Mixing trait-based corn(Zea mays L.)cultivars increases yield through pollination synchronization and increased cross-fertilization

Abiotic stress such as high temperature at flowering is one of many conditions reducing yield of corn(Zea mays L.).Mixing corn cultivars with diverse functional traits increases within-crop diversity and provides a potential means of mitigating yield losses under stress conditions.We conducted a three-year field study to investigate the effects of cultivar mixtures on kernel setting rate,pollen sources,and yield.This study consisted of six treatments,including two high temperature-tolerant(HTT)monocrops of WK702 and DH701,two high temperature-sensitive(HTS)monocrops of DH605 and DH662,and two HTT–HTS mixtures of WK702-DH605 and DH701-DH662.The anthesis–silking interval(ASI)was 0.9–1.6 days shorter in mixtures than in monocrops.Kernel setting rate was increased in mixtures(86.4%–88.7%)compared with those in monocrops(74.7%–84.1%)as a result of synchrony and complementarity of pollination.Grain yields of the HTT–HTS mixtures increased by 13.3%–18.7%,equivalent to 1169 to1605 kg ha^(-1),in comparison with HTS corn monocrops.The results of SSR markers showed that crossfertilization percentage in corn cultivar mixtures ranged from 29.3%to 47.8%,partially explaining yield improvement.Land equivalent ratio(LER)was 1.12 for corn mixtures and the partial land equivalent ratio(e.g.,>0.5)showed the complementary benefits in corn mixtures.The results indicated that mixing corn cultivars with diverse flowering and drought-tolerance traits increased yields via pollination synchrony.

Development of portable user-interactive holographic information collector for agricultural product markets

The efficient and accurate collection of agricultural product market information serves as the basis for the effective regulation of agricultural product markets.To achieve a comprehensive,accurate,and timely collection of agricultural product market information,this study puts forth a technique for collecting holographic information of agricultural product markets.A portable human-machine interaction device with an Advanced RISC(reduced instruction set computer)Machines(ARM)-based processor as the core is developed.Holographic information such as agricultural product market trading time,trading place,product name,price,and trading volume can be collected.Via embedded technology and component technology,innovative agricultural product market positioning,and matching,standardized collection,and data processing,and in combination with intelligent algorithms for analysis and early warning,a mobile application terminal for information collection is developed,namely,a holographic information collector for agricultural product markets(named Nongxincai).By using a layered structure,the hardware integrates microprocessor,storage,power,application and communication interface,and human-machine interaction modules.The device has the advantages of miniaturization,the whole-machine power consumption of less than 0.5 W,and continuous operating time of at least 10 h.A supporting software system for Nongxincai has also been developed,in which Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 is employed as the operating system,and the CPU frequency is up to 600 MHz.This configuration fully meets the computing requirements of map processing and large-volume data processing and has high compatibility.Nongxincai has been popularized and applied in 12 provinces/municipalities in China.It has played an important role in the monitoring and early warning of different varieties of agricultural products and target prices of soybean and cotton.