Oxygen enrichment with magnesium peroxide for minimizing hypoxic stress of flooded corn

Flooding/waterlogging is a major factor responsible for hypoxic stress in agriculture. The aim of this study was to develop an effective oxygen buffer with magnesium peroxide (MgO₂) to generate hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and release bioavailable oxygen. MgO₂ provided a relatively stable level (approx. 300 µM) of bioavailable oxygen. The oxygen‐buffer system is adjustable and controllable by adding Mg²⁺ or EDTA to the aqueous system. Regular H₂O₂ was also able to provide bioavailable oxygen but the system was poorly buffered with respect to oxygen release. The accessibility of plants to bioavailable oxygen was indicated by the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADHase, EC 1.1.1.1), an anaerobically induced enzyme of flooded plants. The application of MgO₂ to flooded soil reduced ADHase activity in corn‐root tips by 91.3%. This application of MgO₂ presents a novel pathway to significantly (P < 5%) minimize adverse impacts of hypoxia on flooded corn seedlings. This finding may have broad implications for addressing hypoxicity problems in crop science and technology.     

Enzymatic modification of pectin to increase its calcium sensitivity while preserving its molecular weight

A commercial high-methoxy citrus pectin was treated with a purified salt-independent pectin methylesterase (PME) isozyme isolated from Valencia orange peel to prepare a series of deesterified pectins. A series of alkali-deesterified pectins was also prepared at pH 10 under conditions permitting beta-elimination. Analysis of these pectins using high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) with on-line multiangle laser light-scattering, differential viscometer, and refractive index (RI) detectors revealed no reduction in weight-average molecular weight (M(w); 150000) in the PME-treated pectin series, whereas a 16% reduction in intrinsic viscosity (IV) occurred below a degree of esterification (DE) of 47%. In contrast, alkali deesterification rapidly reduced both M(w) and IV to less than half of that observed for untreated pectin. PME treatment of a non-calcium-sensitive citrus pectin introduced calcium sensitivity with only a 6% reduction in the DE. Triad blocks of unesterified galacturonic acid were observed in (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of this calcium-sensitive pectin (CSP). These results demonstrate that the orange salt-independent PME isozyme utilizes a blockwise mode of action. This is the first report of the preparation of a CSP by PME treatment without significant loss of the pectin's M(w) due to depolymerization.     

Nitrogen Availability from Compost in High Tunnel Tomato Production

High yield agricultural systems, such as high tunnel (HT) vegetable production, require a large supply of soil nutrients, especially nitrogen (N). Compost is a common amendment used by HT growers both to supply nutrients and to improve physical and biological soil properties. We examined commercially-available composts and their effects on soil N, plant N uptake, and tomato yield in HT cultivation. In addition, a laboratory study examined N and carbon (C) mineralization from the composts, and the usefulness of compost properties as predictors of compost N mineralization was assessed under field and laboratory conditions. The field study used a randomized complete block design with four replications to compare four compost treatments (all added at the rate of 300 kg total N ha^?1) with unamended soil and an inorganic N treatment (110 kg N ha^?1). Tomatoes were grown in Monmouth, Maine during the summers of 2013 and 2014. Compost NO₃^?-N and NH₄⁺-N application rates were significantly correlated with soil NO₃^?-N and NH₄⁺-N concentrations throughout the growing season. Marketable yield was positively correlated with compost total inorganic N and NO₃^?-N in both years, and with NH₄⁺-N in 2014. There were no significant differences among composts in percentage of organic N mineralized and no correlations were observed with any measured compost property. In the laboratory study, all compost-amended soils had relatively high rates of CO₂ release for the initial few days and then the rates declined. The compost-amended soils mineralized 4%–6% of the compost organic N. This study suggested compost inorganic N content controls N availability to plants in the first year after compost application.     

Nitrogen Fixation in Hybrids of White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Caucasian Clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb)

Hybrids between white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Caucasian clover (or Kura clover, Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb) are a potential route for the improvement of drought tolerance and persistence in white clover. However, to be agronomically viable they must show no significant reduction in their potential for nitrogen fixation relative to white clover. A comparative study of growth rate and nitrogen fixation was carried out in flowing solution culture without a supply of mineral nitrogen to the plants. The two parental species and two generations of backcross hybrids, with white clover as the recurrent parent, were assessed. The growth rate and N content of T. ambiguum were significantly lower than those of the other lines. However, dry matter production, nodule biomass per plant and rates of fixation were similar in second‐generation backcross plants and white clover. The results suggest that the agronomic potential of this novel germplasm is not compromised by limitations with respect to nitrogen fixation.     

Height,competition and yield potential in winter wheat

Summary A monogenic dominant male sterility is used for hybrid production in autumn and winter cauliflower. The ratio of male sterile plants in the backcross progenies of autumn cauliflower was 1:1 over five years (1987–1991). However, a significant deficit of male sterile plants was observed in the winter type over the same period.The influence of the temperature on the male sterile phenotype was studied within backcross progenies planted inside polythene tunnels. Six classes of phenotype were defined during the flowering period (from May to November). At low temperature, some male sterile plants developed partial to complete male fertility, whereas at high temperature, male fertile plants became male sterile.Segregation among the progenies of self-pollinated unstable male sterile plants did not deviate from the expected 3:1 ratio. Plants homozygous for the male sterility allele have been revealed by test crosses with a male fertile plant.For use in seed production, stable male sterile plants are vegetatively maintained; however, crossing lines isogenic except at the MS locus would allow male sterile plants to be raised from seed.     

