Physiological processes associated with salinity tolerance in an alfalfa half‐sib family

We previously reported an alfalfa half‐sib family, HS‐B, with improved salt tolerance, compared to parental plants, P‐B. In this study, we conducted additional experiments to address potential physiological mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B. Vegetatively propagated HS‐B and P‐B plants were treated with a nutrient solution (control) or a nutrient solution containing NaCl (EC = 12 dS/m). Shoots and roots were harvested at various time points after treatment for quantification of proline, soluble sugar, and H₂O₂ using spectrophotometers. Subcellular localization and quantification of Na in roots were conducted using a Na⁺‐specific dye under a confocal microscope. HS‐B produced 86 and 89% greater shoot and root dry biomass, respectively, compared to parental plants, P‐B, under salinity in the greenhouse. Under saline conditions the HS‐B shoots accumulated 115% and roots 55% more soluble sugars than P‐B counterparts. The non‐saline HS‐B shoots, however, showed 72% less soluble sugars than the non‐saline P‐B plants. Under saline conditions HS‐B accumulated 39% less proline in shoots, while roots accumulated 56% more proline, compared to their P‐B parents. HS‐B plants also showed a greater reduction of stomatal conductance under mild saline stress. HS‐B shoots and roots contained 3–4 times less reactive oxygen species (H₂O₂) after salt treatment compared to P‐B plants. Sodium localization and distribution analysis using Na⁺‐specific dye revealed HS‐B plants accumulated 88% and 48% less Na⁺ in stele and xylem vessels compared to P‐B. The study provides insights into the potential mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B: maintaining RWC by accumulating soluble sugars while reducing transpiration, maintaining healthy status by reducing oxidative stresses, and preventing salt toxicity by reducing accumulation of Na⁺ inside root cells and xylem.     

云南温带多年生优良牧草——扁穗雀麦

分析总结了扁穗雀麦的分布、来源、植物学特征、生物学特性、饲用价值和栽培利用措施,以促进该优良牧草的推广利用。由于扁穗雀麦在云南冬春潮湿阴凉环境条件下仍保持绿色,故可作为解决冬春青绿饲料的优良牧草利用。     

Association analysis for detecting significant single nucleotide polymorphisms for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance at the seedling stage in soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.]

Tolerance to low-phosphorus soil is a desirable trait in soybean cultivars. Previous quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance were mainly derived from bi-parental segregating populations and few reports from natural population. The objective of this study was to detect QTLs that regulate phosphorus-deficiency tolerance in soybean using association mapping approach. Phosphorus-deficiency tolerance was evaluated according to five traits (plant shoot height, shoot dry weight, phosphorus concentration, phosphorus acquisition efficiency and use efficiency) comprising a conditional phenotype at the seedling stage. Association mapping of the conditional phenotype detected 19 SNPs including 13 SNPs that were significantly associated with the five traits across two years. A novel cluster of SNPs, including three SNPs that consistently showed significant effects over two years, that associated with more than one trait was detected on chromosome 3. All favorable alleles, which were determined based on the mean of conditional phenotypic values of each trait over the two years, could be pyramided into one cultivar through parental cross combination. The best three cross combinations were predicted with the aim of simultaneously improving phosphorus acquisition efficiency and use efficiency. These results will provide a thorough understanding of the genetic basis of phosphorus deficiency tolerance in soybean.     

Genotypic Variation for Tolerance to Transient Drought During the Reproductive Phase of Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa L. is a genetically diverse parent species of the allotetraploid species, oilseed rape (B. napus) and a potential source of drought tolerance for B. napus. We examined the effect of a 13‐day drought stress period during the early reproductive phase, relative to a well‐watered (WW) control, on subsequent growth and development in nine accessions of B. rapa and one accession of Brassica juncea selected for their wide morphological and genetic diversity. We measured leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use, and leaf and bud temperatures during the stress period and aboveground dry weight of total biomass at maturity. Dry weight of seeds and reproductive tissue were not useful measures of drought tolerance due to self‐incompatibility in B. rapa. The relative total biomass (used as the measure of drought tolerance in this study) of the 10 accessions exposed to drought stress ranged from 47 % to 117 % of the WW treatment and was negatively correlated with leaf‐to‐air and bud‐to‐air temperature difference when averaged across the 13‐day stress period. Two wild‐type (B. rapa ssp. sylvestris) accessions had higher relative total and non‐reproductive biomass at maturity and cooler leaves and buds than other types. We conclude that considerable genotypic variation for drought tolerance exists in B. rapa and cooler leaves and buds during a transient drought stress in the early reproductive phase may be a useful screening tool for drought tolerance.     

