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Purpose: to develop optimal combinations of parameters of the soil water regime and elements of the plant protection system in conditions of region hydrothermal tension on the basis on a comprehensive assessment of the biological potential of potato varieties under irrigation. Materials and methods. Two variants of the soil water regime (80 % of the lowest moisture capacity in the 0.6 m layer and 80 % of the lowest moisture capacity in the 0.4 and 0.6 m layer), 2 potato protection systems (chemical and biological) and three varieties (Red Scarlet, Gulliver and Lubava) were used in the research. All this was carried out at the All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Agriculture pilot site in 2022–2023. The research corresponded to the requirements of generally accepted methods. Results. In the moderately wet 2022, the Gulliver variety, with a combination of a water regime of 80 % of the lowest moisture capacity in the 0.4 m soil layer and biological protection, formed the maximum number of commercial tubers per plant, equal to 6.9 pcs. compared to the moderately dry 2023. The minimum number was on the Red Scarlet variety plantings in 2023 with an irrigation regime of 80% of the lowest moisture capacity in the 0.4 and 0.6 m soil layers in combination with chemical treatment, it was 1.6 pcs. On the Gulliver variety plantings in the moderately wet 2022, the maximum total weight of tubers was obtained from a plant, which was 1324 g, which is 265 and 344 g more compared to other varieties. Conclusions. In the subzone of light chestnut heavy loamy soils in the conditions of the Lower Volga region, using ridge technology for cultivating summer potato plantings, it was revealed that in the average wet year 2022, while maintaining the soil water regime of at least 80 % of the lowest moisture capacity in a layer of 0.4 m in combination with a biological protection system, the highest yield was formed compared to the average dry year 2023, which compared to the chemical one, depending on the variety, was 38.5–49.3 t/ha, which is 1.7–1.8 t/ha more tubers compared to the average dry year 2023.

Purpose: development and experimental evaluation of resource-saving technology of irrigated potato production using hydrosorbents. Materials and methods. The hypothesis of the research is based on the phenomenon of formation of mini-reservoirs due to absorption of irrigation water by fertilizers dissolved in it by hydrogels, which is directed to the plant roots over a longer period. The supply of hydrogel with fertilizers is provided by a specially designed machine capable of introducing enriched hydrogel below the bottom of the planting furrow and only into the row zone. Results. To reduce the consumption of irrigation water, fertilizers, as well as anthropogenic impact on the soil during cultivation of agricultural crops under irrigation, it is proposed to use hydrogel enriched with fertilizers when growing potatoes. Its ability to absorb moisture in the amount of up to 280 times per 1 g of substance ensures the supply of moisture and nutrient solution to plant roots for a longer period, due to which the consumption of irrigation water and fertilizers is reduced by 1.3–1.4 times compared to standard technologies. Conclusions. A technology for a comprehensive solution to the problem of resource-saving in the cultivation of potatoes under irrigation using hydrosorbents has been developed and experimentally studied. All elements of the technology are interconnected and include the development and use of a potato-planting machine with the introduction of enriched hydrogel and ensuring irrigation rates at the rate of 300 cub. m/ha while maintaining the pre-irrigation threshold of 80% of the lowest moisture capacity. The biological yield under control is 21.6 t/ha, and with the introduction of hydrogel at a dose of 18.2 g/running m and fertilizers in the form of nitroammophoska at a dose of 33.3 g/running m yield of 29.4 t/ha at NSR0.5 = 0.04 was obtained. The marketable yield under control is 19.3 t/ha, and when maintaining the noted doses of enriched hydrogel is 28.9 t/ha. This technique contributed to an increase in yield by 7.8 t/ha (36.1 %), marketable yield – by 9.6 t/ha (49.7 %).

Purpose: to develop software for the process of arranging sprinklers on the water-conducting belt of a sprinkler to improve the irrigation quality. Materials and methods. As a theoretical basis for creating software, the traditional methods of algorithmization and programming based on the processes of algorithm design for solving the problem of calculating the optimal spacing and flow-pressure characteristics of deflector nozzles on the water-conducting belt of sprinklers, respectively, formalized in the form of a scheme, and writing the source code in the object-oriented programming language Python were used. Results. To replenish the domestic scientific and technical base for digitalization of engineering and reclamation work with information tools, software for the process of arranging sprinklers on water-conducting belt of a sprinkler for uniform distribution of artificial rain along the irrigated area has been developed. The algorithm graphical model is represented by three blocks. The “Source data input” block provides a choice of the type of sprinkler, the operating flow rate of irrigation water, as well as the material of the water conducting belt. In the “Intermediate and target values calculation” block, the irrigation water loss, head loss, distance between the end and first nozzles, as well as the total number of sprinklers are calculated. In the “Cyclic computation and output of results” block, head losses along the length and local pressure losses are determined for each section, the sum of which makes up the total head losses. Using the designed software, computations were performed using the example of a cantilever sprinkler with 4 sections of steel pipeline, a total flow rate of 6 l/s and a pressure at the end of the console of 10 m. It was determined that to ensure the uniform distribution of artificial irrigation along the irrigated area, it is necessary to install 9 sprinklers with variable spacing along the length console, and to provide a head at the beginning of the sprinkler machine of 23.8 m, taking into account the total head loss of 13.8 m. Conclusions: the software allows simulating the optimal arrangement of deflector nozzles of the same size on a water-conducting belt at the design stage of double-cantilever and multi-tower lateral sprinklers.

