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The Ganga basin is witnessing accelerated deterioration of agricultural fields, with severe soil erosion leading to nutrients leaching into the river, wreaking havoc on the river's ecosystems. Many Ganga River management plans have been implemented in the past, but a more coordinated and integrated effort that tries to implement basin management strategies with technology preparedness considered critical for the preservation of agricultural regions had been lacking. The Namami Gange Program (NGP) is a first of its kind integrated conservation mission pillared on sustainable water management policies and practices, launched in 2014. Unfortunately, scientific literature on its overall functioning and progress is almost non-existent. This review presents its overall functioning, critically analyses its associated components, and presents case studies, pilot studies, along with analytical critiques. An objective analytical evaluation of the NGP has been provided concluding with sectoral interventions. We have concluded that the ambitions for boosting energy production, irrigation, manufacturing, and expanding the river as an inland waterway interfere with the Ganga cleanup because they are both part of the growth strategy pushed by the administration. HIGHLIGHTS Implementational goals, community participation, and roles of other entities in the integrated river conservation program of Namami Gange.; Approach of sustainable management, circular water economy and public awareness.; Suggested a way forward for river rejuvenation through sectoral interventions around agricultural, sludge management, and biodiversity conservation, sustainable forestry, and livelihood generation interventions.;

Premise: We assessed changes in traits associated with water economy across climatic gradients in the ecologically similar peat mosses Sphagnum cuspidatum and Sphagnum lindbergii. These species have parapatric distributions in Europe and have similar niches in bogs. Sphagnum species of bogs are closely related, with a large degree of microhabitat niche overlap between many species that can be functionally very similar. Despite this, ecologically similar species do have different distributional ranges along climatic gradients that partly overlap. These gradients may favor particular Sphagnum traits, especially in relation to water economy, which can be hypothesized to drive species divergence by character displacement. Methods: We investigated traits relevant for water economy of two parapatric bryophytes (Sphagnum cuspidatum and S. lindbergii) across the border of their distributional limits. We included both shoot traits and canopy traits, i.e., collective traits of the moss surface, quantified by photogrammetry. Results: The two species are ecologically similar and occur at similar positions along the hydrological gradient in bogs. The biggest differences between the species were expressed in the variations of their canopy surfaces, particularly surface roughness and in the responses of important traits such as capitulum mass to climate. We did not find support for character displacement, because traits were not more dissimilar in sympatric than in allopatric populations. Conclusions: Our results suggest that parapatry within Sphagnum can be understood from just a few climatic variables and that climatic factors are stronger drivers than competition behind trait variation within these species of Sphagnum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agroindustrial Science is the property of Agroindustrial Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to master the health level of Weihe River ecological basin scientifically, according to the definition of river health, ecological watershed framework and the present situation of Weihe River Basin and on the basis of integrating the idea of watershed management, the health evaluation system of Weihe River ecological watershed was built based on 16 indexes from 4 dimensions of water resources, water security, water ecology and water economy. Through Guidelines for Health Assessment of Rivers and Lakes and expert consultation, an evaluation criteria for each evaluation indicator was established, the weight was determined by AHP, the current health grade and status of Weihe River ecological watershed were evaluated. The results show that the comprehensive evaluation score for the health of the Weihe River ecological basin is 62.0, belonging to a fourth level ecological basin and in an unhealthy state. Among them, water security and water economy are in a healthy state, while water resources and water ecology are in an inferior state, water resources imbalance induces water ecological disorder, which affects the whole river ecosystem. In terms of scoring in four dimensions, water economy＞water security＞water ecology＞water resources, water resources and water ecology are the fundamental factors that restrict the healthy development of Weihe River, a scientific and rational water