Responses of Chilean forest birds to anthropogenic habitat fragmentation across spatial scales

Although it is recognized that anthropogenic forest fragmentation affects habitat use by organisms across multiple spatial scales, there is uncertainty about these effects. We used a hierarchical sampling design spanning three spatial scales of habitat variability (landscape > patch > within-patch) and generalized mixed-effect models to assess the scale-dependent responses of bird species to fragmentation in temperate forests of southern Chile. The abundances of nine of 20 bird species were affected by interactions across spatial scales. These interactions resulted in a limited effect of within-patch habitat structure on the abundance of birds in landscapes with low forest cover, suggesting that suitable local habitats, such as sites with dense understory cover or large trees, are underutilized or remain unused in highly fragmented landscapes. Habitat specialists and cavity-nesters, such as tree-trunk foragers and tapaculos, were most likely to exhibit interactions across spatial scales. Because providing additional sites with dense understory vegetation or large habitat trees does not compensate the negative effect of the loss of forest area on bird species, conservation strategies should ensure the retention of native forest patches in the mixed-use landscapes.     

Genetic analysis of resistance to spot blotch disease in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Zambia

Understanding the genetics of resistance to spot blotch disease, caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem, is important to design an appropriate breeding strategy to improve the trait. The objective of this study was to determine the gene action and mode of inheritance of resistance to spot blotch in wheat. Eight genotypes with varying resistance to the disease were crossed in a full diallel mating design. Parents and their progenies were evaluated for spot blotch resistance. Data were analyzed using Hayman’s diallel analysis. The results suggested the importance of additive gene effects in controlling the resistance to spot blotch in the materials under study. No epistasis, maternal, or reciprocal effects were detected. Resistance to spot blotch exhibited partial dominance. Therefore, exercising selection for resistance in the early segregating generation should be an effective approach because of the predominance of additive gene effects. The Wr/Vr graph showed that the parents 30SAWSN5 (P3) and Coucal (P4) possessed more dominant genes, which makes them particularly suitable for inclusion in breeding for resistance to spot blotch.     

Selection of soybean elite cultivars based on phenotypic and genomic characters related to lodging tolerance

Soybean lodging can result in serious yield reduction. Detecting the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with lodging tolerance for their further application in marker‐assisted selection (MAS) has the potential to enhance soybean breeding efficiency. In this study, a genome‐wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed to identify soybean accessions that could potentially be used to produce lodging‐tolerant varieties, based on the comprehensive evaluation of lodging scores (LS) obtained for the parental cultivar “Tokachi nagaha” and its 137 derived cultivars. Results showed that genotype, environment and genotype × environment interaction significantly influenced LS. Of the 31 significant SNPs identified, 22 were consistently detected in two or more environments and 27 SNPs were located in or close to agronomically important QTL mapped by linkage analysis. Best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) of LS tend to decrease with the elite alleles contained by accessions increasing. Some excellent accessions, with lower BLUPs and D_i (stability coefficients) values and more elite alleles, were selected. This study contributed to understand the genetic mechanism of lodging, providing genetic and phenotypic information for MAS.     

红景天果皮水提液对5种植物种子的化感作用

以狭叶红景天种子、榆荞种子、樱桃番茄种子、意大利耐抽薹生菜种子和新牛角椒种子为受试材料,研究了狭叶红景天果皮水提液对5种植物的化感作用.结果表明,不同浓度的狭叶红景天果皮水提液对5种植物种子的萌发、胚根及幼苗生长均表现出不同的化感作用影响.其中,对狭叶红景天种子萌发和胚根生长都表现为明显的抑制作用,并且随着处理浓度增高,抑制作用表现越强,但对幼苗的生长却表现出明显的促进生长作用,其中以0.02 g/mL的水浸液处理的狭叶红景天幼苗生长速度最快;对榆荞种子萌发和幼苗生长表现为低浓度促进生长和高浓度抑制生长的作用,而对胚根生长却表现抑制作用,并随着处理浓度的增高,抑制作用也越强;对樱桃番茄和意大利耐抽薹生菜种子的萌发和胚根生长也都表现为明显的抑制作用,对樱桃番茄幼苗的生长影响与榆荞的一致,对意大利耐抽薹生菜幼苗的生长影响与狭叶红景天植物一致;对新牛角椒种子萌发的影响与榆荞种子相同,对其胚根和幼苗生长影响都表现为促进作用,但也存在随着处理浓度增高,其产生的促进生长作用逐渐减弱的现象.     

