In vitro physical mutagenesis of giant reed (Arundo donax L.)

Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) is a C₃ perennial, warm‐season, rhizomatous grass of emerging interest for bioenergy and biomass derivatives production, and for phytoremediation. It only propagates vegetatively and very little genetic variation is found among ecotypes, basically precluding breeding efforts. With the objective to increase the genetic variation in this species, we developed and applied a mutagenesis protocol based on γ‐irradiation of in vitro cell cultures from which regenerants were obtained. Based on a radiosensitivity test, the irradiation dose reducing to 50% the number of regenerants per callus (RD₅₀) was estimated at 35 Gy. A large mutagenic experiment was carried out by irradiating a total of 3120 calli with approx. 1×, 1.5× and 2× RD₅₀. A total of 1004 regenerants from irradiated calli were hardened in pots and transplanted to the field. Initial phenotypic characterization of the collection showed correlated responses of biomass‐related quantitative traits to irradiation doses. Approx. 10% of field‐grown clones showed remarkable morphological aberrations including dwarfism, altered tillering, abnormal inflorescence, leaf variegation and others, which were tested for stability over generations. Clone lethality reached 0.4%. Our results show for the first time that physical mutagenesis can efficiently induce new genetic and phenotypic variation of agronomic and prospective industrial value in giant reed. The methodology and the plant materials described here may contribute to the domestication and the genetic improvement of this important biomass species.     

The impact of climate change on the future distribution of priority crop wild relatives in Indonesia and implications for conservation planning

The analysis of climate change impact is essential to include in conservation planning of crop wild relatives (CWR) to provide the guideline for adequate long-term protection under unpredictable future environmental conditions. These resources play an important role in sustaining the future of food security, but the evidence shows that they are threatened by climate change. The current analyses show that five taxa were predicted to have contraction of more than 30 % of their current ranges: Artocarpus sepicanus (based on RCP 4.5 in both no dispersal and unlimited dispersal scenario and RCP 8.5 in no dispersal scenario by 2050), Ficus oleifolia (RCP 4.5 5 in both no dispersal and unlimited dispersal scenario by 2080), Cocos nucifera and Dioscorea alata (RCP 8.5 in both no dispersal and unlimited dispersal scenario by 2050), and Ficus chartacea (RCP 8.5 in both no dispersal and unlimited dispersal scenario by 2050 and 2080). It shows that the climate change impact is species-specific. Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and dispersal scenarios influence the prediction models, and the actual future distribution range of species falls in between those scenarios. Climate refugia, holdout populations, and non-analogue community assemblages were identified based on the Protected Areas (PAs) network. PAs capacity is considered an important element in implementing a conservation strategy for the priority CWR. In areas where PAs are isolated and have less possibility to build corridors to connect each other, such as in Java, unlimited dispersal scenarios are unlikely to be achieved and assisted dispersal is suggested. The holdout populations should be the priority target for the ex situ collection. Therefore, by considering the climate refugia, PAs capacity and holdout populations, the goal of keeping high genetic variations for the long-term conservation of CWR in Indonesia can be achieved.     

Variability in reproductive traits in Jatropha curcas L. accessions during early developmental stages under warm subtropical conditions

Variability in floral, fruit, and seed characteristics, and oil content of 15 accession of Jatropha curcas during early development were assessed during two flowering periods in south Florida subtropical climate. The two flowering periods had leaf flushing in March. Field evaluation using 18 quantitative traits showed significant variation among accessions. The number of female flowers and female : male flower ratio ranged from 1 to 15 and 1 : 8.8 to 1 : 67.8, respectively. Fruit set by natural pollination was 89 and 66% during the first (1st) and second (2nd) flowering periods, respectively. A higher number of female‐type inflorescences were observed during summer. There were significant differences in seed traits, except for number of seeds per fruit. Accession TREC 31 had the highest individual seed dry weight and 100‐seed weight (0.83 g and 79.7 g, respectively). The oil content varied from 19.30% to 35.62%. Seed dry weight had positive correlation with seed fresh weight, seed length, seed thickness, seed width, and 100‐seed weight, but negative correlation with oil content. Based on the cluster analysis using 15 morphological traits, jatropha accessions were grouped into five main clusters and accessions from different geographic regions grouped together in a cluster. Principal component analyses (PCA) revealed morphological variation. The first three components explained 73.5% of the total variation and seed dry weight, 100‐seed weight, total flowers per inflorescence, male flowers per inflorescence and fruit set can be used to distinguish accessions. The PCA also indicated that flowering traits were more influenced by seed origin while seed traits were affected by flowering spans. Although evaluations were performed in plants during the juvenile phase, accessions TREC 31 and TREC 55 had superior averages for almost all characters evaluated. These results provide a preliminary assessment of the high variability in jatropha accessions evaluated and their potential for use in breeding and genetic improvement programs.     

