Yield and quality response of drip-irrigated pepper under Mediterranean climatic conditions to various water regimes

This study examines the effects of different irrigation regimes on yield and water use of pepper irrigated by a drip system under field conditions during the 2004 growing season at the Soil and Water Resources Research Institute in Tarsus, Turkey under Mediterranean climatic conditions. The field trials consisted of three irrigation intervals (IF1:20±2, IF2:40±2 and IF3:60±2 mm of cumulative pan evaporation) and evaluated by three irrigation levels (DI1=0.50, DI2=0.75 and DI3=1.00). Both the irrigation levels (DI) and intervals (IF) had significantly different effects on pepper yields. The maximum and minimum yields were obtained from the IF1DI3 and IF3DI1 treatment plots as 35920 and 21390 kg ha-1, respectively. The yields and yield components decreased as irrigation levels decreased for each irrigation interval. However, the larger irrigation interval (IF3) resulted in lower yields with all irrigation levels. Pepper seasonal evapotranspiration varied from a low 327 mm in the more stressfull treatment (IF3DI1) to a high 517 mm in the well irrigated control (IF1DI3). Significant linear relations were found between the pepper yield and the total water use for each irrigation interval. Irrigation intervals resulted in similar water use in the treatments with the same irrigation level. Water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) values were significantly influenced by the irrigation intervals and levels. WUE ranged from 6.0 kg m-3 in IF3DI2 to 7.8 kg m-3 in the IF1DI1. The maximum IWUE was observed in IF1DI1, and the minimum IWUE was in IF3DI3 treatment. Both irrigation levels and frequencies had significantly different effects on quality parameters such as the first and second quality yield, number of fruit, mean fruit weight, pepper length and width, as well as plant height at harvest. In conclusion, the IF1DI3 irrigation regime is recommended for field grown pepper in order to attain higher yields with improved quality. Economic evaluation revealed that full irrigation treatment (IF1DI3) generated the highest net income. However, under water scarcity conditions, IF1DI2 treatment can provide an acceptable net income.Key words: Pepper, deficit irrigation, water use efficiency, yield response factor, economic evaluation

Analysis Description Languages for the LHC

An analysis description language is a domain specific language capable of describing the contents of an LHC analysis in a standard and unambiguous way, independent of any computing framework. It is designed for use by anyone with an interest in, and knowledge of, LHC physics, i.e., experimentalists, phenomenologists and other enthusiasts. Adopting analysis description languages would bring numerous benefits for the LHC experimental and phenomenological communities ranging from analysis preservation beyond the lifetimes of experiments or analysis software to facilitating the abstraction, design, visualization, validation, combination, reproduction, interpretation and overall communication of the analysis contents. Here, we introduce the analysis description language concept and summarize the current efforts ongoing to develop such languages and tools to use them in LHC analyses.Comment: Accepted contribution to the proceedings of The 8th Annual Conference on Large Hadron Collider Physics, LHCP2020, 25-30 May, 2020, onlin

Optimization of F2 layer parameters using IRI-Plas model and IONOLAB Total Electron Content

In this study, the relation of the maximum ionization height (HmF2) and the critical frequency (FoF2) of F2 layer is examined within their parametric range through the International Reference Ionosphere extended towards the plasmasphere (IRI-Plas) model and the IONOLAB-TEC (Total Electron Content) observations. HmF2 and FoF2 are optimized using an iterational loop through Non-Linear Least Squares method by also using a physical relation constraint between these two parameters. Performance evaluation of optimization algorithm is performed separately for the cases running IRI-Plas with optimized parameters and TEC input; only with optimized parameters; only with TEC and finally with no optimized parameter and TEC input. As a conclusion, it is seen that using optimized parameters and TEC together as input produces best IRI-TEC estimates. But also using only optimized parameters (without TEC update) gives estimates with also very low RMS errors and is suitable to use in optimizations. HmF2 and FoF2 estimates are obtained separately for a quiet day, positively corrupted day, negatively corrupted day, a northern latitude and a southern latitude. HmF2 and FoF2 estimation results are compared with ionosonde data where available. This study enables the modification and update of empirical and deterministic IRI Model to include instantaneous variability of the ionosphere. © 2011 IEEE

The Douglas-Fir Genome Sequence Reveals Specialization of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Pinaceae.

