The development of a simulation engineering game to teach problem solving skills and team dynamics

Simulation technologies have become the corner stone of many training programs, from simple game–playing scenarios to totally immersive virtual reality simulators. However, many of these simple teaching aides merely tend to develop the manual dexterity of the learner. The game described in this paper develops the learner’s problem-solving skills and teamwork. The game under development is based on a simulated production line, constructing structures with Lego blocks. The game has three discrete phases; each with a briefing session, a production “run” and a debriefing session. It encourages observation and discussion of possible improvements required to increase productivity. This is achieved by the learning of good team interaction and the application of different problem-solving techniques. Initial feedback from students reveals that the simulated game provides a better method of observing the importance of team dynamics and the honing of problem solving skills

Soil carbon dynamics in Indian Himalayan intensified organic rice-based cropping sequences

none10siThe contribution of soil to supporting, regulating, provisioning and cultural functions as well as its role in the ecosystem services is well-known in the international literature. However, in the domain of organic agriculture, the impact of cropping systems shifts from cereal-cereal to high-frequency diversified cropping sequences with legume as a component crop on soil carbon dynamics is not widely known. In order to identify an alternative cropping system to widely prevalent rice-fallow production system in Himalayan region of India, seven cropping sequences viz., rice -fenugreek (green vegetable) - maize (R-F-M); rice -vegetable pea - maize (R-Vp-M); rice-coriander (leaves)-cowpea (R-C-Cp); rice - fenugreek (green vegetable) - baby corn (R-F-Bc); rice - broccoli - Sesbania (green manuring) (R-B-S); rice - buckwheat (R-Bw) and rice - maize (R-M) were assessed for five consecutive years from 2013 to 2018 for their productivity and resource conservation values. Results revealed that the inclusion of legumes in rice-based sequences increased the rice grain yield by 13.4 to 24.6% over R-M (3.13 Mg ha−1) sequence. The R-B-S sequence had the highest very labile carbon (VLC) (4.6 g kg−1 soil) followed by the R-Vp-M. Relative proportion of various organic carbon fractions in the top 10 cm soil followed the order of VLC (30.2%) > non labile carbon (NLC, 27.6%) > labile carbon (LC, 23.4%) > less labile carbon (LLC, 18.9%). The carbon management index (CMI) was the highest (100.9%) in the R-B-S sequence followed by R-C-Cp (98.0%). The addition of a third crop in the sequence increased the active carbon (AC) pool by 1.1 to 5.8%. The passive carbon (PC) pool was highest in soil under the R-C-Cp sequence (9.15 Mg ha−1) at 0–10 cm soil depth. The carbon retention efficiency under the R-C-Cp cropping sequence was the highest (15.1%) followed by the R-B-S (14.9%). R-B-S and R-C-Cp sequences had 12.5% and 10.6% higher soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) over the R-M sequence, respectively. Similarly, R-B-S and R-C-Cp increased the FDA by 49.6 and 41.8%, and DHA by 135.0% and 103.9%, respectively over R-M sequence. In conclusion, the management of crops from organic agriculture aimed at improving soil ecosystem services, in contrasting degradation of soil health and the decline of SOC, can also have positive effects on crop productivity in the eastern Himalayan region of India as well as all over the world.restrictedSubhash Babu, Raghavendra Singh, Avasthe R.K., Gulab Singh Yadav, Mohapatra K.P., Selvan Thiru, Vino Anup Dasc, Singh K., Donatella Valente, Irene PetrosilloBabu, Subhash; Singh, Raghavendra; R. K., Avasthe; Singh Yadav, Gulab; K. P., Mohapatra; Thiru, Selvan; Anup Dasc, Vino; K., Singh; Valente, Donatella; Petrosillo, Iren

Influence of <i>Eucalyptus</i> Agroforestry on Crop Yields, Soil Properties, and System Economics in Southern Regions of India

Agroforestry benefits farmers, making it a sustainable alternative to monoculture. To create a viable Eucalyptus clone-based agroforestry system, a field experiment was carried out in Tamil Nadu, India. The economics and changes in the soil qualities were evaluated by growing agricultural and horticultural crops, namely pearl millet, sorghum, maize, sesame, small onions, green gram, and red gram, as intercrops under eight-month-old eucalyptus clone trees using a randomised block design in three replications at a spacing of 3 m × 1.5 m. The plots for the intercrops and the eucalyptus clones were kept apart for comparison. Maize showed the greatest drop in plant height during all the phases, including 30 DAS, 60 DAS, and harvest, while small onions showed the least reduction in plant height. Sesame and small onions showed the greatest drop in dry matter production, whereas sorghum showed the least. In terms of the intercrop yield reduction, maize had the biggest reduction and green gram had the lowest. Red gram had the largest crop equivalent yield, whereas maize had the lowest. The volume of the trees was generally increased more favourably by red gram than by green gram. The intercrops had some effects on the nutrients in the soil. Red gram intercropping had the highest levels of EC, soil organic carbon, available soil nitrogen, available soil phosphorus, and available soil potassium, while the sole tree treatment had the lowest levels. Small onions, red gram, and sesame were the crops; tree + small onion, tree + red gram, and tree + sesame were the intercrop combinations with the highest gross income, net income, and B:C in the intercropping treatment alone. Tree + green gram had the highest land equivalent ratio (LER) and the red gram, sesame, and small onion intercrops were shown to be the most profitable. Although the present study supports a complementary relationship, the lack of awareness among farmers of Eucalyptus allelopathy formed the major limitation