Cultivar Specific Response of CO2 Fertilization on Two Tropical Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Cultivars: ROS Generation,Antioxidant Status,Physiology, Growth,Yield and Seed Quality

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO₂) is an important component of global climate change that will have a significant impact on the productivity of crop plants. In recent years, growth and yield of agricultural crop plants have been shown to increase with elevated CO₂ (EC) and have enticed considerable interest due to variation in the response of crop plants. In this study, comparative response of two mung bean cultivars (HUM‐2 and HUM‐6) was evaluated against EC at different growth stages under near‐natural conditions for two consecutive years. The plants were grown in ambient as well as EC (700 ppm) in specially designed open‐top chambers. Under elevated CO₂, marked down‐regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, membrane disruption and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were noticed in both the cultivars, but the extent of reduction was more in HUM‐6. As compared to ambient CO₂, EC increased total chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, growth and yield parameters. Cultivar‐specific response was noticed as HUM‐6 showed higher increase in yield attributes than HUM‐2. Under CO₂ treatment, soluble protein and reducing sugars decreased while total soluble sugars and starch showed an opposite trend. Principal component analysis showed that both the cultivars responded more or less similarly to EC in their respective groupings of physiological and growth parameters, but the magnitude of ROS and antioxidative enzymes was variable. The experimental findings depict that both the cultivars of mung bean showed contrasting response against EC and paved the way for selecting the suitable cultivar having higher productivity in a future high‐CO₂ environment.     

基于茶籽壳代替木屑栽培茶树菇配方筛选试验

不同比例的茶籽壳和木屑组合成5个试验配方,比较不同配方对菌丝生长、子实体经济性状和生物转化率的影响。试验结果表明,在供试的5个配方中,配方4（棉籽壳50%、茶籽壳15%、木屑5%、麦麸20%、玉米粉7%、石膏1%、磷肥1%、石灰1%）为优选配方。     

不同播期对黄秋葵长势、抗病性和产量的影响

为在河北省推广种植黄秋葵,在安国、保定、邯郸、衡水和石家庄5个试验点进行黄秋葵分期播种试验,研究了不同播期对石秋葵1号、红玉和五福3个品种生长势、抗病性和产量的影响。结果表明:播期对石秋葵1号、红玉和五福生长势、抗病性和产量具有较大的影响,随着播期的推迟,3个品种的茎粗大致呈逐渐增高的趋势,株高呈先降后升的趋势(除2018年的红玉外),单株结果数则先增加后减少,单果质量(除五福外)逐渐增大;以4月20日、25日和30日为播期,得到的黄秋葵单株产量和折合667 m~2产量较高。综合得出,河北省黄秋葵种植以4月20日、25日、30日为播期最为适宜。     

5年生锯叶棕生长情况调查分析

锯叶棕是美国东南部常见的一种棕榈科珍贵药用植物，国家林业局桉树研究开发中心从美国佛罗里达州引进了锯叶棕的优质种源后，定期对其树高、地径、冠幅、分株等生长情况进行调查。结果发现：5年生锯叶棕总体生长缓慢，但分株能力强。从树高、地径等指标来看，前2a生长最快，3~4a生长缓慢，第5a生长又出现变快趋势。5 a后锯叶棕最多可由1株分株为16株，树高最高为262 cm，地径最大为28 mm，冠幅最大为420 cm。锯叶棕生长差异性较大，最小的锯叶棕树高仅为97 cm，地径为8 cm。     

Soil physical changes and maize growth in a structurally fragile tropical soil due to mulching and duration between irrigation intervals

Under tropical meteorological conditions, the volume of soil explored by plant roots is crucial for crop growth as it allows increased water and nutrient use efficiency. We hypothesized that, under different irrigation intervals, leguminous mulch can extend the duration between irrigation events but maintain crop performance, because decreased evaporative fluxes also reduce constraints to root exploration imposed by mechanical stress. We evaluated the combined effects of leguminous mulch and irrigation intervals on soil physical properties to determine whether the growth and productivity of maize were modified in a structurally fragile tropical soil. The experiment involved the following treatments: 4‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (4C) or bare (4S), 6‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (6C) or bare (6S), 8‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (8C) or bare (8S) and 10‐day irrigation intervals with soil mulched (10C) or bare (10S). Mulch decreased soil penetration resistance and increased to 4 days the favourable time for root development in drying soil. Relative to bare soil, mulch with a 6‐day irrigation interval almost doubled nitrogen uptake post‐tasselling, which decreased nitrogen remobilization and increased the crop growth rate during this stage. These conditions had a positive effect on the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance as well as on the growth and yield of maize. A 6‐day irrigation interval with mulch compared to 4 days with bare soil resulted in similar conditions for root development, but greater uptake of nitrogen (102.73–78.70 kg/ha) and better yield (6.2–5.3 t/ha), which means greater efficiency in nitrogen and water use.     

