Polyethylene glycol fusion repair of severed sciatic nerves accelerates recovery of nociceptive sensory perceptions in male and female rats of different strains

Successful polyethylene glycol fusion(PEG-fusion)of severed axons following peripheral nerve injuries for PEG-fused axons has been reported to:(1)rapidly restore electrophysiological continuity;(2)prevent distal Wallerian Degeneration and maintain their myelin sheaths;(3)promote primarily motor,voluntary behavioral recoveries as assessed by the Sciatic Functional Index;and,(4)rapidly produce correct and incorrect connections in many possible combinations that produce rapid and extensive recovery of functional peripheral nervous system/central nervous system connections and reflex(e.g.,toe twitch)or voluntary behaviors.The preceding companion paper describes sensory terminal field reo rganization following PEG-fusion repair of sciatic nerve transections or ablations;howeve r,sensory behavioral recovery has not been explicitly explored following PEG-fusion repair.In the current study,we confirmed the success of PEG-fusion surgeries according to criteria(1-3)above and more extensively investigated whether PEG-fusion enhanced mechanical nociceptive recovery following sciatic transection in male and female outbred Sprague-Dawley and inbred Lewis rats.Mechanical nociceptive responses were assessed by measuring withdrawal thresholds using von Frey filaments on the dorsal and midplantar regions of the hindpaws.Dorsal von Frey filament tests were a more reliable method than plantar von Frey filament tests to assess mechanical nociceptive sensitivity following sciatic nerve transections.Baseline withdrawal thresholds of the sciatic-mediated lateral dorsal region differed significantly across strain but not sex.Withdrawal thresholds did not change significantly from baseline in chronic Unoperated and Sham-operated rats.Following sciatic transection,all rats exhibited severe hyposensitivity to stimuli at the lateral dorsal region of the hindpaw ipsilateral to the injury.However,PEG-fused rats exhibited significantly earlier return to baseline withdrawal thresholds than Negative Control rats.Furthermore,PEG-fused rats with significantly improved Sciatic Functional Index scores at or after 4 weeks postoperatively exhibited yet-earlier von Frey filament recove ry compared with those without Sciatic Functional Index recovery,suggesting a correlation between successful PEG-fusion and both motor-dominant and sensory-dominant behavioral recoveries.This correlation was independent of the sex or strain of the rat.Furthermore,our data showed that the acceleration of von Frey filament sensory recovery to baseline was solely due to the PEG-fused sciatic nerve and not saphenous nerve collateral outgrowths.No chronic hypersensitivity developed in any rat up to 12 weeks.All these data suggest that PEG-fusion repair of transection peripheral nerve injuries co uld have important clinical benefits.

Yield and Quality of Forage Oat (<i>Avena sativa</i>L.) Cultivars as Affected by Seed Inoculation with Nitrogenous Strains

Nitrogen availability can be enhanced with the application of nitrogen fixing bacteria and it may be helpful in increasing forage yield and improving quality of oat. Therefore, a field trial to evaluate the effect of seed inoculation with nitrogen fixing bacteria on forage yield and quality of oat was carried out at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during Rabi season 2013-14. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with factorial arrangements using three replications. The experiment was comprised of two integrated approaches. The first approach was oat cultivars consisting of four treatments, V1 (AVON), V2 (S-2000), V3 (S-2011) and V4 (PD2LV65) and the second approach was seed inoculation consisting of three treatments, S0 (control), S1 (Azotobacter spp.), S2 (Azospirillum spp.). Fisher’s analysis of variance technique was used for statistically interpretation of data by using least significant difference (LSD) test at 5% level of probability. Nitrogen fixing bacteria significantly affect the germination count (m2), plant height (cm), number of tillers (m2), number of leaves per tiller, leaf area per tiller (cm2), green forage yield (t·ha-1) and dry matter yield (t ha-1). The maximum green forage yield (85.2 t·ha-1), dry matter yield (14.1 t ·ha-1) and crude protein (11.5%) were recorded where Azotobacter inoculation was applied. The interaction between cultivars and nitrogenous strains was significant for green forage yield (t·ha-1), dry matter yield (t·ha-1) and crude protein (%). Conclusion showed that cultivar Sargodha-2011 which was inoculated with Azotobacter spp. gave higher forage yield of good quality.

