Annual Medicago as a Smother Crop in Soybean

Use of conservation tillage and narrow row spacing in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production has led to increased use of herbicides for weed control. Some producers are seeking alternative weed control methods, such as smother crops, that would reduce dependence on chemical weed control. A successful smother crop must compete strongly with weeds but minimally with the crop. In four environments, we intercropped three annual Medicago spp. (medics) with soybean to test their utility as a smother crop for weed control. Annual medics were intercropped with soybean at rates of 0, 85, 258, or 775 seeds m^?2, and the intercrops were grown with and without weed control. Increasing medic seeding rate decreased weed yields but also reduced soybean herbage and grain yields. For the weed‐controlled treatment, average soybean grain yields declined 7 kg ha^?1 for every 10 seeds m^?2 increase in medic seeding rate. Soybean grain yield was lower when grown with Medicago scutellata L. cv. Sava than when grown with Medicago polymorpha L. cv. Santiago or Medicago lupilina L. cv. George. Soybean grain yield was negatively related (r=?81) to medic herbage production. In the autumn following soybean harvest, medic residue ranged from 200 to 3700 kg ha^?1 depending on the location and seeding rate. Medics provided residue for soil protection, suppressed weeds, but also reduced soybean yields.     

Feasibility of selection for high weed suppressive ability in soybean: Absence of tradeoffs between rapid initial growth and sustained later growth

In ecology, tradeoff theory has been used to understand differences among plant species in their competitive abilities. In efforts to develop weed-suppressive soybean, we found evidence of a tradeoff between the ability for rapid initial growth and the ability for sustained growth later in the season: early maturing lines displayed more rapid initial growth but ceased growth sooner. Such a tradeoff would increase the difficulty of obtaining a full-season weed-suppressive variety. To determine this tradeoff's existence and severity we examined two possible mechanisms that could lead to it. We tested whether early maturing soybean lines attain higher early relative growth rate than late-maturing soybean lines and whether early maturing soybean lines produce larger seeds by an environmentally-dependent or -independent mechanism. Early maturing lines had higher relative stem elongation rates than late lines but not higher relative dry weight or leaf area increase rates. In more northern locations and in years with shorter growing seasons, early maturity lines produced larger seeds than late maturing lines, implicating an environmentally-dependent rather than -independent mechanism causing seed size differences. Relative to early lines, when late lines mature, temperature and photoperiod are in greater decline, leading to a risk of incomplete seed fill. Resulting seed size decreases could lead to lower initial growth in late maturity lines and thus to an environmental rather than genetic or physiological cause of tradeoff between initial growth and sustained growth later in the season. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Simulated Lodging on Soybean Yield

Soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merr.) grain yields may be reduced when the plants lodge. The magnitude of yield reduction is dependent on the growth stage at which lodging occurs. The stage of plant development most vulnerable to yield reduction from lodging has not been conclusively determined. The objective of this two-year study was to determine soybean yield reduction caused by simulated lodging at three stages of reproductive development: the onset of flowering (R1), beginning pod (R3) and beginning seed (R5). At each developmental stage the plants were lodged at either 45° or 90°. A natural lodging control and an artificially maintained erect treatment were included.
The 1976 results indicated no yield differences due to any of the lodging treatments. In 1977, yields were significantly reduced for the R3 lodging treatments. Soybeans lodged 90° at the R1, R3, and R5 growth stages yielded 2.63, 1.88 and 2.26 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. The natural lodging and erect treatments yielded 2.73 and 2.43 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively.
Lodging treatments applied at the R1 stage produced plants with a two-year average of 30% of their seeds on the main stems, compared to 62% of the seeds on the main stems for the R5 stage treatments. The percentage of seeds on the main stem was 69% on the erect plants, as compared with 45% on the 90° lodged plants. In 1977, lodging treatments also reduced pods per plant, seeds per plant, 100 seed weight and seed weight per plant.     

