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【Objective】 Water storage pit is a technology used in arid regions in northwestern China to collect rainwater for irrigation. In this paper, we studied the three-dimensional distribution of water, heat and oxygen in soil in an orchard under water storage pit irrigation using numerical simulation. 【Method】 Water flow was based on the Richard equation and heat transfer and oxygen diffusion in soil were modelled by convection - diffusion equations. These coupled equations were solved using the COMSOL - a Multiphysics software. The model was verified against data measured from a field, and the validated model was then used to analyze the effect of the water storage pit on distribution of water, heat and oxygen in soils in the proximity of the pit. 【Result】 The three-dimensional coupled model is accurate and can reproduce the measured spatiotemporal changes in soil water, temperature and oxygen, with the RMSE for soil water, temperature and oxygen being 0.036 7, 1.609 9 and 0.013 8, respectively. The water storage pit changed the distribution of water, heat and oxygen in the pit wall greatly. As time elapsed, soil water content in the regions proximal to the pit decreased, while oxygen concentration increased. Temperatures in the pit and soil surface were mainly impacted by atmospheric temperature. Spatial water distribution was ellipsoidal around the pit. Soil water content was the highest in the proximity of the pit bottom, while oxygen concentration and temperature in this region were the lowest. The distribution of water, temperature and oxygen tended to uniformize as time elapsed, despite that temperature and oxygen are less sensitive to irrigation than soil water. Oxygen concentration decreased with the distance from the soil surface and pit wall. 【Conclusion】 Water storage pit irrigation increased the interface between soil and water, thereby affecting transport of water, heat and oxygen in the soil. Numerical simulations indicated that the dynamics of water, heat and oxygen in the soil was affected by evaporation, rainfall, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric oxygen concentration and other environmental factors.

【Objective】 Turgor pressure in crops varies with root water uptake as a response to occurrence of water stress. This paper investigates how turgor pressure in the leaf of celery responds to drip irrigation and the factors which affect the pressure variation. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. It consists of sufficient irrigation (FI) and deficit irrigation (NI) treatment. Change in leave turgor pressure, characterized by expansion parameters Pp and Pp*, in each treatment was measured using a probe. We also measured the environmental factors and physiological traits of the plant, and analyzed their relationship with Pp/Pp* using multiple regression, path analysis and time warping methods. 【Result】 ① The parameter Pp* maximized at daytime and minimized at night on typical sunny days, regardless of the irrigation treatments and growing stage. However, Pp* started to increase earlier in NI than in FI treatment, with the peak of Pp* in the former being 39.3%~66.7% higher than that in the latter. ② The diurnal change in Pp* was similar to that in the stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr). Pp* was positively correlated to Gs and Tr, but negatively to leaf water potential (Ψ). ③ The change in leaf turgor pressure varied with irrigation. The maximum and minimum Pp increased gradually priori to irrigation and decreased rapidly after irrigation, especially in the NI treatment where the change was more profound. ④ Pp* was positively correlated to atmospheric temperature (TA) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD), but negatively to relative humidity (RH) and wind speed (WS). Path analysis showed that the highest correlation between Pp* and TA, and VPD was an indirect factor affecting Pp*. Stepwise regression indicated that WS impacted Pp* significantly only in NI. We also found that the impact of TA on Pp* was not instant but existed a delay, especially in NI where the delay was more than 10~30 min than that in FI. 【Conclusion】 Variation in leaf turgor pressure in greenhouse celery was closely related to irrigation amount and meteorological factors. Insufficient irrigation increased the maximum turgor-pressure variation parameter but delayed the effect of atmospheric temperature on the turgor pressure.

Precision irrigation relies on accurate perception of plant water statue. Plant-based sensors is a potential method to online monitor change in plant water statues due to its convenience , automaton and being able to measure water in both leaf stomata and other plant organs simultaneously. Among all available sensor, the non-invasive and in-situ leaf patch clamp pressure probe (LPCP) technology is a promising one as it allows continuous monitoring of plant leaf turgor pressure over at predefined interval. The principle of the LPCP is to measure the attenuated pressure of a leaf patch in response to a constant clamp pressure, and it has become a new versatile method to diagnose plant water status with high precision and sensitivity. LPCP has been applied in plant stomatal physiology to measure water status, and it can also help irrigation scheduling and has thus received increased interest over the recent years. We review in this paper its principle for plant water status diagnosis, installation and derivative parameters selection. Combined with leaf turgor measured by it for celery under drip irrigation, we analyzed the relationship between the change in turgor, environmental factors and plant water physiological parameters to explain the application of the device. We also outlined its pitfalls and the ways to improve it. We concluded that further studies on its application to canopy, predicting the impact of multi-environmental factors and evaluation of multi-source continuous indicators were needed. The research focus should be shifted from exploring the mechanism of plant physiological feedback to developing rational irrigation strategies.

