ALBERT

Description: Energy companies and builders of energy transportation infrastructure find it difficult to evaluate Arctic natural gas development. Their business critical decisions require the assessment of not just technical risks but intangible issues regarding the future and past interactions of an energy system. These concerns call attention to the problem of time. In this article, I examine three types of time from which efforts to commercialise Alaska natural gas are drawn into the temporality of global energy markets: (1) volatility time, in which price spikes determine outcome; (2) government time, in which law and regulation assist in commercial enterprise, and; (3) entrepreneurial time, in which individuals of industry take initiative. These types of expectation in Alaska natural gas development correspond consequently to three methods for fixing time and space. In short, they are three development time-spaces or chronotopes. By offering these forms of time, taking place between 2000–2005, this article draws attention to concrete visualisations of constructing a pipeline to deliver natural gas from Alaska to continental United States. I argue that these efforts represent precise and well-marked steps and reflect a specific course of development, passing from self-confident ignorance, to self-reflective consultation and finally to genuine understanding.

Description: The artist Pavel Nikolayevich Mikhailov (1786–1840) took part in the Antarctic expedition of the Imperial Russian Navy commanded by Captain F.F. Bellingshausen from 1819 to 1821. The author was invited to view the collection of Mikhailov's work, from two expeditions, that is held at the Russian Museum, St Petersburg. The Bellingshausen pieces in the collection are described, and their relationships to the smaller collection of Mikhailov's work for the Bellingshausen expedition, held at the State Historical Museum in Moscow, to the lithographs in the Atlas volume of Bellingshausen's published narrative, and to the various versions of Mikhailov's images that have been published in the 20th and 21st centuries, are discussed.

Description: The volume variation of a glacier is the actual indicator of long term and short term evolution of the glacier behaviour. In order to assess the volume evolution of the Austre Lovénbreen (79° N) over the last 47 years, we used multiple historical datasets, complemented with our high density GPS tracks acquired in 2007 and 2010. The improved altitude resolution of recent measurement techniques, including phase corrected GPS and LiDAR, reduces the time interval between datasets used for volume subtraction in order to compute the mass balance. We estimate the sub-metre elevation accuracy of most recent measurement techniques to be sufficient to record ice thickness evolutions occurring over a 3 year duration at polar latitudes.The systematic discrepancy between ablation stake measurements and DEM analysis, widely reported in the literature as well as in the current study, yields new questions concerning the similarity and relationship between these two measurement methods.The use of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) has been an attractive alternative measurement technique to estimate glacier area and volume evolution over time with respect to the classical in situ measurement techniques based on ablation stakes. With the availability of historical datasets, whether from ground based maps, aerial photography or satellite data acquisition, such a glacier volume estimate strategy allows for the extension of the analysis duration beyond the current research programmes. Furthermore, these methods do provide a continuous spatial coverage defined by its cell size whereas interpolations based on a limited number of stakes display large spatial uncertainties. In this document, we focus on estimating the altitude accuracy of various datasets acquired between 1962 and 2010, using various techniques ranging from topographic maps to dual frequency skidoo-tracked GPS receivers and the classical aerial and satellite photogrammetric techniques.

Description: When the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1955–1958 advance party sailed from the Millwall Docks in November 1955, bound for the Weddell Sea, their departure was the product of five years of intensive effort on the part of Vivian Fuchs to achieve the first overland crossing of the Antarctic continent. This paper investigates the many obstacles that had to be overcome leading up to Theron sailing and explains the manner in which they were overcome by the Fuchs-Wordie-Clifford triumvirate. The British Foreign Office was particularly opposed to the expedition with the office's focus on sovereignty rather than science while an alternative proposal from Duncan Carse raised a unique set of difficulties. The withdrawal from involvement by the Scott Polar Research Institute Director, Colin Bertram, indicated further disaffection. Most important, if political and financial goals were to be met, was the need for participation by several Commonwealth countries of which New Zealand was the essential partner. Fortunately, the vigorous efforts of a few Antarctic enthusiasts in New Zealand were successful in moving their government to assert its long dormant position in the Ross Dependency. New Zealand's commitment turned the tide of commonwealth apathy towards the TAE. Although the TAE preceded the IGY, events, including the dominating IGY presence of the United States, caused the two projects to become tightly interwoven. For these reasons the years leading up to the departure of Theron were as intriguing as the crossing journey itself.

Description: Icy environments (glacial ice and sea ice) can be complex ecosystems, supporting a diversity of communities. In particular, the μ-environments in which bacteria and algae are found are poorly understood. One important habitat is the liquid trapped in the ice, either as veins and triple junctions inherent in the ice structure or as liquid inclusions. μ-Raman spectroscopy is an analytical tool with the potential to characterise qualitatively and quantitatively these liquid μ-environments especially with respect to molecular anions such as nitrate, sulphate, bisulphate and MSA. Using a model system for glacial ice, splat-cooled samples were prepared from aqueous solutions of these anions at varying concentrations (50–75 mM total sulphate, 30–200 mM nitrate, and 10–55 mM MSA). Concentrations of these anions in the vein liquid were measured directly and non-destructively at –15 °C using μ-Raman spectroscopy. In agreement with predicted concentrations in glacial ice veins, it was found that typical ionic concentrations in veins are quite high, with mean concentrations ranging from 0.23 M to 3.5 M depending on anion type and initial concentration. For sulphate solutions, it was also possible to measure vein pH's directly. The observed pH in these systems was extremely low, in some cases ~1. The results of these model studies as well as the implications for ice vein concentrations in natural systems of polycrystalline ice are discussed.

Description: An experimental linear mixture modelling using ground spectroradiometric measurements in the Kola Peninsula, Russia has been carried out to create a basis for mapping vegetation and non-vegetation components in the tundra-taiga ecotone using satellite imagery. We concentrated on the ground level experiment with the goal to use it further for the classification of multispectral satellite imagery through spectral unmixing. This experiment was performed on the most detailed level of remote sensing research which is free from atmospheric effects and easy to understand. We have measured typical ecotone components, including Cetraria nivalis, Betula tortuosa, Empetrum nigrum, Betula nana, Picea abies and rocks (nepheline syenite). The result of the experiment shows that the spectral mixture is indeed formed linearly but different components have different influence. Typical spectral thresholds for each component were found which are significant for vegetation mapping. Spectral unmixing of ground level data was performed and accuracy was estimated. The results add new information on typical spectral thresholds which can potentially be applied for multispectral satellite imagery when upscaling from high resolution to coarser resolution.

Description: Tourism in Antarctica has grown substantially over recent decades and has diversified into different activities and modes of transport. This paper presents a first attempt to explore the implications of this diversification trend for Antarctic tourist experiences, wildlife and onsite management. Evidence from a passenger survey, participatory observations and expert interviews using video elicitation has been collected during, and in the context of, a diving expedition cruise. The data suggests that significant differences can be detected in the way divers and non-divers experience aspects of the trip, most notably regarding guides. The results also indicate that diverse activities generate a broader variance in attitudes and behaviours, which may have repercussions for wildlife, site use and onsite management. Given the diversification trend it is timely and necessary to revisit and consistently enforce site guidelines and visitor guidelines with an eye on multi-activity trips. In addition, further studies on the implications of this trend are needed by means of case studies, surveys looking at a wider range of tourist trips, and monitoring programmes assessing wildlife behaviour and impacts.

Description: The Antarctican Society, based in the United States, has produced a medallion (Fig. 1) in recognition of the centennial of the discovery of the South Pole by Roald Amundsen and Captain Robert Falcon Scott, in 1911 and 1912, respectively. This item is representative of both expeditions.

Description: Further progress is reported concerning the preservation of Belgica, currently a wreck in Norwegian waters.

Description: Remote sensing has provided evidence of vegetation changes in Arctic tundra that may be attributable to recent climate warming. These changes are evident from local scales as expanding shrub cover observed in aerial photos, to continental scales as greening trends based on satellite vegetation indices. One challenge in applying conventional two date, satellite change detection in tundra environments is the short growing season observation window, combined with high inter-annual variability in vegetation conditions. We present an alternative approach for investigating tundra vegetation and surface cover changes based on trend analysis of long-term (1985-present) Landsat TM/ETM+ image stacks. The Tasseled Cap brightness, greenness, and wetness indices, representing linear transformations of the optical channels, are analysed for per-pixel trends using robust linear regression. The index trends are then related to changes in fractional shrub and other vegetation covers using a regression tree classifier trained with high resolution land cover. Fractional trends can be summarised by vegetation or ecosystem type to reveal any consistent patterns. Example results are shown for a 3 000 km2 study area in northern Yukon, Canada where index and fractional changes are related to growth of vascular plants and coastal erosion.

Description: In addition to the visits to Beechey Island referenced in my recent article (Hansen 2010), M'Dougall also describes his visit to Beechey Island (in Resolute with De Bray) from Tuesday 10 August 1852 (mistakenly given as 11 August) to Sunday, 15 August (M'Dougall 1857: 78–87). He gives his version of the inscriptions of the three Franklin expedition headboards. While he follows the mistaken placement order as in Osborn and The Illustrated London News of 4 October 1851 (Osborn 1865: 90; The Illustrated London News 1851b), comparison of the inscriptions with both Kane (Kane 1854: 163) and the photo of the Torrington headboard in Powell (Powell 2006: 330, Fig. 10) now lead me to conclude that M'Dougall's rather than Kane's version of the Franklin headboards inscriptions are probably the most accurate of the contemporary accounts.

Description: The introduction of the ‘western diet’ marked a decline in omega–3 fatty acids rich foods and a concurrent increase in saturated and omega–6 fatty acids that persists today. Historically, circumpolar people have had a low incidence of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and this has been largely attributed to polyphenolic compounds and omega–3 fatty acids offered from subsistence foods. In this report, we studied sled dogs as an Arctic sentinel species for monitoring the effect of a changing diet on lipid profiles along the Yukon River. Subsistence fed village sled dogs along the Yukon River, maintained largely on salmon were compared with a control kennel maintained on commercial food. Profiles showed higher levels for long chain omega–3 fatty acids in village subsistence fed dogs compared to control dogs and an opposite trend for omega–6 fatty acids, establishing baseline levels for follow up studies. A comparison with data for previously published mercury levels from the same cohort of dogs revealed a positive correlation with alpha–linolenic fatty acid and a negative correlation with linoleic fatty acid. Food and nutritional security is a concern in the Arctic as the impacts of climate change and transport of contaminants become obvious. This study supports not only the nutritional value of a subsistence diet but also the utility of sled dogs as a sentinel for human dietary change.

