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.     

绍兴市凡纳滨对虾围垦滩涂养殖池塘的理化环境和浮游植物

2016年和2017年分别调查了位于浙江省绍兴市滨海新区的12口凡纳滨对虾围垦滩涂养殖池塘内的理化环境和浮游植物。结果显示:池塘内盐度变化范围为0~2,溶氧为6.2~13.9 mg/L,pH为7.5~9.8,总氨氮(TAN)为0.00~0.72 mg/L,亚硝酸盐氮(NO_2~--N)为0.00~1.70 mg/L,硝酸盐氮(NO_3~--N)为0.18~4.77 mg/L,总氮为1.74~6.08 mg/L,总磷为0.20~2.72 mg/L,总有机碳为1.88~42.57 mg/L,C/N为10~39。池塘内浮游植物种类隶属6门、24科、42属,其中蓝藻和绿藻为优势种。浮游植物生物量为(0.15~2.30)×107cell/L,叶绿素a(Chl.a)为2.62~37.24μg/L。Chl.a与蓝藻生物量显著正相关。NO_2~--N和NO3--N均与pH显著负相关。初步分析认为高pH可能是导致2016年池塘养殖凡纳滨对虾死亡率较高的重要原因,因此采取措施控制蓝藻生物量和水体的p H应有助于提高对虾养殖的存活率。     

Rapid salinity changes affect the survival and physiology of a penaeid prawn: Implications of flood events on recruitment to the fishery

Estuaries act as nurseries for many penaeid prawns, but these habitats are highly susceptible to salinity decline through flooding. The rate of salinity decline and duration of exposure to non‐optimal salinity may affect survival and subsequent recruitment of prawns to the fishery. This study aimed to determine the effect of salinity fluctuations observed in local estuaries during flood events using a novel dilution approach. Mortality of juvenile Melicertus plebejus (Hess) was assessed after 24 hr exposure to 24 rates of salinity decline ranging from 0.01% to 20% per hr. After the salinity decline, prawns were held at the final salinities for five days before again assessing mortality as well as aerobic metabolic rate and prawn water content. Salinity decline from 36 to ~0.8 led to 50% mortality, but continued exposure to low salinity for five days increased mortality at this salinity to 99% and shifted the 50% mortality point to salinity ~5. Aerobic metabolic rate and water content data suggested the cause of mortality due to exposure to salinities < 5 was osmoregulatory failure. Rapid salinity declines over 24 hr and sustained low salinity due to flooding could compromise the survival of juvenile prawns, potentially reducing recruitment to the fishery.     

Effect of l‐ascorbyl‐2‐polyphosphate supplementation on growth performance,body composition,antioxidative capacity and salinity stress tolerance of juvenile Pacific white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of ascorbic acid (AsA), in the form of l ‐ascorbyl‐2‐polyphosphate (LAPP) on growth performance, body composition, antioxidative capacity and salinity stress tolerance of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Five practical diets (46% crude protein and 7.6% lipid) supplemented with graded levels of AsA (14.64, 48.55, 84.98, 308.36 and 639.27 mg kg^?1 diet) were fed to five replicate groups of L. vannamei (mean initial wet weight 0.57 g). No significant differences were found on growth performance among all treatments. However, whole body lipid content significantly decreased with dietary AsA levels increasing. Activities of total antioxidant capacity, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly affected by dietary AsA levels. Shrimp fed LAPP‐free diet had higher malondialdehyde content than those fed the diets supplemented with LAPP. Dietary AsA levels higher than 308.36 mg kg^?1 diet increased the survival of shrimps after 1, 2 and 3 h of acute salinity change. Broken‐line regression analysis on survival after 3 h of salinity stress and second‐degree polynomial regression analysis on glutathione reductase data indicated that the optimal dietary AsA requirement of L. vannamei was estimated to be 306.39, 319.75 mg kg^?1 diet respectively.     

Natural bixin as a potential carotenoid for enhancing pigmentation and colour in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Discovering natural carotenoids for colour enhancement and health benefits of fish is important to develop new feed formulations. We have purified natural bixin from achiote seeds and evaluated the effect of colour enhancing and pigmentation in goldfish. Varying levels of bixin‐based diets were prepared with 420 g kg^?1 of crude protein and 120 g kg^?1 of lipid content. Our results clearly showed that bixin (0.05, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.60 g kg^?1) based diets significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the skin and fin colour at 30 and 60 days compared to diet without bixin. Interestingly, diet which contains 0.20 g kg^?1 bixin and commercial feed (with astaxanthin) had similar effect on carotenoid deposition in skin. Moreover, total carotenoid deposition in fin was higher than in skin of all bixin‐containing diets. However, 0.60 g kg^?1 bixin‐containing diet had lower specific growth rate (1.01 ± 0.01) and higher feed conversion ratio (2.05 ± 0.19) compared to the control group. The present results demonstrate that achiote bixin can be successfully used as an alternative natural carotenoid source against synthetic astaxanthin in fish feed. Our data indicate that 0.20 g kg^?1 is a suitable dietary level of bixin to ensure strong pigmentation, acceptable growth and feed utilization in goldfish.     

