Infection processes and soft wheat response to root rot and crown rot caused by Fusarium culmorum

An isolate of the fungus Fusarium culmorum constitutively expressing green fluorescent protein was used to investigate the infection process and host response of primary seedling roots and stem base leaf sheaths of soft wheat cv. Genio. Disease progress was assessed macroscopically by visual symptoms, microscopically by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and via gene expression analysis of fungal and wheat genes by real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR. In the roots, CLSM investigations revealed an initial intercellular and subsequent intracellular colonization by fungal hyphae. The fungus invaded the rhizodermal layer and cortex but was not seen to colonize the stele. The fungus consistently expressed TRI5 (24, 48 and 96 h post‐inoculation), indicating that trichothecenes were being synthesized throughout this phase of infection and colonization. The expression of the six host defence‐associated genes (Wheatwin 1‐2, PR1, Chitinase, PAL, WIR1 and LOX) increased early in infection and decreased during later stages. In the stem base, CLSM observations revealed the fungus sequentially penetrating though the first, second and third basal leaf sheaths. Expression of TRI5 was initiated early in the infection of each leaf sheath. The expression of the host defence‐associated genes varied over time and across leaf sheaths, and all were also expressed in leaf sheaths which had not yet been in contact with the fungus. Expression of LOX and WIR1 were particularly enhanced in the third leaf sheath.     

Wax matters: absence of very‐long‐chain aldehydes from the leaf cuticular wax of the glossy11 mutant of maize compromises the prepenetration processes of Blumeria graminis

Conidial germination and differentiation, the so‐called prepenetration processes, of the barley powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei) are triggered in vitro by very‐long‐chain aldehydes, minor constituents of barley leaf wax. However, until now it has not been demonstrated that these cuticle‐derived molecules also play a significant role in the initiation and promotion of the fungal prepenetration processes in vivo, on the surface of a living plant leaf. In the maize (Zea mays) wax mutant glossy11, which is completely devoid of cuticular very‐long‐chain aldehydes, germination and appressorial differentiation of B. graminis were strongly impeded. Spraying the mutant leaf surface with aldehyde‐containing wild‐type wax or pure n‐hexacosanal (C₂₆‐aldehyde) fully restored fungal prepenetration, whereas maize wild‐type leaf surfaces coated with n‐docosanoic acid exhibited reduced conidial germination rates of 23%, and only 5% of the conidia differentiated infection structures. In vitro studies were performed to further corroborate the extensive prevention of fungal germination and differentiation in response to artificial surfaces coated with aldehyde‐deficient maize wax. Because of its phenotype affecting the B. graminis prepenetration processes, the glossy11 mutation of maize may become a valuable molecular target and genetic tool that could provide a means of developing basal powdery mildew resistance in the globally important crops wheat and barley.     

不同生物制剂处理对烤烟打顶后碳氮代谢关键酶活性和Inv/NR比值的影响

采用不同生物制剂处理对打顶后烤烟烟叶中碳氮代谢关键酶硝酸还原酶(Nitrate reductase,NR)、转化酶(invert-ase,Inv)和淀粉酶(amylase,AM)活性变化以及Inv/NR比值进行了研究。结果表明:施加生物制剂在一定程度上提高了叶片中NR、Inv和AM酶活性,增强了叶片的碳氮代谢,刺激上部叶扩展开片,各个处理间碳氮代谢调节效果表现为T1>T2>T3;施加生物制剂10 d后Inv/NR比值开始较CK高,中下部叶T3处理在成熟后期Inv/NR比值过高,对烟叶品质不利,T1和T2处理后氮代谢向碳代谢的转化较CK晚,上部叶碳氮代谢的减弱缓慢,延长了烟叶的成熟时间。综上所述,T1处理对碳氮代谢的调节效果最好,T2其次,T3最差。     

小麦粒叶比的研究

粒叶比是衡量单位叶面积光合生产力的综合性状。5年的试验结果分析表明,小麦粒叶比与单株产量和群体产量有一定的正相关,在品种之间存在遗传差异,但基因型—环境互作效应不明显,具有相对的稳定性。双列杂交F_1和F_2代的遗传分析表明,粒叶比符合简单的加显—显性模型,且为部分显性,其高值与隐性基因相联系,遗传方差中加性分量占主要优势,广义遗传力(>90％)和狭义遗传力(>80％)均较高,因此,在早代选择应是有效的。最后对粒叶比在小麦育种中的应用作了讨论。     