Description: Due to poor weather conditions including common heavy cloud cover at polar latitudes, daily satellite imaging is not always accessible. Nevertheless, fast events including heavy rainfall inducing floods appear as significant in the ice and snow budget while being ignored by satellite based studies since the slower sampling rate is unable to observe such short phenomena. We complement satellite imagery with a set of ground based autonomous automated high resolution digital cameras. The recorded oblique views, acquired at a rate of 3 images per day, are processed for comparison with the spaceborne imagery. Delaunay triangulation based mapping using a dense set of reference points provides the means for an accurate projection by applying a rubber sheeting algorithm. The measurement strategy of identifying binary information of ice and snow cover is illustrated through the example of a particular flood event. We observe a snow cover evolution from 100% to 44.5% and back to 100% over a period of 2 weeks.

Description: The Edge Anglican church (originally St Alban's) in the northern Hobart suburb of Claremont has above its main altar a triptych stained glass window, a memorial to Robert Falcon Scott R.N. New information suggests that the designer/manufacturer was Auguste Fischer of Melbourne, a close associate of the church's architect, Alan Cameron Walker of Hobart. The window was promised by Mrs Edith Knight at the laying of the foundation stone of the church in July 1913, five months after Scott's death became known to the world. Lady Ellison-Macartney attended the ceremony. She was Scott's sister and wife of the recently appointed governor of Tasmania, Sir William Ellison-Macartney. Other members of Scott's family were also living in Hobart at the time. The Ellison-Macartneys and their daughter Esther attended the dedication of the window on 17 October 1915. Admiral E.R.G.R. Evans, second in command of Scott's expedition, spoke to The Royal Society of Tasmania on 29 March 1930, on the topic of Scott's last Antarctic venture.

Description: On theBelgicaexpedition (1897–1899), Dr F.A. Cook described a disease that he called ‘polar anaemia’ and on this expedition it affected most of the expedition members and caused one death. The symptoms were shortness of breath, abnormalities of the pulse and oedema (swelling of the legs) and the disease was clearly cardiac failure. During the heroic age of Antarctic exploration a similar disease affected at least eight other expeditions causing five other deaths. This disease was very similar (and probably identical) to a disease affecting (mostly) Scandinavian seamen and called ‘ship beri-beri’. Both diseases were almost certainly what is now called wet beri-beri due to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency though most sufferers were probably also vitamin C deficient and some may have had both beri-beri and scurvy. It may have been exacerbated by invalid diets. This paper describes the disease and how it was considered and treated at the time.

Description: The Russian South Pole expedition carried out in 1819–1821 was an early milestone in the scientific exploration of the Antarctic. The expedition took place under the command of the Baltic German Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. Bellingshausen came from the Island of Saaremaa in Estonia. The Russian empire, and followed by the Soviet Union, did not attach much importance to Bellingshausen's expedition. It was only after World War II as the question of the Antarctic received close attention that the Bellingshausen expedition received political significance in the Soviet Union. The fact that the expedition really took place was used by the Soviet Union to claim rights to the Antarctic and also to argue for its participation in Antarctic exploration (see Tammiksaar 2007; Bulkeley 2011). In the early stages of exploration of the continent, Estonians were given the opportunity to carry out investigations there. The first Estonian research programme in the Antarctic, on noctilucent clouds, was elaborated by the astronomer Charles Villmann. Altogether some tens of Estonians have visited the southern continent performing investigations in earth sciences, atmospheric physics, hydrology and ecology of surface waters and the human influence on them. They have also carried out isotope studies of the ice sheet to reconstruct environmental conditions in the past.

Description: The roots of a British Antarctic policy can be traced, paradoxically, back to the establishment of a meteorological station by the Scottish Antarctic Expedition in the South Orkneys, in 1903, and the indifference of the British Government to its almost immediate transfer to the Argentine Government. It was from that modest physical presence upon Laurie Island that Argentina came increasingly to challenge British claims to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands Dependencies (FID), first in the late 1920s and then more extensively in the second world war. This challenge shaped British policy for the next forty years, with further complications caused by overlapping territorial claims made by Chile and the possible territorial ambitions of the USA. Britain's eventual response, at the height of World War II, was to establish permanent occupation of Antarctica from the southern summer of 1943–1944. This occupation was given the military codename Operation Tabarin. However, it was never a military operation as such, although monitoring the activities of enemy surface raiders and submarines provided a convenient cover story, as did scientific research once the operation became public. Whilst successive parties, rich in professional scientists, considerably expanded the pre-war survey and research of the Discovery Investigations Committee, their physical occupancy of the Antarctic islands and Peninsula was essentially a political statement, whereby the Admiralty and Colonial Office (CO) strove to protect British territorial rights, whilst the Foreign Office (FO) endeavoured to minimise disruption to Britain's long-standing economic and cultural ties with Argentina, and most critically, the shipment of war-time meat supplies. In meeting that immediate need, Tabarin also provided the basis from which Britain's subsequent post-war leadership in Antarctic affairs developed.

Description: This book (Schwarzenbach 2011) has a strange and remarkable history, which explains the fact that it has now been published in 2011, 58 years after the fieldwork on the project that was undertaken in the summer of 1953.

Description: The academic study of local and regional history in Sweden took on a quite new form and significance in the 18th century. Humiliating defeats in wars had brought the kingdom's period of greatness to an end and forced the crown to re-evaluate the country's position and image and reconsider the internal questions of economic efficiency and settlement. One aspect in this was more effective economic and political control over the peripheral parts of the realm, which meant that also the distant region of Kemi Lapland, bordering on Russia, became an object of systematic government interest. The practical local documentation of this area took the form of dissertations prepared by students native to the area under the supervision of well known professors, reports sent back by local ministers and newspaper articles. The people responsible for communicating this information may be said to have functioned as ‘mimic men’ in the terminology of H.K. Bhabha. This supervised gathering and publication of local information created the foundation for the nationalist ideology and interest in ordinary people and local cultures that emerged at the end of the century and flourished during the 19th century.

Description: Each year Polar Record calls upon numerous scholars to assist in the demanding and intensive refereeing and peer-review procedures for manuscripts submitted for publication. These individuals give generously of their time and expertise to help ensure that a high academic quality is maintained in Polar Record. During the preparation of the four issues for 2011, the following individuals participated in the review and refereeing process. Our deep appreciation for their assistance is offered to all.

Description: Radiocarbon age determinations on marine shells in lateral moraines and other deposits several kms behind the present day termini of tidewater outlet glaciers from the Prince of Wales Icefield, east-central Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, as well as tidewater glaciers from two nearby ice-caps, show that these glaciers have fluctuated considerably through the Holocene, both in length and in thickness. The terminus of Leffert Glacier, for which the best documentation is available, has been more than 20 km west of the position that it occupied in 1898–1899, when it was mapped for the first time. Leffert Glacier was much reduced in size for a period of several thousand years, between roughly 6450 and 185014C years BP. Other major outlet glaciers that have experienced significant fluctuations of their termini during the Holocene are: 1) MacMillan, Ekblaw and Tanquary glaciers in the Baird Inlet area, 2) Stygge Glacier and adjacent unnamed glaciers at the head of Jokel Fiord, 3) Benedict Glacier at the head of Sawyer Bay and 4) Parrish Glacier, the southernmost outlet glacier from the Agassiz Ice Cap. Of the glaciers investigated, only Alfred Newton Glacier, south of Cape Herschel, has surged during the period of field observation (1977 to 2009), and this glacier is now receding from the position attained in a surge which commenced in 1981. The terminus of Ekblaw Glacier, at the head of Baird Inlet, is now well forward of the position it occupied in 1950, when the first aerial photograph coverage was achieved.

Description: At the start of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration there was great confusion concerning the cause of scurvy. It was known that it was related, in some way, to food but it was uncertain as to how, and there were two main theories. The first was that it was caused by a deficiency of fruit and vegetables and the other that it was caused by a toxic material in tinned foods. In addition, older theories that it was caused by dirt and damp still carried weight and Almroth Wright had proposed that scurvy was caused by too much acid in the blood. An additional confusion was that vitamin C deficiency was often combined with other vitamin deficiencies and so other diseases might be labelled as scurvy. The discovery of vitamins occurred over the same period but, as with all new scientific concepts, the knowledge that scurvy was caused by a vitamin deficiency took time to be universally accepted. It was generally accepted by about 1920, although some people did not accept it until vitamin C has been isolated in 1932.

Description: Antarctica is a rugged, austere, and yet stunningly beautiful continent with charismatic fauna including several species of penguins, whales, and seals. Mass media, writings from the early explorers, and modern film all describe firsthand experiences as delightful, beautiful, challenging, humbling, and even awe-inspiring. This dramatic allure of Antarctica now fuels one of the fastest growing tourism markets in the world with over 30,000 visitors annually traveling to the continent. Despite the fact that Antarctic tourism has occurred for over 30 years, little research has investigated the psychological and affective influence of these immersive tourism experiences in the Antarctic environment. This study explored visitors' affective judgments regarding their Antarctic tourism experience. An onsite post experience survey was administered to Antarctic tourists to investigate their satisfaction with a range of tour attributes. In addition, the researchers used the open-ended question, “How did this Antarctic experience affect you?” to explore tourists’ affective response to their interaction with the Antarctic tourism environment. These open ended responses were coded using a priori themes generated from Kellert's environmental values typology. Additionally, each response was analysed for the presence of an awe experience. Further analysis revealed that tourists described five sub-dimensions of an ‘awe’ experience (nature-human relationship, spiritual connection, transformative experience, goal clarification, and sense of feeling humbled), with many individuals experiencing multiple dimensions of awe. Consequently, this analysis reveals that the impact of an Antarctic tour experience is powerful, rich, and extremely complex.

