continuous cropping system exhibited the disadvantages of reducing the fertility of soil through decreasing microbial diversity. Thus, management of microbial diversity in the rhizosphere plays a vital role in sustainable crop production. In this study, ten common spring crops in north China were chosen sole-cropped and four were chosen intercropped with peanut in wheat fields after harvest. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequencing of one 16S rDNA fragment were used to analyze the bacterial diversity and species identification. DGGE profiles showed the bacterial community diversity in rhizosphere soil samples varied among various crops under different cropping systems, more diverse under intercropping system than under sole-cropping. Some intercropping-specific bands in DGGE profiles suggested that several bacterial species were stimulated by intercropping systems specifically. Furthermore, the identification of these dominant and functional bacteria by DNA sequencing indicated that intercropping systems are more beneficial to improve soil fertility. Compared to intercropping systems, we also observed changes in microbial community of rhizosphere soil under sole-crops. The rhizosphere bacterial community structure in spring crops showed a strong crop species-specific pattern. More importantly, Empedobacter brevis, a typical plant pathogen, was only found in the carrot rhizosphere, suggesting carrot should be sown prudently. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that crop species and cropping systems had significant effects on bacterial community diversity in the rhizosphere soils. We strongly suggest sorghum, glutinous millet and buckwheat could be taken into account as intercropping crops with peanut; while hulled oat, mung bean or foxtail millet could be considered for sowing in wheat fields after harvest in North China.

[Distribution characteristics of soil profile nitrous oxide concentration in paddy fields with different rice-upland crop rotation systems].

PubMed

Liu, Ping-li; Zhang, Xiao-lin; Xiong, Zheng-qin; Huang, Tai-qing; Ding, Min; Wang, Jin-yang

2011-09-01

To investigate the dynamic distribution patterns of nitrous oxide (N2O) in the soil profiles in paddy fields with different rice-upland crop rotation systems, a special soil gas collection device was adopted to monitor the dynamics of N2O at the soil depths 7, 15, 30, and 50 cm in the paddy fields under both flooding and drainage conditions. Two rotation systems were installed, i.e., wheat-single rice and oilseed rape-double rice, each with or without nitrogen (N) application. Comparing with the control, N application promoted the N2O production in the soil profiles significantly (P < 0.01), and there existed significant correlations in the N2O concentration among the four soil depths during the whole observation period (P < 0.01). In the growth seasons of winter wheat and oilseed rape under drainage condition and with or without N application, the N2O concentrations at the soil depths 30 cm and 50 cm were significantly higher than those at the soil depths 7 cm and 15 cm; whereas in the early rice growth season under flooding condition and without N application, the N2O concentrations at the soil depth 7 cm and 15 cm were significantly higher than those at the soil depths 30 cm and 50 cm (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the N2O concentrations at the test soil depths among the other rice cropping treatments. The soil N2O concentrations in the treatments without N application peaked in the transitional period from the upland crops cropping to rice planting, while those in the treatments with N application peaked right after the second topdressing N of upland crops. Relatively high soil N2O concentrations were observed at the transitional period from the upland crops cropping to rice planting.

Tuber yield and quality characteristics of potatoes for off-season crops in a Mediterranean environment.

PubMed

Ierna, Anita

2010-01-15

There is little research on evaluating the compatibility of potatoes for double cropping in southern Italy. The aim of this investigation was to assess tuber yield and some qualitative traits of tubers such as skin colour, tuber dry matter content and tuber nitrate content, both in winter-spring and in summer-autumn crops, as influenced by genotype and harvest time. Yield, skin colour and dry matter content of tubers were higher in the winter-spring crop than in the summer-autumn crop, attributable to the advantageous lag time in spring between solar radiation and temperatures and the disadvantageous lag in autumn. Spunta and Arinda performed well within each crop season, whereas Ninfa showed an important yield loss in autumn. In both off-season crops, delaying tuber harvest until leaf senescence increased yield and improved quality attributes such as tuber dry matter content and skin colour, whereas nitrate contents significantly decreased in the winter-spring crop and increased in the summer-autumn crop. Ninfa showed less tendency than Arinda and Spunta to accumulate nitrate in tubers in both off-season crops. It might be advantageous to examine in further research which mechanisms sustain compatibility to the autumn and assess other quality characteristics for the fresh market in the contrasting climatic conditions of the two off-season crops. Copyright (c) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.

Crop diversification, tillage, and management system influences on spring wheat yield and soil water use

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Depleted soil quality, decreased water availability, and increased weed competition constrain spring wheat production in the northern Great Plains. Integrated crop management systems are necessary for improved crop productivity. We conducted a field experiment from 2004-2010 comparing productivity...

Current and previous spatial distributions of oilseed rape fields influence the abundance and the body size of a solitary wild bee, Andrena cineraria, in permanent grasslands.

PubMed

Van Reeth, Colin; Caro, Gaël; Bockstaller, Christian; Michel, Nadia

2018-01-01

Wild bees are essential pollinators whose survival partly depends on the capacity of their environment to offer a sufficient amount of nectar and pollen. Semi-natural habitats and mass-flowering crops such as oilseed rape provide abundant floristic resources for bees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influences of the spatial distribution of semi-natural habitats and oilseed rape fields on the abundance and the mean body size of a solitary bee in grasslands. We focused on a generalist mining bee, Andrena cineraria, that forages and reproduces during oilseed rape flowering. In 21 permanent grasslands of Eastern France, we captured 1 287 individuals (1 205 males and 82 females) and measured the body size of male individuals. The flower density in grasslands was quantified during bee captures (2016) and the landscape surrounding grasslands was characterized during two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). The influence of oilseed rape was tested through its distribution in the landscape during both the current year of bee sampling and the previous year. Bee abundance was positively influenced by the flower density in grasslands and by the area covered by oilseed rape around grasslands in the previous year. The mean body size of A. cineraria was explained by the interaction between flower density in the grassland and the distance to the nearest oilseed rape field in the current year: the flower density positively influenced the mean body size only in grasslands distant from oilseed rape. A. cineraria abundance and body size distribution were not affected by the area of semi-natural habitats in the landscape. The spatial distribution of oilseed rape fields (during both the current and the previous year) as well as the local density of grassland flowers drive both bee abundance and the mean value of an intraspecific trait (body size) in permanent grasslands. Space-time variations of bee abundance and mean body size in grasslands may have important ecological implications on plant pollination and on interspecific interactions between pollinators. Specifically, a competition between bee species for nesting sites might occur in oilseed rape rich landscapes, thus raising important conservation issues for bee species that do not benefit from oilseed rape resources.

Spring wheat production and associated pests in conventional and diversified cropping systems in north central Montana

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Producers in the northern Plains are diversifying and intensifying traditional wheat-based cropping systems by reducing summer fallow and including legume and oilseed crops. This study examined the influence of diversification and intensification on spring wheat yield and quality, and associated ins...

Response of seed tocopherols in oilseed rape to nitrogen fertilizer sources and application rates* #

PubMed Central

Hussain, Nazim; Li, Hui; Jiang, Yu-xiao; Jabeen, Zahra; Shamsi, Imran Haider; Ali, Essa; Jiang, Li-xi

2014-01-01

Tocopherols (Tocs) are vital scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and important seed oil quality indicators. Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important fertilizers in promoting biomass and grain yield in crop production. However, the effect of different sources and application rates of N on seed Toc contents in oilseed rape is poorly understood. In this study, pot trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of two sources of N fertilizer (urea and ammonium nitrate). Each source was applied to five oilseed rape genotypes (Zheshuang 72, Jiu-Er-1358, Zheshuang 758, Shiralee, and Pakola) at three different application rates (0.41 g/pot (N1), 0.81 g/pot (N2), and 1.20 g/pot (N3)). Results indicated that urea increased α-, γ-, and total Toc (T-Toc) more than did ammonium nitrate. N3 was proven as the most efficient application rate, which yielded high contents of γ-Toc and T-Toc. Highly significant correlations were observed between Toc isomers, T-Toc, and α-/γ-Toc ratio. These results clearly demonstrate that N sources and application rates significantly affect seed Toc contents in oilseed rape. PMID:24510711

Highlights of Recent Progress in Plant Lipid Research

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Raw fossil material reserves are not inexhaustible and as prices continue to raise it is necessary to find new sources of alternative and renewable energy. Oils from oleaginous field crops (sunflower and rape) with properties close to those of fossil fuel could constitute an alternative source of en...

Colony impact of pesticide-induced sublethal effects on honeybee workers: A simulation study using BEEHAVE.

PubMed

Thorbek, Pernille; Campbell, Peter J; Thompson, Helen M

2017-03-01

Research on neonicotinoids and honeybees have changed focus from direct mortality to sublethal effects. In the present study, a published honeybee model, BEEHAVE, is used to compare induced colony level impact of pesticides including direct mortality, poor brood care, disorientation, and increased handling time in oilseed rape and sunflower crops. Actual effects on individual bees will depend on exposure concentrations, but in the present study large effects were enforced. In oilseed rape, poor brood care had the largest colony impact, because it created a bottleneck for spring build-up of the workforce, and colony impact for all effect types peaked 1 mo after exposure ceased. In sunflower, the later exposure changed the response so colony impact peaked during exposure, and the bottleneck was honey store build-up. In all scenarios, good forage mitigated effects substantially. It is concluded that field studies should continue at least 1 mo after exposure to ensure detection of ecologically relevant sublethal effects. The results indicated that even if a sublethal effect is difficult to detect in the field, subsequent ecologically relevant colony level impacts would be clear if studies are continued for 1 mo after exposure. Guidance for regulatory studies recommends extended observation periods, and published field studies already use extended observation periods, so it is concluded that current methods are adequate for detecting ecologically relevant sublethal effects. Although published laboratory and semifield studies conducted under controlled exposure conditions suggest that sublethal effects may occur, published field studies with neonicotinoid seed treatments, naturally foraging bees, and extended observation periods do not report colony-level effects, suggesting that in these studies no ecologically relevant sublethal effects occurred. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:831-840. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Duke's Devil of a Mess

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asquith, Christina

2007-01-01

Last spring, at the height of the frenzy over accusations that three Duke University men's lacrosse players had gang raped a Black exotic dancer during a party, faculty from Duke's African and African American studies department chose to take a stand. With emotions running high, the faculty took out a full-page advertisement in student newspaper,…

[Comparison of potential yield and resource utilization efficiency of main food crops in three provinces of Northeast China under climate change].

PubMed

Wang, Xiao-yu; Yang, Xiao-guang; Sun, Shuang; Xie, Wen-juan

2015-10-01

Based on the daily data of 65 meteorological stations from 1961 to 2010 and the crop phenology data in the potential cultivation zones of thermophilic and chimonophilous crops in Northeast China, the crop potential yields were calculated through step-by-step correction method. The spatio-temporal distribution of the crop potential yields at different levels was analyzed. And then we quantified the limitations of temperature and precipitation on the crop potential yields and compared the differences in the climatic resource utilization efficiency. The results showed that the thermal potential yields of six crops (including maize, rice, spring wheat, sorghum, millet and soybean) during the period 1961-2010 deceased from west to east. The climatic potential yields of the five crops (spring wheat not included) were higher in the south than in the north. The potential yield loss rate due to temperature limitations of the six crops presented a spatial distribution pattern and was higher in the east than in the west. Among the six main crops, the yield potential loss rate due to temperature limitation of the soybean was the highest (51%), and those of the other crops fluctuated within the range of 33%-41%. The potential yield loss rate due to water limitation had an obvious regional difference, and was high in Songnen Plain and Changbai Mountains. The potential yield loss rate of spring wheat was the highest (50%), and those of the other four rainfed crops fluctuated within the range of 8%-10%. The solar energy utilization efficiency of the six main crops ranged from 0.9% to 2.7%, in the order of maize> sorghum>rice>millet>spring wheat>soybean. The precipitation utilization efficiency of the maize, sorghum, spring wheat, millet and soybean under rainfed conditions ranged from 8 to 35 kg . hm-2 . mm-1, in the order of maize>sorghum>spring wheat>millet>soybean. In those areas with lower efficiency of solar energy utilization and precipitation utilization, such as Changbai Mountains and the south of Lesser Khingan Mountains, measures could be taken to increase the efficiency of resource utilization such as rational close-planting, selection of droughtresistant varieties, proper and timely fertilization, farming for soil water storage, optimization of crop layout and so on.

Host Status of Selected Crops to Meloidogyne chitwoodi.

PubMed

Ferris, H; Carlson, H L; Viglierchio, D R; Westerdahl, B B; Wu, F W; Anderson, C E; Juurma, A; Kirby, D W

1993-12-01

Various crops were tested in greenhouse and field trials for their potential utility in the rotation sequence in the potato cropping system in Meloidogyne chitwoodi-infested soils of the Klamath Basin in northeastern California and southern Oregon. Two Solarium accessions from the International Potato Center in Peru were potential sources of resistance to M. chitwoodi. Cultivars of barley, oat, rye, wheat, and white lupine were maintenance hosts, supporting the nematode population at its current level without substantial increase or decline. Poor to nonhosts to race 1 of the nematode included cultivars of alfalfa, amaranth, oilseed radish, oilseed rape, and safflower. These crops have potential for inclusion in the cropping system but are subject to various constraints, including frost sensitivity and availability of markets. Sugarbeet, a new crop in the area, is a maintenance or better host of M. chitwoodi. Potato, tomato, and sunflower are excellent hosts.

Black oat cover crop management in watermelon production systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) were sown as a cover crop near Weslaco, Texas (Lat. 26 deg N) in Fall 2010. The cover crop was allowed to senesce naturally and was planted to watermelons in both the spring and in the fall of 2011. Watermelon transplants planted in the spring into mowed black o...

Correlations between land covers and honey bee colony losses in a country with industrialized and rural regions.

PubMed

Clermont, Antoine; Eickermann, Michael; Kraus, François; Hoffmann, Lucien; Beyer, Marco

2015-11-01

High levels of honey bee colony losses were recently reported from Canada, China, Europe, Israel, Turkey and the United States, raising concerns of a global pollinator decline and questioning current land use practices, in particular intense agricultural cropping systems. Sixty-seven crops (data from the years 2010-2012) and 66 mid-term stable land cover classes (data from 2007) were analysed for statistical relationships with the honey bee colony losses experienced over the winters 2010/11-2012/13 in Luxembourg (Western Europe). The area covered by each land cover class, the shortest distance between each land cover class and the respective apiary, the number of plots covered by each land use class and the size of the biggest plot of each land cover class within radii of 2 km and 5 km around 166 apiaries (2010), 184 apiaries (2011) and 188 apiaries (2012) were tested for correlations with honey bee colony losses (% per apiary) experienced in the winter following the season when the crops were grown. Artificial water bodies, open urban areas, large industrial facilities including heavy industry, railways and associated installations, buildings and installations with socio-cultural purpose, camping-, sports-, playgrounds, golf courts, oilseed crops other than oilseed rape like sunflower or linseed, some spring cereals and former forest clearcuts or windthrows were the land cover classes most frequently associated with high honey bee colony losses. Grain maize, mixed forest and mixed coniferous forest were the land cover classes most frequently associated with low honey bee colony losses. The present data suggest that land covers related to transport, industry and leisure may have made a more substantial contribution to winter honey bee colony losses in developed countries than anticipated so far. Recommendations for the positioning of apiaries are discussed. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Normal crop calendars. Volume 2: The spring wheat states of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, W. L., III (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The state crop calendars for the principal spring wheat producing states within the United States are presented. These crop calendars are an update of those produced for the large area crop inventory experiment multilabeling task during 1978and are compiled for the foreign commodity production forecasting (FCPF) project of the agriculture and resources inventory surveys through aerospace remote sensing program.

Long-Term Monitoring of Field Trial Sites with Genetically Modified Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.) in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Fifteen Years Persistence to Date but No Spatial Dispersion

PubMed Central

Belter, Anke

2016-01-01

Oilseed rape is known to persist in arable fields because of its ability to develop secondary seed dormancy in certain agronomic and environmental conditions. If conditions change, rapeseeds are able to germinate up to 10 years later to build volunteers in ensuing crops. Extrapolations of experimental data acted on the assumption of persistence periods for more than 20 years after last harvest of rapeseed. Genetically-modified oilseed rape—cultivated widely in Northern America since 1996—is assumed not to differ from its conventional form in this property. Here, experimental data are reported from official monitoring activities that verify these assumptions. At two former field trial sites in Saxony-Anhalt genetically-modified herbicide-resistant oilseed rape volunteers are found up to fifteen years after harvest. Nevertheless, spatial dispersion or establishment of GM plants outside of the field sites was not observed within this period. PMID:26784233

Canadian crop calendars in support of the early warning project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trenchard, M. H.; Hodges, T. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The Canadian crop calendars for LACIE are presented. Long term monthly averages of daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures for subregions of provinces were used to simulate normal daily maximum and minimum temperatures. The Robertson (1968) spring wheat and Williams (1974) spring barley phenology models were run using the simulated daily temperatures and daylengths for appropriate latitudes. Simulated daily temperatures and phenology model outputs for spring wheat and spring barley are given.

An energetics-based honeybee nectar-foraging model used to assess the potential for landscape-level pesticide exposure dilution

PubMed Central

Focks, Andreas; Belgers, Dick; van der Steen, Jozef J.M.; Boesten, Jos J.T.I.; Roessink, Ivo

2016-01-01

Estimating the exposure of honeybees to pesticides on a landscape scale requires models of their spatial foraging behaviour. For this purpose, we developed a mechanistic, energetics-based model for a single day of nectar foraging in complex landscape mosaics. Net energetic efficiency determined resource patch choice. In one version of the model a single optimal patch was selected each hour. In another version, recruitment of foragers was simulated and several patches could be exploited simultaneously. Resource availability changed during the day due to depletion and/or intrinsic properties of the resource (anthesis). The model accounted for the impact of patch distance and size, resource depletion and replenishment, competition with other nectar foragers, and seasonal and diurnal patterns in availability of nectar-providing crops and wild flowers. From the model we derived simple rules for resource patch selection, e.g., for landscapes with mass-flowering crops only, net energetic efficiency would be proportional to the ratio of the energetic content of the nectar divided by distance to the hive. We also determined maximum distances at which resources like oilseed rape and clover were still energetically attractive. We used the model to assess the potential for pesticide exposure dilution in landscapes of different composition and complexity. Dilution means a lower concentration in nectar arriving at the hive compared to the concentration in nectar at a treated field and can result from foraging effort being diverted away from treated fields. Applying the model for all possible hive locations over a large area, distributions of dilution factors were obtained that were characterised by their 90-percentile value. For an area for which detailed spatial data on crops and off-field semi-natural habitats were available, we tested three landscape management scenarios that were expected to lead to exposure dilution: providing alternative resources than the target crop (oilseed rape) in the form of (i) other untreated crop fields, (ii) flower strips of different widths at field edges (off-crop in-field resources), and (iii) resources on off-field (semi-natural) habitats. For both model versions, significant dilution occurred only when alternative resource patches were equal or more attractive than oilseed rape, nearby and numerous and only in case of flower strips and off-field habitats. On an area-base, flower strips were more than one order of magnitude more effective than off-field habitats, the main reason being that flower strips had an optimal location. The two model versions differed in the predicted number of resource patches exploited over the day, but mainly in landscapes with numerous small resource patches. In landscapes consisting of few large resource patches (crop fields) both versions predicted the use of a small number of patches. PMID:27602273

Farm Crops Depredation by European Bison ( Bison bonasus) in the Vicinity of Forest Habitats in Northeastern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofman-Kamińska, Emilia; Kowalczyk, Rafał

2012-10-01

European bison, the largest mammal in Europe, after being exterminated in the wild and then restored during the 20th century is still listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) as a species vulnerable to extinction. However, the increasing number of European bison, through creation of new and expansion of existing populations strongly increases the risk of human-bison conflict in the near future. We analyzed the depredation of farm crops by bison and the factors influencing the level of damage in the vicinity of two forest areas inhabited by bison in northeastern Poland. Between 2000 and 2010, the total cost of compensation was € 196,200. The level of damage and amount of compensation was increasing from year to year in both forests and correlated with the number of bison. The majority of damage (57 % of cases) was recorded in winter (December-March). Snow depth and temperature did not influence the frequency of damage. The incidences of damage increased with decreasing distance from the woodland patches, therefore, 69 % of cases in Białowieża Forest, and 80 % in Knyszyn Forest were recorded closer than 0.5 km from nearest woodland patch. The majority of the crops damaged by bison were cereals (61 %) but also hay (20 %) and rape (13 %). When compared to the availability of crops, bison strongly selected rape and rye in both regions. This study is the first addressing the increasing problem of human-bison conflict in re-introduced populations and analyzing long-term data on crop depredation. Such situations probably occur in the majority of growing and expanding bison populations, however, it has not yet to be monitored and is rather neglected in post-Soviet countries.

Could nitrile derivatives of turnip (Brassica rapa) glucosinolates be Hepato-and/or cholangiotoxic in cattle?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Turnip (Brassica rapa ssp. rapa) and rape (Brassica napus ssp. biennis) and other brassica forage crops are generally regarded as “safe” feed for cattle during late summer and fall in New Zealand. However, when Pithomyces chartarum spore counts are high there are epidemics of sporidesmin toxicity (...

Biologically based technologies for control of soil-borne plant pathogens of cucumber and oilseed rape

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sustainable intensification of food production is necessary if we are to feed the world’s future population and maintain the resources required to produce this food. Biologically based technologies for disease control, such as microbial biological control agents and cover crops, can be integral to ...

Evidence for pollinator cost and farming benefits of neonicotinoid seed coatings on oilseed rape.

PubMed

Budge, G E; Garthwaite, D; Crowe, A; Boatman, N D; Delaplane, K S; Brown, M A; Thygesen, H H; Pietravalle, S

2015-08-13

Chronic exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides has been linked to reduced survival of pollinating insects at both the individual and colony level, but so far only experimentally. Analyses of large-scale datasets to investigate the real-world links between the use of neonicotinoids and pollinator mortality are lacking. Moreover, the impacts of neonicotinoid seed coatings in reducing subsequent applications of foliar insecticide sprays and increasing crop yield are not known, despite the supposed benefits of this practice driving widespread use. Here, we combine large-scale pesticide usage and yield observations from oilseed rape with those detailing honey bee colony losses over an 11 year period, and reveal a correlation between honey bee colony losses and national-scale imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) usage patterns across England and Wales. We also provide the first evidence that farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coatings reduce the number of subsequent applications of foliar insecticide sprays and may derive an economic return. Our results inform the societal discussion on the pollinator costs and farming benefits of prophylactic neonicotinoid usage on a mass flowering crop.

Evidence for pollinator cost and farming benefits of neonicotinoid seed coatings on oilseed rape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budge, G. E.; Garthwaite, D.; Crowe, A.; Boatman, N. D.; Delaplane, K. S.; Brown, M. A.; Thygesen, H. H.; Pietravalle, S.

2015-08-01

Chronic exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides has been linked to reduced survival of pollinating insects at both the individual and colony level, but so far only experimentally. Analyses of large-scale datasets to investigate the real-world links between the use of neonicotinoids and pollinator mortality are lacking. Moreover, the impacts of neonicotinoid seed coatings in reducing subsequent applications of foliar insecticide sprays and increasing crop yield are not known, despite the supposed benefits of this practice driving widespread use. Here, we combine large-scale pesticide usage and yield observations from oilseed rape with those detailing honey bee colony losses over an 11 year period, and reveal a correlation between honey bee colony losses and national-scale imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) usage patterns across England and Wales. We also provide the first evidence that farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coatings reduce the number of subsequent applications of foliar insecticide sprays and may derive an economic return. Our results inform the societal discussion on the pollinator costs and farming benefits of prophylactic neonicotinoid usage on a mass flowering crop.

Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiling of the SUC and SWEET Gene Families of Sucrose Transporters in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

PubMed Central

Jian, Hongju; Lu, Kun; Yang, Bo; Wang, Tengyue; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Aoxiang; Wang, Jia; Liu, Liezhao; Qu, Cunmin; Li, Jiana

2016-01-01

Sucrose is the principal transported product of photosynthesis from source leaves to sink organs. SUTs/SUCs (sucrose transporters or sucrose carriers) and SWEETs (Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters) play significant central roles in phloem loading and unloading. SUTs/SUCs and SWEETs are key players in sucrose translocation and are associated with crop yields. The SUT/SUC and SWEET genes have been characterized in several plant species, but a comprehensive analysis of these two gene families in oilseed rape has not yet been reported. In our study, 22 and 68 members of the SUT/SUCs and SWEET gene families, respectively, were identified in the oilseed rape (Brassica napus) genome through homology searches. An analysis of the chromosomal distribution, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, motifs and the cis-acting regulatory elements in the promoters of BnSUC and BnSWEET genes were analyzed. Furthermore, we examined the expression of the 18 BnSUC and 16 BnSWEET genes in different tissues of “ZS11” and the expression of 9 BnSUC and 7 BnSWEET genes in “ZS11” under various conditions, including biotic stress (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), abiotic stresses (drought, salt and heat), and hormone treatments (abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, brassinolide, gibberellin, and salicylic acid). In conclusion, our study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the oilseed rape SUC and SWEET gene families. Information regarding the phylogenetic relationships, gene structure and expression profiles of the SUC and SWEET genes in the different tissues of oilseed rape helps to identify candidates with potential roles in specific developmental processes. Our study advances our understanding of the important roles of sucrose transport in oilseed rape. PMID:27733861

Evaluation of nine genotypes of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) for larval infestation and performance of rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll.)

PubMed Central

Becker, Heiko C.; Vidal, Stefan

2017-01-01

The rape stem weevil, Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll., is a serious pest of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) crops in Europe causing severe yield loss. In currently used oilseed rape cultivars no resistance to C. napi has been identified. Resynthesized lines of B. napus have potential to broaden the genetic variability and may improve resistance to insect pests. In this study, the susceptibility to C. napi of three cultivars, one breeding line and five resynthesized lines of oilseed rape was compared in a semi-field plot experiment under multi-choice conditions. Plant acceptance for oviposition was estimated by counting the number of C. napi larvae in stems. The larval instar index and the dry body mass were assessed as indicators of larval performance. The extent of larval feeding within stems was determined by the stem injury coefficient. Morphological stem traits and stem contents of glucosinolates were assessed as potential mediators of resistance. The resynthesized line S30 had significantly fewer larvae than the cultivars Express617 and Visby and the resynthesized lines L122 and L16. The low level of larval infestation in S30 was associated with a low larval instar and stem injury index. Low numbers of larvae were not correlated with the length or diameter of stems, and the level of stem glucosinolates. As indicated by the low larval infestation and slow larval development the resistance of S30 to C. napi is based on both antixenotic and antibiotic properties of the genotypes. The resynthesized line S30 should therefore be introduced into B. napus breeding programs to enhance resistance against C. napi. PMID:28686731

Ozone effects on yield quality of spring oilseed rape and broccoli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandermeiren, Karine; De Bock, Maarten; Horemans, Nele; Guisez, Yves; Ceulemans, Reinhart; De Temmerman, Ludwig

2012-02-01

The impact of elevated tropospheric ozone (O 3) on the quality of spring oilseed rape ( Brassica napus cv Ability) and broccoli ( Brassica oleracea L. cv Italic cv Monaco) was assessed during a three year Open - Top Chamber (OTC) experiment. Current ambient O 3 levels were compared to an increase of 20 and 40 ppb during 8 h per day over the entire growing season. The qualitative responses were expressed as a function of the accumulated hourly O 3 concentrations over a threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40) and the phytotoxic O 3 dose above a threshold of 6 nmol s -1 m -2 projected leaf area (POD 6). Our results provide clear evidence that O 3 has an influence on the qualitative attributes of the harvested products of these Brassica species. The responses were comparable whether they were expressed as a function of the accumulated O 3 concentrations or of the modelled O 3 uptake. The protein concentration of oilseed rape seeds and broccoli heads was significantly increased in response to O 3. There was also a shift in the fatty acid composition of the vegetable oil derived from seeds of oilseed rape. Oleic acid (18:1) declined significantly ( p < 0.05) in favour of linoleic acid (18:2) ( p < 0.01). There was no change in the relative proportion of linolenic acid (18:3). The suppression of monounsaturated fatty acids ( p < 0.05) coincided with a positive response of the % saturated fatty acids ( p < 0.05). In rapeseed oil the observed decrease in vitamin E content was due to a reduction of γ-tocopherol (TOC, p < 0.001). α-TOC, the most active form of vitamin E in humans, was not influenced by O 3. There was no change in the glucosinolate (GSL) content of oilseed rape seeds. In broccoli an important shift occurred from indolic to aliphatic GSLs although the total GSL concentration was not changed. The increase in the aliphatic/indolic GSL ratio ( p < 0.001) may be important in relation to the anticarcinogenic properties of these vegetables. The vitamin C (ascorbate - ASC) and α-TOC concentrations of broccoli were not influenced by O 3; glutathione (GSH) was slightly increased in response to a higher O 3 uptake ( p < 0.05). The consequences of these changes with regard to food and feed quality and human health are discussed.

Neonicotinoid residues in UK honey despite European Union moratorium

PubMed Central

Ridding, Lucy; Freeman, Stephen N.; Pereira, M. Gloria; Sleep, Darren; Redhead, John; Aston, David; Carreck, Norman L.; Shore, Richard F.; Bullock, James M.; Heard, Matthew S.; Pywell, Richard F.

2018-01-01

Due to concerns over negative impacts on insect pollinators, the European Union has implemented a moratorium on the use of three neonicotinoid pesticide seed dressings for mass-flowering crops. We assessed the effectiveness of this policy in reducing the exposure risk to honeybees by collecting 130 samples of honey from bee keepers across the UK before (2014: N = 21) and after the moratorium was in effect (2015: N = 109). Neonicotinoids were present in about half of the honey samples taken before the moratorium, and they were present in over a fifth of honey samples following the moratorium. Clothianidin was the most frequently detected neonicotinoid. Neonicotinoid concentrations declined from May to September in the year following the ban. However, the majority of post-moratorium neonicotinoid residues were from honey harvested early in the year, coinciding with oilseed rape flowering. Neonicotinoid concentrations were correlated with the area of oilseed rape surrounding the hive location. These results suggest mass flowering crops may contain neonicotinoid residues where they have been grown on soils contaminated by previously seed treated crops. This may include winter seed treatments applied to cereals that are currently exempt from EU restrictions. Although concentrations of neonicotinoids were low (<2.0 ng g-1), and posed no risk to human health, they may represent a continued risk to honeybees through long-term chronic exposure. PMID:29298300

Recommended data sets, corn segments and spring wheat segments, for use in program development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, W. W. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The sets of Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment sites, crop year 1978, which are recommended for use in the development and evaluation of classification techniques based on LANDSAT spectral data are presented. For each site, the following exists: (1) accuracy assessment digitized ground truth; (2) a minimum of 5 percent of the scene ground truth identified as corn or spring wheat; and (3) at least four acquisitions of acceptable data quality during the growing season of the crop of interest. The recommended data sets consist of 41 corn/soybean sites and 17 spring wheat sites.

An oilseed rape WRKY-type transcription factor regulates ROS accumulation and leaf senescence in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis through modulating transcription of RbohD and RbohF.

PubMed

Yang, Liu; Ye, Chaofei; Zhao, Yuting; Cheng, Xiaolin; Wang, Yiqiao; Jiang, Yuan-Qing; Yang, Bo

2018-06-01

Overexpression of BnaWGR1 causes ROS accumulation and promotes leaf senescence. BnaWGR1 binds to promoters of RbohD and RbohF and regulates their expression. Manipulation of leaf senescence process affects agricultural traits of crop plants, including biomass, seed yield and stress resistance. Since delayed leaf senescence usually enhances tolerance to multiple stresses, we analyzed the function of specific MAPK-WRKY cascades in abiotic and biotic stress tolerance as well as leaf senescence in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), one of the important oil crops. In the present study, we showed that expression of one WRKY gene from oilseed rape, BnaWGR1, induced an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell death and precocious leaf senescence both in Nicotiana benthamiana and transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). BnaWGR1 regulates the transcription of two genes encoding key enzymes implicated in production of ROS, that is, respiratory burst oxidase homolog (Rboh) D and RbohF. A dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the transcriptional regulation of RbohD and RbohF by BnaWGR1. In vitro electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that BnaWGR1 could bind to W-box cis-elements within promoters of RbohD and RbohF. Moreover, RbohD and RbohF were significantly upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing BnaWGR1. In summary, these results suggest that BnaWGR1 could positively regulate leaf senescence through regulating the expression of RbohD and RbohF genes.

Light-Weight Multispectral Uav Sensors and Their Capabilities for Predicting Grain Yield and Detecting Plant Diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebiker, S.; Lack, N.; Abächerli, M.; Läderach, S.

2016-06-01

In this paper we investigate the performance of new light-weight multispectral sensors for micro UAV and their application to selected tasks in agronomical research and agricultural practice. The investigations are based on a series of flight campaigns in 2014 and 2015 covering a number of agronomical test sites with experiments on rape, barley, onion, potato and other crops. In our sensor comparison we included a high-end multispectral multiSPEC 4C camera with bandpass colour filters and reference channel in zenith direction and a low-cost, consumer-grade Canon S110 NIR camera with Bayer pattern colour filters. Ground-based reference measurements were obtained using a terrestrial hyperspectral field spectrometer. The investigations show that measurements with the high-end system consistently match very well with ground-based field spectrometer measurements with a mean deviation of just 0.01-0.04 NDVI values. The low-cost system, while delivering better spatial resolutions, expressed significant biases. The sensors were subsequently used to address selected agronomical questions. These included crop yield estimation in rape and barley and plant disease detection in potato and onion cultivations. High levels of correlation between different vegetation indices and reference yield measurements were obtained for rape and barley. In case of barley, the NDRE index shows an average correlation of 87% with reference yield, when species are taken into account. With high geometric resolutions and respective GSDs of down to 2.5 cm the effects of a thrips infestation in onion could be analysed and potato blight was successfully detected at an early stage of infestation.

Efficacy of Fluensulfone in a Tomato–Cucumber Double Cropping System

PubMed Central

Morris, Kelly A.; Langston, David B.; Dickson, Donald W.; Davis, Richard F.; Timper, Patricia; Noe, James P.

2015-01-01

Vegetable crops in the southeastern United States are commonly grown on plastic mulch with two crop cycles produced on a single mulch application. Field trials were conducted in 2013 and 2014 in two locations to evaluate the efficacy of fluensulfone for controlling Meloidogyne spp. when applied through drip irrigation to cucumber in a tomato–cucumber double-cropping system. In the spring tomato crop, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), fluensulfone, and a resistant cultivar significantly decreased root galling by 91%, 73%, and 97%, respectively, compared to the untreated control. Tomato plots from the spring were divided into split plots for the fall where the main plots were the spring treatment and the subplots were cucumber either treated with fluensulfone (3.0 kg a.i./ha. via drip irrigation) or left untreated. The fall application of fluensulfone improved cucumber vigor and reduced gall ratings compared to untreated subplots. Fluensulfone reduced damage from root-knot nematodes when applied to the first crop as well as provided additional protection to the second crop when it was applied through a drip system. PMID:26941459

Preliminary evaluation of the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan crop calendar shift algorithm for estimation of spring wheat development stage. [North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phinney, D. E. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

An algorithm for estimating spectral crop calendar shifts of spring small grains was applied to 1978 spring wheat fields. The algorithm provides estimates of the date of peak spectral response by maximizing the cross correlation between a reference profile and the observed multitemporal pattern of Kauth-Thomas greenness for a field. A methodology was developed for estimation of crop development stage from the date of peak spectral response. Evaluation studies showed that the algorithm provided stable estimates with no geographical bias. Crop development stage estimates had a root mean square error near 10 days. The algorithm was recommended for comparative testing against other models which are candidates for use in AgRISTARS experiments.

Large-scale monitoring of effects of clothianidin dressed oilseed rape seeds on pollinating insects in Northern Germany: implementation of the monitoring project and its representativeness.

PubMed

Heimbach, Fred; Russ, Anja; Schimmer, Maren; Born, Katrin

2016-11-01

Monitoring studies at the landscape level are complex, expensive and difficult to conduct. Many aspects have to be considered to avoid confounding effects which is probably the reason why they are not regularly performed in the context of risk assessments of plant protection products to pollinating insects. However, if conducted appropriately their contribution is most valuable. In this paper we identify the requirements of a large-scale monitoring study for the assessment of side-effects of clothianidin seed-treated winter oilseed rape on three species of pollinating insects (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis) and present how these requirements were implemented. Two circular study sites were delineated next to each other in northeast Germany and comprised almost 65 km 2 each. At the reference site, study fields were drilled with clothianidin-free OSR seeds while at the test site the oilseed rape seeds contained a coating with 10 g clothianidin and 2 g beta-cyfluthrin per kg seeds (Elado®). The comparison of environmental conditions at the study sites indicated that they are as similar as possible in terms of climate, soil, land use, history and current practice of agriculture as well as in availability of oilseed rape and non-crop bee forage. Accordingly, local environmental conditions were considered not to have had any confounding effect on the results of the monitoring of the bee species. Furthermore, the study area was found to be representative for other oilseed rape cultivation regions in Europe.

[Influence of paddy rice-upland crop rotation of cold-waterlogged paddy field on crops produc- tion and soil characteristics].

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Li, Qing-hua; Lin, Cheng; He, Chun-mei; Zhong, Shao-jie; Li, Yu; Lin, Xin-jian; Huang, Jian-cheng

2015-05-01

Two consecutive years (4-crop) experiments were conducted to study the influence of different paddy rice-upland crop rotation in cold-waterlogged paddy field on the growth of crops and soil characteristics. The result showed that compared with the rice-winter fallow (CK) pattern, the two-year average yield of paddy rice under four rotation modes, including rape-rice (R-R), spring corn-rice (C-R), Chinese milk vetch-rice (M-R) and bean-rice (B-R), were increased by 5.3%-26.7%, with significant difference observed in C-R and R-R patterns. Except for M-R pattern, the annual average total economic benefits were improved by 79.0%-392.4% in all rotation pattern compared with the CK, and the ration of output/input was enhanced by 0.06-0.72 unit, with the most significant effect found in the C-R pattern. Likewise, compared with the CK, the contents of chlorophyll and carotenoid, and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of rice plant were all increased during the full-tillering stage of rice in all rotation patterns. The rusty lines and rusty spots of soils were more obvious compared with the CK during the rice harvest, particularly in R-R, C-R and B-R patterns. The ratio of water-stable soil macro aggregates of plough layer of soil (> 2 mm) decreased at different levels in all rotation patterns while the ratios of middle aggregate (0.25-2 mm, expect for M-R) and micro aggregate of soil (< 0.25 mm) were opposite. There was a decreasing trend for soil active reducing agents in all rotation patterns, whereas the available nutrient increased. The amounts of soil bacteria in C-R and B-R patterns, fungi in B-R rotation pattern, cellulose bacteria in R-R, C-R and B-R patterns and N-fixing bacteria in B-R pattern were improved by 285.7%-403.0%, 221.7%, 64.6-92.2% and 162.2%, respectively. Moreover, the differences in all microorganisms were significant. Thus, based on the experimental results of cold-waterlogged paddy field, it was concluded that changing from single cropping rice system to C-R, R-R and B-R rotation patterns had good effect in terms of improving total yield and economic benefits, and soil physical and chemical properties were improved.

Weather Effects on Crop Diseases in Eastern Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conradt, Tobias

2017-04-01

Since the 1970s there are several long-term monitoring programmes for plant diseases and pests in Germany. Within the framework of a national research project, some otherwise confidential databases comprising 77 111 samples from numerous sites accross Eastern Germany could be accessed and analysed. The pest data covered leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis) in winter wheat, aphids (Aphididae, four genera) on wheat and other cereal crops, late blight (Phytophthora infestans) in potatoes, and pollen beetles (Brassicogethes aeneus) on rape. These data were complemented by daily weather observations from the German Weather Service (DWD). In a first step, Pearson correlations between weather variables and pest frequencies were calculated for seasonal time periods of different start months and durations and ordered into so-called correlograms. This revealed principal weather effects on disease spread - e. g. that wind is favourable for mildew throughout the year or that rape pollen beetles like it warm, but not during wintertime. Secondly, the pest frequency samples were found to resemble gamma distributions, and a generalised linear model was fitted to describe their parameter shift depending on end-of-winter temperatures for aphids on cereals. The method clearly shows potential for systematic pest risk assessments regarding climate change.

Using lipidomics to reveal details of lipid accumulation in developing seeds from oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.).

PubMed

Woodfield, Helen K; Cazenave-Gassiot, Amaury; Haslam, Richard P; Guschina, Irina A; Wenk, Markus R; Harwood, John L

2018-03-01

With dwindling available agricultural land, concurrent with increased demand for oil, there is much current interest in raising oil crop productivity. We have been addressing this issue by studying the regulation of oil accumulation in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L). As part of this research we have carried out a detailed lipidomic analysis of developing seeds. The molecular species distribution in individual lipid classes revealed quite distinct patterns and showed where metabolic connections were important. As the seeds developed, the molecular species distributions changed, especially in the period of early (20days after flowering, DAF) to mid phase (27DAF) of oil accumulation. The patterns of molecular species of diacylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and acyl-CoAs were used to predict the possible relative contributions of diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase to triacylglycerol production. Our calculations suggest that DGAT may hold a more important role in influencing the molecular composition of TAG. Enzyme selectivity had an important influence on the final molecular species patterns. Our data contribute significantly to our understanding of lipid accumulation in the world's third most important oil crop. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects on weed and invertebrate abundance and diversity of herbicide management in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant winter-sown oilseed rape

PubMed Central

Bohan, David A; Boffey, Caroline W.H; Brooks, David R; Clark, Suzanne J; Dewar, Alan M; Firbank, Les G; Haughton, Alison J; Hawes, Cathy; Heard, Matthew S; May, Mike J; Osborne, Juliet L; Perry, Joe N; Rothery, Peter; Roy, David B; Scott, Rod J; Squire, Geoff R; Woiwod, Ian P; Champion, Gillian T

2005-01-01

We evaluated the effects of the herbicide management associated with genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) winter oilseed rape (WOSR) on weed and invertebrate abundance and diversity by testing the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the effects of herbicide management of GMHT WOSR and that of comparable conventional varieties. For total weeds there were few treatment differences between GMHT and conventional cropping, but large and opposite treatment effects were observed for dicots and monocots. In the GMHT treatment, there were fewer dicots and more monocots than in conventional crops. At harvest, dicot biomass and seed rain in the GMHT treatment were one-third of that in the conventional, while monocot biomass was threefold greater and monocot seed rain almost fivefold greater in the GMHT treatment than in the conventional. These differential effects persisted into the following two years of the rotation. Bees and butterflies that forage and select for dicot weeds were less abundant in GMHT WOSR management in July. Year totals for Collembola were greater under GMHT management. There were few other treatment effects on invertebrates, despite the marked effects of herbicide management on the weeds. PMID:15799941

Effects on weed and invertebrate abundance and diversity of herbicide management in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant winter-sown oilseed rape.

PubMed

Bohan, David A; Boffey, Caroline W H; Brooks, David R; Clark, Suzanne J; Dewar, Alan M; Firbank, Les G; Haughton, Alison J; Hawes, Cathy; Heard, Matthew S; May, Mike J; Osborne, Juliet L; Perry, Joe N; Rothery, Peter; Roy, David B; Scott, Rod J; Squire, Geoff R; Woiwod, Ian P; Champion, Gillian T

2005-03-07

We evaluated the effects of the herbicide management associated with genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) winter oilseed rape (WOSR) on weed and invertebrate abundance and diversity by testing the null hypotheses that there is no difference between the effects of herbicide management of GMHT WOSR and that of comparable conventional varieties. For total weeds, there were few treatment differences between GMHT and conventional cropping, but large and opposite treatment effects were observed for dicots and monocots. In the GMHT treatment, there were fewer dicots and monocots than in conventional crops. At harvest, dicot biomass and seed rain in the GMHT treatment were one-third of that in the conventional, while monocot biomass was threefold greater and monocot seed rain almost fivefold greater in the GMHT treatment than in the conventional. These differential effects persisted into the following two years of the rotation. Bees and Butterflies that forage and select for dicot weeds were less abundant in GMHT WORS management in July. Year totals for Collembola were greater under GMHT management. There were few other treatment effects on invertebrates, despite the marked effects of herbicide management on the weeds.

Effect of biofumigation with brassica pellets combined with Brassicaceae cover crops and plastic cover on the survival and infectivity of inoculum of Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Molina, M Carmen; Serrano-Pérez, Paula; Palo, Carolina

2016-07-01

Biofumigation with defatted seed meal of Brassicaceae in the form of pellets has several advantages over the incorporation of fresh Brassicaceae crops to control soil-borne diseases. Two field experiments were established to evaluate the effect of biofumigation with brassica pellets on the survival and infectivity of Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan inoculum introduced before treatments. In the spring experiment the incorporation of additional Brassicaceae cover crop (Brassica nigra L. and Sinapis alba L.) was tested, and in the summer experiment two brassica pellet doses were applied. Biofumigation with brassica pellets in spring (3000 kg ha(-1) with and without plastic) or in summer (3000 kg ha(-1) with or without plastic; 6000 kg ha(-1) without plastic) had no significant effect on the survival of P. nicotianae, regardless of the incorporation of additional Brassicaceae cover crop in spring. Reduction in infectivity in spring was related to the application of plastic, especially when combined with brassica pellets and Brassicaceae crop. In summer, soil temperature was the main factor in the inactivation of the inoculum, especially when plastic was applied, and no additional inactivation was achieved with brassica pellets. In spring and summer, biofumigation with brassica pellets had no effect on the survival of P. nicotianae. Application of plastic in spring may reduce infectivity. Soil temperature is the main factor in the inactivation of inoculum in summer, especially when plastic is applied. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Monitoring growth condition of spring maize in Northeast China using a process-based model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Peijuan; Zhou, Yuyu; Huo, Zhiguo; Han, Lijuan; Qiu, Jianxiu; Tan, Yanjng; Liu, Dan

2018-04-01

Early and accurate assessment of the growth condition of spring maize, a major crop in China, is important for the national food security. This study used a process-based Remote-Sensing-Photosynthesis-Yield Estimation for Crops (RS-P-YEC) model, driven by satellite-derived leaf area index and ground-based meteorological observations, to simulate net primary productivity (NPP) of spring maize in Northeast China from the first ten-day (FTD) of May to the second ten-day (STD) of August during 2001-2014. The growth condition of spring maize in 2014 in Northeast China was monitored and evaluated spatially and temporally by comparison with 5- and 13-year averages, as well as 2009 and 2013. Results showed that NPP simulated by the RS-P-YEC model, with consideration of multi-scattered radiation inside the crop canopy, could reveal the growth condition of spring maize more reasonably than the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator. Moreover, NPP outperformed other commonly used vegetation indices (e.g., Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)) for monitoring and evaluating the growth condition of spring maize. Compared with the 5- and 13-year averages, the growth condition of spring maize in 2014 was worse before the STD of June and after the FTD of August, and it was better from the third ten-day (TTD) of June to the TTD of July across Northeast China. Spatially, regions with slightly worse and worse growth conditions in the STD of August 2014 were concentrated mainly in central Northeast China, and they accounted for about half of the production area of spring maize in Northeast China. This study confirms that NPP is a good indicator for monitoring and evaluating growth condition because of its capacity to reflect the physiological characteristics of crops. Meanwhile, the RS-P-YEC model, driven by remote sensing and ground-based meteorological data, is effective for monitoring crop growth condition over large areas in a near real time.

Tropical rotation crops influence nematode densities and vegetable yields.

PubMed

McSorley, R; Dickson, D W; de Brito, J A; Hochmuth, R C

1994-09-01

The effects of eight summer rotation crops on nematode densities and yields of subsequent spring vegetable crops were determined in field studies conducted in north Florida from 1991 to 1993. The crop sequence was as follows: (i) rotation crops during summer 1991; (ii) cover crop of rye (Secale cereale) during winter 1991-92; (iii) 'Lemondrop L' squash (Cucurbita pepo) during spring 1992; (iv) rotation crops during summer 1992; (v) rye during winter 1992-93; (vi) 'Classic' eggplant (Solanum melongena) during spring 1993. The eight summer crop rotation treatments were as follows: 'Hale' castor (Ricinus communis), velvetbean (Mucuna deeringiana), sesame (Sesamum indicum), American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana), weed fallow, 'SX- 17' sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x S. sudanense), 'Kirby' soybean (Glycine max), and 'Clemson Spineless' okra (Hibiscus esculentus) as a control. Rotations with castor, velvetbean, American jointvetch, and sorghum-sudangrass were most effective in maintaining the lowest population densities of Meloidogyne spp. (a mixture of M. incognita race 1 and M. arenaria race 1), but Paratrichodorus minor built up in the sorghum-sudangrass rotation. Yield of squash was lower (P

Can we use photography to estimate radiation interception by a crop canopy?

PubMed

Chakwizira, E; Meenken, E D; George, M J; Fletcher, A L

2015-03-01

Accuracy of determining radiation interception, and hence radiation use efficiency, depends on the method of measuring photosynthetically active radiation intercepted. Methods vary, from expensive instruments such as Sunfleck ceptometers to simple methods such as digital photography. However, before universal use of digital photography there is need to determine its reliability and compare it with conventional, but expensive, methods. In a series of experiments at Lincoln, New Zealand, canopy development for barley, wheat, white clover and four forage brassica species was determined using both digital photographs and Sunfleck ceptometer. Values obtained were used to calculate conversion coefficient (Kf/Ki) ratios between the two methods. Digital photographs were taken at 45° and 90° for barley, wheat and white clover and at only 90° for brassicas. There was an interaction of effects of crop and cultivar for the cereal crops. Barley closed canopies earlier than wheat, and 'Emir' barley and 'Stettler' wheat had consistently higher canopy cover than 'Golden Promise' and 'HY459', respectively. Canopy cover was consistently larger at 45° than 90° for cereals. However, for white clover, the angle of digital photography was not important. There was also an interaction between effects of species and method of determining canopy cover for brassicas. Photographs gave higher cover values than ceptometer for forage rape and turnip, but the relationship was variable for forage kale and swede. Kf/Ki ratios of 1.0-1.10 for cereals, white clover and forage rape and turnip show that digital photographs can be used to estimated radiation interception, in place of Sunfleck ceptometer, for these crops. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Low crop plant population densities promote pollen-mediated gene flow in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Willenborg, Christian J; Brûlé-Babel, Anita L; Van Acker, Rene C

2009-12-01

Transgenic wheat is currently being field tested with the intent of eventual commercialization. The development of wheat genotypes with novel traits has raised concerns regarding the presence of volunteer wheat populations and the role they may play in facilitating transgene movement. Here, we report the results of a field experiment that investigated the potential of spring wheat plant population density and crop height to minimize gene flow from a herbicide-resistant (HR) volunteer population to a non-HR crop. Pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) between the HR volunteer wheat population and four conventional spring wheat genotypes varying in height was assessed over a range of plant population densities. Natural hybridization events between the two cultivars were detected by phenotypically scoring plants in F(1) populations followed by verification with Mendelian segregation ratios in the F(1:2) families. PMGF was strongly associated with crop yield components, but showed no association with flowering synchrony. Maximum observed PMGF was always less than 0.6%, regardless of crop height and density. The frequency of PMGF in spring wheat decreased exponentially with increasing plant population density, but showed no dependence on either crop genotype or height. However, increasing plant densities beyond the recommended planting rate of 300 cropped wheat plants m(-2) provided no obvious benefit to reducing PMGF. Nevertheless, our results demonstrate a critical plant density of 175-200 cropped wheat plants m(-2) below which PMGF frequencies rise exponentially with decreasing plant density. These results will be useful in the development of mechanistic models and best management practices that collectively facilitate the coexistence of transgenic and nontransgenic wheat crops.

