Genetic analysis of photosynthesis-related traits in faba bean (Vicia faba) for crop improvement

Increasing productivity through improvement of photosynthesis in faba bean breeding programmes requires understanding of the genetic control of photosynthesis-related traits. Hence, we investigated the gene action of leaf area, gas exchange traits, canopy temperature, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and biomass. We chose inbred lines derived from cultivars 'Aurora' (Sweden) and 'Melodie' (France) along with an Andean accession, ILB 938, crossed them (Aurora/2 x Melodie/2, ILB 938/2 x Aurora/2 and Melodie/2 x ILB 938/2), and prepared the six standard generations for quantitative analysis (P-1, P-2, F-1, F-2, B-1, and B-2). Gene action was complex for each trait, involving additive and dominance gene actions and interactions. Additive gene action was important for SPAD, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and F-v/F-m. Dominance effect was important for biomass production. It is suggested that breeders selecting for productivity can maximize genetic gain by selecting early generations for canopy temperature, SPAD and F-v/F-m, then later generations for biomass. The information on genetics of various contributing traits of photosynthesis will assist plant breeders in choosing an appropriate breeding strategy for enhancing productivity in faba bean.Peer reviewe

Long-term effects of best management practices on crop yield and nitrogen surplus

Inherent in the concept of good agricultural practice (BMP) is that it improves resource use efficiency, mitigates environmental impact or increases farm profitability. However, it is usually impossible to achieve all the objectives, and trade-offs need to be accepted, such as a reduction in productivity together with a reduction in costs or an increase of soil organic matter. A European FP7 project, Catch-C (http://www.catch-c.eu) analyses the effects that different management practices have on productivity, mitigation of climate change and chemical, physical and biological soil fertility, based on simple indicators. Such indicators were collected from international literature, national scientific or technical journals, or grey literature that dealt with long-term field trials in Europe. We collected and analysed data from more than 350 experiments. This paper presents the overall results of the effects of a series of BMP have on crop productivity, soil nitrogen (N) uptake, N use efficiency end N balance. Important interactions with soil and climate types, crop and duration of the experiment were noticed for most BMPs. Rotations, also including double cropping, were among practices with more positive effects of productivity and N indicators. A slight reduction of yield counteracted benefits to soil quality and to climate change mitigation of minimum and no tillage, and of organic fertilisers

Nitrogen fertilization and fungicide application as the elements of spring barley production

Celem pracy była ocena wpływu interakcji nawożenia azotem i ochrony roślin na wielkość plonu ziarna i białka jęczmienia jarego. Badania prowadzono w Rolniczym Zakładzie Doświadczalnym IUNG-PIB Grabów w latach 2005–2007. Jęczmień jary uprawiano w stanowisku po pszenicy ozimej na 5 poziomach nawożenia azotem: 0, 30, 60, 90 i 120 kg N·ha-1. Jako czynnik chemicznej ochrony roślin przed chorobami grzybowymi zastosowano środki chemiczne zgodnie z programami trzech firm: Syngenta, DuPont i BASF. Po zbiorach określano plon ziarna i elementy struktury oraz zawartość i plon białka. Stwierdzono, że warunkiem uzyskania wysokich plonów ziarna i białka jęczmienia paszowego były sprzyjające warunki pogody, charakteryzujące się ciepłą i wilgotną pogodą w fazach krzewienia i wypełniania ziarna oraz intensywne nawożenie azotem. O wysokim plonie ziarna w takich warunkach decydowała liczba ziaren w kłosie i masa tysiąca ziaren. Jednoczesny wpływ nawożenia azotem i chemicznej ochrony roślin przed chorobami na plon ziarna i białka jęczmienia jarego miał charakter addytywny.The purpose of the study was the estimation of interaction between N fertilization and plant protection in spring barley production. The studies were conducted in Grabow Experimental Station of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in 2005–2007. Spring barley was cultivated after winter wheat on 5 levels of nitrogen fertilizers 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg N·ha-1 and under 3 plant protection programs: Syngenta, DuPont and BASF. Grain yield, its components, protein content and yield were examined. Warm and moist weather conditions during tillering and grain filling and intensive nitrogen fertilization were the requirements for high grain and protein yield. In such conditions number of grains per spike and weight of 1000 grains were the parameters decisive upon grain yield. Simultaneous effects of N fertilization and plant protection on grain and protein yields were of the additive type

