Antagonistic effect of soil rhizosphere microorganisms on Bipolaris sorokiniana,the causal agent of wheat seedling blight

The biocontrol efficiency of Epicoccum purpurascens, Gliocladium roseum, three strains of Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat plants, was assessed in relation to seedling blight caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana. An in vitro study of the potential antagonist was performed using the dual culture technique and by ‘sowing’ wheat seeds pelleted with the saprophytes in plates with water agar?+?the pathogen. In vivo assays were carried out in the greenhouse and in the field with pelleted seeds sown in artificially infested soil. Both the number of living plants and the number of plants with necrosis on the leaves and the base of the stems and roots were assessed 15 days after sowing. Under greenhouse conditions, B. subtilis 3 and G. roseum reduced the level of infection of Buck Pucará and Trigomax 100 cultivars, respectively. In the field, biocontrol of the disease was not achieved.     

Relative Phosphorus Utilization Efficiency,Growth Response,and Phosphorus Uptake Kinetics of Brassica Cultivars under a Phosphorus Stress Environment

Abstract

Plants grown in highly weathered or highly alkaline calcareous soils often experience phosphorus (P) stress but never a P‐free environment. Thus, applications of mineral P fertilizers are often required to achieve maximum yield, but recovery of applied P fertilizers is notoriously low. Phosphorus deprivation elicits a complex array of morphological, physiological, and biochemical adaptations among plant species and genotypes to enhance P acquisition and utilization efficiency. Ten Brassica cultivars were grown hydroponically to investigate their relative efficiency to utilize deficiently (20‐µM) and adequately (200‐µM) supplied P, using Johnson's modified solution. Cultivars differed significantly (P<0.001) in biomass accumulation. Orthophosphate concentration and uptake in shoot and root, absolute and relative growth rate, and P‐utilization efficiency (PUE) were also significantly different among various Brassica cultivars. Root‐shoot ratio and specific absorption rate were substantially increased in plants subjected to low P supply. Shoot and root dry‐matter yield as well as total biomass production correlated significantly (P<0.01) with their total P uptake and PUE. Cultivars, which were efficient in P utilization, were also efficient accumulators of biomass under adequate as well as deficient levels of P supply. As part of the study, kinetic parameters of P uptake were evaluated for six contrasting Brassica cultivars in PUE, grown in nutrient solution. The kinetic parameters related to P influx were maximal transport rate (Vmax), the Michaelis–Menten constant (Km), and the external concentration when net uptake is zero (Cmin). Lower Km and Cmin values were indicative of P‐uptake ability of the cultivars, evidencing their adaptability to P‐stress conditions. In another experiment, six cultivars were exposed to no P nutrition for 27 days after initial feeding on optimum nutrition for 14 days. All the cultivars retranslocated P from aboveground parts to their roots during growth in P‐free conditions, the magnitude of which was variable in different cultivars. Phosphorus concentration at 41 days after transplanting was higher in developing leaves than developed leaves. Translocation of absorbed P from metabolically inactive sites to active sites in plants growing under P‐stress conditions may have helped the tolerant cultivars to establish a better rooting system, which provided basis for tolerance against P‐deficiency stress and increased PUE.     

Path and Correlation Analyses of the Factors affecting Biomass Production of Brassica Cultivars under Phosphorus‐Deficiency Stress Environment

Abstract

Path analysis is a statistical technique that partitions correlations into direct and indirect effects and distinguishes between correlation and causation, whereas correlation in general measures the extent and direction (positive or negative) of a relationship occurring between two or more variables. The estimates of correlation and path coefficients can help us to understand the role and relative contribution of various plant traits in establishing growth behavior of crop cultivars under given environmental conditions. Dependence of shoot dry‐matter (SDM) production of six hydroponically grown Brassica cultivars on various growth parameters and characteristics of P metabolism was investigated using the modified Johnson's nutrient solution to maintain deficient (10 µM) and adequate (200 µM) P levels. Root dry‐matter (RDM), total dry‐matter, P content in shoot, and P‐utilization efficiency (PUE) had significant and positive effects on production of SDM in a P‐deficient environment. Root–shoot ratio (RSR), however, negatively affected SDM of cultivars exposed to P‐deficient conditions and did not show any impact on SDM production in either of the two treatments. In a pot study, six Brassica cultivars were grown in a sandy loam soil that was deficient in NaHCO₃‐extractable P (3.9 mg P kg^?1 soil) for 49 days. Significant positive correlations were observed between SDM and some other plant traits such as RDM, leaf area per plant, P uptake, and PUE, at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. The correlations of SDM with RSR, however, were not observed, implying that relative partitioning of biomass into roots or shoots had little role to play in SDM production by Brassica cultivars under P‐deficiency stress. Path analysis revealed that favorable impact of RDM and leaf area on SDM production was indirect through positive effect of these parameters on P uptake and PUE. Thus, under P‐deficiency stress, better P acquisition and efficient P utilization by the cultivars for biomass synthesis collectively formed the basis of higher SDM production by the cultivars, evidencing that P uptake and utilization efficiency are two important plant traits for selecting P‐deficiency‐stress‐tolerant Brassica cultivars.     