resources management scheme should be formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the last decade, and particularly in 2022, water scarcity has become a critical concern in Morocco and other Mediterranean countries. The lack of rainfall during spring was worsened by a succession of heat waves during the summer. To address this drought, innovative solutions, including the use of new technologies such as hydrogels, will be essential to transform agriculture. This paper presents the findings of a study that evaluated the impact of hydrogel application on onion (Allium cepa) cultivation in Meknes, Morocco. The treatments investigated in this study comprised two different types of hydrogel-based soil additives (Arbovit® polyacrylate and Huminsorb® polyacrylate), applied at two rates (30 and 20 kg/ha), and irrigated at two levels of water supply (100% and 50% of daily crop evapotranspiration; ETc). Two control treatments were included, without hydrogel application and with both water amounts. The experiment was conducted in an open field using a completely randomized design. The results indicated a significant impact of both hydrogel-type dose and water dose on onion plant growth, as evidenced by various vegetation parameters. Among the hydrogels tested, Huminsorb® Polyacrylate produced the most favorable outcomes, with treatment T9 (100%, HP, 30 kg/ha) yielding 70.55 t/ha; this represented an increase of 11 t/ha as compared to the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel application. Moreover, the combination of hydrogel application with 50% ETc water stress showed promising results, with treatment T4 (HP, 30 kg, 50%) producing almost the same yield as the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel while saving 208 mm of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure and inefficiency of past water resources management policies have led to a movement to review, pathologize, and find ways to increase the efficiency of water resources management and subsequently increase water security. Since many factors affect water security, recognizing these factors can improve the performance of sustainable water resources management. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the water security index (WSI) with the help of the watershed security assessment framework at the watershed scale to comprehensively analyze the water crisis and the consequences of this water shortage in the Neyshabour Plain. The statistical population of the study is 125 farmers in the area the sample size was determined using Cochran's formula and people were interviewed by random sampling method. Also, institutional factor questionnaires were completed by snowball sampling method from experts of water-related organizations. The results show that among the 5 main dimensions identified to assess water security, the water economy dimension has had an increasing trend during the 3 statistical periods studied (2012-2013, 2016-2017 and 2019-2020) and in 2019-2020, it has had the highest amount. But in general, the water security situation in the watershed of Neyshabour Plain has been decreasing over the past 10 years and is in a weak status. In this regard, if stakeholders in water resources management pay attention to the factors affecting the concept of water security, by using and implementing the framework presented in this study, it is possible to improve the compatibility capacity and develop effective operational plans with correct and timely pathology and achieve more stable and comprehensive management of water resources in the country's watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, decreasing access to sustainable water sources has pushed the water shortage to water stress and water crisis in some cases. This phenomenon has led to more and more researchers and craftsmans’ efforts to achieve cost-effective commercial processes for a sustainable supply of water. Reverse osmosis process showed suitable potential for supplying the human’s required drinking water among all the water treatment processes. However, this process needs economic studies in macro-industrial levels. Neka power plants’ reverse osmosis desalination of seawater has been designed for production of 6,000 m3/day desalinated water. Feed water of this plant is supplied from the Caspian Sea with total dissolved solids of 15,000 mg/L and electrical conductivity of 20,000 µS/cm. Based on the results, required capital cost of this plant is $6 million and annual variable cost of $1.232 million is needed for desalination plant operation. Final fixed price of the desalinated water has been calculated $0.684 per cubic meter of desalinated water with the consideration of 20 years’ plant life cycle. Break-even point of the desalination plant has been obtained less than 6 years and less than 2 years with sales price of 1 $/m3 and 2 $/m3 of desalinated water, respectively. Results show that reverse osmosis based desalination systems are a suitable replacement for conventional freshwater sources.

