Phytochemical Contents and Antioxidant Properties of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides in Relation to Growth Stage and Culture Substrate

[Objectives]To determine physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides(GLP)in different growth stages and culture media.[Methods]Five polysaccharides(GLP1,GLP2,GLP3,GLPW and GLPB)were extracted and purified from the fruiting body of G.lucidum at three growth stages and culture substrates(wood culture and bag culture).The chemical components and antioxidant activity of the five polysaccharides were determined.[Results]GLP1 contained the highest content of neutral sugar(87.65%)and GLP3 had the highest uronic acid content.All the samples mainly comprised glucose,galactose,mannose,xylose and arabose with different ratios.Moreover,their antioxidant activities were investigated on the basis of DPPH radical,ABTS radical,SOD-like activity,and antihaemolytic activity.Results indicated in all three growth stages GLP2 had the greatest antioxidant properties.In addition,the antioxidant activity of GLPW was significantly higher than that of GLPB.[Conclusions]Overall,by comparison,G.lucidum in growth stage two may have potential health benefits,and wood culture may be a superior choice of artificial cultivation due to their abundance of active polysaccharides.

Understanding changes in volatile compounds and fatty acids of Jincheng orange peel oil at different growth stages using GC-MS

Jincheng orange(Citrus sinensis Osbeck)is widely grown in Chongqing,China,and is commonly consumed because of its characteristic aroma contributed by the presence of diverse volatile compounds.The changes in aroma during the development and maturation of fruit are indicators for ripening and harvest time.However,the influence of growth stages on the volatile compounds in Jincheng orange remains unclear.In addition,volatiles originate from fatty acids,most of which are the precursors of volatile substances.On this basis,gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)was performed to elaborate the changes in volatile constituents and fatty acids as precursors.This study tested proximately 60 volatiles and 8 fatty acids at 9 growth and development stages(AF1-AF9).Of those compounds,more than 92.00%of total volatiles and 87.50%of fatty acids were terpenoid and saturated fatty acids,respectively.As shown in the PCA plot,the AF5,AF6,and AF9 stages were confirmed as completely segregated and appeared different.In addition,most of the volatiles and fatty acids first increased at the beginning of the development stage,then decreased from the AF6 development stage,and finally increased at the AF9 maturity stage.Moreover,the highest contents of terpenoid,alcohols,aldehydes,ketones,and saturated fatty acids in Jincheng orange peel oil were d-limonene,linalool,octanal,cyclohexanone,and stearic acid during development stages,respectively.Our results found that the growth stages significantly affected the volatile constituents and precursors in Jincheng orange peel oil.

Effects of Temperature,Humidity and Different Rice Growth Stages on Vertical Migration of Aphelenchoides besseyi

The vertical migration of Aphelenchoides besseyi under different temperatures and humidities and at different rice growth stages was investigated. It was found that the optimum temperature for the development and reproduction of A. besseyiwas 25-30℃. At the same temperature, the rate of vertical migration increased with rising relative humidity. Artificial inoculation tests showed that at the elongation stage, nematodes survived mainly on the upper and middle parts of rice culms and the number of nematodes decreased by 50% at 20 days after inoculation compared with that at 5 days after inoculation. Whereas at the booting stage, nematodes accumulated in young panicles and reproduced quickly,, and the average number of nematodes at 20 days after inoculation increased to 164.5, three times of that at 5 days after inoculation.

Effect of soil management on soil erosion on sloping farmland during crop growth stages under a large-scale rainfall simulation experiment

