Halogen nuclear magnetic resonance shifts. Part I. Cl<SUP>35</SUP> resonance in alkali chlorides

The nuclear magnetic resonance shifts (chemical shifts) of Cl35 in aqueous solutions of alkali chlorides were determined using a High Resolution NMR Spectrometer. These small shifts probably represent the effect of the neighbouring atom even in the highly ionic state. A similarity of these results to the quadrupole coupling constants of the halogen atom in these molecules is pointed out

The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of four spin systems. III. Proton resonance spectra of α, β and γ picolines

The ring proton resonance spectra of &#945;, &#946; and &#947; picolines have been studied at 40 Mc./sec. The spectra which belong to the classes ABCX, ABXY and A2X2 respectively have been completely analyzed to determine all the involved parameters

Adenosine conformations of nucleotides bound to methionyl tRNA synthetase by transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy.

International audienceThe conformations of MgATP and AMP bound to a monomeric tryptic fragment of methionyl tRNA synthetase have been investigated by two-dimensional proton transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (TRNOESY). The sample protocol was chosen to minimize contributions from adventitious binding of the nucleotides to the observed NOE. The experiments were performed at 500 MHz on three different complexes, E.MgATP, E.MgATP.L-methioninol, and E.AMP.L-methioninol. A starter set of distances obtained by fitting NOE build-up curves (not involving H5' and H5") were used to determine a CHARMm energy-minimized structure. The positioning of the H5' and H5" protons was determined on the basis of a conformational search of the torsion angle to obtain the best fit with the observed NOEs for their superposed resonance. Using this structure, a relaxation matrix was set up to calculate theoretical build-up curves for all of the NOEs and compare them with the observed curves. The final structures deduced for the adenosine moieties in the three complexes are very similar, and are described by a glycosidic torsion angle (chi) of 56 degrees +/- 5 degrees and a phase angle of pseudorotation (P) in the range of 47 degrees to 52 degrees, describing a 3(4)T-4E sugar pucker. The glycosidic torsion angle, chi, deduced here for this adenylyl transfer enzyme and those determined previously for three phosphoryl transfer enzymes (creatine kinase, arginine kinase, and pyruvate kinase), and one pyrophosphoryl enzyme (PRibPP synthetase), are all in the range 52 degrees +/- 8 degrees. The narrow range of values suggests a possible common motif for the recognition and binding of the adenosine moiety at the active sites of ATP-utilizing enzymes, irrespective of the point of cleavage on the phosphate chain

Irrigation Investments and Groundwater Depletion in Indian Semi-Arid Villages:The Effect of Alternative Water Pricing Regimes. Working Paper Series no.17 Socio Economic Policy

Factors such as increasing population, scarcity of productive land and declining farm sizes in India have prompted the intensification of land use through increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, improved seeds and irrigation investments. This has contributed to increasing productivity of land and cropping intensities. The Green Revolution that transformed India from a food-deficit to a food-surplus nation took place in the more favorable areas with better access to markets and irrigation. However, frequent droughts and water scarcity are crucial barriers to improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods in the rainfed tropics of India. The watershed management approach has been promoted as a major rural development strategy for the drought-prone areas. Watershed communities have invested in groundwater recharging facilities to improve availability of water for irrigation. While such costs are borne by the local communities and the public, individual farmers freely capture the irrigation benefits. Groundwater is a free resource and de-facto rights are in the hands of landowners. This has increased private irrigation investments and depletion of open access aquifers in many dryland areas. Power subsidies and very low pumping costs aggravate the problem. The increased investment in irrigation has also encouraged a shift in cropping patterns towards water-intensive irrigated crops, a practice that may not be sustainable in water-scarce areas. This paper provides some insights into the village-level externalities that aggravate groundwater depletion and the different policy instruments that may be used to enhance collective action in community water management. An econometric land productivity model is used to evaluate alternative water pricing instruments for reducing the pressure on groundwater resources. The results indicate that water user charges can be introduced without serious consequences on the profitability of smallholder production activities. If properly implemented and managed by the local communities, this could bring considerable economic and environmental benefits

Socioeconomic characterization and analysis of resource-use patterns in community watersheds in semi-arid India.

This study uses existing data from two Indian watersheds to characterize the study sites and document the socioeconomic conditions and resource-use patterns of the watershed farmers. The analysis aims at identifying gaps in the existing socioeconomic database and suggesting areas for further investigation as part of ongoing research in the benchmark watersheds. The paper deals with different socioeconomic issues and resource use-patterns; the general biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics of the watershed locations; the basic characteristics of the surveyed households with an emphasis on demographic features, labour force, and levels of education; land ownership and asset position (including livestock and other household assets) of surveyed households; and cropping patterns, input intensities, and average crop yields from farmers' fields. It also discusses crop utilization and the degree of commercialization of production in the areas; farmers' access to and utilization of credit from formal and informal sources; and the level of adoption and use of soil, water, and pest management technologies. The paper finally discusses the limitations of the baseline data and proposes some areas for future research

Crop-Livestock Linkages in Watersheds of Andhra Pradesh: Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 29

