A rapid chromatographic method for determining the glucosinolate content in crambe seed

Crambe abyssinica is becoming a reliable source of industrial oil with good technical characteristics because of its high erucic acid content. The possibility of using the industrial defatted meal of crambe as a feed could further promote the interest in this crop, but is prevented by the high glucosinolate content (70‐150 μmol/g). Therefore the possibility of reducing this parameter by selection was evaluated and a search for a new quick analytical procedure begun. When hydrolysed by myrosinase (thioglucoside glucohydrolase EC 3.2.3.1.), at pH 6.5 or higher, epiprogoitrin, the main glucosinolate in crambe seed (>90% of total glucosinolates), gives (5R)‐5‐vinyl‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐2‐thione quantitatively. The latter can be easily estimated by high‐performance liquid chromatography. This is the background of the proposed analytical procedure that permits rapid analysis of about 100 samples per day using about 25 mg of crambe meal (five seeds) for assay. The method can also be used to select for glucosinolate content in rapeseed and, probably with some adjustment, all crops that have a 2‐hydroxy‐glucosinolate as the main glucosinolate.     

Yellows of lettuce and some other vegetable crops in the Netherlands caused by beet western yellows virus

A virus isolated from lettuce (Lactuca sativa), endive (Cichorium endivia), witloof chicory (C. intybus), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea), and from some weeds was shown to be beet western yellows virus (BWYV) by its host range, particle morphology and serology. It resembled previously described European isolates but differed from American strains in its inability to infectBeta vulgaris, Brassica pekinensis andRaphanus sativus. The most useful host for routine indexing wasCrambe abyssinica. Virus particles in purified preparations stained with uranyl acetate were isometric, ca. 27 nm in diameter. Purified virus reacted with antiserum to an American strain of BWYV in infectivity neutralization gel diffusion and serologically specific electron-microscopy tests.The field reaction to BWYV of cultivars of lettuce, otherLactuca species and someCichorium species was investigated and differences in symptom expression were observed. On the basis of observations during two seasons BWYV appeared to be widely distributed but seemed of minor economic importance to lettuce growing. It may be a potentially important pathogen of endive and chicory.Samenvatting Reeds gedurende enkele jaren trekt in Nederland een vergelingsziekte van sla (Fig. 1 en 2) de aandacht. In 1977 en 1978 werd de ziekte nader bestudeerd en ook waargenomen in andijvie, witlof (Fig. 3) en spinazie. Uit zieke planten van deze vier gewassen en uit de onkruiden herderstasje en kruiskruid, groeiend in de buurt van de zieke sla, kon doorMyzus persicae op persistente wijze een virus worden overgebracht. Het werd op grond van zijn waardplantenreeks (Tabel 1), deeltjesmorfologie (Fig. 4A) en serologie (Fig. 4B) herkend als het in de USA beschreven beet western yellows virus (BWYV).Het Nederlandse virus komt overeen met in andere landen gerapporteerde Europese isolaten van het virus, maar verschilt van Amerikaanse doordat het niet in staat is om biet, chinese kool en radijs te infecteren. Daarom is voor het virus door Bos en Ashby (1978) de Nederlandse naam slavergelingsvirus ingevoerd. De meest geschikte indicatorplant voor routinetoetsing isCramble abyssinica (Tabel 2). De reactie van herderstasje varieert al naar individu van nagenoeg letaal tot vrijwel symptoomloos (Fig. 5).In gedeeltelijk gezuiverde preparaten bleken de deeltjes bolvormig te zijn en ca. 27 nm in diameter (Fig. 4A). Zulke preparaten reageerden met antiserum tegen een Amerikaanse stam van het virus (BWYV) in toetsen die gebruik maken van infectieneutralisering, gel-diffusie en serologisch-speciefieke elektronenmikroskopie. Bij laatstgenoemde techniek werd een fraaie deeltjesklontering waargenomen (Fig. 4B), die ontbrak na incubatie van gezuiverd virus met een antiserum tegen het niet verwante kersebladrolvirus (Fig. 4C).Bij veldwaarneming in 1977 van 20 slarassen, waarbij tot 60% van de planten van één ras werden aangetast, bleken twee rassen niet of weinig vatbaar (Tabel 3). Bij inoculatie in de kas bleken ze echter volledig vatbaar. In 1978 werd een aantal soorten en rassen vanCichorium enLactuca blootgesteld aan natuurlijke en aan kunstmatige infectie. BehalveC. intybus Groenlof IVT waren allen vatbaar, ookL. sativa Gallega de Invierno,L. serriola enL. virosa.Het virus lijkt algemeen voor te komen. Meestal is de infectiegraad niet hoog. Vanwege de lange incubatieduur in sla is het virus in dat gewas bij de hier toegepaste teeltwijze waarschijnlijk van geringe betekenis. Het lijkt echter een potentieel belangrijk pathogeen voor andijvie en witlof.Guest research worker, Plant Diseases Division, DSIR, Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand, with financial assistance from the International Agricultural Centre, Wageningen, and Ministry of Education and Science, The Hague.     

