The Effect of Detopping the Field Bean Plants (Vicia faba L. minor) and Lack of the Pod Setting on the Symbiosis with Root Nodule Bacteria

The plants of field bean var. Nadwiślaνski were detopped after about 1 month since the beginning of flowering and after that all flower buds were removed from some plants. The effect of a change in the trophic balance on the setting and subsequent growth of root nodules was studied.
The removal of pods had the greater effect on the increase in the weight of the remaining organs than the detopping of plants. Detopping retarded the ageing of the plants and delayed the phase of the greatest reduction of the number of pods. The detopping of plants revealed their considerable compensative possibilities in terms of production of the pod weight and the potential of leaves for biomass production. The data obtained indicate that plant detopping may disturb the root–bacteria exchange of signals, necessary to initiate the nodule development, while the further growth of nodules depends, above all, on the amount of available photosynthates.
A very high correlation between the dry weight of the whole plant to the dry weight of leaves ratio and the weight of nodules was observed. It proves the importance of the trophic balance of the plant for the root nodule weight production.     

番鸭生长性状遗传参数的估测

对白羽番鸭RF系各阶段的生长性状进行表型分析和遗传参数估计。结果：各阶段的体重遗传力较高，日增重的遗传力中等，而0－70日龄料肉比和0－84日龄料肉比遗传力偏低。同时还表明，各阶段体重之间和日增重之间存在较强的正遗传相关，而各阶段日增重与料肉比之间存在不同程度的负遗传相关。生长性状遗传相关的变化范围在－0．824－0．912。     

Correlated Responses in Two Traits when Selection is Practised on their Ratio

In many fields of application in plant breeding and crop science, ratios of two component traits X and Y are of interest (harvest index in cereals, leaf-to-stem ratio in forage legumes, height-to-diameter ratio in forest trees etc.). When selection is practised on the ratio X/Y of two traits X and Y, the experimenter may be interested in the resulting changes of both trait means. Based on improved approximations for the covariances between X and X/Y and between Y and X/Y and for the variance of X/Y the changes in the means of X and Y can be predicted by applying the regression approach from conventional selection theory. Explicit expressions for these correlated responses in X and Y when selection is practised on their ratio X/Y are derived and discussed. The different outcomes (decrease, zero change or increase) for the selection pressures on X and Y are characterized by phenotypic coefficients of variation of X and Y, phenotypic and genotypic correlations between X and Y and heritabilities of X and Y.     

正反反复选择下近交对褐壳蛋鸡饲料利用率和繁殖性状的影响

本文估计了褐壳蛋鸡洛岛红(AA)和浅花苏赛克斯(BB)在正反反复选择(RRS)下的近交系数,分析了近交对选择标准饲料利用率及其相关性状和繁殖性状的影响。试验群体由两纯种及其正反交组合和相应的对照组组成。经过7个世代的RRS和近交试验,试验组AA和BB(括弧里为对照组1AA和1BB)用系谱材料计算出的平均累积近交系数分别为2.58％和3.23％(9.33和8.17%)或每代为0.43%(1.35%),用有效群体含量估计出的AA与BB的相应数值为2.91％与2.83％(5.84%与5.92％)或每代为0.42％(0.86％)。1％近交系数导致的孵化率和饲料利用率的近交衰退较严重(0.5％和0.4％),其次是产蛋性状(约0.3％),而体重和蛋重只有0.1％左右。在本研究中,通过连续7代的RRS与合适的留种率等措施,成功地将闭锁群体的近交系数控制在3%以下的低水平,消除或减轻了近交对饲料利用率等重要经济性状的不利影响。     

家兔选育性状典型相关分析

选择日本大耳白和新西兰两个品种家兔的生长、繁殖、以及体尺3组共17个性状，应用多元统计方法进行了典型相关分析，结果表明；日本大耳白兔的初生重、初生窝重、21日龄重、泌乳力、胸围等5个性状，新西兰兔的产活仔数、初生重、21日龄重、泌乳力、断奶窝重、母兔体重等6个性状为主要性状。     

Epidemiology of beet necrotic yellow vein virus in sugar beet at different initial inoculum levels in the presence or absence of irrigation

A field experiment was set up in 1988 to study the development of rhizomania disease of sugar beet at different inoculum levels of beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) in soil. Five, tenfold different, inoculum levels were created by addition of the approximate amounts of 0, 0.5, 5, 50 and 500 kg infested soil per ha (the latter corresponding to 0.01% v/v calculated to the tillage layer). A drip irrigation treatment was applied to study the influence of soil moisture on disease. Susceptible sugar beet, cv. Regina, was grown for three consecutive years.In the first year, root symptoms were not observed, but BNYVV-infected plants were detected by ELISA in low numbers at all inoculum levels at harvest. After late drilling in 1989, high numbers of infected plants, up to 90–100% in plots with the highest inoculum level, were detected already in June. Root symptoms were also observed from June onwards. In both these years disease incidence increased in time and was significantly influenced by the initial inoculum level. In the third year, the whole field was heavily diseased, and only for the non-irrigated plots incidence differed for different initial inoculum levels. The expression of symptoms by BNYVV-infected plants was influenced by initial inoculum level, thus by the amount and timing of primary infection.Root weight at harvest was not affected, but sugar content decreased with increasing inoculum level already in 1988, leading to a reduction in sugar yield of 10% at the highest inoculum level. In 1989, both root weight and sugar content decreased progressively with increasing inoculum level, resulting in sugar yield reductions of 11–66% (down to approximately 3000 kg ha^–1) for low to high inoculum levels compared to the control. As the control plots became contaminated, all yields were low in 1990, still showing a decrease with increasing inoculum level in the non-irrigated plots, but an overall mean sugar yield of 3323 kg ha^–1 for the irrigated ones.Sodium and -amino nitrogen content of the root, additional quality parameters determining extractability of sucrose, showed an increase and decrease, respectively, with increasing initial inoculum level already in the first year. The relative differences in contents compared to those from the control were largest for Na content. A significant negative correlation was found between Na (mmol kg^–1 root) and sugar content (% of fresh weight); linear for 1988, exponential for 1989 and 1990.In spring 1989, the infestation of individual plots was assessed using a quantitative bioassay estimating most probable numbers (MPNs) of infective units of BNYVV per 100 g dry soil. The relationship between the MPns determined and root weight, sugar content and sugar yield at harvest could be described by Gompertz curves. The increase in disease incidence with increasing MPN in 1989 was adequately fitted with a logistic equation.     

