Control of volunteer cereals with post-emergence herbicides in maize (Zea mays L.)

Volunteer winter cereals are found sporadically in maize (Zea mays L.) fields across southern Ontario. Seven field trials were conducted over a two-year period (2006 and 2007) at four locations to determine the efficacy of five acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides for the control of volunteer cereals applied at two post-emergence application timings (2–4 and 4–7 maize leaf tips). The volunteer cereals were a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (‘Hyland AC Morley’), soft red winter wheat (‘Pioneer 25R47’), soft white winter wheat (‘Pioneer 25W41’), and a autumn rye (Secale cereale L.) (‘FR’) cultivar. Volunteer cereal competition in maize resulted in a yield reduction of up to 44%. Foramsulfuron, nicosulfuron, nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron provided greater than 70% control of the volunteer cereals at 56 days after treatment (DAT), while primisulfuron and rimsulfuron provided greater than 60% control. Volunteer cereal control with early and late application was greater than 82 and 61%, respectively. Hard red winter wheat was the most sensitive to the ALS-inhibiting herbicides with control of 84–93%. Soft red and soft white winter wheat cultivars were intermediate in sensitivity with control of 76–87%, while autumn rye was the least sensitive with control of at 56–71% control at 56 DAT. Maize yields were improved when volunteer cereals were controlled with the use of herbicides compared to the weedy control, but were lower than the weed-free control. Early herbicide application resulted in improved control of volunteer cereals and higher maize yield.     

美国硬红冬和硬红春小麦籽粒品质比较及与中国强筋小麦标准对标分析

随着人们消费结构的改变,面包市场发展迅速,但中国优质强筋小麦生产供应不足,质量差异较大,而美国硬麦有良好的加工性能和稳定的品质,制粉和烘焙特性优异。研究美国硬红冬小麦和硬红春小麦籽粒品质年度间变化特点及品质指标间相关性,可为中国强筋小麦籽粒品质研究与发展提供参考。本文汇总了美国小麦协会1999—2021年间发布的硬红冬小麦、硬红春小麦品质相关性状数据,分析了两类小麦品质指标间相互关系,并探讨了美国硬麦品质对中国现有强筋小麦标准的适配度。结果表明,与硬红冬小麦相比,硬红春小麦蛋白含量高,筋力强,形成时间、稳定时间等面团品质更高,烘焙品质更优,且籽粒、面粉品质稳定性高。对标中国强筋小麦标准可以发现,硬红春小麦对标中国强筋小麦标准的达标率高于硬红冬小麦,蛋白含量、湿面筋达标率差距尤为明显。综合考虑中国强筋小麦生产现状,并结合美国硬麦对中国强筋小麦标准达标率,中国强筋小麦标准可将蛋白含量调整为>14.5%,湿面筋含量为>32.0%,稳定时间>10 min,容重、硬度分别大于760 g·L^-1和65。硬红春小麦品质指标的相关性分析显示,拉伸面积与面包烘焙吸水率显著负相关,与面包体积显著正相关,可用于预测强筋小麦面包品质;中国标准可设置拉伸面积为105 cm²。     

部分春性和半冬性小麦品种氮效率差异分析

为了解小麦冬春性与氮素利用的关系,在大田条件下,以江苏省主栽的15个小麦品种为材料,比较了半冬性和春性小麦的氮效率差异。结果表明,相同施氮条件下,半冬性小麦的平均氮肥吸收效率(NUEa)和氮肥生产效率(NGPE)分别比春性小麦高12.19%和9.64%,差异均达显著水平。其中,NUEa和NGPE最高的半冬性小麦品种均为济麦22,春性小麦两个指标最高的品种均为扬麦15。半冬性小麦的平均氮肥表观利用率(NUR)、氮肥农学效率(NAE)、氮素生理效率(NPE)及氮收获指数亦高于春性小麦,但差异均不显著。半冬性或春性类型小麦中各指标都存在氮高效和氮低效的品种,且品种间差异均极显著;不同品种氮效率高或低的机制不同,使得对氮肥的吸收、利用、转运的能力存在差异,生产中应根据不同品种氮效率机制特点采用不同的施肥应对策略。     

Effects of fungicides on eyespot in five successive crops of winter wheat in plots with different initial or fungicide-selected populations of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides

The effects on eyespot of carbendazim, prochloraz or a mixture of carbendazim and prochloraz, applied twice yearly and to the same plots in each year, were studied in five successive crops of winter wheat. Some plots were uninoculated (with a background population of the eyespot fungus, Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides, which was initially mainly MBC-sensitive W-type), whereas others were inoculated artificially in the first autumn of the experiment (1984) with mainly MBC-sensitive W-type, MBC-resistant W-type, MBC-sensitive R-type or MBC-resistant R-type fungus. Samples were taken in April (1985–1987) and July (1985–1989). When all inoculation treatments are considered together, carbendazim was ineffective at all sampling times after April 1985 because of its rapid selection for MBC-resistance, and increased eyespot incidence and severity in some samples. Prochloraz applied alone decreased eyespot incidence and severity at all sample times except July 1988. Where applied with carbendazim, prochloraz always decreased eyespot incidence and severity, sometimes more so than when applied alone. The control of eyespot by the fungicides was influenced by the initial populations in the first two seasons only. Carbendazim decreased eyespot incidence in 1985 only where no artificial inoculum was added (both samples) and where mainly MBC-sensitive R-type inoculum was added (April 1985). Prochloraz applied alone was ineffective in July 1985 where mainly MBC-sensitive R-type fungus was added, and, applied with carbendazim, was ineffective in July 1986 where mainly MBC-resistant fungus was added. Subsequently, the populations were unrelated to the initial populations and were mainly a result of selection by fungicides where these were applied. Although selecting for the R-type fungus and, where no carbendazim was applied, for MBC-sensitivity, prochloraz remained generally effective after repeated applications over five seasons.     

