| publications-2131 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Happiness Anold Moshi , Daniel Abel Shilla, Ismael Aaron Kimirei, Catherine O’ Reilly, Wim Clymans, Isabel Bishop, Steven Arthur Loiselle |
Community monitoring of coliform pollution in Lake Tanganyika. |
PLOSE ONE |
10.1371/journal.pone.0262881 |
Simulation & Modeling |
Irrigation Systems |
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Conventional water quality monitoring has been done for decades in Lake Tanganyika, under different national and international programs. However, these projects utilized monitoring approaches, which were temporally limited, labour intensive and costly. This study examines the use of citizen science to monitor the dynamics of coliform concentrations in Lake Tanganyika as a complementary method to statutory and project-focused measurements. Persons in five coastal communities (Kibirizi, Ilagala, Karago, Ujiji and Gombe) were trained and monitored total coliforms, faecal coliforms and turbidity for one year on a monthly basis, in parallel with professional scientists. A standardized and calibrated Secchi tube was used at the same time to determine turbidity. Results indicate that total and faecal coliform concentrations determined by citizen scientists correlated well to those determined by professional scientists. Furthermore, citizen scientist-based turbidity values were shown to provide a potential indicator for high FC and TC concentrations. As a simple tiered approach to identify increased coliform loads, trained local citizen scientists could use low-cost turbidity measurements with follow up sampling and analysis for coliforms, to inform their communities and regulatory bodies of high risk conditions, as well as to validate local mitigation actions. By comparing the spatial and temporal dynamics of coliform concentrations to local conditions of infrastructure, population, precipitation and hydrology in the 15 sites (3 sites per community) over 12 months, potential drivers of coliform pollution in these communities were identified, largely related to precipitation dynamics and the land use. |
776480 |
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| publications-2132 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2021 |
Olivier Burggraaff; Sanjana Panchagnula; Frans Snik |
Citizen science with colour blindness: A case study on the Forel-Ule scale. |
PLoS ONE |
10.1371/journal.pone.0249755 |
AI & Machine Learning |
Precipitation & Ecological Systems |
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Many citizen science projects depend on colour vision. Examples include classification of soil or water types and biological monitoring. However, up to 1 in 11 participants are colour blind. We simulate the impact of various forms of colour blindness on measurements with the Forel-Ule scale, which is used to measure water colour by eye with a 21-colour scale. Colour blindness decreases the median discriminability between Forel-Ule colours by up to 33% and makes several colour pairs essentially indistinguishable. This reduces the precision and accuracy of citizen science data and the motivation of participants. These issues can be addressed by including uncertainty estimates in data entry forms and discussing colour blindness in training materials. These conclusions and recommendations apply to colour-based citizen science in general, including other classification and monitoring activities. Being inclusive of the colour blind increases both the social and scientific impact of citizen science. |
776480 |
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| publications-2133 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Olivares, B.O.; Vega, A.; Calderón, M.A.R.; Rey, J.C.; Lobo, D.; Gómez, J.A.; Landa, B.B. |
Identification of Soil Properties Associated with the Incidence of Banana Wilt Using Supervised Methods |
Plants |
10.3390/plants11152070 |
AI & Machine Learning |
Irrigation Systems |
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Over the last few decades, a growing incidence of Banana Wilt (BW) has been detected in the banana-producing areas of the central zone of Venezuela. This disease is thought to be caused by a fungal–bacterial complex, coupled with the influence of specific soil properties. However, until now, there was no consensus on the soil characteristics associated with a high incidence of BW. The objective of this study was to identify the soil properties potentially associated with BW incidence, using supervised methods. The soil samples associated with banana plant lots in Venezuela, showing low (n = 29) and high (n = 49) incidence of BW, were collected during two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). On those soils, sixteen soil variables, including the percentage of sand, silt and clay, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, available contents of K, Na, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, S and P, were determined. The Wilcoxon test identified the occurrence of significant differences in the soil variables between the two groups of BW incidence. In addition, Orthogonal Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) and the Random Forest (RF) algorithm was applied to find soil variables capable of distinguishing banana lots showing high or low BW incidence. The OPLS-DA model showed a proper fitting of the data (R2Y: 0.61, p value < 0.01), and exhibited good predictive power (Q2: 0.50, p value < 0.01). The analysis of the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves by RF revealed that the combination of Zn, Fe, Ca, K, Mn and Clay was able to accurately differentiate 84.1% of the banana lots with a sensitivity of 89.80% and a specificity of 72.40%. So far, this is the first study that identifies these six soil variables as possible new indicators associated with BW incidence in soils of lacustrine origin in Venezuela. |
