Das Projekt "D 6.1: Improving fruit set and quality standards of mango in the mountainous area of Vietnam" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften, Fachgebiet Ertragsphysiologie der Sonderkulturen (340f) durchgeführt. A major problem in mango production in Northern Vietnam is a premature fruit drop. However, the underlying plant processes in response to environmental and/or crop management factors are not understood. There is a general belief that this phenomenon is caused by different combinations of stressing factors which may vary between different regions and sites. In the mountainous area of northern Vietnam (Son La Province), fruit drop in mango may be caused by relatively hot, dry prevailing winds which typically occur in February/March. Consequently, it has to be determined which plant process responds sensitively to specific environmental conditions and subsequently causes, through its alteration, premature fruit drop. The identification of the physiological basis of premature fruit drop not only is of scientific interest but also of commercial significance, allowing the development of effective, fruit drop reducing crop management strategies and thus ensuring a economically sustainable cultivation of mango in this region. The research project has two main parts; environmental crop physiology and fruit quality. The environmental crop physiology part investigates whether premature fruit drop is caused by high temperature/vapour pressure deficit (VPD) conditions and related to: 1. temperature dependence of pollen tube growth and flower quality; 2. altered carbon fixation and carbon partitioning between sources (leaves) and sinks (fruit), thus possible limitations of carbon supply to developing mango fruit; 3. altered basipetal auxin export from fruit and fruit ethylene concentration. The fruit quality part will primarily carry out sensory fruit analyses and establish harvest quality criteria with the aim to improve the economic returns and thereby the economic situation of the fruit growers in the long-term.
Das Projekt "E 1.2: Multi-layer drying models for optimising high value crop drying in small scale food industries" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Agrartechnik, Fachgebiet Agrartechnik in den Tropen und Subtropen durchgeführt. Fruit tree cultivation is a suitable option for erosion control in mountainous regions of Southeast Asia. However, seasonal overproduction and insufficient access to markets can cause economic losses. The possibility of processing fruits locally could contribute considerably to increase and stabilize farm income. Currently, fruit drying methods in these areas are yielding products of inferior quality. Pre-treatments such as sulphurizing are commonly used, but can make the product undesirable for international markets. In addition, high energy requirements increase production costs significantly. Therefore, the objective of subproject E1.2 is to optimize the drying process of small-scale fruit processing industries in terms of dryer capacity, energy consumption and efficiency and end product quality. During SFB-phase II in E1.1, drying fundamentals for the key fruits mango, litchi and longan were established. In laboratory experiments, impacts of drying parameters on quality were investigated and numerical single-layer models for simulation of drying kinetics have been designed. In SFB-phase III this knowledge will be expanded with the aim of optimizing practical drying processes. Therefore, the single-layer models will be extended to multi-layer models for simulating bulk-drying conditions. The Finite Element Method (FEM) will be adapted to calculate heat and mass transfer processes. Thermodynamic behavior of batch and tray dryers will be simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. Drying facilities will be optimized by systematic parameter variation. For reduction of energy costs, the potential of solar energy and biomass will be investigated in particular. Further research approaches are resulting from cooperation with other subprojects. A mechanic-enzymatic peeling method will be jointly used with E2.3 for studying the drying behavior of peeled litchi and longan fruits. Furthermore, a fruit maturity sensor based on Acoustic Resonance Spectroscopy (ARS) will be developed in cooperation with E2.3 and B3.2. Finally, an internet platform will be built for exchange of farmer-processor information about harvest time and quantities to increase utilization of the processing facilities.
Das Projekt "Impacts of Solar Home System Usage in Rural Burkina Faso" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung e.V. RWI, Kompetenzbereich Umwelt und Ressourcen durchgeführt. In remote areas with low electrification rates, Solar Home Systems (SHS) can be seen as a promising alternative to the investment-intensive extension of the electricity grid. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides funding to a project in Burkina Faso that offers SHS to rural households using a market-based approach. The SHS that are distributed can provide electric lighting and - depending on the chosen capacity of the system - allow for the usage of small electric appliances up to colored television. As part of the series of impact evaluations of development activities supported by the Netherlands on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RWI and ISS assess the socio-economic impact of the usage of SHS such as improved living conditions, time savings, increased security, better health conditions, and educational attainment trough extended study hours. The idea is to conduct a difference-in-difference approach based on household surveys before and after the intervention, in combination with propensity score matching (PSM) to better match control and treatment households on pre-program characteristics (e.g. education, socio-economic status, income, asset-ownership, characteristics of the villages they live in). Following the roll-out plan of Yeelen Ba's activities, a baseline survey was conducted in November 2010 based on a random sample of villages that are in the program's catchment area. In total, 1,200 households in 40 villages (30 households per village) were interviewed. A particular focus was on the use of appliances and energy expenditures, as well as convenience and comfort aspects before and after the SHS was installed. For the difference-in-difference approach the sample will be divided into a treatment group consisting of households who will have obtained an SHS in the meantime and a control group consisting of untreated households. The follow-up survey will be conducted two years after the baseline survey in November 2012. All households will be revisited and differences in the changes in the outcome variables between the treatment group and the control group will be assessed, providing insights about how ownership of an SHS changes the socio-economic living conditions of the households.