Crop responses to elevated CO2 and interactions with H2O, N, and temperature.

PubMed

Kimball, Bruce A

2016-06-01

About twenty-seven years ago, free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology was developed that enabled the air above open-field plots to be enriched with CO2 for entire growing seasons. Since then, FACE experiments have been conducted on cotton, wheat, ryegrass, clover, potato, grape, rice, barley, sugar beet, soybean, cassava, rape, mustard, coffee (C3 crops), and sorghum and maize (C4 crops). Elevated CO2 (550ppm from an ambient concentration of about 353ppm in 1990) decreased evapotranspiration about 10% on average and increased canopy temperatures about 0.7°C. Biomass and yield were increased by FACE in all C3 species, but not in C4 species except when water was limiting. Yields of C3 grain crops were increased on average about 19%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A numerical study of the effect of irrigation on land-atmosphere interactions in a spring wheat cropland in India using a coupled atmosphere-crop growth dynamics model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumari, S.; Sharma, P.; Srivastava, A.; Rastogi, D.; Sehgal, V. K.; Dhakar, R.; Roy, S. B.

2017-12-01

Vegetation dynamics and surface meteorology are tightly coupled through the exchange of momentum, moisture and heat between the land surface and the atmosphere. In this study, we use a recently developed coupled atmosphere-crop growth dynamics model to study these exchanges and their effects in a spring wheat cropland in northern India. In particular, we investigate the role of irrigation in controlling crop growth rates, surface meteorology, and sensible and latent heat fluxes. The model is developed by implementing a crop growth module based on the Simple and Universal Crop growth Simulator (SUCROS) model in the Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale atmospheric model. The crop module calculates photosynthesis rates, carbon assimilation, and biomass partitioning as a function of environmental factors and crop development stage. The leaf area index (LAI) and root depth calculated by the crop module is then fed to the Noah-MP land module of WRF to calculate land-atmosphere fluxes. The crop model is calibrated using data from an experimental spring wheat crop site in the Indian Agriculture Research Institute. The coupled model is capable of simulating the observed spring wheat phenology. Irrigation is simulated by changing the soil moisture levels from 50% - 100% of field capacity. Results show that the yield first increases with increasing soil moisture and then starts decreasing as we further increase the soil moisture. Yield attains its maximum value with soil moisture at the level of 60% water of FC. At this level, high LAI values lead to a decrease in the Bowen Ratio because more energy is transferred to the atmosphere as latent heat rather than sensible heat resulting in a cooling effect on near-surface air temperatures. Apart from improving simulation of land-atmosphere interactions, this coupled modeling approach can form the basis for the seamless crop yield and seasonal scale weather outlook prediction system.

Modelling the perennial energy crop market: the role of spatial diffusion

PubMed Central

Alexander, Peter; Moran, Dominic; Rounsevell, Mark D. A.; Smith, Pete

2013-01-01

Biomass produced from energy crops, such as Miscanthus and short rotation coppice is expected to contribute to renewable energy targets, but the slower than anticipated development of the UK market implies the need for greater understanding of the factors that govern adoption. Here, we apply an agent-based model of the UK perennial energy crop market, including the contingent interaction of supply and demand, to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of energy crop adoption. Results indicate that perennial energy crop supply will be between six and nine times lower than previously published, because of time lags in adoption arising from a spatial diffusion process. The model simulates time lags of at least 20 years, which is supported empirically by the analogue of oilseed rape adoption in the UK from the 1970s. This implies the need to account for time lags arising from spatial diffusion in evaluating land-use change, climate change (mitigation or adaptation) or the adoption of novel technologies. PMID:24026474

Modelling the perennial energy crop market: the role of spatial diffusion.

PubMed

Alexander, Peter; Moran, Dominic; Rounsevell, Mark D A; Smith, Pete

2013-11-06

Biomass produced from energy crops, such as Miscanthus and short rotation coppice is expected to contribute to renewable energy targets, but the slower than anticipated development of the UK market implies the need for greater understanding of the factors that govern adoption. Here, we apply an agent-based model of the UK perennial energy crop market, including the contingent interaction of supply and demand, to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of energy crop adoption. Results indicate that perennial energy crop supply will be between six and nine times lower than previously published, because of time lags in adoption arising from a spatial diffusion process. The model simulates time lags of at least 20 years, which is supported empirically by the analogue of oilseed rape adoption in the UK from the 1970s. This implies the need to account for time lags arising from spatial diffusion in evaluating land-use change, climate change (mitigation or adaptation) or the adoption of novel technologies.

Recent Genetic Gains in Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Oilseed Rape

PubMed Central

Stahl, Andreas; Pfeifer, Mara; Frisch, Matthias; Wittkop, Benjamin; Snowdon, Rod J.

2017-01-01

Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, and N fertilization allows farmers to obtain high yields and produce sufficient agricultural commodities. On the other hand, nitrogen losses potentially cause adverse effects to ecosystems and to human health. Increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is vital to solve the conflict between productivity, to secure the demand of a growing world population, and the protection of the environment. To ensure this, genetic improvement is considered to be a paramount aspect toward ecofriendly crop production. Winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is the second most important oilseed crop in the world and is cultivated in many regions across the temperate zones. To our knowledge, this study reports the most comprehensive field-based data generated to date for an empirical evaluation of genetic improvement in winter oilseed rape varieties under two divergent nitrogen fertilization levels (NFLs). A collection of 30 elite varieties registered between 1989 and 2014, including hybrids and open pollinated varieties, was tested in a 2-year experiment in 10 environments across Germany for changes in seed yield and seed quality traits. Furthermore, NUE was calculated. We observed a highly significant genetics-driven increase in seed yield per-se and, thus, increased NUE at both NFLs. On average, seed yield from modern open-pollinated varieties and modern hybrids was higher than from old open-pollinated varieties and old hybrids. The annual yield progress across all tested varieties was ~35 kg ha−1 year−1 at low nitrogen and 45 kg ha−1 year−1 under high nitrogen fertilization. Furthermore, in modern varieties an increased oil concentration and decreased protein concentration was observed. Despite, the significant effects of nitrogen fertilization, a surprisingly low average seed yield gap of 180 kg N ha−1 was noted between high and low nitrogen fertilization. Due to contrary effects of N fertilization on seed yield per-se and seed oil concentration an oil yield of 2.04 t ha−1 was measured at both N levels. Collectively, the data reveal that genetic improvement through modern breeding techniques in conjunction with reduced N fertilizer inputs has a tremendous potential to increase NUE of oilseed rape. PMID:28638399

Effects of Tropical Rotation Crops on Meloidogyne arenaria Population Densities and Vegetable Yields in Microplots.

PubMed

McSorley, R; Dickson, D W; de Brito, J A; Hewlett, T E; Frederick, J J

1994-06-01

The effects of 12 summer crop rotation treatments on population densities of Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 and on yields of subsequent spring vegetable crops were determined in microplots. The crop sequence was: (i) rotation crops during summer 1991 ; (ii) cover crop of rye (Secale cereale) during winter 1991-92; (iii) squash (Cucurbita pepo) during spring 1992; (iv) rotation crops during summer 1992; (v) rye during winter 1992-93; (vi) eggplant (Solanum melongena) during spring 1993. The 12 rotation treatments were castor (Ricinus communis), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), velvetbean (Mucuna deeringiana), crotalaria (Crotalaria spectabilis), fallow, hairy indigo (Indigofera hirsuta), American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana), sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x S. sudanense), soybean (Glycine max), horsebean (Canavalia ensiformis), sesame (Sesamum indicum), and peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Compared to peanut, the first eight rotation treatments resulted in lower (P

Season and landscape composition affect pollen foraging distances and habitat use of honey bees.

PubMed

Danner, Nadja; Molitor, Anna Maria; Schiele, Susanne; Härtel, Stephan; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf

2016-09-01

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) show a large variation in foraging distances and use a broad range of plant species as pollen resources, even in regions with intensive agriculture. However, it is unknown how increasing areas of mass-flowering crops like oilseed rape (Brassica napus; OSR) or a decrease of seminatural habitats (SNH) change the temporal and spatial availability of pollen resources for honey bee colonies, and thus foraging distances and frequency in different habitat types. We studied pollen foraging of honey bee colonies in 16 agricultural landscapes with independent gradients of OSR and SNH area within 2 km and used waggle dances and digital geographic maps with major land cover types to reveal the distance and visited habitat type on a landscape level. Mean pollen foraging distance of 1347 decoded bee dances was 1015 m (± 26 m; SEM). In spring, increasing area of flowering OSR within 2 km reduced mean pollen foraging distances from 1324 m to only 435 m. In summer, increasing cover of SNH areas close to the colonies (within 200 m radius) reduced mean pollen foraging distances from 846 to 469 m. Frequency of pollen foragers per habitat type, measured as the number of dances per hour and hectare, was equally high for SNH, grassland, and OSR fields, but lower for other crops and forests. In landscapes with a small proportion of SNH a significantly higher density of pollen foragers on SNH was observed, indicating that pollen resources in such simple agricultural landscapes are more limited. Overall, we conclude that SNH and mass-flowering crops can reduce foraging distances of honey bee colonies at different scales and seasons with possible benefits for the performance of honey bee colonies. Further, mixed agricultural landscapes with a high proportion of SNH reduce foraging densities of honey bees in SNH and thus possible competition for pollen resources. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Transgenic crops get a test in the wild

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

Cherfas, J.

1991-02-22

A novel British research program called PROSAMO - Planned Release of Selected and Modified Organisms - has just produced its first batch of results on the ecological behavior of a genetically manipulated variety of oil seed rape (known to Americans as canola). As expected, the preliminary data indicate that these plants do not outgrow their competitors in the wild, nor is there any evidence that they pass on their foreign genes to other species. PROSAMO is moving on to test other crops with other foreign genes. If these results are as reassuring, scientists around the world will have solid evidencemore » with which to soothe fears.« less

Lower Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Anhydrous Ammonia Application Prior to Soil Freezing in Late Fall Than Spring Pre-Plant Application.

PubMed

Tenuta, Mario; Gao, Xiaopeng; Flaten, Donald N; Amiro, Brian D

2016-07-01

Fall application of anhydrous ammonia in Manitoba is common but its impact on nitrous oxide (NO) emissions is not well known. A 2-yr study compared application before freeze-up in late fall to spring pre-plant application of anhydrous ammonia on nitrous oxide (NO) emissions from a clay soil in the Red River Valley, Manitoba. Spring wheat ( L.) and corn ( L.) were grown on two 4-ha fields in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Field-scale flux of NO was measured using a flux-gradient micrometeorological approach. Late fall treatment did not induce NO emissions soon after application or in winter likely because soil was frozen. Application time did alter the temporal pattern of emissions with late fall and spring pre-plant applications significantly increasing median daily NO flux at spring thaw and early crop growing season, respectively. The majority of emissions occurred in early growing season resulting in cumulative emissions for the crop year being numerically 33% less for late fall than spring pre-plant application. Poor yield in the first year with late fall treatment occurred because of weed and volunteer growth with delayed planting. Results show late fall application of anhydrous ammonia before freeze-up increased NO emissions at thaw and decreased emissions for the early growing season compared to spring pre-plant application. However, improved nitrogen availability of late fall application to crops the following year is required when planting is delayed because of excessive moisture in spring. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Research in satellite-aided crop inventory and monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, J. D.; Dragg, J. L.; Bizzell, R. M.; Trichel, M. C. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Automated information extraction procedures for analysis of multitemporal LANDSAT data in non-U.S. crop inventory and monitoring are reviewed. Experiments to develope and evaluate crop area estimation technologies for spring small grains, summer crops, corn, and soybeans are discussed.

Crop calendars for the US, USSR, and Canada in support of the early warning project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, T.; Sestak, M. L.; Trenchard, M. H. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

New crop calendars are produced for U.S. regions where several years of periodic growth stage observations are available on a CRD basis. Preexisting crop calendars from the LACIE are also collected as are U.S. crop calendars currently being created for the Foreign Commodities Production Forecast project. For the U.S.S.R. and Canada, no new crop calendars are created because no new data are available. Instead, LACIE crop calendars are compared against simulated normal daily temperatures and against the Robertson wheat and Williams barley phenology models run on the simulated normal temperatures. Severe inconsistencies are noted and discussed. For the U.S.S.R., spring and fall planting dates can probably be estimated accurately from satellite or meteorological data. For the starter model problem, the Feyerherm spring wheat model is recommended for spring planted small grains, and the results of an analysis are presented. For fall planted small grains, use of normal planting dates supplemented by spectral observation of an early stage is recommended. The importance of nonmeteorological factors as they pertain to meteorological factors in determining fall planting is discussed. Crop calendar data available at the Johnson Space Center for the U.S., U.S.S.R., Canada, and other countries are inventoried.

Anaerobic digestion of spring and winter wheat: Comparison of net energy yields.

PubMed

Rincón, Bárbara; Heaven, Sonia; Salter, Andrew M; Banks, Charles J

2016-10-14

Anaerobic digestion of wheat was investigated under batch conditions. The article compares the potential net energy yield between a winter wheat (sown in the autumn) and a spring wheat (sown in the spring) grown in the same year and harvested at the same growth stage in the same farm. The spring wheat had a slightly higher biochemical methane potential and required lower energy inputs in cultivation, but produced a lower dry biomass yield per hectare, which resulted in winter wheat providing the best overall net energy yield. The difference was small; both varieties gave a good net energy yield. Spring sowing may also offer the opportunity for growing an additional over-winter catch crop for spring harvest, thus increasing the overall biomass yield per hectare, with both crops being potential digester feedstocks.

East Europe Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-26

is a crucial prerequisite for long-term stable rape production. This is essentially determined by the time of clearing the previous crop from the...Stubble treatment. It is an integral part of stubble plowing and is an essential prerequisite for quality plowing for sowing. Harrowing once or twice at...Rotaru: "Inter-Factory Cooperation and Current Needs for Conserving Social Labor"] [Text] As a reflection of the essential nature and the method

Comparing the impact of conventional pesticide and use of a transgenic pest-resistant crop on the beneficial carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius.

PubMed

Mulligan, Evan A; Ferry, Natalie; Jouanin, Lise; Walters, Keith Fa; Port, Gordon R; Gatehouse, Angharad Mr

2006-10-01

The potential impact of a chemical pesticide control method has been compared with that of transgenic plants expressing a protease inhibitor conferring insect resistance by utilising a tritrophic system comprising the crop plant Brassica napus (L.) (Oilseed rape), the pest mollusc Deroceras reticulatum (Müller) and the predatory carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger). Cypermethrin, as the most widely used pesticide in UK oilseed rape (OSR) cultivation, was selected as the conventional treatment. OSR expressing a cysteine protease inhibitor, oryzacystatin-1 (OC-1), was the transgenic comparator. In feeding trials, D. reticulatum showed no significant long-term effects on measured life history parameters (survival, weight gain, food consumption) as a result of exposure to either the cypermethrin or OC-1 treatment. However, D. reticulatum was able to respond to the presence of the dietary inhibitor by producing two novel proteases following exposure to OC-1-expressing OSR. Similarly, P. melanarius showed no detectable alterations in mortality, weight gain or food consumption when feeding on D. reticulatum previously fed either pesticide-contaminated or GM plant material. Furthermore, as with the slug, a novel form of protease, approximately M(r) 27 kDa, was induced in the carabid in response to feeding on slugs fed OC-1-expressing OSR.

Modelling and estimating pollen movement in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) at the landscape scale using genetic markers.

PubMed

Devaux, C; Lavigne, C; Austerlitz, F; Klein, E K

2007-02-01

Understanding patterns of pollen movement at the landscape scale is important for establishing management rules following the release of genetically modified (GM) crops. We use here a mating model adapted to cultivated species to estimate dispersal kernels from the genotypes of the progenies of male-sterile plants positioned at different sampling sites within a 10 x 10-km oilseed rape production area. Half of the pollen clouds sampled by the male-sterile plants originated from uncharacterized pollen sources that could consist of both large volunteer and feral populations, and fields within and outside the study area. The geometric dispersal kernel was the most appropriate to predict pollen movement in the study area. It predicted a much larger proportion of long-distance pollination than previously fitted dispersal kernels. This best-fitting mating model underestimated the level of differentiation among pollen clouds but could predict its spatial structure. The estimation method was validated on simulated genotypic data, and proved to provide good estimates of both the shape of the dispersal kernel and the rate and composition of pollen issued from uncharacterized pollen sources. The best dispersal kernel fitted here, the geometric kernel, should now be integrated into models that aim at predicting gene flow at the landscape level, in particular between GM and non-GM crops.

Impacts of plastic film mulching on crop yields, soil water, nitrate, and organic carbon in Northwestern China: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ma, Dedi; Chen, Lei; Qu, Hongchao; Wang, Yilin; Misselbrook, Tom; Jiang, Rui

2018-04-01

In order to increase crop yield in semi-arid and arid areas, plastic film mulching (PFM) is widely used in Northwestern China. To date, many studies have addressed the effects of PFM on soil physical and biochemical properties in rain-fed agriculture in Northwestern China, but the findings of different studies are often contradictory. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the impacts of PFM on soil water content, soil nutrients and food production is needed. We compiled the results of 1278 observations to evaluate the overall effects of PFM on soil water content, the distribution of nitrate and soil organic carbon, and crop yield in rain-fed agriculture in Northwestern China. Our results showed that PFM increased soil moisture and nitrate concentration in topsoils (0-20 cm) by 12.9% and 28.2%, respectively, but slightly decreased (1.8%) soil organic carbon (SOC) content in the 0-10 cm soil layer. PFM significantly increased grain yields by 43.1%, with greatest effect in spring maize (79.4%). When related to cumulative precipitation during the crop growing season, yield increase from PFM was greatest (72.8%) at 200-300 mm, which was attributed to the large increase for spring maize and potato, implying that crop zoning would be beneficial for PFM in this region. When related to N application rate, crop yields benefited most from PFM (80.2%) at 200-300 kg/ha. A cost-benefit analysis indicated that PFM increased economic return by an average of 29.5%, with the best improvement for spring maize (71.1%) and no increase for spring wheat. In conclusion, PFM can significantly increase crop yield and economic return (especially for spring maize) in rain-fed agriculture areas of Northwestern China. Crop zoning is recommended for PFM to achieve the largest economic benefit. However, full account needs to be taken of the environmental impacts relating to N loss, SOC depletion and film pollution to evaluate the sustainability of PFM systems and further research is required to quantify and mitigate these impacts.

Influence of the nature and age of cover crop residues on the sorption of three pesticides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassigneul, Ana; Alletto, Lionel; Chuette, Delphine; Le Gac, Anne-Laure; Hatier, Jules; Etievant, Veronique; Bergheaud, Valérie; Baumberger, Stéphanie; Méchin, Valérie; Justes, Eric; Benoit, Pierre

2013-04-01

In agricultural fields, soil and water quality preservation is strongly influenced by pesticides use and behavior. To limit the environmental impacts of agricultural activities, best management practices such as the use of cover crops are encouraged. Cover crops during the fallow period were found to be efficient in reducing nitrate leaching, controlling soil erosion, improving soil organic content and enhancing soil biological activity. This technique was also found to modify soil water dynamics in the following crop. According to these effects, modifications on pesticide behavior in soil, such as sorption, degradation and transport, are expected (Alletto et al., 2012 ; 2013). In this study, the impact of the nature and level of decomposition of cover crop was studied on the sorption characteristics of three pesticides. These pesticides differed in their physicochemical characteristics (hydrophobicity, solubility, persistence) and were two herbicides, S-metolachlor and glyphosate, which are largely used in maize production and predominantly found as pollutants in water; and one fungicide, epoxiconazole. Correlations between pesticide sorption and physicochemical characteristics of the cover crop residues were studied. Residues of oat, turnip rape, red clover and phacelia were collected in March 2011 and incubated at 28°C and at the water holding capacity during 0, 6, 28 or 56 days. For each date, adsorption of the three radiolabeled pesticides was measured in batch on the different cover crop residues, and their biochemical composition (Van Soest fractionation), hydrophobicity (contact angle measurement) and C/N ratio were determined. Results showed that the adsorption of the pesticides differed significantly according to (i) the pesticide, (ii) the nature of cover crop, (iii) the decomposition level of the cover crop and the interaction cover crop x decomposition time. Epoxiconazole was the most adsorbed molecule, with Kd values ranging from 161 ± 30 L/Kg (oat, turnip rape, phacelia) to 206 ± 45 L/Kg (red clover); and glyphosate was the less adsorbed, with Kd values ranging from 1 ± 1 L/Kg (oat, red clover) to 9 ± 1 L/Kg (phacelia) at day 0. Differences between pesticides were expected considering the hydrophobicity of these molecules. Adsorption of the three pesticides increased with decomposition time (up to sevenfold for glyphosate on oat), and was negatively correlated with C/N ratio (-0.73<ρ<-0.89, p<0.001) and positively with the lignin fraction of the residue in decomposition (0.54<ρ<0.85, p<0.05). The correlation between adsorption and wettability was slight and not significant, except for glyphosate on oat and turnip rape (ρ=-0.99 and ρ=-0.62, p<0.05 respectively), leading to the assumption of the contribution of other factors than biochemical composition in wettability. This study highlighted that the nature and level of decomposition of cover crop at the soil surface influenced the mobility of pesticides as it was observed in decomposing mulch of crop residues (Aslam et al., 2013). As a result, the type of cover crop and the changes of cover crop residues composition during decomposition in field may control differently the movement of non-ionic pesticides compared to ionic compounds such as glyphosate, largely used in conservation agriculture practices. Keywords : Cover crops ; Glyphosate ; S-metolachlor ; Epoxiconazole ; Mulch; Sorption ; Biochemical composition References Alletto L., Benoit P., Justes E., Coquet Y. 2012. Effects of tillage and fallow period management on the fate of the herbicide isoxaflutole in an irrigated continuous-maize field. Agriculture, Ecosystems Environment, 153, 40- 49. http://dx.doi:10.1016/j.agee.2012.03.002 Alletto L., Benoit P., Coufignal M., Bergheaud V., Dumény V., Longueval D., Barriuso E. 2013. Sorption and mineralization of S-metolachlor in 51 fields cultivated with conservation tillage. Soil Tillage Research 128, 97-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2012.11.005 Aslam S., Garnier P., Rumpel C., Parent S., Benoit P. 2013. Adsorption and desorption behavior of selected pesticides as influenced by decomposition of maize mulch. Chemosphere, in press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.12.005

Biomass yield and feeding value of rye, triticale, and wheat straw produced under a dual-purpose management system.

PubMed

Ates, S; Keles, G; Demirci, U; Dogan, S; Ben Salem, H

2017-11-01

Dual-purpose management of winter cereals for grazing and grain production provides highly nutritive forage for ruminants in the spring and may positively affect straw feeding value. A 2-yr study investigated the effect of spring defoliation of triticale, wheat, and rye at the tillering and stem elongation stages on total biomass, grain yields, and straw quality. Furthermore, straws of spring-defoliated and undefoliated (control) cereal crops were evaluated for nutritional value and voluntary intake as a means of assessing the efficiency of dual-purpose management systems from the winter feeding context as well. The feeding study consisted of 9 total mixed rations (TMR), each containing 35% triticale, rye, or wheat straw obtained under 3 spring-defoliation regimens. The TMR were individually fed to fifty-four 1-yr-old Anatolian Merino ewes for 28 d. Defoliation of the crops at tillering did not affect the total biomass production or grain yields. However, biomass and grain yields were reduced ( < 0.01) by 55 and 52%, respectively, in crops defoliated at stem elongation. Straw of spring-defoliated cereals had less NDF and ADF concentrations ( < 0.01) but greater CP ( < 0.01), nonfiber carbohydrates ( < 0.01), and ME concentrations ( < 0.01) compared with straw from undefoliated crops. The increase in the nutritive value of straw led to greater nutrient digestion ( < 0.01) and intake of DM and OM of ewes ( < 0.01). However, sheep live weight gain did not differ among treatments ( > 0.77). This study indicated that straw feeding value and digestibility can be increased through spring defoliation.

Agricultural Land Use mapping by multi-sensor approach for hydrological water quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodsky, Lukas; Kodesova, Radka; Kodes, Vit

2010-05-01

The main objective of this study is to demonstrate potential of operational use of the high and medium resolution remote sensing data for hydrological water quality monitoring by mapping agriculture intensity and crop structures. In particular use of remote sensing mapping for optimization of pesticide monitoring. The agricultural mapping task is tackled by means of medium spatial and high temporal resolution ESA Envisat MERIS FR images together with single high spatial resolution IRS AWiFS image covering the whole area of interest (the Czech Republic). High resolution data (e.g. SPOT, ALOS, Landsat) are often used for agricultural land use classification, but usually only at regional or local level due to data availability and financial constraints. AWiFS data (nominal spatial resolution 56 m) due to the wide satellite swath seems to be more suitable for use at national level. Nevertheless, one of the critical issues for such a classification is to have sufficient image acquisitions over the whole vegetation period to describe crop development in appropriate way. ESA MERIS middle-resolution data were used in several studies for crop classification. The high temporal and also spectral resolution of MERIS data has indisputable advantage for crop classification. However, spatial resolution of 300 m results in mixture signal in a single pixel. AWiFS-MERIS data synergy brings new perspectives in agricultural Land Use mapping. Also, the developed methodology procedure is fully compatible with future use of ESA (GMES) Sentinel satellite images. The applied methodology of hybrid multi-sensor approach consists of these main stages: a/ parcel segmentation and spectral pre-classification of high resolution image (AWiFS); b/ ingestion of middle resolution (MERIS) vegetation spectro-temporal features; c/ vegetation signatures unmixing; and d/ semantic object-oriented classification of vegetation classes into final classification scheme. These crop groups were selected to be classified: winter crops, spring crops, oilseed rape, legumes, summer and other crops. This study highlights operational potentials of high temporal full resolution MERIS images in agricultural land use monitoring. Practical application of this methodology is foreseen, among others, in the water quality monitoring. Effective pesticide monitoring relies also on spatial distribution of applied pesticides, which can be derived from crop - plant protection product relationship. Knowledge of areas with predominant occurrence of specific crop based on remote sensing data described above can be used for a forecast of probable plant protection product application, thus cost-effective pesticide monitoring. The remote sensing data used on a continuous basis can be used in other long-term water management issues and provide valuable data for decision makers. Acknowledgement: Authors acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (grants No. 2B06095 and No. MSM 6046070901). The study was also supported by ESA CAT-1 (ref. 4358) and SOSI projects (Spatial Observation Services and Infrastructure; ref. GSTP-RTDA-EOPG-SW-08-0004).

Longleaf pine cone collection on the Sabine National Forest during October 2014

Treesearch

George F. Weick; Earlene Bracy Jackson; Robert Smith; James Crooks; Barbara Crane; James M. Guldin

2017-01-01

Longleaf pine is known as an unpredictable seed producer, with adequate or better seed crops occurring once every 5 years or longer. However, in the spring before seed fall, good cone crops can be predicted by visually counting green cones in the canopy, which by then are large enough to be seen, especially when binoculars of suitable power are used. During the spring...

Root-Derived Short-Chain Suberin Diacids from Rice and Rape Seed in a Paddy Soil under Rice Cultivar Treatments

PubMed Central

Ji, Haishi; Ding, Yuanjun; Liu, Xiaoyu; Li, Lianqing; Zhang, Dengxiao; Li, Zichuan; Sun, Jingling; Lashari, Muhammad Siddique; Joseph, Stephen; Meng, Yuanduo; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Pan, Genxing

2015-01-01

Suberin-derived substituted fatty acids have been shown to be potential biomarkers for plant-derived carbon (C) in soils across ecosystems. Analyzing root derived suberin compounds bound in soil could help to understand the root input into a soil organic carbon pool. In this study, bound lipids were extracted and identified in root and topsoil samples. Short-chain suberin diacids were quantified under rice (Oryza sativa L.) and rape (Brassica campestris) rotations with different cultivar combinations in a Chinese rice paddy. After removal of free lipids with sequential extraction, the residual bound lipids were obtained with saponification and derivatization before analysis using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Diacids C16 and C18 in bound lipids were detected both in rice and rape root samples, while diacids C20 and C22 were detected only in rape root samples. Accordingly, diacids were quantified in both rhizosphere and bulk soil (0–15 cm). The amount of total root-derived diacids in bulk soil varied in a range of 5.6–9.6 mg/kg across growth stages and crop seasons. After one year-round rice-rape rotation, root-derived suberin diacids were maintained at a level of 7–9 mg/kg in bulk soil; this was higher under a super rice cultivar LY than under a hybrid cultivar IIY. While concentrations of the analyzed diacids were generally higher in rhizosphere than in bulk soil, the total diacid (DA) concentration was higher at the time of rape harvest than at rice harvest, suggesting that rape roots made a major contribution to the preservation of diacids in the paddy. Moreover, the net change in the concentration and the ratios of C16:0 DA to C18:1 DA, and of C16:0 DA to C18:0 DA, over a whole growing season, were greater under LY than under IIY, though there was no difference between cultivars within a single growth stage. Overall, total concentration of root-derived suberin diacids was found to be positively correlated to soil organic carbon concentration both for bulk soil and rhizosphere. However, the turnover and preservation of the root suberin biomolecules with soil property and field conditions deserve further field studies. PMID:25961557

Root-Derived Short-Chain Suberin Diacids from Rice and Rape Seed in a Paddy Soil under Rice Cultivar Treatments.

PubMed

Ji, Haishi; Ding, Yuanjun; Liu, Xiaoyu; Li, Lianqing; Zhang, Dengxiao; Li, Zichuan; Sun, Jingling; Lashari, Muhammad Siddique; Joseph, Stephen; Meng, Yuanduo; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Pan, Genxing

2015-01-01

Suberin-derived substituted fatty acids have been shown to be potential biomarkers for plant-derived carbon (C) in soils across ecosystems. Analyzing root derived suberin compounds bound in soil could help to understand the root input into a soil organic carbon pool. In this study, bound lipids were extracted and identified in root and topsoil samples. Short-chain suberin diacids were quantified under rice (Oryza sativa L.) and rape (Brassica campestris) rotations with different cultivar combinations in a Chinese rice paddy. After removal of free lipids with sequential extraction, the residual bound lipids were obtained with saponification and derivatization before analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Diacids C16 and C18 in bound lipids were detected both in rice and rape root samples, while diacids C20 and C22 were detected only in rape root samples. Accordingly, diacids were quantified in both rhizosphere and bulk soil (0-15 cm). The amount of total root-derived diacids in bulk soil varied in a range of 5.6-9.6 mg/kg across growth stages and crop seasons. After one year-round rice-rape rotation, root-derived suberin diacids were maintained at a level of 7-9 mg/kg in bulk soil; this was higher under a super rice cultivar LY than under a hybrid cultivar IIY. While concentrations of the analyzed diacids were generally higher in rhizosphere than in bulk soil, the total diacid (DA) concentration was higher at the time of rape harvest than at rice harvest, suggesting that rape roots made a major contribution to the preservation of diacids in the paddy. Moreover, the net change in the concentration and the ratios of C16:0 DA to C18:1 DA, and of C16:0 DA to C18:0 DA, over a whole growing season, were greater under LY than under IIY, though there was no difference between cultivars within a single growth stage. Overall, total concentration of root-derived suberin diacids was found to be positively correlated to soil organic carbon concentration both for bulk soil and rhizosphere. However, the turnover and preservation of the root suberin biomolecules with soil property and field conditions deserve further field studies.

Greenhouse Production: A Series of Learning Activity Packages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, J. C.; And Others

Designed for use when the student or the class is expected to grow a crop using the high school greenhouse, these learning activity packages are sequenced in typical greenhouse cropping fashion: (1) poinsettias in the fall, (2) Easter lilies (bulb crop) in the winter, (3) bedding plants (seed crop) in the spring, and (4) a nursery crop (from…

A Decade of Carbon Flux Measurements with Annual and Perennial Crop Rotations on the Canadian Prairies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiro, B. D.; Tenuta, M.; Gao, X.; Gervais, M.

2016-12-01

The Fluxnet database has over 100 cropland sites, some of which have long-term (over a decade) measurements. Carbon neutrality is one goal of sustainable agriculture, although measurements over many annual cropping systems have indicated that soil carbon is often lost. Croplands are complex systems because the CO2 exchange depends on the type of crop, soil, weather, and management decisions such as planting date, nutrient fertilization and pest management strategy. Crop rotations are often used to decrease pest pressure, and can range from a simple 2-crop system, to have 4 or more crops in series. Carbon dioxide exchange has been measured using the flux-gradient technique since 2006 in agricultural systems in Manitoba, Canada. Two cropping systems are being followed: one that is a rotation of annual crops (corn, faba bean, spring wheat, rapeseed, barley, spring wheat, corn, soybean, spring wheat, soybean); and the other with a perennial phase of alfalfa/grass in years 3 to 6. Net ecosystem production ranged from a gain of 330 g C m-2 y-1 in corn to a loss of 75 g C m-2 y-1 in a poor spring-wheat crop. Over a decade, net ecosystem production for the annual cropping system was not significantly different from zero (carbon neutral), but the addition of the perennial phase increased the sink to 130 g C m-2 y-1. Once harvest removals were included, there was a net loss of carbon ranging from 77 g C m-2 y-1 in the annual system to 52 g C m-2 y-1 in the annual-perennial system; but neither of these were significantly different from zero. Termination of the perennial phase of the rotation only caused short-term increases in respiration. We conclude that both these systems were close to carbon-neutral over a decade even though they were tilled with a short growing season (90 to 130 days). We discuss the need for more datasets on agricultural systems to inform management options to increase the soil carbon sink.

Report on forest tree seed crop in New England in 1957

Treesearch

A. C. Hart

1958-01-01

Forest tree seed crops were generally poor in 1957 throughout New England, according to reports by observers. Late spring frosts and below-normal precipitation were probably responsible for poor or failing crops of some species.

Complementarity among natural enemies enhances pest suppression.

PubMed

Dainese, Matteo; Schneider, Gudrun; Krauss, Jochen; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf

2017-08-15

Natural enemies have been shown to be effective agents for controlling insect pests in crops. However, it remains unclear how different natural enemy guilds contribute to the regulation of pests and how this might be modulated by landscape context. In a field exclusion experiment in oilseed rape (OSR), we found that parasitoids and ground-dwelling predators acted in a complementary way to suppress pollen beetles, suggesting that pest control by multiple enemies attacking a pest during different periods of its occurrence in the field improves biological control efficacy. The density of pollen beetle significantly decreased with an increased proportion of non-crop habitats in the landscape. Parasitism had a strong effect on pollen beetle numbers in landscapes with a low or intermediate proportion of non-crop habitats, but not in complex landscapes. Our results underline the importance of different natural enemy guilds to pest regulation in crops, and demonstrate how biological control can be strengthened by complementarity among natural enemies. The optimization of natural pest control by adoption of specific management practices at local and landscape scales, such as establishing non-crop areas, low-impact tillage, and temporal crop rotation, could significantly reduce dependence on pesticides and foster yield stability through ecological intensification in agriculture.

Illustration of year-to-year variation in wheat spectral profile crop growth curves. [Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez, P.; Jones, C. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

Data previously compiled on the year to year variability of spectral profile crop growth parameters for spring and winter wheat in Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas were used with a profile model to develop graphs illustrating spectral profile crop growth curves for a number of years and a number of spring and winter wheat segments. These curves show the apparent variability in spectral profiles for wheat from one year to another within the same segment and from one segment to another within the same year.

Seed fates in crop-wild hybrid sunflower: crop allele and maternal effects.

PubMed

Pace, Brian A; Alexander, Helen M; Emry, Jason D; Mercer, Kristin L

2015-02-01

Domestication has resulted in selection upon seed traits found in wild populations, yet crop-wild hybrids retain some aspects of both parental phenotypes. Seed fates of germination, dormancy, and mortality can influence the success of crop allele introgression in crop-wild hybrid zones, especially if crop alleles or crop-imparted seed coverings result in out-of-season germination. We performed a seed burial experiment using crop, wild, and diverse hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cross types to test how a cross type's maternal parent and nuclear genetic composition might affect its fate under field conditions. We observed higher maladaptive fall germination in the crop- and F1- produced seeds than wild-produced seeds and, due to an interaction with percent crop alleles, fall germination was higher for cross types with more crop-like nuclear genetics. By spring, crop-produced cross types had the highest overwintering mortality, primarily due to higher fall germination. Early spring germination was identical across maternal types, but germination continued for F1-produced seeds. In conclusion, the more wild-like the maternal parent or the less proportion of the cross type's genome contributed by the crop, the greater likelihood a seed will remain ungerminated than die. Wild-like dormancy may facilitate introgression through future recruitment from the soil seed bank.

Economics of plant production on marginal sites in the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziesemer, Andrea; Andreas, Gurgel; Ines, Bull

2017-04-01

Marginal sites are defined by economics. It is not possible to produce any profit there under given conditions of markets and policy even when management is optimized. In the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a portion of nearly 20 % of arable land is characterized by such conditions. There are often to find sandy sites below 28 soil points with low storage capacity and irregular water supply. Animal husbandry as a type of agricultural upgrading has a more important role in the south and southwest of the state than in the regions with better soil quality. The percentage of Maize was already in 2003 twice as high in the regions with more marginal sites. After implementation of the Renewable Energy Act many enterprises started built biogas plants. In 2010, the portion of maize was raised to 20 %. The increase of Maize was combined with a reduction of growing other fodder crops, rye and also by reducing set-aside areas. The scale of the cash crops Rape (16%), Wheat (15 %) and barley (9 %) stayed the same. The yields and production processes of several selected farms in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were analyzed for the years 2011 to 2016. The farms reached 6.6 tons per hectare of wheat and 6.1 tons per hectare of barley on soils below 28 soil points. Hybrid rye achieved 5.4 tons per hectare and rape 3.0. Maize was especially dependent on water supply and made between 30 and 35 tons per hectare. The big problem in these regions is caused by high production costs in cropping. More than a half of the costs is required for seeds, fertilization and crop protection. However, the remaining revenues are not adequate for paying work and fix costs as an evaluation of farms in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern shows. It is not a valid option to set more land that is arable aside in regions with much marginal sites because cropping is a strategic investment there. Therefore, it is important to make effort on crop rotations and optimization of production intensities to decrease costs per unit and to save a certain level of yields. A calculation of crop rotations shows that the contribution margin of three-year crop rotations and four-year rotations containing maize is lower by 20 to 25 percent compared with crop rotations on sites with better soil quality. Besides the four-year rotations demonstrate that maize is able to increase the profit for farms. These rotations with maize obtain better contribution margins than cash crop rotations on the margin sites. Furthermore, maize will be a good instrument to come up to requirements on nitrogen balances in future.

Impact of rapeseed cropping on the soil carbon balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moffat, Antje Maria; Herbst, Mathias; Huth, Vytas; Andres, Monique; Augustin, Jürgen

2015-04-01

Winter oilseed rape is the dominant biofuel crop in the young moraine landscape in Northern Germany. Since the cultivation of biofuel crops requires sustainability compared to fossil fuels by law, detailed knowledge about their green house gas (GHG) balance is necessary. The soil carbon balance is one of the key contributors to the total GHG balance and also very important for the assessment of soil fertility. However, the knowledge about the impact of different management practices on the soil carbon balance is very limited up to now. Therefore, we investigated the carbon fluxes of winter oilseed rape at field plots near Dedelow/Uckermark in NE Germany with different treatments of fertilization (mineral versus organic) and tillage (no-till and mulch-till versus ploughing). The dynamics of the carbon fluxes are mainly driven by the current climatic conditions but the overall response depends strongly on the ecosystem state (with its physiological and microbiological properties) which is affected by management. To get the full carbon flux dynamics but also the impact of the different management practices, two different approaches were used: The eddy covariance technique to get continuous fluxes throughout the year and the manual chamber technique to detect flux differences between specific management practices. The manual chamber measurements were conducted four-weekly as all-day campaigns using a flow-through non-steady-state closed chamber system. The fluxes in-between campaigns were gap-filled based on functional relationships with soil and air temperature (for the ecosystem respiration) and photosynthetic active radiation (for the gross primary production). All results presented refer to the cropping season 2012-2013. The combination of the two measurement techniques allows the evaluation of chamber fluxes including an independent estimate of the error on the overall balances. Despite the considerable errors, there are significant differences in the soil carbon balance between the tillage and fertilization treatments - ranging from net losses to net gains in the soil carbon stock.

Bio-ecological consequences of crop seeds treatment with metal nano-powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Churilov, G.

2015-11-01

As a result of our investigations we have determined the optimal concentrations of ferrum, cobalt and cuprum nano-powders recommended to be used as micro-fertilizers increasing the yield and feed value of crops at the expense of accumulating biologically active combinations by 25-35%. In unfavorable climate conditions, for example in a case of excess moisture or heat and drought, the plants development and ripening suffer. Our investigations have shown that the stimulating effect of nano-powders has lowered the effect of stress situations on plants development and simultaneously increased the rape seeds yield and quality. Treating the seeds with the drugs being studied has provided the high crop protection. If consider that the maximum efficiency of protectants Chinuk, SK (20 kg/t of seeds) and Cruiser, KS (10 kg/t of seeds) then for the same effect one needs nano-powders 0.1 g per hectare norm of seeds planting.

Is induction ability of seed germination of Phelipanche ramosa phylogenetically structured among hosts? A case study on Fabaceae species.

PubMed

Perronne, Rémi; Gibot-Leclerc, Stéphanie; Dessaint, Fabrice; Reibel, Carole; Le Corre, Valérie

2017-12-01

Phelipanche ramosa is a major root-holoparasitic damaging weed characterized by a broad host range, including numerous Fabaceae species. In France, the agricultural threat posed by P. ramosa has increased over two decades due to the appearance of a genetically differentiated pathovar presenting a clear host specificity for oilseed rape. The new pathovar has led to a massive expansion of P. ramosa in oilseed rape fields. The germination rate of P. ramosa seeds is currently known to vary among P. ramosa pathovars and host species. However, only a few studies have investigated whether phylogenetic relatedness among potential host species is a predictor of the ability of these species to induce the seed germination of parasitic weeds by testing for phylogenetic signal. We focused on a set of 12 Fabaceae species and we assessed the rate of induction of seed germination by these species for two pathovars based on in vitro co-cultivation experiments. All Fabaceae species tested induced the germination of P. ramosa seeds. The germination rate of P. ramosa seeds varied between Fabaceae species and tribes studied, while pathovars appeared non-influential. Considering oilseed rape as a reference species, we also highlighted a significant phylogenetic signal. Phylogenetically related species therefore showed more similar rates of induction of seed germination than species drawn at random from a phylogenetic tree. In in vitro conditions, only Lotus corniculatus induced a significantly higher germination rate than oilseed rape, and could potentially be used as a catch crop after confirmation of these results under field conditions.

[Effects of different winter cover crops on soil organic carbon in a double cropping rice paddy field.

PubMed

Tang, Hai Ming; Cheng, Kai Kai; Xiao, Xiao Ping; Tang, Wen Guang; Wang, Ke; Li, Chao; Zhang, Fan; Sun, Yu Tao

2017-02-01

In a double cropping rice field experiment, effects of five winter cover crops on the total organic carbon (TOC), active organic carbon (AOC), carbon pool management index (CPMI) and organic carbon storage were studied in three soil layers (0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm).Winter cover crops of ryegrass (Ry), Chinese milk vetch (Mv), potato (Po), and rape (Ra) between two rice crops were compared with fallow as control (CK). The results showed that the TOC and AOC contents under Ry, Mv, Po and Ra treatments were higher than those of CK in all three la-yers. Meanwhile, the TOC and AOC contents in Po treatment were higher than those of other treatments. Compared with CK, the AOC, activity index (AI), carbon pool index (CPI) and CPMI in the soil were improved through the recycling of winter cover crops straw. The AOC, AI, CPI and CPMI in the studied layers increased in order of Po>Mv>Ry>Ra>CK. The results indicated that the recycling of winter cover crops straw promoted the storage of SOC in the 0-20 cm soil profile as compared with CK. The strongest effect of the winter cover crops on the SOC storage occurred in Mv treatment, followed by Mv and Po treatments, and the SOC storage increased with the increasing soil depth.

No-till snap bean performance and weed response following rye and vetch cover crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fall-planted cover crops offer many benefits including weed suppressive residues in spring sown crops when controlled and left on the soil surface. However, vegetable growers have been slow to adapt direct seeding (no-till) into cover crop residues. Field studies were conducted in 2009 and 2010 near...

A synthesis of AOT40-based response functions and critical levels of ozone for agricultural and horticultural crops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, G.; Buse, A.; Gimeno, B.; Bermejo, V.; Holland, M.; Emberson, L.; Pleijel, H.

Crop-response data from over 700 published papers and conference proceedings have been analysed with the aim of establishing ozone dose-response functions for a wide range of European agricultural and horticultural crops. Data that met rigorous selection criteria (e.g. field-based, ozone concentrations within European range, full season exposure period) were used to derive AOT40-yield response functions for 19 crops by first converting the published ozone concentration data into AOT40 (AOT40 is the hourly mean ozone concentration accumulated over a threshold ozone concentration of 40 ppb during daylight hours, units ppm h). For any individual crop, there were no significant differences in the linear response functions derived for experiments conducted in the USA or Europe, or for individual cultivars. Three statistically independent groups were identified: ozone sensitive crops (wheat, water melon, pulses, cotton, turnip, tomato, onion, soybean and lettuce); moderately sensitive crops (sugar beet, potato, oilseed rape, tobacco, rice, maize, grape and broccoli) and ozone resistant (barley and fruit represented by plum and strawberry). Critical levels of a 3 month AOT40 of 3 ppm h and a 3.5 month AOT40 of 6 ppm h were derived from the functions for wheat and tomato, respectively.

Early Season Large-Area Winter Crop Mapping Using MODIS NDVI Data, Growing Degree Days Information and a Gaussian Mixture Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skakun, Sergii; Franch, Belen; Vermote, Eric; Roger, Jean-Claude; Becker-Reshef, Inbal; Justice, Christopher; Kussul, Nataliia

2017-01-01

Knowledge on geographical location and distribution of crops at global, national and regional scales is an extremely valuable source of information applications. Traditional approaches to crop mapping using remote sensing data rely heavily on reference or ground truth data in order to train/calibrate classification models. As a rule, such models are only applicable to a single vegetation season and should be recalibrated to be applicable for other seasons. This paper addresses the problem of early season large-area winter crop mapping using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time-series and growing degree days (GDD) information derived from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) product. The model is based on the assumption that winter crops have developed biomass during early spring while other crops (spring and summer) have no biomass. As winter crop development is temporally and spatially non-uniform due to the presence of different agro-climatic zones, we use GDD to account for such discrepancies. A Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is applied to discriminate winter crops from other crops (spring and summer). The proposed method has the following advantages: low input data requirements, robustness, applicability to global scale application and can provide winter crop maps 1.5-2 months before harvest. The model is applied to two study regions, the State of Kansas in the US and Ukraine, and for multiple seasons (2001-2014). Validation using the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Crop Data Layer (CDL) for Kansas and ground measurements for Ukraine shows that accuracies of greater than 90% can be achieved in mapping winter crops 1.5-2 months before harvest. Results also show good correspondence to official statistics with average coefficients of determination R(exp. 2) greater than 0.85.

Consequences of gene flow between oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and its relatives.

PubMed

Liu, Yongbo; Wei, Wei; Ma, Keping; Li, Junsheng; Liang, Yuyong; Darmency, Henri

2013-10-01

Numerous studies have focused on the probability of occurrence of gene flow between transgenic crops and their wild relatives and the likelihood of transgene escape, which should be assessed before the commercial release of transgenic crops. This review paper focuses on this issue for oilseed rape, Brassica napus L., a species that produces huge numbers of pollen grains and seeds. We analyze separately the distinct steps of gene flow: (1) pollen and seeds as vectors of gene flow; (2) spontaneous hybridization; (3) hybrid behavior, fitness cost due to hybridization and mechanisms of introgression; (4) and fitness benefit due to transgenes (e.g. herbicide resistance and Bt toxin). Some physical, biological and molecular means of transgene containment are also described. Although hybrids and first generation progeny are difficult to identify in fields and non-crop habitats, the literature shows that transgenes could readily introgress into Brassica rapa, Brassica juncea and Brassica oleracea, while introgression is expected to be rare with Brassica nigra, Hirschfeldia incana and Raphanus raphanistrum. The hybrids grow well but produce less seed than their wild parent. The difference declines with increasing generations. However, there is large uncertainty about the evolution of chromosome numbers and recombination, and many parameters of life history traits of hybrids and progeny are not determined with satisfactory confidence to build generic models capable to really cover the wide diversity of situations. We show that more studies are needed to strengthen and organize biological knowledge, which is a necessary prerequisite for model simulations to assess the practical and evolutionary outputs of introgression, and to provide guidelines for gene flow management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential of genetically modified oilseed rape for biofuels in Austria: Land use patterns and coexistence constraints could decrease domestic feedstock production

PubMed Central

Moser, Dietmar; Eckerstorfer, Michael; Pascher, Kathrin; Essl, Franz; Zulka, Klaus Peter

2013-01-01

Like other EU Member States, Austria will meet the substitution target of the EU European Renewable Energy Directive for transportation almost exclusively by first generation biofuels, primarily biodiesel from oilseed rape (OSR). Genetically modified (GM) plants have been promoted as a new option for biofuel production as they promise higher yield or higher quality feedstock. We tested implications of GM OSR application for biodiesel production in Austria by means of high resolution spatially explicit simulation of 140 different coexistence scenarios within six main OSR cropping regions in Austria (2400 km2). We identified structural land use characteristics such as field size, land use diversity, land holding patterns and the proportion of the target crop as the predominant factors which influence overall production of OSR in a coexistence scenario. Assuming isolation distances of 800 m and non-GM-OSR proportions of at least 10% resulted in a loss of area for cultivation of OSR in all study areas ranging from −4.5% to more than −25%, depending on the percentage of GM farmers and on the region. We could show that particularly the current primary OSR cropping regions are largely unsuitable for coexistence and would suffer from a net loss of OSR area even at isolation distances of 400 or 800 m. Coexistence constraints associated with application of GM OSR are likely to offset possible GM gains by substantially reducing farmland for OSR cultivation, thus contradicting the political aim to increase domestic OSR area to meet the combined demands of food, feed and biofuel production. PMID:26109750

Effects of fluoride emissions on enzyme activity in metabolism of agricultural plants

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

Moeri, P.B.

1980-01-01

The effects of fluoride on the activity of malatedehydrogenase (MDH) in rape seed and rye grass have been investigated. Fluoride, which has been absorbed from the air, seems to act differently from fluoride added to the soil. The action of airborne fluoride compounds resorbed by the plant on the activity of MDH significantly correlated with the distance from an aluminum plant, crop yield, and fluoride content. 5 references, 5 figures, 2 tables.

