Yield and nitrogen response of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) to Sesbania rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera green manure in different marginally productive soils in the Philippines

Organic-N fertilizers in the form of flood-tolerant, leguminous, stem-nodulating Sesbania rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera may be useful alternatives to resource-poor rice farmers if applied as green manure. Therefore, the accumulation of N by these green manure species and their effect on the performance and yield of wetland rice (IR 64) was examined at four different sites in Luzon, Philippines. Soils deficient in N, P, and K were selected and compared with the fertile Maahas clay of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Los Baños. The green manure plants were grown under flooded conditions for 49 days in the wet season of 1987, chopped, and then ploughed in before transplanting rice seedlings. In a second experiment, the effect of S. rostrata green manure was studied under rainfed conditions. All green manure treatments were compared to an urea treatment (60 kg N ha^–1) and an untreated control. Both legumes developed well, even on the marginally productive soils. S. rostrata accumulated up to 190 kg N ha^–1 and A. afraspera even accumulated 196 kg N ha^–1 in the shoots. In all treatments, green manure increased grain yield significantly (P=0.05) over the untreated control, by 1.3–1.7 Mg ha^–1. The yields were comparable to those obtained with 60 kg N ha^–1 of urea fertilizer. S. rostrata caused the highest grain yield, of 6.5 Mg ha^–1 on the Maahas clay soil of IRRI. The apparent release of exchangeable NH ₄ ⁺ -N in the soils after green manuring and the rice grain yield response showed that both green manure species may provide sufficient available N throughout the development of IR 64 in the wet season. In the rainfed marginal soil site, green manure with S. rostrata produced even higher rice grain yields than urea. Green manure therefore seems particularly attractive for poor farmers on marginally productive soils, at least as a temporary strategy to improve yield and yield sustainability.     

Some furfural derivatives as nitrification inhibitors

Three series of furfural derivatives, namely N-O-furfural oxime ethers, furfural Schiff bases (furfurylidene anilines), and furfural chalcones, have been synthesized and evaluated for nitrification inhibition activity in laboratory incubation studies in typic Ustocrept soil. Furfural oxime ethers and furfural Schiff bases showed potential activity, but furfural chalcones were only mildly active. N-O-ethyl furfural oxime among the oxime ethers, and furfurylidine-4-chloroaniline among the furfural Schiff bases, performed the best. These two compounds showed more than 50% nitrification inhibition on the 45th day at 5% dose as compared to 73% inhibition by nitrapyrin. Activity of furfural oxime ethers decreased with an increase in carbon atoms in the N-O-alkyl side chain. Introduction of a chlorine atom in the phenyl ring of furfurylidene anilines increased the persistence of their activity. N-O-Ethyl furfural oxime and furfurylidine-4-chloroaniline coated urea performed at par with their application in solution form. Ethyl and N-O-isopropyl oxime, as well as chloro- and nitro- substituted Schiff bases, did not reveal any phytotoxicity (adverse effect on germination) on chickpea seeds (Cicer arietinum) even at the highest dose (40 ppm, soil basis).     

Integration of C4-specific PPDK gene of maize to C3 rice and its characteristics in relation to photosynthesis

Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) is a key enzyme in photosynthesis in some plants that exploit the C₄ photosynthetic pathway for the fixation of CO₂. The C₄-specific PPDK encoding pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase was introduced into C₃ plant, a rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. indica IR64) mediated by biolistic and Agrobacterium transformation. The C₄-PPDK gene of maize was integrated to indica IR64 with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-Southern blotting. The total nitrogen of flag leaves of transgenic IR64 was analyzed with Kjeldahl method for quantitative determination of nitrogen, indicating that the total nitrogen of flag leaves of most transgenic IR64 was higher than that of non-transgenic control IR64 formants in the greenhouse. The maximum value of total nitrogen of flag leaves was 3.61% among transgenic IR64 plants, 1.07% higher than that of non-transgenic control IR64 formants. The total nitrogen of flag leaves of transgenic IR64 was increased by 42.1%. The factors for yield of transgenic IR64 plants were analyzed, indicating there was a greater difference in yield-forming factors among transgenic IR64 plants in the greenhouse, i.e. dried plant weight, harvested index and so on. Thus, it could help rice breeders select different materials for breeding. Translated from Molecular Plant Breeding, 2006, 4(6): 797–804 [译自: 分子植物育种]     

A study of kernel oils of some cultivated cucurbits

Oil content of the seed-kernels of 15 species ofCucurbitaceae family has been estimated. It ranged from 37.9 to 56.5%. The iodine values of the oils were from 87.8 to 149.9. Most of these oils were nearly colourless, odourless and of good appearance. The oil-free kernel meals of different cucurbit species had protein content ranging from 60 to 70%.     

A genome-wide association study identifies IL23R as an inflammatory bowel disease gene

The inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are common, chronic disorders that cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal bleeding. To identify genetic factors that might contribute to these disorders, we performed a genome-wide association study. We found a highly significant association between Crohn's disease and the IL23R gene on chromosome 1p31, which encodes a subunit of the receptor for the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-23. An uncommon coding variant (rs11209026, c.1142G>A, p.Arg381Gln) confers strong protection against Crohn's disease, and additional noncoding IL23R variants are independently associated. Replication studies confirmed IL23R associations in independent cohorts of patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. These results and previous studies on the proinflammatory role of IL-23 prioritize this signaling pathway as a therapeutic target in inflammatory bowel disease.     