Description: This paper develops a simple method for the detection of ‘vegetation anomalies’, locations where the amount of vegetation, estimated through the use of the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), is significantly lower than expected on the basis of topographic factors alone. The method is developed and tested using satellite imagery from the area around the town of Monchegorsk on the Kola Peninsula, Russia. This area has been subject to heavy levels of airborne industrial pollution for many years and the intended purpose of the method is to allow the extent of pollution damaged vegetation to be estimated with as few operational decisions as possible by the data analyst, thus suiting it for automation and for the analysis of time-series of satellite images. While the work described in this paper is to some extent preliminary, it does establish that spatial variations in the NDVI of undisturbed vegetation can, at least in the study area, be modelled satisfactorily using topographic variables, and that negative departures from this modelled variation are very strongly associated with industrially mediated damage.

Description: During the explorations of Pourquoi-Pas?, commanded by Jean Baptiste Charcot, in the Southern Ocean in the period 1908–1910, Ensign R.-E. Godfroy collected, between latitudes 64°09'S and 70°05'S, eleven samples of air, according to instructions given by Muntz and Luné (1911) for measuring the concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. The samples were later analysed in the laboratories of the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, Paris using basically the same methods as for the samples collected by the French First Polar Year expedition 1882–1883 (Baker 2009). The maximum concentration of CO2 was 255 ppm, the minimum 145 ppm (the sample taken at sea at 69°30'S) and the mean 205 ppm. The average of the concentrations in the samples made by the French first IPY expedition at Bahia Orange was 256ppm and the minimum was 231 ppm.

Description: The Arctic region is widely recognised to be one of the most sensitive to climate change. Here, the consequences of current trends will be felt most keenly; ice cap melting and thinning and the consequent implications for sea level rise and loss of habitat may be profound. Yet these regions remain amongst the most poorly chronicled. Recent advances in satellite monitoring and instrumental observations now provide valuable information, but this record extends over little more than half a century. For earlier times, the record is, at best, patchy and inconsistent. This is not, however, to imply that all such data and information have been recognised and fully exploited. This is far from the case and this paper draws attention to largely overlooked documentary sources that can extend our knowledge of the far North Atlantic climate back to the late eighteenth century. These documents consist of the logbooks of sailing ships navigating those hazardous waters in the late eighteenth and early- to mid-nineteenth centuries.This paper focuses specifically on those logbooks kept on board Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) ships on their regular annual voyages between the UK and Hudson's Bay between 1760 and 1870. The information they contain is shown to be detailed, reliable and of unique character for the period and place. The style and form of presentation of the logbooks is reviewed and particularly those aspects that deal with the daily meteorological information they contain. Attention is also drawn to the high degree of homogeneity found in the logbooks in terms of presentation and methods of preparation, rendering them directly and helpfully comparable one with another. A specific example is offered of the benefits of using these data and it is proposed that this set of logbooks, when taken collectively and, embracing as it does over a century from 1750 provides a matchless, substantial and uniformly reliable source of oceanic weather information for the far North Atlantic for what can be regarded as the ‘pre-instrumental’ period (before 1850).

Description: Willi Dansgaard, a great pioneer of climate research, died on 8 January 2011 at the age of 88. He was born on 30 August 1922 and grew up in the centre of Copenhagen where his parents had an engraving shop. He finished his university degree in physics, mathematics and astronomy in 1947 with a gold medal award for a thesis on X-ray dosimetry at the Biophysics Laboratory of the University of Copenhagen. From 1947 to 1951 he was employed by the Danish Meteorological Institute where he worked in geomagnetism and meteorology. In 1947–1948 he spent a year at the geomagnetic observatory in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland, and this led to a life long affection for that country.

Description: Alf Howard, (Fig. 1) died on 4 July 2010. He was the last surviving member of Sir Douglas Mawson's 1929–1931 British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) that made further extensive claims to sovereignty defining the limits of what was to become Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) in 1933. He was also the last survivor to have served aboard the coal-fired three-masted wooden ship Discovery built in Dundee for Captain Robert Falcon Scott's 1901–1904 National Antarctic Expedition.

Description: Determining the present precise location of Amundsen's tent is a function of 1) the precision of Amundsen's navigation in 1911, 2) the flow of ice since then, and 3) the amount of burial by intervening snow fall. These factors are discussed and it is concluded that the best location that can be given for the tent in December 2011 is 89° 58′ 51″ S, 46° 14′ E, and lying 17 m below the present snow surface. The uncertainty in the position is 0.3 km, and is mainly related to uncertainties in the original positioning. It can be concluded with high certainty that the tent lies between 1.8 and 2.5 km from the South Pole.

Description: Passion for the Antarctic is the third scene of Tangled destinies, a play written by Jason Kendall Moore, directed by María Angelica Luzzi, and performed by Daniela Meneses and the author. It opened on 17 July 2010, in Valparaíso, Chile, where it will run through the first week of September. The Center for Hemispheric and Polar Studies has funded its production to generate interest in U.S.–Chilean relations in the Antarctic and elsewhere.

Description: Preserving biodiversity and establishing healthy and thriving populations of predator animals are the expressed aims of many wildlife and ecosystem conservation projects and initiatives. However, such conservation strategies are often in conflict with the traditions, practices and land-use priorities of local communities. This article concentrates on the situation concerning the predation of reindeer (mainly by wolves) in Finland's southeast reindeer herding area and its immediate vicinity, but makes reference to the broader situation of predation and reindeer herding in Finland. Based on analysis of statistics and interviews with local stakeholders, the research findings refer to the intermingled contradictions related to conceptual, statistical and other management relevant knowledge and resulting problems, for example, in conservation hunting licensing. The article concludes that the wolf comprises a complex case for nature conservation initiatives and sustainable reindeer husbandry and that, in practice, it has particular implications compared to other policy approaches to dealing with the problem of animal predators. The article ends with some theoretical considerations as to whether we can improve our understanding of modern human-environment relations by deriving ideas from the actor-network theory debates.

Description: Due to the increased melting season in the arctic regions, especially in the seas surrounding Greenland, there has been an increased interest in utilising these waterways, both as an efficient transport route and an attractive leisure destination. However, with heavier traffic comes an increased risk of accidents. Due to the immense size and poor infrastructure of Greenland, it is not feasible to deploy ground based ship monitoring stations throughout the Greenland coastline. Thus the only feasible solution is to perform such surveillance from space. In this paper it is shown how it is possible to receive transmissions from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) from space and the quality of the received AIS signal is analysed. To validate the proposed theory, a field study, utilising a prototype of AAUSAT3, the third satellite from Aalborg University, was performed using a stratospheric balloon flight in the northern part of Sweden and Finland during the autumn of 2009. The analysis finds that, assuming a similar ship distribution as in the Barents Sea, it is feasible to monitor the ship traffic around Greenland from space with a satisfactory result.

Description: The state of pastures in the Finnish reindeer management area has been monitored since 1995 using remote sensing and field inventory. The first inventory was made in 1995–1996, updated in the beginning of 2000s and repeated in 2005–2008. By comparing results from 1995–1996 and 2005–2008 we can observe clear changes in forest cover, structure and ground lichen abundance. To evaluate pasture/vegetation changes on the basis of separate classifications we have used a grid approach. By implementing a 500 by 500 m grid network and summarizing pasture classes for every grid cell we can visualize and quantify intensity of change. By comparing 1995–1996 and 2005–2008 we can see a clear decrease in the number of cells classified old growth dominated forest, and also an increase of fragmentation can be detected. With a 7.5 ha threshold the amount of old growth forest was reduced by 5%, for 20 ha the decrease was 21%. This indicates a significant change in forest landscape structure, fragmentation and reduction of reindeer winter pasture value in large areas. Pixel wise comparison showed no substantial changes in pasture areas. There is a degree of uncertainty in change detection; changes in remote sensing instrument, changes in processing software and methodology, changes in field methods and ancillary data, and obviously also bias introduced by differences between analysts. When comparing reindeer lichen biomass between 1995–1996 and 2005–2008 on the basis of field site data, the measured lichen biomass has declined in 19 out of the 20 reindeer management districts. Only one district showed slight improvement, in three districts there was a notable drop in lichen biomass, from over 1500 kg/ha to about 500 kg/ha. Also amount of arboreal lichens declined due to felling of old growth forest, confirming the findings on the grid cell level. Consequently grass, shrub and sapling stands increased as felled areas start to grow graminoids and herbs.

Description: The 11th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium (ICRSS) was held at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge from 20 to 24 September 2010. The ICRSS series began in Yellowknife in 1990 and has been held biennially since then. The 2010 meeting was the sixth time it had been held in Europe and the second time in the UK, but the first time in Cambridge. 35 people attended the meeting, from 11 countries, and over 20 oral presentations were made in addition to a well-attended poster session. The majority of the oral presentations have been developed into papers and appear in this issue of Polar Record, having been subjected to the normal peer review and editorial process, and they give a fair idea of the range of topics covered at this lively meeting. Sessions at the symposium were organised around the themes of cross-platform observations, ice and snow, topography, vegetation and observations of animals. The last theme produced three fascinating presentations on the monitoring of penguins, seals and fish from spaceborne and airborne platforms. The papers in this issue address two broad areas: terrestrial ice and snow, and high-latitude vegetation (sea ice, and polar zoology, were also represented at the meeting). All of them deal to a greater or lesser extent with technological innovation in assessing, mapping and monitoring these aspects of the polar regions, and several of them focus strongly on the development of new methods, or the assessment of newly available datasets. This issue of Polar Record thus provides a limited snapshot of the ‘state of the art’ in remote sensing of polar regions. It is the result of sustained effort by the authors of the papers, and the team of anonymous reviewers. I am glad here to record my gratitude to all of them, and to the helpers at the symposium, particularly Katya Shipigina, Allen Pope and Claire Lampitt.

