An R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor OsMYBAS1 Promotes Seed Germination under Different Sowing Depths in Transgenic Rice

MYB-type transcription factors play essential regulatory roles in seed germination and the response to seedling establishment stress. This study isolated a rice R2R3-MYB gene, OsMYBAS1, and functionally characterized its role in seed germination by generating transgenic rice plants with the overexpression and knockout of OsMYBAS1. Gene expression analysis suggested that OsMYBAS1 was highly expressed in brown rice and root, respectively. Subcellular localization analysis determined that OsMYBAS1 was localized in the nucleus. No significant differences in seed germination rate were observed among wild-type (WT) and transgenic rice plants at the 0-cm sowing depth. However, when sown at a depth of 4 cm, higher germination rates, root lengths and seedling heights were obtained in OsMYBAS1-overexpressing plants than in WT. Furthermore, the opposite results were recorded between the osmybas1 mutants and WT. Moreover, OsMYBAS1-overexpressing plants significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and suppressed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) content at the 4-cm sowing depth. These results indicate that the MYB transcription factor OsMYBAS1 may promote rice seed germination and subsequent seedling establishment under deep-sowing conditions. These findings can provide valuable insight into rice seed-quality breeding to facilitate the development of a dry, direct-seeding production system.

Optimization Design of a Pneumatic Wheat-Shooting Device Based on Numerical Simulation and Field Test in Rice–Wheat Rotation Areas

In rice–wheat rotation areas of China, traditional wheat seeders have severe blockage, low working efficiency and poor seeding quality. In this study, a pneumatic shooting technology was designed, consisting mainly of a nozzle, shell and acceleration tube. To improve the sowing depth of the pneumatic shooting device, the response-surface methodology of structure parameters and CFD simulation technology was adopted in this work. The effects of working pressure, acceleration-tube diameter and throat distance on the steady airflow length (SAL) and steady airflow velocity (SAV) were studied by airflow field analysis, and the response-surface method was introduced to obtain the optimal parameter combination of the pneumatic shooting device for wheat. The optimal parameter combination was working pressure 686 kPa, acceleration tube diameter 8 mm and throat distance 20 mm. The simulation result showed that the optimized device of pneumatic shooting performs faster and has more stable airflow field characteristics in comparison to the initial device. The field test demonstrated that the optimized device has about 68% higher seeding depth than the initial device. The average field-seeding depth of the optimized device was 19.95 mm, which is about 68% higher than the initial device. The emergence rate for the optimized device was about 88.7% without obvious reduction. CFD and response-surface methods positively affect the optimization of pneumatic wheat-shooting devices, and the significance was also confirmed.

Soybean productivity in the Northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region, depending on agrotechnical techniques

The solution to the problem of feed protein deficiency is possible with an increase in acreage and the selection of agrotechnical methods of soybean cultivation, taking into account the conditions of the natural and climatic zone. One of the main elements of the farming system that allows to increase the yield of soybeans is rational basic tillage, its depth depending on the type of soil, providing favorable conditions for plant growth and development, which has not been studied in the northern forest-steppe in the Tyumen region. The purpose of the work was to study the influence of agrotechnical techniques on soybean productivity in the northern forest-steppe in the Tyumen region. During the research the influence of basic tillage and its depth on agrophysical (soil density, reserves of productive moisture), agrochemical soil parameters, uniformity of sowing depth, germination and preservation of soybean plants has been established. The contamination of crops, the species composition of weeds, and the degree of contamination during soybean cultivation by basic tillage with the use of herbicide during the growing season has been studied. It has been found that the highest level of profitability of 39,7 % was achieved with the differentiated method of tillage, with the mouldboard plowing (20–22 cm) it was less by 7,2 %, with the subsurface tillage (20–22 cm) it was less by 19,3 %. The decrease in the depth of processing leads to the decrease in the level of profitability by 4,0 % with the mouldboard plowing, by 2,2 % with the subsurface tillage and by 7,4 % with the diff erentiated method. With zero tillage, the profitability level was below control by 14,6 %. Thus, the most cost-effective was the differentiated method of tillage (20-22 cm) with the profitability level of 39,7 % and a profit of 9765 rubles/ha.

Effect of Some Planting Depths on Wheat Characteristics for Two Varieties (Iba'a 99 and Alnoor)

The impact of sowing depth in planting machine (Nordsten type) on wheat varieties (VW-Iba’a 99 and VW-Alnoor ) were tested during planting machine at three sowing depths of SD-5.4, 7, and 8.6 cm. The experiments were conducted in a factorial experiment under a complete randomized design with three replications. The wheat cultivar (VW-Iba’a 99) was meaningfully better than (VW-Alnoor ) in all studied parameters. For (VW-Iba’a 99), the germination ratio, length plant, plant vigor index, root length, root fresh weight, root plant dry, and grain yield, were 90.369%, 68.04cm, 57.14%, 17.09 cm, 1.42 g, 0.54g, and 4.441 tha-1, respectively. The sowing depth (SD -5.4cm) was significantly better than (SD-7 and 8.6cm ) in all studied parameters. The greatest assessments have come from the overlap among the SD -5.4cm, and VW_Iba’a 99.

Depth and Sowing Rate as Factors Affecting the Development, Plant Density, Height and Yielding for Two Faba Bean (Vicia faba L. Var. Minor) Cultivars

Sowing depth and density are factors which affect development and yielding due to their influence on plants’ competition for water, light and nutrients. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the effect of sowing depth (5 and 8 cm) and density (45, 60, 75 seeds m2) on the development and yield of two morphotypes of faba bean. Higher plants were found at 8 cm sowing depth in 2011 and 2013, in turn, plant density before harvest, at 5 cm in 2011 and 8 cm in 2013. The greatest seed yield was observed while sowing shallower in 2011 (4.50 t ha−1) and 2012 (6.62 t ha−1), and deeper in 2013 (3.53 t ha−1). Cultivar played in important role in shaping plant height and seed yield in all years of the experiment, as well as in straw yield in 2012. Bobas characterized by the greatest seed productivity in all years of experiment compared to Granit, as well as quantity of straw yield in 2011 and 2012 (3.51 and 4.88 t ha−1, respectively) and therefore can be recommended for cultivation. Taking into account plant density before harvest in 2011–2013 as well as straw yield in 2011 and 2013, the most favorable sowing density is 75 seeds per m2.

POSSIBILITIES OF ACCELERATED SOWING OF AUTUMN CEREALS

We examined the possibilities of accelerating sowing and its effect on accuracy with the help of 5 farmers in Hungary. Because there are a lot of work in the autumn period the speeding up of sowing is an important issue for optimal performance. Our objectives were in this experiment to show if there are any negative effects of speeding up the sowing of autumn cereals. In summary, it can be said that in the case of narrow row seed drills of different constructions and technologies, adequate quality can be achieved at increased speeds also in terms of sowing uniformity and sowing depth. Therefore, where it is necessary and the area and soil condition are suitable for it, it is worth speeding up the work in order to achieve the optimal sowing time.