施肥方式和氮肥运筹对寒地水稻产量与品质的影响

针对目前黑龙江地区水稻高产优质栽培中存在施肥量偏高,偏施氮肥,且惯于表施和全层施肥,肥料的淋溶、挥发及排水损失较多等现状,提出一种寒地水稻点状施肥方式,比较了点状施肥、全层施肥和侧深施肥的产量、品质差异及其与氮肥运筹的互作效应,为寒地水稻合理施肥提供理论依据。采用盒栽试验,以垦粳8为材料,常规施氮条件下,设置施肥方式3水平(A1全层施肥,A2侧深施肥,A3点状施肥),氮肥运筹2水平(B1基蘖同施,B2基蘖分施),分析干物质积累量、叶片SPAD值、产量及其构成以及稻米主要品质性状。施肥方式下A3产量显著高于A1,增产8.13%;氮肥运筹下B1产量极显著高于B2,增产9.56%。A3和A2分蘖始期、最高分蘖期叶片SPAD值,分蘖期叶面积,齐穗期高效叶面积、总叶面积极显著高于A1,增幅分别为3.88%～7.80%、3.54%～4.35%,15.85%～31.07%,7.87%～13.24%、8.09%～13.47%;A2成熟期地上部干物质积累量显著高于A1,增幅为6.39%;氮肥运筹下B1齐穗期高效叶面积、总叶面积显著或极显著高于B2,增幅分别为6.57%～6.71%,分蘖期、齐穗期、成熟期地上部干物质积累量B1极显著高于B2,增幅分别为10.13%、10.52%、8.51%。A3蛋白质含量最低,其食味值最佳,但加工、外观品质变劣;氮肥运筹下香气、光泽、味道、口感及食味值B1极显著高于B2,增幅分别为0.81%、3.46%、1.61%、3.21%、1.65%。施肥方式和氮肥运筹二因素互作的蛋白质含量效应分析以侧深施肥、基蘖同施处理最低。施肥方式和氮肥运筹下对寒地水稻产量、品质的效应分析,侧深施肥和点状施肥产量均优于全层施肥,氮肥运筹下基蘖同施优于基蘖分施,其中以侧深施肥、基蘖同施处理可获得相对优质的最高产量。     

Growth response of Ficus benjamina to limited soil volume and soil dilution in a skeletal soil container study

The interactive effects of rooting volume and nutrient availability in a skeletal soil medium designed to meet street tree and pavement needs were observed in a containerized experiment. Benjamin fig (Ficus benjamina L.) was grown in a stone-soil blended skeletal soil material (CU-Soil™) and compared to a loam soil. The same topsoil used as the soil component in the skeletal soil material was used as the sole component in the comparison soil-only treatment.Plants grown in the skeletal soil material had reduced leaf tissue N content and depressed growth compared with plants grown in non-diluted soil. No other mineral deficiencies were found. Leaf number, chlorophyll concentration, shoot weight, and root characteristics were all affected.Reduced growth from soil dilution could be offset by the provision of an enlarged rooting volume for root development. Large containers of skeletal soil were observed to have smaller root systems compared to equivalent net volumes of loam soil at the first two harvest dates of the study. By the end of the study, the large containers of skeletal soil were observed to have developed larger root systems compared to equivalent net volumes of loam soil; resulting in comparable leaf N levels and total plant dry matter. Plants in skeletal soil had lower shoot: root ratios at the end of the study. Investing resources to further root growth in times of nutrient shortages is a probable plant reaction as evidenced by differences in specific root length between treatments. The study allowed a method for directly partitioning the containerization effect by having equivalent amounts of soil over two volumes.     

A Burkholderia pseudomallei toxin inhibits helicase activity of translation factor eIF4A

The structure of BPSL1549, a protein of unknown function from Burkholderia pseudomallei, reveals a similarity to Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1. We found that BPSL1549 acted as a potent cytotoxin against eukaryotic cells and was lethal when administered to mice. Expression levels of bpsl1549 correlate with conditions expected to promote or suppress pathogenicity. BPSL1549 promotes deamidation of glutamine-339 of the translation initiation factor eIF4A, abolishing its helicase activity and inhibiting translation. We propose to name BPSL1549 Burkholderia lethal factor 1.     

Habitat relations of Rhea americana in an agroecosystem of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

The maintenance of wild populations of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) through effective management requires an understanding of their habitat requirements in terms of vegetation composition and field configuration. We studied the relative influence of some anthropogenic variables (presence of route, house and fences) and resource variables (presence of water source, composition and coverage of plant species, vegetation height and bare soil), on the habitat use by a population of rheas in a cattle ranch of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Habitat use was determined indirectly by documenting the number of faeces in summer, autumn-winter and spring 1999. The presence or absence of faeces was related to the measured variables through discriminant analysis that allowed the elaboration of predictive models of habitat use by this species. Contrary to what was expected, those variables related to human activity showed a low predictive value on the habitat use by rheas when compared with resource variables. Rheas preferentially selected the stream area in all seasons and sites with great percent cover of Bupleurum sp., Phyla canescens, Sida leprosa, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, Lolium multiflorum, Stipa spp., and Stenotaphrum secundatum. Low vegetation height was another important component of rhea's habitat in summer and autumn-winter. The high accuracy level obtained by validation tests of this model supports its utility for the management of rhea populations in other cattle ranches of the region, and to analyze the suitability of other ranches for reintroduction programs.     