Soil erosion on farmland is a critical environmental issue and the main source of sediment in the Yellow River, China. Thus, great efforts have been made to reduce runoff and soil loss by restoring vegetation on abandoned farmland. However, few studies have investigated runoff and soil loss from sloping farmland during crop growth season. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil management on runoff and soil loss on sloping farmland during crop growth season. We tested different soybean growth stages (i.e., seedling stage (R1), initial blossoming stage (R2), full flowering stage (R3), pod bearing stage (R4), and initial filling stage (R5)) and soil management practice (one plot applied hoeing tillage (HT) before each rainfall event, whereas the other received no treatment (NH)) by applying simulated rainfall at an intensity of 80 mm/h. Results showed that runoff and soil loss both decreased and infiltration amount increased in successive soybean growth stages under both treatments. Compared with NH plot, there was less runoff and higher infiltration amount from HT plot. However, soil loss from HT plot was larger than that from NH plot in R1–R3, but lower in R4 and R5. In the early growth stages, hoeing tillage was effective for reducing runoff and enhancing rainfall infiltration. By contrast, hoeing tillage enhanced soil and water conservation during the late growth stages. The total soil loss from HT plot (509.0 g/m2) was 11.1% higher than that from NH plot (457.9 g/m2) in R1–R5. However, the infiltration amount from HT plot (313.9 mm) was 18.4% higher than that from NH plot (265.0 mm) and the total runoff volume from HT plot was 49.7% less than that from NH plot. These results indicated that crop vegetation can also act as a type of vegetation cover and play an important role on sloping farmland. Thus, adopting rational soil management in crop planting on sloping farmland can effectively reduce runoff and soil loss, as well as maximize rainwater infiltration during crop growth period.

Yield penalty of maize(Zea mays L.) under heat stress in different growth stages: A review

Maize(Zea mays L.) can exhibit yield penalties as a result of unfavorable changes to growing conditions. The main threat to current and future global maize production is heat stress. Maize may suffer from heat stress in all of the growth stages, either continuously or separately. In order to manage the impact of climate driven heat stress on the different growth stages of maize, there is an urgent need to understand the similarities and differences in how heat stress affects maize growth and yield in the different growth stages. For the purposes of this review, the maize growth cycle was divided into seven growth stages, namely the germination and seedling stage, early ear expansion stage, late vegetative growth stage before flowering, flowering stage, lag phase, effective grain-filling stage, and late grain-filling stage. The main focus of this review is on the yield penalty and the potential physiological changes caused by heat stress in these seven different stages. The commonalities and differences in heat stress related impacts on various physiological processes in the different growth stages are also compared and discussed. Finally, a framework is proposed to describe the main influences on yield components in different stages, which can serve as a useful guide for identifying management interventions to mitigate heat stress related declines in maize yield.

Effects of seedling age on the growth stage and yield formation of hydroponically grown long-mat rice seedlings

Understanding the characteristics of rice productivity is of great importance for achieving high yield formation.However,such traits have not yet been studied for different ages of hydroponically grown long-mat rice seedlings(HLMS),which constitutes a new method of seedling cultivation.Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of seedling age on the growth stage,photosynthesis characteristics,dry matter production,and yield of HLMS.A conventional japonica rice cultivar(Wuyunjing 24)and an indica hybrid rice cultivar(6 Liangyou 9368)were used as test materials.The results showed that the whole phase was shortened by 13-15 days for young seedlings(13-day-old)compared with old seedlings(27-day-old),which occurred because the growth process accelerated with the transplantation of young seedlings.As seedling age increased,the dry matter weight of stems of individual plants and of the population increased at the transplanting stage but decreased at the maturity stage(MS).Compared with that of 27-day-old seedlings,the average ratio of panicle weight to total plant dry weight of 13-day-old seedlings during a 2-year period increased by 3.71%for Wuyunjing 24 and by 3.78%for 6 Liangyou 9368 at the MS.Moreover,as seedling age increased,the leaf area index and photosynthetic potential decreased for both cultivars,and the photosynthetic rate markedly decreased at the heading stage(HS).With the exception of that of Wuyunjing 24 from the jointing stage to the HS in 2014,the crop growth rate was higher for young seedlings than for old seedlings.Grain yield significantly decreased with seedling age,but no significant difference was detected between the 13-and 20-day-old seedlings for either cultivar.Therefore,equilibrious and high biological yield formation,vigorous growth in the late stages,and high photosynthetic production capacity are important characteristics and causes of the efficient and sustainable output of photosynthetic systems and for achieving high yield formation in young transplanted seedlings(13-20-day-old).

