Genome-wide association mapping and genomic prediction of stalk rot in two mid-altitude tropical maize populations

Maize stalk rot reduces grain yield and quality.Information about the genetics of resistance to maize stalk rot could help breeders design effective breeding strategies for the trait.Genomic prediction may be a more effective breeding strategy for stalk-rot resistance than marker-assisted selection.We performed a genome-wide association study(GWAS)and genomic prediction of resistance in testcross hybrids of 677 inbred lines from the Tuxpe?o and non-Tuxpe?o heterotic pools grown in three environments and genotyped with 200,681 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs).Eighteen SNPs associated with stalk rot shared genomic regions with gene families previously associated with plant biotic and abiotic responses.More favorable SNP haplotypes traced to tropical than to temperate progenitors of the inbred lines.Incorporating genotype-by-environment(G×E)interaction increased genomic prediction accuracy.

Improvement of Methane Production from Corn Stalk for Whole Slurry Anaerobic Co-digestion Under Hydrothermal Wastewater Pretreatment

Corn stalk hydrothermal wastewater(CSHW)was used as a pretreatment for whole-slurry anaerobic co-digestion instead of conventional acid pretreatment.CSHW pretreatment was conducted at 20℃,35℃and 50℃for 3,6 and 9 h,after which all experimental groups were digested at 35℃for 24 days.This pretreatment method efficiently broke the lignocellulose structure of the corn stalk.Different from the volatile fatty acids(VFAs)content,the pH and RS contents were relatively higher than those of the control during the pretreatment process.Furthermore,the highest methane production[185.03 mL•g-1 VS(volatile solid)]was achieved at 55.46%under 35℃in 6 h,which was higher than that of the normal corn stalk anaerobic digestion.The VFAs contents and pH increased compared to CK upon the addition of NaOH to adjust pH,and the RS content also increased slightly due to the degradability of lignocellulose during the whole-slurry anaerobic co-digestion.This work provided a potential method to sustainably treat wastewater and improve fermentation performance.

Dissecting the genetic architecture of glucosinolate compounds for quality improvement in flowering stalk tissues of Brassica napus

Glucosinolates(GSLs) and their hydrolytic products contribute to the quality traits of rapeseed flowering stalk tissues, such as taste, flavor and anticarcinogenic properties(Glucoraphanin). However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms of GSL accumulation in rapeseed flowering stalks. In this study, the variation and genetic architecture of GSL metabolites in flowering stalk tissues were investigated for the first time among a panel of 107 accessions. All GSL compounds exhibited continuous and wide variations in the present population. Progoitrin,glucobrassicanapin and gluconapin were the most abundant GSL compounds. Five quantitative trait loci(QTL) significantly associated with three GSL compounds were identified by genome-wide association study. GRA_C04 was under selected during modern breeding, in which the ratio of lower GSL haplotype(HAP2) in the accessions bred before 1990(52.56%) was significantly lower than that after 1990(78.95%). Four candidate genes, BnaA01. SOT16, BnaA06. SOT17, Bna A06. MYB51a, and Bna A06. MYB51b, were identified in the GTL_A01 and 4OH_A06 regions.These findings provide new insights into GSL biosynthesis in flowering stalk tissues and facilitate quality improvement in rapeseed flowering stalks.

Genome-wide association study identifies novel candidate loci or genes affecting stalk strength in maize

Stalk strength increases resistance to stalk lodging,which causes maize(Zea mays L.)production losses worldwide.The genetic mechanisms regulating stalk strength remain unclear.In this study,three stalk strength-related traits(rind penetrometer resistance,stalk crushing strength,and stalk bending strength)and four plant architecture traits(plant height,ear height,stem diameter,stem length)were measured in three field trials.Substantial phenotypic variation was detected for these traits.A genome-wide association study(GWAS)was conducted using general and mixed linear models and 372,331 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs).A total of 94 quantitative trait loci including 241 SNPs were detected.By combining the GWAS data with public gene expression data,56 candidate genes within 50 kb of the significant SNPs were identified,including genes encoding flavonol synthase(GRMZM2G069298,ZmFLS2),nitrate reductase(GRMZM5G878558,ZmNR2),glucose-1-phosphate adenylyltransferase(GRMZM2G027955),and laccase(GRMZM2G447271).Resequencing GRMZM2G069298 and GRMZM5G878558 in all tested lines revealed respectively 47 and 2 variants associated with RPR.Comparison of the RPR of the zmnr2EMS mutant and the wild-type plant under high-and low-nitrogen conditions verified the GRMZM5G878558 function.These findings may be useful for clarifying the genetic basis of stalk strength.The identified candidate genes and variants may be useful for the genetic improvement of maize lodging resistance.