基于海甘蓝RNA-Seq序列开发EST-SSR分子标记

利用油料作物海甘蓝(十字花科)发育时期种子的RNA-Seq测序数据组装获得186 778条cDNA重叠群(Contigs)序列,通过MISA和Primer 3程序设计了6 639个EST-SSR分子标记。在这些标记中,除了单核苷酸重复(45%)外,三核苷酸重复的SSR是最常见的碱基重复类型(29%),其次是双核苷酸型(10%)、五核苷酸型(7%)、六核苷酸型(5%)和四核苷酸型(2%)型。采用电子定位的方法将1 206个EST-SSR标记定位到近缘种白菜(Brassica napa)的基因组上。依据引物在白菜基因组中的分布,挑选了20条EST-SSR引物在海甘蓝中进行PCR验证,其结果显示所有引物均能够扩增出符合预期大小的PCR片段。这些新开发的EST-SSR引物可以作为功能标记应用于海甘蓝的分类鉴定、遗传图谱构建、种质资源鉴定以及分子标记辅助育种工作中。     

海甘蓝栽培措施的初步探讨

研究了在成都地区不同播期和播种密度对海甘蓝产量及经济性状的影响。结果表明：（１）播种至出苗和现蕾至盛花是影响全生育期长短的两个主要阶段。日均温是影响这两个阶段的主要因子。在不同播期条件下，全株粒温和千粒粒重与产量相关系数均达到极显著水平，是影响海甘蓝产量最明显的产量构成因子。在成都地区适宜的播种期为１０月初至１０月中旬。（２）１５万株／ｈｍ２能保持较高的叶面积系数，降低发病率，产量较高，是较为合适的种植密度。     

海甘蓝新品系的选育

以高产为目标，结合芥酸和硫甙追踪分析，连续3年通过单株选育和夏繁加代，初步选育出N01和B07两个新品系。N01品系的硫甙含量保持在53μmol／g以下，比对照下降了15～35μmol／g。B07品系的芥酸含量大于62％，比对照高6％～8％。N01和B07新品系的丰产性和抗逆性均优于原始群体。     

Macronutrient deficiency and anatomic modifications in crambe leaves

Abstract

This study had the objective of assessing growth, deficiency symptoms and leaf anatomy of crambe plants submitted to macronutrient availability. The experimental design was the complete randomized with four replications. The first treatment consisted of cultivating crambe plants in a nutrient solution completed with N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S. Using the diagnosis by subtraction, the other treatments consisted of the same solution with individual omission of each nutrient, totaling seven treatments. Supplement of different solutions took place two weeks after emergence. One week forward, visual symptoms of deficiency started to be evaluated. By the end of the experiment, the number of leaves, number of branches, shoot dry matter and leaf anatomic parameters were evaluated. Nutrient deficiency limited shoot dry matter in the following order: N?>?Ca?>?P>Mg?>?S?>?K. Subtracting Ca from the solution was most limiting to crambe growth once plants did not even reach reproductive stages. Individual subtractions of each macronutrient anatomically altered crambe leaves, especially omitting Ca, K, and S, which reduced tissue thickness.     

Arsenic and Cadmium Phytoextraction Potential of Crambe Compared with Indian Mustard

ABSTRACT

The ability to tolerate and accumulate arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) was compared between Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) and Crambe abyssinica (Hochst.) (Crambe or Abyssinian mustard). Plants were grown hydroponically and treated with 70 μM sodium arsenate or 50 μ M cadmium chloride for two weeks. When nutrients were omitted during the As treatment, leaves of C. abyssinica accumulated an average of 140 mg As kg^?1, compared with 34 mg kg^?1 for B. juncea. When quarter-strength Hoagland's nutrient solution was provided during As treatment, leaves of C. abyssinica accumulated an average of 270 mg As kg^?1, compared with 13 mg kg^?1 for B. juncea. Cadmium accumulation on a dry-weight basis was approximately two times greater in shoots of B. juncea. Shoot biomass production in the presence or absence of metals was greatest for C. abyssinica. Because of its larger biomass and more efficient accumulation of As, C. abyssinica should be considered for use in phytoremediation research.     

