Seasonal and diurnal photosynthetic responses of two gerbera cultivars to different substrates and heating systems

The simultaneous, long-term effects of three substrates (zeolite, perlite and their 1:1 mixture) and of two heating systems (lower and upper) upon the diurnal changes in photosynthesis of two gerbera cultivars (Cyprus and Heart Breaker) were investigated at different times of year. ‘Cyprus’ revealed higher net CO₂ assimilation rate and stomatal conductance than ‘Heart Breaker’, while transpiration rate was almost the same. Based on both stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, the zeolite–perlite mixture substrate exerted a more beneficial effect on the soil–plant water system. No change in chlorophyll levels, either time-wise or between gerbera cultivars, was observed in response to different substrates and heating systems. Diurnal net CO₂ assimilation rate, followed only for ‘Cyprus’, was reduced significantly from morning to late afternoon, possibly as a result of stomatal conductance reduction. The practical outcome with respect to the combined effect of different substrates, heating systems and cultivars was that ‘Cyprus’ grown on the mixture medium and subjected to an upper heating system (i.e. with heating pipes installed at the culture bag level) exhibited the best physiological responses.     

Application of treated wastewater for cultivation of roses (Rosa hybrida) in soil-less culture

No information is available today concerning the effect of irrigation with secondary treated sewage water on growth, production or quality of roses or other cut flowers. In the present study we investigated the effect of irrigation with treated sewage water on roses cultivated in two soil-less medium, perlite, an inert mineral medium and Choir (coconut fibers), an organic medium of high ion absorption capacity. During 12 months of exposure to the treated water, the visible appearance of the plants, their growth, the quantity and size of the flowering stems and their postharvest performance were not affected by the irrigation treatments. Contents of macroelements in the leaf tissues were unaffected by the irrigation with the secondary treated sewage water. At the same time, Cl contents increased 47% in perlite and 73% in Choir grown plants reaching levels characteristic of exposure to moderate salinity. Mn, Cu and B contents increased as well under cultivation in both perlite and Choir under irrigation with treated sewage water. On the other hand, contents of Fe, Zn, Mo and Al, were similar in all treatments. In all treatments contents of all the examined micro and macroelements were within the range accepted for proper plant function.     

Irrigation of Myrtus communis plants with reclaimed water: morphological and physiological responses to different levels of salinity

Summary

The influence of irrigation with different sources of reclaimed water on physiological and morphological changes in Myrtus communis plants was investigated to evaluate their adaptability to such conditions. M. communis plants, growing in a growth chamber, were subjected to four irrigation treatments over 4 months (120 d): a control [tap water (0.8 dS m^–1), leaching 10% (v/v) of the applied water] and three reclaimed water irrigation treatments, namely 1.5 dS m^–1 leaching 25% (v/v) of the applied water (RW1), 4.0 dS m^–1 leaching 40% (v/v) of the applied water (RW2), and 8.0 dS m^–1 leaching 55% (v/v) of the applied water (RW3). After treatment, all plants were irrigated with tap water, as for the control plants, for a further 2 months (60 d). At the end of the first period (4 months), none of the myrtle plants showed any adverse change in biomass and the average total dry weight (DW) increased by 53% in treatment RW2. However, at the end of the treatment and recovery period (180 d), accumulations of Cl^– ions, and especially Na⁺ ions, negatively affected the growth of all RW3 plants. Plants irrigated with all three reclaimed water samples had increased difficulty in taking-up water from the substrate (i.e., they had lower leaf water potential and relative water content values). RW2 plants showed a better response in their gas exchange parameters. The use of reclaimed water decreased leaf K⁺/Na⁺ and Ca²⁺/Na⁺ ratios, but no chlorosis or necrosis were observed. The three reclaimed water samples had different effects on the myrtle plants depending on the specific chemical properties of the water. Leaching was found to be important to minimise the negative effects of salinity in the irrigation water.     

