Synchrony of planting and proportions of susceptible varieties affect rice tungro disease epidemics in the Philippines.

Surveys were conducted in the Philippines from 1995 to 1997 to examine relationships between production environment variables (agroecosystem, synchrony of planting, and varieties planted) and the occurrence of rice tungro disease epidemics using correspondence analyses. The sites covered were Isabela, Nueva Ecija, North Cotabato, and Bohol provinces as well as Bicol region. Tungro disease incidence in farmers’ fields was assessed visually based on typical symptoms. In addition, leaf samples were collected from each field and indexed serologically by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of Rice tungro bacilliform (RTBV) and Rice tungro spherical (RTSV) viruses. Thus, relationships between the production environment variables and four disease variables — visual incidence and double RTBV and RTSV, single RTSV, and single RTBV infections — were examined. A higher association was observed between site and varieties planted as well as site and synchrony of planting than between site and agroecosystem or site and disease variables (visual incidence, double RTBV and RTSV and single RTSV infections). Disease variables depended on both varieties planted and synchrony of planting and correspondence analysis revealed that the low disease incidence in Nueva Ecija was associated with synchronous planting while the high disease incidence in Isabela was associated with the planting of susceptible varieties and asynchronous planting. Such findings suggest that the relationship between the last two factors at a given site is critical to predicting tungro occurrence. Moreover, correspondence analysis of the relationship among disease variables revealed that tungro incidence is associated with not only double RTBV and RTSV infections but also single RTSV infections. Implications of these results on tungro epidemiology and management are discussed.

Modeling nitrous oxide emissions from irrigated agriculture : testing DayCent with high-frequency measurements

A unique high temporal frequency dataset from an irrigated cotton-wheat rotation was used to test the agroecosystem model DayCent to simulate daily N2O emissions from sub-tropical vertisols under different irrigation intensities. DayCent was able to simulate the effect of different irrigation intensities on N2O fluxes and yield, although it tended to overestimate seasonal fluxes during the cotton season. DayCent accurately predicted soil moisture dynamics and the timing and magnitude of high fluxes associated with fertilizer additions and irrigation events. At the daily scale we found a good correlation of predicted vs. measured N2O fluxes (r2 = 0.52), confirming that DayCent can be used to test agricultural practices for mitigating N2O emission from irrigated cropping systems. A 25 year scenario analysis indicated that N2O losses from irrigated cotton-wheat rotations on black vertisols in Australia can be substantially reduced by an optimized fertilizer and irrigation management system (i.e. frequent irrigation, avoidance of excessive fertiliser application), while sustaining maximum yield potentials.

