Evaluation of seed production in a first-generation seed orchard of Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis)

We evaluated seed production in a first-gener- ation orchard of Chinese pine （Pinus tabuliformis） during the crucial transition period from first generation to advanced generations. Clones varied significantly in all traits related to seed production. Repeatability of these traits ranged from 0 to 0.96. Seed production per ramet （SPPR）, seed producing index （SPI）, the number of relative female strobili （RFS）, the number of scales, and the num- ber of ineffective scales had comparatively high repeata- bility at 0.86, 0.87, 0.89, 0.96, and 0.91, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that SPPR was greatly influenced by RFS and by the number of full seeds per cone. Finally, we showed that SPI was the best predictor of the seed-producing ability of clones. Our findings will assist seed orchard managers in effectively predicting and improving seed production of Chinese pine seed orchards.

Research on Theories and Techniques of Irrigation for Safeguarding Seed Production of Two-Line Hybrid Rice

By inducing frequency, intensity and duration of lower temperature in the middle and last ten-day periods in August in the rice-growing areas of southern China, increasing temperature for safe seed production was defined as 2℃. During the sensitive period of fertility, characters of panicle height and canopy structure of TGMS rice, Pei＇ai64S, were measured. Results showed that temperature changes caused by irrigation in fields were below 40 cm of rice plant, and heating effect was significant at 20 cm when the temperature was increased by 3.1 ℃. For the present study, the following irrigation techniques were put forth： the water depth of 15-20 cm, current water used, irrigating after 17：00 and bailing at 10：00 in sunny or cloudy weather, irrigating on whole day, in shady or rainy weather, increasing inflows and outflows in large fields. In the present experiment, pollen fertility and self-fertilized seed setting rate accepted that the techniques were feasible and effective for against lower temperature and safeguarding seed production of two-line hybrid rice.

Aggregation behavior of juvenile Neptunea cumingii and eff ects on seed production

Neptunea cumingii is an important nutrition-rich economic species in China.Juveniles of N.cumingii suff er from high mortality at low temperatures,which has proved a limiting factor in raising seedlings in artifi cial habitats.Previous research has shown that N.cumingii displays aggregation behavior in response to adverse environmental changes.Therefore,we determined the eff ects of temperature,food,size of juvenile snails,substratum type,and density of juvenile snails on the aggregation behavior of N.cumingii.Results show that,at a low(4°C)or a high(22°C)temperature,juvenile snails adjusted to the inhospitable environment by exhibiting increased aggregation behavior.However,their aggregation behaviors diff ered at these two temperatures.There was no signifi cant diff erence in the aggregation rate,but the typical aggregation size was larger at 4°C than at 22°C.At 10°C or 16°C,aggregation behavior of juvenile snails reduced.Aggregation increased in the satiation treatment at 10°C and 16°C.Small-sized juveniles tended to have higher aggregation rates(92.22%)and a larger typical aggregation size.More juveniles were distributed in the bottom of shaded substrata.A larger typical aggregation size or higher density signifi cantly reduced the mortality of juvenile snails at a low temperature(4°C).These results broaden our understanding of gastropod aggregation behavior and can be used to develop and improve commercial breeding strategies and resource recovery for N.cumingii.

Effects of Different Row Ratios of Male and Female Parents and Application Amount of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Hybrid Wheat Seed Production and Its Component Factors

