How do timing,duration, and intensity of drought stress affect the agronomic performance of winter rye?

Winter rye (Secale cereale L.) will be especially affected by drought induced yield losses in Central and Eastern Europe in the future because it is predominantly cultivated on low-fertile soils with a poor water-holding capacity. In order to examine the performance of winter rye under different drought conditions, field experiments were carried out during the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 near Braunschweig, Germany. Two sets of genotypes were tested under severe, mild, pre-anthesis, and post-anthesis drought stress in rain-out shelters as well as under rainfed and well-watered conditions. The grain, straw, and total above ground biomass yields, harvest index, grain yield components, leaf area index (LAI), and phenological characteristics were examined, as well as phenotypic correlations between grain yield and further characteristics. Drought induced grain yield reduction ranged from 14 to 57%, while straw yield and harvest index were lesser affected by drought than the grain yield. Under drought conditions, fully ripe was reached up to twelve days earlier than under non water-limited conditions. Pre-anthesis drought mainly reduced spikes m⁻² and kernels spike⁻¹ while drought during grain filling reduced the 1000-kernel weight (TKW) only. The grain yield was positively associated with straw yield, spikes m⁻², and kernels spike⁻¹ under water limited conditions while the TWK was only positively associated with grain yield under drought during grain filling. Consequently, high pre-anthesis biomass as well as high numbers of spikes m⁻² and kernels spike⁻¹ are especially important for obtaining high grain yields under water-limited conditions. Focusing on these traits is, therefore, recommendable for developing drought tolerant rye genotypes.     

华北平原不同种植制度对粮食作物氮素利用和土壤氮库的影响

冬小麦-夏玉米一年两熟是华北平原粮食作物的主要种植制度，存在氮肥利用率低、土壤氮素过量累积问题。为探索华北平原氮素高效利用的适宜种植制度，采用15N示踪技术，基于3 a田间定位试验，对一年两熟冬小麦-夏玉米的常规水氮和优化水氮、两年三熟冬小麦-夏玉米-春玉米与冬小麦-夏大豆-春玉米及一年一熟春玉米3种种植制度的作物产量、15N利用率、氮素去向和土壤氮库表观平衡进行研究。结果表明，两年三熟的冬小麦-夏玉米-春玉米产量为32 248.52 kg/hm2，分别比一年两熟和一年一熟提高22.16%和52.88%；15N利用率为33.36%，比一年一熟提高26.12%。3种植制度的氮肥去向最高为土壤残留，其次为作物吸收和损失，两年三熟冬小麦-夏玉米-春玉米的作物吸氮量最高为151.82 kg/hm2，土壤氮库表观盈余量为21.22 kg/hm2，显著低于其他种植制度。综合分析，冬小麦-夏玉米-春玉米两年三熟在稳产高产和提高氮素利用率上具有可持续的潜力，是华北平原未来较为理想的种植制度。     

施肥对灌漠土作物产量、土壤肥力与重金属含量的影响

有机物还田是提升土壤肥力的主要措施,但也存在造成土壤金属污染的潜在风险。为查明不同有机物还田对土壤质量及作物产量的影响,本文通过长期定位试验,研究了无肥对照、常规施化肥(氮磷配施)以及70%常规化肥与牛粪、沼渣、污泥、鸡粪、菌渣和猪粪配施对土壤理化性状、有机碳和氮的固存率、氮磷钾活化系数、作物产量及重金属含量的影响。结果表明:牛粪、沼渣、污泥、菌渣、鸡粪和猪粪与70%化肥配施虽作物产量与常规施化肥相似,但6种有机物处理土壤有机质、全氮和碱解氮含量都较常规施化肥处理显著增加,污泥、鸡粪和猪粪处理土壤全磷与速效磷含量较常规施化肥处理显著增加,而且牛粪、沼渣、鸡粪和猪粪处理的速效钾、土壤磷活化系数和土壤钾活化系数较常规施化肥处理也显著提升。牛粪、沼渣、污泥、菌渣、鸡粪和猪粪处理土壤有机碳固存率为36.42%～71.61%,较常规施化肥处理都显著提高;而其氮固存率为6.47%～49.44%,仅有菌渣处理与常规施化肥处理差异不显著,而其他处理较常规施化肥处理显著增加。长期施鸡粪和菌渣处理的土壤铜含量较常规施化肥处理显著增加,增加量分别为4.17mg·kg~(-1)和14.2mg·kg~(-1);而污泥、鸡粪和菌渣处理的土壤锌含量较常规施化肥处理显著增加,增加量分别为13.53 mg·kg~(-1)、22.60 mg·kg~(-1)和49.73mg·kg~(-1)。综上,等有机质(4 500kg×hm~(-2))的牛粪、沼渣、污泥、菌渣、鸡粪和猪粪可替代30%氮磷肥,作物产量不受影响;不同有机物培肥土壤效果为污泥、鸡粪和猪粪优于牛粪和沼渣,而沼渣的培肥效果略差。为保证土壤环境质量稳定不恶化,种植小麦时有机物铜和锌的年携入量应分别低于53.01g×hm~(-2)和221.30 g×hm~(-2),而种植玉米时应分别低于153.40 g×hm~(-2)和347.04 g×hm~(-2)。     

