Detect unique molecular structure associated with physiochemical properties in CDC varieties of oat grain with unique nutrient traits [Feed Type vs. Milling Type] in comparison with barley grain using advanced molecular spectroscopy as a non-destructive biological tool

The objective of this study was to determinate grain unique protein inherent molecular structure that are related physiochemical and nutrient profiles in CDC developed oat varieties [CDC Nasser (Feed Type) and CDC Seabiscuit (Milling Type)] grown in cool climate condition in western Canada in comparison with conventional barley variety of CDC Meredith as a control using advanced molecular spectroscopy. Multivariate analyses, including an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (CLA) and principal component analysis (PCA), were performed to identify protein molecular structural differences among the grains. The results revealed that CDC Seabiscuit contained greater (P < 0.05) protein structural Amide I and II than CDC Nasser and CDC Meredith, while the greater (P < 0.005) structural Amide I to II area and height ratios was detected in CDC Meredith. New oat grains had greater (P < 0.05) β-sheet height than barley grains, however, there was no difference in α-helix to β-sheet ratio values among the varieties. In conclusion, CDC Nasser and CDC Meredith had no difference in protein molecular structural features, while CDC Seabiscuit contains different protein structural characteristics as compared to CDC Meredith grain. The molecular structure features are highly associated with physiochemical and nutrient profiles in grains, which indicate that it also affect nutrient utilization and availability.     

施石灰和秸秆还田对双季稻产量和氮素吸收的互作效应

红壤稻田面临土壤酸化和肥力偏低的双重挑战。施石灰和秸秆还田分别是稻田土壤酸化改良和培肥的有效措施,但二者的互作效应尚不清楚。本研究连续4年(2015—2018年)在江西省开展施石灰和秸秆还田双因素田间定位试验,旨在探明施石灰和秸秆还田对红壤双季稻田水稻产量和氮素吸收的互作效应。结果表明,施石灰和秸秆还田均显著提高了早、晚稻的产量和氮素吸收,且二者具显著的协同促进效应。秸秆还田下,施石灰使早稻产量和氮素吸收分别增加10.7%和15.5%;而在秸秆不还田下,增幅仅分别为4.4%和9.7%。秸秆还田下,石灰使晚稻产量和氮素吸收分别提高18.7%和24.6%;但在秸秆不还田下,增幅则分别为10.5%和5.7%。施石灰对早、晚稻产量和氮素吸收的促进效应随试验年限的增加而减弱。石灰对土壤pH值的提升效应随试验年限的延长显著降低。试验4年后,石灰对土壤有机质和全氮含量均无显著影响;秸秆还田显著提高了土壤有机质含量,而对全氮含量无显著影响。因此,秸秆还田配施石灰能够协同实现双季稻增产、土壤酸化改良与培肥。本研究表明在此酸性的红壤双季稻田上每4年左右施用一次石灰为宜。     

春大豆鼓粒期冠层翻叶原因及翻叶对叶片净光合速率和粒重的影响

为明确春大豆鼓粒期冠层翻叶原因及翻叶对粒重的影响。在大田条件下,以28份大豆品种为材料,采用随机区组试验设计,研究了鼓粒初期植株顶部4片叶的单叶面积、比叶重、叶型指数、叶片含水量与翻叶率的关系;比较了翻叶与对照叶片的净光合速率、百粒重及粒重的差异。结果表明,不同大豆品种间翻叶率在0~26.5%之间,且差异显著,其中以‘中黄313’、‘中黄42’和‘中黄13’最高;单叶面积在46~151 cm²之间,其中以‘中黄39’、‘中黄42’和‘中黄13’最大;比叶重在0.536~1.64 mg/cm²之间,其中以‘中黄322’、‘中黄313’和‘中黄13’最低;叶型指数在1.35~3.51之间,其中以‘中黄70’、‘中黄80’和‘中黄42’最低。供试大豆品种分为3个类群,第I类群品种单叶面积小,比叶重高,叶型指数大,翻叶率为1.03%;第III类群品种单叶面积大,比叶重小,翻叶率高达19.7%;第II类群共4个品种,单叶面积、比叶重、叶型指数、翻叶率介于第I类和第III类群之间。翻叶后显著降低叶片净光合速率,平均降幅31.7%,粒数较多的‘新大豆27号’百粒重降低10.38%~22.4%,而粒数少的‘吉育60’粒重没有降低。大豆上层叶片单叶面积大、比叶重小及叶型指数低的叶片翻叶率高,翻叶降低叶片净光合速率,进而降低同节位百粒重及单节粒重,不利于大豆高产。     

