Detection of human food-borne and zoonotic viruses on irrigated, field-grown strawberries

This study evaluated the presence of pathogenic human and zoonotic viruses on irrigated, field-grown strawberries. Norovirus genogroup I, rotavirus, and swine hepatitis E virus genogroup 3 were detected on strawberries, and irrigation water is suspected as the contamination origin.     

田间不同水肥管理下小粒咖啡的生长和光合特性

通过云南5年生田间小粒咖啡(Coffea arabica)进行2种施肥(低肥和高肥)和在干季秸秆覆盖、滴灌、秸秆覆盖+滴灌、对照4种水分处理对植株生长和叶片光合特性影响的测定研究．结果表明,小粒咖啡一年生长周期中最高峰期在雨季始期,次高峰期在雨季中期．水分处理对生长高峰期株高和分枝长度的相对生长率没有显著作用,高施肥量则加大了其相对生长率．干季水分处理提高了叶片的Pn、gs、Tr和WUE,而叶绿素的荧光特征没有受到影响．在湿季,高施肥量使叶片含氮量Pn增加,对gs和Tr的影响较小,从而导致WUE提高,高施肥量显著减小日间光抑制程度,加大了光合机构的实际光化学效率和热耗散能力,提高了对强光环境的适应性,研究表明,小粒咖啡需要高养分的投入和良好的水分管理,湿季是小粒咖啡进行光合和生长的最优季节,干季田间秸秆覆盖+滴灌的效果较好,滴灌和秸秆覆盖的效果相近。     

Studies on rose mosaic disease in field-grown roses produced in the United Kingdom

Arabis mosaic virus (AMV) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), separately or together, caused in field-grown roses the range of symptoms recognised as rose mosaic disease. PNRSV infection alone generally induced chlorotic line patterns, ring-spots or mottles in the leaves at some time during the growing season; AMV plus PNRSV normally caused chlorotic vein-banding. However, during prolonged periods of high temperatures (c. 21 °C or more) vein banding occurred in some roses infected only with PNRSV. Isolates of PNRSV from rose had particles which were similar in shape, protein mol. wt, density and sedimentation coefficients to previously described isolates of PNRSV from cherry, plum and rose; all were cherry serotypes. In graft-inoculated roses, apple serotypes of PNRSV induced stunting and chlorosis, puckering and distortion of leaves, which closely resembled symptoms associated with rose mosaic in the USA and chlorotic mottle rose mosaic in New Zealand. To avoid possible confusion in using the name rose mosaic it is suggested that the virus(es) present in roses should be named.     

Effect of diazotrophic bacterium inoculation and organic fertilization on yield of Champaka pineapple intercropped with irrigated sapota

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of the ‘Champaka’ pineapple to inoculation with the diazotrophic bacterium Asaia bogorensis (strain 219) when grown with organic fertilizer in an irrigated sapota orchard. Plantlets were transplanted to tubes containing a mixture of worm compost and vermiculite and inoculated with 10⁸ bacterial cells. After five and a half months of acclimatization the plantlets were transplanted in furrows in the sapota orchard. Fertilizer was placed at the bottom of the furrows and covered with three doses (2.5; 5.0 and 7.5 L linear m^?1 row) of three organic composts. The successful association of the plantlets with the diazotrophic bacterium was confirmed by most probable number analysis before transferring to the field. Plants inoculated with strain AB219 showed the greatest initial leaf growth and produced the heaviest fruits compared to uninoculated plants. Plant growth and fruit yield increased with increasing compost dosages. The results suggested that ‘Champaka’ pineapple benefited from the association of A. bogorensis (strain 219) when grown under irrigation and with organic fertilizer.     

Dynamics of biomass and N accumulation of alfalfa under three N fertilization rates

The dynamics of biomass and N accumulation following defoliation of alfalfa and the application of N fertilization has rarely been studied under field conditions, particularly in the seeding year. Our objectives were to determine the effect of N fertilization on the dynamics of biomass and N accumulation during the first regrowth of alfalfa in the seeding year, and to determine if a model describing critical N concentration developed for established stands could be used in the seeding year. In two separate experiments conducted in 1992 and 1993, the biomass and N accumulation of alfalfa grown with three N rates (0, 40 and 80 kg N ha^-1) were determined weekly. Maximum shoot growth was reached with 40 kg N ha^-1 in 1992, and maximum shoot growth was not reached with the highest N fertilization rate in 1993. Nitrogen fixation, root N reserves and soil inorganic N uptake when no N was applied were, therefore, not sufficient to ensure non-limiting N conditions, particularly when growth rates were the highest between 14 to 21 d after defoliation. Nitrogen fertilization increased shoot biomass accumulation in the first 21 d of regrowth, biomass partitioning to the shoots and shoot and taproot N concentrations. The model parameters of critical N concentration developed by Lemaire et al. (1985) for established stands of alfalfa were not adequate in the seeding year. The N requirements per unit of shoot biomass produced are greater in the seeding year than on established stands, and this was attributed to a greater proportion of leaves in the seeding year.     

