Induced expression of selected plant defence related genes in pot azalea, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhododendron simsii</Emphasis> hybrid

A set of putative marker genes to study plant defense responses against Polyphagotarsonemus latus, a key pest in the production of Rhododendron simsii hybrids, was selected and validated. Genes belonged to the biosynthetic pathway of phytohormones jasmonic acid (JA) (RsLOX, RsAOS, RsAOC, RsOPR3 and RsJMT) and salicylic acid (SA) (RsPAL and RsICS). Furthermore, RsPPO, a putative marker gene for oxidative stress response was successfully cloned from R. simsii. A CTAB-based extraction protocol was optimized to assure excellent RNA quality for subsequent RT-qPCR analysis. The RT-qPCR protocol was extensively tested and RsRG7 and RsRG14 were selected as reference genes from a geNorm pilot study. Validation of the marker genes was done after application with elicitors [methyl jasmonate (MeJA), coronatine, β-aminobutyric acid and acibenzolar-Smethyl] or wounding. Both 100 μM MeJA and 0.1 μM coronatine had a significant effect on the expression of all marker genes. Foliar application of MeJA on the shoots resulted in a significantly earlier response when compared to root application and subsequent sampling of the shoots. Expression patterns after MeJA treatment were generally the same in six R. simsii genotypes: ‘Nordlicht’, ‘Elien’, ‘Aiko Pink’, ‘Michelle Marie’, ‘Mevrouw Gerard Kint’ and ‘Sachsenstern’. Wounding resulted in the same expression patterns as MeJA treatment except for RsJMT. None of the genotypes showed a significant induction of the latter gene 6 h upon wounding. Findings of these experiments indicated that the tolerant genotype ‘Elien’ has low basal expression levels of RsPPO. This might be the first step towards the breeding of mite-tolerant genotypes.     

A review of carbon isotopes of phytoliths: implications for phytolith-occluded carbon sources

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) is mainly derived from the products of photosynthesis, which can be preserved in soils and sediments for hundreds-to-thousands of...     

Effects of porcine relaxin on induced parturition in beef heifers

Two-year-old crossbred beef heifers were used to test the effects of porcine relaxin (pRelaxin) alone, or in combination with dexamethasone, on the induction of parturition, the incidence of dystocia, and retained placentas. Effects of treatment on pelvic area, postpartum interval, milk production, colostrum quality, calf birth weight, calf vigor, and calf performance were also evaluated. On Day 275 of gestation, heifers from two fetal-sire groups were randomly assigned to one of four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design and received: no treatment (controls, N = 19), 20 mg of dexamethasone intramuscularly (im) (n = 22), 5 mg of pRelaxin (3,000 U/mg) im (n = 19), or 20 mg of dexamethasone plus 5 mg of pRelaxin (n = 17). Length of gestation (in days) was less (P < 0.05) in heifers treated with dexamethasone (279.8 ± 1.0) than in controls (286.6 ± 0.9), but was not influenced (P > 0.05) by treatment with pRelaxin. The incidence of retained placentas in heifers treated only with dexamethasone (27.3%) was not reduced by concomitant treatment with pRelaxin (35.3%). Retained placentas were not observed in any control heifers and in only one heifer (5.2%) treated solely with pRelaxin. Ease of calving (1 = unassisted, 5 = abnormal presentation) was not influenced by treatment (P > 0.05), even though birth weights (in kilograms) of calves from heifers treated with dexamethasone (36.4 ± 0.8) were less (P < .01) than those of calves from nondexamethasone-treated heifers (39.2 ± 0.8). Dexamethasone tended to reduce (P < 0.07) calf vigor (1 = healthy and strong, 5 = dead on arrival; 1.48 ± 0.11 vs. 1.18 ± 0.11), but was not (P > 0.05) influenced by pRelaxin. The duration of the postpartum anestrous interval (73.1 ± 1.8 d across groups) and pelvic areas following treatment and parturition were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dexamethasone or pRelaxin. Although determinants of colostrum quality (P < 0.01) and quantity (P < 0.08) of milk produced were influenced by dexamethasone, adjusted 205-d weights of calves did not differ (P > 0.05) among groups. In conclusion, treatment with pRelaxin alone failed to induce parturition or, when combined with dexamethasone, to reduce the incidence of retained placentas.     

