WIRE Collection:

Factors influencing the effectiveness of an agro-environmental project in China

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Factors influencing the effectiveness of an agro-environmental project in China Authors: Subedi, Madhu; Hocking, Trevor J.; Fullen, Michael A.; McCrea, Alison R.; Milne, Eleanor Abstract: A case study identified the factors affecting farmers’ adoption of improved technologies extended by an agricultural development project in a rural village in Yunnan Province, China. Project effectiveness was influenced by: the success and appropriateness of recommended technologies and associated infrastructure development; the use of participatory approaches; material and advisory support to local stakeholders; clear explanations of project objectives to farmers; benefits for small landholders; land rights for farmers; farmers’ awareness and dissemination activities; and project duration. Farmers’ adoption of technologies should be a major criterion in evaluating project success.

A comparative study of analytical methodologies to determine the soil organic matter content of Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Title: A comparative study of analytical methodologies to determine the soil organic matter content of Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols Authors: Jankauskas, Benediktas; Slepetiene, Alvyra; Jankauskiene, Genovaite; Fullen, Michael A.; Booth, Colin A. Abstract: Large archive databases of soil organic matter (SOM) widely exist in Lithuania and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Despite the demise of the former Soviet Union over 16 years ago, and Lithuania's integration as a full European Union state, difficulties of SOM data acceptance remain where these results are presented for publication in international journals, due to methodological differences between laboratory protocols. Therefore, the scientific pilot project ‘Carbon sequestration in Lithuanian soils’, supported by the Leverhulme Trust (U.K.), included an objective to correlate soil carbon methodologies, using Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols. A comparison of SOM content data acquired using five different analytical methods is reported. The research programme included a specific objective to correlate analytical methods for SOM analyses. A total of 92 Eutric Albeluvisol samples were collected from topsoil (0–0.2 m: Ap, n=36; Ah, n=10) and subsoil (0.2–0.4 m: Bt, n=46) horizons of 46 long-term experimental field plots at the Kaltinenai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture. Each sample was then subsampled and analysed for SOM using dry combustion (by automatic elemental analyser), Walkley–Black (USDA), Tyurin photometrical, Tyurin titrimetrical and loss-on-ignition (LoI) methods (the later performed, in parallel, in both Lithuania and U.K. laboratories). Linear correlation and paired regression equations were calculated. Correlation coefficients between the sets of results varied between r=0.81–0.96 (from 0–0.2 m, n=46, P<0.001) and r=0.76–0.98 (from 0.2–0.4 m, n=46, P<0.001). Based on the strength and significance of these relationships, it is proposed that simple linear or more complex paired regression equations can be confidently employed to recalculate SOM data between various analytical methodologies. Future work will continue these investigations on other soil units and environments, hereby enhancing the database.

Using palm-mat geotextiles on an arable soil for water erosion control in the UK

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Using palm-mat geotextiles on an arable soil for water erosion control in the UK Authors: Bhattacharyya, Ranjan; Fullen, Michael A.; Booth, Colin A. Abstract: To date, most studies of the effectiveness of geotextiles on soil erosion rates and processes have been conducted in laboratory experiments for less than 1 h. Hence, at Hilton (52°33′ N, 2°19′ W), UK, the effectiveness of employing palm-mat geotextiles for soil erosion control under field conditions on arable loamy sands was investigated. Geotextile-mats constructed from Borassus aethiopum (Borassus palm ofWest Africa) and Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti palm of South America) leaves are termed Borassus mats and Buriti mats, respectively. Duplicate runoff plots (10 m ¥ 1 m on a 15° slope) had five treatments (bare, permanent grass, Borassus total plot cover, Borassus buffer strip and Buriti buffer strip). Borassus covered plots had about 72% ground cover and to differentiate between this treatment and Borassus buffer strips, the former treatment is termed Borassus completely-covered. Runoff and eroded soil were collected from each bounded plot in a concrete gutter, leading to a receptacle. Results from 08/01/2007 – 23/01/2009 (total precipitation = 1776·5 mm; n = 53 time intervals) show that using Borassus buffer strips (area coverage ~10%) on bare soil decreased runoff volume by about 71% (P > 0·05) and soil erosion by 92% (P < 0·001). Bare plots had nearly 29·1 L m-2 runoff and 2·36 kg m-2 soil erosion during that period. Borassus buffer strip, Buriti buffer strip and Borassus completely-covered plots had similar effects in decreasing runoff volume and soil erosion. Runoff volumes largely explain the variability in soil erosion rates. Although buffer strips of Borassus mats were as effective as whole plot cover of the same mats, the longevity of Borassus mats was nearly twice that of Buriti mats. Thus, use of Borassus mats as buffer strips on bare plots is highly effective for soil erosion control. The mechanisms explaining the effectiveness of buffer strips require further studies under varied pedo-climatic conditions.

Remediation of oil spills using zeolites

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Remediation of oil spills using zeolites Authors: Fullen, Michael A.; Kelay, Asha; Williams, Craig D. Abstract: Current research is testing the hypothesis that zeolites can efficiently and cost effectively adsorb oil spills. To date, this aspect of zeolites science has received little attention. A series of five Master of Science (M.Sc.) Projects at the University of Wolverhampton have shown that the zeolite clinoptilolite can effectively adsorb oil. Various sand-clinoptilolite mixes were tested in replicated laboratory analyses in terms of their ability to adsorb engine oil. Adsorption increased with clinoptilolite amount. The relationship between percentage clinoptilolite and oil adsorption was asymptotic. Thus, on a cost-effective basis, a 20% clinoptilolite: 80% sand mix seems the most costeffective mix. However, a particularly exciting finding was that it was possible to burn the oil-sand-zeolite mix and reuse the ignited mix for further oil adsorption. Experiments are ongoing, but to date the ignition and adsorption cycle has been repeated, on a replicated basis, seven times. Still, the ignited mix adsorbs significantly more oil than the sand control. Initial results suggest that the temperature of ignition is critical, as high temperatures can destroy the crystal and micro-pore structure of zeolites. Thus, low temperature ignition (~400oC) seems to allow the retention of structural integrity. Similar results were obtained using the zeolite chabazite and experiments are in progress on phillipsite, which is the third major zeolite mineral. If the hypotheses can be proven, there are potentially immense benefits. Sand-zeolite mixtures could be used to effectively adsorb terrestrial oil spills (i.e. at oil refinery plants, road accidents, beach spills from oil tankers and spills at petrol stations) and thus remediate oil-contaminated soils. The contaminated mix could be ignited and, given the appropriate infrastructure, the energy emission of combustion could be used as a source for electrical power. Then, the ignited mix could be reused in subsequent oil spills. This offers enormous potential for an environmentally-friendly sustainable ‘green’ technology. It would also represent intelligent use of zeolite resources. On a global scale, including Europe, clinoptilolite is the most common and inexpensive zeolite resource. Description: Abstract of paper presented at 6th International Congress of the European Society for Soil Conservation “Innovative Strategies and Policies for Soil Conservation,” in Thessaloniki,Greece 9-14 May 2011