Das Projekt "B 3.1: Efficient water use of mixed cropping systems in watersheds of Northern Thailand highlands" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften (340), Fachgebiet Düngung und Bodenstoffhaushalt (340i) durchgeführt. Worldwide an important part of agricultural added value is produced under irrigation. By irrigation unproductive areas can be cultivated, additional harvests can be obtained or different crops can be planted. Since its introduction into Northern Thailand lychee has developed as one of the dominating cash crops. Lychee is produced in the hillside areas and has to be irrigated during the dry season, which is the main yield-forming period. Water therefore is mainly taken from sources or streams in the mountain forests. As nowadays all the available resources are being used do to increased production, a further increase in production can only be achieved by increasing the water use efficiency. In recent years, partial root-zone drying has become a well-established irrigation technique in wine growing areas. In a ten to fifteen days rhythm one part of the root system is irrigated while the other dries out and produces abscisic acid (ABA) a drought stress hormone. While the vegetative growth and thus labor for pruning is reduced, the generative growth remains widely unaffected. Thereby water-use efficiency can be increased by more than 40Prozent. In this sub-project the PRD-technique as well as other deficit irrigation strategies shall be applied in lychee and mango orchards and its effects on plant growth and yield shall be analyzed. Especially effects of this water-saving technology on the nutrient balance shall be considered, in order to develop an optimized fertigation strategy with respect to yield and fruit quality. As shown in preliminary studies, the nutrient supply is low in soils and fruit trees in Northern Thailand (e.g. phosphate) and even deficient for both micronutrients boron (B) and zinc (Zn). Additionally, non-adapted supply of nitrogen (mineralization, fertilization) can induce uneven flowering and fruit set. Therefore, improvement is necessary. For a better understanding of possible influence of low B and Zn supply on flowering and fruit set, mobility and retranslocation of both micronutrients shall be investigated for mango and lychee. Finally, the intended system of partial root-zone fertigation (PRF) shall guarantee an even flowering and a better yield formation under improved use of the limited resource water. As this modern technique, which requires a higher level of irrigation-technology, cannot be immediately spread among the farmers in the region, in a parallel approach potential users shall be integrated in a participative process for adaptation and development. Water transport and irrigation shall be considered, as both factors offer a tremendous potential for water saving. Local knowledge shall be integrated in the participatory process (supported by subproject A1.2, Participatory Research) in order to finally offer adapted technologies for application within PRF systems for the different conditions of farmers in the hillsides of Northern Thailand.
Das Projekt "Standardization of Ice Forces on Offshore Structures Design (STANDICE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Dr. J. Schwarz durchgeführt. Objective: During the past six years two RTD-projects have been performed by a consortium of seven European partners to investigate ice forces on marine structures. The aim of this work has been to establish new methods for ice load predictions. The work has been supported by the EC under the projects LOLEIF and STRICE. The data compiled by these projects are of great importance for the future development of offshore wind energy converters, OWECS, in the ice-covered seas of Europe. Because the ice forces on marine structures are internationally heavily disputed the present design codes for OWECS as well as for all marine structures in ice-infested waters are not been considered reliable. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to contribute to the development of an international standard for the design of marine structures such as OWECS against ice loads with special emphasis on European sub-arctic ice conditions.
