The effects of the osmotic component of salt stress on rice cultivar IR64 were examined. Treatments were four combinations of two levels of osmotic stress at two developmental stages: medium- and high-level stress applied at the vegetative and reproductive stages using salt (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG) as sources of osmotic stress. Both PEG and NaCl reduced the total above ground biomass and delayed flowering and maturity, with a longer delay observed with the high-level stress. The reduction in number of filled spikelets, 1,000-grain weight, and hence grain yield was significantly greater when they were applied during the reproductive stage than during the vegetative stage. The sodium concentration in plant tissues also increased in plants treated with NaCl, indicating that besides osmotic stress, plants were also subjected to ionic stress. Treatment with NaCl decreased the potassium concentration in plant tissues but did not cause significant differences in phenology, biomass accumulation, yield or N uptake compared with PEG. We concluded that the response of IR64 to NaCl was attributed to the osmotic component. These findings may be specific to IR64, which has a medium tolerance to salinity stress. Further studies are needed with longer stress durations to achieve a higher Na⁺ concentration in plant tissues in several varieties with contrasting tolerance to salt stress to further establish the relative importance of osmotic versus ionic components of salt stress in rice.

抄録全体を表示

Regulatory properties of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, EC 4.1.1.31) in three CAM species, Kalanchoë pinnata, K. daigremontiana and Ananas comosus (pineapple) were examined. PEPC activity in the leaves of the three CAM species exhibited diurnal changes peaking during the first 2-h of darkness in Kalanchoë species and at midnight in pineapple, and then decreasing drastically until dawn. The oscillations of PEPC activity were far greater in Kalanchoë species than in pineapple. In the presence of 2 mM malate, the activity of PEPC decreased in all three CAM species, but the sensitivity of PEPC to malate was markedly different between pineapple and the Kalanchoë species. The malate sensitivity was 2- to 3-times higher in pineapple than in the Kalanchoë species during the dark period, but it was almost the same during the light period. PEPC in the three CAM species was phosphorylated only during the dark period. PEPC proteins were highly phosphorylated during the first 2-h of darkness in Kalanchoë species and at midnight in pineapple, and then they decreased drastically during the latter part of darkness. CAM-specific isoforms of PEPC in the leaves of the three CAM species contained a highly conserved phosphorylation site of Ser-11 at the N-terminus. These PEPC isoforms displayed diurnal changes in transcript abundance, with the peak of transcripts occurring during the dark period. The day/night changes in PEPC transcript abundance were mirrored by changes in the PEPC protein and corresponding enzyme activity over the diurnal cycle. These findings suggest that the diurnal regulation in PEPC activity is determined by the amount of PEPC protein as well as the posttranslational control in these CAM species.

抄録全体を表示

No-tillage often affects crop root development due to the higher mechanical impedance to root elongation, resulting in yield reduction under an unfavorable rainfall pattern, such as drought. In this study, we analyzed the changes in water source of wheat and soybean under drought stress in a continuous no-tillage field. Deuterium-labeled irrigation water was applied at different growth stages of crops to analyze their water uptake pattern. Mechanical impedance of the surface soil was 3.5 and 4.4 times higher in the no-tillage than in the conventional tillage under wet and drought conditions, respectively. Root length density and root branching index (the length of lateral roots per unit axile root length) of soybean in the surface soil layer were higher in the no-tillage field. This indicates that the increased branching by the higher mechanical impedance of undisturbed surface soil causes roots to accumulate in the surface soil layer. The deuterium concentration in the xylem sap of both crops was significantly higher in the no-tillage than in the tillage under a drought condition. This indicates that the crops in the no-tillage field depend highly on the newly supplied easily accessible water (irrigation water and/or rainfall) as compared with those in the conventional tillage field under a limited water supply. In conclusion, enhanced surface root growth in the no-tillage condition would result in higher dependence on surface supplied irrigation water than in the conventional tillage under drought.

抄録全体を表示

Grain number per spike of wheat is lower in early sowing than in the conventional standard cultivation in Yamaguchi, Prefecture, Japan. Components of the grain number per spike in five cultivars were analyzed with respect to temperature during the spike development period throughout three growing seasons 2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 to find the cause of the problem of early sowing cultivation. The plants sown in early-October and late-November were called the early sown group and the standard group, respectively, in the following. Three of the five cultivars, Hokushin, Akitakko and Nanbukomugi, showed a strong winter habit, which requires very cold temperatures for spike differentiation. The other two cultivars, Iwainodaichi and Airakomugi, had a moderate winter habit. Grain number per spike and grain yield were decreased by early-sowing (compare with the standard group) in almost all cultivars throughout the three growing seasons. The three cultivars which had a strong winter habit had fewer spikelets per spike in the early-sown group than in the standard group. The other two cultivars which had a moderate winter habit had fewer grains per spikelet in the early-sown group. The higher the temperature during the spikelet formation phase, which is from flag leaf initiation to terminal spikelet initiation, the higher the number of spikelets per spike in the standard group. The spikelet number per spike in the early-sown group increased with the increase in productive tillers under fertile conditions. Such conditions also increased the grain number per spike.

