Pollen-mediated gene flow in an autogamous crop: Foxtail millet (Setavia italica)

Gene How is a key concern associated with the eonlamination of seed multiplication iields and the use of transgenic crops. The release of herbicide-resistant germplasnis and the use of male-sterile varieties make foxtail millet (Sviaria ilalicii) an appropriate material to inves-tigate this concern. Pollen dispersal from pollen donor sources and gene tlow in fertile and male-slerile varieties of fortail millet were investigated in experiments in China and France. Although foxtail millel is mainly autogamous (less than 2% oiitcrossing), pollen from a 5m diameter plot could fertilize a tertile variety up to 24 ni away, and a male-sterile variety up to 40m. Negative exponential and WeibuU fnnctions were used to tit the relationships between percentage and number i.A iubrids per cm of ear with distance from the pollen source. Wind velocity and direction resulted in variations of gene How intensity, but did nol change liie slope ofthe regression equations. Pollen competition for available target ovules was observed up to 2 m away from a 1 m diameter pollen source. The percentage of pollen grains that fertilized ovules outside the pollen donor source was 1.4% of the total pollen grain produetion. For every iflO pollen grains released under lieid conditions 1.5 seeds were produced. The probability funetion of pollen dispersal for one donor plant was calculated. It allowed predictions of gene How accord-ing to lield shapes, estimations of isolation distances to preserve /ariety purity against pollen contamination, and the fornuiiation of efficient male/female ratios Ibr hybrid seed production.     

覆盖光降解地膜对土壤污染及棉花生育影响的研究

自１９８４年以来，对国内外３０种不同型号的可控制降解时间的光降解地膜，进行了棉花田间效应研究认为，光解膜在自然曝晒下在一定时间范围内能够自行降解，与普通地膜相比具有相同的土壤环境效应和相近的增产效果。降解产物对土壤的矿质元素含量无明显影响，也未发现有害物质产生。在棉田应用时，诱导期控制在６０天左右，此后，降解过程越短越好，最长不宜超过１２０天。     

不同改良剂对铅污染砖红壤的修复效果

在未污染的花岗岩砖红壤中加入重金属Pb，平衡两周后在污染土壤上施用不同水平的钙镁磷肥、牛粪、钙镁磷肥＋牛粪等改良剂，以小白菜作为指示作物，根据小白菜生长动态变化和收获后生物量、Pb吸收量、土壤pH、土壤中有效Pb含量等理化性质的差异，来评价各种改良剂对Pb污染砖红壤的改良效果，以便为海南花岗岩砖红壤Pb污染修复提供理论依据。实验结果表明：各改良剂对Pb污染土壤都有一定的修复效果，不同程度的减轻了小白菜的毒害症状，其中钙镁磷肥与牛粪配施处理效果最好，该处理的小白菜不仅生物量高，而且Pb含量较低；其次是钙镁磷肥处理，而改良效果最差的是牛粪，其植株叶片不仅稍有黄化症状，且Pb含量较高     

Cd、Pb处理对银杏种子萌发的影响

以重金属Cd和Pb为试验胁迫因子，采用沙培方法研究了银杏种子经重金属处理后发芽及萌发生理的变化，结果表明：（1）低浓度Cd对银杏种子的发芽有促进作用，高浓度cd则表现为抑制作用。Pb不同浓度处理对银杏种子的萌发均表现为抑制作用，浓度越高其抑制作用越显著。（2）种子不同萌发阶段，重金属对银杏的蛋白质代谢和氨基酸代谢有着明显的影响作用，种子萌发初期表现为促进作用，但随着种子萌发的进行，高浓度重金属对银杏种子生理代谢可能产生了抑制效应，重金属对银杏萌发代谢的影响机理有待进一步的研究。     

Pb在小麦植株内吸收、分配和累积的研究

通过大田试验，研究了Pb在小麦植株中的吸收、分配和累积的动态变化规律。结果表明，在小麦整个生长过程中，不同部位Pb含量和Pb累积量随着时间的推移而变化，但从总体上看是根〉茎〉子粒。在灌浆末期，各部位Pb含量从大到小依次为：根〉废弃物〉叶〉茎〉叶鞘〉颖片〉穗轴〉子粒，地上各部位Pb累积量从大到小依次为：废弃物〉茎〉叶鞘〉颖片〉叶〉子粒〉穗轴。从结果还可以看出，小麦植株中较易富集Pb的部位是根、废弃物、茎和叶，而子粒中Pb含量和累积量均比较低。小麦在生殖生长阶段的Pb吸收量大于营养生长阶段；拔节一抽穗期和灌浆初期一灌浆中期Pb吸收量及吸收速率显著高于其他时期。     

