Seasonal Patterns of Soil Respiration and Related Soil Biochemical Properties under Nitrogen Addition in Winter Wheat Field

Understanding the changes of soil respiration under increasing N fertilizer in cropland ecosystems is crucial to accurately predicting global warming. This study explored seasonal variations of soil respiration and its controlling biochemical properties under a gradient of Nitrogen addition during two consecutive winter wheat growing seasons (2013–2015). N was applied at four different levels: 0, 120, 180 and 240 kg N ha^-1 year^-1 (denoted as N0, N12, N18 and N24, respectively). Soil respiration exhibited significant seasonal variation and was significantly affected by soil temperature with Q₁₀ ranging from 2.04 to 2.46 and from 1.49 to 1.53 during 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 winter wheat growing season, respectively. Soil moisture had no significant effect on soil respiration during 2013–2014 winter wheat growing season but showed a significant and negative correlation with soil respiration during 2014–2015 winter wheat growing season. Soil respiration under N24 treatment was significantly higher than N0 treatment. Averaged over the two growing seasons, N12, N18 and N24 significantly increased soil respiration by 13.4, 16.4 and 25.4% compared with N0, respectively. N addition also significantly increased easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEG), soil organic carbon (SOC), total N, ammonium N and nitrate N contents. In addition, soil respiration was significantly and positively correlated with β-glucosidase activity, EEG, SOC, total N, ammonium N and nitrate N contents. The results indicated that high N fertilization improved soil chemical properties, but significantly increased soil respiration.     

不同冬小麦品种在3种质地土壤中氮代谢特征及利用效率分析

为明确不同土壤质地条件下不同品种冬小麦(Triticum aestivum)的氮代谢和利用特征, 筛选与土壤质地相适宜的高产和氮高效利用的优质小麦品种, 采用大田试验的方法, 在同一生态类型区砂土、壤土和黏土3种质地土壤上, 以当地生产上大面积应用的强筋小麦‘郑麦366’ (‘ZM366’)和中筋小麦‘矮抗58’ (‘AK58’)、‘周麦22’ (‘ZM22’)为材料, 系统地研究了土壤质地对不同冬小麦品种主要生育时期叶片氨同化关键酶谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性、游离氨基酸含量、花前和花后不同器官氮素积累和分配、氮素再分配等氮代谢过程及产量、品质和氮素利用效率等的影响。结果表明: 在这3种土壤质地上, 不同品种冬小麦旗叶GS活性和游离氨基酸含量均呈倒“V”型变化特征。各品种小麦旗叶GS活性、游离氨基酸含量大小及达到最大值的时期不一样, 砂土条件下峰值早于壤土10天左右出现, 且在5月22日已检测不到GS活性和游离氨基酸含量。花前和花后小麦地上部及各器官氮积累量(NA)、氮再分配量(NR)、成熟期籽粒产量和氮素当季利用率(NUE)均以壤土上为最高。氮素转运率(NRE)、花前再分配氮素对籽粒氮素的贡献率(NRC)、氮素生理效率(NPE)、氮收获指数(NHI)以砂土上为最高。其中, 砂土上NRC达82.46%-95.84%, 是花后的7倍左右; 壤土和黏土条件下花后吸收的氮素在籽粒氮素的积累中占有较大的比例, 贡献率分别为36.6%和29.2%。同一土壤质地上3个品种比较, 在砂土上, GS活性、游离氨基酸含量、籽粒产量、蛋白质含量及NUE和NPE以‘郑麦366’最高, 而壤土上以‘矮抗58’最高, 黏土上则以‘周麦22’最高。因此, 在生产上应培育和选择与土壤质地相适应的小麦品种, 砂土地种植‘郑麦366’, 壤土条件下种植‘矮抗58’, 黏土条件下种植‘周麦22’, 可以在获得较高产量和品质的同时, 提高氮素利用效率。     