Drought is one of the major constraints for sustainable crop production worldwide, especially in arid and semiarid regions. The global warming and climate change scenario has worsened the dilemma of water scarcity, creating an immediate threat to food security. Conserving water resources and exploiting various strategies that enable plants to withstand water deficits need to be urgently addressed. Drought adversely affects plant growth by modulating a range of physio-chemical, metabolic, and molecular processes inside the plant body, which ultimately reduces crop productivity. Besides developing drought-tolerant cultivars, better nutrient management could be a promising strategy to enhance drought tolerance in crop plants. Silicon, a quasi-essential element, is known to play a vital role in improving crop performance under a range of biotic and abiotic stresses. This review discusses the potential of Si application in attenuating the adverse effects of water-deficit stress. Silicon enhances plant growth by improving seed germination, cell membrane stability, carbon assimilation, plant–water relations and osmotic adjustment (by accumulating soluble sugars, proline and glycine betaine). It triggers the activity of antioxidants, promotes the biosynthesis of phytohormones, enhances nutrient acquisition and regulates the activity of vital enzymes in plants under drought stress. Silicon also induces anatomical changes in the plant cell wall through the deposition of polymerized amorphous silica (SiO2-nH2O), thereby improving stem and leaf erectness and reducing lodging. Further, Si-mediated physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms associated with drought tolerance in plants and future research prospects have been elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oregano biomass and essential oil can be used in human and animal nutrition, as well as in medicines' production. Thus, it is necessary adopting rational water use in oregano production and accounting this use based on the water productivity index to achieve proper irrigation management in oregano culture. Two experiments were carried out at 4x3+1 factorial arrangement, and 4 potential soil water matrices, 3 oregano phenological stages and 1 control treatment (soil at field capacity) were assessed. Based on the recorded results, water productivity in oregano culture is influenced by both cultivation season and deficient irrigation throughout the whole cultivation cycle, rather than just at some specific phenological stage. The best water productivity index based on essential oil biosynthesis was recorded when irrigation was managed at -60.8 kPa soil water matric potential (spring/summer). On the other hand, the best water productivity index due to dry biomass was recorded when irrigation management was carried out at -91.2 kPa (at both seasons). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common water resources have caused tensions as well as partnerships across the regional to international levels. Undoubtedly, identifying the factors influencing the management of such resources will be a prerequisite for bilateral or multilateral negotiations to resolve existing tensions and establish cooperation between stakeholders. Therefore, in this article, an attempt has been made to identify the effective parameters from a hydropolitical point of view with a comprehensive look at the issues of transboundary water resources management and to categorize them in an innovative framework. The approach used to achieve this goal is the deep review of existing literature as well as the use of remote sensing to study different criteria. Harirud basin as one of the obvious examples of transboundary water issues is involved in specific challenges between the three countries and may be a suitable choice for covering different factors in this field. The innovative framework based on four areas of political, economic, social and environmental has been presented as the main dimensions of hydropolitics and prioritized based on the opinion of experts. The results show that in order to reach a comprehensive and lasting agreement, the greatest focus should be on the political and economic areas. In this regard, paying attention to the sub-criteria of geographical location, management of available water resources, stability of political sovereignty, water management, food security, hydrology of the basin, water and energy exchanges, water trade and conflict of strategic interests will have the greatest impact on the negotiation process.