Description: Differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR) exploits the coherence between the phases of two or more satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) scenes taken from the same orbit to separate the phase contributions from topography and movement by subtracting either phase. Hence pure terrain displacement can be derived without residual height information in it, but only the component of movement in line-of-sight direction is represented in a differential interferogram. Comfortlessbreen, a recently surging glacier, flows predominantly in this direction with respect to the European Remote Sensing satellites ERS-1 and ERS-2. Four C-band SAR scenes from spring 1996 were selected because of the high coherence between the respective pairs of the 1-day repeat-pass tandem mission of the ERS sensors. 2-pass DInSAR is performed in combination with a SPOT5 (Satéllite pour l'Observation de la Terre 5) SPIRIT (SPOT5 stereoscopic survey of Polar Ice: Reference Images and Topography) digital elevation model (DEM) from 2007. The different processing steps and intermediate image products, including unwrapping and generation of displacement maps, are detailed in order to convey the DInSAR processing chain to the beginner in the field of interferometry. Maximum horizontal displacements of 18 to 20 cm d−1 in ground range direction can be detected at the glacier terminus, while a few centimetres per day characterised most of the middle and upper portions of Comfortlessbreen in spring 1996.

Description: The overall objective of this paper is to present and discuss the most recently developed vegetation map for Svalbard, Arctic Norway. The map is based on satellite images in which several Landsat TM/ETM+ images were processed through six operational stages involving: (1) automatic image classification, (2) spectral similarity analysis, (3) generation of classified image mosaics, (4) ancillary data analysis, (5) contextual correction, and (6) standardisation of the final map products. The developed map is differentiated into 18 map units interpreted from 37 spectral classes. Among the 18 units separated, six of the units comprise rivers, lakes and inland waters, glaciers, as well as non- to sparsely vegetated areas. The map unit 7 is a result of shadow effects and different types of distortions in the satellite image. The vegetation of the remaining eleven units varies from dense marshes and moss tundra communities to sparsely vegetated polar deserts and moist gravel snowbeds. The accuracy of the map is evaluated in areas were access to traditional maps have been available. The vegetation density and fertility is reflected in computed NDVI values. The map product is in digital format, which gives the opportunity to produce maps in different scales. A map sheet portraying the entire archipelago is one of the main products from this study, produced at a scale of 1:500,000.

Description: In 1949 a reassessment of the Imperial Russian Navy's Antarctic expedition of 1819–1821 was promulgated in the Soviet Union. The contention was that Russian seamen had made the first discovery of the mainland of Antarctica, two or three days before the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula was sighted by a British expedition, under William Smith and Edward Bransfield, sent to take formal possession of the South Shetland Islands. The new Soviet line apparently required that an important passage in a report which Captain Bellingshausen had sent from Australia in 1820 should, as far as possible, be overlooked or downplayed. Nineteenth century editions of the report and its covering letter are translated, the contemporary ice vocabulary in which they were phrased is explained, and the practice of discounting parts of them in the past and continuing to ignore those passages today is discussed.

Description: This note considers some of the WikiLeaks Arctic cables, and their possible implications for how we might understand the framing of the region. What matters is not so much the content of the leaked cables but rather the way in which their release stirred up debate about the underlying behaviour and motivation of interested parties, especially the Arctic Ocean coastal states. Their existence in the public domain usefully highlights the potential role for new knowledge networks and actors in the www era.

Description: The Northern Forum has been in existence for more than two decades. The cooperative initiatives implement through the forum allow sub-national governments from different parts of the world to improve the quality of life of northern inhabitants and to support their sustainable development. Over time, the forum has established a clear structure with self-created rules and guidelines. However, its legal status is somewhat ambiguous: it has neither fulfilled the essential criteria of an international organisation nor that of an intergovernmental cooperative body. Nevertheless, these shortcomings are not immense obstacles to the forum's ability to serve the well being of residents of the northern regions. The forum has granted membership to business organisations, as well as to sub-national governments, which is an innovative concept in international cooperation. This article examines the evolution, administrative system, and legal status of the forum along with its contribution to the development of international law. The article concludes with observations on how this unique international regional co-operation forum could be characterised under international law and whether it has any influence in creating new norms in international administrative and environmental law.

Description: Edward Augustus Inglefield is usually credited with penetrating Jones Sound to 84°W longitude during his Franklin search voyage of 1852. His chart of the region including Coburg Island replaced Horatio Austin's chart made in 1851 and became the accepted standard until the 20th century. By analysing Inglefield's map of Coburg Island it is shown that he made several errors in navigation and surveying which resulted in him believing he was further west than he really was and overestimating his speed. The results suggest he mistook Stewart Islands for Cone and Smith Islands and that his Sir Robert Inglis Peak reportedly seen near 84°W was actually Cone Island. Thus his penetration of Jones Sound was no further than Austin's the year before and the ready acceptance of his charts set back the mapping of that region of the Arctic for three quarters of a century.

Description: A concise account of exotic terrestrial mammals known to have been introduced in Antarctica and the 19 peri-Antarctic islands is provided. This includes the entire region currently relevant to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Of the 24 introduced species 10 are extant at one or more locations in 2011. Some species have had a widespread distribution and others are represented by one, or a few, individuals. The majority arrived as deliberate introductions but that of some was adventitious. Details of their dates of introduction, current status, and indications of environmental effects, are tabulated. Current eradication programmes are noted.

Description: The boreal vegetation of the sub-Arctic comprises more than 30% of the Earth's forest area and plays a major role in controlling the global environment. In the 20th century the boreal vegetation of Fennoscandia was significantly changed by heavy industrialisation leaving many forest areas damaged or dying. Due to severe climate conditions of the sub-Arctic such vegetation changes are traceable over long periods of time. This provides an opportunity to study all types of human impact on vegetation in time and to develop methods to monitor geographical and structural changes in the vegetation cover. Here we present the first part of a larger study in which we use the remote sensing technique to investigate the dynamics of the boreal vegetation in Fennoscandia in context of human impact. We have developed a novel method for an automated analysis and mapping of vegetation and of all types of human impact based on a single support-vector-machines classifier (for the whole area). Implemented with free and open source software the method uses Landsat TM and ETM+ band data (for which it automatically performs atmospheric correction) and a number of indices like NDVI, NBR, etc. The accuracy of the 16-class classification has been assessed using field data and literature sources and determined to be 74.1%. The method has been successfully applied to a study area around Monchegorsk, Kola peninsula, Russia, the most industrialised part of northern Europe. We have characterised all major types of human impact on the boreal forest and tundra vegetation performing the change detection analysis in an area of 1750 km2 between 1986 and 2005. The analysis has confirmed industrial atmospheric pollutions as the primary type of human impact here. We have discussed the role of forest fires and uncovered temporal trends in the vegetation cover. We have found that during the 19 years covered by the study more than one third of all coniferous forest in the area was transformed primarily to wetland, deciduous forest and typical tundra vegetation. The success of the method in this area allows us to extend the study to the rest of Fennoscandia and look at large scale changes in the boreal vegetation cover.

Description: During January 1911 two separate expeditions came ashore within ten days of each other in Antarctica. Both were hoping to achieve the South Pole. Robert Falcon Scott's decision to establish his British Antarctic Expedition's winter quarters on Ross Island close to routes explored on his first Antarctic expedition was signalled in advance. Scott had received notification of the Norwegian Roald Amundsen's intention to head for Antarctica but did not know where he planned to land. At 00.05 am on 4 February 1911 the British expedition's vessel Terra Nova unexpectedly came across Amundsen's Fram moored to the ice edge in the Bay of Whales. 14 hours later Terra Nova departed, taking news of Amundsen's location and plans, to deliver to Scott. For those on Terra Nova who kept diaries, the event filled days surrounding the encounter spurred the recording of thoughts, emotions and conversations as well as descriptions: eye witness accounts, allowing us to gain an appreciation of the situation as it was. This material from the British side, together with letters, and diary entries from earlier in the voyage, reveals a more complex account than do expedition narratives published subsequently by several of the participants. Terra Nova's passage along the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf in February 1911 had, in fact, come close to being cancelled. Terra Nova's commander as instructed by Scott was heading for Balloon Bight on 3 February, not the Bay of Whales. Even the ship's departure after a short stay, with everyone still on board, became a matter for intense debate. In addition, the generally very positive attitude of the British towards the Norwegians as expressed in diaries hardened subsequently, at least for some. This paper's focus is on the responses of those on Terra Nova to the encounter. Those of the Norwegians are being explored by other researchers.

Description: Very high precision satellite altimeter measurements from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System onboard NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) have allowed a method of feature tracking to be developed for floating ice which relies on recording the movement of large surface undulations. This method is applied to a section of the Ross Ice Shelf downstream of the grounding line of the Beardmore Glacier, Antarctica. The altimetry method has benefits over established optical and interferometric remote sensing techniques due to high pointing accuracy for geo-location, ability to deal with tidal fluctuations and to measure velocity where visible surface features are absent. Initial processing of a single sequence of ICESat tracks gives encouraging results for unidirectional ice flow with correlations between surface profiles in consecutive years exceeding 90% and producing high internal consistency in velocity between independent tracks. Velocities of 331 ± 28 m a−1 near to the grounding line are also consistent with available ground measurements for the area.

Description: A new source of digital elevation data, the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) global digital elevation model (GDEM), has been freely available since 2009. It provides enormously greater coverage of the Arctic than previous satellite derived ‘global’ digital elevation models, extending to a latitude of 83 °N in contrast to 60 °N. The GDEM is described as a preliminary, research grade product. This paper investigates its accuracy in a number of specifically Arctic landscapes, including ice and snow, boreal forest, tundra and unvegetated terrain, using test sites in Svalbard, Iceland, Norway and Russia. Semivariogram analysis is used to characterise the magnitude and spatial correlation of errors in the GDEM products from the test sites. The analysis suggests that the horizontal resolution of the GDEM data is around 130 m, somewhat coarser than the sampling interval of 1 second of latitude and longitude. The vertical accuracy is variable, and the factors influencing it have not been systematically explored. However, it appears that the likely accuracy can be estimated from ‘stacking number’ data supplied with the elevation data. The stacking number is the number of independent digital elevation models averaged to generate the supplied product. Provided that this number is greater than around 6 the data have an rms accuracy of typically 5–10 m.

