Lodging-related morphological traits of hybrid rice in a tropical irrigated ecosystem

Hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been proven to be effective in increasing yield potential, but lodging often limits its yield in high-yielding environments. This study was conducted to determine genotypic variation in lodging resistance and lodging-related morphological traits among hybrid and non-hybrid check varieties, and to identify the key morphological traits associated with lodging resistance. Lodging behavior of 16 rice genotypes, including 12 hybrids and four inbreds, was studied at the International Rice Research Institute farm during the 2004 wet season (WS) and 2005 dry season (DS). Grain yield and visual score of lodging were determined at maturity. Lodging-related morphological traits were measured at 30 days after flowering. Large genotypic differences in lodging-related morphological traits were observed. Among these traits, dry weight per unit length, breaking resistance, and lodging index (bending moment/breaking resistance × 100) of lower internodes were significantly correlated with visual score of lodging. Several hybrids demonstrated high lodging resistance although their average plant height was over 120 cm. The lodging-related morphological traits and visual score of lodging in these hybrids were comparable with those of the non-hybrid check varieties with strong lodging resistance. These results suggest that increases in dry weight per unit length and breaking resistance of lower internodes are primary targets for reducing lodging index, thus improving overall lodging resistance of hybrid rice in a breeding program.     

Effects of sowing date and nitrogen fertilizer on forage yield,nitrogen‐ and water‐use efficiency and nutritive value of an annual triple‐crop complementary forage rotation

Complementary forage rotation (CFR) systems based on non‐limiting inputs of fertilizer nitrogen (N) (～600 kg N ha^?1) are perceived as uneconomic. An experiment was carried out in Australia to investigate the effects of rates and timing of N fertilizer and sowing date on yield, nutrient‐use efficiency and nutritive value of a triple‐crop (maize, forage rape, field peas) CFR system. Treatments were early‐ and late‐sown maize grown with 0 or 135 kg fertilizer N ha^?1 pre‐sowing (N1) and 0, 79 or 158 kg N ha^?1 post‐sowing (N2). Forage rape was sown with 0 or 230 kg N ha^?1 (N3) and field peas without N. Application of fertilizer N at N1, N2 and N3 increased CFR yield from 28·5 to 48·8 t dry matter (DM) ha^?1 and irrigation water‐use efficiency (IWUE) from 3·4 to 6·1 t DM per megalitre. Increase in yield and IWUE of CFR occurs at the expense of nitrogen‐use efficiency (NUE) as applications of N at N1, N2 and N3 decreased NUE of CFR from 524 to 91 kg DM kg^?1 N. Nutritive value, particularly metabolizable energy content of all forages, was similar among N treatments, and interactions between treatments were minimal. Results indicate that increase in NUE of CFR may occur at the expense of reduced yield, but increased IWUE need not compromise the yield of this CFR system.     

Development and testing of a surface roughness measurement device based on aerial ultrasonic reflections

Paddy and Water Environment - Repairs of concrete irrigation channels in Japan are guided to a large extent by the degree to which their walls have degraded over decades of use. Current methods of...     

Characterization of oil palm empty fruit bunch and glass fibre reinforced recycled polypropylene hybrid composites

The effects of hybridization of glass fibre on oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and recycled polypropylene-based composites are described in this paper. The compounding process involved extrusion followed by injection moulding technique to prepare the samples for characterizations. Fibre loading were considered as 40 % of the total weight of the blends and EFB:glass fibre ratio was maintained as 30:70, 50:50, 70:30 and 90:10. Two types of coupling agents of maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene such as polybond-3200 and fusabond P-613 of different molecular weight and maleic anhydride level were used to improve the interfacial adhesion between the fibres and the matrix. Composites were characterized by density, melt flow index, tensile, Izod impact and flexural testing. Morphological images of the fractured surfaces of the composites were examined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Samples were also characterized by thermal tests such as thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate the thermal and crystalline properties, respectively. Optimization of hybridization of the fibres and effect of coupling agents were evaluated in terms of various properties of the samples. The composite prepared with EFB:glass fibre ratio of 70:30 showed better reinforcing properties than that of others.     

Evaluation of management principles and performance of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Bangladesh

Experiments were conducted at irrigated and rainfed lowland rice sites in Bangladesh to assess the performance of management practices that have become known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). At a research station, SRI management principles such as seedling age, plant spacing, application of organic manure, seedling densities, duration of planting, planting shape and time of planting were evaluated under SRI management as compared to previously established Best Management Practices (BMPs). In on-farm trials, SRI was compared with BMP on 40 farmers’ fields. Nutrient inputs and water management in BMP and SRI treatments were kept at comparable levels. Seedling age, ranging from just sprouted seed to 40-day-old seedlings, had no effect on grain yield in the winter season. In a plant spacing experiment subject to SRI, the highest and lowest grain yields of 7.82 and 5.41 t ha⁻¹ were obtained with spacing of 25 cm × 15 cm (narrow) and 40 cm × 40 cm (wide), respectively. In SRI, seedling density (1–2 seedlings per hill), planting durations (≤15 min to 1–3 h after uprooting) or root placement (L-shape and J-shape) had no effect on grain yield. With regard to time of planting, the highest grain yields were observed with transplanting in the 3rd week of December, with no difference between SRI and BMP management systems. In on-farm trials, BMP gave significantly higher grain yield compared to SRI and farmers’ practice in a triple-cropped area, but grain yields were similar with SRI in a double and single-cropped area when spacing was narrow. The highest profit was obtained with BMP followed by SRI and farmers’ practice in the single-cropping area. Major findings from this study are that under comparable levels of net nutrient input and water management (i) well-implemented BMPs for rice are more efficient for producing high yields than SRI and (ii) there is no intrinsic yield advantage of SRI that could be caused by its individual crop management techniques or some unknown synergism of the different SRI practices proposed.     

