The effects of ‘Vicia faba L.’ polyphenols on absorption,growth and metabolism in the rat

Two varieties of ‘Vicia faba L.’equina andminor, were studied. Theequina variety had a higher polyphenolic content than theminor variety. Both varieties significantly inhibited rat growth rate and ‘in vivo’ intestinal glucose transport, theequina variety being a more powerful inhibitor than theminor variety. However the raw legume fed animals showed a normal urinary excretion rate of 3-Methylhistidine.     

Genetic expression and effects of the rolled leaf gene Rl(t) in hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.)

We constructed a nearisogenic line of rolled leaf gene Rl(t), which ex-pressed incompletely dondnance for the character of rolled leaf(RL), with ge-netic background of Zhenshan 97B. Using RL Zhenshan 97B and the originalZhenshan 97B as the female parents, and Minghui 63 and Yanhui 559 as themale parents, crosses of RL Shanyu 63 (RS63) and Shanyu 63(S63), RLShanyou 559 (RS559) and Shanyou 559 (S559) were made. Inheritance andeffects of Rl(t) in hybrid rice were studied at the flowering and at the 20 d afterflowering, respectively. Results were as follow:     

Assessment of different methods of rice (Oryza sativa. L) cultivation affecting growth parameters, soil chemical, biological, and microbiological properties, water saving, and grain yield in rice–rice system

Field experiments were conducted at DRR farm located at ICRISAT, Patancheru, in sandy clay loam soils during four seasons, Kharif 2008, Rabi 2008–2009, Kharif 2009 and Rabi 2009–2010, to investigate growth parameters, water-saving potential, root characteristics, chemical, biological, and microbial properties of rhizosphere soil, and grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) by comparing the plants grown with system of rice intensification (SRI) methods, with organic or organic + inorganic fertilization, against current recommended best management practices (BMP). All the growth parameters including plant height, effective tillers (10–45 %), panicle length, dry matter, root dry weight (24–57 %), and root volume (10–66 %) were found to be significantly higher with in SRI-organic + inorganic over BMP. With SRI-organic fertilization, growth parameters showed inconsistent results; however, root dry weight (3–77 %) and root volume (31–162 %) were found significantly superior compared to BMP. Grain yield was found significantly higher in SRI-organic + inorganic (12–23 and 4–35 % in the Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively), while with SRI-organic management, yield was found higher (4–34 %) only in the Rabi seasons compared to BMP. An average of 31 and 37 % of irrigation water were saved during Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively, with both SRI methods of rice cultivation compared to BMP. Further, total nitrogen, organic carbon%, soil dehydrogenase, microbial biomass carbon, total bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were found higher in the two SRI plots in comparison to BMP. It is concluded that SRI practices create favorable conditions for beneficial soil microbes to prosper, save irrigation water, and increase grain yield.     

Effects of S3307 on the photosynthesis,the activity of SOD,and MDA content of rice flag leaf

Ｕｎｉｃｏｎａｚｏｌ，（Ｅ）＿１＿（４＿ｃｈｌｏｒｏｐｈｅｎｙｌ）＿４，４＿ｄｉｍｅｔｈｙｌ＿２（１，２，４＿ｔｒｉａｚｏｌ＿ｌ＿ｙｌ）＿１＿ｐｅｎｔｅｎ＿３＿０１，ｎａｍｅｄＳ３３０７，ｉｓａｎｅｗｐｌａｎｔｇｒｏｗｔｈｒｅｔａｒｄａｎｔｔｈａｔｃａｎｒｅｔａｒｄｔｈｅ ｇｒｏｗｔｈｏｆ ｐｌａｎｔｓ，ｍａｋｅ ｐｌａｎｔｄｗａｒｆ，ｐｒｏｍｏｔｅｒｏｏｔａｎｄｔｉｌｌｅｒｇｒｏｗｔｈ，ｄｅｌａｙｔｈｅｓｅｎｅｓｃｅｎｃｅｏｆｌｅａｖｅｓ，ａｎｄｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｔｈｅｎｅｔｐｈｏｔｏ ｓｙｎｔｈｅ…     

Cooperative effects of sand application and flushing during the sensitive stages of rice on its yield in a hard saline–sodic soil

Application of sand can ameliorate rice paddy fields converted from saline–sodic land. However, the requirement of huge amount of sand has been limiting its practical application. In this study, flushing during saline sodic-sensitive stages of rice plant growth was incorporated into the ameliorating system to reduce the sand usage. A split-plot design was adopted with sand application (SA) with two levels as main plots and flushing during the sensitive stages (FL) with two levels as subplots in a hard saline–sodic soil, Northeast China. Four treatments included CK (no-sand, no-flush flooding), NF (non-sand, flush flooding), SN (sand, no-flush flooding), and SF (sand, flush flooding). The results showed that both SA and FL significantly affected all the investigated yield parameters. The combined effect of SA and FL on the grain yield was additive in the first year in respect of the effect on panicle density and seed weight per panicle; while it showed synergistic effect on the seed weight per panicle and grain yield in the second year. The rice yield in different treatments was in the order of SF > SN > NF > CK in both years, with the highest yield (4.37 t ha^?1) obtained by SF treatment in the second year. Our results demonstrate that half the traditional amount of sand in combination with water-flushing during the saline–sodic-sensitive growth stages of rice is sufficiently effective in ameliorating saline–sodic soil and thereby enhancing rice grain yield in saline–sodic paddy fields.     