Responses of a rice–wheat rotation agroecosystem to experimental warming

Climate change is likely to affect agroecosystems in many ways. This study was performed to investigate how a rice–winter wheat rotation agroecosystem in southeast China would respond to global warming. By using an infrared heater system, the soil surface temperature was maintained about 1.5 °C above ambient milieu over 3 years. In the third growing season (2009–2010), the evapotranspiration (ET) rate, crop production, soil respiration, and soil carbon pool were monitored. The ET rate was 23 % higher in the warmed plot as compared to the control plot during the rice paddy growing season, and the rice grain yield was 16.3 % lower, but there was no significant difference in these parameters between the plots during the winter wheat-growing season. The phenology of the winter wheat shifted under experimental warming, and ET may decrease late in the winter wheat-growing season. Experimental warming significantly enhanced soil respiration, with mean annual soil respiration rates of 2.57 ± 0.17 and 1.96 ± 0.06 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 observed in the warmed and control plots, respectively. After 3 years of warming, a significant decrease in the total organic carbon was observed, but only in the surface soil (0–5 cm). Warming also stimulated the belowground biomass, which may have compensated for any heat-induced loss of soil organic carbon. Paddy rice seemed to be more vulnerable to warming than winter wheat in terms of water-use efficiency and grain production.     

不同作物对旱地农田残留硝态氮的利用差异

在黄土高原南部娄土上,通过2a田间试验研究了小麦和苜蓿对土壤中不同累积量的残留硝态氮的利用差异。研究包括0—3 m土壤残留硝态氮累积量(设N1、N2、N3、N4、N5和N6共6个水平,残留硝态氮量依次增加)和作物种类(冬小麦和苜蓿)2个因素,分别采用冬小麦-夏休闲-冬小麦和苜蓿连作种植方式。结果表明,不施用氮肥条件下,冬小麦-休闲-冬小麦轮作周期与苜蓿连作2a内,土壤残留硝态氮的消长有明显差异。在第1季小麦生长期间,小麦的氮素携出量(63.9—130.3 kg/hm2)、氮素携出量占播前残留硝态氮量的比例(18%—27%)及氮素携出量占该生长季硝态氮减少量的比例(29%—62%)均显著高于同期的苜蓿处理。在第2个生长季内,苜蓿的氮素携出量是小麦当季氮素携出量的近6倍,但由于苜蓿固氮作用强烈,至第2生长季结束后,0—3 m土壤硝态氮量与苜蓿播前相比平均只减少了72.4 kg/hm2,而麦田0—3 m土壤硝态氮量与小麦播前相比减少了158.3 kg/hm2。在短期内如果通过种植作物消耗土壤剖面的残留硝态氮,冬小麦比苜蓿更有优势。第1季小麦氮素携出量与小麦播前0—2 m(r=0.920**)和0—3 m(r=0.857*)土层残留硝态氮量呈显著或极显著正相关,与0—1 m土层残留硝态氮量没有显著相关性;第1生长季苜蓿氮素携出量与播前0—1 m土壤硝态氮累积量呈显著正相关关系(r=0.846*),而与0—2 m和0—3 m土壤硝态氮累积量的相关性并不显著。小麦比苜蓿能利用更深土层中的硝态氮。随着播前0—3 m土壤残留硝态氮的增加,小麦和苜蓿地上部氮素携出量呈增加的趋势,硝态氮表观损失也显著增加。     

Effects of different levels of nitrogen fertilization on soil respiration during growing season in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)

 在目前全球氮沉降不断增加的背景下, 研究农田土壤呼吸对氮沉降的响应有助于理解未来生态系统碳循环对全球变暖的潜在影响。为探讨不同施氮浓度对华东地区冬小麦(Triticum aestivum)生长期土壤呼吸的影响, 该实验设计了对照组(不施加氮肥)和3种浓度施氮处理组(低浓度施氮15 g·m^–2·a^–1, 中等浓度施氮30 g·m^–2·a^–1, 高浓度施氮45 g·m^–2·a^–1)。使用便携式土壤CO₂通量观测仪LI-8100测定不同施氮浓度处理下冬小麦生长期(2013年12月至2014年5月)的土壤呼吸速率, 并探讨土壤呼吸与土壤温度、湿度等环境因素的关系。结果表明: 低、中、高3种浓度施氮处理的土壤呼吸速率平均值分别为5.29、6.17和6.75 μmol·m^–2 ·s^–1, 与对照组(土壤呼吸速率平均值为4.90 μmol·m^–2·s^–1)相比, 分别增加了7.8%、23.6%和37.8%; 地上生物量分别增加39.9%、104.4%和200.2%, 并与冬小麦生长季的总土壤呼吸正相关。5 cm深度土壤的温度与土壤呼吸速率呈指数关系(p < 0.05), 土壤呼吸季节变化的65%–75%由土壤温度引起, 其温度敏感性为2.09–2.32。结果表明, 添加氮肥促进了植物的生长, 增加了生物量, 从而增加了冬小麦农田的土壤呼吸速率。     

