Individual Plots Research Articles

Кошка в фольклоре калмыков, других монголоязычных народов и народов Дальнего Востока

The article observes the material about cat in the culture of Kalmyks and other Mongol-speaking peoples. Contrary to expectations associated with the nomadic culture, in new materials on Kalmyk folklore, the cat is represented in Kalmyk folklore in a significant number of various examples. The cat, saved from death by the new owner who bought it, together with the dog becomes his assistant. A similar story is found among the Buryats and Koreans, who have many motifs related to the cat and similar to those of Kalmyks, Mongols and Buryats. It is important that the cat acts as a guardian of Buddhist manuscripts and khuruls, it is possible that the distribution of cats in Central Asia and the countries of the Far East is associated with the spread of Buddhism both in events and in time. Goal. In connection with the large amount of new material about the cat in Kalmyk folklore, it became necessary to clarify ethnographic materials on the characteristics of the Kalmyks attitude to the cat, to identify parallels to the stories and tales about the cat among Kalmyks, to reveal the unity of the cultural component in the stories about the cat among Kalmyks, Buryats, Mongols , Chinese and Koreans, to assess the degree of similarity of the compared texts, to determine the independence of ethnographically significant elements in the compared texts, to distinguish the characteristics of realia from purely narrative folkloric detail. Results. The connection of some notions related to the cat in the form of their implementation in folklore and everyday attitudes to the cat in the life of Kalmyks in the 1920s–1930s according to ethnographic sources is noted. The prevalence of individual plots in which a cat and a dog are present is traced among the Mongolian peoples with their analogies in Inner Mongolia, China and Korea, and it turns out that in the folklore of Koreans, the cat cult is presented in the most eloquent way and is associated with the tiger cult (cats are thought to be descendants of the mating union of a man and a tigresses). The spread of cats is associated with the abolition of the tradition of killing old people. The proliferation of cats in the folklore stories of Kalmyks, Koreans and Tuvans is associated with the need to get cats in Buddhist monasteries so that cats protect Buddhist manuscripts from mice, this way distribution of cats among the peoples of Central Asia and the Far East is associated in time with the spread of Buddhist religious doctrine in this region. At the same time, the cultural components related to the attitude to the cat among Buddhists are not related to the respectful attitude to the cat in Islam, correlated with the personality of the Prophet Muhammad.

Кошка в фольклоре калмыков, других монголоязычных народов и народов Дальнего Востока

The article observes the material about cat in the culture of Kalmyks and other Mongol-speaking peoples. Contrary to expectations associated with the nomadic culture, in new materials on Kalmyk folklore, the cat is represented in Kalmyk folklore in a significant number of various examples. The cat, saved from death by the new owner who bought it, together with the dog becomes his assistant. A similar story is found among the Buryats and Koreans, who have many motifs related to the cat and similar to those of Kalmyks, Mongols and Buryats. It is important that the cat acts as a guardian of Buddhist manuscripts and khuruls, it is possible that the distribution of cats in Central Asia and the countries of the Far East is associated with the spread of Buddhism both in events and in time. Goal. In connection with the large amount of new material about the cat in Kalmyk folklore, it became necessary to clarify ethnographic materials on the characteristics of the Kalmyks attitude to the cat, to identify parallels to the stories and tales about the cat among Kalmyks, to reveal the unity of the cultural component in the stories about the cat among Kalmyks, Buryats, Mongols , Chinese and Koreans, to assess the degree of similarity of the compared texts, to determine the independence of ethnographically significant elements in the compared texts, to distinguish the characteristics of realia from purely narrative folkloric detail. Results. The connection of some notions related to the cat in the form of their implementation in folklore and everyday attitudes to the cat in the life of Kalmyks in the 1920s–1930s according to ethnographic sources is noted. The prevalence of individual plots in which a cat and a dog are present is traced among the Mongolian peoples with their analogies in Inner Mongolia, China and Korea, and it turns out that in the folklore of Koreans, the cat cult is presented in the most eloquent way and is associated with the tiger cult (cats are thought to be descendants of the mating union of a man and a tigresses). The spread of cats is associated with the abolition of the tradition of killing old people. The proliferation of cats in the folklore stories of Kalmyks, Koreans and Tuvans is associated with the need to get cats in Buddhist monasteries so that cats protect Buddhist manuscripts from mice, this way distribution of cats among the peoples of Central Asia and the Far East is associated in time with the spread of Buddhist religious doctrine in this region. At the same time, the cultural components related to the attitude to the cat among Buddhists are not related to the respectful attitude to the cat in Islam, correlated with the personality of the Prophet Muhammad.

