Parental influences on gas exchange rates in grain sorghum

Summary Significant genetic variation in CO₂ assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance (g), and A: g ratio, which are indicators of intrinsic differences in productivity and water use efficiency (WUE), has been demonstrated in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] hybrids. The primary objective was to determine the possible parental influence on the components of the A: g relationship in sorghum hybrids across a range of water supplies. Thirty F₁ hybrids resulting from a 6 × 6 diallel crossing pattern constituted the genetic material. Field experiments were conducted using four water supply treatments established through differential irrigation. Carbon assimilation rate (A), g, and leaf water potential (_w) of individual leaves were monitored every 15 to 20 days. Genetic analyses revealed that general- and specific-combining ability effects were evident for A. However, reciprocal and maternal effects were more important in governing the A-g and A-_w relationships. Since the maternal effects were the major determinants in causing reciprocal differences, A can be improved by selecting specific female parents to exploit cytoplasmic factors or physiological characteristics of this parent. Substantial genetic variation in the A-g relationship resulting from significant genetic control of A offers the opportunity to impose selection for high A and stability of A, which might directly contribute to whole plant WUE and productivity in grain sorghum.Abbreviations A carbon assimilation rate - g stomatal conductance to water vapor - GCA General Combining Ability - SCA Specific Combining Ability - WUE Water Use Efficiency     

Relative susceptibility of different male-sterile cytoplasms in sorghum to shoot fly, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atherigona soccata</Emphasis>

Summary The shoot fly, Atherigona soccata is an important pest of sorghum, and host plant resistance is one of the most effective components for managing this pest. Most of the hybrids grown in India based on milo cytoplasm (A₁ cytoplasm) are highly susceptible to shoot fly. Therefore, the present studies were undertaken to evaluate different male-sterile cytoplasms (CMS) for their relative susceptibility to sorghum shoot fly. Oviposition and deadheart formation were significantly lower on the maintainer lines as compared to the corresponding male-sterile lines. Among the cytoplasms tested, A₄M cytoplasm showed antixenosis for oviposition and suffered lower deadheart formation than the other cytoplasms tested. The A₄G₁ and A₄M cytoplasms suffered lower deadhearts in tillers than the other cytoplasms. Recovery following shoot fly damage in A₄M, A₃, and A₂ cytoplasms was better than in the other cytoplasms tested. The larval and pupal periods were longer and male and female pupal weights lower in A₄M and A₄VzM CMS backgrounds compared to the other CMS systems. Fecundity and antibiosis indices on CMS lines were lower than on the B-lines. The A₄M cytoplasm was found to be relatively resistant to sorghum shoot fly, and can be exploited for developing shoot fly-resistant hybrids for sustainable crop production in future.     

Characterization of the A4 cytoplasmic male-sterile lines of sorghum using RFLP of mtDNA

Three sorghum cytoplasmic male sterile lines CSV4 A(V), CSV4 A(G₁) and CSV4 A(M), grouped as A₄, were compared with a milo (A₁) and two other non-milo (A₂ and A₃) cytoplasms for their RFLP patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). A 9.7 kb clone from pearl millet mtDNA discriminated each of the three A₄ entries whereas other maize and pearl millet mtDNA clones used could not distinguish this group completely. The molecular differences within the A₄ cytoplasmic group offer some explanation for the inconsistency in the fertility restoration behaviour of these A₄ lines obtained with a definite set of testers in the field. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

高粱与旱稻属间杂交部分遗传物质导入的F_3及BC_1表型鉴定

以高粱(S.BICOLOR)为母本、旱稻(O.SATIVA)为父本进行属间杂交,F1出现双亲没有的短芒和黄色柱头新性状,并能在F2、F3及BC1稳定遗传。F3在株高、穗长、穗型、分蘖性等性状上仍疯狂分离,并出现父本白色籽粒单株。BC1在株高、分蘖二性状上接近父本,回交效应非常明显,T测定无差异,并出现多子房新性状。高梁与旱稻杂交及回交,能创造变异,产生新性状,对创造矮秆、优质、多子房新种质十分有效。然而,二者杂交后代主体性状仍似母本,只表现父本少数性状,属于部分遗传物质导入。     

陕北丘陵区水坝地粮食高产栽培技术研究

根据最优设计的原理 ,采用了组合设计的思想 ,接近于正交设计、旋转设计和饱和设计 ,故称为最优混合设计。 1998年小区最高产量为 12 919.5kg·hm-2 ,1999年小区最高产量达到 13815kg·hm-2 ,2 0 0 0年小区产最高产量达 15 0 18.0kg·hm-2 。由电脑筛选出 343个方案 ,其中 ,15 0 0 0～ 176 2 5kg·hm-2 的最优组合方案是 :施有机肥 6 0 0 0 0kg·hm-2 ,追肥N素 46 2～ 483kg·hm-2 ,播前浇底墒水 6 0 0t·hm-2 ,补灌 1377～ 145 8t·hm-2 ,密度 :马铃薯套种高粱 ,马铃薯 72 70 5～ 83415株·hm-2 ,高粱 6 5 2 0 5～ 75 915株·hm-2 。     

