A proposal for enhanced EU herbage VCU and DUS testing procedures

Herbage production is regarded as having environment-friendly credentials. However, as the ruminant production it supports is facing major challenges on sustainability, environmental footprint and human health concerns, EU herbage cultivar testing must contribute to the solutions. Before new cultivars can be sold in a member state (MS) and gain EU-wide marketing, they must pass official tests to prove they are both novel (distinct, uniform and stable, DUS) with improved value for cultivation and use (VCU). Herbage species present specific challenges, as their allogamy imposes a wide within-cultivar variation that adds complexity to DUS tests and their “value” is only realized in ruminant produce. Current VCU systems measure production, chemical composition and disease/stress tolerances, often on large numbers of candidate cultivars, but prohibitive labour costs and logistics mean that animal intake, ruminant output or environmental benefits cannot be measured directly. Furthermore, some candidate cultivars with proven superior VCU fail DUS even though the non-distinct comparison is with a significantly lower performing registered cultivar. To resolve these problem cases, a “vmDUS” distinctness tool is proposed, which uses molecular markers but conforms to UPOV-declared principles. A short overview of current grassland research shows smart proxy measures of animal value can easily and quickly be adopted into an integrated pan-European (EU-VCU) test network. The proposed EU-VCU scheme will reallocate test resources to conduct these additional tests by placing MS in data sharing collaborations, while retaining their national listing authority. The benefits to all stakeholders from adopting these new testing procedures are considered.     

论稳定脱贫与乡村振兴的有机衔接

新时代背景下的稳定脱贫和乡村振兴,具有目标的统一性和措施的互补性,实现二者有机衔接意义重大。本文基于贫困治理的历程与特征梳理,结合苏北地区的实地调研,分析稳定脱贫与乡村振兴有机衔接理论上的逻辑基础与实践上的认知偏差,探讨促进稳定脱贫与乡村振兴有机衔接的政策着力点。研究表明,改革开放以来,我国贫困治理依据瞄准对象经历了救济式扶贫、开发式扶贫、产业扶贫和精准扶贫四个阶段,显示出贫困治理方式从"输血式救济"到"造血式开发"转变、扶贫瞄准对象遵循"区域—县—村—户"的顺次由"面"及"点"演变、贫困治理目标由"解决温饱"到"两不愁,三保障"的"民生改善"转变三个特征。当前,稳定脱贫与乡村振兴相衔接应该遵循以乡村产业为接口,以乡土农民为主体,以乡村创业为手段的内在逻辑。苏北地区在脱贫攻坚与乡村振兴有机结合做了大量的工作,并探索出一些积极做法。但是,稳定脱贫与乡村振兴有机衔接的实践仍然存在一些认知偏差,表现为以传统工业化思维发展乡村产业,忽视彰显乡村特色;以传统城市化思维实现农民市民化,忽视农民主体地位;以传统城乡二元思维解决农民就业问题,忽视农民创业能力。因此,需要以农业为基础衍生新业态,以农民为主体提升新能力,以创业为手段积蓄新动能,才能实现稳定脱贫与乡村振兴,推动农村经济持续发展。     

Differing trophic niches of three French stygobionts and their implications for conservation of endemic stygofauna

1. Groundwater ecosystems represent the greatest proportion of unfrozen freshwater on Earth and harbour high numbers of rare taxa with restricted distributions. Stygofaunal abundance, species richness, and ecology play essential roles in groundwater ecosystem services and functioning, as well as providing an important contribution to global biodiversity. However, as global depletion and contamination of groundwater pose serious and often irreversible threats to stygofauna, more information is urgently needed about the ecology of rare groundwater species to guide effective strategies for their conservation or restoration.
2. In this study, analyses of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were used to compare and evaluate trophic niches and diets of a vulnerable stygobiont isopod, Gallasellus heilyi living in sympatry in French groundwater ecosystems with the isopod Caecosphaeroma burgundum and the amphipod Niphargus ladmiraulti.
3. Stable isotope results showed trophic niche partitioning among the three stygobiont species and indicated that G. heilyi and C. burgundum occupy the role of primary consumers and N. ladmiraulti that of predator. Moreover, although G. heilyi and C. burgundum were shown to rely on the same food sources, indicating similar diets, and their trophic niches did not overlap, suggesting trophic specialization.
4. The results suggest that detritus (i.e. decaying organic material) is an important food source for G. heilyi, and its availability could determine the survival of this endangered species. As a practical conservation measure for G. heilyi and the whole stygofauna community, we suggest reconnecting surface and subterranean ecosystems, as they probably were before natural sinks and many wells were filled up or closed.

