于田县西伯利亚白刺播种育苗技术研究

以新疆和田地区于田县的克里雅河上游分布的西伯利亚白刺种子为试材,进行温水浸种催芽、层积处理和沙藏催芽等3种处理方法,研究了不同播种育苗方法对白刺种子出苗率和成活率的影响,以期找到使育苗成活率高、繁殖速度快的播种育苗方法,对白刺属植物播种育苗基地建设方面提供实地试验基础。结果表明:对白刺种子进行温水浸种催芽、层积处理和沙藏催芽后,当有30%以上的种子露白时即可播种,当年4月25日播种,5月7日出苗,5月13日苗木基本出齐,不同处理方法出苗率分别为温水浸种催芽78%、层积处理72%、沙藏催芽67%,平均出苗率72.3%。3种处理方法的种子出苗率和成活率均较高。     

2年生酸枣移栽苗生理变化及其耐盐性

[目的]对2年生酸枣移栽苗进行耐盐性评价,为其在新疆盐渍化地区扩大种植面积提供依据.[方法]以2年生酸枣移栽苗为材料进行不同程度的NaCl胁迫处理,研究其细胞膜透性、丙二醛(MDA)含量以及超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性和渗透调节物质含量的变化趋势.[结果]将2年生酸枣幼苗移栽后第80 d(CK1),其叶片细胞膜透性、SOD、POD、CAT活性和脯氨酸含量均显著高于2年生酸枣实生苗(CK) (P ＜0.05);MDA、可溶性糖、淀粉、蛋白质含量没有达到显著水平(P＞0.05).NaCl胁迫下,浓度为0～200 mmol/L,2年生酸枣移栽苗叶片中细胞膜透性,SOD、POD、CAT活性显著高于2年生酸枣实生苗(CK)(P＜0.05);浓度为250、300 mmol/L时,SOD、POD的活性下降,而CAT活性处于稳定状态.随之NaCl浓度的加重,2年生酸枣移栽苗叶片中脯氨酸的含量成倍增加,可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白、淀粉的含量均呈增加趋势.[结论]对于酸枣移栽苗来说,在NaCl浓度为0～200 mmol/L,其叶片中的活性氧清除酶开始启动,解除活性氧的毒害,脯氨酸起着重要的渗透调节作用,因此,在此范围内的酸枣移栽苗受到盐害较轻;而在250～300 mmol/L的NaCl胁迫下,酸枣移栽苗受到的伤害比较高.     

New records of endoparasitoidBassus fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae) species from Turkey

SixBassus species were recorded for the first time in Turkey:B. calculator (Fabricius, 1798),B. cingulipes (Nees, 1814),B. conspicuus (Wesmael, 1837),B. graecus Achterberg, 1992,B. rugulosus (Needs, 1834) andB. zaykovi (Nixon, 1986). By adding these new records, the number ofBassus species in Turkey has been raısed from seven to 13. Distribution and known hosts are given.     

Genome-wide association studies of preweaning growth and in vivo carcass composition traits in Esme sheep

Sheep are considered as a major contributor of global food security. Moreover, sheep preweaning growth traits as well as in vivo carcass composition traits such as ultrasonic measurements of Longissimus dorsi muscle depth (UMD) and back-fat thickness (UFD) are crucially important indicators of meat yield and hot carcass composition. Despite their relative importance for productivity and profitability of a sheep production system, detected QTL for these traits are quite scarce. Therefore, we implemented GWAS for these traits using animal mixed model-based association approach provided by GenABEL in Esme sheep. Three genome-wide and 14 individual chromosome-wide associated SNPs were discovered. As a result, ESRP1, LOC105613082, ZNF641, DUSP5, TEAD1, SMOX, PTPRT, RALYL, POM121C, PHIP, LOC101106051, ZIM3, PEG3, TRPC7, FBXL4, LOC105610397, LOC105616489 and DNAAF2 were suggested as candidates. Some of the discovered genes and involved pathways were already annotated to contribute growth and development in various species including human, mice and cattle. All in all, the results of this study are expected to strongly contribute to shed a light on the underlying molecular mechanisms behind growth and carcass composition traits, with potential implications on studies aiming faster genetic improvement, targeted low-resolution SNP panel designs and genome-editing studies.     

