Effects of ambient gaseous pollutants on photosynthesis,growth, yield and grain quality of selected crops grown at different sites varying in pollution levels

In recent decades, ambient gaseous pollution has increased due to anthropogenic activities worldwide. The studies to evaluate the adverse effects of ambient pollutants on commonly grown food crops are still limited, especially in Asian countries like Pakistan. The present study was conducted to measure the ambient pollutants in different sites of Faisalabad and their impact on growth and yield of wheat, mung bean and peas. Plants were grown in pots and placed at three sites named as control (Wire house of Government College University, Faisalabad), low pollution (LP) (Farm Area of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute) and high pollution (HP) (GT Chowk, Faisalabad) sites. Results showed that ambient ozone (O₃) concentration was highest at HP site followed by LP site and was below AOT40 in control site. Ambient pollutants caused foliar injury in crops and decreased plant height, leaf area, biomass and grain yield. Pollutants caused a reduction in photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate and grain protein contents in all three crops. In conclusion, the ambient O₃ level was highest at HP site, this current O₃ level and other pollutants decreased the growth and yield of important food crops.     

磁处理改善豌豆根际土壤生物学性状

采用盆栽的方法,分析磁处理对豌豆根际土壤生物学性状的影响,旨在探究磁处理对豌豆根际土壤肥力及健康状况的影响。试验设置无处理（对照CK）,添加铁粉（A）、磁化铁粉（B）、场强为0.2特斯拉（T）磁铁+铁粉（C）以及0.2 T磁铁（D）的处理,基于高通量测序技术分析磁处理对豌豆根际土壤生物学性状的影响。结果表明：C处理显著增加豌豆根际土壤中可培养细菌和真菌数量,同时微生物生物量C、N、P与CK相比分别增加了34.0%、46.0%、44.2%;β-葡萄糖苷酶、氨肽酶、磷酸酶酶活性分别增加了24.6%、23.7%、31.8%;另一方面,C处理中土壤细菌丰富度和多样性指数Ace、Chao1、Shannon指数显著高于CK;属（Genus）分类水平韦恩图分析中上,CK处理特有的属细菌主要有3个：Sneathiella、Desulfurispora、nannocystaceae;A处理特有的属细菌有7个;B处理特有的属细菌亦有7个;C处理特有的属细菌有11个;D处理特有的属细菌有8个。综上所述,C处理能够显著提高豌豆根际土壤中可培养微生物数量、微生物生物量（C、N、P）、酶活性和细菌多样性等多项指示土壤肥力和健康状况的生物学指标,表明磁场强度为0.2 T的磁铁+5 g磁化铁粉处理具有提高土壤肥力抵御土传病害的能力。     

Effects of extrusion processing on digestibility of peas, lupins, canola meal and soybean meal in silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell) diets

Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of processing on apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of legumes and oilseeds for juvenile silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus (～49 g). The first experiment evaluated interactive effects of ingredients (lupins or field peas), processing (whole seed; hulls on or hulls off) and extrusion cooking (raw or extruded) on ADCs for juvenile silver perch (～4 g fish^?1). The second experiment was a three‐fixed‐factor anova designed to evaluate interactive effects of ingredients (soybean meal or canola meal), extrusion cooking (raw or extruded) and inclusion content (30% or 50% of the diet) on ADCs for juvenile silver perch (～4 g fish^?1). Lupin protein was more digestible than that of peas (ADC for crude protein 91% vs. 85% for peas) but the organic matter was less digestible (ADC for organic matter 50% vs. 67% for peas). Dehulling lupins significantly improved ADCs for all indices (dry matter, organic matter, energy and crude protein), but extrusion had no effect because lupins do not contain starch or heat‐labile anti‐nutrients. Conversely, for starch‐rich peas that contain heat‐labile trypsin inhibitors, both dehulling and extrusion significantly improved ADCs. Digestibility of soybean meal was much higher than that of canola meal. For soybean meal, neither processing, content nor their interaction affected digestibility but extrusion improved ADCs for dry matter, organic matter and energy but there was an interaction with content. Although higher overall, digestibility for these indices declined with increasing content for extruded product while there were only minor effects of inclusion for raw product. Benefits of extrusion were attributed to reductions in anti‐nutrients, including phytic acid. For canola, there were no interactions between extrusion and content for any ADC. Increasing content reduced ADCs for crude protein, dry matter and organic matter but did not effect energy. Surprisingly, extrusion of canola also reduced digestibility for all ADCs. Dehulling improved both lupins and peas. Crude protein for all ingredients was well digested with ingredients ranked: lupins>soybean meal>peas>canola meal. Energy digestibility was best for soybean meal and worst for lupins. Extrusion greatly improved digestibility of peas and to a lesser extent soybean meal, gave no benefits to lupins and was detrimental for canola.     

