Improvements to the dry-weight-rank method for measuring botanical composition

Two modifications have been made to the dry-weight-rank (DWR) method for measuring botanical composition. One previous limitation of the method has been that it gives biased results in pastures where there is a consistent relation between quadrat dry matter yield and the order in which species are ranked for yield. A weighting factor, applied to the DWR multipliers and based on pasture yield in quadrats estimated for dry weight rank, can correct for this bias. In routine pasture sampling quadrat yields are often visually estimated in the same quadrats in which composition is assessed by DWR. These estimated quadrat yields can then be used as weighting factors to improve the accuracy of DWR as well as to estimate pasture yield. Dry weight rank has also been unsuited to pastures which are heavily dominated by one species but this problem can be lessened by assigning more than one rank to the dominant species, a method referred to as ‘cumulative ranking’. Both these modifications were found to give a more accurate estimate of composition using data from a wide range of tropical and temperate pastures. On the other hand, creation of new DWR multipliers for particular cases was inadvisable. All data made available for this study and the original data ('t Mannetje and Haydock, 1963) were used to derive new multipliers: 0·705, 0·238 and 0·057. The overall benefits from using the new multipliers will, however, only be slight.     

Sensitivity analysis and auto-calibration of ORYZA2000 using simulation-optimization framework

There has been an increasing interest to employ crop growth simulation models for taking decision on irrigation water management. The effectiveness of such decisions mainly lies on the efficiency of the model in simulating the crop growth and the yield, which are influenced by the value of the parameters of the model. Therefore, calibration of such models is necessary before it can be employed for any application. This study proposes an auto-calibration procedure for ORYZA2000, a rice crop growth simulation model, for its application in South India. The data employed for calibration is taken from a field experiment conducted for 2 years in an experimental farm in South India. The ORYZA2000 model was integrated within Genetic Algorithm optimizer, which calls the simulator during each generation to evaluate the objective function. The auto-calibrated model was tested for its performance using a validation data set from the same experimental data. The results showed that the calibrated ORYZA2000 model is capable of simulating the full irrigation and water stress condition of rice crop effectively, and can be used to develop deficit irrigation management schedules.     

Aminopyralid Residue Impacts on Potatoes and Weeds

Aminopyralid is used in Alaska to control certain invasive weed species; however it appears to have an extended soil half-life in interior Alaska resulting in carry-over injury in potatoes. Field studies at three experiment stations in Delta Junction, Fairbanks, and Palmer, Alaska were established to determine the dose–response of weeds and above and below ground potato growth to soil-applied aminopyralid (0, 8, 15, 31, 62, and 123 g ae ha^?1) . Both prostrate knotweed and narrowleaf hawksbeard were susceptible to aminopyralid. At Delta Junction and Fairbanks, visual injury of potatoes greater than 25 % was observed at 15 g ae ha^?1 aminopyralid, whereas at Palmer visual injury was greater than 40 % at 8 g ae ha^?1, the lowest rate tested. Potato tuber production was reduced by aminopyralid at rates of 15 g ae ha^?1 and above at both Delta Junction and Palmer. Sub-samples of potato tubers from Delta Junction and Palmer were analyzed for aminopyralid content and grown out to determine if aminopyralid in tubers would reduce subsequent growth. The aminopyralid concentration in potato tubers increased with increasing field application rates, with 30 ppb extracted from tubers grown at the highest application rate (123 g ae ha^?1). All plants grown from daughter tubers except from control plots in Palmer exhibited injury symptoms. The number of emerged shoots, and shoot height decreased with increasing aminopyralid concentrations in the tuber, with injury rates greater than 70 % at 8 g ae ha^?1.     

Comparative analysis of mechanical properties of size film. I. Performance of individual size materials

Starch has been the most popular and economic size material. Synthetic binders have also been developed to be used as size material to improve weaving loom efficiency. Some synthetic size materials have got restrictions in use mainly because of ecological reasons. In the recent years, many modifications have come up in the starch as a sizing agent. Different modification can give different properties, which can be suited for a particular application. In the present study, for comparative analysis of different varieties of natural starch, modified starch and synthetic size material have been evaluated and mechanical properties like cohesion power, adhesion power, abrasion resistance, bending rigidity etc. were studied. PVA shows best properties among all size material. Among modified starch, starch ester shows better properties.     

