Acta Prataculturae Sinica

What has Australian agronomy contributed to world food security in the last 20 years, and what lies ahead?

Clements R J 

2013, 22(4): 1-17. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130401

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Australian agronomy (research and extension on land, water, soil and plant management for field crop and pasture production, performed by agronomists born and/or employed in Australia) contributes to world food security mainly by increasing productivity (yield increases per unit area or input, or per head of livestock). In the last 20 years Australian agronomy has improved world food security by underpinning increased production of field crops and livestock that theoretically could support about 30 million people per year with grain plus enough meat, edible oil and dairy products to add dietary quality and flavour. This assumes that the food is in fact eaten, and not lost postharvest or used for alternative purposes. The calculated numbers of people who could be fed involve numerous assumptions and are fraught with uncertainty. About one third of the increased production has been achieved in Australia and two thirds in developing countries, mainly in Asia. Internationally, many benefits have come from bilateral projects funded by ACIAR and/or AusAID, involving scientists from Australia and a developing country, often with links to an International Agricultural Research Centre. Australian agronomists have also contributed to food security through training activities and through leadership positions in other countries and international organisations, but these benefits are impossible to quantify. Looking ahead, inertia in the system (technical innovations still to be adopted, and projects currently in progress) suggests that this level of contribution will be maintained for another decade or so; beyond that timeframe the contribution by Australian agronomists is essentially unpredictable.

Observations and study on the CO₂ flux in an alpine meadow ecosystem
in the upper reaches of the Shule River Basin

WU Hao, YE Bai-sheng, WU Jin-kui, LI Man, QIN Jia, WANG Xiao-yun, WANG Jie

2013, 22(4): 18-26. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130402

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An eddy covariance observation system was established for providing continuous measurements on CO₂ fluxes in an alpine meadow ecological system at the upper reach of the Shule River Basin from 2009 to 2011. Obvious seasonal and inter-annual variations of CO₂ flux were observed. The months, June, July and August, were the strongest absorption period for CO₂ while April, May and October were the strongest release period for CO₂. The net exchange of CO₂ in the three years was 134.5, 151.3 and 194.4 g CO₂/m², respectively, and the mean value was 160.0 g CO₂/m². This indicates that the alpine meadow system played an important role as a carbon sink. During the growing season, the correlations between CO₂ net exchange and the temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and surface long wave radiation were all negative. When the temperature was higher than 7℃, the CO₂ net exchange increased as temperature increased. In the dormant season, the correlations between CO₂ net exchange and the temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and surface long wave radiation were all positive. When the surface reflectivity was about 0.2, the trend of the CO₂ net exchange increased fast. When the surface reflectivity was more than 0.3, the CO₂ net exchange reached a maximum and then remained stable.

Characteristics of soil fauna community structure in forest-steppe ecotone
on Southeastern Inner Mongolia Plateau

GAO Li-jie, HOU Jian-hua, AN Zhe, GAO Bao-jia

2013, 22(4): 27-34. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130403

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To investigate the characteristics of soil fauna community structure in forest-steppe ecotone on Southeastern Inner Mongolia Plateau, the soil fauna communities from 4 different vegetation zones were investigated. A total of 53 722 soil fauna were collected and classified into 6 phyla, 11 classes, and 27 orders, respectively. The dominant groups were Coleoptera, Stylommatophora, Microdrile oligochaetes, Collembola and Hymenoptera among macro-soil-fauna; whereas the dominant groups were Collembola and Acarina among soil meso-and micro-fauna; and the dominant group was Rhabditidia among soil animals of wet type. The individual numbers and the group numbers were declining with the transition from the forest zone to the steppe zone, among which forest zone and forest-meadow area had the highest number of groups as well as the meadow-steppe area in the ecotone and forest zone had the highest number of individuals. Besides, there are differences in numbers and compositions of the dominant groups of soil animal in different vegetation zones and significant difference especially in density-group index (DG), Pielou evenness index (J) and Simpson dominance index (C). The individual numbers and group numbers of soil animals in different vegetation zones showed clear surface assembly. The maximum of the group numbers appeared in summer in all the vegetation zones, but the maximum of the individual numbers in forest-meadow zone and forest zone appeared in autumn. There were not only significant seasonal differences in density-group index in different vegetation zones (except in forest zone) but also differences in the composition and abundance of the dominant groups of soil animals in different seasons.

The effect of grazing disturbance on soil properties in desert steppe

AN Hui, XU Kun

2013, 22(4): 35-42. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130404

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The effect of different grazing intensity (nongrazed, light grazing, moderate grazing and heavy grazing) on soil physical properties and chemical properties was conducted in a desert steppe in Ningxia. Grazing disturbance had significant effect on soil physical properties and chemical properties in desert steppe. Soil moisture and porosity decreased with the increase of grazing intensity, while soil bulk density and pH showed a sharp linear increase with grazing intensity increasing. As compared with nongrazed plots, grazed plots (heavy grazing, moderate grazing and light grazing) resulted in significant decrease of soil moisture (0-30 cm) and porosity by 21.1%, 12.0%, 4.7% and 3.2%, 2.5%, 2.1%. With the increase of soil depth, soil moisture increased under different grazing intensity. Soil organic carbon and C/N decreased with grazing intensity increasing. Compared with nongrazed plots, heavy grazing decreased soil organic carbon of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm by 20.6% and 14.1%, and soil C/N decreased by 43.4% and 34.1%, respectively. With the increase of grazing intensity, soil total phosphorus, available phosphorus and total kalium increased, while soil electric conductivity and soil total nitrogen decreased after an initial increase. It was suggested that reasonable grazing can improve soil structure and soil nutrient in desert steppe and restrain the degradation of soil in desert steppe.

A study on phenotypic diversity of Miscanthus sinensis natural population in Guangxi province

XIAO Liang, JIANG Jian-xiong, YI Zi-li, AI Xin, QIN Jing-ping, LIU Shu-ling, CHEN Zhi-yong, LIN Cong

2013, 22(4): 43-50. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130405

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18 phenotypic traits of 13 Miscanthus sinensis nature populations origin from Guangxi province were measured in this paper. Analysis of variance for all traits showed that there were significant differences among and within populations. The result indicated that Miscanthus sinensis was abundant in genetic diversity. The average of phenotypic differentiation coefficient (V_st) of 18 phenotypic traits was 32.05% with the range from 17.99% to 47.21% and the V_st of leaf, stem, panicle and spikelet were 38.01%, 29.08%, 32.84% and 27.14%, respectively.13 natural populations of M. sinensis in Guangxi province could be divided into 4 groups by UPGMA cluster analysis which indicated that M. sinensis varieties were uncomformity with its geographic origin. The correlation analysis between phenotypic traits and ecological factor showed the some traits have significant or extremely significant correlation with ecological factor. These result offered the basic data for further study of conservation and genetic breeding of Miscanthus.

