• Title/Summary/Keyword: Semiarid

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The effect of water status on productive and flowering variables in young 'Arbequina' olive trees under limited irrigation water availability in a semiarid region of Chile

  • Beya-Marshall, Victor;Herrera, Julio;Fichet, Thomas;Trentacoste, Eduardo R.;Kremer, Cristian
    • Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology : HEB
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    • v.59 no.6
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    • pp.815-826
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    • 2018
  • The intense drought affecting olive production in Northern Chile underscores the need to research non-traditional irrigation strategies to obtain the best crop performance. Accordingly, this study aimed to obtain preliminary data to guide future research on this topic. Different water replenishment levels on crop evapotranspiration ($ET_c$ ; 13.5, 27.0, 40.5, and 54%) were established in a young orchard, cv. Arbequina, from the end of fruit drop (EFD) to full bloom in the next season. We evaluated the influence of plant water status (${\Psi}_{stem}$ ) and crop load, considered as function of fruit number divided by trunk cross-sectional area, on reproductive and productive variables using multiple linear regressions. Our results show that crop load and ${\Psi}_{stem}$ measured from EFD to harvest affected yield components. Nevertheless, ${\Psi}_{stem}$ had the strongest influence on fruit size, pulp development, oil accumulation, and yield. Oil content and yield were reduced by 54% and 50% for each MPa, respectively, from ${\Psi}_{stem\;EFD-H}$ -1.8 MPa, an effect that intensified as crop load increased. During the period of flower development (September-November), the number of flowers per inflorescence and percentage of perfect flowers were reduced when ${\Psi}_{stem}$ was less than -2.0 MPa. These preliminary results showed that bud differentiation, inflorescence and flower formation are highly sensitive to water deficit.

Soil water retention and hysteresis behaviors of different clayey soils at high suctions

  • Li, Ze;Gao, You;Yu, Haihao;Chen, Bo;Wang, Long
    • Geomechanics and Engineering
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    • v.30 no.4
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    • pp.373-382
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    • 2022
  • Unsaturated soil at high suctions is widespread. Many civil engineering projects are related to the hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils at high suctions, particularly in arid and semiarid areas. To investigate water retention behaviors of nine clayey soils (one is classified as fat clay and the others are classified as lean clay according to the unified soil classification system), the high suction (3.29-286.7 MPa) was imposed on the specimens at zero net stress by the vapor equilibrium technique. In this paper, the effect of void ratio on the water retention behavior at high suction was discussed in detail. Validation data showed that soil types, i.e., different mineralogical compositions, are critical in the soil water retention behavior at a high suction range. Second, the hysteresis behavior at a high suction range is mainly related to the clay content and the specific surface area. And the mechanism of water retention and hysteresis behavior at high suctions was discussed. Moreover, the maximum suction is not a unique value, and it is crucial to determine the maximum suction value accurately, especially for the shear strength prediction at high suctions. If the soil consists of hydrophilic minerals such as montmorillonite and illite, the maximum suction will be lower than 106 kPa. Finally, using the area of hysteresis to quantify the degree of hysteresis at a high suction range is proposed. There was a good correlation between the area of hydraulic hysteresis and the specific surface area.

Trametes villosa Lignin Peroxidase (TvLiP): Genetic and Molecular Characterization

  • Carneiro, Rita Terezinha de Oliveira;Lopes, Maiza Alves;Silva, Marilia Lordelo Cardoso;Santos, Veronica da Silva;Souza, Volnei Brito de;Sousa, Aurizangela Oliveira de;Pirovani, Carlos Priminho;Koblitz, Maria Gabriela Bello;Benevides, Raquel Guimaraes;Goes-Neto, Aristoteles
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.179-188
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    • 2017
  • White-rot basidiomycetes are the organisms that decompose lignin most efficiently, and Trametes villosa is a promising species for ligninolytic enzyme production. There are several publications on T. villosa applications for lignin degradation regarding the expression and secretion of laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) but no reports on the identification and characterization of lignin peroxidase (LiP), a relevant enzyme for the efficient breakdown of lignin. The object of this study was to identify and partially characterize, for the first time, gDNA, mRNA, and the corresponding lignin peroxidase (TvLiP) protein from T. villosa strain CCMB561 from the Brazilian semiarid region. The presence of ligninolytic enzymes produced by this strain grown in inducer media was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by spectrophotometry, qPCR, and dye fading using Remazol Brilliant Blue R. The spectrophotometric analysis showed that LiP activity was higher than that of MnP. The greatest LiP expression as measured by qPCR occurred on the $7^{th}$ day, and the ABSA medium (agar, sugarcane bagasse, and ammonium sulfate) was the best that favored LiP expression. The amplification of the TvLiP gene median region covering approximately 50% of the T. versicolor LPGIV gene (87% identity); the presence of Trp199, Leu115, Asp193, Trp199, and Ala203 in the translated amplicon of the T. villosa mRNA; and the close phylogenetic relationship between TvLiP and T. versicolor LiP all indicate that the target enzyme is a lignin peroxidase. Therefore, T. villosa CCMB561 has great potential for use as a LiP, MnP, and Lac producer for industrial applications.

