Determination of the Trace Element Contents in Plants Using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

The aim of the study is to investigate the contents of trace element Se, Cd, Pb in three plants including burdock, ginkgol and garlic via graphite furnace atomic absorption and standard addition method. The results show that Se in burdock stem, skin and leaf are 32.40, 48.63, 38.10 μg/g, respectively; Cd in burdock stem, skin and leaf are 0. 160 0, 0. 300 0, 0. 140 0 μg/g, respectively; Cd in burdock stem, skin and leaf are 2. 020, 3. 960, 2. 410 μg/g, respectively. In the ginkgo and ginko leaf, Se contents are 17.63 and 16.91 μg/g, respectively ; for Cd are 0. 181 0 and 0.2020μg/g, respectively ; for Pb are 3. 572 and 4. 021 μg/g, respectively. In garlic, Se, Cd and Pb are 73. 900 0, 6. 900 0 and 0. 390 0, respectively. All the standard deviations of measured results are below 2.3%, recovery rate are from 99% to 101%.

Induced Expression of Cytochrome P450 CYP305 B1V1 Gene in Different Tissues of Wild Mulberry Silkworm(Bombyx mandarina)

[ Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate effects of various inducers on the expression of cytochrome P450 CYP305 B1 V1 Gene in different tissues of wild mulberry silkworm. [ Method] Referring to the mRNA sequence of CYP305 B1 V1 Gene published in GenBank for wild mulberry silkworm, one pair of primers was designed, and the expression of cytochrome P450 CYP305 B1 V1 Gene in different tissues of wild mulberry silkworm treated by NaF, rutin, cypermethrin and ecdysone was also analyzed by the semi - quantitative RT - PCR. Furthermore, homology comparison and phylogenetic analysis for amino acid sequences of this gene were studied. [ Result] Rutin, cypermethrin and NaF had effects on the expression of P450 CYP305 B1 V1 Gene in different tissues of wild mulberry silkworm, while ecdysone had no significant effect. Homology comparison for amino acids indicated that the amino acid sequence of this gene was the most similar to that of CYP305 B1 gene in Bombyx mori with 100% amino acid identity, and highly similar to those of Tribolium casmneum CYP305A1, Apis mellifera CYP305A1, Drosophi- la melanogaster CYP305A1, Anopheles gambiae CYP305A2and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus CYP2LI. [ Conclusion] CYP305 B1 V1 Gene of wild mulberry silkworm is likely to mainly take part in the metabolism of exogenous compounds, which is of great significance for revealing the function of cytochrome P450 and the metabolic mechanism of different drugs.

Investigation on Physiological Status of Regional Vegetation Using Pushbroom Hyperspectral Imager Data

To extract vegetation pigment concentration and physiological status has been studied in two test areas covered with swamp and flourish vegetation using pushbroom hyperspectral imager (PHI) data which flied in September of 2000 at Daxing'anling district of Heilongjiang Province, China. The ratio analysis of reflectance spectra (RARS) indices, which were put forward by Chappelle et al (1992), are chosen in this paper owing to their effect and simpleness against both comparison with various methods and techniques for exploration of pigment concentration and characteristics of PHI data. The correlation coefficients between RARS indices and pigment concentration of vegetation were up to 0.8. The new RARS indices modes are established in the two test areas using both PHI data and spectra of different vegetations measured in the field. The indices' parameter images of chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b) and carotenoids (Cars) of the test areas covered with swamp and flourish vegetation are acquired by the new RARS indices modes. Furthermore, the regional concentration of Chl a and Chl b are extracted and quantified using regression equations between RARS indices and pigment concentrations, which were built by Blackburn (1998). The results showed the physiological status and variety clearly, and are in good agreement with the distribution of vegetation in the field.

Mechanism of microcystin removal from eutrophicated source water by aquatic vegetable bed

For purifying raw water for tap water treatment, the aquatic vegetable bed （AVB） experiment has been carded out in a hypertrophic waterfront of Taihu Lake, China. The average removal rates of total microcystin-RR and microcystin-LR are 63.0% and 66. 7%, respectively. Experiments indicate that lpomoea aquatica can absorb microcystin by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）, and the roots absorb more toxins than leaves and stems. Fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH） is used to analyze the density of microcystin degrading bacteria in the AVB sediment. Two species of microcystin degrading bacteria are detected, which indicate that microcystin bio-degradation process happened in the AVB. Protozoa and metazoa are abundant in root spheres. Aspidisca sp., Vorticella sp., Philodina sp., and Lecane sp. are dominant species. The predation functions of protozoa and metazoa have a positive effect on the removal of cyanobacteria and microcystin.

