Electronic devices made of organic molecules are starting to show their transfomative power in various fields of application today. However, as with most technologies, progress is eventually bounded by how well the inner workings of the components are understood. For electronic devices, as the name suggests, this mostly concerns the behavior of electrons or, more generally, electric charge carriers. To understand and predict device properties, knowledge of the mechanisms that govern the fate of charge carriers is indispensable. In an organic material, those mechanisms are closely related to material properties on a molecular level. Thus, the micro- and macroscale are linked in a complex manner and many questions about these links are still open. This work aims to advance the understanding of three important aspects of the field: the time-evolution of charge carrier states, the mechanism of molecular doping and the efficiency of organic solar cells and photodetectors. All three are strongly affected by a common property of organic materials: disorder. Specifcally, we extend the theoretical framework of describing the time-dependence of charge carrier motion in disordered semiconductors and use it to predict the time-dependence of recombination in organic solar cells. We find that, just as transport, recombination slows down with time, and establish a quantitative method of extracting material characteristics from the measured time-dependence of recombination. To analyze the influence of molecular doping on charge transport, we develop a computational method based on percolation theory. We show that for organic semiconductors, the popular transport energy model can not be used to predict the thermoelectric properties. The latter are important since they are often used to measure the amount of free charges introduced by doping. We are able to accurately model the activation energy of conductivity and study the important length scales and the influence of molecular parameters. Finally, we investigate the consequences of disorder on the performance of solar cells and photodetectors by studying the timescale and efficiency of the separation of photo-generated positive and negative charges. We find that, depending on the conditions, separation can in fact be either enhanced or hindered by disorder effects.

The excellent electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) provide interesting opportunities to realize new types of strain gauges. However, there are still challenges for the further development of CNT film strain gauges, for instance the lack of design rules, the homogeneity, stability and reproducibility of CNT films. This thesis aims to address these issues from two sides: simulation and experiment. Monte Carlo simulations show that both the sheet resistance and gauge factor of CNT films are determined essentially by the two-dimensional exclude area of CNTs. It was shown, for the first time, that the variation of the CNT film gauge factor follows the percolation scaling law. The sheet resistance and gauge factor both have a power-law divergence when approaching the percolation threshold. The standard deviation of film resistances, however, also increases correspondingly. These findings of simulations provide a general guide to the tailoring of material property of CNT films in strain sensing applications: a compromise should be made between the reproducibility, conductivity and sensitivity of CNT films depending on application purposes. From the experimental side, the processing parameters for the preparation of CNT dispersions were first investigated and optimized. The reproducibility of the film resistance is significantly improved by selecting a suitable sonication time. In strain measurements it was found that for most CNT films the film resistance responses nonlinearly to the applied strain. The dependence of the film resistance on the strain can be roughly divided into two regions with nearly linear behavior respectively. The gauge factor varies with the quality of CNTs and the depositing method. A gauge factor up to 8 was achieved in the high strain region. The nonlinear response behavior was found in simulations when the CNT waviness is properly taken into account. To achieve a high gauge factor and simultaneously retain the high conductivity and reproducibility, good-quality MWCNTs were integrated in polyethylene oxide (PEO). A high gauge factor up to 10 was achieved for the composite film with CNT weight fraction of 2.5%. The resistance and gauge factor can be tuned by changing the MWCNT weight fraction with respect to PEO. A careful comparison of simulation and experiment results show that a good qualitative agreement can be achieved between them in many respects.

