Survey of 'Fusarium' species associated with crown rot of wheat and barley in eastern Australia

'Fusarium' species associated with crown rot were isolated and identified from 409 wheat, barley or durum wheat crops from the eastern Australian grain belt between 1996 and 1999. 'Fusarium pseudograminearum' was almost the only species isolated from crops inQueensland and New South Wales. 'F. pseudograminearum' was also the most common species in Victoria and South Australia, but 'F. culmorum' was frequently isolated in these states. 'F. culmorum' accounted for more than 70% of isolates from the Victorian high rainfall (>500 mm) region and the South-East region of South Australia. 'F. culmorum' comprised 18% of isolates from the Victorian medium rainfall (350-500 mm) region, and 7% of isolates from each of the Victorian low rainfall region and the Mid-North region of South Australia.'F. avenaceum', 'F. crookwellense' and 'F. graminearum' were isolated very infrequently. The proportion of 'F. culmorum' among isolates of 'Fusarium' from districts in Victoria and South Australia was strongly correlated with climatic conditions around the end of the growingseason, especially with rainfall in November

Simulated global climate response to tropospheric ozone-induced changes in plant transpiration

Tropospheric ozone (O₃) pollution is known to damage vegetation, reducing photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, resulting in modified plant transpiration to the atmosphere. We use an Earth system model to show that global transpiration response to near‐present‐day surface tropospheric ozone results in large‐scale global perturbations to net outgoing long‐wave and incoming shortwave radiation. Our results suggest that the radiative effect is dominated by a reduction in shortwave cloud forcing in polluted regions, in response to ozone‐induced reduction in land‐atmosphere moisture flux and atmospheric humidity. We simulate a statistically significant response of annual surface air temperature of up to ~ +1.5 K due to this ozone effect in vegetated regions subjected to ozone pollution. This mechanism is expected to further increase the net warming resulting from historic and future increases in tropospheric ozone

Hygrothermal durability of bond in FRP-strengthened masonry

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) are accepted as an efficient material for external strengthening of masonry structures. Previous researches have shown that the bond between FRP and the substrate plays an important role in the effectiveness of this strengthening technique. Extensive investigations have been devoted to the characterization of the short-term bond behavior, while its durability and long-term performance requires further studies. In this regard, a full experimental program for investigating the environmental durability of bond in FRP-strengthened masonry is crucial for understanding the degrading mechanisms. This paper presents the results of an experimental program aimed at investigating the hygrothermal durability of bond in FRP-strengthened bricks. Accelerated ageing tests were performed on the FRP-strengthened brick elements and the bond degradation was periodically investigated by visual inspection and by conventional single-lap shear bond tests. The changes in the properties of material constituents have also been monitored. The obtained results are presented and critically discussed.This work was developed within the framework of the RILEM Technical Committee "223-MSC: Masonry Strengthening with Composite Materials". The financial support from the project FP7-ENV-2009-1-244123-NIKER of the 7th Framework Program of the European Commission is gratefully acknowledged. The first author also acknowledges the financial support of the Portuguese Science Foundation (Fundacao de Ciencia e Tecnologia, FCT), through grant SFRH/BD/80697/2011

Determining the effect of drying time on phosphorus solubilization from three agricultural soils under climate change scenarios

Climate projections for the future indicate that the United Kingdom will experience hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters, bringing longer dry periods followed by rewetting. This will result in changes in phosphorus (P) mobilization patterns that will influence the transfer of P from land to water. We tested the hypothesis that changes in the future patterns of drying–rewetting will affect the amount of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) solubilized from soil. Estimations of dry period characteristics (duration and temperature) under current and predicted climate were determined using data from the UK Climate Projections (UKCP09) Weather Generator tool. Three soils (sieved 25°C are predicted in some places and dry periods of 30 to 90 d extremes are predicted. Combining the frequency of projected dry periods with the SRP concentration in leachate suggests that this may result overall in increased mobilization of P; however, critical breakpoints of 6.9 to 14.5 d dry occur wherein up to 28% more SRP can be solubilized following a rapid rewetting event. The precise cause of this increase could not be identified and warrants further investigation as the process is not currently included in P transfer models

