Effect of herbicide and cover crop on weed control in no-tillage jack-o-lantern pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) production

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate cover crop (none, winter wheat, or winter rye) and pre-emergence (PRE) applications of clomazone plus ethalfluralin alone or with halosulfuron [PRE or post-emergence (POST)] for smooth crabgrass [Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb. ex Schweig) Schreb. ex Muhl.] and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) control in no-tillage ‘Aspen’ jack-o-lantern pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.). At pumpkin harvest, cover crops had reduced smooth crabgrass density, but not redroot pigweed. Although PRE or POST applications of halosulfuron alone were more effective at reducing redroot pigweed density than clomazone plus ethalfluralin PRE, the combination of halosulfuron plus clomazone and ethalfluralin PRE reduced redroot pigweed density to the greatest extent. Pumpkin yields were not affected by cover crop, although average pumpkin sizes were greater with the inclusion of cover crop residues. Pumpkin fruit sizes and yields were the greatest with clomazone and ethalfluralin PRE in combination with halosulfuron applied PRE or POST. Overall, cover crop had relatively little influence on pumpkin yields compared with herbicide treatments. The addition of halosulfuron to clomazone and ethalfluralin provided greater broadleaf weed control resulting in greater jack-o-lantern pumpkin yields.     

Agrobacterium × plant factors influencing transformation of ‘Joseph's coat’ (Amaranthus tricolor L.)

A protocol is developed for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of Amaranthus tricolor via explant co-cultivation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Bacteria-plant specific factors which influenced transformation were optimized. Of the two Agrobacterium strains employed, LBA9402 was more infectious compared to A4. Bacterial suspensions grown overnight with 100 μM acetosyringone and experiencing O.D.₆₆₀ = 0.6 followed by dilution to a density of 10⁹ cells ml⁻¹ were the most effective. Explants from garden-grown plants were more responsive than those from in vitro cultures; stem internodes being better than leaves. Immersion of the pre-pricked explants in bacterial suspension resulted in a markedly higher transformation frequency compared to the direct injection method. The infection of internode explants with the LBA9402 strain followed by co-cultivation on growth regulator-free MS medium (MS0) for 5 days resulted in emergence of hairy roots up to a maximum frequency of 97.22%. Roots were individually cultured in MS0, but fortified with bactericidal antibiotic (500 μg ml⁻¹ cefotaxime). Rhizoclones showing prolific growth were renewed through successive subcultures in MS0. Opine gene expression was revealed by positive agropine and mannopine synthesis in all selected transformed rhizoclones. Shoot regeneration from root clones, capable of auxin-independent growth and opine proficiency, was stimulated in MS augmented with 2.0 mg l⁻¹ zeatin. pRi TL–DNA rolB and pRi TR–DNA man2 ORF were detected in leaf tissues of regenerated plants from selected hairy root clones through PCR amplification. The implication of such findings is discussed on the possibility of conferring protection to crop amaranths against biotic stress challenges, particularly due to insects, viruses or fungal pathogens.     

苋菜AtGAI基因密码子偏好性与进化分析

为明确苋菜AtGAI基因密码子的使用特性,采用CodonW、SPSS软件及EMBOSS在线程序分析苋菜AtGAI基因密码子的偏好性,通过中性绘图、ENc绘图和偏倚分析GAI基因密码子偏好性形成的可能原因。结果表明:1)苋菜AtGAI基因的有效密码子数(ENc)、密码子适应指数(CAI)和GC含量分别为50.75、0.195和41.91%,表明其密码子偏好性较弱,偏好使用A/T结尾的密码子;2)CDS序列及RSCU聚类分析表明,苋菜AtGAI基因与双子叶植物中石竹目含甜菜色素的植物偏好性最相近;3)密码子碱基成分和相关性分析发现,GAI基因的密码子偏好性主要受碱基突变的影响;4)密码子使用频率比较分析发现,酵母真核表达系统更适合苋菜AtGAI异源表达,模式植物拟南芥、烟草、番茄和甜菜均可做为苋菜AtGAI基因的遗传转化受体,其中甜菜是其最理想的遗传转化受体。突变压力是GAI基因密码子偏好性形成的主要因素,苋菜AtGAI基因外源表达和遗传转化时需要根据宿主基因偏好性进行密码子优化和改造。     

The effect of processing on total organic acids content and mineral availability of simulated cassava-vegetable diets

Changes in pH, titratable acidity and mineral content (Ca, Fe, Mg, Zn) were estimated in processed cassava products while the mineral content of raw and blanched amaranthus vegetable was determined. pH of fresh cassava (6.5) decreased as total organic acid (0.07%) increased with fermentation period. Fufu and lafun had the lowest pH and the highest total organic acids contents. Fermentation of cassava increased the total calcium and iron contents, reduced magnesium level while zinc remained fairly constant in grated cassava but was reduced when soaked in water (for the preparation of fufu and lafun). Fermentation also increased the availability of these selected minerals in both cassva products and simulated cassava-vegetable diets. Blanching reduced the mineral content of amaranthus vegetable but increased mineral availability. Fermentation of cassava and blanching of vegetables play an important role in making minerals more available and these processing methods should be encouraged to potentially ameliorate the disease states associated with mineral deficiency.     

