Han Qingfang

Effects of herbivore stress by Aphis medicaginis Koch on the Malondialdehyde contents and the activities of protective enzymes in different alfalfa varieties

Abstract The study focused on the dynamics of Malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and the activities of protective enzymes in the leaves of alfalfa varieties with various resistances to Aphis medicaginis Koch. The results showed that susceptible varieties always had higher MDA contents than resistant varieties, and the MDA contents tended to rise in both susceptible and resistant varieties in period of the varieties were pierced and sucked by aphids. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities in susceptible varieties were lower than those in resistant varieties, and in both susceptible and resistant varieties the SOD and POD activities tended to rise at first and then decline, and the PAL activities rose to their peaks and then tended to remain stable. In the susceptible and resistant varieties the catalase (CAT) activities appeared to rise and decline alternatively; the PPO activities in resistant varieties were lower than those in susceptible varieties in early growth, but higher than those in susceptible varieties in later growth. It follows that infested by aphids, susceptible and resistant varieties had the MDA contents, variations of SOD, POD, PAL and PPO activities were closely correlated with their aphid resistances, hence these indexes could be used as physiological indexes for testing aphid resistance of alfalfa, whereas the relations of their CAT activities to their resistances needed to be further studied.

Effects of a rainwater-harvesting furrow/ridge system on spring corn productivity under simulated rainfalls

Abstract A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of a rainwater-harvesting furrow/ridge system (RHFRS) on water use efficiency ( WUE ) and grain yield of spring com in different simulated rainfall treatments. Our results showed that when rainfall supply ranged between 230 and 440 mm, the rainwater-harvesting furrow/ridge system increased surface temperature by 0.7–1°C at the depth of 10 cm and increased soil water storage by 5%–12% in the soil layer of 0–120 cm compared with the control. Emergence was also more rapid in the furrow-ridge system. Spring corn yield in the rainwater-harvesting furrow/ridge system was 83% higher in the 230 mm rainfall treatment, 43% higher in the 340 mm rainfall treatment, and 11% higher in the 440 mm rainfall treatment compared with the control. Similarly, WUE was 77% higher in the 230 mm rainfall treatment, 43% higher in the 340 mm treatment, and 10% higher in the 440 mm treatment than those of the control under the corresponding rainfalls. In summary, results from this study indicate that 440 mm rainfall during the spring corn growing season is the upper limit for which the rainwater-harvesting furrow/ridge system should be adopted.

Effects of straw mulch on soil water and winter wheat production in dryland farming

The soil water supply is the main factor that limits dryland crop production in China. In a three-year field experiment at a dryland farming experimental station, we evaluated the effects of various straw mulch practices on soil water storage, grain yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). Field experiments were conducted with six different mulch combinations (two different mulch durations and three different mulch amounts): high (SM1; 9000 kg ha−1), medium (SM2; 6000 kg ha−1), and low (SM3; 3000 kg ha−1) straw mulch treatments for the whole period; and high (SM4), medium (SM5) and low (SM6) straw mulch treatments during the growth period only, where the control was the whole period without mulch (CK). Throughout the whole growth period of the three-year experiment, the average soil water content in the 0–200 cm soil layer increased by 0.7–22.5% compared with CK, while the WUE increased significantly by 30.6%, 32.7% and 24.2% with SM1, SM2, and SM3, respectively (P < 0.05). The yield increased by 13.3–23.0% when mulch was provided during the growth period, while the WUE increased by 15.2%, 17.2% and 18.0% with SM4, SM5, and SM6, respectively, compared with CK.