Lowland Production Research Articles

Simulating and evaluating best management practices for integrated landscape management scenarios in biofuel feedstock production

AbstractSound crop and land management strategies can maintain land productivity and improve the environmental sustainability of agricultural crop and feedstock production. This study evaluates a strategy of incorporating landscape design and management concepts into bioenergy feedstock production. It examines the effect of land conversion and agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on water quality (nutrients and suspended sediments) and hydrology. The strategy was applied to the watershed of the South Fork Iowa River in Iowa, where the focus was on converting low‐productivity land to provide cellulosic biomass and implementing riparian buffers. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was employed to simulate the impact at watershed and sub‐basin scales. The study compared the representation of buffers by using trapping efficiency and area ratio methods in SWAT. Landscape design and management scenarios were developed to quantify water quality under (i) current land use, (ii) partial land conversion to switchgrass, and (iii) riparian buffer implementation. Results show that implementation of vegetative barriers and riparian buffer can trap the loss of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sediment significantly. The effect increases with the increase of buffer area coverage. Implementing riparian buffer at 30 m width is able to produce 4 million liters of biofuels. When low‐productivity land (15.2% of total watershed land area) is converted to grow switchgrass, suspended sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrate loadings are reduced by 69.3%, 55.5%, 46.1%, and 13.4%, respectively. Results highlight the significant role of lower‐productivity land and buffers in cellulosic biomass and provide insights into the design of an integrated landscape with a conservation buffer for future bioenergy feedstock production. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Estimating impacts of climate change policy on land use: an agent-based modelling approach.

Agriculture is important to New Zealand’s economy. Like other primary producers, New Zealand strives to increase agricultural output while maintaining environmental integrity. Utilising modelling to explore the economic, environmental and land use impacts of policy is critical to understand the likely effects on the sector. Key deficiencies within existing land use and land cover change models are the lack of heterogeneity in farmers and their behaviour, the role that social networks play in information transfer, and the abstraction of the global and regional economic aspects within local-scale approaches. To resolve these issues we developed the Agent-based Rural Land Use New Zealand model. The model utilises a partial equilibrium economic model and an agent-based decision-making framework to explore how the cumulative effects of individual farmer’s decisions affect farm conversion and the resulting land use at a catchment scale. The model is intended to assist in the development of policy to shape agricultural land use intensification in New Zealand. We illustrate the model, by modelling the impact of a greenhouse gas price on farm-level land use, net revenue, and environmental indicators such as nutrient losses and soil erosion for key enterprises in the Hurunui and Waiau catchments of North Canterbury in New Zealand. Key results from the model show that farm net revenue is estimated to increase over time regardless of the greenhouse gas price. Net greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to decline over time, even under a no GHG price baseline, due to an expansion of forestry on low productivity land. Higher GHG prices provide a greater net reduction of emissions. While social and geographic network effects have minimal impact on net revenue and environmental outputs for the catchment, they do have an effect on the spatial arrangement of land use and in particular the clustering of enterprises.

Sericulture as an Employment Generating Household Industry in West Bengal (A Study on its Current Problems & Prospects)

Employment generation is one of the major potentials of Sericulture and Silk Industry in India. The farm and non-farm activity of this sector creates sixty lakh mandays of employment every year mostly in rural sector. The industry helps to create egalitarian distribution of income as it transfers greater share of its wealth from high end urban customers to poor artisan classes. In West Bengal, more than one lakh families are occupied with sericulture activities where Karnataka is the state with the largest number of families involved with sericulture. Despite having high level family involvement, West Bengal produces smaller quantities of raw silk compared to Karnataka as well as Andhra Pradesh. This paper investigates the reason of this low production and finds out that low productivity of land is no way responsible for that. Different Employment Models constructed in this paper suggest that ‘area of mulberry cultivation’, ‘cocoon-market’ and ‘power-looms’ are powerful factors in changing the level of employment, while the primary survey exposes factors like ‘unitary household structure’, ‘income’ ‘years of education’ and ‘numbers of female in the household’ as the significant factors in accelerating average employment per family. The spillover effect of this employment generation is studied at the end. The study finds that as a poverty eradication measure, sericulture fails to expand in rural West Bengal vis-a-vis the other prominent states. But income inequality is undoubtedly diminished with the practice in sericulture.

