Zeszyt: 2014, vol. 11 / IV / 3 (Dec 2014)
The paper describes the first attempts at the sprinkler irrigation of plants in Poland which took place in the Kujawy and Wielkopolska Region more than a hundred years ago - at the early 20th century. The first original sprinkler irrigation machine was designed and the used by Mr Władysław Szczepkowski. The sprinkler irrigation machine he constructed in 1911, after earlier a few year trials (at Łęg, the Śrem county, the Poznań Province) was the first sprinkler irrigation machine built at such a large scale in Europe. The system developed by Szczepkowski found many followers in Germany, France, England and the USA. Szczepkowski's sprinkler irrigation machine became a prototype for many later designs, e.g. the irrigation machines applied today rolled sprinkling pipelines. ...
In Poland there are several methods used for determination of the design flood hydrographs. Among the others, the method developed by Hydroprojekt is used. According to the authors' knowledge, this method has not been published yet. The method assumes that the design flood hydrographs are to be determined based on the real registered floods in a given gauged cross-section. The method uses the random number generator from the range of (-0.1, 0.2) independently for time instants of the hydrograph rising and falling limbs. This enables that the hydrographs have different time courses at different peak discharges. The study analyses the results received from this method in comparison to the Cracow method, assuming that the model hydrograph is the rainfall hydrograph, unimodal with the biggest registered discharge. The Cracow Method is chosen as the most objective one because of the calculation procedures which enable to determine the average time course based on 8 biggest flood hydrographs, and this method enables to determine the design flood hydrograph volume during its construction based on the linear correlation. The comparative analyses were conducted for the reduced volume, i.e., flood volume at the discharges bigger than the peak discharge with given exceedance probability, Q50%. The ...
The objective of the study was to examine the influence of supplemental lighting with sodium light and LED on leaf gas exchange and growth of tomato transplants. During cultivation period (September - October) the transplants received supplemental artificial lighting provided by standard high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS) or high-power solid-state lighting modules with red, blue and far-red LEDs. Quantum irradiance in both combinations was maintained at the same level. The third group of plants (control combination) was grown under the natural light (without supplemental lighting). The following measurements were taken: leaf gas exchange (net photosynthesis and transpiration rate) and selected morphological parameters (fresh weight of plant organs, leaf surface area, plant height). The results showed that supplemental illumination using LED or HPS light sources affected growth and physiological responses of tomato plants. The higher rates of leaf gas exchange were found in the plants supplementary lighted (compared to the control ones). Supplemental lighting also resulted in enhanced plant growth, however no significant differences were found between the plants lighted with HPS or LED. The obtained results showed that HPS lamps can be replaced by LEDs in greenhouse lighting systems for tomato transplant production during periods with insufficient natural light. ...
The experience of flooding from 2010 in the Commune of Spytkowice showed a dire need to define the factors behind the floods repeating every year in the region and to propose the best solutions for eliminating or limiting damage in the risk area. On account of the catchment's location in mountainous area, the main intention was to propose actions that would mainly increase the catchment retention capacity in the upper reach of the Skawa river and its tributary, Pożoga. By slowing down the flow, these actions may considerably contribute to the protection of the most flood-sensitive areas located in the lower part of the catchment. Two solutions have been proposed based on the idea of building dry water reservoirs and providing the possibility to resettle inhabitants from the flooded area. The choice of the best solution for the Commune of Spytkowice depends on the topography of the valleys of rivers Skawa and Pożoga, as well as the financial situation concerning the project. ...
Based on available literature, we collected and presented in tables the values of optimal precipitation (for some field-cultivated vegetables) which are still sometimes used in Poland. We also included a short summary of how they are defined and how the necessary corrections are introduced. Included optimal precipitation values have been developed by: Dzieżycet al., Grabarczyk, Klatt and Press. Therefore, it is possible to define (estimate) precipitation deficits for specific species of vegetables depending on the temperature or soil weight classification (light, medium, heavy) in various regions of Poland. By recognising optimal precipitation, we can plan, design or introduce irrigation and manage it. The formulas developed by Grabarczyk offer an additional possibility of calculating expected average increase (growth) of vegetable crops as a result of irrigation within various precipitation zones in Poland. ...