Introduction: Accurate diagnosis of the water status of fruit trees is a prerequisite for precise irrigation. Measurement of leaf turgor pressure provides a means to explore the water utilization mechanisms of fruit trees and their responses to water stress. However, there are few studies on the use of daily minimum leaf turgor pressure (Ppmax) to indicate water information in apple tree. Methods: We monitored Ppmax, stem flow rate (Vstem), leaf water potential, soil water, and the main meteorological factors under two drip irrigation levels (fully irrigated and under-irrigated) to elucidate the temporal dynamics of the daily leaf turgor minimum of apple trees and diagnose the water status of fruit trees. Results: The results showed that soil water deficiency could reduce leaf turgor pressure and increase Ppmax. In both years, the signal intensity and sensitivity of Ppmax were better than those of Vstem, and the sensitivity was 3.31 and 2.94 times of Vstem, respectively. Compared to Ppmax, Vstem had a higher correlation with meteorological factors and was more affected by meteorological conditions, independent of irrigation treatment. Ppmax was significantly negatively correlated with soil and leaf water potential, and its correlation coefficient was 2.58–4.89 times higher than that between Vstem and both. Discussion: These results not only enhance our understanding of the water regulation strategies employed by apple trees under drought conditions but also provide a theoretical foundation for developing efficient water-saving practices and precision irrigation strategies for fruit trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on water abstraction techniques in sandy rivers is crucial for addressing water scarcity issues in northern China. This study introduces an artificial percolation water intake riverbed structural model designed to prevent sand intake and facilitate the extraction of clear water from sandy rivers, the main function of which is to artificially construct a helical flow field to realize the separation of water and sand and, at the same time, percolate the water. In this paper, we use a numerical orthogonal test method to study the influence of structural parameters and their combinations on water extraction by percolation, and the preferred combination of structural parameters. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: Under the condition of certain structural parameters of the artificial riverbed, the single-width flow rate has an important effect on the mean circumferential flow rate of the vortex tube and the vortex tube seepage volume. The effect of different structural parameters on the mean circumferential flow rate of the vortex tube and the vortex tube seepage varies in magnitude. The longitudinal slope of artificial riverbed i had the greatest and most significant effect on the mean circumferential flow rate of the vortex tube, and each structural parameter had some effect on the vortex tube seepage Q but not to a significant level. When the sand content of the water flow is 15 kg/m3 and the maximum sand grain size of the suspended mass is 2 mm, the optimal structural parameter combinations of the artificial riverbed under different working conditions are as follows: Combination 20 is the optimal structural parameter combination for q = 0.3 m2/s; Combination 24 is the optimal structural parameter combination for q = 0.6 m2/s; and Combination 24 is the optimal structural parameter combination for q = 0.9 m2/s. The present study is of great significance for understanding the influence of each structural parameter and its combination on the effect of the water intake and sand discharge of an artificial percolation intake riverbed, and for optimizing the combination of the structural parameters of an artificial percolation intake riverbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems such as population growth and climate change have led to a reduction in the use of water for irrigated agriculture, constraining the growth of crops. Subsurface irrigation, as a widely used and efficient water-saving irrigation technology, varies in its effect on increasing yields and saving water under different environmental, management, and other conditions. To investigate the effects of subsurface irrigation on yield, water productivity (WP), and irrigation water productivity (IWP) of three typical crops (wheat, maize, and cotton), this paper conducted a meta-analysis of 528 pairs of studies from 64 papers worldwide to quantify the response of crop yield, WP, and IWP to subsurface irrigation. Overall, the yield, WP and IWP increased by 5.96%, 21.62%, and 27.72%, respectively, with subsurface irrigation compared with surface irrigation. Compared with other conditions, the greatest rate of change was observed at around 200–500 m above sea level, 10–15 °C average annual temperature, 1.45–1.55 g/cm3 soil bulk density, alkaline soil, and when the crops were planted with equal row spacing. Meanwhile, the amount of irrigation water, as well as the subsurface pipeline arrangement and burial depth, had significant effects on crop yield, WP, and IWP. The maximum increase in crop yield, WP, and IWP was favored when the irrigation volume of the subsurface irrigation was reduced by 50–100% compared with surface irrigation or when both had the same volume of irrigation but a mild water deficit. In addition, the yield, WP, and IWP were also affected by fertilization factors. The recommended fertilizer application rates were ≤90 kg P ha–1 (phosphorus) and <150 kg N ha–1 (nitrogen). Compared with surface irrigation, subsurface irrigation showed the greatest yield increase when fertilizer was applied in a one-time application, and the WP and IWP increased significantly when the number of fertilizer applications was <3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to evaluate any effects that biochar may have on tomato yield under deficit-irrigation to develop water-saving and yield-increasing best management practices for greenhouse tomato production. For this purpose, greenhouse trials were conducted in 2021 and 2022 with five biochar (B) application rates and three irrigation (W) levels. The B treatments were B0: 0 t ha−1; B1: 15 t ha−1; B2: 30 t ha−1; B3: 45 t ha−1; and B4: 60 t ha−1, and