Estimating the effect of urease inhibitor on rice yield based on NDVI at key growth stages

The effect of the urease inhibitor, N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) at a range of application rates on rice production was examined in a field experiment at Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province, China. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was measured at key growth stages in both early and late rice. The results showed that the grain yield increased significantly when urea was applied with NBPT, with the highest yield observed at 1.00% NBPT (wt/wt). NDVI differed with the growth stage of rice; it remained steady from the heading to the filling stage. Rice yield could be predicted from the NDVI taken at key rice growing stages, with R² ranging from 0.34 to 0.69 in early rice and 0.49 to 0.70 in late rice. The validation test showed that RMSE (t·hm^-2) values were 0.77 and 0.87 in early and late rice, respectively. Therefore, it was feasible to estimate rice yield for different amounts of urease inhibitor using NDVI.     

Effects of genotype and environment on avenanthramides and antioxidant activity of oats grown in northwestern China

To investigate the effects of genotype and growing environment on avenanthramides and antioxidant activity of oats, the total phenolic content (TPC), avenanthramide compositions, and antioxidant activity were determined for whole oat from 39 cultivars grown in four locations in northwestern China (Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Shanxi and Gansu). The results demonstrated that environment (E), genotype (G) and the interaction of these factors (E × G) significantly affected TPC, concentration of avenanthramide 2c (2c, ranged from 6.24 to 136.20 mg kg⁻¹), avenanthramide 2p (2p, 6.07–112.25 mg kg⁻¹), avenanthramide 2f (2f, 7.26–222.77 mg kg⁻¹) and antioxidant activity of oats. The effect of E was considerably greater than that of G or E × G. Based on G plus G × E interaction biplots (GGE biplots) analysis, the four locations in northwestern China can be divided into either two or three regions. Qinghai was determined to be distinct from the other locations. Cultivar Bayou 9 and oats grown in Gansu exhibited the highest TPCs, concentrations of 2c, 2p, 2f and antioxidant activity. The results suggest that oats containing more avenanthramides and exhibiting high levels of antioxidant activity could be obtained by selecting an appropriate genotype and growth location.     

N-乙酰胞壁质酶缺失对保加利亚乳杆菌LJJ自溶及形态的影响

【目的】乳酸菌自溶在发酵乳制品生产中广泛存在,自溶的速率和程度可以对产品的质量、风味、生产周期产生重要影响,在整个发酵过程中非常重要。N-乙酰胞壁质酶作为肽聚糖水解酶中的重要组成,可以破坏细胞壁完整性,在乳酸菌自溶过程中发挥着重要作用。论文旨在研究N-乙酰胞壁质酶缺失对保加利亚乳杆菌自溶的影响及对其形态的影响。【方法】分别以保加利亚乳杆菌基因组和pMG36e载体为参考序列设计引物,PCR分别扩增保加利亚乳杆菌中N-乙酰胞壁质酶的上下游同源臂基因m-up, m-down和pMG36e中的红霉素抗性基因。上述基因经过测序验证后,将经Kpn Ι,Xba Ι双酶切的红霉素抗性基因和pUC19相连接形成重组载体pUC:Emr并进行验证。随后,将经Kpn Ι,Sac Ι双酶切的m-down和重组载体pUC:Emr相连接形成重组载体pUC:Emr:m-down并进行验证。最后,将经Pst Ι,Xba Ι双酶切的 m-up与重组载体pUC:Emr:m-down相连接形成重组载体pUC:m-up:Emr:m-down并进行验证。以重组载体pUC:m-up:Emr:m-down作为N-乙酰胞壁质酶的同源重组敲除组件, 在电转化条件电压1.5 kV,电阻400 Ω和电容25 μF下,电转入保加利亚乳杆菌,在含有红霉素的MRS琼脂平板上筛选N-乙酰胞壁质酶基因敲除突变菌株并进行PCR验证。采用核酸溶出法检测基因缺失菌株与野生型菌株间的自溶度变化。扫描电子显微镜观察基因缺失菌株与野生型菌株间的形态变化。【结果】构建得到在N-乙酰胞壁质酶中间插入红霉素抗性基因为筛选标记的敲除组件用于保加利亚乳杆菌中N-乙酰胞壁质酶的基因敲除。获得带有红霉素抗性基因的N-乙酰胞壁质酶缺失的保加利亚乳杆菌突变菌株。突变菌株相比野生型菌株自溶特性及形态均发生显著变化,其中自溶度显著降低,37℃下自溶24 h,野生型菌株的自溶度约为73%,而突变菌株的自溶度约为35%,自溶度降为原来的1/2。野生型菌株的单个菌体细胞长度约10 μm,突变菌株的单个菌体细胞约30-40 μm,相比野生型菌株约增长了3-4倍。【结论】N-乙酰胞壁质酶在保加利亚乳杆菌自溶与细胞分裂过程中起着重要作用。保加利亚乳杆菌中N-乙酰胞壁质酶的缺失会导致菌体自溶的降低和菌体增殖过程中的细胞分裂受阻,产生菌体长度增长约3-4倍的菌体细胞。     

