Metal leaching and toxicity of denitrifying woodchip bioreactor outflow—Potential reuse application

The denitrifying woodchip bioreactor is designed to remediate nitrate-rich water, including those produced from aquaculture effluents. Reuse of treated bioreactor outflows in recirculating aquaculture would offer considerable water savings and valuable alkalinity recuperation. However, such bioreactors may leach detrimental wood-bound contaminants, preventing outflow reuse. To determine water reuse potential, woodchip media from two hardwood species (white ash, Fraxinus americana; Norway maple, Acer platanoides) were evaluated for 206 d under a range of operating conditions (start-up, steady-state, reducing conditions, and drying-rewetting cycles) for a spectrum of potentially harmful dissolved contaminants. Aerated outflows also were evaluated for acute and chronic toxicity to the biologically sensitive invertebrate Ceriodaphnia dubia. Dissolved metal leaching subsided within the first few weeks of operation, though initial concentrations of copper and zinc were detected at concentrations of concern. Elevated concentrations of tannins-lignin and total ammonia nitrogen were detected throughout the study and were influenced by operational phase. Acute toxicity was not generally detected, though chronic toxicity was observed during drying-rewetting cycles in the maple outflows. The measured toxicity was not correlated with water chemistry, indicating an additive effect of several toxicants. Overall, significant differences in outflow water quality between ash and maple wood species were negligible. Results indicated that bioreactor outflows may be applicable for aquacultural reuse, though reusing outflows immediately following start-up or restarting after a dry period would not be recommended.     

Compatibility of root growth and tuber production of potato cultivars with dynamic and static water‐saving irrigation managements

The important root characteristics of root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) generally differ among irrigation managements and potato cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the RLD and RMD variations and their functional relationships with gross potato tuber yield for two commercial potato cultivars, Agria and Sante, under different irrigation strategies. Full irrigation and water‐saving irrigation strategies, deficit and partial root drying irrigations, were applied statically (S) and dynamically (D) based on daily crop evapotranspiration. Results showed that SPRD had significantly greater RLD (3.64 cm/cm³) and RMD (132.7 μg/cm³) than other irrigation treatments. Between the potato cultivars, Agria had significantly larger values of RLD (3.50 cm/cm³) and RMD (138.7 μg/cm³) than Sante. The functional relationship between the root growth characteristics and tuber yield showed that under water‐saving irrigations, Agria increased root mass at the expense of gross tuber yield but Sante increased root mass to maintain larger gross tuber yields. However, Agria produced more roots and gross tuber yield than Sante, and it is concluded that Agria is a more drought‐tolerant potato cultivar, which is recommended for tuber production in regions where water might be scarce. It was shown that larger root production in potatoes was associated with improved tolerance to water stress.     

Propagation techniques on root turion sprout browse ofPopulus davidiana Dode

The root segments selected from dominant trees ofPopulus davidiana Dode were taken as reproductive material and were buried in different depths to carry out the reproduction of root turion sprout. The affecting factors of gemination rate, survival rate, and height growth for cutting wood of root sprout were comparatively analyzed. The results showed that the best suitable substrate for burying root is pearlite, with a germination rate of 15.16%. 3–4-cm root segments has the highest rate of germination (12.4%). The mixture of sand and soil (2∶1) is the best cutting substrate, with a survival rate of 81.3%, while as to height growth of cutting wood, the mixture of turfy and soil (1∶1) is the best. The cutting woods selected from different positions of stem show difference in height growth. The cutting wood from top stem is higher obviously than those from middle or low stem. Biography: XING Ya-juan (1969-), female, assistant researcher in Forest Research Institute of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150040, P. R. China. Responsible editor: Song Funan     

水分胁迫对荔枝幼树根系与梢生长的影响

以盆栽沙培1年生荔枝空中压条苗为试材,研究了水分胁迫对荔枝幼树根系和梢生长的影响以及二者的相互关系。3个处理为:沙体积含水量为7.5%(严重缺水),15.0%(一般缺水),22.5%(充分供水)。结果表明:水分胁迫严重抑制荔枝幼树地上部分和各级侧根的生长,使地上部枝梢生长严重受阻,叶片数量、平均叶面积、叶片厚度均显著变小;根总干重、侧根长度、根表面积显著减少。水分胁迫下促进须根的生长,须根的长度、根表面积比水分充足时显著增加。水分胁迫时叶片淀粉含量下降,而根系积累更多的淀粉。比较不同处理的根梢比发现,干旱对根系生长的抑制作用比枝梢更显著。     

