Mobility of Japanese quail spermatozoa and its relationship to egg fertility

Sperm mobility (SM) appears to be primary determinant of fertility in chicken and turkey. The aims of this study were to extend the concept to the Japanese quail by developing an assay to quantify SM, explaining the basis of SM using motility properties measured by CASA, and exploring the relationship between SM and egg fertility. The study was carried out in three stages: i) males (n = 20) and females (n = 20) were mated individually; ii) ejaculates were collected from 20 males, and SM was measured; iii) males (n = 20) and females (n = 20) were mated individually. In Stages I and III, data were collected for egg fertility, Sperm_OPVL and Holes_IPVL. In Stage II, SM assay was developed and assay conditions were defined: effect of sperm numbers on absorbance in Accudenz solution; effect of Accudenz concentration on sperm motility and mobility; effect of quail proctodeal gland foam extract and incubation temperature on SM at 37 and 41°C. The recorded absorbance of sperm movement was dependent on sperm numbers in the sperm suspension overlaying the Accudenz (p < .001). At 41°C, SM, progressively motile sperm, VCL, VSL and VAP were negatively affected by Accudenz concentration (p < .05). The effect of foam on SM and motility depended on an interaction between the concentration of foam extract and incubating temperature. Males were categorized into low, average and high SM phenotypes. These categories differed significantly (p < .001), but sperm motility and SM were not related to egg fertility. In conclusion, SM assay can be used to identify mobility phenotypes, but the poor relationship between SM and egg fertility indicates a need for further studies on interaction between the concentration of foam extract, incubating temperature, and in vivo sperm movement and egg fertilization success.     

A strategy of ideotype development for heat-tolerant wheat

Heat stress significantly limits yield in many wheat-growing areas globally including north-western NSW. While various traits linked to high-temperature tolerance have been identified, the combination of traits that optimize the heat tolerance of wheat has not been established in most environments. A total of 554 genotypes were evaluated in the field at different times of sowing in north-western NSW for three consecutive years to develop a heat-tolerant wheat ideotype for this environment. The later sown experiments were exposed to higher temperatures at the critical reproductive and grain-filling stages of development. The impact of high temperature was greatest at anthesis, and eventual grain yield was reduced by between 4% and 7% with every 1°C rise in average maximum temperature above the optimum of 25°C. High temperature reduced yield, plant height, grain weight and days to anthesis and maturity, and increased the percentage of screenings and grain protein content. Genotypes that produced higher yield under heat stress had shorter days to flowering and maturity, higher NDVI during grain filling, greater chlorophyll content at the milk stage of grain fill, taller plants, greater grain weight and number, and lower screenings compared with the benchmark cultivar Suntop. The genotype closest to the predicted heat-tolerant wheat ideotype identified from trait ranges had 79.6% similarity.     

Land suitability evaluation using image processing based on determination of soil texture–structure and soil features

Land evaluation is the process of land performance predictions over time based on land uses and soil features. Traditional methods in determining soil features are proved to be time-consuming and costly. Therefore, in order to overcome these limitations, a simpler automated method using the image segmentation was developed in this study. The method was designed by integrating dynamic region merging and genetic algorithm. An area index was calculated for each soil profile using the automated method. It was used to present the amount of soil coarse particles and thereupon to determine the rating value of text-structure. Using the method, the mean intersection over union of above 0.7 was obtained for detecting the coarse particles which confirms its suitability. Data analysis showed that (a) compared to the Storie-land index (R² = 0.71), the Square root-land index was more correlated to the harvest index (R² = 0.73), and (b) comparing to manual methods, not only the automated text-structure had a higher correlation with the harvest index (R² = 0.64) but also it decreased the determination time (>3.75 times). Furthermore, among the models developed by response surface methodology for estimation of soil features, the developed model for estimation of soil lime showed the highest accuracy (R² = 0.89). In conclusion, since the developed method is more accurate, more economic and faster than the usual manual methods, it can be widely used in land suitability evaluation.     

