Explore the vast range of titles available.

Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs ignited fierce debate amongst censorship bodies, critics and audiences on both sides of the Atlantic in 1971. When Amy (Susan George) returns to her home territory with her American peacenik husband David (Dustin Hoffman), the residents of this tight-knit Cornish community slowly turn on them. The sexual tension and latent violence finally erupt, culminating in a farmhouse siege and, along the way, leading to a rape scene that has remained controversial to this day. The film was heavily cut for theatrical release in the US, and the press-inspired furore in the UK led to a number of local councils cutting or banning it outright. Later, caught in the wake of the so-called 'video nasties' panic of the 1980s, Straw Dogs was refused a home video certificate in the UK for nearly 20 years. Stevie Simkin's study sheds light on the film's (mis)fortunes at the BBFC in 1971 and tracks its subsequent tortuous journey towards home video release, buffeted by various shifts in the Board's policy on representations of rape, and of sexual violence in general. But, equally importantly, Simkin provides a highly original account of the making of the film, which draws on extensive research into Peckinpah's archive, including analysis of draft scripts, notes, memos and contemporary press items. The book also benefits greatly from recent correspondence between the author and a number of Peckinpah's associates, as well as key figures at the BBFC. -- Back cover.

Solid biofuels, including straw as production residue, are still the largest energy feedstock in the structure of primary energy production from renewable energy sources. However, the properties of straw as a solid biofuel can vary depending on the species from which it was produced and the harvest period and year. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the thermophysical properties and elemental composition of six types of straw (rye, oat, triticale, wheat, corn, and rapeseed straw) obtained over three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). Rye straw had the lowest moisture (mean: 10.55%), ash (mean: 2.71% DM), nitrogen (mean: 0.54% DM) and chlorine (mean: 0.046% DM) contents and the highest carbon content (mean: 47.93% DM), a higher heating value—HHV (mean: 19.03 GJ Mg−1 DM) and a lower heating value—LHV (mean: 15.71 GJ Mg−1). Triticale straw had similar properties, classifying it into the same cluster as rye straw. Corn straw had a remarkably high moisture content (mean: 48.91%), low LHV and high chlorine content. Rapeseed straw contained high levels of Cl, S, N and ash, and they were 643%, 481%, 104% and 169% higher, respectively, than those in rye straw. The sulfur, chlorine and moisture contents of the six straw types under study were highly variable during the three years of the study. Knowledge of the properties of different types of straw as energy feedstocks facilitates the logistics and organization of the supply of bioenergy installations. However, further research is needed, especially studies assessing the energy intensity and logistical costs of different types of straw used for energy purposes.

\"Written by Joel Karsten, the originator of Straw Bale Gardening, this exciting update contains detailed, start-to-finish instructions for growing vegetables in straw anywhere, plus many new ideas and projects to help you enjoy your straw bale experience... Among the new subjects: cultivating mushrooms in straw ; how to grow plants in non-straw bales, including hay ; tips and ideas for making your straw bale garden more attractive ; how to make a seasonal greenhouse for your bales ; trellising projects for growing vertically and much more\"--Page 4 of cover.

With the growing demand, a large amount of paddy has been harvested by growers leaving behind the stubble (left over rice straw), which is being a big burden on the farmers for its management. For the easy access, the burning of stubble has been opted which in turn results in the deterioration of the environment. To mitigate this problem, rice straw utilization strategies should be opted. Therefore, in this review article, the strategies of utilizing rice straw in fiber or ash form to manufacture construction materials have been summarized. The manuscript also considers the method of productions, variability in raw materials, and various mechanical/physical properties of construction materials targeted. Further, the financial aspects related to utilization of rice straw and rice straw ash are also encoded at last. This review will be helpful to expedite the research in this field and may also be used for startups related to various product development using straw in the local areas, which may depreciate the burning of straw in the field and its environmental effects.

