Ultrastructural and cytochemical aspects of silicon-mediated rice blast resistance

ABSTRACT Although exogenous application of silicon (Si) confers efficient control of rice blast, the probable hypothesis underlying this phenomenon has been confined to that of a mechanical barrier resulting from Si polymerization in planta. However, in this study, we provide the first cytological evidence that Si-mediated resistance to Magnaporthe grisea in rice correlates with specific leaf cell reaction that interfered with the development of the fungus. Accumulation of an amorphous material that stained densely with toluidine blue and reacted positively to osmium tetroxide was a typical feature of cell reaction to infection by M. grisea in samples from Si+ plants. As a result, the extent of fungal colonization was markedly reduced in samples from Si+ plants. In samples from Si- plants, M. grisea grew actively and colonized all leaf tissues. Cytochemi-cal labeling of chitin revealed no difference in the pattern of chitin localization over fungal cell walls of either Si+ or Si- plants at 96 h after inoculation, indicating limited production of chitinases by the rice plant as a mechanism of defense response. On the other hand, the occurrence of empty fungal hyphae, surrounded or trapped in amorphous material, in samples from Si+ plants suggests that phenolic-like compounds or phytoalexins played a primary role in rice defense response against infection by M. grisea. This finding brings new insights into the complex role played by Si in the nature of rice blast resistance.     

Effect of rice growth stages and silicon on sheath blight development

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the effect of silicon (Si) and rice growth stages on tissue susceptibility to sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani Kühn) under controlled conditions. Rice plants (cv. Rio Formoso) were grown in pots containing low-Si soil amended with Si at 0, 0.48, 0.96, 1.44, and 1.92 g pot(-1) and inoculated with R. solani at the following days after emergence: 45 (four-leaf stage), 65 (eight-leaf stage), 85 (tillering), 117 (booting), and 130 (panicle exsertion). For plants inoculated with R. solani at all growth stages, Si concentration in straw increased as rate of Si increased from 0 to 1.92 g pot(-1). Concentration of calcium in the straw did not differ among plant growth stages. Although incubation period was not affected by the amount of Si added to the soil, this variable was shorter at booting and panicle exsertion stages. As the rates of Si increased in the soil, the total number of sheath blight lesions on sheaths and total area under the relative lesion extension curve decreased at all plant growth stages. The severity of sheath blight was lower at booting and panicle exsertion stages as the rates of Si increased in the soil. In general, plants grown in Si-nonamended pots and inoculated with R. solani were more vulnerable to infection at all growth stages, but especially at 45 days after emergence. Plant dry weights for inoculated plants increased as the Si rates increased from 0 to 1.92 g pot(-1). The greatest dry weight increases occurred for plants inoculated at booting and panicle exsertion stages. Si fertilization is a promising method for controlling sheath blight in areas where soil is Si deficient and when cultivars that exhibit an acceptable level of resistance to sheath blight are not available for commercial use.     

Morphometry and histochemistry of the semitendinosus muscle of tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella Linnaeus, 1758)

Considering monkeys are animals closely related to the human, and semitendinosus muscle has been used in many postural research experiments, we have decided to study its histochemical characteristics. Samples were removed from the proximal, middle and distal regions of the semitendinosus muscles of five adult male tufted capuchin monkeys and observed for reaction with m-ATPase (with alkaline and acid pre-incubation), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase, and haematoxylin and eosin. The muscle fibres were classified as fast glycolytic (FG), fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) and slow oxidative (SO) and quantified in terms of frequency and area. The three regions of the semitendinosus muscle showed no significant differences in frequency or area of the respective fibre types, and therefore the muscle can be considered histoenzymologically homogeneous. FG fibres presented higher frequencies and larger areas. The sum of FOG and SO fibres was 57.5%, suggesting that the semitendinosus muscle of the tufted capuchin monkey is adapted to an action involved in posture maintenance and in long arboreal dislocation. The present data agrees with the notion of differentiated quadrupedalism in some primates, which support a lower percentage of their weight on the fore limbs.     

Disseminated pythiosis in three horses

Three cases of equine subcutaneous pythiosis with dissemination to the internal organs were investigated. The subcutaneous lesions were observed on the mammary gland, nostrils and limbs of the infected horses. Histopathological analysis of the infected tissues revealed a strong eosinophilic reaction, with macrophages, mast cells and giant cells. Sparsely septated hyphal filaments of 4-6 microm diameter were identified in the center of the eosinophilic areas. Specific fluorescent antibody against Pythium insidiosum confirmed the hyphae in the infected tissues in three examined horses. In one of the three cases, the DNA sequences amplified from the infected subcutaneous tissues and internal organs, revealed that P. insidiosum's 18S SSU rDNA amplicons shared 100% identity with those sequences deposit in GenBank. This is the first report confirming by immunochemical and genetic techniques that P. insidiosum can disseminated from superficial to deep structures.     

