Assessing the effectiveness of manure export plus intensive silage cropping for lowering the Olsen‐P status of P‐enriched grassland

A substantial proportion of farmed grassland soils in Northern Ireland (NI) are overly enriched with P and pose a risk to water quality. To address this problem, manure could be exported rather than recycled to P‐enriched land and the latter intensively cropped with grass silage to deplete soil P. To assess the efficacy of such a strategy, a P‐ and K‐enriched grassland site was intensively cropped over a 6‐yr period with fertilizer N alone supplied to support silage growth. By year 6, soil P had declined from index 5 to index 3, and it was estimated that two more years of this management may bring it into the target index 2 range. Soil K, however, declined rapidly from index 4 to index 1 in just 4 yr, with the result that grass production became limited by K deficiency. It was concluded that nonrecycling of manure to P‐enriched grassland under silage management is probably the most effective strategy for lowering soil P status, but care must be taken to prevent K deficiency occurring.     

Summer drought decreases Leymus chinensis productivity through constraining the bud,tiller and shoot production

Extreme drought events can directly decrease productivity in perennial grasslands. However, for rhizomatous perennial grasses it remains unknown how drought events influence the belowground bud bank which determines future productivity. Ninety‐day‐long drought events imposed on Leymus chinensis, a rhizomatous perennial grass, caused a 41% decrease in the aboveground biomass and a 28% decrease in belowground biomass. Aboveground biomass decreased due to decrease in both the parent and the daughter shoot biomass. The decreases in daughter shoot biomass were due to reductions in both the shoot number and each individual shoot weight. Most importantly, drought decreased the bud bank density by 56%. In addition, drought induced a bud allocation change that decreased by 41% the proportion of buds that developed into shoots and a 41% increase in the buds that developed into rhizomes. Above results were supported by our field experiment with watering treatments. Thus, a 90‐day‐long summer drought event decreases not only current productivity but also future productivity, because the drought reduces the absolute bud number. However, plasticity in plant development does partly compensate for this reduction in bud number by increasing bud development into rhizomes, which increases the relative allocation of buds into future shoots, at the cost of a decrease in current shoots.     

Productive and biochemical responses of durum wheat to UV filtration

A UV exclusion experiment was conducted on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. var. Claudio) grown in pots. Plants were grown under three different radiative treatments in greenhouses covered with plastic filters: Teflon, transparent to the entire region of natural UV‐visible sunlight (TEF); polyester, transparent above 312 nm (MYL, excluding UVB) and Lee, transparent above 400 nm (LEE, excluding both UVA and UVB). Analyses have been carried out to determine the concentration of photosynthetic pigments in leaves, UV‐absorbing compounds, nitrogen and carbon in leaves, culms and spikes and proteins and gluten in grains. In particular, plants grown under UV exclusion showed a reduction in protein and dry gluten content (consequently without variation in the ratio dry gluten/protein), but at the same time, a significant increase of gluten index, which is a parameter to define the quality of gluten, was observed. The results highlighted the influence played by UV radiation on some biochemical parameters, mainly UV‐absorbing compounds, leaf nitrogen and grain protein characteristics of durum wheat cultivated under Mediterranean conditions. In particular, natural level of UV in the Mediterranean improves the characteristics of durum wheat flour important for pasta production (high dry gluten level), while the UV exclusion could improve characteristics of flour important for bread production (high gluten index).     

微生物菌群培养组学在动物医学中的应用

实验室条件下可培养的微生物约占自然界中微生物总数的1%，这限制了人们对99%未知微生物的认识和利用，而研究表明，那些“不可培养的微生物”是可以被开发和利用的，未能被纯培养的微生物才是未知微生物的主体。微生物培养组学探索利用多种培养条件和长时间的培养，结合基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱法（MALDI-TOF-MS）和16S核糖体RNA（rRNA）测序可以大规模鉴定各种微生物，同时利用全基因组测序和宏基因组测序手段对未知微生物进行深入分析。本文综述了国内外近年来微生物菌群培养组学在反刍动物胃肠道、禽类盲肠及家畜鼻腔微生物菌群研究中的最新进展，探讨将动物体内菌群培养组学方法应用于动物疾病防治领域的可行性。作为一个新兴的研究方法，尽管该培养组学还存在一些不够成熟的方面，但它的发展前景十分广阔，微生物菌群培养组学方法和其他研究方法的互补已经逐渐成为发展兽医微生物学新的突破口。     

