纳米氧化锌/葡萄皮红改性大豆分离蛋白膜的制备与性能研究

为改善大豆分离蛋白膜的性能,将纳米氧化锌(Zno Nanoparticles,Zno NPs)和葡萄皮红(Grape-Skin Red,GSR)加入大豆分离蛋白(Sov ProteinIsolate,SPI)中制备SPI/ZnO NPs/GSR复合膜,对复合膜的性能进行表征。结果表明当葡萄皮红、ZnO NPs和大豆分离蛋白以1:2:25的质量比制备复合膜时,相对于SPI/ZnO NPs膜,葡萄皮红可提高ZnO NPs和大豆分离蛋白的相容性,改善ZnO NPs在SPI膜中的分散性,并与ZnO NPs发挥协同作用提高SPI膜的机械性能、耐水性能和热稳定性(P0.05)。SPI/ZnO NPs/GSR复合膜相比较于SPI膜,拉伸强度从1.37 MPa升至3.28 MPa,熔点从194℃升至231℃,含水率从34.41%降至25.37%,水蒸气透过系数从5.57×10~(-12) (g·cm)/(cm~2·s·Pa)降至4.74×10~(-12) (g·cm)/(cm~2·s·Pa)。此外,复合膜对金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌表现出优异的抗菌性能,抑菌圈直径随着活性成分的添加呈上升趋势(大肠杆菌:SPI 膜无,SPI/ZnO NPs 膜 2.29 cm,SPI/ZnO NPs/GSR 膜 2.36 cm;金黄色葡萄球菌:SPI 膜无,SPI/ZnO NPs 膜 2.32 cm,SPI/ZnO NPs/GSR膜2.42 cm),在活性包装应用中具有极大潜力。研究结果为大豆分离蛋白基薄膜的生产应用提供参考。     

添加适量丁香精油提高大豆分离蛋白膜性能

为探索新型生物膜材料的制备方法及抗菌、抗氧化活性,以大豆分离蛋白为成膜基质,添加适量的增塑剂和丁香精油成分,制备可食性复合膜。研究丁香精油添加对膜的物理性能、抗氧化活性和抗菌活性的影响。结果表明,当丁香精油添加量在0～2.0%时,随着添加比例的增加,复合膜的抗拉强度和透明度降低,断裂伸长率和透湿性升高;添加丁香精油显著提高了大豆分离蛋白膜的抗氧化活力(P0.05),具有很好的抑制肉中常见腐败菌和致病菌的效果,对革兰氏阳性菌单增李斯特菌和清酒乳杆菌的抑菌效果好于革兰氏阴性菌大肠杆菌和荧光假单胞菌,其中对单增李斯特菌抑菌效果最好。当丁香精油添加量为1.5%时,制备复合膜具有优良抗菌、抗氧化活性,且综合理化性能较佳。丁香精油可添加到大豆分离蛋白中制备具有抑菌抗氧化性能的可食性膜,此复合膜具有作为活性包装的潜力。     

乌贼墨黑色素纳米粒对明胶-普鲁兰多糖复合膜的性能影响及表征

为探究乌贼墨黑色素纳米粒(MNP)对明胶-普鲁兰多糖(Gel/Pul)复合膜的改性效果,本研究以乌贼墨为原料,利用动态高压微射流技术制备MNP,以明胶、普鲁兰多糖为成膜基质,添加MNP制备纳米复合膜,通过水蒸气透过率(WVP)、透油率、光学性能、机械性能和自由基清除率等指标,考察了MNP添加量对复合膜的物理特性和抗氧化能力的影响,并通过傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)和扫描电镜(SEM)进行微观表征,探究MNP与成膜基质间的相互作用。结果表明,MNP与Gel/Pul基质存在氢键的相互作用,具有良好的生物相容性;MNP的加入可以改善纳米复合膜的水蒸气阻隔性和机械性能;当MNP添加量为1 wt%时,复合膜的水蒸气透过率最小,抗拉强度达到最大值;随着MNP添加量的增加,纳米复合膜表现出优越的紫外阻隔性和抗氧化性能。本研究结果为MNP应用于可食膜改性及食品包装提供了一定的理论依据。     

