红鳞蒲桃开花物候特性研究

对红鳞蒲桃种群的花期物候，单株、单个花序、单花的开花动态进行系统的观测研究，详细测量并记录花部构件，同时调查红鳞蒲桃种群的同花期植物。结果表明：红鳞蒲桃种群的花期物候为8月1日～9月15日（2008年），持续时间46d；单株花期从23d到33d不等；单花序的花期情况较为复杂，总体表现为花朵数越多，该花序持续时间越长，但也有个别情况出现，在开花中期花序持续时间长，开花后期花序持续时间最短，开花前期花序持续时间介于两者之间；在整个种群花期内单花平均开花时间约5．2d，种群开花前期单花的持续时间约为6．7d，开花中期约为4．7d，末花期约为4．3d，种群开花前期单花的持续时间显著大于种群中后期的持续时间。红鳞蒲桃种群的同花期植物隶属于16科21属22种。     

牦牛放牧率对小嵩草高寒草甸不同植物类群地上生物量生产率的影响

2年的牦牛放牧试验表明:除不同植物本身的生理特性外,降水和地温是影响小嵩草高寒草甸两季草场不同植物类群地上生物量绝对生长率的关键因素。小嵩草高寒草甸两季草场地上总生物量的绝对生长率1999年在7月份最大;1998年,冷季草场各放牧处理的绝对生长率在8月份达到最大,暖季草场的对照组和轻牧组在7月份最大,中牧组和重牧组在8月份最大。不同植物类群地上生物量生长率的变化不尽相同。1998年,冷季草场禾草和莎草地上生物量的绝对生长率8月份达到最大,暖季草场禾草和莎草地上生物量的绝对生长率7月份达到最大,且9月份出现了营养的再次积累;1999年,冷季草场禾草地上生物量的绝对生长率在6月份和8月份出现了两个峰值,暖季草场禾草地生物量的绝对生长率在7月份达到最大。对杂草类而言,1998年冷季草场的绝对生长率6月份最大,暖季草场重牧组的绝对生长率8月份达到最大,其他各处理7月份达到最大;1999年重牧组杂草的绝对生长率在6月份达到最大,其他各处理杂草在8月份达到最大。     

Germination ecology of seeds of the annual weeds Capsella bursa-pastoris and Descurainia sophia originating from high northern latitudes

Low temperatures may inhibit dormancy break in seeds of winter annuals, therefore it was hypothesized that seeds of Capsella bursa‐pastoris and Descurainia sophia that mature at high latitudes in late summer–early autumn would not germinate until they had been exposed to high summer temperatures. Consequently, germination would be delayed until the second autumn. Most freshly matured seeds of both species collected in August and September in southern Sweden were dormant. After 3 weeks of burial at simulated August (20/10°C) and September (15/6°C) temperatures, 28 and 27%, respectively, of the C. bursa‐pastoris and 56 and 59%, respectively, of the D. sophia seeds germinated in light at 15/6°C. In contrast, in germination phenology studies conducted in Sweden, only a few seeds of either species germinated during the first autumn following dispersal. However, there was a peak of germination of both species the following spring, demonstrating that dormancy was lost during exposure to the low habitat temperatures between late summer and early autumn and spring. Nearly 100% of the seeds of both species subjected to simulated annual seasonal temperature changes were viable after 30.5 months of burial. In the burial study, exhumed seeds of C. bursa‐pastoris were capable of germinating to 98–100% in light at the simulated spring–autumn temperature regime (15/6°C) in both spring and autumn, while those of D. sophia did so only in autumn. In early spring, however, seeds of D. sophia germinated to 17–50% at 15/6°C. Thus, most seeds of these two annual weeds that mature in late summer do not germinate in the first autumn, but they may do so the following spring or in some subsequent autumn or spring.     

Phenotypic Changes in Grain Sorghum Over the Last Five Decades

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a drought‐tolerant crop, and its productivity in rain fed environments has increased since the 1950s. This increase is due to changes in agronomic practices and hybrid improvement. The objective of this study was to determine what aspects of grain sorghum morphology, physiology and water use have changed with hybrid improvement and might have contributed to this yield increase. A 2‐year greenhouse experiment was conducted with one hybrid from each of the past five decades. The hybrids were studied in well‐watered and pre‐ and post‐flowering water deficit conditions. Total water use, transpiration, stomatal conductance and photosynthesis were measured during the growing period. Biomass and biomass components were measured at harvest. There was no consistent change in the leaf physiological parameters resulting from hybrid advancement. In contrast, total water use increased in rate of 8.5 cm³ kg soil^?1 year^?1 from old to new hybrids in the well‐watered treatments. Root biomass also increased in rate of 0.2 g plant^?1 year^?1. Leaf biomass and panicle length also was greater for the newest compared with the older hybrids. Hybrid advancement was related to increase in panicle length but decrease in peduncle length. Results indicated that hybrid development programmes created hybrids with improved drought avoidance, due to better root density of newly released hybrids, or hybrids with better resource use which ultimately increased yield under rain fed conditions.     

