Estimation of phenotypic variability in symbiotic nitrogen fixation ability of common bean under drought stress using 15N natural abundance in grain

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important food legume, cultivated by small farmers and is usually exposed to unfavorable conditions with minimum use of inputs. Drought and low soil fertility, especially phosphorus and nitrogen (N) deficiencies, are major limitations to bean yield in smallholder systems. Beans can derive part of their required N from the atmosphere through symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). Drought stress severely limits SNF ability of plants. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) test and validate the use of ¹⁵N natural abundance in grain to quantify phenotypic differences in SNF ability for its implementation in breeding programs of common bean with bush growth habit aiming to improve SNF, and (ii) quantify phenotypic differences in SNF under drought to identify superior genotypes that could serve as parents. Field studies were conducted at CIAT-Palmira, Colombia using a set of 36 bean genotypes belonging to the Middle American gene pool for evaluation in two seasons with two levels of water supply (irrigated and drought stress). We used ¹⁵N natural abundance method to compare SNF ability estimated from shoot tissue sampled at mid-pod filling growth stage vs. grain tissue sampled at harvest. Our results showed positive and significant correlation between nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) estimated using shoot tissue at mid-pod filling and %Ndfa estimated using grain tissue at harvest. Both methods showed phenotypic variability in SNF ability under both drought and irrigated conditions and a significant reduction in SNF ability was observed under drought stress. We suggest that the method of estimating Ndfa using grain tissue (Ndfa-G) could be applied in bean breeding programs to improve SNF ability. Using this method of Ndfa-G, we identified four bean lines (RCB 593, SEA 15, NCB 226 and BFS 29) that combine greater SNF ability with greater grain yield under drought stress and these could serve as potential parents to further improve SNF ability of common bean.     

Soil CO2 emission in sugarcane management systems

Sugarcane management systems affect soil attributes such as the carbon cycle. This fact has stimulated the sugar and alcohol industry to refine the sugarcane production systems by replacing the pre-harvest burning (PB) and manual harvest with mechanized harvesting followed by residue deposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate different management systems with respect to C cycling carbon dioxide and soil parameters (chemical, physical and biological) which were determined over the season. Three sugarcane cultivation systems were evaluated at the following periods: (a) PB, (b) 5-year green harvest and (c) 10-year green harvest. The results indicated that CO₂ emission was 36% greater in the 10-year sugarcane green harvest system than in the PB system. The bulk density and macroporosity were the factors that were most affected by the different sugarcane management systems and that significantly influenced soil CO₂ emissions. The principal component analysis showed that soil CO₂ emission was 18% influenced by base saturation (V%) and 14% by pH, especially in the PB area. Additionally, 19% was affected by carbon and macroporosity in the 5- and 10-year green harvest areas, respectively. From our results, it can be concluded that the most CO₂ emissions are in the areas of sugarcane green, this is due to the higher carbon concentration when compared with the area of burning sugarcane. The parameters that most influenced the CO₂ emissions were bulk density, porosity, macroporosity, pH and V%.     

HPLC法测定天然植物粗提物中芍药苷含量

建立高效液相色谱法检测天然植物粗提物饲料原料中芍药苷的测定方法。用十八烷基硅烷键合硅胶色谱柱,以乙腈-0.1%磷酸溶液(14:86)为流动相,检测波长230nm,流速：1.0 mL/min;柱温：30 ℃;进样量：10μL。结果显示,芍药苷的线性方程为Y=10.6017X－14.8514,(r=0.99966,n=6),本方法的回收率为100.4~102.1%,RSD均小于2.0%。结果表明,本方法准确,可靠,适用于天然植物粗提物饲料原料中芍药苷的测定。     

