Root Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Two Rice Cultivars with Different Nitrogen-Use Efficiency

The variation in nitrogen （N） uptake by rice has been widely studied but differences in rice root morphology that may contribute to this variation are not completely understood. Field and greenhouse experiments were carried out to study N accumulation, root dry weights, total root lengths, root surface areas, and root bleeding rates of two rice cultivars, Elio with low N-use efficiency and Nanguang with high N-use efficiency. Low （1 mmol N L^-1） and high （5 mmol N L^-1） N applications were established in the greenhouse experiment, and the N rates were 0, 120, and 240 kg ha^-1 in the field experiments at Jiangning and Jiangpu farms, Nanjing, China. The results showed that the N accumulation, root dry weight, total root length, and root surface area increased with an increase in N application. At the heading stage, N accumulation in the shoots and roots of Nanguang was greater than that of Elio in the field experiments and that of Elio at 5 mmol N L^-1 in the greenhouse experiment. After the heading stage, N accumulation was higher for Nanguang at both 1 and 5 mmol N L^-1 in the greenhouse experiment. The total root length and root surface area were significantly different between the two cultivars. Over the range of the fertilizer application rates, the root lengths of Nanguang at Jiangning Farm were 49%-6170 greater at booting and 26%-39% greater at heading than those of Elio, and at Jiangpu Farm they were 22%-42% and 26%-38% greater, respectively. Nanguang had a greater root bleeding rate than Elio. It was concluded that the N-use efficiency of the two rice cultivars studied depended to a great extent on the root morphological parameters and root physiological characteristics at different growth stages.

Effect of Potassium Nutrition of Different Varieties of Rice on the Redox Status in Microzone Rhizosphere Soils

Being divided into three groups-strong, moderate and weak-according to the different kinetic parameters (Fmax, km, Cmin) of potassium uptake by crops, 21 cultivars of rice have been studied to find out the relationships between their potassium nutrition and the oxidation-reduction status in the rhizosphere soils.Results show that, with no application of K fertilizer, there were higher contents of active reducing substances and ferrous iron in rhizosphere soils planted with cultivars, such as Zhongguo 91, week in absorbing potassium than in soils cropped with cultivars, Shanyou 64, stronger in absorbing potassium. As a result of K application, however, these toxic substances were decreased appreciably in the soil, particularly in the root zone where weakly K-absorbing cultivars were growing, and the parameter of soil redox (pH +pE) was increased, the most striking example of this being found in the rhizosphere soil where the more strongly K-absorbing cultivars were growing. On and close to the root surface in soils where rice plants were supplied with potassium fertilizer, rather more iron oxide had been accumulated compared with rice receiving no potash, and even greater amounts of red iron oxide precipitated on the rice root in neutral paddy soils. As shown by the concentration distribution of active reducing substances and ferrous iron in a microzone of the profile, the redox range of rice roots supplied with potassium may extend as far as several centimeters from the root surface. It can thus be seen that potassium nutrition exerts its effect first on the morphological properties of rice roots and their exudation of oxygen, then on the content of soluble oxygen and the count and species of oxygen-consuming microbes in the rhizosphere soil, and finally on the redox status of the soil.

Preliminary Findings on Yield Response of Potatoes （Solanum tuberosum） to Umostart Super Zn （11.46,0 ＋ 2 Zn ＋ Humates）

