Copper supply and the leaf emergence rate of spring wheat

Copper deficiency can delay flowering and plant maturity. However, the effect of copper deficiency on the rate of leaf emergence has not been quantified. We tested the hypothesis that low copper supply decreases the rate of leaf emergence of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Gamenya). Copper foliar sprays are commonly applied to wheat. We examined the response of the rate of leaf emergence to a foliar application of copper sulphate.Wheat was grown in root cooling tanks (20°C) in the glasshouse. Soil copper treatments were applied as solutions of CuSO₄.5H₂O at three rates: Cu₀=no added Cu, Cu₄₀₀=400 g Cu per 3 kg pot, and Cu₁₆₀₀=1600 g Cu per pot. An additional treatment of a foliar spray of CuSO₄.5H₂O (0.4 mg Cu per plant) was applied to Cu₀ and Cu₄₀₀ plants 45 days after sowing (5.5 leaves on the main stem). Leaves on the main stem were counted and the rate of leaf emergence was estimated from the regression of number of emerged leaves against thermal time (base 0°C). The phyllochron was calculated as 1/rate of emergence.Leaves on Cu₀ and Cu₄₀₀ plants took longer to emerge than on Cu₁₆₀₀ plants, with the phyllochron of Cu₁₆₀₀ plants being 130 compared to 137 for the Cu₄₀₀ plants and 158 for the Cu₀ plants. The foliar application of CuSO₄ at the 5–6 leaf stage resulted in a decrease in the phyllochron of the Cu₀ plants to 127, but no change in that of the Cu₄₀₀ plants.     

Transpiration rates of leaf blades of irrigated and not irrigated plants of spring wheat

Byla studována transpirace listových ?epelí zavla?ovaných a nezavla?ovaných rostlin jarní p?enice v závislosti k obsahu a k r?stovým změnám pokusných rostlin v pr?běhu jejich vývoje. Pou?ité závlahy stimulovaly r?st a nepatrně zpomalily vývoj pokusných rostlin. Zvy?ovaly v rostlinném těle p?edev?ím obsah vody a méně ji? su?inu. Kvantitativní a kvalitativní vlastnosti obsahu vody v rostlině ovlivňovaly nejen transpiraci, nýbr? i vznik nových a odumírání starých orgán? a tkání, p?edev?ím ?epelí listových. Transpirace u zavla?ovaných rostlin byla výrazné vy??í ne? u rostlin nezavla?ovaných. Pr?měrné hodnoty transpirace u jednotlivých ?epelí listových byly z?etolně odli?né a pro ka?dou ?epel listovou charakteristické. Z hlediska statického bylo mo?no některé vztahy a heterogenitu jednotlivých ?epelí listových na tém?e stéblu vyjád?it a v podstatě i vysvětlit “Zalenského zákonem”. Týkalo se to zejména pr?měrných hodnot r?stových charakteristik a studovaných rys? vodního provozu. Naproti tomu z hlediska dynamického bylo mo?no jednotlivé ?epele listové rozdělit podle změn transpirace do dvou skupin. Do prvé skupiny pat?í ?epel prvého a? t?etího listu, do druhé skupiny pak ?epel ?tvrtého a? ?estého listu a klas. Regula?ní schopnosti jednotlivých ?epelí listových v hospoda?ení s vodou vynikají v období odno?ování, sloupkování a mlé?né zralosti. V těchto vývojových fázích byla vysvětlena také nápadná sní?ení transpirace rostlin, která jsou zp?sobena v prvé ?adě vnit?ními a nikoliv jen vněj?ími faktory.     

Influence of leaf age and light environment on the gas exchange of lupins and wheat

Rates of net photosynthesis (A), transpiration (E) and leaf conductance to water vapour transfer (gH₂O) were measured on leaves of Lupinus angustifolius L. cv. Ritson's and L. cosentinii Guss. cv. Eregulla throughout development and on flag leaves of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cvs Gutha, Gamenya and Warigal) after full expansion. Plants were grown in large containers of soil, in a naturally-lit, temperature controlled glasshouse. Throughout most of their life, lupin leaves had higher photosynthetic rates and leaf conductances than found for wheat. During leaf ageing in lupins, photosynthesis and conductance changed proportionately such that leaf intercellular CO₂ concentration was maintained relatively constant at about 200 ppm. Under continuously cloudy conditions, leaf conductance at midday of lupins and wheat was higher than at similar photon flux densities at other times of day on cloudless days. On cloudy days the relationship between gH₂O and photon flux density in lupins was very different from that derived from diurnal measurements on clear days. The potentially low water use efficiency under cloud, evident as decreases in the A/gH₂O ratio, was rarely realised in practise due to a reduction in leaf-to-air water vapour concentration difference on cloudy days. The possible reasons for the high conductance on cloudy days are discussed.     

