A study of the potential of hedgerow intercropping in semi-arid India using a two-way systematic design

The potential of hedgerow intecrropping with Leucaena leucocephala was explored on vertic Inceptisols over 4 years at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India. The study was conducted using a systematic layout involving different alley widths ranging from 1.35 to 4.95 m and with varying distances between hedge and crops. The alleys were cropped with alternate rows of sorghum and pigeonpea. Hedges composed double Leucaena hedgerows 60 cm apart were periodically harvested for fodder. Sole crops of all components and a sorghum/pigeonpea intercrop were included in all four replications of the study.Starting in the second year, Leucaena was progressively more competitive to annual crops, causing substantial yield reduction. Competition (primarily for moisture) was most severe in narrow alleys and was greatest on pigeonpea.The growth of Leucaena was not sufficient to compensate for reduced crop yields. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) calculated on the basis of grain yield of crops and Leucaena fodder yields showed that hedgerow intercropping (HI) was advantageous over sole crops only during the first two years using wide alleys, but disadvantegeous in the last two years. LERs calculated on the basis of total dry matter indicated only a small advantage for HI (13–17 percent) over sole crops in wider (>4 m) alleys. Average returns per year from HI exceeded those of the most productive annual crop system (sorghum/pigeonpea intercropping) by 8 percent in 4.05 m alleys, and by 16 percent in 4.95 m alleys. Fodder production during the dry season was 40 percent of the annual total in these alley widths. Thus hedgerow intercropping at 4–5 m alley width is not very attractive for farmers in semi-arid India, which has 600–700 mm of annual rainfall. There is a need to examine the potential of HI in wider alleys. The merits and limitations of the systematic design are discussed.     

磷素环境与马褂木种源的生长和干物质积累

自然土壤中有效磷含量很低,难以满足植物最佳生长的需要。据统计,在全世界13·19亿hm2的耕地中约有43%缺磷,而我国耕地则有2/3缺磷(何绪生等,1998)。我国南方地区高温多雨,富铝化作用明显,多数土壤呈酸性或强酸性,磷素固定强烈,土壤有效磷含量仅在1~2mg·kg-1(邱燕等,2003)。虽然施用磷肥的效果显著,但其利用率一般不超过10%,多为土壤固定并转变成植物较难吸收的Ca-P、Fe-P和Al-P等(熊毅,1997)。鉴于植物具有将土壤难溶态磷转化为有效态磷并加以吸收利用的能力,通过选育磷高效利用的植物品种来开发土壤中难溶态的磷素资源,可减小对施用磷…     

New icetexane diterpenes with intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory and free-radical scavenging activity isolated from Premna tomentosa roots

New icetexane diterpenes (1-2); 8, 11, 13-icetexatriene-10-hydroxy, 11, 12, 16-tri acetoxyl (1) and 8, 11, 13-icetexatriene-7, 10, 11-dihydroxy-12, 13-dihydrofuran (2) along with six known compounds namely acetoxy syranzaldehyde (3), syranzaldehyde (4), coniferaldehyde (5), lupeol (6), betulin (7), and 4-(4-methoxy phenyl)-2-butanone (8) were isolated from the roots of Premna tomentosa. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were established by detailed spectral analysis using UV, IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, 1D, 2D and Mass. The newly isolated compounds were screened for rat intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory and free radical (DPPH) scavenging potentiality. The new icetexane diterpenes (1, 2) and compound 3 were found to have significant α-glucosidase inhibitory and also free radical scavenging (DPPH) activities.     

Inheritance and cross-resistance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> insecticidal crystal protein Cry1Ac resistance in cotton bollworm <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicoverpa armigera</Emphasis> Hubner population from Tamil Nadu,India

Cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera Hubner selected for five generations with Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal protein Cry1Ac in the laboratory developed 12.98-fold resistance. Resistance and susceptible populations were mass crossed to study the dominance of resistance. The Cry1Ac—selected (BCR) population showed 5.8-fold resistance to Cry1Aa and 5.04-fold resistance to Cry1Ab. The degree of dominance (D) was 0.34 and 0.40 for the R × S and S × R hybrids, respectively, which indicates incomplete recessive character of Cry1Ac resistance in the population. The estimated realized heritability (h ²) and response quotient (Q) of resistance for Cry1Ac were 0.52 and 0.15, respectively. This indicated the lower phenotypic variation in the selected population. The resistance risk assessment based on h ² indicated that the resistance would increased tenfold after <9 generations for Cry1Ac in the resistant population. The results show the ability of H. armigera to develop resistance against Cry1Ac and cross-resistance to Cry1Aa and Cry1Ab.     

