One-time fertilization at first flowering improves lint yield and dry matter partitioning in late planted short-season cotton

Cotton producers have substantially reduced their inputs(labor, nutrients, and management) mainly by adopting a shortseason cropping management that is characterized by late sowing, high density, and reduced fertilization with one-time application at the first bloom stage without lint yield reduction. However, it has been hypothesized that one-time fertilization at an earlier growth stage could be a more effective and economic management practice. A two-year field experiment was conducted by applying five fertilizer one-time fertilization at 0(FT1), 5(FT2), 10(FT3), 15(FT4), and 20(FT5) days after the first flower appeared in the field and one three-split fertilizer application taken as the conventional control(FT6), making six treatments altogether. Cotton growth period, biomass accumulation, yield, and its formation were quantified. The results showed that the one-time fertilization did not affect the cotton growth progress as compared to FT6, however, the total crop cycles for FT3–FT5 were 3 days shorter. FT1 produced the highest cotton lint yield(1 396 kg ha–1), which was similar to the FT6 but higher than the other treatments, and could be attributed to more bolls per unit area and higher lint percentage. Cotton yield was positively correlated with cotton plant biomass accumulated. FT1 had both the highest average(VT)(193.7 kg ha–1 d–1) and the highest maximum(VM)(220.9 kg ha–1 d–1) rates during the fast biomass accumulation period. These results suggest that one-time fertilizer application at the first flower stage might be an adjustment that is more effective than at first bloom, and allowed for easier decision making for application date due to non counting of plants with flowers is needed.     

作物根系形态对施肥措施的响应

氮磷钾是植物生长所必需的营养元素,但土壤中植物能利用的有效成分低,限制作物生长发育,而植物可以形成特有的适应机制来应对不同的生长环境。本文综述了作物为适应不同施肥条件所产生的一系列根系形态学变化。分析了不同施肥处理对作物根系形态指标(根长、根表面积、根直径、根体积和根冠比等)的影响：氮对作物影响主要在侧根,低氮胁迫下,根系纵向伸长,增加根长、根体积;低磷条件下,植物普遍抑制主根生长,刺激侧根发育生长,诱导根毛形成;缺钾抑制细根生长,根表面积、根体积等也显著降低;普遍随元素水平的提高,作物根长、根体积、根直径、根表面积和其他根系特征均呈先增加后减少的趋势,植物根系发育产生“低促高抑”的现象;有机肥比化肥可以弥补化肥养分单一和供肥不平衡的缺点,与化肥配合施用更能促进根系生长发育,增加根系体积和总表面积;作物不同基因型品种对肥料胁迫的响应也不尽相同,高效基因型具有良好的根系形态和根系分布,以获得更多的养分。为有效利用有限的肥料资源以及高效作物品种的选种提供理论基础,对作物进一步达到经济收益最大化和环境污染最小化具有重要意义。     

Effect of transferring lignocellulose-degrading bacteria from termite to rumen fluid of sheep on in vitro gas production,fermentation parameters,microbial populations and enzyme activity

The digestive tract of termite(Microcerotermes diversus) contains a variety of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria with exocellulases enzyme activity, not found in the rumen, which could potentially improve fiber degradation in the rumen. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effect of inoculation of rumen fluid(RF) with three species of bacteria isolated from termite digestive tract, Bacillus licheniformis, Ochrobactrum intermedium, and Microbacterium paludicola, on in vitro gas production(IVGP), fermentation parameters, nutrient disappearance, microbial populations, and hydrolytic enzyme activities with fibrous wheat straw(WS) and date leaf(DL) as incubation substrate. Inoculation of RF with either of three termite bacteria increased(P0.05) ammonia-N concentration compared with the control group(free of termite gut bacteria). Termite bacteria inoculation had no effect(P0.05) on gas production characteristics, dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber disappearance, pH, and concentration and composition of volatile fatty acids. Population of proteolytic bacteria and protozoa, but not cellulolytic bacteria, were increased(P0.05) when RF was inoculated with termite bacteria with both WS and DL substrates. Inoculation of RF with termite bacteria increased protease activity, while activities of carboxymethyl-cellulase, microcrystalline-cellulase, α-amylase and filter paper degrading activity remained unchanged(P0.05). Overall, the results of this study indicated that transferring lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, isolated from digestive tract of termite, to rumen liquid increased protozoa and proteolytic bacteria population and consequently increased protease activity and ammonia-N concentration in vitro, however, no effect on fermentation and fiber degradation parameters were detected. These results suggest that the termite bacteria might be rapidly lysed by the rumen microbes before beneficial effects on the rumen fermentation process could occur.     

Long-term fertilization leads to specific PLFA finger-prints in Chinese Hapludults soil

Soil microbes play essential roles in the biogeochemical processes of organic carbon and nutrient cycling. Many studies have reported various short-term effects of fertilization on soil microbes. However, less is known about the effects of longterm fertilization regimes on the rhizosphere. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore how the soil microbial communities in the rhizosphere respond to different long-term fertilization strategies. Based on a 21-year field treatment experiment in Guizhou, China, we extracted phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs) to determine the microbial community structure in both the non-rhizosphere(NR) and rhizosphere(R). Six treatments were included: no fertilizer(CK), mineral nitrogen fertilizer(N), N with potassium(NK), phosphorus with K(PK), NPK, and NPK combined with manure(MNPK). The results showed that total PLFAs under unbalanced mineral fertilization(N, NK and PK) were decreased by 45% on average in the NR compared with CK, whereas MNPK increased fungi and G~– bacteria abundance significantly in both the NR(by 33 and 23%) and R(by 15 and 20%), respectively. In addition, all microbial groups in the R under these treatments(N, NK and PK) were significantly increased relative to those in the NR, except for the ratio of F/B and G~+/G~–, which might be due to the high nutrient availability in the R. Soil pH and SOC significantly regulated the soil microbial community and structure, explaining 51 and 20% of the variation in the NR, respectively. However, the rhizosphere microbial community structure was only significantly affected by soil pH(31%). We concluded that the soil microbial community in the NR was more strongly affected by long-term fertilization than that in the R due to the rhizosphere effect in the agricultural ecosystem. Rhizosphere nutrient conditions and buffering capacity could help microbial communities resist the change from the long-term fertilization.     

滴灌施肥对幼龄茶树生长和养分吸收的影响

通过田间试验,研究了龙井43、白叶1号品种茶园滴灌施肥对幼龄茶树生长、养分吸收、品质成分等的影响,分析了不同施肥模式下的施肥成本投入情况。结果表明,与常规开沟施肥相比,采用滴灌施肥后,即使在化肥减量25%的情况下,树高、主干直径、树幅都显著增加,修剪物生物量增加明显;茶树对养分的吸收量明显增加,而养分的渗漏损失明显减少,从而提高了养分利用效率。从滴灌施肥的次数上分析,龙井43品种,在试验条件下年施肥次数7次可以达到较好效果,而白叶1号品种,年施14次的效果较好。     

氮磷钾用量对小麦冠层不同层次光截获和干物质分配的影响

为明确不同氮、磷、钾用量对小麦冠层不同层次光截获和干物质分配的影响,以济麦22为供试材料,设置F0（不施肥）、F1（N 180 kg·hm^-2,P₂O₅ 75 kg·hm^-2,K₂O 60 kg·hm^-2）、F2（N 225 kg·hm^-2,P₂O₅ 120 kg·hm^-2,K₂O 105 kg·hm^-2）和F3（N 270 kg·hm^-2,P₂O₅ 165 kg·hm^-2,K₂O 105 kg·hm^-2）4个施肥量处理,比较分析开花后不同氮、磷、钾用量对小麦叶面积指数、冠层不同层次光截获特性和成熟期干物质分配的影响。结果表明,F1处理下叶面积指数显著高于F0处理,而与F2和F3处理间无显著差异;开花后15 d,F1处理下小麦冠层不同层次及总PAR截获率和截获量均显著高于F0处理,而与F2和F3处理间无显著差异。F1处理下成熟期干物质在小麦冠层不同层次营养器官中的分配量、籽粒中的分配量及总干物质积累量显著高于F0处理,而与F2和F3处理间无显著差异。成熟期干物质在小麦冠层不同层次营养器官和籽粒中的分配量以及总干物质积累量与冠层上层（顶部至株高2/3）、中层（株高2/3至株高1/3）和总PAR截获率均呈显著正相关。F1处理（N 180 kg·hm^-2,P₂O₅ 75 kg·hm^-2,K₂O 60 kg·hm^-2）为本试验条件下的最优处理。     

Screening of Human CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 Inhibitors from Seaweed In Silico and In Vitro

Phenolic compounds and carotenoids are potential inhibitors of cytochrome P450s. Sixteen known compounds, phenolic compounds and carotenoids from seaweed were examined for potential inhibitory capacity against CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in silico and in vitro. Morin, quercetin, and fucoxanthin inhibited the enzyme activity of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in a dose-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ values of morin, quercetin, and fucoxanthin were 41.8, 22.5, and 30.3 μM for CYP1A2 and 86.6, 16.1, and 24.4 μM for CYP3A4, respectively. Siphonaxanthin and hesperidin did not show any significant effect on CYP1A2, but they slightly inhibited CYP3A4 activity at high concentrations. In silico modeling of CYP’s binding site revealed that the potential inhibitors bound in the cavity located above the distal surface of the heme prosthetic group through the 2a or 2f channel of CYPs. This study presents an approach for quickly predicting CYP inhibitory activity and shows the potential interactions of compounds and CYPs through in silico modeling.     

Community structure and carbon and nitrogen storage of sagebrush desert under grazing exclusion in Northwest China

Overgrazing is regarded as one of the key factors of vegetation and soil degradation in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China.Grazing exclusion(GE)is one of the most common pathways used to restore degraded grasslands and to improve their ecosystem services.Nevertheless,there are still significant controversies concerning GE’s effects on grassland diversity as well as carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)storage.It remains poorly understood in the arid desert regions,whilst being essential for the sustainable use of grassland resources.To assess the effects of GE on community characteristics and C and N storage of desert plant community in the arid desert regions,we investigated the community structure and plant biomass,as well as C and N storage of plants and soil(0-100 cm depth)in short-term GE(three years)plots and adjacent long-term freely grazing(FG)plots in the areas of sagebrush desert in Northwest China,which are important both for spring-autumn seasonal pasture and for ecological conservation.Our findings indicated that GE was beneficial to the average height,coverage and aboveground biomass(including stems,leaves and inflorescences,and litter)of desert plant community,to the species richness and importance values of subshrubs and perennial herbs,and to the biomass C and N storage of aboveground parts(P<0.05).However,GE was not beneficial to the importance values of annual herbs,root/shoot ratio and total N concentration in the 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil layers(P<0.05).Additionally,the plant density,belowground biomass,and soil organic C concentration and C storage in the 0-100 cm soil layer could not be significantly changed by short-term GE(three years).The results suggest that,although GE was not beneficial for C sequestration in the sagebrush desert ecosystem,it is an effective strategy for improving productivity,diversity,and C and N storage of plants.As a result,GE can be used to rehabilitate degraded grasslands in the arid desert regions of Northwest China.