冬枣（Ziziphus jujuba cv. Dongzao）是中国优良的晚熟鲜食枣品种。质地是水果的重要感官品质指标。为探究冬枣质地指标间的关系，建立冬枣质地品质评价体系，采用TMS-Touch质地多面分析法（TPA）对采自中国三大主产区的1150个冬枣果实进行8项质地指标测定，包括胶粘性、咀嚼性、内聚性、粘附性、破裂力、弹性、硬度和最大粘附力，其最佳拟合分布分别为弹性—Beta General分布，咀嚼性、胶粘性和硬度—Inv Gauss分布，粘附性和内聚性—Log Logistic分布，破裂力—Pearson分布，最大粘附力—Weibull分布。每项冬枣质地指标均可基于最佳拟合分布，用第10、30、70和90百分位点值划分为极低、低、中、高和极高五个等级。相关分析显示，冬枣质地指标间的28个相关系数中，82%的相关系数达到极显著（p<0.01）。其中，咀嚼性与弹性和胶粘性均呈极显著正相关，相关系数分别达0.8692和0.8096；粘附性与最大粘附力呈极显著负相关，相关系数为-0.7569。在胶粘性、咀嚼性、内聚性、弹性、硬度等5项冬枣质地指标中，各指标均存在关于其余4项指标的多元线性回归方程，决定系数均在0.94以上，平均拟合误差和平均预测误差均小于10%。基于因子分析建立了冬枣质地综合评价模型：Q = 0.370C₁ + 0.251C₂ + 0.241C₃ + 0.138C₄，综合得分较高的冬枣果实表现为较高的弹性和咀嚼性，以及较低的最大粘附力和粘附性。通过因子分析和聚类分析，可将8项冬枣质地指标分为4组（内聚因子、粘附因子、梗硬因子和酥脆因子），其代表性指标分别为弹性、粘附性、硬度和破裂力。本研究探讨了冬枣果实8项质地指标及其相互关系，筛选出了代表性指标，并建立了冬枣果实质地评价体系。研究结果可为冬枣质地评价提供方法依据和技术支撑。

Although the phosphate 1 (PHO1) gene family has been implicated in inorganic phosphate transport and homeostasis, the underlying mechanism of this gene in the strawberry has not yet been revealed.  In the present study, we analyzed the expression of the PHO1;H9 gene in the strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa), revealing the involvement of this gene in the regulation of phosphorus (P) content.  The coding sequence (CDS) of the PHO1;H9 gene, was isolated from the cultivated strawberry ‘Sachinoka’ and named as FaPHO1;H9.  The full-length CDS of this gene was 2 292 bp, encoding 763 amino acids, and the protein contained both SYG1/Pho81/XPR1 (SPX) and ERD1/ XPR1/SYG1 (EXS) domains, which were involved in phosphate (Pi) signaling.  Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) data suggested that the level of FaPHO1;H9 expression was consistent with the P content in different organs, except for the petiole.  Particularly, its expression level was also correlated with P content in fruits of different developmental stages.  The expression of FaPHO1;H9 was also consistent with P content in leaves under different concentrations of P fertilizer application.  Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis lines were generated, and the P content in Arabidopsis plants over-expressing FaPHO1;H9 was significantly higher than that in wild-type plants.  Therefore, we proposed that FaPHO1;H9 functions in P transport.

The adaptability of soybean to be grown at a wide range of latitudes is attributed to natural variation in the major genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control flowering time and maturity. Thus, the identification of genes controlling flowering time and maturity and the understanding of their molecular basis are critical for improving soybean productivity. However, due to the great effect of the major maturity gene E1 on flowering time, it is difficult to detect other small-effect QTLs. In this study, aiming to reduce the effect of the QTL, associated with the E1 gene, on the detection of other QTLs, we divided a population of 96 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) into two sub-populations: one with the E1 allele and another with the e1nl allele. Compared with the results of using all 96 recombinant inbred lines, additional QTLs for flowering time were identified in the sub-populations, two (qFT-B1 and qFT-H) in RILs with the E1 allele and one (qFT-J-2) in the RILs with the e1nl allele, respectively. The three QTLs, qFT-B1, qFT-H and qFT-J-2 were true QTLs and played an important role in the regulation of growth period. Our data provides valuable information for the genetic mapping and gene cloning of traits controlling flowering time and maturity and will help a better understanding of the mechanism of photoperiod-regulated flowering and molecular breeding in soybean.

