Evaluation of Cold Tolerance in NERICAs Compared with Japanese Standard Rice Varieties at the Reproductive Stage

New Rice for Africa (NERICA) is a general name for interspecific rice varieties derived from a cross between the high‐yielding Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) between locally adapted African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.). Eight NERICAs were evaluated for cold tolerance (CT) at the reproductive stage and compared with their O. sativa parents and three Japanese standard rice varieties over 3 years. Cold tolerance was evaluated based on the filled grain ratio (FGR) after cold water irrigation. The FGR was greatly reduced by cold water irrigation. NERICA 1, 2 and 7 had higher FGR (51.9–57.9 %), while NERICA 6, 15 and 16 had lower FGR (6.2–14.5 %). NERICA 1, 2 and 7 were less affected by cold stress, with a 31 % mean reduction in FGR, while NERICA 6, 15 and 16 were greatly affected, with their FGRs being reduced by more than 80 %. NERICA 3 and 4 were moderately affected by cold stress, with about 45 % reduction rate in FGR. FGR significantly influenced the grain weights of the varieties with strong positive correlations (r = 0.83–0.91; P < 0.001), and thus, similar trends in grain weights were observed. Grain weights were reduced by 61.7–96.4 % under cold stress. NERICA 1, 2 and 7 showed significantly better performance than NERICA 3 and 4, while NERICA 6, 15 and 16 performed poorly under cold water irrigation. The Japanese varieties Koshihikari (very tolerant) and Ozora (moderately tolerant) were more affected by cold water irrigation than NERICA 1, 2 and 7. On the basis of the mean reduction rate (%) in FGR under cold stress, the varieties were classified as follows: NERICA 1, 2 and 7 as tolerant; NERICA 3 and 4 as moderately tolerant; and NERICA 6, 15 and 16 as susceptible to cold stress. However, NERICA 7 grain yields were lower under cold stress due to both greatly reduced number of panicles per plant and number of spikelets per panicle. Therefore, NERICA 1 and 2 are suitable candidates for production in the highland regions of East Africa and should be promoted for production.     

两个宁夏枸杞品种的耐渗透胁迫和耐盐特征比较

以宁夏枸杞(Lycium barbarum)中的两个品种扁果枸杞和宁杞0702为材料,对比二者在渗透胁迫、盐处理以及渗透胁迫和盐处理互作条件下的生长特征、叶组织含水量以及各器官Na~+、K~+积累量分析。结果表明,与对照相比,-0.5 MPa渗透胁迫下,扁果枸杞和宁杞0702的生长均受到抑制,其鲜重分别降低了34%和38%,根长分别降低了32%和17%;与对照相比,50mmol·L~(-1) NaCl使扁果枸杞幼苗的鲜重显著增加了38%(P0.05),干重、株高和根长均不受影响,但宁杞0702幼苗鲜重、干重、株高和根长分别显著降低了27%、34%、44%和14%(P0.05);渗透胁迫~+盐处理下,扁果枸杞幼苗与对照组差异不显著(P0.05),而宁杞0702幼苗的鲜重、干重、株高和根长分别显著降低了37%、28%、44%和13%。与对照相比,渗透胁迫下,扁果枸杞叶组织含水量维持稳定,而宁杞0702显著降低了12%(P0.05);在盐处理下,扁果枸杞和宁杞0702叶组织含水量分别显著增加了25%和18%(P0.05),在渗透胁迫~+盐处理下二者均维持稳定。在扁果枸杞中,鲜重和叶组织含水量与叶、茎中Na~+浓度呈极显著正相关(P0.01),而在宁杞0702中,鲜重仅与叶中的K~+浓度极显著正相关(P0.01),与茎中的Na~+则呈显著负相关(P0.05),叶组织含水量则与各器官中的Na~+、K~+浓度均不相关。与对照相比,扁果枸杞在渗透胁迫和盐处理下ST值分别显著增加了84%和43%(P0.05),而宁杞0702则分别显著降低了63%和47%(P0.05)。上述结果表明,扁果枸杞能通过体内积累适量的Na~+,调控体内Na~+、K~+平衡,改善体内的水分状况,维持其正常的生长,具有盐生植物的特点;宁杞0702则不具备这些特征。     

胚胎冻融技术及其在我国肉羊产业中的应用

胚胎冻融技术可使胚胎移植不受时间、地点的限制，从而达到提高胚胎移植效率的目的，研究和优化胚胎冻融技术对胚胎移植工程的发展具有重要的意义。主要对胚胎冻融技术的原理、特点及其在肉羊产业中的应用情况进行了综述，旨在阐明胚胎冻融技术对我国肉羊产业发展的重要作用。     

