Factors affecting the control of seed-borne Septoria nodorum by laboratory application of phenyl mercuric acetate to wheat seed

The effects of distribution of fungicide between seeds and of post-treatment storage on control of seed-borne Septoria nodorum by phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) were investigated. Uneven distributions of fungicide were obtained by mixing treated with untreated seed. Redistribution of PMA occurred during initial mixing of the seed and during storage; this increased the effectiveness of fungicide in the mixed seed batch when the application rate was moderately high (0–5 jug Hg/seed). Redistribution apparently occurred over the seed surfaces and from seed to seed rather than by penetration into the seeds. Penetration into the seed by PMA was relatively unimportant in controlling S. nodorum.     

Observations on the toxic effects of organo-mercury treatments on sugar-beet seed

The toxicity of organo-mercury fungicides to sugar-beet seed increased with the amount added and with the moisture content of the seed. Methyl mercury dicyandiamide was more phytotoxic than the less volatile ethyl and phenyl mercury compounds tested. In a bioassay for organo-mercury fungicides on seeds, the area of inhibition decreased when moist treated seed was stored in airtight containers.     

The efficiency of two organomercury compounds in controllingg seed-borne Septoria nodorutn on winter wheat

The influence of various factors on the performance of organomercury seed treatments in controlling seed-borne Septoria nodorum was studied in laboratory experiments. Control was least effective on the most heavily infected seed samples. On heavily infected seed ethyl mercuric chloride was more effective than phenyl mercuric acetate, although 5 wk storage of the treated seed before sowing increased the effectiveness of the latter compound. Effectiveness was not generally influenced by differences in soil moisture. Seedling vigour was significantly improved by levels of mercury below those applied commercially. The significance of seed treatment in the epidemiology of Septoria disease is discussed.     

不同产地栽培薏苡种子性状的变异分析

通过观察和测量中国8省区9产地栽培薏苡种子的各种性状,运用SPSS 11.5软件进行统计分析,探讨了不同产地栽培薏苡种子的变异及原因。结果表明:中国尤其是西南地区的栽培薏苡种子性状差异性显著,除种子长度、种子与颖果重量差之外,薏苡种子的其他形态指标均呈极显著差异(P<0.01);颖果长度与产地的平均气温和年降雨量、颖果长宽比与海拔均呈显著相关;而其它地理、气候等生态因子与种子性状相关不显著;聚类分析显示9个产地的栽培薏苡可聚为5类。综上所述,栽培薏苡的种子性状变异是遗传信息、栽培方法和生态因子等内外部原因共同作用的结果,可能主要是受到基因交流和人工驯化选择的影响。     

Phenyl-terminated fatty acids in seeds of various aroids

A series of homologous omega-phenylalkanoic acids and omega-phenylalkenoic acids were isolated from seed lipids of various genera of the subfamily Aroideae of Araceae (the Jack-in-the-Pulpit family) and characterized. Besides the major acids, 11-phenylundecanoic acid, 13-phenyltridecanoic acid and 15-phenylpentadecanoic acid, all other homologous odd carbon number omega-phenylalkanoic acids from C7 to C23 were detected in trace amounts. Additionally, one even carbon number acid, 12-phenyldodecanoic acid was found in several specimens in trace amounts. Similarly, two series of homologous odd carbon number monounsaturated omega-phenylalkenoic acids were found and characterized using dimethyl disulfide derivatization to locate the positions of their double bonds. In five acids from C11 to C19, the double bond is located at the same distance, A7, from the phenyl ring. In the other two acids of C13 and C15 chain length, the double bond is located at delta5 from the phenyl ring.     