Effects of ozone on the photosynthetic apparatus and leaf proteins during leaf development in wheat

Leaves of Triticum aestivum cv. Avalon were grown in an atmosphere that contained 150 nmole mol^-1 ozone for 7h each day. After leaves had reached maximum size, the leaf blade was divided into three sections to provide tissue of different age, the youngest at the base of the blade and the oldest at the leaf tip. The ozone treatment was found to decrease significantly the light-saturated rate and quantum yield of CO₂ assimilation and the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry in the oldest leaf section. No effects were found on the basal and middle sections of the leaf. These ozone-induced decreases in the photosynthetic parameters were associated with decreases in the efficiency of utilization of light for CO₂ assimilation at the photon flux density under which the leaves were grown. The depression in photosynthetic performance of tissue near the leaf tip was accompanied by large decreases in the contents of total, soluble and thylakoid proteins and chlorophyll. There was also found to be a preferential loss of ribulose-1,5-carboxylase-oxygenase. These ozone-induced changes in chlorophyll and protein contents and the photosynthetic activities of the leaf tissue were similar to changes normally associated with leaf senescence. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel analyses of leaf proteins demonstrated the loss of some minor, and unidentified, proteins, whilst another group of minor proteins appeared. It is concluded that daily exposure of the leaf to 150 nmol mol^-1 ozone for 7h had no effect on the development of the photosynthetic apparatus and its activities during leaf expansion, but it did promote the onset of premature senescence in fully expanded tissue that resulted in a loss of pigments, proteins and photosynthetic capacity and efficiency.     

Effects of crop residues,soil type and temperature on emergence and early growth of wheat

Summary Two controlled environment experiments were conducted to examine the germination and early growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Songlen) growing under crop residues of rape, sorghum, field pea and wheat. Additional treamments also included were soil type (Lithic Vertic Ustochrept and Plinthustalf) and temperature (8°C and 24°C to simulate winter and autumn sowing conditions). At low temperature, wheat and sorghum residues produced the most adverse effects on germination with all residues reducing emergence at high temperatures. Shoot lengths were also reduced by most residues at high temperatures whilst root lengths and shoot and root dry weights were unaffected by residue treatments. These results suggest major phytotoxic effects of residues during early growth (up to 14 days after sowing) with, in general, few interactions with soil type or temperature.     

Cultivar and cultivar x environment effects on the development of callus and polyhaploid plants from anther cultures of wheat

Summary Plants of three common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) cultivars and one randomly selected doubled-haploid line derived by anther culture from each of the three cultivars were each grown in three environments, a field environment, a greenhouse environment, and a growth chamber environment. Anthers containing largely miduninucleate to late uninucleate microspores were cultured and calli were induced to regenerate plants in order to assess the effects of cultivar, cultivar family (cultivar and corresponding doubled-haploid derivative), anther-donor plant environment, and cultivar X environment interaction on androgenic responses. Large differences in response were observed among cultivars as well as between cultivars and doubled-haploids. Differences between cultivar and doubled-haploid within cultivar family usually resulted from higher frequency of response in the cultivar, contrary to the hypothesis that anther culture per se constitutes a general selective device for superior androgenic responses. Also, in a second experiment, anther callusing frequency was greater in the cultivar Kitt than in any of five unique doubled-haploid lines derived from Kitt. Significant effects were also observed in the first experiment for the interactions of cultivar family X environment as well as doubled-haploid vs. cultivar X environment, although the effect of environment itself was less significant than these interactions.Contribution from the USDA, SEA, AR, Beltsville, Md, and the Department of Agronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Md, as scientific article No. A-3413, contribution No. 6486     

Incorporating a chronology response into the prediction of leaf appearance rate in winter wheat