葵花籽壳纳米纤维素/壳聚糖/大豆分离蛋白可食膜制备工艺优化

为了研究具有良好性能的可食膜及其制备方法,该文以大豆分离蛋白(soy protein isolate,SPI)为成膜基材,向其中添加葵花籽壳纳米纤维素(nano-crystalline cellulose,NCC)和壳聚糖(chitosan,CS)制备得到共混可食膜。通过研究成膜材料配比、pH值和丙三醇质量浓度对可食膜抗拉强度(tensile strength,TS)、断裂伸长率(elongarion,E)、水蒸气透过系数(water vapor permeability,WVP)和氧气透过率(oxygen permeability,OP)的影响,以可食膜综合性能为响应值,各因素为自变量,利用响应面法对工艺参数进行优化,并建立了二次多项式回归模型,通过对模型的分析得到各因素对可食膜性能综合分影响的大小顺序为pH值成膜材料配比丙三醇质量浓度。结果表明:成膜材料质量比NCC:CS:SPI为1.25:0.75:2,pH值为3.59,丙三醇质量浓度为0.02 g/m L时,可食膜性能(抗拉强度、断裂伸长率、水蒸气透过系数和氧气透过率)的综合分达到最高为0.63。红外和扫描电镜结果表明成膜材料间具有良好的相容性。研究结果可为可食膜的生产应用提供参考。     

不同引发剂处理对水分胁迫下小麦发芽及幼苗生理特性的影响

为了解不同引发处理对水分胁迫下小麦萌发特性的生理机制差异,以半冬性小麦品种周麦18为试验材料,分别用H2O、0.25μM茉莉酸甲酯(Me JA)、20%聚乙二醇(PEG)、0.25μM Me JA+20%PEG引发处理6、12、18、24 h,然后在浓度为15%的PEG溶液中进行发芽试验,并测定幼苗生理指标。结果表明,4种引发剂处理均能显著提高小麦种子在水分胁迫下的发芽特性,促进幼苗生长,其中H2O和Me JA均在引发处理12 h效果最好,而PEG和Me JA+PEG均在引发处理18 h效果最好。在最佳引发时间条件下,4种引发处理均能显著降低小麦幼苗丙二醛(MDA)含量,加速小麦种子内部碳水化合物代谢,提高渗透调节物质含量;同时,显著提高酶促抗氧化系统的活性,有利于水分胁迫下小麦的生长。因此,适当的引发处理能增强水分胁迫下小麦种子的萌发能力,维持膜系统的稳定性,增强渗透调节能力和抗氧化能力,保证生物量的积累。本研究结果为旱地小麦栽培提供了理论依据。     

不同工艺生产大豆分离蛋白的成膜性能

为了制作出具有良好机械性和阻隔性的大豆分离蛋白可食性膜,优选出成膜性能优良的大豆分离蛋白,该文研究了7种不同生产工艺下的大豆分离蛋白,分别以7种蛋白为材料制膜,测定其机械性能、水溶性、水蒸气透过性、O2透过性、脂质渗透性等性能,进行模糊综合评价,并用扫描电镜观察膜的表面结构。结果表明:GS5000型普通型未经造粒的大豆分离蛋白综合评价分数最高,表明其成膜性能优于其他6种大豆分离蛋白,并且电镜扫描照片也显示用其制出的膜结构更加致密,因此,GS5000型大豆分离蛋白比较适合制作可食性膜。该研究为进一步开发优质大豆分离蛋白膜进行了初步的探索。     

