Molecular identification of blast resistance genes in rice landraces from northeastern India

Rice blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating diseases causing huge losses worldwide. In the present study, major blast resistance genes were investigated in landraces originating from northeastern India. Based on phenotypic evaluation, 288 landraces were classified into three distinct groups: resistant (75), moderately resistant (127) and susceptible (86). The genetic frequencies of the 18 major blast resistance genes were between 6.2% and 27.4%, with only two genotypes possessing a maximum of nine blast resistance genes. The cluster and population structure analysis grouped the landraces into two groups. Through principal coordinate analysis, the scatter plots partitioned the resistant and moderately resistant landraces into different groups. Analysis of molecular variance showed maximum (96%) diversity within populations and least (4%) diversity between populations. Association analysis identified six markers, CRG4_2, RM72, tk59-2, pi21_79-3, RM1233 and RM6648, that are significantly associated with blast disease and explained a phenotypic variance of 1.1–6.5%. The associated genes could be used in marker-assisted rice breeding programmes for gene pyramiding to develop rice varietal resistance against blast disease. The present study represents a valuable blast resistance genetic resource that could be used for identification of new R genes, donors for blast resistance, and genomic studies.     

Assessing the efficacy and impact of management of an invasive species in a protected area: Poa annua on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island

Plant eradication is difficult, particularly in remote, protected areas. The Southern Ocean Islands are very isolated and highly protected, but the flora contains many alien plants. Small restricted populations have been eradicated, but eradication of established species has proven difficult. A better understanding of the efficacy of control methods at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and their off‐target impacts may increase eradication success. With interest in controlling non‐native Poa annua in the region, we aimed to determine if physical and chemical methods can control P. annua (the sub‐Antarctic biotype) in sub‐Antarctic conditions and examined their impact on native plants. We quantified the effectiveness of physical control methods on P. annua in situ on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island through field‐based experiments and assessed their selectivity on P. annua compared with native grasses. We also quantified the effectiveness of several herbicides on P. annua at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and assessed their selectivity on native grasses. Of the four physical disturbance methods tested, none effectively reduced P. annua cover as one‐off treatments. Of the herbicide treatments, glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron sodium were effective and were less damaging to native grass species, indicating potential selectivity. Physical control was of limited effectiveness, but did not affect native species richness. An integrated weed management programme utilising the strategic use of selective herbicides with follow‐up chemical and physical intervention may balance control and biodiversity outcomes. This research highlights the importance of site‐specific testing of control methods and understanding off‐target impacts of control when managing alien plant species in protected areas.     

Control of lettuce big-vein disease by application of fungicides and crop covers

One of the economically important diseases of lettuce is lettuce big-vein disease (LBVD), which leads to severe yield losses. LBVD is associated with a complex of two viruses, Lettuce big-vein associated virus (LBVaV) and Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus (MLBVV). These viruses are transmitted by motile zoospores of Olpidium spp. fungi, which persist in the soil for decades through resting spores. In greenhouse and field experiments, this study tested whether changing plant and soil temperatures together with fungicide application would have a significant effect on controlling LBVD in lettuce. Soil fumigation with metam sodium was not effective at controlling the disease, as opposed to treatment with chloropicrin and methyl bromide. Moreover, the fungicides carbendazim and fluazinam were effective in reducing the incidence of Olpidium virulentus. Nevertheless, control of the fungal vector did not seem to be sufficient to control the disease due to the transition ability of the virus under low vector abundance. Crop covers, which affect the favourable environmental conditions for the viruses by lowering soil temperature and raising air temperature, reduced the disease symptoms. Combining fungicides with crop cover had a synergistic effect on reducing disease symptoms, thus providing a sustainable solution for LBVD.     

Genetic diversity of the pine pathogen Lecanosticta acicola in Slovenia and Croatia

Brown spot needle blight (BSNB), a disease of pine trees caused by the fungus Lecanosticta acicola, has been known in Slovenia since 2008 and in Croatia since 1975. Recent outbreaks in Slovenia prompted this study to compare L. acicola populations in these two neighbouring European countries. Sixty-nine isolates collected from three pine species (Pinus mugo, P. halepensis and P. nigra) were used to determine the phylogenetic relationships, genetic structure, and reproductive strategy of the pathogen. EF1-α sequences showed that Slovenian and Croatian isolates share a common ancestry with individuals from central and northern Europe. Population structure analysis revealed four distinct population clusters of L. acicola in these two countries, generally corresponding to their respective geographic location and host. An unequal ratio of mating types and a low overall genetic diversity in the population indicated a strong influence of asexual reproduction. Although some of the oldest recorded European occurrences of BSNB are from Croatia, this study provided no evidence that the population studied in Croatia was the source of the sampled outbreaks in Slovenia. Recent outbreaks of L. acicola in Slovenia are most likely due to introductions from other, yet to be identified, sources.     

The value of linking paleoecological and neoecological perspectives to understand spatially-explicit ecosystem resilience

Context

Predicting ecosystem resilience is a challenge, especially as climate change alters disturbance regimes and conditions for recovery. Recent research has highlighted the importance of spatially-explicit disturbance and resilience processes to long-term ecosystem dynamics. “Neoecological” approaches characterize resilience mechanisms at relatively fine spatio-temporal resolutions, but results are difficult to extrapolate across broad temporal scales or climatic ranges. Paleoecological methodologies can consider the effects of climates that differ from today. However, they are often limited to coarse-grained spatio-temporal resolutions.

Methods

In this synthesis, we describe implicit and explicit examples of studies that incorporate both neo- and paleoecological approaches. We propose ways to build on the strengths of both approaches in an explicit and proactive fashion.

Results

Linking the two approaches is a powerful way to surpass their respective limitations. Aligning spatial scales is critical: Paleoecological sampling design should incorporate knowledge of the spatial characteristics of the disturbance process, and neoecological studies benefit from a longer-term context to their conclusions. In some cases, modeling can incorporate non-spatial data from paleoecological records or emerging spatial paleo-data networks with mechanistic disturbance/recovery processes that operate at fine spatiotemporal scales.

Conclusions

Linking these two complementary approaches is a powerful way to build a complete understanding of ecosystem disturbance and resilience.

     

Soil-Sedimentary Record of the Holocene Environment. Tell Yunacite,Bulgaria

Eurasian Soil Science - A method of the Holocene paleoenvironment reconstruction based on the analysis of pedobiomarkers in tell deposits is suggested. On the Yunacite tell, such a reconstruction...     

Monoammonium Phosphate Effects on Glyphosate in Soils: Mobilization,Phytotoxicity, and Alteration of the Microbial Community

Eurasian Soil Science - Application of monoammonium phosphate has been demonstrated to re-immobilize glyphosate sorbed by soil under model laboratory experiment conditions. This effect was most...     

Assessment of the Impact of No-Till and Conventional Tillage Technologies on the Microbiome of Southern Agrochernozems

Eurasian Soil Science - Quantitative characteristics of microbial communities in southern agrochernozems of the Stavropol region managed with the use of no-till technology and moldboard plowing...     

The Impact of Pesticides on the Microbial Community of Agrosoddy-Podzolic Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - The impact of three types of pesticides (herbicide metribuzin, insecticide imidacloprid, and fungicide benomyl) on the structure of microbial complexes and indicators of...     

Changes in Physical Properties of Chernozems under the Impact of No-Till Technology

Eurasian Soil Science - This article presents the results of research on the impact of no-till technology on the natural bulk density and macro- and microaggregate composition of the topsoil...