Urea briquette applicator for transplanted rice

A plunger-type, completely hand-operated applicator prototype, made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), for deep placement of urea briquettes (UB), i.e., pillow-shaped urea supergranules with edges, in line transplanted rice has been developed for use by small-scale rice farmers. The field evaluation of the applicator was conducted in the Philippines during the 1989 dry season. The applicator consistently placed UB at proper depth (7 to 8 cm), which resulted in low concentrations of urea N (<7 ppm) in about 4 cm of floodwater 1 day after placement. These findings indicated that the prototype worked properly. Average work output of the applicator was 0.20 ha workday^–1 and may increase with practice. The yields of irrigated transplanted rice in the field trials show that agronomic efficiencies of hand-placed UB and applicator-placed UB were equal and were superior to those of split-applied prilled urea.     

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of rice husk ash filled epoxy foams

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of epoxy foams filled with white and black rice husk ash were studied. Epoxy foams were prepared from a commercial system and filled with different amounts of both the ashes (0, 6.8, 12.8, 18.0, and 22.7 wt %). The incorporation of both the ashes modified the final morphology of the foam, decreasing the average cell size and increasing the number of cells per volume unit. For all filler percentages used, the specific modulus and strength results showed that the white ash is more effective as reinforcing agent than the black ash. The initial degradation temperature was not affected by the content and type of ash used as the filler. The integral procedure decomposition temperature, weight loss, and char residue results were related to the ash type and atmosphere used in the thermogravimetric analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

不同预处理方法对稻秸纤维表面性质的影响

通过对稻秸原料进行水热、酸碱和冷等离子体预处理,分析了纤维表面的浸润性及表面自由基浓度的变化。研究表明,经水热及酸碱预处理后,纤维与水的接触角为90o,稻秸纤维的浸润性改善不明显,经冷等离子改性后,稻秸纤维表面浸润性改善非常明显。水热及乙酸处理有利于提高稻秸纤维的表面自由基浓度,碱处理则降低了稻秸纤维的表面自由基浓度。     

水稻强化栽培下不同氮肥管理对产量与氮素利用的影响

以籼型单季超级杂交稻中浙优1号为材料,研究水稻强化栽培氮肥管理对产量与氮素利用率的影响。结果表明:水稻强化栽培与常规栽培对照比较,增产达11.1%-15.2%,氮肥回收率比对照高5.3%~26.9%,农学利用率比对照高67.2%~92.2%,生理利用率比对照高6.0%~80.5%。因此,在水稻生产上应用水稻强化栽培可以提高氮肥的利用,降低氮肥在环境中积累及对环境造成污染。此外,本文对水稻强化栽培下氮肥管理的高产机理进行了探讨。     

是荧光还是散射光?是生物化学方法还是形态学方法?——与赖省生等同志商榷

本文提出:所谓“荧光扫描法”测定杂交水稻子一代种子纯度的方法,不是测定的荧光,而是测定的散射光,由种子表面对光的散射来进行测定。因而实质上仍然是一种形态学的测定方法。     

Prediction of venturi scrubber efficiency used in an updraft gasifier cleaning train

The performance of a venturi scrubber in the removal of tar from gas in updraft gasification has been studied. The gasifier has been operated with a husk feed rate of 1.6 × 10^?4 kg/s. The venturi scrubber has been operated at a superficial gas velocity of 56.4 m/s at the throat. A wide variety of scrubbing liquids having surface tensions ranging from 0.026 to 0.072 N/m have been used. The Q_g/Q_l, has been varied in the range of 1000–8000. The tar separation efficiency η has been found to vary from 51 to 98.5%. A mathematical model, assuming steady-state operation, has been developed considering very high pseudosolubility of tar in the scrubbing liquids. The predicted values of η have been compared with experimental results. The model satisfactorily explains the tar removal efficiency of the venturi for Q_g/Q_l values ranging from 4000 to 8000 for all scrubbing liquids. The following correlation has been developed for predicting venturi scrubber efficiency: .     

Cytological Observations and Bulked-Segregant Analysis Coupled Global Genome Sequencing Reveal Two Genes Associated with Pollen Fertility in Tetraploid Rice