A study on the biomass of herbs at the initial natural reclamation stage of plants in gangue fields

HAO Jing, ZHANG Jie, ZHANG Pei-pei, GUO Dong-gang, WANG Li-yuan, SHANGGUAN Tie-liang, HUANG Han-fu, SONG Xiang-yang

2013, 22(4): 51-60. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130406

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The biomass of herb communities at the initial natural reclamation stage of fields of gangue were studied for three years using the Shanxi site of the Si’ma coal mining limited company of the Luan mining group. The method of space sequence, not time sequence, provided the basic data and theory reference for the ecological performance evaluation and species selection at the initial natural reclamation stage. 1) There was a significant (P<0.05) difference between the biomass of different communities. The trend of total biomass and total underground biomass of herb communities initially increased then decreased, but the total aboveground biomass continually declined so that the ratio of underground biomass to aboveground biomass increased; 2) There was no significant correlation between the total coverage, average height and biomass of communities. Similarity of the species composition of communities was low but the significant difference in biomass was greater. There was a significant (P<0.05) positive correlation between underground biomass and total biomass of perennial herbs, but not of annual herbs; 3) The Summed Dominance Ratio showed that the dominant species in the first year of colonisation was Artemisia lavandulifolia, but in the second year it was Cleistogenes hancei and Leymus chinensis, and in the third year it was L. chinensis, while in the natural grassland it was Heteropappus altaicus and L. chinensis. The trend of total biomass of the dominant species, L. chinensis, was to increase. Its aboveground and underground biomasses showed mutual growth and decline. L. chinensis plays an important role in improving community productivity and speeding up the process of natural recovery on the reclamation area. The high average coverage and average height of Artemisia herbs (either A. lavandulifolia or A. annua), inhibited the accumulation of biomass of Artemisia herbs.

Analysis of allelochemicals and allelopathic effects of Lolium multiflorum roots on weeds

DONG Xiao-ning, GAO Cheng-fang, ZHANG Xiao-pei, LIU Yuan, LI Wen-yang, WENG Bo-qi

2013, 22(4): 61-68. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130407

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Allopathic plants release material into the soil that inhibit growth of neighbouring plants, and could affect seedling germination and growth of weeds. Many legume forages have been identified as allelopathic and inhibit the growth of accompanying plants. Lolium multiflorum has been planted widely in southern China. To study the effects on weeds, two varieties, ‘Maximus’ and ‘Hercules’ of L. multiflorum were used as donor materials. Galium aparine which was widely sown in the south of China was used as receptor material. In research on allelopathy that made full use of L. multiflorum’s allelopathy for control of weed growth, G. aparine had a very large significance. Inhibition of root extracts of L. multiflorum on G. aparine seeding germination showed a positive relation with increasing concentration, strengthening the inhibition. The inhibition of seed germination of ‘Maximus’ (-0.55) was stronger than that of ‘Hercules’ (-0.51). Inhibition of root extracts of L. multiflorum on G. aparine seedling growth had a positive relation, with an increase of concentration, strengthening inhibition (5.0%<7.5%<10.0%). The inhibition of ‘Maximus’ was stronger than that of ‘Hercules’ at the same concentration. The root extracts of ‘Maxiumus’ allelochemicals included 12 types of materials of which the main ones were acids and phenol. The root extracts of ‘Hercules’ allelochemicals included oxalic acid, methanol ethanol and butanol while the main component related to inhibition was an aliphatic compound.

Effect of different levels of nitrogen on physiological characteristics of
flag leaves and grain yield of wheat

WANG He-zheng, ZHANG Jun, WU Jin-zhi, XU Guo-wei, CHEN Ming-can, FU Guo-zhan, LI You-jun

2013, 22(4): 69-75. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130408

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The effects of different levels of nitrogen on wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth and development, on nitrogen use efficiency, on reducing the effects of excessive application of fertilizer on environmental pollution, and to increase crop yields were assessed using Yumai 49-198. The experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of Henan University of Science and Technology using nitrogen treatments of 120 kg/ha, 180 kg/ha, 240 kg/ha and 300 kg/ha. Plant response was measured in terms of photosynthetic rate, malondiadehyde (MDA) content, soluble sugar content, proline content, soluble protein content and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxide enzyme (POD) activities in wheat leaves after heading. Increasing nitrogen within a certain range significantly increased photosynthetic rate, soluble sugar content, proline content, soluble protein content and SOD, CAT and POD activities, but MDA content decreased. When nitrogen exceeded a certain level, there was no obvious change in any of the indexes. With a nitrogen level of 240 kg/ha, the photosynthetic rate, soluble sugar content and other physiological indexes reached a maximum, so this was the optimum of the four nitrogen levels, for growth and yield increase of wheat.

A study on blossoming habit and seed filling characteristics of wild Aconitum sinomontanum

WANG Yong-hui, GUO Feng-xia, CHEN Yuan, GUO Ai-feng, ZHAO Rui-ming

2013, 22(4): 76-82. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130409

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Wild Aconitum sinomontanum plants growing in Yongdeng county, Gansu were marked with labels at the beginning of the blossom stage to explore their blossoming-fruiting habit and seed filling pattern. The blossoming-fruiting dynamic and the seed filling characteristics were studied by measuring the flowers, follicles, seed shape and size of the plants once every three days to provide a scientific basis for the seed development pattern and best harvest time. The buds in the wild plants gradually opened from base to top in the main anthotaxys. The flowers fruited after 3 days and the seed shape appeared in the fruit 15 days after blossom, and then the grain began to dehydrate and dry matter accumulated. The flowers developed to follicular fruits without shattering, but only the middle and basal fruits in the anthotaxys had plump seeds. In the seed filling process, the change of 100-seed fresh and dry weights all showed an “S” shaped curve which fitted to a Logistic equation. The maximum rate of increase appeared on the 14th day following blossom for the seed fresh weight and the 23rd day for the seed dry matter accumulation. The seed fresh weight increased rapidly from 7 d to 21 d and reached the highest value on the 27th day after blossom, whereas the grain dry weight increased rapidly from 16 d to 30 d. The follicular fruits fell off after 36 d following blossom resulting in interruption of the filling and the dehydration process to 50% water content in the seeds, which probably led to the deep dormancy characteristics during fast dehydration. The best harvest time for the seeds should be approximately 36 d following blossom (from the middle to the end of August) during which time the follicular fruits are not dissilient and the seeds should be harvested in timely installments.