Es werden metallische Kurzfasern, die durch ein Schnellerstarrungsverfahren direkt aus der Schmelze hergestellt werden, bezüglich ihrer Verwendung als hochporöser Absorber und als elektrisch leitfähige Strukturen in Verbundwerkstoffen vorgestellt. Auf der Basis einer schalldämpfenden hochporösen gesinterten Metallfaserstruktur und einer schalldämmenden Elastomerplatte wird ein neuartiges Schallschutzmaterial beschrieben. Die Theorie des homogenen Mediums ist für Absorber mit schichtartigen Aufbau erweitert und mit den gemessenen Absorberkennwerten verglichen worden. Weiterhin wird gezeigt, dass schmelzextrahierte metallische Kurzfasern in Polymerwerkstoffe eingelagert werden können, um einen elektrisch leitfähigen Faserverbundwerkstoff zu erhalten, der eine höhere Leitfähigkeit als rußgefüllte Polymere aufweist und eine preiswerte Alternative zu intrinsich leitenden Polymeren darstellt. Es werden die Herstellung und mechanische Eigenschaften des Metallfaserverbundwerkstoffes beschrieben. Das elektrische Verhalten des Faserverbundwerkstoffes wird anhand der Perkolationstheorie erläutert. Ausgehend von einem umfangreichen Überblick zu Möglichkeiten der Modellierung mechanischer und elektrischer Eigenschaften wird anhand geeigneter Modelle das reale Werkstoffverhalten beschrieben.

[pt] Nós começamos essa dissertação com um panorama geral e introdutório dos tópicos de Sensibilidade a Ruído e Percolação . Como essas áreas podem ser desconhecidas por muitos estudantes de pós-graduação, nós apresentamos o material de uma maneira acessível, com o intuito de divulgar importantes técnicas e resultados dessas áreas. Nós também vamos introduzir o modelo para Percolação de Voronoi e apresentar resultados sobre probabilidades de cruzamentos neste modelo. Nos últimos dois capulos nós iremos considerar Sensibilidade a Ruído para Percolação do tipo quenched. Em particular, no penúltimo capítulo nós vamos apresentar resultados do artigo Quenched Voronoi Percolation de Daniel Ahlberg, Simon Griffiths, Robert Morris e Vincent Tassion, e no último capítulo provaremos um teorema que melhora uma das cotas deste artigo. / [en] We begin this dissertation by giving an introductory overview of the topics of Noise Sensitivity and Percolation. As these areas may be unfamiliar to many graduate students, we present the material in an accessible way, with the objective of publicising important techniques and results in these areas.We shall also introduce the model of Voronoi Percolation and present results of Vincent Tassion on crossing probabilities in this model. In the last two chapters we consider Noise Sensitivity of Quenched Voronoi Percolation. In particular, in the penultimate chapter we present the results of the paper Quenched Voronoi Percolation by Daniel Ahlberg, Simon Griffiths, Robert Morris and Vincent Tassion, and in the final chapter we prove a theorem which improves one of the bounds of that paper.

L'objet de ce travail est de mieux comprendre ce qui se produit lorsque l'on perturbe un système complexe, en utilisant les automates cellulaires comme modèle. Nous nous intéressons principalement à deux perturbations. La première concerne l'écoulement du temps : contrairement au modèle habituel, nous utilisons des mises à jour asynchrones, c'est-à-dire que, à chaque étape, seulement une partie des cellules sont mises à jour. L'autre perturbation concerne la topologie, c'est-à-dire le graphe d'interaction entre les cellules.<br>Une première partie étudie expérimentalement l'apparition de la percolation dirigée dans les automates cellulaires, notamment dans le cadre du "damage spreading". Le dernier chapitre de cette partie prouve une équivalence entre une classe d'automates cellulaires probabilistes et les automates cellulaires asynchrones.<br>La seconde partie étudie dans un premier chapitre l'interaction des deux perturbations évoquées: asynchronisme et topologie. Alors que le modèle habituel utilise une grille Zd, nous étudions une grille où certains liens sont temporairement coupés. Puis un second chapitre démontre des propriétés théoriques sur la règles minorité lorsque la topologie est un arbre.<br>Nous avons dans cette thèse mené à la fois des études expérimentales et des études théoriques. Une préoccupation transversale est la simulation formelle entre modèles. L'enjeu de ces travaux est, à terme, de savoir comment obtenir des systèmes ayant un comportement global prédéfini, ou bien comment rendre robuste à certaines perturbations un système complexe donné.

