\u3ci\u3eVirgin\u3c/i\u3e

I could catch a unicorn from the mystic wood

Screening of winter barley varieties (Hordeum vulgare) for resistance against loose smut (Ustilago nuda) and covered smut (Ustilago hordei) in Germany

Up to now organic farmers depend greatly on conventionally bred and produced varieties of barley. A turning point was set in 2004 by EU regulation No. 1452/2003 restricting the use of conventionally propagated seed and planting material for organic agriculture. Concerning smut fungi in barley, conventional seed producer's attention was rarely directed to plant resistance due to the possibility of chemical seed treatment (controlling the diseases completely). A main problem for organic seed producers is that organically produced seeds have to fulfil the same regular phytosanitary requirements like conventionally produced seeds. For the production of certified seeds not more than five ears infected with Ustilago hordei (Uh) and/or U. nuda (Un) are allowed on an area of 150 m² in Germany (RUTZ 1998). Though warm or hot water treatment can give excellent control of Un and Uh in organic farming (WINTER et al. 1996), the effect is not sufficient for seed production. Even biological control agents (for example Tillecur®) cannot reach the demands of the guidelines reliably. As an effective way to keep the restrictions remains the cultivation of resistant varieties. Aim of the presented study was to screen winter barley varieties for their degree of smut resistance in Germany. It started in 2000 (KLAUSE & SPIESS 2003) and is sponsored within the Federal Organic Farming Scheme since 2002

Fortführung der Sortenevaluierung auf Flug- und Hartbrandanfälligkeit der Wintergerste sowie Prüfung flug- und hartbrandresistenter Sorten auf Anbaueignung bei ökologischer Bewirtschaftung

Im ökologischen Getreideanbau soll ausschließlich ökologisch erzeugtes Saatgut eingesetzt werden (EU-Verordnung 1452/2003). Ohne die konventionell übliche Beizung des Saatgutes erhöht sich das Risiko der Verbreitung saatgutbürtiger Krankheiten. Bei der Wintergerste gilt dies für den zunächst als Spore außen am Korn anhaftenden Gerstenhartbrand (Ustilago hordei ) und insbesondere für den sich bereits im Samenkorn befindlichen Gerstenflugbrand (U. nuda). Einen Ausweg bietet der Anbau von resistenten oder toleranten Sorten. Um zu Empfehlungen geeigneter Sorten für die ökologische Bewirtschaftung zu kommen, wurden im Rahmen des Bundesprogramms Ökologischer Landbau Sortenversuche mit aufgrund guter Resistenzeigenschaften gegen Flugbrand ausgewählten mehr (mz) - und zweizeiligen (zz) Testsorten (TS) und den Verrechnungssorten (VS) des Bundessortenamtes angelegt (2004)

Flug- und Hartbrandanfälligkeit der Wintergerste sowie Prüfung flug- und hartbrandresistenter Sorten auf Anbaueignung bei ökologischer Bewirtschaftung

In diesem Jahr wurde das BLE- Projekt zur Flug- und Hartbrandevaluierung im Zusammenhang mit mehrortiger Prüfung der Anbaueigenschaften widerstandsfähiger Handelssorten mit dem Endbericht abgeschlossen. In der im Jahr 2000 begonnenen Evaluierung zeigte sich, dass unter den 223 auf Flug- und Hartbrand getesteten Handelssorten lediglich ’Astrid’ und ’Carrero’ als resistent nach mehrjähriger Prüfung und ’Laurena’ mit einjährigem Ergebnis gegenüber dem Gerstenflugbrand eingestuft werden konnten. Alle Sorten weisen allerdings eine leichte Anfälligkeit gegenüber Gerstenhartbrand auf

Sortenevaluierung auf Flug- und Hartbrandanfälligkeit der Wintergerste sowie Prüfung flug- und hartbrandresistenter Sorten auf Anbaueignung bei ökologischer Bewirtschaftung

