巴西橡胶树第9染色体的显微分离及微克隆文库的构建

橡胶是我国的重要的战略物资,深入研究橡胶树基因组具有重要意义。本实验以巴西橡胶树(Hevea brasiliensis)热研7-33-97幼叶为材料,采用酶解去壁低渗法制片,玻璃针显微分离法成功分离出橡胶树单染色体。单染色体经蛋白酶消化、Sau3A核酸内切酶酶切和两轮LA-PCR(接头连接PCR)扩增。得到250~2000bp之间的DNA片段,通过Southernblot对单染色体产物进行验证,结果表明扩增片段与巴西橡胶树基因组DNA之间有同源性。从而说明单染色体DNA已被成功的扩增。采用荧光原位杂交技术(fluorescence insitu hybridization,FISH)验证分离出的是第9号染色体,构建了橡胶树第9号染色体微克隆文库。克隆片段长度在300~1200bp,平均为650bp左右,文库包含48000个克隆,空载率为1%。本研究从巴西橡胶树单染色体入手,运用单染色体微分离、微克隆技术,构建了巴西橡胶树单染色微克隆文库,为橡胶树基因组研究提供了新的思路与方法,为更好地开展橡胶树分子辅助育种提供技术方法。     

小麦-黑麦1BL/1RS易位系7-1抗纹枯病的分子细胞学鉴定

黑麦(Secale cereale)是小麦(Triticum aestivum)的重要三级基因源,具有小麦改良所需要的多种优良性状。为丰富小麦杂交育种新的种质资源,利用墨西哥黑麦(2n=2x=14,RR)与普通优质小麦W770B(2n=6x=42,AABBDD)杂交,经过多年筛选,选出若干优良性状的衍生系,在小麦五叶期时用PDA培养基培养的带纹枯病菌的牙签,接菌到小麦芽鞘内,温室内培养,5周后鉴定纹枯病发病等级,计算病情指数,为了结果的准确性,经过多次牙签法鉴定,筛选出病情指数为PI=32.8%的抗病衍生系7-1。为明确衍生系7-1的遗传成分,本研究综合采用形态学、细胞遗传学、基因组原位杂交(genomic in situ hybridization,GISH)、特异序列扩增(sequence characterized amplified region,SCAR)分子标记、简单重复序列(simple sequence repeat,SSR)分子标记和醇溶蛋白分析。对7-1的根尖细胞和花粉母细胞的细胞遗传学观察表明7-1染色体结构和数目稳定2n=42=21Ⅸ;以黑麦DNA为探针的GISH分析观察表明7-1含有两个黑麦染色体臂;黑麦基因组SCAR标记分析表明,D15和P13LF/R能够在黑麦和7-1中扩增出黑麦特异条带,黑麦1RS SCAR标记分析表明,ω-sec-p1/ω-sec-p2、ω-sec-p3/ω-sec-p4和IB-267能够在黑麦和7-1中扩增出黑麦目的条带,说明7-1具有黑麦1RS染色体;筛选小麦每条染色体长短臂上的多对引物,在7-1中只有1BS上的引物Xgwm264和Xgwm11未能扩增出相应条带,其余染色体上的引物均扩增出了条带,说明7-1中缺失了小麦1BS染色体;醇溶蛋白分析表明7-1中扩增出了1RS黑麦碱条带,由此证实了小麦染色体1BS被黑麦染色体1RS所替换,该材料为小麦-黑麦1BL/1RS易位系。本研究中7-1为抗纹枯病的1BL/1RS易位系,为小麦纹枯病抗病育种提供了新的种质资源,拓宽了小麦育种材料。     

