Morphological responses of bedding plants to three greenhouse temperature regimes

Seedling crops of gazania, geranium, marigold, mimulus, pansy, verbena and vinca were grown to 60% anthesis in three greenhouse temperature regimes: (a) 26 °C day/6 ± 3 °C night (LT), with a 16.5 °C mean daily temperature (MDT), (b) 26 °C day/17 ± 4 °C night, with a 21 °C MDT, and (c) variable day/night temperatures in response to heating and cooling by a phase change material energy storage module (PCM) with an 8 ± 2 °C night and a 16 °C MDT. Crops bloomed from 2 to 17 days earlier in the 26 °C/17 °C greenhouse. The morphological characteristics of all cultivars of gazania, mimulus, pansy and verbena, geranium and vinca were similar regardless of greenhouse temperature regime. Marigold diploid and triploid cultivars and mimulus were morphologically more variable than the other bedding plant species. Crops grown in the PCM and LT greenhouses had virtually identical morphological characteristics and bloomed in about the same number of days. Plant height was not affected by DIF environments in the greenhouses. The PCM and LT greenhouses had a similar MDT, but the distribution of numbers of hours of mean daily temperatures was different.     

万寿菊提取物抑菌活性的研究

采用菌落直径法进行抑菌实验,研究了万寿菊的提取物对几种植物病原菌菌落生长的影响,研究结果表明:万寿菊的根部提取物比茎和花中的提取物抑菌作用明显,万寿菊根中抑菌成分的提取以用水提取效果最好,而且提取物对枯萎病菌有相对较好的抑菌作用。万寿菊根提取物可为开发新的杀菌剂提供有价值的参考。     

人工授粉对不同品种孔雀草结实率的影响

对不同品种的孔雀草F2代植株进行人工授粉,对人工授粉与自然授粉花朵的结实率进行比较研究。结果表明:品种间结实率存在差异。20号品种的结实率最高,13号品种的结实率最低;除6号、7号与13号品种外,舌状花植株的结实率比筒状花植株的结实率要高;人工授粉的结实率普遍比自然授粉的结实率高,除3号与6号品种外,其中8号品种授粉处理下结实率的差异最为显著,2号品种的差异最小。     

色素万寿菊雄性不育性状生理特性研究

为深入研究色素万寿菊雄性不育性状生理生化遗传机理,本文研究了色素万寿菊W217不育株、可育株在不同花发育时期的过氧化物酶(POD)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性和丙二醛(MDA)、游离脯氨酸、可溶性糖含量。结果表明,色素万寿菊W217POD活性在从叶片到成花的过程中呈明显降低趋势,不育株在花蕾到花过程中POD活性高于可育株POD活性;SOD活性在不育株和可育株中变化趋势均为低-高-低,且不育株明显高于可育株;MDA含量在可育株中变化由高到低,而在不育株中呈低-高-低变化,在花蕾时期不育株中MDA含量明显高于可育株中MDA含量;在不育株和可育株中由叶到花过程中游离脯氨酸含量变化均呈减少趋势,在叶片时期不育株和可育株游离脯氨酸含量无明显差别,不育株花蕾到成花时期游离脯氨酸含量明显低于可育株;可溶性糖在不育株和可育株中含量由叶到花时期均呈增高趋势,且可育株增高幅度大于不育株。     

DIE INVLOED VAN RADIALE HARSGEïNFILTREERDE KERNSKEURE OP DIE GESAAGDE OPBRENGS UIT PINUS ELLIOTTII ENGELM.-SAAGBLOKKE / THE EFFECT OF RADIAL RESIN-INFILTRATED SPLITS ON THE YIELD OF SAWN TIMBER FROM PINUS ELLIOTTII ENGELM. SAWLOGS

A number of complaints, regarding the presence of resin-infiltrated splits in seasoned boards produced from Pinus elliottii sawlogs supplied from certain stands in State Forests, led to an investigation to determine the incidence of the defect and to find possible causes.

