Responses of soil stoichiometry and soil enzyme activities in the different distance around opencast coal mine of the Hulun Buir Grassland of China

The objectives of this study were to explore the changes in soil stoichiometry and enzyme activities at different distances from an opencast coal mine in the Hulun Buir Grassland of China. Four transects were established on north and east sides of the opencast coal mining area, and samples were collected at 50 m, 550 m, and 1550 m from the pit on each transect. Control samples were collected from a grassland station 8 km from the opencast coal mining area that was not disturbed by mining. Four replicate soil samples were collected at each point on the four transects. Soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were determined, and correlations between soil properties and stoichiometric ratios and enzyme activities were explored using redundancy analysis. The increase in distance from mining did not significantly affect soil properties, although soil urease activity was significantly lower than that of the control area. Soil properties 1550 m from the mine pit were similar to those at the grassland control. In addition, soil total nitrogen had the greatest effect on soil stoichiometry, and soil total potassium had the greatest effect on soil enzyme activities. Coal dust from opencast mining might be the main factor affecting soil stoichiometry and enzyme activities. The results of this study provide direction for the next step in studying the influence of mining areas on soil properties and processes.

Effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China

It is of great significance to study the effects of desert plants on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon(SOC)for maintaining the stability of the desert ecosystem.In this study,we studied the responses of soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC)and mineral-associated organic carbon(MAOC))to five typical desert plant communities(Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Ephedra rhytidosperma,Stipa breviflora,Stipa tianschanica var.gobica,and Salsola laricifolia communities)in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.We recorded the plant community information mainly including the plant coverage and herb and shrub species,and obtained the aboveground biomass and plant species diversity through sample surveys in late July 2023.Soil samples were also collected at depths of 0–10 cm(topsoil)and 10–20 cm(subsoil)to determine the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities.The results showed that the plant coverage and aboveground biomass of S.laricifolia community were significantly higher than those of C.tragacanthoides,S.breviflora,and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities(P<0.05).Soil enzyme activities varied among different plant communities.In the topsoil,the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andβ-1,4-glucosidas(βG)were significantly higher in E.rhytidosperma and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities than in other plant communities(P<0.05).The topsoil had higher POC and MAOC contents than the subsoil.Specifically,the content of POC in the topsoil was 18.17%–42.73%higher than that in the subsoil.The structural equation model(SEM)indicated that plant species diversity,soil pH,and soil water content(SWC)were the main factors influencing POC and MAOC.The soil pH inhibited the formation of POC and promoted the formation of MAOC.Conversely,SWC stimulated POC production and hindered MAOC formation.Our study aimed to gain insight into the effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions,as well as the drivers of SOC fractions in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain and other desert ecosystems.

Microplastic Can Decrease Enzyme Activities and Microbes in Soil

An in vitro study was conducted to investigate the impacts of microplastics on enzyme activities and soil bacteria. The study included four different treatments of microplastics including a control. Different levels of microplastics were applied to the soil ranging from 0% to 5%, to assess the impacts of microplastics on soil enzymes and subsequent soil bacteria. After 30 days of incubation, the soil samples were collected and growth parameters of bacteria were assessed. Activities of β-glucosidase, urease and dehydrogenase enzymes were also determined. Our results showed that the presence of microplastics in the soil significantly reduced bacterial population together with bacterial strains. The activities of β-glucosidase, urease and dehydrogenase enzymes were reduced significantly to approximately 32%, 40% and 50% in microplastics treated soils respectively. Concentration of microplastic has a role to play towards this direction;the higher the concentration of microplastic the greater is the impact on enzymes and soil bacteria. The present study on the microbial soil health vis-à-vis microplastic application indicates that the material can have negative effect on the soil bacterial population of and thus ultimately may jeopardize soil health and crop production.

