干旱胁迫对不同藜麦种子萌发及生理特性的影响

为研究不同干旱程度对不同藜麦种子萌发及幼苗生长期耐旱性的影响,以忻藜1号（黑藜）、忻藜2号（白藜）和忻藜3号（红藜）为材料,采用培养皿萌发、土培育苗的方法,设置6个PEG 6000浓度梯度（0、5%、10%、15%、20%、25%）,对3种藜麦的种子和幼苗进行处理,测定其种子发芽率、发芽势、下胚轴长、根长等指标和幼苗脯氨酸含量、丙二醛（MDA）含量、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性和过氧化物酶（POD）活性等生理指标。结果表明：（1）随着PEG 6000浓度的升高,藜麦种子的发芽势、发芽率、下胚轴长和根长都呈现逐渐降低的趋势,用回归分析求得白藜半致死PEG 6000干旱胁迫浓度为20.02%,黑藜为20.25%,红藜为24.70%;（2）随着PEG 6000浓度的升高,3种藜麦幼苗SOD和POD活性都呈先升后降的趋势;MDA和脯氨酸含量与干旱胁迫程度呈显著正相关关系。由此可得,红藜耐旱性最强,黑藜次之,白藜最差。     

盐胁迫对野生樱桃幼苗生长的影响及其耐盐性分析

为了扩大樱桃的栽培区域、在沿海大城市周边轻度盐碱地上栽培，试验以野生樱桃砧木实生苗四川樱桃、黑山樱、大青叶为试验材料，通过不同浓度的盐胁迫处理（0、0.2%、0.4%、0.6% NaCl）和植株的各项生长指标测定（株高、茎粗、叶片数和叶面积），比较了野生樱桃的耐盐性。结果显示：在盐胁迫下，大青叶樱桃相对株高、茎粗、叶片数、叶面积的平均值均最大，黑山樱除相对茎粗平均值外，其余3项生长指标均高于四川樱桃。隶属函数综合分析显示，3种野生樱桃幼苗生长期的耐盐性为：大青叶>黑山樱 >四川樱桃。     

基于粒子图像测速的坡面流水动力学特性

粒子图像测速(Particle Image Velocimetry, PIV)技术具有多点同时测量、对水流无干扰的优点,该研究利用高分辨率PIV(分辨率为64 pixels/mm),测量了7组坡面流(水深范围为0.5～1.1 cm,雷诺数范围为1 000～3 000),并测量1组深水明渠紊流作为对照,研究了流速轮廓线和修正系数、紊动强度和雷诺应力、偏态系数和峰度系数的变化规律。结果表明:1)PIV能够有效观测坡面流床面至水面的流速分布。当坡面流流态为过渡流时,流速修正系数随着雷诺数的增加呈对数增加,均值为0.77;2)对比深水明渠紊流的紊动强度,坡面流的流向紊动强度较大,而垂向紊动强度较小,且随着水深及雷诺数的增加,坡面流紊动强度逐渐与深水明渠紊流的特征吻合。深水明渠紊流中受雷诺应力影响的流体占比约80%,而坡面流中受雷诺应力影响的流体占比小于80%,随着雷诺数的增加坡面流中受雷诺应力影响的流体占比变大;3)对比深水明渠紊流的峰度系数,坡面流的峰度系数大部分大于3,表明坡面流较深水明渠紊流出现极端流速事件的概率小。PIV技术有利于实验室研究坡面水力侵蚀的力学机理机制问题。     

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。     

Unravelling the relationship between a seasonal environment and the dynamics of forage growth in grazed swards

It is well reported in the scientific literature that pastures can have similar net forage accumulation when managed with contrasting structures. However, we hypothesized that the dynamics of forage accumulation in grazed swards is linked to seasonal-environmental conditions. Marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha [Hochst. ex A. Rich.] was used as the forage species model. The experimental treatments were four grazing heights (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) allocated to experimental units according to a randomized complete block design with four replicates and evaluated throughout four contrasting environmental seasons (summer, autumn, winter–early spring and late spring). Under rainy and warm periods, greater net forage accumulation was observed in pastures maintained taller; on the contrary, during the mild and dry periods, net forage accumulation rate reduced as grazing height increased. Such patterns of responses were related to compensations between tiller population density and tissues flows during summer and late spring and the reduced capacity of taller canopies to compensate lower population with greater growth rates during autumn and winter–early spring. Grazed swards changed their patterns of forage growth as they transitioned from favourable to more abiotic stressful conditions, suggesting that seasonal adjustments in grazing intensities are necessary in order to maximize forage production.     

