Spring Barley Responses to Row Spacing and Fungicide Triadimefon in Regions with a Short Crop-growing Season

Aspects of intensive management practices such as high-yielding cultivars, narrow-row spacings and fungicide treatments could potentially increase cereal yields in regions with a short crop-growing season and occasionally dry and hot weather. A field experiment was carried out at McGill University, Canada for three years (1987 to 1989) to test the effects of triadimefon (1-[4-chlorophenoxy]-3,3-dimethyl-1-[1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-2-butanone, or Bayleton, a trade name) fungicide (0 vs. 140 g a.i. ha⁻¹) and row spacing (10 vs. 20 cm) on the yield components, yield and other agronomic traits (spike emergence, days to maturity, leaf disease and plant height) of spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Cadette, Laurier and Leger. A cultivar by row spacing interaction resulted in a 11 to 13.5 % increase in grain yield due to narrow rows for Laurier in two out of the three years and up to 16 % for Leger in one year. Over the three years grain yields were on average increased 6 to 12 % due to use of the narrower row spacing. Fungicide application to barley at the early heading stage effectively controlled leaf diseases without influence on yield components or grain yield. Our results indicate that some components of intensive management such as narrow row spacing can be applicable in regions with a short crop-growing season.     

小黑麦与黑麦花序结构和籽粒特性比较

植物的花序结构及其形态特征是影响种子生产性能的重要因素。对于禾本科植物而言,其花序大小、小穗数、小花数及小花的外稃、内稃和芒的性状特征直接影响种子形成和产量。本研究通过测定小黑麦品系C2、C35和黑麦品系C13、C33的花序结构特征,得到以下结果:小黑麦花序[(14.30±0.52) cm×(1.24±0.09) cm]明显大于黑麦[(13.20±0.35) cm×(0.82±0.02) cm],小黑麦花序长而粗,黑麦花序短而细;小黑麦花序的小穗数[(21.35±1.47)个]少于黑麦[(30.20±0.79)个];小黑麦每个小穗的小花数较多,为3~4朵,黑麦的小花数趋于稳定,每个小穗有2朵小花。从花序中部小穗的小花结构看,小黑麦下位护颖长[(1.27±0.11) cm]和宽[(0.26±0.03) cm]、上位护颖长[(1.30±0.09) cm]和宽[(0.23±0.04) cm]均显著大于黑麦下位护颖长[(1.04±0.05) cm]和宽[(0.08±0.01) cm]、上位护颖长[(0.94±0.10) cm]和宽[(0.06±0.01) cm];小黑麦中部小穗第1小花的外稃宽[(0.32±0.03) cm]、外稃高[(0.24±0.03) cm]和芒长[(8.35±0.51) cm]、第2小花的外稃宽[(0.35±0.04) cm]、外稃高[(0.25±0.05) cm]和芒长[(8.37±1.19) cm]极显著大于黑麦相应值[(0.26±0.01),(0.15±0.01),(5.50±0.19),(0.25±0.01),(0.17±0.01)和(5.18±0.23) cm];第1和第2小花的外稃长[(1.35±0.06),(1.37±0.06) cm]和内稃长[(0.84±0.04),(1.41±0.06) cm]均小于黑麦的外稃长[(1.49±0.05),(1.47±0.05) cm]和内稃长[(1.45±0.05),(1.47±0.04) cm]。小黑麦的穗粒数[(52.50±1.80)粒]显著低于黑麦[(58.50±2.50)粒] (P<0.05),但其穗粒重[(2.08±0.04) g]、粒重[(0.04±0.00) g]和籽粒宽[(3.04±0.32) mm]均极显著高于黑麦 (P<0.01),每个花序的籽粒不仅体积大,而且质量较重,其籽粒的生产性能高于黑麦。小黑麦籽粒呈椭圆形或长卵圆形,浅黄色,表皮皱缩,饱满度差;黑麦籽粒呈窄纺锤形,青灰色,表皮光滑,籽粒饱满。小黑麦和黑麦花序结构与籽粒性状的Pearson相关分析表明,小黑麦花序宽和花序基部小穗数与籽粒长显著正相关(P<0.05),花序长与籽粒宽极显著正相关(P<0.01),花序中部小穗的下、上位护颖宽分别与穗粒重和穗粒数极显著正相关(P<0.01);黑麦花序中部小穗第2小花的内稃长与籽粒长显著正相关(P<0.05),外稃高与穗粒数极显著负相关(P<0.01)。研究小黑麦和黑麦的花序结构和籽粒特征,对正确区分二者和了解其籽粒的生产性能具有重要意义,同时有利于小黑麦的示范推广。     

