The olfactory recognition between leaf-cutter bee Megachile saussurei and alfalfa floral volatiles mediated by odorant binding protein 4 (MsauOBP4).

Megachile saussurei (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) is a primary insect pollinator of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in northwestern China. However, the mechanisms underlying the olfactory responses of M.

The antennal transcriptome analysis and characterizations of odorant-binding proteins in Megachile saussurei (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae).

Background: Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are essential in insect's daily behaviors mediated by olfactory perception. Megachile saussurei Radoszkowski (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) is a principal insect pollinating alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in Northwestern China. The olfactory function have been less conducted, which provides a lot of possibilities for our research.

Experimental infection in mice with Erwinia persicina.

Erwinia persicinus (E. persicina) is a plant pathogenic bacterial species that was previously isolated from a case of human infection. This study aimed to create an experimental infection protocol for E.

[Effects of different water harvesting modes on alfalfa planting in semi-arid areas of Northwest China].

A field experiment with complete random design was conducted to investigate the effects of different mulching materials [common plastic film (CMR), biodegradable mulch film (BMR), and soil crust (SR)] and different ratios of furrow to ridge (60 cm:30 cm, 60 cm:45 cm, and 60 cm:60 cm) on the runoff efficiency, soil water storage, soil water content, and hay yield and water use efficiency of alfalfa in semiarid areas of the Loess Plateau. The runoff efficiency in treatments SR, BMR, and CMR was 32.0%, 90.

[Effects of exogenous nitric oxide on the growth and nitrogen metabolism of alfalfa seedlings under salt stress].

In order to explore the regulation approaches for improving the salt-tolerance of alfalfa, the seedlings of Medicago sativa L. cv. Gannong No.

[Livelihood status assessment of farmers and herdsmen's households based on participatory appraisal: a case in Taipusi Banner of Inner Mongolia].

Participatory appraisal method was adopted to investigate the recent livelihood status of different type farmers and herdsmen's households in the Taipusi Banner of Inner Mongolia agriculture- animal husbandry ecotone, aimed to understand their livelihood strategies and restricting factors and to search for the ways to improve their living standards. The households dealing with pure agricultural production had smaller family size, with older age-structure and lower educational level, and their simple livelihood strategies brought about larger vulnerability and risk. To introduce and expand non-agricultural activities would be the important way to promote the livelihood diversification and to reduce the livelihood risks of these households.