Development of an in vitro oviduct epithelial explants model for studying sperm–oviduct binding in the buffalo

In this study, we developed an in vitro model for studying sperm–oviduct binding in the buffalo. Oviduct explants were prepared by overnight culture of epithelial cells in TCM‐199 medium under 5% CO₂ at 38.5 °C. Cryopreserved spermatozoa from buffalo bulls (n = 4) were incubated with the oviduct explants, and the sperm–oviduct explants complex was stained with JC‐1. The effect of sperm concentration (2, 3 and 4 million), size of the oviduct explants (<0.2, 0.2–0.3, 0.3–0.4 and >0.4 mm²) and time of incubation (1 hr and 4 hr) on binding index (BI—number of sperm bound to unit area of explants) was studied. No significant difference was observed in the BI among <0.2, 0.2–0.3 and 0.3–0.4 mm² size of explants; however, the BI decreased significantly (p < .05) when the size of explants exceeded 0.4 mm². The BI decreased significantly (p < .05) when the sperm concentration was increased to 4 million, while the duration of incubation did not have any significant effect on the BI. The interaction of bulls with explants size, sperm concentration and incubation time was not significant. The developed assay has the potential to be used as an in vitro model for studying sperm–oviduct binding in the buffalo.     

A Non‐Reciprocal Autosomal Translocation 64,XX,t(4;10)(q21;p15) in an Arabian Mare with Repeated Early Embryonic Loss

Balanced autosomal translocations are a known cause for repeated early embryonic loss (REEL) in horses. In most cases, carriers of such translocations are phenotypically normal, but the chromosomal aberration negatively affects gametogenesis giving rise to both genetically balanced and unbalanced gametes. The latter, if involved in fertilization, result in REEL, whereas gametes with the balanced form of translocation will pass the defect into next generation. Therefore, in order to reduce the incidence of REEL, identification of translocation carriers is critical. Here, we report about a phenotypically normal 3‐year‐old Arabian mare that had repeated resorption of conceptuses prior to day 45 of gestation and was diagnosed with REEL. Conventional and molecular cytogenetic analyses revealed that the mare had normal chromosome number 64,XX but carried a non‐mosaic and non‐reciprocal autosomal translocation t(4;10)(q21;p15). This is a novel translocation described in horses with REEL and the first such report in Arabians. Previous cases of REEL due to autosomal translocations have exclusively involved Thoroughbreds. The findings underscore the importance of routine cytogenetic screening of breeding animals.     

对印度亚热带潮湿气候中的多种用途树叶作为草料的质量评价(英文)

多种用途树种和灌木在农业系统中有重要的作用,在减少饲料供求矛盾和补充世界各地饲料赤字,提高动物生产力方面有很大的潜力。同时,评价草料各种营养特性,利于生产定量平衡的饲料。评价12种多种用途树种(Acacia auri-culiformis,Albizzia procera,Dalbergia sissoo,Gliricidia macu-lata,Leucaena leucocephala,Samanea saman,Azadirachta in-dica,Eucalyptus hybrida,Gmelina arborea,Michelia champaca,Morus alba,和Tectona grandis)的树叶的营养特性,其中分别包括6种豆科和非豆科树种,指标包括:常规成分,细胞壁成分,总鞣质含量,大量(Ca和P)与微量元素(Fe,Cu,Zn,Mn和Co)含量,干物质体外消化率与有机物消化率以及代谢能量值。结果表明上述各参数都有明显的差异。有机物,粗蛋白质含量,石油醚提取物总量,粗纤维含量,无氮浸出物,总灰分的平均值分别为:(92.02±0.30)%,(16.00±0.74)%,(3.05±0.13)%,(18.97±1.07)%,(54.00±1.12)%和(7.98±0.30)%。豆科树种较非豆科树种有更高的粗蛋白质含量(18.30%和13.70%)。细胞壁成分中的中性洗涤纤维素,酸性洗涤纤维,半纤维,纤维素,酸性木质素含量平均值分别为:(52.48±1.05)%,(31.72±0.97)%,(20.76±0.88)%,(16.97±0.70)%和(9.57±0.62)%。总鞣质含量为(4.22±0.32)%。Ca与P之比合理,多种树种叶中Fe和Mn含量丰富,P,Cu,Zn和Co水平低于标准水平含量。干物质体外消化率与有机物消化率平均值分别为(48.96±1.30)%和(50.69±1.36)%。代谢能量值为(6.95±0.11)MJ·kg-1。粗蛋白质含量与干物质体外消化率与有机物消化率和代谢能量值成正相关;而这三个参数与中性洗涤纤维素,酸性洗涤纤维,和酸性木质素含量成负相关。结果表明:银合欢可作为优良饲料的树种,因为它具有最高的干物质体外消化率与有机物消化率以及代谢能量值(65.20%,67.66%和7.95MJ·kg-1),而Gliricidia maculata,Morus alba,Azadirachta indica,Dalbergia sissoo和Samanea saman可做较好类型饲料的树种,其它树种做饲料质量差。