Boron fertilization improves seed yield and harvest index of Camelina sativa L. by affecting source-sink

The impact of soil (1, 2 kg ha^?1) and foliar (100, 200 mg L^?1) boron (B) with control (no B) was evaluated on phenology and yield formation of Camelina each applied at stem elongation and flowering stages. Foliar (200 mg L^?1) or soil B (2 kg ha^?1) resulted in earlier flowering and maturity, increased fruit bearing branches (19.68%), number of siliqua, seeds per siliqua (4.6%), biological yield (15%), seed yield (24%), harvest index (11.4%) and oil contents (23%) than no B. Increased fruit bearing branches, seed filled siliqua or seed numbers, harvest index and oil quality can be attributed to changes in dry matter accumulated of stem with simultaneous increase in siliqua dry weight with foliar or soil applied B. In crux, foliar (200 mg L^?1) or soil applied (2 kg ha^?1) B seems promising to improve seed and oil yield, harvest index of Camelina sativa under B deficient condition.     

Bioavailable potassium in river-bed sediments and release of interlayer potassium in irrigated arid soils

Abstract. Crop responses to applied potassium fertilizers are erratic in many arid and semi-arid soils. The potassium supplying potential of river-bed sediments and release of interlayer potassium from eleven alkaline soils were measured in two separate experiments. Sediments from the Chenab and Ravi Rivers in Pakistan were exhausted of potassium by successively growing wheat, maize, mungbean, and wheat in them for a total of 200 days, using Hoagland solution to supply optimum amounts of other nutrients. Cumulative plant dry matter yield was significantly greater on the Chenab sediments. The quantities of potassium supplied to plants from the sediments of the two rivers were also significantly different. Interlayer potassium was extracted for 1230 minutes from a Udic Haplustalf (Pindorian series) by twelve different solutions each with the same electrolyte content (100 cmol). The sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of the solutions were adjusted to 5, 10, 25, and 50, each with Ca: Mg ratios of 25:75, 50: 50 or 75:25, using solutions of sodium, calcium and magnesium chloride. The potassium released from the soil was inversely related to solution SAR. Increasing proportions of magnesium relative to calcium in solution favoured the release of potassium, except in the SAR 50 solution. Significantly different quantities of potassium were extracted by various solutions. Maximum potassium (442 mg/kg) was extracted by SAR 5 solution with a Ca: Mg ratio of 25:75. Interlayer potassium subsequently removed by this solution from 11 alkaline soils ranged from 407 to 499 mg/kg. The potassium released from all but three of the soils was related to their clay content (r= 0.72; n= 8). The release of potassium from the soils followed the Elovich function. The intercept (X₁) and slope (X₂) estimated for the function was related to potassium released (y) by the equation: y=?1.13 + 2.74X₁?0.014X₂ (r= 0.998; n= 8) The results imply that river sediments treated with irrigation water containing magnesium and sodium ions can contribute substantial amounts of available potassium for plant growth.     

Sub-arm location of prolamin and EST-SSR loci on chromosome 1H<Superscript>ch</Superscript> from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hordeum chilense</Emphasis>

Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schult. is a diploid wild South American barley that contains genes of interest for cereal breeding, many of them located on chromosome 1H^ch. In the current study, two H. chilense-wheat addition lines with deletions in the 1H^ch chromosome were used for sub-arm localization of five prolamin (glutenin and gliadin) loci and 33 EST-SSR marker loci on chromosome 1H^ch. The two sets of markers were distributed across five sub-arm chromosome regions. Three glutenin loci (Glu-H ^ch 2, Glu-H ^ch 3, Glu-H ^ch 4) together with the gliadin locus Gli-H ^ch 1 were located on the distal 20% of the 1H^chS arm, whereas the glutenin locus Glu-H ^ch 1 was on the proximal 88% region of 1H^chL. Among 33 EST-SSR marker loci, 7 (21.2%) were on the 1H^chS arm and, of them, 3 (9.1%) were on the distal 20% end and 4 (12.1%) on the proximal 80% region. The 26 loci (78.8%) on 1H^chL were distributed across three different regions: 18 (78.8%) in the proximal 88%, 3 (9.1%) in the distal 12% and 5 (15.2%) in a region less than 12% from the distal end. The deletions in the 1H^ch chromosome added to the common wheat background were thus shown to be useful for determining the sub-arm location of EST-SSR and prolamin loci. This could facilitate the identification of molecular markers linked to genes of agronomic interest and the isolation of such genes for use in common wheat improvement.     

