球孢白僵菌(Beauveria bassiana)NO6的分离、鉴定与除草活性

旨在研究土壤真菌NO6发酵液中对杂草野燕麦具有抑制作用的次生代谢产物。从坎布拉土壤中分离纯化微生物菌株,利用培养皿分析法测定其次级代谢产物除草活性,利用菌落形态和ITS序列对除草活性最高的菌株进行鉴定,进而利用正相硅胶柱色谱、TLC和半制备HPLC方法对其代谢产物中的除草活性物质进行分离纯化。结果表明,共分离获得9株微生物菌株,其中菌株NO6对野燕麦的除草活性最高,将其鉴定为球孢白僵菌(Beauveria bassiana)。发酵液经乙酸乙酯萃取、硅胶柱层析和半制备HPLC分离纯化得到保留时间为66.868min的除草活性物质3。     

Isolation and identification of Serratia marcescens Ha1 and herbicidal activity of Ha1 ‘pesta’ granular formulation

A total of 479 bacterial strains were isolated from brine(Bohai, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China). Bioassay results indicated that 4 strains named Ha1, Ha17, Ha38, and Ha384 had herbicidal activity. And strain Ha1 had the highest effective herbicidal activity. As a result, this study aims to identify strain Ha1, characterize its physiological and biological activities, evaluate the herbicidal activity of its metabolites, and develop a ‘pesta' formulation and assess its effectiveness on Digitaria sanguinalis. Ha1 was identified as Serratia marcescens based on 16 S r DNA sequencing. This strain has a flagellum, a diameter of 0.5 to 0.8 μm, and a length of 0.9 to 2.0 μm. The indole test shows positive results, and the catalase enzyme exhibits strong positive reactions. Results further showed that the inhibitory concentration(IC50) of the crude extracts to D. sanguinalis radicula and coleoptile were 3.332 and 2.828 mg m L–1, respectively. Both the suppression of D. sanguinalis and the cell viability of the Ha1 formulation in ‘pesta' were higher when stored at 4°C than at(25±2)°C. These results indicated that S. marcescens Ha1 can potentially be used as a biocontrol agent against D. sanguinalis.     

苦苣菜内生菌的筛选及其次级代谢产物分析

为开发陕北野生苦苣菜内生菌资源,发现潜在药用活性成分和新的医药先导化合物。以苦苣菜健康植株的根、茎、叶为材料,采用平板对峙培养法测定其对11株供试指示菌的抑菌活性,以苦苣菜提取液为对照,对各拮抗菌株的发酵液进行薄层层析、硅胶柱层析和高效液相色谱分析。从中共筛选出95株内生菌,通过抑菌试验发现其中20株对1种或多种指示菌具有抑菌活性,占分离菌株数的21.05%,其中UG-004、UG-036、UY-085、CY-009、CJ-014、CG-033和CG-035 7株具有较强谱抑菌活性。薄层层析检测结果表明,菌株CG-035的发酵产物在R_f为0.35处有与苦苣菜提取液的层析带迁移率相当的显色带。并通过高效液相色谱分析确定其主要成分为黄酮类物质。菌株CG-035能发酵产生黄酮类或其类似化合物,表明苦苣菜内生菌在次级代谢产物方面具有研究潜力,这为内生菌在微生物药物研究方面提供了理论依据。     

Isolation and Structural Identification of Herbicidal Active Substance from Root of Flaveria bident （L.） Kuntze

In order to understand the composition and structure of herbicidal active substance from the root of Flaveria bidentis （L.） Kuntze, the isolation and structural identification were researched in this paper. The crude extract from the root ofF. bidentis （L.） Kuntze was extracted by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and water saturation of n-butyl alcohol, respectively, and the extraction fluid was separated by using the method of TLC, then the main fraction was separated by HPLC, and the structure of the herbicidal active substance was analyzed by LC-MS, elemental analysis and ~H-NMR. The results showed that the petroleum extraction had the strongest herbicidal activity, and the purple blue stripe separated by TLC had the strongest effect on Digitaria sanguinalis. The herbicidal active substance was identified as ct-terthienyl according to the data of LC-MS, elemental analysis and 1H-NMR.     