Estimation of spectral responses and chlorophyll based on growth stage effects explored by machine learning methods

Estimation of leaf chlorophyll content(LCC) by proximal sensing is an important tool for photosynthesis evaluation in high-throughput phenotyping. The temporal variability of crop biochemical properties and canopy structure across different growth stages has great impacts on wheat LCC estimation, known as growth stage effects. It will result in the heterogeneity of crop canopy at different growth stages, which would mask subtle spectral response of biochemistry variations. This study aims to explore spectral responses on the growth stage effects and establish LCC models suited for different growth stages. A total number of 864 pairwise samples of wheat canopy spectra and LCC values with 216 observations of each stage were sampled at the tillering, jointing, booting and heading stages in 2021. Firstly, statistical analysis of LCC and spectral response presented different distribution traits and typical spectral variations peak at 470, 520 and 680 nm. Correlation analysis between LCC and reflectance showed typical red edge shifts. Secondly, the testing model of partial least square(PLS) established by the entire datasets to validate the predictive performance at each stage yielded poor LCC estimation accuracy. The spectral wavelengths of red edge(RE) and blue edge(BE) shifts and the poor estimation capability motivated us to further explore the growth stage effects by establishing LCC models at respective growth periods.Finally, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling PLS(CARS-PLS), decision tree(DT) and random forest(RF) were used to select sensitive bands and establish LCC models at specific stages. Bayes optimisation was used to tune the hyperparameters of DT and RF regression. The modelling results indicated that CARS-PLS and DT did not extract specific wavelengths that could decrease the influences of growth stage effects. From the RF out-of-bag(OOB) evaluation, the sensitive wavelengths displayed consistent spectral shifts from BE to GP and from RE to RV from tillering to heading stages. Compared with CARS-PLS and DT,results of RF modelling yielded an estimation accuracy with deviation to performance(RPD) of 2.11, 2.02,3.21 and 3.02, which can accommodate the growth stage effects. Thus, this study explores spectral response on growth stage effects and provides models for chlorophyll content estimation to satisfy the requirement of high-throughput phenotyping.

Discovery of and Preliminary studies on a Rapid-Leafing Rice Genotype at the Vegetative Growth Stage

The leafing rates of fourteen rice varieties were measured in a sowing-time experiment, and a rapid leafing genotype at the vegetative growth stage was discovered in an indica variety Yanhui 559. The leaf number on the main culm of Yanhui 559 was always 4-5 leaves more than that of Lemont, and the leafing rate of Yanhui 559 was significantly higher than that of Lemont based on similar growth durations from sowing to heading. Furthermore, the difference of the leafing rate was significant at the vegetative growth stage, but not distinctive at the panicle initiation stage. Genetic analysis of the leafing rates in the two backcross populations of Yanhui 559 and Lemont showed that major and quantitative genes controlled the expression of rapid leafing character. Based on results of investigation for some plants with similar growth durations in the backcrossing populations, the rapid leafing genotypes exhibited earlier tillering and more tiller numbers per plant, and its yield components including the number of panicles per plant and number of grains per panicle were superior to those of the slow leafing genotypes. Further research and application feasibility of the rapid leafing genotype in breeding were discussed.

Resistance of Different Tomato Varieties against Tomato Powdery Mildew during Different Growth Stages

The pathogen of tomato powdery mildew （Oidium neolycopersici Kiss） was simultaneously inoculated into four varieties during seedling, flowering and fruiting stages under the same environmental conditions by inducing inoculation method, so as to study the resistance during different growth stages. Different varieties of plants and the plants during different growth stages were investigated after inoculation for 12 d, and disease epidemic curves were drawn according to survey data. The results showed that different varieties performed different resistance against powdery mildew and the same variety also showed different resistance during different growth stages. The susceptible extent of Lujia was the heaviest during seedling and flowering sages, while it showed the strongest resistance during fruiting stage; improved 96 -8 showed the highest resistance during seedling stage, but performed the lowest resistance during fruiting stage.

