Native root-nodule bacteria of traditional soybean-growing areas of northern Thailand

Over 1500 root-nodule bacteria were isolated from a range of uninoculated soybeans, and one cowpea, trap-hosts, sown in 1985 into traditional soybean-growing areas of soybean-growing areas of northern Thailand. Most isolates were slow-growing Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Using a modified bottle-jar technique, 586 of the isolates were tested with a range of soybean hosts and one cowpea host. The results indicated:

Biological control of Pythium damping‐off by seed‐treatment with pseudomonas putida: Relationship with ethanol production by pea and soybean seeds

The relationship between biocontrol activity of Pseudomonas putida strain N1R against Pythium ultimum on pea and soybean seeds and the reduction in ethanol evolution by imbibed seeds was investigated under different treatment conditions, including temperature and numbers of seed‐applied cells of the bacterium. Treatment with strain N1R increased emergence at all temperatures, except for soybean at 12 °C and reduced ethanol concentration in the spermosphere of imbibed seeds at several temperatures. The concentration of bacterial cells in the seed treatment suspension also significantly affected biocontrol efficiency and reduced ethanol production, especially in pea seeds. In contrast, the duration (0–7 h) of submergence of seeds in bacterial suspension had little effect on biocontrol activity of N1R, although submergence of soybean seeds reduced their emergence even in the absence of the pathogen or biocontrol agent. Competition for seed‐derived compounds, including ethanol, is suggested to be one possible mechanism of biocontrol of Pythium by strain N1R, which is not known to produce antifungal antibiotics.     

Improving the Accuracy of Sampling Field Plots for Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

The validity of nematode data from field experiments depends largely on how well samples represent the nematode population. Data from an intensive sampling of three field plots before and after spring cultivation were used to compare eight simulated sampling schemes. Average deviation from the plot mean ranged from 10% to 34% before cultivation and from 7% to 16% after cultivation. Samples taken from only the plant row erred most before cultivation but were comparable to other schemes after cultivation. Several schemes achieved a 25% deviation or less in 90% of the sample simulations. Sampling a nematode population usually involves subsampling a composite bulk sample, however, and this increases error by an estimable amount. A random sample with 35 cores and four random subsamples estimated mean plot densities within 25% with probabilities ranging from 0.77 to 0.85. The probability of a sample-subsample combination coming within a specified percent error of the true mean can be extended cautiously to any field mean and variance more-or-less independent of species and area using formulae presented herein. The most economical method of increasing sample accuracy was to increase the number of soil cores.     

Relative Virulence of Meloidogyne incognita Host Races on Soybean

Sensitivity and host efficiency of susceptible (''Lee 68'', ''Coker 156'') and resistant (''Bragg'', ''Centennial'', ''Forrest'', ''Lee 74'') soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars for races of Meloidogyne incognita (Mi) were determined in greenhouse experiments. Eight Mi populations collected from the southeastern United States were utilized. All Mi races reproduced readily on Lee 68 and Lee 74 and moderately on Forrest and Bragg. Coker 156 exhibited resistance to races 1 and 2, and some race 3 populations, but was very susceptible to certain race 3 and 4 populations. Reproduction of all races was lowest on Centennial. Forrest and Centennial shoot growth was not significantly suppressed by any race. There were no distinct differences in virulence between races except for a race 3 population which reproduced readily on all cultivars, stunting their growth. Considerable variation in reproduction existed within races 1 and 3.     

Influence of salt stress on biochemical processes in chickpea,Cicer arietinum L.

Summary Soybean plants were grown in pots with or without vesicular-arbuscular myocorrhizal (VAM) fungi in three soils of low plant-available P content, different texture and different water-holding capacities. Mineral nutrients, except P, were provided in a complete nutrient solution. The biomass of non-VAM plants was positively and fungal colonization negatively correlated with increasingly coarse soil texture. There was no correlation of soil P with host or endophyte growth. Plant growth enhancement was positively correlated with soil water content at −1.5 MPa. These observations suggest soil water status and the mycorrhizal condition interact in influencing plant growth.     