Nitrogen Fixation by Hybrids of White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Trifolium nigrescens

Development of hybrids between white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) and Trifolium nigrescens provides a novel route for genetically improving the reproductive capacity of white clover, provided the hybrids are agronomically viable, particularly with respect to N₂ fixation. A comparative study of growth and rates of N₂ fixation over 21 days was conducted with the parental species, F ₁ hybrids and backcross hybrids, in flowing solution culture, without a supply of mineral N to the plants. T. nigrescens was unable to fix N₂ in association with the strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar. trifolii selected for inoculation. Rates of N₂ fixation per plant increased in the order T. nigrescens < F ₁ hybrid < T. repens < backcross 1. Specific rates of N₂ fixation (days 0–21) increased in the order T. nigrescens < F ₁ hybrid < backcross 1 <  T. repens . Dry matter production and nodule biomass per plant increased at a higher rate in backcross 1 hybrids than in T. repens. The results suggest that the potential for N₂ fixation by backcross 1 hybrids is at least as great as that by T. repens .     

Estimating CO(2) flux from snowpacks at three sites in the Rocky Mountains

Soil surface CO(2) flux (F(s)) is the dominant respiratory flux in many temperate forest ecosystems. Snowpacks increase this dominance by insulating the soil against the low temperature to which aboveground components are exposed. However, measurement of F(s) in winter may be impeded by snow cover. Likewise, developing annual F(s) models is complicated by seasonal variation in root and microbial metabolism. We compared three methods of measuring sub-snow F(s): (1) dynamic chamber measurements at the upper snowpack surface (F(snow)), (2) dynamic chamber measurements at the soil surface via snowpits (F(soil)), and (3) static estimates based on measured concentrations of carbon dioxide ([CO(2)]) and conductance properties of the snowpack (F(diffusional)). Methods were compared at a mid-elevation forest in northeastern Washington, a mid-elevation forest in northern Idaho, and a high-elevation forest and neighboring meadow in Wyoming. The methods that minimized snowpack disturbance, F(diffusional) and F(snow), yielded similar estimates of F(s). In contrast, F(soil) yielded rates two to three times higher than F(snow) at the forested sites, and seven times higher at the subalpine meadow. The ratio F(soil)/F(snow) increased with increasing snow depth when compared across all sites. Snow removal appears to induce elevated soil flux as a result of lateral CO(2) diffusion into the pit. We chose F(snow) as our preferred method and used it to estimate annual CO(2) fluxes. The snowpack was present for 36% of the year at this site, during which time 132 g C m(-2), or 17% of the annual flux, occurred. We conclude that snowpack CO(2) flux is quantitatively important in annual carbon budgets for these forests and that the static and dynamic methods yield similar and reasonable estimates of the flux, as long as snowpack disturbance is minimized.     

Aboveground biomass and nitrogen in four short-rotation woody crop species growing with different water and nutrient availabilities

We quantified the effect of water and nutrient availability on aboveground biomass and nitrogen accumulation and partitioning in four species from the southeastern United States, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), slash pine (Pinus elliottii), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). The 6-year-old stands received five levels of resource input (control, irrigation with 3.05 cm water week⁻¹, irrigation + 57 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, irrigation + 85 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, and irrigation + 114 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Irrigation significantly increased foliage, stem, and branch biomass for sweetgum and sycamore, culminating in 103% and 238% increases in total aboveground biomass. Fertilization significantly increased aboveground components for all species resulting in 49, 58, 281, and 132% increases in total aboveground biomass for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Standing total aboveground biomass of the fertilized treatments reached 79, 59, 48, and 54 Mg ha⁻¹ for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Fertilization increased foliar nitrogen concentration for loblolly pine, sweetgum, and sycamore foliage. Irrigation increased total stand nitrogen content by 6, 14, 93, and 161% for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Fertilization increased total nitrogen content by 62, 53, 172, and 69% with maximum nitrogen contents of 267, 212, 237, and 203 kg ha⁻¹ for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Growth efficiency (stem growth per unit of leaf biomass) and nitrogen use efficiency (stem growth per unit of foliar nitrogen content) increased for the sycamore and sweetgum, but not the loblolly or slash pine.     

Direct inhibition of maintenance respiration in western hemlock roots exposed to ambient soil carbon dioxide concentrations

Root respiration often exhibits a direct and immediate decline with increasing concentrations of ambient soil carbon dioxide concentration ([CO(2)]), and recent evidence suggests this decline may be attributable to a decline in maintenance respiration within the root. If true, this concept could provide a clue to the biochemical process underlying respiratory inhibition as well as improve our knowledge of the timing and degree to which this inhibition occurs in nature. To test the hypothesis that maintenance respiration exhibits a direct, negative response to increasing [CO(2)], we measured total respiration in intact root systems of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) seedlings grown at different relative growth rates and exposed to soil [CO(2)]s ranging from 91 to 7008 &mgr;mol mol(-1). Analysis of covariance was used to separate maintenance from total respiration. Total respiration declined exponentially with increasing [CO(2)]. Maintenance respiration, which comprised 85% of total respiration over all treatments, also declined exponentially with increasing [CO(2)]. Growth respiration was not inhibited at any [CO(2)]. These findings may explain why roots of some fast-growing species do not show [CO(2)] inhibition.