Dieses im Rahmen des Bundesprogramms Ökologischer Landbau von der BLE (03OE657) in Auftrag gegebene Projekt schließt an frühere Untersuchungen an (vgl. Jahresberichte 2000-2003). Es hat zum Ziel, Empfehlungen für Sorten, die sich für die ökologische Bewirtschaftung und Vermehrung besonders eignen, zu erarbeiten und Genotypen einer Resistenzzüchtung verfügbar zu machen

Guide to Climate-Smart Playgrounds: Research Findings and Application

Outdoor play is vital for positive socialisation and development of children including cognitive, psychological, and physiological benefits. Playing outdoors increases attention, creative thought processes and problem-solving skills as well as combating obesity, mental health problems and improving social skills of children. Encouraging and supporting outdoor play is particularly important today, where the daily time interval children are engaging in physical activity is contracting. However, the lack of shade and hot playground equipment make it unsafe for children to enjoy playgrounds in summer. This situation is particularly problematic in times where summer heat is increasing as result of climate change, which already limits the time for safe outdoor play. Now more than ever is it necessary to start building climate-smart playgrounds. This report has two parts. Part 1 establishes the facts around heat in playgrounds. We document surface, air and feels like temperatures in public playgrounds across the Cumberland Local Government Area. All playgrounds were visited repeatedly during warm and hot conditions in the summer of 2019/20 and 2020/21. Part 1 also provides systematic analyses of surface temperatures of SBR, EPDM, TPO, synthetic turf and real grass. In Part 2 we describe the process, outputs and outcomes of a playground transformation at Memorial Park in Merrylands. The playground is in the Local Government Area of Cumberland City Council in the geographic centre of Sydney. With support from the NSW Government, Cumberland City Council, industry partners and inputs from a range of stakeholders, we created Australia’s first dedicated UV-smart Cool Playground. Since October 2020, the playground is enjoyed by the local community. Research data showing the avoided heat, improved thermal comfort and reduced exposure to UV-A and UV-B are provided and demonstrate the functionality of the playground

Anbaueignung gegenüber Flug- und Hartbrand (Ustilago nuda, U. hordei) widerstandsfähiger Wintergerste-Handelssorten unter ökologischer Bewirtschaftung

Because of the interdiction of chemical seed treatment, smut resistance is a main demand for cultivation of winter barley in organic farming. A comparison of common high yielding varieties with those chosen particularly with regard to good smut-resistance or tolerance showed no significant differences in field performance under the conditions of organic farming. Main criteria were the yield of grain and the content of protein and most important amino acids for animal nutrition (Cystine, Lysine, Me-thionine, Threonine, Tryptophan). Besides this the degree of shading weeds was estimated by means of measuring leaf areas and lengths of stalks. The leaf area proved to be the main factor. The availability of smut resistant or tolerant varieties out of organic production is not satisfying yet

Gerechte Städte für ein gutes Leben

Städte sind Hoffnungsträger für eine lebenswerte Zukunft. Denn Urbanisierung, Klimakrise und soziale Ungleichheit stellen nicht nur Herausforderung dar, sondern bergen auch transformatives Potenzial. Der Vision des guten Lebens für alle kann durch die gerechte Gestaltung städtischer Systeme ein Stück näher gerückt werden. Dazu ist ein tiefgreifender, systemischer Wandel notwendig, der über sektorale Modernisierung oder technische Innovation hinausgeht und unser Stadtverständnis hinterfragt. Die sozial-ökologische Transformation wird auch in gesellschaftlich und politisch umkämpften Aushandlungsprozessen über neue urbane Leitbilder ausgetragen, bei denen die ärmsten Bevölkerungsgruppen weltweit ausgeschlossen werden. Die Stärkung ziviler Handlungsfähigkeit ist hier von zentraler Bedeutung.Cities are the seedbeds of hope for a sustainable tomorrow. Urbanization, the climate crisis, and social inequality pose serious challenges, yet these interdependent dynamics also harbour transformative opportunities. To enable the vision of a decent life for all, urban systems need to be designed justly, which implies a profound, systemic shift toward community-oriented development. This far-reaching socio-ecological transition must question our understanding of the dominant city model and go beyond sectoral modernization or technical innovation. It is realized in socially and politically contested negotiation processes concerning new urban models, in which the most vulnerable groups worldwide are excluded. Strengthening their agency is of central importance to designing just cities

