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.
This paper describes the geotechnical properties of Al-Ammarah soil of Ammarah city in Messan Governorate-southern parts of Iraq. Data and other information taken from numbers of geotechnical reports that performed under the supervision of Consulting Engineering Bureau of Baghdad University. This research is devoted to study the correlation between different physical properties such as (LL, PI, LI, n,t, e) with different mechanical properties such as (qu, cc, cs, SPT). The correlation is verified using simple regression analysis. From the regression results it was found that there is direct correlation between different parameters. By using the correlation-with some information- preliminary investigation stages and studies of any s
... Show MoreThis paper describes the geotechnical properties of Al-Ammarah soil of Ammarah city in Messan Governorate-southern parts of Iraq. Data and other information taken from numbers of geotechnical reports that performed under the supervision of Consulting Engineering Bureau of Baghdad University. This research is devoted to study the correlation between different physical properties such as (LL, PI, LI, n,t, e) with different mechanical properties such as (qu, cc, cs, SPT). The correlation is verified using simple regression analysis. From the regression results it was found that there is direct correlation between different parameters. By using the correlation-with some information- preliminary investigation stages and studies of any s
... Show MoreThis article presents test results documentation for four grouted ground anchors embedded in sandy soil. Three anchors were trial, while one was a working anchor. One trial anchor is instrumented with eight resistance-type strain gauges glued on the corrugated pipe and embedded within the grouted body. An acceptance test was made for all anchors to determine the working load. Acceptance criteria suggested by the Post-Tensioning Institute were applied, and the working anchor did not pass the creep criterion, so it was taken out of service. The strain measurements indicated that the compression stresses were generated along the free length, while the tension stresses were generated alon
A study of taxonomic quality of soil algae was conducted with some environmental variables in three sites of local gardens (Kadhimiya, Adhamiya and Dora) within the governorate of Baghdad for the period from October 2016 to March 2017. The study identified 28 species belonging to 16 species in which the predominance of blue green algae (18 species) Followed by Bacillarophyta algae (7 species) and three types of Chlorophyta. The study showed an increase in species of Oscillatoria. The results showed no significant differences between sites in temperature, pH and relative humidity, while there were clear differences between sites for salinity and nutrient The study showed a difference of irrigation water quality and use of different fertilize
... Show MoreUnder-reamed piles defined by having one or more bulbs have the potential for sizeable major sides over conventional straight-sided piles, most of the studies on under-reamed piles have been conducted on the experimental side, while theoretical studies, such as the finite element method, have been mainly confined to conventional straight-sided piles. On the other hand, although several laboratory and experimental studies have been conducted to study the behavior of under-reamed piles, few numerical studies have been carried out to simulate the piles' performance. In addition, there is no research to compare and evaluate the behavior of these piles under dynamic loading. Therefore, this study aimed to numerically investigate bearing capaci
... Show MoreIn this study, the CR-39 detector technique was used, to estimate the uranium concentration from the soil in midland refineries Company (Doura refine (, Baghdad, Iraq. Uranium concentrations in soil samples have been measured using solid state nuclear track detector type CR-39. Nine soil samples were collected from different areas within the Doura refinery and other soil samples were collected form Abu Tayara Street and ALshortaa District outside the refinery for comparison. The results showed variable values for uranium concentrations. The average value of uranium concentration was found to be 0.37 ppm in doura refinery. For areas outside the refinery, the concentration of uranium was 0.008 ppm. Thes
... Show MoreThe aim of this paper is to estimate the concentrations of some heavy metals in Mohammed AL-Qassim Highway in Baghdad city for different distances by using the polynomial interpolation method for functions passing from the data, which is proposed by using the MATLAB software. The sample soil in this paper was taken from the surface layer (0-25 cm depth) at the two sides of the road with four distances (1.5, 10, 25 and 60 m) in each side of the road. Using this method, we can find the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil at any depth and time without using the laboratory, so this method reduces the time, effort and costs of conducting laboratory analyzes.
Under-reamed piles are piles with enlarged bases, which may be single bulb or multi bulbs. Such piles are suitable for resisting considerable soil movement of filed up ground, soft clay, and loose sand and have the advantages of increasing the soil strength and decreasing the displacement. In the present study, the finite element method was used to analyse the performance of a single pile with under-reamed bulbs of different shapes, that is, single cone, double cone, and half and full sphere, embedded in homogeneous, poorly graded sandy soil. The model of under-reamed pile was made of reinforced concrete and the bulb located at the middle of the embedded length of the pile. The dynami
This paper presents an experimental study between uniform pile and different types of under-reamed pile, single bulb. The under-reamed piles are piles with enlarged bases that are suitable to resist considerable movement of the ground, filed up ground, soft clay, and loose sand which have advantages to increase the soil strength, uplift capacity, and decrease the displacement. In the present study, there are experimental analyze to performance the suitable under-reamed type under sinusoidal load from vertical vibration (motor-oscillator was mounted directly on the pile cap. The main finding of this work is that the pile capacity increases with the ream and that all stress values of so