Magnitude, Spatiotemporal Patterns, and Controls for Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in India during 1901–2010

To the best of our knowledge, no attempts have been made to understand how environmental changes that occurred in the 20th century have altered soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in India. In this study, we applied a process‐based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM), to estimate the magnitude as well as to quantify the effects of climate change and variability, land cover and land‐use change (LCLUC), carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, atmospheric nitrogen deposition (NDEP), and tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution on SOC stocks in India during 1901–2010. The DLEM simulations have shown that SOC stocks ranged from 20.5 to 23.4 Pg C (1 Pg = 1015 g), majority of which is stored in the forested areas in the north‐east, north, and few scattered regions in the southern India. During the study period, soils have sequestered SOC by 2.9 Pg C. Elevated CO2 concentration has increased total SOC stocks over the country by 1.28 Pg C, which was partially offset by climate change (0.78 Pg C) and tropospheric O3 pollution (0.20 Pg C) during 1901–2010. Interestingly, LCLUC increased SOC stocks by 1.7 Pg C thereby suggesting that SOC loss from deforestation was offset by the conversion of low productive fallow lands and other lands to croplands that received irrigation along with N fertilizers. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition (NDEP) has increased biomass production and SOC by 0.5 PgC over the country. This study has demonstrated that the benefits from elevated CO2 concentration, cropland management practices, and NDEP in sequestering SOC stocks were offset by climate change and tropospheric O3 pollution which should be curbed in India.

Abiotic stress and genome dynamics: specific genes and transposable elements response to iron excess in rice.

BackgroundIron toxicity is a root related abiotic stress, occurring frequently in flooded soils. It can affect the yield of rice in lowland production systems. This toxicity is associated with high concentrations of reduced iron (Fe2+) in the soil solution. Although the first interface of the element is in the roots, the consequences of an excessive uptake can be observed in several rice tissues. In an original attempt to find both genes and transposable elements involved in the response to an iron toxicity stress, we used a microarray approach to study the transcriptional responses of rice leaves of cv. Nipponbare (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica) to iron excess in nutrient solution.ResultsA large number of genes were significantly up- or down-regulated in leaves under the treatment. We analyzed the gene ontology and metabolic pathways of genes involved in the response to this stress and the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) present in the promoter region of up-regulated genes. The majority of genes act in the pathways of lipid metabolic process, carbohydrate metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and plant hormones. We also found genes involved in iron acquisition and mobilization, transport of cations and regulatory mechanisms for iron responses, and in oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species detoxification. Promoter regions of 27% of genes up-regulated present at least one significant occurrence of an ABA-responsive CRE. Furthermore, and for the first time, we were able to show that iron stress triggers the up-regulation of many LTR-retrotransposons. We have established a complete inventory of transposable elements transcriptionally activated under iron excess and the CREs which are present in their LTRs.ConclusionThe short-term response of Nipponbare seedlings to iron excess, includes activation of genes involved in iron homeostasis, in particular transporters, transcription factors and ROS detoxification in the leaves, but also many transposable elements. Our data led to the identification of CREs which are associated with both genes and LTR-retrotransposons up-regulated under iron excess. Our results strengthen the idea that LTR-retrotransposons participate in the transcriptional response to stress and could thus confer an adaptive advantage for the plant.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12284-015-0045-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A Study on Soil Suitability Criteria for Adzuki Bean

