Critically engaging with thinkers including Slavoj Zizek, Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Jean-Claude Milner, Martin Hagglund, William Connolly and Jane Bennett, Johnston formulates a materialist ...and naturalist account of subjectivity that does full justice to human beings as irreducible to natural matter alone.
Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek together have emerged as two of Europe's most significant living philosophers. In a shared spirit of resistance to global capitalism, both are committed to bringing ...philosophical reflection to bear upon present-day political circumstances. These thinkers are especially interested in asking what consequences the supposed twentieth-century demise of communism entails for leftist political theory in the early twenty-first century.
Badiou, Žižek, and Political Transformationsexamines Badiouian and Žižekian depictions of change, particularly as deployed at the intersection of philosophy and politics. The book details the origins of Badiou's concept of the event and Žižek's concept of the act as related theoretical visions of revolutionary happenings, delineating a number of difficulties arising from these similar concepts. Johnston finds that Badiou and Žižek tend to favor models of transformation that risk discouraging in advance precisely the efforts at changing the world of today that these uncompromising leftists so ardently desire.Badiou, Žižek, and Political Transformationswill surely join Johnston's Žižek's Ontology as an instant classic in its field.
Estimating balanced nutrient requirements for soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) in China is essential for identifying optimal fertilizer application regimes to increase soybean yield and nutrient use ...efficiency. We collected datasets from field experiments in major soybean planting regions of China between 2001 and 2015 to assess the relationship between soybean seed yield and nutrient uptake, and to estimate nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) requirements for a target yield of soybean using the quantitative evaluation of the fertility of tropical soils (QUEFTS) model. The QUEFTS model predicted a linear-parabolic-plateau curve for the balanced nutrient uptake with a target yield increased from 3.0 to 6.0 t ha-1 and the linear part was continuing until the yield reached about 60-70% of the potential yield. To produce 1000 kg seed of soybean in China, 55.4 kg N, 7.9 kg P, and 20.1 kg K (N:P:K = 7:1:2.5) were required in the above-ground parts, and the corresponding internal efficiencies (IE, kg seed yield per kg nutrient uptake) were 18.1, 126.6, and 49.8 kg seed per kg N, P, and K, respectively. The QUEFTS model also simulated that a balanced N, P, and K removal by seed which were 48.3, 5.9, and 12.2 kg per 1000 kg seed, respectively, accounting for 87.1%, 74.1%, and 60.8% of the total above-ground parts, respectively. These results were conducive to make fertilizer recommendations that improve the seed yield of soybean and avoid excessive or deficient nutrient supplies. Field validation indicated that the QUEFTS model could be used to estimate nutrient requirements which help develop fertilizer recommendations for soybean.
Great achievements have been attained in agricultural production of China, while there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead that call for put more efforts to overcome to guarantee food ...security and protect environment simultaneously. Analyzing yield gap and nutrient use efficiency will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies to increase grain yield. On-farm datasets from 2001 to 2012 with 1,971 field experiments for maize (Zea mays L.) were collected in four maize agro-ecological regions of China, and the optimal management (OPT), farmers' practice (FP), a series of nutrient omission treatments were used to analyze yield gap, nutrient use efficiency and indigenous nutrient supply by adopting meta-analysis and ANOVA analysis. Across all sites, the average yield gap between OPT and FP was 0.7 t ha-1, the yield response to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were 1.8, 1.0, and 1.2 t ha-1, respectively. The soil indigenous nutrient supply of N, P, and K averaged 139.9, 33.7, and 127.5 kg ha-1, respectively. As compared to FP, the average recovery efficiency (RE) of N, P, and K with OPT increased by percentage point of 12.2, 5.5, and 6.5, respectively. This study indicated that there would be considerable potential to further improve yield and nutrient use efficiency in China, and will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies, while some management measures such as soil, plant and nutrient are necessary and integrate with advanced knowledge and technologies.
•K fertilization and/or straw return alleviated soil K depletion.•Fertilization strategies influenced soil K levels mainly in the 0–30cm depth.•Straw return increased soil organic C sequestration in ...the top 40cm.•K fertilization and/or straw return increased crop yield.•K fertilizer should be prior applied in maize to enhance yield and K efficiency.
