Influence of extreme K:Na ratios and high substrate salinity on plant metabolism of crops differing in salt tolerance

K⁺/Na⁺ and Cl^‐ effects on activity of amylases as well as on their isoenzyme pattern in leaves of bushbeans and sugarbeets at the beginning of salinity stress were investigated, in plants grown in water culture under controlled environmental conditions. Alpha‐ and beta‐amylase activity in beans increased, particularly due to K⁺ and Cl^‐ supplied. In sugarbeets amylase activity remained unchanged as a result of K/Na treatment in combination with Cl and decreased using SO₄ ^2‐ as counterion. A direct correlation of amylase activity to the starch content of both species was not detctable. Particularly α‐but also ß‐amylase was most strongly inhibited by KCl “in vitro”. Independent on their origin, amylases from bushbeans and sugarbeets did not show any differences in ionic inhibition “in vitro”. The isoenzyme pattern of the species was different, but no clear ionic effect was detectable. Amylolytic activity is evidently not a causative factor for restricted starch mobilization in leaves under an early salinity stress. It is suggested that amylases are indirectly involved in starch formation via degradation due to a lack of a carbohydrate sink under salinity stress. Differences in salt tolerance of the investigated crops are obviously not related to different “in vitro” properties of amylases.     

Synergistic effect of inoculating plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas spp. and Rhizobium leguminosarum-FB1 on growth and nutrient uptake of rajmash (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) Pseudomonas lurida-NPRp15 and Pseudomonas putida-PGRs4 possessing multiple plant growth-promoting traits were isolated from rhizoplane of pea and rhizosphere of garlic, respectively. The effects of individuals and combinations of Pseudomonas spp. with effective root nodulating symbiotic nitrogen fixing Rhizobium leguminosarum-FB1 on plant growth, nutrient uptake and yield of the rajmash plant were studied under greenhouse conditions. Bacterial inoculation resulted in significantly higher values for plant dry biomass, N, P, K, Zn and Fe contents as compared to the uninoculated control. Furthermore, dual inoculation of P. lurida-NPRp15 with R. leguminosarum-FB1 significantly increased root and shoot dry weight, nodulation, nutrient uptake, pod yield, and nutrient content of pods of rajmash VL63 compared to controls, single and triple inoculation. The results of the study indicate the potential of harnessing the benefit of plant growth-promoting and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to improve the growth and yield of rajmash.     

不同土地利用方式土壤温室气体排放对碳氮添加的响应

揭示不同土地利用方式下土壤N2O产生机制及其CO2和CH4的排放,有助于土壤温室气体减排措施的制定。本研究以长沙金井河流域酸性红壤上菜地、稻田、茶园和林地土壤为研究对象,控制温度和土壤含水量,采用静态培养-气相色谱法,研究4种利用方式土壤N2O、CO2和CH4的排放对不同碳氮和硝化抑制剂添加的响应。结果表明,由于土壤pH较低,酸性红壤外加氮源后仅有较小的N2O排放。葡萄糖能够促进尿素添加后N2O的排放及土壤反硝化作用N2O的排放。异养硝化作用可能是酸性红壤N2O产生的主要途径。硝化抑制剂双氰胺（DCD）对酸性红壤N2O减排无明显效果。碳氮添加后土壤N2O的总排放量表现为茶园 > 菜地 > 稻田 > 林地。外源有机碳能够显著促进4种利用方式土壤CO2的排放,表现为茶园、稻田 > 菜地、林地。但除稻田土壤CH4排放增加外,菜地、茶园和林地土壤CH4排放对外源有机碳无明显响应。     

Cloning and characterization of a NADP+-malic enzyme gene from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110

Malic enzymes have been considered to play a key role in energy metabolism for nitrogenase reaction in bacteroids. To elucidate the physiological role of the malic enzymes in Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids, a putative malic enzyme gene Bjtme1 was cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using degenerated primers from conserved regions of the protein sequences of bacterial malic enzymes and draft sequence data of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110 genome sequence project. To confirm the characteristics of the Bjtme1 gene, the protein encoded by this gene was over-expressed using a pET32a(+) system and it exhibited a NADP⁺-malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) activity, indicating that Bjtme1 was the gene of the NADP⁺-malic enzyme. This is the first report on the cloning and characterization of the NADP⁺-malic enzyme gene from B. japonicum, and the gene structure was compared with that of NADP⁺-malic enzyme genes of other rhizobia.     

Is burial of wheat straw in ditches a way to reduce CH4 emissions from rice cultivation?

Abstract

Burial of wheat straw in ditches and incorporation of wheat straw are the two main ways of returning wheat straw prior to rice cultivation in China. To examine the effect of burying wheat straw in ditches on CH₄ emissions from rice cultivation, a field experiment was conducted at Yixing, Jiangsu, China in 2004. CH₄ flux was measured using a closed-chamber technique in three treatments (CK, no wheat straw application; WI, evenly incorporating 3.75 t ha^?1 wheat straw into the 0.1 m topsoil; WD, burying 3.75 t ha^?1 wheat straw in 0.14-m deep by 0.25-m wide ditches). Seasonal CH₄ emissions ranged from 49.7 to 218.4 kg CH₄ ha^?1. The application of wheat straw in these two ways significantly increased CH₄ emissions by 4.0-fold and 4.4-fold, respectively (P < 0.05). Although CH₄ flux from the non-ditch area in the WD treatment was as low as that in the CK treatment, it was counter-balanced by extremely high CH₄ flux from the ditch, which was approximately 6.0-fold as much as that from WI, leading to comparability between treatments WI and WD in total CH₄ emissions (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the three treatments in grain yield (P > 0.05). The results indicated that burial of wheat straw in ditches is not a way to reduce CH₄ emission from rice cultivation.     

