Sulfometuron resistance as a genetic marker for yeast populations in wine fermentations

Winemaking with selected yeasts requires simple and cheap techniques to monitor the yeast population dynamics. We obtained new sulfometuron (smr) resistant mutants, easy to detect by replica-plate assay, from selected wine yeasts. The mutations were dominant and were located at the ilv2 locus that encodes for acetolactate synthase enzyme. The mutants were genetically stable and maintained the killer phenotype of the parent yeast strain. They were genetically improved by elimination of recessive growth-retarding alleles followed by spore clone selection according to the must fermentation kinetics and the organoleptic quality of the wine. Some mutants were tested in industrial winemaking and were easily monitored during must fermentation using a simple plate assay. They accounted for more than 95% of the total yeasts in the must, and the resulting wine had as good a quality as those made with standard commercial wine yeasts.     

重力式地下滴灌点源入渗特征的数值模拟与验证

基于非饱和土壤水动力学理论，建立了重力式地下滴灌条件下土壤水分运动轴对称三维数值模拟模型，利用Galerkin有限元法进行了数值模拟。通过试验对比验证，表明所建模型可以用于分析地下滴灌土壤水分人渗规律，具有较高的精度。对不同灌水技术要素条件下的地下滴灌湿润特征及入渗规律进行了数值模拟。结果表明，在相同灌水量下，供水压力与滴孔孔径对湿润圈影响微弱，重力式地下滴灌管道设计时可以不考虑其影响，但它对滴孔出流量影响较大，而其它因素对滴孔出流量的影响微弱。因此在地下滴灌管道设计时，只需根据田块长度和渗水管损失设计孔径和供水压力，并可选择较小的供水压力；在相同灌水量情况下，管道埋深对湿润圈具有较明显的影响，应按田间实际进行合理选择，这些结论可为地下滴灌合理的设计及运行提供理论依据。     

Nitrogen fertilizer–induced mineralization of soil organic C and N in six contrasting soils of Bangladesh

A 90‐day laboratory incubation study was carried out using six contrasting subtropical soils (calcareous, peat, saline, noncalcareous, terrace, and acid sulfate) from Bangladesh. A control treatment without nitrogen (N) application was compared with treatments where urea, ammonium sulfate (AS), and ammonium nitrate (AN) were applied at a rate of 100 mg N (kg soil)^–1. To study the effect of N fertilizers on soil carbon (C) turnover, the CO₂‐C flux was determined at nine sampling dates during the incubation, and the total loss of soil carbon (TC) was calculated. Nitrogen turnover was characterized by measuring net nitrogen mineralization (NNM) and net nitrification (NN). Simple and stepwise multiple regressions were calculated between CO₂‐C flux, TC, NNM, and NN on the one hand and selected soil properties (organic C, total N, C : N ratio, CEC, pH, clay and sand content) on the other hand. In general, CO₂‐C fluxes were clearly higher during the first 2 weeks of the incubation compared to the later phases. Soils with high pH and/or indigenous C displayed the highest CO₂‐C flux. However, soils having low C levels (i.e., calcareous and terrace soils) displayed a large relative TC loss (up to 22.3%) and the added N–induced TC loss from these soils reached a maximum of 10.6%. Loss of TC differed depending on the N treatments (urea > AS > AN >> control). Significantly higher NNM was found in the acidic soils (terrace and acid sulfate). On average, NNM after urea application was higher than for AS and AN (80.3 vs. 71.9 and 70.9 N (kg soil)^–1, respectively). However, specific interactions between N‐fertilizer form and soil type have to be taken into consideration. High pH soils displayed larger NN (75.9–98.1 mg N (kg soil)^–1) than low pH soils. Averaged over the six soils, NN after application of urea and AS (83.3 and 82.2 mg N (kg soil)^–1, respectively) was significantly higher than after application of AN (60.6 mg N (kg soil)^–1). Significant relationships were found between total CO₂ flux and certain soil properties (organic C, total N, CEC, clay and sand content). The most important soil property for NNM as well as NN was soil pH, showing a correlation coefficient of –0.33** and 0.45***, respectively. The results indicate that application of urea to acidic soils and AS to high‐pH soils could be an effective measure to improve the availability of added N for crop uptake.     

Contribution of mineral nutrition to the response of barley seedlings to polyethylene glycol–induced mild water stress

The effect of polyethylene glycol–induced osmotic stress on the activity of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and glycolate oxidase in leaves of young barley plants grown under two nutrient‐supply regimes was studied. The activity of nitrate reductase gradually decreased after polyethylene glycol (PEG) application, while glutamine synthetase and glycolate oxidase were increased. It is speculated that the enhanced glutamine synthetase and glycolate oxidase activities are due to increased flux of metabolites through the photorespiratory cycle. Prominent increase in concentrations of free proline, reducing sugars, and free amino acids was observed. The possible contribution of these cellular solutes to the process of osmotic adjustment and the role of mineral supply is discussed. It is suggested that low N supply in combination with stress conditions switched the preferred osmolyte type from amino acids (N‐containing) to sugars (C‐containing).     

