Irrigation management in relation to waterlogging and salinity: Precise for a research agenda in Pakistan

Waterlogging / Salinity / Water management / Agricultural production / Water balance / Water transfer / Research / Pakistan

Prospects for productive use of saline water in West Asia and North Africa

Water quality / Salinity / Soil salinity / Irrigated farming / Crop production / Feed crops / Fodder / Poverty / Public policy / West Asia / North Africa / Egypt / Jordan / Syria / Tunisia

The action and durability of cetyl alcohol as an evaporation suppressant in soils.

In 4 cetyl alcohol-treated soils, data on the rise in temperature ahead of the wetting front indicated that effect of treatment on the water-conducting characteristics resulted from induced hydrophobicity of the soil particles. Although more water was located near the evaporating surface, the cumulative evaporation from the soil was less than from an untreated soil for a certain period, but thereafter exceeded it. Cetyl alcohol had little effect on the passage of water vapour or water through soil. After 30 weeks the amount of hexadecanol that could be extracted from the soil was less than 7% of the amount originally present.[132.21:954.726]. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Water harvesting and supplemental irrigation for improved water use efficiency in dry areas

Productivity / Water harvesting / Runoff / Water storage / Crop production / Water use efficiency / Arid lands / Water resources development / Rain-fed farming / Supplementary irrigation / Irrigation scheduling / Environmental effects / Research priorities / Case studies / West Asia / North Africa / India / Libya / Syria / Burkina Faso

Temperature Dependence of Soil-Moisture Potential

Teachers have noticed that children draw only those objects which they know by name. Doubtless the adult has a similar tendency, exemplified by the researcher, to limit his observations or to relate them to that which can be expressed in the terminology of an existing or newly developed theory. In this thesis the data obtained from studies of the temperature and pressure dependence of the relative vapor pressure over moist soil samples are analyzed by a thermodynamic approach. Not all of the results can be explained completely by means of this tool. Natural systems, such as a moist soil, are probably too complex for any single theory; but since the language of thermodynamics provides the best-known means of conveying the results to others, it is felt that this language should be used throughout the thesis

Aggregate stability of some alluvial soils from Egypt.

[134:116.46:141.621]The hypothesis that the Ca-Mg balance is the factor determining the structural stability of these soils was supported in the case of silty clay samples, where a positive correlation was found between the aggregate index and the Ca contents and Ca/Mg ratio, and a negative correlation with the Mg and Na percentage. With silty clay loam samples however a significant negative correlation was found between aggregate index and the Na content and percentage of 0.05-0.10 mm particles, and a positive correlation with the percentage of clay particles. In this case there was evidence that the presence of exchangeable Na aggravated the effect of Mg on aggregate stability. In both groups of samples the percentage of Na was correlated at

How to manage salinity in irrigated lands: a selective review with particular reference to irrigation in developing countries

Irrigation management / Irrigable land / Soil salinity / Water use efficiency / Soil degradation / Irrigated farming / Policy making / Developing countries

Interceptor drainage modelling to manage high groundwater table on the Abyek Plain, Iran

High groundwater tables and soil salinity are a serious threat to agricultural areas, especially on the Abyek Plain, Iran. An interceptor drainage system was installed to lower the groundwater head and control soil salinity. Simulation is an appropriate approach to investigate possible groundwater behaviour in future conditions and to explore suitable designs for implementation. Ninety‐nine observation wells were installed around the interceptor drainage system in the Abyek Plain to monitor groundwater movement and salinity changes. Groundwater table fluctuation was measured monthly for 3 years from December 2010 until January 2014. A MODFLOW model was calibrated for the study area using the data measured through the observation wells. Assessment of the measured values indicated that the groundwater head was lowered within the 3 years due to the installation of the system. A calibrated model was applied to predict the future conditions of groundwater levels and suggest proper designs. Groundwater level drawdowns were predicted at approximately 1.3 and 1.5 m for August 2018 and August 2025, respectively. The results also revealed that with the installation of additional parallel interceptor drainage at a distance of 1000 m from the existing drainage, the groundwater table could be lowered in a large area of the plain

Broadening Partnership for Strengthening the Networks of Politani Kupang

A tailor-made training (TMT) assembled by both Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Kupang (Politani Kupang) and Van Hall Larenstein of Applied Sciences, Netherlands (VHL) was conducted from the 9th to 13th November 2020. This training focused on the importance of establishing, maintaining, and broadening partnerships for a better institutional development. As many as 19 participants were invited to attend the training and were assigned into five groups based on the five prioritized commodities the institution was planning to expand further, which were: meat/beef, coffee, honey, shallot, and catfish. The training was organized through both online and offline methods. The online method implemented both an asynchronous pathway, in which all the materials were posted through Google Classroom and Whatsapp group, and an asynchronous pathway, in which the teaching-learning process was organized via ZOOM. For the in-person method, the participantswere taken to a field trip. By the end of the training, all the participants had understood the concepts of partnerships and their importance, how to construct and differ between a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Contract, how to achieve cultural awareness for a fruitful partnership, and how to outline a business plan and demonstrate a 3-minute pitch to be implemented on potential business partners during the field trip

Flocculence of Saccharomyces cereviseae cells is induced by nutrient limitation, with cell surface hydrophobicity as a major determinant

Microbial Biotechnolog