Mykorritsa fosforin kierrättäjänä

Suomen maatalousmaihin kertynyttä fosforia hyödynnetään tehottomasti, ja samalla muokkauskerroksen suuri fosforimäärä on alttiina huuhtoutumiselle. Arbuskelimykorritsaa (AM) hyödyntämällä on mahdollista tehostaa viljelykasvin fosforinottoa ja kasvua, ja siten vähentää fosforin huuhtoutumista. Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena oli selvittää mykorritsan vaikutus kasvin kasvuun ja fosforinottoon karjanlantalannoituksella mineraalilannoitukseen verrattuna sekä näiden lannoitusten pitkäaikaisvaikutusta AM-sieniyhteisöihin. Jotta lannoituskäytäntöjen vaikutus mykorritsaan voitiin suhteuttaa muihin maan laatutekijöihin, näiden käytäntöjen vaikutus myös satomääriin sekä muihin maan laatumittareihin arvioitiin. Pitkäaikainen kenttäkoe perustettiin kolmelle paikkakunnalle Pohjois-Ruotsissa vuosina 1965–66. Kuusivuotinen viljelykierto koostui joko viisivuotisesta nurmesta ja ohrasta tai ohramonokulttuurista. Lannoituskäsittelyt 32-vuoden ajan olivat suositusten mukainen (NPK) ja edelliseen nähden kaksinkertainen (2NPK) mineraalilannoitus sekä karjanlantalannoitus (KL), jonka ravinnemäärä vastasi NPK -käsittelyä. Kolmen lannoituskäsittelyn vaikutusta mykorritsan tehokkuuteen kasvin kasvun ja fosforiravitsemuksen näkökulmasta tutkittiin astiakokeissa. Mykorritsasieniyhteisöjen toiminnallisten erojen selvittämiseksi tehtiin takaisin- ja ristiinsiirrostuskoe. (5 v-%) steriloitua maanäytettä NPK- ja KL -käsittelyistä siirrostettiin käsittelemättömiin maanäytteisiin, jotka olivat samoista lannoituskäsittelyistä. Mykorritsan positiivinen vaikutus kasvin kasvuun ja fosforiravitsemukseen oli suurin kun käytettiin karjanlantaa. NPK ja 2NPK -käsittelyiden välillä ei havaittu eroja. Takaisin- ja ristiinsiirrostuskokeessa ei ollut tilastollisesti merkitseviä eroja. Nurmi- ja ohrasadot olivat suurimmat kun mineraalilannoitetta annettiin suosituksiin nähden kaksinkertainen