Impact of soil water content on maize responses to the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1

Members of the bacterial genus Azospirillum are root-associated bacteria that increase yield in cereals by promoting growth and alleviating drought stress. How plants integrate the many bacterium-derived growth-promoting stimuli with other environmental factors to generate a coordinated response remains unresolved. Using a commercial Azospirillum strain, A. lipoferum CRT1 and two host maize cultivars, it was observed that bacterization reduced the drought-induced increase in lateral root growth and enhanced the flood-induced increase in lateral root growth in the more drought- and flood-sensitive cultivar. In the other one, A. lipoferum CRT1 only elicited a moderate root growth response under low soil water potential. The photosynthetic potential and activity were increased in the earlier cultivar and decreased in the later one, irrespective of the soil water content. No impact of the bacterium was seen on the growth of the leaves of both cultivars under both stresses until the third leaf stage, therefore suggesting that it is a consequence of multiple primary adaptations to biotic and abiotic stresses. It is suggested that host–bacteria recognition leads to a stress-specific modulation of the root response and a differential stress-independent effect on photosynthesis. This is the first report of the impact of Azospirillum under flood conditions.     

云南菜豌豆栽培技术要点

菜豌豆是云南省的重要经济作物。云南地理优势独特,气候优势突出,独有的土壤,使得菜豌豆肉质绵滑,鲜嫩爽口,营养丰富,深得人们的喜爱。随着云南省农业栽培技术的不断提高,菜豌豆种植面积和规模不断扩大,种植人数也不断增加。菜豌豆远销国内各地,促进农民增收和当地农民就业。根据资料调查与分析,总结出适合云南省菜豌豆栽培的技术要点,为提高菜豌豆品质与农民增产增收提高重要保障。     

Impact of weather variables and season on sporulation of Phytophthora pluvialis and Phytophthora kernoviae

Phytophthora pluvialis and Phytophthora kernoviae are the causal agents of important needle diseases on Pinus radiata in New Zealand. Little is known about the epidemiology of the diseases, making the development of control strategies challenging. To investigate the seasonality and climatic drivers of sporulation, inoculum traps, consisting of pine fascicles floating on water in plastic containers, were exchanged fortnightly at five sites in P. radiata plantations between February 2012 and December 2014. Sections of needle baits were plated onto selective media and growth of Phytophthora pluvialis and P. kernoviae recorded. To explore the generalizability of these data, they were compared to detection data for both pathogens from the New Zealand Forest Health Database (NZFHDB). Further, equivalent analyses on infection of Rhododendron ponticum by P. kernoviae in Cornwall, UK allowed the comparison of the epidemiology of P. kernoviae across different host systems and environments. In New Zealand, inoculum of P. pluvialis and P. kernoviae was detected between January–December and March–November, respectively. Inoculum of both species peaked in abundance in late winter. The probability of detecting P. pluvialis and P. kernoviae was greater at lower temperatures, while the probability of detecting P. pluvialis also increased during periods of wet weather. Similar patterns were observed in NZFHDB data. However, the seasonal pattern of infection by P. kernoviae in the UK was the opposite of that seen for sporulation in New Zealand. Phytophthora kernoviae was likely limited by warmer and drier summers in New Zealand, but by colder winter weather in the UK. These results emphasize the importance of considering both environmental drivers and thresholds in improving our understanding of pathogen epidemiology.     

养分管理对安溪茶园土壤肥力及茶叶品质的影响

安溪是铁观音的主产区,茶园养分管理滞后已成为该地区茶叶生产的瓶颈,本研究旨在为该地区茶园的养分管理提供科学依据。试验于2015年在安溪县采集了50个茶园的茶青与土壤样品,测定了土壤5项主要肥力指标和茶青中9种主要次生代谢物含量;并根据茶农氮肥用量调研数据,初步将茶园养分管理划分为:少量、中量和过度型等三种方式。限制性主坐标轴分析发现,此分类方式可解释34.4%(P0.001)茶园土壤肥力参数的总体差异,说明此分类方式能反映出不同茶园养分管理的总体水平;并且,养分管理对表层土壤有效磷的影响最为显著。进一步分析表明,养分管理对茶青综合品质的影响可解释品质总差异的7.48%(P0.001);大部分茶青次生代谢物在中量型管理下含量最高。说明养分管理影响安溪茶园土壤的肥力状况,施肥量过高或过低均不利于高品质茶叶的生产,该地区的建议施氮量约为200～400 kg·hm~(–2)·a~(–1)。     

Innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3): Past,present and future research

The recent change in the regional development strategy of the European Union (EU) results in an important need to study the terms of change and their respective implications. This study seeks, through a bibliometric analysis, to ascertain the developments taking place in studies on research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3) to identify shortcomings and opportunities for future research. This bibliometric review drew upon the Scopus database with the sample selected containing all the articles containing the keywords “Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation” or “RIS3.” This correspondingly reports how some authors maintain that the path the EU should take involves imitative innovation. Meanwhile, others propose that each region should specialise in those industries that are already established there and thus avoid targeting any areas they do not already know/specialise in. Our findings detail six clusters in RIS3 research, which help in contextualising the literature review: (a) business discovery; (b) smart specialisation; (c) innovation; (d) specialisation; (e) regional policies; and (f) regional development. This study furthermore sets out perspectives for future lines of research and correspondingly seeks to convey a vast theoretical basis that may serve as the point of departure for future studies.     

