Changes in photosynthesis,growth, and sugar content of commercial sugarcane cultivars and Erianthus under flood conditions

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an economical crop in the tropical and subtropical countries. However, because of global climate change, flooding has become problematic, particularly during the rainy season, in Thailand. We investigated the effects of floods on three commercial sugarcane cultivars, namely NiF8, U-thong 6 (UT6), and U-thong 9 (UT9), as well as Erianthus spp. Growth was assessed using a pot experiment in a glasshouse with two treatments: (1) control and (2) 60 d of flooding followed by 30 d of normal conditions. In comparison with control, during prolonged flooding, Erianthus showed greatly decreased CO₂ assimilation, whereas NiF8, UT6, and UT9 showed slightly declined CO₂ assimilation. Growth in plants subjected to 60 d of flooding was less influenced by floods while sucrose content was not affected except in UT6. During flooding, some roots died, resulting in plants compensating adventitious roots to offset the negative effects of root death and to assist them in maintaining their growth, which appeared from the submerged nodes, with different characteristics for each cultivar. However, 30 d after draining, roots remained damaged, while adventitious roots died, resulting in lesser growth as compared with the control, but it did not significantly affect sucrose content and sugar yield. This study suggests that sugarcane plants need to produce the adventitious roots to compensate their roots’ death during flooding and require time to recover their root system after flooding for obtaining the optimum yield and quality at harvest.     

基于主要表型性状的不同采集地斑茅种质资源遗传多样性分析

为提高斑茅种质资源利用效率,本研究对来自不同地区的76份斑茅种质资源的株高、茎径、节间长、叶长、叶宽、锤度6个表型性状进行遗传多样性分析。结果表明,来自不同地区的斑茅,6个表型性状平均变异系数在14.6%~53.4%之间,其中株高和节间长的变异系数相对较高,分别为53.4%和37.7%;锤度和叶长的变异系数相对较低,分别为19.1%和14.6%。株高、茎径、叶宽、叶长、节间长之间表现为极显著正相关,其中株高与节间长的相关系数最大,为0.818;锤度与株高、节间长呈负相关,相关系数分别为-0.232和-0.263。主成分分析表明,前2个主成分方差累计贡献率高达72.58%,其中第1主成分方差贡献率达到51.21%,第2主成分贡献率为21.37%。采用聚类分析方法,不同的种质资源被分为8大类群,第Ⅴ和Ⅵ类群的种质综合性状表现最好,这2个类群是优良的斑茅种质资源,可在甘蔗育种中加以挖掘利用。     

甘蔗与蔗茅杂交亲本及后代材料的抗旱性鉴定

研究旨在筛选出优良抗旱育种材料,为今后甘蔗抗旱育种和抗旱栽培技术提供重要的理论依据。采用盆栽干旱处理,测定蔗茅野生种无性系、甘蔗栽培品种（系）及其杂交后代共12份材料苗期与抗旱相关的8项生理生化指标,利用极点排序法对供试材料的抗旱性进行了综合评价。结果表明：干旱胁迫下,12份供试材料的Pro、MDA、SS及PMP均呈上升趋势,SP、Chl和SOD活性呈下降趋势,CAT活性有升有降。极点排序法分析表明,12个供试材料的抗旱强弱为：‘蔗茅99-2’>‘蔗茅99-1’>‘蔗茅99-4’>‘蔗茅I91-8’>‘蔗茅99-3’>‘蔗茅90-29’>‘滇蔗01-58’>‘滇蔗04-14’>‘滇蔗02-39’>‘蔗茅II91-2’>‘新台糖10’>‘崖城89-9’,说明蔗茅优质抗旱性状可以通过基因渗透方式传递给后代。在苗期干旱胁迫下,‘蔗茅99-2’在渗透调节等方面表现出积极的生理响应。     

3个甘蔗与斑茅远缘杂交后代BC1的染色体遗传分析

对3个甘蔗与斑茅远缘杂交后代BC1进行真实性鉴定及染色体核型分析,以探讨甘蔗与斑茅BC1的染色体传递方式。利用2对鉴定斑茅真实杂交后代的特异引物对3个甘蔗与斑茅BC1进行鉴定,采用根尖分生区细胞去壁低渗涂片法制片,显微拍照计数染色体数目,并进行染色体核型分析。3个BC1材料均为斑茅的真实杂交后代,崖城01-69体细胞染色体核型公式为2n＝121＝120 m+1 sm,其染色体按2n+n方式传递;崖城01-116的体细胞染色体核型公式为2n＝122＝118 m+4 sm,其染色体传递方式为2n+n;崖城01-134的体细胞染色体核型公式为2n＝121＝120 m+1 sm,其染色体传递为2n+n。推断甘蔗与斑茅BC1的染色体以2n+n的方式传递。     