Cell Wall Fixation,Translocation,and Vacuolar Detoxification of Cadmium Contribute to Differential Grain Cadmium Accumulation in Two Rice Cultivars

Cadmium(Cd)toxicity in rice is a major concern for human health and the environment,as it can accumulate in rice grains when grown in Cd-contaminated soils.To mitigate the risk of Cd toxicity,it is crucial to cultivate rice varieties with low grain Cd accumulation.In the summers of 2021 and 2022,we conducted Cd analysis on two rice cultivars,Tianyouhuazhan(TYHZ)and Xiushui 14,grown in fields with varying Cd pollution levels.These cultivars were also subjected to hydroponic treatment with or without 1μmol/L Cd for 7 d to assess Cd accumulation,nitric oxide(NO)production。

Yield and Nutritive Values of Semi- and Non-Fall Dormant Alfalfa Cultivars under Late-Cutting Schedule in California’s Central Valley

California is one of the major alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) forage-producing states in the U.S, but its production area has decreased significantly in the last couple of decades. Selection of cultivars with high yield and nutritive value under late-cutting schedule strategy may help identify cultivars that growers can use to maximize yield while maintaining area for sustainable alfalfa production, but there is little information on this strategy. A field study was conducted to determine cumulative dry matter (DM) and nutritive values of 20 semi- and non-fall dormant (FD) ratings (FD 7 and FD 8 - 10, respectively) cultivars under 35-day cut in California’s Central Valley in 2020-2022. Seasonal cumulative DM yields ranged from 6.8 in 2020 to 37.0 Mg·ha−1 in 2021. Four FD 8 - 9 cultivars were the highest yielding with 3-yrs avg. DM greater than the lowest yielding lines by 46%. FD 7 cultivar “715RR” produced the highest crude protein (CP: 240 g·Kg−1) while FD 8 cultivar “HVX840RR” resulted in the highest neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD: 484 g·Kg−1, 7% greater than the top yielding cultivars) but with DM yield intermediate. Yields and NDFD correlated positively but weakly indicating some semi- and non-FD cultivars performing similarly. These results suggest that selecting high yielding cultivars under 35-day cutting schedule strategy can be used as a tool to help growers to maximize yield while achieving good quality forages for sustainable alfalfa production in California’s Central Valley.

Increasing root-lower characteristics improves drought tolerance in cotton cultivars at the seedling stage

Drought is an important abiotic stress factor in cotton production.The root system architecture(RSA)of cotton shows high plasticity which can alleviate drought-related stress under drought stress(DS)conditions;however,this alleviation is cultivar dependent.Therefore,this study estimated the genetic variability of RSA in cotton under DS.Using the paper-based growth system,we assessed the RSA variability in 80 cotton cultivars at the seedling stage,with 0 and10%polyethylene glycol 6000(PEG6000)as the control(CK)and DS treatment,respectively.An analysis of 23 aboveground and root traits in the 80 cotton cultivars revealed different responses to DS.On the 10th day after DS treatment,the degree of variation in the RSA traits under DS(5–55%)was greater than that of CK(5–49%).The 80 cultivars were divided into drought-tolerant cultivars(group 1),intermediate drought-tolerant cultivars(group 2),and drought-sensitive cultivars(group 3)based on their comprehensive evaluation values of drought resistance.Under DS,the root lengthlower,root area-lower,root volume-lower,and root length density-lower were significantly reduced by 63,71,76,and 4%in the drought-sensitive cultivars compared to CK.Notably,the drought-tolerant cultivars maintained their root lengthlower,root area-lower,root volume-lower,and root length density–lower attributes.Compared to CK,the root diameter(0–2 mm)-lower increased by 21%in group 1 but decreased by 3 and 64%in groups 2 and 3,respectively,under DS.Additionally,the drought-tolerant cultivars displayed a plastic response under DS that was characterized by an increase in the root-lower characteristics.Drought resistance was positively correlated with the root area-lower and root length density-lower.Overall,the RSA of the different cotton cultivars varied greatly under DS.Therefore,important root traits,such as the root-lower traits,provide great insights for exploring whether drought-tolerant cotton cultivars can effectively withstand adverse environments.

