Differential Expression of Iron Deficiency Responsive Rice Genes under Low Phosphorus and Iron Toxicity Conditions and Association of OsIRO3 with Yield in Acidic Soils

With the hypothesis that iron(Fe) deficiency responsive genes may play a role in Fe toxicity conditions,we studied five such genes OsNAS1,OsNAS3,OsIRO2,OsIRO3 and OsYSL16 across six contrasting rice genotypes for expression under high Fe and low phosphorus(P) conditions,and sequence polymorphism.Genotypes Sahbhagi Dhan,Chakhao Poirieton and Shasharang were high yielders with no bronzing symptom visible under Fe toxic field conditions,and BAM350 and BAM811 were low yielders but did not show bronzing symptoms.Hydroponic screening revealed that the number of crown roots and root length can be traits for consideration for identifying Fe toxicity tolerance in rice genotypes.Fe contents in rice roots and shoots of a high-yielding genotype KMR3 showing leaf bronzing were significantly high.In response to 24 h high Fe stress,the expression levels of OsNAS3 were up-regulated in all genotypes except KMR3.In response to 48 h high Fe stress,the expression levels of OsNAS1 were3-fold higher in tolerant Shasharang,whereas in KMR3,it was significantly down-regulated.Even in response to 7 d excess Fe stress,the transcript abundances of OsIRO2 and OsNAS3 were contrasting in genotypes Shasharang and KMR3.This suggested that the reported Fe deficiency genes had a role in Fe toxicity and that in genotype KMR3 under excess Fe stress,there was disruption of metal homeostasis.Under the 48 h low P conditions,OsIRO2 and OsYSL16 were significantly up-regulated in Fe tolerant genotype Shasharang and in low P tolerant genotype Chakhao Poirieton,respectively.In silico sequence analysis across 3 024 rice genotypes revealed polymorphism for 4 genes.Sequencing across OsIRO3and OsNAS3 revealed nucleotide polymorphism between tolerant and susceptible genotypes for Fe toxicity.Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertion/deletions(InDels) differing in tolerant and susceptible genotypes were identified.A marker targeting 25-bp InDel in OsIRO3,when run on a diverse panel of 43 rice genotypes and a biparental population,was associated with superior performance for yield under acidic lowland field conditions.This study highlights the potential of one of the vital genes involved in Fe homeostasis as a genic target for improving rice yield in acidic soils.

Screening Index for Low Phosphorus Tolerance at Seedling Stage

[Objective] Simple and reliable identification criteria used in screening phosphorus efficiency of soybean at seedling stage was discussed.[Method] Using the high and low phosphorus soil pot experiment,the soybean seedling stage＇s 5 criteria including RPH,RAW,RRW,RAPC and RRPC were studied.[Result] Low phosphorus stress had the low effects on relative plant height,the coefficient of variation was only 9.07%,has not achieved the remarkable level with its its criteria＇s relevance;Low phosphorus stress had the higher effects on relatively above-ground dry weight and relative dry weight of root,relatively above-ground phosphorus concentration and relative root phosphorus concentration,its coefficient of variation was also big,in turn is 26.67%,22.68%,24.01% and 15.87%,The correlation coefficient among the indicators had significantly or extremely significantly positive correlation.[Conclusion] Relatively above-ground dry weight and relative dry weight of root,relatively above-ground phosphorus concentration can be used as an important indicator of comprehensive evaluation of screening phosphorus efficiency of soybean at seedling stage,while the relative root phosphorus concentration can be used as secondary screening index.

Differentiation of Barley Genotypes with High Phosphorus Efficiency under Low Phosphorus Stress

