Influence of one selected Tisochrysis lutea strain rich in lipids on Crassostrea gigas larval development and biochemical composition

Effects of a remarkably high overall lipid Tisochrysis lutea strain (T+) upon gross biochemical composition, fatty acid (FA), sterol and lipid class composition of Crassostrea gigas larvae were evaluated and compared with a normal strain of Tisochrysis lutea (T) and the diatom Chaetoceros neogracile (Cg). In a first experiment, the influence of different single diets (T, T+ and Cg) and a bispecific diet (TCg) was studied, whereas, effects of monospecific diets (T and T+) and bispecific diets (TCg and T+Cg) were evaluated in a second experiment. The strain T+ was very rich in triglycerides (TAG: 93–95% of total neutral lipids), saturated FA (45%), monounsaturated FA (31–33%) and total fatty acids (4.0–4.7 pg cell^?1). Larval oyster survival and growth rate were positively correlated with 18:1n‐7 and 20:1n‐7, in storage lipids (SL), and negatively related to 14:0, 18:1n‐9, 20:1n‐9, 20:4n‐6 and trans‐22‐dehydrocholesterol in membrane lipids (ML). Surprisingly, only the essential fatty acid 20:5n‐3 in SL was correlated positively with larval survival. Correlations suggest that physiological disruption by overabundance of TAG, FFA and certain fatty acids in larvae fed T+ was largely responsible for the poor performance of these larvae. ‘High‐lipid’ strains of microalgae, without regard to qualitative lipid composition, do not always improve bivalve larval performance.     

Fertilization by refrigerator stored sperm of the Indian major carp, Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822)

This study reports on the spermatological properties, and on the development of a protocol for refrigerator storage (4°C) of Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822) sperm for artificial breeding. Volume, motility, concentration and pH of the freshly collected sperm were 2.21 ± 0.53 (μL g^?1 of fish weight) (mean ± SD), 95 ± 1 (%), 1.93 ± 0.44 × 10⁹ (cells mL^?1) and 7.56 ± 0.17 respectively. Sperm activation was evaluated at different osmolalities of NaCl solution, and motility ceased completely when osmolality of the extender was ≥287 mOsmol kg^?1. Sperm retained motility for 24, 72 and 108 h, after refrigerator storage when sperm were undiluted, suspended in Alsever's solution and suspended in Alsever's solution containing 5% methanol respectively. Fertilization rate of fresh eggs with sperm stored at 4°C in Alsever's solution and Alsever's solution containing 5% methanol was 77% and 60% with a hatching rate of 60% and 43% respectively. The fertilization and hatching success of the stored sperm suggests potential to use refrigeration for transporting genetic material to hatcheries for artificial breeding of L. calbasu in Bangladesh.     

Comparison of terrestrial laser scanning and X-ray scanning in measuring Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) branch structure

While X-ray scanning is increasingly used to measure the interior quality of logs, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) could be used to collect information on external tree characteristics. As branches are one key indicator of wood quality, we compared TLS and X-ray scanning data in deriving whorl locations and each whorl’s maximum branch and knot diameters for 162 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) log sections. The mean number of identified whorls per tree was 37.25 and 22.93 using X-ray and TLS data, respectively. The lowest TLS-derived whorl in each sample tree was an average 5.56?m higher than that of the X-ray data. Whorl-to-whorl mean distances and the means of the maximum branch and knot diameters in a whorl measured for each sample tree using TLS and X-ray data had mean differences of ?0.12?m and ?6.5?mm, respectively. One of the most utilized wood quality indicators, tree-specific maximum knot diameter measured by X-ray, had no statistically significant difference to the tree-specific maximum branch diameter measured from the TLS point cloud. It appears challenging to directly derive comparative branch structure information using TLS and X-ray. However, some features that are extractable from TLS point clouds are potential wood quality indicators.     

