The influence of temperature on the growth and sulfur uptake of oats (Avena sativa L.)

Abstract

Oats were grown in perlite and nutrient solution at temperatures varying from 10/5°C (day/night) to 36/31°C. The optimum temperature for growth of tops was found to be 27°C day/22°C night over an eight week period. Plant S content showed an inverse relationship with yield.

Uptake of S was low at low temperature (10/5, 15/10°C), but was balanced by retarded growth at this temperature. Hence, uptake did not restrict growth at low temperature.     

Single and Interactive Effects of Temperature and Light Quality on Four Canola Cultivars

Combined effects of temperature and light quality on plants have received little attention. We investigated the single and interactive effects of temperature and light quality on growth and physiological characteristics of four canola (Brassica napus) cultivars – Clearfield 46A76 (cv₁), Clearfield 45H72 (cv₂), Roundup Ready 45H24 (cv₃) and Roundup Ready 45H21 (cv₄). Plants were grown under lower (24°/20 °C) and higher (30°/26 °C) temperature regimes at low red/far‐red (R/FR), normal R/FR and high R/FR light ratios in environment‐controlled growth chambers (16 h light/8 h dark). Higher temperature reduced stem height and diameter; leaf number and area; dry matter of all plant parts; and specific leaf weight, but increased leaf area ratio; and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence (Y). Low R/FR increased stem height; Y; and ethylene, but decreased stem diameter; F_v/F_m; Chl a; Chl b; and carotenoids. Among cultivars, plants from cv₄ were tallest with thickest stems and greatest dry matter. None of the main factors affected gas exchange. Higher temperature at high R/FR caused cv₃ to be shortest, whereas lower temperature at low R/FR caused cv₄ to be tallest. We conclude that heat and other stress factors will adversely affect sensitive crops, but tolerant genotypes should perform well under future climate.     

Effect of storage duration on egg quality,embryo mortality and hatchability in FUNAAB-ɑ chickens

Effect of extended storage on egg quality, embryo mortality and hatchability in FUNAAB-ɑ chickens was determined. Hatchable eggs (n = 288; weighing 53.2 ± 4.67 g) collected from a flock of FUNAAB-ɑ layer breeder hens aged 32 weeks were stored in egg tray with broad end up under 16 ± 1.5°C for either 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20 d. Before incubation, eight eggs from each group were evaluated for internal and external quality traits. Remaining eggs were set in an incubator and transferred into hatcher on embryonic day 18. Data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance. Egg weight loss (EWL; p < .001), surface area (p < .001), yolk diameter (p < .001), inner and outer blastoderm diameters (p < .05) and dead in germ (DIG; p < .001) increased with storage duration while yolk height (p < .001), yolk index (p < .001), albumen weight (p < .05), albumen height (p < .05), albumen index (p < .01), Haugh's unit (HU; p < .05), fertility (p < .001), hatchability of set (HATCHS; p < .001) and fertile eggs (p < .05) decreased. Weight losses of 0, 1.2, 2.2, 3.4, 4.6 and 6.1% were recorded in egg stored for 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 days respectively. Eggs stored beyond 8 days exhibited higher DIG and lower HATCHS. Shell percentage in 4 days storage (11.4%) was lower (p < .05) than in 16 days storage (13.4%). Shell thickness was similar in eggs stored for 0 to 12 days, but 8 days storage (0.60 mm) had thinner (p < .01) shell than day 16 (0.71 mm) and day 20 (0.73 mm) storage. Internal quality unit (IQU) was higher (p < .05) in fresh eggs (180.4) than in 12 days (167.8) and 20 days (167.8) stored eggs. Extended storage of FUNAAB-ɑ eggs caused EWL, surface area shrinkage, lowered HU and IQU, loss of yolk and albumen quality, increased blastoderm diameters and DIG, and decreased egg fertility and HATCHS from day 8 forward. Storing FUNAAB-ɑ eggs beyond 8 days reduced quality parameters; therefore, other mitigating factors are recommended when storing beyond 8 days.     

三种荒漠植物叶绿素荧光参数日变化特征

利用Photosynq MultiseQ多功能植物测量仪测定塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地3种主要防护林植物头状沙拐枣、多枝柽柳和梭梭的叶绿素荧光参数日变化,探讨其与环境因子的关系,以揭示3种植物对极端环境的适应策略,为沙漠公路防护林的管护提供理论依据。结果表明：1）3种土壤都呈碱性;0~30 cm土层中的电导率（EC）远高于30 cm以下的土层。1 m内梭梭土层中的含水量高于多枝柽柳高于头状沙拐枣。2）3种植物的光合有效辐射（PAR）、叶片温度和线性电子传递（LEF）及植物周围的大气温度日变化均先升后降,且都在14：00达到最高;而大气湿度、实际光化学效率Y_（II）日变化均呈‘V’型。3）PAR基本上与3种植物的LEF、非光化学淬灭系数（NPQ）、调节性能量耗散量子产量Y_（NPQ）、非调节性能量耗散量子产量Y_（NO）呈显著正相关,与实际光化学效率Y_（II）呈显著负相关;3种植物的Y_（II）与Y_（NPQ）、Y_（NO） 均呈极显著负相关。3种植物的LEF、Y_（II）、Y_（NPQ）的日均值差异不显著,但梭梭与多枝柽柳的NPQ和Y_（NO）日均值差异显著。4）在3种植物的叶绿素荧光参数中,梭梭和头状沙拐枣的LEF、NPQ和Y_（II）要高于多枝柽柳;而多枝柽柳的Y_（NO）要显著高于头状沙拐枣和梭梭。因此,高温和高光均对3种植物造成了不同程度的影响,通过主成分分析表明,3种植物的抗逆性强弱顺序分别为梭梭>头状沙拐枣>多枝柽柳。     