不同温度下TMV侵染枯斑三生烟的LncRNA差异表达

【目的】 筛选不同温度下烟草花叶病毒（Tobacco mosaic virus,TMV）侵染后枯斑三生烟（Nicotiana tabacum var. Samsun NN）差异表达的长链非编码RNA（long non-coding RNA,lncRNA）,研究lncRNA在枯斑三生烟抗性反应中的作用。【方法】 N基因的温度敏感性使枯斑三生烟在25℃时具备对TMV的抗性、在31℃抗性丧失,在这两个温度条件下对枯斑三生烟接种TMV和磷酸盐缓冲盐水（phosphate buffered saline,PBS）,48 h后提取系统叶总RNA,构建链特异性文库后进行深度测序。对测序结果进行过滤后利用HTSeq将有效数据与近缘品种TN90（N. tabacum var. TN90）基因组比对,筛选得到lncRNA后利用FPKM法估计lncRNA的表达水平。通过edgeR筛选差异表达lncRNA（differentially expressed lncRNA,DElncRNA）,并利用qRT-PCR技术对这一结果进行验证。通过共定位及共表达分析预测DElncRNA的靶基因,通过参考基因组注释、GO和KEGG富集分析研究靶基因的功能。【结果】 4个处理共12个样本经lncRNA-seq各测得约8 000万条clean reads,共获得4 737条已知lncRNA、40 169条新lncRNA。其中64个lncRNA在不同温度条件下TMV侵染后存在差异表达,qRT-PCR测定结果显示这些lncRNA的测序正确率在80%左右,表明本研究所得测序数据具备较高的可信度。对DElncRNA进行靶基因预测,发现一些基因同时被25℃下调和31℃上调的DElncRNA靶向。靶基因注释功能丰富,主要参与植物抗病、激素和代谢等生理过程。部分可能与激素通路相关的lncRNA,在25℃下TMV侵染时呈现下调趋势,而在31℃下TMV侵染则呈现上调趋势。GO富集分析显示靶基因主要参与构成膜、囊泡等组分,具备钙、钾离子通道抑制剂活性等分子功能,使相应离子得以转运引发随后的反应,同时也参与发病、抗原加工和呈现、细胞分裂素代谢等生理过程。KEGG分析发现靶基因显著富集在植物激素信号转导通路,25℃下调和31℃上调的DElncRNA靶基因同时富集在激素信号传导、ABC运输蛋白、苯丙烷类生物合成等通路。【结论】 不同温度（25℃和31℃）条件下TMV侵染枯斑三生烟后,长链非编码RNA差异表达,DElncRNA通过作用于激素信号传导、物质转运等过程参与寄主系统获得性抗性反应。研究结果可为揭示植物系统获得性抗性中lncRNA的调控功能以及新型抗病毒技术开发提供依据。     

Does sand content in spawning substrate result in early larval emergence? Evidence from a lithophilic cyprinid fish

The spawning success of lithophilic salmonids is strongly influenced by the fine sediment content (“fines”) of spawning substrates, yet knowledge on the impacts of fines on the spawning of non‐salmonid lithophiles remains limited, despite their ecological and socio‐economic importance in European rivers. Consequently, the aim here was to use an ex‐situ experiment to investigate the impact of sand content on egg survival and timing of larval emergence of the surface‐spawning cyprinid European barbel Barbus barbus. Thirty incubator boxes within a recirculating system were filled with one of five experimental sediment mixtures (0%–40% sand by mass) that each contained 300 fertilised eggs at a depth of 50 mm. Emerged, free‐swimming larvae were captured and counted daily to assess grain‐size effects on larval survival and emergence. Specifically, total proportion of emerged larvae, cumulative daily proportion of emerged larvae and time required to reach 50% emergence were measured during the study. Whilst the proportion of sand in the sediments did not have a significant impact on egg‐to‐emergence survival (mean survival per treatment 75%–79%), it significantly affected the timing of larval emergence to the water column; early emergence was detected in treatments with elevated sand content (on average, 50% emergence after 12–13 days versus 19 days in the control). Similar to findings from salmonid studies, these results suggest high sand content in spawning gravels can influence timing of larval emergence and potentially cyprinid lithophilic fish survival.     