Effects of root pruning on the growth and water use efficiency of winter wheat

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of root pruning at the stem elongation stage on the growth and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). The results showed that stomatal conductance (g) and transpiration (E) of wheat were very sensitive to root pruning. After root pruning, they declined rapidly and but returned to pre-pruning values 15 days after treatment. Under well-watered conditions, there was no significant difference in leaf water potential (ψ_leaf) between root pruned and control plants after root pruning. Under moderate drought stress, ψ_leaf of root pruned plants declined significantly compared to the control 3 days after root pruning. After 15 days, ψ_leaf of root pruned plants was similar to the controls. Under different soil moisture levels, net assimilation rate (A) of root pruned plants was lower than controls 3–7 days after root pruning, but was similar to the controls 15 days after pruning. At anthesis (50 days after root pruning), root pruned plants showed significantly higher A compared with the control. Leaf area per tiller and tiller number of root pruning plants was significant lower than the control at booting stage, which showed that root pruning restrained the growth of plants in the early growing stage, but leaf area per stem, of root pruned plants, was similar to the control at anthesis. Under both soil moisture levels, there was no significant difference in grain yield between root pruned and the control plants in the monoculture. In mixture with the control plants, the root pruned plants was less productive and had a lower relative yield (0.92 and 0.78, respectively) compared with the control (1.13 and 1.19, respectively), which suggested that the pruned plants lost some of its competing ability and showed a lower ability to acquire and use the same resources in the mixture compared with the control plant. Over the whole growing cycle, root pruning reduced water consumption (by 10% under well-watered conditions and 16% under moderate drought stress) of wheat significantly compared to the control (P < 0.05), and but there was no significant difference in grain yield between root pruned and control plants. Therefore root pruned wheat had a higher WUE with respect to grain yield compared with the controls. In conclusion, lowering water consumption by root pruning in the early growing stage is an effective way to improve water use efficiency in arid and semi arid areas.     

施肥和覆膜垄沟种植对旱地小麦产量及水氮利用的影响

通过大田试验研究了施肥和覆膜垄沟种植对旱地冬小麦群体动态、产量构成及水氮利用的影响。结果表明,覆膜垄沟种植和追肥处理可显著提高旱地冬小麦穗数,追肥处理可减少后期无效分蘖;覆膜垄沟种植和追肥处理产量分别比农户模式提高了11.73%和13.91%,穗数和穗粒数是其产量提高的关键因素;覆膜垄沟种植方式可减少土壤水分损耗,水分利用率为11.60 kg · hm^-2 · mm^-1,显著高于其他处理;追肥处理能有效促进小麦生育中后期对氮素的吸收利用,在基施氮量165 kg/hm²上再追肥30 kg/hm²,地上部分吸氮总量增加15.45 kg/hm²,追肥氮的利用率显著高于底肥氮利用率,为51.5%。     

The effect of foliar application of urea on the root fungi of wheat growing in soil artificially contaminated withFusarium spp.

Repeated treatment of overground parts of wheat with a solution of urea was reflected in an increased count of bacteria and a decreased count of fungi on the roots of plants grown in soil contaminated with the fungusFusarium spp., which is known to be noxious to plants. The occurrence of some fungal genera on the roots of plants growing in contaminated and uncontaminated soil after foliar application of urea was also changed. The roots of treated planted were found to contain more bacteria with a lytic effect and retarding the growth of the fungus used for the contamination. The favourable effect of foliar application of urea on wheat was reflected in an increased dry weight of plants even if growing in a soil contaminated withFusarium.     

