Contrasting Rootstock-Mediated Growth and Yield Responses in Salinized Pepper Plants (Capsicum annuum L.) Are Associated with Changes in the Hormonal Balance

Salinity provokes an imbalance of vegetative to generative growth, thus impairing crop productivity. Unlike breeding strategies, grafting is a direct and quick alternative to improve salinity tolerance in horticultural crops, through rebalancing plant development. Providing that hormones play a key role in plant growth and development and stress responses, we hypothesized that rootstock-mediated reallocation of vegetative growth and yield under salinity was associated with changes in the hormonal balance. To test this hypothesis, the hybrid pepper variety (Capsicum annuum L. “Gacela F1”) was either non-grafted or grafted onto three commercial rootstocks (Creonte, Atlante, and Terrano) and plants were grown in a greenhouse under control (0 mM NaCl) and moderate salinity (35 mM NaCl) conditions. Differential vegetative growth versus fruit yield responses were induced by rootstock and salinity. Atlante strongly increased shoot and root fresh weight with respect to the non-grafted Gacela plants associated with improved photosynthetic rate and K⁺ homeostasis under salinity. The invigorating effect of Atlante can be explained by an efficient balance between cytokinins (CKs) and abscisic acid (ABA). Creonte improved fruit yield and maintained the reproductive to vegetative ratio under salinity as a consequence of its capacity to induce biomass reallocation and to avoid Na⁺ accumulation in the shoot. The physiological responses associated with yield stability in Creonte were mediated by the inverse regulation of CKs and the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. Finally, Terrano limited the accumulation of gibberellins in the shoot thus reducing plant height. Despite scion compactness induced by Terrano, both vegetative and reproductive biomass were maintained under salinity through ABA-mediated control of water relations and K⁺ homeostasis. Our data demonstrate that the contrasting developmental and physiological responses induced by the rootstock genotype in salinized pepper plants were critically mediated by hormones. This will be particularly important for rootstock breeding programs to improve salinity tolerance by focusing on hormonal traits.     

生态雨水设施的污染物积累效应及风险研究进展

对植被浅沟、雨水花园及雨水塘3种具有代表性的生态雨水设施应用于径流中有机质、颗粒物、重金属等污染物控制时,污染物在设施内的积累特性进行了归纳总结,分析了设施长期运行时面临的污染风险,提出了这3种生态雨水设施运行管理与维护的建议:植被浅沟运行寿命应结合我国道路雨水径流水质综合确定,超期运行的植被浅沟应对表层5cm种植土进行更换;雨水花园表层介质重金属含量较高时,可更换0~10 cm深度范围内的种植土,为减少表层磷溶出量,可在表层覆盖树皮以加强对磷的吸附;雨水塘中沉积物的清理周期应按功能区分类确定,对于沉积物中多环芳烃含量较高的干塘应酌情增加清理次数。     

不同灌溉量对退化草地的生态恢复作用

在希拉穆仁草原进行了为期3年的草地灌溉试验,对测试的试验地在灌溉3年期间及停灌后1年内进行了植被调查和土壤种子库发芽试验,结果表明：一是灌溉可以明显提高草地植被的生产性能且不同灌溉量间并无明显差异。当停止灌溉后,原灌溉样地的植被生产性能均略低于无灌溉对照区,且不同灌溉量间也无明显差异。二是不同灌溉量样地植被物种组成与无灌溉对照区的Bray-curtis相似性系数始终保持在0.8左右,表明灌溉期间群落结构并未发生很大变化。当停止灌溉后,原灌溉样地与无灌溉对照区的Bray-curtis相似性系数下降为充足灌溉区0.61和中度灌溉区0.55,表明灌溉对植物的生存策略有一定的影响且不同灌溉量基本相同。三是土壤中的种子总数量有所增加,但物种的数量有所减少。充足灌溉样地土壤种子库情况略差于无灌溉对照区,中度灌溉样地则略好于无灌溉对照区,表明不同灌溉量对植物的繁殖策略有一定的影响。     

