Characterization of anti‐Müllerian hormone in a case of bovine male pseudohermaphroditism

The current report aimed to characterize plasma anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) in bovine male pseudohermaphroditism. The blood AMH concentration in a Japanese Black male pseudohermaphrodite calf was compared with pre‐ and post‐pubertal male and female calves and castrated calves. The concentration in the case was higher than in post‐pubertal males, castrated males, and pre‐ and post‐pubertal female calves (p < .05), but similar to that in pre‐pubertal male calves. After extraction of the testes, the concentration in the case dropped to a certain extent. The extracted testes expressed AMH, as detected by immunohistochemistry. This study is the first to show the characterization of AMH in a male pseudohermaphrodite calf. AMH levels in peripheral blood might be useful to diagnose male pseudohermaphroditism in cattle.     

Chemical composition,nitrogen degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in vines harvested from four tropical sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties

This study investigated the potential of vines from four sweet potato varieties (Tia Nong 57, Tia Nong 66, Ligwalagwala and Kenya) as alternative feed resources for ruminant livestock. The chemical composition [neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude protein (CP) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN)], in vitro ruminal nitrogen (N) degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in the vines, harvested at 70 and 110 days after planting (DAP), were determined. Variety and harvesting stage did not (p > 0.05) influence CP and NDF content of the vines. Concentration of CP ranged from 104.9 to 212.2 g/kg DM, while NDF ranged from 439.4 to 529.2 g/kg DM across harvesting stages and varieties. Nitrogen degradability (ND) at 70 and 110 DAP was highest (p < 0.05) in Ligwalagwala (743.1 and 985.0 g/kg DM, respectively). Treatment of vines with tannin‐binding polyethylene glycol (PEG) increased (p < 0.05) in vitro ruminal cumulative gas production parameters (a, b and c). The in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins, as measured by increment in gas production parameters upon PEG inclusion, had a maximum value of 18.2%, suggesting low to moderate antinutritional tannin activity. Ligwalagwala vines, with highly degradable N, would be the best protein supplement to use during the dry season when ruminant animals consume low N basal diets and maintenance is an acceptable production objective. Tia Nong 66 and Kenya varieties, with less degradable N, may be more suitable for use as supplements for high‐producing animals such as dairy goats.     

白菜黑腐病拮抗菌Lysobacter enzymogenes CX03的分离鉴定及生防效果研究

从白菜根际土壤中分离到一株对白菜黑腐病菌具有显著拮抗效果的生防细菌CX03。根据生物学特征、生理生化分析、Biolog测定及多基因系统发育分析，鉴定菌株CX03为产酶溶杆菌Lysobacter enzymogenes。酶学试验结果表明，菌株CX03在代谢过程中产生纤维素酶、蛋白酶和几丁质酶。通过抑菌谱分析，证明菌株CX03具有广谱拮抗作用，对野油菜黄单胞野油菜致病变种、密执安棒杆菌密执安致病变种等5种病原细菌和尖孢镰孢菌、辣椒疫霉菌等4种病原真菌具有显著的拮抗效果。通过盆栽试验结果显示，菌株CX03处理组的白菜黑腐病症状明显减轻，防治效果达到90.4%，显著高于春雷霉素的防治效果84.1%。综上所述，本文首次报道了一株对植物病原细菌具有抗菌活性的产酶溶杆菌生防菌株CX03，其生防性状优良，在植物病害生物防治中具有一定的应用潜力，为国内生物防治研究提供了新的微生物资源。     

Photosynthesis and Remobilization of Dry Matter in Wheat as Affected by Progressive Drought Stress at Stem Elongation Stage

With increasingly erratic rainfall patterns particularly in drought‐prone production systems, the capacity of plants to recover productively from drought spells becomes an important feature for yield stability in rainfed agriculture. Consequently, effects of water management at the stem elongation stage on partitioning and remobilization of dry matter, alteration in photosynthesis and water‐use efficiency (WUE), and yield components of wheat plants were studied in a glasshouse pot experiment. The plants were subjected to three soil moisture regimes: well watered during all phenological stages (WW), drought affected during stem elongation and post‐anthesis stages (DD) and drought affected during stem elongation and rewatered at post‐anthesis stage (DW). Total dry weight substantially decreased by both drought treatments. However, DD plants allocated relatively higher assimilates to roots whereas DW plants remobilized them to the grains. Drought applications resulted in a decrease of grain yield and thousand grain weight while reduction was more pronounced in DD treatment. Relative contribution of post‐anthesis photosynthesis to dry matter formation in grain was higher in WW treatment (72.6 %) than DD (68.5 %) and DW (68.2 %) treatments. Photosynthetic rate, gas exchange and transpiration decreased whereas leaf (photosynthetic) and plant level WUE increased with drought applications. However, all these parameters were rapidly and completely reversed by rewatering. Our findings showed that partitioning of dry weight to grain increases with rewatering of wheat plants subjected to drought during stem elongation phase, but the relative contributions of remobilization of stem reserves and post‐anthesis photosynthesis to grain did not change. Moreover, rewatering of plants at booting stage after a drought period lead to full recovery in photosynthesis and WUE, and a significant although partial recovery of yield components, such as grain yield, TGW and harvest index.     