灰葡萄孢诱变菌株毒素的除草活性研究

 对灰葡萄孢BC4菌株进行紫外线诱变得到了15个诱变菌株, 经测定筛选出BC4-1、BC4-2和BC4-15等3个诱变菌株中以BC4-1菌株效果最好。试验发现，用于毒素产生的PD培养基的pH 值对产毒能力影响很大，以pH 4.0最优。用三氯甲烷、石油醚、乙酸乙酯萃取培养滤液制备BC-粗毒素，生物测定结果表明，以乙酸乙酯萃取所得粗毒素对杂草种子萌发及生长抑制作用最强。通过柱层析法和HPLC法分离和纯化除草活性组分,得到1个在271 nm有最大UV吸收的化合物,该组分在100 mg·L-1浓度下对马唐的生长具有强烈的抑制作用，在50 mg·L-1浓度下可完全抑制马唐和反枝苋种子的萌发。     

中国粗榧生物碱的除草活性

【目的】明确中国粗榧(Cephalotaxus sinensis)的除草活性成分,为进一步深入研究中国粗榧的除草作用打下基础。【方法】采用种子萌发法评价中国粗榧乙醇提取物、中国粗榧总生物碱及从中分离得到的8种生物碱(桥氧三尖杉碱、11-羟基三尖杉碱、贡山三尖杉碱A、异三尖杉碱、cephalotaxineβ-N-oxide、4-羟基三尖杉碱、台湾三尖杉碱和三尖杉碱)对红三叶(Trifolium pratense)、反枝苋(Amaranthus retroflexus)、黑麦草(Lolium perenne)及高丹草(Sorghum sudanense)4种杂草种子幼根和幼芽的生长抑制作用;采用盆栽法测定中国粗榧乙醇提取物、中国粗榧总生物碱及各生物碱的鲜重抑制率。【结果】种子萌发试验表明,中国粗榧提取物、中国粗榧总生物碱及桥氧三尖杉碱、11-羟基三尖杉碱、三尖杉碱和cephalotaxineβ-N-oxide对红三叶种子具有较强的抑制作用,对幼根的有效中浓度(EC_(50))分别为634.35、690.47、69.47、71.21、174.11和243.12 mg·L~(-1),对幼芽的EC_(50)分别为411.79、413.11、68.52、139.25、237.72和413.62 mg·L~(-1);中国粗榧提取物、中国粗榧总生物碱及桥氧三尖杉碱、11-羟基三尖杉碱、三尖杉碱和cephalotaxineβ-N-oxide对反枝苋种子具有较强的抑制作用,对幼根的EC_(50)分别为176.32、29.69、21.01、48.08、199.57和90.74 mg·L~(-1),对幼芽的EC_(50)分别为257.69、46.20、25.51、47.85、65.08和66.34 mg·L~(-1);仅中国粗榧提取物、中国粗榧总生物碱及桥氧三尖杉碱对高丹草种子具有抑制作用,对幼根的EC_(50)分别为349.54、254.27和84.71 mg·L~(-1),对幼芽的EC_(50)分别为556.50、168.66和154.34 mg·L~(-1);仅中国粗榧提取物、cephalotaxineβ-N-oxide及桥氧三尖杉碱对黑麦草种子具有抑制作用,对幼根的EC_(50)分别为214.40、187.89和26.52 mg·L~(-1),对幼芽的EC_(50)分别为695.58、290.15和122.26 mg·L~(-1);盆栽试验表明,中国粗榧提取物、总生物碱及3种生物碱(桥氧三尖杉碱、11-羟基三尖杉碱、三尖杉碱)对双子叶杂草红三叶和反枝苋表现出了一定的苗前除草作用,其中桥氧三尖杉碱的活性最高,以1 000 mg·L~(-1)浓度进行土壤处理后,14 d的鲜重抑制率分别为78.89%和81.11%,但对禾本科的高丹草和黑麦草的鲜重抑制率较低,均在25%以下;茎叶喷雾处理显示,5种药剂对双子叶杂草红三叶和反枝苋的生长表现出一定的抑制作用,但抑制率均在30%以下,而对2种单子叶杂草基本无效果。【结论】中国粗榧生物碱对双子叶杂草具有较好的除草活性,其主要活性成分为桥氧三尖杉碱,且主要作用方式为抑制幼芽(根)的生长,具有进一步研究及开发潜力。     

