Physiological traits related to drought tolerance in tall fescue

The physiological basis of genetic variation in drought response and its association with yield and related indices is not clear in tall fescue. In this study thirty genotypes of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) were sampled from a polycross population and evaluated under two levels of irrigation in 2010 (normal and intense stress) and 2011 (normal and mild stress). Physiological traits including relative water content (RWC), total chlorophyll (TChl), chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), Chla/Chlb, carotenoids (Car), TChl/Car and proline content along with forage yield, agro-morpholgical traits and selection indices (stress tolerance index, STI and drought susceptibility index, DSI) were studied. Large variation and moderate to high heritability was estimated for most of the studied traits. Intense drought condition decreased chlorophyll content while mild stress significantly increased it. In the other hand intense drought stress increased Chla/b while mild stress didn’t change it. Under mild drought stress condition STI was positively correlated with RWC while under intense drought stress condition STI was positively correlated with chlorophyll content. Although proline content was significantly increased in both intense and mild drought stress conditions, no relationship was found between proline accumulation with forage yield and STI. Applications of principle component analysis for screening suitable genotypes are also discussed.     

Effect of Water Stress on Physiological Attributes and their Relationship with Growth and Yield of Wheat Cultivars at Different Stages

The effects of water stress on physiological attributes of drought‐sensitive (Kalyansona) and drought‐tolerant (C‐306) wheat cultivars were studied in a pot experiment. Water stress was imposed by withholding irrigation at boot and anthesis stages. Leaf water potential, leaf osmotic potential and leaf turgor potential (measured with pressure chamber and osmometer), as well as leaf diffusive resistance, leaf transpiration rate and leaf‐to‐air transpiration gradient (measured with a steady‐state porometer) were measured diurnally. Growth and yield parameters were recorded after harvesting of the crop. Triplicate data were analysed using a completely randomized design and correlations amongst these parameters were computed. Water stress was found to reduce diurnal leaf water potential and leaf osmotic potential in both the genotypes but leaf osmotic potential was significantly higher in the drought‐tolerant cultivar C‐306 than in the drought‐sensitive cultivar Kalyansona. Positive turgor was recorded in both the genotypes under water stress and non‐stress conditions. Water‐stressed plants showed significantly lower turgor potential than control plants. In diurnal observations, water‐stressed plants exhibited significantly higher leaf diffusive resistance in both genotypes at both stages. The diffusive resistance of C‐306 was predominantly higher than that of Kalyansona. Water stress decreased leaf transpiration rate at both stages but the reduction was higher at the anthesis stage. The leaf‐to‐air temperature gradient was much higher in C‐306 than in Kalyansona at the boot stage but at the anthesis stage genotypic variation was non‐significant. The capacity to maintain cooler foliage was lower at the anthesis stage than at the boot stage in both the cultivars. Shoot dry weight, number of grains, test weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index decreased to a greater extent when water stress was imposed at the anthesis stage, while imposition of water stress at the boot stage caused a greater reduction in plant height and number of tillers. Similarly, water stress caused a smaller reduction in growth, yield and yield attributes in C‐306 than in Kalyansona. In general, the correlation coefficient of grain and biological yield with water potential and its components was positive and highly significant. Similarly, turgor potential was also correlated positively and significantly with grain yield at both the stages, but with biological yield it was significant only at the anthesis stage. A negative and significant correlation was obtained for diffusive resistance and leaf‐to‐air temperature gradient with grain yield at the boot and anthesis stages. The rate of transpiration was also positively and significantly correlated to grain and biological yields at both the stages. Amongst the yield attributes, number of leaves and number of tillers were positively correlated at the anthesis stage, whereas leaf area and shoot dry weight were significantly correlated with grain and biological yields at both the stages.     