紫花苜蓿受冻害后促进根颈枝条再生方法的研究

对蔚县苜蓿根颈冻害后切除冻伤部分处理的比较研究结果表明,处理区的根颈苗数、地上高度、地上生物量、分蘖丛数是对照区的1.6～2倍;处理区苜蓿的各个数量指标的b值大于对照处理苜蓿b值,说明除冻害根颈后苜蓿的生长比不除冻害根颈部分的苜蓿生长更为合理。通过除去苜蓿冻害部位,防止根系继续腐烂,保护了未冻害部分,增加了苜蓿发芽的有效部位。同时,使根系与地面的距离变短或露出地面,增加光照强度,提高地温,促使未冻害苜蓿根系发芽,返青提前增加产量。     

不同的施肥方式对剑麻施肥区域土壤微生物类群的影响

研究不同的施肥方式对剑麻施肥区域土壤微生物类群产生的影响。结果表明，不同施肥方式下土壤微生物总量各有差异，在总体数量上以细菌为主，真菌次之，再其次是放线茵，特殊生理类群是解磷茵居多，纤维素分解茵次之，固氮茵最少；但从土壤微生物多样性指数来看，则表现为土壤中主要微生物类群多样性指数是施肥点的土壤高于附近的土壤，而土壤中特殊生理微生物多样性指数则无此变化趋势，即微生物总数高的土壤，其多样性指数不一定高。因此评价土壤生物多样性应将二者结合起来。     

Spatial distribution of Aspergillus flavus and its toxigenic strains on commercial cottonseed from south Texas and its relationship to aflatoxin contamination

The structure of Aspergillus flavus communities associated with south Texas cottonseed was determined by analysing samples from 178 truckloads of commercial cottonseed from 35 gins, extending from Fort Bend County in the north to the Rio Grande Valley in the south, from September 1999 to October 2001. The number of colony-forming units (CFU) of A. flavus on the cottonseed, and the percentage of S strain (%S) were both correlated with aflatoxin contamination of cottonseed. The number of CFU differed between both regions and seasons, while %S differed only between regions. Comparison of maps of CFU and %S revealed that CFU shows a higher variation across years, while %S shows higher spatial variation. The Rio Grande Valley had significantly lower CFU and %S strain than the Coastal Bend and Upper Coast regions. Cottonseed produced in 1999 had significantly more A. flavus than that produced in either 2000 or 2001. Identification of factors dictating geographical variation in S-strain incidence may provide insights that will lead to improved aflatoxin management.     

休闲阅览室的建设

面对大量读者迫切的休闲需求，本文结合图书馆的实际，在一定实践经验的基础上，就为何要专设休闲阅览室和如何建设、管理好休闲阅览室等进行大胆深入的探讨。     

Seed survival and predation of Anoda cristata in soyabean crops

Anoda cristata is a troublesome annual broad-leaved weed in summer crops in the rolling Pampa in Argentina; seeds are the only source of regeneration of this species. Seed persistence or depletion is the result of survival and loss processes, including predation. The objective of this study was to determine survival at two burial depths in undisturbed soil and predation rates of A. cristata seeds in soyabean crops in different rotations and tillage systems. Survival was discontinuous and decreased to 25% after 35 months, after which no further reduction in survival was observed to the end of the experiment at 96 months. No differences in seed survival between seeds placed on the soil surface and buried 5 cm below the soil surface were found at 80 months, but at later times survival was lower for seeds placed on the soil surface. Predation rates ranged between 0.3% day⁻¹ and 6.7% day⁻¹. Of the models tested, a polynomial regression of the rate of predation with time gave the best representation of seed predation. From January to July, predation was higher in non-tillage plots in the wheat/soyabean rotation. There was no significant difference in predation rates between tillage systems in the soyabean monoculture and no difference between planting densities. Higher crop residue levels in non-tillage plots in the wheat/soyabean rotation was the dominant factor influencing seed predation, probably because such habitat favours the presence of seed predators.