蟛蜞菊粗提物对玉米螟拒食作用研究初报

为了充分利用中国的植物资源,开发新型的环境和谐型农药,以蟛蜞菊为试验材料,采取叶片浸渍法,测定该植物不同部位对亚洲玉米螟的拒食活性。结果表明:蟛蜞菊4个不同部位中,以花的甲醇提取物拒食效果最好,24h对亚洲玉米螟3龄幼虫的AFC50为3392.28μg/ml,对照印楝为2228.72μg/ml。其次为根,24h的AFC50为6603.34μg/ml。叶和茎的拒食效果较差,其AFC50仅分别为12032.17μg/ml和14046.68μg/ml。     

Effect of inoculum,variety, phosphorus,and potassium on certain attributes of two soybean varieties at Jabalpur,M.P., India

Abstract

An experiment to determine the effect of inoculum, N, P, and K on certain attributes of two soybean varieties was conducted in 1967 at JNKW. The experimental area had no prior history of soybean production and contained few, if any, soybean rhizobia.

Plant height, height to first pod, lodging, seed quality, and seed weight were affected by applied N. Applied P had a quadratic effect upon plant height, while plant height decreased linearly with increasing levels of applied K. The effect of N was linear and applied P curvilinear upon lodging. Uninoculated plants had seed with poorer seed quality scores and lower seed weights than inoculated plants. Applied P increased seed weight. Height to first pod was higher for Bragg than for Clark 63.     

Effect of Mn on growth,modulation, and nitrogen fixation by soybeans grown in the greenhouse

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv Bragg) plants were grown in the greenhouse using a low‐Mn Leefield sand amended with 0, 2.5, 5, 20 and 50 yg Mn/g. The plants were inoculated and were primarily dependent on symbiotically fixed N. Measurements of DTPA‐extractable soil Mn, soil pH, leaf tissue Mn, top weight, top N content, and nodule weight, volume and number were made at 27, 42, 56, 63 and 69 days after planting. The DTPA extrac‐tant was a good predictor of leaf tissue Mn giving a highly significant (P = 0.01) overall correlation coefficient of 0.704 for this comparison. Because of an unexpected decline in soil pH from 6.8 to 6.0 and an associated increase in DTPA‐extractable Mn from 0.14 to 0.24 yg/g during preparation and handling prior to the first harvest time, Mn in the leaf tissue of the controls was never less than 21 yg/g. Since this concentration of Mn is above the deficient level, no significant responses in top growth, nitrogen fixation or nodule measurements were obtained from the addition of low rates of Mn. The highest Mn rate was only mildly toxic in terms of top growth and top N content, producing leaf tissue having Mn concentrations ranging from 171 to 180 yg/g at the last three harvest periods.     

Nitrogen Utilization in the Supernodulating Soybean Variety “Sakukei 4” and Its Parental Varieties,“Enrei” and “Tamahomare”

Abstract

The supernodulating variety “Sakukei 4”, which has improved growth and yield, was recently developed. To evaluate its physiological traits related to the high productivity, we compared dry matter production, nitrogen (N) accumulation and N utilization in Sakukei 4 with those in the parental normally nodulating varieties, Enrei and Tamahomare, and a nonnodulating line, En1282, in pot experiments. The seed yield of Sakukei 4 was similar to that of Enrei and Tamahomare.Leaf area and relative ureide abundance in xylem sap were maintained for longer growth period in Sakukei 4 and Tamahomare than in Enrei. The total amount of nodule N₂fixation at maturity was also larger in Sakukei 4 andTamahomare than in Enrei and En1282. In En1282 and Enrei, a larger part of N accumulated in leaves and stems before seed maturation was translocated to seeds during seed filling. However, Sakukei 4 and Tamahomare, more N tended to remain in leaves and stems at maturity. These observations suggested that the physiological traits of dry-matter accumulation and N utilization in Sakukei 4 were quite similar to those in Tamahomare, despite the difference in nodulation. N use efficiency for dry matter production (NUED) was lower in Sakukei 4 than in Enrei and Tamahomare, probably due to the energy cost for sustaining a greater number and mass of nodules. This observation indicated that the low NUED of Sakukei 4 impairs its productivity and seed yield, and therefore Sakukei 4 could not exceed Enrei or Tamahomare in seed productivity.     