määrä. Satomäärät olivat yhtä suuret tai suuremmat kun käytettiin karjanlantaa NPK –lannoituksen sijaan. Karjanlantakäsittely lisäsi maaperän kokonaishiili- ja kokonaistyppipitoisuutta verrattuna NPK -käsittelyyn, joka sisälsi saman määrän ravinteita. Samalla huuhtoutumiselle altis liukoisen fosforin pitoisuus säilyi alhaisella tasolla. Karjanlanta edisti mykorritsan toimintaedellytyksiä, ja siksi mykorritsasta saatua hyötyä fosforinotossa ja kasvuvaikutuksena mineraalilannoitteisiin verrattuna, mutta se ei vaikuttanut mykorritsasieniyhteisön toiminnallisiin ominaisuuksiin. Karjanlantalannoitus paransi mitattuja maan ominaisuuksia kokonaisuudessaan, eikä se vähentänyt satoja.

Insights into the ecological performance of agroecosystems with ECOPATH II

The article provides insights on agroecosystem modeling and analysis with ECOPATH II.

玉米农田土壤呼吸作用动态与模拟研究

利用动态密闭气室法(Licor-6400-09)，对锦州玉米生长季(5～9月)农田土壤呼吸作用动态及其影响因子进行连续两年的野外动态观测，分析表明，在植株尺度上，玉米地土壤呼吸作用存在明显的空间异质性，较高的土壤呼吸速率通常出现在靠近玉米植株的地方。玉米地土壤呼吸作用的日变化为不对称的单峰型曲线，最小值和最大值分别出现在6:00～7:00和13:00左右。2005年玉米生长季土壤呼吸速率均值为3.16 µmol CO2 •m-2•s-1，最大值为4.77 µmol CO2 •m-2•s-1，出现在7月28日，最小值为1.31 µmol CO2 •m-2•s-1，出现在5月4日。 植物根系生物量的分布格局是影响土壤呼吸作用空间异质性的关键因素。土壤呼吸作用与根系生物量呈显著的线性关系，而土壤湿度、土壤有机质、全氮和碳氮比对土壤呼吸作用空间异质性的影响并不显著。在土壤呼吸作用日变化中，土壤呼吸速率(SR, µmol CO2 •m-2•s-1)与10 cm土壤温度(T, ℃)均呈显著的指数函数关系 。在季节尺度上，参数α和β是波动的，玉米净第一性生产力(NPP, g •m-2 •d-1)和生物量(B, g •m-2)分别为影响参数α和β季节性波动的主导因素。鉴于此，建立了方程 用以模拟土壤呼吸作用的季节变化。土壤温度、NPP和生物量共同影响着玉米生长季土壤呼吸作用的季节性变化，它们共同解释了土壤呼吸作用季节变化的93%。 小时尺度上，土环中的根系生物量是影响土壤呼吸速率空间变异的关键因子，土壤呼吸速率与根系生物量呈线性关系 ;日时间尺度上，土壤呼吸速率与根系生物量线性方程中的参数α和β是波动，土壤温度是影响α和β波动的主导因素，于是得到方程 。季节时间尺度上，土壤呼吸作用可表达为 ，土壤温度、土壤湿度和玉米NPP共同驱动着玉米生长季土壤呼吸作用的时间变化和空间变异，它们可以解释玉米生长季土壤呼吸作用时空变化的74%。 通过建立土壤呼吸作用与玉米根系生物量的回归方程，对根系呼吸作用占土壤呼吸作用的比例进行了间接估算。玉米生长季根系呼吸作用占土壤呼吸作用的比例在43.1～63.6%之间波动，均值为54.5%。假定玉米果实和秸杆中的碳在收获期间没有从农田中转移走，2005年整个生长季玉米生态系统的碳收支为–1127.0 gC•m-2，碳交换速率在 0.52～-18.05 g C•m-2 •d-1 之间波动。玉米生长初期，玉米生态系统表现为C的弱碳源;玉米播种后35天一直到收获，玉米生态系统表现为碳汇。

