Comparison of the effects of seed coating with tungsten and molybdenum compounds on seedling establishment rates of rice,wheat, barley,and soybean under flooded conditions

Seed coating with molybdenum compounds improves seedling establishment for rice, wheat, barley, and soybean when such seeds were sown under flooded conditions. Tungsten belongs to the same chemical group as molybdenum in the periodic table, and similar to molybdenum, inhibits the generation of sulfide ions. Here, the effects of tungsten and molybdenum containing seed coatings on seedling establishment under flooded conditions were compared using rice, wheat, barley, and soybean. In rice, the effects of tungsten compounds on seedling establishment varied. Tungsten trioxide had little effect but tungstic acid and ammonium phosphotungstate significantly improved seedling establishment when the amounts were at least .1–.2 mol W kg^?1. Although the effect of tungsten coating varied depending on the compound used, ammonium phosphotungstate, along with other tungsten compounds, improved seedling establishment in a manner comparable with that of molybdenum compounds. For wheat and barley, ammonium phosphotungstate treatment resulted in a significant increase in establishment that was only slightly less than the results observed using molybdenum compounds. Tungstic acid and ammonium phosphotungstate treatments improved soybean establishment in a significant manner that was comparable with those of molybdenum compounds. Collectively, these results suggest that tungsten compounds, as well as molybdenum compounds, improve seedling establishment under flooded conditions.     

Habitat modification by invasive crayfish can facilitate its growth through enhanced food accessibility

Background

Invasive ecosystem engineers can facilitate their invasions by modifying the physical environment to improve their own performance, but this positive feedback process has rarely been tested empirically except in sessile organisms. The invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii is an ecosystem engineer that destroys aquatic macrophytes, which provide a physical refuge for animal prey, and this destruction is likely to enhance vulnerability to predators. Using two series of mesocosm experiments, we tested the hypothesis that the invasive crayfish increases its feeding efficiency on animal prey by reducing submerged macrophytes, thus increasing its individual growth rate in a positive density-dependent manner.

Results

In the first experiment, increasing crayfish density reduced both macrophytes and animal prey (dragonfly and chironomid larvae) and, importantly, increased the growth rate of individual crayfish, in accordance with our expectation. In the second experiment, we used artificial macrophytes to clarify whether the physical architecture of macrophytes itself protects animal prey and limits crayfish growth rate. Increasing the artificial macrophyte quantity not only increased the survival of animal prey, but also retarded the crayfish growth rate.

Conclusions

We conclude that macrophytes strengthen bottom-up control of crayfish, but this effect can be relaxed by increasing the density of crayfish via reduction in macrophytes. This positive feedback process may explain the crayfish outbreaks and regime shifts occasionally observed in invaded freshwater ecosystems.

     

External factors that regulate movement in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

Fisheries Science - There are two types of movement pattern in the Brachionidae (rotifers), swimming and attachment, although the factors that induce a shift between them have not been adequately...     

Prediction of the buckling stress of intermediate wooden columns using the secant modulus

We made several buckling tests of wooden columns with intermediate slenderness ratios () and examined the empirical formulas. On the basis of the examination, we formulated an equation for predicting the buckling stress () of an intermediate wooden column. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) and buna (Japanese beech, Fagus crenata BI.) were used for the studies. A compressive load was applied on the specimen supported with pin ends, and the buckling stress was predicted by the tangent modulus theory and two empirical equations: those of Tetmajer and Newlin-Gahagan. The predicted - relations were compared with the test results, and the applicability of these predictions were examined. Based on the comparisons, we formulated an equation that can predict the - relations of materials with various stress-strain characters in the plastic strain range.     