Compressive failure of spruce wood rings reinforced with glass epoxy composite

We experimentally tested under radial compressive loads and statistically analyzed rings constructed from spruce wood and reinforced with glass fiber.We used the Weibull distribution in statistical analysis,and tested five types of rings including unreinforced and composite reinforced(CR) as wound around the ring,oriented as two layers at angles of 45°,60°,75° and 90° to the column axis.We calculated 95 % reliability of load carrying capacity of the rings by Weibull distribution.The highest load carrying capacity was obtained with CR rings at 60° to the axial axis of the ring.Load carrying capacities of rings at CR90,CR75,CR60 and CR45 were 137,192,215 and 126 %greater,respectively,than unreinforced rings.For unreinforced rings,failures resulted from catastrophic breaking of wood materials.None of the reinforced rings failed catastrophically because the outer surface of the rings was reinforced with glass–epoxy composite fiber.Cracks began at the core of the materials under the composite layer for all specimens and resulted in failure of the rings.     

Integrated pest management of Tuta absoluta: practical implementations across different world regions

Journal of Pest Science - The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries and is threatening worldwide tomato...     

Feeding value of different levels of malt sprout and katikala atella on nutrient utilization and growth performance of sheep fed basal diet of Rhodes grass hay

Nonconventional agro-industrial by-products such as traditional liquor residues (locally called katikala atella) are widely used by livestock farmers in Ethiopia. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the supplementary value of katikala atella and malt sprout (MS) on performance of sheep fed a basal diet of Rhodes grass hay. Thirty intact yearling male sheep with an average initial body weight of 17.4?±?0.74 kg (mean?±?SD) were assigned to the treatments in a completely randomized block design: atella alone (T1), 75 % atella?+?25 % malt sprout (MS) (T2), 50 % atella?+?50 % MS (T3), 25 % atella?+?75 % MS (T4), MS alone (T5), and Rhodes grass hay alone (T6). Grass hay was fed ad libitum to all treatments. The total dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) intakes of sheep fed T4, T5, and T3 diets were the highest (P?<?0.05), while sheep receiving T6 had the lowest DM intake. The highest (P?<?0.05) total crude protein (CP) intake was for sheep fed T5 diet, while the lowest was for those fed T6 diet. Sheep receiving T3 diet had higher (P?<?0.05) DM, OM, CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility as compared with those fed T1, T2, and T6 diets. Sheep supplemented with 50–100 % malt sprout had similar (P?>?0.05) DM, OM, CP, NDF, and ADF digestibility. The highest (P?<?0.05) average daily gain was for sheep fed T3, T4, and T5 diets, while sheep in T6 lost body weight. Sheep fed T5 diet had the highest (P?<?0.05) nitrogen retention, while those fed T6 diet had the lowest. The study has shown that a mixture diet consisting of equal parts of katikala atella and malt sprout (T3) are found to be superior in most of the required nutrient characteristics.     

Soil salinity related to physical soil characteristics and irrigation management in four Mediterranean irrigation districts

Irrigated agriculture is threatened by soil salinity in numerous arid and semiarid areas of the Mediterranean basin. The objective of this work was to quantify soil salinity through electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques and relate it to the physical characteristics and irrigation management of four Mediterranean irrigation districts located in Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. The volume and salinity of the main water inputs (irrigation and precipitation) and outputs (crop evapotranspiration and drainage) were measured or estimated in each district. Soil salinity (EC_e) maps were obtained through electromagnetic induction surveys (EC_a readings) and district-specific EC_a-EC_e calibrations. Gravimetric soil water content (WC) and soil saturation percentage (SP) were also measured in the soil calibration samples. The EC_a-EC_e calibration equations were highly significant (P < 0.001) in all districts. EC_a was not significantly correlated (P > 0.1) with WC, and was only significantly correlated (P < 0.1) with soil texture (estimated by SP) in Spain. Hence, EC_a mainly depended upon EC_e, so that the maps developed could be used effectively to assess soil salinity and its spatial variability. The surface-weighted average EC_e values were low to moderate, and ranked the districts in the order: Tunisia (3.4 dS m⁻¹) > Morocco (2.2 dS m⁻¹) > Spain (1.4 dS m⁻¹) > Turkey (0.45 dS m⁻¹). Soil salinity was mainly affected by irrigation water salinity and irrigation efficiency. Drainage water salinity at the exit of each district was mostly affected by soil salinity and irrigation efficiency, with values very high in Tunisia (9.0 dS m⁻¹), high in Spain (4.6 dS m⁻¹), moderate in Morocco (estimated at 2.6 dS m⁻¹), and low in Turkey (1.4 dS m⁻¹). Salt loads in drainage waters, calculated from their salinity (EC_dw) and volume (Q), were highest in Tunisia (very high Q and very high EC_dw), intermediate in Turkey (extremely high Q and low EC_dw) and lowest in Spain (very low Q and high EC_dw) (there were no Q data for Morocco). Reduction of these high drainage volumes through sound irrigation management would be the most efficient way to control the off-site salt-pollution caused by these Mediterranean irrigation districts.