Response of Mediterranean Tall Fescue Cultivars to Contrasting Agricultural Environments and Implications for Selection

Extensive livestock is a basic socio‐economic feature of the Mediterranean region whose environmental and economic sustainability depends on the ability of forage resources to withstand climatically stressful conditions. Perennial forages such as tall fescue can be a valuable alternative to annuals, if they can survive across successive summer droughts. Three‐year dry matter yield and plant survival of five cultivars of Mediterranean‐type tall fescue were evaluated in six sites of Algeria, France, Italy, Morocco and Portugal, with the following objectives: (i) modelling adaptive responses and targeting cultivars as a function of environmental factors associated with genotype × location interaction; and (ii) defining plant ideotypes, adaptation strategies and opportunities for international co‐operation for regional breeding programmes. Site mean yield and winter temperatures were positively correlated, whereas sward persistence was positively correlated to lower site heat and drought stress. Cultivar adaptation was adequately modelled by factorial regression as a function of site spring–summer (April–September) drought stress (long‐term potential evapotranspiration minus actual water available) for yield, and annual drought stress for final persistence. Specific‐adaptation responses to high‐ or low‐stress environments emerged which were consistent with drought‐stress levels of cultivar selection environments. However, the wide‐adaptation response of cultivar Flecha suggested that breeding for wide adaptation can be feasible.     

Higher forage yields under temperate drought explained by lower transpiration rates under increasing evaporative demand

In temperate regions, perennial forage-based cropping systems are expected to face an increasing frequency of summer droughts over the next decades prompting the need for more resilient cultivars. However, most efforts mainly focus on Mediterranean-type environments where the plant survival is often engaged. Under temperate environments, vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is a key component of drought, because its variation alters the crop transpiration rate (TR) and therefore its ability to fix carbon even in well-watered conditions. Despite this knowledge, there is no available data about the diversity of whole-plant TR responses to VPD and soil moisture among key forage crops such as alfalfa, red clover, cock’s foot and perennial ryegrass. Further, field-based evidence is lacking regarding the links between TR responses to VPD and yield under drought. Here, we combined experimental approaches characterizing gas exchange responses to VPD and soil moisture at scales that ranged from the growth chamber to the field, where yields were characterized both quantitatively and qualitatively over the course of 2 years on 8 genotypes from the 4 above species. A significant variability in TR responses to increasing VPD and soil water deficit was found among locally-adapted cultivars. More importantly, TR responses to VPD – but not to decreasing soil moisture – were found to be consistently correlated to relative yield performances under drought, in a way indicating that conservative water use under high evaporative demand promoted higher yield outputs. In contrast, yields under drought were unrelated to canopy temperature and leaf gas exchange measured in the field. Further, no link was found between TR responses to VPD and qualitative yield traits such as digestibility indicating that the hypothesized water saving strategy does not improve yield at the expense of forage quality. This study opens the way for future forage breeding and management strategies taking advantage of the diversity of TR responses to drought to implement climate-change resilient forage-based systems.     

Drought Impacts Mineral Contents in Andean Potato Cultivars

Mineral micro‐ and macronutrients in tubers of 21 Andean potato cultivars were investigated in a field trial under control and drought conditions. Mineral concentrations in potato tubers were highly variable between genotypes; some were significantly and positively correlated with each other, the most noteworthy associations being Na–Ca, Mn–Mg and Zn–Fe, in both control and drought‐stressed plants. Overall, increasing yields are related to decreased concentrations of some nutrients, albeit some higher‐yielding cultivars also displayed important concentrations of nutrients in their tubers. The most striking result was the increase in the concentration of the majority of the analysed cations in a large number of cultivars in response to water depletion; some of them, such as K, may be related to water homeostasis and/or to sucrose loading and unloading in phloem sap. Tuber mineral concentrations were not related to drought tolerance in terms of tuber productivity. Interestingly, yield loss under drought was not correlated with yield potential under control conditions. Identification of cultivars such as 703264 and 701106 able to maintain good yield stability in association with high mineral contents under water deprivation is of particular interest, especially in view of the importance of potato as a staple crop and the expansion of its cultivation to non‐optimal cultivation areas in the context of changing climatic conditions.     