Description: Those readers of Polar Record who are familiar with the narratives of Scott, Shackleton and Mawson during the ‘heroic age’ of Antarctic exploration, will have come across a sledging food called ‘plasmon’. Here, therefore, for their amusement is an outside page of an advertisement for that product, probably of the 1890's or early 1900's (Fig. 1). It measures 12 × 9 inches. Only the front and back pages form the advertisement which indicates on the back page that plasmon is available from all groceries and that a teaspoon a day ‘will prove a great aid to health and strength’. The centre pages carry the words and music of a song entitled ‘Humpty and Dumpty’ said to have been sung by Miss Ellaline Terriss (1871–1971), the well known, and long lived, actress and singer.

Description: James Croll (1821–1890) was a Scottish scientist who made major, although still largely unrecognised, contributions to the theory of the effects of variations in the Earth's orbit on the global climate. He was the first to identify the importance of positive feedbacks in the climate system, especially the ice-albedo feedback, and he placed the astrochronological method on a sound footing. Croll's theory was the first to predict multiple ice ages. However, it was unable to place the end of the most recent glaciation more recently than 80,000 years ago, and as evidence accumulated throughout the 19th century for a much more recent date than this Croll's theory fell into neglect. We argue that this was particularly unfortunate since several of his key ideas were forgotten, and that this has delayed the development of the orbital theory of paleoclimate.

Description: As the axis powers were denied access to data from international weather stations under allied control, soon after the outbreak of World War II Germany had to establish her own network of manned and automatic weather stations throughout the north Atlantic. These operations were primarily run by the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe. In Greenland, several manned weather stations were established by the former. The two most successful of those were Holzauge and Bassgeiger in Northeast Greenland, each in operation for almost an entire year in 1942–1943 and 1943–1944 respectively. The allied forces, in return, had established the North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol in 1941, in order to defend the Northeast Greenland coast against German activities. In 2007 and 2008, archaeologists and historians from the National Museum of Denmark investigated the remains of the allied station at Eskimonæs on Clavering Ø (Clavering Island) and the German station Holzauge at Hansa Bugt on Sabine Ø (Sabine Island).

Description: The European Union's (EU's) intention of becoming a permanent observer in the Arctic Council and the reluctance of Arctic actors to grant it that status have made the union's aspirations in the Arctic the subject of a continuing debate. The discussion appears to be dominated by geographical considerations and the EU's gradually emerging Arctic policy. This article puts forward a different view of the EU's presence in the region, one drawing on an analysis of relevant EU competences. As a complex international actor, the EU has acquired a broad array of decision-making powers from its member states, powers that partly extend to Iceland and Norway via the EEA Agreement. Moreover, the EU has in many cases become a relevant actor in international negotiations and treaty making processes the outcomes of which are of crucial importance for the governance of the Arctic. Our argument in the third and concluding section is that only by including the EU in Arctic governance can the international community provide better prospects for the union to sensitise its policies and discourses to the Arctic realities and for other Arctic actors to understand how the union functions. This argument is supported by an analysis of the EU's restrictions on the import of seal products and the ensuing litigation.

Description: SUMMARYA cropping system is the consequence of environmental and socio-economic conditions that determine the intensity of agricultural land use. Accurate information on regional land use intensity and changes in land use intensity is important for food security and sustainable resource management in China. Therefore, a better understanding of the spatial and temporal changes in arable land use intensity (ALUI) based on the cropping system used is essential to comprehend the changes in land use and the sustainability of the food system. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the spatial difference in ALUI and how it has changed in China by comparing data on cropping systems from 1985 and 2005. The basic cropping system data were acquired from the 1985 reference book and the 2005 national land use investigation. The ALUI was defined by the application of inputs (irrigation water and fertilizer) to arable land and the duration of disturbances (the duration of cultivation and the frequency of cropping), and it was calculated using the information entropy approach at the cropping region scale (cropping region being defined by the geographical and climatic conditions at the beginning of the 1980s). Spatial and temporal changes in the ALUI in China over the past two decades were observed and analysed. The results indicated a clear pattern in ALUI, increasing from the north to the south in 2005. Furthermore, the ALUI significantly increased after the 1980s, but the rate of increase was lower in the south than in the north. The most intensive land use in 1985 was in the area of the lower reach of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, and it expanded northwards towards the Huang-Huai-Hai plain in 2005. The large increase in intensity in the northern single-cropping regions was strongly associated with a rapid increase in inputs and longer duration of cultivation. Decreases in duration of cultivation and planting area helped slow the ALUI increase in multiple cropping regions, which were concentrated in coastal and economically developed regions where more fertile soil and suitable climates existed, allowing the growth of multiple crops. These results suggested that a decrease in the planting area and a slow increase in the ALUI in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, South China, Southeast China and Northeast China should be of concern, but land use in some western regions should maintain the land production capacity to build sustainable cropping. In the future, it will be necessary to produce more food in a more sustainable way.

Description: SUMMARYThe control of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and its aphid vectors in minimum tillage (MT) and conventionally tilled (CT) winter barley by insecticide seed and foliar spray treatments was investigated in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Similar investigations were undertaken on winter wheat in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Aphids numbers in autumn and BYDV in spring on barley and wheat were significantly lower on MT relative to CT crops, in two of the six seasons. An insecticide spray at Zadoks growth stage (GS) 25 significantly reduced aphids and virus in both MT and CT crops in three of the six seasons of the study. An additional spray at GS 22 provided no benefit. Aphids were significantly fewer in three of the six seasons on crops grown from insecticide treated seeds, relative to untreated seeds. Both MT and CT barley sprayed at GS 25 had significantly fewer aphids than the seed treatment in one of the three seasons. Seed-treated MT and CT barley had significantly less BYDV than controls but significantly more than crops sprayed at GS 25. CT wheat grown from insecticide-treated seed had significantly less BYDV than controls. Overall, CT barley grown from insecticide-treated seed had 6-fold more BYDV than the sprayed crop, while untreated barley had 22-fold more than the spray treatment. In MT barley, the comparable values were 3- and 10-fold respectively. BYDV was almost exclusively the MAV strain. The grain yield for insecticide-sprayed CT barley was significantly greater in two of three seasons than that for untreated plots. In general, MT and CT barley receiving an insecticide spray had greater grain yield than barley grown from insecticide-treated seed, with differences being significant in one of three seasons. It is concluded that BYDV in MT and CT cereals is better controlled by applying a pyrethroid insecticide spray between GS 23 and 25, in autumn, than by treating the seed with a nitroguanidine-type insecticide. In MT crops, a single spray between GS 23 and 25 will give effective control of MAV-type BYDV.

Description: SUMMARYNear isogenic lines (NILs) varying for alleles for reduced height (Rht) and photoperiod insensitivity (Ppd-D1a) in a cvar Mercia background (rht (tall), Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht-B1c, Rht8c+Ppd-D1a, Rht-D1c, Rht12) were compared at a field site in Berkshire, UK, but within different systems (‘organic’, O, in 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 growing seasons v. ‘conventional’, C, in 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09). In 2007 and 2008, further NILs (rht (tall), Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht-B1c, Rht-B1b+Rht-D1b, Rht-D1b+Rht-B1c) in both Maris Huntsman and Maris Widgeon backgrounds were added. The contrasting systems allowed NILs to be tested in diverse rotational and agronomic, but commercially relevant, contexts, particularly with regard to the assumed temporal distribution of nitrogen availability, and competition from weeds.For grain, nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE; grain dry matter (DM) yield/available N; where available N=fertilizer N+soil mineral N), recovery of N in the grain (grain N yield/available N), N utilization efficiency to produce grain (NUtEg; grain DM yield/above-ground crop N yield), N harvest index (grain N yield/above-ground crop N yield) and dry matter harvest index (DMHI; grain DM yield/above-ground crop DM yield) all peaked at final crop heights of 800–950 mm. Maximum NUE occurred at greater crop heights in the organic system than in the conventional system, such that even adding just a semi-dwarfing allele (Rht-D1b) to the shortest background, Mercia, reduced NUE in the organic system. The mechanism of dwarfing (gibberellin sensitive or insensitive) made little difference to the relationship between NUE and its components with crop height.For above-ground biomass: dwarfing alleles had a greater effect on DM accumulation compared with N accumulation such that all dwarfing alleles could reduce nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE; crop DM yield/crop N yield). This was particularly evident at anthesis in the conventional system when there was no significant penalty for severe dwarfism for N accumulation, despite a 3-tonne (t)/ha reduction in biomass compared to the tallest lines. Differences between genotypes for recovery of N in the grain were thus mostly a function of net N uptake after anthesis rather than of remobilized N. This effect was compounded as dwarfing, except when coupled with Ppd-D1a, was associated with delayed anthesis. In the organic experiments there was greater reliance on N accumulated before anthesis, and genotype effects on NUE were confounded with effects on N accumulated by weeds, which was negatively associated with crop height. Optimum height for maximizing wheat NUE and its components, as manipulated by Rht alleles, thus depend on growing system, and crop utilization (i.e. biomass or grain production).

