Dryland maize yields and water use efficiency in response to tillage and nutrient management practices in China

Rainfed crop production in northern China is constrained by low and variable rainfall. This study explored the effects of tillage and nutrient management practices on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and water use efficiency (WUE), at Shouyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in northern China during 2003-2008. The experiment was set-up using a split-plot design with 3 tillage methods as main treatments: conventional, reduced (till with crop residue incoperated in fall but no-till in spring), and no-till. Sub-treatments were 3 NP fertilizer rates: 105-46, 179-78 and 210-92 kg N and P ha. -1 Maize grain yields were greatly influenced by the amount of growing season rainfall, and by soil water contents at sowing. Mean grain yields over the 6-year period in response to tillage treatments were 5604, 5347 and 5185 kg ha, under reduced, no-till and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean WUE was 13.7, 13.6 and 12.6 kg ha mm under reduced, no-till, and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean soil water contents at sowing and at harvest were significantly influenced by tillage treatments. At harvest time, the no-till treatment had ~8-12% more water in the soil than the conventional and reduced tillage treatments. Under conventional tillage, grain yields increased with NP fertilizer application rates. However, under reduced tillage, grain yields were highest with lowest NP fertilizer application rate. In conclusion, grain yields and WUE were highest under reduced tillage at modest NP fertilizer application rates of 105 kg N and 46 kg P per ha. No-till increased soil water storage by 8-12% and improved WUE compared to conventional tillage

Photosynthetic characteristics of summer maize under different planting patterns and the responses to nitrogen application of previous crop

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important grain crops in the North China Plain. Management practices affect the photosynthetic characteristics and the production of summer maize. This two-year (2014-2015) study examined the effects of different planting patterns and the application of nitrogen to previous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield and radiation use efficiency (RUE) of summer maize. Field experiments used a two-factor split-plot design with three replicates at Taian, Shandong Province, China (36°09′ N, 117°09′ E). The experiments involved two planting patterns (ridge planting, RP; and uniform row planting, UR) and two nitrogen application levels of previous winter wheat (N1, 112.50 kg ha-1; N2, 225.00 kg ha-1). The results indicated that the application of nitrogen on previous crop and ridge planting of the following crop had significant effects on the photosynthetic characteristics and yields of summer maize. Compared with UR, this study found that RP increased the chlorophyll content index (CCI), leaf area index (LAI), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), dry matter (DM), yield and grain RUE by 4.1%, 6.3%, 5.2%, 6.4%, 8.9% and 9.4%, respectively. The CCI, LAI, Pn, yield, and grain RUE of N2 were 9.7%, 3.3%, 3.7%, 10.0% and 10.1% higher than those of N1, respectively. RP combined with the application of nitrogen on previous crop of winter wheat could increase the CCI, LAI, Pn, DM, ultimately increasing the grain yield and RUE of the following summer’s maize. It was concluded that previous crop nitrogen application and RP pattern treatment resulted in optimal cropping conditions for the North China plain

Effects of Allelic Variation in Glutenin Subunits and Gliadins on Baking-Quality in Near-isogenic Lines of Common Wheat cv. Longmai 19

Two lines, L-19-613 and L-19-626, were produced from the common wheat cultivar Longmai 19 (L-19) by six consecutive backcrosses using biochemical marker-assisted selection. L-19 (Glu-D1a, Glu-A3c/Gli-A1?; Gli-A1? is a gene coding for unnamed gliadin) and L-19-613 (Glu-D1d, Glu-A3c/Gli-A1?) formed a set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for HMW-GS, while L-19-613 and L-19-626 (Glu-D1d, Glu-A3e/Gli-A1m) constituted another set of NILs for the LMW-GS/gliadins. The three L-19 NILs were grown in the wheat breeding nursery in 2007 and 2008. The field experiments were designed using the three-column contrast arrangement method with four replicates. The three lines were ranked as follows for measurements of gluten strength, which was determined by the gluten index, Zeleny sedimentation, the stability and breakdown time of the farinogram, the maximum resistance and area of the extensogram, and the P andWvalues of the alveogram: L-19-613 > L-19-626 > L-19. The parameters listed above were significantly different between lines at the 0.05 or 0.01 level. The Glu-D1 and Glu-A3/Gli-A1 loci had additive effects on the gluten index, Zeleny sedimentation, stability, breakdown time, maximum resistance, area, P and W values. Although genetic variation at the Glu-A3/Gli-A1 locus had a great influence on wheat quality, the genetic difference between Glu-D1d and Glu-D1a at the Glu-D1 locus was much larger than that of Glu-A3c/Gli-A1? and Glu-A3e/Gli-A1m at the Glu-A3/Gli-A1 locus. Glu-D1d had negative effects on the extensibility and the L value compared with Glu-D1a. In contrast, Glu-A3c/Gli-A1? had a positive effect on these traits compared with Glu-A3e/Gli-A1m

