Symbiotic N<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and nitrate utilisation in irrigated lucerne (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis>) systems

Symbiotic N₂ fixation by lucerne (Medicago sativa) has capacity to provide significant inputs of N to agro-ecosystems, and the species has also been shown to scavenge soil mineral N and thus act as a sink for excess reactive N. The balance between these two N cycle processes was investigated in an extensive irrigated lucerne growing region where nitrate contamination of groundwater has been reported. We sampled 18 permanent pure lucerne stands under irrigation for standing dry matter, total shoot N, and N₂ fixation using ¹⁵N natural abundance along with activity of the inducible enzyme nitrate reductase as indicators of use of soil NO₃⁻ by lucerne. On average 65% of lucerne N was obtained from symbiotic N₂ fixation. Converting standing dry matter estimates to annual N₂ fixation amounts we calculated average N₂ fixation of 311 kg N/ha, including N in roots and nodules. Uptake of N from soil by lucerne was calculated to be 181 kg N/ha/year. We were not able to identify the source of this soil mineral N, although nitrate reductase activity of lucerne was higher than that of non-N₂ fixing species examined.     

新疆多浪羊FecB突变检测及与产羔数的关系

骨形态发生蛋白受体IB基因(BMPR-IB)FecB突变是影响布鲁拉美利奴和小尾寒羊高繁殖力的主效基因.本研究采集产双羔及以上的多浪羊(Ovis aries)母羊135只及后代羔羊血样共353份,公羊血样211份,利用PCR-RFLP技术检测FecB突变,并分析不同基因型个体母羊的产羔数.结果表明:在多浪羊群体中检测到BB、B+和++基因型,基因型频率分别为0.005,0.146和0.849.B+型多浪羊产羔数均值比++型多0.51只(P<0.01),BB型多浪羊产羔数分别与B+和++型差异不显著.多浪羊群体在FecB位点上处于Hard-Weinberg平衡状态,表明在该位点上没有受到选择的影响.本研究首次在新疆多浪羊群体中发现了FecB突变BB基因型公、母羊个体(1只公羊和2只母羊),揭示多浪羊多羔产生的机理可能与布鲁拉美利奴和小尾寒羊相同,在生产过程中可以根据携带FecB突变的情况开展选种选配,组建多浪羊肉用高繁品系.