Isolation and analysis of pepper ACC oxidase gene partial sequence

Ethylene plays an extensive role in plant growth and development.. 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate （ACC） oxidase （ACO） is the key enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis. In this study, a 354 g DNA and a 213 bp cDNA base pair （bp） candidate fragment was amplified from pepper with primers derived from the ACO sequence （AJ011109） reported by Ernesto. The putative new gene was analyzed by bioinformatics tools.

Research on Stoichiometry of Early-spring Herbs Functional Group in the Subtropical Artificial Wetland

[Objective]The aim was to carry out stoichiometry on the early-spring herbs functional group in subtropical artificial wetland.[Method]UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used for the determination of nitrate-nitrogen,ammonium nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations.Potassium persulfate absorptiometry was used for the measurement of total N content,while the flame photometer was used to detect the potassium and sodium concentration in plants.All the nutrient determination of plant samples were repeated for four times.[Result]The four nutrient concentrations in almost all samples were in the normal range of natural plant nutrition concentrations;in early-spring herbs functional groups,different species showed diversity on the nutrient concentrations;plant height had no significant effect on the nutrient concentrations in plants;the nutrient concentrations of non-grass group plants were higher than that of grass group plants;the nutrient concentrations of the annual herb were higher than that of perennial herbs.[Conclusion]The study had provided basis for the understanding of the effects of changes in nutritional conditions on species diversity,community structure and succession of the system.

Mechanism of Oxidative Burst in Tobacco Leaves and Cells Induced by Palmin from Phytophthora palmi

In order to reveal the signaling pathways triggered by elicitor in plant-microbe interactions, the mechanisms of hypersensitive necrosis responses in Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Gexin III induced by palmin were studied at molecular and cellular level. The burst of superoxide, intercellular diffusion of hydrogen peroxide and process of cell death induced by palmin were investigated in tobacco plants by biochemical methods and Confocal microscopy. The results showed that a large amount of O-2(.-) was rapidly generated in tobacco cell elicited by palmin as a result of activation of NADPH oxidase, and the O-2(.-) was dismutated into H2O2 immediately by superoxide dismutase (SOD). Accumulation and intercellular diffusion of H2O2 were shown to be a trigger for hypersensitive cell death; and Ca2+ and some specific protein kinase were also shown to be involved in the activation of oxidative burst in tobacco cell induced by palmin.

Is kinase activity essential for biological functions of BRI1？

Brassinosteroids （BRs） are a major group of plant hormones that regulate plant growth and development. BRI1, a protein localized to the plasma membrane, functions as a BR receptor and it has been proposed that its kinase activity has an essential role in BR-regulated plant growth and development. Here we report the isolation and molecular characterization of a new allele of bril, bril-301, which shows moderate morphological phenotypes and a reduced response to BRs under normal growth conditions. Sequence analysis identified a two-base alteration from GG to AT, resulting in a conversion of 989G to 9891 in the BRI1 kinase domain. An in vitro assay of kinase activity showed that bril-301 has no detectable autophosphorylation activity or phosphorylation activity towards the BRI1 substrates TTL and BAK1. Furthermore, our results suggest that bril-301, even with extremely impaired kinase activity, still retains partial function in regulating plant growth and development, which raises the question of whether BRI1 kinase activity is essential for BR-mediated growth and development in higher plants.

