Morphological and Physiological Responses of Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and Chicory (Cichorium intybus) to Water Stress and Defoliation Frequency

Plants are often subjected to periods of water stress. There are little data examining the effect of water stress on the forage species Plantago lanceolata and Cichorium intybus. In two pot experiments with P. lanceolata and C. intybus, morphological responses under optimum, dry, and very‐dry water treatments with weekly, fortnightly and 3‐weekly defoliation intervals and physiological responses under optimum and very‐dry water treatments were measured. A third experiment compared the rooting depths of P. lanceolata and C. intybus under field conditions. These findings suggest that both P. lanceolata and C. intybus can survive and continue to grow under water stress conditions with the main differences between the two species being attributable to morphological characteristics (root mass, taproot diameter and shoot mass fraction) rather than differences at a physiological level. Overall, the results suggest plantain may be more productive under moderate drought due to its greater shoot mass fraction, whereas chicory may be more productive and persistent under severe drought due to its greater root mass, taproot diameter and root depth under field conditions.     

半干旱区农田杂草的生活史对策研究

2008-2009年通过利用当地常见的10种杂草种植于不同处理的农田,研究半干早区农田杂草群落结构以及10种杂草群落组分种对环境因子的响应,结果表明,1)同一物种在不同的气候环境下,可以表现出不同的生活史策略.蝇虫实、田旋花和金荞麦2008年生活史策略分别具有竟争型(C)对策属性、胁迫忍耐型(S)对策属性和中间型(C-...     

基于EXCEL的作物灌水率图自动绘制与修正

在灌区的规划设计中,传统作物灌水率图的绘制一般都是手工方法,不仅效率低且修正起来很不方便,而且现有的灌水率图绘制软件一般存在着灌水率计算和灌水率图绘制相互独立、无法实时动态修正等不足.基此,综合利用EXCEL软件强大的数据处理、分析功能以及图形自动绘制功能,将灌水率计算与灌水率图绘制有机结合,从而实现灌水率图的快速绘制和动态调整.这种方法操作方便、简单,值得在工程设计部门推广使用.     

44个紫花苜蓿品种的酸铝适应性与耐受性评价

为了解紫花苜蓿在贵州地区的适应性及耐酸铝胁迫机理，以44份紫花苜蓿品种为研究对象，研究紫花苜蓿处于酸铝胁迫下的生理变化，并揭示其生理变化与耐酸铝胁迫间的关系。利用基因与环境互作模型对两个地点1年的紫花苜蓿进行产量分析，筛选出阿尔冈金、新疆大叶苜蓿、Trifecta、Vernal和中牧1号苜蓿5个耐酸铝强适应品种。利用敏感型UC-1465和耐受型阿尔冈金进行酸铝胁迫试验。结果表明：相同处理下，耐受型紫花苜蓿的电导率、相对铝含量、死亡率显著低于敏感型；紫花苜蓿对酸铝胁迫的响应主要通过柠檬酸、苹果酸、乙酸、酒石酸、反丁烯二酸和草酸的显著（P<0.05）增加来体现，其中苹果酸的合成和分泌增多可能是其耐酸铝胁迫的重要原因。     

Can additional N fertiliser ameliorate the elevated CO2‐induced depression in grain and tissue N concentrations of wheat on a high soil N background?

Elevated CO₂ stimulates crop yields but leads to lower tissue and grain nitrogen concentrations [N], raising concerns about grain quality in cereals. To test whether N fertiliser application above optimum growth requirements can alleviate the decline in tissue [N], wheat was grown in a Free Air CO₂ Enrichment facility in a low‐rainfall cropping system on high soil N. Crops were grown with and without addition of 50–60 kg N/ha in 12 growing environments created by supplemental irrigation and two sowing dates over 3 years. Elevated CO₂ increased yield and biomass (on average by 25%) and decreased biomass [N] (3%–9%) and grain [N] (5%). Nitrogen uptake was greater (20%) in crops grown under elevated CO₂. Additional N supply had no effect on yield and biomass, confirming high soil N. Small increases in [N] with N addition were insufficient to offset declines in grain [N] under elevated CO₂. Instead, N application increased the [N] in straw and decreased N harvest index. The results suggest that conventional addition of N does not mitigate grain [N] depression under elevated CO₂, and lend support to hypotheses that link decreases in crop [N] with biochemical limitations rather than N supply.     

斑茅纤维降解生产燃料酒精的发酵工艺研究

以能源植物斑茅纤维为原料,探讨纤维素糖化液生产燃料酒精的发酵工艺研究,分析了时间、温度、pH、氮源种类、酵母膏用量与酵母用量等因素对斑茅纤维素酒精发酵的影响。结果表明:反应时间72~96h,温度35℃,pH4.8~5.2,酵母膏氮源用量0.8%~1.0%,酵母用量10%~15%时斑茅纤维糖化液的酒精发酵效果最好。通过正交试验确定了最佳发酵条件:时间84h、温度35℃、酵母膏用量1.2%、酵母用量20%,发酵验证酒精值达4.6%(V/V),酒精得率32.62%。     

Physiological processes associated with salinity tolerance in an alfalfa half‐sib family

