Based on the preferred effective Ks, the highest θc deviation between the RZRT model and HYDRUS is one day. While this is a reasonable error for the hard pan characteristics tested here, it is based on one limited example and cannot be regarded as representative. Using effective soil hydraulic parameters to represent highly-contrast layered soil as a uniform soil profile is a complex problem which was beyond the scope of our simplified analysis. Hence, the hard pan analysis implemented in the RZRT learning tool can be used as a first approximation only. Obviously, in fields with a massive hard pan layer, deep percolation is limited, and implementation of Ag-MAR project is not recommended. The drainage curves for all USDA soil texture classes provide an initial estimation of soil suitability for Ag-MAR . The crops almond, walnut, alfalfa, and grape in Fig. 4 with flooding tolerance of 2, 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively, represent the four tolerance classes in Table 3. Since crops have different flooding tolerances, soil drainage largely controls the effective flooding duration. The slow drainage rate combined with the low flooding tolerance that some perennial crops have, make clayey soils, as expected, unsuitable for Ag-MAR. The clay loam soil with shallow-rooted high-tolerance crops, might be suitable for Ag-MAR in terms of drainage duration, however, its ability to transfer large quantities of water is hindered by its relatively low hydraulic conductivity questioning its Ag-MAR suitability. The silty clay loam is an exception of the clayey soils,30 plant pot as it can be used for Ag-MAR with moderate- and high-tolerance crops.
The reason for this exception is the low sand content combined with the silt and clay proportions, which results in a higher critical water content as aggregated soils have higher θccompared to structureless sandy soils . For the same reason, loam soil with lower θc can be used only for Ag-MAR if shallow-rooted moderate- and high-tolerance crops are considered. According to the drainage curves, silt loam and sandy loam soils are suitable for all crops, excluding minimal-tolerance crops, while sand, silt and loamy sand soils are suitable for all crops that have minimal flooding tolerance. For most Ag-MAR sites with contrasting soil layering along the root zone, the model prediction will be less accurate, and a procedure of parameter averaging may be necessary to improve the model performance. Similar model limitations that are related to the homogenous soil profile assumption, are expected at sites with substantial soil heterogeneity, as our results show for the Stoner gravelly sandy loam . A reasonable estimation of the hydraulic parameters is another limitation that should be considered. For example, according to the soils tested in this work, when using fitted and average unfitted hydraulic parameters, twap is overestimated by 0.2 and 1.7 days, on average, respectively . The model assumption of rigid porous media with constant hydraulic properties poses another difficulty, especially under Ag-MAR conditions where the soil can be waterlogged for relatively long periods . Changes in soil structure and hydraulic properties during prolonged flooding were reported in paddy soils due to clay swelling ; however, shrink-swell dynamics are more prominent in clayey soils , which are potentially less suitable for Ag-MAR. The use of hydraulic parameters from a soil database can lead to moderate or poor predictions compared to soil-specific hydraulic parameters.
The shape parameter m and the scale parameters θr, θs and Ks control the drainage curves and therefore are the most important parameters in the RZRT model. For improved accuracy, these parameters should be evaluated insitu at the designated Ag-MAR site. θr and θs can be estimated by the gravimetric method and Ks of the upper soil by various field infiltration tests . Estimating m can be attained by fitting of the SWRC or the particle size distribution ; however, these methods are time-consuming, so it is recommended to obtain m from a soil database, the literature, or to use a pre-defined m based on soil texture. Lastly, and probably most importantly, the parameter estimation of θc can change markedly depending on the method it was first evaluated with . Moreover, the concept of a constant θc is an oversimplification used in the model, because θc is a function of biotic and abiotic parameters, which vary spatially and temporally for a specific soil texture. Indeed, our data indicate that during intervals of AgMAR flooding and drainage, different θc can be obtained even for the same location in the soil . This is probably related to changes in soil respiration after flooding is initiated as well as SWRC hysteresis . Te idea that one should be eating healthy to stay healthy is not a debate. Numerous studies show how particular foods individualistically effect human health, but none thus far, to our knowledge, have investigated about the combined impact of a specific diet on the human body as a whole. It is critical for us to understand which kinds of things we should eat and the ways in which their collective consumption will impact our bodies. According to Dr. Tomas J. Carlson, a distinguished pediatrician and ethnobotany researcher, choosing foods from every color in the rainbow is the key to good health.Each fruit and vegetable gets its natural color from the chemical composition of the exclusive phytonutrient in it.Interestingly, the presence of one molecule in one fruit/ vegetable does not necessarily reflect the same color in another type of fresh produce.
