Understanding the Hydraulics of Porous Pipes: Tradeoffs Between Water Uptake and Root Length Utilization

The water uptake region in roots is several hundred times longer than the root diameter. The distributed nature of the uptake zone requires that the hydraulic design of roots be understood by analogy to flow through a porous pipe. Here we present results of an analytical and experimental investigation that allowed an in-depth analysis of root hydraulic properties. Measurements on nodal maize roots confirm the nonlinear distribution of water uptake predicted by the porous pipe model. The major design parameter governing the distribution of water uptake along a porous pipe is the ratio between its axial and radial hydraulic resistance. However, total flow is proportional to the pipe's overall resistance. These results suggest the existence of a tradeoff between the effective utilization of root length and the total capacity for water uptake.     

浙江和河北发生的一种水稻、小麦、玉米矮缩病是水稻黑条矮缩病毒引起的

以浙江省的水稻黑条矮缩病和河北省的玉米粗缩病的病毒分离物为材料,对我国南北方两种病毒分离物进行了比较研究。两种病毒分离物的粒子大小形态相似,且在血清学上密切相关;二者的介体、寄主相同,并引起相同的症状,提纯两种病毒分离物的基因组片段凝胶电泳显示它们相应的基因组片段之间大小极相似。根据水稻黑条矮缩病毒（Rice black strecaked dwarf virus),RBSDV的S7和S8设计引物,利用PR－PCR技术,在两种病毒分离物中均可特异扩增到预期大小的片段,序列测定比较分析表明：它们的同源性达97．0％－98．9％,与日本RBSDV的同源性（92．2％－95．5％）高于与意大利MRDV的同源性（76．6％－88．4％）。从而认为我国南方的水稻黑条矮缩病和北方和玉米粗缩病都是同一种病毒－RBSDV引起的,也就是说我国北方的玉米粗缩病病原实际上是水稻黑条矮缩病毒,而不玉米粗缩病毒。     

水稻、玉米和狼尾草花粉低温贮藏期间激素和维生素含量及呼吸速率变化

测定了水稻、玉米和狼尾草花粉在低温(4±1℃)贮藏时内源激素(IAA、GA3、ZT和ABA)、维生素B.维生素C、维生素E、类胡萝卜素含量和呼吸速率的变化,结果表明IAA、GA3、ZT、维生素B2、维生素C、维生素E、类胡萝卜素的含量和呼吸速率在贮藏期间下降,而脱落酸的含量不断上升.与短寿命的水稻和玉米花粉相比,长寿命的狼尾草花粉的IAA和GA3含量及呼吸速率低,下降速度慢,而ABA始终保持较高水平.     

The application ofin vivo techniques in the study of metabolic aspects of ion absorption in crop plants

Summary Little is known about the biochemical basis of the genotypic differences in the capacity for ion absorption and transport shown by many crop species. If these differences reflect the abundance of a specific membrane component or the activity of an enzyme we need to have some indication of thein vivo operation of these systems in whole plants. Thein vivo assessment of glycolytic enzymes is illustrated by the effects of mannose on the transport of phosphate in maize varieties. The application of high resolution³¹P-NMR to the study of intermediary metabolismin vivo is also helpful in following transport capacity. The five-fold rise in respiratory rate that occurs when freshly cut potato slices are maintained in aerated water for 24 hours is accompained by the turning on of a wide range of biochemical systems. Major increases in the capacity for absorption of phosphate from low concentrations (0.1 μM–10 μM) and in the phosphorylative ability of the tissue are seen, indicating the synthesis of a carrier involved in phosphate transport. These capacities differ markedly between individual tissues of the tuber,i. e. pith, parenchyma, cortex and buds and large differences have been observed between comparable tissue from different varieties. Varieties grown under similar conditions have been compared and shown to exhibit different kinetics with respect to the development of the low concentration absorption site and in their sensitivity to the effects of uncouplers such as 2,4-dinitrophenol.     

Knob heterochromatin homology in maize and its relatives

Summary We have characterised the major DNA sequence component of knob heterochromatin in maize, teosinte andTripsacum. Sequence analysis of this DNA gives strong support to the proposal that maize originated by selection of variants in teosinte. In situ hybridization has confirmed that this repeating DNA sequence, which is the major component of maize knob heterochromatin, is also the major component of knobs in teosinte,Zea diploperennis andTripsacum. In Southern blot hybridizations the repeat has a similar basic organization in all taxa;Tripsacum, however, is differentiated from maize and teosinte by a number of sequence features. Maize and teosinte knob heterochromatin are indistinguishable with regard to the distribution of mutations in the 180-bp repeat and the presence and organization of a 202-bp variant sequence. The knob DNA sequence was not detectable in three species ofCoix, an Old World genus of the Maydeae.Within the repeat unit is a 27-bp region that shows no sequence changes in maize, teosinte orTripsacum. The remainder of the repeat unit has randomly distributed nucleotide changes. The presence of the conserved sequence region suggests that knob DNA may have a functional role in the nucleus.     

