利用荧光观测明确载球孢白僵菌松毛虫赤眼蜂对亚洲玉米螟的防控增效作用

载球孢白僵菌松毛虫赤眼蜂能够显著提高对亚洲玉米螟的防控效果，为了明确其对亚洲玉米螟卵期及幼虫期可持续防控的作用机理，采用松毛虫赤眼蜂吸附绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）标记的球孢白僵菌分生孢子，进行赤眼蜂载菌情况，以及亚洲玉米螟卵和幼虫的寄生、侵染过程观察。结果表明，赤眼蜂羽化后能够吸附柞蚕卵表面粘附的白僵菌分生孢子，并将其携带至亚洲玉米螟卵块表面，并吸附于未被赤眼蜂寄生的亚洲玉米螟卵孵化的幼虫体表，实现侵染并致死，幼虫带菌率达60.00%，网室内杀虫生物测定僵虫率达27.00%。本研究表明，载菌赤眼蜂在提高杀虫效率的同时实现害虫可持续防控，该方法为其他载菌天敌的应用提供了依据。     

Arduino物联网系统在连栋大棚中的选型与设计

针对物联网技术在设施蔬菜种植研发及应用成本过高的现状,提出了一种应用于连栋蔬菜大棚的物联网系统选型及构建方案,该方案以Arduino单片机(WeMos D1)为核心,选用性价比高的传感器和开源免费的软件系统,以较低的经济成本和技术难度实现连栋大棚的空气温湿度、二氧化碳浓度、土壤含水量、光照强度的实时监测以及设施控制,为农业信息技术开发人员提供了一种新的技术解决方案。     

施氮处理对不同筋型小麦产量和品质的影响

为探究施氮处理对不同筋型小麦的植株性状、籽粒产量和品质的影响,采用盆栽试验,选用强筋小麦品种中麦578（A1）和中麦5051（A2）、弱筋小麦品种扬麦15（A3）和扬麦24（A4）为供试品种,在施氮量相同的条件下进行底施（B1）和追施（B2）处理。结果表明：在其他栽培措施相同条件下,强筋小麦穗长、总小穗数、千粒重和籽粒产量均优于弱筋小麦,其中A1籽粒产量分别比A2、A3和A4高0.44%、49.81%和15.27%;施氮处理中B2的株高、穗长、穗粒数、总小穗数和籽粒产量均高于B1;不同处理组合中,强筋小麦品种A1B2的植株和产量性状优于其他处理;强筋小麦品种的籽粒蛋白质含量和蛋白质产量均高于弱筋小麦品种,且具有极显著差异（P<0.01)。本试验中强筋小麦品种中麦5051在氮肥追施处理中可以兼顾籽粒产量、蛋白质含量和蛋白质产量。     

镧对镉胁迫下水稻矿质元素吸收与转运的影响

[目的]探究镉胁迫下施加镧对水稻中矿质元素吸收和转运的影响,为缓解水稻镉毒害及降低环境中镉对作物的危害提供有效方法,也为利用稀土元素减轻水稻的镉毒害提供理论依据.[方法]以南方大面积种植的8个水稻品种(湘早籼46、湘晚籼12、早籼788、早籼802、扬稻6、湘早143、中早27、赣晚籼34)为试验材料,采用外源施入0.2 mmol/L氯化镧(LaCl3)的方法[对照(CK)未施LaCl3],对比分析施入镧后不同水稻品种在2μmol/L氯化镉(CaCl2)胁迫下根部和地上部对钙、铁、镁、锌和钾5种矿质元素吸收量、转运系数及矿质元素间相关性的变化.[结果]与CK相比,施入LaCl3可促进多数水稻品种地上部对铁和锌元素的吸收,其中湘早籼46的地上部铁含量升幅最高,较CK显著升高80.12%(P<0.05);施入LaCl3对多数水稻品种根部的钙、铁、锌吸收均起抑制作用,除扬稻6的钙含量、湘晚籼12的铁含量和中早27的锌含量高于CK外,其他品种的钙、铁、锌降幅分别为7.61%~35.84%、7.09%~42.01%和10.23%~55.27%.LaCl3处理提高了水稻根部向地上部转运钙、铁和锌元素的能力,大部分品种对钙、铁和锌元素的转运系数表现为LaCl3处理高于CK.相关分析结果表明,LaCl3处理降低了镉胁迫下水稻体内矿质元素间的相关性.[结论]镉胁迫下施加镧可抑制多数水稻品种幼苗根系对钙、铁和锌元素的吸收,同时促进地上部对铁和锌元素的吸收,提高水稻根系向地上部转运钙、铁和锌元素的能力,并降低镉胁迫下水稻体内矿质元素间的相关性,进而缓解水稻的镉毒害.     

Diversity of root-knot nematodes in Moroccan olive nurseries and orchards: does <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne javanica</Emphasis> disperse according to invasion processes?

