Low seed/nut productivity in cashew (Anacardium occidentale): Effects of self-incompatibility and honey bee (Apis mellifera) foraging behaviour

Summary

The roles of self- versus cross-pollination and honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) foraging behaviour in low nut yield of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) were studied in NE Brazil in 1997 and 1998. It was shown that both self- and cross-pollination can set fruits in cashew, but most of fruits originating from self-pollination are shed 9–15 d after pollination, and fruits harvested are primarily from cross-pollination. Honey bees display foraging behaviour in cashew orchards conducive to cross-pollination, but in plantations originating from clonal material they failed to increase fruit yield despite cashew's dependence on insect pollination. It is concluded that cashew has a mechanism of selective abortion through which it discards self-pollinated fruits and that honey bees can contribute to increased fruit yield only when cashew trees of genetically diverse origin are found in the same orchard.     

Cross-crop effects on larval growth,survivorship and fecundity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicoverpa armigera</Emphasis>

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is a destructive pest that affects a variety of crop plants. Because of its polyphagous feeding habit, mobility as adults, and high fecundity, the expanding infestations of H. armigera in different crops have caused economic losses and difficulties for pest population management. In Brazil, a sequence of different crop systems in the same area and crop rotation during the year can create a spatio-temporal mosaic of crops where H. armigera can persist. However, the consequences of the simultaneous and/or alternating presence of host plants for H. armigera populations through generations are unknown. In this study, we simulated, in the laboratory, hypothetical situations for the availability of soybean and cotton crops in the landscape. We evaluated the effects of: (1) the number of generations during which a population feeds on a host-plant species; (2) the succession of host-plant species on which populations have fed for two generations; and (3) the parental host plant on the fitness of H. armigera populations. Only the current host plant on which larvae fed affected the performance of the H. armigera populations. Decrease of mortality rates during the immature period was slowed when the larvae fed on soybean. The lowest value of reproductive potential (R ₀) was found for individuals originating from mating between females and males reared in cotton. Our results indicated that pest-management and biological-control plans for H. armigera should be developed on a regional scale rather than for just a specific crop area.     

东祁连山高寒草甸灌木和牧草营养成分含量季节变化动态

比较分析了高寒草甸和灌丛草甸中分布的几种优势牧草和灌木的营养成分，发现灌木蛋白质含量高，利用价值大，是一种重要的蛋白质饲草资源。     

农用运输车可靠性分析评价研究

以ＹＬ２２０８ＣＷ型四轮农用运输车可靠性试验为依据,参照有关的国家和前机械工业部标准,对该车可靠性进行了分析,计算和评价,并开发了农用运输车可靠性评价计算机系统,提出了提高和改进其可靠性的途径。     

Genetic variability of two Italian indigenous chicken breeds inferred from microsatellite marker analysis

1. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic structure and variability of Bionda Piemontese and Bianca di Saluzzo (Piedmont, Northwest Italy) using an international set of microsatellite loci (AVIANDIV-FAO). Differences compared with commercial lines and other Italian breeds were verified to justify the implementation of conservation programmes.

2. Flock contribution to genetic variability was assessed following the approach implemented in the MolKin software. Comparison was performed using the fixation index and the Reynolds genetic distance. The most likely number of different populations was estimated using the clustering procedure implemented in STRUCTURE.

3. The molecular information suggests that management practices could have prevented random mating and produced inbreeding and heterogeneity across flocks. In this respect, Bionda and Bianca show substructuring and are more similar to British breeds than other continental European breeds.

4. Bionda and Bianca fit into the European breeds provided with the highest number of alleles and expected heterozygosity. There is a clear distinction between the Piedmont breeds and the other populations. The Piedmont poultry differ from both commercial lines and other Italian breeds and retain a high level of genetic variability.

5. As for other indigenous breeds, Bionda and Bianca could make an original contribution to the industry in the future. A collective planned approach to restoration is essential, because the flocks are managed with poor regulation. Enhancing connection between breeders with an efficient replacement interchange and mating plan is the right way of controlling inbreeding, preventing substructuring and increasing variability within the flocks.