Enzymatic scouring of cotton has established itself (slowly) as a green alternative to alkaline scouring in the textile industry, mostly due to more environmentally friendly processing at lower pH and temperatures and its less aggressive action on the cotton fibers. However, among other limitations, enzyme costs have contributed to impeding its wide acceptance and use. For the first time, in this study, the recycling of the bioscouring bath was evaluated, unlike most current bioscouring that is performed using fresh enzyme solution. Bioscouring of raw knitted cotton fabric was carried out for 30 min with a commercial pectinase (BioPrep® 3000L) at 55 °C and pH 8.5. About 89% of the recovered pectate lyase-containing scouring bath was completed with 11% of fresh enzyme solution and reused in a new bioscouring process under the same conditions. Up to ten reuse cycles were possible maintaining the level of pectin removal and without significant loss in quality of subsequent dyeing. A detailed analysis of the pretreated fabrics is presented. Reusing the scouring bath, reducing the intensive consumption of input materials (enzyme, water, and chemicals) and wastewater generation can be possible, making bioscouring a more attractive and sustainable technique. The process demonstrated is promising and its industrial application is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the last decade, and particularly in 2022, water scarcity has become a critical concern in Morocco and other Mediterranean countries. The lack of rainfall during spring was worsened by a succession of heat waves during the summer. To address this drought, innovative solutions, including the use of new technologies such as hydrogels, will be essential to transform agriculture. This paper presents the findings of a study that evaluated the impact of hydrogel application on onion (Allium cepa) cultivation in Meknes, Morocco. The treatments investigated in this study comprised two different types of hydrogel-based soil additives (Arbovit® polyacrylate and Huminsorb® polyacrylate), applied at two rates (30 and 20 kg/ha), and irrigated at two levels of water supply (100% and 50% of daily crop evapotranspiration; ETc). Two control treatments were included, without hydrogel application and with both water amounts. The experiment was conducted in an open field using a completely randomized design. The results indicated a significant impact of both hydrogel-type dose and water dose on onion plant growth, as evidenced by various vegetation parameters. Among the hydrogels tested, Huminsorb® Polyacrylate produced the most favorable outcomes, with treatment T9 (100%, HP, 30 kg/ha) yielding 70.55 t/ha; this represented an increase of 11 t/ha as compared to the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel application. Moreover, the combination of hydrogel application with 50% ETc water stress showed promising results, with treatment T4 (HP, 30 kg, 50%) producing almost the same yield as the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel while saving 208 mm of water.

Plants contribute to increase our green space and to produce natural compounds and substances to be applied to many fields of human activity, from foods to pharmaceuticals, from cosmetics to environment. Sensor technology can contribute to ensure living conditions to plants starting from the monitoring of water mobility within soil. A sensor based on a gypsum crystal is here proposed and validated to check mobility of water in different kinds of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While renewable power available worldwide costs increasingly less than the least expensive option based on fossil fuels, countries continue to increase their coal‐fired capacity, which should conversely fall by 80% within a decade to limit global warming effects. To address the challenges to the implementation of such an aim, here, a path is explored that leverages on a previously unrecognized aspect of coal, opening to a new solar‐driven carbon cycle that is environmentally friendly. By engineering the porosity matrix of coal into a suitably designed compressed volumetric structure, and by coupling it with a network of cotton fibers, it is possible to create a record performing device for freshwater production, with a desalination rate per raw material cost evaluated at 1.39 kg h−1 $−1 at one sun intensity. This value is between two and three times higher than any other solar desalination device proposed to date. These results could envision a clean and socially sustainable cycle for carbon materials that, while enabling an enhanced water economy with global access to freshwater and sanitation, poses zero risks of reinjecting CO2 into the environment through competing economies in the fossil's market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) is an indispensable mineral nutrient for plant growth and development. Proper nitrogen (N) management, in terms of quality and availability, can increase plant productivity and reduce soil N losses. This study investigated the impact of N availability (form and dose) on the growth, water relations, and nitrogen status and assimilation of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in the presence of 200 mM NaCl. At the optimal N concentration, ammonium (NH4+) application improved biomass production and total leaf area more than nitrate (NO3–) application—the leaves-free NH4+ contents remained very low and did not reach the plant toxicity threshold, while those of NO3− were low, regardless of N form. Compared to NO3−, the use of NH4+ as the sole N source increased water economy. However, at low N concentration, S. alterniflora was sensitive to NH4+ deficiency. Media containing 0.25 or 0.5 mM N as NH4+ inhibited plant growth, causing general chlorosis and cell death, particularly on the lower leaves. In contrast, the response of S. alterniflora to NO3− dose did not significantly differ, indicating their preference for NH4+. The lower glutamine synthetase activity in NH4+-fed plants also suggests NH4+ tolerance. Our findings question the use of NO3−-based fertilizers for species that prefer NH4+ as an N source in salt-affected soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the issues of water management safety management in the context of shaping the appropriate level of municipal services in Poland, related to quality standards and the availability of water resources for enterprises and the local community. The literature review presents examples of activities concerning the evaluation of the quality and availability of groundwater and their suitability for domestic and commercial use in the world. The key parameters of water intended for human consumption, which affect its quality, have been selected based on the literature and the Polish standards set out in the regulation. On this basis, appropriate parameters for case-study research were selected. In the following, the analytical methods and tools used to assess water quality were characterized. In the case study example, the analysis of water parameters from selected three different intakes in 2015-2017 (Tęczowa, Stodoły and GPW Rybnik-Północ) was performed and the functioning and role of the internal Water and Sewage Laboratory in the safety management of water economy in the water and sewerage company has been presented.