Introduction to the special issue "in-depth study of air pollution sources and processes within Beijing and its surrounding region (APHH-Beijing)"

© 2019 Author(s). The Atmospheric Pollution and Human Health in a Chinese Megacity (APHH-Beijing) programme is an international collaborative project focusing on understanding the sources, processes and health effects of air pollution in the Beijing megacity. APHH-Beijing brings together leading China and UK research groups, state-of-the-art infrastructure and air quality models to work on four research themes: (1) sources and emissions of air pollutants; (2) atmospheric processes affecting urban air pollution; (3) air pollution exposure and health impacts; and (4) interventions and solutions. Themes 1 and 2 are closely integrated and support Theme 3, while Themes 1-3 provide scientific data for Theme 4 to develop cost-effective air pollution mitigation solutions. This paper provides an introduction to (i) the rationale of the APHH-Beijing programme and (ii) the measurement and modelling activities performed as part of it. In addition, this paper introduces the meteorology and air quality conditions during two joint intensive field campaigns-a core integration activity in APHH-Beijing. The coordinated campaigns provided observations of the atmospheric chemistry and physics at two sites: (i) the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in central Beijing and (ii) Pinggu in rural Beijing during 10 November-10 December 2016 (winter) and 21 May-22 June 2017 (summer). The campaigns were complemented by numerical modelling and automatic air quality and low-cost sensor observations in the Beijing megacity. In summary, the paper provides background information on the APHH-Beijing programme and sets the scene for more focused papers addressing specific aspects, processes and effects of air pollution in Beijing

