Comparative effects of organic and inorganic nitrogen sources applied to a flooded soil on rice yield and availability of N

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) sources on the yield and N uptake of rice from applied and native soil-N. The residual effect of these N sources on a succeeding wheat crop was also studied. Organic N was applied in the form of ¹⁵N-labelled Sesbania aculeata L., a legume, and inorganic N in the form of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium sulphate. The two sources were applied to the soil separately or together at the time of transplanting rice. Recovery of N by rice from both the applied sources was quite low but both sources caused significant increases in biomass and N yield of rice. Maximum increase was recorded in soil treated with organic N. The residual value of the two materials as source of N for wheat was not significant; the wheat took up only a small fraction of the N initially applied. Loss of N occurred from both applied N sources, the losses being more from inorganic N. Both applied N sources caused a substantial increase in the availability of soil-N to rice and wheat; most of this increase was due to organic N and was attributed to the so-called ‘priming’ effect or ANI (added nitrogen interaction) of the applied material.     

Receptor expression and oxidase activity in human neutrophils: Regulation by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and dependence upon protein biosynthesis

Incubation of human bloodstream neutrophils with 50 u/ml recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) primed the respiratory burst (as assessed by fMet-Leu-Phe stimulated luminol-dependent chemiluminescence) and resulted in a rapid (within 15 min) upregulation of expression of CD11b and CD18 (as measured by FACS analysis). This rapid priming and modulation of receptor expression was not inhibited by cycloheximide and hence appeared to be independent ofde novo protein biosynthesis. When neutrophils were incubated for up to 5 h in culture, the fluorescence distributions of CD11b and CD18 declined indicating the loss of expression of these receptors as the neutrophils aged, but in rGM-CSF treated suspensions receptor expression was maintained. When neutrophils were incubated in the presence of cycloheximide, they progressively lost their ability to generate reactive oxidants in response to fMet-Leu-Phe so that by 5 h incubation with this inhibitor they could only generate about 25% of the oxidative response stimulated in untreated cells, and the expression of CD16 and CD18 was grossly impaired. Similar effects were observed in rGM-CSF treated suspensions except that cycloheximide required longer incubation times (typically 4–5 h) before impairment of function or receptor expression occurred. These data show thatde novo protein biosynthesis is required for both the maintenance of neutrophil function and also for the continued expression of some plasma membrane receptors.Abbreviations fMet-Leu-Phe N-formylmethionyl-Leucyl-Phenylalanine - rGM-CSF recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor - FITC fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate - Luminol 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione     

Accelerated organic matter decomposition in thermokarst lakes upon carbon and phosphorus inputs

Mineralization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in thermokarst lakes plays a non-negligible role in the permafrost carbon (C) cycle, but remains poorly understood due to its complex interactions with external C and nutrient inputs (i.e., aquatic priming and nutrient effects). Based on large-scale lake sampling and laboratory incubations, in combination with ¹³C-stable-isotope labeling, optical spectroscopy, and high-throughput sequencing, we examined large-scale patterns and dominant drivers of priming and nutrient effects of DOM biodegradation across 30 thermokarst lakes along a 1100-km transect on the Tibetan Plateau. We observed that labile C and phosphorus (P) rather than nitrogen (N) inputs stimulated DOM biodegradation, with the priming and P effects being 172% and 451% over unamended control, respectively. We also detected significant interactive effects of labile C and nutrient supply on DOM biodegradation, with the combined labile C and nutrient additions inducing stronger microbial mineralization than C or nutrient treatment alone, illustrating that microbial activity in alpine thermokarst lakes is co-limited by both C and nutrients. We further found that the aquatic priming was mainly driven by DOM quality, with the priming intensity increasing with DOM recalcitrance, reflecting the limitation of external C as energy sources for microbial activity. Greater priming intensity was also associated with higher community-level ribosomal RNA gene operon (rrn) copy number and bacterial diversity as well as increased background soluble reactive P concentration. In contrast, the P effect decreased with DOM recalcitrance as well as with background soluble reactive P and ammonium concentrations, revealing the declining importance of P availability in mediating DOM biodegradation with enhanced C limitation but reduced nutrient limitation. Overall, the stimulation of external C and P inputs on DOM biodegradation in thermokarst lakes would amplify C-climate feedback in this alpine permafrost region.     

