Direct and Residual Contributions of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Legumes to the Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Maize (Zea mays L.) in the Nigerian Savannah

Field experiments were conducted to determine the direct and residual contributions of legumes to the yield and nitrogen (N) uptake of maize during the wet seasons of 1994 and 1995 at the University Farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, located in the Northern Guinea savannah of Nigeria. Nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram contributed to the yield and N uptake of maize either intercropped with the legumes or grown after legumes as a sole crop. Direct transfer of N from the nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram to the intercropped maize was 24.9–28.1, 23.8–29.2, 19.7–22.1 and 18.4–18.6 kg N ha^–1, respectively. However, the transfer of residual N from these legumes to the succeeding maize crop was 18.4–20.0, 19.5–29.9, 12.0–13.7 and 9.3–10.3 kg N ha^–1, respectively. Four years of continuous lablab cropping resulted in yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop grown without fertilizer N that were comparable to the yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop supplied with 40–45 kg N ha^–1 and grown after 4 years of continuous sorghum cropping. It may therefore be concluded that nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram may be either intercropped or grown in rotation with cereals in order to economize the use of fertilizer N for maize production in the Nigerian savannah.     

小叶锦鸡儿根瘤固氮活性的动态变化

对多年生小叶锦鸡儿不同生育期根瘤固氮能力、不同树龄小叶锦鸡儿根瘤固氮能力进行调查,结果表明:开花期固氮酶活性最高,此时土壤含氮量和植株含氮量最高;新瘤多发生于果后营养期,植株生物量的峰值出现在结实期;二年生和五年生植株的根瘤固氮能力强于三年、四年生植株,随生长年限的延长,植株生物量逐渐增大,含氮量呈小幅度下降趋势。     

Surgical treatment of a complicated distal tibia epiphyseal Salter–Harris type I fracture in a yearling

This article describes the management of a complicated distal epiphyseal Salter–Harris type I fracture of the left tibia in a yearling horse. Closed reduction and internal fixation was attempted in the first surgery using tension band wires. Due to fracture instability 2 weeks after surgery, a full-limb transfixation pin cast was applied to the tibia and maintained for 7 weeks to prevent further fracture displacement and to achieve axial alignment. The full-limb cast was maintained for a total of 12 weeks, including the time with the transfixation pin cast. Cast sores and tendon laxity resolved without further complications. Ten months after the first surgery, the fracture had radiographically healed, and the horse was sound at the walk and trot in a straight line.     

Effects of soybean variety and Bradyrhizobium strains on yield,protein content and biological nitrogen fixation under cool growing conditions in Germany

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is able to fix atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with the bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Because these bacteria are not native in European soils, soybean seeds must be inoculated with Bradyrhizobium strains before sowing to fix nitrogen and meet their yield potential. In Central Europe soybean cultivation is still quite new and breeding of early maturing soybean varieties adapted to cool growing conditions has just started.Under these low temperature conditions in Central Europe the inoculation with different, commercially available Bradyrhizobium inoculants has resulted in unsatisfactory nodulation. The aim of this study was: (i) to test the ability of commercially available inoculants to maximize soybean grain yield, protein content and protein yield, (ii) to study the interaction of different inoculants with different soybean varieties for two different sites in Germany under cool growing conditions over three years and (iii) to determine the variability of biological nitrogen fixation. Field trials were set up on an organically managed site at the Hessische Staatsdomäne Frankenhausen (DFH) and on a conventionally managed site in Quedlinburg (QLB) for three consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2013. Three early maturing soybean varieties—Merlin, Bohemians, Protina—were tested in combination with four different Bradyrhizobium inoculants—Radicin No.7, NPPL-Hi Stick, Force 48, Biodoz Rhizofilm—and compared with a non-inoculated control. Effective inoculation with Bradyrhizobium strains increased grain yield, protein content and protein yield by up to 57%, 26% and 99%, respectively. Grain yield, protein content and protein yield were generally higher in DFH. Average grain yield was 1634 kg ha⁻¹ in QLB (2012–2013) and 2455 kg ha⁻¹ in DFH (2011–2013), average protein content was 386 g kg⁻¹ in QLB and 389 g kg⁻¹ in DFH and average protein yield was 650 kg ha⁻¹ in QLB and 965 kg ha⁻¹ in DFH. The percentage of nitrogen derived from air (Ndfa) ranged between 40% and 57%. Soybeans inoculated with Radicin No. 7 failed to form nodules, and crop performance was identical to the non-inoculated control. Biodoz Rhizofilm, NPPL Hi-Stick and Force 48 are suitable for soybean cultivation under cool growing conditions in Germany. Interactions between soybean variety and inoculant were significant for protein content and protein yield at both sites, but not for nodulation, grain yield, thousand kernel weight and Ndfa. The variety Protina in combination with the inoculant Biodoz Rhizofilm can be recommended for tofu for both tested sites, while Merlin and Protina in combination with Biodoz Rhizofilm are recommended for animal fodder production in DFH. Animal fodder production was not profitable in QLB due to low protein yields.     

