Phenotypic and transcriptome profiling of spikes reveals the regulation of light regimens on spike growth and fertile floret number in wheat.

The spike growth phase is critical for the establishment of fertile floret (grain) numbers in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Then, how to shorten the spike growth phase and increase grain number synergistically? Here, we showed high-resolution analyses of floret primordia (FP) number, morphology and spike transcriptomes during the spike growth phase under three light regimens. The development of all FP in a spike could be divided into four distinct stages: differentiation (Stage I), differentiation and morphology development concurrently (Stage II), morphology development (Stage III), and polarization (Stage IV). Compared to the short photoperiod, the long photoperiod shortened spike growth and stimulated early flowering by shortening Stage III; however, this reduced assimilate accumulation, resulting in fertile floret loss. Interestingly, long photoperiod supplemented with red light shortened the time required to complete Stages I-II, then raised assimilates supply in the spike and promoted anther development before polarization initiation, thereby increasing fertile FP number during Stage III, and finally maintained fertile FP development during Stage IV until they became fertile florets via a predicted dynamic gene network. Our findings proposed a light regimen, critical stages and candidate regulators that achieved a shorter spike growth phase and a higher fertile floret number in wheat.

An improved sensor for precision detection of in situ stem water content using a frequency domain fringing capacitor.

One role of stems is that of water storage. The water content of stems increases and decreases as xylem water potential increases and decreases, respectively. Hence, a nondestructive method to measure stem water content (StWC) = (volume of water) : (volume of stem), could be useful in monitoring the drought stress status of plants. We introduce a frequency domain inner fringing capacitor-sensor for measuring StWC which operates at 100 MHz frequency. The capacitor-sensor consists of two wave guides (5-mm-wide braided metal) that snugly fit around the surface of a stem with a spacing of 4-5 mm between guides. Laboratory measurements on analog stems reveals that the DC signal output responds linearly to the relative dielectric constant of the analog stem, is most sensitive to water content between the waveguides to a depth of c. 3 mm from the stem surface, and calibrations based on the gravimetric water loss of excised stems of plants revealed a resolution in StWC of < ± 0.001 v/ v. The sensor performed very well on whole plants with a 100-fold increased resolution compared with previous frequency domain and time domain reflectometry methods and, hence, may be very useful for future research requiring nondestructive measurements of whole plants.

[Analysis of inorganic elements in hydroponic Taraxacum mongolicum grown under different spectrum combinations by ICP-AES].

Dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) was hydroponically cultured in a completely enclosed plant factory, in which fluorescence and LED emitting spectra of different bands were used as the sole light source for plant growth. Effects of spectral component on the growth of dandelion were studied and the contents of ten inorganic elements such as K, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and B in dandelion were analyzed by ICP-AES technology. The results showed that: (1) Under the condition of similar photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), single R or combined spectrums of FLRB were beneficial for biomass accumulation, while single B was the contrary; (2) Macroelements content ratio in Taraxacum mongolicum grown under FLwas K:Ca:P:Mg : Na=79.74:32.39:24.32:10.55:1.00, microelements content ratio was Fe:Mn:B:Zn:Cu = 9.28:9.71:3.82:2.08:1.00; (3) Red light (peak at 660 nm) could promote the absorptions of Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, while absorption of Cu was not closely related to spectral conditions; (4) Thehighest accumulation of Ca, Na, Mn and Zn were obtained in aerial parts of Taraxacum mongolicum plants grown under pure red spectrum R, while the accumulation of the rest six elements reached the highest level under the mixed spectrum FLRB.

[Effects of LED spectrum combinations on the absorption of mineral elements of hydroponic lettuce].

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was hydroponically cultured in a completely enclosed plant factory, in which spectrum proportion-adjustable LED panels were used as sole light source for plant growth. Absorption and content of eleven mineral elements such as K, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B and Mo in Lactuca sativa under different spectral component conditions were studied by ICP -AES technology. The results showed that: (1) Single or combined spectrums corresponding to the absorbing peaks of chlorophyll a and b (450, 660 nm) could enhance the absorbing ability of roots especially for mineral elements Na, Fe, Mn, Cu and Mo, the single red spectrum had the most significant promoting effect under which contents of those four elements were respectively 7. 8, 4. 2, 4. 0 and 3. 7 times more than that under FL; (2) Absorption of K and B was the highest under FL which was 10. 309 mg g-1 and 32. 6 microg g-1 while the values decreased significantly under single or combined spectrum of red and blue; (3) Plants grown under single blue spectrum had the lowest absorption of Ca and Mg which respectively decreased by 35% and 33% than FL; (4) Lettuce grown under the spectrum combination of 30% blue and 70% red had the highest accumulations of biomass while those grown under 20% blue and 80% red had the highest accumulations of the following seven elements Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and B. The results provided theoretical basis for adjusting nutrient solution formula and selecting light spectrum of hydroponic lettuce.

