Heterosis in landrace-based topcross hybrids of pearl millet across arid environments

This study quantified the magnitude of heterosis in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) topcross hybrids produced by crossing 16 diverse landraces and three high yielding open-pollinating varieties on two homozygous male-sterile lines. Hybrids and pollinators were grown in 12 year ×;location combinations in India that were grouped into three zones. Genetic components of variance quantifying the differences among these hybrids were estimated. The hybrids showed a conspicuous heterosis for grain yield, earliness and biomass yield but not for straw yield. The level and direction of heterosis for time to flowering depended strongly on the earliness of the male-sterile line. In the terminal drought stress zone hybrids made on the early maturing male-sterile line 843A had the highest level of heterosis for grain yield (88%). This was partly due to escape from terminal stress. In the other two zones the heterosis for grain yield was on average 30%. Heterosis for biomass yield and biomass yield per day was on average also positive in all three zones. For all traits, except time to flowering and biomass yield per day, pollinator effects were the only significant source of variation. Differences between hybrids were mostly caused by additive genetic effects. Significant amount of heterosis observed in landrace-based topcross hybrids for grain yield and other productivity-related traits suggested that substantial improvement in pearl millet productivity in and environments can be obtained by topcrossing locally adapted landraces on suitable male-sterile lines. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Water Deficit on the Dynamics of Flowering and Fruit Production in Capsicum chinense Jacq in a Tropical Semiarid Region of Venezuela

The degree of crop sensitivity to water deficit, during the different developmental stages of a plant, is an important aspect to consider in tropical semiarid regions. The effect of water deficit on flowering dynamics and fruit production of sweet pepper (Capsicum chinense) was evaluated under several water regimes, during three consecutive years. A complete randomized block design with three replicates was employed. Flowering dynamics and fruit production were measured weekly, and water potentials were obtained twice during the experiments. For all years, flowering began at approximately 70 days after transplanting. In the most favourable year (trial 1996), there were no differences in total flower and fruit production in terms of irrigation frequency. For the other less favourable years, flowering and fruit production were significantly different between irrigation frequencies. Our results show that low water availability, prior to flowering, reduces the number of flowers produced and retards the occurrence of maximum flowering. On the other hand, a water deficit during the period between flowering and fruit development reduces final fruit production. This suggests that a water deficit during this last stage affects final yield to a greater extent.     

Response of pepper plants to NO3:NH4 ratio and light intensity

Pepper plants were hydroponically grown in a growth chamber with two levels of light intensity (300 and 240 w/m² ) and two N0₃:NH₄ ratios (100:0 and 80:20). Plants supplied with both N forms (80:20) under high light conditions showed a decrease of nutrient uptake and produced low plant weight and yield compared to the all NO₃ treated plants. By contrast, plants receiving both N forms (80:20) with light reduced over 25% showed a growth and yield slightly superior to plants supplied with N0₃ as sole source of N. This suggests a significant light intensity‐N form interaction that favors all NO₃ nutrition for pepper at high light intensities.     

The effect of amino acids and amides on the regulation of nitrate uptake by wheat seedlings

Wheat plants grown hydroponically increased their nitrate uptake rate more than two‐fold after three days of N starvation. Exogenously supplied amino acids and amides had no effect on the nitrate uptake rate of plants well nourished in N. After three days of N starvation, however, some of the amino acids and amides supplied to plants inhibited up to 50% of the nitrate uptake rate. The most effective inhibitor was aspartic acid. Asparagine, glutamine or phenylalanine did not show any inhibitory effect. The percentage of inhibition was not increased by increasing the amino acid concentration, nor did the addition of mixed amino acids and amides increase the inhibition exerted by one amino acid alone. During the three days of N starvation, there was a decrease in the concentration of endogenous amino acids in the roots, but not all amino acids decreased their concentration at the same rate.

It is suggested that the endogenous levels of some amino acids may repress the nitrate uptake system in plants well supplied with N. During the development of the N deficiency, the concentration of these amino acid decreases, de‐repressing the nitrate uptake system.     

Effect of mycorhiza-forming fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Glomus intraradices</Emphasis> on phytoextraction of nickel and copper and status of microbe cenoses under conditions of a model experiment

Effect of inoculation of plants by mycorhiza-forming fungus Glomus intraradices on nickel and copper phytoextraction from soddy-podzolic soil has been studied. The soil was intentionally contaminated by these elements. Mycorhization may cause both a rise and a drop in the content of the elements in the above ground parts of plants. It is shown that inoculation of plants by mycorhiza-forming fungus by its application to the soil at seeding does not result in the destabilization of microbe cenoses in the variants with application of heavy metals and in control variants.     

