Fertirrigation for vegetables grown in greenhouses

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Coffee growth, pest and yield responses to free-air CO2 enrichment

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação do desempenho ambiental e racionalização do consumo de água no segmento industrial de produção de bebidas

A região Amazônica, detentora de grande potencial hídrico, tem atraído indústrias que promovem uso intensivo de água, por isso, existe uma emergência por instrumentos que administrem essa tendência. Neste trabalho foi diagnosticado o nível de racionalização do uso da água pelo setor industrial de produção de bebidas no estado do Pará, assim como as causas do comportamento do setor. As variáveis dependentes (de comportamento) foram classificadas de acordo com quatro dimensões (gestão ambiental, manejo da água, manejo dos efluentes e medidas avançadas de racionalização) que compõe o nível de racionalização da gestão industrial hídrica. As variáveis independentes foram associadas ao: porte, ramo, tipo de embalagem utilizada, disponibilidade hídrica e valor econômico da água. Os dados levantados mostraram que a produção de bebidas tem uma grande pegada hídrica operacional total (acima de) 15.250 m³/dia, com as pequenas empresas apresentando o maior consumo relativo por unidade produzida (maior que 7 L de água/L de bebida). O setor como um todo apresenta baixo nível de racionalização do uso da água, a dimensão mais eficiente é a de gerenciamento da água; entretanto algumas medidas avançadas podem ser visualizadas, especialmente a recirculação da água em torres de resfriamento. A análise das variáveis de estudo demonstra que o nível de racionalização é dependente diretamente do ramo e do porte da empresa. Conclui-se que o consumo tende ao desperdício; em resposta a este quadro, devem ser priorizadas políticas públicas voltadas para internalização dos custos ambientais embutidos no processo.

48th Annual Nebraska Agri-Business Association Meeting

Thank you so very much for this opportunity to speak today at this 48th Annual Nebraska Agri-Business Association meeting. Dr. Kyle Hoagland, Water Center Director in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and I are particularly pleased to be asked to talk with you today about water, a key concern in our state and in our world. New water regulations affecting Nebraska's agricultural producers, numerous legislative discussions, and stories of neighbors contesting water use by neighbors have been in the news and on our minds. We all know that will continue.

Tiered Pricing and Cost Functions: Are Equity, Cost Recovery and Economic Efficiency Compatible Goals?

Suppliers of water and energy are frequently natural monopolies, with their pricing regulated by governmental agencies. Pricing schemes are evaluated by the efficiency of the resource allocation they lead to, the capacity of the utilities to capture their costs and the distributional effects of the policies, in particular, impacts on the poor. One pricing approach has been average cost pricing, which guarantees cost recovery and allows utilities to provide their product at relatively low prices. However, average cost pricing leads to economically inefficient consumption levels, when sources of water and energy are limited and increasing the supply is costly. An alternative approach is increasing block rates (hereafter, IBR or tiered pricing), where individuals pay a low rate for an initial consumption block and a higher rate as they increase use beyond that block. An example of IBR is shown in Figure 1 (on next page), which shows a rate structure for residential water use. With the rates in Figure 1, a household would be charged $0.46 and $0.71 per hundred gallons for consumption below and above 21,000 gallons per month, respectively.

Do changes in carbon allocation account for the growth response to potassium and sodium applications in tropical Eucalyptus plantations?

Understanding the underlying mechanisms that account for the impact of potassium (K) fertilization and its replacement by sodium (Na) on tree growth is key to improving the management of forest plantations that are expanding over weathered tropical soils with low amounts of exchangeable bases. A complete randomized block design was planted with Eucalyptus grandis (W. Hill ex Maiden) to quantify growth, carbon uptake and carbon partitioning using a carbon budget approach. A combination of approaches including the establishment of allometric relationships over the whole rotation and measurements of soil CO2 efflux and aboveground litterfall at the end of the rotation were used to estimate aboveground net production (ANPP), total belowground carbon flux and gross primary production (GPP). The stable carbon isotope (delta C-13) of stem wood alpha-cellulose produced every year was used as a proxy for stomatal limitation of photosynthesis. Potassium fertilization increased GPP and decreased the fraction of carbon allocated belowground. Aboveground net production was strongly enhanced, and because leaf lifespan increased, leaf biomass was enhanced without any change in leaf production, and wood production (P-W) was dramatically increased. Sodium application decreased the fraction of carbon allocated belowground in a similar way, and enhanced GPP, ANPP and P-W, but to a lesser extent compared with K fertilization. Neither K nor Na affected delta C-13 of stem wood alpha-cellulose, suggesting that water-use efficiency was the same among the treatments and that the inferred increase in leaf photosynthesis was not only related to a higher stomatal conductance. We concluded that the response to K fertilization and Na addition on P-W resulted from drastic changes in carbon allocation.

