This paper investigated the effects of root-zone (RZ) CO<sub>2</sub> concentration ([CO<sub>2</sub>]) on root morphology and growth, nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup>) uptake and...This paper investigated the effects of root-zone (RZ) CO<sub>2</sub> concentration ([CO<sub>2</sub>]) on root morphology and growth, nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup>) uptake and assimilation of lettuce plants at different root-zone temperatures (RZT). Elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] stimulated root development, root and shoot growth compared to ambient RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>]. The greatest increase in root growth was observed in plants grown under elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 50,000 ppm. However, RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 10,000 ppm was sufficient to achieve the maximal leaf area and shoot productivity. Lettuce plants exhibited faster shoot and root growth at 20°C-RZT than at ambient (A)-RZT. However, under elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>], the magnitude of increased growth was greater at A-RZT than at 20°C-RZT. Compared to RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 360 ppm, elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 10,000 ppm increased NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup> accumulation and nitrate reductase activity (NRA) in both leaves and roots. NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup> concentrations of leaf and root were higher at 20°C-RZT than at A-RZT in all plants. NRA was higher in root than in leaf especially under A-RZT. The total reduced nitrogen (TRN) concentration was significantly higher in plants grown under elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 10,000 ppm than under ambient RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 360 ppm with greater concentration in 20°C-RZT plants than in A-RZT plants. These results imply that elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] significantly affected root morphology, root and shoot growth and N metabolism of temperate lettuce with greater impacts at A-RZT than at 20°C-RZT. These findings have practical significance to vegetable production by growing the vegetable crops at cool-RZT with elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] to enhance its productivity.展开更多
This paper presents a robust kinematic model that describes northern Red Sea and Gulf of Suez rifting and the development of marginal extensional half-graben sub-basins (ESB). A combination of Landsat Enhanced Themati...This paper presents a robust kinematic model that describes northern Red Sea and Gulf of Suez rifting and the development of marginal extensional half-graben sub-basins (ESB). A combination of Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and structural data was used to provide model constraints on the development of rift segments and ESB in the active rift zones. Structural analysis shows rotation and change in strike of rift-bounding faults. The model describes the northern Red Sea region as a poly-phase rift system initiated by late Oligocene (30 - 24 Ma) orthogonal rifting and the development of marginal ESB (now inland ESB), followed by oblique rifting and flank uplift during the early Miocene (24 - 18 Ma). The oblique rifting fragmented the rift depression into segments separated by oblique-slip accommodation within reactivated Pan-African (ca. 600 Ma) fracture zones, resulting in the development of antithetic faults and an en-echelon distribution of inland ESB. The current phase of rifting was instigated by the development of the Dead Sea Transform in response to increased northeasterly extension during the middle Miocene (ca. 18 Ma). The model explains the widening of the Red Sea rift during the last phase more than the Gulf of Suez rift by developing more antithetic faults and formation of offshore ESB, and deepening the rift depression.展开更多
Although tropical high ambient temperature and humidity severely reduced the productivity of temperate plants, temperate vegetable crops such as lettuce have been successfully grown in Singapore by only cooling its ro...Although tropical high ambient temperature and humidity severely reduced the productivity of temperate plants, temperate vegetable crops such as lettuce have been successfully grown in Singapore by only cooling its root-zone. In this paper, a cool Meditteranean vegetable, Eruca sativa, was studied to understand how different RZTs can impact its shoot productivity, photosynthesis and nutritional quality. All plants were cultivated using aeroponic systems in a tropical greenhouse under hot ambient conditions where roots were subjected to four different root-zone temperatures (RZTs) of 20°C-RZT, 25°C-RZT, 30°C-RZT and fluctuating ambient temperatures ranged from 25°C to 38°C [25°C/38°C (ambient)]-RZT. Parameters studied include shoot fresh weight (FW), photosynthetic gas exchange, midday chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> ratio, Chl fluorescence photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (qN) and electron transport rate (ETR), total phenolic compounds and mineral content such as potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe). Among the 4 different RZT treatments, E. sativa plants grown under ambient-RZT (25/38°C-RZT) had the lowest shoot and root FW while those plants grown under 20°C-RZT had highest productivity of shoot and root. However, there were no significant differences in shoot and root FW in plants grown at 25°C- and 30°C-RZT. Compared to plants grown under 25°C/38°C (ambient-RZT), light-saturated photosynthetic CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation rate (A<sub>sat</sub>) and stomatal conductance (g<sub>ssat</sub>) were similarly higher in 20°C-, 25°C- and 30°C-RZT. All plants had midday Chl fluorescence F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> ratio lower than <0.8 ranged from 0.785 to 0.606 with the highest and lowest ratios recorded in 20°C-RZT and ambient-RZT plants, respectively. These results indicate that cooling the RZ of E. sativa plants protected their PS II from photoinactivation during midday in the greenhouse. There were no significant differences observed in photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (qN) and electron transport rate among plants grown under 20°C-, 25°C- and 30°C-RZT. However, plants grown under ambient-RZT had lower qP, qN and ETR compared to all other plants. E. sativa at 20°C-RZT with the best developed roots had the highest dietary mineral (K, Mg, Ca and Fe) contents but lower total phenolics content. In contrast, ambient-RZT, plants with poorly developed roots had the lowest mineral content but highest total phenolic content. The results of this study suggest that cooling of roots is a feasible method for the cultivation of E. sativa in the tropic, which enhances the content of dietary minerals in shoots.展开更多