Purpose: to conduct an environmental-geographical test of new highly productive potato varieties of domestic and foreign selection during sprinkling under conditions of hydrothermal tension in the Lower Volga region. Materials and methods. Ecological testing of new highly productive 19 potato varieties and hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding was carried out at the experimental site of the All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Agriculture in 2022–2023. The studies were conducted in accordance with the requirements of generally accepted methods. Results. The results of the study on the selection and testing of potato varieties showed that the maximum amount of above-ground mass of the studied potato varieties was formed in the first decade of August, the maximum growth of tops was noted in the Kupets variety and hybrid 16.18-2, 750 and 700 g respectively. The Vega, Luck, Healer, Elixir, Gourmet varieties and hybrid 45.82-12 formed the vegetative mass from 500 to 630 g. Other varieties were unable to form a powerful vegetative mass. The Gulliver variety is characterized by the highest productivity of the studied potato varieties – 4.3 t/ha. The minimum potato tubers yield was obtained in the Lubava variety, which amounted to 15.6 t/ha. The formed potato tubers yield of other varieties and hybrids ranged from 18.7 to 34.0 t/ha. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted research, results were obtained on the patterns of tubers yield formation of 17 varieties and 2 potato hybrids undergoing environmental testing. The yield of varieties and hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding ranged from 15.6 to 41.3 t/ha, however, such varieties as Gulliver, Luck and Darenka, Red Scarlett, Colombo, Queen Anna and hybrids with yields above 30 t/ha should be highlighted.

The impacts of salt reduction by NaCl sprinkling and NaCl substitution with 25% calcium lactate on the quality of blue cheese were evaluated. Sprinkling reduced sodium content by 35% and substitution reduced sodium content by 47%. The salt‐reduced cheeses had a higher calcium content, vitamin B2, B6, and B12 levels, and a higher rate of proteolysis. Sensory and texture profile analysis found that the salt‐reduced cheeses had a less salty taste and were less firm. These methods enabled significant salt reduction but had negative effects on the cheese properties, and so further work is needed to diminish these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to establish the effect of different methods (sprinkling, surface and subsoil drip irrigation) and different soil moisture content (HB) (70-75% HB, 75-80% HB and 80-85% HB) on water consumption and seed yield of sesame plants. The research was conducted in the semi-arid climatic zone of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. In these studies, the best method of irrigation and the optimal level of soil moisture for sesame plants were established. The seed productivity of sesame and the elements of the yield structure under different methods and soil moisture levels were established, as well as the indicator of water use efficiency was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coal is the major source of power in India and world over. Coal mining is an essential industry which has a major role in the economic development of the country. Most major mining activities contribute directly or indirectly to air pollution. Coal dust is a major air pollutant which affects the personal working in the mines and also people residing in villages near the mines. Air pollution due to coal particulates can affect human health and cause damages to the environment. Hence effective pollution control mechanisms are needed to keep the pollution levels within permissible levels. The easiest and most common method employed for dust suppression worldwide is sprinkling of water. In majority of mines, water sprinklers are operated manually and can lead to wastage of water due to over sprinkling. It can also prove to be ineffective in dust suppression if sprinkling is not done properly. The paper proposes a system which can be deployed to automate the dust suppressions sprinklers. The system will monitor the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 in the air and initiate sprinkling operation when the particulate matter content exceeds preconfigured limits.