Description: SUMMARYAmmonia (NH3) volatilization from soil-applied manure not only causes environmental pollution but also reduces the fertilization value of the manure. Anaerobic digestion and solid/liquid separation alter the physical and chemical characteristics of slurry, which affect NH3 emissions after application. The present study measured potential laboratory NH3 losses from different manures, untreated pig slurry and the liquid fractions of each untreated and digested slurry, after their application to two different soil types. The experiment was carried out in dynamic chambers using a photoacoustic infrared gas analyser to determine the NH3 concentration in the air stream directly.The estimated values of nitrogen (N) emitted for surface-applied, untreated pig slurry were 0·26±0·064 mg per mg of applied total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN). For the liquid fractions of pig slurry and digested pig slurry, results were 0·13±0·064 and 0·16±0·064 mg/mg, respectively. Initial NH3–N emission rates from surface-applied, untreated pig slurry were higher than those measured for either liquid fraction; in the case of the untreated pig slurry, half was emitted in the first 4·9 h of measurement. Silty-loam soil showed a higher N emission than loam soil with surface-applied slurries. This result was probably due to the higher infiltration rate of loam soil, even offsetting the effect of its high soil pH. Immediate manure incorporation into the soil was shown to reduce NH3 emissions by 82%. Results demonstrated that a method combining dynamic chambers with a photoacoustic gas analyser was as reliable as the widely used acid traps method. Moreover, direct measurement with the gas analyser permits an increasing temporal resolution that gave a high-quality description of the NH3 emission dynamic.

Description: SUMMARYA SUGAR model, which was established to predict the partitioning of carbon into sucrose, glucose, fructose and sorbitol in fruit mesocarp of peach cultivars (Prunus persica (L.) Batch) with normal glucose: fructose ratio (G:F) of 0·8–1·5, was evaluated and extended for peach cultivars with a high G:F ratio of 1·5–7·8. The extended model (SUGARb) is more generic and assumes a high G:F ratio to be due to preferential transformation of sorbitol into glucose, preferential utilization of fructose or preferential conversion of fructose into glucose. The simulated seasonal variations in sugars via the SUGARb-model-matched experimental data for three normal and three high G:F cultivars well, and accurately exhibited G:F ratio characteristics. The relative rates of sucrose transformation into glucose and fructose differed according to cultivar but not according to G:F status. Compared with hexosephosphate interconversion, a lower production rate of fructose than glucose from sorbitol, and/or a higher utilization rate of fructose than that of glucose might be preferential alternatives for forming high G:F ratios in the high G:F cultivars studied in the present study, which is discussed in the light of recent results on enzyme activities.

Description: SUMMARYThe predicted 2–4°C increment in temperature by the end of the 21st Century poses a threat to rice production. The impact of high temperatures at night is more devastating than day-time or mean daily temperatures. Booting and flowering are the stages most sensitive to high temperature, which may sometimes lead to complete sterility. Humidity also plays a vital role in increasing the spikelet sterility at increased temperature. Significant variation exists among rice germplasms in response to temperature stress. Flowering at cooler times of day, more pollen viability, larger anthers, longer basal dehiscence and presence of long basal pores are some of the phenotypic markers for high-temperature tolerance. Protection of structural proteins, enzymes and membranes and expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) are some of the biochemical processes that can impart thermo-tolerance. All these traits should be actively exploited in future breeding programmes for developing heat-resistant cultivars. Replacement of heat-sensitive cultivars with heat-tolerant ones, adjustment of sowing time, choice of varieties with a growth duration allowing avoidance of peak stress periods, and exogenous application of plant hormones are some of the adaptive measures that will help in the mitigation of forecast yield reduction due to global warming.

Description: SUMMARYSummer pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) is an herbaceous plant with big fruits and oily seeds. Photosynthetic oxygen release was previously proposed to promote storage activity of seeds under internal hypoxia, in particular in oilseeds. Photosynthetic activity or any other function of chlorophylls from pumpkin seeds has never been demonstrated. The aim of the present research was to test whether illumination of pumpkin fruits has any influence on the yield and to measure photosynthetic activity of pumpkin seeds. The fruits grown in the dark were not significantly different from controls exposed to light in regard to fruit weight, size, number and weight of seeds or the content of lipids and pigments. Delayed fluorescence measurement showed no photosynthetic activity in pumpkin seeds in any developmental stage. Fruit wall, on the other hand, had significant photosynthetic activity. It is concluded that chlorophyll in pumpkin seeds does not mediate photosynthesis, which would in turn result in increased pumpkin yield.

Description: SUMMARYThe objective of the present study was to determine the optimal culling strategy in relation to biological and economic efficiency (BE and EE, respectively) and annualized net revenue (AN) in the Japanese Black cow–calf production system with special reference to the beef quality of culled cows. The herd model focused on two ways of mating: one-mating trial system (ONE) and continuous-mating trial system (CON). ONE assumed that heifers that fail to conceive are culled and cows that fail to conceive are culled at weaning of their calves, while CON assumed that mating continues until all females theoretically conceive. Least square means of carcass data of Japanese Black cows collected from a cooperative farm in Japan were used to estimate the carcass price of a cow by parity and Beef Marbling Standard (BMS) number. The simulation, assuming the current production situation in Japan, indicated that sales of culled cows accounted for 0·10–0·20 of total sales and was an important element in total production. Comparisons between ONE and CON showed that production efficiency in the current situation is higher in CON. The BE, EE and AN were higher in CON than in ONE. The two economic indicators were less sensitive to changes in annual discount rate but highly sensitive to changes in female calf price and BMS number of cows, indicating the importance of considering fluctuations in calf price and potential quality of culled cows’ carcasses when estimating the economically optimal parity of culling. The three indicators derived different optimal solutions even in the same mating trial systems, stressing the importance of choice of production indicators when determining the culling strategy and evaluating animal production.

Description: SUMMARYHydrothermal time (HTT) is a valuable environmental synthesis to predict weed emergence. However, weed scientists face practical problems in determining the best soil depth at which to calculate it. Two different types of measures are proposed for this: moment-based indices and probability density-based indices. Due to the monitoring process, it is not possible to observe the exact emergence time of every seedling; therefore, emergence times are not observed individually, seedling by seedling, but in an aggregated way. To address these facts, some new methods to estimate the proposed indices are derived, using grouped data estimators and kernel density estimators. The proposed methods have been exemplified with an emergence data set of Bromus diandrus. The results indicate that hydrothermal timing at 50 mm is more useful than that at 10 mm.

Description: SUMMARYAn inventory of topsoil soil organic carbon (SOC) content in household farms was performed in a village from a red earth region in Jiangxi Province, China in 2003. In this region, the farmland managed by each household is fragmented, consisting of several plots of land that are not necessarily adjacent to each other. A statistical analysis of SOC variation with land use and household management type, and with crop management practices was conducted. Plot size ranged from 0·007 to 0·630 ha with a mean of 0·1 ha, and SOC content ranged from 1·72 to 25·2 g/kg, varying widely with a variety of land management and agricultural practices, arising from individual household behaviours. The mean SOC content in plot size

Description: SUMMARYThe present paper provides a geographically scaled analysis of adaptation to climate change using adoption of agricultural systems observed across Africa. Usingc. 9000 farm surveys, spatial logit models were applied to explain observed agricultural system choices by climate variables after accounting for soils, geography and other household characteristics. The results reveal that strong neighbourhood effects exist and a spatial re-sampling and bootstrapping approach can remove them. The crops-only system is adopted most frequently in the lowland humid forest, lowland sub-humid, mid-elevation sub-humid Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs) and in the highlands in the east and in southern Africa. Integrated farming is favoured in the lowland dry savannah, moist savannah and semi-arid zones in West Africa and eastern coastal zones. A livestock-only system is favoured most in the mid/high-elevation moist savannahs located in southern Africa. Under a hot and dry Canadian Climate Centre (CCC) scenario, the crops-only system should move out from the currently favoured regions of humid zones in the lowlands towards the mid-/high elevations. It declines by more than 5% in the lowland savannahs. Integrated farming should increase across all the AEZs by as much as 5%, but less so in the deserts or in the humid forest zones in the mid-/high elevations. A livestock-only system should increase by 2–5% in the lowland semi-arid, dry savannah and moist savannah zones in the lowlands. Adaptation measures should be carefully scaled, up or down, considering geographic and ecological differentials as well as household characteristics, as proposed in the present study.

Description: SUMMARYBrassica rapa subsp. rapa L. includes three different crops: turnips (roots), turnip greens (leaves) and turnip tops (inflorescences). A collection of B. rapa subsp. rapa from north-western Spain is currently kept at ‘Misión Biológica de Galicia’ (a research centre of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain). This collection has been characterized based on morphological and agronomical traits. A better understanding of the genetic diversity present in the collection is necessary in order to optimize its use and maintenance. The objectives of the present work were to assess the genetic diversity present in the B. rapa subsp. rapa collection, to establish genetic relationships among populations and to study the genetic structure of the collection. Eighty populations were analysed based on 18 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Populations showed a broad range of genetic diversity, thus offering good potential for further genetic improvement. Most of the variability was found within the population level, probably due to high rates of allogamy, to migration and/or interchange of seed among local growers. Populations showed a low level of differentiation, grouping in just one cluster, and therefore they can be considered as samples of a highly variable metapopulation that can be used for B. rapa breeding programmes.

Description: SUMMARYTo meet the increasing global demand for food that is predicted over the coming decades it will be necessary to increase productivity and to do this in a way that is sustainable and efficient in its use of resources. Productivity is currently determined by the intrinsic genetic potential of the domestic plants and animals on which mankind is dependent as well as by components of the biophysical environment (temperature, water availability and quality, soil fertility, parasites, pathogens, weeds) from which terrestrial or aquatic food production is derived. Within certain limits, it is possible to manipulate plant and animal genotypes, the production environment, and the inevitable interaction between these factors, to relax constraints on productivity and potential output. Looking to the future, increased scientific understanding will undoubtedly permit this manipulation to be achieved more effectively, thus enabling the scale of production to be elevated predictably while reducing reliance on non-renewable inputs and limiting the use of more forest, grassland, wetland or coastal margin. The present paper introduces a collection of reviews that were commissioned as part of the UK's Government Office of Science Foresight Project on Global Food and Farming Futures which reports early in 2011. The reviews explore opportunities for advances in science and technology to impact in coming decades on the sustainable productivity of terrestrial and aquatic food production systems. Collectively, they describe many of the approaches currently being considered to define, remove or relax the different genetic or environmental constraints limiting sustainable food production. These include: potential impacts of climate change on aquatic systems, the application of biotechnology, genetics and the development of systems to improve livestock, fish and crop production; approaches to the management of parasites and pathogens; weed control in crops; management of soil fertility; approaches to countering problems of water shortage; reducing post-harvest wastage; the role of advanced engineering and the potential for increasing food production in urban environments.

