No runoff, no soil loss : soil and water conservation in hedgerow barrier systems

Land degradation by water erosion represents a serious, and fast increasing, environmental threat. Hedgerow barriers control water erosion through the presence of the tree stem and through an increase in infiltration beneath the hedgerow. The infiltration rate beneath hedgerows is 3-8 times higher than in the alley where crops are grown. Soil water content measurements in hedgerow barrier systems indicate that infiltrated water penetrates the soil beneath hedgerows deeper than the soil beneath the alley and the control. An analytical framework for calculating the impact of hedgerows and mulch on infiltration, runoff and soil loss is presented here. The framework was expanded with algorithms to calculate the impact of hedgerows of various densities, ranging from 1-4 rows. The framework was applied on a seasonal basis and the predictions were satisfactory. Extreme events can be explained when dynamic soil and plant conditions are incorporated. A dynamic simulation model called SHIELD has been developed that explains the experimental observations for runoff, soil loss and crop yields using daily time steps. Application of the model illustrates the importance of dynamic soil and plant conditions to the amount of soil being lost and shows that SHIELD can be used to compute the maximum desired distance between hedgerows with respect to tolerable soil loss

Simulation of maize growth under conservation farming in tropical environments.

This book is written for students and researchers with a keen interest in the quantification of the field soil water balance in tropical environments and the effect of conservation farming on crop production. Part 1 deals with the potential production, i.e. crop growth under ample supply of water nutrients in a pest-, disease- and weed-free environment. Part 2 deals with crop production under rainfed or water-limited conditions by including the crop water balance as well as the soil water balance. Both models use maize as an example. The way the MAIZE models are presented differs from the modular structure of present day models, where separate data blocks for soil, crop and climate are added at the end of a main programme. Here, the explanatory text follows, as closely as possible, the computer listing of the model. Each chapter starts with a number of lines which were copied from the listing. Subsequently, the terminology is justified and the input data and the dimensions of variables are explained. Another special feature is the fact that parameter and function values are defined directly after the line in which they are used for the first time. This method highlights the places where the model needs input from the user. In this way it is stressed that the accuracy of the model depends on the availability and quality of the input data, together with the correct understanding and description of the processes involved. The third part of this book contains a number of application

MON 79351– eine neue Glyphosat-Flüssigformulierung

MON 79351 ist eine neuartige Glyphosat-Flüssigformulierung, welche eine weitere Entwicklungsoptimierung in der Roundup®-Produktfamilie darstellt. Mit 480 g/l Wirkstoffkonzentration übertrifft diese Flüssigformulierung unsere bisher in Deutschland vertriebenen wasserlöslichen Konzentrate. Das Produkt ist als Kaliumsalz formuliert und bietet Vorteile in der Anwendung gegenüber bisher verfügbaren Mitteln mit gleichem Wirkstoff. Die im Rahmen der Produktentwicklung durchgeführten Versuche attestieren MON 79351 eine hervorragende Wirksamkeit gegen mono- und dikotyle ein- und mehrjährige Unkräuter bei verschiedensten Bedingungen. Grund hierfür ist das neuartige Netzmittelsystem, welches bei sehr günstigem ökotoxikologischem Profil die nachhaltige Wirkung absichert. MON 79351 ist bereits in einigen europäischen Ländern zugelassen und auch in Deutschland ist die Zulassung angestrebt. Stichwörter: Glyphosat, Kaliumsalz, nichtselektives Herbizid, Roundup®, SL, wasserlösliches Konzentrat MON 79351 – a novel liquid glyphosate herbicideMON 79351 is a novel liquid glyphosate herbicide which represents the improved product generation within the Roundup® product family. Containing 480 g/l active ingredient, this liquid formulation exceeds our current distributed soluble concentrates in Germany. MON 79351 is formulated as a potassium salt and offers product advantages in contrast to conventional glyphosate products. In product development trials, MON 79351 provides an excellent efficacy against mono- and dicotyledonous annual and perennial weeds under diverse conditions. One reason to secure the sustainable efficacy is a new system of surfactants with a favorable ecotoxicological profile. MON 79351 is already approved in some European countries and registration is aimed for Germany.Keywords: Glyphosate, non-selective herbicide, potassium salt, Roundup®, SL, water soluble concentrat

Differential effects of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins-1, -2, -3, and -6 on cultured growth plate chondrocytes

