钾肥及与秸秆配施对紫色土作物产量和微生物群落结构的影响

基于紫色菜园土壤莴笋-白菜-甜玉米轮作4年12季连续定位施钾肥试验,研究不同种类钾肥及用量对重庆地区紫色菜园土上作物产量和土壤微生物群落结构的影响,为该地区作物生产确定合理的施钾技术提供科学依据。结果表明,在施用氮磷肥基础上,不同钾肥处理莴笋、白菜、甜玉米产量均显著提高;从3种作物4年平均产量和钾肥效益看,以单施适量化学钾(K_2)、单施适量秸秆钾(M_2)和秸秆还田配施少量化学钾(K_1+M_1)的施钾肥模式对白菜的增产效果好,增产28.05%—30.27%;M_2和K_1+M_1施钾肥模式对莴笋的增产效果较好,增产13.89%和13.81%;K_1+M_1施钾肥模式对甜玉米的增产效果最好,增产15.10%,表明秸秆还田配施少量化学钾(K_1+M_1)模式在供试3种作物生产中具有很好的应用前景。不同施钾处理对土壤微生物群落结构及丰度均会产生一定影响,以秸秆还田配施少量化学钾肥(K_1+M_1)对提高土壤细菌、真菌、革兰氏阳性菌的作用较好,并显著增加土壤微生物总PLFA含量,缓解对土壤微生物生存环境的胁迫,说明K_1+M_1能为土壤微生物的生长繁育创造有利环境。莴笋、白菜、甜玉米3种作物4年平均产量与土壤细菌、真菌、革兰氏阳性菌和革兰氏阴性菌数量间存在显著相关性(P0.05),而不同钾肥处理对土壤微生物特征具有一定影响,说明施钾肥可能会调节土壤微生物特征,从而促进作物增产。     

Influences of blackberry margins on population dynamics of Drosophila suzukii and grape infestation in adjacent vineyards

Understanding the dynamics of pest insect populations in relation to the presence of non‐crop habitats and infestation levels of adjacent crops is essential to develop sustainable pest management strategies. The invasive pest species Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is able to utilize a broad range of host plants. In viticulture, scientific risk assessment for D. suzukii has only recently started and studies assessing the effects of field margins containing wild host plants on D. suzukii population dynamics and on infestation risks in adjacent vineyards are lacking. Thus, in a one‐year field study, the role of different field margins on fly abundance and crop infestation in adjacent vineyards of Vitis vinifera, variety “Pinot Noir,” were investigated. Different monitoring methods were conducted to assess fly distribution, sex ratio and grape infestation in 14 vineyards adjacent to field margins containing either blackberry (BB) Rubus spp. or non‐host (NH) plants. Our results show that blackberries strongly enhanced D. suzukii abundance within field margin vegetation all year long, whereas fly abundance in vineyards adjacent to BB margins was just enhanced in some seasonal periods. Moreover, the influence of BB margins was limited by distance. However, high fly numbers in BB field margins did result in zero egg infestation of “Pinot Noir” berries. These results may have important implications for winegrowers to make efficient management decisions: regardless of high abundance of adult D. suzukii, only grape berry monitoring can assess the actual infestation risk and the potential need to take management action.     

No‐tillage and fertilization management on crop yields and nitrate leaching in North China Plain

A field experiment was performed from 2003 to 2008 to evaluate the effects of tillage system and nitrogen management regimes on crop yields and nitrate leaching from the fluvo-aquic soil with a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) double-cropping system. The tillage systems consisted of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Three nitrogen management regimes were included: 270 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea for wheat and 225 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea for maize (U), 180 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ of straw for wheat and 180 kg N of urea and 45 kg N ha⁻¹ of straw for maize (S), 180 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ of manure for wheat and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea and 45 kg N ha⁻¹ of manure for maize (M). An array of tension-free pan lysimeters (50 cm × 75 cm) were installed (1.2 m deep) to measure water flow and -N movement. No significant effect of the N management regime on yields of winter wheat and maize grain was found in the 5-year rotation. Tillage systems had significant influences on -N leaching from the second year and thereafter interacted with N management regimes on -N loads during all maize seasons. The average yield-scaled -N leaching losses were in order of CTS < NTS< CTU < NTU −1 for winter wheat system and from 0.99 (CTS) to 6.27 (NTM) kg N Mg⁻¹ for summer maize system for 5 rotation years. The results showed that CTS decreased the yield-scaled -N leaching losses while sustaining crop grain yields. Considering the lower costs, NTS could be a potential alternative to decrease yield-scaled -N leaching losses and improve soil fertility while maintaining crop yield for the winter wheat–maize double-cropping systems in the North China Plain.     

