Statistical characterization of frost zones: Case of tea freeze damage in the Kenyan highlands

Frequent frost occurrences in the Kenyan highlands have had devastating effects on agricultural productivity. With inadequate management systems to mitigate the impacts, farmers have often had to bear the burden of losses resulting from frost damage. While agriculture in Kenya remains dependent on weather and climate, the agricultural economy of Kenya continues to suffer, underscoring the need for building local knowledge as basis for development of early warning systems. The current paper attempts to delineate frost zones by statistically characterizing them based on known risk factors related to topography (elevation, convexity, aspect, upslope flow length) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Through binary logistic regression, a logistic regression model was developed utilizing observation data (frost occurrence and non-occurrence) as a binary dependent variable to estimate the probability of frost occurrence. Assuming a 0.5 probability cut-off threshold between frost occurrence and non-occurrence, an overall accuracy of 81% with area under Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curve of 0.88 was obtained. No evidence of lack of model fit was detected. This model outperforms the currently operational model that utilizes MODIS LST alone to detect frost zones in the Kenyan tea plantations. It provides an improved method for effective delineation of frost zones by incorporating local topographic characteristics.     

Winter cover crops in Dutch maize fields: Variability in quality and its drivers assessed from multi-temporal Sentinel-2 imagery

Planting a cover crop between the main cropping seasons is an agricultural management measure with multiple potential benefits for sustainable food production. In the maize production system of the Netherlands, an effective establishment of a winter cover crop is important for reducing nitrogen leaching to groundwater. Cover crop establishment after maize cultivation is obliged by law for sandy soils and consequently implemented on nearly all maize fields, but the winter-time vegetative ground cover varies significantly between fields. The objectives of this study are to assess the variability in winter vegetative cover and evaluate to what extent this variability can be explained by the timing of cover crop establishment and weather conditions in two growing seasons (2017–2018). We used Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to construct NDVI time series for fields known to be cultivated with maize within the province of Overijssel. We fitted piecewise logistic functions to the time series in order to estimate cover crop sowing date and retrieve the fitted NDVI value for 1 December (NDVI_Dec). We used NDVI_Dec to represent the quality of cover crop establishment at the start of the winter season. The Sentinel-2 estimated sowing dates compared reasonably with ground reference data for eight fields (RMSE = 6.6 days). The two analysed years differed considerably, with 2018 being much drier and warmer during summer. This drought resulted in an earlier estimated cover crop sowing date (on average 19 days) and an NDVI_Dec value that was 0.2 higher than in 2017. Combining both years and all fields, we found that Sentinel-2 retrieved sowing dates could explain 55% of the NDVI_Dec variability. This corresponded to a positive relationship (R² = 0.50) between NDVI_Dec and the cumulative growing degree days (GDD) between sowing date and 1 December until reaching 400 GDD. Based on cumulative GDD derived from two weather stations within Overijssel, we found that on average for the past three decades a sowing date of 19 September (± 7 days) allowed to attain these 400 GDD; this provides support for the current legislation that states that from 2019 onwards a cover crop should be sown before 1 October. To meet this deadline, while simultaneously ascertaining a harvest-ready main crop, in practice implies that undersowing of the cover crop during spring will gain importance. Our results show that Sentinel-2 NDVI time series can assess the effectiveness and timing of cover crop growth for small agricultural fields, and as such has potential to inform regulatory frameworks as well as farmers with actionable information that may help to reduce nitrogen leaching.     

长江口邻近海域夏季底栖纤毛虫的多样性与群落结构特点

采用Ludox-QPS方法,研究了2011年8月采自长江口邻近海域9个站位沉积物中纤毛虫的群落结构及分布特点,并结合沉积环境进行综合分析。结果表明,表层8cm沉积物中底栖纤毛虫的平均丰度为(2782±1493)cells/10cm2,生物量为(10.06±6.41)μgC/10cm2。长江口海域北部站位的丰度和生物量呈从近岸向外海增加,南部的站位呈现相反的分布趋势。在垂直分布上, 62%的底栖纤毛虫分布在表层2cm, 12%分布在5—8 cm。本研究共检获纤毛虫106种,隶属于15纲/亚纲, 24目, 69属,前口纲在丰度及生物量上均为最优势类群(丰度占45.5%,生物量占56.4%),核残迹纲在生物量上居第二位。就食性来看,肉食性纤毛虫物种数最多(44种),其丰度和生物量所占比例也最高(40.3%,66.8%),但在长江口外站位(M1站),菌食性纤毛虫为最优势摄食类群。分析表明,研究海域底栖纤毛虫群落结构与底层水盐度最相关。聚类分析结果显示,由于较多量的伪钟虫属(Pseudovorticella)和原领毛虫属(Prototrachelocerca)种类出现导致长江口北部L1站的纤毛虫群落结构不同于其他站位。本研究所获底栖纤毛虫的丰度和生物量较东海离岸海域已有研究结果均高,表层8cm沉积物中纤毛虫的丰度约是上层30m水柱中浮游纤毛虫的116倍,生物量约是后者的150倍。基于目前黄东海有关底栖纤毛虫物种多样性的已有报道,其多样性在长江口离岸海域高于近岸潮间带,且在离岸海域东海低于黄海。     