Traits related to drought resistance in common bean

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is grown in regions where water deficits during reproductive development significantly reduce yield. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of specific phenological and physiological traits with drought resistance in common bean. Five genotypes were grown under and near a rain shelter in 1988, and an additional 16 progeny lines were included in 1990. Drought stress determined by the drought intensity index was severe (0.78) in 1988 and more moderate (0.63) in 1990. Water stress reduced the expression of most traits with the exception of days to flower and leaf moisture retention capacity. Seed yield among genotypes was reduced from 22 to 71% due to drought. Yield under stress was correlated with yield under nonstress in 1990 and negatively correlated with the drought susceptibility index in 1988. Yield components which exhibited the largest differential genotypic responses to stress were pod and seed number, whereas seed size was more stable. Genotypic variation was detected in all the partitioning indexes, chiefly harvest index and relative sink strength, and the heritability estimates for these traits were high. The limited genetic variability observed among water relations traits and their role in water conservation would restrict their potential use in the selection for drought resistance in common bean. The differential correlations between phenological, biomass and partitioning traits and the indexes for yield and drought susceptibility would suggest that the most effective approach in breeding for drought resistance in common bean would be based first on selection for high geometric yield followed by selection among the high-yielding individuals for low to moderate levels of the drought susceptibility index. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Barley varieties in semi‐controlled and natural conditions—Response to water shortage and changing environment

The yield potential of 60 spring barley varieties was examined under controlled drought and natural conditions in the years 2011–2013. The studied varieties were genotyped with the 1536‐SNP barley oligonucleotide assay. In experiments with controlled drought conditions, the grain yield, 1,000‐grain weight, number of productive tillers and length of the main stem were measured. Physicochemical properties such as the specific surface area, water adsorption energy, fractal dimension and nanopore radius of the plant leaves were determined and correlated with yield‐forming traits. Field trials were conducted over 3 years at 14 locations, where along with the yield‐related traits, monthly rainfall and average temperature were monitored. Five varieties of high yield and five varieties relatively stable under both semi‐controlled and natural conditions were distinguished. The yield‐related traits observed in various locations were related to environmental variables relevant to water availability. The sum of the rainfall in April and May was negatively correlated with the 1,000‐grain weight and positively with the plant height. Positive relationships were found between plant height and temperatures in June and July. Five markers detected earlier as linked to the quantitative trait loci in the mapping populations were identified to have a coherent effect among varieties of various pedigree.     

25个饲草高粱恢复系主要农艺性状及其抗旱性的相关分析

为了在饲草高粱抗旱育种研究中,对现有饲草高粱种质进行抗旱性研究,选择产量高和稳产性好的同时,对其他性状的选择提供了科学依据和种质材料。对25份饲草高粱恢复系材料,采用对饲草高粱抗旱种质同时在水、旱地种植,对其进行抗旱性鉴定,并调查、计算比较出9个性状值水旱地之间的差异。结果表明,以生物产量作为最主要的指标,水旱地之间差值最大达到84700.00 kg/hm2,最小为6600.00 kg/hm2,旱地平均减产42259.20 kg/hm2。计算出8个性状值的抗旱系数和抗旱指数,生物产量抗旱系数范围0.4167~0.9603,抗旱指数范围0.2483~1.5084,为选择抗旱品种提供了科学依据。估算出在水、旱地中,生物产量分别和7个性状值之间的遗传相关系数：旱地中,生物产量与生育期、株高、茎粗、分蘖数等4个性状呈正相关,遗传相关系数为0.1576~0.5956,生物产量与穗长、穗宽和千粒重3个性状呈负相关,遗传相关系数为-0.2563~-0.0870;水地中,生物产量与生育期、株高、茎粗、分蘖数等4个性状呈正相关,遗传相关系数为0.1288~0.3984,生物产量与穗长、穗宽和千粒重3个性状呈负相关,遗传相关系数为-0.4485~-0.0098。通过试验研究得出以上数据,体现了在水旱地中生物产量与7个性状的关联性。     

Genotype selection for physiological responses of drought tolerance using molecular markers in polycross hybrids of orchardgrass

The present study aimed to assess the effect of contrasting levels of molecular and phenotypic diversity among polycross parents of orchardgrass on the performance of synthetic progeny with respect to physiological responses and drought tolerance. Four polycross groups each composed of six parental plants were evaluated under normal irrigation and drought stress conditions. A number of 923 inter simple sequence repeats and sequence related amplified polymorphism markers and several phenotypic traits were used to select contrasting levels of diversity (high and low) in parental genotypes. Highly significant correlation was observed between molecular distance and progeny performances at both normal irrigation and drought stress conditions. High molecular diversity among polycross parents led to a significant yield advantage of first generation progeny with averages of 34.40% for normal irrigation and 48.10% for drought stress conditions. Also crosses between genetically distant parents produced progeny with considerable drought tolerance and yield stability. Positive associations between phenotypic distance of parents and progeny performance were found for most physiological traits at both moisture regimes but phenotypic distances had weak association with forage yield, stress tolerance index and yield stability of progeny. Significant associations between drought tolerance index and some physiological traits confirmed the importance of these traits in conferring drought tolerance of orchardgrass. Our results underscore the effectiveness of marker‐assisted polycross breeding to improve drought tolerance and yield stability through physiological traits in orchardgrass.     