西芹无公害栽培及常见生理病害

西芹含有丰富的维生素及矿物质钙，铁等。对高血压，糖尿病，血管硬化有很好的作用，是我省主要的外销蔬菜之一。     

The physiological responses of carnation cut flowers to exogenous nitric oxide

Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly reactive signaling molecule and plays a variety of physiological roles in plants. The research on the application of NO to postharvest preservation of flowers and fruits shows great promise in recent years. However, the physiological mechanism of exogenous NO to affect cut flowers is not very clear. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of exogenous NO on the vase life and physiological basis of Dianthus caryophyllus L. variety ‘Monte’. In the present study, 0.1 mmol L⁻¹ sodium nitroprussiate (SNP) was used as the NO donor, and 5 μmol L⁻¹ methylene blue (MB-1) was used as its scavenger based on the preliminary experiment. We evaluated the physiological index including increase of stem weight, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and cell protection enzymes activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The results showed that exogenous NO could significantly extend the vase life of cut carnation flowers and markedly increase fresh mass. The balance of water metabolism and the activities of SOD, POD, CAT and APX also showed improvement, while the production of MDA content and LOX activity were obviously decreased. The results suggest that exogenous NO could delay petal wilting in carination cut flowers, maintain water metabolism, the antioxidative enzymes activity and mass-eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and as well as cell membrane stability. Moreover, the results indicated that MB-1 had the ability to reverse the active effects of NO on different physiological indexes. Therefore, the vase life of cut carnation flowers was markedly extended by SNP treatment.     

Testing the suitability for coastal green areas of three ornamental shrub species through physiological responses to the saline nebulization

Besides abiotic constraints, plants along the coastal urban areas must face additional cues such as saline aerosol, which impact net plant CO₂ assimilation (P_n), reducing biomass and influencing their aesthetic features. In this study, three species (Photinia × fraseri, P; Escallonia rubra, E; and Feijoa sellowiana, F) were subjected to saline nebulization (SN) with a 100 mM NaCl solution. Analyses were performed at 0, 10, and 20 days by monitoring the ion accumulation in plant organs, leaf osmotic potentials, gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, and chlorophyll contents. Overall, E-SN plants absorbed more Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in leaves than P-SN and F-SN ones. This phenomenon was influenced by leaf ‘wettability’ features such as the contact angle of water droplets, droplet retention, and water storage capacity, and the effectiveness of translocating these ions on twig tissues. SN increased the leaf osmotic potential (regardless of species). At 10 days (i.e., moderate stress conditions), P_n declined in all SN species, but more severely (−82 %) in E-SN plants. The observed P_n reductions were due to different limiting factors according to the plant species: P_n was reduced by non-stomatal limitations in P-SN plants, stomatal closure in F-SN, and a combination of both in E-SN individuals. At 20 days (i.e., severe stress conditions), in all SN-plants, lower values in all the physiological parameters than controls were observed, indicating a low tolerance to prolonged SN. The work shows that non-destructive physiological measurements provide a reliable assessment of plant tolerance to SN, which can help growers to select ornamental species suitable for coastal green areas.     

龙眼耐寒性与叶片组织结构的关系

研究了我省龙眼7个主要栽培品种叶片空隙率与耐寒性的关系。结果表明，龙眼叶片空隙率与品种耐寒性密切相关，可作为龙眼耐寒性的鉴定指标。     

Leaf anatomical characteristics and physiological responses to short-term drought in Ziziphusmauritiana (Lamk.)

The aim of this work was to study the association between leaf anatomical characteristics and response to short-term drought stress in Ziziphusmauritiana Lamk. Six Z. mauritiana cultivars (Seb, Gola, Umran, Keitly, Q-29 and B-5/4) under field conditions in Israel's Negev desert were studied. Width of palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll and epidermis, xylem number and diameter in mid-vein were investigated with light microscopy. Short-term (3 weeks) drought stress tolerance was evaluated by monitoring plant response (leaf transpiration, diffusive resistance, chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf water potential and leaf relative water content). Greater epidermis and mesophyll widths and xylem diameters and densities were associated with increased tolerance to short-term water deficit expressed by preliminary wilting symptoms and proportional differences between initial and final physiological parameters. Significantly larger differences were found in Keitly, Umran and B-5/4 than in Seb, Gola and Q-29, indicating that the former cultivars are more sensitive to drought stress. Our results indicate that tolerance in descending order was Seb, Q-29, Gola, B-5/4, Keitly and finally Umran. The existence of an association between anatomical characteristics and short-term drought stress tolerance based on physiological responses is suggested.     