玉米农田水热碳通量动态及其环境控制机理研究

陆地生态系统与大气之间的水热碳交换是物质、能量循环的关键过程，一直以来都为研究者们所关注。进入20 世纪以来，特别是随着人们对全球气候变暖的逐步认识，气候变化对水热碳交换过程的影响及其对气候变化的响应研究更加备受关注。本研究以2004~2006 年近三年的涡度相关系统连续观测数据为依托，分析了雨养玉米农田水热碳通量的动态及其影响因子。研究表明，玉米农田水热通量(WHF) 呈显著的单峰型日变化， 日最大值出现在正午12:00~13:00，WHF 变化同步。潜热通量(LE)的季节变化规律与日变化相似，冬季小夏季大，年最大值与最小值分别出现在7 月和1 月。显热通量(Hs) 季节变化也呈单峰型，但年最大值出现在5 月，这主要与降水以及作物生长有关。半小时尺度上，WHF 主要受辐射控制，而日峰值受辐射峰值以及植被生长的双重影响；日尺度上，只要有降水过程，Hs 就会随土壤水分的增大而减小，降水停止后逐渐恢复。而降水对LE 的影响受到可用能量(AE)的干扰，表现出复杂的变化趋势。总的来说，降水持续时间越长AE 越少，对LE 的抑制越大；季节尺度上，WHF 受热量与水分的双重制约。Hs 随着天气回暖后第一次较大降水过程的出现呈现明显下降，而LE 则呈现相反的变化趋势。随着雨季到来和作物的生长，Hs 在7 月出现低谷，而LE 呈现相反的趋势随着降水量的增加而增大；年际间WHF 的分布规律大体一致，但因气象条件等的差异，特别是降水的差异造成年际间WHF 略有不同。在不同水文年型下，水分因子的影响作用有显著差异，且WHF 对热量与水分条件变化的敏感程度也不相同。欠水年，水分因子的作用更显著，是制约WHF 变化的主要控制因子，WHF 对水分的变化更敏感；而丰水年，水分因子的影响减弱，热量的盈亏决定着WHF 变化的主要方向。在不同水文年型下，水热碳通量对水热条件的变化表现出不同的响应方式，为研究生态系统对气候变化的响应提供了参考。 净碳(C)吸收期，玉米农田净碳交换(NEE)呈显著的日变化，在日出以后由CO2 释放转变为CO2 吸收，12:30 左右达到一天中的吸收峰值，日落前出现相反的转换。而净C 释放期内，NEE 均为正值且无明显日变化。NEE 季节变化也呈单峰型二次曲线，在7 月下旬或8 月上旬达到年最大吸收率。根据NEE 的正负，一年分为三个阶段：两个C 排放期与一个C 吸收期。一般C 吸收期从6月开始到9 月结束，此前此后均为C 排放期。在半小时、日时间尺度上，光通量密度(PPFD)与NEE 有着相似的变化规律，是控制NEE 的主要因子；在日、季节尺度上，叶面积指数(LAI)和气孔导度(gs)是影响NEE 的主要生物因子，且gs 的影响程度随着发育期的变化而变化，而不同年份间LAI 对NEE 的影响没有显著的差异。几乎在所有时间步长上，土壤温度(Ts)均为生态系统呼吸(Re)的主要控制因子，时间尺度愈短，二者的相关性愈好。总的来说，在较短时间尺度上，高PPFD 与夏季低温将会促进C 的吸收，有利于C 累积。 玉米农田日最大净C 吸收速率(NEEmax, daily)以及吸收释放转换点(NEE=0)均受PPFD 控制。NEEmax, daily 出现时间与PPFDmax, daily 出现时间几乎完全一致，当PPFD 达到1 日内极大值时，净C 吸收也相应达到了日最大值。但NEEmax, daily的量值还受到其它因子的影响。当水分条件充足时，还将受到LAI、gs 等生物因子的控制。NEE 由正转为负的转换点也是由PPFD 决定。当PPFD 稳定大于PPFD*( PPFD*=100 μmol•m-2s -1)时，净C 吸收开始；当PPFD 稳定小于PPFD*时，净C 吸收由此结束。1 日内，PPFD 稳定通过PPFD*之间的时间间隔决定了日净C 吸收的时间长度。日净C 吸收的时间越长，吸收量也越大，且有明显的季节变化，7 月最长9 月最短。 按照热量水分状况将三年分组，分为I 组(水分状况相似，热量条件不同)与II 组(热量条件相似，水分状况不同)。 I 组年际间PPFD 波动是造成C 交换格局变化的关键原因。而II 组年际间C 交换格局不同是由降水量及其不同分布引起的土壤含水量(SWC)变化是造成。SWC 可以解释年际间NEE 变异的97%，而大气水汽压亏缺(VPD)可以解释30.7%；温度因子通过影响C 收支中的呼吸项，间接影响着生态系统的NEE，它可以解释年际间NEE 变异的73.9%，也是造成年际间C 交换格局不同的原因之一；另外，PPFD 和发育期早晚以及净C吸收期长度等也同样影响着C 交换格局的变化。综合两组情况来看，由水分条件年际变化引起的NEE 的波动大于能量年际变化引起的波动。总之，在较长时间尺度上，NEE 对SWC 变化比其对PPFD 变化更敏感，说明在半干旱地区土壤水分条件仍然是决定C 交换格局的主导因子。 NEE 与LE 呈线性相关，它们之间的相关性主要受温度和NEE 的控制，温度越高，二者的相关性越弱，而NEE 越大二者相关性越好。同时，作物蒸腾与土壤蒸发的比例也是影响NEE 与LE 之间关系的主要因素。蒸腾作用所占的比例越大，二者的线性关系越显著，而土壤蒸发比例越大，二者的相关性越弱。总的来说，NEE 与LE 之间的线性关系有明显的季节变化，生长季好于非生长季，夏天好于冬天。 总之，雨养玉米农田水热碳通量既具有其它农田生态系统共有的动态特征，也具有其特有特征。

