Multiple‐line cross QTL mapping for grain yield and thousand kernel weight in triticale

Grain yield and its component trait thousand kernel weight are important traits in triticale breeding programmes. Here, we used a large mapping population of 647 doubled haploid lines derived from four families to dissect the genetic architecture underlying grain yield and thousand kernel weight by multiple‐line cross QTL mapping. We identified 3 QTL for grain yield and 13 for thousand kernel weight which cross‐validated explained 5.2% and 48.2% of the genotypic variance, respectively. Both traits showed a positive phenotypic correlation, and we found two QTL overlapping between them. Full two‐dimensional epistasis scans revealed epistatic QTL for both traits, suggesting that epistatic interactions contribute to their genetic architecture. Based on QTL identified in our results, we conclude that the potential for marker‐assisted selection is limited for grain yield but more promising for thousand kernel weight.     

Technology generation to dissemination: lessons learned from the tef improvement project

Indigenous crops also known as orphan crops are key contributors to food security, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable with the current trend of population growth and climate change. They have the major advantage that they fit well into the general socio-economic and ecological context of developing world agriculture. However, most indigenous crops did not benefit from the Green Revolution, which dramatically increased the yield of major crops such as wheat and rice. Here, we describe the Tef Improvement Project, which employs both conventional- and molecular-breeding techniques to improve tef—an orphan crop important to the food security in the Horn of Africa, a region of the world with recurring devastating famines. We have established an efficient pipeline to bring improved tef lines from the laboratory to the farmers of Ethiopia. Of critical importance to the long-term success of this project is the cooperation among participants in Ethiopia and Switzerland, including donors, policy makers, research institutions, and farmers. Together, European and African scientists have developed a pipeline using breeding and genomic tools to improve the orphan crop tef and bring new cultivars to the farmers in Ethiopia. We highlight a new variety, Tesfa, developed in this pipeline and possessing a novel and desirable combination of traits. Tesfa’s recent approval for release illustrates the success of the project and marks a milestone as it is the first variety (of many in the pipeline) to be released.     

Novel ferrihydrite sand coating process as a first step for designed technosols

Purpose

The production of technosols to remediate polluted or sealed urban soils to sustain new green areas is mainly empirical. For this, our research aims to contribute with the scientific knowledge base for purpose designing of technosols. Since iron minerals play an important role for many different functions of soils, we simplified a technique to incorporate and stabilize iron minerals in a substrate: a sand coated with an amorphous iron (hydr)oxide, a 2-line ferrihydrite (2L-FH).

Materials and methods

The 2L-FH was precipitated by neutralization of a concentrated FeCl₃ solution. The suspension was homogeneously mixed with the sand and the mixture was dried at 35 °C. The mechanical stability of the 21 2L-FH-coated sand was determined by shaking the aggregates in water for 0, 1, 10, 100, and 1 000 min. The degree of coating detachment and the properties of the coating after shaking were characterized through (a) Fe content, (b) zeta-potential and particle size of the detached particles, (c) the specific surface area (SSA) of the coated sand, and (d) its surface structure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A phosphate adsorption isotherm was performed to measure the P-sorption capacity of the shaken samples and to test the 2L-FH-quartz attachment stability against the surface charge reduction of the 2L-FH associated with P adsorption.

Results and discussion

A reduced Fe loss (30 %) and smaller sizes of the coating detached particles in the sample shaken for 1 000 min indicate that a fractioning and reattachment of these aggregates occurred during the agitation process, resulting in a smoother surface (SEM), and a larger SSA and P-sorption capacity. The coated shaken samples showed P-adsorption capacities (5.3–6.34 μmol P g^?1) comparable to high loadings of phosphate in soils, and low detachment of Fe (7–14 %) in spite of negativity surface charge increase.

Conclusions

The practical novel coating process along with the 1 000-min shaking produced a mechanical resistant and P-adsorptive effective coated sand that could sustain the needs of plants in further experiments.

     

Coating a dredged sand with recycled ferrihydrites to create a functional material for plant substrate

Purpose

Urban greenery provides a series of benefits for the environment and inhabitants of cities. However, the substrate preparation mostly implies the mining and erosion of valuable natural soils (e.g., peat). Purpose-designed substrates, preferably made of waste materials, could avoid the extraction damage. The present work aims at improving the production and lowering the costs of a functional stably coated sand with ferrihydrite. This functional substrate combines the Fe (hydr)oxide sorptive capacities and the fast drainage of sand. Thus, secondary raw materials were tested: a dredged sand and three Fe (hydr)oxides; one from groundwater, an industrial intermediate product, and a mining by-product.

Materials and methods

Three Fe (hydr)-oxides were structurally characterized by XRD, XRF analysis, and SSA measurements. Further, amorphous Fe (hydr)oxide concentrations were determined. Sludges of these Fe (hydr)oxides in different concentrations were hand-mixed with a dredged and a mined sand, and dried at 35 °C. The stabilization of the coating was made by heavy shaking (250 rpm) the coated sand with water (3:1 w:w) for 0, 10, and 1000 min, washing and drying at 35 °C afterwards. Thereafter, the effectiveness of this treatment was determined by the Fe concentration and pH of the coated sand, along with the particle size of the detached aggregates during shaking, and the pH in the washing water. The morphology of the coating was observed by scanning electron microscopy.

