scholarly journals Abiotic factors, not herbivorous pressure, are primarily responsible for the performance of an invasive aquatic plant

Author(s):  
Márcio José Silveira ◽  
Simon Chollet ◽  
Gabrielle Thiébaut ◽  
Sidinei Magela Thomaz

Morphological performance of invasive plants can be determined by abiotic factors (e.g. water temperature) and biotic factors (e.g. herbivory). This study investigates the performance of an exotic plant in its native and introduced environments. The questions of study are: Is the performance of Egeria densa in both its native and introduced areas associated with abiotic and/or biotic factors? Is the performance of this plant better in the native or in the introduced area? In order to answer these questions, E. densa individuals collected in France (introduced range) were compared with individuals collected in Brazil (native range). The results demonstrate that E. densa populations sampled in its native areas included a higher percentage of plants grazed than in the introduced range populations, but they also exhibited a superior performance in terms of length and dry mass. In both regions, the performance of the plants was associated mainly with abiotic factors. Whereas the higher temperature in its native area may have promoted greater growth in terms of length and dry mass, a lower temperature and high levels of ammonium in French waters might have reduced the development of this plant in its introduced range. The lower performance of E. densa in France should not be associated with abiotic factors alone, since other factors can also be involved, as limited resources or low clonal adaptation. Thus, future studies concerning E. densa performance in France should consider these factors in order to assist in understanding the nature of the plant’s invasiveness in this region.

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Bonnett ◽  
M. L. Hewitt ◽  
D. Glassop

Sugarcane grown in the Ord River district of Western Australia has lower sucrose content than expected from earlier trials and experience in other irrigated districts. High temperatures have been hypothesised as a possible cause. The effects of high temperature (above 32°C) on growth and carbon partitioning were investigated. A temperature regime of (25–38°C) was compared with (23–33°C). In one experiment, 7-month-old plants of cvv. Q117 and Q158 were subjected to the treatments for 2 months. In another experiment, the plants were allowed to regrow (ratoon) for 6 months. In both experiments, the higher temperature resulted in more, shorter internodes and higher moisture content. Most internodes from plants in the higher temperature treatment had lower sucrose content than internodes from the lower temperature. On a dry mass basis the internodes from the plants in the higher temperature had proportionately more fibre and hexoses but lower sucrose. Combined with an increased number of nodes in a stem of similar or shorter length this would result in higher stalk fibre and lower sucrose content. The data provided evidence that sugarcane partitions less carbon to stored sucrose when grown under high compared with low temperatures. The two cultivars partitioned carbon between soluble (sugars) and insoluble (fibre) fractions to different degrees. These experiments also indicate that the current models describing leaf appearance and perhaps sugarcane growth at temperatures above 32°C, in general, need revision.


2020 ◽  

The banana agro-export sector in Ecuador provides millions of dollars in income for this concept, but with this development, a series of quality standards have been established that must be met to enter the export system. This has contributed to establishing good post-harvest production and management practices that guarantee the optimal production of bananas and plantains. The objective of this study was to determine the factors involved in the rejection of bananas (Musa acuminata) destined for international commercialization. The methodology considered the design modality of non-experimental transactional research, with a quantitative approach. The methodological design was developed in three phases at Finca 6 Hermanas located in the Barraganete sector of the San Juan parish in the Puebloviejo canton of the Los Ríos Province, Ecuador. The results highlight that the main causes for which banana rejection is generated are due to abiotic factors (damage, dry latex, scar, insect damage, broken neck, overgrowth) in a higher percentage of 79.55 % and biotic factors ( twins, diseases, short finger) by 20.45 %. The average rejection was 6 361 fingers and1 269 Kilograms (K) over the 6-week study duration. The analysis of variance turned out to be significant for variable 1 (biotic and abiotic). Ho is rejected; with the criterion of p-value < 0.0001 and F (9; 45) = 2.10., F = 13.17> F critic. In the case of variable (2) “work weeks”, Ho is accepted with the criteria obtained of p-value of 0.7694 and F (5; 45) = 2.4., As F = 0.51 < F critic, it is concludes, that with a significance level of 5% the null hypothesis is accepted. It is concluded that these figures lead to the elaboration of strategies that systemically mitigate the damages, by correcting each one of the causes that cause the deterioration of the banana and increasing the economic gains of the commercialization process.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Marchini ◽  
Alessandra Marti ◽  
Claudia Folli ◽  
Barbara Prandi ◽  
Tommaso Ganino ◽  
...  

The nutritional and physicochemical properties of sorghum proteins and starch make the use of this cereal for food production challenging. Sprouting is a cost-effective technology to improve the nutritional and functional profile of grains. Two drying treatments were used after sorghum sprouting to investigate whether the drying phase could improve the protein and starch functionalities. Results showed that the drying treatment at lower temperature/longer time (40 °C for 12 h) extended the enzymatic activity that started during sprouting compared to the one performed at higher temperature/shorter time (50 °C for 6 h). An increased protein hydrolysis and water- and oil-holding capacity were found in the flour obtained by the former treatment. Higher protein matrix hydrolysis caused high exposure of starch to enzymes, thus increasing its digestibility, while worsening the technological functionality. Overall, modulating drying conditions could represent a further way, in addition to sprouting, to improve sorghum flour’s nutritional profile.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Harbach ◽  
T. W. Allen ◽  
C. R. Bowen ◽  
J. A. Davis ◽  
C. B. Hill ◽  
...  

