Inheritance of growth vigour and its association with other characters in chickpea

Growth vigour plays an important role in the establishment of a normal crop. The F₂ population of a cross between high‐ and low‐growth vigour varieties of chickpea segregated into 15 high : 1 low growth vigour. The results for recombinant inbred lines and BC1P₂ showed a good fit to the expected 3 : 1 ratio. The results indicated that growth vigour is controlled by two genes with duplicate dominant epistasis. No gene has so far been identified for growth vigour in chickpea. Correlation between growth vigour and other characters showed that high growth vigour had significant negative correlation with days to first flower, days to 50% flowering, days to first pod and days to maturity.     

基于高光谱图像技术预测苹果大小

以新疆红富士苹果为研究对象,探讨应用高光谱图像技术和最小外接矩形法预测其大小的研究方法。提取苹果高光谱图像中可见红色区域受色度影响较小的713nm以及近红外区域793和852nm的3个波长图像,做双波段比运算处理。比较所得双波段比图像可知,852/713双波段比图像中背景和前景灰度对比度最大。对该图像做阈值分割以及形态闭运算去除果梗区域,使用8邻接边界跟踪法得到二值图像的轮廓坐标序列,采用最小外接矩形法求苹果的大小,与实测值建立回归方程。结果表明,基于高光谱图像技术采用波段比算法,结合最小外接矩形法,能够有效地检测苹果大小,预测值与实际值最大绝对误差为3.06mm,均方根误差为1.21mm。     

基于ARM和Android的通用化农田信息检测终端研究

为了提高复杂、多样的农田信息检测效果,运用通用化设计概念和高性能硬、软件技术方案,设计了一种便携式、可配置的农田信息检测终端。采用主流的ARM Cortex-A8嵌入式处理器与Android操作系统相结合的一体化架构,集成AD、232、485、USB传感器接口,按键、触摸屏、液晶屏人机交互模块,SD卡、USB、3G、Wi Fi、Bluetooth数据交换模块,北斗/GPS双模定位模块以及电源/电量计模块,定制、移植核心驱动程序和HAL库层、JNI接口层。测试及应用试验表明,检测终端可选择配接或同时配接模拟/数字式、电流/电压型以及视频/图像摄像头等多种类型传感器,实现对土壤及大气参数、作物图像和地理信息的采集,并具有多种模式的数据展示和交换功能;模拟信号检测误差小于0.669 5%,3G无线通信下载速率达1 248 Kb/s,整机最大功耗小于3.6 W,检测终端外观尺寸152 mm×83 mm×34 mm,整机质量仅330 g。该检测终端易于配置或二次开发,使用方便,满足农田信息的全面、高效和精准检测需求。     

双季稻栽培对水稻DUS测试标准品种数量性状表达的影响

通过田间试验,对《水稻DUS测试指南》中21个标准品种的13个数量性状进行早晚季性状观测分析,结果表明,受早晚栽培季节影响程度最大的3个性状依次是千粒重、茎秆长和穗粒数,茎秆直径受影响程度最小;各数量性状对应的标准品种受早晚栽培季节影响程度最大的是竹云糯,其次是桂花黄和元子占稻,川7号和矮糯受影响程度最小;单株穗数和结实率对应的标准品种早晚季表现一致性较差,提出将单株穗数代码为7的陆川早1号更换为Tsukushiakamochi,结实率代码为7的Dasanbyeo更换为特矮选的标准品种优化建议;依据晚季水稻的分级范围对部分早季水稻的数量性状进行调整,调整后各标准品种分级代码早晚季水稻表现出较好的一致性。     

Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and production of semilooper resistant transgenic castor (Ricinus communis L.)

Summary Semilooper resistant transgenic castor plants were produced through Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation method. Two castor cultivars, Jyothi and VP1 were transformed using the super-binary vector pTOK233 carrying gus A and hpt genes. Putative transformants were regenerated following selection on the hygromycin containing medium. GUS positive primary transformants, when subjected to Southern analysis, revealed stable integration of gus A into their genomes. In the T₁ generation, a monogenic segregation ratio of 3 GUS positive: 1 GUS negative plants was observed. Furthermore, transformation experiments were carried out with the Agrobacterium pSB111 super-binary vector carrying a synthetic delta endotoxin gene cryIAb and the herbicide resistance gene bar both driven by cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Putative transformants were regenerated through selection on the phosphinothricin containing medium and Basta tolerant transformants were subjected to molecular analysis. PCR analysis revealed the presence of both bar and cryIAb genes in the Basta tolerant primary transformants. Southern analysis of PCR positive plants with cryIAb probe showed a 3 Kb band upon HindIII digestion and a > 6 Kb band with BamHI digestion, thus suggesting stable integration of cryIAb intact expression cassette and independent nature of the transformants. The primary transformants subjected to ELISA disclosed varied levels of Cry protein. These transgenics expressing cryIAb – when bioassayed against freshly hatched semilooper larvae – induced substantial (> 88%) insect mortality. Southern analysis of 2T₁ plants revealed the presence of cryIAb gene, indicating stable inheritance of the transgene into the next generation. In T₁, all the Southern-positive plants for cryIAb invariably exhibited tolerance to Basta, denoting co-segregation of both bar and cryIAb genes. Transgenics, expressing cryIAb exhibited ample resistance against the castor semilooper.     