This paper deals mainly with the study of the first aspect. In the investigation two samples of stems were selected by a semi-random method from one mature stand, being clearfelled, in Entabeni State Forest (Northern Transvaal) and from three stands receiving, or due to receive, their fifth thinning. The clearfelling and thinning had produced logs containing heart shakes and this had given rise to the complaints.

During log preparation it was attempted to prepare as much as possible of the stem length into the longest sawlogs, working as closely as possible to the maximum limits for sweep and knots allowed by the departmental log specifications. This attempt resulted in the preparation of some logs containing slightly more than the permissible defects. Observations were made on stump surfaces of the orientation of shakes, and on log ends of their occurrence higher up in the stem, in an attempt to find a link between shake orientation and the known direction of strong winds, and to determine the height in the stem to which shakes extended from the stump. The orientation study produced no definite proof that wind was responsible, although there were strong indications.

This was followed by sowings up the logs mainly into structural timber, kiln seasoning and grading in two ways, viz A ignoring the resin-infiltrated checks and splits but taking all other defects pertinent to the relevant grades into consideration, and B taking all defects, including the checks and splits into consideration (Table 4). During the grading further measurements were taken on boards containing splits, to determine to what heights in the stem the shakes extended.

From the grading results, total and graded yields of sawn timber were computed, the differences in yields between the two grading procedures being a measure of the incidence and seriousness of the shake defect. Within log classes, (see footnote to Table 2) the yields obtained separately for each 2 cm top U.B. diameter class into which the logs had been segregated prior to sawing, were weighted according to the percentage size distributions of the logs yielded by the clearfelling and thinning operations in the relevant compartments, to obtain a weighted average for the log class.

The heights to which shakes were present in the stems of the two samples are shown in Table 3(a) while their incidence in logs of the various size classes are shown in Table 3(b). It is seen that shakes were more frequent and serious in the larger logs.

The presence of shake in the log samples, taken as a whole, caused only minimal yield losses (Table 4) but had the effect of somewhat reducing average board length (Table 5). However, sawn and graded yields are still excellent and the species should not be discriminated against in afforestation, because of the sporadic occurrence of the defect.

The yield figures should be of some value to sawmillers processing both normal and shake-containing logs of this species.     

Variation in selected solid wood properties of young Pinus patula from diverse sites in the Mpumalanga escarpment area in South Africa

Regression analyses identified ‘Growth Days’ (an index expressing site moisture availability) as the only site variable contributing significantly to the prediction to wood density (R² = 0.57), whereas the model predicting grain angle included only ‘Altitude’ (R² = 0.60). These results surfaced during an investigative study to quantify various sources of variation in wood properties and to quantify the effect of a number of site factors on wood properties of Pinus patula grown in the Mpumalanga escarpment area of South Africa. For this purpose, 10 trees were sampled from each of 17 diverse sites for wood property analyses. The effects of site, distance from the pith and differences between trees within site on wood density, transverse shrinkage, grain angle and dynamic modulus of elasticity were investigated. The site factors considered included a wide variety of soil and climatic factors. The effect of radial distance from the pith and differences between individual trees within sites were highly significant, accounting for most of the variation in wood properties. Although the effects of a number of site factors were statistically significant, they generally explained relatively small but important variation in wood properties among sites. The study not only quantified the effects of important sources of variation on a few key wood properties, but it also revealed that the extent of differences between sites can be explained in terms of some specific site factors. It is envisaged that the results will contribute significantly towards the refinement of current forest site classification systems for improved decision-making with respect to wood quality in intensively managed plantation systems.     