不同大豆基因型对大豆遗传转化效率的影响及外源T-DNA插入分析

大豆通常被认为是较难转化的豆科作物之一,大豆基因型是影响大豆转化效率的重要因素。采用农杆菌介导大豆子叶节遗传转化方法,对2个国外大豆品种和9个国内品种进行转化研究,对转化再生植株进行BAR试纸条和PCR检测。结果表明:不同大豆品种再生率及转化效率存在显著差异。国外品种Jack和Bert,南方大豆品种华春6号和东北大豆品种沈农9号具有较高的再生率和转化效率,转化效率分别达到6.45%、3.80%、3.24%和2.86%。对来源于沈农9号的PCR阳性植株进行Southern杂交检测,结果表明:外源基因已导入受体大豆品种,该受体品种实际转化效率为2.14%。对外源T-DNA插入结构进一步分析表明:低拷贝(1~2个)T-DNA插入比例为75%。本研究筛选了4个转化效率较高的大豆品种,为开展高效大豆遗传转化研究提供依据;同时,作为大豆主栽品种,利用华春6号和沈农9号作为受体品种开展转基因研究,对于加快转基因大豆新品种培育研究也具有重要的参考价值。     

湛江新记录树种光叶柿及其人工育苗研究

光叶柿属华南地区珍稀树种,具有重要的开发价值。通过分布于湛江的光叶柿母株调查、果实及种子形态测定、苗期施肥试验研究,结果表明：光叶柿花期为１～3月,果实期3～6月,球形果实平均直径1.78 cm,平均单果重6.79 g;种子扁,近长圆形,长约1 cm,宽约5 mm,新鲜种子千粒重157.3 g;直播种子于41 d后发芽出苗,于生长63 d后平均树高9.98 cm,平均地径1.55 mm,生长163 d后平均树高26.11 cm,平均地径3.43 mm。施用肥料相对生长量由高到低顺序为氮肥＞复合肥＞有机肥＞钾肥＞磷肥＞未施肥。及格苗率氮肥和复合肥效果最明显。建议进一步加强其野生母树保护和引种育苗管理研究。     

Sampling Survey and Identification of Races of Soybean Cyst Nematode （Heterodera glycines Ichinohe） in Huang-Huai Valleys

Soybean cyst nematode （SCN Heterodera glycines Ichinohe） is one of the most important nationwide soybean diseases in China. A total of 38 soil specimens or locations in the area was sampled and tested for SCN races during 2001-2003 for the inspection of race distribution in Huang-Huai Valleys. A map of race distribution was constructed according to the data from both the present study and the published reports cited. Three areas, namely, the area of southeast to Jinan in Shangdong Province; the area of northern Henan Province and its border region to south of Hebei Province; and the area of Luohe, Zhoukou of Henan Province and Fuyang of Anhui Province mainly infested with Race 1 were identified. Race 4 was predominant in Shanxi Province, Beijing and the adjacent area of Henan, Shandong, and Anhui provinces, and the delta of Huanghe River in Shandong Province. Race 2 was mainly found in Liaocheng, Dezhou of Shangdong Province and Shijiazhuang of Hebei Province, and Jiaozuo and Huojia of Henan Province. Race 7 was distributed in the west part of Jiaodong Peninsula of Shandong Province and Kaifeng, Huaxian, Wenxian of Henan Province. Race 5 was found and scattered in Hebei and Henan Province. Race 9 was found in Shangqiu of Henan Province, which was reported for the first time in China. It can be seen that Race 1 and Race 4 were the two predominant races in Huang-Huai Valleys, and that research should focus on developing resistant cultivars of these races. There might exist other races in an area with some predominant races. The race substitution in the past decade was not obviously found, therefore, the results should be meaningful to future breeding for resistance to SCN in Huang-Huai Valleys.