The prediction of leaf appearance rate (LAR) is an important part of many crop simulation models. Most wheat simulations models assume that LAR is affected by temperature and photoperiod. This assumption ignores the fact that seed reserves contribute to a greater LAR of the first two leaves and that the LAR of subsequent leaves decreases as a result of an increase in the distance that each leaf primordium must extend before it appears. The objective of this study was to develop a generalized LAR chronology response function [f(C)] for wheat that takes into account seed reserves and the increasing distance from the meristem to the whorl for later appearing leaves. This chronology response function was then incorporated into an existing LAR model [Wang and Engel (WE) model; Wang and Engel, 1998, Agricultural Systems 58: 1-24]. This function varied from 0 to 1, being equal to 1 for the first two leaves due to seed reserves, and decreasing (taking the form of a power law) for subsequent leaves. Data from a growth chamber (two cultivars) and several field experiments (four cultivars, two years and eight sowing dates) at Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, were used as independent data to test three LAR models (Miglietta model, Miglietta, 1991, Climate Research 1: 145-150; WE model; and modified WE model). Predictions of the main stem Haun stage, both in the growth chamber and in the field, were greatly improved by incorporating f(C) into the Wang and Engel model. The root mean square error for the field data was 1.1, 0.7, and 0.3 leaves for the Miglietta model, the Wang and Engel model, and the modified Wang and Engel model, respectively.     

Influence of washing on elemental analysis of leaves of fieldgrown crop plants

Summary Information is limited on soil contamination of leaves from field-grown row crops, especially with respect to aluminum (Al) analyses. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of washing leaf samples with either deionized water or detergent solution on elemental analyses for several agronomic crop plants. The crop plants sampled were corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The crops were grown on a range of soil types, soil pH values, and tillage practices. Samples of upper leaves and lower leaves were collected separately. The samples were either not washed, washed with deionized water, or washed with detergent solution. After drying, grinding, and digesting, the samples were analyzed for Al, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu). For all crop plants and conditions studied, there was no effect on measured N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, or Cu concentrations, but measured Al and Fe concentrations were influenced by washing. In general, washing had a greater effect on Al analyses than on Fe analyses. Soybean samples were most affected by washing, while wheat samples seemed to be least affected. The results reflected greater contamination of lower leaves than upper leaves. Decontamination procedures appear necessary prior to Al and Fe analyses of field-grown crop plants.     

小麦不同蘖位叶片出生的两段线性模式及其品种、播期效应

叶片出生动态是小麦生长发育进程及其协调状况的重要表现,研究发现,小科叶片出生与播后累积ＧＤＤ（ｆｇｒｏｗｉｎｇ ｄｅｇｒｅｅ ｄａｙｓ ａｆｔｅｒ ｓｏｗｉｎｇ）的关系遵循两段（阶段Ⅰ快于阶段Ⅱ）线性模式,护颖分化期为两段模式的分界点,这一规律在正常发育的冬性和春性品种的７主茎及分蘖中表现一致,冬性品种播期１（９月３０日）、播期３（３月２日）的主茎及冬、春性品种各播期的Ｔ３分蘖,因生长发育异常而”     

Influence of sodium humate on the crop plants inoculated with bacteria of agricultural importance

Summary The dry-matter yield and nitrogen uptake of berseem (Trifolium alexand-drinum), yield, nitrogen uptake, nodulation and leghaemoglobin content of dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) inoculated with specific rhizobia were appreciably influenced by the application of sodium humate to soil under green house conditions. Even the application of sodium humate alone without bacterial inoculation had good growth stimulating influence on both the crops, and this effect was further improved by the application of inorganic nitrogen to dhaincha plants. A fair increase in the yield and phosphorus up-take of wheat (Triticum vulgare) inoculated withAzotobacter and/orBacillus spp. was also recorded with the addition of the humic material to the soil. The greatest effect was observed on the plants inoculated withAzotobacter andBacillus spp. together.     

Primordium initiation at the stem apex as the primary event controlling plant development: preliminary evidence from wheat for the regulation of leaf development

Abstract. The results from field studies of 12 crops of winter wheat (two seasons, four sites in the U.K., four cultivars), in which leaf appearance and events at the mainstem apex were fully documented, were used to investigate the inter-relationship between leaf initiation and appearance. It was shown that the progress of leaf appearance could be divided into two phases around collar initiation. During the first phase, which was common to all crops examined, leaf appearance was linearly related to leaf initiation, indicating that leaf appearance was not independently regulated by the environment but dependent on initiation. The slope of the second phase relationship varied between crops, indicating the intervention of an additional controlling factor. This shows that, for the first phase at least, the time course of leaf appearance was predetermined by the rate of leaf initiation at the stem apex.     

