Induction of secondary dormancy in sunflower seeds by high temperature. Possible involvement of ethylene biosynthesis

High temperature (45°C) inhibits seed germinition and seedling sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L. cv. Mirasol). Treatment of imbibed seeds at 45°C for more than 48 h induces a secondary dormancy, which is associated with progressive decrease of germination ability at optimal temperature (25°C) as well as with abnormal seedling growth. Ethylene (55μl l⁻¹) and 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon) (2.5 m M ) improve germination of thermodormant seeds at 25°C. but the abnormal growth of the seedlings remains. O₂-enriched atmosphere and dry storage improve germination and normal seedling growth. The induction of thermodormancy in sunflower seeds seems associated with loss of their ability to convert 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. Possible effects of high temperature on membranes and ethylene forming enzyme (EFE) are discussed.     

Soybean nodule gas permeability,nitrogen fixation and dirunal cycles in soil temperature

While diurnal cycles in nitrogen fixation rates are sometimes assumed to result from diurnal variation in photosynthetically active radiation, contradicting evidence exists that indicate soil temperature is the primary environmental influence. These studies assessed the significance of temperature on soybean nitrogen fixation under field conditions. Two groups of intact field-grown soybean plants, one at ambient and the other exposed to a 10°C diurnal variation in soil temperature, were nondestructively assayed for acetylene reduction rates. Activity was closely associated with soil temperature (R²=0.85), even when temperature was 12 h out of phase with ambient. Data were also obtained to determine if the effects of rhizosphere temperature on nitrogen fixation are mediated through an effect on the nodule oxygen permeability. Nodule oxygen permeability of intact, aeroponically grown soybean was closely correlated with the diurnal changes in temperature (R²=0.90).     

温度对亚东璃眼蜱发育的影响

亚东璃眼蜱的卵、饱食的幼虫和若虫分放在四个等级的温度、相对湿度90%和黑暗的条件下,观察温度对各期发育的影响.在20°、25°、30°和35℃条件下,卵期发育的平均日数分别为71.87±0.05、31.55±0.03、21.02±0.03和16.47±0.03天;幼虫蜕化期分别为25.02±0.05、13.01±0.03、8.75±0.02和6.40±0.02天;若虫蜕化期分别为47.32±0.22、24.2±0.13、14.36±0.08和10.78±0.06天.在各种温度条件下若虫蜕化为成虫的时间,雄虫比雌虫长.卵期发育的积温为321.77日度,而幼虫和若虫蜕化期分别为129.97和212.39日度.卵期发育的温度低阈为15.07℃,而幼虫和若虫蜕化期分别为14.88和15.58℃.     

Studies on the oviposition and longevity ofIlione albiseta [Dipt.: Sciomyzidae] — Potential biological control agent of liver fluke

The effect of 5 constant temperatures (10, 14, 17, 20 and 23°C) on the oviposition and longevity ofIlione albiseta was investigated. Most eggs were laid at 14–17°C and mean oviposition period declined progressively above and below 14°C. There was no significant difference between oviposition rates or preoviposition periods at each constant temperature, but the mean number of days between egg laying for each female was significantly greater at 10 °C than at 17, 20 and 23 °C than at 20 °C. The percentage of infertile eggs laid ranged from 9.2% at 23 °C to 17.9 % at 20 °C and these eggs tended to be laid at the beginning and end of each oviposition period. A possible association between sex ratio of the emergent adult and temperature is also discussed.      

采后预处理控制甜橙褐斑病的效应

采后预处理使甜橙果皮含水量减少,改善理化性状,降低果实对低温的敏感性,从而控制了福斑病的发生,使发病率从61.7～66.0％降至4.7～6.7％。低温贮藏的呼吸强度和内源乙烯的生成也受到明显的抑制,但对果实的主要内含物和质量并无影响。控制褐斑病发生的适宜的预处理,是在10～15℃和85～90％相对湿度下处理7～10d,使果实重耗约2.5～4.0％。     

Daily biphasic behaviour in keratin-feeding desert trogid beetles in relation to climate

Abstract. 1. Patterns of daily activity of two ectothermic species of the trogid genus Omorgus were studied in the Kalahari of southern Africa in summer. The relationship between time and type of activity, and environmental temperature, relative humidity and light intensity, was investigated.
2. Beetle activity was biphasic, with peaks in activity at sunset and sunrise in both species.
3. Afternoon activity coincided with high temperatures and low humidity and morning activity with minimum daily temperature and maximum humidity.
4. Afternoon activity, which peaked at about 34°C and 25% r.h., consisted predominantly of complex breeding behaviour and dispersal. High temperatures are necessary for these activities.
5. In the morning feeding predominated. At this time temperature was about 27°C and r.h. above 60%. High r.h. is important because it restricts respiratory loss of water, improves food (moist hair and skin keratin) quality and may compensate for faecal water loss.
6. No evidence of competition between the two species was found.     

