Optimal seeding rates for organic production of field pea and lentil

There are no seeding rates established for organic production of field pea and lentil in Saskatchewan and organic producers must rely upon rates recommended for conventional production of these crops. These seeding rates may not be suitable for organic production as the two systems differ in the use of inputs and in pest management. The objectives of this study were to determine an optimal seeding rate for organic production of field pea and lentil in Saskatchewan considering a number of factors, including yield, weed suppression, soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, soil water storage, colonization of crop roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant P uptake, and profitability. A field experiment was conducted to determine the optimal seeding rates of field pea and lentil. Field pea seeding rates were 10, 25, 62, 156 and 250 plants m-2 and lentil seeding rates were 15, 38, 94, 235 and 375 plants m-2. Sites were established at Vonda, Vanscoy and Delisle, SK using a randomized complete block designs with summerfallow and green manure treatments included for each crop. Seed yield increased with increasing seeding rate for both crops, up to 1725 kg ha-1 for field pea and 1290 kg ha-1 for lentil. Weed biomass at physiological maturity decreased with increasing seeding rate for both crops. In field pea, weeds were reduced in weight by 68%, while lentil reduced weed biomass by 59% between the lowest and highest seeding rates. Post-harvest soil phosphate-P levels did not change consistently between treatments, indicating that there was no trend in soil P concentration with seeding rate. Post-harvest soil inorganic N, however, was higher for the summerfallow and green manure treatments than for the seeding rate treatments in both crops. Inorganic N was higher at some sites for the highest two seeding rates in field pea. Soil water storage following harvest was not affected by treatment.Colonization of crop roots by AMF increased for lentil with increasing seeding rate, but the same trend was not observed in field pea. A growth chamber experiment to study the rate of colonization of field pea between 10 and 50 d after emergence did not show any differences in AMF colonization between seeding rates. Colonization levels were high (70 to 85%) for both crops in both the field and growth chamber. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization and seeding rate had no effect on plant P concentration for either field pea or lentil. Both crops became increasingly profitable as seeding rate increased. Field pea reached a maximum return at 200 plants m-2 and lentil return increased to the highest seeding rate of 375 plants m-2. Organic farmers should increase seeding rates of these crops to increase returns and provide better weed suppression

Performance-based approaches to agri-environmental water quality policy in Canada

Performance-based approaches to managing water quality on agricultural landscapes offer the potential to improve the effectiveness of water quality outcomes compared to current practice-based approaches. Performance-based approaches, however, require varying degrees of precise measures or modeling of water quality and differentiated payment structures to achieve these effective outcomes. The potential to implement performance-based approaches for water quality management on agricultural landscapes was assessed through three broad objectives: 1) review and evaluate performance-based approaches used for a similar purpose in other jurisdictions; 2) assess the social context of the study region of southwest Alberta, with the intention that this region would serve as a test case for implementing performance-based approaches; and 3) determine the suitability of performance-based approaches for the study region based on social and institutional context. Several performance-based approaches were identified through the review and evaluation of approaches that have been implemented elsewhere, these were: water quality trading, differentiated payments for ecological goods and services, cross-compliance, and emissions charges. The drivers and enabling conditions were evaluated and social and institutional factors were often important for the social, environmental, and/or economic successes of the approaches. The social context, or social norms and values, related to agriculture and water quality within the study region was assessed using interviews with watershed landowners and surveys with rural and urban residents. Respondents were generally in favour of a combination of polluter pays and beneficiary pays principles. Implementation of an environmental standard of care was a common suggestion; agricultural landowners who achieved water quality beyond the standard could be eligible for incremental payments based on water quality improvement. Suitability of performance-based approaches to the social and institutional context of the study region revealed that a suite of measures may be required to align with social norms and values. Cross-compliance and differentiated payments for ecological goods and services were two approaches that provided a suitable mix of polluter pays and beneficiary pays principles; however, institutional barriers exist to implementing these approaches

Priming the Governance System for Climate Change Adaptation: The Application of a Social Ecological Inventory (SEI) to Engage Actors in Niagara, Canada

Adaptive systems of governance are increasingly gaining attention in respect to complex and uncertain social-ecological systems. Adaptive co-management is one strategy to make adaptive governance operational and holds promise with respect to community climate change adaptation as it facilitates participation and learning across scales and fosters adaptive capacity and resilience. Developing tools which hasten the realization of such approaches are growing in importance. This paper describes explores the Social Ecological Inventory (SEI) as a tool to 'prime' a regional climate change adaptation network. The SEI tool draws upon the social-ecological systems approach in which social and ecological systems are considered linked. SEIs bridge the gap between conventional stakeholder analysis and biological inventories and take place through a six phase process. A case study describes the results of applying an SEI to prime an adaptive governance network for climate change adaptation in the Niagara Region of Canada. Lessons learned from the case study are discussed and highlight how the SEI catalyzed the adaptive co-management process in the case. Future avenues for SEIs in relation to climate change adaptation emerge from this exploratory work and offer opportunities to inform research and adaptation planning