山西省小麦苗期根系性状及抗旱特性分析

小麦苗期根系形态是成株期根系分布的基础,与抗逆和产量密切相关,全面认识苗期根系及抗旱特性,对于抗旱优异种质的利用和早期筛选具有重要意义。采用239份山西省小麦品种(系)在土培条件下,研究了苗期根系性状及对水分胁迫的响应。结果表明,正常生长下山西小麦苗期根系性状多样性丰富,地方种变异最大;不同年代品种中,除最大根长随年代略下降外,其他性状均呈先升后降的趋势;不同根系性状对水分胁迫响应存在差异,总根长对水分最敏感,其次为根表面积、根体积和根生物量,最大根长和平均根数不敏感。苗期根系综合抗旱能力随年代呈先降后升的趋势,地方种和20世纪70年代品种多为中抗,80和90年代的品种抗旱性较低,2000年以后审定品种的抗性较高,其中旱地品种抗性最好。苗期根系抗旱特性与产量性状相关分析发现,最大根长、总根长、根体积和根生物量与雨养条件下的千粒重和产量显著正相关,最大根长和根生物量与成株期抗旱性也显著正相关。因此苗期最大根长和根生物量可作为半干旱地区旱地育种过程中抗旱性和产量的早期筛选指标。     

Effect of Drought Stress on Yield and Quality of Maize/Sunflower and Maize/Sorghum Intercrops for Biogas Production

Intercropping represents an alternative to maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture to provide substrate for agricultural biogas production. Maize was intercropped with either sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) or forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] to determine the effect of seasonal water supply on yield and quality of the above‐ground biomass as a fermentation substrate. The two intercrop partners were grown in alternating double rows at plant available soil water levels of 60–80 %, 40–50 % and 15–30 % under a foil tunnel during the years 2006 and 2007 at Braunschweig, Germany. Although the intercrop dry matter yields in each year increased with increasing soil moisture, the partner crops responded quite differently. While maize produced significantly greater biomass under high rather than low water supply in each year, forage sorghum exhibited a significant yield response only in 2006, and sunflower in none of the 2 years. Despite greatly different soil moisture contents, the contribution of sorghum to the intercrop dry matter yield was similar, averaging 43 % in 2006 and 40 % in 2007. Under conditions of moderate and no drought stress, sunflower had a dry matter yield proportion of roughly one‐third in both years. In the severe drought treatment, however, sunflower contributed 37 % in 2006 and 54 % in 2007 to the total intercrop dry matter yield. The comparatively good performance of sunflower under conditions of low water supply is attributable to a fast early growth, which allows this crop to exploit the residual winter soil moisture. While the calculated methane‐producing potential of the maize/sorghum intercrop was not affected by the level of water supply, the maize/sunflower intercrop in 2006 had a higher theoretically attainable specific methane yield under low and medium than under high water supply. Nevertheless, the effect of water regime on substrate composition within the intercrops was small in comparison with the large differences between the intercrops.     

Root system plasticity to drought influences grain yield in bread wheat

Crop productivity in semiarid regions is mainly limited by water availability. Root characteristics and plasticity to drought may reduce the negative impact of drought on crop yield. A set of near-isogenic wheat-rye translocation lines was used to test the hypothesis that root system plasticity to drought influences grain yield in wheat. Bread wheat Pavon 76 and 1RS translocation lines, namely Pavon 1RS.1AL, Pavon 1RS.1BL, and Pavon 1RS.1DL were evaluated for root allocation and plasticity in sand-tube experiments under well-watered and droughted conditions across 2 years using factorial treatments in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The 1RS translocation lines had greater root biomass per plant ranging from 7.37 to 8.6 compared to 5.81 g for Pavon 76. Only Pavon 76 showed a positive response to drought by producing more shallow roots (roots developed between 0 and 30 cm) and deep roots (roots developed below 30 cm) in droughted conditions than in well-watered conditions. Thus at drought intensity of 19% (measured as overall reduction in grain yield), grain yield in Pavon 76 was reduced only by 11% compared to the other genotypes with yield reductions ranging from 18 to 24%. However, at drought intensity of 36%, grain yield in Pavon 76 showed maximum reduction indicating that greater root production under drought is advantageous only when plant-available water is enough to support grain production. Grain yield was positively correlated with shallow and deep root weight and root biomass under terminal drought. Correlation coefficients between root system components (shallow and deep root weight and root biomass) and phenological periods were not significant. Our study indicated that genes influencing adaptive phenotypic plasticity of the root system to drought in Pavon 76 are located on chromosome 1BS.     

