The responses of carbon exchange rate (CER), stomatal conductance (gs), activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPcase), NADP malic enzyme (NADP-ME), ribulose-1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) and pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), and contents of chlorophyll (Chl) and total soluble protein (Tsp) in leaves of sugar cane (Saccharum sp. cv. NiF4) to gradually developed water stress were investigated. The initial inhibitions of CER, gs, activities of the photosynthetic enzymes and contents of Chl and Tsp were observed from leaf water potentials (Ψw) of -0.37 MPa. During water stress, CER and gs, decreased in a non-linear way, activities of the five enzymes and contents of Chl and Tsp decreased linearly with decreasing leaf Ψw. The changes of gs the photosynthetic enzymes, Chl and Tsp were highly related to the changes of CER. The decline in CER during water stress was caused by both stomatal and non- stomatal limitations. Above leaf �w of -0.85 MPa, the decline in CER was caused by stomatal closure, below -0.85 MPa, the decline in CER was caused by non-stornatal limitation. Among non-stomatal components, PPDK activities decreased 9.1 times during water stress, much more than other enzymes which decreased from 2 to 4 times. Measured PPDK activities were only a little higher than the corresponding CER values at various leaf Ψw suggesting that PPDK is very likely to be the limiting enzyme to photosynthesis under water stress.

No abstract

Two alfalfa varieties, namely Rasen and Yuba, and rice by‐products of Koshihikari (Oryza sativa L. cv. Japonica), including hull and bran were used for weed control in rice. Rasen and Yuba were sequentially evaluated to have the strongest allelopathic potential among eight common alfalfa varieties in Japan. Rasen, Yuba and rice by‐products in a laboratory experiment exhibited suppression of emergence of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), barnyardgrass (Echinochloa oryzicola Vasing.), and monochoria (Monochoria vaginalis Presl var. plantaginea Solms‐Laub.). In a paddy field experiment, at 15 days after application, a dose of 1 ton ha−1 of alfalfa, rice by‐products and the incorporated alfalfa‐rice by‐products significantly inhibited weed growth and reduced weed species, except for rice bran. However, at 40 days after application, the greatest weed control was sequentially recorded with Yuba (95.2%), Rasen (90.5%) and the incorporated Rasen‐hull (88.3%). Rice hull exhibited stronger (51.7%) weed control than the negligible weed control of rice bran (25.1%). Inhibition of both Rasen and Yuba on weed emergence after application became more vigorous, whereas those of rice by‐products were gradually devitalized. Rasen had a maximum increase of rice yield (80.6%) compared to the control and it was slightly higher (9.6%) than the herbicide treatment. Findings showed that Rasen was the most promising material for weed control among those studied. Results denoted that weed control capability of allelopathic materials had an impetuous effect on rice growth and yield.

No abstract

In glasshouse experiments,Panicum repensrhizomes with more than two nodes emerged from soil depths of 1 to 20 cm. Emergence from one-node rhizomes was greatly reduced at depths more than 5 cm. In contrast, culm emergence from ginger like rhizomes decreased when burial depth (BD) was greater than 20 to 30 cm.P. repensemerged from deeper soil levels with an increasing number of nodes per cutting. Culms emerged from 36% of total underground regenerative organs. About 75 and 95% of the emerged culms were recorded 30 and 60 d after burial, respectively, and 91% emergence was recorded from 20-cm BD. In field studies, only 9% of nodes produced culms following cross-plowing. About 61 and 67% of the emerged culms were recorded 50 and 60 d after land preparation, respectively. Results indicate that mechanical and chemical control methods could be most effective forP. repenswhen applied approximately 50 d after land preparation. Burying deeper than 30 cm by deep plowing and reducing rhizome length by cross-plowing might effectively reduce emergence ofP. repens.