Response of upland rice to phosphorus in an Ultisol in the humid forest zone of West Africa

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major limiting factor for crop production in highly weathered soils in the humid tropics. Field experiments were conducted for two years (1992 and 1993) to determine P response and efficiencies of upland rice cultivars in an Ultisol, low in available P, in the forest zone of Cote d'Ivoire. The rice cultivars tested were selected from a large number of entries tested earlier for acidity tolerance.Grain yields of the cultivars were significantly increased by P application. There was little further response in grain yield at higher rates than 60 kg P ha^–1. The rice cultivars differed in agronomic and physiological P efficiencies and the efficiencies were higher at lower rates of P. The rooting depths of the cultivars were increased by application of P at the lowest application rate (30 kg P ha^–1).The results suggest that P fertilization of soil acidity-tolerant upland rice cultivars can significantly improve the productivity of the Ultisols.     

Response of sorghum to fertilizer phosphorus and its residual value in a Vertisol

The response of crops to added P in Vertisols is generally less predictable than in other soil types under similar agroclimatic conditions. Very few studies have considered the residual effects of P while studying responses to fresh P applications. Field experiments were conducted for three years to study the response of sorghum to fertilizer P applied at 0, 10, 20 and 40 kg P ha^–1, and its residual value in a Vertisol, very low in extractable P (0.4 mg P kg^–1 soil), at the ICRISAT Center, Patancheru (near Hyderbad), India. In order to compare the response to fresh and residual P directly in each season, a split-plot design was adopted. One crop of sorghum (cv CSH6) was grown each year during the rainy season (June-September).The phenology of the sorghum crop and its harvest index were greatly affected by P application. The days to 50% flowering and physiological maturity were significantly reduced by P application as well as by the residues of fertilizer P applied in the previous season. In the first year of the experiment, sorghum grain yield increased from 0.14 t (no P added) to 3.48 t ha^–1 with P added at the rate of 40 kg P ha^–1. Phosphorus applied in the previous year was 58% as effective as fresh P but P applied two years earlier was only 18% as effective as fresh P.     

溶气气浮法采收盐藻(Dunalilla salina)细胞

初步探讨了不添加絮凝剂和表面活性剂时用溶气气浮法采收盐藻细胞的工艺条件，结果表明，藻液pH值、溶气压(PS)、溶气水进水流量(QW)、溶气水/原料藻液体积比(水液比aWF)对采收效果有重要影响. 本实验条件下，调节藻液pH值为11.5, 在PS＝0.39 MPa, QW＝7 ml/s, aWF＝1.5的气浮操作条件下，细胞采收率和浓缩倍数分别达86.4%~96.4%和2.38~5.57. 表明气浮法可以安全、高效地从培养液中采收盐藻细胞，无需添加絮凝剂.     

Timing and rate of nitrogen application influence grain quality and yield in maize planted at high and low densities

BACKGROUND: Efficient use of nitrogen (N) is considered one of the most important inputs needed for increasing grain quality and crop productivity. Hypothesis was that grain quality and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in north‐west Pakistan are enhanced by increasing the rate of N, and that response to applied N is greater with an increase in the number of N split applications at high plant density compared to low density. RESULTS: Field experiments were carried out on maize (cv. Azam) in summer 2002 and 2003 consisting of two planting densities and three N rates as main plots, and six split N applications as sub‐plots. Year 1 had higher shelling percentage and stover yield (SY). Harvest index (HI) decreased but SY increased with increase in plant density. Increase in N rate and number of split N applications increased grain weight and protein content, HI and SY. CONCLUSION: The highest N rate in four to five split applications increased maize grain quality and yield at both densities. Maize response to the interactive effect of year × plant density, year × N rate, and year × N timing suggests zonal specific effective N management practices for sustainable maize production in different agro‐ecological zones. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network harvester improvement for efficient open-data collection and management

With the recent increase in data disclosure, the Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network (CKAN), which is an open-source data distribution platform, is drawing much attention. CKAN is used together with additional extensions, such as Datastore and Datapusher for data management and Harvest and DCAT for data collection. This study derives the problems of CKAN itself and Harvest Extension. First, CKAN causes two problems of data inconsistency and storage space waste for data deletion. Second, Harvest Extension causes three additional problems, namely source deletion that deletes only sources without deleting data themselves, job stop that cannot delete job during data collection, and service interruption that cannot provide service, even if data exist. Based on these observations, we propose herein an improved CKAN that provides a new deletion function solving data inconsistency and storage space waste problems. In addition, we present an improved Harvest Extension solving three problems of the legacy Harvest Extension. We verify the correctness and the usefulness of the improved CKAN and Harvest Extension functions through actual implementation and extensive experiments.     

Preparation of free‐standing chitosan membranes for Chlorella vulgaris harvest and examination on suppression of algae‐fouling properties

Free‐standing chitosan membranes were prepared using genipin as crosslinker, using several molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a void‐forming agent. The membrane surface formation and chitosan polymer chain crosslinking were confirmed through SEM and FTIR, respectively. The water flux was remarkably increased with increasing molecular weight of PEG employed in preparation of composite chitosan membrane (J∝[PEG(MW)]0.85), it appeared over 6000 Da of PEG. During Chlorella vulgaris harvest using chitosan membranes, focus was made on algae‐fouling caused by the deposition of cells and extracellular organic matter, and it was found that membranes employing lower molecular weight of PEG (under 10000 Da) had been maintaining the high flux recovery after alternating filtration cycles, in addition to PEG20000 containing membrane. The chitosan membrane prepared with lower molecular weight of PEG exhibited better suppression of algae‐fouling properties. The Chlorella vulgaris harvesting results indicated that cell rejection rate reached above 98%.     