小麦-中间偃麦草抗条锈病渗入系的分子细胞学鉴定

小麦品系CH5383是源于中间偃麦草(Thinopyrum intermedium)的兼抗多种小麦病害的新种质。为明确其抗性来源和外源DNA片段的渗入位置,采用基因组原位杂交(GISH)和荧光原位杂交(FISH)对CH5383进行分析,GISH分析未发现外源信号,FISH结果观察到CH5383的3BL染色体端部与对照小麦(Triticum aestivum)品种中国春相比有明显的重组信号,初步推断CH5383染色体3BL端部可能有中间偃麦草DNA片段插入。用135对PLUG(PCR-based landmark unique gene)标记对CH5383、中国春和多个近缘物种进行扩增分析,发现位于3B染色体长臂端部的引物TNAC1383,能在CH5383和中间偃麦草中扩增出大约1 300 bp的特异DNA产物。从而进一步证实,CH5383是一个小麦-中间偃麦草小片段渗入系,携带抗条锈病基因的外源中间偃麦草DNA渗入片段位于3B染色体端部0.81-1.00区段。CH5383可以作为优异的小麦抗病育种新种质加以利用。     

薄片牡蛎的核型及18S-28S核糖体rRNA基因的染色体定位

以薄片牡蛎（Dendostrea folium）成体鳃组织为材料制备有丝分裂中期染色体标本,对其染色体核型进行了分析,并运用荧光原位杂交技术（FISH）将18S-28S核糖体RNA基因定位于中期染色体上。FISH探针是通过PCR扩增介于18S-28S rRNA基因之间的ITS和5.8S rRNA基因序列,并在PCR扩增过程中掺入了Biotin-11-dUTP进行生物素标记。结果显示,薄片牡蛎的单倍染色体数目为n=10,全部为中部着丝粒染色体。与大多数已知巨蛎属牡蛎的染色体核型相似。ITS探针在薄片牡蛎中期分裂体相上产生两簇FISH信号,分别杂交于2号染色体短臂的近端粒区域。本研究首次报道了薄片牡蛎的中期染色体核型以及18S-28S核糖体RNA基因在染色体上的定位。     

利用小麦微卫星引物建立偃麦草Ee染色体组特异SSR标记

选用40对小麦SSR引物对17份偃麦草(Thinopyrum sp．)、2份小麦(Triticum aestivum)材料进行了PCR扩增分析，从中筛选到引物Xgwm325能在不同偃麦草材料中扩增出4条长度分别为1400、440、120和100bp的特异DNA片段，可以作为偃麦草种质的特异SSR标记。利用小麦-二倍体长穗偃麦草(Th.elongatum)异代换系和异附加系对引物Xgwm325进行了扩增鉴定，结果只有100bp左右的片段出现在长穗偃麦草所有E^e组染色体上，该片段可以作为E^e染色体组的特异SSR标记。     

钩刺山羊草(Aegilops triuncialis)低分子量谷蛋白基因序列分析

根据低分子量谷蛋白亚基(LMW-GS)基因编码区保守序列设计引物,对钩刺山羊草(AegilopstriuncialisL,2n=4x=28,CCUU)PI483029总DNA进行PCR扩增,得到长度为900和1065bp的DNA片段,克隆测序后获得2个LMW-GS基因,GenBank登录号分别为AY841016和AY841017。它们具有小麦LMW-GS基因的典型结构特征。其中,AY841017具有完整编码区,长度为1065bp,可编码322个氨基酸残基的成熟蛋白,第一个半胱氨酸残基出现在重复区第13位。在重复区,AY841017的两个疏水单元为PIIIL和PVIIL,重复区中还存在一个连续13个Q(谷氨酰胺)组成的短肽。AY841016由于编码区内存在提前终止密码子,为假基因。氨基酸序列比较发现,AY841017与普通小麦(IriticumaestivumL.)Glu-D3位点编码的LMW-GS基因有很高的一致性。     