黄土高原苹果园深层土壤干燥化特征

为了评价黄土高原苹果产区深层土壤干燥化特征及其区域分布规律,测定了其半湿润黄土台塬区(Ⅰ)、半湿润易旱黄土旱塬区(Ⅱ)、半湿润偏旱和半干旱黄土丘陵区(Ⅲ)等不同气候和地貌类型区32块苹果园地0～1500cm土层土壤湿度,定量比较和分析了各类型区苹果园地深层土壤含水率、土壤湿度剖面分布及其土壤干燥化特征。结果表明:1)Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ区苹果园地0～1500cm土层土壤含水率依次为17.53%、13.44%和10.29%,土壤有效贮水量依次为1273.70、973.98和864.05mm,土壤水分过耗量依次为199.93、465.10和362.70mm,年均土壤干燥化速率依次为8.47、26.29和23.44mm/a。人工补灌、树龄、种植密度和地貌类型等因素影响果园土壤湿度和土壤干燥化程度。2)各区有补充灌溉的果园土壤剖面湿度显著高于旱作果园,不存在或部分土层存在干燥化现象;旱作果园土壤剖面均存在深厚的干燥化土层。3)Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅲ区有补充灌溉的苹果园地土壤干燥化指数(SDI)分别为-8%、-11%和-34%;旱作果园土壤干燥化指数(SDI)分别为32%、50%和46%,各类型干层厚度分别达到或超过790、1297和910cm。研究结果为黄土高原苹果园地深层土壤水分可持续利用和苹果生产基地可持续发展提供参考。     

夏玉米叶片全氮含量高光谱遥感估算模型研究

在5种不同施氮量和2种夏玉米品种处理下,分别在玉米拔节期、大喇叭口期、抽雄期、吐丝期、乳熟期测定了玉米冠层高光谱反射率及其对应叶片的全氮含量。选取了470、550、620和720 nm 4个代表性光谱波段,分品种对叶片全氮含量与原始光谱反射率、光谱反射率一阶微分以及部分高光谱特征参数（基于光谱位置、面积、植被指数的特征参量）分别进行线性回归和非线性回归拟合。在每个生育时期,选择决定系数和F值最高的模型3个,并分别用第二年测定的光谱和全氮含量数据分别对两个品种进行均方根差和相对误差的验证,选择均方根差和相对误差较小的拟合模型。结果表明:在拔节期、大喇叭口期、抽雄期、吐丝期和乳熟期,玉米叶片全氮含量最佳拟合光谱参量分别为R720、DR720、SDb、DR550和DR550,玉米叶片全氮含量最佳高光谱遥感估算模型依次为:Y=5.129e-2.317x、Y=3.421－10.010x－477802.331x3、Y=4.070－2.304x－52.177x2、Y=－0.468－0.528lnx和Y=－2.390－0.793lnx。     

Improving agricultural water use efficiency by nutrient management in crop plants

Abstract

Improvement of agricultural water use efficiency is of major concern with drought problems being one of the most important factors limiting grain production worldwide. Effective management of water for crop production in water-scarce areas requires efficient approaches. Increasing crop water use efficiency and drought tolerance by genetic improvement and physiological regulation may be a means to achieve efficient and effective use of water. A limited water supply inhibits the photosynthesis of plants, causes changes of chlorophyll contents and components and damage to photosynthetic apparatus. It also inhibits photochemical activities and decreases the activities of enzymes in plants. Water stress is one of the important factors inhibiting the growth and photosynthetic abilities of plants through disturbing the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant defence, causing accumulation of reactive oxygen species which induce oxidative stress to proteins, membrane lipids and other cellular components. A number of approaches are being used to enhance water use efficiency and to minimize the detrimental effect of water stress in crop plants. Proper plant nutrition is a good strategy to enhance water use efficiency and productivity in crop plants. Plant nutrients play a very important role in enhancing water use efficiency under limited water supply. In this paper we discuss the possible effective techniques to improve water use efficiency and some macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium), micronutrients (zinc, boron, iron, manganese, molybdenum and chloride), and silicon (a beneficial nutrient) in detail to show how these nutrients play their role in enhancing water use efficiency in crop plant.     