喀斯特11种典型生态恢复树种凋落叶分解及其对土壤碳排放的激发效应

旨在探究喀斯特地区退化生态系统植被恢复树种凋落叶分解过程及其对土壤碳排放的激发效应,为选择合适的树种进行植被恢复提供数据支持。以中国林科院热带林业实验中心大青山石山树木园11种适应性强、耐干旱贫瘠的优良石山树种为研究对象,利用¹³C自然丰度法区分凋落叶和土壤来源CO₂并量化土壤激发效应,比较不同生态恢复树种凋落叶分解及其激发效应的差异,探讨凋落物分解及其激发效应与凋落物性状之间的关联。结果表明:(1)11个生态恢复树种凋落叶在碳相关化学性质(水溶性碳、半纤维素和单宁含量等)、养分含量(磷和镁含量等)及化学计量特征(碳磷比和氮磷比)等方面均表现出较高程度变异。(2)不同生态恢复树种凋落叶分解及其诱导的土壤激发效应具有极显著差异(P<0.001);在整个培养实验期间,11个生态恢复树种凋落叶平均分解了35.3%,其中海南椴分解最快,达到50%,而青冈栎分解最慢,仅分解16.5%。(3)总体上看,凋落叶处理的土壤呼吸速率(5.1 mg C kg^-1 土壤 d^-1)是对照土壤呼吸速率(2.3 mg C kg^-1土壤d^-1)的2.2倍,凋落叶添加显著促进土壤有机碳分解,平均达到37.6%;其中海南椴、割舌树和任豆凋落叶输入则抑制土壤有机碳分解(抑制程度分别为-13.2%、-6.9%和-22.5%),产生负激发效应。(4)凋落叶分解与非结构性碳(r=0.63,P=0.04)和水溶性碳(r=0.91,P<0.001)呈显著正相关,与叶干物质含量(r=0.64,P=0.03)、纤维素(r=0.62,P=0.04)和锰含量(r=-0.63,P=0.04)呈显著负相关。多元回归分析结果表明,水溶性碳、钾和钙含量相结合可以解释生态恢复树种凋落叶分解变异的98%;然而,凋落叶性状与土壤激发效应强度之间并没有显著相关性。从土壤养分归还角度考虑,喀斯特退化生态系统恢复树种可以选择光皮梾木、海南椴、顶果木和降香黄檀等凋落叶分解较快的树种,以促进土壤养分循环和植被恢复;另一方面,从土壤碳固持角度来看,海南椴、任豆和割舌树等凋落叶输入会抑制土壤有机碳分解,从而有利于提高退化生态系统土壤碳封存能力。     

易分解有机碳输入量对武夷山不同林型土壤激发效应的影响

土壤有机碳库是陆地生态系统中最大的碳储量库,其微小的变化也能使大气中CO₂浓度发生巨大的改变,植物来源碳的输入能通过激发效应促进或抑制土壤有机碳(SOC)的分解,对SOC的动态平衡产生影响。以武夷山三个林型(阔叶林、马尾松林、针阔混交林)土壤为研究对象,通过向土壤中添加不同量的¹³C标记葡萄糖(0、100、200、400 mg C/kg)研究易分解有机碳输入量对不同林型土壤激发效应的影响,并在此基础上探讨易分解有机碳输入量对土壤激发效应影响的作用机理。结果表明,葡萄糖输入对土壤激发效应的影响与葡萄糖输入量和林型有关。葡萄糖的输入均抑制了三个林型SOC的分解(即,呈现负的激发效应)。阔叶林土壤和针阔混交林土壤激效应强度随着葡萄糖输入量的增加而增加,而马尾松林土壤的激发效应强度对葡萄糖输入量的响应并不明显。然而在马尾松林土壤中由葡萄糖所引起的激发效应强度显著高于其他两种林型土壤。研究结果表明,易分解有机碳的输入可以抑制SOC的矿化,形成负激发效应,阔叶林土壤的激发效应强度与土壤可利用氮、葡萄糖添加量与微生物碳量比值有关,而针阔混交林与马尾松林土壤...     

Combined effect of salicylic acid and potassium mitigates drought stress through the modulation of physio-biochemical attributes and key antioxidants in wheat