湖北省油菜氮肥效应及推荐用量研究

通过15个田间试验研究湖北省油菜主产区氮肥效应和适宜用量。结果表明适量施用氮肥对油菜具有明显的增产增收效果,施氮比不施氮对照增收油菜籽402~2759kg/hm2,平均增产1270kg/hm2,平均增产率达133.0%;施氮纯利润平均为3403元/hm2,产投比平均达6.00;氮肥偏生产力和农学利用率平均分别为17.6kg/kg N和8.0kg/kg N。根据肥料效应方程,在当前生产条件下,油菜生产的氮肥最佳经济用量为120.1~325.4kg N/hm2,平均用量为199.6kg N /hm2。土壤碱解氮含量与油菜氮肥最佳经济推荐用量呈极显著负相关性（r﹦﹣0.7734**,n﹦12）,根据土壤碱解氮含量（x,单位为mg/kg）水平,湖北省目前油菜生产适宜用氮量（y,单位为kg/hm2）可通过公式y﹦553.72﹣74.699Ln（x）求得。     

玉米单倍体自然加倍若干问题探讨

玉米单倍体加倍是DH育种中的关键技术环节之一,玉米单倍体雄穗自然加倍能力较低,限制了DH育种技术在商业育种中的大规模推广,对玉米雄穗自然加倍遗传特性的研究将有助于DH技术在育种中的进一步应用。本研究通过对多个不同遗传背景的单倍体雄穗自然加倍能力进行严格统计和差异比较,结果表明,单倍体雄穗育性恢复主要受核基因的控制,不受细胞质基因的调控。诱导率对单倍体雄穗自然加倍能力没有显著影响,自交系来源的DH1经过诱导后的单倍体由于基因型没有变化,其自然加倍能力与自交系相比没有显著提高。     

细菌人工染色体(BAC)文库及其在小麦中的应用

细菌人工染色体（BAC）具有容量大、遗传稳定、易于操作等优点，在基因组研究和基因功能分析等方面得到了广泛应用。对BAC文库克隆载体的类型、小麦BAC文库的构建及其应用进行了综述，并对其前景进行了展望。细菌人工染色体载体是由大肠杆菌的F-因子发展而来，第一代BAC克隆载体pBAC1081能容纳300kb的片段，但它只具有转化选择标记．没有重组选择标记。第二代载体是将LacZ基因插入到多克隆位点中形成具有重组选择标记类型的载体如pBeloBACll，在该载体的基础上经过改造和改进又发展了一些特殊用途的载体，如富集基因类型和遗传转化类型的载体。近年来利用这些载体构建了小麦二倍体、四倍体、六倍体基因组BAC文库以及小麦特定染色体BAC文库，井以单克隆或混合池的形式保存。这些小麦BAC文库对于小麦基因克隆、基因组及基因区物理图谱的构建以及比较基因组学等方面的研究具有重要的意义。     

Comparison between two modified methods of neutral-detergent fibre analysis

When describing the methods of analysis of neutral‐detergent fibre (NDF) it is valuable to know if different modifications of the standard method of analysis give the same absolute results or if the analysing method has to be specified. In this study two modifications of the standard method were compared, a 16‐h oven technique and a filter‐bag technique. The comparisons were conducted using thirty‐two timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and thirty‐two red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) samples. The study showed that both methods ranked the forage samples in the same relative order and had good accuracy. However, the NDF concentrations for the filter‐bag system were on average 7·8 g kg^?1 DM higher for the red clover samples and 39·7 g kg^?1 DM higher for the timothy samples. The difference in concentration of NDF for the red clover samples was smaller than the field variation and the daily change in NDF concentration, but in timothy the difference was four to five times larger than the field variation and the mean daily changes in NDF concentration. The study shows that it is important to specify the method of analysis for NDF when analysing timothy samples but not red clover samples, and that for this dataset it was possible to use a correction constant to recalculate the results from one method to the other.     

Wheat transformation: current technology and applications to grain development and composition

Transgenesis is a powerful research tool that can be adapted to investigate many aspects of gene function. It has been used widely in model plants such as Arabidopsis, tobacco and rice but until recently, bottlenecks in DNA-delivery and tissue culture meant that it could not be used routinely for wheat research. However, many aspects of grain development and composition are unique to wheat and cannot be easily investigated in model species. Over the last decade, progress in biolistic- and Agrobacterium-mediated DNA delivery, reduction in genotype-dependency in wheat tissue culture and in the development of a range of supplementary technologies has enabled its application in this traditionally recalcitrant crop. The use of genetic modification has already made a significant impact on our understanding of interactions between high molecular weight glutenin subunits and their individual contribution to dough strength. As candidate genes become available the application of genetic transformation is set to play a major part in the elucidation of their function in determining other important grain traits such as starch and lipid composition, dietary fibre composition and grain texture.     