     

Comparing apparent electrical conductivity measurements on a paddy field under flooded and drained conditions

Every growing season, paddy fields are kept both flooded and drained for a significant period of time. As a consequence, these soils develop distinct physico-chemical characteristics. For practical reasons, these soils are mostly sampled under dry conditions, but the question arises how representative the results are for the wet growing conditions. Therefore, the apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) of a 1.4 ha alluvial paddy field located in the Brahmaputra floodplain of Bangladesh was measured in both dry and wet conditions by a sensing system using the electromagnetic induction sensor EM38, which does not require physical contact with the soil, and compared both surveys. Due to the smooth water surface under wet conditions which ensured increased stability of the sensing platform, the results of the survey showed considerably reduced micro-scale variability of EC_a. Furthermore, the wet survey results more reliably furnished soil-related information mainly due to the absence of soil moisture dynamics. The differences between EC_a under wet and dry conditions were attributed to differences in soil texture, mainly the sand content variation having considerable effect on soil moisture differences when flooded following drainage. Accordingly, the largest differences between EC_a under wet and dry conditions were found in those parts of the field with a large sand content. Hence, the conclusion was that an EC_a survey on flooded fields has an added value to precision soil management.     

观赏竹的园林应用、分类及评价分析

分析了观赏竹园林绿化上的应用 ,根据观赏竹的外形特征进行了特色分类以及特色评价与分析 ,为今后进一步开发利用观赏竹提供理论与实践的资料 .     

中麦175馒头和面条品质稳定性分析

为给优质小麦育种和生产提供参考依据,以优质小麦新品种中麦175于2010-2011年度在河北和北京14个地点的样品为材料,分析了磨粉品质、面粉和面片颜色、面团流变学和淀粉糊化特性、馒头和面条加工品质。结果表明,中麦175为馒头和面条兼用型优质品种,特点是软质、中偏弱的面筋强度、面粉颜色白,多数品质性状较稳定,籽粒硬度、PPO活性、面片a*值、稳定时间、拉伸面积、延展性和最大抗延阻力的变异系数较大,馒头加工品质地点间变异大于面条。磨粉品质和面团流变学参数对馒头加工品质有显著影响,籽粒硬度和出粉率对馒头表面颜色有显著负向影响,相关系数分别为-0.82(P<0.01)和-0.58(P<0.05);面粉L*值高,馒头加工品质好,二者相关系数为0.72(P<0.01);吸水率与馒头总分呈显著负相关(r=-0.84,P<0.01),稳定时间、拉伸面积、延展性和最大抗延阻力与馒头总分呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.85(P<0.01)、0.77(P<0.01)、0.62(P<0.05)和0.70(P<0.01)。降低PPO活性和吸水率,提高蛋白质含量、出粉率和黄色素含量可以改善面粉和面片颜色的亮白度,增加部分黄度,形成消费者可接受的奶白色。淀粉糊化特性对馒头和面条加工品质无显著影响。上述信息对改良小麦品质的稳定性有重要意义。     

稻田水分管理方式对水稻光合速率和水分利用效率的影响

以超级杂交稻两优培九和中优6号为材料, 设3个不同水分管理措施,在穗分化期、开花期和花后20 d分别测定叶片光合速率和水分利用率。结果表明:不同水分管理方式影响水稻地上部干物重、叶面积指数、光合速率、蒸腾速率和水分利用效率。水分好气灌溉管理地上部干物重和水分利用效率明显增加;水分低水位管理蒸腾速率、地上部干物重和叶片水分利用效率下降。淹水灌溉地上部干物重、叶面积指数、叶片光合速率和水分利用率较低。因此,水稻好气灌溉有利于光合物质积累,显著增产和提高水分利用效率。试验还表明这3种水分管理对稻米蛋白质含量的影响不显著。