Effect of Nitrogen and Sulphur Application on Yield and Fatty acid Composition of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Oil

The effects of nitrogen and sulphur on the yield and fatty acid composition of mustard ( Brassica juncea L.) oil were studied in a field experiment. Significantly higher grain and oil yields were obtained with N and S application. Applications of nitrogen up to 60 kg ha⁻¹ and sulphur up to 40 kg ha⁻¹ favourably influenced the grain yield. Increasing levels of N decreased the oil content while application of sulphur improved the oil content. The contents of linoleic and linolenic acid were maximum (16.82 and 8.73%, respectively) with 60 kg N along with 40 kg S ha⁻¹. No use of fertilizers led to higher contents of undesirable fatty acids such as palmitic (hypercholesterimic) and erucic (do not have food value) acids.     

Development of the population size, contribution of foreign breeds, inbreeding and degree of relationships of the entire Hanoverian scenthound population registered in the stud book of the kennel club Hirschmann e.V

The entire dog population of Hanoveranian Scenthounds registered since the foundation of the kennel club Hirschmann in the year 1894 was analysed for the development of the inbreeding and relationship coefficient and the contribution of Hanoveranian Scenthound population of foreign countries. The analyses were performed using all available pedigree information. In the history, the breeding of the Hanoveranian Scenthound was difficult because of the low number of breeding dogs which was additionally reduced during World War I and II. The mean coefficient of inbreeding of the entire German population was 6.35%. From 1950 to 1990, the mean coefficient of inbreeding increased from 8.3% to 9.7%. In the birth years from 1990 to 2002, the mean coefficient of inbreeding decreased slightly to 9.2%. The rates of inbreeding decreased since 1950. For the last 8 generations the increase of the coefficients of inbreeding per generation was 0.71%. The mean degree of relationship of the entire population was 7.17%, whereby values higher than 75% were found. Gene contributions of 8 other European stud books for the Hanoveranian Scenthound could be found in the German population. Hereby, the Austrian Hanoveranian Scenthounds had the largest impact on the German population with 24.4%. The proportion of genes from the German stud book amounted to 67%.     

Hypoglycemic effect of lupin seed γ-conglutin in experimental animals and healthy human subjects

A lupin seed γ-conglutin-enriched preparation was tested in a glucose overload trial with both murine models and adult healthy volunteers. The results with rats showed a dose-dependent significant decrease of blood glucose concentration, which confirmed previous findings obtained with the purified protein. Moreover, three test-product doses equivalent to 630, 315, and 157.5 mg γ-conglutin, orally administered 30 min before the carbohydrate supply, showed a relevant hypoglycemic effect in human trials. Insulin concentrations were not significantly affected. The general hematic parameters did not change at all.This is the first report on the glucose-lowering effect of lupin γ-conglutin in human subjects.     

Seroprevalence of Babesia bigemina in smallholder dairy cattle in Tanzania and associated risk factors

Variations in the seroprevalence of antibody to Babesia bigemina infection by farm and animal level risk factors were investigated for 2 contrasting regions of Tanga and Iringa in Tanzania. Tanga is situated in the eastern part of the country and has typical tropical coast climate while Iringa is situated in the Southern Highlands and has a tropical highland climate. Two hundred farms from each region were selected using simple random sampling procedure and visited once between January 1999 and April 1999. Blood samples were collected from 1329 smallholder dairy animals on selected farms for harvesting serum which was subsequently used for serodiagnosis of B. bigemina using an indirect enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). Of the 1329 sera samples screened, 34.9 % were positive for B. bigemina. The prevalence was higher in Iringa Region [43%, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 39.5-47.3] than in Tanga Region (27%, CI = 23.6-30.5). Using a logistic binomial regression model as an analytical method for predicting the likelihood of animal seropositivity, we found (in both regions) that the risk of positive reaction varied with the animal's age, history of grazing and geographical location. Seroprevalence increased with age (beta = 0.01 and 0.01 per year of age, P < 0.005 in Tanga and Iringa, respectively). Animals located in Lushoto and Iringa urban district were associated with increased risk of seropositivity [Odds ratio (OR) = 4.24, P = 0.001, for Lushoto, and OR = 1.81, P = 0.040, for Iringa Urban, respectively). Animals grazed 3 months prior to sampling had higher odds for seropositivity than zero/semi-grazed, despite farmer-reported high frequency of tick control (OR = 2.71, P = 0.0087, for Tanga, and OR = 4.53, P = 0.001, for Iringa). Our study suggests that even though herd sizes are small, B. bigemina infection is widespread in many smallholder dairy farms and endemic stability with respect to this disease has not yet been attained, but the observed levels are sufficiently high to ensure that clinical disease would be a risk.