斑茅F1杂交可育亲本选择及其回交后代鉴定和主要经济性状

选用8个Badila(甘蔗热带种)与斑茅属间杂交F1品系与9个甘蔗栽培品种配制了24个回交组合，其中6个F1品系的13个组合杂交可育，共获346株BC1实生苗．经同工酶分析，其中320个株系具有斑茅的特征酶带，为斑茅的真实后代。在杂交可育性和BC1后代主要经济性状方面，斑茅F1品系间和杂交组合问均存在显著差异。斑茅BC1后代的产量性状和糖分仍与甘蔗栽培品种有较大差距，但各性状的最大值已与栽培品种的相当。初步研究结果表明，YC96—40和YC95—41是较好的斑茅F1亲本材料。     

甘蔗属热带种与滇蔗茅远缘杂交F_1代花粉母细胞减数分裂及花粉败育研究

采用染色体压片法研究甘蔗属热带种与滇蔗茅远缘杂交F1代花粉母细胞减数分裂过程及染色体行为,显微观察结果显示:在终变期观察到单价体、二价体和四价体;分裂中期Ⅰ、后期Ⅰ、中期Ⅱ和后期Ⅱ均出现落后染色体;中期Ⅱ形成"八"字形纺锤丝、后期Ⅱ二分体2个子细胞染色体不同步分离;四分体时期观察到三分体、微核、大小不等的四分体以及多面体等异常细胞;同一小花的3个花药中几个不同时期的分裂相同时存在。进一步应用DAPI荧光染料进行染色观察,结果表明,大多数小孢子在单核时期就发生皱缩变形。该结果说明减数分裂过程异常染色体行为和异常细胞分裂是导致杂交F1代花粉完全败育的主要原因。花粉败育时期为小孢子母细胞时期、四分体时期和单核小孢子时期。     

能源植物斑茅在不同生长时期的产量与组分变化

研究不同时期斑茅产量及其化学组分的变化。结果表明:斑茅生物质产量在11月达到最高,其后开始下降;整个生长发育过程中茎叶生物质产量比呈现上升趋势;含水量随生长发育的进行显著降低;叶片灰分含量全年最低为5月,从10月份开始显著增加,至12月份达到最高。茎秆灰分含量略低于叶片,全年最低为10月,最高为7月,变化幅度不大。叶片中木质素含量全年由高到低排列顺序为12月11月9月10月7月8月6月;茎秆中木质素含量全年由高到低排列顺序为12月11月9月7月8月10月6月。10月份茎秆含水量低,灰分含量最低,热值较高,结合产量和燃料品质考虑其更适于直接燃烧,而9月份叶片则更加适于作为生物转化的材料。     

Characterization of intergeneric hybrids of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erianthus rockii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharum</Emphasis> using molecular markers

Erianthus rockii, a wild relative of sugarcane, is drought and cold tolerant, and both are potentially important agronomic traits to the sugarcane industry worldwide. As such it is of interest as a source of parental germplasm to sugarcane breeders and is currently being used in sugarcane introgression programs in both China and Australia. To date morphological characters have been used to verify the putative hybrids produced. Two crosses were generated between two different Saccharum species and two E. rockii accessions. Over 400 AFLP markers were used to identify the intergeneric hybrid progeny as well as determine hybrid diversity. Both crosses generated hybrids but efficiency levels were very different and are probably related to the different Saccharum parent used in each cross. Cross 1 was between a Saccharum officinarum and E. rockii and generated 100% hybrid progeny. Cross 2, however, was between a sugarcane hybrid (S. officinarum × Saccharum spontaneum) and E. rockii and only 10% of the progeny were intergeneric hybrids. Inheritance of markers in the progeny was analysed and for both crosses there were equal numbers of markers from both parents indicating n + n transmission of chromosomes. This is the first verification of E. rockii hybrids with molecular markers. It may now be possible to exploit genes of value from E. rockii in sugarcane breeding programs.     