Effects of adjusting cropping systems on utilization efficiency of climatic resources in Northeast China under future climate scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jianping; Zhao, Junfang; Xu, Yanhong; Chu, Zheng; Mu, Jia; Zhao, Qian

Quantitatively evaluating the effects of adjusting cropping systems on the utilization efficiency of climatic resources under climate change is an important task for assessing food security in China. To understand these effects, we used daily climate variables obtained from the regional climate model RegCM3 from 1981 to 2100 under the A1B scenario and crop observations from 53 agro-meteorological experimental stations from 1981 to 2010 in Northeast China. Three one-grade zones of cropping systems were divided by heat, water, topography and crop-type, including the semi-arid areas of the northeast and northwest (III), the one crop area of warm-cool plants in semi-humid plain or hilly regions of the northeast (IV), and the two crop area in irrigated farmland in the Huanghuaihai Plain (VI). An agro-ecological zone model was used to calculate climatic potential productivities. The effects of adjusting cropping systems on climate resource utilization in Northeast China under the A1B scenario were assessed. The results indicated that from 1981 to 2100 in the III, IV and VI areas, the planting boundaries of different cropping systems in Northeast China obviously shifted toward the north and the east based on comprehensively considering the heat and precipitation resources. However, due to high temperature stress, the climatic potential productivity of spring maize was reduced in the future. Therefore, adjusting the cropping system is an effective way to improve the climatic potential productivity and climate resource utilization. Replacing the one crop in one year model (spring maize) by the two crops in one year model (winter wheat and summer maize) significantly increased the total climatic potential productivity and average utilization efficiencies. During the periods of 2011-2040, 2041-2070 and 2071-2100, the average total climatic potential productivities of winter wheat and summer maize increased by 9.36%, 11.88% and 12.13% compared to that of spring maize, respectively. Additionally, compared with spring maize, the average utilization efficiencies of thermal resources of winter wheat and summer maize dramatically increased by 9.2%, 12.1% and 12.0%, respectively. The increases in the average utilization efficiencies of precipitation resources of winter wheat and summer maize were 1.78 kg hm-2 mm-1, 2.07 kg hm-2 mm-1 and 1.92 kg hm-2 mm-1 during 2011-2040, 2041-2070 and 2071-2100, respectively. Our findings highlight that adjusting cropping systems can dominantly contribute to utilization efficiency increases of agricultural climatic resources in Northeast China in the future.

Oil Crop Potential for Biodiesel Production: Summary of Three Years of Spring Mustard Research -- Methodologies, Results, and Recommendations; 2000-2003

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

Brown, J.

2005-07-01

This report summarizes a project whose goal was to support R&D to develop an oil-seed crop that has the potential to reduce the feedstock cost of biodiesel to between 7 and 8 cents per pound of oil and expand supplies of biodiesel as demand for biodiesel grows. The key to this goal is that the non-oil fraction of the oil crop (the seed meal) must have a high value outside of the animal feed markets and produce oil that is not suitable for human consumption. To that end, a spring breeding program was developed to increase diversity of glucosinolate andmore » the concentration of glucosinolates in the meal and to optimize the oil composition for biodiesel fuels. This report presents the research on the spring planted hybrids.« less

Report on 1958 forest tree seed crop in New England

Treesearch

A.C. Hart

1959-01-01

Forest tree seed crops in 1958 were considerably better than those in 1957, according to observers. However, heavy and medium seed crops of some species were spotty in occurrence. Late spring frosts were probably responsible for poor or failing crops of some species in Vermont, New Hampshire, and northwestern Connecticut. Cone weevils were reported damaging the white...

Remotely sensed vegetation indices for seasonal crop yields predictions in the Czech Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hlavinka, Petr; Semerádová, Daniela; Balek, Jan; Bohovic, Roman; Žalud, Zdeněk; Trnka, Miroslav

2015-04-01

Remotely sensed vegetation indices by satellites are valuable tool for vegetation conditions assessment also in the case of field crops. This study is based on the use of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aboard Terra satellite. Data available from the year 2000 were analyzed and tested for seasonal yields predictions within selected districts of the Czech Republic (Central Europe). Namely the yields of spring barley, winter wheat and oilseed winter rape during the period from 2000 to 2014 were assessed. Observed yields from 14 districts (NUTS 4) were collected and thus 210 seasons were included. Selected districts differ considerably in their soil fertility and terrain configuration and represent transect across various agroclimatic conditions (from warm and dry to relative cool and wet regions). Two approaches were tested: 1) using of composite remotely sensed data (available in 16 day time step) provided by the USGS (https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/); 2) using daily remotely sensed data in combination with originally developed smoothing method. The yields were successfully predicted based on established regression models (remotely sensed data used as independent parameter). Besides others the impact of severe drought episodes within vegetation were identified and yield reductions at district level predicted (even before harvest). As a result the periods with the best relationship between remotely sensed data and yields were identified. The impact of drought conditions as well as normal or above normal yields of field crops could be predicted by proposed method within study region up to 30 days prior to the harvest. It could be concluded that remotely sensed vegetation conditions assessment should be important part of early warning systems focused on drought. Such information should be widely available for various users (decision makers, farmers, etc.) in order to improve planning, business strategies but also to target the drought relief in case of major drought event. This study was funded by project "Building up a multidisciplinary scientific team focused on drought" No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0248, project supported by Czech National Agency of Agricultural Research No. QJ1310123 "Crop modelling as a tool for increasing the production potential and food security of the Czech Republic under Climate Change".

Population Development of Pasteuria penetrans on Meloidogyne arenaria.

PubMed

Oostendorp, M; Dickson, D W; Mitchell, D J

1991-01-01

A microplot study on the influence of cropping sequences with peanut in summer and bare fallowed or cover crops of rye or vetch in winter on the population development of Pasteuria penetrans was initiated in the spring of 1987. The number of spores of P. penetrans attached per second-stage juvenile of Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 increased from 0.11 in the fall of 1987 to 7.6, 8.6, and 3.6 in the fall of 1989 in the rye, vetch, and fallowed plots, respectively. Higher (P

Assessing transmission of crop diseases by insect vectors in a landscape context.

PubMed

Carrière, Y; Degain, B; Hartfield, K A; Nolte, K D; Marsh, S E; Ellers-Kirk, C; Van Leeuwen, W J D; Liesner, L; Dutilleul, P; Palumbo, J C

2014-02-01

Theory indicates that landscape composition affects transmission of vector-borne crop diseases, but few empirical studies have investigated how landscape composition affects plant disease epidemiology. Since 2006, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) has vectored the cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) to cantaloupe and honeydew melons (Cucumis melo L.) in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, causing significant reductions in yield of fall melons and increased use of insecticides. Here, we show that a landscape-based approach allowing simultaneous assessment of impacts of local (i.e., planting date) and regional (i.e., landscape composition) factors provides valuable insights on how to reduce crop disease risks. Specifically, we found that planting fall melon fields early in the growing season, eliminating plants germinating from seeds produced by spring melons after harvest, and planting fall melon fields away from cotton and spring melon fields may significantly reduce the incidence of CYSDV infection in fall melons. Because the largest scale of significance of the positive association between abundance of cotton and spring melon fields and CYSDV incidence was 1,750 and 3,000 m, respectively, reducing areas of cotton and spring melon fields within these distances from fall melon fields may decrease CYSDV incidence. Our results indicate that landscape-based studies will be fruitful to alleviate limitations imposed on crop production by vector-borne diseases.

Long-term tillage frequency effects on dryland soil physical and hydraulic properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term tillage influences physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil environment and thereby crop production and quality. We evaluated the effect of long-term (> 22 years) tillage frequency [no-till (NT), spring till (ST), and fall and spring till (FST)] under continuous spring whe...

Modeling Allometric Relationships in Leaves of Young Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) Grown at Different Temperature Treatments

PubMed Central

Tian, Tian; Wu, Lingtong; Henke, Michael; Ali, Basharat; Zhou, Weijun; Buck-Sorlin, Gerhard

2017-01-01

Functional–structural plant modeling (FSPM) is a fast and dynamic method to predict plant growth under varying environmental conditions. Temperature is a primary factor affecting the rate of plant development. In the present study, we used three different temperature treatments (10/14°C, 18/22°C, and 26/30°C) to test the effect of temperature on growth and development of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) seedlings. Plants were sampled at regular intervals (every 3 days) to obtain growth data during the length of the experiment (1 month in total). Total leaf dry mass, leaf area, leaf mass per area (LMA), width-length ratio, and the ratio of petiole length to leaf blade length (PBR), were determined and statistically analyzed, and contributed to a morphometric database. LMA under high temperature was significantly smaller than LMA under medium and low temperature, while leaves at high temperature were significantly broader. An FSPM of rapeseed seedlings featuring a growth function used for leaf extension and biomass accumulation was implemented by combining measurement with literature data. The model delivered new insights into growth and development dynamics of winter oilseed rape seedlings. The present version of the model mainly focuses on the growth of plant leaves. However, future extensions of the model could be used in practice to better predict plant growth in spring and potential cold damage of the crop. PMID:28377775

7 CFR 457.104 - Cotton crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...; (2) Planted into an established grass or legume; (3) Interplanted with another spring planted crop...) Wildlife; (f) Earthquake; (g) Volcanic eruption; or (h) Failure of the irrigation water supply, if...

Carbon sequestration in dryland soils and plant residue as influenced by tillage and crop rotation.

PubMed

Sainju, Upendra M; Lenssen, Andrew; Caesar-Thonthat, Thecan; Waddell, Jed

2006-01-01

Long-term use of conventional tillage and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow systems in the northern Great Plains have resulted in low soil organic carbon (SOC) levels. We examined the effects of two tillage practices [conventional till (CT) and no-till (NT)], five crop rotations [continuous spring wheat (CW), spring wheat-fallow (W-F), spring wheat-lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.) (W-L), spring wheat-spring wheat-fallow (W-W-F), and spring wheat-pea (Pisum sativum L.)-fallow (W-P-F)], and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) planting on plant C input, SOC, and particulate organic carbon (POC). A field experiment was conducted in a mixture of Scobey clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, Aridic Argiborolls) and Kevin clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, Aridic Argiborolls) from 1998 to 2003 in Havre, MT. Total plant biomass returned to the soil from 1998 to 2003 was greater in CW (15.5 Mg ha(-1)) than in other rotations. Residue cover, amount, and C content in 2004 were 33 to 86% greater in NT than in CT and greater in CRP than in crop rotations. Residue amount (2.47 Mg ha(-1)) and C content (0.96 Mg ha(-1)) were greater in NT with CW than in other treatments, except in CT with CRP and W-F and in NT with CRP and W-W-F. The SOC at the 0- to 5-cm depth was 23% greater in NT (6.4 Mg ha(-1)) than in CT. The POC was not influenced by tillage and crop rotation, but POC to SOC ratio at the 0- to 20-cm depth was greater in NT with W-L (369 g kg(-1) SOC) than in CT with CW, W-F, and W-L. From 1998 to 2003, SOC at the 0- to 20-cm depth decreased by 4% in CT but increased by 3% in NT. Carbon can be sequestered in dryland soils and plant residue in areas previously under CRP using reduced tillage and increased cropping intensity, such as NT with CW, compared with traditional practice, such as CT with W-F system, and the content can be similar to that in CRP planting.

Integrating sheep grazing into cereal-based crop rotations: spring wheat yields and weed communities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop diversification and integration of livestock into cropping systems may improve the economic and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems. However, few studies have examined the integration of these practices in the semiarid areas of the Northern Great Plains (NGP). A 3-yr experiment...

On the interactions among tropospheric ozone levels and typical environmental stresses challenging Mediterranean crops.

PubMed

Fagnano, Massimo; Maggio, Albino

2018-03-01

The main environmental stresses of Italian croplands are discussed in relation to their interactions with ozone effects on crops. Water deficit and salinization are frequent in Mediterranean environments during spring-summer causing a decrease of soil water potential and water uptake by roots and consequently stomatal closure. These stresses also stimulate secondary metabolism and antioxidant accumulation, which also serves as a stress protection mechanism. High concentrations of tropospheric ozone are common all over Italy during the spring-summer season. Ozone injuries to vegetation are related to its penetration into plant tissues, mostly via stomatal uptake, rather than to tropospheric concentrations per se. In several crops, closure of stomata due to drought/salinization reduces ozone entering into leaf tissues and counteracts possible ozone damages. Furthermore, the stimulation of antioxidant synthesis as a response to environmental stresses can represent a further protection factor from ozone injuries for Mediterranean crops.The co-existence of stress-induced stomatal closure and high ozone levels during spring-summer in Mediterranean environments implies that models that do not take into account physiological responses of crops to drought and salinity stress may overestimate ozone damages when stress responses overlap with seasonal ozone peaks. The shift from concentration-based to flux-based approaches has improved the accuracy of models to assess ozone effects on agricultural crops. It is, however, necessary to further refine the flux concept with respect to the plant abiotic stress defense capacity that can differ among genotypes, climatic conditions, and physiological states.

A meteorologically-driven yield reduction model for spring and winter wheat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravet, F. W.; Cremins, W. J.; Taylor, T. W.; Ashburn, P.; Smika, D.; Aaronson, A. (Principal Investigator)

1983-01-01

A yield reduction model for spring and winter wheat was developed for large-area crop condition assessment. Reductions are expressed in percentage from a base yield and are calculated on a daily basis. The algorithm contains two integral components: a two-layer soil water budget model and a crop calendar routine. Yield reductions associated with hot, dry winds (Sukhovey) and soil moisture stress are determined. Input variables include evapotranspiration, maximum temperature and precipitation; subsequently crop-stage, available water holding percentage and stress duration are evaluated. No specific base yield is required and may be selected by the user; however, it may be generally characterized as the maximum likely to be produced commercially at a location.

Sources of uncertainty in the quantification of genetically modified oilseed rape contamination in seed lots.

PubMed

Begg, Graham S; Cullen, Danny W; Iannetta, Pietro P M; Squire, Geoff R

2007-02-01

Testing of seed and grain lots is essential in the enforcement of GM labelling legislation and needs reliable procedures for which associated errors have been identified and minimised. In this paper we consider the testing of oilseed rape seed lots obtained from the harvest of a non-GM crop known to be contaminated by volunteer plants from a GM herbicide tolerant variety. The objective was to identify and quantify the error associated with the testing of these lots from the initial sampling to completion of the real-time PCR assay with which the level of GM contamination was quantified. The results showed that, under the controlled conditions of a single laboratory, the error associated with the real-time PCR assay to be negligible in comparison with sampling error, which was exacerbated by heterogeneity in the distribution of GM seeds, most notably at a small scale, i.e. 25 cm3. Sampling error was reduced by one to two thirds on the application of appropriate homogenisation procedures.

Wheat Quality Council, Hard Spring Wheat Technical Committee, 2017 Crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nine experimental lines of hard spring wheat were grown at up to six locations in 2017 and evaluated for kernel, milling, and bread baking quality against the check variety Glenn. Wheat samples were submitted through the Wheat Quality Council and processed and milled at the USDA-ARS Hard Red Spring...

Long-term Tillage influences on soil carbon, nitrogen, physical, chemical, and biological properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term tillage influences physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil environment and thereby crop production and quality. We evaluated the effect of long-term (>20 yrs) tillage no-till, spring till, and fall plus spring till under continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on s...

Simulating crop growth with Expert-N-GECROS under different site conditions in Southwest Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poyda, Arne; Ingwersen, Joachim; Demyan, Scott; Gayler, Sebastian; Streck, Thilo

2016-04-01

When feedbacks between the land surface and the atmosphere are investigated by Atmosphere-Land surface-Crop-Models (ALCM) it is fundamental to accurately simulate crop growth dynamics as plants directly influence the energy partitioning at the plant-atmosphere interface. To study both the response and the effect of intensive agricultural crop production systems on regional climate change in Southwest Germany, the crop growth model GECROS (YIN & VAN LAAR, 2005) was calibrated based on multi-year field data from typical crop rotations in the Kraichgau and Swabian Alb regions. Additionally, the SOC (soil organic carbon) model DAISY (MÜLLER et al., 1998) was implemented in the Expert-N model tool (ENGEL & PRIESACK, 1993) and combined with GECROS. The model was calibrated based on a set of plant (BBCH, LAI, plant height, aboveground biomass, N content of biomass) and weather data for the years 2010 - 2013 and validated with the data of 2014. As GECROS adjusts the root-shoot partitioning in response to external conditions (water, nitrogen, CO2), it is suitable to simulate crop growth dynamics under changing climate conditions and potentially more frequent stress situations. As C and N pools and turnover rates in soil as well as preceding crop effects were expected to considerably influence crop growth, the model was run in a multi-year, dynamic way. Crop residues and soil mineral N (nitrate, ammonium) available for the subsequent crop were accounted for. The model simulates growth dynamics of winter wheat, winter rape, silage maize and summer barley at the Kraichgau and Swabian Alb sites well. The Expert-N-GECROS model is currently parameterized for crops with potentially increasing shares in future crop rotations. First results will be shown.

Profiling agricultural land cover change in the North Central U.S. using ten years of the Cropland Data Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandborn, A.; Ebinger, L.

2016-12-01

The Cropland Data Layer (CDL), produced by the USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service, provides annual, georeferenced crop specific land cover data over the contiguous United States. Several analyses were performed on ten years (2007-2016) of CDL data in order to visualize and quantify agricultural change over the North Central region (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota). Crop masks were derived from the CDL and layered to produce a ten-year time stack of corn, soybeans, and spring wheat at 30m spatial resolution. Through numerous image analyses, a temporal profile of each crop type was compiled and portrayed cartographically. For each crop, analyses included calculating the mean center of crop area over the ten year sequence, identifying the first and latest year the crop was grown on each pixel, and distinguishing crop rotation patterns and replacement statistics. Results show a clear north-western expansion trend for corn and soybeans, and a western migration trend for spring wheat. While some change may be due to commonly practiced crop rotation, this analysis shows that crop footprints have extended into areas that were previously other crops, idle cropland, and pasture/rangeland. Possible factors contributing to this crop migration pattern include profit advantages of row crops over small grains, improved crop genetics, climate change, and farm management program changes. Identifying and mapping these crop planting differences will better inform agricultural best practices, help to monitor the latest crop migration patterns, and present researchers with a way to quantitatively measure and forecast future agricultural trends.

Weather based risks and insurances for crop production in Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobin, Anne

2014-05-01

Extreme weather events such as late frosts, droughts, heat waves and rain storms can have devastating effects on cropping systems. Damages due to extreme events are strongly dependent on crop type, crop stage, soil type and soil conditions. The perspective of rising risk-exposure is exacerbated further by limited aid received for agricultural damage, an overall reduction of direct income support to farmers and projected intensification of weather extremes with climate change. According to both the agriculture and finance sectors, a risk assessment of extreme weather events and their impact on cropping systems is needed. The impact of extreme weather events particularly during the sensitive periods of the farming calendar requires a modelling approach to capture the mixture of non-linear interactions between the crop, its environment and the occurrence of the meteorological event. The risk of soil moisture deficit increases towards harvesting, such that drought stress occurs in spring and summer. Conversely, waterlogging occurs mostly during early spring and autumn. Risks of temperature stress appear during winter and spring for chilling and during summer for heat. Since crop development is driven by thermal time and photoperiod, the regional crop model REGCROP (Gobin, 2010) enabled to examine the likely frequency, magnitude and impacts of frost, drought, heat stress and waterlogging in relation to the cropping season and crop sensitive stages. The risk profiles were subsequently confronted with yields, yield losses and insurance claims for different crops. Physically based crop models such as REGCROP assist in understanding the links between different factors causing crop damage as demonstrated for cropping systems in Belgium. Extreme weather events have already precipitated contraction of insurance coverage in some markets (e.g. hail insurance), and the process can be expected to continue if the losses or damages from such events increase in the future. Climate change will stress this further and impacts on crop growth are expected to be twofold, owing to the sensitive stages occurring earlier during the growing season and to the changes in return period of extreme weather events. Though average yields have risen continuously due to technological advances, there is no evidence that relative tolerance to adverse weather events has improved. The research is funded by the Belgian Science Policy Organisation (Belspo) under contract nr SD/RI/03A.

Short- and full-season soybean in stale seedbeds versus rolled-crimped winter rye mulch

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Late seedbed preparations (also known as stale or false seedbeds) are used by organic growers to reduce weed populations prior to crop planting. Rye mulches, derived from mechanically killed (rolled and crimped) winter rye cover crops, can serve the same purpose for spring-planted organic crops. Bot...

Replacing fallow with cover crops in a semiarid soil: effects on soil properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Replacement of fallow in crop-fallow systems with cover crops (CCs) may improve soil properties. We assessed whether replacing fallow in no-till winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow with winter and spring CCs for five years reduced wind and water erosion, increased soil organic carbon (SOC), a...

Yield potential of spring-harvested sugar beet depends on autumn planting time

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugar crops grown for biofuel production provide a source of simple sugars that can readily be made into advanced biofuels. In the mild climate of the southeastern USA, sugar beet can be grown as a winter crop, providing growers with an alternative crop. Experiments evaluated autumn planting dates...

Energy beets: an undiscovered crop for the Southeastern US

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Energy beets (Beta vulgaris), which are sugar beets grown for non-food sources, are a potential winter cash crop for growers in the southeastern U.S. that are planted in the autumn and harvested in the spring, complementing current summer crop rotations. The end-product from energy beets will be in...

Short-term winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop grazing influence on calf growth, grain yield, and soil properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Winter cover cropping has many agronomic benefits and can provide forages base for spring livestock grazing. Winter cover crop grazing has shown immediate economic benefits through increased animal production. Winter wheat pasture grazing is common in beef cow-calf production and stocker operations....

7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... grass or legume; (2) Interplanted with another spring planted crop; (3) Grown on acreage from which a... disease control measures; (e) Wildlife; (f) Earthquake; (g) Volcanic eruption; or (h) Failure of...

7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... grass or legume; (2) Interplanted with another spring planted crop; (3) Grown on acreage from which a... disease control measures; (e) Wildlife; (f) Earthquake; (g) Volcanic eruption; or (h) Failure of...

Impact of Conventional and Integrated Management Systems on the Water-Soluble Vitamin Content in Potatoes, Field Beans, and Cereals.

PubMed

Freitag, Sabine; Verrall, Susan R; Pont, Simon D A; McRae, Diane; Sungurtas, Julia A; Palau, Raphaëlle; Hawes, Cathy; Alexander, Colin J; Allwood, J William; Foito, Alexandre; Stewart, Derek; Shepherd, Louise V T

2018-01-31

The reduction of the environmental footprint of crop production without compromising crop yield and their nutritional value is a key goal for improving the sustainability of agriculture. In 2009, the Balruddery Farm Platform was established at The James Hutton Institute as a long-term experimental platform for cross-disciplinary research of crops using two agricultural ecosystems. Crops representative of UK agriculture were grown under conventional and integrated management systems and analyzed for their water-soluble vitamin content. Integrated management, when compared with the conventional system, had only minor effects on water-soluble vitamin content, where significantly higher differences were seen for the conventional management practice on the levels of thiamine in field beans (p < 0.01), Spring barley (p < 0.05), and Winter wheat (p < 0.05), and for nicotinic acid in Spring barley (p < 0.05). However, for all crops, variety and year differences were of greater importance. These results indicate that the integrated management system described in this study does not significantly affect the water-soluble vitamin content of the crops analyzed here.

Mycobiota and mycotoxins in bee pollen collected from different areas of Slovakia.

PubMed

Kačániová, Miroslava; Juráček, Miroslav; Chlebo, Róbert; Kňazovická, Vladimíra; Kadasi-Horáková, Miriam; Kunová, Simona; Lejková, Jadža; Haščík, Peter; Mareček, Ján; Simko, Milan

2011-01-01

Contamination by microscopic fungi and mycotoxins in different bee pollen samples, which were stored under three different ways of storing as freezing, drying and UV radiation, was investigated. During spring 2009, 45 samples of bee-collected pollen were gathered from beekeepers who placed their bee colonies on monocultures of sunflower, rape and poppy fields within their flying distance. Bee pollen was collected from bees' legs by special devices placed at the entrance to hives. Samples were examined for the concentration and identification of microscopic fungi able to grow on Malt and Czapek-Dox agar and mycotoxins content [deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin (T-2), zearalenone (ZON) and total aflatoxins (AFL), fumonisins (FUM), ochratoxins (OTA)] by direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The total number of microscopic fungi in this study ranged from 2.98 ± 0.02 in frozen sunflower bee pollen to 4.06 ± 0.10 log cfu.g(-1) in sunflower bee pollen after UV radiation. In this study, 449 isolates belonging to 21 fungal species representing 9 genera were found in 45 samples of bee pollen. The total isolates were detected in frozen poppy pollen 29, rape pollen 40, sunflower pollen 80, in dried poppy pollen 12, rape pollen 36, sunflower 78, in poppy pollen after UV radiation treatment 54, rape 59 and sunflower 58. The most frequent isolates of microscopic fungi found in bee pollen samples of all prevalent species were Mucor mucedo (49 isolates), Alternaria alternata (40 isolates), Mucor hiemalis (40 isolates), Aspergillus fumigatus (33 isolates) and Cladosporium cladosporioides (31 isolates). The most frequently found isolates were detected in sunflower bee pollen frozen (80 isolates) and the lowest number of isolates was observed in poppy bee pollen dried (12 isolates). The most prevalent mycotoxin of poppy bee pollen was ZON (361.55 ± 0.26 μg.kg(-1)), in rape bee pollen T-2 toxin (265.40 ± 0.18 μg.kg(-1)) and in sunflower bee pollen T-2 toxin (364.72 ± 0.13 μg.kg(-1)) in all cases in frozen samples.

Rape Myths, Rape Scripts, and Common Rape Experiences of College Women: Differences in Perceptions of Women Who Have Been Raped.

PubMed

Hockett, Jericho M; Saucier, Donald A; Badke, Caitlyn

2016-03-01

Rape is prevalent at colleges. Although research suggests commonalities across many college women's rape experiences (e.g., perpetrators using multiple coercive strategies), vignettes used to assess rape perceptions often reflect false beliefs. Two studies varying a perpetrator's coercive tactics examine rape perceptions using vignettes reflecting rape myths, rape scripts, or many college women's common rape experiences. Participants perceive a woman who was raped more positively in vignettes reflecting common rape experiences versus those reflecting rape myths or scripts. Theoretical, educational, and research implications are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

The potential of cover crops for improving soil function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoate, Chris; Crotty, Felicity

2017-04-01

Cover crops can be grown over the autumn and winter ensuring green cover throughout the year. They have been described as improving soil structure, reducing soil erosion and potentially even a form of grass weed control. These crops retain nutrients within the plant, potentially making them available for future crops, as well as increasing soil organic matter. Over the last three years, we have investigated how different cover crop regimes affect soil quality. Three separate experiments over each autumn/winter period have investigated how different cover crops affect soil biology, physics and chemistry, with each experiment building on the previous one. There have been significant effects of cover crops on soil structure, as well as significantly lower weed biomass and increased yields in the following crop - in comparison to bare stubble. For example, the effect of drilling the cover crops on soil structure in comparison to a bare stubble control that had not been driven on by machinery was quantified, and over the winter period the soil structure of the cover crop treatments changed, with compaction reduced in the cover crop treatments, whilst the bare stubble control remained unchanged. Weeds were found in significantly lower biomass in the cover crop mixes in comparison to the bare stubble control, and significantly lower weed biomass continued to be found in the following spring oat crop where the cover crops had been, indicating a weed suppressive effect that has a continued legacy in the following crop. The following spring oats have shown similar results in the last two years, with higher yields in the previous cover crop areas compared to the bare stubble controls. Overall, these results are indicating that cover crops have the potential to provide improvements to soil quality, reduce weeds and improve yields. We discuss the economic implications.

'Velva' spring wheat: An adapted cultivar to north-central plains of the United States with high agronomic and quality performance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growers and industry value adapted wheat cultivars with high quality attributes, essential criteria for maintaining wheat as a competitive crop in the spring wheat growing region of the United States. To address this goal, the breeding program at North Dakota Sta...

Seed crop prospects for 1951.

Treesearch

Leo A. Isaac

1950-01-01

Abundance of winter flower buds, while not positive evidence, is at least a good indicator of next fall's seed crop. Management men can make good use of this information in working out their spring or early fall slash disposal program.

Specifics of soil temperature under winter oilseed rape canopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krčmářová, Jana; Středa, Tomáš; Pokorný, Radovan

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of soil temperature under the winter oilseed rape canopy and to determine relationships between soil temperature, air temperature and partly soil moisture. In addition, the aim was to describe the dependence by means of regression equations usable for pests and pathogens prediction, crop development, and yields models. The measurement of soil and near the ground air temperatures was performed at the experimental field Žabiče (South Moravia, the Czech Republic). The course of temperature was determined under or in the winter oilseed rape canopy during spring growth season in the course of four years (2010 - 2012 and 2014). In all years, the standard varieties (Petrol, Sherpa) were grown, in 2014 the semi-dwarf variety PX104 was added. Automatic soil sensors were positioned at three depths (0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 m) under soil surface, air temperature sensors in 0.05 m above soil surfaces. The course of soil temperature differs significantly between standard (Sherpa and Petrol) and semi-dwarf (PX104) varieties. Results of the cross correlation analysis showed, that the best interrelationships between air and soil temperature were achieved in 2 hours delay for the soil temperature in 0.05 m, 4 hour delay for 0.10 m and 7 hour delay for 0.20 m for standard varieties. For semi-dwarf variety, this delay reached 6 hour for the soil temperature in 0.05 m, 7 hour delay for 0.10 m and 11 hour for 0.20 m. After the time correction, the determination coefficient (R2) reached values from 0.67 to 0.95 for 0.05 m, 0.50 to 0.84 for 0.10 m in variety Sherpa during all experimental years. For variety PX104 this coefficient reached values from 0.51 to 0.72 in 0.05 m depth and from 0.39 to 0.67 in 0.10 m depth in the year 2014. The determination coefficient in the 0.20 m depth was lower for both varieties; its values were from 0.15 to 0.65 in variety Sherpa. In variety PX104 the values of R2 from 0.23 to 0.57 were determined. When using multiple regressions with quadratic spacing (modelling of hourly soil temperature based on the hourly near surface air temperature and hourly soil moisture in the 0.10-0.40 m profile), the difference between the measured and modelled soil temperatures in the depth of 0.05 m was -3.92 to 3.99°C. The regression equation paired with alternative agrometeorological instruments enables relatively accurate modelling of soil temperatures (R2 = 0.95).

Impacts of Cover Crops on Water and Nutrient Dynamics in Agroecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williard, K.; Swanberg, S.; Schoonover, J.

2013-05-01

Intensive cropping systems of corn (Zea Mays L.) and soybeans (Glycine max) are commonly leaky systems with respect to nitrogen (N). Reactive N outputs from agroecosystems can contribute to eutrophication and hypoxic zones in downstream water bodies and greenhouse gas (N2O) emissions. Incorporating cover crops into temperate agroecosystem rotations has been promoted as a tool to increase nitrogen use efficiency and thus limit reactive N outputs to the environment. Our objective was determine how cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cover crops impact nutrient and soil water dynamics in an intensive corn and soybean cropping rotation in central Illinois. Cover crops were planted in mid to late October and terminated in early April prior to corn or soybean planting. In the spring just prior to cover crop termination, soil moisture levels were lower in the cover crop plots compared to no cover plots. This can be a concern for the subsequent crop in relatively dry years, which the Midwestern United States experienced in 2012. No cover plots had greater nutrient leaching below the rooting zone compared to cover crop areas, as expected. The cover crops were likely scavenging nutrients during the fall and early spring and should provide nutrients to the subsequent crop via decomposition and mineralization of the cover crop residue. Over the long term, cover crop systems should produce greater inputs and cycling of carbon and N, increasing the productivity of crops due to the long-term accumulation of soil organic matter. This study demonstrates that there may be short term trade-offs in reduced soil moisture levels that should be considered alongside the long term nutrient scavenging and recycling benefits of cover crops.

Crop status evaluations and yield predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haun, J. R.

1975-01-01

The growth-environment relationships for greenhouse and field conditions are compared, and the development of growth-prediction models for spring wheat is discussed along with the development of models for predicting the date for spring wheat emergence in North Dakota.

Soil pH and exchangeable cation responses to tillage and fertilizer in dryland cropping systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers can lead to soil acidification and other chemical changes that can lower fertility. Here, we present near-surface (0-7.6 cm) soil chemistry data from 16 years of two different crop rotations in the US northern Great Plains: (1) continuous crop (CC; spring w...

Pacific Northwest Condiment Yellow Mustard (Sinapis alba L.) Grower Guide: 2000-2002

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

Brown, J.; Davis, J. B.; Esser, A.

2005-07-01

This report is a grower guide for yellow mustard. Yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.), synonymous with white mustard, is a spring annual crop and well adapted to hot, dry growing conditions. It has shown potential as an alternative crop in rotations with small grain cereals and has fewer limitations compared to other traditional alternative crops.

The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment. Volume 2: Addenda

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bizzell, R. M.; Prior, H. L.; Payne, R. W.; Disler, J. M.

1983-01-01

Three study areas supporting the U.S./Canada Wheat and Barley Exploratory Experiment are discussed including an evaluation of the experiment shakedown test analyst labeling results, an evaluation of the crop proportion estimate procedure 1A component, and the evaluation of spring wheat and barley crop calendar models for the 1979 crop year.

Effect of intercropping period management on runoff and erosion in a maize cropping system.

PubMed

Laloy, Eric; Bielders, C L

2010-01-01

The management of winter cover crops is likely to influence their performance in reducing runoff and erosion during the intercropping period that precedes spring crops but also during the subsequent spring crop. This study investigated the impact of two dates of destruction and burial of a rye (Secale cereale L.) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cover crop on runoff and erosion, focusing on a continuous silage maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system. Thirty erosion plots with various intercrop management options were monitored for 3 yr at two sites. During the intercropping period, cover crops reduced runoff and erosion by more than 94% compared with untilled, post-maize harvest plots. Rough tillage after maize harvest proved equally effective as a late sown cover crop. There was no effect of cover crop destruction and burial dates on runoff and erosion during the intercropping period, probably because rough tillage for cover crop burial compensates for the lack of soil cover. During two of the monitored maize seasons, it was observed that plots that had been covered during the previous intercropping period lost 40 to 90% less soil compared with maize plots that had been left bare during the intercropping period. The burial of an aboveground cover crop biomass in excess of 1.5 t ha(-1) was a necessary, yet not always sufficient, condition to induce a residual effect. Because of the possible beneficial residual effect of cover crop burial on erosion reduction, the sowing of a cover crop should be preferred over rough tillage after maize harvest.

Attitudes toward rape and victims of rape: a test of the feminist theory in Ghana.

PubMed

Boakye, Kofi E

2009-10-01

This study explores the usefulness of the feminist theory in explaining attitudes toward rape and victims of rape in Ghana. The feminist theory of rape posits, inter alia, that patriarchy and gender inequality are major factors in the aetiology of rape and attitudes toward rape and that underlying patriarchy and gender inequality are gender stereotypes and false beliefs (myths) about rape, rapists, and victims of rape. Thus, the theory suggests a relationship between rape myths and less favorable attitudes toward rape and victims of rape. Results from a survey conducted in Ghana show some support for the feminist theory of rape: There is evidence of rape myth acceptance in Ghana; gender is significant in predicting levels of rape myth acceptance; and finally, education or profession and age, but not religion, are associated with levels of rape myth acceptance in a predictable way.

Reduced abundance and earlier collection of bumble bee workers under intensive cultivation of a mass-flowering prairie crop.

PubMed

Galpern, Paul; Johnson, Sarah A; Retzlaff, Jennifer L; Chang, Danielle; Swann, John

2017-04-01

One of the most commonly seeded crops in Canada is canola, a cultivar of oilseed rape ( Brassica napus ). As a mass-flowering crop grown intensively throughout the Canadian Prairies, canola has the potential to influence pollinator success across tens of thousands of square kilometers of cropland. Bumble bees ( Bombus sp.) are efficient pollinators of many types of native and crop plants. We measured the influence of this mass-flowering crop on the abundance and phenology of bumble bees, and on another species of social bee (a sweat bee; Halictus rubicundus ), by continuously deploying traps at different levels of canola cultivation intensity, spanning the start and end of canola bloom. Queen bumble bees were more abundant in areas with more canola cover, indicating that this crop is attractive to queens. However, bumble bee workers were significantly fewer in these locations later in the season, suggesting reduced colony success. The median collection dates of workers of three bumble bee species were earlier near canola fields, suggesting a dynamic response of colonies to the increased floral resources. Different species experienced this shift to different extents. The sweat bee was not affected by canola cultivation intensity. Our findings suggest that mass-flowering crops such as canola are attractive to bumble bee queens and therefore may lead to higher rates of colony establishment, but also that colonies established near this crop may be less successful. We propose that the effect on bumble bees can be mitigated by spacing the crop more evenly with respect to alternate floral resources.

Seasonal evolution of soil and plant parameters on the agricultural Gebesee test site: a database for the set-up and validation of EO-LDAS and satellite-aided retrieval models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truckenbrodt, Sina C.; Schmullius, Christiane C.

2018-03-01

Ground reference data are a prerequisite for the calibration, update, and validation of retrieval models facilitating the monitoring of land parameters based on Earth Observation data. Here, we describe the acquisition of a comprehensive ground reference database which was created to test and validate the recently developed Earth Observation Land Data Assimilation System (EO-LDAS) and products derived from remote sensing observations in the visible and infrared range. In situ data were collected for seven crop types (winter barley, winter wheat, spring wheat, durum, winter rape, potato, and sugar beet) cultivated on the agricultural Gebesee test site, central Germany, in 2013 and 2014. The database contains information on hyperspectral surface reflectance factors, the evolution of biophysical and biochemical plant parameters, phenology, surface conditions, atmospheric states, and a set of ground control points. Ground reference data were gathered at an approximately weekly resolution and on different spatial scales to investigate variations within and between acreages. In situ data collected less than 1 day apart from satellite acquisitions (RapidEye, SPOT 5, Landsat-7 and -8) with a cloud coverage ≤ 25 % are available for 10 and 15 days in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The measurements show that the investigated growing seasons were characterized by distinct meteorological conditions causing interannual variations in the parameter evolution. Here, the experimental design of the field campaigns, and methods employed in the determination of all parameters, are described in detail. Insights into the database are provided and potential fields of application are discussed. The data will contribute to a further development of crop monitoring methods based on remote sensing techniques. The database is freely available at PANGAEA (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.874251).

Colonization dynamic of various crop residues by Fusarium graminearum monitored through real-time PCR measurements.

PubMed

Leplat, J; Heraud, C; Gautheron, E; Mangin, P; Falchetto, L; Steinberg, C

2016-11-01

To evaluate the effect of the type of crop residues on the colonization dynamic of Fusarium graminearum in soil. The ability of F. graminearum to survive in the presence of various crop residues was assessed on Petri dishes and in microcosms. These microcosms comprised soil that had or had not been previously disinfested with or without amendment with various crop residues. The colonization dynamic of F. graminearum was monitored through real-time PCR. Fusarium graminearum development was higher in disinfested soil than in non-disinfested one. The fungal growth was enhanced to various extents according to the type of crop residues, except for mustard residues which inhibited it. The biochemical and physical properties of the residues were likely to account for the differences in the survival of F. graminearum. Fusarium graminearum is a poor competitor in soil but it can use maize, wheat, and rape residues to ensure its survival. Conversely alfalfa, which is assimilated by micro-organisms very easily, avoids long-lasting survival of the fungus. And finally, mustard producing glucosinolates could be used as an intermediate crop to reduce the inoculum amount. This study is contributing to the knowledge about F. graminearum saprotophic abilities and proposes interesting paths to limit its survival in soil. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

A novel method for assessing risks to pollinators from plant protection products using honeybees as a model species.

PubMed

Barmaz, Stefania; Potts, Simon G; Vighi, Marco

2010-10-01

Pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services in agroecosystems and supports food production. Pollinators are potentially at risk being exposed to pesticides and the main route of exposure is direct contact, in some cases ingestion, of contaminated materials such as pollen, nectar, flowers and foliage. To date there are no suitable methods for predicting pesticide exposure for pollinators, therefore official procedures to assess pesticide risk are based on a Hazard Quotient. Here we develop a procedure to assess exposure and risk for pollinators based on the foraging behaviour of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and using this species as indicator representative of pollinating insects. The method was applied in 13 European field sites with different climatic, landscape and land use characteristics. The level of risk during the crop growing season was evaluated as a function of the active ingredients used and application regime. Risk levels were primarily determined by the agronomic practices employed (i.e. crop type, pest control method, pesticide use), and there was a clear temporal partitioning of risks through time. Generally the risk was higher in sites cultivated with permanent crops, such as vineyard and olive, than in annual crops, such as cereals and oil seed rape. The greatest level of risk is generally found at the beginning of the growing season for annual crops and later in June-July for permanent crops.

Composition and assembly of a spectral and agronomic data base for 1980 spring small grain segments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helmer, D.; Krantz, J.; Kinsler, M.; Tomkins, M.

1983-01-01

A data set was assembled which consolidates the LANDSAT spectral data, ground truth observation data, and analyst cloud screening data for 28 spring small grain segments collected during the 1980 crop year.

[Effects of tillage practices on root spatial distribution and yield of spring wheat and pea in the dry land farming areas of central Gansu, China].

PubMed

Zhang, Ming Jun; Li, Ling Ling; Xie, Jun Hong; Peng, Zheng Kai; Ren, Jin Hu

2017-12-01

A field experiment was conducted to explore the mechanism of cultivation measures in affecting crop yield by investigating root distribution in spring wheat-pea rotation based on a long-term conservation tillage practices in a farming region of Gansu. The results showed that with the develo-pment of growth period, the total root length, root surface area of spring wheat and pea showed a consistent trend of increase after initial decrease and reached the maximum at flowering stage. Higher root distribution was found in the 0-10 cm soil layer at seedling and 10-30 cm soil layer at flowering and maturity stages in spring wheat, while in the field pea, higher root distribution was found in the 0-10 cm soil layer at seedling and maturity, and in the 10-30 cm soil layer at flowering stages. No tillage with straw mulching and plastic mulching increased the root length and root surface area. Compared with conventional tillage in spring wheat and field pea, root length increased by 35.9% to 92.6%, and root surface area increased by 43.2% to 162.4%, respectively. No tillage with straw mulching and plastic mulching optimized spring wheat and pea root system distribution, compared with conventional tillage, increased spring wheat and field pea root length and root surface area ratio at 0-10 cm depths at the seedling stage, the root distribution at deeper depths increased significantly at flowering and maturity stages, and no tillage with straw mulching increased root length and root surface area ratio by 3.3% and 9.7% respectively, in 30-80 cm soil layer at the flowering stage. The total root length, root surface area and yield had significantly positive correlation for spring wheat in each growth period, and the total root length and pea yield also had significant positive correlation. No tillage with straw mulching and plastic mulching boosted yield of spring wheat and pea by 23.4%-38.7% compared with the conventional tillage, and the water use efficiency was increased by 13.7%-28.5%. It was concluded that no-till farming and straw mulching (plastic) could increase crop root length and root surface area, optimize the spatial distribution of roots in the soil, enhance crop root layer absorption ability, so as to improve crop yield and water utilization.

Effect of Mixed Systems on Crop Productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senturklu, Songul; Landblom, Douglas; Cihacek, Larry; Brevik, Eric

2017-04-01

The goals of this non-irrigated research has been to determine the effect of mixed systems integration on crop, soil, and beef cattle production in the northern Great Plains region of the United States. Over a 5-year period, growing spring wheat (HRSW-C) continuously year after year was compared to a 5-year crop rotation that included spring wheat (HRSW-R), cover crop (dual crop consisting of winter triticale/hairy vetch seeded in the fall and harvested for hay followed by a 7-species cover crop that was seeded in June after hay harvest), forage corn, field pea/barley, and sunflower. Control 5-year HRSW yield was 2690 kg/ha compared to 2757 kg/ha for HRSW grown in rotation. Available soil nitrogen (N) is often the most important limitation for crop production. Expensive fertilizer inputs were reduced in this study due to the mixed system's complementarity in which the rotation system that included beef cattle grazing sustained N availability and increased nutrient cycling, which had a positive effect on all crops grown in the rotation. Growing HRSW continuously requires less intensive management and in this research was 14.5% less profitable. Whereas, when crop management increased and complementing crops were grown in rotation to produce crops and provide feed for grazing livestock, soil nutrient cycling improved. Increased nutrient cycling increased crop rotation yields and yearling beef cattle steers that grazing annual forages in the rotation gain more body weight than similar steers grazing NGP native range. Results of this long-term research will be presented in a PICO format for participant discussion.

A Single, Plastic Population of Mycosphaerella pinodes Causes Ascochyta Blight on Winter and Spring Peas (Pisum sativum) in France

PubMed Central

Guibert, Michèle; Leclerc, Aurélie; Andrivon, Didier; Tivoli, Bernard

2012-01-01

Plant diseases are caused by pathogen populations continuously subjected to evolutionary forces (genetic flow, selection, and recombination). Ascochyta blight, caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes, is one of the most damaging necrotrophic pathogens of field peas worldwide. In France, both winter and spring peas are cultivated. Although these crops overlap by about 4 months (March to June), primary Ascochyta blight infections are not synchronous on the two crops. This suggests that the disease could be due to two different M. pinodes populations, specialized on either winter or spring pea. To test this hypothesis, 144 pathogen isolates were collected in the field during the winter and spring growing seasons in Rennes (western France), and all the isolates were genotyped using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Furthermore, the pathogenicities of 33 isolates randomly chosen within the collection were tested on four pea genotypes (2 winter and 2 spring types) grown under three climatic regimes, simulating winter, late winter, and spring conditions. M. pinodes isolates from winter and spring peas were genetically polymorphic but not differentiated according to the type of cultivars. Isolates from winter pea were more pathogenic than isolates from spring pea on hosts raised under winter conditions, while isolates from spring pea were more pathogenic than those from winter pea on plants raised under spring conditions. These results show that disease developed on winter and spring peas was initiated by a single population of M. pinodes whose pathogenicity is a plastic trait modulated by the physiological status of the host plant. PMID:23023742

Mustard catch crop enhances denitrification in shallow groundwater beneath a spring barley field.

PubMed

Jahangir, M M R; Minet, E P; Johnston, P; Premrov, A; Coxon, C E; Hackett, R; Richards, K G

2014-05-01

Over-winter green cover crops have been reported to increase dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in groundwater, which can be used as an energy source for denitrifiers. This study investigates the impact of a mustard catch crop on in situ denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from an aquifer overlain by arable land. Denitrification rates and N2O-N/(N2O-N+N2-N) mole fractions were measured in situ with a push-pull method in shallow groundwater under a spring barley system in experimental plots with and without a mustard cover crop. The results suggest that a mustard cover crop could substantially enhance reduction of groundwater nitrate NO3--N via denitrification without significantly increasing N2O emissions. Mean total denitrification (TDN) rates below mustard cover crop and no cover crop were 7.61 and 0.002 μg kg(-1) d(-1), respectively. Estimated N2O-N/(N2O-N+N2-N) ratios, being 0.001 and 1.0 below mustard cover crop and no cover crop respectively, indicate that denitrification below mustard cover crop reduces N2O to N2, unlike the plot with no cover crop. The observed enhanced denitrification under the mustard cover crop may result from the higher groundwater DOC under mustard cover crop (1.53 mg L(-1)) than no cover crop (0.90 mg L(-1)) being added by the root exudates and root masses of mustard. This study gives insights into the missing piece in agricultural nitrogen (N) balance and groundwater derived N2O emissions under arable land and thus helps minimise the uncertainty in agricultural N and N2O-N balances. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Receipt of Post-Rape Medical Care in a National Sample of Female Victims

PubMed Central

Zinzow, Heidi M.; Resnick, Heidi S.; Barr, Simone C.; Danielson, Carla K.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.

2014-01-01

Background It is important for rape victims to receive medical care to prevent and treat rape-related diseases and injuries, access forensic exams, and connect to needed resources. Few victims seek care, and factors associated with post-rape medical care–seeking are poorly understood. Purpose The current study examined prevalence and factors associated with post-rape medical care–seeking in a national sample of women who reported a most-recent or only incident of forcible rape, and drug- or alcohol-facilitated/incapacitated rape when they were aged ≥14 years. Methods A national sample of U.S. adult women (N=3001) completed structured telephone interviews in 2006, and data for this study were analyzed in 2011. Logistic regression analyses examined demographic variables, health, rape characteristics, and post-rape concerns in relation to post-rape medical care–seeking among 445 female rape victims. Results A minority of rape victims (21%) sought post-rape medical attention following the incident. In the final multivariate model, correlates of medical care included black race, rape-related injury, concerns about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy concerns, and reporting the incident to police. Conclusions Women who experience rapes consistent with stereotypic scenarios, acknowledge the rape, report the rape, and harbor health concerns appear to be more likely to seek post-rape medical services. Education is needed to increase rape acknowledgment, awareness of post-rape services that do not require formal reporting, and recognition of the need to treat rape-related health problems. PMID:22813683

BIOGENIC NITRIC OXIDE EMISSIONS FROM CROPLAND SOILS

EPA Science Inventory

Emissions of nitric oxide (NO) were determined during late spring and summer 1995 and the spring of 1996 from four agricultural soils on which four different crops were grown. These agricultural soils were located at four different sites throughout North Carolina. Emission rates ...

Attitude May Be Everything, But Is Everything an Attitude? Cognitive Distortions May Not Be Evaluations of Rape.

PubMed

Nunes, Kevin L; Hermann, Chantal A; White, Kristen; Pettersen, Cathrine; Bumby, Kurt

2018-02-01

Cognitive distortions are often referred to as attitudes toward rape in theory, research, and clinical practice pertaining to sexual aggression. In the social-psychological literature, however, attitudes are typically defined as evaluations; thus, in this context, attitudes toward rape are considered evaluations of rape (e.g., rape is negative vs. positive). The purpose of the current study was to explore whether a widely used measure of cognitive distortions (RAPE Scale; Bumby, 1996) assesses evaluation of rape, and, if not, whether evaluation of rape and the cognitions assessed by the RAPE Scale are independently associated with sexually aggressive behavior. Participants (660 male undergraduate students) completed the RAPE Scale as well as measures of evaluation of rape and sexually aggressive behavior. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that the RAPE Scale items formed a correlated but distinct factor from the Evaluation of Rape Scale items. Regression analyses indicated that the Evaluation of Rape Scale and the RAPE Scale had small to moderate independent associations with self-report measures of sexually aggressive behavior. Our results suggest that evaluation of rape may be distinct from cognitive distortions regarding rape, and both evaluation and cognitive distortions may be relevant for understanding sexual violence.

Rape myth acceptance and rape acknowledgment: The mediating role of sexual refusal assertiveness.

PubMed

Newins, Amie R; Wilson, Laura C; White, Susan W

2018-05-01

Unacknowledged rape, defined as when an individual experiences an event that meets a legal or empirical definition of rape but the individual does not label it as such, is prevalent. Research examining predictors of rape acknowledgment is needed. Sexual assertiveness may be an important variable to consider, as an individual's typical behavior during sexual situations may influence rape acknowledgment. To assess the indirect effect of rape myth acceptance on rape acknowledgment through sexual refusal assertiveness, an online survey of 181 female rape survivors was conducted. The indirect effects of two types of rape myths (He didn't mean to and Rape is a deviant event) were significant and positive. Specifically, acceptance of these two rape myths was negatively related to sexual refusal assertiveness, which was negatively associated with likelihood of rape acknowledgment. The results of this study indicate that sexual refusal assertiveness is associated with lower likelihood of rape acknowledgment among rape survivors. As a result, it appears that, under certain circumstances, women high in rape myth acceptance may be more likely to acknowledge rape when it results in decreased sexual refusal assertiveness. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tile Drainage Nitrate Losses and Corn Yield Response to Fall and Spring Nitrogen Management.