钙对柠檬试管苗生长和一些与抗寒性相关指标的影响

不同处理培养柠檬试管苗,高钙培养基能促进试管苗的生长,抑制顶端自枯现象;而EGTA、TFP处理的试管苗,生长受到明显抑制,顶端自枯现象严重,但TFP处理的试管苗能促进根的生长。随着胁迫温度降低,不同处理的试管苗蛋白质含量变化趋势不同,SOD、POD活性都呈先升后降的趋势;随低温胁迫时间延长,可溶性蛋白质含量、SOD、POD活性都呈先升后降的趋势,MDA含量逐渐增加。低温胁迫下,高钙试管苗的蛋白质含量、SOD活性都明显高于其他处理、而MDA含量低于其他处理。结果表明,钙能提高低温胁迫下柠檬试管苗的可溶性蛋白质的含量,增强SOD的活性,降低MDA的含量,从而提高其抗寒性。     

不同基质对葡萄插条生根和生长的影响

以蛭石、河沙、珍珠岩、炭化稻壳为基质，研究其对葡萄扦插生根的效应。结果表明，以蛭石为扦插基质的插条生根成活率为96．67％；平均根数达29条；根、茎、叶生长量最大，平均株干重达14．07g；愈伤组织出现早，愈伤根和气孔根的根数较多．且生长健壮。     

Photosynthetic and physiological responses to high temperature in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves during the seedling stage

To study the effects of high temperature (HT) on grape growth, a controlled experiment with grapevine (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Hongti) was conducted from July to October, 2015. The HT treatments were 34, 36, 38, and 40°C, with 28°C as control. The changes to photosynthetic pigment characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities, and relative water content (RWC) under different HTs were investigated. Severe chlorosis was observed during the late stages of HT treatment. Chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), photosynthetic rate at irradiation saturation (P_max), light saturation point (LSP), apparent quantum efficiency (AQE), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity in grape leaves increased at first, and then decreased under high-temperature stress (HTS), but the light compensation point acted contrary to the LSP. The carotenoid, malondialdehyde and relative electrical conductivity (REC) increased under HTS; and the Chl/carotenoid ratio and RWC were contrary to the REC. The results suggested that grapes subjected to 38°C for 4 d decreased their RWC, but Chl a, Chl b, P_max, AQE, LSP, SOD, POD, and CAT reached their maximums. Therefore, the high-temperature limit of Hongti was 38°C and the duration time was 4 d.     

月季响应黑斑病的早期差异表达基因分析

为了获得月季抗黑斑病的相关基因,探究月季抗病分子机制,以月季高抗黑斑病品种‘粉和平’叶片为材料,采用单孢子离体接种法对其接种黑斑病菌,以接种24、48和72 h的cDNA等量混合样为检测子,以相应对照的cDNA混合样为驱动子,构建抑制差减杂交文库。挑选200个阳性克隆进行测序、BLASTx比对分析,获得37条非冗余EST序列,其中32条序列在蛋白数据库中具有同源序列。将获得的EST序列导入相应样本的转录组测序数据库,以其在两个样本中的RPKM比值作为基因相对表达量。结果表明,接种病原菌后,上调表达基因涉及信号识别、离子转运、活性氧清除、光呼吸途径及苯丙烷代谢等方面,其中以活性氧清除、光呼吸途径和苯丙烷代谢途径的基因数最多。这一结果说明月季抗病是通过多基因的协同作用实现的,活性氧清除、光呼吸途径和苯丙烷代谢途径在月季抵抗黑斑病菌过程中发挥重要作用。     

Morphological,anatomical and physiological responses of Campylotropis polyantha (Franch.) Schindl. seedlings to progressive water stress

In this study we implemented a potted water supply experiment for 100 days by a completely random sole-factored design with five treatments: 100% (W₁₀₀), 80% (W₈₀), 60% (W₆₀), 40% (W₄₀) and 20% (W₂₀) of water holding capacity (WHC), corresponding to the soil volumetric water content (SVWC) maintained at 38.8 ± 0.3%, 31.6 ± 1.7%, 25.6 ± 1.3%, 16.5 ± 0.7%, and 8.1 ± 1.1%, respectively. The objective was to evaluate the ability of the 2-month-old Campylotropis polyantha (Franch.) Schindl. seedlings to tolerate drought and to explore the mechanism resisting drought. We monitored the growth process of seedling height and leaf number monthly and further investigated those changes in plant growth, dry mass accumulation and allocation, water-use efficiency (WUE), leaf functional traits, chlorophyll a fluorescence and pigment contents across the water deficit gradient. We found that the seedlings presented optimal growth, dry mass production, and physiological activity only at the W₁₀₀ and W₈₀ treatments and afterwards significantly decreased with progressive water deficit; the WUE was improved under moderate water stress (W₆₀ and W₄₀) but reduced under severe stress (W₂₀). The serious leaf shedding, growth stopping and seedling death under the W₂₀ condition revealed that the current-year shrub seedlings could not withstand severe drought. Water stress-induced decrease in total plant leaf area due to a combination of limited expansion of younger leaves and shedding of old leaves caused the leaf area ratio reduction under drought. The reduced mesophyll cell was a major anatomical response of leaves along the water stress gradient. The progressive water stress significantly damaged light harvesting complex and reduced photochemical processes and PSII activity. Our results clearly showed that the current-year shrub seedlings took the avoidance and tolerance mechanisms to withstand progressive drought stress and around 25.6% SVWC and around 12.3% SVWC separately are thresholds to limit the optimal growth and dry mass production and to last growing and surviving for the current-year shrub seedlings.     

