赤霉素和磷肥配合施用对胡麻光合酶活性及其产量形成的影响

为探究赤霉素和磷肥配合施用对胡麻叶片光合酶活性以及籽粒产量的影响,以‘轮选2号’为材料,采用田间二因素裂区试验设计,研究了不同磷肥用量水平(P₀:0 kg·hm^-2 P₂O₅,P₁:67.5 kg·hm^-2 P₂O₅,P₂:135 kg·hm^-2 P₂O₅)和赤霉素(Gibberellin acid, GA₃)喷施浓度(G₀:0 mg L^-1,G₁:15 mg·L^-1,G₂:30 mg·L^-1)对胡麻光合同化酶活性、干物质积累量及籽粒产量的影响。结果表明：施磷和喷施赤霉素均显著提高了胡麻叶片RuBP(Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate)、PEP(Phospho...     

不同种植密度条件下单混种作物的生长曲线

代谢比例理论(Metabolic Scaling Theory)认为,植物小个体或幼苗的生物量和物质能量代谢速率之间的异速生长指数为1,而随着植物个体的逐渐增大,其代谢异速生长指数逐渐趋近于3/4。2012年,Deng等基于代谢比例理论建立了植物小个体的动态生长模型。然而,对于受到种内或种间不同竞争压力的植物个体来说,其生长过程无疑将受到邻体竞争的影响,他们是否仍然遵循上述植物小个体的动态生长模型尚不得而知。本研究针对此科学问题选取了春小麦(Triticum aestivum)、胡麻(Linum usitisimum)、玉米(Zea mays)3种作物分别进行两两组合混合种植以及单独种植,种植密度分别为高、中、低3种不同密度梯度;在作物出苗至成熟期间,分别对株高、基茎、冠幅、生物量、以及不同时期样方植物密度共进行6次跟踪测定。通过对Deng等建立的植物小个体动态生长模型的拟合分析,发现在种植密度梯度下不论单种还是混种,其植物个体的生长曲线均符合植物小个体动态生长模型,且具有相似生态位的物种混种条件下的个体生长状况要好于单种条件下的个体生长状况,而低密度条件下的生长状况亦显著优于中、高密度个体生长状况。总之,不同竞争压力下的植物个体,其生长速率和成熟大小虽有所变化,但其生长曲线均符合上述生长模型的预测。该研究不但对植物小个体生长模型和代谢理论的可靠性进行了进一步的验证,而且还使该理论的应用与发展得到进一步的完善。     

Rural livelihood benefits from participation in the taungya agroforestry system in Ondo State of Nigeria

This study examines the strategies and benefits of the taungya farming system to both the government and the rural economy in Nigeria. An interview survey was conducted in which data were collected from 115 randomly selected farmers in five villages in the Oluwa forest reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study examines the extent of participation of rural dwellers in plantation development through taungya farming and the degree of success of this system as an afforestation method. The farmers were predominantly illiterate, within the age bracket of 35–54 years and with small farm holdings. Twenty nine percent relied totally on food from the forest reserve for their livelihood, while 71% also had farm holdings in free areas. Land within the reserve is allocated to farmers free of charge but compensation is paid to landlords on land from free areas. A statistically significant difference was detected in income from the two sources of farmland for the households and but not in the size of land allocated under taungya and free areas. About 184 farmers are involved in taungya annually, and 410 ha of Tectonia grandis has been established for the government of Ondo State.     

Nitrogen contribution by multipurpose trees to rice and cowpea in an alley cropping system in Sierra Leone

In an alley cropping experiment, a study was carried out on N₂ fixation by Gliricidia sepium, nitrogen (N) accumulation by prunings of Gliricidia, Senna siamea (formerly Cassia siamea) and Gmelina arborea, and the N contribution to associated crops of rice and cowpea.Total N accumulated by the hedgerow trees ranged from 297–524 kg N ha^–1 on average but varied between tree species and depended on the growing season. Gliricidia sepium accumulated 370 kg N ha^–1 on average and more than half of this came from fixation. Senna siamea and Gmelina arborea served as reference trees for estimating N₂ fixation. The estimates of N₂ fixation using Gmelina as a reference gave higher estimates than those using Senna.Although the dry matter and nitrogen yields of prunings from the hedgerow trees were high, their relative nitrogen contribution to the associated crops was generally low ranging from 5 to 29%. Higher crop yields and nitrogen contribution were observed with Gliricidia sepium prunings. The low N contribution from prunings was attributed to the lack of synchronization between the N released from the prunings and the crop's demand for N.     

Technical efficiency in the spice based agroforestry sector in Matale district, Sri Lanka

Spices constitute an important sub-sector of the economy of Sri Lanka. Most perennial spices are cultivated in agroforestry types of farming systems. A field survey was conducted covering 127 agroforestry farmers in six divisional secretariats in Matale district during the period of October to December 2002. Technical efficiency of spice based agroforestry systems was estimated in order to identify the potential increase in production without incurring additional costs for farm inputs. The factors affecting technical efficiency and constraints and potential of the agroforestry system were also investigated. According to a stochastic frontier production function using a Cobb–Douglas model, hired labour, organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, land size, and soil conservation measures showed significant positive effects on the agroforestry production. The mean technical efficiency of the spice based agroforestry systems was 84.32%. According to the inefficiency model the efficiency increased significantly as a result of farm visits by extension officers, participation in farmer training, less sloping lands, more experience, and higher diversity of the agroforestry system. Technical efficiency decreased, however, with higher education level of the farmer and with higher off-farm income. Unsustainability of the agroforestry system is seen as a result of a␣range of constraints related to productivity, market, technology and institutions.     