Redox halopriming: A Promising Strategy for Inducing Salt Tolerance in Bread Wheat

New strategies to enhance growth and productivity of food crops in saline soils represent important research priorities. This study has investigated the role of certain priming techniques to induce salt tolerance of bread wheat. Wheat grains were soaked in 0.2 mm sodium nitroprusside as nitric oxide donor (redox priming), diluted sea water (halopriming) and the combination of both (redox halopriming). Grains were also soaked in distilled water (hydropriming); in addition, untreated grains were taken as control. Our results indicated that priming treatments significantly improved all growth traits and increased leaf pigments concentration as compared to the control. Priming treatments markedly enhanced membrane stability index, proline, total soluble sugars and K⁺ concentration with simultaneous decrease in the concentration of Na⁺ and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, yield and yield‐related traits such as plant height, spike length, total number of tillers, 1000‐grain weight, straw and grain yield considerably affected by priming treatments. Moreover, the grain yield of both genotypes was positively affected by redox halopriming treatment. However, the extent of enhancement was more prominent in Gemmiza‐9 (salt sensitive) than that in Sakha‐93 (salt‐tolerant). Overall, this study clearly indicated that redox halopriming treatment is a promising and handy technique to induce salinity tolerance of wheat genotypes.     

瓠瓜新品种浙蒲8号的选育

浙蒲8号是以自交系G7-4-3-1-2-1为母本、自交系J63-1-6-3-2-1为父本配制而成的耐热瓠瓜一代杂种。植株生长势较强,早中熟,以侧蔓结瓜为主,坐瓜性较好。商品瓜中棒形,上下粗细较均匀,平均瓜长约30cm,横径约5cm,瓜皮绿色,具光泽,单瓜质量0.4~0.5kg。耐高温性较强,高温期商品瓜率较对照杭州长瓜高6个百分点;品质佳,游离氨基酸总量1304.193μg·g-1,其中谷氨酸含量85.663μg·g-1;田间对枯萎病和白粉病的抗性强于对照杭州长瓜。适宜作露地栽培和夏秋季设施避雨栽培,夏秋季栽培每667m2产量2600kg以上。     

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.     

Drought Tolerance and Water Use of Cereal Crops: A Focus on Sorghum as a Food Security Crop in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) faces twin challenges of water stress and food insecurity – challenges that are already pressing and are projected to grow. Sub‐Saharan Africa comprises 43 % arid and semi‐arid area, which is projected to increase due to climate change. Small‐scale, rainfed agriculture is the main livelihood source in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA. Because rainfed agriculture constitutes more than 95 % of agricultural land use, water scarcity is a major limitation to production. Crop production, specifically staple cereal crop production, will have to adapt to water scarcity and improved water productivity (output per water input) to meet food requirements. We propose inclusion and promotion of drought‐tolerant cereal crops in arid and semi‐arid agro‐ecological zones of SSA where water scarcity is a major limitation to cereal production. Sorghum uniquely fits production in such regions, due to high and stable water‐use efficiency, drought and heat tolerance, high germplasm variability, comparative nutritional value and existing food value chain in SSA. However, sorghum is socio‐economically and geographically underutilized in parts of SSA. Sorghum inclusion and/or promotion in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA, especially among subsistence farmers, will improve water productivity and food security.     

达里诺尔湖湿地生态系统服务价值评价

生态系统服务功能是生态系统与生态过程所形成及所维持的人类赖以生存的自然环境条件与效用,对其服务价值进行货币化评价,可以推动自然资源可持续利用,促进区域生态环境保护。以达里诺尔湖湿地为研究对象,结合达里诺尔湖湿地生态系统的结构、特征及其生态过程特点,通过资料搜集与实地调研,运用资源经济学理论和方法,对达里诺尔湖湿地生态系统服务价值进行了划分。构建了达里诺尔湖湿地生态系统服务价值评价指标体系,并对其进行了价值评价。评价结果显示达里诺尔湖湿地的服务价值为93.70×10⁴万元,其中直接使用价值为2.19×10⁴万元,占比为2.36%,间接使用价值为91.51×10⁴万元,占比为97.66%。各项生态系统服务功能中以调节空气湿度价值最大,为82.76×10⁴万元,占总服务价值的88.32%。     

pH 值与金属离子浓度对多种果蔬植物色素的影响

从植物中提取的天然色素对pH值与金属离子浓度的敏感度不同,所受影响也不同。主要选取黄皮果皮色素、赤豆皮色素、柑桔皮色素、勾儿茶果、红雪茶色素,来测定pH值对它们的影响。选取,黄皮果皮色素、赤豆皮色素、勾儿茶果色素、红雪茶色素来测定金属离子浓度对他们的影响,从而探讨这些色素对pH值与金属离子的稳定性。