Ökologischer Kreislauf Moorbad Harbach: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Agricultural Plant Production and Transportation

In 1992 the community of Moorbad Harbach (Austria), located near the border of the Czech Republic and dominated by extensive agricultural practice on small scale farms, decided to initiate activities for regional devolopment. About 40 farms (27 %) converted to organic farming, a local marketing service as well as regional food processing businesses (slaughterhouse, dairy), operating as linkages between regional agriculture and the local spa hotel were founded. The basic idea for the work presented here was to evaluate the – especially ecological – consequences of such a regional conversion. One part of this attempt of evaluation was carried out as a LCA for the agricultural production in Moorbad Harbach. The emphasis of the study was to compare plant production before and after the regional conversion to organic farming. In another step changes in transportation distances and quantities with special regard to transport of raw milk and milk products were quantified

1954 South Dakota Corn Performance Tests

As in previous years corn yield trial were conducted by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Results of these trials supply farmers and ranchers with current information on popular hybrids being grown extensively in the various agricultural areas of the state. The trials were replicated plots planted and harvested in an accepted procedure with an unbiased analysis of the data. Methods used in selection of entries, planting, harvesting, and analyzing will be presented under separate headings

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1955

As in previous years corn yield trials were conducted by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Results of these trials supply farmers and ranchers with current information on popular hybrids being grown extensively in the various agricultural areas of the state. The trials were replicated plots planted and harvested in an accepted procedure with an unbiased analysis made of the data. Methods used in selection of entries, planting, harvesting, and analyzing will be presented under separate headings. Yields of hybrids within the trials of 1955 reflect the relative performing ability of the entries during a season which had below normal rainfall for all areas except Highmore and Watertown. Cottonwood had a total growing season precipitation slightly above normal, however all months except September were below normal. The heavy rains in September were too late to affect the already drought damaged com. Temperatures were all above normal, with a range of 1.2 degrees above normal for the growing season at Newell to a maximum of 3.8 degrees above normal at Tyndall. The extreme above normal temperatures occurred during July and August in most areas-a time when there was a deficiency in rainfall. Yields from all trials except those at the Highmore substation and on the Korth farm north of Watertown were below average. Frost occurred on September 11 at all areas except Newell, Cottonwood, Watertown, Sioux Falls, and Vermillion. This early frost date may have contributed, along with the drought and high temperatures, to the low yields and poor quality of most varieties in the tests. Harvesting of the plots in all areas was completed during October. Results of these trials are presented in the tables that follow

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1957

Yield trials on those corn hybrids currently most popular among farmers are conducted each year by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The purpose is to supply farmers and ranchers with information on the relative performing ability of the various hybrids when they are subjected to similar environmental conditions such as rainfall, soil moisture, and fertility level. Such information, when used as a guide in selecting hybrids for planting, can aid the farmer in obtaining maximum yields under his field conditions. In 1957, 14 tests were planted throughout South Dakota. Each contained from 20 to 40 entries planted in replicated plots. Yields, moisture percentages at harvest, and in some cases lodging, were obtained and are presented in the tables in this publication. Most areas of the state entered the 1957 season with extremely low reserves of subsoil moisture. Above normal rainfall over most of the state during the months of April, May, and June supplied adequate moisture for abundant growth of corn. There were only two stations, Brookings and Vermillion, which were below normal moisture for the entire growing season. Highmore and Cottonwood were considerably above normal with a plus 8.67 and 7.42 inches for the growing season, respectively. Although adequate moisture was available, corn was retarded in germination and early growth by low temperatures. All areas in which test plots were grown had below normal temperatures for April, May, and June. This below normal temperature was greatest at Vale during May when this station reported an average departure from normal of a minus 4.6 degrees, while Brookings rep01ted an average minus departure of 4.5 degrees for June. July temperatures were near normal, or slightly below, over most of the state; however, the temperatures dropped in August and September so that all stations rep01ted minus departures from normal for both months. The greatest departures were minus 7.5 and 5.2 degrees at Vermillion and Menno, respectively, during September. The low temperatures during August, September, and October resulted in slow maturing of the corn crop over the entire state. Frost held off until into October in many areas. This lack of a killing frost coupled with the low temperatures caused the corn crop to dry slowly. Many fields of corn were picked too wet for cribbing, and considerable corn was still in the field in December at which time kernels on some of the ears of varieties that were of a long season maturity for the area were turning brown while still on the stalk. The moisture content of all test plots harvested was considerably above long time averages. Late maturing hybrids, though producing more weight at harvest time in each test, were carrying so much moisture it would have required ultimate artificial drying to have cribbed such varieties. This year\u27s results would seem to indicate farmers should use extreme care in selecting a hybrid which is adapted to their length of growing season, and refrain from using those hybrids which require excessive length of season to produce cribbable corn