钩刺山羊草（Aegilops triuncialis L.）低分子量谷蛋白基因序列分析

根据低分子量谷蛋白亚基(LMW-GS)基因编码区保守序列设计引物，对钩刺山羊草(Aegilops triuncialis L, 2n=4x=28, CCUU)PI483029总DNA进行PCR扩增，得到长度为900和1 065 bp的DNA片段，克隆测序后获得2个LMW-GS基因，GenBank登录号分别为AY841016和AY841017。它们具有小麦LMW-GS基因的典型结构特征。其中，AY841017具有完整编码区，长度为1 065 bp，可编码322个氨基酸残基的成熟蛋白，第一个半胱氨酸残基出现在重复区第13位。在重复区，AY841017的两个疏水单元为PIIIL和PVIIL，重复区中还存在一个连续13个Q(谷氨酰胺)组成的短肽。AY841016由于编码区内存在提前终止密码子，为假基因。氨基酸序列比较发现，AY841017与普通小麦(Iriticum aestivum L.)Glu-D3位点编码的LMW-GS基因有很高的一致性。     

猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌毒素II基因的克隆、表达及其对小鼠的保护性研究

根据低分子量谷蛋白亚基(LMW-GS)基因编码区保守序列设计引物，对钩刺山羊草(Aegilops triuncialis L, 2n=4x=28, CCUU)PI483029总DNA进行PCR扩增，得到长度为900和1 065 bp的DNA片段，克隆测序后获得2个LMW-GS基因，GenBank登录号分别为AY841016和AY841017。它们具有小麦LMW-GS基因的典型结构特征。其中，AY841017具有完整编码区，长度为1 065 bp，可编码322个氨基酸残基的成熟蛋白，第一个半胱氨酸残基出现在重复区第13位。在重复区，AY841017的两个疏水单元为PIIIL和PVIIL，重复区中还存在一个连续13个Q(谷氨酰胺)组成的短肽。AY841016由于编码区内存在提前终止密码子，为假基因。氨基酸序列比较发现，AY841017与普通小麦(Iriticum aestivum L.)Glu-D3位点编码的LMW-GS基因有很高的一致性。     

应用牙釉蛋白(AML)基因鉴别牛早期胚胎性别

牛牙釉蛋白（AML）基因定位于牛X染色体和Y染色体上的同源区域.实验根据牛X、Y染色体AML基因第五内含子上序列同源性只有45.1%以及X、Y染色体该区段之间存在多处碱基缺失的特点,合成了1对性别特异性引物.该引物经扩增后母牛只得到1条467 bp的来自X染色体的扩增条带,而公牛能得到1条源自X染色体的467bp片段的扩增条带和1条源自Y染色体的341 bp的扩增条带.经基因组DNA验证,该引物的公母鉴定准确率为100%,同时该对引物具有高度的牛特异性.定量分析AML基因引物的反应灵敏度,发现1次PCR（30个循环）能扩增出0.5ng的基因组DNA,2次PCR（共50个循环）能扩增出20pg的基因组DNA.将AML基因引物与SRY基因引物的反应灵敏度相比较,结果表明前者的灵敏度比后者的高8～10倍.用AML基因反应体系鉴定了26枚优质胚胎,其中24枚有扩增结果,13枚鉴定为公牛,11枚鉴定为母牛.     

苹果基因邻近未知序列的PCR扩增方法

利用已知基因序列设计3个巢式PCR引物p14、p15和p16,然后设计3'端为常见酶切位点、5'端为随机引物序列p17的9个酶切位点引物.用p14外引物与9个酶切位点引物进行第1轮PCR扩增,其中前5个反应采用较低的退火温度,目的是将酶切位点引物的5'端序列引入到PCR产物中,其余反应则以此PCR产物为模板采用较高的正常退火温度进行,目的是为了使整个酶切位点引物能稳定地结合到最初反应形成的产物上.为提高PCR产物的特异性和产量,用p15和p16引物分别与p17引物配对进行第2轮和第3轮PCR扩增,电泳检查发现PCR产物条带后进行纯化和测序.为保证序列的正确性,利用测得的DNA序列再设计新引物f3x,将f3x与p14(或p15)配对、直接用提取的DNA为模板进行PCR扩增和测序.利用此方法成功地获得了苹果FPPS基因邻近的启动子序列528bp和5'UTR序列142bp,并已在GenBank注册(登录号FJ263960),利用Blastn发现这是GenBank中首次发表苹果(Malus domestica Borkh.)法尼基焦磷酸合酶基因(FPPS)启动子序列.     

