Effect of seaweed concentrate on the growth and mineral nutrition of nutrient-stressed lettuce

The effects of the seaweed concentrate Kelpak on the growth and mineral nutrition of lettuce plants grown under conditions of varying nutrient supply were investigated. Kelpak significantly increased the yield and the concentration and amounts of Ca, K and Mg in the leaves of lettuce receiving an adequate supply of nutrients, but had little effect on nutrient stressed plants. Results are discussed in relation to the physiological mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the beneficial effects of seaweed concentrate on plants.author for correspondence     

生长期-定时一年生植物群体光合产物的最优分配策略的理论分析

本工作建立了一个一年生植物群体的生长模型,利用以梯度法为基础的离散系统最优控制的计算方法,计算并分析了一年生植物群体光合产物的营养器官间分配的最优策略,以及这一策略对植物群体最大生长速率和消光系数的依赖关系。用Pontryagin最小值原理和奇异最优控制的条件证明了光合产物的最优分配方法是:在营养和生殖生长并行阶段,群体叶片的死亡量恰好等于新形成量,植物干重随时间线性增加。     

Ideal nutrient productivities and nutrient proportions in plant growth

Abstract I propose that one single formulation can be applied to relate growth and content of several nutrients, including the most important macronutrients, of most plant species. The plant growth rate is proportional to the nutrient content minus a given minimal concentration of the nutrient in minimum. The proportionality factor, the nutrient productivity, and the minimum concentration are species specific properties. The nutrient productivity formulation is shown to apply for very different plant species and for different nutrients.     

Copper absorption in young men fed adequate and low zinc diets

Copper absorption was measured at two levels of dietary zinc in six healthy young men who were confined to a metabolic unit for a 75 d study of zinc utilization. A diet of conventional foods was fed, providing either 16.5 or 5.5 mg zinc and 1.3 mg copper daily. Copper absorption was determined by feeding⁶⁵Cu, a stable isotope of copper, once during the 16.5 mg Zn diet and near the beginning and end of the 5.5 mg Zn diet. Apparent copper absorption averaged 48.1% when the 16.5 mg Zn diet was fed. This was significantly higher than the averages of 37.2 and 38.5% when the 5.5 mg Zn diet was fed. Absorption also differed significantly among subjects. Fecal copper did not differ between diets or among subjects. All subjects were in positive copper balance at both levels of dietary zinc. These results suggest that a dietary zinc intake slightly above the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 15 mg/d does not increase fecal copper loss and does not interfere with copper absorption.     

Survival ofSclerotinia minor Jagger sclerotia in solarized soil

Calcium, magnesium and potassium dynamics in decomposing litter of three tree species were measured over a two-year period. The speices studied were flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), red maple (Acer rubrum) and chestnut oak (Quercus prinus). The order of decomposition was:C. florida>A. rubrum>Q. prinus.Calcium concentrations increased following any initial leaching losses. However, there were net releases of Ca from all three litter types since mass loss exceeded the increases in concentration. Net release of Ca by the end of two years from all three species combined was 42% of initial inputs in litterfall. Magnesium concentrations increased in the second year, following decreases due to leaching during the first year inC. florida andA. rubrum litter. Net release of Mg by the end of two years was 58% of initial inputs. Potassium concentrations decreased rapidly and continued to decline throughout the study. Net release of K by the end of two years was 91% of initial inputs.These data on cation dynamics, and similar data on N, S and P dynamics from a previous study, were combined with annual litterfall data to estimate the release of selected nutrients from foliar litter of these tree species at the end of one and two years of decomposition. The relative mobility of all six elements examined in relation to mass loss after two years was; K>Mg>mass>Ca>S>P>N.     

兰竹荔枝叶片营养元素适宜含量的研究

本研究旨在探讨福建荔枝最重要品种兰竹的叶片营养元素适宜含量。统计分析表明,不同地点、年份对同一品种叶片元素含量存在明显的差异;荔枝叶片含氮量变异系数最小,并按磷、镁、钙、钾依次增大。本研究初步提出的丰产兰竹荔枝秋梢叶片营养元素适宜含量为:氮1.5—2.2％,磷0.12—0.18％,钾0.7—1.4％,钙0.3—0.8％,及镁0.18一0.88％;其叶片氮、磷、钾、钙、镁的适宜比例是1:0.08:0.57:0.30:0.12。上列指标可供荔枝营养诊断指导施肥之参考。     

Background processes at the population level during succession in grasslands on sand

Two population characteristics, reproductive allocation (RA) and the intensity of photosynthesis, were investigated in the successional stages of the sandy grassland communities of the Great Hungarian Plain. Most of the species studied changed their allocational response as succession advanced. Compound path schemes, as casual models, were constructed and analysed for describing intra-individual effects (influence of assimilating organs and root mass of the plant sampled) as well as the phytosociological effects on RA. In pioneer stages, the high values of path coefficients show that the effect of assimilating organs is responsible for the variability of RA. It is also shown that annuals and perennials exhibit different behaviour as to the regulation of RA. It seems that-in terms of path analysis-the reproduction of annuals is influenced by internal factors only. In case of perennials, an external (namely phytosociological) regulation was also observed. It is suggested that successional stages play a role in regulating the photosynthetic intensity of both the dominant species and the whole plant assemblage.Abbreviations RA = Reproductive Allocation     

Labor specialization and the formation of markets for food in a Shipibo subsistence economy

Traditionally, the Shipibo economy was subsistence-based with shifting cultivation supplying calories, principally in the form of plantains and root crops, while fishing and hunting provided animal proteins to the diet. Some men, who recently began producing rice for sale in regional markets, now allocate less time to wild food procurement. Moreover, this trend has been accompanied by the nucleation of households, a growing cash market for agricultural labor, and the intravillage sale of faunal foods. This paper shows that with cash cropping, some Shipibo now freely distribute less food to others in relation to the amount they produce. To account for this change, a theory is developed based on time allocation and patterns of economic behavior reported throughout the Amazon. This theory is then applied to explain specialization and the formation of cash markets for food labor among the Shipibo.