Effect of farm management on topsoil organic carbon and aggregate stability in water: A case study from Southwest England,UK

There are few reliable data sets to inspire confidence in policymakers that soil organic carbon (SOC) can be measured on farms. We worked with farmers in the Tamar Valley region of southwest England to select sampling sites under similar conditions (soil type, aspect and slope) and management types. Topsoils (2–15 cm) were sampled in autumn 2015, and percentage soil organic matter (%SOM) was determined by loss on ignition and used to calculate %SOC. We also used the stability of macroaggregates in cold water (WSA) (‘soil slaking’) as a measure of ‘soil health’ and investigated its relationship with SOC in the clay‐rich soils. %SOM was significantly different between management types in the order woodland (11.1%) = permanent pasture (9.5%) > ley‐arable rotation (7.7%) = arable (7.3%). This related directly to SOC stocks that were larger in fields under permanent pasture and woodland compared with those under arable or ley‐arable rotation whether corrected for clay content (F = 8.500, p < .0001) or not (F = 8.516, p < .0001). WSA scores were strongly correlated with SOC content whether corrected for clay content (SOC_adj R² = .571, p < .0001) or not (SOC_unadj R² = 0.490, p = .002). Time since tillage controlled SOC stocks and WSA scores, accounting for 75.5% and 51.3% of the total variation, respectively. We conclude that (1) SOC can be reliably measured in farmed soils using accepted protocols and related to land management and (2) WSA scores can be rapidly measured in clay soils and related to SOC stocks and soil management.     

Relationships Among the Feeding Behaviors of a Mirid Bug on Cotton Leaves of Different Ages and Plant Biochemical Substances

Apolygus lucorum (Meyer-Dür) (Hemiptera: Miridae) tends to feed on young plant tissues. To explore the relationship between stylet probing behaviors of adult A. lucorum and conditions of cotton leaves, we conducted an experiment using electropenetrography (EPG). Behaviors were recorded on four cotton varieties, in relation to thickness and biochemical traits of differently-aged leaves. Cotton leaf age had a significant effect on the probing behavior of A. lucorum but cotton variety did not. One-day-old leaves of A. lucorum received the highest mean number of stylet probes (penetrations) per insect, and longest mean durations per insect of combined stylet probing or its components, cell rupture and ingestion behaviors. All of the leaf traits (thickness and biochemical substances) were similar among these four cotton varieties. Leaf thickness had a significantly negative effect on the same four variables above. Gossypol and tannin also had a negative impact on combined probing duration. Redundancy analysis showed that the four EPG variables were closely related to nutrient substances (amino acids, sugar, and water) while they had the opposite relationship with plant defense substances (gossypol and tannin). On cotton in the seedling stages, A. lucorum fed more readily on the youngest, thinnest leaves in our no-choice EPG experiments. Nutrients and chemical resistance substances determined the probing duration of A. lucorum. Our findings can contribute to better understanding of patterns of feeding and host consumption by A. lucorum, ultimately improving cotton resistance to A. lucorum.     

基于卷积神经网络马铃薯叶片病害识别和病斑检测*

针对自然环境下马铃薯叶片病害识别率低和晚疫病斑定位难的问题,基于大田环境中采集的马铃薯叶片图像,首先对马铃薯叶片病害进行识别,对比AlexNet、VGG16、InceptionV3、ResNet50、MobileNet五种神经网络模型,结果表明InceptionV3模型的识别效果准确率最高,可达98.00%。其次对马铃薯叶片的晚疫病斑进行检测,提出一种改进型的CenterNet-SPP模型,该模型通过特征提取网络获取对象的中心点,再通过中心点回归获得中心点偏移量、目标大小等图像信息,训练后的模型在验证集下的mAP可达90.03%,以F₁为评价值分析对比其它目标检测模型,CenterNet-SPP模型的效果最好,准确率为94.93%,召回率为90.34%,F₁值为92.58%,平均检测一张图像耗时0.10 s。为自然环境下马铃薯叶片病害识别和检测提供较为全面的深度学习算法和模型研究基础。     