Production Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Malpura and Mutton Synthetic Lambs Fed Low and High Energy Rations in a Semiarid Region of India

  • Singh, N.P.;Sankhyan, S.K.;Prasad, V.S.S.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.655-659
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    • 2003
  • Forty eight lambs (24 each of Malpura and Mutton synthetic breeds) were weaned at 90 days of age and divided into two groups. One group of 12 lambs from each of the two breeds was maintained on low energy (52% TDN) and the other group of 12 on high energy (58% TDN) feedlot ration until 6 of the lambs attained 20 kg and the other 6 attained 25 kg live weight in each of the two groups. Daily feed intake and weekly body weights were recorded. Conventional metabolism trials were conducted on the two breeds and the two rations. The growth rate was found to be higher for lambs on high energy ration (p<0.01). The growth rate was also higher for higher target weight groups (p<0.01). The breed did not significantly affect the live weight gains. Mutton synthetic lambs required less number of days to reach 20 kg live weights but took more time to reach 25 kg target weight as compared to Malpura lambs (p<0.01). The lambs of both the breeds reached 25 kg live weight earlier on high energy than those on low energy ration (p<0.01). The dry matter intake, irrespective of breed, was significantly higher (4.57% or 93.4 g per kgW$^{0.75}$) on low energy than that on high energy ration (4.20% or 87.2 g per kg W$^{0.75}$). The digestibility coefficients of all the nutrients excepting crude fibre were significantly higher on high energy diet irrespective of the breed. Lambs on low energy ration, however, digested the crude fibre more than those on the high energy ration (p<0.05). Although there were no significant differences in the intakes of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus, the balance of nitrogen was higher on high energy ration. The DCP and TDN values were 9.70 and 52.76% for low energy and 9.89 and 57.68 % for high energy ration, respectively. The dressing percentages on live weight basis were 50.2 on low and 51.6 on high energy ration, 50.5 at 20kg and 51.3 at 25 kg slaughter weight and 51.0 in Malpura and 50.8 in Mutton synthetic lambs, respectively. The percent of bones in the carcass was higher on low energy ration in Mutton synthetic lambs at 20 kg slaughter weight than others. It was concluded that the performance of the lambs in respect of mutton production was significantly better on high energy ration fed upto 25 kg slaughter weight with no or little breed differences.

Syngeographical Characteristics of Forest Vegetation in Limestone Areas, Mt. Deokhang, Kangwondo (강원도 덕항산 석회암지대 산림식생의 군락지리 특성)

  • Bae, Kwan-Ho;Kim, Jun-Soo;Cho, Hyun-Je;Yun, Chung-Weon;Cho, Yong-Chan
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.161-170
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    • 2014
  • This study classified the types of major forest vegetation and analyzed the syngeographical characteristics of the vegetation in the Mt. Deokhang with exhumed lime rocks. The forest vegetation on the ridge of Mt. Deokhang was classified into 1 community group, 3 communities, 2 groups, and 2 subgroups, 5 types in total. The syngeographical form of Deokhangsan fully exhibited the topographical peculiarity, proximity to subalpine, and limestone zone. In addition, Carex ciliato-marginata, Carex humilis var. nana, and so forth which appear as species with high consistency in the well-drained semiarid zone represent the soil environment of the lime stone area and northern plants such as Carex ussuriensis and Asplenium ruta-muraria represent the characteristics of the vegetation in alpestrine in close proximity. Moreover, the Carpinus turczaninowii in the area appears to show the characteristics of migratory vegetation due to the peculiarity of the habitat. The syngeographical characteristics of this study area show both the characteristics of the habitat and phytogeographic characteristics. Furthermore, they are expected to contribute to the diversity in community and habitat form in Korean peninsula in terms of vegetation science.