Research on the feeding quality and related stem morphological traits of rice (Oryza sativa) straw

DONG Chen-fei, DING Cheng-long, XU Neng-xiang, CHENG Yun-hui, SHEN Yi-xin, GU Hong-ru

2013, 22(4): 83-88. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130410

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To investigate the feeding quality and the related stem morphological traits of rice (Oryza sativa) straw, eight japonica rice cultivars (Wuyujing 3, Yandao 830, Nanjing 44, Nanjing 46, Nanjing 47, Nanjing 5055, Wuxiangjing 14 and Zhendao 10) and one indica rice cultivar (Liangyoupeijiu) were cultivated in Nanjing under a common management schedule in 2011. At harvest, 50 tillers (with panicles removed to determine one-panicle weight) were used to investigate the feeding quality parameters such as nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). The top third node of stem was observed for morphological characteristics such as the stem diameter (CD), wall thickness (WT), the percentage of mechanical tissues area (MTA), vascular bundle area (VBA) and parenchyma area in stem and the rate between WT and CD. The feeding qualities of cultural varieties were significantly (P<0.01) different, and NSC content and IVDMD of small ear type Wuyujing 3 and the super rice cultivar Nanjing 44 were high, while those of the late maturing varieties Nanjing 46 and Nanjing 47 were low. CD was significantly (P<0.01) positively correlated with NSC content and IVDMD of rice straw, and also with the one-panicle weight (P<0.01), which could be used as a selection trait for more digestible rice straw.

A study of salt tolerance and feeding quality of Italian ryegrass varieties under salinized-soil conditions

XU Neng-xiang, GU Hong-ru, DING Cheng-long, DONG Chen-fei, CHENG Yun-hui, ZHANG Wen-jie, WANG Xing-gang

2013, 22(4): 89-98. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130411

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The salt tolerance ability of 7 Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflourum) varieties (Wasehope, WasehopeⅢ, Sachiaoba, Musashi, Nioudachi, Shiwasuaoba, and Sumu No.1) and the correlation of their salt tolerance ability with the grass feed quality were investigated. The Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca²⁺ contents in aerial parts and underground parts of the plants, and the ratios of K⁺/Na⁺ and Ca²⁺/Na⁺ were measured at seedling, stem elongation, and heading stages. The seedling emergence rate and the feeding quality related traits such as water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), crude protein (CP), neutral-detergent fiber (NDF), acid-detergent fiber (ADF) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) in stem elongation and heading periods were determined. Na⁺ content in aerial parts of Nioudachi, Sumu No.1 and Wasehope during different growing periods was lower and K⁺ content and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio were higher than in the other four varieties, showing high salt tolerance ability, compared with WasehopeⅢ which was sensitive to salt. Nioudachi, Sumu No.1 and Wasehope also showed high grass yield and good feeding quality such as high WSC content and IVOMD but low NDF and ADF contents, a finding consistent with the results of salt tolerance ability. In conclusion, the salt tolerance ability of Italian ryegrass was positively correlated with the feeding quality of the grass.

Effect of different sowing quantities on seedling quality of Rheum palmatum

ZHANG Tian-tong, CHEN Yuan, GUO Feng-xia, CAO Shi, QI Hao

2013, 22(4): 99-105. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130412

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To explore the effect of sowing quantity of Rheum palmatum seeds on seedling quality and to provide a basis for the standardization of cultivation, the seeds of triennium R. palmatum plants were harvested. The quality indicators of their seedlings cultured under different sowing rates (35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85 kg/ha) were measured at the end of nursery culturing and the survival rate of the nursery stocks were determined at intervals after transplanting into a field in Li county, Gansu. The sowing rate had a significant influence on seedling quality. At the lowest rate (35 kg/ha), the seedlings continued to increase and their yield significantly increased but it decreased as the sowing rate was increased. However, quality indicators such as root length, root diameter, single seedling weight, root reduced-intensity of TTC (2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride) all decreased. The single fresh weight and root reduced-intensity TTC in the seedlings cultured at a sowing rates above 65 kg/ha were relatively reduced but at this rate, seedlings showed the highest yield, the best synthesis indicators, good growing and development, condition, size, and higher transplant survival-ratevs. Considering the seedling quality and economic benefit in nursery production, a sowing rate of 65 kg/ha is good for culturing R. palmatum seedlings in Li county of Gansu.

A study on the changes of ascorbic acid and related physiological indexes
in different cultivars of Zoysia under drought stress

YU Le, LIU Yong-hai, ZHOU Li-ping, LIANG Guo-qiu

2013, 22(4): 106-115. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130413

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The changes of foliar ascorbic acid and related physiological indexes in Zoysia japonica and Z. tenuifolia under drought stress were studied in a pot trial. The results showed that the dynamic change rules of foliar ascorbic acid and related physiological indexes were similar in Z. japonica and Z. tenuifolia under drought stress, but significant differences were still observed in these two cultivars. For example, the level and redox status of ascorbic acid in these two cultivars were increased at the early drought stress stages, and then decreased at the later drought stress stages, but the decreased time was earlier in Z. japonica compared with Z. tenuifolia. Downtrend of leaf relative water content and peroxidase (POD) activity were found under drought stress in these two cultivars, but the downtrend in Z. japonica was more significant, especially at the later drought stress stages. In addition, the decreases of chlorophyll a and b were significant in Z. japonica but not in Z. tenuifolia under drought stress. Moreover, downtrend of the leaf relative electric conductivity and MDA content were also found in these two cultivars under drought stress, but the downtrend in Z. japonica was more significant. On the other hand, the Rubisco contents decreased on the 3rd day under drought stress in these two cultivars, and no significant difference in the level of Rubisco was observed in Z. japonica relative to the control at the later stages of drought stress, while the difference was significant in Z. tenuifolia. All these results showed that the increase of foliar ascorbic acid and POD activity in Zoysia under drought stress may delay the degradation of Rubisco and chlorophyll content and relieve the injury caused by oxidative stress and improve the drought-resistance. These results also confirmed that there are some drought-resistant difference between different Zoysia cultivars and the drought-resistant of Z. japonica is lower than Z. tenuifolia.

