Phenological and physiological evaluation of first and second cropping periods of sorghum and maize crops

Environmental conditions influence phenology and physiological processes of plants. It is common for maize and sorghum to be sown at two different periods: the first cropping (spring/summer) and the second cropping (autumn/winter). The phenological cycle of these crops varies greatly according to the planting season, and it is necessary to characterize the growth and development to facilitate the selection of the species best adapted to the environment. The aim of this study was to characterize phenological phases and physiological parameters in sorghum and maize plants as a function of environmental conditions from the first cropping and second cropping periods. Two parallel experiments were conducted with both crops. The phenological characterization was based on growth analyses (plant height, leaf area and photoassimilate partitioning) and gas exchange evaluations (net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water-use efficiency). It was found that the vegetative stage (VS) for sorghum and maize plants was 7 and 21 days, respectively, longer when cultivated during the second cropping. In the first cropping, the plants were taller than in the second cropping, regardless of the crop. The stomatal conductance of sorghum plants fluctuated in the second cropping during the development period, while maize plants showed decreasing linear behaviour. Water-use efficiency in sorghum plants was higher during the second cropping compared with the first cropping. In maize plants, in the second cropping, the water-use efficiency showed a slight variation in relation to the first cropping. It was concluded that the environmental conditions as degree-days, temperature, photoperiod and pluvial precipitation influence the phenology and physiology of both crops during the first and the second cropping periods, specifically cycle duration, plant height, leaf area, net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency, indicating that both crops respond differentially to environmental changes during the growing season.     

春大棚基质化栽培辣椒品种比较试验

为了提高甜辣椒规模化、产业化生产的竞争力,进一步提高产量、效益和品质,加快甜辣椒栽培管理技术的推广和应用,特引进7个辣椒新品种并采用基质化栽培管理模式进行对比研究。通过对辣椒生长势、品质和产量的比较分析,结果表明:夏驰、国福908、海迈604表现突出,具有个大、肉厚、口感好、品质优、连续坐果性好等特点,而且产量、效益较高,抗病性强,适合设施基质化栽培生产,有很好的推广价值。     

闽南山地卷荚相思家系造林试验

为了筛选出适合闽南北部山地栽培的优良卷荚相思家系,华安金山国有林场优选9个卷荚相思家系进行造林试验,对不同家系林分的生长性状、适应性和抗逆性进行对比分析。结果表明,参试家系均表现出较强的抗风性和抗寒性,可以适应闽南北部区域环境。但不同家系的树高、胸径、材积和枝下高差异显著或极显著,其中Z5和Z7家系的生长表现优于其他家系,其树高、胸径、材积、枝下高比群体均值分别提高10.80%～11.59%、11.85%～15.05%、35.62%～41.78%和10.98%～13.41%。Z5和Z7家系初步评价为优良家系,可作为卷荚相思在闽南北部推广造林的推荐材料。     

栽植密度对不同种源芡实生长的影响

对不同栽植密度条件下,不同种源地芡实的生长情况进行了调查研究,结果表明:不同栽植密度间芡实的叶均直径、叶最大直径、果径、果长、果质量、粒数、粒质量均无明显差异,不同栽植密度间产量存在差异;不同种源地间8项物理性状指标均无明显差异;除果长与栽植密度的交互作用对产量无影响外,其余6种性状与栽植密度的交互作用均存在差异,表明交互作用对产量有影响。7种性状与种源地的交互作用下,种源地与产量间的关联不大。     