Responses of Halophyte Salicornia bigelovii to Different Forms of Nitrogen Source

Salt-affected soils are agricultural and environmental problems on a global scale. Plants suffer from saline stresses in these soils and show nitrogen （N） deficiency symptoms. However, halophytes grow soundly under saline conditions. In order to clarify the N nutrition of the halophyte Salicornia bigelovii, it was grown at several N levels （1, 2, 3, and 4 mmol L-1）, supplied in the form of NO3 or ammonium （NH4＋）, under high NaCl conditions （200 mmol L-l）. NH4^＋- fed plants showed better growth than NO3-fed plants at 1-3 mmol L-1N, and plants in both treatments showed the same growth at 4 mmol L-1 N. Nitrogen contents in NO3-fed plants increased with the N concentrations in solution; competitive inhibition of NO3- absorption by Cl- was observed under lower N conditions. In addition, shoot dry weight was significantly correlated only with shoot N content. Therefore, growth of NO3-fed plants was regulated by N absorption. In contrast, N contents of shoots in NH4＋-fed plants did not change with N concentration. Shoot Na content decreased with increasing N concentration, while K content increased. Dry weight was highly correlated only with K content in NH4＋-fed plants. These observations indicated that growth of NH4＋-fed plants was mainly regulated by K absorption.

A field study on the conversion ratio of phytoplankton biomass carbon to chlorophyll-a in Jiaozhou Bay,China

A one-year field study was conducted to determine the conversion ratio of phytoplankton biomass carbon （Phyto-C） to chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） in Jiaozhou Bay, China. We measured suspended particulate organic carbon （POC） and phytoplankton Chl-a samples collected in surface water monthly from March 2005 to February 2006. The temporal and spatial variations of Chl-a and POC concentrations were observed in the bay. Based on the field measurements, a linear regression model Ⅱwas used to generate the conversion ratio of Phyto-C to Chl-a. In most cases, a good linear correlation was found between the observed POC and Chl-a concentrations, and the calculated conversion ratios ranged from 26 to 250 with a mean value of 56 μg ·μl^-1. The conversion ratio in the fall was higher than that in the winter and spring months, and had the lowest values in the summer. The ratios also exhibited spatial variations, generally with low values in the near shore regions and relatively high values in offshore waters. Our study suggests that temperature was likely to be the main factor influencing the observed seasonal variations of conversion ratios while nutrient supply and light penetration played important roles in controlling the spatial variations.

Spike in phytoplankton biomass in Greenland Sea during 2009 and the correlations among chlorophyll-a,aerosol optical depth and ice cover

The distributions and correlations of chlorophyll-a(Chl-a),aerosol optical depth(AOD)and ice cover in the southeast Arctic Ocean-Greenland Sea(10°W–10°E,70°–80°N)between 2003 and 2009 were studied using satellite data and statistical analyses.Regression analysis showed correlations between Chl-a and AOD,Chl-a and ice cover,and AOD and ice cover with different time lags.The time lag of Chl-a and AOD indicated their long-term equilibrium relationship.Peaks in AOD and Chl-a and generally occurred in May and July,respectively.Despite the time lag,the correlation between Chl-a and AOD in the study region was as high as 0.7.The peak gap between Chl-a and AOD shifted for about 6 weeks during 2003–2009.In the summer and autumn of 2009,Chl-a and AOD levels were much higher than during the other years,especially in the northern band of the study region(75°–80°N).The driving forces for this localized increase in phytoplankton biomass could be mainly attributed to the very high rate of ice melting in spring and early summer and the high wind speed in autumn,together with the increased deposition of aerosol throughout the year.The unusually high AOD in the spring of 2003 was mainly due to a massive fi re in Russia,which occurred in the fi rst half of the year.Over the 7 years of the study,the sea surface temperature generally decreased.This may have been due to the release of dimethylsulfi de into the air,excreted in large amounts from abundant phytoplankton biomass,and its subsequent reaction,form large amounts of aerosol,and resulting in regional cooling.

Plant Enzymes, Root Exudates, Cluster Roots and Mycorrhizal Symbiosis are the Drivers of P Nutrition in Native Legumes Growing in P Deficient Soil of the Cape Fynbos in South Africa