Multiple pyruvate decarboxylase genes in maize are induced by hypoxia

Two cDNA clones corresponding to anaerobically induced maize mRNAs were found to have homology to a previously identified maize pyruvate decarboxylase gene. DNA sequencing and RFLP mapping indicate that these cDNAs represent two additional maize pdc genes. Each of the clones is approximately 85% identical in predicted amino acid sequence to the other two. All three clones are induced by hypoxic stress, but with different levels and kinetics of induction.     

玉米(Zea may)×四倍体多年生玉米(Zea perennis)可育三倍体形态学和细胞遗传学研究

通过将普通玉米与四倍体多年生玉米大量杂交,获得一株部分可育三倍体植株MT-71,为外源遗传物质在普通玉米的导入创造新种质。MT-71杂交结实率分别为3X/2X=7.84%,2X/3X=0.56%,3X/4X=0.52%,开放授粉结实率为1.18%;其花粉母细胞(PMC)染色体平均构型为2.30Ⅰ+3.72Ⅱ+6.49Ⅲ+0.23Ⅳ;3X/2X后代植株染色体几乎包括所有2n=20~30染色体数目,2X/3X和开放授粉后代中染色体数目仅有2n=20,21。结果表明,MT-71可产生有功能的雌雄配子,其中n=10,11的配子更易遗传;雌配子体对额外染色体的传递能力显著高于雄配子体,异源三倍体最有效的遗传方式为3X/2X。     

Effect of Cercospora zeae-maydis infested maize residue on progress and spread of grey leaf spot of maize in central Uganda

The spread of grey leaf spot caused by Cercospora zeae‐maydis from infested maize residue on the soil surface and progress over time were studied under tropical conditions at two locations in central Uganda, Kabanyolo and Namulonge, using a susceptible local cultivar, LP16. Infested maize residue collected the previous season was used as the inoculum source in varying amounts; 80% coverage, 40% coverage and 0% soil coverage were used to simulate no tillage, minimum tillage and maximum tillage with complete burial of residues. In all the seasons, disease spread was adequately described by a power law model, whereas disease progress over time was equally well represented by both Gompertz and logistic models. The time factor was highly significant (P < 0.05) for disease development, indicating both increases in disease intensity over time and change in gradients with time. The amount of infested residue on the soil surface in the maize planting was highly significant (P < 0.05) for slope (b) and intercept (a) of the linearised disease gradient. The gradient parameter (b) based on the average for the four directions from the residue source ranged from ?0.96 to ?0.08 in the second cropping season of 1999, from ?2.16 to ?0.01 and from ?0.87 to ?0.03 in the first and second seasons of 2000, respectively. The distance from the infested residue significantly affected foliar disease, but the direction from the residue inoculum source did not, nor was the distance by direction interaction significant. However, interactions between amount of residue and distance were significant. Percentage leaf area affected by grey leaf spot, the areas under disease progress curves and disease intercepts decreased with distance at both locations, but rate of disease increase (r) was generally constant with distance from residue source at Kabanyolo, but not at Namulonge. The relationship between disease severity and amount of residue cover appeared to be affected by the level of background inoculum. At Kabanyolo, where little background inoculum was present, differences were detected in disease severity parameters between the no‐residue plots and residue plots, whereas at Namulonge, where high background levels existed, there was no effect of residue on disease.     

氯化镧对玉米根切段钾离子外渗影响的动力学研究

研究了氯化镧对玉米(Zea mays L.)“京早8号”根切段细胞膜透性及质子分泌的影响,并用动力学方法研究了钾离子外渗过程的变化。氯化镧处理可降低外渗液的电导率及K~ 和糖的外渗量,使质子分泌活动增强。用动力学方法分析玉米根切段K~ 外渗过程的结果表明:(1)应用于K~ 吸收研究的数学模型也能适应于K~ 外渗的研究;(2)在LaCl_3和(或)CaCl_2存在的条件下,最大吸收速度(V_(max))升高,而米氏常数(K_m)没有变化;(3)在LaCl_3和(或)CaCl_2存在的条件下,K~ 外渗量降低是由于最大吸收速度(V_(max))升高所致。