A long‐term study of burning effects on a plant pathogen in tallgrass prairie

Tallgrass prairie species have evolved with regular exposure to fire. However, burning has been used as a management tool for reducing plant disease in agricultural systems, posing the question of how plant pathogens of tallgrass prairie would be affected by burning. The rust fungus Puccinia dioicae, infecting Erigeron strigosus (Asteraceae), was studied for 8 years in long‐term experiments to evaluate the effects of burning in native tallgrass prairie. This experiment also allowed evaluation of the effects of nutrient additions, although E. strigosus was rare in the plots with added nutrients in most years. Burning reduced rust severity in most years, but effects from additions of nutrients were rarely observed. There was high interannual variation in rust severity within a location, suggesting that weather may be the most important of these three abiotic factors in determining infection. An analysis of weather variables associated with disease severity found that solar radiation in the month prior to sampling was associated with severity in unburned plots; temperature approximately 2 months prior to sampling was also associated with severity in burned plots. High interannual variation also suggests that the effects of this pathogen on its host would be sporadic and difficult to study in short‐term experiments.     

Season-specific varietal management as an option to increase rainfed lowland rice production in East African high altitude cropping systems

Due to land expansion and an increase in productivity, rice production in sub-Saharan Africa has been growing at a rate of 6% in the past decade. Rainfed rice production systems have accounted for a large share of this expansion. In these systems, the potential growing period not only depends on the length of the rainy season and thus water availability, but is often, especially in the highlands of East Africa, bordered by the onset of the cool period of the year, when low minimum temperatures compromise rice yields. The objective of this study was to investigate the yield potential of 30 rice varieties contrasting in crop duration and cold tolerance in the highlands of East Africa, with its limited length of growing period. A field trial was conducted in the cropping seasons in 2016 and 2017 at the Fogera rice research station, Ethiopia. As a function of the onset of rains, rice was sown mid-July in 2016 and early July in 2017. Early sowing in 2017 led to an extended crop duration and significantly lower yields of the short-duration varieties, and to a shortened duration and significantly higher yields of the medium- and long-duration varieties, when compared to late sowing in 2016. Late sowing compromised yield of the medium- and long-duration varieties because of low temperatures during booting stage, which led to high spikelet sterility. Early sowing resulted in low yields of the short-duration varieties, probably due to low solar radiation during the cloudy rainy season, which coincided with the vegetative stage. Therefore, choice of variety should be a function of the variable onset of the rainy season and related sowing date. However, crop models precisely calibrated for potential varieties and the respective environmental conditions could fully support the selection of a suitable variety, depending on the date of sowing, for example with the help of online tools or smartphone applications.     

本溪山区旱柳物候变化特征及其对气候变化的响应

为了探讨本溪山区气候变化对木本植物物候的影响,利用1980—2012 年国家农业气象本溪县观测站旱柳物候期资料和气温、降水、日照等资料,运用线性倾向率和趋势系数等分析方法,研究了本溪山区旱柳物候期对气候变化的响应。结果表明：在近33 年本溪山区气温呈明显的升温趋势变化,升温速率为0.45℃/10 a,降水和日照呈波动性减小趋势变化,降水量波动幅度较大,最大降雨量与最小降雨量差异大。旱柳芽开放期呈明显的延后趋势变化,其线性倾向率为2.4 d/10 a;开花始期呈拖后趋势变化,线性倾向率为0.35 d/10 a;旱柳变色始期和落叶始期均呈显著的延后趋势,其线性倾向率分别为7.27 d/10 a和5.52 d/10 a。温度对旱柳物候影响最为显著,降水和日照对物候期的变化也有一定的影响。     

作物模型中单叶最大光合作用速率的温度响应修订

作物的光合作用对温度变化敏感, 其温度依存性随品种、生长环境的变化而改变。基于光效率模型的作物生长模型, 在应用中很少对光合作用的温度影响参数值进行订正, 且在全生育期使用相同的参数值, 难免会增加干物质模拟的误差。为此, 本文以ORYZA2000模型为例, 提出了一种修订光合作用温度影响参数值的方法。为确定方法的有效性, 结合2012年和2013年水稻品种两优培九的温度梯度控制实验, 首先利用抽穗开花期光合作用观测曲线提取了不同温度水平的光合作用参数值, 然后结合Arrhenius方程和Peaked方程建立了温度敏感性参数的温度影响方程。将这些方程代入机理性光合作用模型, 模拟了单叶最大光合作用速率与温度的曲线关系。最后, 以归一化后的曲线关系修订作物模型参数值, 并利用两年地上部分生物量(WAGT)观测值对其验证。结果显示, 两优培九单叶最大总光合作用速率随温度的变化关系不同于ORYZA2000的默认设置, 修订后的最适温度为38~40°C, 高于默认值。在10~20°C的低温段, 修订后的温度影响系数低于默认值。从WAGT模拟值的相对误差看, 修订后较修订前平均降低约3.3%。本研究为改进干物质模拟精度和分析不同品种光合作用的温度依存性提供了重要参考。     