Analysis on Genetic Diversity of 40 Flowering Cherry Cultivars and Construction of Molecular ID Based on SSR Markers

Studying on the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of flowering cherry cultivars is extremely important for germplasm conservation, cultivar identification and breeding. Flowering cherry is widely cultivated as an important woody ornamental plant in worldwide, especially Japan, China. However, owning to the morphological similarity, many cultivars are distinguished hardly in non-flowering season. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of 40 flowering cherry cultivars, which are mainly cultivated in China. We selected 13 polymorphicprimers to amplify to allele fragments with fluorescent-labeled capillary electrophoresis technology. The population structure analysis results show that these cultivars could be divided into 4 subpopulations. At the population level, Na and Ne were 6.062, 4.326, respectively. Ho and He were 0.458 and 0.670, respectively. The Shannon’s information index (I) was 1.417. The Pop3, which originated from P. serrulata, had the highest Ho, He, and I among the 4 subpopulations. AMOVA showed that only 4% of genetic variation came from populations, the 39% variation came from individuals and 57% (p < 0.05) came from intra-individuals. 5 polymorphic SSR primers were selected to construct molecular ID code system of these cultivars. This analysis on the genetic diversity and relationship of the 40 flowering cherry cultivars will help to insight into the genetic background, relationship of these flowering cherry cultivars and promote to identify similar cultivars.

Effect of Different Mulch Materials on Yield and Nutrition Profile of Common Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) Cultivars in Bangladesh

Capsicum is a nutritious vegetable and its cultivation in farms is getting popular in Bangladesh. Although many efforts have lain to explore better yielding and nutritionally rich cultivars with suitable modern cultivation techniques but still have to find the desired outcome. Thus, it’s necessary to conduct further research to identify the high-yielding and nutritious capsicum cultivars in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted from July 2021 to June 2022 at the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN) research field with three cultivars of capsicum: B0 = California Wonder, B1 = BARI Misti Morich-1 and B2 = BARI Misti Morich-2 and three mulching: T0 = No mulching, T1 = Water hyacinth, T2 = Poly Mulching in randomized complete block design with three replications to identify better quality capsicum cultivar and suitable mulching material. Among cultivars the BARI Misti Morich-2 (B2) showed increased agronomic parameters like number of branches and effective branches per plant, leaves length and width, consequently yield and yield contributing traits were also enhanced like fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter and yield per plant (25.97%, 4.54%, 3.64% and 21.43%, respectively). Poly Mulching (T2) increased agronomic traits, yield traits and yield (0.61 kg) than BARI Misti Morich-1 (T1). The combined effect of B2T2 increased the number of branches per plant, effective branches per plant, leaves length and breadth by 40%, 90%, 15.57% and 26.22%, respectively, hence resulting in an increased yield of 20%. BARI Misti Morich-2 cultivar showed an increase in Fe, Zn and Vitamin-C content of 26.24% and 23.10%, 8.82% and 5.14%, and 6.03% and 5.74% than B0 and B1 cultivars, respectively. Therefore, BARI Misti Morich-2 exhibited the improved agronomic, yield and nutritional traits of capsicum under poly mulching among other cultivars in Bangladesh.

Study on Germplasm Resources of Peach Cultivars

[Objectives]To study the germplasm resources of excellent peach cultivars.[Methods]Five peach cultivars were introduced,in-cluding‘Jinxiu’peach,‘Jinxiang’peach,‘Chunxiao’peach,‘Hujingmilu’peach and‘018 nectarine’peach.Then,these five cultivars were used to study the biological characteristics of peach trees,namely,as phenology,fruit quality,heat resistance,cold resistance and other resistance.[Results]Five cultivars of peach plants grew fast and robust,among which‘018 nectarine’had very crisp fruit,‘Jinxiu’,‘Jinxiang’,‘Chunxiao’and‘Hujingmilu’had very sweet fruitꎻthe peach trees of these five cultivars have good water resistance,heat resist-ance and cold resistance.[Conclusions]The results of this study can not only provide a reference for the introduction of peach trees,but also provide a practical basis for the large-scale planting of peach trees.

Effect of Elastic Strains on Adsorption Energies of C,H and O on Transition Metal Oxides

Platinum(Pt)-based noble metal catalysts(PGMs)are the most widely used commercial catalysts,but they have the problems of high cost,low reserves,and susceptibility to small-molecule toxicity.Transition metal oxides(TMOs)are regarded as potential substitutes for PGMs because of their stability in oxidizing environments and excellent catalytic performance.In this study,comprehensive investigation into the influence of elastic strains on the adsorption energies of carbon(C),hydrogen(H)and oxygen(O)on TMOs was conducted.Based on density functional theory(DFT)calculations,these effects in both tetragonal structures(PtO_(2),PdO_(2))and hexagonal structures(ZnO,CdO),along with their respective transition metals were systematically explored.It was identified that the optimal adsorption sites on metal oxides pinpointed the top of oxygen or the top of metal atom,while face-centered cubic(FCC)and hexagonal close-packed(HCP)holes were preferred for the transition metals.Furthermore,under the influence of elastic strains,the results demonstrated significant disparities in the adsorption energies of H and O between oxides and transition metals.Despite these differences,the effect of elastic strains on the adsorption energies of C,H and O on TMOs mirrored those on transition metals:adsorption energies increased under compressive strains,indicating weaker adsorption,and decreased under tension strains,indicating stronger adsorption.This behavior was rationalized based on the d-band model for adsorption atop a metallic atom or the p-band model for adsorption atop an oxygen atom.Consequently,elastic strains present a promising avenue for tailoring the catalytic properties of TMOs.