Dynamic changes of genomic methylation profiles at different growth stages in Chinese Tan sheep

Background:Tan sheep,an important local sheep breed in China,is famous for their fur quality.One-month-old Tan sheep have white,curly hair with beautiful flower spikes,commonly known as“nine bends”,which has high economic value.However,the“nine bends”characteristic gradually disappears with age;consequently,the economic value of the Tan sheep decreases.Age-related changes in DNA methylation have been reported and may be responsible for age-induced changes in gene expression.Until now,no genome-wide surveys have been conducted to identify potential DNA methylation sites involved in different sheep growth stages.In this study we investigated the dynamic changes of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in Tan sheep using DNA from skin and deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing,and compared the DNA methylation levels at three different growth stages:1,24,and 48 months old(mon1,mon24,and mon48,respectively).Results:In this study,11 skin samples from three growth stages(four for mon1,four for mon24,and three for mon48)were used for DNA methylation analysis and gene expression profiling.There were 52,288 and 236 differentially methylated genes(DMGs)identified between mon1 and mon24,mon1 and mon48,and mon24 and mon48,respectively.Of the differentially methylated regions,1.11%,7.61%,and 7.65% were in the promoter in mon1 vs.mon24,mon24 vs.mon48,and mon1 vs.mon48,respectively.DMGs were enriched in the MAPK and WNT signaling pathways,which are related to age growth and hair follicle morphogenesis processes.There were 51 DMGs associated with age growth and curly fleece formation.Four DMGs between mon1 and mon48(KRT71,CD44,ROR2 and ZDHHC13)were further validated by bisulfite sequencing.Conclusions:This study revealed dynamic changes in the genomic methylation profiles of mon1,mon24,and mon48 sheep,and the percentages of methylated cytosines were 3.38%,2.85% and 4.17%,respectively.Of the DMGs,KRT71 and CD44 were highly methylated in mon1,and ROR2 and ZDHHC13 were highly methylated in mon48.These findings provide foundational information that may be used to develop strategies for potentially retaining the lamb fur and thus improving the economic value of Tan sheep.

Response of Different Varieties of Red Cartridge Kiwifruit to Temperature and Precipitation in Growth Stages

The responses of Hongyang,Donghong and Jinhong varieties to temperature and precipitation were analyzed by observing the growth stages of different kiwifruit varieties in Longhe red cartridge kiwifruit base of Liuzhi Special Zone of Guizhou Province in 2021 and combining with the meteorological data of temperature and precipitation in the base in the same period.The results showed that Hongyang,Donghong and Jinhong all sprouted on February 1,and had the same response to temperature and precipitation.From germination to leaf spreading stage,Hongyang and Donghong had the same response to precipitation,while Donghong and Jinhong had the same response to temperature,but Jinhong needed 32.5 mm precipitation to meet its growth and development.From leaf spreading stage to budding stage,Hongyang and Donghong had similar responses to temperature and precipitation,while Jinhong needed average daily temperature of 16.5℃and precipitation of 2.1 mm.The responses of the three varieties from budding to flowering to temperature and precipitation were consistent.From flowering to fruiting,Hongyang needed 19.9℃temperature and the least precipitation,while Jinhong needed the lowest temperature and the maximum precipitation.Donghong's response to temperature and precipitation was between Hongyang and Jinhong.During the period from fruit setting to fruit ripening and picking,Hongyang needed the least temperature and precipitation,while Donghong and Jinhong had the same response to temperature and precipitation.In the key period of fruit expansion of the three kiwifruit varieties in 2021,temperature and precipitation were the most suitable for fruit expansion.In short,red cartridge kiwifruit has a good response to temperature and precipitation in different growth stages,and it requires 201 d for Hongyang variety from germination to maturity and picking,211 d for Donghong variety and 218 d for Jinhong variety.

Nitrate Effect on Rice Growth and Nitrogen Absorption and Assimilation at Different Growth Stages

