PBAT/PLA全生物降解地膜的降解性能及对石河子垦区棉花生长的影响

为探讨PBAT/PLA全生物降解地膜在新疆棉花上的应用效果,以PE地膜为对照,在新疆石河子垦区开展PBAT/PLA全生物降解地膜应用试验,系统分析了PBAT/PLA地膜的降解性能及其对土壤温湿度、棉花长势和产量的影响。结果表明：PBAT/PLA地膜降解较快,在覆膜43 d即进入诱导期;红外、X射线衍射、扫描电镜等测试也表征出PBAT/PLA地膜田间降解后分子链、晶体结构和微观形貌等发生的一系列变化;在棉花生育前期,PBAT/PLA地膜膜面保持完整,增温保墒效果良好,两组出苗率一致;但随着PBAT/PLA地膜逐渐裂解,其应用效果开始下降,棉花进入盛蕾期后,PBAT/PLA地膜覆盖下土壤温度和含水率比PE地膜覆盖分别低0.30～1.15℃和2.31～3.46个百分点,最终导致PBAT/PLA地膜组的株高和茎粗较PE地膜组分别降低22.08%和12.82%,籽棉减产20.24%。因此,PBAT/PLA全生物降解地膜还需从材料分子链结构层面进行配方改良、推迟降解诱导期、提高棉田覆盖应用潜力,使其能更好在新疆棉花生产中进行试用推广。     

Apple procyanidin oligomers absorption in rats after oral administration: analysis of procyanidins in plasma using the porter method and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

In this study, we investigated the absorption of apple procyanidins, namely, apple condensed tannins (ACTs), in rats using the Porter method and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The apple procyanidin concentrations in the rat plasma reached a maximum 2 h after administration and decreased thereafter. To investigate the limits of the absorption of apple procyanidins in the polymerization degree, we administered the procyanidin oligomer fraction, which was separated from ACT using normal-phase chromatography according to the degree of polymerization. Procyanidins from each dimer to pentamer group were detected in the plasma by the Porter method. Moreover, by the study using reconstituted procyanidins, polymeric procyanidins influenced the absorption of procyanidin oligomers. These results suggest that ACTs are absorbed and directly involved in physiological functions in the rats.     

水稻秸秆直接还田技术配套机具研究进展

分析了东北一熟区、水旱轮作稻区、双季稻区三大稻区的水稻秸秆直接还田配套机具的研究进展,从水稻收获、耕整地两个作业环节指出各区域实施秸秆还田过程中存在的技术难点及待解决问题。目前,长江中下游地区的水稻秸秆直接还田配套机具已经基本满足农艺要求;东北一熟区的秸秆直接还田仍存在很多问题,由于秸秆韧性强、秸秆量大,造成秸秆粉碎抛撒不均匀问题,导致后期整地困难及春季泡田搅浆后秸秆漂浮严重问题,仍是亟需解决的技术难题;南方双季稻及西南稻区由于地势限制导致的机收水平低问题,也同样限制了水稻秸秆直接还田技术的发展。在此基础上,提出了我国水稻秸秆直接还田技术配套机具发展建议,以期为下一步研究解决稻田秸秆还田关键机具问题提供参考。     

Quantitative studies, taste reconstitution, and omission experiments on the key taste compounds in morel mushrooms (Morchella deliciosa Fr.)

Sensory-directed fractionation of an aqueous extract prepared from morel mushrooms led to the identification of gamma-aminobutyric acid as the chemical inducer of the mouth-drying and mouth-coating oral sensation imparted by morels. Additionally, L-glutamic acid, L-aspartic acid, succinic acid, and the previously unknown (S)-malic acid 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, coined (S)-morelid, were detected as additional important umami-like taste compounds. To further bridge the gap between pure structural chemistry and human taste perception, 33 putative taste compounds were quantified in an aqueous morel extract and then rated for their taste contribution on the basis of dose-over-threshold factors. To confirm these quantitative results, an aqueous taste reconstitute was prepared by blending aqueous solutions of 16 amino acids, 6 organic acids, 3 purines, 4 carbohydrates, 3 minerals, and (S)-morelid in their "natural" concentrations. Triangle tests revealed that the taste profile of this biomimetic organoleptic cocktail did not differ significantly from the taste profile of authentic morel extract. To finally narrow down the number of key taste compounds, taste omission experiments were performed demonstrating that (S)-morelid together with L-glutamic acid, L-aspartic acid, malic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and gamma-aminobutyric acid are the key organoleptics of morel extract. Moreover, sensory experiments with model solutions showed that (S)-morelid not only imparts a sour and umami-like taste but is able to amplify the taste activity of monosodium glutamate, as well as sodium chloride, solutions.     

Genetic variation for resistance to Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi in red raspberries

Summary The inheritance of root rot resistance in red raspberry, caused by Phytophtora fragariae var. rubi, was investigated using two experimental breeding designs. Design A was not randomly mated and genetic parameters could not be calculated. Design B was therefore randomly mated to make it possible to do such estimations. Considerable genetic variation was associated with the recorded traits on seedlings tested in a glasshouse. Disease index and % survival were both found to be highly heritable with broad sense heritabilities (H²) close to 0.9 in each design. Estimates of narrow sense heritability (h²), indicated that progress towards resistance would be moderate. In the first design the cultivars Festival, Asker, Boyne and Sentry and the clones N85-02-13 and N85-06-140 had high general combining abilities. Some crosses had a high specific combining ability indicating the presence of non-additive genetic variation.     