Lowering Sodium-Storage Lattice Strains of Layered Oxide Cathodes by Pushing Charge Transfer on Anions

Due to a high energy density,layered transition-metal oxides have gained much attention as the promising sodium-ion batteries cathodes.However,they readily suffer from multiple phase transitions during the Na extraction process,resulting in large lattice strains which are the origin of cycledstructure degradations.Here,we demonstrate that the Na-storage lattice strains of layered oxides can be reduced by pushing charge transfer on anions(O^(2-)).Specifically,the designed O3-type Ru-based model compound,which shows an increased charge transfer on anions,displays retarded O3-P3-O1 multiple phase transitions and obviously reduced lattice strains upon cycling as directly revealed by a combination of ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy,in situ X-ray diffraction and geometric phase analysis.Meanwhile,the stable Na-storage lattice structure leads to a superior cycling stability with an excellent capacity retention of 84%and ultralow voltage decay of 0.2 mV/cycle after 300 cycles.More broadly,our work highlights an intrinsically structure-regulation strategy to enable a stable cycling structure of layered oxides meanwhile increasing the materials’redox activity and Nadiffusion kinetics.

Effect of Six Bacterial Strains on the Activity of Second Instar Larvae and Egg Hatching of Meloidogyne incognita

[Objectives]The paper was to screen effective biocontrol strains against Meloidogyne incognita.[Methods]The effect of six bacterial strains sourced from the research group s strain library on the activity of second instar larvae of M.incognita,as well as on egg hatching,was evaluated.[Results]The treatment of fermentation supernatant derived from the X-2 strain exhibited a pronounced lethal effect on M.incognita,with a corrected mortality rate reaching 97%within 72 h.Additionally,this treatment significantly inhibited egg hatching,achieving an inhibition rate of 94.69%at a 20-fold dilution.The strain was identified as Bacillus velezensis,belonging to the genus Bacillus,and was designated as RKN1111.[Conclusions]This study presents alternative strains and a theoretical framework for the biological control of M.incognita.

Optimizing the transplanting window for higher productivity of short and medium duration rice cultivars in Punjab,India using CERES-Rice model

The CERES-Rice(V4.7.5)model was used to identify the optimum transplanting window for higher productivity of rice in Indian Punjab.The model was first sensitized for 11 genetic coefficients and then these values were used for calibrating and validating the model for rice cultivars.The Normalized Root Mean Square Error was in excellent range(<10%)for all the parameters—the coefficient of determination(R2)for CVS.PR126 and PR127 for days taken to anthesis and maturity were 0.94 and 0.89−0.96,respectively while grain yield and LAI(leaf area index)were 0.89−0.98 and 0.87−0.89,respectively.The optimum transplanting window of 24−30 June for PR126 and 20−26 June for PR127 simulated the grain yield/LAI ranging from 8,425−8,473 kg·ha^(−1)/4.23−4.24 for PR126 and 8,298−8,356 kg·ha^(−1)/4.20−4.21 for PR127.The early transplantation of rice cultivars on 7th June resulted in the lowest yield/LAI of 6,702 kg·ha^(−1)/3.8 for PR126 and 6,865 kg·ha^(−1)/3.9 for PR127.The deviation for the grain yield and HI(harvest index)of PR126 was between−14.2%to+8.2%and−15.1%to+10.5%,respectively,and of PR127 varied between−11.2%to+8.1%and−14.2%to+10.6%,respectively.The decline in the yield/HI from the average was observed during early transplantation in 2^(nd)week of June(before the 15^(th)of June for PR126 and the 13^(th)of June for PR127)as well as late transplantation in the 1st week of July(after 11^(th)July for PR126 and 6^(th)July for PR127)for rice cultivars.The negative effect on yield and HI of both varieties during early and late transplantation could be due to unfavorable climatic conditions.