Soil properties and yields of red been were investigated to establish soil suitability of Korean adzuki bean at 166 farms in Korea. The soil morphological and physical properties were investigated by 1:5,000 scale average yield of 2~3 years. The impact factors to the adzuki bean yields and soil properties were selected based on standard error of each factor. The yields of adzuki bean showed the greatest values when the morphology was alluvial plains, the drainage was well or moderately well, the slope was 2~7%, the texture was fine loamy, the gravel content was less than 15% and the available soil depth was more than 100 cm. Contribution factors of soil properties to the yields were 0.18 of morphology, 0.18 of drainage level, 0.23 of slope, 0.20 of texture, 0.11 of gravel content and 0.10 of available soil depth, respectively. Soil suitability levels were set as the best suitable land if score was greater than 90, suitable land if score ranged from 89 to 85, the possible land if the score ranged from 79 to 84 and low productive land if score was less than 78. According to the criteria 37.5% of the production area was the best suitable land, 29.4% was suitable land, 22.3% was possible land and 10.8% was low productive land. The best and suitable lands were total of 66.9% in Gyeongju, Gyeosangbuk-do.

Current Livelihood Condition of and Futurity of Tea Farming for Marginal Small Tea Farm Holders (MSTH) of Sri Lanka: Case Study From Badulla and Matara District

With an area of 120,955 ha, Small Tea Farm Holders (STH) constitute about forty percent of the total tea land area of Sri Lanka. In addition to possessing small tea land area, portion of small holders face another serious problem, low productivity of the tea land. With the aim of filling the knowledge gap on the livelihood of Marginal Small Tea Farm Holders (MSTH) and guide future policies and other interventions based on existing realities, this research analyzes the livelihood of MSTH in Badulla and Matara district using Sustainable Livelihood (SL) Framework and discusses futurity of tea production for MSTHs. Since land is the most limiting factor for their livelihood, the MSTH were first divided into four land categories ranging from very small to large holder. Then, their livelihood capital was measured using the five livelihood capitals, i.e., natural, human, social, physical and financial. The result showed inconsistent relationship between land size of MSTH and other capitals such as number of trees planted and income from tea production. The district with smaller average land size (Matara) and the very small and small land holders within district were found to generate more income from tea reduction. Improving human capital through education was also found to contribute negatively toward labor contribution for tea production. Between districts, weather and elevation, two forms of natural capital which are mostly neglected in rural studies using SL approach, were found to play important role in determining outcome from tea based livelihood. Overall, however, majority of the farmers are in the view that tea generates low benefit and should look for other alternatives. Considering this, possibility of other livelihood activities such as conversion of the marginal tea land to fuelwood planation should be considered. This, in addition to improving farmers’ livelihood through enhanced income from their land, will also contribute for overcoming the ongoing shortage of fuelwood in Sri Lanka while also improving the environmental service from the MSTHs’ land.

Financial Dilemmas Associated with the Afforestation of Low-Productivity Farmland in Poland

In Poland, 82% of forests are State-owned, and only 17% of forests constitute private property. Each year, forests are converted to other land-use types, mainly for road construction. The afforestation rate on privately-owned low-productivity land is decreasing steadily. The owners and perpetual usufructuaries of this kind of land are eligible to government subsidies to cover establishment expenditures in whole or in part, provided that the afforestation scheme complies with the local zoning plan or an outline planning permission. The above creates a dilemma for farmers—is this a profitable option of managing low-productivity land? Owners of small farms particularly often face such dilemmas. Owners of small farms, which consist of low-yield agricultural land, can be regarded as investors operating on the real estate market, but those investors have features characteristic of agricultural producers. This study relied on the net present value (NPV) criterion, which is popularly used to assess the effectiveness of investments on the real estate market. A financial feasibility assessment performed with the use of such method in view of afforestation statistics and the 5% discount rate on the Polish forest market revealed the highest increase in net cumulative cash flows in the first five years, followed by a gradual decrease in successive years. The first negative cash flow was reported in year 20. NPV would remain negative because farmers would be charged with periodic maintenance expenditures until the stand reaches harvestable age at approximately 40 years. The longer the investment period, the lower the profits, even if discount rate is excluded. Investments of the type are difficult to terminate because forests younger than 20 years are difficult to sell at a price that covers growing outflows. Afforestation projects are also influenced by other economic and non-economic factors. The paper validates the research hypothesis that afforestation is a long-term investment that delivers benefits for future generations.