Tree Planting in an Urbanizing South Africa / BOOMAANPLANTING IN VERSTEDELIKENDE SUID-AFRIKA

The title of this paper might well read “Tree planting in an urbanizing and industrializing South Africa”, because in modern South Africa industry is prominent in the urban scene. The importance of trees in the urban landscape is stressed. Purposes for which trees are used in commercial, industrial and residential areas are listed. An account is given of tree planting in boulevards and avenues, state and civic centres, car parks, bus termini, recreational parks, botanical gardens and arboreta, zoological gardens, sports enclosures and children's playgrounds. The role of trees in industrial areas is discussed and the vegetating of mine dumps described. Passing reference is made to the uses of trees on the sea front. Tree planting for economic purposes by civic authorities is briefly touched upon. The value of trees in private gardens is underlined.     

The pulp and paper properties of Sirex noctilio infested and fire-damagedthermomechanically pulped,South African grown Pinus patula

Pinus patula is the softwood species most extensively planted in South Africa. However, large portions of these plantings are under threat from Sirex noctilio infestation and occasional forest fires. In this exploratory investigation, the effects of tree age, Sirex noctilio infestation and fire damage to wood from Pinus patula trees on their pulp and paper properties were evaluated. Pulp was produced using the thermomechanical pulping (TMP) process. The energy consumption required to pulp the different pulpwood materials was determined. Pulps were beaten for five different time periods to investigate the development of the fibre properties in response to increasing energy input. Paper properties such as burst, tear strength and breaking length were determined on handsheets manufactured from unbeaten and beaten pulps. Box and line plots and canonical variate analysis biplots were used to statistically analyse the data. It was found that the burst strength of paper produced from healthy trees was significantly higher than that from sirex-infested or fire damaged (burnt) trees. Similarly, the tear strength of paper from healthy and burnt trees was significantly better than from sirex-infested or young trees. No significant differences in breaking length were evident between the pulpwood materials and an increase in beating time did not lead to any improvements. From this study it can be concluded that wood from dead or dying, sirex-infested and young trees produced paper with consistently lower strength properties compared to wood obtained from healthy 12-year-old trees.     

万寿菊玉米黄质环氧化酶TeZEP基因片段的克隆及分析

为了研究万寿菊中玉米黄质生物合成途径的关键酶基因,首先根据不同物种的ZEP基因进行序列比对找到保守区域设计简并引物,然后利用RT-PCR方法,以万寿菊花瓣总RNA为模板克隆万寿菊ZEP基因cDNA的片段,并进行序列分析。结果表明,万寿菊ZEP基因片段长度为1 058 bp,编码352个氨基酸残基,其序列与其他植物ZEP基因同源性最大为92%;其翻译产物属于亲水性蛋白;且结构域预测结果发现TeZEP基因编码的氨基酸序列含有一个NADB_Rossmann超家族和玉米黄质环氧化酶的特征性结构黄素腺嘌呤二核苷酸(FAD)结合位点。本研究成功克隆了万寿菊玉米黄质环氧化酶TeZEP基因片段并对其进行了序列分析,这为进一步研究该基因功能提供了依据,也为构建转基因植物和沉默基因植株以提高玉米黄质合成量提供了一定的参考。     

不同浓度镉胁迫对孔雀草DNA甲基化的影响

随着人类活动、工业化发展进程的加快,重金属污染对环境造成了严重危害。本研究通过盆栽试验,利用甲基化敏感扩增多态性(MSAP)技术,对不同浓度镉(Cd)胁迫下孔雀草(Tagetes patula)基因组DNA甲基化变化情况进行了分析研究。结果表明,经0、50、250和500mg·kg-1浓度Cd~(2+)处理后,基因组MSAP比率分别为24%、30%、35%和41%,全甲基化率分别为20%、23%、25%和27%,这表明重金属胁迫处理后,DNA总甲基化水平随Cd~(2+)浓度升高而呈上升趋势;在DNA甲基化模式变化方面,50、250和500 mg·kg-1浓度胁迫下重新甲基化率分别为10%、10%和11%,重新甲基化为主要的甲基化变化模式。本研究可以为揭示重金属胁迫对植物DNA甲基化变化规律及植物对重金属胁迫耐受性机制提供理论参考。