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.     

Role of ghrelin in cell protection by up-regulating HSP70 through ERK1/2 signaling pathway in PC12 cells

AIM:To study the role of ghrelin in cell protection by up-regulating heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and inhibiting apoptosis induced by oxidative stress through extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway in the PC12 cells. METHODS:Sodium nitoprusside (SNP) was used to induce oxidative stress injury in the PC12 cells. The cultured PC12 cells were divided into SNP-injured group (incubated with SNP at 0.5 mmol/L for 6, 12, 18 and 24 h), ghrelin pretreatment group (ghrelin at 100 nmol/L was given 30 min before adding SNP); HSP70 inhibitor group (quercetin at 10 μmol/L was added 60 min before ghrelin treatment), ERK inhibitor group (ERK 1/2 inhibitor PD98059 was added 60 min before ghrelin treatment) and control group (added same amount of culture medium only). The apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry. The protein expression was determined by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. RESULTS:Compared with control group, the apoptotic rate of PC12 cells in SNP-injured group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with SNP-injured group, ghrelin (100 nmol/L) pretreatment significantly inhibited SNP-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells (P<0.05), and significantly up-regulated the protein expression of HSP70 (P<0.05). Time-effect analysis showed that ghrelin had the most significant effect at 18 h after SNP injury. Quercetin, an inhibitor of HSP 70, significantly reduced the anti-apoptotic effect of ghrelin (P<0.05). Ghrelin pretreatment promoted the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 significantly inhibited the effects of ghrelin on up-regulation of HSP70 expression (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Ghrelin upregulates the expression of HSP70 and inhibits the apoptosis in the PC12 cells induced by oxidative stress by promoting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2.     

Mixed cropping with ice plant alleviates the damage and the growth of cowpea under consecutive NaCl treatment and after the recovery from high salinity

We investigated the alleviative effects of mixed cropping using ice plant, which is one of the salt-accumulating halophytes, on the damage and growth inhibition of cowpea, which is not tolerant to high salinity. Three cropping patterns (mono cropping of cowpea and ice plant and their combination) were tested. The plants were treated with 0, 100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl for 14 days (consecutive NaCl). The plants were also treated with NaCl for 3 days, followed by 2 weeks (short-term recovery) and 1 month (long-term recovery) recovery. Salinity levels for short-term recovery were similar to those of the consecutive experiment, while the concentration of long-term recovery was 250 mM. The alleviative effects of mixed cropping in the consecutive NaCl experiment were observed at 200 and 300 mM NaCl. Mixed cropping significantly reduced the Na content in the cowpea leaves at 200 and 300 mM NaCl compared with mono cropping. In addition, the Na content in the soil of mix-cropped cowpea at 200 and 300 mM NaCl was statistically lower than that of the mono cropping. Mixed cropping was effective to recover from high concentration of NaCl in the experiments of short- and long-term recovery. These results indicate that mixed cropping with a halophyte could be effective in mitigating the damage and growth inhibition of a glycophyte not only under salinity but also under recovery periods.     

Atmospheric humidity and genotype are key determinants of the diurnal stomatal conductance pattern

Great understanding of the genotypic difference in diurnal stomatal conductance (g_s) pattern and the key determinants of the pattern is important for saving water by adopting cultivars appropriately. Fifteen wheat genotypes were studied under different soil conditions and various meteorological conditions with pot cultivation in rain shelter for two years. Genotype and air humidity were found to be key determinants of diurnal g_s pattern. All genotypes under low relative humidity (LRH) and most genotypes under high relative humidity (HRH) displayed a gradual decline pattern from morning through the afternoon. Under moderate relative humidity (MRH), all genotypes present a single-peak curve pattern, but they differed in peak time, which may lead to unreliable g_s comparison between genotypes and get ostensible contrasting materials. The stomatal conductance was significantly different among genotypes under LRH and the increased g_s magnitude is also significantly different when it was compared between LRH and HRH. The present results provide new thinking for selecting and adopting appropriate cultivars with specific stomata traits for the area with various meteorological conditions.