Outcrossing potential between 11 important genetically modified crops and the Chilean vascular flora

The potential impact of genetically modified (GM) crops on biodiversity is one of the main concerns in an environmental risk assessment (ERA). The likelihood of outcrossing and pollen‐mediated gene flow from GM crops and non‐GM crops are explained by the same principles and depend primarily on the biology of the species. We conducted a national‐scale study of the likelihood of outcrossing between 11 GM crops and vascular plants in Chile by use of a systematized database that included cultivated, introduced and native plant species in Chile. The database included geographical distributions and key biological and agronomical characteristics for 3505 introduced, 4993 native and 257 cultivated (of which 11 were native and 246 were introduced) plant species. Out of the considered GM crops (cotton, soya bean, maize, grape, wheat, rice, sugar beet, alfalfa, canola, tomato and potato), only potato and tomato presented native relatives (66 species total). Introduced relative species showed that three GM groups were formed having: a) up to one introduced relative (cotton and soya bean), b) up to two (rice, grape, maize and wheat) and c) from two to seven (sugar beet, alfalfa, canola, tomato and potato). In particular, GM crops presenting introduced noncultivated relative species were canola (1 relative species), alfalfa (up to 4), rice (1), tomato (up to 2) and potato (up to 2). The outcrossing potential between species [OP; scaled from ‘very low’ (1) to ‘very high’ (5)] was developed, showing medium OPs (3) for GM–native relative interactions when they occurred, low (2) for GMs and introduced noncultivated and high (4) for the grape‐Vitis vinifera GM–introduced cultivated interaction. This analytical tool might be useful for future ERA for unconfined GM crop release in Chile.     

Modified single node culture method—a new micropropagation method for chickpea

Summary Chickpea was micropropagated by axillary shoot proliferation (ASP) and modified single node culture (MSNC) methods. Maximum propagule proliferation occurred on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium enriched with 1–10 μM N⁶-benzyladenine and 0.01 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid. The propagules were rooted on MS medium containing 1 μM 3-indolebutyric acid and B₅ vitamins. Regenerated plants were fertile and phenotypically similar to control plants grown from seed. The MSNC method was four times more efficient than the ASP method in terms of the number of plants produced per explant.     

Herbivory-induced glucose transporter gene expression in the brown planthopper,Nilaparvata lugens

Nilaparvata lugens, the brown planthopper (BPH) feeds on rice phloem sap, containing high amounts of sucrose as a carbon source. Nutrients such as sugars in the digestive tract are incorporated into the body cavity via transporters with substrate selectivity. Eighteen sugar transporter genes of BPH (Nlst) were reported and three transporters have been functionally characterized. However, individual characteristics of NlST members associated with sugar transport remain poorly understood. Comparative gene expression analyses using oligo-microarray and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the sugar transporter gene Nlst16 was markedly up-regulated during BPH feeding. Expression of Nlst16 was induced 2 h after BPH feeding on rice plants. Nlst16, mainly expressed in the midgut, appears to be involved in carbohydrate incorporation from the gut cavity into the hemolymph. Nlst1 (NlHT1), the most highly expressed sugar transporter gene in the midgut was not up-regulated during BPH feeding. The biochemical function of NlST16 was shown as facilitative glucose transport along gradients. Glucose uptake activity by NlST16 was higher than that of NlST1 in the Xenopus oocyte expression system. At least two NlST members are responsible for glucose uptake in the BPH midgut, suggesting that the midgut of BPH is equipped with various types of transporters having diversified manner for sugar uptake.     

The interaction between host and host plant influences the oviposition and performance of a generalist ectoparasitoid

The successful development of parasitoids of herbivores depends on the quality of their host, which is often affected by the host plant. Therefore, a parasitoid’s oviposition decisions will directly depend on the host, but also on plant quality. Here, we investigated the direct effects of host species and the indirect effects of the host’s food plant on the oviposition decisions and performance of the gregarious ectoparasitoid Euplectrus platyhypenae Howard (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). With a series of no‐choice experiments, we determined the oviposition and performance of the parasitoid on: (1) two caterpillar species, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and velvet armyworm, Spodoptera latifascia Walker, reared on maize (Zea mays L., Poaceae), (2) the same caterpillars reared on maize, bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae), or squash (Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae) leaves, and (3) S. latifascia caterpillars reared on leaves of wild and cultivated lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus L. All these insects and plants originate from Mesoamerica where they have coexisted for thousands of years in the traditional agricultural system known as Milpa in which maize, beans, and squash are planted together. We found that the preferred and best combination of host and host plant for parasitoid performance was S. frugiperda on maize. Parasitoids laid larger clutches, had higher survival, and more females and larger adults emerged from S. frugiperda reared on maize. However, when both caterpillar species were reared on squash, S. latifascia was the better host. Contrary to the literature, S. frugiperda was not able to develop on bean plants. Results from the lima bean experiment showed that parasitoid performance was best when S. latifascia was reared on leaves of cultivated compared to wild lima bean. These findings are discussed in the context of mixed cropping in which the ability of generalist parasitoids to switch among hosts and host plant species could be advantageous for pest management.     

