桃果实水孔蛋白cDNA的分离

使用逆转录聚合酶链失反应(RT-PCR)技术从桃果实的果皮组织中分离出来2个编码水孔蛋白部分cDNA克隆.比较结果表明,其推导的氨基酸序列与从其他一些植物体中分离出来的液泡膜内在蛋白有很高的同源性.数量PCR分析表明,编码水孔蛋白基因pWCl在果实发育早期表达,而pWC2在果实发育期间全过程均有表达.     

Use of soil solarization to improve growth of eucalyptus forest nursery seedlings in Argentina

Damping-off and root rot are major diseases affectingseedlings of Eucalyptus species in forestnurseries in temperate regions in Argentina. The mostcommon fungi associated with these diseases andaffecting the vigor of the root system are Fusarium and Pythium species. Two forestnursery experiments were conducted in the province ofBuenos Aires, Argentina, to determine the effect ofsoil solarization on growth of Eucalyptusviminalis seedlings and relate this effect to thepresence of pathogenic and native ectomycorrhizaepopulations in roots and nutrient availability insoil. Changes in populations of soilborne pathogenswere determined by a bioassay that relates theirpotential to induce disease. Changes in nativeectomycorrhizae were assesed by measuring colonizationlevels in roots. Nutrient availability was determinedby the amount of nitrates released by solarization.Solar heating decreased pathogenic and ectomycorrhizalinoculum potential and increased soil nitrates.Seedling growth in solarized seedbeds may be relatedto a low initial pathogenic population and/or toincreases in nitrate availability. Solarization mayinduce soil suppressiveness against re-establishmentof major seedling pathogens in treated soils.     

Water reuse for irrigation in Jordan: Perceptions of water quality among farmers

The reuse of treated wastewater (reclaimed water) for irrigation is a valuable strategy to maximise available water resources, but the often marginal quality of the water can present agricultural challenges. Semi-structured interviews were held with Jordanian farmers to explore how they perceive the quality of reclaimed water. Of the 11 farmers interviewed who irrigate with reclaimed water directly near treatment plants, 10 described reclaimed water either positively or neutrally. In contrast, 27 of the 39 farmers who use reclaimed water indirectly, after it is blended with fresh water, viewed the resource negatively, although 23 of the indirect reuse farmers also recognised the nutrient benefits. Farmer perception of reclaimed water may be a function of its quality, but consideration should also be given to farmers’ capacity to manage the agricultural challenges associated with reclaimed water (salinity, irrigation system damage, marketing of produce), their actual and perceived capacity to control where and when reclaimed water is used, and their capacity to influence the quality of the water delivered to the farm.     

Cryptic Leishmaniosis by Leishmania infantum, a feature of canines only? A study of natural infection in wild rabbits, humans and dogs in southeastern Spain

An epidemiological study was carried out to investigate asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection by PCR and ELISA in wild rabbits, humans and domestic dogs in southeastern Spain. Seroprevalence was 0% (0/36) in rabbits, 2% (13/657) in humans and 7% (14/208) in dogs. The prevalence of PCR-positives was 0.6% (1/162) in rabbits tested in a wide range of tissue samples, 2% (8/392) in humans analysed in blood samples and 10% (20/193) and 67% (29/43) in dogs analysed in blood and lymphoid tissue samples, respectively. Results suggest that wild rabbits have a very low risk of becoming chronically infected with L. infantum, and provide further evidence that cryptic L. infantum infection is widespread in the domestic dog population and is also present in a comparatively smaller proportion of healthy humans. The epidemiological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

A novel postharvest UV-C treatment to reduce chilling injury (membrane damage,browning and chlorophyll degradation) in banana peel

To investigate the mode of action of UV-C to alleviate CI in banana. Banana [Musa (AAA group), Cavendish subgroup cv. Cavendish] fruits were treated with UV-C at dosages of 0.03 kJ m⁻² prior to storage at 8 or 25 °C. UV-C treatment reduced both the incidence and severity of banana fruits stored under low temperature. UV-C treatment reduced membrane damage indicated by lower activity of lipoxygenase (LOX) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. In additions, the in vitro polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was activated when fruits were stored at CI temperature and UV-C treatment could inhibit the PPO activity. UV-C treatment also delayed yellowing and chlorophyll (Chl) degradation due to the inhibition of chlorophyllase and chl-degrading peroxidase activities. Furthermore, the reduction of ethylene production and respiration rate by UV-C treatment results in extended postharvest shelf life of banana. These finding suggest that the loss of cellular compartments in consequence of membrane degradation, combined with the increase of PPO activity, might contribute to the development of CI in banana peel. UV-C treatment may play an important role in maintained membrane integrity and inhibited PPO activity, reducing the severity of CI symptom and delayed ripening in banana. This novel technique may offer an advance in postharvest handling of bananas and other chilling-sensitive commodities in order to reduce postharvest losses resulting from CI.     

