Rain Season Research Articles

Entomofauna Associated with Corn Cultivation and Damage Caused by Some Pests According to the Planting Season on the Ecuadorian Coast

Corn (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal for food sovereignty, extensively planted due to its adaptation to various agroecological conditions. Climatic conditions and pests can affect its production. Concerning the latter, natural enemies could be considered in biological control programs. The objective of this study was to estimate the influence of the presence of insects, damage to plants and cobs, and their incidence on corn yield in two planting seasons. During the rainy (February to May) and dry seasons (Jun to October) of the year 2023, in Calceta, Lodana, and Quevedo, three important corn-growing areas on the Ecuadorian coast, corn plots of 1126 m2 were planted. The diversity of phytophagous and natural enemies was estimated. Damage to young plants and cobs was observed, and corn yield was determined. Of the 9073 insects observed, 44.2% and 55.8% constituted phytophagous and natural enemies, respectively. A moderate diversity (Shannon-H Index = 2.474–2.629 and Margalef Index = 2.734–3.110) of insects associated with corn was determined. Yield (range: 6.9 to 15.3 t) was negatively correlated with rainfall and cob damage (p < 0.05). Although precipitation is necessary for planting in rainy season, frequent and intense rains could be affect corn yield.

Determinants of farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies against climate variability and change: Lessons from central Tanzania in Manyoni district

Farmers’ adaptation strategies against climate variability and change impact are fundamental in abating the effects in this epoch. Previous studies have confirmed the presence of context-specific farmers’ adaptation strategies in Tanzania. However, it is not clear what factors influence farmers to select specific adaptation strategies. This study contributes to filling this knowledge gap. We used the cross-sectional research design in a survey of a random sample of 330 small-scale farmers. The multivariate probit was used to model the factors determining the choice of adaptation strategies. Farmers adapted a number of strategies, nonetheless, there were four key adaptation strategies: drought-resistant varieties, use of early maturing varieties, resistant livestock breeds, and conservation agriculture. Farmers used more than one strategy, and the choice was determined by multiple factors that showed a statistically significant impact at 5 %. We categorize the factors into four groups: (i) individual farmer and or household characteristics covering age, farming experience of the household head; household size; and household wealth, especially livestock ownership (ii) farm characteristics like location of the farm and farm size (iii) institutional factors that include access to extension services, technology, and provision of title deeds for land ownership to the farmers; and (iv) knowledge of manifestation of CV & C like shifting of rain seasons, and awareness of using meteorological information in decision making. These factors should be considered in policy development to heighten the effectiveness of the adaptation strategies in cushioning climate variability and change impact in the study area and central Tanzania at large.

Assessing Conservation Conditions at La Fortaleza de Kuelap, Peru, Based on Integrated Close-Range Remote Sensing and Near-Surface Geophysics

We combined datasets from multiple research projects and remote sensing technologies to evaluate conservation conditions at La Fortaleza de Kuelap, a pre-Hispanic site in Peru that suffered significant damage under heavy seasonal rains in April 2022. To identify the causes of the collapse and where the monument is at further risk, we modeled surface hydrology using a DTM derived from drone LiDAR data, reconstructed a history of collapses, and calculated the volume of the most recent by fusing terrestrial LiDAR and photogrammetric datasets. In addition, we examined subsurface water accumulation with electrical resistivity, reconstructed the stratification of the monument with seismic refraction, and analyzed vegetation loss and ground moisture accumulation using satellite imagery. Our results point to rainwater infiltration as the most significant source of risk for La Fortaleza’s perimeter walls. Combined with other adverse natural conditions and contemporary conservation interventions, this led to the 2022 collapse. Specialists need to consider these factors when tasked with conserving monuments located in comparable high-altitude perhumid environments. This integration of analytical results demonstrates how multi-scalar and multi-instrumental approaches provide comprehensive and timely assessments of conservation needs.

Natural soda lakes provide compatible conditions for RNA and membrane function that could have enabled the origin of life.