MUTS-Based Cooperative Target Stalking for A Multi-USV System

This paper is concerned with the cooperative target stalking for a multi-unmanned surface vehicle(multi-USV)system.Based on the multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient(MADDPG)algorithm,a multi-USV target stalking(MUTS)algorithm is proposed.Firstly,a V-type probabilistic data extraction method is proposed for the first time to overcome shortcomings of the MADDPG algorithm.The advantages of the proposed method are twofold:1)it can reduce the amount of data and shorten training time;2)it can filter out more important data in the experience buffer for training.Secondly,in order to avoid the collisions of USVs during the stalking process,an action constraint method called Safe DDPG is introduced.Finally,the MUTS algorithm and some existing algorithms are compared in cooperative target stalking scenarios.In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MUTS algorithm in stalking tasks,mission operating scenarios and reward functions are well designed in this paper.The proposed MUTS algorithm can help the multi-USV system avoid internal collisions during the mission execution.Moreover,compared with some existing algorithms,the newly proposed one can provide a higher convergence speed and a narrower convergence domain.

Using Sorghum Stalk as a Partial Replacement of Lime in the Stabilization of Red Clay Soil for Road Sub-Grade Construction

This research aimed at testing the viability of using Sorghum Stalk Ash (SSA) as a partial replacement of lime in the stabilization of red clay soils for road subgrade construction. Red clay soils have been identified as highly expansive soils, which are affected by both climatic conditions and loading patterns. The consideration of both traffic loading patterns and climatic effects on these soils has been taken into account. A penetration test of 2.5 mm has been used on both pure red soils and stabilized soils at 10% and 15% partial replacement of lime with SSA and showed an improvement in the CBR of stabilized red clay soils up to 11.6%. Again, the PI of stabilized soils at 15% partial replacement of lime reduced up to 11.2%. The results obtained on both CBR and PI of these red clay soils are within the recommended values for the effective subgrade required for laying both permanent and flexible pavements. As a result, a recommendation of making use of SSA to lower the quantities of lime and its costs used in the stabilization of highly expansive soils have been tested through this research. However, further research on a more percentage partial replacement of lime to improve the PI of these soils to below 10% while keeping the CBR levels within the road construction regulations is welcomed.

C-stalk/Cu复合材料的温压成形与表征

应用粉末冶金、木材科学与技术等交叉学科材料成形理论自主开发的木质粉末温压成形新技术,以棉梗粉末为基材,以电解紫铜粉末等为强化因子,在不添加任何可能造成环境污染的胶粘剂的前提下,制备的温压复合材料C-stal/Cu的静曲强度、内结合强度分别高达85.30 MPa、7.13 MPa,磨耗量<0.05 g/100 r、吸水率<0.5%,且具有韧性断裂特征;采用C-stalk/Cu复合材料制备的滑动轴承的压溃强度、表观硬分别高达103.7MPa、53.1 HB,可望替代烧结青铜用于生产轻载滑动轴承,替代天然铁梨木、红木等珍贵木材用于生产高档工艺品,从而在节约有色金属与珍贵木材的同时为农林木质剩余物的高质清洁利用开辟一条新途径。

温压成形法制备C-stalk/Cu复合材料的结构与性能

以棉梗粉末(C-stalk)为基材、电解紫铜粉末为强化因子,添加聚乙烯(PE)作为分散剂,采用温压成形法制备C-stalk/Cu复合材料标准试件和滑动轴承,测定该复合材料的静曲强度、内结合强度、吸水率、表面耐磨性、以及轴承的压溃强度与表观硬度,并观察试件的断口形貌。结果表明:C-stalk/Cu复合材料塑化充分、吸水率低,其静曲强度、内结合强度分别高达92.67 MPa和7.55 MPa,磨耗量仅为优等实木地板漆膜的1/2(<0.05 g/100 r),优于相对密度为80%的6-6-3青铜烧结材料;C-stalk/Cu复合材料制备的滑动轴承,其压溃强度、表观硬度分别高达105.2 MPa和55 HB,可望用来替代烧结青铜生产轻载滑动轴承。

