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| ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science
October 2015 | Vol. 10 No. 10 |
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Title: |
Impact of the
installation depth on the performance of subsurface
irrigation system and its modified version “KISSS” compared
to the surface drip irrigation system |
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Author (s): |
Mohamed
ElSiddig Abass, Hussein Al-Ghobari, ElKamil Tola and Khalid
Al-Gaadi |
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Abstract: |
Precision application of
irrigation water, which is a key factor in improving water
use efficiency as well as the quantity and quality of
agricultural products, can be achieved through the
application of modern irrigation technologies. Therefore,
the objective of this research was to study the performance
of subsurface irrigation system (SIS) and its modified
version (the KISSS) installed at different soil depths
against the conventional surface drip irrigation (SDI). The
experimental work of this study was conducted on a field
located in the Educational Farm of the College of Food and
Agriculture Sciences of King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. Five irrigation systems were investigated in this
study representing: (1) the SDI, (2) the SIS at 15 cm
installation depth (SIS-15), the SIS at 25 cm installation
depth (SIS-25), the KISSS at 15 cm installation depth
(KISSS-15) and the KISSS at 25 installation depth
(KISSS-25). Experiments were conducted under two irrigation
levels: (i) Level 1: 4 L h-1 × 2 hours, referred as 100%
irrigation level, and (ii) Level 2: 4 L h-1 × 1 hour,
referred as 50% irrigation level. The results indicated that
the five tested irrigation systems responded significantly
to the irrigation level and the elapsed time after the
application of irrigation water. Also the results revealed
that the distribution of soil moisture across the soil
profile was significantly influenced by the installation
depth of the laterals. When installed at the same soil
depth, the modified KISSS showed the best results of soil
moisture distribution compared to the SDI and SIS. The
KISSS-15 and KISSS-25 distributed soil moisture in the
horizontal direction more uniformly compared to the other
systems as indicated by the high values of the coefficient
of uniformity. On the other hand, the KISSS showed the
highest moisture values in the upper part of the soil
profile (soil depth ≤ 20 cm) and the lowest values of soil
moisture values in deep locations (20 – 50 cm). These
results imply that the KISSS improves the upwards movement
of water and minimizes the deep percolation losses of
irrigation water. Based on the best results of KISSS in
terms of efficient distribution of soil moisture across the
soil profile, especially in the horizontal direction; it is
recommended to adopt the modified capillary irrigation
subsurface system at depths commensurate with different
crops. |
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Title: |
Studying the allowable
use of asperula glomerata in semi-steppe rangelands of Iran |
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Author (s): |
F.
Ghasriani, A. Ehsani, A. Mohebby, E. Zandi Esfahan, Gh.
Rahmani and A. Farmahini |
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Abstract: |
Current research was
performed in the selected sites of semi-steppe rangelands of
Iran. Asperula glomerata is a key species in semi-steppe
vegetative region including ِEnjedan (Markazi) and Kohpanj
(Kerman) having a considerable portion in rangelands
production of the mentioned flora. For this purpose, 40
similar Asperula glomerata were selected in each site.
Selected species were exposed to different harvesting
intensities of 25, 50 and 75% and zero as control group.
Data were analyzed by SPSS and MSTATC, and Duncan’s Multiple
Range Test was used for mean comparisons. Our results
clearly showed that a harvesting intensity of 25% could be
recommended as the best allowable use for Asperula glomerata
in this vegetative region and other similar areas. |
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Title: |
Allelopathic effects of
extracts of different organs of weeds on strains of barley |
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Author (s): |
Mohammad
Reza Baziar |
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Abstract: |
Because most of crop
plants and weeds have allelopathic effects, analysis of
these effects on plants in crop alteration and successive
planting is highly significant. In this regard, the present
study tries to analyze the allelopathic ability of different
parts with two concentrations of two weeds of Ryegrass and
Sinapis arvensis in affecting the rate of growth of two
barley strains, Valfajr and Rehane, in a completely random
plan with four repetitions in a greenhouse. Test factors
consisted of two barley stains (Valfajr and Rehane), three
weed organs (root, stalk, leaf) and four concentrations of
extracts of different weed organs (25, 50, 75 and control or
distilled water). After the preparation of extracts of
different weed organs with different concentrations, their
effect on growth characteristics of barley plant was
evaluated. Finally, the herb height, length of spikes,
number of leaves, number of seeds inside the herb, the
weight of one thousand seeds (grams) and output of seed for
each herb (grams) were measured. Also, the above two seeds
had significant effects on the two strains of barley and
could influence growth characteristics of barley. Based on
the results of present study, one can argue that “Ryegrass”
and Sinapis arvensis can strongly affect germination, growth
and performance of barley through production of chemical
materials with allelopathic properties and lead to
unfavorable growth and product output. |
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Title: |
Chemical properties and
bactericidal activity of rosmarinus officinalis and origanum
x majoricum |
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Author (s): |
Castañeda-Antonio
D, Rivera A, Islas-Rodríguez E, Portillo-Reyes R, Muñoz-Rojas
J, Hernández-Aldana F and Martínez-Carrera D. |
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Abstract: |
The aim of this study was
to identify the chemical properties and bactericidal
activity of Rosmarinus officinalis and Origanum x majoricum
in relation to the compounds detected by gas chromatographic
analysis.Proceeded to wash samples Rosmarinus officinalis
and Origanum x majoricum and werereferred to a mashing
process for seven days at room temperature with ethanol,
filtering the ethanol extracts. The extracts obtained were
analyzed by a gas chromatography system equipped with a mass
spectrometer. Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) was used to
evaluate the activity antiomicrobial extracts of Rosmarinus
officinalis and Origanum x majoricum by the Kirby-Bauer
method modified and quantified with the software Image J.
Rosmarinus officinalis were detected alcohol, terpene and
cetone compounds noted for their abundance and absence of
compounds thymol and carvacol. Origanum x majoricum were
identified for a considerable percentage of alcohol, acids
and esters compounds, highlighting the carvacol as one of
the most abundant, and linolenic acid and paeonol was
detected. Antimicrobial activity of Rosmarinus officinalis
extracts showed greater antimicrobial activity against
Staphylococcus aureus, with respect to extract Origanum x
majoricum. |
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Title: |
Evaluation of the
performance of Sata small-scale irrigation scheme in Ghana
after its inception and post-rehabilitation periods |
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Author (s): |
Kotei R,
Kyei-Baffour N, Agyare W. A, Korankye O, Adarkwa T. A. and
Amartey J. N. A. |
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Abstract: |
The evaluation was
carried out on the Sata Small-Scale Irrigation Scheme built,
to ensure food security, create employment for the youth,
alleviate poverty and improve the living conditions of
farmers, in 1994. Questionnaires, interviews and
observations were used to collect the data. The poor
performance and low patronage by farmers stimulated this
study. The non-involvement of farmers on the management of
the scheme, lack of repairs and maintenance of the
infrastructure, ineffective irrigation management committee,
incorrect irrigation frequencies, lack of marketing
strategies were some of the major reasons identified for the
inability of the scheme to fulfill its primary objectives.
Five years after its rehabilitation the scheme was far from
its objectives. The scheme’s physical system was poorly
rehabilitated and there was no comprehensive revitalization.
It is recommended that for the scheme to achieve its
objectives, a framework based on understanding the physical,
cropping, economic and social-organizational components of
the scheme is developed. Also, extension work to identify
the socio-economic effects of the irrigation scheme for
effective management and implementation of future schemes
needs to be carried out. |
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