the W levels were W1: 50–70% of field capacity (θf); W2: 60–80% of θf; and W3B0: 70–90% of θf full irrigation without biochar, which was designated as the control. Our objective was to quantify the effects of biochar on the characteristics of tomato sources and sinks to determine, first, the optimal irrigation–biochar combination to achieve high yield tomato production, and, second, evaluate the mechanisms of this effect. At W1 and W2 irrigation levels, the addition of 30–60 t ha−1 and 45–60 t ha−1 biochar could compensate for the adverse effects of deficit-irrigation on the tomato source and sink characteristics. Our results show that in both years the highest tomato yield was obtained with the W2 irrigation level and the B3 biochar application rate, with 52% higher tomato yield compared to the lowest value obtained with the W1 irrigation level and B0 application rate. We conclude that biochar application can improve tomato yield by promoting the filling rather than the building of the sink capacity. The tomato yield was mainly affected by the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), followed by the leaf area, and the leaf chlorophyll content indirectly affected tomato yield through Pn. The W2 irrigation level combined with the B3 biochar application rate resulted in the best water–biochar combination under the experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stomata are essential for regulating the exchange of water and energy between plants and the atmosphere. In the context of climate warming, especially in extremely arid regions, the knowledge of stomatal conductance variation patterns is fundamental to the study of crop evapotranspiration, productivity and drought resistance characteristics. The accurate simulation of stomatal conductance in this region is an important prerequisite for the optimal regulation of the crop growth environment. In this study, a two-year field experiment was carried out in vineyards in an extremely arid region. The Jarvis model and BWB model were used to evaluate the daily changes in stomatal conductance. The results showed that stomatal conductance was significantly correlated with environmental factors (temperature difference between leaf and air (ΔT), photosynthetically active radiation and air temperature). The Jarvis and BWB models performed well. However, the response function of the environment factor in the Jarvis model can affect the model performance. The ΔT effectively improved the model, and the modified Jarvis model outperformed the modified BWB model. The R2 and model slope b of the modified Jarvis model increased by 45.18–70.37% and 2.51–3.12%, respectively. RMSE and MAE decreased by 38.98–43.12% and 42.69–44.35%, respectively. Overall, the Jarvis3–ΔT model had a good effect on the simulation of the daily change of stomatal conductance during the critical period of grape growth, and the Jarvis3–ΔT model was the best stomatal conductance model in this study. The results of the study are of great significance for further improving the sustainable use of water resources in grapevines in extremely arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity is one of the main abiotic stresses, and the stomatal conductance (gs) is an important physiological index in plants that is used to measure their responses to salt stress, as stomatal closure leads to lower yields. However, the factors that affect the gs after biochar application in saline soil remain unclear. To explore the stomatal adaptation mechanisms of facility vegetables under salt stress after the addition of biochar, Chinese cabbage was selected for the pot experiment in this study. The soil and plant Na+ and K+ concentrations, water status, and plant stomatal parameters were measured following treatments with different salt concentrations (25, 50, and 100 mM) and biochar application rates (0, 2, and 4%). The results showed that salt stress induced the physiological closure of the stomata in Chinese cabbage. Compared with the salt-stress treatment without biochar, the biochar application significantly increased the plant gs (20.29–128.79%). Moreover, in the biochar treatment, the open state of the stomata was maintained by sustaining the plant osmotic adjustment, reducing the abscisic acid (ABA) content, and improving the water status. The Na+/K+ ratio had the most pronounced effect on the stomata (0.702). The actual photochemical efficiency of the photosystem II (ΦPSII) and electron transport rate (ETR) of the Chinese cabbage increased by 0.75–3.41% and 0.65–2.88%, respectively, after the biochar application, which supported the photosynthetic capacity and yield formation. According to the current findings, biochar application can mitigate salt stress and regulate stomatal opening, thereby improving the photosynthesis and the overall yield of Chinese cabbage. Therefore, the application of biochar is a promising method to maintain the productivity of Chinese cabbage under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative analysis of tomato root water uptake and soil water utilization in the root zone under deficit irrigation is an important tool to improve agricultural water utilization efficiency. In this study, three different deficit irrigation levels were set at the flowering and fruit development stage (Stage I) and the fruit-ripening stage (Stage II), respectively. The Hydrus-1D model and field data were used to analyze the effects of deficit irrigation on tomato root growth, soil water uptake and utilization in the root zone. The results showed that deficit irrigation could reduce the total root length density of water-absorbed roots but increase the water-absorbed root length density of the underlying soil (30–60 cm). Moderate and severe water deficits at Stage II increased the water-absorbed root length density of the underlying soil by 0.10–6.26% and 2.12–11.71% compared with a mild water deficit. Considering tomato root growth, the Hydrus-1D model can improve the accuracy of soil moisture simulation. The main water absorption zone of tomato roots was 0–30 cm. Compared with full irrigation, the ratio of water absorption by the underlying root system (30–60 cm) to the total water absorption