文摘This paper investigated the effects of root-zone (RZ) CO<sub>2</sub> concentration ([CO<sub>2</sub>]) on root morphology and growth, nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup>) uptake and assimilation of lettuce plants at different root-zone temperatures (RZT). Elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] stimulated root development, root and shoot growth compared to ambient RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>]. The greatest increase in root growth was observed in plants grown under elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 50,000 ppm. However, RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 10,000 ppm was sufficient to achieve the maximal leaf area and shoot productivity. Lettuce plants exhibited faster shoot and root growth at 20°C-RZT than at ambient (A)-RZT. However, under elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>], the magnitude of increased growth was greater at A-RZT than at 20°C-RZT. Compared to RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 360 ppm, elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 10,000 ppm increased NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup> accumulation and nitrate reductase activity (NRA) in both leaves and roots. NO<sub>3</sub>-</sup> concentrations of leaf and root were higher at 20°C-RZT than at A-RZT in all plants. NRA was higher in root than in leaf especially under A-RZT. The total reduced nitrogen (TRN) concentration was significantly higher in plants grown under elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 10,000 ppm than under ambient RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] of 360 ppm with greater concentration in 20°C-RZT plants than in A-RZT plants. These results imply that elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] significantly affected root morphology, root and shoot growth and N metabolism of temperate lettuce with greater impacts at A-RZT than at 20°C-RZT. These findings have practical significance to vegetable production by growing the vegetable crops at cool-RZT with elevated RZ [CO<sub>2</sub>] to enhance its productivity.
文摘This paper presents a robust kinematic model that describes northern Red Sea and Gulf of Suez rifting and the development of marginal extensional half-graben sub-basins (ESB). A combination of Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and structural data was used to provide model constraints on the development of rift segments and ESB in the active rift zones. Structural analysis shows rotation and change in strike of rift-bounding faults. The model describes the northern Red Sea region as a poly-phase rift system initiated by late Oligocene (30 - 24 Ma) orthogonal rifting and the development of marginal ESB (now inland ESB), followed by oblique rifting and flank uplift during the early Miocene (24 - 18 Ma). The oblique rifting fragmented the rift depression into segments separated by oblique-slip accommodation within reactivated Pan-African (ca. 600 Ma) fracture zones, resulting in the development of antithetic faults and an en-echelon distribution of inland ESB. The current phase of rifting was instigated by the development of the Dead Sea Transform in response to increased northeasterly extension during the middle Miocene (ca. 18 Ma). The model explains the widening of the Red Sea rift during the last phase more than the Gulf of Suez rift by developing more antithetic faults and formation of offshore ESB, and deepening the rift depression.
文摘Although tropical high ambient temperature and humidity severely reduced the productivity of temperate plants, temperate vegetable crops such as lettuce have been successfully grown in Singapore by only cooling its root-zone. In this paper, a cool Meditteranean vegetable, Eruca sativa, was studied to understand how different RZTs can impact its shoot productivity, photosynthesis and nutritional quality. All plants were cultivated using aeroponic systems in a tropical greenhouse under hot ambient conditions where roots were subjected to four different root-zone temperatures (RZTs) of 20°C-RZT, 25°C-RZT, 30°C-RZT and fluctuating ambient temperatures ranged from 25°C to 38°C [25°C/38°C (ambient)]-RZT. Parameters studied include shoot fresh weight (FW), photosynthetic gas exchange, midday chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> ratio, Chl fluorescence photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (qN) and electron transport rate (ETR), total phenolic compounds and mineral content such as potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe). Among the 4 different RZT treatments, E. sativa plants grown under ambient-RZT (25/38°C-RZT) had the lowest shoot and root FW while those plants grown under 20°C-RZT had highest productivity of shoot and root. However, there were no significant differences in shoot and root FW in plants grown at 25°C- and 30°C-RZT. Compared to plants grown under 25°C/38°C (ambient-RZT), light-saturated photosynthetic CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation rate (A<sub>sat</sub>) and stomatal conductance (g<sub>ssat</sub>) were similarly higher in 20°C-, 25°C- and 30°C-RZT. All plants had midday Chl fluorescence F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> ratio lower than <0.8 ranged from 0.785 to 0.606 with the highest and lowest ratios recorded in 20°C-RZT and ambient-RZT plants, respectively. These results indicate that cooling the RZ of E. sativa plants protected their PS II from photoinactivation during midday in the greenhouse. There were no significant differences observed in photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (qN) and electron transport rate among plants grown under 20°C-, 25°C- and 30°C-RZT. However, plants grown under ambient-RZT had lower qP, qN and ETR compared to all other plants. E. sativa at 20°C-RZT with the best developed roots had the highest dietary mineral (K, Mg, Ca and Fe) contents but lower total phenolics content. In contrast, ambient-RZT, plants with poorly developed roots had the lowest mineral content but highest total phenolic content. The results of this study suggest that cooling of roots is a feasible method for the cultivation of E. sativa in the tropic, which enhances the content of dietary minerals in shoots.
