Early Stage above Ground Interaction in Wheat-Jatropha Agrisilviculture System

Experiments were conducted to analyze the initial tree crop interaction between Jatropha curcas and wheat by planting the perennial component in East-West orientation with 8-2 m distance and wheat as intercrop at National Research Centre for Agroforestry （NRCAF）, Jhansi during July, 2007 to April, 2009. During planting of Jatropha the interaction to wheat was non-significant and influence of orientation is also nil. Eighteen months after plating Jatropha had attained the mean height of 124.56 cm, collar diameter of 6.37 cm, number of branches of 11.25, canopy diameter of 98.5 cm and yielded 18.5 g seeds per plant. During 18 MAP also observations revealed the non-significant influence of Jatropha on wheat. Observations also indicated the progress in wheat growth and yield attributes with the increase of distances from tree base and it follow the order of 0.5 m〈1.0 m〈2.0 m〈3.0, 4.0 m and open. Nearly, 62% and 14% yield loss in wheat grain was observed at 0.5 m and lm distance from the tree base respectively compare with open. Comparison ofwheat-Jatropha agrisilviculture system and sole wheat cropping indicated the net grain yield reduction up to 13.5% by agrisilviculture system. The comparison of wheat and straw yields between the two years clearly indicating that the system and sole cropping have not much differed while the influence of climatic factor is witnessed by the variation of yields over years. It revealed that the initial above ground interaction between Jatropha and wheat was due to the space that can be managed by the pruning of branches which is a recommended cultural practice of Jatropha.     

Distribution of Rice Grains on Panicle Axis and Its Relationship with Seed-Setting Ability in Liaoning, China

Studies were conducted with rice varieties developed in recent years in Liaoning Province of China as test materials. Results showed that the varieties tested could be divided into three types： （1） the high-yielding （HYV）, （2） the mediumyielding （MYV）, and （3） the low-yielding （LYV）. The panicle population was in the order of HYV〈 MYV 〈 LYV, while the grain number per panicle and seed-setting rate were just opposite. There was no significant difference in the 1 000-grain weight. Biomass was higher in HYV than in MYV and LYV, while the harvest index was higher in HYV and MYV than in LYV. Yield was inversely correlated with panicle population, but positively correlated with the grain number per panicle, seed-setting rate, the number of primary and secondary branch grains, seed density and harvest index. Yield was most closely linked with the grain number per panicle which was determined chiefly by the number of secondary branch grains and to a lesser degree by seed density and the number of primary branch grains. The seed-setting rate of the secondary branches was positively correlated with that of the whole panicle and yield. The peak value of primary branches for HYV, MYV and LYV was 12-14, 10-13 and 8-12, respectively. LYV had fewer secondary branch grains, while MYV and HYV had more. Such grains distributed mainly in the middle and lower parts of panicle axis for LYV and in the middle and upper parts for MYV and HYV.     

Effect of increasing levels of nitrogen on yield of tea in different agro-ecological conditions of Pakistan

Field experiment was conducted on mature tea bushes of Qi-Men variety at two different altitudes from sea level i.e. at National Tea Research Institute Shinkiari （1000 m） and on farmer＇s field in Konsh valley at village Battal （1500 m）. Different levels of nitrogen with constant dose of phosphorus and potassium were applied to observe the optimal dose of nutrients for highest yield under local edaphic conditions. The experiment was repeated for three consecutive years. The highest yield of fresh tea leaves were obtained by the application of 420 kg ha^-1 N followed by the application of 360 kg ha^-1 N at 1000 masl. The highest dose of nitrogen also reduced significantly the soil pH in the upper （0-15cm） layer depth during 1998 and 1999. During the year 2000, the reduction in soil pH was observed by the application of highest dose of nitrogen but was non-significant at 5% level. The lower soil depth （15-30 cm） showed the reduction in pH with the highest dose of nitrogen during the experimental year but was statistically non significant. At the higher altitude of 1500 masl the highest yield of fresh tea leaves was obtained by the application of 420 kg ha^-1 during the experimental years but the increase was significant during the year 1999 and 2000. The yield of the fresh tea leaves was positively correlated with the amount of nitrogen application at both the altitudes. The increasing amount of nitrogen decreased the soil pH at both the depths of 0-15cm and 15-30cm. Unlike the lower altitude （1000 m） there was no any significant reduction in the soil pH during 1998 and 1999. A significant reduction in soil pH was found in the year 2000.     

