Earthworm biomass response to soil management in semi-arid tropical Alfisol agroecosystems

Earthworms recorded during 1989–1993 across 15 soil management treatments, comprising three different tillagexthree organic amendments (bare, farmyard manure, and rice straw) and six perennial ley treatments, belonged to two endogeic species, Octochaetona phillotti (Michaelsen) and Lampito mauritii Kinberg, while in a nearby undisturbed natural revegetation area three species were found, including the above two and Octonochaeta rosea (Stephenson). The earthworm biomass showed significant temporal and spatial variations and was higher during the post monsoon period than in the early rainy season. No worm biomass was recorded during the dry season. In the tillage and organic amendment treatments, the biomass was drastically reduced from September 1989 to September 1991 after the application of carbofuran and some herbicides, and was significantly reduced during these two years compared to that of 1992. The maximum monthly earthworm biomass ranged between 2.5 and 17.9 g m^-2 across the treatments and increased several-fold in the nearby natural revegetation area (75.9 g m^-2). It significantly increased in perennial ley treatments compared to annual treatments with organic amendments. Thus the earthworm biomass varied significantly (P<0.01) across the 15 treatments, indicating discernible effects of soil management.Visiting Scientist (under the Rockefeller Foundation Environmental Research Fellowship in International Agriculture)     

Wild relatives of pigeonpea as a source of resistance to the pod fly (Melanagromyza obtusa Malloch) and pod wasp (Tanaostigmodes cajaninae La Salle)

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is an important legume crop in South Asia, East and southern Africa, and the Caribbean. Pod fly (Melanagromyza obtusa Malloch) and pod wasp (Tanaostigmodes cajaninae La Salle) are important constraints to increase the production and productivity of pigeonpea under subsistence farming conditions. Host plant-resistance can be used as an important component for the management of these pests, and therefore, we evaluated 28 accessions of wild relatives of pigeonpea for resistance to these pests. There were significant inter- and intra-species differences in the relative susceptibility to pod fly and pod wasp damage. Accessions belonging to Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars, C. sericeus (Benth. ex Bak.) van der Maesen, Rhynchosia bracteata Benth. ex Bak., C. acutifolius (F.v. Muell.) van der Maesen, C. lineatus (W. & A.) van der Maesen, and C. albicans (W. & A.) van der Maesen showed resistance to pod fly damage, while those from C. platycarpus (Benth.) van der Maesen, C. cajanifolius (Haines) van der Maesen and R. aurea DC. were susceptible. For the pod wasp, some of the accessions from C. scarabaeoides, C. albicans, Flemingia stricta Roxb., and R. bracteata (Roxb.) Wight showed a resistant reaction, while ICPW 83 belonging to C. scarabaeoides showed a susceptible reaction. ICPW 141, ICPW 278, and ICPW 280 (C. scarabaeoides), ICPW 214 (R. bracteata), ICPW 14 (C. albicans), and ICPW 202 (F. stricta) showed resistance to both pod fly and pod wasp damage. There was considerable variation in accessions belonging to different species for their susceptibility to pod fly and pod wasp, which can be exploited to breed for resistance to these pests. There was a negative association between pod wasp and pod borer damage, and therefore, it is important to keep track of the relative susceptibility of pigeonpea genotypes to pod wasp, while breeding for resistance to pod borers.     

Influence of microarthropod abundance and climatic factors on weight loss and mineral nutrient contents of Eucalyptus leaf litter during decomposition

Summary Densities of the different taxa of microarthropods per gram of litter in litter bags varied widely from the rainy to the dry season. Collembola and Acarina constituted more than 86% of the total microarthropods, and occurred in significantly greater numbers in the coarse-mesh bags than the fine-mesh bags. There were no fauna in the litter of suspended bags. The average weight loss was greater in the coarse-mesh bags (50.4%) than in the fine-mesh bags (44.5%), and the suspended bags (7.4%). Similarly, the concentrations of N and Ca were greater in the litter of coarse-mesh bags compared to that of the fine-mesh bags. In contrast, the concentrations of P and K were comparatively lower in coarse-mesh bags. The mass loss of litter showed a negative linear correlation with the total Collembola and with litter temperature. The N concentrations in the litter in both the mesh bags showed negative correlations with the abundance of total Collembola, and with that of Lepidocyrtus sp. and Sminthuridae, and rainfall. The N concentration in the litter in the coarse-mesh bags was positively correlated with the total number of arthropods but, surprisingly, was negatively correlated with the total number of Acarina. The concentration of Ca showed negative correlations with rainfall and litter moisture only. The P concentration showed positive correlations with total Collembola, with Lepidocyrtus sp. and Sminthuridae in both the mesh bags, with rainfall in the fine-mesh bags, and with total microarthropods in the coarse-mesh bags.     

