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.     

Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Effects of genes increasing the number of spikelets per panicle,TAW1 and APO1, on yield and yield-related traits in rice

The genes TAWAWA1 (TAW1) and ABERRANT PANICLE ORGANIZATION1 (APO1) increase the number of spikelets per panicle (SN). In the present study, we examined the effects of these genes on morphological traits, yield, and yield-related traits including yield components using the near-isogenic lines (NILs) in the genetic background of a japonica rice variety, Koshihikari – NIL-taw1, NIL-apo1-D3, and NIL-apo1-D4 – in a field experiment. The SN and total number of spikelets per area of the three NILs were larger than those of Koshihikari. However, the yield of the three NILs did not exceed that of Koshihikari due to their low filling ability. Interestingly, our field experiments indicated that TAW1 did not affect the diameter of internodes and the PN, whereas APO1 decreased the PN and increased the diameter of internodes. These results suggest that TAW1 and APO1 differently affect yield-related traits.     

病程相关蛋白在采后果蔬诱导抗病性中的研究进展

果蔬受到真菌、细菌或病毒侵染时,自身能诱导产生病程相关蛋白(Pathogenesis-related proteins,PRs)。根据它们的结构亲缘关系和生物活性,PRs被分为17个功能家族。在控制果蔬采后病害的研究中,利用激发子诱导产生果蔬抗性已逐渐成为果蔬采后病害防治中一种安全、高效的保鲜方法,这也成为果蔬采后抗病研究的热点和发展趋势。本文综述了果蔬病程相关蛋白的分类、功能、诱导表达,以及蛋白组学技术在果蔬采后PRs表达水平上的应用,以期为果蔬病程相关蛋白的研究提供借鉴和参考。     

不同施肥处理对枳及柠檬容器苗生长的影响

研究9个不同施肥处理对枳及柠檬容器苗生长的影响。结果表明:不同施肥处理对枳容器苗的苗高、地径、分枝高度及嫁接后柠檬苗的发芽率、株高、茎粗、分枝数及生物量都存在显著差异;不同施肥处理对枳及柠檬容器苗综合表现最好的为T4(撒施柠檬专用肥1.6 g)处理,其次是T2(撒施尿素0.6 g)、T3(撒施柠檬专用肥0.8 g)处理,表现最差的是T8(浇施5%柠檬专用肥)和T7(浇施3%柠檬专用肥)处理。在一定施肥浓度范围内,施肥对嫁接后柠檬容器苗的生物量积累有明显促进作用。柠檬容器苗培育时建议采用在基质中撒施柠檬专用肥1.6 g。     

青霉菌发酵液对大豆幼苗生长及生理特性的影响

采用室内生理检测及生物化学方法,研究了青霉菌发酵液对大豆幼苗生长及生理特性的影响。结果表明:用一定浓度的青霉菌发酵液对大豆浸种和茎叶处理,大豆幼苗的生长呈明显上升趋势,处理后大豆的株高、根长、株鲜重和根鲜重均明显得到了提高,且生长状态好于对照,不同浓度处理间具有明显差异,在发酵液浓度为5 g·L-1时,效果最佳。尤其是对根鲜重的影响,促进率最高可达56.21%,同时增强了幼苗根系活力,最大可以提高57.82%,浸种和茎叶处理后,分别提高了叶绿素含量41.25%和15.40%;超氧化物歧化酶活性12.20%和11.70%;过氧化物酶31.33%和29.95%;过氧化氢酶活性42.8%和20.0%,这为发酵液在大豆田推广应用、提高大豆产量提供了重要理论依据。     

抗白粉病胡麻种质资源田间鉴定与筛选

白粉病目前已成为影响胡麻产量和质量最常见的病害之一, 种植抗病品种是防控病害最经济环保的有效措施, 然而抗病亲本材料的缺乏已成为制约抗病品种选育的关键因素。为筛选出抗白粉病胡麻材料, 本研究在田间自然感病的条件下, 采用病情指数法对300份国内外胡麻种质资源材料进行了抗白粉病鉴定和评价。结果表明, 所有供试材料均程度不同地感染胡麻白粉病, 无免疫材料, 仅有5份材料为中抗; 其余295份均为感病材料, 其中8份材料中感, 52份材料感病, 235份材料高度感病。本研究可为抗白粉病胡麻品种的培育及相关抗病基因的发掘提供参考。