Effect of Fertilization Systems on Soil Microbial Biomass and Mineral Nitrogen during Canola (Brassica napus L.) Development Stages

The dynamics of microbial biomass and mineral nitrogen (N) during two growth stages were compared in soils under different fertilization treatments. At stem elongation, the fertilizer system had more N in the mineral pools, whereas manure and integrated systems had more N in the microbial biomass, indicating shifts in N pools between the two systems. At the flowering stage, integrated (manure + fertilizer) and manure systems had more N in two pools, indicating release of plant-available N from the microbial biomass. The carbon (C) / N ratio of the microbial biomass was significantly greater in manure and integrated treatments than in fertilizer treatments. Soil mineral N was significantly positively correlated with seed yield at the stem elongation stage, whereas it was positively correlated with soil microbial biomass C at the flowering stage. Stepwise regressions revealed that seed yield was significantly associated with mineral N at stem elongation and microbial biomass N at the flowering stage.     

不同油料籽实日粮对奶牛养分表观消化率、生产性能及血液指标的影响

本试验目的在于研究在日粮中添加3种富含不饱和脂肪酸的油料籽实对泌乳早期奶牛养分表观消化率及泌乳性能的影响。试验挑取80头泌乳早期[(43±25)DIM]荷斯坦奶牛,随机分成4个处理组,进行为期10周的饲养试验。按照等能等蛋白的日粮配置原则:对照组饲喂基础日粮(精粗比55∶45),3个试验组分别添加占日粮干物质10%的膨化大豆、5%的双低油菜籽和10%的全棉籽替代基础日粮中部分精料和羊草,使试验组日粮中粗脂肪含量在5%左右。结果表明:(1)添加膨化大豆有提高养分表观消化率的趋势,而棉籽组和双低油菜籽组日粮各养分表观消化率均低于另外2组;(2)添加油料籽实有改善泌乳初期奶牛体况的趋势,而添加膨化大豆提高了常乳产量(P<0.05)以及乳蛋白产量,但是对乳脂产量有一定的抑制作用(P>0.05);(3)添加油料籽实的3组奶牛血液中总胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白、低密度脂蛋白以及甘油三酯浓度均高于对照组。     

油菜受粉期胚囊的退化对其产量的影响初探

开花三天之内授粉，油菜结实率最高。开花三天以后授粉，在子房基部偶然有个别胚珠大，但没见到成熟的种子。一般地，开花三天后胚囊内容物开始退化，到六天时，退化至珠被细胞。     

Control of apothecia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by soil amendment with S-H mixture or Perlka in bean, canola and wheat fields

Ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum produced from apothecia are the primary source of inoculum for causing diseases such as white mold of common bean, pod rot of pea, stem blight of canola and head rot of sunflower and safflower in the Canadian prairies. A field study was conducted for 4 years to determine efficacy of control of production of apothecia from carpogenically germinated sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum by soil amendment with Perlka^® (calcium cyanamide) and S-H mixture (a formulated compound). Results of the 4-year experiments showed that amendment of soil with Perlka^® at low (30 g/m²) or high (60 g/m²) rate was effective in reducing carpogenic germination of sclerotia and production of apothecia under the canopy of host crops (common bean and canola) and a non-host crop (wheat). In the experiments of 1988, for example, the numbers of apothecia produced in the treatments of Perlka^®-low rate (30 g/m²), Perlka^®-high rate (60 g/m²) and untreated control were 42, 46, and 182 apothecia/plot (m²), respectively, for bean; 89, 42, and 318 apothecia/plot (m²), respectively, for canola; and 146, 143, and 412 apothecia/plot (m²), respectively, for wheat. However, soil amendment of S-H mixture at low (30 g/m²) or high (60 g/m²) rate was ineffective in reducing carpogenic germination of sclerotia and production of apothecia for all the 4 years of testing in all three crops. The ineffectiveness of S-H mixture and the practicality of Perlka^® for control of Sclerotinia diseases of crops grown under Canadian prairie conditions are discussed.     

Incongruous variation of denitrifying bacterial communities as soil N level rises in Canadian canola fields

Soil N fertilization stimulates the activity of the soil bacterial species specialized in performing the different steps of the denitrification processes. Different responses of these bacterial denitrifiers to soil N management could alter the efficiency of reduction of the greenhouse gas N₂O into N₂ gas in cultivated fields. We used next generation sequencing to show how raising the soil N fertility of Canadian canola fields differentially modifies the diversity and composition of nitrite reductase (nirK and nirS) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene-carrying denitrifying bacterial communities, based on a randomized complete blocks field experiment. Raising soil N levels increased up to 60% the ratio of the nirK to nirS genes, the two nitrite reductase coding genes, in the Brown soil and up to 300% in the Black soil, but this ratio was unaffected in the Dark Brown soil. Raising soil N levels also increased the diversity of the bacteria carrying the nitrite reductase gene nirK (Simpson index, P = 0.0417 and Shannon index, 0.0181), and changed the proportions of the six dominant phyla hosting nirK, nirS, and nosZ gene-carrying bacteria. The level of soil copper (Cu) and the abundance of nirK gene, which codes for a Cu-dependent nitrite reductase, were positively related in the Brown (P = 0.0060, R² = 0.48) and Dark Brown (0.0199, R² = 0.59) soils, but not in the Black soil. The level of total diversity of the denitrifying communities tended to remain constant as N fertilization induced shifts in the composition of these denitrifying communities. Together, our results indicate that higher N fertilizer rate increases the potential risk of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission from canola fields by promoting the proliferation of the mostly adaptive N₂O-producing over the less adaptive N₂O-reducing bacterial community.     

Effect of inoculum density and quantitative PCR-based detection of Rhizoctonia solani AG-2-1 and Fusarium avenaceum on canola

Canola seedling blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, and Fusarium spp., can result in large yield losses to canola (Brassica napus) at high inoculum pressure. The effect of inoculum density was studied by mixing different amounts of R. solani AG-2-1 and Fusarium avenaceum into a sterilized natural soil and soil-less mix (2:1, v:v) separately, and recording seedling emergence, damping-off and seedling height within ten days after seeding; root rot severity at 12 days after seeding and seed yield at harvest on canola cultivars ‘45H29’ and ‘73-77RR’. Root rot severity increased and emergence, plant height and seed yield decreased with increased inoculum density of both R. solani and F. avenaceum. For quantification of R. solani AG-2-1, a primer and TaqMan probe set (Rs21F/Rs21R/Rs21P) was designed based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of R. solani AG-2-1. From a conventional PCR amplification, an 88-bp product was amplified from all isolates classified as AG-2-1 with the primers Rs21F and Rs21R. No product was amplified with DNA from isolates belonging to other anastomosis groups of R. solani, other pathogens or the host plant. By using quantitative PCR, DNA amounts as low as 100 fg of R. solani AG-2-1 were detected. The quantity of DNA from soil samples with different inoculum densities estimated using qPCR was highly correlated to the number of colony-forming units (cfu) obtained from the same soil samples for both R. solani AG-2-1 and F. avenaceum.     

A bioplastic-based seed coating improves seedling growth and reduces production of coated seed dust

Although recently introduced, film-coating of agronomic seeds is now widely accepted in modern agriculture as an effective technology for protecting germinating seeds and seedlings. These experiments explored the possibility of using a bioplastic-based formulation to film-coat corn (maize; Zea mays L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) seeds, alone and in combination with synthetic pesticides and plant growth-promoting bacteria. The thin bioplastic coat did not affect percent germination or seedling growth. However, incorporating spores of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Bacillus subtilis QST 713 into the bioplastic matrix resulted in a greater elongation of corn and canola seedlings than that of seedlings from untreated seeds. Specifically, stems and roots of seedlings that germinated from corn seeds coated with bioplastic containing spores were 18.0% and 21.4% longer, respectively, than stems and roots from uncoated control seeds. In canola seeds, these values were 19.9% and 20.9% higher for stem and roots, respectively. Incorporating a neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, and a fungicide, pyraclostrobin, into bioplastic coatings, along with B. subtilis spores, provided results comparable to spores and bioplastic alone. Coated seeds were also evaluated for their potential to generate dust after abrasion testing, using a novel image-based method made possible because seed coatings are typically artificially colored. Abraded seed coat fragments are consequently easily detectable with conventional optical instruments. Corn and canola seeds coated with bioplastic released up to 86.1% and 97.6% less dust during abrasive handling than seeds coated with a commercial seed coating matrix measured by the optical approach described here.     

