Growth,development, and biomass partitioning of the perennial grain crop Thinopyrum intermedium

Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is a perennial grass that is being domesticated and improved for use as a grain crop. As a perennial grain crop, intermediate wheatgrass has the potential to produce economically viable, food‐grade grain while providing environmental benefits such as reduced erosion and nitrate leaching. To guide agronomic activities for this new crop, more information on intermediate wheatgrass growth and development is needed. We sampled plants every 3–5 days throughout the growing season at three environments to measure growth and development in response to accumulating growing degree days (GDD). A numerical growth index was used to quantify morphological development. Growth index, plant height, biomass, height of the tallest node, and biomass partitioning to leaf, stem, and inflorescence were modelled as a function of GDD. We predicted dates (in GDD and day of the year) for critical morphological events as they relate to grain crop production using model equations. The fraction of total biomass allocated to leaves decreased and stems increased in response to GDD, and both components represented equal proportions of aboveground biomass at plant maturity. Growth and development was similar across environments, but variation in yield components (e.g., 50 seed weight, seed mass inflorescence^?1) was observed. Our results provide the first quantification of growth and development of intermediate wheatgrass, and have application to growers seeking to determine optimal timing of agronomic practices, as well as crop modellers working to integrate new crops into simulation models. As intermediate wheatgrass expands as a perennial grain crop, growth and development should be measured in a broader range of temperature and precipitation conditions.     

Phenotypic variation of life‐history traits in native,invasive, and landrace populations of Brassica tournefortii

Varying environments can result in different patterns of adaptive phenotypes. By performing a common greenhouse experiment, we identified phenotypic differentiation on phenology, leaf morphology, branch architecture, size, and reproduction, among native, invasive, and landrace ranges of Brassica tournefortii. We first compared trait means and fitness functions among ranges, then we analyzed how trait means and selection strength of populations respond to varying aridity. Most traits varied such that landrace > invasive > native. Excluding reproduction, which was positively selected, most trait PCs experienced nonlinear selection in the native range but frequently shifted to directional selection in invasive and/or landrace ranges. The absence of strong clines for trait means in landrace and invasive populations suggest that agricultural practices and novel environments in source locations affected adaptive potential. Selection strength on faster reproductive phenology (negative directional) and leaf margin trait (disruptive) PCs coincided with increasing moisture. In native populations, higher aridity was associated with more days to reproduction, but landrace and invasive populations show stable mean time to reproduction with increasing moisture. A stable adaptive trait can increase range expansion in the invasive range, but stability can be beneficial for future harvest of B. tournefortii seed crops in the face of climate change.     

Vegetative crop growth model incorporating leaf area expansion and senescence, and applied to grass

Abstract. A crop growth model incorporating leaf area expansion and senescence is constructed. Leaf area is treated as an independent state variable with the incremental specific leaf area a function of the storage/structure ratio. The vegetative grass crop, which usually has three green leaves per tiller, is particularly considered; the above-ground dry matter is assumed to occupy four compartments: growing leaves, first fully expanded leaves, second fully expanded leaves, and senescing leaves. Each compartment is described by two state variables—structural weight and leaf area index. Newly synthesized structural material comprises leaf, sheath and stem in fixed proportions, although defoliation can alter these proportions in the standing crop. Photosynthesis and respiration are calculated in the usual way. Root growth, root: shoot partitioning, soil water and nutrients are assumed to be relatively unimportant for an established vegetative grass crop grown under favourable conditions. The model is used to simulate the time course of dry matter and leaf area development for crops that are exposed to a constant environment, a seasonally varying environment, and are defoliated.     

Mast seeding in Abies balsamea, Acer saccharum and Betula alleghaniensis in an old growth, cold temperate forest of north-eastern North America