低氮和干旱胁迫对富士和秦冠生长及氮素利用的影响

【目的】以富士（Fuji）、 秦冠（Qinguan）嫁接在平邑甜茶（Malus hupehensis Rehd.）上的当年生盆栽苗为试验材料,采用砂培方法,研究了缺氮胁迫和干旱对富士和秦冠生长情况、 光合参数、 植株各部位氮磷钾含量及氮素利用效率的影响,分析比较了低氮干旱条件下富士和秦冠生长及氮素利用的差异,以期为果树生产高效肥水利用提供理论指导。【方法】试验共设四个处理: 正常氮正常水（ZZ）、 低氮正常水（DZ）、 正常氮干旱（ZG）、 低氮干旱（DG）。氮素和水分均设置两个水平,分别为正常氮（6 mmol/L NO-3-N）、 低氮（0.3 mmol/LNO-3-N）、 正常供水（保持盆中砂子相对含水量为饱和含水量的80%~85%）、 干旱处理（保持盆中砂子相对含水量为饱和含水量的60%~65%）。【结果】富士和秦冠的生物量（茎和叶）、 株高茎粗等生长指标以及光合速率、 气孔导度、 蒸腾速率均为正常氮正常水（ZZ）＞低氮正常水（DZ）＞正常氮干旱（ZG）＞低氮干旱（DG）,并且相对应处理下秦冠的以上指标均高于富士;正常供水下,缺氮处理使富士、 秦冠的根冠比比正常氮处理均有所增加,富士提高了2.05%,秦冠提高了22.40%。富士和秦冠的氮、 磷、 钾含量均表现出正常氮正常水（ZZ）＞低氮正常水（DZ）＞正常氮干旱（ZG）＞低氮干旱（DG）; 氮、 钾元素含量在植株各部位的分布顺序依次是叶＞根＞茎,磷元素则是根＞叶＞茎;光合氮素利用效率（PNUE）和氮素利用效率表现为秦冠处理之间差异极显著,富士处理之间差异不显著;秦冠的PNUE和NUE明显高于富士,在低氮正常水（DZ）处理下,秦冠氮肥利用率比富士高42.07%,在低氮干旱（DG）处理下高64.14%;低氮胁迫下富士和秦冠的NUE显著提高,并且秦冠提高的幅度高于富士。【结论】施用氮肥能够显著提高富士与秦冠的干物质量,同等水肥条件下,秦冠生长优于富士;水分亏缺会减少叶片对氮的吸收,干旱条件下适度增施氮肥,可提高果树的抗旱能力;低氮干旱胁迫下秦冠的生长指标、 光合指标及氮素利用效率指标均优于富士,表现出较强的抗低氮干旱胁迫的能力。     

Pasture Vegetation Elemental Analysis by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a new technique for the analysis of plant material. This study investigates the application of LIBS to pasture-based plant samples. The LIBS measurements were obtained from pelletized pasture samples (100 samples) that had been also analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) following microwave digestion for calibration and comparison purposes. Comparisons for elements sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) showed that LIBS could be used for almost all the standard profile total elements with concentrations down to low mg/kg levels (observed error of Na: 0.024 percent, K: 0.18 percent, Mg: 0.016 percent, Ca: 0.073 percent, P: 0.017 percent, Mn: 31 mg/kg, Fe: 150 mg/kg, Zn: 6.6 mg/kg, and B: 1.1 mg/kg). Elemental analysis at less than mg/kg levels was not possible using LIBS. The elements S and Cu were particularly difficult to analyze with reliability using LIBS at the concentration levels found in the plant samples. Replacing microwave digestion and subsequent ICP analysis with a direct analysis of dried plant samples using LIBS has the potential to improve the productivity and reduce the cost of testing.     