The origin of life likely occurred within environments that concentrated cellular precursors and enabled their co-assembly into cells. Soda lakes (those dominated by Na+ ions and carbonate species) can concentrate precursors of RNA and membranes, such as phosphate, cyanide, and fatty acids. Subsequent assembly of RNA and membranes into cells is a long-standing problem because RNA function requires divalent cations, e.g. Mg2+, but Mg2+ disrupts fatty acid membranes. The low solubility of Mg-containing carbonates limits soda lakes to moderate Mg2+ concentrations (∼1 mM), so we investigated whether both RNAs and membranes function within these lakes. We collected water from Last Chance Lake and Goodenough Lake in Canada. Because we sampled after seasonal evaporation, the lake water contained ∼1 M Na+ and ∼1 mM Mg2+ near pH 10. In the laboratory, nonenzymatic, RNA-templated polymerization of 2-aminoimidazole-activated ribonucleotides occurred at comparable rates in lake water and standard laboratory conditions (50 mM MgCl2, pH 8). Additionally, we found that a ligase ribozyme that uses oligonucleotide substrates activated with 2-aminoimidazole was active in lake water after adjusting pH from ∼10 to 9. We also observed that decanoic acid and decanol assembled into vesicles in a dilute solution that resembled lake water after seasonal rains, and that those vesicles retained encapsulated solutes despite salt-induced flocculation when the external solution was replaced with dry-season lake water. By identifying compatible conditions for nonenzymatic and ribozyme-catalyzed RNA assembly, and for encapsulation by membranes, our results suggest that soda lakes could have enabled cellular life to emerge on Earth, and perhaps elsewhere.

The influence of climatic and environmental variables on sunflower planting season suitability in Tanzania

Crop survival and growth requires identification of correlations between appropriate suitable planting season and relevant climatic and environmental characteristics. Climatic and environmental conditions may cause water and heat stress at critical stages of crop development and thus affecting planting suitability. Consequently, this may affect crop yield and productivity. This study assesses the influence of climate and environmental variables on rain-fed sunflower planting season suitability in Tanzania. Data on rainfall, temperature, slope, elevation, soil and land use/or cover were accessed from publicly available sources using Google Earth Engine. This is a cloud-based geospatial computing platform for remote sensed datasets. Tanzania sunflower production calendar of 2022 was adopted to mark the start and end limits of planting across the country. The default climate and environmental parameters from FAO database were used. In addition, Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between rainfall, temperature over Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 2000 to 2020 at five-year interval for January-April and June–September, for high and poor suitability season. The results showed that planting suitability of sunflower in Tanzania is driven more by rainfall than temperature. It was revealed that intra-annual planting suitability increases gradually from short to long- rain season and diminishes towards dry season of the year. January-April planting season window showing highest suitability (41.65%), whereas June–September indicating lowest suitability (0.05%). Though, not statistically significant, rainfall and NDVI were positively correlated with r = 0.65 and 0.75 whereas negative correlation existed between temperature and NDVI with r = -− 0.6 and − 0.77. We recommend sunflower subsector interventions that consider appropriate intra-regional and seasonal diversity as an important adaptive mechanism to ensure high sunflower yields.

Deriving location-specific synthetic seasonal hyetographs using GPM records and comparing with SCS curves

Abstract The hyetograph represents the temporal spread of rainfall intensity occurring at a point or over a watershed during a storm. The importance of regionally derived/developed hyetographs and the pooled sets of categorical seasonal curves on intensity-duration, intensity-depth, and depth-duration are of multifarious conveniences and importance. Twenty-one years of daily and sub-daily rainfall records (2000–2020) regained via satellite-observed precipitation products were examined and used to retrieve a valid understanding towards annual, monthly, daily, and hourly based variability of rainfall across six different stations. An attempt was made to compare the shapes of synthesized seasonal rain mass curves with that of the historic Soil Conservation Service (SCS) mass curve. The results indicate that the location-specific patterns and trends of curves do not align closely with any historical SCS curves or theoretical curves prevalent in the literature and commonly adopted. It has been observed that region-specific rainfall and its temporal distributions exhibit unique trends, not necessarily conforming to the standard SCS-based curves categorized as Types I, Ia, II, and III. This emphasizes the need to rely more on region-specific curves rather than instinctively adopting a standard set of curves.