Effects of Different Planting Years on Physicochemical Properties and Enzyme Activities in Soil of Rice-Cherry Tomato Rotation

Crop rotation periodicity has always been one of the research focuses currently. In this study, the physicochemical properties, nutrient contents and enzyme activities were investigated in soils from rice-cherry tomato rotation for one year (1a), three years (3a), five years (5a), seven years (7a) and ten years (10a), respectively. The major objective was to analyze the optimal rotation years of rice-cherry tomato from soil perspective, so as to provide theoretical basis for effectively avoiding continuous cropping obstacles of cherry tomato via studying the response characteristics of soil physicochemical properties, nutrient contents and enzyme activities to planting years of rice-cherry tomato rotation system. The results were as follows: 1) Soil pH value was increased year by year during 1a to 5a, reached the highest value 5.32 at 5a. However, soil acidity was sharply enhanced during 7a to 10a (P P •kg-1 at 5a. 3) The content of soil available phosphorus was increased year by year with increasing of crop rotation years, and increased by 110% to 173% during 3a to 10a (P P P < 0.05). In conclusion, long-term single rotation pattern of rice-cherry tomato would aggravate soil acidification, prompt soil nutrient imbalance and reduce soil enzyme activity. 5a to 7a would be the appropriate rotation period for rice-cherry tomato, or else it would reduce soil quality, resulting in a new continuous cropping obstacle of cherry tomato.

Effects of Long-Term Combined Application of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers on Microbial Biomass,Soil Enzyme Activities and Soil Fertility

Soil health is important for the sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystem. In this paper, we studied the relationship between soil quality and soil microbial properties such as soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities in order to illustrate the function of soil microbial properties as bio-indicators of soil health. In this study, microbial biomass C and N contents （Cmic ＆ Nmic）, soil enzyme activities, and soil fertility with different fertilizer regimes were carried out based on a 15-year long-term fertilizer experiment in Drab Fluvo-aquic soil in Changping County, Beijing, China. At this site, 7 different treatments were established in 1991. They were in a wheat-maize rotation receiving either no fertilizer （CK）, mineral fertilizers （NPK）, mineral fertilizers with wheat straw incorporated （NPKW）, mineral fertilizers with incremental wheat straw incorporated （NPKW＋）, mineral fertilizers plus swine manure （NPKM）, mineral fertilizers plus incremental swine manure （NPKM＋） or mineral fertilizers with maize straw incorporated （NPKS）. In different fertilization treatments Cmic changed from 96.49 to 500.12 mg kg^-1, and Nmic changed from 35.89 to 101.82 mg kg^-1. Compared with CK, the other treatments increased Cmic ＆ Nmic, Cmic/Corg （organic C） ratios, Cmic/Nmic, urease activity, soil organic matter （SOM）, soil total nitrogen （STN）, and soil total phosphorus （STP）. All these properties in treatment with fertilizers input NPKM＋ were the highest. Meantime, long-term combined application of mineral fertilizers with organic manure or crop straw could significantly decrease the soil pH in Fluvo-aquic soil （the pH around 8.00 in this experimental soil）. Some of soil microbial properties （Cmic/Nmic, urease activity） were positively correlated with soil nutrients. Cmic/Nmic was significantly correlated with SOM and STN contents. The correlation between catalase activity and soil nutrients was not significant. In addition, except of catalase activity, the soil pH in this experiment was negatively correlated with soil microbial properties. In conclusion, soil microbial properties reflect changes of soil quality and thus can be used as bio-indicators of soil health.

Effects of long-term straw return on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities in a double-cropped rice paddy in South China

Long-term straw return is an important carbon source for improving soil organic carbon(SOC) stocks in croplands, and straw removal through burning is also a common practice in open fields in South China. However, the specific effects of long-term rice straw management on SOC fractions, the related enzyme activities and their relationships, and whether these effects differ between crop growing seasons remain unknown. Three treatments with equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient inputs, including straw/ash and chemical nutrients, were established to compare the effects of straw removal(CK), straw return(SR), and straw burned return(SBR). Compared to CK, long-term SR tended to improve the yield of early season rice(P=0.057), and significantly increased total organic carbon(TOC) and microbial biomass carbon(MBC) in double-cropped rice paddies. While SBR had no effect on TOC, it decreased light fraction organic carbon(LFOC) in early rice and easily oxidizable organic carbon(EOC) in late rice, significantly increased dissolved organic carbon(DOC), and significantly decreased soil p H. These results showed that MBC was the most sensitive indicator for assessing changes of SOC in the double-cropped rice system due to long-term straw return. In addition, the different effects on SOC fraction sizes between SR and SBR were attributed to the divergent trends in most of the soil enzyme activities in the early and late rice that mainly altered DOC, while DOC was positively affected by β-xylosidase in both early and late rice. We concluded that straw return was superior to straw burned return for improving SOC fractions, but the negative effects on soil enzyme activities in late rice require further research.