PEG模拟干旱胁迫下玉米胚芽鞘长与其抗旱性的关系分析

以6份抗旱性不同的玉米自交系为试材,用不同浓度的PEG-6000(polyethylene glycol,PEG)渗透溶液进行模拟干旱胁迫处理,分析玉米萌芽期中胚轴长、胚芽鞘长及苗长的变化,并将其与田间干旱胁迫处理下相应玉米自交系产量及产量相关性状的抗旱指数进行相关分析,以期揭示萌芽期玉米幼苗相关性状与其抗旱性的关系。结果表明:(1)萌芽期随着PEG浓度增加,玉米自交系胚芽鞘长、中胚轴长及苗长都呈下降趋势,其中苗长降低幅度最大,平均降幅为14%,中胚轴长次之,平均降幅为11%;(2)方差分析表明,不同玉米自交系幼苗的中胚轴长、胚芽鞘长在自交系间及PEG浓度间差异极显著,苗长在PEG浓度间差异极显著;(3)花期田间干旱胁迫下,各玉米自交系的千粒重、穗粒数及产量较正常灌溉明显下降,且其平均降幅分别为8%、14%、13%;(4)通过玉米田间产量及产量相关性状抗旱指数与萌芽期各性状相关性分析表明,中胚轴长与千粒重、穗粒数及产量的抗旱指数呈显著或极显著正相关。胚芽鞘长与千粒重、穗粒数及产量的抗旱指数呈极显著正相关,而在5%的PEG-6000渗透溶液模拟干旱胁迫下,胚芽鞘长与千粒重抗旱指数相关系数最高为0.832。因此,胚芽鞘较长的自交系其抗旱性较强,胚芽鞘长度可作为玉米早期抗旱性筛选的重要指标。     

Genetic variation and heritability of forage yield in Mediterranean tall fescue

The genetic control of tall fescue forage yield has been poorly investigated. Full‐sib families from diallel crosses of Mediterranean germplasm were evaluated for forage yield over 34 months in a Mediterranean environment with severe drought stress (diallel 1, with 20 parents) and over 16 months under irrigation in a heated greenhouse simulating the Mediterranean temperature pattern (diallel 2, with 15 parents). Genetic parameters were estimated for fresh biomass in diallel 1 and dry‐matter yield in diallel 2. Additive genetic variance was always larger than non‐additive (dominance) variance. Narrow‐sense heritability was fairly high (h² = 0.61) in diallel 1 and moderate (h² = 0.45) in diallel 2. Predicted yield gains from one selection cycle were larger in the former diallel (23.9%) than in the latter (10.5%), suggesting that gains can be enhanced by selection under severe drought stress and over a time span sufficient to allow the variation in persistence to fully emerge. General combining ability effects of eight parents that were common to both diallel crosses were highly correlated (r = 0.94) across the contrasting evaluation environments. The extent and consistency of additive genetic effects across environments suggest that rapid improvement of forage yield is possible.     

The drought response of landraces of wheat from the northern Negev Desert in Israel

