Plant biomass management impacts on short-term soil phosphorus dynamics in a temperate grassland

The objective of this study was to quantify the combined effects of long-term plant biomass retention/removal and environmental conditions on soil microbial biomass phosphorus (P), bioavailable P, and acid phosphomonoesterase activity. Topsoil samples (0–2.5 and 2.5–5 cm) were collected from replicate field-based plots that had been maintained under contrasting plant biomass retention and removal regime for 21 years. Samples were collected on 14 occasions over a 17-month period and assessed for microbial P, bioavailable P, and phosphomonoesterase activity. All P measurements were consistently and significantly higher under plant biomass retention compared with biomass removal. Temporal variations in microbial P and phosphomonoesterase activity were evident in top soil (0–2.5 cm) and were driven by environmental conditions, mainly soil moisture, rainfall, and potential evapotranspiration, while bioavailable P had no temporal variation. Detailed analysis of microbial P data for the top 2.5-cm soil depth revealed that annual P flux through this pool was two times greater under biomass retention (10.3 kg P ha^?1 year^?1) compared with plant biomass removal (5.0 kg P ha^?1 year^?1). Similar and consistent trends were observed in soil from 2.5- to 5-cm sampling depth; however, differences were not significant. The findings of this study confirm the importance of the microbial biomass in determining the bioavailability of P in temperate grassland systems.     

Genetic diversity of Pakistan wheat germplasm as revealed by RAPD markers

Wheat breeding in Pakistan started in 1930s before partition in the United India and so far has released more than 68 cultivars, but no systematic analyses of the genetic diversity of Pakistan wheat have been made. Twenty Pakistan wheat cultivars released from 1933 to 2002 were examined for genetic diversity and relationships using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Forty-two RAPD primers were applied and 184 polymorphic bands were generated for each cultivar. Most of the cultivars were genetically interrelated, although six of them displayed some genetic distinctness. The RAPD variation observed among these cultivars was low. Only 40.7% of the total scorable bands were polymorphic, and 26.1% of the polymorphic bands were observed most frequently (f = 0.95) among the 20 cultivars. The proportions of polymorphic bands for each cultivar ranged from 0.67 in ‘Yecora’ to 0.84 in ‘C-250’ with an average of 0.76. About 1.4% of the RAPD variation might have been fixed over the 69 years of wheat breeding, but such fixation was not statistically significant. These results are significant for future improvement and conservation of Pakistan wheat.     

Phenotypic Diversity of Foliar Traits in Coconut Germplasm*

Coconut palm is a multipurpose crop cultivated in tropics. Diversity in this crop is rich in South Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean Islands. Foliar traits have not been studied extensively to understand the diversity. Seven traits relevant to wind tolerance, dry matter production and taxonomic discrimination known in palms are used in the study. An attempt was made using Shannon–Weaver index with an objective to understand the level of diversity for these traits in a germplasm collection from diversity hotspot areas. Seven tall groups and four dwarf groups representing seven island territories were studied using 206 individuals. Diversity estimate was the highest in Nicobar tall group whereas it was low in tall genotypes of Fiji and Tonga. Thickness of leaf sheath fiber of weft and warp strands had shown high diversity estimates. Results obtained in this study were analyzed in relation to adaptation, geographical affinity, mating system and taxonomic forms (typica and nana) along with the importance of foliar traits in diversity of coconut. *CPCRI Contribution No. 1181     

Sublethal Toxicity of the Herbicide Butachlor on the Earthworm Perionyx sansibaricus and its Histological Changes (5 pp)

Goal, Scope and Background   With the advent of the Green Revolution, there has been a quantum leap in the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides throughout the world to sustain high-yielding crop varieties. Continuous use of these synthetic chemicals leads to loss of soil fertility and soil organisms. Histopathological studies may signal a damaging effect of organisms resulting from prior or ongoing exposure to toxic agents. A large number of studies have reported general histological changes in earthworms. A fewer studies have reported more specific types of histopathological studies in Eisenia foetida, Dendrodrilus rubidus, Lumbricus terrestris, Lumbricus rubellus and Octolasium transpandanum. However, no reports are available on Perionyx sansibaricus. The aim of the present study is (i) to determine the sublethal effects of the herbicide Butachlor on Perionyx sansibaricus on growth and cocoon production, (ii) to evaluate the histological changes in the exposed worms.Methods   The test substrate, namely powdered, dried cow dung, was contaminated with 0.0657, 0.1315 and 0.1973 mg kg–1 of Butachlor, and a control was maintained. Four groups of each 10-test species of Perionyx sansibaricus were used per concentration level (control, 0.0657, 0.1315 and 0.1973 mg kg–1). Various life history parameters such as biomass, cocoon production and histological changes were measured.Results   Worm growth was observed at various exposures over 60 days. While exposing the earthworm to the herbicide, no mortality was observed, not even at a higher dose. At the end of the experiment, the control group had a mean biomass of 0.0831±0.00 mg and, in the exposed group, at herbicide concentrations of 0.1973, 0.1315 and 0.0657 mg kg–1, the mean biomass was found to be 0.0497±0.00 mg, 0.0628±0.00 mg and 0.0781±0.00 mg, respectively. The mean earthworm biomass was found to be decreased with increasing herbicide concentration. Similarly, cocoon production was also reduced by the increasing herbicide concentration. All earthworms in the exposed group were found to have glandular cell enlargement and to be vacuolated. Conclusion   The results clearly indicate that Butachlor can retard the growth and cocoon production in Perionyx sansibaricus. The effect of the herbicide Butachlor can be assessed by the histological observation of the intestinal region, as evidenced by glandular cell enlargement at all the exposed concentrations, which may massively affect food intake and which in turn may indirectly inhibit the earthworm reproductive capacity.Recommendation and Outlook   Risk assessment is normally aimed at the protection of human health and the ecosystem, and the interrelationship of these two areas of protection is easy to perceive. The use of earthworms in risk assessment is to obtain more information on environmental quality and ensure environmental safety. There is an urgent need to test the chemicals causing toxicity to earthworms, because earthworms play a major role in soil fertility as well as acting as a transferring route from the soil to the terrestrial ecosystem.     

