Windborne migration routes of newly-emerged fall armyworm from Qinling Mountains–Huaihe River region,China

The fall armyworm(FAW, Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Spodoptera frugiperda(J. E. Smith), invaded China in mid-December 2018; since then, it has become a great threat to Chinese agricultural production. Qinling Mountains–Huaihe River region(QM–HRR) is the transitional zone between northern and southern China, an important region for both corn and wheat production. Based on the actual occurrence of QM–HRR invaded by FAW in 2019, daily mean surface air temperature and nocturnal wind conditions at 925 hPa were examined, and migratory routes of FAW moths originated in QM–HRR were modeled by a forward-trajectory-analysis approach. The results indicated that migratory activities of FAW adults emerged in QM–HRR were initiated from late June. The moths from western QM–HRR, where has complex topographic terrain, mainly flied to Ningxia and Inner Mongolia before mid September. However, FAW moths from the eastern QM–HRR primarily engaged in high-altitude northward transport assisted by the prevailing southerly winds before mid August, and the North China Plain was identified as the main destination of FAW. Meanwhile, the migration trajectories of FAW moths had a possibility to reach the Northeast China Plain. From mid August, FAW moths in eastern QM–HRR largely migrated southward and returned to the Yangtze River Valley. This study provides detailed information on the occurrence and migration routes of FAW moths from QM–HRR and will be helpful for early warning and development of integrated pest management strategies for the control of this exotic insect pest.     

Mehlich 3 Extraction of Boron in Boron Treated Soils as Compared to Other Extractants

Abstract

Hot water extraction (HW) is time‐consuming, highly variable, and losing popularity as the standard method for estimating plant‐available boron (B) in soil. Proposed alternatives are not widely used and guesstimation is replacing assessment at many soil test facilities. Mehlich 3 is increasingly promoted as a universal extractant, and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)–sorbitol and pressurized hot water (PHW) are effective and comparable to hot water extraction but also simpler and easier. Mehlich 3 B extraction has been compared mainly to hot water extraction. Because Mehlich 3 usage would be limited to neutral to acid soils, this study used a limed acid Darco loamy fine sand (loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleudult) from eastern Texas to which 10 rates of B were applied followed by either incubation without plants or planting to alfalfa in greenhouse pots. Mehlich 3 extraction of soils obtained from a long‐term experiment on Darco soil from which alfalfa yield response has already been related to hot water, DTPA–sorbitol, and PHW is reported. The purpose was to determine the efficiency of Mehlich 3 B extraction compared to hot water, PHW, and DTPA–sorbitol in these B‐fertilized soils. Mehlich 3–extractable B significantly correlated with the rate of B application to incubation, greenhouse, and field soils and with B concentration and total B uptake in alfalfa in a greenhouse experiment. However, yield responses to B application were not observed in the greenhouse study. In the field where B response to B application was observed, Mehlich 3–extractable B did not correlate with alfalfa yield, whereas hot water and pressurized hot water did. In considering Mehlich 3 for B extraction, be aware that some older inductively coupled plasma (ICP) models may have significant drift when B is measured in Mehlich 3 extractant. In the current study, this problem was overcome with a new model instrument. Although effective in estimating B levels imposed on soils by fertilizer application, Mehlich 3 could not predict yield and thus cannot currently be recommended as a “universal” extractant to include B.     