Land use alters the abundance of herbivore and predatory insects on crops: the case of alfalfa

We assess the effects of changing land use and crop management on alfalfa insect abundance by comparing it in 50 alfalfa fields when they were inserted in landscapes with different proportions of arable crops and orchards. Land use in a buffer of 500 m was assessed, and alfalfa insect abundance was estimated with sticky yellow traps. The number of catches of several herbivores and predators was related to the proportion of landscape components and several field variables. Results indicated that the proportion of orchards in the buffer negatively affected the abundance of predators on alfalfa, likely because orchards treated with pesticides are a sink for predators moving in the landscape, among other possible causes. Other landscape variables such as noncrop habitats, winter cereals, and landscape diversity analysed by the Shannon index had a minor influence. Among field variables, field size influenced positively the abundance of insects on alfalfa, whereas alfalfa growth stage and age affected positively or negatively the different herbivores and predators. Of course, abundance of predators and prey was affected by the abundance of prey and predators, respectively. These findings suggest that a high proportion of intensively managed crops (orchards) in the landscape interferes with the role of alfalfa as a reservoir of predatory insects for adjacent crops and that the responses to local and landscape structures are temporal and species-specific as previously concluded for maize. Consequently, landscape and field management strategies to improve pest control must consider both types of variables as well as their changing influence when we modify them.

     

Meiosis and sexual fertility of autotetraploid clones of greater yam Dioscorea alata L.

Meiosis in the tetraploid (2n = 80) males of Dioscorea alata L. was investigated for the first time. During metaphase I, the chromosomes were associated mostly in 6–8 quadrivalents and the remaining ones as bivalents with no trivalents or univalents. Anaphase I and subsequent stages of meiosis were normal. The observation of quadrivalents in the tetraploids provides cytological evidence for autotetraploidy. The autotetraploid males and females were highly fertile and they produced viable seeds on artificial pollination. Pollination between diploids (2n = 40) and tetraploids (2n = 80) were also successful via embryo rescue, producing triploid (2n = 60) progenies. The discovery of fertile autotetraploids could initiate polyploidy breeding in D. alata by conventional hybridization for the first time. The reduced number of quadrivalents and the high fertility of the autotetraploids are thought to be the result of partial diploidization of meiosis. The findings also refute the assumption of the allopolyploid origin of D. alata from two putative progenitors.     

Prototype decision support system based on the VegSyst simulation model to calculate crop N and water requirements for tomato under plastic cover

The simulation model VegSyst was calibrated and validated for tomato grown under plastic cover. Calibration was conducted with an autumn–winter soil-grown crop, and validation with five crops with differences in season, cropping media, and site. VegSyst accurately simulated daily dry matter production (DMP), N uptake, and ET_c. Comparing simulated and measured values by linear regression, slope and intercept values were not statistically significantly different (P < 0.05) from 1 and 0, respectively. Slopes between simulated and measured values indicated average differences of 4, 2, and ?1 % for DMP, N uptake, and ET_c, respectively. Model performance was good with autumn–winter and spring cropping cycles, and in soil and substrate. A prototype decision support system (VegSyst-DSS) based on VegSyst was developed to calculate daily irrigation and N fertilizer requirements and nutrient solution [N] for fertigated tomato. N fertilizer requirements are based on crop N uptake and consider soil mineral N, and N mineralized from manure and soil OM and the N efficiency of each N source. Irrigation requirements are based on ET_c and consider application efficiency and salinity. VegSyst-DSS requires very few inputs which are all readily available to farmers and advisors. Scenario analysis compared a scenario representative of local farming practice, where N supplied from soil is not considered, with scenarios with different amounts of N supplied from soil mineral N at planting and mineralization of soil OM and of manure. Relative to the scenario representative of farmer practice, VegSyst recommendations resulted in reductions of 34–65 % in fertilizer N.     

Effect of oscillating temperature on the expression of two aquaporin genes (Pp- × TIP1, Pp-PIP2) involved in regulating intercellular water status in flower buds of peach

Summary

We studied the effects of temperature changes on the water status of floral buds in peach during ecodormancy by an analysis of aquaporin (AQP) gene expression and magnetic resonance imaging of the upper part of the bud, the bud base, the bud trace, and the bud cushion. Expression levels of mRNAs of the water channel genes, Pp- TIP1 and Pp-PIP2, in the tonoplast and plasma membrane reflected the temperature oscillations: high temperatures increased mRNA levels and low temperatures decreased them, irrespective of the duration of either treatment.The T₂ relaxation time of the buds, especially in the floral primordia, was significantly longer under oscillating temperature conditions than under a consistently high temperature. The period of high-temperature during the oscillating temperature regime accelerated water flow in the bud, but delayed bud growth. Disruption of the water balance by excessive water in the primordia under oscillating temperatures may be one reason for the delay in bud growth.