773903 |
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| publications-2134 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Liu, Lining; Wang, Tianshu; Wang, Lichun; Wu, Xun; Zuo, Qiang; Shi, Jianchu; Sheng, Jiandong; Jiang, Pingan; Chen, Quanjia; Ben-Gal, Alon |
Plant water deficit index-based irrigation under conditions of salinity |
Agricultural Water Management |
10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107669 |
AI & Machine Learning |
Precipitation & Ecological Systems |
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No abstract available |
773903 |
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| publications-2135 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Huntenburg, K; Puertolas, J; de Ollas, C; Dodd, IC |
Bi-directional, long-distance hormonal signalling between roots and shoots of soil water availability |
Physiologia Plantarum |
10.1111/ppl.13697 |
AI & Machine Learning |
Precipitation & Ecological Systems |
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AbstractWhile the importance of plant water relations in determining crop response to soil water availability is difficult to over‐emphasise, under many circumstances, plants maintain their leaf water status as the soil dries yet shoot gas exchange and growth is restricted. Such observations lead to development of a paradigm that root‐to‐shoot signals regulate shoot physiology, and a conceptual framework to test the importance of different signals such as plant hormones in these physiological processes. Nevertheless, shoot‐to‐root (hormonal) signalling also plays an important role in regulating root growth and function and may dominate when larger quantities of a hormone are produced in the shoots than the roots. Here, we review the evidence for acropetal and basipetal transport of three different plant hormones (abscisic acid, jasmonates, strigolactones) that have antitranspirant effects, to indicate the origin and action of these signalling systems. The physiological importance of each transport pathway likely depends on the specific environmental conditions the plant is exposed to, specifically whether the roots or shoots are the first to lose turgor when exposed to drying soil or elevated atmospheric demand, respectively. All three hormones can interact to influence each other's synthesis, degradation and intracellular signalling to augment or attenuate their physiological impacts, highlighting the complexity of unravelling these signalling systems. Nevertheless, such complexity suggests crop improvement opportunities to select for allelic variation in the genes affecting hormonal regulation, and (in selected crops) to augment root–shoot communication by judicious selection of rootstock–scion combinations to ameliorate abiotic stresses. |
773903 |
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| publications-2136 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Puertolas, J; Dodd, IC |
Evaluating soil evaporation and transpiration responses to alternate partial rootzone drying to minimise water losses |
Plant and Soil |
10.1007/s11104-022-05594-z |
Uncategorized |
Irrigation Systems |
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Abstract Purpose Partial rootzone drying (PRD) typically alternates the dry and irrigated parts of the rootzone, but how plant physiology and soil evaporation respond to this alternation are poorly understood. Methods Dwarf tomatoes were grown in small split pots comprising two 250 cm3 compartments and fully irrigated (WW: 100% ETc) or subjected to three deficit irrigation treatments (75% ETc): homogeneous rootzone drying (HRD; irrigation evenly distributed); fixed PRD (PRD-F, irrigation applied to one fixed compartment); alternated PRD (PRD-A: as PRD-F but alternating the irrigated compartment every three days). Stem diameter and evapotranspiration were monitored during alternation cycles. The day after alternating the irrigated side of the root system, whole-plant gas exchange and leaf water potential were measured following step increments of vapour pressure deficit. Results Alternation did not affect stem diameter contractions or evapotranspiration, which were lower in HRD than in the two PRD treatments. However, soil evaporation was higher in HRD and PRD-A after alternation than in PRD-F. Following alternation, higher soil evaporation was counteracted by decreased transpiration compared with fixed PRD, despite similar overall soil water content. VPD increments did not change this pattern. Conclusion Irrigation placement determined soil moisture distribution, which in turn affected soil evaporation and whole plant gas exchange. Optimising the frequency of PRD alternation to maximise water savings while ensuring productive water use needs to consider how soil moisture distribution affects both soil evaporation and plant water use. |