of the profile (0–60 cm) increased by 2.16–2.82% and 5.34–6.34% due to mild and moderate water deficits at Stage I. At Stage I and Stage II, a water deficit could reduce soil evaporation. T3 had the highest water use efficiency in two years, which was 24.07% (T9) and 20.47% (T8) higher than the lowest value, respectively. The optimal deficit irrigation scheme under this experiment condition is as follows: the soil water content was 70–90% θf (field capacity) at Stage I and was 40–60% θf at Stage II (T3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contradiction between water supply and demand has become increasingly prominent due to the large agricultural water consumption and low irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) in the extremely arid area of Xinjiang, which needs to be solved by efficient irrigation. In this study, the effects of different irrigation levels (the lower and upper limits of irrigation (LULI) were 50–80%, 60–90%, and 70–100% of the field capacity (FC), respectively) under two irrigation methods (root zone irrigation (RZI) and furrow irrigation (FI)) on the photosynthetic physiology and yield of grape were analyzed to explore suitable irrigation schemes in extremely arid areas. The results show that the diurnal variation curve of the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of grape leaves in the extreme arid region was not sensitive to the response of irrigation methods. However, RZI could improve the apparent quantum efficiency and maximum photosynthetic rate by 60.00% and 31.25%, respectively, reduce the light compensation point by 17.91%, and alleviate the photosynthetic lunch break phenomenon. Under FI, the physiological indexes of leaves increased with the increase in the LULI, while the Pn and SPAD values were the largest under RZI when the LULI was 60–90% of FC. The daily average Pn value of T2 in 2021 and 2022 ranged from 12.93 to 17.77 μmol·m−2·s−1. Compared with FI, RZI significantly improved the leaf water potential, Pn, and SPAD values by increasing the soil water content (SWC) of the 40–80 cm soil layer by 5.04–8.80%, which increased the yield by 6.86–18.67%. The results show that the yield and water use efficiency reached the peak when the LULI was 60–90% of FC under RZI, which could provide theoretical support for efficient irrigation of vineyards in extremely arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As freshwater becomes an increasingly scarce and expensive natural resource, novel water-saving irrigation methods for dwarfing apple orchards are needed in the Loess Plateau. However, studies are lacking on the effects of novel root-zone irrigation technology on leaf-level photosynthesis, which directly determines the yield and survival ability of trees. In this study, the leaf gas characteristics and water status of five-year-old dwarfing apple trees in the Loess Plateau of China were monitored during the 2016–2017 growing seasons under water storage pit irrigation (WSPI) and surface irrigation (SI) treatments. Under WSPI, the leaf water potential (Ψm), net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and chlorophyll content (Chl) were significantly higher than those under SI (by 12.21–28.36%), while non-photochemical quenching, superoxide dismutase, and sucrose were lower. Compared with SI, WSPI improved dwarfing apple yield by 25.4% and 26.7% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. WSPI increased the photosystem II (PSII) activity by increasing the chlorophyll fluorescence features (the potential quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), actual quantum yield (ΦII), photochemical quenching (qP), and electron transport rate (ETR)). Principal component analysis showed that Ψm, Chl, the chlorophyll fluorescence features (qP, ΦII, and ETR), Pn, and gs could represent the leaf photosynthetic difference between WSPI and SI treatments. Results indicated that apple under WSPI could improve its yield through enhancing leaf photosynthetic performance, and water storage pit irrigation is an effective root-zone irrigation method for apple orchards on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the water and heat transfer characteristics of the orchard soil under water storage pit irrigation and to regulate the distribution of soil water and heat for improving apple quality and increasing yield, a 3D soil water and heat transfer model of orchards under water storage pit irrigation was established. The model not only considered the influences of root water uptake, precipitation, evaporation, and irrigation, but also simulated the infiltration process of the variable water head in the pit according to the principle of mass conservation and introduced the pit coefficient to simulate the difference in radiation in the pit to describe the influence of the pit on the model. Verify and analyze the simulation results. Results showed that the variation trend of simulated soil moisture and heat was consistent with that of measured data. The mean absolute percentage error, root mean square error, and mean absolute deviation were 3.23%, 0.9460, and 0.6984 for soil temperature and 10.05%, 0.0269, and 0.0214 for water content after irrigation, respectively. The simulation results have high accuracy and show that the soil moisture content centers on the pit with an ellipsoid distribution and tends to be uniform over time. The soil temperature was higher in the 4–5 cm area near the soil surface and the wall of pit, and it remarkably changed with time. The intraday variation of soil temperature was mainly affected by atmospheric temperature, but a certain lag was observed compared with the change of atmospheric temperature. With the increase of the irrigation amount, the distribution range of soil moisture content and water high value area increased, while the average and maximum soil temperature decreased. With the increase of irrigation water temperature to 18–24 h after irrigation, the soil temperature in the ellipsoidal area around the pit remarkably increased. The model established in this paper can be used to simulate the hydrothermal status of the soil in the field under water storage pit irrigation. The results prove that the water