Groundwater resources in Brazil: a review of possible impacts caused by climate change

Groundwater has a strategic role in times of climate change mainly because aquifers can provide water for long periods, even during very long and severe drought. The reduction and/or changes on the precipitation pattern can diminish the recharge mainly in unconfined aquifer, causing available groundwater restriction. The expected impact of long-term climate changes on the Brazilian aquifers for 2050 will lead to a severe reduction in 70% of recharge in the Northeast region aquifers (comparing to 2010 values), varying from 30% to 70% in the North region. Data referring to the South and Southeast regions are more favorable, with an increase in the relative recharge values from 30% to 100%. Another expected impact is the increase in demand and the decrease in the surface water availability that will make the population turn to aquifers as its main source of water for public or private uses in many regions of the country. Thus, an integrated use of surface and groundwater must therefore be considered in the water use planning. The solution of water scarcity is based on three factors: society growth awareness, better knowledge on the characteristics of hydraulic and chemical aquifers and effective management actions.

Fluxes of CO2 above a sugarcane plantation in Brazil

Fluxes of CO2 were measured above a sugarcane plantation using the eddy-covariance method covering two growth cycles, representing the second and third re-growth (ratoons) harvested with stubble burning. The total net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in the first cycle (second ratoon, 393 days long) was −1964 ± 44 g C m−2; the gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) was 3612 ± 46 g C m−2 and the ecosystem respiration (RE) was 1648 ± 14 g C m−2. The NEE and GEP totals in the second cycle (third ratoon, 374 days long) decreased 51% and 25%, respectively and RE increased 7%. Accounting for the carbon emitted during biomass burning and the removal of stalks at harvest, net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) totals were 102 ± 130 g C m−2 and 403 ± 84 g C m−2 in each cycle respectively. Thus the sugarcane agrosystem was approximately carbon neutral in the second ratoon. Yield in stalks fresh weight (SFW) attained the regional average (8.3 kg SFW m−2). Although it was a carbon source to the atmosphere, observed productivity (6.2 kg SFW m−2) of the third ratoon was 19% lower than the regional average due to the lower water availability observed during the initial 120 days of re-growth. However, the overall water use efficiency (WUE) achieved in the first cycle (4.3 g C kg−1 H2O) decreased only 5% in the second cycle. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Reconstruction of the aquifer history of Gran Canaria

[EN]A study on the recent history and current state of the aquifer in the Island of Gran Canaria (Canary Is., 28oN, 15oW) is performed. Though rainfall is scarce on the island, traditional agricultural practices and small population were able to keep the aquifer in a constant state for centuries. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the 20th Century, culture of several water-consuming species was introduced on a commercial basis due to the relative proximity of the Canaries to continental Europe and to the possibility of more than one yearly harvest. This led to generalised well digging (more than 300m deep in many cases) and to the appearance of a chronic hydraulic deficit, as well as to spoiling vastcoastal areas of the aquifer through intrusion of brackish water. In the mid 1960’s, coincident with the apex of agricultural exploitation, massive tourism appeared in the scene. This new activity soon became a susbstitute for Agriculture, but it attracted more new labour force to the island, and a fast growth of population was the main result. Moreover, new water use practices entered the scene. As a consequence, the main causes for the aquifer decline are population growth and extensive Agriculture practices in use during the last half of the 20th Century. Some remarks on sustainability issues in order to cope with Climate Change are also offered.