Impact of mineral and organic fertilization on yield,C content in the soil,as well as on C,N and energy balances in a long-term field experiment

Data from a 49-year-long organic–mineral fertilization field experiment with a potato–maize–maize–wheat–wheat crop rotation were used to analyse the impact of different fertilizer variations on yield ability, soil organic carbon content (SOC), N and C balances, as well as on some characteristic energy balance parameters. Among the treatments, the fertilization variant with 87 kg ha^?1 year^?1 N proved to be economically optimal (94% of the maximum). Approximately 40 years after initiation of the experiment, supposed steady-state SOC content has been reached, with a value of 0.81% in the upper soil layer of the unfertilized control plot. Farmyard manure (FYM) treatments resulted in 10% higher SOC content compared with equivalent NPK fertilizer doses. The best C balances were obtained with exclusive mineral fertilization variants (?3.8 and ?3.7 t ha^?1 year^?1, respectively). N uptake in the unfertilized control plot suggested an airborne N input of 48 kg ha^?1 year^?1. The optimum fertilizer variant (70 t ha^?1 FYM-equivalent NPK) proved favourable with a view to energy. The energy gain by exclusive FYM treatments was lower than with sole NPK fertilization. Best energy intensity values were obtained with lower mineral fertilization and FYM variants. The order of energy conversion according to the different crops was maize, wheat and potato.     

Potato Sprout Inhibitor chlorpropham

The title compound chlorpropham (CAS number: 101-21-3, C10H12ClNO2, Mr = 213.66) was prepared by the addition reaction of 3-chlorophenyl isocyanate with isopropanol. Spectral data, IR, NMR and MS, were reported. This paper provides some related information about Regulatory Status, Toxicological Effects, Ecological Effects and Environmental Fate also.     

A simple and rapid method for labelling earthworms with N and C

A simple, rapid and cost-effective laboratory method was developed for labelling soil-feeding earthworms simultaneously with ¹⁵N and ¹³C. The method circumvents the production of labelled plant material and can be adapted to devise pulse-labelling or long-term labelling protocols. Soil was amended with ¹⁵NH₄⁺ and incubated for 7 days. Then, U-¹³C-glucose was added and endogeic earthworms, Aporrectodea caliginosa (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae), were provided individually with 4 g of this pre-incubated soil. The labelling period was 4 days. The labelling efficiency (percentage of tracer retained in earthworm tissues) was estimated to be 15.8% for ¹⁵N and 10.3% for ¹³C. The loss of ¹⁵N and ¹³C label from tissue and mucus was traced for 21 days post-labelling. Label loss from mucus was best described by a two-term exponential function, whereas the label loss in body tissue followed a single-term exponential function. Half-life estimates for the ¹⁵N and ¹³C tracers in body tissue were 16 and 37 days, respectively.     