Field trials to determine the yield response of potatoes to Umostart Super Zn （USZ） fertilizer （11.46.0 ＋ 2 Zn ＋ Humates） were carried out in 2004 using the cultivar Tigoni. During the long rains season, the treatments included USZ at 15 kg ha^-1 at planting; 30 kg ha^-1 split into 15 kg ha^-1 at planting and 15 kg ha^-1 during final earthing-up; 30 kg ha^-1 at planting; and 45 kg ha^-1 at planting. Treatments during the short rains included USZ at 30 kg ha^-1 split into 15 kg ha^-1 at planting and 15 kg ha^-1 during final earthing-up; 30 kg ha^-1 at planting; 40 kg ha^-1 at planting; 50 kg ha^-1 at planting; 50 kg ha^-1 split into 25 kg ha^-1 at planting and 25 kg ha^-1 during final earthing-up; and 60 kg ha^-1 at planting. USZ was contrasted with Diammonium phosphate （DAP） fertilizer （18：46：0） at 300 kg ha^-1 and 500 kg ha^-1 applied at planting and a control in which no fertilizer was applied. The DAP 300 kg ha^-1 treatment was however, not included during the long rains season. The highest tuber yields among the USZ treatments were obtained in plots treated with 45 kg ha^-1 （27.11 t ha^-1） during the long rains and 60 kg ha^-1 （55.17 t ha^-1） during the short rains season. Application of USZ resulted in a yield increase of at least 3.90 and 19.06 t ha^-1 during the long and short rains seasons respectively.

The Influence of Mycorrhizal Fungi on the Growth of Apple and Sour Cherry Maidens Fertilized with Different Bioproducts in the Organic Nursery

Apple/Malus x domestica cv. ＇Topaz＇/M26 and sour cherry cv. ＇Debreceni Botermo＇/Prunus mahaleb L. maidens were fertilized with different organic fertilizers and soil amendments in an organic nursery. A mycorrhizal inoculant, Micosat, was added to the non-fertilized control and to combinations fertilized with various bioproducts. Under assessment was the effect of nutrient delivery on the growth and development of maiden fruit trees focussing on tree height, thickness of the tree trunk, the number and the length of lateral shoots in each treatment combination. It was found that the introduction of mycorrhizal fungi into the soil without fertilizer application significantly improved the growth and development of apple and sour cherry maidens. Mineral fertilizer application （NPK） combined with mycorrhizal inoculation had a negligible effect on the above features. In the presence of bioproducts such as granular manure, Humus Active ＋ Aktywit PM, BF Amin, Vinassa and Florovit Eko, the mycorrhizal fungi were more biologically active than in the absence of these products.

Use of High Content Fish Silage Wet Food in Final Growth out of PacQ （Piaractus mesopotamicus, Holmberg 1887）in Northeast Argentina

The effect of two diets containing fish acid silage were studied, the first one offered as dry diet and the second one as a wet diet, in final culture cycle of PactS. Previous experiences showed that diets without fishmeal maintain same growth rate in semi intensive system, compared to diets containing 8% and 20% fish meal. Feeding trials were carried out in CENADAC （27°32′ S, 58030＇ W） in a semi intensive pond culture system for 122 days. Two experimental feed including fish silage, a liquid product obtained of fish residues treated by enzymes action, were formulated. Fish silage was prepared by mincing and blending fish viscera with sufficient formic acid （2.11% v/w） to attain a stable pH of 3.5. Fish were daily fed initially with the dry ration at 1.3% bw/d and at a rate of 0.55 g of protein/100 g of fish with the wet ration. At the end of the experience the average weight observed for dry fed fish was 1,513.5 g and 1,560.3 g for those wet fed. The daily growth was 3.69 g/d for the first group and 3.9 g/d for the second one. The final FCR was 2.72 and 3.01 for each group without significant differences. These results showed that it is possible to grow out paco with wet self made feed without fish meal and with similar growth that those fed dry diet.

Quantification of International Competitiveness of Argentine Fishing Industry

In the 1990s, Argentine exports of fishery products increased significantly for different reasons. Competitiveness is the most important internal factor to determine a country＇s export performance. This factor is referenced constantly and it is considered as a necessary condition when it comes to staying in foreign markets, gaining new ones, and increasing the share of exports. This paper is a preliminary study that aims to develop a software tool which is able to characterize the competitiveness of Argentina in the international market for fishery products. We propose to use predicates generated from the knowledge of experts in the study area and evaluate them through Compensatory Fuzzy Logic. The predicates were related to obtain a value that quantifies the competitiveness of Argentina in the various markets in which it provides. The analysis of results verifies the consistency of the computer tool developed. This methodology applied to the fishing industry is an innovative approach to Argentina, not only for the sector in question but also for other industrial sectors that make up the country＇s productive system

