Genetic Advancement of Newly Developed Wheat Populations Under Drought-Stressed and Non-Stressed Conditions

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Genetic variation and heritability estimates in early generations are important in identifying superior families that can be targeted for genetic...     

一种面向育种家的新型台式棉籽脱绒机

正棉籽酸脱绒会危害育种家人身安全和潜在环境。需要1种无需用酸,能有效去除棉短绒且对棉种萌发无不利影响的脱绒方法。为了优化棉籽机械脱绒流程,美国农业部农业研究中心(USDA-ARS)棉花生产与加工部门(Lubbock,Texas)研发创制了一台棉籽机械脱绒样机(图1,图2)。测试设计了应用7种滚筒衬垫(1种是不用任何研磨材料,其余6种分别采用不同的研磨材料)、1个或2个辊刷"擦     

Assessing wild bees in perennial bioenergy landscapes: effects of bioenergy crop composition,landscape configuration,and bioenergy crop area

Context

Wild bee populations are currently under threat, which has led to recent efforts to increase pollinator habitat in North America. Simultaneously, U.S. federal energy policies are beginning to encourage perennial bioenergy cropping (PBC) systems, which have the potential to support native bees.

Objectives

Our objective was to explore the potentially interactive effects of crop composition, total PBC area, and PBC patches in different landscape configurations.

Methods

Using a spatially-explicit modeling approach, the Lonsdorf model, we simulated the impacts of three perennial bioenergy crops (PBC: willow, switchgrass, and prairie), three scenarios with different total PBC area (11.7, 23.5 and 28.8% of agricultural land converted to PBC) and two types of landscape configurations (PBC in clustered landscape patterns that represent realistic future configurations or in dispersed neutral landscape models) on a nest abundance index in an Illinois landscape.

Results

Our modeling results suggest that crop composition and PBC area are particularly important for bee nest abundance, whereas landscape configuration is associated with bee nest abundance at the local scale but less so at the regional scale.

Conclusions

Strategies to enhance wild bee habitat should therefore emphasize the crop composition and amount of PBC.

     

Root architecture of sorghum genotypes differing in root angles under different water regimes

Plant root architecture offers the potential for increasing soil water accessibility, particularly under water-limited conditions. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the root architecture in two genotypes of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) differing in root angles and to assess the influence of different deficit irrigation regimes on root architecture. The response of two sorghum genotypes, ‘Early Hegari-Sart’ (EH; steep root angle) and ‘Bk7’ (shallow root angle) to four irrigation treatments was investigated in two replicated outdoor studies using large pots. The results indicated that EH possessed steeper brace and crown root angles, fewer brace roots, greater root biomass, and root length density than Bk7 at deeper soil depths (i.e., 15–30 and 30–45 cm) compared with a shallower depth (i.e., 0–15 cm). Across the soil profile, EH had greater root length density and length of roots of small diameter (<1 mm) than Bk7. Accordingly, EH showed more rapid soil-water capture than Bk7. Different levels of irrigation input greatly affected root architecture. Severe deficit irrigation (25% of full crop transpiration throughout the season) increased the angle and number of crown roots, root biomass, and root length density compared with 75 and 100% of full crop transpiration treatments. Consequently, root system architecture can be effectively manipulated through both genotypic selection and irrigation management to ensure optimal performance under different levels of soil available water.     

Comparative energy and economic analyses of conventional and System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods of rice production in Thai Nguyen Province,Vietnam

The consumption of energy inputs in agricultural production has been increasing rapidly during the past decades. However, given the limitations and costs of non-renewable energy, increasing production while using the least energy possible has become a major concern of most nations. Prompted by this concern, we conducted a face-to-face survey of 90 farming households in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam, to find out how energy is being used in agriculture and, specifically, in their rice production. Through analysis of energy input–output balances, combined with economic efficiency analysis, a comparison was made of conventional and SRI methods of rice production. The study found that applying the SRI method can save around 23% of energy inputs, while increasing energy outputs by 11%. Economic benefits per hectare also rise by more than 8 million dong (USD 364) compared to those under the conventional cultivation system. The study also showed conflicts between the energy and economic balances for manual compared with machine ploughing operations. This study contributes to providing an overview of energy consumption in rice cultivation at the household level. Its findings can help stakeholders to assess current policies and make better decisions on the uses of energy in agricultural production. In addition, the comprehensive approach taken here to analysing energy use and efficiency could expand the analysis and comparison of energy uses at sectoral or activity level—still a new field in Vietnam and many other countries.     

Energy Boom and Gloom? Local Effects of Oil and Natural Gas Drilling on Subjective Well‐Being

Prior to the precipitous drop in oil prices in 2014, the U.S. had experienced a substantial increase in oil and natural gas extraction due to technological advancements including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. This increased energy development likely created both benefits and costs, but the net effects for local residents are not well understood. This paper examines the effects of conventional and horizontal oil and natural gas drilling in Texas on subjective assessments of life‐satisfaction and bad mental health days for nearby residents. Horizontal drilling has statistically significant deleterious effects on well‐being, but the effects are driven by the Dallas‐Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area, an area with both very high levels of horizontal drilling and a large urban population.     

The cell and molecular basis of mechanical, cold, and inflammatory pain

Peripheral pain pathways are activated by a range of stimuli. We used diphtheria toxin to kill all mouse postmitotic sensory neurons expressing the sodium channel Nav1.8. Mice showed normal motor activity and low-threshold mechanical and acute noxious heat responses but did not respond to noxious mechanical pressure or cold. They also showed a loss of enhanced pain responses and spontaneous pain behavior upon treatment with inflammatory insults. In contrast, nerve injury led to heightened pain sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimuli indistinguishable from that seen with normal littermates. Pain behavior correlates well with central input from sensory neurons measured electrophysiologically in vivo. These data demonstrate that Na(v)1.8-expressing neurons are essential for mechanical, cold, and inflammatory pain but not for neuropathic pain or heat sensing.     

Transformation of the nitrogen cycle: recent trends, questions, and potential solutions

Humans continue to transform the global nitrogen cycle at a record pace, reflecting an increased combustion of fossil fuels, growing demand for nitrogen in agriculture and industry, and pervasive inefficiencies in its use. Much anthropogenic nitrogen is lost to air, water, and land to cause a cascade of environmental and human health problems. Simultaneously, food production in some parts of the world is nitrogen-deficient, highlighting inequities in the distribution of nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Optimizing the need for a key human resource while minimizing its negative consequences requires an integrated interdisciplinary approach and the development of strategies to decrease nitrogen-containing waste.     

The role of discharge variation in scaling of drainage area and food chain length in rivers

Food chain length (FCL) is a fundamental component of food web structure. Studies in a variety of ecosystems suggest that FCL is determined by energy supply, environmental stability, and/or ecosystem size, but the nature of the relationship between environmental stability and FCL, and the mechanism linking ecosystem size to FCL, remain unclear. Here we show that FCL increases with drainage area and decreases with hydrologic variability and intermittency across 36 North American rivers. Our analysis further suggests that hydrologic variability is the mechanism underlying the correlation between ecosystem size and FCL in rivers. Ecosystem size lengthens river food chains by integrating and attenuating discharge variation through stream networks, thereby enhancing environmental stability in larger river systems.