Social stimuli fail to act as entraining agents of circadian rhythms in the golden hamster

Summary The ability of social stimuli to act as entraining agents of circadian rhythms was investigated in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). In a first experiment, pairs of male hamsters (one of them enucleated and the other intact) were maintained under a light-dark (LD) cycle with a period of 23.3 h. Running-wheel activity was recorded to determine the effect of social interaction on the free-running circadian rhythm of activity. In several pairs, general activity and body temperature were also recorded. In all pairs the intact animals entrained to the LD cycle, whereas the activity rhythms of the enucleated animals free-ran with periods of approximately 24 h and showed no apparent sign of synchronization or relative coordination with the other member of the pair. In a second experiment, male hamsters maintained in constant darkness received pulses of social interaction, which have been reported to induce phase shifts of the activity rhythm. Consistent phase shifts in the running-wheel activity rhythm were not induced by the social pulses in our experiment. These results suggest strongly that social stimuli are not effective entraining agents of circadian rhythms in the golden hamster.Abbreviations CT circadian time - LD light-dark     

PVA和PEG预处理对大豆种子在低温吸胀过程中胚根线粒体发育和超微结构的影响

电镜观察发现,大豆种子在刚开始萌发时胚根细胞中未能见到线粒体,线粒体是在种子萌发过程中逐渐出现的,由原质体再分化发育而成。对照胚根细胞内原质体在低温吸张过程中明显膨胀,在回温后胚根细胞中原质体仍不能发育成线粒体,甚至网状膜结构破坏,呈空泡化;经聚乙烯醇(PVA)和聚乙二醇(PEG 6000)预处理的大豆种子在同样条件下线粒体能继续发育,在回温后预处理胚根细胞中线粒体发育良好,具有明显的双层膜和管状嵴的结构。这些结果表明,在低温吸胀过程中原质体能够继续再分化发育成线粒体是提高大豆种子活力和抗冷力的重要原因。     

Ammonium and nitrate uptake by barley genotypes in diurnally fluctuating root temperatures simulating till and no-till conditions

The morphological development and N uptake patterns of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes of Northern European (Nordic) and Pacific Northwest US (PNW) origin were compared under two diurnally fluctuating root temperature regimes in solution culture. The two regimes, 15/5°C and 9/5°C day maximum/night minimum temperatures, simulated soil temperature differences between tilled vs. heavy-residue, no-till conditions, respectively, observed during early spring in eastern Washington. Previous field experiments indicated that some of the Nordic genotypes accumulated more N and dry matter than the PNW cultivars during early spring under no-till conditions. The objective of this experiment was to determined whether these differences 1) are dependent on the temperature of the rooting environment, and 2) are correlated with genotypic differences in NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^– uptake. Overall, shoot N and dry matter accumulation was reduced by 40% due to lower root temperatures during illumination. Leaf emergence was slowed by 14 to 22%, and tiller production was also inhibited. All genotypes absorbed more ammonium than nitrate from equimolar solutions, and the proportion of total N absorbed as NH₄ ⁺ was slightly higher in the 9/5°C than the 15/5°C regime. A Finnish genotype, HJA80201, accumulated significantly more shoot N than the PNW cultivars, Clark and Steptoe, and also more than a Swedish cultivar, Pernilla, in the 9/5°C regime. In the 15/5°C regime Steptoe did not differ in shoot N from the Nordic genotypes, while Clark remained significantly lower. These differences were not correlated to relative propensity for N form. Root lengths of the Nordic genotypes were significantly greater than the PNW genotypes grown under the 9/5°C regime, while the root lengths in the warmer root temperture regime were not significantly different among genotypes. Higher root elongation rates under low soil temperature conditions may be an inherent adaptive mechanism of the Nordic genotypes. Overall, the data indicate that lower maximum daytime temperatures of the soil surface layer likely account for a significant portion of the growth reductions and lower N uptake observed in no-till systems.     

Silicon accumulation and water uptake by wheat

Silicon (Si) content in cereal plants and soil-Si solubility may be used to estimate transpiration, assuming passive Si uptake. The hypothesis for passive-Si uptake by the transpiration stream was tested in wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Stephens) grown on the irrigated Portneuf silt loam soil (Durixerollic calciorthid) near Twin Falls, Idaho. Treatments consisted of 5 levels of plant-available soil water ranging from 244 to 776 mm provided primarily by a line-source sprinkler irrigation system. Evapotranspiration was determined by the water-balance method and water uptake was calculated from evapotranspiration, shading, and duration of wet-surface soil. Water extraction occurred from the 0 to 150-cm zone in which equilibrium Si solubility (20°C) was 15 mg Si L^–1 in the A_p and B_k (0–58 cm depth) and 23 mg Si L^–1 in the B_kq (58–165 cm depth).At plant maturity, total Si uptake ranged from 10 to 32 g m^–2, above-ground dry matter from 1200 to 2100 g m^–2 and transpiration from 227 to 546 kg m^–2. Silicon uptake was correlated with transpiration (Si_up=–07+06T, r²=0.85) and dry matter yield with evapotranspiration (Y=119+303ET, r²=0.96). Actual Si uptake was 2.4 to 4.7 times that accounted for by passive uptake, supporting designation of wheat as a Si accumulator. The ratio of Si uptake to water uptake increased with soil moisture. The confirmation of active Si uptake precludes using Si uptake to estimate water use by wheat.