Influence of organic fertilization on growth and yield of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) in Kabete and Mbooni areas, Kenya

Strawberries are a valuable crop in Kenya with the potential for significant economic contributions. However, strawberry production in the country has been facing considerable challenges, impacting its economic potential. This study examined the influence of organic manure on strawberry growth and characteristics in Kabete and Mbooni areas in Kenya. The study used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Treatments included livestock manure (well composted mixture of chicken, goat, and cow manure), bokashi manure, and a control, coded as LivManure, BokManure and Control, respectively. Growth parameters including leaf area, number of white flowers and number of runners, as well as yield parameters such as the number and weight of strawberries were assessed from the 3rd to 10th week after transplanting, during the short rain season of 2021. Using R statistical software, linear models were fitted to datasets from both study sites and analyzed using one-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc tests for multiple comparisons. The rigorous analysis of the Kabete and Mbooni datasets provided insightful revelations about the influence of different treatments on strawberry characteristics, and geographical disparities between the two regions. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) outcomes unveiled significant treatment effects in both sites, with F(2,69) = 62.57, p < 0.001 for Kabete and F(2,69) = 49.02, p < 0.001 for Mbooni, highlighting distinct influences of treatments on log values within each group. Post hoc analyses, including Tukey tests and bootstrap comparisons robustly validated the significant differences among the three treatments in each site, supported by p-values <0.001. Effect sizes were also employed to reinforce the findings, and planned contrasts were set to gain more power in the analysis of variance. Comparison between Kabete and Mbooni indicated a significant difference of 9.78 units, with Mbooni area exhibiting significantly higher strawberry characteristics compared to Kabete. The results showed that LivManure treatment had the highest mean in both sites, followed by BokManure and Control treatments, respectively. These findings have important implications for agriculture, and highlight the potential benefits of using LivManure treatment to improve strawberry characteristics in similar agroclimatic settings. These observations can be attributed to the beneficial effects of livestock manure on soil health, which include buffering of the soil reaction, provision of essential plant nutrients and enhancement of soil faunal activities. Balanced use of livestock manure is recommended to enhance soil macro and micronutrients, and soil reaction for improved growth and yield of strawberry.

An Assessment of Human Opportunistic Pathogenic Bacteria on Daily Necessities in Nanjing City during Plum Rain Season.

The plum rain season is a special climatic phenomenon in east Asia, which is characterized by persistent rainfall, a high temperature, and humidity, providing suitable environmental conditions for certain pathogenic bacteria, thus increasing the incidence of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary diseases. However, studies on human opportunistic pathogenic bacteria communities during the plum rain season are still limited. In this study, the characteristics of human opportunistic pathogenic bacterial communities on daily necessities during the non-plum and plum rain seasons were investigated using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results revealed that the relative abundance of human opportunistic pathogenic bacteria was higher in the plum rain season (cotton cloth: 2.469%, electric bicycles: 0.724%, rice: 3.737%, and washbasins: 5.005%) than in the non-plum rain season (cotton cloth: 1.425%, electric bicycles: 0.601%, rice: 2.426%, and washbasins: 4.801%). Both temperature and relative humidity affected human opportunistic pathogenic bacterial communities. Stochastic processes dominated the assembly process of human opportunistic pathogenic bacterial communities, and undominated processes prevailed. The stability of the co-occurrence network was higher in the non-plum rain season than that in the plum rain season. In addition, the proportion of deterministic processes showed the same trend as the complexity of the co-occurrence network.

Complex Methodology for Spatial Documentation of Geomorphological Changes and Geohazards in the Alpine Environment

The alpine environment with a high degree of nature protection is characterized by complete non-intervention. The processes and phenomena occurring in it are exclusively of a natural origin. Related geohazards are threatening the safety of people’s movement. They arise as a result of a combination of meteorological, hydrological, and geological–morphological factors permanently operating in the country. Therefore, the prevention of fatal events is limited to monitoring and predicting changes in selected objects where we expect change. Changes in the shape and dimension, or the object’s deformation, can be documented using geodetic and photogrammetric measurements. Our research focuses on monitoring a rock talus cone in High Tatras, Slovakia, at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level (ASL), created mainly due to erosion and seasonal torrential rains. To monitor changes in selected objects, we used mass non-contact methods of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), UAS photogrammetry based on the principle of structure-from-motion–multi-view stereo (SfM–MVS), and airborne laser scanning (ALS). From the selective measurement methods, spatial measurement by a total station (TS) and height measurement based on the principle of precise leveling were used in the monitoring deformation network on a stand-alone boulder. The research results so far analyze and evaluate the possibilities, limits, effectiveness, and accuracy of the measurement and data processing methods used. As a result, we propose a complex methodology for monitoring similar phenomena in alpine environments.

