Possible influence of Rhizobium on VA mycorrhiza metabolic activity in double symbiosis of alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L.) grown in a pot experiment

Summary Alfalfa (Medicago sativa, L. cv Aragón) plants were grown under greenhouse conditions in pots of inert sand and vermiculite. The plants were inoculated with Rhizobium meliloti strain 102F28, with Glomus fasciculatus or with a mixture of both microorganisms. Plants inoculated with both Rhizobium and Glomus had the highest shoot dry weight and the lowest root-to-shoot ratio. Roots from dually inoculated plants also had a higher oxygen uptake and nodule nitrogenase activity than those from plants inoculated with either of the two microsymbionts alone. However, the dry weight of the roots from only VAM-infected plants was higher than those from Rhizobium or from Rhizobium plus Glomus-inoculated ones. These differences did not correlate with succinate dehydrogenase activity, which was similar between treatments. Nutrient element concentrations were increased in dually infected plants in comparison with those of plants inoculated with only Rhizobium or Glomus. These data suggest that Rhizobium may affect fungal metabolism and that the effect is not achieved via the tricarboxylic acid pathway.     

Screening of Streptomyces strains helping arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis against pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Phytophthora blight

Mycorrhiza helper bacteria (MHB) can promote the formation and functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, but their role and application potential in coping with soil-borne diseases are still unclear. A 14-week greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to obtain several actinomycete strains helping AM symbiosis in suppressing the Phytophthora blight of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), using a soil inoculated with Phytophthora capsici after sterilization. Five Streptomyces strains, including S. pseudogriseolus, S. albogriseolus, S. griseoaurantiacus, S. tricolor, and S. tendae, as well as the AM fungus (Funneliformis caledonium) were tested. The Phytophthora blight severity reached 66% at full productive stage in the uninoculated control, and inoculation of F. caledonium, S. griseoaurantiacus, and S. tricolor alone significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05) it to 47%, 40%, and 35%, respectively. Compared to F. caledonium alone, additional inoculation of S. tricolor or S. tendae, which were isolated from the rhizosphere of a healthy individual in an infected field, significantly elevated (P ＜ 0.05) root mycorrhizal colonization, root biomass, fruit yield, and total K acquisitions of pepper and further significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05) blight severity. According to the feature of enhancing disease-suppression by AM symbiosis, both S. tricolor and S. tendae were confirmed as MHB strains here. Specifically, S. tendae had a stronger performance in directly accelerating mycorrhization, while S. tricolor antagonist to the pathogenic P. capsici. Furthermore, S. griseoaurantiacus with the independent disease-suppression function was not an MHB strain here. The redundancy analyses demonstrated that when AM fungus was present, root mycorrhizal colonization replaced soil pH becoming the main factor affecting pepper Phytophthora blight. Thus, S. tricolor and S. tendae seemed to have the value of preparation and application in the future to help AM symbiosis against pepper Phytophthora blight.     

Effects of soil compaction and arbuscular mycorrhiza on corn (Zea mays L.) nutrient uptake

Soil compaction is of great importance, due to its adverse effects on plant growth and the environment. Mechanical methods to control soil compaction may not be economically and environmentally friendly. Hence, we designed experiments to test the hypothesis that use of plant symbiotic fungi, arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) may alleviate the stressful effects of soil compaction on corn (Zea mays L.) growth through enhancing nutrient uptake. AM continuously interact with other soil microorganisms and its original diversity may also be important in determining the ability of the fungi to cope with the stresses. Hence, the objectives were: (1) to determine the effects of soil compaction on corn nutrient uptake in unsterilized (S1) and sterilized (S2) soils, and (2) to determine if inoculation of corn with different species of AM with different origins can enhance corn nutrient uptake in a compacted soil. Using 2 kg weights, soils (from the field topsoil) of 10 kg pots were compacted at three and four levels (C1, C2, C3 and C4) (C1 = non-compacted control) in the first and second experiment, respectively. Corn (cv. 704) seeds were planted in each pot and were inoculated with different AM treatments including control (M1), Iranian Glomus mosseae (M2), Iranian G. etunicatum (M3), and Canadian G. mosseae, received from GINCO (Glomales In Vitro Collection), Canada (M4). Corn leaf nutrient uptake of N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu were determined. Higher levels of compaction reduced corn nutrient uptake, however different species of AM and soil sterilization significantly increased it. The highest increase in nutrient uptake was related to P (60%) and Fe (58%) due to treatment M4S2C3. Although it seems that M3 and M4 may be the most effective species on corn nutrient uptake in a compacted soil, M2 increased nutrient uptake under conditions (C3 and C4 in unsterilized soil) where the other species did not. Through increasing nutrient uptake AM can alleviate the stressful effects of soil compaction on corn growth.     