Effects of Water Stress on the Protective Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation in Roots and Leaves of Summer Maize

A systematic study was conducted to determine the effects of water stress on the activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in maize. The results showed that, under water stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, and peroxidase （POD） in leaves and roots increased sharply at prophase and metaphase growth stages, such as, male tetrad stage, but then declined towards the physiological maturity. The protective enzyme activities in roots were lower than those in leaves. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） increased according to the severity of water stress. The content of MDA in roots was lower than that in leaves. The activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in roots were positively related to that in leaves with most of the correlation coefficients being significant. The content of soluble proteins in roots and leaves decreased with increasing drought stress. The ear characteristics deteriorated and the economic yields of maize decreased significantly under water stress. The main factors that caused reduction of yields were the decrease in the number of ear kernels and 100-kernel weight.

Rhizosphere and bulk soil enzyme activities in a Nothotsuga longibracteata forest in the Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve,Fujian Province,China

The rhizosphere, distinct from bulk soil, is defined as the volume of soil around living roots and influenced by root activities. We investigated protease, invertase, cellulase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities in rhizosphere and bulk soils of six Nothotsuga longibracteata forest communities within Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve, including N. longibracteata ＋ either Phyllostachys pubescens, Schima superba, Rhododendron simiarum, Cunninghamia lanceolata, or Cyclobalanopsis glauca, and N. longibracteata pure forest. Rhizosphere soils possessed higher protease, invertase, cellulase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities than bulk soils. The highest invertase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities were observed in rhizosphere samples of N. longibracteata ＋ S. superba. Protease was highest in the N. longibracteata ＋ R. simiarum rhizosphere, while cellulase was highest in the pure N. longibracteata forest rhizosphere. All samples exhibited obvious rhizosphere effects on enzyme activities with a significant linear correlation between acid phosphatase and cellulase activities （p 〈 0.05） in rhizosphere soils and between protease and acid phosphatase activities （p 〈 0.05） in bulk soils. A principal component analysis, correlating 13 soil chemical properties indices relevant to enzyme activities, showed that protease, invertase, acid phosphatase, total N, and cellulase were the most important variables impacting rhizosphere soil quality.

Effects of Lanthanum on Hydrolytic Enzyme Activities in Red Soil

The effects of La on some hydrolytic enzyme activities in red soil were studied in incubation and pot culture experiments. In the incubation experiment, La slightly stimulates the activities of urease and acidic phosphatase in soil and strongly stimulates sucrase activity in soil. In the pot culture experiment, La stimulates the activities of urease, acidic phosphatase and sucrase to different degrees. The stimulative effects of rare earth elements (REE) on hydrolytic enzyme activities in soil may result in increasing yield of crops.

Effect of Cu and Ni on Growth, Mineral Uptake,Photosynthesis and Enzyme Activities of Chlorella vulgaris at Different pH Values

A pH dependent reduction in growth, Pigment, ATP content, O,' evolution, carbonfixation, Photosynthetic electron transport system, nutrient uptake (NO,' and NH4+),nitrate reductase, and ATPase activities and increase in K+ emux of Chlorella vulgaris wasnoticed following supplementation of Cu and Ni to the culture medium. PS II was foundto be more sensitive to both pH and metals than PS I. Though, nitrate reductase (NR) wasmore sensitive to both PH and metals, the ATPase was however, more sensitive t0 metalsbut less sensitive to acidic pH. Acid PH was found to dst the nutrient (NO,' and NH4+)uptake and nitrate reductase in a non-competitive manner. The inhibition Pnduced by thetest metals alone was of noncompetitive type for NO3' uptake, nitrate reductase andATPase and competitive for NH'+ uptake. Acidity not only inhibited the metabolicvariables directly but also through facilitated uptake of metals and increased membranepermeability. A very low sensitivity of ATPase to acidic pH seems to be resgnsible forthe survival of algae in acid environment.

