优质水稻不育系星城A的选育

星城A是以(珍汕97B金/23B∥菲改B/V20B)的F4代单株与优质早籼早cy-5杂交制保,再与金23A测交和回交转育而成的水稻三系不育系,2007年2月通过湖南省品种审定。星城A农艺性状整齐,株叶型好;败育彻底,育性稳定;开花习性较好,异交结实率较高;可恢复性好,杂种F1优势强;米质优;抗性较强,有利于选育优质杂交水稻组合。     

优质早籼三系不育系H28A的选育与利用

以金23A为母本,岳4B/福伊B∥316B的F3代单株为父本测交,经多代择优回交与选择,育成野败型早籼三系不育系H28A.该不育系具有不育性稳定、株叶形态好、早熟、开花习性好、柱头外露率和异交结实率高、米质较优、可恢复性和配合力好等优良特性.2003年7月通过现场评议,2004年2月通过湖南省审定.用H28A与多个恢复系配组,杂种表现产量高、米质优、稳产性好、适种范围广,其中H28A×R207于2004年2月通过广西审定;H28A×91-13被评为湖南省三等优质米.     

优质高异交率籼稻不育系泸002A的选育

泸002A是以Ⅱ-32A为母本,Ⅱ-32B/K17B//金23B的F3代优良单株为父本测交,经多代择优回交转育而成的优质高异交率籼稻三系不育系。表型育性稳定,不育株率100%,开花习性好,柱头外露率高,异交结实率高,米质好,配合力强。2010年通过四川省技术鉴定,所配组合泸优5241于2011年通过重庆市品种审定委员会审定（审定编号：渝审稻2011005）。     

优质早籼三系不育系贺50A选育

贺50A是以金23A为母本，中9B／161—5B／金23B的F4代单株为父本，经多代择优回交与选择育成的早籼型三系不育系。该不育系具有不育性稳定，株叶形态好，生育期适中，开花习性好，柱头外露率和异交结实率高，米质较优，配合力强等特点。介绍了贺50A的繁殖制种技术要点。     

优质新不育系金23A在常德通过鉴定

1992年9月10日,由湖南省科委组织、省农业厅主持,对湖南省常德市农业科学研究所选育的釉型优质新不育系金23 A进行了技术鉴定。来自湖南、湖北、浙江等省的30位专家,通过对金23A的农艺性状,不育性,开花习性、异文结实性、繁殖制种产量及米质、抗性、杂种优势等情况的严格考查,一致认为金23A属籼型野败型中熟早籼不育系,农艺性状整齐,株叶型好,分蘖力强。穗粒结构合理;不育性稳定,不育度高,不育株率100%,败育花粉率99.998%,自交结实率0。24‰,育性指标达到了“三系”不育系鉴定标准;抽穗整齐,花期集中,开花习性好,异交结实率高,制种产量可…     

三系不育系荟丰A的选育与利用

以天丰B为母本与优质保持亲本IR58025B杂交,F1代再与金23B复交,F3代选柱头外露率高、株叶形态好的优良株系与金23A测交,后经连续多世代进行抗稻瘟病、米质、育性筛选和回交转育,育成育性稳定、综合性状较优的三系不育系荟丰A。2017年4月,荟丰A通过福建省农作物品种审定委员会审定。利用该不育系配制的荟丰优3301、荟丰优3518和荟丰优5438等杂交新组合已通过国家或福建省品种审定。     

籼稻新不育系农丰A的选育与应用

通过选用米质较优、柱头外露率高、农艺性状较好的金23B与米质较优、千粒重大的新露B杂交,F3代与适应性广、耐不良环境能力较强的珍汕97B复交,复交F5代再与珍汕97A多代回交,育成野败型籼稻不育系农丰A。农丰A不育株率100%,花粉败育以典败为主,花粉不育度达99.98%,不育性稳定,异交习性好,配合力强,米质较优,株叶形态好。2004年通过安徽省农作物品种审定委员会组织的专家技术鉴定。所配组合丰优293(农丰A/YR293)、农丰优909(农丰A/YR909)、农丰优188、农丰优256已先后通过省级或国家级品种审定。     

籼型水稻温敏核不育系芷139S的选育与利用

芷139S是利用含粳稻亲缘的三系不育系39A为母本,两系不育系怀VS为父本采用"A×S"的杂交方式选育而成的籼型低温敏核不育系.2003年3月通过湖南省品种审定.芷139S在湖南完全不育期60 d以上,不育期间不育株率100%,花粉败育率100%,套袋自交结实率为0.株型较紧凑,叶片窄直,育性转换稳定,不育起点温度低(23℃左右),柱头外露率高,抗病性好,米质较优,配合力强,繁殖产量高.所配组合熟期较早,结实率高,穗多,米质较好,表现出较强的杂种优势.     