Genotypic differences in the antioxidant and carbon–nitrogen metabolism of acid-tolerant and acid-sensitive rice (Oryzasativa L.) cultivars under acid stress

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate differences in antioxidative defence and carbon–nitrogen metabolism between acid-tolerant (YJSM) and acid-sensitive (YHSM) rice cultivars under acid stress. Acid-tolerant and acid-sensitive rice were planted in both acidic soil (pH 4.21) and normal soil (pH 6.13). Forty-eight days after sowing, rice shoots and roots from four treatments were collected, and the other four replicates were harvested at seed maturity. The results revealed that the grain yield of acid-tolerant YJSM was significantly higher than that of acid-sensitive YHSM under acid stress. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbate and reduced glutathione) of acid-tolerant YJSM were both higher than those of acid-sensitive YHSM under acid stress. Moreover, the enzyme activities (nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase) and product contents (soluble sugar and soluble protein) of carbon–nitrogen metabolism of acid-tolerant YJSM were higher than those of acid-sensitive YHSM under acid stress. The NO₃^–N and carbon (C) contents in leaves of acid-tolerant YJSM were both significantly higher than those of acid-sensitive YHSM under acid stress. This study suggests that the acid-tolerant rice cultivar has better antioxidative defence and carbon–nitrogen metabolism systems than the acid-sensitive rice cultivar and is more effective in resisting acid stress.     

Failure criterion for timber beams loaded in bending,compression and shear

Abstract

Based on the elastic–plastic strength calculation, necessary for precise data explanation, a derivation is given of the failure criterion for combined bending, compression and shear. This exact limit state criterion should replace the unacceptable unsafe criteria of Eurocode 5 (EN 1995-1-1:2004). It is shown that the principle used thus far, of limited “flow” in axial compression as a determining failure criterion, for example, predicting no influence of a size effect, does not hold. Instead, it is derived and confirmed by the data that bending tension failure is always determining, showing the existence of a size effect, and correction of the existing calculation method is therefore necessary. Because of the primary importance of the size effect for the strengths, also for combined bending–compression, a simple derivation of the size effect design equations is given and discussed in an appendix.     

中国李和樱桃李及其种间杂种果实香气成分分析

 采用顶空固相微萃取—气质联用技术分析了中国李（Prunus salicina）‘绥李3号’、樱桃李（P. cerasifera）‘红果樱桃李’及其种间杂种‘蜜思李’的果实香气成分。结果表明,3种果实香气物质组成及含量存在显著差异,‘蜜思李’、‘绥李3号’和‘红果樱桃李’分别检测出58、53和29种香气成分,且‘蜜思李’香气物质含量最高;‘绥李3号’主要香气物质是醛类,‘红果樱桃李’为醇类,‘蜜思李’为酯类;γ–十二内酯和γ–癸内酯是‘蜜思李’特有香气物质;根据香气成分的种类及含量,可将‘蜜思李’和‘红果樱桃李’分别划为“酯香型”李和“醇香型”李类型。     

Hyaluronidase administered with xylazine–tiletamine–zolazepam into adipose tissue shortens recovery from anesthesia in pigs

Objective

To evaluate the effect of hyaluronidase on uptake, duration and speed of elimination of xylazine–tiletamine–zolazepam administered in the subcutaneous fat over the dorsal lumbar region of swine.

Crop and cattle production responses to tillage and cover crop management in an integrated crop–livestock system in the southeastern USA

Integrated crop–livestock systems can help achieve greater environmental quality from disparate crop and livestock systems by recycling nutrients and taking advantage of synergies between systems. We investigated crop and animal production responses in integrated crop–livestock systems with two types of winter cover cropping (legume-derived N and inorganic fertilizer N), two types of tillage [conventional disk (CT) and no tillage (NT)], and whether cover crops were grazed by cow/calf pairs or not. The 13-ha field study was a modification of a previous factorial experiment with four replications on Ultisols in Georgia, USA. Recurring summer drought severely limited corn and soybean production during all three years. Type of cover crop had little influence and grazing of cover crops had minor influence on crop production characteristics. Cattle gain from grazing of winter cover crops added a stable component to production. No-tillage management had large positive effects on corn grain (95 vs. 252 g m⁻² under CT and NT, respectively) and stover (305 vs. 385 g m⁻²) production, as well as on soybean grain (147 vs. 219 g m⁻²) and stover (253 vs. 375 g m⁻²) production, but little overall effect on winter wheat grain (292 g m⁻²) and stover (401 g m⁻²) production. Our results suggest that robust, diversified crop–livestock systems can be developed for impoverished soils of the southeastern USA, especially when managed under no tillage to control environmental quality and improve resistance of crops to drought.     