For instance, although the rich red color in most red fruits and vegetables is naturally derived from the phytonutrient lycopene, most berries such as strawberries and raspberries do not contain lycopene. Instead, they contain brightly colored chemicals called anthocyanins, which are made in plants during ripening season through the joining of a molecule of a sugar with a molecule of their colorless “anthocyanidin” precursors.Anthocyanins are also found in raspberries, which are high in dietary fiber and vitamin C and have a low glycemic index because they contain 6% fiber and only 4% sugar per total weight.Higher quantities of fiber in the fruit, when consumed, helps lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein or the ‘unhealthy’ cholesterol to enhance the functionality of our heart and potentially induce weight loss. Te exact pigment that anthocyanins reflect is partly dependent on the variance in acidity or alkalinity in different plants. Because of the relatively high pH of the tissues in blueberry plants,grow raspberries in a pot these chemicals turn blue in color during the ripening process of the fruit.Recent research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that the abundant antioxidant properties in wild blueberries contributes to the reduction in the development of such disorders as Alzheimer’s Dementia and cognitive loss.A type of antioxidants selectively found in yellow and orange colored foods are called cryptoxanthins. In a study conducted by Bovier et al., it is shown that the combination of the beta form of these carotenoids with other sources of nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin in carrots, oranges, and corn leads to improved visual processing speed with regular consumption in young healthy subjects.While green produce mainly derives its pigmentation from chlorophyll, its white counterparts get their natural color from anthoxanthins, favonoid pigments that exhibit antioxidant properties. Among green fruits and vegetables, broccoli stands apart as the most nutritious because of the special combination in which its 3 glucosinolate phytonutrients are found. Tis “dynamic trio” makes what are called Isothiocyanates , the detox-regulating molecules in broccoli that enhance vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene.Many recent studies claim that the antioxidants in ITCs not only regulate metabolism and cholesterol levels when consumed but also act as cancer chemopreventive phytochemicals.Fruits that are on the same level as broccoli with regards to health in the white-produce family are bananas. Japanese Scientists reveal that the high amounts of vitamin B6, manganese, potassium and fiber in the ripened versions of these fruits can help prevent high blood pressure, protect against atherosclerosis, and improve immunity levels in regular eaters.Despite an enormous amount of scientific knowledge and evidence for the overall beneficial effect of a single fruit/vegetable and/or phytonutrient at a time on human health, no study so far, to our knowledge, has been able to conclusively link the validity of these claims to the whole human body. This offers the opportunity for one to test the combined impact of eating a colorful diet on humans through a systematic study. The purpose of our investigation is to apply a more holistic approach to the study of how the human body is effected as a result of a diet that is composed of all the colors of the rainbow. In other words, in addition to exploring the individual food stuf’s role in improving health, we want to analyze the outcome of the regular incorporation of a whole pack of colorful foods into one’s meals. Consequently, this study can serve to reveal the effect, if any, of a continued and rigorous diet consisting of all colors of the rainbow on the physical and mental health of a randomized sample of the adult human population in a given demographically comparable community.
The current study is a small-scale secondary application of some of the methods used in a previously conducted study that has been reported elsewhere.The primary study used a randomized controlled trial to compare the effect of daily consumption of probiotic versus low-fat conventional yogurt on weight loss in healthy obese women; the outcomes tested were changes in anthropometric measurements . In our study, we measured hand grip strength and stress levels in addition to some of the parameters mentioned that were tested in the primary study. We created a Rainbow Diet Pack that consisted of the following fruits and/or vegetables in the respective quantities: raspberry , orange , baby carrots , corn broccoli foret , blueberry , and banana . The choice of each kind of fresh produce was based on the specifc nutritional facts and molecular composition of the phytonutrients in each . As per the personal choice of its members, the intervention group received daily administration of RDP during a 10-wk intervention period. Measurements were taken of both the study and the control groups twice: at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. Our study design was in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.Twenty-four normally healthy human adult volunteers who belonged to the same demographic identity and had similar dietary backgrounds were recruited by word-of-mouth from the local community of the student investigators and screened for health. A total of eight were chosen to participate. Individuals were eligible for the study if they were nonsmokers, free of known disease, not allergic to items in RDP, not taking medications and were identifed as being healthy according to the following criteria: body mass index between 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 and a self-report of no diseases/illnesses in the previous 6 months. Randomization A computerized random number generator was used to assign individuals chosen to participate to either the control or the intervention group. At the end of the baseline screening, a message containing the participant’s number assignments was sent via email to the participants. Participants and the student investigator were aware of group assignment during the intervention phase. Participants were not aware of other participants who have agreed to be in the study. Before analysis, the primary investigator received an anonymized data set and was no longer aware of group assignment post data collection; no data can be traced back to the individual participant.The aim of this study was to assess the effects of eating a diet consisting of all the colors of the rainbow in the form of an RDP once a day on weight loss, stress levels, and other indexes of health in normally healthy volunteers during a 10 wk intervention program. We found that consumption of RDP as lunch may result in positive changes in waist circumference, weight loss and stress levels as measured during the program. This was despite fnding no signifcant diferences in observed hand grip strength between the study and control groups. In spite of evidence for the beneficial effects of eating various naturally colorful produce on obesity and health, to our knowledge, this was the frst randomized controlled trial that investigated the effect of consuming the RDP as a whole on weight loss and stress levels in healthy human subjects.