The occurrence of late spring frosts due to climate change causes great damage to plantation production worldwide. The main objective of the paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the problem and to outline effective protective measures against late spring frosts. The nature of frost depends on regional, altitudinal, and geographic differences, but they all share a common problem: they remove heat, resulting in the freezing of new plant growth and flowers. Tissue freezing is affected by critical temperatures and the frost type, intensity, and duration. Protection against late spring frosts can be broadly divided into three categories: active, passive, and chemical measures. In the field of agricultural engineering, various techniques have been thoroughly researched, and their effectiveness has been confirmed by research. These include various sprinkler systems, different heating devices, and large-diameter fans. Conclusive findings are being made on the performance of these systems in sub-zero temperatures and their cost-effectiveness. Climate change increases the importance of protecting permanent crops from late spring frosts and requires advances in agricultural technology to meet changing production demands and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to study the effectiveness of corn cultivation under different irrigation methods on the experimental field of the Askanian State Agricultural Research Station, which is located in the semi-arid, steppe, arid climate zone of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine, in the Kakhovsky irrigated massif. The investigation pointed out the effectiveness and provided an economic assessment of the use of different irrigation methods in corn cultivation. Two methods of irrigation (sprinkling and subsoil drip irrigation) were studied, with the maintenance of the humidity of the soil layer 0-50 cm at the level of 80% LMC and corn hybrids of different maturity groups. Under subsoil drip irrigation, the irrigation rate was lower on average by 24% than when sprinkled, on the other hand, the yield was higher on average by 40.9%, which significantly affected the cost price of the obtained corn grain. Subsoil drip irrigation yielded a net profit of 62% higher than sprinkler irrigation. and the profitability accordingly increased by 78.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is the major source of power in India and world over. Coal mining is an essential industry which has a major role in the economic development of the country. Most major mining activities contribute directly or indirectly to air pollution. Coal dust is a major air pollutant which affects the personal working in the mines and also people residing in villages near the mines. Air pollution due to coal particulates can affect human health and cause damages to the environment. Hence effective pollution control mechanisms are needed to keep the pollution levels within permissible levels. The easiest and most common method employed for dust suppression worldwide is sprinkling of water. In majority of mines, water sprinklers are operated manually and can lead to wastage of water due to over sprinkling. It can also prove to be ineffective in dust suppression if sprinkling is not done properly. The paper proposes a system which can be deployed to automate the dust suppressions sprinklers. The system will monitor the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 in the air and initiate sprinkling operation when the particulate matter content exceeds preconfigured limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal 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.)

The aim of the research was to study water-physical properties of chestnut soils under different tillage practices when cultivating corn (Povolzhsky 89 MV hybrid) under irrigated conditions in the Lower Volga region. Therefore, the following characteristics of the soil were studied - soil density, soil moisture, field capacity, maximal hygroscopic moisture, wilting point and porosity. The results revealed that after chisel loosening, a qualitative improvement of soil water-physical properties was observed in comparison with the control variant - moldboard plowing. To describe the dynamics of changes in soil density by layers and tillage variants, a regression of the 2nd order was proposed, and coefficients of the equation were calculated. In order to maintain the specified irrigation regime during the observation periods, 7 to 9 vegetative irrigations with application rate from 2250 to 2750 m3ha-1 were carried out in the variants with moldboard plowing, 7 to 8 irrigations with application rate from 2200 to 2600 m3ha-1 in the variants with chisel loosening, and 6 to 7 irrigations with application rates from 2100 to 2500 m3ha-1 in the variants with chisel moldboard plowing. The yield of corn in the variant with chisel moldboard plowing averaged 8.75 tha-1 during the research period, which is 18 % higher than in the control variant. Moreover, the cost of irrigation water for producing one ton of grain decreased by almost 20 %, and the coefficient of water consumption decreased by 17 %.

Obtaining high yields of agricultural plants with their proper quality on soils contaminated with heavy metals is of the utmost importance for modern farmers of the Kuban. The purpose of the research is to study the accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetative organs of pumpkin plants, depending on the properties of the soil and the physical and chemical properties of pollutants. The tasks are to determine the influence of the physical and chemical properties of the soil on the accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetative part of the studied plants; to determine the influence of the chemical properties of heavy metals on their accumulation in the vegetative part of the studied plants. By the method of field research, the accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetative mass of pumpkin, Mramornaya variety, when applied by sprinkling method, depending on the physico-chemical properties of the soil, has been studied. Heavy metals in plants are determined by the AAS method. It has been found that when growing the studied plant on a rain-fed plot of meadow-chernozem soil, copper and cadmium accumulated in the foliage less than in the soil of rice check, respectively 2.2 and 4.9 times. The studied heavy metals had a depressing effect on the biometric parameters of the pumpkin. On the experimental plots of meadow-chernozem soil of the bogarny plot and the soil of the rice check, there was a decrease in the studied biometric parameters compared with the control. Moreover, on the meadow-chernozem soil of the rice check, this decrease was more intense. Under the influence of heavy metals and soil properties, the yield of the studied plant decreased: for the first variant it was 24.0 t/ha, for the second – 8.2 t/ha. When growing Mramornaya pumpkin variety on meadow-chernozem soil, a rain-fed area of cadmium accumulated more than copper by 16.0 times, on meadow-chernozem soil of rice check, this difference was 47.0 times. One of the reasons for this difference in the accumulation of heavy metals is their physiological role for the plant under study.

