The importance of reduced light intensity on the growth and development of six weed species

Crops limit light for photosynthesis and growth of weeds. We studied the effect of reduced light on performance of six weed species [one invasive species (Amsinckia micrantha), three common species (Veronica persica, Capsella bursa‐pastoris, Viola arvensis) and two less common weeds (Anagallis arvensis and Scleranthus annuus)]. In two glasshouse experiments, six light levels were achieved aiming at 0%, 20%, 50%, 80%, 90% and 95% reduction of light and corresponding with daily light integrals (DLI) of 12.4, 9.63, 7.13, 2.74, 0.95 and 0.69 mol m^?2 day^?1 in experiment 1 and 21.2, 18.0, 10.7, 3.71, 1.64 and 1.20 mol m^?2 day^?1 in experiment 2. The number of leaves was strictly controlled by DLI. Chlorophyll content index, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F_v/F_m), stomatal conductance, flowering and dry matter were strongly reduced when DLI was reduced to 0.69–3.71 mol m^?2 day^?1 for all species. Threshold DLI for flowering was ca. 3.71 mol m^?2 day^?1 for S. annuus, V. arvensis, A. arvensis and V. persica, while C. bursa‐pastoris deviated by flowering at DLI of 0.95 mol m^?2 day^?1. This may explain why C. bursa‐pastoris is common in the seedbank of Danish arable soils in spite of intensive farming with well‐fertilised and dense crops.     

Evaluation of Assouline–Or Adjusted Model to Express Soil Drainage Curve

Eurasian Soil Science - The objectives of this research are prediction of soil drainage curve using Assouline and Or (2014) adjusted soil drainage model and comparison of the predicted results with...     

Intracranial arteries of New Zealand rabbits; identification,three-dimensional modelling,and morphometry by computed tomography angiography

The aim of the study was to determine identification, three-dimensional modelling, and morphometry of intracranial arteries in New Zealand Rabbit by using computed tomography angiography. A total of 20 adult New Zealand Rabbits from both sexes were used in the study. General anaesthesia procedure was followed before computed tomography angiography imaging. Rabbits were placed in a prone position for imaging. Computed tomography angiography imaging was performed by injecting contrast agent into vena auricularis marginalis of rabbits. Morphometric measurements of the specified points were taken by MIMICS program using the computed tomography angiography images acquired. Three-dimensional intracranial artery model was prepared from the two-dimensional images on the same program. Measurements were statistically compared in terms of sex and side. It was observed in the study that arteria basilaris was generated by bilateral arteria vertebralis at the basal level of medulla oblongata. In the study, a statistically significant difference was determined only in diameter values of arteria cerebri caudalis dextra et sinistra in both female and male rabbits. On the other hand, no statistically significant difference was determined with respect to the side. Consequently, we think that the data of the present study will contribute to further studies on cerebrovascular pathology, clinicians or researchers.     

Replacing cottonseed meal with ground Prosopis juliflora pods; effect on intake,weight gain and carcass parameters of Afar sheep fed pasture hay basal diet

The experiment was conducted to determine the supplementary feeding value of ground Prosopis juliflora pod (Pjp) and cottonseed meal (CSM) and their mixtures on feed intake, body weight gain and carcass parameters of Afar sheep fed a basal diet of pasture hay. Twenty-five yearling fat-tailed Afar rams with mean initial live weight 17.24?±?1.76 kg (mean ± SD) were used in a randomized complete block design. Animals were blocked on their initial body weight. The experiment was conducted for 12 weeks and carcass evaluation followed. Treatments were hay alone ad libitum (T ₁) or with 300 g CSM (T ₂), 300 g Pjp (T ₅), 2:1 ratio (T ₃) and 1:2 ratio of CSM : Pjp (T ₄). The CP contents of the hay, CSM and Pjp were 10.5, 44.5 and 16.7 %, respectively. Hay DM intake was higher (P?<?0.05) for non-supplemented and total DM intake was lower in non-supplemented. Average daily weight gain (ADG) was lower (P?<?0.05) for T ₁ compared to all supplemented treatments except T ₅. Hot carcass weight and rib-eye muscle area also followed the same trend like that of ADG. Compared with feeding hay alone, supplementing with CSM or a mixture of CSM and Pjp appeared to be a better feeding strategy, biologically, for yearling Afar rams.     

Assessment of molecular genetic diversity of 384 chickpea genotypes and development of core set of 192 genotypes for chickpea improvement programs

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) is one of the most significant legume crops domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. This study was aimed to characterize a diverse...     