黄土丘陵区农业生态系统和经济系统的互动关系——以安塞县纸坊沟小流域为例

基于1938—2007年黄土丘陵区纸坊沟流域的调查资料,利用生态系统服务价值评估方法和生态足迹理论对该流域生态系统服务价值与生态足迹进行了测算,并分析了研究区农业生态系统与经济系统的互动关系.结果表明:1938—2007年,纸坊沟流域经历了3个阶段,即生态环境破坏-经济发展落后阶段(1938—1975年)、生态环境恢复-经济迅速发展阶段(1975—2000年)和生态环境保持良好-经济稳定增长阶段(2000—2007年);该区生态经济系统的互动关系表现为"生态恶化-生态、经济相互调节、适应-生态、经济良性互动"的过程.

半湿润农田生态系统长期施肥对土壤团聚体中有机氮组分的影响

通过对黄土高原半湿润农田生态系统25年的田间肥料定位试验,研究了长期不同施肥模式对土壤有机氮组分及其在各级团聚体中分布的影响.结果表明:长期施肥对水解氨态氮、水解未知氮在土壤各级团聚体中分布的影响最大,对氨基酸态氮的分布有一定影响,而对氨基糖态氮分布的影响较小.长期施用化肥和有机肥能有效地影响水解氨态氮和水解未知氮与团聚体的结合作用,而氨基糖态氮在土壤氮循环转化过程中具有较强的稳定性.长期施肥条件下土壤水解全氮与有机碳、全氮以及团聚体分形维数均呈极显著正相关,其r分别为0.942,0.981,0.910(P<0.001),说明土壤有机氮组分对土壤团聚体的形成和性质具有显著影响.相关分析表明,土壤全氮或有机质对1～2mm和0.25～1mm土壤团聚体中各有机氮组分的影响较大

Modelling of global crop production and resulting N2O emissions

Landwirtschaft spielt eine zentrale Rolle im Erdsystem. Sie trägt durch die Emission von CO2, CH4 und N2O zum Treibhauseffekt bei, kann Bodendegradation und Eutrophierung verursachen, regionale Wasserkreisläufe verändern und wird außerdem stark vom Klimawandel betroffen sein. Da all diese Prozesse durch die zugrunde liegenden Nährstoff- und Wasserflüsse eng miteinander verknüpft sind, sollten sie in einem konsistenten Modellansatz betrachtet werden. Dennoch haben Datenmangel und ungenügendes Prozessverständnis dies bis vor kurzem auf der globalen Skala verhindert. In dieser Arbeit wird die erste Version eines solchen konsistenten globalen Modellansatzes präsentiert, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der Simulation landwirtschaftlicher Erträge und den resultierenden N2O-Emissionen liegt. Der Grund für diese Schwerpunktsetzung liegt darin, dass die korrekte Abbildung des Pflanzenwachstums eine essentielle Voraussetzung für die Simulation aller anderen Prozesse ist. Des weiteren sind aktuelle und potentielle landwirtschaftliche Erträge wichtige treibende Kräfte für Landnutzungsänderungen und werden stark vom Klimawandel betroffen sein. Den zweiten Schwerpunkt bildet die Abschätzung landwirtschaftlicher N2O-Emissionen, da bislang kein prozessbasiertes N2O-Modell auf der globalen Skala eingesetzt wurde. Als Grundlage für die globale Modellierung wurde das bestehende Agrarökosystemmodell Daycent gewählt. Neben der Schaffung der Simulationsumgebung wurden zunächst die benötigten globalen Datensätze für Bodenparameter, Klima und landwirtschaftliche Bewirtschaftung zusammengestellt. Da für Pflanzzeitpunkte bislang keine globale Datenbasis zur Verfügung steht, und diese sich mit dem Klimawandel ändern werden, wurde eine Routine zur Berechnung von Pflanzzeitpunkten entwickelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine gute Übereinstimmung mit Anbaukalendern der FAO, die für einige Feldfrüchte und Länder verfügbar sind. Danach wurde das Daycent-Modell für die Ertragsberechnung von Weizen, Reis, Mais, Soja, Hirse, Hülsenfrüchten, Kartoffel, Cassava und Baumwolle parametrisiert und kalibriert. Die