Acclimation abilities of three tropical rainforest seedlings to an increase in light intensity

Current practices in many nurseries involve the germination of tropical rainforest seedlings in shaded conditions and transferral, at a later date, to environments with greater light intensities. Determination of the ability of these seedlings to acclimate to increased light intensities will allow seedling stock to be processed with maximum efficiency within the nursery. The acclimation abilities of three species, Agyrodendron actinophyllum, Cardwellia sublimis, and Flindersia brayleyana, commonly found in north Queensland's rainforests were investigated in this study. These particular species are highly valued for their cabinet timber qualities and are being reared in nurseries for use in reforestation trials and programs in north Queensland. Seedlings were initially raised in greenhouse conditions under two layers of shade cloth (16% of full sunlight) and then transferred into full sunlight at three different ages (3 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks). Upon transfer, organ ratios and the direction of dry matter distribution was determined for each species and age group. Approximately 3 months after the seedlings were transferred, the acclimation ability of each species and age group was then determined. Dry matter distribution was found to change with age, irrespective of light environment. Individuals within a species with larger root systems and thicker or more dense leaves had a greater acclimation ability than those with smaller root systems and thinner or less dense leaves. Furthermore, individuals within a species whose dry matter distribution upon transfer was directed towards developing a large root system, and a small photosynthetic area and mass, had a greater acclimation ability than those whose dry matter distribution was directed away from such morphologies. Awareness of these relationships allows a better understanding of seedling response to gap formation in natural forests, and also allows plant nursery operators to make a more informed decision about when to move seedlings to environments with a higher light intensity.     

超级稻“三定”栽培法研究Ⅲ．不同栽培方式对超级杂交稻产量形成的影响

超级杂交稻的优化(稀植、结构施肥)栽培试验于2002-2004年在长沙进行,以比较不同栽培方法对超级杂交稻产量及物质生产的影响。以两优培九为材料,并以汕优63作为对照。结果表明,两种栽培法,两个供试品种的产量表现不同,其中两优培九采用优化栽培单产为8.20～10.37t/hm2,比传统栽培增产显著。主要表现为有效穗多,而结实率、千粒重、穗实粒等产量因子差异不明显。汕优63采用优化栽培单产比传统栽培减产0.37%～8.8%。两种栽培方法间的茎蘖发生动态和单株分蘖数存在极显著差异,两组合单株分蘖数优化栽培比传统栽培分别多110.36%和110.64%,但由于移栽密度不同,两种栽培方式间的单位面积分蘖数没有明显差异。两优培九采用优化栽培的在各个生育时期,植株体内的含氮量比传统栽培的高。     

Contribution to the taxonomy and pathogenicity of fungicolous Verticillium species. II. Pathogenicity

In recent years in the Netherlands a second mushroom species,Agaricus bitorquis, which prefers higher temperatures thanA. bisporus and is less susceptible to certain diseases, is often commercially grown.Verticillium fungicola var.fungicola, the causal agent of dry bubble, is responsible for considerable damage in crops ofA. bisporus. InA. bitorquis, however, dry bubble has hardly been noticed, but brown spots due toV. fungicola var.aleophilum resulted in inferior mushroom quality. The latter variety also caused brown spots ina. bisporus, but to a minor degree. In variety Les Miz 60 ofA. bisporus, however, it also induced fruit-body deformation in a way different from dry bubble. Verticillium psalliotae, isolated fromA. bitorquis in England, induced more confluent brown spots inA. bitorquis. In the netherlands, where moreA. bitorquis is grown than in other countries,V. psalliotae has not yet been encountered in crops ofA. bitorquis. V. psalliotae, which has a high temperature optimum for mycelial growth, likeV. fungicola var.aleophilum andA. bitorquis, did not infectA. bisporus in our trials.Artificial infection ofA. bisporus orA. bitorquis could not be accomplished with the following related and/or fungicolous fungi:Verticillium lamellicola, V. fungicola var.flavidum, V. biguttatum, Nectriopsis tubariicola, Acremonium crotocinigenum andAphanocladium album.Samenvatting Vooral in Nederland wordt sinds een aantal jaren naastAgaricus bisporus ook de warmteminnende champignonsoortAgaricus bitorquis geteeld, die minder vatbaar is voor bepaalde ziekten. TerwijlVerticillium fungicola varfungicola in de teelt vanA. bisporus droge mollen en daardoor veel schade veroorzaakt, komen in de teelt vanA. bitorquis geen droge mollen voor maar wel bruine vlekken, die tot kwaliteitsverlies en dus schade leiden. De vlekken bleken veroorzaakt te worden doorV. fungicola var.aleophilum. Deze schimmel veroorzaakte ook inA. bisporus bruine vlekken, hoewel in minder ernstige mate, maar in het ras Les Miz 60 vanA. bisporus bovendien misvormde champignons, die wel op droge mollen leken, maar daaraan niet gelijk waren.OokV. psalliotae, in Engeland geïsoleerd vanA. bitorquis met vlekken, veroorzaakte wat meer samenvloeiende, bruine vlekken inA. bitorquis. In Nederland, waar meerA. bitorquis geteeld wordt dan in andere landen, isV. psalliotae nog niet aangetroffen in teelten vanA. bitorquis. InA. bisporus kon geen kunstmatige infectie worden verkregen metV. psalliotae, die net alsV. fungicola var.aleophilum enA. bitorquis warmteminnend genoemd zou kunnen worden.Met de volgendeVerticillium-achtige of van paddestoelen geïsoleerde schimmels kon evenmin op kunstmatige wijze een infectie worden opgeroepen inA. bisporus ofA. bitorquis: Verticillium lamellicola, V. fungicola var.flavidum, V. biguttatum, Nectriopsis tubariicola, Acremonium crotocinigenum enAphanocladium album.     