In order to screen suitable high hybrid wheat seed production technology,the split-plot experiment design was adopted and study was carried out about the effects of the different row ratios of male and female parents and application amount of nitrogen fertilizer on hybrid wheat seed production and its component factors. The results showed that the seed production increased with the increase in the number of female parent row. When the row ratio of male and female parents was 2 ∶ 6,the seed production was 3 683. 8 kg/ha; when the application amount of nitrogen fertilization was 50 kg/ha,the seed production was 3 649. 4 kg/ha; the interaction between the row ratio of male and female parents and the application amount of nitrogen fertilizer indicated that when the row ratio of male and female parents was 2∶ 6 and the application amount of nitrogen fertilizer was 300 kg/ha,the seed production reached the highest( 4160. 6 kg/ha). The row ratio of male and female parents and application amount of nitrogen fertilizer had significant effect on the component factors of seed production,including the number of grains per spike,spike weight and setting percentage. When the row ratio of male and female parents was 2∶ 5,the number of grains per spike,spike weight and setting percentage were the highest at 26. 7 grains,1. 12 g,and 62. 6% respectively; when application amount of nitrogen fertilizer was 450 kg/ha,the number of grains per spike,spike weight and setting percentage were the highest at 26. 0 grains,1. 08 g,and59. 2% respectively; the interaction of row ratio of male and female parents and application amount of nitrogen fertilizer had significant effect on the number of grains per spike,spike weight and setting percentage; when the row ratio of male and female parents was 2∶ 5 and the application amount of nitrogen fertilizer was 300 kg/ha,the number of grains per spike,spike weight and setting percentage were the highest at 29. 6grains,1. 24 g,and 71. 6% respectively. The number of grains per spike is the largest component factor for seed production. Increasing the number of grains per spike can increase the seed production. According to the effects of row ratio of male and female parents and application amount of nitrogen fertilizer on the component factors of seed production,the optimal condition was 2∶ 5-2∶ 6 for row ratio of male and female parents and 300-450 kg/ha for application amount of nitrogen fertilizer.

Cultivar and Soil Fertilizer Treatment Affect Seed Production of Sweet Yellow Yam (<i>Dioscorea dumetorum</i>) on Highly Acidic Soils of the Western Highlands Region of Cameroon

The popularization of Dioscorea dumetorum (Dioscoreaceae), a nutritious yam species is still marginal due to constraints such as the low interest of research, poor cultural practices, insufficient and expensive seeds, pests, and diseases. The latter pushes producers to use about 50% of their harvest as seed for the next planting season. The lack of a specific fertilizer formulation for yam production on the oxysols of Cameroon is another constraint. This study was aimed at enhancing the availability of quality seeds through the characterization of five yam accessions. One experiment was performed to determine the effect of cultivar and origin of tuber sets on their germination rate. The second concerned the evaluation of cultivars and soil treatment effects on agronomic parameters of yam seedlings. Yam cultivars were subjected to nine fertilizer formulations as follows: T0: no fertilizer;T1: mycorrhizal fungi (MF) + 150 g manure + peanut waste;T2: 25 g chemical fertilizer (20.10.10);T3: MF + peanut waste;T4: 16 g chemical fertilizer (12.6.20);T5: 25 g (20.10.10) +100 g CaO + 150 g manure;T6: 100 g CaO + 150 g manure;T7: 20 g tropicote + 2 g DAP (Diammonium phosphate, a reference starter fertilizer coded N18P46) + 100 g CaO + 150 g manure;and T8: mycorrhiza. These treatments were tested in a factorial design. Results show that Ibo sweet 3 and Mabondji sweet white 1 yam accessions were less affected by anthracnose disease on the aerial parts. Guzang 1 showed the best germination rate and yield, making it appropriate for cultivation in the region. Soil treatments, T2, T5, T7 and T8 significantly increased the yield of yam cultivars. Mycorrhiza treatment alone gave a better response to seed weight, indicating the interest of this biofertilizer as a solution for good seedling production. These fertilizer treatments can be recommended to farmers for more seed production with optimum seed weight (300 g).

Technical Specification for Seed Production of Qinzhou Sea Red Rice(Chihe)

Sea red rice is a geographical indication agricultural product of Qinzhou City.It is suitable for growing in hydrochloric acid field with salinity of 2‰-20‰,and is a green and healthy food positioned in the medium and high-end rice market.The brand of Qinzhou sea red rice started to be established in November of 2019.In this paper,the technical specification for seed production of Qinzhou sea red rice is introduced from the aspects of seed production,breeding and harvest,so as to provide technical support for accelerating the popularization of characteristic varieties and the process of industrialization.

Studies on the seed production properties of Hunong 5s/Teqing 2

From Nongken 58s/Laser 4 // Xiandang, aphotoperiod-sensitive genic male sterile indicarice line, Hunong 5s was developed, and au-thorized by Hubei Province in 1992, and by theCommittee of the State Science Foundation ofChina in 1993. Hunong 5s was crossed to a in-dica restorer line Teqing 2 to produce a two-line Fhybrid Hunong 5s/Teqing 2. Growth and blossom characteristics of thetwo parents and the seed production propertieswere studied in this experiment. The resultswere as follows: Hunong 5s and Teqing 2 wereboth medium-maturing rice in Jingsha, Hubei,and their photo-thermo-growing properties

A novel hybrid seed production technology based on a unilateral cross-incompatibility gene in maize

Hybrid seed production technology(SPT)using genic recessive male sterility is of great importance in maize breeding.Here,we report a novel SPT based on a maize unilateral cross-incompatibility gene Zm Ga1F with an extremely low transgene transmission rate(TTR).Proper pollen-specific Zm Ga1F expression severely inhibits pollen tube growth leading to no fertilization.The maintainer line harbors a transgene cassette in an ipe1 male sterile background containing IPE1 to restore ipe1 male fertility,Zm Ga1F to prevent transgenic pollen escape,the red fluorescence protein encoding gene Ds Red2 for the separation of male sterile and fertile seeds,and the herbicide-resistant gene Bar for transgenic plant selection.When the maintainer line is selfed,gametes of ipe1/transgene and ipe1/-genotypes are produced,and pollen of the ipe1/transgene genotype is not able to fertilize female gametes due to pollen tube growth inhibition by Zm Ga1F.Subsequently,seeds of ipe1/ipe1 and ipe1/transgene genotypes are produced at a 1:1 ratio and could be separated easily by fluorescence-based seed sorting.Not a single seed emitting fluorescence is detected in more than 200,000 seeds examined demonstrating that the pollen-tube-inhibition(PTI)-based TTR is lower than what has been reported for similar technologies to date.This PTI-based SPT shows promising potential for future maize hybrid seed production.

Effects of irrigation water salinity on soil salt content distribution,soil physical properties and water use efficiency of maize for seed production in arid Northwest China

In order to explore the use of groundwater resources,field experiments were conducted for three consecutive years during 2012-2014 in the Shiyang River basin of Northwest China.Irrigation was conducted using four different water salinity levels that were arranged in a split plot design.These four water salinity levels were s0,s3,s6 and s9(0.71,3,6 and 9 g/L,respectively).The soil salt content,soil bulk density,soil porosity,saturated hydraulic conductivity,plant height,leaf area index and yield of maize for seed production were measured for studying the effects of saline water irrigation on soil salt content distribution,soil physical properties and water use efficiency.It was observed that higher salinity level of irrigation water and long duration of saline water irrigation resulted in more salt accumulation.Compared to initial values,the soil salt accumulation in 0-100 cm soil layer after three years of experiments for s0,s3,s6 and s9 was 0.189 mg/cm3,0.654 mg/cm3,0.717 mg/cm3 and 1.135 mg/cm3,respectively.Both greater salt levels in the irrigation water and frequent saline water irrigation led to greater soil bulk density,but poorer soil porosity and less saturated hydraulic conductivity.The saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased with increase in soil bulk density,but increased with improvement in soil porosity.It was noted that the maize height,leaf area index and maize yield gradually decreased with increase in water salinity.The maize yield decreased over 25%and the water use efficiency also gradually declined when irrigated with water containing 6 g/L and 9 g/L salinity levels.However,maize yield following saline water irrigation with 3 g/L decreased less than 20%and the decline in water use efficiency was not significant during the three-year experiment period.The results demonstrate that irrigation with saline water at the level of 6 g/L and 9 g/L in the study area is not suitable,while saline water irrigation with 3 g/L would be acceptable for a short duration together with salt leaching through spring irrigation before sowing.