The effect of nitrate (NO3-) on rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth as well as N absorption and assimilation during different growth stages was examined using three typical rice cultivars. Dry weight, yield, N uptake, nitrate reductase activity (NRA) in leaves, and glutamine synthetase activity (GSA) in roots and leaves during their entire growth periods, as well as the kinetic parameters of ammonium (NH4+) uptake at the seedling stage, were measured with solution culture experiments. Results indicated that addition of NH4+-N and NO3--N at a ratio of 75:25 (NH4++NO3- treatment) when compared with that of NH4+-N alone (NH4+ treatment) increased the dry weight of 'Nanguang' cultivar by 30% and 'Yunjing 38' cultivar by 31%, and also increased their grain yield by 21% and 17%, respectively. For the four growth stages, the total N accumulation in plants increased by an average of 36% for 'Nanguang' and 31% for 'Yunjing 38', whereas the increasing effect of NO3- in the '4007' cultivar was only found at the seedling stage. In the NH4++NO3-treatment compared to the NH4+ treatment, NRA in the leaves increased by 2.09 folds, and GSA increased by 92% in the roots and 52% in the leaves of the three cultivars. NO3- supply increased the maximum uptake rate (Vmax) in the 'Nanguang' and 'Yunjing 38' cultivars, reflecting that the NO3- itself, not the increasing N concentration, increased the uptake rate of NH4+ by rice. There was no effect on the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of the three cultivars. Thus, some replacement of NH4+ with NO3- could greatly improve the growth of rice plants, mainly on account of the increased uptake of NH4+ promoted by NO3-, and future studies should focus on the molecular mechanism of the increased uptake of NH4+ by NO3-.

Fertilizer-Induced Advances in Corn Growth Stage and Quantitative Definitions of Nitrogen Deficiencies

Evidence that nitrogen (N) fertilization tends to accelerate maturation as well as increase rates of growth has received little attention when diagnosing N deficiencies in corn (Zea mays L.).Such a tendency could be a potential source of errors when the diagnosis is solely based on comparing plants with different rates of growth.Whether N fertilization could accelerate rates of growth and maturation was tested in a field study with 12 paired plots representing relatively large variability in soil properties and landscape positions.The plots were located under conditions where preplant N fertilization reduced or avoided temporary N shortages for some plants but did not reduce for other plants early in the season.We measured corn heights to the youngest leaf collar,stages of growth and chlorophyll meter readings (CMRs). The added N advanced growth stages as well as increased corn heights and CMRs at any given time.Fertilization effects on corn heights,growth stages and ear weights were statistically significant (P<0.05) despite substantial variability associated with landscape.Reductions in growth due to a temporary shortage of N within a growth stage might be partially offset by longer periods of growth within that stage to physiological maturity.Temporary shortages of N,therefore,may produce symptoms of N deficiency in situations where subsequent additions of N should not be expected to increase yields.Recognition of these two somewhat different effects (i.e.,increase growth rates and advance growth stages) on corn growth could help to define N deficiency more precisely and to improve the accuracy of diagnosing N status in production agriculture.

Study on the Future Climate Change and Its Influence on the Growth Stage and Yield of Wheat in Weifang City

In order to study the trend of climate change in the future in Weifang,and analyze the impact of climate change on the local wheat production,the air temperature and precipitation in Weifang from 2021 to 2050 were simulated by using the regional climate model PRECIS.And then put the meteorological data into the crop model to simulate the growth of wheat under climate change conditions in the future.The results showed that there would be a trend of rising temperature and increasing precipitation in Weifang in the future.Climate warming would result in growth period of wheat to be ahead of schedule and yield reduction.If taking into account the effect of CO2,the yield of wheat would increase.

Relations among Sap Flow, Soil Moisture, Weather, and Soybean Plant Parameters in High Water Demand and Final Growth Stages

The dynamics of sap flow in relation to plant morphology and weather conditions during reproductive growth of soybean (Glycine max. L. Merr.) influence decisions pertaining to efficient irrigation management and other inputs for high yields. Field studies began in 2017 at Marianna, Arkansas to measure moisture dynamics of soybeans during seed fill (R5 to R7) using heat balance stem flow gauges. Sap flow was highly correlated to solar radiation with maximum rates observed during beginning seed fill (R5). A solar radiation efficiency (SRE) value, calculated as hourly sap flow rate per Watt-hour of solar radiation (g/Wh2), is proposed. The SRE relates to crop water demand and hydraulic resistance of the soil-root-stem-leaf-pod-seed pathway. SRE values ranged from 0 - 1.2 g/Wh2. Soil moisture, growth stage, time of day, and weather conditions influenced the SRE, with higher values observed in the morning, late afternoon, and during R5 growth. Peak sap flows of 39 g/h at R5, 25 g/h at R6, and 3 g/h at R7 occurred. The ratio of measured sap flow to estimated crop evapotranspiration was 0.9 to 1.3 during R5 to R6.9 (maximum dry matter), but dropped to 0.2 at R7. Further research is needed to better understand late season reproductive moisture dynamics in soybeans.