Effects of different pruning ways on the sugar-decreasing matters of pumpkin （Cucurbita moschata） fruits during the ripeness

This experiment used pumpkin Longyuanlixiang as material to research the effect of different pruning ways with one branch, two branches, and three branches on the sugar-decreasing matters during the ripeness of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) fruits. The results showed that pectin contents of pumpkin fruits during the ripeness all increased at first and then dropped in every treatment. The pectin contents under the treatments of one branch and two branches reached the high apex after pollinated for 30 d as well as for 35 d under the treatment of three branches. Pentose and chromium contents of fruits had the same trend under different pruning ways and increased during the ripenes. Three kinds of sugar-decreasing matters contents under treatment of two branches were bigger than treatment of one branch, while treatment of three branches was the lowest.     

Yield, Leaf Senescence, and Cry1Ac Expression in Response to Removal of Early Fruiting Branches in Transgenic Bt Cotton

Two-year field experiments were conducted at Linqing, Yellow River valley of China, to study the plant response to the removal of early fruiting branches in transgenic Bt （Bacillus thuringiensis） cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.） from 2003 to 2004. Plants were undamaged and treated by removing two basal fruiting branches （FB） at squaring to form the control and the removal treatment, respectively. The plant height, leaf area （LA）, dry weight of fruiting forms （DWFF）, the number of fruiting nodes （NFN）, photosynthetic （Pn） rate, and levels of leaf chlorophyll （Chl）, N, P, K, and Cry lAc protein in main- stem leaves were measured at a 10- or 20-d interval after FB removal, and the sink/source ratio as indicated by NFN/LA and DWFF/LA was determined. FB removal significantly increased the plant height, LA, and plant biomass in both years. Lint yields were increased 7.5 and 5.2% by removal compared with their controls in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Significant increases in boll size （5.7 and 5.1%） were also observed in removal than in control for both years. Either NFN/LA or DWFF/LA was significantly reduced by removal before 40 d after removal; however, both NFN/LA and DWFF/LA were significantly enhanced by FB removal at 80 d after removal compared to the untreated control. There was no significant difference in fiber quality in the first two harvests between removal and control, but fiber strength and micronarie in the third harvest were significantly improved by FB removal. In terms of leaf Chl, Pn rate, levels of total N, P, and K in late season, leaf senescence was considerably delayed by FB removal. Levels of CrylAc protein in the fully expanded young leaves were considerably higher in FB-excised plants than in control, indicating FB removal enhanced CrylAc expression. It is suggested that the yield and quality improvement with FB removal may be attributed to the increased NFN/LA or DWFF/LA in late season and delayed leaf senescence, respectively. FB removal can be a potential p     

Multi-Location Investigation of Optimum Planting Density and Boll Distribution of High-Yielding Cotton （G. hirsutum L.） in Hubei Province,China

Cotton yield per unit ground area has stagnated for a dozen years in Hubei Province, China, although a series of new high- yielding varieties have been commercialized. A multi-location investigation was carried out in 2008 and 2009 in 13 counties to determine if increased planting population density （PPD） would break the stagnant yield. The results showed that significant differences among the fields existed in theoretical yield, PPD, and bolls per square meter （BPM）. The lowest yield of 1 641.1 kg ha-I was resulted from the lowest PPD of 1.7 plants m-2 and the lowest BPM of 71.8 bolls m-2, while the highest yield of 2 779.7 kg ha-~ was resulted from the highest PPD of 2.5 plants m-2, and the highest BPM of 129.4 bolls m-z. Plant mapping revealed that boll retention rate （BRR） was maintained over 30 or 40% for the first 17-18 fruiting branches （FBs） and decreased dramatically thereafter, rotten boll rate （RBR） decreased, but open boll rate （OBR） rose first and dropped later with rising FB from the bottom to the top. But BRR, RBR, and OBR were all dropped with the fruiting positions （FPs） extending outwards. The optimum range of plant density would be 2-3 plants m-2 and the proper individual plant structure would be 16-19 FBs with 5-7 FPs for cotton production in Hubei Province.     

