Contributions of stomatal infiltration and cuticular penetration to enhancements of foliar uptake by surfactants

Radiolabelled deoxyglucose (DOG) and glyphosate were used to investigate the effects of certain non-ionic surfactants on the kinetics of foliar uptake in three species. ‘Silwet L-77’ (5 g litre^?1), an organosilicone surfactant, enabled spray solutions to infiltrate stomata, providing uptake of DOG into Vicia bean (50%), oat (35%) and wheat (20%) within 10 min of application. ‘Silwet Y-12301’, another organosilicone, also induced stomatal infiltration but to a lesser extent; unlike L-77, this was attenuated by partial stomatal closure. A third organosilicone, ‘Silwet L-7607’, and two conventional surfactants, ‘Triton X-45’ (OP5) and ‘Agral 90’ (NP9), did not induce stomatal infiltration. The effective minimum concentration of L-77 required to enable infiltration of stomata was 2 g litre^?1. The uptake of glyphosate into bean did not differ from that of DOG but the ‘Roundup’ formulation of glyphosate partially antagonised the infiltration provided by L-77. Addition of surfactants did not increase the rate of cuticular penetration of DOG into bean but total uptake was increased, except by NP9, either via infiltration (L-77 and Y-12301) or by extending the period during which penetration occurred (L-7607 and OP5). The surfactants had a variable effect on rates of penetration of DOG into wheat and oat. In general, foliar uptake followed an exponential timecourse which was largely complete within 6 h and only rarely approached 100% of the applied chemical. The stomatal infiltration provided by L-77 caused an increase in translocation of DOG in bean.     

植酸酶对肉仔鸡不同锌源生物利用率的影响

为评定植酸酶添加对不同锌源生物利用率的影响 ,选用 5 6 0只 4日龄肉用公鸡进行为期 2 4d的饲养试验。结果表明 :不管日粮添加植酸酶与否 ,ZnAA的生物利用率均高于ZnSO4 。日粮添加植酸酶ZnAA的相对生物利用率(ZnSO4 为 10 0 )分别为 :10 3(体增重 ) ,10 3.7(饲料转化率 ) ,114 .4 (脱脂胫骨锌含量 ) ,114 .5 (胫骨灰分锌含量 )和 10 8.9(胫骨总锌含量 )。日粮不加植酸酶组这些值相应为 12 0 .8,116 .0 ,139.1,14 1.6和 116 .9。     

A plant growth promoting rhizobacterium and temperature effects on performance of 18 clones of potato

A survey of genotypic responses to beneficial bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. strain PsJN) was conductedin vitro andex vitro, under two temperature conditions, using eighteen clones of potato of different heat stress tolerance: temperate adapted cultivars Kennebec and Russet Burbank; heat tolerant DTO-2, DTO-28, DTO-33, LT-1, LT-2, LT-5, LT-6, LT-7, LT-8, LT-9, Y84-02, NDD277-2, Désirée, and Maine-47; and heat sensitive abscissic acid (ABA)-deficient mutants 11401-01 and 9120-05. Nodal explants taken from 6-week-old bacterized and non-bacterized control plantlets were culturedin vitro on a hormone-free potato nodal cutting medium, and placed at either 20/15 C or 33/25 C day/night temperature, 12h photoperiod and 250 µE m^?2 s^?1 mixture of fluorescent and incandescent light, for six weeks. The tuberization response was studiedex vitro after two weeks acclimation of 2-week old plantlets at 33/25C. The acclimated plantlets were transplanted to 3L plastic nursery pots containing peat-based Pro-Mix growing medium and placed in growth chambers at either 20/15 or 33/25 C day/night temperature, 12 h photoperiod, 475 μE m^?2 s^?1 light and ≈80% RH, for 12 weeks. Compared to the non-bacterized controls, bacterization significantly increased stem length of 12, shoot biomass of 9, and root biomass of 2 clones at 20/15C; and stem length of 14, shoot biomass of 15, and root biomass of 13 clones at 33/25C. High temperature increased length of internodes and had either no effect or slightly decreased node number. Temperature increase had the most dramatic effect on root development. An average shoot to root ratio decreased from 3.7 at 20/15 C to 1.7 at 33/25 C for non-bacterized plantlets and, respectively, from 4.3 to 1.5 for bacterized. The beneficial effect of bacterization on root biomass was the most pronounced in LT-1 and Maine-47 at 20/15 C and LT-8, Maine 47, DTO-2, Kennebec, NDD277-2 and 11401-01 at 33/25C. The temperature elevation did not significantly affect root biomass of LT-6, DTO-28 and Désirée. Temperature stress caused severe reduction in tuber number and tuber fresh weight. ABA-deficient mutants did not produce any tubers and LT-8, LT-9, Y84-027 and DTO-28 tuberized very poorly at 33/25C. DTO-33, Désirée, LT-1 and Kennebec gave the highest number of tubers per pot and Kennebec, LT-1, Désirée and LT-7 the highest yields at this temperature. There was no significant effect of bacterization on tuberization at 20/15 C but at 33/25 C bacterization significantly enhanced tuber number and weight in LT-7 and reduced tuber weight in DTO-2. Although there was no clear link between thein vitro response of particular clones to bacterization and their heat stress tolerance, improvement ofex vitro performance of heat tolerant LT-7 indicates that rhizosphere bacteria may play a role in clonal adaptation of potato to heat stress.     