Fitness effects of the triazine resistance mutation in Amaranthus hybridus: relative fitness in maize and soyabean crops

Fitness costs of the triazine resistance mutation were estimated in experimental populations of Amaranthus hybridus L. from Maryland and Virginia (USA). Estimated costs were attributed directly to effects of the resistance mutation, through comparisons of lines bearing similar nuclear genomes, but either resistant or susceptible cytoplasm. Experimental weed plants were established from seed in the field at a wide range of A. hybridus and crop (maize or soyabean) densities, and experiments were repeated over 3 years. Resistant cytoplasm caused large reductions in several components of fitness, but substantial differences were observed among years in these fitness costs of resistance. For the fitness component of total biomass above-ground biomass production, relative fitnesses of resistant genotypes (resistant/susceptible ratios) ranged between 0.42 and 0.70. Costs of resistance were similar in weeds growing with either maize or soyabean crops. Certain costs of resistance differed between populations: impairment of seedling establishment and early growth by the resistance mutation was evident in the Virginia population, but not in the Maryland population. This functional difference between populations was associated with greater costs of resistance in the Virginia population with respect to mid-season leaf number and total above-ground biomass production; however, only the former population difference in fitness cost was statistically significant.     

Variations in structural,biochemical, and physiological traits of photosynthesis and resource use efficiency in Amaranthus species (NAD-ME-type C4)

C₄ plants show higher photosynthetic capacity and productivity than C₃ plants owing to a CO₂-concentrating mechanism in leaves, which reduces photorespiration. However, which traits regulate the photosynthetic capacity of C₄ plants remains unclear. We investigated structural, biochemical, and physiological traits associated with photosynthesis and resource use efficiency in 20 accessions of 12 species of Amaranthus, NAD-malic enzyme-type C₄ dicots. Net photosynthetic rate (P_N) ranged from 19.7 to 40.5 μmol m^?2 s^?1. P_N was positively correlated with stomatal conductance and nitrogen and chlorophyll contents of leaves and was weakly positively correlated with specific leaf weight. P_N was also positively correlated with the activity of the C₃ enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphoshate carboxylase/oxygenase, but not with the activities of the C₄ enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and NAD-malic enzyme. Structural traits of leaves (stomatal density, guard cell length, leaf thickness, interveinal distance, sizes of mesophyll and bundle sheath cells and the area ratio between these cells) were not significantly correlated with P_N. These data suggest that some of the biochemical and physiological traits are involved in interspecific P_N variation, whereas structural traits are not directly involved. Photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency ranged between 260 and 458 μmol mol^?1 N s^?1. Photosynthetic water use efficiency ranged between 5.6 and 10.4 mmol mol^?1. When these data were compared with previously published data of C₄ grasses, it is suggested that common mechanisms may determine the variations in resource use efficiency in grasses and this dicot group.     

土壤铅污染对苋菜生长和矿质元素含量的影响

采用土培试验研究了不同水平铅处理下苋菜生长和矿质元素吸收的相关指标.结果表明:较高浓度(0.4 mol/kg)铅胁迫下苋菜的生长受到明显抑制,其中根受到的抑制程度最高.铅对苋菜第3和第4片成熟叶面积扩展的抑制作用比对叶干物质的积累大,导致单位叶面积干重增大.土壤中过量铅明显增加了苋菜各器官中铅的含量并主要积累在根部,降低了苋菜对铁、钾、钙、镁的吸收和向地上部分运输的速率而导致含量降低.     

Sulfometuron-resistant Amaranthus retroflexus: cross-resistance and molecular basis for resistance to acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides

A biotype of Amaranthus retroflexus L. is the first weed in Israel to develop resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. The resistant biotype (Su-R) was collected from Ganot, a site that had been treated for more than 3 consecutive years with sulfometuron-methyl + simazine. On the whole-plant basis, the resistance ratio ( ED₅₀ Su-R)/( ED₅₀ Su-S) was 6–127 for sulfonylureas, 4–63 for imidazolinones, 20–35 for triazolopyrimidines and 11 for pyrithiobac-sodium. Similar levels of resistance were found also when the herbicides were applied before emergence. Based on a root elongation bioassay, Su-R was 3240-fold more resistant to sulfometuron-methyl than Su-S. In vitro studies have shown that the Su-R biotype was resistant at the enzyme level to all ALS inhibitors tested. The nucleotide sequences of two amplified regions between the Su-S and the Su-R differed in only one nucleotide. One substitution has occurred in domain A, cytosine by thymine (C C C to C T C) at position 248, that confers an exchange of the amino acid proline in the susceptible to leucine in the Su-R. The proline to leucine change in domain A is the only difference in the amino acid primary structure of the regions sequenced, indicating that it is responsible for the ALS-inhibitor resistance observed.     

美国籽粒苋在乐都川水地区的性状表现

观察美国粒苋ＮＯ．１，ＮＯ．２，ＮＯ．３在乐都川水地区的表现性状。结果表明：ＮＯ．１和ＮＯ．３的鲜草产量分别为１３６ ６７３ｋｇ／ｈｍ＾２，１２３３３９ｋｇ／ｈｍ＾２，茎叶比为１∶０．８４，鲜干比为７．８∶１基本保持了原有的性状，可在我省川水地区推广；ＮＯ．２产量较低。