Arsenic-contaminated soils phytotoxicity studies with sunflower and sorghum

Background, Aim and Scope  Environmental pollution caused by arsenic (As) is a major ecological problem. There has been intense worldwide effort to find As-hyperaccumulating plants that can be used in phytoremediation—the green-plant-assisted removal of chemical pollutants from soils. For phytoremediation, it is natural to prefer cultivated rather than wild plants, because their agriculture is well known. This study was conducted to evaluate the tolerance of common sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.) and sugar sorghum(Sorghum saccharatum Pers.) for soil-As contents of 10–100 mg As kg^-1 soil, with sodium arsenite as a model contaminant. Methods  Plants were grown in a growth chamber for 30 days. Microfield experiments were conducted on experimental plots. To study the phytoremediation effect of the auxins indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), we treated 1- and 3-day-old plant seedlings with water solutions of the auxins (concentrations 10^-5, 10^-7, and 10^-9 g l^-1). The soil and plant-biomass samples were analyzed for total As by using the color reaction of ammonium molybdate with As. Results and Discussion  Phytotoxicity studies showed that 100 mg As kg^-1 soil poisoned sunflower and sorghum growth by 50%. There was a linear correlation between soil-As content and As accumulation in the plants. Laboratory experiments showed that the soil-As content was reduced two- to threefold after sunflower had been grown with 10–100 mg As kg^-1 soil for 30 days. Treatment of sunflower and sorghum seedlings with IAA and 2,4-D at a concentration of 10^-5 g l^-1 in microfield experiments enhanced the phytoremediation two- to fivefold as compared with untreated control plants. The best results were obtained with 3-day-old seedlings. Conclusion, Recommendation and Outlook  (a) Sunflower and sorghum are good candidates to remediate As-polluted soils. (b) Phytoremediation can be improved with IAA or 2,4-D. (c) Mixed cropping of sorghum and sunflower may be another way of improving phytoremediation.     

Interactions of Glomus clarum with Acetobacter diazotrophicus in infection of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), and sweet sorghum (Sorghum vulgare)

Summary Spores of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus clarum obtained from sweet potatoes grown in soil inoculated with this fungus and with an enrichment culture of Acetobacter diazotrophicus contained A. diazotrophicus and several other bacteria, including a diazotrophic Klebsiella sp. Inoculation of micropropagated sweet potatoes with G. clarum and A. diazotrophicus enhanced spore formation in soil compared to VAM inoculation alone. Plants inoculated with VAM spores containing the bacteria showed additional increases in the number of spores formed within roots. A. diazotrophicus infected aerial plant parts only when inoculated together with VAM or when present within VAM spores. Micropropagated sugarcane seedlings inoculated with the same VAM spores containing the diazotrophs also contained much higher numbers of A. diazotrophicus in aerial parts than seedlings inoculated in vitro with the bacteria alone. When grown in non-sterile soil, the sugarcane seedlings again showed the greatest infection of aerial parts after inoculation with VAM spores containing the diazotrophs. This treatment also increased VAM colonization and the numbers of spores formed within roots. Similar effects were observed in sweet sorghum except that the aerial plant parts were not infected by A. diazotrophicus.     

高粱与旱稻属间杂交部分遗传物质导入的F3及BC1表型鉴定

以高粱（S．bicolor）为母本、旱稻（O．sativa）为父本进行属问杂交，F1出现双亲没有的短芒和黄色柱头新性状，并能在F2、F3及BC 1 稳定遗传。F1在株高、穗长、穗型、分蘖性等性状上仍疯狂分离，并出现父本白色籽粒单株。BC1在株高、分蘖二性状上接近父本，回交效应非常明显，t测定无差异，并出现多子房新性状。高梁与旱稻杂交及回交，能创造变异，产生新性状，对创造矮秆、优质、多子房新种质十分有效。然而，二者杂交后代主体性状仍似母本，只表现父本少数性状。属于部分遗传物质导入。     

Photosynthetic water‐use efficiency of irrigated winter and summer crops in a typical mountain oasis of northern Oman

The millenia‐old existence of traditional, surface‐irrigated Omani mountain oases implies a remarkable sustainability of such systems in a hyperarid environment. This study was conducted in the mountain oasis of Balad Seet, situated in the Al‐Jabal‐al‐Akhdar mountains of northern Oman, to investigate the water‐use efficiency (WUE) of these oases and how farmers regulate it. In 2005, gas exchange of single leaves of 9–16 plants was measured for the most important perennial field crop alfalfa in both February and August, for the typical winter crop oat in February, and the dominating summer crop sorghum in August. The measurements were conducted five times a day in subplots irrigated the evening before and in the surrounding control plots, where plants had been withheld from irrigation for 14–16 d. Water deficit at the end of the irrigation interval reduced the stomatal conductance (g_s) strongly in summer alfalfa, oat, and sorghum, but only slightly in winter alfalfa. In oat, the reduction of net photosynthetic rate (P_N) at the end of the irrigation cycle was caused mainly by stomatal closure, in sorghum by nonstomatal factors and in summer alfalfa by both, whereas P_N in winter alfalfa remained unaffected. The ratio of net photosynthetic rate to stomatal conductance (P_N/g_s), the “intrinsic water‐use efficiency”, increased in all investigated crops in response to drought because of a stronger reduction of g_s than of P_N. This increase was small in winter alfalfa, but much stronger in oat, sorghum, and summer alfalfa. The data indicate that alfalfa maintains a relatively high CO₂ assimilation rate year‐round, contributing to a relatively high annual dry‐matter production. The decrease of the light intensity in the late afternoon caused by the shading effect of the surrounding mountains diminishes the crop evapotranspiration in the oasis.     

甜高粱田间去叶装置的初步试验

研制的甜高粱田间去叶装置,可安装在收割机前,利用拖拉机液压升降系统压力油为动力,通过液压马达驱动橡胶弹性剥指高速回转,剥去甜高粱叶。试验表明,采用这种弹性剥指去叶装置,可在茎秆切断前,于机械化收割同时在田间去叶,去叶率较高。液压传动型式简化了结构,解决了总体布置的难度,有利于在生产中应用。