QTL analysis of cooked rice grain elongation, volume expansion, and water absorption using a recombinant inbred population

The traits of elongation, volume expansion, and water absorption are very important in determining the quality of cooked rice grains. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of these traits was performed using a recombinant inbred population derived from a cross between two indica cultivars, ‘Zhenshan 97’ and ‘Minghui 63 ,’ which are the parents of the most widely grown hybrid rice in China. Using a linkage map based on 221 molecular marker loci covering a total of 1796 cM, a total of 33 QTLs were identified for the nine traits tested. QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1– 3 , 5– 9 , and 11 , respectively. The QTLs identified included three for cooked rice grain length elongation (chromosomes 2 , 6 , and 11), six for width expansion (chromosomes 1‐ 3 , 6 , 9 , and 11) and two for water absorption (chromosomes 2 and 6). Interestingly, a single QTL located near the wx gene on chromosome 6 seemed to influence all the traits tested for the cooked rice quality.     

The Deterioration of Eating and Cooking Quality Caused by High Temperature During Grain Filling in Early-Season indica Rice Cultivars

The effect of temperature during grain filling on eating and cooking quality of early-season indica rice was investigated by using four cultivars with different amylose content. Starting from flowering stage until maturity, the plants of all cultivars were subjected to two temperature treatments, referred as optimum (mean daily air temperature, 22 °C) and high (32 °C) temperature regimes. The results showed that the effect of high temperature on apparent amylose content and gel consistency in milled rice was cultivar-dependent. Under high temperature, amylose content increased for cv. Jiayu353 and remained little changed for cv. Guangluai4, which had intrinsically higher amylose content, and decreased for cv. Zhefu49 and cv. Jiazao935, which had lower amylose content. By contrast, high temperature reduced or kept stable gel consistency values for cultivars with higher amylose content and increased gel consistency values for those with lower amylose content. Moreover, high temperature significantly increased the gelatinization temperature of all cultivars. Pasting profiles and X-ray diffraction pattern of rice were also affected by temperature. The results suggest that high temperature during grain filling change the component and crystalline structure of starch and result in deterioration of eating and cooking quality for early-season indica rice.     

Nitrogen Accumulation and Translocation for Winter Wheat under Different Irrigation Regimes

The translocation of pre‐anthesis nitrogen to the grain is an important source for winter wheat. The relation between the nitrogen translocation and irrigation regime was studied in the field under a rain‐proof trough shelter. Nitrogen (N) translocation amount, N translocation efficiency decreased with a decline in irrigation amount or by excessive irrigation. Compared with different organs, the leaf and stem had higher N translocation amounts, and contributions to grain for both cultivars – Jinan 17 and Lumai 21, indicating that stem also is a major N source for grain development. The contribution of pre‐anthesis total above ground N to grain N ranged from 57 to 76 %, indicating the importance of pre‐anthesis storage of N for achieving high grain N concentrations. Grain nitrogen and yield (kg ha^?1) were positively and significantly correlated with the N translocation amounts and contributions, respectively, suggesting that the sink strength may be involved in the translocation of N from a vegetative organ to the grain. N harvest index (NHI) was significantly correlated with N translocation efficiency, suggesting that the latter is a prerequisite for increasing grain N and improving grain quality. The experiment showed that N translocation status is enhanced by better irrigation practices, but limited by severely deficient or excessive irrigation.     

8种狼尾草属植物的生长性状比较分析

为了研究哪种狼尾草属植物最适合做能源植物,通过采用主成分和聚类分析法的方法,研究8种狼尾草属植物的生长速度、生长性状和不同刈割期生长能力。结果表明：‘MT-1象草’新品系的生长速度慢些,但生长高、分蘖多、综合生长性状表现最优秀;‘桂牧1号象草’的综合表现仅次于‘MT-1象草’,新品系‘摩特矮象草’的综合表现是最差的。试验研究最终显示,‘MT-1象草’新品系是最适合做能源植物,‘桂牧1号象草’可以在必要情况下作为‘MT-1象草’的替代品种。     

Response of Sorghum to Abiotic Stresses: A Review

Sorghum [(Sorghum bicolor L.) Moench] is a highly productive crop plant, which can be used for alternative energy resource, human food, livestock feed or industrial purposes. The biomass of sorghum can be utilized as solid fuel via thermochemical routes or as a carbohydrate substrate via fermentation processes. The plant has a great adaptation potential to drought, high salinity and high temperature, which are important characteristics of genotypes growing in extreme environments. However, the climate change in the 21st century may bring about new challenges in the cultivated areas. In this review, we summarize the most recent literature about the responses of sorghum to the most important abiotic stresses: nutrient deficiency, aluminium stress, drought, high salinity, waterlogging or temperature stress the plants have to cope with during cultivation. The advanced molecular and system biological tools provide new opportunities for breeders to select stress‐tolerant and high‐yielding cultivars.     