Adaptation of the STICS intercrop model to simulate crop growth and N accumulation in pea–barley intercrops

Cereal–legume intercrops are gaining increasing interest in Europe. Modelling, by taking into account the complexity of species interactions, can be a very useful tool to study such systems and to test new strategies in various soil and climatic conditions. The present work describes the adaptation of an intercrop model for pea–barley intercrops through the extrapolation of the STICS sole crop model and its parameterisation from experimental data recorded on sole crops. Several improvements have been added to the existing crop model to allow an inversion of dominance in height between species during the crop cycle and a trophic link between crop growth rate and the potential for N₂ fixation. A 2-year dataset on pea and barley sole crops grown under non-limiting water conditions and with full crop protection was first used for calibration. The intercrop model was subsequently tested on experimental datasets of pea–barley intercrops grown under the same conditions as the sole crops. The intercrop experiments used to test the intercrop model differed in soil type, soil N supply and plant densities of each species.     

Characterization and online detection of surfactin isomers based on HPLC-MS(n) analyses and their inhibitory effects on the overproduction of nitric oxide and the release of TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-induced macrophages

A rapid method for characterization and online detection of surfactin isomers was developed based on HPLC-MS(n) (n = 1, 2, 3) analyses, and many surfactin isomers were detected and characterized from the bioactive fraction of the mangrove bacterium Bacillus sp. Inhibitory activities of surfactin isomers on the overproduction of nitric oxide and the release of TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-induced macrophages were systematically investigated. It was revealed that the surfactin isomers showed strong inhibitory properties on the overproduction of nitric oxide and the release of IL-6 on LPS-induced murine macrophage cell RAW264.7 with IC(50) values ranging from 1.0 to 7.0 μM. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed that the existence of the free carboxyl group in the structure of surfactin isomers was crucial. These findings will be very helpful for the development of this novel kind of natural product as new anti-inflammatory agents.     

Some preliminary observations on treatments which increase and decrease the stability of β-carotene in preserved,moist leaf protein

-carotene in leaf protein extracted from some species is destroyed in a few days when incubated with salt as a preservative. Its shelf-life can be greatly extended by pretreatment with oxalate, ascorbate mercaptans, phenolic substances, extracts made from leaves in which carotene is more stable, and by tight compaction. Treatment with alum reverses the protective effect of these chemical pretreatments, it also increases the lability of carotene in leaf protein extracted from species which usually give a relatively stable product. In these preparations of leaf protein, which were heated to 90 °C during preparation, carotene is only partially extractable into some solvents which are miscible with water. It seems therefore to be present in more than one state, but differences in extractability could not be correlated with differences in lability.     

The effects of dark-broken by UV-B, UV-A, and blue light on fertility of PGMR Nongken 58s

PGMR(Photoperiod sensitive Genic Male-sterile Rice) Nongken 58s was discovered in 1973 by SHI Mingsong,     

Effect of intermittent irrigation following the system of rice intensification (SRI) on rice yield in a farmer’s paddy fields in Indonesia

System of rice intensification (SRI) has been disseminated in many countries because of its high yield, although the mechanism of yield increase has yet to be fully understood. The aims of this study were to clarify the actual water management of a skilled SRI farmer in irrigated paddy field of Indonesia and to examine the effect of intermittent water management on rice growth and yield. Yield and yield components were compared in the field experiments in the farmer’s fields under intermittent (SRI) or flooded (FL) irrigation for 4 years from 2013 to 2016. The daily mean water depth of SRI plots during 0–40 days after transplanting showed very shallow (ca. 2 cm) or little lower than soil surface and continued to be lower than soil surface during reproductive stage when panicles were formed. The yield of SRI significantly exceeded that of FL for 4 years by 13% (P?=?0.0004), so did the panicle numbers per area (P?=?0.036). The yield increase in SRI was associated with the increased number of panicles, which should have resulted from enhanced tiller development under shallow water level during the vegetative stage. The increased number of panicles was, however, counteracted by the reduced number of spikelets per panicle and resulted in nonsignificant increase in the spikelet density, defined as number of spikelets per unit area of crop. This dampening change in spikelet number per panicle could have been caused by limited supply of either nitrogen or carbohydrate during the panicle development stage under the intermittent water supply. A greater yield increase by SRI could be expected by improving nutrient or water management during the reproductive stage.     