     

蒙古鲌食性转变的稳定性同位素研究

采用稳定性同位素分析并结合胃肠内容物鉴定,探讨了小江水域渠马镇至黄石镇段蒙古鲌食物组成。结果显示,体长<200 mm的小个体蒙古鲌δ¹³ C、δ¹⁵ N值分别为(-24.50‰±1.15‰)、(12.17‰±1.54‰),食性类型为杂食性偏肉食性,营养级为2.9;体长>200 mm的大个体蒙古鲌δ¹³ C、δ¹⁵ N值分别为(-23.87‰±1.12‰)、(13.54‰±1.12‰),食性类型为肉食性,营养级为3.3;大个体蒙古鲌δ¹³ C、δ¹⁵ N值极显著大于小个体蒙古鲌(P<0.01),表明蒙古鲌在生长发育过程中发生了食性转变,但部分大个体蒙古鲌和小个体蒙古鲌由于食物来源相同而出现了同位素值重叠现象。     

等壳水电站碾压混凝土重力坝非溢流坝段稳定渗流场有限元分析研究

通过建立等壳水电站的非溢流坝段的准三维有限元模型,模拟了坝体排水管和排水廊道、上下游防渗层、坝基灌浆帷幕、坝基排水管和排水廊道等,对正常蓄水位工况下坝体、坝基的渗流总水头、压力水头、渗透比降、坝基扬压力分布及渗流量进行了计算分析,验证了坝体和坝基的防渗排水措施的合理性。     

Effects of cover crop growth and decomposition on the distribution of aggregate size fractions and soil microbial carbon dynamics

Although the effects of cover crops (CC) on various soil parameters have been fully investigated, less is known about the impacts at different stages in CC cultivation. The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of CC cultivation stages and residue placement on aggregates and microbial carbon (C_mic). Additionally, the influence of residue location and crop species on CO₂ emissions and leached mineralized nitrogen (N_min) during the plant degradation period was also investigated. Within an incubation experiment, four CC species were sown in soil columns, with additional columns being kept plant‐free. After plant growth, the columns were frozen (as occurs in winter under field conditions) and then incubated with the plant material either incorporated or surface‐applied. With CC, concentrations of large and medium macroaggregates were twice that of the fallow, confirming positive effects of root growth. Freezing led to a decrease in these aggregate size classes. In the subsequent incubation, the large macroaggregates decreased far more in the samples with CC than in the fallow, leading to similar aggregate size distributions. No difference in C_mic concentration was found among the CC cultivation stages. CO₂ emissions were roughly equivalent to the carbon amounts added as plant residues. Comparison of columns with incorporated or surface‐applied residues indicated no consistent pattern of aggregate distribution, CO₂ emission or C_mic and N_min concentrations. Our results suggest that positive effects of CC cultivation are only short term and that a large amount of organic material in the soil could have a greater influence than CC cultivation.     

Stock structure of blue threadfin Eleutheronema tetradactylum across northern Australia as inferred from stable isotopes in sagittal otolith carbonate

Abstract Stable isotopes of δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C in sagittal otolith carbonates were used to determine the stock structure of the polynemid Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw) across tropical northern Australia, where this species is an important component of inshore commercial and recreational fisheries. Stable isotopes from the sagittal otolith carbonate of 470 fish from 11 discrete locations across western, northern and eastern Australia were sampled between 2007 and 2009. Analysis of these stable isotopes revealed different location‐specific signatures, indicating strong population subdivision. The significant differences in the isotopic signatures of E. tetradactylum demonstrated that there is unlikely to be substantial movement of fish between these locations. The spatial separation of these populations indicates a complex fine spatial scale stock structure across northern Australia, with at least 11 stocks or management units present. The population subdivision of E. tetradactylum was evident along expansive stretches of open beach systems and within coastal embayments with no physical barriers such as headlands. These results indicate that optimal fisheries management will require a review of the current spatial arrangements, particularly the potential for localised depletion of stocks on small spatial scales.     