微生物菌肥对普陀樟、红楠2个树种苗木生长及养分状况的影响

为了增强海岛特色树种苗木抗逆性,提高海岛困难地造林成活率,以普陀樟、红楠容器苗为材料,研究不同菌肥及用量对苗木生长、生物量和养分状况的影响。结果表明：不同菌肥及用量通常对普陀樟生长和生物量的积累无明显作用,但可显著促进红楠的高、径生长和生物量的积累,其中应用40、60 g/盆百欧盖恩微生物菌肥,高、径生长量分别提高36.39%、33.76%和17.63%、15.40%,总生物量增加57.04%、56.50%,仅应用含N量较高的菌肥时明显抑制两者生长。菌肥的使用通常有利于促进N、P在普陀樟根、茎的积累,且能较大幅度地提升N、P、K在红楠植株各部位的积累,其中普陀樟应用20、40 g/盆百欧盖恩微生物菌肥,根上的N浓度分别增加13.87%、17.65%,茎、根上的P浓度分别增加13.39%、12.60%和27.29%、11.48%,含量的变化趋势与浓度基本一致;红楠应用40、60 g/盆百欧盖恩微生物菌肥,根上的N浓度分别增加10.53%、27.32%,P浓度分别大幅增加47.78%、70.82%,K浓度分别增加24.74%、35.99%,含量大幅上升。     

Field Evaluation of Cocksfoot,Tall Fescue and Phalaris for Dry Marginal Environments of South‐Eastern Australia. 1. Establishment and Herbage Production

Newly developed candidate cultivars of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. = syn. L. arundinaceum (Schreb) Darbysh.) were evaluated over four years for persistence and productivity against current commercial cultivars in small plots at five locations selected for lower and less reliable rainfall and difficult soils (low pH and high Al) in south‐eastern Australia known to be marginally too dry for these grass species. The five locations were ‐ representing summer dominant rainfall, Inverell, in northern New South Wales (NSW); ‐ representing uniform rainfall; Trungley Hall, (medium rainfall), and Beckom (lower rainfall) both in southern NSW; and; representing a winter dominant pattern ‐ Eversley, (higher rainfall), and Bealiba, (lower rainfall), in central Victoria. The objective was to determine if the new candidate cultivars were more likely to persist and to be productive than current commercial cultivars. The study showed that most phalaris and cocksfoot treatments were highly productive in high rainfall years at one or both sites in southern NSW. However, all treatments had become much less productive by the end of the experimental period due to plant loss under hot, dry conditions in the final summer. At Bealiba in central Victoria, cocksfoot was the most productive species with several cocksfoot treatments of both subsp. hispanica and subsp. glomerata still present at the final harvest despite a hot and dry final summer‐autumn. Tall fescue was the most productive species in the two higher rainfall environments (Inverell, Eversley) although most treatments of all species performed well at those sites. Continental tall fescues were more productive on average than Mediterranean tall fescues at the strongly acidic Eversley site. As a result of this work, two of the new cocksfoot candidates (Moroccan Fine and AVH48 Selection) and one of the tall fescue candidates (Summer Active 1) have been licensed for commercial development and release.     

磁化水灌溉对农作物生长发育影响的研究进展

磁化水处理应用于农作物的生产实践是一个比较特殊的领域,国内外科研人员在开发磁化水的基础上开展了磁化水对农作物生长发育影响的诸多研究,比较了磁化水与普通水灌溉对种子发芽、秧苗生长素质、田间相关农艺性状及土壤理化性质影响的异同,表明磁化水对水稻生长发育调控和土壤改良效应有一定的影响。通过系统总结,发现磁化水对水稻及其他农作物表现出的差异主要集中于土壤特性、生长指标、叶片叶绿素含量、根系性状、产量及品质方面,同时磁化水灌溉影响水稻及其他农作物的生理特性。研究结果为磁化水灌溉在农作物生产中的推广应用提供参考依据。     

Consortial associations of cyanobacteria in a typical chernozem contaminated with oil

Associations of cyanobacterial communities in a typical chernozem contaminated with oil (0.05, 0.5, and 5% of the soil weight) were investigated. The high concentration of oil in the soil favored the development of other microorganisms (mostly, hydrocarbon oxidizers) on the surface and in the colonial mucus of cyanobacteria.