Effects of salt stress on ion distribution in different Echinops gmelini organs

YANG Xiao-ju, ZHAO Xin, SHI Yong, LI Xin-rong

2013, 22(4): 116-122. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130414

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Echinops gmelini is an annual wild plant distributed in arid desert areas of North China. The changes of water content, Na⁺, Cl^-, Si⁴⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ contents and the K⁺/Na⁺, Ca²⁺/Na⁺, Si⁴⁺/Na⁺ ratios were measured in E. gmelini seedlings in a water control and under different concentrations (100, 200, 300, 400 mmol/L) of NaCl stress: the water contents were found to increase by 9.86%, 1.41%, 4.23%, and 8.45%, respectively. Therefore the ability to absorb water was enhanced under salt stress, resulting in dilution of the cell’s salt ion concentration to reduce physiological drought caused by salt ions. Na⁺ and Cl^- contents of roots were higher than those of leaves under salt stress, so the salt ion damage on the leaves was reduced; The Si⁴⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ concentrations and K⁺/Na⁺, Ca²⁺/Na⁺, Si⁴⁺/Na⁺ ratio in roots under salt stress were significantly reduced compared with no salt stress. Based on the ion selective absorption of Na⁺ and K⁺, E. gmelini roots retained more Na⁺ and reduced the Na⁺ damage to leaves; The K⁺ selective absorption to leaves of E. gmelini were strengthened under NaCl stress, which was significant for maintaining iron homeostasis and photosynthesis in shoots.

Effects of different salts stress on seed germination and seedling growth of Trifolium repens

LU Yan-min, SU Chang-qing, LI Hui-fen

2013, 22(4): 123-129. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130415

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The experiment was conducted to study the germination rate, germination power, germination index, vigor index of Trifolium repens seeds treated with different concentrations solution of NaCl, Na₂CO₃, Na₂SO₄, mixed salt of NaCl and Na₂CO₃, mixed salt of NaCl, Na₂CO₃ and Na₂SO₄, there were three replicates for each treatment. With the increasing of salt concentration of NaCl, Na₂CO₃, mixed solution of NaCl and Na₂CO₃, germination rate, germination power, germination index, vigor index of T. repens seeds all decreased, the restrained degree on growth of root and seedling was increasing obviously, with the increasing of salt concentration of Na₂SO₄, mixed solution of NaCl, Na₂CO₃ and Na₂SO₄, germination rate, germination power, germination index, vigor index of T. repens seeds first increased and then decreased, the growth of root and seedling decreased. T. repens seeds tolerance threshold to NaCl, Na₂CO₃, Na₂SO₄ was 300 mmol/L, 100 mmol/L, 150 mmol/L respectively.

A study on the use of fulvic acid to improve growth and resistance in continuous cropping of potato

HUI Zhen-long, LI Chao-zhou, SHI Wen-xuan, ZHANG Jun-lian, WANG Di

2013, 22(4): 130-136. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130416

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The influences of fulvic acid on the growth and development, resistance physiology and tuber nutrition in the continuous cropping of potatoes were studied. The seedlings endured stress from the soil, and the growth and development were significantly inhibited but, fulvic acid irrigation mitigated the harmful influences caused by continuous cropping, and stimulated the growth and development of continuous cropping potato seedlings. The fulvic acid treatment also significantly alleviated the decline in chlorophyll, proline and soluble sugar contents, promoted the SOD and CAT activities, and even reduced the MDA content and reactive oxygen level. The fulvic acid treatment alleviated the obstacles to continuous cropping and thus improved the overall resistance of potato plants. The fulvic acid treatment also significantly improved the starch, vitamin C and soluble protein contents in potato tubers. It can be concluded that the treatment of fulvic acid not only improved the growth and development of potato seedlings, but also resistance to deleterious effects of continuous cropping, thereby overcoming some of the obstacles to continuous cropping in potato.

Identification and determination of biological characteristics of Kobresia capillifolia
endophytic bacteria X4 in the East Qilian Mountain Alpine grasslands

GAO Xiao-xing, MAN Bai-ying, CHEN Xiu-rong, YANG Cheng-de

2013, 22(4): 137-146. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130417

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The characteristics of an endophytic bacterium (X4), isolated from leaves of Kobresia capillifolia in the East Qilian Mountains Alpine grasslands, were studied using Salkowski colorimetric analysis, the phosphorus cycle and confronting cultivation. Secretion of IAA was 50.74 mg/L in King’s medium containing tryptophan. Its dissolved phosphorus circle diameter/bacterial colony diameter (D/d) values were 4.31 and 3.23 respectively. The bacteria inhibited pathogenic fungi, such as Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum, and led to abnormal mycelial growth of these fungi. The pH range of colony growth was 5-10 and resistance to NaCl solution was less than 7%. Thalli were short rods, and Gram-negative with no spores. The 16S rDNA gene sequence of X4 was most similar to Serratia plymuthica. The bacterium has the potential to make microbial fungicides and to improve soil.

Population dynamics of main fungal pathogens in soil of continuously cropped potato

LI Ji-ping, LI Min-quan, HUI Na-na, WANG Li, MA Yong-qiang, QI Yong-hong

2013, 22(4): 147-152. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130418

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Soil fertility imbalance, the pathogenic species and numbers accumulation were becoming obvious after a long term continous cropping of crops, which showed continuous cropping obstacle. Continuous cropping obstacle was one of the main restriction factors in potato industry. In order to understand the relationship between soil-borne fungal pathogens and potato continuous cropping, and explore the mechanisms of potato’s continuous cropping obstacle, population dynamics of main fungal pathogens in soil was conducted by dilution plate and debris separation methods. The main fungi groups were Fusarium spp., Verticillium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani in soil of Huichuan in Gansu province, three fungal pathogens were maily distributed in 0-10 cm soil, with lessly in 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm soil. And the increasing year of potato’s continuous cropping, the numbers of fungal pathogens in 0-10 cm soil increased obviously, among which the number of Fusarium spp. in 0-10 cm at potato-bean stubble, potato continuous cropping one year, two years and three years were 3 900, 900, 2 100 and 5 900 per gram soil, numbers of Verticillium spp. were 200, 400, 600 and 1 600 per gram soil, respectively, And Rhizoctonia solani were 7.80, 9.58, 20.60 and 22.40 per ten gram soil. The results suggested that focus on control fungal pathogens in surface soil by ploughing or chemical treatments.