新疆草地优势种植物相对生物量沿海拔梯度变化特征

优势种作为草地生态系统中地上生物量的主要贡献者,其生物量既受到环境因素的影响,也受到共存种种间关系的影响。然而,由于物种的不同和环境梯度的差异,目前有关优势种生物量与环境因素关系的研究,尚未获得一致性的结论。基于此,本研究以2011-2013年对新疆9种草地类型397个样地中优势种相对生物量的调查数据为基础,首先统计了不同草地类型中优势种组成,其次通过一般线性模型分析了优势种相对生物量随海拔梯度变化特征,以及共存优势种相对生物量之间的关系。结果显示：1）新疆草地共有169个优势种,隶属31科120属。这些优势种主要以禾本科植物为主,占据了优势种的19.53%。其中,高寒草原、温性草甸草原、温性草原、温性荒漠草原和温性草原化荒漠中,最主要的优势种均为针茅。而在高寒草甸、山地草甸和温性荒漠中,最主要的优势种则分别为珠芽蓼、千叶蓍和角果藜;2）优势种相对生物量与海拔的关系可以归为5类,分别呈现无显著关系、先降低后升高的U型变化趋势、显著正相关关系、显著负相关关系和先增加后降低的单峰型关系。这5类关系所对应的优势种数量分别为50、9、8、6和4个,分别占优势种总数的64.9%、11.7%、10.4%、7.8%和5.2%;3）24个共存优势种之间,其相对生物量共存在19对显著关系,且大多数共存优势种相对生物量之间主要表现为负相关关系。本研究表明,优势种相对生物量与海拔的关系,因物种不同呈多种变化格局且受到共存优势种的影响,结果可对未来新疆草地地上生物量的维持和管理,提供一定的参考依据。     

基于非洲猪瘟病毒标准物质的荧光PCR检测试剂盒初步评价

为探究非洲猪瘟病毒(African swine fever virus,ASFV)标准物质作为试剂盒评价体系的可行性,比较了市场上5种主流品牌ASFV荧光PCR检测试剂盒的检测性能。使用ASFV P72基因核酸标准物质作为模板,根据5种试剂盒说明书分别进行相应的荧光定量PCR检测,结合扩增曲线、Ct值,分析不同试剂盒的敏感性、可重复性以及所需反应时间。结果显示:5种试剂盒的阴性、阳性对照均成立,最低检测限均为5.9×10^-1拷贝/μL;4个厂家的试剂盒线性关系R2>0.98,其中最优的R²=0.994,离散度最小;各试剂盒的实际反应耗时与理论反应耗时均有一定差异(0.20~0.96 h)。结果表明,各生产厂家使用P72基因作为靶基因研制的ASFV荧光PCR检测试剂盒都可以使用ASFV标准物质作为评价体系,来评判试剂盒的检测性能。本试验为各实验室不同样品检测的ASFV荧光PCR检测试剂盒选择提供了一种可用的评价方法。     

Long‐Term Tillage and Cropping System Effects on Chemical and Biochemical Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter in a Mediterranean Semiarid Environment

Several studies have reported how tillage and cropping systems affect quantity, quality, and distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) along the profile. However, the effect of soil management on the chemical structure of SOM and on its hydrophobic and hydrophilic components has been little investigated. In this work, the long‐term (19 years) effects of two cropping systems (wheat monoculture and wheat/faba bean rotation) and three tillage managements (conventional, reduced, and no tillage) on some chemical characteristics of SOM and their relationships with labile carbon (C) pools were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from the topsoil (0–15 cm) of a Chromic Haploxerert (central Sicily, Italy). After 19 years of different tillage and cropping systems management, total organic C significantly differed among treatments with the labile organic C pools showing the greater amount in no till and in wheat/faba bean plots. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic components of SOM, determined by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, were mainly affected by cropping system, whereas aromatic components of SOM by tillage. Soil organic matter components and characteristics showed significant correlations with the soil biochemical parameters, confirming the expected synergism between chemical and biochemical properties. This study demonstrated that (i) no tillage and crop rotation improve the chemical and biochemical properties of SOM of Vertisols under semiarid environment; and (ii) tillage management and cropping systems have affected, after 19 years, more the chemical and biochemical properties of SOM than its quantity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon Depletion by Plowing and its Restoration by No‐Till Cropping Systems in Oxisols of Subtropical and Tropical Agro‐Ecoregions in Brazil