不同种类有机肥对娃娃菜生理特性及产量的影响

为获得娃娃菜生产上的适宜有机肥种类与用量,以娃娃菜‘春宝黄’为试材,研究了不同种类有机肥对娃娃菜生理特性及产量的影响。试验设A1～A5共5个不同种类的有机肥处理,以生产上常用的化肥为对照。结果表明:采用再生有机肥2.7 t·hm~(-2)的A2处理,其娃娃菜叶片光合速率、蒸腾速率、叶片胞间CO_2浓度和气孔导度的数值最高;同时其叶片中蛋白质的含量也最高、POD和SOD的活性也最强,分别为7.48μg·g~(-1)、185 U·g~(-1)·min~(-1)和28.21 U·g~(-1),叶片中MDA的含量最低,为0.39μmol·g~(-1);A2处理的娃娃菜在叶片数、横径、纵径、单株经济产量和每hm~2产量,均高于其他处理,分别为每株41.23片、28.34 cm、40.23 cm、1.36 kg和113.95 t·hm~(-2),不同处理对产量的影响大小顺序为A2>A4>A3>A5>A1>CK,说明采用2.7 t·hm~(-2)的再生有机肥,有利于促进娃娃菜的生长与提高产量。     

甜瓜组培苗与实生苗生理生化指标的对比分析

为利用组培技术进行甜瓜遗传育种提供科学支撑,对F1代薄皮甜瓜‘15F9’的组培苗和实生苗生长过程中若干生理生化指标进行比较分析。结果表明,薄皮甜瓜组培苗与实生苗在生长过程中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、叶绿素(Chl)、可溶性蛋白(Pr)和丙二醛(MDA)的变化趋势基本一致。SOD和POD活性总体变化先降后升,CAT活性变化呈先上升后下降趋势,Chl含量变化呈缓慢上升趋势,Pr含量变化曲线呈"W"型,MDA含量呈直线升高。果实单果质量实生苗为945.84 g大于组培苗子代的878.96 g,果实中心可溶性固形物含量组培苗子代为14.83%高于实生苗12.28%。综合对比分析认为,组培苗的生长势和品质较好于实生苗。     

Proline synthesis,physiological responses and biomass yield of eggplants during and after repetitive soil moisture stress

Eggplants (Solanum melongena L. cv. Senryo No. 2) were grown at different levels of soil moisture stress in pots under glasshouse conditions in two separate years. Stress was applied at short-term repetitive (T1), long-term repetitive (T2), and prolonged severe stress (T3) during different growing periods compared with a control (T0). The volumetric water content (VWC) of soil, leaf water potential (Ψ_p), proline content, transpiration rate (T_r), stomatal conductance (GS) and photosynthesis rate (P_n) of leaves and biomass yield were investigated to verify the extent of injury caused during and after moisture stress. The Ψ_p decreased in response to stress increase, and it increased to the initial level after stress recovery. Leaf proline synthesis as a compatible solute greatly increased by intensified stress either in the short-term or long-term; the highest value was 51.6 mg g⁻¹ fresh weight (FW) recorded for T3 plants that showed irreversible wilting at 115 times greater than the initial value (0.45 mg g⁻¹ FW). T1 and T2 plants showed a reduced pattern of proline synthesis as they produced 18.8 and 39.9 mg g⁻¹ FW, respectively, which were 42 and 89 times greater than the initial level; but the proline synthesis in these plants was markedly reduced to 1.1 and 5.6 mg g⁻¹ FW, respectively, within a day of stress recovery by rewatering. The T_r, GS and P_n were significantly reduced and varied among the eggplants with stress severity and duration. GS and P_n decreased because of stress and increased again after stress, but not necessarily fully, and did not return to previous levels within a day due to stress injury. Biomass yield was also significantly decreased as the moisture stress retarded the physiological functions. Under short-term and long-term stress conditions, eggplants synthesized proline significantly, but in contrast the net photosynthesis remained less affected and maintained its activity. The results of this study suggest that proline synthesis increases during stress increase and returns to the initial level after stress recovery, which seems to act as part of a survival mechanism. Therefore, eggplants (Solanum melongena L. cv. Senryo No. 2) have an adaptive potential to acclimate under stress conditions.     