Multi-criteria decision making methods to address rural land allocation problems: A systematic review

Land allocation has been an important issue in land use planning research studies. Land allocation involves different multifunctional activities of maximizing environmental, economic and social benefits. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method is the most popular tool to optimize land allocation problems by considering decision variables, conflicting objectives, and criteria. Hence, decision-makers face problems on how to optimize the land allocation while minimizing the conflicting trade-offs existing in the decision analysis. With this review study, we aim at identifying and extracting information on MCDM methods to solve land allocation problems from English language articles published between 2000 and 2019 and indexed by four scientific literature databases (Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Google scholar). To this end, we applied a systematic literature review approach, i.e. the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis procedure (Moher et al., 2009), with a structured database search expression. 120 articles were selected of which, after careful screening of title, keywords and abstract, 69 were retained for detailed review. This review study report compiles comprehensive information by classifying the papers into application area, optimization objectives, criteria used, decision techniques, publication year and study region. In summary, we found that in the last two decades, the use of the MCDM method has increased, particularly in Europe and China. AHP (analytical hierarchal process) is frequently used for multi-attribute land allocation problems with reference to ecotourism and ecosystem management. LP (linear programming) and SA (simulating annealing) methods are predominantly used to optimize multi-objectives complex agricultural and forest land allocation problems respectively.     

基于ANUSPLIN的时间序列气象要素空间插值

【目的】介绍ANUSPLIN在黄土高原多沙粗沙区时间序列气象要素的空间插值过程,为相关人员在ANUSPLIN的参数设置、误差分析和协变量要素选择等方面提供参考。【方法】以薄盘样条函数为插值理论,以专用气象数据插值软件ANUSPLIN为实现工具,并引入一个或多个协变量线性子模型,来实现多个气象要素的空间插值。【结果】完成了黄土高原多沙粗沙区时间序列(1980~2000年)多个气象要素月平均数据的栅格化,计算了气象要素随其影响因子变化的关系。【结论】ANUSPLIN以薄盘光滑样条函数为理论基础,引入协变量线性子模型,能较好地提高气象要素空间插值精度,且能反映气象要素随其影响因子变化的比率关系。在大多数情况下,该区模型选择以样条次数为3次的局部薄盘光滑样条函数模型为最佳。温度的空间插值相对比较容易,且误差较小,1995-07平均相对误差为1%;风速、水汽压的误差中等;日照时数和降雨量的误差较大,个别情况相对误差可超过50%。     

甜瓜属野生种Cucumis hystrix Chakr.胞质葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因的克隆与启动子结构分析

根据植物葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶(G6PDH,EC1.1.1.49)氨基酸保守区域,设计简并引物,采用RT-PCR技术克隆得到甜瓜属野生种Cucumis hystrix Chakr.(2n=24)G6PDH基因cDNA片段;随后基于该序列设计特异引物,PCR方法筛选野生种BAC文库,获得2个BAC阳性单克隆。测序后获得了G6PDH基因全序列及其上游启动子序列,GenBank登录号:JQ771576。序列分析显示:G6PDH基因全长约6.5 kb,由15个外显子和14个内含子组成;内含子序列均符合5’-gt-ag-3’结构。外显子拼接后获得了G6PDH基因的开放阅读框(ORF)序列,序列全长1 551 bp,编码516个氨基酸,与黄瓜基因组网站公布的G6PDH基因核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列同源性分别为98.71%和99.03%。野生种G6PDH氨基酸序列N端缺少转运肽序列,确定为野生种胞质G6PDH。氨基酸序列与烟草、马铃薯、荷兰芹、猕猴桃、拟南芥、大豆、小麦、玉米、葡萄、杨树等植物胞质G6PDH同源性高达77%以上。系统发育树分析发现,甜瓜属胞质G6PDH与茄科植物最先聚类,植物胞质G6PDH在分子进化水平上与物种进化相符。启动子结构分析表明:序列含有启动子基本元件TATA-box、CAAT-box,还含有丰富的光响应元件,与环境胁迫响应相关的不同顺式作用元件,促进高水平转录的5UTR Py-rich stretch元件和提高表达的CAT-box元件等。     

