Genetic variation among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> isolates from onion,and resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> basal rot in related <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium</Emphasis> species

The aim of this research was to study levels of resistance to Fusarium basal rot in onion cultivars and related Allium species, by using genetically different Fusarium isolates. In order to select genetically different isolates for disease testing, a collection of 61 Fusarium isolates, 43 of them from onion (Allium cepa), was analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Onion isolates were collected in The Netherlands (15 isolates) and Uruguay (9 isolates), and received from other countries and fungal collections (19 isolates). From these isolates, 29 were identified as F. oxysporum, 10 as F. proliferatum, whereas the remaining four isolates belonged to F. avenaceum and F. culmorum. The taxonomic status of the species was confirmed by morphological examination, by DNA sequencing of the elongation factor 1-α gene, and by the use of species-specific primers for Fusarium oxysporum, F. proliferatum, and F. culmorum. Within F. oxysporum, isolates clustered in two clades suggesting different origins of F. oxysporum forms pathogenic to onion. These clades were present in each sampled region. Onion and six related Allium species were screened for resistance to Fusarium basal rot using one F. oxysporum isolate from each clade, and one F. proliferatum isolate. High levels of resistance to each isolate were found in Allium fistulosum and A. schoenoprasum accessions, whereas A. pskemense, A. roylei and A. galanthum showed intermediate levels of resistance. Among five A. cepa cultivars, ‘Rossa Savonese’ was also intermediately resistant. Regarding the current feasibility for introgression, A. fistulosum, A. roylei and A. galanthum were identified as potential sources for the transfer of resistance to Fusarium into onion.     

Modelling soil carbon sequestration of intensively monitored forest plots in Europe by three different approaches

Information on soil carbon sequestration and its interaction with nitrogen availability is rather limited, since soil processes account for the most significant unknowns in the C and N cycles. In this paper we compare three completely different approaches to calculate carbon sequestration in forest soils. The first approach is the limit-value concept, in which the soil carbon accumulation is estimated by multiplying the annual litter fall with the recalcitrant fraction of the decomposing plant litter, which depends on the nitrogen and calcium content in the litter. The second approach is the N-balance method, where carbon sequestration is calculated from the nitrogen retention in the soil multiplied with the present soil C/N ratio in organic layer and mineral topsoil. The third approach is the dynamic SMART2 model in combination with an empirical approach to assess litter fall inputs. The comparison is done by first validating the methods at three chronosequences with measured C pools, two in Denmark and one in Sweden, and then application on 192 intensive monitoring plots located in the Northern and Western part of Europe. Considering all three chronosequences, the N-balance method was generally most in accordance with the C pool measurements, although the SMART2 model was also quite consistent with the measurements at two chronosequences. The limit-value approach generally overestimated the soil carbon sequestration. At the intensive monitoring plots, the limit-value concept calculated the highest carbon sequestration, ranging from 160 to 978 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, followed by the N-balance method which ranged from 0 to 535 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. With SMART2 we calculated the lowest carbon sequestration from −30 to 254 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. All the three approaches found lower carbon sequestration at a latitude from 60 to 70° compared to latitudes from 40 to 50 and from 50 to 60. Considering the validation of the three approaches, the range in results from both the N-balance method and SMART2 model seems most appropriate.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphelenchoides gorganensis</Emphasis> n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae)<Emphasis Type="Italic">,</Emphasis> a new species from Iran

Phytophthora capsici infection of chili pepper seedlings can cause substantial losses due to damping-off and collar rot diseases. Chemical control is no longer effective due to reported resistance development, on top of the related environmental concerns and the consumer demands for reduced use of fungicides. Biological control is a sustainable option, with several agents having been reported to be effective against this pathogen. This research focused on optimizing the application of strain THSW13 of Trichoderma hamatum and a bacterial isolate BJ10–86 with the objectives of improving chili pepper seed germination, reduce damping-off disease incidence, and improve the growth of the seedlings. Bacterial isolate BJ10–86 was subjected to molecular identification and found to be Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chili pepper seeds treated with the biocontrol agents, individually or in combination, were seeded into commercial nursery media that had been pre-inoculated with P. capsici zoospores. Over a period of 35 days the chili pepper seed treatments significantly (P = 0.008) reduced the disease incidence of seedlings damping-off. Combined application of T. hamatum and P. aeruginosa was the best biocontrol treatment with an area under disease curve of only 36.61 units compared to 92.87 units for the control treatment. Similar results were observed in vitro where T. hamatum and P. aeruginosa synergistically inhibited P. capsici growth by 73.2 %. The inhibition activity of this treatment was similar to mefenoxam treatment, which implies that it is an effective and sustainable alternative for chili pepper seed treatment. The biocontrol seed treatment had no effect on seed germination and seedling growth.     