Growth,Development and Yield of Crambe Abyssinica Under Saline Irrigation in the Greenhouse

Salinity is one of the major factors limiting agricultural productivity in arid and semi‐arid regions. Saline areas around the world are increasing and sources of fresh water are decreasing. The increasing importance of the use of brackish water to supplement regular irrigation has demonstrated a need for finding new potential plants with tolerance to irrigation with saline water which can be used in industrial agriculture. The aim of this study was to determine whether irrigation with brackish water of Crambe Abyssinica, a plant commonly used for industrial oil production and for ornamental purposes and with high economical value, especially in Central Asia and the Aral Sea region, is feasible. One more goal was to study how it influences growth and development, seed and oil yield and some physiological parameters such as photosynthesis, transpiration, chlorophyll content, osmotic potential and accumulation of fresh and dry weight. The effects of three salinity levels, 3, 6 and 9 dS m^?1, were investigated in a greenhouse experiment during two consecutive years. Results of this study showed that growth of Crambe abyssinica in arid zones and irrigation with mild saline water up to EC 6 dS m^?1, mostly common in these areas is feasible, suggesting tolerance to moderate salinity levels and feasibility of its culture in areas of the Aral Sea with adequate salinity levels. Consequently, in spite of the fact that biomass and seed yield were significantly decreased in plants irrigated with brackish water, Crambe abyssinica might be cultivated as an alternate source of green biomass and for industrial vegetable oil under conditions not suitable for conventional plant production.     

Preliminary Evaluation of the Soil Application Value of Crambe Meal

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica L.) is a specialty oilseed crop. By‐product crambe meal has a high glucosinolate content, restricting its use for animal feed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate crambe meal for various types of soil application. When incubated with soil, crambe meal mineralized more slowly than soybean meal, with an average of 38% of the added nitrogen (N) from crambe meal appearing as mineral N after 12 weeks of incubation, compared with 57% for soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) meal. Sulfur mineralization from crambe meal was rapid. Bioassays indicated no phytotoxicity to seedlings from crambe meal. In a second experiment, high rates of crambe meal inhibited the nitrification of urea added to soil, but this effect was short‐lived. In a third experiment, crambe meal–ferrous sulfate mixtures applied to calcareous soil partially alleviated iron deficiency chlorosis of soybean, but the response was less than observed with iron–ethylenediaminedi(o‐hydroxyphenylacetic) acid.     

Variation for agronomic characteristics in Crambe hispanica, a wild relative of Crambe abyssinica

Summary In order to assess the potential of Crambe hispanica, either in breeding programmes of C. abyssinica or as an oilseed crop in itself, 36 accessions of C. hispanica (29 of var. hispanica and 7 of var. glabrata) were grown in a greenhouse and evaluated for morphological characteristics, earliness, plant habit, seed characteristics and fatty acid composition. Four lines of C. abyssinica were included for reference. The 29 accessions of var. hispanica showed significant variation for all observed characteristics. Besides morphological characteristics, large variation was found for earliness, number of primary branches, seed yield, 1000 seed weight and volume, and linoleic, linolenic and erucic acid content. Morphological characteristics, earliness and plant habit did not show any high correlations with seed characteristics or fatty acid composition, except for seed hull (pericarp) mottling, which was related to a high oil and erucic acid content. The seven accessions of var. glabrata showed little variation. The large genetic variation in combination with promising figures for several characteristics, found in C. hispanica, may be useful in breeding programmes of the oilseed crop C. abyssinica, for which the available genetic variation is limited. Prospects of selection for high-erucic acid genotypes are discussed. Compared to C. abyssinica, both botanical varieties of C. hispanica are characterized by a cordate shape of the basal leaves, lack of seed retention and a lower DNA content. Plants of var. glabrata differed from var. hispanica in a sparsely hispid upper leaf surface and round stems and branches covered with a waxy layer. These clear differences and lack of success in intercrossing both varieties of C. hispanica strongly suggest that their taxonomic classification should be reconsidered.