Dietary plasticity in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in response to long‐term environmental change

Corrigan LJ, Winfield IJ, Hoelzel AR, Lucas MC. Dietary plasticity in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in response to long‐term environmental change.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2011: 20: 5–13. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract –  In the face of widespread environmental change impacts, there is a need to better understand mechanisms promoting flexibility and resilience of ecosystem components to such change to inform strategies for conservation. Glacial relict species are especially vulnerable to such changes. We investigated the behavioural responses of a native, glacial relict species, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) to long‐term environmental changes. It was hypothesised that changes in feeding behaviour would occur as a key intermediary to reduction in habitat availability (through climate change and eutrophication) or competitive interactions [with introduced roach (Rutilus rutilus)]. Stomach content analysis was used to assess the diet of 199 charr caught from Windermere, United Kingdom, in the months of March, June, September and November 2003–2007. The results were compared to data from 1940 to 1951 prior to the environmental changes and revealed a marked increase in the contribution of benthic invertebrates in the present diet. Stable isotope analysis confirms the results of the stomach analysis, suggesting that the charr have switched their diet from zooplanktivory towards benthivory. We discuss the possibility that habitat modification and roach population expansion in Windermere have contributed to changes in charr diet. Complementary studies suggest that this diet shift is more likely to be a response to the increasing roach population than to habitat modification; however, further study in Windermere would be required to elucidate the exact mechanism. Long‐term data sets such as these provide information that is useful for determining the directivity of ecological change and the capability of species to respond to change.     

Is Discrimination of 13C in Potato Leaflets and Tubers an Appropriate Trait to Describe Genotype Responses to Restrictive and Well‐Watered Conditions?

Selection for drought tolerance entails prioritizing plant traits that integrate critical physiological processes occurring during crop growth. Discrimination against ¹³C (?) in leaflets (?_leaflet) and tubers (?_tuber) was compared under two water regimes in two potato‐improved varieties selected to maintain yield under drought conditions (Unica and Sarnav) and one drought susceptible European cultivar (Désirée). In the control treatment, soil water content was kept at field capacity over the whole growth cycle, while in the drought treatment water supply was restricted after tuber initiation (50 % of field capacity). Gas exchange and N content per unit leaf area (N_area) as well as ? were assessed at different stages. Sarnav showed the highest tuber yield in both water conditions, suggesting that yield in the water restriction treatment was largely driven by yield potential in this genotype. Higher stomatal conductance (g_s) and N_area and lower ?_leaflet in well‐watered Sarnav suggested higher photosynthetic capacity. Under water restriction, Sarnav maintained higher g_s indicating that carbon diffusion was a key factor for biomass accumulation under water restriction. Our results suggest the use of ? determined after tuber initiation as an indirect selection indicator for tuber yield under both well‐watered and restricted soil water availability conditions.     

Do combined applications of crop residues and inorganic fertilizer lower emission of N2O from soil?

Emissions of N₂O were measured following addition of ¹⁵N‐labelled residues of tropical plant species [Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Mucuna pruriens and Leucaena leucocephala] to a Ferric Luvisol from Ghana at a rate of 100 mg N/kg soil under controlled environment conditions. Residues were also applied in different ratio combinations with inorganic N fertilizer, at a total rate of 100 mg N/kg soil. N₂O emissions were increased after addition of residues, and further increased with combined (ratio) applications of residues and inorganic N fertilizer. However, ¹⁵N‐N₂O production was low and short‐lived in all treatments, suggesting that most of the measured N₂O‐N was derived from the applied fertilizer or native soil mineral N pools. There was no consistent trend in magnitude of emissions with increasing proportion of inorganic fertilizer in the application. The positive interactive effect between residue‐ and fertilizer‐N sources was most pronounced in the 25:75 Leucaena:fertilizer and cowpea:fertilizer treatments where 1082 and 1130 mg N₂O‐N/g residue were emitted over 30 days. N₂O (log_e) emission from all residue amended treatments was positively correlated with the residue C:N ratio, and negatively correlated with residue polyphenol content, polyphenol:N ratio and (lignin + polyphenol):N ratio, indicating the role of residue chemical composition in regulating emissions even when combined with inorganic fertilizer. The positive interactive effect in our treatments suggests that it is unlikely that combined applications of residues and inorganic fertilizer can lower N₂O emissions unless the residue is of very low quality promoting strong immobilisation of soil mineral N.