1 Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the phenomenon of masting or mast seeding, i.e. the supra-annual, periodic production of a large number of seeds in long-lived plants. Some of these hypotheses deal with the proximate causes of masting (e.g. the climate hypothesis) but others are concerned mostly with ultimate, evolutionary explanations (e.g. the pollination efficiency hypothesis).
2 The seed production of three tree species, Abies balsamea , Acer saccharum and Betula alleghaniensis , was followed over a 7-year period in an old-growth, cold temperate forest of north-eastern North America. The main objectives were to determine the extent of interannual variations in seed production, to investigate the relationship between viable and potential seed crop and crop efficiency, and to explore the effects of climate on seed production.
3 Potential and viable seed production varied significantly among years for all three species. However, the timing of dispersal remained the same regardless of the level of seed production.
4 Seed rain was spatially less heterogeneous in years of high seed production, suggesting that most trees were reproducing in such years.
5 Over the 7-year period, there was a significant concordance among species in their viable seed crop and crop efficiency, but not in their potential seed crop. Crop efficiency was positively correlated to potential seed crop for Abies and Betula , but not for Acer .
6 High seed production was related to warm, dry conditions in the spring of the previous year (i.e. at reproductive bud initiation) but to a moist summer in the year of seed maturation.
7 Masting in these three species thus appears to be controlled by several factors, including climate and pollination efficiency.     

Effect of Sesbania rostrata on Hirschmanniella oryzae in Flooded Rice

Microplot experiments on flooded soil infested with Hirschmanniella oryzae were conducted to investigate the influence of the legum Sesbania rostrata as a rotation crop with rice, Oryza sativa L. cv. Moroberekan. To avoid a green manure effect from S. rostrata, all aerial parts were removed at harvest. The dry weight of paddy, culms and leaves, and number of culms of rice following Sesbania were 214%, 158%, and 121% greater, respectively, than those following rice. Ripening of the paddy occurred earlier if rice followed Sesbania. The beneficial effect of Sesbania may have been due to the trap-crop action of Sesbania against H. oryzae.     

内蒙古典型草原作物系数的动态模拟与确定

作物系数是计算作物需水量必不可少的参数。利用2008年野外水分试验和4个气象站近26年的土壤水分和气象等常规观测资料, 以相关分析和回归分析等统计学方法为基础, 根据水量平衡原理计算了内蒙古典型草原区的作物系数, 分析了其在生长期和不同站点间的变化规律; 建立了典型草原标准作物系数与返青后年日数和大于0 ℃积温的模拟方程, 相关指数在0.94以上。在分析湿润指数、叶面积指数和盖度与作物系数关系的基础上, 提出标准作物系数的气候修正方法和胁迫条件下作物系数的修正方法。同时, 与修正后的联合国粮农组织(FAO)推荐值比较后得出, 生长季标准作物系数的平均值为0.60, 最大值为1.02; 不同生长阶段作物系数的典型值分别为: 初始生长期0.40, 生长中期0.93, 生长后期0.80, 相应的阈值范围为0.35-0.45、0.85-1.00和0.70-0.90。通过旬蒸散量的模拟计算值与蒸渗仪实测结果的比较, 平均相对误差在20%-24%之间, 生长旺盛期大多低于10%, 从而初步证明该文提出的方法在内蒙古典型草原区有较好的适用性。     

Origins of food crops connect countries worldwide

Research into the origins of food plants has led to the recognition that specific geographical regions around the world have been of particular importance to the development of agricultural crops. Yet the relative contributions of these different regions in the context of current food systems have not been quantified. Here we determine the origins (‘primary regions of diversity’) of the crops comprising the food supplies and agricultural production of countries worldwide. We estimate the degree to which countries use crops from regions of diversity other than their own (‘foreign crops’), and quantify changes in this usage over the past 50 years. Countries are highly interconnected with regard to primary regions of diversity of the crops they cultivate and/or consume. Foreign crops are extensively used in food supplies (68.7% of national food supplies as a global mean are derived from foreign crops) and production systems (69.3% of crops grown are foreign). Foreign crop usage has increased significantly over the past 50 years, including in countries with high indigenous crop diversity. The results provide a novel perspective on the ongoing globalization of food systems worldwide, and bolster evidence for the importance of international collaboration on genetic resource conservation and exchange.     

Increased Susceptibility of Rice Following Insertion of Amylopullulanase Gene, to Brown Spot Caused by Bipolaris oryzae

Transgenic rice expressing an amylopullulanase (APU) from the bacterium Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus 39E produces grains which are less expensive to process for production of sugar syrup and protein-enriched flour. During risk assessment of the transgenic line in a field test, brown spot disease caused by Bipolaris oryzae was found more severe on the transgenic line APU than on its parental line TNG67. When lines APU and TNG67 were inoculated at seedling, tillering or heading stage with B. oryzae isolated from line TNG67, the disease was more severe on line APU than on line TNG67 at heading stage, but not at the seedling or tillering stage. However, when B. oryzae isolated from line APU was used in the inoculation tests, the disease was more severe on line APU than on line TNG67 at seedling stage, but not at the tillering or heading stage. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an unintended change in a transgenic plant to become more susceptible to a disease than the non-transgenic plant.     

