Determination of Potassium Delivery to the Roots of Cereal Plants

Potassium (K) delivery to the roots of cereal plants in soils is determined by both soil and plant factors, root growth and root length density in particular, being of major importance. In Part A of this paper an evaluative framework is shown for sandy and loamy-silty soils for determination of root length density based on available field capacity, soil depth in 10 cm steps and the climatic water balance. A good correlation (r² = 0.86) was found when the root length densities were determined at ear emergence. With the help of correction functions root length densities can be subsequently estimated for the other phenological stages (stem elongation, flowering and yellow ripeness). The method described is suited for determining root length densities in water and nutrient transport simulation models. In Part B exchange resins were used to simulate the K delivery from the soil to the root. Measurements were made for different soils and water contents. The depletion zone near the exchange resin was 6 mm thick after 4 days. This corresponds to results obtained from root measurements. Comparisons between a sandy and a loamy-silty soil show, that K delivery by diffusion for equal concentrations depends primarily on soil moisture and pore tortuosity. This leads to the conclusion, that soil physical properties must be taken into consideration when evaluating chemical soil analysis and recommendating fertilizer applications.     

Surface area and CEC as related to qualitative and quantitative changes of forest soil organic matter after liming

Water vapor adsorption isotherms were used for estimation of (apparent) surface areas of samples of limed and unlimed plots of an acidic sandy forest soil. Samples were taken at two microrelief (ridge and furrow) positions from five subsequent 10 cm layers. Values of surface area and CEC correlated linearly with organic matter content but only for four bottom layers. Surface areas and CEC values calculated per the unit mass of organic carbon were higher in upper layers than in lower layers for control samples. For limed samples an opposite trend was observed. The estimated average (apparent) charge densities of organic matter showed a better correlation with humic to fulvic acids ratio. Values of surface charge densities for every investigated profile increased with depth and they were lower in limed than in unlimed profiles.     

Effects of Lime and Fertilizer Application on Soil Solution Composition in an Acid Sandy Forest Soil

In a 40 year old pine stand, soil solution was collected continuously with suction cups from 50 and 200 cm depth over a 42-month period following the surface application of lime and K/Mg-fertilizer. K and Mg showed a much higher mobility than Ca, which hardly increased in 200 cm depth even after 42 months. After an initial nitrate peak, concentrations decreased but remained elevated throughout the entire study period. In 200 cm, Al-, Mn, and Cd-concentrations increased due to exchange processes in the top-soil. Continuously elevated sulfate concentrations in 200 cm indicate S-mineralisation from humus decomposition.     

Identification and stereochemical characterization of lignans in flaxseed and pumpkin seeds

Phytoestrogens of the lignan type are widely distributed in plant-derived food items and are believed to protect against hormone-dependent cancer. The richest known dietary source of lignans is flaxseed. Flaxseed has been reported to contain glycosides of secoisolariciresinol as the major lignan, together with small amounts of matairesinol, isolariciresinol, and pinoresinol. Secoisolariciresinol, but none of the other lignans, has so far been identified in pumpkin seeds. In the present study, two different methods for the hydrolysis of lignan glycosides are compared. Artifact formation and loss of lignans under acidic conditions were observed. Lariciresinol was identified by GC-MS analysis in two different types of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L. and Linum flavum L.) and in pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo L.) for the first time. Likewise, the novel lignan demethoxy-secoisolariciresinol was tentatively identified in the flaxseed samples. Stereochemical analysis by chiral HPLC of several lignans isolated from flaxseed showed that secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol, and lariciresinol consisted predominantly of one enantiomer.     

Optimum number of crosses and progeny per cross in breeding self-fertilizing crops. I. General approach and first numerical results

Summary Based on maximization of selection response, Peek (1986) proposed methodology for determining the optimum number of crosses and progeny per cross in breeding self-fertilizing crops. By this method the total selection response is obtained by adding the individual responses from the two steps of selection: selection between crosses and selection within crosses. In this paper, Peek's approach has been generalized for finite or nonnormal populations. Optimum numbers of crosses are determined by testing capacity, number of selected crosses, number of selected lines from each selected cross, and heritability.In the case selection of the best line from the best cross, the optimum number of crosses increases monotonically with increasing testing capacity (for any given fixed heritability). For increasing heritabilities, however, the optimum number of crosses exhibits relatively flat maxima (for any given fixed testing capacity). These maxima are located at intermediate or sub-intermediate heritabilities.For varying numbers of selected crosses and selected lines from each selected cross the main results are: The optimum number of crosses i) increases with increasing testing capacity, ii) increases with increasing number of selected crosses and iii) decreases with increasing number of selected lines from each selected cross.     