Association of growth dynamics, yield components and seed quality in long-term trials covering rapeseed cultivation history at high latitudes

Brassica oilseed yield trend has declined in Finland by over 20% during the last 15 years. Improved genetic yield potential of turnip rape (B. rapa L.) and oilseed rape (B. napus L.) can be better realised with increased understanding of yield determining processes under northernmost growing conditions. This study aimed at (1) determining the genetic improvements in seed yield, yield components, quality traits and duration of the main growth phases and (2) comparing all these traits in turnip rape and oilseed rape. This work is based on the dataset from long-term Official Variety Trials (1976–2006), covering the entire historically relevant period of rapeseed cultivation in Finland. The results indicated that number of seeds per square metre dominated production of high yields, while single seed weight was not correlated with yield. Over the years, seed yields were produced with very different combinations of seed numbers and weights, differing markedly between the two crops. While high seed numbers were required for production of superior seed yields, single seed weights were not particularly high. Environmental variation markedly affected seed yield, seed number per square metre and duration of flowering compared with its effect on single seed weight. Duration of flowering was, however, negatively associated with seed number. Even though seed weight was largely determined by genotype, no marked plant breeding improvements were identified, contrary to those in number of seeds per square metre, seed yield, oil content and oil yield. For oilseed rape the increase in seed yield (41%) was far higher than for turnip rape (19%) without being associated with a longer seed-filling phase and later ripening, but rather the contrary.     

Inheritance of long chain fatty acid content in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

A large industrial oil market has recently developed for high erucic acid (>500 g kg⁻¹) rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars. This research was conducted to: (i) determine genetic effects for five fatty acids, (ii) determine if maternal effects influence fatty acid content of progeny, and (iii) estimate correlations among fatty acid contents in hybrid progeny. Lines with very high erucic acid content and very low erucic acid content were used to develop eight generations to estimate additive, dominance, and epistatic effects for fatty acid content using Generation Means Analyses. Mean oleic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosenoic and erucic acid content differed among generations and additive genetic effects were important for control of all five fatty acids, contributing from 84% to 97% of the total sums of squares for each fatty acid. Epistasis was observed in the inheritance of eicosenoic acid. Maternal effects were not detected.     

Nitrogen efficiency of canola genotypes varies between vegetative stage and grain maturity

There is no information on whether N efficiency in canola at maturity can be reliably determined by screening germplasm in the vegetative stage. Twelve canola genotypes identified in preliminary screening study as having either high or low N efficiency indices were tested for consistency in N efficiency between the vegetative stage and maturity. Plants were grown in a glasshouse under low or adequate N supply and N efficiency was assessed using the following criteria: dry weight at deficient N supply, relative yield at low vs. adequate N supply, and N utilisation efficiency. None of the 12 tested genotypes was classified as efficient or inefficient under all three criteria. One genotype (46C74) was classified as efficient under two criteria, and one genotype (Surpass 300 TT) was inefficient under two criteria. At maturity, three additional efficiency criteria were used: harvest index, N harvest index, and oil and protein concentration in seed. Two genotypes (Wesway and 46C74) (ranked as efficient at vegetative stage) remained efficient at maturity under most of the efficiency criteria used. On the other hand, genotype Surpass 603 CL ranked inefficient during the vegetative stage was ranked as efficient at maturity under two criteria. Overall, there was little consistency in the N efficiency ranking between vegetative stage and maturity in 12 tested genotypes. Screening canola germplasm for N efficiency for breeding purposes would therefore require an assessment at maturity.