Feeding a city – Leicester as a case study of the importance of allotments for horticultural production in the UK

The process of urbanization has detached a large proportion of the global population from involvement with food production. However, there has been a resurgence in interest in urban agriculture and there is widespread recognition by policy-makers of its potential contribution to food security. Despite this, there is little data on urban agricultural production by non-commercial small-scale growers. We combine citizen science data for self-provisioning crop yields with field-mapping and GIS-based analysis of allotments in Leicester, UK, to provide an estimate of allotment fruit and vegetable production at a city-scale. In addition, we examine city-scale changes in allotment land provision on potential crop production over the past century. The average area of individual allotment plots used to grow crops was 52%. Per unit area yields for the majority of crops grown in allotments were similar to those of UK commercial horticulture. We estimate city-wide allotment production of >1200 t of fruit and vegetables and 200 t of potatoes per annum, equivalent to feeding >8500 people. If the 13% of plots that are completely uncultivated were used this could increase production to >1400 t per annum, feeding ~10,000 people, however this production may not be located in areas where there is greatest need for increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The citywide contribution of allotment cultivation peaked in the 1950s when 475 ha of land was allotments, compared to 97 ha currently. This suggests a decline from >45,000 to <10,000 of people fed per annum. We demonstrate that urban allotments make a small but important contribution to the fruit and vegetable diet of a UK city. However, further urban population expansion will exert increasing development pressure on allotment land. Policy-makers should both protect allotments within cities, and embed urban agricultural land within future developments to improve local food security.

FORMING OF FALSE ANNUAL RINGS ON SCALES OF JUVENILE COHO SALMON ONCORHYNCHUS KISUTCH IN THE UPPER REACHES, FLOODPLAIN OLD WATER BODIES AND LAKES IN THE MIDDLE AND LOWER REACHES OF THE KAMCHATKA RIVER

Structure of scales is investigated for coho salmon juveniles from several sites of their feeding in the Kamchatka River basin, from Pushchino (685 km from the river mouth) to Lake Nerpichye (at the mouth). The underyearlings begin their migrations over the river basin to individual plots soon after their emerging from nests, only part of them feed and winter at the spawning grounds (between Pushchino — Milkovo). A number of coho juveniles stay for feeding and wintering in the tributaries of the Kamchatka River, some of them migrate during spring–summer floods (mid May–June) to the old water bodies in its upper and middle reaches (near Milkovo, Dolinovka, Taezhny, Dedova Yurta, Lake Kulpik) and to the floodplain and lagoon–estuary lakes (Lake Kurazhechnoye, Lake Kursin, and others), having or yet having no scales. Aboriginal coho salmon never spawn in these floodplain water bodies, but the juveniles are observed there all the year round. After wintering, seasonal growth and forming a zone of closely-spaced sclerites of scale (ZCS) — annual ring start in early May or middle May (till early June for some individuals), both for coho yearlings and older juveniles. An additional ZCS (1st type) can be formed earlier on the coho scale in some lakes because of the feeding change. Besides, another additional ZSC (2nd type) can be formed on the scale of coho yearlings (1+) in the old water bodies at Dolinovka, Taezhny, Dedova Yurta, in the lakes Kulpik, Kurazhechnoye, Kursin, and Azabachye and in the Azabachya Channel (at the Dyakonovsky Brook) in late July — August because of seasonal changes in the feeding.