2000-2015年三江平原主要作物需水量征及影响因素分析

全生育期内作物需水量的研究是农业水资源有效利用和进行合理灌溉的重要依据。基于三江平原22个气象站点2000—2015年逐日气象观测资料及中国区域地面气象要素数据集,利用国际粮农组织 （FAO）Penman-Monteith模型和分段单值平均作物系数法,分别对三江平原水稻、玉米和大豆的作物需水量进行计算,分析作物需水量年际变化特征,采用通径分析法研究作物需水量的变化成因。结果表明：（1）三江平原16 a来年均参考作物蒸散量为537.4 mm,日均为 3.5 mm,呈波动减少趋势。（2）生长季内,水稻在分蘖期需水量最大,为177.1 mm,玉米在七叶期需水量最大,为99.7 mm,大豆在结荚期需水量最大,为96.1 mm;水稻、玉米和大豆的净灌溉需水量分别为195.4 mm、130.8 mm和72.2 mm,对灌溉的依赖程度水稻>玉米>大豆。（3）由通径分析结果可知,三江平原作物需水量的主要影响因素为净辐射、气温和日照时数。     

中国作物物候对气候变化的响应与适应研究进展

以气候变暖为主要特征的气候变化对作物物候产生了重要的影响,通常气温升高会导致作物生长速度加快,生育期缩短,从而造成作物产量下降,不利于农业发展。同时,作物物候变化可以直接或间接反映气候变化情况,对于气候变化具有重要的指示意义。作物物候的研究对于农业气象灾害的预防、农业生产管理水平的进步以及农业产量提高都极为关键。随着全球地表气温的持续升高,作物物候相关研究也越来越引起科学家的关注。论文结合作物物候的主要研究方法,综述了中国近几十年来小麦、玉米、水稻以及棉花、大豆等主要农作物的生育期变化特征以及主要的驱动因子,得到以下主要结论：①在研究方法上,统计分析方法应用最为普遍,其他几种方法都需要与统计分析方法相结合使用。另外,作物机理模型模拟方法易于操作、可行性强,在物候研究中应用也比较多。遥感反演方法对作物生育期的特征规律要求较高,一般主要关注作物返青期。②整体上,小麦全生育期主要呈缩短趋势,而玉米和水稻全生育期以延长趋势为主。③作物物候变化的驱动因子主要是气候变化和农业管理措施改变,其中,气候变化是主导驱动因子,对作物物候变化起决定作用,而调整农业管理措施,在一定程度上抵消气候变化对作物生育期的不利影响。作物物候对气候变化的响应和适应研究可以为农业生产适应气候变化提供重要的理论依据和对策。     

作物胁迫无人机遥感监测研究评述

作物胁迫是全球农业发展的一个重要制约因素,实现快速、大范围、实时的作物胁迫监测对于农业生产具有重要意义。传统的作物胁迫监测方式,如田间调查、理化检测和卫星遥感监测总是受到各种田间条件或大气条件的制约。随着无人机和各种轻量化传感器的快速发展,其凭借高频、迅捷等优势为各种作物胁迫监测提供了一套全新的解决方案。本文在介绍了目前主流的多种无人机和传感器的基础上,首先对目前无人机遥感用于作物监测的主要胁迫类型进行了梳理,然后重点阐述了基于光谱成像和热红外传感器进行作物胁迫无人机遥感监测的应用和技术方法,最后提出了作物胁迫无人机遥感监测尚需解决的关键问题,并展望了未来无人机遥感用于作物胁迫监测的前景。     

利用改进型MODIS火点探测算法实现河北省秸秆焚烧火点识别

为准确地了解河北省秸秆焚烧火点的空间分布,为秸秆焚烧监测的实现、禁烧工作的开展、环境质量改善提供支持.基于MODIS L1B数据、MODIS标准火点产品MOD14、全国秸秆焚烧火点日报数据为基础,采用改进型MODIS火灾探测算法,并通过IDL语言实现,得到秸秆焚烧火点空间分布信息,并进行空间与定量精度分析.研究表明:火点大部分位于河北省南部的一些地区,其中尤以邢台、石家庄、邯郸火点数量最为突出;该算法运算速度快,获取的秸秆焚烧火点数据具有一定检测精度和可靠性,对秸秆焚烧的监测具有一定的实用价值.     