Uniform maternal age/size and light restrictions mitigate cannibalism in Clarias gariepinus larvae and juveniles reared under production-like controlled conditions

Individual size, size variability, cannibalism, total mortality and biomass production were studied in Clarias gariepinus in two experiments. In the Experiment 1st (duration 7 weeks) larvae originated from three females 1, 2 and 4 years old (females A, B and C, respectively). Three sibling (AA, BB and CC) and three mixed (AB, AC and BC, 1:1) larval groups were reared at a 12L:12D, 50 lux light regime. Initial individual weight of larvae in the sibling groups was strongly positively related to female age, this was preserved during 7 weeks of rearing. Initial coefficient of variation for weight was moderate in the sibling groups from young females AA and BB (30-33%), whereas it was elevated in the mixed groups (48-79%), especially in the group AC. Cannibalism was the major component of total mortality. Cannibalism in progeny of young females AA, AB and BB was reduced compared to the groups BC, AC and CC. Final biomass of small larvae issued from young females was higher than the final biomass of large progeny of the oldest female because of reduced cannibalism in the former. In a 6 week Experiment 2nd progeny of one female was reared at three light regimes: L (continuous light, 400 lux), N (“normal” 12L:12D, 50 lux) and D (continuous darkness). The final individual weight of fish was the lowest in the L group, highest in the D group, and intermediate in the N group. Final coefficient of variation for weight, cannibalism and total mortality were significantly reduced by light restrictions. The resulting final biomass was the lowest in the L group, intermediate in the N group and the highest in the D group in which it was higher by a factor 3.8 compared to the L group. Based on the results of present work and on literature overview several pathways were identified along which biomass size may be modified in populations of young fish that exhibit cannibalistic propensity. Selection of young female spawners of uniform age, and light restrictions, are recommended to mitigate cannibalism.     

Deodorization of swine manure using minced horseradish roots and peroxides

Public concerns about offensive odors from livestock manures are on the rise and so is the pressure to develop practical ways to reduce the odors. The use of minced horseradish (Armoracia rusticanaL) roots (1:10 w/v plant tissue to swine slurry ratio), with calcium peroxide (CaO2 at 26 or 34 mM) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 at 34, 52, or 68 mM) for the deodorization of swine manure, was evaluated through a series of laboratory experiments. The principle underlying this deodorization method is the oxidation of odorants by the concerted action of horseradish peroxidase (present in the plant tissue) and peroxide that serves as an electron acceptor, followed by polymerization of phenolic odorants with a possible copolymerization or adsorption of other odorant compounds. The deodorization effect was assessed by a human panel and gas chromatography (GC). In the case of the GC method, 12 compounds commonly associated with malodor (7 volatile fatty acids or VFAs, 3 phenolic compounds, and 2 indolic compounds) were used as odor indicators. Malodor assessment of the treated slurry by a human panel indicated a 50% reduction in odor intensity. GC results showed 100% removal of all phenolic odorants without reoccurrence for at least 72 h. In view of these data, using plant materials as enzyme carriers and peroxides as electron acceptors emerges as an effective approach to phenolic odor control in animal manure.     

The Occurrence of Metals in Composted Municipal Wastes and Their Removal

The organic fraction of municipal wastes has been composted on the laboratory scale. In the obtained compost the content of cadmium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lead and zinc were determined, as well as the speciation i.e, the form of their occurrence, making use of Rudd's method of sequential extraction. The investigations also concerned the way of removing these metals from the compost by means of leaching with solutions of sulphuric and nitric acid, as well as by electrochemically separating the metals from the solution after the compost had been leached with sulphuric acid. It has been found that the application of the electrochemical method with varying pH values of the leaching solution within the range of 6.8–2.8 allows for the separation of 83.5% Cd, 55.0% Co, 65.4% Cu, 59.4% Mn, 70.3% Ni, 90.5% Pb and 56.2% Zn.     

A method to generate the surface cell layer of the 3D virtual shoot apex from apical initials

Background

The development of cell pattern in the surface cell layer of the shoot apex can be investigated in vivo by use of a time-lapse confocal images, showing naked meristem in 3D in successive times. However, how this layer is originated from apical initials and develops as a result of growth and divisions of their descendants, remains unknown. This is an open area for computer modelling. A method to generate the surface cell layer is presented on the example of the 3D paraboloidal shoot apical dome. In the used model the layer originates from three apical initials that meet at the dome summit and develops through growth and cell divisions under the isotropic surface growth, defined by the growth tensor. The cells, which are described by polyhedrons, divide anticlinally with the smallest division plane that passes depending on the used mode through the cell center, or the point found randomly near this center. The formation of the surface cell pattern is described with the attention being paid to activity of the apical initials and fates of their descendants.

Results

The computer generated surface layer that included about 350 cells required about 1200 divisions of the apical initials and their derivatives. The derivatives were arranged into three more or less equal clonal sectors composed of cellular clones at different age. Each apical initial renewed itself 7–8 times to produce the sector. In the shape and location and the cellular clones the following divisions of the initial were manifested. The application of the random factor resulted in more realistic cell pattern in comparison to the pure mode. The cell divisions were analyzed statistically on the top view. When all of the division walls were considered, their angular distribution was uniform, whereas in the distribution that was limited to apical initials only, some preferences related to their arrangement at the dome summit were observed.

Conclusions

The realistic surface cell pattern was obtained. The present method is a useful tool to generate surface cell layer, study activity of initial cells and their derivatives, and how cell expansion and division are coordinated during growth. We expect its further application to clarify the question of a number and permanence or impermanence of initial cells, and possible relationship between their shape and oriented divisions, both on the ground of the growth tensor approach.