Effects of ages of plug transplants and planting depths on the growth and yield of sweetpotato

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. cv. Beniazuma] plug transplants produced from single node leafy cuttings under artificial light in a closed-type growth chamber were planted with roots and substrate of 11- and 15-day old (ca. two to three unfolded leaves with 0.08 m shoot length and three to four unfolded leaves with 0.11 m shoot length, respectively). The plug transplants of both the 11- and 15-day old were planted with one and three nodes depth (ca. 4 and 25 mm deep, respectively) inside the soil ridges (called one- and three-node depth, respectively, hereafter). The conventional vine cuttings (ca. 0.3 m long with seven to eight unfolded leaves) without roots were planted as Control treatment to compare the growth and yield of sweetpotato with each of the treatments of plug transplant. The main objectives of the study were to see the effects of ages of plug transplants and depths of planting for greater growth and yield of sweetpotato in the field. The yield of storage roots 115 days after planting in the field was 33 t ha⁻¹ when using 15-day old plug transplants planted with three-node depth and was 10 t ha⁻¹ greater than that in the Control. The mean storage root length was about 259 mm when using 11-day old plug transplants planted with three-node depth and was 33 mm greater than that in the Control. The mean diameter of storage roots was 70 mm when using 11- and 15-day old plug transplants planted with one-node depth and was 21 mm greater than that in the Control. The plug transplants planted either 11- or 15-day old showed greater overall performances than those of the conventional cuttings. The plug transplants planted with three-node depth showed greater performances than did the plug transplants planted with one-node depth.     

Identification and characterization of foliar polyphenolic composition in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) genotypes

Trials over two years were conducted using 1389 sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) genotypes collected from all over the world to characterize the polyphenolic composition in sweetpotato leaves. Wide variation was observed in relation to their total and individual leaf polyphenolic constituents. In all genotypes studied, the total polyphenol contents of sweetpotato leaf ranged from 1.42 to 17.1 g/100 g dry weight. The six different polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified by NMR, FABMS, and RPHPLC analysis procedures. This is the first report of polyphenolic compositions in sweetpotato leaves. The relative levels of polyphenolic acids in sweetpotato leaves were as follows: 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid > 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid > chlorogenic acid (3-O-caffeoylquinic acid) > 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid > 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid > caffeic acid. The highest 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid occurred at 221 and 1183.30 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively.     

Responses of CO2 and N2O emissions from soil-plant systems to simulated warming and acid rain in cropland

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Climate warming is anticipated to change the terrestrial carbon/nitrogen cycle through its impact on the fluxes of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and N2O. This study...     

Effect of different egg yolk-based extenders on the quality of ovine cauda epididymal spermatozoa during storage at 4°C

Cauda epididymal spermatozoa were obtained from testicles collected from abattoir(s). The pooled sperm samples were divided into four aliquots. Each aliquot was washed separately with the buffer of respective extender and finally extended with the four extenders viz. egg yolk–citrate (EYC), egg yolk–citrate–fructose (EYCF), Tris–citric acid–egg yolk–fructose (TCEYF) and egg yolk–Mcillvaine glucose (EYMG) and preserved at 4°C. The per cent sperm motility for EYC, EYCF, TCEYF and EYMG at 0 h was 50.83%, 56.67%, 75.00% and 31.67%, respectively, and at 72 h was 24.17% (EYC), 30.83% (EYCF), 51.67% (TCEYF) and 7.50% (EYMG). The corresponding figures for live sperm count at 0 h was 83.17%, 86.33%, 90.42% and 81.75% and at 72 h was 64.75%, 73.92%, 76.00% and 57.67%. The corresponding figures for mean per cent intact acrosome at 0 h was 95.33%, 95.50%, 90.92% and 97.25% and at 72 h was 86.17%, 83.92%, 77.58% and 86.33%. The sperm motility was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for TCEYF at different h of preservation from 0 h through 72 h. The sperm motility, live sperm count and per cent intact acrosome declined significantly (p < 0.05) with the advancement of storage time in all the four extenders. Our study concluded that TCEYF was best out of the extenders studied for preservation of cauda epididymal spermatozoa after double centrifugation and extension at 4°C up to 72 h of preservation. However, EYCF also has better potential for the preservation of cauda epididymal spermatozoa as viability was in close proximity and acrosomal integrity was higher compared with TCEYF extender.