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Notes: Abstract. Data from 143 nitrogen (N) response trials on winter cereals carried out at sites across England during the period 1981–1988 were reviewed. Linear regression models for the relationship between optimum N requirements and soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) were evaluated. Multiple regression analyses and F tests were used to determine whether separate regression lines for different combinations of soil group and N Index, substituting for cropping history, were justified, and whether the additional terms used to account for SMN in the 30–60 cm and 60–90 cm depth bands significantly improved the regression model used to fit the data.The results indicated that optimum N requirement can be predicted from SMN 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm data. However, although the slope of the regression line does not change for different combinations of soil group and N Index, the intercept does. If no allowance is made for differences between sites which alter this intercept, the amount of variation in optimum N requirement accounted for by the regression models is considerably reduced. Factors which should be considered are mineralization of previous crop residues, organic manures and indigenous organic N, and the depth to which SMN is accessible by plant roots.

Notes: Abstract. This paper reviews current understanding of soil structure, the role of soil organic matter (SOM) in soil structure and evidence for or against better soil physical condition under organic farming. It also includes new data from farm case studies in the UK. Young SOM is especially important for soil structural development, improving ephemeral stability through fungal hyphae, extracellular polysaccharides, etc. Thus, to achieve aggregate stability and the advantages that this conveys, frequent input of fresh organic matter is required. Practices that add organic material are routinely a feature of organically farmed soils and the literature generally shows that, comparing like with like, organic farms had at least as good and sometimes better soil structure than conventionally managed farms. Our case studies confirmed this. In the reviewed papers, SOM was generally larger on the biodynamic/organic farms because of the organic additions and/or leys in the rotation. We can therefore hypothesize that, because it is especially the light fraction of SOM that is involved in soil structural development, soil structure will improve in a soil to which fresh organic residues are added regularly. Thus, we argue it is not the farming system per se that is important in promoting better physical condition, but the amount and quality of organic matter returned to a soil.

Notes: Abstract. A model of the impact of land management changes upon soil organic carbon (SOC) was constructed, and the total amount of topsoil organic carbon was estimated for the arable area of England from 1940 to 2000. The largest influence on the overall mean SOC in arable topsoils proved to be a decline in the area of both permanent and temporary grassland. SOC declined over a prolonged period (60 years), but has now reached a plateau. Modelling changes in mean values enabled a statistical evaluation to be made between a measured decline in the number of sites with ‘high’ SOC levels between 1980 and 1995, and the decline predicted by the model. The SOC content of arable soils in England was measured at National Soil Inventory sites twice in recent decades: in 1980 and 1995. The proportion of fine textured soils in the lowest SOC class (〈2.3%) rose from just over 40% to about 50% over the same period. There was a significant difference between the observed values of 1995 and those expected from modelling the decline from 1980 values, in the category of ‘low SOC’ fine textured soils. The variation in the fine textured soils represents a significant and widespread decline in topsoil organic carbon concentrations, which was greater than the underlying long-term trend.

Notes: Abstract. The potential for soil organic carbon sequestration, energy savings and the reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases were investigated for a range of changes in the management of tilled land and managed grassland. These parameters were modelled on a regional basis, according to local soils and crop rotations in England, and avoided the use of soil related indices. The largest carbon sequestration and saving contribution possible comes from an increase in the proportion of permanent woodland, such that a 10% change in land use could amount to 9 Mt C yr−1 in the initial years (arable and grassland). Changes in arable management could make a significant contribution to an abatement strategy if carried out in concert with greater use of permanent conservation field margins, increased returns of crop residues and reduced tillage systems, contributing 1.3 Mt C yr−1 in the initial years. It should be noted, however, that true soil carbon sequestration would be only a minor component of this (125 kt C yr−1), the main part being savings on CO2 emissions from reduced energy use, and lower N2O emissions from reduced use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer.

