Identification and quantification of anthocyanins in different coloured cultivars of ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC)

Anthocyanins are responsible for the colour of many fruits, vegetables, flowers, and coloured-leaved trees. Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC) is widely cultivated for its colourful inner leaves. To investigate the relationship between the degree of colouration and anthocyanin distribution, content, and composition in ornamental kale, the authors studied the pigment characteristics of five cultivars with different coloured leaves (white, pink, red, purple, and purple-black). Microscopy observation, spectrophotometer, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis of fresh inner leaves revealed that pink, red, and purple colourations were associated with high levels of anthocyanin, while purple-black was the result of the combination of anthocyanins and chlorophyll. In the coloured cultivars, anthocyanins were abundant mainly in the first and second cell layers below the epidermis in both the hypocotyls and inner leaves. No anthocyanin was found in the white-leaved phenotype cultivar. Anthocyanin content increased as leaf colour deepened from pink, red, to purple cultivars, which had little chlorophyll and carotenoid. The authors identified eight anthocyanins in the four coloured cultivars, including one non-acylated, four monoacylated, and three diacylated cyanidin glycosides. Cyanidin-3-(sinapoyl)(feruloyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin in the four coloured cultivars followed by cyanidin-3-(sinapoyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside. The analysis of anthocyanin accumulation characterisation provides important information on evaluating colouration patterns in coloured plants, and will be helpful for breeding desired leaf colours in ornamental kale.     

Carbohydrate and crude protein fractions in perennial ryegrass as affected by defoliation frequency and nitrogen application rate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of defoliation frequency (either at two‐ or three‐leaf stage) and nitrogen (N) application rate (0, 75, 150, 300, 450 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) on herbage carbohydrate and crude protein (CP) fractions, and the water‐soluble carbohydrate‐to‐protein ratio (WSC:CP) in perennial ryegrass swards. Crude protein fractions were analysed according to the Cornell carbohydrate and protein system. Carbohydrate fractions were analysed by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography. Sward defoliation at two‐leaf stage increased the total CP, reduced the buffer‐soluble CP fractions and decreased carbohydrate fractions of herbage (P < 0·001). The effect of defoliation frequency was less marked during early spring and autumn (P < 0·001) than for the rest of the seasons. An increase in N application rate was negatively associated with WSC, fructans and neutral detergent fibre (P < 0·001), and positively associated with CP and nitrate (N‐NO₃) contents of herbage. Nitrogen application rate did not affect CP fractions of herbage (P > 0·05). The fluctuations in CP and WSC contents of herbage resulted in lower WSC:CP ratios during early spring and autumn (0·45:1 and 0·75:1 respectively) than in late spring (1·11:1). The herbage WSC:CP ratio was greater (P < 0·001) at the three‐leaf than the two‐leaf defoliation stage and declined as the N application increased in all seasons (P < 0·001). The results of this study indicate that CP and carbohydrate fractions of herbage can be manipulated by sward defoliation frequency and N application rate. The magnitude of these effects, however, may vary with the season.     

Changes in photosynthesis,growth, and sugar content of commercial sugarcane cultivars and Erianthus under flood conditions

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an economical crop in the tropical and subtropical countries. However, because of global climate change, flooding has become problematic, particularly during the rainy season, in Thailand. We investigated the effects of floods on three commercial sugarcane cultivars, namely NiF8, U-thong 6 (UT6), and U-thong 9 (UT9), as well as Erianthus spp. Growth was assessed using a pot experiment in a glasshouse with two treatments: (1) control and (2) 60 d of flooding followed by 30 d of normal conditions. In comparison with control, during prolonged flooding, Erianthus showed greatly decreased CO₂ assimilation, whereas NiF8, UT6, and UT9 showed slightly declined CO₂ assimilation. Growth in plants subjected to 60 d of flooding was less influenced by floods while sucrose content was not affected except in UT6. During flooding, some roots died, resulting in plants compensating adventitious roots to offset the negative effects of root death and to assist them in maintaining their growth, which appeared from the submerged nodes, with different characteristics for each cultivar. However, 30 d after draining, roots remained damaged, while adventitious roots died, resulting in lesser growth as compared with the control, but it did not significantly affect sucrose content and sugar yield. This study suggests that sugarcane plants need to produce the adventitious roots to compensate their roots’ death during flooding and require time to recover their root system after flooding for obtaining the optimum yield and quality at harvest.     