Response of field-grown chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to phosphorus fertilization for yield and nitrogen fixation

Application of phosphorus at 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg P₂O₅ ha^–1 in the presence of a uniform dressing of nitrogen (N) and potash (K₂O) each applied at 20 and 24 kg ha^–1 to chickpea (CM-88) grown in sandy loam soil in a replicated field experiment improved the nodulation response of the crop, increased its grain yield (ka ha^–1) by 18, 59, 40 and 14 percent, biomass yield (ka ha^–1) by 32, 32, 54 and 14 percent, biomass N (kg ha^–1) by 31, 48, 49, 19 percent, and biomass P (kg ha^–1) by 26, 40, 41 and 11 percent, respectively. The effect of phosphorus on the nitrogenase activity of the excised roots of chickpea was, however, inconsistent.     

Studies on the specificity of sperm binding in echinoderm fertilization

Using gametes from the sea urchins Arbacia punctulata and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, we have evaluated the role of the acrosome reaction and the sperm-egg binding process in the block to interspecific fertilization among echinoids. The results indicate that sperm preinduced to undergo the acrosomal reaction by two different methods still bind to homologous eggs in a species specific manner. These results, taken in conjunction with an earlier study on species specificity of jelly coat induction of the acrosomal reaction (SeGall and Lennarz 1978), indicate that both the acrosome reaction and the sperm binding process contribute to the species specificity of fertilization in S. purpuratus and A. punctulata.     

The effect of nitrogen fertilization on nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated and non-irrigated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).

Burley tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants were grown in the field with or without irrigation and fertilized with 0, 120, 240 or 360 kg N ha^–1 over two growing seasons to assess nitrogen use under Mediterranean climate conditions. Kjeldahl-N and NO₃-N in leaves and stems and NO₃-N and NH₄-N in the soil at two depths (0–0.3 and 0.3–0.6 m) were determined. The effect of N fertilization on total N accumulated in the canopy biomass was markedly different between irrigated and non-irrigated plants. Under non-irrigated conditions N accumulated in the plant did not depend on the amount of N applied. In both years, the amount of N in irrigated plants increased in response to the amount of N applied, starting from 49 to 56 days after transplanting (DAT). The average amount of total N in the canopy of irrigated plants, measured across all sampling dates of both years, ranged from 30 kg ha^–1 of the unfertilized control to 88 kg ha^–1 of the 360 kg ha^–1 of N applied. The average amount of plant NO₃-N was 2.6 and 4.4 kg ha^–1 for non-irrigated and irrigated plots across all N treatments (means of 1996 and 1997). Nitrogen uptake rate (NUR) of non-irrigated plants was high between seedling establishment and the period of rapid stem elongation in 1996 (from 36 to 50 DAT) and until flowering in 1997 (from 42 to 71 DAT), but much less or negligible at later stages of plant development. Irrigation increased NUR dramatically in the second part of the growing season. Maximum NUR was estimated for plants receiving 240 or 360 kg N ha^–1 in both years. The year of study did not affect the recovery fraction (RF), physiological efficiency (PE) or agronomic efficiency (AE). Irrigation and N fertilization had significant effects on both RF and AE, but not on PE. Maximum values of RF were 45 and 22% for irrigated and non-irrigated treatments, respectively. In irrigated plots there was a negative relationship between RF and increasing N levels at all sampling dates.     

Effect of sulphur fertilization on the nitrogen-sulphur relationships in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. Pers.)

Summary Distribution of different nitrogen and sulphur fractions and N:S ratios in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. Pers.) without and with S fertilization has been studied with a green house experiment. With increasing rates of applied S, the concentrations of total N, protein N, total S, protein S and total soluble S in the plant increased but those of non-protein N fractions (total soluble N, amino acid N, amide N, nitrate N) decreased. Thus the adequate supply of S in alfalfa increases the protein synthesis by accelerating protein metabolism. Sulphur application narrowed total N:total S ratios and widened protein N:protein S ratios. The data indicate that one part sulphur was required for every 11 to 12 parts of nitrogen to insure maximum production of protein. re]19750305     

