CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF TWO NEW HERBICIDES—IOXYNIL AND BROMOXYNIL

Summary. The preparation of ioxynil, bromoxynil, and their salts is described, and information on solubilities and stability to storage is summarized. Although the toxicology of the herbicides is to be reported in greater detail, a preliminary statement is made here. Evidence of herbicidat activity under glasshouse conditions is indicated briefly, and supports the conclusion that both compounds are effective when applied to the foliage of a wide range of dicotyledon weed species. Seedlings of some weed species resistant to the phenoxy alkanoic acids are controlled under glasshouse conditions at doses as low as 0.125 lb/ac, and ioxynil has a wider range of activity than bromoxynil at these low doses. Graminaceous species tolerate 4–8 lb/ac of both herbicides without injury, and certain leguminous crops tolerate one or other herbicide at doses of 0.5–0.75 lb/ac. The contact action of the herbicides is rapid, there are also slower systemic effects, and seed germination is inhibited. In susceptible species the level of post-emergence activity is shown to be influenced by the growth stage of the weed, the distribution of herbicide on the foliage, and environmental factors of which light intensity appears to be most important.
Propriétés chimiques et biologiques de deux nouveaux herbicides: ioxynil et bromoxynil     

Retention of Selenium in Kidneys,Liver and Striated Muscle After Prolonged Feeding of Therapeutic Amounts of Sodium Selenite to Pigs

Sodium selenite was mixed in a commercial pig food so as to increase the original selenium content (0.126 ppm) by 1.2 ppm. The supplemented food was given to 7 pigs during 78 days. A control group of as many pigs was given the non-supplemented commercial food. The pigs were killed, starting 4 hours after the last selenium-supplemented food had been given and then with intervals during the next 14 days. Small but significant increases of tissue selenium were noticed in liver and striated muscle as compared with the control animals. The kidneys showed no increase.     

Studies on in Vitro Erythrocyte Uptake of I131-Labelled 1-Triiodothyronine as A Test of Thyroid Function in Dairy Cattle

Uptake of I¹³¹-labelled triiodothyronine by erythrocytes (EU test) as a test of thyroid function has been studied in cattle. The normal EU value for 141 Swedish Red-and-white cows was 6.99 ± 0.95 (range 4.45–10.23) at an incubation time of one hour. Statistically significantly higher values were obtained for newly-calved cows. The EU values for calves are significantly higher but by 12 to 18 months of age decline to the same level as for older cows.The principle of the test is described and the results obtained compared with those for human beings. The EU test is suitable for screening thyroid function for large groups of animals and for studying associations between thyroid activity and different production qualities.     

STUDIES ON WEED SPECIES OF THE GENUS POLYGONUM L.

Summary. Seeds of Polygonam persiaria were collected from seven localities during 1962. In 1963 plants of these seven populations were grown in the field and sampled at regular intervals over the period 21st June to 13th August. At all samplings there were differences between populations in total dry weight, in leaf area index and in total nitrogen content, and populations also differed in the date of flowering. The populations also differed significantly in relative growth rate, leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate and relative nitrogen absorption rate. The variations in net assimilation rate did not appear to be closely associated with variations in leaf area index. Certain growth attributes were correlated with the latitude of origin, and it is tentatively suggested that the populations may represent genetically distinct latitudinal ecotypes.
Études sur des espèces de mauvaises herbes du genre Polygonum L.     

Process modeling of nitrogen effects on carbon assimilation and allocation-a review

Maximum forest productivity will only be realized through intensified management of mineral nutrition. This review examines selected individual tree and stand nutrition models. Nutrient supply is defined by mass flow and diffusion processes in a forest environment. Additionally, structures of biomass accumulation models are considered as well as nutritional limitations on assimilation functions and carbon allocation patterns.     

Seasonal variation in the photosynthetic capacity of a willow (Salix cv. Aquatica gigantea) canopy. 1 Changes in the activity and amount of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase and the content of nitrogen and chlorophyll at different levels in the canopy

The role of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) in the regulation of photosynthesis in the field was assessed by following changes in the amount and activity of Rubisco and in the amounts of chlorophyll and total nitrogen in a willow (Salix cv. Aquatica gigantea) canopy during two growing seasons. An additional aim of this study was to determine how nitrogen is partitioned in the canopy and whether Rubisco and chlorophyll serve as sources of nitrogen. During both growing seasons, the total activity and the amount of Rubisco were high in young, sun-exposed leaves and decreased as the leaves aged and became shaded. In 1985, the specific activity was low (on average 0.8 micromol mm(-1) mg(-1) Rubisco protein) compared with the values obtained in 1986 (on average 1.8 micromol min(-1) mg(-1) Rubisco protein). These differences in the specific activity of Rubisco between the two years might be associated with changes in partitioning of nitrogen. During the cool summer of 1985, about 20% of the total nitrogen was partitioned to Rubisco compared with about 13% during the warm summer of 1986. Rubisco comprised a high proportion (about 60%) of the total soluble protein throughout the 1985 growing season, whereas during the 1986 growing season, the proportion of Rubisco in the total soluble protein fraction was lower and decreased markedly as the leaves became shaded. Chlorophyll did not serve as a source of nitrogen in the canopy. On the contrary, the proportion of total nitrogen in chlorophyll increased with time, which indicates acclimation of the thylakoid membranes to decreasing irradiance. The degree of activation of Rubisco in samples collected in 1986 was high in young, sun-exposed leaves, which suggests that in these leaves, Rubisco may limit the rate of CO(2) uptake. In the shaded leaves of the lower canopy, the degree of activation of Rubisco was low, which indicates that in these leaves, photosynthesis is limited by factors other than Rubisco.