Growth enhancement and antitranspirant activity following seed treatment with a derivative of 5-hydroxybenzimidazole (Ambiol) in four drought-stressed agricultural species

The biostimulating action of seed treatment with the synthetic antioxidant, Ambiol (2-methyl-4-Edimethylaminomethyl-5-hydroxybenzimidazole dihydrochloride) on subsequent growth and transpiration of seedlings was studied. To study growth and transpiration responses, seeds of four agricultural species, soybean ( Glycine max L.), rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.), winter wheat ( Trilicum aestivum L.) and corn ( Zea mays L.), were soaked in Ambiol for 24 h, using the following concentrations: 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg 1¹. The subsequent seedlings were subject to simulated soil drought, using computer-automated root misting chambers. The influence of Ambiot on transpiration rate under simulated air drought was studied by growing plants under low humidity in a controlled humidity chamber. Response to Ambiol varied, depending on its concentration, the species used and the environment. Compared to untreated plants, 10 mg 1-⁻¹ Ambiol reduced the mid-day transpiration rate and total daily water usage of soybean by approximately 25%. Under simulated soil drought in the root misting chamber, 10 and 100 mg 1-⁻¹ Ambiol increased growth of rapeseed and soybean by 25–45%, relative to the 0 mg 1-⁻¹ treatment, yielding plants comparable in size to the fully-irrigated controls. However, Ambiol failed to promote growth of two drought-stressed monocotyledons (corn and winter wheat). At 100 mg P. Ambiol inhibited growth of both well-watered wheat and rapeseed, although this inhibition was mitigated by drought.     

The invasion and development of the cereal cyst-nematode, Heterodera avenae in the roots of autumn-and spring-sown cereals

Observations were made at 2 or 4 wk intervals from December to harvest on all stages of Heterodera avenae in winter oats growing on infested land. Second-stage larvae were present in all soil samples except on 5 and 20 July. Invasion and development of larvae was slow during winter. The nodal and seminal roots of winter oats were both heavily invaded by the nematode; larvae which invaded seminal roots tended to become male whereas those in nodal roots tended to become female. There was a small second invasion in August. Females were first observed on the roots of winter oats on 17 May, 214 days after the crop was sown and 62 days after the first fourth-stage larva was observed. The nodal roots of spring barley contained few H. avenae larvae whereas these roots were heavily invaded in winter wheat and oats. In spring barley the nodal roots were developing in June and July when few second-stage larvae were in the soil whereas in winter oats and wheat the nodal roots were growing rapidly in April when larvae were most numerous, and so were heavily invaded.     

冬小麦抗氧化酶对冬季节律性日变温和非节律性变温的响应

通过对冬季室内和室外分别生长30d的冬小麦在节律性和非节律性融冻变温过程中抗氧化酶活力和渗透调解物含量变化的分析,揭示其在冬小麦适应日融冻胁迫中的作用。结果表明:生育期不同的室内(均温11℃,拔节期)和室外(均温1℃,分蘖静滞期)冬小麦叶片抗氧化酶和脯氨酸对日光强和温度节律变化的响应趋势是一致的,即随日出而增高,中午气温较高时最高,日落而降低;在非节律性变温处理中,室外冬小麦抗氧化酶活力和脯氨酸含量随气温上升至18℃而增高,气温迅速下降到-2.5℃而降低,经历冻-融-冻胁迫冬小麦生长良好。室内冬小麦抗氧化酶活力随气温降低到-6℃,叶片结冻,迅速下降,气温升高到18℃而增加,经历融-冻-融胁迫后植株死亡;室外冬小麦光合速率(Pn)和比室内的低,而抗氧化酶活力高于室内;冬小麦快速提高抗氧化酶活力和脯氨酸含量,抑制氧自由基积累、维护细胞水分平衡,这在适应冬季节律性融冻胁迫中起重要作用;暖冬中冬小麦较高的Pn和较低的抗氧化酶活力可能是引起冬小麦在"倒春寒"中死亡的生理原因。     

Crop uptake and leaching losses of15N labelled fertilizer nitrogen in relation to waterlogging of clay and sandy loam soils

