Plant species in arable field margins and road verges of central Norway

Plant species composition and species number were studied in two types of field margins: 31 arable field margins and 33 road verges. Both field margin types were adjacent to intensively managed grass or cereal fields. Effects of eight variables on field margin vegetation were studied. Despite having many plant species in common, composition and species number differed between the two field margin types, due to different ecological conditions and margin management. Arable field margins were composed of tall and/or nutrient demanding ubiquitous species and were characterised by species of later successional stages than those of road verges. The vegetation of road verges was lower and species numbers were higher than in arable field margins. The road verges contained several semi-natural meadow species that are declining in abundance. A CCA ordination of the field margins and the recorded variables showed that plant species composition was significantly affected by thickness of litter, slope, width, moisture level and type of crop in the adjacent field. Number of plant species was significantly higher in mown than unmown margins and generally higher in margins adjacent to fields with mainly grass production than in margins adjacent to fields with mainly cereal crops. In order to preserve botanical diversity in this agricultural landscape, the maintenance of regularly mown road verges should be prioritized.     

野生植物汁液对作物营养效应的研究

采用土培试验与化学分析方法研究了３种野生植物汁液对绿豆和玉米生长的营养效应。结果表明，野生植物汁液提高绿豆植株干重、根系活力、磷含量和叶绿素含量，以Ｃ汁液对植株干重提高量最大，达１６５％～２６０％；Ｂ、Ｃ汁液提高绿豆根系活力２５４％～１１０２％。３种野生植物汁液处理的玉米植株干重差异不明显，但却显著提高根系活力和过氧化氢酶活性。     

湖北省国家重点保护野生植物名录及特点

对湖北省分布的国家新颁布的重点保护野生植物进行了研究 ,据统计湖北省国家重点保护野生植物共有 5 7种 ,其中一级 13种 ,二级 44种 ;其中包括栽培 11种 ,一级 4种 ,二级 7种。对湖北重点保护植物名录特点进行了分析。     

Gaps in the capacity of modern forage crops to adapt to the changing climate in northern Europe

The within-species diversity in response to weather and the gaps in the response diversity in the modern set of forage crop cultivars were determined using an approach that assessed the adaptive capacity under global climate change. The annual dry matter (DM) yields were recorded in multi-location MTT (Maa- ja elintarviketalouden tutkimuskeskus) Agrifood Research Official Variety Trials in Finland for modern forage crop cultivars from 2000 to 2012, as a response to agroclimatic variables critical to yield based on the year-round weather data. The effect and interaction of cultivars and agroclimatic variables were analysed using mixed model. The relatively low adaptive capacity of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) indicates that diversification of the breeding material is warranted, particularly for resistance to high temperatures during primary growth and to high temperature sum 7 days after the first cut. All red clover cultivars (Trifolium pratense L.) suffered from both low and high accumulation of warm winter temperatures. Except for the red clover cultivars, cold stress during winter and lack of warm winter temperatures consistently reduced the yields of all species and cultivars. All tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cultivars suffered from low precipitation during the fall hardening period. Although the set of festulolium (Festulolium pabulare) cultivars was also sensitive to low precipitation during the fall, festulolium was a good example of enhanced capacity to adapt to climate change with high response diversity because the cultivar germplasm base was diversified. Foreign origin in a cultivar pool was apparently not sufficient or necessary to ensure added value for a diversity of responses to climate change. Similar analyses to those used in this study, applied as practical tools for breeders, farmers and public actors, are important to secure the adaptive capacity of crops worldwide under global climate change.     

