Dissecting Genetic Basis of Deep Rooting in Dongxiang Wild Rice

Deep rooting is an important trait in rice drought resistance. Genetic resources of deep-rooting varieties are valuable in breeding of water-saving and drought-resistant rice. In the present study, 234 BC₂F₇ backcross introgression lines were derived from a cross of Dongye 80 (an accession of Dongxiang wild rice as the donor parent) and R974 (an indica restorer line as the recurrent parent). A genetic linkage map containing 1 977 bin markers was constructed by ddRADSeq for QTL analysis. Thirty-one QTLs for four root traits (the number of deep roots, the number of shallow roots, the total number of deep roots and the ratio of deep roots) were assessed on six rice chromosomes in two environments (2020 Shanghai and 2021 Hainan). Two of the QTLs, qDR5.1 and qTR5.2, were located on chromosome 5 in a 70-kb interval. They were detected in both environments. qDR5.1 explained 13.35% of the phenotypic variance in 2020 Shanghai and 12.01% of the phenotypic variance in 2021 Hainan. qTR5.2 accounted for 10.88% and 10.93% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. One QTL (qRDR2.2) for the ratio of deep roots was detected on chromosome 2 in a 210-kb interval and accounted for 6.72% of the phenotypic variance in 2020. The positive effects of these three QTLs were all from Dongxiang wild rice. Furthermore, nine and four putative candidate genes were identified in qRDR2.2 and qDR5.1/qTR5.2, respectively. These findings added to our knowledge of the genetic control of root traits in rice. In addition, this study will facilitate the future isolation of candidate genes of the deep-rooting trait and the utilization of Dongxiang wild rice in the improvement of rice drought resistance.     

低糖番茄脯加工技术

低糖番茄脯不仅营养丰富而且具有浓郁的原果风味，是一种独具风格的保健食品，符合人民生活水平，文化素质日益提高的要求，开发前景十分广阔，本文介绍了低糖番茄脯的完整生产工艺及产品质量指标。     

“WaterMan”: an on-farm water management game with heuristic capabilities

A modern computer-based simulation tool (WaterMan) in the form of a game for on-farm water management was developed for application in training events for farmers, students, and irrigators. The WaterMan game utilizes an interactive framework, thereby allowing the user to develop scenarios and test alternatives in a convenient, risk-free environment. It includes a comprehensive soil water and salt balance calculation algorithm. It also employs heuristic capabilities for modeling all of the important aspects of on-farm water management, and to provide quantitative performance evaluations and practical water management advice to the trainees. Random events (both favorable and unfavorable) and different strategic decisions are included in the game for more realism and to provide an appropriate level of challenge according to player performance. Thus, the ability to anticipate the player skill level, and to reply with random events appropriate to the anticipated level, is provided by the heuristic capabilities used in the software. These heuristic features were developed based on a combination of two artificial intelligence approaches: (1) a pattern recognition approach and (2) reinforcement learning based on a Markov decision processes approach, specifically the Q-learning method. These two approaches were combined in a new way to account for the difference in the effect of actions taken by the player and action taken by the system in the game world. The reward function for the Q-learning method was modified to reflect the suggested classification of the WaterMan game as what is referred to as a partially competitive and partially cooperative game.     

Promoting sustainable intensification in precision agriculture: review of decision support systems development and strategies

Precision agriculture provides important issues toward a more sustainable agriculture. Many farmers have the necessary technology to operate site-specifically, but they do not use it in practice, and thus available information and communications technology (ICT) systems are not used to their full potential. This paper addresses how to reduce the so-called “problem of implementation”, based on the knowledge that participatory approaches during the design and development process is one of the most important factors to frame technology adoption. The development of sustainable ICT systems through theories and methodologies from the fields of human computer interaction and user-centered design (UCD) is presented and an ongoing Swedish project for development of an agricultural decision support system (AgriDSS) for nitrogen fertilization is used as an example to frame the issue. The overreaching aim is to develop AgriDSSs that are sustainable in design as well as through design by stressing the importance of participatory approaches for the successful development of AgriDSSs. The Swedish project has the intention to apply a UCD approach, and some pitfalls on starting to use this way of working is identified as well as some suggestions on how to reduce them through co-learning processes. Despite the challenges presented in this paper, ICT can contribute significantly to long-term sustainable development. Thus, several competences and scientific disciplines need to act in concert to help develop a sustainable development of agriculture via a transdisciplinary approach that can make an impact on society at many levels.     

Inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth by root-infecting fungi in soil of a rice paddy field

 Rice seedling growth, estimated by plant height and root development and discoloration, was better in pasteurized soil than in unpasteurized soil obtained from a flooded rice field. Rice seedlings also grew better in sterilized soil modified by adding roots harvested from the pasteurized soil than in soil modified by adding roots harvested from the unpasteurized soil. The results demonstrate that seedling growth in the rice field soil was inhibited by soil microorganisms, even though no typical symptoms such as seedling blight or damping-off appeared. Pythium aristosporum is suggested to be involved in the inhibition. Thus, it appears that inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth could occur in soils of rice paddy fields. Received: May 20, 2002 / Accepted: October 16, 2002 Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. T. Ichitani, former professor at Osaka Prefectural University, for providing an isolate of Pythium aristosporum for comparison, and Mr. Mitsuaki Sato of Akita Prefectural College of Agriculture for technical assistance.     