Maize harvest index and water use efficiency can be improved by inhibition of gibberellin biosynthesis

Possibilities to improve maize harvest index and nutrient utilization efficiency by application of plant growth regulators were investigated. In container experiments, the effects of different growth regulators on the development of the maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars Pioneer 3906 and Fabregas were tested. Paclobutrazol (PAC) and chlorocholine chloride (CCC), two inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis, as well as gibberellic acid (GA₃) were applied at growth stage V5. Three weeks after application of PAC, shoot growth of both maize cultivars was strongly affected with a significant decrease in plant height in the PAC treatment by 44% and 36% for Pioneer 3906 and Fabregas, respectively. The growth‐retarded plants had higher leaf areas and reduced transpiration rates. The higher shoot growth after GA₃ application was accompanied by a reduction in leaf area and an increase in transpiration rate during 1 week before anthesis. CCC treatment showed no significant effects on plant height, leaf area and transpiration rate. The PAC‐treated cultivar Pioneer 3906 produced several cobs per plant, which were mainly barren at maturity. However, PAC application to Fabregas resulted in just one cob per plant with good kernel development and a grain yield, which was not significantly reduced in comparison with the control. With this similar grain yield in combination with a straw yield decrease of 32%, the harvest index was significantly improved by 12%. In addition, with PAC‐treated Fabregas plants, a 19% increased water use efficiency of the grain (WUE_grain) during the critical period of kernel setting was achieved. In this maize cultivar, CCC application also improved harvest index by 5%, but no effect on WUE_grain occurred. GA₃ treatment decreased harvest index of both maize cultivars, and it either reduced WUE_grain (Pioneer 3906) or showed no effect (Fabregas). Utilization efficiencies of N, P and K were not increased with growth regulator application, even in the PAC‐treated Fabregas plants with a significantly improved allocation of assimilates to the grain, mirrored by the higher harvest index. The results indicate that fertilizer applications must be adjusted to the reduced demand of growth‐retarded plants, most likely leading to higher nutrient utilization efficiencies.     

Controlling sprouting in potato tubers using ultraviolet-C irradiance

Legislation limiting the use of chlorpropham (CIPC), the major potato sprout suppressant, has led to a need for new technologies to extend storage life of tubers. Ultra violet C (UV-C) has been used postharvest to reduce disease incidence on many crops, yet its use and efficacy as a sprout suppressant has not been investigated. The aim of this project was to identify the optimum dose and treatment timing of UV-C treatment on potato tubers as an alternative method of sprout suppression to reduce the dependence on chemical sprout suppressants. Up to six potato cultivars over two seasons were treated with varying doses of UV-C ranging from 0 to 30 kJ m⁻² either at harvest or at first indication of dormancy break. The tubers were stored at 9 °C and sprout growth and incidence assessed. Treatment with moderate UV-C doses (5–20 kJ m⁻²) suppressed sprout length and sprout incidence in a range of cultivars. Periderm DNA damage and programmed cell death were not detected in response to any of the UV-C doses. The inactive ABA metabolite, ABA-GE, increased in response to 10 or 20 kJ m⁻² within 72 h of treatment. Multivariate analysis showed a negative relationship between ABA metabolites and sprout growth/incidence during storage. This study found that UV-C reduced sprout growth in potato with no deleterious effects on tuber quality. This suggests potential for further development as an alternative or supplement to conventional sprout suppressant technologies.     

重金属Cd、Pb复合污染对植物生理生化和细胞结构影响的研究进展

我国受重金属污染的土地面积广大,因采矿等造成的环境和土壤重金属污染问题日趋严重。因金属矿床形成特点及开采方式单一等原因,造成Cd、Pb居于重金属复合污染前列。通过总结单一Cd、Pb污染对植物生理生化特征的影响以及Cd、Pb复合污染对植物生理生化及细胞结构的影响等研究进展,明晰土壤重金属Cd、Pb复合污染对植物影响和损害的研究热点,进而探明植物重金属胁迫的生理响应机制。     

Performance of DSSAT-Nwheat across a wide range of current and future growing conditions

Crop models are widely used in agricultural impact studies. However, many studies have reported large uncertainties from single-model-based simulation analyses, suggesting the need for multi-model simulation capabilities. In this study, the APSIM-Nwheat model was integrated into the Decision Support System for Agro-technology (DSSAT), which already includes two wheat models, to create multi-model simulation capabilities for wheat cropping systems analysis. The new model in DSSAT (DSSAT-Nwheat) was evaluated using more than 1000 observations from field experiments of 65 treatments, which included a wide range of nitrogen fertilizer applications, water supply (irrigation and rainout shelter), planting dates, elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, temperature variations, cultivars, and soil types in diverse climatic regions that represented the main wheat growing areas of the world.DSSAT-Nwheat reproduced the observed grain yields well with an overall root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.89 t/ha (13%). Nitrogen applications, water supply, and planting dates had large effects on observed biomass and grain yields, and the model reproduced these crop responses well. Crop total biomass and nitrogen uptake were reproduced well despite relatively poor simulations of observed leaf area measurements during the growing season. The low sensitivity of biomass simulations to poor simulations of leaf area index (LAI) were due to little changes in intercepted solar radiation at LAI >3 and water and nitrogen stress often limiting photosynthesis and growth rather than light interception at low LAI.The responses of DSSAT-Nwheat to temperature variations and elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations were close to observed responses. When compared with the two other DSSAT-wheat models (CERES and CROPSIM), these responses were similar, except for the responses to hot environments, due to different approaches in modeling heat stress effects.The comprehensive evaluation of the DSSAT-Nwheat model with field measurements, including a comparison with two other DSSAT-wheat models, created a multi-model simulation platform that allows the quantification of model uncertainties in wheat impact assessments.