[Change of Bt protein in soil after growing Bt corns and returning corn straws to soil and its effects on soil nutrients].

The spatiotemporal dynamics of Bt protein in soil and the change of soil nutrients in rhizosphere soil, root surface soil and soils at 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm were measured in greenhouse experiments. Two Bt corns, 5422Bt1 and 5422CBCL, and their near isogenic non-Bt variety 5422 were grown for 90 days and the crop residues were retained to soil. Results showed that 1.59 and 2.78 ng x g(-1) Bt protein were detected in the rhizosphere soil with Bt corns 5422Bt1 and 5422CBCL immediately after harvest. However, there were only trace amounts of Bt protein (< 0.5 ng x g(-1)) were detected in root surface soil after 90 days and in bulk soil in the two Bt corn treatments after 30, 60 and 90 days. When corn residues returned to soil, Bt protein declined rapidly within 3 days and only trace amounts of Bt protein were measured after 7 days. There were no sig- nificant differences in organic matter, available nutrient (alkaline hydrolytic N, available P, available K) or total nutrient (total N, total P, total K) in root surface soils and soils at 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm among the Bt and non-Bt corns after 90 days. Sixty days after returning crop residues of 5422Btl to soil, the contents of organic matter and total N increased and the content of available K reduced significantly in the 0-20 cm soil depth. There were no significant differences in any other parameter at the 0-20 cm depth, neither for any parameter in the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm soil depths compared to those in the non-Bt corn 5422 treatment. There were no significant differences in soil nutrient contents in Bt corn 5422CBCL treatment compared to those in non-Bt corn 5422 treatment except that available phosphorus content was reduced in root surface soils, and total P content increased at the 0-20 cm soil depth after 90 days. When crop residues of Bt corn 5422 CBCL were returned to soil, only available P content in the 0-20 cm soil layer was evidently higher compared to the soil receiving crop residues of non-Bt corn 5422. Results suggested that Bt protein released from root and crop residues of Bt corns would not accumulate in soil, and growing Bt corns and returning crop residues to soil would have no significant effect on soil nutrients in general.

[Timing- and concentration effect of belowground treatment with jasmonic acid on maize seedlings chemical defense response].

Biochemical and gene expression analysis methods were adopted to investigate the defensive substances and the defense-related genes expression in the roots and leaves of maize (Zea mays L. ) cultivar Gaoyou 115 after underground treatment with 10, 50, 100 and 200 micromol x L(-1) of jasmonic acid (JA) for 3-48 h, aimed to explore the timing- and concentration effect of belowground treatment with JA on the chemical defense response of maize. The chemical defense response of both treated roots and non-treated leaves of Gaoyou 115 was related to the time span of JA treatment and the concentration of JA. After treated with JA for 3-12 h, the gene expression of Bx9, PAL, PR-2a, MPI and FPS in treated roots was directly induced, resulting in an increase of DIMBOA content and a decrease of total phenol content, with the strongest induction effect detected at 100 micromol x L(-1) of JA, followed by at 50 micromol x L(-1), and at 10 micromol x L(-1). The induction effect weakened with time. Underground treatment with JA indirectly affected the chemical defense response of non-treated leaves. After underground treatment with 50 micromol x L(-1) of JA for 3 h, the gene expression of Bx9 and FPS in non-treated leaves was induced, which caused a consequent increase of leaf DIMBOA content. Within 6-24 h of JA treatment, the gene expression of Bx9, PAL, PR-1, MPI and TPS in leaves was enhanced, while the leaf DIMBOA and total phenol contents were declined. For most of the parameters measured, the direct induction effect on roots was much more significant and started earlier than the indirect induction effect on leaves, and an increasing trend was observed in the induction effect with increasing JA concentration.