Sensitivity of penman-monteith reference crop evapotranspiration in Tao’er River Basin of northeastern China

A non-dimensional relative sensitivity coefficient was employed to predict the responses of reference crop evapotranspiration （ET0） to perturbation of four climate variables in Tao＇er River Basin of the northeastern China. Mean monthly ET0 and yearly ET0 from 1961 to 2005 were estimated with the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith Equation. A 45-year historical dataset of average monthly maximum/minimum air temperature, mean air temperature, wind speed, sunshine hours and relative humidity from 15 meteorological stations was used in the analysis. Results show that： 1） Sensitivity coefficients of wind speed, air temperature and sunshine hours were positive except for those of air temperature of Arxan Meteorological Station, while those of relative humidity were all negative. Relative humidity was the most sensitive variable in general for the Tao＇er River Basin, followed by sunshine hours, wind speed and air temperature. 2） Similar to climate variable, monthly sensitivity coefficients exhibit large annual fluctuations. 3） Sensitivity coefficients for four climate variables all showed significant trends in seasonal/yearly series. Also, sensitivity coefficients of air temperature, sunshine hours and wind speed all showed significant trends in spring. 4） Among all sensitivity coefficients, the average yearly sensitivity coefficient of relative humidity was highest throughout the basin and showed largest spatial variability. Longitudinal distribution of sensitivity coefficients for air temperature, relative humidity and sunshine hours was also found, which was similar to the distribution of the three climate variables.     

The generation and decay of vorticity

Abstract

Vorticity, although not the primary variable of fluid dynamics, is an important derived variable playing both mathematical and physical roles in the solution and understanding of problems. The following treatment discusses the generation of vorticity at rigid boundaries and its subsequent decay. It is intended to provide a consistent and very broadly applicable framework within which a wide range of questions can be answered explicitly. The rate of generation of vorticity is shown to be the relative tangential acceleration of fluid and boundary without taking viscosity into account and the generating mechanism therefore involves the tangential pressure gradient within the fluid and the external acceleration of the boundary only. The mechanism is inviscid in nature and independent of the no-slip condition at the boundary, although viscous diffusion acts immediately after generation to spread vorticity outward from boundaries. Vorticity diffuses neither out of boundaries nor into them, and the only means of decay is by cross-diffusive annihilation within the fluid.     

Influence of multipurpose trees on agricultural crops in arid regions of Haryana, India

The effects of multipurpose trees on the productivity of agricultural crops were studied in the arid regions of Haryana. In one of the experiments, wheat was grown on irrigated farms having scattered trees ofDalbergia sissoo, Azadirachta indica, Prosopis cinerariaandAcacia nilotica. Data of wheat yield for each tree species at different distances (1, 3, 5, and 7 m) and four directions (East, West, North and South) from the tree bases and control (no trees) were collected. Results indicate thatAzadirachta indicaandProsopis cinerariadid not produce any significant difference in the wheat yield while the other two species (Dalbergia sissooandAcacia nilotica) gave a reduction in yield.A. niloticahad a more significant and prominent effect and a reduction of 40 to 60 % wheat yield was observed.Dalbergia sissooreduced yield by 4 to 30 % but the reduction was only up to a distance of 3 m. In general, the impact of trees on productivity was observed up to 3 m distance and there was little, if any, impact up to 5 m and almost no impact at 7 m.In another experiment,D. sissoo(18-years-old) was raised as windbreak and productivity of cotton was assessed. The tree belt reduced the wind speed by 15 to 45 %, depending on season and wind speed. The influence of trees on cotton yield was observed to be negative up to 2H (36 m), where H is tree height, i.e. 18 m. Cotton productivity was observed to be maximum between 2H and 5H. Depending upon orientation of tree belt, the increase in cotton yield was found to be 4 to 10 %.