A reference genome sequence for Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco (Coastal Douglas-fir) is reported, thus providing a reference sequence for a third genus of the family Pinaceae. The contiguity and quality of the genome assembly far exceeds that of other conifer reference genome sequences (contig N50 = 44,136 bp and scaffold N50 = 340,704 bp). Incremental improvements in sequencing and assembly technologies are in part responsible for the higher quality reference genome, but it may also be due to a slightly lower exact repeat content in Douglas-fir vs. pine and spruce. Comparative genome annotation with angiosperm species reveals gene-family expansion and contraction in Douglas-fir and other conifers which may account for some of the major morphological and physiological differences between the two major plant groups. Notable differences in the size of the NDH-complex gene family and genes underlying the functional basis of shade tolerance/intolerance were observed. This reference genome sequence not only provides an important resource for Douglas-fir breeders and geneticists but also sheds additional light on the evolutionary processes that have led to the divergence of modern angiosperms from the more ancient gymnosperms

Space-time interpolation and automatic mapping of TEC using TNPGN-active

Turkish National Permanent GPS Network (TNPGN) is the Reference Station Network of 146 continuously-operating GNSS stations o which are distributed uniformly across Turkey and North Cyprus Turkish Republic since May 2009. IONOLAB group, formed by researchers and students in Hacettepe University, Bilkent University and General Command of Mapping is currently investigating new techniques for space-time interpolation, and automatic mapping of TEC through a TUBITAK research grant. This study presents the developments in monitoring of space weather, and correction of geodetic positioning errors due to ionosphere using TNPGN. © 2011 IEEE

Testing Yukawa-unified SUSY during year 1 of LHC: the role of multiple b-jets, dileptons and missing E_T

We examine the prospects for testing SO(10) Yukawa-unified supersymmetric models during the first year of LHC running at \sqrt{s}= 7 TeV, assuming integrated luminosity values of 0.1 to 1 fb^-1. We consider two cases: the Higgs splitting (HS) and the D-term splitting (DR3) models. Each generically predicts light gluinos and heavy squarks, with an inverted scalar mass hierarchy. We hence expect large rates for gluino pair production followed by decays to final states with large b-jet multiplicity. For 0.2 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity, we find a 5 sigma discovery reach of m(gluino) ~ 400 GeV even if missing transverse energy, E_T^miss, is not a viable cut variable, by examining the multi-b-jet final state. A corroborating signal should stand out in the opposite-sign (OS) dimuon channel in the case of the HS model; the DR3 model will require higher integrated luminosity to yield a signal in the OS dimuon channel. This region may also be probed by the Tevatron with 5-10 fb^-1 of data, if a corresponding search in the multi-b+ E_T^miss channel is performed. With higher integrated luminosities of ~1 fb^-1, using E_T^miss plus a large multiplicity of b-jets, LHC should be able to discover Yukawa-unified SUSY with m(gluino) up to about 630 GeV. Thus, the year 1 LHC reach for Yukawa-unified SUSY should be enough to either claim a discovery of the gluino, or to very nearly rule out this class of models, since higher values of m(gluino) lead to rather poor Yukawa unification.Comment: 32 pages including 31 EPS figure

Space weather activities of IONOLAB group using TNPGN GPS Network

Characterization and constant monitoring of variability of the ionosphere is of utmost importance for the performance improvement of HF communication, Satellite communication, navigation and guidance systems, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems, Space Craft exit and entry into the atmosphere and space weather. Turkish National Permanent GPS Network (TNPGN) is the Reference Station Network of 146 continuously-operating GNSS stations of which are distributed uniformly across Turkey and North Cyprus Turkish Republic since May 2009. IONOLAB group is currently investigating new techniques for space-time interpolation, and automatic mapping of TEC through a TUBITAK research grant. It is utmost importance to develop regional stochastic models for correction of ionospheric delay in geodetic systems and also form a scientific basis for communication link characterization. This study is a brief summary of the efforts of IONOLAB group in monitoring of space weather, and correction of geodetic positioning errors due to ionosphere using TNPGN. © 2011 IEEE