Optimization of light/dark cycle in an extended photoperiod-based speed breeding protocol for grain legumes

The use of high-performing varieties could contribute to increase food legume production and meet the population demand. However, the long process of conventional breeding is a serious limitation that needs further acceleration of genetic improvement. Speed breeding based on extended photoperiod is one of the techniques that allows rapid generation turnover by accelerating the plant life cycle. The present study focused on optimizing the duration of extended photoperiod for lentil, chickpea and faba bean in a growth chamber with light-emitting diode (LED) light sources. Significant differences in growth rate, biomass production, phenology, physiology, plant injury and yield components were observed depending on light phase durations (22, 18 and 14 h). Twenty-two hours of light resulted in earlier flowering and maturity, but higher stress symptoms than the other two light treatments. However, vegetative development was almost normal with limited stress under 14 h of light, but late flowering and maturity. Interestingly, good plant establishment with limited stress and shorter vegetative cycle was observed under 18 h of light. Therefore, a photoperiod of 18 h of light/6 h of darkness could be advised for a rapid breeding protocol.     

棉花主茎叶与根系硝酸还原酶活性分布对播期和密度的响应

【目的】本研究旨在探讨大田轻简化栽培条件下棉花氮代谢随播期和密度的变化规律。【方法】选用华棉3109(G.hirsutum L.)于2014年在华中农业大学试验农场,采用裂区设计:播期为主区(S1,5月30日;S2,6月14日),密度为副区(D1,7.5株·m-2;D2,9.0株·m-2;D3,10.5株·m-2),研究了硝酸还原酶(Nitrate reductase,NR)活性在主茎叶位和根系的分布特点。【结果】1)不同播期和密度对叶片和根系NR活性平均值有显著影响。推迟播期对现蕾期棉花叶片与根系平均NR活性无显著影响,增加密度可降低叶片平均NR活性,但对根系平均NR活性无显著影响;推迟播期,显著降低初花期和盛花期棉花叶片NR活性平均值,但晚播对根系NR活性平均值的影响由侧根NR决定,增加密度,叶片和根系平均NR活性呈先升高后降低变化趋势,表明见花施肥后,晚播抑制了棉花地上部叶片氮代谢强度,而增强了地下部根系氮代谢强度;适度增加密度可显著增强棉花地上部叶片和地下部根系氮代谢强度。2)现蕾期叶片NR活性平均值初花期盛花期,根系NR活性平均值大体呈先升高后降低变化趋势。3)主茎叶位NR活性在3个时期均由上而下显著降低,以第1叶至第3叶波动较大,第4叶以下叶片间无显著差异,表明叶片NR活性与叶龄有关,幼叶氮代谢强度高于成熟叶片,成熟叶片之间氮代谢强度保持相对稳定。【结论】长江流域棉区(主要指湖北植棉区)棉花播种不应晚于6月14日,种植密度以9.0株·m-2最佳。     

棉花产量因主茎不同叶位叶绿素含量变化对播期和密度的响应

叶绿素含量是田间诊断氮素营养供应状况指标之一,与氮代谢密切相关。【目的】为探讨播期和密度对迟直播棉花主茎不同叶位氮代谢与产量的影响。【方法】采用裂区试验设计,以播期(月-日)(S1,05-30;S2,06-14)为主区,密度(株·m-2)为副区(D1,7.5;D2,9.0;D3,10.5),在大田试验条件下研究了不同生育时期棉花主茎不同叶位叶绿素含量的动态变化。【结果】1)棉花叶绿素a、b、(a+b)含量盛花期初花期现蕾期,且随叶位由上而下先升高(倒3~5叶最高)后降低,随密度增加而降低,播期间(现蕾期、初花期、盛花期)S2显著高于S1(现蕾期叶绿素b无显著差异),播期、密度均不改变这些指标在叶位间的变化趋势,播期与密度交互作用存在差异(应作相应的统计分析);2)棉花叶绿素a/b现蕾期初花期(盛花期),不同叶位间现蕾期随叶位由上而下先升高(倒3~4叶最高)后降低,但初花期和盛花期变化平缓,播期、密度不影响叶位间的变化趋势;3)通过逐步回归分析法,得到单叶叶绿素含量(叶绿素(a+b)、叶绿素a、叶绿素b、叶绿素a/b)能够显著代表整株平均水平的叶位,即为棉花叶绿素含量典型叶,现蕾期为倒5叶,初花期为倒4叶,而盛花期随叶绿素指标不同而异。【结论】S1D2产量最高,叶绿素含量、a/b值比较合理。     

Soil and microbial biomass stoichiometry regulate soil organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization in rice-wheat rotation subjected to long-term fertilization

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Soil microbial biomass (SMB), as the source and sink of soil nutrients, and its stoichiometry play a key role in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N)...     

Contribution of phytoecological data to spatialize soil erosion: Application of the RUSLE model in the Algerian atlas

Among the models used to assess water erosion, the RUSLE model is commonly used. Policy makers can act on cover (C-factor) and conservation practice (P-factor) to reduce erosion, with less costly action on soil surface characteristics. However, the widespread use of vegetation indices such as NDVI does not allow for a proper assessment of the C-factor in drylands where stones, crusted surfaces and litter strongly influence soil protection. Two sub-factors of C, canopy cover (CC) and soil cover (SC), can be assessed from phytoecological measurements that include gravel-pebbles cover, physical mulch, annual and perennial vegetation. This paper introduces a method to calculate the C-factor from phytoecological data and, in combination with remote sensing and a geographic information system (GIS), to map it over large areas. A supervised classification, based on field phytoecological data, is applied to radiometric data from Landsat-8/OLI satellite images. Then, a C-factor value, whose SC and CC subfactors are directly derived from the phytoecological measurements, is assigned to each land cover unit. This method and RUSLE are implemented on a pilot region of 3828 km² of the Saharan Atlas, composed of rangelands and steppe formations, and intended to become an observatory. The protective effect against erosion by gravel-pebbles (50%) is more than twice that of vegetation (23%). The C-factor derived from NDVI (0.67) is higher and more evenly distributed than that combining these two contributions (0.37 on average). Finally, priorities are proposed to decision-makers by crossing the synthetic map of erosion sensitivity and a decision matrix of management priorities.     