Development and application of a SRAP marker for the identification of sex in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Buchloe dactyloides</Emphasis>

Buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm, is a dioecious turfgrass native to the Great Plains of North America. Since its naturalization, it has become the most wildly cultivated warm-season turfgrass in northern China. While dioecious plants represent only a small proportion of all plant species, they are important models in the study of plant sex determination and evolution. The identification of the sexes is important in the theory and practice of breeding programs. At present, there is no effective method to determine the sex of early stage buffalograss. The objective of this study was to use sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and integrated bulked segregant analysis (BSA) technology to find sex linked markers in B. dactyloides. A total of 228 primer combinations were screened and 2,690 SRAP bands examined. Only ME9/EM2 could generate a specific fragment (~240 bp) in all the female plants, which was absent in male plants. The methods described here provide a simple and reproducible means of early sex identification in B. dactyloides.     

番茄叶霉病抗性基因Cf-5的CAPS标记建立

番茄是世界上最主要的蔬菜作物之一,叶霉病(Cladosporium fulvum Cooke)的发生和蔓延使保护地番茄生产受到严重影响,培育抗叶霉病的番茄品种是控制该病害最经济有效的方法。本研究根据Cf-5的基因序列设计特异扩增引物,以7个含有不同叶霉病抗病基因的品种为试材,扩增Cf-5基因2558～3523bp之间的单拷贝片段,7个材料均获得了约0．96Kb的特异扩增片段。用限制性内切酶TaqⅠ对该片段进行酶切,含Cf-5基因的材料产生了一条256bp的特异片段,而不含Cf—5基因的材料产生一条225bp的特异片段。从而建立了Cf-5基因的共显性CAPS标记。这一研究结果为Cf-5基因的分子标记辅助育种奠定了良好基础。     

Fabrication of nanofibers with ultrahigh production by a facile high pressure air-jet atomized electrospinning

A novel method named as high pressure air-jet atomized electrospinning was proposed to prepare nanofibers with ultrahigh production. The spinning solution with lower concentration and viscosity was cutted into micron-sized droplets by a 700 mesh filter in the front of nozzle and then was crushed and atomized into massive smaller droplets, which were drawn into nanofibers directly under the electric force and airflow force. Flow field under different air pressure was simulated to study its effect on the formation of nanofibers. The airflow showed the minimum pressure and maximum velocity at a location 2 cm away from the spray nozzle, where small droplets cutted were crushed and atomized into massive smaller droplets by the converging airflow. The velocity and distribution region of the airflow increased with increasing air pressure. It showed a smaller diameter of 150 nm and ultrahigh production of 75.6 g/h for nanofibers prepared based on this novel method at the air pressure of 0.8 MPa. The production of nanofibers almost reached thousands of times of that from conventional needle electrospinning.     

A study of the oxygen plasma treatment on the serviceability of a wool fabric

Low temperature plasma (LTP) treatment using oxygen gas was applied to a wool fabric. The LTP treated wool fabric was tested with several methods: ASTM D5035-1995, ASTM D1424-1996, AATCC Test Method 99-2000, AATCC Test Method 61-2001 1A, AATCC Test Method 15-2002 and AATCC Test Method 8-2001 and the results were compared with the industrial requirements (ASTM D3780-02 and ASTM D4155-01). The results revealed that the LTP treated wool fabric could fulfil the industrial requirements. The results of the investigation were discussed thoroughly in this paper.     

Biological control of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis> Biotype “B” (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) by introduction,release and establishment of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Eretmocerus hayati</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

For the biological control Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) Biotype B (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) , about 200,700 individuals of the imported parasitoid Eretmocerus hayati Zolnerowich and Rose (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) were released during 2000 and 2002 on different host plants in Egypt. The average parasitism rates in different governorates on Lantana camara, Gossypium barbadence (cotton), Helianthus annus (soybean) and Solanum melongena (eggplant) were 10.3 and 14%, 16 and 11.4%, 12.9 and 8.7%, 18 and 13% during 2001 and 2002, respectively. The population of E. hayati correlated significantly with the buildup of the whitefly population in all three governorates, which indicated the establishment of the E. hayati parasitoid on these economically important crops in Egypt.     

优质高产香型杂交水稻新组合宜香2292的选育与应用

宜香2292系四川省宜宾市农业科学研究所用浓香型优质不育系宜香1A与优质恢复系宜恢2292组配而成的中籼迟熟香型优质杂交水稻新组合,其农艺性状优、香味浓、产量高、品质优、适应性广、制种产量高。2002年荣获四川省第三届“稻香杯”优质米称号,2004年通过国家和江西省品种审定。本文介绍了该组合的选育经过、特征特性及其运用技术。