Combined effect of shading time and nitrogen level on grain filling and grain quality in japonica super rice

There is limited information about the combined effect of shading time and nitrogen(N) on grain filling and quality of rice. Therefore, two japonica super rice cultivars, Nanjing 44 and Ningjing 3, were used to study the effect of shading time and N level on the characteristics of rice panicle and grain filling as well as the corresponding yield and quality. At a low N level(150 kg N ha~(–1), 150 N), grain yield decreased(by 21.07–26.07%) under the treatment of 20 days of shading before heading(BH) compared with the no shading(NS) treatment. These decreases occurred because of shortened panicle length, decreased number of primary and secondary branches, as well as the grain number and weight per panicle. At 150 N, in the treatment of 20 days of shading after heading(AH), grain yield also decreased(by 9.46–10.60%) due to the lower grain weight per panicle. The interaction of shading and N level had a significant effect on the number of primary and secondary branches. A high level of N(300 kg N ha~(–1), 300 N) could offset the negative effect of shading on the number of secondary branches and grain weight per panicle, and consequently increased the grain yield in both shading treatments. In superior grains, compared with 150 N NS, the time to reach 99% of the grain weight(T_(99)) was shortened by 1.6 to 1.7 days, and the grain weight was decreased by 4.18–5.91% in 150 N BH. In 150 N AH, the grain weight was 13.39–13.92% lower than that in 150 N NS due to the slow mean and the maximum grain-filling rate(GR_(mean )and GR_(max)). In inferior grains, grain weight and GR_(mean) had a tendency of 150 N NS150 N BH150 N AH. Under shaded conditions, 300 N decreased the grain weight due to lower GR_(mean) both in superior and inferior grains. Compared with 150 N NS, the milling and appearance qualities as well as eating and cooking quality were all decreased in 150 N BH and 150 N AH. Shading with the high level of 300 N improved the milling quality and decreased the number of chalky rice kernels, but the eating and cooking quality was reduced with increased chalky area and overall chalkiness. Therefore, in the case of short term shading, appropriate N fertilizer could be used to improve the yield and milling quality of rice, but limited application of N fertilizer is recommended to achieve good eating and cooking quality of rice.     

Genotypic variations in nitrogen use efficiency of rice cultivars at various levels of nitrogen under subtropical environment

Insufficient N supply is an important constraint to productivity of lowland rice. Studies on N nutrition of rice cultivars with different durations representing the north western part of Indo-Gangetic Plains are scanty. A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons of 2006 and 2007 at PAU, Ludhiana to assess the differences in grain yield and N utilization of three popular rice cultivars at varying N doses. Significant differences among genotypes were observed in grain yield, N uptake, N use efficiency and N utilization efficiency. The cultivar PAU-201 was found to be superior among all the tested genotypes. Total N uptake and grain N uptake was highest in cultivar PAU-201 followed by cultivars PR-115 and PR-113. On an average, the response to applied N for grain yield was observed upto 90 kg N ha1. Grain yield increased significantly up to 90 kg N hal in cultivars PR-115 and PAU-201 and up to 120 kg N ha1 in PR-113. Apparent recovery efficiency （ARE） and Partial factor productivity （PFPN） of N was significantly reduced at higher level of N （150 kg N hal）. It was concluded that N uptake is predominant factor in grain yield formation and cultivars differ in NUE suggesting that it may be possible to develop cultivars that are efficient at low nutrient level or are capable of using N more efficiently when applied as fertilizer.     

Nitrogen Removal Improvement by Adding Peat in Deep Soil of Su bsu rface Wastewater Infiltration System

In order to enhance the nitrogen removal, a subsurface wastewater infiltration system （SWIS） was improved by adding peat in deep soil as carbon source for denitrification process. The effects of addition of carbon source in the underpart of the SWIS on nitrogen removal at different influents （with the total nitrogen （TN） concentration 40 and 80 mg L^-1, respectively） were investigated by soil column simulating experiments. When the relatively light pollution influent with 40 mg L^-1 TN was used, the average concentrations of NO3-N and TN in effluents were （4.69±0.235）, （6.18±0.079） mg L^-1, respectively, decreased by 32 and 30.8% than the control; the NO3--N concentration of all effluents was below the maximum contaminant level of 10 mg L^-1; as high as 92.67% of the TN removal efficiency was achieved. When relatively heavy pollution influent with 80 mg LITN was used, the average concentrations of NO3--N and TN in effluents were （10.2±0.265）, （12.5±0.148） mg L^-1 respectively, decreased by 20 and 21.2% than the control; the NO3--N concentration of all effluents met the grade Ⅲ of the national quality standard for ground water of China （GB/T 14848-1993） with the values less than 20 mg L^-1; the TN removal efficiency of 94.1% was achieved. In summary, adding peat in the underpart of the SWIS significantly decreased TN and NO3- -N concentration in effluents and the nitrogen removal efficiency improved significantly.     