四川地区玉米/大豆带状套作对大豆形态、叶绿素荧光特征及系统产量的影响

玉米/大豆带状套作可以充分利用光环境,提高单位土地面积物质产出。为探明玉米/大豆带状复合种植模式下不同空间配置对大豆冠层光环境、形态、产量及系统效益的影响,进而为大豆高产优质栽培提供依据,本研究选用半紧凑型（‘川单418’）和紧凑型（‘荣玉1210’）玉米品种与大豆带状套作,固定带宽为200 cm,玉米采用宽窄行种植,玉米窄行距设置3个处理：20 cm、40 cm、60 cm;并以单作大豆（SS）作为对照。分析透光率、形态、光合色素、荧光参数、生物量和系统产量的变化规律。结果表明：套作大豆冠层透光率、红光/远红光（R/FR）比值随玉米窄行距的增大而逐渐降低;套作下大豆茎粗、节数、茎干重和全叶干重均随玉米窄行距增大呈降低趋势,最大值出现在玉米窄行距20 cm处理下;与单作大豆相比,两个玉米品种下大豆茎粗、节数、茎干重和全叶干重均显著降低,而第2节间长和主茎长显著升高。套作下大豆叶片光合色素含量随玉米窄行距的增大而逐渐降低,各行距处理及不同玉米品种下套作的叶片光合色素含量均低于单作大豆。大豆叶片荧光参数F_v/F_m、NPQ、F_q''F_m''和F_q''/F_v''随玉米窄行距的增大均呈先增大后减小的趋势,而F_o变化趋势与之相反。玉米收获后,大豆光环境得到改善并迅速恢复生长,套作大豆形态生理指标与单作差异减小,但由于前期玉米的遮荫,各套作处理间大豆产量差异仍显著。通过系统效益分析,在玉米窄行距40 cm处理下,套作系统综合产量最高,两玉米品种下玉米、大豆产量平均分别为8 559.52 kg·hm^-2、1 717.60 kg·hm^-2,土地当量比平均达1.57。本试验中大豆与两个株型玉米套作,大豆形态生理指标差异影响不显著。因此,选择紧凑或半紧凑玉米品种,适度缩小玉米窄行距可以显著改善带状套作大豆的生长环境,提高其生物量和产量。     

不同药剂处理对库尔勒香梨枝条抗冻性的影响

以库尔勒香梨为试验材料,秋季落叶前2周进行水杨酸（SA）0.5,1.0,2.0 mmol/L,腐胺（Put）1.0,5.0,10.0 mmol/L,亚精胺（Spd）0.5,1.0,2.0 mmol/L等3个药剂、9个不同处理,取样后在人工低温处理条件下分析库尔勒香梨的抗冻性。试验结果表明,相对电导率、脯氨酸、MDA、SOD的累积贡献率达到94.1%,可作为库尔勒香梨主要的抗寒性鉴定指标,其中,相对电导率贡献率为71.6%,可单独作为库尔勒香梨抗寒性的鉴定指标。3种药剂处理后枝条的抗冻强弱顺序为1.0 mmol/L SA〉2.0 mmol/L SA〉5.0 mmol/L Put〉1.0 mmol/L Spd〉0.5 mmol/L Spd〉对照。在生产实践中,可根据实际情况于果实采收后喷施浓度1.0-2.0 mmol/L的水杨酸,以提高库尔勒香梨在越冬期的抗冻性。     

Spontaneous gene flow and population structure in wild and cultivated chicory, Cichorium intybus L.

Spontaneous gene flow between wild and cultivated chicory, Cichorium intybus L., may have implications for the genetic structure and evolution of populations and varieties. One aspect of this crop-wild gene flow is the dispersal of transgenes from genetically modified varieties, e.g. gene flow from GM chicory to natural chicory could have unwanted consequences. With the purpose to identify and quantify crop-wild gene flow in chicory, we analysed introgression in 19 wild chicory populations and 16 accessions of chicory varieties and landraces distributed across Northern, Central and Mediterranean Europe. The analysis used 281 AFLP markers and 75 SSAP markers giving a total of 356 polymorphic markers. Results from model based assignments with the program STRUCTURE indicated many incidents of recent gene flow. Gene flow was observed both between cultivars and wild populations, between landraces and wild populations, between different wild populations as well as between cultivars. Population structure visualized by distance-based clustering showed a North–South geographical structuring of the wild populations, and a general grouping of the cultivars corresponding to known origin. The results indicated, however, that the structuring between the two groups of wild and cultivated types was weak. As crop and wild recipients are genetically close and genes are transferred between the two types rather frequently, focus on mitigating crop-wild gene flow should be increased, before transgenic varieties are cultivated openly.     