Phenotypic Changes in Grain Sorghum Over the Last Five Decades

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a drought‐tolerant crop, and its productivity in rain fed environments has increased since the 1950s. This increase is due to changes in agronomic practices and hybrid improvement. The objective of this study was to determine what aspects of grain sorghum morphology, physiology and water use have changed with hybrid improvement and might have contributed to this yield increase. A 2‐year greenhouse experiment was conducted with one hybrid from each of the past five decades. The hybrids were studied in well‐watered and pre‐ and post‐flowering water deficit conditions. Total water use, transpiration, stomatal conductance and photosynthesis were measured during the growing period. Biomass and biomass components were measured at harvest. There was no consistent change in the leaf physiological parameters resulting from hybrid advancement. In contrast, total water use increased in rate of 8.5 cm³ kg soil^?1 year^?1 from old to new hybrids in the well‐watered treatments. Root biomass also increased in rate of 0.2 g plant^?1 year^?1. Leaf biomass and panicle length also was greater for the newest compared with the older hybrids. Hybrid advancement was related to increase in panicle length but decrease in peduncle length. Results indicated that hybrid development programmes created hybrids with improved drought avoidance, due to better root density of newly released hybrids, or hybrids with better resource use which ultimately increased yield under rain fed conditions.     

Glycine max and Glycine soja are capable of cold acclimation

Soybean has been considered a cold intolerant species; based largely upon seed germination and soil emergent evaluations. This study reports a distinct acquisition of cold tolerance, in seedlings, following short acclimation periods. Diversity in cold responses was assessed in eight cultivars of Glycine max and six accessions of G. soja. All varieties of soybean significantly increased in freezing tolerance following acclimation. This study indicates soybean seedlings are indeed capable of sensing cold and acquiring cold tolerance. Germination rates after cold imbibition were negatively correlated with maturity group, but positively correlated with cold acclimation potential in G. soja. Seed fatty acid composition was varied between the species, with Glycine soja accessions containing about 2‐times more linolenic acid (18:3) than G. max. Furthermore, high levels of linoleic acid (18:2) in seeds were positively correlated with germination rates following cold imbibition in G. soja only. We suggest that domestication has not impacted the overall ability of soybean to cold acclimate at the seedling stage and that there is little variation within the domesticated species for ability to cold acclimate. Thus, this brief comparative study reduces the enthusiasm for the “wild” species as an additional source of genetic diversity for cold tolerance.     

Evaluation on Tolerance of Montmorillonite as a Mycotoxin Adsorbent

In order to study the tolerance dose of Kunming mice to montmorillonite as a mycotoxin adsorbent in diets,the experiment selected 60 healthy male Kunming mice with initial average body weight of (17±0.12)g,randomly divided them into 5 treatments with two replicates per group and 6 mice per replicate.Five experimental diets were added to 0 (control group),0.5%,1%,2% and 5% montmorillonite,respectively.After 30 days,the growth performance,nutrients apparent digestibility,serum biochemical indices and internal organization were tested to determine the tolerance dose of montmorillonite for Kunming mice.The results showed that the ADFI was significantly increased in 0.5% group (P< 0.05),while there were no significant differences in ADFI and ADG between 1% group and control group (P> 0.05),then the ADFI was significantly decreased with the increasing of montmorillonite supplemental level (P< 0.05).The ADG in 2% group had no significant difference when compared with the control group (P> 0.05),while significantly lower than that in 0.5% and 1% groups (P< 0.05).The apparent digestibility of DM,CP and EE showed no significant effect at any level of montmorillonite (P> 0.05).Serum ALT,AST activities and MDA content were gradually increased with the montmorillonite supplemental level increasing,and that in 1%,2% and 5% groups were significantly higher than that in control group (P< 0.05),but there were no significant differences between 0.5% group and control group (P> 0.05).Tissue sections showed that mice livers were damaged in varying degrees when the montmorillonite supplemental level was 5%.In conclusion,based on a comprehensive consideration of all indexes,it could be seen that the tolerance dose of the tested montmorillonite for Kunming mice was between 0.5% and 2% when mycotoxin contents in diets were in security range.     