Crop raiding around Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda

In areas around Lake Mburo National Park, large wild animals wander in close proximity to human settlements. This poses serious conflict in terms of crop damage. The integration of conservation with other land uses is difficult where densely settled agricultural land surrounds a protected area potentially containing problem animals, as is the case for several parks in Africa and Asia. The intensity of crop raiding was quantified through the use of random crop quadrants/plots and area estimation techniques in a portion of raided fields. The animal species concerned were documented from observations, footprints and any other marks left behind. Three variables were tested as predictors of damage: human population density, distance from the park boundary and season. In this study, data is presented regarding crop loss in the different seasons of the year, analysis of crop damage variation and animal species involved in crop loss. A diverse assemblage of animals foraged on subsistence crops and analysis of crop damage revealed significant crop depreciation by wildlife.     

Contributions of climatic and crop varietal changes to crop production in the North China Plain,since 1980s

The North China Plain (NCP) is the most important agricultural production area in China. Crop production in the NCP is sensitive to changes in both climate and management practices. While previous studies showed a negative impact of climatic change on crop yield since 1980s, the confounding effects of climatic and agronomic factors have not been separately investigated. This paper used 25 years of crop data from three locations (Nanyang, Zhengzhou and Luancheng) across the NCP, together with daily weather data and crop modeling, to analyse the contribution of changes in climatic and agronomic factors to changes in grain yields of wheat and maize. The results showed that the changes in climate were not uniform across the NCP and during different crop growth stages. Warming mainly occurred during the vegetative (preflowering) growth stage of wheat and maize, while there was a cooling trend or no significant change in temperatures during the postflowering stage of wheat (spring) or maize (autumn). If varietal effects were excluded, warming during vegetative stages would lead to a reduction in the length of the growing period for both crops, generally leading to a negative impact on crop production. However, autonomous adoption of new crop varieties in the NCP was able to compensate the negative impact of climatic change. For both wheat and maize, the varietal changes helped stabilize the length of preflowering period against the shortening effect of warming and, together with the slightly reduced temperature in the postflowering period, extend the length of the grain‐filling period. The combined effect led to increased wheat yield at Zhengzhou and Luancheng; increased maize yield at Nanyang and Luancheng; stabilized wheat yield at Nanyang, and a slight reduction in maize yield at Zhengzhou, compared with the yield change caused entirely by climatic change.     

Genomic analysis unveils reduced genetic variability but increased proportion of heterozygotic genotypes of the intensively managed mezcal agave,Agave angustifolia

Premise

The central Oaxaca Basin has a century-long history of agave cultivation and is hypothesized to be the region of origin of other cultivated crops. Widely cultivated for mezcal production, the perennial crop known as “espadín” is putatively derived from wild Agave angustifolia. Nevertheless, little is known about its genetic relationship to the wild A. angustifolia or how the decades-long clonal propagation has affected its genetics.

Methods

Using restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing and over 8000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, we studied aspects of the population genomics of wild and cultivated A. angustifolia in Puebla and Oaxaca, Mexico. We assessed patterns of genetic diversity, inbreeding, distribution of genetic variation, and differentiation among and within wild populations and plantations.

Results

Genetic differentiation between wild and cultivated plants was strong, and both gene pools harbored multiple unique alleles. Nevertheless, we found several cultivated individuals with high genetic affinity with wild samples. Higher heterozygosity was observed in the cultivated individuals, while in total, they harbored considerably fewer alleles and presented higher linkage disequilibrium compared to the wild plants. Independently of geographic distance among sampled plantations, the genetic relatedness of the cultivated plants was high, suggesting a common origin and prevalent role of clonal propagation.

Conclusions

The considerable heterozygosity found in espadín is contained within a network of highly related individuals, displaying high linkage disequilibrium generated by decades of clonal propagation and possibly by the accumulation of somatic mutations. Wild A. angustifolia, on the other hand, represents a significant genetic diversity reservoir that should be carefully studied and conserved.