Fertigation control system based on the mariotte siphon.

This paper adopts the Mariotte siphon to simplify the nutrient solution preparation structure while improving the liquid mixing accuracy for nutrient solution. A liquid mixing model suitable for EC and pH regulation was constructed by combining fuzzy control algorithms, and a set of fertigation nutrient solution control equipment was designed and developed. During the experiment, comparison was made between the Fuzzy-PID algorithm and the traditional PID algorithm in terms of nutrient solution configuration. The results show that the Fuzzy-PID algorithm is smoother and more stable compared to the PID algorithm. Through analysis of the liquid mixing accuracy with the venturi type fertigation machine, it was found that the fertigation machine designed with the Mariotte structure is more accurate for liquid mixing, and can better meet the needs of crop growth.

[Analysis of the mineral elements of Lactuca sativa under the condition of different spectral components].

Mineral elements absorption and content of Lactuca sativa under different spectral component conditions were studied by ICP-AES technology. The results showed that: (1) For Lactuca sativa, the average proportion for Ca : Mg : K : Na : P was 5.5 : 2.5 : 2.3 : 1.5 : 1.0, the average proportion for Fe : Mn : Zn : Cu : B was 25.9 : 5.9 : 2.8 : 1.1 : 1.0; (2) The absorptions for K, P, Ca, Mg and B are the largest under the LED treatment R/B = 1 : 2.75, red light from fluorescent lamps and LED can both promote the absorptions of Fe and Cu; (3)The LED treatments exhibiting relatively higher content of mineral elements are R/B = 1 : 2.75 and R/W = 1 : 1 while higher dry matter accumulations are R/B = 1 : 2.75 and B/W = 1 : 1.

Effects of light quality on growth, nutritional characteristics, and antioxidant properties of winter wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.).

Wheat seedlings are becoming popular for its high nutritional value. Effects of White (W), White + Red (WR), and White + Blue (WB) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) treatments on growth, nutritional characteristics and antioxidant properties of wheat seedlings were studied in a plant factory. The results showed that height, leaf area, shoot fresh, and shoot dry weight per wheat seedling were the highest under WR at 13 and 22 days after planting. Soluble sugar content in leaves and stems were 22.3 and 65% respectively higher under WB than those under W. Soluble protein content in leaves and stems were 36.8 and 15.2% respectively lower under WR than those under W. Contents of total flavonoids, glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (ASA) in leaves were the highest under WB, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content in leaves was the lowest under WB. The activities of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)] in leaves and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability were also the highest under WB. In conclusion, WR promoted the growth of wheat seedlings, and WB promoted antioxidant level and nutritional accumulation. This study provides guidance for wheat seedlings to carry out preferential production (biomass or quality).

Effects of light-emitting diode spectral combinations on growth and quality of pea sprouts under long photoperiod.

Pea sprouts have rich nutrition and are considered good for heart health. In this study, the kaspa peas and black-eyed peas were chosen to clarify the effect of different LED spectral combinations on the growth, yield, and nutritional quality of pea sprouts under long photoperiod (22 h light/2 h dark). The results showed that the two pea varieties responded differently to light spectral combinations. Black-eyed pea sprouts had higher plant height, fresh weight per plant, dry weight per plant, soluble sugar content, and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content than kaspa peas under the same light treatment. Compared with white light, red-to-blue ratio of 2:1 significantly increased peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, soluble sugar and soluble protein content of kaspa pea sprouts, and decreased MDA content of black-eyed pea sprouts. Blue light was negatively correlated with the plant height of pea sprouts and positively correlated with SOD activity, vitamin C, soluble sugar, and soluble protein content. Antioxidant capacity, yield, and nutritional quality of black-eyed pea sprouts were higher than those of kaspa pea sprouts under the same light treatment. Blue light improved the nutritional quality of pea sprouts. Compared with other light treatments, the red-to-blue ratio of 2:1 was more conducive to improving the antioxidant capacity and nutritional quality of pea sprouts under long photoperiod.

A lysimeter study of nitrate leaching, optimum fertilisation rate and growth responses of corn (Zea mays L.) following soil amendment with water-saving super-absorbent polymer.

