LociScan,a tool for screening genetic marker combinations for plant variety discrimination

To reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of plant genetic marker fingerprinting for variety discrimination,it is desirable to identify the optimal marker combinations.We describe a marker combination screening model based on the genetic algorithm(GA)and implemented in a software tool,Loci Scan.Ratio-based variety discrimination power provided the largest optimization space among multiple fitness functions.Among GA parameters,an increase in population size and generation number enlarged optimization depth but also calculation workload.Exhaustive algorithm afforded the same optimization depth as GA but vastly increased calculation time.In comparison with two other software tools,Loci Scan accommodated missing data,reduced calculation time,and offered more fitness functions.In large datasets,the sample size of training data exerted the strongest influence on calculation time,whereas the marker size of training data showed no effect,and target marker number had limited effect on analysis speed.

Plant Variety Protection and DUS Testing Technique

DUS testing technique used for plant variety protection was reviewed in the paper, and some suggestions were made on how to establish the appropriate technology system in China. Meanwhile, the potential exploitation of the technique was discussed.

NEW PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION IN CHINA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

China is facing increasing challenges in food security and environmental protection, and the plant breeding has made enormous contribution to solving the problems. The legal protection of new plant varieties has the important function of encouraging innovations in the field of plant breeding. However, the widely use of modem biotechnology has caused great controversy in society, and some people propose to limit the scope of plant variety right, especially for Genetically Modified Organisms （hereinafter ＂GMOs＂）. When designing and interpreting the regulations on the protection of new plant varieties, we should keep in mind that the plant variety right is a private right aiming to encourage innovation, and take the principles and relationships in the field of innovation into consideration. Proper regulation and incentives for innovation are both the essential themes in the fields of modem technologies. Intellectural property （hereinafter ＂IP＂） laws should focus on encouraging innovation, while the law system, including the Seed Law, the Food Safety Law and the Environmental Protection Law, should provide systematic, scientific and strict regulations on the research, propagation and marketing of new plant varieties. The whole law system and the market can function together to guide the plant breeders to be committed to breeding new varieties that meet the needs of food security, food safety and environmental protection.

Preparation of the UPOV Guidelines for the Conduct of Tests for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability–Tea Plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]

Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability （DUS） testing is the technical base of Plant Variety Protection （PVP） and the scientific basis for the approval of Plant Breeder＇s Rights （PBR）. DUS Test Guidelines are not only the technical manuals for the DUS testing authorities to conduct the testing, but also the technical standards for the competent authorities to examine the DUS of new varieties of plants. Tea plant, originated from Yunnan Province, China, is a very important woody cash species in the world. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants （UPOV） DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant is the first Test Guidelines prepared by China for the UPOV. In this article, the subject, selection, and determination of characteristics, states of expression of characteristics and the selection of example varieties, assessment of the UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant were elucidated in detail. Finally, the proposal of PVP for tea plant in China was also proposed. The preparation of UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant will have important significance both for promoting the development of PVP and increasing the status of international PVP fields for China.

The Analysis of the Influencing Factors on the Implementing Effects of Plant Breeders' Rights(PBR)System in China

The implementing effects of plant breeders＇ rights（PBR）system is influenced by many factors,such as knowledge of the PBR system,the expense of time for the application and approval,the cost of the applying case,etc..Statistical analysis was carried out based on the above influencing factors by means of questionnaire to find out specific reasons.The result suggests that weak propagandizing;inappropriate propagandizing patterns and obstructed approaches for new regulations are all negatively contributing to the PBR.Meanwhile,current PBR system in China which has been found with many irrational aspects affected the impractical design of regulatory operation and the examining efficiency.Lastly,several suggestions were offered on the base of the results.

Impact of Implementing 1991 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants in China

The Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants is abbreviated as UPOV. The Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants has 1961/1972 Act ,1978 Act and 1991 Act. China is member of UPOV and its regulations of protection of new varieties of plants conform to 1978 Act. At present, there is big debate whether China accedes to 1991 Act. This paper mainly discussed advantages and possibilities that China accedes to 1991 Act, and concluded that it is highly desirable that China should consider acceding to 1991 Act in order to contribute to development of system on protection of new varieties of plants.

