Nitrogen mineralization indicators under semi-arid and semi-humid conditions: influence on wheat yield and nitrogen uptake

The objectives were i) to assess indicators for potential nitrogen (N) mineralization and ii) to analyze their relationships for predicting winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth parameters (yield and N uptake, N_up) in Mollisols of the semi-arid and semi-humid region of the Argentine Pampas. Thirty-six farmer fields were sampled at 0–20 cm. Several N mineralization indicators, wheat grain yield and N_up at physiological maturity stage were assessed. A principal component (PC) analysis was performed using correlated factors to grain yield and N_up. The cluster analysis showed two main groups: high fertility and low fertility soils. In high fertility soils, combining PCs in multiple regression models enhanced the wheat yield and N_up prediction significantly with a high R² (adj R² = 0.71–0.83). The main factors that explained the wheat parameters were associated with water availability and N mineralization indicator, but they differ according to soil fertility.

Abbreviations: N: nitrogen; SOM: soil organic matter; POM: particulate organic matter; SOC: soil organic carbon; SON: soil organic nitrogen; POM-C: particulate organic carbon; POM-N: particulate organic nitrogen; N_an: anaerobic nitrogen; N_hyd: hydrolyzable N; NO₃-N: cold nitrate; N₂₀₅: N determined by spectrometer at 205 nm; N₂₆₀: N determined by spectrometer at 260 nm; Pe: extractable P; N_up: wheat N uptake; NO₃-N: inorganic N in the form of nitrate; FR: fallow rainfalls (March-Seeding rainfall); FLR: flowering rainfalls (October-December rainfall); GFR: grain filling rainfall (November rainfall); CCR: crop growing season rainfall (June-December rainfall); PCA: principal component analysis; PC: principal component; MR: multiple regression     

Molecular identification of the vaccine strain from the inactivated oil emulsion H9N2 low pathogenic avian influenza vaccine

In order to control the H9N2 subtype low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), an inactivated vaccine has been used in Korea since 2007. The Korean veterinary authority permitted the use of a single H9N2 LPAI vaccine strain to simplify the evolution of the circulating virus due to the immune pressure caused by the vaccine use. It is therefore important to determine the suitability of the vaccine strain in the final inactivated oil emulsion LPAI vaccine. In this study, we applied molecular rather than biological methods to verify the suitability of the vaccine strain used in commercial vaccines and successfully identified the strain by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes with that of the permitted Korean LPAI vaccine strain. It is thought that the method used in this study might be successfully applied to other viral genes of the LPAI vaccine strain and perhaps to other veterinary oil emulsion vaccines.     

滇池流域设施条件下氮磷对土壤硝酸盐累积的影响

 研究了滇池流域集约化地区设施条件下氮磷化肥对土壤硝酸盐的累积规律。研究结果表明:土壤中硝酸盐的积累主要受氮肥施用量的影响,磷肥对土壤中硝酸盐的积累的影响,因种植的作物不同而有较大的差异,在种植辣椒的土壤中,磷肥对土壤硝酸盐积累有显著影响,施磷降低土壤中的硝酸盐。在种植西芹的土壤中,磷肥对土壤中硝酸盐的影响因氮肥的投入量不同而有不同的表现,生菜中施磷对土壤硝酸盐累积无显著影响。     

沼泽垦殖前后土壤呼吸与CH_4通量变化

湿地是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分,在碳的储存中起着重要作用。湿地垦殖后,在相同季节根层土壤温度明显高于沼泽湿地土壤,但垦殖后土壤有机碳、氮素含量明显降低,C:N比值减小,土壤呼吸通量增大,且具有季节性变化。垦殖8年的农田土壤,呼吸通量大于垦殖15年的农田土壤,弃耕后土壤有机碳含量及土壤呼吸强度有所增加,土壤呼吸通量与土壤温度呈显著正相关关系。沼泽湿地土壤为大气CH4的重要源,通量季节性变化明显,沼泽垦殖后农田土壤成为CH4的汇,不同垦殖年限土壤间CH4通量差异性不大。     