Nutrition of Range Goats in a Shrubland of Western India

  • Bhatta, Raghavendra;Shinde, A.K.;Sankhyan, S.K.;Verma, D.L.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.15 no.12
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    • pp.1719-1724
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    • 2002
  • An investigation was made to evaluate the native range of western India in terms of nutrient supply during different physiological stages in goats. One hundred female and 5 male Kutchi adult goats were grazed on a 35 ha plot of native range. They were maintained on sole grazing. Four experiments, one in a defined physiological stage was carried out. Stage I, when maximum number of females were bred; stage II, when bucks were used for breeding purpose; stage III, 3-months old (weaner) kids were allowed to graze on ranges and stage IV, when the goats were in early stage of lactation. During oestrous period, diet contained 15.2% crude protein (CP), 54.0% neutral detergent fibre (NDF), 31.5% acid detergent fibre (ADF) and 12.6% acid detergent lignin (ADL). Digestibility coefficient of dry matter (DM), CP, NDF and ADF was 0.586,0.531, 0.431 and 0.239, respectively. DM, digestible crude protein (DCP) and metabolizable energy (ME) intakes were $82.7,\;6.71g\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$ and $0.99MJ\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$. Diet of buck was constituted by $230g\;kg^{-1}$ DM of grasses and forb and $770g\;kg^{-1}$ DM of tree foliage. CP, NDF, ADF and ADL contents of the diet were 13.6, 57.8, 43.5 and 20.0%, respectively. DM, DCP and ME intakes were $57.9,\;4.13g\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$ and $0.82MJ\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$. Digestibility coefficient of CP, NDF and ADF were 0.496, 0.432 and 0.346, respectively. Diet of kids was constituted by Prosopis cineraria ($900g\;kg^{-1}DM$) and Zizyphus nummularia ($100g\;kg^{-1}DM$) leaves. Digestibility of CP, NDF and ADF were 0.456, 0.415 and 0.201, respectively. DM, DCP and ME intakes were $85.8,\;6.44g\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$ and $1.22MJ\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$. Lactation phase of goat fell between October-December and tree foliage formed the major portion of the diet. Diet of lactating goat contained only 6.8% CP and 16.5% ADL. Digestibility of DM, CP, NDF and ADF was 0.567, 0.221, 0.307 and 0.233, respectively. DM, DCP and ME intakes were $108.2,\;1.62g\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$ and $1.50MJ\;kg^{-1}\;W^{0.75}$, respectively. Present study establishes that goats on semiarid range with sufficient number of fodder trees were able to meet the nutrient requirement of ewes during oestrous and bucks during breeding season. However, during lactation and active growth phase, only DM requirement is met. Thus, it is recommended to supplement concentrate mixture to goats grazing on range during lactation and growth phase.

Carcass characteristics of lambs fed spineless cactus as a replacement for sugarcane

  • de Oliveira, Juliana Paula Felipe;Ferreira, Marcelo de Andrade;Alves, Adryanne Marjorie Souza Vitor;de Melo, Ana Caroline Cerqueira;de Andrade, Ida Barbosa;Urbano, Stela Antas;Suassuna, Juraci Marcos Alves;de Barros, Leonardo Jose Assis;Melo, Tobias Tobit de Barros
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.529-536
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    • 2018
  • Objective: Fresh sugarcane has been a new roughage source for ruminant's in semiarid regions, a function of the decline of sugar and alcohol industry in recent years. However, there is little data published regarding lambs fed sugarcane associated with spineless cactus. This study evaluated the effect of sugarcane replacement with spineless cactus (0%, 33%, 66%, and 100%) in the diet of Santa $In\hat{e}s$ lambs on carcass characteristics. Methods: Thirty-six non-castrated Santa Ines lambs at four months of age and an initial body weight of $22{\pm}2.3kg$ were assigned in a randomized block design and slaughtered after 70 days of confinement. The effects of spineless cactus as a replacement for sugarcane in the diet of the lambs on the carcass characteristics, commercial cut weight and yield, leg tissue composition, and carcass measurements were studied. Results: The study revealed quadratic behavior in slaughter body weight, and hot and cold carcass weight, with maximum values of 38.60, 18.60, and 18.11 kg and replacement levels of 40.18%, 44.42%, and 43.14%, respectively. The cold carcass yield presented an increasing linear behavior. The compactness index of carcass and leg presented a quadratic effect, with estimated maximal values of 0.28 and 0.57 kg/cm and replacement levels of 43.37% and 45.5%, respectively. The weights of commercial cuts of leg, loin, shoulder, and breast showed quadratic behavior, with maximum values of 2.79, 0.852, 1.46, and 1.30 kg and replacement levels of 49.5, 45.32, 39.0, and 40.7, respectively. For tissue composition, quadratic behavior was verified for leg weight, subcutaneous fat, and total fat. Conclusion: The replacement of sugarcane by spineless cactus at level 44% is recommended for finishing lambs considering that this level improved most of the carcass characteristics, weights, and yields of commercial cuts and leg tissue composition.