Pathogen identification from soft rot disease of onion bulbs in Jiayuguan, Gansu province

LV He-ping, WEI Hui, QI Yong-hong, ZHANG Yan-mei, CAO Su-fang, YANG Fa-rong, LI Min-quan, SHEN Hui-min

2013, 22(4): 153-159. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130419

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A severe soft rot disease of onion (Allium cepa) bulbs occurred in Jiayuguan, Gansu province. The causal agent was isolated and identified based on morphological characteristics of two strains on KB culture medium and on molecular characters. The 16S rDNA region of the two strains had homoeology with the known species Serratia grimesii and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum from the GenBank database. The sequence lengths were 1 379 bp and 1 386 bp, respectively with a maximum similarity of 99％and 100%. Both strains caused soft rot disease on onion bulbs in pathogenicity tests. The disease index from roots was higher than that from the tops and P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum was more pathogenic than S. grimesii. The pathogens causing soft rot disease on onion bulbs in Jiayuguan, Gansu province were P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and S. grimesii. This is the first report of S. grimesii causing soft rot disease on onion bulbs and this study should provide a theoretical basis for controlling this disease.

Genetic diversity analysis and germplasm resource distribution of white
maize landraces in Southwestern China

WU Yuan-qi, ZHENG Ling, RONG Ting-zhao

2013, 22(4): 160-169. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130420

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Characterization of genetic diversity of maize (Zea mays) germplasm is of great importance in maize breeding. The objectives of this study were to investigate genetic diversity and germplasm resource distribution of white maize landraces in Southwest China with phenotype, SSR data and population structure. These maize germplasms varied significantly in all of the measured morphological traits.Principal components cluster analysis showed the 50 accessions were divided into 7 groups,and most of the landraces were clustered into one group.However, a few varieties could be clustered into another single group. Genetic diversity of 50 white maize landraces was tested using bulk DNA samples and 51 microsatellite (SSR) loci distributed on 10 chromosomes of maize. A total of 515 alleles were detected among the landraces. At each locus, the number of alleles varied from 5 to 19, with an average of 12. Genetic similarity coefficients ranged from 0.574 to 0.840, with an average of 0.684. On the basis of the genetic similarity coefficients, clustering analysis separated the landraces into 8 groups. The landraces collected from the same region were mostly grouped together based the origin data. The population structure indicated that the germplasm resource distribution was related to the geographic information and climatic condition. The results also showed that the genetic resource of those landraces is narrow and single, the genetic diversity is low, and only a few landraces were divided into single groups. So it was important to expand the maize germplasm and the improvement and conservation of maize landrace should be made.

Genome-wide association mapping of aluminum tolerance in Medicago truncatula

JIANG Ge-ge, SONG Li-li, GUO Dong-lin, CAI Hong-sheng, GUO Chang-hong, SHU Yong-jun

2013, 22(4): 170-178. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130421

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Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major limiting factor of crop production in acidic soils, which make reduction of crop production every year. Medicago truncatula, a close relative of alfalfa, which is distributing in the world, is used as a source of genes to improve cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa). We screened 62 diverse M. truncatula accessions, conducted a genome-wide association (GWA) study using Al tolerance based on relative root growth. Fifty-eight SNPs associated with Al tolerance were identified by GWA analysis. These genes containing or neighboring to SNPs were annotated and analyzed. The results showed that they participated in cell wall, lipids metabolism, stress response process, redox regulation and small molecular transport. Using Al tolerance relative SNPs by genomic selection for predicting RRG (relative root growth) in M. truncatula accessions, and the predictive ability was estimated as 0.80. The results indicated that SNPs identified by GWA in this study could be used for improvement of Al tolerance in M. truncatula and M. sativa.

Isolation and expression analysis of a plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter from Nitraria tangutorum

ZHENG Lin-lin, ZHANG Hui-rong, HE Long-mei, WANG Ying-chun

2013, 22(4): 179-186. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130422

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Excessive concentrations of the sodium ion in soil is a major constraint to plant growth and development. The plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter salt overly sensitive SOS1 is responsible for Na⁺ effluxes from cells, and it plays a crucial role in plant salinity tolerance. Nitraria tangutorum, a shrub belonging to the Nitratia genus in Zygophyllaceae, is a native and typical halophyte mainly growing in deserts or salinity deserts in the northwest of China. It is an excellent species noted for its superior tolerance ability to diverse abiotic stresses. A full length cDNA of NtSOS1 (GenBank accession number KC292267) was isolated from this species by means of degenerate PCR and RACE. NtSOS1 cDNA was 4 008 bp long and comprised a 3 492 bp open reading frame that was predicted to encode a 127.59 kDa protein with 11 hypothetical transmembrane domains within its N terminal portion, and a long hydrophilic cytoplasmic tail with some regulatory domains including cyclic nucleotide binding domain, auto-inhibitory motifs and phosphorylation sites in its C-terminal portion. The amino acid sequences of NtSOS1 show 71.77%, 68.94% and 62.65% identity to homologues from Vitis vinifera, Zygophyllum xanthoxylum and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NtSOS1 appeared to be a plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter and clustered distantly with vacuolar Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters. The level of NtSOS1 mRNA was clearly up-regulated in the presence of NaCl, PEG, cold and heat stress. Furthermore, NtSOS1 transcript abundance was positively associated with NaCl concentration till 300 mmol/L, while it was reduced under 400 mmol/L NaCl treatment. These results suggest that increased expression of NtSOS1 may be involved in the adaptability of N. tangutorum to the hostile environment. Our work offers a solid foundation for genetic improvement of the crops and herbages with NtSOS1 gene and in-depth study of the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance of N. tangutorum.

Cloning and analysis of the phosphate transporter protein SgPT1 from Stylosanthes

SUN Li-li, CHEN Zhi-jian, LIU Pan-dao, LIAO Hong, LIU Guo-dao, TIAN Jiang

2013, 22(4): 187-198. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130423

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Phosphorous (P) is one of the essential macronutrients and a high-affinity phosphate transporter (PT) plays an important role in P absorption and transport. SgPT1 encodes a high-affinity phosphate transporter from the roots of TPRC2001-1 which is a P efficient genotype. It was homologously cloned and a full length cDNA library was established under phosphorous deficiency conditions. The full length of SgPT1 is 1 994 bp, and it encodes 538 amino acids. The protein molecular weight of SgPT1 is 59 kD. The protein secondary structure is a 6+6 configuration, which is consistent with most high-affinity PT. The expression of SgPT1 was strongly enhanced by low phosphorous (LP) stress in stylo TPRC2001-1 root indicating that SgPT1 potentially participated in P uptake and transport under LP conditions. The increased expression of SgPT1 was one of the molecular mechanisms for style adaptation to LP stress and SgPT1 might be one of the candidate genes for clarifying the mechanisms.