BACKGROUND: Nitrate leaching and the resulting groundwater contamination from intensive cereal production has become a major concern for long-term farmland efficiency and environmental sustainability in northern China. The aim of this study was to evaluate a water-saving super-absorbent polymer (SAP) for minimising NO(3)(-) leaching from soil and optimising corn growth and yield. Thirty-six undisturbed soil lysimeters were installed in a field lysimeter facility in drought-affected northern China to study the growth and yield characteristics of summer corn (Zea mays L.) as well as the amount of NO(3)-leaching losses under different fertiliser (standard, medium or 75% and low, or 50% of conventional fertilisation rate) and SAP (control, 0; level-1, 15 kg ha(-1) and level-2, 30 kg ha(-1)) treatments. RESULTS: Corn yield fell by 19.7% under medium and 37.7% under low fertilisation; the application of SAP increased yield significantly by 44.4% on level-1 and 80.3% on level-2. Similarly, plant height, leaf area, number of grains as well as protein, soluble sugar and starch contents in the grain also increased with SAP treatment. Application of SAP at 30 kg ha(-1) plus half of conventional fertilisation can reduce maximum (64.1%) nitrate leaching losses from soil. CONCLUSIONS: Application of SAP at 30 kg ha(-1) plus only half the amount of conventional fertiliser rate (150 kg urea, and 50 kg each of superphosphate and potassium sulfate) would be a more appropriate practice both for minimising nitrate leaching and sustainable corn production under the arid and semiarid conditions of northern China.

Effectiveness of a water-saving super-absorbent polymer in soil water conservation for corn (Zea mays L.) based on eco-physiological parameters.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to study soil water conservation and physiological growth of corn (Zea mays L.) using water-saving super-absorbent polymer (SAP) at 30 kg ha(-1). The effectiveness of SAP was studied under three irrigation levels (adequate, moderate and deficit) using a new type of negative hydraulic pressure controlled auto-irrigator in the years 2009 and 2010 in a greenhouse at Beijing, P.R. China. RESULTS: Eight weeks after sowing, plant height and leaf area increased significantly by 41.6 and 79.6% under deficit irrigation for SAP treatment. The SAP had little effect on shoot dry mass under adequate and moderate irrigation but increased it significantly by 133.5% under deficit irrigation. Similarly, the efficiency of water use also increased by 97.1%. Leaf water potential under adequate and moderate irrigation differs slightly for SAP application, whereas under deficit irrigation the values were exceeded significantly by 27.8%. The superior growth and water use efficiency of corn treated with SAP under deficit irrigation was ascribed to maintenance of higher relative water contents in leaves as well as intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, net photosynthesis and transpiration rate. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that plant growth and different physiological activities are restricted by drought stress and the application of super-absorbent polymer could conserve soil water, making same available to plants for increased growth and biomass accumulation especially under severe water stress. Thus, application of SAP is a suitable soil management practice for the locations characterised by severe water stress.

Effects of water-saving superabsorbent polymer on antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation in corn (Zea mays L.) under drought stress.

BACKGROUND: Drought is the most important abiotic stress factor limiting corn (Zea mays L.) growth and productivity. Therefore efficient management of soil moisture and study of metabolic changes in response to drought are important for improved production of corn. The objective of the present study was to gain a better understanding of drought tolerance mechanisms and improve soil water management strategies using a water-saving superabsorbent polymer (SAP) at 30 kg ha(-1) under three irrigation levels (adequate, moderate and deficit) using a new type of hydraulic pressure-controlled auto-irrigator. RESULTS: The results showed that relative water content and leaf water potential were much higher in corn treated with SAP. Although application of SAP reduced biomass accumulation by 11.1% under adequate irrigation, it increased the biomass markedly by 39.0% under moderate irrigation and 98.7% under deficit irrigation. Plants treated with SAP under deficit irrigation showed a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in leaves compared with control plants. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that drought stress causes the production of oxygen radicals, leading to increased lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in plants, and the application of a superabsorbent polymer could conserve soil water, making it available to plants for quenching oxidative stress and increasing biomass accumulation, especially under severe water stress.

Effects of water-saving superabsorbent polymer on antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation in oat (Avena sativa L.) under drought stress.