Degradation of corn stalk by the composite microbial system of MC1

The composite microbial system of MC1 was used to degrade corn stalk in order to determine properties of the degraded products as well as bacterial composition of MC1. Results indicated that the pH of the fermentation broth was typical of lignocellulose degradation by MC1, decreasing in the early phase and increasing in later stages of the degradation. The microbial biomass peaked on the day 3 after degradation. The MC1 efficiently degraded the corn stalk by nearly 70% during which its cellulose content decreased by 71.2%, hemicellulose by 76.5% and lignin by 24.6%. The content of water-soluble carbohydrates （WSC） in the fermentation broth increased progressively during the first three days, and decreased thereafter, suggesting an accumulation of WSC in the early phase of the degradation process. Total levels of various volatile products peaked in the third day after degradation, and 7 types of volatile products were detected in the fermentation broth. These were ethanol, acetic acid, 1,2-ethanediol, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, 3- methyl-butanoic acid and glycerine. Six major compounds were quantitatively analysed and the contents of each compound were ethanol （0.584 g/L）, acetic acid （0.735 g/L）, 1,2-ethanediol （0.772 g/L）, propanoic acid （0.026 g/L）, butanoic acid （0.018 g/L） and glycerine （4.203 g/L）. Characterization of bacterial cells collected from the culture solution, based on 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE analysis of DNAs, showed that the composition of bacterial community in MC1 coincided basically with observations from previous studies. This indicated that the structure of MC1 is very stable during degradation of different lignocellulose materials.

Effect of leaf removal on photosynthetically active radiation distribution in maize canopy and stalk strength

The objectives of this study were to determine how the distribution of photosynthetically active radiation （PAR） in a maize canopy affected basal internode strength and stalk lodging. The distributions of PAR within the canopies of two maize cultivars （Zhongdan 909 and Xinyu 41） were altered by removing whole leaves or half leaves in different canopy layers. The results showed that removing whole leaves or half leaves above the three-ear-leaves （RAE and RAE/2） at flowering sig- nificantly increased. PAR at the ear and interception of PAR （IPAR） from the ear to middle of the ear and soil surface. These changes increased the structural carbohydrate content and rind penetration strength （RPS） of the third basal internode by 5.4-11.6% and reduced lodging by 4.2-7.8%. Removal of the first three leaves below the three-ear-leaves （RBE） before flowering significantly reduced IPAR from the ear to half way below the ear. This reduced the structural carbohydrate con- tent and the RPS of the third basal internode by 9.1-17.4% and increased lodging by 7.0-11.2%. Removal of the three lowest green leaves （RB） in the canopy before flowering increased PAR at the bottom of the canopy, but had no effect on the structural carbohydrate content of the basal internode, the RPS, and the lodging rate. Overall, the results indicated that the key factors affecting the basal internode strength formation and lodging were PAR at the ear and IPAR from the ear to halfway below the ear. Increasing PAR at the ear and IPAR from the ear to halfway below the ear could enhance lodging resistance by increasing the structural carbohydrate content and mechanical strength of the basal internode.

Screening of antagonistic Trichoderma strains and their application for controlling stalk rot in maize

Maize is one of the major crops in China, but maize stalk rot occurs nationwide and has become one of the major challenges in maize production in China. In order to find an environment-friendly and feasible technology to control this disease, a Trichoderma-based biocontrol agent was selected. Forty-eight strains with various inhibition activities to Fusarium graminearum, and Fusarium verticillioides were tested. A group of Trichoderma strains(DLY31, SG3403, DLY1303 and GDFS1009) were found to provide an inhibition rate to pathogen growth in vitro of over 70%. These strains also prevented pathogen infection over 65% and promoted the maize seedling growth for the main root in vivo by over 50%. Due to its advantage in antifungal activity against pathogens and promotion activity to maize, Trichoderma asperellum GDSF1009 was selected as the most promising strain of the biocontrol agent in the Trichoderma spectrum. Pot experiments showed that the Trichoderma agent at 2–3 g/pot could achieve the best control of seedling stalk rot and promotion of maize seedling growth. In the field experiments, 8–10 g/hole was able to achieve over 65% control to stalk rot, and yield increased by 2–11%. In the case of natural morbidity, the control efficiency ranged from 27.23 to 48.84%, and the rate of yield increase reached 11.70%, with a dosage of Trichoderma granules at 75 kg ha^-1. Based on these results, we concluded that the Trichoderma agent is a promising biocontrol approach to stalk rot in maize.

