Genetic structure and history of Swiss maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis> L. ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">mays</Emphasis>) landraces

Between 1930 and 2003 with emphasis on the 1940s maize landraces (Zea mays L. ssp. mays) from all over Switzerland were collected for maintenance and further use in a new Swiss breeding program. The genetic relationship and diversity among these accessions stored in the Swiss gene bank is largely unknown. Our hypothesis was that due to the unique geographic, climatic, and cultural diversity in Switzerland a diverse population of maize landraces had developed over the past three centuries. The aims were to characterize the genetic diversity of the Swiss landraces and their genetic relationship with accessions from neighbouring regions as well as reviewing their history, collection, and maintenance. The characterization and grouping was based on analyses with ten microsatellite markers. Geographic, cultural, and climatic conditions explained a division in two distinct groups of accessions. One group consisted of landraces collected in the southern parts of Switzerland. This group was related to the Italian Orange Flints. The other group contained accessions from northern Switzerland which were related to Northern European Flints in particular German Flints. Historic evidence was found for a frequent exchange of landraces within the country resulting in a lack of region-specific or landrace-specific genetic groups. The relatively large separation between the accessions, indicated by high F _ST (0.42), might be explained partly by a bottleneck during the collection and maintenance phase as well as by geographical and cultural separation of north and south of the country. Due to the high genetic diversity, the accessions here are a potential resource for broadening the European flint pool.     

Controls on soil carbon accumulation during woody plant encroachment: Evidence from physical fractionation, soil respiration, and δC of respired CO2

Woody plant encroachment into grasslands and savannas is a globally extensive land-cover change that alters biogeochemical processes and frequently results in soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual. We used soil physical fractionation, soil respiration kinetics, and the isotopic composition of soil respiration to investigate microbial degradation of accrued SOC in sandy loam soils along a chronosequence of C₃woody plant encroachment into a C₄-dominated grassland in southern Texas. Our previous work in this system demonstrated significant changes in the chemistry and abundance of lignin and aliphatic biopolymers within particulate soil fractions during the first 40 yrs of woody plant encroachment, indicating selective accrual of purportedly more recalcitrant plant chemicals. However, during the long-term soil laboratory incubation presented herein, a greater proportion of SOC was mineralized in soils from older woody stands (34-86 yrs) than in soils from younger woody stands (14-23 yrs) and grasslands, providing no evidence for greater biochemical recalcitrance as a controlling mechanism for SOC accrual. In addition, δ¹³C values of respired CO₂ indicate that the mineralized SOC was predominately of C₃ origin from all woody stands along the chronosequence, and that respired CO₂ was primarily derived from the free light fraction (density <1.0 g/cm³) and macroaggregate-sized soil fraction. Our data suggested that the location of SOC among soil fractions was more important than plant polymer chemistry in determining SOC turnover rates during incubation. Surprisingly, estimates of the size and turnover rate of the active SOC pool based on respiratory kinetics did not increase with woody encroachment, and the turnover rate of the slower SOC pool decreased, again supporting the notion that increases in biochemically recalcitrant biopolymers did not hinder decomposition in the lab. These data indicate environmental conditions that may allow for C accrual in the field were alleviated during the controlled incubation. Therefore, C accrual in these sandy loam soils following woody encroachment should not be assumed stable, and this factor should be taken into account when considering responses of SOC to climate change or when making management decisions regarding land cover impacts on SOC.     

The effect of disturbance by Phellinus weirii on decomposition and nutrient mineralization in a Tsuga mertensiana forest

Summary Microbial biomass in the upper 7 cm of soil and needle decomposition on the forest floor were measured seasonally for 10 months in a mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) old-growth forest and in a regrowth forest after Phellinus weirii, a root-rot pathogen infection, had caused disturbance. The microbial biomass was higher in the old-growth forest soil than in the regrowth forest soil. However, T. mertensiana needle decomposition rates were higher in the regrowth than in the old-growth forest. Total N, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn concentrations in needles increased during the 1st year of decomposition in both the old and the regrowth forests, but P, K, Mg, Mn, and B concentrations decreased. N, P, K, Mg, Cu, and Zn concentrations were lower in regrowth than in old-growth decomposing needles. During mineralization, needles in the regrowth forests released more N, P, and K as a result of higher needle decomposition rates. Our results suggest that higher needle decomposition rates increased the mineralization of N, P, and K, which may lead to increased soil fertility and faster tree growth rates in the regrowth forest.     

Modified gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric method for determination of daminozide in high protein food products

A modified version of the Conditt and Baumgardner gas chromatographic/mass spectroscopic (GC/MS) method for determination of daminozide in peanut butter and raw peanuts is described. Daminozide in the food product is hydrolyzed to unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) by sodium hydroxide digestion. The generated UDMH is distilled from the food matrix and captured by reaction with salicylaldehyde in a condensation trap. Resulting high pH distillates generated by peanuts and peanut products are adjusted back to a pH of 5-6 through addition of glacial acetic acid. After thermal incubation and extraction into methylene chloride, salicylaldehyde dimethylhydrazone is separated from interferences by capillary GC and quantitated by MS using the selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Quantitation of daminozide is based on the ratio of the salicylaldehyde dimethylhydrazone molecular ion (m/z 164) to the molecular ion (m/z 153) of the internal standard, 4-nitroanisole. Confirmation of daminozide identity is determined by relative intensity of the m/z 164 ion to the m/z 120 (C7H4ON) ion. Improved m/z 164 ion intensity and reduction of neighboring interferences due to acetic acid treatment permitted a daminozide detection limit of 0.005 ppm in a 50 g sample and an associated 0.02 ppm limit of quantitation. This modification is specific for high protein samples that generate high pH distillates such as peanuts and peanut products and is not specifically intended for analysis of low protein samples.     