773903 |
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| publications-2137 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Tian, P; Liu, L; Tian, XJ; Zhao, GJ; Klik, A; Wang, RD; Lu, XY; Mu, XM; Bai, YP |
Sediment yields variation and response to the controlling factors in the Wei River Basin, China |
Catena |
10.1016/j.catena.2022.106181 |
Uncategorized |
Irrigation Systems |
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No abstract available |
773903 |
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| publications-2138 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2022 |
Liebhard, G; Klik, A; Neugschwandtner, RW; Nolz, R |
Effects of tillage systems on soil water distribution, crop development, and evaporation and transpiration rates of soybean |
Agricultural Water Management |
10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107719 |
AI & Machine Learning |
Irrigation Systems |
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No abstract available |
773903 |
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| publications-2139 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2021 |
Luis F. Arias-Giraldo, Gema Guzmán, Miguel Montes-Borrego, David Gramaje, José A. Gómez, Blanca B. Landa |
Going Beyond Soil Conservation with the Use of Cover Crops in Mediterranean Sloping Olive Orchards |
Agronomy |
10.3390/agronomy11071387 |
Simulation & Modeling |
Irrigation Systems |
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Among the agricultural practices promoted by the Common Agricultural Policy to increase soil functions, the use of cover crops is a recommended tool to improve the sustainability of Mediterranean woody crops such as olive orchards. However, there is a broad range of cover crop typologies in relation to its implementation, control and species composition. In that sense, the influence of different plant species on soil quality indicators in olive orchards remains unknown yet. This study describes the effects of four treatments based on the implementation of different ground covers (CC-GRA: sown cover crop with gramineous, CC-MIX: sown cover crop with a mixture of species and CC-NAT: cover crop with spontaneous vegetation) and conventional tillage (TILL) on soil erosion, soil physicochemical and biological properties after 8 years of cover crop establishment. Our results demonstrated that the presence of a temporary cover crop (CC), compared to a soil under tillage (TILL), can reduce soil losses and maintain good soil physicochemical properties and modify greatly the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities and its functioning. The presence of a homogeneous CC of gramineous (Lolium rigidum or Lolilum multiflorum) (CC-GR) for 8 years increased the functional properties of the soil as compared to TILL; although the most relevant change was a modification on the bacterial community composition that was clearly different from the rest of treatments. On the other hand, the use of a mixture of plant species (CC-MIX) as a CC for only two years although did not modify greatly the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities compared to the TILL soil, induced significant changes on the functional properties of the soil and reverted those properties to a level similar to that of an undisturbed soil that had maintained a natural cover of spontaneous vegetation for decades (CC-NAT). |
773903 |
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| publications-2140 |
Peer reviewed articles |
2019 |
Margarita Garcia-Vila, Rodrigo Morillo-Velarde, Elias Fereres |
Modeling Sugar Beet Responses to Irrigation with AquaCrop for Optimizing Water Allocation |
Water |
10.3390/w11091918 |
AI & Machine Learning |
Groundwater |
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Process-based crop models such as AquaCrop are useful for a variety of applications but must be accurately calibrated and validated. Sugar beet is an important crop that is grown in regions under water scarcity. The discrepancies and uncertainty in past published calibrations, together with important modifications in the program, deemed it necessary to conduct a study aimed at the calibration of AquaCrop (version 6.1) using the results of a single deficit irrigation experiment. The model was validated with additional data from eight farms differing in location, years, varieties, sowing dates, and irrigation. The overall performance of AquaCrop for simulating canopy cover, biomass, and final yield was accurate (RMSE = 11.39%, 2.10 t ha−1, and 0.85 t ha−1, respectively). Once the model was properly calibrated and validated, a scenario analysis was carried out to assess the crop response in terms of yield and water productivity to different irrigation water allocations in the two main production areas of sugar beet in Spain (spring and autumn sowing). The results highlighted the potential of the model by showing the important impact of irrigation water allocation and sowing time on sugar beet production and its irrigation water productivity. |
773903 |
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