Summary Ammonium nitrate fertilizer, labelled with¹⁵N, was applied in spring to winter wheat growing in undisturbed monoliths of clay and sandy loam soil in lysimeters; the rates of application were respectively 95 and 102 kg N ha⁻¹ in the spring of 1976 and 1975. Crops of winter wheat, oilseed rape, peas and barley grown in the following 5 or 6 years were treated with unlabelled nitrogen fertilizer at rates recommended for maximum yields. During each year of the experiments the lysimeters were divided into treatments which were either freelydrained or subjected to periods of waterlogging. Another labelled nitrogen application was made in 1980 to a separate group of lysimeters with a clay soil and a winter wheat crop to study further the uptake of nitrogen fertilizer in relation to waterlogging. In the first growing season, shoots of the winter wheat at harvest contained 46 and 58% of the fertilizer nitrogen applied to the clay and sandy loam soils respectively. In the following year the crops contained a further 1–2% of the labelled fertilizer, and after 5 and 6 years the total recoveries of labelled fertilizer in the crops were 49 and 62% on the clay and sandy loam soils respectively. In the first winter after the labelled fertilizer was applied, less than 1% of the fertilizer was lost in the drainage water, and only about 2% of the total nitrogen (mainly nitrate) in the drainage water from both soils was derived from the fertilizer. Maximum annual loss occurred the following year but the proportion of tracer nitrogen in drainage was nevertheless smaller. Leaching losses over the 5 and 6 years from the clay and sandy loam soil were respectively 1.3 and 3.9% of the original application. On both soils the percentage of labelled nitrogen to the total crop nitrogen content was greater after a period of winter waterlogging than for freely-drained treatments. This was most marked on the clay soil; evidence points to winter waterlogging promoting denitrification and the consequent loss of soil nitrogen making the crop more dependent on spring fertilizer applications.     

Long-Term Monitoring of Rainfed Wheat Yield and Soil Water at the Loess Plateau Reveals Low Water Use Efficiency

Increasing crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in dryland farming requires a quantitative understanding of relationships between crop yield and the water balance over many years. Here, we report on a long-term dryland monitoring site at the Loess Plateau, Shanxi, China, where winter wheat was grown for 30 consecutive years and soil water content (0–200 cm) was measured every 10 days. The monitoring data were used to calibrate the AquaCrop model and then to analyse the components of the water balance. There was a strong positive relationship between total available water and mean cereal yield. However, only one-third of the available water was actually used by the winter wheat for crop transpiration. The remaining two-thirds were lost by soil evaporation, of which 40 and 60% was lost during the growing and fallow seasons, respectively. Wheat yields ranged from 0.6 to 3.9 ton/ha and WUE from 0.3 to 0.9 kg/m³. Results of model experiments suggest that minimizing soil evaporation via straw mulch or plastic film covers could potentially double wheat yields and WUE. We conclude that the relatively low wheat yields and low WUE were mainly related to (i) limited rainfall, (ii) low soil water storage during fallow season due to large soil evaporation, and (iii) poor synchronisation of the wheat growing season to the rain season. The model experiments suggest significant potential for increased yields and WUE.     

Growth and development of root systems of winter cereals grown after different tillage methods including direct drilling

Summary A method is described for rapidly estimating the depth of penetration and density of roots of cereal crops under field conditions. Counts of living roots, traversing horizontal faces of soil cores, were made for winter wheat growing on direct-drilled and ploughed land.The rate of penetration of roots of winter wheat in a clay and a sandy loam soil averaged 5 mm per day throughout winters without extremes of cold or wet. Death of roots near the soil surface occurred wilst others continued downward penetration. The rate of root elongation was slower during prolonged periods when the soil was wet and faster,i.e. to greater depths, during dry conditions.Damage sustained to roots during adverse winter conditions ofter varied between direct drilling and ploughing. More roots at depth were consistently recorded on direct-drilled than on ploughed land when measured in spring after a soil water deficit had developed during the preceding month. After prolonged wet soil conditions during the winter on a soil with a large clay fraction and low hydraulic conductivity, root growth and penetration in spring, before the development of a soil water deficit, was more restricted on direct-drilled than on ploughed land.     