不同化感潜力水稻品种对低钾的生理与分子响应

选择国际公认的化感水稻品种“P1312777”和非化感水稻品种“Lemont”为材料,在K元素为5mg·L^-1（低K）和40mg·L^-1（正常K）2个水平的营养液中培养,通过水稻形态学指标（根长、株高、根冠比和生物量）、生理生化指标（SOD、POD、CAT、根系活力及植株中N、P、K含量）,评价不同化感潜力水稻品种对低K胁迫的生理响应,并采用实时荧光定量PCR（Realtime Fluorescent Quantitative PCR,FQ-PCR）,分析了低K胁迫下水稻根和叶中与N、P、K吸收利用相关的12个关键酶的基因表达差异。结果表明,低K促进了化感水稻“P1312777”根的生长,根冠比加大,生物量增加,但对株高的影响不显著;而该条件下非化感水稻“Lemont”的上述指标均受到不同程度的抑制。低K对两种水稻的保护酶系（SOD、POD、CAT）和根系活力均有一定程度的抑制作用,植株中N、P、K含量降低,但非化感水稻“Lemont”受抑制的程度远大于化感水稻“P1312777”。FQ-PCR检测结果表明,低K胁迫下两种水稻根、叶中的12个关键酶的基因均呈现上调表达,而化感水稻“P1312777”的基因表达上调倍数均明显大于非化感水稻“Lemont”。低K胁迫下两种水稻品种的形态学差异、生理与分子响应均表明,化感水稻“P1312777”比非化感水稻“Lemont”具有更强的适应K匮乏的能力。     

Competition among strains of Bradyrhizobium and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae for groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) root infection and their effect on plant growth and yield

Summary Strains of Bradyrhizobium influenced root colonization by a species of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM), and species of VAM influenced root nodulation by strains of Bradyrhizobium in pot experiments. In a field experiment, the effects of VAM on competition amongst inoculated bradyrhizobia were less evident, but inoculation with Bradyrhizobium strains increased root colonization by VAM. Certain VAM/Bradyrhizobium inoculum strain combinations produced higher nodule numbers. Plants grown without Bradyrhizobium and VAM, but supplied with ammonium nitrate (300 g ml^–1) and potassium phosphate (16 g ml^–1), produced higher dry-matter yields than those inoculated with both symbionts in the pot experiment. Inoculation with either symbiont in the field did not result in higher pod and haulm yields at harvest.ICRISAT Journal Article No. 886     

玉米生育期的海拔效应研究

为使高海拔地区的玉米生产布局和品种类型利用更加合理,采用作物生态学的田间试验方法,于2006～2007年间,在甘肃省和云南省各设5个试验点,研究了北、南异地不同玉米品种在不同海拔高度的生态效应.结果表明,在播期大体相同的条件下,玉米拔节期、抽雄期、成熟期随海拔的升高而相应延迟,即播种～拔节、拔节～抽雄、抽雄～成熟的"三段生长"时间相应延长.反映生育期长短的出苗～成熟天数与海拔之间呈0.01水平的正相关.本试验条件下,海拔每升降100 m,参试玉米品种的生育期延长或缩短4～5 d,株高和穗上叶数呈随海拔升高而降低趋势.     

