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.
In this work, corrosion parameters were evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization curves. In order to determine corrosion parameters of potential and current density of the interesting metal, carbon steel, environmental conditions of external corrosion of buried carbon steel pipeline in Iraqi soil were prepared in the laboratory using simulated prepared conditions. Solutions of sodium chloride at different concentrations (300, 1100, 1900, 2700, and 3500 ppm) were used. pH of solution were acidic at pH =5, and alkaline at pH = 9. Laboratory conditions were similar to those of Iraqi soil where the pipelines were buried. Temperature was constant at 20 °C. Potentiodynamic polarization curves, of potential vs. log current density, were ob
... Show MoreGypseous soil covers approximately 30% of Iraqi lands and is widely used in geotechnical and construction engineering as it is. The demand for residential complexes has increased, so one of the significant challenges in studying gypsum soil due to its unique behavior is understanding its interaction with foundations, such as strip and square footing. This is because there is a lack of experiments that provide total displacement diagrams or failure envelopes, which are well-considered for non-problematic soil. The aim is to address a comprehensive understanding of the micromechanical properties of dry, saturated, and treated gypseous sandy soils and to analyze the interaction of strip base with this type of soil using particle image
... Show MoreThin films of the blended solution of (NiPc/C60) on glass substrates were prepared by spin-coated method for three different ratios (100/1, 100/10 and 100/100). The effects of annealing temperature and C60 concentration on the optical properties of the samples were studied using the UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and FTIR spectra. The optical absorption spectrum consists of two main bands, Q and B band, with maxima at about (602-632) nm and (700-730) nm for Q1 and Q2 respectively, and (340-375) nm for B band. The optical energy gap were determined from optical absorption spectra, The variation of optical energy gap with annealing temperature was nonsystematic and this may be due to the improvement in crystal structure for thin films. Whi
... Show MoreThis research was carried out at University of Baghdad - College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences during the fall season of 2020 and spring season of 2021 in order to evaluate the effect of organic fertilizer and the foliar application of boron on the growth and yield of industrial potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). Using factorial experiment (5*4) within Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates, the organic fertilizer (palm fronds peat) was applied at four levels (0, 12, 24, and 36 ton ha-1) in addition to the treatment of the recommended of chemical fertilizer. The foliar application of Boron was applied at four concentrations which were 0, 100, 150 and 200 mg (H3Bo3). L-1. The results Revealed a significant incr
... Show MoreThe experiment was carried out in College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad during November 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020. The experiment was designed according to a randomized complete block design. Each block contained 18 experimental units that included the three study factors. The first factor interaction between two inoculum densities and application methods, three levels control, treatment of seeds inoculation with 5g plant and treatment of seedlings inoculation whith 30g plant . The second factor was three -1 -1concentrations of spraying of kinetin 0, 75 and 150 mg L , and third factor include two levels of organic manure) and addition of fertilizer 2% of -1 the weight of the soil (O2). The results showed a signif
... Show MoreRecently, research has focused on non-thermal plasma (NTP) technologies as a way to remove volatile organic compounds from the air stream, due to its distinctive qualities, which include a quick reaction at room temperature. In this work, the properties of the plasma generated by the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system and by a glass insulator were studied. Plasma was generated at different voltages (3, 4, 6, 7, 8 kV ) with a fixed distance between the electrodes of 5 mm, and a constant argon gas flow rate of (2.5) I/min. DBD plasma emission spectra were recorded for each voltage. The Boltzmann plot method was used to calculate the electron temperature in the plasma ( ), and the Stark expansion method was used to calculate the elec
... Show MoreAir pollution is one of the complex problems plaguing the environment at the present time
as a result of many liberation of gases, vapors and fumes of fuels and chemicals resulting
from industrial activities . It should be noted that there are some elements of the heavy (Heavy
Metals), including toxic in the air, with different concentrations in the air depending on the
nature of the area, for example be in rural areas is lower than in cities or industrial areas as
measured parts million (ppm ) or parts per billion (ppb). Some of these important elements in
the physiological processes and enzymatic organisms but become toxic and Qatlhand-increase
Tercisahaan the permissible limits Bhave nature ,The air contaminant co