We previously reported an alfalfa half‐sib family, HS‐B, with improved salt tolerance, compared to parental plants, P‐B. In this study, we conducted additional experiments to address potential physiological mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B. Vegetatively propagated HS‐B and P‐B plants were treated with a nutrient solution (control) or a nutrient solution containing NaCl (EC = 12 dS/m). Shoots and roots were harvested at various time points after treatment for quantification of proline, soluble sugar, and H₂O₂ using spectrophotometers. Subcellular localization and quantification of Na in roots were conducted using a Na⁺‐specific dye under a confocal microscope. HS‐B produced 86 and 89% greater shoot and root dry biomass, respectively, compared to parental plants, P‐B, under salinity in the greenhouse. Under saline conditions the HS‐B shoots accumulated 115% and roots 55% more soluble sugars than P‐B counterparts. The non‐saline HS‐B shoots, however, showed 72% less soluble sugars than the non‐saline P‐B plants. Under saline conditions HS‐B accumulated 39% less proline in shoots, while roots accumulated 56% more proline, compared to their P‐B parents. HS‐B plants also showed a greater reduction of stomatal conductance under mild saline stress. HS‐B shoots and roots contained 3–4 times less reactive oxygen species (H₂O₂) after salt treatment compared to P‐B plants. Sodium localization and distribution analysis using Na⁺‐specific dye revealed HS‐B plants accumulated 88% and 48% less Na⁺ in stele and xylem vessels compared to P‐B. The study provides insights into the potential mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B: maintaining RWC by accumulating soluble sugars while reducing transpiration, maintaining healthy status by reducing oxidative stresses, and preventing salt toxicity by reducing accumulation of Na⁺ inside root cells and xylem.     

Association analysis for detecting significant single nucleotide polymorphisms for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance at the seedling stage in soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.]

Tolerance to low-phosphorus soil is a desirable trait in soybean cultivars. Previous quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance were mainly derived from bi-parental segregating populations and few reports from natural population. The objective of this study was to detect QTLs that regulate phosphorus-deficiency tolerance in soybean using association mapping approach. Phosphorus-deficiency tolerance was evaluated according to five traits (plant shoot height, shoot dry weight, phosphorus concentration, phosphorus acquisition efficiency and use efficiency) comprising a conditional phenotype at the seedling stage. Association mapping of the conditional phenotype detected 19 SNPs including 13 SNPs that were significantly associated with the five traits across two years. A novel cluster of SNPs, including three SNPs that consistently showed significant effects over two years, that associated with more than one trait was detected on chromosome 3. All favorable alleles, which were determined based on the mean of conditional phenotypic values of each trait over the two years, could be pyramided into one cultivar through parental cross combination. The best three cross combinations were predicted with the aim of simultaneously improving phosphorus acquisition efficiency and use efficiency. These results will provide a thorough understanding of the genetic basis of phosphorus deficiency tolerance in soybean.     

Genotypic Variation for Tolerance to Transient Drought During the Reproductive Phase of Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa L. is a genetically diverse parent species of the allotetraploid species, oilseed rape (B. napus) and a potential source of drought tolerance for B. napus. We examined the effect of a 13‐day drought stress period during the early reproductive phase, relative to a well‐watered (WW) control, on subsequent growth and development in nine accessions of B. rapa and one accession of Brassica juncea selected for their wide morphological and genetic diversity. We measured leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use, and leaf and bud temperatures during the stress period and aboveground dry weight of total biomass at maturity. Dry weight of seeds and reproductive tissue were not useful measures of drought tolerance due to self‐incompatibility in B. rapa. The relative total biomass (used as the measure of drought tolerance in this study) of the 10 accessions exposed to drought stress ranged from 47 % to 117 % of the WW treatment and was negatively correlated with leaf‐to‐air and bud‐to‐air temperature difference when averaged across the 13‐day stress period. Two wild‐type (B. rapa ssp. sylvestris) accessions had higher relative total and non‐reproductive biomass at maturity and cooler leaves and buds than other types. We conclude that considerable genotypic variation for drought tolerance exists in B. rapa and cooler leaves and buds during a transient drought stress in the early reproductive phase may be a useful screening tool for drought tolerance.     

Redox halopriming: A Promising Strategy for Inducing Salt Tolerance in Bread Wheat

New strategies to enhance growth and productivity of food crops in saline soils represent important research priorities. This study has investigated the role of certain priming techniques to induce salt tolerance of bread wheat. Wheat grains were soaked in 0.2 mm sodium nitroprusside as nitric oxide donor (redox priming), diluted sea water (halopriming) and the combination of both (redox halopriming). Grains were also soaked in distilled water (hydropriming); in addition, untreated grains were taken as control. Our results indicated that priming treatments significantly improved all growth traits and increased leaf pigments concentration as compared to the control. Priming treatments markedly enhanced membrane stability index, proline, total soluble sugars and K⁺ concentration with simultaneous decrease in the concentration of Na⁺ and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, yield and yield‐related traits such as plant height, spike length, total number of tillers, 1000‐grain weight, straw and grain yield considerably affected by priming treatments. Moreover, the grain yield of both genotypes was positively affected by redox halopriming treatment. However, the extent of enhancement was more prominent in Gemmiza‐9 (salt sensitive) than that in Sakha‐93 (salt‐tolerant). Overall, this study clearly indicated that redox halopriming treatment is a promising and handy technique to induce salinity tolerance of wheat genotypes.