Italian ryegrass establishment by self-seeding in integrated crop-livestock systems: Effects of grazing management and crop rotation strategies

We evaluated the re-establishment of an Italian ryegrass pasture by self-seeding on a no-till integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) in the southern region of Brazil. This work is part of a long-term experimental protocol initiated in 2003. We tested the effects of various management practices, such as summer crop systems (soybean vs. maize–soybean rotation), stocking methods (continuous vs. rotational) and grazing intensities (low vs. moderate), on Italian ryegrass pasture establishment. In addition, we tested resilience of the system by testing pasture's ability to re-establish following a year without seed head production. The experiment consisted in the rotation, on the same area, of Italian ryegrass pasture grazed by sheep during the winter and up to the end of the grass production cycle, and soybean or soybean-maize grain crops rotation cultivated during the summer. The pasture established itself by self-seeding since 2005. Data were collected in 2011 and 2012 stocking season. The soybean summer crop, continuous stocking and low grazing intensity, all positively affected the production of reproductive tillers in 2011. Grazing intensity in 2011 strongly influenced early vegetative tiller densities (before crop harvest) in 2012. However, none of the grazing intensity or the stocking method treatments affected herbage mass at the end of pasture establishment in 2011 or 2012. On the other hand, the soybean summer crop positively affected pasture establishment, both in term of tiller densities and herbage mass at the end of pasture establishment. The removal of all seed heads in 2011 (preventing seed production) resulted in the total failure of pasture establishment in 2012. Overall, Italian ryegrass establishment by self-seeding relies on the annual replacement of the soil seed bank. This experiment demonstrated that under various stocking methods, moderate grazing intensity and maize or soybean summer crop, Italian ryegrass pasture establishment by self-seeding remains successful even when the stocking periods extended up to the end of the grass production cycle. Self-seeding with moderate grazing intensity ensures successful pasture establishment, reduces labour and costs and allows to increase the stocking period and so animal live weight gain over the grazing season.     

Optimising cutting method and timing for the control of Abutilon theophrasti seed production

Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf) is a widespread and problematic annual weed. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different cutting methods on the viability of A. theophrasti seeds. Three cutting methods were assessed: (1) Entire plant cut and dried (EPD)—plants were cut at soil level and dried with capsules attached on the greenhouse bench or soil surface for 4 weeks; (2) capsules detached and dried (CD)—capsules were removed from plants and dried for 4 weeks; and (3) capsules detached and tested while fresh (CF)—a control treatment. Before drying, the developmental stage (stage one, dark green; stage two, light green; stage three, yellowish-green; or stage four, black with the slightly open capsule) and age (days after flowering, DAF) of each capsule was recorded. Seed viability was measured immediately in the CF treatment and after the 4-week drying period in the EPD and CD treatments. No seeds in the EPD and CD treatments were viable when harvested at the first developmental stage (1–8 DAF) in either experiment, but 100% of seeds in the CF treatment in the field were viable when harvested at 8 DAF. In both greenhouse and field experiments, seeds attained full viability at earlier harvest ages in CF than in EPD or CD treatments, suggesting that seeds might become viable relatively early in development but lose viability if allowed to dry. These findings could be applied to optimise late-season mechanical control of A. theophrasti.     

Foliar lifespan,phenology and seasonal dynamics of the invasive shrub Schinus terebinthifolia

Schinus terebinthifolia is a dioecious tree native to South America that has become an invasive weed in Florida, southern California, southern Arizona, Texas and Hawaii and has been naturalised in over 20 countries. Biological control is considered a viable long-term control option for S. terebinthifolia because release from natural enemies appears to be at least partly responsible for its success in Florida. We examined leaf phenology of S. terebinthifolia over a period of 15 months at five sites in central and southern Florida to provide information that may help in predicting the impacts of potential biocontrol agents for this weed. We documented leaf lifespan, the seasonality of leaf development and abscission and the survivorship of leaves that emerged during either spring, summer or autumn. Average leaf lifespan was >4.5 months at all sites, and leaf phenology followed the seasons closely. Although S. terebinthifolia possesses leaves throughout the year, leaf production was greatest from April to September, and most leaves were abscised in February and March. Spring- and summer-emerging leaves were also longer-lived than leaves produced during autumn. These results suggest that leaves of S. terebinthifolia would be most vulnerable to herbivory during the spring and summer months when newly growing leaf tissue is most plentiful. Biocontrol agents capable of damaging these tissues during spring/summer might be an effective means of controlling this invasive weed.     