Les processus d'interactions fluide-roche à l'interface eau douce-eau salée, dans les aquifères carbonatés côtiers soumis à une intrusion saline, sont une des causes du développement d'hétérogénéités dans la structure du milieu poreux. Les dissolutions et/ou précipitations engendrées par la présence de cette zone de mélange jouent un rôle déterminant pour les propriétés de transport du réservoir et donc l'évolution à long terme de l'intrusion d'eau salée. En prenant l'exemple de la plateforme carbonatée de Llucmajor au niveau du site expérimental de Ses Sitjoles (Sud-Est de Majorque, Espagne), un travail de caractérisation et d'observation in situ à moyen terme de l'intrusion saline actuelle de ce réservoir permet de décrire son évolution temporelle et les processus biogéochimiques actifs dans la zone de mélange. L'influence de la microstructure du milieu poreux, caractérisée par microtomographie RX, sur les propriétés pétrophysiques et hydrodynamiques est étudiée en laboratoire et des expériences de percolations d'eaux réactives (mélanges eau douce - eau salée et eau pure chargée en CO2) sont réalisées afin d'étudier les modifications de ces microstructures lorsqu'elles sont soumises à des interactions eau - roche. La zone de mélange eau douce - eau salée rencontrée au niveau du site de Ses Sitjoles est large et peu sensible aux contraintes extérieures (climatologiques et anthropiques) et constitue un lieu d'activité microbiologique particulièrement actif. En laboratoire, on observe un fort contrôle des phénomènes de transport par la microporosité et des processus d'interactions eau - roche par la pCO2. Dans le cas d'une percolation de fluides moyennement réactifs, les expériences mettent en évidence une dissolution de calcite accompagnée par une diminution de la perméabilité, liée à un réarrangement des micro-grains à l'intérieur du réseau microporeux.

L'objectif de cette thèse était de modéliser à partir des expériences de percolation-réactive, les processus hydrodynamique et réactionnel qui gouvernent l'altération des ciments de puits. Différentes expériences ont été réalisées dans des conditions représentatives de celles du stockage du CO2. Des échantillons fracturés ont été utilisés pour injecter une saumure enrichie en CO2 à 60°C et 10MPa et à différentes pressions partielles de CO2. Le débitd'injection variait en fonction des propriétés hydrauliques de l'échantillon exposé. L'injection d'une saumure enrichie en CO2 à débit constant à travers une fracture supposée plane a permis d'étudier les modifications des propriétés hydrodynamiques et ces conséquences sur la géochimie et la microstructure du ciment altéré. L'impact dynamique de l'évolution microstructurale a été mis en évidence. Les expériences conduites sur des échantillons présentant de larges ouvertures, réalisées sur une durée de 5 h, ont montré que la perméabilité était maintenue constante le long de l'expérience. Trois couches d'altération se sont développées consécutivement à la dissolution de la portlandite et la décalcification des CSH. L'altération a entrainé la précipitation des carbonates et de la silice amorphe à proximité de la fracture. Dans le cas d'une expérience longue durée appliquant les mêmes conditions que précédemment on a observé que la croissance de la silice amorphe a entrainé la diminution de la perméabilité. Par ailleurs les expériences effectuées sur des échantillons présentant de faibles ouvertures, ont indiqué que la conversion de la portlandite en calcite conduit au colmatage de la fracture. L'évolution des assemblages de phases conduisant à la formation des carbonates et de la silice amorphe a été modélisée à partir du code géochimique GEMS. Les mécanismes de diffusion et les processus de mise en place des couches d'altération ont été étudiés à partir d'un modèle analytique et d'un modèle de transport réactif à partir du code géochimique PHREEQC.