Wind-dispersed seed deposition patterns and seedling recruitment of Artemisia halodendron in a moving sandy land

* BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Artemisia halodendron is a native sub-shrub that occurs mainly in moving and semi-fixed sandy lands in Inner Mongolia, China. Information on the spatial patterns of wind-dispersed seed deposition and seedling recruitment of A. halodendron inhabiting moving sandy lands is very limited. The aim of this study was to examine wind-dispersed seed deposition patterns and post-dispersal recruitment of A. halodendron seedlings. * METHODS: The spatial patterns of wind-dispersed seed deposition and seedling recruitment of A. halodendron were examined by investigating the numbers of deposited seeds, emerged and surviving seedlings using sampling points at a range of distances from the parent plant in eight compass directions for two consecutive growing seasons. * KEY RESULTS: Wind-dispersed seed deposition showed considerable variation between directions and years. Wind transported A. halodendron seeds only a few meters away from the parent plant in all eight directions. Seedling emergence and establishment also showed between-direction and between-year variability, but the spatial pattern of seedling distribution differed from that of seed deposition. Only a very small fraction (<1 %) of the deposited seeds emerged in the field and survived for long enough to be included in our seedling censuses at the end of the growing season. * CONCLUSIONS: The spatial variation in wind speed and frequency strongly affects the pattern of seed deposition, although the variation in seed deposition does not determine the spatial pattern of seedling recruitment. Seeds of A. halodendron are not dispersed very well by wind. The low probability of recruitment success for A. halodendron seedlings suggests that this species does not rely on seedling recruitment for its persistence and maintenance of population.     

The effects of three years of fencing enclosure on soil seed banks and the relationship with above-ground vegetation of degraded alpine grasslands of the Tibetan plateau

Background and Aims

Fenced enclosures have become an important method for re-establishing degraded grassland on the Tibetan plateau, and examination of soil seed banks may provide useful insights to understanding the effects and mechanisms of fencing enclosure on the restoration.

Methods

An investigation was conducted into the effects of enclosure for 3 years on the soil seed banks of degraded natural and sown grasslands at eight study sites. Species composition, soil seed bank density and the relationships with above-ground vegetation were analysed based on 4800 soil core samples and counting of seeds extracted from soil samples.

Results

After 3 years of fencing enclosure, soil seed banks differed between the different communities across the study sites. Species numbers and seed density in soil seed banks decreased from natural grassland to sown grassland, with most seeds occurring in the upper 5 cm soil layer. In these alpine grasslands, relatively few species produced high numbers of seeds, although their occurrence across the eight study sites was variable. Total vegetation cover increased with enclosure due to the colonization capacity of the vegetation rather than soil seed banks.

Conclusions

This study provided evidence that soil seed banks do not play an important role in the restoration of degraded alpine grassland when using fencing enclosures. Further studies conducted over longer periods are needed to address this subject.     

Optimizing phenylethylphosphonamidates for the inhibition of prostate-specific membrane antigen

A series of eight N-2-phenylethylphosphonyl derivatives of glutamic acid was prepared to determine if the inhibitory potency of a phenylethylphosphonyl derivative of glutamic acid against prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) could be improved through rational substitutions on the phenyl ring. The design of these eight analogs was based upon the Topliss batchwise approach. Of the inhibitors from the first generation, the 3,4-dichlorophenyl analog exhibited the greatest improvement over the lead compound which was an unsubstituted phenyl derivative, while the 4-methoxyphenyl analog was essentially void of inhibitory potency against PSMA in single-dose studies. From the potency ranking order of the first generation, the parameter most important to the pharmacophore was determined to be pi + sigma. Attempts to optimize further the potency of inhibitors by preparing a second generation of compounds did not result in structures with greater potency than that of the 3,4-dichlorophenyl analog from the first generation. Based upon K(i) values, the 3,4-dichlorophenyl analog represented a potency improvement of nearly one order of magnitude. These results confirm further the usefulness of the Topliss approach to analog development when large library synthesis cannot be achieved readily.     