Cloning and analysis of the Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (LcP5CS1)from Leymus chinensis

ZHANG Le-xin, SU Man, MA Tian, MA Xing-yong, YAN Xue-qing, PENG Xian-jun, CHEN Shuang-yan, CHENG Li-qin, LIU Gong-she

2013, 22(4): 197-204. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130424

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Leymus chinensis is tolerant to high salinity, drought and cold stresses. It is an important perennial plant with economic and ecological value. Proline is one of the main regulators in many plants under osmotic stresses. Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) is a key regulatory enzyme that plays a crucial role in proline biosynthesis by the glutamate pathway. Based on analysis of solexa sequencing data, a P5CS gene from L. chinensis was cloned by RT-PCR using homologous primers. The cDNA sequence was 2 197 bp in length and putatively translated to 730 amino acids. Based on the sequence alignment results, the protein was named LcP5CS1. The homology between LcP5CS1 and BdP5CS1 was 95％, but LcP5CS1 had low homology with P5CS from dicotyledons. Analysis expression profiles of LcP5CS1 revealed that LcP5CS1 was highly expressed in leaf sheaths, stems and leaves. In cold conditions, ABA, salt and drought stress, it was significantly induced with time, and the expression levels of LcP5CS1 were up-regulated. The results of Solexa sequencing for wounded L. chinensis showed that LcP5CS1 was up-regulated, and the increased proline in L. chinensis may contribute to its stress tolerance.

Effects of exogenous metallothionein on blood lymphocytes apoptosis and mitochondrial
transmembrane potential of China Holstein cows

WU Li-zhuan, LUO Jia-jie, ZHANG Bin, LI Li-li, LUO Rui, ZHAN Jin-shun

2013, 22(4): 205-211. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130425

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Effects of exogenous metallothionein (MT) on lymphocytes apoptosis, necrosis and mitochondrial membrane voltage (ΔΨm) of China Holstein cows were studied using 20 lactating cows in heat stress. They were randomly allocated to groups A, B, C and D. MT was supplemented at 0.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 16.0 mg/capita, respectively, by intravenous injection. Corrected milk yields in groups B, C, and D were significant higher than those in group A after being injected MT during days 51-60 (P<0.05); at 35 d, the lymphocytes apoptosis rate of group C (8 mg/capita) was significantly lower than those of groups B and D (P<0.05), but was not significantly different from group A (P>0.05). The lymphocytes apoptosis rate of group D (16 mg/capita) was the highest at 35 d (P<0.05) but significantly (P<0.05) decreased during days 50-60; Compared to 1 d, the lymphocytes necrosis rate of group A significantly (P<0.05) decreased at 50 d, group C (8 mg/capita) significantly (P<0.05) decreased at 35 d and 50 d, and began to show a rising trend at 60 d (P>0.05), while group D (16 mg/capita) significantly decreased at 50 d and 60 d. The mitochondrial membrane voltage (ΔΨm) of group A was the highest at 35 d, but the Δ Ψm of group B rose fastest at 35 d (P<0.05), and was significantly higher than at 20 d (P<0.05). The ΔΨm of groups A and B decreased at 50 d with that of group A falling fastest. The ΔΨm of group C was constant during days 35-50 but increased slightly at 60 d. The ΔΨm of group D (16 mg/capita) increased gradually during days 1-35 and remained constant during days 51-60. The lymphocytes ΔΨm and injected MT amount were positively correlated at 60 d. In conclusion, the heath of cows under heat stress can be improved, by exogenous MT injection. The injection of 8-16 mg/capita, can inhibit the lagged effects of southern summer heat stress in lactating cow.

Effects of yeast β-glucan on production performance and eating behavior of early-weaned lambs

Effects of yeast β-glucan on production performance and eating behavior of early-weaned lambsWEI Zhan-hu, LI Chong, LI Fa-di, MA You-ji, WANG Wei-min, JIANG Zhong-wen, ZHOU Yong

2013, 22(4): 212-219. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130426

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The effects of yeast β-glucan on production performance and eating behavior of lambs weaned at 28 days of age were investigated. A single factor experimental design was used and fifty lambs (Gansu meat sheep new breeding population, male∶female ratio=6∶4 for better homogeneity) were randomly allotted to 5 groups with 10 replicate lambs in each group. Lambs in group A were fed basal diets, while those in groups B to E were fed basal diets supplemented with 37.50, 75.00, 112.50 or 150.00 mg/kg yeast β-glucan. The final weights (P<0.05) and average daily gain (ADG) (P<0.05) of lambs fed diets with 37.50, 75.00 and 112.50 mg/kg yeast β-glucan were significantly higher than those of group A after-91 days. The ADG of lambs fed a diet with 150.00 mg/kg yeast β-glucan was higher than in the control group after 15-28 days (P=0.088). The final weights (P<0.05) and ADG (P<0.01) of lambs fed a diet with 112.50 mg/kg yeast β-glucan were significantly higher than those of group A after 29-42 days and after 43-56 days respectively. The ratio of feed to gain (F/G) of lambs fed a diet with 112.50 mg/kg yeast β-glucan was significantly lower than that of group A at 43-56 days (P<0.01). The final weight (P<0.01) and ADG (P<0.01) of lambs fed diets with 37.50 and 75.00 mg/kg yeast β-glucan after 57-70 days and 71-91 days, were significantly higher than those of group A although the F/G ratio was significantly (P<0.01) lower. The ruminating times of lambs treated with 112.50 mg/kg yeast β-glucan was higher than those of group A after 55-56 days and after 90-91 days (P<0.05, P<0.01). The ruminating time of lambs treated with 75.00 mg/kg yeast β-glucan was significantly (P<0.01) higher than those of group A after 55-56 days and after 90-91 days. Compared with group A, groups B to E had benefited more, with 81.33, 94.71, 85.10 and 24.17 Yuan/lamb respectively. The optimum diet for early-weaned lambs was a supplement of 75.00 mg/kg yeast β-glucan.

A quantitative analysis method for measuring grassland coverage based on the RGB model

ZHANG Chao-bin, LI Jian-long, ZHANG Ying, ZHOU Wei, QIAN Yu-rong, YANG Feng

2013, 22(4): 220-226. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130427

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Coverage is an important quantitative index for plant community structure. Traditional visual estimation of the coverage of plant communities not only had low precision but was also influenced by subjectivity. After analyzing the RGB (red-green-blue) mode of field photographs from desert grassland, the algorithms of an RGB color decision tree were constructed to calculate the vegetation coverage through distinguishing plant and non-plant digital pixels. Software was constructed with a friendly interface after: integrated human-computer interaction convenience, integrated function blocks of digital photograph import, object identification, coverage calculation, results display, and comparisons in the Matlab 7.0 platform, had achieved accurate and efficient calculation of grass coverage and facilitated grassland field investigations. Compared with acupuncture, the maximum absolute deviation of this algorithms was less than 5%, and the resulting vegetation coverage accuracy was more than 95%. This method could solve the problems of the heavy workload and inaccurate quantitative determination in normal manual estimation of grassland coverage.

