Recovery and Biological Properties of Nitrate Non-utilizing Mutants of Rice Blast, Magnaporthe grisea

Eleven nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants were recovered from six isolates of Magnaporthe grisea cultured on MM media amended with 60 g/L potassium chlorate, with a frequency of 1.42 %. Some biological properties, such as growth rate, growth biomass, cultural characters, conidial production, sexual reproduction ability, and pathogenicity were compared between nit mutants and their parent isolates. Results showed that all the nit mutants were resistant to chlorate. Some important biological properties such as the growth rate on YPSA, conidial production ability on TPSA, pathogenicity, had no significant differences between nit mutants and their parent isolates. Mating type didn‘t change, but perithecia production ability of fertile isolates changed significantly as compared with that of their parent isolates. Therefore, the nit can be used as a genetic marker to study the genetics such as pathogenicity, fungicide resistance in Magnaporthe grisea.     

Effects of grazing strategy on limiting nitrate leaching in grazed grass‐clover pastures on coarse sandy soil

Urinations of ruminants on grazed pastures increase the risk of nitrate leaching. The study investigated the effect of reducing the length of the grazing season on nitrate leaching from a coarse sandy, irrigated soil during 2006–2007 and 2007–2008. In both years, precipitation was above the long‐term mean. The experiment was initiated in a 4‐yr‐old grass‐clover sward in south Denmark. Three treatments were as follows grazing only (G), spring cut followed by grazing (CG) and both spring and autumn cuts with summer grazing (CGC). Nitrate leaching was calculated by extracting water isolates from 80 cm depth using ceramic suction cups. Because of considerable variation in measured nitrate concentrations, the 32 installed suction cups per treatment were insufficient to reveal differences between treatments. However, weighted nitrate leaching estimations for G, CG and CGC showed estimated mean nitrate N concentrations of 23, 19 and 13 mg/L for an estimated proportion area occupied by urine patches of 0.33, 0.26 and 0.16, respectively. Thus, N concentrations in G and CG exceeded the EU limit of 11.3 mg N/L. Under the prevailing conditions, the time of urination did not appear important. The estimated background leaching calculated from suction cups presumably not situated under urine patches resulted in mean nitrate N concentrations of 2.6 mg/L.     

The effects of dietary oxidized fat and selenium source on performance,glutathione peroxidase,and glutathione reductase activity in broiler chickens

Normal or elevated selenium status of broilers, which is influenced by dietary selenium sources, improves the bird’s ability to overcome the adverse effects of reactive oxygen metabolites. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding graded levels of peroxidized poultry fat on blood and hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and hepatic glutathione reductase activity in broiler chickens fed either inorganic sodium selenite (SEL) or organic selenium enriched in the organic selenium yeast product Sel-Plex (SP). Nine starter diets, varying in levels of oxidized fat (0, 3, and 6 mEq/kg) and dietary selenium sources, were fed to 360 male chicks from hatch to 21 d of age. Sel-Plex or SEL was added to the basal diet to provide either 0 or 0.2 ppm of supplemental selenium in the diets. Blood and hepatic samples were obtained for each treatment group at 21 d of age. Neither peroxidized fat nor selenium source significantly altered the activity of hepatic glutathione reductase (P ≤ 0.05). Blood GSH-Px was influenced significantly by both fat and selenium source (P ≤ 0.05), but the fat × selenium source interaction was not significant (P ≥ 0.3). A selenium source effect on the hepatic GSH-Px activity (P ≤ 0.05) was evidenced by higher GSH-Px activity, even in the basal diet with no added peroxidized fat. An increase in GSH-Px activity was seen in the erythrocyte and hepatic samples in both the SEL and SP treatments when peroxidized fat was given at 3 mEq/kg, but in the erythrocytes and in the hepatic tissues from SEL-supplemented birds, there was an apparent inhibition of GSH-Px activity. This inhibition was not seen in the hepatic tissue samples from SP-fed birds. Because elevated GSH-Px activity is indicative of oxidative stress, it was concluded that dietary SP supplementation resulted in better selenium and redox status in broilers than did SEL. These results indicate that the dietary selenium supplied in an organic form (selenium yeast as SP) improved the selenium and redox status in broilers, leading to greater resistance to oxidative stress than when the inorganic form of selenium (SEL) was fed.     

Bracken effects on inorganic nitrogen leaching from an upland podzol

Leaching of inorganic N species to stream waters from upland areas of the UK is increasing, reflecting the increases in atmospheric deposition of nitrogen species due to increased levels of vehicular emissions. Bracken cover in UK uplands is also increasing overall ( Taylor, 1986 ), and the architectural nature of bracken has been shown to both increase deposition of atmospheric constituents to soils and change their chemical and physical nature. We have tested the nutrient status of upland podzols from the Lake District, Cumbria, UK, from under both moorland grass and bracken. The results show reduced levels of base cations and nitrate throughout the profile and decreases in the organic matter content of surface horizons as a consequence of bracken encroachment. We also report increased ammonium concentrations in lower soil horizons under bracken, possibly leading to increased leaching to stream waters. These results suggest either increased leaching of soil nutrients due to bracken encroachment or increased storage of nutrients within the bracken rhizome system. Results also suggest changes in either microbial activity or the microbial community of podzols, possibly due to the allelopathic nature of bracken. This may have caused changes in the soil nutrient dynamics, possibly accounting for some of the changes seen. We hypothesize that increased bracken cover within the British uplands has the potential to increase leaching of inorganic nitrogen to upland streams.     

