A trait-based characterization of cover plants to assess their potential to provide a set of ecological services in banana cropping systems

Cover plants are one of the means to increase the functional biodiversity of fields and to enhance the ecological functions of the communities. However, the design of cropping systems including cover plants relies largely on expert knowledge. There is a lack of methods to select the best suited cover plants according to their role in the agrosystem. We propose to use functional traits to select cover plants suited to sustain ecological services in the banana agrosystems of the French West Indies. Our objectives were (i) to characterize a collection of cover plants on a trait basis, according to their potential to provide the services expected in a banana agrosystem and (ii) to discuss the potential use of this characterization for the design of innovative multi-species banana cropping systems. In these systems, four main services are targeted, i.e. controlling weeds, controlling plant-parasitic nematodes, improving soil fertility and particularly N availability, and avoiding competition with banana for resource acquisition. Three experiments were conducted, under field and controlled conditions, to evaluate the potential of a collection of 28 tropical cover plants to achieve the functions related to these services. For each cover plant, a functional profile was constructed from a combination of plant traits that are easy to assess experimentally. It described plants’ potential to achieve the functions expected in a banana agrosystem. Functional profiles required for cover plant usages were also identified. The comparison of the plant functional profiles and the functional profiles required for their usages enabled us to select the best suited plants for each usage. However, these functional profiles rarely corresponded, meaning that a cover plant is rarely sufficient to achieve all the functions required for a usage. Functional complementarities obtained by the mixture of different species of cover plants are thus often required. Compared to classical approaches of innovative cropping system design based on the experimental testing of spatial and temporal plant combinations, such a trait-based approach saves time by focusing on a shortlist of cover plants best suited according to their functions in the agrosystem.     

An assessment of subsoil organic carbon stocks in England and Wales

It is estimated that half the soil carbon globally is in the subsoil, but data are scarce. We updated estimates of subsoil organic carbon (OC) in England and Wales made by Bradley et al. (2005) using soil and land‐use databases and compared the results with other published data. We estimated that the soils of England and Wales contained 1633, 1143 and 506 Tg of OC at 0–30, 30–100 and 100–150 cm depths, respectively. Thus, half of the soil OC was found below 30 cm depth. Peat soils accounted for the largest proportion, containing 44% of all the OC below 30 cm despite their small areal extent, followed by brown soils, surface‐water gley soils, ground‐water gley soils and podzolic soils. Peat soils had more than 25% of their profile OC per unit area in the 100–150 cm depth, whereas most other soils had <8% at this depth. The differences between soil types were consistent with differences in soil formation processes. Differences in depth distributions between land uses were small, but subsoil OC stocks in cultivated soils were generally smaller than in soils under grassland or other land uses. Data on subsoil OC stocks in the literature were scarce, but what there was broadly agreed with the findings of the above database exercise. There was little evidence by which to assess how subsoil OC stocks were changing over time.     

Comparative functional responses of native and high‐impacting invasive fishes: impact predictions for native prey populations

Comparative functional responses (FRs) can predict impacts of invasive species, including piscivorous fishes, via quantifying their depletion of native food resources as a function of prey density. The utility of FRs for predicting impacts on prey populations by invasive fishes of different trophic guilds was tested here by comparing the FRs of the invaders Cyprinus carpio and Carassius auratus, with three native, trophically analogous fishes, Barbus barbus, Squalius cephalus and Tinca tinca. Chironomid larvae and Gammarus pulex were used as prey items. Predictions, developed from studies on the foraging of C. carpio and C. auratus in the literature, were that the invaders would have significantly higher consumption rates for chironomids than the native fishes, but not for G. pulex. Mean consumption rates for chironomids were significantly lower for both invaders than B. barbus and S. cephalus, but were similar to T. tinca. Barbus barbus had a significantly lower consumption rate of G. pulex than both invaders, but there were no significant differences between S. cephalus, T. tinca and the invaders. All FRs were type II, with FR curves for the invaders preying upon chironomids never being significantly higher than the native fishes, contrary to predictions. For G. pulex, some significant differences were apparent between the invaders and native fishes, but again were contrary to predictions. These results indicated that when predation impacts of invasive fishes could also be a function of their population density and body sizes, these parameters should be incorporated into FR models to improve impact predictions.     

