The effects on the root and plant development of soybean of organic fertilizer applications

Organic fertilizers increase soil aeration, water and nutrient holding capacity, improve seed germination and encourage the production of thicker roots, increase the yield and quality of the crop. This study was aimed to determine the effects of organic fertilizer (vermicompost, sheep manure, cattle manure, poultry manure and inorganic fertilizer as control) applications on the root and plant development of soybean during two growth stages, namely third trifoliate stage (V3) and beginning of flowering of the plants (R1) in the pot condition. The experiment was established with a two-factorial randomized plot design with four replications. The fertilizer applications had a significant effect (p<0.01) on the V3 and R1 growth stages of soybean. The highest plant height (36.78 cm) and root length (41.18 cm) were achieved with vermicompost, and the lowest plant height (21.73 cm) was recorded with inorganic fertilizer. The number of nodules was highest for vermicompost and cattle manure applications (17.16 plant-1 and 16.76 plant-1, respectively), and lowest for poultry manure (0.22 plant-1). In the R1 growth stage, poultry manure produced the highest biological fresh and dry weights, root dry weight at 25.08 g plant-1 and 5.67 g plant-1, 3.99 g plant-1 respectively. As a result, it was demonstrated that vermicompost and poultry manure applications promote strong root and plant development due to high organic matter and phosphorus and can be used successfully without inorganic fertilize application in soybean farming.

Effect of Flower Removal on Content of Three Alkaloids in Different Parts of Fritillaria thunbergii from Different Regions and at Different Growth Stages / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the effect of flower removal on the content of three alkaloids in different parts of Fritillaria thunbergii from different regions and at different growth stages. MethodThe content of peiminine， peimine， and peimisine in the bulb， root， stem， and leaf of F. thunbergii after flower removal and with flower un-removed at different growth stages and in different regions were determined simultaneously by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection （UPLC-ELSD） method. The UPLC was conducted on ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column （2.1 mm × 150 mm， 1.7 μm） with the mobile phase of 0.02% triethylamine aqueous solution （A） and methanol （B）elution gradient（0-2 min， 45%A； 2-5 min， 45%-25%A； 5-7 min， 25%A； 7-17 min， 25%-10%A； 17-20 min， 10%A）， flow velocity of 0.20 mL·min-1， column temperature 35 °C， sample room temperature of 20 °C， and injection volume of 3 µL. The ELSD was carried out at drift tube temperature 45 °C and with the sprayer parameter of 40%. ResultThe flower removal significantly increased the yield of F. thunbergii. At the budding stage， the alkaloid content in the bulb of F. thunbergii from Ningbo in Zhejiang， Pan'an in Zhejiang， and Nantong in Jiangsu after flower removal were significantly higher than that of flowering un-removal treatment， while it showed no significant difference between the flower removal and un-removal treatments for the samples from Fengjie in Chongqing. At the flowering stage， the alkaloid content in the bulb of F. thunbergii from Nantong in Jiangsu after flower removal was significantly higher than that of flower un-removal treatment， while it showed an opposite trend for the samples from Pan'an in Zhejiang and Fengjie in Chongqing and had no significant difference between the two treatments for the samples from Ningbo in Zhejiang. At the bulb expansion stage， the alkaloid content in the bulb of F. thunbergii from Ningbo in Zhejiang and Pan’an in Zhejiang after flower removal were significantly higher than that of flower un-removal treatment， which was opposite for the samples from Nantong in Jiangsu and had no significant difference between the treatments for the samples from Fengjie in Chongqing. At the harvest stage， except for the samples from Pan'an in Zhejiang， the samples from the rest 3 regions showed decreased alkaloid content in the bulb after flower removal compared with that of flower un-removal treatment. The alkaloid content in the leaf was higher than that in the bulb of F. thunbergii at all growth stages and from different origins. ConclusionFlower removal can increase the yield of F. thunbergii. The alkaloid content in the bulb of F. thunbergii with flower removed was higher than that with flower un-removed at the budding stage， while this trend was reversed at the harvest stage. Both the yield and the alkaloid content of F. thunbergii from Pan'an in Zhejiang were increased by flower removal. The above-ground part of F. thunbergii has a potential development value.

Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of different Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum / 中草药

Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum has a long medicinal history in China and is often used as a tonic Chinese medicine. Because of the complex provenances, various specifications and unclear efficacy substance, the industry of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum lacks corresponding quality standards. The paper summarizes the research progress of chemical composition and pharmacological effects of different provenances, different growth stages, different forms, different processing methods, different parts of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum and provides reference for the in-depth application of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum in medical and functional food industries.

Characterization of Anthocyanins in Sweet Potato Leaves Grown in Various Stages and Conditions

Phytochemical-enriched edible greens, sweet potato leaves (Ipomoea batatas L.), have become popular due to potential health benefits. However, the phytochemical contents in sweet potato leaves and their subsequent change over harvest stages and growth condition are mostly unknown. In this study, the anthocyanin profile and content in leaves of four sweet potato cultivars, i.e., white-skinned and white-fleshed Bonita, red-skinned and orange-fleshed Beauregard, red-skinned and white-fleshed Murasaki and purple-skinned and purple-fleshed P40, were evaluated. Fourteen anthocyanins were isolated and identified by HPLC-MSI/MS. The most abundant was cyanidin 3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside, which comprised up to 20% of the total anthocyanins. Of the young leaves (1st and 2nd slip cuttings), Bonita contained the highest anthocyanin content followed by P40. Of the mature leaves (vine stage), Beauregard had the greatest anthocyanin (592.5 ± 86.4 mg/kg DW) and total phenolic (52.2 ± 3 mg GAE/g DW). It should be noted that the lowest anthocyanin and total phenolic content of shoots were found in P40, while tubers of P40 contain the highest content of each. Furthermore, the increase in leaf anthocyanin content over the growth stages that was observed in three of the cultivars but not in P40. No significant difference of anthocyanin content was found in Beauregard leaves grown in the high tunnels when compared with that in the open field. This study demonstrated for the first time that anthocyanin levels were significantly changed in response to various growth stages but not high tunnel condition, indicating that the effect of anthocyanin biosynthesis in sweet potato leaves is highly variable and genotype specific.

Analysis of Main Components in Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum Seedling at Different Growth Periods and Maturation Period / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To analyze the change rule of main chemical components in Asarum heterotropoidesvar.mandshuricum seedling during the growing process.Method:Whole seedling samples (one week and two weeks) and the mature plant (three months) of A.heterotropoidesvar.mandshuricum were collected and every sample was divided to aerial part (stems and leaves) and underground part (roots).The secondary metabolites were qualitatively identified by HPLC-TOF-MS and the quantitative identification was carried out at the same time with asarinin as index component.Result: A total of 6 known compounds were identified from the underground part of A.heterotropoidesvar.mandshuricum as α-asarone (1),N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10-dodecatetraenamide (2),9-methoxyaristolactam Ⅳ(3),asarinin (4),caulesnarinside (6) and chalcononaringenin 2',4'-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7),respectively,the peak area values showed that the contents of these compounds increased gradually with the growth time.A total of 4 known compounds were identified from the aerial part of this herb as N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10-dodecatetraenamide (2),caulesauroneside (5),caulesnarinside (6) or chalcononaringenin 2',4'-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7) and peonidin 3-caffeoylgentiobioside (8).Asarinin was identified only in the underground part of mature plant,its content was 155.4 μg·g-1.Conclusion: The species and contents of secondary metabolites are quite different in the aerial and underground parts of A.heterotropoidesvar.mandshuricum.At different growth stages of A.heterotropoides var.mandshuricum seedling,the types and contents of secondary metabolites in the same site are also different,while the contents of main components show an increasing trend with the growth time.