抄録全体を表示

Soybean plants differentiate abundant floral buds, but most of them fail to grow pods and abort during development. Many studies indicated promotive effects of exogenously applied cytokinin on pod setting, but the effects of auxin application on pod set are ambiguous. In this study, we examined the changes in the concentrations of endogenous auxin and cytokinin in racemes and the effects of application of the two hormones on pod setting to clarify the role of auxin and cytokinin in soybean pod setting. The long-raceme soybean genotype IX93-100 was grown in pots and in the field. The auxin (IAA, indoleacetic acid) concentration in racemes was high for a long period from pre-anthesis to 9 days after anthesis (DAA) of the first flower on a raceme, but the cytokinin concentration was high for a short period, with a peak at 9 DAA. The IAA concentration was higher in distal portions of racemes, but the cytokinin concentration was higher in basal portions of racemes. In pot-grown plants, IAA applied to racemes tended to reduce the number of flowers and pods. In contrast, 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) applied to racemes before anthesis tended to reduce the number of flowers and pods, and that applied around 7 DAA significantly increased the pod-set percentage. However, these effects of IAA and BA application were slight in field-grown plants. These results indicate that the concentration of endogenous auxin and cytokinin in racemes changes in a different manner, and that cytokinins have a positive, and auxin a negative effect on pod setting when respective hormones are applied to racemes after the anthesis stage.

抄録全体を表示

Twelve plant species were screened for their phytoremediation ability for the cleanup of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in Japanese environmental conditions. The plants were cultivated in a greenhouse for 141 days in 1/5000 a Wagner pots containing the experimental diesel-contaminated soil. During plant cultivation, the changes in the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration, soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and the number of aerobic bacteria were evaluated. The results of the screening experiment indicated that eight plant species (Italian ryegrass, sorghum, maize, alfalfa, Bermuda grass, rice, kudzu and beggar ticks) caused a more significant decrease in the TPH concentration in the planted diesel-contaminated soil than in the unplanted soil, and would be effective in the phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in Japan. The TPH concentration was more closely related to the soil DHA than to the aerobic bacterial number. In this study we discussed the characteristics of the plants which are suitable for phytoremediation.

抄録全体を表示

Water-saving rice-winter crop rotation systems were repeated for 4 cycles from 2000 to 2004 in an urban area, Nishitokyo, Japan, to assess the effects of water-saving (i.e. non-flooded vs. flooded) on grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and chemical constituents of percolating water. The effects of pre-rice winter cropping compared with fallow on rice yield were also examined. The pre-cultivated crops were wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) or spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) with their above-ground parts removed, chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) or rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) with their above-ground parts incorporated before rice transplanting. Neither winter cropping effects nor its interaction with water-saving were significant for rice yield, although the yield after rapeseed incorporation tended to be 9 % higher than that after fallow. In 2001, 2003 and 2004, when more than 70% of irrigation water was saved in the non-flooded trial, average yield in non-flooded trial was 58 % of flooded trial, but water productivity increased (from 0.10 to 0.16 kg m^-3). Among the 3 years, yield in non-flooded trial was highest in 2004 when the amounts of irrigation and total water supply was larger, the frequency of dry spells was the lowest, and 2 seedlings were transplanted per hill. The nitrate and nitrite concentrations in the percolating water were far below the environmental standard values by WHO. The study showed that incorporation of winter crops had no negative effects on water-saving rice production at least for the first 4 years, and that under extreme water-saving, irrigation and planting methods could minimize yield reduction.

抄録全体を表示

Water availability is one of the determinants of productivity of rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). Quantifying water losses from a paddy field, such as deep percolation and lateral seepage, assists estimation of water availability to the rice crop and development of appropriate water management in the lowlands. The main objective of this study was to evaluate paddy water availability and productivity across various soils in Northeast Thailand. The daily rate of downward water flow from standing water in the field (D) varied between 0 and 3 mm day^-1 from clayey to sandy soils when the standing water was connected to groundwater table. However, when the standing water was separated from groundwater table, D increased up to 5 mm day^-1 on soils with very low clay content in the topsoil. Daily net lateral water flow from the field (L) averaged over the season varied between 5 and 24 mm day^-1 for the outflow and between 3 and 16 mm day^-1 for the inflow. Both the inflow and outflow tended to be associated negatively with the soil clay content. The seasonal water loss through D plus L during the growing season in the lowlands was also negatively related to the soil clay content. The yield of a major rainfed lowland rice cultivar in Northeast Thailand (KDML105) varied from 2 to 4 t ha^-1 across the region, and the water productivity (the ratio of grain yield to cumulative rainfall from transplanting/seedling establishment to maturity) ranged from 3 to 9 kg ha^-1 mm^-1. High clay soils could provide good standing water until late in the growing season, so the high production efficiency was measured on such soils.

抄録全体を表示