Estimation of Tree Biomass at Individual tree, Sample plot and Hybrid Level using Drone Images

Estimation of Tree Biomass at Individual tree, Sample plot and Hybrid Level using Drone Images

Identification of causal agent and management of grain discolouration in rice

Grain discolouration has been noticed in rice over the years in Guyana. The disease has been a serious problem in affecting quality and yield of rice. A study was carried out to identify the causal agent of grain discolouration and to develop suitable disease management practices in rice. The initial identification revealed that Curvularia spp. was predominant in rice grains with expression of symptoms of grain discolouration from samples collected from various locations of Guyana. The Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) of the UK has confirmed the pathogen as Curvularia lunata, based on the amplification and sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA. Pathogenicity test has proved that C. lunata is responsible for the cause of grain discolouration. Eight new-generation fungicides were tested against C. lunata under in vitro and field conditions. All fungicides recorded a significant inhibition of mycelial growth of the C. lunata under in vitro. Fungicides that exhibited higher than 70% inhibition of mycelial growth of C. lunata compared to the untreated control were further evaluated in multiple field trials. Application of Amistar Xtra 28 SC (Triazol, Estrobilurtina, Cyproconazol, Azoxystrobin) 1.5 mL L−1; Glory 75 WG (Mancozeb + Azoxystrobin) at 3.0 g L−1; Antracol 70WP (Propineb) at 5.0 g L−1; and Carbendazim 50SC (Carbendazim 50%) at 1.5 mL L−1 showed more than 50% reduction in the incidence of grain discolouration. The efficacy of Amistar Xtra 28 SC; Glory 75 WG; Antracol 70WP; and Carbendazim 50SC were further demonstrated in field trials established with three replicates and an individual plot size of 225 m2 at farmers’ holdings in regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Guyana. A significant reduction in grain discolouration was noticed from 48.58 to 92.85% in field demonstrations. In addition, these four fungicides have enhanced number of filled grains, 1000 grain weight and grain yield compared to control.

Using Sensors and Unmanned Aircraft Systems for High-Throughput Phenotyping of Biomass in Perennial Ryegrass Breeding Trials.

Increasing herbage biomass is the predominant objective for pasture plant breeding programs. Three types of field trials are commonly involved during forage plant breeding, i.e., individually spaced plants, row plot, and sward trials. Assessments of biomass production at individual plant, row plot, and sward plot levels are through visual scoring and/or cutting of biomass manually or mechanically. Both visual scoring and cutting of plants are laborious, time consuming, and costly. The development of sensor technology such as multispectral sensors and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) provide the opportunity to accelerate the process of biomass evaluation and to increase throughput, improve resolution, and reduce time and cost. We tested either the handheld Trimble GreenSeeker® or Parrot Sequoia multispectral sensors attached to a 3DR Solo Quadcopter to assess biomass in perennial ryegrass field trials sown as spaced individual plants, row plots, and simulated sward plots. Significant correlations were observed between visual score and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in a spaced plant field trial and between biomass yield and NDVI in row plot and sward trials (r = 0.12 ~ 0.93). NDVI obtained from multispectral sensors and UAS can replace visual scoring in spaced plant trials. It was also a valuable proxy for yield estimation in row plot and sward trials. These technologies will assist in transition for the forage grass breeding from pen and notepad to digital and data era.

Towards analytical typologies of plot systems: Quantitative profile of five European cities

The importance of the plot (also referred to as ‘property’) as one of the fundamental elements of urban form is well recognized within the field of urban morphology. Despite the fact that it is often described as the basic element in the pattern of land divisions, which are essential as organizational frameworks for urban form, studies offering comprehensive descriptions and classifications of plot systems are quite scant. The aim of the paper is to introduce a classification of plot systems into typologies based on five European cities, in order to distinguish particular spatial differences and similarities in terms of their plot structure. The proposed typologies are developed using unsupervised k-means cluster analysis based on numeric attributes derived from central theories in urban morphology. The introduced typologies are essentially configurational, allowing collective systematic properties of plot systems to be captured. Numeric attributes include plot differentiation (or plot size), plot frontage and compactness ratio, corresponding to essential qualities of plot systems such as the capacity to carry differences in space, the ability to operate as interface between street and building and providing a framework for evolution of built form over time. All three attributes are translated into configurational measures in order to capture the context of the plot system, rather than the parameters of individual plots. The combination of these deductively defined variables with algorithmically defined classification methods results in seven plot types that can be used to scale up traditional urban morphological analysis to whole city regions and conduct substantial comparison of patterns within, but also between these regions. Further, it also makes it possible to describe commonly recognized plot patterns and discover new ones.