链格孢菌Alternaria augustiouoidea突变菌株毒素的除草活性研究

通过对链格孢菌Alternaria augustiouoidea菌株AAEC05紫外线诱变得到的8个诱变菌株进行除草剂活性测定,筛选出的AAEC05—3、AAEC05—5、AAEC05—8和AAEC05-2等4个诱变菌株具有较强的除草剂活性,其中AAEC05—3和AAEC05—5菌株效果最好。研究表明,pH值对菌株产毒能力影响很大,以pH5．0最佳。用石油醚、三氯乙烷、乙酸乙酯萃取培养滤液制备粗毒素。生物测定结果表明,以乙酸乙酯萃取所得粗毒素对稗草种子萌发及生长抑制作用最强。     

Preparation of dry flowable formulations of Clonostachys rosea by spray drying and application for Sclerotinia sclerotiorum control

A dry flowable formulation of Clonostachys rosea with fungicidal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was prepared by spray drying. The formulation was optimized by a four-factor, three-level orthogonal experiment to screen inert ingredients and spray-drying conditions. The optimal dry flowable formulation of C. rosea included 30% C. rosea (ratio of conidia powder and its fermentation broth is 1:3), 3% Morwet EFW, 4% K12, 10% Morwet D425, 9% sodium salt of polynaphthalene sulphonic acid (NNO), 5% croscarmellose sodium, 5% (NH₄)₂SO₄, 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC-Na), 1% oxalic acid and palygorskite (carrier) up to 100%. The formulation exhibited good physical characteristics, such as high dispersibility, viability and a long shelf life. Plate antagonism tests and pot trials indicated that the dry flowable formulation was very effective against S. sclerotiorum, with control efficiency of up to 88.30%. This dry flowable formulation of C. rosea is a new potential commercial fungicide for spray drying to control S. sclerotiorum.     

多孢木霉HZ-31菌株活性物质的初步分离及除草活性研究

为明确多孢木霉HZ-31菌株的除草活性物质,对其活性成分进行逐步分离。采用种子萌发法和离体叶片接种法分离最佳活性组分。结果表明,HZ-31菌株发酵滤液活性高于发酵液,发酵滤液对野燕麦和油菜种子萌发抑制率分别为80.00%和91.67%。4种有机溶剂萃取物对7种杂草叶片的致病效果由强到弱表现为:正丁醇相乙酸乙酯相石油醚相氯仿相。4种有机溶剂萃取粗提物在5 mg/mL浓度下对野燕麦和油菜的种子萌发均有强烈的抑制作用,除乙酸乙酯外,其余处理的发芽抑制率为100%。3 mg/mL浓度下正丁醇粗提取物能完全抑制野燕麦和油菜种子的萌发。因此,粗提物活性测定以离体叶片和种子萌发结果为依据,检测HZ-31菌株活性物质最佳有机相,最终确定最佳活性组分在正丁醇相中。     

Mechanism of herbicidal action of the component I from Pythium aphanidermatum

The herbicidal mechanism of the components extracted from Pythium aphanidermatum was examined in this study. Component I was isolated using the HPD500 macroporous adsorption resin and HPLC. Its impact on seed germination and plant growth of weeds was determined and the contents of MDA, superoxide anion radical, and the activities of hills and roots were examined. The root length of weed plants was inhibited under illumination while the stem height was inhibited evidently under darkness. The relative electric conductivity of Digitaria sanguinalis and Amaranthus retroflexus under illumination was 94.55 μS·cm⁻¹ and 58.75 μS·cm⁻¹, respectively, whereas that under darkness was 85.25 μS·cm⁻¹ and 36.25 μS·cm⁻¹, respectively. The MDA contents of Digitaria sanguinalis and Chlorella pyrenoidosa were 0.08385 μmol·L⁻¹ and 0.1742 μmol·L⁻¹ under illumination, respectively, while those were 0.0129 μmol·L⁻¹ and 0.01935 μmol·L⁻¹ under darkness, respectively. Simultaneously, superoxide anion radical content was higher under illumination than under darkness. These results showed the photosynthesis was affected by component I extracted from Pythium aphanidermatum.     