Revisiting rice breeding methods – evaluating the use of rapid generation advance (RGA) for routine rice breeding

Rice production needs to increase in the future in order to meet increasing demands. The development of new improved and higher yielding varieties more quickly will be needed to meet this demand. However, most rice breeding programmes in the world have not changed in several decades. In this article, we revisit the evidence in favour of using rapid generation advance (RGA) as a routine breeding method. We describe preliminary activities at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to re-establish RGA on a large scale as the main breeding method for irrigated rice breeding. We also describe experiences from the early adoption at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Evaluation of RGA breeding lines at IRRI for yield, flowering time and plant height indicated transgressive segregation for all traits. Some RGA lines were also higher yielding than the check varieties. The cost advantages of using RGA compared to the pedigree method were also empirically determined by performing an economic analysis. This indicated that RGA is several times more cost effective and advantages will be realized after 1 year even if facilities need to be built. Based on our experience, and previous independent research empirically testing the RGA method in rice, we recommend that this method should be implemented for routine rice breeding in order to improve breeding efficiency.     

凡纳滨对虾越冬亲虾黑鳃病症的初步研究

为确定越冬凡纳滨对虾亲虾黑鳃病症病因,对患病亲虾病因进行分析。结果显示,越冬后患病亲虾鳃部观察到大量线虫。虫体特征显微结构显示,雌、雄性线虫的平均体长分别为(983.6±16.69)μm和(956.9±12.14)μm,虫体表皮不均质,具有2纵列侧分化、4根头刚毛、3个口腔实齿、5个杯形肛前附器,化感器横向扁椭圆形,食道不形成食道球;经鉴定,确定该线虫隶属于色矛科(Chromadoridae)、色矛属(Chromadorella)。组织病理观察结果表明,线虫感染后亲虾鳃组织坏死、溶解,黑色素沉积,游泳足基部出现黑化层。本文报道了一种由色矛线虫引起的越冬亲虾黑鳃病症。     

Effect of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide complex with Ce (IV) on growth,immunity and disease resistance against Vibrio splendidus of sea cucumber,Apostichopus japonicas

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide complex with cerium (Ce IV) (COS‐Ce) on growth performance, nonspecific immunity and disease resistance of sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicas. Five isonitrogenous (18.6%) and isolipidic (1.1%) practical diets were formulated with graded level of COS‐Ce (0, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 mg kg^?1 dry feed), which were named as COS‐Ce/0, COS‐Ce/150, COS‐Ce/300, COS‐Ce/600, COS‐Ce/1200 respectively. Each diet was allocated to four replicates of sea cucumbers (Initial weight: 6.72 ± 0.02 g). Sea cucumbers were fed to apparent satiation once daily (19:00 hours) for 56 days. During the experiment, water temperature was kept at 16 ± 0.5°C, pH 7.8–8.2, dissolved oxygen beyond 5 mg L^?1, ammonia nitrogen below 0.5 mg L^?1 and salinity from 30‰ to 31‰. Results showed that the specific growth rate of sea cucumbers was significantly higher in COS‐Ce/600 than that in other four treatments. Activities of phagocytosis, respiratory burst, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase in COS‐Ce/600 were significantly higher than that in COS‐Ce/0 (P < 0.05) respectively. On the contrary, cumulative mortality was the lowest in COS‐Ce/600 following 14 days exposure to Vibrio splendidus (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results confirmed that dietary COS‐Ce had beneficial effects on growth performance, nonspecific immunity and disease resistance of sea cucumber.     

大豆对大豆胞囊线虫侵染的应答机制研究

大豆胞囊线虫病(Heterodera glycines,soybean cyst nematode,SCN)是大豆生产上的重要病害,其特点为危害重、分布广、难防治,每年对大豆生产造成极大的损失。种植大豆抗性新品种是防治SCN目前最为有效的措施,研究大豆对SCN侵染的应答机制,是培育大豆持久抗病品种的前提,对加快抗线虫品种选育及SCN的防控具有重要的意义。本文综述了大豆对SCN侵染的组织细胞学应答机制;介绍了大豆在SCN侵染后酶系变化及酚类代谢的生理生化应答机制;从分子水平阐明了SCN侵染后大豆的基因转录变化,差异蛋白及DNA甲基化的应答机制,以期为大豆胞囊线虫病害的进一步研究与防治提供参考。     

Histological alterations in gills of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in low‐salinity waters under different stocking densities: Potential relationship with nitrogen compounds

Two experimental modules with different stocking densities (M1 = 70 and M2 = 120 shrimp /m²) were examined weekly over a culture cycle in tanks with low‐salinity water (1.9 g/L) and zero water exchange. Results showed survival rates of 87.7 and 11.9% in M1 and M2, respectively. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and chlorophyll a were not significantly (p > .05) different between modules. In contrast, the concentrations of nitrogen compounds were significantly (p < .05) different between modules, except nitrite‐N (M2 were 2.31 ± 1.38 mg/L N‐TAN, 0.18 ± 0.49 mg/L N‐NO₂^? and 6.83 ± 6.52 mg/L N‐NO₃^?; in M1: 0.97 ± 0.73 mg/L N‐TAN, 0.05 ± 0.21 mg/L N‐NO₂^? and 0.63 ± 0.70 mg/L N‐NO₃^?). When waters of both modules reached higher levels of ammonia and nitrite, histological alterations were observed in gills. The histological alterations index (HAI) was higher in M2 (5‐112) than in M1 (2‐22).