Intercropping in Rubber Plantation Ontology for a Decision Support System

Planting intercropping in rubber plantations is another alternative for generating more income for farmers. However, farmers still lack the knowledge of choosing plants. In addition, information for decision making comes from many sources and is knowledge accumulated by the expert. Therefore, this research aims to create a decision support system for growing rubber trees for individual farmers. It aims to get the highest income and the lowest cost by using semantic web technology so that farmers can access knowledge at all times and reduce the risk of growing crops, and also support the decision supporting system (DSS) to be more intelligent. The integrated intercropping ontology and rule are a part of the decision-making process for selecting plants that is suitable for individual rubber plots. A list of suitable plants is important for decision variables in the allocation of planting areas for each type of plant for multiple purposes. This article presents designing and developing the intercropping for DSS which defines a class based on the principle of intercropping in rubber plantations. It is grouped according to the characteristics and condition of the area of the farmer as a concept of the rubber plantation. It consists of the age of rubber tree, spacing between rows of rubber trees, and water sources for use in agriculture and soil group, including slope, drainage, depth of soil, etc. The use of ontology for recommended plants suitable for individual farmers makes a contribution to the knowledge management field. Besides being useful in DSS by offering options with accuracy, it also reduces the complexity of the problem by reducing decision variables and condition variables in the multi-objective optimization model of DSS.

Contrasting effects of host identity, plant community, and local species pool on the composition and colonization levels of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in a temperate grassland.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) are important plant symbionts, but we know little about the effects of plant taxonomic identity or functional group on the AMF community composition. To examine the effects of the surrounding plant community, of the host, and of the AMF pool on the AMF community in plant roots, we manipulated plant community composition in a long-term field experiment. Within four types of manipulated grassland plots, seedlings of eight grassland plant species were planted for 12wk, and AMFs in their roots were quantified. Additionally, we characterized the AMF community of individual plots (as their AMF pool) and quantified plot abiotic conditions. The largest determinant of AMF community composition was the pool of available AMFs, varying at metre scale due to changing soil conditions. The second strongest predictor was the host functional group. The differences between grasses and dicotyledonous forbs in AMF community variation and diversity were much larger than the differences among species within those groups. High cover of forbs in the surrounding plant community had a strong positive effect on AMF colonization intensity in grass hosts. Using a manipulative field experiment enabled us to demonstrate direct causal effects of plant host and surrounding vegetation.

Continuity and Transformation of Open Spaces in the Large Housing Estate Developed under Socialism in Prague, Czech Republic

After WW II, a large number of housing estates has been developed all over the world. Especially in the socialist countries at that time, prefab panel housings had been constructed quickly before the completion of neighbourhood facilities and open spaces. In Jižní Město, one of the largest housing estates in Prague, various open spaces and public facilities had been planned in 1960s but many of them had not realized as planned and remained without maintenance. However, it has been decades after the development, and now the regeneration of these open spaces has taken place. In this paper, it is clarified that the regeneration way of the open spaces depending on their own backgrounds and present situations. First, I clarified the original concept and present situation of open spaces in Jižní Město by archive documents and field survey. Next, I clarified the present policy and idea of the regeneration by an interview with the municipality. When a new building is constructed in Czechoslovakia under socialism, it was enacted that the part of the construction fee had to be used for artworks. At the development of Jižní Město, the concept of open spaces and the arrangement of artworks were mentioned in a document of the development plan. According to the document, every design should be designed not only for individual building or plot, but also the whole area of Jižní Město. Besides, the area inside of Jižní Město was divided into five parts and each of them had own theme. Various artworks -mainly sculptures, some reliefs and fountains etc.- were planned under each area theme. In addition, a design competition of courtyard and street furniture was held. This design process means the original concept of open spaces in Jižní Město paid attention to the artistry of place. Present regeneration of open spaces in Jižní Město is designed in a shorter period of time and smaller scale than the original plan because it can be cancelled in the course of planning if it takes a long time. Furthermore, the successful realization of regeneration can raise awareness of neighbours about open space and make the cooperative relationship easier for the future regeneration. Each regeneration of open space considers existing objects, neighbours’ needs and relationship with surrounding buildings and facilities. For example, a sculpture designed in the socialist era remains until today and became part of the regenerated open space. On the other hand, more functional materials such as laundry drying tool or sandbox are planned to remove when they have not been used anymore. An existing desire path route remains as a paved path in a new regeneration plan considering inhabitants’ convenience. The functional materials in open spaces can be changed flexibly by regeneration depending on the inhabitants’ needs and it can make open spaces more comfortable and convenient. However, at the same time, some artworks created under socialism are preserved and trees planted decades ago are now grown and provides rich green areas. These kinds of continuity indicate the history of the place through transformation.

Mobile Terrestrial Photogrammetry for Street Tree Mapping and Measurements

Urban forests are often heavily populated by street trees along right-of-ways (ROW), and monitoring efforts can enhance municipal tree management. Terrestrial photogrammetric techniques have been used to measure tree biometry, but have typically used images from various angles around individual trees or forest plots to capture the entire stem while also utilizing local coordinate systems (i.e., non-georeferenced data). We proposed the mobile collection of georeferenced imagery along 100 m sections of urban roadway to create photogrammetric point cloud datasets suitable for measuring stem diameters and attaining positional x and y coordinates of street trees. In a comparison between stationary and mobile photogrammetry, diameter measurements of urban street trees (N = 88) showed a slightly lower error (RMSE = 8.02%) relative to non-mobile stem measurements (RMSE = 10.37%). Tree Y-coordinates throughout urban sites for mobile photogrammetric data showed a lower standard deviation of 1.70 m relative to 2.38 m for a handheld GPS, which was similar for X-coordinates where photogrammetry and handheld GPS coordinates showed standard deviations of 1.59 m and the handheld GPS 2.36 m, respectively—suggesting higher precision for the mobile photogrammetric models. The mobile photogrammetric system used in this study to create georeferenced models for measuring stem diameters and mapping tree positions can also be potentially expanded for more wide-scale applications related to tree inventory and monitoring of roadside infrastructure.

Canopy height measurements and non‐destructive biomass estimation of Lolium perenne swards using UAV imagery

AbstractIn perennial ryegrass breeding programmes, dry‐matter yield (DMY) of individual plots is monitored destructively at the different cuts or derived from non‐destructive canopy height measurements using devices like rising plate meters (RPM). These approaches both have constraints. Destructive sampling implies low temporal resolution, restraining the study of dry‐matter accumulation rates, while RPM measurements are influenced by the canopy structure and limit intra‐field variability identification. We present a phenotyping methodology, based on the use of an affordable RGB camera mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), to monitor the spatial and temporal evolution of canopy height and to estimate DMY. Weekly flights were carried out from April to October above a field comprising a diverse set of accessions. To test the capacity of UAV imagery to estimate canopy height, 8 ground control points and 28 artificial height references were placed at different locations. Accurate flights with an RMSE as low as 0.94 cm were achieved. In addition, canopy height was recorded using an RPM and destructive biomass samples were collected. Different models (linear, multiple linear, principal components, partial least squares regression and random forest) were used to predict DMY, and their performance was evaluated. The best estimations were obtained by combining variables including canopy height, vegetation indices and environmental data in a multiple linear regression (R2 = .81). All models built using UAV data obtained a lower RMSE than the one using RPM data. The approach presented is a possibility for breeders to incorporate new information in their selection process.

A Semi-empirical Approach Based on Genetic Programming for the Study of Biophysical Controls on Diameter-Growth of Fagus orientalis in Northern Iran

This paper examines the possible ecological controls on the diameter increment of oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) in a high altitude forest in northern Iran. The main objectives of the study are computer-generated abiotic surfaces and associated plot estimates of (i) growing-season-cumulated potential solar radiation, (ii) seasonal air temperature, (iii) topographic wetness index in representing soil water distribution, and (iv) wind velocity generated from the simulation of fluid-flow dynamics in complex terrain. Plot estimates of the tree growth are based on averaged plot measurements of diameter at breast height increment during a growing period of nine years (2003–2012). Biotic variables related to the tree diameter increment involve averaged 2003 tree diameter and basal area measured in individual forest plots. In the modelling data (144 plots), the assemblage of modelled and observed site variables explained 75% of the variance in plot-level diameter increment. In the validation data (32 plots), the degree of explained variance was 77%. Mean tree diameter at breast height showed the strongest correlation with diameter increment, explaining 32% of the variation between-plot, followed by the configuration of topography and re-distribution of surface water (19.5%) and plot basal area (16.9%). On average, localised estimates of solar radiation and wind velocity potentially contribute to about 20% of the control on plot-level mean increment in oriental beech of the area. The results of the genetic programming showed that controlling the stand basal area and tree size by thinning and/or selective harvesting can have a favourable impact on the future distribution of mean diameter in oriental beech.

Real-time, non-destructive and in-field foliage yield and growth rate measurement in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

BackgroundIn-field measurement of yield and growth rate in pasture species is imprecise and costly, limiting scientific and commercial application. Our study proposed a LiDAR-based mobile platform for non-invasive vegetative biomass and growth rate estimation in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). This included design and build of the platform, development of an algorithm for volumetric estimation, and field validation of the system. The LiDAR-based volumetric estimates were compared against fresh weight and dry weight data across different ages of plants, seasons, stages of regrowth, sites, and row configurations.ResultsThe project had three phases, the last one comprising four experiments. Phase 1: a LiDAR-based, field-ready prototype mobile platform for perennial ryegrassrecognition in single row plots was developed. Phase 2: real-time volumetric data capture, modelling and analysis software were developed and integrated and the resultant algorithm was validated in the field. Phase 3. LiDAR Volume data were collected via the LiDAR platform and field-validated in four experiments. Expt.1: single-row plots of cultivars and experimental diploid breeding populations were scanned in the southern hemisphere spring for biomass estimation. Significant (P < 0.001) correlations were observed between LiDAR Volume and both fresh and dry weight data from 360 individual plots (R2 = 0.89 and 0.86 respectively). Expt 2: recurrent scanning of single row plots over long time intervals of a few weeks was conducted, and growth was estimated over an 83 day period. Expt 3: recurrent scanning of single-row plots over nine short time intervals of 2 to 5 days was conducted, and growth rate was observed over a 26 day period. Expt 4: recurrent scanning of paired-row plots over an annual cycle of repeated growth and defoliation was conducted, showing an overall mean correlation of LiDAR Volume and fresh weight of R2 = 0.79 for 1008 observations made across seven different harvests between March and December 2018.ConclusionsHere we report development and validation of LiDAR-based volumetric estimation as an efficient and effective tool for measuring fresh weight, dry weight and growth rate in single and paired-row plots of perennial ryegrass for the first time, with a consistently high level of accuracy. This development offers precise, non-destructive and cost-effective estimation of these economic traits in the field for ryegrass and potentially other pasture grasses in the future, based on the platform and algorithm developed for ryegrass.

Tropical Tree Branch-Leaf Nutrient Scaling Relationships Vary With Sampling Location.