The impact of external knowledge sourcing on innovation outcomes in rural and urban businesses in the U.S.

This paper examines the relationship between external knowledge sourcing and a diverse set of innovation outcomes in rural and urban establishments in the U.S. Existing studies in the broader knowledge management literature principally examine firms in a single industry, overwhelmingly rely on patent data to proxy for innovation, and cannot account for the innovations of businesses in rural American markets. By addressing these limitations using data from the 2014 Rural Establishment Innovation Survey of the USDA's Economic Research Service, this research provides novel insights into how externally acquired knowledge by American establishments may support innovation. Results of the analysis suggest that external knowledge sourcing may specifically promote product, process, and green innovation in U.S. firms. While collective results when external sources of information are divided by industry orientation fail to show that sources outside of a firm's industry play a dominant role in the innovation processes of American establishments in general, findings provide evidence for an outsized impact of these relationships within rural establishments specifically and suggest that external knowledge sourcing from extra‐industry organizations is most critical for promoting successful innovation in rural firms. Results additionally indicate that knowledge sourcing from non‐local organizations may be more important for supporting innovation in rural compared to urban markets.     

The role of ear environment in postharvest susceptibility of maize to toxigenic Aspergillus flavus

A kernel screening assay (KSA) was used to assess the genetic and environmental effects on the vulnerability of maize to aflatoxin accumulation. Kernels of 26 inbred lines that had been grown in seven environments, and 190 lines of the Intermated B73xMo17 (IBM) population grown in one location in the United States, were inoculated with a toxigenic strain of A. flavus and incubated in the dark at 30°C for 6 days. Percent kernel colonization (PKC), sporulation and aflatoxin were influenced by the maize genotypes (G), the location (“ear environment” or E) and the GxE interactions. Overall, low broad‐sense heritabilities were observed for PKC, sporulation and aflatoxin. PKC was significantly correlated with sporulation in all environments. Aflatoxin was positively correlated with colonization for two and with sporulation for all ear environments. Higher grain sulphur or magnesium in IBM was associated with less colonization or aflatoxin. Postharvest susceptibility of maize to aflatoxin is thus influenced by factors that are modulated by the ear environment. In a KSA, sporulation could be a proxy test for aflatoxin accumulation.     

Development of colchicine‐induced tetraploid St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) lines

St. Augustinegrass is well suited for lawns and commercial landscapes. While many genotypes are cross‐fertile, all cultivars are propagated vegetatively in sod production. To ensure varietal purity, development of sterile triploid hybrids by crossing tetraploid and diploid genotypes has been successfully used in other warm‐season turfgrasses. Applying this model in St. Augustinegrass would be beneficial to sod producers and turf managers who require purity for certification and uniformity for performance, respectively. This study was conducted to develop colchicine‐induced tetraploid lines of St. Augustinegrass. Seeds of cultivar ‘Raleigh’ were treated with four colchicine concentrations at four exposure times. A non‐treated control was included among the treatments. Seedlings that germinated were screened for genome size changes using flow cytometry. Line DSA 13005 and two progeny lines derived through selfing, DSA 16001 and DSA 16016, were corroborated as tetraploids (2n = 4x = 36) through chromosome counts. These lines will be used in future breeding efforts to attempt development of sterile triploid cultivars of St. Augustinegrass.     

五大连池火山山杨叶功能性状的变异特征

  目的  探讨五大连池火山山杨叶功能性状特征，揭示植物对火山生境的适应，以及对不同坡向的生存策略，为特殊生境和微地形生境下植物的适应机制提供参考依据。  方法  以5座火山共有植物山杨为对象，测定叶面积（LS）、叶厚度（LT）、比叶面积（SLA）、叶干物质量（LDMC）、叶碳含量（LCC）、叶氮含量（LNC）、叶磷含量（LPC）和叶氮磷比（LNP）等8种功能性状在坡向间、火山间的变化规律和变异特征，分析叶功能性状间相互关系和主成分。  结果  （1）除LCC外，其他7种功能性状在南北坡向间均具有显著差异，LT、LDMC、LNC、LNP表现为南坡大于北坡，而LS、LCC、LPC表现为南坡小于北坡。（2）山杨SLA、LCC、LPC在新、老期火山间差异显著，但在老期火山间差异不显著。（3）火山南坡、北坡山杨LT与LDMC呈显著负相关，南、北坡向及火山间山杨LNP与LNC均呈极显著正相关、与LPC呈极显著的负相关关系。（4）火山环境中山杨LNP、LPC、LNC和LS在叶功能性状分化中起到主要贡献作用。  结论  五大连池火山山杨叶功能性状的变异与火山喷发的特殊性有关，山杨通过调节自身功能性状形成不同的生存策略来适应南、北坡向和不同火山环境，在生长过程中更容易受到氮元素缺乏的限制。火山森林生态系统是一个特殊环境，研究火山植被演替和植物功能性状等问题需要结合火山喷发的特殊情况深入讨论。