Effects of Different Organic Materials Application on Soil Physicochemical Properties in a Primary Saline-Alkali Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - The application of agricultural wastes to the soil does not only improve soil fertility but also helps in the recycling of agricultural waste resources. However, the effects...     

2种紫花苜蓿耐盐生理特性的初步研究

为研究2种紫花苜蓿(Medicagosativa L.)“阿迪娜”(耐盐基因型)和“秘鲁”(敏盐基因型)在盐胁迫处理下的生理特性与耐盐机理,采用150mmol/LNaCl胁迫处理2种紫花苜蓿幼苗,分别测定盐处理前和处理后2,4,6,8,16h的过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)、丙二醛(MDA)、脯氨酸(PRO)、相对含水量(RWC)和叶绿素(Chl)含量。结果表明:2种紫花苜蓿的过氧化氢酶活性、过氧化物酶活性和丙二醛含量在盐胁迫下总体呈上升趋势,脯氨酸含量和相对含水量表现出相反的趋势。叶绿素含量在盐胁迫前期稳定不变,但在胁迫后期显著性下降;2种紫花苜蓿的相对含水量和叶绿素含量的变化趋势与植株表型变化相对应。主成分分析表明,过氧化氢酶和丙二醛的贡献率最大,能更好地为苜蓿耐盐机理及分子育种研究提供理论依据。     

Remediation of saline-sodic soil using organic and inorganic amendments: physical,chemical, and enzyme activity properties

Purpose

Crops grow poorly in saline-sodic soils, and the productivity of these soils can be dramatically improved with proper amendments. Current research mainly focuses on either organic or inorganic soil amendments, whereas few studies address options of combining organic and inorganic amendments. The objective of this study was to develop new organic and inorganic soil amendments which can lower the soil pH, replace sodium, and improve soil structure.

Materials and methods

Polyhalite (PL), microporous potassium-silicon-calcium mineral fertilizer (MF), furfural residue (FR), and fulvic acid (FA) were mixed with four different ratios to produce organic and inorganic soil amendments: PLFR, PLFA, MFFR, and MFFA. And their optimum mixing ratios were determined by comparing the potassium, calcium concentrations, and pH of filtrate after dissolution. Then, a leaching experiment was conducted by packing mixtures (mass ratio of soil to amendment = 219:1, equivalent to 13 t/hm²) of the saline-sodic soil with each one of these amendments plus two contrasts, gypsum (GP), and no amendment (CK). And the remediation effect was compared by pH, EC, ESP, texture, organic recombination degree of clay, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water-stable aggregates fraction, and enzyme (urease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase) activities of soil.

Results and discussion

After four times leaching experiment, soil treated with PLFR had lower pH and 25.86% lower exchangeable sodium than untreated soils. The water-stable small macroaggregate fractions and saturated hydraulic conductivity of the MFFR-treated soils were significantly increased by 133% and 31%, respectively. Also, the total soil and heavy fraction organic carbons of the soils treated with MFFR in addition to its alkaline phosphatase activity were all significantly higher than the other treatments.

Conclusions

The results revealed that MFFR has more potential as a soil amendment to improve soil structure and quality and thus help in the development and use of saline-sodic lands for agriculture.