A Burkholderia pseudomallei toxin inhibits helicase activity of translation factor eIF4A

The structure of BPSL1549, a protein of unknown function from Burkholderia pseudomallei, reveals a similarity to Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1. We found that BPSL1549 acted as a potent cytotoxin against eukaryotic cells and was lethal when administered to mice. Expression levels of bpsl1549 correlate with conditions expected to promote or suppress pathogenicity. BPSL1549 promotes deamidation of glutamine-339 of the translation initiation factor eIF4A, abolishing its helicase activity and inhibiting translation. We propose to name BPSL1549 Burkholderia lethal factor 1.     

Comparison of biological parameters between the invasive B biotype and a new defined Cv biotype of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis> (Hemiptera: Aleyradidae) in China

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a widely distributed and destructive agricultural pest on various host plants. The biology of two biotypes of B. tabaci: the invasive B and a new defined Cv biotype, on a range of host plants (hibiscus, laurel, poinsettia, collard, cucumber and tomato) were studied in the laboratory. Results revealed that the developmental periods of the B biotype immatures were not significantly different on the tested host plants except those between laurel and collard. The Cv biotype immatures developed significantly slower on cucumber and tomato than on the other plants. B. tabaci B biotype had the highest survivorship on collard (68.55%), and the lowest on laurel (33.24%), while the Cv biotype had the highest and lowest survivorships on laurel (61.63%) and tomato (36.74%). Host plants did not significantly affect the pre-ovipostion period regardless of biotype. The longest averaged longevity and highest fecundity of B biotype were both recorded on collard: 25.15 days and 143.0 eggs. The highest fecundity of Cv biotype was 196.49 eggs on laurel and its longest longevity was on hibiscus (19.62 days). The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m) of B biotype on the three vegetables were all higher than those on the three ornamentals whereas the r _m of Cv biotype on the three ornamentals were all higher that those on the three vegetables. Our research indicates that B. tabaci B and Cv biotypes have different host plant suitabilities. The three tested vegetables were more suitable for B biotype while the three tested ornamental plants were more suitable for Cv biotype. The potential mechanism for the different suitability of B and Cv biotypes on various host plants is also discussed.     

Preference and performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plutella xylostella</Emphasis> (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on canola cultivars

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is an important insect pest of canola, Brassica napus L., in Ardabil, Iran. Host plant resistance is an essential component of integrated management of P. xylostella. We investigated the preferences and performance of P. xylostella on nine commercial cultivars of canola, namely Zarfam, RGS003, Adder, Okapi, Opera, Hyola401, Ebonite Option500 and Elite under greenhouse conditions at 23 ± 1°C, 50 ± 5% RH and 14L:10D. In free-choice situation, oviposition was lowest on Opera (23.5) and highest on Zarfam (44.7). In the life table study, fecundity of new generation female moths was lowest on Opera (95.4) and highest on Adder (145.7). Survival from egg to adult was significantly lower on Opera, Option500 and Hyola401 than on other tested cultivars. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m) and population growth rate (λ) were lowest on Opera and highest on Zarfam. The generation time (T) was shortest on Zarfam (17.2 days) and longest on Hyola401 (19.9 days) whereas doubling time (DT) was longest on Opera (3.9 days) and shortest on Zarfam (3.0 days). Our results clearly suggest that Opera was the most resistant host among the tested cultivars and has the potential to be used in the integrated management of P. xylostella.     