Evaluation of plantation and early development of five alternatives to ponderosa pine in silvopastoral systems in northwest Patagonia,Argentina

Previous studies of afforestation in Patagonia indicate that 30–50 % tree cover produces positive effects on the pasture. This coverage level is achieved by applying pruning and strong thinning to reduce the volume of timber production per area unit. From an economic standpoint, in order to not reduce the income level of the system, it is necessary to find tree species that could replace ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and maximize income per volume unit of wood. We evaluated the feasibility of implementation of five broadleaved tree species (native and exotic) with higher intrinsic wood quality than ponderosa pine. We tested the influence of tree cover generated by a framework of silvopastoral plantation on the increase in survival, regrowth and absolute increase in height, and compared ecophysiological variables (net photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance, intrinsic water use efficiency) of different species to the status of a traditional plantation without tree cover. Additionally values of air temperature and relative humidity were registered under both cover conditions. Preliminary results support the conclusion that three of these five species could be considered as alternatives to ponderosa pine species for establishing silvopastoral systems with higher timber value. Our Based on the results, the use of tree cover generated under the current plantations of P. ponderosa could increase the success of the establishment of these species.     

Prevalence,prediction and risk factors of enteropathogens in normal and non-normal faeces of young Dutch dairy calves

Between January and April 2007, 424 calves under 22 days of age from 108 Dutch dairy herds were sampled to estimate the prevalence of non-normal faeces (‘custard-like’—yellowish-coloured with custard consistency or diarrhoea: watery-like faeces) and the shedding of enteropathogens Escherichia coli K99 (E. coli), Coronavirus, Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), Rotavirus and Clostridium perfringens (Cl. perfringens). In addition, information was collected on animal characteristics and herd-management practices. The probability of detecting each one of five enteropathogens given a calf with ‘custard-like’ faeces or diarrhoea was estimated using Bayes’ rule and was based on the predicted probabilities from a multinominal model including each of five enteropathogens as independent variables. In addition, putative risk factors for the presence of each of five enteropathogens were analysed using logistic regression models with random herd effects.Fifty-seven percent of calves had faeces of normal colour (brownish) and consistency (firm), 23.8% (95%CI: 19.8–28.2%) had ‘custard-like’ faeces and 19.1% (95%CI: 15.5–23.2%) had diarrhoea. E. coli was the least detected enteropathogen (2.6% (95%CI: 1.3–4.6%) of calves, 9% (95%CI: 5–16%) of herds) and Cl. perfringens was most detected (54.0% (95%CI: 49.1–58.8%) of calves, 85% (95%CI: 77–91%) of herds). E. coli and Coronavirus were detected incidentally in only one or two calves per herd, whereas C. parvum and Cl. perfringens were frequently detected in up to four calves per herd. For calves with ‘custard-like’ faeces, the probability of detecting Rotavirus from a calf in its first week of age was 0.31 whereas for a calf in its second week, there was a 0.66 probability of detecting C. parvum. The probabilities of detecting E. coli, Rotavirus and C. parvum in calves with diarrhoea in their first week of age were 0.10, 0.20 and 0.43, respectively. In calves with diarrhoea between 1 and 2 weeks of age, the probability of detecting enteropathogens was 0.43 for C. parvum. None of the tested enteropathogens were related to ‘custard-like’ faeces or diarrhoea in the third week of age.Putative risk factors for E. coli, Coronavirus and C. parvum included the presence of peer-calves shedding Coronavirus, C. parvum or Rotavirus, respectively. Additionally, managerial risk factors such as non-optimal hygienic housing (for Coronavirus) and the routine use of antibiotics for diarrhoeic calves (for C. parvum) were found. No animal or managerial factors were associated with shedding of Cl. perfringens.     