坡面过程、块体移动和土壤侵蚀研究进展

Soil erosion and land degradation are global problems and pose major issues in many countries.Both soil erosion and mass movement are two forms of land degradation and humans play important roles in these geomorphological processes.This paper reviews slope processes associated with mass movement and soil erosion and contributory factors,including physical and human agents.Acting together,these cause diverse geomorphological features.Slope processes are illustrated by reference to case studies from Brazil and UK.The causes and impacts of erosion are discussed,along with appropriate remedial bioengineering methods and the potential of the measures to prevent these types of environmental degradation.Although there are several agents of erosion,water is the most important one.Cultivation can promote soil erosion,due to ploughing and harvesting,which moves soil down slopes.Soil erosion and mass movement data would inform the viability of soil conservation practices.Integrated management of drainage basins offers a promising way forward for effective soil conservation and soil remedial bioengineering in Brazil and UK.     

Evidence for transformation of sulfamethazine to its N4-glucopyranosyl derivative in swine liver during frozen storage

An analytical procedure for determining N4-glucopyranosylsulfamethazine (GPS) in swine livers is described. The sulfamethazine derivative is extracted from the tissues with water. GPS is isolated in sufficient purity for liquid chromatographic determination by a series of adsorption chromatographic procedures. Recovery of the conjugate from spiked swine livers was 82.2% with a coefficient of variation of 4.5%. Evidence is presented suggesting that sulfamethazine in swine livers is transformed to GPS during frozen storage. Two samples of swine liver in which incurred sulfamethazine residues were substantially depleted during frozen storage were analyzed for GPS. The conjugate accounted for 96.2% and 92.2% of the depleted sulfamethazine residues.     

Bayesian Methods for Hierarchical Distance Sampling Models

The few distance sampling studies that use Bayesian methods typically consider only line transect sampling with a half-normal detection function. We present a Bayesian approach to analyse distance sampling data applicable to line and point transects, exact and interval distance data and any detection function possibly including covariates affecting detection probabilities. We use an integrated likelihood which combines the detection and density models. For the latter, densities are related to covariates in a log-linear mixed effect Poisson model which accommodates correlated counts. We use a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm for updating parameters and a reversible jump algorithm to include model selection for both the detection function and density models. The approach is applied to a large-scale experimental design study of northern bobwhite coveys where the interest was to assess the effect of establishing herbaceous buffers around agricultural fields in several states in the US on bird densities. Results were compared with those from an existing maximum likelihood approach that analyses the detection and density models in two stages. Both methods revealed an increase of covey densities on buffered fields. Our approach gave estimates with higher precision even though it does not condition on a known detection function for the density model.     

Interspecific hybridization between Coffea arabica L. and tetraploid C. canephora P. ex Fr. I. Fertility in F1 hybrids and backcrosses to C. Arabica

Summary The interspecific (C. arabica × tetraploid C. canephora) F₁ hybrid showed a low but highly variable fertility. An almost complete restoration to normal fertility was observed in individual trees of BC₁ and BC₂ generations with C. arabica as recurrent parent. From a comparison of various tests of fertility, it was found that pollen viability is a satisfactory measure of fertility.     

Use of index selection in recurrent selection programs in maize

Summary Phenotypic and genotypic correlations were examined for four traits in seven populations of maize (Zea mays L.) undergoing recurrent selection. Correlations among grain yield and percentage of grain moisture, root lodging, and stalk lodging were low (|r|<0.3) except for the correlation between grain yield and stalk lodging, which was high and negative. The phenotypic and genotypic correlations agreed well from cycle to cycle within populations. Variation of correlations among populations was not significantly larger than variation among cycles. Heritabilities of these traits generally were high (h²>0.5). Two indices, one that used heritabilities as index weights and one that used relative economic weights (base index) as index weights, were compared with the Smith-Hazel index (optimim index). Relative efficiencies of the two indices, in terms of predicted gains for the individual traits and the composite trait, compared with the Smith-Hazel index, were high. The use of an index in which heritabilities were used as index weights was recommended because:1) the heritabilities were the same as the optimum weights when the traits were uncorrelated, and for the data examined the correlations were low; and 2) heritabilities were computed in routine data analyses and were available at no additional cost.Joint contribution: USDA-SEA-AR and Journal Paper No. 10152 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Exp. Stn., Ames, Iowa. Project 2194.