     

Azospirillum brasilense mitigates water stress imposed by a vascular disease by increasing xylem vessel area and stem hydraulic conductivity in tomato

Water stress, with its negative consequences on plant growth and survival, can be mitigated by Azospirillum brasilense inoculation. In tomato, A. brasilense delays wilting caused by a vascular pathogen, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, by yet unknown mechanisms. We studied morphological, anatomical and physiological changes induced by A. brasilense in tomato that relate to water stress tolerance, which could explain the deferral in symptom expression. For this purpose, tomato seeds were treated or not with A. brasilense BNM65, and 5 weeks later plants were challenged with C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis or mock inoculated with water. There was a large growth promotion associated to Azospirillum: treated plants had higher total biomass and leaf area. In relation to water stress tolerance, Azospirillum treated plants had larger xylem vessel area, higher stem specific hydraulic conductivity, thicker stems, and lower shoot/root dry matter and specific leaf area. These changes were opposite to those induced by C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. We conclude that A. brasilense favoured a better adjustment of plant-water relations by several mechanisms, and thus, transitorily alleviated symptoms expression of a vascular disease.     

Bird,weed and interaction effects on yield of irrigated lowland rice

Weeds and grain feeding birds are the two main biological causes of yield losses in irrigated rice in Africa. To quantify the single and combined effect of these biological constraints on rice yields, and to investigate whether weeds attract birds and thereby contribute to increased bird damage, a three-year factorial experiment was set-up in the Senegal River Valley. We tested two management factors (bird and weed management), each with two levels (‘complete’ and ‘absent’), and one crop cycle factor also with two levels (Sahel 202, a medium-cycle and Sahel 108, a short-cycle rice cultivar). Season-long competition from weeds resulted in high but predictable yield losses ranging from 50% to 75%, with lower yield losses for the medium-cycle cultivar Sahel 202 in two of the three seasons. Due to the nature of the pest, season-long exposure to birds resulted in less predictable yield losses ranging from 13% to as high as 94%, with high seasonal variation. In two seasons, much lower bird-inflicted yield losses were observed in the short-cycle cultivar Sahel 108, whereas in one season the medium-cycle cultivar Sahel 202 was much less damaged. When rice was exposed to both weeds and birds, the relative yield losses ranged from 80 to 99%. The yield reducing effect of weeds and birds was never additive. Bird visits to a weedy crop were more frequent compared to a weed-free crop at least in the early rice grain filling stages. This attraction of birds by weeds resulted in an additional yield loss in five of the six cases, ranging from 2 to 62%. Bird-inflicted yield losses in irrigated rice may be reduced by keeping the crop, as much as possible, free from weeds.     

酸性土壤中决明属牧草高效根瘤菌的分离及筛选

为提高豆科决明属（Chamaecrista spp.）牧草的结瘤能力和固氮效率，促进决明属牧草在酸性土壤中的应用及推广，本研究以圆叶决明（Chamaecrista rotundifolia）和羽叶决明（Chamaecrasta nictitans）为试验材料，通过分离、纯化、nodA基因鉴定等方法，从酸性土壤里决明属牧草的根瘤中分离到10株候选根瘤菌株系。16S rDNA测序及系统发育树分析表明，这10株根瘤菌均属于慢生型根瘤菌。回接试验表明，上述10株根瘤菌均能与圆叶决明共生，形成根瘤。与不接种的对照相比，其固氮酶活性为0.08~4.65 μmol·g^-1·h^-1，植株干重、SPAD值和氮含量分别提高了99.17%~372.14%，399.27%~789.05%，235.00%~1043.33%。其中，4株根瘤菌TXR2，TXN1，WYSR1，JYN6对圆叶决明氮营养贡献最大，并且TXN1与宿主共生形成的根瘤数目最多，而JYN6的固氮酶活性最高。说明本研究分离鉴定到4株决明高效根瘤菌，具有较好的应用前景。     

Social preferences toward energy generation with woody biomass from public forests in Montana,USA

In Montana, USA, there are substantial opportunities for mechanized thinning treatments on public forests to reduce the likelihood of severe and damaging wildfires and improve forest health. These treatments produce residues that can be used to generate renewable energy and displace fossil fuels. The choice modeling method is employed to examine the marginal willingness of Montanans' to pay (MWTP) for woody biomass energy produced from treatments in their public forests. The survey instrument elicited social preferences for important co-benefits and costs of woody biomass energy generation in Montana, namely the extent of healthy forests, the number of large wildfires, and local air quality. Positive and statistically significant MWTP is found for woody biomass energy generation, forest health and air quality. MWTP to avoid large wildfires is statistically insignificant. However, MWTP for woody biomass energy diminishes quickly, revealing that Montanans do not support public forestland management that produces more than double the current level of woody biomass harvested for energy generation. These findings can be used by policy makers and public land managers to estimate the social benefits of utilizing residues from public forest restoration or fuel treatment programs to generate energy.