Effects of N, NP, and NPKS fertilizers applied to four-year old hybrid poplar plantations

Mineral fertilizers were applied to adjacent plantations of 2, 4-year old, hybrid poplars: clone 27 (Northwest, P. deltoides × P. balsamifera) and 794 (Brooks, P. deltoides × P. × petrowskyana), in north eastern Alberta. Fertilization was done in May 2003 to see whether growth rates could be increased and rotations shortened. Three fertilizers (N, NP and NPKS + Cu + Zn) were applied at each of three rates (supplying N at 0, 100 and 200 kg ha⁻¹) in a factorial randomized block design to the two separate plantations. Fertilization with 200 kg ha⁻¹ N and 100 kg ha⁻¹ P increased volume growth of clone 27 by 1 m³ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over 2 years. Clone 794 showed no volume response to fertilization, but produced 8.7 m³ ha⁻¹ more than clone 27. Leaf area, dry mass and nutrient concentrations of both clones increased in the first year after fertilization, showing that fertilizer uptake occurred. Decrease in leaf size between 2003 and 2004 was affected by fertilizer level in clone 794. There were differences between some nutrient concentrations in the soils occupied by the two clones, and clone 794 had higher leaf concentrations of N, K, Ca, S, Mn, Zn, B and Mo than clone 27. Fertilization of 4-year old plantations of either clone was unwarranted, and planting clone 794 would be likely to provide greater yield than planting and fertilizing clone 27.     

Advances in Variable Rate Technology Application in Potato in The Netherlands

Precision agriculture is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter- and intra-field variability in crops. In this paper, we focus on responding to intra-field variability in potato crops and analyse variable rate applications (VRAs). We made an overview of potential VRAs in potato crop management in The Netherlands. We identified 13 potential VRAs in potato, ranging from soil tillage to planting to crop care to selective harvest. We ranked them on availability of ‘proof of concept’ and on-farm test results. For five VRAs, we found test results allowing to make a cost-benefit assessment. These five VRAs were as follows: planting, soil herbicide weed control, N side dress, late blight control and haulm killing. They use one of two types of spatial data: soil maps or biomass index maps. Data on costs and savings of the VRAs showed that the investments in VRAs will pay off under practical conditions in The Netherlands. Savings on pesticide use and N-fertilizer use with the VRAs were on average about 25%, which benefits the environment too. We foresee a slow but gradual adoption of VRAs in potato production. More VRAs will become available given ongoing R&D. The perspectives of VRAs in potatoes are discussed.     

The delay of flowering time in almond: a review of the combined effect of adaptation,mutation and breeding

Regulation of flowering time in almond, as in other Prunus species, is a complex process involving both chill and heat requirements. Following exposure to appropriate consecutive periods of cold and warm temperatures, the buds break dormancy and sprout or flower depending on bud type. To maximize flowering and subsequent vegetative growth and fruit set, chilling and ensuing warm temperature requirements have to be fully satisfied. Because of its potential for very early flowering, flowering time in almond is a major determinant of its adaptation to new environments. In colder regions, Late-flowering is often necessary to avoid frost damage during and just after flowering. Consequently, the selection of delayed flowering times remains an important objective in almond improvement programs. Flowering time is considered a quantitative though highly heritable trait. In addition, a dominant gene (Late flowering, Lb), originally identified in a spontaneous mutation of the Californian almond cultivar ‘Nonpareil’, was also described. The objective of this review is a comparative analysis of the effects of regional adaptation, breeding and mutation on the delay of flowering time in new almond cultivars. Findings indicate that the adaptation of almonds from the Mediterranean basin to colder regions in Northern Europe and America has been mainly achieved through delayed flowering. These adapted late-flowering cultivars have usually been developed by selecting desired quantitative genes within each regional germplasm. Additional progress thus appears achievable with a more comprehensive understanding of the quantitative and qualitative genetics controlling this trait. The use of molecular markers for the early selection of genes conferring late flowering, including both spontaneous mutations as well as unique regional germplasm, should allow development of even later cultivars including ultra-late cultivars flowering as into April.     

Identification and validation of cold responsive microRNAs of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hevea brasiliensis</Emphasis> using high throughput sequencing

Cold stress is one of the major abiotic factors that influence the productivity and geographical distribution of many agriculturally important crops like Hevea brasiliensis. Cultivation of H. brasiliensis in India is being extended to northeastern regions, where low temperature during winter adversely affects its survival, growth, and productivity. Developing cold-tolerant genotypes is a primary requisite to maximize the productivity under such challenging environmental conditions. However, lack of methods for early evaluation of cold tolerance in the newly developed clones and the extensive time required for assessing their tolerance in the field are major constraints for clonal selection. The present study was initiated with an objective to identify and characterize cold stress responsive miRNAs from H. brasiliensis that show stronger association with cold tolerance. Next generation sequencing using Illumina HiSeq method revealed the expression of 21 and 29 conserved miRNA (from clone RRIM 600) families in cold-stressed and control samples, respectively. Forty-two novel miRNAs were identified from this study. Upon differential expression analysis, eight conserved miRNAs were found commonly expressed in both the samples. When expression analyses were performed subsequently with six selected miRNAs in two Hevea clones (viz. RRII 105 and RRIM 600), miR169 showed a strong association with cold tolerance. miRNAs such as miR482 and miR159 also exhibited association with cold tolerance. This study suggests the possibility of employing these miRNAs as markers for cold tolerance after validation in more number of genotypes with varying levels of cold tolerance.     

Effects of Christmas-tree plantations on phytodiversity: implications for conservation

New Forests - Perennial crops such as Christmas trees have increasingly been cultivated throughout Europe. However, knowledge on the influence of Christmas-tree plantations (CTP) on biodiversity is...     

System for quasi‐continuous simultaneous measurement of oxygen diffusion rate and redox potential in soil

Oxygen diffusion rate (ODR) and redox potential (E_H) are quantitative indices representing oxygen availability and redox status in soils, which is valuable information for better understanding causes and effects of soil aeration. Because these indices are spatially and temporally highly variable, continuous measurements and adequate numbers of repetitions are essential for accurate in situ monitoring. Here, we present a new, fully automated recording system for in situ measurements where ODR and E_H are measured at the same platinum electrode. The conflict between electrode polarization for ODR and the resulting biased E_H readings is solved by reducing the polarization time and introducing a recovery interval between two consecutive measurement cycles. The shorter polarization time ensures accurate E_H readings. It also results in moderately overestimated ODR readings, but this can be corrected before data analysis. The recovery interval restricts temporal resolution of the E_H‐ODR data pairs to 8 h. We illustrate the use of the system with measurements in a field experiment in Zürich, Switzerland. ODR curves at different depths ran roughly parallel to the corresponding curves of O₂ concentration in soil air but ODR was much more sensitive to precipitation. Low ODR was a necessary but not a sufficient condition for declining E_H. E_H ran parallel to O₂ concentration in soil air rather than to ODR. The fully automated system allows for time series of replicate measurements in multifactorial field studies with reasonable labor requirements. It may be particularly suitable for studies examining the effects of soil tillage, compaction, and irrigation, where structure‐related soil properties such as porosity, gas permeability, and soil aeration play a dominant role.