The Cape fynbos is characterised by highly leached, sandy, acidic soils with very low nutrient concentrations. Plant-available P levels range from 0.4 μg P g-1 to 3.7 μg P g-I soil, and 1-2 mg N gl soil. Despite these low nutrient concentrations, the fynbos is home to 9,030 vascular plant species with 68.7% endemicity. How native plant species survive such low levels of available P is intriguing, and indeed the subject of this review. In the fynbos soils, P is easily precipitated with cations such as Fe and Al, forming AI-P and Fe-P in acidic soils, or Ca-P in neutral-to-alkaline soils. The mechanisms for promoting P availability and enhancing P nutrition include the development of mycorrhizal symbiosis （with 80%-90% of higher plants, e.g., Cyclopia, Aspalathus, Psoralea and Leucadendron etc.） which exhibits 3-5 times much greater P acquisition than non-mycorrhizal roots. Formation of cluster roots by the Leguminosae （Fabaceae） and their exudation of Kreb cycle intermediates （organic acids） for solubilizing P, secretion of root exudate compounds （organic acids, phenolics, amino acids, etc.） that mobilize P. The synthesis and release of acid and alkaline phosphatase enzyme that catalyze the cleavage of mineral P from organic phosphate esters in acidic and alkaline soils, and the development of deep tap roots as well as massive secondary roots within the uppermost 15 cm of soil for capturing water and nutrients. Some fynbos legumes employ all these adaptive mechanisms for enhancing P nutrition and plant growth. Aspalathus and Cyclopia species typically form mycorrhizal and rhizobial symbiosis for improving P and N nutrition, produce cluster roots and acid phosphatases for increasing P supply, and release root exudates that enhance P solubilisation and uptake.

Food web structure and trophic levels in polyculture ricecrab fields

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to investigate nutrient pathways and trophic relationships from the rice-crab system in Panjin, Liaoning Province, China. Values of 313C ranged from -27.38%±0.44%o to -18.34%±0.26%o and δ^15N ranged from 1.10%o4-0.88%o to 9.33%±0.57%. Pseudorasbora parva （Stone moroko） had the highest δ^13C and 8tSN values. The lowest δ^13C values were obtained for the macrophytes and the lowest δ^15N value was found in sediments. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to determine the contribution of different food items to the diets of crabs. The δ^13C results indicated that the Pseudorasbora parva made the greatest contribution to the diet of Eriocheir sinensis （Chinese mitten crab）, while the δ^15N results indicated that most food items contributed more than 10% to the diet of the crab. There were three trophic levels identified in the system （Levels 0-2）. The crab Eriocheir sinensis, fish Pseudorasbora parva and Misgurnus anguillicaudatus （Oriental weatherfish）, and the oligochaete Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri （Limnodrilus worm）, were at the second level, zooplankton were at the first level and suspended particulate matter and macrophytes were at trophic position 0.

Nutrient element contents of cutting seedlings of hybrid species (Liriodendron chinense x tulipifera)

The cutting seedlings of Liriodendron chinense x tulipifera were treated with the different concentrations of auxin (treatment1: IBA of 50 gkg-1 + NAA of 300 gkg-1; treatment2: IBA of 100 gkg-1 + NAA of 300 gkg-1). The biomass and the nutrient element contents for different organs (root, stem, leaf) of cutting seedling of Liriodendron chinense x tulipifera were measured by the dry method, Kjeldahl method and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy method. The result showed that the biomass of root, stem, and leaf of the cutting seedling treated with auxin was all remarkably increased. The contents of element C in root, stem and leaf had no significant difference between the control and auxin treatments, while the contents of N, P, K and Ca in stem were much lower than that in leaf and root. Variance analysis showed that for the same organ with different concentration treatment of auxin, the four nutrient elements (N, P, K, and Ca) had no significant difference in contents, while there existed significant or very significant difference in contents of the four nutrient elements in different organs with the same concentration auxin treatment. The N, P, K and Ca contents were very low in cutting seedlings; as a result, additional fertilizer should be applied to the seedlings when they were planted in the field.

“丰鲜宝”在胡萝卜上的应用初报

“丰鲜宝”在胡萝卜上的应用初报任文政，俞珊菊（浮梁县农牧渔业局３３３４００）“丰鲜宝”是一种植物生长促控素，对农作物具有促进、调控、调节生长平衡的功能，在农作物上施用可以提高产量和品质。１９９４年我们开展了该促控素在胡萝卜上的应用研究，为进一步大面积...