The terms used to describe symptoms of delayed senescence in soybean often are used inconsistently or interchangeably and do not adequately distinguish the observed symptoms in the field. Various causes have been proposed to explain the development of delayed senescence symptoms. In this article, we review published reports on delayed senescence symptoms in soybean, summarize current research findings, provide examples of terms related to specific symptoms, and present an overview of the results of a multi-state survey directed to soybean growers to understand their concerns about delayed soybean senescence. Some of these terms, such as green bean syndrome and green stem syndrome, describe symptoms induced by biotic factors, while other terms describe symptoms associated with abiotic factors. Some delayed senescence terms involve the whole plant remaining green while other terms include just the stem and other plant parts such as pods. In the grower survey, 77% reported observing soybean plants or plant parts that remained green after most plants in the field were fully mature with ripe seed. Most respondents attributed these symptoms to changes in breeding and choice of cultivars. At the end of this article, we standardized the terms used to describe delayed senescence in soybean. Accepted for publication 23 March 2016. Published 15 April 2016.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (06n07) ◽  
pp. 855-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
FEIYUE MA ◽  
ZHIYI LIU

The microstructural evolution in an Al - Cu - Mg - Ag alloy with trace Zr addition during homogenization treatment was characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). It was shown that the low-melting-point phase segregating toward grain boundaries is Al 2 Cu , with a melting point of 523.52°C. A two-step homogenization process was employed to optimize the microstructure of the as-cast alloy, during which the alloy was first homogenized at a lower temperature, then at a higher temperature. After homogenized at 420°C for 6 h, Al 3 Zr particles were finely formed in the matrix. After that, when the alloy was homogenized at an elevated temperature for a longer time, i.e., 515°C for 24 h, most of the precipates at the grain boundaries were removed. Furthermore, the dispersive Al 3 Zr precipitates were retained, without coarsening greatly in the final homogenization step. A kinetics model is employed to predict the optimal homogenization time at a given temperature theoretically, and it confirms the result in present study, which is 420°C/6h+515°C/24h.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baochun Zhao ◽  
Tan Zhao ◽  
Guiyan Li ◽  
Qiang Lu

Double compression tests were performed on a Gleeble-3800 thermomechanical simulator to study the softening behaviors of deformed austenite in a V-N microalloyed steel. The static recrystallization volume fractions were calculated by stress offset method, and the kinetic model of static recrystallization was constructed. The effects of temperature, strain, and time interval on the softening behaviors were analyzed, and the interactions between precipitation and recrystallization were discussed. The results show that the softening behaviors of the deformed austenite at lower temperature or higher temperature are markedly different. At the temperature of 850°C or 800°C, pinning effects of the precipitates play the main role, and the recrystallization process is inhibited, which leads to the formation of plateaus in the softening curves. An increase in strain promotes the precipitation and recrystallization processes while reduces the inhibition effect of precipitation on recrystallization as well.


2011 ◽  
Vol 686 ◽  
pp. 120-124
Author(s):  
Jin Ping Fan ◽  
She Bin Wang ◽  
Bing She Xu

The effects of Sr addition on the mechanical properties and microstructure of Mg-6Al mag- nesium alloy both at 25 °C and at 175 °C were investigated by means of OM, SEM and EDS and XRD. Upon the Sr addition of 2%, the tensile strength was increased by 7.2% to 184.4MPa at 25 °C, while it was increased by 30% to 155.4MPa at 175 °C. The strengthening mechanism of Mg-6Al-xSr at lower temperature (25 °C) was different from that at higher temperature (175°C). The results show that the addition of strontium effectively improved the microstructure and mechanical properties of magnesium alloy.


2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Iadicola ◽  
John A. Shaw

Abstract Experiments are presented of the response of pseudoelastic NiTi wires subjected to displacement controlled cycles. A custom built thermo-mechanical testing apparatus is used to control the background temperature field of the wire specimen while allowing the evolution of transformation fronts to be tracked by full field infrared imaging. Two experiments under similar end-displacement histories, but at temperatures ≈8°C apart, are shown to give remarkably different cyclic responses. The mechanical response for the lower temperature experiment continued to soften but retained its shape through 43 partial transformation cycles, and the pattern of transformation fronts seemed to reach a steady state. The response for the higher temperature experiment showed a change in shape of the mechanical response and distinct changes in transformation front patterns over 31 partial transformation cycles.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Cao ◽  
J. Ling ◽  
R. Rivir ◽  
C. MacArthur

Abstract Radially rotating heat pipes have been proposed for cooling gas turbine disks working at high temperatures. A disk incorporating the heat pipe would have an enhanced thermal dissipation capacity and a much lower temperature at the disk rim and dovetail surface. In this paper, extensive numerical simulations have been made for heat-pipe-cooled disks. Thermal performances are compared for the disks with and without incorporating the heat pipe at different heating and cooling conditions. The numerical results presented in this paper indicate that radially rotating heat pipes can significantly reduce the maximum and average temperatures at the disk rim and dovetail surface under a high heat flux working condition. In general, the maximum and average temperatures at the disk rim and dovetail surface could be reduced by above 250 and 150 degrees, respectively, compared to those of the disk without the heat pipe. As a result, a disk incorporating radially rotating heat pipes could alleviate temperature-related problems and allow a gas turbine to work at a much higher temperature.


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