Response of Soybean (Glycine max) to Different Sources and Levels of Phosphours Fertilization

Phosphorus is crucial to crop growth and yield because of its multiple effects on plant nutrition.Most tropical soils have low plant available phosphorus and there is the need for external input of P to achieve optimum yield.The response of soybean to different sources and levels of phosphorus fertilization were therefore investigated between August,2013 and January,2014.The treatments consisted of four fertilizer sources[Sokoto Rock Phosphate(SRP),single super phosphate,Di-Ammonium Phosphate(DAP)and control]and fi ve levels of fertilizers(0,15,30,60 and 75 kg P·hm~(-2))fi tted into Randomized Complete Block Design(RCBD)with three replications.Soil samples were collected,processed and analyzed before planting and after harvest.Data on growth(plants height,numbers of leaves,numbers of branches and numbers of flowers)and yield(pod and grain weights)were analyzed using ANOVA and significant means were separated using LSD at 5%probability level.Application of DAP at15 kg P·hm~(-2) and 30 kg P·hm~(-2) produced the highest grain yield and showed signifi cant differences in plant height,numbers of leaves and numbers of branches.SRP should not be recommended for the study area,because there was no signifi cant difference across all the parameters and it was characterized with low grain yield,due to its level of acidity and the mildly acidic nature of the soil.     

Analysis of Variations in White-Belly and White-Core Rice Kernels Within a Panicle and the Effect of Panicle Type

This study aims to investigate the variation in occurrence of white-belly rice kernel（WBRK） and white-core rice kernel（WCRK） among different positions within a panicle. Twenty-four M4 mutants involved in four panicle types, namely the compact, intermediate, loose, and chicken foot panicle were used. They derived from a japonica rice cultivar Wuyujing 3. Considerable differences in morphological characters existed among the four types of panicle, especially in panicle length, the secondary branch number and ratio of grain number to total branch length. Marked differences were found in WBRK and WCRK among different positions within a panicle for all types of panicle. In general, grains located on the primary rachis and top rachis branches had higher WBRK and WCRK percentage than those on the secondary rachis and bottom rachis branches. WCRK exhibited larger variation among grain positions than WBRK did. Moreover, there was a significant difference in WCRK/WBRK among grain positions within a panicle, with primary rachis and top rachis branches having higher values than the secondary and bottom rachis. In addition, panicle type showed no significant effect on the pattern of WBRK and WCRK occurrence within a panicle. The results indicated the difference in mechanism of WBRK and WCRK formation in grain position within a panicle, and are valuable for breeding and agronomic practices aimed at lowering chalky grain rate.     

Timing of N Application Affects Net Primary Production of Soybean with Different Planting Densities

Understanding the relationship between the timing of N fertilizer applications and crop primary production is crucial for achieving high yield and N use efifciency in agriculture. This study investigated the effects of starting-N plus topdressing N applications （as compared to the common practice of all basal application） on soybean photosynthetic capacity under different planting densities. A ifeld experiment was conducted in two growing seasons （2011 and 2012）, and the soybean （Glycine max L. Merrill） cultivar was Dongnong 52, three planting densities （20, 25 and 30 plants m-2）, and four N fertilizer application patterns （all N fertilizer of 6 g N m-2 as basal fertilizer, all N fertilizer as topdressing at beginning pod stage （R3）, 1.8 g N m-2 as basal fertilizer and 4.2 g N m-2 as topdressing at stage R3 and full pod stage （R4）, respectively）. The results indicated that under the same planting density, compared to applying all N as basal fertilizer, the application of starter-N plus topdressing N substantially reduced the rate of pod abscission, and enhanced leaf area index （LAI） signiifcantly at beginning seed stage （R5） （P〈0.05）, net assimilation rate （NAR） during stages R4-full seed stage （R6） （P〈0.05）, contribution rate of post-seed iflling assimilate to seed （CPA） （P〈0.05）, and yield （P〈0.05）. Applying topdressing N at stage R4 resulted in higher net primary production and yield than applying topdressing N at stage R3. When applying starter-N plus topdressing N at planting density of 25 plants m-2, LAI after stage R5 and NAR after stage R4 were increased by 5.92-16.3%（P〈0.05） and 13.7-26.6%（P〈0.05） with the planting density of 20 plants m-2, respectively, and yield was 8.46-14.0%（P〈0.05） higher than that under 20 plants m-2. When planting density increased to 30 plants m-2, only LAI during stages R4-R5 and NAR during stages R4-R5 increased by applying starter-N plus topdressing N, while the other indexes declined. Ov     