中国彭州市和越南东安地区蔬菜生产的肥料使用和评价

本文详细阐述了中国和越南4个村蔬菜生产中的肥料施用情况,概述了施用肥料的种类、施用时间和施用数量。评价了影响肥料施用的因素,比较了施肥量和蔬菜从土壤中带出的养分量。在研究区域,农户施用了50多种肥料,施氮量间于0～700kg／hm^2。肥料施用时间因蔬菜种类和地区不同而不同。氮的施用量主要受作物种类影响。大部分中国蔬菜的氮、磷施用量过大,而钾肥施用量不足;相对而言,越南蔬菜的局部养分平衡比中国的情况好一些。因此,局部的养分平衡显示了不同蔬菜种类、不同季节和不周村社的养分投入量和养分输出量有很大区别。     

Effects of cover crop quality and quantity on nematode-based soil food webs and nutrient cycling

Soil food webs cycle nutrients and regulate parasites and pathogens, services essential for both agricultural productivity and ecosystem health. Nematodes provide useful indicators of soil food web dynamics. This study was conducted to determine if nematode soil food web indicators and crop yield can be enhanced by combinations of cover crops in a conservation tillage system. The effects of three cover crop treatments (vetch/pea, oat/wheat and oat/wheat/pea/vetch) with low, medium and high C:N and a bare fallow control were investigated in Davis, CA. Nematode fauna, soil properties and plant productivity were measured. Soil food web indices, including the Enrichment Index (EI), Structure Index (SI), Basal Index (BI), and Channel Index (CI), based on the composition of nematode assemblages, were calculated to infer soil food web condition. Cover cropped tomato/corn rotations had twice the number of enrichment opportunist bacterial feeding nematodes, active participants in nitrogen mineralization, than fallowed tomato/corn rotations (opportunist bacterial feeders = 163 versus 98). In winter fallowed plots food webs were basal, common in disturbed, nutrient-poor conditions (BI = 37). Total number of enrichment opportunist nematodes, soil NH₄-N levels, and inferred nitrogen mineralization, were higher in cover crop treatments with low to mid C:N ratios. Omnivore and predator nematodes were scarce, averaging less than 6 nematodes 100 g^?1 in all treatments. In year one, plant productivity was highest after fallow. In contrast, in year two productivity was highest after cover crops with high nitrogen content and productivity significantly correlated with the structure of the soil fauna. Monitoring the abundance of enrichment opportunists may provide managers with a new tool to evaluate soil food web nitrogen mineralization and plant productivity.     

Determining soil organic carbon for agricultural soils: a comparison between the Walkley & Black and the dry combustion methods (north Belgium)

Mapping soil organic carbon (SOC) and establishing any change over time are important because of CO₂ fluxes between soil and atmosphere and cropland decreases in SOC. The latter is one of the main causes of soil fertility decline and increased erodibility. As most analytical methods underestimate total SOC content, correction factors are needed to avoid methodological bias when comparing SOC data from sampling campaigns using different analytical procedures. The traditional method for SOC analysis used to be, and in most cases still is wet oxidation in potassium dichromate, better known as the Walkley & Black method. In this study, we aim to estimate correction factors for the classic and modified version of the Walkley & Black method for different land use and soil type combinations for agricultural soils in north Belgium. General correction factors of 1.47 for the classic Walkley & Black method and 1.20 for the modified Walkley & Black method are proposed. The results show that sandy grassland soils are characterised by lower recoveries than silt loam grassland soils. Furthermore, the correction factor appears to increase with soil wetness.     

Chronology of plaggic deposits; palynology,radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of the Posteles (NE-Netherlands)

Plaggic agriculture was the dominant land use system on Pleistocene sandy soils in Northwest Europe before the introduction of chemical fertilizers. In the today's landscape plaggic deposits are still recognizable as characteristic soils and landforms, related to this historical land use system. They are also important constituents of the soil archives in Northwest Europe. In preliminary studies of plaggic anthrosols, the reconstruction of the development of the plaggic deposits was based on palynological and historical data and radiocarbon dates. Disagreement appeared between palaeopedological and historical explanation of the evolution of plaggic anthrosols. Application of OSL dating improves the knowledge of chronology of plaggic deposits. The soil organic matrix, including pollen grains, consists of a complex mix of compounds of different ages and sources. Pollen diagrams of plaggic anthrosols show a palynological registration of the Late Holocene landscape evolution, but the palynological signal is not consequently correlated with the age of the plaggic sediments. An older soil organic matrix is suspended in the voids of a younger mineral soil skeleton.