cDNA-AFLP分子标记技术及其在茶树育种上的应用前景

cDNA-AFLP技术是一种新的分子标记技术,该技术结合了AFLP和mRNA差异显示技术,具有可靠性和高效性且不需要预先知道序列信息,广泛应用于植物生长发育过程基因分离及表达特性的研究。本文阐述了分子标记技术cDNA-AFLP的原理及程序并介绍了它的应用情况。目前cDNA-AFLP技术已经在茶树基因表达特性研究上作了一些尝试,随着该技术的不断发展完善在茶树育种上有广阔的应用前景。     

Reliability of potato selection in the first clonal generation

Studies were carried out over a seven-year period to determine the reliability of selection at the single hill stage; two clonal replicates of 200 unselected first clonal generation seedlings, and 10 established cultivars were used as test materials. Duplicate selections of clones were made in relatively few instances; consequently, the reliability of selection at the single hill stage is highly questionable. Several modifications in procedure are proposed including the application of negative selection pressure, using replication where possible, discarding only the obviously poor clones, and modifying the criteria used as a basis for selection and limiting the number of hills per clone grown the second year.     

Optimising harvest date in sugar production: a case study for the Mossman mill region in Australia: II. Sensitivity to crop age and crop class distribution

Optimisation of harvest date in sugarcane production has been shown to increase productivity and profitability. This paper assesses the sensitivity of these responses to crop class and age distribution at harvest, using the Mossman mill region as a case study. Analyses were conducted to assess the consequences of different number of ratoons before ploughing out various fixed crop ages at harvest; and the advantages of fallowing before planting compared to ploughout and immediate replant. Productivity and profitability were found to be sensitive to modifications in model input parameters and constraints. The optimal number of ratoons to maximise both sugar yield and net revenue was found to be three. While the optimal cane supply was not very sensitive to constraints on crop age when it was restricted to 12 months plus or minus 2, there was a significant reduction in net revenue (4 to 5%) when restricted to younger and older crops (9 to 13 and 11 to 15 months). Comparisons of fallow verses ploughout replant showed a gain of 16% in net revenue when all crops were immediately planted after ploughout. This suggests that current fallowing practices are not financially beneficial in the case study region of coastal Mossman. The analysis methodology can be applied in other regions to identify better ways of scheduling cane supply.     

大豆黄酮在动物生产中的应用现状

大豆黄酮主要存在于大豆及其他豆科植物中,它是一种同时具有雌激素样和抗雌激素样作用的天然活性物质.大豆黄酮具有促进动物生长、增强动物机体免疫力、增加奶牛泌乳量,增加家禽产蛋量、蛋重和品质及提高繁殖机能等生理功能.大豆黄酮可用于饲料,具有提高蛋白质合成效率,提高畜禽胴体瘦肉率等优点,具有广阔的应用前景.     

A one-dimensional model for water quality simulation in medium- and small-sized rivers

While studying water quality in the Tatara river, we realized that the river has various hydraulic and topographic characteristics when flowing through different regions. Because of these specific characteristics, the application of the existing models for simulation of its water quality may not be appropriate due to limitations in the models themselves. Therefore, we developed a mathematical model that is suitable for short-term simulations of water quality in rivers with characteristics similar to the Tatara river. The main foundation of the model is the one-dimensional transport equation established on the basis of the mass conservation law. To solve this equation numerically, it was discretized by the method of finite-difference approximations, and an algorithm has been programmed in Fortran 90. To verify the model, the Tatara river was chosen as a case study. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, hydraulic parameters in four typical blocks of the river, and meteorological data of the study area, have been observed and used to test the model. By calibrating the model with different series of data collected from the designated blocks, all results have shown a good fit between simulated data and the observed one. Therefore, the model could be a reliable tool for simulating water quality in medium- and small-sized rivers over a short-term period. This research has also indicated the changing tendencies of water temperature and dissolved oxygen in Tatara river in response to different meteorological patterns over a daily 24-h period. Besides, the model could be improved to simulate other water quality variables, which would be studied further.     

