Atmospheric humidity and genotype are key determinants of the diurnal stomatal conductance pattern

Great understanding of the genotypic difference in diurnal stomatal conductance (g_s) pattern and the key determinants of the pattern is important for saving water by adopting cultivars appropriately. Fifteen wheat genotypes were studied under different soil conditions and various meteorological conditions with pot cultivation in rain shelter for two years. Genotype and air humidity were found to be key determinants of diurnal g_s pattern. All genotypes under low relative humidity (LRH) and most genotypes under high relative humidity (HRH) displayed a gradual decline pattern from morning through the afternoon. Under moderate relative humidity (MRH), all genotypes present a single-peak curve pattern, but they differed in peak time, which may lead to unreliable g_s comparison between genotypes and get ostensible contrasting materials. The stomatal conductance was significantly different among genotypes under LRH and the increased g_s magnitude is also significantly different when it was compared between LRH and HRH. The present results provide new thinking for selecting and adopting appropriate cultivars with specific stomata traits for the area with various meteorological conditions.     

Relevance of Osmotic and Frost Protecting Compounds for the Winter Hardiness of Autumn Sown Sugar Beet

The cultivation of autumn sown sugar beet (winter beet) is supposed to result in a marked yield increase compared with spring sown sugar beet. Although the importance of the growth stage reached before winter for the survival of autumn sown sugar beet has already been shown, it is not clear to which extent osmotic and potentially frost protecting compounds may contribute to winter hardiness. The study thus aimed to analyse the acclimatization process of sugar beet to low temperatures and to identify compounds which are important for survival of frost. Field trials with autumn sown sugar beet were conducted at eleven environments in Germany from 2009/10 to 2012/13, which were accompanied by greenhouse experiments with controlled temperature regimes. In the field trials, the survival rates after winter varied from 0 % to 99 %, but only in four environments differences between the five genotypes occurred. During acclimatization, betaine, glutamine, proline and raffinose were markedly accumulated and osmolality was enhanced. In particular betaine, amino acids and osmolality showed a positive correlation to the survival rate and were thus identified as potentially frost protecting substances for sugar beet. In contrast, raffinose and proline seem to act rather as stress indicators as they were negatively related to survival. Possible frost protecting substances were identified which can be used in breeding to improve the winter hardiness of sugar beet.     

Interactions between crop biomass and development of foliar diseases in winter wheat and the potential to graduate the fungicide dose according to crop biomass

Foliar pathogens such as Zymoseptoria tritici and Puccinia striiformis causing septoria leaf blotch and yellow rust respectively can cause serious yield reduction in winter wheat production, and control of the diseases often requires several fungicide applications during the growing season. Control is typically carried out using a constant fungicide dose in the entire field although there may be large differences in crop development and biomass across the field. The objective of the study reported in this paper was to test whether the fungicide dose response curve controlling septoria leaf blotch and other foliar diseases in winter wheat was dependent on crop development and biomass level. If such a biomass dependent dose response was found it was further the purpose to evaluate the potential to optimize fungicide inputs in winter wheat crops applying a site-specific crop density dependent fungicide dose. The study was carried out investigating fungicide dose response controlling foliar diseases in winter wheat at three biomass densities obtained growing the crop at three nitrogen levels and using variable seed rates. Further the field experiments included three fungicide dose rates at each biomass level, an untreated control, and 75%, 50% and 33% of the recommended fungicide dose rate and the experiments were replicated for three years. Crop biomass had a significant influence on occurrence of septoria and yellow rust with greater disease severity at increasing crop biomass. In two of three years, the interaction of crop biomass and fungicide dose rate had a significant influence on disease severity indicating a biomass-dependent dose response. The interaction occurred in the two years with high yield potential in combination with severe disease attack. If the variation in crop density and biomass level obtained in the study is representative of the variation found cultivating winter wheat in heterogeneous fields, then there seems to be scope for optimizing fungicide input against foliar diseases site-specific adapting the dose according to crop density/biomass.     

1961—2010年东北农作区春小麦需水量的时空变化特征

利用东北农作区58个气象站点1961—2010年的逐日气象数据,基于Simulation of Evapotranspiration of Applied Water(SIMETAW)模型分析气候变化背景下东北农作区春小麦生育期内作物需水量(Crop evapotranspiration,ETc)和灌溉需要量(Evapotranspiration of applied water,ETaw),以及典型站点春小麦的灌溉需求指数(Irrigation demand index,IDI)的时空变化特征。结果表明:近50年来,东北农作区日平均温度呈显著上升趋势,平均降水量下降趋势不明显,平均太阳辐射及作物蒸散量呈显著下降趋势。春小麦生育期作物需水量和灌溉需要量呈下降趋势,其分布均表现为西多东少。50年来春小麦作物生育期需水量下降主要集中于松辽及兴安岭南部地区,东部地区变化趋势不明显;生育期灌溉需要量下降集中于松辽及兴安岭地区,三江平原地区略有增加,长白山地区多年保持平稳。     

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.     

Identification of CIMMYT spring bread wheat germplasm maintaining superior grain yield and quality under heat-stress

Unpredictable temperatures and rainfall associated with climate change are expected to affect wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in various countries. The development of climate-resilient spring wheat cultivars able to maintain grain yield and quality is essential to food security and economic returns. We tested 54 CIMMYT spring bread wheat genotypes, developed and/or released over a span of 50 years, in the field for two years under optimum sowing dates, as well as using two delayed sowing dates to expose crops to medium and severe heat-stress conditions. The grain yield and yield components were severely affected as the heat-stress increased. Two contrasting groups of 10 lines each were identified to determine the effect of heat-stress on bread-making quality. The first set included entries that produced high yields in optimal conditions and maintained higher yields under heat-stress (superior-yielding lines), while the second set included genotypes that did not perform well in the environment with high temperature (inferior-yielding lines). We identified genotypes exhibiting bread-making quality stability, as well as the quality traits that had higher correlation with the loaf volume in the environment without stress and under heat-stress. Of all the quality traits tested, dough extensibility (AlvL) and grain protein content had a significant influence in heat-stress adaptation. Most of the lines from the superior-yielding group were also able to maintain and even improve quality characteristics under heat-stress and therefore, could be used as parents in breeding to develop high-yielding and stable quality wheat varieties.     

安乡县小麦种植情况调查与思考

通过对安乡县19个乡镇近几年来小麦种植情况进行调查,从土壤类型、种植模式、播种方式、施肥种类与数量、病虫害和气候条件等6个方面分析了造成安乡县小麦产量高低差异的原因,并通过分析其经济效益、销售渠道及市场前景,探讨了安乡县小麦生产的现实问题。     

浅谈旱地麦田春季管理技术

旱地小麦春季管理要早抓早管、科学抗旱、分类指导,为小麦高产奠定良好基础。