PubMed

Pittelkow, Cameron M; Clover, Matthew W; Hoeft, Robert G; Nafziger, Emerson D; Warren, Jeffery J; Gonzini, Lisa C; Greer, Kristin D

2017-09-01

Nitrogen (N) management strategies that maintain high crop productivity with reduced water quality impacts are needed for tile-drained landscapes of the US Midwest. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of N application rate, timing, and fall nitrapyrin addition on tile drainage nitrate losses, corn ( L.) yield, N recovery efficiency, and postharvest soil nitrate content over 3 yr in a corn-soybean [ (L.) Merr.] rotation. In addition to an unfertilized control, the following eight N treatments were applied as anhydrous ammonia in a replicated, field-scale experiment with both corn and soybean phases present each year in Illinois: fall and spring applications of 78, 156, and 234 kg N ha, fall application of 156 kg N ha + nitrapyrin, and sidedress (V5-V6) application of 156 kg N ha. Across the 3-yr study period, increases in flow-weighted NO concentrations were found with increasing N rate for fall and spring N applications, whereas N load results were variable. At the same N rate, spring vs. fall N applications reduced flow-weighted NO concentrations only in the corn-soybean-corn rotation. Fall nitrapyrin and sidedress N treatments did not decrease flo8w-weighted NO concentrations in either rotation compared with fall and spring N applications, respectively, or increase corn yield, crop N uptake, or N recovery efficiency in any year. This study indicates that compared with fall N application, spring and sidedress N applications (for corn-soybean-corn) and sidedress N applications (for soybean-corn-soybean) reduced 3-yr mean flow-weighted NO concentrations while maintaining yields. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Fungal Communities Including Plant Pathogens in Near Surface Air Are Similar across Northwestern Europe.

PubMed

Nicolaisen, Mogens; West, Jonathan S; Sapkota, Rumakanta; Canning, Gail G M; Schoen, Cor; Justesen, Annemarie F

2017-01-01

Information on the diversity of fungal spores in air is limited, and also the content of airborne spores of fungal plant pathogens is understudied. In the present study, a total of 152 air samples were taken from rooftops at urban settings in Slagelse, DK, Wageningen NL, and Rothamsted, UK together with 41 samples from above oilseed rape fields in Rothamsted. Samples were taken during 10-day periods in spring and autumn, each sample representing 1 day of sampling. The fungal content of samples was analyzed by metabarcoding of the fungal internal transcribed sequence 1 (ITS1) and by qPCR for specific fungi. The metabarcoding results demonstrated that season had significant effects on airborne fungal communities. In contrast, location did not have strong effects on the communities, even though locations were separated by up to 900 km. Also, a number of plant pathogens had strikingly similar patterns of abundance at the three locations. Rooftop samples were more diverse than samples taken above fields, probably reflecting greater mixing of air from a range of microenvironments for the rooftop sites. Pathogens that were known to be present in the crop were also found in air samples taken above the field. This paper is one of the first detailed studies of fungal composition in air with the focus on plant pathogens and shows that it is possible to detect a range of pathogens in rooftop air samplers using metabarcoding.

Simulating the effects of climate and agricultural management practices on global crop yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deryng, D.; Sacks, W. J.; Barford, C. C.; Ramankutty, N.

2011-06-01

Climate change is expected to significantly impact global food production, and it is important to understand the potential geographic distribution of yield losses and the means to alleviate them. This study presents a new global crop model, PEGASUS 1.0 (Predicting Ecosystem Goods And Services Using Scenarios) that integrates, in addition to climate, the effect of planting dates and cultivar choices, irrigation, and fertilizer application on crop yield for maize, soybean, and spring wheat. PEGASUS combines carbon dynamics for crops with a surface energy and soil water balance model. It also benefits from the recent development of a suite of global data sets and analyses that serve as model inputs or as calibration data. These include data on crop planting and harvesting dates, crop-specific irrigated areas, a global analysis of yield gaps, and harvested area and yield of major crops. Model results for present-day climate and farm management compare reasonably well with global data. Simulated planting and harvesting dates are within the range of crop calendar observations in more than 75% of the total crop-harvested areas. Correlation of simulated and observed crop yields indicates a weighted coefficient of determination, with the weighting based on crop-harvested area, of 0.81 for maize, 0.66 for soybean, and 0.45 for spring wheat. We found that changes in temperature and precipitation as predicted by global climate models for the 2050s lead to a global yield reduction if planting and harvesting dates remain unchanged. However, adapting planting dates and cultivar choices increases yield in temperate regions and avoids 7-18% of global losses.

Social Perception of Rape: How Rape Myth Acceptance Modulates the Influence of Situational Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frese, Bettina; Moya, Miguel; Megias, Jesus

2004-01-01

This study assessed the role of rape myth acceptance (RMA) and situational factors in the perception of three different rape scenarios (date rape, marital rape, and stranger rape). One hundred and eighty-two psychology undergraduates were asked to emit four judgements about each rape situation: victim responsibility, perpetrator responsibility,…

Catch crops as universal and effective method for reducing nitrogen leaching loss in spring cereal production: A meta-analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valkama, Elena; Lemola, Riitta; Känkänen, Hannu; Turtola, Eila

2016-04-01

Sustainable farms produce adequate amounts of a high-quality product, protect their resources and are both environmentally friendly and economically profitable. Nitrogen (N) fertilization decisively influences the cereal yields as well as increases soil N balance (N input in fertilizer - N output in harvested yield), thereby leading to N losses to the environment. However, while N input reduction affects soil N balance, such approach would markedly reduce N leaching loss only in case of abnormally high N balances. As an alternative approach, the growing of catch crops aims to prevent nutrient leaching in autumn after harvest and during the following winter, but due to competition, catch crops may also reduce yields of the main crop. Although studies have explored the environmental effects of catch crops in cereal production in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway) during the past 40 years, none has yet carried out a meta-analysis. We quantitatively summarized 35 studies on the effect of catch crops (non-legume and legume) undersown in spring cereals on N leaching loss or its risk as estimated by the content of soil nitrate N or its sum with ammonium in late autumn. The meta-analysis also included the grain yield and N content of spring cereals. To identify sources of variation, we studied the effects of soil texture and management (ploughing time, the amount of N applied, fertilizer type), as well as climatic (annual precipitation) and experimental conditions (duration of experiments, lysimeter vs. field experiments). Finally, we examined whether the results differed between the countries or over the decades. Compared to control groups with no catch crops, non-legume catch crops, mainly ryegrass species, reduced N leaching loss by 50% on average, and soil nitrate N or inorganic N by 35% in autumn. Italian ryegrass depleted soil N more effectively (by 60%) than did perennial ryegrass or Westerwolds ryegrass (by 25%). In contrast, legumes (white and red clovers) did not diminish the risk for N leaching. Otherwise, the effect on N leaching and its risk were consistent across the studies conducted in different countries on clay and coarse-textured mineral soils with different ploughing times, N fertilization rates (50-160 kg/ ha), and amounts of annual precipitation (480-1040 mm). Non-legume catch crops reduced grain yield by 3% with no changes in grain N content. In contrast, legumes and mixed catch crops increased both grain yield and grain N content by 6%. In spring cereal production, undersown non-legume catch crops are deemed a universal and effective method for reducing N leaching loss across the various soils, management practices and weather conditions in the Nordic countries. The environmental benefits of using non-legume catch crops appear considerable compared to the adverse reduction in grain yields, amounting to only a few percent. Catch crops are advisable for fields at high risk for N leaching (e.g., sandy soils or soils and crops requiring high N fertilization).

The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bizzell, R. M.; Prior, H. L.; Payne, R. W.; Disler, J. M.

1983-01-01

The results from the U.S./Canada Wheat and Barley Exploratory Experiment which was completed during FY 1980 are presented. The results indicate that the new crop identification procedures performed well for spring small grains and that they are conductive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology. However, the crop calendars will require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The evaluation showed the integrated technology to be capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. However, barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated. The low-density segments examined were judged not to give indicative or unequivocal results. It is concluded that, generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analyses to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment. It is further concluded that a strong potential exists for establishing a highly efficient technology or spring small grains.

Predicting the timing and potential of the spring emergence of overwintered populations of Heliothis spp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartstack, A. W.; Witz, J. A.; Lopez, J. D. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The current state of knowledge dealing with the prediction of the overwintering population and spring emergence of Heliothis spp., a serious pest of numerous crops is surveyed. Current literature is reviewed in detail. Temperature and day length are the primary factors which program H. spp. larva for possible diapause. Although studies on the interaction of temperature and day length are reported, the complete diapause induction process is not identified sufficiently to allow accurate prediction of diapause timing. Mortality during diapause is reported as highly variable. The factors causing mortality are identified, but only a few are quantified. The spring emergence of overwintering H. spp. adults and mathematical models which predict the timing of emergence are reviewed. Timing predictions compare favorably to observed field data; however, prediction of actual numbers of emerging moths is not possible. The potential for use of spring emergence predictions in pest management applications, as an early warning of potential crop damage, are excellent. Research requirements to develop such an early warning system are discussed.

Rape Myth Consistency and Gender Differences in Perceiving Rape Victims: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Hockett, Jericho M; Smith, Sara J; Klausing, Cathleen D; Saucier, Donald A

2016-02-01

An overview discusses feminist analyses of oppression, attitudes toward rape victims, and previously studied predictors of individuals' attitudes toward rape victims. To better understand such attitudes, this meta-analysis examines the moderating influences of various rape victim, perpetrator, and crime characteristics' rape myth consistency on gender differences in individuals' perceptions of rape victims (i.e., victim responsibility and blame attributions and rape minimizing attitudes). Consistent with feminist theoretical predictions, results indicated that, overall, men perceived rape victims more negatively than women did. However, this sex difference was moderated by the rape myth consistency within the rape vignettes. Implications for research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Global crop yield response to extreme heat stress under multiple climate change futures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deryng, D.; Conway, D.; Ramankutty, N.; Price, J.; Warren, R.

2014-12-01

Extreme heat stress during the crop reproductive period can be critical for crop productivity. Projected changes in the frequency and severity of extreme climatic events are expected to negatively impact crop yields and global food production. This study applies the global crop model PEGASUS to quantify, for the first time at the global scale, impacts of extreme heat stress on maize, spring wheat and soybean yields resulting from 72 climate change scenarios for the 21st century. Our results project maize to face progressively worse impacts under a range of RCPs but spring wheat and soybean to improve globally through to the 2080s due to CO2 fertilization effects, even though parts of the tropic and sub-tropic regions could face substantial yield declines. We find extreme heat stress at anthesis (HSA) by the 2080s (relative to the 1980s) under RCP 8.5, taking into account CO2 fertilization effects, could double global losses of maize yield (dY = -12.8 ± 6.7% versus -7.0 ± 5.3% without HSA), reduce projected gains in spring wheat yield by half (dY = 34.3 ± 13.5% versus 72.0 ± 10.9% without HSA) and in soybean yield by a quarter (dY = 15.3 ± 26.5% versus 20.4 ± 22.1% without HSA). The range reflects uncertainty due to differences between climate model scenarios; soybean exhibits both positive and negative impacts, maize is generally negative and spring wheat generally positive. Furthermore, when assuming CO2 fertilization effects to be negligible, we observe drastic climate mitigation policy as in RCP 2.6 could avoid more than 80% of the global average yield losses otherwise expected by the 2080s under RCP 8.5. We show large disparities in climate impacts across regions and find extreme heat stress adversely affects major producing regions and lower income countries.

Global crop yield response to extreme heat stress under multiple climate change futures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deryng, Delphine; Conway, Declan; Ramankutty, Navin; Price, Jeff; Warren, Rachel

2014-03-01

Extreme heat stress during the crop reproductive period can be critical for crop productivity. Projected changes in the frequency and severity of extreme climatic events are expected to negatively impact crop yields and global food production. This study applies the global crop model PEGASUS to quantify, for the first time at the global scale, impacts of extreme heat stress on maize, spring wheat and soybean yields resulting from 72 climate change scenarios for the 21st century. Our results project maize to face progressively worse impacts under a range of RCPs but spring wheat and soybean to improve globally through to the 2080s due to CO2 fertilization effects, even though parts of the tropic and sub-tropic regions could face substantial yield declines. We find extreme heat stress at anthesis (HSA) by the 2080s (relative to the 1980s) under RCP 8.5, taking into account CO2 fertilization effects, could double global losses of maize yield (ΔY = -12.8 ± 6.7% versus - 7.0 ± 5.3% without HSA), reduce projected gains in spring wheat yield by half (ΔY = 34.3 ± 13.5% versus 72.0 ± 10.9% without HSA) and in soybean yield by a quarter (ΔY = 15.3 ± 26.5% versus 20.4 ± 22.1% without HSA). The range reflects uncertainty due to differences between climate model scenarios; soybean exhibits both positive and negative impacts, maize is generally negative and spring wheat generally positive. Furthermore, when assuming CO2 fertilization effects to be negligible, we observe drastic climate mitigation policy as in RCP 2.6 could avoid more than 80% of the global average yield losses otherwise expected by the 2080s under RCP 8.5. We show large disparities in climate impacts across regions and find extreme heat stress adversely affects major producing regions and lower income countries.

Impact of shortened crop rotation of oilseed rape on soil and rhizosphere microbial diversity in relation to yield decline.

PubMed

Hilton, Sally; Bennett, Amanda J; Keane, Gary; Bending, Gary D; Chandler, David; Stobart, Ron; Mills, Peter

2013-01-01

Oilseed rape (OSR) grown in monoculture shows a decline in yield relative to virgin OSR of up to 25%, but the mechanisms responsible are unknown. A long term field experiment of OSR grown in a range of rotations with wheat was used to determine whether shifts in fungal and bacterial populations of the rhizosphere and bulk soil were associated with the development of OSR yield decline. The communities of fungi and bacteria in the rhizosphere and bulk soil from the field experiment were profiled using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) and sequencing of cloned internal transcribed spacer regions and 16S rRNA genes, respectively. OSR cropping frequency had no effect on rhizosphere bacterial communities. However, the rhizosphere fungal communities from continuously grown OSR were significantly different to those from other rotations. This was due primarily to an increase in abundance of two fungi which showed 100% and 95% DNA identity to the plant pathogens Olpidium brassicae and Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, respectively. Real-time PCR confirmed that there was significantly more of these fungi in the continuously grown OSR than the other rotations. These two fungi were isolated from the field and used to inoculate OSR and Brassica oleracea grown under controlled conditions in a glasshouse to determine their effect on yield. At high doses, Olpidium brassicae reduced top growth and root biomass in seedlings and reduced branching and subsequent pod and seed production. Pyrenochaeta sp. formed lesions on the roots of seedlings, and at high doses delayed flowering and had a negative impact on seed quantity and quality.

Mapping field spatial distribution patterns of isoproturon-mineralizing activity over a three-year winter wheat/rape seed/barley rotation.

PubMed

Hussain, S; Devers-Lamrani, M; Spor, A; Rouard, N; Porcherot, M; Beguet, J; Martin-Laurent, F

2013-03-01

The temporal and spatial variability of the activity of soil microorganisms able to mineralize the herbicide isoproturon (IPU) pesticide was investigated over a three-year long crop rotation between 2008 and 2010. Isoproturon mineralization was higher in 2008, when winter wheat was treated with this herbicide, than in 2009 and 2010, when rape seed and barley were treated with different herbicides. Under laboratory conditions, we showed that isoproturon mineralization was not promoted by sulfonylurea herbicide applied on barley crop in 2010. IPU mineralization was shown to be highly variable at the field scale in years 2009 and 2010. Principal component analyses and analyses of similarities revealed that soil pH and equivalent humidity, and to a lesser extent soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were the main drivers of isoproturon-mineralizing activity variance. Using a rather simple model that yields the rate of isoproturon mineralization as a function of soil pH and equivalent humidity, we explained up to 85% of the variance observed. Mapping field-scale distribution of isoproturon mineralization over the three-year survey indicated higher variability in 2009 and in 2010 as compared to 2008, suggesting that isoproturon treatment applied to winter wheat promoted isoproturon mineralization activity and reduced its spatial variability. Field-scale distribution of isoproturon mineralization showed important similarity to the distribution of soil pH, equivalent humidity and to a lesser extent to soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) thereby confirming our model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Disparities in Service Seeking Following Forcible Versus Drug-or Alcohol-Facilitated/ Incapacitated Rape

PubMed Central

Walsh, Kate; Zinzow, Heidi M.; Badour, Christal L.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Resnick, Heidi S.

2015-01-01

Victims of drug- or alcohol-facilitated/incapacitated rape (DAFR/IR) are substantially less likely to seek medical, rape crisis, or police services compared with victims of forcible rape (FR); however, reasons for these disparities are poorly understood. The current study examined explanatory mechanisms in the pathway from rape type (FR vs. DAFR/IR) to disparities in post-rape service seeking (medical, rape crisis, criminal justice). Participants were 445 adult women from a nationally representative household probability sample who had experienced FR, DAFR/IR, or both since age 14. Personal characteristics (age, race, income, prior rape history), rape characteristics (fear, injury, loss of consciousness), and post-rape acknowledgment, medical concerns, and service seeking were collected. An indirect effects model using bootstrapped standard errors was estimated to examine pathways from rape type to service seeking. DAFR/IR-only victims were less likely to seek services compared with FR victims despite similar post-rape medical concerns. FR victims were more likely to report fear during the rape and a prior rape history, and to acknowledge the incident as rape; each of these characteristics was positively associated with service seeking. However, only prior rape history and acknowledgment served as indirect paths to service seeking; acknowledgment was the strongest predictor of service seeking. Diminished acknowledgment of the incident as rape may be especially important to explaining why DAFR/IR victims are less likely than FR victims to seek services. Public service campaigns designed to increase awareness of rape definitions, particularly around DAFR/IR, are important to reducing disparities in rape-related service seeking. PMID:25846758

Understanding Disparities in Service Seeking Following Forcible Versus Drug- or Alcohol-Facilitated/Incapacitated Rape.

PubMed

Walsh, Kate; Zinzow, Heidi M; Badour, Christal L; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Kilpatrick, Dean G; Resnick, Heidi S

2016-09-01

Victims of drug- or alcohol-facilitated/incapacitated rape (DAFR/IR) are substantially less likely to seek medical, rape crisis, or police services compared with victims of forcible rape (FR); however, reasons for these disparities are poorly understood. The current study examined explanatory mechanisms in the pathway from rape type (FR vs. DAFR/IR) to disparities in post-rape service seeking (medical, rape crisis, criminal justice). Participants were 445 adult women from a nationally representative household probability sample who had experienced FR, DAFR/IR, or both since age 14. Personal characteristics (age, race, income, prior rape history), rape characteristics (fear, injury, loss of consciousness), and post-rape acknowledgment, medical concerns, and service seeking were collected. An indirect effects model using bootstrapped standard errors was estimated to examine pathways from rape type to service seeking. DAFR/IR-only victims were less likely to seek services compared with FR victims despite similar post-rape medical concerns. FR victims were more likely to report fear during the rape and a prior rape history, and to acknowledge the incident as rape; each of these characteristics was positively associated with service seeking. However, only prior rape history and acknowledgment served as indirect paths to service seeking; acknowledgment was the strongest predictor of service seeking. Diminished acknowledgment of the incident as rape may be especially important to explaining why DAFR/IR victims are less likely than FR victims to seek services. Public service campaigns designed to increase awareness of rape definitions, particularly around DAFR/IR, are important to reducing disparities in rape-related service seeking. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Soil Olsen-P content changing trend and its relationship with phosphorus surplus and crop yield under long-term fertilization in loessial soil region on the Loess Plateau, China].

PubMed

E, Sheng Zhe; Yang, Zhi Qi; Zeng, Xi Bai; Wang, Ya Nan; Luo, Zhao Xia; Yuan, Jin Hua; Che, Zong Xian

2017-11-01

The changing trend of soil available phosphorus (Olsen-P) content in soil and its relationship with soil phosphorus surplus and crop yield are fundamental when making appropriate phosphate fertilizer recommendations. In this paper, the influences of long-term fertilization on crops phosphorus uptake, soil phosphorus surplus, changing trend of soil available phosphorus content and relationships of soil available phosphorus content with soil phosphorus surplus and crop yield were investigated through 34 years (1981-2015) long-term trial in loessial soil region on the Loess Plateau. The experiment had a completely-randomized-block split-plot design in triplicate. Two main-plot treatments were no farmyard manure and farmyard manure (M), and four subplot treatments were CK (no fertilizer), N (application of chemical fertilizer N), NP (application of chemical fertilizer NP) and NPK (balanced application of chemical fertilizer NPK), respectively. The results showed that fertilization treatments and crop types significantly influenced uptake amount of phosphorus and soil phosphorus surplus. Averaged over time from 1981 to 2015, wheat mean phosphorus uptake amounts of CK, N, NP, NPK, M, MN, MNP and MNPK were 8.63, 10.64, 16.22, 16.21, 16.25, 17.83, 20.39 and 20.27 kg·hm -2 , while rape phosphorus uptakeamounts of eight treatments were 4.40, 8.38, 15.08, 15.71, 10.52, 11.23, 17.96 and 17.66 kg·hm -2 , respectively. The surplus amount of soil phosphorus significantly correlated with the amount of phosphorus applied to soil. When soil phosphorus surplus amount equal zero, wheat and rape phosphorus input amounts were 10.47 kg·hm -2 and 6.97 kg·hm -2 , respectively. Soil phosphorus surplus amount significantly influenced the changing trend of available phosphorus content in soil. CK and N treatments had no phosphorus input, and soil available phosphorus content exhibited a declining trend, annually decreased by 0.16 mg·kg -1 and 0.15 mg·kg -1 , respectively. In contrast, NP, NPK, M, MN, MNP and MNPK six treatments were applied with phosphate fertilizer every years, and available phosphorus content gradually increased along with the duration of trial, with annual increase by 0.02-0.33 mg·kg -1 . Soil available phosphorus content significantly correlated with phosphorus accumulative surplus amount, and the linear models were y=0.012x+9.33 and y=0.009x+11.72 in manure and no manure treatments, respectively. In no manure treatments, wheat yields significantly positively correlated with soil available phosphorus content, however, in manure treatments, their relationships did not reach a significant level. The relationship of wheat grain yield with available phosphorus content could be significantly fitted by piecewise linear model, and available phosphorus agronomy threshold of wheat was 14.99 mg·kg -1 . Rape grain yield also increased with increasing soil available phosphorus content, but the relationship was not significant. This indicated when soil available P content is higher than 14.99 mg·kg -1 , application of phosphate fertili-zer should be reduced or even avoided for planting wheat in loessial soil region on the Loess Plateau.

Understanding Attribution of Blame in Cases of Rape: An Analysis of Participant Gender, Type of Rape and Perceived Similarity to the Victim

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grubb, Amy Rose; Harrower, Julie

2009-01-01

This study examined a variety of factors that may influence attributions towards rape victims. A total of 156 participants completed a questionnaire, which included a measure of attitudes towards rape victims and a vignette depicting one of three rape scenarios (a stranger rape, date rape and seduction rape). Participants rated the extent to which…

Predicting Rape Victim Empathy Based on Rape Victimization and Acknowledgment Labeling.

PubMed

Osman, Suzanne L

2016-06-01

Two studies examined rape victim empathy based on personal rape victimization and acknowledgment labeling. Female undergraduates (Study 1, n = 267; Study 2, n = 381) from a Northeast U.S. midsize public university completed the Rape-Victim Empathy Scale and Sexual Experiences Survey. As predicted, both studies found that acknowledged "rape" victims reported greater empathy than unacknowledged victims and nonvictims. Unexpectedly, these latter two groups did not differ. Study 1 also found that acknowledged "rape" victims reported greater empathy than victims who acknowledged being "sexually victimized." Findings suggest that being raped and acknowledging "rape" together may facilitate rape victim empathy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Adverse weather impacts on arable cropping systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobin, Anne

2016-04-01

Damages due to extreme or adverse weather strongly depend on crop type, crop stage, soil conditions and management. The impact is largest during the sensitive periods of the farming calendar, and requires a modelling approach to capture the interactions between the crop, its environment and the occurrence of the meteorological event. The hypothesis is that extreme and adverse weather events can be quantified and subsequently incorporated in current crop models. Since crop development is driven by thermal time and photoperiod, a regional crop model was used to examine the likely frequency, magnitude and impacts of frost, drought, heat stress and waterlogging in relation to the cropping season and crop sensitive stages. Risk profiles and associated return levels were obtained by fitting generalized extreme value distributions to block maxima for air humidity, water balance and temperature variables. The risk profiles were subsequently confronted with yields and yield losses for the major arable crops in Belgium, notably winter wheat, winter barley, winter oilseed rape, sugar beet, potato and maize at the field (farm records) to regional scale (statistics). The average daily vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and reference evapotranspiration (ET0) during the growing season is significantly lower (p < 0.001) and has a higher variability before 1988 than after 1988. Distribution patterns of VPD and ET0 have relevant impacts on crop yields. The response to rising temperatures depends on the crop's capability to condition its microenvironment. Crops short of water close their stomata, lose their evaporative cooling potential and ultimately become susceptible to heat stress. Effects of heat stress therefore have to be combined with moisture availability such as the precipitation deficit or the soil water balance. Risks of combined heat and moisture deficit stress appear during the summer. These risks are subsequently related to crop damage. The methodology of defining meteorological risks and subsequently relating the risk to the cropping calendar will be demonstrated for major arable crops in Belgium. Physically based crop models assist in understanding the links between adverse weather events, sensitive crop stages and crop damage. Financial support was obtained from Belspo under research contract SD/RI/03A.

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, R. W. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The crop identification procedures used performed were for spring small grains and are conducive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology; however, the crop calendars require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The integrated technology is capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. Barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated because LANDSAT sample segment data was not available for high density barley of primary importance in foreign regions and the low density segments examined were not judged to give indicative or unequvocal results. Generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analysis to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment.

Evaluation of transition year Canadian test sites. [Saskatchewan Province

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, R. W. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The spring small grain proportion accuracy in 15 Saskatchewan test sites was found to be comparable to that of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment Phase 3 and Transition Year results in the U.S. spring wheat states. Spring small grain labeling accuracy was 94%, and the direct wheat labeling accuracy was 89%, despite the low barley separation accuracy of 30%.

Net carbon balance of three full crop rotations at an agricultural site near Gebesee, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurkuck, M.; Brümmer, C.; Kolle, O.; Kutsch, W. L.; Moffat, A. M.; Mukwashi, K.; Truckenbrodt, S. C.; Herbst, M.

2015-12-01

Continuous eddy-covariance (EC) measurements of biosphere-atmosphere CO2 and H2O exchange have been conducted since 2001 at an agricultural site near Gebesee, Germany, thus providing one of the longest EC time series of European croplands. During the experimental period, winter wheat and winter barley were alternately planted with potatoes, sugar beet, rape, and peppermint covering three full crop rotations (2001-2004, 2005-2009, and 2010-2014). In this study, data of 14 years of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and evapotranspiration (E) were re-calculated. Based on these data, we present the net carbon (C) balance (net biome production, NBP) accounting for any additional C input by fertilization and C output by harvest. Further emphasis was placed on the sensitivity of water use efficiency (WUE) and E to climate and crop type. The main aim was to investigate the interannual variability in both NBP and WUE, thus disentangling the impacts of climatic conditions and land management on the net C balance as well as on WUE and E.

The full GHG balance of croplands under seven-year rotation scheme and conventional tillage practices in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juszczak, Radoslaw; Sakowska, Karolina; Ziemblinska, Klaudia; Uzdzicka, Bogna; Strozecki, Marcin; Polmanska, Daria; Chojnicki, Bogdan; Urbaniak, Marek; Augustin, Juergen; Necki, Jarek; Olejnik, Janusz

2014-05-01

Greenhouse gases fluxes were measured with chambers on the selected plots of the experimental arable station of Poznan University of Life Sciences in Brody (52o26'N, 16o18'E), Poland. This is a long term experiment, where the same crops are cultivated under the same fertilization treatment schemes (eleven combinations) since 1957. At the blocks of the full 7-year rotation, there are cultivated in permanent rotation: winter wheat ->winter rye -> potato ->spring barley -> triticale and alfalfa (till the second year). GHG fluxes have been measured on plots with the same fertilization level (Nmin-90kg, K2O-120 kg/ha, P2O5-60 kg/ha and Ca), which is very close to the average amount of mineral fertilization applied in western Poland. No catch crops were cultivated between the main crops. The soil was classified as Albic Luviosols according to FAO 2006 classification. CO2 fluxes have been measured monthly since March 2011, while N2O and CH4 fluxes since March 2012 (weekly) and measurements were continued till October 2013. CO2 fluxes were measured with dynamic chambers, while N2O and CH4 fluxes were measured with both static and dynamic chambers approaches (using LOSGATOS gas analyser). Carbon net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (Reco) have been modelled for the entire period based on the measured fluxes (different management treatments were included in the model), while N2O and CH4 fluxes were linearly interpolated between campaigns. Taking into account the accumulation periods between 15th of October and 14th of October of the next year the cumulated NEE was negative only in case of alfalfa, winter rye and winter wheat, reaching in average -3.5 tCO2-C ha-1 for alfalfa and winter rye fields and around -0.4 tCO2-C ha-1 for winter wheat in seasons 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. While, cumulated NEE for spring crops (potato and spring barley) was positive for the same periods and reached in average 1.1 tCO2-C ha-1 and 2.5 tCO2-C ha-1 for spring barley and potatoes, respectively. The fields with spring crops have positive NEE, and hence negative climatic impact, because by more than half of the year the soil was bared and no catch crops were cultivated between main crops. For the entire 12-months period the highest N2O emission rates were recorded at plots of winter wheat and winter rye and reached 2.2 kgN2O-N ha-1 and 2.0 kgN2O-N ha-1, respectively. At plots of alfalfa and potatoes the emission rates were close to 1.5 kgN2O-N ha-1, while at spring barley plots the emission did not exceed 1.1 kgN2O-N ha-1. At the same time, the yearly CH4 uptake reached from -0.9 kgCH4-C ha-1 at plots of alfalfa, -1.5 kgCH4-C ha-1 at plots of winter wheat to around -1.7 kgCH4-C ha-1 at winter rye, potato and spring barley plots.

Plant Uptake and Metabolism of Nitrofuran Antibiotics in Spring Onion Grown in Nitrofuran-Contaminated Soil.

PubMed

Wang, Yinan; Chan, K K Jason; Chan, Wan

2017-05-31

Environmental pollution caused by the discharge of mutagenic and carcinogenic nitrofurans to the aquatic and soil environment is an emerging public health concern because of the potential in producing drug-resistant microbes and being uptaken by food crops. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis and with spring onion (Allium wakegi Araki) as the plant model, we investigated in this study the plant uptake and accumulation of nitrofuran from a contaminated environment. Our study revealed for the first time high uptake and accumulation rates of nitrofuran in the edible parts of the food crop. Furthermore, results indicated highly efficient plant metabolism of the absorbed nitrofuran within the plant, leading to the formation of genotoxic hydrazine-containing metabolites. The results from this study may disclose a previously unidentified human exposure pathway through contaminated food crops.

Law enforcement officers' perception of rape and rape victims: a multimethod study.

PubMed

Mennicke, Annelise; Anderson, Delaney; Oehme, Karen; Kennedy, Stephanie

2014-01-01

In a study to assess law enforcement officers' perceptions of rape and rape victims, researchers asked 149 law enforcement officers to respond to surveys which included a definition of rape measure, an unfounded rape claims measure, and the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Revised (RMA-R) measure. Although most officers scored low on the RMA-R--indicating that they did not adhere to myths about rape--most officers also responded with incomplete definitions of rape and inaccurate estimates of the number of false rape claims. Multivariate analyses indicated that officers' open-ended responses did not predict their scores on the RMA-R scale. It is argued that the RMA-R alone does not accurately measure officers' understanding of rape. Officers need ongoing training on the legal elements of the crime, the necessity of sensitivity with victims, and research-based statistics on the prevalence of rape.

Nitrogen and Winter Cover Crop Effects on Spring and Summer Nutrient Uptake

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fertilization of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] with swine-lagoon effluent in summer, April to September, does not match the period of productivity of the winter annual cover crops, annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), cereal rye (Secale cereale), and berseem clover (Trifolium alexan...

Measuring natural enemy dispersal from cover crops in a California vineyard

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dispersal of natural enemies from buckwheat cover crop plots embedded within a southern California vineyard during spring and summer was investigated by using an arthropod mark-capture technique. Specifically, arthropods were marked in flowering buckwheat plots by spraying plants with a “triple mark...

Exploring Agro-Climatic Trends in Ethiopia Using CHIRPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedreros, D. H.; Funk, C. C.; Brown, M. E.; Korecha, D.; Seid, Y. M.

2015-12-01

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) uses the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) to monitor agricultural food production in different regions of the world. CHIRPS is a 1981-present, 5 day, approximately 5km resolution, rainfall product based on a combination of geostationary satellite observations, a high resolution climatology and in situ station observations. Furthermore, FEWS NET has developed a gridded implementation of the Water Requirement Satisfaction Index (WRSI), a water balance measurement indicator of crop performance. This study takes advantage of the CHIRPS' long term period of record and high spatial and temporal resolution to examine agro-climatic trends in Ethiopia. We use the CHIRPS rainfall dataset to calculate the WRSI for the boreal spring and summer crop seasons, as well as for spring-summer rangelands conditions. We find substantial long term rainfall declines in the spring and summer seasons across southeastern and northeastern Ethiopia. Crop Model results indicate that rainfall declines in the cropped regions have been associated with water deficits during the critical grain filling periods in well populated and/or highly vulnerable parts of eastern Ethiopia. WRSI results in the pastoral areas indicate substantial reductions in rangeland health during the later part of the growing seasons. These health declines correspond to the regions of Somaliland and Afar that have experienced chronic severe food insecurity since 2010. Key words: CHIRPS, satellite estimated rainfall, agricultural production

[Epigenetics of plant vernalization regulated by non-coding RNAs].

PubMed

Zhang, Shao-Feng; Li, Xiao-Rong; Sun, Chuan-Bao; He, Yu-Ke

2012-07-01

Many higher plants must experience a period of winter cold to accomplish the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. This biological process is called vernalization. Some crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) produce seeds as edible organs, and therefore special measures of rotation and cultivation are necessary for plants to go through an early vernalization for flower differentiation and development, whereas the other crops such as Chinese cabbage (B rapa ssp. pekinenesis) and cabbage (Brassica napus L.) produce leafy heads as edible organs, and additional practice should be taken to avoid vernalization for a prolonged and fully vegetative growth. Before vernalization, flowering is repressed by the action of a gene called Flowering Locus C (FLC). This paper reviewed the function of non-coding RNAs and some proteins including VRN1, VRN2, and VIN3 in epigenetic regulation of FLC during vernalization.

Jet fuel from 18 cool-season oilseed feedstocks in a semi-arid environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Brett; Jabro, Jay

2017-04-01

Renewable jet fuel feedstocks can potentially offset the demand for petroleum based transportation resources, diversify cropping systems, and provide numerous ecosystem services . However, identifying suitable feedstock supplies remains a primary constraint to adoption. A 4-yr, multi-site experiment initiated in fall 2012 investigated the yield potential of six winter- and twelve spring-types of cool-season oilseed feedstocks. Sidney, MT (250 mm annual growing season precipitation) was one of eight sites in the western USA with others in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, and Texas. Winter types of Camelina sativa (1), Brassica napus (4), and B. rapa (1) were planted in mid-September, while spring types of Camelina sativa (1), B. napus (4), B. rapa (1), B. juncea (2), B. carinata (2), and Sinapis alba (2) were planted in early to late April. Seeding rates varied by entry and were between 4 to 11 kg/ha. All plots were under no-till management. Plots were 3 by 9 m with each treatment (oilseed entry) replicated four times. Camelina 'Joelle' was the only fall-seeded entry that survived winters with little to no snow cover on plots and where minimum air temperature reached -32°C. Stands of 'Joelle' in the spring of all years were excellent. 'Joelle' plots were typically harvested in July, while spring types were harvested 2-6 weeks later. Severe hailstorms during the late growing seasons of 2013 and 2015 resulted in up to 95% seed loss, preventing normal seed yield harvest of spring types. The B. carinata and spring camelina were the least and most susceptible to hail damage during plant maturity, respectively. 'Joelle' winter camelina was harvested before the severe weather in both years, showing the benefit of an early maturing crop in regions prone to late season hail. Overall, camelina was the only winter type that showed potential as an oilseed feedstock due to its superior winter hardiness. For spring types, B. napus, Camelina sativa, and B. carinata showed the greatest potential. Seed yield, excluding the five winter types that succumbed every year to winter kill, ranged from about 200 to 2000 kg/ha, with B. napus hybrids (1900 kg/ha), winter and spring camelina (1700 kg/ha), and B. carinata (1300 kg/ha) showing the greatest feedstock potential. Other measurements taken, but not reported included crop phenology, canopy spectral reflectance, leaf area, leaf area index, canopy temperature, soil water use, crop biomass, yield components, seed oil%, seed fatty acid composition, and drought resistance. Overall, camelina was the only winter type in addition to spring types of B. napus, B. carinata, and camelina that showed good potential for jet fuel feedstocks in the semi-arid northern Great Plains, USA.

Detection of QTL for forage yield, lodging resistance and spring vigor traits in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an internationally significant forage crop. Forage yield, lodging resistance and spring vigor are important agronomic traits conditioned by quantitative genetic and environmental effects. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and mo...

Hard Spring Wheat Technical Committee 2016 Crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seven experimental lines of hard spring wheat were grown at up to five locations in 2016 and evaluated for kernel, milling, and bread baking quality against the check variety Glenn. Wheat samples were submitted through the Wheat Quality Council and processed and milled at the USDA-ARS Hard Red Spri...

Entomopathogens in conjunction with imidacloprid could be used to manage wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) on spring wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles (wireworms) (Coleoptera: Elateridae) are serious pests of several agricultural crops worldwide. Hypnoidus bicolor and Limonius californicus are two major wireworm species damaging to spring wheat, particularly in the Golden Triangle, an important cereal-grow...

A description of the reformatted spring small grains labeling procedure used in test 2, part 2 of the US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, W. F.; Magness, E. R. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The reformatted spring small grains labeling procedure is designed to be used for assigning crop identification labels to a predetermined and selected number of dots. The development and description of this procedure is presented.

Climatically driven yield variability of major crops in Khakassia (South Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babushkina, Elena A.; Belokopytova, Liliana V.; Zhirnova, Dina F.; Shah, Santosh K.; Kostyakova, Tatiana V.

2018-06-01

We investigated the variability of yield of the three main crop cultures in the Khakassia Republic: spring wheat, spring barley, and oats. In terms of yield values, variability characteristics, and climatic response, the agricultural territory of Khakassia can be divided into three zones: (1) the Northern Zone, where crops yield has a high positive response to the amount of precipitation, May-July, and a moderately negative one to the temperatures of the same period; (2) the Central Zone, where crops yield depends mainly on temperatures; and (3) the Southern Zone, where climate has the least expressed impact on yield. The dominant pattern in the crops yield is caused by water stress during periods of high temperatures and low moisture supply with heat stress as additional reason. Differences between zones are due to combinations of temperature latitudinal gradient, precipitation altitudinal gradient, and the presence of a well-developed hydrological network and the irrigational system as moisture sources in the Central Zone. More detailed analysis shows differences in the climatic sensitivity of crops during phases of their vegetative growth and grain development and, to a lesser extent, during harvesting period. Multifactor linear regression models were constructed to estimate climate- and autocorrelation-induced variability of the crops yield. These models allowed prediction of the possibility of yield decreasing by at least 2-11% in the next decade due to increasing of the regional summer temperatures.

Climatically driven yield variability of major crops in Khakassia (South Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babushkina, Elena A.; Belokopytova, Liliana V.; Zhirnova, Dina F.; Shah, Santosh K.; Kostyakova, Tatiana V.

2017-12-01

We investigated the variability of yield of the three main crop cultures in the Khakassia Republic: spring wheat, spring barley, and oats. In terms of yield values, variability characteristics, and climatic response, the agricultural territory of Khakassia can be divided into three zones: (1) the Northern Zone, where crops yield has a high positive response to the amount of precipitation, May-July, and a moderately negative one to the temperatures of the same period; (2) the Central Zone, where crops yield depends mainly on temperatures; and (3) the Southern Zone, where climate has the least expressed impact on yield. The dominant pattern in the crops yield is caused by water stress during periods of high temperatures and low moisture supply with heat stress as additional reason. Differences between zones are due to combinations of temperature latitudinal gradient, precipitation altitudinal gradient, and the presence of a well-developed hydrological network and the irrigational system as moisture sources in the Central Zone. More detailed analysis shows differences in the climatic sensitivity of crops during phases of their vegetative growth and grain development and, to a lesser extent, during harvesting period. Multifactor linear regression models were constructed to estimate climate- and autocorrelation-induced variability of the crops yield. These models allowed prediction of the possibility of yield decreasing by at least 2-11% in the next decade due to increasing of the regional summer temperatures.

Attitudes toward Rape and Victims of Rape: A Test of the Feminist Theory in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boakye, Kofi E.

2009-01-01

This study explores the usefulness of the feminist theory in explaining attitudes toward rape and victims of rape in Ghana. The feminist theory of rape posits, inter alia, that patriarchy and gender inequality are major factors in the aetiology of rape and attitudes toward rape and that underlying patriarchy and gender inequality are gender…

The effects of straw or straw-derived gasification biochar applications on soil quality and crop productivity: A farm case study.

PubMed

Hansen, Veronika; Müller-Stöver, Dorette; Imparato, Valentina; Krogh, Paul Henning; Jensen, Lars Stoumann; Dolmer, Anders; Hauggaard-Nielsen, Henrik

2017-01-15

Thermal gasification of straw is a highly efficient technology that produces bioenergy and gasification biochar that can be used as a soil amendment, thereby returning non-renewable nutrients and stable carbon, and securing soil quality and crop productivity. A Danish on-farm field study investigated the impact of traditional straw incorporation vs. straw removal for thermal gasification bioenergy production and the application of straw gasification biochar (GB) on soil quality and crop production. Two rates of GB were applied over three successive years in which the field was cropped with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and winter wheat, respectively, to assess the potential effects on the soil carbon pool, soil microorganisms, earthworms, soil chemical properties and crop yields. The application of GB did not increase the soil organic carbon content significantly and had no effect on crop yields. The application of straw and GB had a positive effect on the populations of bacteria and protists, but no effect on earthworms. The high rate of GB increased soil exchangeable potassium content and soil pH indicating its potassium bioavailability and liming properties. These results suggest, that recycling GB into agricultural soils has the potential to be developed into a system combining bioenergy generation from agricultural residues and crop production, while maintaining soil quality. However, future studies should be undertaken to assess its long-term effects and to identify the optimum balance between straw removal and biochar application rate. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Predicting the global warming potential of agro-ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehuger, S.; Gabrielle, B.; Larmanou, E.; Laville, P.; Cellier, P.; Loubet, B.

2007-04-01

Nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane are the main biogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) contributing to the global warming potential (GWP) of agro-ecosystems. Evaluating the impact of agriculture on climate thus requires a capacity to predict the net exchanges of these gases in an integrated manner, as related to environmental conditions and crop management. Here, we used two year-round data sets from two intensively-monitored cropping systems in northern France to test the ability of the biophysical crop model CERES-EGC to simulate GHG exchanges at the plot-scale. The experiments involved maize and rapeseed crops on a loam and rendzina soils, respectively. The model was subsequently extrapolated to predict CO2 and N2O fluxes over an entire crop rotation. Indirect emissions (IE) arising from the production of agricultural inputs and from cropping operations were also added to the final GWP. One experimental site (involving a wheat-maize-barley rotation on a loamy soil) was a net source of GHG with a GWP of 350 kg CO2-C eq ha-1 yr-1, of which 75% were due to IE and 25% to direct N2O emissions. The other site (involving an oilseed rape-wheat-barley rotation on a rendzina) was a net sink of GHG for -250 kg CO2-C eq ha-1 yr-1, mainly due to a higher predicted C sequestration potential and C return from crops. Such modelling approach makes it possible to test various agronomic management scenarios, in order to design productive agro-ecosystems with low global warming impact.

Anaerobic soil disinfestation reduces survival and infectivity of Phytophthora nicotianae chlamydospores in pepper

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytophthora nicotianae is the principal causal agent of root and crown rot disease of pepper plants in Extremadura (western Spain), a spring-summer crop in this region. Preplant soil treatment by anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) may effectively control plant pathogens in many crop production sys...

Strontium-90 Accumulation on Plant Foliage During Rainfall.

PubMed

Menzel, R G; Roberts, H; Stewart, E H; Mackenzie, A J

1963-11-01

Accumulation of strontium-90 in field-grown crops was measured during the spring of 1962. Each rainfall markedly increased the strontium-90 content of the crops, except when the plants were very small. Accumulation between rains was comparatively small, about equal to the expected uptake from the soil.

Integrated palmer amaranth management in glufosinate-resistant cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two separate three year field experiments were conducted to evaluate: 1) the role of soil-inversion, cover crops and herbicide regimes for Amaranthus palmeri between-row (BR) and within-row (WR) management in glufosinate-resistant cotton and 2) the role of soil inversion, cover crops and spring til...

Combining ecological and molecular methods to investigate predation of a lepidopteron pest complex of Brassica crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In southeast Queensland Brassica crops are attacked by Crocidolomia pavonana F. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in late summer and autumn, and Plutella xylsotella (L) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) from late autumn through spring. The impact of endemic predatory and parasitic arthropods on each pest was studie...

Characterization of some useful traits in sweet sorghum for bioenergy production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Multiple yearly harvests can increase crop productivity but the crop may encounter different environmental challenges (such as early-spring cold or late-fall frost) depending on cultivation zones. Sweet sorghum as a feedstock may be planted early to get a double harvest or be rotated with sugarcane ...

Pflanzliche Zellkulturtechniken als Züchtungsschritt am Beispiel Raps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Franz

1980-06-01

A supplementation of classical plant breeding is now necessary due to the limitations imposed by available genetic variability and the slowness of the method. Therefore, cell culture techniques could play an important role in the future. Using rape seed, in which plants derived from anther culture and in vitro mutagenesis are already field tested, it has been shown that, in this case, somatic genetics is very close to becoming a practical method. For most of the other crop plants, in particular the cereals, no such unconventional breeding techniques have yet been satisfactorily established for commercial use.

Rape Myth Acceptance and Rape Proclivity: Expected Dominance Versus Expected Arousal as Mediators in Acquaintance-Rape Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiroro, Patrick; Bohner, Gerd; Viki, G. Tendayi; Jarvis, Christopher I.

2004-01-01

Individuals who are high in rape myth acceptance (RMA) have been found to report a high proclivity to rape. In a series of three studies, the authors examined whether the relationship between RMA and self-reported rape proclivity was mediated by anticipated sexual arousal or anticipated enjoyment of sexually dominating the rape victim. Results of…

Brassica napus Genome Possesses Extraordinary High Number of CAMTA Genes and CAMTA3 Contributes to PAMP Triggered Immunity and Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

PubMed Central

Rahman, Hafizur; Xu, You-Ping; Zhang, Xuan-Rui; Cai, Xin-Zhong

2016-01-01

Calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) play important roles in various plant biological processes including disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important oil-producing crops worldwide. To date, compositon of CAMTAs in genomes of Brassica species and role of CAMTAs in resistance to the devastating necrotrophic fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are still unknown. In this study, 18 CAMTA genes were identified in oilseed rape genome through bioinformatics analyses, which were inherited from the nine copies each in its progenitors Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea and represented the highest number of CAMTAs in a given plant species identified so far. Gene structure, protein domain organization and phylogentic analyses showed that the oilseed rape CAMTAs were structurally similar and clustered into three major groups as other plant CAMTAs, but had expanded subgroups CAMTA3 and CAMTA4 genes uniquely in rosids species occurring before formation of oilseed rape. A large number of stress response-related cis-elements existed in the 1.5 kb promoter regions of the BnCAMTA genes. BnCAMTA genes were expressed differentially in various organs and in response to treatments with plant hormones and the toxin oxalic acid (OA) secreted by S. sclerotiorum as well as the pathogen inoculation. Remarkably, the expression of BnCAMTA3A1 and BnCAMTA3C1 was drastically induced in early phase of S. sclerotiorum infection, indicating their potential role in the interactions between oilseed rape and S. sclerotiorum. Furthermore, inoculation analyses using Arabidopsis camta mutants demonstrated that Atcamta3 mutant plants exhibited significantly smaller disease lesions than wild-type and other Atcamta mutant plants. In addition, compared with wild-type plants, Atcamta3 plants accumulated obviously more hydrogen peroxide in response to the PAMP chitin and exhibited much higher expression of the CGCG-box-containing genes BAK1 and JIN1, which are essential to the PAMP triggered immunity (PTI) and/or plant resistance to pathogens including S. sclerotiorum. Our results revealed that CAMTA3 negatively regulated PTI probably by directly targeting BAK1 and it also negatively regulated plant defense through suppressing JA signaling pathway probably via directly targeting JIN1. PMID:27200054

Rape myth acceptance impacts the reporting of rape to the police: a study of incarcerated women.

PubMed

Heath, Nicole M; Lynch, Shannon M; Fritch, April M; Wong, Maria M

2013-09-01

We examined the association between rape myth acceptance (RMA) and reporting rapes to the police. Situational characteristics of the rape (e.g., stranger attack, injury) are known predictors of reporting, but no existing studies have examined the association between beliefs about rape and reporting. In addition, most studies of RMA do not assess victimization history. Incarcerated women experience high rates of sexual assaults prior to incarceration. We recruited 74 rape survivors from a northwestern state prison. Results suggest that women who endorsed higher levels of RMA were less likely to report their rapes to police; however, participants endorsed few rape myths.

Swine manure injection with low-disturbance applicator and cover crops reduce phosphorus losses.

PubMed

Kovar, J L; Moorman, T B; Singer, J W; Cambardella, C A; Tomer, M D

2011-01-01

Injection of liquid swine manure disturbs surface soil so that runoff from treated lands can transport sediment and nutrients to surface waters. We determined the effect of two manure application methods on P fate in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production system, with and without a winter rye (Secale cereale L.)-oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop. Treatments included: (i) no manure; (ii) knife injection; and (iii) low-disturbance injection, each with and without the cover crop. Simulated rainfall runoff was analyzed for dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP). Rainfall was applied 8 d after manure application (early November) and again in May after emergence of the corn crop. Manure application increased soil bioavailable P in the 20- to 30-cm layer following knife injection and in the 5- to 20-cm layer following low-disturbance injection. The low-disturbance system caused less damage to the cover crop, so that P uptake was more than threefold greater. Losses of DRP were greater in both fall and spring following low-disturbance injection; however, application method had no effect on TP loads in runoff in either season. The cover crop reduced fall TP losses from plots with manure applied by either method. In spring, DRP losses were significantly higher from plots with the recently killed cover crop, but TP losses were not affected. Low-disturbance injection of swine manure into a standing cover crop can minimize plant damage and P losses in surface runoff while providing optimum P availability to a subsequent agronomic crop.

The Realities of Date Rape.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Presley, Cara; Watson, Jennifer; Williams, Audrey R.

This poster presentation addresses the issue of date rape, specifically in the college environment. Highlighted are date rape statistics, demographics, and date rape drugs. Also discussed are date rape warnings and prevention strategies. It is concluded that college and university administrators must place the issue of date rape and acquaintance…

Interpreting Rape: Differences Among Professionals and Non-Professional Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calhoun, Lawrence G.