耕地结构变化下水土资源匹配时空特征效应分析——以黑龙江省为例

基于耕地利用水资源的供需视角,在综合考虑耕地利用类型、作物种植结构、作物生长期等条件的基础上,结合黑龙江省的国家气象站数据,对耕地利用需水量与有效供水量从微观尺度上进行分析,并以此对1990—2018年内不同生长期耕地利用水土资源匹配的时空动态进行分析。结果表明：1990—2018年间黑龙江省耕地结构不断变化,旱改水现象在2010— 2018年间最为普遍;作物生育前期与中期需水量较多,后期需水量较少,需水量逐年上涨,与水田占比变化保持较为一致,并且空间上需水量高值地区偏移规律与同时段内的旱地水田化现象保持高度一致;1990—2018年间,作物各生育期水土资源匹配程度均先降后升,大部分的水土资源匹配高值地区分布在有效降水量的高值地区与旱地地区的交接地带,可见天然降水仍是满足耕地作物用水的主要来源;近年来三江平原南部地区水土资源匹配程度严重下降,粮食单产下滑,建议该部分地区减少旱改水工程量,同时,松嫩平原西部地区水土资源匹配水平与粮食单产逐年上升,可适当进行旱改水工程。     

In vitro conservation and sustained production of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, Moraceae): modern technologies for a traditional tropical crop

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, Moraceae) is a traditionally cultivated, high-energy, high-yield crop, but widespread use of the plant for food is limited by poor quality and poor storage properties of the fruit. A unique field genebank of breadfruit species and cultivars exists at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in the Hawaiian Islands and is an important global resource for conservation and sustainable use of breadfruit. However, this plant collection could be damaged by a random natural disaster such as a hurricane. We have developed a highly efficient in vitro plant propagation system to maintain, conserve, mass propagate, and distribute elite varieties of this important tree species. Mature axillary shoot buds were collected from three different cultivars of breadfruit and proliferated using a cytokinin-supplemented medium. The multiple shoots were maintained as stock cultures and repeatedly used to develop whole plants after root differentiation on a basal or an auxin-containing medium. The plantlets were successfully grown under greenhouse conditions and were reused to initiate additional shoot cultures for sustained production of plants. Flow cytometry was used to determine the nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content and the ploidy status of the in vitro grown population. The efficacy of the micropropagation protocols developed in this study represents a significant advancement in the conservation and sustained mass propagation of breadfruit germplasm in a controlled environment free from contamination.     

冀南野生木本资源植物研究

冀南产野生木本资源植物200种，隶属43科91属。其中超过5种的科有13个，蔷薇科30种最多，其次为豆科24种，忍冬科、榆科、杨柳科均在10种以上。1、油松Pinustabulaeformis松科。木材可供建筑、电杆、矿柱、造船、家具及木纤维工业原料等用材；树干可提取松节油；树皮可提取栲胶     

Farming systems and insect predators

Predatory carabids, staphylinids and spiders were monitored from 1981 to 1987 in a Dutch project concerning the development of arable farming systems. During this period epigeic predators in the conventional, integrated and organic systems were sampled using pitfall traps. The effects of crop type and farming system on species diversity, abundance and guild structure was analysed using trap data from wheat, pea, sugar beet, potato, onion and carrot fields. Predator abundance and species composition were found to be clearly affected by the farming system. However, in most cases the type of crop appeared to be of greater importance. Crops with a greater cover early in the season, like winter wheat and peas appeared to be more favourable than late and open crops like onions or carrots. Both system and crop effects were more apparent in carabids than in spiders or staphylinids. Only minor effects of farm management were found on species richness. Again, the crop itself seemed to be the main structuring factor. It is concluded that the presence and quality of predator populations is mainly determined by crop structure and crop-related factors. The role of favourable crops and field size in predator enhancement is discussed in relation to the agroecological infrastructure of the landscape.     

A review: long-term effects of agricultural systems on soil biochemical and microbial parameters

This paper provides a review of recent developments on assessing the effect of agricultural systems on long-term productivity of soils. Cultivation of soils, besides affecting soil chemistry and structure, reduces biological activity due to the reduction of macroaggregates which provides an important microhabitat for microbial activity. Indirect evidence suggests that soil amendments such as animal and green manures, and plant diversity (crop rotations) may be more important in maintaining soil microbial activity/diversity than conservation tillage in monocultural systems. There is increasing evidence that crop rotation promotes crop productivity by suppressing deleterious microorganisms that flourish under monoculture. Additions of inorganic fertilizers can increase soil biological activity because of an increased plant biomass production which upon incorporation stimulates soil biological activity. Conversely, limited evidence suggests that repeated applications of inorganic fertilizer nutrients can suppress production of certain soil enzymes that are involved in cycling of a given nutrient. The observed transitory decrease in crop productivity during conversion from chemical intensive input to alternative systems (greater reliance on biological resources) may be due to the initial diminished biological potentials of conventionally managed soils to efficiently cycle and mineralize organic nutrient sources. This review reaffirms the continuing need for the maintenance of existing long-term experimental sites and establishment of new studies in major agroecosystems throughout the world.     