storage pit irrigation can effectively improve the hydrothermal status of the middle-deep soil and promote the root system of fruit trees to absorb water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural producers in China are presently confronting the challenge of "white pollution" caused by the continuous expansion of plastic film area coverage. The main objective of this research is to address the increasing interest in the effects of film residual on tomato growth, yield, and quality under drip irrigation. To reveal the effects of film residual on tomato physiology, field trials were conducted with five levels of film residual treatment applied in two consecutive cropping seasons from 2019 to 2020. Soil water content, plant height, stem diameter, photosynthetic characteristics, yield, soluble sugar content (SSC), organic acid (OA), vitamin C (VC), and nitrate content (NC) were measured; furthermore, four analysis methods were used to assess the comprehensive tomato quality. The results showed that film residuals significantly affected soil water content in 2019 and 2020 and inhibited tomato plant height and stem diameter. The variations in photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance showed practically the same trend, increasing with an increase in the film residual at the seedling stage. The maximum yields were observed at 94.02 ton/hm2 and 84.44 ton/hm2 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and tomato yield exhibited a shape reduction with increasing amounts of film residual in all years. SSC, VC, and NC showed an increasing trend with increasing amounts of film residual. The best tomato comprehensive quality was observed when the amount of film residual was lower than 200 kg/hm2 and declined with an increasing amount of film residual. Overall, the soil water content, tomato growth, and fruit quality changed significantly under the influence of film residual. These results not only deepen our understanding of the harm caused by film residual to tomato growth and fruit quality but also provide reasonable advice to establish a management system for residual pollution on cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdTe and related II–VI compound semiconductors have been widely utilized in the field of optoelectronic devices, detectors, solar cells and so on. As the surface treatment on the wafer involved in the device fabrication process has an important impact on its subsequent photoelectric performance, the investigations on the change in structures and properties of the wafer after different surface treatments, especially the formation of new phases at the surface, have important theoretical significance and practical application value. In this work, the surface morphology and microstructure of CdTe single crystal wafers after different chemical etching processes were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With the increase of etching time to 10 min, the surface gradually became smoother with a significantly reduced surface roughness from 61.4 nm to 30.5 nm. In addition, the I–V curves of Au/CdTe contact structure illustrate the optimized ohmic contact characteristics after chemical etching with the surface leakage current increasing from 4.723 × 10−10 A to 3.640 × 10−9 A when the etching time extends up to 10 min. TEM analysis on the chemical etched surface of CdTe confirms the formation of Cd2Te2O7 phase with two variants. The d-spacing of (100)CTO and twice that of {111}CdTe being similar is the main reason for the existence of low lattice mismatch and formation of coherent interface between Cd2Te2O7 and CdTe. Furthermore, the chemical etching process is also confirmed to remove the surface damage caused by mechanical polishing effectively by comparing the interface microstructures of Au/CdTe contacts without and after 10 min of chemical etching. The formation mechanism of Cd2Te2O7 and the structure model of Au/CdTe interface are also proposed based on the TEM results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat induced self-welding of nanomaterials is an important method for the artificial design and synthesis of heterogeneous composite materials. The connection and growth of solid-state crystalline nanomaterials under heat treatment normally follow the oriented attachment growth mechanism. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the interface crystallography under such formation conditions, especially for crystals with relatively large structure differences. In this work, hydrothermally grown TiO2 (B) (TB) nanofibers are chosen as examples to investigate the welded interface structure and crystallography between the same and different TiO2 polymorphs. Through the manipulation of calcination temperature, TB–TB and TB–anatase (TA) self-welded nanofiber pairs can be firstly obtained. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results suggest that two TB nanofibers with the same {100} single crystal form (SCF) can be connected with the same orientation or by being rotated along the fiber growth direction for certain angles. In addition, the TB nanofibers with different SCFs can also be welded through the extension and growth of (010)TB. For TB–TA self-welded pairs, the welding direction is confirmed along the long axis direction of the fiber, which is different from that of TB–TB self-welded pairs. Moreover, it is proved that the TB nanofibers with both SCFs can be welded with TA, leading to the formation of two different interfaces with typical orientation relationships. Furthermore, fewer dislocations can be found in the welded pairs with the {100} SCF of TB, which is due to the similar distribution of the voids between TiO6 octahedra for TB and TA with the orientation relationships of [010]TB//[010]TA, [100]TB//[100]TA and [106]TB//[001]TA. For the self-welded cases between TA nanofibers, the mutual rotation along different axes followed by the attachment growth was considered to be the mechanism of different interface formations. The results of this work can provide useful experimental support for the controlled synthesis of heat induced self-welded metal-oxide nanofibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ways of understanding