Key indicators affecting maize stalk lodging resistance of different growth periods under different sowing dates

The accurate evaluation of maize stalk lodging resistance in different growth periods enables timely management of lodging risks and ensures stable and high maize yields.Here,we established five diferent sowing dates to create diferent conditions for maize growth.We evaluated the effects of the different growth conditions on lodging resistance by determining stalk morphology,moisture content,mechanical strength and dry matter,and the relationship between stalk breaking force and these indicators during the silking stage(R1),milk stage(R3),physiological maturity stage(R6),and 20 days after R6.Plant height at R1 positively affected stalk breaking force.At R3,the cofficient of ear height and the dry weight per unit length of basal internodes were key indicators of stalk lodging resistance.At R6,the key indicators were the coefficient of the center of gravity height and plant fresh weight.After R6,the key indicator was the coefficient of the center of gravity height.The crushing strength of the fourth internode correlated significanty and positively with the stalk breaking force from R1 to R6,which indicates that crushing strength is a reliable indicator of stalk mechanical strength.These results suggest that high stalk strength and low ear height beneft lodging resistance prior to R6.During and after R6,the cofficient of the center of gravity height and the mechanical strength of basal internodes can be used to evaluate plant lodging resistance and the appropriate time for harvesting in fields with a high lodging risk.

QTL Mapping for Stalk Related Traits in Maize (Zea mays L.) Under Different Densities

Stalk related traits, comprising plant height （PH）, ear height （EH）, internode number （IN）, average internode length （ALL）, stalk diameter （SD）, and ear height coefficient （EHC）, are significantly correlated with yield, density tolerance, and lodging resistance in maize. To investigate the genetic basis for stalk related traits, a doubled haploid （DH） population derived from a cross between NX531 and NX110 were evauluated under two densities over 2 yr. The additive quantitative trait loci （QTLs）, epistatic QTLs were detected using inclusive composite interval mapping and QTL-by-environment interaction were detected using mixed linear model. Differences between the two densities were significant for the six traits in the DH population. A linkage map that covered 1 721.19 cM with an average interval of 10.50 cM was constructed with 164 simple sequence repeat （SSR）. Two, two, seven, six, two, and eight additive QTLs for PH, IN, AIL, EH, SD, and EHC, respectively. The extend of their contribution to penotypic variation ranged from 10.10 to 31.93%. Seven QTLs were indentified simultaneously under both densities. One pair, two pairs and one pair of epistatic effects were detected for AIL, SD and EHC, respectively. No epistatic effects were detected for PH, EH, and IN. Nineteen QTLs with environment interactions were detected and their contribution to phenotypic variation ranged from 0.43 to 1.89%. Some QTLs were stably detected under different environments or genetic backgrounds comparing with previous studies. These QTLs could be useful for genetic improvement of stalk related traits in maize breeding.

Effect of Potassium on Ultrastructure of Maize Stalk Pith and Young Root and Their Relation to Stalk Rot Resistance

To study the mechanism of potassium （K） application on improvement of maize resistance to stalk rot at cellular level, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were used to observe the effect of K on the ultrastructure of maize stalk pith tissue and young root tip cell influenced by K and pathogen. In K deficient treatment, parenchyma cells of stalk pith had abnormal structure, and the cell wall between upper and lower adjacent cell was damaged, resulting in the loss of connections between vascular cells and insufficient supporting capacity. However, an improved K nutrition helped to keep a quite tight arrangement of root cell with thick cell wall, and prevent the invasion of pathogen effectively. Moreover, K treated root cell had abundant golgi apparatus, which could excrete large amount of secretions to degrade mycelium. Papillary and highly electronic intensity dot were accumulated at the invading point to prevent the deveJopment of the mycelium. Improved K nutrition could increase the resistant ability of maize plant to stalk rot, through keeping cell structure stability, preventing the expansion of intracellular space to reduce the chances of pathogen invasions, and through reinforcing cell wall and formation of intercellular and intracellular material to restrict further development of pathogen in host cell.