茭白主茎地上部养分积累和转运规律

以两个有代表性的茭白品种为试材,测定了植株主茎生育过程中地上各部位干、鲜质量的积累及叶片净光合速率的变化。结果表明在田间封行前,植株主茎叶和短缩茎的干、鲜质量持续缓慢增加;封行后至肉质茎快速膨大前,短缩茎的物质积累超过叶片和叶鞘;肉质茎快速膨大期间,干物质积累主要在其前期,同时短缩茎等其余部位干、鲜质量明显下降;之后肉质茎干、鲜质量增加趋缓,叶片、叶鞘质量仍持续下降,而短缩茎质量回升,进入新一轮物质积累期;主茎的总干物质量在封行后迅速提高,在肉质茎充分膨大后下降。功能叶片净光合速率在生育进程中总体呈持续缓慢下降的趋势,肉质茎快速膨大期间迅速大幅上升,紧接着又快速回落。     

黑木耳简单快速组织分离新法

利用酒精、镊子对黑木耳耳片进行组织分离,方法方便、快捷,分离成功率100%。     

Density responses and spatial distribution of cotton yield and yield components in jujube (Zizyphus jujube)/cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) agroforestry

Trees are the dominant species in agroforestry systems, profoundly affecting the performance of understory crops. Proximity to trees is a key factor in crop performance, but rather little information is available on the spatial distribution of yield and yield components of crop species under the influence of trees in agroforestry systems. Also, little information is available on how crop density may be exploited to optimize the yield in such systems. Here we studied the performance of cotton in jujube/cotton agroforestry. Field experiments were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Hetian, Xinjiang, China. Cotton was grown at a row distance of 60 cm in three densities, 13.5, 18.0 and 22.5 plants m⁻² in six m wide paths between tree lines in a jujube plantation. Plant density affected both cotton aboveground dry matter and yield significantly. The highest yield was attained at the intermediate density of 18.0 plants m⁻² (20.0 plants m⁻² corresponding in sole cotton), lower than the optimal density in sole cotton (25.0 plants m⁻²). Yield at the lower density was constrained by the low number of bolls per m² as a direct consequence of the low density, whereas at the high plant density yield was constrained by a lower allocation of assimilates to cotton seed and lint, as a consequence of intraspecific and interspecific competitions. There were strong gradients in yield and yield components in relation to the distance from the tree rows. Leaf area and total dry matter of cotton in rows close to the tree lines were reduced, especially in the rows next to the trees. Moreover, biomass allocation to cotton fruits was reduced in these rows. Competitive influences from the trees on cotton performance extended two rows deep in a six-year old jujube stand, and even three rows deep in a seven-year old stand. Shading effects on cotton yield were compensated by increasing plant density as a result of greater boll numbers per unit ground area. Data from this study help guide the design of optimal plant density of cotton in jujube plantations and give insight in the spatial distribution and dynamics of competitive effects in agroforestry systems in general.     