Effects of irrigation and nitrogen management on hybrid maize seed production in north-west China

Scientific irrigation and nitrogen management is important for agricultural production in arid areas. To quantify the effect of water and nitrogen management on yield components, biomass partitioning and harvest index(HI) of maize for seed production with plastic filmmulching, field experiments including different irrigation and N treatments were conducted in arid north-west China in 2013 and 2014. The results indicated that kernel number per plant(KN) was signi ficantly affected by irrigation and N treatments. However, 100-kernel weight was relatively stable. Reducing irrigation quantity signi ficantly increased stem partitioning index(PI_(stem)) and leaf partitioning index(PIl_(eaf)), and decreased ear partitioning index(PI_(ear)) at harvest, but lowering Nrate(from 500 to 100 kg N$hm^(–2))did not signi ficantly reduce PI_(stem), PI leaf, andPIl_(eaf) at harvest. HI was signi ficantly reduced by reducing irrigation quantity, but not by reducing Nrate. Linear relationships were found between KN, PI_(stem), PI leaf,PIl_(eaf) at harvest and HI and evapotranspiration(ET).

Feasibility Analysis and Policy Recommendations for Production of Hybrid Rice Seed in Foreign Countries

In the economic new normal,production of hybrid rice seed in foreign countries is the necessity for reducing farmland area occupied by seed production,for ensuring national grain security,realizing cost reducing and quality improving of hybrid rice seed,strengthening competitive power at international market,guiding seed industry of China to go out,building transnational seed groups with core competitive power,establishing close relationship with developing countries,promoting the construction of One Belt One Road strategy,serving overall situation of diplomacy,and setting up excellent international image. It is feasible to produce hybrid seed in foreign countries considering( i) high overall national strength of China,( ii) rapid and healthy growth of China's seed industry and increasingly mature hybrid rice seed production technologies,( iii) excellent climatic conditions of foreign host countries of seed production,and( iv) low land and labor price of foreign host countries of seed production. However,there are social and policy risks,technology and trade barrier risks,market,production,and other risks for production of hybrid rice seed in foreign countries. In view of these,it came up with recommendations,including allowing delivering parent seeds of hybrid rice to foreign countries,allowing delivering hybrid rice seed to China,solving the problem of " opening in protection,and protection in opening",and formulating a package of support policies.

Reproduction of Hedysarum scoparium (Fabaceae) in patched habitat is pollen limited,but not just pollinator limited

Pollen limitation of plant reproduction occurs across Angiosperms, particularly those in patched habitats We investigated the, relationship between pollen limitation and patch variables （patch size, visitation frequency） in the desert plant Hedysarum scoparium （Fabaceae）, which is an important xerophyte in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China and can grow well as a pioneer plant in shifting sand dunes. We observed insect visitation to H. scoparium over two flowering seasons and estimated pollen limitation using fruit set and seed production. Our results indicate that fruit set and seed production increased significantly with pollen supplementation compared with open pollination. Hedysarum scoparium was pollinated by over 8 species of bees, with 88.4% of visits made by introduced honeybees （Apis mellifera）. Bee visitation varied significantly among the patches of habitats, but not associated with patch size of habitat. In general, pollen limitation occurred more strongly during fruit set than during seed production. The patches that received higher rates of pollinator visits were less pollen limited for fruit set. Pollen limitation for seed production, however, was not associated with pollinator visitation frequency. We conclude that pollen limitation in H. scoparium was caused by more than one reason, not just pollinator visits.