Faculty positions:Center for Agricultural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences

正The Center for Agricultural Resources Research(CARR),the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology(IGDB),Chinese Academy of Sciences,invites applicants for several research group leader positions.CARR is one of the research organizations in Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).We seek nominations and applications from individuals who have expertise and a record of accomplishment in research areas related to ecology,agro-hydrology,     

Assessing the effectiveness of conservation measures: Resolving the “wicked” problem of the Steller sea lion

“Wicked” problems are those that are complex and that change when solutions are applied. Many conflicts in conservation fall into this category. The study approached the problem of how to constrain the apparent wickedness of a problem in the conservation management of a species by using simple empirical indicators to carry out iterative assessment of the risk to a population and to document how this risk evolves in relation to the addition of new data and the implementation of management actions. Effects of high levels of uncertainty within data and also concerning population structure were examined through stochastic simulation and by exploration of scenarios. Historical trends in the example used, the Steller sea lion, showed rapid declines in abundance in some regions during the 1980s. The current total population is 130,000-150,000 Steller sea lions through Alaska and British Columbia and this number has been stable since about 1990 in spite of regional differences in population dynamics. Regional differences in the sequence of changes in the number of pups and non-pups, suggested that an internal re-distribution of juveniles could have happened between 1980 and 1990. Current productivity also appears close to the long-term mean. Stochastic population projection using various scenarios showed that, based upon this history, the risk of extinction for the population has declined and is below reasonable thresholds for considering the population to be endangered. The trends in risk suggest that management actions taken since 1990 have probably been effective. Consequently, the conservation management objectives for the Steller sea lion are probably being met. The approach provides a mechanism, based upon experience and scenario analysis, for exploring future policy options and may help to constrain the debate amongst stakeholders about the cost-benefit trade-offs associated with different options.     

Soil-profile distribution of primary and secondary plant-available nutrients under conventional and no tillage

Nutrient distributions under no tillage (NT) compared with conventional disk-and-bed tillage (CT) management in the warm, humid region of the southeastern USA need to be assessed so that future placement, quantity, and type of fertilizers can be altered, if necessary, to efficiently match crop demands. We determined soil-profile distributions of pH, N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu to a depth of 0.9 m at the end of 8.5 years of continuous CT and NT management on a Weswood silty clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic Fluventic Ustochrept) in southcentral Texas. Most dramatic changes occurred within the 0–0.05 m depth, where soil under NT had lower pH, Fe, and Cu than under CT, but greater P, K, Zn, and Mn. Greater P and K under NT than under CT also occurred below the till-zone (0.15–0.3 m). At a depth of 0–0.3 m, soil under NT contained greater amounts of extractable P, K, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu than under CT. Nitrogen fertilization had little effect on nutrient distributions, except resulting in greater extractable K at 0–0.05 m and greater nitrate at 0–0.15 m. Few changes in soil-profile distributions were observed for extractable S, Ca, Mg, and Na. Long-term continuous use of NT on this fine-textured, high-fertility (except for N) soil had no apparent adverse effects on nutrient distributions relative to CT, but enhanced conservation and availability of P, K, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu near the soil surface where crop roots proliferate.     