Neo-tetraploid rice with high fertility is a useful germplasm for polyploid rice breeding, which was developed from the crossing of different autotetraploid rice lines. However, little information is available on the molecular mechanism underlying the fertility of neo-tetraploid rice. Here, two contrasting populations of tetraploid rice, including one with high fertility (hereafter referred to as JG) and another with low fertility (hereafter referred to as JD), were generated by crossing Huaduo 3 (H3), a high fertility neo-tetraploid rice that was developed by crossing Jackson-4x with 96025-4x, and Huajingxian74-4x (T452), a low fertility autotetraploid rice parent. Cytological, global genome sequencing-based bulked-segregant (BSA-seq) and CRISPR/Cas9 technology were employed to study the genes associated with pollen fertility in neo-tetraploid rice. The embryo sacs of JG and JD lines were normal; however, pollen fertility was low in JD, which led to scarce fertilization and low seed setting. Cytological observations displayed low pollen fertility (25.1%) and approximately 31.3 and 27.2% chromosome lagging at metaphase I and II, and 28.8 and 24.8% chromosome straggling at anaphase I and II in JD, respectively. BSA-seq of F_2–3 generations and RNA-seq of F₄ generation detected a common fragment, i.e., 18,915,234–19,500,000, at chromosome 7, which was comprised of 78 genes associated with fertility. Among 78 genes, 9 genes had been known to be involved in meiosis and pollen development. Two mutants ny1 (LOC_Os07g32406) and ny2 (LOC_Os07g32040) were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 knockout in neo-tetraploid rice, and which exhibited low pollen fertility and abnormal chromosome behavior. Our study revealed that two unknown genes, LOC_Os07g32406 (NY1) and LOC_Os07g32040 (NY2) play an important role in pollen development of neo-tetraploid rice and provides a new perspective about the genetic mechanisms of fertility in polyploid rice.     

腐解稻草DOM提取液洗脱六价铬污染土壤试验研究

工矿企业产生的铬渣、含铬废水由于管理不善导致土壤铬污染严重,迫切需要寻求低成本铬污染土壤修复技术。提出腐解稻草中溶解性有机质（Dissolved Organic Matter, DOM）提取液洗脱铬污染土壤的技术,通过实验室模拟试验,以2种铬污染土壤（总铬含量为分别为121.54、941.90 mg/kg,六价铬含量分别为119.90、856.90 mg/kg）为研究目标,采用振荡淋洗法考察了固液比、淋洗时间、淋洗次数等因素对土壤中总铬、六价铬洗脱效果的影响,并探讨了淋洗前后铬形态变化及淋洗后土壤残留六价铬的持续钝化能力。研究结果表明：稻草经35 d腐解后的DOM提取液洗脱土壤中铬效果最佳,确定为最佳淋洗剂;固液比1：15、淋洗4h/次、淋洗2次为最佳淋洗工艺条件,该条件下,2种铬污染土壤总铬分别洗脱了47.79%、85.92%,六价铬含量分别削减了51.76%、95.09%;DOM提取液呈弱碱性,包含大量羧基、羟基及酚类物质,对水溶态、弱酸提取态和残渣态铬有较好的洗脱效果,有效降低了土壤环境风险,且能持续钝化淋洗后土壤中残余的六价铬。     

Structural Investigation and Molecular Modeling Studies of Strobilurin-Based Fungicides Active against the Rice Blast Pathogen Pyricularia oryzae

The increasing emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogens requires urgent solutions for crop disease management. Here, we describe a structural investigation of new fungicides obtained by combining strobilurin and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor pharmacophores. We identified compounds endowed with very good activity against wild-type Pyricularia oryzae, combined in some cases with promising activity against strobilurin-resistant strains. The first three-dimensional model of P. oryzae cytochrome bc1 complex containing azoxystrobin as a ligand was developed. The model was validated with a set of commercially available strobilurins, and it well explains both the resistance mechanism to strobilurins mediated by the mutation G143A and the activity of metyltetraprole against strobilurin-resistant strains. The obtained results shed light on the key recognition determinants of strobilurin-like derivatives in the cytochrome bc1 active site and will guide the further rational design of new fungicides able to overcome resistance caused by G143A mutation in the rice blast pathogen.     

Formation of Proto-Kranz in C3 Rice Induced by Spike-Stalk Injection Method

Introduction of C4 photosynthetic traits into C3 crops is an important strategy for improving photosynthetic capacity and productivity. Here, we report the research results of a variant line of sorghum–rice (SR) plant with big panicle and high spikelet density by introducing sorghum genome DNA into rice by spike-stalk injection. The whole-genome resequencing showed that a few sorghum genes could be integrated into the rice genome. Gene expression was confirmed for two C4 photosynthetic enzymes containing pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Exogenous sorghum DNA integration induced a series of key traits associated with the C4 pathway called “proto-Kranz” anatomy, including leaf thickness, bundle sheath number and size, and chloroplast size in bundle sheath cells. Significantly, transgenic plants exhibited enhanced photosynthetic capacity resulting from both photosynthetic CO₂-concentrating effect and improved energy balance, which led to an increase in carbohydrate levels and productivity. Furthermore, such rice plant exhibited delayed leaf senescence. In summary, this study provides a proof for the feasibility of inducing the transition from C3 leaf anatomy to proto-Kranz by spike-stalk injection to achieve efficient photosynthesis and increase productivity.