印度河上游流域冰川度日因子变化及其影响因素

当前,基于正积温的度日模型广泛应用于冰川消融研究中,该模型的核心参数是度日因子。根据印度河上游Sachen、Gharko、Barpu冰川2014—2016年的物质平衡和气温实测资料,计算得到消融期内各冰川研究区的度日因子,并分析了度日因子的时空变化特征及影响因素。研究结果显示：Sachen、Gharko、Barpu冰川度日因子均值分别为2.83 mm?d^-1?℃^-1、3.74 mm?d^-1?℃^-1、3.91 mm?d^-1?℃^-1;各冰川度日因子皆随着海拔升高而递增,海拔递增率分别为0.003 7 mm?d^-1?℃^-1?m^-1、0.007 4 mm?d^-1?℃^-1?m^-1、0.004 1 mm?d^-1?℃^-1?m^-1;对于同一观测点而言,度日因子不是一个常数,会随着时间的变化而改变,冰川度日因子随着年际变化呈增加的趋势;度日因子受表碛影响显著,度日因子整体上随着表碛厚度的增加而递减。然而表碛厚度低于2 cm时,表碛的覆盖作用促进了冰川的消融,表碛覆盖区冰川度日因子大于裸露区冰川;冰川朝向的变化对度日因子产生了一定的影响,面向阳坡的冰川度日因子随海拔递增率大于阴坡。     

Using leaf tip necrosis as a phenotypic marker to predict the presence of durable rust resistance gene pair <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lr34</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">Yr18</Emphasis> in wheat

Fifty wheat varieties along with Jupateco-73 and Morocco were studied for the expression of leaf tip necrosis (LTN), a trait linked with the durable rust resistance gene pair Lr34/Yr18. LTN was frequent (i.e., ≥6) in nine replications of a field experiment over 3 years in 17 genotypes, and the varieties were considered positive for LTN. In molecular analyses of these varieties, having relative severity values up to 78 for yellow rust and 45 for leaf rust, the 150-bp Lr34/Yr18-linked allele was consistently amplified. Expression of LTN in six of nine replications is an appropriate threshold for predicting the presence of Lr34/Yr18 gene pair, and genotypes can be selected using this trait.     

Biological control of red rot in sugarcane by native pyoluteorin‐producing Pseudomonas putida strain NH‐50 under field conditions and its potential modes of action

BACKGROUND: Rhizobacteria have a good potential to suppress soilborne diseases, but their efficacy against sugarcane pests is rarely reported. Bacterial strains isolated from the rhizosphere of sugarcane were evaluated for their potential to suppress red rot disease on two susceptible varieties, Co‐1148 and SPF‐234, under field conditions. The strains were also characterised for the production of secondary metabolites associated with their antagonistic activity. RESULTS: One out of four strains, the Pseudomonas putida strain NH‐50 (EU627168), reduced disease severity by 44–60% in different field trials. This potent antagonistic strain produced pyoluteorin antibiotic, as confirmed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The PltB gene involved in pyoluteorin synthesis was amplified from the P. putida strain NH‐50 and sequenced. The extracellular metabolites and volatile and diffusible antibiotics secreted by the tested strains inhibited mycelial growth of Glomerella tucumensis (Speg.) Arx & E Mull in vitro by 7–55%. CONCLUSION: The pyoluteorin‐producing bacteria P. putida strain NH‐50 significantly reduced disease severity on both sugarcane varieties, irrespective of fungal inoculation, i.e. either inoculated through stem or through soil. This strain also possesses other plant growth characteristics and can be used as a biopesticide for sugarcane crop. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Decomposition of pea and maize straw in Pakistani soils along a gradient in salinity

Maize straw and pea straw were added to five Pakistani soils from a gradient in salinity to test the following hypotheses: Increasing salinity at high pH decreases proportionally (1) the decomposition of added straw and (2) the resulting net increase in microbial biomass. In the non-amended control soils, salinity had depressive effects on microbial biomass C, biomass N, but not on biomass P and ergosterol. The ratios microbial biomass C-to-N and biomass C-to-P decreased consistently with increasing salinity. In contrast, the ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio was constant in the four soils at pH>8.9, but nearly doubled in the most saline, but least alkaline, soil (pH 8.2). The addition of the maize and pea straw always increased the contents of microbial biomass C, biomass N, biomass P and ergosterol, but without clear effects of salinity. Highest mean contents of microbial biomass C and biomass N were measured at day 0, immediately after the straw was added. Straw amendments increased the CO₂ evolution rates of all five soils without any effect of salinity. The same was true for total C and total N in the two fractions of particulate organic matter (POM) 63–400 μm and >400 μm. Lowest percentage of straw-derived CO₂-C and highest recoveries of POM-C and POM-N were observed in the maize straw treatment and the reverse in the pea straw treatment. Yield coefficients were calculated for maize and pea straw based on the assumption that the balance gap between CO₂ and the amount of POM can be fully assigned to microbial products.