Computer-Simulated Evaluation of the Hybrid Weakness Gene System as a Means of Preventing Genetic Contamination of Rice Cultivars

Effectivness of the hybrid-weakness caused by a complementary interaction of two dominant genes Hwc₁ and Hwc₂ to suppress the spread of the red-grain gene into ordinary white-grained rice cultivars was investigated using the Monte Carlo computer simulation method. It was shown that the weakness genes, as far as being capable of reducing the fitness of the carrier by 80 percent or more, work quite effectively to suppress the genetic contamination of white-grained cultivars due to inflow of pollen from red-grained cultivars due to inflow of pollen from red-grain gene once the gene has been incorporated in to the population in the form of red-grained progeny produced as a result of the imperfect lethality of the initial hybrid between red-and white-grained cultivars. The weakness genes have little or no effect cultivars. The weakness genes have little or no effect either, when the contamination is initiated by an inflow of seeds or seedlings from ed-grained cultivars in these situations, removal (selection)of red grained plants Is the only countermeasure to exterminate the red-grain gene. The removal of red grained plants need not be intensive if carried out continuously. The spread of the red-grain gene after initial contamination is suppressed if the red-grain gene and weakness genes are linked. The suppressing effect of the linkage, however, is not substantial when the outcrossing rate is around or smaller than 0.01 as can be assumed in most rice cultivars.     

Fate of heavy metals in a strongly acidic shooting‐range soil: small‐scale metal distribution and its relation to preferential water flow

To assess the mobility of Pb and associated metals in a highly contaminated shooting range soil (Losone, Ticino, Switzerland), we investigated the spatial distribution of the metals and their relation to preferential water flow paths. A 2.2 m² plot located 40 m behind the stop butt was irrigated with a solution containing bromide and Brilliant Blue, a slightly sorbing dye. A soil profile 50 cm in width was sampled down to 80 cm with a spatial resolution of 2.5 cm, resulting in 626 samples. Concentrations of elements (12 ≤ Z ≤ 92) were determined by energy‐dispersive Xray fluorescence spectrometry, and Brilliant Blue concentrations were determined with a chromameter. In the acidic (pH 3), organic matter‐rich, well drained Dystric Cambisol, maximum concentrations of 80.9 g kg^‐1 Pb, 4.0 g kg^‐1 Sb, and 0.55 g kg^‐1 Cu were measured in the topsoil. Within 40 cm soil depth, however, Pb, Sb, and Cu approached background concentrations of 23 mg kg^‐1, 0.4 mg kg^‐1, and 9.4 mg kg^‐1, respectively. The even horizontal distribution and the steep gradient along soil depth indicate tight metal binding in the topsoil, and a fairly homogeneous transport front. In contrast, water flow through the profile was highly heterogeneous. In the uppermost 20 cm, preferential flow was initiated by heterogeneous infiltration at the soil surface, but had no influence on metal distribution. Below 20 cm, however, preferential flow originated from larger tree roots, and metal concentrations were significantly elevated along these macropores. Spatial distributions of Pb, Sb, and Cu were similar, suggesting that all three metals are strongly retained in the topsoil and transported along preferential water flow paths in the subsoil.     

Using the soil gas radon as an indicator for ground contamination by non-aqueous phase-liquids