Le concept de réseau offre un modèle de représentation pour une grande variété d'objets et de systèmes, aussi bien naturels que sociaux, dans lesquels un ensemble d'entités homogènes ou hétérogènes interagissent entre elles. Il est aujourd'hui employé couramment pour désigner divers types de structures relationnelles. Pourtant, si chacun a une idée plus ou moins précise de ce qu'est un réseau, nous ignorons encore souvent les implications qu'ont ces structures dans de nombreux phénomènes du monde qui nous entoure. C'est par exemple le cas de processus tels que la diffusion d'une rumeur, la transmission d'une maladie, ou même l'émergence de sujets d'intérêt commun à un groupe d'individus, dans lesquels les relations que maintiennent les individus entre eux et leur nature s'avèrent souvent être les principaux facteurs déterminants l'évolution du phénomène. C'est ainsi que l'étude des réseaux est devenue l'un des domaines émergents du 21e siècle appelé la "Science des réseaux". Dans ce mémoire, nous abordons trois problèmes de la science des réseaux: le problème de la diffusion dans les réseaux sociaux, où nous nous sommes intéressés plus particulièrement à l'impact de la dynamique du réseau sur le processus de diffusion, le problème de l'analyse des réseaux sociaux, dans lequel nous avons proposé une solution pour tirer parti de l'ensemble des informations disponibles en combinant les informations sur la structure du réseau et les attributs des noeuds et le problème central de la collecte de données sociales, où nous nous sommes intéressés au cas particulier de la collecte de données en milieux sauvages.

The Distrito Federal in Western Central Brazil is characterized by a high share of urban population and a predicted growth of population. The corresponding increasing water consumption is associated with a falling groundwater table. The existing wastewater treatment plants could reach their capacity limits due to further increasing amounts of urban wastewater in conjunction with heavy precipitation events. During these events, untreated wastewater can become a contamination source for protected resources such as soil and water. This problem can be solved by soil aquifer recharge. This is a unique technique to take the load off the treatment plants, to store the water in the aquifer, and to improve the water quality during the soil passage. The controlled infiltration of pretreated municipal wastewater in the tropical soils can ensure the regional groundwater balance and backup high quality water as a suitable drinking water resource. The objective of the present thesis was to define suitable soils and areas for a soil aquifer treatment in the Distrito Federal to support the decentralized wastewater treatment management. For the identification of suitable soils, representative samples were taken. The soil samples were examined with respect to their pedological and geochemical properties. For the characterization of the unsaturated hydraulic conditions, in situ infiltration tests and a 3D infiltration monitoring were performed. Additionally, the retention potentials for sewage ingredients were determined for each soil with unsaturated, hydrochemical and geoelectrical column tests. Thus, it was possible to calculate the retention potentials of each soil against the wastewater content of an artificial wastewater. The artificial wastewater with known composition was infiltrated through the soil columns. The retention potentials of the soils were calculated by balancing the hydrochemical data. Afterwards, for the implementation of the hydraulic data and the data from the column tests, a utility analysis was performed to merge all parameters. Finally, the field and laboratory studies were combined within a GIS-based usability analysis to blend the determined parameter with geo-data to identify suitable areas for a soil aquifer treatment. Parameters as slope, land use and land cover were included in this analysis. After the evaluation of the hydrochemical balances, predominantly the younger soils turn out as suitable for an artificial recharge with water of impaired quality because of their high retention potential for TOC. The Gleissolo featured a retention potential of almost 100 % for TOC. However, a high hydraulic conductivity in the soils is necessary to ensure an effective artificial recharge. The Gleissolo featured the lowest measured hydraulic conductivity in the field test with 1,12 x 10-8 m/s. Due to the consideration of the determined hydraulic and hydrochemical data in the utility analysis, each parameter