An agroforestry practice for the development of salt lands usingProsopis juliflora andLeptochloa fusca

High salt concentration in the soil is a serious problem in vast areas of otherwise productive agricultural lands in India. Establishment of salt tolerant vegetation could be an effective way of ameliorating this problem. In an 8-year field trial on an alkali soil, growth and biomass production ofProsopis juliflora was greater in sole stand than when interplanted with the grassLeptochloa fusca, but soil improvement was greater for the mixed tree-grass treatment.Prosopis accumulated substantially more biomass nutrients when in sole stand, but total nutrient recycling was similar with and without grass. Less salt tolerant but more palatable fodder crops such asTrifolium resupinatum, T. alexandrium andMelilotus denticulata were successfully grown withProsopis after removingL. fusca in theProsopis plus grass treatment 50 months after commencement. Tentative economic analysis suggests theProsopis plus grass system gives higher returns. TheProsopis-Leptochloa system combines production with biological reclamation, and is an appropriate form of reclamation agroforestry for alkali lands.     

Does streptobacillary arthritis reduce house mouse population density,activity and damage to sorghum crops?

An experiment to examine the effect of streptobacillary arthritis on mouse populations was conducted in maturing sorghum crops in mouse-proofed pens. There were three treatment pens and three control pens in which mice with and without clinical signs of streptobacillary arthritis were introduced, respectively. A constant mouse density (533 mice ha⁻¹) was introduced to the pens by releasing 12 mice in each pen. The sex ratio of introduced mice was also constant by releasing in each pen nine males and three females. Mean track index was lower in treatment pens than in control pens, indicating that streptobacillary arthritis reduced the activity of mice. However, this was not translated into a reduction in other population responses. Mean mouse density at harvest, percentage of female pregnant at harvest, yield loss caused by mice and a feeding index (oil card index) did not differ significantly between treatment and control groups. A plausible explanation for these findings was that mice with the clinical signs might be less active but were able to consume as much grains as mice without the clinical signs because food was in abundant supply.     

Tree crop based agroforestry in Nigeria: a checklist of crops intercropped with cocoa

A survey of cocoa farmers in Bendel, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo States of Nigeria, carried out in 1985, showed that almost all the farmers intercropped other crops with cocoa. The intercrops included food crops such as plantain (92.3), cocoyam (85.7%), cassava (51.3%), yam (41.3%), maize (38.9%), melon (31.4%), cowpea (28.6%) and pineapple (26.0%) and tree crops such as oil palm (71.5%), kola (67.3%), coffee (41.0%), coconut (7.9%) and citrus (7.2%). Other crops are ewe-iran (Sarcophrynium brachystachys) and ewe-gbodogi (Megaphrynium macrostachyum) (45.2%), african walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum) (42.2%), aligator pepper (Aframomum melegueta) (31.6%), and iyere (Piper guinense) (20.2%). Guava, mango, pawpaw and vegetables such as celosia, okra and solanum occur in cocoa plots at rather low frequencies. As many as six or more other crops can be intercropped with cocoa at the same time.     

A nested‐PCR method for rapid detection of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on petals of oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

This study established a quick and accurate method to detect petal infection of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum using a nested‐PCR technique. DNA samples were extracted from each petal using a microwave method, followed by two rounds of PCR amplification. The first‐round PCR amplification was performed using the universal fungal primer pair ITS4/ITS5, and the second‐round amplification with a specific primer pair XJJ21/XJJ222, which was designed using the single‐nucleotide polymorphisms among nuclear rDNA ITS sequences of Sclerotinia spp., Botrytis spp. and other selected fungi. The established technique is rapid and inexpensive, and has a high degree of specificity and sensitivity. This assay can distinguish Sclerotinia spp. from other fungi, including Botrytis cinerea, a closely related and frequent cohabitant on oilseed rape petals, and can detect 50 fg genomic DNA, five ascospores of S. sclerotiorumin vitro or 50 ascospores of S. sclerotiorum on one petal in approximately 6 h, even in the presence of a high background of oilseed rape DNA. This technique was successfully applied in detecting natural petal infections.     

Growth and weed suppression ability of common and new cover crops in Germany

Cover crops have a wide-ranging influence on the agroecosystem and create multiple benefits for farmers. A major benefit of cover crops is the suppression of weeds during fall and winter, which can help to reduce soil tillage and herbicide use. However, only a small number of cover crop species are currently grown in Germany. To enlarge this number, four new cover crop species including tartary buckwheat, forage radish, red oat and grain amaranth were tested in comparison with common cover crop species such as white mustard, oilseed radish and phacelia. Emergence, soil coverage, dry matter production and weed suppression ability was assessed for all cover crop species. White mustard emerged faster than all other cover crops and produced the highest amount of shoot dry matter at both locations in southwest Germany twelve weeks after planting (WAP). Oilseed radish was the only cover crop that reduced the weed dry matter in all experiments eight WAP. Phacelia was able to reduce weed density by 77% at Meiereihof twelve WAP. Tartary buckwheat offered the highest soil coverage four WAP, produced the greatest shoot dry matter eight WAP and reduced weed dry matter by more than 96% at Meiereihof and Ihinger Hof twelve WAP. Forage radish produced the highest root dry matter and reduced spring weed density by more than 81% in all experiments. Red oat and grain amaranth emerged slowly, produced less biomass than other cover crops and did not suppress weed growth. The results show that tartary buckwheat and forage radish are well suited as new cover crops in Germany due to their fast growth and good weed suppression ability.