Evolution and Development of Contract Farming in Zimbabwe: A Reflection for Agribusiness

Agriculture in developing countries is characterised by low productivity and underutilisation of arable land. Southern African countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa have a long history of excluding black farmers in the commercial farming sector. Prior to independence, colonial policies favoured the white minority over the black majority, thereby creating large numbers of peasant farmers. Literature argues that contract farming can play a vital role in raising the agricultural productivity of peasant farmers. In contract farming, an agribusiness firm lends inputs such as fertilizer, seeds and pesticides to a farmer in return for the crop grown. This paper examines the Tian Ze Tobacco Company (TZTC) contract farming scheme in Zimbabwe as a “vehicle” to promote a new breed of emerging black commercial farmers in Southern Africa. The results of this study confirm that contract farming has a potential to boost productivity in Zimbabwe’s farming sector and empower the emerging black farmers. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p237

Carbon sequestration of modern Quercus suber L. silvoarable agroforestry systems in Portugal: a YieldSAFE-based estimation

Modern alley cropping designs, with trees aligned in rows and adapted to operating farming machinery, have been suggested for Europe. This paper explores the potential for adoption of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) agroforestry in Portugal and estimates the potential carbon sequestration. Spatial modeling and Portuguese datasets were used to estimate target areas where cork oak could grow on farmland. Different implementation scenarios were then modeled for this area assuming a modern silvoarable agroforestry system (113 trees ha−1 thinned at year 20 for establishing 50 trees ha−1). The YieldSAFE process-based model was used to predict the biomass and carbon yield of cork oak under low and high soil water holding capacity levels. Approximately 353,000 ha are available in Portugal for new cork oak alley cropping. Assuming implementation rates between 10 % of the area with low soil water capacity (60 mm: 15 cm depth, coarse texture) and 70 % of the area with high soil water holding capacity (1,228 mm: 200 cm depth, very fine texture), then carbon sequestration could be 5 × 106 and 123 × 106 Mg CO2 respectively. Due to higher yields on more productive land, scenarios of limited implementation in high productivity locations can sequester similar amounts of carbon as wide implementation on low productivity land, suggesting that a priori land classification assessments can improve the targeting of land and financial incentives for carbon sequestration.

Various problems of dryland agriculture and suggested agro-techniques suitable for dryland vegetable production

Due to low opportunities and higher population of landless and agricultural laborers as well as low land and labor productivity, poverty is concentrated in drier regions. The traditional subsistence farming systems have changed and at present time farmers have minute options and are are preferring to grow high value crops particularly vegetables which require intensive use of inputs, most importantly life saving irrigations, and therefore they face real problems in day to day life and is a serious concern which should be given huge importance as far as living conditions in such regions.

A Study on Soil Suitability Criteria for Liriopis Platyphylla

Soil properties and yields of liriopis platyphylla were investigated to establish soil suitability of Korean liriopis platyphylla at 116 farms in Korea. Morphological and physical properties of the soils were investigated along with the average yield of 2~3 years. The impact factors of soil properties to the yield of liriopis platyphylla were selected based on standard error of each factor. The yields of liriopis platyphylla showed the greatest values when the morphology was alluvial plains, when the drainage was well or moderately well, when the slope was 0-2%, the texture was coarse loamy, when the gravel content was less than 15% and when the available soil depth was more than 100 cm. Contribution factors of soil properties to the yields were 0.15 by morphology, 0.15 by drainage level, 0.13 by slope, 0.18 by texture, 0.16 by gravel content and 0.23 by available soil depth, respectively. Soil suitability classes were set as follows; the best suitable land if score was greater than 92, suitable land if score ranged from 91 to 86, the possible land if the score ranged from 85 to 83, and low productive land if score was less than 82. According to the criteria, 17.8% of the production area was the best suitable land, 43.1% was suitable land, 17.3% was possible land, and 21.8% was low productive land. The sum of both the best and suitable lands were 60.9% of the farm area of Miryang in Gyeongsangnam-do.