Physicians and rape crisis counselors may play important roles in assisting a rape victim; their beliefs and perceptions about rape may influence their treatment of the victim. Physicians (N=10) and volunteer rape counselors (N=44) completed questionnaires focused on demographic characteristics, their experiences with rape victims, and personal…

The Concept of Conversion Factors and Reference Crops for the Prediction of 137Cs Root Uptake: Field Verification in Post-Chernobyl Landscape, 30 Years after Nuclear Accident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komissarova, Olga; Paramonova, Tatiana

2017-04-01

One of the notable lessons obtained from nuclear accidents could be revealing the general features of 137Cs root uptake by agricultural crops for prediction the radionuclide accumulation in plants and its further distribution via food chains. Transfer factors (TFs) (the ratio of 137Cs activities in vegetation and in soil) have become a basis for such assessment when the characteristics of radioactive contamination, soil properties and phylogenetic features of different plant taxons important for root uptake are known. For the sake of simplicity the concept of conversion factor (CF) was accepted by IAEA (2006) to obtain unknown value of TF from the TF value of the reference crop cultivated on the same soil. Cereals were selected like reference group of agricultural crops. Presuming TF for cereals equal 1, CFs for tubers and fodder leguminous are 4, for grasses - 4.5, for leafy vegetables - 9, ets. To verify TFs and corresponding CFs values under environmental conditions of post-Chernobyl agricultural landscape the study in the area of Plavsky radioactive hotspot (Tula region, Russia) was conducted. Nowadays, after 30 years after the Chernobyl accident ( the first half-life period of 137Cs), arable chernozems of the territory are still polluted at the level 126-282 kBq/m2. The main crops of field rotation: wheat and barley (cereals), potatoes (tubers), soybean (leguminous), amaranth (non-leafy vegetables), rape ("other crops"), as well as galega-bromegrass mixture (cultivated species of grasses) and pasture grasses of semi-natural dry and wet meadows have been studied. Accumulation parameters of 137Cs in aboveground biomass, belowground biomass and edible parts of the plants were examined separately. Experimentally obtained 137Cs TFs in cereals are 0.24-0.32 for total biomass, 0.07-0.14 for aerial parts, 0.54-0.64 for roots and 0.01-0.02 for grain. Thus, (i) 137Cs transfer in grain of wheat and barley is insignificant and (ii) corresponding TFs values in both crops are reasonably consistent with each other. Normalizing 137Cs TFs in investigated crops to the mean TF value for the grain of cereals, the following CFs are realized: 0.8 for potatoes and 1.0 for rape, 1.4-3.5 for cultivated species of grasses and almost the same - 1.3-3.2 - for pasture grasses, 5.8 for soybean, 7.0 for amaranth. The data are not exactly, but satisfactory agree with IAEA recommendations and have revealed the similar order of CFs for plant groups. Another situation is found when CFs are calculated on the basis of 137Cs TFs in aboveground and especially in total biomass of cereals. Since wheat and barley are capable to accumulate relatively elevated amount of the radionuclide in roots and definite 137Cs is translocated into leaves and stems, such CFs for crops are estimated as <0.8 and <0.6 taking into account average TFs in aboveground and total biomass of cereals correspondently. Hence cultural cereals are more likely accumulators of 137Cs rather than excluders. As a whole, the concept of conversion factors and reference crops for the prediction of 137Cs transfer into plants have considerable promise, but invites further investigation and precise observing conditions. The study was conducted with the support from the RFBR (14-05-00903).

Not a load of rubbish: simulated field trials in large-scale containers.

PubMed

Hohmann, M; Stahl, A; Rudloff, J; Wittkop, B; Snowdon, R J

2016-09-01

Assessment of yield performance under fluctuating environmental conditions is a major aim of crop breeders. Unfortunately, results from controlled-environment evaluations of complex agronomic traits rarely translate to field performance. A major cause is that crops grown over their complete lifecycle in a greenhouse or growth chamber are generally constricted in their root growth, which influences their response to important abiotic constraints like water or nutrient availability. To overcome this poor transferability, we established a plant growth system comprising large refuse containers (120 L 'wheelie bins') that allow detailed phenotyping of small field-crop populations under semi-controlled growth conditions. Diverse winter oilseed rape cultivars were grown at field densities throughout the crop lifecycle, in different experiments over 2 years, to compare seed yields from individual containers to plot yields from multi-environment field trials. We found that we were able to predict yields in the field with high accuracy from container-grown plants. The container system proved suitable for detailed studies of stress response physiology and performance in pre-breeding populations. Investment in automated large-container systems may help breeders improve field transferability of greenhouse experiments, enabling screening of pre-breeding materials for abiotic stress response traits with a positive influence on yield. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Laboratory measurements of emission factors of nonmethane volatile organic compounds from burning of Chinese crop residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inomata, Satoshi; Tanimoto, Hiroshi; Pan, Xiaole; Taketani, Fumikazu; Komazaki, Yuichi; Miyakawa, Takuma; Kanaya, Yugo; Wang, Zifa

2015-05-01

The emission factors (EFs) of nonmethane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) emitted during the burning of Chinese crop residue were investigated as a function of modified combustion efficiency in laboratory experiments. NMVOCs, including acetonitrile, aldehydes/ketones, furan, and aromatic hydrocarbons, were monitored by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. Rape plant was burned in dry conditions and wheat straw was burned in both wet and dry conditions to simulate the possible burning of damp crop residue in regions of high temperature and humidity. We compared the present data to field data reported by Kudo et al. (2014). Good agreement between field and laboratory data was obtained for aromatics under relatively more smoldering combustion of dry samples, but laboratory data were slightly overestimated compared to field data for oxygenated VOC (OVOC). When EFs from the burning of wet samples were investigated, the consistency between the field and laboratory data for OVOCs was stronger than for dry samples. This may be caused by residual moisture in crop residue that has been stockpiled in humid regions. Comparison of the wet laboratory data with field data suggests that Kudo et al. (2014) observed the biomass burning plumes under relatively more smoldering conditions in which approximately a few tens of percentages of burned fuel materials were wet.

An acute post-rape intervention to prevent substance use and abuse.

PubMed

Acierno, Ron; Resnick, Heidi S; Flood, Amanda; Holmes, Melisa

2003-12-01

The trauma of rape is routinely associated with extreme acute distress. Such peri-event anxiety increases risk of developing psychopathology and substance use or abuse post-rape, with the degree of initial distress positively predicting future problems. Unfortunately, the nature of post-rape forensic evidence collection procedures may exacerbate initial distress, thereby potentiating post-rape negative emotional sequelae. Consequently, substance use may increase in an effort to ameliorate this distress. To address this, a two-part video intervention was developed for use in acute post-rape time frames to (a) minimize anxiety during forensic rape examinations, thereby reducing risk of future emotional problems, and (b) prevent increased post-rape substance use and abuse. Pilot study data with 124 rape victims indicated that the low-cost, easily administered intervention was effective in reducing risk of marijuana abuse at 6 weeks. Nonstatistically significant trends also were evident for reduced marijuana use. Trends were also noted in favor of the intervention in the subgroup of women who were actively using substances pre-rape (among pre-rape alcohol users, 28% viewers vs. 43% nonviewers met criteria for post-rape alcohol abuse; among pre-rape marijuana users, the rates of post-marijuana use were 17% vs. 43%).

Sulfur fertilization and fungal infections affect the exchange of H(2)S and COS from agricultural crops.

PubMed

Bloem, Elke; Haneklaus, Silvia; Kesselmeier, Jürgen; Schnug, Ewald

2012-08-08

The emission of gaseous sulfur (S) compounds by plants is related to several factors, such as the plant S status or fungal infection. Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is either released or taken up by the plant depending on the ambient air concentration and the plant demand for S. On the contrary, carbonyl sulfide (COS) is normally taken up by plants. In a greenhouse experiment, the dependence of H(2)S and COS exchange with ambient air on the S status of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and on fungal infection with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was investigated. Thiol contents were determined to understand their influence on the exchange of gaseous S compounds. The experiment revealed that H(2)S emissions were closely related to pathogen infections as well as to S nutrition. S fertilization caused a change from H(2)S consumption by S-deficient oilseed rape plants to a H(2)S release of 41 pg g(-1) (dw) min(-1) after the addition of 250 mg of S per pot. Fungal infection caused an even stronger increase of H(2)S emissions with a maximum of 1842 pg g(-1) (dw) min(-1) 2 days after infection. Healthy oilseed rape plants acted as a sink for COS. Fungal infection caused a shift from COS uptake to COS releases. The release of S-containing gases thus seems to be part of the response to fungal infection. The roles the S-containing gases may play in this response are discussed.

Evaluation of the Williams-type spring wheat model in North Dakota and Minnesota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leduc, S. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The Williams type model, developed similarly to previous models of C.V.D. Williams, uses monthly temperature and precipitation data as well as soil and topological variables to predict the yield of the spring wheat crop. The models are statistically developed using the regression technique. Eight model characteristics are examined in the evaluation of the model. Evaluation is at the crop reporting district level, the state level and for the entire region. A ten year bootstrap test was the basis of the statistical evaluation. The accuracy and current indication of modeled yield reliability could show improvement. There is great variability in the bias measured over the districts, but there is a slight overall positive bias. The model estimates for the east central crop reporting district in Minnesota are not accurate. The estimate of yield for 1974 were inaccurate for all of the models.

Calling It Rape: Differences in Experiences of Women Who Do or Do Not Label Their Sexual Assault as Rape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Arnold S.; Jackson, Jennifer; Kully, Christine; Badger, Kelly; Halvorsen, Jessica

2003-01-01

Past research had found that one-half or more of all women who have had an experience that might meet the definition of rape do not label themselves rape victims. The present study examined the actual rape experiences of 33 women who labeled their assault experience as rape and 56 women who did not label their assault experience as rape through…

Wheat Quality Council, Hard Spring Wheat Technical Committee, 2015 Crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nine experimental lines of hard spring wheat were grown at up to five locations in 2015 and evaluated for kernel, milling, and bread baking quality against the check variety Glenn. Wheat samples were submitted through the Wheat Quality Council and processed and milled at the USDA-ARS Hard Red Sprin...

Wheat Quality Council, Hard Spring Wheat Technical Committee, 2014 Crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Eleven experimental lines of hard spring wheat were grown at up to five locations in 2014 and evaluated for kernel, milling, and bread baking quality against the check variety Glenn. Wheat samples were submitted through the Wheat Quality Council and processed and milled at the USDA-ARS Hard Red Spr...

Role of climatic factors on damage incidence by Dermolepida albohirtum (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), in Burdekin sugarcane fields, Australia.

PubMed

Horsfield, Andrew; Sallam, Mohamed Nader S; Drummond, Frank A; Williams, Don J; Schultz, Rod J

2008-04-01

Inconsistent control of Dermolepida albohirtum (Waterhouse) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the period after the removal of organochlorines allowed us to study the impact of climatic variables and insecticide application on subsequent damage in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). D. albohirtum damage records from the Invicta and Inkerman mill areas of the Burdekin district of North Queensland were compared with climatic averages during spring from 1989 to 2003. D. albohirtum damage demonstrated autocorrelation, indicating that the area of damage will increase from one year to the next if the grub is not effectively controlled. Insecticide use did not significantly impact on the area of damage between 1989 and 2003. Of the climatic variables evaluated, only pan evaporation was significant, and it was inversely related to the subsequent area of grub damage. Therefore, we suggest that weather conditions in spring impact on beetle emergence, feeding, and oviposition. Hot and dry spring weather may reduce beetle activity and ultimately the severity of crop damage, whereas wet and mild spring weather may favor beetle activity and an increase in the area of potential crop damage.

Estimation and change tendency of rape straw resource in Leshan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Qinlan; Gong, Mingfu

2018-04-01

Rape straw in Leshan area are rape stalks, including stems, leaves and pods after removing rapeseed. Leshan area is one of the main rape planting areas in Sichuan Province and rape planting area is large. Each year will produce a lot of rape straw. Based on the analysis of the trend of rapeseed planting area and rapeseed yield from 2008 to 2014, the change trend of rape straw resources in Leshan from 2008 to 2014 was analyzed and the decision-making reference was provided for resource utilization of rape straw. The results showed that the amount of rape straw resources in Leshan was very large, which was more than 100,000 tons per year, which was increasing year by year. By 2014, the amount of rape straw resources in Leshan was close to 200,000 tons.

Geographical Clusters of Rape in the United States: 2000-2012

PubMed Central

Amin, Raid; Nabors, Nicole S.; Nelson, Arlene M.; Saqlain, Murshid; Kulldorff, Martin

2016-01-01

Background While rape is a very serious crime and public health problem, no spatial mapping has been attempted for rape on the national scale. This paper addresses the three research questions: (1) Are reported rape cases randomly distributed across the USA, after being adjusted for population density and age, or are there geographical clusters of reported rape cases? (2) Are the geographical clusters of reported rapes still present after adjusting for differences in poverty levels? (3) Are there geographical clusters where the proportion of reported rape cases that lead to an arrest is exceptionally low or exceptionally high? Methods We studied the geographical variation of reported rape events (2003-2012) and rape arrests (2000-2012) in the 48 contiguous states of the USA. The disease Surveillance software SaTScan™ with its spatial scan statistic is used to evaluate the spatial variation in rapes. The spatial scan statistic has been widely used as a geographical surveillance tool for diseases, and we used it to identify geographical areas with clusters of reported rape and clusters of arrest rates for rape. Results The spatial scan statistic was used to identify geographical areas with exceptionally high rates of reported rape. The analyses were adjusted for age, and in secondary analyses, for both age and poverty level. We also identified geographical areas with either a low or a high proportion of reported rapes leading to an arrest. Conclusions We have identified geographical areas with exceptionally high (low) rates of reported rape. The geographical problem areas identified are prime candidates for more intensive preventive counseling and criminal prosecution efforts by public health, social service, and law enforcement agencies Geographical clusters of high rates of reported rape are prime areas in need of expanded implementation of preventive measures, such as changing attitudes in our society toward rape crimes, in addition to having the criminal justice system play an even larger role in preventing rape. PMID:28078318

Geographical Clusters of Rape in the United States: 2000-2012.

PubMed

Amin, Raid; Nabors, Nicole S; Nelson, Arlene M; Saqlain, Murshid; Kulldorff, Martin

2015-01-01

While rape is a very serious crime and public health problem, no spatial mapping has been attempted for rape on the national scale. This paper addresses the three research questions: (1) Are reported rape cases randomly distributed across the USA, after being adjusted for population density and age, or are there geographical clusters of reported rape cases? (2) Are the geographical clusters of reported rapes still present after adjusting for differences in poverty levels? (3) Are there geographical clusters where the proportion of reported rape cases that lead to an arrest is exceptionally low or exceptionally high? We studied the geographical variation of reported rape events (2003-2012) and rape arrests (2000-2012) in the 48 contiguous states of the USA. The disease Surveillance software SaTScan™ with its spatial scan statistic is used to evaluate the spatial variation in rapes. The spatial scan statistic has been widely used as a geographical surveillance tool for diseases, and we used it to identify geographical areas with clusters of reported rape and clusters of arrest rates for rape. The spatial scan statistic was used to identify geographical areas with exceptionally high rates of reported rape. The analyses were adjusted for age, and in secondary analyses, for both age and poverty level. We also identified geographical areas with either a low or a high proportion of reported rapes leading to an arrest. We have identified geographical areas with exceptionally high (low) rates of reported rape. The geographical problem areas identified are prime candidates for more intensive preventive counseling and criminal prosecution efforts by public health, social service, and law enforcement agencies Geographical clusters of high rates of reported rape are prime areas in need of expanded implementation of preventive measures, such as changing attitudes in our society toward rape crimes, in addition to having the criminal justice system play an even larger role in preventing rape.

Attitudes toward wife rape: effects of social background and victim status.

PubMed

Basile, Kathleen C

2002-06-01

The current literature on wife rape is minimal compared to the published research in areas such as wife battering or date rape, and most of the existent work on attitudes toward wife rape is dated and/or focuses on limited samples (i.e., college populations). Using data from a nationally representative telephone survey, this study examined national attitudes toward wife rape using the following measures: perceptions of the occurrence of wife rape, perceptions of the frequency of wife rape, and perceptions of three rape scenarios. Respondent sex, education, age, race, and female victim status were predictors. Findings reveal that older, non-white respondents were less likely to believe wife rape occurs. Males and the more educated were less likely to believe it occurs frequently. Older and less educated respondents were less likely to believe forced sex scenarios between a husband and wife constitute wife rape. Among women, non-victims of forced sex were significantly less likely than current victims to believe that wife rape occurs.

Effect of crop residue harvest on long-term crop yield, soil erosion, and carbon balance: tradeoffs for a sustainable bioenergy feedstock

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

Gregg, Jay S.; Izaurralde, Roberto C.

2010-08-26

Agricultural residues are a potential feedstock for bioenergy production, if residue harvest can be done sustainably. The relationship between crop residue harvest, soil erosion, crop yield and carbon balance was modeled with the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator/ Environment Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) using a factorial design. Four crop rotations (winter wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)] – sunflower [Helianthus annuus]; spring wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)] – canola [Brassica napus]; corn [Zea mays L.] – soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]; and cotton [Gossypium hirsutum] – peanut [Arachis hypogaea]) were simulated at four US locations each, under different topographies (0-10% slope), and management practicesmore » [crop residue removal rates (0-75%), conservation practices (no till, contour cropping, strip cropping, terracing)].« less

AgRISTARS. Semiannual program review presentation to level 1, interagency Coordination Committee

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Results are presented for (1) spring small grains; (2) summer crops/corn and soybeans; and (3) crop signature characterization. The development of an early season approach, profile and segment based change estimation, and future satellite and sensor system requirements are discussed. Documentation for the inventory technology development project is included.

Replacing fallow with cover crops in a semiarid soil:Effects on soil properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Replacement of fallow in crop–fallow systems with cover crops (CCs) may improve soil properties. We assessed whether replacing fallow in no-till winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–fallow with winter and spring CCs for 5 years reduced wind and water erosion, increased soil organic carbon (SOC), and ...

Utility of seasonal climate forecasts in management of winter-wheat grazing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Winter wheat in the southern Great Plains is a dual crop that produces livestock forage in the fall and winter and a grain crop in the spring. Forage production is highly dependent upon climatic variability, but stocking rate purchasing decisions must generally be made shortly after the fall planti...

Potential for increased use of cereal grain forages on dairy operations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Farmers are increasingly using cereal grain cover crops, which allows them to take advantage of additional growing days in early spring and late fall. The use of cereal grain forages, such as rye, wheat, or triticale as cover crops helps to reduce soil and nutrient losses, and also allows for addit...

Rotational Effects of Cuphea on Corn, Spring Wheat, and Soybean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural diversity is lacking in the northern Corn Belt. Adding crop diversity to rotations can give economic and environmental benefits. Cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. x C. lanceolata W.T. Aiton; PSR23), which grows well in the northern Corn Belt, is a new oilseed crop and a source of medium...

Assessment of freeze injury of grapevine green tissues in response to cultivars and a cryoprotectant product

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spring frosts and subsequent crop losses threaten the economic sustainability of fruit crop producers all over the world. This study used a controlled-freezing technique to impose a post-budbreak freezing stress to grapevine shoots forced from one-node cuttings ['Albariño', 'Cabernet Franc', 'Cabern...

Managing cool-season weeds in sugarbeet grown for biofuel in the Southeastern U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugarbeet, grown for biofuel, is being considered as an alternate cool-season crop in the southeastern U. S. coastal plain. Typically, the crop would be seeded in the autumn, grow through the winter, and harvested the following spring. Labels for herbicides registered for use on sugarbeet grown in ...

Stop Blaming the Victim: A Meta-Analysis on Rape Myths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, Eliana; Gadalla, Tahany M.

2010-01-01

Although male rape is being reported more often than before, the majority of rape victims continue to be women. Rape myths--false beliefs used mainly to shift the blame of rape from perpetrators to victims--are also prevalent in today's society and in many ways contribute toward the pervasiveness of rape. Despite this, there has been limited…

Suppression of Plutella xylostella and Trichoplusia ni in cole crops with attracticide formulations.

PubMed

Maxwell, Elly M; Fadamiro, Henry Y; McLaughlin, John R

2006-08-01

The three key lepidopteran pests of cole, Brassica oleracea L., crops in North America are diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae); cabbage looper; Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); and imported cabbageworm, Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Two species-specific pheromone-based experimental attracticide formulations were evaluated against these pests: LastCall DBM for P. xylostella and LastCall CL for T. ni. No LastCall formulation was available against P. rapae. Laboratory toxicity experiments confirmed the effectiveness of each LastCall formulations in killing conspecific males that made contact. In replicated small plots of cabbage and collards in central Alabama, over four growing seasons (fall 2003, spring 2004, fall 2004, and spring 2005), an attracticide treatment receiving the two LastCall formulations, each applied multiple times at the rate of 1,600 droplets per acre, was compared against Bacillus thuringiensis. subspecies kursatki (Bt) spray at action threshold and a negative untreated control. Efficacy was measured by comparing among the three treatments male capture in pheromone-baited traps, larval counts in plots, and crop damage rating at harvest. LastCall provided significant reductions in crop damage comparable to Bt in three of the four seasons. Efficacy of LastCall was dependent upon lepidopteran population densities, which fluctuated from season to season. In general, reduction in crop damage was achieved with LastCall at low-to-moderate population densities of the three species, such as typically occurs in the fall in central Alabama, but not in the spring when high P. rapae population pressure typically occurs in central Alabama. Significant reductions in pheromone trap captures did not occur in LastCall plots, suggesting that elimination of males by the toxicant (permethrin), rather than interruption of sexual communication, was the main mechanism of effect.

Identification of a hybridization window that facilitates sizeable reductions of pollen-mediated gene flow in spring wheat.

PubMed

Willenborg, Christian J; Brûlé-Babel, Anita L; Van Acker, Rene C

2010-06-01

Transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with improved agronomic traits is currently being field-tested. Gene flow in space is well-documented, but isolation in time has not received comparable attention. Here, we report the results of a field experiment that investigated reductions in intraspecific gene flow associated with temporal isolation of flowering between T. aestivum conspecifics. Pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) between an imazamox-resistant (IR) volunteer wheat population and a non-IR spring wheat crop was assessed over a range of volunteer emergence timings and plant population densities that collectively promoted flowering asynchrony. Natural hybridization events between the two populations were detected by phenotypically scoring plants in F(1) populations followed by verification with Mendelian segregation ratios in the F(1:2) lines. Based on the examination of >545,000 seedlings, we identified a hybridization window in spring wheat approximately 125 growing degree-days (GDD) in length. We found a sizeable reduction (two- to four-fold) in gene flow frequencies when flowering occurred outside of this window. The hybridization window identified in this research also will serve to temporally isolate neighboring wheat crops. However, strict control of volunteer populations or spatial isolation of neighbouring crops emerging within a 125 GDD hybridization window will be necessary to maintain low frequencies of PMGF in spring wheat fields. The model developed herein also is likely to be applicable to other wind-pollinated species.

Rape shield laws and sexual behavior evidence: effects of consent level and women's sexual history on rape allegations.

PubMed

Flowe, Heather D; Ebbesen, Ebbe B; Putcha-Bhagavatula, Anila

2007-04-01

Rape shield laws, which limit the introduction of sexual history evidence in rape trials, challenge the view that women with extensive sexual histories more frequently fabricate charges of rape than other women. The present study examined the relationship between women's actual sexual history and their reporting rape in hypothetical scenarios. Female participants (college students and a community sample, which included women working as prostitutes and topless dancers, and women living in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center) imagined themselves in dating scenarios that described either a legally definable act of rape or consensual sexual intercourse. Additionally, within the rape scenarios, level of consensual intimate contact (i.e., foreplay) preceding rape was examined to determine its influence on rape reporting. Women were less likely to say that they would take legal action in response to the rape scenarios if they had extensive sexual histories, or if they had consented to an extensive amount of intimate contact before the rape. In response to the consensual sexual intercourse scenarios, women with more extensive sexual histories were not more likely to say that they would report rape, even when the scenario provided them with a motive for seeking revenge against their dating partner.

Detecting management and fertilization effects on the carbon balance of winter oilseed rape with manual closed chamber measurements: Can we outrange gap-filling uncertainty and spatiotemporal variability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huth, Vytas; Moffat, Antje Maria; Calmet, Anna; Andres, Monique; Laufer, Judit; Pehle, Natalia; Rach, Bernd; Gundlach, Laura; Augustin, Jürgen

2017-04-01

Winter oilseed rape is the dominant biofuel crop in the young moraine landscape in North-Eastern Germany. However, studies on the effect of rapeseed cropping on net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) and the soil carbon (SC) balance are scarce. SC balance estimates are usually derived from long-term soil sampling field trials where rapeseed is part of different crop rotations. The estimated annual differences linked to rapeseed cropping are rather small (varying between losses of 40 g C m-2 and gains of up to 100 g C m-2). Testing management effects on the NEE and SC balance of cropping systems is best done by comparing plots with different treatments at the same site under the same climate. The soil sampling approach is in the need of field trials that run over decades, which has the disadvantage that management strategies of practical farming may have already changed when the results are derived. Continuous eddy covariance measurements of NEE would require large fields in flat terrain for each of the treatments, which is especially complicated in the heterogeneous landscapes of glacigenic origin of North-Eastern Germany. The common approach of using the chamber technique to derive NEE, however, is subject to the local soil and plant stand heterogeneities due to its tiny footprint. This technique might also disturb the ecosystem, the measurements are usually discontinuous requiring elaborate gap-filling techniques, and it has mostly been used on organic soils where large respiratory C losses occur. Therefore, our aim was to answer, if a combined approach of the eddy covariance and the chamber technique can detect the relatively small NEE and SC differences of rapeseed cropping on mineral soils within a shorter period of time than conventional soil sampling field trials can. We tested the new experimental design taking the advantages of both techniques into account: The eddy covariance tower measuring the NEE dynamics during the year; the chamber measurements to detect the flux differences between specific management practices - with additional chamber measurements installed close to the eddy tower as a reference linking the two techniques. In our experiment, we studied the effect of four different treatments of fertilization (mineral versus organic) and tillage (no-till versus mulch-till versus ploughing) on the NEE of rapeseed cropping for the climatic seasons 2013 to 2015. We compared the NEE of the treatments to the "background" NEE measured by the eddy covariance technique in the nearby reference field for the years 2013 and 2014. With this data, we estimated the uncertainty resulting from gap filling discontinuous chamber measurements and relate it to the observed effects of the four different treatments on the NEE. Here, we present first results on the applicability of the manual-chamber technique to derive the relatively small effects of rapeseed cropping on NEE and SC within a short period of three years of study.

Reporting Rape in a National Sample of College Women

PubMed Central

Wolitzky-Taylor, Kate B.; Resnick, Heidi S.; Amstadter, Ananda B.; McCauley, Jenna L.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.

2011-01-01

Introduction Studies indicate that a small percentage of rapes are reported to law enforcement officials. Research also suggests that rapes perpetrated by a stranger are more likely to be reported and that rapes involving drugs and/or alcohol are less likely to be reported. College women represent a unique and understudied population with regard to reporting rape. Methods In the current study, we interviewed a national sample of 2,000 college women about rape experiences in 2006. Results Only 11.5% of college women in the sample reported their most recent/only rape experience to authorities, with only 2.7% of rapes involving drugs and/or alcohol reported. Minority status (i.e., non-white race) was associated with lower likelihood of reporting, whereas sustaining injuries during the rape was associated with increased likelihood of reporting. Discussion Reporting, particularly for rapes involving drugs and alcohol, is low among college women. Implications for policy are discussed. PMID:21823952

Safely coupling livestock and crop production systems: how rapidly do antibiotic resistance genes dissipate in soil following a commercial application of swine or dairy manure?

PubMed

Marti, Romain; Tien, Yuan-Ching; Murray, Roger; Scott, Andrew; Sabourin, Lyne; Topp, Edward

2014-05-01

Animal manures recycled onto crop production land carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The present study evaluated the fate in soil of selected genes associated with antibiotic resistance or genetic mobility in field plots cropped to vegetables and managed according to normal farming practice. Referenced to unmanured soil, fertilization with swine or dairy manure increased the relative abundance of the gene targets sul1, erm(B), str(B), int1, and IncW repA. Following manure application in the spring of 2012, gene copy number decayed exponentially, reaching background levels by the fall of 2012. In contrast, gene copy number following manure application in the fall of 2012 or spring of 2013 increased significantly in the weeks following application and then declined. In both cases, the relative abundance of gene copy numbers had not returned to background levels by the fall of 2013. Overall, these results suggest that under conditions characteristic of agriculture in a humid continental climate, a 1-year period following a commercial application of raw manure is sufficient to ensure that an additional soil burden of antibiotic resistance genes approaches background. The relative abundance of several gene targets exceeded background during the growing season following a spring application or an application done the previous fall. Results from the present study reinforce the advisability of treating manure prior to use in crop production systems.

A novel Brassica-rhizotron system to unravel the dynamic changes in root system architecture of oilseed rape under phosphorus deficiency.

PubMed

Yuan, Pan; Ding, Guang-Da; Cai, Hong-Mei; Jin, Ke-Mo; Broadley, Martin Roger; Xu, Fang-Sen; Shi, Lei

2016-08-01

An important adaptation of plants to phosphorus (P) deficiency is to alter root system architecture (RSA) to increase P acquisition from the soil, but soil-based observations of RSA are technically challenging, especially in mature plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the root development and RSA of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) under low and high soil P conditions during an entire growth cycle. A new large Brassica-rhizotron system (approx. 118-litre volume) was developed to study the RSA dynamics of B. napus 'Zhongshuang11' in soils, using top-soils supplemented with low P (LP) or high P (HP) for a full plant growth period. Total root length (TRL), root tip number (RTN), root length density (RLD), biomass and seed yield traits were measured. TRL and RTN increased more rapidly in HP than LP plants from seedling to flowering stages. Both traits declined from flowering to silique stages, and then increased slightly in HP plants; in contrast, root senescence was observed in LP plants. RSA parameters measured from the polycarbonate plates were empirically consistent with analyses of excavated roots. Seed yield and shoot dry weights were closely associated positively with root dry weights, TRL, RLD and RTN at both HP and LP. The Brassica-rhizotron system is an effective method for soil-based root phenotyping across an entire growth cycle. Given that root senescence is likely to occur earlier under low P conditions, crop P deficiency is likely to affect late water and nitrogen uptake, which is critical for efficient resource use and optimal crop yields. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) as a resource for farmland insect pollinators: quantifying floral traits in conventional varieties and breeding systems.

PubMed

Carruthers, Jonathan M; Cook, Samantha M; Wright, Geraldine A; Osborne, Juliet L; Clark, Suzanne J; Swain, Jennifer L; Haughton, Alison J

2017-08-01

Oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus L.) is a major crop in temperate regions and provides an important source of nutrition to many of the yield-enhancing insect flower visitors that consume floral nectar. The manipulation of mechanisms that control various crop plant traits for the benefit of pollinators has been suggested in the bid to increase food security, but little is known about inherent floral trait expression in contemporary OSR varieties or the breeding systems used in OSR breeding programmes. We studied a range of floral traits in glasshouse-grown, certified conventional varieties of winter OSR to test for variation among and within breeding systems. We measured 24-h nectar secretion rate, amount, concentration and ratio of nectar sugars per flower, and sizes and number of flowers produced per plant from 24 varieties of OSR representing open-pollinated (OP), genic male sterility (GMS) hybrid and cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) hybrid breeding systems. Sugar concentration was consistent among and within the breeding systems; however, GMS hybrids produced more nectar and more sugar per flower than CMS hybrid or OP varieties. With the exception of ratio of fructose/glucose in OP varieties, we found that nectar traits were consistent within all the breeding systems. When scaled, GMS hybrids produced 1.73 times more nectar resource per plant than OP varieties. Nectar production and amount of nectar sugar in OSR plants were independent of number and size of flowers. Our data show that floral traits of glasshouse-grown OSR differed among breeding systems, suggesting that manipulation and enhancement of nectar rewards for insect flower visitors, including pollinators, could be included in future OSR breeding programmes.

The responses of crop - wild Brassica hybrids to simulated herbivory and interspecific competition: implications for transgene introgression.

PubMed

Sutherland, Jamie P; Justinova, Lenka; Poppy, Guy M

2006-01-01

Brassica rapa grows as a wild and weedy species throughout the world and is the most likely recipient of transgenes from GM oilseed rape. For transgene introgression to occur, the critical step which must be realized, is the formation of an F1 hybrid. Concerns exist that hybrid populations could be more vigorous and competitive compared to the parental species. This study examines the effect of simulated herbivory and interspecific competition on the vegetative and reproductive performance of non-transgenic F1 hybrids and their parental lines. Several vegetative and reproductive performance measures were used to determine the effect of simulated herbivory and competition on the Brassica lines, including leaf length and biomass for herbivory and seedling height and biomass for competition. For defoliation experiments, B. rapa showed little response in terms of leaf length but B. napus and the F1 hybrid responded negatively. Brassica rapa showed elevated biomass responses, but B. napus and the hybrid demonstrated negative responses to defoliation. Defoliation at the cotyledon stage had a slight effect upon final biomass with the F1 hybrid performing significantly worse than B. napus, although seed counts were not significantly different. For the series of competition experiments, hybrids seemed to be more similar to B. rapa in terms of early seedling growth and reproductive measures. The underperformance of hybrid plants when challenged by herbivory and competition, could potentially decrease survivorship and explain the rarity of hybrids in field surveys. However, should transgene introgression occur, the dynamics of hybrids could change radically thus increasing the risk of gene flow from a transgenic oilseed rape crop to the wild recipient.

Impact of Shortened Crop Rotation of Oilseed Rape on Soil and Rhizosphere Microbial Diversity in Relation to Yield Decline

PubMed Central

Hilton, Sally; Bennett, Amanda J.; Keane, Gary; Bending, Gary D.; Chandler, David; Stobart, Ron; Mills, Peter

2013-01-01

Oilseed rape (OSR) grown in monoculture shows a decline in yield relative to virgin OSR of up to 25%, but the mechanisms responsible are unknown. A long term field experiment of OSR grown in a range of rotations with wheat was used to determine whether shifts in fungal and bacterial populations of the rhizosphere and bulk soil were associated with the development of OSR yield decline. The communities of fungi and bacteria in the rhizosphere and bulk soil from the field experiment were profiled using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) and sequencing of cloned internal transcribed spacer regions and 16S rRNA genes, respectively. OSR cropping frequency had no effect on rhizosphere bacterial communities. However, the rhizosphere fungal communities from continuously grown OSR were significantly different to those from other rotations. This was due primarily to an increase in abundance of two fungi which showed 100% and 95% DNA identity to the plant pathogens Olpidium brassicae and Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, respectively. Real-time PCR confirmed that there was significantly more of these fungi in the continuously grown OSR than the other rotations. These two fungi were isolated from the field and used to inoculate OSR and Brassica oleracea grown under controlled conditions in a glasshouse to determine their effect on yield. At high doses, Olpidium brassicae reduced top growth and root biomass in seedlings and reduced branching and subsequent pod and seed production. Pyrenochaeta sp. formed lesions on the roots of seedlings, and at high doses delayed flowering and had a negative impact on seed quantity and quality. PMID:23573215

Counseling Date Rape Survivors: Implications for College Student Personnel Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Sherry K.

A general legal definition of rape is sexual intercourse forced on an individual by another against his/her will and overcoming his/her resistance. Although the female is usually referred to as the survivor and the male as the perpetrator, there are cases of male rape. Rape may be divided into stranger rape and acquaintance rape. Types of…

Rape myth acceptance among Korean college students: the roles of gender, attitudes toward women, and sexual double standard.

PubMed

Lee, Joohee; Kim, Jinseok; Lim, Hyunsung

2010-07-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine factors that influence rape myths among Korean college students. This study was particularly interested in the ways in which attitudes toward women and sexual double standard affect the relationship between gender and rape myths. Although the incidence of rape is a common concern in many current societies, within each society, the specific components of rape myths reflect the cultural values and norms of that particular society. A sample of 327 college students in South Korea completed the Korean Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Revised, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, and the Sexual Double Standard Scale. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test hypothesized models. Results revealed that in three of the four models, rape survivor myths, rape perpetrator myths, and myths about the impact of rape, attitudes toward women were a more important predictor of rape myths than gender or sexual double standard. In the rape spontaneity myths model, on the other hand, sexual double standard was a more important predictor than gender or attitudes toward women. This study provides valuable information that can be useful in developing culturally specific rape prevention and victim intervention programs.

CESM-simulated 21st Century Changes in Large Scale Crop Water Requirements and Yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levis, S.; Badger, A.; Drewniak, B. A.; O'Neill, B. C.; Ren, X.

2014-12-01

We assess potential changes in crop water requirements and corresponding yields relative to the late 20th century in major crop producing regions of the world by using the Community Land Model (CLM) driven with 21st century meteorology from RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulations. The RCP4.5 simulation allows us to explore the potential for averted societal impacts when compared to the RCP8.5 simulation. We consider the possibility for increased yields and improved water use efficiency under conditions of elevated atmospheric CO2 due to the CO2 fertilization effect (also known as concentration-carbon feedback). We address uncertainty in the current understanding of plant CO2 fertilization by repeating the simulations with and without the CO2 fertilization effect. Simulations without CO2 fertilization represent the radiative effect of elevated CO2 (i.e., warming) without representing the physiological effect of elevated CO2 (enhanced carbon uptake and increased water use efficiency by plants during photosynthesis). Preliminary results suggest that some plants may suffer from increasing heat and drought in much of the world without the CO2 fertilization effect. On the other hand plants (especially C3) tend to grow more with less water when models include the CO2 fertilization effect. Performing 21st century simulations with and without the CO2 fertilization effect brackets the potential range of outcomes. In this work we use the CLM crop model, which includes specific crop types that differ from the model's default plant functional types in that the crops get planted, harvested, and potentially fertilized and irrigated according to algorithms that attempt to capture human management decisions. We use an updated version of the CLM4.5 that includes cotton, rice, and sugarcane, spring wheat, spring barley, and spring rye, as well as temperate and tropical maize and soybean.

Drug- and Alcohol-Facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape in Relation to Mental Health among a National Sample of Women

PubMed Central

Zinzow, Heidi M.; Resnick, Heidi S.; Amstadter, Ananda B.; McCauley, Jenna L.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.

2009-01-01

Objective Rape is a well-established risk factor for mental health disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, most studies have focused on forcible rape tactics and have not distinguished these from tactics that involve drug or alcohol intoxication. Our aim was to examine correlates of PTSD and depression in a community sample of women, with particular emphasis on evaluating the unique effects of lifetime exposure to three specific rape tactics. Methods A nationally representative sample of 3,001 non-institutionalized, civilian, English or Spanish speaking women (aged 18–86 years) participated in a structured telephone interview by use of Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing technology. Results Multivariable models showed that history of drug or alcohol facilitated rape tactics (OR = 1.87, p< .05) and history of forcible rape tactics (OR = 3.46, p<.001) were associated with PTSD. History of forcible rape was associated with depression (OR = 3.65, p<.001). Forcible rape tactics were associated with a number of factors that may have contributed to their stronger association with mental health outcomes, including force, injury, lower income, revictimization history, and labeling the event as rape. Conclusions Our results underscore the importance of using a behaviorally specific assessment of rape history, as rape tactic and multiple rape history differentially predicted psychopathology outcomes. The association between drug or alcohol facilitated rape tactics and PTSD suggests that these are important rape tactics to include in assessments and future studies. PMID:20100896

A 12-Month Study of Food Crops Contaminated by Heavy Metals, Lusaka, Zambia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holden, J. A.; Malamud, B. D.; Chishala, B. H.; Kapungwe, E.; Volk, J.; Harpp, K. S.

2009-04-01

We investigate heavy-metal contamination of irrigation water used for urban agriculture and subsequent contamination of food crops in Chunga, NW Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Inhabitants of the Chunga area rely on urban agriculture as both a major source of income and food. From August 2004 to July 2005, monthly samples of irrigation water used and edible portions of food crops were taken from a farmer's plot at Chunga. The food crops (cabbage, Chinese cabbage, pumpkin leaves, rape, sweet potato leaves and tomatoes) are grown using irrigation throughout the year. Irrigation water samples and digested food crop samples were analysed using ICP-MS at the Department of Geology, Colgate University, USA for Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb, and U. We find heavy-metal concentrations present in both irrigation water and food crop samples. Zambian sample concentrations were compared to Zambian and international legislative and guideline limits for concentrations of heavy metals in industrial effluent, heavy metals in irrigation water and heavy metals in foods. In irrigation water samples recommended national and/or international legislative limits for Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Hg, Pb and U were exceeded. Limits for Hg were exceeded by up to 130 times. There were heavy-metal concentrations above recommended limits in food crops for Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb throughout the different food crops grown and throughout the year. In all 14 samples recommended limits for Cr, Fe and Hg were exceeded. Zambian legislated limits for food crops were exceeded by up to 16 times for Pb and 58 times for Hg. The results of this study show that heavy metal contamination is present in irrigation water used and food crops grown in urban agriculture in Chunga, Lusaka, Zambia. Recommended maximum limits for heavy metals in irrigation water and food are exceeded in some samples indicating there may be a risk to health.

Suggested Acquaintance/Date Rape Education & Prevention Strategies for School Health Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiler, Robert M.; Walls, Nicole A.

Data suggest that acquaintance and date rape may account for 50-70 percent of all reported rapes in the United States. Recent findings also indicate that one in four college women have been raped or a victim of attempted rape. As most rape victims are between 15 and 24 years of age, high school-based education programs must be provided if society…

Communicating/Muting Date Rape: A Co-Cultural Theoretical Analysis of Communication Factors Related to Rape Culture on a College Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnett, Ann; Mattern, Jody L.; Herakova, Liliana L.; Kahl, David H., Jr.; Tobola, Cloy; Bornsen, Susan E.

2009-01-01

Previous studies suggest that college campuses foster a rape culture in which date rape (most commonly, rape of women) is an accepted part of campus activity (Buchwald, Fletcher, & Roth, 1993; Sanday, 2007). In focus groups at a Midwestern university, researchers asked students about rape as they experienced it or knew about it on campus. The…

Debriefing effectiveness following exposure to pornographic rape depictions.

PubMed

Malamuth, Neil; Check, James

1984-02-01

Data are presented concerning the ethics of exposing undergraduate students to pornographic rape portrayals followed by a debriefing designed to dispel a number of rape myths. One hundred fifty males and females were randomly assigned to read pornographic stories. Some of these depicted a rape, whereas others depicted mutually consenting intercourse. Afterwards, those exposed to the rape version were given a debriefing which included statements concerning the true horror of rape and the existence of rape myths. About 10 days later, a "Public Survey" ostensibly conducted by a local committee of citizens was given to subjects in their classes. A postexperimental questionnaire confirmed that participants were not aware that this survey was related to the earlier phase of the research. As part of the survey, subjects were presented with actual newspaper articles about which their opinions were solicited. One of these articles, the dependent measure of the study, concerned rape. Subjects indicated their reactions to this article and their opinions about the general causes of rape. The results indicated that those exposed to the rape depictions followed by a "rape debriefing" were less accepting of certain rape myths than subjects exposed to mutually consenting intercourse depictions. Implications of the data for future research in this area are discussed both in terms of work focusing on the potential antisocial impact of violent pornography and of research specifically designed to identify the conditions most likely to change acceptance of rape myths.

Biomass yield and heterosis of crosses within and between European winter cultivars of turnip rape (Brassica rapa L.).

PubMed

Ofori, Atta; Schierholt, Antje; Becker, Heiko C

2012-02-01

Because of its high growth rate at low temperatures in early spring, there is renewed interest in Brassica rapa as a winter crop for biomass production in Europe. The available cultivars are not developed for this purpose however. An approach for breeding bioenergy cultivars of B. rapa could be to establish populations from two or more different cultivars with high combining ability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the heterosis for biomass yield in the European winter B. rapa genepool. The genetic variation and heterosis of the biomass parameters: dry matter content, fresh and dry biomass yields were investigated in three cultivars representing different eras of breeding by comparing full-sibs-within and full-sibs-between the cultivars. Field trials were performed at two locations in Germany in 2005-2006. Mean mid-parent heterosis was low with 2.5% in fresh and 3.0% in dry biomass yield in full-sibs-between cultivars. Mean values of individual crosses revealed a higher variation in mid-parent heterosis ranging from 14.6% to -7.5% in fresh biomass yield and from 19.7% to -12.7% in dry biomass yield. The low heterosis observed in hybrids between European winter cultivars can be explained by the low genetic variation between these cultivars as shown earlier with molecular markers. In conclusion, a B. rapa breeding program for biomass production in Europe should not only use European genetic resources, but should also utilize the much wider worldwide variation in this species.

Choosing the best cropping systems to target pleiotropic effects when managing single-gene herbicide resistance in grass weeds. A blackgrass simulation study.

PubMed

Colbach, Nathalie; Chauvel, Bruno; Darmency, Henri; Délye, Christophe; Le Corre, Valérie

2016-10-01

Managing herbicide-resistant weeds is becoming increasingly difficult. Here we adapted the weed dynamics model AlomySys to account for experimentally measured fitness costs linked to mutants of target-site resistance to acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides in Alopecurus myosuroides. We ran simulations to test how effectively cultural practices manage resistance. Simulations of an oilseed rape/winter wheat/winter barley rotation showed that, when replacing one of the seven applied herbicides with an ACCase-inhibiting one, resistant mutants exceeded 1 plant m(-2) , with a probability of 40%, after an average of 18 years. This threshold was always exceeded when three or four ACCase-inhibiting herbicides were used, after an average of 8 and 6 years respectively. With reduced herbicide rates or suboptimal spraying conditions, resistance occurred 1-3 years earlier in 50% of simulations. Adding spring pea to the rotation or yearly mouldboard ploughing delayed resistance indefinitely in 90 and 60% of simulations respectively. Ploughing also modified the genetic composition of the resistant population by selecting a previously rare mutant that presented improved pre-emergent growth. The prevalence of the mutations was influenced more by their associated fitness cost or benefit than by the number of ACCase-inhibiting herbicides to which they conferred resistance. Simulations allowed us to rank weed management practices and suggest that pleiotropic effects are extremely important for understanding the frequency of herbicide resistance in the population. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Rape oil methyl ester (RME) and used cooking oil methyl ester (UOME) as alternative fuels

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

Hohl, G.H.

1995-12-31

The author presents a review about the fleet tests carried out by the Austrian Armed Forces concerning the practical application of a vegetable oil, i.e Rape Oil Methyl Ester (RME) and Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UOME) as alternative fuels for vehicles under military conditions, and reviews other research results carried out in Austria. As a result of over-production in Western European agriculture, the increase in crop yields has led to tremendous surpluses. Alternative agricultural products have been sought. One alternative can be seen in biological fuel production for tractors, whereby the farmer is able to produce his own fuelmore » supply as was the case when he previously provided self-made feed for his horses. For the market introduction different activities were necessary. A considerable number of institutes and organizations including the Austrian Armed Forces have investigated, tested and developed these alternative fuels. The increasing disposal problems of used cooking oil have initiated considerations for its use. The recycling of this otherwise waste product, and its preparation for use as an alternative fuel to diesel oil, seems to be most promising.« less

The effects of seed size on hybrids formed between oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wild brown mustard (B. juncea).

PubMed

Liu, Yong-Bo; Tang, Zhi-Xi; Darmency, Henri; Stewart, C Neal; Di, Kun; Wei, Wei; Ma, Ke-ping

2012-01-01

Seed size has significant implications in ecology, because of its effects on plant fitness. The hybrid seeds that result from crosses between crops and their wild relatives are often small, and the consequences of this have been poorly investigated. Here we report on plant performance of hybrid and its parental transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wild B. juncea, all grown from seeds sorted into three seed-size categories. Three seed-size categories were sorted by seed diameter for transgenic B. napus, wild B. juncea and their transgenic and non-transgenic hybrids. The seeds were sown in a field at various plant densities. Globally, small-seeded plants had delayed flowering, lower biomass, fewer flowers and seeds, and a lower thousand-seed weight. The seed-size effect varied among plant types but was not affected by plant density. There was no negative effect of seed size in hybrids, but it was correlated with reduced growth for both parents. Our results imply that the risk of further gene flow would probably not be mitigated by the small size of transgenic hybrid seeds. No fitness cost was detected to be associated with the Bt-transgene in this study.

Simulating dryland water availability and spring wheat production under various management practices in the Northern Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural system models are useful tools to synthesize field experimental data and to extrapolate the results to longer periods of weather and other cropping systems. The objectives of this study were: 1) to quantify the effects of planting date, seeding rate, and tillage on spring wheat producti...

'Prosper': A high-yielding hard red spring wheat cultivar adapted to the North Central Plains of the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Providing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growers and industry with adapted wheat cultivars with high-quality attributes is essential for maintaining wheat as a competitive crop in the spring-wheat growing region of the USA. Therefore, our breeding program aims to develop modern wheat cultivars using b...

Exploring rape myths, gendered norms, group processing, and the social context of rape among college women: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Deming, Michelle E; Covan, Eleanor Krassen; Swan, Suzanne C; Billings, Deborah L

2013-04-01

The purpose of this research is to explore the negotiation strategies of college women as they interpret ambiguous rape scenarios. In focus groups, 1st- and 4th-year college women were presented with a series of three vignettes depicting incidents that meet the legal criteria for rape yet are ambiguous due to the presence of cultural rape myths, contexts involving alcohol consumption, varying degrees of consent, and a known perpetrator. These contexts are critical in understanding how college women define rape. Key findings indicated many of these college women utilized rape myths and norms within their peer groups to interpret rape scenarios.

Violent Attacks and Damaged Victims: An Exploration of the Rape Scripts of European American and African American U.S. College Women.

PubMed

Littleton, Heather L; Dodd, Julia C

2016-02-25

Scripts are influential in shaping sexual behaviors. Prior studies have examined the influence of individuals' rape scripts. However, these scripts have not been evaluated among diverse groups. The current study examined the rape scripts of African American (n = 72) and European American (n = 99) college women. Results supported three rape scripts: the "real rape," the "party rape," and the mismatched intentions rape, that were equally common. However, there were some differences, with African Americans' narratives more often including active victim resistance and less often containing victim vulnerability themes. Societal and cultural influences on rape scripts are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Psychological Consequences of Sexual Victimization Resulting From Force, Incapacitation, or Verbal Coercion

PubMed Central

Brown, Amy L.; Testa, Maria; Messman-Moore, Terri L.

2009-01-01

Recently, incapacitated rape has emerged as a distinct type of sexual victimization. However, little is known about its longer-term psychological consequences. Two studies compare the psychological consequences of incapacitated rape to those of forcible rape and verbal coercion. Generally, the traumatic impact of incapacitated rape was intermediate to that of verbal coercion and forcible rape; however, there were domains (e.g., current perceived trauma and emotional impact) in which incapacitated and forcible rape had a similar impact and other domains (e.g., attributions of responsibility) in which incapacitated rape was similar to verbal coercion. This research suggests that sexual assault researchers might benefit from separately examining forcible and incapacitated rape. PMID:19502576

Interactive effects of pests increase seed yield.

