Litterfall,decomposition and nutrient release of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shorea robusta</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tectona grandis</Emphasis> in a sub-tropical forest of West Bengal,Eastern India

We studied leaf litter fall, decomposition and nutrient release patterns of Shorea robusta and Tectona grandis by using a litter bag technique to better understand the release pattern of nutrients to soil from leaf litter. Annual litterfall varied from 13.40 ± 2.56 t ha^?1 a^?1 for S. robusta to 11.03 ± 3.72 t ha^?1 a^?1 for T. grandis and the decay constant (k) of decomposed leaf litter was distinctly higher for T. grandis (2.70 ± 0.50 a^?1) compared to S. robusta (2.41 ± 0.30 a^?1). Biomass loss was positively correlated with the initial litter C, WSC, C/N and ash content in S. robusta and N, P and K concentration for T. grandis. Biomass was negatively correlated with lignin and L/N ratio for S. robusta and L, WSC, L/N and C/N ratio for T. grandis (P < 0.01). Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and nutrient accumulation index (NAI) of S. robusta was higher than for T. grandis. The retranslocation of bioelements from senescent leaves ranked as P > N > K. Annual N, P and K input to soil through litterfall differed significantly between the two species in the following order: N>K>P. S. robusta was superior in terms of K and P return and T. grandis was superior in terms of N return. The two tree species showed a similar patterns of nutrient release (K > P > N) during decomposition of their leaf litter. Nutrients of N, K and P were the primary limiting nutrients returned to soil through litterfall with important roles in soil fertility and forest productivity.     

Enzymatic treatment on cotton fibers: degradation kinetics of pectin and influence of shape change on adsorption

Alkaline pectinase was one of the most effective enzymes to treat cotton as alternative agent to replace the conventional alkaline method. Removal of pectin and cutin was considered the explanation for improvement of wettability as well as water adsorption on cotton fiber. However, degradation kinetics of pectin is unclear, and the influence of fiber shape on property changes after enzymatic treatment was ignored. The main objective of this work was to reveal interactions between pectinase and cotton fiber for mechanism study. A heterogeneous catalysis kinetic equation, which is associated with Langmuir adsorption model and enzyme deactivation, was used to describe the heterogeneous catalysis. The enzymatic process conditions were optimized. Raw cotton fibers, pectinase-treated and alkali-treated fibers were characterized by impurities content determination, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mechanism of water adsorption enhancement on treated fibers was discussed. In addition to elimination of the outer impurities, flat fibers with less twist and shape changes of lumen were also obtained to ensure better accessibility and water adsorption after enzymatic treatment.     

小麦条锈病病害流行空间动态电算模拟的初步探讨——Ⅰ.圆形传播

 在国内已发表的两个小麦条锈病流行电算模拟模型的基础上,将研究的病害传播范围等分成一定大小的正方形小区,并以其为空间传播的计量单元,确定各小区的方位和间距。利用Mackenzie的病害直线传播梯度模型,通过试验建立回归预测式求得b值。并根据子代病叶总数与子代发病中心病情的定量关系,求出中心点病情a。再经过随机数转换和重叠侵染转换,与已有的日传染率、潜育期模型相结合,组建了"XRZD-1"电子计算机模拟模型。通过多次循环可以推算和打印出逐日的各小区病害数量及形象化图形。实现了病害时间动态和空间动态的协同模拟。     

与大豆SMV3号株系抗性相关的分子标记的鉴定

对大豆花叶病毒SMV抗性的遗传研究一直是大豆抗病遗传研究的热点之一。本研究以哈91R3-301×黑农41组合构建了遗传群体,其F2分离单株的SSR标记基因型基本符合1:2:1的比例,说明这个群体没有偏分离。根据F3株系的病情指数分布推测SMV3的F2成株抗性似乎由多基因控制。根据SSR分子标记的基因型和F2:3株系对SMV3抗病性表型结果连锁分析,推测Satt296是与大豆花叶病毒(SMV)3号株系抗性主基因连锁的分子标记,应用Joinmap作图软件将该标记定位在D1b连锁群上,这一结果与部分文献报道的研究结果一致。本研究获得的与抗性基因连锁的分子标记在其他的RIL群体中的验证得到了初步证实,推测定位在D1b连锁群上的抗性座位可能是控制SMV3的主基因之一,该标记可望应用于大豆抗SMV3的分子标记辅助选择。     

Determining the bioavailability of contaminants and assessing the quality of sediments

Background, Aims and Scope  

Our study determined if and when an avoidance or attraction behavioural response would be displayed by Ilyanassa obsoleta when presented with a choice between harbour and reference sediments. Our goal was to develop a non-lethal approach that could be used in future assessments of the environmental quality of field sediments.     