低海拔地区浙江红花油茶无性系的开花物候特性

为研究低海拔区域浙江红花油茶无性系开花物候特性,对浙江金华东方红林场的22个浙江红花油茶无性系开花物候、花期长短、开花数量进行了调查观测。结果表明:低海拔地区浙江红花油茶无性系花期始于1月下旬,结束于4月中下旬,花期长达62.5 d,花期较集中,但开花期容易受到气候的影响。不同浙江红花油茶无性系开花物候差异显著,开花期最早的是无性系dy144,最晚的是无性系hy31。花期持续时间最长的是无性系hy54、hy179,花期持续时间均值为53.5 d;最短的是无性系hy58,花期持续时间均值为26.5d。22个无性系之间开花数量存在极显著差异(P<0.01)。根据本试验的研究结果,其中无性系dy156、hy8、hy28、hy31、hy43、hy47、hy59、hy63、hy54、hy71、hy179可以考虑作为园林观赏推广品种。     

合理开发利用野生花灌木—蒙古莸

蒙古莸属野生花灌木 ,聚伞花序 ,花蓝紫色、枝、叶、花具有香味 ,观赏价值高 ,叶、花可提取芳香油 ;全株入药。同时其适应性极强 ,生长迅速 ,在高寒干旱、盐碱等地区作为绿化 ,美化树种可大力推广应用     

Differential overstory leaf flushing contributes to the formation of a patchy understory

Understory individuals were found to form patches in a 100-year-old deciduous broad-leaved forest. The closed forest canopy was uniform, and so the light conditions at various locations across the forest floor differed little after the leaf flush of the overstory. To explain the distribution pattern in the understory, a hypothesis was proposed: in spring, the forest floor is divided into patches according to the timing of leaf flush of the overstory individuals, and the light conditions are more favorable for understory plants under the crowns of trees with later-flushing leaves. In the plot, three groups of early, intermediate, and late, were recognized in the overstory concerning the timing of leaf flush. As for the start of leaf flush, a difference of 31.6 days was recognized among tree species, and for the end of leaf flush, a difference of 40.3 days. In the spring of 1998, the relative photosynthetic-photon-flux density under an intensively studiedCastanea crenata tree (late-flushing species) usually showed higher values than that under a similarly studiedAcer mono tree (early-flushing species). Analysis of the spatial-distribution pattern using Morisita’s1δ index revealed that the understory community had an aggregated distribution. In the overstory, the late- and the intermediate-flushing-species groups showed aggregated distributions, while the early-flushing-species group showed random distribution. Spatial correlation between the understory and the overstory was analyzed by using Morisita’sRδ index. The distribution of whole understory community spatially co-occurred with that of the late-flushing-species group of the overstory. In contrast, the understory community was less developed below the members of the early-flushing-species group of the overstory. We consider that the data presented here support our hypothesis, and we suggest that the growth and survival of understory individuals were promoted in the places receiving light for long periods in spring.     

Growth and development of Cirsium arvense in relation to herbicide dose,timing of herbicide application and crop presence

The aim of this study is to assess control effects of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) dosage, application timing and crop presence on the weed Cirsium arvense. Swedish farmers are recommended to control C. arvense chemically when most shoots are 10-20 cm tall, and mechanically at the compensation point (CP). Recent studies have shown that the CP occurs before shoots reach the three-leaf stage. We hypothesised that (i) herbicide application near the three-leaf stage gives the strongest control, (ii) crop presence increases herbicide effects, and (iii) a 50% herbicide dose gives the same effect as 100%. Treatments of the pot experiment consisted of MCPA 750; 0%, 50% and 100% of the recommended dose applied at leaf stages 3-8, with and without barley. The strongest control was obtained at four leaves and a maximum shoot height of 13 cm, using the recommended dose and with spring barley. In a field population, a maximum shoot height of 13 cm corresponded to a medium height of 6 cm. The 50% dose gave poorer control. Spraying with the recommended dose at the four-leaf stage reduced the development of C. arvense most effectively. Based on this, we recommend that herbicide spraying should be performed at earlier leaf stages/median heights than previously recommended.     

Direct impacts of recent climate warming on insect populations

Effects of recent climate change have already been detected in many species, and, in particular, in insects. The present paper reviews the key impacts of global warming on insect development and dispersal. The effects of climate change appear to be much more complex than a simple linear response to an average increase in temperature. They can differ between seasons and bioclimatic regions. Earlier flight periods, enhanced winter survival and acceleration of development rates are the major insect responses. Differential response of insects and hosts to warming up might also lead to disruption of their phenological synchrony, but adaptive genetic processes are likely to quickly restore this synchrony. In a number of cases, warming results in removing or relocating the barriers that limit present species' ranges. It is also likely to facilitate the establishment and spread of invasive alien species. Finally, knowledge gaps are identified and future research interests are suggested.     

The newest leafminer pest in Israel,Liriomyza huidobrensis

The pea leafminer,Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard), recently introduced into Israel, has proven to be extremely proliferous and difficult to control. It is a much more serious pest of vegetable and flower crops than the previously introducedLiriomyza trifolii (Burgess). Photosynthesis is reduced and cosmetic damage is incurred when adult flies stipple plant leaves with feeding punctures and larvae mine the leaves. This paper will review briefly the history, biology and potential control measures of the pea leafminer.