光敏核不育水稻选育与利用的几个问题讨论

对现有光敏核不育材料进行了分类,分为４种遗传类型;其中,温光弱感到光敏核不育系是最为理 想的遗传工具,并就其选育途径和选择“粳不籼恢”繁殖制种技术体系进行了论证．     

Towards developing resistance to chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing using multiplexed gRNAs

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Mastreviruses are an emerging group of viruses transmitted by leafhoppers and infect both monocot and dicot plants. Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus...     

Impacts of Institutional Reforms on Irrigated Agriculture in Pakistan

Poor functioning of theirrigation system in Pakistan has been asource of concern for the last few decades,during which time it has been the subject ofconsiderable external assistance andinternal policy reforms. Consequently, thegovernment of Pakistan introducedinstitutional restructuring in irrigationand drainage subsectors to impartnecessary improvements. Under thesereforms, management at secondary canallevel has recently been handed over to theFarmers Organizations (FOs) of selecteddistributaries in pilot areas. This studywas designed to evaluate a farmer-manageddistributary in southern Punjab. Fieldmeasurements revealed that hydraulicaspects of the irrigation service deliveredby the FO management has been significantlyimproved and as a result highlyproportionate and equitable waterdistribution was observed, particularly atthe tail reaches of the distributary. Dueto effective FO management farmers'interventions to increase the outletdischarge by illegal means has been almosteradicated. As a result of theseimprovements imparted by the FO in systemmanagement, the extent of irrigated area hasincreased on average by 6 to 7%, evenunder severe drought-like conditionsprevailing in the country during recentyears. Further cost recoveries haveincreased by an amount of 14% for summerand 23% for winter growing seasons,respectively, from the irrigated area of thedistributary. Thus experience from Hakra4-R distributary has shown that even underundesirable natural circumstancesIrrigation Management Transfer (IMT) wasquite effective in achieving the keytargets of the institutional reformslaunched at pilot scale in the country.     

Effects of ambient gaseous pollutants on photosynthesis,growth, yield and grain quality of selected crops grown at different sites varying in pollution levels

In recent decades, ambient gaseous pollution has increased due to anthropogenic activities worldwide. The studies to evaluate the adverse effects of ambient pollutants on commonly grown food crops are still limited, especially in Asian countries like Pakistan. The present study was conducted to measure the ambient pollutants in different sites of Faisalabad and their impact on growth and yield of wheat, mung bean and peas. Plants were grown in pots and placed at three sites named as control (Wire house of Government College University, Faisalabad), low pollution (LP) (Farm Area of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute) and high pollution (HP) (GT Chowk, Faisalabad) sites. Results showed that ambient ozone (O₃) concentration was highest at HP site followed by LP site and was below AOT40 in control site. Ambient pollutants caused foliar injury in crops and decreased plant height, leaf area, biomass and grain yield. Pollutants caused a reduction in photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate and grain protein contents in all three crops. In conclusion, the ambient O₃ level was highest at HP site, this current O₃ level and other pollutants decreased the growth and yield of important food crops.     

Studies on the Epidemiology of Tropical Theileriosis (Theileria annulata Infection) in Cattle in Central Anatolia,Turkey

An epidemiological survey for Theileria annulata infection was conducted in 12 selected villages around Ankara in Central Anatolia, Turkey, during the period April 1990 to January 1993. During the survey, 198 cattle of 30 local breeds, 84 Holstein-Friesian×local breeds and 84 Holstein-Friesian breed were examined for antibodies to T. annulata and the presence of the vector ticks. Four species of Hyalomma ticks were identified: Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, Hyalomma anatolicum excavtum, Hyalomma detritum and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum. Salivary gland staining indicated that infected adult ticks of all four species were present and, therefore, were implicated in the transmission of tropical theileriosis in the field. Generally, the Hyalomma infestation rate was low, with the heaviest infestations occurring on the older animals. Young adults and calves had very low infestation rates. Most ticks seen on cattle were adults, very few nymphs were found. The blood smear and serological examination of the 198 cattle conducted in March, before the start of the first disease season, showed that the prevalence of piroplasmosis was 11.1% (22 out of 198) and the seroprevalence of T. annulata was 10.6% (21 out of 198). Forty-three animals were then excluded from the study because they were seropositive and/or harboured piroplasms. Ninety-two seronegative animals showed piroplasmosis (92 out of 155) and 34 seronegative animals became seropositive for T. annulata (34 out of 155) during the three disease seasons. One animal became clinically ill with tropical theileriosis and required treatment. The incidence of cattle showing piroplasmosis and disease in the total study sample was 50.7% and 0.5% per disease season, respectively. The seroconversion rate of new infection with T. annulata in the total study was 14.3% per animal season. The number of cattle showing piroplasmosis was much greater than the number of seropositive cattle, which may indicate the presence of another species of Theileria. The two different management systems encountered in the study were considered to have influenced the tick infestation levels.     

Mycoplasmas from donkeys and horses in the Sudan

Seventeen isolates (4.27%) were recovered from 398 samples. Twelve isolates (4%) were obtained from 300 donkey nasal swabs, three (4.3%) and two (6.89%) isolates were recovered from 69 horse nasal swabs and 29 mare uterine washings, respectively. Nine isolates were lost during storage at -20 degrees C and the remaining eight were identified as mycoplasmas and their biological, biochemical and serological reactions were investigated. The isolates could be divided into two groups on the basis of glucose fermentation and arginine hydrolysis. The first group neither fermented glucose nor hydrolysed arginine. Organisms in the second group hydrolysed arginine only.     

Determining home range,changes in habitat use with time,and the threats to an endangered freshwater turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) in Turkey

1. The Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) is the most threatened chelonian species in the Middle East, where it is endemic to the Tigris and Euphrates basins. Since the ecology of this species is little known, it is difficult to plan any reliable action for its correct management and conservation.
2. To enhance the scientific knowledge on R. euphraticus, and to establish a science-based management strategy, a detailed investigation was undertaken on the distribution, habitat, activity and home range of R. euphraticus in Turkey. The previous distribution records in Turkey are for the 1990s; thus, this study is the first comprehensive field research on the species after nearly 3 decades.
3. There was a significant sexual size dimorphism in the Turkish population, with males larger than females.
4. Four individuals were radiotracked for 1 year. The mean home range was highly variable depending on how it was calculated, but that of males was considerably greater than that of females by all methods used.
5. A quantitative evaluation was made of habitat change with time. The land cover classes potentially available to turtles in the Euphrates River basin increased by more than 100% between the 1990s and 2018: 92% of this enhancement was derived from water bodies and coastal lands.
6. Fifteen dams have been built in the lower part of the basins in the last 30 years. In addition, continuing human interactions have caused the fragmentation or destruction of suitable habitats for R. euphraticus.
7. The factors threatening R. euphraticus were assessed and a conservation action plan was developed. Some objectives such as monitoring and creating awareness of this action plan have been met while others are still waiting to be achieved.

     

Changes in clinical values of cattle infected with Clostridium chauvoei CH3 strain and a local Kad1 strain. Haematological values

Clostridium chauvoei CH3 and Kad1 strains were found to cause marked changes in the blood parameters during the course of blackleg disease. These changes displayed by CH3 were found to be more marked than the local Kad1 strain. Results of changes in the haematological values in calves infected with blackleg organisms, showed an increase in RBC, PCV, Hb and the total leukocyte count. MCHC and MCH remained within normal range values, however, a terminal significant increase of MCV was obtained. Thrombocytes showed a steady drop after infection to the time of death of the animals.