Biomass burning injects many different gases and aerosols into the atmosphere that could have a harmful effect on air quality, climate, and human health. In this study, a comprehensive biomass burning emission inventory including domestic and in-field straw burning, firewood burning, livestock excrement burning, and forest and grassland fires is presented, which was developed for mainland China in 2012 based on county-level activity data, satellite data, and updated source-specific emission factors (EFs). The emission inventory within a 1  ×  1 km2 grid was generated using geographical information system (GIS) technology according to source-based spatial surrogates. A range of key information related to emission estimation (e.g. province-specific proportion of domestic and in-field straw burning, detailed firewood burning quantities, uneven temporal distribution coefficient) was obtained from field investigation, systematic combing of the latest research, and regression analysis of statistical data. The established emission inventory includes the major precursors of complex pollution, greenhouse gases, and heavy metal released from biomass burning. The results show that the emissions of SO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5, NMVOC, NH3, CO, EC, OC, CO2, CH4, and Hg in 2012 are 336.8 Gg, 990.7 Gg, 3728.3 Gg, 3526.7 Gg, 3474.2 Gg, 401.2 Gg, 34 380.4 Gg, 369.7 Gg, 1189.5 Gg, 675 299.0 Gg, 2092.4 Gg, and 4.12 Mg, respectively. Domestic straw burning, in-field straw burning, and firewood burning are identified as the dominant biomass burning sources. The largest contributing source is different for various pollutants. Domestic straw burning is the largest source of biomass burning emissions for all the pollutants considered, except for NH3, EC (firewood), and NOx (in-field straw). Corn, rice, and wheat represent the major crop straws. The combined emission of these three straw types accounts for 80 % of the total straw-burned emissions for each specific pollutant mentioned in this study. As for the straw burning emission of various crops, corn straw burning has the largest contribution to all of the pollutants considered, except for CH4; rice straw burning has highest contribution to CH4 and the second largest contribution to other pollutants, except for SO2, OC, and Hg; wheat straw burning is the second largest contributor to SO2, OC, and Hg and the third largest contributor to other pollutants. Heilongjiang, Shandong, and Henan provinces located in the north-eastern and central-southern regions of China have higher emissions compared to other provinces in China. Gridded emissions, which were obtained through spatial allocation based on the gridded rural population and fire point data from emission inventories at county resolution, could better represent the actual situation. High biomass burning emissions are concentrated in the areas with more agricultural and rural activity. The months of April, May, June, and October account for 65 % of emissions from in-field crop residue burning, while, regarding EC, the emissions in January, February, October, November, and December are relatively higher than other months due to biomass domestic burning in heating season. There are regional differences in the monthly variations of emissions due to the diversity of main planted crops and climatic conditions. Furthermore, PM2.5 component results showed that OC, Cl−, EC, K+, NH4+, elemental K, and SO42− are the main PM2.5 species, accounting for 80 % of the total emissions. The species with relatively high contribution to NMVOC emission include ethylene, propylene, toluene, mp-xylene, and ethyl benzene, which are key species for the formation of secondary air pollution. The detailed biomass burning emission inventory developed by this study could provide useful information for air-quality modelling and could support the development of appropriate pollution-control strategies.

The rice–wheat rotation model of crop planting is widely used globally, and worldwide, straw returning is the main method of crop straw treatment. However, the straw return method commonly used in the modern rice–wheat rotation system has many adverse effects on the levels and improvement of soil fertility and crop yield, and there is no systematic theory of rice and wheat straw returning to use as a guide. In this paper, we concluded that: in the rice–wheat rotation system, returning 1,500–4,500 kg/ha of rice straw and 2,250–6,750 kg/ha of wheat straw to the field helps increase the organic carbon content and quality of the soil and promotes high annual yields; conventional mixing of straw into the field can increase the organic carbon content of the soil in a short time; long‐term use of concentrated ditch‐buried straw return has obvious advantages over other straw returning methods in increasing the accumulation of soil organic carbon; the combination of little or no tillage plus straw returning helps increase the content and quality of organic carbon in soil; and when the soil water content is 15%–22.5%, it is the most conducive to the accumulation of soil organic carbon. In addition, we also provide relevant suggestions for future research directions on straw returning via systematic analyses and thought processes. Little or no tillage plus straw returning helps increase the content and quality of soil organic carbon. Appropriate straw returning improves soil quality and annual yields in rice–wheat rotation system.

AimThe selection of suitable mulch methods is of great significance for obtaining the best soil and water conservation function of straw.MethodsAn indoor rainfall simulation experiment was conducted to analyze the straw effects on runoff, sediment yield and velocity under two straw mulching methods: straw surface mulch and straw incorporation. Under both methods, 4 straw rates (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 t·hm−2) and 3 straw lengths (3–5, 8–10, and 13–15 cm) were considered, and a bare slope was selected as the control.ResultsCompared with the straw surface mulch, there was a lower runoff reduction effect and a higher sediment reduction effect under the straw incorporation. The straw factor contributions to runoff and sediment varied with the mulching method. Compared with the surface mulch, the straw rate generated a higher sediment yield contribution and a lower runoff yield contribution under the straw incorporation. Moreover, the effect of straw length on the flow velocity under the straw surface mulch was greater than that under straw incorporation. Straw reduced the sediment yield mainly by lowering the erosion kinetic energy under the straw surface mulch, while straw could largely reduce the soil erodibility under the straw incorporation. Under the straw surface mulch, the best runoff and sediment reduction effects were achieved when the straw rate reached 4.5 t·hm−2 and the straw length ranged from 3–5 cm. Under straw incorporation, the best effects were achieved when the straw rate reached 3.5 t·hm−2 and the straw length ranged from 8–10 cm.ConclusionsIn areas with greater rainfall, straw incorporation should be incorporated. In areas with less rainfall, straw surface mulch should be used. This study provides a reference for the selection of suitable straw mulching methods and an understanding the mechanisms by which straw reduces soil and water loss, on sloping farmland.