挤压温度对大豆分离蛋白与原花青素复合物结构和功能特性的影响

为了探究不同挤压温度（40、60、80、100和120℃）对大豆分离蛋白（Soy Isolate Protein，SPI）与葡萄籽原花青素（Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract，GSPE）复合物功能性质及结构特性的影响。该研究以溶解度、乳化性、乳化稳定性、ζ-电位、粒度为指标，利用荧光光谱、红外光谱分析该复合体系中大豆分离蛋白功能性质及结构的变化。结果表明：相较于挤压SPI，经过挤压处理的SPI-GSPE复合物的溶解度、乳化活性指数、乳化稳定性指数、ζ-电位绝对值及持水性均显著提高（P<0.05），其表面疏水性、持油性显著下降（P<0.05）。随着挤压温度的升高，SPI-GSPE复合物的溶解度、持油性及乳化活性均先增大后减小且在80℃达到最大值，而其表面疏水性先减小后增大且最小值在80℃，ζ-电位绝对值、乳化稳定性及持水性均随温度的升高而降低。粒径分析结果表明，挤压处理后SPI与GSPE形成了更加致密的复合物；荧光光谱及红外光谱结果表明，与GSPE的复合及挤压处理使SPI氨基酸残基所处微环境发生变化，蛋白结构发生变化。以上结果表明挤压温度为80℃时SPI-GSPE复合物功能性质提高幅度最大，为GSPE与SPI复合提高SPI的功能性质提供参考。     

碱性蛋白酶Alcalase凝固大豆分离蛋白的分子间作用力

为了进一步揭示蛋白酶凝固豆乳的机理，该文通过添加不同化学试剂研究碱性蛋白酶Alcalase凝固大豆分离蛋白(SPI)过程中的分子间作用力。结果发现凝固过程中的分子间作用力主要是氢键和疏水作用，而离子键和二硫键对凝固过程影响不大。大豆蛋白质分子间的交联主要由次级键起作用，同时需要克服由负电荷引起的静电斥力，这就解释了为什么与无机盐和酸相比，Alcalase得到的SPI凝固物强度低。根据以上结论，该文还对豆乳凝固酶当前的筛选策略进行了评价。     

大豆分离蛋白与壳聚糖相互作用的光谱法研究

为探究蛋白质与多糖的相互作用机理,本研究选取大豆分离蛋白(SPI)-壳聚糖(CS)体系为试验对象,采用荧光光谱法(FS)、紫外-可见光谱法(UV-VIS)和傅里叶红外光谱法(FT-IR)研究两者之间的相互作用力类型。结果表明,CS对SPI有荧光猝灭作用,且猝灭方式为静态猝灭,25℃和35℃下的静态猝灭常数分别为0.45×103L·mol-1和0.26×103L·mol-1,结合位点数分别为1.38和1.27;CS与SPI相互作用过程中焓变值(ΔH)0、焓变值(ΔS)0,说明两者之间的主要作用力为氢键和范德华力。此外,CS的加入均未改变同步荧光光谱和紫外吸收光谱的峰位,表明CS未改变SPI的分子结构,SPI中酪氨酸和色氨酸残基周围的微环境没有明显改变。红外光谱研究中SPI的1 653 cm-1和1 532 cm-1吸收峰以及CS的1 587 cm-1吸收峰消失,表明SPI与CS之间还存在静电相互作用力。本研究结果为蛋白质和多糖在食品工业等领域的应用提供了理论依据与参考。     