Macroinvertebrates in North American tallgrass prairie soils: effects of fire, mowing, and fertilization on density and biomass

The responses of tallgrass prairie plant communities and ecosystem processes to fire and grazing are well characterized. However, responses of invertebrate consumer groups, and particularly soil-dwelling organisms, to these disturbances are not well known. At Konza Prairie Biological Station, we sampled soil macroinvertebrates in 1994 and 1999 as part of a long-term experiment designed to examine the effects and interactions of annual fire, mowing, and fertilization (N and P) on prairie soil communities and processes. For nearly all taxa, in both years, responses were characterized by significant treatment interactions, but some general patterns were evident. Introduced European earthworms (Aporrectodea spp. and Octolasion spp.) were most abundant in plots where fire was excluded, and the proportion of the total earthworm community consisting of introduced earthworms was greater in unburned, unmowed, and fertilized plots. Nymphs of two Cicada genera were collected (Cicadetta spp. and Tibicen spp.). Cicadetta nymphs were more abundant in burned plots, but mowing reduced their abundance. Tibicen nymphs were collected almost exclusively from unburned plots. Treatment effects on herbivorous beetle larvae (Scarabaeidae, Elateridae, and Curculionidae) were variable, but nutrient additions (N or P) usually resulted in greater densities, whereas mowing usually resulted in lower densities. Our results suggest that departures from historical disturbance regimes (i.e. frequent fire and grazing) may render soils more susceptible to increased numbers of European earthworms, and that interactions between fire, aboveground biomass removal, and vegetation responses affect the structure and composition of invertebrate communities in tallgrass prairie soils.     

Variation in quality parameters between and within 14 Nordic tree fruit and berry species

Abstract

A 3-year study was carried out to investigate quality parameters in 14 tree fruit and berry species grown in southern Norway. The species were blueberry, apple, aronia, sour cherry, sweet cherry, red raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, gooseberry, red currant and elderberry, harvested along with wild bilberry, cloudberry and lingonberry. Significant differences between species were identified for all quality parameters. The coefficient of variation between species was lowest for pH (12.5%), dry matter (18.9%) and soluble solids (25.3%), followed by titratable acids (59.3%), total phenolics (83.8%), antioxidant capacity FRAP (85.7%) and antiradical power by the DPPH-assay (97.8%), total monomeric anthocyanins (132%) and ascorbic acid (137%). Average coefficient of variation within species were lower and ranged from 4 (pH) to 62% (ascorbic acid). Only the FRAP values were significantly affected by harvesting year with lower levels in 2004 than in 2005 and 2006. There were significant interactions between species and harvesting year for dry matter, soluble solids, pH, ascorbic acid and FRAP. The results indicate generic ranges in composition within species independent upon growing location and climate, and the composition of the tree fruits and berries is not likely to deviate from these ranges. It is concluded that desirable composition of tree fruits and berries and their products should primarily be achieved by selection among species rather than searching fors broadened variation within individual species.     

Enhanced establishment and growth of giant cardon cactus in an eroded field in the Sonoran Desert using native legume trees as nurse plants aided by plant growth-promoting microorganisms and compost

To evaluate the feasibility of long-term desert reforestation technology of mixed vegetation, cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) seedlings from indoor and outdoor nurseries were planted in the field adjacent to one seedling of potential legume nurse trees: mesquite amargo (Prosopis articulata), yellow palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), and blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida). Some of the planting holes were also supplemented with common dairy compost. Additionally, the combinations of legume tree–cactus were inoculated with either a consortium of desert arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB; the diazotroph Azospirillum brasilense Cd, and the phosphate solubilizer Paenibacillus sp.), or a mixture of all. The field experiments were evaluated periodically during 30 months for survival and growth. Cardons reared in an outdoor screen house survived better in the field than those reared in a controlled growth chamber and hardened later outdoors. Association with any legume nurse tree increased survival and enhanced growth of untreated cardons. For cardons growing alone, application of either compost, AM fungi, and all the treatments combined increased survival. For these plants, no treatment affected plant growth during the first 3 months after transplanting. Later, all treatments, except for AM fungi, enhanced plant growth. However, only 2 years after transplanting the enhanced growth effect of AM fungi was also significant. In the presence of the legume nurse trees, transient positive effects on cardon growth were recorded. General evaluation after 30 months of cultivation showed that the treatments positively affected cardon growth when growing alone or in combination only with mesquite amargo but not with the other two legume trees. This study proposes that young legume trees have the capacity to enhance survival and growth of cardon cactus, depending on the legume cactus combination. Additional treatments such as compost or PGPB can either amplify the effect or else attenuate it.     