Investigation of Dyeing Properties of Different Fabric Species with Alkanna Orientalis Root Extract

In this study, the dyeing properties of different fabric species were investigated using root extract of yellow sormunen （Alkanna orientalis）. For this purpose, the cotton and wool fabrics were dyed using the root extract of yellow sormunen by pre-mordanting, together-mordanting and last-mordanting methods with copper sulfate （CuSO4）, iron sulfate （FeSO4） and aluminum sulfate （AiK（SO4）2） at medium pH. The same procedure was applied to cotton and wool fabrics that allowed in Artifical Urinary System （AUS） [%3 NH3 ＋ %3 urea ＋ %3 CAC2O4（g/v）] for 24 h. The color codes were determined with Pantone Color Quide, and K/S and L＊ a＊ b＊ values were detected with color measurement spectrophotometer, and also washing-, crocking-fastness levels were evaluated using gray scale. According to the evaluations, the fabrics dyed pre-treated with AUS have higher fastness values than the unpre-treated dyed fabrics with AUS.

Amylose contents of cereals; influence of household processing on the amylose contents of these foods

Amylose is a food starch found in cereals, legumes and root vegetables. Keeping in view the importance of amylose for various food industries as well as its importance on domestic level, the current study was conducted to analyze the amylose content of common cereals e. g rice （sela, coarse and basmati）, maize yellow, Kisan and Azam varieties and wheat （Tatara, Fakhr-e-sarhad and Bakhtawar-92） varieties as well as quantifying the influence of cooking/boiling procedures on the amylose contents of cereals. The maximum amylose content were observed for wheat variety Tatara （24.28%） followed by Bakhtawar-92 （22.74%） and Fakhr-e-sarhad （19.77%）. Among maize and rice varieties studied, Kisan and course rice were rich in amylose content with values of 27.19 and 30.48% respectively. The chapti of Tatra wheat were scored highest for appearance （7.6）, flavor （7.5）, texture （7.6） and overall acceptability （7.55）. The roti of Kisan and Azam varieties got maximum appearance score of 7.6 as compared to 7.4 for maize yellow variety. Basmati rice was scored highest regarding appearance （8.4）, flavor （8.6）, texture （8.6） and overall acceptability （8.53. The moisture content ranged from 10.61 （Azam） to 8.01% （wheat variety Fakhr-e-sarhad）. Cooking reduced the amylose content of wheat bread from （19.77%-24.28%） to （15.47%-15.94%） with cooking time of 5 min, maize bread from （21.48%-27.19%） to （19.53 %-25.85%） with maximum cooking time of 10 min and boiled rice from （24.90%-30.48%） to （24.18%-30.19%） with cooking time ranging from 12 to 20 min. It can be inferred from these studies that the reduction in amylose content were more in chapti/roti preparation of wheat and maize varieties as compared to boiling of rice varieties and that significant varietals differences exist in amylose content of the uncooked samples.

Effect of Transgenic Corn Cultivation and Sampling Location on Feeding Habits of Collembola

Transgenic corn was modified to combat lepidopteran pests, herbicide and other deteriorate environmental factors. However, fewer studies concerned the effects of transgenic corn cultivation on the soil Collembola in black soil region in China. In Jilin black soil region, a six treatments study including three corn varieties （transgenic corn, control and local variety） and two sampling locations （in rizhosphere and in between plants） were deployed to study the effect of transgenic corn cultivation and sampling location on densities, species richness and community structure of Collembola. We found that root biomass was marginally decreased in transgenic corn and control variety when compared to local variety. Collembola significantly affected by sampling location treatments. Densities and species richness of collembolans significantly decreased in ＂between plants＂ than in ＂rizhosphere＂. Densities of Collembola were impacted by corn varieties. In the whole growing season, densities of Collembola significantly decreased in control than in local variety. Collembolans in transgenic variety only slightly decreased in ＂jointing stage＂ than local variety. Collembolans adversely affected in ＂between plants＂ when compared to ＂in rhizosphere＂ in ＂seeding stage＂ but not other stages. These variations of collembolans were in lines with the trend of corn root biomass. It is indicated that Collembola variations could be caused by food resources （root biomass） but not corn varieties （transgenic, control and local）.