The agricultural economy of many countries of the world is dominated by grain crops, a large portion of which comprises wheat and barley. However, according to scientists from European and other countries, as a result of the climate change, grain crops suffer either an insufficient amount of precipitation or an excessive amount of it, which can affect the yield of crops and cause changes in the concentration of certain elements in them. Dangerous types of environmental pollution, in particular for grains, are caused by heavy metals, among which certain elements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu) are important for the development of plants. There are also such metals as Pb, Cd, etc., which at high concentration can lead to poisoning of the plant organism and cause a decrease in their quality and production in general. This paper is focused on the influence of soil moisture level, precipitation and irrigation (sprinkling) on the content and the coefficient of accumulation, as well as the hazard ratio of Pb and Cd for winter wheat and winter barley grains. We determined that against the background of 256.2 to 272.5 mm (precipitation, rainfall) soil moisture during the period from the end of tillering to the earing of the winter cereals, there were decreases by 31.3% and 11.8% in Pb and Cd accumulation coefficients in the Luran-variety barley and decreases by 39.3% and 22.5% in the Akratos-variety wheat, compared with 47.4 to 52.3 mm soil moisture (precipitation) during that period. Decrease in Pb and Cd accumulation coefficients in the cereal grain contributed to decrease in the concentrations of these toxicants in it. In particular, at 266.2 to 272.5 mm level of soil moisture during the indicated growing season of winter barley and winter wheat, the concentration of Pb in the grain from these cereals was 31.8% and 48.9% lower; while the concentration of Cd – was 11.1% and 21.4% lower, compared with 47.4 and 52.3 mm moisture level. At the same time, Pb was characterized by higher intensity of reduction in the grain of the winter cereals than Cd. The hazard ratio of Pb and Cd in the grain of the winter cereals also turned out to be lower when the level of soil moisture was 266–272.5 mm during the tillering-earing period, compared with the level between 47.4–52.3 mm. The prospects for further research are studies of changes in the mineral composition of the soil in the zone of the root system of cereals under excessive rainfall

In order to determine the economic-productive, energy and environmental impacts of wind pumping in sprinkler irrigation for garlic cultivation, the investigation was carried out at "La Cuchilla" farm during 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 cycles. The mass of the bulbs was 27.47 g, 27.81 g and 27.70 g, respectively, to average 27.66 g and the diameter of the bulbs reached values of 3.92 g, 4.01 g and 3.85 g, respectively. The production volume was 231,400.00 pesos per hectare, the annual costs amounted to 18,929.77 pesos per hectare and the net benefit was 212470.23 pesos per hectare. The favorable production cost per peso of 0.08 cents with a value of 11.22 obtained in the Benefit-Cost ratio was much higher than the unit was. A multi-blade mill was utilized for pumping water instead of a LEPONO brand motorized pump, used by farmers in the region. It has a flow rate of 60 L min-1, maximum head 70 m, turning speed 3400 rpm and current intensity consumed by the 11 A motor and allowed an energy saving of 27.66 kWh corresponding to 146.77 kg of CO2 equivalent per hectare no longer emitted into the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our invention Automatic Agricultural Skilling is an automated management of irrigating or spraying or sprinkling devices includes electrical sensors that area unit severally conscious of temperature, close lighting and actual wet content of the soil. The output of those sensors is compared to predetermined reference standards and also the ensuing signals accustomed management the applying of water to the soil or plants or trees. The invention provides an extremely machine-controlled agricultural production system that includes, as essential components sensing scheme comprising direct and indirect sensing means that in an agricultural production space. The direct sensing means that area unit usually ground or plant mounted. The indirect sensing means that area unit remote from the world being detected. The direct and indirect sensing means that area unit custom-made to put together generate information on all necessary parameters within the uniform agricultural production area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zpravoday Hnede Uhli is the property of Brown Coal Research Institute, j.s.c. 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.)

The purpose of the research is to study the production capability of promising soybean varieties on irrigated lands for the conditions of Rostov region, to improve the cultivation technology elements. The research was conducted in Kuibyshev and Oktyabrsky districts of Rostov region in 2015–2017. The soil cover of the studied plots is represented by ordinary chernozem on light clay and medium meadow-chernozem soil. In 2015–2016 under the conditions of Priazovskaya natural-agricultural zone, 11 soybean varieties irrigated by sprinkling and 4 soybean varieties irrigated by drip irrigation were studied. The field experiments were laid using the Dospekhov randomized method, phenological observations, growth and yield records were made using the National Crop Variety Testing method. The growing season of soybean varieties varied from 120 to 131 days. The maximum plant height was observed in the seed filling phase and varied from 75.5 to 104.6 cm in varieties cultivated under sprinkling irrigation and from 108.8 to 146.7 cm on the drip irrigation site. The required level of soil moisture of soybean varieties under drip irrigation was maintained by conducting 26 waterings at a rate of 120 cubic meters per hectare. At the same time, the irrigation rate was 3120 cubic meters per hectare, the total water consumption was 5296–5332 cubic meters per hectare, and the water consumption ratio was 1157–1426 cubic meters per ton. Grain harvest was formed depending on the variety at the level of 3.71–4.61 t/ha. The largest mass of 1000 grains was observed in the Selecta 302 and the CK 158 varieties – 438.0 and 461.0 g, respectively. When irrigating by sprinkling for two years, the yield of the best variety Slavia was 3.22 t/ha on average, while the total water consumption was 3241 cubic meters per hectare, and the water consumption ratio was 1006.5 cubic meters per ton. Thus, the cultivation of these promising soybean varieties on irrigated lands makes it possible to obtain a stable grain yield of 3.5–4.5 t/ha.

