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。     

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。     

野生大豆芽期耐盐性状的关联分析

盐渍化是危害大豆生产的主要非生物胁迫因素之一。目前大豆耐盐性研究主要集中在栽培大豆的苗期耐盐性,而芽期耐盐性状的研究相对较少。野生大豆蕴含丰富的耐逆基因,是栽培大豆遗传改良的重要资源。为了研究野生大豆芽期耐盐性状的遗传机制,以113份野生大豆为试验材料,进行芽期耐盐性状的鉴定,结合群体的分子标记对包括2年平均值在内的3个环境下的3个耐盐指数进行全基因组关联分析,共检测到与野生大豆芽期耐盐相关的位点26个,6个SSR标记Satt521、Satt022、Satt239、Satt516、Satt251和Satt285在2个或3个环境下均被检测到,4个SSR标记Satt516、Satt251、Satt285和GMES4990与2个或3个耐盐指数显著相关。对这些SSR标记进行分析,挖掘了最优的等位基因及其载体材料。以上这些结果对于阐明野生大豆芽期耐盐性状的遗传机制,进一步发掘新的耐盐基因具有重要意义。同时也为栽培大豆遗传基础的拓宽、大豆耐盐分子标记辅助选择和分子设计育种等后续研究提供重要依据。     

Azospirillum brasilense mitigates water stress imposed by a vascular disease by increasing xylem vessel area and stem hydraulic conductivity in tomato

Water stress, with its negative consequences on plant growth and survival, can be mitigated by Azospirillum brasilense inoculation. In tomato, A. brasilense delays wilting caused by a vascular pathogen, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, by yet unknown mechanisms. We studied morphological, anatomical and physiological changes induced by A. brasilense in tomato that relate to water stress tolerance, which could explain the deferral in symptom expression. For this purpose, tomato seeds were treated or not with A. brasilense BNM65, and 5 weeks later plants were challenged with C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis or mock inoculated with water. There was a large growth promotion associated to Azospirillum: treated plants had higher total biomass and leaf area. In relation to water stress tolerance, Azospirillum treated plants had larger xylem vessel area, higher stem specific hydraulic conductivity, thicker stems, and lower shoot/root dry matter and specific leaf area. These changes were opposite to those induced by C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. We conclude that A. brasilense favoured a better adjustment of plant-water relations by several mechanisms, and thus, transitorily alleviated symptoms expression of a vascular disease.     

Acquired Thermo‐Tolerance and Trans‐Generational Heat Stress Response at Flowering in Rice

In rice, pre‐exposure to sublethal treatment followed by harsh lethal treatment is known to improve tolerance of different abiotic stresses at the vegetative stage within and across generations. Our major aim was to test the phenomenon of thermo‐tolerance at flowering across (trans)‐generations and within generation using rice cultivars contrasting for heat stress tolerance at flowering. To test trans‐generational response, plants were exposed to higher temperature at flowering stage and seeds obtained from previous generations were exposed to heat stress during flowering, which recorded significantly lower fertility when exposed to the same degree of stress in their subsequent generations. A pre‐acclimation to moderately high acclimating temperatures imposed over three different durations during the vegetative and initial reproductive stage showed positive response in the tolerant N22, particularly under severe heat stress (40 °C). This finding indicates the possibility of acquiring ameliorative thermo‐tolerant mechanisms at anthesis, restricted to tolerant genetic backgrounds to combat subsequent harsh conditions within the same generation. However, trans‐generational memory was ineffective in mitigating spikelet sterility losses in both tolerant and susceptible backgrounds. Rice is extremely sensitive to heat stress during flowering; hence, similar exercise across other crops of interest needs to be carried out before generalizing conclusions.     

Salinity tolerance of wild barley Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum

Salinity tolerance of 47 wild barley genotypes and six barley cultivars was evaluated under control and salinity stress (300 mM NaCl) conditions. Shoot and root dry weight (DW), plant height, membrane stability index (MSI), relative water content, survival rate, leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline contents, root and leaf Na, K, Ca and K/Na ratio, and chlorophyll a fluorescence were measured. Salinity stress caused significant increase in the MDA, proline content, Na and Ca concentrations of the roots and leaves, but resulted in a decrease in the other traits. H. spontaneum genotypes were considerably less affected by the salinity than the genotypes of H. vulgare. Plant survivability was negatively correlated with the Na concentration (r =−.66) but positively correlated with the leaf K/Na ratio (r = .67) and MSI (r = .68). Tolerance mechanisms such as ion exclusion (Na) were likely to be present in the wild barley causing K/Na homeostasis as well as the much lower root and shoot Na, resulting in the higher survival rate.     

新疆冬小麦品种萌发期耐盐性综合评价及耐盐种质的筛选

【目的】研究不同类型盐胁迫对新疆冬小麦萌发期的影响,并进行耐盐性综合评价,为新疆小麦萌发期耐盐品种的评价和指标筛选提供理论依据。【方法】测定76份新疆冬小麦品种(系)在NaCl和NaCl∶Na₂SO₄两种不同盐胁迫条件下小麦根数、最长根长、苗高、胚芽鞘长度、发芽势、发芽率等6个性状,利用隶属函数法并通过聚类分析分别对两种盐胁迫条件下冬小麦品种(系)的耐盐性进行筛选,综合评价和筛选新疆冬小麦耐盐性。【结果】与对照处理相比,NaCl和NaCl∶Na₂SO₄两种盐胁迫对新疆冬小麦品种(系)各性状均有明显的抑制作用,其中NaCl单盐胁迫对各性状抑制作用比NaCl∶Na₂SO₄混合盐胁迫抑制程度更大。通过NaCl单盐胁迫条件下聚类分析,新疆冬小麦品种(系)按耐盐性强弱可分为高耐型(6个/占供试材料的7.89%)、耐盐型(15个/19.74%)、中耐型(16个/21.05%)、敏感性(18个/23.68%)和高敏感型(21个/27.63%)等5类。NaCl∶Na₂SO₄混合盐胁迫条件下聚类分析,新疆冬小麦品种(系)按耐盐性强弱也可分为高耐型(13个/占供试材料的17.11%)、耐盐型(10个/13.16%)、中耐型(16个/21.05%)、敏感性(26个/34.21%)和高敏感型(11个/14.47%)等5类。获得高耐NaCL单盐胁迫的品种(系)6份,占供试品种的7.89%;高耐NaCl∶Na₂SO₄混合盐胁迫的品种(系)13份,占供试品种的17.11%。【结论】两种盐胁迫条件下,350 mol/L浓度对小麦种子的萌发有抑制作用,NaCl单盐胁迫和NaCl∶Na₂SO₄混合盐胁迫均为高耐型的品种3份,均是自育品种和引进品种分别为石冬8号、洛夫林10号和新冬7号。