Packaging performance comparison for distribution and export of papaya fruit

This paper presents the development and testing procedures for new packaging systems for papaya fruit. Papaya is a nutritious tropical fruit, consumed both in its fresh form and as a processed product worldwide. Thailand is a major exporter of fresh and processed papayas from Asia. Major quality indices for papayas include colour, size, firmness and freedom from defects and decay. A high percentage of post‐harvest losses of papaya fruits have been reported as exports have increased. Mechanical damage is one of the major causes of the quality loss of papaya fruits, therefore, proper packaging is demanded for better protection. In addition, other criteria are important to meet consumer acceptance. New packaging systems for papayas were compared with the existing systems currently used for local markets. The packaging systems were evaluated in terms of physical protection, heat transfer characteristics for rapid cooling and maintaining optimum temperature and relative humidity during post‐harvest, quality maintenance, and marketing issues. Two cushioning systems, foam nets and paper‐based wrap materials, were also compared. Actual shipment and vibration tests were performed and the effect on quality was determined. The new packaging systems tested showed better protective performance and improved quality parameters, as compared to existing systems. Minimized mechanical injuries resulted in a decreased susceptibility to decay and bruising. Paper‐based cushions showed similar protection to plastic foam nets materials but offered a better ripening response for papayas. The data were compared to seek an optimum packaging system for papayas based on the various criteria. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solvent retention capacity values in relation to the Czech commercial wheat quality

Technological quality in the sets of eighty commercial wheat samples was evaluated by grain milling traits (test weight, thousand kernel weight, grain hardness as Particle Size Index, one‐stream flour yield) and common analytical parameters (wet gluten and protein contents, Zeleny test value, falling number) together with the solvent retention capacity (SRC) method (AACC 56‐11). For the commercial wheat, the latter analytical procedure (originally designed for flour quality analysis) was verified also for grain wholemeal. Within the mentioned sample group, anova revealed the strongest effect of the harvest year, both for milling and for technological parameters. For the SRC profiles, the effect of the sample form used dominated the crop year influence. The grain SRCs were correlated with the milling traits foursome, while an agreement between the flour SRC profiles and technological quality data was not so tight. However, the flour lactic acid SRC was associated with the wet gluten and protein contents (r = 0.24, P < 0.05), and the protein quality as Zeleny value with the flour water SRC (r = 0.24, P < 0.05). Relationship between Zeleny's value and flour lactic acid SCR was confirmed by nonlinear Spearman correlation (R = ?0.26, P < 0.05).     

Layer-by-layer deposition films of copper phthalocyanine derivative; their photoelectrochemical properties and application to solution-processed thin-film organic solar cells

Ultrathin films serving as a light-harvesting and hole-transporting material were fabricated by layer-by-layer deposition of a water-soluble phthalocyanine derivative, copper(II) phthalocyanine-3,4′,4″,4″′-tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt (CuPcTS), and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride). The blue-shift of absorption peak and the absorption dichroism of the Q band indicated that CuPcTS molecules in the layer-by-layer films form cofacial dimers or oligomers and that their molecular planes take a three- or two-dimensional orientation in a direction parallel to the substrate depending on a drying process of the film during the deposition. The diffusion constant of hole carriers among CuPcTS molecules in the film was evaluated to be 6.5 × 10^− 11 cm² s^− 1 in an acetonitrile solution from potential step chronoamperometry measurement. Solution-processed thin-film organic solar cells with a triple-layered structure were developed by combining a hole-transporting layer made of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) oxidized with poly(4-styrenesulfonate), a light-harvesting layer of CuPcTS, and an electron-transporting layer of fullerene, in this sequence. Photovoltaic properties of the cells strongly depended on the thickness of CuPcTS films and can be maximized by controlling the thickness at ca. 10 nm.     

Comparative effects of sulfur and nitrogen fertilization and post‐harvest processing parameters on the glucotropaeolin content of Tropaeolum majus L.

Under natural conditions, the content of the bioactive compound glucotropaeolin in the vegetative tissue of Tropaeolum majus is too low to be used directly for the preparation of a mono‐drug. In the present study the influence of sulfur and nitrogen fertilization and the post‐harvest drying procedure on the glucotropaeolin content was evaluated in order to minimize losses of the active glucosinolate. In 2001, field experiments with three levels of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization were conducted on two different sites. Nitrogen fertilization had no consistent influence on the glucotropaeolin content while sulfur fertilization with 100 kg S ha^?1 enhanced the glucotropaeolin content in leaves and seeds significantly by factors of 1.4–2.1 and 1.6–1.8, respectively. The results of the post‐harvest treatment showed that a gentle drying procedure at 40°C in a ventilated oven induced an increase in the glucotropaeolin content in leaves of 1.4–3.2‐fold (from 10.7–25.5 to 30.9–44.6 µmol g^?1 dry weight) compared to sampling in liquid nitrogen followed by freeze‐drying of the samples. This paper delivers new insights into glucosinolate metabolism that will contribute significantly not only to warrant a high content of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants, but also to promote glucosinolate concentrations in various crops by appropriate post‐harvest treatments. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry