Weeding techniques in transplanted and direct wet-seeded rice in Pakistan

Field studies were undertaken to explore the weed management strategies for transplanted and direct wet-seeded rice in the Dera Ismail Khan district of North-west Frontier Province, Pakistan. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split plot arrangement. The main plots consisted of two planting techniques (transplantation and direct seeding), while weed control practises assigned to the subplots included the use of the granular herbicide Sunstar 15WG (ethoxy sulfuron), Machete 60EC (butachlor), conventional hand weeding, and the weedy check (untreated control). Data were recorded on weed dynamics and the agronomic parameters of the rice crop. Economic analyses on the data were also run. The weed density and biomass were lower in the transplantation plots than the direct-seeding plots. The herbicides ethoxy sulfuron and butachlor reduced the density over the weedy check, with a density comparable to hand weeding in 2002, but slightly higher in 2003. As a result of weed management by hand weeding and herbicides, the paddy yield and its components were significantly higher for the transplanted method compared to the direct-seeded method. The comparable yield of herbicides with hand weeding offers an option for the use of herbicides as an alternative management tool. In light of our findings, it is concluded that for good economic returns, rice crops may be transplanted rather than direct-seeded. The herbicides ethoxy sulfuron and butachlor offer a weed control cover comparable with hand weeding under the transplantation method, while butachlor is good for controlling weeds even under the direct-seeded conditions in the agroclimatic conditions of the area.     

一种新的提高树苗盐容量的移植方法

The influence of quinclorac (3,7-dichloroquinoline-8-carboxylic acid) on enzyme activities in flooded paddy soils was assessed under laboratory conditions. The enzymes differed markedly in their response to quinclorac. Quinclorac inhibited proteinase, hydrogen peroxidase, phosphorylase, and urease activities. The higher the concentration of quinclorac applied, the more significant the inhibition to these observed activities with a longer time required to recover to the level of the control. However, soils supplemented with quinclorac were nonpersistent for proteinase~ phosphorylase and urease as opposed to soils without quinclorac. Dehydrogenase activity was also sensitive to quinclorac. Three soil samples with concentrations of quinclorac higher than 1 μg g^-1 soil declined to less than 20% of that in the control. However, the highest dehydrogenase activity (up to 3.28-fold) was detected in soils with 2 μg g^-1 soil quinclorac on the 25th day after treatment. Quinclorac had a relatively mild effect on saccharase activity at the concentrations used in this experiment and a stimulatory one on soil respiration when added to soil at normal field concentrations. Nonetheless it was inhibited at higher concentrations in paddy soils. Quinclorac is still relatively safe to the soil ecosystem when applied at a normal concentration (0.67 μg g^-1 dried soil) but may have some effects on soil enzymes at higher concentrations.     

Assignment of new loci to river buffalo chromosomes confirms the nature of chromosomes 4 and 5

Introduction Rapid development of the river buffalo physical map can be achieved by coupling its development to that of the cattle gene map. Syntenic conservation between cattle and buffalo has been demonstrated, mainly using somatic cell hybrids (de Hondt et al. 1991; El Nahas et al. 1993, 1996, 1998; de Hondt et al. 1997; El Nahta 1996; Oraby et al. 1977), and by using in situ hybridization as reviewed by Iannuzzi (1997). G- and R-banding comparisons between cattle (2n = 60) and river buffalo (2n = 50) chromosomes have revealed a large number of banding homologies between the two species, both at early-metaphase (Gupta and Ray -Chaudhury 1978; Di Berardino et al. 1981) and prometaphase stages (Iannuzzi et al. 1990). Banding homology indicates that the five river buffalo biarmed pairs originate from centric fusion translocation between two of ten homologous cattle autosomes, which is very supportive of the hypothesis that both species have a common ancestor (Wurster and Benirschke 1968). Based on cytological analysis and banding homology between cattle and buffalo chromosomes, the five biarmed chromosomes of the river buffalo BBU1, BBU2, BBU3, BBU4, BBU5 were thought to originate from fusion of cattle chromosome (BTA) 1/25; 2/23; 8/19; 5/28; and 16/29 respectively (Iannuzzi et al. 1990; Report of the Committee for the Standardization of Banded Karyotopes of the River Buffalo 1994). However, the analysis of synteny between molecular markers assigned to different cattle syntenic groups demonstrated that BBU1 results from fusion of BTA 1 and 27 rather than 1 and 25 (El Nahas et al. 1977). This called for expanding the analysis of syntenic relationships between marker loci to confirm the nature of the other biarmed buffalo chromosomes. The purpose of this study is to test synteny between markers in buffalo and to confirm the nature of the biarmed buffalo chromosomes 4 and 5, using marker loci and somatic cell hybrids.     