Simulationsergebnisse zeigen, dass Daycent die wichtigsten Klima-, Boden- und Bewirtschaftungseffekte auf die Ertragsbildung korrekt abbildet. Berechnete Länderdurchschnitte stimmen gut mit Daten der FAO überein (R2 = 0.66 für Weizen, Reis und Mais; R2 = 0.32 für Soja), und räumliche Ertragsmuster entsprechen weitgehend der beobachteten Verteilung von Feldfrüchten und subnationalen Statistiken. Vor der Modellierung landwirtschaftlicher N2O-Emissionen mit dem Daycent-Modell stand eine statistische Analyse von N2O-und NO-Emissionsmessungen aus natürlichen und landwirtschaftlichen Ökosystemen. Die als signifikant identifizierten Parameter für N2O (Düngemenge, Bodenkohlenstoffgehalt, Boden-pH, Textur, Feldfrucht, Düngersorte) und NO (Düngemenge, Bodenstickstoffgehalt, Klima) entsprechen weitgehend den Ergebnissen einer früheren Analyse. Für Emissionen aus Böden unter natürlicher Vegetation, für die es bislang keine solche statistische Untersuchung gab, haben Bodenkohlenstoffgehalt, Boden-pH, Lagerungsdichte, Drainierung und Vegetationstyp einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die N2O-Emissionen, während NO-Emissionen signifikant von Bodenkohlenstoffgehalt und Vegetationstyp abhängen. Basierend auf den daraus entwickelten statistischen Modellen betragen die globalen Emissionen aus Ackerböden 3.3 Tg N/y für N2O, und 1.4 Tg N/y für NO. Solche statistischen Modelle sind nützlich, um Abschätzungen und Unsicherheitsbereiche von N2O- und NO-Emissionen basierend auf einer Vielzahl von Messungen zu berechnen. Die Dynamik des Bodenstickstoffs, insbesondere beeinflusst durch Pflanzenwachstum, Klimawandel und Landnutzungsänderung, kann allerdings nur durch die Anwendung von prozessorientierten Modellen berücksichtigt werden. Zur Modellierung von N2O-Emissionen mit dem Daycent-Modell wurde zunächst dessen Spurengasmodul durch eine detailliertere Berechnung von Nitrifikation und Denitrifikation und die Berücksichtigung von Frost-Auftau-Emissionen weiterentwickelt. Diese überarbeitete Modellversion wurde dann an N2O-Emissionsmessungen unter verschiedenen Klimaten und Feldfrüchten getestet. Sowohl die Dynamik als auch die Gesamtsummen der N2O-Emissionen werden befriedigend abgebildet, wobei die Modelleffizienz für monatliche Mittelwerte zwischen 0.1 und 0.66 für die meisten Standorte liegt. Basierend auf der überarbeiteten Modellversion wurden die N2O-Emissionen für die zuvor parametrisierten Feldfrüchte berechnet. Emissionsraten und feldfruchtspezifische Unterschiede stimmen weitgehend mit Literaturangaben überein. Düngemittelinduzierte Emissionen, die momentan vom IPCC mit 1.25 +/- 1% der eingesetzten Düngemenge abgeschätzt werden, reichen von 0.77% (Reis) bis 2.76% (Mais). Die Summe der berechneten Emissionen aus landwirtschaftlichen Böden beträgt für die Mitte der 1990er Jahre 2.1 Tg N2O-N/y, was mit den Abschätzungen aus anderen Studien übereinstimmt.