Representation of Wilderness in Western Films: An Aesthetic Interpretation (서부 영화에서 황야의 재현에 대한 미학적 해석)

  • Lee, Myeong-Jun;Pae, Jeong-Hann
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.41 no.2
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2013
  • This paper aims to make an aesthetic inquiry into representing modes of wilderness in western films. The western film was the first genre in earnest about natural landscape, covering vast areas of America from the East to the West. It adopted representative modes suited to physical characteristics of landscapes which produced aesthetic characteristics. In western films, wilderness was represented at a distance from the camera lens as a setting and an object of contemplation. In eastern forest landscapes, western films adopted the visual model of Hudson River School's landscape painting which expressed the transcendental sublime. The western semiarid region reproduced the warrior's gaze shot from a high angle, and, in this visual mode, wilderness was expressed as a demonic landscape derived from Burke's definition of the sublime. On one hand, the western desert was represented as a place of hardship shot at a low angle which expressed the vastness, unevenness and limitlessness of the desert owing to the absence of horizon. On the other hand, the mesas of Monument Valley have sublime characteristics of size and time. In western films, they play the role of an emblem by rising from the limitless desert on the horizon. The prospect-refuge relationship, the desire to see without being seen, is discovered in the representative mode of wilderness in western films. In this context, this study hopes to discover the archetype of landscape representation.

Morphological Landscape of Patagonia and Atacama in the Andes based on Geotourism (지오투어리즘 관점에서 본 안데스 파타고니아와 아타카마의 지형경관)

  • PARK, Jongkwan
    • Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.15-28
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    • 2013
  • This paper was made on the basis of geotourism to explain morphological characteristics of Patagonia and Atacama region in the Andes through 10-day fieldwork. The Patagonian landscape was focused on the Torres del Paine National Park, Chile and the Los Glacier National Park, Argentina; on the other hand, the Atacama morphological landscape was investigated around the San Pedro de Atacama. Many geomorphological features such as uplift, semiarid and glacier landscapes can be found in Patagonia, so it is strongly recommended to have an opportunity to enjoy these landforms by geotourism. Massive intrusive rock bodies of granite can be shown in those two National Parks declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. And, the Atacama Desert located on the forearc depression in the Andes, Chile has also many geomorphological destinations of arid and volcanic landforms; badland, pediplain, pediment, salt lake and geyser. Especially, huge pediplain is one of the greatest view points in the Atacama Desert. Patagonia and Atacama are the best geographical tourism sites to know diverse tectonic landforms made by the conflict between South American and Pacific plates.

Antioxidative and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Extract from Milling By-products of Sorghum Cultivar, 'Hwanggeumchal' (황금찰수수 도정부산물의 항산화 및 항염증 활성)

  • Ra, Ji-Eun;Park, Ji-Young;Seo, Woo Duck;Sim, Eun-Yeong;Ko, Jee Yeon;Nam, Min-Hee;Chung, Ill-Min;Han, Sang-Ik
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.59 no.4
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    • pp.463-469
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    • 2014
  • Sorghum has been consumed as one of the important staple food in the semiarid tropics of Africa and Asia. Sorghum is rich in starch, protein, essential vitamins and minerals and grows relatively well in dry climate regions when it compared with other staple food crops. Sorghum has taken an increased interest due to several studies that report about the beneficial effects of sorghum on human health. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidative and activity of extract of milling by-products (hull and bran) of Korean sorghum cultivar, 'Hwanggeaumchal' as well as its grain. Hull extract showed the highest total polyphenol contents ($29.7{\pm}0.2mg\;GAE/100g$) and major four pigments content ($322.6{\pm}14.5mg/100g$). From results of 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, hull extract ($IC_{50}$, $6.3{\pm}0.1{\mu}g/mL$) was also showed the strongest antioxidative effects. Bran and grain showed similar polyphenol, pigments contents and antioxidative effects. We determined cell viability by MTT assay and evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity by measuring nitric oxide (NO) of hull, bran and grain methanol extract (0.5% HCl v/v) on RAW 264.7 cells. Hull extract treatment was significantly decreased NO production with dose-dependant manner. Apigeninidin as one of the major pigment of hull was showed inhibitory activity against NO production without cytotoxicitiy. Therefore, sorghum milling by-products can be used as a good source of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory agents.