优质籼型水稻不育系瑞丰A的选育及应用

瑞丰A是以枝A为母本,Y华农B/22-6∥Y华农B的F3代优良单株作父本测交并逐代回交转育而成的优质籼型不育系.瑞丰A不育性稳定,不育株率和花粉不育度均为100%,可恢复性好,配合力强,开花习性好,异交结实率高,米质达国标优质稻谷3级标准,2008年12月通过海南省农作物品种审定.利用瑞丰A配制的杂交稻新组合在示范试种和区试中表现优良,其中瑞丰优616(瑞丰A/海恢616)于2010年5月通过海南省品种审定.介绍了其选育经过、特征特性和配组应用表现.     

大穗型早籼不育系紫兴05A的选育

紫兴05A是以野败型籼稻不育系嘉浙A为母本,嘉浙B/嘉红B的F4代优质株系为父本杂交,经连续回交转育而成的大穗型早籼不育系。其不育株率达到100%,花粉不育度99.99%,套袋自交不育度99.94%,具有大穗、米质较优、配合力强、中抗稻瘟病等特点。2005年通过浙江省科技厅技术鉴定。     

Studies on natural repellents against potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella Zeller) in country stores

Summary The effects of the leaves of five plant species, one from each of the generaAmbrosia, Anemone, Eupatorium, Eucalyptus andLantana, on potato tuber moth were investigated under indigenous storage conditions at the Central Potato Research Station, Shillong (1800 m above sea level). Their action was compared with that of a biological insecticide (spores ofBacillus thuringiensis), a chemical insecticide (carbaryl), and an untreated control. The data collected after six months storage on tuber damage, sprout damage and the rotting indicated that the leaves ofLantana aculeata provided most protection to the tubers, reducing damage from over 70% in the check to below 5%, and sprout damage from over 45% to below 3%. Next best wasEucalyptus globulus followed byB. thuringiensis. They may be used on tubers stored for table use or for seed as they had no adverse effect on germination or on the yield of a subsequent crop.     

Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of Various Nitrogen Fertilizers

Summary

The efficiency of N fertilizers is usually poor; often less than 50% of the applied N is taken up by the crop. This review focuses on various N fertilizers with respect to the significance of different N loss pathways, namely (i) ammonia volatilization, (ii) dinitrogen and nitrogen oxide emissions, and (iii) nitrate leaching. Further, the significance of biological N immobilization, ammonium fixation and, finally, the impact of nitrate vs. ammonium uptake on crop yield are also discussed. The reviewed literature shows that N fertilizers may differ markedly in their susceptibility to losses. There is, however, considerable scope to improve N efficiency of each N source by proper N management practices.     

In vitro antimicrobial activity of different accessions ofSolanum commersonii Dun. from Uruguay

Summary The in vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts from accessions ofSolanum commersonii Dun. collected in the south of Uruguay was investigated against five microorganisms including the pathogenRalstonia solanacearum. A total of 30 extracts corresponding to organic and aqueous extracts were studied. Interestingly, most of the positive results for growth inhibition were againstR. solanacearum. The extracts were also analyzed for the presence of glycoalkaloids and lectins. Six of the ten aqueous extracts showed lectin presence and a wide variation in the type and amounts of glycoalkaloids, was found. Results indicate that there is no clear relationship between the antimicrobial activity against the five microorganisms screened and the presence or amounts of lectins and glycoalkaloids, traditionally regarded as possible antimicrobial metabolites in theSolanum genus, which indicates the presence of as yet unidentified antimicrobial compounds.     

