The Hidden Benefits of Pollinator Diversity for the Rangelands of the Great Plains: Western Prairie Fringed Orchids as a Case Study     

Steven E. Travers  Gerald M. Fauske  Kristina Fox  Andrew A. Ross  Marion O. Harris 《Herpetological Monographs》2011,33(3):20-26

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SoilFlex‐LLWR: linking a soil compaction model with the least limiting water range concept          下载免费PDF全文

T. Keller  A. P. da Silva  C. A. Tormena  N. F. B. Giarola  K. M. V. Cavalieri  M. Stettler  J. Arvidsson 《Soil Use and Management》2015,31(2):321-329

Soil compaction impacts growing conditions for plants: it increases the mechanical resistance to root growth and modifies the soil pore system and consequently the supply of water and oxygen to the roots. The least limiting water range (LLWR) defines a range of soil water contents within which root growth is minimally limited with regard to water supply, aeration and penetration resistance. The LLWR is a function of soil bulk density (BD), and hence directly affected by soil compaction. In this paper, we present a new model, ‘SoilFlex‐LLWR’, which combines a soil compaction model with the LLWR concept. We simulated the changes in LLWR due to wheeling with a self‐propelled forage harvester on a Swiss clay loam soil (Gleyic Cambisol) using the new SoilFlex‐LLWR model, and compared measurements of the LLWR components as a function of BD with model estimations. SoilFlex‐LLWR allows for predictions of changes in LLWR due to compaction caused by agricultural field traffic and therefore provides a quantitative link between impact of soil loading and soil physical conditions for root growth.  相似文献   

Predicting the degree of phosphorus saturation using the ammonium acetate–EDTA soil test     

D. Houben  C. Meunier  B. Pereira  Ph. Sonnet 《Soil Use and Management》2011,27(3):283-293

As a result of the important role played by phosphorus (P) in surface water eutrophication, the susceptibility of soils to release P requires evaluation. The degree of phosphorus saturation, assessed by oxalate extraction (DPS_ox), has been used as an indicator. However, most laboratories do not include DPS_ox in routine soil tests because of cost and time. This study evaluates the suitability of the ammonium acetate extraction in the presence of EDTA (AAEDTA), the standard soil test P (STP) in Wallonia (Southern Belgium), to predict DPS_ox; we also compared it with the Mehlich 3 extraction. Ninety‐three topsoil samples were collected in agricultural soils throughout Wallonia. Good correlations were found between the AAEDTA and the Mehlich 3 methods for P, Fe and Al (r = 0.85, 0.77 and 0.86, respectively). An exponential relationship was found between P_AAEDTA and DPS_ox. Results of principal component analysis and regression demonstrated that STP can be used to predict DPS_ox (r = 0.93) after logarithmic transformation. Soil test Al was also a good indicator of the P sorption capacity (PSC_ox) of soils (r = 0.86). Including the clay fraction in regression equations only slightly improved the prediction of PSC_ox (r = 0.90), while other readily available data (such as pH or organic carbon) did not significantly improve either DPS_ox or PSC_ox predictions.  相似文献   

Drought Stress in Grain Legumes during Reproduction and Grain Filling          下载免费PDF全文

M. Farooq  N. Gogoi  S. Barthakur  B. Baroowa  N. Bharadwaj  S. S. Alghamdi  K. H. M. Siddique 《Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science》2017,203(2):81-102

Water scarcity is a major constraint limiting grain legume production particularly in the arid and semi‐arid tropics. Different climate models have predicted changes in rainfall distribution and frequent drought spells for the future. Although drought impedes the productivity of grain legumes at all growth stages, its occurrence during reproductive and grain development stages (terminal drought) is more critical and usually results in significant loss in grain yield. However, the extent of yield loss depends on the duration and intensity of the stress. A reduction in the rate of net photosynthesis, and poor grain set and grain development are the principal reasons for terminal drought‐induced loss in grain yield. Insight into the impact and resistance mechanism of terminal drought is required for effective crop improvement programmes aiming to improve resistance to terminal drought in grain legumes. In this article, the impact of terminal drought on leaf development and senescence, light harvesting and carbon fixation, and grain development and grain composition is discussed. The mechanisms of resistance, management options, and innovative breeding and functional genomics strategies to improve resistance to terminal drought in grain legumes are also discussed.  相似文献   

Drought Tolerance and Water‐Use Efficiency of Biogas Crops: A Comparison of Cup Plant,Maize and Lucerne‐Grass          下载免费PDF全文

B. Schoo  K. P. Wittich  U. Böttcher  H. Kage  S. Schittenhelm 《Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science》2017,203(2):117-130

The cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is discussed as an alternative energy crop for biogas production in Germany due to its ecological benefits over continuously grown maize. Moreover, a certain drought tolerance is assumed because of its intensive root growth and the dew water collection by the leaf cups, formed by fused leaf pairs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate evapotranspiration (ET ), water‐use efficiency (WUE ) and the relevance of the leaf cups for the cup plant's water balance in a 2‐year field experiment. Parallel investigations were conducted for the two reference crops maize (high WUE ) and lucerne‐grass (deep and intensive rooting) under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Root system performance was assessed by measuring water depletion at various soil depths. Transpiration‐use efficiency (TUE ) was estimated using a model approach. Averaged over the 2 years, drought‐related above‐ground dry matter reduction was higher for the cup plant (33 %) than for the maize (18 %) and lucerne‐grass (14 %). The WUE of the cup plant (33 kg ha^?1 mm^?1) was significantly lower than for maize (50 kg ha^?1 mm^?1). The cup plant had a lower water uptake capacity than lucerne‐grass. Cup plant dry matter yields as high as those of maize will only be attainable at sites that are well supplied with water, be it through a large soil water reserve, groundwater connection, high rainfall or supplemental irrigation.  相似文献   

A review of the role of excess soil moisture conditions in constraining farm practices under Atlantic conditions     

R. P. O. Schulte  R. Fealy  R. E. Creamer  W. Towers  T. Harty  R. J. A. Jones 《Soil Use and Management》2012,28(4):580-589

The Less Favoured Area (LFA) scheme is a major element of the EU Rural Development Policy, aimed at supporting farming in areas with natural handicaps or low soil productivity. It has been in place since 1975 and accounts for 14% of total Community funding. In 2003, the European Court of Auditors recommended that the socio‐economic criteria on which the current scheme is based be replaced by biophysical criteria. Reviews of the proposals suggest that in Atlantic climates of Northwest Europe, the new criteria do not delineate adequately areas where agricultural productivity is constrained by the biophysical environment and that such areas are instead demarcated by the occurrence of excess soil moisture conditions. In this paper, we review the impact of excess soil moisture conditions on the sustainability of farming systems and their role in constraining strategic and tactical farm management practices. In particular, we review the scientific evidence on the impact of excess soil moisture conditions on herbage growth, herbage utilization, farm operations and environmental sustainability. On the basis of this, we propose an additional biophysical criterion for the new delineation of LFAs, namely the length of time that soil water is in excess of field capacity (‘field capacity days’). While there is no clear threshold for field capacity days above which agricultural sustainability is acutely constrained, the evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that the sustainability of intensive livestock farming and tillage systems is particularly challenging in scenarios where the 80 percentile of field capacity days exceeds 220–230 days.  相似文献   

The Alleviating Effect of Elevated CO2 on Heat Stress Susceptibility of Two Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Cultivars     

S. Shanmugam  K. H. Kjaer  C.‐O. Ottosen  E. Rosenqvist  D. Kumari Sharma  B. Wollenweber 《Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science》2013,199(5):340-350

This study analysed the alleviating effect of elevated CO₂ on stress‐induced decreases in photosynthesis and changes in carbohydrate metabolism in two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) of different origin. The plants were grown in ambient (400 μl l^?1) and elevated (800 μl l^?1) CO₂ with a day/night temperature of 15/10 °C. At the growth stages of tillering, booting and anthesis, the plants were subjected to heat stress of 40 °C for three continuous days. Photosynthetic parameters, maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (F_v/F_m) and contents of pigments and carbohydrates in leaves were analysed before and during the stress treatments as well as after 1 day of recovery. Heat stress reduced P_N and F_v/F_m in both wheat cultivars, but plants grown in elevated CO₂ maintained higher P_N and F_v/F_m in comparison with plants grown in ambient CO₂. Heat stress reduced leaf chlorophyll contents and increased leaf sucrose contents in both cultivars grown at ambient and elevated CO₂. The content of hexoses in the leaves increased mainly in the tolerant cultivar in response to the combination of elevated CO₂ and heat stress. The results show that heat stress tolerance in wheat is related to cultivar origin, the phenological stage of the plants and can be alleviated by elevated CO₂. This confirms the complex interrelation between environmental factors and genotypic traits that influence crop performance under various climatic stresses.  相似文献   

Comparative morphology of the digestive system of 19 species of Southern African myomorph rodents in relation to diet and evolution     

M.R. Perrin  B.A. Curtis 《African Zoology》2013,48(1):22-33

Trends in digestive system-morphology have been examined in 19 species of Southern African myomorph rodents. Structure was related to function, diet, and evolution. Characters related to an ancestral proteinaceous diet, and specialized characters associated with herbivory, were recognized. All stomachs were of the unilocular hemiglandular type with increasing degrees of cornification of the corpus, although the stomach of Saccostomus compestris approached the bilocular discoglandular condition. Those of Thallomys paedulcus and Mystromys albicaudatus were highly modified in containing numerous papillae in the corpus, possibly associated with gastric fermentation. The most complex caeca, of the herbivorous Otomyids, possessed numerous haustra and internal papillae probably associated with caecal microbial fermentation.  相似文献   

Vitamin and mineral supplementation and rate of gain during the first trimester of gestation affect concentrations of amino acids in maternal serum and allantoic fluid of beef heifers     