Background and Aims The stomatal conductance (g s) of most plant species decreases in response to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration. This response could have a significant impact on plant water use in a future climate. However, the regulation of the CO2-induced stomatal closure response is not fully understood. Moreover, the potential genetic links between short-term (within minutes to hours) and long-term (within weeks to months) responses of g s to increased atmospheric CO2 have not been explored. Methods We used Arabidopsis thaliana recombinant inbred lines originating from accessions Col-0 (strong CO2 response) and C24 (weak CO2 response) to study short- and long-term controls of g s. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was used to identify loci controlling short- and long-term g s responses to elevated CO2, as well as other stomata-related traits. Key Results Short- and long-term stomatal responses to elevated CO2 were significantly correlated. Both short- and long-term responses were associated with a QTL at the end of chromosome 2. The location of this QTL was confirmed using near-isogenic lines and it was fine-mapped to a 410-kb region. The QTL did not correspond to any known gene involved in stomatal closure and had no effect on the responsiveness to abscisic acid. Additionally, we identified numerous other loci associated with stomatal regulation. Conclusions We identified and confirmed the effect of a strong QTL corresponding to a yet unknown regulator of stomatal closure in response to elevated CO2 concentration. The correlation between short- and long-term stomatal CO2 responses and the genetic link between these traits highlight the importance of understanding guard cell CO2 signalling to predict and manipulate plant water use in a world with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. This study demonstrates the power of using natural variation to unravel the genetic regulation of complex traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization alters ecological systems, disturbance regimes, food webs, and a variety of other processes that can influence local flora and fauna. In birds, most studies have focused on behavioral or demographic responses to altered conditions; however, the physiological mechanisms associated with these responses have been understudied. We have previously documented shifts in foraging behavior because of the availability of human-provided food; we sought to see if this was driven by or associated with a change in field metabolic rates. We measured field metabolic rates (FMR), a measure of daily energy expenditure (DEE), of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in 2 habitats using doubly labeled water (DLW). One population of jays lived in wildland habitat, the other in a suburban area where the habitat was badly degraded. During the breeding season FMR of suburban males exceeded that of wildland males by over 100%. Female FMR did not differ between sites but increased following incubation. In the wildlands, FMRs of females were barely lower than those of males, but in the suburban landscape, female FMRs were much lower than in males. For both sexes in the wildlands, FMRs were about 3.5× basal rates of metabolism (BMR) during breeding; in the suburbs female FMR exceeded BMR by 4× but did not differ from that of wildland females. Suburban male FMRs exceeded BMR by 7.1×. During the nonbreeding seasons of fall and winter, FMR did not differ between habitats, ranging from 1.7× to 2.1× BMR, thus it is the breeding season that separated wildland and suburban jays energetically. In both habitats, a low water economy index (mL/kJ) and low water fluxes indicated that these jays are well adapted to their xeric habitat, but their FMRs distinguished them from desert birds. The very high energetic cost associated with breeding for suburban males may help explain why in the metapopulation of Florida Scrub-Jays, suburban jay populations are sinks. This study underscores the value of physiology in the conservation of listed species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Improving the process of initial design data preparation at the stage of preliminary design of sustainable indusrtrial water networks (including natural water and wastewater treatment networks, water usage networks, as well as waste collection & disposal networks). An effective synthesis of optimal chemical-engineering systems based on the process integration paradigm requires, first of all, the proper quality of the initial data for the design. Methodology. Evidence-based principles for the collection and processing of input data based on methods of mathematical statistics were proposed. Findings. Procedures for the preparation of initial grassroot/retrofit design data were developed. The purpose of procedures developed was compilation of water balances, parametric identification of mathematical models of water users, water treatment units and other units of the