Reproductive aspects of female Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) in the Chingaza massif, eastern range of the Colombian Andes

Abstract Knowledge of reproduction in wild Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) is scarce. Here we provide novel information about litter size, birth timings, courtship and multi-generational groups in a population in the Chingaza massif in Colombia. Pregnant females, mothers with cubs, estimated birth times, and litter size were registered through camera trapping of a population at the Chingaza massif (Colombia) between 2011 and 2016. A total of 34 independent records of reproductive female bears were obtained. Twenty-eight (28) different reproductive females were recognized by external key features. Six different females were recorded only pregnant, two others were recorded pregnant and later with cubs, and 20 others were recorded only with cubs. In total, 29 cubs were recorded in 22 litters, with a mean litter size of 1.27 (SD = 0.45): 16 litters with one cub, 5 with 2 cubs, and 1 with 2 cubs + a big cub from a previous litter (&gt;1 year). The highest records of mothers with little cubs were obtained for the low rain season in December, January, and February, full of dry-season-fruiting Ericaceae shrubs. Likewise, the highest estimated births were obtained during the rainy time in June. Multi-generational groups and the courtship behaviors are reported for the first time in Colombia.

Entomological indicators of Plasmodium species transmission in Goma Tsé-Tsé and Madibou districts, in the Republic of Congo

BackgroundMalaria remains a major public health problem in the Republic of Congo, with Plasmodium falciparum being the deadliest species of Plasmodium in humans. Vector transmission of malaria is poorly studied in the country and no previous report compared rural and urban data. This study aimed to determine the Anopheles fauna and the entomological indices of malaria transmission in the rural and urban areas in the south of Brazzaville, and beyond.MethodsIndoor household mosquitoes capture using electric aspirator was performed in rural and urban areas during raining and dry seasons in 2021. The identification of Anopheles species was done using binocular magnifier and nested-PCR. TaqMan and nested-PCR were used to detect the Plasmodium species in the head/thorax and abdomens of Anopheles. Some entomological indices including the sporozoite infection rate, the entomological inoculation rate and the man biting rate were estimated.ResultsA total of 699 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected: Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) (90.7%), Anopheles funestus s.l. (6.9%), and Anopheles moucheti (2.4%). Three species of An. gambiae s.l. were identified including Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (78.9%), Anopheles coluzzii (15.4%) and Anopheles arabiensis (5.7%). The overall sporozoite infection rate was 22.3% with a predominance of Plasmodium falciparum, followed by Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale. Anopheles aggressiveness rate was higher in households from rural area (1.1 bites/night) compared to that from urban area (0.8 ib/p/n). The overall entomological inoculation rate was 0.13 ib/p/n. This index was 0.17 ib/p/n and 0.092 ib/p/n in rural and in urban area, respectively, and was similar during the dry (0.18 ib/p/n) and rainy (0.14 ib/p/n) seasons.ConclusionThese findings highlight that malaria transmission remains high in rural and urban area in the south of Republic of Congo despite the ongoing control efforts, thereby indicating the need for more robust interventions.

Impact of Acid, Salt, and Wetting-Drying Cycles on Weathering Deterioration of the Red Sandstone Used for Leshan Giant Buddha China

ABSTRACT The red sandstone of the well-known Leshan Giant Buddha is currently undergoing a severe deterioration threat such as frequent wetting-drying cycles, seasonal and occasional acid rain, and widespread sulfate attacks. The variations in the physical properties of the red sandstone and the hydrochemistry of the soaking solution through an accelerated simulation experiment were comprehensively analyzed in the present manuscript, aiming to investigate and gain insights into environmental weathering impact and deterioration mechanisms on the Leshan Giant Buddha. The results presented that the wetting-drying cycle would significantly decrease the physical and mechanical performances of the red sandstone due to the water-rock interaction and the acid or salt compound undoubtedly aggravated this deterioration process. Thereinto, acid corrosion promptly occurred on the surface of red sandstone and ceased upon depletion of the acid compound, which was deemed as a short-term corrosion, while the sulfate attack was a long-term and repeated process damage caused by the swell stress from salt crystallization. Furthermore, a synergistic and mutually reinforcing relationship was established among the coupling actions of water-rock erosion, acid rain corrosion, and sulfate attack, resulting in serious weathering and deterioration that compromised both the historical and cultural significances of the Giant Buddha statue. According to the findings from this work, the application of appropriate weathering prevention materials for waterproofing and desalination should be considered to safeguard the red sandstone, while the optimization of diversion ditches and reconstruction of the covering buildings were the key to prevent the world heritage site Leshan Giant Buddha.