and quantifying the effectiveness of new irrigation methods are required in order to more precisely evaluate them, including the effect of root growth on water storage pit irrigation (WSPI). In this study, the effective root growth zone (ERGZ) of 5-year-old apple trees under WSPI and traditional surface irrigation (CK) treatment was estimated using stable isotope technology during two seasons 2015 and 2016. The stable isotopes of water in stems and different soil depths were analyzed using four analysis methods (namely direct inference, the Romero-Saltos model, the IsoSource model and the coupled model). Results showed that the ERGZ depth under surface irrigation ranged from 10 cm to 60 cm, with the main contribution at 0–40 cm during the growth stage. Under water storage pit irrigation, the ERGZ depth for the apple tree was deeper and ranged from 20 cm to 100 cm, with the main contribution of ERGZ deepened to 20–100 cm after the earlier of shoot rapid-growing stage. The use of a water storage pit irrigation system on apple demonstrated improved root growth in the middle-depth soils, as compared to traditional surface irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a type of chronic cerebrovascular occlusion disease, which frequently occurs in East Asian populations, including pediatric and adult patients, and may lead to ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, headache, epilepsy or transient ischemic attack. To date, the underlying mechanisms of MMD have remained to be fully elucidated, but certain studies have indicated that genetic factors may be an important component of its development. Cerebral angiography is the best approach for diagnosing MMD. However, with technological advances, non-invasive techniques are increasingly used to accurately evaluate MMD. MMD is commonly treated via surgery, and an increasing number of patients are benefitting from the intra- and extra-cranial revascularization. The present article provides a comprehensive review of MMD on the basis of previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment using PVC growth tubes was conducted in the Loess Plateau of China to determine the effective root depth (ERD) of winter wheat and its relationship with root distributions and soil water conditions. The water stable isotopes technique was used to estimate the water uptake contributions of different root depths during the growth stages. On the basis of IsoSource and the Romero-Saltos model, the ERD was 0-40 cm in the majority of the growth stage. However, in the heading and filling stages, the ERD could reach 60%-75% of the maximum root depth. Furthermore, the contributions to water uptake of different root depths were correlated with variations in soil water and root length density (r=0.395 and 0.368, respectively; p<0.05). However, by path analysis, the low decisive coefficient indicated that root distribution and soil water content did not always follow the same trend as water uptake. The conclusions of this study can help with understanding winter wheat water uptake mechanisms in arid and semi-arid regions and increasing water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to explore the strategy of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) under mulched drip irrigation to stabilize tomato yield and improve quality and efficiency. This experimental study was conducted on a drip-irrigated greenhouse in two consecutive years (2020 and 2021). Three deficit levels were set for the flowering and fruit development stage (Stage I), and three were set for the fruit-ripening stage (Stage II). As a combination evaluation method, the fuzzy Borda model was used to optimize the RDI strategy of greenhouse tomato. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and total shoot biomass of tomato decreased with an increase in the water deficit, while the intercellular CO2 concentration had an opposite trend. The mild and moderate water deficit at Stage I reduced tomato yield by 16–24% and 30–40% compared to full irrigation. The water deficit at Stage II was able to improve various quality parameters and the water-use efficiency of tomato; the irrigation water-use efficiency (32.8–33.9 kg/m3) and leaf water-use efficiency (3.2–3.6 μmol/mmol) were the highest when the soil water content was 70–90% θf (field capacity) at Stage I and 40–60% θf at Stage II (T3). Based on the fuzzy Borda combination evaluation model, T3 was determined as the treatment with stable yield, high quality, and efficient irrigation under the experimental conditions. The irrigation regime was as follows: irrigating 20–25 mm in the transplanting stage, no irrigation in the seedling stage, irrigating 193.2–220.8 mm at Stage I, and then irrigating 27.6 mm at Stage II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ridge–furrow mulching system with plastic film (RFMS) has been widely used in semi-arid areas in order to improve soil water and heat conditions, crop yields and water use efficiency. It is of practical significance to study the effect of mulching and ridge types on soil water and heat in order to optimize mulching measures and improve the effectiveness of the ridge and furrow system. To clarify the combined effect of soil water and heat beneath the system and the influence of ridge morphology on it, field experiments were conducted with three treatments, including conventional planting in bare land (CK), a ridge–furrow (wide ridge with 70 cm width and 10 cm height, narrow ridge with 40 cm width and 15 cm height) mulching system with complete plastic film (RFWN) and a ridge–furrow (equal ridge with 55 cm width and 15 cm height) mulching system with complete plastic film (RFE). An insufficient irrigation system was adopted and the two-dimensional numerical software HYDRUS-2D was used to simulate the soil water and heat flow under the experimental conditions. The model was calibrated and verified according to test data for the period of 2018 to 2019, which showed good agreement between the simulated and measured values. The simulation results revealed that the ground temperatures of RFWN and RFE were much higher than that of CK, and the average value of 0–25 cm during the growth period could increase