Bulk pollen pollination in maize for efficient construction of introgression populations with high genome coverage

Introgression populations consist of a set of introgression lines or families, constructed by continuous backcrossing to the recurrent parent, while carrying a limited number of chromosome segments from a donor parent in their genomes. Increasing the genome coverage is an important aim when constructing introgression population. In this study, we proposed bulk pollen pollination (BPP) method and used it to increase the genome coverage of a maize introgression population. The results showed that the genome coverage of the introgression population constructed using BPP method reached 100% at BC₃ generation, which accorded with the simulation result. The BPP‐based BC₃F_1:2 population could identify most quantitative trait loci (QTL) detected using the F_2:3 population, especially major QTL. Simulation analysis showed that the genome coverage of introgression population increased with the increase of population size and the number of bulked plants, and decreased with the increase of backcross generation. Our results proved the reliability of the BPP‐based introgression population in increasing genome coverage and detecting QTL, and provided references for constructing high‐coverage introgression populations.     

我国牧草种植成本收益变化与比较

本研究以牧草种植户牧草及粮食作物的调研数据为基础,计算出2010-2014年主要牧草和粮食作物的成本收益基本信息,对其变化进行统计分析,并对各作物的成本收益进行比较。分析发现,2014年苜蓿(Medicago sativa)的经济效益有所下降;黑麦草(Lolium perenne)和青贮玉米(Zea mays)的纯收益和收益率有所增长;苜蓿的纯收益和收益率要高于黑麦草和青贮玉米;马铃薯(Solanum tuberosum)和苜蓿的经济效益更具优势,种植小麦(Triticum aestivum)经济效益较差;黑麦草和青贮玉米人工和土地成本更高,苜蓿水电费最高。建议调整农业产业结构,推行"粮+经+饲+草"四元种植结构,全面扶持牧草产业发展,建立健全牧草生产资料补贴制度。     

Selection efficiency of high inorganic phosphorus-low stachyose lines from soybean breeding populations of different genetic backgrounds

Reducing the antinutritional components of soybean (Glycine max) seed is necessary for producing animal feed with increased metabolizable energy and nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate marker-assisted and phenotypic selection for the high inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and low stachyose traits controlled by the Lpa and MIPS1 mutations in six breeding populations. Phenotypic selection for low phytate individuals carrying Lpa mutations using Pi was reliable, but the assay should include parental genotypes to construct thresholds before performing selections, as the effect of Lpa on Pi depends on genetic background. Phenotypic selection for low phytate individuals carrying MIPS1 using Pi should be complemented with sugar data because selection based solely on Pi may be inefficient, as this trait is not environmentally stable in MIPS1 germplasm. Marker-assisted selection for simple sequence repeat (SSR) linked to Lpa2 (Satt527, Satt561) depended on the pedigree of the population suggesting that perfect markers (e.g., single nucleotide polymorphism) should become the molecular tool for screening a large number of progenies with high efficiency.     

马铃薯AP2/ERF转录因子的克隆及植物表达载体构建

AP2/ERF基因家族转录因子普遍存在于植物中,参与植物体内的各种生物学过程,包括植物的生长发育、生物和非生物胁迫响应等。前期转录组测序的结果发现马铃薯‘加湘1号’一个AP2/ERF家族基因(PGSC0003DMG400012154)在接种晚疫病菌(Phytophthora infestans)24 h后被显著激活。从接种P.infestans 24 h的‘加湘1号’的总RNA中通过RT-PCR获得了该基因CDS序列为885 bp,BLAST分析显示该基因编码一个295个氨基酸残基的蛋白,并且含有1个AP2/ERF结构域,是AP2/ERF转录因子家族中的ERF亚家族的一员。本研究将该基因与XcmⅠ酶切的表达载体pCXSN连接,转化大肠杆菌,通过测序挑选插入正确克隆酶切验证,并成功转化农杆菌。本研究结果为进一步研究该基因的功能提供了帮助。     

Three dimensional (3D) spatial metrics for objects

Landscape Ecology - The increasing availability of lidar data and structure from motion processing techniques is moving pattern metric research toward the development of three-dimensional (3D)...     

Inhibition of postharvest senescence of green leafy vegetables by exogenous D-cysteine and L-cysteine as precursors of hydrogen sulphide

Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) inhibits senescence in harvested fruit and vegetables but presents logistical, safety and regulatory issues to become a commercial treatment. D-cysteine and L-cysteine are semi-essential amino acids that are metabolised to hydrogen sulphide by plant tissues albeit by different pathways. This paper examines the effect of cysteine on postharvest senescence of three green leafy vegetables. Spraying pak choy leaves with 10 mmol D-cysteine, L-cysteine or DL-cysteine inhibited leaf senescence through a delayed loss of green colour expressed as market life, reduced respiration rate and reduced ethylene production. The beneficial effects of cysteine were similar to those achieved by fumigation with hydrogen sulphide. L-cysteine sprays on parsley and peppermint leaves also showed reduced leaf colour loss and respiration compared to untreated leaves. Cysteine, either as the racemate or individual enantiomers, is considered to have commercial potential for green leafy vegetables as it provides the beneficial effect of hydrogen sulphide but should be easier to register for commercial use due to the GRAS status of L-cysteine.     

NBA sweet spots: Distance‐based impacts on establishment‐level sales

This paper examines distance‐based effects of the introduction of a National Basketball Association (NBA) team on establishment‐level sales. Using a unique micro dataset with precise geographic location information and industry detail, we apply spatio‐temporal estimation strategies following Harger et al. and Ahlfeldt and Kavetsos. We build on the literature by focusing on sales activity, a broad measure of economic activity, for industries related to the NBA‐product. Our application considers the relocation of the NBA’s Seattle franchise (Supersonics) to Oklahoma City (Thunder). The results reveal spatially differentiated impacts that would be obscured using data aggregated over space or industry. Specifically, food establishments exhibit increased sales and entertainment establishments exhibit decreased sales relative to establishments in the outer most ring of the study area.     

Impact of land‐use intensity on the relationships between vegetation indices,photosynthesis and biomass of intensively and extensively managed grassland fens

Vegetation indices are widely used as model inputs and for non‐destructive estimation of biomass and photosynthesis, but there have been few validation studies of the underlying relationships. To test their applicability on temperate fens and the impact of management intensity, we investigated the relationships between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI), brown and green above‐ground biomass and photosynthesis potential (PP). Only the linear relationship between NDVI and PP was management independent (R² = 0·53). LAI to PP was described by a site‐specific and negative logarithmic function (R² = 0·07–0·68). The hyperbolic relationship of LAI versus NDVI showed a high residual standard error (s.e.) of 1·71–1·84 and differed between extensive and intensive meadows. Biomass and LAI correlated poorly (R² = 0·30), with high species‐specific variability. Intensive meadows had a higher ratio of LAI to biomass than extensive grasslands. The fraction of green to total biomass versus NDVI showed considerable noise (s.e. = 0·13). These relationships were relatively weak compared with results from other ecosystems. A likely explanation could be the high amount of standing litter, which was unevenly distributed within the vegetation canopy depending on the season and on the timing of cutting events. Our results show there is high uncertainty in the application of the relationships on temperate fen meadows. For reliable estimations, management intensity needs to be taken into account and several direct measurements throughout the year are required for site‐specific correction of the relationships, especially under extensive management. Using NDVI instead of LAI could reduce uncertainty in photosynthesis models.