Effects on antioxidant enzyme activities and osmolytes in Halocnemum strobilaceum under salt stress

The seedlings of Halocnermum strobilaceum were cultivated in 0.5% hoagland nutrient solution containing 0.0%, 0.9%, 2.7% and 5.4% of NaC1 as well as composite salt （Na^＋, Ca^2＋, K^＋, Si^4＋） for 20 days; all the contents are in weight ratio. Succulent level, inorganic ions （Na^＋, K^＋）, organics such as betaine, proline, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, peroxidase （POD）, betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase （BADH） were measured to reveal its salt tolerance mechanism. When the composite salt concentration reaches 5.4%, SOD activity level, and MDA content is five times the control group; when it reaches 2.7%, the succulent level of seedlings, and the content ofK＋ in roots is nearly two times the NaCl treatment; the dry weight is more than three times the control group; with the NaCl treatment, MDA is three times the contrast; when the salt concentration is 2.7%, POD reaches the maximum. Results indicate that Si^4＋, K^＋, and Ca^20 from composite salt in the roots of H. strobilaceum improved the water-holding capacity. The activities of antioxidant enzyme were raised by the accumulation ofproline and betaine, which increased the salt tolerance. The absorption of K^＋ promoted the high ratio of K^＋/Na^＋ and alleviated the damage of cell membranes of H. strobilaceum, which is associated with osmotic contents such as betaine and proline.

B Vitamins Can Reduce Body Weight Gain by Increasing Metabolism-related Enzyme Activities in Rats Fed on a High-Fat Diet

B vitamins are enzyme cofactors that play an important role in energy metabolism.The aim of this study was to elucidate whether B vitamin administration can reduce body weight（BW） gain by improving energy metabolism-related enzyme activities in rats fed on a highfat diet.Fifty rats were randomly assigned to one of the following five groups：control group（C）,including rats fed on standard rat chow;four treatment groups（H0,H1,H2,and H3）,in which rats were fed on a high-fat diet.Rats in the H1 group were treated daily with 100 mg/kg BW thiamine（VB1）,100 mg/kg BW riboflavin（VB2）,and 250 mg/kg BW niacin（VPP）;rats in the H2 group were treated daily with 100 mg/kg BW pyridoxine（VB6）,100 mg/kg BW cobalamin（VB12）,and 5 mg/kg BW folate（FA）;and rats in the H3 group were treated daily with all of the B vitamins administered to the H1 and H2 groups.After 12 weeks,the BW gains from the initial value were 154.5±58.4 g and 159.1±53.0 g in the H1 and C groups,respectively,which were significantly less than the changes in the H0 group（285.2±14.8 g,P〈0.05）.In the H0 group,the plasma total cholesterol（CHO） and triglyceride（TG） levels were 1.59±0.30 mmol/L and 1.55±0.40 mmol/L,respectively,which were significantly greater than those in the H1 group（1.19±0.18 mmol/L and 0.76±0.34 mmol/L,respectively,P〈0.05）.The activities of transketolase（TK）,glutathione reductase,and Na^＋/K^＋ adenosine triphosphatase were significantly increased in the B vitamin-treated groups and were significantly greater than those in the H0 group（P〈0.05）.Furthermore,the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase,pyruvic acid kinase,and succinate dehydrogenase activities also were increased after treatment with B vitamins.Supplementation with B vitamins could effectively reduce BW gain and plasma levels of lipids by improving energy metabolism-related enzyme activities in rats,thus possibly providing potential benefits to humans.

Long-term effects of gravel-sand mulch thickness on soil microbes and enzyme activities in semi-arid Loess Plateau,Northwest China

In semi-arid areas of China,gravel and sand mulch is a farming technique with a long history.In this study,a sample survey was conducted on long term gravel sand mulch observational fields in the Northwest Loess Plateau to determine the effects of long term mulch on soil microbial and soil enzyme activities.We found that after long term gravel-sand mulch,compared with bare ground,soil organic matter,alkali nitrogen,conductivity decreased,while pH and soil moisture increased.Urease,saccharase and catalase decreased with increased mulch thickness,while alkaline phosphatase was reversed.The results of Illumina MiSeq sequencing shows that after gravel-sand mulch,the bacterial and fungal community structure was different from bare land,and the diversity was reduced.Compared with bare land,the bacteria Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria abundance increased with increased thickness,and Actinobacteria was opposite.Also,at the fungal genus level,Fusarium abundance was significantly reduced,and Remersonia was significantly increased,compared with bare land.Redundancy analysis(RDA)revealed that soil environmental factors were important drivers of bacterial community changes.Overall,this study revealed some of the reasons for soil degradation after long term gravel-sand mulch.Therefore,it is recommended that the addition of exogenous soil nutrients after long term gravel-sand can help improve soil quality.