Crop Updates 2006 - Weeds

This session covers thirty seven papers from different authors: 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, Alexandra Douglas, CONVENOR – WEEDS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SPRAY TECHNOLOGY 2. Meeting the variable application goals with new application technology, Thomas M. Wolf, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre 3. Spray nozzles for grass weed control, Harm van Rees, BCG (Birchip Cropping Group) 4. Boom sprayer setups – achieving coarse droplets with different operating parameters, Bill Gordon, Bill Gordon Consulting 5. Complying with product label requirements, Bill Gordon, Bill Gordon Consulting 6. IWM a proven performer over 5 years in 33 focus paddocks, Peter Newman and Glenn Adam, Department of Agriculture 7. Crop topping of wild radish in lupins and barley, how long is a piece of string? Peter Newman and Glenn Adam, Department of Agriculture 8. Determining the right timing to maximise seed set control of wild radish, Aik Cheam and Siew Lee, Department of Agriculture 9. Why weed wiping varies in success rates in broadacre crops? Aik Cheam1, Katherine Hollaway2, Siew Lee1, Brad Rayner1 and John Peirce1,1Department of Agriculture, 2Department of Primary Industries, Victoria 10. Are WA growers successfully managing herbicide resistant annual ryegrass? Rick Llewellynabc, Frank D’Emdena, Mechelle Owenb and Stephen Powlesb aCRC Australian Weed Management, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Western Australia; bWA Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia. cCurrent address: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems 11. Do herbicide resistant wild radish populations look different? Michael Walsh, Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia 12. Can glyphosate and paraquat annual ryegrass reduce crop topping efficacy? Emma Glasfurd, Michael Walsh and Kathryn Steadman, Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia 13. Tetraploid ryegrass for WA. Productive pasture phase AND defeating herbicide resistant ryegrass, Stephen Powlesa, David Ferrisab and Bevan Addisonc, aWA Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia; bDepartment of Agriculture, and cElders Limited 14. Long-term management impact on seedbank of wild radish with multiple resistance to diflufenican and triazines, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, Dave Nicholson and Ruben Vargas, Department of Agriculture 15. East-west crop row orientation improves wheat and barley yields, Dr Shahab Pathan, Dr Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins and Catherine Borger3, Department of Agriculture, 3WAHRI, The University ofWestern Australia 16. Competitiveness of different lupin cultivars with wild radish, Dr Shahab Pathan, Dr Bob French and Dr Abul Hashem, Department of Agriculture 17. Managing herbicide resistant weeds through farming systems, Kari-Lee Falconer, Martin Harries and Chris Matthews, Department of Agriculture 18. Lupins tolerate in-row herbicides well, Peter Newman and Martin Harries, Department of Agriculture 19. Summer weeds can reduce wheat grain yield and protein, Dr Abul Hashem1, Dr Shahab Pathan1 and Vikki Osten3, 1Department Agriculture, 3Senior Agronomist, CRC for Australian Weed Management, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries 20. Diuron post-emergent in lupins, the full story, Peter Newman and Glenn Adam, Department of Agriculture 21. Double incorporation of trifluralin, Peter Newman and Glenn Adam, Department of Agriculture 22. Herbicide tolerance of narrow leafed and yellow lupins, Harmohinder Dhammu, David Nicholson, Department of Agriculture 23. MIG narrow leaf lupin herbicide tolerance trial, Richard Quinlan, Planfarm Pty Ltd, Trials Coordinator MIG; Debbie Allen, Research Agronomist – MIG 24. Herbicide tolerance of new albus lupins, Harmohinder Dhammu, David Nicholson, Department of Agriculture 25. Field pea x herbicide tolerance, Mark Seymour and Harmohinder Dhammu, Research Officers, and Pam Burgess, Department of Agriculture 26. Faba bean variety x herbicide tolerance, Mark Seymour and Harmohinder Dhammu, Research Officers, and Pam Burgess, Department of Agriculture 27. Herbicide tolerance of new Kabili chickpeas, Harmohinder Dhammu, Owen Coppen and Chris Roberts, Department of Agriculture 28. Timing of phenoxys application in EAG Eagle Rock, Harmohinder Dhammu, David Nicholson, Department of Agriculture 29. Herbicide tolerance of new wheat varieties, Harmohinder Dhammu, David Nicholson, Department of Agriculture 30. Lathyrus sativus x herbicide tolerance, Mark Seymour, Department of Agriculture 31. Tolerance of annual pasture species to herbicides and mixtures containing diuron, Christiaan Valentine and David Ferris, Department of Agriculture 32. The impact of herbicides on pasture legume species – a summary of scientific trial results across 8 years, Christiaan Valentine and David Ferris, Department of Agriculture 33. The impact of spraytopping on pasture legume seed set, Christiaan Valentine and David Ferris, Department of Agriculture 34. Ascochyta interaction with Broadstrike in chickpeas, H.S. Dhammu1, A.K. Basandrai2,3, W.J. MacLeod1, 3 and C. Roberts1, 1Department of Agriculture, 2CSKHPAU, Dhaulakuan, Sirmour (HP), India and 3CLIMA 35. Best management practices for atrazine in broadacre crops, John Moore, Department of Agriculture, Neil Rothnie, Chemistry Centre of WA, Russell Speed, Department of Agriculture, John Simons, Department of Agriculture, and Ted Spadek, Chemistry Centre of WA 36. Biology and management of red dodder (Cuscuta planiflolia) – a new threat to the grains industry, Abul Hashem, Daya Patabendige and Chris Roberts, Department Agriculture 37. Help the wizard stop the green invaders! Michael Renton, Sally Peltzer and Art Diggle, Department of Agricultur

Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme - ERAMMP Report-60: ERAMMP Integrated Modelling Platform (IMP) Land Use Scenarios

