Bioassay versus chemical analysis for chemical residues in soil: the eglin air force base experience

Conclusion  The analysis of soil residues by the use of bioassays and chemical analyses provided an insight into the nature of the chemical residues that persisted after the termination of the spray equipment test program in July 1970. The application of both methods proved valuable in deciding how to proceed with the environmental and ecological studies of the test site. Indeed these studies provided the foundation for the subsequent 15 years of scientific investigations of Test Area C-52. Fig 4. is an overview of the subsequent studies that occurred after the bioassay and chemical studies in 1969-1970. The Eglin Experience represents one the few available ‘classic studies’ of an entire ecosystem that has been massively contaminated with chemicals (in this case, herbicides) and followed for decades after the contamination [1].     

Variation of Agro-morphological Characters in Moroccan Barley Landraces Under Near Optimal and Drought Conditions

In many areas of North Africa, barley is often the only possible rainfed crop. In these regions water deficit is the primary constraint affecting crop production. Twenty barley landraces collected from different localities in south Morocco and four modern varieties were characterized in two field experiments, one under well-irrigated and one under limited-irrigated conditions. Nine agro-morphological characters were evaluated: Plant height, tiller number per plant, number of grains per spike, number of spikes per plant, spike weight, spike length, plant weight (PW), number of internodes of rachis (NIR), and length of the last internode of rachis. The correlation coefficients among characters were nearly the same in the well- and limited-irrigated experiment. Under limited-irrigated conditions, plant growth was significantly decreased as measured by all characters except NIR, which was unaffected. The percentage of reduction, ranging from 80.08% to 5.82%, was recorded on PW and NIR, respectively. The injury index ranging from 4.02 to 0.06 was recorded on PW and NIR, respectively. Using discriminant analysis the genotypes were arranged in three, clearly separated groups that varied in their tolerance to drought stress.     

Simulation of nitrate distribution under drip irrigation using artificial neural networks

Accurate knowledge of nitrate distribution in the soil under fertigation through drip-irrigation systems is fundamentally important for system design and management. The determination of nitrate distribution through modeling represents a highly complex nonlinear problem that includes adsorption, transformation, convection, and dispersion. For this reason, an alternative methodology is proposed, which combines artificial neural networks (ANN) and laboratory experiments. Seventeen experiments with apparent discharge rates varying from 0.6 to 7.8 l/h, the apparent cylindrical applied volume from 6 to 15 l, and the input concentration from 100 to 700 mg/l were conducted to provide a database for establishing the ANN architecture. The model input parameters were initial soil water content, initial nitrate concentration in the soil, discharge rate, input concentration of fertilizer (NH₄NO₃), applied volume, and final soil water content. The model output was nitrate concentration in the soil after fertigation. A total of 298 vectors were used to train the ANN model, and 212 independent vectors were used to test the model. Results of the test show a good correspondence with a determination coefficient (r ²) of 0.83 between the model-estimated nitrate concentration in the soil and laboratory-measured nitrate concentration in the soil. These results show that the optimized ANN models are reasonably accurate and can provide an easy and efficient means of estimating nitrate distribution in the soil under fertigation through drip-irrigation systems.Communicated by J.E. Ayars     

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the crop mosaic influences carabid beetles in agricultural landscapes

Context

Landscape spatio-temporal heterogeneity is regarded as an important driver of biodiversity. In agricultural landscapes, the composition and configuration of cultivated fields and their multi-year dynamics should be considered. But the habitat-matrix paradigm in landscape ecology has resulted in little consideration of cropped areas.

Objectives

The main objective of our study was to determine the influences of spatial and multi-year temporal heterogeneity of the crop mosaic on carabid beetle assemblages of agricultural landscapes.

Methods

Carabids were sampled in 40 cereal fields in western France, and their species richness, total abundance and abundance of species groups with different dispersal abilities were measured. For each sampling site, we computed different metrics that characterized crop mosaic spatial and temporal heterogeneity. We quantified relationships between carabid assemblages and heterogeneity metrics and tested their significance.

Results

Total carabid abundance increased with increase in temporal heterogeneity of the crop mosaic. However, all species were not influenced in the same way by spatial and temporal heterogeneity metrics. Some species with high dispersal power such as Trechus quadristriatus were more abundant in landscapes with high spatial heterogeneity, whereas the abundance of less mobile species such as Poecilus cupreus were only positively influenced by temporal crop dynamics.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that both the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the crop mosaic affects farmland biodiversity, at least for species that use crops during their life cycle or disperse through fields. We highlight the importance of taking this heterogeneity into account in further ecological studies on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

     