马尾松叶表微生物多样性

为发掘对林木生长发育有利的优良微生物资源,并筛选适合叶表微生物的收集方法,以马尾松针叶为试验材料,分别用悬摇法和超声波法收集马尾松叶表微生物,用扩增子高通量测序技术、MUSCLE和Qiime软件研究马尾松叶表微生物的多样性。结果表明:扫描电镜观测结果显示,马尾松针叶表面定殖有大量微生物,包括真菌(菌丝及孢子)和细菌。扩增子高通量测序结果表明,马尾松叶表微生物物种丰富,包含细菌运算分类单位(OTUs)490个,真菌OTUs 1273个。马尾松叶表细菌以未分类的蓝细菌属(unidentified_Cyanobacteria)(36.53%)、未分类的拜叶林克氏菌属(unidentified_Beijerinckia)(28.60%)、鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)(2.35%)为优势属;叶表真菌以枝孢属(Cladosporium)(2.45%)、拟盘多毛孢属(Pestalotiopsis)(0.92%)、无头孢菌属(Capnobotryella)(0.91%)为优势属。针对叶表细菌多样性的研究表明,悬摇法和超声波法均有较高的物种检出度;在叶表真菌多样性的研究中超声波法优于悬摇法,但超声波法样品间数据变异性较大,测定结果不稳定。     

太子参须提取物对鸭流感病毒体外试验初探

为尝试性探究太子参须提取物对鸭H9N2亚型流感病毒体外生长的抑制作用,本文基于TCID50试验检测鸭H9N2亚型流感病毒体外感染不同处理组的MDCK细胞。结果表明,太子参须提取物高低剂量组(75%、25%)和黄芪多糖阳性对照组均对鸭H9N2亚型流感病毒体外生长产生抑制,且太子参须提取物高剂量组(75%)的抑制作用最优。结论:太子参须提取物对鸭H9N2亚型流感病毒在MDCK细胞上的体外增殖具有一定抑制作用,且呈相应剂量关系。     

Determination of critical nitrogen dilution curve based on leaf area index for winter wheat in the Guanzhong Plain,Northwest China

Excessive use of nitrogen(N) fertilizers in agricultural systems increases the cost of production and risk of environmental pollution. Therefore, determination of optimum N requirements for plant growth is necessary. Previous studies mostly established critical N dilution curves based on aboveground dry matter(DM) or leaf dry matter(LDM) and stem dry matter(SDM), to diagnose the N nutrition status of the whole plant. As these methods are time consuming, we investigated the more rapidly determined leaf area index(LAI) method to establish the critical nitrogen(N_c) dilution curve, and the curve was used to diagnose plant N status for winter wheat in Guanzhong Plain in Northwest China. Field experiments were conducted using four N fertilization levels(0, 105, 210 and 315 kg ha-1) applied to six wheat cultivars in the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 growing seasons. LAI, DM, plant N concentration(PNC) and grain yield were determined. Data points from four cultivars were used for establishing the N_c curve and data points from the remaining two cultivars were used for validating the curve. The N_c dilution curve was validated for N-limiting and non-N-limiting growth conditions and there was good agreement between estimated and observed values. The N nutrition index(NNI) ranged from 0.41 to 1.25 and the accumulated plant N deficit(N_(and)) ranged from 60.38 to –17.92 kg ha~(-1) during the growing season. The relative grain yield was significantly affected by NNI and was adequately described with a parabolic function. The N_c curve based on LAI can be adopted as an alternative and more rapid approach to diagnose plant N status to support N fertilization decisions during the vegetative growth of winter wheat in Guanzhong Plain in Northwest China.     

Phenotypic plasticity of two invasive alien plant species inside a deciduous forest in a strict nature reserve in Italy

ABSTRACT

Invasive alien plant species (IAPs) represent one of the main biological threats to biodiversity worldwide. Information about their phenotypic plasticity are needed to increase awareness about their future invasive potential. A study about phenotypic plasticity in response to contrasting light regimes and its quantification by a plasticity index (PI) of two IAPs (Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia) inside a Strict Nature Reserve was conducted. R. pseudoacacia showed a 70% higher PI, with a strongly greater value at morphological leaf level, associated with a greater ability to survive and grow in forest understory, explaining its greater widespread. Otherwise, A. altissima showed its highest PI at physiological level, which was associated with the ability to colonize and grow in environments with high-light regimes. Based on these results, the conservative management has limited the presence of A. altissima by its lower ability to grow in forest understory. In fact, the small-scale gaps in the forest infrastructure, that could allow its recruitment, are originated only from the death of a single tree or small group of trees. Regarding R. pseudoacacia, it is critical to maintain this type of management because any disturbances resulting in large openings could further promote its presence inside the Reserve.     

响应面法优化荷叶豆乳饮料配方的研究

为研制出一款营养丰富、口感独特的荷叶豆乳饮料，以感官评定值为指标，在单因素试验的基础上，通过响应面法优化饮料配方。结果表明，荷叶豆乳的最优配方为：苹果汁添加量5%（V/V），荷叶浸提物添加量16%（V/V），白砂糖添加量6%（m/V），豆乳添加量6%（V/V），此时响应面预测的感官评分达86.4分。按照该配方制作的荷叶豆乳饮料色泽均匀，荷叶香味怡人，甜酸比适中，无豆腥味，无明显分层。