Effects of calcium deficiency on nutrient concentration of xylem sap of excised tomato plants

The effects of calcium (Ca) deficiency on cation uptake and concentration of xylem sap from tomato roots after excision of the aerial parts, were studied. The measurements were made on tomato plants grown on nutrient solutions with +Ca or without‐Ca, over a period of 48 hours. Calcium deficiency entailed a significant increase of the flux of xylem sap between the 6th and 14th hour on the first day after excision. In spite of the lack of Ca in the nutrient solution, the Ca concentration in xylem sap was unaffected in regard to that of excised roots with +Ca. The maintenance of the Ca concentration in xylem sap of plants grown on a Ca deficient solution was related to a reuse of the Ca from the apoplastic root stores. So, this regulation indicates a possible translocation of the Ca available in the root supply and a mobility of this element out of the roots only during the early stages of exposure to a Ca deficiency. The presence of NH₄ ⁺ in xylem sap with both +Ca and‐Ca treatments confirms the nitrogenous reduction activity of tomato roots. The accumulation of free ammonium 24 h after excision in both xylem saps (+Ca and‐Ca) is likely to be evidence of an alteration process of protein synthesis which is related to the depletion of the root water soluble carbohydrate supply.     

Use of geophysical methods for the study of sandy soils under Campinarana at the National Park of Viruá, Roraima state,Brazilian Amazonia

Purpose

The vegetation of the Campinaranas occurs in humid areas with hydromorphic sandy soils at the Amazon region. Thus, the determination and in situ monitoring of moisture content in Campinarana soils, besides the detection of subsurface layers are key measures for studying these soil–vegetation systems. Also, the application of ground penetrating radar (GPR) in deep sandy sedimentary sequence of Amazonia is a promising tool to enhance the knowledge on depositional and soil formation features.

Materials and methods

We studied representative soils of the Campinaranas at the National Park of Viruá, state of Roraima (Brazilian Amazonia), through the use of geophysical methods (soil moisture sensors and GPR). The study was applied in four sandy soils. Besides chemical and physical analysis of soils, soil moisture sensors were installed for monitoring during an entire hydrological year (2010/2011), and performed the calibration of sensors , coupled with imaging of the soil along transects with GPR.

Results and discussion

As a result of calibration of the soil moisture sensors we obtained a general equation with an R ² greater than 0.9. There is an influence of soil moisture content and soil temperature in the distribution of vegetation types in Campinaranas. The use of GPR identified some determinants characteristics in these soils for the differentiating the Campinaranas, represented by spodic and C horizons.

Conclusions

The spodic horizons in soils under Forest Campinarana provided potential errors in the determination of soil moisture, requiring calibration data for the precise use of this device. The investigation of the soil through the GPR showed interesting results, which allowed continuous visualization of the main soil horizons along transects in the phytophysiognomies of Campinaranas.     

Suppression of superphosphate-phosphorus fixation by farmyard manure II. Some studies on the mechanisms

Studies were conducted on a calcareous loam soil to find out the effect of premixing superphosphate (SUP) with farmyard manure (FYM) at a 1 to 4 ratlo on the NaHCO₃ extractable phosphorus, lime, and phosphate potentials, and the conversion of SUP to various phosphatic forms. SUP was applied at rates of 98, 245, 490, and 2453 kg P/ba. The soil was incubated for various time intervals from 0 to 96 days.

At all the time intervals, NaHCO₃ extractable phosphorus remained at a higher level in the premixed treatments than that found in the unmixed or SUP treatment only. The soil solution in the premixed treatments contained Ca phosphates of higher solubility than those in the unmixed treatment. The content of Al, Fe-P, and NH₄Cl extractable-P (soluble-P) in the soils of premixed treatments were found to be greater, occurring at the expense of Ca-P. Octocalcium phosphate appeared to be a fairly stable form in all these soils.

The implications of these studies on the availability of phosphorus to plants have been discussed.     

HPLC analysis of sesaminol glucosides in sesame seeds

An HPLC method was developed and validated for the quantification of sesaminol triglucoside and a sesaminol diglucoside in sesame seeds. These two lignans were isolated, and their structures were characterized by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Defatted sesame flour was extracted first with 85% ethanol for 5 h followed by 70% ethanol for 10 h at room temperature using naringenin as internal standard. Analysis of 65 different samples of sesame seeds indicated that the content of sesaminol triglucoside ranged from 36 to 1560 mg/100 g of seed (mean 637 +/- 312) and that of sesaminol diglucoside ranged from 0 to 493 mg/100 g of seed (mean 75 +/- 95). No significant difference was found between sesaminol glucoside contents in black and white seeds.