The biology, ecology, and harmfulness of the flea-beetle Chaetocnema aridula Gill (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in the forest-steppe of the middle Volga Area

In the forest-steppe of Samara Province, Chaetocnema aridula Gill. dominates among all the species of Chaetocnema Steph. found in cereal crops. The species develops mainly on winter wheat, and, to a lesser extent, on spring wheat and barley. In autumn, adult beetles aggregate on millet for pre-hibernation feeding. The highest population density of Ch. aridula was observed in the humid and warm 1997 and the lowest one, in the extremely dry 1998. In late April-the first third of May, adults begin oviposition after wintering. Larvae appear in winter and spring wheat in mid-May and in late May-early June, respectively. Larvae pupate in winter wheat, beginning from mid-June; in spring crops, pupation begins in mid-June. Adults of a new generation emerge between the middle of June and the middle of July. In spring crops, development of Ch. aridula finishes 2–3 weeks later than in winter crops. Larvae penetrate shoots in the upper soil level in the tillering zone. 50–80% of wheat and barley plants are damaged by larvae. In damaged plants, the number of shoots increases by 1.2–5.8 times, and the number of productive shoots decreases to 17–68%. In plants damaged by flea-beetles, harvest losses constitute 62–90% and 5–20% in winter and spring wheat crops, respectively, and the total harvest loss constitutes 0.3–3.9 and 1–15%, respectively.     

The influence of season and stage of development of plant on Endogone mycorrhiza of field-grown wheat.

A quantitative and qualitative survey of the indigenous Endogone population in wheat field soil and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza in wheat roots as influenced by season and by the stage of development of the wheat plant was made. The number of Endogone spores in wheat field soil remained relatively unchanged in winter until January during the period of maximum root growth. The extent of formation of arbuscules was influenced by the stage of development of the wheat plants.     

Field response of wheat to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and drought stress

Mycorrhizal plants often have greater tolerance to drought than nonmycorrhizal plants. This study was conducted to determine the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation on growth, grain yield and mineral acquisition of two winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars grown in the field under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. Wheat seeds were planted in furrows after treatment with or without the AM fungi Glomus mosseae or G. etunicatum. Roots were sampled at four growth stages (leaf, tillering, heading and grain-filling) to quantify AM fungi. There was negligible AM fungi colonization during winter months following seeding (leaf sampling in February), when soil temperature was low. During the spring, AM fungi colonization increased gradually. Mycorrhizal colonization was higher in well-watered plants colonized with AM fungi isolates than water-stressed plants. Plants inoculated with G. etunicatum generally had higher colonization than plants colonized with G. mosseae under both soil moisture conditions. Biomass and grain yields were higher in mycorrhizal than nonmycorrhizal plots irrespective of soil moisture, and G. etunicatum inoculated plants generally had higher biomass and grain yields than those colonized by G. mosseae under either soil moisture condition. The mycorrhizal plants had higher shoot P and Fe concentrations than nonmycorrhizal plants at all samplings regardless of soil moisture conditions. The improved growth, yield and nutrient uptake in wheat plants reported here demonstrate the potential of mycorrhizal inoculation to reduce the effects of drought stress on wheat grown under field conditions in semiarid areas of the world.     

Cytological Studies on the Cold Resistance of Plants-Morphological Changes of the Intracellular Structures of Wheat in the Overwintering Period