BACKGROUND: Drought stress significantly limits oat (Avena sativa L.) growth and productivity. Thus an efficient management of soil moisture and study of metabolic changes in response to drought are important for improved production of oat. The objective was to gain a better understanding of drought tolerance mechanisms and improve soil water management strategies using water-saving superabsorbent polymer (SAP) at 60 kg ha(-1) under three irrigation levels (adequate, moderate and deficit) using a new type of hydraulic pressure-controlled auto irrigator. RESULTS: The results showed that the relative water content and leaf water potential (ψ(1) ) were much higher in oats treated with SAP. Although the SAP had little effect on plant biomass accumulation under adequate and moderate irrigation, it significantly increased the biomass by 52.7% under deficit irrigation. Plants treated with SAP under deficit irrigation showed a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in leaves compared with control plants. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that drought stress leads to production of oxygen radicals, which results in increased lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the plant, and the application of SAP could conserve soil water, making same available to plants for increased biomass accumulation and reduced oxidative stress especially under severe water stress.

Research on soil moisture prediction model based on deep learning.

Soil moisture is one of the main factors in agricultural production and hydrological cycles, and its precise prediction is important for the rational use and management of water resources. However, soil moisture involves complex structural characteristics and meteorological factors, and it is difficult to establish an ideal mathematical model for soil moisture prediction. Existing prediction models have problems such as prediction accuracy, generalization, and multi-feature processing capability, and prediction performance must improve. Based on this, taking the Beijing area as the research object, the deep learning regression network (DNNR) with big data fitting capability was proposed to construct a soil moisture prediction model. By integrating the dataset, analyzing the time series of the predictive variables, and clarifying the relationship between features and predictive variables through the Taylor diagram, selected meteorological parameters can provide effective weights for moisture prediction. Test results prove that the deep learning model is feasible and effective for soil moisture prediction. Its' good data fitting and generalization capability can enrich the input characteristics while ensuring high accuracy in predicting the trends and values of soil moisture data and provides an effective theoretical basis for water-saving irrigation and drought control.

Soil moisture and nitrate-nitrogen dynamics and economic yield in the greenhouse cultivation of tomato and cucumber under negative pressure irrigation in the North China Plain.

A field experiment was carried out for two years to investigate the benefits of negative pressure water supply on surface soil water content, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N) distribution in the soil profile, economic yield and water and fertilizer use efficiency of tomato and cucumber under greenhouse cultivation in the North China Plain. The experiment included two irrigation treatments: drip irrigation with nutrient solution (DIN) and negative pressure irrigation with nutrient solution (NIN). The results showed that the NIN treatment had a relatively stable soil moisture (about 87% of field capacity), and the fluctuation of soil water content in the 0-20 cm soil layer was 20.6%-25.0% during the experiment period in 2014-2015, which was less than the range of 19.2%-28.1% in the DIN treatment. In both the DIN and NIN treatments, the NO3--N at the end of the four growing seasons was mainly distributed in the 0-40 cm soil layer and showed a gradually increasing trend as the number of cultivation years increased. Compared with the DIN treatment, the NO3--N content in the 0-60 cm layer of the NIN treatment was significantly decreased by 19.7%-28.0% after the fourth growing season. The NIN treatment produced the highest economic yield with lower water and nutrient input than the DIN treatment, however, no significant difference was observed in tomato and cucumber yield in the two years. Average irrigation water use efficiency (WUEi) and partial factor productivity of fertilizer (PFPf) over the study period were all significantly improved under the NIN treatment relative to the DIN treatment, with increases of 26.2% and 25.7% (P < 0.05), respectively. Negative pressure water supply not only maintained a high fruit yield, but significantly increased WUEi and PFPf, indicating a great advantage in water and fertilizer saving compared with drip irrigation.

[Effects of water supply tension on photosynthetic characteristics and root activity of greenhouse cucumber].

To study the effects of soil water content on the photosynthesis, fluorescence parameters, and root growth of greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), a pot experiment was conducted, using a negative pressure water supplying and controlling device to control soil moisture regime. Seven levels of water supply tension (WST), i. e., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 kPa, were designed. The WST was inversely proportional to soil water content, and the gravimetric soil water content was maintained in the range of 14.23%-42.32%. With increasing WST, the leaf net photosynthetic rate (P(n)) in different growth periods showed a parabolic trend, being higher when the WST was 7-11 kPa at initial flowering stage, and was 3-5 kPa at fruiting stage. The reason for the decreased P(n) at 9-13 kPa WST was stomatal limitation. Under 1-5 kPa WST, the actual photochemical efficiency (phi(PS II) had a high value, and the possibility of photo inhibition was small. Both the leaf transpiration rate and the chlorophyll content were positively correlated with leaf P(n) in different growth periods. Root growth and activity also had a parabolic trend with increasing WST. The maximum root dry mass and root activity happened at 7 kPa and 5 kPa WST, respectively. Our results indicated that a WST of 3-7 kPa was more profitable for the leaf photosynthesis and root growth of greenhouse cucumber.