     

武汉东湖的轮虫

本文根据1973—1975、1979—1982年在武汉东湖进行的调查资料,并与1962—1963年他人的研究结果对比,总结了20年来,在东湖2个采样站上轮虫的种类演替和数量的变动。轮虫的种类明显地减少。Ⅰ站由1962—1963年的68种至1982年减为44种;Ⅱ站由56种减为49种。由原来Ⅰ站种类多于Ⅱ站演变为Ⅱ站多于Ⅰ站。轮虫的数量急剧增加。Ⅰ站轮虫的年平均值由1962—1963年的687个/升至1982年上升为3,555个/升;Ⅱ站由332个/升上升为1,538个/升。轮虫总数的变动曲线呈夏季和秋季二个高峰,冬、春季轮虫的数量均很低。本文从生态学的角度,对轮虫种类演替及其数量的发展趋势进行了探讨。     

Remediation and Safe Production of cd Contaminated Soil Via Multiple Cropping Hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. and Low Accumulation Chinese Cabbage

Multiple crop experiment of hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. with low accumulation Chinese cabbage Fenyuanxin 3 were conducted in a cadmium (Cd) contaminated vegetable field. In the first round, the average removal rate of S. nigrum to Cd was about 10% without assisted phytoextraction reagent addition for the top soil (0–20 cm) with Cd concentration at 0.53–0.97 mg kg^?1 after its grew 90 days. As for assisted phytoextraction reagent added plots, efficiency of Cd remediation might reach at 20%. However, in the second round, Cd concentration in Chinese cabbage was edible, even in the plots with assisted phytoextraction reagent added. Thus, multiple cropping hyperaccumulator with low accumulation crop could normally remediate contaminated soil and produce crop (obtain economic benefit) in one year, which may be one practical pathway of phytoremediating heavy metal contaminated soil in the future.     

Simultaneous improvement in productivity,water use,and albedo through crop structural modification

Spanning 15% of the global ice‐free terrestrial surface, agricultural lands provide an immense and near‐term opportunity to address climate change, food, and water security challenges. Through the computationally informed breeding of canopy structural traits away from those of modern cultivars, we show that solutions exist that increase productivity and water use efficiency, while increasing land‐surface reflectivity to offset greenhouse gas warming. Plants have evolved to maximize capture of radiation in the upper leaves, thus shading competitors. While important for survival in the wild, this is suboptimal in monoculture crop fields for maximizing productivity and other biogeophysical services. Crop progenitors evolved over the last 25 million years in an atmosphere with less than half the [CO₂] projected for 2050. By altering leaf photosynthetic rates, rising [CO₂] and temperature may also alter the optimal canopy form. Here using soybean, the world's most important protein crop, as an example we show by applying optimization routines to a micrometeorological leaf canopy model linked to a steady‐state model of photosynthesis, that significant gains in production, water use, and reflectivity are possible with no additional demand on resources. By modifying total canopy leaf area, its vertical profile and angular distribution, and shortwave radiation reflectivity, all traits available in most major crop germplasm collections, increases in productivity (7%) are possible with no change in water use or albedo. Alternatively, improvements in water use (13%) or albedo (34%) can likewise be made with no loss of productivity, under Corn Belt climate conditions.     

Seasonal succession,standing crop and determinants of primary productivity of the phytoplankton of Ministik Lake,Alberta, Canada

Ministik Lake (longitude 113°01; latitude 53°21), a well-mixed, shallow (mean depth 1.83 m), eutrophic lake is characterized by eutrophic chlorococcalean and cyanophycean phytoplankton associations, and little change in standing crop size with increasing depth. Standing crops and primary productivity are low during the winter but pronounced spring and late summer/early autumn maxima occur. Mean yearly areal standing crop (B) and primary productivity (A) were 199.2 mg m^–2 chlorophyll a and 319.5 mg C hr^–1 m^–2 respectively. Annual productivity was estimated at 1399,6 g C m^–2yr^–1. The mean increase in the extinction coefficient () per unit increase in standing crop (B) was 0.03 In units m^–1. High non-algal light attenuation (q) occurred averaging 46% which prevented the ratio B from attaining more than 74.2% of the theoretical maximum except once when selfshading occurred. Insignificant relationships existed between B (mg m^–3 chlorophyll a) and A_max (mg C hr^–1 m^–3), A and B and A and B. Close correlations existed between A and A_max/ and A and I₀ (W m^–2). The depth of the euphotic zone (Z_eu) varied between 0.6 and 2.0 m; the average relationship between z_eu and was z_eu = 3.78/_te, and the mean standing crop in the euphotic zone represented 58.3% of the theoritical maximum. The high _q values made the model of Talling (1957) inapplicable to this lake. The Q₁₀ value for the lake was 1.20. _max (mg C chlorophyll a ^–1 hr^–1) was closely related to both temperature and irradiance, and depressed by high pH values.Growth of the cyanophycean algae was correlated with temperature, chlorophycean algae with phosphate-phosphorus and temperature and the diatoms with dissolved silica and phosphate-phosphorus, but only in the case of Chaetoceros elmorii did any nutrient appear limiting. Indirect evidence that free CO₂ limited photosynthetic rates is provided by the _max:pH relationship.     