Diagnosis and Amelioration of Iron Deficiency under Aerobic Rice

ABSTRACT

Iron (Fe) deficiency is one of the serious nutritional disorders in aerobically grown rice on upland alkaline and calcareous soils, which leads to a decline in productivity. With a view to resolve the Fe-deficiency syndrome in aerobic rice, the influence of soil moisture regimes, farmyard manure (FYM) and applied Fe on the release of Fe was assessed under an incubation study. A field experiment was also conducted to evaluate the relative effectiveness of soil and foliar applications of Fe in alleviating Fe deficiency using four rice cultivars (‘IR 36’, ‘IR 64’, ‘IR 71525-19-1-1’ and ‘CT 6510-24-1-2’). Results of incubation study indicated that the application of FYM marginally improved the diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-Fe status of soil over control. However, application of iron sulfate (FeSO₄ · 7H₂O) at 14 mg Fe/kg with FYM released as much Fe as did the application of 27 mg Fe/kg as FeSO₄ 7H₂O alone. Comparatively higher amounts of Fe were released under water saturation than that under drier soil moisture regimes and the effect of incubation period in releasing Fe was pronounced only under water saturation.

Under field study, supplementation of Fe through integrated or inorganic source caused improvement in the DTPA and ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc) extractable Fe similar to that recorded under incubation. The foliar application of Fe (3% FeSO₄ 7H₂O solution, thrice at 40, 60, and 75 days after sowing of rice, i.e., 45 kg FeSO₄.7H₂O/ha) was most effective and economical in correcting Fe deficiency in aerobic rice, followed by soil application of 150 kg FeSO₄.7H₂O + 10 t FYM/ ha and 305 kg FeSO₄.7H₂O/ha. Among the rice cultivars, ‘CT 6510-24-1-2’ and ‘IR 71525-19-1-1’ performed better under aerobic condition compared to ‘IR 36’ and ‘IR 64’. Differential response of rice cultivars to applied Fe was not related to Fe-nutrition; rather it was apparently related with inherent ability of cultivars to grow under water-stress condition. Ferrous iron (Fe^II) content in rice plants proved to be a better index of Fe-nutrition status compared to total plant Fe and chemically extractable soil Fe. The Fe^II concentration of ≥ 37 mg kg^?1 in plants (on dry weight basis) appeared to be an adequate level at 60 days after sowing for direct seeded rice grown under upland aerobic condition.     

Potential of indigenous bradyrhizobia versus commercial inoculants to improve cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. walp.) and green gram (Vigna radiata L. wilczek.) yields in Kenya

Limited information is available on reduced cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) and green gram (Vigna radiata L.Wilczek.) yields in Kenya. Declining soil fertility and absence or presence of ineffective indigenous rhizobia in soils are assumptions that have been formulated but still require to be demonstrated. In this study, soils were collected from legume growing areas of Western (Bungoma), Nyanza (Bondo), Eastern (Isiolo), Central (Meru) and Coast (Kilifi) provinces in Kenya to assess indigenous rhizobia in soils nodulating cowpea and green gram under greenhouse conditions. Our results showed that highest nodule fresh weights of 4.63 and 3.32?g plant^?1 for cowpea and green gram were observed in one soil from Isiolo and another from Kilifi, respectively, suggesting the presence of significant infective indigenous strains in both soils. On the other hand, the lowest nodule fresh weights of 2.17 and 0.72?g plant^?1 were observed in one soil from Bungoma for cowpea and green gram, respectively. Symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation by cowpea and green gram was highest in Kilifi soil with values of 98% and 97%, respectively. A second greenhouse experiment was undertaken to evaluate the performance of commercial rhizobial inoculants with both legumes in Chonyi soil (also from Coast province) containing significant indigenous rhizobia [>13.5?×?10³ Colony Forming Units (CFU) g^?1]. Rhizobial inoculation did not significantly (P?相似文献   