Straw return is an effective method for disposing agricultural residues. It not only utilizes agricultural waste but also improves soil. In the current review, different crop straw and its characteristics were highlighted, and patterns of straw return were explored (including straw return, straw biochar return, and their combined with fertilizer return), as well as their environmental impacts were outlined. In addition, the effects of straw return and straw biochar amendment on soil properties [ e.g. , pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil nitrogen (N)/phosphorus (P)/potassium (K), soil enzyme activities, and soil microbes] were discussed. Information collected from this review proposed that straw return and straw biochar return or in combination with fertilizer is an applicable way for improving soil fertility and enhancing crop production. Straw return is beneficial to soil physicochemical properties and soil microbial features. The rice straw has positive impacts on crop growth. However, there are different climate types, soil types and crops in China, meaning that the future research need long-term experiment to assess the complex interactions among straw, soil, and plant eco-systems. Accordingly, this review aims to provide available information on the application of straw return in terms of different patterns of its to justify and to expand their effective promotion.

Managing above-ground plant carbon inputs can pave the way toward carbon neutrality and mitigating climate change. Chemical complexity of plant residues largely controls carbon sequestration. There exist conflicting opinions on whether residue chemistry diverges or converges after long-term decomposition. Moreover, whether and how microbial communities regulate residue chemistry remains unclear. This study investigated the decomposition processes and residue composition dynamics of maize straw and wheat straw and related microbiomes over a period of 9 years in three climate zones. Residue chemistry exhibited a divergent-convergent trajectory during decomposition, that is, the residue composition diverged during the 0.5–3 year period under the combined effect of straw type and climate and then converged to an array of common compounds during the 3–9 year period. Chemical divergence during the first 2–3 years was primarily driven by the changes in extracellular enzyme activity influenced by keystone taxa-guided bacterial networks, and the keystone taxa belonged to Alphaproteobacteria , particularly Rhizobiales . After 9 years, microbial assimilation became dominant, leading to chemical convergence, and fungi, particularly Chaetomium , were the main contributors to microbial assimilation. Overall, this study demonstrated that keystone taxa regulate the divergent-convergent trajectory in residue chemistry.

Straw return is widely acknowledged as a crucial strategy for enhancing soil fertility and increasing crop yields. However, the continuous addition of straw, its slow decomposition, and retention can hinder crop growth. Therefore, it is essential to elucidate the characteristics of the crop straw decomposition. This study aims to explore the alterations in straw decomposition rates, as well as the content and structure of organic components, under the combined application of swine manure and corn straw in the broken skin yellow soil of black soil over time. The findings revealed that the straw decomposition rates in all treatments increased rapidly in the early stage, gradually slowed down and stabilized in the later stage. The decomposition rates of cellulose and hemicellulose were generally consistent with those of straw, while lignin decomposed more rapidly in the middle and later stages. Notably, the decomposition rate of straw and its components was significantly higher under the combined application of swine manure and biochar compared to other treatments, with decomposition rates of straw, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin recorded at: 66.16%, 63.38%, 61.16% and 47.96%, respectively, after 360 days. This treatment exhibited the most substantial damage to the apparent structure of corn straw over time, and it resulted in lower C/N ratios and the most pronounced decrease in the intensity of absorption peaks. Among all the treatments, the alkyl carbon/alkoxy carbon ratio was highest in the SCZ treatment, indicating that the addition of swine manure and biochar can significantly enhance straw decomposition. Correlation analysis revealed that the decomposition rates of straw, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were significantly and positively correlated with the rates of alkyl carbon, aromatic carbon, and phenolic carbon in the organic functional groups of straw residues, and significantly negatively correlated with alkoxy carbon. The study suggested that the combined application of straw, swine manure and biochar in the field can effectively promote the decomposition of corn straw. Our findings provided insights into the efficient utilization of various exogenous conditioners, serving as a scientific basis for accelerating straw decomposition and enhancing nutrient utilization.