Das Projekt "B 2: Lateral water flow and transport of agrochemicals - Phase 1" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Bodenkunde und Standortslehre durchgeführt. The project aims at developing a model of the dynamics of agrochemicals (fertilisers, pesticides) and selected heavy metals on a regional scale as a function of cropping intensity in the highland areas of Northern Thailand. The model shall predict the effects of cropping intensity on mobility and leaching of agrochemicals in the agriculturally used system itself but also on the chemical status of neighbouring ecosystems including downstream areas. The methods for measuring and estimating the fluxes of agrochemicals in soils will be adapted to the conditions of the soils and sites in Northern Thailand. Fluxes of agrochemicals will be measured in fruit tree orchards on the experimental sites established together with projects B1, C1 and D1. Also, processes governing the dynamics of agrochemicals will be studied. The objectives for the first phase are as follows: - To identify suitable study sites - To establish the methods for measuring the fluxes of agrochemicals in the study sites - To adopt the analytical procedures for pesticides - To identify and parametrise the processes governing the mobility of agrochemicals - To identify the major chemical transformation processes for agrochemicals in the soils of the project area - To establish models of the fate of agrochemicals an the plot scale. Dynamics of agrochemicals include processes of mobilisation/immobilisation, degradation and transport. Both, experiments and field inventories are needed to elucidate the complex interaction of the various processes. Field measurements of the fluxes of nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu), pesticides and some heavy metals will be conducted at different regional scales (plot, agricultural system, small catchment, region). Laboratory and field experiments consider chemical, physicochemical and biological processes. Biological processes and degradation of pesticides will not be considered in the first phase of the project, however, they should be included later on. The project as a whole is broken down into three essential parts, which consecutively follow each other. The subproject is methods- and processes-orientated. Methods, which were developed in Hohenheim to quantify the fluxes of chemicals in soils have to be adapted to meet the requirements of the specific conditions in the study area. Recently, these methods are already under development in tropical environments (Vietnam, Costa Rica). After adaptation the methods will be used to yield flux data on the plot scale. These data are needed to help deciding which of the hypothesised processes are of major importance for modelling the dynamics of agrochemicals. The final outcome of this project phase are models of the fate of agrochemicals as a function of management intensity on the plot scale.
Das Projekt "Forest management and habitat structure - influences on the network of song birds, vectors and blood parasites" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Freiburg, Forstzoologisches Institut, Professur für Wildtierökologie und Wildtiermanagement durchgeführt. Forest structure is altered by humans for long times (Bramanti et al. 2009). The long lasting modification of forests pursuant to human demands modified the living conditions for birds as well as for many other animals. This included changes in resource availability (e.g., food, foraging, nesting sites) and changes of interspecific interactions, e.g., parasitism and predation (Knoke et al. 2009; Ellis et al. 2012). Also species compositions and the survivability of populations and even species are affected. The loss of foraging sites and suitable places for reproduction, the limitation of mobility due to fragmented habitats and the disturbances by humans itself may lead to more stressed individuals and less optimal living conditions. In certain cases species are not able to deal with the modified requirements and their populations will shrink and even vanish. Depending on the intensity of management and the remaining forest structure, biodiversity is more or less endangered. Especially in systems of two or more strongly connected taxa changing conditions that affect at least one part may subsequently affect the other, too. One system of interspecific communities that recently attracted the attention of biologists includes birds, blood parasites (haemosporidians) and their transmitting vectors. For instance, avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) represents the reason for extreme declines in the avifauna of Hawaii since the introduction of respective vectors (e.g. Culicidae) during the 20th century (van Riper et al. 1986, Woodworth et al. 2005). With the current knowledge of this topic we are not able to predict if such incidences could also occur in Germany. All in all, different management strategies and intensity of forest management may influence the network of birds, vectors and blood parasites and change biodiversity. To elucidate this ecological complex, and to understand the interactions of the triad of songbirds as vertebrate hosts, dipteran vectors and haemosporidians within changing local conditions, I intend to collect data on the three taxa in differently managed forest areas, the given forest structure and the climatic conditions. I will try to explain the role of abiotic factors on infection dynamics, in detail the role of forest management intensity. Data acquisition takes place at three spatially divided locations: inside the Biodiversity Exploratory Schwäbische Alb, at the Mooswald in Freiburg, and inside the Schwarzwald.
Das Projekt "Non-exchangeable NH4-N in the subsoil:Significance for the N nutrition of plants (NitroNex)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Bonn, Institut für Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz - Pflanzenernährung (Prof. Werner) durchgeführt. The project is dealing with the contribution of non-exchangeable NH4-N in the subsoil for the N nutrition of plants. It is divided into two main parts: In part 1 the content of nonexchangeable NH4-N in the subsoil of the Central field experiment (CeFiT) under different crops and influencing factors will be investigated. Special consideration will be given to the drilosphere, where easily mineralizable organic material is translocated into deeper soil layers and NH4+-ions, formed after mineralization may be specifically bound in interlayers of 2:1 clay minerals in the vicinity of biopores. Furthermore attention will be given to the reduction of NO3-, translocated into the subsoil, to NH4+ as a source for NH4+-fixation. In part 2 the amounts of non-exchangeable NH4-N released from subsoils throughout the growing season will be quantified. Special attention will be given to the influence of the root system on the mobilization of NH4+-ions from the interlayers of clay minerals. Partially interlayers of clay minerals will be labelled with 15NH4+. Under field conditions, in the Central microcosm experiment (CeMiX) as well as in model experiments with special containers, that allow to take soil samples from defined distances from the root system, depletion curves of nonexchangeable NH4-N will be created.