was weighted to embrace the requirement of an effective artificial recharge. The results of the laboratory and field tests have shown that the soil group of Latossolos is suitable for a soil aquifer treatment. These soils offer the best infiltration characteristics and a good retention potential against sewage ingredients for an effective artificial groundwater recharge with pretreated wastewater. Additional to that, slope, land use/land cover, depth of soil, and a defined distance to conservation area were considered in a GIS-based usability analysis. Additionally, the categorized soils from the utility analysis were included to identify suitable regions. The outcome of the thesis is a GIS-based usability analysis map which shows suitable areas for a soil aquifer treatment ranked by their category of suitability. Additionally, the thesis provides crucial evidences for soil parameters which have positive effects on wastewater infiltration. In addition, the 3D infiltration monitoring and the measured resistivity distribution showed that the gravitatively controlled infiltration influences only the soil zone immediately beneath the irrigation. Furthermore, it was found that the proxy of the geoelectrical resistivity is not (sufficiently) conclusive for the sorption potential of conductive wastewater ingredients. / O Distrito Federal, localizado no Centro-Oeste Brasileiro, é caracterizado por um intenso processo de urbanização o qual deve aumentar ainda mais nas próximas décadas. O correspondente crescimento no consumo de água está, também, associado ao rebaixamento dos níveis das águas subterrâneas. O atual sistema de tratamento de efluentes pode atingir seu limite de operação diante do crescimento demográfico e aumento de eventos extremos de chuva. Durante esses eventos, efluentes não tratados podem tornar-se uma fonte de contaminação aos recursos hídricos e solos. Uma solução é recarga artificial de águas subterrâneas. A mesma armazena o efluente pré-tratado nas águas subterrâneas e melhora a qualidade do mesmo durante o processo de percolação no solo. A infiltração controlada em solos tropicais pode contribuir para a qualidade das águas subterrâneas e balanço hídrico, servindo assim como fonte para o abastecimento de água. Essa tese tem como objetivo a identificação de áreas e solos propícios à recarga artificial de águas subterrâneas no Distrito Federal a fim de dar suporte à gestão decentralizada de tratamento de efluentes. Para a identificação dessas áreas, amostras representativas à diferentes tipos de solos foram obtidas. As amostras foram examinadas de acordo com suas propriedades pedológicas e geoquímicas. Para a caracterização das condições hidráulicas não saturadas, realizaram-se diversos testes de infiltração in situ, bem como o monitoramento 3D. Ainda, determinou-se para cada solo o potencial de retenção de poluentes através de testes de coluna insaturados, hidroquímico e geoelétricos. Dessa forma foi possível calcular os potenciais de retenção para cada solo quando utilizados efluentes sintéticos. Com base na contabilização de todos os dados hidroquímicos, calculou-se os potenciais de retenção de poluentes para o determinado efluente de composição conhecida. Mais a frente, para a implementação de dados hidráulicos e dados dos testes de coluna, utilizou-se uma análise de utilidade considerando todos os parâmetros. Finalmente, estudos de laboratório e campo foram combinados em uma análise baseada em sistema de informação geográfica (SIG). O mesmo permite o cruzamento de um determinado parâmetro obtido com uma base de dados georeferenciados (p. ex. classes de solos) a fim de identificar as áreas mais propícias. Parâmetros tais como declividade, uso e cobertura de solo foram incluídos nessa análise. Após a avaliação dos balanços hidroquímicos, identificou-se que os solos jovens possuem um alto potencial de retenção de carbono orgânico total (COT). Os mesmos mostraram-se adequados para recarga de águas subterrâneas com efluente residuário pré-tratado. Como exemplo, o Gleisolo apresentou um potencial de retenção de aproximadamente 100% de COT. No entanto, é importante lembrar que, a fim de garantir uma retenção efetiva, a condutividade hidráulica do solo deve ser alta. Nesse caso, o Gleisolo apresentou baixos valores no teste de campo com uma condutividade hidráulica de 1,12 x 10-8 m/s. Ainda, os dados hidráulicos e hidroquímicos medidos foram integrados à uma análise de uso-benefício. No caso, cada parâmetro recebe um peso de modo a atender às demandas de uma recarga efetiva de águas