Effects of deep vertical rotary tillage on the grain yield and resource use efficiency of winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China

Tillage represents an important practice that is used to dynamically regulate soil properties,and affects the grain production process and resource use efficiency of crops.The objectives of this 3-year field study carried out in the Huang-Huai-Hai(HHH) Plain of China were to compare the effects of a new deep vertical rotary tillage (DVRT) with the conventional shallow rotary tillage (CT) on soil properties,winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency at different productivity levels,and to identify a comprehensive management that optimizes both grain yield and resource use efficiency in the HHH Plain.A split-plot design was adopted in field experiments in the winter wheat growing seasons of 2016–2017 (S1),2017–2018 (S2) and 2018–2019 (S3),with DVRT (conducted once in June 2016) and CT performed in the main plots.Subplots were treated with one of four targeted productivity level treatments (SH,the super high productivity level;HH,the high productivity and high efficiency productivity level;FP,the farmer productivity level;ISP,the inherent soil productivity level).The results showed that the soil bulk density was reduced and the soil water content at the anthesis stage was increased in all three years,which were due to the significant effects of DVRT.Compared with CT,grain yields,partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFP_N),and water use efficiency (WUE) under DVRT were increased by 22.0,14.5 and 19.0%.Path analysis and direct correlation decomposition uncovered that grain yield variation of winter wheat was mostly contributed by the spike numbers per area under different tillage modes.General line model analysis revealed that tillage mode played a significant role on grain yield,PFP_N and WUE not only as a single factor,but also along with other factors(year and productivity level) in interaction manners.In addition,PFP_N and WUE were the highest in HH under DVRT in all three growth seasons.These results provided a theoretical basis and technical support for coordinating the high yield with high resource use efficiency of winter wheat in the resource-restricted region in the HHH Plain of China.     

GyrA and ParC Gene Mutation of Clinically Isolated Fluoroquinolones-resistant Strain of Salmonella

Nine strains resistant to five fluoroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin, Enrofloxacin, Danofloxacin, Sarafloxacin) were isolated from clinical samples and extracted the chromosomal DNA of these strains. Designed primers to amplify the Quinolone-resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA and parC, then the PCR products were sequenced and analyzed. In comparision with NCTC5776, a single mutation was found at base 371 in gyrA of strain 38 which changed from C to T, and a single mutation was found at base 350 in gyrA of strain 60 which changed from A to C. No mutation was found in gyrA of the rest. The mutation of strain 38 led to an amino acid substitution of Arg99Cys and the mutation of 60 led to an amino acid substitution of Met 92 Leu. No mutation was found in parC QRDR of all the isolates. These results indicats that the DNA gyrase will be the primary target to salmonella of fluoroquinolone.     

Effect of Seed Drying on Germination Behavior and Seedling Growth of Sweetsop （Annona squamosa）

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi （KNUST） Ghana from September, 2009 to April, 2010, to determine the most appropriate drying method, as a post harvest practice, that would ensure high percentage germination ofAnnona squamosa seeds and its subsequent effect on seedling growth. The seeds were sun-dried, air-dried under shade or kept in the fresh state. Five treatments were used, namely, Freshly Sown seeds （Treatment 1, control）, Seeds Air-Dried under Shade for one day （Treatment 2）; Seeds Sun-Dried for one day （Treatment 3）; Seeds Air-Dried under Shade for three consecutive days （Treatment 4）; Seeds Sun-Dried for three consecutive days （Treatment 5）. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design （CRD） and replicated three times. Drying of Annona squamosa seeds had significant effect on earliness and number of seeds germinated. Air drying under shade and sun-drying for three consecutive days improved earliness to germination （26 days after sowing） and percent total germination but air-drying under shade had better effect on total seed germination, achieving 90% germination in 42 days after sowing. Furthermore, the prevailing ambient temperature of 30 ℃-32 ℃ enhanced germination of Annona squamosa seeds. The study concluded that for optimum germination, seeds of Annona squamosa should be either air-dried or sun-dried for three consecutive days and be incubated in an ambient temperature range of 30 ℃-32 ℃. In terms of growth, seedling growth in leaf production was better from seeds sun-dried for three consecutive days.     