Maize Genotypes Differing in Salt Resistance Vary in Jasmonic Acid Accumulation During the First Phase of Salt Stress

Plant hormones are considered to play an important role in plant adaptation to drought and salt stress. The objective of the study was to investigate the changes in endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) in relation to differences in the salt resistance of maize genotypes. Two maize genotypes (SR 03 and Across 8023) were compared for changes in water relations, growth and tissue JA levels in response to 100 mm NaCl. Salt stress significantly reduced the shoot growth of both genotypes; however, SR 03 exhibited significantly less reduction in relative shoot fresh weight than Across 8023. Both genotypes showed an identical response to salt stress regarding plant water relations; therefore, genotypic differences in the salt resistance could not be attributed to changes in shoot turgor and these results were further confirmed by the response of both genotypes under equiosmotic stress (?0.49 MPa) of either 100 mm NaCl or PEG‐6000. GC‐MS/MS analysis showed that salt stress did not alter shoot JA levels of both genotypes, however significantly increased the root JA levels of Across 8023. In contrast, root JA levels of salt‐resistant SR 03 did not change by salt stress. Increase in root JA levels in response to stress treatments does not coincide with the growth inhibition of shoot in Across 8023. In contrast, both PEG and NaCl did not change the JA concentrations in both root and shoot tissues of SR 03. Growth assays with maize seedlings showed that JA supply in root medium inhibits shoot extension growth and both maize genotypes were sensitive to the inhibitory effects of JA. These results suggest that maize genotypes differ in JA accumulation during the first phase of salt stress and JA may indirectly be involved in leaf growth inhibition of the salt‐sensitive genotype. In addition, our results also showed that treatment of salt‐stressed plants with exogenous JA improved the Na⁺ exclusion by decreasing the Na⁺ uptake at the root surface.     

Requirement of rice crop for phosphorus and potassium at varying sodicity levels

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sative L.) plants were grown in pots in soil at pH 8.0, 9.4 9.8, and 10.0 to study the response to phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization at the rate of 60 kg/ha alone or in combination on growth, yield attributes, and chemical composition of the shoot. Increasing sodicity stress (pH 8.0, 9.4, 9.8, and 10.0 achieved by using sodium bicarbonate) adversely affected growth with delayed initiation of tillering and reduced the grain filling period. Total and filled grains per panicle, 1,000 grain weight, and grain yield were significantly lowered even at pH 9.4. Analyses of the shoot at 30 days after transplanting and at maturity showed a pronounced increase in Na concentration with a decrease in ? and calcium (Ca). Phosphorus and magnesium (Mg) were slightly higher in the shoot in response to sodicity stress. Fertilization with ? and ? at pH 10.0 helped plants to offset the ill effect of sodicity by early initiation of tillering and flowering and had a positive response on the yield attributes and grain yield. This also resulted in a decrease in Na and improvement in the ? and ? status of shoot. It was concluded that the amount of available ? and ? in the soil which was adequate for plant growth and development at lower sodicity levels, however became inadequate at higher sodicity.     

Effects of foliar applied zinc in the form of ZnSO4 and Zn-amino acid complexes on pistachio nut yield and quality

Abstract

Despite the importance of Zn nutrition, little information is available on the effectiveness of foliar Zn application, in general, and Zn-amino acid complexes in particular on pistachio nut yield and quality. Response of pistachio (Pistachio vera L. cv. Akbari) to foliar application of zinc (Zn) in the form of mineral (ZnSO₄) and complexed with methionine (ZnMet), lysine (ZnLys), and lysine plus methionine (ZnLysMet) was investigated. Lysine alone treatment was used to distinguish the effects of accompanying Lys. A control treatment with no amino acids and Zn was also used. The critical deficiency concentration of Zn in the leaf to achieve the highest 100-kernel mass was 37.6?mg kg^?1. Foliar application of Zn significantly increased leaf Zn concentration in comparison with control. In both years, foliar supply of Zn in the form of complexed with amino acids resulted in a significant increase of total nut yield, fresh mass of 100-nut, and spilled nuts. A significant decrease in the empty nuts was also observed by Zn application. The effectiveness of ZnMet in improving yield and quality attributes of pistachio was in general, higher than the other Zn sources.