In this 5-yr study, application frequency of fresh (FDS) and composted (CDS) paper sludges was evaluated on soil properties and silage corn (Zea mays L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yields and N uptake by comparing one application (2000) with repeated applications (2000, 2001, 2002). Treatments consisted of a control with neither amendment nor N fertilizer, a recommended N rate for corn (160 kg N ha−1) and barley (90 kg N ha−1), and FDS and CDS at a rate of 40 Mg ha−1 on wet basis with or without reduced N fertilizer (120 kg N ha−1) on corn. Compared to the control, the FDS or CDS applications significantly increased the proportions of soil larger macroaggregates (&gt;2 mm) and the mean-weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates, regardless their application frequency. Single or three yrs additions of FDS or CDS produced, on average, an increase of 25 to 31% of the soil C and N contents compared to the control and the recommended N fertilizer treatment (160 kg N ha−1). In the first year of their application, the FDS or CDS with or without supplemental N fertilizer (120 kg N ha−1) reduced silage corn and N uptake, compared to the control probably due to N immobilization. However, silage corn yields were increased in the following years with one application or with repeated application of FDS or CDS. Results show that benefits on soil properties and crop yields of single application of FDS and CDS were similar to those of the triple applications and were still noticeable a few years following the last application.

Adrien N'Dayegamiye

Anne Drapeau

Cargèle Nduwamungu

Fresh and Composted Paper Sludges Sustain Soil Productivity

Azolla is a floating pteridophyte, which contains as endosymbiont the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae (Nostocaceae family). Widely cultivated in the Asian regions, Azolla is either incorporated into the soil before rice transplanting or grown as a dual crop along with rice. To examine the feasibility of its use in flooded rice fields sited in the Temperate European Areas, we carried out a series of experiments in PVC tanks during 2000&#x2013;2002 in Po Valley (northern Italy) conditions, to study the growth-development dynamics and the resistance/tolerance to low temperatures and to commonly used herbicides of several different Azolla strains. Three out of five strains tested survived the winter, with an increase in biomass from March to May producing approximately 30&#x2013;40&#x2009;kg&#x2009;<svg style="vertical-align:-0.12538pt;width:28.4625px;" id="M1" height="14.25" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 28.4625 14.25" width="28.4625" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
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				<tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.2515001" y="0">a</tspan>
			</text>

			<text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-60.15,66.03)">
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		</g>
	</g>
</svg> of nitrogen. One of these strains, named &#x201c;Milan&#x201d;, emerged as the most resistant to herbicide and the most productive. Of the herbicides tested, Propanil permitted the survival of growing Azolla.

Stefano Bocchi

Antonino Malgioglio

Azolla-Anabaena as a Biofertilizer for Rice Paddy Fields in the Po Valley, a Temperate Rice Area in Northern Italy

Overexpressed in transgenic plants, protease inhibitors showed insecticidal effects against several insect taxa. We transformed potato internodes with the mustard trypsin inhibitor mti-2 gene. Among the 35 independent transgenic potato lines obtained via Agrobacterium tumefasciens transformation, four (DM6, DM7, DM11, and DM19) were selected for their high level of MTI-2 (at least to 30% of trypsin activity inhibition). Feeding assays were carried out to evaluate their effects on the green-peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae). Prereproductive period, nymphal mortality, adult fecundity, and doubling time of M. persicae populations were monitored on nontransformed potato plants (NT) and the four selected DM lines. Compared to NT plants, DM19 did not induce any effect on M. persicae. In contrast, DM7 and DM11 increased nymphal survival by approximately 20%. DM6 and DM11 lines slightly enhanced M. persicae daily fecundity and intrinsic rate of natural increase, leading to a reduction of the doubling time of the populations by 1 day. DM6 did not impact nymphal mortality, whereas with the DM11 almost all the nymphs survived. Potato plants transformed with the mti-2 gene variably affected the life history of M. persicae but did not show any insecticidal effect on the aphid.

Julien Saguez

Anas Cherqui

Salima Lehraiki

Charles Vincent

Antony Beaujean

Lise Jouanin

Jean-Claude Laberche

Philippe Giordanengo

Effects of mti-2 Transgenic Potato Plants on the Aphid Myzus persicae (Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae)

Soil decompaction is generally achieved through mechanical cultivation practices; however biological processes can significantly add to this process through root growth, development, and later senescence. This study was carried out in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil and had the purpose of selecting, among forty one pure pigeon pea lines, the most efficient genotypes that promote soil decompaction by roots penetrating compacted soil layers. Utilizing artificially compacted 30 mm high soil blocks, in a series of experiments, these lines were compared to the cultivar Fava Larga taken as a standard. Three lines were preliminarily selected out of the initial group, and afterwards, in more detailed screenings by monitoring soil resistance to penetration and also evaluating the behavior of Tanzania grass plants seeded after pigeon pea, two of them, g5-94 and g8-95, were selected as possessing the most fit root system to penetrate compacted soil layers.