Numbers of pink sugarcane mealy bug, Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), differ within seasons and among regions and stages of the sugarcane crop cycle

Abstract  The pink sugarcane mealy bug (PSMB; Saccharicoccus sacchari ) is widespread on sugarcane globally. PSMB infest above-ground storage tissue as it develops, feeding on phloem and producing exudate. It is not known, however, whether the level of infestations is the same in different sugar growing regions, or how population size varies year to year within a region. Field surveys of the number of nodes infested were conducted over five seasons in three mill-regions in northern Australia (Macknade, Kalamia and Marian) on plant and ratoon crops. The pattern of infestation was very similar across seasons (only in 1 year of very low rainfall was the increase in population delayed). In all three regions the proportion of nodes infested was similar but reached the maximum 1 month later in the Marian region compared with the Kalamia and Macknade regions. The Kalamia region was distinguished by the rapid decline in the number of nodes infested down to a very low level by March. In the Macknade region mealy bugs persisted at higher levels than the other two regions. The PSMB infestation started earlier and was much greater in ratoon crops than plant crops throughout the sampling period. The differences were more pronounced in the Macknade and Marian districts. These observations provide a firm basis from which future strategies to control PSMB can be developed.     

鸽乳的生物学功能及其生成调控

鸽(Columba livia)是少数几种能分泌营养液哺育雏鸟的鸟类之一。孵化期的亲鸽嗉囊壁逐渐增厚,当雏鸽被孵出,亲鸽嗉囊会产生鸽乳(crop milk)以哺育雏鸽。鸽乳的营养成分及其生物学功能与哺乳动物的乳汁相似,其产生过程受催乳素的调节。在催乳素作用下,嗉囊上皮细胞快速增殖脱落形成鸽乳,该过程可能与膜联蛋白Icp35(AnxIcp35)等关键基因的转录以及JAK/STAT和Wnt等信号通路的激活有关。本文对鸽乳的主要成分、生物学功能和泌乳过程中嗉囊组织学变化进行了介绍,对鸽乳生成过程中特异的基因变化和分子调控机制进行了总结,以期为后续的相关研究工作提供有益的参考。     

作物生长模拟模型研究和应用

作物生长模拟模型研究和应用宇振荣（北京农业大学农业生态环境系,１０００９４）ＳｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｎＣｒｏｐＧｒｏｗｔｈＭｏｄｅｌｌｉｎｇａｎｄＩｔｓＡｐｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎ．￥ＹｕＺｈｅｎｒｏｎｇ（ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＡｇｒｏ－Ｅ－ｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＥ...     

不同稻菜邻作模式对稻纵卷叶螟、稻飞虱及其捕食性天敌的影响

为了探明不同稻菜邻作模式对稻区内主要害虫及其捕食性天敌的影响,对水稻-白瓜、水稻-番茄、水稻-玉米、水稻-苋菜、水稻-菜心和水稻-菠菜等6种稻菜邻作模式下稻区内稻纵卷叶螟、稻飞虱及食虫沟瘤蛛、拟水狼蛛、拟环纹狼蛛、蛸蟏和稻红瓢虫的发生动态及其种群消长规律进行了研究。结果表明:6种稻菜邻作模式均可以显著降低稻纵卷叶螟和稻飞虱数量;早稻生长期,水稻与白瓜和番茄邻作模式下,稻纵卷叶螟蛾量、虫卵量和稻飞虱数量最大降幅分别达84.3%、38.9%和24.3%;晚稻生长期,水稻与苋菜和菜心邻作模式下,稻纵卷叶螟蛾量、虫卵量和稻飞虱数量最大降幅分别达79.5%、49.8%和13.4%;水稻-白瓜和水稻-菜心邻作模式还可以显著增加捕食性天敌数量。因此,水稻-白瓜和水稻-菜心邻作模式最能发挥稻田控害保益功能。