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of surface application and plowing of phosphogypsum and turkey litter to a depth of 20 cm on the erodibility of clay-illuvial agrochernozem (Luvic Chernozems (Aric, Pachic)) in the Southern Cis-Urals (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia). Under laboratory conditions, 1°, 3°, and 7° slopes were modeled. Soil loss, runoff onset time, and turbidity were measured with a rainfall simulator. Particle size distribution and total organic carbon were measured. Under simulated heavy rainfall (360‒420 mm h−1) for 30 min, the untreated control had the highest soil loss (28.9 t ha−1). Separate and combined introductions of phosphogypsum and turkey litter significantly increased soil resistance to water erosion. Co-introduction of the amendments strengthened this effect especially when the phosphogypsum to turkey litter ratio increased from 1:10 to 1:2 at the higher dose (60 t ha−1). The turbidity of the runoff from a 1° slope reached a small peak within the first 3 min then gradually decreased thereafter. At 3°, the turbidity remained nearly constant over time and was uniformly distributed. At 7°, the turbidity sharply increased then gradually decreased and its distribution was a deformed bell. Washed-out (trapped) sediments from all treatments and slopes had relatively more very fine sand, silt, and clay and a slightly higher total organic carbon content than the original soil. Phosphogypsum and turkey litter wastes may be effective anti-erosion amendments and potential fertilizers because they increase flocculation, improve the structure, and enrich the organic matter and nutrient content of the soil.

Rice plays an important role in the modern diet of Russian people. It occupies a leading position in area, yield, and gross grain harvest among all cereal crops. The aim of the research is development of optimal irrigation regimes that ensure rational use of water resources in southern agricultural zone of Amur Region. Setting and conducting field and laboratory experiments, system approaches and modern research methods were used. The article presents the results of studies on rice cultivation under different irrigation regimes. In the southern zone of Amur Region, along with water regimes of 70, 80, 90% of FMC, differentiated rice irrigation regimes were studied, combining differentiation of presumed humidity thresholds and wetting depth of active soil layer 75...85% of FMC (0.4 and 0.6 m); 80% of FMC (0.4 and 0.6 m). In addition, various flooding regimes of rice field (short and intermittent flooding), seeding rates, timing of sowing, rice cultivars were studied. Obtaining a rice grain yield of more than 4 tons per hectare is ensured by application of mineral fertilizers in the dose of N120P30K30 and seeding rate of 5 million seeds. Optimum seeding time was set from 20 to 25 May. Based on the results of the research, irrigation water was saved, as well as yield increased by optimizing irrigation rice regimes using sprinkling by differentiating presumed moisture thresholds and wetting depth. When rice was cultivated under flooding system of irrigation, it was established that regime of shortened flooding turned to be optimal. When sprinkling in conditions of southern agricultural zone of Amur Region, differential irrigation regime of 75...85% of FMC in active soil layer was 0.4 and 0.6 m.

The calculated equation of the Penman-Monteith method for determining evapotranspiration (ETC) is derived from the equation of energy balance of the soil surface, and the dependence of ETC on ETo reflects the culture coefficient Kc. Since the values of Kc (FAO) are typical values for standard climatic conditions, which are defined as sub-humid climate, it is necessary to evaluate this model for the conditions of the Steppe of Ukraine, whose climate is drier. Thus, the aim of scientific research was the adaptation of the calculation method for determining the evapotranspiration of the ETC "Penman-Monteith" to the irrigated conditions of the Steppe of Ukraine on the soybean crop. The work involved conduction of short term field experiments, generally accepted analytical research methods; the use of methods of variance, correlation, regression and variational analysis. The actual soybean irrigation regime, the reference evapotranspiration of ETO, the calculated and actual values of evapotranspiration of ETC were established using the digital Internet meteorological station iMetos@ and the multisensor probe AquaSpy CTG-02. Based on the results of the field experiment, the crop coefficient Kc was adjusted according to the main phases of development of soybean varieties of different ripeness groups using deviations from standard conditions. The research confirms that the value of the actual crop coefficient Kc for soybeans under irrigation conditions of the Steppe of Ukraine differs from the typical Kc (FAO). It was found that at the initial and final stages of plant developm Kc (FAO) overestimates the actual values of ETC evapotranspiration to 42.8%, and in the middle phase, on the contrary, underestimates by 4.2-11.5%. The use of Kc (FAO) in the calculations of evapotranspiration for standard conditions leads to over-watering at the beginning and at the end of the growing season of soybeans and a deficiency of moisture reserves in the critical period of plant development (phase "beginning of flowering poured beans"). It is recommended to use the "Penman-Monteith" method in the future to determine the actual evapotranspiration of ETC and operative control of the soybean's irrigation regime on this basis, taking into account the adjusted values of the culture coefficients Kc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary approach in art therapy is called spontaneous art, as the person paints or draws with no previous mental plan or blueprint of the artwork to be completed - the healing properties of such therapy being highly treasured, owing to the uncensored release of inner conflicts in a visual form. The notion of duality in the internal psychological structure which requires simultaneously living tenderness and toughness, structure and lack of it, distance and closeness, warmth and coldness is involved in this approach. The resonance that art-therapists provide to patients complements these dualities, so that the aesthetic expression that flows between patient and therapist allows ample space for the complexity of authentic communication and integration of opposites. Our statement is that it is the process that is important rather than the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental 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.)