铅(Pb2+)和镉(Cd2+)对火炬树种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响

【目的】研究不同浓度重金属铅(Pb^2+)和镉(Cd^2+)对火炬树Rhus typhina种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响,探索火炬树对重金属铅、镉胁迫的耐受程度及机理。【方法】采用培养皿滤纸发芽法,分别用不同浓度Pb^2+(300、600、900、1200、1500 mmol/L)、Cd^2+(140、280、420、560、700 mmol/L)溶液处理火炬树种子,测定种子发芽率、发芽指数、幼苗胚根长和茎长、硫代巴比妥酸(TBARS)含量、可溶性蛋白含量、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性及过氧化物酶(POD)活性。【结果】与对照相比,不同浓度Pb^2+、Cd^2+均对火炬树种子的发芽率、发芽指数和幼苗生长有抑制作用,但低浓度Pb^2+可促进根长和芽长的伸长。随着Pb^2+和Cd^2+溶液浓度的增加,幼苗叶片中SOD活性和可溶性蛋白含量表现为先增加后降低,POD活性和TBARS含量均逐渐升高。其中,Cd^2+浓度为700 mmol/L时,发芽率、发芽指数、芽长和SOD活性达到最低值,而TBARS含量最高;Pb^2+浓度为1500 mmol/L时,根长达到最低值,POD活性达到最高值;Pb^2+浓度为600 mmol/L时,可溶性蛋白含量最高。【结论】Pb^2+浓度为300 mmol/L时会抑制火炬树种子萌发,但会促进幼苗生长,其余浓度Pb^2+、Cd^2+胁迫下,火炬树种子与幼苗受到一定影响,但是均较好完成了萌发与幼苗生长,并表现出多种积极的适应性特征,未出现无根苗现象,火炬树较其他木本植物对铅、镉2种重金属表现出更强的耐性。本试验结果可为今后选用火炬树作为重金属污染土壤的植物修复材料提供理论参考。     

湖北省甘蓝产业发展现状分析

湖北省是蔬菜大省,甘蓝是湖北省蔬菜主产区的骨干品种。通过对湖北省甘蓝产业发展现状进行阐述,从3方面对湖北省甘蓝产业概况展开介绍:甘蓝在湖北省的地位、湖北省甘蓝区域化优势、品牌优势对湖北省甘蓝带动作用,并对湖北甘蓝品种茬口格局、甘蓝病虫害发生情况、甘蓝采后贮运销售情况进行介绍,列出了目前湖北省甘蓝产业发展存在的问题,并提出了对策及建议:着眼于全产业,提升产业竞争力;注重科技手段,提升育种能力;农机农艺结合,规模化高效种植;注重土壤管理,营造良好生长环境;加大科研力度,改善尾菜处理。     

Growth and survival of juvenile red drum,Sciaenops ocellatus,acclimated to freshwater at three different stocking densities in a partial recirculation system

Preliminary technical baseline information for the inland culture of juvenile red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in a freshwater fish hatchery is presented. Three initial stocking densities (d₁ = 83, d₂ = 167, and d₃ = 250 fish/m³) were tested in a semirecirculation system for 575 days using a commercially available feed (48.1% protein, 25% lipids, and 0.13% fiber). Initial and final mean fish weight were 7.11 ± 0.02 g and 287.6 ± 27 g. As carrying capacity appeared to have been reached, only data from Days 1–333 were analyzed. One‐way ANOVA analyses indicated that the survival rate of the smaller density (d₁ =40 ± 3.7%) was significantly different from the other two densities (d₃ = 21 ± 1.1% and d₂ = 23 ± 1.0%), which did not differ between them. Absolute growth rate (0.87 ± 0.02 g/day) was not significantly different between densities (F = 0.23. p = .801). Neither was weight significantly different between treatments. There were significant differences in the feed conversion rate (FCR) between densities (F = 8.54; p = .02). FCR for d₁ was significantly lower than for the two other densities, which did not differ from each other. A von Bertalanffy growth model was adjusted (R² = 0.95), and weight–length relationship presented negative allometric values (b = 2.85, R² = 0.98).     

Comparative effect of advanced soy products or corn protein concentrate with porcine meal on growth,body composition,and distal intestine histology of Florida pompano,Trachinotus carolinus