Centralised electricity production from winter cereals biomass grown under central-northern Spain conditions: Global warming and energy yield assessments

The goal of this paper is to assess the sustainability of electricity production from winter cereals grown in one of the most important Spanish agricultural areas, Castilla y León Region, situated in central-northern Spain. This study analyses greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and energy balances of electricity production in a 25MWe power plant that was powered using straw biomass from three annual winter cereals (rye, triticale and oat) grown as dedicated energy crops. The results of these analyses were compared with those of electricity produced from natural gas in Spanish power plants. Assessments were performed using a wide range of scenarios, mainly based on the biomass yield variability obtained in demonstration plots of twelve different winter cereal genotypes. Demonstration plots were established in two different locations (provinces of Soria and León) of the Castilla y León Region during two crop seasons (2009/2010 and 2010/2011) using common management practices and input rates for rain-fed agriculture in these regions. Our results suggest that production of electricity from winter cereals biomass combustion yielded considerable reductions in terms of GHG emissions when compared to electricity from natural gas. Nevertheless, the results show that low biomass yields that are relatively frequent for Spanish farmers on low productivity lands may produce no significant reductions in GHG in comparison with electricity from natural gas. Consequently, the agronomic management of winter cereals should be re-examined in order to find potential improvements that achieve better energy balances and greater reductions in GHG emissions on land which is relatively uncompetitive in terms of crop yields and on existing low productivity scenarios.

Basin-wide water accounting based on remote sensing data: an application for the Indus Basin

Abstract. The paper demonstrates the application of a new water accounting plus (WA+) framework to produce information on depletion of water resources, storage change, and land and water productivity in the Indus basin. It shows how satellite-derived estimates of land use, rainfall, evaporation (E), transpiration (T), interception (I) and biomass production can be used in addition to measured basin outflow, for water accounting with WA+. It is demonstrated how the accounting results can be interpreted to identify existing issues and examine solutions for the future. The results for one selected year (2007) showed that total annual water depletion in the basin (501 km3) plus outflows (21 km3) exceeded total precipitation (482 km3). The water storage systems that were effected are groundwater storage (30 km3), surface water storage (9 km3), and glaciers and snow storage (2 km3). Evapotranspiration of rainfall or "landscape ET" was 344 km3 (69 % of total depletion). "Incremental ET" due to utilized flow was 157 km3 (31% of total depletion). Agriculture depleted 297 km3, or 59% of the total depletion, of which 85% (254 km3) was through irrigated agriculture and the remaining 15% (44 km3) through rainfed systems. Due to excessive soil evaporation in agricultural areas, half of all water depletion in the basin was non-beneficial. Based on the results of this accounting exercise loss of storage, low beneficial depletion, and low land and water productivity were identified as the main water resources management issues. Future scenarios to address these issues were chosen and their impacts on the Indus Basin water accounts were tested using the new WA+ framework.