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate differences in phosphorus effi-ciency between two-rowed barley and multiple-rowed barley and differences in phos-phorus efficiency among various agronomic traits, and to explore the relationship be-tween agronomic traits and row type with phosphorus efficiency. [Method] Under available phosphorus mass fractions of 1.32 and 36.6 mg/kg, 172 barley varieties, including 79 two-rowed foreign barley, 22 multiple-rowed foreign barley, 58 two-rowed Chinese barley and 13 multiple-rowed Chinese barley, were selected to com-pare differences in phosphorus efficiency-related agronomic traits. Plant height, spike length, number of unfil ed grains, number of unfil ed grains, main panicle weight, to-tal panicle weight, total stem weight, weight of aerial part and heading stage were surveyed for statistical analysis. [Result] The results showed that, various agronomic traits were larger under fertilization condition than under non-fertilization condition ex-cept number of unfil ed grains and heading stage. Plant high, spike length, weight of aerial part and heading stage varied greatly under non-fertilization condition; number of fil ed grains, number of unfil ed grains and total stem weight varied greatly under fertilization condition. In two-rowed barley, plant height and number of fil ed grains of Chinese varieties were higher than those of foreign varieties, while other agronomic traits such as spike length, number of unfil ed grains, main panicle weight, total panicle weight, total stem weight, weight of aerial part and heading stage of foreign varieties were higher than those of Chinese varieties. Spike length and weight of aerial part in multiple-rowed and two-rowed foreign barley were higher than those in Chinese barley. In multiple-rowed barley, plant height, number of unfil ed grains, total panicle weight and total stem weight of foreign varieties were higher under non-fer-tilization condition and lower under fertilization condition compared with those of Chi-nese varieties; number of fil ed grains, main panicle weight and heading stage of foreign varieties were lower under non-fertilization condition and higher under fertil-ization condition compared with those of Chinese varieties. [Conclusion] Heading stage, number of fil ed grains, number of unfil ed grains and total stem weight are more sensitive to phosphorus efficiency. Multiple-rowed barley is more sensitive to phosphorus efficiency than two-rowed barley.

Analysis of Phosphorus Nutrition Efficiency of Soybean Genotypes with Different Phosphorus Efficiency at Blooming Stage under Low Phosphorus Stress

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the phosphorus nutrition effi- ciency of different soybean genotypes at blooming stage under low phosphorus stress. [Method] By using four ＂low phosphorus efficiency＂ soybean genotypes （D03, D05, D17 and D18） and four ＂high phosphorus efficiency＂ soybean genotypes （D31, D34, D37 and D38） as experimental materials, soil culture experiment was conduct- ed with two treatments of high phosphorus （＋P） and low phosphorus （-P）, to analyze the relationship between phosphorus content, phosphorus uptake, phosphorus use efficiency and phosphorus efficiency of soybean genotypes with different phos- phorus efficiency. [Result] Under low phosphorus conditions, four soybean genotypes with high phosphorus efficiency showed significant advantage in phosphorus uptake at seedling stage, to be specific, D34 showed relatively high phosphorus absorption capacity but no advantage in adaptability of phosphorus use efficiency, while only D37 showed relatively high phosphorus absorption capacity and phosphorus use ca- pacity. Correlation analysis and path analysis showed that the level of phosphorus efficiency of soybean at blooming stage under （-P） and （＋P） treatments was mainly determined by phosphorus absorption capacity, and that under （-P） treatment was significantly greater than （＋P） treatment. Phosphorus uptake and phosphorus use ef- ficiency under （-P） and （＋P） treatments both showed great direct effects on phos- phorus efficiency, and phosphorus uptake made greater contribution; however, the indirect effects were relatively low, Under low phosphorus stress, the mechanisms for various soybean genotypes with high phosphorus efficiency to adapt to low phospho- rus stress were different, and phosphorus absorption efficiency （phosphorus uptake） was the main variation source of the phosphorus efficiency of various soybean genotypes at blooming stage. [Conclusion] This study revealed the contribution made by phosphorus absorption efficiency and phosphorus use efficiency to phosphorus efficiency of soybean.

Double Slag Operation Dephosphorization in BOF for Producing Low Phosphorus Steel

A study on the production of low phosphorus steel by double slag operation in 210 t converter was carried out. A phosphorus content of less than 0.005% （mass percent） was obtained before tapping. About 80% phosphorus could be removed by the first slag after 5 min. High Fe^3＋ content and high basicity in the first slag were in favor of dephosphorization. On the other hand,Fe3＋ content had less effect on dephosphorization during second slag treatment. In the second slag period,the fraction of dephosphorization increased with the increase of basicity up to a basicity of 6. Further increase of basicity of the second slag had very little effect on dephosphorization. The tapping temperature had great impact on dephosphorization. It was impossible to get phosphorus less that 0.005% when the tapping temperature was higher than 1 943 K. The optimum operation conditions were suggested. On the basis of these conditions,the amount of the second slag and the effect of the remaining first slag were estimated.