Influence of tillage on soil macropore size, shape of top layer and crop development in a sub-humid environment

Topsoil macropores of two plots under no-tillage and conventional tillage were analyzed. A leguminous-cereal rotation was applied for six cycles under dry-land farming system (crop residues were removed). The clay-loam soil shows some vertic characteristics. The main goal is to identify the relationship between the top soil macro and meso-pore distribution for the two tillage systems (at the end of sixth cycle of cultivation) with the annual crop production (rainfall in normal growing period and crop production values are included). Unaltered topsoil samples were taken from 0 to 60 mm (row and interrow positions) and from the immediate depth (60 to 110 mm) in both plots (conventional and no-tillage). The morphometric analyses of 66 polished slices were carried out with the aim to identify differences in soil macro and meso-pore organisation. Soil macropores were classified by size (area) and elongation ratio and by form factor and equivalent pore diameter. No appreciable differences were observed. Soil macro and meso-pore distributions of samples were also compared. The main difference observed between topsoil’s treatments was a different macropore size distribution between topsoil positions. The presence of larger macropores was higher in conventional tillage compared to no-tillage. Samples taken from row and deeper positions of conventional tillage show a somewhat higher amount of macropores in the range between 2 to 2.3 mm equivalent pore diameter. Soil macropores contribute to increase soil aeration and soil drying when topsoil is too wet in critical periods of crop development. Conventional tillage (crop residues removed), provides to the topsoil of a larger lateral and vertical variability of macropore distribution than no-tillage topsoil.     

The environmental background of hominid emergence and the appearance of the genusHomo

The human biologist usually considers ecology of recent humanity. This essay explores the question of whether the human biologist specialising in the ecology of living peoples has anything to learn from the palaeo-anthropologist, studying ancient hominids andtheir adaptive mechanisms over a deep time dimension. Since the Hominidae are under discussion, the definition of the hominids is reviewed. Historically, three phases are recognised. A rethinking of the classification of the hominoids has become necessary for the old and classical systematics, which divided this superfamily into the Hominidae and the Pongidae, is now outmoded. Since no consensus on such a re-classification has yet been reached, the author adheres to the classical system for the time being. The Hominidae emerged between about 8 and 5 million years ago. At that time, Africa was subject to major cooling and aridification and considerable changes in the flora and fauna were occurring. Wet forests were retreating, savanna was spreading and the animals of Africa were undergoing many changes, partly by faunal interchange with Asia following the drying up of the Mediterranean, and partly by autochthonous evolution among the pre-existing species of the continent. The Hominidae could well have emerged from the striking environmental modifications of this late Miocene phase. Critical changes occurred in hominid evolution between 3 and 2 million years before the present. The pre-existing speciesAustralopithecus africanus acquired the form of a postulated derivedA. africanus; the hominid lineage underwent cladogenetic splitting into robust and hyper-robust australopithecines and the genusHomo; Homo babilis appeared; stone tools are first found in the archaeological record; spoken language seems to have been acquired. These sensational events, within the space of one million years, took place against the background of conspicuous changes in the climate and physical geography of Africa, the flora and non-hominid fauna. Mankind became increasingly dependent upon stone culture. Hence a new element was added to the range of modes of adjustment, an element which must have greatly increased the ecological flexibility of the hominids. From the end of the Pliocene era onwards, culture should be seen as a constituent of man's environment and, at the same time, a highly advantageous component of human adaptational processes. In later and recent mankind, it may be difficult to extricate the respective roles of biological, social and physical factors, on the one hand, and cultural aspects on the other, as mechanisms and facilitators of adaptation to diverse econiches.     

Evolution of Mycosphaerella graminicola at the wheat leaf level and at the field level

Evolution of M. graminicola wheat field populations from a given French county (Morbihan, 56) between years 2005 and 2006 was investigated for thirty seven strains using molecular fingerprinting by microsatellite markers (ST1A4, ST1E3, ST1E7, and ST1D7), and SSCP analysis study of partial actin and beta-tubulin encoding sequences. In addition, twenty nine strains collected from 3 distinct lesions on a same wheat leaf in 2006 in another French county (Nord, 59) were also investigated for genetic diversity. At the field level, we observed similar gene diversity in the 2005 and in the 2006 populations, with no common clones between the two years. This indicates frequent sexual recombination undergone by the fungus. When considering each marker independently and comparing genetic variability of the two populations, we noticed a decrease in genetic variability of the 2006 strains for three of them (ST1A4, ST1D7 and the partial sequence of actin) and an increase for ST1E3, ST1E7 and the partial sequence of beta-tubulin, revealing the importance of the chosen markers. At the lesion level, 69% of the studied strains were haplotypes with 31% of the clonal population found in 2 lesions out of 3. This suggests that at least parts of the lesions were formed after asexual reproduction and dissemination of pycnidiospores by splashing. We also confirmed the exploitative competition that exists between the strains at the lesion level.     