Strategies for the control of Avena sterilis in winter wheat production systems in central Spain

A bioeconomic model is described and used to investigate the agronomic and economic consequences of using a range of management strategies for the control of winter wild oats (Avena sterilis L.) in cereal cropping systems representative of central Spain. The results of simulations indicated that growing winter wheat continuously with the annual application of herbicides may be the optimum strategy, resulting in acceptable wild oat populations and maximum economic benefits. However, the practice of wheat monoculture was only a valid option as long as herbicides were applied annually: spraying herbicides in alternate years failed to control wild oats adequately and resulted in major economic losses. The rotation of wheat with a fallow year, with no herbicides applied in either of the two years, may be a satisfactory low-cost alternative when wild oat infestation levels are low, but it is not valid when infestation levels are high. The strategy that combines the use of a fallow year with herbicide application in the wheat year resulted in optimum wild oat control and moderate profitability under all conditions. However, the net returns obtained were substantially lower than in the continuous wheat plus herbicide strategy. The sensitivity of the model to variation in various key parameters was tested: wheat yield level and fixed costs were the two parameters that had the largest effect on model output. In general, the effect of changing parameter values was more pronounced in continuous wheat systems than in wheat-fallow rotations     

A simple Method for Selection of Potato Lines with a Higher Root/Total Ratio at an Early Stage in the Seedling Generation

Abstract

The growth directions and elongation rates of axile roots that compose the framework of an upland rice root system are quite varied. The objective of this study was to elucidate the direction of growth of the axile roots relative to their root diameter and the structural characteristics of their root caps. The relationships of photosynthate translocation to either the growth direction or the elongation rate of the axile roots were also examined using a stable isotope 13G. The growth direction of the axile roots significantly correlated with their diameter. The axile roots with a relatively large diameter tended to elongate vertically in the vegetative stage, though the regression coefficients varied according to phyllochrons. The roots that emerged at the reproductive stage elongated horizontally relative to the large diameter. In the roots that emerged at the same phyllochrons, the prophyll roots elongated more vertically than the proximal roots did. The axile roots that elongated vertically formed wide columellae and large amyloplasts in the cap cells. The highest ¹³C abundance in the axile root tip zone was found at 21 hrs after feeding ¹³CO₂. The length of the apical unbranched zone behind the axile root tip positively correlated with the ¹³C abundance in the root apical zones during the first 21 hrs after feeding, indicating that the roots that elongated fast would be superior in photosynthate intake in the apical zone. The axile roots that elongated vertically took in more photosynthate in their apical zones, however, the relationship was not particularly close.     

Influence of the cultivar,environment and management on the grain yield and bread-making quality in winter wheat

The genotype, environment and their interaction play an important role in the grain yielding and grain quality attributes. The main aim of this study was to determine the contributions of the genotype, environment and their interaction to the variation in bread-making traits. The data that were used for the analyses performed in this study were obtained from 3 locations in Poland from post-registration multi-environment trials with winter wheat in 2009 and 2010. The experimental factors were the cultivar (7 cultivars) and the crop management level (low input and high input). In the multi-environment trials, 17 traits were investigated that characterize grain, flour and dough quality. Most of the traits were affected much more strongly by environmental factors (i.e., year and location) than by genotype. The variance components revealed an especially strong effect of the year on the baking score, loaf volume and water absorption, as well a strong effect of the location on dough development and protein content. The obtained results demonstrate that the grain quality as measured by the parameters based on the protein content and quality may be substantially improved by crop management practices, especially by N fertilization level.     

Genetic responses in milling,flour quality,and wheat sensitivity traits to grain yield improvement in U.S. hard winter wheat

A rising global population necessitates continued genetic improvement of wheat (Triticum spp.), but not without monitoring of unintended consequences to processors and consumers. Our objectives were to re-establish trends of genetic progress in agronomic and milling traits using a generational meter stick as the timeline rather than cultivar release date, and to measure correlated responses in flour quality and human wheat-sensitivity indicators. Grain yield and kernel size showed stepwise increases over cycles, whereas wheat protein content decreased by 1.1 g/100 g. Reduced protein content, however, did not result in lower dough strength pertinent to bread baking. A novel method of directly testing gluten elasticity via the compression-recovery test indicated a general increase in gluten strength, whereas the ratio of total polymeric to total monomeric proteins remained stable. Also showing no change with genetic progress in yield were flour levels of gluten epitopes within the key immunotoxic 33-mer peptide. The oligosaccharide fructan, present in milled and wholemeal flours, increased with increasing grain yield potential. While yield improvement in U.S. bread wheat was not accompanied by a decline in gluten strength or systematic shift in a key wheat sensitivity parameter, the unanticipated rise in total fructans does implicate potentially new dietary concerns.