Six scenarios consisting of changes in farm-gate prices (T1 to T6) have been applied to the ERAMMP Integrated Modelling Platform (IMP) to simulate impacts on land use change, biodiversity and ecosystem services (carbon, water quality and air quality). The scenarios were based on discussions held between stakeholders in the Evidence and Scenario subgroup (Roundtable Wales and Brexit1) and Welsh Government (WG) policy officials. These discussions took place in late 2020 before the arrangements for the UK leaving the EU were agreed, therefore are based on broad assumptions around the detail of the trade agreement with the EU as well as other third countries including Australia, New Zeland and USA. It is important to note that the outputs of these discussions which were used as inputs into the ERAMMP IMP may therefore not accurately reflect the outcomes achieved within the finalised trade agreements. The T1 scenario assumes no EU trade deal and trade liberalisation, with no tariffs applied to imported products and T2 an EU trade deal with no change to the trade arrangements with third countries. These two scenarios used the changes to farm-gate prices modelled by FAPRI2. The assumptions used in the T3 to T6 scenarios were based on expert opinion from the stakeholder group, and include impacts on farm-gate prices which potentially could have resulted from different combinations of trade deals with New Zealand, Australia and USA. Scenarios which include “no EU deal” options (T1 and T4) are no longer relevant. In no way whatsoever do T1, T3, T4, T5 and T6 represent a WG position; our understanding of the nature and impact of new and emerging trade deals has evolved significantly and the WG Trade Policy Team lead in this area. The objective of this work was to gain an early understanding of how changes in farm-gate prices potentially resulting from trading relationships may influence land use and subsequently effect entry into the Sustainable Farming Scheme. We note that many other factors are also likely to influence Welsh farmgate prices, such as (but not limited to), currency exchange rates, energy prices and extreme weather events in other parts of the world. This report provides an overview of the land use implications of all these scenarios, but focuses on the T2 scenario, which represents an EU Trade Deal. This T2 scenario is being used as the counterfactual scenario against which the costs and benefits of the land use implications of the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme will be assessed in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the proposed Agricultural Bill. This includes the estimated environmental outcomes of the EU Trade Deal scenario and, where the ERAMMP IMP has attached monetary valuations to these, the value of these outcomes to society. In the Cost Benefit Analysis, these monetary values will inform the overall estimated Net Present Value (NPV) of this business-as-usual counterfactual. The IMP involves many assumptions and these need to be borne in mind when interpreting and using its outcomes. By necessity, all models are a simplification of the real situation, but can still provide very useful insights if applied for a specific purpose and with caution. The collaborative and iterative consortium-based approach to co-designing the IMP has meant that Welsh Government and IMP teams have clear, open channels of communication for asking questions. This ensures that the modelling represents government aspirations as well as possible and the limits of the approach are well understood. IMP outputs for the T2 scenario show that some simulated full-time farms (>1 FTE labour) come under economic pressure (7%) and are simulated to be unable to produce a sufficient Farm Business Income to be economically viable. For these farm types, no options to transition to a more alternative profitable farm type are available and they are assumed to leave full-time agriculture. A greater number of farms transition to dairying resulting in a 75% increase in the number of dairy farms. This is associated with large increases in the number of dairy cattle (73%) and reductions in sheep (-34%). A general intensification of grassland systems is simulated resulting from the farm type transitions, with a 66% increase in temporary grasslands and a 21% decrease in permanent grasslands. Overall, these changes in agriculture and land use are simulated to lead to mixed, but predominantly negative, effects on biodiversity, increases in GHG emissions and deterioration in air and water quality. The T2 scenario predicts the least change in agriculture out of the six scenarios. T1 simulates the greatest impacts on agriculture due to significant farm-gate price reductions across dairy, beef and sheep systems, with a large number of full-time farms leaving agriculture. This leads to large increases in woodland area and generally positive effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. T3 and T4 also simulate large impacts on agriculture. These are associated with significant farm transitions to dairy (due to increases in milk prices and significant decreases in beef and lamb prices) resulting in larger increases in GHG emissions and greater declines in air and water quality, compared to the T2 scenario. The T5 and T6 scenarios fall between these extremes, with T6 projecting the second greatest impacts on agriculture (after T1) in terms of farms under pressure. These simulated changes in agriculture are associated with net benefits for air and water quality, but net costs for GHG emissions; although these costs are lower than for scenarios T3-T5