Resilience: An Annotated Bibliography

This annotated bibliography provides an account of the research that has been done on engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and social-ecological resilience. Undertaken as part of the WEPGN research project titled “Applying resilience analysis to a transboundary river system: Developing surrogates for institutions and governance”, this annotated bibliography investigates factors that lead to greater resilience, with a focus on institutions and governance. Citations for key scholarly publications related to three types of resilience – engineering, ecological, and social-ecological – are listed in the first three sections along with a brief summary of each work. The fourth and final section of the document provides additional resources on resilience

Individual differences predict endorsement of water resilience

[EN] In the epoch of the Anthropocene change, complexity, and uncertainty create a demand for new systems of water management and governance. One such management model that is rapidly gaining traction amongst both scholars and practitioners is the concept of water resilience. Although increasing attention has been paid to the overarching theoretical and applied issues surrounding water resilience, few have examined individual attitudes and perceptions towards this concept. In this paper, we examine to what extent individuals endorse – that is, agree with and see the importance of using - social-ecological resilience as a framework for management and governance of water resources. We approach the problem and promise of water governance in this way because individuals’ mindsets (and shifts in mindsets) offers one of the most effective leverage points for larger system change. To explore water resilience endorsement, we developed a scale (i.e., a water resilience scale) that was designed to capture individual endorsement of each of the seven principles of social-ecological water resilience. Three additional sets of questionnaires were also used to examine whether individual characteristics (i.e., demographics, psychological factors, and environmental attitudes) predict water resilience endorsement. Overall, there was considerable societal endorsement of water resilience. However, the degree to which individuals endorsed the concept of water resilience differed as a function of demographics, psychological characteristics, and attitudes toward the environment. Future research should examine the nuances of endorsement and consider targeted approaches to influence endorsement levels by using the predictor variables as a basis for engaging and shifting mindsets.S

Telomere erosion in NF1 tumorigenesis

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1; MIM# 162200) is a familial cancer syndrome that affects 1 in 3,500 individuals worldwide and is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors (MPNSTs) represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in NF1 and currently there is no treatment or definite prognostic biomarkers for these tumors. Telomere shortening has been documented in numerous tumor types. Short dysfunctional telomeres are capable of fusion and it is considered that the ensuing genomic instability may facilitate clonal evolution and the progression to malignancy. To evaluate the potential role of telomere dysfunction in NF1-associated tumors, we undertook a comparative analysis of telomere length in samples derived from 10 cutaneous and 10 diffused plexiform neurofibromas, and 19 MPNSTs. Telomere length was determined using high-resolution Single Telomere Length Analysis (STELA). The mean Xp/Yp telomere length detected in MPNSTs, at 3.282 kb, was significantly shorter than that observed in both plexiform neurofibromas (5.793 kb; [p = 0.0006]) and cutaneous neurofibromas (6.141 kb; [p = 0.0007]). The telomere length distributions of MPNSTs were within the length-ranges in which telomere fusion is detected and that confer a poor prognosis in other tumor types. These data indicate that telomere length may play a role in driving genomic instability and clonal progression in NF1-associated MPNSTs

Late Pleistocene human genome suggests a local origin for the first farmers of central Anatolia

Anatolia was home to some of the earliest farming communities. It has been long debated whether a migration of farming groups introduced agriculture to central Anatolia. Here, we report the first genome-wide data from a 15,000-year-old Anatolian hunter-gatherer and from seven Anatolian and Levantine early farmers. We find high genetic continuity (~80–90%) between the hunter-gatherers and early farmers of Anatolia and detect two distinct incoming ancestries: an early Iranian/Caucasus related one and a later one linked to the ancient Levant. Finally, we observe a genetic link between southern Europe and the Near East predating 15,000 years ago. Our results suggest a limited role of human migration in the emergence of agriculture in central Anatolia

Governance of Aquatic Systems: What Attributes and Practices Promote Resilience?

Aquatic environments embody the characteristics of complex social-ecological systems and aspressures on them intensify so does concern about their resilience. Resilience research has advanced the conceptual understanding of how aquatic systems function and underscored the needfor an adaptive approach to management. More recently, a growing emphasis has been placed onresilience concepts in relation to water governance and thereby the broader social, political, andeconomic contexts in which aquatic systems are embedded. Using a two round online Delphisurvey of global experts and water governance, this study identifies governance attributes that supportspecified and general resilience in aquatic systems, and describes practices or activities that enhancegovernance ability to respond to shocks and disturbances. The results of the Delphi study offera prioritized list of attributes of governance for aquatic system governance resilience, includingbeing adaptive, polycentric, inclusive and maintaining strong leadership. Similar to the attributesdescribed in the existing literature on resilience and water governance, those identified through theDelphi remain somewhat abstract. This research highlights the need for future studies exploringhow these concepts can be applied in practice and the extent to which they can be traded off