PubMed

Gagic, Vesna; Riggi, Laura Ga; Ekbom, Barbara; Malsher, Gerard; Rusch, Adrien; Bommarco, Riccardo

2016-04-01

Loss in seed yield and therefore decrease in plant fitness due to simultaneous attacks by multiple herbivores is not necessarily additive, as demonstrated in evolutionary studies on wild plants. However, it is not clear how this transfers to crop plants that grow in very different conditions compared to wild plants. Nevertheless, loss in crop seed yield caused by any single pest is most often studied in isolation although crop plants are attacked by many pests that can cause substantial yield losses. This is especially important for crops able to compensate and even overcompensate for the damage. We investigated the interactive impacts on crop yield of four insect pests attacking different plant parts at different times during the cropping season. In 15 oilseed rape fields in Sweden, we estimated the damage caused by seed and stem weevils, pollen beetles, and pod midges. Pest pressure varied drastically among fields with very low correlation among pests, allowing us to explore interactive impacts on yield from attacks by multiple species. The plant damage caused by each pest species individually had, as expected, either no, or a negative impact on seed yield and the strongest negative effect was caused by pollen beetles. However, seed yield increased when plant damage caused by both seed and stem weevils was high, presumably due to the joint plant compensatory reaction to insect attack leading to overcompensation. Hence, attacks by several pests can change the impact on yield of individual pest species. Economic thresholds based on single species, on which pest management decisions currently rely, may therefore result in economically suboptimal choices being made and unnecessary excessive use of insecticides.

Factors that affect college students' perceptions of rape: what is the role of gender and other situational factors?

PubMed

Vandiver, Donna M; Dupalo, Jessica Rager

2013-05-01

Prior research has shown that various situational factors and behaviors can affect one's perception of whether a rape has occurred. Moreover, some hold false beliefs about rape. This can also affect one's perception of ambiguous situations. This study included the administration of a survey to 584 college students; the survey examined the prevalence of rape myths and responses to vignettes of potential rape scenarios. It was found that although the majority of this sample did not support rape myths, male students were significantly more likely than female students to support rape myths. Furthermore, approximately 20% of students did support one subscale of the rape myth scale: He didn't mean to [commit rape]. The results also revealed an interaction effect between the observer's sex and the victim's sex, suggesting a complex gender relationship.

Introducing the Date and Acquaintance Rape Avoidance Scale.

PubMed

Resendez, Josephine R; Hughes, Jamie S

2016-01-01

We present the Date and Acquaintance Rape Avoidance Scale (DARAS). The DARAS is a measure of a woman's behaviors used to avoid date and acquaintance rape. Three factor structures were possible. The DARAS may have measured several factors related to alcohol and drug use, self-defense, and date behaviors; 2 factors related to behaviors to avoid acquaintance versus date rape; or a single factor that represented general vigilance. The data revealed a highly reliable, 63 item single factor that was correlated with stranger rape avoidance, rejection of rape myths, hostile sexist beliefs about men, and benevolent sexist beliefs about women. The creation of the DARAS adds to the growing body of research on rape avoidance. The DARAS is key to understanding the behaviors women employ to avoid date rape. Rather than placing the responsibility for rape on the victim, the DARAS was developed as a theoretical and applied tool that can be used to improve theory and construct rape education and prevention programs.

Faulty perceptions? The impact of binge drinking history on college women's perceived rape resistance efficacy.

PubMed

McCauley, Jenna L; Calhoun, Karen S

2008-12-01

College women who binge drink are at greater risk than their peers for experiencing an alcohol-involved rape. Evidence suggests that these women commonly underestimate their risk for assault. This study examines college women's perceptions of their rape resistance efficacy in two acquaintance rape scenarios (one involving the woman's alcohol consumption and one not) as a function of their binge drinking and alcohol-involved rape history. Alcohol-involved rape was inversely associated only with efficacy in situations involving alcohol. Binge drinking was differentially predictive of efficacy in the two scenarios, with regular binge drinkers being significantly more likely to have high perceived efficacy in rape scenarios in which they were drinking and significantly less likely than their peers to have high perceived efficacy in rape scenarios in which they weren't drinking. Findings have direct implications for both college drinking and rape risk reduction interventions, highlighting the need to address women's minimization of alcohol's impact on their rape resistance ability.

Is Reporting of Rape on the Rise? A Comparison of Women with Reported versus Unreported Rape Experiences in the National Women's Study-Replication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolitzky-Taylor, Kate B.; Resnick, Heidi S.; McCauley, Jenna L.; Amstadter, Ananda B.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.

2011-01-01

Rape affects one in seven women nationwide. Historically, most rape victims do not report rape to law enforcement. Research is needed to identify barriers to reporting and correlates of reporting to guide policy recommendations that address such barriers. We investigated the prevalence of reporting rape among a national sample of women (N = 3,001)…

The cultural context of nondisclosure of alcohol-involved acquaintance rape among Asian American college women: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Koo, Kelly H; Nguyen, Hong V; Andrasik, Michele P; George, William H

2015-01-01

With high college enrollment and increasing alcohol use, Asian American (AA) college women may be at particular risk for experiencing alcohol-involved acquaintance rape. Although AA women have expressed the weakest intentions to report rape when compared to other ethnic groups, cultural factors influencing these intentions remain unexamined. Guided by grounded theory, 17 self-identified AA college women were interviewed about how the average AA college woman would respond to an alcohol-involved acquaintance rape. Despite awareness of benefits of disclosing rape, participants emphasized that nondisclosure would be the normative response. Three themes emerged from participants: institutional, sociocultural, and psychological contexts of nondisclosure. At an institutional level, nondisclosure referenced mental health and police services, which included Asian stereotypes and mistrust of police. Within a sociocultural context, rape nondisclosure focused on negative consequences on relationships with parents and, to a lesser extent, on friendships. Emotional avoidance and not labeling an acquaintance rape as rape were psychological strategies for rape nondisclosure. Participant's conceptualizations of mental and physical health concerns, specifically post-rape concerns, were framed within sociocultural/macrostructural contexts and may not match that of the more individualistic U.S. mainstream conceptualizations of health. Culturally sensitive rape education may be more effective in increasing rape prevention and support.

Relationship between single and multiple perpetrator rape perpetration in South Africa: A comparison of risk factors in a population-based sample.

PubMed

R, Jewkes; Y, Sikweyiya; K, Dunkle; R, Morrell

2015-07-07

Studies of rape of women seldom distinguish between men's participation in acts of single and multiple perpetrator rape. Multiple perpetrator rape (MPR) occurs globally with serious consequences for women. In South Africa it is a cultural practice with defined circumstances in which it commonly occurs. Prevention requires an understanding of whether it is a context specific intensification of single perpetrator rape, or a distinctly different practice of different men. This paper aims to address this question. We conducted a cross-sectional household study with a multi-stage, randomly selected sample of 1686 men aged 18-49 who completed a questionnaire administered using an Audio-enhanced Personal Digital Assistant. We attempted to fit an ordered logistic regression model for factors associated with rape perpetration. 27.6 % of men had raped and 8.8 % had perpetrated multiple perpetrator rape (MPR). Thus 31.9 % of men who had ever raped had done so with other perpetrators. An ordered regression model was fitted, showing that the same associated factors, albeit at higher prevalence, are associated with SPR and MPR. Multiple perpetrator rape appears as an intensified form of single perpetrator rape, rather than a different form of rape. Prevention approaches need to be mainstreamed among young men.

Correlates of Self-Report of Rape Among Male School Adolescents in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

PubMed

Ogunfowokan, Adesola A; Olagunju, Oluwayemisi E; Olajubu, Aanuoluwapo O; Faremi, Funmilola A; Oloyede, Ajoke S; Sharps, Phyllis W

2016-02-01

This study examined male adolescents' self-report of rape of adolescent girls and the socio-demographic variables that correlated with self-report of rape. Descriptive-correlational design was used and the study was conducted in five public senior secondary schools in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Three hundred and thirty-eight male adolescents participated in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Findings from the study revealed the mean age of the adolescent males to be 16 years, with the majority (73%) of them in the middle adolescent stage. Six percent of the adolescent males reported they had raped an adolescent girl in the past. Among the boys who reported rape, 55% reported they had raped their sexual partners, and 55% reported they had perpetrated gang rape. Smoking (p = .0001), alcohol consumption (p = .001), and birth order (p = .006) predicted self-report of rape. The coefficient of birth order showed that odds of self-report of rape by first-born male increases by 6 times compared with other children. Study findings also provided evidence that adolescent males are moving from lone rape to gang rape in intimate partner relationships. Male adolescents are important group to target in rape prevention programs. © The Author(s) 2014.

Contact with Counter-Stereotypical Women Predicts Less Sexism, Less Rape Myth Acceptance, Less Intention to Rape (in Men) and Less Projected Enjoyment of Rape (in Women).

PubMed

Taschler, Miriam; West, Keon

2017-01-01

Intergroup contact-(positive) interactions with people from different social groups-is a widely researched and strongly supported prejudice-reducing mechanism shown to reduce prejudice against a wide variety of outgroups. However, no known previous research has investigated whether intergroup contact can also reduce sexism against women. Sexism has an array of negative outcomes. One of the most detrimental and violent ones is rape, which is both justified and downplayed by rape myth acceptance. We hypothesised that more frequent, higher quality contact with counter-stereotypical women would predict lower levels of sexism and thus less rape myth acceptance (in men) and less sexualised projected responses to rape (in women). Two studies using online surveys with community samples supported these hypotheses. In Study 1, 170 male participants who experienced more positive contact with counter-stereotypical women reported less intention to rape. Similarly, in Study 2, 280 female participants who experienced more positive contact with counter-stereotypical women reported less projected sexual arousal at the thought of being raped. Thus, the present research is the first known to show that contact could be a potential tool to combat sexism, rape myth acceptance, intentions to rape in men, and sexualisation of rape by women.

Effects of climate change on spring wheat phenophase and water requirement in Heihe River basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Dongmei; Yan, Denghua; Xu, Xinyi; Gao, Yu

2017-02-01

Climate change has significantly altered the temperature rhythm which is a key factor for the growth and phenophase of the crop. And temperature change further affects crop water requirement and irrigation system. In the north-west of China, one of the most important crop production bases is Heihe River basin where the observed phenological data is scarce. This study thus first adopted accumulated temperature threshold (ATT) method to define the phenological stages of the crop, and analysed the effect of climate change on phenological stages and water requirement of the crop during growing season. The results indicated the ATT was available for the determination of spring wheat phenological stages. The start dates of all phenological stages became earlier and the growing season length (days) was reduced by 7 days under climate change. During the growing season, water requirement without consideration of phenophase change has been increased by 26.1 mm, while that with consideration of phenophase change was featured in the decrease of water requirement by 50 mm. When temperature increased by 1°C on average, the changes were featured in the 2 days early start date of growing season, 2 days decrease of growing season length, and the 1.4 mm increase of water requirement, respectively.

Breeding of a new potato variety 'Nagasaki Kogane' with high eating quality, high carotenoid content, and resistance to diseases and pests.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Yu; Mori, Kazuyuki; Matsuo, Yuuki; Mukojima, Nobuhiro; Watanabe, Wataru; Sobaru, Norio; Tamiya, Seiji; Nakao, Takashi; Hayashi, Kazuya; Watanuki, Hitomi; Nara, Kazuhiro; Yamazaki, Kaoru; Chaya, Masataka

2017-06-01

'Nagasaki Kogane' is a new potato variety bred from a cross between 'Saikai 35' as a female parent and 'Saikai 33' as a male. 'Saikai 35' is resistant to bacterial wilt, contains the H1 and Ry chc genes for resistance to the potato cyst nematode (PCN) and potato virus Y (PVY), respectively, and has high carotenoid content, while 'Saikai 33' has large and high-yielding tubers and is resistant to both bacterial wilt and PCN. The carotenoid content of 'Nagasaki Kogane' is higher than that of 'Dejima', a common double cropping variety. The taste quality of steamed 'Nagasaki Kogane' is comparable to that of 'Inca-no-mezame' tubers, which has high levels of carotenoid, and superior to 'Nishiyutaka', another popular double cropping variety. 'Nagasaki Kogane' is suitable for French fries, because its tuber has high starch content. The marketable yield of 'Nagasaki Kogane' was higher than that of 'Inca-no-mezame' in spring cropping, although it was lower than that of 'Nishiyutaka' in double cropping regions. 'Nagasaki Kogane' tubers are larger on average than 'Inca-no-mezame' tubers in spring cropping. Moreover, the 'Nagasaki Kogane' variety is resistant to PCN and PVY, and exhibits a high level of resistance to bacterial wilt.

Risk Factors for PTSD and Depression in Female Survivors of Rape

PubMed Central

Mbalo, Nolwandle; Zhang, Muyu; Sam, Ntuli

2017-01-01

Objective To investigate association of the socio-demographic factors, characteristics of rape and social support to the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder at six months after the rape. Methods A cross-sectional survey with female survivors of rape was carried out in three provinces of South Africa six months after the rape. Results One hundred female survivors s of sexual assault were interviewed. More than half (53%) were from Limpopo, (25%) from Western Cape and (22%) from KwaZulu -Natal. 87% reported high levels of PTSD and (51%) moderate to severe depression post-rape. The major risk factors for PTSD and depression were the unmarried survivors of rape and those living in KZN. The female survivors of rape in KZN province were seven times more likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to other provinces, while married/cohabiting female rape survivors were six times less likely to report symptoms of depression compared to the unmarried female rape survivors. Conclusion These findings add support to existing literature on PTSD and depression as common mental health consequence of rape and also provide evidence that survivors’ socio- demographics – marital status, employment status are significant contributors to the development of symptoms of depression and PTSD after rape. The results have research and clinical practice relevance for ensuring that PTSD and trauma treatment focuses on an in-depth understanding of the various aspects of the socio demographic factors and rape characteristics that contribute to survivors’ mental state and how these compound stress and depression symptoms over time post-rape victimization. PMID:28114775

Risk factors for PTSD and depression in female survivors of rape.

PubMed

Mgoqi-Mbalo, Nolwandle; Zhang, Muyu; Ntuli, Sam

2017-05-01

To investigate association of the sociodemographic factors, characteristics of rape and social support to the development of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder at 6 months after the rape. A cross-sectional survey with female survivors of rape was carried out in 3 provinces of South Africa 6 months after the rape. One hundred female survivors s of sexual assault were interviewed. More than half (53%) were from Limpopo, 25% from Western Cape, and 22% from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). 87% reported high levels of PTSD and 51% moderate to severe depression post rape. The major risk factors for PTSD and depression were the unmarried survivors of rape and those living in KZN. The female survivors of rape in KZN province were 7 times more likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to other provinces, while married/cohabiting female rape survivors were 6 times less likely to report symptoms of depression compared to the unmarried female rape survivors. These findings add support to existing literature on PTSD and depression as common mental health consequence of rape and also provide evidence that survivors' socio- demographics-marital status, employment status-are significant contributors to the development of symptoms of depression and PTSD after rape. The results have research and clinical practice relevance for ensuring that PTSD and trauma treatment focuses on an in-depth understanding of the various aspects of the sociodemographic factors and rape characteristics that contribute to survivors' mental state and how these compound stress and depression symptoms over time post rape victimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological Consequences of Rape on Women in 1991-1995 War in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

PubMed Central

Lončar, Mladen; Medved, Vesna; Jovanović, Nikolina; Hotujac, Ljubomir

2006-01-01

Aim To explore the short- and long-term psychological consequences of rape on women victims of rape during the 1992-1995 war against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods The study included 68 women victims of rape and was conducted at the Medical Center for Human Rights, Zagreb, Croatia, from 1992 to 1995. Testimony method and a questionnaire were used to obtain the description of rapes and symptoms women suffered immediately after rape and at the time of the study, ie, 11.9 ± 2.4 months after the trauma. Structured clinical interviews were conducted to diagnose psychiatric disorders that were present at the time of study, according to the third edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Results The raped women were Croatian and Muslim (Bosniak) women, residents of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Forty-four of them were raped more than once, 21 were raped every day during their captivity, and 18 were forced to witness rapes. Most of the rapes (n = 65) were accompanied by physical torture. The most frequent psychological symptoms felt immediately after the rape were depressiveness (n = 58), avoidance of thoughts or conversations associated with the trauma (n = 40), and suicidal ideas (n = 25). Although none of the women had a psychiatric history before the rape, at the time of study 52 suffered from depression, 51 from social phobia, 21 from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 17 had sexual dysfunctions. These disorders were often comorbid. Out of 29 women who got pregnant after rape, 17 had artificial abortion. The decision to have an abortion was strongly predicted by suicidal thoughts and impulses (odds ratio, 25.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.53-263.2). Conclusion War-time rapes had deep immediate and long-term consequences on the mental health of women victims of rapes and their social and interpersonal functioning. PMID:16489699

Artists Paint ... Fall: Grades K-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herberholz, Barbara

2012-01-01

Artists often paint the different seasonal activities people engage in and the way the world looks as changes take place. The weather for each of the four seasons is different. Farmers plant crops and gardens in the spring and harvest their crops in the fall, just like "The Harvesters" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. To begin, children will observe…

The use of organic soil amendments for winter wheat production in Kentucky

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most animal manures are land-applied in the fall and spring after crops have been harvested or prior to planting. Surface application of manures in the fall have more potential for nitrogen (N) loss when applied to fallow land compared to land cropped to winter wheat. This study was conducted to d...

Rape on College Campuses: Reform through Title IX.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Terry Nicole

1991-01-01

This article first, analyzes the growing problem of campus rape; second, evaluates some college rape reduction programs; third, uses case law to demonstrate that rape should be considered sex discrimination under Title IX; and, fourth, suggests an amendment to Title IX, defining rape as sex discrimination. Appropriate implementation measures by…

Effects of Two Versions of an Empathy-Based Rape Prevention Program on Fraternity Men's Survivor Empathy, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intent to Commit Rape or Sexual Assault

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foubert, John D.; Newberry, Johnathan T.

2006-01-01

Fraternity men (N = 261) at a small to midsized public university saw one of two versions of a rape prevention program or were in a control group. Program participants reported significant increases in empathy toward rape survivors and significant declines in rape myth acceptance, likelihood of raping, and likelihood of committing sexual assault.…

Rape Prevention With College Men

PubMed Central

Stephens, Kari A.; George, William H.

2014-01-01

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a theoretically based rape prevention intervention with college men who were at high or low risk to perpetrate sexually coercive behavior. Participants (N = 146) are randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Outcomes include rape myth acceptance, victim empathy, attraction to sexual aggression, sex-related alcohol expectancies, and behavioral indicators, measured across three time points. Positive effects are found for rape myth acceptance, victim empathy, attraction to sexual aggression, and behavioral intentions to rape. Only rape myth acceptance and victim empathy effects sustain at the 5-week follow-up. High-risk men are generally unaffected by the intervention although low-risk men produced larger effects than the entire sample. Results suggest rape prevention studies must assess risk status moderation effects to maximize prevention for high-risk men. More research is needed to develop effective rape prevention with men who are at high risk to rape. PMID:18591366

The effects of survey question wording on rape estimates: evidence from a quasi-experimental design.

PubMed

Fisher, Bonnie S

2009-02-01

The measurement of rape is among the leading methodological issues in the violence against women field. Methodological discussion continues to focus on decreasing measurement errors and improving the accuracy of rape estimates. The current study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effect of survey question wording on estimates of completed and attempted rape and verbal threats of rape. Specifically, the study statistically compares self-reported rape estimates from two nationally representative studies of college women's sexual victimization experiences, the National College Women Sexual Victimization study and the National Violence Against College Women study. Results show significant differences between the two sets of rape estimates, with National Violence Against College Women study rape estimates ranging from 4.4% to 10.4% lower than the National College Women Sexual Victimization study rape estimates. Implications for future methodological research are discussed.

Examining the relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, victim blame, homophobia, gender roles, and ambivalent sexism.

PubMed

Davies, Michelle; Gilston, Jennifer; Rogers, Paul

2012-09-01

The relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, attitudes toward gay men, a series of gender role and sexism measures, victim blame and assault severity were investigated. It was predicted that men would display more negative, stereotypical attitudes than women and that male rape myth endorsement would be related to, and predicted by, the other attitude and attribution scales. Respondents comprised 323 undergraduates (146 males and 177 females) from a large University in the Northwest of England. Results broadly conformed to predictions, with men generally more negative than women, and male rape myth acceptance significantly related to female rape myth acceptance, negative attitudes about gay men, gender role attitudes, and victim blame. Furthermore, male rape myth acceptance was predicted by female rape myth acceptance, gender attitudes, and victim blame. Methodological issues and implications for future work and those working with victims are discussed.

Factors Related to Rape Reporting Behavior in Brazil: Examining the Role of Spatio-Temporal Factors.

PubMed

Melo, Silas Nogueira de; Beauregard, Eric; Andresen, Martin A

2016-07-01

The reporting of rape to police is an important component of this crime to have the criminal justice system involved and, potentially, punish offenders. However, for a number of reasons (fear of retribution, self-blame, etc.), most rapes are not reported to police. Most often, the research investigating this phenomenon considers incident and victim factors with little attention to the spatio-temporal factors of the rape. In this study, we consider incident, victim, and spatio-temporal factors relating to rape reporting in Campinas, Brazil. Our primary research question is whether or not the spatio-temporal factors play a significant role in the reporting of rape, over and above incident and victim factors. The subjects under study are women who were admitted to the Women's Integrated Healthcare Center at the State University of Campinas, Brazil, and surveyed by a psychologist or a social worker. Rape reporting to police was measured using a dichotomous variable. Logistic regression was used to predict the probability of rape reporting based on incident, victim, and spatio-temporal factors. Although we find that incident and victim factors matter for rape reporting, spatio-temporal factors (rape/home location and whether the rape was in a private or public place) play an important role in rape reporting, similar to the literature that considers these factors. This result has significant implications for sexual violence education. Only when we know why women decide not to report a rape may we begin to work on strategies to overcome these hurdles.

The Use of Cover Crops as Climate-Smart Management in Midwest Cropping Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basche, A.; Miguez, F.; Archontoulis, S.; Kaspar, T.

2014-12-01

The observed trends in the Midwestern United States of increasing rainfall variability will likely continue into the future. Events such as individual days of heavy rain as well as seasons of floods and droughts have large impacts on agricultural productivity and the natural resource base that underpins it. Such events lead to increased soil erosion, decreased water quality and reduced corn and soybean yields. Winter cover crops offer the potential to buffer many of these impacts because they essentially double the time for a living plant to protect and improve the soil. However, at present, cover crops are infrequently utilized in the Midwest (representing 1-2% of row cropped land cover) in particular due to producer concerns over higher costs and management, limited time and winter growing conditions as well as the potential harm to corn yields. In order to expand their use, there is a need to quantify how cover crops impact Midwest cropping systems in the long term and namely to understand how to optimize the benefits of cover crops while minimizing their impacts on cash crops. We are working with APSIM, a cropping systems platform, to specifically quantify the long term future impacts of cover crop incorporation in corn-based cropping systems. In general, our regional analysis showed only minor changes to corn and soybean yields (<1% differences) when a cover crop was or was not included in the simulation. Further, a "bad spring" scenario (where every third year had an abnormally wet/cold spring and cover crop termination and planting cash crop were within one day) did not result in any major changes to cash crop yields. Through simulations we estimate an average increase of 4-9% organic matter improvement in the topsoil and an average decrease in soil erosion of 14-32% depending on cover crop planting date and growth. Our work is part of the Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agriculture Project (CSCAP), a collaboration of eleven Midwestern institutions established to evaluate how conservation practices, including cover crops, improve the resilience of Midwest agriculture to future change. Such collaborations can help better quantify long term impacts of conservation practices on the landscape that ultimately lead to more climate-smart management of such agricultural systems.

Model-based coefficient method for calculation of N leaching from agricultural fields applied to small catchments and the effects of leaching reducing measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyllmar, K.; Mårtensson, K.; Johnsson, H.

2005-03-01

A method to calculate N leaching from arable fields using model-calculated N leaching coefficients (NLCs) was developed. Using the process-based modelling system SOILNDB, leaching of N was simulated for four leaching regions in southern Sweden with 20-year climate series and a large number of randomised crop sequences based on regional agricultural statistics. To obtain N leaching coefficients, mean values of annual N leaching were calculated for each combination of main crop, following crop and fertilisation regime for each leaching region and soil type. The field-NLC method developed could be useful for following up water quality goals in e.g. small monitoring catchments, since it allows normal leaching from actual crop rotations and fertilisation to be determined regardless of the weather. The method was tested using field data from nine small intensively monitored agricultural catchments. The agreement between calculated field N leaching and measured N transport in catchment stream outlets, 19-47 and 8-38 kg ha -1 yr -1, respectively, was satisfactory in most catchments when contributions from land uses other than arable land and uncertainties in groundwater flows were considered. The possibility of calculating effects of crop combinations (crop and following crop) is of considerable value since changes in crop rotation constitute a large potential for reducing N leaching. When the effect of a number of potential measures to reduce N leaching (i.e. applying manure in spring instead of autumn; postponing ploughing-in of ley and green fallow in autumn; undersowing a catch crop in cereals and oilseeds; and increasing the area of catch crops by substituting winter cereals and winter oilseeds with corresponding spring crops) was calculated for the arable fields in the catchments using field-NLCs, N leaching was reduced by between 34 and 54% for the separate catchments when the best possible effect on the entire potential area was assumed.

Optimization of irrigation scheduling for spring wheat with mulching and limited irrigation water in an arid climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Y.

2017-12-01

Combining mulch and irrigation scheduling may lead to an increase of crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE = crop yield/evapotranspiration) with limited irrigation water, especially in arid regions. Based on 2 years' field experiments with ten irrigation-mulching treatments of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Shiyang River Basin Experiment Station in Gansu Province of Northwest China, a simulation-based optimization model for deficit irrigation scheduling of plastic mulching spring wheat was used to analyze an optimal irrigation scheduling for different deficit irrigation scenarios. Results revealed that mulching may increase maximum grain yield without water stress by 0.4-0.6 t ha-1 in different years and WUE by 0.2-0.3 kg m-3 for different irrigation amounts compared with no mulching. Yield of plastic mulching spring wheat was more sensitive to water stress in the early and development growth stages with an increase of cumulative crop water sensitive index (CCWSI) by 42%, and less sensitive to water stress in the mid and late growth stages with a reduction of CCWSI by 24%. For a relative wet year, when irrigation water is only applied once it should be at the mid to end of booting growth stage. Two irrigations should be applied at the beginning of booting and heading growth stages. The irrigation date can be extended to the beginning of jointing and grain formation growth stages with more water available for irrigation. For a normal or a dry year, the first irrigation should be applied 5-8 days earlier than the wet year. The highest WUE of 3.6 kg m-3 was achieved with 180 mm of irrigation applied twice for mulching in a wet year. Combining mulch and an optimal deficit irrigation scheduling is an effective way to increase crop yield and WUE in arid regions.

Prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders as a function of variant rape histories: results from a national survey of women.

PubMed

Zinzow, Heidi M; Resnick, Heidi S; McCauley, Jenna L; Amstadter, Ananda B; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Kilpatrick, Dean G

2012-06-01

Rape is an established risk factor for mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episodes (MDE), and substance use disorders. The majority of studies have not differentiated substance-involved rape or examined comorbid diagnoses among victims. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of common trauma-related psychiatric disorders (and their comorbidity) in a national sample of women, with an emphasis on distinguishing between rape tactics. A secondary objective was to estimate the risk for psychiatric disorders among victims of variant rape tactics, in comparison to non-victims. A nationally representative population-based sample of 3,001 non-institutionalized, civilian, English or Spanish speaking women (aged 18-86 years) participated in a structured telephone interview assessing rape history and DSM-IV criteria for PTSD, MDE, alcohol abuse (AA), and drug abuse (DA). Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed. Women with rape histories involving both substance facilitation and forcible tactics reported the highest current prevalence of PTSD (36%), MDE (36%), and AA (20%). Multivariate models demonstrated that this victim group was also at highest risk for psychiatric disorders, after controlling for demographics and childhood and multiple victimization history. Women with substance-facilitated rapes reported higher prevalence of substance abuse in comparison to women with forcible rape histories. Comorbidity between PTSD and other psychiatric disorders was higher among rape victims in comparison to non-rape victims. Researchers and clinicians should assess substance-facilitated rape tactics and attend to comorbidity among rape victims. Empirically supported treatments are needed to address the complex presentations observed among women with variant rape histories.

Prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders as a function of variant rape histories: results from a national survey of women

PubMed Central

Resnick, Heidi S.; McCauley, Jenna L.; Amstadter, Ananda B.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.

2014-01-01

Purpose Rape is an established risk factor for mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episodes (MDE), and substance use disorders. The majority of studies have not differentiated substance-involved rape or examined comorbid diagnoses among victims. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of common trauma-related psychiatric disorders (and their comorbidity) in a national sample of women, with an emphasis on distinguishing between rape tactics. A secondary objective was to estimate the risk for psychiatric disorders among victims of variant rape tactics, in comparison to non-victims. Methods A nationally representative population-based sample of 3,001 non-institutionalized, civilian, English or Spanish speaking women (aged 18–86 years) participated in a structured telephone interview assessing rape history and DSM-IV criteria for PTSD, MDE, alcohol abuse (AA), and drug abuse (DA). Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed. Results Women with rape histories involving both substance facilitation and forcible tactics reported the highest current prevalence of PTSD (36%), MDE (36%), and AA (20%). Multivariate models demonstrated that this victim group was also at highest risk for psychiatric disorders, after controlling for demographics and childhood and multiple victimization history. Women with substance-facilitated rapes reported higher prevalence of substance abuse in comparison to women with forcible rape histories. Comorbidity between PTSD and other psychiatric disorders was higher among rape victims in comparison to non-rape victims. Conclusions Researchers and clinicians should assess substance-facilitated rape tactics and attend to comorbidity among rape victims. Empirically supported treatments are needed to address the complex presentations observed among women with variant rape histories. PMID:21603967

The use of crop rotation for mapping soil organic content in farmland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lin; Song, Min; Zhu, A.-Xing; Qin, Chengzhi

2017-04-01

Most of the current digital soil mapping uses natural environmental covariates. However, human activities have significantly impacted the development of soil properties since half a century, and therefore become an important factor affecting soil spatial variability. Many researches have done field experiments to show how soil properties are impacted and changed by human activities, however, spatial variation data of human activities as environmental covariates have been rarely used in digital soil mapping. In this paper, we took crop rotation as an example of agricultural activities, and explored its effectiveness in characterizing and mapping the spatial variability of soil. The cultivated area of Xuanzhou city and Langxi County in Anhui Province was chosen as the study area. Three main crop rotations,including double-rice, wheat-rice,and oilseed rape-cotton were observed through field investigation in 2010. The spatial distribution of the three crop rotations in the study area was obtained by multi-phase remote sensing image interpretation using a supervised classification method. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for topsoil organic content in the three crop rotation groups was performed. Factor importance of seven natural environmental covariates, crop rotation, Land use and NDVI were generated by variable importance criterion of Random Forest. Different combinations of environmental covariates were selected according to the importance rankings of environmental covariates for predicting SOC using Random Forest and Soil Landscape Inference Model (SOLIM). A cross validation was generated to evaluated the mapping accuracies. The results showed that there were siginificant differences of topsoil organic content among the three crop rotation groups. The crop rotation is more important than parent material, land use or NDVI according to the importance ranking calculated by Random Forest. In addition, crop rotation improved the mapping accuracy, especially for the flat clutivated area. This study demonstrates the usefulness of human activities in digital soil mapping and thus indicates the necessity for human activity factors in digital soil mapping studies.

Effects of break crops, and of wheat volunteers growing in break crops or in set-aside or conservation covers, all following crops of winter wheat, on the development of take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) in succeeding crops of winter wheat

PubMed Central

Jenkyn, JF; Gutteridge, RJ; White, RP

2014-01-01

Experiments on the Rothamsted and Woburn Experimental Farms studied the effects on take-all of different break crops and of set-aside/conservation covers that interrupted sequences of winter wheat. There was no evidence for different effects on take-all of the break crops per se but the presence of volunteers, in crops of oilseed rape, increased the amounts of take-all in the following wheat. Severity of take-all was closely related to the numbers of volunteers in the preceding break crops and covers, and was affected by the date of their destruction. Early destruction of set-aside/conservation covers was usually effective in preventing damaging take-all in the following wheat except, sometimes, when populations of volunteers were very large. The experiments were not designed to test the effects of sowing dates but different amounts of take-all in the first wheats after breaks or covers apparently affected the severity of take-all in the following (second) wheats only where the latter were relatively late sown. In earlier-sown second wheats, take-all was consistently severe and unrelated to the severity of the disease in the preceding (first) wheats. Results from two very simple experiments suggested that substituting set-aside/conservation covers for winter wheat, for 1 year only, did not seriously interfere with the development of take-all disease or with the development or maintenance of take-all decline (TAD). With further research, it might be possible for growers wishing to exploit TAD to incorporate set-aside/conservation covers into their cropping strategies, and especially to avoid the worst effects of the disease on grain yield during the early stages of epidemics. PMID:25653455

Reactions to Stranger and Acquaintance Rape.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tetreault, Patricia A.; Barnett, Mark A.

1987-01-01

Investigated reactions to a woman who presumably had been raped by a stranger or an acquaintance. Undergraduates read one of two rape descriptions prior to watching a videotape of the woman who (they were led to believe) had been the victim of the rape. Females and males showed markedly different reactions to stranger and acquaintance rape and…

Mythbusters: Examining Rape Myth Acceptance among U.S. University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, John C.; Tewksbury, Richard

2017-01-01

This study examined rape myth acceptance among 727 university students from 21 U.S. institutions with the updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale. Findings showed sorority members rejected rape myths at greater rates than non-sorority members, but fraternity members were similar to non-fraternity members. Higher rape myth acceptance was…

Perceptions of, and Assistance Provided to, a Hypothetical Rape Victim: Differences between Rape Disclosure Recipients and Nonrecipients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Lisa A.; Kehn, Andre; Gray, Matt J.; Salapska-Gelleri, Joanna

2014-01-01

Objective: Undergraduate rape disclosure recipients' and nonrecipients' sociodemographic and life experience variables, attitudes towards rape, and responses to a hypothetical rape disclosure were compared to determine differences between them. Participants: One hundred ninety-two undergraduates at 3 universities participated in this online survey…

Male Rape Myths: The Role of Gender, Violence, and Sexism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapleau, Kristine M.; Oswald, Debra L.; Russell, Brenda L.

2008-01-01

This study investigates the structure of Struckman-Johnson and Struckman-Johnson's Male Rape Myth Scale, examines gender differences in rape myth acceptance, and explores the underlying ideologies that facilitate male rape myth acceptance. A three-factor model, with rape myths regarding Trauma, Blame, and Denial as separate subscales, is the best…

ASD and PTSD in Rape Victims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elklit, Ask; Christiansen, Dorte M.

2010-01-01

In recent years, a number of studies have investigated the prediction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through the presence of acute stress disorder (ASD). The predictive power of ASD on PTSD was examined in a population of 148 female rape victims who visited a center for rape victims shortly after the rape or attempted rape. The PTSD…

Date Rape: Its Relationship to Trauma Symptoms and Sexual Self-Esteem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Brenda L.; Schwarz, J. Conrad

1997-01-01

Extends previous research on date rape by assessing trauma symptoms and sexual self-esteem among college women who had, or who had not, been raped. Results indicate that rape victims had significantly more trauma symptoms and lower sexual self-esteem compared to other women, thus suggesting date rape's significant consequences. (RJM)

Comparison of the impacts of climate change on potential productivity of different staple crops in the agro-pastoral ecotone of North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jianzhao; Wang, Jing; He, Di; Huang, Mingxia; Pan, Zhihua; Pan, Xuebiao

2016-12-01

The aim of this study is to compare the impacts of climate change on the potential productivity and potential productivity gaps of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and spring wheat ( Triticumaestivum Linn) in the agro-pastoral ecotone (APE) of North China. A crop growth dynamics statistical method was used to calculate the potential productivity affected by light, temperature, precipitation, and soil fertility. The growing season average temperature increased by 0.47, 0.48, and 0.52°C per decade ( p < 0.05) for sunflower, potato, and spring wheat, respectively, from 1981 to 2010. Meanwhile, the growing season solar radiation showed a decreasing trend ( p < 0.05) and the growing season precipitation changed non-significantly across APE. The light-temperature potential productivity increased by 4.48% per decade for sunflower but decreased by 1.58% and 0.59% per decade for potato and spring wheat. The climate-soil potential productivity reached only 31.20%, 27.79%, and 20.62% of the light-temperature potential productivity for sunflower, potato, and spring wheat, respectively. The gaps between the light-temperature and climate-soil potential productivity increased by 6.41%, 0.97%, and 1.29% per decade for sunflower, potato, and spring wheat, respectively. The increasing suitability of the climate for sunflower suggested that the sown area of sunflower should be increased compared with potato and spring wheat in APE under future climate warming.

The right to protection from sexual assault: the Indian anti-rape campaign.

PubMed

Gangoli, G

1996-11-01

This article reveals a viewpoint that emphasizes some dilemmas among Indian feminist practice, women's sexuality in legal terms, and case law in India. The Indian Women's Movement (IWM) was successful in 1983 in adding a legal amendment on rape and child abuse. The case that mobilized women to change the law occurred in 1980 when a court acquitted two policemen who were charged with raping and molesting a 16-year-old tribal girl. The Bombay High Court overturned the judgement and convicted both policemen. The case was appealed, and the policemen successfully argued that rape did not occur because the girl did not protest and was sexually experienced anyway. In 1980 the Forum Against Rape was formed to mobilize public support and to lobby the State for reform of the law on rape. The campaign focused on custodial rape and political repression, rape as civil rights issue, and rape as a women's issue. There was a distancing between the victim, who occupied a lower caste and class position, and her defenders in the women's groups. The campaign appealed to both the appropriate judgement of the State and the denial that the State was an effective vehicle for change. The campaign did not directly address incest and marital rape or domestic violence within families. The legislature debated the issue of legal change during 1982. The debate revealed deep divisions about sexuality and women's status. It was argued that chaste women were not rape victims, and unchaste women were of a socially inferior caste and class. It was argued that there should be a ban on child marriage rather than spousal rape laws. Child rape is a legal issue only when the perpetrator is outside the family. Rape was discussed as an act of lust and not violence. In 1992, a woman promoting an end to child marriage was raped and the men were acquitted. It was argued that the law was out-of-date and in need of revision.

Merits of using mechanical treatments to stimulate cone production of slash and longleaf pine

Treesearch

James P. Barnett

1993-01-01

four mechanical treatments (untreated, partial girdling in the spring, partial girdling in summer, and banding in spring) stimulated cone production of pole-sized slash and longleaf pines. A 2- to 3-fold increase in slash pine seed production was limited to the first crop originating after the treatments were applied. However, the treatments killed half the longleaf...

Remote sensing of selected winter and spring host plants of tarnished plant bug (Heteroptera: Miridae) and herbicide use strategies as a management tactic

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Remote sensing was used in a series of experiments over a three-year period to obtain spectral reflectance data for use in studying differences in vegetation indices between grasses, broadleaf plants, and grass/broadleaf plant mixtures. Empirical simulations of selected non-crop winter and spring h...

Oilseed rape seeds with ablated defence cells of the glucosinolate–myrosinase system. Production and characteristics of double haploid MINELESS plants of Brassica napus L.

PubMed Central

Ahuja, Ishita; Borgen, Birgit Hafeld; Hansen, Magnor; Honne, Bjørn Ivar; Müller, Caroline; Rohloff, Jens; Rossiter, John Trevor; Bones, Atle Magnar

2011-01-01

Oilseed rape and other crop plants of the family Brassicaceae contain a unique defence system known as the glucosinolate–myrosinase system or the ‘mustard oil bomb’. The ‘mustard oil bomb’ which includes myrosinase and glucosinolates is triggered by abiotic and biotic stress, resulting in the formation of toxic products such as nitriles and isothiocyanates. Myrosinase is present in specialist cells known as ‘myrosin cells’ and can also be known as toxic mines. The myrosin cell idioblasts of Brassica napus were genetically reprogrammed to undergo controlled cell death (ablation) during seed development. These myrosin cell-free plants have been named MINELESS as they lack toxic mines. This has led to the production of oilseed rape with a significant reduction both in myrosinase levels and in the hydrolysis of glucosinolates. Even though the myrosinase activity in MINELESS was very low compared with the wild type, variation was observed. This variability was overcome by producing homozygous seeds. A microspore culture technique involving non-fertile haploid MINELESS plants was developed and these plants were treated with colchicine to produce double haploid MINELESS plants with full fertility. Double haploid MINELESS plants had significantly reduced myrosinase levels and glucosinolate hydrolysis products. Wild-type and MINELESS plants exhibited significant differences in growth parameters such as plant height, leaf traits, matter accumulation, and yield parameters. The growth and developmental pattern of MINELESS plants was relatively slow compared with the wild type. The characteristics of the pure double haploid MINELESS plant are described and its importance for future biochemical, agricultural, dietary, functional genomics, and plant defence studies is discussed. PMID:21778185

The high-quality genome of Brassica napus cultivar 'ZS11' reveals the introgression history in semi-winter morphotype.

PubMed

Sun, Fengming; Fan, Guangyi; Hu, Qiong; Zhou, Yongming; Guan, Mei; Tong, Chaobo; Li, Jiana; Du, Dezhi; Qi, Cunkou; Jiang, Liangcai; Liu, Weiqing; Huang, Shunmou; Chen, Wenbin; Yu, Jingyin; Mei, Desheng; Meng, Jinling; Zeng, Peng; Shi, Jiaqin; Liu, Kede; Wang, Xi; Wang, Xinfa; Long, Yan; Liang, Xinming; Hu, Zhiyong; Huang, Guodong; Dong, Caihua; Zhang, He; Li, Jun; Zhang, Yaolei; Li, Liangwei; Shi, Chengcheng; Wang, Jiahao; Lee, Simon Ming-Yuen; Guan, Chunyun; Xu, Xun; Liu, Shengyi; Liu, Xin; Chalhoub, Boulos; Hua, Wei; Wang, Hanzhong

2017-11-01

Allotetraploid oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is an agriculturally important crop. Cultivation and breeding of B. napus by humans has resulted in numerous genetically diverse morphotypes with optimized agronomic traits and ecophysiological adaptation. To further understand the genetic basis of diversification and adaptation, we report a draft genome of an Asian semi-winter oilseed rape cultivar 'ZS11' and its comprehensive genomic comparison with the genomes of the winter-type cultivar 'Darmor-bzh' as well as two progenitors. The integrated BAC-to-BAC and whole-genome shotgun sequencing strategies were effective in the assembly of repetitive regions (especially young long terminal repeats) and resulted in a high-quality genome assembly of B. napus 'ZS11'. Within a short evolutionary period (~6700 years ago), semi-winter-type 'ZS11' and the winter-type 'Darmor-bzh' maintained highly genomic collinearity. Even so, certain genetic differences were also detected in two morphotypes. Relative to 'Darmor-bzh', both two subgenomes of 'ZS11' are closely related to its progenitors, and the 'ZS11' genome harbored several specific segmental homoeologous exchanges (HEs). Furthermore, the semi-winter-type 'ZS11' underwent potential genomic introgressions with B. rapa (A r ). Some of these genetic differences were associated with key agronomic traits. A key gene of A03.FLC3 regulating vernalization-responsive flowering time in 'ZS11' was first experienced HE, and then underwent genomic introgression event with A r , which potentially has led to genetic differences in controlling vernalization in the semi-winter types. Our observations improved our understanding of the genetic diversity of different B. napus morphotypes and the cultivation history of semi-winter oilseed rape in Asia. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Soil aggregate and organic carbon distribution at dry land soil and paddy soil: the role of different straws returning.

PubMed

Huang, Rong; Lan, Muling; Liu, Jiang; Gao, Ming

2017-12-01

Agriculture wastes returning to soil is one of common ways to reuse crop straws in China. The returned straws are expected to improve the fertility and structural stability of soil during the degradation of straw it selves. The in situ effect of different straw (wheat, rice, maize, rape, and broad bean) applications for soil aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution were studied at both dry land soil and paddy soil in this study. Wet sieving procedures were used to separate soil aggregate sizes. Aggregate stability indicators including mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, mean weight of specific surface area, and the fractal dimension were used to evaluate soil aggregate stability after the incubation of straws returning. Meanwhile, the variation and distribution of SOC in different-sized aggregates were further studied. Results showed that the application of straws, especially rape straw at dry land soil and rice straw at paddy soil, increased the fractions of macro-aggregate (> 0.25 mm) and micro-aggregate (0.25-0.053 mm). Suggesting the nutrients released from straw degradation promotes the growing of soil aggregates directly and indirectly. The application of different straws increased the SOC content at both soils and the SOC mainly distributed at < 0.53 mm aggregates. However, the contribution of SOC in macro- and micro-aggregates increased. Straw-applied paddy soil have a higher total SOC content but lower SOC contents at > 0.25 and 0.25-0.053 mm aggregates with dry land soil. Rape straw in dry land and rice straw in paddy field could stabilize soil aggregates and increasing SOC contents best.

Regional-scale yield simulations using crop and climate models: assessing uncertainties, sensitivity to temperature and adaptation options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challinor, A. J.

2010-12-01

Recent progress in assessing the impacts of climate variability and change on crops using multiple regional-scale simulations of crop and climate (i.e. ensembles) is presented. Simulations for India and China used perturbed responses to elevated carbon dioxide constrained using observations from FACE studies and controlled environments. Simulations with crop parameter sets representing existing and potential future adapted varieties were also carried out. The results for India are compared to sensitivity tests on two other crop models. For China, a parallel approach used socio-economic data to account for autonomous farmer adaptation. Results for the USA analysed cardinal temperatures under a range of local warming scenarios for 2711 varieties of spring wheat. The results are as follows: 1. Quantifying and reducing uncertainty. The relative contribution of uncertainty in crop and climate simulation to the total uncertainty in projected yield changes is examined. The observational constraints from FACE and controlled environment studies are shown to be the likely critical factor in maintaining relatively low crop parameter uncertainty. Without these constraints, crop simulation uncertainty in a doubled CO2 environment would likely be greater than uncertainty in simulating climate. However, consensus across crop models in India varied across different biophysical processes. 2. The response of yield to changes in local mean temperature was examined and compared to that found in the literature. No consistent response to temperature change was found across studies. 3. Implications for adaptation. China. The simulations of spring wheat in China show the relative importance of tolerance to water and heat stress in avoiding future crop failures. The greatest potential for reducing the number of harvests less than one standard deviation below the baseline mean yield value comes from alleviating water stress; the greatest potential for reducing harvests less than two standard deviations below the mean comes from alleviation of heat stress. The socio-economic analysis suggests that adaptation is also possible through measures such as greater investment. India. The simulations of groundnut in India identified regions where heat stress will play an increasing role in limiting crop yields, and other regions where crops with greater thermal time requirement will be needed. The simulations were used, together with an observed dataset and a simple analysis of crop cardinal temperatures and thermal time, to estimate the potential for adaptation using existing cultivars. USA. Analysis of spring wheat in the USA showed that at +2oC of local warming, 87% of the 2711 varieties examined, and all of the five most common varieties, could be used to maintain the crop duration of the current climate (i.e. successful adaptation to mean warming). At +4o this fell to 54% of all varieties, and two of the top five. 4. Future research. The results, and the limitations of the study, suggest directions for research to link climate and crop models, socio-economic analyses and crop variety trial data in order to prioritise adaptation options such as capacity building, plant breeding and biotechnology.

[Dynamics of soil P pool in a long-term fertilizing experiment of wheat-maize rotation. I. Crop yield effect of fertilizer P and dynamics of soil total P and inorganic P].

PubMed

Liu, J; Zhang, F

2000-06-01

The effects of long-term applying fertilizer P and manure on the pools of soil total P and inorganic P and the crop yield in rotation of winter wheat-summer maize-->spring maize were studied. The results showed that the pool of soil total P and inorganic P were increased by applying fertilizer P and manure, and the phosphorus mostly accumulated in soil was inorganic P. The critical amounts of fertilizer P (P2O5) for balancing soil P were 94.7 kg.hm-2 to winter wheat-summer maize and 51.5 kg.hm-2 to spring maize. Based on regression equations, the application rates of fertilizer P (P2O5) for economic optimum and highest yields were 135.8 and 149.8 kg.hm-2 to winter wheat-summer maize, and 88.6 and 95.9 kg.hm-2 to spring maize, respectively.

Rape: Is it a lifestyle or behavioral problem?

PubMed Central

Kamdar, Zeel N.; Kosambiya, Jayendrakumar K.; Chawada, Bansari L.; Verma, Mamtarani; Kadia, Abhinav

2017-01-01

Introduction: In India, girl is raped every 20 min. The majority of reports reveals youth is vulnerable group for rape victimization. A set of prejudicial, stereotyped, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapist exist in the community. Aims/Objectives: To study the attitude and myths toward rape among college going students of Surat City. Materials and Methods: College students of various streams were participated in the study based on attitude toward rape scale (21 items) and updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (22 items). A total of 332 participants from three different colleges of the city took part in the survey. Data analysis was done with the SPSS version 19. Results: Among the responders, 61.75% were female. Mean age of participants was 20.22 ± 1.27 years. Almost two-third (73%) of female participants and 42% of the male participants disagreed with the myth that “When a woman says ‘no’ she really means ‘yes’.” Around 30% of the participants were uncertain about the myth that “A woman cannot be raped by someone she previously knew or had sex with.” While almost 35% of participants believed that “Most rapes are carried out by strangers.” Strong sexual desire of guys, drunkenness, and girl's clothes were reported to be factors that provoke rape by 50%, 40%, and 33% of respondents, respectively, around 95% of female and 92% of male participants think that 7-year imprisonment for rape is not enough. Conclusions: Rape myths are found to be highly prevalent among youth and higher among males. PMID:28529364

Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Unacknowledged Rape.

PubMed

Wilson, Laura C; Miller, Katherine E

2016-04-01

Many sexual violence survivors do not label their experiences as rape but instead use more benign labels, such as "bad sex" or "miscommunication." A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the mean prevalence of unacknowledged rape and to inform our understanding of methodological factors that influence the detection of this phenomenon. Studies were identified using PsycINFO, PubMED, and PILOTS and were required to report the percentage of unacknowledged rape that had occurred since the age of 14 among female survivors. Moderator variables included mean participant age, recruitment source, rape definition, and unacknowledged rape definition. Twenty-eight studies (30 independent samples) containing 5,917 female rape survivors met the inclusion criteria. Based on a random effects model, the overall weighted mean percentage of unacknowledged rape was 60.4% (95% confidence interval [55.0%, 65.6%]). There was a large amount of heterogeneity, Q(29) = 445.11, p < .001, and inconsistency (I(2) = 93.5%) among included studies. The prevalence was significantly higher among college student participants compared to noncollege participants. The findings supported that over half of all female rape survivors do not acknowledge that they have been raped. The results suggest that screening tools should use behaviorally descriptive items about sexual contact, rather than using terms such as "rape." © The Author(s) 2015.

On the Relationship Between Automatic Attitudes and Self-Reported Sexual Assault in Men

PubMed Central

Widman, Laura; Olson, Michael

2013-01-01

Research and theory suggest rape supportive attitudes are important predictors of sexual assault; yet, to date, rape supportive attitudes have been assessed exclusively through self-report measures that are methodologically and theoretically limited. To address these limitations, the objectives of the current project were to: (1) develop a novel implicit rape attitude assessment that captures automatic attitudes about rape and does not rely on self-reports, and (2) examine the association between automatic rape attitudes and sexual assault perpetration. We predicted that automatic rape attitudes would be a significant unique predictor of sexual assault even when self-reported rape attitudes (i.e., rape myth acceptance and hostility toward women) were controlled. We tested the generalizability of this prediction in two independent samples: a sample of undergraduate college men (n = 75, M age = 19.3 years) and a sample of men from the community (n = 50, M age = 35.9 years). We found the novel implicit rape attitude assessment was significantly associated with the frequency of sexual assault perpetration in both samples and contributed unique variance in explaining sexual assault beyond rape myth acceptance and hostility toward women. We discuss the ways in which future research on automatic rape attitudes may significantly advance measurement and theory aimed at understanding and preventing sexual assault. PMID:22618119

The Effectiveness of Two Types of Rape Prevention Programs in Changing the Rape-Supportive Attitudes of College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Linda A.; Stoelb, Matthew P.; Duggan, Peter; Hieger, Brad; Kling, Kathleen H.; Payne, June P.