Morphology and morphometry of six biotypes (B, Q, Cv, ZHJ-1, ZHJ-2 and ZHJ-3) of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) from China on cotton plants were studied by using microscopes. Nymphal body sizes and characters were measured and observed, especially on the 4th instar (pupal case), including the vasiform orifice, operculum, lingula, length and thickness of anterior and posterior wax margins, width of thoracic tracheal combs. Adult characters of both sexes were investigated including the body size, compound eyes, antennal segments, vasiform orifice, hind tarsi and genitals. The results indicated that differences of some morphological characters or morphometrics were significant among the six biotypes of B. tabaci in China: (1) Pupal sizes of the exotic biotypes (B and Q) were significantly larger than the indigenous biotypes with the following order as B>Q>ZHJ-1>Cv>ZHJ-3>ZHJ-2; (2) for both male and female adults, sizes of all characters investigated in the invading biotypes (B and Q), especially B, were much larger than those of the indigenous ones.

The aim of this paper was to research the spatio-temporal changes in total soluble salt content (TS) in a typical arid region of South Xinjiang, China, where the climate is arid and soil salinization happens easily. The total soluble salt content was interpreted by measurements made in the horizontal mode with EM38 and EM31. The electromagnetic induction (EM) surveys were made three times with the apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) measurements taken at 3 873 locations in Nov. 2008, 4807 locations in Apr. 2009 and 6 324 locations in Nov. 2009, respectively. For interpreting the ECa measurements into total soluble salt content, calibtion sites were needed for EM survey of each time, e.g., 66 sites were selected in Nov. 2008 to measure ECa, and soils-core samples were taken by different depth layers of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm at the same time. On every time duplicate samples were taken at five sites to allevaite the local-scale variability, and soil temperatures in different layers through the profiles were also measured. Factors including TS, pH, water content, bulk density were analyzed by lab experiments. ECa calibration equations were obtained by linear regression analysis, which indicated that soil salinity was one primary concern to ECa with a determination coefficient of 0.792 in 0-10 cm layer, 0.711 in 10-20 cm layer and 0.544 in 20-40 cm layer, respectively. The maps of spatial distribution were predicted by Kriging interpolation, which showed that the high soil salinity was located near the drainage canal, which validated the trend effect caused by the irrigation canal and the drainage canal. And by comparing the soil salinity in different layers, the soluble salt accumulated to the top soil surface only in the area where the soil salinization was serious, and in the other areas, the soil salinity trended to increase from the top soil surface to 40 cm depth. Temporal changes showed that the soil salinity in November was higher than that in April, and the soil salinization trended to aggravate, especially in the top soil layer of 0- 10 cm.

More and more attention is being focused on saline water utilization in irrigation due to the shortage of fresh water to agriculture in many regions. For purpose of reducing the risks of using of saline water for irrigation, the mechanism of soil moisture and salinity distribution and transport should be well understood for developing optimum management strategies. In this paper, field experiments were carried out at Junggar Basin, China, to study the effects of drip irrigation water quality and drip tape arrangement on distribution of soil salinity and soil moisture. Six treatments were designed, including two drip tape arrangement modes and three irrigation water concentration levels (0.24, 4.68, and 7.42 dS m-1). Results showed that, soil moisture content (SMC) directly beneath the drip tape in all treatments kept a relatively high value about 18% before boll opening stage; the SMC in the narrow strip in single tape arrangement (Ms) plot was obviously lower than that in the double tapes arrangement (Md) plot, indicating that less sufficient water was supplied under the same condition of irrigation depth, but there was no significant reduction in yield. Mulching had not significant influence on salt accumulation but the drip tape arrangement, under the same condition of irrigation water depth and quality, compared with Md, Ms reduced salt accumulation in root zone and brought about relatively high cotton yield.