Inhibition of Na＋,K＋-ATPase in Housefly （Musca domestica L.） by Terpinen- 4-ol and Its Ester Derivatives

To reveal the insecticidal mechanism of terpinen-4-ol, the activity of Na＋,K＋-ATPase in insects tested were determined in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that terpinen-4-ol and its ester derivatives had strong contact activity to housefly and the contact toxicities of its derivatives except Z3 were all superior or equivalent to terpinen-4-ol. All the 7 compounds had strong inhibition towards activity of Na＋,K＋-ATPase. With poisoning symptom exacerbating, the inhibition rates were gradually increased. In vitro, the IC50 of terpinen-4-ol, Z1, Z2, Z4, Z5, and Z6 was 155.89, 197.98, 96.02, 121.36, 124.85, and 153.74 μg mL% respectively. There was well correlation between the LDs0 of terpinen-4-ol derivatives to housefly and the IC50 of terpinen-4-ol derivatives to Na＋,K＋-ATPase in housefly. In conclusion, Na＋,K＋-ATPase was likely the target of terpinen-4-ol against insects.     

The allelopathy of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze, an invasive weed species

To identify the allelopathic effect of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze (F. bidenti) on other plants, the effects of different extracts from F. bidentis on the growth of several plants were studied by bioassay. Results showed that the water extracts inhibited the growth of corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), cotton (Gassypium Hirsutum L.), soybean (Glycine hispida L.), peanut (Arachi shypogaea L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.) and rigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), with the most reactive indexes found in root and stem of cotton at −0.85 and −0.88, respectively, at a concentration of 0.2 g·mL⁻¹. However, the water extracts accelerated the growth of rice. In addition, the reactive indexes of the extracts of petroleum ether chloroform, ethyl acetate, acet and alcohol were higher than that of the water extracts, and that of the acet extracts was the highest. The melting point of the refined acetone extract ranged from 192.5°C to 193.5°C, and its maximum absorbing wavelength was 220 nm. This extract was found to be herbicide-active and played an inhibitory role in the growth of crabgrass and rigweed at concentrations of 1000, 500, 100 and 50 mg·L⁻¹. __________ Translated from Journal of Agricultural University of Hebei, 2007, 30(6): 63–67 [译自 : 河北农业大学学报]     

益生菌酪酸菌CB-7的生物学特性研究

[目的]考察酪酸菌CB-7的生物学特性。[方法]对菌株的耐酸、耐胆盐、耐高温性能及其对动物肠道致病菌大肠杆菌、志贺氏菌、沙门氏菌的抑制作用,对肠道有益菌嗜酸乳杆菌、双歧杆菌和粪链球菌生长的促进作用进行了研究。[结果]酪酸菌CB-7在pH值为3.0的培养基中37℃培养4 h后,存活率达90.0%;在含0.3%牛胆盐的培养基中37℃培养4 h后,存活率达到91.8%;经90℃水浴处理10 min、100℃水浴处理5 min后,存活率均在90.0%以上;对大肠杆菌、志贺氏菌、沙门氏菌均有显著的抑制作用,其发酵提取物可显著促进嗜酸乳杆菌、双歧杆菌和粪链球菌的生长。[结论]酪酸菌CB-7具有较强的耐酸、耐胆盐和耐高温性能,对肠道致病菌具有较强的抑制作用,且可显著促进肠道有益菌的生长,因此是一株性能优良的饲用菌株。     

A promising alternate lipase for biodiesel fuel production

By screening samples from different sources, a high-yield yet low-cost lipase of Enterobacter aerogenes was found and used in biodiesel production. The enzyme activity of Enterobacter aerogenes reached 34.16 U·mL⁻¹ under the optimum conditions of initial pH 9.0, agitating at 30°C for 40 h, using NaHCO₃ and glucose as carbon sources and peptone as nitrogen source, with 0.1% (w/v) MgSO₄·7H₂O. When adding 1.0% (w/v) olive oil to the culture, the enzyme activity reached 66.31 U·mL⁻¹, which increased by 56.5% compared to that obtained by using 2.0% (w/v) olive oil as the sole carbon source. The lipase of Enterobacter aerogenes was immobilized by diatomite and used to catalyze biodiesel with rapeseed oil as raw materials, the transesterification rate was 92.91% under the optimum reaction conditions, which were using 1000 U immobilized lipase and 5 mL n-hexane, with ethanol as acyl acceptors, at the molar ratio of oil/ethanol of 1:4, and adding ethanol twice, at 35°C for 48 h. Therefore, the Enterobacter aerogenes will potentially serve as a promising alternative lipase for biodiesel production.     