Genetic Improvement of Root Growth Contributes to Efficient Phosphorus Acquisition in maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize plants adapt to low phosphorus （P） stress by increasing root growth. It is of importance to know the extent to which genetic improvement of root growth can enhance P acquisiton. In the present study, the contribution of root growth improvement to efficient P acquisition was evaluated in two soils using T149 and T222, a pair of near isogenic maize testcrosses which were derived from a backcross BC 4 F 3 population. T149 and T222 showed no difference in shoot biomass and leaf area under normal growth conditions, but differed greatly in root growth. T149 had longer lateral roots and a larger root surface area compared to T222. In calcareous soil, when P was insufficient, i.e., when P was either supplied as KH 2 PO 4 at a concentration of 50 mg P kg-1 soil, or in the form of Phy-P, Ca3-P or Ca10-P, a 43% increase in root length in T149 compared to T222 resulted in an increase in P uptake by 53%, and shoot biomass by 48%. In acid soil, however, when P supply was insufficient, i.e., when P was supplied as KH 2 PO 4 at a concentration of 100 mg P kg-1 soil, or in the form of Phy-P, Fe-P or Al-P, a 32% increase in root length in T149 compared to T222 resulted in an increase in P uptake by only 12%, and shoot biomass by 7%. No significant differences in the exudation of organic acids and APase activity were found between the two genotypes. It is concluded that genetic improvement of root growth can efficiently increase P acquisition in calcareous soils. In acid soils, however, improvements in the physiological traits of roots, in addition to their size, seem to be required for efficient P acquisition.

Varietal Differences in Plant Growth, Phosphorus Uptake and Yield Formation in Two Maize Inbred Lines Grown Under Field Conditions

Selection for phosphorus （P）-efficient genotypes and investigation of physiological mechanisms for P-use efficiency in maize has mainly been conducted at the seedling stage under controlled greenhouse conditions. Few studies have analyzed characteristics of plant growth and yield formation in response to low-P stress over the whore growth period under field conditions. In the present study, two maize inbred lines with contrasting yield performances under low-P stress in the field were used to compare plant growth, P uptake and translocation, and yield formation. Phosphorus accumulation in the P-efficient line 154 was similar to that of line 153 under high-P. Under low-P, however, P uptake in line 154 was three times greater than that in line 153. Correspondingly, P-efficient line 154 had a significantly higher yield than P-inefficient line 153 under low-P conditions （Olsen-P=1.60 mg kg-1）, but not under high-P conditions （Olsen-P=14.98 mg kg-1）. The yield difference was mainly due to differences in the number of ears per m2, that is, P-efficient line 154 formed many more ears under low-P conditions than P-inefficient line 153. Ear abortion rate was 53% in the P-inefficient line 153, while in line 154, it was only 30%. Low-P stress reduced leaf appearance, and delayed anthesis and the silking stage, but increased the anthesis-silking interval （ASI） to a similar extent in both lines. The maximum leaf area per plant at silking stage was higher in P-efficient line 154 than in P-inefficient line 153 under both P conditions. It is concluded that low-P stress causes intense intraspecific competition for limited P resources in the field condition which gives rise to plant-to- plant non-uniformity, resulting in a higher proportion of barren plants. As soon as an ear was formed in the plant, P in the plant is efficiently reutilized for kernel development.

Differences in Phosphorus Absorption and Utilization Efficiency of Soybean in Mature Period under Phosphorus Stress

In this study, four phosphorus-inefficient soybean genotypes （1903, 1305, D17 and D18） and four phosphorus-efficient soybean genotypes （D31, D34, D37 and D38 ） were selected as experimental materials for soil culture experiment under high and low phosphorus treatments, to investigate the grain yield, phosphorus content, phosphorus uptake and the relationship between phosphorus utilization efficiency and phosphorus efficiency of soybean genotypes with different phos- phorus efficiency in mature period. According to the experimental results, under low phosphorus treatment, four phosphorus-efficient soybean genotypes exhibited significantly high phosphorus uptake in mature period, especially for D31 and D37; however, three phosphorus-efficient genotypes showed no advantages in adapta- bility of phosphorus utilization efficiency, while only I）31 exhibited high phosphorus utilization and absorption capacity. Correlation analysis and path analysis showed that phosphorus deficiency of soybean was mainly detemained by phosphorus absorption capacity, and phosphorus deficiency under （-P） treatment was sig- nificandy higher than （ ＋ P） treatment. Phosphorus uptake and phosphorus utilization efficiency posed great direct effects on phosphorus efficiency, and phosphorus uptake exhibited a greater contribution ; in addition, these two factors both posed small indirect effects. In mature period at reproductive growth stage, phosphorus absorption efficiency （phosphorus uptake） was the main variation source of phosphorus efficiency of various soybean genotypes in mature period. Therefore, strong phosphorus uptake and accumulation capacity of phosphorus-efficient soybean genotypes in mature period is an important nutrition foundation for the information of high grain yield.