Bivariate relationships between plant tissue nutrient concentration have largely been studied across broad environmental scales regardless of their covariation with soil and climate. Comparing leaf and branch wood concentrations of C, Ca, K, Mg, N, Na, and P for trees growing in tropical forests in Amazonia and Australia we found that the concentrations of most elements varied with sampling location, but with foliar and branch woody tissues varying from site to site in different ways. Using a Mixed Effect Model (MEM) approach it was further found that relationships between branch and leaf concentrations within individual plots differed in terms of both slope and/or significance to the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates for most elements. Specifically, using MEM we found that within plots only K and Mg were correlated across organs, but with the K cross-organ intercept estimates varying significantly between sites. MEM analyses further showed that within-plot wood density variations were also negatively related to wood K and Na, suggesting a potentially important role for these cations in water transport and/or storage in woody tissues. The OLS method could not detect significant correlations in any of the above cases. By contrast, although Ca, N, and P leaf and wood tissue concentrations showed similar patterns when individual elements were compared across sites, MEM analyses suggested no consistent association within sites. Thus, for all these three elements, strong within-tree scaling relationships were inferred when data were analyzed across sites using OLS, even though there was no relationship within individual sites. Thus (as for Ca, N, and P) not only can a pooling of data across sites result in trait (co)variations attributable to the environment potentially being incorrectly attributed solely to the species and/or individual (the so-called “ecological fallacy”), but in some cases (as was found here for K and Na) the opposite can also sometimes occur with significant within-site covariations being obscured by large site-site variations. We refer to the latter phenomenon as “environmental obfuscation.”

Effects of seed tuber size on the yield and quality of seven accessions of potato

A field experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from November 2011 to February 2012 to study the effect of seed tuber size on the yield and quality of seven accessions of potato. The experiment was laid out in the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. This piece of research consisted of two factors namely, size of seed tubers i.e. three different size of seed tuber i.e. small (10-20 g), medium (21-30 g) and large (31-40 g) and seven accessions of potato i.e. AC10064, AC10076, AC10097, AC10109, AC10123, AC10190 and one check variety Cardinal. The size of individual plot was 1.8 m × 1.2 m. Two adjacent unit plots and blocks were separated by 0.5 m and 0.5 m. A spacing of 60 cm × 30 cm was also used in terms of planting. Data on different yield contributing characters and yield were recorded. The tallest plants were produced by the large size of seed tuber accession AC10109 (120.25 cm) which also took minimum time (6.10 days) to germinate and possessed maximum stem diameter (0.95 cm) while small seed tuber of Cardinal required maximum days (10.23 days) along with shortest height (60.22 cm) as well as stem diameter (0.65 cm). The large size seed tuber of accession AC10109 gave maximum number of main stems/hill (6.4) and small size of seed tuber variety Cardinal gave minimum number of main stems/hill (2.96). The large size of seed tuber accession AC10109 produced maximum number of compound leaves/hill (64.80) and the small size of seed tuber Cardinal produced minimum number of compound leaves/hill (35.74). In terms of yield character large size of seed tuber of AC10109 accession exhibited highest results in tuber number 9.60 with the average diameter of tubers (5.86 cm) and yield was 10.42 t/ha. The accessions differed significantly with respect to all the plant characters studied.&#x0D; J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 17(2): 200–205, June 2019

The Embodiment of the Plot “After Death Meal” in the Ancient Funerary Monuments of the Northern Black Sea Region

In the first centuries of our era, the Greek cities of the Northern Black Sea region experienced crisis processes. They resulted in significant changes in the life of policies, including the burial rite. The significance of individual plots used in its performance changes. The plot of the “afterlife meal” and certain types of funerary objects, in which it was embodied, are widely spread. Two types of such objects have been identified and analyzed: stone tombstones with corresponding images and underground crypts with niches – beds in the chambers. Earlier, the corresponding stone tombstones appear in small quantities in Olbia in the Hellenistic period. Since the beginning of the new era, they are widely spread throughout the Northern Black Sea region. On the tombstones the interior of the house and the deceased, reclining on the boxes during the “afterlife meal”, is often depicted. The same interior is embodied in the internal structure of the underground crypts chambers. In this niche – beds symbolize the burial bed. Such crypts appear in insignificant quantities in Hellenistic Olbia, but they are also widely spread from the 1st c. AD throughout the Northern Black Sea. Thus, the plot of the “afterlife meal”, widely known in the ancient world, on the territory of the Northern Black Sea region is embodied in at least two categories of archaeological monuments – stone tombstones with corresponding images and underground crypts with niches – stove beds. Such monuments appear in small numbers in Hellenism, and since the beginning of the Roman era they have become widespread. This is partly due to the intensification of the process of “heroization” of the dead and changes in the social structure of the population of this region.