Cryptocaryon irritans recombinant proteins as potential antigens for sero‐surveillance of cryptocaryonosis

Cryptocaryonosis is a major problem for mariculture, and the absence of suitable sero‐surveillance tools for the detection of cryptocaryonosis makes it difficult to screen Cryptocaryon irritans‐infected fish, particularly asymptomatic fish. In this study, we proposed a serum‐based assay using selected C. irritans proteins to screen infected and asymptomatic fish. Eight highly expressed genes were chosen from an earlier study on C. irritans expressed sequence tags and ciliate glutamine codons were converted to universal glutamine codons. The chemically synthesized C. irritans genes were then expressed in an Escherichia coli expression host under optimized conditions. Five C. irritans proteins were successfully expressed in E. coli and purified by affinity chromatography. These proteins were used as antigens in an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to screen sera from experimentally immunized fish and naturally infected fish. Sera from both categories of fish reacted equally well with the expressed C. irritans recombinant proteins as well as with sonicated theronts. This study demonstrated the utility of producing ciliate recombinant proteins in a heterologous expression host. An ELISA was successfully developed to diagnose infected and asymptomatic fish using the recombinant proteins as antigens.     

Genetic parameters for resistance against Flavobacterium columnare in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Columnaris disease is a major cause of mortality in tilapia hatcheries and commonly occurs during the summer season in Thailand. One way of reducing the problem is by selective breeding for increased disease resistance. The objective of this study was to estimate quantitative genetic parameters for resistance against columnaris in the Chitralada 4 strain of Nile tilapia. Data from 43 full‐sib families (2,580 records) of fry (age = 32 ± 4 days post‐hatch) were used in the analyses. Initially, fry were subjected to bath challenge with Flavobacterium columnare (LD₅₀ concentration = 1.2 × 10⁶ CFU/ml) for 14 days. Disease resistance was defined as the number of days from challenge until death (DD) or as a binary trait (dead/alive) on day 14. Linear animal and sire‐dam models were used for DD, while threshold animal, threshold sire‐dam, binary linear animal and binary linear sire‐dam models were used for binary outcomes. Covariate effect of age, fixed effect of challenge day and random effects of the individual animals or sires and dams were included in the models. Mean survival was 32.4 ± 11.6%, and survival rates of the best and poorest families were 70% and 8%, respectively. The highest estimate of heritability (0.30 ± 0.025) was obtained under the threshold sire‐dam model. Heritability estimates for DD (0.16 ± 0.034 and 0.17 ± 0.046) were comparable to those obtained from the threshold animal (0.15 ± 0.031) and the binary linear (0.14 ± 0.045 and 0.15 ± 0.044) models. The linear animal and sire‐dam models for DD and the threshold sire‐dam models performed equally with similar values of r_EBV (0.629, 0.628 and 0.627) and accuracy of selection (0.793, 0.793 and 0.791). This study reveals the potential of selective breeding to increase disease resistance to F. columnare in the studied population of Nile tilapia.     

Development of a linear mixed-effects individual-tree basal area increment model for masson pine in Hunan Province,South-central China

ABSTRACT

An individual-tree basal area increment model was developed for masson pine based on 26276 observations of 13,138 trees in 987 sample plots from the 7th (2004), 8th (2009), and 9th (2014) Chinese National Forest Inventory in Hunan Province, South-central China. The model was built using a linear mixed-effects approach with sample plots included as random effects since the data have a hierarchical stochastic structure and biased estimates of the standard error of parameter estimates could be a consequence of applying ordinary least square (OLS) for regression. In addition, within-plot heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation were also considered. The final mixed-effects model was determined according to the Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), log-likelihood (Loglik), and the likelihoodratio test (LRT). The results revealed that initial diameter (DBH), the sum of the basal area (m²/ha) in trees with DBHs larger than the DBH of the subject tree (BAL), number of trees per hectare (NT), and elevation (EL) had a significant impact on individual-tree basal area increment. The mixed-effects model performed much better than the basic model produced using OLS. Additionally, the variance structure of the model errors was successfully modeled using the power function. However, the autocorrelation structures were not defined because there was no autocorrelation amongst the data. It is believed that the final model will contribute to the scientific management of the masson pine.     