Der Genfonds anMalus-Arten in der DDR und seine Nutzung

Zusammenfassung Die ursprüngliche Naumburger Malus-Artenkollektion wurde in das Institut für Obstforschung Dresden-Pillnitz überführt. Sie umfaßt 237 Arten und Varietäten und damit die wichtigsten Vertreter der 5 Sektionen vonMalus - Malus, Sorbomalus, Chloromeles, Eriobolus, Docyniopsis (nachRehder 1954). Die bereits vorliegenden Untersuchungsergebnisse an dieser Kollektion über Pollenfertilität, Apomixis, Schorf-, Mehltau- und Blutlausresistenz sowie Virustoleranz werden mitgeteilt.Auf die nationale und internationale Bedeutung dieses Genfonds, der für den Austausch zur Verfügung steht, wird hingewiesen.

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Genetic resources ofMalus in the GDR and their utilization

Summary The collection ofMalus germplasm originally located in Naumburg has been transfered to the Institute of Fruit Research in Dresden-Pillnitz. It contains 237 species and forms and therewith important representatives of the 5 sections ofMalus - Malus, Sorbomalus, Chloromeles, Eriobolus, Docyniopsis (according toRehder 1954). The results already obtained on the basis of this germplasm concerning pollen fertility, apomixis, resistance to scab, mildew, woolly aphid, and virus tolerance are presented here. The national and international importance of thisMalus collection which is available for distribution is stressed.

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Malus

Malus, . , -. 237 :Malus, Sorbomalus, Chloromeles, Eriobolus, Docyniopsis ( , 1954). , , , , , , , . , , , .

     

A simplified extraction schema to for the analytical characterization of apple orchard soils

Purpose

Standardized procedures for agricultural soil analysis use different extractant solutions, to determine one or just a few elements, which needs a lot of time and manpower. Within this work, it was tried to substitute traditional methods by the use of multi-element determination techniques, like inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) applied to a few solutions.

Material and methods

ICP-OES and ICP-MS have been applied to a sequence of extracts obtained with 0.16 M acetic acid and 0.1 M oxalate buffer pH 3, which are more suitable for the plasma than traditional salt extractant solutions. Dilute acetic acid should characterize exchangeables plus carbonates, and oxalate buffer the pedogenic oxides. Aqua regia extractions in glass have been replaced by pressure digestion with KClO₃ in dilute nitric acid, which yields results equivalent to aqua regia, and additionally permits the determination of total sulfur, as well as acid-leachable boron and silicon. Total digestion was done in PTFE beakers by fuming with HNO₃/HClO₄, subsequently with HF, and final uptake in 1?+?1 HCl.

Results and discussion

The method was applied to 44 soils from apple orchards of different soil types and climatic zones. P and K obtained from standard acetate-lactate extract as well as B obtained from the Baron extract correlated with the results from the acetic acid extract better than 0.9. Just Mg from the CaCl₂ extract (Schachtschabel) was independent from all other Mg fractions. The results of the total digests could be verified by XRF analysis of the solid, Ti recovery was the most critical item. The results for Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn, Sr, Pb, and Zn obtained from KClO₃ digest and from totals, were strongly correlated. Factor analysis showed that the fraction mobilized by dilute acetic acid contained Ca-Mg-carbonates as well as Al-Ba-Na in the first factor, K-P-S in a second, whereas Mn-La-Li formed a group of its own. The pedogenic oxides, obtained from Al-Fe-Mn-Ti released in oxalate, carry most of the cationic trace elements, whereas the anions P-S-B-Si and the essentials Cu-Mo form different groups. Among the main elements, the quasi-total data were much less intercorrelated than the totals. The rare earth elements formed a strongly intercorrelated group as well after total digestion as in the oxalate leach.

Conclusions

The proposed method permits to obtain information about common cations including trace elements, and the nonmetals phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, boron, and iodine simultaneously, which could be a gate to find new relations among them. The two-step procedure permits to predict availabilities in shorter and longer periods of time. Data from the extract in dilute acetic acid for K, P, and B can substitute traditional methods of soil analysis.

     

Detection of colostrum-derived alloantibodies in calves with bovine neonatal pancytopenia

Receptors of the immunoglobulin-like superfamily are critically involved in virtually every aspect of immune responses. One large chromosomal area encoding such immunoregulatory receptors is the leukocyte receptor cluster. Here we review various aspects of the chicken Ig-like receptor (CHIR) family, located on microchromosome 31, an orthologous position to the mammalian leukocyte receptor cluster. The CHIR family has been massively expanded with over hundred CHIR genes that are further distinguished into activating, inhibitory and bifunctional receptors. Comparisons of various features such as amino acid motifs, genomic structure, expression and associated adaptor molecules reveal the homology of CHIR to both the killer Ig-like and the leukocyte Ig-like receptor families, with most pronounced correlation of certain CHIR to the NK cell receptor KIR2DL4. To date the CHIR ligands remain largely obscure with the exception of CHIR-AB1 that binds to chicken IgY. Detailed analyses of CHIR-AB1, its crystal structure, the interaction to IgY and functional capabilities allow us to draw conclusions regarding Fc receptor phylogeny and function.