土壤无机氮解吸模型及其特征值生物效应研究

8种土壤126个氮素解吸实验表明,解吸模型C=ClH-a能模拟土壤铵态氮、硝态氮的解吸动态规律,其中有125个实验的复相关系数达到极显著水平。盆栽试验和田间试验结果表明,对生长期较短的空心菜、菜心和莴苣而言,土壤氮素可解吸量Q和土壤溶液氮素初始浓度C li与供试蔬菜的氮素吸收量和产量之间有显著的抛物线型关系,为评价土壤氮素生物有效性和临界指标提供了一种新方法。     

Off-vine grape drying effect on volatile compounds and aromatic series in must from Pedro Ximénez grape variety

Changes in 36 volatile compounds of must from ripe grapes dried by direct exposure to sun and must from ripe grapes were studied. Compounds not dependent on sampling site in both musts were selected, and their concentration/Brix degree ratio values, were subjected to variance analysis. Only butan-1-ol and isoamyl alcohols showed no differences, while (E)-hex-3-en-1-ol, (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol, (E)-hex-2-en-1-ol, (E)-hex-2-enal, hexanoic acid, isobutanol, benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, gamma-butyrolactone, gamma-hexalactone, and 5-methylfurfural, showed significant differences between the two must types, which may be ascribed to the drying process. An approach to describe must odor has been carried out by grouping volatile compounds in aromatic series, increasing their values in the fruity, solvent, sweet, and roasted series and diminishing the herbaceous as a consequence of the drying process.     

Cytoprotection by neutral fraction of tannat red wine against oxidative stress-induced cell death

Some of the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on human pathologies have been attributed to red wine polyphenols. It has been postulated that the antioxidant activity of the latter would be also responsible for the cytoprotective capacity of red wine that has been reported in a few papers. Nevertheless, red wine shows a complex composition, and the active fraction is not known yet. In this context, the protective capacity of total lyophilized extracts of red wine and anthocyanin, neutral, or acidic fractions, was explored in PC12 cells in culture after a hydrogen peroxide insult. Although all fractions showed high antioxidant activity, only the neutral fraction was cytoprotective. The analysis of this active fraction showed that it was rich in the aglycons quercetin and myricetin as well as the glycosides of kaempferol, isorhamnetin, epicatechin, and catechin, some of which are known to be cytoprotective. This is the first paper to reveal the active fraction of total wine responsible of its cytoprotection.     

Changes in the properties of a Mexican Fluvisol following 30 years of sugarcane cultivation

A study to evaluate the changes in the fertility of Fluvisols under continuous cultivation of sugarcane was conducted in the vicinity of the Santa Rosalía sugar refinery. About 4000 ha of Fluvisols have been under sugarcane cultivation for more than 30 years. Three representative plots under monoculture for 5, 10, 20 and 30 years, were selected under on-farm conditions. Several samples were obtained from crop row and inter-row zones, at 0–30 cm soil depth, and composited into four samples for each plot. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, organic matter, total organic C, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, calcium and magnesium, cation exchange capacity, texture and bulk density. There were significant changes in the soil chemical properties due to 30 years of monoculture, except for OM, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and CEC. Total soil organic C, total N and P declined by 17, 21 and 37%, respectively, by 30 years of monoculture of sugarcane. These losses mainly occurred during the first 20 years of cultivation. However, the adverse effect of decline in soil fertility was not reflected in the sugarcane yields. The 67% increase in yields observed between 5 and 30 years of monoculture may be attributed to the adoption of recommended cultural practices and to farmer's experience. Soil physical properties were not affected by the intensive sugarcane cultivation. A complete adoption of recommended practices by SR among farmers and a revision of the N and P fertilization rate are necessary to maintain the fertility of sugarcane soils.     

Tetrahydro-beta-carboline alkaloids occur in fruits and fruit juices. Activity as antioxidants and radical scavengers

Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines are biologically active alkaloids that occur and accumulate in mammalian tissues, fluids, and brain, but their ultimate origin or biological role is still uncertain. Four tetrahydro-beta-carboline alkaloids: 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline, and 6-hydroxy-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline, are found as naturally occurring substances in some fruit and fruit juices. These compounds occur in the microg/g level in those products, and a characteristic and distinct profile appears to exist depending on the type of fruit and juice involved. Thus, 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline may appear in tomato, tomato juice, and kiwi; 6-hydroxy-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline in bananas, pineapple, tomato, and their corresponding juices; and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid in oranges and grapefruits, although it also occurred in most juices. Fruit-occurring tetrahydro-beta-carboline alkaloids acted as antioxidants and free radical scavengers in the ABTS assay when compared with ascorbic acid and Trolox. This suggests that tetrahydro-beta-carboline alkaloids might act as antioxidants when absorbed and accumulated in the body, contributing to the antioxidant effect of fruit products containing these compounds.