Tunneling spectra of submicron Bi2_2Sr2_2CaCu2_2O8+δ_{8+\delta} intrinsic Josephson junctions: evolution from superconducting gap to pseudogap

Tunneling spectra of near optimally doped, submicron Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ intrinsic Josephson junctions are presented, and examined in the region where the superconducting gap evolves into pseudogap. The spectra are analyzed using a self-energy model, proposed by Norman {\it et al.}, in which both quasiparticle scattering rate $\Gamma$ and pair decay rate $\Gamma_{\Delta}$ are considered. The density of states derived from the model has the familiar Dynes' form with a simple replacement of $\Gamma$ by $\gamma_+$ = ($\Gamma$ + $\Gamma_{\Delta}$)/2. The $\gamma_+$ parameter obtained from fitting the experimental spectra shows a roughly linear temperature dependence, which puts a strong constraint on the relation between $\Gamma$ and $\Gamma_{\Delta}$. We discuss and compare the Fermi arc behavior in the pseudogap phase from the tunneling and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. Our results indicate an excellent agreement between the two experiments, which is in favor of the precursor pairing view of the pseudogap.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Measurements of J/psi Decays into 2(pi+pi-)eta and 3(pi+pi-)eta

Based on a sample of 5.8X 10^7 J/psi events taken with the BESII detector, the branching fractions of J/psi--> 2(pi+pi-)eta and J/psi-->3(pi+pi-)eta are measured for the first time to be (2.26+-0.08+-0.27)X10^{-3} and (7.24+-0.96+-1.11)X10^{-4}, respectively.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

BESII Detector Simulation

A Monte Carlo program based on Geant3 has been developed for BESII detector simulation. The organization of the program is outlined, and the digitization procedure for simulating the response of various sub-detectors is described. Comparisons with data show that the performance of the program is generally satisfactory.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, uses elsart.cls, to be submitted to NIM

Study of J/ψ→ωK+K−J/\psi \to \omega K^+K^-

New data are presented on $J/\psi \to \omega K^+K^-$ from a sample of 58M $J/\psi$ events in the upgraded BES II detector at the BEPC. There is a conspicuous signal for $f_0(1710) \to K^+K^-$ and a peak at higher mass which may be fitted with $f_2(2150) \to K\bar K$. From a combined analysis with $\omega \pi ^+ \pi ^-$ data, the branching ratio $BR(f_0(1710)\to\pi\pi)/BR(f_0(1710) \to K\bar K)$ is $< 0.11$ at the 95% confidence level.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Search for the Rare Decays J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e, J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e, and J/Psi --> D0bar e+ e-

We report on a search for the decays J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e + c.c., J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e + c.c., and J/Psi --> D0bar e+ e- + c.c. in a sample of 5.8 * 10^7 J/Psi events collected with the BESII detector at the BEPC. No excess of signal above background is observed, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions are set: B(J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e + c.c.)<4.8*10^-5, B(J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e + c.c.) D0bar e+ e- + c.c.)<1.1*10^-5Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Measurement of branching fractions for the inclusive Cabibbo-favored ~K*0(892) and Cabibbo-suppressed K*0(892) decays of neutral and charged D mesons

The branching fractions for the inclusive Cabibbo-favored ~K*0 and Cabibbo-suppressed K*0 decays of D mesons are measured based on a data sample of 33 pb-1 collected at and around the center-of-mass energy of 3.773 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider. The branching fractions for the decays D+(0) -> ~K*0(892)X and D0 -> K*0(892)X are determined to be BF(D0 -> \~K*0X) = (8.7 +/- 4.0 +/- 1.2)%, BF(D+ -> ~K*0X) = (23.2 +/- 4.5 +/- 3.0)% and BF(D0 -> K*0X) = (2.8 +/- 1.2 +/- 0.4)%. An upper limit on the branching fraction at 90% C.L. for the decay D+ -> K*0(892)X is set to be BF(D+ -> K*0X) < 6.6%

Study of J/psi decays to Lambda Lambdabar and Sigma0 Sigma0bar

The branching ratios and Angular distributions for J/psi decays to Lambda Lambdabar and Sigma0 Sigma0bar are measured using BESII 58 million J/psi.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure