The effect of bi-culture cover crops on soil quality,carbon sequestration,and growth characteristics in apple orchards of North Western Himalayas

Agroforestry Systems - Cover crops significantly affect soil quality, and growth characteristics in apple orchards, but reports are scarce. Therefore, the present study was conducted on a...     

利用杨树人工林剩余物生产刨花板可行性研究

The composite board industry in Iran is obliged to use residues from forest operation as well as wood industry for competing with paper industry because of shortage of wood. In the present study we investigated the residues from poplar plantation used for particleboard production. Three kinds of wood materials, poplar branches, small diameter poplar wood (3–8 cm) and beech wood, were used in the experiment of particleboard production. The results demonstrated that the characteristic of particleboard made from poplar branches and small diameter wood is comparable to that made from mature beech wood. To avoid too much residual acid in the final board, the properties of boards produced with 1.5% hardener at 175°C press temperature are acceptable, although the properties of particleboard produced with 2% hardener were higher than were higher than that of the board produced with lower hardener (1% or 1.5%).. The MOR, MOE and IB of particleboard made from branches were measured as 14.57, 2015, and 1.32 MPa, respectively, while The MOR, MOE and IB of particleboard produced from small diameter poplar wood were 19.90, 2199, and 1.86 MPa, respectively. The thickness swelling of boards made from branches after 2 and 24 h immersion in water was 20.14% and 31.26%. The utilization of branches and very small diameter wood of poplar is recommended for the survival and developments of particleboard industry in Iran.     

Smallholder Farmers’ Knowledge of Regulations Governing the Sale of Timber and Supply Chains in Gunungkidul District,Indonesia

Smallholder timber plantations may offer opportunities for farmers to increase their income. Nonetheless, such opportunities are often lost largely due to unfavorable regulations imposed on harvesting and marketing of timber. Adverse impacts are worsened because the regulations are not effectively communicated to smallholder farmers. We assessed the level of smallholder knowledge of existing regulations and found it very low. In part, this correlated to their socio-demographic characteristics. Poor literacy skills and a low level of education make it difficult for older farmers’ to increase their knowledge. This is compounded by the limited information channels that can reach the farmers. Improving smallholders’ knowledge by providing information concerning markets and regulations in a timely and clear manner could help smallholders exercise coping strategies and priorities when selling their timber that would in turn reduce the negative impacts of regulations. The roles of village authorities could be crucial. They are close to the smallholders and could channel the information. The government could provide training and incentives for them to be more active in communicating the regulations to the smallholders.     

Quantification of the impacts of climate warming and crop management on canola phenology in Punjab,Pakistan

Yield is influenced by the length of the growing season, which is affected by weather conditions and management practices of a crop, including sowing dates and shifting of cultivars. It is necessary to understand the effects of agronomic management practices and weather variables on phenological stages and crop phases in order to develop strategies for adaptation of agricultural systems to changes in climatic conditions. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of warming trends on phenology of canola from 1980 to 2014 for central and southern Punjab, Pakistan. Sowing, emergence, anthesis and physiological maturity dates were delayed by an average of 6.02, 3.14, 3.31 and 1.89 days per decade, respectively. The duration of sowing to anthesis, sowing to physiological maturity and anthesis to physiological maturity phases decreased an average 2.71, 4.13 and 1.42 days per decade, respectively, for all 10 locations that were analysed in this study. The sowing, emergence, anthesis and physiological maturity dates were positively correlated with an increase in temperature by an average 2.71, 1.41, 1.49 and 0.85 days per °C, respectively. However, the phenological phases such as sowing to anthesis, anthesis to maturity and sowing to maturity were negatively correlated with an increase in temperature by an average of 1.22, 0.64 and 1.86 days per °C, respectively, for all 10 locations. Applying a process‐based CSM‐CROPGRO‐Canola model using a standard cultivar (field tested) for all locations and years indicated that the simulated phenological stages occurred earlier due to the warming trend compared to the observed phenological stages. One‐quarter of the negative effects of this thermal trend was compensated by growing new cultivars that had higher thermal time requirements. Therefore, new canola genotypes with a higher number of growing degree day requirement and high temperature tolerance should be a priority for evolving new cultivars.     