Cool Roads Trial 2021

Intensifying summer heat and associated Urban Heat Island Effects are a risk to public and environmental health. They contribute to higher energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in cities. Across Greater Western Sydney, home of the fastest growing urban population in Australia, increasing heat is recognised as the largest risk to local populations and economies. A range of interventions across the region aim at mitigating the negative impacts of heat. The Cool Roads Trial is one of these interventions. It addresses the contribution of unshaded road and carpark surfaces to local heat island effects. In March 2020, 14,700 m2 of road and carpark surfaces were coated with a highly reflective asphalt emulsion in the local government areas of Blacktown, Campbelltown and Parramatta to reduce surface temperatures of pavements. The trial was accompanied by an environmental monitoring program. The program used measurements of surface, air and black globe temperatures to document the effectiveness of the surface coat on cooling. Data were collected between February 2020 and March 2021 using a full-factorial design with paired impact and control sites. Results showed that surface temperatures of unshaded coated pavements were on average 6°C and at maximum 11°C cooler compared to uncoated pavements. Tree shade reduced temperatures of uncoated surfaces by 20°C and that of coated surfaces by 14°C leading to identical surface temperatures in the shade on coated and uncoated surfaces. Surface coating did not systematically reduce air temperature during the day or night. Back globe temperatures during sunny days increased by 2.7°C on coated compared to uncoated sites as a result of increased reflectivity of the surface. The higher exposure to reflected solar incident radiation resulted in lower thermal comfort in the sun on coated surfaces. The Cool Roads Trial established important information for the management of heat in Western Sydney and beyond. Increasing albedo of roads and carparks will help reduce surface Urban Heat Island Effects due to lower surface temperatures. Ambient air temperatures were not lowered as a result of coating roads and carparks, which can potentially be a matter of scale. The Cool Roads Trial worked at the microscale where air cooling benefits could be masked by continuous mixing of local with surrounding air masses. The range of thermal effects documented in this report make it clear that mitigating the impacts of urban heat will require a broad suite of solutions. A clear definition of desired thermal outcomes will be necessary on a case-by-case basis. Only once thermal outcomes are defined can resilience of urban populations, infrastructure and ecosystems against intensifying summer heat be improved effectively

The HAMMER: High altitude multiple mission environmental researcher

At the equator, the ozone layer ranges from 65,000 to 130,000+ feet which is beyond the capabilities of the ER-2, NASA's current high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The Universities Space Research Association, in cooperation with NASA, is sponsoring an undergraduate program which is geared to designing an aircraft that can study the ozone layer at the equator. This aircraft must be able to satisfy four mission profiles. Mission one is a polar mission which ranges from Chile to the South Pole and back to Chile, a total range of 6000 n. mi. at 100,000 feet with a 2500 lb. payload. The second mission is also a polar mission with a decreased altitude of 70,000 feet and an increased payload of 4000 lb. For the third mission, the aircraft will take-off at NASA Ames, cruise at 100,000 feet carrying a 2500 lb. payload, and land in Puerto Montt, Chile. The final mission requires the aircraft to take-off at NASA Ames, cruise at 100,000 feet with a 1000 lb. payload, make an excursion to 120,000 feet, and land at Howard AFB, Panama. All three missions require that a subsonic Mach number is maintained due to constraints imposed by the air sampling equipment. The aircraft need not be manned for all four missions. Three aircraft configurations were determined to be the most suitable for meeting the above requirements. The performance of each configuration is analyzed to investigate the feasibility of the project requirements. In the event that a requirement can not be obtained within the given constraints, recommendations for proposal modifications are given