Uncover the Concealed Link: Gender & Ethnicity-Divided Local Knowledge on the Agro-Ecosystem of a Forest Margin

This research is a study about knowledge interface that aims to analyse knowledge discontinuities, the dynamic and emergent characters of struggles and interactions within gender system and ethnicity differences. The cacao boom phenomenon in Central Sulawesi is the main context for a changing of social relations of production, especially when the mode of production has shifted or is still underway from subsistence to petty commodity production. This agrarian change is not only about a change of relationship and practice, but, as my previous research has shown, also about the shift of knowledge domination, because knowledge construes social practice in a dialectical process. Agroecological knowledge is accumulated through interaction, practice and experience. At the same time the knowledge gained from new practices and experiences changes mode of interaction, so such processes provide the arena where an interface of knowledge is manifested. In the process of agro-ecological knowledge interface, gender and ethnic group interactions materialise in the decision-making of production and resource allocation at the household and community level. At this point, power/knowledge is interplayed to gain authority in decision-making. When authority dominates, power encounters resistance, whereas the dominant power and its resistance are aimed to ensure socio-economic security. Eventually, the process of struggle can be identified through the pattern of resource utilisation as a realisation of production decision-making. Such processes are varied from one community to another, and therefore, it shows uniqueness and commonalities, especially when it is placed in a context of shifting mode of production. The focus is placed on actors: men and women in their institutional and cultural setting, including the role of development agents. The inquiry is informed by 4 major questions: 1) How do women and men acquire, disseminate, and utilise their agro ecological knowledge, specifically in rice farming as a subsistence commodity, as well as in cacao farming as a petty commodity? How and why do such mechanisms construct different knowledge domains between two genders? How does the knowledge mechanism apply in different ethnics? What are the implications for gender and ethnicity based relation of production? ; 2) Using the concept of valued knowledge in a shifting mode of production context: is there any knowledge that dominates others? How does the process of domination occur and why? Is there any form of struggle, strategies, negotiation, and compromise over this domination? How do these processes take place at a household as well as community level? How does it relate to production decision-making? ; 3) Putting the previous questions in two communities with a different point of arrival on a path of agricultural commercialisation, how do the processes of struggle vary? What are the bases of the commonalities and peculiarities in both communities?; 4) How the decisions of production affect rice field - cacao plantation - forest utilisation in the two villages? How does that triangle of resource use reflect the constellation of local knowledge in those two communities? What is the implication of this knowledge constellation for the cacao-rice-forest agroecosystem in the forest margin area? Employing a qualitative approach as the main method of inquiry, indepth and dialogic interviews, participant observer role, and document review are used to gather information. A small survey and children’s writing competition are supplementary to this data collection method. The later two methods are aimed to give wider information on household decision making and perception toward the forest. It was found that local knowledge, particularly knowledge pertaining to rice-forest-cacao agroecology is divided according to gender and ethnicity. This constellation places a process of decision-making as ‘the arena of interface’ between feminine and masculine knowledge, as well as between dominant and less dominant ethnic groups. Transition from subsistence to a commercial mode of production is a context that frames a process where knowledge about cacao commodity is valued higher than rice. Market mechanism, as an external power, defines valued knowledge. Valued knowledge defines the dominant knowledge holder, and decision. Therefore, cacao cultivation becomes a dominant practice. Its existence sacrifices the presence of rice field and the forest. Knowledge about rice production and forest ecosystem exist, but is less valued. So it is unable to challenge the domination of cacao. Various forms of struggles - within gender an ethnicity context - to resist cacao domination are an expression of unequal knowledge possession. Knowledge inequality implies to unequal access to withdraw benefit from market valued crop. When unequal knowledge fails to construct a negotiated field or struggles fail to reveal ‘marginal’ decision, e.g. intensification instead of cacao expansion to the forest, interface only produces divergence. Gender and ethnicity divided knowledge is unabridged, since negotiation is unable to produce new knowledge that accommodates both interests. Rice is loaded by ecological interest to conserve the forest, while cacao is driven by economic interest to increase welfare status. The implication of this unmediated dominant knowledge of cacao production is the construction of access; access to the forest, mainly to withdraw its economic benefit by eliminating its ecological benefit. Then, access to cacao as the social relationship of production to acquire cacao knowledge; lastly, access to defend sustainable benefit from cacao by expansion. ‘Socio-economic Security’ is defined by Access. The convergence of rice and cacao knowledge, however, should be made possible across gender and ethnicity, not only for the sake of forest conservation as the insurance of ecological security, but also for community’s socio-economic security. The convergence might be found in a range of alternative ways to conduct cacao sustainable production, from agroforestry system to intensification.

The role of weeds in supporting biological diversity within crop fields

Weeds are major constraints on crop production, yet as part of the primary producers within farming systems, they may be important components of the agroecosystem. Using published literature, the role of weeds in arable systems for other above-ground trophic levels are examined. In the UK, there is evidence that weed flora have changed over the past century, with some species declining in abundance, whereas others have increased. There is also some evidence for a decline in the size of arable weed seedbanks. Some of these changes reflect improved agricultural efficiency, changes to more winter-sown crops in arable rotations and the use of more broad-spectrum herbicide combinations. Interrogation of a database of records of phytophagous insects associated with plant species in the UK reveals that many arable weed species support a high diversity of insect species. Reductions in abundances of host plants may affect associated insects and other taxa. A number of insect groups and farmland birds have shown marked population declines over the past 30 years. Correlational studies indicate that many of these declines are associated with changes in agricultural practices. Certainly reductions in food availability in winter and for nestling birds in spring are implicated in the declines of several bird species, notably the grey partridge, Perdix perdix . Thus weeds have a role within agroecosystems in supporting biodiversity more generally. An understanding of weed competitivity and the importance of weeds for insects and birds may allow the identification of the most important weed species. This may form the first step in balancing the needs for weed control with the requirements for biodiversity and more sustainable production methods.