Bt cotton seed purity in Burkina Faso:status and lessons learnt

Background:Since the commercial release of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso in 2009,the issue of seed purity in producers’fields has rarely been addressed in an unbiased and objective manner.The potential for contamination of conventional seed varieties with Bt traits and the consequent threat to the continuation of organic cotton production has been documented.However,studies are rare on the varietal purity of Bt cotton seeds,despite the implications for the effectiveness and sustainability of their use.This paper compensates for the lack of research on the varietal purity of cotton seeds in Burkina Faso by reporting the results of Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay tests collected in 2015 on samples of both conventional and Bt varieties from 646 fields.Results:According to the conservative criteria used to declare the presence of a Bt gene in a given variety(more than 10%of seeds of conventional variety exhibit Bt traits,and at least 90%of seeds of Bt variety exhibit Bt traits),seed purity was very questionable for both types of variety.For the supposedly conventional variety,the Cry1Ac gene was observed in 63.6%of samples,the Cry2Ab gene was observed in 59.3%of samples,and both genes were detected in 52.2%of the seed samples.Only 29.3%of the seeds that were supposed to be of conventional type contained no Bt genes.Conversely,for the labeled Bt variety,the Cry1Ac gene was found in only 59.6%of samples,the Cry2Ab gene was found in 53.6%of the samples,and both genes were found in 40.4%of the samples.Finally,for the seeds that were supposed to contain both genes(Bollguard 2),both Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab genes were found in only 40.4%of the samples,only one of the genes was found in 32.4%of the samples,and 27.2%of the seeds in the samples contained neither.Two factors are responsible for the severe lack of seed purity.First,conventional varieties are being contaminated with Bt traits because of a failure to revise the seed production scheme in Burkina Faso to prevent cross-pollination.Second,the original Bt seeds provided to Burkina Faso lacked varietal purity.The organic sector plays a very minor role in the cotton sector of Burkina Faso(production of organic cotton totaled 453 t in 2018/2019,out of national cotton production of 183000 t).Nevertheless,the lack of purity in conventional seed varieties is a threat to efforts to expand certified organic cotton production.The poor presence of Bt proteins in supposed Bt varieties undermines their effectiveness in controlling pests and increases the likelihood of the development of resistance among pest populations.Conclusion:Our results show the extent of purity loss when inadequate attention is paid to the preservation of seed purity.Pure conventional seeds could vanish in Burkina Faso,while Bt seeds do not carry the combination of the expected Bt traits.Any country wishing to embark on the use of Bt cotton,or to resume its use,as in the case of Burkina Faso,must first adjust its national seed production scheme to ensure that procedures to preserve varietal purity are enforced.The preservation of varietal purity is necessary to enable the launch or the continuation of identity-cotton production.In addition,the preservation of varietal purity is necessary to ensure the sustainable effectiveness of Bt cotton.In order to ensure that procedures to preserve varietal purity are observed,seed purity must be tested regularly,and test results must be published.

Influence of Soil Salt on Growth, Development and Seed Productivity of Artichoke Varieties

The seed productivity of the artichoke varieties Green Gold, Imperial Star, Violetto was revealed in the conditions of medium saline soils of the Bukhara region. The data obtained showed that seed productivity is directly proportional to fruit crowns. The soil and climatic conditions of the studied area significantly affect the ontogeny of varieties.

Does pollinator dependence decrease along elevational gradients?

Plants have long been thought to be less dependent on pollinators for seed production at higher elevations due to adverse pollination environments.However,recent research has yet to consistently support the generality of this expectation.In this study,we asked whether pollinator dependence decreases along an elevational gradient and how it varies with various reproductive traits.To answer these questions,we quantified pollinator-plant associations and various reproductive traits for 112 flowering plants spanning a large elevational gradient(990-4260 m a.s.l.)in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We found that flowering plants in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region are highly dependent on pollinators for seed production(76.2%of seed production was contributed by animal pollinators and 44.6%of plants would produce no seed without pollinator visitation).Contrary to our expectation,there was no significant elevational gradient in pollinator dependence index.Although the pollinator dependence index was not significantly correlated with pollen limitation,flower size,floral longevity,or reward type,it was correlated with compatibility status and flowering time.These findings indicate that pollinator dependence does not decrease along an elevational gradient in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Our study also highlights the severe vulnerability of flowering plant seed production to pollinator declines under global change in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region,particularly for early-flowering or self-incompatible plants growing at higher elevations(e.g.,subnival belt).