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of diets containing advanced soy products (enzyme‐treated soy and fermented soy) or corn protein concentrate (CPC) in combination with porcine meal (PM) to completely replace poultry byproduct meal (PBM) on growth performance, body composition, and distal intestine histology of Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Four experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isolipidic, to contain 400 g/kg crude protein and 80 g/kg lipid. A reference diet (PBM diet [PBMD]) contained 150 g/kg PBM and 495 g/kg soybean meal (SBM), and three test diets were formulated replacing PBM with 15 g/kg of CPC (CPC diet [CPCD]) or replacing all SBM and PBM with 535 g/kg fermented soy (fermented soybean meal diet [FSBMD]) or 451.3 g/kg enzyme‐treated soy (enzyme‐treated soybean meal diet [ESBMD]). All three test diets were supplemented with 38 g/kg of PM. Diets were fed based on a percentage of bodyweight adjusted after sampling the fish every 2 weeks to triplicate groups of Florida pompano juveniles (mean weight 8.06 ± 0.22 g). After 8 weeks of feeding, fish fed CPCD and ESBMD performed equally well in terms of final body weight, thermal growth coefficient, and percentage weight gain in comparison to fish fed PBMD. In all cases, feeding FSBMD resulted in poor feed conversion and lower feed intake compared to other treatments. Protein retention efficiency, whole‐body proximate composition, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and zinc contents were not significantly influenced by the dietary treatments. The results obtained in the present histological study showed no significant differences in the thickness of serous layer, muscular layer, and submucosal layer of the intestine among treatments. Fish fed CPCD showed a significant widening of the lamina propria with an increase of cellular infiltration and higher presence of goblet cells compared to other dietary treatment. Based on these results, 451 g/kg ESBM or combination of 150 g/kg of CPC and 495 g/kg SBM supplemented with 38 g/kg PM can be utilized to develop a practical diet for juvenile Florida pompano without impacting growth, nutritive parameters, and several distal intestine health parameters.     

Effects of Salinity,Commercial Salts,and Water Type on Cultivation of the Cryptophyte Microalgae Rhodomonas salina and the Calanoid Copepod Acartia tonsa

Marine aquaculture facilities positioned far from the sea need access to seawater (SW); hence, commercial salts are often the chosen solution. In marine hatcheries, most fish larvae require live feed (zooplankton) that are in turn fed with microalgae. The objective of this research was to investigate the applicability of commercial salts and clarify the potential effects on the cultivation of the microalga Rhodomonas salina and the copepod Acartia tonsa. Three commercial salts were tested, Red Sea Salt (RS), Red Sea – Coral Pro Salt (CP), and Blue Treasure Salt. R. salina was cultured at salinities of 10, 20, and 30 psu resulting in equal growth rates at salinities 20 and 30 in SW and RS mixed with deionized (DI) water. The optimum salinity for R. salina was 29 psu. For A. tonsa eggs, we observed highest hatching success in 30 psu with CP or RS mixed with DI water. The egg hatching success was not affected by salinities 15–40 and optimal hatching was obtained at 27 psu. Results confirm it was possible to use commercial salts for rearing of both R. salina and A. tonsa, widening the application of these species for aquaculture facilities without access to SW.     

Knockdown of HMGA2 gene inhibits TGF-β1-induced human embryonic lung fibroblast growth and collagen synthesis

AIM: To investigate the effects of high mobility group A2(HMGA2) gene knockdown on the cell viability, apoptosis, collagen synthesis and oxidative stress of human embryonic lung fibroblast (HELF) induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). METHODS: The HELF were divided into blank group, TGF-β1 group,negative control (NC) group and HMGA2 siRNA(si-HMGA2) group. The protein levels of HMGA2, AKT and p-AKT were determined by Western blot. The cell viability and apoptotic rate was analyzed by MTT assay and flow cytometry,respectively. The mRNA expression of collagen I (COL-Ⅰ) and COL-Ⅲ was detected by RT-qPCR. DCFH-DA was used to detect the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS). RESULTS: Compared with blank group, the protein levels of HMGA2 and p-AKT, the cell viability, the mRNA expression of COL-Ⅰ and COL-Ⅲ in TGF-β1 group were significantly increased, but the apoptotic rate and ROS level were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with TGF-β1 group, the protein levels of HMGA2 and p-AKT, the cell viability, the mRNA expression of COL-Ⅰ and COL-Ⅲ in si-HMGA2 group were significantly decreased, but the apoptotic rate and ROS level were significantly increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Knockdown of HMGA2 gene expression decreases the viability and collagen synthesis, and promotes apoptosis and ROS production of human embryonic lung fibroblasts induced by TGF-β1. The mechanism may be related to down-regulation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.