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1952

Corn yield trials were conducted in 1952 by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Experiment Station to supply farmers with up to date information on popular hybrids which are planted extensively in the various agricultural areas of the state. The information obtained from the 1952 yield trials reflects the relative performing ability of the hybrids in a season having a deficiency of moisture during the later part. Temperatures for the season averaged close to normal, or slightly above, throughout the state. However, in most areas there was a deficiency of moisture the later part of the growing season. This deficiency of moisture, plus a warm late fall, resulted in well matured corn of low moisture content for most areas. The results are presented in the tables which follow

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1956

Yield trials on those corn hybrids currently most popular among farmers are conducted each year by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The purpose is to supply farmers and ranchers with information on the relative performing ability of the various hybrids when they are subjected to similar environmental conditions such as rainfall, soil moisture, and fertility level. Such information, when used as a guide in selecting hybrids for planting, can aid the farmer in obtaining maximum yields under his field conditions. In 1956, fourteen tests were planted throughout South Dakota. Each contained from 20 to 40 entries planted in replicated plots. Yields, moisture percentages at harvest, and in some cases lodging and dropped ears, were obtained and are presented in the tables in this publication. Most areas of the state entered the 1956 season with low reserves of subsoil moisture. Temperatures approached long time averages in May but June was exceedingly warm at all locations, averaging several degrees above normal. Rapid and succulent early growth of corn resulted. This, coupled with severe drought conditions throughout the season caused an extremely poor corn crop in the usually productive southeastern part of the state, even though July and August were unusual in that their temperatures were below those of June. Elsewhere in the state, such as at Brookings and Watertown, above average rainfall in July and August, coupled with the relatively cool temperatures, resulted in excellent yields of corn in spite of the low springtime soil reserves. An early frost on September 6 killed the corn prematurely in some areas, such as the test at Claremont. This, coupled with high winds during much of September and October, caused a great deal of stalk lodging and dropped ears by the time the trials were harvested

Interacting agegraphic dark energy models in phase space

Agegraphic dark energy, has been recently proposed, based on the so-called Karolyhazy uncertainty relation, which arises from quantum mechanics together with general relativity. In the first part of the article we study the original agegraphic dark energy model by including the interaction between agegraphic dark energy and pressureless (dark) matter. The phase space analysis was made and the critical points were found, one of which is the attractor corresponding to an accelerated expanding Universe. Recent observations of near supernova show that the acceleration of Universe decreases. This phenomenon is called the transient acceleration. In the second part of Article we consider the 3-component Universe composed of a scalar field, interacting with the dark matter on the agegraphic dark energy background. We show that the transient acceleration appears in frame of such a model. The obtained results agree with the observations.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Photovoltaic module performance and durability following long-term field exposure

Our investigations of both new and field-aged photovoltaic modules have indicated that, in general, today's commercially available modules area highly reliable product. However, by using new test procedures, subtle failure mechanisms have also been identified that must be addressed in order to achieve 30-year module lifetimes. This paper summarizes diagnostic test procedures, results, and implications of in-depth investigations of the performance and durability characteristics of commercial modules after long-term field exposure. A collaborative effort with U.S. module manufacturers aimed at achieving 30-year module lifetimes is also described

Interacting holographic dark energy model and generalized second law of thermodynamics in non-flat universe

In the present paper we consider the interacting holographic model of dark energy to investigate the validity of the generalized second laws of thermodynamics in non-flat (closed) universe enclosed by the event horizon measured from the sphere of the horizon named $L$. We show that for $L$ as the system's IR cut-off the generalized second law is respected for the special range of the deceleration parameter.Comment: 11 pages, no figure

The Holographic Model of Dark Energy and Thermodynamics of Non-Flat Accelerated Expanding Universe

Motivated by recent results on non-vanishing spatial curvature \cite{curve} we employ the holographic model of dark energy to investigate the validity of first and second laws of thermodynamics in non-flat (closed) universe enclosed by apparent horizon $R_A$ and the event horizon measured from the sphere of horizon named $L$. We show that for the apparent horizon the first law is roughly respected for different epochs while the second laws of thermodynamics is respected while for $L$ as the system's IR cut-off first law is broken down and second law is respected for special range of deceleration parameter. It is also shown that at late-time universe $L$ is equal to $R_A$ and the thermodynamic laws are hold, when the universe has non-vanishing curvature. Defining the fluid temperature to be proportional to horizon temperature the range for coefficient of proportionality is obtained provided that the generalized second law of thermodynamics is hold.Comment: 12 pages, no figure, abstract and text extended, references added, accepted for publication in JCA