纳米SiO2–聚乙烯醇–γ聚谷氨酸复合膜材料制备及其性能研究

【目的】聚乙烯醇 (polyvinyl alcohol,PVA) 作为缓释肥包膜材料具有价格低廉、透性好、环保、少残留的优点,但耐水性能差,制成包膜肥料进入土壤后缓释效果不持久。γ聚谷氨酸 (γ-PGA) 是一种原料易得的肥料增效剂,利用纳米二氧化硅 (nano-SiO₂) 和γ-PGA对聚合物PVA进行改性,并用改性后的PVA制备了缓释材料,优化nano-SiO₂、γ-PGA和戊二醛的配比参数。【方法】试验采用三因素三水平L₉(33) 正交设计,三因素三水平是PVA浓度 (因素A) 4%、6%、8%,γ-PGA与PVA的质量配比 (因素B) 0.8∶3、1∶3、1.2∶3,戊二醛占PVA与γ-PGA体积之和比例 (因素C) 0.1%、0.2%、0.3%,以不添加戊二醛的9个处理做对照。用有机高分子聚合法制备复合膜,分析了不同原料配比制备的膜材料的吸水性和渗透性能,找出最优原料配比。在此基础上,在上述包膜材料中分别加入5、10和20 g/kg的nano-SiO₂和少量无水乙醇制成复合膜,测定复合膜材料的吸水率、渗透率,分析了膜的红外光谱特征和表面微观结构变化,探讨其改性成膜机理。【结果】加入交联剂戊二醛后,复合膜材料的吸水率和渗透率均显著降低。当PVA浓度为4%,γ-PGA与PVA质量比为1.2∶3,戊二醛体积分数为0.3%时,复合膜材料的吸水率最低,为118%,铵离子和水的渗透率分别比对照降低了46.8%和23.0%。添加nano-SiO₂后,各处理膜的吸水率均随nano-SiO₂添加量的增加呈现先升高后降低的变化,当添加量为20 g/kg时,复合膜材料吸水率和NH₄+渗透率最低,与不加nano-SiO₂相比,复合膜材料吸水率和NH₄+渗透率分别降低了6.8%～38.2%和23.8%～53.2%,而水渗透率增加了38.4%～67.7%。红外分析光谱结果表明,PVA和γ-PGA反应生成醚键;添加nano-SiO₂处理的―OH伸缩振动峰变宽,透过率增加,并且出现了Si―O―Si摇摆振动和反对称伸缩振动;同时,从官能团特征看出复合膜中仍存在未反应的γ-PGA。扫描电镜结果显示纳米SiO₂–聚乙烯醇–γ聚谷氨酸复合膜材料的表面更光滑,致密均一,这可能是包膜材料能减缓氮素释放的主要原因。【结论】nano-SiO₂与PVA、γ-PGA、戊二醛分子结合生成的交联纳米复合膜材料亲水基团数目减少,膜材料吸水率降低,提高了包膜材料的缓释性能,更适用于颗粒肥料包膜。膜材料中存在的游离γ-PGA可以继续发挥肥料增效剂的作用。     

“绿色革命”以来大气CO2浓度升高对C3作物营养品质的影响

自20世纪60年代"绿色革命"以来,育种技术和农耕技术的发展促进了农作物产量的大幅提升,然而作物的营养品质出现下降趋势。在相似的遗传背景下,大气CO_2浓度升高会使单位体积农作物产品的营养元素含量下降,因此"绿色革命"至今,农作物产品的营养元素下降可能受大气CO_2浓度升高影响。通过植物生长箱模拟"绿色革命"初期和目前的大气CO_2浓度水平(310μmol/mol和400μmol/mol),针对主要C_3作物水稻、小麦和大豆,研究"绿色革命"以来大气CO_2浓度升高对其籽粒的C、N、Fe、Zn元素含量的影响,结果表明:CO_2浓度升高对3种作物籽粒的C元素含量几乎没有影响,变化幅度在±1.5%之间;籽粒的N、Fe、Zn元素含量普遍呈现下降趋势,但均未达到显著水平。     

Potential of wild species for genetic enhancement of some semi-arid food crops

Discovery and incorporation of genes from wild species provide means to sustain crop improvement, particularly when levels of resistance in the cultigens are low and virulent strains of pests and pathogens overcome the host plant resistance. The extent of utilization and the potential of the wild genepool for genetic enhancement were reviewed in five important food crops viz. sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut grown in the semi-arid tropics. Introgression from compatible wild germplasm in the primary gene pool resulted in transfer of new cytoplasmic male sterility systems in pearl millet and pigeonpea, development of high protein, cleistogamous flower and dwarf pigeonpea lines and foliar disease resistant groundnut cultivars. Utilization of wild species in secondary and tertiary gene pools has been generally limited due to sterility, restricted recombination or cross incompatibility. Nevertheless, these species are extremely important as they contain high levels of resistance to several important biotic and abiotic stresses. Several of them, like those belonging to the Parasorghum section and the rhizomatous Arachis species are sources of multiple resistances and hold great promise to sustain crop productivity.     

