Influence of temperature,humidity duration and growth stage on the infection and mycotoxin production by Fusarium langsethiae and Fusarium poae in oats

High occurrence of Fusarium poae (FP) and Fusarium langsethiae (FL) and their mycotoxins nivalenol (NIV) and T-2/HT-2 have been observed in Swiss oats. Early prediction of mycotoxin levels is important for farmers and the cereal industry to minimize the risk of contaminated food and feed. Therefore, climate chamber experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of different temperatures (10, 15, 20 °C) and durations (4, 8, 12 h) at 99% relative humidity (RH) on the infection of oats with FP and FL. In addition, to discover the most susceptible period of oats, artificial FL inoculations were conducted at different growth stages. Field experiments were performed to observe the dispersal of these fungal species within the field and to investigate the weather conditions that influence the dispersal. The climate chamber experiments revealed higher contamination with NIV and T-2/HT-2 in the 10 °C treatments and with a prolonged humidity duration of 12 h 99% RH. Inoculations of oat plants at early (DC 61) and mid (DC 65) anthesis, led to higher FL infection and T-2/HT-2 accumulation in the grains compared with treatments at earlier growth stages, which might be due to an increased susceptibility during anthesis. No indication for spore dispersal was observed in the field experiments. The results obtained, together with the cropping factors that influence infection and mycotoxin production, could be used as a first step in developing forecasting models to predict the contamination of oats with the mycotoxins NIV and T-2/HT-2.     

叶面滞尘量对大叶黄杨光谱特征影响研究

  目的  叶面滞尘会影响植被光谱特征，削弱植被指数对植被的响应能力，影响反演评估的准确性。为探究叶面滞尘量对植被光谱响应特征及预测模型的影响，本文以北京市常见常绿绿化树种大叶黄杨为研究对象展开研究。  方法  从封闭区域、半封闭区域、开放区域，采集叶片样本，并收集环境灰尘。通过室内控制试验，利用ASD FildSpec Handheld光谱仪测量不同滞尘量叶片的高光谱数据，选取5个特征波段，通过光谱角的方法研究了叶面滞尘量对叶片光谱特征的影响，以及滞尘量对叶面滞尘量预测模型的精度和稳定性影响。  结果  随着叶面滞尘量的增加，植被光谱曲线特征逐渐减弱，灰尘的特征逐渐增强，但光谱曲线的总体变化趋势基本一致。当叶面滞尘量 > 120 g/m2时，光谱曲线的基本表现为灰尘的光谱特征。当叶面滞尘量较少时，预测模型的模拟精度相对较高，随着滞尘量的增加，所有模拟预测模型的决定系数均减小；当叶面滞尘量 > 120 g/m2时，预测模型对叶面滞尘量的模拟预测能力将更差，并且均方根误差（RMSE）随着叶片单位面积滞尘量的增加而增大，模拟预测模型的稳定性及预测精度逐渐降低。光谱角对滞尘叶片350 ~ 1 770 nm波段区间的光谱变化十分敏感，利用叶片光谱角检测滞尘程度不需要分区域讨论，只需与阈值做简单的比较，方法简便易行。  结论  本研究通过室内控制试验，研究叶面滞尘量对植被光谱响应特征，可为建立滞尘植被光谱反射物理模型提供参考与借鉴。      

Poorly crystalline iron and aluminium oxides contribute to the carbon saturation and sorption of dissolved organic carbon in the soil

Soil carbon (C) saturation implies an upper limit to a soil's capacity to store C depending on the contents of silt + clay and poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides. We hypothesized that the poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides in silt + clay fraction increased the C saturation and thus reduced the capacity of the soil to sorb additional C input. To test the hypothesis, we studied the sorption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on silt + clay fractions (<53 µm) of highly weathered oxic soils, collected from three different land uses (i.e., improved pasture, cropping and forest). Soils with high carbon saturation desorbed 38% more C than soils with low C saturation upon addition of DOC, whereas adsorption of DOC was only observed at higher concentration (>15 g kg^?1). While high Al oxide concentration significantly increased both the saturation and desorption of DOC, the high Fe oxide concentration significantly increased the desorption of DOC, supporting the proposition that both oxides have influence on the DOC sorption in soil. Our findings provide a new insight into the chemical control of stabilization and destabilization of DOC in soil.     

