Controlling sprouting in potato tubers using ultraviolet-C irradiance

Legislation limiting the use of chlorpropham (CIPC), the major potato sprout suppressant, has led to a need for new technologies to extend storage life of tubers. Ultra violet C (UV-C) has been used postharvest to reduce disease incidence on many crops, yet its use and efficacy as a sprout suppressant has not been investigated. The aim of this project was to identify the optimum dose and treatment timing of UV-C treatment on potato tubers as an alternative method of sprout suppression to reduce the dependence on chemical sprout suppressants. Up to six potato cultivars over two seasons were treated with varying doses of UV-C ranging from 0 to 30 kJ m⁻² either at harvest or at first indication of dormancy break. The tubers were stored at 9 °C and sprout growth and incidence assessed. Treatment with moderate UV-C doses (5–20 kJ m⁻²) suppressed sprout length and sprout incidence in a range of cultivars. Periderm DNA damage and programmed cell death were not detected in response to any of the UV-C doses. The inactive ABA metabolite, ABA-GE, increased in response to 10 or 20 kJ m⁻² within 72 h of treatment. Multivariate analysis showed a negative relationship between ABA metabolites and sprout growth/incidence during storage. This study found that UV-C reduced sprout growth in potato with no deleterious effects on tuber quality. This suggests potential for further development as an alternative or supplement to conventional sprout suppressant technologies.     

新式墙面绿化在广州和深圳的应用研究

新式墙面绿化对日益缩减的城市绿化环境至关重要,通过实地调查广州和深圳30个新式墙面绿化场所,分析其种植形式、植物种类、植物配置与景观效果,总结出深圳和广州新式墙面绿化的植物应用现状和景观效果,并讨论其发展前景。     

土壤重金属污染及对生物体影响的研究进展

重金属污染是当今社会世界性的环境生态问题。由于人类社会城市化进程加剧、工业生产中"三废"的不合理排放以及现代农业中各种农药化肥的大量使用,导致土壤中重金属的含量剧增,污染问题严重,其中尤以重金属镉、汞、铅等在生物体内的富集与抗生性的研究日益受到关注。笔者综述了土壤重金属污染及对生物体影响的研究进展,以期为土壤重金属综合治理与污染修复提供科学依据。     

Effects of germination and kilning on the phenolic compounds and nutritional properties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus)

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus) are nutritious pseudocereals that originate from the Andean region. The aim of this research was to study the effect of germination and the subsequent kilning on the phenolic compounds and proximate composition in selected Peruvian varieties of quinoa (“Chullpi”) and kiwicha (“Oscar Blanco”). The germination process was carried out for 24, 48 and 72 h at 22 °C, and the kilning was performed with samples germinated for 72 h by drying the seeds at 90 °C for 5 min. Both processes increased the protein content of the samples. However, lipid content was reduced during germination. On the other hand, germination and kilning clearly increased the concentration of total phenolic compounds in both quinoa and kiwicha. Germination for 72 h either with or without kilning process resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the total content of phenolics compared to untreated materials, which was especially due to coumaric acid and a kaempferol tri-glycoside in quinoa and caffeoylquinic acid in kiwicha. Based on the results, germination and kilning may improve the nutritional quality of the Andean grains, encouraging the usage of the processed grains as ingredients in functional products for people with special gluten-free or vegetarian diets.     

圆柏对几种农田杂草及作物的化感潜力分析

为探究圆柏（Sabina chinensis）的化感作用，本研究采用培养皿滤纸法研究圆柏叶片浸提液对地肤（Kochia scoparia）、稗草（Echinochloa crusgalli）、藜（Chenopodium album）、反枝苋（Amaranthus retroflexus）、马齿苋（Portulaca oleracea）5种杂草种子和向日葵（Helianthus annuus）、燕麦（Avena sativa）、油菜（Brassica campestris）、荞麦（Fagopyrum esculentum）4种作物萌发和生长的影响，并用圆柏叶片、树枝、树皮粉末和浸提液进行盆栽抑草效果检测。结果表明：圆柏叶片浸提液对5种杂草种子萌发和幼苗生长具有显著的抑制作用，对地肤、藜、反枝苋萌发及生长的化感效应指数均在-0.98以上；盆栽抑草结果表明，圆柏不同部位对5种杂草种子萌发和稗草及反枝苋株高生长均有较好的抑制作用，叶片化感强度大于树皮和树枝，叶片粉末拌土处理抑草效果好于浸提液叶面喷施；对作物的化感作用结果表明，圆柏叶片浸提液稀释1.5倍时，抑制荞麦种子萌发但不影响其株高及根生长，不影响燕麦种子萌发但降低其株高和根长生长，抑制油菜的发芽势和发芽指数但不影响其种子萌发率，促进油菜株高及根长生长，不影响向日葵种子萌发和生长。综上所述，圆柏具有良好的抑草活性，对作物影响较小。     

面向老龄化社会的户外环境植物景观与健康效益评价模型建构

为了促进国内基于健康视角下户外植物景观可量化评价机制的形成与完善，归纳总结了健康景观以及普通植物景观中广泛存在的对人身心健康有促进作用的因素——植物的健康效益。从植物景观对人身心健康的影响机制手，分析户外景观环境中健康性要素构成，深入探究植物景观与老年人身心健康的作用机理，并初步构建了基于植物健康效益的适老性户外植物景观评价指标体系。     

Fungal and bacterial N2O production regulated by soil amendments of simple and complex substrates