Corn Yield Response to Reduced Water Use at Different Growth Stages

To develop an efficient water use strategy for crop irrigation, we need to know how much water can be reduced without decreasing yield. A study was designed to determine corn growth stages at which water could be reduced without affecting grain yield, and at what soil moisture level water deficit stress begins in the plants in a silt loam soil. An experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block with a 3 × 4 factorial design in four replications, where treatments consisted of three soil moisture levels [100%, 75%, and 50% of field capacity (FC) of a silt loam soil by weight] and four growth stages [fourteen leaf stage (V14), silking (R1), milk (R3), and dent (R5) stages] in a greenhouse. Growth stages at the reproductive and grain fill stages of corn were selected because this study was intended for the Mississippi Delta, where there is frequent drought during these growth stages making irrigation necessary for corn production, whereas there is usually adequate rainfall during the vegetative growth stages. Results from this study showed that reducing soil moisture from 100% FC (fully irrigated) to 75% FC of a silt loam soil starting at the R1 growth stage in corn did not reduce yield significantly compared to yield from the 100% FC, while saving a significant amount of water. Physiological investigations at the three soil moisture treatments showed that a mild moisture deficit stress might have started at the 75% FC treatment. With further investigation, if savings in water at 75% FC result in a significant reduction in energy cost, it may be profitable to reduce soil moisture to 75% FC in a silt loam soil.

Study on the Effects of Extreme Precipitation for Seven Growth Stages of Winter Wheat in Northern Weihe Loess Plateau, China

The research on the characteristic frequency of precipitation is a great significance for guiding regional agricultural planning, water conservancy project designs, and drought and flood control. Droughts and floods occurred in northern Weihe Loess Plateau, affecting growing and yield of winter wheat in the area. Based on the daily precipitation data of 29 meteorological stations from 1981 to 2012, this study is to address the analysis of three different frequencies of annual precipitation at 5%, 50%, and 95%, and to determine the amount of rainfall excess and water shortage during seven growth stages of winter wheat at 5%, 10%, and 20% frequencies, respectively. Pearson type III curve was selected for this study to analyze the distribution frequency of annual rainfall and rainfall amount following seven growth stages of winter wheat crop in 29 stations of Northern Weihe loess plateau. As a result of our study, annual precipitation is gradually increasing from southwest to northeast of Northern Weihe loess plateau. The highest amount of annual precipitation occurred in the Baoji area and the lowest precipitation covered by the northwest area of Northern Weihe loess plateau. Moreover, the amount of rainfall of seven growth stages indicates that excessive rainfall occurs not only in the first stage (sowing to tillering) and seventh stage (flowering to ripening) but also in second stage (tillering to wintering). In the seventh stage, a large amount of excessive rainfall occurred in Changwu, Bin, Qianyang, Fengxiang, Baojiqu, and Baojixian. Moreover, water shortage is distributed in the third stage (from wintering to greening), the fourth stage (from greening to jointing), the fifth stage (from jointing to heading), and the sixth stage (from heading to flowering). Furthermore, the worst water shortages occurred in Hancheng, Heyang, Chengcheng, Pucheng, Dali, Tongchuan, and Fuping in the fourth stage (greening to jointing stage). Even though we study the crop water requirement under extreme rainfall conditions, the amount of rainwater still supply inadequate in some parts of the winter wheat growth stage. Therefore, this study provides main clues for the next step to study the irrigation water needs of winter wheat crops and to reduce agricultural risks in 29 counties in the northern loess plateau and other regions.