Morphological and Physiological Responses of Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and Chicory (Cichorium intybus) to Water Stress and Defoliation Frequency

Plants are often subjected to periods of water stress. There are little data examining the effect of water stress on the forage species Plantago lanceolata and Cichorium intybus. In two pot experiments with P. lanceolata and C. intybus, morphological responses under optimum, dry, and very‐dry water treatments with weekly, fortnightly and 3‐weekly defoliation intervals and physiological responses under optimum and very‐dry water treatments were measured. A third experiment compared the rooting depths of P. lanceolata and C. intybus under field conditions. These findings suggest that both P. lanceolata and C. intybus can survive and continue to grow under water stress conditions with the main differences between the two species being attributable to morphological characteristics (root mass, taproot diameter and shoot mass fraction) rather than differences at a physiological level. Overall, the results suggest plantain may be more productive under moderate drought due to its greater shoot mass fraction, whereas chicory may be more productive and persistent under severe drought due to its greater root mass, taproot diameter and root depth under field conditions.     

44个紫花苜蓿品种的酸铝适应性与耐受性评价

为了解紫花苜蓿在贵州地区的适应性及耐酸铝胁迫机理，以44份紫花苜蓿品种为研究对象，研究紫花苜蓿处于酸铝胁迫下的生理变化，并揭示其生理变化与耐酸铝胁迫间的关系。利用基因与环境互作模型对两个地点1年的紫花苜蓿进行产量分析，筛选出阿尔冈金、新疆大叶苜蓿、Trifecta、Vernal和中牧1号苜蓿5个耐酸铝强适应品种。利用敏感型UC-1465和耐受型阿尔冈金进行酸铝胁迫试验。结果表明：相同处理下，耐受型紫花苜蓿的电导率、相对铝含量、死亡率显著低于敏感型；紫花苜蓿对酸铝胁迫的响应主要通过柠檬酸、苹果酸、乙酸、酒石酸、反丁烯二酸和草酸的显著（P<0.05）增加来体现，其中苹果酸的合成和分泌增多可能是其耐酸铝胁迫的重要原因。     

Physiological processes associated with salinity tolerance in an alfalfa half‐sib family

We previously reported an alfalfa half‐sib family, HS‐B, with improved salt tolerance, compared to parental plants, P‐B. In this study, we conducted additional experiments to address potential physiological mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B. Vegetatively propagated HS‐B and P‐B plants were treated with a nutrient solution (control) or a nutrient solution containing NaCl (EC = 12 dS/m). Shoots and roots were harvested at various time points after treatment for quantification of proline, soluble sugar, and H₂O₂ using spectrophotometers. Subcellular localization and quantification of Na in roots were conducted using a Na⁺‐specific dye under a confocal microscope. HS‐B produced 86 and 89% greater shoot and root dry biomass, respectively, compared to parental plants, P‐B, under salinity in the greenhouse. Under saline conditions the HS‐B shoots accumulated 115% and roots 55% more soluble sugars than P‐B counterparts. The non‐saline HS‐B shoots, however, showed 72% less soluble sugars than the non‐saline P‐B plants. Under saline conditions HS‐B accumulated 39% less proline in shoots, while roots accumulated 56% more proline, compared to their P‐B parents. HS‐B plants also showed a greater reduction of stomatal conductance under mild saline stress. HS‐B shoots and roots contained 3–4 times less reactive oxygen species (H₂O₂) after salt treatment compared to P‐B plants. Sodium localization and distribution analysis using Na⁺‐specific dye revealed HS‐B plants accumulated 88% and 48% less Na⁺ in stele and xylem vessels compared to P‐B. The study provides insights into the potential mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B: maintaining RWC by accumulating soluble sugars while reducing transpiration, maintaining healthy status by reducing oxidative stresses, and preventing salt toxicity by reducing accumulation of Na⁺ inside root cells and xylem.     

Association analysis for detecting significant single nucleotide polymorphisms for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance at the seedling stage in soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.]

Tolerance to low-phosphorus soil is a desirable trait in soybean cultivars. Previous quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance were mainly derived from bi-parental segregating populations and few reports from natural population. The objective of this study was to detect QTLs that regulate phosphorus-deficiency tolerance in soybean using association mapping approach. Phosphorus-deficiency tolerance was evaluated according to five traits (plant shoot height, shoot dry weight, phosphorus concentration, phosphorus acquisition efficiency and use efficiency) comprising a conditional phenotype at the seedling stage. Association mapping of the conditional phenotype detected 19 SNPs including 13 SNPs that were significantly associated with the five traits across two years. A novel cluster of SNPs, including three SNPs that consistently showed significant effects over two years, that associated with more than one trait was detected on chromosome 3. All favorable alleles, which were determined based on the mean of conditional phenotypic values of each trait over the two years, could be pyramided into one cultivar through parental cross combination. The best three cross combinations were predicted with the aim of simultaneously improving phosphorus acquisition efficiency and use efficiency. These results will provide a thorough understanding of the genetic basis of phosphorus deficiency tolerance in soybean.