Long-term effects of soil management practices on selected indicators of chemical soil quality

The study was conducted in scope of Catch-C project “Compatibility of agricultural management practices and types of farming in the EU to enhance climate change mitigation and soil health” (7FP), realized in 2012–2014 by the consortium of partners from 10 European countries (http://www.catch-c.eu). This work reports the effects of soil management practices – under different soil and climatic conditions – on the selected soil chemical quality indicators, based on the analysis of data extracted from literature on long term experiments (LTEs) in Europe, as well as from LTEs held by the Catch-C consortium partners. The dataset related to soil chemical quality indicators consisted of 1044 records and referred to 59 long-term trials. The following indicators of chemical soil quality were analyzed: pH, N total content, N total stock, C:N ratio, N mineral content, P and K availability. They are the most frequently used indicators in the European literature on long-term experiments collected in the Catch-C project database. Soil organic carbon, however, the most important indicator was not presented here, due to it was covered by a separate study on indicators for climate change mitigation. The indicators were analyzed using their response ratio (RR) to a management practice. For a given treatment (management practice), this ratio was calculated as the quotient between the indicator value obtained in the treatment, and the indicator value in the reference treatment. The examples were: rotation (with cereals, with legume crops, with tuber or root crops, with grassland) vs. adequate monoculture, catch/cover crops vs. no catch/cover crops, no-tillage and no-inversion tillage vs. conventional tillage, mineral fertilization vs. no fertilization, organic fertilization (compost, farmyard manure, slurry) vs. mineral fertilization at the same available nitrogen input, crop residue incorporation vs. removal. All tested practices influenced soil chemical quality indicators. Both positive and negative effects were observed. When the RR values of seven soil chemical quality indicators were considered in an overall evaluation – based on their significance level, the number of indicators positively affected, and the size of the effects – the best practices among those tested were: farmyard manure application, no-inversion tillage, compost application, mineral fertilization, and no-tillage

The diversity of chromosome structure of males in Cobitis (Teleostei, Cobitidae) populations

The populations of Cobitis distributed in Poland are usually composed of the spined loach C. taenia Linnaeus, 1758 (2n=48) or the danubian loach C. elongatoides Bacescu & Maier, 1969 (2n=50), triploid hybrid females (3n=73, 3n=74, 3n=75) and tetraploid (4n=98, 4n=99) hybrids of both sexes. The results of our experimental studies reveal that c. 60% of eggs of allotriploid females dominating in these populations may be fertilized by C. taenia males whereas the tetraploid Cobitis males are sterile. The aim of this study was to show the chromosome structure of diploid and polyploid Cobitis males distributed in diploid and diploid-polyploid populations in Polish water bodies. Chromosomes of C. taenia and C. elongatoides males (each of 10 individuals) and of tetraploid Cobitis males (12 individuals) were examined using double-colour fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with 28S and 5S rDNA probes. In the karyotype of C. taenia and C. elongatoides respectively the modal number of nine and six, and seven and two, respectively of 28S rDNA and 5S rDNA sites were detected. C. taenia and C. elongatoides characterized respectively by four and two chromosomes containing hybridization sites of both rDNA probes (co-localizations). The chromosome sets of 4n males were composed of the C. taenia, C. elongatoides and C. tanaitica genomes. The pattern of rDNA sites distribution indicated that apart others the karyotypes of 4n males were composed of one or two haploid chromosome set of C. elongatoides. The presented data give an important insight into the structure of chromosomes of two Cobitis species and into the genome structure of allotetraploid Cobitis males. The obtained result is discussed with previously published studies