Evaluation of Tomato Lines Derived from Landraces of ＂Tomate Platense＂ and a Commercial Hybrid in La Plata, Argentina

In the city of La Plata （Argentina） and the surroundings, there are tomato landraces, widely known as ＂tomate platense＂ and particularly prized because of their flavor. The objective was to evaluate seven promissory lines of ＂tomate platense＂ （TL） derived from local varieties and a commercial hybrid （CH） considering yield, fruit characters and their possible associations. Nine plants per treatment were arranged in a randomized complete block design （r = 4）. The following parameters were determined： diameter （cm）, height （cm）, diameter/height （D/H） ratio, weight per fruit （g）, number of locules, the average number of fruits per plant, the average weight of fruits per plant （kg/ptant）, the yield （ton/ha） and the survival percentage. ANOVA, Tukey＇s test and Pearson correlation coefficient were applied. The TL showed greater （P ≤ 0.01） diameter, D/H ratio and number of locules than CH. In all materials, both diameter and height were associated （P ≤ 0.05） with the weight per fruit. Six of TL had greater （P ≤ 0.01） weight per fruit than HC. Respect to number of fruits per plant, weight of fruits per plant and yield, there were no significant differences among the materials. The survival for CH was lower （P ≤0.05） than that for TL. Although fruits with a smaller size and less flattened have been selected, the lines show enough similarity in these characters that identified their common origin. With the fruits smaller and more uniform, and having no joined fruits, these lines may be of interest to be cultivated under low-input system conditions and practical for low-income producers.

The Public Institutions of Science and Technology as Knowledge Source in the Learning Networks of Agri-food Sectors in Argentina

In the case of agrifood productions, Argentinean enterprisesmainly medium and smallzized, have a critical neck bottle that limits their possibility to build endogenous capabilities for knowledge production, circulation and appropriation. As a consequence, public institutions of science and technology have been called to play a central role in the innovation systems providing relevant inputs for the necessary learning process in order to obtain product and process innovation. Nevertheless, it looks like that these institutions, in Argentina, are prisoners of the offer （science） push--demand pull tension far away of a systemic behavior in an innovative environment. This work studies four cases of agrifood production in Argentina, considering a regional approach and the learning networks around each production. It is concluded that the behavior of each institution is different for each case. INTA has a systemic conduct in all cases while the other ones show a systemic behavior only in the case that their offer matches to specific demands.

Effect of Different Organic Nutrient Sources and Two NPK Rates on the Performance and Nutrient Contents of A Newly Released Cassava Variety

A field experiment was conducted to determine the response of a newly released cassava variety （TMS 98/0510） in Nigeria to three sources of organic manure （poultry waste, pig dung and goat dung at 10 t/ha）, two levels inorganic fertilizer （N：P：K 15：15：15 at 200 and 400 kg/ha） and a control treatment. The six treatments were compared in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on yields and yield related agronomic and morphological traits. Data were also collected on soil nutrient content at planting and the content of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the leaf stem and roots. The results showed that the soil used in this experiment was low in organic matter and other nutrients except available P. Inorganic and organic fertilizers significantly increased leaf area, however yield and growth related traits like plant height, number of leaves, stem yield, tuber girth, number of roots and harvest index were not significantly different among the treatments. Contrary to expectations manure and fertilizer treatments did not increase fresh root yield in this cassava variety. They did not also influence the content of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the stem, leaf and root. This response suggests that cassava varieties bred for farmers＇ conditions in Nigeria, which are inherently low in soil nutrients, may not respond to additional nutrient input. Breeders should therefore select cassava for dual adaptation to low and high nutrient levels in the soil to meet the needs of a wider spectrum of farmers and to justify government and extension support for the use of input by farmers in Nigeria.

Contribution of Promiscuous Soybean （Glycine max L.） to Upland Rice-based Cropping Systems in West Africa

A two-year on-farm study was carried out at Eglime in the moist savanna （MS） and Ouake in the dry savanna （DS） of Benin to evaluate the contribution of inoculation of dual-purpose soybean varieties to grain yield of upland NERICA rice fertilized with low N level. In 2005, four dual-purpose, promiscuous soybean varieties （cv. TGx1440-IE; TG×1448-2E; TG×1019-2EB; and TG×1844-18E）, and a popular improved variety （cv. Jupiter） were sown in 12 farmer fields with and without Bradyrhizobium japonicum inoculation. There was also land which was left fallow that acted as the control. In 2006, upland interspecific rice （NERICA 1） was sown in all the plots and supplied with 15 kg N haL. Dry matter yield, N accumulation, and net N-balance were significantly enhanced by over 40% with inoculation of cv. TG× 1844-18E than non-inoculation in the DS in comparison to other cultivars. There were no significant effects of inoculation of previous soybean cultivars on soybean grain yield and on the succeeding NERICA rice yield. Averaged over inoculation, previous cv. TG× 1019-2EB plots supplied with only 15 kg N hal gave the highest grain yield, more than twice the yield of control plots in the DS, possibly because of significant production of higher tillers, panicles and harvest index than the other cultivars; and it could be recommended for upland rice-based system for NERICA production.

Influence of Ice on Soil Elemental Characterization via Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Field portable X-ray fluorescence （PXRF） spectrometry has become an increasingly popular technique for in-situ elemental characterization of soils. The technique is fast, portable, and accurate, requiring minimal sample preparation and no consumables. However, soil moisture 〉 20% has been known to cause fluorescence denudation and error in elemental reporting and few studies have evaluated the presence of soil moisture in solid form as ice. Gelisols （USDA Soil Taxonomy）, permafrost-affected soils, cover a large amount of the land surface in the northern and southern hemispheres. Thus, the applicability of PXRF in those areas requires further investigation. PXRF was used to scan the elemental composition （Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Mn, Pb, Rb, Sr, Ti, Zn, and Zr） of 13 pedons in central and northern Alaska, USA. Four types of scans were completed： 1） in-situ frozen soil, 2） re-frozen soil in the laboratory, 3） melted soil/water mixture in the laboratory, and 4） moisture-corrected soil. All were then compared to oven dry soil scans. Results showed that the majority of PXRF readings from in-situ, re-frozen, and melted samples were significantly underestimated, compared to the readings on oven dry samples, owing to the interference expected by moisture. However, when the moisture contents were divided into 〉 40% and 〈 40〈 groups, the PXRF readings under different scanning conditions performed better in the group with 〈 40% moisture contents. Most elements of the scans on the melted samples with 〈 40% moisture contents acceptably compared to those of the dry samples, with R2 values ranging from 0.446 （Mn） to 0.930 （St）. However, underestimation of the melted samples was still quite apparent. Moisture-corrected sample PXRF readings provided the best correlation to those of the dry, ground samples as indicated by higher R2 values, lower root mean square errors （RMSEs）, and slopes closer to 1 in linear regression equations. However, the in-situ （frozen） sample scans did not differ appreciably from the melted sample scans in their correlations to dry sample scans in terms of R2 values （0.81 vs. 0.88）, RMSEs （1.06 vs. 0.85）, and slopes （0.88 vs. 0.92）. Notably, all of those relationships improved for the group with moisture contents 〈 40%.

Specialized Optical Fiber Sensor for Nondestructive Intrinsic Quality Measurement of Averrhoa Carambola

This paper presents an innovative and low-cost approach for nondestructive fruit quality analysis. The specialized optical fiber sensor developed and presented in this paper used a monochromatic wavelength, rather than a broad spectrum, to measure the intact carambola （star fruit） intrinsic quality, namely pH and firmness. The main objective of this research was to investigate the two optical fiber sensors used in this work, namely, the optical fiber red system （OF-RS） that operated with the peak sensitivity at 635 nm and the optical fiber near the infrared spectroscopy system （OF-NIRS） that operated with the peak sensitivity at 880nm. Both systems showed good accuracy in the pH and firmness measurement of the intact carambola with the correlation coefficient R over 0.75, and the measurement results were comparable with those of the commercial spectrometer. The best measurement results were obtained using OF-RS （pH： R = 0.876; the root mean square error （RMSE） = 0.211 pH; firmness： R = 0.872; RMSE = 0.909 kgf）.