Assessment of Agricultural Drought Vulnerability Based on Crop Growth Stages:A Case Study of Huaibei Plain,China

Climate change can lead to and intensify drought disasters.Quantifying the vulnerability of disaster-affected elements is significant for understanding the mechanisms that transform drought intensity into eventual loss.This study proposed a growth-stage-based drought vulnerability index(GDVI)of soybean using meteorological,groundwater,land use,and field experiment data and crop growth model simulation.The CROPGRO-Soybean model was used to simulate crop growth and water deficit.Four growth stages were considered since the sensitivity of soybean to drought is strictly related to the growth stage.The GDVI was applied to the Huaibei Plain,Anhui Province,China,with the goal of quantifying the spatiotemporal characteristics of soybean drought vulnerability in typical years and growth stages.The results show that:(1)The sensitivity of leaf-related parameters exceeded that of other parameters during the vegetative growth stage,whereas the top weight and grain yield showed a higher sensitivity in the reproductive growth stage;(2)A semi-logarithmic law can describe the relationship between the drought sensitivity indicators and the GDVI during the four growth stages.The pod-filling phase is the most vulnerable stage for water deficit and with the highest loss upper limit(over 70%);(3)The 2001 and 2002 seasons were the driest time during 1997-2006.Fuyang and Huainan Cities were more vulnerable to drought than other regions on the Huaibei Plain in 2001,while Huaibei and Suzhou Cities were the most susceptible areas in 2002.The results could provide effective decision support for the categorization of areas vulnerable to droughts.

Modelling operation parameters of UAV on spray effects at different growth stages of corns

Currently,unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)were widely applied to spray for pest and disease control.However,spray effect can be further improved by setting operation parameters more reasonably and scientifically.Therefore,this study attempts to derive the relationship between operation parameters and spray effect.Different growth stages were distinguished by various corn heights.A six-rotor UAV was operated at different heights and velocities to test pesticides spray effects for corns at different growth stages.Different plant canopy coverage rate and penetrating coefficients were obtained,according to which,the effects on droplet deposition rate caused by different UAVs’operation parameters were analyzed.Droplet penetrating coefficients were applied as indexes to evaluate and select UAVs operation parameters for corns at different growth stages respectively.Mathematical models of droplet penetrating coefficients with UAVs operation parameters were established for corns at all growth stages.The determination coefficients(R2)of all models were greater than 0.90 and average relative errors were within 20%,which asserted high forecasting accuracy of droplet penetrating rate.With the help of the models,parameters like operating height away from the bottom of corns and UAVs velocities were further analyzed,which guided the optimization of parameter settings and selection of spray methods for corns at different growth stages.

Effects of water stress at different growth stages on comprehensive fruit quality and yield in different bunches of tomatoes in greenhouses

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tomato quality and yield between different bunches and the differences between the two comprehensive evaluation methods on tomato quality ranking under water stress.Two degrees of water stress including mild water stress(W1)and moderate water stress(W2),and three growth stages that water stress applied including seedling stage(S1),flowering stage(S2)and fruit expanding stage(S3)were tested in this study.The yield and quality of different bunches of tomatoes under water stress during different growth stages were determined as responses,and the comprehensive fruit quality ranking and yield of the second and third bunches were evaluated.The results showed that water stress was important for the improvement of fruit quality,but fruit yield decreased during water stress.The yield of the third tomato bunch decreased from 11.69%(W1S1)to 30.60%(W2S2)compared to control(97.57 t/hm^(2)),and the effects of mild water stress on fruit yield were minimal at the early growth stage.However,the fruit quality in terms of soluble sugar(SS),total soluble solids(TSS),vitamin C(VC),and firmness(F)improved under water stress compared to control.The combined effects of water stress and its application period significantly affected SS and TSS.Water stress significantly improved the content of SS and TSS in the later growth period compared to seedling and flowering stages.Meanwhile,there was a significant difference in tomato quality between the second and third bunches of fruit,especially in the content of SS,organic acid(OA)and lycopene(L).Principal Component Analysis(PCA)and Grey Relational Analysis(GRA)were used to evaluate comprehensive fruit quality,and the best treatment in terms of the fruit quality was W1S3 for both bunches.The rank-sum ratio(RSR)method was used to evaluate fruit quality and yield,the results showed that W1S3 ranked first based on PCA and W1S1 ranked first based on GRA.Water stress enhanced tomato quality but inevitably reduced its yield during each growth stage.The application of mild water stress during the fruit expanding stage(W1S3)was considered to be the best treatment to provide satisfactory fruit quality and yield based on RSR.