An examination of the total analysis of major elements in soil samples

Recently conventional chemical analyses were mostly replaced by instrumental analysis. Although results from both methods were examined in details after the samples had been solubilized or extracted by appropriate techniques, the solubilization method was considerably altered so as to be convenient for the following analysis. In atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), for example, fusion technique was mostly inadequate because of the higher salts concentration in the obtained solution. The use of H₂SO₄ must also be avoided in acid digestion for SO₄ ^2- precipitates with Sr²⁺ or La³⁺ which must be added to eliminate interferences in the succeeding procedure. Therefore, it is essential to consider the whole scheme including sample treatments to evaluate the suitability of instrumental analysis. In this experiment, the suitability of the methods which have been employed in our laboratory was examined by analyzing 9 rock standards.     

Assessing the Potential Impact of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) on Adoption of Improved Cereal-Legume Crop Varieties in the Sudan Savannah Zone of Nigeria

This article provides an assessment of the potential impact of operationalizing agricultural innovation platforms (IPs) in the Sudan Savannah zone of Nigeria on adoption of improved maize/legume crop varieties, as measured by the potential outcome approach. The results show that, if the whole population in the intervention area were exposed to these varieties, the adoption rate could be increased to 69% instead of 49%. The study also shows that exposure, as well as adoption, is influenced by numerous social and institutional factors and suggests that the operationalization of IPs could help boost the adoption rate to around 51%.     

不同施肥措施对稻田土壤温室气体排放的影响

选取江西红壤性双季稻水稻土为研究对象,采用盆栽模拟试验研究了4种不同施肥措施即当地农民习惯施肥(FP)、较FP减施20%化肥氮且有机肥替代20%化肥氮(T1)、在T1基础上加施Si、Zn、S三种微肥(T2)和在T2基础上采用20%缓释氮肥替代普通化肥氮(T3)对稻田主要温室气体CO2、CH4和N2O排放的影响,并对土壤微生物量碳(SMBC)、土壤微生物量氮(SMBN)、水稻产量的影响进行了分析。结果表明:4种处理稻田土壤CO2的总排放通量均无显著性差异;稻田土壤N2O的总排放量与FP处理相比,T1、T2和T3处理均有显著性减少(P<0.05),分别减少了31.72%、27.17%和43.65%,T3较T2处理显著减少22.83%(P<0.05);稻田土壤CH4的总排放量与FP处理相比,T1、T2、T3处理分别高了13.06%、13.90%、21.97%,其中T3处理差异达到显著水平(P<0.05)。与FP处理相比,T1、T2、T3处理显著提高了SMBC和SMBN的含量(P<0.05),分别提高了18.91%、19.30%、20.07%和28.95%、31.66%、29.96%;T1、T2、T3处理对水稻产量均无显著性影响。稻田土壤CH4和N2O的排放与SMBC和SMBN存在显著的相关性(P<0.01)。总体看,T3处理在降低N2O的总排放量的同时对提升土壤SMBC和SMBN含量具有明显作用。     

水稻品种对稻田CH4和N2O排放的影响

稻田被认为是温室气体甲烷(CH₄)和氧化亚氮(N₂O)的重要排放源,推广种植较少温室气体排放的水稻品种是控制稻田温室气体排放的有效措施之一。选取在太湖流域推广种植较多的16个品种为对象,通过研究其CH₄和N₂O排放情况,筛选出该区域内最适宜种植的较低温室气体排放的品种。研究结果表明,水稻的产量与CH₄排放量存在显著的线性正相关关系。在常规灌溉条件下,不管是常规品种还是杂交品种,粳稻的CH₄、N₂O累积排放量和产量都要高于籼稻。与常规品种(粳稻或籼稻)相比,杂交品种的CH₄累积排放量和产量相对较高,但N₂O累积排放量相对较低。常规粳稻中的早玉香粳和秀水134、杂交粳稻中的花优14、秋优金丰和甬优9号以及杂交籼稻中的旱优113、天优华占均具有较高的产量和较低的温室气体排放强度,有较大的推广种植价值。早玉香粳、旱优8号和旱优113为节水抗旱稻,它们在水分缺少的环境下可能会表现出更大的优势。     

不同稻草还田模式下双季稻田周年CH4排放特征及温室效应

采用静态箱-气相色谱法对南方双季稻田稻季无草翻耕冬季休闲(CK)、周年稻草焚烧还田翻耕(BST)、稻季稻草覆盖免耕冬季高桩(SNTH)、稻季稻草覆盖免耕冬季翻埋(SNTB)和稻季稻草翻耕还田冬季稻草翻埋(STB)5种稻草还田模式下双季稻田周年CH4排放进行观测,分析双季稻田周年CH4排放特征及其温室效应,旨在探索双季稻田CH4减排最佳的稻草还田方式及土壤耕作调控技术模式。结果表明:早、晚稻季CH4排放总量分别占全年CH4排放总量的43.9%和52.1%,冬闲季CH4排放比例很小,仅为4.0%;稻草还田显著增加了周年CH4排放总量(P<0.05),增加幅度为25.9%~92.8%(P<0.05),与STB处理相比,SNTH处理和SNTB处理均能显著降低CH4排放(P<0.05);不同稻草还田处理周年CH4温室效应大小顺序为:STB>BST>SNTB>SNTH>CK。可以看出,双季稻田稻季稻草覆盖免耕还田、冬季翻埋稻草还田或留桩还田能显著减缓因稻草直接还田CH4排放引起的温室效应,在南方双季稻区是一项可行的CH4周年减排的稻草还田调控技术模式。