Studies on Zn uptake and influence of Zn and Fe on chlorophyll development in young maize cultivars

Maize (Zea mays L.) seeds of hybrid Ganga‐2 and its parent cultivars were germinated and allowed to absorb Zn labelled ZnCl₂ ^, ZnEDTA or ZnEDDHA for 24 hours. The translocation of Zn in seedlings raised from them was followed on 5, 7 and 10 days. It was found that while the endosperm Zn content decreased rapidly, there was no significant increase in Zn transported to scutellum, root and shoot. There was no difference between Zn treatments as well as between the cultivars. The results demonstrated the poor mobility of Zn in maize during early growth. Further studies showed that the pretreatment of seeds with ZnEDTA and low amount of Fe enhanced chlorophyll content in 10 day old seedlings. No hybrid vigor was observed either in Zn translocation, or effects of Zn and Fe on chlorophyll synthesis.     

Towards sustainable production of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) through integrated use of vermicompost and cowpea green manuring with synthetic nitrogen fertilization

A field experiment with peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) was conducted in a sandy loam (Typic ustifluvent) soil during 2007 and 2008 at Lucknow, India. Ten treatments consisting of control (no synthetic or organic nitrogen fertilization), synthetic nitrogen fertilization (SN) 75, 150 and 225 kg ha^?1 alone, vermicompost (VC) 3 t + 37.5 kg SN ha^?1, VC 6 t + 75 kg SN ha^?1 and VC 9 t + 112.5 kg SN ha^?1 and intercropping of one, two and three rows of cowpea for green manuring in combination with 50, 100 and 150 kg SN ha^?1, respectively, were evaluated in a randomized block design. Integrated use of VC 9 t with 112.5 kg SN ha^?1 produced maximum essential oil (94.3 kg ha^?1), increased the herb and essential oil yields by 104 and 89%, respectively, over control and reduced SN use by 50%, without affecting the quality of essential oil. Application of VC and intercropping of cowpea for green manuring significantly improved the organic carbon, available N, P and K content in soil over SN alone. To get sustainable production of peppermint, application of VC 9 t ha^?1 along with 112.5 kg N ha^?1 through synthetic fertilizer is recommended for light textured sandy loam soils.     

Remobilization efficiency and photosynthetic characteristics of five barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars under terminal drought stress

Drought is an important limiting factor which can cause major loss in barley productivity. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of irrigation regimes on assimilate remobilization and photosynthetic characteristics of five barley cultivars in 2012 and 2013. There were four levels of irrigation including well-watered [soil moisture content in root depth kept at 100% field capacity (FC)], mild drought (75% FC), severe drought (50% FC), and very severe drought (25% FC). Results showed that Karoon and Valfajr cultivars had the maximum net photosynthetic rate (P_n) ranged from 16.3 to 19.3 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 under very severe drought. Stomatal conductance (gs) was affected by drought so that Karoon and Valfajr had the lowest gs under severe and very severe drought. By improving the drought, remobilization efficiency in Karoon and Valfajr increased from 18.3% in well-watered to 54.1% under severe drought. In both years under severe and very severe drought, maximum 1000-grain weight and grain yield was obtained in Valfajr and Karoon. Overall, in arid areas, applying suitable irrigation regimes such as mild or severe drought can control soil drying, so that suitable cultivars such as Karoon and Valfajr can rehydrate overnight, and yield might not be inhibited severely.     

黄淮麦区小麦新品种(系)的遗传多样性分析

为了解黄淮麦区新育成小麦品种的遗传多样性,选用33对SSR引物对2011/2012年度国家黄淮冬麦区(南片)区试42个小麦品种(系)的遗传差异情况进行了分析。结果显示,(1)33对引物共检测到128个等位变异,每对引物检测到等位变异数2～6个,平均3.88个;每个SSR位点多态性信息指数(PIC)为0.09～0.77,平均为0.53。(2)小麦新品种3个基因组的平均遗传丰富度不同,由高到低排序为A>B>D,平均遗传多样性指数为B>A>D。(3)品种间遗传相似系数(GS)为0.15～0.88,平均为0.52。聚类分析结果表明,42个品种被聚为2大类,4个亚类,其中大部分品种聚集于前两个亚类。本研究表明,黄淮麦区小麦区试品种(系)中少数品种具有较大遗传差异,可为亲本利用提供参考,但参试品种总体遗传多样性水平较低。