Effects of deficit irrigation strategies on cluster microclimate for improving fruit composition of Moscatel field-grown grapevines

The grapevine plays a very important role in the economic, social and cultural sectors of many regions; however vineyards are often grown in regions under stressful conditions and thus they are vulnerable to climate change. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation on vine water relations, vegetative growth, plant microclimate, berry composition and yield components, compared to conventional deficit irrigation (DI, 50% ETc), full irrigation (FI, 100% of ETc) and non-irrigated vines (NI). The study was undertaken in mature ‘Moscatel’ grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in Pegões, South of Portugal. Compared to the other irrigated treatments, PRD vines showed a better microclimate at the cluster zone with higher incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Within the more open canopies of NI and PRD treatments, berry temperatures were higher than those of denser ones (DI and FI). Compared to the conventional irrigation technique the better microclimate observed in PRD vines was a consequence of a reduction in vine growth, where lower values of leaf layer number, leaf area, canopy wideness, water shoots and shoot weight were observed. In PRD vines we observed a tendency to a development of a deeper root system, while DI and FI showed a more homogeneous root distribution throughout the different soil layers. PRD showed an improvement in berry quality with higher values of flavour precursors, and total phenols concentration without any significant yield reduction compared to DI and FI.     

监测饲料及其原料以消除霉菌毒素的影响

由于霉菌毒素是一类无色无臭无味的物质,所以测定饲料原料和饲料成品以监测霉菌毒素的污染是非常重要的. 霉菌毒素这一术语源自希腊语单词"mycos"和"toxikon",是指在各种各样环境条件下由真菌产生的次生有毒代谢产物.     

First report on Meloidogyne chitwoodi hatching inhibition activity of essential oils and essential oils fractions

The Columbia root-knot nematode (CRKN), Meloidogyne chitwoodi, is an EPPO A2 type quarantine pest since 1998. This nematode causes severe damage in economically important crops such as potato and tomato, making agricultural products unacceptable for the fresh market and food processing. Commonly used nematicidal synthetic chemicals are often environmentally unsafe. Essential oils (EOs) may constitute safer alternatives against RKN. EOs, isolated from 56 plant samples, were tested against CRKN hatching, in direct contact bioassays. Some of the most successful EOs were fractionated and the hydrocarbon molecules (HM) and oxygen-containing molecules (OCM) fractions tested separately. 24 EOs displayed very strong hatching inhibitions (≥90 %) at 2 µL mL^?1 and were further tested at lower concentrations. Dysphaniaambrosioides, Filipendula ulmaria, Ruta graveolens, Satureja montana and Thymbra capitata EOs revealed the lowest EC₅₀ values (<0.15 µL mL^?1). The main compounds of these EOs, namely 2-undecanone, ascaridol, carvacrol, isoascaridol, methyl salicylate, p-cymene and/or γ-terpinene, were putatively considered responsible for CRKN hatching inhibition. S. montana and T. capitata OCM fractions showed hatching inhibitions higher than HM fractions. The comparison of EO and corresponding fractions EC₅₀ values suggests interactions between OCM and HM fractions against CRKN hatching. These species EOs showed to be potential environmentally friendly CRKN hatching inhibitors; nonetheless, bioactivity should be considered globally, since its HM and OCM fractions may contribute, diversely, to the full anti-hatching activity.     

Tracking leaf area index and coefficient of light extinction over the harvesting cycle of black wattle

The amount of photosynthetic radiation intercepted by a crop is a function of the incident solar radiation on the plants, the leaf area index (L _AI), and the light extinction coefficient (k). We quantified L _AI and k in stands of black wattle (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.) over a 7-year growth cycle at two locations in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Our study was conducted in commercial stands in agroecological regions with high densities of black wattle plantations. L _AI was calculated as the ratio between the leaf area of a tree and its planting space, and k was derived from Beer’s law. L _AI depends on the planting site and stand age. Between the two sites, the L _AI was similar over time, the amount of variation differed. Values of k depended only on stand age, with the highest average observed for stands up to 5 years old. The trend of k during the plantation cycle was inversely proportional to L _AI and was correlated with L _AI, leaf area, leaf dry mass, canopy volume, height, branches dry mass, total dry mass, and crown diameter.     

Risk factors to incidental leptospirosis and its role on the reproduction of ewes and goats of Espírito Santo state,Brazil

Ovine and caprine stockbreeding have been gaining attention in developing countries as an attractive investment. On these animals, infectious diseases of the reproductive tract, such as leptospirosis, can compromise the production leading to economic losses. The present study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with incidental leptospirosis and its influence on the reproductive parameters of ewes and goats of Espírito Santo state, Brazil. A total of 737 animals distributed on 24 herds/flocks were studied, and an overall prevalence of 10.9 % seroreactive animals was observed. Serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae was the most frequent in goats (97.0 %) as well as in ewes (78.3 %). Regarding risk factors related to leptospirosis, the presence of waterholes and the semi-intensive breeding system were the most important associated to seroreactivity. Besides, there was an observed association between seroreactivity and reproductive failures (P?<?0.05). Moreover, seroreactive ewes (relative risk (RR)?=?1.3) and goats (RR?=?1.9) presented more chances to have abortions than seronegative animals. Furthermore, seroreactive ewes presented 11.6 more chances of having premature births when compared to the seronegative ones. It can be concluded that Leptospira infection, mainly those caused incidental strains (such as Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup), is a significant factor to reduce the productivity of small ruminants’ herds/flocks in the studied region, and environmental measures must be considered on control programs.