¿Donde reutilizar y qué regar?: uso de un sig para el diseño de una red de reutilización en una isla volcánica

[ES] El conocimiento de criterios que ayuden a priorizar el uso del agua es fundamental para garantizar su uso sostenible. En las zonas semiáridas, el abandono de la actividad agrícola puede estar motivado por la escasez de agua y por problemas de mercado de las especies tradicionalmente cultivadas. Por otro lado, la actividad ganadera, suele estar limitada por la escasez de forrajes. La disponibilidad de agua regenerada a un precio razonable podría evitar su vertido y contrarrestar la degradación de suelos abandonados, potenciando la producción de especies forrajeras rentables, contribuyendo así a la ganadería sostenible. Para ello se requiere optimizar la distribución del agua considerando varios criterios simultáneamente

L'inerbimento nell'ecosistema vigneto: confronto di metodologie di misura del consumo idrico del prato e risposta allo sfalcio

Water resources management will become increasingly important in agriculture as global warming takes place. Cover crop is largely used in viticultural areas based on the many positive agronomic and environmental benefits it provides. However, it is not clear what effect the cover crop can have on water use in the vineyard. This study is designed to develop a further understanding of the role cover crops play in total water use in the vineyard and develop our understanding of the potential use of cover crops as a water management tool. Two techniques were used to measure cover crop water use, the mini-lysimeters and a portable open chamber and data from both was compared to reference evapotranspiration (ETo) (FAO guidelines). While the mini-lysimeters seemed to be limited in their ability to accurately represent the water use of the surrounding soil, the open chamber method is a reliable and suitable instrument to be used for the accurate measurement of evapotranspiration. Further, the relationship between vineyard grass water use and the contributing environmental factors thought to influence water use were analyzed. A strong relationship between total available radiation and cover crop evapotranspiration was found suggesting the possibility of an indirect method of evapotranspiration measurement in a vineyard grass cover crop. Mowing the cover crop was determined to significantly effect transpiration as shown by both the mini-lysimeter and open chamber, however, the reduction was largely dependent on the growth rate of the grass.

Investigating strategies and indicators for sustainable campus: Comparison and synergies between University of Bologna and Delft University of Technology

Sustainable development is one of the biggest challenges of the twenty fist-century. Various university has begun the debate about the content of this concept and the ways in which to integrate it into their policy, organization and activities. Universities have a special responsibility to take over a leading position by demonstrating best practices that sustain and educate a sustainable society. For that reason universities have the opportunity to create the culture of sustainability for today’s student, and to set their expectations for how the world should be. This thesis aim at analyzing how Delft University of Technology and University of Bologna face the challenge of becoming a sustainable campus. In this context, both universities have been studied and analyzed following the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) methodology that provides a common framework to formalize commitments and goals at campus level. In particular this work has been aimed to highlight which key performance indicators are essential to reach sustainability as a consequence the following aspects has been taken into consideration: energy use, water use, solid waste and recycling, carbon emission. Subsequently, in order to provide a better understanding of the current state of sustainability on University of Bologna and Delft University of Technology, and potential strategies to achieve the stated objective, a SWOT Analysis has been undertaken. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have been shown to understand how the two universities can implement a synergy to improve each other. In the direction of framing a “Sustainable SWOT” has been considered the model proposed by People and Planet, so it has been necessary to evaluate important matters as for instance policy, investment, management, education and engagement. Regarding this, it has been fundamental to involve the main sustainability coordinators of the two universities, this has been achieved through a brainstorming session. Partnerships are key to the achievement of sustainability. The creation of a bridge between two universities aims to join forces and to create a new generation of talent. As a result, people can become able to support universities in the exchange of information, ideas, and best practices for achieving sustainable campus operations and integrating sustainability in research and teaching. For this purpose the project "SUCCESS" has been presented, the project aims to create an interactive European campus network that can be considered a strategic key player for sustainable campus innovation in Europe. Specifically, the main key performance indicators have been analyzed and the importance they have for the two universities and their strategic impact have been highlighted. For this reason, a survey was conducted with people who play crucial roles for sustainability within the two universities and they were asked to evaluate the KPIs of the project. This assessment has been relevant because has represented the foundation to develop a strategy to create a true collaboration.