water management networks, etc. Originality. The problem of collecting and processing the initial data for the industrial water economy networks design (including water usage networks, wastewater collection, disposal and treatment networks as well as water conditioning and purification networks) in the absence of a systematic accumulation of such data at the enterprise was raised. The proposed systematic scientific approach was based on the methods of mathematical statistics. The proposed approach provides the formalization of knowledge for creating computer-aided systems of water economy sustainable design. Practical value. In order to support decision-making at the preliminary design research stage, the specialized software was developed. The developed software was a component of a computer-aided system of water networks design based on the principles of process integration in accordance with the sustainable development paradigm. The proposed concepts of a priori analysis at the preliminary design stage was illustrated by an industrial case study. As an example, the identification of mathematical models of a pharmaceutical enterprise water usage units was presente [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The okra is responsive to the application of irrigation levels. • The physiological parameters of the okra increase as the available water levels increase. • The okra increases productivity when well-irrigated. Abstract Plants undergoing any kind of water stress, whether due to excess or lack of water, undergo changes in their biochemical and physiological system, compromising their development. The effects of different irrigation levels on the physiological parameters (chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a fluorescence and gas exchange) and yield of okra were evaluated. Four levels of irrigation were evaluated (very low (25% of ETc); low (50% of ETc); moderate (75% of ETc) and well-irrigated (100% of ETc). The values of chlorophyll a and b increased when irrigation levels intensified, with a higher value at the well-irrigated level, with an increase of 12.10% and 64.2%, respectively. For the Fv, (Fv / Fm), (Fv / Fo) and (Fo / Fm), the highest increase was found in irrigated plants at a well-irrigated level, with values 13.23%, 10.52%, 17.41%, 20.22% highers, respectively, in relation to the very low irrigated level. The variables A, Gs, Ci, E, VPD, A Gs−1 and A Ci−1 were influenced by the irrigation levels, where it was verified that the well-irrigated level raised 242,54%, 145.45%, 50.79%, 252.19%, 21.56%, 41.28% and 193.56%, respectively, when compared to the very low irrigated level. Associated with the values of the physiological parameters, the highest productivity came up in irrigated plants at the well-irrigated level, with an increment of 338.70% in relation to the productivity obtained in irrigated plants at very low irrigated level. The outcomes present valuable information that okra producers should adopt the irrigation technique in a rational way, providing the best level of irrigation for the plants according to the required need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facultative hyperthermia, the elevation of body temperature above normothermic levels, during heat exposure, importantly affects the water economy and heat balance of terrestrial endotherms. We currently lack a mechanistic understanding of the benefits hyperthermia provides for avian taxa.Facultative hyperthermia has been proposed to minimize rates of water loss via three distinct mechanisms: M1) by maintaining body temperature (Tb) above environmental temperatures (Te), heat can be lost non‐evaporatively, saving water; M2) by minimizing the thermal gradient when Te > Tb, environmental heat gain and evaporative water loss rates are reduced; and M3) by storing heat via increases in Tb which reduces evaporative heat loss demands and conserves water.Although individuals may benefit from all three mechanisms during heat exposure, the relative importance of each mechanism has not been quantified among species that differ in their body size, heat tolerance and mechanisms of evaporative heat dissipation.We measured resting metabolism, evaporative water loss and real‐time Tb from 33 species of birds representing nine orders ranging in mass from 8 to 300 g and estimated the water savings associated with each proposed mechanism. We show that facultative hyperthermia varies in its benefits among species.Small songbirds with comparatively low evaporative cooling capacities benefit most from (M1), and hyperthermia maintains a thermal gradient that allows non‐evaporative heat losses. Other species benefited most from (M2) minimizing evaporative losses via a reduced thermal gradient for heat gain at high Te. We found that (M3), heat storage, only improved the water economy of the sandgrouse, providing little benefit to other species.We propose that differences in the frequency and magnitude of hyperthermia will drive taxon‐specific