Information fusion in aquaculture: a state-of the art review

Efficient fish feeding is currently one of biggest challenges in aquaculture to enhance the production of fish quality and quantity. In this review, an information fusion approach was used to integrate multi-sensor and computer vision techniques to make fish feeding more efficient and accurate. Information fusion is a well-known technology that has been used in different fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, image processing, computer vision, sensors and wireless sensor networks. Information fusion in aquaculture is a growing field of research that is used to enhance the performance of an “industrialized” ecosystem. This review study surveys different fish feeding systems using multi-sensor data fusion, computer vision technology, and different food intake models. In addition, different fish behavior monitoring techniques are discussed, and the parameters of water, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature etc., necessary for the fish feeding process, are examined. Moreover, the different waste management and fish disease diagnosis techniques using different technologies, expert systems and modeling are also reviewed.     

芦花鸡PRKAG3基因单核苷酸多态性及与肉质性状的相关性分析

为研究芦花鸡PRKAG3基因的多态性及与肉质性状相关性,采用PCR-SSCP方法检测PRKAG3基因外显子11的遗传多态性。结果检测到TT、TG和GG三种基因型,测序结果证实在2832位点存在T→G突变,为有意突变,统计分析表明,此多态位点与芦花鸡呈显著相关,pH值为GG基因型极显著低于TG基因型和TT基因型(P<0.01),而TG基因型显著低于TT基因型(P<0.05);其它肉质性状在不同基因型间差异不显著。此结果提示,PRKAG3基因对芦花鸡pH值具有较大的遗传效应,可以初步推断PRKAG3是控制这一性状的众多基因之一,可能是影响芦花鸡pH值的一个主效基因或与主效基因相连锁,可作为选育芦花鸡pH值的分子标记,用于标记辅助选择意义重大。     

QTL mapping of seedling biomass and root traits under different nitrogen conditions in bread wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Plant nitrogen assimilation and use efficiency in the seedling's root system are beneficial for adult plants in field condition for yield enhancement. Identification of the genetic basis between root traits and N uptake plays a crucial role in wheat breeding. In the present study, 198 doubled haploid lines from the cross of Yangmai 16/Zhongmai 895 were used to identify quantitative trait loci(QTLs) underpinning four seedling biomass traits and five root system architecture(RSA) related traits. The plants were grown under hydroponic conditions with control, low and high N treatments(Ca(NO_3)_2·4H_2 O at 0, 0.05 and 2.0 mmol L~(-1), respectively). Significant variations among the treatments and genotypes, and positive correlations between seedling biomass and RSA traits(r=0.20 to 0.98) were observed. Inclusive composite interval mapping based on a high-density map from the Wheat 660 K single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP) array identified 51 QTLs from the three N treatments. Twelve new QTLs detected on chromosomes 1 AL(1) in the control, 1 DS(2) in high N treatment, 4 BL(5) in low and high N treatments, and 7 DS(3) and 7 DL(1) in low N treatments, are first reported in influencing the root and biomass related traits for N uptake. The most stable QTLs(RRS.caas-4 DS) on chromosome 4 DS, which were related to ratio of root to shoot dry weight trait, was in close proximity of the Rht-D1 gene, and it showed high phenotypic effects, explaining 13.1% of the phenotypic variance. Twenty-eight QTLs were clustered in 12 genetic regions. SNP markers tightly linked to two important QTLs clusters C10 and C11 on chromosomes 6 BL and 7 BL were converted to kompetitive allele-specific PCR(KASP) assays that underpin important traits in root development, including root dry weight, root surface area and shoot dry weight. These QTLs, clusters and KASP assays can greatly improve the efficiency of selection for root traits in wheat breeding programmes.     

Effects of herbicide and timing of removal on interference between barley and weeds

Field experiments were done during the rainy season of 1984–85 and 1985–86 at Harma, Qatar. A weed survey of barley fields was conducted with the primary purpose of identifying the weed vegetation present. The effects of time of hand-weeding and of application of the herbicide metoxuron on the yield and yield components of barley were studied. Removing weeds at 15,30,45 and 60 days after sowing gave yields similar to that of the clean-weeded check. Neither a critical period nor a threshold density below which no yield loss occurred were observed. Metoxuron (1,2 and 3 kg ha^?1) gave good to excellent broad-leaved and grass-weed control. The use of this herbicide at the rate of 1 kg ha^?1 showed considerable promise.     

Molecular Characterization of Phenotypically CAMP‐Negative Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated from Bovine Mastitis

In the present study three phenotypically CAMP‐negative Streptococcus agalactiae, isolated from three cows with mastitis, were characterized by molecular analysis. An identification of the S. agalactiae was performed by conventional methods and by PCR amplification of species specific parts of the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S‐23S rDNA intergenic spacer region. In addition all three phenotypically CAMP‐negative isolates harboured a normal sized CAMP‐factor encoding cfb gene indicating a reduced expression of CAMP‐factor or a gene defect elsewhere along the pathway of expression. The clonal identity of the three isolates could be demonstrated by macrorestriction analysis of their chromosomal DNA.     

Effect of Phosphorus Deficiency on Leaf Photosynthesis and Carbohydrates Partitioning in Two Rice Genotypes with Contrasting Low Phosphorus Susceptibility

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major limiting factors to the crop production in most of the soils throughout the world [1]. The traditional way to alleviate P deficiency is the application of P fertilizer. However, the scarcity of P mineral resou…