甘蔗叶不同还田方式对土壤养分的影响

为减轻秸秆焚烧所带来的环境问题和充分利用甘蔗叶资源,在大田环境下动态监测甘蔗叶粉碎、焚烧和深埋3种还田方式对土壤养分的影响。结果表明:甘蔗叶粉碎还田和深埋还田有利于甘蔗叶中有机碳及氮、磷、钾养分的缓慢释放;甘蔗叶焚烧还田提高了土壤碱解氮含量5.6~20.9 mg/kg和速效磷含量0.8~4.0 mg/kg,促进土壤中氮磷向有效态转化,焚烧还田初期显著增加了土壤速效钾的含量12.3~18.3 mg/kg,但焚烧会损失部分甘蔗叶中碳氮元素,也造成环境污染。综合分析认为甘蔗叶粉碎还田是比较省工、方便的处理方式。     

不同柱花草绿肥种质磷含量差异研究

柱花草是世界热区重要的绿肥与牧草兼用的豆科作物。作为豆科绿肥，磷含量是影响绿肥品质的重要指标。本文对134份柱花草绿肥种质的磷含量进行了分析评价，结果表明，供试的134份柱花草绿肥种质有133份种质磷含量在0.3%以下，这些柱花草的磷含量达到四级有机肥磷含量标准，仅有1份柱花草种质的磷含量高于0.3%，其磷含量达到三级有机肥磷含量标准。     

槟榔黄化病病原及检测方法研究进展

黄化病是一种严重威胁槟榔生产种植的毁灭性传染性病害，目前主要在印度和我国槟榔主产区发生。本文从非生物与生物因素两方面对槟榔黄化病病原认识过程及检测方法进行详细的综述。     

灌水对强筋小麦籽粒产量及营养品质的影响

为明确水地强筋冬小麦高产、优质、高效的灌溉技术，试验设3个灌水时期8个灌溉处理［越冬期灌1水（W₁），拔节期灌1水（W₂），孕穗期灌1水（W₃），越冬期和拔节期灌2水（W₁₂），越冬期和孕穗期灌2水（W₁₃），拔节期和孕穗期灌2水（W₂₃），越冬期、拔节期和孕穗期灌3水（W₁₂3），全生育期不灌水处理（CK）］,于小麦成熟期测定籽粒产量、总蛋白及其组分含量和淀粉含量。结果表明，与不灌水的CK比较，所有灌水处理的籽粒产量、有效穗数、穗粒数、千粒重、蛋白质产量以及籽粒淀粉含量均显著增加，但籽粒的总蛋白及其组分含量均呈不同程度降低（W₁处理除外）。越冬期灌水对有效穗数、籽粒产量、总蛋白及其组分含量、淀粉含量的提升作用较大；拔节期灌水对穗粒数的提升作用较大，但对淀粉含量的提升作用较小，对总蛋白及其组分含量的降低作用较大；孕穗期灌水对千粒重的提升作用较大，对蛋白质产量的提升作用较小。随着灌水次数增加，小麦籽粒产量显著提高，淀粉含量先显著提高后基本不变，而籽粒总蛋白及其组分含量降低。W₁₂3处理籽粒产量最高，其次是W₁₃处理；W₁处理籽粒蛋白质及其组分含量最高，其次是W₁₂及W₁₃处理；W₂₃处理淀粉含量最高，其次是W₁₂或W₁₃处理。综合各项指标，最好的灌水组合是越冬期和孕穗期灌2水（W₁₃）。     

矾根主要品种的叶色表型性状分析

通过目测进行分类的方式很难准确界定矾根品种叶色。为建立一套更为科学的基于叶色表型的矾根品种分类体系,笔者利用色差仪对72个矾根品种共计432个样品的叶色进行测定,对获得的L、a、b 3个色度值进行聚类分析,将72个矾根品种分为褐色系、深绿色系、黄色系、灰绿色系、浅绿色系5类色系。对矾根品种各色系的L、a、b值进行相关性分析,发现叶片正面的L值与a值、a值与b值呈负相关,L值与b值呈正相关,但相关性不明显;叶片背面的L值与a值、a值与b值呈负相关,L值与b值呈显著正相关。从多重比较的结果中可以看出,矾根品种各色系之间的L、a、b色度值差异显著,尤其是各色系间叶正面的颜色差异较大,在矾根品种选育工作中,叶片正面的颜色将作为主要参考。