Summary Diverse landraces of wheat, collected from the semi-arid (150 to 250 mm of total annual rainfall) Northern Negev desert in Israel were considered as a potential genetic resource of drought resistance for wheat breeding. These materials were therefore evaluated for their reponses to drought stress in agronomical and physiological terms. Up to 68 landraces, comprising of Triticum durum, T. aestivum, and T. compactum were tested in two field drought environments, in one favourable field environment, under post-anthesis chemical plant desiccation which revealed the capacity for grain filling from mobilized stem reserves, under a controlled drought stress in a rainout shelter and in the growth chamber under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced water stress. Biomass, grain yield and its components, harvest index, plant phenology, canopy temperatures, kernel weight loss by chemical plant desiccation, growth reduction by PEG-induced drought stress and osmotic adjustment were evaluated in the various experiments.Landraces varied significantly for all parameters of drought response as measured in the different experiments, which was in accordance to their documented large morphological diversity. Variation in grain yield among landraces under an increasing drought stress after tillering was largely affected by spike number per unit area. Kernel weight contributed very little to yield variation among landraces under stress, probably because these tall (average of 131 cm) landraces generally excelled in their capacity to support kernel growth by stem reserve mobilization under stress. Yield under stress was reduced with a longer growth duration of landraces only under early planting but not under late planting. Landraces were generally late flowering but they were still considered well adapted phenologically to their native region where they were always planted late.Landraces differed significantly in canopy temperature under drought stress. Canopy temperature under stress in the rainout shelter was negatively correlated across landraces with grain yield (r=0.67^**) and biomass (r=0.64^**) under stress. Canopy temperature under stress in the rainout shelter was also positively correlated across landraces (r=0.50^**) with canopy temperature in one stress field environment. Osmotic adjustment in PEG-stressed plants was negatively correlated (r=–0.60^**) with percent growth reduction by PEG-induced water stress. It was not correlated with yield under stress in any of the experiments. In terms of yield under stress, canopy temperatures and stem reserve utilization for grain filling, the most drought resistant landrace was the Juljuli population of T.durum.     

Mild Drought Stress‐Induced Changes in Yield,Physiological Processes and Chemical Composition in Festuca,Lolium and Festulolium

The impact of mild drought stress (3 weeks at 40 % field water capacity) on yield, physiological processes, accumulation of proline and phenolic compounds and forage quality parameters in forage grasses was evaluated in pot experiments. During four different growing periods, the effects of water deficit were assessed in nine varieties from five species (Lolium perenne, Lolium multiflorum, Festuca pratensis, Festuca arundinacea and Festulolium braunii). All measured parameters were affected by drought stress in the different cuts. Photosynthesis, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and dry matter yield were significantly lower in drought stress than under well‐watered conditions in all varieties. Higher water‐use efficiency was only observed during the first and fourth drought period, while this was not the case in the second and third. Mild drought stress significantly increased the content of proline, phenolic acid, flavonoids, water‐soluble carbohydrates and protein. All tested grasses showed also an increase of organic matter digestibility and cell wall digestibility under drought stress conditions.     

大麦种质资源成株期抗旱性鉴定及抗旱指标筛选

干旱是影响大麦生产的主要因素之一。在鉴定大麦种质资源成株期抗旱性的基础上,筛选抗旱指标,可为培育抗旱品种提供依据。本研究在2016和2017年在大麦生长主要需水期平均降雨量不足40 mm的甘肃省武威市进行田间试验,以30份大麦种质资源为研究对象,设置正常灌水和干旱胁迫处理,测定大麦株高、穗长、分蘖数、单株粒数、单株粒重、穗粒数、千粒重和产量,采用抗旱性度量值(D)、综合抗旱系数(CDC)、加权抗旱系数(WDC)、相关分析、频次分析、主成分分析、灰色关联度分析、隶属函数分析、聚类分析和逐步回归分析相结合的办法,对其进行抗旱性鉴定及抗旱指标的筛选。干旱胁迫对测定的各指标均有极显著影响。频次分析表明,各指标对干旱胁迫反应的敏感程度依次为产量、株高、单株粒重、穗长、单株粒数、分蘖数、穗粒数和千粒重。相关分析表明,产量与株高、穗长、分蘖数、单株粒数和单株粒重呈极显著正相关,与穗粒数呈显著正相关、与千粒重呈不显著正相关。主成分分析表明,5个主成分可以代表大麦抗旱性86.39%的原始数据信息量。基于D值、CDC值和WDC值的大麦种质资源抗旱性排序基本一致。灰色关联度分析表明,各指标单项抗旱系数值与D值间的关联度依次为产量、单株粒重、单株粒数、穗长、株高、分蘖、穗粒数和千粒重,各指标DC值与WDC值间的关联大小依次为单株粒重、产量、单株粒数、分蘖、穗长、穗粒数、株高和千粒重。根据D值进行聚类分析,将供试大麦种质资源依据抗旱性从强到弱分为5个抗旱等级,其中1级5份、2级1份、3级11份、4级10份、5级3份。除分蘖和千粒重外,其余指标的隶属函数值、CDC值、D值和WDC值均随着抗旱级别的升高而增大。回归分析表明, 5个测定指标均与D值密切相关。干旱胁迫对大麦种质资源成株期各指标均有极显著影响。确定了D值为适宜的抗旱鉴定指标。筛选出成株期抗旱性强的大麦种质资源甘啤7号、Z06-278-9、MERIT、NEVADA和西藏25,可为大麦抗旱育种、抗旱机制以及干旱调控缓解机制的研究提供技术支持。穗长、单株粒数、单株粒重、穗粒数、产量可作为大麦种质资源成株期简单、直观的抗旱评价指标。     