subterrâneas. Resultados mostram que o grupo de solo classificado com Latossolo é propício para a recarga de águas subterrâneas. O mesmo oferece a melhor característica de infiltração e potencial de retenção de contaminantes para uma recarga artificial com efluentes pré-tratados. Declividade, uso e ocupação de solo, profundidade do solo e uma distância devida de áreas de conservação foram contemplados na análise de utilidade baseada em SIG. Além disso, os colos caracterizados pela análise de uso-benefício foram incluídos com o intuito de identificar as regiões mais propícias para a prática. O resultado da tese é uma representação gráfica georeferenciada das áreas propícias para a aplicação de recarga artificial de águas subterrâneas. Ainda, a tese fornece evidências cruciais de parâmetros do solo que tem efeitos positivos na infiltração de efluentes pré-tratados. O monitoramento 3D de infiltração e a distribuição de resistividade medida mostram que infiltração controlada por gravidade influencia apenas a zona do solo imediata à superfície de irrigação. Mas a frente, foi determinado que o proxy da resistividade geoelétrica não é válido para o potencial de retenção de contaminantes condutores. / Der Distrito Federal ist durch eine starke Urbanisierung geprägt. Das ohnehin bereits starke Bevölkerungswachstum wird Prognosen zufolge weiter zunehmen. Der damit verbundene Anstieg des Wasserverbrauchs wird auch in absinkenden Grundwasserständen widergespiegelt. Weiterhin ist das westliche Zentralbrasilien aufgrund seiner Lage in den wechselfeuchten Tropen durch eine starke Saisonalität der Niederschläge geprägt. Das erhöhte Abwasseraufkommen in Verbindung mit extremen Niederschlagsereignissen kann zu einer deutlichen Überbelastung der vorhandenen Kläranlagen führen. In Extremsituationen kann ungeklärtes Abwasser in die Bodenzone gelangen und somit Schutzgüter wie Boden und Wasser kontaminieren. Eine effiziente Maßnahme gegenüber der unkontrollierten Versickerung von ungeklärtem Abwasser sowie zur Vorbeugung absinkender Grundwasserspiegel ist die gezielte Infiltration von vorbehandeltem Abwasser in Verbindung mit einer Grundwasseranreicherung. Diese Maßnahme umfasst einen zusätzlichen Reinigungsschritt des vorgereinigten Abwassers und dient zur Vorbeugung gegenüber absinkenden Grundwasserspiegeln. Ziel der Arbeit war es, geeignete Böden und Flächen für eine Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser im Distrito Federal auszuweisen. Zur Identifizierung geeigneter Böden wurden repräsentative Bodenproben auf ihre pedologischen und geochemischen Eigenschaften hin untersucht. Zusätzlich wurden in situ Durchlässigkeitstests und ein Versickerungsmonitoring aufgebaut, um zur Klärung der Infiltrationseigenschaften beizutragen. Für die Laboruntersuchungen wurden die Bodenproben im Hinblick auf ihre Schadstoffrückhaltepotentiale untersucht. Dazu wurden kombinierte hydrochemische und geoelektrische sowie ungesättigte Säulenversuche durchgeführt. Dadurch war es möglich, Rückschlüsse auf die Sorptionsleistung der Böden gegenüber den Abwasserinhaltsstoffen einer künstlichen Abwasserlösung schließen zu können. Die Bodensäulen wurden mit einem künstlichen Abwasser mit bekannter Schadstoffzusammensetzung überstaut. Auf der Grundlage der Bilanzierung aller hydrochemischen Daten wurden die Schadstoffrückhaltepotentiale für die Abwasserinhaltsstoffe berechnet. Anschließend wurden die experimentell ermittelten Parameter in einer Nutzwertanalyse zusammengefasst, um so geeignete Böden für eine effiziente Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser zu identifizieren. Abschließend wurden die Feld- und Laboruntersuchungen mit einer GIS-basierten Nutzbarkeitsanalyse komplettiert, um die gemessenen Parameter mit weiteren vorliegenden, räumlich aufgelösten Daten verschneiden zu können. In diese Analyse wurden Parameter wie Gefälle, Landnutzung und Landbedeckung einbezogen. Bei der Auswertung der hydrochemischen Bilanzen kristallisierten sich vorwiegend die jungen Böden aufgrund ihrer hohen Schadstoffrückhaltepotentiale als geeignete Böden für eine Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser heraus. Exemplarisch wies der Gleissolo ein Sorptionspotential von fast 100 % für den Parameter TOC auf. Allerdings müssen Böden für eine effektive Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser zusätzlich zu den hohen Sorptionsleistungen auch hohe hydraulische Durchlässigkeiten aufweisen. Für den Gleissolo wurde im Feldversuch die niedrigste hydraulische Durchlässigkeit von 1,12 x 10-8 m/s bestimmt. Durch die Einbindung der