紫茎泽兰和黄顶菊入侵对土壤微生物群落结构和旱稻生长的影响

为比较入侵植物与本地植物对土壤微生态影响的差异, 探索外来植物入侵的土壤微生物学机制, 本研究通过同质园试验, 比较分析了2种入侵菊科植物(紫茎泽兰、黄顶菊)和2种本地植物(马唐、猪毛菜)对土壤肥力和微生物群落的影响, 并通过盆栽反馈试验验证入侵植物改变后的土壤微生物对本地植物旱稻生长的反馈作用。同质园试验结果表明: 2种入侵植物和2种本地植物分别对土壤微生态产生了不同的影响, 尤其是紫茎泽兰显著提高了土壤有效氮、有效磷和有效钾含量,紫茎泽兰根际土壤中有效氮含量为39.80 mg·kg^-1,有效磷含量为48.52 mg·kg^-1。磷脂脂肪酸指纹图谱结果表明, 2种入侵植物与2种本地植物相比, 较显著增加了土壤中放线菌数量, 而紫茎泽兰比其他3种植物显著增加了细菌和真菌数量。盆栽结果表明: 黄顶菊生长过的土壤灭菌后比灭菌前旱稻株高增加113%, 紫茎泽兰也使旱稻的株高增加17%。由以上结果可知, 紫茎泽兰和黄顶菊可能通过改变入侵地土壤的微环境, 形成利于其自身生长扩散的微生态环境从而实现其成功入侵。     

Interaction of 15N-labelled ammonium nitrate,urea and ammonium sulphate with soil N during growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under field conditions

The effects of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate on yield and uptake of labelled and unlabelled N by wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Mexi-Pak-65) were studied in a field experiment. The dry matter and N yields were significantly increased with fertilizer N application compared to those from unfertilized soil. The wheat crop used 64.0–74.8%, 61.5–64.7% and 61.7–63.4% of the N from ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate, respectively. The fertilizer N uptake showed that ammonium nitrate was a more available source of N for wheat than urea and ammonium sulphate. The effective use of fertilizer N (ratio of fertilizer N in grain to fertilizer N in whole plant) was statistically similar for the three N fertilizers. The application of fertilizer N increased the uptake of unlabelled soil N by wheat, a result attributed to a positive added N interaction, which varied with the method of application of fertilizer N. Ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate gave 59.3%, 42.8% and 26.3% more added N interaction, respectively, when applied by the broadcast/worked-in method than with band placement. A highly significant correlation between soil N and grain yield, dry matter and added N interaction showed that soil N was more important than fertilizer N in wheat production. A values were not significantly correlated with added N interaction (r=0.719). The observed added N interaction may have been the result of pool substitution, whereby added labelled fertilizer N stood proxy for unlabelled soil N.     

不同供氮水平下加拿大一枝黄花的化感作用与资源竞争分析

为探讨加拿大一枝黄花在入侵过程中的化感作用与资源竞争之间的关系,采用化感-竞争分离法,分析了加拿大一枝黄花在入侵过程中其化感作用与资源竞争及在不同氮水平下的反应特性。结果表明,外来入侵杂草加拿大一枝黄花具有较强的生物干扰能力,在不同氮素水平下,其资源竞争能力较强且表现稳定,但化感作用潜力则随供氮水平的下降而明显增强,土著植物一枝黄花不具化感作用潜力,在供氮水平充足下,其资源竞争能力减弱,但氮胁迫下却明显增强,这被认为是在环境资源匮乏时生态位之间竞争加剧的结果。     

钙盐诱导下土壤锰和铁的释放及其对胡椒的生物有效性

Releases of manganese and iron ions from an albic soil (Albic-Udic Luvisol), a yellow-red soil (Hap-Udic Ferrisol) and a yellow-brown soil (Arp-Udic Luvisol) induced by calcium salt addition and their bioavailability to pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) were studied in a pot experiment. Addition of Ca(NO₃)₂ decreased soil pH and increased both exchangeable and DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid)-extractable Mn and Fe in soils. Meanwhile, total Mn accumulation in the shoots of Capsicum frutescens L. on the salt-treated soils increased significantly (P< 0.01) compared with the control, suggesting that salt addition to soil induced Mn toxicity in Capsicum frutescens L. Although exchangeable and DTPA-extractable Fe increased also in the salt-treated soils, Fe uptake by the shoots of Capsicum frutescens L. decreased. The effect of added salts in soils on dry matter weight of pepper varied with the soil characteristics, showing different buffer capacities of the soils for salt toxicity in an order of yellow-brown soil > albic soil > yellow-red soil. Fe/Mn ratio in shoots of Capsicum frutescens L. decreased with increasing salt addition for all the soils, which was ascribed to the antagonistic effect of Mn on Fe accumulation. The ratio of Fe/Mn in the tissue was a better indicator of the appearance of Mn toxicity symptoms than Mn concentration alone.