Varied responses to copper for plant regeneration from calli of different rice varieties

Enrichment of copper to the culture mediumcould enhance the plant regeneration from cal-lus of indica rice variety Qiugui’ai 11. Westudied the effect of copper on plant regenera-tion of other rice varieties.Calli of 14 indica and 2 japonica varietieswere induced from disinfected mature embryoson an agar-gelled medium containing Nbasal

On-site variety discrimination of tomato plant using visible-near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The use of visible-near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was explored as a tool to discriminate two new tomato plant varieties in China (Zheza205 and Zheza207). In this study, 82 top-canopy leaves of Zheza205 and 86 top-canopy leaves of Zheza207 were measured in visible-NIR reflectance mode. Discriminant models were developed using principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis (DA), and discriminant partial least squares (DPLS) regression methods. After outliers detection, the samples were randomly split into two sets, one used as a calibration set (n=82) and the remaining samples as a validation set (n=82). When predicting the variety of the samples in validation set, the classification correctness of the DPLS model after optimizing spectral pretreatment was up to 93%. The DPLS model with raw spectra after multiplicative scatter cor- rection and Savitzky-Golay filter smoothing pretreatments had the best satisfactory calibration and prediction abilities (correlation coefficient of calibration (Rc)=0.920, root mean square errors of calibration=0.196, and root mean square errors of predic- tion=0.216). The results show that visible-NIR spectroscopy might be a suitable alternative tool to discriminate tomato plant varieties on-site.

Development Situations and Countermeasures of Gastrodia elata Industry in Zhaotong City

With the rapid development of technology,people's living standards have been greatly improved,and more and more people have started to care more about the theory and health preservation function of TCM.Gastrodia elata,as a precious Chinese herbal medicine,is harmless to human health.Due to the high economic benefits and real benefits for farmers,the G.elata industry has developed rapidly.Zhaotong is the hometown of G.elata f.glauca in China,but the current situation of the G.elata industry lags behind other producing areas.Through field survey and literature review,this paper comprehensively analyzed the development status of the G.elata industry in Zhaotong City.Combined with the natural conditions,policy conditions,and socio-economic conditions of the G.elata industry in Zhaotong City to find countermeasures and recommendations to promote the further development of the G.elata industry in Zhaotong and provide recommendations for the sustainable development of G.elata industry.

Fate of Basal N Under Split Fertilization in Rice with ^(15)N Isotope Tracer

Split fertilization strategy is popularly adopted in rice to synchronize soil nitrogen(N) supply and crop N demand. Attention has been paid more on mid-season topdressing N, but limited on basal N. A clearer understanding of the basal N fate under split fertilization is crucial for determining rational basal N split ratio to improve the yield and reduce the loss to environment. A two-year field experiment with two N rates of 150 and 300 kg Nha^(-1), two split ratios of basal N, 40% and 25%, and two rice varieties,Wuyunjing 23(japonica) and Y-liangyou 2(super hybrid indica), was conducted. Labelled ^(15) N urea was supplied in micro-plots as basal fertilizer to determine the plant uptake, translocation, soil residual, and loss of basal N fertilizer. The results showed that basal N absorbed by rice was only 1.6%–11.5% before tillering fertilization(8–10 d after transplanting), 6.5%–21.4% from tillering fertilization to panicle fertilization, and little(0.1%–4.4%) after panicle fertilization. The recovery efficiency of basal N for the entire rice growth stage was low and ranged from 18.7% to 24.8%, not significantly affected by cultivars or N treatments. Soil residual basal N accounted for 10.3%–36.4% and decreased with increasing total N rate and basal N ratio, regardless of variety and year. 43.8%–70.4% of basal N was lost into the environment based on the N balance. Basal N loss was significantly linearly positive related with the basal N rate and obviously enhanced by the increasing basal N ratio for both varieties in both 2012 and 2013. The N use efficiency and yield was significantly improved when decreasing the basal N ratio from 40% to 25%. The results indicated that the basal N ratio should be reduced, especially with limited N inputs, to improve the yield and reduce the N loss to the environment.