23种常见作物对镉毒害的敏感性差异

通过水培苗期毒性试验,研究了9个科23种常见作物幼苗对镉毒害敏感性的差异.结果表明,大部分供试植物在0.1～0.25 mg·L-1镉浓度条件下开始出现表观毒害症状.不同种类作物所表现的毒害症状有较大的差异.作物地上部鲜重对较低浓度镉(0.1～0.5 mg·L-1)胁迫的响应比其他生长性状指标更加敏感和稳定.可作为植物对...     

Abundance patterns and foraging activity of ant communities in abandoned,organic and commercial apple orchards in Northern California

The abundance patterns of ant communities were monitored with pitfall traps during 14 weeks in four northern California, dry farmed, apple orchards: an abandoned orchard undisturbed for 25 years, two ‘organically’ managed orchards, one with a cover crop of bell beans (Vicia faba) and grasses and the other kept clean of cover by discing, and a ‘commercial’ clean cultivated orchard sprayed with organophosphate insecticides. Six species of ants coexisted in the abandoned orchard, whereas only two species were found in the managed orchards. In both the organic and sprayed, clean cultivated systems, ants were more abundant in the orchard edges than in the vegetation-free centers. This trend was not apparent in the abandoned or organic cover orchards, where plant diversity in the center was similar to that of the edges. Ant predation on potato tuberworm larvae, Phthorimaea operculella, artificially placed on the orchard floor, declined with the intensity of management and vegetational simplication. A higher incidence of larval removal occurred in the edges than in the centers of the clean cultivated orchards. No noticeable populations of ants were detected on the trees in any of the orchards. Increased vegetational diversity and lack of disturbance appeared to affect ant locomotory activity and foraging efficiency by creating preferred sheltering and feeding sites.     

Conservation and sustainable use of crop wild relatives

Conservation of crop wild relatives (CWRs) is a complex interdisciplinary process that is being addressed by various national and international initiatives, including two Global Environment Facility projects (‘In situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives through Enhanced Information Management and Field Application’ and ‘Design, Testing and Evaluation of Best Practices for in situ Conservation of Economically Important Wild Species’), the European Community-funded project ‘European Crop Wild Relative Diversity Assessment and Conservation Forum (PGR Forum)’ and the European ‘In situ and On Farm Network’. The key issues that have arisen are: (1) the definition of what constitutes a CWR, (2) the need for national and regional information systems and a global system, (3) development and application of priority-determining mechanisms, (4) the incorporation of the conservation of CWRs into existing national, regional and international PGR programmes, (5) assessment of the effectiveness of conservation actions, (6) awareness of the importance of CWRs in agricultural development at local, national and international levels both for the scientific and lay communities and (7) policy development and legal framework. The above issues are illustrated by work on the conservation of a group of legumes known as grasspea chicklings, vetchlings, and horticultural ornamental peas (Lathyrus spp.) in their European and Mediterranean centre of diversity.     

喀喇昆仑山-昆仑山地区兽类资源的现状与保护

本区资源兽类 21种,包括中国Ⅰ级保护动物 5种,Ⅱ级 7种。本区最西段的资源动物以中亚类型为主;自此往东,青藏高原特有种的成分渐增;西昆仑山东段北翼的大型特有兽类的种群数量明显少于南翼。据大型有蹄动物栖息地的面积及其不同分布区域的种群密度,估算本区藏野驴的储量有3.57×10⁴多只,野牦牛3.5×10⁴ 只和藏羚9.04×10⁴ 只左右。据7月末至8月下旬的观察,藏野驴群体为2—60只（单独个体除外,下同）,平均每群9.4只,以2—9只居首位;野牦牛每群2—200多只,平均64只,2—10只及上百只的群体均较常见;藏羚种群大小为2—1000只左右,平均每群38只,以2—5只的群体占优势。某些物种的性比及母幼群中幼羊与母羊的比率等,本文已作记述。在合理保护与利用资源方面所存在的问题,以及今后应采取的保护对策,笔者作了扼要的讨论。     

