Comparative forcing of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailer’ as a florist's hydrangea

‘Bailer’ (Endless Summer™) is a new, pink- or blue-flowered hydrangea that flowers on new wood continuously throughout the growing season. It is also winter-hardy in northern, temperate climates (USDA Z4). Use of Endless Summer as a florist's potted hydrangea would provide consumers with a dual-use product (flowering potted plant, landscape shrub). The objectives were to determine if Endless Summer could be forced as a florist's hydrangea using two forcing regimes (immediate, standard), two soil pH regimes, and two pinching treatments. ‘Merritt Supreme Pink’ (pink), ‘Blue Danube’ (blue), and Endless Summer (blue, pink) were forced under immediate (no cold treatment, short- and long-day photoperiods) and standard (6 weeks cold, 4 °C to overcome dormancy) conditions. Since commercial liners were not yet available, cuttings of Endless Summer were used in the immediate forcing experiment. Days to visible flower bud, first color, full flower were recorded, as well as height, no. of branches, no. of flowers, and flower size. In the immediate forcing experiment, only Endless Summer produced flowers. Cultivars differed significantly (P < 0.001) for days to visible flower bud, days to first color, days to full flower, and height. The number of flowers and flower size were not significantly different among pink cultivars. In the standard forcing experiment, Endless Summer reached days to visible flower bud, days to first color, and days to full flower significantly earlier than either comparison, although it exhibited weaker stems and less intense flower pigmentation. Pinching (blue pH) had a significant effect on all traits except the days to full flower and flower size, although no pinching treatment was significant for pink pH. Photoperiod was significant only for the days to visible flower bud (pink pH), days to full flower (blue pH), and final height (blue pH). Further research is needed before Endless Summer can be grown as a dual-use florist's potted hydrangea with acceptable quality.     

Bibliometric Profile of an Agbioscience Research Enhancement Grant Program

This study is a bibliometric analysis of journal articles generated from an intramural grant program in the agbiosciences. Using citation analysis and bibliometric mapping, the study analyzes 515 journal articles published from 1999 to 2017. Results show the growth of journal article output, identify the major research fields and topics, describe national and international authorial and institutional collaborations, and quantify the performance and impact of the article output. The grant program’s journal article output presents a multi-disciplinary range of scholarly publications that reflect the disciplines of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, which houses the grant program.     

Carotenoid changes of intact watermelons after storage

Watermelon contains lycopene, a red carotenoid pigment that has strong antioxidant properties. The lycopene content of watermelon is substantial, contributing 8-20 mg per 180 g serving. There are no reports on carotenoid changes in whole watermelon during storage. Three types of watermelon, open-pollinated seeded, hybrid seeded, and seedless types, were stored at 5, 13, and 21 degrees C for 14 days and flesh color, composition, and carotenoid content were compared to those of fruit not stored. Watermelons stored at 21 degrees C had increased pH, chroma, and carotenoid content compared to fresh fruit. Compared to fresh fruit, watermelons stored at 21 degrees C gained 11-40% in lycopene and 50-139% in beta-carotene, whereas fruit held at 13 degrees C changed little in carotenoid content. These results indicate that carotenoid biosynthesis in watermelons can be affected by temperature and storage.     

不同灌溉方式的水稻生理效应研究

通过常规淹灌、垄作浸润、控水湿润和间歇灌溉等不同灌溉方式对水稻生理效应的研究表明:垄作浸润和控水湿润灌溉的叶片相对含水量较高。垄作浸润和控水湿灌溉既能减少上位叶(倒一、二叶)的叶绿素、全氮量,防止贪青徒长,又能延缓下位叶(倒三、四叶)的衰老,增加光合作用源的功能时间,同时垄作浸润和控水湿润灌溉的水稻叶片有较高的净光合率(NPR)和气孔导度(CS),增强了光合作用源的强度。节水灌溉能提高根系活力,较好地协调水稻高产与根系早衰之间的矛盾。可见垄作浸润和控水湿润灌溉的水稻具有更好的水分代谢和光合素质。     

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images improve habitat suitability models

Context

The ability to detect ecological networks in landscapes is of utmost importance for managing biodiversity and planning corridors.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate the information provided by a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image for landscape connectivity modeling compared to aerial photographs (APs).

