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.     

新疆春小麦育成品种耐热性评价

为筛选出耐热性好的小麦种质材料，通过开花期至成熟期人工模拟高温胁迫环境，以千粒重热感指数为主要评价指标，评价了新疆近30年来审定的春小麦品种的相对耐热性，并分析了高温胁迫对小麦籽粒蛋白质、湿面筋含量的影响。结果表明，与自然生长相比，高温胁迫条件下新疆春小麦育成品种的千粒重、籽粒宽度的变化均达到了极显著水平（P<0.01），籽粒长度变化不显著(P>0.05)，不同品种间耐热性存在很大差异。综合三年千粒重热感指数（HSI）分析，耐热性相对较好的品种有17个，连续三年HSI＜1的品种有11个，其中新春37号、新春2号、新春38号在高温胁迫条下千粒重变化较小，产量较稳定，为强耐热品种；对高温敏感品种有26个，连续三年HSI≥1的品种有13个，其中新春13号、新春18号、新春33号耐热性相对较弱。高温胁迫影响小麦籽粒的品质，其中13.95%的品种蛋白质含量降低，6.98%的品种湿面筋含量降低，其他品种高温胁迫后籽粒蛋白质、湿面筋含量均较自然生长有所提高。     

Abrupt temperature change and a warming hiatus from 1951 to 2014 in Inner Mongolia,China

An abrupt temperature change and a warming hiatus have strongly influenced the global climate.This study focused on these changes in Inner Mongolia, China. This study used the central clustering method, Mann-Kendall mutation test and other methods to explore the abrupt temperature change and warming hiatus in three different temperature zones of the study region based on average annual data series.Among the temperature metrics investigated, average minimum temperature(Tnav) shifted the earliest,followed by average temperature(Tnv) and average maximum temperature(Txav). The latest change was observed in summer(1990 s), whereas the earliest was observed in winter(1970 s). Before and after the abrupt temperature change, Tnav fluctuated considerably, whereas there was only a slight change in Txav.Before and after the abrupt temperature change, the winter temperature changed more dramatically than the summer temperature. Before the abrupt temperature change, Tnav in the central region(0.322°C/10 a)and west region(0.48°C/10 a) contributed the most to the increasing temperatures. After the abrupt temperature change, Tnav in winter in the central region(0.519°C/10 a) and in autumn in the west region(0.729°C/10 a) contributed the most to the temperature increases. Overall, in the years in which temperature shifts occurred early, a warming hiatus also appeared early. The three temperature metrics in spring(1991)in the east region were the first to exhibit a warming hiatus. In the east region, Txav displayed the lowest rate of increase(0.412°C/a) in the period after the abrupt temperature change and before the warming hiatus,and the highest rate of increase after the warming hiatus.     

Maize defence mechanisms against the European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Maize is arguably the most widely grown crop in the world, but it is often associated with one of its major insect pests, the European corn borer (ECB). The damage caused by this species to maize production is generally variable, but in many cases it is economically significant. This review paper provides an overview of the research findings on the natural plant defence mechanisms against ECB larvae published till now. What is resistance and how it is achieved, what is the chemical response of maize plants to insect feeding and how tolerance can be increased. A short introduction in breeding for resistance and a discussion if the mentioned traits can be used in conventional breeding in order to create maize hybrids less affected by ECB are given.     

优质水稻新品种芽期耐冷性鉴定

对来自不同地区的多个水稻品种进行芽期耐冷性试验,结果表明:15份优质水稻品种发芽期14℃、7 d处理,耐冷性均表现为极弱;14℃、14 d处理,龙稻18、通禾66耐冷性表现为极强,九稻68、吉粳511耐冷性表现为强。在芽期试验中,所有品种芽期耐冷性为强。     

植物种子脱水耐性的研究现状分析与展望

为了更好的聚类植物种质资源耐贮藏和培育免晒植物新品种，研究植物种子脱水耐性的获得、基因表达、调控机理具有重要的理论指导与实践意义。笔者归纳了植物种子脱水耐性的形成假说、生理基础、脱水耐性差异等，重点分析了种子脱水耐性在全基因组、转录组、蛋白质组方面的分子机理研究，指出运用全基因组学方法系统定位世界范围内不同国家地区的不同类型的品种脱水耐性的遗传多样性和相关基因，挖掘种子脱水敏感的关键基因。     

盐胁迫对野生樱桃幼苗生长的影响及其耐盐性分析

为了扩大樱桃的栽培区域、在沿海大城市周边轻度盐碱地上栽培，试验以野生樱桃砧木实生苗四川樱桃、黑山樱、大青叶为试验材料，通过不同浓度的盐胁迫处理（0、0.2%、0.4%、0.6% NaCl）和植株的各项生长指标测定（株高、茎粗、叶片数和叶面积），比较了野生樱桃的耐盐性。结果显示：在盐胁迫下，大青叶樱桃相对株高、茎粗、叶片数、叶面积的平均值均最大，黑山樱除相对茎粗平均值外，其余3项生长指标均高于四川樱桃。隶属函数综合分析显示，3种野生樱桃幼苗生长期的耐盐性为：大青叶>黑山樱 >四川樱桃。     

橡胶树优树无性系自然越冬过程生理指标变化研究

以橡胶树5个人工杂交子代优树无性系苗木为材料，通过自然越冬低温处理，以抗寒品种GT1为对照，测定了5个时间梯度下10个生理指标的变化过程，并利用隶属函数法对各无性系抗寒性进行综合评价。结果表明，整个自然越冬过程中各无性系间相对含水量、相对电导率、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）活性、超氧阴离子（OFR）、氨基酸（AA）、脯氨酸（Pro）、可溶性糖及可溶性蛋白含量等生理指标差异均达到了极显著（P<0.01）水平；温度较高时各无性系间丙二醛（MDA）含量差异未达到显著水平。自然越冬过程中，各生理指标呈现不同的变化规律，其中相对含水量和脯氨酸含量呈先降后升变化，SOD、POD酶活性及可溶性蛋白含量呈“升—降—升”变化，相对电导率、MDA和可溶性糖含量呈“降—升—降”变化、OFR含量呈先升后降、AA含量呈“降—升—降—升”变化。各无性系间抗寒性差异较明显，应用隶属函数法综合评价抗寒性由强到弱依次为629号＞626号＞182号＞223号＞GT1（对照）＞628号。     

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。