Effects of Dietary Carbohydrate-lipid Ratio on Growth, Body Composition and Digestive Enzyme Activities of Juvenile Peanut Worm,Sipunculus nudus

[Objective] This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary carbohydrate-lipid( C / L) ratios on growth performance,body composition and digestive enzyme activities of juvenile peanut worm. [Methods]Juvenile peanut worm with average body weight of( 16. 77 ± 0. 40) mg were fed with five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets formulated to contain different carbohydrate / lipid( C / L) ratios( 0. 68,1. 02,1. 62,2. 61 or 4. 35) for 8 weeks. [Results] The dietary C / L ratios had no significant effects on survival of juvenile peanut worm( P 】 0. 05). With the increasing of dietary C / L ratios,weight growth rate( WGR)and specific growth rate( SGR) increased when dietary C / L ratios were between 0. 68 and 2. 61,and then decreased significantly with dietary C / L ratio further increased. When the dietary C / L ratio was 2. 61( carbohydrate level was 20. 64%,lipid level was 7. 92%) both WGR and SGR produced the maximum value,they were 451. 78 ± 16. 85% and 3. 41 ± 0. 06 % / d,respectively. The dietary C / L ratios had significant effects on body moisture,body protein content and body lipid content( P 【 0. 05),but no significant effects on body ash content of juvenile peanut worm( P 】 0. 05). Different C / L ratios had significant effects on amylase activity and lipases activity of juvenile peanut worm( P 【 0. 05),but no significant effects on protease activity( P 】 0. 05). [Conclusion]The regression model analysis showed that the most suitable dietary C / L ratio which can make juvenile peanut worm acquire the best weight growth rate is 2. 42.

Comparison of Digestive Enzyme Activities in Normal and Growth Retarded Japanese Eels(Anguilla japonics)

[ Objective] This experiment was conducted to compare the activity difference of digestive enzymes in Japanese eels Anguilla japonics and growth retarded eels under different reaction temperature. [Method] Both 20 normal Japanese eels （Weight from 126.4 to 140.2 g per eel） and 20 growth retarded eels （Weight from 3.5 to 8.6 g per eel） were selected, then, the protease, amylase, lipase activities in hepatopancreas, intestine and stomach under the reaction temperature 5, 10, 15, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 55℃ were measured. [ Result] The protease activities in hepatopancreas, intestine and stomach all reached the highest value for both normal eels and growth retarded eels, and the order of protease activities was intestine 〉 stomach 〉 hepatopancreas except the protease activities of growth retarded eels at the temperature of 5, 15, 55℃ The protease activities in hepatopancreas, intestine and stomach of growth retarded eels were 29.5%, 15.7% and 25.2% of those of normal eels（ P 〈0. 05）. The amylase activities of both normal and growth retarded eels reached the highest value at the temperature of 30 ~C. The amylase activity or- der of normal eels was hepatopancreas 〉 intestine 〉 stomach expect the amylase activity at the temperature of 5 ~C, while the amylase activity order of growth retarded eels is intestine 〉 hepatopancreas 〉 stomach. The amylase activities in hepatopancreas, intestine and stomach of growth retarded eels were 42.4%, 73.7% and 43.8% of those of normal eels （ P 〈 0.05）. The lipase activities of both normal and growth retarded eels reached the highest value at the temperature of 35 ~C. The lipase activity order of normal eels was hepatopancreas 〉 stomach 〉 intestine, while the lipase activity order of growth retarded eels was hepatopancreas 〉 intestine 〉 stomach expect the lipase activity at the temperature of 35 ~C. The lipase activities in hepatopancreas, intestine and stomach of growth retarded eels were 41.5%, 45.6% and 23.2% of those of normal eels（ P 〈0.05）. [ Conclusion] The protease, amylase, lipase activities in hepatopancreas, intestine and stomach of growth retarded Japanese eels were significantly lower than those of normal Japanese eels, therefore, its growth was affected directly.