Ana Clara B Menezes  Kacie L McCarthy  Cierrah J Kassetas  Friederike Baumgaertner  James D Kirsch  Sheri Dorsam  Tammi L Neville  Alison K Ward  Pawel P Borowicz  Lawrence P Reynolds  Kevin K Sedivec  J Chris Forcherio  Ronald Scott  Joel S Caton  Carl R Dahlen 《Journal of animal science》2021,99(2)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding vitamin and mineral (VTM) supplement and (or) rate of gain (GAIN) during early gestation on amino acid (AA) concentrations in allantoic fluid (ALF) and amniotic fluid (AMF) and maternal serum. Seventy-two crossbred Angus heifers (initial BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with main effects of VTM supplement (VTM or NoVTM) and rate of gain (GAIN; low gain [LG], 0.28 kg/d, vs. moderate gain [MG], 0.79 kg/d). The VTM treatment (113 g•heifer⁻¹•d⁻¹, provided macro and trace minerals and vitamins A, D, and E to meet 110% of the requirements specified by the NASEM in Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/19014, 2016) was initiated 71 to 148 d before artificial insemination (AI). To complete the factorial arrangement of treatments, at breeding heifers were either maintained on the basal diet (LG), or received MG diet which was implemented by adding a protein/energy supplement to the LG diet. Thirty-five gestating heifers with female fetuses were ovariohysterectomized on d 83 of gestation and maternal serum, ALF, and AMF were collected. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of neutral AA: Ala, Asn, Cys, Gln, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val; cationic AA: Arg, His, and Lys; and anionic AA: Asp and Glu. In serum, a VTM × GAIN interaction (P = 0.02) was observed for Glu, with greater concentrations for VTM-LG than VTM-MG. Concentrations of serum Cys, Met, and Trp were greater (P ≤ 0.03) for MG than LG. In ALF, concentrations of Glu were affected by a VTM × GAIN interaction, where VTM-MG was greater (P < 0.01) than all other treatments. Further, ALF from VTM had increased (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of His, Asp, and 12 of the 14 neutral AA; whereas GAIN affected concentrations of Arg, Cys, and Asp, with greater concentrations (P ≤ 0.05) in MG heifers. In AMF, AA concentrations were not affected (P ≥ 0.10) by VTM, GAIN, or their interaction. In conclusion, increased concentrations of AA in maternal serum and ALF of beef heifers were observed at d 83 of gestation in response to VTM supplementation and rate of gain of 0.79 kg/d, which raises important questions regarding the mechanisms responsible for AA uptake and balance between the maternal circulation and fetal fluid compartments.  相似文献   

The effects of maternal nutrition during the first 50 d of gestation on the location and abundance of hexose and cationic amino acid transporters in beef heifer uteroplacental tissues     

Matthew S Crouse  Kyle J McLean  Josephine Dwamena  Tammi L Neville  Ana Clara B Menezes  Alison K Ward  Lawrence P Reynolds  Carl R Dahlen  Bryan W Neville  Pawel P Borowicz  Joel S Caton 《Journal of animal science》2021,99(1)

We hypothesized that maternal nutrition during the first 50 d of gestation would influence the abundance of hexose transporters, SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC2A5, and cationic amino acid transporters, SLC7A1 and SLC7A2, in heifer uteroplacental tissues. Angus-cross heifers (n = 43) were estrus synchronized, bred via artificial insemination, and assigned at breeding to 1 of 2 dietary intake groups (CON = 100% of requirements to achieve 0.45 kg/d of BW gain or RES = 60% of CON intake) and ovariohysterectomized on day 16, 34, or 50 of gestation (n = 6 to 9/d) in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Uterine cross-sections were collected from the horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, sectioned at 5 µm, and stained via immunofluorescence for transporters. For each image, areas of fetal membrane (FM; chorioallantois), luminal epithelium (ENDO), superficial glands (SG), deep glands (DG), and myometrium (MYO) were analyzed separately for relative intensity of fluorescence as an indicator of transporter abundance. Analysis of FM was only conducted for days 34 and 50. No transporters in target areas were influenced by a day × treatment interaction (P ≥ 0.06). In ENDO, all transporters were differentially abundant from days 16 to 50 of gestation (P ≤ 0.04), and SLC7A2 was greater (P = 0.05) for RES vs. CON. In SG, SLC7A1 and SLC7A2 were greater (P ≤ 0.04) at day 34 vs. day 16. In DG, SLC2A3 and SLC7A1 were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for CON vs. RES heifers; furthermore, SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) at day 50 vs. days 16 and 34 of gestation. In MYO, SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) for CON vs. RES and was greater (P = 0.02) at days 34 and 50 vs. day 16. There were no differences in FM (P ≥ 0.06). Analysis of all uterine tissues at day 16 determined that SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC7A2 were all differentially abundant across uterine tissue type (P < 0.01), and SLC7A1 was greater (P = 0.02) for CON vs. RES. Analysis of all uteroplacental tissues at days 34 and 50 demonstrated that all transporters differed (P < 0.01) across uteroplacental tissues, and SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) for CON vs. RES. These data are interpreted to imply that transporters are differentially affected by day of gestation, and that hexose and cationic amino acid transporters are differentially abundant across utero-placental tissue types, and that SLC7A1 is responsive to maternal nutritional treatment.  相似文献