Improving the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Axial Displacement Measurements of Microspheres Based on Compound Digital Holography Microscopy Combined with the Reconstruction Centering Method.

In 3D microsphere tracking, unlike in-plane motion that can be measured directly by a microscope, axial displacements are resolved by optical interference or a diffraction model. As a result, the axial results are affected by the environmental noise. The immunity to environmental noise increases with measurement accuracy and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In compound digital holography microscopy (CDHM)-based measurements, precise identification of the tracking marker is critical to ensuring measurement precision. The reconstruction centering method (RCM) was proposed to suppress the drawbacks caused by installation errors and, at the same time, improve the correct identification of the tracking marker. The reconstructed center is considered to be the center of the microsphere, rather than the center of imaging in conventional digital holographic microscopy. This method was verified by simulation of rays tracing through microspheres and axial moving experiments. The axial displacements of silica microspheres with diameters of 5 µm and 10 µm were tested by CDHM in combination with the RCM. As a result, the SNR of the proposed method was improved by around 30%. In addition, the method was successfully applied to axial displacement measurements of overlapped microspheres with a resolution of 2 nm.

Biochar addition and reduced irrigation modulates leaf morpho-physiology and biological nitrogen fixation in faba bean-ryegrass intercropping.

Intercropping legume with grass has potential to increase biomass and protein yield via biological N2-fixation (BNF) benefits, whereas the joint effects of biochar (BC) coupled with deficit irrigation on intercropping systems remain elusive. A 15N isotope-labelled experiment was implemented to investigate morpho-physiological responses of faba bean-ryegrass intercrops on low- (550 °C, LTBC) or high-temperature BC (800 °C, HTBC) amended sandy-loam soil under full (FI), deficit (DI) and partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRD). LTBC and HTBC significantly reduced intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUE) by 12 and 14 %, and instantaneous WUE by 8 and 16 %, respectively, in faba bean leaves, despite improved photosynthetic (An) and transpiration rate (Tr), and stomatal conductance (gs). Compared to FI, DI and PRD lowered faba bean An, gs and Tr, but enhanced leaf-scale and time-integrated WUE as proxied by the diminished shoots Δ13C. PRD enhanced WUE as lower gs, Tr and guard cell length than DI-plants. Despite higher carbon ([C]) and N concentration ([N]) in faba bean shoots amended by BC, the aboveground C- and N-pool of faba bean were reduced, while these pools increased for ryegrass. The N-use efficiency (NUE) in faba bean shoots was reduced by 9 and 14 % for LTBC and HTBC, respectively, but not for ryegrass. Interestingly, ryegrass shoots had 52 % higher NUE than faba bean shoots. The N derived from atmosphere (% Ndfa) was increased by 2 and 9 % under LTBC and HTBC, respectively, while it decreased slightly by reduced irrigation. Quantity of BNF in faba bean aboveground biomass decreased with HTBC coupled with reduced irrigation, mainly towards decreased biomass and soil N uptake by faba bean. Therefore, HTBC might not be a feasible option to improve WUE and BNF in faba bean-ryegrass intercropping, but PRD is permissible as the clear trade-off between BC and PRD.

Drip Fertigation Increases Maize Grain Yield by Affecting Phenology, Grain Filling Process, Biomass Accumulation and Translocation: A 4-Year Field Trial.

Drip fertigation (DF) is a widely used technology to increase grain yield with water and fertilizer conservation. However, the mechanism of high grain yield (GY) under DF is still unclear. Here, a four-year field experiment assessed the impacts of four treatments (i.e., conventional irrigation and nitrogen application, CK; drip irrigation with conventional nitrogen fertilization, DI; split-nitrogen fertigation with conventional irrigation, SF; and drip fertigation, DF) on maize phenology, leaf photosynthetic rates, grain filling processes, plant biomass, and GY. The results showed that DF significantly increased maize GY by affecting phenology, grain filling traits, aboveground biomass (BIO) accumulation, and translocation. Specifically, DF significantly increased leaf chlorophyll content, which enhanced leaf photosynthetic rates, and together with an increase of leaf area index, promoted BIO accumulation. As a result, the BIO at the silking stage of DF increased by 29.5%, transported biomass increased by 109.2% (1.2 t ha-1), and the accumulation of BIO after silking increased by 23.1% (1.7 t ha-1) compared with CK. Meanwhile, DF prolonged grain filling days, significantly increased the grain weight of 100 kernels, and promoted GY increase. Compared with CK, the four-year averaged GY and BIO increased by 34.3% and 26.8% under DF; a 29.7%, 46.1%, and 24.2% GY increase and a 30.7%, 39.5%, and 29.9% BIO increase were contributed by irrigation, nitrogen, and coupling effects of irrigation and nitrogen, respectively. These results reveal the high yield mechanism of drip-fertigated maize, and are of important significance for promoting the application of drip fertigation.