gemessenen hydraulischen und hydrochemischen Daten in eine Nutzwertanalyse konnten diese Parameter gewichtet werden, um so den Ansprüchen einer effektiven Grundwasseranreicherung gerecht zu werden. Im Ergebnis der durchgeführten Untersuchungen hat sich gezeigt, dass sich die Bodengruppe der Latossole besonders gut für eine Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser eignet. Diese Böden weisen die besten Infiltrationsbedingungen sowie gute Sorptionseigenschaften für eine effizient gestaltete Grundwasseranreicherung auf. Mit Hilfe der GIS-basierten Nutzbarkeitsanalyse geografischer Parameter wurden Flächen ausgezeichnet, die sich in Bezug auf Gefälle, Landnutzung/Landbedeckung, Bodentiefe und einer adäquaten Distanz zu Schutzgebieten für eine Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser eignen. Zusätzlich wurden die mit Hilfe der Nutzwertanalyse kategorisierten Böden in die Flächenidentifizierung einbezogen. Das Resultat dieser Arbeit liegt in Form einer Karte vor, in der die Gebiete, die für eine Grundwasseranreicherung mit vorbehandeltem Abwasser geeignet sind, nach Kategorien geordnet, verzeichnet sind. Zusätzlich dazu liefert die Arbeit entscheidende Hinweise auf Bodeneigenschaften, die sich positiv auf eine Abwasserinfiltration auswirken. Darüber hinaus konnte durch das geoelektrische 3D-Monitoring und der dabei gemessenen Verteilung des spezifischen elektrischen Widerstandes gezeigt werden, dass die Infiltration gravitativ gesteuert nur die Bodenzone direkt unterhalb der Verrieselung beeinflusste. Weiterhin wurde festgestellt, dass das Proxy des geoelektrischen Widerstandes im Labormaßstab nicht aussagekräftig genug ist, um Rückschlüsse auf die Sorption leitfähigkeitsrelevanter Abwasserinhaltsstoffe geben zu können.

The current interest in conservation agriculture (CA) technologies is a result of the need to reduce excessive land degradation in most crop producing areas as well as to enhance sustainable food production. Cover crops that are usually grown under CA to provide soil cover, may offer secondary benefits, depending on the farming system. The concept of growing cover crops is a relatively new phenomenon to smallholder farmers. Production of large biomass yields and weed suppression from cover crops were major challenges affecting success and uptake of CA technologies by smallholder irrigation farmers. Coupled with this, low soil fertility limit maize productivity and reduce water use efficiency on smallholder irrigation schemes in what is largely a water strained agro-ecology in South Africa. While cover cropping can increase maize productivity, benefits of different types of mulch are not well understood, leading to challenges in selecting the most appropriate cover crop species to grow in the Eastern Cape Province (EC) of South Africa (SA) which has a warm temperate climate. With respect to any new technology, smallholder farmers are more interested in the economic benefits. Cover crops have been defined as leguminous or non-leguminous plants used for ground cover in various temporal and special configurations used in crop or animal production systems. The purpose of these cover crops is to improve on or more of the following: soil erosion, availability and cycling of N, P, K, Ca and other nutrients, soil moisture and water infiltration, and weed or pest control (Eilitta et al., 2004).. Improvement of animal or human diet may be additional goals. This definition accommodates diverse systems which may include intercrop and sole-cropping systems. In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, a government initiative has promoted the growing of winter cover crops in smallholder irrigation schemes (Allwood, 2006). In other parts of Africa, legume food crops have been simultaneously grown with cereal staples to improve both soil cover and human diet (Eilitta et al., 2004). Winter experiments were undertaken in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate biomass accumulation, C and N uptake, weed suppression and response to fertilization. Winter cover crops planted included; oats (Avena sativa), grazing vetch (Vicia dasycarpa), faba bean (Vicia faba), forage peas (Pisum sativum) and lupin (Lupinus angustifolius). After cover crops were terminated, the effects of residues on weeds, fertility, moisture conservation and maize productivity were undertaken in the 2007/08 and 2008/09 summer seasons. Field studies were also done in the 2007/08 and 2008/09 summer seasons to investigate effects of strip intercropping patterns (3:2; 4:2; and 6:2 patterns) of