Results and discussion

All Fe (hydr)oxides were 2-line ferrihydrites with large SSA, and coated both sands. Only after 1000 min shaking, homogeneous and small ferrihydrite aggregates covered the sands surfaces (verified by SEM and particle size). The impurities of the ferrihydrites affected the stabilization of the coating. Calcium carbonates enhanced the aggregation and reattachment of the Fe aggregates to the sand during shaking, while phosphate reduced the reattachment by stabilizing the aggregates in the suspension.

Conclusions

Two out of three ferrihydrites were suitable to develop a stable coating. To coat dredged sand with both ferrihydrites lowers the cost and production time to obtain a functional substrate. One ferrihydrite has a high pH due to its high CaCO3 content, and sand coated with it may be used as an amendment for acidic clayey soils.

     

Microbiological aspects of common carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis>) and its processing—relevance for final product quality: a review

The aquaculture production of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one of the biggest on a global scale, although European production represents a minor part. Thus, common carp is a little-exploited, low-cost, and highly nutritious food source. For development of new quality products that have customers’ appeal and are safe, a combination of traditional and novel technologies can be used. However, good quality raw material is of basic importance for further processing and final product quality. Fish microbiota have a major role in fish spoilage and as potential human pathogens. To diminish the negative impact of the microbiota on fish, different methods and technologies can be used. The important steps before the final product processing in the production of common carp products include purging, transport, pre-slaughter storage, slaughter method, bleeding, cleaning, desliming, descaling, and gutting. The most important factor in fish spoilage prevention is chilling, although to assure longer freshness and shelf-life, the concept of hurdle technology should be used. Many preservation and packaging techniques have been developed for fish products, but not all have been researched for common carp products. This review aims to identify the gaps in research, knowledge, and practice for the microbiological aspects that impact upon the production of high-quality common carp food products.     

The use of adjuvants to improve spray deposition and Botrytis cinerea control on Chardonnay grapevine leaves

Spray adjuvants have the potential to improve deposition by effecting uniform distribution of the active ingredient on plant surfaces. In order to study whether such a qualitative improvement of spray deposition would lead to improved disease control, a laboratory experiment was conducted on artificially inoculated grapevine (cv. Chardonnay) leaves. Prior to inoculation with Botrytis cinerea conidia in a spore settling tower, leaves were sprayed to pre-runoff with 1 mL of a mixture of fenhexamid, a fluorescent pigment, and one of 15 selected commercial adjuvants to manipulate the deposition quality of a specific quantity of spray. Following an incubation period of 24 h at high relative humidity, leaf discs were plated onto Petri dishes with paraquat-amended water agar and rated for development of B. cinerea from isolated leaf discs 11 d later. Spray deposition on leaves was assessed with a spray assessment protocol using fluorometry, photomicrography and digital image analyses. B. cinerea incidences on the upper and lower surfaces of water-sprayed leaves averaged 90.4% and 95.8%, respectively. Despite full spray cover of leaves, applications with fenhexamid alone did not completely prevent infection and resulted in 34.6% and 40.8% B. cinerea incidences on the upper and lower surfaces of leaves, respectively. Through the addition of certain adjuvants, B. cinerea incidences were significantly reduced (incidences of 2.9–17.1% and 10.0–30.8%, respectively), while some adjuvants did not differ from the fungicide only treatment, even though they might have improved spray deposition. In a histopathology study using epifluorescence microscopy, distinct differences were observed in conidium mortality (20.5% vs. 31.2%), germination (60.4% vs. 51.4%) and germ tube lengths (27.8 μm vs. 19.7 μm) between Hydrosilicote and Solitaire in combination with fenhexamid, even though both adjuvants effected similar quantitative and qualitative spray deposition. The study clearly demonstrated the potential of adjuvants to improve the bio-efficacy of a fungicide directly through improved deposition on grapevine leaf surfaces, although bio-efficacy might be influenced by adjuvant mode of action in some cases.     

Plant‐compositional effects on surface runoff and sediment yield in subalpine grassland

Soil erosion such as sheet erosion is frequently encountered in subalpine grassland in the Urseren Valley (Swiss Central Alps). Erosion damages have increased enormously in this region during the last 50 y, most likely due to changes in land‐use practices and due to the impact of climatic changes. In order to estimate the effect of vegetation characteristics on surface runoff and sediment loss, we irrigated 22 pasture plots of 1 m² during 1 h at an intense rain rate of 50 mm h^–1 in two field campaigns using a portable rain simulator. The rain‐simulation plots differed in plant composition (herb versus grass dominance) and land‐use intensity but not in plant cover (>90%) nor in soil conditions. Prior to the second rain‐simulation campaign, aboveground vegetation was clipped in order to simulate intense grazing. The generated surface runoffs, sediment loss, relative water retention in the aboveground vegetation, and changes in soil moisture were quantified. Runoff coefficient varied between 0.1% and 25%, and sediment loss ranged between 0 and 0.053 g m^–2. Thus, high infiltration rates and full vegetation cover resulted in very low erosion rates even under such extreme rain events. Surface runoff did not differ significantly between herb‐ and grass‐dominated plots. However, clipping had a notable effect on surface runoff in the test plots under different land‐use intensity. In plots without or with intensive use, surface runoff decreased after clipping whereas in extensively used plots, surface runoff increased after the clipping. This opposite effect was mainly explained by higher necromass and litter presence at the extensively used plots after the clipping treatment. The results obtained here contribute to a better understanding of the importance of vegetation characteristics on surface‐runoff formation, thus, on soil‐erosion control. Overall, we delineate vegetation parameters to be crucial in soil‐erosion control which are directly modified by the land‐use management.