Leaf, floret and seed infection of wheat by Pyrenophora semeniperda

Infection processes of Pyrenophora semeniperda on seedling and adult wheat leaves and wheat ears were investigated. Almost 100% germination of conidia occurred on seedling leaves, compared with 20–30% on adult leaves. Appressoria formed over the anticlinal epidermal cell walls and haloes always accompanied infection. Sometimes papillae formed within the leaves as a resistance mechanism. Infection hyphae ramified through the intercellular spaces of the mesophyll resulting in cellular disruption. The infection processes on floral tissues were similar to those observed on leaves; however, no infection occurred on anther, stigmatic or stylar tissues. Infection of ovarian tissue occurred both with and without appressoria formation. Hyphae grew mainly in the epidermal layers and appeared unable to breach the integumental layer as no growth was observed in endosperm or embryo tissues. The optimum dew period temperature for conidial germination was 23·6°C, compared with 19·9°C for lesion development, 20·4°C for the production of infection structures on seedling leaves and 23·7°C for floret infection. Leaf disease development occurred in a logistic manner in response to dew period, with maximum infection observed after 21 h compared with > 48 h in seeds. An initial dark phase during the dew period was necessary for infection and temperature after the dew period had an effect, with significantly more numerous and larger lesions being formed at 15°C compared with 30°C. Seedling leaves were found to be more susceptible than older leaves, under both field and controlled environment conditions. Infection of wheat seeds following inoculation of ears, or after harvest burial of inoculated disease-free seeds, was demonstrated. In the latter, 3-week-old seedlings were slightly stunted, whereas older plants were unaffected. The apparent unimportance of this plant pathogen as a cause of leaf disease in relation to its poor adaptation to dew periods and dew period temperature is discussed, along with the importance of its seed borne characteristics.     

Laboratory evaluation of the insect growth regulator lufenuron againstHelicoverpa armigera on cotton

An insect growth regulator (IGR), lufenuron (Match 5EC), was tested for its toxicity toHelicoverpa armigera on cotton. Potency of the IGR against the larval stage of the pest was demonstrated with respect to larval instars; the LC₉₀ values of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th instar larvae were 5.63, 7.89, 8.03, 11.39 and 14.76 mg a.i.l ⁻¹, respectively. However, different larval instars did not differ significantly with respect to LC₅₀ and LC₁₀. IGR-treated larvae had swollen heads and were significantly smaller (1.5–2.3 mm) than the untreated control (2.9 mm). Larval weight was significantly reduced from 190 mg in the control to 50–70 mg in the lufenuron treatment. IGR treatment in the larval stage significantly affected both pupal length and pupal weight. Pupal duration of the test insect was significantly extended by IGR treatment. Pupal deformities, including an inability to shed the last larval skin and formation of larval-pupal intermediates, occurred following treatment. A significant reduction in adult emergence was recorded. In addition, abnormalities in the form of development of cavities in the forewings of adult were evident. A significant decline in fecundity was noted in the studies. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 3, 2003.     

The ecological fitness of ALS-resistant Amaranthus retroflexus and multiple-resistant Amaranthus blitoides

Summary Field studies were conducted to evaluate the ecological fitness of Amaranthus spp. biotypes that evolved resistance to either acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors ( A. retroflexus , SuR), to triazine herbicides ( A. blitoides , SuS/TR), or to both ( A. blitoides , SuR/TR), and estimate their ecological fitness under competitive conditions. The plants were grown in monoculture and in replacement series experiments. The examined mixtures were 100%S, 75%S/25%R, 50%S/50%R, 25%S/75%R and 100%R, at a constant stand of 400 plants m⁻². The SuR and SuS A. retroflexus biotypes attained similar shoot dry biomass per plant, biomass per plot and relative yield total (RYT) = 1. In monoculture, the final shoot biomass of A. blitoides biotypes SuS/TS plants was higher than that of SuR/TR and SuS/TR. A negative effect of association was observed, amensalism, when SuS/TS was grown in mixture with SuR/TR, in favour of the wild type. However, SuR/TR and SuS/TR biomass was not influenced by the presence of the competitor. These data support the hypothesis that the ALS-resistance trait in A. retroflexus and A. blitoides is not associated with growth penalty and did not incur ecological cost in the field. We suggest that the cause of the observed reduction in growth rendering the SuS/TR and SuR/TR less fit than the wild type is due to the triazine resistance, and may facilitate their dissipation.     

Resistance to Leveillula taurica in the genus Capsicum

One hundred and sixty-two Capsicum genotypes were evaluated for powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) resistance, following inoculations with a suspension of 5 × 10⁴ conidia mL⁻¹ on 10-leaved to 12-leaved plants. Genotypes were graded into five resistance classes, based on the areas under the disease progress curves calculated from disease incidence (percentage infected leaves per plant) and severity (total number of colonies per plant). Results revealed a continuum from resistance to susceptibility, with the majority (70%) of C. annuum materials being classified as moderately to highly susceptible to L. taurica. Conversely, C. baccatum, C. chinense and C. frutescens were most often resistant, indicating that resistance to L. taurica among Capsicum species is found mainly outside the C. annuum taxon. Nevertheless, some resistant C. annuum material was identified that may be useful for resistance breeding. Eight genotypes were identified as immune to the pathogen: H-V-12 and 4638 (previously reported), and CNPH 36, 38, 50, 52, 279 and 288. Only H-V-12 and 4638 are C. annuum, while all others belong to the C. baccatum taxon. Latent period of disease on a set of commercial sweet pepper genotypes varied, indicating diverse levels of polygenic resistance. The latent period progressively reduced with plant maturity, from 14·3 days in plants at the mid-vegetative stage to 8·6 days in plants at the fruiting stage. Young plants of all commercial genotypes tested at the early vegetative stage were immune, irrespective of the reaction of the genotype at later stages, demonstrating widespread juvenile resistance to L. taurica in the Capsicum germplasm. Inoculation of plants of different botanical taxa with a local isolate indicated a wide host range. Some hosts, including tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), artichoke (Cynara scolymus) and poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), produced large amounts of secondary inoculum. Other hosts included okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), eggplant (Solanum melongena), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), Solanum gilo, Chenopodium ambrosioides and Nicandra physaloides.     