maize (cv. PAN 6479) with mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) or sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) on maize productivity and summer cover crop biomass production. In a separate experiment effects of relay intercropping sunnhemp, mucuna and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) on biomass accumulation and maize productivity were investigated. Decomposition, N and P release from both winter cover crops and summer cover crops were also assessed in laboratory incubation experiments. Oats, grazing vetch and forage peas cover crops produced mean dry mass of 13873 kg/ha, 8945.5 kg/ha and 11073 kg/ha, respectively, while lupin had the lowest dry mass of 1226 kg/ha over the two seasons. Oats responded to fertilization while, there was little or no response from the other winter cover crops. Oats and grazing vetch also reduced weed density by 90 % and 80 % respectively while lupin only reduced weed density by 23 % in relation to the control plots. Nitrogen uptake was 254 kg N/ha for oats while it was 346 kg N /ha for grazing vetch. In the subsequent summer season, grazing vetch and forage pea residues significantly (P < 0.01) improved soil inorganic N. Oat and grazing vetch residues significantly (P < 0.05) reduced weed dry masss and weed species diversity compared to plots with lupin residues and the control. Lack of maize fertilization tended to reduce maize yields but not for maize grown on grazing vetch residues. From an economic perspective, grazing vetch resulted in the highest returns. Decomposition of winter cover crops was much faster for grazing vetch followed by forage peas and lastly oats. Oats had 40 % ash free dry mass remaining after 124 days while grazing vetch and forage peas had 7 % and 16 % respectively. Maximum net mineralized N and P were greater for grazing vetch (84.8 mg N/kg; 3.6 mg P/kg) compared to forage peas (66.3 mg N/kg; 2.7 mg P/ha) and oats (13.7 mg N/kg; 2.8 mg P/kg). In the strip intercropping trials, sunnhemp achieved the highest biomass yield of 4576 kg/ha in the 3:2 pattern while mucuna achieved 1897 kg/ha for the same strip pattern. The 3:2 strip intercropping pattern slightly depressed yields, however, yield reduction was more pronounced in the first season where water stress was experienced. Growing maize on previous cover crop strips failed to increase maize productivity probably due to weed growth during the fallow reducing mineral N in these strips. Decomposition was faster in sunnhemp leaves and mucuna compared to sunnhemp stems. Sunnhemp stems had about 65 % of ash free dry mass remaining after the end of the experiment at 132 days while just over 10 % of mucuna and sunnhemp leaves still remained. Mucuna mineralized 60 mg N/kg and 3.2 mg P/kg and sunnhemp mineralized 45 mg N/kg and 3.5 mg P/kg. Relay intercropping did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect maize biomass and grain yield. Sorghum experienced the largest drop in biomass when relay-intercropped with maize. Mucuna resulted in the highest N uptake (271 kg N/ha) in sole cropping while sorghum had the lowest (88 kg N/ha). Grazing vetch results in high biomass yields with minimal fertilizer application in a warm-temperate climate. Grazing vetch mulch is also the most cost effective mulch for better early weed control, improving soil mineral N status, water conservation and ultimately enhanced maize productivity in smallholder irrigation maize-based systems. The 3:2 pattern maximizes summer cover crop biomass yields compared to the 6:2 and 4:2 patterns. However, the 3:2 pattern may slightly depress yields in a water stressed environment. Relay intercropping mucuna, sunnhemp and sorghum into a maize crop at 42 days after maize sowing has no effect on maize productivity while cover crop biomass yields are low. Having a long winter fallow period after maize harvesting, a common practice in the study area, reduces the positive impact of legume cover crops on soil mineral N. Results suggest that winter cover crops may result in weed control, soil fertility and maize yield improvement benefits while a long fallow period may cancel-out these benefits for summer cover crops. Grazing vetch is a cost effective cover crop that produces high maize yields with minimal fertilizer input. Maize growing on oat mulch requires more fertilizer application than crops growing on grazing vetch mulch. Conservation agriculture systems in which summer cover crops are grown alongside the maize crop with a long winter fallow period do not produce the intended CA benefits.