A Potential Screening System for Identifying Sorghum Ecotypes with Increased Lysine in the Seeds

Classical “high-lysine” sorghum lines are characterized by smaller seeds than average, due to a decrease in prolamin synthesis and a subsequent decrease in yield. To exploit the natural variation in lysine content and to identify ecotypes with a seed lysine content higher than average, characterized by plump seeds, a method was developed based on root-growth inhibition of seeds growing on a medium containing aminoethylcysteine (AEC), a lysine analogue. By using a collection of sorghum mutants and ecotypes a correlation coefficient of 0.926 between root length and lysine content was established. This method, which uses the root length of plants growing on aec to indicate which lines have a potential elevated lysine content, can be applied for the screening of sorghum germplasm. Since this is a non-destructive method it can also be used at the individual seed level, for example for screening progenies of regenerated plants from in vitro culture to exploit the somaclonal variation.     

Reaction of maize,sorghum and Johnson grass to Peronosclerospora sorghi

Development of sorghum downy mildew, incited by Peronoscleospora sorghi (Weston and Uppal) C.G. Shaw, on maize, sorghum and Johnson grass was investigated at two locations in Uganda during three seasons (1994 and 1995). More sorghum downy mildew developed on the Johnson grass and sorghum than on the maize at all locations and in all seasons. No significant differences were observed in sporulation of P. soghi on the three hosts. Leaf shredding occurred on the three hosts but was the least on maize. Cross-inoculation with both conidia and oospores was achieved on the three hosts. Since the fungal population formed oospores and sporulated readily on the three hosts, which is typical of the sorghum strain, the disease in Uganda is attributed to the sorghum strain.     

高粱新病害顶腐病的初步研究

我国高粱上发生的新病害顶腐病是由亚粘团串珠镰孢(Fusarinm moniliforme var. subglutinans Wr.＆Reink.)侵染引起的。病菌生长的适宜温度为25～30℃,适宜pH值为6～8。小型分生孢子萌发的适宜温度为25～28℃,适宜pH值为6～7。病菌在Bilai培养基上,pH4～11间均易产生大型分生孢子。黑光灯和日光灯照射对大型分生孢子形成有促进作用,且黑光灯优于日光灯;在光照处理下最适宜产生大型孢子的培养基为小麦粒和高粱粒。病菌在PSA培养基上培养10～12天后可产生厚垣孢子。病菌能利用多种碳源,以半乳糖、甘露糖为佳,乳糖、木糖、葡萄糖次之。对氮源利用远不及碳源。人工接种条件下,病菌能侵染高粱、苏丹草、哥伦布草、玉米、谷子、珍珠粟、薏苡、水稻、燕麦、小麦、狗尾草等禾本科植物。     

Transgenic expression of a sorghum gene (SbLRR2) encoding a simple extracellular leucine-rich protein enhances resistance against necrotrophic pathogens in Arabidopsis

Plant leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain-containing proteins are known to play important roles in signaling transduction and defense responses. In sorghum, SbLRR2 is pathogen-inducible gene encoding a simple extracellular LRR protein. Here, we demonstrated an earlier and stronger expression of SbLRR2 in a sorghum resistant genotype in comparison to a susceptible genotype following inoculation with the anthracnose pathogen (Colletotrichum sublineolum). In addition, SbLRR2 expression was found to be induced strongly by methyl-jasmonate treatment. Functional analysis was performed in SbLRR2 over-expression (OE) Arabidopsis plants, which showed enhanced resistance against the necrotrophic pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola. In addition, the OE lines were found to have elevated expression of several jasmonate acid (JA)-associated genes and higher endogenous JA contents. Hence, the SbLRR2-mediated defense responses in transgenic Arabidopsis are likely to be dependent on JA-signaling through increased JA production. On the other hand, the OE lines remained susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato like the wild type plants. Consistently, there was no up-regulation of salicylic acid (SA) defense marker gene expression or SA levels in the OE lines. Our results suggested that SbLRR2 is potentially useful for enhancing resistance against necrotrophic pathogens in transgenic dicot crops.     