Isolation and identification of the antagonistic strain DM-54 of Bacillus amyloliquefacien against Verticillium dahliae, and optimization of antifungal protein producing conditions

The strains capable of resistance against Verticillium dahliae Kleb were isolated and screened from the soils of cotton fields from several different provinces in China. A strain, coded DM-54, with a rather high antagonistic activity was obtained. Its morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical properties and a 16 S rDNA sequence of this strain were further studied. The DM-54 strain was finally identified as a kind of Bacillus amyloliquefacien. Through a single factor experiment and an orthogonal experiment, the optimal shaking flask fermentation condition of strain DM-54 was found to be: media composed of 5% dextrin, 3% soy peptone, 0.02% MgSO₄, 0.01% CaCl₂, initial pH 7.0 and 10% inoculum volume, media volume 30/250 (mL/mL), fermentation temperature at 32°C, rotating speed 200 r·min⁻¹, fermentation time of 48 h. Its antagonistic activity was distinguished to be elevated, at about 39.9%. Our research offers an effective means for the massive production of antagonistic proteins.     

The Herbicidal Activity of Mutant Isolates from Botrytis cinerea

Fifteen mutant isolates were obtained by ultraviolet mutation from parent isolate Botrytis cinerea BC-4. Among them three mutant isolates, BC4-1, BC4-2, and BC4-15, showed strong herbicidal activity. BC4-1 showed maximum herbicidal activity for inhibition of germination and growth of Digitaria sanguinalis L. and Arnaranthus retroflexus L. The results also showed that herbicidal activity was influenced by differing pH of PD media, with pH value of 4.0 being the optimum. The crude toxin was extracted using chloroform, petroleum ether, and ethyl acetate, respectively, and the ethyl acetate extracts showed the strongest inhibitory activity on the germination and growth of D. sanguinalis L. and A. retroflexus L. Using HPLC, one fraction with an absorption peak at 271 nm was separated from the crude toxin. This fraction could strongly inhibit the growth of D. sanguinalis L. at a concentration of 100 mg L^-1 and could completely inhibit the seed germination of D. sanguinalis L. and A. retroflexus L. at a concentration of 50 mg L^-1 .     

罗氏沼虾5个专门化品系选择系生长比较及其遗传结构分析

采用单因素完全随机设计和荧光标记混养两种实验方法,对罗氏沼虾5个专门化品系选择系A、B、C、D、E的子二代进行生长性能测定及比较分析。结果显示无论是单因素完全随机实验还是荧光标记混养实验,各选择系子二代的绝对增重率和特定增重率的大小顺序依次为:DBECA;经方差分析和Duncan氏法多重比较,选择系B和D的子二代表现出明显的生长优势。子二代中符合各选择系的体型比例较子一代有所增加;子二代的体重变异程度比子一代的体重变异程度小,其中B降幅最为明显,高达49.22%,说明子二代规格相对于子一代更加整齐。应用微卫星分子标记对罗氏沼虾5个选择系子二代共630尾虾的遗传多样性和遗传分化进行了研究,分析表明:各位点的平均等位基因数为6.25;平均有效等位基因数为3.666 2;平均杂合度观测值为0.435 0,平均杂合度期望值为0.707 6。5个选择系的多态信息含量(PIC)从小到大依次为C(0.434 0)A(0.480 4)D(0.513 4)B(0.519 3)E(0.555 7),为中度和高度多态性。各位点平均遗传分化系数(GST)为0.074 5,大部分遗传变异来源于各选择系内,表明各选择系尚具有进一步选育的潜力。     

Identification and characterization of Pichia membranifaciens Hmp-1 isolated from spoilage blackberry wine