The continuous use of plowing for grain production has been the principal cause of soil degradation. This project was formulated on the hypothesis that the intensification of cropping systems by increasing biomass‐C input and its biodiversity under no‐till (NT) drives soil restoration of degraded agro‐ecosystem. The present study conducted at subtropical [Ponta Grossa (PG) site] and tropical regions [Lucas do Rio Verde, MT (LRV) site] in Brazil aimed to (i) assess the impact of the continuous plow‐based conventional tillage (CT) on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock vis‐à‐vis native vegetation (NV) as baseline; (ii) compare SOC balance among CT, NT cropping systems, and NV; and (iii) evaluate the redistribution of SOC stock in soil profile in relation to soil resilience. The continuous CT decreased the SOC stock by 0·58 and 0·67 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in the 0‐ to 20‐cm depth at the PG and LRV sites, respectively, and the rate of SOC sequestration was 0·59 for the PG site and ranged from 0·48 to 1·30 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for the LRV site. The fraction of C input by crop residues converted into SOC stock was ~14·2% at the PG site and ~20·5% at the LRV site. The SOC resilience index ranged from 0·29 to 0·79, and it increased with the increase in the C input among the NT systems and the SOC sequestration rates at the LRV site. These data support the hypothesis that NT cropping systems with high C input have a large potential to reverse the process of soil degradation and SOC decline. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

小型生物质直燃炉结构设计

基于目前现有生物质燃烧炉的燃烧效率低,且燃烧过程中焦油生成过多等问题。以高效率燃烧方式的薄层燃烧为该小型生物质直燃炉的主要燃烧方式,大大提高燃烧效率的同时,有效较低焦油与烟尘的产生,并且采用螺杆输送装置对炉膛进行持续供料,实现稳定的不间断燃烧,为成功解决农村生物质燃料浪费及环境污染起到积极作用,为新形势下的能源可持续发展提供思路。     

6种灌木不同器官生物量及其碳、氮含量的分配特征

通过研究晋北地区草地黄刺玫、沙棘、荆条、酸枣、绣线菊和柠条等6种常见灌木的叶片、新生枝、老龄枝生物量及其碳、氮含量的分配特征,旨在为草地准确估算草地植物碳、氮循环提供依据。结果表明:黄刺玫的地上生物量最大,是酸枣的7倍。沙棘叶片生物量占地上生物量的比例最大;黄刺玫新生枝生物量占地上生物量的比例最大;柠条老龄枝生物量占地上生物量的比例最大。黄刺玫、沙棘和荆条的地上部分各器官生物量分配特征相似,由高到低表现为叶片、老龄枝、新生枝;绣线菊、酸枣和柠条的地上部分各器官生物量分配特征相似,由高到低表现为老龄枝、叶片、新生枝。6种灌木地上部分各器官碳含量差异不显著,氮含量分布由高到低为叶片、新生枝、老龄枝。     

9种牧草对青海同德牧区土壤特性的影响

通过对青海省高寒牧区常见的9种多年生牧草单播2年后耕层0~15cm土壤理化(pH、容重(BD)、有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、无机碳(C)及微生物学性质(微生物生物量碳(Cmic)、氮(Nmic)和群落代谢功能)等指标的测定分析,结果表明,研究区域只有在种植披碱草2年后土壤有机碳含量有所增加,说明与其他草种相比,种植披碱草利于有机质的积累;试验在每年施肥1次的情况下,土壤氮含量仍然偏低,说明此区氮素被过度利用,处于缺乏水平,因此每年增施氮肥数量、频率以及时间上应加强管理。通过对不同牧草种植区土壤各因子的聚类分析,发现贫花鹅观草、无芒雀麦、紫野麦草和扁穗冰草之间相似度较高,表明其对土壤养分及微生物群落功能的影响较为接近,故在大面积种植的时候可根据牧草地上生物量/质量的高低进行选择性播种。从土壤质量方向考虑,种植杂花苜蓿、红豆草和西北羊茅不利于土地的改良。