A keystone ant species promotes seed dispersal in a “diffuse” mutualism

In order to understand the dynamics of co-evolution it is important to consider spatial variation in interaction dynamics. We examined the relative importance of ant activity, diversity and species identity in an ant seed dispersal mutualism at local, regional and continental scales. We also studied the determinants of seed dispersal rates and dispersal distances at eight sites in the Eneabba sandplain (29.63 S, 115.22 E), western Australia to understand local variation in seed dispersal rate and distance. To test the generality of the conclusions derived from the eight local sites, we established 16 sites along a 1650-km transect in western Australia, covering 11° of latitude and a six-fold increase in rainfall, at which we sampled the ant assemblage, estimated ant species richness and ant activity and observed the removal rate of myrmecochorous seeds. We also assessed the importance of ant species identity at a continental scale via a review of studies carried out throughout Australia which examined ant seed dispersal. Among the eight sandplain shrubland sites, ant species identity, in particular the presence of one genus, Rhytidoponera, was associated with the most dispersal and above average dispersal distances. At the landscape scale, Rhytidoponera presence was the most important determinant of seed removal rate, while seed removal rate was negatively correlated with ant species richness and latitude. Most ant seed removal studies carried out throughout Australia reinforce our observations that Rhytidoponera species were particularly important seed dispersers. It is suggested that superficially diffuse mutualisms may depend greatly on the identity of particular partners. Even at large biogeographic scales, temporal and spatial variation in what are considered to be diffuse mutualisms may often be linked to variation in the abundance of particular partners, and be only weakly – or negatively – associated with the diversity of partners.     

Dynamic Histone Acetylation of Late Embryonic Genes during Seed Germination

Histone acetylation is involved in the regulation of gene expression in plants and eukaryotes. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that catalyze the removal of acetyl groups from histones, which is associated with the repression of gene expression. To study the role of histone acetylation in the regulation of gene expression during seed germination, trichostatin A (TSA), a specific inhibitor of histone deacetylase, was used to treat imbibing Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. GeneChip arrays were used to show that TSA induces up-regulation of 45 genes and down-regulation of 27 genes during seed germination. Eight TSA-up-regulated genes were selected for further analysis – RAB18, RD29B, ATEM1, HSP70 and four late embryogenesis abundant protein genes (LEA). A gene expression time course shows that these eight genes are expressed at high levels in the dry seed and repressed upon seed imbibition at an exponential rate. In the presence of TSA, the onset of repression of the eight genes is not affected but the final level of repressed expression is elevated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and HDAC assays show that there is a transient histone deacetylation event during seed germination at 1 day after imbibition, which serves as a key developmental signal that affects the repression of the eight genes. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Effect of light on seed germination of eight wetland Carex species

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In wetland plant communities, species-specific responses to pulses of white light and to red : far-red light ratios can vary widely and influence plant emergence from the seed bank. Carex species are the characteristic plants of sedge meadows of natural prairie wetlands in mid-continental USA but are not returning to restored wetlands. Little is known about how light affects seed germination in these species-information which is necessary to predict seed bank emergence and to develop optimal revegetation practices. The effects of light on germination in eight Carex species from prairie wetlands were investigated. METHODS: Non-dormant seeds of eight Carex species were used to determine the influence of light on germination by examining: (a) the ability of Carex seeds to germinate in the dark; (b) the effect of different lengths of exposures to white light on germination; (c) whether the effect of white light can be replaced by red light; and (d) whether the germination response of Carex seeds to white or red light is photoreversible by far-red light. KEY RESULTS: Seeds of C. brevior and C. stipata germinated >25 % in continuous darkness. Germination responses after exposure to different lengths of white light varied widely across the eight species. Carex brevior required <15 min of white light for > or =50 % germination, while C. hystericina, C. comosa, C. granularis and C. vulpinoidea required > or =8 h. The effect of white light was replaced by red light in all species. The induction of germination after exposure to white or red light was reversed by far-red light in all species, except C. stipata. CONCLUSIONS: The species-specific responses to simulated field light conditions suggest that (a) the light requirements for germination contribute to the formation of persistent seed banks in these species and (b) in revegetation efforts, timing seed sowing to plant community development and avoiding cover crops will improve Carex seed germination.     

DISTRIBUTION AND INHERITANCE OF INCONSTANT SEX FORMS IN NATURAL POPULATIONS OF DIOECIOUS BUFFALOGRASS (BUCHLOE DACTYLOIDES)

Variations of sex inconstancy were examined for vegetative and seed samples from eight natural populations of buffalograss located along two east-west transects crossing the shortgrass prairies of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. Each of the eight populations was found to contain inconstant (monoecious) sex forms. Sex form distributions ranged from the Guymon vegetative sample, having no inconstant sex forms, to the Chillicothe seed sample in which the frequency of inconstant sex forms was nearly 70%. Frequencies of inconstant sex forms were generally higher for seed samples than for vegetative samples. Male to female sex ratio of constant (dioecious) sex forms generally did not differ from 1:1 expectations. Inconstant sex forms were more common among peripheral populations where buffalograss vegetation coverage was sparse than for more central populations having a higher concentration of buffalograss vegetation. Quantitative measures of sex inconstancy from artificial crosses were significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with the additive linear model of general combining ability, suggesting that sex determination in buffalograss has high heritability. The possible selection forces affecting the frequency of monoecious sex forms among natural populations are discussed.     