Effect of HMW-GS 6 ＋ 8 and 1.5 ＋ 10 from Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat on Wheat Quality Traits

To determine the effect of 6 ＋ 8 and 1.5 ＋ 10 HMW-GS of synthetic hexaploid wheat （SHW） on main quality parameters of wheat, a set of recombinant inbred lines （RILs） derived from the cross between a SHW with N, 6 ＋ 8, 1.5 ＋ 10 HMW-GS and a cultivar Chuanyu 12-1 （CY 12-1） with 1, 7 ＋ 8, 2 ＋ 12 were planted in three environments in 2005 and 2006 and totally 16 quality parameters were tested for each line. Significant differences in all tested quality parameters but flour yield were observed between the two parents. The mean values of the RILs were intermediate to the parents for grain and protein parameters and some farinograph parameters, flour water absorption （FWA）, and farinograph softening （SOF） but beyond parents at dough stability time （DST）, breakdown time （BRT）, quality number （QN）, noodle score （NS）, and loaf volume （LOV）. All of the quality traits, especially in grain hardness （GH）, zeleny sedimentation volume （SED）, and most of farinograph parameters had significant difference between the different HMW-GS components. The effects of different alleles of HMW-GS at same locus （Glu-A1 or Glu-B1 or GIu-D1） on the different quality parameters were also different and affected by the other two loci. For most of parameters tested, 6 ＋ 8 was better than 7 ＋ 8 and there was no difference between 1.5 ＋ 10 and 2 ＋ 12. End-use quality was greatly influenced by components of HMW-GS. The components of 1, 6 ＋ 8, 1.5 ＋ 10 had the highest LOV and bread score （BS） values, whereas the components of 1, 7＋ 8 and 1.5 ＋ 10 had the highest NS values. Noodle score performed a positive linear relationship with falling number （FN） and its relationships to other quality parameters were affected by environments. Loaf volume had a significant negative relationship to SOF and positive associations with most of quality parameters. It could be concluded that HMW-GS 6＋ 8 from SHW had better overall quality characteristics than 7 ＋ 8, whereas the ef     

Microsatellite Analysis of Genetic Diversity Between Loach with Different Levels of Ploidy

We used microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic parameters of three different polyploidy populations of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus from Honghu City, Hubei Province. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis banding patterns of diploid（2n）, triploid（3n） and tetraploid loaches（4n） were analyzed with Pop Gen software. A total of 68 alleles were obtained from seven microsatellite loci and the polymorphism information content（PIC） indices were all above 0.5. The average expected mean heterozygosity values（He） were 0.8420, 0.7186 and 0.8521; the average observed mean heterozygosity values（Ho） were 0.9674, 0.9785 and 0.8928; and the HardyWeinberg P values were 0.3078, 0.3151 and 0.3762, for diploid, triploid and tetraploid individuals, respectively. The results indicated that the three populations were highly polymorphic, with no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium observed at all the seven microsatellite loci. This indicated a high level of genetic diversity within the populations. A cluster analysis diagram showed that the shortest genetic distance was between diploid and tetraploid loaches and they shared a close phylogenetic relationship. The triploid and tetraploid individuals had the most distant phylogenetic relationship.     