1998-01-01

The effectiveness of two rape-prevention programs in changing college students' rape-supportive attitudes was investigated. (N=215) Conditions included an interactive mock talk show and a structured video intervention. Both interventions were effective, but attitudes were found to rebound over time. Implications for future rape-prevention…

Male Power and Female Victimization: Towards a Theory of Interracial Rape.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaFree, Gary D.

1982-01-01

Tests two models of Black offender/White victim (BW) rape, using data from 443 rape cases. Results did not support the normative model which correlates BW rape with increased social interaction between Black men and White women and only partially supported the conflict model that correlates BW rape with increased Black politicization. (Author/AM)

A Match-and-Motivation Model of How Women Label Their Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Zoe D.; Muehlenhard, Charlene L.

2011-01-01

Many rape victims are unacknowledged rape victims--they report an experience meeting researchers' operational definitions of rape but do not label their experience as rape. The purpose of this study was to investigate women's decisions about whether to label their experiences as rape. Participants were 77 college women (predominantly White; mean…

Transgene flow: Facts, speculations and possible countermeasures

PubMed Central

Ryffel, Gerhart U

2014-01-01

Convincing evidence has accumulated that unintended transgene escape occurs in oilseed rape, maize, cotton and creeping bentgrass. The escaped transgenes are found in variant cultivars, in wild type plants as well as in hybrids of sexually compatible species. The fact that in some cases stacked events are present that have not been planted commercially, implies unintended recombination of transgenic traits. As the consequences of this continuous transgene escape for the ecosystem cannot be reliably predicted, I propose to use more sophisticated approaches of gene technology in future. If possible GM plants should be constructed using either site-directed mutagenesis or cisgenic strategies to avoid the problem of transgene escape. In cases where a transgenic trait is needed, efficient containment should be the standard approach. Various strategies available or in development are discussed. Such a cautious approach in developing novel types of GM crops will enhance the sustainable potential of GM crops and thus increase the public trust in green gene technology. PMID:25523171

Preliminary evaluation of spectral, normal and meteorological crop stage estimation approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cate, R. B.; Artley, J. A.; Doraiswamy, P. C.; Hodges, T.; Kinsler, M. C.; Phinney, D. E.; Sestak, M. L. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

Several of the projects in the AgRISTARS program require crop phenology information, including classification, acreage and yield estimation, and detection of episodal events. This study evaluates several crop calendar estimation techniques for their potential use in the program. The techniques, although generic in approach, were developed and tested on spring wheat data collected in 1978. There are three basic approaches to crop stage estimation: historical averages for an area (normal crop calendars), agrometeorological modeling of known crop-weather relationships agrometeorological (agromet) crop calendars, and interpretation of spectral signatures (spectral crop calendars). In all, 10 combinations of planting and biostage estimation models were evaluated. Dates of stage occurrence are estimated with biases between -4 and +4 days while root mean square errors range from 10 to 15 days. Results are inconclusive as to the superiority of any of the models and further evaluation of the models with the 1979 data set is recommended.

Model Forecasts of Atrazine in Lake Michigan in Response to Various Sensitivity and Potential Management Scenarios

EPA Science Inventory

For more than forty years, the herbicide atrazine has been used on corn crops in the Lake Michigan basin to control weeds. It is usually applied to farm fields in the spring before or after the corn crop emerges. A version of the WASP4 mass balance model, LM2-Atrazine, was used...

Economic Indicators of the Farm Sector. State Financial Summary, 1984.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economic Research Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Crop production in 1984, particularly for spring-planted crops, returned to near-normal levels from the much reduced output of 1983 when government programs curbed planted acreage and drought depressed yields. The top five states in net farm income were California, at $3.5 billion; Iowa, $2.2 billion; Florida, $1.8 billion; and Illinois, $1.7…

Frost Forecasting for Fruitgrowers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martsolf, J. D.; Chen, E.

1983-01-01

Progress in forecasting from satellite data reviewed. University study found data from satellites displayed in color and used to predict frost are valuable aid to agriculture. Study evaluated scheme to use Earth-temperature data from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite in computer model that determines when and where freezing temperatures endanger developing fruit crops, such as apples, peaches and cherries in spring and citrus crops in winter.

Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE). Evaluation of the LACIE transition year crop calendar model. [Wheat growth in the Great Plains Corridor, North America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheffin, R. E.; Woolley, S. K. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The estimates of developmental stage dates from the LACIE adjustable crop calendar (ACC) winter wheat model was somewhat more accurate than the historical crop calendar after jointing. The ACC winter wheat model was not so accurate for the Texas Panhandle as it was for the other areas of the USPG-7 because dry soil conditions delayed fall planting in the Panhandle. Since the LACIE ACC winter wheat model does not contain a moisture term and it was started with historical planting dates, lengthy delays in planting mean that the ACC model will probably be started early and will estimate the developmental growth stages to occur too early in the season. The LACIE ACC spring wheat model was also started early in most areas because of late planting due to fields wet from melting snow and rain. The starter model used to estimate spring planting dates was not accurate under these wet soil conditions and tended to predict the developmental stages to occur earlier than the dates observed in the fields.

Relationships of Leaf Area Index and NDVI for 12 Brassica Cultivars in Northeastern Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabro, Jay; Allen, Brett; Long, Dan; Isbell, Terry; Gesch, Russ; Brown, Jack; Hatfield, Jerry; Archer, David; Oblath, Emily; Vigil, Merle; Kiniry, Jim; Hunter, Kimberly; Shonnard, David

2017-04-01

To our knowledge, there is limited information on the relationship of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI) in spring Brassica oilseed crops. The 2014 results of NDVI and LAI of 12 spring varieties of oilseed crops were measured in a field study conducted in Sidney, Montana, USA under dryland conditions. These 12 varieties were grouped under six species (B. napus, B. rapa, B. juncea, B. carinata, Sinapis alba, and Camelina sativa). The NDVI and LAI were measured weekly throughout the growing season. The NDVI was continually measured at one sample per second across the whole plot using a Crop Circle ACS-470 active crop canopy sensor. The LAI was measured at two locations at 12 samples per plot using an AccuPar model LP-80 Ceptometer. Treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design in plots of 3 m×9 m. Temporal dynamics of NDVI and LAI in various growth stages of 12 varieties were evaluated throughout the growing season. Significant relationships and models between NDVI and LAI were obtained when 12 varieties were grouped under six species.

Religious Affiliation, Religiosity, Gender, and Rape Myth Acceptance: Feminist Theory and Rape Culture.

PubMed

Barnett, Michael D; Sligar, Kylie B; Wang, Chiachih D C

2018-04-01

Rape myths are false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists, often prejudicial and stereotypical. Guided by feminist theory and available empirical research, this study aimed to examine the influences of gender, religious affiliation, and religiosity on rape myth acceptance of U.S. emerging adults. A sample of 653 university students aged 18 to 30 years were recruited from a large public university in the southern United States to complete the research questionnaires. Results indicated that individuals who identified as Roman Catholic or Protestant endorsed higher levels of rape myth acceptance than their atheist or agnostic counterparts. Men were found more likely to ascribe to rape myths than their female counterparts. Religiosity was positively associated with rape myth acceptance, even after controlling the effect of conservative political ideology. No significant interaction was found between gender and religious affiliation or gender and religiosity. Limitations, future research directions, and implications of the findings are discussed from the perspective of feminist theory.

The effects of general pretrial publicity on juror decisions: an examination of moderators and mediating mechanisms.

PubMed

Kovera, Margaret Bull

2002-02-01

Two studies examined three moderators (gender, attitudes, and media slant) and four mediators (accessibility, evidence importance, evidence plausibility, and standards of guilt) of general pretrial publicity's influence on juror decisions. In Study 1, participants who watched a prodefense rape story were more likely to report that they would need more inculpatory evidence to convict a defendant of rape than were participants who watched a proprosecution rape story. In Study 2, participants watched news stories, one of which was a proprosecution rape story, a prodefense rape story, or a nonrape story. In an ostensibly unrelated study, participants indicated their attitudes toward rape, watched a rape trial, and provided trial and witness ratings. Accessibility did not mediate the media effects on participants' judgments of rape importance; however, attitudes moderated media effects. Rape news influenced juror ratings of the importance of evidence about the complainant's behavior. Finally, media altered the standards participants used to determine defendant guilt. Implications for understanding the mechanisms responsible for pretrial publicity effects are discussed.

The unique associations between rape acknowledgment and the DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters.

PubMed

Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

2017-11-01

It is well documented in the sexual assault literature that more than half of rape survivors do not label their experience as rape. This is called unacknowledged rape. Although this phenomenon is common and undoubtedly has huge implications for psychotherapy, the impact of acknowledgment status on psychological adjustment is unclear. The present study aimed to delineate the unique impact of rape acknowledgment on psychopathology by examining PTSD symptoms at the cluster level. To examine this, 178 female college students who reported rape completed an online survey, including an assessment of PTSD symptoms in the past month. The results suggested that, after accounting for several covariates, acknowledged rape survivors reported significantly greater levels of intrusion and avoidance symptoms compared to unacknowledged rape survivors. The findings suggest that examining PTSD symptoms at the cluster level may provide more insight into the process of recovery following rape and therefore may better inform treatment decisions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rape avoidance behavior among Slovak women.

PubMed

Prokop, Pavol

2013-05-28

Rape has been a recurrent adaptive problem for many species, including humans. Rape is costly to women in terms of disease transmission, partner abandonment, and unwanted pregnancy (among other costs). Therefore, behavioral strategies which allow women to avoid coercive men may have been favored by selection. In line with this evolutionary reasoning, the current research documented that physically stronger women and those in a committed romantic relationship reported more rape avoidance behavior. In addition, virgin women tended to perform more rape avoidance behavior compared with their non-virgin counterparts. Women with high conception risk perceived themselves as physically stronger, which may protect them against a potential rapist. Fear of unwanted pregnancy from rape decreased as age increased, reflecting higher fertility among younger participants. However, older women reported more rape avoidance behavior, which contradicts evolutionary predictions. The results provide some support for evolutionary hypotheses of rape avoidance behavior which suggest that woman's perception of rape is influenced by parental investment and perceived physical condition.

What Is Rape and Date Rape?

MedlinePlus

... nurse, or a doctor's office. What about self-defense? Stranger rape and date rape are never the ... safe? What are some ways to practice self-defense? Content last reviewed September 22, 2009 Page last ...

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Rape Myth Acceptance: Preliminary Findings From a Sample of Primarily LGBQ-Identified Survey Respondents.

PubMed

Schulze, Corina; Koon-Magnin, Sarah

2017-02-01

This study is among the first to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and rape myth adherence using a nationwide survey of primarily lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) respondents (n = 184). The more established Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale and a modified Male Rape Survey serve as the primary instruments to test both rape myth adherence and instrument-appropriateness. Results suggest that respondents were most likely to support myths that discredit sexual assault allegations or excuse rape as a biological imperative and least likely to support myths related to physical resistance. Consistent with previous work, men exhibited higher levels of rape myth adherence than women. Regarding sexual orientation, respondents who identified as queer consistently exhibited lower levels of rape myth adherence than respondents who identified as gay.

Changes in time of sowing, flowering and maturity of cereals in Europe under climate change.

PubMed

Olesen, J E; Børgesen, C D; Elsgaard, L; Palosuo, T; Rötter, R P; Skjelvåg, A O; Peltonen-Sainio, P; Börjesson, T; Trnka, M; Ewert, F; Siebert, S; Brisson, N; Eitzinger, J; van Asselt, E D; Oberforster, M; van der Fels-Klerx, H J

2012-01-01

The phenological development of cereal crops from emergence through flowering to maturity is largely controlled by temperature, but also affected by day length and potential physiological stresses. Responses may vary between species and varieties. Climate change will affect the timing of cereal crop development, but exact changes will also depend on changes in varieties as affected by plant breeding and variety choices. This study aimed to assess changes in timing of major phenological stages of cereal crops in Northern and Central Europe under climate change. Records on dates of sowing, flowering, and maturity of wheat, oats and maize were collected from field experiments conducted during the period 1985-2009. Data for spring wheat and spring oats covered latitudes from 46 to 64°N, winter wheat from 46 to 61°N, and maize from 47 to 58°N. The number of observations (site-year-variety combinations) varied with phenological phase, but exceeded 2190, 227, 2076 and 1506 for winter wheat, spring wheat, spring oats and maize, respectively. The data were used to fit simple crop development models, assuming that the duration of the period until flowering depends on temperature and day length for wheat and oats, and on temperature for maize, and that the duration of the period from flowering to maturity in all species depends on temperature only. Species-specific base temperatures were used. Sowing date of spring cereals was estimated using a threshold temperature for the mean air temperature during 10 days prior to sowing. The mean estimated temperature thresholds for sowing were 6.1, 7.1 and 10.1°C for oats, wheat and maize, respectively. For spring oats and wheat the temperature threshold increased with latitude. The effective temperature sums required for both flowering and maturity increased with increasing mean annual temperature of the location, indicating that varieties are well adapted to given conditions. The responses of wheat and oats were largest for the period from flowering to maturity. Changes in timing of cereal phenology by 2040 were assessed for two climate model projections according to the observed dependencies on temperature and day length. The results showed advancements of sowing date of spring cereals by 1-3 weeks depending on climate model and region within Europe. The changes were largest in Northern Europe. Timing of flowering and maturity were projected to advance by 1-3 weeks. The changes were largest for grain maize and smallest for winter wheat, and they were generally largest in the western and northern part of the domain. There were considerable differences in predicted timing of sowing, flowering and maturity between the two climate model projections applied.

Seasonal Soil Nitrogen Mineralization within an Integrated Crop and Livestock System in Western North Dakota, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landblom, Douglas; Senturklu, Songul; Cihacek, Larry; Pfenning, Lauren; Brevik, Eric C.

2015-04-01

Protecting natural resources while maintaining or maximizing crop yield potential is of utmost importance for sustainable crop and livestock production systems. Since soil organic matter and its decomposition by soil organisms is at the very foundation of healthy productive soils, systems research at the North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center is evaluating seasonal soil nitrogen fertility within an integrated crop and livestock production system. The 5-year diverse crop rotation is: sunflower (SF) - hard red spring wheat (HRSW) - fall seeded winter triticale-hairy vetch (THV; spring harvested for hay)/spring seeded 7-species cover crop (CC) - Corn (C) (85-90 day var.) - field pea-barley intercrop (PBY). The HRSW and SF are harvested as cash crops and the PBY, C, and CC are harvested by grazing cattle. In the system, yearling beef steers graze the PBY and C before feedlot entry and after weaning, gestating beef cows graze the CC. Since rotation establishment, four crop years have been harvested from the crop rotation. All crops have been seeded using a JD 1590 no-till drill except C and SF. Corn and SF were planted using a JD 7000 no-till planter. The HRSW, PBY, and CC were seeded at a soil depth of 3.8 cm and a row width of 19.1 cm. Seed placement for the C and SF crops was at a soil depth of 5.1 cm and the row spacing was 0.762 m. The plant population goal/ha for C, SF, and wheat was 7,689, 50,587, and 7,244 p/ha, respectively. During the 3rd cropping year, soil bulk density was measured and during the 4th cropping year, seasonal nitrogen fertility was monitored throughout the growing season from June to October. Seasonal nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), total season mineral nitrogen (NO3-N + NH4-N), cropping system NO3-N, and bulk density were measured in 3 replicated non-fertilized field plot areas within each 10.6 ha triple replicated crop fields. Within each plot area, 6 - 20.3 cm x 0.61 m aluminum irrigation pipes were pressed into the soil as enclosures to restrict root access to soil nitrogen. Soil samples were taken as close to 2-week intervals as possible from both inside and outside the enclosures. The crop rotation N values were also compared to triple replicated perennial native grassland plot areas (predominate sp. Western wheatgrass - Pascopyrum smithii, Blue grama - Bouteloua gracilis, Little bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium, Switchgrass - Panicum virgatum). Trends identified for both NH4-N and NO3-N indicate that the values are relatively similar with respect to seasonal change over time. There was a greater amount of soil nitrogen accumulation inside the enclosures indicating that outside the enclosures roots scavenge nitrogen for plant growth and production. Seasonally, comparing the cropping system crops, NO3-N declined mid-July and then rebounded by mid-August and continued to increase until leveling off in September. Corn NO3-N, however, did not follow this pattern, but increased from early June to the end of June and remained high until the first of September. We will present the results of bulk density data and seasonal N fertility data providing evidence for the impact of previous CC on corn production. Probable explanation for the mid-summer nitrogen decline will be presented and justification for reduced fertilizer application will be discussed.

Reading Playboy for the articles: the graying of rape myths in black and white text, 1953 to 2003.

PubMed

Kettrey, Heather Hensman

2013-08-01

This longitudinal investigation analyzes the manner in which rape myths are conveyed through textual material published in Playboy. Results indicate that Playboy (a) portrays rape as a gender-neutral issue, ignoring patriarchal roots of sexual violence against women, and (b) promulgates ambiguous discourse, which is equally likely to endorse and refute rape myths. Interestingly, readers' contributions are most often the source of refutations of rape myths. Overall, findings suggest that little progress has been made over time in deconstructing rape myths promulgated to men, as this particular men's publication has consistently painted a gray picture in which refutations have remained unsuccessful in disempowering rape myths.

Rape, War, and the Socialization of Masculinity: Why Our Refusal to Give up War Ensures that Rape Cannot Be Eradicated

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zurbriggen, Eileen L.

2010-01-01

Rape is endemic during war, suggesting that there may be important conceptual links between the two. A theoretical model is presented positing that rape and war are correlated because traditional (hegemonic) masculinity underlies, and is a cause of, both. An analysis of the literatures on masculinity, rape perpetration, and military socialization…

Rape and Child Sexual Abuse: What Beliefs Persist about Motives, Perpetrators, and Survivors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, Hannah; O'Higgins, Madeleine; Garavan, Rebecca; Conroy, Ronan

2011-01-01

Rape myths are prejudicial and stereotyped beliefs about rape which persist in society. They may have a significant impact on those affected by rape as well as the performance of legal and public participants in the justice system. Rape myths may differ over time and within different societies and cultural settings. Awareness of contemporary and…

"Nobody Told Me It Was Rape": A Parent's Guide for Talking with Teenagers about Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Exploitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Caren; Fay, Jennifer

This book was written to help parents talk to their adolescent children about acquaintance rape and sexual exploitation. It may also be useful to family life educators presenting units on rape and sexual exploitation. Acquaintance rape and sexual exploitation are explained in the first section. The second section discusses talking with teenagers…

Prevalence of rape-related pregnancy as an indication for abortion at two urban family planning clinics.

PubMed

Perry, Rachel; Zimmerman, Lindsay; Al-Saden, Iman; Fatima, Aisha; Cowett, Allison; Patel, Ashlesha

2015-05-01

We sought to estimate the prevalence of rape-related pregnancy as an indication for abortion at two public Chicago facilities and to describe demographic and clinical correlates of women who terminated rape-related pregnancies. We performed a cross-sectional study of women obtaining abortion at the Center for Reproductive Health (CRH) at University of Illinois Health Sciences Center and Reproductive Health Services (RHS) at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital between August 2009 and August 2013. Gestational age limits at CRH and RHS were 23+6 and 13+6weeks, respectively. We estimated the prevalence of rape-related pregnancy based on billing code (CRH) or data from an administrative database (RHS), and examined relationships between rape-related pregnancy and demographic and clinical variables. Included were 19,465 visits for abortion. The majority of patients were Black (85.6%). Prevalence of abortion for rape-related pregnancy was 1.9%, and was higher at CRH (6.9%) than RHS (1.5%). Later gestational age was associated with abortion for rape-related pregnancy (median 12days, p<.001). Younger age and Black race were associated with abortion for rape-related pregnancy at CRH only (p<.001 for both). Chlamydia and gonorrhea infection were no more prevalent among women terminating rape-related pregnancy than among those terminating for other indications. Rape-related pregnancy as an indication for abortion had a low, but clinically significant prevalence at two urban Chicago family planning centers. Later gestational age was associated with abortion for rape-related pregnancy. Rape-related pregnancy may occur with higher prevalence among some subgroups of women seeking abortion than others. Efforts to address rape-related pregnancy in the abortion care setting are needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Inequitable Masculinity and Sexual Entitlement in Rape Perpetration South Africa: Findings of a Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Jewkes, Rachel; Sikweyiya, Yandisa; Morrell, Robert; Dunkle, Kristin

2011-01-01

Objective To describe the prevalence and patterns of rape perpetration in a randomly selected sample of men from the general adult population, to explore factors associated with rape and to describe how men explained their acts of rape. Design Cross-sectional household study with a two- stage randomly selected sample of men. Methods 1737 South African men aged 18–49 completed a questionnaire administered using an Audio-enhanced Personal Digital Assistant. Multivariable logistic regression models were built to identify factors associated with rape perpetration. Results In all 27.6% (466/1686) of men had raped a woman, whether an intimate partner, stranger or acquaintance, and whether perpetrated alone or with accomplices, and 4.7% had raped in the last 12 months. First rapes for 75% were perpetrated before age 20, and 53.9% (251) of those raping, did so on multiple occasions. The logistic regression model showed that having raped was associated with greater adversity in childhood, having been raped by a man and higher maternal education. It was associated with less equitable views on gender relations, having had more partners, and many more gender inequitable practices including transactional sex and physical partner violence. Also drug use, gang membership and a higher score on the dimensions of psychopathic personality, namely blame externalisation and Machiavellian egocentricity. Asked about why they did it, the most common motivations stemmed from ideas of sexual entitlement. Conclusions Perpetration of rape is so prevalent that population-based measures of prevention are essential to complement criminal justice system responses. Our findings show the importance of measures to build gender equity and change dominant ideas of masculinity and gender relations as part of rape prevention. Reducing men's exposure to trauma in childhood is also critically important. PMID:22216324

Rape (sexual assault) - overview

MedlinePlus

Sex and rape; Date rape; Sexual assault ... Rape may occur between members of the same sex. This is more common in places such as prisons, military settings, and single-sex schools. People with physical or mental disabilities or ...

There are no "innocent victims": the influence of just world beliefs and prior victimization on rape myth acceptance.

PubMed

Vonderhaar, Rebecca L; Carmody, Dianne Cyr

2015-06-01

Utilizing data from an online survey of 979 university students, this study explores the relationship between prior sexual assault victimization experiences, belief in a just world, and acceptance of rape myths. Results indicated that men, younger respondents, and those with less education were more likely to support rape myths. Support for just world beliefs and rape myths were also positively associated, while rape victims exhibited less support for rape myths than non-victims. Implications for future studies are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Child rape: facets of a heinous crime.

PubMed

Gangrade, K D; Sooryamoorthy, R; Renjini, D

1995-01-01

This article discusses the extent of child rape in India, case studies of girl children in legal procedures, rape settings and perpetrators, public morality, and the nature of rape laws in India. It is concluded that there is no safe place for children. Currently, rapists are allowed to go free or are acquitted. Prevention and control of child rape must involve punishment of rapists. It is not appropriate that society ostracize the victim and her family. Victims should not remain silent. National Crime Records Bureau statistics reveal increases in rape during 1986-91. State figures are given for 1986-88. Madhya Pradesh had the highest reported incidence of rape in 1988. In 1993, Madhya Pradesh had a total of 2459 rapes. Nationally, 10,425 women were reported as raped in 1991. 51.7% were 16-30 years old. There were 1099 cases of pedophilia in 1991, which was an increase over 1990. Over 50% of the pedophilia cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh. The record of convictions shows very low figures. 1992 trial results of 276 rape cases indicated that only 46 persons were convicted. Victims suffer from psychological effects of embarrassment, disgust, depression, guilt, and even suicidal tendencies. There is police and prosecution indifference as well as social stigma and social ostracism of the victim and her family. Many cases go unreported. The case studies illustrate the difficulties for the victim of experiencing the rape and the social responses: police harassment, shame and fear, and occasionally public outrage. The case studies illustrate rape in familiar settings, such as schools, family homes, and neighbors and friends' homes; rape by policemen; and rape by political influentials. Most offenders are young, married, and socioeconomically poor. Mass media portrayals fuel the frustrations of poor and lonely men in cities. Rapists exhibit anti-social behavior or psychopathology. Sexual offenses are related to society's moral values.

Male Peer Support to Hostile Sexist Attitudes Influences Rape Proclivity.

PubMed

Durán, Mercedes; Megías, Jesús L; Moya, Miguel

2018-07-01

Sexual assault affects a large proportion of women in the world. Although most rapes are committed by one man, the act itself may be influenced by many (e.g., the peer group). Hostile sexism (HS) has repeatedly been associated with men's rape proclivity, but the influence exerted by the HS of the peer group on rape proclivity has not been investigated. In this study, we explored the impact of perceived male peer support to HS on participants' rape proclivity. A sample of Spanish undergraduate students from a university in the south of Spain ( N = 134) completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. Immediately afterwards, they received feedback on the supposed sexist responses of a peer group (high vs. low in HS); we kept the benevolent sexism (BS) of the peer group at medium levels. Next, we assessed participants' rape proclivity using acquaintance rape scenarios. Results showed an interaction between participants' own levels of HS and information about the HS of the peer group. Men high in HS reported higher rape proclivity in the high-HS peer-group condition than in the low-HS peer-group condition. By contrast, information on the peer group did not affect self-reported rape proclivity of men low in HS. Results also corroborated the relationship between participants' levels of HS and rape proclivity, and expanded the literature by revealing an unexpected influence of participants' BS on rape proclivity.

Stop blaming the victim: a meta-analysis on rape myths.

PubMed

Suarez, Eliana; Gadalla, Tahany M

2010-11-01

Although male rape is being reported more often than before, the majority of rape victims continue to be women. Rape myths-false beliefs used mainly to shift the blame of rape from perpetrators to victims-are also prevalent in today's society and in many ways contribute toward the pervasiveness of rape. Despite this, there has been limited consideration as to how rape prevention programs and policies can address this phenomenon, and there is no updated information on the demographic, attitudinal, or behavioral factors currently associated with rape myths. This research aimed to address this gap by examining the correlates of rape-myths acceptance (RMA) in published studies. A total of 37 studies were reviewed, and their results were combined using meta-analytic techniques. Overall, the findings indicated that men displayed a significantly higher endorsement of RMA than women. RMA was also strongly associated with hostile attitudes and behaviors toward women, thus supporting feminist premise that sexism perpetuates RMA. RMA was also found to be correlated with other "isms," such as racism, heterosexism, classism, and ageism. These findings suggest that rape prevention programs and policies must be broadened to incorporate strategies that also address other oppressive beliefs concurrent with RMA. Indeed, a renewed awareness of how RMA shapes societal perceptions of rape victims, including perceptions of service providers, could also reduce victims' re-victimization and enhance their coping mechanisms.

Evaluation of a sexual assault education/prevention program for male U.S. Navy personnel.

PubMed

Rau, Terri J; Merrill, Lex L; McWhorter, Stephanie K; Stander, Valerie A; Thomsen, Cynthia J; Dyslin, Christopher W; Crouch, Julie L; Rabenhorst, Mandy M; Milner, Joel S

2010-06-01

A randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Navy Sexual Assault Intervention Training (SAIT) program for men. A four-group Solomon design was used to control for possible pretest sensitization effects. Male Navy personnel (N = 1,505) were assessed for rape knowledge, rape myth acceptance (two scales), and rape empathy after participating in the SAIT program or viewing an educational video about HIV/AIDS (comparison condition). The SAIT program was found to be effective in increasing rape knowledge, reducing rape myth acceptance, and increasing empathy for rape victims. As expected, men who had exhibited previous coercive sexual behavior, compared with those who had not, reported lower levels of knowledge, higher levels of rape myth acceptance, and less rape empathy. However, the SAIT program was generally effective in changing men's knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on the key measures, regardless of participants' histories of coercive sexual behavior.

Labeling Sexual Victimization Experiences: The Role of Sexism, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Tolerance for Sexual Harassment.

PubMed

LeMaire, Kelly L; Oswald, Debra L; Russell, Brenda L

2016-01-01

This study investigated whether attitudinal variables, such as benevolent and hostile sexism toward men and women, female rape myth acceptance, and tolerance of sexual harassment are related to women labeling their sexual assault experiences as rape. In a sample of 276 female college students, 71 (25.7%) reported at least one experience that met the operational definition of rape, although only 46.5% of those women labeled the experience "rape." Benevolent sexism, tolerance of sexual harassment, and rape myth acceptance, but not hostile sexism, significantly predicted labeling of previous sexual assault experiences by the victims. Specifically, those with more benevolent sexist attitudes toward both men and women, greater rape myth acceptance, and more tolerant attitudes of sexual harassment were less likely to label their past sexual assault experience as rape. The results are discussed for their clinical and theoretical implications.

Assessment of Rape-Supportive Attitudes and Beliefs in College Men: Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Rape Attitudes and Beliefs Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgess, Gerald H.

2007-01-01

Discussed is the development and psychometric analysis of a measure of rape-supportive attitudes and beliefs called the Rape Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (RABS), intended for the use with college men. Items were developed from a literature review of "rape myths" that were correlated to some measure of sexual aggression. An exploratory…

Examining the Relationship between Male Rape Myth Acceptance, Female Rape Myth Acceptance, Victim Blame, Homophobia, Gender Roles, and Ambivalent Sexism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Michelle; Gilston, Jennifer; Rogers, Paul

2012-01-01

The relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, attitudes toward gay men, a series of gender role and sexism measures, victim blame and assault severity were investigated. It was predicted that men would display more negative, stereotypical attitudes than women and that male rape myth endorsement would be related…

Schema Effects of Rape Myth Acceptance on Judgments of Guilt and Blame in Rape Cases: The Role of Perceived Entitlement to Judge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyssel, Friederike; Bohner, Gerd

2011-01-01

Two experiments (N = 330) examined conditions that facilitate biasing effects of rape myth acceptance (RMA) on judgments of blame in rape cases. In both experiments, participants read a short vignette depicting a rape case. In Experiment 1, the amount of case-irrelevant information about defendant and plaintiff was varied. As predicted, high-RMA…

A Community Response to Rape. Polk County Rape/Sexual Assault Care Center, Des Moines, Iowa. An Exemplary Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Gerald; Cirel, Paul

In Polk County, Iowa, criminal justice agencies and concerned citizens work together to lessen the burden on the rape victim and to increase the chance of ultimate conviction and sentencing in rape and sexual assault cases. The Rape/Sexual Assault Care Center offers medical and social supportive services to victims, aids law enforcement and…

Epidemiology of rapes in Costa Rica: characterization of victims, perpetrators and circumstances surrounding forced intercourse.

PubMed

Cerdas, Loreley; Arroyo, Cynthia; Gómez, Aarón; Holst, Ileana; Angulo, Yamileth; Vargas, Marianela; Espinoza, Marta; León, Guillermo

2014-09-01

Since the year 2000, the number of rapes in Costa Rica has increased at a rate of 42 cases per year. In 2011, 1786 rape cases were reported to the prosecution offices throughout the country, but only 1081 reports continued through the investigation process by the Judicial Investigation Agency. A randomly collected sample of 272 reports received by Judicial Investigation Agency, between July 2012 and June 2013, were prospectively studied. The analysis was limited to cases reported within 30 days following the rape. Results indicate that most of the provinces in the country show an incidence of about 38 cases/100,000 inhabitants. Ninety-six percent of the victims were women, 50% of which were between 10 and 19 years old. More than 99.5% of violators were men. The rape was perpetrated by a single aggressor in 85% of the cases. It was found that 48% of the victims were within the first 11 days of their menstrual cycle at the time of the attack. Twenty-nine percent of rapes occurred in "high rape-risk" circumstances--e.g., victims attacked by strangers in public outdoors or indoors. Twenty-five percent of rapes occur in "moderate rape-risk" circumstances--e.g., victims attacked indoors at public locations or at the home other than the victim's by relatives, sentimental partners or acquaintances. Fifteen percent of rapes occurred in "low rape-risk" circumstances--e.g., victims attacked in their homes by relatives or sentimental partners. In 67% of the cases the perpetrator was an acquaintance of the victim. Eleven percent of the cases corresponded to rapes in which the perpetrator was a partner or ex-partner of the victim. Fourteen percent and 25% of rapes could be classified as "proactive drug-facilitated rapes" or "opportunistic drug-facilitated rapes", respectively. Semen in the vaginal fluid of victims and the genetic profile of the alleged perpetrator were detected in 55% and 33% of the cases, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling cold tolerance in chickpea recombinant RIL population (CRIL2) from Cicer arietinum L. x Cicer reticulatum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Published yields for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) are higher when the crop is planted in the fall rather than in the spring seasons (Singh et al 1989, Singh et al 1997). Because of its lack of cold hardiness alleles to survive freezing temperatures, chickpea is planted in the spring in temperate re...

Impacts of long-term no-tillage and conventional tillage management of spring wheat-lentil cropping systems in dryland Eastern Montana, USA, on fungi associated to soil aggregation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus CV. Indianhead) used to replace fallow in spring-wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation in the semi-arid Eastern Montana USA, may improve soil quality. We evaluate the 14 years influence of continuous wheat under no-tillage (WNT), fallow-wheat under conventional tillage (F...

East Europe Report, Economic and Industrial Affairs, No. 2394

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-28

been designated to replenish the sowing stocks of private farmers. The requirement for the fodder plant seeds is estimated at 4,600 tons. The Plant ...Interview Lublin Area January Inventory Results, by Stanislaw Ozonek Winter Crops, Spring Planting Olsztyn Area Spring Preparations YUGOSLAVIA...country. The Seventh Plenum of the CPCZ Central Committee in November 1982 designated foreign economic relations as one of the priorities of party

Breeding of a new potato variety ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ with high eating quality, high carotenoid content, and resistance to diseases and pests

PubMed Central

Sakamoto, Yu; Mori, Kazuyuki; Matsuo, Yuuki; Mukojima, Nobuhiro; Watanabe, Wataru; Sobaru, Norio; Tamiya, Seiji; Nakao, Takashi; Hayashi, Kazuya; Watanuki, Hitomi; Nara, Kazuhiro; Yamazaki, Kaoru; Chaya, Masataka

2017-01-01

‘Nagasaki Kogane’ is a new potato variety bred from a cross between ‘Saikai 35’ as a female parent and ‘Saikai 33’ as a male. ‘Saikai 35’ is resistant to bacterial wilt, contains the H1 and Rychc genes for resistance to the potato cyst nematode (PCN) and potato virus Y (PVY), respectively, and has high carotenoid content, while ‘Saikai 33’ has large and high-yielding tubers and is resistant to both bacterial wilt and PCN. The carotenoid content of ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ is higher than that of ‘Dejima’, a common double cropping variety. The taste quality of steamed ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ is comparable to that of ‘Inca-no-mezame’ tubers, which has high levels of carotenoid, and superior to ‘Nishiyutaka’, another popular double cropping variety. ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ is suitable for French fries, because its tuber has high starch content. The marketable yield of ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ was higher than that of ‘Inca-no-mezame’ in spring cropping, although it was lower than that of ‘Nishiyutaka’ in double cropping regions. ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ tubers are larger on average than ‘Inca-no-mezame’ tubers in spring cropping. Moreover, the ‘Nagasaki Kogane’ variety is resistant to PCN and PVY, and exhibits a high level of resistance to bacterial wilt. PMID:28744186

Lived experiences of male intimate partners of female rape victims in Cape Town, South Africa.

PubMed

van Wijk, Evalina; Duma, Sinegugu E; Mayers, Pat M

2014-09-23

Sexual violence in South Africa is a major public health and social problem. Sexual assault or rape is a traumatic event which disrupts not only the life of the female rape victim, but also that of her male intimate partner (MIP), irrespective of whether he witnessed or was informed of the incident. The study aimed to explore the lived experiences of MIPs of female rape victims and the meaning of these experiences in the six months following the partner's rape. We conducted a longitudinal hermeneutic phenomenological study. Nine purposively sampled adult MIPs were interviewed over a period of six months. The participants were in an intimate relationship with a female rape victim prior to and immediately after the rape; their partners had been treated at a specialised centre for victims of rape and sexual assault. Four interviews were conducted with each of the nine intimate partners of female rape victims: (1) within 14 days of, (2) a month after, (3) three months after, and (4) six months after the rape. Two major themes emerged: being-in-the-world as a secondary victim of rape, and living in multiple worlds, those of their female partners, family, friends, society, employers or colleagues, professionals and the justice system. The participant's familiar world became strange and even threatening, and his relationship with his partner became uncertain. Early supportive intervention for intimate partners of female rape victims is required to prevent on-going emotional trauma and alleviate the effects of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder and suffering at intra- and interpersonal levels.

Gene Editing in Polyploid Crops: Wheat, Camelina, Canola, Potato, Cotton, Peanut, Sugar Cane, and Citrus.

PubMed

Weeks, Donald P

2017-01-01

Polyploid crops make up a significant portion of the major food and fiber crops of the world and include wheat, potato, cotton, apple, peanut, citrus, and brassica oilseeds such as rape, canola, and Camelina. The presence of three sets of chromosomes in triploids, four sets in tetraploids, and six sets in hexaploids present significant challenges to conventional plant breeding and, potentially, to efficient use of rapidly emerging gene and genome-editing systems such as zinc finger nucleases, single-stranded oligonucleotides, TALE effector nucleases, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9). However, recent studies with each of these techniques in several polyploid crops have demonstrated facile editing of some or all of the genes targeted for modification on homeologous chromosomes. These modifications have allowed improvements in food nutrition, seed oil composition, disease resistance, weed protection, plant breeding procedures, and food safety. Plants and plant products exhibiting useful new traits created through gene editing but lacking foreign DNA may face reduced regulatory restrictions. Such plants can be obtained either by simply selecting for null segregants that have lost their editing transgenes during plant breeding or, even more attractively, by delivery of biodegradable Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoprotein complexes (i.e., no DNA) into plant cells where they are expressed only transiently but allow for efficient gene editing-a system that has been recently demonstrated in at least two polyploid crops. Such systems that create precise mutations but leave no transgene footprint hold potential promise for assisting with the elimination or great diminution of regulatory processes that presently burden approvals of conventional transgenic crops. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laboratory measurements of emissions of nonmethane volatile organic compounds from biomass burning in Chinese crop residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inomata, S.; Tanimoto, H.; PAN, X.; Taketani, F.; Komazaki, Y.; Miyakawa, T.; Kanaya, Y.; Wang, Z.

2014-12-01

The emission factors (EFs) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the burning of Chinese crop residue were investigated as a function of modified combustion efficiency by the laboratory experiments. The VOCs including acetonitrile, aldehydes/ketones, furan, and aromatic hydrocarbons were monitored by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. Two samples, wheat straw and rape plant, were burned in dry conditions and for some experiments wheat straw was burned under wet conditions. We compared the present data to the field data reported by Kudo et al. [2014]. The agreement between the field and laboratory data was obtained for aromatics for relatively more smoldering data of dry samples but the field data were slightly underestimated compared with the laboratory data for oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) and acetonitrile. When the EFs from the burning of wet samples were investigated, the underestimations for OVOCs and acetonitrile were improved compared with the data of dry samples. It may be a property of the burning of crop residue in the region of high temperature and high humidity that some inside parts of piled crop residue and/or the crop residue facing on the ground are still wet. But the ratios for acetic acid/glycolaldehyde was still lower than 1. This may suggest that strong loss processes of acetic acid/glycolaldehyde are present in the fresh plume.Kudo S., H. Tanimoto, S. Inomata, S. Saito, X. L. Pan, Y. Kanaya, F. Taketani, Z. F. Wang, H. Chen, H. Dong, M. Zhang, and K. Yamaji (2014), Emissions of nonmethane volatile organic compounds from open crop residue burning in Yangtze River Delta region, China, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 119, 7684-7698, doi: 10.1002/2013JD021044.

The incidence and experience of rape among chemically dependent women.

PubMed

Teets, J M

1997-01-01

This descriptive study investigated the incidence and experience of rape among chemically dependent women. Sixty women in a residential treatment facility were interviewed about sexual trauma they had experienced in their lives. In this sample 73% had been raped, and 45% had been raped more than once. The stories of rape were classified in five categories: rape while in the context of using, when too high to resist, while prostituting, by a significant other, and by a family member. Some 35% of the rapist described were friends of the women with whom they were using drugs. Only 20% of the rapes were reported to the police. Clinical implications for treatment of addicted women who are also survivors of violence is discussed.

Do Yield and Quality of Big Bluestem and Switchgrass Feedstock Decline over Winter?

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

Johnson, Jane M. F.; Gresham, Garold L.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerdardii Vitman) are potential perennial bioenergy feedstocks. Feedstock storage limitations, labor constraints for harvest, and environmental benefits provided by perennials are rationales for developing localized perennial feedstock as an alternative or in conjunction with annual feedstocks (i.e., crop residues). Little information is available on yield, mineral, and thermochemical properties of native species as related to harvest time. The study’s objectives were to compare the feedstock quantity and quality between grasses harvested in the fall or the following spring. It was hypothesized that biomass yield may decline, but translocation and/or leaching of mineralsmore » from the feedstock would improve feedstock quality. Feedstock yield did not differ by crop, harvest time, or their interactions. Both grasses averaged 6.0 Mg ha-1 (fall) and 5.4 Mg ha-1 (spring) with similar high heating value (17.7 MJ kg-1). The K/(Ca + Mg) ratio, used as a quality indicator declined to below a 0.5 threshold, but energy yield (Megajoule per kilogram) decreased 13% by delaying harvest until spring. Only once during the four study-years were conditions ideal for early spring harvest, in contrast during another spring, very muddy conditions resulted in excessive soil contamination. Early spring harvest may be hampered by late snow, lodging, and muddy conditions that may delay or prevent harvest, and result in soil contamination of the feedstock. However, reducing slagging/fouling potential and the mass of mineral nutrients removed from the field without a dramatic loss in biomass or caloric content are reasons to delay harvest until spring.« less

Fertilizer application timing influences greenhouse gas fluxes over a growing season.

PubMed

Phillips, Rebecca L; Tanaka, Donald L; Archer, David W; Hanson, Jon D

2009-01-01

Microbial production and consumption of greenhouse gases (GHG) is influenced by temperature and nutrients, especially during the first few weeks after agricultural fertilization. The effect of fertilization on GHG fluxes should occur during and shortly after application, yet data indicating how application timing affects both GHG fluxes and crop yields during a growing season are lacking. We designed a replicated (n = 5) field experiment to test for the short-term effect of fertilizer application timing on fluxes of methane (CH(4)), carbon dioxide (CO(2)), and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) over a growing season in the northern Great Plains. Each 0.30-ha plot was planted to maize (Zea mays L.) and treated similarly with the exception of fertilizer timing: five plots were fertilized with urea in early spring (1 April) and five plots were fertilized with urea in late spring (13 May). We hypothesized time-integrated fluxes over a growing season would be greater for the late-spring treatment, resulting in a greater net GHG flux, as compared to the early-spring treatment. Data collected on 59 dates and integrated over a 5-mo time course indicated CO(2) fluxes were greater (P < 0.0001) and CH(4) fluxes were lower (P < 0.05) for soils fertilized in late spring. Net GHG flux was also significantly affected by treatment, with 0.84 +/- 0.11 kg CO(2) equivalents m(-2) for early spring and 1.04 +/- 0.13 kg CO(2) equivalents m(-2) for late spring. Nitrous oxide fluxes, however, were similar for both treatments. Results indicate fertilizer application timing influences net GHG emissions in dryland cropping systems.

The relationship of thought suppression and recent rape to disordered eating in emerging adulthood.

PubMed

Collins, Brittany; Fischer, Sarah; Stojek, Monika; Becker, Kendra

2014-02-01

This study utilizes a prospective design to examine the interaction of recent rape/attempted rape with individual differences in thought suppression on increases in disordered eating symptoms during late adolescence/emerging adulthood. Thought suppression is the attempt to suppress unwanted thoughts. We propose that emerging adult women who have experienced recent rape/attempted rape and tend to use thought suppression as a coping mechanism are at risk for increases in disordered eating. 319 women completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Sexual Experiences Survey, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the White Bear Thought Suppression Inventory in their first month of college and three months later. The experience of recent rape/attempted rape in the three months prior to the assessment accounted for unique variance in disordered eating at Time 2. Levels of thought suppression assessed at Time 1 significantly moderated the influence of recent rape/attempted rape on disordered eating at Time 2. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inter- and intra-guild interactions related to aphids in nettle (Urtica dioica L.) strips closed to field crops.

PubMed

Alhmedi, A; Haubruge, E; Bodson, B; Francis, F

2006-01-01

A field experiment designed to assess the biodiversity related to nettle strips closed to crops, and more particularly the aphid and related beneficial populations, was established in experimental farm located in Gembloux (Belgium). Margin strips of nettle (Urtica dioica) closed to wheat (Triticum aestivum), green pea (Pisum sativum) and rape (Brassicae napus) fields were investigated. The diversity, abundance of aphids and related predators were analysed according to the plant crop species and the differential pesticide application (treated plot and control). Insects were visually observed every week during all the cultivation season. Two main families of aphidophagous predators were found in all field crops and nettle, the Coccinellidae and Syrphidae. The diversity of the aphidophagous predators was shown to be higher on nettle than in field crops, particularly the Chrysopidae, the Anthocoridae and the Miridae. However, a striking difference of ladybird abundance was observed according to the aphid host plant. In one side, Coccinella septempunctata was much more abundant on Acyrthosiphon pisum infested green pea than on the other host plant species. At the opposite, higher occurrence of Harmonia axyridis was observed on the aphid infested nettle plants than on the crop plants. In particular, none of H. axyridis was found in wheat crop. Also, more than only a significant positive correlation between predator and aphid abundance, specialised relations between particular aphid species and some so-called generalist predators was determined in the fields. Finally, intraguild interactions between the aphidophagous predators was assessed and shown that only a significant negative correlation between Episyrphus balteatus and H. axyridis related to the nettle aphid, Micrlophium carnosum, was observed. The relative distribution of the ladybirds, namely C. septempunctata and H. axyridis according to the host plant, nettle strips and crop plots was discussed in relation to integrated pest management approach.

The Application of Soil-Agroclimatic Index for Assessing the Agronomic Potential of Arable Lands in the Forest-Steppe Zone of Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulgakov, D. S.; Rukhovich, D. I.; Shishkonakova, E. A.; Vil'chevskaya, E. V.

2018-04-01

An assessment of the agronomic potential of arable lands in the forest-steppe zone of Russia (by the example of separate soil-agronomic districts) on the basis of the soil-agroclimatic index developed under the supervision of I.I. Karmanov is considered. The agricultural areas (64) separated on the territory of Russia and characterizing soil-agroclimatic conditions for cultivation of major and accompanying crops are differentiated into soil-agronomic districts (SADs) with due account for the administrative division of the country. A large diversity of agroclimatic and agronomical conditions creates the prerequisites for the inclusion of administrative regions into different SADs. The SADs concept implies a detailed analysis of information on the soil properties, geomorphic conditions, and farming conditions. The agronomic potential for major crops in the key SADs in the forest-steppe zone of the East European Plain (Voronezh and Penza oblasts) is high, though it is 25-30% lower than that in the North Caucasus (for winter wheat, sugar beet, sunflower, and spring barley) and in Kaliningrad oblast (for oats). In Western Siberia (Tyumen, Omsk, and Novosibirsk oblasts) and Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk region and Irkutsk oblast), the agronomic potential of spring crops (wheat, barley, and oats) is only utilized by 35-45% in comparison with their European analogues. In the Far East with its monsoon climate and soil conditions (meadow podbels, brown forest soils), the crops characteristic of the European forest-steppe (soybean, rice, sugar beet) and the Trans-Ural forest-steppe (spring wheat) are cultivated. Their biological potential is utilized by only 50-60% in comparison with the European analogues. The materials of this study give us information on the degree of correspondence between the soilagroclimatic potential of the territory and the biological potential of cultivated crops. This is important in the context of improving the natural-agricultural zoning of Russia and its information support.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increase Following the Termination of a Perennial Legume Phase of an Annual Crop Rotation within the Red River Valley, Manitoba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanis, K. L.; Tenuta, M.; Amiro, B. D.; Glenn, A. J.; Maas, S.; Gervais, M.

2013-12-01

Perennial legume forages may have the potential to increase soil carbon sequestration and decrease nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to the atmosphere when introduced into annual cropping systems. However, little is known about what short-term effect the return to annual cropping following termination of perennial legume forage would have on carbon dioxide (CO2) and N2O emissions. Furthermore, there are few quantitative measurements about this impact on the Canadian Prairies. A long-term field experiment to continuously measure CO2 and N2O fluxes was established at the Trace Gas Manitoba (TGAS-MAN) Long Term Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Site at Glenlea, Manitoba using the flux gradient micrometeorlogical technique with a tunable diode laser analyzer. The soil is poorly drained clay in the Red River Valley. The field experiment consisted of four 4-hectare plots planted to corn in 2006 and faba bean in 2007. In 2008, grass-alfalfa forage was introduced to two plots (annual - perennial) and grown until 2011 whereas the other two plots (annual) were planted to annual crops: spring wheat, rapeseed, barley and spring wheat in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. In late September of 2011 the grass-alfalfa forage was killed and in 2012 all four plots were planted with corn. Termination of the grass-alfalfa forage resulted in greater fall CO2 emissions in 2011, greater spring melt CO2 emissions and net annual N2O emissions in 2012 from the annual-perennial plots when compared to the annual plots. Over seven crop years (2006-2012), the annual - perennial system increased carbon uptake by 3.4 Mg C ha-1 and reduced N2O emissions by 3.0 Mg CO2-eq ha-1 compared to the annual system. However after accounting for harvest removals both the annual and annual-perennial systems were net carbon sources of 5.7 and 2.5 Mg C ha-1 and net GHG sources of 38 and 24 Mg CO2-eq ha-1 respectively. We are currently following the long-term impacts of inclusion of perennial forages in an annual cropping system.

Unacknowledged Rape: The Influences of Child Sexual Abuse and Personality Traits.

PubMed

Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

2015-01-01

Evidence supports that the majority of young women who experience sexual victimization that meets the legal definition of rape do not label their experiences as rape--this has been termed unacknowledged rape. In a sample of 77 young adult women, the odds of unacknowledged rape significantly increased as a function of less severe child sexual abuse histories and greater levels of dysfunctional personality traits. Potential explanations for these findings as well as clinical implications are discussed. Because of the potential psychological and societal consequences of unacknowledged rape, it is vital that researchers continue to examine this phenomenon.

Misogyny, Acculturation, and Ethnic Identity: Relation to Rape-Supportive Attitudes in Asian American College Men

PubMed Central

Koo, Kelly H.; Stephens, Kari A.; Lindgren, Kristen P.; George, William H.