榨菜生长过程中硝酸盐分布规律初研

按照榨菜的正常播种时间和生长季节,连续3 a对榨菜移栽苗、返青苗、榨菜茎膨大初期、膨大期、成熟期及雨水节后期按GB/T 15401-94方法进行了硝酸盐含量的测定,从900多个检测数据中发现了硝酸盐蓄积量从移栽到成熟过程中的分布规律.     

NADP-malic enzyme and glutathione reductase contribute to glutathione regeneration in Fragaria vesca fruit treated with protective high CO2 concentrations

Treatment of harvested strawberries (Fragaria vesca L. Mara des Bois) with high concentrations of CO₂ is an effective means of limiting fungal decay and avoiding disorders caused by low temperature storage. In the present study, we investigated the role of NADP-ME gene expression and activity in lowering malic acid contents and in the provision of NADPH required for the regeneration of the reduced form of glutathione (GSH). We also measured glutathione reductase (GR: EC 1.6.4.2) activity in strawberries treated with different high CO₂ concentrations (0, 20 and 40% for 3 days) during storage at 0 °C. A decrease in malic acid content in fruit exposed to 20% CO₂ was primarily mediated by the stimulation of NADP-ME activity, rather than associated with changes in the expression of cytosolic NADP-ME genes. Moreover, malic acid decarboxylation was associated with a marked increase in GR activity, which may account for the increased levels of glutathione in fruit following exposure to 20% CO₂. This chain of events was not observed in untreated fruit stored in air or in fruit treated with 40% CO₂, suggesting that the unique cellular redox status of 20% CO₂-treated fruit plays an important role in detoxification and protection from damage during storage. Based on these findings, we propose that NADP-ME activation in fruit exposed to 20% CO₂ provides NADPH for glutathione regeneration by GR, thereby conferring protection against the cellular damage caused by low temperatures or excessive high CO₂ levels.     

Effects of vertical distribution of soil inorganic nitrogen on root growth and subsequent nitrogen uptake by field vegetable crops

Information is needed about root growth and N uptake of crops under different soil conditions to increase nitrogen use efficiency in horticultural production. The purpose of this study was to investigate if differences in vertical distribution of soil nitrogen (N_inorg) affected root growth and N uptake of a variety of horticultural crops. Two field experiments were performed each over 2 years with shallow or deep placement of soil N_inorg obtained by management of cover crops. Vegetable crops of leek, potato, Chinese cabbage, beetroot, summer squash and white cabbage reached root depths of 0.5, 0.7, 1.3, 1.9, 1.9 and more than 2.4 m, respectively, at harvest, and showed rates of root depth penetration from 0.2 to 1.5 mm day^?1 °C^?1. Shallow placement of soil N_inorg resulted in greater N uptake in the shallow‐rooted leek and potato. Deep placement of soil N_inorg resulted in greater rates of root depth penetration in the deep‐rooted Chinese cabbage, summer squash and white cabbage, which increased their depth by 0.2–0.4 m. The root frequency was decreased in shallow soil layers (white cabbage) and increased in deep soil layers (Chinese cabbage, summer squash and white cabbage). The influence of vertical distribution of soil N_inorg on root distribution and capacity for depletion of soil N_inorg was much less than the effect of inherent differences between species. Thus, knowledge about differences in root growth between species should be used when designing crop rotations with high N use efficiency.     

灌溉量和氮肥增效剂对夏玉米产量及水肥利用的影响

为探究水分和氮肥增效剂对夏玉米生长及水肥利用的综合影响，通过设置40 mm（W1）和60 mm（W2）两个灌水水平下不施氮肥（N0）、施用氮肥（U）、氮肥+硝化抑制剂（U+DCD）、氮肥+脲酶抑制剂（U+NBPT）、氮肥+双效抑制剂（U+N+D）5种氮肥施用措施，开展夏玉米田间试验。结果表明：相较于施用氮肥处理，氮肥配施增效剂可以显著提高夏玉米产量、成熟期地上生物量、净收益、水分利用效率和氮肥偏生产力，增幅分别为5.92%~13.82%、5.85%~18.07%、11.12%~24.30%、12.35%~41.83%和5.93%~13.80%，其中氮肥配施双效抑制剂效果较优；氮肥配施脲酶抑制剂和双效抑制剂可以降低夏玉米农田土壤氨挥发累积量和成熟期土壤硝态氮残留量，前者效果最优。相比于W1，W2水平下氮肥配施双效抑制剂处理玉米产量、成熟期地上生物量、净收益、水分利用效率和氮肥偏生产力分别提高10.54%、15.51%、19.40%、20.31%和27.36%；氮肥配施脲酶抑制剂处理农田土壤氨挥发累积量和硝态氮残留量分别降低11.33%和48.46%。综合考虑夏玉米施肥灌水方案的经济效益、环境效益、水肥利用效率和玉米植株生长，构建模糊综合评价体系，得到最优处理为灌水量60 mm下氮肥配施双效抑制剂。     

杨树苗木叶硝酸还原酶活力的初步研究

硝酸还原酶是植物体内氮素代谢的关键酶。植物从外界环境中吸收的硝酸盐需要经过一系列酶促反应才能转化成氨基酸和蛋白质,以供生长需要。硝酸还原酶是这个代谢过程中的第一个酶,也是个限速酶,其活力的高低与植物同化NO_3~--N的能力和速度有直接关系。汤玉玮等的研究发现,硝酸还原酶活力与作物的耐肥性呈负相关,并在综述国内外有关研究文献中指出,该酶可以做为作物育种和营养诊断的生化指标。