转基因抗除草剂油菜对近缘作物的基因漂移

以转基因抗除草剂油菜 Q3和 HCN- 19为花粉供体材料 ,油菜近缘作物为花粉受体材料 ,在自然授粉条件下研究甘蓝型油菜与芸薹属近缘作物间的基因漂移频率。结果表明 ,油菜对芸薹属 6个种甘蓝、黑芥、埃芥、芥菜型油菜、白菜型油菜和甘蓝型油菜的基因漂移率分别为 0、0 .0 2 4 %～ 0 .2 4 3%、 0 .0 2 8%～ 0 .0 92 %、 0 .10 9%～ 0 .95 1%、 0 .4 79%～ 0 .879%、 1.2 5 2 %～2 .191%。且基因漂移频率受多种因素影响 ,其中与杂交亲和性、花期同步率、种植面积等高度相关。通过花粉将抗除草剂基因漂移给近缘作物 ,油菜是需要特别关注的作物     

广西灵川县种植业的可持续发展

广西是我国南方农业大省(区),明确其农业发展的制约因素,提出具体的解决措施,实现农业可持续发展,对解决农业、农村和农民问题,促进经济持续、快速、健康发展,实现社会主义现代化建设战略目标具有重要的理论和现实意义。主要采用了参与性农户评估方法(PRA),通过随机入户方式,与农户面对面交流,并结合调查问卷,对广西桂林市灵川县11个乡镇的农户进行了调查访问,为方便研究和数据处理,在数据分析过程中将该县11个乡镇分为3个片区:东部片区、中部片区、北部片区,对比3组农户的文化素质、种植制度、冬季农业现状、农业需求和农田水利设施等方面问题,探讨广西农业可持续发展的制约因素,并提出相应的对策,以期为广西农业可持续发展提供理论依据。调查结果表明,虽然目前灵川县农业取得众多发展成就,但仍存在以下几个方面的问题,严重影响了该县种植业可持续发展的进程。一是种植制度结构单一,二是冬季农业发展薄弱,三是种植技术贫乏,四是基础设施建设不完善等,因此,为促进灵川县种植业可持续发展,亟需采取以下对策和措施:调整作物种植结构,建立合理的种植制度;大力发展冬季农业;满足农民最迫切的农业需求;加强农业基础设施建设等。     

塔里木河下游不同退化区地表植被和土壤种子库特征

对塔里木河下游不同退化程度的4个典型断面进行了植被和土壤种子库的取样调查,采用种子萌发试验研究了不同退化区植被和土壤种子库的特征,结果表明:(1)塔里木河下游地表植被表现为严重的逆行演替,具体体现为胡杨林都为过熟林,几乎没有胸径在10cm以下的幼林;植被盖度、密度和多样性指数均维持在一个较低的水平上;随退化程度不断加重,地表植被中草本植物的相对密度、相对盖度和相对频度逐渐降低,而灌木和乔木的相对密度、相对盖度和相对频度逐渐增加;(2)研究区土壤种子库的基本特征是:土壤种子库种类贫乏、密度低、多样性指数和相似性系数不高;(3) 随退化程度的加重,土壤种子库物种数不断减少、密度明显下降、优势种组成趋于单一、表层种子库比例升高、1年生草本植物占优势逐渐向多年生草本植物和灌木植物转变及土壤种子库物种组成与地上植被物种组成上差异显著.     