Effect of plant roots on the germination of microsclerotia ofVerticillium dahliae

Induction of germination of microsclerotia by exudates from plant roots may be important for the control ofV. dahliae. Laboratory experiments with root observation boxes were carried out to assess the influence of root tips of seven crop species and cultivars on the germination of microsclerotia ofVerticillium dahliae in soil under controlled conditions. The root density of crops was measured in a field experiment. The results of the laboratory experiments and the field experiment were combined to estimate the total effect of crops on the population of microsclerotia in the field. Germination of microsclerotia was stimulated by all crops compared to a control without a crop. Among crops, roots of potato cvs Element and Astarte had a larger stimulation effect on microsclerotia than that of potato Ostara, pea, flax, sugar beet or onion. The number of hyphae per microsclerotium decreased with distance from the root surface regardless of the crop species or cultivar. Differences in root densities, in the affected root zones and in the stimulation effect on germination of microsclerotia caused large differences among crops in the effect on the population of microsclerotia in the soil. However, growing a rop with the special purpose to reduce the level ofV. dahliae inoculum in the soil is an inefficient control measure, because only a small part of the total soil volume is affected by roots and the number of hyphae per microscleroium affected is too low.Abbreviations MS microsclerotia, microsclerotium     

Genetic mapping and utilization of quantitative trichome-mediated insect resistance in potato

Introgression of trichome-mediated insect resistance from the wild speciesSolanum berthaultii has become a major focus of the potato improvement program at Cornell University during the past twelve years. Several quantitative characters are involved in this resistance which is effective against a wide range of pest types. Correlative biochemical assays have been developed to assay specific components of the resistance, and the effects of the resistance on the target pests have been studied. Quantitative laboratory assays and specific measurements of insect behavior and biology have increased the precision of selection and enable the investigation of the genetic control of the resistance.We are currently using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) for genetic mapping of factors controlling the trichome traits fromS. berthaultii. Backcrosses to both the wild and the cultivated species parents have been evaluated for phenotypes contributing to the resistance mechanism, including trichome density, sucrose ester and polyphenol oxidase production by the trichomes, and the enzymatic browning reaction responsible for insect entrapment. Genetic maps are being developed for these progenies, using RFLP markers previously mapped in potato. Field and greenhouse trials under insect infestations are also being conducted with the mapping progeny. Our goal is to locate genes responsible for quantitative insect resistance by correlating RFLP variation at mapped loci with the trichome phenotypes and insect resistance. Genetic markers for these traits will be useful in transfer of the effective wild chromosomal segments into and among tetraploid potatoes, and for a better understanding of the resistance mechanism.     

Seasonal pattern of shoot emergence and its endogenous control in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense L.)

Controlling established horsenettle plants is achieved by suppressing shoot emergence from root systems. The seasonal pattern of shoot emergence and its possible endogenous control in horsenettle ( Solanum carolinense L.) were investigated. The shoot emergence period in an undisturbed population was limited to a seven-week period from mid-April, and a little longer in tilled conditions. Detached roots showed very high shoot-sprouting ability under 15–30°C throughout the year. In shoot clipping experiments, new shoots sprouted only from the stem and not from the root when attached to shoots, whether above-ground or underground. On the contrary, new shoots sprouted from the roots when all parts of the shoots were clipped off. From these results, the limited shoot emergence period in horsenettle is thought to be initiated by temperatures necessary for sprouting and is ended by a growth correlation effect between early emerged and matured shoots.     

肉用禽育种中应使用的主要屠宰性状指标的探讨

通过对不同周龄、品种的肉鸡、肉鸭屠宰数据进行分析,发现体重、屠宰重、全净膛重、半净膛重、胴体重这几个指标之间呈高度相关(R＞0.94,P＜0.0001),说明可以把这几个指标合并为一个指标,考虑到育种公司测定的实际需求,建议用屠宰重代替全净膛重、半净膛重.由于腿肌重与腿重呈显著相关,用腿重来代替腿肌重,可以大幅度简化育种工作,提高育种效率.本研究认为可以用宰前体重、腿重、胸肌重、腹脂重作为肉用禽屠宰测定的主要指标,为了计算相关的率,可以考虑测量屠宰重指标.