Impact of variable nitrogen fertilisation on arthropods in cotton in Georgia, USA

Reducing fertiliser applications can reduce production costs for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growers, as well as nitrogen (N) leaching into the soil and contamination of surface and ground water. But altered N fertilisation may also affect pests and their natural enemies. In this study, plots with four different levels of fertiliser input (0, 45, 90 and 135 kg ha⁻¹ N) were used to investigate the influence of N on cotton pest and beneficial arthropod populations, and on cotton yield in Tifton, GA, USA. We predicted that (1) N fertilisation will correlate positively with cotton plant growth; (2) increased N fertilisation will increase pest populations because plants with more N will be more nutritious for and attractive to herbivores; (3) populations of beneficial arthropods and predation of pests will decline with increased N fertilisation because of reduced plant signaling; (4) increased N fertilisation will increase pest mortality due to parasitoids because of increased host quality. Cotton plant growth was enhanced by N fertilisation but yield was unaffected. N fertilisation significantly affected some pest arthropods but inconsistently. Mirids were most abundant in the high N treatment in 1 year of the study and cotton aphids were most abundant in the highest N treatment in the other year of the study. Arthropod predators were generally more abundant in the high N treatment but only spiders and Geocoris spp. were significantly affected by N treatment, with highest numbers present in the highest N treatment but the significant differences were each only in a single year. The greatest mortality of sentinel pest eggs (Spodoptera exigua) due to predation occurred under low N conditions. N fertilisation had no significant effects on parasitism of feral or sentinel caterpillars.     

芳香型偶氮污染物紫外光谱量子力学指认及不同共轭态偶氮键电子激发研究

偶氮化合物是重要的工业化学品,也是常见的环境污染物,其紫外激发特征及"分子结构-紫外吸收"的构效关系暂未完全明确.本研究借助量子化学计算,通过对波函数与激发态"电子-空穴"的分析,描述偶氮化合物紫外吸收光谱和激发态特征.结果表明:反式偶氮苯实验紫外光谱的第一主要吸收峰应指认为π→π^*跃迁,对应其S₀→S₂激发,电子从最高占据轨道(HOMO)跃迁到最低未占据轨道(LUMO);它的第一激发过程(S₀→S₁)振子强度很小(f=0.031),对光谱贡献可以忽略.反式偶氮苯吸收峰位置与顺式相比普遍红移,表明反式结构中偶氮键通过"桥接效应"形成全局共轭,降低了激发能,对偶氮化合物的紫外吸收产生显著影响;在水溶液中,钠离子对偶氮键的电荷分布存在显著扰动,因此,孤立阴离子模型计算得到的甲基橙光谱与实验存在较大误差."推拉"电子官能团促使甲基橙分子高度极化,与钠离子和水分子作用较强,正确处理偶氮键附近的阳离子扰动是建立预测模型的关键.通过量子化学计算指认偶氮污染物紫外可见吸收光谱能为污染修复、环境工程技术开发、光学材料合成提供理论依据,具有重要意义.     

镉和铁及其交互作用对植物生长的影响

镉是植物的非必需元素，而铁是植物生长发育过程中必不可少的元素。虽然这两种元素对植物的作用是截然相反的，但是它们在植物体内存在着交互作用关系，相互影响着对方功能的发挥。供给植物足够的铁可极大地缓解植物的镉污染毒害，利于植物合成更多的叶绿素，促进光合作用进行，降低镉对氨基酸、蛋白质合成以及酶活性的影响。相反，镉污染将诱导植物的铁营养缺乏。渍水植物根表形成的铁氧化物胶膜可促进植物对镉的吸收。     

XDLVO理论解析不同离子条件下海藻酸钠微滤膜污染

应用extended Derjaguin-Laudau-Verwey-Overbeek(XDLVO)理论定量解析海藻酸钠微滤膜污染中界面微距作用力,探讨不同离子条件对膜污染影响的主控机制.结果表明,对于亲水性膜表面,范德华力促进膜污染,极性作用力阻碍膜污染;而对于疏水性膜表面,范德华力减缓膜污染,极性作用力加速膜污染.海藻酸钠与微滤膜接触时双电层作用力对膜污染贡献相对微弱.离子强度及钙离子对海藻酸钠微滤膜污染的影响主要是通过改变极性作用力来实现的.较高的离子强度会降低极性作用力的排斥性或升高极性作用力的吸引性,从而加重海藻酸钠微滤膜污染.虽然钙离子使出水通量急速下降,但钙离子的存在使得物理清洗效率提高.不同离子条件下初始阶段及后期阶段污染趋势K分别与膜-海藻酸钠粘附自由能及海藻酸钠-海藻酸钠粘聚自由能具有良好的线性相关性,表明XDLVO理论适用于描述不同离子条件下海藻酸钠微滤膜污染行为.