Exogenous application of allelopathic water extracts helps improving tolerance against terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.)

The allelopathic water extracts (AWEs) may help improve the tolerance of crop plants against abiotic stresses owing to the presence of the secondary metabolites (i.e., allelochemicals). We conducted four independent experiments to evaluate the influence of exogenous application of AWEs (applied through seed priming or foliage spray) in improving the terminal heat and drought tolerance in bread wheat. In all the experiments, two wheat cultivars, viz. Mairaj‐2008 (drought and heat tolerant) and Faisalabad‐2008 (drought and heat sensitive), were raised in pots. Both wheat cultivars were raised under ambient conditions in the wire house till leaf boot stage (booting) by maintaining the pots at 75% water‐holding capacity (WHC). Then, managed drought and heat stresses were imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% WHC, or shifting the pots inside the glass canopies (at 75% WHC), at booting, anthesis and the grain filling stages. Drought stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 39%–49%. Foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield of wheat by 26%–31%, while seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 18%–26%, respectively, than drought stress. Terminal heat stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 38%. Seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 21%–27%; while foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield by 25%–29% than the heat stress treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous application of AWEs improved the stay green, accumulation of proline, soluble phenolics and glycine betaine, which helped to stabilize the biological membranes and improved the tolerance against terminal drought and heat stresses.     

不同用量纳米材料对生菜种子发芽的影响

以意大利生菜和红脆香生菜种子为试验材料,研究不同用量石墨相氮化碳纳米材料(0、50、100、150、200 mg/L)对2种生菜种子萌发的影响。结果表明:纳米材料用量在50～150 mg/L时对2种生菜发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数均有促进作用,用量在100 mg/L时,意大利生菜的发芽率、发芽指数最高;用量在150 mg/L时,红脆香生菜发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数最高。纳米材料用量达到200 mg/L时,对生菜种子萌发的促进效果减小,甚至出现抑制萌发的现象。较高用量(150、200 mg/L)的纳米材料可以促进生菜胚根的伸长,用量在150 mg/L时,意大利生菜胚根最长,比对照(CK)增加了24.80%;用量在200 mg/L时,红脆香生菜胚根最长,比对照增加了37.20%。施加纳米材料对生菜胚芽长度的影响不显著。总之,纳米材料用量在50～150 mg/L时,可以促进生菜种子的萌发;较高用量(150、200 mg/L)的纳米材料可以促进生菜种子胚根的伸长;施加纳米材料对胚芽长的影响不显著。     