Differential effects of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins-1, -2, -3, and -6 on cultured growth plate chondrocytes.BackgroundIn children with chronic renal failure (CRF), impairment of longitudinal growth is in part due to excess amounts of circulating high-affinity insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) that might decrease or prevent insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding to its signaling receptor. However, it appears from the clinical studies that various IGFBPs may have contrasting effects on longitudinal growth. Because of the potential importance of the IGFBPs as modulators of longitudinal growth in pediatric CRF, the aim of the present study was to investigate the biological effects of IGFBP-1, -2, -3, and -6 on cultured growth plate chondrocytes that express the type 1 IGF receptor.MethodsThe effects of exogenous IGFBPs on IGF-independent and IGF-dependent proliferation of rat growth plate chondrocytes in primary culture were investigated. Proliferation was assessed by colony formation of agarose-stabilized long-term suspension cultures and by the [3H]thymidine assay. The effects of IGFBPs on IGF-I binding and the binding of IGFBPs to chondrocytes were assessed by binding studies with radiolabeled proteins in monolayer culture.ResultsIntact IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-6 inhibited in equimolar concentration the IGF-I- and IGF-II-stimulated DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, whereas the biological activity of IGFBP-3 was complex. It had an IGF-independent antiproliferative effect and also inhibited IGF-dependent chondrocyte proliferation under coincubation conditions, whereas under preincubation conditions IGFBP-3 enhanced IGF-I-responsiveness. Studies on the mechanism by which IGFBP-3 potentiated IGF activity demonstrated that under preincubation conditions IGFBP-3 is capable to associate with the cell membrane and to facilitate IGF-I cell surface binding.ConclusionsIntact IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-6 act exclusively as growth inhibitors on IGF-dependent proliferation of growth plate chondrocytes. IGFBP-3, however, can either inhibit IGF-independent and IGF-dependent cell proliferation, or enhance IGF responsiveness of chondrocytes dependent on the temporal relationship to the IGF exposure

Plattformökonomie und Crowdworking: eine Analyse der Strategien und Positionen zentraler Akteure

In dieser Kurzexpertise werden die Positionen erhoben, systematisiert und analysiert, die maßgebliche Akteure auf nationaler, europäischer und internationaler Ebene zum Phänomen der Plattformökonomie artikulieren. Der Fokus liegt auf dem Bereich Crowdworking beziehungsweise Cloud- und Gigworking als plattformvermittelter Arbeit. Dabei werden sowohl die grundlegenden Einschätzungen über die aktuelle Bedeutung und zukünftige Entwicklung des Phänomens, als auch die konkreten Bewertungen der Akteure dargestellt. Der Schwerpunkt der Expertise liegt auf den von den Akteuren formulierten Regulierungsperspektiven. Die von den Akteuren favorisierten Regulierungsvorschläge und -forderungen werden systematisiert und den drei zentralen Diskursen - dem Transformations-, dem Wachstums- sowie dem Sicherheits- und Beteiligungsdiskurs - zugeordnet

Pikachu und Co: soziologische Perspektiven auf Pokémon Go

Das Trendspiel Pokémon Go erreichte im Sommer 2016 hohe Downloadzahlen und eine breite mediale Aufmerksamkeit. In der vorliegenden explorativen Studie wird der von Pokémon Go angesprochene Personenkreis charakterisiert und die Gründe für den großen Erfolg des Spiels untersucht. Zudem leistet dieses Paper eine kritische Prüfung der Nachhaltigkeit des Phänomens Pokémon Go. Die Autorengruppe zeigt, dass Pokémon Go überwiegend die jüngere Generation anspricht, was wiederum mit dem zentralen Motiv für das Spielen von Pokémon Go zusammenhängt: nostalgische Kindheitserinnerungen an Pokémon. Die Probandinnen und Probanden benennen abgesehen von dem klar identifizierten Nostalgieaspekt eine unübersichtliche Gemengelage aus Augmented Reality, Mobilitätsanreiz, Alltagsintegration und Gemeinschaftsfaktor, üben aber auch Kritik an der Spielmechanik. Der Medienhype und der erfolgreich gewählte Veröffentlichungszeitraum des Spiels verstärkten den Erfolg

Carbon dioxide balance of subarctic tundra from plot to regional scales

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