抗4,抗7高粱品种选育及对丝黑穗病抗性的遗传

抗４，抗７高粱杂交种是由Ｔｘ６２２Ａ不育系和晋粱５号，忻粱７号恢复系杂交选育而成。具有高产，高抗至免疫丝黑穗病和适应性广等特点，增产１５％－１８％，在人工接菌条件下发病率为０，对照种为８２．４％，是目前山西，河北，陕西，甘肃和天津等省市生产上推广的骨干品种。     

高粱不同外植体离体培养

不同材料愈伤组织诱导培养结果表明，幼穗，茎尖和成熟胚的最高出愈率达１００％，子粒达９３％，幼胚仅为７４％。幼穗不但出愈率高，且愈伤组织胚性状况好，分化出苗率高。幼胚出愈率虽低，但其分化率明显主茎尖，成熟胚和子粒了的分化率。     

水稻与高梁属间远缘杂交花粉管行为观察

水稻和高粱是禾本科的两个异属作物,因其遗传距离较远,杂交表现不亲和,结实率极低,难以获得种子.为初步了解水稻与高粱属间远缘杂交花粉管行为,探索该远缘杂交的发生过程,本实验以籼稻珍汕97A×珍汕97B和Ⅱ-32A×Ⅱ-32B两个组合为对照,对珍汕97A×晋江多枝高粱和Ⅱ-32A×晋江多枝高粱两个属间远缘杂交组合的花粉管行为作初步的观察与研究,结果表明晋江多枝高粱花粉粒能象水稻花粉粒一样在水稻柱头上正常萌发,花粉管在花柱及子房中生长与伸长,有些能最终到达子房的基部;同时高梁花粉管生长也出现诸如不能进入花柱、胼胝质不规则堆积、花粉管末端钝化等一系列的异常表现,致使不少花粉管停滞生长.     

Past, present and future criteria to breed crops for water-limited environments in West Africa

Asia's Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s has largely bypassed West Africa, and “modern” (high-yielding, input responsive) germplasm for staple crops has found comparatively little adoption, except for systems that are have good access to markets and sufficient water resources. It is unlikely, however, that breeding objectives conserving traditional crop characteristics as found in extensive systems would have been more successful. The authors identify systems caught in the agricultural transition from subsistence to intensified, market-oriented production as the most important target for crop improvement, and provide examples of new breeding objectives for cowpea, sorghum and upland rice. In each of these cases, breeders, with the help of physiologists, have developed innovative plant-type concepts that combine improved yield potential and input responsiveness with specific traditional crop characteristics that remain essential during the agricultural transition. In the case of cowpea, dual-purpose varieties were developed that produce a good grain yield due to an erect plant habit, then produce new leaves enabling a second harvest of green foliage. For upland rice systems that are limited by labour (mainly needed to control weeds that abound due to shortened fallow periods), a weed competitive plant type was developed from Oryza sativa × Oryza glaberrima crosses. Lastly, sorghum breeders who had previously deselected photoperiod sensitivity are now re-inserting sensitivity into plants having “modern” architecture, in order to allow for flexible sowing dates while maintaining an agro-ecologically optimal time of flowering near the end of the wet season. The ecophysiological basis of these plant types, their place in current and future cropping systems, as well as the problem of under-funding for their realisation, are discussed.     

农杆菌介导高粱遗传转化的相关因素优化

为建立一个稳定的高粱遗传转化体系,以高粱RHMC品种为试验材料,采用内含有P ^CAMBIA3301质粒载体的根癌农杆菌EHA105介导的方法研究了高粱遗传转化的相关因素。结果表明,外植体预培养2d,GUS表达效果最好;在侵染液和共培养基中加入200μmol/L乙酰丁香酮时,GUS表达效果最好;侵染液浓度OD₆₀₀值的适宜范围为0.8~1.0;农杆菌侵染愈伤组织的适宜时间为5~10min;共培养的适宜时间为2d。初步建立了一套高粱遗传转化体系,为今后高粱转化提供一些参考。     

高粱无融合生殖系2083自主结实特性及胚胎学研究

以2083为试材,SSA-1为无融合生殖系对照,三尺三为有性系对照,采用去雄鉴定其自主结实率;杂交后代测验,鉴定其无融合生殖频率;以及与胚胎学鉴定方法相结合,对高粱兼性无融合生殖系2083进行了研究。结果表明,2083在与其他品种杂交形成真杂种的同时,也能自主结实,具有兼性无融合生殖的性质;其自主结实率为10.48%,比