Fungal N₂O production results from a respiratory denitrification that reduces NO₃⁻/NO₂⁻ in response to the oxidation of an electron donor, often organic C. Despite similar heterotrophic nature, fungal denitrifiers may differ from bacterial ones in exploiting diverse resources. We hypothesized that complex C compounds and substances could favor the growth of fungi over bacteria, and thereby leading to fungal dominance for soil N₂O emissions. Effects of substrate quality on fungal and bacterial N₂O production were, therefore, examined in a 44-d incubation after soils were amended with four different substrates, i.e., glucose, cellulose, winter pea, and switchgrass at 2 mg C g⁻¹ soil. During periodic measurements of soil N₂O fluxes at 80% soil water-filled pore space and with the supply of KNO₃, substrate treatments were further subjected to four antibiotic treatments, i.e., no antibiotics or soil addition of streptomycin, cycloheximide or both so that fungal and bacterial N₂O production could be separated. Up to d 8 when antibiotic inhibition on substrate-induced microbial activity and/or growth was still detectable, bacterial N₂O production was generally greater in glucose- than in cellulose-amended soils and also in winter pea- than in switchgrass-amended soils. In contrast, fungal N₂O production was more enhanced in soils amended with cellulose than with glucose. Therefore, fungal-to-bacterial contribution ratios were greater in complex than in simple C substrates. These ratios were positively correlated with fungal-to-bacterial activity ratios, i.e., CO₂ production ratios, suggesting that substrate-associated fungal or bacterial preferential activity and/or growth might be the cause. Considering substrate depletion over time and thereby becoming limited for microbial N₂O production, measurements of soil N₂O fluxes were also carried out with additional supply of glucose, irrespective of different substrate treatments. This measurement condition might lead to potentially high rates of fungal and bacterial N₂O production. As expected, bacterial N₂O production was greater with added glucose than with added cellulose on d 4 and d 8. However, this pattern was broken on d 28, with bacterial N₂O production lower with added glucose than with added cellulose. In contrast, plant residue impacts on soil N₂O fluxes were consistent over 44-d, with greater bacterial contribution, lower fungal contribution, and thus lower fungal-to-bacterial contribution ratios in winter pea- than in switchgrass-amended soils. Real-time PCR analysis also demonstrated that the ratios of 16S rDNA to ITS and the copy numbers of bacterial denitrifying genes were greater in winter pea- than in switchgrass-amended soils. Despite some inconsistency found on the impacts of cellulose versus glucose on fungal and bacterial leading roles for N₂O production, the results generally supported the working hypothesis that complex substrates promoted fungal dominance for soil N₂O emissions.     

环剥与不同环割方法对糯米糍荔枝增产效应的研究

对糯米糍荔枝进行螺旋环剥与不同方法环割研究螺旋环剥与不同的环割方法对糍米糯荔枝冬梢的控制促花、保果增产效应的影响。研究结果表明螺旋环剥和不同环割方法在控稍促花方面能有效的控制糯米糍荔枝冬梢的萌发与促进花和花穗的生成；在保果增产方面，螺旋环剥、环割2处与同株50%主干枝条环割2处都能增加糯米糍荔枝的果穗枝条数与株产量，但环割1处反而降低了糯米糍荔枝的果穗枝条数与株产量。     

局地尺度高寒草原土壤真菌多样性对地上植物多样性与生产力关系的调控作用

为研究局地尺度高寒草原土壤真菌多样性对地上植物多样性与生产力关系的调控作用，本研究以青海省湟源县局地尺度高寒草原为研究对象，对不同植物多样性梯度的地上生产力、土壤理化性状和土壤真菌多样性等指标进行调查、采样和分析。通过偏回归分析（partial least squares regression，PLSR）、方差分解分析（variance partitioning analysis，VPA）、构建结构方程模型（structural equation model，SEM）等分析手段，分析了土壤真菌多样性对地上植物多样性与生产力关系的调控作用。结果表明，高寒草原植物多样性与地上生产力存在显著线性正相关关系；土壤真菌多样性分别与植物多样性和地上生产力呈显著正相关关系；通过PLSR，VPA，SEM等方法控制土壤非生物因子效应后，真菌多样性与二者的显著正相关关系仍存在。综上所述，局地尺度下青海省湟源县高寒草原土壤真菌多样性是调控地上植物多样性与生产力正向关系的关键生物因子。     

Plant–soil interactions in metal contaminated soils

The legacy of industrialization has left many soils contaminated. However, soil organisms and plant communities can thrive in spite of metal contamination and, in some cases, metabolize and help in remediation. The responses of plants and soil organisms to contamination are mutually dependent and dynamic. Plant–soil feedbacks are central to the development of any terrestrial community; they are ongoing in both contaminated and healthy soils. However, the theory that governs plant–soil feedbacks in healthy soils needs to be studied in contaminated soils. In healthy soils, negative feedbacks (i.e. pathogens) play a central role in shaping plant community structure. However to our knowledge, the nature of feedback relationships has never been addressed in contaminated soils. Here we review literature that supports a plant–soil feedback approach to understanding the ecology of metal-contaminated soil. Further, we discuss the idea that within these soils, the role of positive as opposed to negative plant–soil feedbacks may be more important. Testing this idea in a rigorous way in any ecosystem is challenging, and metal contamination imposes an additional abiotic constraint. We discuss research goals and experimental approaches to study plant–soil interactions applicable to metal-contaminated soils; these insights can be extended to other contaminated environments and restoration efforts.