This paper deals with one of the aspects important from the point of view of water quality maintenance in storage reservoirs, namely the dynamics of water currents that accompany changes of the water surface elevation in such reservoirs. Numerical simulations were conducted to back observations that high discharges are in the long term beneficial to water quality in the reservoir. Calculations made using the AdH finite elements model confirmed that the water current pattern in shallow regions varies greatly with the total discharge value. The sample analysis shown in this article concerns a mid-size storage reservoir of Tresna located in southern Poland. It appears that for small discharges the currents that wet some areas of the previously dry reservoir bed are similar to reversed currents that occur when the area is dried. Thus some amounts of water may move from one stagnant area to another forth and back and then the water exchange is limited. It means that it is not enough to lower the water level within the reservoir steering rules and then raise it again to be assured that the water quality improves in the reservoir, especially in the lull parts. But for higher discharges the current pattern ...
In Polish hydrology and water management the term characteristic flow exists denoting a specific value of flow at the given cross-section of a river calculated as the long-term minimum, mean, median or maximum calculated using the annual minimum, mean, median or maximum flow taken for each year from a series of (usually) daily flows. Some of these characteristic flows are used to define the low-flow (o drought) periods while the another criterion: a percentage flow Qp taken from the long-term flow duration curve is also widely used. In the paper the study on the frequency structure the empirical exceedance probability of a given characteristic flow made for some low and average characteristic flows (SNQ, WNQ, NSQ and SSQ) is presented. The results show that the exceedance probability of a given characteristic flow is variable, and the amount of this variability may be large, as is the case of WNQ and NSQ. So assigning a characteristic flow to a single FDC quantile value Qp (as can be find in the literature) cannot be justified.Correlation analysis made for the pairs ( , characteristic flow), ( , catchment area) and ( , gauging station elevation) revealed some significant correlations. Only ...
This paper addresses the problem of how drought definition by POT and SPA methods influences drought characteristics. Using the 1984-2013 daily flows at 24 selected gauging stations in the Dunajec river basin and assuming two threshold levels Q70% and Q95% and four minimum drought durations (5, 7, 10 and 14 days) as the pre-set criteria, it was shown that, when compared to the POT method, the application of the SPA method usually leads to less number of droughts and, consequently, of longer duration. The SPA method, differently from POT, reduces dramatically the number of inter-event times, which suggests that some adjacent POT droughts may be dependent and should be pooled. ...
The work presents the results of investigations conducted in 2004-2007 to evaluate the residual effect of summer catch crops ploughed as green manures on productive-economic effects of sweet corn cultivation. The experiment was carried out in east-central Poland (52°03'N, 22°33'E). The following summer catch crops were grown: phacelia, amaranth, sunflower, serradella and faba bean. The catch crop seeds were sown in 2004-2006 at three dates: on the 21stJuly, 4th and 18th August. The effect of summer catch crops was compared to FYM applied at the rate of 40 t•ha-1. The catch crops biomass (roots + above ground parts) and FYM were incorporated in the third decade of October. Sweet corn seeds (6 kg•ha-1) were sown in mid-May, in the years 2005-2007, at the between- and inter-row spacing of 65 × 20 cm. Sweet corn ears were hand-harvested at the stage of milk maturity of kernels, at the turn of August and September. During the harvest marketable yield of ears (t•ha-1) and number of marketable ears per 1 ha were determined. Economic evaluation of sweet corn cultivation under diversified organic fertilization was conducted according to the standard gross margin method. The calculation was based on the 2014 prices. The highest yield ...
There has been a growing interest over the last years in techniques using alternative and pharmaceutical plants due to their wide potential applications. These species are characterised by valuable and multidirectional usable features, due to which their practical application is superior to their physiognomic features. These plants may provide a raw material for production of medicines, cosmetics or may be used for animal feeds. Moreover they may be used as ornamental, melliferous and energy plants. Owing to their generally low soil requirements they are used in the reclamation of degraded land. Among the species characterized by multidirectional use are Silphium perfoliatum, Helichrysum arenarium and Stevia rebaudiana. These plants are characterized by a high content of active compounds and a number of pro-health characteristics. Because raw materials for production of medicines and cosmetics should be standardized, cultures maintained under controlled conditions are a good source of seedlings. ...