Interactive effects of family and stocking density on survival and growth of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

To investigate the effects of family, stocking density, and their interaction on mortality, growth rate, and size dispersal in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, 1,440 juveniles from six full‐sib families were exposed to three stocking densities, that is, low stocking density (LD), middle stocking density (MD), and high stocking density (HD), and reared for 10 months in sea‐based suspended cages. The results demonstrated significant family effects on cumulative mortality rate (CMR); specific growth rate for test diameter (SGR for TD); specific growth rate for body weight (SGR for BW); coefficient of variation for body weight at the 10th month (CV for BW₁₀); and significant stocking density effects on SGR for TD, SGR for BW, and CV for BW₁₀. Statistically significant family by stocking density interaction was only found in SGR for TD. A certain degree of family‐ranking inversions occurred in SGR for TD. The present study provides evidence for the existence of family by stocking density interaction on the growth rate of test diameter in the family selection for S. intermedius. More attention should be paid to this interaction effect to select correct parents in S. intermedius.     

Improving wood volume predictions in dry tropical forest in the semi-arid Brazil

The volumetric variability of dry tropical forests in Brazil and the scarcity of studies on the subject show the need for the development of techniques that make it possible to obtain adequate and accurate wood volume estimates. In this study, we analyzed a database of thinning trees from a forest management plan in the Contendas de Sincorá National Forest, southwestern Bahia State, Brazil. The data set included a total of 300 trees with a trunk diameter ranging from 5 to 52 cm. Adjustments, validation and statistical selection of four volumetric models were performed. Due to the difference in height values for the same diameter and the low correlation between both variables, we do not suggest models which only use the diameter at breast height (DBH) variable as a predictor because they accommodate the largest estimation errors. In comparing the best single entry model (Hohenald-Krenn) with the Spurr model (best fit model), it is noted that the exclusion of height as a predictor causes the values of 136.44 and 0.93 for Akaike information criterion (AIC) and adjusted determination coefficient (R2 adj), which are poorer than the second best model (Schumacher-Hall). Regarding the minimum sample size, errors in estimation (root mean square error (RMSE) and bias) of the best model decrease as the sample size increases, especially when a larger number of trees with DBH≥15.0 cm are randomly sampled. Stratified sampling by diameter class produces smaller volume prediction errors than random sampling, especially when considering all trees. In summary, the Spurr and Schumacher-Hall models perform better. These models suggest that the total variance explained in the estimates is not less than 95%, producing reliable forecasts of the total volume with shell. Our estimates indicate that the bias around the average is not greater than 7%. Our results support the decision to use regression methods to build models and estimate their parameters, seeking stratification strategies in diameter classes for the sample trees. Volume estimates with valid confidence intervals can be obtained using the Spurr model for the studied dry forest. Stratified sampling of the data set for model adjustment and selection is necessary, since we find significant results with mean error square root values and bias of up to 70% of the total database.     

