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.     

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。     

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.     

基于配合力和遗传距离的甜高粱杂种优势预测

【目的】对甜高粱主要农艺性状进行杂种优势、一般配合力及特殊配合力分析,同时,分析配合力、表型遗传距离以及分子遗传距离用于杂种优势预测的可行性,为甜高粱的种质创新和杂交种选育提供理论参考。【方法】采用不完全双列杂交设计,以8个甜高粱不育系为母本及8个甜高粱恢复系为父本配制64个杂交组合。对亲本及杂交后代进行2年的性状调查,包括：出苗至开花日数、生育期、株高、穗长、茎粗、分蘖、单穗粒重、千粒重、籽粒产量、单株重、生物产量和含糖量。分析不同性状的杂种优势、一般配合力、特殊配合力、表型遗传距离、分子遗传距离以及配合力、遗传距离与杂种优势的相关性。【结果】各性状的中亲优势由强到弱分别为单株重、籽粒产量、单穗粒重、生物产量、株高、穗长、千粒重、茎粗、生育期、至开花日数、分蘖和含糖量,其中,生育期、至开花日数、分蘖和含糖量等性状为负优势。不同性状的中亲优势和超亲优势由强到弱的顺序基本相同。配合力分析表明,每个性状中,不同亲本的一般配合力相差较大,且不同组合的特殊配合力也有很大差异。大多数特殊配合力高的组合,其亲本的一般配合力也较高。杂种优势与配合力和遗传距离的相关性为单株重、籽粒产量、单穗粒重、生物产量、穗长、千粒重、分蘖以及含糖量等性状的杂种优势与其亲本的一般配合力和特殊配合力均为极显著正相关。生育期的杂种优势与特殊配合力为极显著正相关,至开花日数与特殊配合力为显著正相关。亲本间的表型遗传距离为2.86—6.82,分子遗传距离为0.50—0.96。单株重、籽粒产量、单穗粒重、生物产量、株高、穗长、茎粗及含糖量等性状的杂种优势与分子遗传距离的相关性大于表型遗传距离,其中,生物产量、单株重、穗长和茎粗的杂种优势与分子遗传距离为极显著正相关。【结论】所有性状中,与产量相关性状的杂种优势较高,而含糖量和分蘖的杂种优势较低。在杂种优势预测上,利用亲本的配合力可有效预测杂种优势,预测效果优于遗传距离。与表型遗传距离相比,分子遗传距离对杂种优势的预测更有效。     

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。     

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。