Characteristics of Photosystem II Behavior in Cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.） Bract and Capsule Wall

Though bract and capsule wall of boll in cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.） have different photosynthetic capacities, the features of photosystem II （PS II） in these organs are scarce. In this paper, chlorophyll a lfuorescence emission was measured to investigate the difference in the photosynthetic apparatus of dark-acclimated （JIP-test） and light-acclimated （light-saturation pulse method） bract and capsule wall. Compared with leaves, the oxygen evolving system of non-foliar organs had lower efifciency. The pool size of PS II electron acceptor of non-foliar organs was small, and the photochemical activity of leaves was higher than that of the bract and capsule wall. In regard to the photosystem I （PS I） electron acceptor side, the pool size of end electron acceptors of leaves was larger, and the quantum yield of electron transport from QA （PS II primary plastoquinone acceptor） further than the PS I electron acceptors of leaves was higher than that of bract and capsule wall. In all green organs, the actual quantum yield of photochemistry decreased with light. The thermal dissipation fraction of light absorbed by the PS II antennae was the highest in bract and the lowest in capsule wall relative to leaves. Compared with leaves, capsule wall was characterized by less constitutive thermal dissipation and via dissipation as lfuorescence emission. These results suggested that lower PS II photochemical activity in non-foliar organs may be result from limitations at the donor side of PS II and the acceptor sides of both photosystems.     

Nitrogen Use Efficiency as Affected by Phosphorus and Potassium in Long-Term Rice and Wheat Experiments

Improving nitrogen use efficiency （NUE） and decreasing N loss are critical to sustainable agriculture. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of various fertilization regimes on yield, NUE, N agronomic efficiency （NAE） and N loss in long-term （16- or 24-yr） experiments carried out at three rice-wheat rotation sites （Chongqing, Suining and Wuchang） in subtropical China. Three treatments were examined： sole chemical N, N＋phosphorus （NP）, and NP＋potassium （NPK） fertilizations. Grain yields at three sites were significantly increased by 9.3-81.6% （rice） and 54.5-93.8% （wheat） under NP compared with N alone, 1.7-9.8% （rice） and 0-17.6% （wheat） with NPK compared with NP. Compared to NP, NUE significantly increased for wheat at Chongqing （9.3%） and Wuchang （11.8%）, but not at Suining, China. No changes in NUE were observed in rice between NP and NPK at all three sites. The rice-wheat rotation＇s NAE was 3.3 kg kg1 higher under NPK than under NP at Chongqing, while NAE was similar for NP and NPK at Suining and Wuchang. We estimated that an uptake increase of 1.0 kg N hal would increase 40 kg rice and 30 kg wheat ha-1. Nitrogen loss/input ratios were -60, -40 or -30% under N, NP or NPK at three sites, indicating significant decrease of N loss by P or PK additions. We attribute part of the increase in NUE soil N accumulation which significantly increased by 25-55 kg ha-1 yr1 under NPK at three sites, whereas by 35 kg ha-1 yr-1 under NP at Chongqing only. This paper illustrates that apply P and K to wheat, and reduce K application to rice is an effective nutrient management strategy for both the NUE improvement and N losses reduction in China.     

Vertical Distribution and Seasonal Dynamics of Fine Root Parameters for Apple Trees of Different Ages on the Loess Plateau of China

The vertical distribution pattern and seasonal dynamics of fine root parameters for the apple trees of different ages （3, 10, 15, and 20 years old） on the Loess Plateau of China were studied. Soil coring method was used to determine the vertical distribution and seasonal dynamics of fine roots at different root radial distances （1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 m from the main tree trunk）. The fine root biomass density （FRD）, fine root length density （RLD）, and specific root length （SRL）, as well as soil water content and soil temperature were also measured. The FRD and RLD for the 10, 15, and 20 years old trees reached peak values in the 20-30 cm soil layer. For the 3 years old tree, the highest FRD and RLD were observed in the 10-20 cm soil layer. The FRD and RLD decreased with increased soil depth from the 10-20 or 20-30 cm soil layer for all age apple trees. The SRL declined with the increase of tree age. The FRD at the 1.0 m radial distance from the main tree trunk was higher than that at other radial distances in the 3 and 10 years old orchard. However, in the 15 and 20 years old orchards, especially the 20 years old orchard, the FRD at the 2.0 m radial distance was nearly equal to or higher than that at the 1.0 and 1.5 m radial distances. For all the root radiuses or the tree ages, the FRD, RLD, and SRL were the highest in spring and the lowest in autumn. The age of an apple tree does not affect the vertical distribution pattern but the biomass of fine roots and the SRL. Radial distance affects the root horizontal distribution of 3 and 10 years old trees but the 15 and 20 years old trees. Additionally, effects of soil temperature and soil moisture on fine root distribution or seasonal dynamics are not significant.