Simulation of solute leaching in soils of differing permeabilities

Abstract. The model described divides the soil into layers and considers two categories of water, mobile and immobile, in each layer. It has two main parameters, one a measure of the soil's capacity to hold water and thence to retain solutes against leaching, and the other a measure of the ease with which water can pass through the soil and carry solutes with it. These are, in effect, capacity and rate parameters, and the model is unusual in having both. They can be estimated from the percentages of clay and other soil components. The rate parameter varied appreciably between plots in the field but in a consistent manner. The model has been validated against field experiments following the vertical movement of solute applied to the soil surface and allowed to leach, and the paper includes one such test.     

Concentrations and depositions of SO2, SO4 2− etc. in a Chongqing suburban forested area

During the period from 25 May 1991 to 30 May 1992 the atmospheric concentrations and depositions of oxides of sulfur were continuously measured in a suburban masson pine forest which is currently experiencing severe dieback, in Chongqing, China. The annual mean concentrations of SO₂ and particulate SO₄ ^2? were 220 μ g/m³ (77 ppbv) and 32 μ g/m³ respectively. The atmospheric concentrations of these sulfur compounds were high in late autumn and winter. The annual wet and dry depositions of sulfur to the forest as measured by throughfall and stemflow were 93.1 and 46.6 kgSha^?1a^?1 respectively. These depositions are among the highest level ever reported in the world. Althogh the cause of the dieback of the masson pine trees has not been unequivocally determined, it is probable that the direct impact of SO₂ is more likely the cause than acid deposition.     

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Quantity of Flour Protein Components,Dough Properties,and Breadmaking Quality of Wheat

Three winter wheat varieties with differing breadmaking quality were grown at two locations in two years at 0 or 3 × 60 kg of nitrogen application. The effect of nitrogen on amount of different components of gluten proteins was determined by reverse-phase HPLC. A high amount of nitrogen led generally to a significant increase of total protein content. However, this increase was obvious only for the gluten proteins; albumins and globulins remained nearly unaffected. The effect of increased protein content on gliadin to glutenin (gli-glu) ratio was inconsistent. While increased protein content increased the gli-glu ratio in the variety Capo, the opposite was true for the variety Renan. Gli-glu ratio of the variety Lindos showed no discernible tendency. As total protein content increased, the ratio of low molecular weight (LMW) to high molecular weight (HMW) glutenins decreased consistently, i.e., in all varieties, in both years and locations. Change of LMW to HMW ratio showed a significant negative correlation to sedimentation value and bread volume. There was no consistent change in the ratio between x- and y-type HMW subunits due to fertilization, as could be shown by densitometric measurements on SDS-PAGE gels. This ratio appeared to be dependent on the genotype and has decreased with decreasing quality. The amount of x-type subunits correlated closely with sedimentation value and bread volume. These results suggest that ratio of HMW glutenins, especially x-type subunits, to total protein content could be the best early detectable parameter with high predictive value for breadmaking quality.     

Determination of potassium guaiacolsulfonate by ion-pairing partition chromatography.

Potassium guaiacolsulfonate, a highly polar, acidic substance, is readily eluted by chloroform from a pH 4.5 Celite column in the form of its ion-pair with trihexylamine, thereby effecting facile separation from other pharmaceuticals. The sulfonic acid is then back-extracted into aqueous alkali and determined spectrophotometrically. Assay of standard solutions by this procedre averaged 100.44 plus or minus 0.81%. The method was applied successfully to 4 commercial cough preparations containing a variety of other drugs.     

Woodland conservation in eastern England: Comparing the effects of changes in three study areas since 1946

Changes in all woodlands within study areas in Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire between 1946 and 1972/73 are enumerated using air photographs and ground survey. These conformed to national, long-term trends from coppice to high forest management and from native to introduced species. Differences between areas are ascribed to variation in the relative importance of forestry and agriculture. The effects on wildlife and scientific interest were assessed against criteria developed from an historical approach to woodland conservation, and by examining the area of woodland available to species requiring woodland of particular physiognomy and origin. Modern forestry as an alternative to agriculture has probably favoured species which are good colonisers, catholic in their woodland requirements, and/or require conifers. Species which are poor colonisers and/or require broadleaf woodland have probably declined most in those areas where reforestation has been extensive, and have survived best where forestry has been insignificant in relation to agriculture. Since these are the species most highly valued for conservation and because they are correlated in their occurence with features of special scientific interest, modern forestry is judged to have been relatively harmful to conservation values in Eastern England during the study period. However, the net long-term effects of modern forestry on woodland conservation values are difficult to predict, for this depends partly on the fate of woods in areas devoted mainly to agriculture, which are unlikely to be managed by modern forestry methods.