Improving physio-biochemical traits in wheat under drought stress conditions has received more research attention in recent years for better adaptability and higher yield. In this study, we explored the potential bio-physiological mechanisms underlying improved plant growth and water use efficiency in wheat following soil application of potassium (0 and 100 kg ha^?1) and seed primed salicylic acid (SA) (150 mg per L) and SA foliar application (100 mg per L) under drought stresses (100%, 60% and 30% FC). Two years' average data revealed that inducing drought stress resulted in a decrease in plant pigments content, growth traits, and plant water status however, the influence was substantially reduced with the combined application of K and SA under drought stress conditions. The SA foliar spray in combination with K had increased chlorophyll a (174% and 83%), chl b (130% and 192%), chl a + b (156% and 120), carotenoid (22% and 11%), proline contents (24% and 29%) leaf relative water content (24% and 29%) while reduced leaf WSD (17% and 20%), WRC (6% and 7%), and WUC (23% and 28%) under mild and severe drought stresses, respectively. The increase in grain yield by 41% and 37% with enhanced water use efficiency was obtained with combined foliar SA and K under mild and severe drought stress, respectively indicating its vital role in overcoming the deleterious effects of drought via regulation of osmotic and metabolic processes and stabilizes cell components. RDA analysis revealed that the studied traits were completely discriminated under severe stress than mild or no drought stress. A positive and significant association was found between plant pigments with seed yield whereas a negative and significant correlation existed between water leaf traits and plant pigments. It was concluded that both foliar SA and seed primed SA with K fertilization combat the adverse effects of drought and improved plant water status as well as growth and bio-physiological traits of wheat under drought stress conditions.     

脱落酸引发对夜香紫罗兰种子萌发的效应

研究脱落酸引发及其与植物生长调节剂的复合处理对夜香紫罗兰(Matthiola bicornis)种子萌发的效应.结果表明,将夜香紫罗兰种子于20℃下在2.5×10-5 mol/L脱落酸(ABA)溶液中引发7 d,能显著缩短种子平均萌发时间,增加种子萌发指数.在ABA溶液中加入吲哚乙酸(NAA)未能进一步改善夜香紫罗兰种子萌发,但其他复合处理均显著提高正常幼苗百分率.ABA和细胞分裂素(KT)及NAA复合处理进一步增加种子萌发指数,不仅比单独用ABA引发的效果好,而且也比用聚乙二醇(PEG)引发的效果好.ABA引发和PEG引发的夜香紫罗兰种子相对吸水量显著不同.对ABA引发机理和应用潜力进行了讨论.     

Seed Treatment with Auxins Modulates Growth and Ion Partitioning in Salt-stressed Wheat Plants

Experiments were performed to determine whether seed priming with different concentrations (100, 150, and 200 mg/L) ofauxins (indoleacetic acid (IAA), indolebutyric acid (IBA), or their precursor tryptophane (Trp)) could alter salinity inducedperturbances in salicylic acid and ion concentrations and, hence, growth in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, namelyM. H.-97 (salt intolerant) and Inqlab-91 (salt tolerant). Primed and non-primed seeds were sown in Petri dishes in a growthroom, as well as in a field treated with 15 dS/m NaCl salinity. All priming agents, except IBA, increased the final germinationpercentage in both cultivars. The seedlings of either cultivar raised from Trp-treated seeds had greater dry biomass whenunder salt stress. In field experiments, Trp priming was much more effective in mediating the increase in grain yield,irrespective of the cultivar, under salt stress. The alleviatory effect of Trp was found to be associated with reduced uptakeof Na~ in the roots and subsequent translocation to the shoots, as well as increased partitioning of Ca~(2 )in the roots ofsalt-stressed wheat plants. Plants of both cultivars raised from Trp-and IAA-treated seeds accumulated free salicylic acidin their leaves when under salt stress. Overall, the Trp priming-induced improvement in germination and the subsequentgrowth of wheat plants could be related to ion homeostasis when under salt stress. The possible involvement of salicylicacid in the Trp priming-induced better growth under conditions of salt stress is discussed.     

Territorial damselflies do not show immunological priming in the wild

Adaptive immunity allows vertebrates to gain protection against repeated pathogenic infections. Analogous responses (priming) have been recently uncovered in invertebrates. However, whether such responses are widespread is not known. The present study investigated the presence of immunological priming in males of a species whose phylogenetic position places it in one of the less derived insect orders. It is hypothesized that the efficiency of such a response could be related to animal condition, as assessed by the expression of a sexually selected ornament. Hetaerina americana Fabricius (Odonata: Calopterygidae) males bear a conspicuous ornament (a red wing spot), which is evolutionarily maintained via male territorial competition. Using field‐collected animals, a group of males is challenged with bacteria before exposure to a higher dose of the same or a different bacteria, and survival is compared with that of infected males not previously challenged, as well as control groups. Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria are used. To explore how long priming may take to work, the second exposure is carried out either after 1 or 5 days. Red spot and body size are entered in the analysis as predictors of survival within and between groups. There is no difference in survival among groups, which suggests no priming effect. Overall, red spot and body size are not consistent in explaining survival.