Amino acid profiles of rumen undegradable protein: a comparison between forages including cereal straws and alfalfa and their respective total mixed rations

Optimizing the amino acid (AA) profile of rumen undegradable protein (RUP) can positively affect the amount of milk protein. This study was conducted to improve knowledge regarding the AA profile of rumen undegradable protein from corn stover, rice straw and alfalfa hay as well as the total mixed ratio diets (TMR) based on one of them as forage source [forage‐to‐concentrate ratio of 45:55 (30% of corn stover (CS), 30% of rice straw (RS), 23% of alfalfa hay (AH) and dry matter basis)]. The other ingredients in the three TMR diets were similar. The RUP of all the forages and diets was estimated by incubation for 16 hr in the rumen of three ruminally cannulated lactating cows. All residues were corrected for microbial colonization, which was necessary in determining the AA composition of RUP from feed samples using in situ method. Compared with their original AA composition, the AA pattern of forages and forage‐based diets changed drastically after rumen exposure. In addition, the extent of ruminal degradation of analysed AA was not constant among the forages. The greatest individual AA degradability of alfalfa hay and corn stover was Pro, but was His of rice straw. A remarkable difference was observed between microbial attachment corrected and uncorrected AA profiles of RUP, except for alfalfa hay and His in the three forages and TMR diets. The ruminal AA degradability of cereal straws was altered compared with alfalfa hay but not for the TMR diets. In summary, the AA composition of forages and TMR‐based diets changed significantly after ruminal exposure, indicating that the original AA profiles of the feed cannot represent its AA composition of RUP. The AA profile of RUP and ruminal AA degradability for corn stover and rice straw contributed to missing information in the field.     

The mechanical roles of the clasping leaf sheath in cereals: Two case studies from oat and wheat plants

Stem lodging is a common problem in cereal crop production and a main constraint for grain yield improvement. The leaf sheath that surrounds and protects the hollow internodes of stem could provide the plants with a great physical support. However, this biomechanical function has been ignored for several decades in cereal crops. This study aimed to examine the biomechanical properties of basal stem internodes and lodging susceptibility of the whole plants with or without the clasping leaf sheath in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) among different genotypes and agronomic practices (including planting densities and nitrogen application rates). The main objective was to quantify the mechanical role of the leaf sheath in oat and wheat crops by a “safety factor” method. On average, the leaf sheath contributed 40%, 68% and 38% of the overall stem bending strength, flexural rigidity and safety factor, in oat, while it accounted for 11%, 24% and 10%, respectively, in wheat plants. The significant contribution of the leaf sheath is due to its vital role in enlarging the peripheral position (i.e., second moment of area) and stiffness (i.e., Young's modulus). The contribution ratios (%) were found to be higher in oat than in wheat plants, due to the greater mass density of leaf sheath and more proficient/prevailing stay-green capability in oat genotypes. This study emphasizes the important mechanical role of clasping leaf sheath on stem internodes of cereals and indicates that the stay-green trait of the leaf sheath can be exploited to design appropriate varieties with improved lodging resistance and great yield potential.     

Effect of conservation agriculture on soil organic and inorganic carbon sequestration and lability: A study from a rice–wheat cropping system on a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) under conservation agriculture (CA) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional-till rice and wheat (CT-CT), CT rice and zero-till wheat (CT-ZT), ZT direct seeded rice (DSR) and CT wheat (ZT-CT), ZTDSR and ZT wheat without crop residue retention (ZT-ZT), ZT-ZT with residue (ZT-ZT+R), and DSR and wheat both on permanent beds with residue (PB-PB+R). The ZT-ZT+R had the highest total SOC in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers (20% and 40% higher (p < .05) than CT-CT, respectively), whereas total SIC decreased by 11% and 15% in the respective layers under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. Non-labile SOC was the largest pool, followed by very labile, labile and less labile SOC. The benefits of ZT and residue retention were greatest for very labile SOC, which showed a significant (p < .05) increase (~50%) under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. The ZT-ZT+R sequestered ~2 Mg ha⁻¹ total SOC in the 0–15 cm soil layer in 6 years, where CT registered significant losses. Thus, the adoption of CA should be recommended in calcareous soils, for C sequestration, and also as a reclamation technique.     

