红鳞蒲桃开花物候特性研究

对红鳞蒲桃种群的花期物候，单株、单个花序、单花的开花动态进行系统的观测研究，详细测量并记录花部构件，同时调查红鳞蒲桃种群的同花期植物。结果表明：红鳞蒲桃种群的花期物候为8月1日～9月15日（2008年），持续时间46d；单株花期从23d到33d不等；单花序的花期情况较为复杂，总体表现为花朵数越多，该花序持续时间越长，但也有个别情况出现，在开花中期花序持续时间长，开花后期花序持续时间最短，开花前期花序持续时间介于两者之间；在整个种群花期内单花平均开花时间约5．2d，种群开花前期单花的持续时间约为6．7d，开花中期约为4．7d，末花期约为4．3d，种群开花前期单花的持续时间显著大于种群中后期的持续时间。红鳞蒲桃种群的同花期植物隶属于16科21属22种。     

牦牛放牧率对小嵩草高寒草甸不同植物类群地上生物量生产率的影响

2年的牦牛放牧试验表明:除不同植物本身的生理特性外,降水和地温是影响小嵩草高寒草甸两季草场不同植物类群地上生物量绝对生长率的关键因素。小嵩草高寒草甸两季草场地上总生物量的绝对生长率1999年在7月份最大;1998年,冷季草场各放牧处理的绝对生长率在8月份达到最大,暖季草场的对照组和轻牧组在7月份最大,中牧组和重牧组在8月份最大。不同植物类群地上生物量生长率的变化不尽相同。1998年,冷季草场禾草和莎草地上生物量的绝对生长率8月份达到最大,暖季草场禾草和莎草地上生物量的绝对生长率7月份达到最大,且9月份出现了营养的再次积累;1999年,冷季草场禾草地上生物量的绝对生长率在6月份和8月份出现了两个峰值,暖季草场禾草地生物量的绝对生长率在7月份达到最大。对杂草类而言,1998年冷季草场的绝对生长率6月份最大,暖季草场重牧组的绝对生长率8月份达到最大,其他各处理7月份达到最大;1999年重牧组杂草的绝对生长率在6月份达到最大,其他各处理杂草在8月份达到最大。     

Germination ecology of seeds of the annual weeds Capsella bursa-pastoris and Descurainia sophia originating from high northern latitudes

Low temperatures may inhibit dormancy break in seeds of winter annuals, therefore it was hypothesized that seeds of Capsella bursa‐pastoris and Descurainia sophia that mature at high latitudes in late summer–early autumn would not germinate until they had been exposed to high summer temperatures. Consequently, germination would be delayed until the second autumn. Most freshly matured seeds of both species collected in August and September in southern Sweden were dormant. After 3 weeks of burial at simulated August (20/10°C) and September (15/6°C) temperatures, 28 and 27%, respectively, of the C. bursa‐pastoris and 56 and 59%, respectively, of the D. sophia seeds germinated in light at 15/6°C. In contrast, in germination phenology studies conducted in Sweden, only a few seeds of either species germinated during the first autumn following dispersal. However, there was a peak of germination of both species the following spring, demonstrating that dormancy was lost during exposure to the low habitat temperatures between late summer and early autumn and spring. Nearly 100% of the seeds of both species subjected to simulated annual seasonal temperature changes were viable after 30.5 months of burial. In the burial study, exhumed seeds of C. bursa‐pastoris were capable of germinating to 98–100% in light at the simulated spring–autumn temperature regime (15/6°C) in both spring and autumn, while those of D. sophia did so only in autumn. In early spring, however, seeds of D. sophia germinated to 17–50% at 15/6°C. Thus, most seeds of these two annual weeds that mature in late summer do not germinate in the first autumn, but they may do so the following spring or in some subsequent autumn or spring.     

Phenotypic Changes in Grain Sorghum Over the Last Five Decades

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a drought‐tolerant crop, and its productivity in rain fed environments has increased since the 1950s. This increase is due to changes in agronomic practices and hybrid improvement. The objective of this study was to determine what aspects of grain sorghum morphology, physiology and water use have changed with hybrid improvement and might have contributed to this yield increase. A 2‐year greenhouse experiment was conducted with one hybrid from each of the past five decades. The hybrids were studied in well‐watered and pre‐ and post‐flowering water deficit conditions. Total water use, transpiration, stomatal conductance and photosynthesis were measured during the growing period. Biomass and biomass components were measured at harvest. There was no consistent change in the leaf physiological parameters resulting from hybrid advancement. In contrast, total water use increased in rate of 8.5 cm³ kg soil^?1 year^?1 from old to new hybrids in the well‐watered treatments. Root biomass also increased in rate of 0.2 g plant^?1 year^?1. Leaf biomass and panicle length also was greater for the newest compared with the older hybrids. Hybrid advancement was related to increase in panicle length but decrease in peduncle length. Results indicated that hybrid development programmes created hybrids with improved drought avoidance, due to better root density of newly released hybrids, or hybrids with better resource use which ultimately increased yield under rain fed conditions.     

Italian ryegrass establishment by self-seeding in integrated crop-livestock systems: Effects of grazing management and crop rotation strategies

We evaluated the re-establishment of an Italian ryegrass pasture by self-seeding on a no-till integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) in the southern region of Brazil. This work is part of a long-term experimental protocol initiated in 2003. We tested the effects of various management practices, such as summer crop systems (soybean vs. maize–soybean rotation), stocking methods (continuous vs. rotational) and grazing intensities (low vs. moderate), on Italian ryegrass pasture establishment. In addition, we tested resilience of the system by testing pasture's ability to re-establish following a year without seed head production. The experiment consisted in the rotation, on the same area, of Italian ryegrass pasture grazed by sheep during the winter and up to the end of the grass production cycle, and soybean or soybean-maize grain crops rotation cultivated during the summer. The pasture established itself by self-seeding since 2005. Data were collected in 2011 and 2012 stocking season. The soybean summer crop, continuous stocking and low grazing intensity, all positively affected the production of reproductive tillers in 2011. Grazing intensity in 2011 strongly influenced early vegetative tiller densities (before crop harvest) in 2012. However, none of the grazing intensity or the stocking method treatments affected herbage mass at the end of pasture establishment in 2011 or 2012. On the other hand, the soybean summer crop positively affected pasture establishment, both in term of tiller densities and herbage mass at the end of pasture establishment. The removal of all seed heads in 2011 (preventing seed production) resulted in the total failure of pasture establishment in 2012. Overall, Italian ryegrass establishment by self-seeding relies on the annual replacement of the soil seed bank. This experiment demonstrated that under various stocking methods, moderate grazing intensity and maize or soybean summer crop, Italian ryegrass pasture establishment by self-seeding remains successful even when the stocking periods extended up to the end of the grass production cycle. Self-seeding with moderate grazing intensity ensures successful pasture establishment, reduces labour and costs and allows to increase the stocking period and so animal live weight gain over the grazing season.     

Optimising cutting method and timing for the control of Abutilon theophrasti seed production

Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf) is a widespread and problematic annual weed. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different cutting methods on the viability of A. theophrasti seeds. Three cutting methods were assessed: (1) Entire plant cut and dried (EPD)—plants were cut at soil level and dried with capsules attached on the greenhouse bench or soil surface for 4 weeks; (2) capsules detached and dried (CD)—capsules were removed from plants and dried for 4 weeks; and (3) capsules detached and tested while fresh (CF)—a control treatment. Before drying, the developmental stage (stage one, dark green; stage two, light green; stage three, yellowish-green; or stage four, black with the slightly open capsule) and age (days after flowering, DAF) of each capsule was recorded. Seed viability was measured immediately in the CF treatment and after the 4-week drying period in the EPD and CD treatments. No seeds in the EPD and CD treatments were viable when harvested at the first developmental stage (1–8 DAF) in either experiment, but 100% of seeds in the CF treatment in the field were viable when harvested at 8 DAF. In both greenhouse and field experiments, seeds attained full viability at earlier harvest ages in CF than in EPD or CD treatments, suggesting that seeds might become viable relatively early in development but lose viability if allowed to dry. These findings could be applied to optimise late-season mechanical control of A. theophrasti.     

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.     