Elevated atmospheric CO(2) affects the chemical quality of brassica plants and the growth rate of the specialist, Plutella xylostella, but not the generalist, Spodoptera littoralis

Cabbage, Brassica oleracea subsp. capitata (cv. Lennox and Rinda), and oilseed rape, Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera (cv. Valo and Tuli), plants were grown under ambient CO(2) (360 ppm) or elevated CO(2) (720 ppm) at 23/18 degrees C and under a photoperiod of 22/2 h light (250 micromol m(-)(2) s(-)(1))/dark regime for up to 5 weeks. Afterward, the performance of the crucifer specialist Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and the generalist Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on those plants was studied. The mean relative growth rate (RGR) of P. xylostella larvae, feeding on both cultivars of oilseed rape or on the Lennox cultivar of cabbage leaves grown at an elevated CO(2) concentration, was significantly reduced as compared to ambient CO(2). A negative larval growth rate at elevated CO(2) was observed for P. xylostella on both oilseed rape cultivars, but the growth rate was reduced but positive on cabbage. Conversely, the RGR of S. littoralis on either plant species was not affected by CO(2) treatment but was lower on cabbage cv. Rinda than on cv. Lennox. The mortality of the larvae was not affected by CO(2) treatment either. At the same time, elevated CO(2) significantly decreased the concentrations of leaf phytochemical constituents in oilseed rape, i.e., total phenolics and total nitrogen, but not in cabbage. The effect of elevated CO(2) on the leaf glucosinolate concentrations of both plant species was marginal. In addition, the observed significant changes in individual glucosinolate concentrations of oilseed rape leaves were not consistent among cultivars. However, our results demonstrate for the first time quite strong effects of CO(2) enrichment on the larval performance of P. xylostella, which is an important pest of Brassica plants around the world. Further studies are still required to increase our understanding of why elevated CO(2) differently affects the performance of specialist and generalist insect herbivores on Brassica plants.     

Stem-cell homeostasis and growth dynamics can be uncoupled in the Arabidopsis shoot apex

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is a collection of stem cells that resides at the tip of each shoot and provides the cells of the shoot. It is divided into functional regions. The central zone (CZ) at the tip of the meristem is the domain of expression of the CLAVATA3 (CLV3) gene, encoding a putative ligand for a transmembrane receptor kinase, CLAVATA1, active in cells of the rib meristem (RM), located just below the CZ. We show here that CLV3 restricts its own domain of expression (the CZ) by preventing differentiation of peripheral zone cells (PZ), which surround the CZ, into CZ cells and restricts overall SAM size by a separate, long-range effect on cell division rate.     

Amplification and molecular cloning of HTLV-I sequences from DNA of multiple sclerosis patients

Techniques of gene amplification, molecular cloning, and sequence analysis were used to test for the presence of sequences related to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of six patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 20 normal individuals. HTLV-I sequences were detected in all six MS patients and in one individual from the control group by DNA blot analysis and molecular cloning of amplified DNAs. The viral sequence in MS patients were associated with adherent cell populations consisting predominantly of monocytes and macrophages. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that these amplified viral sequences were related to the HTLV-I proviral genome.     

The cellular src gene product regulates junctional cell-to-cell communication

Overexpression of the cellular src gene in NIH 3T3 cells causes reduction of cell-to-cell transmission of molecules in the 400- to 700-dalton range. This down-regulation of gap junctional communication correlates with the activity of the gene product, the protein tyrosine kinase pp60c-src. The down-regulation was enhanced by point mutation of Tyr527 (a site that is phosphorylated in pp60c-src and that inhibits kinase activity) or by substitution of the viral-src for the cellular-src carboxyl-terminal coding region. Mutation of Tyr416 (a site phosphorylated upon Tyr527 mutation) suppresses both the down-regulation of communication by Tyr527 mutation and that by gene overexpression. The regulation of communication by src may be important in the control of embryonic development and cellular growth.     

DNA rearrangement and altered RNA expression of the c-myb oncogene in mouse plasmacytoid lymphosarcomas

Three types of tumors termed plasmacytomas (ABPC's), lymphosarcomas (ABLS's), and plasmacytoid lymphosarcomas (ABPL's) arise in BALB/c mice treated with pristane and Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV). While most ABPC's and BLS's contain integrated A-MuLV proviral genome and synthesize the v-abl RNA, most ABPL's do not. The ABPL tumors were examined for the expression of other oncogenes that may be associated with their transformed state, in the absence of transforming virus. These tumors expressed abundant c-myb RNA of unusually large size and showed DNA rearrangements of the c-myb locus.