Temperature‐dependent feed requirements in farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) estimated from soft tissue growth and oxygen consumption and ammonia‐N excretion

Feed requirements were estimated from specific growth rates in standardized soft tissue dry weight (SGR_DW’) and atomic O:N ratios for mussels fed seven rations of microalgae (5–735 μg C h^?1 ind^?1) at 7 and 14°C respectively. The mean oxygen consumption and ammonia‐N excretion rates were significantly higher at 14°C (0.29 μg O² and 27.3 μg N ind^?1 h¹) compared with those at 7°C (0.16 μg O² and 11.4 μg N ind^?1 h^?1) (P < 0.05), resulting in O:N ratios between 3 and 45 at 7°C and 7 and 28 at 14°C. Low O:N ratios indicate protein catabolism and an unfavourable condition, whereas high ratios indicate that carbohydrate is the primary energy source. The measured SGR_DW’ suggests minimum feed requirements of ~240 and ~570 μg C ind^?1 h^?1 for weight maintenance at 7 and 14°C, with corresponding O:N ratios of 24 and 16, respectively, indicating a more stressed condition at 14°C. A 0.5% SGR_DW’ day^?1 was obtained by ~565 (O:N = 29) and ~680 (O:N = 23) μg C ind^?1 h^?1 at 7 and 14°C respectively. A positive and significantly higher SGR_DW’, with the lowest feed ration at 7°C compared with a negative SGR_DW’ at 14°C (P < 0.05), indicated that storage time can also possibly be prolonged at low temperatures if the mussels are not fed.     

Effects of C/N ratio and periphyton substrates on pond ecology and production performance in giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) and tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) polyculture system

The production performances of giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in C/N‐controlled periphyton‐based polyculture systems were evaluated in triplicate. Three different management practices were compared: the traditional practice without addition of periphyton substrates and carbohydrate (Control), addition of maize flour to maintain a carbon: nitrogen rate of 20:1 (treatment CN) and addition of both maize flour and periphyton substrates (treatment CN+P). This experiment used a pre‐optimized stocking density of tilapia and freshwater prawn by Asaduzzaman et al. Aquaculture [286 (2009) 72]. All ponds were stocked with prawn (3 m²) and monosex Nile tilapia (1 m^?2). Bamboo side shoots were posted vertically into the pond bottoms as periphyton substrate covering an additional area of 171 m² for periphyton development. A locally formulated and prepared feed containing 17% crude protein with C/N ratio close to 15:1 was applied twice daily in all ponds considering the body weight of freshwater prawn only. Water quality parameters, except total alkalinity did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) among treatments. Both, organic matter and total heterotrophic bacterial loads (THB) in the sediment were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in treatment CN+P followed by treatment CN and control. Periphyton biomass in terms of dry matter and chlorophyll a values constantly decreased during the culture period. Substrates contributed 66% and 102% higher net yield of freshwater prawn than CN and control treatment respectively.     

南太湖近岸水域叶绿素a含量与氮磷浓度的关系

2007年6月-2008年4月对南太湖近岸水域进行了4次生态环境调查,在此基础上,对叶绿素a含量（Chl.a）与总氮（TN）、总磷（TP）浓度及氮磷比（N/P）的关系进行了统计分析。结果表明：南太湖水体中Chl.a含量与TN浓度的关系存在显著的季节差异,在蓝藻水华大范围爆发的2007年6月和2008年4月2者呈极显著的正相关,而2007年10月和2008年1月2者无显著性关系;Chl.a含量与TP浓度在4次调查中皆无显著相关关系;岭回归分析显示,N/P 10～25是南太湖水体中附着藻类的最佳生长范围,此时总氮、总磷浓度及氮磷比与Chl.a含量呈显著的正相关,4者的多元回归关系为Chl.a=-0.0012＋0.0064 TN＋0.0215 TP＋0.0005N/P（R=0.543,P〈0.023）。总体来说,南太湖水体中的总氮、总磷浓度及氮磷比皆在藻类生长的适宜范围内,氮磷浓度处于较高水平,已经不是藻类生长的限制因素,在不同水温、光照等环境因子的作用下,加上本水域复杂的水文和季风共同影响下形成了蓝藻水华爆发的季节性差异。     