绶草营养器官解剖结构研究

利用石蜡切片和徒手切片,在光学显微镜下,观察了绶草根、茎、叶的形态结构。结果表明：绶草的叶是等面叶,上下表皮细胞都有较厚的角质层以及加厚的外壁,上表皮无气孔,而下表皮则分布着结构特殊的气孔器且数量很多,在个别叶肉组织细胞中分布有针晶簇;根内皮层细胞径向面强烈加厚,凯氏点非常明显。根中央被一个大导管所占据;茎由表皮、基本组织,机械组织和维管束组成;维管束排列成两轮,分布在基本组织中。     

The ability of zinc to inhibit the sporulation and viability of Clostridium sporogenes and growth of other bacteria

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of zinc on the sporulation and viability of Clostridium sporogenes and on the growth of other bacteria. When 0.5% ZnCl₂ was added to a sporulation medium, it completely inhibited C. sporogenes (PA 3679) sporulation for up to 3 weeks. At concentrations of 0.5% and 1.0%, ZnCl₂ not only completely inactivated the vegetative cell viability (>7.0 Log reduction) but also significantly reduced the spore viability (<2.1 Log reduction) of C. sporogenes. Taken together, it was concluded that zinc blocks C. sporogenes sporulation by damaging (or killing) vegetative cells and probably by interfering with the biosynthesis of spore components. In addition to the inhibitory effect on the sporulation and viability of C. sporogenes, ZnCl₂ was found to have a broad antimicrobial spectrum against all Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative spoilage and pathogenic bacteria tested. The minimal inhibitory concentration for inhibiting the bacteria ranged between 3.7 and 7.4 mm . Therefore, we expect that this compound or a combination thereof has a potential as a surface‐cleaning agent or disinfectant.     

Hydrologic design aid for urban grass filter strips

A set of generalised charts are presented in this article as a design aid for hydrologic sizing of grass filter strips. The charts express the volume of runoff and the peak flow rate from a grass strip and the residence time in terms of the size and surface and subsurface characteristics of the grass strip as well as the size and surface characteristics of the area draining to the filter strip. These charts are developed by using a mathematical model based on a kinematic‐wave formulation of overland flow and Green‐and‐Ampt formulation for infiltration. The results are obtained in terms of dimensionless parameters and generalised through the principle of hydrologic similarity. An example is included to demonstrate the use of the charts in a practical design problem.     

三维土工网垫结合植被防护在边坡中的应用

针对路基边坡防护设计的重要性,深入探讨了土工网垫边坡的防护机理和植被防护机理,详细地阐述了三维土工网垫结合植被防护技术的施工工艺,得出了该技术能美化景观、优化行车环境,实现工程防护与环境保持相和谐的目的,以推广该技术的应用.     

Comparison of photobioreactors and optimal light regime for rapid vegetative propagation of transgenic Undaria pinnatifida gametophytes

BACKGROUND: Previously, tachyplesin gene (tac) has been successfully transferred into Undaria pinnatifida gametophytes using the method of microprojectile bombardment transformation. The objectives of this study were to compare and evaluate the performance of bubble‐column and airlift bioreactors to determine a preferred configuration of bioreactor for vegetative propagation of transgenic U. pinnatifida gametophytes, and to then investigate the influence of light on vegetative propagation of these gametophytes, including incident light intensity, photoperiod and light quality to resolve the problems of rapid vegetative propagation within the selected bioreactor. RESULTS: Experimental results showed that final dry cell density in the airlift bioreactor was 12.7% higher than that in the bubble‐column bioreactor under the optimal aeration rate of 1.2 L air min^?1 L^?1 culture. And a maximum final dry cell density of 2830 mg L^?1 was obtained within the airlift bioreactor using blue light at 40 µmol m^?2 s^?1 with a light/dark cycle of 14/10 (h). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis indicated that genes (bar and tac) were not lost during rapid vegetative propagation within the airlift bioreactor. CONCLUSION: The airlift bioreactor was shown to be much more suitable for rapid vegetative propagation of transgenic U. pinnatifida gametophytes than the bubble‐column bioreactor in the laboratory. The use of blue light allows improvement of vegetative propagation of transgenic U. pinnatifida gametophytes. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Auditory communication, meteorology and the Umwelt.

Animal communication is affected by a multitude of environmental factors including meteorological conditions, ground reflection, turbulence, and vegetative attenuation. Evolutionary and behavioral adaptations by animals to these challenges include elephant use of infrasound optimized for long-distance propagation. These adaptations in turn influence the perceptual sphere, or Umwelt, of calling animals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)