密度与氮肥对关中灌区夏玉米(Zea mays L.)群体光合生理指标的影响

合理的密度是玉米构建良好群体结构、优化群体光合生理功能的基础,适宜的氮肥施用量是玉米进行光合生产的营养物质保障.运用作物群体生理学的方法,采用二次饱和D试验设计,研究了关中灌区夏玉米密度与氮肥耦合和群体光合生理指标的关系及其效应,明确了在关中灌区夏播条件下,在45000～75000株/hm2的密度范围内,密度与玉米籽粒产量、总干物质积累量(DMA)、吐丝期叶面积指数(MLAI)、总光合势(LAD)、平均作物生长率(CGR)为正相关,在45000～60000株/hm2的密度范围内,密度与玉米叶片平均净同化率(NAR)为正相关,而在60000～75000株/hm2的密度范围内,密度与玉米NAR为负相关;在氮素施用量≤600.0 kg/hm2的范围内,氮素施用量与玉米籽粒产量、DMA、CGR为正相关,在氮素施用量≤260.55 kg/hm2的范围内,氮素施用量与玉米MLAI、LAD为正相关,与玉米NAR为负相关,而在氮素施用量260.55～600.0kg/hm2的范围内,氮素施用量与玉米MLAI、LAD为负相关,与玉米NAR为正相关.密度对其影响较大的指标为:籽粒产量、DMA、LAD、CGR和MLAI , 影响较小的指标为:NAR;氮肥对其影响较大的指标为:DMA、CGR、籽粒产量、NAR,影响较小的指标为:LAD和MLAI .对籽粒产量和群体生理指标的综合影响效应,密度显著大于氮肥,玉米生产中,尤其要重视合理密植.通过对回归模型的解析,筛选确定了陕单8806玉米在关中灌区夏播中,实现高产的密度与氮肥耦合优化技术方案:合理密度为61713～66177株/hm2,适宜纯氮施用量为309.88～569.02kg/hm2.     

Studies on the mechanism of blastula formation in starfish embryos denuded of fertilization membrane

A starfish egg, denuded of the fertilization membrane and placed on a glass surface, becomes a cell monolayer after several cleavages. This sheet of cells folds and forms a hollow sphere resembling a normal blastula at the 2(9)-2(10)-cell stage ('closing movement'). A marked morphological change was observed in each cell, preceding the closing movement. The surface of each blastomere differentiated into two parts: one was smooth, whereas the other was rough with microvilli. The smooth surface was more adhesive and flexible than the rough surface, suggesting that the closing movement may be driven by a local increase in cell adhesiveness.     

Effects of nodulation on resistance to alfalfa sickness among ten alfalfa cultivars

Summary Ten alfalfa cultivars were used to study the effects of nodulation and variations in resistance to alfalfa sickness. The alfalfa seedlings were planted in sick soil with three treatment,,i.e.: pasteurized sick soil inoculated with Rhizobium ‘Nitragin’ which served as the control, the inoculated non-pasteurized sick soil and the non-inoculated non-pasteurized sick soil. None of the alfalfa cultivars were immune from the sickness. Cultivar ‘Anik’ fromMedicago falcata was among the most resistant cultivars. Three Phytophthora root rot resistant cultivars including ‘Agate’, ‘Apollo’ and ‘Ramsey’ were not resistant to the disease. Alfalfa inoculated with Rhizobium showed greatly improved seedling growth. Correlation coefficients showed that those alfalfa cultivars more resistant to alfalfa sickness produced more dry weight. Dry weight increase due to nodulation (82%) had more than compensated for the loss of dry weight due to alfalfa sickness (33%). The present study suggested that the poor growth of alfalfa on sick soil was attributed to both the soil borne pathogens and the poor nodulation of alfalfa, probably due to the absence of effective Rhizobium in sick soil. Highly significant differences were also obtained among olfalfa cultivars for plant dry weight in the inoculation treatment. Selection for effective Rhizobium strains and for alfalfa genotypes which are resistant to alfalfa sickness and are high in nitrogen fixation rates could improve alfalfa yield in sick soil.     

The effect of prunus necrotic ringspot virus on field-grown roses

The effect of prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV; cherry serotype) on field-grown maiden rose bushes cv. Fragrant Cloud was assessed in two trials during 1979 and 1980. PNRSV delayed the onset of flowering, reduced the size and number of blooms and increased the proportion of deformed flowers but had no effect on flower pigmentation or scent. Autumnal leaf-fall was generally earlier in diseased bushes, which lacked vigour and re-established less readily after transplanting. Although all healthy plants conformed to the British Standards Institution specifications for maiden bush roses, c. half of diseased plants were sub-standard because the total diameter of the shoots produced at the bud union was less than 20 mm.
The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the commercial production of field-grown rose bushes in the UK.