冬季3种高绿量道路防护林对PM2.5的消减作用

[目的]明确不同道路防护林对PM2.5的消减作用及其与主要气象因子的相关性,为筛选消减能力较强的道路防护林结构提供科学依据.[方法]以冬季苏北地区绿量较高的3种道路防护林[常绿针叶雪松(Cedrus deodara)纯林、常绿阔叶香樟(Cinnamomum camphora)纯林及垂柳(Salix babylonica)与龙柏(Sabina chinensis)混交林]为研究对象,连续监测防护林距道路不同林带宽度(10、20、30、40、50和60 m)处的PM2.5浓度、温度、相对湿度、风速及光照强度,以防护林与城市主干道边缘的交接处(0 m)为参照,分析不同道路防护林对PM2.5的消减作用及其与主要气象因子的相关性.[结果]3种道路防护林不同林带宽度的PM2.5浓度日变化规律均呈午间高、早晚低的特征;对应的PM2.5浓度均值分别在106~131、100~125和100~127μg/m3,均超出GB 3095—2012《环境空气质量标准》中的二级浓度标准(PM2.5二级浓度标准限值为75μg/m3),说明监测期间3种道路防护林的PM2.5污染较严重.3种道路防护林对PM2.5的消减率均值排序为雪松纯林(8.09%)>香樟纯林(4.54%)>垂柳与龙柏混交林(1.82%).其中,雪松纯林对PM2.5的消减率随着林带宽度的增加逐步上升;香樟纯林除了在林带宽度20~30 m处的PM2.5消减率略有下降外,其消减率也随着林带宽度的增加呈上升趋势;垂柳与龙柏混交林的PM2.5消减率较低,且随着林带宽度的增加其消减率出现明显起伏变化,但整体上呈下降趋势.3种道路防护林的PM2.5消减率与温度呈极显著正相关(P<0.01,下同),与相对湿度呈极显著负相关;对应线性回归方程分别为y=0.484x+0.654(R2=0.175)和y=-0.095x+11.682(R2=0.377).[结论]雪松纯林对PM2.5的消减能力较强,可作为强滞尘能力防护林带选用;而垂柳与龙柏混交林在林带宽度0~20 m处的PM2.5消减作用较明显,可作为道路边缘绿化带选用.     

Calibration and validation of optical chlorophyll‐measuring devices for use in predicting crude protein concentration in tropical grass herbage

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI and Yara N‐Tester as easy‐to‐use and cost‐effective tools for predicting foliar chlorophylls (a, b and total) and crude protein (CP) concentrations in herbage from three tropical grass species. Optical chlorophyll measurements were taken at three stages (4, 8 and 12 weeks) of regrowth maturity in Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and Mulato II (Brachiaria hybrid) and at 6 and 12 weeks maturity in Paspalum spp (Paspalum atratum). Grass samples were harvested subsequent to optical measurements for laboratory analysis to determine CP and solvent‐extractable chlorophylls (a, b and total) concentrations. Optical chlorophyll measurements and CP concentrations were highly correlated (Yara N‐Tester: r² = 0·77–0·89; Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI: r² = 0·52–0·84). Crude protein prediction models from the Yara N‐Tester and Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI accounted for 70–89% and 44–73% CP variability, respectively, in Mulato II and Guinea grass. The Yara N‐tester produced more accurate and reliable CP estimates based on very high concordance correlation coefficient [CCC (0·73–0·91)] and low rMSPE, mean and regression bias. It is concluded that the Yara N‐Tester produces more accurate and reliable CP estimates of tropical pastures.     

Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.     

Utilizing a DUALEM‐421 and inversion modelling to map baseline soil salinity along toposequences in the Hunter Valley Wine district

In the oldest commercial wine district of Australia, the Hunter Valley, there is the threat of soil salinization because marine sediments underlie the area. To understand the risk requires information about the spatial distribution of soil properties. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have been used to identify and map the spatial variation of average soil salinity to a certain depth. However, soils vary with depth dependent on soil forming factors. We collected data from a single‐frequency and multiple‐coil DUALEM‐421 along a toposequence. We inverted this data using EM4Soil software and evaluated the resultant 2‐dimensional model of true electrical conductivity (σ – mS/m) with depth against electrical conductivity of saturated soil pastes (EC_p – dS/m). Using a fitted linear regression (LR) model calibration approach and by varying the forward model (cumulative function‐CF and full solution‐FS), inversion algorithm (S1 and S2), damping factor (λ) and number of arrays, we determined a suitable electromagnetic conductivity image (EMCI), which was optimal (R² = 0.82) when using the full solution, S2, λ = 3.6 and all six coil arrays. We conducted an uncertainty analysis of the LR model used to estimate the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil‐paste extract (EC_e – dS/m). Our interpretation based on estimates of EC_e suggests the approach can identify differences in salinity, how these vary with parent material and how topography influences salt distribution. The results provide information leading to insights into how soil forming factors and agricultural practices influence salinity down a toposequence and how this can guide soil management practices.