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This paper measures the regional environmental efficiency in China by using the superefficiency slacks-based measure (SBM). It calculates the environmental efficiency in the presence and absence of the environmental pollution variable respectively, and compares the calculation results of the super-efficiency SBM model with the Banker & Charnes & Cooper’s (BCC) model, one of the traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) models. By analyzing the environmental efficiencies in all provinces, it analyzes the slack variables to determine in which direction each region should improve. The results show that the addition of the environmental pollution variable has resulted in significant declines in the efficiencies of provinces with DEA inefficiencies. Among the four regions, the eastern one has the highest environmental efficiency, the western region comes next and the northeastern and central regions are the last ones. There are also some economically developed provinces with low environmental efficiency, and different inefficient provinces need to be improved in different directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of planting patterns and pre-sowing soil moisture on the yield of summer soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in northern China from 2009 to 2010. The experiment comprised three planting patterns, namely, 30 cm uniform row spacing pattern (U), "20 + 40" wide-narrow row planting pattern (WN), and "20 + 40" furrow planting pattern (F). Three pre-sowing soil moisture treatments were performed at 90, 135, and 180 mm and involved irrigation during the winter wheat growth season. The leaf area index and chlorophyll content index of F were higher than those of U and WN under the same pre-sowing soil moisture treatment (P < 0.05). The accumulation of dry matter and the grain yield of F were significantly higher than those of U and WN (P < 0.05) irrespective of water content. The increase in grain yields of summer soybean was significant in 2009 (P < 0.05) but not in 2010 (P > 0.05) for 135 and 180 mm pre-sowing soil moisture under F. In conclusion, F and 180 mm pre-sowing soil moisture treatments were good agronomic measures to increase the yield of summer soybean in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A double-cropping system such as that of winter wheat and summer maize in north China requires irrigation to achieve production goals. The soil during the seeding stage of summer maize is usually dry. For summer maize, soil moisture before sowing (SMBS) is important for seedling growth, yield, and water use. Our objective was to investigate the effects of applying different irrigation schedules to winter wheat on the SMBS, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) of summer maize. Field experiments involving winter wheat with 0, 1, 2, and 3 irrigation applications (T0, T1, T2, and T3, respectively) were conducted in a dry year (2002), moderate year (2003), and humid year (2005). Irrigation of winter wheat increased the average SMBS of summer maize in the 1.2 m soil profiles to 17.7, 57.3, and 79.6 mm in T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Differences in the soil moisture content among the treatments were significant in the late growing season of summer maize in the dry and moderate years but not in the humid year. In 2005, maize yields among the treatments were not significantly different as compared to those in T0; the yields increased from 22.1% to 56.0% in 2002 and from 1.9% to 11.4% in 2003. Compared to T0, the WUE of summer maize increased by 15.3%, 23.6%, and 24. 7% in T1, T2, and T3, respectively, in 2002 and by 0.01%, 3.4%, and 5.4% in 2003; however, it decreased by 2.4%, 5.6%, and 12.4%, respectively, in 2005. Considering the combined WUE of winter wheat and summer maize, there was no significant difference between T2 and T3 (LSD, P < 0.05). These results suggest that winter wheat should be irrigated at the jointing and heading stages to achieve reasonable grain yield and WUE for both the crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivation techniques have an important influence on grain yield of maize. This experiment investigated the effect of stover return (SR) and different nitrogen (N) application rate on soil organic carbon (SOC) composition, soil nutrient and maize yield. Different nitrogen application rate 100 (N100), 150 (N150), 200 (N200), 250 (N250) or 300 (N300) kg ha -1 applied to the maize field with stover return and without stover return traditional planting (TP) method. Nitrogen application rate and stover return affected the SOC, labile organic carbon (LOC), microbial biomass (MBC), NO 3 - -N, NH 4 + -N and maize yield. Soil N, soil carbon content and maize yield of SR were all higher than TP. The SOC content of SR and TP were 9.67 and 9.19 g kg -1 , respectively. Nitrogen application was significantly and positively correlated with soil MBC, LOC, SOC, NO 3 - -N, NH 4 + -N and yield. The maximum values of SOC composition, soil nutrients and maize yield were reached at SR with 250 kg ha -1 . Stover return with application of N 250 kg ha -1 significantly increased the growth attribute and maize yield in subtropical region compared with traditional planting., (© 2021 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

Thirty married couples evaluated the Reality female condom on questionnaires about its acceptability for 300 acts of coitus (10 per couple). An analysis of the summary questionnaires showed: 90% of couples considered the female condom an acceptable method and 87% felt it was a good contraceptive device; the majority of couples (87%) found it easy to use; and 80% of females and 73% of males reported that, in comparison with the male condom, the effect on sexual pleasure was either improved or no different. A little more than half of the couples (55%) preferred it to male condoms. To look at the learning curve effect, an additional analysis was completed by pooling the first 5 applications of each user and comparing the results with the pooled results of the second 5 uses. All the findings suggest that a certain proportion of couples of childbearing age will choose the Reality female condom for contraception if it enters into the Chinese market. As a new contraceptive barrier device, the female condom may require a certain amount of education and awareness before it will be fully recognized as an important option to help prevent pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted infections.