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.
The toxic lead additives to gasoline are no longer used in many countries around the world. Many other countries are now phasing out the lead in gasoline. Although the lead fuel is still in use in Iraq, several plans are considered to phase out the lead. The use of organic compounds to replace the lead additives in gasoline is considered now as an option in Iraqi refineries. The main objective of this project was preparation of premium gasoline, by blending of gasoline with Alternative additives (alcohol, aromatic) to enhancing octane number of Al-Doura gasoline pool. Improved gasoline was tested by ASTM standard method which includes octane number measuring by CFR engine analyzer. Gasoline pool RON (80) was used and selective components
... Show MoreFabrication of a photodetector consists of the conjugated polymer "MEH-PPV"- poly (2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenlenevinylene) and MEH-PPV:MWCNT nanocomposite thin film. The volume ratio investigated was 0.75:0.25. MEH-PPV was dissolved in chloroform solvent and doped with MWCNTs. The spin coating method was used to achieve a facile and low cost photodetector. The absorption spectrum decreases by adding the CNTs. The PL spectrum detected recombination curve results by doping the polymer with CNTs, and AFM measurement showed an increase of roughness average from (0.168 to 2.43nm) of "MEH-PPV" and "MEH-PPV:CNTs", respectively. The doping ratio 0.25, which has a higher photoresponsivity, was evaluated at 1.70 A/W and 2.14 A/W of th
... Show MorePhosphorus (P) is an element that is potatoes require in large amounts. Soil pH is a crucial factor impacting phosphorus availability in potato production. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of P application rates on the P efficiency for tuber yield, specific gravity, and P uptake. Additionally, the relationship between soil pH and total potato tuber yield was determined. Six rates of P fertilization (0–280 kg P ha−1) were applied at twelve different sites across Northern Maine. Yield parameters were not responsive to P application rates. However, regression analysis showed that soil pH was significantly correlated with total potato tuber yield(R2 = 0.38). Sites with soil pH values < 6 had total tuber yields,
... Show MoreA field study was conducted at the college of Agriculture, Baghdad University-Jadiriyah to investigate the effect of adding potassium fertilizer and organic nutrient (Reef Amirich) on the population density of two sucking pests of cucumber, cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci and onion thrips, Thrips tabaci during the spring season/2016. Results indicated that potassium sulphate (50, 100 and 150 kg/ha) and organic nutrient (0.8 and 1.6ml/l) reduced both the population density of B. tabaci and T. tabaci nymphs depending on the fertilizer level of the user, the treatment 150 kg/ha for the potassium fertilizer and 1.6 ml/L for organic nutrient was the highest among others when minimized density of nymphs by 1.62 nymphs of B. tabaci/disk leaf and 0
... Show MoreThe flexibility of interaction between the movement of macroeconomic variables that affect and are affected by the balance of payments, especially the movement of the current account, implies a perception of the maturity of economic development and what the theory assumes from the launch of a wide range of economic movement that varies in the degree of its influence according to the level of economic development and the vitality of the internal/external overlap relations through the assumed response to the movement of the macroeconomic variables. On this basis, it is possible to estimate the soundness and rationality of the economic decision taken that takes into account the required reciprocal repercussions between the current a
... Show MoreA freshwater bivalve plays a crucial function in aquatic habitats as the filtered water and burrowing mussels mix the sediment, thus increasing oxygen content and making the ecosystem healthier. The aim of the study is to see how chlorpyrifos affects biochemical markers in freshwater mussel Unio tigridis. About 180 individuals per taxon and water samples were collected from the Qandil water resource on the Greater Zab River, Erbil Province, Iraq. Once arrived at the lab, the individuals were kept in aquaria with river water and an air-conditioned room Temperature: 25±2 and Light: 12h/12h and acclimatized to laboratory conditions for seven days in aged tap water. The mussel's identification molecularly and the DNA sequence of t
... Show MoreThis study has contributed to identify convenience of the land Usifiya of Mahmudiya district baghdad province for the cultivation of sensitive and salt resisting crops and growing pasture .The nine pedons (tracks) of the study have spread over three transects to cover the whole area the north, middle and south .
Depending on Visual Space tupe (TM) for 2007 which is super classified, samples are distributed on all classes of land cover
It is detected the presence of nine series soils namely
MM5- MW96- DM 115 for 1st transect
MF12- DM46 - DM96 for 2nd transect
DM56- DF56 - MW5 for 3rd transect
Soils are classified to the level of sub great group according to (soil Survey Staff) to :
*Typic Torri Fluvents , Typic Haplos