Phosphorus uptake and use efficiency in different varieties of bread wheat (Triticum Aestivum L)

Thirty spring wheat varieties were evaluated and classified into eight different groups on the basis of their grain yield performance and phosphorus (P) uptake using Metroglyph analysis. Significant variability was observed for grain and biomass yield, plant height, P content in grain and straw, total P uptake and phosphorus harvest index and P use efficiency traits. Varieties WH 711 and PBW 343 exhibited high grain yield as well as high P uptake (HGY-HP). WH 283 and UP 2425 with high index score of 19 and 16 respectively, constituted the high grain yield-medium P uptake (HGYMP) group. Both these varieties, though had similar grain yield of 5348 kg/ha, but WH 283 (12.64 kg/ha) utilized much lower P as compared to UP 2425 (16.94 kg/ha). Moreover, WH 283 (81.64) also showed higher values for phosphorus harvest index (PHI) than UP 2425 (67.88%). P uptake of WH 283 was comparable with that of Raj 3765 (10.78 kg/ha) and grouped into high grain yield and low P uptake (HGY-LP) group. The grain yield performance of these two varieties with a relatively low P uptake is reflected in their high index score for P use efficiency thus, earmarking them for low P regimes. Variety HW 2006, despite low grain yields of 4665 kg/ha had high index score of 16 due to its higher value for Phosphorus Biological (PBER) and Economic Yield (PEER) Efficiency Ratio as it has effected least (7.18 kg/ha) P mobilization. In addition high P translocation in the grain was also observed for this variety. Inter-mating of genotypes like HW 2006, UP 2338 and HW 2016 with those belonging to HGY-HP (PBW 343 and WH 711) and HGY-LP (Raj 3765 and WH 283) would be an ideal strategy to develop the cultivars for efficient phosphorus use.     

中国辽宁省与美国近纬度地区新育成大豆品种的株型与产量的比较研究

试验采用中国辽宁省与美国地理纬度相近、结荚习性相同的中国和美国大豆品种各4个,在相同种植条件下对株型性状进行了比较研究,探讨了大豆高产的株型特征.结果表明:美国大豆品种的节间较短、株高较矮,分枝数较多.美国大豆品种的叶片性状比较好,下部叶片为卵圆形,由下向上叶片逐节变长,中上部叶片较细小.美国大豆品种的荚数显著多于中国大豆品种,而百粒重却显著低于中国品种.在荚粒分布上,美国品种植株上层荚粒所占比例较小,下层荚粒所占比例较大,在同等种植条件下,美国大豆品种的产量显著高于中国品种.     

不同来源亚有限型大豆品种适应性的比较研究

采用地理纬度相似地区选育的、具有代表性的中、美大豆品种,在不同种植密度,施肥水平和种植地区条件下对大豆品种的适应性进行了比较研究.结果表明：在不同种植密度条件下美国俄亥俄州立大学选育的品种综合表现较好,都有较高的产量表现,对种植密度有较好的适应性;而辽宁省选育的品种大多产量较低,受种植密度影响较大,种植密度适应性较差.在磷酸二铵做种肥的条件下,美国俄亥俄州立大学选育的品种表现较好,对肥料的利用率较高;辽宁省选育的品种中,辽豆12号对施肥的反应较好,其它品种相对产量较低,肥力适应范围狭窄.美国俄亥俄州立大学选育的品种在不同地区种植平均产量均显著高于辽宁省选育的品种,两国品种对地区的适应性表现趋势一致,都是鞍山＞沈阳＞大连.     

Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Embryonic Stem Cell‐Like Cells and Preimplantation Embryos Exhibit Comparable Expression of Pluripotency‐Related Antigens

In this study, inner cell mass (ICM) cells were isolated from in vitro produced buffalo blastocysts and were cultured on mitomycin‐C treated buffalo foetal fibroblast feeder layer for producing embryonic stem (ES) cells. Among different sources (hatched vs expanded blastocysts) or methods (enzymatic vs mechanical), mechanical isolation of ICM from hatched blastocysts resulted in the highest primary colony formation rate and the maximum passage number up to which ES cells survived. Putative ES cells expressed alkaline phosphatase and exhibited a normal karyotype up to passage 7. Putative ES cells and embryos at 2‐ to 4‐cell, 8‐ to 16‐cell, morula and blastocyst stages strongly expressed stage‐specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)‐4 but lacked expressions of SSEA‐1 and SSEA‐3. Putative ES cells also expressed tumour rejection antigen (TRA)‐1‐60, TRA‐1‐81 and Oct4. Whereas in all early embryonic stages, TRA‐1‐60 was observed only in the periplasmic space, and TRA‐1‐81 expression was observed as small spots at a few places inside the embryos, both these markers were expressed by ICM. Oct4 expression, which was observed at all the embryonic stages and also in the trophectoderm, was the strongest in the ICM. Buffalo putative ES cells possess a unique pluripotency‐related surface antigen phenotype, which resembles that of the ICM.     

Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine coverage in northern and south-eastern England in 2008

A postal survey of all registered cattle and sheep farmers in East Anglia was carried out from July 2008 to determine bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) vaccine uptake in the region. The vaccine was available to farmers in this region from May 2008. The survey was repeated in Cumbria and Northumberland at the beginning of 2009. In these regions, the vaccine was not available until September 1, 2008. Holding-level vaccine uptake was estimated to be 85 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 83 to 87 per cent, n=1623) in East Anglia and 36 per cent (95 per cent CI 32 to 40 per cent, n=633) in northern England. A telephone follow-up of non-responders reduced these estimates to 79 and 29 per cent in East Anglia and northern England, respectively. In both regions, vaccine coverage was higher in sheep than in cattle, with 92 per cent of sheep in East Anglia having been vaccinated. The proportion of holdings that had applied the vaccine or were intending to apply the vaccine in 2009 in the northern region was 51 per cent (95 per cent CI 47 to 54 per cent, n=664), with a further 37 per cent undecided at the time of response.     

Stability of Perovskite (MgSiO3) in the Earth's Mantle

Available thermodynamic data and seismic models favor perovskite (MgSiO3) as the stable phase in the mantle. MgSiO3 was heated at temperatures from 1900 to 3200 kelvin with a Nd-YAG laser in diamond-anvil cells to study the phase relations at pressures from 45 to 100 gigapascals. The quenched products were studied with synchrotron x-ray radiation. The results show that MgSiO3 broke down to a mixture of MgO (periclase) and SiO2 (stishovite or an unquenchable polymorph) at pressures from 58 to 85 gigapascals. These results imply that perovskite may not be stable in the lower mantle and that it might be necessary to reconsider the compositional and density models of the mantle.