Screening and identification of soybean varieties with high phosphorus efficiency at seedling stage

In order to simplify the workload and find a reliable method for screening soybeans with different phosphorus(P)efficiencies,47 soybean varieties were screened from 90 varieties according to yield under normal phosphorus,and 10 indicators including root phenotype,phosphorus utilization efficiency at the seedling stage and yield were measured.Through single-index cluster analysis,the performance value and relative value of the abovementioned indexes under low-phosphorus conditions were analyzed,and then,the combined indexes were analyzed by principal components method.The membership function method and the cluster analysis method was used to calculate and analyze the comprehensive score value.Three indexes of root P utilization efficiency(X_(1)),relative value of root P utilization efficiency(X_(2)),and root volume(X_(3))under low P at the seedling stage were selected as the most consistent with the yield screening results under low P condition,and the mathematical model of the comprehensive score value was obtained:D=1.218X_(1)t 0.320X_(2)t 0.007X_(3)-0.664(P=0.000,R^(2)=1.000).The comprehensive score can screen and identify the P efficiency of soybeans with fewer indexes in the early growth stages,which provides a more rapid and reliable mathematical model for screening and identifying a larger number of germplasm resources for P efficiency.

Thermodynamic Study on BaO-CaO-CaF_2 Slags for Dephosphorization of Molten Steel

The molten steel was dephosphorized by high basic BaO-based slags (BaO-CaO-CaF_2) to achieve ultra low phosphorus level. The dephosphorization ability of the BaO-CaO-CaF_2 slags was tested. The phosphate capacity of this slag system at 1 620 ℃ varied from 10^(18.03) to 10^(19.11) with an activity coefficient of P_2O_5 ranging from 10^(-19.47) to 10^(-18.09). The effect of BaO content, initial phosphorus content and oxygen potential of molten steel on dephosphorization was discussed. The phosphorus pick-up by the BaO-based slags was studied.

The Molecular Mechanism in the Damage of Erythrocyte Membrane of the Cows with Hemoglobinuria

The molecular mechanism in the damage of erythrocyte membrane of the cows with hemoglobinuria was studied with the field cases and the group comparison.The field cases were devided into three groups:the hemoglobinuria group(HG),the low phosphorous group(LPG)and the control group(CG).The content of phospholipid constituents in the erythrocyte membrane and the protein constituents in membrane skeleton were determined molecularly and the shape of erythrocyte was examined with the scanning electron microscope.The result showed that:(1)the concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine(PE)in HG was lower significantly than that in LPG and CG;the concentration of sphingomyeline(SM) and phosphatidylcholine(PC)+phosphatidylserine(PS) in HG was significantly lower than that in the other groups;the content of PC+PS was lower and the concentration of SM was higher in LPG with comparing that in CG,the significant positive correlation was observed between the concentration of phosphorus in serum and the concentration of PE,respectively.The significant negative correlation was observed between the content of phosphorus in serum and the content of SM,respectively.(2)the difference of protein constituent in membrane skeleton between LPG and CG was not found,however,the concentration of spectin in band Ⅰ,Ⅱ and the content of protein in band Ⅳ 2 was lower and the concentration of protein in band Ⅲ significantly higher in HG than that in LPG and CG(P<0.01);(3)the form of erythrocyte observed with scanning electron microscope changed from discal to the spinal,to spheric form,to hemolysis ultimately following the reduction of the concentration of phosphorus in serum.It was concluded that the change of the constituent of phospholipid in erythrocyte membrane and protein in membrane skeleton and the form of erythrocyte is the most important factors in hemolysis for hypophosphatemia.