Development of Cold Tolerance in White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) in Relation to Carbohydrate and Free Amino Acid Content

Abstract

Development of cold tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) genotypes originating from various parts of Norway and grown outdoors at Tromso, latitude 69°39′N, has been studied. Stolon samples for an artificial freezing test and for chemical analysis were collected three times during the autumn. Generally, the most northern genotypes were more cold tolerant than the southern ones. Cold tolerance increased significantly from September to November in all genotypes. Content of dry matter, soluble carbohydrates, sucrose and proline in stolons increased during the hardening process. These changes were similar in both northern and southern genotypes of white clover.     

Assessing the protective effect of vertically heterogeneous canopies against radiative frost: The case of quinoa on the Andean Altiplano

Night radiative frost is a highly limiting factor for agriculture in Andean highlands. Nevertheless, a diversity of crop species have been domesticated there, commonly showing high heterogeneity in plant growth at the field level. The possible protective effect of crop canopy heterogeneity against nocturnal radiative frost is examined using a dual approach, combining a field experiment and a simplified energy balance model at the leaf level. Leaf and air temperatures were registered over an entire quinoa crop cycle in the Andean highlands of Bolivia, comparing two cultivars: Blanca de Yanamuyu, a traditional landrace with high plant height heterogeneity, and Surumi, a more homogeneous selected variety. In both cultivars, inverted air density profiles during calm and clear nights result in air temperature changes up to 3 °C over 0.5 m height, with minimum air temperature concentrated at the upper part of the canopy. In these conditions, leaf temperature gradients of up to 2.6 °C m⁻¹ develop within the canopy of the traditional landrace, with minimum leaf temperature significantly higher (P < 0.001) in shaded plants of the landrace than in the selected cultivar. A dynamic model of leaf temperature based on canopy parameters and climatic records at screen level adequately simulates leaf temperature differences in the case of a vertically heterogeneous quinoa canopy. A sensitivity analysis of the model reveals that canopy height, leaf area index, and sky cloudiness have the most important influences on the development of the sheltering effect, while air temperature and air humidity play a minor role under typical radiative frost conditions. As for wind speed, its actual influence remains unclear due to experimental and modelling limitations at low wind speeds. The significance of these results is discussed in terms of the trade-off between stress adaptation and biomass productivity.     

Vital rate sensitivity analysis as a tool for assessing management actions for the desert tortoise

Sensitivity analyses of population growth in desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) have shown no consensus on the limiting vital rate. More importantly, the most sensitive vital rate might not be the most readily manipulated by management, so it begs the question of what actions would be most effective. We compared 13 management alternatives using a vital rate sensitivity analysis that is valid regardless of age structure, and is sensitive to initial population size and time frame, to determine the efforts required for equivalent population growth. We evaluated three time frames, each with five initial population sizes and three initial age distributions. To achieve equivalent population growth, mortality of older females needed to be reduced less than did mortality of other age classes. Similarly, fewer adults needed to be introduced to a population to have the same effect as releasing juveniles, but differences among adult age classes were trivial. A single release (headstarting) required fewer total individuals than did annual releases to achieve the same population growth. Also, the same population growth was more easily achieved when the initial age structure was deficient of young animals. Interestingly, because small tortoises are difficult to survey, some management alternatives could result in increased population size but decreased numbers of countable individuals over short to intermediate (25 years) time frames. Our paper demonstrates an approach to determine what constitutes equivalent management actions for population growth, thus allowing managers to more directly compare expected gains toward population recovery achieved by their resource-allocation decisions.     

Modelling optimal crop sequences using network flows

In recent years there has been an increased focus on sustainable farming systems. This has led to an increase in the use of farm models built to assess the environmental impact from farming. In whole-farm models including crop production it is important to consider the rotation of crops, since this has a major impact on the consequences of the crop production.     

Impact of natural and man-made factors on migration of heavy metals in the Ardon River basin (North Ossetia)

Purpose

The main goal of the study was to evaluate biogeochemical effects of particular factors changing the structure of landscapes due to enhanced mass migration and erosion of the outcropping rocks by studying transformation of chemical composition of the draining waters and flood plain soils; chemical composition of the solid and liquid phases of the Ardon River waters; and by assessing ecological consequences and risk of contamination of the area by heavy metals.

Materials and methods

Water, soil, and biota species (plants, algae, and amphibian) were sampled at the plots located up- and downstream the mining and industrial areas of North Ossetia (the Ardon River basin) before and after the mudflow that took place in 2002. The air-dried samples were decomposed in a mixture of mineral acids. Heavy metals were determined by means of AAS with the help of AAS-80 (Hitachi) or AAS-2A (KORTEC) using standard reference materials of hair (CRM 397), plant mixture (SBMT-02), and soil (SRM 2709). Hydrochemical and biochemical analyses were performed with the help of the known methods (Kraynov and Shvets 1992; Burtis et al. 2006).

Results and discussion

The study showed that activity of the Misur Mining Combine and its Ardon-Khost tailings caused a significant local increase of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn content in soils, water, and biotic components as compared to the background values. The mudflow of 2002 changed the structure of landscapes and was followed by a considerable transformation of chemical composition of the downstream river waters and floodplain soils, and by invasion of particular hydrophyte species. Algae and amphibian adapted to the changed conditions and indicated both natural and anthropogenic transformation of the environment. A distinct relation between the particle size of the suspended matter in the Ardon River waters and water salinity was discovered.

Conclusions

Therefore, the Unal basin presents a vivid example of modern natural and anthropogenic evolution of Pb-Zn biogeochemical province under conditions of the extreme and dynamic geochemical environment leading to enhanced risks of ecological damage. Algae species demonstrated high adaptive and indicative capacity in case of both the fast natural and man-made impact.