A quantitative size–density separation method to recover and characterise decomposing crop residues added to soil

Plant residues placed in soil in mesh bags do not mimic realistic decomposition conditions. Alternative techniques, e.g. combined particle size and density methods, have been proposed to monitor in situ decomposition of plant residues, but are not appropriately evaluated for their ability to quantitatively recover and characterise decomposing residues of a range of sizes mixed with soil over long incubation times. For this study, we used canola residues of three different starting sizes (<1, 5–7 and 20–25 mm) mixed in a soil and incubated for 6 months. The modified method presented here relied on initial size separation of soil and organic particles into fractions of sizes <106 and >106-μm by wet sieving, and then by repeated floatation and decantation, using water as a density agent, to recover and characterise decomposing canola residues from a mixture of >106-μm mineral plus organic materials into >106-to-500 and >500-μm fractions. On day 0, across the three residue-size treatments, the >500-μm fraction recovered 93–96% of canola residue-C, with water-soluble residue-C loss during the recovery process quantified as representing further 4–5%. The rate of loss of residue-C in the >500-μm fraction was the largest, matching well the cumulative respiration loss of residue-C. The recovery of canola residue-C in the >500-μm fraction, determined as percent of cumulative CO₂–C respired of added C, decreased to 72–76% by the end of incubation, likely due to progressive generation of finer-sized residues and microbial/faunal metabolites. The increase of N in the >500-μm fraction accounted for ca. 40% of total soil N immobilised in the residue-amended soil. The extent and patterns of changes in C, N and S contents, and C-to-N and C-to-S ratios of separated fractions were similar among all the residue treatments during decomposition, except for the ground-residue treatment. The combined size and density separation procedure can be used to study decomposition in situ of soil-mixed plant residues of different sizes that are usually found in agro-ecosystems.     

Comparison of degree-day distribution models for predicting emergence of the cabbage aphid on canola

Cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.), is a serious pest on canola, Brassica napus L. Estimation of required degree-days for 50% emergence of the population is of special interest for controlling this aphid. To precisely predict 50% emergence of aphid populations as a function of accumulated degree-days, eight distribution models were tested. Models were evaluated statistically and validated with a separate data set collected from three canola fields. Observed cumulative emergence of the aphid was well described by three models. The sigmoid model proposed by Brown and Mayer was recommended to describe 50% emergence of the cabbage aphid population, because the model is simple and the parameter b denotes the accumulated degree-days at 50% emergence. The selected model could be used to better time insecticide applications and to more efficiently forecast aphids in canola fields.     

不同栽培模式对油菜产量和倒伏相关性状的影响

为建立与油菜相匹配的高产高效栽培管理方式,设置3种栽培模式即常规栽培(FP)、超高产栽培(SP)和高产高效栽培(HH),于2013—2014年在湖北枝江单季稻区用中熟油菜品种华双5号,武穴双季稻区用早熟品种华早291选择不同肥力田块(高肥力、低肥力)进行试验,测定3种栽培模式下油菜生物量和生育期间的光能资源利用率、产量、田间倒伏等指标。结果表明,与FP相比,在高、低肥力下,SH和HH均提高了各时期的光能截获率和光能利用效率,HH模式薹肥施用比例高,在后期光能截获率下降速率最低,仍保持较高的光合面积,有利于干物质的积累。SH模式和HH模式下,收获指数和产量均显著高于FP模式,且以SH模式最高。株高、根冠比和抗折力均表现为SHHHFP;倒伏指数与倒伏角度的变化趋势较为一致,在不同地力条件下均表现为SHFPHH。综上,HH模式的籽粒产量虽略低于SH模式,但不显著,而后期倒伏显著降低。与SH模式相比,HH模式通过增加种植密度,减少氮肥投入和施肥次数,起到了"以密抗倒、以密省肥"的效果,机械收获效率显著提高,可实现高产高效栽培。     

Contributions of visual cues to cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), resistance in novel host genotypes

Herbivorous insects can demonstrate great selectivity among visual cues. The cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (syn. Ceutorhynchus assimilis (Paykull)) is also influenced by visual cues. Here, we present results of a study examining the attractiveness of flowers and foliage of Sinapis alba (a suboptimal host for larval development), Brassica napus (an excellent host for larval development) and novel lines derived from S. alba x B. napus; several of these have been demonstrated to be resistant in field and laboratory tests. Attractiveness, reflectance properties and resistance demonstrated in field trials were related. Responses to host plants differed among plant genotypes and were related to the amounts of UV and yellow reflected from flowers. Moderate UV reflectance greatly increased the attractive effects of yellow. Fewer weevils responded to test plants with greater or lesser floral UV reflectance.     