青麻总DNA的简易提取和鉴定

青麻成熟组织中酚类、黃酮类等次生代谢物较多,要从中提取出高纯度的DNA比较困难。本研究利用黄酮等次生代谢物未大量合成的青麻幼芽为材料,采用简化CTAB法提取青麻总DNA,可以获得高纯度、高产量的DNA。经实验鉴定,DNA纯度符合分子遗传实验要求。该方法快速、简便,也适于其它麻类作物总DNA提取。     

Cosmetic,Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications of Fish Gelatin/Hydrolysates

There are several reviews that separately cover different aspects of fish gelatin including its preparation, characteristics, modifications, and applications. Its packaging application in food industry is extensively covered but other applications are not covered or covered alongside with those of collagen. This review is comprehensive, specific to fish gelatin/hydrolysate and cites recent research. It covers cosmetic applications, intrinsic activities, and biomedical applications in wound dressing and wound healing, gene therapy, tissue engineering, implants, and bone substitutes. It also covers its pharmaceutical applications including manufacturing of capsules, coating of microparticles/oils, coating of tablets, stabilization of emulsions and drug delivery (microspheres, nanospheres, scaffolds, microneedles, and hydrogels). The main outcomes are that fish gelatin is immunologically safe, protects from the possibility of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and foot and mouth diseases, has an economic and environmental benefits, and may be suitable for those that practice religious-based food restrictions, i.e., people of Muslim, Jewish and Hindu faiths. It has unique rheological properties, making it more suitable for certain applications than mammalian gelatins. It can be easily modified to enhance its mechanical properties. However, extensive research is still needed to characterize gelatin hydrolysates, elucidate the Structure Activity Relationship (SAR), and formulate them into dosage forms. Additionally, expansion into cosmetic applications and drug delivery is needed.     

Effects of flax lignin addition on enzymatic oxidation of poly(ethylene adipate) urethanes

Lignin use in polymer industry has recently become very attractive from both economical and environmental reasons. In the specific case of blending, the addition of low lignin amounts was found to improve the properties and extends the application field of other natural or synthetic polymers, but the effects of oxidative enzymes on resulting blends are widely unknown. Thereby, the current study was carried out to determine some potential effects of small flax lignin concentrations (4.2 and 9.3 wt%) on the enzymatic degradation of a poly(ethylene adipate) urethane (PU). Thin cast films of PU and its lignin blends were incubated for 3 days at 30 °C with buffered solutions of fungal peroxidase and laccase extracted from Aspergillus sp., and compared with the untreated ones. Changes in surface structure and morphology were investigated by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the impact on bulk was assessed from tensile tests and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Although the addition of flax lignin reduces the surface structural modifications after enzyme treatment, the morphology, tensile and thermo-oxidative characteristics are still affected, with laccase showing the higher degradative efficiency. The lignin concentration, its high impact on the resulting blends morphology and relative low resistance to laccase and peroxidase degradation was the most important factors proved to driven the enzymatic oxidation.     

Methyl ester of Sal oil (Shorea robusta) as a substitute to diesel fuel—A study on its preparation, performance and emissions in direct injection diesel engine

Many research reported vegetable oil as a potential substitute for diesel engines with its ester form known as biodiesel. The biodiesel can be prepared by different process using vegetable oil and alcohol. The common process used for biodiesel preparation is known as transesterification. This paper presents the transesterification of Sal oil (Shorea robusta) into Sal oil methyl ester (SOME) and its performance in direct injection diesel engine. Several process parameters such as catalyst quantity, molar ratio of alcohol, reaction temperature and reaction time were studied and the optimized process conditions are amount of catalyst (NaOH) - 0.25 wt%, alcohol (methanol) - 150% excess, reaction temperature - 65 °C and reaction time - 1.5 h. The studies with SOME as fuel in the direct injection diesel engine shows that the exhaust emissions such as CO, HC and NO_x are reduced by 25%, 45% and 12%, respectively compared to diesel without significant difference in thermal efficiency. Based on this study it is concluded that the SOME can be used as fuel without any modifications in the engine and hence this biodiesel can be a potential substitute to standard diesel fuel.     

Alhagi maurorum: A convenient source of lupeol

Lupeol, a bioactive triterpenoid, has been isolated from the root barks of Alhagi maurorum for the first time in considerable quantity via an easy extraction and isolation process. In this study, a new and versatile LC-MS method has also been developed by optimizing various parameters for the rapid determination of lupeol in plant extract. The anti-inflammatory property of A. maurorum can be correlated to this compound. The superiority of A. maurorum over other plant sources of lupeol is due to its wild nature and ability to grow throughout the year. On the basis of this fact, A. maurorum can be used as a cheaper and ever available source for the lupeol.