内置应变传感器对沥青混合料力学性能的影响

道路本体结构的智能智慧是道路工程发展的重要方向,内置应变传感器是实现路面结构应变感知的重要手段,为探究内置应变传感器对沥青混合料力学性能影响,运用离散元法,构建了内置应变传感器的沥青混合料细观模型,研究了应变传感器埋设深度和数量对沥青混合料力学性能影响,分析了沥青混合料材料公称最大粒径、级配和沥青砂浆黏结强度等对内置应变传感器工作性能影响.结果表明:随着传感器埋设深度的增加,梁试件底部三个监测点位处水平拉应力分别增加56.9%、43.5%、43.8%,越接近梁试件底部,其内部水平应力场分布更均匀;与单传感器相比,埋设双传感器的梁试件裂隙增加速度更快,在挠度为0.8 mm时裂隙数便达到267个,单传感器仅为93个;沥青混合料公称最大粒径越大,力链数越少,AC-16、AC-20的平均力链比较AC-13分别降低4.9%、11.4%;沥青混合料级配越粗,荷载传递路径越少,接触力系数量减少77.7%,接触力分布均匀性降低,最大接触力增加74.6%,导致传感器工作稳定性越差;沥青砂浆黏结强度增加,最大接触力下降11%,传感器工作稳定性越好.研究结果可为提升内置应变传感器的沥青混合料耐久性和工作稳定性提供参考.

云南地区GNSS应变率场异常识别方法及地震预测效能评估

利用1999-2020年云南及邻区近300个GNSS测站的观测数据解算获取的速度场为约束,采用克里金插值方法分时段估计了1999-2007年,2009-2014年,2015-2020年三期区域应变率场;通过回溯各个观测时段之后3年内M_(S)≥5.0地震事件,分析区域地壳形变特征与地震事件发生地点之间的相关性,结果表明,绝大部分地震都发生在面应变高梯度带的张压转换区和最大剪应变率沿断层方向的高值区或其边缘。基于上述应变率场异常特征,提出格网地震危险因子算法,建立地震危险区识别模型,通过估计格网最大剪应变率和面应变率风险区划因子,定量提取异常区地震危险指标,结果显示采用数值模型识别出的异常区与地震事件具有较好地对应关系;进一步采用R值评分的方式对应变率场异常区模型识别方法进行地震预测效能量化评估与分析,结果显示3期应变率场预测结果均通过R值评分检测。

新型二维声子晶体带隙特性及调控方法研究

为拓宽声子晶体弹性波带隙,提出一种关于基体双侧对称的声子晶体结构模型.采用有限元法计算了该声子晶体的能带结构和本征模态,基于局域共振机理深入分析了其带隙的形成机理,通过改变几何参数及施加等轴预拉伸应变的方法对该声子晶体的带隙进行被动调控与主动调控.仿真结果表明:所提声子晶体结构基体中的长波行波与振子的谐振相互耦合作用产生一条局域共振带隙,通过优化几何参数可以获得起始频率更低的宽频带隙,对结构施加等轴预拉伸应变可以有效拓宽带隙且带隙宽度随着预拉伸应变的增大而变宽.研究结果为声子晶体的带隙主动调控提供了方案,为结构减振降噪提供了新思路.

Difference of Nitrogen Uptake and Use Efficiency in Conventional Indica Rice Cultivars with Different Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Grain Output

[Objective] The study aimed to confirm difference of nitrogen uptake and used efficiency with different nitrogen use efficiency for grain output (NUEg) types of indica rice.[Method] 88 and 122 conventional indica rice cultivars were solution-cultured in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Dry matter weight (including root system, culm and sheath, leaves, panicle), nitrogen content of different organs, yield and its components were measured. The tested rice cultivars were classified into 6 types (i.e. A, B, C, D, E and F, A was the lowest, and F was the highest) based on their NUEg level by the MinSSw method.[Result](1)Difference of NUEg of the cultivars used in this study were very large; (2) No significant difference of N content at heading stage was observed among different NUEg types of indica rice. In the cultivars with higher NUEg, however, N content in leaf, stem-sheath and entire rice plant were lower at mature stage. (3)Cultivars with higher NUEg were characterized with lower N uptake before heading and at mature stage; (4) Cultivars with higher NUEg were characterized with higher N use efficiency in biomass production and harvest index. [Conclusion] The cultivars with higher NUEg showed lower N uptake and N content, while nitrogen use efficiency was higher.