The Savannah hypotheses: origin, reception and impact on paleoanthropology

The reconstruction of the human past is a complex task characterized by a high level of interdisciplinarity. How do scientists from different fields reach consensus on crucial aspects of paleoanthropological research? The present paper explores this question through an historical analysis of the origin, development, and reception of the savannah hypotheses (SHs). We show that this model neglected to investigate crucial biological aspects which appeared to be irrelevant in scenarios depicting early hominins evolving in arid or semi-arid open plains. For instance, the exploitation of aquatic food resources and other aspects of hominin interaction with water were largely ignored in classical paleoanthropology. These topics became central to alternative ideas on human evolution known as aquatic hypotheses. Since the aquatic model is commonly regarded as highly controversial, its rejection led to a stigmatization of the whole spectrum of topics around water use in non-human hominoids and hominins. We argue that this bias represents a serious hindrance to a comprehensive reconstruction of the human past. Progress in this field depends on clear differentiation between hypotheses proposed to contextualize early hominin evolution in specific environmental settings and research topics which demand the investigation of all relevant facets of early hominins' interaction with complex landscapes.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS (LCAs) OF PYROLYSIS-BASED GASOLINE AND DIESEL FROM DIFFERENT REGIONAL FEEDSTOCKS: CORN STOVER, SWITCHGRASS, SUGAR CANE BAGASSE, WASTE WOOD, GUINEA GRASS, ALGAE, AND ALBIZIA

Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels are being investigated as possible alternatives to conventional liquid transportation fossil fuels like gasoline, kerosene (aviation fuel), and diesel. A diverse range of biomass feedstocks such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, switchgrass, waste wood, and algae, are being evaluated as candidates for pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading to produce drop-in hydrocarbon fuels. This research has developed preliminary life cycle assessments (LCA) for each feedstock-specific pathway and compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the hydrocarbon biofuels to current fossil fuels. As a comprehensive study, this analysis attempts to account for all of the GHG emissions associated with each feedstock pathway through the entire life cycle. Emissions from all stages including feedstock production, land use change, pyrolysis, stabilizing the pyrolysis oil for transport and storage, and upgrading the stabilized pyrolysis oil to a hydrocarbon fuel are included. In addition to GHG emissions, the energy requirements and water use have been evaluated over the entire life cycle. The goal of this research is to help understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of the feedstocks and the resultant hydrocarbon biofuels based on three environmental indicators; GHG emissions, energy demand, and water utilization. Results indicate that liquid hydrocarbon biofuels produced through this pyrolysis-based pathway can achieve greenhouse gas emission savings of greater than 50% compared to petroleum fuels, thus potentially qualifying these biofuels under the US EPA RFS2 program. GHG emissions from biofuels ranged from 10.7-74.3 g/MJ from biofuels derived from sugarcane bagasse and wild algae at the extremes of this range, respectively. The cumulative energy demand (CED) shows that energy in every biofuel process is primarily from renewable biomass and the remaining energy demand is mostly from fossil fuels. The CED for biofuel range from 1.25-3.25 MJ/MJ from biofuels derived from sugarcane bagasse to wild algae respectively, while the other feedstock-derived biofuels are around 2 MJ/MJ. Water utilization is primarily from cooling water use during the pyrolysis stage if irrigation is not used during the feedstock production stage. Water use ranges from 1.7 - 17.2 gallons of water per kg of biofuel from sugarcane bagasse to open pond algae, respectively.

Supporting, Regulating, and Provisioning Hydrological Services

The natural regulation of the water cycle by tropical montane forests is an important ecosystem service. Within this chapter we focus on water balance and regulation of the water cycle. Differences of rainfall-runoff generation across scales change from a near-surface event water driven system in pristine rainforest-covered micro-catchments to a more groundwater pre-event water dominated one on the mesoscale. The highly dynamic discharges are often correlated with total suspended sediment loads. However, we also observed total suspended sediment peaks at times of low flow, indicating a decoupling of erosion and stream transport and a triggering of landslides not directly related to hydrological processes. We also summarize likely future trends of water-related ecosystem services and expect an increase in human use and benefits of fresh water use whereas changes in water regulation and water purification services remain unchanged on a high level.