Genetics of tolerance to high concentrations of soil boron in peas (Pisum sativum L.)

Summary The inheritance of tolerance to high concentrations of soil boron in pea (Pisum sativum L.) was studied in five cross combinations and their reciprocals. Segregation patterns for boron response in F₂ populations and F₃ derived families were established by visual assessment of leaf damage. The segregation ratios were explained in terms of two major gene loci interacting in an additive manner with incomplete dominance at each locus. Evaluation of selected tolerant and susceptible families indicated that tolerant families contained a significantly lower concentration of boron in shoots than susceptible families.     

Variation in the storage proteins of peas in relation to sulphur amino-acid content

Summary A cellulose acetate electrophoretic technique has been used to characterise the storage proteins present in pea seeds in order to try and determine the proportions of proteins present which are enriched in sulphur amino-acids. Some of the eight varieties examined were shown to differ in their proportions of the various storage proteins. When the proteins were separated and estimated quantitatively and also characterised by their sub-unit composition, it was shown that cellulose acetate electrophoresis of crude protein extracts or of whole globulins did not give the degree of resolution required. The procedures which have to be undertaken in order to obtain this information are considered, and the difficulties of incorporating them into a plant breeding programme discussed.     

Problems of Breeding for Improved Standing Ability in Dried Peas, Pisum sativum L.

Standing ability is a major component of combining ability and yield stability in dried peas. In performance trials during 1986–1988 commercial varieties and new breeding lines were evaluated for standing ability at one location. Standing ability was measured by visual scores, crop height and standardized crop height (crop height in percent of plant length) at several observation dates during the generative phase. Visual scoring proved to be the most suitable method for the measurement of standing ability as far as time requirement and precision are concerned.
Considerable differences between years and varieties were found for both the course of lodging during the generative phase and the standing ability shortly before harvest. Several, at least three or four measurements of standing ability should be done during the generative phase. Also highly significant variety x year interactions were observed. Heritability values estimated for different parameters of standing ability were medium to high as compared to plant length and maturity date (high) or grain yield (low).
In general, standing ability of the semi-leafless varieties proved to be much better than standing ability of the conventional ones. However, the semi-leafless plant type was not always associated with an improved standing ability.
Problems relating to the methods of measurement of standing ability, its phenotypic expression and variability are discussed.     

干旱胁迫条件下夏大豆荚而不实发生机理研究

在人工模拟旱境条件下,大豆各生育时期空秕荚率都有所增加,产量显著降低,其中以结荚至鼓粒期最为严重。干旱胁迫可使植株水势下降,光合作用减弱、有益酶类活性降低,根系发育及养分吸收受阻,严重抑制植株生长发育。     

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.     

Evaluation of Dry Peas (Pisum sativum L.) Varieties for Seedling Vigor Indices in Eastern Montana

Genetic and environmental factors lead to a variation in yield and protein content of dry pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds. The quality of seed, particularly seed vigor, also influences the establishment of crop and thus final grain yield. The area and production for dry peas are increasing in the Northern Great Plains but knowledge is lacking on how the pea lines/varieties differ in the seed vigor at seven leaf stage. This field and greenhouse study evaluated the eight dry pea lines/varieties for seedling vigor indices and correlated them with grain yield and protein concentrations. Significant differences were observed among the lines/varieties for nodule number plant^?1 in greenhouse, and grain yield in field conditions. The highest number of nodules plant^?1 was obtained with the line MT632, which were at par with lines MT457, and MT190. The highest Vigor Index I was achieved with line MT632 associated with their more shoot lengths as compared to other lines/varieties. The highest Vigor Index II was obtained by variety Majoret and line MT632. The variety DS Admiral yielded 5205 kg ha^?1, which was 17.4 and 33.3% higher than lines MT460 and MT190, respectively. The highest seed protein content was obtained with variety Majoret (23.4%) having highest Vigor Index II and seed yield (4940 kg ha^?1) at par with variety DS Admiral. The lowest seed protein was found with variety DS Admiral (20.3%). The line named MT190 showed lowest yield potential along with the lower protein contents also. Studies show a positive and significant correlation between biomass and Vigor Index I only. Plant nitrogen uptake was positively and significantly correlated with biomass and Vigor Index I in greenhouse only. The results also indicated that seed vigor indices did not reveal any significant correlations with dry peas yield and protein content, so more efforts are needed to evaluate varieties for higher yield and protein content during initial stages of growth in order to maximize their acreage and productivity.