The drought response of landraces of wheat from the northern Negev Desert in Israel

Summary Diverse landraces of wheat, collected from the semi-arid (150 to 250 mm of total annual rainfall) Northern Negev desert in Israel were considered as a potential genetic resource of drought resistance for wheat breeding. These materials were therefore evaluated for their reponses to drought stress in agronomical and physiological terms. Up to 68 landraces, comprising of Triticum durum, T. aestivum, and T. compactum were tested in two field drought environments, in one favourable field environment, under post-anthesis chemical plant desiccation which revealed the capacity for grain filling from mobilized stem reserves, under a controlled drought stress in a rainout shelter and in the growth chamber under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced water stress. Biomass, grain yield and its components, harvest index, plant phenology, canopy temperatures, kernel weight loss by chemical plant desiccation, growth reduction by PEG-induced drought stress and osmotic adjustment were evaluated in the various experiments.Landraces varied significantly for all parameters of drought response as measured in the different experiments, which was in accordance to their documented large morphological diversity. Variation in grain yield among landraces under an increasing drought stress after tillering was largely affected by spike number per unit area. Kernel weight contributed very little to yield variation among landraces under stress, probably because these tall (average of 131 cm) landraces generally excelled in their capacity to support kernel growth by stem reserve mobilization under stress. Yield under stress was reduced with a longer growth duration of landraces only under early planting but not under late planting. Landraces were generally late flowering but they were still considered well adapted phenologically to their native region where they were always planted late.Landraces differed significantly in canopy temperature under drought stress. Canopy temperature under stress in the rainout shelter was negatively correlated across landraces with grain yield (r=0.67^**) and biomass (r=0.64^**) under stress. Canopy temperature under stress in the rainout shelter was also positively correlated across landraces (r=0.50^**) with canopy temperature in one stress field environment. Osmotic adjustment in PEG-stressed plants was negatively correlated (r=–0.60^**) with percent growth reduction by PEG-induced water stress. It was not correlated with yield under stress in any of the experiments. In terms of yield under stress, canopy temperatures and stem reserve utilization for grain filling, the most drought resistant landrace was the Juljuli population of T.durum.     

Effects of stocking density on the survival, growth, size variation and condition index of juvenile rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus

Spinefoot rabbitfish, Siganus rivulatus, is an economically important species of herbivorous fish that is relatively easy to rear and thus considered to be suitable for aquaculture. Juveniles are generally reared in nursery systems before being stocked into growout cages or ponds. We report here our evaluation of the effects of stocking density on the survival, growth, feed efficiency and condition index of S. rivulatus juveniles in nursery tanks. The experiment was conducted in a recirculating system of twelve 52-l aquaria connected to a biological filter and a sand filter. Juvenile fish (average weight 6.5 g) were stocked into aquaria at four stocking densities (10, 20, 30, and 40 fish/aquarium) with three replicate aquaria per treatment. Diet was provided at 3% body weight daily divided into two feedings. Fish were weighed weekly for 8 weeks and the diet increased accordingly. Survival was greater than 95% in all treatments, with no significant differences observed among treatments. There were also no differences in specific growth rate (SGR 2.12–2.27) of the fish among treatments. Growth rate was linear during the 8 weeks in all treatments, and harvested biomass increased proportionally to stocking density (198, 401, 600 and 785 g per increasing stocking density, respectively). Feed efficiency (FE 0.67–0.71) of the fish did not vary significantly among treatments. The coefficient of variation was high (35–41%) among the harvested fish, but it also did not differ significantly among treatments. The final condition indices of the fish in all treatments were similar to each other but significantly greater than the initial values (P < 0.05). The results suggest that there is no apparent effect of stocking density at the levels tested on the survival and growth of juvenile rabbitfish.     

饵料和养殖密度对中国对虾幼虾生长及存活率的影响

在实验用虾遗传背景一致的情况下,分析了3种饵料(配合饲料、冰冻鲜鱼肉和活卤虫)和4个不同的养殖密度对小水体中国对虾幼虾生长和存活率的影响。结果表明,饵料和饲养密度对中国对虾幼虾生长及存活率有显著影响。在饵料、养殖密度单因子实验及饵料和养殖密度相结合的双因子实验中,幼虾的生长均表现出极其显著的差异(P<0.01),活卤虫对幼虾生长的效应尤为突出。而养殖密度对中国对虾的行为生物学、个体间体重增量均有影响。随着养殖密度的提高,中国对虾增重变慢;同时,个体间体重增量差异变大。随着养殖密度的增加,中国对虾幼虾的存活率呈下降趋势,但不同饵料对存活率影响变化幅度较大,波动在58.1%～85.2%之间,其中投喂活卤虫养殖密度为50尾/桶的存活率最高(85.2%);投喂配合饵料4个养殖密度梯度的存活率变化不明显;而投喂冰冻鱼肉4个养殖密度梯度的存活率变化较大。因此,采用合适的饵料和养殖密度,能够提高中国对虾的生长速度,提高对虾养成存活率,改善生长过程中对虾群体体长、体重的整齐度。