稻草还田免耕抛秧对水稻土剖面形态特征的影响

为探讨免耕抛秧栽培对土壤剖面形态特征的影响,分别对连续2年和7年结合稻草还田的常耕和免耕试验的土壤剖面进行了研究。结果表明,常耕对土壤剖面形态特征影响不明显。免耕改变了耕作层亚层的剖面形态特征,且表层土壤疏松和pH值变小;水稻根系向土壤表层集中和裂隙出现部位增高。普通免耕形成的耕作层构型是Aa1-Aa2-Aa3,疏松表层较薄、亚表层有变坚实的趋势。稻草还田免耕形成的耕作层构型是O-Aa1-Aa2-Aa3,鳝血斑的数量增加、土壤颜色加深、疏松和体积质量降低。以稻草还田免耕抛秧形成的土壤剖面协调土壤肥力效果最好。     

Effect of a multispecies nematode population on the root, corm, and shoot growth of East African Musa genotypes

A study to determine the impact of a multispecies nematode population on the root, corm, and shoot growth of East African Musa genotypes was carried out. Eight genotypes comprising the plantain “Gonja” (Musa AAB group), the dessert banana “Sukali Ndizi” (AAB), the beer banana “Kayinja” (ABB), and five East African Highland bananas (AAA-EA) were assessed at flower emergence of the plant crop. Root damage and plant growth characteristics were assessed on both infected and noninfected plants. This study showed that Radopholus similis and Helicotylenchus multicinctus were recovered in highest numbers from infected mother plants. Significantly (P<0.05) higher shoot and root damage was observed in the infested plot compared to the noninfested plot. The differences in nematode damage observed among the different Musa genotypes confirm the variability in susceptibility to nematodes. Most of the East African Highland bananas and “Gonja” had a significant reduction in root system size. In addition, toppling and lengthening of the period to flower emergence of the plant crop was much more pronounced in these genotypes. In contrast to previous reports, this study indicated that a multispecies nematode infection significantly (P<0.05) reduced shoot and root growth of “Kayinja”. “Sukali Ndizi”, however, was observed to be tolerant to nematode infection as a small reduction in the root system size was associated with a negligible effect on the corm and shoot growth characteristics. Therefore, the percentage reduction in root and shoot growth due to nematode infection is not constant but depends on the plant genotype.     

绿洲灌区小麦免耕秸秆还田对后作玉米产量性能指标的影响

产量性能是决定作物生长发育和产量形成的关键因素,研究前茬秸秆处理方式对后茬作物产量性能指标的影响,对于建立高效种植制度、优化栽培措施具有重要指导意义。2009—2012年,在甘肃河西绿洲灌区,通过田间定位试验,研究了前茬小麦不同秸秆还田和耕作措施(NTSS:25 cm高茬收割立茬免耕;NTS:25 cm高茬等量秸秆覆盖免耕;TIS:25 cm高茬等量秸秆翻耕;CT:不留茬翻耕对照)对后作玉米产量性能指标的影响,以期为优化试区玉米种植模式提供依据。结果表明,与CT相比,前茬小麦秸秆还田降低了后作玉米大喇叭口期之前的叶面积指数(LAI)与光合势(LAD),但增大了吐丝期之后的LAI与LAD,延缓了衰老,以NTSS、NTS延缓衰老作用突出;NTSS、NTS和TIS处理玉米全生育期的平均叶面积指数(MLAI)比CT分别提高12.8%、19.1%和7.0%,总光合势分别提高12.9%、18.6%和6.8%,免耕秸秆还田(NTSS和NTS)提高MLAI和LAD的效果最好。免耕秸秆还田提高了玉米全生育期的平均净同化率(MNAR),以NTSS提高作用明显,较CT高10.7%;但净同化率(NAR)表现为吐丝期之前增大,吐丝期之后降低。NTSS、NTS提高了后作玉米的籽粒产量,比CT分别高13.0%、15.6%,TIS比CT提高7.9%,NTS增产效应最大。不同秸秆还田及耕作方式下,玉米籽粒产量与MLAI、穗数(EN)、穗粒数(KNE)呈极显著正相关性,与收获指数(HI)呈显著正相关性,但与MNAR无显著相关性。MLAI、EN、KNE增加、HI提高是前茬小麦免耕秸秆还田提高后作玉米产量的主要原因。前茬秸秆免耕还田优化后茬玉米主要产量性能指标的效果最好。因此,前茬小麦25 cm秸秆覆盖免耕还田是绿洲灌区优化后作玉米产量性能指标及获得高产的可行栽培措施。