Influence of fetal environment on kidney development.

Several lines of evidence, mostly derived from animal studies, indicate that changes in fetal environment may affect renal development. Besides maternal hyperglycemia or drug exposure, that were recently found to alter nephrogenesis, changes in vitamin A supply to the fetus may prove to be responsible for most of the variations in nephron number found in the population. A low vitamin A status in the fetus may be a major cause of inborn nephron deficit, either as a feature of intrauterine growth retardation or independently of growth retardation. The possibility that vitamin A status may also influence renal vascular development is raised. We suggest that low vitamin A supply to the fetus plays a role in the intrauterine programming of chronic renal disease and hypertension.     

The rates of shoot and root growth in intact plants of pea mutants in leaf morphology

Isogenic lines of pea (Pisum sativum L.) with the genetically determined changes in leaf morphology, afila (af) and tendril-less (tl), were used to study the relationship between shoot and root growth rates. The time-course of shoot and root growth was followed during the pre-floral period in the intact plants grown under similar conditions. The af mutation produced afila leaves without leaflets, whereas in the case of the tl mutations, tendrils were substituted with leaflets, and acacia-like leaves were developed. Due to the changes in leaf morphology caused by these mutations, pea genotypes differed in leaf area: starting from day 7, the leaf area was lower in the af plants and larger in the tl plants as compared to the wild-type plants. Such divergence was amplified in the course of plant development and reached its maximum immediately before the transition to flowering. Plants of isogenic lines did not notably differ in stem surface areas. In spite of significant difference in total leaf area, the wild type and tl plants did not differ in leaf dry weight. Starting from leaf 9, the af plants lagged behind two leaflet-bearing genotypes (wild type and tl) in leaf dry weight, whereas stem dry weight was similar in the wild type and tl forms and slightly lower in the af plants. Root dry weights were practically similar in the wild type and tl plants until flowering. The reduction of leaf area in the af plants drastically reduced root dry weight. In other words, the latter index was related to the total weight and total area of leaves and stems. The correlation analysis demonstrated an extremely low relationship between leaf and stem area and dry weight and those of roots early in plant development (when plants develop five to seven leaves). Later, immediately before flowering (nine to eleven leaves), root weight was positively related to leaf weight and area; however, stem area and root weight did not correlate. Thus, in three genotypes (wild type, af, and tl), at the end of their vegetative growth phase, leaf and root biomass accumulated in proportion, independently of leaf area expansion.     

Co-ordination between leaf initiation and leaf appearance in field-grown maize (Zea mays): genotypic differences in response of rates to temperature

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In maize (Zea mays), early flowering date, which is a valuable trait for several cropping systems, is associated with the number of leaves per plant and the leaf appearance rate. Final leaf number depends upon the rate and duration of leaf initiation. The aims of this study were to analyse the genotypic variation in the response to temperature of leaf appearance rate and leaf initiation rate, and to investigate the co-ordination between these processes under field conditions. METHODS: Sixteen hybrids of different origins were grown under six contrasting environmental conditions. The number of appeared leaves was measured twice a week to estimate leaf appearance rate (leaves d(-1)). Plants were dissected at four sampling dates to determine the number of initiated leaves and estimate leaf initiation rate (leaves d(-1)). A co-ordination model was fitted between the number of initiated leaves and the number of appeared leaves. This model was validated using two independent data sets. KEY RESULTS: Significant (P < 0.05) differences were found among hybrids in the response to temperature of leaf initiation rate (plastochron) and leaf appearance rate (phyllochron). Plastochron ranged between 24.3 and 36.4 degree days (degrees Cd), with a base temperature (Tb) between 4.0 and 8.2 degrees C. Phyllochron ranged between 48.6 and 65.5 degrees Cd, with a Tb between 2.9 and 5.0 degrees C. A single co-ordination model was fitted between the two processes for all hybrids and environments (r2= 0.96, P < 0.0001), and was successfully validated (coefficient of variation < 9 %). CONCLUSIONS: This work has established the existence of genotypic variability in leaf initiation rate and leaf appearance rate in response to temperature, which is a promising result for maize breeding; and the interdependence between these processes from seedling emergence up to floral initiation.