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     

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.     

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.     

Collection and preliminary evaluation of native turfgrass accessions in Italy

Despite a raising interest on turfs in Italy, all theavailable varieties of this kind in the Country are of foreign origin, and areoften poorly adapted to the prevailing climatic conditions. This prompted tobegin a collection activity of indigenous turfgrass species, with the ultimategoal of identifying promising materials for future breeding based on localgenetic resources. The collection was carried out in three areas of Italy, viz.the northern Po Plain, the coastal region of Liguria, and the island of Sardiniathat are characterised, respectively, by subcontinental, warm temperate, andtypical Mediterranean climate. Altogether, 141 sites were visited, yielding 226accessions belonging to eight species of potential interest for turfs:Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis,Festuca rubra, Festuca arundinacea,Lolium perenne, Agrostis stolonifera,Agrostis tenuis, and Cynodon dactylon,this last being a warm-season grass. Poa pratensis andCynodon dactylon were mostly collected in northern Italyand Sardinia, respectively, whereas Festuca arundinacea andLolium perenne were rather ubiquitous. The collection sitesranged from 0 to 1040 m asl, but sites over 750 m wereonly visited in the inner part of Sardinia. All the accessions, collected aswhole plants, were transplanted at Lodi, northern Italy, where they are beingevaluated. Their preliminary evaluation for traits of importance for turf use,such as sward colour and overall quality, highlighted the great variation andthe occurrence of interesting accessions in all species. Other characters wererecorded, bearing specific importance in individual species, and in all casespromising accessions were identified. The germplasm of Festucarubra, Festuca arundinacea, and Loliumperenne proved highly infected by endophytic (symbiotic) fungi of thegenus Neotyphodium.     

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.     

Effect of some fungicide seed treatments on the survival of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and on the nodulation and yield of soybean [Glycine max. (L) Merr.]

Several commercial fungicide seed treatments were evaluated for their possible effect on the survival of Bradyrhizobium japonicum on seeds and on the nodulation and yield of soybeans in a greenhouse and a field experiment. quinolate Pro (carbendazim and oxine copper), Vitavax 200FF (carboxin and thiram), and Monceren (pencycuron) had a small effect or no effect on the survival of B. japonicum and on the nodulation and yield of soybeans. They can thus be considered compatible with soybean seed inoculation. Germipro UFB (carbendazim and iprodione), Apron 35J (metalaxyl), and Tachigaren (hymexazol) decreased B. japonicum survival and the nodulation and yield of soybeans and thus cannot be considered compatible with soybean seed inoculation.     

Leaf position and genotype differences for mineral element concentrations in sorghum grown on tropical acid soil 1

Mineral element deficiencies and toxicities are common problems associated with sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production on acid soils. To better understand some of the mineral element problems and the analysis of plant tissue of sorghum plants grown on acid soils, four sorghum genotypes were grown on an acid Oxisol at Carimagua, Colombia limed with dolomite at 2 and 6 Mg ha^‐1.

Samples for mineral element analyses were obtained from leaves at different positions on the four genotypes. Concentrations of P and Mg were highest in the flag leaf (Leaf No. 1) and decreased as the position on the plant declined from the top of the plant for plants grown at 2 Mg lime ha^‐1. Similar decreases in P, Mg, K, and Zn concentrations occurred in plants grown with 6 Mg lime ha^‐1. Concentrations of Ca, S, Si, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Al increased as leaf position declined from the flag leaf for plants grown at 2 and 6 Mg lime ha^‐1. The higher lime supply enhanced Ca and reduced Mn and Fe concentrations in leaves. Differences in mineral element concentrations for the four genotypes used were fairly extensive. The elements to show the greatest range among genotypes were Al and Si and the elements to show the least range among genotypes were P, K, and S. Care should be used in collecting leaf samples for plant analysis and genotypic differences for accumulation of mineral elements should be considered in interpretation of results.