Description: SUMMARYThe coding region of the alpaca Agouti signalling protein (ASIP) gene was sequenced. It was determined to be 402 nucleotides long and code for a protein that is 133 amino acids long. Eight mutations were identified in a sample of 15 alpaca, five in the coding region and three in the introns flanking the exons. In silico analysis showed that three of the five mutations in the coding sequence, c.325_381del57, c.292C〉T and c.353G〉A are probable loss-of-function mutations. The three mutations were strongly associated with black fibre colour, with 0·90 of black alpacas in the current study having two copies of one or another of the mutations. However, not all black animals displayed the putative ‘aa’ genotype, and almost half of the non-black animals did display that genotype. Contributing factors such as regulatory region mutations, interactions of ASIP with melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), the effect of dilution genes and subjective phenotype assignment are discussed. These mutations will allow alpaca breeders to select for or against black, but they do not explain all black phenotypes in this species.

Description: SUMMARYDamping off is the most common disease caused by edaphic fungi in Spanish crops, among which Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 stands out. In the present work, two possible methods of control were evaluated, incorporation of different doses of organic matter (OM; obtained from strawberry crops) and Pseudomonas fluorescens as a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). The highest inhibition (43% less) against the pathogen was found in the assays that used 20 g of biofumigant/kg soil. Inoculation of the P. fluorescens strain (PGPR) did not protect against the pathogen. In addition, the microbial evolution during incubation with OM was studied. For this purpose, the bacterial and fungal catabolic profiles were determined (using Biolog Eco and FF plates, respectively) as well as bacterial counts of total aerobes, Pseudomonas sp. and aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-degrading populations, during OM incorporation. This agro-technique produced changes in microbial catabolic community profiles, increasing bacterial metabolic activity and minimizing metabolic diversity of micro-organisms under control with and without pathogen. As for microbial counts, aerobic and ACC-degrading populations decreased while Pseudomonas sp. population increased with OM treatments.The OM amendment applied to control the damping off caused by R. solani is viable; it is more environmentally friendly and has a lower economic cost than chemical controls and, therefore, it could serve as a component in integrated-management programmes.

Description: SUMMARYThe present study is focused on the potential occurrence of the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Say 1824), an important potato pest, and the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis, Hübner 1796), the most important maize pest, during climate change. Estimates of the current potential distribution of both pest species as well as their distribution in the expected climate conditions are based on the CLIMEX model. The study covers central Europe, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and parts of Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Slovenia, the northern parts of Serbia, parts of Croatia and northern Italy. The validated model of the pests’ geographical distribution was applied within the domain of the regional climate model (RCM) ALADIN, at a resolution of 10 km. The weather series that was the input for the CLIMEX model was prepared by a weather generator (WG) which was calibrated with the RCM-simulated weather series (for the period of 1961–90). To generate a weather series for two future time periods (2021–50 and 2071–2100), the WG parameters were modified according to 12 climate change scenarios produced by the pattern scaling method. The standardized scenarios derived from three global climate models (HadCM, NCAR-PCM and ECHAM) were scaled by low, middle and high values of global temperature change estimated by the Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change (MAGICC) model (assuming three combinations of climatic sensitivity and emission scenarios). The results of present study suggest the likely widening of the pests’ habitats and an increase in the number of generations per year. According to the HadCM-high scenario, the area of arable land affected by a third generation per season of Colorado potato beetle in 2050 is c. 45% higher, and by a second generation of the European corn borer is nearly 61% higher, compared to present levels.

Description: SUMMARYThe objective of the present paper was to study the impact of climate change on grain yield, water balance, crop water productivity (CWP) and water requirements for the summer-sown maize in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Climate-change scenarios (Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) A1B, A2 and B1) were derived from the general circulation model ECHAM 5 and the crop model CERES-Maize was used to simulate impacts of the applied climate scenarios. Calibration and validation of the crop models were carried out for the summer-sown maize in 2007 and for the spring-sown maize in 2008. Three predefined reduced irrigation scenarios were compared to traditional irrigation practices for the summer-sown maize. Under the current conditions, scenario S1 (one irrigation event skipped at the vegetative stage) showed a higher simulated yield than scenario S2 (one irrigation event skipped at the grain-filling stage) due to higher water drainage and nitrogen (N) leaching rates in scenario S2. Scenario S3 (irrigation events skipped at both crop establishment and the grain-filling stage) showed significantly higher grain yield because it had the lowest drainage and N leaching rates. In this irrigation scenario, 60 mm of water were saved compared to the other two scenarios, and much more water was saved compared to the traditional local regime.In the predicted climatic scenarios and with reduced irrigation, the simulated maize yields and crop water productivities were affected differently. For the period from 2036 to 2065, a more significant yield decrease was shown in all emission and irrigation scenarios. A yield decrease was simulated by both, including and not including the direct effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on photosynthesis. However, the simulated direct effect of elevated CO2 was to produce higher yield and CWP in all scenarios. The highest grain yields and crop water productivities were achieved in the reduced irrigation scenario S3 for all emission scenarios and climatic periods for the same reason as under the current conditions (N leaching). However, the yield differences between the climate scenarios were mainly due to the shortening of the simulated growing period. This was caused by increased temperatures compared to current conditions. A shortened growing cycle reduced the potential time for biomass accumulation and in the present case it was not balanced by the CO2 fertilizing effect (without a potential change in maize cultivars).By simulating optimum yields (where automatic irrigation is determined by the model to receive optimum yield), under the current conditions it was found that 285 mm of irrigation would ensure the highest grain yield and CWP (30 mm more than under irrigation scenario S3). In this case, actual evapotranspiration reached 373 mm and less deep drainage and N leaching occurred. In the future climate scenarios, optimum yields and irrigation demands diminished depending on the emission scenario, but CWP increased slightly.The present simulation study shows a clear decreasing yield trend for autumn maize under a warm climate for each type of (unchanged) irrigation management due to the shortening of the growing period. However, in the current climate, as well as in the future climate scenarios, maize yield levels could be improved by optimized (and reduced) irrigation compared to traditional irrigation due to reduced N leaching. Even in the scenario with the highest warming trend (A1B emission scenario for the period 2036–65), the current yield levels could be kept or even improved.

Description: SUMMARYThe challenge for the next 50 years is to increase the productivity of major livestock species to address the food needs of the world, while at the same time minimizing the environmental impact. The present review presents an optimistic view of this challenge. The completion of genome sequences, and high-density analytical tools to map genetic markers, allows for whole-genome selection programmes based on linkage disequilibrium for a wide spectrum of traits, simultaneously. In turn, it will be possible to redefine genetic prediction based on allele sharing, rather than pedigree relationships and to make breeding value predictions early in the life of the peak sire. Selection will be applied to a much wider range of traits, including those that are directed towards environmental or adaptive outcomes. In parallel, reproductive technologies will continue to advance to allow acceleration of genetic selection, probably including recombination in vitro. Transgenesis and/or mutagenesis will be applied to introduce new genetic variation or desired phenotypes. Traditional livestock systems will continue to evolve towards more intensive integrated farming modes that control inputs and outputs to minimize the impact and improve efficiency. The challenges of the next 50 years can certainly be met, but only if governments reverse the long-term disinvestment in agricultural research.

Description: SUMMARYEstimates of uncertainties are essential when comparing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a variety of sources. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) was applied to estimate the uncertainties in methane emissions and the methane emission intensities from livestock in Canada, calculated using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. National methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in 2008 were 21·2 and 4·3 Teragram CO2 equivalents (Tg CO2e) with uncertainties of 38 and 73%, respectively. The methane emission intensities (kg of CO2e per kg of live animal weight) were 5·9, 0·9 and 4·9 from Canadian beef, swine and lamb, respectively, with overall uncertainties of 44, 99 and 101%, defined as the 95% confidence interval relative to the mean. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that IPCC default parameters such as the methane conversion rate (Ym), the coefficient for calculating net energy for maintenance (Cfi) and the methane conversion factor (MCF) were the greatest sources of uncertainty. Canadian agricultural methane emissions are usually calculated by province and by animal subcategories. However, the IPCC default parameters can be assumed to be correlated among regions and animal subcategories; therefore values are assigned at the national scale for the main cattle categories (dairy and non-dairy cattle). When it was assumed that these parameters were uncorrelated at the regional scale, the overall uncertainties were reduced to 20 and 48% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively, and assuming that parameters were uncorrelated at the animal subcategory scale reduced uncertainties to 13 and 41% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively. When the uncertainty is assigned at the most disaggregated level, even doubling the uncertainty of key parameters such as Ym and Cfi, only increased the national uncertainties to 22 and 52% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively. The current analysis demonstrated the importance of obtaining parameters specific to regions and animal subcategories in order to estimate GHG emissions more accurately and to reduce the uncertainties in agricultural GHG inventories. It also showed that assumptions made in the calculation of uncertainties can have a large influence on the uncertainty estimates.

Description: SUMMARYGlobal climate change is predicted to shift seasonal temperature and precipitation patterns. An increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves and prolonged droughts is predicted, but there are high levels of uncertainty about the nature of local changes. Crop adaptation will be important in reducing potential damage to agriculture. Crop diversity may enhance resilience to climate variability and changes that are difficult to predict. Therefore, there has to be sufficient diversity within the set of available cultivars in response to weather parameters critical for yield formation. To determine the scale of such ‘weather response diversity’ within barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), an important crop in northern conditions, the yield responses of a wide range of modern and historical varieties were analysed according to a well-defined set of critical agro-meteorological variables. The Finnish long-term dataset of MTT Official Variety Trials was used together with historical weather records of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The foci of the analysis were firstly to describe the general response of barley to different weather conditions and secondly to reveal the diversity among varieties in the sensitivity to each weather variable. It was established that barley yields were frequently reduced by drought or excessive rain early in the season, by high temperatures at around heading, and by accelerated temperature sum accumulation rates during periods 2 weeks before heading and between heading and yellow ripeness. Low temperatures early in the season increased yields, but frost during the first 4 weeks after sowing had no effect. After canopy establishment, higher precipitation on average resulted in higher yields. In a cultivar-specific analysis, it was found that there were differences in responses to all but three of the studied climatic variables: waterlogging and drought early in the season and temperature sum accumulation rate before heading. The results suggest that low temperatures early in the season, delayed sowing, rain 3–7 weeks after sowing, a temperature change 3–4 weeks after sowing, a high temperature sum accumulation rate from heading to yellow ripeness and high temperatures (⩾25°C) at around heading could mostly be addressed by exploiting the traits found in the range of varieties included in the present study. However, new technology and novel genetic material are needed to enable crops to withstand periods of excessive rain or drought early in the season and to enhance performance under increased temperature sum accumulation rates prior to heading.