Relationship between Carbon Isotope Discrimination, Ash Content and Grain Yield in Wheat in the Peninsular Zone of India

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and ash content (m_a) have been proposed as indirect selection criteria for grain yield in wheat. The associations between Δ, m_a and grain yield were found, however, to depend highly on the environmental conditions, the organ sampled and the time of sampling. In this study, carried out in the warm conditions of the Peninsular Zone of India, the relationship between Δ, m_a and yield was studied in 30 bread and durum wheat cultivars under residual soil moisture stress (RSMS), post‐anthesis water stress (PAWS) and well‐watered (WW) conditions. Both Δ and m_a were analysed in young seedlings (four‐leaf stage), leaves at anthesis and grain at maturity. Ash content was also evaluated in leaves at booting stage and maturity. Grain Δ was lower under PAWS and RSMS than under WW, while seedling and leaf Δ did not significantly differ among water regimes. Grain yield was positively correlated to grain Δ under PAWS and negatively correlated to grain m_a under RSMS. A significant positive correlation was noted under RSMS and WW treatments between m_aL_m and grain yield. Ash content in leaf at maturity consequently appears to be a useful indirect selection criterion in environments where Δ does not show any correlation with yield. The results highlight the potential of Δ and m_a as indirect selection criteria for wheat yield in the conditions of the Peninsular Zone of India.     

Can carbon isotope discrimination and ash content predict grain yield and water use efficiency in wheat?

Drought is the main factor affecting crop grain yield. Increasing grain yield under drought and crop water use efficiency (WUE) is essential for enhancing world crop production and food availability. The objective of this study, carried out in India on 20 durum wheat cultivars, under three water regimes (full irrigation, limited irrigation and residual soil moisture) and during two seasons, was to investigate the potential use of plant traits (particularly carbon isotope discrimination, Δ, and ash content, m_a) to predict grain yield and WUE in wheat. WUE components were estimated using a soil water balance model (Budget) allowing comparison of environments in data scarce situations. A highly significant correlation was noted between grain yield and grain Δ across water regimes. However, the associations between grain yield, Δ and m_a were found to depend highly on the water regime and environmental conditions. The association between grain yield and grain Δ was significant under full irrigation in season 1 and under residual soil moisture in season 2. Significant positive correlations were noted in both seasons between grain yield and leaf Δ under residual soil moisture and between grain yield and leaf ash content at anthesis under limited irrigation. A significant correlation was found across environments between grain and leaf Δ and T, the quantity of water transpired during the growth cycle, as estimated by the soil water balance model. T also significantly correlated to grain and leaf m_a. Variation in WUE across environments was driven more by runoff, drainage and soil evaporation than by harvest index and transpiration. The associations between WUE and transpiration, runoff and Δ were negative but not significant. WUE was significantly correlated with leaf and grain m_a at maturity. The study indicates that Δ and m_a can be used as indirect selection criteria for grain yield and suggests that m_a is a good predictor of transpiration, grain yield and WUE across environments. The use of mechanistic models that allows differentiating between cultivars should permit in a next future to analyze the relationships between WUE, Δ and m_a across cultivars and evaluate the possibility to use these traits as predictors of WUE in wheat breeding programs.     

Wild relatives of sorghum as sources of resistance to sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata

The levels of resistance to shoot fly, Atherigona soccata in sorghum germplasm are low to moderate and therefore, we evaluated 17 wild relatives of sorghum under field and greenhouse conditions as an alternate source of genes for resistance to this pest. Thirty-two accessions belonging to Parasorghum , Stiposorghum and Heterosorghum did not suffer any shoot fly damage under multi-choice conditions in the field, while one accession each of Heterosorghum ( Sorghum laxiflorum ) and Chaetosorghum ( S. macrospermum ) suffered very low shoot fly damage. Accessions belonging to S. exstans (TRC 243601), S. stipoideum (TRC 243399) and S. matarankense (TRC 243576) showed absolute non-preference for oviposition under no-choice conditions. Accessions belonging to Heterosorghum , Parasorghum and Stiposorghum were preferred for oviposition, but suffered low deadheart formation. Manual infestation of seedlings with shoot fly eggs did not result in deadheart formation in some of the accessions belonging to S. exstans (TRC 243601), S. stipoideum (TRC 243399), S. matarankense (TRC 243576) and S. purpureosericeum (IS 18944). Larval mortality was recorded in main stems of the Parasorghums . Within section Sorghum , accessions belonging to S. bicolor ssp. verticilliflorum were highly susceptible to shoot fly, as were those of S. halepense . However, a few accessions such as IS 18226 (race arundinaceum ) and IS 14212 ( S. halepense ) resulted in reduced survival and fecundity. Wild relatives of sorghum exhibited very high levels of antibiosis to A. soccata , while only low levels of antibiosis have been observed in the cultivated germplasm. Therefore, wild relatives with different mechanisms of resistance can be used as a source of alternate genes to increase the levels and diversify the basis of resistance to shoot fly, A. soccata .     

Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth in Central and Eastern Europe

The majority of the literature on fiscal decentralization has tended to stress that the greater capacity of decentralized governments to tailor policies to local preferences and to be innovative in the provision of policies and public services, the greater the potential for economic efficiency and growth. There is, however, little empirical evidence to substantiate this claim. In this paper we examine, using a panel data approach with dynamic effects, the relationship between the level of fiscal decentralization and economic growth rates across 16 Central and Eastern European countries over the 1990–2004 period. Our findings suggest that, contrary to the majority view, there is a significant negative relationship between two out of three fiscal decentralization indicators included in the analysis and economic growth. However, the use of different time lags allows us to nuance this negative view and show that long‐term effects vary depending on the type of decentralization undertaken in each of the countries considered. While expenditure at and transfers to sub‐national tiers of government are negatively correlated with economic growth, taxes assigned at the sub‐national level evolve from having a significantly negative to a significantly positive correlation with the national growth rate. This supports the view that sub‐national governments with their own revenue source respond better to local demands and promote greater economic efficiency