Variation in nodulation and N2 fixation by the Gliricidia sepium/Rhizobium spp. symbiosis in a calcareous soil

Summary Variation in nodulation and N₂ fixation by the Gliricidia sepium/Rhizobium spp. symbiosis was studied in two greenhouse experiments. The first included 25 provenances of G. sepium inoculated with a mixture of three strains of Rhizobium spp. N₂ fixation was measured using the ¹⁵N isotope dilution method 12 weeks after planting. On average, G. sepium derived 45% of its total N from atmospheric N₂. Significant differences in fixation were observed between provenances. The percentage of N derived from atmospheric N₂ ranged from 26 to 68% (equivalent to 18–62 mg N plant^-1) and was correlated with total N in the plant (r=0.70; P=0.05). The second experiment included six strains of Rhizobium spp. and two methods of inoculation and the plants were harvested 14,35 and 53 weeks after planting. In the first harvest significant differences were found between the number of nodules and the percentage and amount of N₂ fixed. There was also a significant correlation between the number of nodules and the amount of N₂ fixed (r=0.92; P=0.05). In the final harvest no correlation was observed, although there were significant differences between the number of nodules and the percentage of N derived from the atmosphere. The amount of N₂ fixed increased with time (from an average of 27% at the first harvest to 58% at the final harvest) and was influenced by the Rhizobium spp. strain and the method of inoculation. It ranged from 36% for Rhizobium sp. strain SP 14 to 71% for Rhizobium SP 44 at the last harvest. Values for the percentage of atmosphere derived N₂ obtained by soil inoculation were slightly higher than those obtained by seed inoculation.     

Accuracy of a third (Dolphin Voyager) versus first generation pulse oximeter (Nellcor N-180) in predicting arterial oxygen saturation and pulse rate in the anesthetized dog

OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of a 3rd (Dolphin Voyager) versus 1st generation pulse oximeter (Nellcor N-180). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective laboratory investigation. ANIMALS: Eight adult dogs. METHODS: In anesthetized dogs, arterial oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) was recorded simultaneously with each pulse oximeter. The oxygen fraction in inspired gas (FiO(2)) was successively reduced from 1.00 to 0.09, with re-saturation (FiO(2) 0.40) after each breathe-down step. After each 3-minute FiO(2) plateau, SpO(2) and pulse rate (PR) were compared with the fractional arterial saturation (SaO(2)) and PR determined by co-oximetry and invasive blood pressure monitoring, respectively. Data analysis included Bland-Altman (B-A) plots, Lin's concordance correlation factor (rho(c)), and linear regression models. RESULTS: Over a SaO(2) range of 33-99%, the overall bias (mean SpO(2) - SaO(2)), precision (SD of bias), and accuracy (A(rms)) for the Dolphin Voyager and Nellcor N-180 were 4.3%, 4.4%, and 6.1%, and 3.2%, 3.0%, and 4.3%, respectively. Bias increased at SaO(2) < 90%, more so with the Dolphin Voyager (from 1.6% to 8.6%) than Nellcor N-180 (from 3.2% to 4.5%). The SpO(2) readings correlated significantly with SaO(2) for both the Dolphin Voyager (rho(c) = 0.94) and Nellcor N-180 (rho(c) = 0.97) (p < 0.001). Regarding PR, bias, precision, and accuracy (A(rms)) for the Dolphin Voyager and Nellcor N-180 were -0.5, 4.6, and 4.6 and 1.38, 4.3, and 4.5 beats minute(-1), respectively. Significant correlation existed between pulse oximeter and directly measured PR (Dolphin Voyager: rho(c) = 0.98; Nellcor N-180: rho(c) = 0.99) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In anesthetized dogs with adequate hemodynamic function, both instruments record SaO(2) relatively accurately over a wide range of normal saturation values. However, there is an increasing overestimation at SaO(2) < 90%, particularly with the Dolphin Voyager, indicating that 3rd generation pulse oximeters may not perform better than older instruments. The 5.4-fold increase in bias with the Dolphin Voyager at SaO(2) < 90% stresses the importance of a 93-94% SpO(2) threshold to ensure an arterial saturation of >or=90%. In contrast, PR monitoring with both devices is very reliable.