Season-specific varietal management as an option to increase rainfed lowland rice production in East African high altitude cropping systems

Due to land expansion and an increase in productivity, rice production in sub-Saharan Africa has been growing at a rate of 6% in the past decade. Rainfed rice production systems have accounted for a large share of this expansion. In these systems, the potential growing period not only depends on the length of the rainy season and thus water availability, but is often, especially in the highlands of East Africa, bordered by the onset of the cool period of the year, when low minimum temperatures compromise rice yields. The objective of this study was to investigate the yield potential of 30 rice varieties contrasting in crop duration and cold tolerance in the highlands of East Africa, with its limited length of growing period. A field trial was conducted in the cropping seasons in 2016 and 2017 at the Fogera rice research station, Ethiopia. As a function of the onset of rains, rice was sown mid-July in 2016 and early July in 2017. Early sowing in 2017 led to an extended crop duration and significantly lower yields of the short-duration varieties, and to a shortened duration and significantly higher yields of the medium- and long-duration varieties, when compared to late sowing in 2016. Late sowing compromised yield of the medium- and long-duration varieties because of low temperatures during booting stage, which led to high spikelet sterility. Early sowing resulted in low yields of the short-duration varieties, probably due to low solar radiation during the cloudy rainy season, which coincided with the vegetative stage. Therefore, choice of variety should be a function of the variable onset of the rainy season and related sowing date. However, crop models precisely calibrated for potential varieties and the respective environmental conditions could fully support the selection of a suitable variety, depending on the date of sowing, for example with the help of online tools or smartphone applications.     

广东葡萄一年两收设施避雨栽培模式主要病虫害与防治关键期

【目的】全面了解广东葡萄一年两收设施避雨生产模式主要病虫害的发生情况,明确其防治关键物候期。【方法】在 2016—2019 年进行走访式和常规式调查按治早治小的原则,根据主要病虫害发生动态、相对应的葡萄物候期和防治实践确定防治关键期。【结果】在设施避雨模式下,广东一年两收葡萄病害发生最严重的是白粉病,其次是溃疡病、霜霉病、穗轴褐枯病、灰霉病、日灼病、气灼病、毛毡病等;虫害发生最严重的是蓟马,主要物种是茶黄蓟马、烟蓟马、棕榈蓟马,其次是二斑叶螨、斜纹夜蛾、中喙丽金龟、缺节瘿螨等。与露地栽培的主要病虫害有较大差异。防治关键期重点在休眠期（修剪清园期）、开花前期、幼果期、果实膨大期、果实转色期、果实成熟期。【结论】广东葡萄一年两收设施避雨模式主要病虫害种类不同于露地栽培,具有易重叠发生、危害期较长、多种病虫害出现两个甚至多个发生高峰期、同一病虫害更易爆发等特点。应对广东一年两收设施葡萄病虫害应当有针对性抓关键期防治,重点做好休眠期清园,消灭病虫源,结合花期果期等防治关键期开展有针对性的病虫害防治。     

Land degradation,stocking rates and conservation policies in the communal rangelands of Botswana and Zimbabwe

Communal rangeland management policies in Botswana and Zimbabwe are based on incorrect technical assumptions about the stability of semiarid rangeland, the nature of rangeland degradation, and the benefits of destocking. Consequently, inappropriate policies, stressing the need to destock and stabilise the rangelands, are pursued. Acknowledgement of the great instability but intrinsic resilience of rangeland would encourage the Governments to more favourably regard the opportunistic stocking strategies of the agro-pastoralists of the Communal Areas. However, degradation of rangelands is occurring, although at varying rates. This justifies the promotion of a ‘tracking strategy’, in which livestock densities are encouraged to follow, more closely that at present, variations in rainfall. The establishment of grazing territories controlled by specific ‘communities’ may be a prerequisite for the promotion of the tracking strategy, and for communal rangeland management and improvement. However, the establishment of such territories must take into account social equity, institutional problems and transaction costs, as well as spatial and temporal variation in rangeland resources.