Citrus black spot intensity and yield losses on sweet orange are affected by Phyllosticta citricarpa inoculum concentration and fruit developmental stage

Citrus black spot (CBS) symptom expression on sweet oranges has been reported to be affected by the fruit developmental stage and inoculum concentration in greenhouse conditions. However, there is little information concerning the period in which the fruit is susceptible in commercial orchards. This study assessed the influence of fruit age and inoculum concentration of Phyllosticta citricarpa on CBS intensity and fruit drop in the field. Two field trials were conducted in commercial ‘Valencia’ orchards in São Paulo state, Brazil. Fruit were inoculated from October (petal fall stage) to July (c.6.5 cm diameter), with 10¹, 10³ and 10⁵ pycnidiospores/ml. CBS symptoms and fruit drop were observed in higher levels for fruit inoculated from October to February than from March to July. In both trials, when fruit were inoculated 10 times from October to July or single-inoculated in November or December, high CBS severities of 11%–22% were observed and the proportion of fruit remaining on the tree was 48%–77%; in contrast, noninoculated fruit had severity below 1.1% and 90% remained on the tree. Inoculations in November or December of green fruit with 1.5–3.0 cm diameter using 10⁵ pycnidiospores/ml were associated with higher CBS intensity and fruit drop and shorter incubation period than inoculations with lower concentrations. This work provides a better understanding of fruit stages and P. citricarpa inoculum concentrations most related to symptom expression and losses under natural conditions and may be helpful for improvement of CBS management in the São Paulo citrus belt.     

Biomechanics of the fresh and conserved bovine pericardium

The use of biological membranes in surgeries is a reality for years, and one of the most used is the bovine pericardium, so the purpose of this research is to describe the bovine pericardium's biomechanics by comparing two directions of a test, one parallel to the longitudinal heart axis and one perpendicular. 20 adult bovine pericardium were tested for the maximum rupture force and rupture elongation, collecting four samples of each pericardium direction. In phase 2, eight pericardia were conserved for 4 months in a 98% glycerine solution, and the solution in which they were submerged was microbiologically analysed monthly. The Mann–Whitney test was used; there was a very significant difference between the perpendicular and parallel groups (p = .0001). The T test showed no significant difference for the rupture elongation (p = .0938). In pericardium preserved in glycerine, the outliers were removed regarding the maximum rupture force, and a Boxcox transformation was performed (λ = 0.25). Outliers were removed for the rupture elongation, and Bartlett's test (p = .7836), and Cramer–Von Mises (p = .5033) were performed and then, the analysis of variance (p < .0001), followed by the Tukey test at 5%. In the microbiological analysis, there was no presence of microorganisms during conservation. The research has shown that the pericardium collection direction influences its resistance and it can be stored in glycerine for 4 months without losing biomechanical characteristics.     

Drivers of the upper River Amazon giant catfish fishery

Artisanal fishers of the upper reaches of the Amazon River use a variety of tactics to catch giant Brachyplatystoma catfish species: Brachyplatystoma vaillantii Valenciennes, Brachyplatystoma rouseauxii (Castelnau) and Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (Lichtenstein). These catfish are migratory, caught with different gears, by different communities, and influenced by temporal and spatial changes in river conditions. Facing these factors, it was hypothesised that the catfish fishery yields in the headwaters of the Amazon are determined by fishing tactics efficiency, riverscape features and governance basis. Data on catfish yields were collected from two contrasting riverscapes (rapids and floodplains) in the most important Amazonian affluent in Colombia—the Caquetá River. Results indicated that: (1) catfish yield was strongly associated with fishing effort in both riverscapes, (2) seasonal drivers play an essential influence in the high rapids reach, and river level in the low floodplain reach, (3) community strategies affected yield, although the effect is different depending on the gear used as the environment profile affects enforcement. Based on the results, it was concluded that efficient upstream management of these species should combine specific measures for each riverscape with an integrated approach to the river production system that considers catfishes longitudinal migrations and the growth overfishing occurring in the Amazon estuary.     

A set of standard area diagrams to assess severity of frogeye leaf spot on soybean

European Journal of Plant Pathology - A set of standard area diagrams (SADs) was developed and validated to aid visual assessment of severity of frogeye leaf spot (FLS) caused by Cercospora sojina....     

Pen culture of Macrobrachium amazonicum: use of artificial diet and impact on benthic community

The pressure on the benthic macroinvertebrate community and the use of artificial diets were evaluated during the pen rearing of Macrobrachium amazonicum. The study followed a completely randomized design with three treatments and three repetitions: treatment no prawns, no feed (noPnoF); treatment prawns, no feed (PnoF); and treatment prawns, feed (PF). Six pens were stocked with 10 prawns m^?2 with average initial weight of 0.63 ± 0.05 g and average length of 4.28 ± 0.14 cm; the other three pens were not stocked with prawns. Every 10 days, prawn biometry was carried out and samples were collected from the water and the sediment in each pen. The results showed that the limnological variables remained adequate for the species' biology. The zootechnical indices did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) in weight, total length and survival, with values of 4.43 ± 0.93 g, 8:03 ± 0:43 cm, and 80 ± 9.6%, respectively, for the treatment PnoF, and 4.83 ± 1.03 g, 8.42 ± 0.51 cm and 73 ± 3.5% for treatment PF. The macroinvertebrate analyses showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) for the total abundance of Oligochaeta among the days of collection and for Polymitarcyidae among the treatments. It is therefore concluded that the presence of prawns affects the abundance in the benthic community and that the zootechnical performance of M. amazonicum in this experimental condition is not influenced by supplied artificial feed.     

Mini-cuttings technique: a new ex vitro method for clonal propagation of sweetgum

An efficient production system, which can quickly produce high quality plants, is shown in this study of Liquidambar styraciflua. The mini-cuttings technique was used for ex vitro clonal propagation of three sweetgum clones. The semi-hydroponics system for production of propagules was also tested, and the concentration of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for rooting was evaluated. Three adult clones, produced according to conventional cutting processes, were used as mini-stumps and maintained in semi-hydroponics systems of medium size sand. Ten collections of sprouts were prepared to evaluate the production of semi-hydroponics systems (mini-clonal hedges). Sprouts from collection number six were used at different concentrations of IBA solution (0; 500; 1,000; 3,000 and 6,000 mg l⁻¹) to test the mini-cuttings technique. The high survival rates of mini-stumps after ten collections (96.3%), and high annual production per square meter (~2,953 mini-cuttings) showed that the mini-clonal hedges are viable to conduct sweetgum mini-stumps. The formation of 62.5% of healthy plants after hardening under outdoor conditions showed that sweetgum could be successfully propagated by the mini-cuttings technique.