Survival and growth of the sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota Brandt: a comparison between suspended and bottom cultures in a subtropical fish farm during summer

The feasibility of co‐culturing the sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota Brandt in a subtropical fish farm was investigated in a field study. Sea cucumbers were cultured in the fish farm in cages suspended at 4 m deep (suspended culture) and directly on the seafloor (bottom culture). The survival and growth of the sea cucumbers were monitored twice during the 3‐month, summer experimental period (May 26–August 14, 2010). Results showed that the suspension‐cultured sea cucumbers exhibited excellent survival rate (100%) during the whole study period. There also occurred no mortality in the bottom‐cultured sea cucumbers during the first culture period (May 26–July 13); but all these died from anoxia caused by water column stratification during the second culture period (July 14–August 14). The specific growth rate of the bottom‐cultured sea cucumbers (1.05 ± 0.21 % day^?1) was nearly double that of the suspended culture animals (0.57 ± 0.21 % day^?1) during the first culture period, and the growth rates of the suspended culture sea cucumbers in the second culture periods (0.46 ± 0.24 % day^?1) was only a little lower than that of the first period. The sea cucumbers H. leucospilota could ingest and assimilate sediment with high organic matter content with an average assimilation efficiency of 14.9 ± 3.9%. This study indicated that fish farm detritus can be effectively used as a food source for the sea cucumber and that it can be turned into a valuable secondary crop in the form of the sea cucumber biomass.     

Active metabolism in larval and juvenile fish: ontogenetic changes,effect of water temperature and fasting

Oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion and fish swimming speed were measured in fish induced to swim by optomotor reaction in a circular metabolism chamber. The relationship between the swimming speed and fish metabolism described by exponential equations allowed the extrapolation to the standard metabolism, i.e. at zero swimming speed. The partitioning of the catabolised protein in the energy supply was estimated based on AQ (volume of ammonia/ volume of oxygen) values. Weight specific standard metabolism, as expressed by the ammonia excretion rate, decreased by one order of magnitude in coregonids as the fish grew from 20 to 780 mg body weight. The slope of the relationship between oxygen uptake and swimming speed decreased in coregonid ontogenesis. In salmon, after 12 days of fasting 28% of energy used was derived from protein, whilst coregonid juveniles utilized mostly lipid. Active swimming in fasted juveniles of coregonid, as well as in salmon, led to the accelerated utilization of protein as a source of energy, based on AQ coefficients. In juveniles acclimated to a range of water temperatures from 14 to 26°C, the changes in standard or active metabolic rate (expressed as oxygen uptake or ammonia excretion) were described by Q₁₀ coefficients. They were generally higher for the ammonia excretion rate than for the oxygen uptake rate and for active metabolism than for standard metabolism. Utilization of protein as energy for swimming differed significantly between the species, being in general one order of magnitude higher in coregonids than in salmon. The use of protein for swimming activity tended to decrease during coregonid ontogenesis.     

真鲷窒息点与耗氧率的初步测定

真鲷(Pagrosomus major T and S)是广东及其他各省市沿海海水网箱养殖的主要鱼类之一。随着真鲷人工繁殖和苗种培育的成功,真鲷养殖业将会有一个更大的发展。夫于鱼类的窒息点与耗氧率的研究早有不少,但是对真鲷除个别学者提及其窒息点外,真正对其窒息点与耗氧率的系统研究尚未见到。为了绘其鲷的人工繁殖、苗种培育、运输和成鱼养殖提供呼吸生理方面的理论依据,笔者于1990年春对真鲷的窒息点和耗氧率进行了初步测定,就不同规格大小的苗种及备种外界条件与窒息点和耗氧率之间的关系进行了初步探讨。     

Antioxidant properties of blackberry and blueberry fruits grown in the Black Sea Region of Turkey

Seven wild and ten cultivated blackberries (Arapaho, Bartin, Black Satin, Bursa 1, Bursa 2, Cherokee, Chester, Jumbo, Navaho, and Ness), and six lowbush (Vaccinium arctostaphylos) and four highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) blueberries fruits (Ivanhoe, Jersey, Northland, and Rekord) were analyzed for total anthocyanins, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in this study. The respective ranges of total anthocyanin and total phenolic contents of the tested samples were: blackberries, 0.95–1.97 and 1.73–3.79 mg g⁻¹ and blueberries, 0.18–2.94 and 0.77–5.42 mg g⁻¹. FRAP values varied from 35.05 to 70.41 μmol g⁻¹ for blackberries, 7.41 to 57.92 μmol g⁻¹ for blueberries. Wild blackberries had the highest FRAP values while wild blueberries had the highest total phenolic and total anthocyanin contents. A linear relationship was observed between FRAP values and total phenolics for blueberries (r = 0.981). The anthocyanin pigments in samples were isolated and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV–visible detection. Cyn-3-glu was the predominant anthocyanin in all blackberry fruits.     

Polyamines enhance chilling tolerance of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) through modulating antioxidative system

Cucumber chilling-resistant cultivar Changchun mici and -sensitive cultivar Beijing jietou were used in this study to investigate the effects of exogenous PAs on protection against chilling injury as well as on changes of physiological features, and the fluctuation of free PAs content in the leaves under chilling stress. Upon chilling treatment, free spermidine (Spd), spermine (Spm) and putrescine (Put) were remarkably induced in the leaves of cv. Changchun mici 1 day after treatment. The induction of Put declined thereafter, whereas Spd and Spm levels increased steadily. In the leaves of cv. Beijing jietou, Put content was increased only at 1 day after chilling while Spd content decreased significantly upon chilling treatment. Chilling reduced soluble protein content, and decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) only in Beijing jietou. However, these changes could be renovated by exogenous application of Put and Spd. It was also found that pretreatment with Put and Spd diminished the increased electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content caused by chilling in the leaves of both cultivars. Pretreatment of methyglyoxal-bis-(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), the PAs biosynthetic inhibitor cancelled the effects of PAs in most of the treatments. Moreover, histochemical staining and quantitative measurements showed that exogenous application of Put and Spd eliminated but MGBG exaggerated the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) accumulation caused by chilling stress, especially in leaves of Beijing jietou. Interestingly, Changchun mici was found to contain higher endogenous free PAs contents compared to Beijing jietou. While no significant difference of SOD, POD and CAT activities was found between non-chilling Changchun mici and Beijing jietou seedlings, the former exhibited higher APX activity than the latter. These results suggest that PAs play important roles in the tolerance of cucumber against chilling stress, which is most likely achieved by acting as oxidative machinery against chilling injury.     

