Adapting legume crops to climate change using genomic approaches

Our agricultural system and hence food security is threatened by combination of events, such as increasing population, the impacts of climate change, and the need to a more sustainable development. Evolutionary adaptation may help some species to overcome environmental changes through new selection pressures driven by climate change. However, success of evolutionary adaptation is dependent on various factors, one of which is the extent of genetic variation available within species. Genomic approaches provide an exceptional opportunity to identify genetic variation that can be employed in crop improvement programs. In this review, we illustrate some of the routinely used genomics‐based methods as well as recent breakthroughs, which facilitate assessment of genetic variation and discovery of adaptive genes in legumes. Although additional information is needed, the current utility of selection tools indicate a robust ability to utilize existing variation among legumes to address the challenges of climate uncertainty

Analiza litofacjalna warstw ilasto-marglistych północnej części złoża soli potasowych Petrikow (Białoruś)

The results of lithofacies analysis of clay-marl package (CMP) at Northern Prospect of Petrikov potash deposit are discussed. The analysis has been undertaken to increment waterproof thickness. Lithofacies subdivision has been carried out with ArcGIS 10 software. The following three lithofacies have been defined: sulfate-carbonate-clay, sulfate-clay-carbonate, and clastic-carbonate-clay. An inclusion of gypsum-bearing sub-package of the CMP into the waterproof thickness, based on the lateral lithofacies variation of rocks, will allow pillar mining at the areas, where the mining is prohibited at present by local regulatory documents.W pracy omówiono wyniki analizy litofacjalnej warstwy ilastomarglistej (WIM) północnej części Pietrykowskiego złoża soli potasowej na Białorusi przeprowadzonej w celu rozpoznania warstw nieprzepuszczalnych. Rejonizację litofacjalną wykonano za pomocą programu ArcGIS 10. Wyróżniono trzy litofacje: siarczanowo-węglanowo-ilastą, siarczanowo-ilasto- -węglanową oraz klastyczno-węglanowo-ilastą. Włączenie do warstwy nieprzepuszczalnej subwarstwy gipsowej WIM, które oparto na lateralnej zmienności litolofacjalnej skał, w przyszłości pozwoli na eksploatację złoża systemem filarowym. Obecnie eksploatacja złoża jest zabroniona

Environmental impact assessment of the designed Petrikov potash mining and processing complex, Belarus: approaches and results

Petrikov deposit of potash salt is situated in Gomel oblast of Belarus in the south-east of Pripyat Trough, and consists of Northern and Southern prospects. Underground mining of potash salt will start at the Northern prospect with the area of 166 km2. It is expected that mining will last for about 50-80 years. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out at the stage of designing of Petrikov mining and processing plant. Standard EIA procedure included a set of investigations, including assessment of surface subsidence, assessment of changes in groundwater level, assessment of changes in productivity of forest phytocenoses and crops, and assessment of groundwater pollution due to production of potash fertilizers. Maximum values of possible surface subsidence (up to 2.3 m) will occur within the area, where the surface will be effected by mining of potash layers 1, 2, and 3 of the productive horizon IV-p, using long-pillar mining system. Surface subsidence will influence surface topography, surface and groundwater, landscape structure and land resources. The result of surface subsidence will lead to inundation and swamping of land, as well as to increase in the areas affected by annual floods in the valleys of Pripyat and Bobrik rivers. Surface subsidence will affect the whole area of the prospect within the limits of planned mining fields, except the areas above safety pillars. In the result of raise in groundwater level the area with groundwater depth of more than 2 m will decrease from 69.1% to 17.8%, and the areas with groundwater depth from 3 to 5 m will disappear. The area with groundwater depth less than 1 m will increase from 0.1 % to 34.0 %. Within 19.5% of the area the groundwater level will raise above the surface level (the area of inundation). Surface subsidence and change in groundwater level will cause certain decrease in yields of timber and crops, besides this 25.64 km2 of forest, 0.68 km2 of arable land and 3.24 km2 of meadows will be inundated. In order to prevent inundation within certain areas the protective engineering facilities have been designed, and arrangement of groundwater monitoring wells has been proposed. The protective facilities at solid and liquid sludge dumps are designed to prevent the environment from pollution. Nevertheless, the patterns of possible migration of pollutants in groundwater were assessed in case of accidental discharge of waste

On Geoneutrinos

Experimental data on geoneutrinos allow to admit that masses of U, Th and K in the Earth can be up to mU = 1.7 · 1017 kg, mTh = 6.7 · 1017 kg and mK/mEarth ~ 2%. These values correspond to intrinsic Earth heat flux in ~300 TW. The most part of this flux goes up in rift zones as a heated gases. Argo Project results and the measurements of the Moon intrinsic heat flux support the existence of such a big flux. So large of U, Th, K abundances were predicted by Adjusted Hydridic Earth model