Methods

We present a novel method that integrates habitat suitability derived from remote sensing imagery into a connectivity model to explain species abundance. More precisely, we compared how two resistance maps constructed using landscape and/or local metrics derived from AP or SAR imagery yield different connectivity values (based on graph theory), considering hedgerow networks and forest carabid beetle species as a model.

Results

We found that resistance maps using landscape and local metrics derived from SAR imagery improve landscape connectivity measures. The SAR model is the most informative, explaining 58% of the variance in forest carabid beetle abundance. This model calculates resistance values associated with homogeneous patches within hedgerows according to their suitability (canopy cover density and landscape grain) for the model species.

Conclusions

Our approach combines two important methods in landscape ecology: the construction of resistance maps and the use of buffers around sampling points to determine the importance of landscape factors. This study was carried out through an interdisciplinary approach involving remote sensing scientists and landscape ecologists. This study is a step forward in developing landscape metrics from satellites to monitor biodiversity.

     

秤锤树叶片内生真菌的分离鉴定及其对植株生长的影响

本研究从秤锤树叶片中分离内生菌进行分子鉴定,并接种到无菌组培苗中研究其对植株生长的影响。研究结果显示,从秤锤树叶片中共分离获得7株真菌。扩增出的6个菌株经ITS测序,在NCBI网站上进行基因序列比对,鉴定出其中5株菌株均属于球毛壳菌（Chaetomium globosum）,1株属于子囊菌（As-comycete）。进一步实验表明：分离的菌株多数对组培苗的株高生长影响不大,可初步鉴定其为内生菌,其中的属于球毛壳菌的F和H菌株对无菌苗的株高有明显的促进作用。     

日本晴与5个优良恢复系的多态性标记筛选及遗传差异分析

遗传基因的分离需要供、受体亲本间较大的遗传差异.该文利用均匀分布于水稻12条染色体的429个SSR标记,分析了日本晴与5个自育优良恢复系之间的多态性标记及分布密度,进而评价它们间的遗传差异性.结果显示,日本晴与西恢18号、缙恢35、R225、R232和R250之间的多态性标记数分别为263,253,253,255和240个;多态率分别为61.31%,58.97%,58.97%,59.44%和55.94%;每个标记间的平均物理距离分别为1.59,1.61,1.62,1.62和1.72 Mb.每个SSR位点可检测到的等位基因数目为2~5个,平均每对SSR引物检测到2.35个等位基因.各亲本之间的遗传距离在0.121 7~0.896 7之间,日本晴与5个恢复系间的平均遗传距离为0.857 6.聚类分析也将日本晴与5个恢复系分为两大亚类,表明它们之间存在极大的遗传差异.这些材料和结果对水稻遗传基因的分离具有重要意义.     

Inactivation of fenitrothion on stored maize at different moisture contents

Biological activity of fenitrothion on stored maize at various moisture contents and at different times after application was measured by biological assay using adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Inactivation of actual residues over time was then determined after making the necessary allowance for chemical breakdown. At a given moisture content, the inactivation process was substantially completed during the first 6 weeks after application and loss of effectiveness from 6 weeks onwards resulted mainly from chemical breakdown. At a given time after application, residues were less active at higher moisture content (m.c). Differences in activity between moisture contents were apparent within a few hours of application and continued to increase for up to 3 days, with relatively little change thereafter during storage of 24 weeks. Thus after 24 weeks, residues on maize of 18% m.c. had an activity about 20% that of similarly-aged residues at 10% m.c. and 4% that of freshly-applied residues at 10% m.c. These results were in general accord with changes in the proportion of the residue which was collected from the kernels by a surface wash with methanol, this readily-extractable residue presumably representing the insecticide that may be picked up by insects.