水稻籽粒发育过程中可溶性糖含量的遗传及其与品质的关系

选用不同类型的 6个水稻品种 (系 )按双列杂交设计 (5× 6 )配制成一套包括亲本、F1和F2 3个世代的遗传群体。应用包括 3套遗传体系基因效应的数量性状发育遗传模型 ,分析了水稻籽粒发育过程中4个不同时期可溶性糖含量的遗传及其与稻米品质的关系。结果表明 ,三倍体种子、细胞质和二倍体母体植株的遗传效应均可明显影响稻米各个发育时期的可溶性糖含量。其中灌浆始期以三倍体种子和二倍体母体植株效应为主 ,灌浆中期以母体植株遗传效应为主 ,灌浆后期和成熟期以种子直接显性效应和母体植株显性效应为主。控制稻米可溶性糖含量表现的多种遗传效应基因在稻米各个发育时期均有新的表达 ,共同调控着可溶性糖含量的动态表现。不同发育时期可溶性糖含量与稻米品质性状之间存在一定的相关性。灌浆始期和中期籽粒中可溶性糖含量的增加不利于增长成熟期的籽粒长和厚度 ,但可增大籽粒宽度。灌浆始期的可溶性糖含量越多 ,对提高成熟期粒重越明显 ,中、后期和成熟期则明显降低粒重。灌浆始期籽粒中可溶性糖含量愈多 ,会明显增加糙米直链淀粉含量 ,但随着发育进程的推进 ,影响程度趋于减弱 ,在后期和成熟期转为负向相关。不同遗传体系基因效应控制着不同发育时期可溶性糖含量与最终稻米品质的相关性     

Influence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tribulus terrestris</Emphasis> on testicular enzyme in fresh water ornamental fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Poecilia latipinna</Emphasis>

The influence of Tribulus terrestris on the activities of testicular enzyme in Poecilia latipinna was assessed in lieu of reproductive manipulation. Different concentrations of (100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mg) Tribulus terrestris extract and of a control were tested for testicular activity of enzymes in Poecilia latipinna for 2 months. The testis and liver were homogenized separately in 0.1 mol/l potassium phosphate buffer (0.1 mol/l, pH 7.2). The crude homogenate was centrifuged, and supernatant obtained was used as an enzyme extract for determination of activities. The activities of testicular functional enzyme ALP, ACP, SDH, LDH, and G6PDH levels were changed to different extent in treated groups compared with that of the control. The total body weight and testis weight were increased with the Tribulus terrestris-treated fish (Poecilia latipinna). These results suggest that Tribulus terrestris induced the testicular enzyme activity that may aid in the male reproductive functions. It is discernible from the present study that Tribulus terrestris has the inducing effect on reproductive system of Poecilia latipinna.     

Myofibrillar proteolysis by myofibril-bound serine protease from white croaker <Emphasis Type="Italic">Argyrosomus argentatus</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   The modori phenomenon is defined as heat-induced myofibrillar degradation caused by endogenous serine protease(s) of fish muscle during Kamaboko fish meat gel production. This study was undertaken to analyze myofibrillar proteolysis of white croaker Argyrosomus argentatus muscle, which is an ingredient of high quality Kamaboko, by myofibril-bound serine protease (MBSP) under conditions corresponding to the modori phenomenon. White croaker MBSP was stable between pH 2–11 and below 65°C, and about 60% of its initial activity remained after incubation for 2 h under the conditions at 65°C and pH 7.5. About 60% of the enzyme activity was suppressed by 0.5 M NaCl. White croaker MBSP degraded various myofibrillar proteins between 40 and 70°C and pH 6.0–9.0, and preferentially degraded myosin heavy chain rather than other myofibrillar proteins. The enzyme degraded the myosin heavy chain most strongly at 55°C and pH 7.0, and a major part of the bands of myosin heavy chain and its degradation products disappeared for a period of 2 h. These degradation characteristics are very similar to those observed during the modori phenomenon, indicating that MBSP could be a modori-inducing protease involved in the modori phenomenon of white croaker Kamaboko production.     

Inoculating wheat seedlings with exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria restricts sodium uptake and stimulates plant growth under salt stress

A pot experiment was conducted to elucidate the effects of inoculating five exopolysaccharide- (EPS-) producing bacterial strains on the dry matter yield and the uptake of K⁺, Na⁺, and Ca²⁺ by wheat seedlings grown in a moderately saline soil. The bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere soil (RS) of wheat grown in a salt-affected soil and included Aeromonas hydrophila/caviae (strain MAS-765), Bacillus insolitus (strain MAS17), and Bacillus sp. (strains MAS617, MAS620 and MAS820). The inoculation substantially increased the dry matter yield of roots (149–527% increase) and shoots (85–281% increase), and the mass of RS (176–790% increase). All the strains, except MAS617, also increased the RS mass/root mass ratio as well as the population density of EPS bacteria on the rhizoplane, and both these parameters were significantly correlated with the content of water-insoluble saccharides in the RS. Inoculation restricted Na⁺ uptake by roots, which was not attributable to the binding of Na⁺ by the RS, or to the ameliorative effects of Ca²⁺ under salinity. The decreased Na⁺ uptake by roots of inoculated than uninoculated plants was probably caused by a reduced passive (apoplasmic) flow of Na⁺ into the stele due to the higher proportion of the root zones covered with soil sheaths in inoculated treatments. Among the strains tested, MAS820 was the most efficient in all respects, whereas MAS617 was the least effective. Results suggested that inoculating selected EPS-producing bacteria could serve as a useful tool for alleviating salinity stress in salt-sensitive plants.     

森林生态系统健康及其内涵理解

本文粗略地介绍了生态系统健康的研究历史,并主要从管理目标途径、生态系统途径和综合途径三种思路对森林生态系统健康的定义、概念理解及森林生态系统健康的内涵理解进行了详细的探讨。为推动我国目前的森林生态系统健康研究,我们应该更多关注生态系统的特性。参16。