Field released transgenic papaya effect on soil microbial communities and enzyme activities

Soil properties, microbial communities and enzyme activities were studied in soil amended with replicase （RP）-transgenic or non-transgenic papaya under field conditions. Compared with non-transgenic papaya, significant differences （P〈0.05） were observed in total nitrogen in soils grown with transgenic papaya. There were also significant differences （P〈0.05） in the total number of colony forming units （CFUs） of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi between soils amended with RP-transgenic plants and non-transgenic plants. Compared with non-transgenic papaya, the total CFUs of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in soil with transgenic papaya increased by 0.43-1.1, 0.21-0.80 and 0.46-0.73 times respectively. Significantly higher （P〈0.05） CFUs of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi resistant to kanamycin （Km） were obtained in soils with RP-transgenic papaya than those with non-transgenic papaya in all concentrations of Km. Higher resistance quotients for Km＇ （kanamycin resistant） bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were found in soil planted with RP-transgenic papaya, and the resistance quotients for Km＇ bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in soils with transgenic papaya increased 1.6-4.46, 0.63-2.5 and 0.75-2.30 times. RP-transgenic papaya and non-transgenic papaya produced significantly different enzyme activities in arylsulfatase （5.4-5.9x）, polyphenol oxidase （0.7-1.4x）, invertase （0.5-0.79x）, cellulase （0.23-0.35x） and phosphodiesterase （0.16-0.2x）. The former three soil enzymes appeared to be more sensitive to the transgenic papaya than the others, and could be useful parameters in assessing the effects of transgenic papaya. Transgenic papaya could alter soil chemical properties, enzyme activities and microbial communities.

Changes in Enzyme Activities Involved in Starch Synthesis and Hormone Concentrations in Superior and Inferior Spikelets and Their Association with Grain Filling of Super Rice

The changes in activities of key enzymes involved in sucrose-to-starch conversion and concentrations of hormones in superior and inferior spikelets of super rice were investigated and their association with grain filling was analyzed.Four super rice cultivars,Liangyoupeijiu,IIyou 084,Huaidao 9 and Wujing 15,and two high-yielding and elite check cultivars,Shanyou 63 and Yangfujing 8,were used.The activities of sucrose synthase （SuSase）,adenosine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase （AGPase）,starch synthase （StSase） and starch branching enzyme （SBE）,and the concentrations of zeatin ＋ zeatin riboside （Z ＋ ZR）,indole-3-acetic acid （IAA） and abscisic acid （ABA） in superior and inferior spikelets were determined during the grain filling period and their relationships with grain filling rate were analyzed.Maximum grain filling rate,the time reaching the maximum grain-filling rate,mean grain filling rate and brown rice weight for superior spikelets showed a slight difference between the super and check rice cultivars,but were significantly lower in the super rice than in the check rice for inferior spikelets.Changes of enzyme activities and hormone concentrations in grains exhibited single peak curves during the grain filling period.The peak values and the mean activities of SuSase,AGPase,StSase and SBE were lower in inferior spikelets than in superior ones,as well as the peak values and the mean concentrations of Z ＋ ZR and IAA.However,the peak value and the mean concentration of ABA were significantly higher in inferior spikelets than in superior ones and greater in the super rice than in the check rice.The grain filling rate was positively and significantly correlated with the activities of SuSase,AGPase and StSase and the concentrations of Z ＋ ZR and IAA.The results suggested that the low activities of SuSase,AGPase and StSase and the low concentrations of Z ＋ ZR and IAA might be important physiological reasons for the slow grain filling rate and light grain weight of inferior spikelets in super rice.