Role of RNA interference in plant improvement

Research to alter crops for their better performance involving modern technology is underway in numerous plants, and achievements in transgenic plants are impacting crop improvements in unparalleled ways. Striking progress has been made using genetic engineering technology over the past two decades in manipulating genes from diverse and exotic sources, and inserting them into crop plants for inducing desirable characteristics. RNA interference (RNAi) has recently been identified as a natural mechanism for regulation of gene expression in all higher organisms from plants to humans and promises greater accuracy and precision to plant improvement. The expression of any gene can be down-regulated in a highly explicit manner exclusive of affecting the expression of any other gene by using RNAi technologies. Additional research in this field has been focused on a number of other areas including microRNAs, hairpin RNA, and promoter methylation. Manipulating new RNAi pathways, which generate small RNA molecules to amend gene expression in crops, can produce new quality traits and having better potentiality of protection against abiotic and biotic stresses. Nutritional improvement, change in morphology, or enhanced secondary metabolite synthesis are some of the other advantages of RNAi technology. In addition to its roles in regulating gene expression, RNAi is also used as a natural defense mechanism against molecular parasites such as jumping genes and viral genetic elements that affect genome stability. Even though much advancement has been made on the field of RNAi over the preceding few years, the full prospective of RNAi for crop improvement remains to be fully realized. The intricacy of RNAi pathway, the molecular machineries, and how it relates to plant development are still to be explained.     

Plant species coexistence alleviates the impacts of lead on Zea mays L.

Whether plant coexistence can reduce the impacts of lead (Pb) on crops in agroecosystems has not been well understood. We conducted a factorial experiment to investigate the effects of weeds coexisting with maize (Zea mays L.) on Pb accumulation in maize and soil microbes at two Pb levels (ambient and 300 mg/kg). Elevated Pb tended to increase the Pb concentration in maize and decreased soil microbial activity (indicated by the average well color development, AWCD), functional group diversity, as well as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization and vesicle number of maize. Compared to the monoculture, weeds coexisting with maize reduced the Pb concentrations in the root, leaf, sheath and stem of maize at both seedling and mature stages. In maize-weed mixtures, soil microbial activity and functional group diversity tended to increase for both Pb treatments relative to the monoculture. Furthermore, principal component analysis revealed that the soil microbial community structure changed with the introduction of weeds. The highest Pb accumulation in weeds occurred for the elevated Pb treatment in a three species mixture. The results suggest that multiple plant species coexistence could reduce lead accumulation in crop plants and alleviate the negative impacts on soil microbes in polluted land, thereby highlighting the significance of plant diversity in agroecosystems.     

Soil biodiversity for agricultural sustainability

We critically highlight some evidence for the importance of soil biodiversity to sustaining (agro-)ecosystem functioning and explore directions for future research. We first deal with resistance and resilience against abiotic disturbance and stress. There is evidence that soil biodiversity does confer stability to stress and disturbance, but the mechanism is not yet fully understood. It appears to depend on the kind of stress and disturbance and on the combination of stress and disturbance effects. Alternatively, community structure may play a role. Both possible explanations will guide further research. We then discuss biotic stress. There is evidence that soil microbial diversity confers protection against soil-borne disease, but crop and soil type and management also play a role. Their relative importance as well as the role of biodiversity in multitrophic interactions warrant further study. Henceforth, we focus on the effects of plant and soil biodiversity on nutrient and water use efficiencies as important ecological functions in agroecosystems. The available evidence suggests that mycorrhizal diversity positively contributes to nutrient and, possibly, water use efficiency. Soil fauna effects on nutrient and water use efficiencies are also apparent, but diversity effects may be indirect, through effects on soil structure. We present a conceptual diagram relating plant and soil biodiversity with soil structure and water and nutrient use efficiencies as a framework for future studies. We then consider how cropping systems design and management are interrelated and how management options might be interfaced with farmers’ knowledge in taking management decisions. Finally, we attempt to express some economic benefits of soil biodiversity to society as part of a wider strategy of conserving and using agrobiodiversity.     