闽北山地坡位对湿地松生长和养分利用效率的影响

对闽北山地坡位对湿地松生长和养分利用效率的影响进行了研究,结果表明:坡位对湿地松幼林的生长有显著影响,中坡和下坡湿地松的树高、胸径和单株材积显著大于上坡;不同坡位上湿地松幼林的林分生物量为下坡(9 522kg hm~(-2))中坡(7 137kg hm~(-2))上坡(6 266kg hm~(-2));不同坡位上湿地松对养分的利用效率不同,其中中坡对氮、磷的利用效率显著高于上坡和下坡,下坡对钾、钙、镁、铁的利用效率高于上坡和中坡。     

Crop productivity under differently lopped canopies of multipurpose trees in Central Himalaya, India

Ficus species are multipurpose trees well known by rural populations in Sahelian and Sudanian zones of Africa. Their uses are well documented but their amenability for vegetative propagation has not been extensively studied. This paper compares the rooting ability of stem and aerial root cuttings from thirteen Ficus species found in West Africa. It highlights the differences between species belonging to the sub-genera Sycomorus and Urostigma. The former show no capacity to propagate from cuttings whereas the latter, with epiphytic development, can be propagated by cuttings, although this capacity varies among species. Thus, F. thonningii, F. leprieurii and F. ovata are easily propagated, while F. platyphylla and F. elasticoides are propagated with difficulty. The rooting capacity also varies depending on the cutting material used. It decreases in the following order: long leafless hardwood cuttings (pole) > nodal cuttings > apical cuttings. Rooting potential increases when the cuttings are harvested towards the end of the dry season(March to May). Aerial root can be used for cuttings in all species of the sub-genus Urostigma. The capacity of root cuttings to regenerate is greatest when cuttings are collected at the beginning of the dry season (November). In this case, wound-induced adventitious roots arise at the basal end of the cutting while de novo buds are developed from the cambium at the distal end. The subsequent morphological development is identical to that of a stem cutting. These results clarify and allow the optimal use of the knowledge and methods developed by the indigenous people of the Sahel and could assist and promote fig tree (Ficus sp.) domestication in the dry tropics.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Investigations on the antinociceptive activity of crude extracts from Croton cajucara leaves in mice

The crude leaf extracts of Croton cajucara Benth. were studied for their antinociceptive property in chemical and thermal models of nociception in mice. All the tested extracts (hexanic, chloroformic and methanolic), at oral doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg demonstrated significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing and the second phase response of formalin, but did not manifest a significant effect in hot-plate test.     

景宁木兰与木兰属其它植物之间亲缘关系与遗传基础研究

采用ISSR(Inter simple sequence repeat)分子标记研究景宁木兰(Magnolia sinostellata)与17个木兰科木兰属其它植物之间的亲缘关系,揭示景宁木兰的遗传基础。在本试验条件下,从120个ISSR引物中筛选出20个具有多态性的引物,共检测到178条清晰的条带,其中163条具有多态性,占91.60%。通过POPGENE 32软件分析,除了木兰亚属的山玉兰独自成一类外,符合赫钦生的木兰属分类系统:厚朴、广玉兰及其变种为木兰亚属一类,其余包括景宁木兰、天目木兰、武当木兰等为玉兰亚属一类;玉兰与辛夷的杂交种二乔木兰与辛夷的遗传距离最近,为0.231 4,与玉兰的遗传距离也只有0.316 7;木兰属内遗传距离最近的为天目木兰与日本辛夷,为2.232 1,遗传距离最远的为山玉兰与日本辛夷,为0.736 9;景宁木兰与本属其它植物间的遗传距离在0.278 2～0.610 9,其中与天目木兰的遗传距离最近,为0.278 2,与山玉兰的遗传距离最远,为0.610 9。这表明景宁木兰具有其特有的遗传基础,且与天目木兰亲缘关系最近。     

厚朴苗木质量与幼树生长关系的研究

为提高厚朴造林质量,开展了苗木地径、亩高与厚朴幼树生长关系的研究,结果表明：厚朴苗木高度对幼树生长无明显的影响,苗木过高反而会降低造林成活率;苗木地径大于0．9cm时,地径对幼树生长也无显著的影响。因此,厚朴苗木不宜以苗高为分级依据。厚朴苗木的适宜高度可从便于起苗、运输、栽种等生产环节来确定。厚朴苗木地径的分级,优质苗的下限也不应大于0.9cm。     

Variation amongst protoplast-derived moth bean Vigna aconitifolia plants

Summary Protoplasts were isolated from leaves of a single plant of Vigna aconitifolia, a drought resistant grain legume. The protoplasts regenerated and formed colony and calli from which 50 entire plants were regenerated and transferred to field conditions. Only 7 plants survived upto maturity and they flowered and produced pods with seed. The protoplast derived plants showed variation in important characters. Two groups of characters (one with 7 sets and another with 6 sets) were studied in the protoclones. In first group protoclones showed variations in seed germination, maturity age, pod length, pod and seed colour, number of abortive seed per pod and response to field rots, however, not much difference was recorded in pollen stainability and meiotic behaviour in these protoclones. In second group analysis of variants showed significance difference for plant height, rachis-length, length and breadth of mature odd leaflets, seed per pod and weight of seed. The results indicate that protoplast can be source of variation in this crop. However, detailed biochemical and genetical analysis of protoclones are required.