多效唑对杂交中稻不同密肥群体产量和抗倒伏性的影响

为探究高产稻田中防止倒伏发生的早期诊断技术,2015-2016年,以大面积推广的杂交中稻高产新品种蓉18优1015为试验材料,设计3因素完全因子试验,研究不同密肥群体下喷施多效唑对稻谷产量和抗倒伏性的影响。结果表明,随着施氮量和移栽密度的增加,稻谷产量提高,植株抗倒力下降,以施氮量150 kg·hm^-2和移栽密度18.75 万穴·hm^-2的产量较高。不同密肥群体下施用多效唑对产量和植株抗倒伏性有显著影响,施用多效唑后植株抗倒力增强,但产量因穗粒数下降而减少。不同密肥处理下施用多效唑对产量影响各异。于水稻最高苗期施用多效唑使植株重心高度、弯曲力矩、倒伏指数显著降低,折断弯矩则明显提高,穗粒数平均减少5.24~7.87粒。多效唑对产量的影响表现为低施氮量下因穗粒数减少而减产;中施氮量下产量差异不显著;高施氮量下植株未倒伏、籽粒灌浆结实正常,因结实率和千粒重高而增产。综上所述,肥力水平和施氮量高的稻田于最高苗期施用多效唑有利于水稻产量提高和控制后期倒伏。本研究为指导大面积水稻高产稳产提供了科学依据。     

Integrated rice management simultaneously improves rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency in various paddy fields

The hilly area of Southwest China is a typical rice production area which is limited by seasonal droughts and low temperature in the early rice growth period. A field experiment was conducted on three typical paddy fields (low-lying paddy field, medium-elevation paddy field, and upland paddy field) in this region. Nitrogen (N) treatment (180 kg N ha^-1 year^-1) was compared to a control treatment (0 kg N ha^-1 year^-1) to evaluate the effects of integrated rice management (IRM) on rice growth, grain yield, and N utilization. Integrated rice management integrated raised beds containing plastic mulch, furrow irrigation, and triangular transplanting. In comparison to traditional rice management (TRM), IRM promoted rice tiller development, with 7-13 more tillers per cluster at the maximum tillering stage and 1-6 more tillers per cluster at the end of tillering stage. Integrated rice management significantly increased the rice aboveground biomass by 34.4%-109.0% in different growth periods and the aboveground N uptake by 25.3%-159.0%. Number of productive tillers significantly increased by 33.0%, resulting in a 33.0% increase in grain yield and 8.0% improvement of N use efficiency (NUE). Grain yields were significantly increased in all three paddy fields assessed, with IRM being the most important factor for grain yield and productive tiller development. Effects of paddy field type and N level on N uptake by aboveground plants were reflected in the rice reproductive growth period, with the effects of IRM more striking due to the dry climate conditions. In conclusion, IRM simultaneously improved rice yield and NUE, presenting a valuable rice management technique in the paddy fields assessed.     

Effect of soil pore size distribution on plant-available water and least limiting water range as soil physical quality indicators

Soil pore size distribution(SPSD) is one of the most important soil physical properties. This research investigated the relationships of location and shape parameters of the SPSD curves with plant-available water(PAW) and least limiting water range(LLWR) of the light-textured soils at the Torogh Agricultural Research Station in north-eastern Iran. Soil moisture release curve(SMRC), PAW and LLWR in matric heads of 100 and 330 h Pa for the field capacity and location and shape parameters of the SPSD curves of 30 soils with different texture and organic carbon contents were determined, and the variable relationships were statistically analyzed. The results showed that the median equivalent pore diameter(de), mean de, standard deviation(SD*), and skewness of the SPSD curves were significantly correlated with PAW(PAW330) and LLWR(LLWR330) measured in a matric head of 330 h Pa. Decrease in deand increase in the diversity of soil pore size(SD*) increased PAW330 and LLWR330. The SD* values of all the soil samples were lower than the optimal ranges suggested in literature. Neither PAW nor LLWR values were significantly different in the soils with the optimal modal deand those with non-optimal modal de. Optimal values of median and mean equivalent pore diameters and kurtosis of SPSD curves led to a significant improvement of PAW330 and LLWR330 as soil physical quality indicators. It was recommended to revise the optimal ranges for SD* and modal defor future studies.