1 The Problem  One of the major problems facing risk assessment at polluted industrial sites and military bases is subsurface contamination by non-aqueous phase-liquids (NAPLs), since tracing the extent of a NAPL plume using conventional methods (drive point profiling) is usually associated with difficulties. In an effort to trace subsurface contamination as precisely as possible, monitoring points are placed in the area that might be affected by contaminants, and groundwater and soil samples are taken to the laboratory for analysis. However, the final number of monitoring points is hardly ever sufficient for distinctive contamination mapping, and this may ultimately result in an unsuitable remediation action being taken. 2 Objectives  To obtain a more detailed image of a subsurface NAPL plume and, hence, to facilitate remediation measures that are best suited for the site in question, a denser network of monitoring points is desirable. The aim of the investigation described in this paper was therefore to develop a new detection method for subsurface NAPL contamination, which is based on an easily accessibleindicator for NAPLs rather than on the analysis of soil and groundwater samples taken at the site. Based on the good solubility of radon in NAPLs, the idea was put forward that subsurface NAPL contamination should have an influence on the natural radon concentration of the soil gas. Provided this effect is significant, it would be possible to carry out a straightforward radon survey on an appropriate sampling grid covering the suspected site and thus enabling the NAPL contamination to be detected by the localization of anomalous low radon concentrations in the soil. The overall aim of the investigation was to assess the general suitability of the soil-gas radon concentration as an indirect tracer for NAPL contamination in the ground. 3 Methods  The partitioning coefficient K_NAPL/air is one of the most influential parameters governing the decrease of the radon concentration in the soil gas in the presence of a subsurface NAPL contamination. Since NAPL mixtures such as gasoline, diesel fuel and paraffin are among the most important NAPLs regarding remediation activities, laboratory experiments were performed to determine the radon-partitioning coefficient for these three NAPL mixtures. Field experiments were carried out as well. The aim of the field experiments was to test the use of the soil-gas radon concentration as a tracer for NAPL contamination on-site. For the field experiments, each site was covered with a suitable grid of soil gas sampling points. Finally, the lateral radon distribution pattern achieved on each of the sites was compared to the respective findings of the earlier research performed by conventional means. 4 Results and Discussion  The results of the laboratory experiments clearly show a very strong affinity of radon to the NAPL mixtures examined. The partitioning coefficients achieved correspond to those published for pure NAPLs (Clever 1979) and are thus in the expected range. The results of the field experiments showed that the minimum radon concentrations detected match the respective NAPL plumes traced previously. 5 Conclusions  Both the results of the lab experiments and the on-site findings demonstrate that the soil-gas radon concentration can be used as an indicator for subsurface NAPL contamination. The investigation showed that NAPL-contaminated soil volumes give rise to anomalous low soil-gas radon concentrations in the close vicinity of the contamination. The reason for this decrease in the soil-gas radon concentration is the good solubility of radon in NAPLs, which enables the NAPLs to accumulate and ‘trap’ part of the radon available in the soil pores. 6 Recommendations and Outlook  Further research is required into contamination with rather volatile NAPLs such as BTEX. Further research is also needed to examine whether it is possible to not only localize a NAPL plume, but also to obtain some quantitative information about the subsurface NAPL contamination. The authors also believe that additional investigations should be carried out to study the ability of the method to not just localize a NAPL contamination, but also to monitor on-site, clean-up measures.     

重庆市主城区街道地表物中重金属的污染特征

分析了重庆市主城区街道地表物的基本性质及As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Hg，Ni、Pb，Zn等元索的全置、模拟酸雨（pH4．5）的浸出量。结果表明：各功能区中街道地表物的自然组成均以中等粒径的为主；就元素而言，粒径越细对重金属的贡献率越高；就功能区而言．细粒径与中等粒径的颗粒对重金属贡献率较为接近。街道地表物呈碱性，有潜在的有机物污染。重庆市主城区街道地表物重金属元素含量有较大的差异，受人为活动干扰严重的重金属种类为Cr、Cd、Hg、Cu。内梅罗指数评价结果显示除Ni外，其他元素均有不同程度的污染，各功能区均受到重金属的严重污染。重庆市主城区街道地表物中的重金属只与其中的磷素含量显著正相关。     

协助自然修复微量元素污染酸性土壤研究：8年田间试验

There are many remediation techniques for organic contaminated soils,but relatively few of them are applicable to trace elementcontaminated soils.A field experiment was carried out to investigate assisted natural remediation（ANR） of an acid soil contaminated by As,Cd,Cu,Zn and Pb using one inorganic amendment,sugar beet lime（SL）,and two organic amendments,biosolid compost（BC）and leonardeite（LE）.The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design with four treatments in three replicates:1) a non-amended control（NA）;2) SL amended at 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1;3) BC amended at 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 and 4) LE amended at 20 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 plus SL amended at 10 Mg ha^-1 year^-1（LESL）.The amended plots received two doses of each amendment（DO2）:one in October 2002 and another in October 2003.The plots were then divided in half into two subpolts and one subplot received another two doses of the same amendments（DO4） in October 2005 and October 2006.In 2011,the pH values of the amended soils were greater than that of the NA soil,with the SL-amended soil showing the highest pH.Total organic carbon（TOC） was also greater in the amended soil,and greater with DO4 than with DO2.Amendments reduced the concentrations of 0.01 mol L^-1 CaCl₂-extractable Cd,Cu and Zn,especially in the SL-amended soil.Plant cover of colonizing vegetation was enhanced by amendments,but was independent of amendment doses.Changes in soil properties from 2003 to 2011 showed that the first amendment application of DO2 caused a high differentiation between all the amendment treatments and the NA treatment.After the second application of DO2,soil pH and TOC continued increasing slowly.Further two applications of amendments（DO4） caused differences only in the organic treatments.Plant cover increased over time in all the treatments including NA.It could be concluded that the slow and steady natural remediation of this soil could be enhanced by amendment application（ANR）.