陕西省几种黄土性土壤钾吸附固定动力学研究

采用平衡法研究了陕西省 4种黄土性土壤钾吸附固定的动力学性质。结果表明 :1黄土性土壤不同土类钾吸附固定量、吸附固定速度及平衡时间差异很大。土娄 土粘化层和黑垆土埋藏腐殖质层的钾吸附固定量约为耕层的 2倍 ,陕南黄褐土的钾吸附固定量仅次于 土娄 土粘化层 ,黄绵土的钾吸附固定量最小 ;2供试土壤不同时段的钾吸附固定速度随时间的衰减变化符合 Vt=A Blnt模型 ,衰减速率因土类而异 ;3供试土壤钾吸附固定过程符合 Elovich方程和一级扩散方程 ;4供试土壤钾吸附固定过程分为快、中、慢三个阶段或快、慢两个阶段 ,快反应约在 4 0 h完成 ,吸附固定钾量达总量的 64 %～ 93 % ,所用时间仅占总时间的 1 2 %～ 4 3 %。     

Is N‐feedback involved in the regulation of nitrogenase activity in Medicago truncatula?

To determine whether senescing leaves provoke an active nitrogen (N) remobilization that results in the reduction of nitrogenase activity, 60% of Medicago truncatula lower leaves were either darkened or individually excised for two weeks. Although a considerable amount of N was remobilized, N₂ fixation activity was found to be increased to maintain the N source/sink balance, indicating an absence of the negative N‐feedback regulation of nitrogenase activity in the senescing M. truncatula.     

京津风沙源区生态保护与建设工程对防风固沙服务功能的影响

[目的] 评价京津风沙源生态保护与建设工程自2000年启动实施近20 a以来的防风固沙效应,以指导工程二期的实施。[方法] 选取植被覆盖度、风蚀量和防风固沙服务功能保有率等指标进行分析。[结果] 京津风沙源区以草地为主,其次为林地和农田;工程实施以来,多年平均土壤风蚀量为7.87×10⁸ t,以微度和轻度侵蚀为主;一期工程实施期间的土壤风蚀量总体呈逐年减小趋势,二期工程实施以来,风沙源区遭受风蚀危害又逐渐加重,尤其是沙化草原亚区,该区风蚀模数变化趋势达到了8.96 t/（hm²·a）;就防风固沙服务功能保有率而言,整个风沙源区均值达到了0.82,低值区主要分布于沙化草原亚区（0.743）和晋北山地丘陵亚区（0.752）;二期工程实施以来,大部分区域保有率均显著提升,这与二期工程实施期间全年及冬春季的植被覆盖度变化情况一致。[结论] 京津风沙源的风蚀防治区重点在保有率下降区域和以草地和沙地为主的沙化草原亚区、浑善达克沙地亚区和科尔沁沙地亚区。     

Involvement of Bradyrhizobium japonicum denitrification in symbiotic nitrogen fixation by soybean plants subjected to flooding

Denitrification by Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids contributes to nitric oxide (NO) production within soybean nodules in response to flooding conditions. However, the physiological relevance of NO production by denitrification in B. japonicum-Glycine max symbiosis is still unclear. In this work, soybean plants were inoculated with B. japonicum strains lacking the nirK or norC genes which encode the copper-containing nitrite reductase and the c-type nitric oxide reductase enzymes, respectively. 14 days flooding increased nodule number of plants inoculated with the WT and norC strains, but not of plants inoculated with the nirK mutant. However, nodule dry weight was not affected by 14 days flooding regardless of the strain used for inoculation. Supporting this observation, individual nodule growth was significantly higher in plants inoculated with nirK than those inoculated with WT or norC after 14 days flooding. Nodule functioning was strongly inhibited by flooding since leghemoglobin content of the nodules induced by any of the strains was significantly decreased after 7 or 14 days flooding compared to control plants. However, this effect was more relevant in nodules of plants inoculated with the WT or norC mutant than in those inoculated with the nirK mutant. Nitrogen fixation was also estimated by analyzing nitrogen content derived from biological nitrogen fixation in shoots, using the ¹⁵N isotope dilution technique. By using this approach, we observed that the negative effect of 14 days flooding on nitrogen fixation was more pronounced in plants inoculated with the norC mutant. However, nitrogen fixation of plants inoculated with nirK showed the highest tolerance to 14 days flooding. These findings allowed us to demonstrate the previously proposed hypothesis which suggests that NO formed by copper-containing nitrite reductase in soybean nodules, in response to flooding, has a negative effect on nitrogenase activity. We propose that inoculation of soybeans with a B. japonicum nirK mutant, which does not produce NO from nitrate, increases the tolerance of symbiotic nitrogen fixation to flooding.     

粉煤灰和聚丙烯酰胺固沙效果的风洞试验

寻找经济高效的固沙措施对于防治风沙危害具有重要意义。该文采用室内风洞试验,研究了不同粉煤灰施用率(10%,20%和30%)的固沙效果及在粉煤灰最佳施用率的基础上不同聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)施用率(0.05%和0.1%)对其的强化作用。试验研究结果表明,沙土施加粉煤灰后起动风速显著提高,施加PAM进一步小幅提高其起动风速;粉煤灰施用率为20%的沙土可以最有效地抵御8m/s净风和风沙流历时10min的吹蚀;施加粉煤灰的沙土在14m/s净风和风沙流历时10min的吹蚀条件下发生中度风蚀,其风蚀率随着粉煤灰施用率的增大而呈逐步降低的趋势;施加粉煤灰和PAM的沙土可以有效地抵御14m/s风沙流历时30min的吹蚀;从经济意义上考虑,推荐粉煤灰施用率为20%和PAM施用率为0.05%的用量水平处理用于风蚀防治。