Optimizing aphid biocontrol with the predator Aphidoletes aphidimyza,based on biology and ecology

Aphidoletes aphidimyza is one of the most important predators used in the augmentative biological control of aphids, key pests of many crops worldwide. Adult females are very efficient in locating aphid infestations over a relatively long range, up to 45 m, and deposit eggs near or within aphid colonies. The predatory larvae are aphid generalists preying on several agriculturally important aphid species. The successful use of this biocontrol agent in agricultural systems depends on several biotic and abiotic factors. Among biotic factors, aphid species, plant structure, interspecific competition and intraguild predation may significantly impact the predator´s population dynamics. Key abiotic conditions include day lengths (above a critical threshold to prevent diapause), availability of mating sites in the crop, temperature (above 15 °C to enable egg laying), air relative humidity (above 70%) and availability of pupation sites. Although several successes have been reported in open field crops with naturally occurring or released populations, commercial releases are primarily used in protected crops. Optimized emergence boxes combining provisioning of food sources for the adults, integration with the technological advances that occurred in the greenhouse environment lately, insights into the nutritional ecology in open field crops and exploration of the genetic variability are proposed as future directions to improve adoption and efficacy of A. aphidimyza in crop protection. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Yield and soil system changes from conservation tillage in dryland farming: A case study from North Eastern Tanzania

Yield levels in smallholder farming systems in semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa are generally low. Water shortage in the root zone during critical crop development stages is a fundamental constraining factor. While there is ample evidence to show that conservation tillage can promote soil health, it has recently been suggested that the main benefit in semi-arid farming systems may in fact be an in situ water harvesting effect. In this paper we present the result from an on-farm conservation tillage experiment (combining ripping with mulch and manure application) that was carried out in North Eastern Tanzania from 2005 to 2008. Special attention was given to the effects of the tested treatment on the capacity of the soil to retain moisture. The tested conservation treatment only had a clear yield increasing effect during one of the six experimental seasons (maize grain yields increased by 41%, and biomass by 65%), and this was a season that received exceptional amounts of rainfall (549 mm). While the other seasons provided mixed results, there seemed to be an increasing yield gap between the conservation tillage treatment and the control towards the end of the experiment, and cumulatively the yield increased with 17%. Regarding soil system changes, small but significant effects on chemical and microbiological properties, but not on physical properties, were observed. This raises questions about the suggested water harvesting effect and its potential to contribute to stabilized yield levels under semi-arid conditions. We conclude that, at least in a shorter time perspective, the tested type of conservation tillage seems to boost productivity during already good seasons, rather than stabilize harvests during poor rainfall seasons. Highlighting the challenges involved in upgrading these farming systems, we discuss the potential contribution of conservation tillage towards improved water availability in the crop root zone in a longer term perspective.     

Intensification of New Zealand beef farming systems

This study used whole-farm management, nutrient budgeting/greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and feed formulation computer tools to determine the production, environmental and financial implications of intensifying the beef production of typical New Zealand (NZ) sheep and beef farming systems. Two methods of intensification, feeding maize silage (MS) or applying nitrogen (N) fertiliser, were implemented on two farm types differing in the proportions of cultivatable land to hill land (25% vs. 75% hill). In addition, the consequences of intensification by incorporating a beef feedlot (FL) into each of the farm types were also examined.Feeding MS or applying N fertiliser substantially increased the amount of beef produced per ha. Intensifying production was also associated with increased total N leaching and GHG emissions although there were differences between the methods of intensification. Feeding MS resulted in lower environmental impacts than applying N even after taking into account the land to grow the maize for silage. Based on 2007/08 prices, typical NZ sheep and beef farms were making a financial loss and neither method of intensification increased profitability with the exception of small annual applications of N, especially to the 75% hill farm. These small annual additions of N fertiliser (<50 kg N/ha/yr applied in autumn and late winter) resulted in only small increases in annual N leaching (from 11 to 14 kg N/ha) and GHG emissions (from 3280 to 4000 kg CO₂ equivalents/ha). Limited N applications were particularly beneficial to 75% hill farms because small increases in winter carrying capacity resulted in relatively large increases in the utilisation of pasture growth during spring and summer than the 25% hill farms. Intensification by incorporating a beef feedlot reduced environmental emissions per kg of beef produced but considerably decreased profitability due to higher capital, depreciation and labour costs. The lower land-use capability farm type (75% hill) was able to intensify beef production to a proportionally greater extent than the higher land-use capability farm (25% hill) because of greater potential to increase pasture utilisation associated with a lower initial farming intensity and inherent constraints in the pattern of pasture supply.     

高产麦田系统氮肥综合效应研究

研究了山东省桓台县高产麦田系统中N肥对土壤硝态氮(NO3--N)积累及冬小麦产量和吸N量的影响。结果表明,冬小麦收获后施用150kg／hm2N肥的0～90cm土层土壤NO3--N与小麦播种前相比,基本保持平衡;而常规施用300kg／hm2N肥则使0～90cm土层土壤NO3--N含量显著提高,特别是60～90cm土层土壤NO3--N含量上升了39.9kg／m2,对浅层地下水造成潜在污染。建议供试条件下的合理施N肥量为150kg／hm2,这样既兼顾产量,又兼顾生态效益。     

钴圃慢照射小麦不同发育阶段植株的生物学效应

利用钴圃分别慢照射普通小麦减数分裂期前、配子体时期、合子幼胚期的植株。结果表明:照射合子幼胚期对当代(M_1)结实率的影响较小,对下一代(M_2)出苗率的影响较大,M_2代的出苗率可作为选择照射合子幼胚期适宜剂量的主要指标。慢照射当代是辐射损伤的主要世代,M_2代的损伤已很轻,是突变显现的第1个世代。文中讨论了照射植株的世代划分问题。