There are a number of studies that have looked at the impact of watershed programs on rural livelihoods with a focus on crops and related activities but few have considered the importance of livestock. This study focuses on the crop-livestock linkages in dryland villages under watershed programs and concentrates on the impact of watershed interventions on crop-livestock linkages and the implication to rural livelihoods. For this study, baseline data collected from six watershed villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India under the Andhra Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Programme (APRLP) were analyzed with a focus on livestock production systems, size and composition of livestock holdings, milk production and marketing, and the availability and utilization of feed within the context of the socioeconomic, agroclimatic and agricultural backdrop of the villages. The impact of a watershed program on the crop-livestock system was studied by selecting two villages with the same agroclimatic conditions: one with a watershed intervention and the other without any intervention. The findings indicate that the bovine sector is more advanced in the watershed village compared to the control village with a shift in composition from work or draft animals to milch animals. Total increase in milk production in the watershed village is attributed to household level improvements in productivity, as a result of a better feeding regime. On a dry matter basis the quantity of fodder fed per adult livestock unit was 65–70% higher in the watershed village compared to the control village. In addition there was a dramatic increase in the quantity of greens fed which substituted for the use of concentrate feed usually composed of agro-industrial by-products. Conclusions indicate that the higher production of green biomass could be attributed to more intensive cropping resulting from improved moisture budgeting in the soils following the watershed intervention. Finally, the report suggests a few simple indicators that can be easily used to measure the impact of watershed programs on rural livelihoods with particular reference to crop-livestock linkages

Watershed Management and Farmer Conservation Investments in the Semi-Arid Tropics of India: Analysis of Determinants of Resource Use Decisions and Land Productivity Benefits. Socio Economic Policy Working Paper 16

Integrated watershed management has been promoted as a suitable strategy for improving productivity and sustainable intensification of agriculture in rainfed drought-prone regions. The paper examines the socioeconomic and biophysical factors influencing farmers’ soil and water conservation investment decisions and the resulting economic incentives (productivity benefits) from watershed management interventions in the semi-arid tropics of India. The paper develops a theoretical framework to test hypotheses and to explore (a) the interlinkages between land productivity, soil quality, input use and conservation investments, and (b) the influence of local market imperfections on production and conservation decisions. These relationships are analyzed using plot-level data in six semi-arid villages. A systems approach (3SLS) is used for the joint estimation of structural equations related to land productivity, input use, resource investments and land values. The results show that after controlling for input use and germplasm technologies, soil quality and access to supplemental irrigation significantly affect eproductivity of land. Off-farm income is negatively associated with resource investments and land productivity. The watershed program seems to have a greater impact on dryland crops (cereals and pulses) than on other crops not supported by the project. A plot-wise analysis found some degree of substitution between private and public investments in land and water management. Differential effects of family labor on the decision to invest in agriculture revealed that male labor plays a key role in this decision while female workers significantly influence the level of labor use in production and resource conservation. This indicates that labor market imperfections, especially for female labor, are most likely to affect production and conservation investments

Nutrient balances - a guide to improving sorghum- and groundnut-based dryland cropping systems in semi-arid tropical India

Information on soil-plant nutrient balance in India and elsewhere is scarce and mostly generalized. A review of earlier studies on nutrient balances was done to assess their relevance for researchers, policy makers, and farmers' understanding, to manage soil fertility for sustainable crop productivity. An on-farm nutrient balance study during 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 was designed to understand nutrient balances resulting from farmers' practices in semi-arid tropical regions of India. The soil in this area is an Alfisol. This diagnostic study targeted sorghum-based cropping systems and groundnut-based cropping systems in low rainfall areas of the Indian SAT. Selection of farmers for this study was done through a systematic survey and analyses of factors effecting farmers' decision making for nutrient inputs. Intensive plot-specific nutrient input and output measurements were carried out on 53 farmers' fields for sorghum-based systems and 45 farmers' fields for groundnut-based system in this study. Topsoil mineral nitrogen (N) content observed in 2 years at the beginning of the crop season in two locations of Andhra Pradesh, India, was surprisingly high and exchangeable potassium (K) contents also indicated sufficient supply in most fields. Available phosphorus (P) in the majority of fields in both locations was around threshold levels, and just sufficient for most crops. The nutrient balance in sorghum-based systems indicates a moderate to higher negative balance of potassium leading to soil mining for potassium supply in these systems. Nitrogen and P balances were generally positive. Although the groundnut-based system accumulated 53% of its N requirements through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), negative balances of N and K were observed mainly due to low applications of these nutrients. Application of K along with options for improving BNF of groundnut are suggested. Better nodulating groundnut cultivars and efficient rhizobium strains need to be introduced. High positive balances were observed in the systems whenever commercial crops like castor and cotton were sown in the rotation. This indicates farmers' preferences for applying excess quantities of farmyard manure to commercially important crops even in dryland farming systems. The replenishment costs of mined nutrients annually in different cropping systems were calculated based on current market prices of inorganic fertilizers

Kapanimbargi Village at a Glance

Forty-two villages were selected (18 in semi-arid tropics (SAT) of peninsular India, 12 in humid tropics of East India and 12 in Bangladesh) based on certain relevant characteristics, as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)-supported Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Project of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The aim of the project was to track rural poverty in household and village economies in the region, to provide the most efficient way to understand the farming systems in rural areas, and to identify the socioeconomic constraints faced by the farming community. In the SAT region, 18 villages spread across 9 districts in 5 states were identified for the study, of which 6 were chosen in 1975 under the erstwhile Village Level Studies (VLS) project of the then Economics Program of ICRISAT, and the other 12 were included in the expanded VDSA project during 2009. Kapanimbargi is one of these 12 new villages