Understanding the changes in soil potassium (K) and crop yield under K fertilization and straw return is important for proper K fertilizer management. A field experiment involving a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) rotation was conducted to study the effects of long-term (20-year) K fertilization and straw return on soil K and crop yield in north-central China. Fertilization treatments included: nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers (NP), NP plus wheat straw (NPS), NP and K fertilizers (NPK), and NPK plus wheat straw (NPKS). Annual soil K budget increased with increasing K inputs (including fertilizer K and straw K) in the order of NP<NPS<NPK<NPKS, and further increased after maize straw returned since 2008. The NP and NPS treatments decreased soil available K and slowly available K below the initial levels, K fertilization and/or straw return increased available K and slowly available K in the top 30cm soil over the NP treatment. Fertilization did not significantly alter total K in the 0–100cm depths, but in the 0–10cm soil layer, the NP, NPS, and NPK treatments decreased total K by 4.3%, 3.4%, and 0.4% than the initial concentration, respectively. Compared with the NP treatment, K fertilization and/or straw return increased crop yields in most cases, and the effect of K inputs on yield increase was greater for maize than wheat. Additionally, increased straw return enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC) beyond the NP treatment, and SOC decreased with depths between 0 and 40cm soil; however, fertilization did not change SOC below 40cm. In conclusion, K fertilization and/or straw return alleviated soil K depletion and increased soil K fertility; crop yields increased with increasing K inputs, and yield response of maize to K fertilization was greater than wheat.
► To determine yield response, agronomic efficiency and soil indigenous nutrient supply in the main wheat production areas in China. ► To analyze the inter-relationships among yield response, ...agronomic efficiency, and soil indigenous nutrient supply. ► To develop principles and scientific basis for fertilizer recommendations using the Nutrient Expert for Wheat decision support system in China based on yield response and agronomic efficiency.
The inappropriate application of fertilizer has become a common phenomenon in wheat production systems in China and has led to nutrient imbalances, inefficient use and large losses to the environment. However, defining an appropriate fertilization rate remains the foundation to science-based nutrient management. This paper described a new fertilizer recommendation method for wheat in China based on yield response and agronomic efficiency using datasets from 2000 to 2011. The results showed that the mean yield responses of wheat to N, P and K were 1.7, 1.0 and 0.8t/ha, respectively. Nitrogen was the nutrient most limiting yield, followed by P and then K. The soil indigenous nutrient supplies were 122.6kg N/ha, 38.0kg P/ha, and 120.2kg K/ha. The mean agronomic efficiencies were 9.4, 10.2 and 6.5kg/kg for N, P and K, respectively. There was a significant negative exponential relationship between yield response and indigenous nutrient supply, and a significant negative linear correlation between yield response and relative yield. It was also demonstrated a quadratic equation between yield response (x) and agronomic efficiency (y) (P<0.05). The relationship between yield response (x) and agronomic efficiency (y) for N was yN=0.3729xN2+6.1333xN+0.1438 (R2=0.76, n=601), for P was yP=0.5013xP2+8.3209xP+2.3907 (R2=0.65, n=288), and for K was yK=1.6581xK2+9.099xK+0.7668 (R2=0.58, n=379). These equations were all incorporated as part of the Nutrient Expert for Wheat fertilizer recommendation decision support system. The results of multiple field experiments helped to validate the feasibility of the recommendation model and concluded that Nutrient Expert for Wheat could be used as an alternative method to make fertilizer recommendations in China.
•Soil indigenous nutrient supply, yield response and agronomic efficiency were analyzed in the main maize-producing regions in China.•The relationships among yield response, soil indigenous nutrient ...supply, and agronomic efficiency were determined.•A new fertilizer recommendation method has been built based on yield response and agronomic efficiency.•Nutrient Expert for Hybrid Maize decision support system can be used without soil testing and no need collect experimental data from every field.
A generic but flexible and location-specific fertilizer recommendation method is necessary due to inappropriate fertilization in China. A new fertilizer recommendation method, Nutrient Expert (NE) for Hybrid Maize, was developed using maize datasets from 2000 to 2010 in main maize production areas. The results showed that the average of indigenous nutrient supply were 130, 41 and 124kg/ha, the mean of yield response were 2.1, 1.2, and 1.2t/ha, and the average agronomic efficiency were 11.4, 15.7, and 11.8kg/kg for N, P, and K, respectively. There was a significantly negative exponential relationship between yield response and indigenous nutrient supply, and a significant negative linear relationship between yield response and relative yield. Analysis also indicated that the quadratic curve relation was obvious between yield response and agronomic efficiency. NE system was established based on yield response and agronomic efficiency (AE) through above analysis, and on-farm field experiments were conducted in 408 farmers’ fields to validate this system at seven provinces in China. The results showed that fertilizer recommendation based on NE method could maintain grain yield and profitability and improve nutrient use efficiency through 4R nutrient stewardship and it is proved to be a promising approach for fertilizer recommendation when soil testing is not timely or not available.
•We investigated the long term effects of K application on K use and soil status.•K increased grain yield, but this effect decreased with excessive application.•Returned straw, deep soil K ...utilization, weathering soil K pools may alleviate soil K deficits.
