A survey was conducted in eight secondary schools located in two watersheds in Gujarat and Rajasthan (semi-arid region of India) to assess students’ perceptions about groundwater scarcity issues and the impact of the scarcity on their educational opportunities. Survey responses to a detailed questionnaire by a cohort of students in both watersheds; school attendance records of year 8 class students (13–14 years old) and responses gathered via a socio-economic survey involving 500 families in the study area were used in the study. In both watersheds, >90% students identified groundwater scarcity as a major issue. Required to work at home or farm, about 65% students in Gujarat and 60% in Rajasthan missed school for up to 2 days/month; and a smaller proportion (～ 30%) missed schools for 4 or more days/month. School absenteeism was found to be linked with gender; female students missed schools more frequently than their male counterpart. The school attendance records in Rajasthan showed that the frequency of female students missing schools for 5 or more days/month was on an average 2–10 times greater than that for males. The gender difference in absenteeism in all schools was statistically significant (P?<?.018**). The study highlighted that groundwater scarcity in the study area, and consequent demand on their time for household work including fetching drinking water are contributing factors towards limiting their educational and economic opportunities. Groundwater scarcity can be one of the key factors that can limit inclusiveness and empowerment of women and need to be considered in policy-making. 相似文献
The roots of most land plants establish intimate associations with soil fungi. This association of plant roots with fungi
is termed mycorrhiza. It is a marriage between two highly dissimilar organisms based on mutual exchange of nutrients: while
the plants provide photosynthetically made carbon compounds to the fungi, the fungi in turn provide to the plants nitrogen
and phosphorus scavenged from the breakdown of organic polymers in natural substrates. This mutually beneficial partnership
makes possible the green cover on Earth and of all life, ultimately, dependent on plants. 相似文献
Purpose: The aim of this article to examine key irrigation management issues and their implications for future research and extension developments.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Peri-urban landscapes are important as they supply fresh fruit, vegetables, turf, ornamental plants and other farm products to the cities. In this study, the Hawkesbury–Nepean Catchment (HNC) was used as a case study and a number of farmers were selected to examine how they use the available technologies for irrigation scheduling to make better decisions for developing water management strategies on their farms. The farmers who participated in the study were mainly growing fruit, turf, vegetables, pasture, olive trees and cut flowers.
Findings: It was observed that a range of factors influenced correct irrigation scheduling decisions of farmers, including their limited understanding of the soil-water-plant relationship, costs of implementing soil-moisture monitoring technology and finding a date for irrigation activity that is compatible with their other farm tasks. It was also found that the farmers’ experiential knowledge played an important role in their irrigation scheduling decisions. The study indicated that irrigation scheduling approaches, which have a low labour requirement and are cost effective and easy to use would be helpful to farmers.
Practical Implications: The study highlighted that there are some irrigation management issues for research and extension that are specific to peri-urban farming and as such they need to be addressed to improve irrigation management and to cope with future water scarcity in urban and peri-urban landscapes.
Originality/Value: This is one of few studies that examine irrigation scheduling issues in a peri-urban context. The study has revealed that irrigation scheduling in reality cannot be an exact science, but it needs to accommodate various farmer constraints in field situations and may have implication for extension activities in peri-urban and other regions. 相似文献
The water-repellent surface of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) leaf and flower is due to nanosized wax papillae on the upper side of each epidermal cell. As a result, raindrops make a
high contact angle with the papillae and roll off carrying dust and dirt particles, leaving the surface clean. This self-cleaning
property of highly hydrophobic surfaces, termed as the lotus effect, has opened the possibilities of fabricating superhydrophobic
surfaces for a variety of products. 相似文献
Most plants are attached via their roots to specialized fungi. The filamentous hyphae of these fungi extend beyond the nutrient-depleted
zone in the soil, absorbing and supplying nutrients to the plants in exchange for photosynthetically-made carbon compounds
manufactured by the plant. The hyphae also attach to litter and decompose the organic matter, releasing the mineral ions sequestered
in the structural polymers. The mineral ions are absorbed and translocated to the roots. Most plants are so dependent on their
fungal partners for supplying nutrients that they languish or die without them. Our understanding of this fascinating interaction,
to a large extent, has come from the pioneering work of Sir David J Read, FRS, Emeritus Professor of Plant Sciences at the
University of Sheffield, UK.
Ramesh Maheshwari is a former Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Banglaore.
This is his sixth article for Resonance. 相似文献
Amazing microorganisms thrive at high temperatures incompatible with the familiar forms of life. A few species from hot springs
or from the vicinity of hydrothermal vents at the floor of the oceans are the basis of a multimillion dollar industry. An
entirely new form of animal life has been discovered around the volcanic eruptions from the sea floor. This animal life thrives
in the permanently dark environment only because it harbors symbiotic bacteria that synthesize food molecules from inorganic
chemicals in the emissions. Thermophilic microorganisms are involved in composting and humification in terrestrial habitats. 相似文献
The objective of the present study was to evaluate hypolipidemic effect of methanolic extract of Celastrus paniculatus in experimentally induced hypercholesterolemic rats. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding the animals with high fat
diet. Oral administration of methanolic seed extract (50%) of Celastrus paniculatus at the optimized dose of 65 mg/kg body weight, substantially reduced the plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL
cholesterol in comparison with induced hypercholesterolemic animal group and the results were comparable with the standard
hypocholesterolemic drug and almost similar to the control group. Atherogenic index and liver weight of treated animals also
showed significant decrease compared to the hypercholesterolemic animals. It substantially increased the HDL cholesterol level
as compared to control group. A significant increase in the activities of lipoprotein lipase and plasma LCAT enhanced hepatic
bile acid synthesis and thereby, increased degradation of cholesterol to neutral sterols. Furthermore, the activities of HMG-CoA
reductase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase were significantly reduced. Histological studies showed
less cholesterol deposits in the aorta of animals fed with seed extract of C. paniculatus compared to the induced hypercholesterolemic animals not given C. paniculatus supplement. 相似文献