Saline soil enzyme activities of four plant communities in Sangong River basin of Xinjiang,China

Soil enzyme activity plays an important role in the conversion of soil organic carbon into inorganic carbon, which is significant for the global carbon cycle. In this study, we investigated the soil enzyme activities of two ligninolytic enzymes （peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase） and five non-ligninolytic enzymes （a-l,4-glucosidase （AG）; 13-1,4-gluco- sidase （BG）; N-acetyl-[3-glucosaminidase （NAG）; ~3-D-cellobiosidase （CBH）; and ^-xylosidase （BXYL）） in four plant communities of the Sangong River basin in Fukang, North Xinjiang, China. The four typical plant communities were dominated by Haloxylon ammodendron, Reaumuria soongonica, Salsola passerina, and Tamarix rarmosissima, respec- tively, with saline soils of varied alkalinity. The results showed that the soil peroxidase activity decreased seasonally. The activities of the five non-ligninolytic enzymes decreased with increasing soil depths, while those of the two ligninolytic enzymes did not show such a trend. In the four plant communities, BG had the highest activity among the five non-ligninolytic enzymes, and the activities of the two ligninolytic enzymes were higher than those of the four non-ligninolytic ones （AG, NAG, CBH, and BXYL）. The community of H. ammodendron displayed the highest activity with respect to the two ligninolytic enzymes in most cases, but no significant differences were found among the four plant communities. The geometric mean of soil enzyme activities of the four plant communities was validated through an inde- pendently performed principal component analysis （PCA）, which indicated that different plant communities had different soil enzyme activities. The correlation analysis showed that soil polyphenol oxidase activity was significantly positively correlated with the activities of the five non-ligninolytic enzymes. The soil pH value was positively correlated with the ac- tivities of all soil enzymes except peroxidase. Soil microbial carbon content also showed a significant positive correlation （P〈0.01） with the activities of all soil enzymes except polyphenol oxidase. The results suggested that the H. ammoden- dron community has the highest ability to utilize soil organic carbon, and glucoside could be the most extensively utilized non-ligninolytic carbon source in the saline soil of arid areas in Xinjiang.

Starch Accumulation and Enzyme Activities Associated with Starch Synthesis in Maize Kernels

The filling rate and the starch accumulation in developing maize kernel were analyzed. The changes of enzyme activities associated with sucrose metabolism and starch biosynthesis were investigated. The purpose is to discuss the enzymatic mechanisms responsible for starch synthesis. Two types of maize cultivars （Zea mays）, high starch maize （Feiyu 3） and normal maize （Yuyu 22）, were grown in a corn field. The factors involved in starch synthesis were performed during the growth period. The kernel filling rate, the sucrose content, the starch accumulating rates and the activities of SS （sucrose synthase）, GBSS （granule-bound starch synthase）, SBE （starch branching enzyme） of Feiyu 3, which has high starch content, were significantly higher than those of Yuyu 22, which has low starch content, after 10 DAP （days after pollination）. Correlation analysis indicated that ADPGPPase （ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase） and DBE （starch debranching enzyme） were not correlated with the starch accumulating rates and the kernel filling rate, but the SS activity at the middle and late period were highly significantly correlated with the starch accumulating rates and the kernel filling rate. The GBSS activity was highly significantly correlated with the amylose accumulating rate, but not correlated with the kernel filling rate. The SBE activity was highly significantly correlated with the amylopectin accumulating rate and the kernel filling rate. It was not ADPGPPase and DBE, but SS was the rate-limiting factor of starch biosynthesis in developing maize kernels. GBSS had an important effect on amylose accumulation, and SBE had a significant effect on amylopectin accumulation.

Influence of water potential and soil type on conventional japonica super rice yield and soil enzyme activities

We carried out a pool culture experiment to determine the optimal water treatment depth in loam and clay soils during the late growth stage of super rice. Three controlled water depth treatments of 0-5, 0-10 and 0-15 cm below the soil surface were established using alternate wetting and drying irrigation, and the soil water potential （0 to -25 kPa） was measured at 5, 10 and 15 cm. A 2-cm water layer was used as the control. We measured soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and rice yield. The results showed that the 0-5-cm water depth treatment significantly increased root antioxidant enzyme activities in loam soil compared with the control, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield did not differ from those of the control. The 0-10- and 0-15-cm water depth treatments also increased root antioxidant enzyme activities, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield decreased. In clay soil, the soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and yield did not change with the 0-5-cm water treatment, whereas the 0-10- and 0-15-cm water treatments improved these parameters. Therefore,the appropriate depths for soil water during the late growth period of rice with a 0 to -25 kPa water potential were 5 cm in loam and 15 cm in clay soil.