High tunnels, or unheated plastic greenhouses, are becoming increasingly popular among organic vegetable growers across the United States. However, the intensive production typical of these systems presents soil health challenges, including salinization due to high fertilizer or compost inputs coupled with lack of rainfall to leach salts. Legume cover crops may improve soil health in high tunnels by reducing the need for external inputs, while adding organic matter. We tested the soil health effects of a winter hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crop used to replace fertilizer N in an organic tomato cropping system in high tunnels. Studies were replicated across three sites differing in climate and soil type (Kansas, Kentucky, and Minnesota) over three years. We measured vetch cover crop effects on a suite of soil health indicators, including potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), permanganate oxidizable carbon, and microbial biomass. Preliminary results suggest that vetch effects on PMN were highly variable. Soil mineral N, meanwhile, was often lower in the vetch treatment than in a fertilized control, both in spring and in fall. While further work on vetch effects on crop yields is needed, our results suggest that even legume cover crops such as vetch have the potential to reduce nitrate leaching.
Abstract:
The Iraqi economy faces complex economic challenges that threaten the prospects for growth and stability in the short and medium term, The decrease in oil revenues on which Iraq is based in financing its total expenditure, both operational and investment, led to the emergence of a deficit in the government budget, As the global oil price crisis affected the revenues of the Iraqi government negatively, especially as this negative impact coincided with the increase in military spending resulting from Iraq's war against terrorism, Which led to the Iraqi government to implement austerity measures were to reduce public spending on several projects, which are less important compared to projects that a
... Show MoreBoth methotrexate and vitamin D3 are used in combination for the treatment of various diseases. The aim of this study is to highlight the effect of vitamin D3 on methotrexate-induced jejunum damage using biochemical and histopathological studies. Seven groups of both sexes of rats were selected and treated as follows: (Group I and Group II) : control 1,control 2 (I.P normal saline) daily for 14 and 21 days respectively ; (Group III and Group IV) :vitamin D3 groups (500 IU/rat/day) orally for 14 and 21 days, respectively;(Group V): once daily dose of methotrexate 20mg/kg, I.P injected for 4 days;(Group VI):vitamin D3 (500 IU/rat/day) once daily for 14 days and methotrexate (20 mg/kg I.P) injected only at day 10;.(Group
... Show MoreThe effect of adding sand on clayey soil shear strength is investigated in this study. Five different percentage of clay-sand mixtures are used; 100% clay with 0% sand termed 100C, 60% clay with 40% sand termed 60C-40S, 30% clay with 70% sand termed 30C-70S, 15% clay with 85% sand termed 15C-85S, and as well as 100% sand termed 100S. The used clay was obtained from Baghdad city in Iraq and classified as CH soil, while the used sand was taken from Al-Khider area from Iraq and classified as SW soil. The initial dry unit weight for all mixtures is 16 kN/m3. The results show that the variations of the soil shear strength properties with soil components content changes
The bearing capacity of layered soil studies was carried out with various approaches such as experimental, theoretical, numerical, and combination of them. This work is focused on the settlement and bearing capacity of shallow foundations subjected to the vertical load placed on the surface of layered soils. The experimental part was performed by manufacturing soil cubic container (570 mm x 570 mm x 570 mm). A model square footing of width 60 mm was placed at the surface of the soil bed. The relative density of sand was constant at 60%, and the clay was prepared with a density of 19.2 (kN/m3) and water content of 14.6%. PLAXIS 3D FEM was used to simulate the experimental tests and performing a parametric study. The results showed
... Show MoreObjective(s): The present study aims at assessing the prevalence of smoking among health workers in Baghdad Teaching Hospital and to find out the effectiveness of instructional booklet concerning risk of smoking on health workers′ knowledge in hospital.
Methodology: A pre-experimental design study was conducted from 1st of October 2019 to 17th of March 2020. A non-probability sample consists of (500) participant (343 non-smokers and 157 smokers) from (1500) health workers in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, they included the physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, Laboratory Technicians, Medical Assistants. A questionnaire is constructed to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional booklet on health workers’ knowledge
Background: spontaneous abortion constitutes one of the most important adverse pregnancy outcomes affecting human reproduction, and its risk factors are not only affected by biological, demographic factors such as age, gravidity, and previous history of miscarriage,but also by individual women’s personal social characteristics, and by the larger social environment. Objective:To identifyEnvironmental effects on Women's with Spontaneous Abortion. Methodology:Non-probability(purposive sample)of(200) women, who were suffering from spontaneous abortion in maternity unitfrom four hospitals at Baghdad City which include Al-ElwiaMaternity Teaching Hospital, and Baghdad Teaching Hospital at Al-Russafa sector. Al–karckhMaternityHospita
... Show MoreOne of the most significant elements influencing weather, climate, and the environment is vegetation cover. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) over the years 2019–2022 were estimated based on four Landsat 8 TIRS’s images covering Duhok City. Using the radiative transfer model, the city's land surface temperature (LST) during the next four years was calculated. The aim of this study is to compute the temperature at the land's surface (LST) from the years 2019-2022 and understand the link, between LST, NDVI, and NDBI and the capability for mapping by LANDSAT-8 TIRS's. The findings revealed that the NDBI and the NDVI had the strongest correlation with the
... Show MoreBackground: Osteoporosis is one of the major public health problems from which more and more people in the world are suffering. There is evidence suggesting that osteoporosis knowledge is one contributor to osteoporosis preventive behavior. Aim of the Study: To assess the knowledge regarding osteoporosis risk factors, prevention, and management in women of reproductive ages. To identify any association between knowledge and studied factors.