中国竹类多样性及其重要价值

竹类属于禾本科Gramineae（Poaceae）、竹亚科Bambusoideae植物，全世界约1 500多种。中国竹类的自然分布广阔，横跨热带、亚热带和温带地区，涵盖包括台湾、香港在内的21个有竹子分布的省、自治区、直辖市和特区。中国是世界上竹类多样性最丰富的国家，也是世界上栽培竹类最丰富的国家，共有竹类植物753种（含22种引进种），约占世界总数的50%以上。同时，中国竹类在起源、遗传进化、内部构造、生态及林型等方面均具有十分丰富的多样性。中国竹类从宏观到微观所展现出的多样性特质，是大自然留给人类的宝贵遗产，对于人类认识自然、保护自然、从而更好的利用竹类资源服务于人类的长远利益，具有重要价值。文章从起源、生态、林型、物种、形态、遗传等方面概述了中国竹类的多样性，为进一步探讨竹类多样性提供基础信息。     

基于直流电机与全液压转向器直联的自动转向系统研究

针对农机装备电控液压自动转向系统生产成本高及电动方向盘自动转向系统中控制力矩小、存在自由行程的问题,设计了基于直流电机与全液压转向器直联的自动转向机构及其电控系统,该系统主要包括自动转向执行机构、自动转向控制器和液压转向机构等。自动转向执行机构与原车液压转向机构连接实现自动转向功能,考虑了底盘阿克曼角的自动转向控制器实现车轮转向的精确控制,通过在转向驱动电机输出轴安装电磁离合器和转向柱扭矩传感器实现人工驾驶模式和自动驾驶模式的自动切换。试验结果表明,车轮转角响应平均稳态误差小于0.1°,最大稳态误差为0.158°,±20°阶跃信号最快响应时间达1.2 s,超调量小于1%,可以满足对各种轮式农机的自动导航辅助驾驶转向系统性能的要求。     

温度效应对液压锥型节流阀内气穴形态的影响

液压锥型节流阀具有节流温升大的特点,在阀口部位极易产生气穴,而温度效应对气穴发展变化的影响不容忽略。为此,本文对锥型节流阀内气穴形态受温度效应的影响进行了实验研究。搭建了锥型节流阀气穴实验系统,设置了不同的温度条件和压力条件,采用有机玻璃制造实验锥型节流阀,利用高速摄像机采集气穴形态图像数据。实验表明,锥型节流阀产生的初生气穴气泡半径约为30μm;温度升高会使气穴发展更加充分,同时会降低液压油对微小气核的束缚,产生的气泡数量更多,气穴更加明显;在低强度时,锥型节流阀内气穴为片状气穴,随着气穴强度的增加,气穴会发展为云状气穴。     

不同密度紧凑型油菜的源库特征及与收获指数的相关研究

旨在为油菜株型育种和机械化栽培提供理论和技术依据。选用3个不同类型的紧凑型油菜常规品种,以松散型油菜杂交种‘秦优7号’为对照,研究了在15万、30万、45万、60万、75万、90万株/hm²密度下各品系的库源特征及其与收获指数的关系。结果表明,紧凑型油菜单株在不同密度下的库源特征与对照松散型相同,单株根、茎、枝、壳干重,角粒数和单株角果数随种植密度的增加而降低,且低密度显著高于高密度;千粒重随密度的变化不大。紧凑型油菜的生物学产量和经济产量随种植密度的增加而增加,松散型油菜随种植密度的增加而下降。说明紧凑型油菜适宜密植和机械化收获。收获指数对密度的响应在两类型品种表现一致,最低密度15万株/hm²增加到30万株/hm²时达到峰值,以后随着种植密度的继续增加而降低。收获指数与茎+枝+壳干重之和,与库性状角粒数、角果数、千粒重、单株产量,与库源关系的粒根比、粒茎比、粒枝比、粒壳比显著正相关,说明要提高收获指数不仅要扩“源”增“库”,还要协调库源的合理分配比例。     