Optimizing N fertilizer use for sesame under rain fed and irrigation conditions in Northern Ethiopia

Inappropriate use of fertilizers is one of the major production constraints in sesame. Studies on N fertilizer optimization on sesame were conducted at Humera Agricultural Research Center(Hu ARC) under rain fed and irrigation conditions. Thirteen(13) N doses were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design(RCBD)during 2016–2018 for rainfed conditions and 2017 to 2019 for irrigation conditions. The study was conducted with objective to optimize N fertilizer use for sesame. In the rainfed condition, the results demonstrated a prolonged duration to reach 50% flowering with higher nitrogen(N) application rates. The application of 52.5–110kg N ha^(-1) resulted in significantly higher seed yield, while lower(18 kg N ha^(-1)) and higher(156 kg N ha^(-1)) doses of N led to reduced seed yield. Under irrigation conditions, superior seed weights and maximum seed yield were observed at 64 and 75 kg N ha^(-1), whereas lower N doses resulted in diminished seed yield. The agronomic efficiency of N fertilizer(N-AE) was found to be highest at the rate of 64 kg N ha^(-1) under both growing conditions.The partial budget analysis revealed that applying 64 kg N ha^(-1) for rainfed cultivation and between 64 and 75 kg N ha^(-1) for irrigated sesame production yielded greater net profit, MRR, and residual ranking. Therefore, it is recommended to apply a rate of 64 kg N ha^(-1) for rainfed sesame cultivation and between 64 up to 75 kg N ha^(-1) for the irrigated sesame inorder to increase the productivity of this crop.

Practices and Prospects of Super Hybrid Rice Breeding

The great progress in super rice breeding both in China and other countries has been made in recent years. However, there were three main problems in super rice breeding： 1） the super rice varieties were still rare; 2） most super rice varieties exhibited narrow adaptability; and 3） current breeding theories emphasized too much on the rice growth model, but they were unpractical in guidance for rice breeding. According to the authors＇ experience on the rice breeding, the breeding strategies including three steps （super parent breeding, super hybrid rice breeding and super hybrid rice seed production） were proposed, and the objectives of each step and the key technologies to achieve the goals were elucidated in detail. The super parent of hybrid rice should exhibit excellent performance in all agronomic traits, with the yield or sink capacity reached the level of the hybrid rice control in regional trials. The super hybrid rice combination should meet the following criteria： good rice quality, wide adaptation, lodging resistance, resistance to main insects and diseases, and the yield exceeded above 8% over the control varieties in the national and provincial regional trials. To achieve the goal, the technical strategies, such as selecting optimal combination of the parents, increasing selection pressure, paying more attention to harmony of ideal plant type, excellent physiological traits and all the agronomic traits, should be emphasized. The yield of seed production should reach 3.75 t/ha and 5.25 t/ha for the super hybrid rice combinations derived from early-season and middle-season types of male sterile lines, respectively. The main technologies for raising seed production yield included selecting optimum seed production site, using the male sterile line with large sink capacity and good outcrossing characteristics, and improving the amount of the pollen by intensive cultivation of the male parent. According to the technologies of the three-step breeding on super hybrid rice, two super rice parents, including a male parent 996 and a thermo（photo）-genic male sterile [T（P）GMS] line C815S, were bred. Furthermore, a super early hybrid rice combination, Luliangyou 996, which could be used as a double-season early rice variety in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, was bred by using the super rice varlet3, 996 as the male parent, and several hybrid rice combinations with higher yield than control variety in regional trials both of Hunan Province and state were bred with the T（P）GMS line C815S as the female parent.