Structure, composition and enzymatic hydrolysis of steam-exploded lespedeza stalks

Pretreatment of lespedeza stalks by steam explosion has been studied. The results indicate that steam-exploded pretreatment has strong effects on physical features, morphology, crystallinity, and composition of lespedeza stalks as shown by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, infrared （IR）, and X-ray diffraction spectrometry methods. After steam explosion, the cellulose and lignin contents of lespedeza stalks varied only slightly, but the hemicellulose content had decreased from 29.34% to 7.48%. The cellulose obtained by steam-exploded pretreatment had a higher degree of crystallinity than that of the raw material. At the explosion condition of 2.25 MPa and 4 min, lignocellulose is easier to hydrolyze by enzyme than the original lignocellulose. The concentration of reduced sugar in the hydrolyzate liquid increased from 71.77 to 162.84 g·L^-1.

Postharvest Quality and Physiological Behavior of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) Leaf Stalks Under Three Temperatures

Sweet potato （Ipomoea batatas Lam.） leaf stalks were cut into 20 cm length, and stored at 20, 6, and 2℃. The respiration rate, ethylene production, ascorbic acid, free amino acid, total chlorophyll content, freshness, and shelf life were determined during storage to investigate the effect of storage temperatures on the quality and physiological responses in sweet potato leaf stalks. Wound responses were observed as high respiration rate and ethylene production immediately after cutting. Sweet potato leaf stalks were found to be sensitive to chilling injury manifested as browning and water-soaking on the surface at 2℃. In contrast, sweet potato leaf stalks were susceptible to senescence, exhibited by etiolating and yellowing, at 20℃. Loss in weight and chlorophyll was minimized under low temperatures. High temperatures also caused the accumulation of amino acids with a significant loss of ascorbic acid and chlorophyll. Sweet potato leaf stalks had a storage life of 16 days at 6℃, 8 days at 2℃, and 6 days at 20℃, respectively.

Preparation of active carbons from corn stalk for butanol vapor adsorption

Active carbons(ACs) were prepared through chemical activation of biochar from whole corn stalk(WCS)and corn stalk pith(CSP) at varying temperatures using potassium hydroxide as the activating agent. ACs were characterized via pore structural analysis and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). These adsorbents were then assessed for their adsorption capacity for butanol vapor. It was found that WCS activated at900 °C for 1 h(WCS-900) had optimal butanol adsorption characteristics. The BET surface area and total pore volume of the WCS-900 were 2330 m2/g and 1.29 cm3/g, respectively. The dynamic adsorption capacity of butanol vapor was 410.0 mg/g, a 185.1% increase compared to charcoal-based commercial AC(143.8 mg/g).

Biodegradation of Straw Stalk and Experiment of Ethanol Fermentation

Biological preprocessing of lignin degradation of straw stalk with white-rot fungi and ethanol fermentation experiment are carried out. The result shows that after biological preprocessing, lignin content in straw stalk reduces significantly. The higher the lignin degradation rate, the higher the ethanol productivity. When the technique of solid state culturing to degrade lignin is adopted to produce ethanol, the productivity is 15.8%, which is equal to 374.4% of that produced without preprocessing process.

A green route to synthesize low-cost and high-performance hard carbon as promising sodium-ion battery anodes from sorghum stalk waste

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) have been considered to be potential candidates for next-generation low-cost energy storage systems due to the low-cost and abundance of Na resources. However, it is a big challenge to find suitable anode materials with low-cost and good performance for the application of SIBs. Hard carbon could be a promising anode material due to high capacity and expectable low-cost if originating from biomass. Herein, we report a hard carbon material derived from abundant and abandoned biomass of sorghum stalk through a simple carbonization method. The effects of carbonization temperature on microstructure and electrochemical performance are investigated. The hard carbon carbonized at 1300 ℃ delivers the best rate capability(172 mAh g^(-1) at 200 mA g^(-1)) and good cycling performance(245 mAh g^(-1) after 50 cycles at 20 mA g^(-1),96% capacity retention). This contribution provides a green route for transforming sorghum stalk waste into "treasure"of promising low-cost anode material for SIBs.

Separation and Identification of Flavonoids from Fistular Onion Stalk(Allium fisturosum L.var.Caespitosum Makio)

The chemical constituents of fistular onion stalk obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction were separated and purified by silica gel and sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography and the preparative TLC method and four flavonoids were obtained. On the basis of the spectral data, they were structurally identified as （＋）-catechin, （-）-epieatechin, astragalin, and 3-O-β-D（2-O-β-D-glu- copyranosyl）-glucopyranosides of kaempferol.