The effects of 20 years of potassium (K) fertilization (in two treatments: 113 and 225kg K2Oha−1) on grain and stover yields, plant K concentrations, aboveground K uptake, K use efficiencies, soil K pools, and the K balance were examined in a Haplic Phaeozem soil under a rain-fed mono-cropped spring maize (Zea mays L.) system in the province of Jilin, northeast China. The indigenous K supply (zero K application) maintained an average grain yield of 7.0tha−1 per year, but the year-to-year variation was large. Application of K significantly (P<0.05) increased the average grain yields by 15.1 and 13.8% in the 113 and 225kg K2Oha−1 treatments, respectively, over the experimental period. The mean K recovery efficiency, K agronomic efficiency, and K partial factor productivity decreased from 37.3 to 28.5%, 10.8 to 4.9kgkg−1, and 86.8 to 43.1kgkg−1 when the K application rate increased from 113 to 225kg K2Oha−1. The effect of K application was larger on stover K concentrations than grain K concentrations. In the top 100cm of the soil profile, excessive or non-synchronized K application significantly (P<0.05) increased the leaching of exchangeable K in comparison with the control, but K application had little effect on soil non-exchangeable K and total K. K fertilizer, therefore, plays an important role in increasing grain yields in China, but the K application rate can be reduced if farmers return stover to the soil and make full use of K below the soil surface.
•Larger datasets were used to analyze the variation of soil available P and the crop yield response to P application.•The datasets were divided into two groups: grain crops and cash crops.•We ...analyzed the changes of soil available P in farmland in China from 1990 to 2012.•We analyzed the temporal and spatial variability of soil available P and the crop yield response to P application across the five regions (NE, NC, NW, SE and SW).
Mineral fertilizers have played a critical role in increasing cereal crop production in China. However, the use of fertilizer at rates in excess of crop removal or to support soil health has resulted in serious environmental problems, this hindering sustainable agriculture development. In order to support crop production and reduce potential environmental risks, it is essential that every effort is made to promote an efficient and effective use of phosphorus (P) resources. In this paper, the temporal and spatial changes of soil available P was analyzed using 59,956 soil samples, combined with the results of 4837 field experiments compiled from the International Plant Nutrient Institute (IPNI) China program database from 1990 to 2012. The results demonstrated that soil available P content showed an increasing trend with a slope of 1.51 from 1990 to 2012. However, this trend for all samples was separated into cash crops (with a slope of 2.75) and grain crops (with a slope of 0.76) revealing that it was cash crops that were primarily responsible for the increasing trend. Field trail results revealed that it was the high P fertilizer application rates to cash crops that resulted in the increase of soil available P. On average, for all crops, the soil analysis data showed that soil available P increased from 17.09mgL−1 in the 1990s (from 1990 to 2000) to 33.28mgL−1 in the 2000s (from 2001 to 2012), again mainly due to the large increase in cash crop area in China. For relative yield, there was little to no variation across regions (with mean values of 87.8%, 87.8%, 84.4%, 88.1% and 86.0% for the NE, NC, NW, SE and SW regions, respectively), but the trend of variation showed great differences in those same regions from the 1990s to the 2000s. The relative yield for grain crops in the NE, NC, SE and SW increased by 2.6%, 7.9%, 6.9% and 8.6%, but decreased by 4.9% in the NW from the 1990s to the 2000s. The relative yield for cash crops decreased by 6.7%, 6.0% and 1.6% for the NE, SE and SW regions, but increased by 8.3% and remained unchanged for the NC and NW regions, respectively. The great variation observed in soil available P across the different regions in China demonstrated the urgent need for site-specific P nutrient management. In conclusion, while P fertilizer application should meet the requirements for all types of crops, it must be managed to avoid the potential for negative environmental impacts.
Adrian Johnston's Prolegomena to Any Future Materialism,planned for three volumes, will lay the foundations for a new materialist theoretical apparatus, his "transcendental materialism." In this ...first volume, Johnston clears an opening within contemporary philosophy and theory for his unique position. He engages closely with Lacan, Badiou, and Meillassoux, demonstrating how each of these philosophers can be seen as failing to forge an authentically atheistic materialism. Johnston builds a new materialism both profoundly influenced by these brilliant comrades of a shared cause as well as making up for the shortcomings of their own creative attempts to bring to realization the Lacanian vision of an Other-less, One-less ontology. The Outcome of Contemporary French Philosophy yields intellectual weapons suitable for deployment on multiple fronts simultaneously, effective against the mutually entangled spiritualist and scientistic foes of our post-Enlightenment, biopolitical era of nothing more than commodities and currencies.
PDF