Rodolfo Godoy

Osny Oliveira Santos Bacchi

Fernando Almeida Moreira

Klaus Reichardt

Evaluation of Pigeon Pea Lines for Biological Soil Decompaction

Senna 
 obtusifolia seeds were collected in 
 Fall 2003 and immediately field sown to assess 
 dormancy alleviation and effect of 
 after-ripening over a 12-month period on light 
 and temperature requirements for germination. 
 Seeds did not exhibit physical dormancy at 
 maturation and readily germinated over a broad 
 range of light and thermal conditions. Dormancy 
 gradually increased during Winter months, 
 resulting in only a small fraction of the 
 population capable of germination by early 
 Spring. Dormancy break did not occur at a 
 specific time of the year nor did dormancy 
 alleviation increase over the 12-month period 
 following maturation. Conditions during Spring 
 and Summer coincided with thermal requirements 
 for germination of the nondormant fraction of 
 the population. Senna 
 obtusifolia seeds were nonresponsive to 
 red and far-red lights, and seeds did not acquire 
 a light requirement following burial for 6 
 months.

Jason K. Norsworthy

Marcos J. Oliveira

Changes in Senna obstuifolia Germination Requirements over 12 Months under Field Conditions

Recently, halosulfuron injury in soybean through off-target movement of halosulfuron when applied to rice fields has been reported. Sulfonylurea-tolerant (ST) soybean varieties have enhanced tolerance for sulfonylurea herbicides and might provide an option for mitigating injury to soybean from halosulfuron drift. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of halosulfuron on growth and yield of selected soybean varieties with ST trait alone and stacked with glyphosate resistance trait. Soybean plants were treated with halosulfuron at 0, 0.0043, 0.0087, 0.017, 0.034, and 0.069 kg ai/ha rate at the V3 growth stage in the greenhouse and at 0.034 kg/ha rate (labeled use rate in rice) in the field studies. All soybean varieties containing the ST trait exhibited some halosulfuron injury, but survived the halosulfuron application in the greenhouse. In field studies, a single POST application of halosulfuron at 0.034 kg/ha to soybean at three-trifoliolate leaf stage or at full bloom stage resulted in halosulfuron injury to a certain extent regardless of ST trait. Halosulfuron did not have a significant effect on yield of ST varieties compared to their respective nontreated controls. Severe halosulfuron injury in two non-ST varieties resulted in yield loss.

V. K. Nandula

D. H. Poston

K. N. Reddy

K. Whiting

Response of Soybean to Halosulfuron Herbicide

Eight grass pea lines grown in three different seasons were evaluated for the stability of seed yield, 100 seeds weight, flowering time, plant height, and biomass. Significant differences existed among years, lines, and lines <svg style="vertical-align:-0.3135pt;width:10.125px;" id="M2" height="8.7875004" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 10.125 8.7875004" width="10.125" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	<g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,8.7875)">
		<g transform="translate(72,-64.97)">
			<text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,65.34)">
				<tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">×</tspan>
			</text>

		</g>
	</g>
</svg> years interaction for all traits except for 100 seeds weight. Two methods of multivariate analysis cluster and principal components were utilized to determine: firstly, whether a pattern existed among lines in their response across years and secondly to examine the relationships among them. In both analyses, each line was presented as a vector whose elements were given by the
performance of lines in each year. The analyses used arranged the lines into groups that were differentiable in terms of performances and stability. Our results provide useful information to aid the choice of grass pea lines in the Mediterranean marginal areas.

G. B. Polignano

V. Bisignano

V. Tomaselli

P. Uggenti

V. Alba

C. Della Gatta

Genotype <svg style="vertical-align:-0.0pt" height="8.5" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 10.1 8.5" width="10.1" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,8.438)"><path id="xD7" d="M528 54l-36 -38l-198 201l-198 -201l-36 38l197 200l-197 201l36 38l198 -202l198 202l36 -38l-197 -201z" /></g></svg> Environment Interaction in Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) Lines

Sugar content in soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] seed is an important quality attribute for soyfood and feed. Rapid extraction and quantification of soluble sugars in soybean seed are essential for large-scale breeding selections. In this study, using water as extractant combined with a high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) system, variability and repeatability of sugar content were tested in 20 diverse soybean genotypes. Individual sugars were clearly resolved and identified, including sucrose, stachyose, raffinose, glucose, fructose, and verbascose. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a highly reproducible estimation of sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose. PI 243545 was confirmed as a unique germplasm with the highest sucrose (105.48 mg/g) and total sugar (148.76 mg/g) content. Two low-oligosaccharide accessions, PI 200508 and 03CB-14, were confirmed with extremely low concentrations of raffinose and stachyose. PI 417559 was identified as a high glucose and fructose germplasm. The identified germplasm with unique sugar profiles will be valuable in breeding specialty soybeans for improved sugar content. The sugar testing method will facilitate the screening of seed sugar profiles in a large-scale soybean breeding program.

A. Hou

P. Chen

A. Shi

B. Zhang

Y.-J. Wang

Sugar Variation in Soybean Seed Assessed with a Rapid Extraction and Quantification Method

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International Journal of Agronomy publishes research focused on crop production and management, crop science and physiology, crop disease and protection, and agroclimatology and soil science.

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International Journal of Agronomy publishes research focused on crop production and management, crop science and physiology, crop disease and protection, and agroclimatology and soil science.

International Journal of Agronomy