Rapid tubewell development versus sustainable farmer-managed irrigation in Baluchistan

Tube wells, Farmer managed irrigation systems, Irrigation systems, Environmental effects, Pakistan

Inception report on the Technical Assistance study (T.A. No. 1481-PAK): Crop based irrigation operations in the NWFP

Irrigation systems / Irrigation practices / Cropping systems / Water requirements / Pakistan

Crop-based irrigation operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakisatn. Vol.I: Synthesis of findings and recommendataions. Final Report

Irrigation management / Crop-based irrigation / Pakistan / North West Frontier Province

Crop-based irrigation operations in the NWFP: Progress report no.2, Kharif 92 on the Technical Assistance Study, T.A. No.1481-PAK

Irrigation operation / Cropping systems / Irrigation canals / Water users' associations / Institutions / Pakistan

Evaluation of initial growth of poplar clones in North Patagonia

En los valles irrigados de Río Negro y Neuquén, el cultivo de álamos acompañó históricamente la producción agrícola, utilizándose clones de Populus nigra L. en cortinas rompeviento y clones de Populus xcanadensis Moench. para las forestaciones en macizo. Buscando ampliar la disponibilidad de genotipos para los diferentes sitios de cultivo, se instaló un ensayo comparativo con trece clones de álamo en la localidad de Pomona, Provincia de Río Negro. Se evaluaron seis clones de P. xcanadensis ('Triplo', 'Ragonese 22 INTA', "Pangui INTA", "Pudú INTA", y los testigos comerciales 'Conti 12' e 'I-214'), seis clones de P. deltoides ('Harvard', 'Onda', 'Stoneville 67', 'Carabelas INTA', "20-82" y "C-657") y un clon de P. xcanescens. Se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar (DBCA) con quince repeticiones y parcelas de una planta. Luego de cuatro períodos de crecimiento, 'I-214' y 'Triplo' tuvieron los mayores incrementos de DAP, no encontrándose diferencias significativas con los valores de 'Conti 12', 'Ragonese 22 INTA', "Pangui INTA", "Pudú INTA", "20-82" y P. xcanescens. Los menores crecimientos fueron observados en los deltoides 'Stoneville 67' y "C- 657". Los clones 'Ragonese 22 INTA', 'Triplo' y "20-82" constituyen alternativas para el cultivo de álamos en macizos y cortinas rompeviento.In the irrigated valleys of Río Negro and Neuquén poplar cultivation historically accompanied agricultural production using clones of Populus nigra L. in shelterbelts and Populus xcanadensis Moench. in forest plantations. With the aim to extend the availability of genotypes for different cultivation sites, a comparative trial with thirteen clones of poplar was installed at Pomona, Río Negro province. Six clones of euramerican hybrid poplar (P. xcanadensis 'Triplo', 'Ragonese 22 INTA', "Pangui INTA", "Pudú INTA" and commercial control 'Conti 12' and 'I-214'), six clones of eastern cottonwood poplar (P. deltoides 'Harvard', 'Onda', 'Stoneville 67', 'Carabelas INTA', "20-82" and "C-657") and one clone of P. xcanescens were evaluated. A completely randomized block design was used with fifteen replications and one plant per plot. After four growth periods, 'I-214' and 'Triplo' had the largest increases of diameter at breast height (DBH) while no significant differences in the values of 'Conti 12', 'Ragonese 22 INTA', "Pangui INTA", "Pudú INTA", "20-82" and P. xcanescens were found. The lowest increases were observed in deltoids 'Stoneville 67' and "C- 657". 'Ragonese 22 INTA', 'Triplo' and "20- 82" are alternatives for growing poplar in forest plantations and shelterbelt.Fil: Thomas, Esteban R.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (Argentina)Fil: Garces, Anibal C.

A framework for future training in marine and coastal protected area management

Training, Protected areas, Marine environment, Coastal zone management

Impact assessment of irrigation management transfer in the Alto Rio Lerma Irrigation District, Mexico

Irrigation managementPrivatizationAssessmentEconomic aspectsLegal aspectsData collectionWater rightsWater allocationWater distributionGroundwaterFinancingMaintenanceOperationsAgricultural productionWater users' associationsFarmer participation

Crop-based irrigation operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Vol.II: Research approach and interpretation. Final Report

Irrigation management / Crop-based irrigation / Research / Irrigation canals / Water demand / Performance evaluation / Agricultural production / Pakistan / North West Frontier Province

Localized vibrational modes in optically bound structures

We show, through analytical theory and rigorous numerical calculations, that optical binding can organize a collection of particles into stable one-dimensional lattice. This lattice, as well as other optically-bound structures, are shown to exhibit spatially localized vibrational eigenmodes. The origin of localization here is distinct from the usual mechanisms such as disorder, defect, or nonlinearity, but is a consequence of the long-ranged nature of optical binding. For an array of particles trapped by an interference pattern, the stable configuration is often dictated by the external light source, but our calculation revealed that inter-particle optical binding forces can have a profound influence on the dynamics.Comment: 4 pages, Optical Bindin

Impact of PNKP mutations associated with microcephaly, seizures and developmental delay on enzyme activity and DNA strand break repair

Microcephaly with early-onset, intractable seizures and developmental delay (MCSZ) is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase (PNKP), a DNA strand break repair protein with DNA 5'-kinase and DNA 3'-phosphatase activity. To investigate the molecular basis of this disease, we examined the impact of MCSZ mutations on PNKP activity in vitro and in cells. Three of the four mutations currently associated with MCSZ greatly reduce or ablate DNA kinase activity of recombinant PNKP at 30°C (L176F, T424Gfs48X and exon15Δfs4X), but only one of these mutations reduces DNA phosphatase activity under the same conditions (L176F). The fourth mutation (E326K) has little impact on either DNA kinase or DNA phosphatase activity at 30°C, but is less stable than the wild-type enzyme at physiological temperature. Critically, all of the MCSZ mutations identified to date result in ∼10-fold reduced cellular levels of PNKP protein, and reduced rates of chromosomal DNA strand break repair. Together, these data suggest that all four known MCSZ mutations reduce the cellular stability and level of PNKP protein, with three mutations likely ablating cellular DNA 5'-kinase activity and all of the mutations greatly reducing cellular DNA 3'-phosphatase activity