Farmers' management of rice varietal diversity in the mid-hills of Nepal: implications for on-farm conservation and crop improvement

Season-long monitoring of on-farm rice (Oryza sativa, L.) plots in Nepal explored farmers' decision-making process on the deployment of varieties to agroecosystems, application of production inputs to varieties, agronomic practices and relationship between economic return and area planted per variety. Farmers deploy varieties [landraces (LRs) and modern varieties (MVs)] to agroecosystems based on their understanding of characteristics of varieties and agroecosystems, and the interaction between them. In marginal growing conditions, LRs can compete with MVs. Within an agroecosystem, economic return and area planted to varieties have positive relationship, but this is not so between agroecosystems. LRs are very diverse on agronomic and economic traits; therefore, they cannot be rejected a priori as inferior materials without proper evaluation. LRs have to be evaluated for useful traits and utilized in breeding programmes to generate farmer-preferred materials for marginal environments and for their conservation on-farm.

Carnivore mammals in a fragmented landscape in northeast of Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Sao Paulo is the most developed state in Brazil and little of its native vegetation remains. In Luiz Antonio and Santa Rita do Passa Quatro municipalities, only small fragments of cerrado (Brazilian savanna) physiognomies (cerrado, cerrado sensu stricto) and of semideciduous forest have been left, surrounded by eucalyptus silviculture and sugar-cane agriculture. However, that vegetation mosaic still shelters large mammals, including several carnivore species. To detect the carnivores present in such a mosaic area (50,000 ha), and to find out how they use the landscape, we recorded them through 21 camera traps and 21 track plots, during 18 months. Species richness, diversity and relative frequency were evaluated according to the habitat. Ten species were recorded, some of them locally threatened to extinction (Puma concolor, Leopardus pardalis, Chrysocyon brachyurus). Species diversity did not significantly differ among fragments, and although most species preferred one or another habitat, the carnivore community as a whole explored all the study area regardless of the vegetation cover;eucalyptus plantations were as used by the carnivores as the native fragments. Therefore, it seems possible to maintain such animals in agricultural landscapes, where some large native fragments are left and the matrix is permeable to native fauna.

Seletividade Fisiológica de Endossulfam e Deltametrina às Operárias de A. chartifex spiriti For. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em Agroecossistema Cacaueiro do Sudeste da Bahia

Avaliou-se o efeito dos inseticidas endossulfam e deltametrina sobre a formiga predadora Azteca chartifex spiriti For., em cultivo do cacaueiro no Sudeste da Bahia, conforme padronização da International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control (IOBC), West Palaearctic Regional Section (WPRS), com algumas modificações. Os testes foram: a) contato; b) pulverização direta; c) persistência. Nos testes de contato, operárias foram expostas a um filme fresco e seco dos inseticidas, aplicado sobre cristalizadores. Nos testes de aspersão, as formigas foram diretamente pulverizadas com os agroquímicos às concentrações recomendadas para o controle de tripes e percevejos. Os insetos foram mantidos a 25±2°C, 65±10% UR e fotofase de 12h. A sobrevivência foi avaliada após 24h e a intervalos variáveis de tempo. Nos testes de persistência, as operárias foram confinadas em cristalizadores e expostas ao contato com folhas de cacaueiro tratadas previamente no campo, sob as mesmas condições controladas. Desenvolveram-se experimentos a um, três, seis, 10, 18 e 32 dias após a aplicação (DAA). Deltametrina foi considerado seletivo nos testes de contato e pulverização direta, não sendo necessária a condução dos testes de persistência em folhas para este inseticida. Endossulfam foi altamente tóxico nos testes de contato e pulverização direta, entretanto, apresentou-se levemente persistente no terceiro teste. A análise conjunta dos três tipos de testes sugere que ambos os inseticidas são seletivos para a espécie benéfica, podendo ser recomendadosem Programas de MIP em agroecossistema cacaueiro. A metodologia proposta pela IOBC/WPRS possibilita estabilidade dos resultados, permitindo sua adaptação e utilização para o fim proposto.