不同土壤条件下氮肥处理对小麦产量及品质的影响

为探讨不同土壤条件下氮肥处理对小麦产量及品质的影响,采用盆栽试验,以Egypt1和津强7号为供试材料,研究不同土壤条件下氮肥处理对小麦产量及品质的影响。试验设黑土、潮土2种土壤类型和不追肥、拔节期追氮肥、挑旗期追氮肥3种肥料处理,3次重复。结果表明: 在2种土壤条件下,小麦籽粒产量和各蛋白质组分产量表现为黑土>潮土,除球蛋白产量外,土壤处理间均差异显著。不同时期追施氮肥均显著提高了籽粒产量和蛋白质产量。黑土和潮土配合追施氮肥都可以有效提高小麦籽粒产量,改善品质。     

双斜盘多排式轴向柱塞马达转矩特性分析

为了实现多级转速和转矩的输出,轴向柱塞马达必须使用节流阀、减压阀等耗能元件来改变输入压力和流量,但同时降低了效率。新型双斜盘多排式轴向柱塞马达可以利用其结构的特殊性,实现输出转矩的多样性。本文基于双斜盘多排式轴向柱塞马达的结构特点及工作原理,推导了该马达在不同工作方式下的理论瞬时转矩和转矩不均匀系数,并通过Matlab分析了内外马达转矩系数比对转矩不均匀系数的影响,设计了马达的实验液压系统并搭建了实验平台,对马达进行了原理性实验,并进行了数据分析。实验结果表明,在额定压力和额定排量下,该马达能实现多种不同的转速与转矩输出,随着内外马达转矩系数比的增大,低速大转矩的转矩不均匀系数越小,高速低转矩不稳定系数越大,通过合理设计可以实现马达在不同工作状态下的稳定运行,验证了新型马达在结构原理上的可行性,为新型轴向柱塞马达的改进设计提供了实验依据。     

马疱疹病毒1型主要毒力基因分析及TK基因缺失载体的构建

为了解新疆马疱疹病毒1型（EHV-1）主要毒力基因遗传进化情况并构建TK基因缺失株，本研究以EHV-1 XJ2015株DNA为模板，对其主要毒力基因TK、gI和gE全长进行克隆、测序及生物信息学分析，并扩增TK基因左右重组臂TKL和TKR，构建质粒pUC-TKLR，将扩增后的增强绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP，含有CMV+polyA）插入pUC-TKLR质粒，构建TK基因缺失打靶质粒。TK、gI和gE基因同源性分析结果显示，XJ2015株与国外EHV-1分离株TK、gI和gE基因同源性均较高，分别为99.8%~100.0%、99.6%~100.0%和99.9%~100.0%；与EHV-3分离株同源性均最低，分别为72.9%、59.4%和62.1%；遗传进化分析显示，3个基因均与国外EHV-1同属于一个遗传进化分支，与EHV-9和EHV-4进化关系较近，但与EHV-3进化关系较远，表明XJ2015毒株与国外EHV-1毒株TK、gI、gE基因核苷酸上差异不明显，没有明显的地域性特征，功能基因保守且进化缓慢，同源基因功能相同或相近；经PCR扩增、酶切、测序及转染鉴定，本试验成功构建了用于TK基因缺失的打靶质粒pUC-TKLR-EGFP。通过对EHV-1主要毒力基因的分析及TK基因缺失打靶载体的构建，为新疆地区马鼻肺炎流行病学调查分析、TK基因缺失株的构建提供理论依据。