Observation for Leaf Epidermal Characteristics of Four Different Pomegranate Cultivars under Scanning Electron Microscope

[Objective] The research aimed to provide reference for classification of pomegranate cultivars and studies of genetic relationship among pomegranate cultivars.[Method] The electron microscope scanning was used to comparatively observe leaf epidermal structures of 4 pomegranate cultivars.[Result] The upper epidermal structures of 4 pomegranate cultivars were similar and showed reticular structure .However, the differences existed in lower epidermis,such as cell shape,cell size and arrangement mode of cell as well as stomatal density,while the structures of leaf vein in lower epidermis of 4 pomegranate cultivars were similar.[Conclusion] The research provided morphological references for studying heterosis of pomegranate to some extent.

Screening of Saccharomyces Strains Highly Producing Glutathione and Breeding of Its Ethionine-resistant Mutants

[Objective] The aim of this study was to screen Saccharomyces for glutathione over-production. [Method] Ethionine-resistant mutants were obtained through UV mutagenesis and rational screening. [Result] A high GSH-producing strain HSJB1 was isolated from soil, and the biomass for this strain by flask shaking fermentation was 3.87 g/L while the GSH yield was 91.87 mg/L. According to the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of cells, this strain was primarily identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An ethionine-resistant mutant YBS77 was obtained through UV mutagenesis of the original strain HSJB1, and the biomass for this strain by flask shaking fermentation was 7.60 g dry cell weight/L while the GSH yield was 211.96 mg/L. [Conclusion] The biomass of the mutant obtained by breeding is increased by 96.38% than that of the original strain, and the GSH yield of the mutant obtained by breeding is increased by 130.72% than that from the original strain, which indicates that the breeding method is feasible.

Evaluation of the Adaptability of 28 Green Asparagus Cultivars

[Objective] This study aimed to evaluate the adaptability of 28 green asparagus cultivars under the climatic conditions in Poland and to select cultivars most suitable for growing in Poland. [Method] Based on an overview of asparagus, spears of 28 cultivars from the six year’s harvest in 2008 were evaluated at the Marcelin Experimental Station. During the harvest period, spears were cut daily and trimmed to 22 cm, followed by grading and weigh. In addition, general appearance, anthocyan discolouration, head tightness, colour and smoothness of the spears were also evaluated. [Result] In terms of total yield, ‘Gynlim’ was the best cultivar, followed by ‘Hannibal’, ‘Ravel’, ‘Grolim’ and ‘Ramada’; ‘Gloria’ was the worst cultivar, followed by ‘Tsuki-kho 3’, ‘Purple Passion’, ‘Jacq. Ma 2014’, ‘Sartaguda’, and ‘Jacq. Ma 2004’. ‘Gynlim’, ‘Hannibal’, ‘Ravel’, ‘Ramada’ and ‘Ariane’ were the top five cultivars in early yield, and the worst cultivar concerning early yield was ‘PLA-2132’, followed by ‘Ramos’, ‘Tsuki-kho 3’ and ‘Purple Passion’. ‘Ariane’, ‘Cipress’, ‘Grolim’, ‘Gynlim’ and ‘Hannibal’ were five best culivars considering spear quality, and the four worst cultivars were ‘Jacq. Ma 2004’, ‘Gloria’, ‘Jacq. Ma 2014’ and ‘Tsuki-kho 3’. [Conclusion] Taken both the yield and quality of spears into consideration, the most suitable cultivars of green spears for growing under the climatic conditions in Poland should be ‘Gynlim’, ‘Hannibal’, ‘Ravel’ and ‘Grolim’, while ‘Gloria’, ‘Tsuki-kho 3’, ‘Purple Passion’, ‘Jacq. Ma 2014’ and ‘Sartaguda’ were not suitable for growing in Poland.

Resistance of Major and Backup Rice Cultivars against Ustilaginoidea virens in Anhui Province

[Objective] The aim was to study resistance of major and backup rice cul- tivars against Ustilaginoidea virens. [Method] Experiments and surveys were made on resistance of seventeen backup rice cultivars and some major cultivars in Anhui Province to identify resistance of different rice cultivars. [Result] Yanjing No.9, 80You 226, Tianxie No.l, A01 Xian, Lvjingnuo No.6 were moderate resistant; A03 Xian and Yangjing 636 were susceptible and the rest ten showed moderate susceptibility. Based on surveys on major rice cultivars, most of Liangyou rice series are suscept- able and novel Liangyou Xiang 4 enjoys resistance to certain extent. [Conclusion] The research provided references for resistance of rice against diseases in Anhui Province.