Benchmarking for performance assessment of small and large irrigation schemes along the Senegal Valley in Mauritania

Degradation of irrigation schemes, low and variable land productivity, and inefficient use of production inputs are major concerns in Mauritania. That prompted this benchmarking analysis of 17 small and 3 large irrigation schemes located along the River Senegal. The objectives were to establish benchmarks for both productivity and performance of irrigation schemes along the valley, and to inquire whether small schemes function better than large schemes. Cluster and data envelopment analyses enabled, respectively, grouping and ranking of irrigation schemes according to a set of pre-determined performance indicators: viz. energy costs, relative irrigation supply, irrigation intensity related to irrigable and equipped area, adequacy, and land productivity. Land productivity, which was highly variable, was compared to simulated land productivity for non-limiting conditions in order to determine yield gap variations. Few early sown crops were close to the simulated yield frontier of 10.6tha−1 and the mean yield was similar for large and small schemes (3.50tha−1 and 3.77tha−1, respectively). The analysis of the indicators revealed that, on average, large schemes performed similarly to small-scale schemes, but small schemes were more variable, particularly in input-use efficiency. Analysis of clusters identified three groups of irrigation schemes: viz. consuming and productive, precarious, and productive and economic. According to data envelopment analysis, four irrigation schemes were identified as technically efficient. Their average land productivity was relatively high (4.75tha−1) and energy costs were contained (59€ha−1). Data envelopment analysis also identified the particular efficient schemes that should be taken as reference for improvement of each inefficient scheme.

Effect of Oil Spillage on Cassava Production in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Aims: To examine the effect of oil spillage on cassava farm land, yield and land productivity. Place and Duration of Study: Niger Delta region of Nigeria between January and October, 2012. Methodology: Delta State was purposively chosen from the Niger Delta region for the study. A random sampling technique was employed to select 17 cassava farmers each from three (3) oil spillage communities (Otor-Udu, Olomoro and Uzere) and three (3) nonoil spillage communities (Egini, Aradhe and Ellu), giving a total sample size of 102 respondents for the study. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Likert scale, t-statistic and regression analysis. Results: The results showed that the major significant effects of oil spillage on cassava production perceived by the farmers included crop failure, poor yield, rotting tubers, and stunted crop growth with mean scores of 4.80, 4.78, 4.75 and 4.75 respectively. Others included increased soil temperature and toxicity (mean: 4.73), reduction of soil fertility (mean: 4.70), degradation of farm land (mean: 4.70) and low land productivity (mean: 4.70). The results further indicated that the cassava farm size, yield and land productivity in oil spillage affected communities were significantly (p < 0.01) lower than those of the nonoil spillage communities by 0.61 ha, 6119 metric tonnes (MT) and 1447 MT/ha respectively. These represent significant reduction of 36, 48 and 20% of these variables in the oil Research Article American Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 3(4): 914-926, 2013 915 spillage affected communities respectively. About 45% of the variation in land productivity in cassava production was influenced by oil spillage and the farmers’ farming experience. The productivity increased with increase in farming experience but decreased with increase in oil spills. Conclusion: Constant maintenance of the oil pipelines and tankers to prevent corrosion and checking of the activities of saboteurs which often destroy oil pipelines will reduce the incidence of oil spillage, hence increasing cassava production in the Niger Delta region. There is need for further study to know the adaptation measures the farmers employed to minimize the adverse effects of oil spillage on their production; and the mitigating measures by government and the oil companies to deal with oil spillage.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Soil Erosion Control Technologies by Farmers along the Slopes of Mt. Elgon in Eastern Uganda

Low land productivity due to soil erosion is one of the biggest challenges to improving the performance of the agriculture sector in Uganda. Several soil erosion control technologies are recommended for use by farmers, but there have been claims that adoption of such technologies is still low. Therefore, this study aimed at determining factors that influence the incidence and intensity of technology adoption. A survey was conducted in Bukwo and Kween districts, which are located on the slopes of Mt. Elgon in eastern Uganda. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and double hurdle models. The findings revealed that on average, the incidence of technology adoption is appreciably high and the intensity of use is moderately high. Nonetheless, a considerable percentage of farmers are using the technologies on small scale. We note that technology adoption can be further increased by increases in: access to extension services, amount of land owned, and diversity of farm tools owned by farmers. However, some farmers are not well endowed with regard to the agricultural assets and services alluded to. Thus, we recommend support to farmers by both Government and non-Government actors in line with the factors identified as potential catalysts of adoption of soil erosion control technologies.