Weed management in onion using chemical,non-chemical,and manual methods

Summary

Weed management studies in onions grown from seedlings were conducted during 2006 and 2007 at the National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. Applications of pendimethalin at 0.825 l a.i. ha^–1, or oxadiazon at 0.240 l a.i. ha^–1, 2 d after transplanting (DAT) seedlings were evaluated alone, and in combination with one manual weeding, for their effects on weed competition and bulb yields. Other weed control treatments included the application of rice straw mulch 2 weeks after transplanting (WAT) combined with one manual weeding at 9 WAT, or a newspaper and rice straw mulch applied 2 WAT. Compared to the weed-free situation, competition with weeds caused reductions in bulb yields of 62% and 68% during the first and second year, respectively. Polygonum plebejum, Amaranthus viridis, Cyperus rotundus, and Coronopus didymus were the dominant weeds recorded in the field. Mulching reduced weeds by 56 – 60% compared to the chemical weed treatments. Compared to the weed-free treatment (four manual weedings at monthly intervals), which is a traditional method to control weeds in onion, bulb yields increased significantly under the rice straw mulch or when treated with pendimethalin in combination with one manual weeding at 9 WAT. The latter two treatments, on average, resulted in the highest increases of 26 t ha^–1 and 24 t ha^–1 in bulb yields with net returns of US$ 1,522 ha^–1 and US$ 1,486 ha^–1, respectively over the non-treated control.     

Nutrient dynamics associated with leaf litter decomposition of three agroforestry tree species (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Azadirachta indica,Dalbergia sissoo</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melia azedarach</Emphasis>) of Bangladesh

Azadirachta indica A. Juss, Dalbergia sissoo Roxb., and Melia azedarach L. are little studied species in nutrient return capabili- ties from leaf litter decomposition to maintenance of the soil fertility despite their importance in agroforestry practices of Bangladesh. A leaf litter decomposition experiment was conducted using a litterbag tech- nique to assess the nutrient return efficiency of these species. The de- composition rate of leaf litter was highest for M. azedarach and lowest for D. sissoo. Rainfall and temperature of study sites showed a signifi- cant (p<0.05) positive relationship with the rate of leaf litter decomposi- tion. The highest decay constant was observed for M. azedarach (6.67). Nitrogen and Phosphorus concentration in leaf litter showed a decreased trend sharply at the end of the first month, whereas rapid decrease of Potassium concentration was reported within 10 days. Conversely, higher concentration of nutrient was observed at the later stages of decomposi- tion. All three species showed a similar pattern of nutrient release (K > N > P) during the decomposition process of leaf litter. Among the studied species, D. sissoo was best in terms of N and P return and A. indica was best in terms of K return.     

Phylogenetic background and virulence genes of Escherichia coli isolates from colisepticemic and healthy broiler chickens in Iran

The purposes of this study were to determine the phylogenetic background and the virulence gene profiles of Escherichia coli isolates from colisepticemic and feces of healthy (AFEC) broiler chickens. In this study, 253 E. coli isolates including 141 avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) and 112 AFEC isolates were examined by PCR. In general, 253 E. coli isolates distributed among group A (51.8%), B1 (15.8%), B2 (8.7%), and D (23.7%). Ten (8.9%) AFEC isolates segregated in to B1 phylo-group and 102 (91.1%) isolates fell into six different phylogenetic subgroups. Distribution of colisepticemic and fecal isolates differed significantly in their assignments to A and B1 phylo-groups. The three most prevalent virulence genes were crl, fimH, and aer in isolates between both groups. The four genetic markers aer, papC, afa, and sfa were detected significantly more often among colisepticemic isolates than in fecal isolates from healthy broilers. The presence of stx ₂ gene in fecal isolates were significantly differs among the colisepticemic isolates. F17 fimbrial family encoding gene and eae gene were detected in APEC and AFEC isolates, respectively. The colisepticemic and fecal isolates possessed the virulence genes were detected in all of the four phylogenetic groups. Several combination patterns of the virulence genes were detected in APEC and AFEC isolates. In colisepticemic isolates the combination of aer, crl, and fimH genes was the most prevalent pattern. None of the examined isolates harbored the cdt, cnf1, ipaH, and stx ₁ virulence gene sequences.