2013-01-01

Asian Americans have been understudied with respect to sexuality and rape and its contributory factors. Some attitudinal research has shown that Asian American college males tend to hold more rape-supportive beliefs than their White counterparts. Generally, this research treats ethnicity as a proxy for culture rather than examining specific facets of culture per se. The current study incorporated measures of misogynistic beliefs, acculturation, and ethnic identity to investigate these ethnic differences in rape-supportive attitudes. White (n = 222) and Asian American (n = 155) college men read an acquaintance rape vignette and evaluated it on four judgments: how much they blamed the perpetrator and the victim, how credible they viewed the victim’s refusal, and to what degree they defined the event as rape. Consistent with previous research, Asian American men made more rape-supportive judgments than Whites. This relationship was partially mediated by misogynistic beliefs for all judgments except the extent to which they defined the vignette as rape. Among Asian Americans, acculturation was negatively associated with all four rape vignette judgments above and beyond generational status, and ethnic identity was positively associated with two of the four judgments above and beyond acculturation and generational status. These findings suggest that cultural constructs are relevant to understanding rape-supportive attitudes among Asian American men, and may be useful for promoting culturally enhanced theoretical models of rape and sexual assault prevention efforts, as well as a deeper understanding of cultural influences on sexuality. PMID:21290256

Economic benefit analysis of cultivating Pleurotus ostreatus with rape straw

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Qinlan; Gong, Mingfu; Tang, Mei

2018-04-01

The cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus with rape straw not only can save the cultivation cost of P. ostreatus, but also can reuse the resources and protect the environment. By adding different proportion of rape straw to the cultivation material of P. ostreatus, the reasonable amount of rape straw was selected and the economic benefit of P. ostreatus cultivated with the optimum amount of rape straw was analyzed. The results showed that adding 10% to 40% rape straw to the cultivation material of P. ostreatus did not affect the yield and biological conversion rate of P. ostreatus, and the ratio of production and investment of the amount of rape straw in the range of 10% to 50% was higher than of cottonseed husk alone as the main material of the formula.

Prevention of post-rape psychopathology: preliminary findings of a controlled acute rape treatment study.

PubMed

Resnick, H; Acierno, R; Holmes, M; Kilpatrick, D G; Jager, N

1999-01-01

Violent sexual assault such as rape typically results in extremely high levels of acute distress. The intensity of these acute psychological reactions may play a role in later recovery, with higher levels of immediate distress associated with poorer outcome. Unfortunately, post-rape forensic evidence collection procedures may serve to increase, rather than reduce initial distress, potentially exacerbating future psychopathology. To address these concerns, an acute time-frame hospital-based video intervention was developed to: (a) minimize anxiety during forensic rape exams, and (b) prevent post-rape posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic, and anxiety. Preliminary data indicated that (1) psychological distress at the time of the exam was strongly related to PTSD symptomatology 6 weeks post-rape, and (2) the video intervention successfully reduced distress during forensic exams.

Effects of Cover Crop Species and Season on Population Dynamics of Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua in Soil

PubMed Central

Reed-Jones, Neiunna L.; Marine, Sasha Cahn; Everts, Kathryne L.

2016-01-01

Cover crops provide several ecosystem services, but their impact on enteric bacterial survival remains unexplored. The influence of cover cropping on foodborne pathogen indicator bacteria was assessed in five cover crop/green manure systems: cereal rye, hairy vetch, crimson clover, hairy vetch-rye and crimson clover-rye mixtures, and bare ground. Cover crop plots were inoculated with Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua in the fall of 2013 and 2014 and tilled into the soil in the spring to form green manure. Soil samples were collected and the bacteria enumerated. Time was a factor for all bacterial populations studied in all fields (P < 0.001). E. coli levels declined when soil temperatures dipped to <5°C and were detected only sporadically the following spring. L. innocua diminished somewhat but persisted, independently of season. In an organic field, the cover crop was a factor for E. coli in year 1 (P = 0.004) and for L. innocua in year 2 (P = 0.011). In year 1, E. coli levels were highest in the rye and hairy vetch-rye plots. In year 2, L. innocua levels were higher in hairy vetch-rye (P = 0.01) and hairy vetch (P = 0.03) plots than in the rye plot. Bacterial populations grew (P < 0.05) or remained the same 4 weeks after green manure incorporation, although initial reductions in L. innocua numbers were observed after tilling (P < 0.05). Green manure type was a factor only for L. innocua abundance in a transitional field (P < 0.05). Overall, the impacts of cover crops/green manures on bacterial population dynamics in soil varied, being influenced by bacterial species, time from inoculation, soil temperature, rainfall, and tillage; this reveals the need for long-term studies. PMID:26729724

"Miscommunication" and Undergraduate Women's Conceptualizations of Sexual Assault: A Qualitative Analysis.

PubMed

Dardis, Christina M; Kraft, Kathryn M; Gidycz, Christine A

2017-08-01

Approximately 60% of legally defined rape victims do not label their experiences as "rape," most of whom label the experience as "a serious miscommunication." However, little research has examined why women choose this label. Labeling rape as a miscommunication could be problematic if chosen due to stereotypical conceptions that one's experience is not "real" rape. The present study used a mixed-methodological approach to understand why women might refer to rape as a "miscommunication," and how their reasons for labeling might differ from those who label their experiences and those who are nonlabeled (i.e., unequivocally state that they were "not victimized"). Participants included 123 undergraduate women who experienced rape. Participants responded to how they labeled rape and answered questions regarding assault characteristics, disclosure, reporting, and self- and perpetrator blame. Chi-square analyses assessed labeling group differences. Responses to an open-ended question about factors contributing to their labeling decision were content analyzed. Whereas miscommunication-labeled and nonlabeled victims reported similar assault characteristics in the quantitative analyses, qualitative content analyses revealed varying reasons for labeling rape as miscommunication, not victimization, and rape. Over three quarters of miscommunication-labeled victims reported that one or more of the following factors influenced their labeling: victim and perpetrator substance use, sexual activity prior to the rape, and perceptions that one did not express nonconsent strongly enough and that the perpetrator "did not realize" their lack of desire. Whereas miscommunication-labeled and nonlabeled victims reported similar assault characteristics, the extent to which those assault characteristics affected their labeling differed. Those who labeled their experiences as miscommunication gave reasons for their label that centered on factors which reflect inconsistencies between their experiences and "stereotypical rape." Misperceptions of rape can be addressed via prevention programming and clinical work.

Low level impurities in imported wheat are a likely source of feral transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in Switzerland.

PubMed

Schulze, Juerg; Brodmann, Peter; Oehen, Bernadette; Bagutti, Claudia

2015-11-01

In Switzerland, the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and the use of its seeds for food and feed are not permitted. Nevertheless, the GM oilseed rape events GT73, MS8×RF3, MS8 and RF3 have recently been found in the Rhine port of Basel, Switzerland. The sources of GM oilseed rape seeds have been unknown. The main agricultural good being imported at the Rhine port of Basel is wheat and from 2010 to 2013, 19% of all Swiss wheat imports originated from Canada. As over 90% of all oilseed rape grown in Canada is GM, we hypothesised that imports of Canadian wheat may contain low level impurities of GM oilseed rape. Therefore, waste fraction samples gathered during the mechanical cleaning of Canadian wheat from two Swiss grain mills were analysed by separating oilseed rape seeds from waste fraction samples and testing DNA of pooled seeds for the presence of transgenes by real-time PCR. Furthermore, oilseed rape seeds from each grain mill were sown in a germination experiment, and seedling DNA was tested for the presence of transgenes by real-time PCR. GT73, MS8×RF3, MS8 and RF3 oilseed rape was detected among seed samples and seedlings of both grain mills. Based on this data, we projected a mean proportion of 0.005% of oilseed rape in wheat imported from Canada. Besides Canadian wheat, the Rhine port of Basel does not import any other significant amounts of agricultural products from GM oilseed rape producing countries. We therefore conclude that Canadian wheat is the major source of unintended introduction of GM oilseed rape seeds into Switzerland.

Substance use among women receiving post-rape medical care, associated post-assault concerns and current substance abuse: Results from a national telephone household probability sample

PubMed Central

McCauley, Jenna L.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Walsh, Kate; Resnick, Heidi S.

2013-01-01

Objective To examine post-rape substance use, associated post rape medical and social concern variables, and past year substance abuse among women reporting having received medical care following a most recent or only lifetime incident of rape. Method Using a subsample of women who received post-rape medical care following a most recent or only rape incident (n=104) drawn from a national household probability sample of U.S. women, the current study described the extent of peritraumatic substance use, past year substance misuse behaviors, post-rape HIV and pregnancy concerns, and lifetime mental health service utilization as a function of substance use at time of incident. Results One-third (33%) of women seeking post-rape medical attention reported consuming alcohol or drugs at the time of their rape incident. Nearly one in four (24.7%) and one in seven (15%) women seeking medical attention following their most recent rape incident endorsed drug (marijuana, illicit, non-medical use of prescription drugs, or club drug) use or met substance abuse criteria, respectively, in the past year. One in twelve (8.4%) women reported at least monthly binge drinking in the past year. Approximately two-thirds of women reported seeking services for mental health needs in their lifetime. Post-rape concerns among women reporting peritraumatic substance use were not significantly different from those of women not reporting such use. Conclusions Substance use was reported by approximately one-third of women and past year substance abuse was common among those seeking post-rape medical care. Implications for service delivery, intervention implementation, and future research are discussed. PMID:23380490

Substance use among women receiving post-rape medical care, associated post-assault concerns and current substance abuse: results from a national telephone household probability sample.

PubMed

McCauley, Jenna L; Kilpatrick, Dean G; Walsh, Kate; Resnick, Heidi S

2013-04-01

To examine post-rape substance use, associated post rape medical and social concern variables, and past year substance abuse among women reporting having received medical care following a most recent or only lifetime incident of rape. Using a subsample of women who received post-rape medical care following a most recent or only rape incident (n=104) drawn from a national household probability sample of U.S. women, the current study described the extent of peritraumatic substance use, past year substance misuse behaviors, post-rape HIV and pregnancy concerns, and lifetime mental health service utilization as a function of substance use at time of incident. One-third (33%) of women seeking post-rape medical attention reported consuming alcohol or drugs at the time of their rape incident. Nearly one in four (24.7%) and one in seven (15%) women seeking medical attention following their most recent rape incident endorsed drug (marijuana, illicit, non-medical use of prescription drugs, or club drug) use or met substance abuse criteria, respectively, in the past year. One in twelve (8.4%) women reported at least monthly binge drinking in the past year. Approximately two-thirds of women reported seeking services for mental health needs in their lifetime. Post-rape concerns among women reporting peritraumatic substance use were not significantly different from those of women not reporting such use. Substance use was reported by approximately one-third of women and past year substance abuse was common among those seeking post-rape medical care. Implications for service delivery, intervention implementation, and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colonisation of winter wheat grain by Fusarium spp. and mycotoxin content as dependent on a wheat variety, crop rotation, a crop management system and weather conditions.

PubMed

Czaban, Janusz; Wróblewska, Barbara; Sułek, Alicja; Mikos, Marzena; Boguszewska, Edyta; Podolska, Grażyna; Nieróbca, Anna

2015-01-01

Field experiments were conducted during three consecutive growing seasons (2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10) with four winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars - 'Bogatka', 'Kris', 'Satyna' and 'Tonacja' - grown on fields with a three-field crop rotation (winter triticale, spring barley, winter wheat) and in a four-field crop rotation experiment (spring wheat, spring cereals, winter rapeseed, winter wheat). After the harvest, kernels were surface disinfected with 2% NaOCl and then analysed for the internal infection by different species of Fusarium. Fusaria were isolated on Czapek-Dox iprodione dichloran agar medium and identified on the basis of macro- and micro-morphology on potato dextrose agar and synthetic nutrient agar media. The total wheat grain infection by Fusarium depended mainly on relative humidity (RH) and a rainfall during the flowering stage. Intensive rainfall and high RH in 2009 and 2010 in the period meant the proportions of infected kernels by the fungi were much higher than those in 2008 (lack of precipitation during anthesis). Weather conditions during the post-anthesis period changed the species composition of Fusarium communities internally colonising winter wheat grain. The cultivars significantly varied in the proportion of infected kernels by Fusarium spp. The growing season and type of crop rotation had a distinct effect on species composition of Fusarium communities colonising the grain inside. A trend of a higher percentage of the colonised kernels by the fungi in the grain from the systems using more fertilisers and pesticides as well as the buried straw could be perceived. The most frequent species in the grain were F. avenaceum, F. tricinctum and F. poae in 2008, and F. avenaceum, F. graminearum, F. tricinctum and F. poae in 2009 and 2010. The contents of deoxynivalenol and zearalenon in the grain were correlated with the percentage of kernels colonised by F. graminearum and were the highest in 2009 in the grain from the four-field crop rotation. The content of T-2/HT-2 toxins was the highest in 2010 in grain from the three-field crop rotation and it was correlated with the isolation frequency of F. langsethiae.

Proportion estimation using prior cluster purities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terrell, G. R. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The prior distribution of CLASSY component purities is studied, and this information incorporated into maximum likelihood crop proportion estimators. The method is tested on Transition Year spring small grain segments.

Adolescent Attitudes about Rape.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kershner, Ruth

1996-01-01

A very significant problem in society is adolescent rape victimization and the growing number of adolescent perpetrators. This paper examines adolescent attitudes about rape in order to develop curricular materials. It is found that adolescents exhibit conservative attitudes about gender roles, general rape myths, and victim issues. (Author)

An examination of the disparity between self-identified versus legally identified rape victimization: A pilot study.

PubMed

Marsil, Dorothy F; McNamara, Corinne

2016-07-01

Researchers compared rape victimization based on self-identification to the current federal legal definition in a pilot study of college students. The sample was comprised of 1,648 (69.8% female; 30.2% male) college students who completed the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) online. Based on the current legal definition of rape, 9.4% (11.1% female; 5.2% male) of students had been raped since being enrolled, but only 2.9% of students self-identified as being raped. Moreover, 15.1% of students reported ever being raped, with females acknowledging higher rates (19.7%) than males (4.3%). Rape continues to be a major issue for colleges and universities. A serious concern is the disparity between the number of those who met the behavioral criteria for rape victimization based on the current legal definition, but who did not self-identify as a victim. Universities must address this disparity by using multiple measures to assess the prevalence of sexual violence on campus.

A system justification view of sexual violence: legitimizing gender inequality and reduced moral outrage are connected to greater rape myth acceptance.

PubMed

Chapleau, Kristine M; Oswald, Debra L

2014-01-01

Rape is a pervasive social problem that causes serious physical and psychological repercussions. Rape victims' recovery is often complicated by the public's failure to believe the victim and restore justice. This study applied system justification theory to examine whether the justification of gender inequality is related to moral outrage (an emotional precursor to corrective action) and rape myth acceptance; we also examined whether rape myth acceptance is associated with moral outrage at injustice. Results showed that gender-specific system justification correlated with less moral outrage at human suffering as well as greater rape myth acceptance. The relationships between these variables were similar for men and for women, a finding that suggests that rape myths are system justifying for women. When we controlled for gender-specific system justification, rape myth acceptance correlated with less moral outrage. Results are discussed in the context of how legitimizing ideologies reduce moral outrage at injustice and perpetuate a system of sexual violence.

Lifetime and current sexual assault and harassment victimization rates of active-duty United States Air Force women.

PubMed

Bostock, Deborah J; Daley, James G

2007-09-01

From a stratified random sample, 2,018 active-duty United States Air Force women completed a telephone survey dealing with sexual assault and harassment. The lifetime prevalence of rape among Air Force women (28%) was more than twice as high as the prevalence in a national sample (13%). Nearly half of the military sample had been the victims of rape, molestation, or attempted sexual assault. The majority of both initial rapes (75%) and most recent rapes (56%) involved assault by civilians when the victims were civilians. Family members perpetrated 29% of initial rapes and 33% of most recent rapes. Regarding military status of the perpetrator, 14% of first-time victims were raped by a military member, 26% of multiple-time victims were raped by a military member, 31.8% of military women were sexually harassed by a military supervisor or boss, and 26.7% of military women were sexually harassed by a military coworker.

Food shortages and gender relations in Ikafe settlement, Uganda.

PubMed

Payne, L

1998-03-01

In 1996, an 18-month-old settlement created for 55,000 Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda came under attack by Ugandan rebels. By March 1997, the entire population of the settlement had migrated in search of safety. Because the refugees lost their livelihoods and cultivated fields, they had to adopt short-term coping strategies to acquire food. Two Oxfam researchers gathering information during this period for use in program planning and monitoring found that coping strategies included 1) hazarding dangerous journeys (women risked rape or abduction; men risked beating, looting, killing, or abduction) to harvest crops; 2) seeking piece-work employment; 3) exchanging sex for food; and 4) depleting assets. The crisis was particularly severe for single people (especially those with children). In families where the women but not the men could find employment, some men took on household responsibilities. As malnutrition increased, health declined. Observed changes to household gender relations included new sexual divisions of labor, assumption by females of decision-making power, increased domestic quarreling, and marital break-down (especially in cases where women had been raped). On the community level, women assumed more responsibility as men withdrew socially or left the settlement. These findings point to the importance of providing refugees with seeds, with small loans to stimulate business, and with the means to rebuild their sense of community.

Nano titania aided clustering and adhesion of beneficial bacteria to plant roots to enhance crop growth and stress management.

PubMed

Palmqvist, N G M; Bejai, S; Meijer, J; Seisenbaeva, G A; Kessler, V G

2015-05-13

A novel use of Titania nanoparticles as agents in the nano interface interaction between a beneficial plant growth promoting bacterium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens UCMB5113) and oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) for protection against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicae is presented. Two different TiO2 nanoparticle material were produced by the Sol-Gel approach, one using the patented Captigel method and the other one applying TiBALDH precursor. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and nano particle tracking analysis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacterium was living in clusters on the roots and the combined energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that titanium was present in these cluster formations. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated an increased bacterial colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and a semi-quantitative microscopic assay confirmed an increased bacterial adhesion to the roots. An increased amount of adhered bacteria was further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence measurements. The degree of infection by the fungus was measured and quantified by real-time-qPCR. Results showed that Titania nanoparticles increased adhesion of beneficial bacteria on to the roots of oilseed rape and protected the plants against infection.

Nano titania aided clustering and adhesion of beneficial bacteria to plant roots to enhance crop growth and stress management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmqvist, N. G. M.; Bejai, S.; Meijer, J.; Seisenbaeva, G. A.; Kessler, V. G.

2015-05-01

A novel use of Titania nanoparticles as agents in the nano interface interaction between a beneficial plant growth promoting bacterium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens UCMB5113) and oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) for protection against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicae is presented. Two different TiO2 nanoparticle material were produced by the Sol-Gel approach, one using the patented Captigel method and the other one applying TiBALDH precursor. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and nano particle tracking analysis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacterium was living in clusters on the roots and the combined energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that titanium was present in these cluster formations. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated an increased bacterial colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and a semi-quantitative microscopic assay confirmed an increased bacterial adhesion to the roots. An increased amount of adhered bacteria was further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence measurements. The degree of infection by the fungus was measured and quantified by real-time-qPCR. Results showed that Titania nanoparticles increased adhesion of beneficial bacteria on to the roots of oilseed rape and protected the plants against infection.

Comparison of a diurnal vs steady-state ozone exposure profile on growth and yield of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in open-top chambers in the Yangtze Delta, China.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoke; Zheng, Qiwei; Feng, Zhaozhong; Xie, Juqing; Feng, Zongwei; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Manning, William J

2008-11-01

Most available exposure-response relationships for assessing crop loss due to elevated ozone (O(3)) have been established using data from chamber and open-top chamber experiments, using a simulated constant O(3) concentration exposure (square wave), which is not consistent with the diurnal variation of O(3) concentration that occurs in nature. We investigated the response of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) to O(3) as affected by two exposure regimes: one with a diurnal variation (CF100D) and another with a constant concentration (CF100). Although the two exposure regimes have the same mean O(3) concentration and accumulated O(3) concentration above 40 ppb (AOT40), our results show that O(3) at CF100D reduced biomass and number of pods/plant more than O(3) at CF100. Both O(3) exposures resulted in larger seed weights/100 pods compared to CF. Numbers of seeds/100 pods were reduced by CF100, while numbers of seeds/100 pods in the CF100D chambers were comparable to those in CF. Our results suggest that chamber experiments that use a constant O(3) exposure may underestimate O(3) effects on biomass and yields.

Soil quality evolution after land use change from paddy soil to vegetable land.

PubMed

Cao, Z H; Huang, J F; Zhang, C S; Li, A F

2004-01-01

A survey was done in 15 typical villages, 150 soil and 86 vegetable plant samples were taken in Jiaxin prefecture of the Taihu Lake region, northern Zhejian province. Results indicate that after 15-20 years land use changed from the paddy rice-wheat (or oilseed rape) double cropping system, to a continuous vegetable land has caused soil quality dramatic change. (1) Acidification: average soil pH was 5.4; about 61% of total samples were pH < 5.5. It was 0.9 units lower than 10 years ago with same upland vegetable cultivation and was 1.2 units lower than soil pH of paddy rice-wheat (or oilseed rape) rotation. (2) Fertilizer salt accumulation: the average salt content was 0.28%, among these about 36.2% of the total samples contained more than 0.3%. (3) Nitrate N and available phosphorus (P) over accumulation: on average it was 279 mg NO3-N/kg, and 45-115 mg P/kg. Nitrate N four times higher and available P 4-10 times more than it is in present paddy rice-wheat rotation soils respectively. This has caused wide concern because of possible groundwater and well drinking water pollution by leached nitrate N and the P losses to water by runoff from vegetable lands induce surface water eutrophication.

Nano titania aided clustering and adhesion of beneficial bacteria to plant roots to enhance crop growth and stress management

PubMed Central

Palmqvist, N. G. M.; Bejai, S.; Meijer, J.; Seisenbaeva, G. A.; Kessler, V. G.

2015-01-01

A novel use of Titania nanoparticles as agents in the nano interface interaction between a beneficial plant growth promoting bacterium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens UCMB5113) and oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) for protection against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicae is presented. Two different TiO2 nanoparticle material were produced by the Sol-Gel approach, one using the patented Captigel method and the other one applying TiBALDH precursor. The particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and nano particle tracking analysis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacterium was living in clusters on the roots and the combined energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that titanium was present in these cluster formations. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated an increased bacterial colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana roots and a semi-quantitative microscopic assay confirmed an increased bacterial adhesion to the roots. An increased amount of adhered bacteria was further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence measurements. The degree of infection by the fungus was measured and quantified by real-time-qPCR. Results showed that Titania nanoparticles increased adhesion of beneficial bacteria on to the roots of oilseed rape and protected the plants against infection. PMID:25970693

Genetic variants associated with the root system architecture of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) under contrasting phosphate supply.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaohua; Chen, Yanling; Thomas, Catherine L; Ding, Guangda; Xu, Ping; Shi, Dexu; Grandke, Fabian; Jin, Kemo; Cai, Hongmei; Xu, Fangsen; Yi, Bin; Broadley, Martin R; Shi, Lei

2017-08-01

Breeding crops with ideal root system architecture for efficient absorption of phosphorus is an important strategy to reduce the use of phosphate fertilizers. To investigate genetic variants leading to changes in root system architecture, 405 oilseed rape cultivars were genotyped with a 60K Brassica Infinium SNP array in low and high P environments. A total of 285 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with root system architecture traits at varying phosphorus levels. Nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms corroborate a previous linkage analysis of root system architecture quantitative trait loci in the BnaTNDH population. One peak single-nucleotide polymorphism region on A3 was associated with all root system architecture traits and co-localized with a quantitative trait locus for primary root length at low phosphorus. Two more single-nucleotide polymorphism peaks on A5 for root dry weight at low phosphorus were detected in both growth systems and co-localized with a quantitative trait locus for the same trait. The candidate genes identified on A3 form a haplotype 'BnA3Hap', that will be important for understanding the phosphorus/root system interaction and for the incorporation into Brassica napus breeding programs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

It's Her Fault: Student Acceptance of Rape Myths On Two College Campuses.

PubMed

Hayes, Rebecca M; Abbott, Rebecca L; Cook, Savannah

2016-11-01

The present study examined factors that are associated with an individual's adherence to rape myths at two colleges located in the same town. Particularly, we examined sex, race, and participants' drinking behavior in relation to rape myth acceptance. We found that males and heavy drinkers are more likely than females and non/low drinkers to adhere to rape myths. An interaction between males and drinking was also found indicating a moderated effect of gender on rape myth acceptance. In addition, the college with sexual assault programming did not experience a lowered acceptance of rape myths compared with the college with no programming. © The Author(s) 2016.

Farmer response to climatic and agricultural market drivers: characteristic time scales and sensitivities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurster, P. M.; Maneta, M. P.; Vicente-Serrano, S. M.; Beguería, S.; Silverman, N. L.; Holden, Z.

2017-12-01

Agriculture in the intermountain western United States is dominated by extensive farming and ranching, mostly reliant on rainfed crops and therefore very exposed to precipitation shortfalls. It is also poorly diversified, dominated by five or six major grain crops, which makes it vulnerable to changes in agricultural markets. The economy of the region is very reliant on this type of agriculture, making the entire economy vulnerable to climatic and market fluctuations. Western agriculture is also of significant importance for national food security. Resource managers in the region are increasingly concerned with the impacts that more frequent and severe droughts, or the collapse of crop prices, may have on producers and food production. Effective resource management requires an understanding not only of the regional impact of adverse climatic and market events, but also of which geographic areas are most vulnerable, and why. Unfortunately, few studies exist that look into how farmers in different geographic areas respond to climate and market drivers. In this study we analyze the influence of precipitation and crop price anomalies on crop production, and map the characteristic time scale of these anomalies that correlate best with production anomalies for the 56 counties of Montana, U.S.A. We conduct this analysis using the standardized precipitation index (SPI), and defining a standardized crop value index (SCVI) and a standardized crop production index (SCPI). We use 38 years of data to calculate precipitation anomalies at monthly time scales and annual data to calculate crop price and production anomalies. The standardization of the indices allows for straightforward comparison of the relative influence of climatic and market fluctuations on production anomalies. We apply our methodology to winter wheat, spring durum wheat, barley, alfalfa, and beets which are the most valuable crops produced in the state. Results from this study show that precipitation anomalies accumulated between 3 and 8 months in spring are most explanatory of production anomalies, but that crop price anomalies interact with climatic factors. This study will provide agricultural producers and water managers with valuable information regarding the resiliency of key crops in the state and of Montana's rural economy.

Vulnerability of crops and native grasses to summer drying in the U.S. Southern Great Plains

DOE PAGES

Raz-Yaseef, Naama; Billesbach, Dave P.; Fischer, Marc L.; ...

2015-08-31

The Southern Great Plains are characterized by a fine-scale mixture of different land-cover types, predominantly winter-wheat and grazed pasture, with relatively small areas of other crops, native prairie, and switchgrass. Recent droughts and predictions of increased drought in the Southern Great Plains, especially during the summer months, raise concern for these ecosystems. We measured ecosystem carbon and water fluxes with eddy-covariance systems over cultivated cropland for 10 years, and over lightly grazed prairie and new switchgrass fields for 2 years each. Growing-season precipitation showed the strongest control over net carbon uptake for all ecosystems, but with a variable effect: grassesmore » (prairie and switchgrass) needed at least 350 mm of precipitation during the growing season to become net carbon sinks, while crops needed only 100 mm. In summer, high temperatures enhanced evaporation and led to higher likelihood of dry soil conditions. Therefore, summer-growing native prairie species and switchgrass experienced more seasonal droughts than spring-growing crops. For wheat, the net reduction in carbon uptake resulted mostly from a decrease in gross primary production rather than an increase in respiration. Flux measurements suggested that management practices for crops were effective in suppressing evapotranspiration and decomposition (by harvesting and removing secondary growth), and in increasing carbon uptake (by fertilizing and conserving summer soil water). In light of future projections for wetter springs and drier and warmer summers in the Southern Great Plains, our study indicates an increased vulnerability in native ecosystems and summer crops over time.« less

Acquaintance Rape on Campus: A Model for Institutional Response.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burling, Philip

This booklet explains the actions that college or university administrators should take to prevent or respond to incidents of acquaintance rape ("date rape") on campus. It outlines specific preventive measures, risk management procedures, and internal disciplinary procedures for acquaintance rape cases. Institutions should define acquaintance rape…

Perception of victims of rape and perception of gender social roles among college students in Southwest Nigeria: validation of a 5-item gender scale.

PubMed

Opekitan, Afe Taiwo; Ogunsemi, Olawale; Osalusi, Bamidele; Adeleye, Olufunke; Ale, Ayotunde

2017-08-29

Our study focused on the perception of victims of rape and the relationship with the perception of social roles for gender among college students in southwest Nigeria using a 5-item gender social scale and a perception of victims of rape questionnaire. The study was done among 312 college students in Southwest Nigeria and explored the perception of victims of rape and gender social roles. The aim was to determine the relationship between perception of rape victims and view of gender social roles. We used a perception of rape victims questionnaire and a validated 5-item gender social roles scale to assess the views of participants. The findings revealed that females had better perception of victims of rape than males. Females also had more positive views of females' social roles involving gender. However, there was poor perception on work-related social roles and the traditional concept of headship in the varied situations described on the 5-item gender social scale. Old stereotypes of typically blaming victims of rape were not common beliefs among college students. There were no significant correlations between perception of victims of rape and perception of gender social roles among college students. Seemingly, the perception of victims of rape does not have a significant relationship with the concept of gender social roles.

An empirical study of rape in the context of multiple murder.

PubMed

DeLisi, Matt

2014-03-01

In recent years, multiple homicide offending has received increased research attention from criminologists; however, there is mixed evidence about the role of rape toward the perpetration of multiple murder. Drawing on criminal career data from a nonprobability sample of 618 confined male homicide offenders selected from eight U.S. states, the current study examines the role of rape as a predictor of multiple homicide offending. Bivariate analyses indicated a significant association between rape and murder charges. Multivariate path regression models indicated that rape had a significant and robust association with multiple murder. This relationship withstood the confounding effects of kidnapping, prior prison confinement, and prior murder, rape, and kidnapping. These results provide evidence that rape potentially serves as a gateway to multiple murder for some serious offenders. Suggestions for future research are proffered.

Correlates of reasons for not reporting rape to police: results from a national telephone household probability sample of women with forcible or drug-or-alcohol facilitated/incapacitated rape.

PubMed

Cohn, Amy M; Zinzow, Heidi M; Resnick, Heidi S; Kilpatrick, Dean G

2013-02-01

Rape tactics, rape incident characteristics, and mental health problems (lifetime depression, PTSD, and substance abuse) were investigated as correlates of eight different reasons for not reporting a rape to police among women who had experienced but did not report a rape to police (n = 441) within a national telephone household probability sample. Rape tactics (nonmutually exclusive) included drug or alcohol-facilitated or incapacitated rape (DAFR/IR; n = 119) and forcible rape (FR; n = 376). Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was conducted to extract a dominant set of patterns among the eight reasons for not reporting, and to reduce the set of dependent variables. PCA results indicated three unique factors: Not Wanting Others to Know, Nonacknowledgment of Rape, and Criminal Justice Concerns. Hierarchical regression analyses showed DAFR/IR and FR were both positively and significantly associated with Criminal Justice Concerns, whereas DAFR/IR, but not FR, was associated with Nonacknowledgment as a reason for not reporting to police. Neither DAFR/IR nor FR emerged as significant predictors of Others Knowing after controlling for fear of death or injury at the time of the incident. Correlations among variables showed that the Criminal Justice Concerns factor was positively related to lifetime depression and PTSD and the Nonacknowledgement factor was negatively related to lifetime PTSD. Findings suggest prevention programs should educate women about the definition of rape, which may include incapacitation due to alcohol or drugs, to increase acknowledgement and decrease barriers to police reporting.

Effects of Management Practices on Meloidogyne incognita and Snap Bean Yield.

PubMed

Smittle, D A; Johnson, A W

1982-01-01

Phenamiphos applied at 6.7 kg ai/ha through a solid set or a center pivot irrigation system with 28 mm of water effectively controlled root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita, and resulted in greater snap bean growth and yields irrespective of growing season, tillage method, or cover crop system. The percentage yield increases attributed to this method of M. incognita control over nontreated controls were 45% in the spring crop, and 90% and 409% in the fall crops following winter rye and fallow, respectively. Root galling was not affected by tillage systems or cover crop, but disk tillage resulted in over 50% reduction in bean yield compared with yields from the subsoil-bed tillage system.

Future crop production threatened by extreme heat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siebert, Stefan; Ewert, Frank

2014-04-01

Heat is considered to be a major stress limiting crop growth and yields. While important findings on the impact of heat on crop yield have been made based on experiments in controlled environments, little is known about the effects under field conditions at larger scales. The study of Deryng et al (2014 Global crop yield response to extreme heat stress under multiple climate change futures Environ. Res. Lett. 9 034011), analysing the impact of heat stress on maize, spring wheat and soya bean under climate change, represents an important contribution to this emerging research field. Uncertainties in the occurrence of heat stress under field conditions, plant responses to heat and appropriate adaptation measures still need further investigation.

Rape Myth Acceptance, Sexual Trauma History, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baugher, Shannon N.; Elhai, Jon D.; Monroe, James R.; Gray, Matt J.

2010-01-01

The prediction of false rape-related beliefs (rape myth acceptance [RMA]) was examined using the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (Payne, Lonsway, & Fitzgerald, 1999) among a nonclinical sample of 258 male and female college students. Predictor variables included measures of attitudes toward women, gender role identity (GRI), sexual trauma…

An Updated Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Sarah; Farmer, G. Lawrence

2011-01-01

Social workers responsible for developing rape prevention programs on college campuses must have valid evaluation instruments. This article presents the challenges encountered by the authors when they attempted to keep rape myth measures relevant to student populations by updating the language to reflect the subtleties involved with rape myths.…

Differences in net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity between major rice-based cropping systems in China.

PubMed

Xiong, Zhengqin; Liu, Yinglie; Wu, Zhen; Zhang, Xiaolin; Liu, Pingli; Huang, Taiqing

2015-12-02

Double rice (DR) and upland crop-single rice (UR) systems are the major rice-based cropping systems in China, yet differences in net global warming potential (NGWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) between the two systems are poorly documented. Accordingly, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to simultaneously measure methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in oil rape-rice-rice and wheat-rice (representing DR and UR, respectively) systems with straw incorporation (0, 3 and 6 t/ha) during the rice-growing seasons. Compared with the UR system, the annual CH4, N2O, grain yield and NGWP were significantly increased in the DR system, though little effect on SOC sequestration or GHGI was observed without straw incorporation. Straw incorporation increased CH4 emission and SOC sequestration but had no significant effect on N2O emission in both systems. Averaged over the three study years, straw incorporation had no significant effect on NGWP and GHGI in the UR system, whereas these parameters were greatly increased in the DR system, i.e., by 108% (3 t/ha) and 180% (6 t/ha) for NGWP and 103% (3 t/ha) and 168% (6 t/ha) for GHGI.

Differences in net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity between major rice-based cropping systems in China

PubMed Central

Xiong, Zhengqin; Liu, Yinglie; Wu, Zhen; Zhang, Xiaolin; Liu, Pingli; Huang, Taiqing

2015-01-01

Double rice (DR) and upland crop-single rice (UR) systems are the major rice-based cropping systems in China, yet differences in net global warming potential (NGWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) between the two systems are poorly documented. Accordingly, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to simultaneously measure methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in oil rape-rice-rice and wheat-rice (representing DR and UR, respectively) systems with straw incorporation (0, 3 and 6 t/ha) during the rice-growing seasons. Compared with the UR system, the annual CH4, N2O, grain yield and NGWP were significantly increased in the DR system, though little effect on SOC sequestration or GHGI was observed without straw incorporation. Straw incorporation increased CH4 emission and SOC sequestration but had no significant effect on N2O emission in both systems. Averaged over the three study years, straw incorporation had no significant effect on NGWP and GHGI in the UR system, whereas these parameters were greatly increased in the DR system, i.e., by 108% (3 t/ha) and 180% (6 t/ha) for NGWP and 103% (3 t/ha) and 168% (6 t/ha) for GHGI. PMID:26626733

Analysis on the distribution characteristics and sources of soil heavy metals in suburban farmland in Xiangtan City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yong; Sun, Xinxin

2018-01-01

The rapid development of the economy will inevitably have an impact on the farmland soil environment. The content of heavy metal is increasing day by day, and the heavy metal can enter people's body through different channels and endanger people's health. Based on agricultural land and crop types in accordance with the regional land use classification, using the method of the Single Factor Index and Comprehensive Pollution Index, the pollution status of heavy metals in farmland soil in the suburbs of Xiangtan city was studied and evaluated. At the same time, we use SPSS software to analyze the four heavy metal elements (Cu, Zn, As and Pb) and analyze their possible sources. The results showed that the farmland soils in Erhuan Road and Zhubu Port were polluted, and the farmland soil in Shuangma (an old industrial district) was not polluted; for different crop lands, orchards and vegetable lands were not contaminated, but rape and rice lands were contaminated. Pearson correlation analysis showed that Cu, As and Pb might come from the same pollution source, while Zn might come from other sources. Waste water from a chemical plant, crop types, automobile exhaust and other human factors may be important sources of soil pollution in agricultural fields.

Differences in net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity between major rice-based cropping systems in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Zhengqin; Liu, Yinglie; Wu, Zhen; Zhang, Xiaolin; Liu, Pingli; Huang, Taiqing

2015-12-01

Double rice (DR) and upland crop-single rice (UR) systems are the major rice-based cropping systems in China, yet differences in net global warming potential (NGWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) between the two systems are poorly documented. Accordingly, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to simultaneously measure methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in oil rape-rice-rice and wheat-rice (representing DR and UR, respectively) systems with straw incorporation (0, 3 and 6 t/ha) during the rice-growing seasons. Compared with the UR system, the annual CH4, N2O, grain yield and NGWP were significantly increased in the DR system, though little effect on SOC sequestration or GHGI was observed without straw incorporation. Straw incorporation increased CH4 emission and SOC sequestration but had no significant effect on N2O emission in both systems. Averaged over the three study years, straw incorporation had no significant effect on NGWP and GHGI in the UR system, whereas these parameters were greatly increased in the DR system, i.e., by 108% (3 t/ha) and 180% (6 t/ha) for NGWP and 103% (3 t/ha) and 168% (6 t/ha) for GHGI.

From field to region yield predictions in response to pedo-climatic variations in Eastern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

JÉGO, G.; Pattey, E.; Liu, J.

2013-12-01

The increase in global population coupled with new pressures to produce energy and bioproducts from agricultural land requires an increase in crop productivity. However, the influence of climate and soil variations on crop production and environmental performance is not fully understood and accounted for to define more sustainable and economical management strategies. Regional crop modeling can be a great tool for understanding the impact of climate variations on crop production, for planning grain handling and for assessing the impact of agriculture on the environment, but it is often limited by the availability of input data. The STICS ("Simulateur mulTIdisciplinaire pour les Cultures Standard") crop model, developed by INRA (France) is a functional crop model which has a built-in module to optimize several input parameters by minimizing the difference between calculated and measured output variables, such as Leaf Area Index (LAI). STICS crop model was adapted to the short growing season of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone using field experiments results, to predict biomass and yield of soybean, spring wheat and corn. To minimize the numbers of inference required for regional applications, 'generic' cultivars rather than specific ones have been calibrated in STICS. After the calibration of several model parameters, the root mean square error (RMSE) of yield and biomass predictions ranged from 10% to 30% for the three crops. A bit more scattering was obtained for LAI (20%

Comparison of CRD, APU, and state models for Iowa corn and soybeans and North Dakota barley and spring wheat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

French, V.

1983-01-01

A comparison was made among the CEAS crop reporting district (CRD), agrophysical unit (APU), and state level multiple regression yield models for corn and soybeans in Iowa and barley and spring wheat in North Dakota. The best predictions were made by the state model for North Dakota spring wheat, by the APU models for barley, by the CRD models for Iowa soybeans, and by APU covariance models for Iowa corn. Because of this lack of consistency of model performance, CRD models would be recommended due to the availability of the data.

Development of groundwater pesticide exposure modeling scenarios for vulnerable spring and winter wheat-growing areas.

PubMed

Padilla, Lauren; Winchell, Michael; Peranginangin, Natalia; Grant, Shanique

2017-11-01

Wheat crops and the major wheat-growing regions of the United States are not included in the 6 crop- and region-specific scenarios developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for exposure modeling with the Pesticide Root Zone Model conceptualized for groundwater (PRZM-GW). The present work augments the current scenarios by defining appropriately vulnerable PRZM-GW scenarios for high-producing spring and winter wheat-growing regions that are appropriate for use in refined pesticide exposure assessments. Initial screening-level modeling was conducted for all wheat areas across the conterminous United States as defined by multiple years of the Cropland Data Layer land-use data set. Soil, weather, groundwater temperature, evaporation depth, and crop growth and management practices were characterized for each wheat area from publicly and nationally available data sets and converted to input parameters for PRZM. Approximately 150 000 unique combinations of weather, soil, and input parameters were simulated with PRZM for an herbicide applied for postemergence weed control in wheat. The resulting postbreakthrough average herbicide concentrations in a theoretical shallow aquifer were ranked to identify states with the largest regions of relatively vulnerable wheat areas. For these states, input parameters resulting in near 90 th percentile postbreakthrough average concentrations corresponding to significant wheat areas with shallow depth to groundwater formed the basis for 4 new spring wheat scenarios and 4 new winter wheat scenarios to be used in PRZM-GW simulations. Spring wheat scenarios were identified in North Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Texas. Winter wheat scenarios were identified in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Colorado. Compared to the USEPA's original 6 scenarios, postbreakthrough average herbicide concentrations in the new scenarios were lower than all but Florida Potato and Georgia Coastal Peanuts of the original scenarios and better represented regions dominated by wheat crops. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:992-1006. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Creating lasting attitude and behavior change in fraternity members and male student athletes: the qualitative impact of an empathy-based rape prevention program.

PubMed

Foubert, John D; Perry, Bradford C

2007-01-01

Fraternity members and male student athletes responded to open-ended questions assessing the impact of an empathy-based rape prevention program. All participants reported either lasting attitude or behavior changes; most reported both. Participants reported increased understanding of how rape might feel and attributed this change to seeing a videotape describing a male-on-male rape situation. Participants refrained from telling jokes about rape and reported feeling more effective when helping survivors seeking assistance. These behavior changes were attributed to the videotape and to a section of the program encouraging participants to confront rape jokes and challenge sexist behaviors.

The impact of sexual enhancement alcohol expectancies and risky behavior on alcohol-involved rape among college women.

PubMed

Messman-Moore, Terri L; Ward, Rose Marie; DeNardi, Kathleen A

2013-04-01

A structural equation model examined sexual enhancement alcohol expectancies, heavy episodic drinking (HED), and risky sexual behavior as correlates of alcohol-involved rape in a sample of 353 college women. Prevalence of alcohol-involved rape was 15.6%. Sexual enhancement alcohol expectancies were indirectly associated with alcohol-involved rape via increased levels of HED, greater likelihood of sex while intoxicated, and number of sex partners. All forms of risky behavior were associated with alcohol-involved rape although HED had the strongest relationship. Findings suggest continued focus on women's positive alcohol expectancies and HED as risk factors for alcohol-involved rape. Implications for intervention will be discussed.

Precursors to rape: pressuring behaviors and rape proclivity.

PubMed

Strain, Megan L; Hockett, Jericho M; Saucier, Donald A

2015-01-01

We developed measures assessing personal and normative attitudes toward two types of behaviors that are symptomatic of rape culture. We conceptualize sexual violence as existing on a continuum and argue that two types of behaviors may be potential antecedents to (and consequences of) sexual violence: attempts to pressure, which mimic the power dynamics of rape in a less aggressive fashion, and benevolent dating behaviors, which are accepted dating scripts in which men initiate action. We examined individuals' acceptance of these behaviors in relation to their attitudes toward rape victims and among men to rape proclivity. This initial work suggests that these constructs and measures may be useful to investigate in future research.

The Relationship Between Television Sports Exposure and Rape Myth Acceptance: The Mediating Role of Sexism and Sexual Objectification of Women.

PubMed

Custers, Kathleen; McNallie, Jenna

2016-06-30

Rape affects a large proportion of women in the United States but is one of the most underreported crimes. It is believed that rape myth acceptance contributes to low reporting rates. We tested whether television sports exposure was indirectly related to higher acceptance of rape myth beliefs. An online survey involving 465 undergraduate students showed that viewing TV sports was positively related to hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and sexual objectification of women. Through these variables, TV sports was indirectly and positively associated with rape myth acceptance. These results suggest that sports programming contributes to the perpetuation of rape myths in society. © The Author(s) 2016.

Evaluation of an intervention to change attitudes toward date rape.

PubMed

Lanier, C A; Elliott, M N; Martin, D W; Kapadia, A

1998-01-01

The prevalence of date rape among college students is a major concern. Although much research has been done on risk factors for date rape, few researchers have specifically described interventions for the various stages of developing a date-rape prevention program. Previous programs have often relied on educational videos that feature a "typical" date-rape scenario, a format that some researchers suggest may have a negative effect on the way people engage in aggressive sexual behavior. A less violent theatrical production based on social learning theory and risk-factor reduction that resulted in a significant improvement in attitudes related to date rape among both male and female students at an elite Texas university is described.

Economic damages of ozone air pollution to crops using combined air quality and GIS modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlachokostas, Ch.; Nastis, S. A.; Achillas, Ch.; Kalogeropoulos, K.; Karmiris, I.; Moussiopoulos, N.; Chourdakis, E.; Banias, G.; Limperi, N.

2010-09-01

This study aims at presenting a combined air quality and GIS modelling methodological approach in order to estimate crop damages from photochemical air pollution, depict their spatial resolution and assess the order of magnitude regarding the corresponding economic damages. The analysis is conducted within the Greater Thessaloniki Area, Greece, a Mediterranean territory which is characterised by high levels of photochemical air pollution and considerable agricultural activity. Ozone concentration fields for 2002 and for specific emission reduction scenarios for the year 2010 were estimated with the Ozone Fine Structure model in the area under consideration. Total economic damage to crops turns out to be significant and estimated to be approximately 43 M€ for the reference year. Production of cotton presents the highest economic loss, which is over 16 M€, followed by table tomato (9 M€), rice (4.2 M€), wheat (4 M€) and oilseed rape (2.8 M€) cultivations. Losses are not spread uniformly among farmers and the major losses occur in areas with valuable ozone-sensitive crops. The results are very useful for highlighting the magnitude of the total economic impacts of photochemical air pollution to the area's agricultural sector and can potentially be used for comparison with studies worldwide. Furthermore, spatial analysis of the economic damage could be of importance for governmental authorities and decision makers since it provides an indicative insight, especially if the economic instruments such as financial incentives or state subsidies to farmers are considered.

The Importance of Juvenile Root Traits for Crop Yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Philip; Adu, Michael; Broadley, Martin; Brown, Lawrie; Dupuy, Lionel; George, Timothy; Graham, Neil; Hammond, John; Hayden, Rory; Neugebauer, Konrad; Nightingale, Mark; Ramsay, Gavin; Thomas, Catherine; Thompson, Jacqueline; Wishart, Jane; Wright, Gladys

2014-05-01

Genetic variation in root system architecture (RSA) is an under-exploited breeding resource. This is partly a consequence of difficulties in the rapid and accurate assessment of subterranean root systems. However, although the characterisation of root systems of large plants in the field are both time-consuming and labour-intensive, high-throughput (HTP) screens of root systems of juvenile plants can be performed in the field, glasshouse or laboratory. It is hypothesised that improving the root systems of juvenile plants can accelerate access to water and essential mineral elements, leading to rapid crop establishment and, consequently, greater yields. This presentation will illustrate how aspects of the juvenile root systems of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus L.) correlate with crop yields and examine the reasons for such correlations. It will first describe the significant positive relationships between early root system development, phosphorus acquisition, canopy establishment and eventual yield among potato genotypes. It will report the development of a glasshouse assay for root system architecture (RSA) of juvenile potato plants, the correlations between root system architectures measured in the glasshouse and field, and the relationships between aspects of the juvenile root system and crop yields under drought conditions. It will then describe the development of HTP systems for assaying RSA of OSR seedlings, the identification of genetic loci affecting RSA in OSR, the development of mathematical models describing resource acquisition by OSR, and the correlations between root traits recorded in the HTP systems and yields of OSR in the field.

Gender equality and women's absolute status: a test of the feminist models of rape.

PubMed

Martin, Kimberly; Vieraitis, Lynne M; Britto, Sarah

2006-04-01

Feminist theory predicts both a positive and negative relationship between gender equality and rape rates. Although liberal and radical feminist theory predicts that gender equality should ameliorate rape victimization, radical feminist theorists have argued that gender equality may increase rape in the form of male backlash. Alternatively, Marxist criminologists focus on women's absolute socioeconomic status rather than gender equality as a predictor of rape rates, whereas socialist feminists combine both radical and Marxist perspectives. This study uses factor analysis to overcome multicollinearity limitations of past studies while exploring the relationship between women's absolute and relative socioeconomic status on rape rates in major U.S. cities using 2000 census data. The findings indicate support for both the Marxist and radical feminist explanations of rape but no support for the ameliorative hypothesis. These findings support a more inclusive socialist feminist theory that takes both Marxist and radical feminist hypotheses into account.

Rape and homosexuality.

PubMed

Cohen-Addad, G

1990-01-01

The relationship between rape and homosexuality can be best understood by studying male rape. Offender(s) may deny homosexuality and confuse an aggressive active behaviour with a masculine (even macho) behaviour. They may project their homosexual feelings onto the victim. In the aftermath of rape, the victim may be ashamed of having lost control and may question himself about his real sexual identity. An aspect of female or male rape by a group of males may be an attempt to annihilate latent homosexual tendencies existing between members of this group. Surprisingly, in the short term, post traumatic disorder related to rape and pre-existing psychiatric disorder may develop separately, without substantial interaction. In the famous case of Schreiber described by Freud, homosexuality is assumed to play an important role in the development of paranoid schizophrenia. Cases in which schizophrenic patients (of both sexes) imagine being raped by a member of the opposite sex, may possibly challenge this opinion.

Rape Myth Scale: factor structure and relationship with gender egalitarianism among Japanese professionals.

PubMed

Uji, Masayo; Shono, Masahiro; Shikai, Noriko; Kitamura, Toshinori

2007-08-01

Services provided to rape victims by human service professionals are usually helpful but are occasionally very harmful in that the victim ends up feeling 're-victimized'. This may be caused by the attitudes of the professionals towards the victims based on beliefs regarding rape and gender roles. Japanese human service professionals were solicited for responses to the Rape Myth Scale (RMS) and the short form of the Scale of Egalitarian Sex Role Attitudes (SESRA-S). One interpretable factor was extracted according to an exploratory factor analysis. Impact of the participants' age, sex, residential area, and type of profession on rape myth acceptance were examined by four-way layout ANOVA. Nurses had significantly higher rape myth acceptance than any other professional group. Furthermore, a structural equation model showing the contribution of sex role egalitarian attitude to rape myth acceptance was established.

Police officers' collaboration with rape victim advocates: barriers and facilitators.

PubMed

Rich, Karen; Seffrin, Patrick

2013-01-01

Secondary victimization may occur when rape victims make police reports. This can compromise the quality of official statements and jeopardize criminal cases. Rape reporters receive better treatment by police officers when advocates are involved and best practice police work includes such collaboration. Studies of advocates have described tension, role confusion, and poor communication with police officers. Many variables, including rape myth acceptance (RMA) and training on sexual assault dynamics, may affect officers' collaboration with advocates. There were 429 police officers who responded to a survey measuring their victim interviewing skill, formal training about rape, years on the job, number of victims known personally, number of recent rape cases, RMA, and collaboration with advocates. Results suggest that officers' interviewing skill, years on the job, and specific training are related to collaboration with victim advocates on rape cases. Professional, rather than personal, variables were most predictive of collaboration. Implications for officer selection and training are explored.