A study on snow mapping in the Tibetan Plateau based on MODIS and AMSR-E data

WANG Wei, HUANG Xiao-dong, LV Zhi-bang, LIANG Tian-gang

2013, 22(4): 227-238. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130428

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The 2002 to 2008 MODIS/Terra-Aqua daily snow products (MOD10A1 and MYD10A1) and AMSR-E/Aqua daily snow water equivalent product AE_DySno from the Tibetan Plateau were used to study the daily composition algorithm of MODIS and AMSR-E data. The accuracies of composited daily cloud-free snow classification image MATS10A1 were validated based on snow depth data from climate stations. 1) In the Tibetan Plateau, snow classification accuracy of MODIS daily snow product is high (reaching 80.82% when the snow depth>3 cm) under clear sky conditions, but MOD10A1 and MYD10A1 are not suitable for monitoring the snow distribution in real time in pastoral areas because the average cloud ratios are 39.74% and 48.74%, respectively; 2) Composited images (MOYDTS10A1) of MOD10A1 and MYD10A1 not only eliminate most of the cloud’s impact (the average cloud ratio is 24.13%) but also improves the snow classification accuracy (reaching 81.67% when the snow depth >3 cm); 3) Daily cloud-free snow classification image MATS10A1 combines the advantages of AMSR-E (cannot be affected by weather conditions) and MODIS (relatively high resolution), completely eliminates the interference of clouds, and also has a relatively high snow classification accuracy (reaching 79.36% when the snow depth >3 cm). Therefore, the daily cloud-free images generated by the improved algorithm in this study will play an important role in snow disaster monitoring and evaluation in the Tibetan Plateau pastoral areas in the future.

A study on spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of NDVI
for natural vegetation in Gannan based on CSCS

XIU Li-na, FENG Qi-sheng, LIANG Tian-gang

2013, 22(4): 239-246. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130429

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Based on the comprehensive and sequential classification system (CSCS) model and geographic information systems approach, a potential natural vegetation (PNV) type map was simulated, and the remaining PNV with their typical area distribution maps in Gannan were made from a combination of land cover data sets from the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). The monthly and yearly changes of the NDVI (normalized different vegetation index) values in the remaining PNV and their typical areas were analyzed using remote sensing data of MODIS. 1) The remaining PNV distribution covers an area of 33 940 km², accounting for 92.53% of the total land area in Gannan; 2) The typical areas are located in parts of Maqu, Luqu, Diebu Counties, and the northern Xiahe County, while the remainder have a scattered distribution in Zhouqu, Zhuoni, and Lintan Counties; 3) NDVI values of the seven natural vegetation types showed increasing trends with the maximum NDVI values from July to September.

Dynamic monitoring of biomass and vegetation coverage in rodent damaged grassland
regions of Qinghai Province, China

CHEN Meng-die, HUANG Xiao-dong, HOU Xiu-min, FENG Qi-sheng, YU Hui, GUO Zheng-gang, LIANG Tian-gang

2013, 22(4): 247-256. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130430

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Combining Terra/MODIS vegetation index products MOD13A3 and field surveying data from 2005-2006, remote sensing inversion models of grassland aboveground biomass (GAB) and vegetation coverage (VC) in Qinghai Province were established. They were used to separately simulate and analyze the monthly and annual dynamic changes of biomass and vegetation coverage during 2001-2010 in rodent infested regions, harmful regions and rodent-free regions in the study area. Rodents had a significant influence on grassland productivity in the study area. 1) An exponential model of MODIS-EVI (enhanced vegetation index) and a logarithmic model were the optimal models to estimate the green yield of GAB and VC, respectively and had a precision of 70.18% and 77.43%, respectively. 2) The GAB and VC for different types of grasslands in the study area decreased with the aggravation of rodent pests, especially in July and August of each year, and this tendency remained stable during the whole study period.

The behavior differentiation mechanisms of grassland resource utilization and management
strategies of households in a typical steppe region

HE Xin, NIU Jian-ming, GUO Xiao-chuan, ZHANG Qing

2013, 22(4): 257-265. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130431

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The typical grasslands of Xilinguole League in Inner Mongolia were used as the research region to obtain sample data and statistical information on herdsmen for studying the behavior differentiation mechanism and management strategies of grassland resources utilization. Due to the different scales of livestock farming, there are differences in financing, pasture transference, and overload operation of households, so for regression analysis on the panel data production function model, households were divided into large and small-household groups to determine differences in scale and elasticity of production factors. The quantitative analysis of household production behavior indicated that the imminent mechanism of household behavioral difference in grassland resources utilization refers to the difference in relevance among households financing capacity, production behavior, and grassland resource utilization behavior. This is based on the special asset properties of livestock, and the external driving conditions refer to market-featured management and grass-livestock balance management. Contradictions exist between present grassland system management policy and households different behaviors, so several targeted policy recommendations are advanced, e.g. to: establish the pasture transference allowance system to improve the current situation: consider households overload behavior difference: mitigate the punishment of illegal overload, and to focus on the management of legal overload limitation; develop modern ecological animal husbandry, strengthen skill training of animal husbandry and employment training of non-animal husbandry.

A study on the eco-environment health assessment in golf course

PUYANG Xue-hua, DAI Zi-yun, GAO Chen-hao, SONG Zheng, HAN Lie-bao, MENG Jian-zhong

2013, 22(4): 266-274. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130432

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Based on the characteristics of ecological environment in golf course, the index system of eco-environment health assessment was established and the weighted value of every index was confirmed by using analytical hierarchy process, then the health of eco-environment was evaluated by using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The health index of eco-environment in Shanghai one golf course was 0.751, it was at a healthy level. The health index of atmospheric environment, water environment, soil environment and vegetation conditions was 0.920, 0.597, 0.843, 0.733, respectively. They were extraordinary health, sub-health, extraordinary health and health, respectively. Problems of eco-environment in this golf course were analyzed further according the evaluation results and measured number. Finally, some recommendations about how to improve the eco-environment of golf course were presented.