The present work comprises a study of 6 wheat varieties of various degrees of cold resistance. They are: 2 winter varieties, Nungta 183 and Huapei 187; 2 spring varieties, Nanta 2419 and Piyü; and 2 intermediate varieties (according to their winter hardiness), Pima No. 1 and Pingyüan 50. All these varieties were cultivated under the same natural conditions. Cytological changes of each of the varieties were studied comparatively at different stages of the overwintering period. In addition, certain morphological and physiological features of the above mentioned varieties were also studied. With the temperature gradually falling in autumn, the rate of the cell divisions and the physiological activities of the nucleoli of the winter varieties decreased, the growth of the plants and the development of the apical cones were suppressed, and so more storage materials were left. The less hardy and non-hardy varieties, on the other hand, retained their cytophysiological activities and high growing rate, so that the stored materials were much less than those left in the winter varieties. However the non-resistant varieties could not withstand the winter frost and survived no more. The plants of the less hardy varieties were partly killed by winter frost. When the temperature dropped further in winter, plasmolysis gradually appeared in the cells of the tillering nodes of the cold resistant wheat plants, and it disappeared with the return of the warmer weather. The degrees of the plasmolysis in different varieties were found proportional to their cold hardiness, and no plasrnolysis was observed in the spring wheat. Thus a correlation apparently exists between the plasmolysis and the cold resistance in wheat. In winter, the vacuoles of the young leaf cells and of the cells of the primary meristematic tissues of the apical cones became smaller and smaller, while a dense reticular structure appeared in the cytoplasm. In spring, the vacuoles restored, and the reticular structure disappeared. It seems that the occurrence of the reticular structure in the winter season is also closely correlated with the cold resistance of the wheat plants. It was found that the nuclei and the chloroplasts of the winter varieties were more resistant to cold than those of the less resistant and non-resistant varieties. The stability of these structures increased in hardened condition. Morphological changes of the chloroplasts of the young leaf cells occured from autumn to winter, they were transformed from polymorphic to uniformly globular. The chloroplasts of some cells were balling together, however, they actually retained their individualities. The chondriosomes increased in size and quantity during the hardened period. They became short and thick, some were in globular form or they clumped together in severe winter, and gradually restored when warmer weather arrived in the spring. The correlations of the mitosis, the plasmolysis, the appearance of the reticular structure in the cytoplasm and the stability of the nuclei with the cold resistance of the wheat were discussed.     

Overall Versus Band Application of the Nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita With and Without Incorporation into Soil, for Biological Control of Slugs in Winter Wheat

In two concurrent field experiments, the effects of three types of soil cultivation and two patterns of nematode application were studied in order to investigate their effects on damage to winter wheat by slugs (assessed at Zadoks Growth Stage 12). In experiment 1, infective juveniles (IJs) of the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita were applied to soil as an overall spray or as a band spray (8-cm wide), centred on the drill rows (16.7-cm apart). Nematodes were either left undisturbed on the soil surface or harrowed into the soil immediately after application. The control provided by nematodes was compared with that provided by metaldehyde and methiocarb pellets broadcast at the recommended rate immediately after drilling. In this experiment, winter wheat on plots treated with IJs showed significantly less slug damage than on wheat plots treated with metaldehyde or methiocarb pellets or untreated plots. There was no significant difference in plant damage between plots treated with band and overall spray applications of IJs, nor was there any significant difference between plots with and without harrowing. There was also no significant difference between untreated plots and plots treated with metaldehyde or methiocarb pellets, probably because rainfall shortly after treatment rendered the pellets ineffective. In experiment 2, nematodes were applied as an overall spray or plots were not treated with nematodes before soil was cultivated with tines, Roterra or Dutzi cultivators. Nematode application before soil cultivation using tines or Roterra reduced the number of plants damaged significantly. However, nematodes applied before Dutzi cultivation appeared to be rendered ineffective. Damage to winter wheat was lowest in plots that had been sprayed with nematodes and subsequently cultivated with tines or Roterra.     

The effect of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal associations on growth of cereals

The growth of wheat seedlings which were already mycorrhizal when transplanted to a field deficient in phosphorus was improved compared with non-mycorrhizal controls, and grain yield was increased three-fold by the fungus, indicating that Endogone stimulated growth and increased yield. Differences between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal wheat were eliminated by the application of phosphate fertilizer, indicating that the fungus does not enhance wheat growth in soils containing enough available phosphate. It is probable that the mycorrhizal effect is primarily to improve the supply of phosphate. There were clear relationships between spore number in the soil and mycorrhizal development and between the extent of root infection and increased growth. The extent of root infection was greatest in mycorrhizal plants in soil not supplemented with phosphate and it decreased in inoculated plants in the plot supplemented with superphosphate. The non-centrospermous and non-zygophyllaceous weeds growing on the experimental field had typical vesicular arbuscular infection and indigenous Endogone spores in their rhizospheres. The centrospermous plants were non-mycorrhizal and had no Endogone spores in their rhizospheres.