Effect of LED light quality on the phototaxis and locomotion behaviour of Haliotis discus hannai

Abalones were reared in a laboratory to determine the percentage response rate, response time, average crawling speed and the time taken to recover an upright posture under nine light‐emitting diode light quality treatments (red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, white and grey) and a dark environment. Animals were placed in the centre of an experimental device, and the tropism of each animal was continuously monitored by video. The highest percentage response rate (80% in dark adapted abalones, 60% in light adapted abalones) was observed in the dark environment, followed by red and orange light (27% and 30% in dark adapted abalones, respectively, 22% and 24% in light adapted abalones). Two induction materials (substrate and brown algae Laminaria japonica) were used to assess the effect of light quality on the tropism of abalones, with the highest percentage response rate (76% in the L. japonica treatment, 22% in the substrate treatment) also observed in the dark environment, followed by red and orange light (both 25% in the L. japonica treatment, and 26% and 32%, respectively, in the substrate treatment). The tropism order of the abalones under dark, red, orange and yellow light was as follows: dark > orange > red, yellow, but fewer abalones chose to stay in blue, green, cyan and purple light. The response time (about 700 s) in the dark environment was significantly longer than for the other light quality treatments. Compared with the average crawling speed in the other light quality treatments, abalones were relatively slower (about 3.8 mm s^?1) in red and orange light, and the dark environment. The mean time required for the recovery of an upright posture in red light and the dark environment was longer than in the other light quality treatments, with the average recovery time reaching a maximum of 60 s in the dark environment. The results demonstrate the phototaxis and locomotion behaviour of abalones, as well as confirming the necessity of a dark, orange or red environment for their management and aquaculture.     

江黄颡鱼人工繁育的初步研究

对江黄颡鱼人工繁殖和育苗进行了试验。以PG(鲤鱼脑垂体激素)、HCG(绒毛膜促性腺激素)等催产药物进行混合催产,水温24～26℃,效应时间为20～24h,产卵率为90%以上。采用等渗液稀释磨碎的精巢进行人工授精,用塑料网片着卵板粘卵,在孵化池内孵化,平均孵化率为87%。研究结果表明:江黄颡鱼在广西的适宜催产季节为4月中旬至6月底,工厂化育苗的饵料可用丰年虫和适口虾料来解决。     

The use of a real-time PCR primer/probe set to observe infectivity of Yersinia ruckeri in Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), and steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Yersinia ruckeri is the causative agent of enteric redmouth disease (ERM), a common pathogen affecting aquaculture facilities and implicated in large losses of cultured fish. Fisheries scientists continue to gain a greater understanding of the disease and the pathogen by investigating methods of identification and pre- and post-infection treatment. In this study, a real-time PCR probe set for Y. ruckeri was developed to detect daily changes in the bacterial load during pathogen challenges. Two species of fish, Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, were exposed to two strains of Y. ruckeri (Hag and SC) during bath challenges. A subset of fish was killed daily for 14 days, and the kidney tissue was biopsied to enumerate copies of pathogen DNA per gram of tissue. While Chinook exposed to either the Hag or SC strains exhibited similar pathogen loads, those exposed to the Hag strain displayed higher mortality (～66%) than fish exposed to the SC strain (～24% mortality). Steelhead exposed to the Hag strain exhibited a greater pathogen load and higher mortality (～42%) than those exposed to the SC strain (<1% mortality). Steelhead challenged with either strain showed lower pathogen loads than Chinook. The study illustrates the efficacy of the probe set to enumerate Y. ruckeri bacterial growth in the kidneys of fish. Also, strains of Y. ruckeri display species-specific growth patterns that result in differential mortality and pathogen load.     

毛蚶在不同底质与撒播方式下潜沙行为的观测与分析

为了探究不同底质与撒播方式对毛蚶(Scapharca subcrenata)潜沙行为的影响,在实验室条件下,观察了壳长(10.0±0.9)mm毛蚶的潜沙过程,并研究了沙质(粒径251~500μm)和泥沙质(粒径120μm)两种底质和播散方式(集中和分散)对毛蚶潜沙时间和潜沙率的影响。结果显示,毛蚶潜沙过程分为准备、潜沙及结束3个阶段。在两种底质条件下,集中播撒方式的毛蚶潜沙时间均短于分散播撒方式,但同种底质不同播撒方式下的毛蚶潜沙时间差异不显著(P0.05)。无论是集中播撒还是分散播撒,沙质条件下毛蚶的潜沙时间均短于泥沙质的潜沙时间,并且在分散播撒方式下,两种底质的差异达到显著水平(P0.05);两种底质条件下,毛蚶的潜沙率均表现为集中播撒高于分散播撒。研究表明,与泥沙质底质相比,毛蚶在沙质条件下更易于快速潜底;与分散播散方式相比,集中播撒更利于毛蚶快速潜底。     

Polygalacturonase and β-galactosidase activities in Hayward kiwifruit as affected by light exposure,maturity stage and storage time

Softening process and total antioxidant activity were evaluated in kiwifruit differently exposed to light intensity and harvested at two different times (October 10 and November 14). Fruit was stored for 2 months at 0 °C (S1) and then maintained for a week at ambient temperature (S2). The results showed that fruit harvested later presented a faster softening rate during storage than fruit harvested earlier, even if antioxidant activity did not change. Light-exposed fruit showed higher flesh firmness than that of shaded ones. Polygalacturonase activity was higher in kiwifruit maintained for a week at ambient temperature after cool storage and, in particular the highest value was recorded in fruit harvested later. The behaviour of β-galactosidase was different: it did not show changes in fruit harvested later and significantly decreased in light- and shade-exposed fruit harvested earlier.     