by 2.29–4.61%. Compared with CK, RFWN and RFE reduced soil evaporation (84.71–93.73%) and field evapotranspiration (12.02–21.75%), while they increased root water uptake (25.87–40.98%) and T/ET (48.85–80.15%). Plastic film mulching and ridge morphologies affected the infiltration range and the direction of soil water movement, increased soil moisture when there was no rainfall or irrigation and reduced soil water and heat fluctuations, which was more conducive to crop growth, especially under the RFWN system. The simulation method proposed in this paper is an effective technique for calculating the soil water and heat dynamics under different ridge and furrow sections under the condition of film mulching, and it can be used for the optimal management of soil water and heat in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in irrigated maize plantings in Northern China has increased the demand for irrigation water in the region, resulting in chronic water shortages in drier years. Efficient irrigation and water use are essential for the sustainable development and management of water resources in the area. This research applied DSSAT-maize in the Loess Plateau (Fenhe basin) to determine the suitable irrigation management and optimum sowing dates to ensure the stability of spring maize production. The model was calibrated using the full irrigation treatment of 2017–2019 growing seasons. Crop data, such as plant phenological phases, aboveground biomass, crop yield, and leaf area index, were used for model calibration. The calibration showed great consistency between the measured and simulated data, with nRMSE (normalized root mean square error) ranging from 0.77% to 21.6%. The field values of crop yield, aboveground biomass, LAI, soil water content, and water use efficiency were used to evaluate the calibrated model's performance, the model evaluation was found to be satisfactory with acceptable nRMSE ranging from 1.9% to 25.3%. Optimum simulated sowing dates for increased productivity and water efficiency were between 15 and 25 May. The optimum irrigation timing and volume of irrigation water application were 85 mm at the tasseling phase and 85 mm at the grouting phase respectively. Therefore, the yield of maize can be increased by applying irrigation and altering the sowing date in case rainfall is insufficient to satisfy the water demand of the crops in the Fenhe basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water storage pit irrigation (WSPI) has been proven effective in improving the water use efficiency of fruit trees in Loess Plateau, but so far there are still no matching efficient fertilization management methods. A two-year experiment was conducted to explore the management strategy of fertilization under the consideration of apple production and environmental sustainability. N isotope tracer technique was used to study the distribution of labelled nitrogen in soil, leaf, root and fruit. Moreover, the yield in different fertilizer managements were observed to evaluate the apple production. The results showed that increasing the amount of fertilizer could increase the accumulation of fertilizer nitrogen in soil, but also increased the risk of nitrogen leaching. Under the same amount of fertilizer, split fertilization can effectively increase of fertilizer nitrogen in soil by a mean of 4.7 times. Further, N300 application with split fertilization effectively increased apple yield. The yield of N300II treatment was higher than other treatment by maximum 68.5%. In addition, the root system mainly absorbed the fertilizer nitrogen applied in the current year, and the fruit mainly absorbed the fertilizer nitrogen applied in the previous year, but there was no significant difference in the leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important step for formulating a water-saving agricultural strategy, it is essential to make quantitative calculations for orchard soil evaporation and confirm its inner mechanism, so as to reduce ineffective water consumption and improve the utilization efficiency of water resources. To reveal the effect of water storage pits under water storage pit irrigation conditions in orchard soil evaporation, micro-lysimeters were used to measure the soil evaporation in two different forms (soil surface evaporation and pit wall evaporation) under diverse irrigation systems using water storage pit irrigation in the apple growth period of 2018. To calculate the orchard soil evaporation of water storage pit irrigation, the pit irrigation coefficient was introduced and a model was constructed. To illustrate the inner mechanism of orchard soil evaporation, the soil surface resistance under water storage pit irrigation conditions was analyzed and calculated quantitatively. The results show that: (1) introducing the pit irrigation coefficient can boost the calculation precision of the orchard soil evaporation under water storage pit irrigation conditions; (2) when applying the soil evaporation of the water storage pit irrigation model for calculation of the orchard soil evaporation, R 2 can reach 0.92; and (3) the mechanisms of the two orchard soil evaporation forms under water storage pit irrigation are very different. When soil surface evaporation and pit wall evaporation were calculated by the soil surface resistance of water storage pit irrigation model, R 2 values were 0.95 and 0.96, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future production of irrigated fruit orchards in the Loess Plateau of China is threatened by a shortage of freshwater. To improve water use efficiency under conditions where irrigation is limited, it is necessary to quantify the root water uptake (RWU) of apple trees. The RWU of apple trees was estimated under surface irrigation using water stable isotope technology and the Hydrus-1D model. Using the Romero-Saltos and IsoSource models, the stable isotopes of water in stems, different soil depths, and different precipitation were analyzed in a 5-year-old dwarfing apple orchard during two seasons 2016 and 2017. Hydrus-1D model was able to simulate the RWU of apple using the maximum coefficient of determination (0.9), providing a root mean square error of 0.019 cm3 cm−3 