读者需求驱动的“五位一体”高校图书馆文献资源建设模式研究

为使图书馆文献资源建设更好的满足读者,提高读者使用资源的效率与满意度,通过文献调研法和问卷调查法对高校图书馆文献资源建设现状和读者需求情况进行调研分析,在此基础上构建出读者需求驱动的以OPAC查询、多渠道荐购、实体书店和电子资源4种渠道为主、文献传递和学科服务团队服务为辅的“五位一体”高校图书馆文献资源建设模式。总结模式的特点并辅以模式执行一段时间的数据统计。该模式五个环节应读者需求而生、为读者需求而动,互为补充,相互协调,系统地、全方位地满足了读者需求,并从该模式出发进一步探究高校图书馆文献资源建设未来发展方向。     

Fusarium solani Upregulated Sesquiterpene Synthase Expression,Sesquiterpene Production and Allelopathic Activity in Piper betle L.

Activators of sesquiterpene synthase (STS) gene expression and sesquiterpene production in Piper betle L. were examined using quantitative real time PCR and gas chromatography mass spectrometry methods, and the allelopathic activity of untreated and Fusarium solani-treated betel extracts was tested on seed germination and on the shoot and root growth of Thai rice variety PSL2 (Oryza sativa cv. Phitsanulok 2) and three dominant paddy weeds (Eclipta prostrata, Echinochloa crus-galli and Chloris barbata). The results demonstrated that F. solani dramatically upregulated STS expression and productions of β-cubebene, β-caryophyllene and germacrene D sesquiterpene when compared with the untreated control, and that betel extracts had a greater inhibitory effect on weeds than on rice. The effects were more clearly detected on seed germination and root growth than on shoot growth, and they were found to be dose-dependent. It is also noted that F. solani-treated extract had stronger effects than the untreated extract. The species most sensitive to the allelopathic effects was C. barbata, germination of which was completely inhibited even at a dose of 0.1 mg/mL untreated extract. With regards to rice, although betel extract at 1.0 mg/mL showed no inhibition on germination, it affected the elongation of rice roots, in addition to those of the tested weeds. The obtained data suggested that F. solani has potential as an activator of sesquiterpene allelochemical production via STS expression, the latter leading to the treated betel extract having a stronger phytotoxic effect. These results were beneficial in the promotion of natural herbicide production using biotechnology.     

Impact of High Night‐Time and High Daytime Temperature Stress on Winter Wheat

High temperature is a major environmental factor that limits wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity. Climate models predict greater increases in night‐time temperature than in daytime temperature. The objective of this research was to compare the effects of high daytime and high night‐time temperatures during anthesis on physiological (chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll concentration, leaf level photosynthesis, and membrane damage), biochemical (reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration and antioxidant capacity in leaves), growth and yield traits of wheat genotypes. Winter wheat genotypes (Ventnor and Karl 92) were grown at optimum temperatures (25/15 °C, maximum/minimum) until the onset of anthesis. Thereafter, plants were exposed to high night‐time (HN, 25/24 °C), high daytime (HD, 35/15 °C), high daytime and night‐time (HDN, 35/24 °C) or optimum temperatures for 7 days. Compared with optimum temperature, HN, HD and HDN increased ROS concentration and membrane damage and decreased antioxidant capacity, photochemical efficiency, leaf level photosynthesis, seed set, grain number and grain yield per spike. Impact of HN and HD was similar on all traits. Greater impact on seed set, grain number and grain yield per spike was observed at HDN compared with HN and HD. These results suggest that HN and HD during anthesis cause damage of a similar magnitude to winter wheat.     

Cross‐linked polyacrylates in post‐mining substrates: persistence and effects on plant growth

Application of hydrophilic polymers composed of cross‐linked polyacrylate can improve soil water‐holding capacity and accelerate the restoration of post‐mining substrates. In this work, we studied the persistence of a polyacrylate polymer incorporated into a soil and its impact on plant nutrients at a reclamation site of former lignite mining in Lusatia (Germany). In contrast to autumn application, the incorporation of the polymer enhanced the sequestration of plant‐derived carbon in the soil, which was reflected by a significant increase in the concentration of a lignin marker. Attenuated total reflexion–Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR‐FTIR) and total elemental contents in the applied polymer suggested an intensive cation exchange between the polymer framework and the soil‐forming substrate. In addition, there was an enrichment of carbonaceous material, which seems to reduce the swelling and thus the water‐holding capacity of the cross‐linked polyacrylate. Conversely, this process protected the polymer structure from rapid decomposition.