Haemodynamic alterations induced by toxic level of sodium taurocholate

Haemodynamic effects of sodium taurocholate (S.T.) were studied on isolated guinea pig's auricles, rabbit's heart, rabbit's aortic strip, guinea pig's tracheal chain as well as the blood pressure and ECG pattern changes in pentobarbital anaesthetized dogs. S.T. induced significant negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on the isolated auricles of guinea pig's especially in higher concentrations. Using isolated rabbit's heart, the negative inotropic and chronotropic effects induced by S.T. were found to be depending on the concentration. Cardio-inhibitory actions of the salt are not due to either cholinergic beta 1-adrenergic blocking effect or nicotine like activity. S.T. in all tested concentrations had no effect on the contractile response of isolated rabbit's aortic strip or guinea pig's tracheal chain and did not prevent the contractile response induced by noradrenaline and histamine. In anaesthetized dogs, i.v. injections of the salt in a dose of 30 mg/kg b. wt. produced a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure, but lower doses induced no significant changes. A dose of 30 mg/kg b. wt. of the salt potentiates the decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure when coadministered with the neuromuscular blocking agent, atracurium besylate. Atropine, propranolol and phentolamine did not alter the hypotensive effect of S.T. (neither cholinergic nor beta 1-adrenergic blocking effect). The electrocardiographic pattern induced by S.T. (20-30 mg/kg b. wt.) in dogs were mainly characterized by decrease in heart rate and prolongation of P-T interval.     

The effect of live weight gain and live weight loss on body composition of merino wethers: chemical composition of the dissected components.

Chemical composition of the dissected side parts and dissected side was measured during live weight gain (LWG) and live weight loss (LWL) to determine effects on the chemical composition of the dissected side parts. Thirty-five Merino wethers had ad libitum access to the experimental diet (17.23% CP and 12.09 MJ/kg of DE) to grow from 23.0 to 33.0 kg live weight and then were fed to lose a total of 10 kg in three periods of 25 d each at the rate of 133 g/d. Groups of five animals were slaughtered at live weights of 23.0, 26.3, 29.6, and 33.0 kg during LWG and 29.6 kg (first period), 26.3 kg (second period), and 23.0 kg (third period) during LWL. The greater dissected side weight in LWL animals than in LWG animals at 23.0 kg of live weight was due to the significantly greater chemical fat (P < .05) in the LWL animals than in the LWG animals at 23.0 kg. There were no significant differences between treatments in the protein and water weights in the dissected side. The general increase in the chemical fat in the dissected side of the LWL animals was due to the significant increase in the chemical fat in the muscle (P < .01) and bone (P < .01, 23.0 and 26.3 kg and P < .05, 29.6 kg) at each common slaughter weight and subcutaneous fat (P < .05), intermuscular fat (P < .05) kidney and channel fat (P < .05), and total side fat (P < .01) at 23.0 kg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of enrofloxacin in chickens

1. The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of enrofloxacin in chickens were investigated following intravenous, intramuscular, subuctaneous and oral administration of 10 mg/kg body weight. A rapid distribution phase was followed by a slower elimination phase.

2. The apparent volume of distribution was 2.2 1/kg. Absorption half lives were 0.37, 0.36 and 0.92 h; elimination half lives were 4.06, 4.48 and 4.29 h and bioavailabilities were 87.5%, 80.8% and 59.6% after intramuscular, subcutaneous and oral administration, respectively. The drug completely disappeared from all tissues after 3 days following oral administration.

3. Based on the bioavailability and disposition kinetics of enrofloxacin, administration of one dose per day should both be practical and adequate to maintain plasma enrofloxacin concentrations within the pharmacologically active but lower than tolerance limit.     

The role of chicken IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the occurrence of amyloid arthropathy

In this study, the roles of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in amyloid arthropathic chickens with variable amounts (severe, moderate and mild) of amyloid accumulation were investigated. The presence and the levels of cytokines were evaluated in serum and in joint tissues by using ELISA and immunohistochemistry, respectively. One hundred brown layer chicks were allocated into four groups and intra-articular injections of Freund’s adjuvant were used to induce amyloid arthropathy in Groups II, III and IV. Vitamin A in group II, and methylprednisolone in Group IV were added to enhance and to reduce the severity of amyloidosis, respectively. At the end of the study, a positive correlation was observed among the incidence and severity of amyloidosis, the serum amyloid A levels and the IL-1β values both in the serum and tissues. Elevation in the tissue TNF-α levels in parallel with the severity of amyloidosis has also been noted. As a conclusion, IL-1β appears to play an important role in avian AA amyloidosis either alone or in combination with TNF-α. Further investigation is needed for understanding the role of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in avian AA amyloidosis.     

Effect of Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Some Growth Attributes of Rice

In rice, the traditional system of transplanting gives the crop a 14 to 21-day growth advantage over the weeds [1]. The transplanting also enables rice to capture space earlier. This is because the young rice plants have leverage over germinating weeds due to shading and earlier establishment of root system. The immediate flooding after transplanting limits the establishment of many weeds [2]. Similarly, in direct seeded method, the use of high seed rates could reduce weed infestation to a lar…