Background

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are major pest of olive tree (Olea europaea ssp. europaea), especially in nurseries and high-density orchards. Soil samples were collected from main olive growing areas of Morocco, to characterize Meloidogyne species and to discuss the contribution of biotic and abiotic factors in their spatial distribution.

Results

RKN were found in 159 soil samples out of 305 from nurseries (52.1% occurrence) and in 11 out of 49 soil samples from orchards (23.2% occurrence). Biochemical and molecular characterisation (PAGE esterase and SCAR) revealed the dominance of M. javanica both in nurseries and orchards with minor presence of M. incognita only in nurseries, and M. arenaria in only one nursery. RKN were distributed on aggregated basis. Frequent presence of M. javanica in orchards might have come from nurseries. In contrast, the detection of M. incognita in nurseries alone suggests that this species could not reproduce in orchards because of either the competition with other plant-parasitic nematodes or unfit local habitats. The impact of environmental variables (climate, habitat origin and physicochemical characteristics of the substrates) on the distribution of Meloidogyne species is also discussed.

Conclusion

Olive nurseries in Morocco are not able to guarantee the safety of rooted plants. As a result, olive production systems are exposed to strong RKN invasion risks. Consequently, the use of healthy substrates in nurseries may prevent plant-parasitic nematode induction in orchards.

     

High water content silk protein-based hydrogels with tunable elasticity fabricated via a Ru(II) mediated photochemical cross-linking method

Silk is very promising in the field of biomaterials as a natural biomacromolecule. Silk protein can be made into various forms of materials, including hydrogels. However, silk protein-based hydrogels have not attracted much attention due to its weak mechanical properties. Here, we report high water content silk protein-based hydrogels with tunable elasticity which were fabricated through Ru(II) mediated photochemically cross-linking tyrosine residues in regenerated silk protein. The regenerated silk protein was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The gelation kinetics of the silk protein was studied by rheology measurements. The compressive mechanical properties of the silk protein-based hydrogels was investigated using compressive tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Compressive modulus of the hydrogels reached 349±64 MPa at 15 % strain. The fabricated silk protein-based hydrogels were also characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealing an interconnected porous network structure, typical of hydrogels, with an average pore size of approximately 130 μm. Finally, biocompatibility of the silk protein-based hydrogels was demonstrated through cell culture studies using a human fibroblast cell line, HFL1. The reported silk protein-based hydrogels represent a promising candidate for biomaterial applications.     

Nano-calcium carbonate reinforced polypropylene and propylene-ethylene copolymer nanocomposites: Tensile vs. impact behavior

Improvement of both the tensile and impact strength of the same polymeric material has always been a great challenge for the plastic industry. The study focuses on the effect of incorporation of calcium carbonate nanoparticles (0.3 wt% to 15 wt%) into three polypropylene (PP) based matrices viz. PP homopolymer, propylene-ethylene (PP-PE) copolymer and the blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) to improve their impact behavior without hampering the tensile strength much. A loss in both the tensile and impact properties was observed in PP based nanocomposite. However, PP-PE based nanocomposites showed a significant improvement in impact strength (47 %) at 10 wt% loading with a loss of tensile strength by 22 %. To minimize this loss a blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) was explored as a matrix. At 10 wt% loading, this matrix showed an improvement of 30 % in impact strength whereas the tensile loss was minimized to 10 %. Further, silane coupling agent which promoted good interfacial adhesion was used for best compositions. The variation of crystalline morphology of the nanocomposites with various formulations was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction.     

Effect of chlorogenic acid on intestinal inflammation,antioxidant status,and microbial community of young hens challenged with acute heat stress

Heat stress in poultry is deleterious to productive performance. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) exerts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplemental CGA on the intestinal health and cecal microbiota composition of young hens challenged with acute heat stress. 100-day-old Hy-line brown pullets were randomly divided into four groups. The control group (C) and heat stress group (HS) received a basal diet. HS + CGA₃₀₀ group and HS + CGA₆₀₀ group received a basal diet supplemented with 300- and 600-mg/kg CGA, respectively, for 2 weeks before heat stress exposure. Pullets of HS, HS + CGA₃₀₀, and HS + CGA₆₀₀ group were exposed to 38°C for 4 h while the control group was maintained at 25°C. In this study, dietary CGA supplementation had effect on mitigate the decreased T-AOC and T-SOD activities and the increasing of IL-1β and TNFα induced by acute heat stress. Dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg CGA had better effect on increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial genera, such as Rikenellaceae RC9_gut_group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, and Christensenellaceae R-7_group, and deceasing bacteria genera involved in inflammation, such as Sutterella species. Therefore, CGA can ameliorate acute heat stress damage through suppressing inflammation and improved antioxidant capacity and cecal microbiota composition.