Modelling exploration of the future of European beech (Fagussylvatica L.) under climate change—Range,abundance, genetic diversity and adaptive response

We explored impacts of climate change on the geographic distribution of European beech by applying state of the art statistical and process-based models, and assessed possible climate change impacts on both adaptive capacity in the centre of its distribution and adaptive responses of functional traits at the leading and trailing edge of the current distribution. The species area models agree that beech has the potential to expand its northern edge and loose habitat at the southern edge of its distribution in a future climate. The change in local population size in the centre of the distribution of beech has a small effect on the genetic diversity of beech, which is projected to maintain its current population size or to increase in population size. Thus, an adaptive response of functional traits of small populations at the leading and trailing edges of the distribution is possible based on genetic diversity available in the local population, even within a period of 2–3 generations.     

Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) larvae fed Artemia nauplii enriched with poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB): effect on growth performance,body composition,digestive enzymes,gut microbial community,gut histology and stress tests

The effects of feeding Artemia nauplii enriched with or without poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and/or highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) on Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) larvae were investigated. Feeding larvae with PHB‐enriched nauplii (PHB, PHB + HUFA) decreased the growth performance of the larvae. PHB affected the body composition by increasing the lipid content of the whole body and decreasing total saturated, monoenoic, n3, n6 and decosahexanoeic acid (DHA) in the larvae, indicating that the PHB addition affected lipid metabolism. A high activity of pepsin was observed in the digestive extracts of PHB treatments (PHB, PHB + HUFA), while PHB suppressed amylase activity in the intestine of the larvae. Based on molecular analysis, PHB changed the microbial community in the distal intestine of the larvae. The highest counts of goblet cells were observed in the HUFA‐containing treatments (HUFA, PHB + HUFA), indicating that HUFA addition may improve the mucosal barrier defence system. The overall quality of the larvae was evaluated by exposing them to different salinities and ammonia stress levels. PHB decreased survival rates in these challenges. Our results show that optimal PHB doses for bio‐encapsulation into Artemia remain to be determined for further application at the earliest larval stages of sturgeon.     

Quantitative verification of the correspondence between the Welfare Quality® operational definition of farm animal welfare and the opinion of Flemish farmers,citizens and vegetarians

The Welfare Quality® project has developed an operational definition of farm animal welfare, which consists of 12 criteria grouped into four principles (‘good feeding’, ‘good housing’, ‘good health’ and ‘appropriate behaviour’). As part of a larger survey, 204 farmers, 72 vegetarians, and a representative sample of 459 adult citizens in Flanders (Belgium) scored the importance of each of the 12 criteria on a 1–10 scale, and divided 100 points across the four principles according to the perceived relative weights for farm animal welfare. These data were analysed to verify quantitatively whether (1) the grouping of 12 criteria into the four principles, and (2) the relative weights used by Welfare Quality® for aggregating the 12 criteria into an overall welfare judgement correspond with the perception of these three stakeholder groups from a region and setting not previously covered by Welfare Quality® studies. Moreover, the effects of various socio-demographic variables on the importance allocated to the welfare criteria and principles were investigated. Vegetarians and females gave consistently higher importance scores to all 12 criteria as compared with farmers, citizens and males, respectively, particularly for the (criteria belonging to the) principle ‘appropriate behaviour’. Farmers allocated more weight to ‘good feeding’ than did vegetarians or citizens. These differences confirm that farmers view animal welfare more in terms of biological functioning (instead of affective states or natural living) as compared to other citizens, and vegetarians in particular. As the concept has a different meaning to different people, any operational definition of animal welfare is unlikely to match equally well with the perception of every single stakeholder group or person. The structure of the Welfare Quality® operational definition with the 12 criteria aggregated into four principles, corresponds well with the opinion of the stakeholders as they judged all 12 criteria as rather important to extremely important for farm animal welfare. Factor analysis restricted to contain four factors confirmed the grouping of the criteria into the correct principles. Exploratory factor analysis using Eigenvalues > 1 as extraction criterion indicated, however, that from the citizen perspective two principles (‘good feeding & health’ and ‘appropriate behaviour & housing’) rather than four would suffice. The main discrepancy with the Welfare Quality® approach concerns the aggregation procedure: the stakeholders did not consider all four principles as equally important, and the relative importance allocated to criteria corresponded poorly across principles. Some of these discrepancies were consistent across the three different stakeholder groups.