水杨酸和脱落酸浸种对低温下扁蓿豆种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响

为筛选出提高低温下扁蓿豆（Medicago ruthenica）种子发芽能力的处理措施,本研究选取水杨酸（salicylic acid,SA）和脱落酸（abscisic acid,ABA）分别对扁蓿豆进行了7种不同浓度的浸种处理,测定了2种外源物质对低温下扁蓿豆种子发芽势﹑发芽率﹑发芽指数﹑活力指数、根长和芽长的影响。结果表明,2种外源物质浸种处理下扁蓿豆种子的发芽势﹑发芽率﹑发芽指数﹑活力指数,根长和芽长均呈先升高后降低的趋势,初次发芽天数无变化。供试处理中,低浓度的SA（0.1～10 μmol·L^-1）和ABA（0.001～0.5 μmol·L^-1）对扁蓿豆种子萌发﹑根长和芽长均有促进作用,且对根长和芽长的促进效果较种子萌发好,高浓度的SA（>20 μmol·L^-1）和ABA（>1 μmol·L^-1）显著抑制了种子萌发及根和芽的伸长（P<0.05）。通过模糊数学隶属函数的综合评价,0.05 μmol·L^-1的ABA浸种处理是低温下促进扁蓿豆种子萌发和幼苗生长的最佳浓度。     

放牧对草甸草原土壤水热状况和地上生物量的影响

本文以呼伦贝尔草甸草原为对象,研究了不同放牧强度对草原群落土壤水热状况和地上生物量的影响,旨在揭示二者之间的相互关系。研究结果表明,随着放牧强度的增加,生长季平均土壤温度呈逐渐上升的趋势;放牧对群落3个组份[羊草（Leymus chinensis）、贝加尔针茅（Stipa baicalensis）、杂类草]生物量和相对优势度产生影响。其中,羊草地上生物量和优势度随着放牧强度的增加显著线性降低,而贝加尔针茅和杂类草的生物量与优势度均在中度放牧处理下最高。土壤含水量与羊草生物量显著正相关,与杂类草生物量负相关,而与贝加尔针茅生物量间的关系极弱。本研究为完善放牧优化理论,揭示放牧在草地生态系统功能过程中的梯度效应提供了一个较为重要的研究线索,为草地放牧优化管理制度的确立提供了一定的科学依据。     

Oral administration of L-citrulline changes the concentrations of plasma hormones and biochemical profile in heat-exposed broilers

We examined the effects of oral administration of L-citrulline (L-Cit) on plasma metabolic hormones and biochemical profile in broilers. Food intake, water intake, and body temperature were also analyzed. After dual oral administration (20 mmol/head/administration) of L-Cit, broilers were exposed to a high ambient temperature (HT; 30 ± 1°C) chamber for 120 min. Oral administration of L-Cit reduced (p < .001) rectal temperature in broilers. Food intake was increased (p < .05) by heat stress, but it was reduced (p < .05) by L-Cit. Plasma levels of 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine, which initially increased (p < .0001) due to heat stress, were reduced (p < .01) by oral administration of L-Cit. Plasma insulin levels were increased by heat exposure (p < .01) and oral L-Cit (p < .05). Heat stress caused a decline (p < .05) in plasma thyroxine. Plasma lactic acid (p < .05) and non-esterified fatty acids (p < .01) were increased in L-Cit-treated heat-exposed broilers. In conclusion, our results suggest that oral L-Cit can modulate plasma concentrations of major metabolic hormones and reduces food intake in broilers.     

Interrelationship of soil moisture and temperature to sylvatic plague cycle among prairie dogs in the Western United States

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a flea-borne disease that is endemic in areas throughout the world due to its successful maintenance in a sylvatic cycle, mainly in areas with temperate climates. Burrowing rodents are thought to play a key role in the enzootic maintenance as well as epizootic outbreaks of plague. In the United States, prairie dogs (Cynomys), rodents (Muridae), and ground squirrels (Spermophilus) are susceptible to infection and are parasitized by fleas that transmit plague. In particular, prairie dogs can experience outbreaks that rapidly spread, which can lead to extirpation of colonies. A number of ecological parameters, including climate, are associated with these epizootics. In this study, we asked whether soil parameters, primarily moisture and temperature, are associated with outbreaks of plague in black-tailed prairie dogs and Gunnison's prairie dogs in the Western United States, and at what depth these associations were apparent. We collected publicly available county-level information on the occurrence of population declines or colony extirpation, while historical soil data was collected from SCAN and USCRN stations in counties and states where prairie dogs have been located. The analysis suggests that soil moisture at lower depths correlates with colony die-offs, in addition to temperature near the surface, with key differences within the landscape ecology that impact the occurrence of plague. Overall, the model suggests that the burrow environment may play a significant role in the epizootic spread of disease amongst black-tailed and Gunnison's prairie dogs.     

微灌地膜的节水保墒增温效应研究

在实验基础上 ,分析论述了微灌地膜的节水效果和增温保墒效应。试验结果表明 ,微灌地膜可比地面灌溉节水 61 % ,增加地温 3℃～ 6℃ ,近地面空气相对湿度提高 3 0 %～ 40 % ,综合效应明显。可供微灌地膜或膜下微灌的进一步研究设计参考