月季种质资源花色多样性及其与花青苷的关系

利用CIE Lab测色体系对227个月季种质资源进行聚类分类,将月季花色均匀地分为7个色系。在a*和b*二维图上,各类花色只有第Ⅲ象限没有分布,即月季中没有蓝色花;根据227个被测品种的彩度值(C*)与亮度值(L*)二维分布图,可将其分为3大类群。大部分种质资源的亮度(L*)与彩度(C*)表现为负相关,分别为以白色和黄色为主的第1类群和以粉色、大部分玫红色、紫红色和橙红色第2类群;但在包括深红色和部分玫红色资源的第3类群中,L*与C*呈正相关关系。HPLC测定结果发现,6种花青苷在101份试验材料中均被检测到,其中含量贡献最大的是矢车菊素–3,5–双葡萄糖苷(Cy3G5G)和天竺葵–3,5–双葡萄糖苷(Pg3G5G);随着花瓣颜色的加深,其花青苷种类和含量也相应地增加,其中第3类群花青苷含量远大于其他两个类群。上述结果表明,月季种质资源存在丰富的花色多样性。进一步的相关性分析发现,6种花青苷总含量(TA)与L*呈负相关关系;与第1、2类群的a*或C*正相关,但在第3类群中呈现负相关。第1类群花青苷与测色参数L*、a*、b*、C*不存在相关性;第2类群中两类Pg花青苷与a*、b*、C*均存在显著正相关,但与L*无显著相关,表明Pg类花青苷只影响花瓣颜色;在第3类群中,只有含量最高的花青苷Cy3G5G与L*、a*、C*存在显著负相关关系,表明Cy3G5G含量的增加既减弱了花瓣亮度也降低了其彩度。     

Importance of different components of green roof substrate on plant growth and physiological performance

Green roof substrate is arguably the most important element of a green roof, providing water, nutrients and physical support to plants. Despite this there has been a lack of research into the role that different substrate components have on green roof plant growth and physiological performance.To address this, we assessed the importance of three green roof substrate components (organic matter type, brick particle size and water absorbent additive) for plant growth and plant physiological performance. Lolium perenne (Ryegrass) was grown in eight substrates in a controlled greenhouse environment with a factorial design in composition of (i) small or large brick, (ii) conifer bark or green waste compost organic matter, and (iii) presence/absence of polyacrylamide water absorbent gel (‘SwellGel?’).We found that large brick substrates had a lower water holding capacity than small brick (?35%), which led to decreased shoot growth (?17%) and increased root:shoot ratio (+16%). Green waste compost increased shoot and root growth (+32% and +13%) shoot nitrogen concentration and chlorophyll content (20% and 57%), and decreased root:shoot ratio (?15%) compared to bark. The addition of swell gel increased substrate water holding capacity (+24%), which increased shoot growth (+8%). Total evapotranspiration (a proxy for potential cooling) was increased by greater shoot biomass and substrate water holding capacity. Overall, this study provides one of the first quantitative assessments of the relative importance of commonly used green roof substrate components. It is clear that substrate composition should be considered carefully when designing green roofs, and substrate composition can be tailored for green roof service provision.     

Nitrogen use for high productivity and sustainability in cashew

Interest in cashew production in Australia has been stimulated by domestic and export market opportunities and suitability of large areas of tropical Australia. Economic models indicate that cashew production is profitable at 2.8 t ha⁻¹ nut-in-shell (NIS). Balanced plant nutrition is essential to achieve economic yields in Australia, with nitrogen (N) of particular importance because of its capacity to modify growth, affect nut yield and cause environmental degradation through soil acidification and off-site contamination.     

日本和韩国梨品种栽培技术

自1994年开始，陆续引进丰水、黄金、新高、大果水晶、金二十世纪、晚秀、爱甘水等10余个日本、韩国梨品种，栽培面积已迭667hm2。通过改良土壤、合理施肥浇水、采用“V”形栽植、扇形整枝、缓放促花、人工授粉、疏花疏果、果实套袋和综合防治病虫害等措施。2002年，53hm2示范因、66，7hm2初结果示范因和一般结果因平均666．7m2产量分别迭2553kg、1536kg和1020kg，总产迭7862t，优质果率迭82．3％，经济效益显著。