The ecosystem of Lake Kenon:past and present(Transbaikal Territory,Russia)

Present-day conditions of the Lake Kenon ecosystem are determined by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. We have estimated the effects of a complex of factors on the condition of the abiotic environment and on specific biological components in the lake ecosystem. Change in biogenic load has caused an increase in the role of phytoplankton in the general balance of organic matter during the high-water period. Charophytes are the main dominants of bottom vegetation. Anthropogenic load has caused a decrease in both fish species and fish capacity. The lake application as a water reservoir-cooler has influenced the average annual water mineralization （from 420 mg/L to 530.0 mg/L with a maximum 654 mg/L in 1993） and fluctuations in its hydrochemical composition. The present composition of the lake is sulfate-hydrocarbonate-chloride calcium-sodic-magnesium in character. S（Y44 content is twice as much as the maximum permissible concentration in fishery waters. Water drainage from an ash disposal area to the lake has caused an increase in chemical-element concentrations including the heavy metals. Hg concentration in Perca fluviatilis muscles is 0.5 9g/g dry wt. Thus, understanding directions in the ecosystem of the water reservoir-cooler under changing hydrological conditions will let us forecast the consequences of new combined heat and power plant operation.

A Functional-Structural Model of Rice Seedling Coupled with Nitrogen Metabolism

With the ability of representing the association and inner-feedback between plant morphological structure and physiological functions, functional-structural plant modeling （FSPM） approach has been used in many works, trying to better understand the mechanisms of integrating plant functions and its structure, and their communication with environmental factors. To do so, an FSPM of rice seedling was developed in this study, including structural morphogenetic model, photosynthetic model and biomass partitioning module. It can thus describe the developmental course of the rice structure dynamically based on the processes of biomass producing and partitioning. Furthermore, the processes of nitrogen metabolism, which influence the N content and growth dynamics of the virtual rice, were also considered. The model was developed with L-system on a platform established with Java programming language, which took over the parsing and visualization of the L-system strings to 3D objects using Java 3D extended library. The physiological processes in the model can be modified and further improved to gradually meet the needs for modeling the whole life cycle of rice, e.g., considering the respiration, and interaction with other environmental factors like CO2, temperature, etc.. The model was developed to provide a platform to systematically study and understand how plant systems like rice seedling work. The model and the virtualization platform can be expanded to provide decision support on N fertilizer application for the rice seedling and the other crops.

Selection of Superior Breeding Infraspecies Gaharu of Gyrinops versteegii （Gilg） Domke

Research on selection of superior breeding infraspecies Gyrinops versteegii （Gilg） Domke aims to select an infraspecies of G. versteegii having internal factors that affect the quality and quantity of production aromatic resin or agarwood. The internal factors are variations in wood anatomy, phytochemicals and agarwood of infraspecies G. versteegii. Of five local populations taken from West Lombok Island in Indonesia, the research areas are geographically located at coordinates： 8°15′-8°40′ South Latitude and 116°00′-116°20′East Longitude. Quality and quantity of agarwood production is influenced by internal factors of eaglewood trees, such as high starch production and the size of the cells making up the larger wood tissue. Infraspecies G. versteegii that have quality and quantity production of aromatic resin （the best agarwood） is Beringin group and the highest quantity of agarwood production （agarwood formation on the whole organ） is Soyun group.

Effects of Plant Population on Growth, Development and Oil Yield of Safflower

Two field trials were clone to evaluate the effects of plant density on the growth, development and yield of safflower. The results showed that plant density and season of growth had significant （P ≤ 0.01） effects on growth, development, yield components, yield and oil content of safflower. Increasing safflower plant density from 100,000 to 250,000 plants ha^- significantly reduced plant height （13.2%-21.3%）, branch number plant^-1 （37%-54.7%）, leaf number plant^-1 （39%-39.2%）, leaf area （19.5%-53%）, plant spread （39.6%-54.4%）, root length （28.1%-54.4%）, plant biomass （17%-50%）, capitula size （12%-12.7%）, capitula number plant^-1 （39.5%-50.5%）, seed number capitula~ （39%-45%）, capitula weight （3.3%-3.6%）, seed yield （67.9%-69.8%） and seed oil content （14.7%-20.8%）. The reduction in vegetative growth, yield components, yield and oil content of safflower due to increased plant density was attributed to inter and intra-plant competition for light, nutrients and water necessary for growth and development. The differences between winter and summer grown safflower were attributed to difference in day and night temperature （DIF） and the average daily temperature which were optimum for safflower growth in winter. It was concluded that under Botswana conditions or in semi-arid areas, safflower should be planted at 50 cm × 20 cm or wider in order to maximize yield and oil content and allow the plants to express their maximum genetic potential.