Ecotoxicological evaluation of Harbour sediments using marine organisms from different trophic levels

Background, Aim and Scope  The toxicity of contaminated sediments should be evaluated considering the direct exposure of laboratory organisms to whole sediments and the indirect exposure to elutriates or extracts (Tay et al. 1992, Byrne and Halloran 1999, Nendza 2002). The alga Dunaliella tertiolecta is indicated for the use in toxicity bioassays because it is highly sensitive to several xenobiotics. Harpacticoid copepods have been already used for toxicity testing and Tigriopus fulvus is a promising Mediterranean target-species in ecotoxicology (Todaro et al. 2001, Faraponova et al. 2003, Pane et al. 2005a). In this study, the toxicity of sediments collected in harbour sites of the Northeastern Adriatic Sea was evaluated by growth inhibition test with free living and alginate-immobilized Dunaliella tertiolecta and acute toxicity test with nauplii and adult Tigriopus fulvus with the aim of pointing out the importance to utilize model organisms from different trophic levels in sediment ecotoxicology. Methodology  Elutriates and whole sediments were tested on free living and immobilized (Pane et al. 1998) algal cells, and on laboratory reared copepods. Free-living D. tertiolecta were exposed to diluted elutriates in a static, multi-well plate system. Naalginate immobilized D. tertiolecta were placed in polystyrene inserts fitted with polyester mesh bottoms and exposed to a thin layer (2 mm) of whole sediments in multi-well plates (EPS 1992, Pane and Bertino 1999). Toxicity tests with copepods were carried out on Tigriopus fulvus nauplii (elutriates) and adults (whole sediments and elutriates). Same-aged nauplii useful for toxicity tests were obtained by egg sac detaching and consequent hatching stimulation (Pane et al. 2006). Newborn nauplii (I–II stage) were exposed to elutriates in multi-well plates provided with polystyrene inserts. Adult T. fulvus maintained in polystyrene inserts fitted with polyester mesh bottoms were placed in contact with a thin layer (2 mm) of whole sediment placed on multi-well plate bottoms. All end-points were evaluated after 96 h. Results  In general, the effects increased with the increasing of elutriate concentration up to 50%; the stimulation or inhibition of algal growth was statistically significant in comparison to the control. The inhibiting elutriates induced EC₅₀ variations of algal growth ranging from 66.9% to 74.3%. The mortality of T. fulvus nauplii was always < 25% after treatment with 100% elutriates and < 10% after treatment with 50% dilution; no effect was shown up with 25% dilution; therefore LC₅₀ was not calculable. The effect of elutriates was negligible on adult copepods and LC₅₀ values were never calculable; percent mortality always resulted in < 10% after treatment with whole sediments. Discussion  Both experimental systems gave substantially similar results after exposition to whole sediments and elutriates. During the experiment with algal cells, the immobilization in Na-alginate and the employment of inserts which allowed the contact of organisms with sediments and their easy counting were particularly useful. Likewise, the employment of inserts of adequate mesh size in the tests with copepods allowed the contact of organisms with the sediment and made organism handling and counting easy, as well as the evaluation of mortality. The methodology here described and the utilization of the proposed test-species could have an importance also considering that the current trend in ecotoxicological research is towards finding the most appropriate organism for specific areas of concern by using indigenous species (Mariani et al. 2006) and towards the major significance of chronic and reproductive end-points. Conclusions  Based on the above results, it can be stated that the bioassay with Dunaliella tertiolecta could be a good estimation tool for the ecotoxicological assessment of marine sediments. The immobilization of algae in Na-alginate was seen to be useful to evaluate the toxicity of whole sediments; the employment of polystyrene inserts allowed an improvement of the procedures. T. fulvus nauplii and adults, as other harpacticoids such as Tigriopus japonicus (Yoon et al. 2006), satisfy the basic criteria for the employment of a standard species in marine bioassays. To date only pelagic Acartia tonsa are utilized in the standardized procedure to evaluate the risk assessment of chemicals or wastewaters (ISO 1999). As, on the contrary, the exposure of copepods to solid-phase contaminants it is not yet standardized, the employment of polystyrene inserts improved the procedures for T. fulvus too. So, the rapidity and the possibility to solve practical problems could be the main attractive features of this technique (Pane et al. 2005a) when applied to whole sediments. Recommendations and Perspectives  The methodology here developed being also applicable to long term and reproduction tests should be recommended because it provides relevant information in comparison with other frequently applied, standardized biotests with crustaceans (ISO 1999). The procedure has been shown to be easily applicable to selected marine organisms. ESS-Submission Editor: Prof. Dr. Henner Hollert (henner.hollert@bio5.rwth-aachen.de)