Tomato yield, biomass accumulation, root distribution and irrigation water use efficiency on a sandy soil, as affected by nitrogen rate and irrigation scheduling

Florida is the largest producer of fresh-market tomatoes in the United States. Production areas are typically intensively managed with high inputs of fertilizer and irrigation. The objectives of this 3-year field study were to evaluate the interaction between N-fertilizer rates and irrigation scheduling on yield, irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) and root distribution of tomato cultivated in a plastic mulched/drip irrigated production systems. Experimental treatments included three irrigation scheduling regimes and three N-rates (176, 220 and 230 kg ha⁻¹). Irrigation treatments included were: (1) SUR (surface drip irrigation) both irrigation and fertigation line placed right underneath the plastic mulch; (2) SDI (subsurface drip irrigation) where the irrigation line was placed 0.15 m below the fertigation line which was located on top of the bed; and (3) TIME (conventional control) with irrigation and fertigation lines placed as in SUR and irrigation being applied once a day. Except for the “TIME” treatment all irrigation treatments were controlled by soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based irrigation set at 10% volumetric water content which was allotted five irrigation windows daily and bypassed events if the soil water content exceeded the established threshold. Average marketable fruit yields were 28, 56 and 79 Mg ha⁻¹ for years 1-3, respectively. The SUR treatment required 15-51% less irrigation water when compared to TIME treatments, while the reductions in irrigation water use for SDI were 7-29%. Tomato yield was 11-80% higher for the SUR and SDI treatments than TIME where as N-rate did not affect yield. Root concentration was greatest in the vicinity of the irrigation and fertigation drip lines for all irrigation treatments. At the beginning of reproductive phase about 70-75% of the total root length density (RLD) was concentrated in the 0-15 cm soil layer while 15-20% of the roots were found in the 15-30 cm layer. Corresponding RLD distribution values during the reproductive phase were 68% and 22%, respectively. Root distribution in the soil profile thus appears to be mainly driven by development stage, soil moisture and nutrient availability. It is concluded that use of SDI and SMS-based systems consistently increased tomato yields while greatly improving irrigation water use efficiency and thereby reduced both irrigation water use and potential N leaching.     

Effects of hysteresis on redistribution of soil moisture and deep percolation at continuous and pulse drip irrigation

The infiltration and redistribution of soil moisture under surface drip irrigation considering hysteresis were investigated in two soils (loamy sand and silt loam) of different texture. The effect of continuous versus intermittent application of 1, 2 and 4 l/h to the soils was evaluated in terms of wetting front advance patterns and deep percolation under the root zone. For this purpose, a cylindrical flow model incorporating hysteresis in the soil water retention characteristic curve, evaporation from the soil surface, and water extraction by roots was used. The results show that, compared with continuous irrigation, pulse irrigation slightly reduces the water losses under the root zone in both cases (with and without hysteresis). Also, at the total simulation time, in both types of irrigation, hysteresis reduces significantly the water losses under the root zone. Finally, the effect of hysteresis was found to be greater at higher discharge rate (4 l/h) and consequently at higher water content at the soil surface.     

射流自吸喷灌泵喷嘴系数的理论推导与试验

为了研究射流式自吸喷灌泵射流喷嘴的内特性,利用流体力学基本原理,对射流喷嘴阻力系数、流量系数进行了理论推导.设计了4种不同尺寸的射流喷嘴,对4种喷嘴的阻力系数、流量系数进行了理论计算,得到了不同出口直径下各系数的变化规律.对分别安装4种射流喷嘴的喷灌泵进行了自吸性能的试验.结合试验结果和各系数的变化规律,分析了射流喷嘴阻力系数和流量系数对射流式自吸喷灌泵自吸性能的影响.结果表明,随着喷嘴出口直径的增大,阻力系数减小,流量系数增大,自吸时间缩短,但达到一定程度后,卷吸作用减弱,自吸性能变差.     

滴灌施肥条件下氮钾分配时期对甘蔗产量和品质的影响

滴灌施肥技术是现代可持续农业发展的一项综合管理技术措施.本试验采用露天盆栽进行甘蔗种植,设置了滴灌条件下4个氮钾分配时期,同时设置了一个常规种植方式作对比.研究结果表明,滴灌施肥显著促进了甘蔗的生长,在施用常规氮钾肥用量1/2的情况下,比常规施肥获得更高的甘蔗产量.滴灌条件下,氮钾不同分配时期对甘蔗产量和品质有显著影响.通过滴灌系统按甘蔗"苗期、分蘖期一伸长期一成熟期"以20%一60%一20%的氟钾肥料比例分多次施用的处理效果最好,甘蔗的茎长、产量、甘蔗品质、甘蔗根系等都优于其他的分配方式,其单茎重达1.92 kg,甘蔗蔗糖分含量达到17.26%.通过滴灌系统合理施用氮钾肥既有经济效益,又有环境效益.