Amplified fragment length polymorphism as a tool for molecular characterization of almond germplasm: genetic diversity among cultivated genotypes and related wild species of almond,and its relationships with agronomic traits

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis is a rapid and efficient method for producing DNA fingerprints and molecular characterization. Our objectives were to: estimate genetic similarities (GS), marker indices, and polymorphic information contents (PICs) for AFLP markers in almond cultivars; assess the genetic diversity of almond cultivars and wild species, using GS estimated from AFLP fingerprints and molecular characterization; and facilitate the use of markers in inter-specific introgression and cultivar improvement. The genetic diversity of 45 almond cultivars from Iran, Europe, and America, were studied assaying 19 primer combinations. In addition, several agronomic traits were evaluated, including flowering and maturity times, self-incompatibility, and kernel and fruit properties. Out of the 813 polymerase chain reaction fragments that were scored, 781 (96.23%) were polymorphic. GS ranged from 0.5 to 0.96, marker indices ranged from 51.37 to 78.79, and PICs ranged from 0.56 to 0.86. Results allowed the unique molecular identification of all assayed genotypes. However, the correlation between genetic similarity clustering as based on AFLP and clustering for agronomic traits was low. Cluster analysis based on AFLP data clearly differentiated the genotypes and wild species according to their origin and pedigree, whereas, cluster analysis based on agronomic data differentiated according the pomological characterization. Our results showed the great genetic diversity of the almond cultivars and their interest for almond breeding.     

Nutrient storage and turnover in organic layers under tropical montane rain forest in Ecuador

In tropical montane forests nutrients released from the organic layers of the soil can supply a large part of the vegetation's requirements. We have examined concentrations, storage, and turnover times of nutrients in the organic layer and the fluxes of nutrients by the fall of small litter (leaves, seeds, flowers, small twigs, and plant debris that passed an opening of 0.3 m × 0.3 m) in such a forest in Ecuador. The times taken for litter to turn over were estimated by relating nutrient storage in the organic layer to rate of litterfall and by incubating samples in the laboratory. The organic layer had a thickness of 2–43 cm, a mass of 30–713 t ha^?1, and a nutrient storage of 0.87–21 t N, 0.03–0.70 t P, 0.12–2.5 t K, 0.09–3.2 t Ca, and 0.07–1.0 t Mg ha^?1. The pH (in H₂O) ranged between 3.1 and 7.4 and was correlated with the concentrations of Ca and Mg (r= 0.83 and 0.84, respectively). The quantity of small litter (8.5–9.7 t year^?1) and mean concentrations of nutrients in litter (19–22 g N, 0.9–1.6 g P, 6.1–9.1 g K, 12–18 g Ca, and 3.5–5.8 g Mg kg^?1) were larger than in many other tropical montane forests. The mean turnover times of elements in the organic layer increased in the order, Mg (7.0 years) < Ca (7.9) < K (8.5) < P (11) < N (14) < S (15) when calculated as the quotient of storage in the organic layer to flux by litterfall; they were < 12 years for N, P, and S in the incubation experiment. Under optimum conditions in the laboratory, the mineralization of S was just as large as the S deposition by litterfall. In weakly acid soils Mn and Zn and in strongly acid soils Ca added in a nutrient solution were immobilized during incubation. Thus, lack of S, Mn, Zn, and Ca might limit plant growth on some soils.     

Septin-mediated plant cell invasion by the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae

To cause rice blast disease, the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae develops a pressurized dome-shaped cell called an appressorium, which physically ruptures the leaf cuticle to gain entry to plant tissue. Here, we report that a toroidal F-actin network assembles in the appressorium by means of four septin guanosine triphosphatases, which polymerize into a dynamic, hetero-oligomeric ring. Septins scaffold F-actin, via the ezrin-radixin-moesin protein Tea1, and phosphatidylinositide interactions at the appressorium plasma membrane. The septin ring assembles in a Cdc42- and Chm1-dependent manner and forms a diffusion barrier to localize the inverse-bin-amphiphysin-RVS-domain protein Rvs167 and the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein Las17 at the point of penetration. Septins thereby provide the cortical rigidity and membrane curvature necessary for protrusion of a rigid penetration peg to breach the leaf surface.     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity of Drought Tolerant and Susceptible Rice Genotypes Using Microsatellite Markers

The introgression of wild chromosomal segments into popular rice varieties is one of the potential approaches for developing varieties for drought stress condition. Sixteen genotypes, including nine indica, two tropical japonica and five chromosome segments substitution lines(CSSLs) with different levels of tolerance/susceptibility to drought stress, were selected for diversity study. Sixty-three microsatellite markers were utilized for assessing genetic diversity. A total of 95 alleles were amplified, and out of them, 60 were polymorphic. Six unique alleles, amplified by the microsatellite loci RM276, RM472,RM488, RM537, RM541 and RM28089, were identified in six genotypes, namely FR13A, Brahamanakhi,RUF44, Swarna-sub1, Brahamanakhi and Satyabhama. The highest genetic similarity was found among CSSLs. Polymorphism information content(PIC) value varied from 0 to 1.00 with an average of 0.66 per locus. Twenty-eight microsatellites were found to be polymorphic, which could be used in marker-assisted selection programme. All the sixteen genotypes were grouped into two major clusters at genetic similarity of 0.64. In the cluster I, five CSSLs identified as diverse genotypes had wild ancestor segments responsible for drought tolerance, and hence they could be utilized as potential donors. The popular Indian varieties, Swarna-sub1 and IR64-sub1, could be used as recurrent parents in the future breeding program for developing varieties for abiotic stresses such as submergence and drought.