The cultivation of crops in arid zones is subject to risks due to the possibility of atmospheric and soil droughts and, as a consequence, damage due to shortage or loss of crops. In addition to agrotechnical and forest ameliorative methods of accumulating and preserving soil moisture reserves, the selection of drought-resistant varieties of crops, irrigation amelioration plays a crucial role in minimizing damage from the destructive effects of drought. The significant area of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which geographically belongs to the territory of the Southern Urals, is located in the zone of risk farming. In the region, irrigation is used to obtain high and sustainable crop yields on an area of about 40 thousand hectares, which is 0.8% of the arable land. Sprinkling dominates among irrigation methods. Irrigation sprinkling allows you to get 2-3 cuttings of perennial grasses, while there is only one using dry land farming. During irrigation the average yield of irrigation of the awnless brome averaged to 4.4, of the bluegrass alfalfa – 6.7, and the fodder galega 8.15 t/ha of dry matter. The optimization of the water regime of the soil under the crops of sugar beets by sprinkling irrigation allowed to increase its yield to 60.7 t/ha. The irrigation of potatoes increases its yield by 1.5 times compared with that on dry land. The region is actively introducing a drip irrigation method for vegetable crops and potatoes, which is more efficient than sprinkling. Field experiments showed that the yield increase from drip irrigation was 6.8 t/ha, while with sprinkling irrigation – only 4.7 t/ha. In the steppe zone on floodplain meadows with an area of 2.4 thousand hectares, the flood irrigation of natural grasslands is used, which makes it possible to obtain up to 2.9 t/ha of dry matter. At the same time, the yield on dry land plots does not exceed 0.9 t/ha. As part of the federal target program in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a long-term republican target subprogram “Development of agricultural land reclamation in the Republic of Bashkortostan for the period 2014-2020” is being implemented, which will increase the area of irrigated land to 54 thousand hectares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we propose several semantic kernels for word sense disambiguation (WSD). Our approaches adapt the intuition that class-based term values help in resolving ambiguity of polysemous words in WSD. We evaluate our proposed approaches with experiments, utilizing various sizes of training sets of disambiguated corpora (SensEval1). With these experiments we try to answer the following questions: 1.) Do our semantic kernel formulations yield higher classification performance than traditional linear kernel?, 2.) Under which conditions a kernel design performs better than others?, 3.) Does the addition of class labels into standard term-document matrix improve the classification accuracy?, 4.) Is their combination superior to either type?, 5.) Is ensemble of these kernels perform better than the baseline?, 6.) What is the effect of training set size? Our experiments demonstrate that our kernel-based WSD algorithms can outperform baseline in terms of F-score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of surface application and plowing of phosphogypsum and turkey litter to a depth of 20 cm on the erodibility of clay-illuvial agrochernozem (Luvic Chernozems (Aric, Pachic)) in the Southern Cis-Urals (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia). Under laboratory conditions, 1°, 3°, and 7° slopes were modeled. Soil loss, runoff onset time, and turbidity were measured with a rainfall simulator. Particle size distribution and total organic carbon were measured. Under simulated heavy rainfall (360-420 mm h-1) for 30 min, the untreated control had the highest soil loss (28.9 t ha-1). Separate and combined introductions of phosphogypsum and turkey litter significantly increased soil resistance to water erosion. Co-introduction of the amendments strengthened this effect especially when the phosphogypsum to turkey litter ratio increased from 1:10 to 1:2 at the higher dose (60 t ha-1). The turbidity of the runoff from a 1° slope reached a small peak within the first 3 min then gradually decreased thereafter. At 3°, the turbidity remained nearly constant over time and was uniformly distributed. At 7°, the turbidity sharply increased then gradually decreased and its distribution was a deformed bell. Washed-out (trapped) sediments from all treatments and slopes had relatively more very fine sand, silt, and clay and a slightly higher total organic carbon content than the original soil. Phosphogypsum and turkey litter wastes may be effective anti-erosion amendments and potential fertilizers because they increase flocculation, improve the structure, and enrich the organic matter and nutrient content of the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de la Papa is the property of Asociacion Latinoamericana de la Papa (ALAP) 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.)