Analysis on the Mechanism of Seed Dispersal of Puccinellia chinampoensis on Alkalized Meadow in Songnen Plain of China

Adopting the method of centrifugal sequence sampling of seeds quantitative analysis on the mechanism of seed disperesal of Puccinellia chinampoensis Ohwi on alkalization meadow in Songnen Plain of China was conducted. Among the eight orientation that have been investigated, only the South-west orientation demonstrated a near-parent-plant seed disposal pattern, whereas seed disposal pattern of far distance from parent plants were found in the other 7 orientations. Correlative analysis had revealed that the seed number disposed in different orientations was positively correlated with the fair wind speed and the freguency of direction chang of wind during seed disposal. It indicated that P. chinampoensis fulfils its strategy of population development via wind media to expand its potentiality in the ecological space far from the parent plants. Seed disposal of P. chinampoensis exhibited a pattern of continuous distribution with an average disposed radius of 175 cm in natural condition in Songnen Plain of China.     

松嫩平原碱化草甸朝鲜碱茅种子散布机制的分析

采用顺序远离母株取样的方法,定量分析了松嫩平原碱化草甸朝鲜碱茅（Ｐｕｃｃｉｎｅｌｌｉａｃｈｉｎａｍ ｐｏｅｎｓｉｓ Ｏｈｗ ｉ）的种子散布机制。结果表明,在８个方向中仅西南方向表现为近母株散布距离,其它７个方向均表现为远母株散布距离的种子散布机制。经相关性分析,朝鲜碱茅向不同的方向散布的种子数量与种子散布时期顺风向的风速和风向频率呈正相关,反映了朝鲜碱茅是借助于风媒介实现了远母株距离扩展潜在生态位空间的种群对策。朝鲜碱茅向母株周围散布的种子呈连续分布格局的散布半径平均为１７５ ｃｍ 。     

重迎茬大豆根际土壤有机化合物的初步鉴定及对大豆种子萌发的化感作用

采用气相色谱－质谱联用技术（ＧＣ－ＭＳ）鉴定了用无水乙醇浸提的结荚期重迎茬大豆根际土壤有机化合物,并对其化感作用进行了初步研究,结果表明,重迎茬大豆根土壤中主要含有有机酸类、酯类、醇类、酮类、醛类、苯类、酚类、烃类及萘、呋喃类等有机化合物;其中包含很多普被报道过的化感物质,在本试验的根本土壤用量条件下,其醇提液对大豆种子萌发及胚根生长未表现出化感作用,这可能与其致害浓度有关,此外,本文还探讨了化感     

Expressed sequence tags and mRNA expression levels of tagged cDNAs from watermelon anthers and developing seeds

To understand the molecular events that occur during reproductive organ development and to provide genetic resources for molecular breeding, we generated 328 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from randomly selected clones of four watermelon cDNA libraries. These libraries were prepared from young and mature anthers, as well as the seed coat and inner seed tissues. EST clones found in the young anthers and inner seed tissues showed similarity with genes related to development and signal transduction. We could deduce that, especially in the developing inner seed tissues, important morphological processes were associated exclusively with seed and embryo development In addition, seed metabolism was tailored toward the accumulation of economically valuable storage compounds such as lipids. In the seed coat, EST clones showed similarity with genes that influence the transport or conversion of nutrients such as porin, sucrose synthase, L-asparaginase, and arginine decarboxylase. We also selected two cDNA clones from each of the four classes of ESTs for studying expression levels and patterns in the various organs. Among those eight clones, three (An88, Is124, and Sc68) were expressed preferentially in their particular organ.     