The pellicle-forming yeast could cause the quality deterioration of wine. In this study, a pellicle-forming strain Hmp-1 was isolated from the spoilage blackberry wine, and identified as Pichia membranifaciens based on the morphology and partial nucleotide sequence of 26S rDNA. The effects of fermentation conditions (ethanol, sulfur dioxide, sugar, and temperature) on the growth of P. membranifaciens strain Hmp-1 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain FM-S-115 (a strain used for the blackberry wine fermentation) were investigated, respectively. The results indicated that Hmp-1 had lower resistance to these factors compared to FM-S-115, and the growth of Hmp-1 was completely inhibited by 10% (v/v) or 50 mg L^–1 SO₂ during the fermentation of blackberry wine. These results suggested that Hmp-1 could effectively be controlled by increasing ethanol or SO₂ concentration during the fermentation and storage of blackberry wine. Furthermore, the analysis based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed that Hmp-1 remarkably decreased kinds of volatile compounds in blackberry wine, especially aldehydes and esters. In addition, some poisonous compounds were detected in the blackberry wine fermented by FM-S-115 and Hmp-1. These results suggested that Hmp-1 was a major cause leading to the quality deterioration of blackberry wine.     

Identification of Antifungal Substance (Iturin A2) Produced by Bacillus subtilis B47 and Its Effect on Southern Corn Leaf Blight

Bacillus subtilis B47 is an endophytic bacterium of tomato, and produces substance that strongly inhibits the growth of Bipolaris maydis, the pathogen of southern corn leaf blight (SCLB), as well as several other phytopathogenic fungi. The antifungal substance was purified from the broth culture of the bacterium using acid precipitation, methanol extraction, and three-step chromatography. Based on FT-IR spectrometry, amino acid composition, and MALDI-TOF-MS/MS CID analyses, the antifungal substance was identified as iturin A₂, a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic. To evaluate the efficacy of iturin A₂ for control of SCLB, partially purified iturin A₂ (75%, w/v) was applied under different conditions. At the concentration of 300 mg kg^-1, iturin A₂ showed efficacy ranging from 100 to 53.1% under in vitro, in plot and in field conditions. This efficacy was higher than or similar to that of the fungicide chlorothalonil. When the concentration of iturin A₂ was increased to 500 mg kg^-1, the control efficacy was enhanced to 64.2% in field, which was significantly higher than that of chlorothalonil. These results indicate that iturin A₂ has potential for SCLB control and could be a substitute to synthetic fungicides. To our knowledge, this is the first report on using partially purified iturin A for control of SCLB under field conditions.     

Effect of low-nitrogen stress on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of maize cultivars with different low-nitrogen tolerances

Nitrogen(N) is a critical element for plant growth and productivity that influences photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence. We investigated the effect of low-N stress on leaf photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of maize cultivars with difference in tolerance to low N levels. The low-N tolerant cultivar ZH311 and low-N sensitive cultivar XY508 were used as the test materials. A field experiment(with three N levels: N0, 0 kg ha–1; N1, 150 kg ha–1; N2, 300 kg ha–1) in Jiyanyang, Sichuan Province, China, and a hydroponic experiment(with two N levels: CK, 4 mmol L–1; LN, 0.04 mmol L–1) in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China were conducted. Low-N stress significantly decreased chlorophyll content and rapid light response curves of the maximum fluorescence under light(Fm′), fluorescence instable state(Fs), non-photochemical quenching(qN), the maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry under dark-adaption(Fv/Fm), potential activity of PSII(Fv/Fo), and actual photochemical efficiency of PSII(ΦPSII) of leaves. Further, it increased the chlorophyll(Chl) a/Chl b values and so on. The light compensation point of ZH311 decreased, while that of XY508 increased. The degree of variation of these indices in low-N tolerant cultivars was lower than that in low-N sensitive cultivars, especially at the seedling stage. Maize could increase Chl a/Chl b, apparent quantum yield and light saturation point to adapt to N stress. Compared to low-N sensitive cultivars, low-N tolerant cultivars maintained a higher net photosynthetic rate and electron transport rate to maintain stronger PSII activity, which further promoted the ability to harvest and transfer light. This might be a photosynthetic mechanism by which low-N tolerant cultivar adapt to low-N stress.