Grazing‐induced patchiness, not grazing intensity, drives plant diversity in European low‐input pastures

Abstract Livestock grazing at low stocking rates is widely recommended to maintain grassland biodiversity. However, empirical evidence of grazing‐intensity effects on plant diversity is contradictory. Explicitly considering the small‐scale heterogeneity of short, frequently grazed and tall, rarely grazed patches typical of low‐input grazing systems may be crucial to the understanding of paddock‐scale grazing effects. We studied three patch types (short, intermediate, tall) within an unfertilised long‐term cattle grazing experiment in Lower Saxony, Germany, comparing three paddock‐scale grazing intensities. We analysed soil nutrient concentrations and recorded vegetation composition at a total of 135 plots. We determined species richness, Simpson diversity, Simpson evenness and beta diversity of individual plots (plot scale) and patch types within paddocks (patch scale). To quantify paddock‐scale diversity, we resampled plot‐scale species composition across a gradient of relative proportions of short and tall patches within a paddock. Patch type, not paddock‐scale grazing intensity, was the main driver of plant diversity at both plot and patch scale. Short patches were more diverse than tall patches, but the effect was not strongly mediated by the lower soil nutrient concentrations in the short patches. By contrast, both patch type and grazing intensity affected vegetation composition at plot and patch scale. Beta‐diversity within and between patch types was independent of grazing intensity; consequently, paddock‐scale diversity was determined by the relative proportion of short versus tall patches. Higher alpha diversity of short patches compared to tall patches was more important than beta diversity between the two patch types in shaping paddock‐scale diversity. Consequently, with increasing short‐patch proportion, paddock‐scale diversity increased. Synthesis and applications. Our study identifies the grazing‐induced patch structure as the most important driver of plant diversity across different grazing intensities in low‐input, that is, unfertilised and continuously stocked, pastures. To optimise grazing management for biodiversity, understanding plant‐diversity responses to grazing at the patch scale is indispensable. Our results suggest that, in unfertilised, continuously stocked European pastures, trade‐offs between biodiversity and agronomic production may be small, as short patches, whose proportion increases with stocking rate, also had the highest plant diversity.

UAV and Ground Image-Based Phenotyping: A Proof of Concept with Durum Wheat

Climate change is one of the primary culprits behind the restraint in the increase of cereal crop yields. In order to address its effects, effort has been focused on understanding the interaction between genotypic performance and the environment. Recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have enabled the assembly of imaging sensors into precision aerial phenotyping platforms, so that a large number of plots can be screened effectively and rapidly. However, ground evaluations may still be an alternative in terms of cost and resolution. We compared the performance of red–green–blue (RGB), multispectral, and thermal data of individual plots captured from the ground and taken from a UAV, to assess genotypic differences in yield. Our results showed that crop vigor, together with the quantity and duration of green biomass that contributed to grain filling, were critical phenotypic traits for the selection of germplasm that is better adapted to present and future Mediterranean conditions. In this sense, the use of RGB images is presented as a powerful and low-cost approach for assessing crop performance. For example, broad sense heritability for some RGB indices was clearly higher than that of grain yield in the support irrigation (four times), rainfed (by 50%), and late planting (10%). Moreover, there wasn’t any significant effect from platform proximity (distance between the sensor and crop canopy) on the vegetation indexes, and both ground and aerial measurements performed similarly in assessing yield.