Effects of grazing intensities on foraging behaviors of goats on a cultivated pasture of southern China

WAN Li-qiang, CHEN Wei-wei, LI Xiang-lin, HE Feng, WAN Jiang-chun, WU Wei-da, ZHAO Yun

2013, 22(4): 275-282. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130433

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There are fairly rich forage resources and species and quantity of grazing livestock with good climatic conditions in southern China. To promote the utilization of local pasture resources and the balance between forage and livestock, changes of foraging behaviors of goats under different grazing intensities were studied by field observation group methods on a cultivated pasture of southwestern China. Goats under the light and heavy-grazing regimes spent more time in eating than in other activities (P<0.01). Goats grazed in the pastures spent an average of 29.0%, 29.2%, 25.4% and 16.4% of their total eating time grazing four types of plants: ryegrass, cocksfoot, white clover and forbs respectively. Goats allocated much more of their eating time to the first three species than to the forbs (P<0.01) but there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the grazing time of the three species. Biting rates of goats gradually decreased with an increase of grazing intensity and as the season progressed, but the differences were not significant (P>0.05). There was a negative relationship between bite rate and bite weight of goats. The stocking rates showed the potential to serve as a management tool for manipulating the pasture composition, enhancing goats’ effective intakes and thus improving the financial outputs of goat grazing systems and the incomes of local farmers.

Progress, limitation and strategies in using plants to produce biopharmaceuticals

YUAN Bei, LI Jing-sheng, WU Yan-min

2013, 22(4): 283-299. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130434

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Molecular farming in plants has a lot of advantages as they are inexpensive, safe and convenient. In clinical trials, several plant-derived pharmaceutical proteins, such as antibodies, vaccine antigens, and cytokines have been found to induce a high immune response. However, only a few small-scale products have so far reached to the market. The problems of low yield and poor immunogenicity are the two major challenges that militate against the full exploitation of plant’s expression system. Strategies have been developed to break through these barriers which focus on the choice of suitable host plant, vector optimization, and the use of mucosal adjuvants. This article reviews the different novel plant-derived pharmaceutical proteins, the limiting issues, and discusses the technologies and strategies to assess the development trends of plant molecular farming.

A review on the progress of proteomic study on plant responses to heavy metal stress

XUE Liang, LIU Jian-feng, SHI Sheng-qing, WEI Yuan, CHANG Er-mei, GAO Ming, JIANG Ze-ping

2013, 22(4): 300-311. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130435

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Heavy metal pollution of ecosystems is a global problem. Uptake of heavy metals by plants not only affects the regular growth, but also threatens the health of humans and the whole ecosystem throughout the food chains. Although the analysis of gene expression at the mRNA level has enhanced our understanding of the response of plants to heavy metals, many questions regarding the functional translated portions of plant genomes under metal stress remain unanswered. Acquiring information at the translational and post-translational levels by analyzing and identifying the heavy metal-responsive genes and functional proteins of the plant is needed for a deeper understanding of the response of plants to heavy metal stress. This article analyzes and compares technologies used in studying proteomic responses to heavy metal stress for the past few years and reviews developments in analyzing heavy metal-responsive mechanisms of plants using proteomics. The possibility of illustrating heavy metal detoxification pathways in plants at a sub-cellular proteomic level is discussed. Challenges and strategies encountered in this research field are proposed to provide an effective process in elucidating the molecular mechanism of the interaction between plants and heavy metals.

A study on main agronomic traits of yield and quality of clone lines of Solanum tuberosum hybrids F₁

GAN Lin, YU Xiao-xia, YU Zhuo, MENG Mei-lian, ZHANG Zi-qiang

2013, 22(4): 312-318. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130436

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In order to clarify agronomic characteristics of asexual second-generation lines 2-1,3-1,4-4 and 19-3 selected from two potato combinations ‘J07-2’×‘Longshu No. 7’, ‘J07-6’×‘Longshu No. 7’ hybrid F₁, the main agronomic traits, such as growth period, plant height, tuber characteristics, tuber number per plant, yield per plant, mean tuber weight, the rate of commercial tuber, tuber dry matter content, starch content, reducing sugar content, and other agronomic traits, were determined and analyzed. Four hybrid asexual lines were late-maturing type, growth period was 127 d to 130 d, growth potentials were strong and average plant height was about 100 cm. The yield and quality of line 2-1 and line 19-3 were more prominent, mean tuber weight per plant, the rate of commercial tuber and yield per plant were high, eyes were shallow, tuber shape was good, the starch contents were 19.22% and 21.22% respectively, reducing sugar contents were 0.022% and 0.045% respectively, therefore they were good materials for breeding varieties of starch, fried food and fresh food. The correlation analysis showed that the yield per plant of hybrid clones was significantly positively related to growth period, plant height, tuber number per plant, commercial tuber rate. Mean tuber weight was significantly positively related to rate of commercial tuber. The tuber number per plant was significantly negatively correlated with mean tuber weight. The starch content was significantly positively related to dry matter content, and extremely significantly positively related to mean tuber weight and commercial tuber rate.

Effect of nitrogen fertilization and cutting intensity on the photosynthetic
characteristics of Pennisetum purpureum cv. Guimu No.1

LIANG Zhi-xia, DU Hu, PENG Wan-xia, ZENG Fu-ping, YANG Gai-ren, TAN Qiu-jin, SONG Tong-qing

2013, 22(4): 319-326. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130437

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The effects of nitrogen fertilization (250 kg/ha and unfertilized) and cutting intensities (5 cm, 20 cm, or 50 cm above ground level) on the photosynthetic characteristics of Guimu No.1 (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Guimu No.1) were studied in a two factor randomized experiment. All the diurnal variations of net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in the six treatments followed a bimodal curve distribution. However, with an increase of cutting intensities, the Pn initially rose but then declined and with nitrogen fertilization, the noon break phenomenon of photosynthesis was reduced. Nitrogen fertilization increased chlorophyll content and the maximum net photosynthetic rate (Amax). With an increase of cutting intensities in the N-fertilization treatments, apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) increased, while carboxylation efficiency (CE) initially increased but finally declined; the reverse was true for the light compensation point (LCP), photorespiratory rate (Rp) and dark respiration rate (Rd). With an increase of cutting intensities in treatments with no N-fertilization, AQE, LCP, CE, Rp and Rd all declined initially but then increased. This indicated that both nitrogen fertilization and cutting intensity have some influence on the photosynthetic characteristics of Guimu No.1 with the best effect from a combination of medium-intensity cutting and 250 kg/ha nitrogen.

Allocation of carbohydrate during seed development of Ceratoides arboresens

YANG Gao-feng, HE Xiao, YI Jin

2013, 22(4): 327-333. DOI: 10.11686/cyxb20130438

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