Restoration of tuber production by exposure to unshaded daylight in Eleocharis kuroguwai Ohwi shaded during the early tuber formation period

The loss of final tuber weight of Eleocharis kuroguwai Ohwi by shading during the early tuber formation period (TFP) is overcome by exposure to unshaded daylight thereafter (late TFP). In the present study, the growth parameters that contribute to the dry matter increase (DMI) per day of tubers in the late TFP were examined. DMI of the tuber during the late TFP was determined by that of the whole plant and the ratio of the DMI of the tuber to that of the whole plant during this period. The ratio of the DMI of the tuber to that of the whole plant during the late TFP was significantly correlated with the DMI of the whole plant during the first 14 days of the late TFP. During the late TFP after the exposure to unshaded daylight, DMI of the whole plant correlated with the surface area of the stem (SAS) and net assimilation ratio (NAR), and the SAS correlated with the stem dry weight (DW) and specific stem-surface area (SSA). SSA negatively influenced NAR, but NAR was increased by unshading. During the late TFP after shading, the effect of the decrease of the stem DW due to shading on the DMI of the whole plant was mitigated by the large SAS and high NAR. These results indicate that the growth parameters that contribute to the DMI of tuber during the late TFP after exposure to unshaded daylight are SAS and NAR just after unshading, and SSA during this period.     

土壤改良对越桔生长的影响

在盆栽条件下,对生长越桔的土壤进行改良。通过土壤pH值的变化、生长量及相关指标的分析对比,获得适合越桔生长的土壤改良类型。试验研究表明,pH值4.0～5.0的苔藓 草炭 原土 S土壤改良类型适合于越桔的生长,植株的高度、粗度、基生枝数等都明显增加。从各指标上观察,原土 2S的土壤改良类型也具有一定优势,说明在土壤有机质充足的基础上,只需调酸,越桔就能正常生长。     

荔枝环剥时期对新梢生长及碳素储备的影响

 枝梢环剥显著抑制了‘怀枝’荔枝新梢的生长，并导致射线细胞和髓部大量积累淀粉。梢芽萌发或伸长前环剥可完全抑制新梢生长，而新梢快速伸长期环剥对其抑制效应最弱。秋季环剥对新梢的抑制和对淀粉积累的促进效应明显高于春季环剥。环剥口以上的老叶面积和环剥位置并不影响环剥对新梢生长的抑制效应和促进淀粉的积累效应，但环剥口以上单位枝梢长度的叶面积与淀粉含量呈显著正相关。     

华北地区夏玉米田马唐治理的生态经济杀除阈期研究

作者于1992～1994年研究夏玉米田马唐(Digitaria sanguinalis L.)治理的生态经济阈期,借助计算机进行数学模拟,建立夏玉米的相对产量与马唐的相对干扰生长时间、相对出苗时间的函数关系。苗后马唐干扰生长的相对时间即相对天数(Xu)与夏玉米相对产量(Yu)的关系式为: Yu=101.5/{1.0 0.01756EXP[—(—0.0876Xu 0.0004888Xu~2)]}…………(1)苗后马唐出苗的相对时间与玉米相对产量的关系式为: Yd=100.73/{1.0 0.96EXP[—(0.06346Xd-0.00006859Xd~2)]}……………(2) 根据生态经济杀除阈期的定义和(1)、(2)两公式计算可知:夏玉米田马唐防除的生态经济杀除阈期的始期应从夏玉米苗后生育期总天数的11.8％开始,结束于夏玉米苗后生育期总天数的53.9％。例如华北地区夏玉米全生育期总天数一般是95天,夏玉米苗后生育期总天数(T)约为88天,故夏玉米田马唐防除的生态经济杀除阈期约在夏玉米苗后10.6—47.5天之间。     

丝兰属植物提取物降低鸡舍氨气浓度的效果试验

通过在21日龄的肉用仔鸡饲料中添加丝兰属植物提取物(其有效成分为丝兰皂角苷)，研究丝兰属植物提取物对降低鸡舍中氨气浓度和提高肉仔鸡生产性能的效果。试验结果表明，试验组鸡舍内氨气平均浓度为4．75mg／L，对照组鸡舍内氨气平均浓度为13．80mgl／L，试验组比对照组鸡舍内氨气平均浓度降低了9．05mg／L，经t检验，两鸡舍内氨气平均浓度差异显著(P＜0．05)，并且试验组比对照组饲料报酬提高了8.92％。     

不同培养基对杏鲍菇菌丝生长的影响

比较了杏鲍菇一级种和二级种培养基配方 ,试验表明杏鲍菇一级种培养基以配方三最好 ,菌丝干重是配方七 (对照 )的 3 5倍 ,差异极显著 ;杏鲍菇二级种培养基以配方四最好 ,菌丝生长势最强 ,与供试各培养基配方相比较 ,差异均为极显著