Investigation of microplastics in urban rivers of Eastern China in summer: abundance, characteristics and ecological risk assessment.

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly becoming recognized as worldwide environmental contaminants, exerting a substantial impact on the safety of city rivers. This study explored the abundance and characteristics of MPs in summer 2023, including June and August, representing plum rain and typhoon rain seasons. The Qinhuai River exhibits more spatial fluctuations in six sampling sites with average concentrations of 470 ± 119.56 items per L, and the abundance increases with the water flows in the river. Downstream had the highest MP abundance of 484 ± 121.34 items per L, which were positive with the concentration of suspended solids (SS). Transparent and green MPs were more even in the sampling sites, and the shapes of fragments were predominant in the summer. Interestingly, the proportion of fiber and small-sized (38-75 μm) microplastics was predominant in the plum rain seasons, while the percentage of large-sized (270-5000 μm) and polymers of PE occurred in the typhoon rain seasons. The index of hazard scores of plastic polymers (H) revealed that the studied river had a severe pollution level (IV), which was highly influenced by PVC and PC. Besides, the pollution load index PLI value of different rain seasons was slightly polluted (I), while the PLI in autumn rain seasons was relatively higher than that in other seasons due to the higher variance of MPs. Therefore, the ecological risk of microplastics of PVC and PC in the Qinhuai River during varying seasons should be seriously considered. Our research is expected to provide valuable assistance in improving the management of urban rivers.

Characterization of selected cowpea and sesame accessions at Genetic Resources Research Institute (GeRRI) in Kenya: Adding value to the rich collection

Gene banking is the most cost-effective ex situ strategy for conserving plant genetic resources. It was developed for the storage of predominantly orthodox seeds. To maintain long-term seed survival and integrity of the conserved germplasm in the genebanks, seed viability testing and regeneration should be done occasionally. The seed viability tests inform which accessions need regeneration. In addition, adequate evaluation and characterization of the conserved germplasm enhances their wider utilization. The Genetic Resources Research Institute (GeRRI) in Kenya and Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) undertook a joint project entitled Improvement of Technology on Conservation of Genetic Resources from 2015 and 2018. Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative was funding the project, while GeRRI was the implementing institution. One of the objectives was to carry out morphological characterization of sesame, millet and cowpea accessions conserved at GeRRI’s genebank to promote their conservation and utilization. A total of 376 accessions of two crops (216 cowpeas and 160 sesame) were withdrawn from the conservation unit at GeRRI’s genebank and characterized at KALRO’s Perkerra field site during the 2018 long rains season. About 78 % of the cowpea accessions had reached 50 % flowering within 60 days after planting. Over 80 % of sesame accessions yielded ≤ 400kg of seeds per hectare. Multivariate analyses were performed to establish similarity patterns. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that four components had eigenvalues &gt;1, accounting for 61.23 % of the total variability among the cowpea accessions. The first four PCs accounted for 63.95 % of the total variability for the sesame accessions. In addition, all the quantitative characters considered were important in describing phenotypic variation in these sesame accessions. The study has shown that there is wide variability among cowpea, as well as sesame accessions, conserved at GeRRI’s genebank. All the quantitative characters measured in this study were important in describing phenotypic variation among cowpea and sesame accessions.