Fine Root Patterning and Balanced Inorganic Phosphorus Distribution in the Soil Indicate Distinctive Adaptation of Maize Plants to Phosphorus Deficiency

Plants have diverse strategies to cope with phosphorus （P） deficiency. To better understand how maize responds to P deficiency, a field experiment with two P levels, 0 and 100 kg P205 ha-1 （P0 and P100, respectively）, was carried out as a part of a long-term Pfertilizer field trial. Plant and soil analyses showed that P-deficient maize reduced its growth rate, increased P use efficiency, and formed more thin roots with the diameter less than 0.6 mm at jointing and silking stages, compared to the plants treated with P100. Further, there were no differences in major inorganic P fractions （Ca2-P, Cas-P, Al-P, Fe-P, occluded P and Ca10-P） between the rhizospheric and bulk soils at each harvest, even when soil Olsen-P was only 1.38 mg kg-1. These results suggested that maize responded to P deficiency by reducing the internal P demand for growth and increasing P acquisition ability by favorable root morphological alteration at low carbon cost.

Sino-US Relations： A Hegemonic Stability Perspective

The financial crisis, beginning from 2008, has brought into sharp relief just how dependent the US has become on foreign creditors, chiefly among them China. It has also sharpened the perception of the relative decline of a US- centric West and the relative rise of a China-centric Aria. The changing relationship between the US and China does demand a new tone. The article will be based on the Hegemonic Stability Theory. According to Charles Kindleberger, one of the scholars most closely associated with the theory, the United States should have acted as a lender of last resort in the early 1930s, continuing to keep its financial markets open to investment and its market open to foreign goods, rather than heading down the path of protectionism. With the inability to complete the Doha round of trade negotiations, the rising influence of the Group of 20, and the centrality of China in the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, it has been proven that ＂ the provision of basic global public goods now demands co-operation between the established powers and emerging countries. ＂ However, today＇s China may be in a position comparable to that of the US in the 1930s and cannot hope to stabilize the world on its own＇ Thus, the article will also investigate the competition between China and the US for sharing fairer burdens to provide public goods. Based on Hegemonic Stability Theory, the world politics will not be stable in the near future because, on the one hand, the US has not enough capability to lead and to enforce the rules of the system, on the other hand, China has no will to establish a hegemonic regime.

Silicon-Mediated Amelioration of Fe^(2+) Toxicity in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Roots

Silicon (Si) can enhance the resistance of plants to many abiotic stresses. To explore whether Si ameliorates Fe2+ toxicity, a hydroponic experiment was performed to investigate whether and how Si detoxifies Fe2+ toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots. Results indicated that rice cultivar Tianyou 998 (TY998) showed greater sensitivity to Fe2+ toxicity than rice cultivar Peizataifeng (PZTF). Treatment with 0.1 mmol L-1 Fe2+ inhibited TY998 root elongation and root biomass significantly. Reddish iron plaque was formed on root surface of both cultivars. TY998 had a higher amount of iron plaque than PZTF. Addition of Si to the solution of Fe treatment decreased the amount of iron plaque on root surface by 17.6% to 37.1% and iron uptake in rice roots by 37.0% to 40.3%, and subsequently restored root elongation triggered by Fe2+ toxicity by 13.5% in the TY998. Compared with Fe treatment, the addition of 1 mmol L-1 Si to the solution of Fe treatment increased xylem sap flow by 19.3% to 24.8% and root-shoot Fe transportation by 45.0% to 78.6%. Furthermore, Si addition to the solution of Fe treatment induced root cell wall to thicken. These results suggested that Si could detoxify Fe2+ toxicity and Si-mediated amelioration of Fe2+ toxicity in rice roots was associated with less iron plaque on root surface and more Fe transportation from roots to shoots.