Das Projekt "D 7: Research for improved fish nutrition and fish health in upland aquaculture systems in Yen Chau, Son La Province, Northern Vietnam" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Tierproduktion in den Tropen und Subtropen (480), Fachgebiet Aquakultur-Systeme und Tierernährung in den Tropen und Subtropen (490i) durchgeführt. Background: Aquaculture significantly contributes to protein supply and cash income of Black Thai farmers in Yen Chau, Son La province, Northern Vietnam. Fish is produced for cash income (2/3rd) and subsistence (1/3rd) while self recruiting species (small fish, crustaceans and molluscs) provide additional protein for home consumption. The current aquaculture system is a polyculture of the macroherbivorous grass carp as main species together with 3-5 other non-herbivorous fish species like Common Carp, Silver Carp, Bighead Carp, Mud Carp, Silver Barb and Nile Tilapia. With a rearing period of 21 months, the productivity of the aquaculture system amounts to 1.54 +- 0.33 t ha-1 a-1 and can be characterized as low. Nearly each household has at least one pond, which serves multiple purposes and is operated as a flow-through-system. The steady water flow is advantageous for the culture of grass carp, but causes a continuous loss of nutrients and high turbidity and thereby limits the development of phytoplankton and zooplankton which are natural food for non-herbivorous species. The farmers are using mainly green leaves (banana, bamboo, cassava, maize and grass) and crop residues (rice bran, rice husk, cassava root peel, distillery residue) as feed input, which is available to Grass Carp while non-herbivorous fish species are not fed specifically. Manure is used as fertilizer. The uneaten parts of fed plants are sometimes accumulating in the pond over several years, resulting in heavy loads of organic matter causing oxygen depletion. Anaerobic sediment and water layers limit the development of zoobenthos and may provide a habitat for anaerobe disease agents. Since 2003 an unknown disease condition has been threatening Grass Carp production and is having a major economic impact on the earnings from fish farming in Yen Chau region. Other fish in the same ponds are not affected. Especially in March-April and in September-October the disease is causing high morbidity and mortalities of Grass Carp in affected ponds and is thereby decreasing the dietary protein supply and income generation of Black Thai farmers. Little is known about the definition or aetiology of the disease condition.
Das Projekt "Calcium cycle for efficient and low cost CO2 capture in fluidized bed systems (C3-CAPTURE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Stuttgart, Fakultät für Energietechnik, Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Dampfkesselwesen durchgeführt. Objectives: The project aims on developing a dry CO2 capture system for atmospheric and pressurized fluidized bed boilers. The atmospheric option will be developed towards a pilot plant application. For the pressurized option the project seeks for a proof of principle to determine if the advantages of a pressurized capture system can balance the problems known from existing PFBC systems. The quantifiable objectives are: - Low CO2 capture costs (less than 20 Euro/t for atmospheric, less than 12 Euro/t for pressurized sy stems) - Acceptable efficiency penalty for CO2 capture (less than about equal to 6 percent nel). - greater than 90 percent carbon capture for new power plants and greater than 60 percent for retrofitted existing plants - A purge gas stream containing greater than 95 percent CO2 - A solid purge usable for cement production - Sim ultaneous sulphur and CO2 removal with sulphur recovery option Approach: Limestone is a CO2 carrier. The CO2 can be released easily in a conventional calcination process, well known in the cement and lime industry. By integrating a closed carbonation/calc ination loop in the flue gas of a conventional CFB-boiler, the CO2 in the flue gas can be removed. The heat required for calcination is released during carbonation and can be utilised efficiently (high temperature) in the steam cycle of the boiler. Concent rated CO2 can be generated when using oxygen blown calcination. Because the fuel required for supplying heat for calcination is only a fraction of the total fuel requirements, the required oxygen is only about 1/3 of the oxygen required for oxyfuel process es. The work programme: 1.Definition of the technical and economic boundary conditions 2.Selection and improvement of sorbent materials 3.Lab scale and semi-technical scale process development (experimental work) 4.Technical and economic evaluation 5.Des ign of a 1 MWth Pilot plant.
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