Why large-scale bioenergy production on marginal land is unfeasible: A conceptual partial equilibrium analysis

A transparent and conceptual partial equilibrium model of global land use is used to explore long-term effects of large-scale introduction of bioenergy, under different policy cases. The transparency of the model, and the consideration of clear-cut policies, provides a clear picture of how main mechanisms of land-use competition work, and how they influence the food and bioenergy systems. The model is subjected to a detailed characterization, in which parameters critical to the results and conclusions are detected and their impacts depicted. A large-scale introduction of bioenergy would raise food prices in all cases/scenarios investigated, and relative price increases of extensively produced crops would be at least twice as high as compared to intensively produced crops. Banning production of bioenergy from the most productive land (limiting production to “marginal land”) would reduce this price impact. However, we show that bioenergy is unlikely to ever be produced on any commercial scale only on land of low productivity. The economic incentives would be strong for owners of more productive land to grow bioenergy anyway and out-compete the more costly production on low yielding land. Large-scale deforestation would become attractive in response to increased bioenergy demand, especially for extensive production systems such as grazing.

Improved salt tolerance of jute plants expressing the katE gene from Escherichia coli

There is an urgent need for developing crops with greater tolerance to environmental stresses. This is even more important for fiber crops, which are being pushed to the marginal low-productive lands in order to make more room for food crops. Jute is the source of a highly versatile and environmentally friendly natural fiber, and is second only to cotton in terms of production and variety of uses. In this study, we used a tissue culture independent method for introducing a CMV 35S promoter driven katE gene from Escherichia coli K12 into a popular jute cultivar (Corchorus olitorius var O-72) in Bangladesh. Molecular analysis of the transgenic plants using PCR, reverse transcription PCR, and Southern blot confirmed the insertion of the katE gene into the jute genome and its successful expression. Salt stress regimens (150 mM NaCl) showed that transgenic plants were more tolerant as compared to wild plants.

Seasonal snow cover in the Qilian Mountains of Northwest China: Its dependence on oasis seasonal evolution and lowland production of water vapour

Back and forth exchange of water vapour and liquid water from oases at the base of the Qilian Mountains (NW China) and from the Qilian Mountains to oases as surface and shallow subsurface flow has been previously shown by model simulation to be a potentially important mechanism in the long-term stabilisation of oases in westcentral Gansu (Bourque and Hassan, 2009). In a subsequent re-examination of oasis self-support, we use monthly snow-cover patterns in the Qilian Mountains to determine the extent oasis vegetation and evapotranspiration in the low-lying portions of the upper and middle Shiyang and Hei River watersheds control snowfall dynamics in the Qilian Mountains. Monthly snow-cover area (SCA) in the watersheds is simulated with a spatially-distributed model designed to address differences in (i) topography along the prevailing wind direction, (ii) water-vapour production and transport, (iii) in-mountain production of precipitation, and (iv) precipitation phase changes. Seasonal variations in oasis vegetation, surface temperature (for model input), and SCA (for model validation) are described as separate timeseries of monthly composites of enhanced vegetation index, land surface temperature, and normalised difference snow index generated from MODIS optical reflectance and thermal emission data. Comparisons of modelled and snow-index-based estimates of SCA in the Shiyang and Hei River watersheds for the hydrological year, from August 2004 to July 2005, provide nearly similar spatiotemporal patterns; overlap between SCA’s exceeds 60% for most months. An exception to this is in mid-summer of 2004, where overlap between SCA’s is <30%. Agreement between monthly SCA’s reinforces the importance of oasis-vegetation dynamics and mass transfer of water vapour to the atmosphere in guiding seasonal formation of precipitation and snow-cover dynamics in the Qilian Mountains.