低盐胁迫对细角螺幼螺呼吸排泄的影响

为了评估细角螺苗种对低盐胁迫的耐受能力,将细角螺(Hemifusus ternatanus)幼螺养殖盐度自27逐渐降低至22、18和14,测定处理后不同时间细角螺幼螺的耗氧率和排氨率。结果显示,盐度27降至22后幼螺耗氧率先显著降低,在第二天升至对照组水平,此后略有波动但均与盐度27无显著差异;盐度降至18与对照组无显著性差异;盐度降至14,细角螺的耗氧率先有显著升高,后与对照组相比无显著差异。盐度从27降至22后,幼螺的排氨率在第一、第二天显著升高,其后逐渐降低,盐度自22降至18和14,排氨率呈先降低后升高的趋势。盐度22处理后幼螺的氧氮比先降低后升高,盐度18和14处理组先升高后逐渐降低,说明低盐胁迫影响细角螺幼螺能量物质分解代谢的比率,胁迫条件下幼螺以脂肪和碳水化合物为主要供能物质。实验结果表明,第一次低盐处理对幼螺呼吸排泄的影响较大,此后再逐渐降低盐度,幼螺具有一定的适应能力。本实验结果可为细角螺养殖和放流前盐度驯化提供参考。     

Comparative immune response and pathogenicity of the H9N2 avian influenza virus after administration of Immulant®, based on Echinacea and Nigella sativa,in stressed chickens

Avian influenza vaccines are commonly used in the poultry industry, and some medicinal plants can increase the efficacy of such vaccines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Immulant^® (IMU) (a commercial product based on Echinacea and Nigella sativa) on stress induced by dexamethasone (DEX) in chickens vaccinated (VAC) against the H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV-H9N2). Seven experimental groups were included: the negative control, VAC, DEX, VAC + DEX, VAC + DEX + IMU, VAC + IMU and IMU groups. The vaccinated chickens (at 10 days of age) were injected daily with DEX for three days pre-vaccination and for three days pre-challenge and orally administered 1% IMU for 6 weeks post-vaccination (PV). The chickens were then challenged intranasally with AIV-H9N2 at 28 days PV. Serum, blood, tracheal and cloacal swabs and tissue samples were collected in the 1^st and 4^th weeks PV and at different time points post-challenge. The results showed significant changes (P ≤ 0.05) in oxidative stress and antioxidant biomarkers (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and reduced glutathione), haematological and immunological parameters, final live weights, relative organ weights and histopathological lesions between the VAC+DEX group and the VAC group. Moreover, IMU significantly increased protection rates post-challenge, HI antibody titers and heterophil phagocytic activity and decreased DEX-induced stress and virus shedding titers. In conclusion, oral administration of 1% IMU for six weeks can enhance the immune response after AI-H9N2 vaccination and reduce the pathogenicity of infection in stressed chickens.     

棉铃虫氨肽酶N基因片段克隆、表达和内源蛋白检测

氨肽酶N（APN）是苏云金芽孢杆菌杀虫毒素Cry在昆虫中肠中的一个重要受体。研究氨肽酶N在昆虫中肠中的分布特征对于阐明Cry毒素的杀虫机理和昆虫对Cry毒素的抗性机理具有重要的意义。通过RT-PCR的方法从棉铃虫中肠上皮细胞中克隆得到氨肽酶N的基因片段APN1551,并诱导表达纯化得到其重组蛋白APN517。以此蛋白为抗原,制备其抗血清。用该抗血清能检测到棉铃虫中肠上皮细胞中的APN蛋白。为研究Cry毒素的作用机理奠定基础。