Dynamic accumulation of saponins in Hedera helix / 中草药

Objective: This study detected the contents of four saponins (hederacoside C, hederacoside D, hederacoside D, α-hederin) from different parts of annual cutting Hedera helix in one year growth cycle and analyzed the dynamic accumulation, in order to provide theoretical basis to harvest Hedera helix L. as medicinal raw materials reasonably. Methods: This study designed a reasonable method of collecting materials and detected the contents of saponins by HPLC. Results: The contents of saponins in different parts were as following order: mature leaf > new leaf > stem > root, and four saponins in different parts had different dynamic accumulations in one year growth cycle. Conclusion: The leaf and stem are the reasonable collecting parts of raw materials which have higher medicinal quality. The reasonable collecting time of leaf is the growth stage in March and stem is from March to November before the beginning of dormancy.

Evaluation of essential elements of sweet basil (ocimum basilicum l.) at different growth stages under deficit irrigation.

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an annual herb plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family that is used as a drug, spice and fresh vegetable. In order to study the effects of different levels of water stress on some element of the plant, O. basilicum was subjected to deficit irrigation using four treatments viz. control, irrigated with 70% of soil water capacity (SWC), Treatment 1, irrigated with 50% SWC, Treatment 2, irrigated with 30% SWC and Treatment 3, irrigated with 10 % SWC. Plants were divided into four growth stages, Viz., vegetative (35 days after sowing, DAS), pre-flowering (49 DAS), flowering (63 DAS) and seed setting (77 DAS). Essential elements of leaves were investigated under these irrigation treatments at each growth stages. The results at the end of each growth stage indicated that there is no significant reduction in essential elements quantities compared to that of full irrigation control. The quantities remained high even in the lowest irrigation plants (T3, 10% SWC). The lowest irrigation plants accumulated, high nitrogen (N) Calcium (Ca) , magnesium (Mg), potassium (K) and phosphor (P), compared to control plants. Moreover, low irrigation helped Ocimum plants to accumulate less chloride than the full irrigated control. These results may be attributed to the ability of this plant to acclimate to water shortage.

Incremento da sobrevivência de colmos em cevada através da adubação nitrogenada no período de alongamento dos colmos / Shoots survival increment in barley by nitrogen supply in the shoots elongation stage

O trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar o acúmulo de matéria seca (MS) e de nitrogênio (N) da parte aérea de plantas de cevada e a taxa de sobrevivência de colmos em função da época de aplicação de N. Um experimento foi realizado em Eldorado do Sul, RS, em 2000, testando seis épocas de aplicação de N (emergência das plântulas, emissão da 3ª folha, 5ª folha, 7ª folha, 9ª folha do colmo principal (CP) e no emborrachamento) e duas doses de N (40 e 80kg ha-1). Foram determinados os acúmulos de MS e N da parte aérea no período entre o início do alongamento dos colmos e o florescimento e a taxa de sobrevivência de colmos. As aplicações de N entre a emergência das plântulas e a emissão da 9ª folha do CP resultaram nas maiores taxas de acúmulo de MS. Entretanto, as maiores taxas de acúmulo de N foram observadas com a aplicação de N no período de alongamento dos colmos. As maiores porcentagens de sobrevivência de colmos também foram observadas com a aplicação de N nesse período, mostrando a relação existente entre a necessidade de N para dar aporte ao alongamento dos colmos e a mortalidade de afilhos.

This study was aimed at evaluating the dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) accumulation in aerial part of barley plants and the shoot survival rate in function of time of N supply. An experiment was carried out in Eldorado do Sul, RS, in 2000, where six times of N supply (seedling emergence; 3rd leaf; 5th leaf; 7th leaf; 9th leaf emergence and boot stage) and two N rates (40 and 80kg ha-1) were tested. The DM and N accumulation among the shoot elongation begin and the bloom stage and the shoot survival rate were determined. The N supply among seedling emergence and 9th leaf emergence stage resulted the largest DM rates accumulations. However, the largest N rates accumulations were observed in shoot elongation period. The largest shoot survival rates were also observed in this period, showing the relation among the N necessity to support the shoot elongation process and the shoot mortality.