Interpreting redox potential (Eh) and diffusive fluxes of phosphorus (P) and nitrate (NO3−) from commercial rice grown on histosols

Paddy and Water Environment - In South Florida, approximately 11,000 ha of rice is grown every summer on highly organic histosols. With no added fertilizer inputs of phosphorus (P) or...     

Use of the hormone-biosynthesis inhibitors fluridone and paclobutrazol to determine the effects of altered abscisic acid and gibberellin levels on pre-maturity α-amylase formation in wheat grains

During germination of cereal grain, α-amylase formation is known to be inhibited by abscisic acid (ABA) and stimulated by gibberellins (GA). The role of these hormones in pre-maturity α-amylase (PMA) formation in wheat grains is less well understood. Our previous work with ABA and GA exogenously applied to grains demonstrated a clear stimulatory effect of GA, with little effect of ABA. Here, in glasshouse experiments, fluridone (ABA biosynthesis inhibitor; FD [20 μM]) or paclobutrazol (GA biosynthesis inhibitor; PB [20 μM]) were applied to intact, developing grains of the PMA-susceptible variety Rialto at 480 days after anthesis (DAA) to assess if a reduction in endogenous ABA and/or GA alters PMA formation. The experiments were conducted under non-PMA-inducing (ambient) and PMA-inducing (cold-shock) conditions. In solvent-only treated grains, a cold-shock significantly reduced the ABA content but increased GA and α-amylase activity. FD increased GA levels and α-amylase activity under ambient conditions, but decreased GA levels and α-amylase activity under cold-shock conditions, with no effect on ABA levels under either condition. PB had no effect under ambient conditions, but reduced GA levels and α-amylase under cold-shock conditions. These results indicate an association between GA levels at mid-grain development and PMA formation in wheat.     

Significance of host-plant phenology in the dynamics and pest incidence of the cotton bollworm,Heliothis armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Western Tanzania

Heliothis armigera is the most important cotton pest in Tanzania, and also attacks several food crops grown in a relay-intercropping system practised by small-scale farmers in Western Tanzania. The level and timing of H. armigera infestations were studied on its main alternative host plants: maize, sorghum, cotton, chickpea, tomato and the wild host Cleome sp. The attractive stages of these hosts overlap throughout the year. The expansion of chickpea and the introduction of tomato production has enabled the pest to survive better during the dry season, thus bridging an otherwise unfavourable period. The recent increased popularity of maize as a food crop, coupled with the introduction of compact and semi-compact panicle sorghum varieties instead of the traditional open-panicle sorghum cultivars, together with the expansion of cotton acreage, has increased the severity of attacks on sorghum and cotton. Effective control of the pest on early-sown sorghum offers the possibility of reducing numbers that subsequently attack early-season cotton. Although early-sown maize and sorghum can generate heavy populations which attack cotton in February–March, later crops flowering in March–April can usefully divert the pest away from cotton. Some of the alternative host plants, notably the weed, Cleome sp., are important sources of pesticide-susceptible strains of the pest population, which may decrease the likelihood of pesticide-resistant strains developing.     

Multiyear analysis of the dependency of the planting date on rainfall and soil moisture in paddy fields in Cambodia, 2003–2019

The dependencies of the planting date on rainfall and soil moisture in paddy fields in Cambodia were analyzed to quantify farmers’ empirical knowledge regarding their decision of the planting date. Remote sensing data from multiple satellites covering the 2003–2019 period were analyzed. The planting dates in rain-fed paddies ranged from April to August, with large spatial variations and year-to-year fluctuations. In years when planting was suppressed in April and May, planting was extensively enhanced in June and August compared to normal years, and vice versa. Over the northeastern side of Tonle Sap Lake and south of Phnom Penh city, the areas planted in April and May were found to have positive correlations with rainfall and soil moisture, suggesting that wetter-than-average conditions encouraged farmers to plant earlier in the season. In contrast, this relationship was unclear on the western side of Tonle Sap Lake, where the rainfall amounts were larger throughout the year than in other areas in Cambodia. In this region, the relationship between the planting area and soil water availability was either unclear or was even slightly negative from June to August. Since more frequent dry spells have been detected after the onset of the rainy season in recent years, further studies and disseminations of potential changes in dry spells are important for the agronomic adaptation of planting dates under climate change.

     

Report of the joint meeting of the Potato Section of EUCARPIA and the Section Breeding and varietal assessment of the EAPR, 3–7 July, 2000, Warsaw (Poland)

Report

Report of the joint meeting of the Potato Section of EUCARPIA and the Section Breeding and varietal assessment of the EAPR, 3–7 July, 2000, Warsaw (Poland)