黄土丘陵区旱地作物水分生态适应性系统评价

根据调查资料和田间试验结果,系统地分析了旱地不同作物生长发育与降水分布的时序关系、旱地作物水分潜在利用率和旱地主要作物水分供需平衡与错位特征,并利用水分生态适应性数学模型,对宁南黄土丘陵区主要作物的水分生态适应性进行了定量评价．结果表明,秋熟作物生长发育与降水分布耦合性较好,夏熟作物生长发育与降水分布耦合性较差．不同作物的降水潜在利用率存在差异。其基本规律是：多年生牧草>薯类作物>谷类作物;秋熟作物>夏熟作物．作物的水分满足率和生态适应性,秋熟作物优于夏熟作物,丰水年份优于干旱年份．旱地6种主要作物的水分生态适应性指数排序依次为：谷子>马铃薯>糜子>胡麻>豌豆>春小麦．     

Projected climate impacts to South African maize and wheat production in 2055: a comparison of empirical and mechanistic modeling approaches

Crop model‐specific biases are a key uncertainty affecting our understanding of climate change impacts to agriculture. There is increasing research focus on intermodel variation, but comparisons between mechanistic (MMs) and empirical models (EMs) are rare despite both being used widely in this field. We combined MMs and EMs to project future (2055) changes in the potential distribution (suitability) and productivity of maize and spring wheat in South Africa under 18 downscaled climate scenarios (9 models run under 2 emissions scenarios). EMs projected larger yield losses or smaller gains than MMs. The EMs’ median‐projected maize and wheat yield changes were ?3.6% and 6.2%, respectively, compared to 6.5% and 15.2% for the MM. The EM projected a 10% reduction in the potential maize growing area, where the MM projected a 9% gain. Both models showed increases in the potential spring wheat production region (EM = 48%, MM = 20%), but these results were more equivocal because both models (particularly the EM) substantially overestimated the extent of current suitability. The substantial water‐use efficiency gains simulated by the MMs under elevated CO₂ accounted for much of the EM?MM difference, but EMs may have more accurately represented crop temperature sensitivities. Our results align with earlier studies showing that EMs may show larger climate change losses than MMs. Crop forecasting efforts should expand to include EM?MM comparisons to provide a fuller picture of crop–climate response uncertainties.     

Ground predator abundance affects prey removal in highbush blueberry (<Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Vaccinium corymbosum</Emphasis>) fields and can be altered by aisle ground covers

Habitat management to conserve natural enemies has increased biological control of insect pests in various cropping systems [Annu. Rev. Entomol. 45: 175–201, 2000]. We wanted to determine if insect predation in highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L. (Ericales: Ericaceae), is influenced by manipulation of edaphic arthropod community and whether management of ground cover in aisles between blueberry rows enhances this community. The first question was studied in blueberry plots bounded by trenches permitting selective movement into plots (ingress) or out of plots (egress), as well as unbounded control plots. We observed a significant effect of boundary type on the arthropod communities relative abundance as measured with pitfall traps, with relative abundance highest in ingress plots, intermediate in control plots and lowest in egress plots. Effects of ground arthropod abundance on predation rates were assessed with onion fly, Delia antiqua (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), pupae as sentinel prey. Pupa recovery was greatest in egress boundary plots, intermediate in control plots and lowest in ingress boundary plots. Regression analyses indicate pupal recovery rate decreased as a function of carabid abundance as well as the abundance of non-insect ground predators. To determine if ground cover management influenced natural enemy abundance, aisles were clean cultivated or planted with three ground covers (clover, ryegrass, or buckwheat). Increasing ground cover had a significant effect on the relative abundance of Harpalus pensylvanicus De Geer (Coleoptera: Carabidae). In addition to conserving natural enemies for control of blueberry insect pests, we discuss additional benefits of ground covers that may increase their utility for blueberry production.