大豆下胚轴线粒体产生超氧物自由基的效率

大豆下胚轴线粒体在呼吸基质存在下,显著地增加了肾上腺素氧化速率,这种氧化速率能为外源SOD抑制,表明线粒体呼吸时产生分子氧的单电子还原成O_2(?)。亚线粒体颗粒产生O_2(?)的效率略高于线粒体。大豆下胚轴线粒体吸链内O_2(?)的产生为NADH所支持并与交替途径无关。表明分子氧单电子还原的部位可能是NADH-黄素蛋白和UbQ-Cyt.B。     

Organic free radical levels in seeds and pollen: The effects of hydration and aging

In view of their possible role in oxidative deterioration of seeds and pollen, organic free radicals were measured by electron spin resonance in embryonic axes and cotyledons of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr], embryo and endosperm fractions of corn [ Zea mays L.] and pollen of cattail [ Typha latifolia L.]. A pronounced decline in the radical signal ensued when hydration increased above about 7% (wet weight basis) in both the seed materials and in pollen. Moderate hydration of the soybean axis followed by drying led to a small decrease in organic free radicals compared to untreated material, especially if the desiccation step was performed under nitrogen. In a comparison of soybeans of various ages under normal storage, organic free radical levels in the axis showed little or no increase with age. In marked contrast, over 5 days of accelerated aging at 40°C and near-saturating humidity, organic radical levels approximately doubled in the axis. This pronounced increase in free radical content was not associated with a decrease in the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The data suggest that hydration of seed and pollen causes a release of free radicals from the trapped state.     

Population Dynamics of Heterodera glycines Life Stages on Soybean

Population fluctuations of Heterodera glycines differ in fields with high and low initial population densities. In a field with low initial numbers of nematodes, the numbers of cysts and eggs in soil remained low through 100 days from planting then increased during the remainder of the growing season. In a field with high initial nematode populations, numbers increased at 30 days, decreased to low numbers at 100 days, and then resurged to maximum populations at harvest. Numbers of juveniles were greatest at 100 days in the low initial population density field and at planting in the high initial population density field. The initial numbers of eggs in the soil gave the best correlation to soil and root nematode populations 15 and 30 days later. Juveniles in the soil at planting gave the largest correlation coefficients with nematode populations in the roots at 15 days in the field with the low initial population density. Eggs and juveniles in the soil at harvest were poorly related to numbers that overwintered.     

Leghemoglobin-like sequences in the DNA of four actinorhizal plants

Summary A cloned cDNA partial copy of a soybean leghemoglobin mRNA was used to probe genomic DNA of four species of actinorhizal plants. Southern blot hybridization revealed the presence of sequences with homology to the leghemoglobin probe in DNA from Alnus glutinosa, Casuarina glauca, Ceanothus americanus and Elaeagnus pungens. The hybridization patterns of the restriction fragments revealed some fragment size conservation between the DNA of soybean and the DNA of four actinorhizal plants which are taxonomically unrelated to soybean or to each other. The results presented here indicate that globin gene sequences are much more widely distributed in the plant kingdom than has previously been thought. Furthermore, if sequence conservation is actually as high as the restriction fragment patterns suggest, the evolution of the DNA surrounding the globin sequences has been highly constrained.     

Metabolism of kinetin by soybean callus

Soybean callus metabolised applied 6-furfurylamino (8^-14C) purine very rapidly to polar compounds, some of which were retained on a Dowex 50 cation exchange resin, and were unaffected by alkaline phosphatase; while others were apparently phosphorylated and were detected in the aqueous fraction. Adenine was detected as an intermediate and it can be concluded that it was formed as a result of the rapid and efficient removal of the furfuryl side chain. The formed adenine was rapidly incorporated into the polar metabolites. Exactly how the presence of this cytokinin stimulates cell division is not apparent from the results.The financial support of the C.S.I.R., Pretoria, and The Natal University Development Fund is gratefully acknowledged.