Accuracy of shear properties of wood obtained by simplified Iosipescu shear test

We examined the accuracy of the shear properties of wood by the Iosipescu shear test using specimens whose shape was simplified. Quartersawn boards of sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) and shioji (Japanese ash,Fraxinus spaethiana Lingelsh.) were used. Two types of specimen for the Iosipescu shear test were compared: a standard specimen whose notch angle is 90° and a keyhole type specimen, which is more easily prepared than the standard type. The shear modulus, yield shear stress, and failure shear stress of the keyhole-type specimen were compared to those of the standard specimen. Shear stress analysis was conducted using the finite element method (FEM). The results obtained were as follows: (1) The failure pattern obtained by the simplified Iosipescu shear test was similar to that seen with the standard Iosipescu shear test. (2) The shear modulus, yield stress, and failure stress obtained by the simplified Iosipescu shear test coincided with those by the standard Iosipescu shear test. (3) The principal strain angle and principal stress angle of the simplified Iosipescu shear test were about 45°. (4) It is recognized that pure stress is applied to the strain-gauge regions in the simplified Iosipescu shear test, and it is expected that the shear properties are independent of the notch angle.     

Fish‐processing wastes as an alternative diet for culturing the minute rotifer Proales similis de Beauchamp

We evaluated the suitability of fish waste diet (FWD) for culturing the minute rotifer Proales similis through the observation of their population growth and particle size selective feeding. A total of five treatments either with Nannochloropsis oculata or FWD (0.75 and 0.50 g/L) or the combination of N. oculata and FWD were set up in triplicates. P. similis were cultured in diluted natural seawater (8 g/L salinity) and 26 ± 1°C with the diet treatments being applied randomly. We daily monitored the rotifer density, the number of bacteria and the water quality in all the cultures. The population density of P. similis increased exponentially in all treatments, while the mean growth in FWD 0.75 g/L was significantly higher (p < .05) than that in the control. Addition of N. oculata to FWD resulted to lowered P. similis population growth. Bacterial colony count was high in FWD and introduction of P. similis to the diet decreased their density. The estimated bacteria ingestion rates were generally in the range of 6.03 × 10²–1.24 × 10⁴ bacteria/rotifer/hr and there was a positive linear relationship between bacterivory and rotifer population growth. We also observed a shift in the particle size distribution with a reduction in the frequency and concentration of small‐sized particles (<2.5 μm) at day 6. These results accentuate the potential of fish‐processing waste as diet for culturing P. similis which feeds on bacteria and small particles (≤2.5 μm) that are by‐products of degradation of this diet.     

Effects of β‐carotene‐enriched dry carrots on β‐carotene status and colostral immunoglobulin in β‐carotene‐deficient Japanese Black cows

Data from 18 β‐carotene‐deficient Japanese Black cows were collected to clarify the effects of feeding β‐carotene‐enriched dry carrots on β‐carotene status and colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) in cows. Cows were assigned to control or carrot groups from 3 weeks before the expected calving date to parturition, and supplemental β‐carotene from dry carrots was 138 mg/day in the carrot group. Plasma β‐carotene concentrations in the control and carrot groups at parturition were 95 and 120 μg/dL, and feeding dry carrots slightly improved plasma β‐carotene at parturition. Feeding dry carrots increased colostral IgA concentrations in cows and tended to increase colostral IgG₁, but colostral IgM, IgG₂, β‐carotene and vitamin A were not affected by the treatment. Feeding dry carrots had no effects on plasma IgG₁, IgA and IgM concentrations in cows, but plasma IgG₁ concentrations decreased rapidly from 3 weeks before the expected calving date to parturition. These results indicate that feeding β‐carotene‐enriched dry carrots is effective to enhance colostral IgA and IgG₁ concentrations in β‐carotene‐deficient cows.     

Three new algorithms to calculate the irreplaceability index for presence/absence data

The irreplaceability index is used for determining the priority of sites for conservation. We propose three new and simple algorithms for calculating it from presence/absence data without any statistical assumptions when the representative combination size is the minimum. The rare species algorithm gives accurate results but takes the longest calculation time. The species richness algorithm gives approximated results and takes the shortest calculation time. The combined algorithm is intermediate in accuracy and calculation time. We applied the combined algorithm to real data of butterflies in the Kanto district, central Japan, and derived irreplaceability values.