Composition and fatty acid profile of milk from cows supplemented with pressed oilseed cake

This study compared the productive and nutritional parameters of milk from crossbred lactating cows managed on Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania and with a diet supplemented with different pressed oilseed cakes. The supplements used were as follows: peanut cake, sunflower cake and palm kernel cake for replacement of soybean meal. Sixteen cows with an average weight of 544 ± 57 kg and producing 8 ± 1.4 L of milk per day were used in this study. The animals were randomly assigned to the treatments according to a Latin square design repeated over time, with four treatments, 16 animals and four experimental periods. Supplementation of the diet with peanut cake, sunflower cake and palm kernel cake compared with soybean meal in the diet of cows did not affect the average daily production or composition of the milk. The palm kernel cake promoted an increase in lauric fatty acids (C_12:0) and palmitoleic acids (C_16:1) (5.02 and 1.65%, respectively) compared with peanut cake and sunflower cake (4.13 and 4.01%, respectively). The levels of oleic fatty acids (C_18:1) were higher for the sunflower cake and palm kernel cake supplements (26.01 and 25.01%, respectively) compared with peanut cake (23.11%). The replacement of soybean meal with sunflower cake and palm kernel cake improved the nutritional quality of the milk, with lower concentrations of saturated fatty acids and higher concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids, without compromising the production or nutritional composition of the milk. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

QuEChERS-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定大米、小麦和动物源食品中异丙隆及其代谢物脱甲基异丙隆残留

本研究建立了超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法(UHPLC-MS/MS)同时测定异丙隆及其代谢物脱甲基异丙隆在大米、小麦、牛肉、牛奶、鸡肉和鸡蛋的残留检测方法。样品经2%甲酸乙腈提取,以N-丙基乙二胺(PSA)净化,利用乙腈和0.2%甲酸水作为流动相梯度洗脱,T3色谱柱分离,在多反应监测模式下定量分析,基质外标法定量。结果表明:异丙隆及其代谢物脱甲基异丙隆溶剂标准曲线和基质标准曲线在1~1 000μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.99。在4个加标水平下,异丙隆日内平均回收率为74.0%~107.0%,相对标准偏差0.7%~12.9%;日间平均回收率为76.2%~108.7%,相对标准偏差1.1%~19.8%。脱甲基异丙隆日内平均回收率为76.9%~113.5%,相对标准偏差0.6%~13.9%;日间平均回收率为77.7%~107.4%,相对标准偏差2.2%~17.4%。异丙隆和脱甲基异丙隆的定量限均为1.0μg/kg。该方法简便、快捷、准确、灵敏度高,适用于异丙隆和脱甲基异丙隆在大米、小麦、牛肉、牛奶、鸡肉和鸡蛋6种基质中残留的检测,为解决异丙隆和脱甲基异丙隆在食品中残留的安全问题提供技术方法。     

番茄红素研究概况

番茄红素是开链式的类胡萝卜素,具有清除活性氧自由基、促进细胞间隙连接通讯、防癌抗癌等多种生理功能。作为一种功能性天然色素,番茄红素被广泛地用于多种功能性食品。文章主要介绍了番茄红素的研究历史、理化性质及生理功能,对番茄红素的应用前景进行了展望。     

Strip-till as a means of decreasing spatial variability of winter barley within a field scale

The tillage system, which joins soil tillage, fertilisation, and seed sowing in one pass of a machine, is rarely used in cereal cultivation. This research aimed to study whether strip-till and conventional tillage (post-harvest ripping and mixing of stubble, ploughing, pre-sowing fertilisation, and seedbed preparation) differ in plant density, yield components, and grain yield of winter barley cultivated on Cambisol in a region with low rainfall, the annual average is about 500?mm. To reach this aim, a two-year, large-plot experiment was conducted in a production field. The soil within the field was spatially variable in texture, moisture, and chemical and biological properties, CV 2.3% do 29.6%. Strip-till had lower within-field spatial variability of winter barley grain yield than conventional tillage. The standard deviation was 0.36?t?ha^?1, 0.67?t?ha^?1 in the first year and 0.12?t?ha^?1, 0.30?t?ha^?1 in the second year, respectively. During the period of limited rainfall, strip-till had greater uniformity of plants after emergence; after the winter with low air temperature and a low amount of snow, it had greater plant density. Thus, strip-till can reduce variability of plants and their yield within a field, especially in adverse environmental conditions.