Influence of subsurface drainage on the productivity of poorly drained paddy fields

Because of the relatively flat topography of Northern Iran consolidated paddy fields and inadequate natural drainage facilities, these lands are usually confronted with waterlogging due to periodic excess of water from rainfall during the wet months. The productivity of these areas could be greatly increased if their drainage problems were solved by subsurface drainage. Subsurface drainage may also facilitate the mid-season drainage (MSD), one of the water management methods during the rice growing season. A drainage pilot consisting of surface and subsurface drainage with different drain depths and spacings was designed at Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Iran, to explore the effect of different drainage systems on the productivity of paddy fields. Rice cultivation was carried out during two cropping seasons, 2011 and 2012. In 2011, after rice harvest, canola seed was cultivated in the subsurface drained area. For MSD, the fields were drained 25 days after rice transplanting and remained drained for 7 days. Randomized complete block design was used to find the effect of drainage on crops. The implementation of MSD through subsurface drainage, significantly increased yield, yield components and growth parameters of rice. Rice yield of the subsurface drained area was approximately 1.22–1.66 and 1.32–1.7 times higher than that of the surface drained area in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Subsurface drainage provided better condition for canola cropping while, because of waterlogging, it was not possible under surface drainage. An economic analysis showed that the cost of installing subsurface drainage systems was readily justified by annual increased rice and canola yields. Based on the results, the introduction of the subsurface drainage resulted in an increase in both crop yield and cropping intensity in the study area.     

Canola oil as a kairomonal attractant of rangeland grasshoppers: An economical liquid bait for insecticide formulation

Laboratory experiments and field trials demonstrated that canola oil, which is rich in fatty acids that are kairomonal cues in cannibalism, is an effective attractant of rangeland grasshoppers and a suitable oil-based carrier for insecticides. Laboratory-based olfactory tests revealed a significant, positive chemotaxis of Melanoplus sanguinipes in response to canola oil and olive oil mixtures. Small-scale field tests made by airbrush applications of 5 ml of canola oil (equivalent to 500 l/ha) to centres of aluminium rings (0.1 m²     

Effect of Organic Acids on Heavy-Metal Uptake and Growth of Canola Grown in Contaminated Soil

Heavy-metal pollution of soils causes many environmental, animal, and human health problems. Phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils is an effective and economic technique. Humic acids are naturally occurring phenol body polymerisates, which form chelate compounds with heavy metals. In the present study the influence of soil- applied humic, citric, and malic acids on the lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) uptake from a contaminated soil by canola plant was examined in a greenhouse experiment. The experiment was arranged in factorial design based on randomized complete blocks with three replications. The factors of experiment included three organic acids (humic, citric, and malic acid) as first factor and five concentrations [0, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, and 0.004 (v/v)] as second factor. The results showed that increase in organic acid concentration significantly increased heavy-metal uptake by canola plant, which accumulated heavy metals in different parts of the plant. In addition, crop growth representing by plant height and plant dry weight as well as seed production significantly decreased. Based on these results, canola can be considered as effective crop for phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils.     

Responses of Canola Morphological and Agronomic Characteristics to Zeolite and Zinc Fertilization under Drought Stress