Integrated disease management of ascochyta blight in pulse crops

Ascochyta blight causes significant yield loss in pulse crops worldwide. Integrated disease management is essential to take advantage of cultivars with partial resistance to this disease. The most effective practices, established by decades of research, use a combination of disease-free seed, destruction or avoidance of inoculum sources, manipulation of sowing dates, seed and foliar fungicides, and cultivars with improved resistance. An understanding of the pathosystems and the inter-relationship between host, pathogen and the environment is essential to be able to make correct decisions for disease control without compromising the agronomic or economic ideal. For individual pathosystems, some components of the integrated management principles may need to be given greater consideration than others. For instance, destruction of infested residue may be incompatible with no or minimum tillage practices, or rotation intervals may need to be extended in environments that slow the speed of residue decomposition. For ascochyta-susceptible chickpeas the use of disease-free seed, or seed treatments, is crucial as seed-borne infection is highly effective as primary inoculum and epidemics develop rapidly from foci in favourable conditions. Implemented fungicide strategies differ according to cultivar resistance and the control efficacy of fungicides, and the effectiveness of genetic resistance varies according to seasonal conditions. Studies are being undertaken to develop advanced decision support tools to assist growers in making more informed decisions regarding fungicide and agronomic practices for disease control.     

冬季猪舍粪便贮存过程中CH4排放特征试验

利用丹麦猪舍和液态猪粪便进行了CH4气体排放测试,比较了3种粪坑内粪便高度（0.15、0.40、0.65m）、4种通风量（211、650、1852、3088m3/h）、粪坑内有无挡板情况下冬季猪舍粪便贮存过程中CH4排放通量。测试结果表明：粪便高度、粪便温度和通风量可以用来解释大部分的CH4排放通量变化差异;对于使用渗透性天花板进气和负压通风排气系统,4种通风量之间CH4排放通量差异不显著,但由于通风量的增加同时会降低舍内与粪坑内空气温度和粪便温度,因此要综合考虑通风量和温度对气体排放通量的影响;液态猪粪便中CH4排放通量随着粪坑内粪便高度的降低而减少;设置粪坑挡板对粪坑内CH4排放没有影响;敏感性分析表明CH4排放通量相对于粪便温度、粪便高度和通风量的敏感性依次减小（敏感度依次减小）。在较低的通风量和粪便高度变化区间,CH4排放通量变化的敏感性要高于较高的通风量和粪便高度变化区间,但对于粪便温度变化趋势正好相反。     

联合收获机前进速度灰色预测模糊控制系统

分析了联合收获机的工作过程,针对其工作过程中的非线性、时变、大滞后特性,提出了采用灰色预测模糊控制方法对联合收获机的前进速度进行自动控制,使其负荷保持稳定.分析了预测控制和模糊控制相结合的必要性和重要性,设计了基于灰色预测模糊控制的联合收获机前进速度控制装置,建立了灰色预测模糊控制模型,并进行了仿真和试验.仿真结果表明,运用灰色预测模糊控制算法能使控制系统的调整时间更短、超调量更小、控制性能更加优越.     

Symbiotic N<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and nitrate utilisation in irrigated lucerne (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis>) systems

Symbiotic N₂ fixation by lucerne (Medicago sativa) has capacity to provide significant inputs of N to agro-ecosystems, and the species has also been shown to scavenge soil mineral N and thus act as a sink for excess reactive N. The balance between these two N cycle processes was investigated in an extensive irrigated lucerne growing region where nitrate contamination of groundwater has been reported. We sampled 18 permanent pure lucerne stands under irrigation for standing dry matter, total shoot N, and N₂ fixation using ¹⁵N natural abundance along with activity of the inducible enzyme nitrate reductase as indicators of use of soil NO₃⁻ by lucerne. On average 65% of lucerne N was obtained from symbiotic N₂ fixation. Converting standing dry matter estimates to annual N₂ fixation amounts we calculated average N₂ fixation of 311 kg N/ha, including N in roots and nodules. Uptake of N from soil by lucerne was calculated to be 181 kg N/ha/year. We were not able to identify the source of this soil mineral N, although nitrate reductase activity of lucerne was higher than that of non-N₂ fixing species examined.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus halepensis</Emphasis> somatic embryogenesis is affected by the physical and chemical conditions at the initial stages of the process

Pinus halepensis has been described as a drought-tolerant species with high plasticity to growth in different environments. Its eco-physiological characteristics could facilitate the use of this species in large afforestations in the future scenery of climate change. Somatic embryogenesis is a biotechnological tool with potential for large-scale clonal propagation. In order to establish an improved regeneration protocol for Pinus halepensis, the effects of different temperatures (18, 23, and 28 °C) and water availability conditions (2, 3, and 4 g L^?1 Gelrite^®), during initiation of embryonal masses on the rate of initiation, proliferation, maturation, and the number of embryos developed, were evaluated. It was found that environmental conditions during the initiation stage of Pinus halepensis somatic embryogenesis influence the success of initiation and proliferation. In contrast, there was no effect of these conditions on the maturation rates and the number of somatic embryos. Somatic embryos were obtained in all treatments tested, indicating that plants can be produced from extreme conditions of induction, such as high temperatures (28 °C) and low water availability conditions (4 g L^?1).