Notes: We present a laser-target scaling model which permits approximate prediction of the dependence of ablation pressure, mechanical coupling coefficient, and related parameters in vacuum upon single-pulse laser intensity (I), wavelength (λ), and pulse width (τ) over extremely broad ranges. We show that existing data for vacuum mechanical coupling coefficient for metallic and endothermic nonmetallic, surface-absorbing planar targets follows this empirical trend to within a factor of 2 over 7 orders of magnitude in the product (Iλ(τ)1/2). The comparison we present is valid for intensity equal to or greater than the peak-coupling intensity Imax, where denseplasma formation mediates laser-target coupling. Mechanical coupling coefficients studied ranged over two orders of magnitude. The data supporting this trend represent intensities from 3 MW/cm2 to 70 TW/cm2, pulse widths from 1.5 ms to 500 ps, wavelengths from 10.6 μm to 248 nm, and pulse energies from 100 mJ to 10 kJ. With few exceptions, data approximating one-dimensional or planar expansions were selected. Previously, meaningful scaling of ablation pressure parameters with I, λ, τ was not possible because existing data concentrated in a small range of these parameters. Our own data, obtained in the low- and midrange of (Iλ(τ)1/2), completes the experimental picture. Since this new data was derived from five separate experiments with specialized character and purpose, detailed accounts of this work will appear separately. In this paper, we summarize the experimental conditions and selectonly those data which are relevant to the scaling issue. We find that laboratory-scale laser experiments can often give impulse coupling data which agree with results from much higher-energy experiments without much error, and at much lower cost. We review a theory of vacuum laser ablation, specialize it to a quantitative description of mechanical coupling, and show that the resulting model provides a simple physical description which comes quite close to the observed empirical trend. This is accomplished with minor elaborations of the theory as originally presented to account for the temperature dependence of plasma ionization states, while adhering to the premise that a simple and generally applicable treatment of laser impulse production should be available. The theoretical model can quantitatively predict vacuum ablation pressure foropaque targets without adjustable parameters to the factor-of-2 accuracy in which we are interested. Other published scaling models omit one or more of the important variables, lack broad applicability, or deviate more noticeably from the observed trend.

Notes: The effect of second harmonic generation of idler wave on the process of difference frequency generation is analyzed theoretically. It is shown that, in general, the presence of second harmonic generation has a favorable influence on the evolution of the difference frequency wave. When the two processes are exactly phase matched, the usual oscillations in the variation of generated wave intensity with the interaction length are almost completely eliminated while retaining nearly complete conversion.

Notes: A corona preionized compact transverse, electric, atmospheric CO2 laser providing an average optical output of 18 W from a 4.6-cm3 discharge volume is reported. The laser was driven at pulse rates up to 1 kHz by an all solid-state exciter circuit which has produced〉109 pulses.

Notes: Accurate measurements of atmospheric ions are desirable in order to investigate atmospheric aerosol processes. A cylindrical capacitor ion counter is described which has a flexible computerized control system, to allow selection of ion mobility by changing the bias voltage across the capacitor. Ion measurements obtained correlate well with the ionization rate measured with an adjacent Geiger counter in clean air. Measurements of air ions using the device in current and voltage decay modes show consistent results. The collecting electrode is exposed directly in the air stream to be sampled, eliminating diffusive losses in intake tubes. The system can measure ion concentrations from 20 ions cm−3 (including typical atmospheric concentrations) and can sample ions rapidly. These characteristics enable comprehensive air conductivity measurements to be made. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: This apparatus suspends a 1 μl water droplet on an ultraminiature thermistor and uses a Peltier cooling device to supercool the droplet. Electrical connections to the thermistor allow the temperature of the droplet to be constantly monitored, and they also permit direct electrical heating of the droplet after freezing has occurred. Deionized water droplets can be readily supercooled to temperatures of −20 °C before freezing, and repeated determinations of the freezing temperature for the same droplet are straightforward. The temperature characteristics of the phase change are very well defined, and the apparatus therefore permits many other investigations on the provocation of freezing in a supercooled droplet. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.