一氧化氮对猕猴桃果实营养品质和活性氧代谢的影响

分别用10、20和30μL.L-1一氧化氮(NO)气体熏蒸猕猴桃果实,研究NO对采后徐香猕猴桃(Actinidia chi-nensis Planch.cv.Xuxiang)的营养品质变化和活性氧代谢的影响。结果表明,20μL.L-1 NO处理后的猕猴桃果实含有较低的可溶性固形物和较高的可滴定酸、维生素C,且果实中丙二醛和超氧自由基质量分数低于其他体积分数的NO熏蒸处理(10和30μL.L-1 NO)。20μL.L-1 NO处理降低了猕猴桃果实中LOX活性,延缓了猕猴桃果实采后期间CAT活性的降低,显著提高了猕猴桃果实SOD和POD活性,且显著降低了猕猴桃果实中过氧化氢的质量分数。20μL.L-1 NO气体熏蒸保持了猕猴桃中较高的叶绿素、类胡萝卜素以及维生素E的质量分数。     

Tomato yield, biomass accumulation, root distribution and irrigation water use efficiency on a sandy soil, as affected by nitrogen rate and irrigation scheduling

Florida is the largest producer of fresh-market tomatoes in the United States. Production areas are typically intensively managed with high inputs of fertilizer and irrigation. The objectives of this 3-year field study were to evaluate the interaction between N-fertilizer rates and irrigation scheduling on yield, irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) and root distribution of tomato cultivated in a plastic mulched/drip irrigated production systems. Experimental treatments included three irrigation scheduling regimes and three N-rates (176, 220 and 230 kg ha⁻¹). Irrigation treatments included were: (1) SUR (surface drip irrigation) both irrigation and fertigation line placed right underneath the plastic mulch; (2) SDI (subsurface drip irrigation) where the irrigation line was placed 0.15 m below the fertigation line which was located on top of the bed; and (3) TIME (conventional control) with irrigation and fertigation lines placed as in SUR and irrigation being applied once a day. Except for the “TIME” treatment all irrigation treatments were controlled by soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based irrigation set at 10% volumetric water content which was allotted five irrigation windows daily and bypassed events if the soil water content exceeded the established threshold. Average marketable fruit yields were 28, 56 and 79 Mg ha⁻¹ for years 1-3, respectively. The SUR treatment required 15-51% less irrigation water when compared to TIME treatments, while the reductions in irrigation water use for SDI were 7-29%. Tomato yield was 11-80% higher for the SUR and SDI treatments than TIME where as N-rate did not affect yield. Root concentration was greatest in the vicinity of the irrigation and fertigation drip lines for all irrigation treatments. At the beginning of reproductive phase about 70-75% of the total root length density (RLD) was concentrated in the 0-15 cm soil layer while 15-20% of the roots were found in the 15-30 cm layer. Corresponding RLD distribution values during the reproductive phase were 68% and 22%, respectively. Root distribution in the soil profile thus appears to be mainly driven by development stage, soil moisture and nutrient availability. It is concluded that use of SDI and SMS-based systems consistently increased tomato yields while greatly improving irrigation water use efficiency and thereby reduced both irrigation water use and potential N leaching.     

果树冠层参数实时检测系统

为了降低农药喷施环境污染和提高水果品质,实现果园果树仿形精确喷雾,建立了一套果树冠层参数的实时检测系统.该系统主要由作物识别系统、车辆姿态系统、主控单元和数据记录单元组成,采用CAN总线进行数据通信.对5棵临近的绿篱树进行了初步的靶标距离检测试验,试验重复3次.采用4个超声波传感器分时检测,拖拉机前进速度为0.3m/s,系统采样速率为5次/s.试验表明,系统能可靠地按一定的采样速率,实时检测和记录系统载体车辆位置、姿态(地面平整度)和果树靶标的距离等数据,为精确仿形喷雾提供了一个较好的喷雾控制平台.     

基于非接触式速度测量的排种驱动系统

介绍了一种利用非接触式速度测量装置驱动排种器的工作原理.该装置用前后两个光电传感器来探测路面的反射光信号,根据两路信号的时间差得到相对速度,并用该测速装置来驱动步进电机,步进电机带动排种器转动,以达到排种和速度同步的目的.此装置可以改善现有播种机靠地轮驱动时由于打滑造成的排种不均匀的问题,使排种更加均匀化.     

传感器在农业采摘机器人中的应用

作为智能机器人的一种,农业采摘机器人是机器人技术应用的典范.与工业机器人相比较,农业采摘机器人工作环境的特殊性、非结构性,对农业采摘机器人的智能程度提出了更高的要求.为此,针对农业采摘机器人工作特性,叙述了传感器在农业采摘机器人中所起的作用,分析了农业采摘机器人传感器选取的方法,介绍了多传感器信息融合技术在采摘机器人中的应用,为农业采摘机器人智能传感器的选取与研究提供了依据.