AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION'S POTENTIAL IN REDUCING DISCHARGE OF POLLUTANTS1

ABSTRACT: Agricultural lands (including most forest lands) make up almost four-fifths of the total land area of the United States and include, or are traversed by, perhaps an equal proportion of our ground and surface waters. Therefore, a very large part of our environment is directly “agriculture-related” in any consideration of the discharge of pollutants. Several important Federal and State laws relate to the control or abatement of agriculture-related pollution. Existing legislation generally mandates the control or abatement of pollution (from point or nonpoint sources) or authorizes the use use of public funds or other resources for such purposes. Some of these laws can be effective instruments in keeping pollutants from being discharged into surface or ground waters or into the air, but the degree to which some pollutants originating from agricultural lands and operations constitute a serious environmental hazard in waters remains controversial. Although most of the technology exists to reduce greatly the movement of these pollutants, investments are often required which benefit the nonfarm public without economic returns to the farmer. Whether a zero discharge is either an environmentally or economically feasible alternative to more limited or selective control, is explored. However, if the public is willing to bear its reasonable share of the cost for clean air and water, the needed basic legislation already largely exists. Under it, agricultural land holders may apply program standards and use their own and available program resources to bring about effective control or abatement of pollutants.     

农业气象干旱指标研究综述

干旱作为最严重的气象灾害之一，已经对我国社会经济和人民生活造成严重影响。结合农业干旱和气象干旱基本理论，对农业气象干旱的定义及指标作了较为详细的综述与评价，指出了不同指标的优点和缺点，对今后的研究方向进行了展望，为干旱的监测和评估及农业防灾减灾研究提供了方法和依据。     

NEW STRATEGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA'S MOUNTAIN AREAS

Ｂｙｔｈｅｅｎｄｏｆｔｈｅ 2 0ｔｈｃｅｎｔｕｒｙ ,ｔｈｅｍａｊｏｒｉｔｙｏｆｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎｒｅｇｉｏｎｓｉｎＣｈｉｎａ ,ｅｓｐｅｃｉａｌｌｙｔｈｏｓｅｐｏｖｅｒｔｙ ｓｔｒｉｃｋｅｎａｒｅａｓ,ｈａｄｓｏｌｖｅｄｔｈｅｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓｏｆｆｏｏｄａｎｄｃｌｏｔｈｉｎｇ .Ｔｈｅｙａｒｅｎｏｗｍａｒｃｈｉｎｇｔｏｗａｒｄｔｈｅｇｏａｌｏｆｌｉｖｉｎｇａｗｅｌｌ ｏｆｆｌｉｆｅ .Ｎｅｗｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｓｔｈａｔｔｈｅｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎｒｅｇｉｏｎｓａｒｅｆａｃｅｄｗｉｔｈｉｎｔｈｅ 2 1ｓｔｃｅｎｔｕｒ…     

从生态环境角度论鄱阳湖区农业可持续发展

鄱阳湖区农业资源十分丰富，具有发展大农业的优越条件。本文通过对湖区农业生态环境的脆弱性分析，指出湖区农业的非良性循环特性，提出防洪、抗旱、治涝、血吸虫病治理等对策措施，为湖区农业可持续发展提供决策参考。     

新疆中低产田发展人工草地的初步研究

从新疆天然草地的利用，农业面临的问题出发，说明在绿洲内发展人工草地的必要性。针对全疆中低产田特点，将其分成7种基本类型。按类型总结出相应适生的饲草种类。通过人工种植这些饲草，达到合理利用改良耕地的目的，进而带动整个农业产业结构的调整，建立起适宜新疆农业发展的草地农业模式。     

MODELING SEDIMENT AND PHOSPHORUS LOSSES IN AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED TO MEET TMDLs1

ABSTRACT: This paper studies the effectiveness of alternative farm management strategies at improving water quality to meet Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in agricultural watersheds. A spatial process model was calibrated using monthly flow, sediment, and phosphorus (P) losses (1994 to 1996) from Sand Creek watershed in south‐central Minnesota. Statistical evaluation of predicted and observed data gave r² coefficients of 0.75, 0.69, and 0.49 for flow (average 4.1 m³/s), sediment load (average 0.44 ton/ha), and phosphorus load (average 0.97 kg/ha), respectively. The calibrated model was used to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage, conversion of crop land to pasture, and changes in phosphorus fertilizer application rate on pollutant loads. TMDLs were developed for sediment and P losses based on existing water quality standards and guidelines. Observed annual sediment and P losses exceeded these TMDLs by 59 percent and 83 percent, respectively. A combination of increased conservation tillage, reduced application rates of phosphorus fertilizer, and conversion of crop land to pasture could reduce sediment and phosphorus loads by 23 percent and 20 percent of existing loads, respectively. These reductions are much less than needed to meet TMDLs, suggesting that control of sediment using buffer strips and control of point sources of phosphorus are needed for the remaining reductions.     

氧化塘底泥对作物生长影响的研究

本文通过农田试验 ,得出氧化塘底泥可以改良土壤结构、增加有机质含量、微生物数量、提高作物产量的结论。因此 ,底泥可以作为一种有机肥应用于农业。     

对深圳市重点农牧渔建设项目环保工作的综述及探讨

对深圳市重点农牧渔建设项目的环境保护工作进行了综述。结果表明 ,这些工作对有效地减轻项目的污染 ,最大可能地利用项目产出的各种废物 ,维护项目区生态环境的良性发展起到了重要的作用。文章同时结合深圳的具体实际对存在的一些问题进行了讨论 ,并提出了一些切实可行的建议。这些讨论对内地城市也有一定的参考意义。     

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture: Who Stands to Benefit?

The use of genetic engineering inagriculture has been the source of much debate. Todate, arguments have focused most strongly on thepotential human health risks, the flow of geneticmaterial to related species, and ecologicalconsequences. Little attention appears to have beengiven to a more fundamental concern, namely, who willbe the beneficiaries of this technology? Given the prevalence of chronic hunger and thestark economics of farming, it is arguable thatfarmers and the hungry should be the mainbeneficiaries of agricultural research. However, theapplication of genetic engineering appears unlikely tobenefit either of these two groups. This technology islargely controlled by the private sector, and itscontinued development hinges on its profitability.Thus, the only likely beneficiaries of the applicationof genetic engineering in agriculture are companieswith the capacity to use it.