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.)

This study was conducted July of 2012 in Iowa, in WARM (

We show that a superposition of an e-Bernoulli bond percolation and any everywhere percolating subgraph of ℤd, d ≥ 2, results in a connected subgraph, which after a renormalization dominates supercritical Bernoulli percolation. This result, which confirms a conjecture from (J. Math. Phys. 41 (2000) 1294-1297), is mainly motivated by obtaining finite volume characterizations of uniqueness for general percolation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workers are exposed to dust in broiler chicken production during daily work activities. Poultry dust may contain inflammatory agents (e.g., endotoxin) and inhalation exposure has been associated with pulmonary symptoms. Current practice to reduce worker exposure to poultry dust is the use of respiratory protection (e.g., elastomeric face-piece respirator with a P100 and ammonia chemical cartridge). Limited research has been conducted to evaluate engineering controls to reduce dust and ammonia concentrations in broiler chicken production; therefore, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a water sprinkling system to reduce inhalable dust and ammonia concentrations in a broiler chicken house. Inhalable dust and ammonia concentrations were measured daily for the production cycle of a flock of broiler chickens (63 days). Inhalable dust was measured gravimetrically using an inhalable sampler and ammonia was measured by a direct reading sensor. Sampling was performed on a stationary mannequin inside two broiler chicken houses. One house used a sprinkler cooling system to deliver a water mist throughout the house and the second house was an untreated control. The sprinkler system activated after day 5 of chicken placement, releasing water periodically from 6 am to 10 pm. The amount of sprinkling increased at day 10 and day 15 as recommended by the manufacturer. Geometric mean (GM) inhalable dust concentrations measured in the treatment house (5.5 mg/m3) were not different (p = 0.33) than those found in the control house (6.0 mg/m3). The GM ammonia concentrations were also not different (p = 0.34) across the treatment and control house [10.6 ppm (GSD: 1.80); GM 9.51 ppm (GSD: 1.77)], respectively. The use of cost effective engineering, administrative and personal exposure controls are needed in the poultry industry to effectively reduce worker's exposure to hazardous concentrations of dust and ammonia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper focuses on the impact of sprinkling and refrigerant based cooling methods of photovoltaic modules on actual performance, the duration of cooling and the quickness of the impact of cooling in comparison with monocrystalline photovoltaic modules without cooling. The obtained findings were analysed both from technical and economic aspects. Based on the parameters of the regression model used in this study ( r =0.61), it can be concluded that a 1 °C increase of air temperature in the examined range (18–29 °C) improves actual performance by 1.58 W and cooling is probably necessary at higher temperatures. On more cloudy days, the expected performance is 9.8 W lower on average ( P =0.001). In both experiments, there was an obvious negative correlation between module temperature and actual performance under constant radiation conditions. On more sunny days, one unit change in temperature resulted in a performance change of 1.2–1.3% ( R 2 =0.87–0.95), while more cloudy days resulted in less close correlation and a much lower change of temperature (0.8–0.9%) ( R 2 =0.70–0.81). The following conclusions can be drawn in relation to the two examined cooling methods: • The actual performance of the sprinkling method is higher than that of the other two alternatives (by 19% and 25% in the case of the control method and by 13% and 18% in the case of refrigerant based cooling, depending on the day of measurement). • After deducting the electricity needed for sprinkling cooling, the electric performance was still 12% better on average, using 22.5 L water per day on average. In the case of the refrigerant based cooling method, the produced extra energy was less than the electricity need of the heat exchanger itself; therefore, this method obviously seems to be unviable both from energetic and economic aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the absence of percolation in a directed Poisson-based random geometric graph with out-degree 1. This graph is an anisotropic variant of a line-segment based lilypond model obtained from an asymmetric growth protocol, which has been proposed by Daley and Last. In order to exclude backward percolation, one may proceed as in the lilypond model of growing disks and apply the mass-transport principle. Concerning the proof of the absence of forward percolation, we present a novel argument that is based on the method of sprinkling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper are shown research results of ecology and economic effectiveness of V-Blade tillage application for decreasing of water surface runoff and soil losses of Chernozems on slopes. It was established, that at the eroded chernozem V-Blade tillage application leads to reducing of snowmelt and rainwater. In this case, soil losses was less in 2,2-2,0 times, compared to traditional tillage (plowing). Using of V-Blade tillage contributes to the reduction of energy losses, which accumulated in chernozem's humus compounds and reducing the cost of human labor for cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal is to establish the features of the irrigation scheduling of sweet corn for two irrigation technologies-drip irrigation and sprinkling and to establish their impact on the yield and yield components. A two-factorial field experiment with irrigation of Super Sweet 71,12 R hybrid was carried out in Sofia region. The main-plot factors were A-irrigation technology: A1- sprinkling; A2- drip irrigation; B - irrigation depth: B1 -rainfed; B2 -50% of the maximum irrigation depth (MIrD); B3-75% of MIrD; B4 - irrigation with MIrD, which was relative to 80% of field capacity. The following productionelements were established-total ear fresh yield, marketable ear fresh yield, total ear number, marketable ear number, single marketable fresh ear mass, marketable ear row number, one row kernel number of a marketable ear, marketable ear fresh kernel mass. Plant characteristics were taken as plant height, leaves number per plant, ear legth, tassel length. Analysis of varience was applied to all data obtained. It was established that in conditions of a very dry and very warm growing season, sweet corn needs 3 irrigation applications and 180 mm net irrigation depth by sprinkling, and 5 irrigation applications and 75 mm net irrigation depth by drip irrigation. Drip irrigation creates better conditions for the green biomass development, while sprinkling creates better conditions for the productivity. The yield of the marketable ears under the impact of sprinkling was 11.4 Mg/ha and 62080 pieces, while under drip irrigation it is 9.5 Mg/ha and 57080 pcs. Irrigation had significant impact on the yield and the components of the yield. The irrigation depth had significant impact on the total ear fresh yield, marketable ear fresh yield, single marketable ear fresh mass and marketable ear kernel fresh mass. In terms of the yields obtained, sprinkling prevailed over drip irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work has shown that a short non-saline sprinkling, following saline sprinkling, increased crop growth. We incorporated this finding into an investigation of two approaches to the conjunctive use of saline and non-saline water sources for sprinkler irrigation of potatoes viz., (i) mixing waters prior to application, and (ii) keeping waters temporally separate, that is commencing each irrigation with saline water and finishing it with non-saline sprinkling. The latter approach delayed canopy senescence and increased tuber weight by at least 150%. Under both approaches, soil salinities and leaf and tuber concentrations of Na+ and Cl− were similar. Thus, the advantages of a non-saline sprinkling cannot be explained in terms of its effect on either soil osmotic potential or bulk tissue concentrations of putatively toxic ions Na+ and Cl−. We propose that the positive effect of finishing irrigations with a non-saline sprinkling may be attributed to either dilution, and hence increase in osmotic potential, of the water film that remains on the leaf after each irrigation or its effect on the distribution of the putatively toxic ions Na+ and Cl− within tissue.