differences in temperature sensitivity of tissues and enzymes and that the evolution of thermoregulatory mechanisms of evaporative heat dissipation may contribute to differences in basal metabolic rate among avian orders.Understanding the mechanistic basis of heat tolerance is essential to advance our understanding of the ecology of birds living in hot environments that are warming rapidly, where extreme heat events are already re‐structuring avian communities. A plain language summary is available for this article. Plain Language Summary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Agricultura Irrigada - RBAI is the property of Revista Brasileira de Agricultura Irrigada - RBAI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hedgerow orchards with high plant densities, or super high-density (SHD) orchards, are considered to be amongst the most profitable management systems for most fruit-tree species. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies are recommended for SHD olive orchards, especially when scheduled from automatic and continuous measurements of plant water stress. There is a lack of information, however, on the profitability of this approach. In this work we analysed the financial feasibility of using three different systems for monitoring water stress in an ‘Arbequina’ SHD olive orchard under a RDI strategy recommended for the experimental area (SW Spain). The systems were based on sap flow (SF), trunk diameter variation (TDV) and leaf turgor pressure (TP) related measurements. We first compared their equivalent annual cost (EAC), resulting the TP based technology as that with the greatest potential to be adopted by farmers. We then used Discounted Cash Flow Analysis (DCFA) to compare the financial feasibility of an RDI treatment scheduled from TP related measurements and providing 45% of the crop water needs (45RDI TP ) with both a similar treatment but scheduled with the crop coefficient approach (45RDI CC ) and a fully irrigated (FI) treatment. Our results from two irrigation seasons demonstrated that the 45RDI strategy guarantees the profitability of SHD olive orchards in the long-term, with both 45RDI CC and 45RDI TP showing positive Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return above the interest on capital. All the financial indicators suggested higher financial performance of 45RDI TP as compared to 45RDI CC , but differences were not significant, likely because of the high variability among replicates. The financial impact of Common Agricultural Policy payments as well as varying olive oil and irrigation water prices on the irrigation treatments was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertigation as an alternative of final disposal of domestic sewage is a viable solution, considering the low cost of its implantation, the use of nutrients by the plants and the obtaining of improvements in the soil structure. In this work, the potential of the effluent of the preliminary domestic sewage treatment (PST), the water savings in irrigation and fertilization, will be evaluated, considering its chemical quality for elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) fertigation. Each experimental plot consisting of 4 planted lines and 3 water/domestic sewage application grooves, between 0.6 m and 40 m long lines. Two treatments were imposed: T1 - application of conventional chemical fertilization and drinking water, in irrigation; and T2 - application in PST fertigation, being the water requirement of the plants complemented with water from the supply network. The application rate of EDP was established considering its chemical characteristics and the nutritional and water needs of elephant grass. The results showed that the EDP used in elephant grass fertigation, considering an application sheet for to supply 300 kg ha-1 ano-1 of Na, was able to supply 100% P2O5, 33% K2O, and 93% N of elephant grass needs, generating a financial savings of US$ 445.00 ha-1 for fertilization; US$ 624.00 ha-1 of the production costs; and US$ 6.00 ha-1 of the irrigation costs, providing a total saving of US$ 630.00 ha-1 and a saving of 58% of the total water demanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The econometric model can be a precise instrument for the analysis of the impact of the natural environment deterioration on management effects. This paper presents the results of the research in the field of the lake water pollution impact on the effects of the fishery management. There have been constructed economic and ecological model, which by presenting Esox lucius catches explain the changes of economic effects of the lake fishery in the conditions of increasing water pollution. Afterwards, the author examined whether an optimisation of the lake water quality features vector is possible from the economic point of view. The empirical verification of hypotheses also was performed on the basis of Esox lucius catches in Charzykowskie Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]