A single lycaenid caterpillar gets an ant‐constructed shelter and uninterrupted ant attendance

Ant‐lycaenid associations range from mutualism to parasitism and the caterpillars of some species of lycaenids are reported to enter ant nests for shelter, diapause, or pupation. The present study aimed to examine the nature of the association between Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and Camponotus compressus (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) worker ants on the extrafloral nectary‐bearing cowpea plant, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabaceae). The abundance patterns of the ants and the lycaenid caterpillars together with the spatial patrolling patterns of the ants on the plants revealed that ant abundance increased with the occurrence of the lycaenid caterpillars and the ants preferred the lycaenids over the extrafloral nectar. Camponotus compressus worker ants constructed a shelter at the cowpea plant base after interaction with one or more lycaenid caterpillar(s) and tended the caterpillars and pupae till the emergence of the butterfly. The ant‐constructed shelters (ACSs) inhabited by the minor caste workers (13 ± 1.3 ants per ACS), were utilized by the caterpillars to undergo pupation. The ants confined their activities predominantly to tending the pod‐feeding caterpillars and the solitary pupa within each ACS. It appears that the behavior of the tending worker ants is modulated by the lycaenid vulnerable stages.     

一种载样简单的多重可视化PCR微芯片

在核酸检测领域急需一种能够经济、快速、操作简便且同时检测多个靶标的新技术。常规多重PCR能够同时扩增多个靶标,但由于在一个试管中引物间的相互作用和竞争,重数往往受到限制。本研究设计了一种操作简单的多重PCR芯片,可以同时进行54个靶标的扩增。芯片结构简单,一条微通道将正下方平行排列的多个微孔连接在一起,微通道只留加样口和出样口。同时整个微通道呈疏水状态,微孔呈亲水状态。将不同的引物对和低溶点琼脂糖提前固定于不同的微孔中,通过一次加入PCR mix,并加入矿物油推动PCR mix进入到每个微腔室中,同时微孔也被矿物油相互隔离避免交叉反应。加样后将芯片放置于平板PCR仪上进行扩增,在整个反应过程中低溶点琼脂糖呈液态,反应结束后凝固成固体,便可引入核酸染料进行染色,最后利用自制小型的紫外照射仪上进行可视化检测和拍照记录。利用此平台成功实现了对7种非常重要和常用的转基因作物靶标的并行检测,结果显示此平台具有较高的灵活性和特异性。此技术经过进一步优化可应用于包括转基因检测在内的多重核酸检测领域。     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of ruthenium complex immobilized in a highly cross‐linked polymer and its analytical applications

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of a ruthenium complex polymer modified carbon paste electrode and its analytical applications were investigated. The ruthenium complex polymer was prepared using bis(2,2‐bipyridine) (4,4‐dicarboxy‐2,2‐bipyridine) ruthenium(II). The ECL behaviours of ruthenium complex polymer modified carbon paste electrode were investigated in the absence and presence of tripropylamine (TPA). The modified carbon paste electrode exhibited long‐term stability and fine reproducibility. The ECL intensity of the modified carbon paste electrode was linear with the concentration of TPA in the range 2.0 × 10^–6–3.8 × 10^–3 mol/L, with a detection limit (S:N = 3) of 6 × 10^–7 mol/L. It was also found that raceanisodamine could enhance the ECL intensity of the modified electrode. The ECL intensity of the modified carbon paste electrode was linear with the concentration of raceanisodamine in the range 1.1 × 10^–5–6.0 × 10^–4 mol/L, with a detection limit (S:N = 3) of 6 × 10^–6 mol/L. This work demonstrates that the entrapment of ruthenium complex in a highly cross‐linked polymer is a promising approach to construct an ECL modified electrode with long‐term stability and fine reproducibility. The modified electrode designed has a potential application in the ECL detector. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.