干旱胁迫对不同生态型大豆生理生化特征的影响

为了研究干旱胁迫对大豆生理生化特征和产量的影响,选用22份不同生态型大豆品种为研究材料,用盆栽称重法与大田试验结合的方法,研究花期不同生态型大豆抗旱生理生化特征。结果表明：干旱胁迫下,不同生态型大豆品种的叶片相对含水量、过氧化物酶(POD)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、叶绿素a含量、总叶绿素含量和净光合速率都有一定程度的降低,与大豆品种的抗旱性均呈正相关,表现为抗旱性强的品种下降幅度较小,而抗旱性弱的品种下降幅度较大;而丙二醛含量、相对电导率和可溶性糖都有一定程度的增加,与抗旱性均呈极显著负相关,表现为抗旱性强的品种增加的幅度较小,而抗旱性弱的品种则相反;脯氨酸含量与抗旱性呈极显著正相关,表现为抗旱能力强的品种脯氨酸含量增加幅度大。这一结果说明,在干旱胁迫环境下,水分亏缺降低了大豆叶片相对含水量,膜脂过氧化伤害加重,引起丙二醛的累积,相对电导率升高,游离脯氨酸及可溶性糖含量升高,而丙二醛含量的升高导致保护酶活性降低,同时水分亏缺导致叶绿素含量降低,净光合速率下降,最终导致产量下降。     

旺长期干旱胁迫对红麻生长发育、产量及效益的影响

为探讨干旱胁迫对红麻生长及产量的影响,寻找最佳节水灌溉临界值,以红麻品种杂红992为试验材料,通过盆栽控水法研究不同干旱胁迫强度和时长对红麻生长发育指标（叶片数、株高、茎粗和地上干物质量）、产量和经济效益的影响。结果表明,干旱胁迫显著降低了红麻生长量,减缓了生长速度,且降低幅度与胁迫强度和时间呈正相关。干旱胁迫后的红麻在复水后将会进行补偿性生长。与正常灌溉相比,短时（5d）的轻度（土壤含水量控制在60%～65%）或中度（土壤含水量控制在40%～45%）干旱胁迫不仅可以节水45%～73%,而且提高产量8%～14%,综合经济效益提高2445～3729元/hm2。但重度（土壤含水量控制在20%～25%）或长时间（>15d）干旱胁迫降低了补偿效应甚至产生伤害。因此,从红麻生产的高产、高效出发,确定土壤含水量占田间最大持水量的40%～45%作为红麻旺长期增产、增效的水分临界指标。     

Fine root and root hair morphology of cotton under drought stress revealed with RhizoPot

Fine roots (roots with a diameter of less than 2 mm) and root hairs are the primary absorbers of water and nutrients; however, the morphology of cotton fine roots and root hairs in response to drought stress has not yet been defined. To solve this problem, this study characterized a self-made in situ root observation device (RhizoPot) with a scanner with a resolution of up to 4,800 DPI was used to observe the roots of cotton plants grown indoors under both well-watered and drought stress conditions. RhizoPot provided healthy growth conditions for cotton, and fine roots as well as root hairs were successfully observed. Root length density increased significantly under drought stress, whereas the average root diameter decreased gradually with the extension of treatment time. Drought stress accelerated fine root death, and the diameter of the fine roots was positively correlated with root lifespan. Additionally, the root hair lifespan was negatively regulated by soil drought stress and was associated with the growth stage. This result suggests that cotton developed more slender fine roots and longer root hairs under drought stress, which accelerated the death process of both, in order to develop new fine roots. This process helps cotton absorb as much water as possible under drought stress.