Hysteresis analysis reveals how phytoplankton assemblage shifts with the nutrient dynamics during and between precipitation patterns

The escalation of global eutrophication has significantly increased due to the impact of climate change, particularly the increased frequency of extreme rainfall events. Predicting and managing eutrophication requires understanding the consequences of precipitation events on algal dynamics. Here, we assessed the influence of precipitation events throughout the year on nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics in a drinking water reservoir from January 2020 to January 2022. Four distinct precipitation patterns, namely early spring flood rain (THX), Plum rain (MY), Typhoon rain (TF), and Dry season (DS), were identified based on rainfall intensity, duration time, and cumulative rainfall. The study findings indicate that rainfall is the primary driver of algal dynamics by altering nutrient levels and TN:TP ratios during wet seasons, while water temperature becomes more critical during the Dry season. Combining precipitation characteristics with the lag periods between algal proliferation and rainfall occurrence is essential for accurately assessing the impact of rainfall on algal blooms. The highest algae proliferation occurred approximately 20 and 30 days after the peak rainfall during the MY and DS periods, respectively. This was influenced by the intensity and cumulative precipitation. The reservoir exhibited two distinct TN/TP ratio stages, with average values of 52 and 19, respectively. These stages were determined by various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in rainfall-driven inflows and were associated with shifts from Bacillariophyta-dominated to Cyanophyta-dominated blooms during the MY and DS seasons. Our findings underscore the interconnected effects of nutrients, temperature, and hydrological conditions driven by diverse rainfall patterns in shaping algal dynamics. This study provides valuable insights into forecasting algal bloom risks in the context of climate change and developing sustainable strategies for lake or reservoir restoration.

Facility Preparedness for Recurring Cholera Epidemics: A Case of Matero and Kanyama Sub-Districts, in Lusaka.

Cholera, an enteric disease of immense public health concern, causes an estimated 2.8 million cases with 91,000 deaths globally every year. The first cholera outbreak in Zambia was reported in the 1970s and several other outbreaks have occurred over the years, with the worst outbreak being in 2023/2024 with over 20,577 cases surpassing the past highest record 1991 outbreak that resulted in over 13,000 cases. During the 2009, 2010 and 2016 cholera outbreaks, Lusaka reported the highest number of cholera cases in Zambia. Zambia remains threatened by recurrent outbreaks of cholera, with more than 11 cholera hotspots spread across peri-urban areas and fishing camps. In Lusaka the hotspots include Matero and Kanyama constituencies/sub-districts. Each time Lusaka has cholera outbreaks, the cases are always overwhelming in the initial stages, something which made the researchers question the levels of preparedness especially that cholera has an established routine of starting at the onset of the rain season. The study used mixed method (both qualitative &amp; quantitative) research with exploratory descriptive approach as a research methodology. The study drew 70 participants from 9 health facilities in the sub-district that attended to a questionnaire and 9 facility heads that responded to a questionnaire. Data analysis was achieved through descriptive analysis of quantitative data using SPSS and thematic narrations for the qualitative data. The findings show that 71.4% of the respondents came from facilities that were only partially prepared to handle cases of cholera should an outbreak occur. The study also found that 74.3% of the respondents had a negative attitude towards work regarding the outbreaks of cholera. The study revealed that 78.6% of the respondents indicated that their facilities had poor flow of materials and resources for management and prevention of the cholera outbreak. 85.7% indicated that their health facility administration policies and initiatives were poor when it comes to prevention and management of cholera cases. The study concluded that the main reasons for partially prepared facilities were inadequate infrastructure, materials/equipment, human resource and poor attitudes of healthcare workers and administrative policies. Therefore, the study recommends provision of supplies and behaviour change including continuous capacity building of Healthcare Workers in response to Cholera and other emerging and re-emerging diseases (Epidemics). Further, we recommend for the development and evaluation of training programs for healthcare workers that focus not only on technical skills but also on improving attitudes and administrative practices.

Effects of Waterlogging at Flowering Stage on the Grain Yield and Starch Quality of Waxy Maize.