Heat stress in summer can cause beef cattle to decrease feed intake and perform poorly, but such declines can be lessened if the beef cattle are cooled. Both the barn installed cooling fan and the chromium supplementation in diet are effective measures to relieve the degree of heat stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of fanning and sprinkling and chromium added to diet on physiological indexes and growth performance of beef cattle in summer in the Southern China. Twenty-eight Simmental Crossbred beef cattle (average body weight 379.3 kg) were chosen and randomly divided into four groups, and were raised in enclosed feedlot barn for 30 days. In treatment I (T1), fans and spraying system were installed and chromium nicotinate was supplemented in the diet. Only fans and spraying system was assembled in treatment II (T2). In treatment III (T3), only chromium nicotinate was supplemented. Neither the fan and spraying system nor chromium nicotinate was used in the control (T4). The dosage of chromium was 800 μg/kg. The indexes such as environmental factors, temperature-humidity index (THI), rectal temperature (Tr), respiration rate (RR), average daily gain (ADG) and economic benefits were collected. The results showed that compared with the barn without fans and spraying system, the average room temperature was lowered by 1.84°C (P<0.01) and wind speed increased by 8.27 times (P<0.01) in 14:00 in barns installed with fans and spraying system. The RR was reduced by 4.93 times (P<0.01) by fans and spraying system, and Tr was reduced by 0.23°C (P<0.01) by chromium supplementation compared to T4. No interaction effect on RR and Tr was obtained between chromium supplementation and fans and spraying system. The ADG in T1 was increased by 12.37% (P<0.05), 19.59% (P<0.05) and 34.02% (P<0.05) respectively to T2, T3, and T4. Compared with the control group, the ADG of T2 were increased by 24.71% (P<0.05), and gross profit of T1 was increased by 4.44 yuan per head per day. In conclusion, both the fans and spraying system and chromium supplementation relieved the heat stress of beef cattle, and the average daily weight gain was improved, and finally the economic benefits was increased. However, the combination use of the two measures could lead to better results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]