Karyotypic and genome size variation in Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. (pigeonpea) and some wild relatives

Detailed karyotypes and 4C DNA amounts have been studied in five cultivars of Cajanus cajan and 20 species belonging to Cajanus, Rhynchosia, Dunbaria, Flemingia and Paracalyx. C. cajan shows intraspecific variability and its karyotype is most similar to that of C. cajanifolius (sect. Cajanus) in the morphology and number of satellite chromosomes and the lack of any correlation between chromosome size within the complement and asymmetry. Karyotypes of C. lineatus and C. sericeus belonging to sect. Atylia are similar with respect to maximum r-index and the ratio of longest and shortest chromosomes in their respective complements. C. acutifolius (sect. Frutocosa) is distinct in having a very low ratio (1.44) between the longest and the shortest chromosomes, while in C. albicans, C. goensis, C. scarabaeoides (sect. Cantharospermum) there is no chromosome pair with r-index >2.0. C. mollis and C. volubilis (sect. Volubilis) show similarity with regard to ratio between the longest and the shortest chromosomes and a distinct chromosome pair with an arm ratio of 2.7 and C. platycarpus is distinct (sect. Rhynchosoides) in having the smallest ratio (1.36) between the longest and the shortest chromosomes. 4C DNA amounts in Cajanus and Rhynchosia vary between 3.28 pg to 11.69 pg and 4.92 pg to 11.13 pg respectively, while in Dunbaria, Flemingia and Paracalyx these vary between 4.70 and 7:06 pg. In the genus Cajanus karyotypic features and 4C DNA amounts agree with the sectional classification and bring out a close relationship between C. cajan and C. cajanifolius. This is supported by studies based on seed protein patterns, isozyme analysis, trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor patterns, RFLP and RAPD data and crossability relationships. A clear relation between DNA amount and abnormalities effecting the extent of pairing and recombination in interspecific hybrids shows the importance of this study in developing future breeding programme involving C. cajan and its wild relatives that are of potential value.     

Potassium Fixation and Release Characteristics in Rhizosphere and Nonrhizosphere Soils for a Rapeseed–Rice Cropping Sequence

Potassium (K) fixation and release in soil are important factors in the long-term sustainability of a cropping system. Changes in K concentration and characteristics of K fixation and release in rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils in the rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)–rice (Oryza sativa L.) rotation were investigated using a rhizobox system. The concentrations of different forms of K in both rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils decreased with plants compared to without plants, regardless of K fertilizer application. Potassium uptake by crops mainly came from the rhizosphere soil. In the treatment without K fertilizer (–K), the main form of K supplied by the soil to the crops was 1.0 mol L^?1 nitric acid (HNO₃) nonextractable K, followed by nonexchangeable K, and then exchangeable K. In the treatment with K fertilizer (+K), the main K forms supplied by the soil to the crops were exchangeable K and nonexchangeable K. The amount and rate of K fixation after one cycle of the rapeseed–rice rotation was greater in rhizosphere soil than in nonrhizosphere soil. The amount and rate of K fixation of soil in the +K treatment were significantly less than in the –K treatment. The cumulative amounts of K released with 1.0 mol L^?1 ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc) and 1.0 mol L^?1 HNO₃ extraction increased with the increasing numbers of extractions, but the K-releasing power of soil by successive extraction decreased gradually and finally became almost constant. The release of K was less in rhizosphere soil than in nonrhizosphere soil. The release of K in the +K treatment was similar to that in the –K treatment in rhizosphere soil, but the K release in nonrhizosphere soil was greater with the +K than the –K treatment. Overall, the information obtained in this study will be helpful in formulating more precise K fertilizer recommendations for certain soils.