In the climatic conditions of Poland the temporary lack of rainfall during the vegetation season, influenced on the water deficits in the top soil level. This situation can effect on the height and quality of yields in particular years. There is estimated that in the - so called - Large Valleys Region the water deficiency ranged 200-300 mm. Production of cucurbit's vegetables in open field is strictly connected with thermal-rainfall conditions during the vegetation season. The optimal soil moisture is the very important factor for high and good quality yield. So, the production of the cucurbit plants should be connected with the irrigation installations. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of drip irrigation in cultivation of summer squash ‘Danka' under light soil conditions. The trials were conducted in the years 2004 - 2006 at the experimental field in Kruszyn Krajeński near Bydgoszcz - on a soil of rye weak complex. The plot area for harvest was 9,1 m2. The irrigation rates were done on the base of soil water potential according to tensiometer indications. The irrigation was started when the soil water tension was - 0,04 MPa. The fruits of the summer ...
The aim of the paper was an attempt at application of multiple-criteria analysis for planning public transport system. Methodological rules of an assessment of public transport systems were presented, including: defining variants and coherent family of criteria. Modelling decision-maker's preferences and seeking the most desirable solution. The problem of an assessment of public transport systems was formulated as a multiple-criteria problem of variants ranking. Schemes of appropriate communication connections (routes) were developed in the work using GIS technology and subjected to the assessment by means of a coherent family of criteria using the decision maker's preferences. ...
This work concentrates on the analysis of monthly trends of extremes daily temperatures, both minimum and maximum. Analysis was done for the period 2000-2013, based on freely available hourly temperature measurements from 60 Polish stations. Percentiles Tmin10 for minimum and Tmax90 for maximum daily temperature within each month were used as thresholds for selection of extreme temperature values. Count of days with extreme temperatures below/above threshold described every month. Significance of days count trend was analyzed with Mann-Kendall test at the significance level 0.05. For maximum temperatures, significant decreasing trend was found only for 3 station-months. For minimum temperature, 26 significant trends were found and presented in the form of map. ...
Among solid wastes one may distinguish mixed wastes, segregated wastes (collected selectively) and biodegradable wastes originating from open-air markets, green areas or cemeteries. Mixed wastes have constituted the largest proportion in the stream of municipal solid waste (MSW), both before and after the changes in waste management system in Poland introduced on 1 July 2013. The other group, regarding the collected wastes volume, is so-called segregation. It has been forecasted that in the nearest future the amount of segregated wastes will be successively growing. The article presents the analysis of selectively collected wastes (paper, plastics, glass and metal) indicators from lower administrative units of Liszki and Mogilany communities. The degree of segregated wastes accumulation efficiency was assessed on the basis of conducted computation. The communities selected for the analysis are suburban municipalities, situated in the area of Krakow agglomeration in the immediate vicinity of the main city of the Malopolskie voivodeship.The main aim of the work was an assessment of selective accumulation of municipal solid wastes in suburban communities. Values of quantitative indices, characterizing mixed and segregated municipal solid waste generated by the inhabitants of individual lower administrative units of the studied communities were subjected to a detailed ...
Studies conducted among 1417 rural tourist accommodation facilities in Poland have shown that 966 of them have names for their service. Created names most often correspond to the profile of the business. A total of 130 objects specifically suggested that their product is the agritourism, using less sophisticated terms: agritourism, agritourism farm, gite, or expanding it by an additional element, usually referring to the owner's name or surname, plants (clover) or the location of the facility (e.g. in a valley or on a peninsula). There were also names of rural tourism facilities which suggested surroundings of the homestead ("Kraina trzech stawów") or accentuated its regional affiliation ("Czar Roztocza"). Owners often used their names to promote the tourism product for example: "U Basi", U Zochy", "U Kazika" or "U Kowalskich". They were not innovative, as in the case of the names created of parts of owners' names or surnames for example: "Czester". 451 services on the web portal did not have any names, which may cause that their offer will not remain for long in the minds of the potential customers, or will not be noticed at all. It must be emphasized that giving proper, attractive and easy to ...
