Effects of Ecological Conditions of the Northeast of China on Protein，Oil and Protein＋ Oil Content in Soybean Seeds

Twenty five soybean strains of similar growth period were grown at eight locations simultanously in three northeast provinces of China.Most of the experimental sites differed markedly in temperature,precipitation, soil fertility and length of growing season.Protein and oil contents were detelmined to study the effects of ecological conditions on soybean chemical composition. The results showed that the average protein and protein + oil contents were higher at the south locations and lower at north locations, but there was no consistent variation for oil content,and there was no significant difference among most of the sites. Oil content of strains was highest when planted in Jiling. Combined analyses of variance indicated that there existed significant genotype,location and G×E interactions effects. F values of G×E interactions for all traits,although significant at 0.01 level of probability, were extremely smaller than those for location and genotype.This suggested that G×E interaction effects were relatively less important than both genotyp and location effects.Phenotypic correlations of the performance of genotypes,on single ehtry -basis,among eight locations were all positive for protein and protein+ oil and most of correlation coefficients were significant at 0.01 level of probability.This indicated that the relative performance of genotypes at each location was similar. In contrast,most of the correlation coefficients for oil content among the eight locations were not significant.Therefore,G×E interactions should be considered in breeding for high oil soybeans,as it may lead to the instability of genotypes and affect the rankings of genotypes when soybeans arc grown in diverse environments.

A long way to go:impacts of urbanization on migrants’livelihoods and rural ecology in less industrialized regions

Urbanization,often coupled with industrialization,is generally considered as a boost for improving livelihood as well as alleviating ecological pressures of the rural areas.However,this experience needs to be tested in less industrialized areas,particularly where the urbanization is driven by non-economic factors such as urban public services and relevant government policies rather than employment opportunities.Taking two villages on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as examples,through the field investigation by using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews,and statistical data analysis,we explored the impacts of urbanization on migrants’livelihoods and the ecological conditions of their original village rangeland.We found that the disposable income and savings of emigrant households were less than the stay households,which might be correlated to the limited employment due to the lagged industrialization in the local township,and the mismatch between their traditional labor skills and the demands of urban services.Their home-village rangeland overuse was not alleviated since the increasing grazing pressure caused by the stay households,though the emigrant households intended to decrease the number of livestock on their home pasture.We concluded that the urbanization misaligned with local industrialization may fail to improve migrant livelihoods and local ecological conditions in less industrialized areas.Our research supplements the previous urbanization theory by highlighting the non-industrialization driven urbanization,and is particularly pertinent for the transitional countries worldwide.

Yields and Nitrogen Use Efficiencies of Rice (Oryza sativa) at Different Sites Using Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Rates and Controlled-release Urea to Conventional Urea Ratios

Rice yields and nitrogen use efficiencies were studied at five sites in southwest China using two nitrogen fertilization rates and five controlled-release urea（ CRU） to ordinary urea（ U） ratios. The fertilizer treatments significantly increased rice yields compared with the control（ no nitrogen added） yields to different degrees at different sites. Applying CRU and U increased the rice yield more than adding the same amount of nitrogen as U only. Higher increasing production rate were found using a nitrogen application rate of 105 kg/hm2 than 150 kg/hm2. A 70∶ 30 CRU∶ U ratio increased the yield more than other four ratios. Nitrogen use efficiency was 21. 9% higher using a nitrogen application rate of 105 kg/hm^2 than 150 kg/hm^2,and 46. 6%,38. 1%,34. 7%,and 22. 2% higher than when only U was applied when CRU∶ U ratios of 70 ∶ 30,50 ∶ 50,100 ∶ 0,and 30 ∶ 70,respectively,were used. A 70 ∶ 30 CRU ∶ U ratio gave the highest economic output（ yuan/hm^2）. Applying both CRU and U gave an output 3 078. 87 yuan/hm^2 higher at a nitrogen application rate of 150 kg/hm^2 than at a nitrogen application rate of 105 kg/hm^2. Economic output was always higher using both CRU and U than using U only. The highest economic output was given using a 70∶ 30 CRU∶ U ratio.Increasing the amount of nitrogen added decreased the output efficiency（ per hm2） because CRU is expensive. Significant relationships were found between the yield increase rate and the proportion of CRU added（ regression equation y = 7. 429 x-185. 7,R^2= 0. 663） and between the total rainfall over the whole growth period and the proportion of CRU added（ y =-0. 087 1 x ＋ 112. 29,R^2= 0. 687 9）. These regression equations can be used to determine the appropriate proportion of CRU that should be added at a site,depending on the rainfall and target rice yield.