China's alfalfa market and imports: Development,trends, and potential impacts of the U.S.–China trade dispute and retaliations

This study examines the development and trends of China's alfalfa market and imports, identifies key factors for the rapid increase in China's alfalfa imports, and discusses potential impacts of the U.S.–China trade dispute and retaliations on the alfalfa markets and trade in both nations. China's rapid transition toward larger-scale commercial dairy production, with enhanced feed and cost management as well as quality and safety control, and its limited resources for high-quality alfalfa production are key factors for the dramatic increase in its alfalfa imports, from 19 601 metric tons in 2008 to 1.38 million metric tons (mmt) in 2018. While the United States dominated China's alfalfa imports with an average share of 97.01% from 2007 to 2017, the share dropped to 83.76% in 2018 and 63.28% in January 2019 due to the trade dispute and retaliations started in 2018. China will likely remain a large importer of alfalfa because of both its growing demand and the comparative advantages of imported alfalfa in quality and price, but the imports from the United States will be highly affected by the ongoing trade dispute and negotiations. China is also expected to make more efforts to reduce its dependence on U.S. alfalfa through increased investment in domestic alfalfa production and identification of alternative sources of alfalfa and other hay imports.     

Growth and weed suppression ability of common and new cover crops in Germany

Cover crops have a wide-ranging influence on the agroecosystem and create multiple benefits for farmers. A major benefit of cover crops is the suppression of weeds during fall and winter, which can help to reduce soil tillage and herbicide use. However, only a small number of cover crop species are currently grown in Germany. To enlarge this number, four new cover crop species including tartary buckwheat, forage radish, red oat and grain amaranth were tested in comparison with common cover crop species such as white mustard, oilseed radish and phacelia. Emergence, soil coverage, dry matter production and weed suppression ability was assessed for all cover crop species. White mustard emerged faster than all other cover crops and produced the highest amount of shoot dry matter at both locations in southwest Germany twelve weeks after planting (WAP). Oilseed radish was the only cover crop that reduced the weed dry matter in all experiments eight WAP. Phacelia was able to reduce weed density by 77% at Meiereihof twelve WAP. Tartary buckwheat offered the highest soil coverage four WAP, produced the greatest shoot dry matter eight WAP and reduced weed dry matter by more than 96% at Meiereihof and Ihinger Hof twelve WAP. Forage radish produced the highest root dry matter and reduced spring weed density by more than 81% in all experiments. Red oat and grain amaranth emerged slowly, produced less biomass than other cover crops and did not suppress weed growth. The results show that tartary buckwheat and forage radish are well suited as new cover crops in Germany due to their fast growth and good weed suppression ability.     

Lime requirement for agricultural soils: A review of the current and potential methods for routine use

Liming is one of the key agronomic practices to improve crop yields in acid soils because, among other things, it reduces aluminum toxicity and creates favorable conditions for crop growth. For an effective liming program, the methods to determine lime requirement should be as precise as possible. This paper reviews the existing lime requirement methods and discusses the potential of a new one suitable for routine use in the laboratory to test most agricultural soils. The most widely used lime requirement methods can be categorized into four groups: titration, incubation, buffer, and field methods. Other methods such as spectroscopy method or the use of empirical equations have also been adopted. Although some methods are highly reliable, they are not optimal for routine use because they are inconvenient during the laboratory procedures or cannot be validated for all conditions. Based on the linearity between soil pH and the added base in the pH range from 4.5–6.5 in most agricultural soils, a titration-based method on 1:1 soil:0.01 M CaCl₂ slurry of a single sample appears to be a promising candidate for routine use. In further studies, this generally applicable method should be evaluated to provide a better comparison to established methods for lime requirement determination.