条带深松清垄秸秆混埋联合作业机的设计与试验

东北三省是全国最大的玉米主产区,玉米种植面积达1.53×107hm2,每年可收集的玉米秸秆量超过1.1×1 011kg。但是,东北玉米秸秆的总利用率不到5 0%,大部分秸秆被废弃或燃烧掉,在浪费大量农业资源的同时更造成了严重的环境污染。秸秆还田能够有效增加土壤有机质含量,改善土壤结构,也可以解决中国因秸秆过剩而产生的堆集、焚烧造成的环境污染问题。根据合理耕层构建中深耕改土、间隔耕作、秸秆还田农业技术要求,设计了一种一次作业可完成防堵深松、清垄、混埋及镇压等多功能秸秆混埋还田联合作业机。通过对关键部件防堵深松装置、清垄装置和混埋装置等结构优化设计和运动分析,确定了各关键部件的结构形式和参数,以及各部件的配置关系和整机性能参数。田间试验表明:该机在前进速度为5km/h时,秸秆覆盖量为1.0kg/m2;秸秆混埋深度为15.43cm时,混埋率为95.06%,碎土率为96.02%。该机作业性能达到了设计要求,为东北平原构建合理耕层配套机具的设计、改进和评价提供科学依据与方法。     

Soybean oil content QTL mapping and integrating with meta-analysis method for mining genes

Oil content of soybean was a valuable quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes. Eleven QTLs were detected by both CIM and MIM method with the population crossed between Charleston and Dong nong594 in recent 3 years (2007, 2008, 2009). Combining the QTLs collected over the past 20 years, an integrated map of oil-content major QTLs in soybean was established using soymap2, which was published in 2004, as a reference. Using the software BioMercator ver.2.1, QTLs were projected from their own maps onto the reference map. In total, ninety-eight QTLs were integrated into soymap2. A meta-analysis method was used to narrow down the confidence interval, and 20 consensus QTLs and their corresponding markers were obtained. Using a local version of GENSCAN, 10,137 sequences in the consensus QTL intervals were predicted. With BLAST, these predicted genes were compared to the International Protein Index database to mine the related genes. The results offer a basis for gene mining and molecular breeding in soybean.     

Heterosis,molecular diversity,combining ability and their interrelationships in short duration maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis> L.) across the environments

Five inbred lines, 10 single cross maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids and two standard cultivars as check were used to study the combining abilities and heterosis under three environmental conditions. Random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) markers were used to study the genetic diversity (GD) and further to analyze relationship of RAPDs based GD with combining ability and heterosis in short duration maize. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients and linear regressions were analyzed to identify the most important factor determining heterosis and per se performance of the hybrids. Variances due to general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and their interactions with environment were found to be significant. Twenty random primers generated 179 RAPD fragments. Of these, 102 RAPD fragments were polymorphic. GD was determined using Jaccard’s similarity coefficient, and a dendogram was constructed by UPGMA cluster analysis. The RAPDs based GD exhibited non-significant negative or positive association, non-significant linear regression along with very low coefficient of determination (R ²) with SCA, high and mid parent heterosis (HP and MP) and per se performance of the hybrids. Significant positive correlations and regressions along with high coefficients of determination were recorded for SCA with HP, MP and per se performance of the hybrids. The HP and MP also established significant positive association and linear regression along with high coefficient of determination with per se performance of hybrids whereas the parental mean did not establish any significant correlations with the GD, HPH, MPH and grain yield of F₁s. The present investigation, therefore, did not find any role of RAPDs based GD in determining hybrid heterosis and hybrid performance in short duration sub-tropical maize. The SCA, however, has emerged as the most important factor in determination of heterosis as well as per se performance of the hybrids in short duration maize.     

密云水库水源涵养林对水质的影响

 为给密云水库流域的水质保护规划和控制措施提供理论依据,以密云县北庄镇为试验区对水源涵养林进行调查,对地表水进行监测,分析水质中存在的主要问题及其产生的原因。自2000年密云水库流域开始实施“退耕还林”工程以来,森林面积不断增加,减少了由于农田施肥造成的非点源污染,使地表水水质的浑浊度和氨氮指标有所下降。以油松林和板栗林为例,对降雨流经森林生态系统各环节的水质进行监测、分析,说明密云水库流域水源涵养林与降雨之间的淋溶、交换、吸附等过程对降雨具有净化作用。     

2个蝴蝶兰品种对低温胁迫的生理响应

以2年生‘绿熊’和‘安娜’蝴蝶兰品种为试验材料,测定其在低温（5 ℃）下处理12、24、48 h后叶片净光合速率、气孔导度、相对电导率、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白、丙二醛等的含量及超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶活性,分析低温胁迫对不同蝴蝶兰品种叶片表观症状、光合特性、抗氧化酶活性及渗透调节物质含量的影响。结果表明：5 ℃低温胁迫显著降低了‘绿熊’和‘安娜’的净光合速率、气孔导度,并增加了丙二醛、脯氨酸、可溶性糖等的含量,相对电导率值及超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶酶活性,并随着处理时间的增加,其变化程度逐渐加深,但‘绿熊’净光合速率降低幅度低于‘安娜’,且其叶片形态、可溶性糖含量、可溶性蛋白含量显著高于‘安娜’。由于在5 ℃低温条件下,‘绿熊’叶片的表观症状良好,且净光合速率、气孔导度、过氧化氢酶活性、可溶性蛋白含量和可溶性糖含量等显著高于‘安娜’,表明‘绿熊’的抗冷性优于‘安娜’。