Waterlogging is a common abiotic stress in global maize production. Maize flowering stage (from tasseling to silking) is more fragile to environmental stresses, and this stage frequently overlapped the plum rain season in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze river in China and affect the yield and quality of spring-sown maize severely. In the present study, the soil moisture content under control and waterlogging conditions at the flowering stage was controlled by a negative-pressure water supply and controlling pot device in a pot trial in 2014-2015. The grain yield, starch content, and starch structural and functional properties under two soil moisture levels were compared using Suyunuo5 (SYN5) and Yunuo7 (YN7) as materials, which are the control hybrids of National waxy maize hybrid regional trials in Southern China. The results observed that the grain yield was reduced by 29.1% for SYN5 with waterlogging due to the decreased grain weight and numbers, which was significantly higher than that of YN7 (14.7%), indicated that YN7 was more tolerant to waterlogging. The grain starch content in YN7 was decreased by 9.4% when plants suffered waterlogging at the flowering stage, whereas the content in SYN5 was only decreased in 2014 and unaffected in 2015. The size of starch granules and proportion of small-molecule amylopectin with waterlogging at the flowering stage increased in SYN5 and decreased in YN7 in both years. The type of starch crystalline structure was not changed by waterlogging, whereas the relative crystallinity was reduced in SYN5 and increased in YN7. The pasting viscosities were decreased, and the pasting temperature was unaffected by waterlogging in general. The gelatinization enthalpy was unaffected by waterlogging in both hybrids in both years, whereas the retrogradation enthalpy and percentage in both hybrids were reduced by waterlogging in 2014 and unaffected in 2015. Between the two hybrids, YN7 has high pasting viscosities and low retrogradation percentage than SYN5, indicated its advantages on produce starch for more viscous and less retrograde food. In conclusion, waterlogging at the flowering stage reduced the grain yield, restricted starch accumulation, and deteriorated the pasting viscosity of waxy maize. Results provide information for utilization of waxy maize grain in food production.

Water And The Places It Collects

Biblical Hebrew has a rich vocabulary for clouds, rain, rivers, wadis, springs, wells, and cisterns, and this vocabulary indicates something of how ancient Israelites related to water. Water in all its forms was understood as a gift from God, especially when seasonal rain arrived according to expectation. Disruptions to the normal seasons were usually interpreted as a sign of judgment. By naming various forms of water and their divine origin, humans reveal their relationship with God and with water.

Investigating Local Community Perception About Climate Change in Gatsibo and Nyagatare Districts, in Rwanda

The main objective of this paper was to investigate the perception of local community about climate change in drought prone areas of Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts in Rwanda. This paper perceived changes of climate and their effects, causes of climate change and perception of adaptation measures. Understanding community perception on climate change issues is critical in designing community-based adaptation actions and programs. Data were collected using questionnaire administered to 480 households selected in six sectors. Data were analysed using SPSS Statistics 28.0.1. to generate descriptive results. 89% of responds perceived a decrease in amount of rainfall while 70% perceive changes in reduction of length of rain season. Reported causes of climate change are dominated by environmental degradation (85.6%), deforestation (57.2%). Perceived effects of climate change on community livelihoods include decline of annual households’ income (88.3%), increased incidences of pests and diseases in crops (90.1%). The research results indicate that ongoing adaptation initiatives have failed to meet expected results. This is partly because local perception and knowledge are not considered. It is therefore, recommended to change the approach and adopt more community-based approach and considers local characteristics and local knowledge in designing adaptation actions. This will increase community resilience, ownership and address real community needs.

Integrating Entomopathogenic Fungi into Different Crop Management Practices for Fall Armyworm Management

The study was carried out to identify crop management practices favouring entomopathogenic fungi of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith). An experiment was set up with 24 maize plots measuring 6 m x 5 m in Siaya, JOOUST Campus field during the September to December 2021 short rain season for identification of crop management practices favouring entomopathogenic fungi of fall armyworm. Morphological and Molecular characterization was done to estimate the diversity of entomopathogenic fungi offal armyworm larvae specimens from the treatment plots. Each plot was separated by 2 m occupied with Brachiaria CV Mulato to counter the possibility of fall armyworm migration from one treatment plot to another as recommended by the ICIPE’s fall armyworm push-pull technology. The results showed that weeding was statistically significant (0.044) on fall armyworm larvae collected while only 2 species of entomopathogenic fungi were isolated for this crop management practice. The case was different with intercropping, though not statistically significant, over 50% of the isolated species were from this management practice. This could mean that intercropping is likely to reduce FAW larvae infestation whilst increasing fungal activity. This study therefore concludes that the threat that S. frugiperda poses also calls for the need for the development and adoption of good crop management practices such as intercropping, adequate fertilization, and weeding