Description: SUMMARYThe nodal distribution of free polyamines (important regulators of flower induction) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) ovaries was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The objective of the study was to investigate the nodal distribution of putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Sp) of cotton lines (G. hirsutum L.), and to determine whether there are differences in ovarian polyamine content among three commercial cotton cultivars. A field study was conducted in 2005 and 2006 using the cultivars FM960BR, ST5599BR and DP444BR. Free polyamines Put, Spd and Sp were determined in ovarian tissue of first-position white flowers starting at the beginning of anthesis and collected from the 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th main-stem nodes for four consecutive weeks. There was no significant nodal position by cultivar interaction; thus, the main effects were tested. Put content decreased acropetally along the main stem of the cotton plant with the highest content observed at the 7th node and the lowest at the 13th node. Spd content decreased below and above the 9th node, with the 9th node showing the highest amount of Spd and the 13th node the lowest in both years of the study. Similarly, Sp content decreased below and above the 9th node. In general, the 7th and the 9th node had the highest titre of free polyamines. Among the cultivars tested, FM960BR showed higher polyamine content in one season; however, the observation was not consistent from year to year. The highest amounts of polyamines were observed at the 7th and the 9th node of cotton and this may be associated with the known yield distribution: almost 0·80 of the total yield of cotton is derived from these nodal positions.

Description: SUMMARYDetermining the rate of hoof horn growth in sheep is important for understanding the physiology and pathology of the foot and the impact of the environment and the treatment of diseased feet on foot health. It could lead to improved understanding of the interaction between hoof horn and pasture/barn floor characteristics and in methods for prevention and treatment of ovine foot diseases. In the current study, the hoof horn was measured using a previously tested protocol on all eight digits of 21 healthy yearling mule ewes on a farm in North Wales on four occasions over a period of 53 days. The mean hoof horn growth rate was 0·11 mm (s.e.m. 0·02) per day; the residual error variance was 0·024 and the R2 was 0·245. There were no significant differences between hoof horn growth rates in front and hind feet or between medial and lateral claws or over time.

Description: SUMMARYThe present paper develops a mixture regression model that allows for distributional flexibility in modelling the likelihood of a semi-continuous outcome that takes on zero value with positive probability while continuous on the positive half of the real line. A multivariate extension is also developed that builds on past multivariate models by systematically capturing the relationship between continuous and semi-continuous variables, while allowing for the semi-continuous variable to be characterized by a mixture model. The flexibility associated with this model provides potential applications in many production system studies. The empirical model is shown to provide a more accurate measure of mortality rates in cattle feedlots, both independently and within a system including other performance and health factors.

Description: SUMMARYPigeonpea is an important rainfed pulse crop grown in the rainy season that is subject to waterlogging. There are not many sources of waterlogging tolerance available; therefore the mini core pigeonpea germplasm (n=146) were screened, along with a few genotypes already reported to exhibit tolerance. Five trials were conducted starting at 40 and 50 days after sowing (DAS) in 2008, and at 40, 62 and 76 DAS in 2009. The mortality rate in any trial depended on the vapour pressure deficits (VPD) that prevailed during waterlogging and the recovery periods. There were large and highly significant variations due to genotype and to genotype×trial interactions. The heritability of individual trials ranged from 0·27 to 0·75, while it was 0·40 when all the trials were considered together. The survival counts were grouped into representative groups using a hierarchical cluster analysis, which yielded five distinctive groups. The highly tolerant group, with above-average survival means in all five trials, comprised 24 accessions. None of the previously tested or control entries appeared in this group. The sensitive entries comprised 37 accessions including ICP 7035, ICP 8338 and ICP 13562, which were known to be sensitive from previous reports. The tolerant group comprised 39 accessions, moderately tolerant 42 and moderately sensitive 18. Survival during waterlogging and a rapid recovery are considered equally important for categorizing the genotypes and their further use.

Description: SUMMARYOrganically grown lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) should ensure sufficiently high forage and seed yields to sustain the profitability of organic production chains. Twenty lucerne populations were evaluated for forage dry matter (DM) yield over 3 years (2005–7), and for seed yield and its components in the third year, under organic management and a mowing regime in Lodi (sub-continental climate with sandy-loam soil) and Perugia (sub-Mediterranean climate with silty-clay soil). The objectives were to assess the impact on lucerne forage and seed yield of: (i) type of germplasm (landrace or commercial cultivar); (ii) plant growth habit (erect or non-conventional); (iii) area of germplasm origin or selection (northern Italy north of the Po river, NI-N; northern Italy south of the Po river, NI-S; central Italy, CI). The populations included seven cultivars selected under conventional management and one selected under organic management, seven landraces and five breeding selections, of which one was semi-erect and one was semi-prostrate. On average, cultivar and landrace germplasm types did not differ for forage or seed yield in any geographic set of populations (NI-N, NI-S or CI), except for the higher seed yield of landraces in one set. Compared with erect germplasm, semi-prostrate germplasm exhibited distinctly lower forage and seed yield, especially where weed competition was severe (Lodi) because of poor competitive ability. Semi-erect germplasm tended to have lower forage yield across locations. Specific adaptation was the main determinant of forage and seed yield responses of landraces and cultivars. Erect populations originated in NI-N were high yielding in the test site similar to NI-N environments (Lodi) and low yielding in the location representing CI environments (Perugia). Populations that originated in CI, including the cultivar selected under organic management, displayed the opposite adaptive response. Populations that originated in NI-S, whose major environmental characteristics were somewhat intermediate between NI-N and CI, tended to be mid-ranking for forage and seed yield in each site. The large cross-over population×location interaction was confirmed by the lack of genetic correlation for forage yield (rg=−0·25, P〉0·20) and the negative genetic correlation for seed yield (rg=−0·68, P

Description: SUMMARYFour field experiments were conducted over 3 years to study whether adding a strobilurin fungicide to a triazole fungicide programme for disease control in winter wheat had any influence, in combination with different rates of fertilizer nitrogen (N), on the severity of foliar diseases, the degree of leaf senescence and consequently on yield.Septoria triticiwas the dominant foliar disease observed in all experiments. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) tended to be greater for untreated plots than those treated with fungicides; however, the performance of the programme containing a strobilurin fungicide did not always exceed that of the triazole-only programme. Fitting a quadratic equation to relationships between leaf N concentration and the proportion of leaf area covered withS. triticion a relative scale across the four experiments indicated a possibility that there could be an optimum N concentration in host plants forS. triticito develop, rather than a simple increase or decrease with a rise in plant N concentration. Plant height tended to be reduced following an application of a mixture of epoxiconazole and trifloxystrobin; however, it was not clear whether there was any association between plant height and the severity ofS. tritici. S. triticicaused a reduction in mean grain weight (MGW) in most of the experiments. It was concluded that an optimum leaf N concentration may exist forS. triticiin winter wheat.

Description: SUMMARYAn agro-economic simulation model was developed to facilitate comparison of the impact of management, market and biological factors on the cost of providing ruminant livestock with feed grown on the farm (home produced feed). Unpredictable year-to-year variation in crop yields and input prices were identified as quantifiable measures of risk affecting feed cost. Stochastic analysis was used to study the impact of yield and input price risk on the variability of feed cost for eight feeds grown in Ireland over a 10-year period. Intensively grazed perennial ryegrass was found to be the lowest cost feed in the current analysis (mean cost €74/1000 Unité Fourragère Viande (UFV)). Yield risk was identified as the greatest single factor affecting feed cost variability. At mean prices and yields, purchased rolled barley was found to be 3% less costly than home-produced spring-sown barley. However, home-produced spring barley was marginally less risky than purchased barley (coefficient of variation (CV) 0·063 v. 0·064). Feed crops incurring the greatest proportion of fixed costs and area-dependent variable costs, including bunker grass silage, were the most sensitive to yield fluctuations. The most energy input-intensive feed crops, such as grass silage, both baled and bunker ensiled, were deemed most susceptible to input price fluctuations. Maize silage was the most risky feed crop (CV 0·195), with potential to be both the cheapest and the most expensive conserved feed.

Description: SUMMARYFour field experiments were conducted on wheat, using the bread-making cultivar Hereward, over 3 years to study the interactions between nitrogen (N) and strobilurin fungicides with respect to yield and grain N. In one of the field experiments, above-ground dry matter (DM) yield was greater when the plots were treated with a mixture of triazole and strobilurin than when either no fungicide or triazole alone was applied. On plots that received no N fertilizer, above-ground DM and grain yield were lower for the plots treated with fungicides than for plots not treated with fungicide, which implied that the benefit of applying fungicides could only be exploited with N fertilization. There was no difference in above-ground N accumulation between fungicide programmes; however, greater N accumulation in grains was observed following the application of a mixture of triazole and the strobilurin trifloxystrobin compared with plots treated with either no fungicide or triazole alone. This increase in grain N appeared to be attributable more to improved translocation of N to grains rather than to increased N uptake from the soil. The two strobilurin fungicide ingredients kresoxim-methyl and trifloxystrobin, each mixed with a triazole and tested in the present study, performed differently. Better performance, especially with respect to grain N yield, was observed most frequently with trifloxystrobin compared to kresoxim-methyl.