Garden sharing and garden stealing in fungus-growing ants

 Fungi cultivated by fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae) are passed on between generations by transfer from maternal to offspring nest (vertical transmission within ant species). However, recent phylogenetic analyses revealed that cultivars are occasionally also transferred between attine species. The reasons for such lateral cultivar transfers are unknown. To investigate whether garden loss may induce ants to obtain a replacement cultivar from a neighboring colony (lateral cultivar transfer), pairs of queenright colonies of two Cyphomyrmex species were set up in two conjoined chambers; the garden of one colony was then removed to simulate the total crop loss that occurs naturally when pathogens devastate gardens. Garden-deprived colonies regained cultivars through one of three mechanisms: joining of a neighboring colony and cooperation in a common garden; stealing of a neighbor's garden; or aggressive usurpation of a neighbor's garden. Because pathogens frequently devastate attine gardens under natural conditions, garden joining, stealing and usurpation emerge as critical behavioral adaptations to survive garden catastrophes. Received: 16 June 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 14 September 2000     

东北典型黑土区耕地轮作休耕的空间重构

轮作休耕是保障黑土区耕地资源可持续利用的重要手段。科学合理确定粮食作物轮作休耕的耕地利用规模及空间分布,对实现黑土区耕地修养生息、提升地力和平衡粮食供求结构具有重要意义。以东北典型黑土区——克山县、拜泉县和依安县为研究区,运用作物种植空间适宜性评价模型、多目标优化（MOP）模型和智能体土地布局优化配置（AgentLA）模型,基于地块尺度构建耕地轮作和休耕布局,适度调整轮作休耕规模及分布。结果发现：（1）研究区主要作物种植适宜性高值和低值区存在明显空间差异。玉米和大豆种植适宜性高值区交汇于依安县北部和克山县西部,是玉米—大豆轮作优势区域。主要作物种植适宜性低值区交汇于依安县南部和拜泉县西南部,是休耕的重点区域。（2）基于种植结构优化的轮作规模实现了大豆种植比例增加和玉米种植比例减少,缓解了目前玉米阶段性供大于求、大豆供给不足的现实矛盾。通过设定多种粮食供求情景确定休耕规模有利于灵活应对粮食市场变动。（3）兼顾耕地空间适宜性和集聚性的轮作休耕布局有利于充分利用耕地资源禀赋比较优势、发展规模化经营,对提高耕地利用效率具有重要作用。研究通过科学重构黑土区耕地轮作和休耕空间布局,实现了耕地空间适宜性、空间集聚性、种植结构合理性和粮食供求稳定性的同步提升,为实现黑土区耕地资源合理可持续利用和粮食安全提供政策参考。     

'Molecular farming' of antibodies in plants

'Molecular farming' is the production of valuable recombinant proteins in transgenic organisms on an agricultural scale. While plants have long been used as a source of medicinal compounds, molecular farming represents a novel source of molecular medicines, such as plasma proteins, enzymes, growth factors, vaccines and recombinant antibodies, whose medical benefits are understood at a molecular level. Until recently, the broad use of molecular medicines was limited because of the difficulty in producing these proteins outside animals or animal cell culture. The application of molecular biology and plant biotechnology in the 1990s showed that many molecular medicines or vaccines could be synthesised in plants and this technology is termed 'molecular farming'. It results in pharmaceuticals that are safer, easier to produce and less expensive than those produced in animals or microbial culture. An advantage of molecular farming lies in the ability to perform protein production on a massive scale using hectares of cultivated plants. These plants can then be harvested and transported using the agricultural infrastructure. Thus, molecular farming allows rapid progress from genetic engineering to crop production, and new cash crops producing recombinant proteins are already being commercially exploited. We speculate that as functional genomics teaches us more about the nature of disease, molecular farming will produce many of the protein therapeutics that can remedy it.