Novel food and non-food uses for sorghum and millets

Sorghum and millets have considerable potential in foods and beverages. As they are gluten-free they are suitable for coeliacs. Sorghum is also a potentially important source of nutraceuticals such antioxidant phenolics and cholesterol-lowering waxes. Cakes, cookies, pasta, a parboiled rice-like product and snack foods have been successfully produced from sorghum and, in some cases, millets. Wheat-free sorghum or millet bread remains the main challenge. Additives such as native and pre-gelatinised starches, hydrocolloids, fat, egg and rye pentosans improve bread quality. However, specific volumes are lower than those for wheat bread or gluten-free breads based on pure starches, and in many cases, breads tend to stale faster. Lager and stout beers with sorghum are brewed commercially. Sorghum's high-starch gelatinisation temperature and low beta-amylase activity remain problems with regard to complete substitution of barley malt with sorghum malt . The role of the sorghum endosperm matrix protein and cell wall components in limiting extract is a research focus. Brewing with millets is still at an experimental stage. Sorghum could be important for bioethanol and other bio-industrial products. Bioethanol research has focused on improving the economics of the process through cultivar selection, method development for low-quality grain and pre-processing to recover valuable by-products. Potential by-products such as the kafirin prolamin proteins and the pericarp wax have potential as bioplastic films and coatings for foods, primarily due to their hydrophobicity.     

Extreme resistance to infection by potato virus X in genotypes of wild tuber-bearingSolanum species

Summary Clones derived from thirty-one different accessions (nineteen of Argentine origin) belonging to eightSolanum species were screened for resistance to infection by potato virus X strain cp (PVX cp) by mechanical inoculation of plantlets that had been micropropagated in vitro. Estimates of PVX multiplication obtained by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and slot blot nucleic acid hybridization allowed the identification of resistant clones derived from five accessions belonging toS. commersonii S. oplocense, S. sparsipilum andS. tuberosum andigena. Resistant genotypes supported PVX concentrations 5 to 15 times smaller than did the susceptible control cultivar Spunta. Graft inoculation test confirmed the presence of extreme resistance similar to that conferred by the ‘immunity’ gene X¹ (also called RX_act).     

Marine Pharmacology in 2009–2011: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial,Antidiabetic, Antifungal,Anti-Inflammatory,Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis,and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems,and other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action ?

The peer-reviewed marine pharmacology literature from 2009 to 2011 is presented in this review, following the format used in the 1998–2008 reviews of this series. The pharmacology of structurally-characterized compounds isolated from marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria is discussed in a comprehensive manner. Antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral pharmacological activities were reported for 102 marine natural products. Additionally, 60 marine compounds were observed to affect the immune and nervous system as well as possess antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 68 marine metabolites were shown to interact with a variety of receptors and molecular targets, and thus will probably contribute to multiple pharmacological classes upon further mechanism of action studies. Marine pharmacology during 2009–2011 remained a global enterprise, with researchers from 35 countries, and the United States, contributing to the preclinical pharmacology of 262 marine compounds which are part of the preclinical pharmaceutical pipeline. Continued pharmacological research with marine natural products will contribute to enhance the marine pharmaceutical clinical pipeline, which in 2013 consisted of 17 marine natural products, analogs or derivatives targeting a limited number of disease categories.     

Recent Modifications of Chitosan for Adsorption Applications: A Critical and Systematic Review

Chitosan is considered to be one of the most promising and applicable materials in adsorption applications. The existence of amino and hydroxyl groups in its molecules contributes to many possible adsorption interactions between chitosan and pollutants (dyes, metals, ions, phenols, pharmaceuticals/drugs, pesticides, herbicides, etc.). These functional groups can help in establishing positions for modification. Based on the learning from previously published works in literature, researchers have achieved a modification of chitosan with a number of different functional groups. This work summarizes the published works of the last three years (2012–2014) regarding the modification reactions of chitosans (grafting, cross-linking, etc.) and their application to adsorption of different environmental pollutants (in liquid-phase).     

Pharmacokinetics of Marine-Derived Drugs

Marine organisms represent an excellent source of innovative compounds that have the potential for the development of new drugs. The pharmacokinetics of marine drugs has attracted increasing interest in recent decades due to its effective and potential contribution to the selection of rational dosage recommendations and the optimal use of the therapeutic arsenal. In general, pharmacokinetics studies how drugs change after administration via the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). This review provides a summary of the pharmacokinetics studies of marine-derived active compounds, with a particular focus on their ADME. The pharmacokinetics of compounds derived from algae, crustaceans, sea cucumber, fungus, sea urchins, sponges, mollusks, tunicate, and bryozoan is discussed, and the pharmacokinetics data in human experiments are analyzed. In-depth characterization using pharmacokinetics is useful for obtaining information for understanding the molecular basis of pharmacological activity, for correct doses and treatment schemes selection, and for more effective drug application. Thus, an increase in pharmacokinetic research on marine-derived compounds is expected in the near future.