Thoughts and Practice on Some Problems about Research and Application of Two-Line Hybrid Rice

The main problems about research and application of two-line hybrid rice were reviewed, including the confusing nomenclature and male sterile lines classification, the unclear characteristics of photoperiod and temperature responses and the unsuitable site selection for male sterile line and hybrid dce seed production. In order to efficiently and accurately use dual-purpose genic male sterile lines, four types, including PTGMS （photo-thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice）, TGMS （thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice）, reverse PTGMS and reverse TGMS, were proposed. A new idea for explaining the mechanism of sterility in dual-purpose hybrid rice was proposed. The transition from sterile to fertile was involved in the cooperative regulation of major-effect sterile genes and photoperiod and/or temperature sensitive ones. The minor-effect genes with accumulative effect on sterility were important factors that affected the critical temperature of sterility transfer. In order to make better use of dual-purpose lines, the characterization of responses to photoperiod and temperature of PTGMS should be made and the identification method for the characterization of photoperiod and temperature responses of PTGMS should also be put forward. The optimal ecological site for seed production could be determined according to the historical climate data and the requirements for the meteorological conditions during the different periods of seed production.

Effects of gibberellin A_(4/7), 6-benzylaminopurine and chlormequat chloride on the number of male and female strobili and immature cones in Chinese Pine (Pinus tabuliformis) with foliar sprays

Three kinds of plant growth regulators, gibberellinA 4/7 （GA 4/7 ）, 6-benzylaminopurine （BA）, and chlormequat chloride （CCC）, were evaluated for their ability to promote strobilus and cone production in a Chinese pine （Pinus tabuliformis Carr.） clonal seed orchard. Treatments （0, 250, 500, or 1000 mg L -1 ） were applied during three periods （June- July, July-August and August-September） in 2005. Of the three plant growth regulators, GA 4/7 was the best for promoting flower and cone production. Trees sprayed with GA 4/7 （500 mg L -1 ） from June to September had significantly more female strobili and immature cones than controls and other treatments （p≤0.0001）. The best time to apply GA 4/7 was in June. BA at 500 mg L -1 significantly increased female flower and immature cone production, compared to other treatments and controls （p≤0.0001）, while promotion of male strobili was unchanged. Chlormequat chloride at 1000 mg L -1 significantly increased the number of male strobili, compared to the other treatments （p≤0.0001）. Spraying CCC at500 mg L -1 significantly increased the number of female strobili, compared to controls （p0.05）, but it had no effect on immature cone production （p0.05）. These results are important for improving seed production and seed orchard management of Chinese pine.

Breeding and Application of Guidan 903,a New High-yield and Good-quality Maize Variety

To meet the demand of maize production in Guangxi and even the southwest region of China and realize the upgrading and undating of maize varieties which will continuously improve the yield and quality of maize,a new big-ear maize variety Guidan 903 with high yield,stable yield and good quality was established by the Maize Research Institute of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences with two self-selected inbred line GRL17349 and GRL21191 as female and male parents seperately.The average yield of this variety were 7429.5 and 7000.5 kg/hm^(2)in Guangxi Maize Regional Trial and Production Test respectively,which increased by 6.3%and 5.6%than the control(Guidan162).It was approved by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Crop Variety Certification Committee in June 2020(Approval No.Gui sheng yu 2020083).Determined by the Cereal Quality Supervision and Testing Center of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs(Bejjing),the grain bulk density,ratio of crude protein,crude fat,crude starch and lysine of Guidan 903 were 782 g/L,9.41%,6.19%,71.45%,0.35%respectively.This variety has the characterisics of strong resistance to collapse and disease,good quality,high and stable yield and wide adaptability.Furthermore,its seed yield is high with easy production technology and low cost.