Antiviral activity of a hot water extract of black soybean against a human respiratory illness virus

Significant antiviral activity against respiratory illness viruses has been found in a hot-water extract of black soybean. This black soybean extract showed significant antiviral activity against human adenovirus type 1 and coxsackievirus B1 in a dose-dependent manner, while the hot-water extract from common yellowish soybean showed only weak activity. The antiviral activity could not be extracted from the black soybean by 70% aqueous ethanol, suggesting that saponin in the seed did not contribute to this activity. The antiviral activity was only recovered from cotyledons and not from seed coats with the hot water, showing that the activity was distributed in the cotyledons and that antocyanins in the black soybean seed coats did not contribute to the antiviral activity. The antiviral compound(s) in the black soybean was partially purified by up to 166 times by a combination of gel filtration, reversed phase HPLC, and ion-exchange HPLC. The partially purified antiviral compound showed hydrophilic and anionic properties, and a maximum absorption at 260 nm, suggesting that this antiviral fraction may contain a phenyl group(s). On the other hand, an amino acid analysis with the acid hydrolyzate and a neutral sugar analysis showed that the antiviral compound from black soybean might not be a polypeptide or glycoconjugate bearing neutral sugar(s).     

Climate change and bet-hedging: interactions between increased soil temperatures and seed bank persistence

In order to predict the long-term consequences of climate change, it is necessary to link future environmental changes to mechanisms that control plant population processes. This information can then be incorporated into strategies to more accurately model climate change impacts on species or to estimate future extinction risks. We examined the impact of increased temperatures on the longevity and dynamics of the persistent soil seed banks of eight ephemeral species from arid Australia. We found that the predicted global temperature increases under climate change will be reflected in increased soil temperatures, and that seeds in the soil seed bank will be exposed to long durations of high temperatures over the summer months. Three of the eight species studied had significantly greater levels of germination after exposure to predicted increased soil temperatures. Another species displayed a dramatic decrease in seed viability after such exposure. The capacity of such species to use the seed bank to bet hedge against rainfall events that cause germination but are insufficient to allow plant maturation, is compromised by increased germinability and subsequent loss or reduction of seed bank persistence. These predicted changes in the dynamics of soil seed banks increase the risk of local extinctions of these species, while the composition of the community may be altered by changes in species abundance. Our results show that the risk spreading mechanism provided by persistent seed banks could be compromised by the mechanistic impact of forecast temperature increases in arid habitats, and highlight the need to understand mechanisms that control population dynamics when attempting to address likely future impacts of climate change on biodiversity.     

中国滨藜属种子形态及其分类学意义

本文对中国滨藜属(Atriplex L.)13种植物的种子形态进行了观察并探讨其在分类学中的意义. 在种子外部形态观察基础上明确了胚根位置类型的划分标准, 认为滨藜属胚根位置仅有胚根上位和胚根侧位两种类型;利用扫描电镜首次观察报道了该属种皮微形态特征。研究结果表明, 种子形态及种皮微形态特征对属内类群划分具有较大的分类学意义。     

Pre-germination effects on mechanically impeded root growth of barley (Hordeum vulgare L)

The effects of conditions pre-dating germination on growth rate of impeded barley cv. Harrington roots were measured using an agar-capillary tube technique. Seedling root tips were directed into glass capillary tubes twothirds filled with agar at eight concentrations ranging from 1.6 to 9.6%, equivalent to penetrometer resistances of 25 to 1240 kPa. The rate of unrestricted root elongation (growth in air) of seed stored for 13 months (old seed), and of seed grown for a second generation without subsequent storage (new seed) was compared with growth in agar over a 24-hour interval. Root elongation rate of old and new seed was identical in the absence of resistance. At low to intermediate agar concentrations, elongation was significantly slower in roots from old, compared with new seed. At high agar concentrations root growth of old and new seed was the same. In both old and new seed, root growth through agar was greater in seed that germinated after 24, compared with 48 h. Differences in impeded root growth between old and new seed were lost in progeny of the test seed. Environmental factors that pre-date germination are an important influence on the ability of seedling roots to elongate through soil.LRS Contribution no. 3879349LRS Contribution no. 3879349