Changes in the properties of rice varieties with different amylose content on dry heat parboiling

Dry heat parboiling is a unique paddy processing technique that has been scarcely exploited. Dry heat parboiling at high temperature for short time and low temperature for long time on physical and physicochemical properties of three rice varieties differing in amylose content were studied. Hardness of the kernels increased from 66.4 N, 68.8 N and 59.8 N in raw samples to 89.1 N, 86.9 N and 59.8 N in parboiled high amylose, low amylose and waxy rice samples respectively. Rapid migration and evaporation of water from severely heated kernels caused cavity formation at the centre. Irreversible damage of amylopectin structures to leachable fractions caused continuous rise of the pasting curve. Crystallinity was thereby reduced. Parboiled high amylose samples gave X-ray diffraction patterns with peaks characteristic of A, B and V-type starch crystallinity. Crystalline starch-lipid complexes were observed in low amylose and waxy rices. The significant increase in the amount of rapidly digestible starch from 56.7%, 61.7% and 66.6% in raw samples to 92.1%, 90.8% and 94.8% respectively in severely processed rice samples and subsequent reduction in resistant starch from 24.5%, 21.2% and 18.4% to 0.4%, 1.9% and 0.1% indicated possibilities for targeted food use of the dry heat parboiled samples.     

桑叶养猪实用技术

桑叶养猪实用技术分为桑树种植技术和桑叶干粉发酵养猪技术两个部分。利用荒地种植桑树,降低生猪养殖饲养成本,桑叶养猪种养结合,成为生态农业典范。桑叶干粉发酵技术,提高了桑叶干粉的可消化率和饲料功能。桑叶干粉发酵料占配方6%~10%,做成桑叶猪饲料,替代3%~5%鱼粉、豆粕等蛋白质饲料,节约了饲料成本。桑叶喂养猪(简称桑叶猪,下同)的猪肉中含有肌苷酸等风味物质,显著提高猪肉胴体品质和猪肉风味。设计猪尿处理,采用红泥膜沼气池降解工程工艺应用后,降解水兑2倍清水对桑树喷灌工艺,减少人工处理劳力和成本费用。设计10%抗非洲猪瘟中药饲料添加剂+桑叶饲料,预期防治非洲猪瘟总效果85%以上。桑叶养猪实用技术可行,供同行参考。     

Controlling sprouting in potato tubers using ultraviolet-C irradiance

Legislation limiting the use of chlorpropham (CIPC), the major potato sprout suppressant, has led to a need for new technologies to extend storage life of tubers. Ultra violet C (UV-C) has been used postharvest to reduce disease incidence on many crops, yet its use and efficacy as a sprout suppressant has not been investigated. The aim of this project was to identify the optimum dose and treatment timing of UV-C treatment on potato tubers as an alternative method of sprout suppression to reduce the dependence on chemical sprout suppressants. Up to six potato cultivars over two seasons were treated with varying doses of UV-C ranging from 0 to 30 kJ m⁻² either at harvest or at first indication of dormancy break. The tubers were stored at 9 °C and sprout growth and incidence assessed. Treatment with moderate UV-C doses (5–20 kJ m⁻²) suppressed sprout length and sprout incidence in a range of cultivars. Periderm DNA damage and programmed cell death were not detected in response to any of the UV-C doses. The inactive ABA metabolite, ABA-GE, increased in response to 10 or 20 kJ m⁻² within 72 h of treatment. Multivariate analysis showed a negative relationship between ABA metabolites and sprout growth/incidence during storage. This study found that UV-C reduced sprout growth in potato with no deleterious effects on tuber quality. This suggests potential for further development as an alternative or supplement to conventional sprout suppressant technologies.     

Dry heat treatment of Andean lupin seed to reduce anthracnose infection

The potential of dry heat treatment of Andean lupin seed to reduce seed–borne infection of the anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum acutatum, was investigated. First, the effect of dry heat (65 °C) over duration times of 0–96 h on germination and disease incidence after germination was evaluated for artificially– and naturally–infected seed. Dry heat treatment from 8 to 96 h reduced disease incidence after germination to undetectable levels in four cultivars compared with 7.5% disease incidence after germination in seed maintained at room temperature. Moreover, heat treatments of 4–12 h showed seed germination rates that were equivalent to the non–treated control. Under greenhouse conditions, dry heat treatments for 8 or 12 h reduced transmission of the pathogen from seed by 75 or 85%, respectively and dry heat treatment increased emergence of seedlings in comparison the non-treated control. Dry heat treatment is an environmentally friendly alternative for reducing anthracnose infections in Andean lupin seed.