Seed Priming with Ascorbic Acid Improves Drought Resistance of Wheat

The study, consisting of two independent experiments, was conducted to evaluate the role of seed priming with ascorbic acid (AsA) in drought resistance of wheat. In the first experiment, seeds of wheat cultivars Mairaj‐2008 and Lasani‐2008 were either soaked in aerated water (hydropriming) for 10 h or not soaked (control). In the second experiment, seeds of same wheat cultivars were soaked in aerated (2 mm ) AsA solution (osmopriming) or water (hydropriming) for 10 h. In both experiments, seeds were sown in plastic pots (10 kg) maintained at 70 % and 35 % of water‐holding capacity designated as well watered and drought stressed, respectively. Both experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with six replications. Drought caused delayed and erratic emergence and disturbed the plant water relations, chlorophyll contents and membranes because of oxidative damage; however, root length in cultivar Lasani‐2008 was increased under drought. Hydropriming significantly improved the seedling emergence and early growth under drought and well‐watered conditions; however, improvement was substantially higher from osmopriming with AsA. Similarly, osmopriming with AsA significantly improved the leaf emergence and elongation, leaf area, specific leaf area, chlorophyll contents, root length and seedling dry weight. Owing to increase in proline accumulation, phenolics and AsA, by seed priming with AsA, plant water status was improved with simultaneous decrease in oxidative damages. These improved the leaf emergence and elongation, and shoot and root growth under drought. However, there was no difference between the cultivars in this regard. In conclusion, osmopriming with AsA improved the drought resistance of wheat owing to proline accumulation and antioxidant action of AsA and phenolics, leading to tissue water maintenance, membrane stability, and better and uniform seedling stand and growth.     

Dry Matter Partitioning in Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

A pot experiment was conducted at University of Wales Aberystwyth, UK, Frongach field station to evaluate the effects of sowing dates on the dry matter partitioning of linseed. Root, stem and capsule (boll) weight increased progressively as sowing was delayed up to third sowing (19 April) but showed a gradual decrease when sowing was further delayed. The contribution of each of the three parts to total weight did not respond to sowing date in any consistent manner. The total dry matter per plant followed a similar pattern to the dry matter of plant parts, which increased with sowing up to third sowing (19 April) and then decreased when sowing was further delayed. Dry matter accumulation per day degree > 4 °C also increased as sowing was delayed with a peak at third sowing (19 April). Dry matter accumulation per day degree is concluded to be directly related to the total day degrees received during the growth period.     

Characterization of isozymes in Salvia columbariae

Summary Salvia columbariae is a herbaceous annual species which has potential for domestication as a new source of industrial oil. Isozyme markers provide a mean by which this process may be facilitated. Isozyme survey of field grown Salvia columbariae plants showed variation for malate dehydrogenase (MDH), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), and phosphogllucomutase (PGM). Selfed seed was obtained from the field and was grown in the greenhouse for segregation analyses. Electrophoretic results indicated that MDH was variable at zone 1, showing presence or absence of a band. The observed segregation ratio was not significantly different from expected ratio for Pgi-4 and Pgm-3 isozymes, indicating monogenic control of the two loci. Pgi-4 locus was heterozygous for a null allele. Cross dimerization between the allozyme Pgi-3 and Pgi-4 loci resulted in an intergenic band for this isozyme system.Abbreviations ACO aconitase - ADH alcohol dehydrogenase - DTT-DL dithiothreitol - FDH formate dehydrogenase - GOT glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase - IDH isocitric dehydrogenase - MDH malate dehydrogenase - MNR menadione reductase - 6PGD 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase - PGI phosphoglucose isomerase - PGM phosphoglucomutase - PVP-40 polyvinylpyrrolidone - SKDH shikimate dehydrogenase - TPI triosephosphate isomerase     

Genomic constitution of a partial amphiploid OK7211542 used as a source of immunity to barley yellow dwarf virus for bread wheat

A combination of genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) and meiotic pairing analysis of crosses between a series of 2n= 56 partial amphiploids confirmed that the alien genome of the BYDV-immune Agro-tricum line OK7211542 is derived from Thinopyrum ponticum and not from Thinopyrum intermedium. The evidence from meiotic pairing analysis indicated that the chromosome constitution of OK7211542 is similar to another Agrotricum line, ORRPX, which was derived from a cross of wheat and Th. ponticum, but different from other Agrotricum lines, Zhong 5 and TAF 46 which were derived from the crosses between wheat and Th. intermedium. The GISH analysis confirmed that OK7211542 contained one complete set of 14 Th. ponticum chromosomes, in which no S chromosome was present in the alien genome. GISH also detected a small alien translocation attached to one of the wheat chromosomes, a result that was consistent with the pairing data.