Research was performed during the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons to investigate the effect of zeolite and zinc (Zn) foliar application on the qualitative characteristics and oil yield of canola cultivars at different moisture regimes. A factorial split-plot experiment was performed on the basis of the randomized complete block design with three replications in the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran. The treatments were as follows: (1) irrigation (I), complete (I₁), and restricted (I₂) at the pod formation stage, (2) zeolite (Z), 0 (Z₁), and 15 t ha^?1 (Z₂), and (3) Zn, zinc sulfate concentrations of 0%, 0.1%, and 0.2 % (Zn₁, Zn₂, and Zn₃) at the pod formation stage. These treatments were applied on Licord, RGS003, and Opera cultivars. The results show that the simple effect of treatments were statistically significant for all assessed traits at P < 0; as well as the interaction effects of Z and Zn (P < 0.01) and the interaction effects of I and cultivar (P < 0.01). The greatest rates of all studied traits were obtained by applying Z₂Zn₂ (15 ton ha^?1 zeolite and 0.1% Zn sulfate) in both irrigation regimes. The rates of grain yield, biological yield, and harvest index improved by 43.82%, 73.99%, and 30.04%, respectively, using a combined application of Z and Zn. Therefore, based on the low cost of natural Z and a low Zn intake, these treatments could be used to enhance the performance of canola, especially in regions that are exposed to water stress.     

Yield Attributes and Oil Safety in the Hyperaccumulator Canola Plant Grown in a Bioremediated Sewaged Soil

A field experiment was carried out at Abu-Rawash sewage farm to appraise the effect of certain novel remediative amendments on the quality of oil as well as the vegetative parameters and yield criteria of canola plant used as hyperaccumulator for the remediation of sewaged soils. The treatments included fallow soil （irrigated without growing canola）, soil cultivated with canola （Brassica napus L.） and inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhiza （AM）, soil inoculation with Thiobacillus sp. （a mixture of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidant）, soil treated with a mixture of 250 mg bentonite plus 250 mg rock phosphate/kg soil and inoculated with phosphate dissolving bacteria （PDB）, and soil treated with all the aforementioned remediative amendments. Results indicated that the vegetative parameters and yield criteria of canola plant did not exhibit any serious adverse impact under all treatments applied. The concentrations of Zn and Cu in canola oil extracted from plants grown in soil inoculated with AM and/or Thiobacillus sp. far exceeded the safe permissible levels. On the other hand, the content of both PTEs in the oil extracted from canola plants grown in soil treated with either probentonite or with mixture of all remediative amendments followed the permissible safe levels.     

Effects of dietary canola oil level on growth performance, fatty acid composition and ionoregulatory development of spring chinook salmon parr, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

This study assessed the potential of refined canola oil (CO) as a source of supplemental dietary lipid for pre-smolt spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) over a period of 30 weeks. Triplicate groups of 320 fry (∼ 0.80 g), reared in flow-through well water (8-11.5 °C), were fed one of four steam-pelleted dry diets with equivalent gross energy (24.3 MJ/kg), protein (∼ 51.3%) and lipid (∼ 21.6%) content on a dry-weight basis. CO furnished either 0%, 33%, 67%, or 100% of the supplemental dietary lipid, with the remainder from a commercial blend of 1:1 anchovy oil and poultry fat (APF). Thus, CO comprised either 0% (dAPF), 25% (CO25), 49% (CO49), or 72% (CO72) of total dietary lipid content. Overall fish growth rate, feed intake, feed efficiency, protein utilization, percent survival, and terminal whole body proximate constituents were unaffected by diet treatment. Dietary lipid compositions reflected the ratios of CO and APF in the supplemental lipid and their respective fatty acid compositions. Whole body fatty acid compositions mirrored those of diet treatments. However, some essential fatty acids, namely, arachidonic acid (20:4n-6; AA), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) were conserved in fish regardless of dietary CO level. Direct relationships were found between dietary and whole body concentrations of: 18:2n-6 (R² = 0.94; slope = 0.72), 18:3n-3 (R² = 0.99; slope = 0.58), 20:4n-6 (R² = 0.84; slope = 0.42), 20:5n-3 (R² = 0.99; slope = 0.43) and 22:6n-3 (R² = 0.82; slope = 1.25). High dietary levels of 18:3n-3, 18:2n-6, and 20:5n-3 may have been utilized for energy or converted to more unsaturated derivatives. Overall development of ionoregulatory ability, as assessed by 24-h seawater challenge tests, was unaffected by diet. However, whole body chloride content was generally inversely related to dietary CO level during early development. Our findings suggest that there is excellent potential for long-term replacement of fish oil with canola oil in the diet of pre-smolt spring chinook salmon, provided that some marine oil is present to ensure that the essential fatty acid needs of the fish are met.