and a relative error of 2.25%. The results showed that the main depth of RWU ranged from 0–60 cm during the growth season, with the main contribution occurring in the 0–40 cm depth. These findings indicated that reducing the traditional surface irrigation depth will be important for improving the irrigation water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil water content (SWC) distribution plays an important role in root water uptake (RWU) and crop yield. Reasonable deep irrigation can increase the yield of winter wheat. The soil water movement model of winter wheat was established by considering the root water uptake and the different soil depths of irrigation and using the source term of the soil water movement equation to simulate irrigation at different soil depths. For model verification, experiments on three treatments of winter wheat growth were conducted at irrigation soil depths of 0% (T1), 40% (T2), and 70% (T3) of the distribution depth of the winter wheat root system. The SWC calculated by the model is in accordance with the dynamic change trend of the measured SWC. The maximum absolute error of the model was 0.022 cm3/cm3. The maximum average relative error was 7.95%. The maximum root mean square error was 0.28 cm3/cm3. Therefore, the model has a high simulation accuracy and can be used to simulate the distribution and dynamic changes of SWC of winter wheat in irrigation at different soil depths. The experimental data showed that irrigation soil depth has a significant effect on the root distribution of winter wheat (p < 0.05), and deep irrigation can reduce the root length density (RLD) in the upper soil layers and increase the RLD in the deeper soil layers. The dynamic simulation of RWU and SWC showed that deep irrigation can increase the SWC and RWU in deep soil and decrease the SWC and RWU in upper soil. Consequently, deep irrigation can increase the transpiration of winter wheat, reduce evaporation and evapotranspiration, and increase the yield of winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scarce rainfall and low water productivity (WP) are the primary problems constraining development of the grape industry in the extremely arid region of Xinjiang. Reducing evaporative loss and improving deep soil water use are important measures to solve this problem. In this study, a root zone irrigation (RI) method was introduced and studied in irrigation experiments in Shanshan, Xinjiang, to compare the effects of three types of irrigation emitter burial depths and furrow irrigation (FI) on soil water–root system coupling characteristics, root water uptake strategies, and leaf water physiology, yield, and quality. The results showed that RI optimized the coupling level of the soil water–root system and improved root water uptake strategies. Compared with FI, RI increased the water contribution rate of the middle and deep soil layers, resulting in an increase in the average root water uptake depth by 50.1–74.5 %. RI expanded the root water uptake range, which in turn increased the midday leaf water potential (ψ m) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 8.9–15.6 % and 9.9–18.9 %, respectively. Increasing the burial depth of the irrigation emitter under RI could lead to the migration of water, root, and average root water uptake depth to the deep soil, however, the ψ m and Pn would also decrease. RI reduced evaporative loss and actual crop evapotranspiration (ET c act), however, the RI yield and WP were higher than those of FI by 8.6–18.7 % and 27.1–52.3 %, respectively. Moreover, RI significantly increased the soluble solid content, berry volume, and berry weight of grapes compared with that of FI. Under RI, increasing the burial depth of the irrigation emitter did not significantly affect WP, however, the yield and grape quality gradually decreased. The results showed that an irrigation emitter burial depth of 0–40 cm under RI in an extremely arid region is a scientific and reasonable irrigation method. • Root zone irrigation induced root growth in deep soil and improved soil water–root degree of coupling coordination. • Root zone irrigation was beneficial for enhancing root water uptake in the middle and deep soil layers. • Increased soil water–root degree of coupling coordination improved leaf water status and photosynthetic capacity. • The irrigation emitter burial depth of 0–40 cm could obtain the optimal soil water–root coupling level and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Stenosis of the target intracranial vertebral artery is one of the major causes of posterior circulation ischemic stroke. The objective of this paper is to explore methods for reducing the occurrence of medullary artery occlusion after intracranial vertebral artery stenting. Case Description The current research presents a retrospective analysis of 48 patients who received Gateway-Wingspan stent angioplasty to treat severe stenosis of the intracranial vertebral artery, evaluates the results of stenosis remission and perfusion improvement after stent angioplasty, and explores the causes of postoperative medullary artery occlusion. A total of 49 Wingspan stents were implanted in the 48 patients, with a surgical success rate of 100%. After stent implantation, the patients' rates of intracranial vertebral artery stenosis dropped from 75.9% ± 6.3% to 28.4% ± 5.1%. Transcranial Doppler or cranial computed tomography angiography 3 months after surgery showed that none of the patients suffered from in-stent restenosis. Within 24 hours after surgery, medullary perforating artery occlusion occurred in 2 patients, probably because atherosclerotic plaque in the stenotic area became less stable and displaced under the mechanical action of postoperative saccule and stent. As a result, the medullary artery was blocked. After drug and rehabilitation therapies, the patients' symptoms were alleviated. Conclusions Perforating artery occlusion after intracranial vertebral artery stenting can be prevented by strict assessment and preparation before surgery, correct choices of saccule and stent during operation, and other measures. However, large sample data are needed for verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]