Direct evidence of surface infestation of seeds and tubers by Plasmodiophora brassicae and quantification of spore loads

Using quantitative PCR, DNA of Plasmodiophora brassicae, the causal agent of clubroot, was detected and quantified on canola, pea and wheat seeds, as well as on potato tubers, all harvested from clubroot‐infested fields in Alberta, Canada. Quantifiable levels of infestation were found on seven of the 46 samples analysed, and ranged from <1·0 × 10³ to 3·4 × 10⁴ resting spores per 10 g seeds; the vast majority (80–100%) of resting spores on these samples were viable, as determined by Evan’s blue vital staining. However, the levels of infestation found were generally lower than that required to cause consistent clubroot symptoms in greenhouse plant bioassays. While the occurrence of P. brassicae resting spores on seeds and tubers harvested from clubroot‐infested fields suggests that seedborne dissemination of this pathogen is possible, practices such as commercial seed cleaning may be sufficient to effectively mitigate this risk.     

New natural host plants of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pini’ in Poland and the Czech Republic

The presence of phytoplasmas in seven coniferous plant species (Abies procera, Pinus banksiana, P. mugo, P. nigra, P. sylvestris, P. tabuliformis and Tsuga canadensis) was demonstrated using nested PCR with the primer pairs P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2. The phytoplasmas were detected in pine trees with witches’ broom symptoms growing in natural forest ecosystems and also in plants propagated from witches’ brooms. Identification of phytoplasmas was done using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) of the 16S rDNA gene fragment with AluI, MseI and RsaI endonucleases. All samples showed RFLP patterns similar to the theoretical pattern of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pini’, based on the sequence of the reference isolate Pin127S. Nested PCR‐amplified products, obtained with primers R16F2n/R16R2, were sequenced. Comparison of the 16S rDNAs obtained revealed high (99·8–100%) nucleotide sequence identity between the phytoplasma isolates. The isolates were also closely related to four other phytoplasma isolates found in pine trees previously. Based on the results of RFLP and sequence analyses, the phytoplasma isolates tested were classified as members of the ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pini’, group 16SrXXI.     

A nested‐PCR method for rapid detection of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on petals of oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

This study established a quick and accurate method to detect petal infection of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum using a nested‐PCR technique. DNA samples were extracted from each petal using a microwave method, followed by two rounds of PCR amplification. The first‐round PCR amplification was performed using the universal fungal primer pair ITS4/ITS5, and the second‐round amplification with a specific primer pair XJJ21/XJJ222, which was designed using the single‐nucleotide polymorphisms among nuclear rDNA ITS sequences of Sclerotinia spp., Botrytis spp. and other selected fungi. The established technique is rapid and inexpensive, and has a high degree of specificity and sensitivity. This assay can distinguish Sclerotinia spp. from other fungi, including Botrytis cinerea, a closely related and frequent cohabitant on oilseed rape petals, and can detect 50 fg genomic DNA, five ascospores of S. sclerotiorumin vitro or 50 ascospores of S. sclerotiorum on one petal in approximately 6 h, even in the presence of a high background of oilseed rape DNA. This technique was successfully applied in detecting natural petal infections.     

山西省枣树上啤酒花矮化类病毒的检测及序列分析

［目的］ 从枣树样品中分离鉴定啤酒花矮化类病毒（HSVd）。［方法］ 从山西省农业科学院果树研究所国家枣种质资源圃采集70份枣树叶片样品,提取小分子RNA后通过Northern杂交、RT PCR进行检测,并对阳性样品中的类病毒进行克隆测序,利用生物学软件对所得序列进行分析。 ［结果］ 70份枣树样品中有1份样品感染HSVd,克隆测序后,共获得13条HSVd序列,它们与GenBank上首次报道的HSVd序列相似性为92.6%~92.8% 。［结论］ 本研究首次在国内报道了枣树上分离得到的HSVd序列,HSVd枣树分离物与已报道的HSVd分离物差异较大。     

苹果锈果类病毒山东栖霞分离物的分子鉴定及序列分析

本研究以采自山东省栖霞市的两个苹果样品为试验材料,利用二维电泳、斑点杂交、RT PCR等分子生物学技术对样品中的苹果锈果类病毒(ASSVd)带毒情况进行了检测。结果表明：两个样品均携带ASSVd。对两个样品中的ASSVd进行克隆测序,并利用生物学软件DNAMAN对所得序列进行分析,结果表明：与世界上首次报道的ASSVd序列(X17696)相比,本研究所得到的ASSVd序列变异较小,相对比较保守。     

基于MODIS数据的云检测及其在新疆的应用

基于遥感手段,以云的可见光和红外波段特性为依据,借鉴国内外多种云检测方法,利用MODIS 1,6,26通道资料,以指数法和光谱阈值相结合的多光谱云检测算法,对新疆山区2009年的MODIS资料进行云检测处理。检测结果的统计分析得出,2009年全疆平均云覆盖日数为82 d,其中山区平均云覆盖日数101 d,平原地区平均云...     

基于神经网络的树叶识别系统研究

在林业系统注册树木种类时,通常采用大量树叶上的可见外形特点来辨别数目繁多的树木种类。针对此问题,本文提出了基于神经网络的树叶识别方法,该方法建立并管理一个分等级的树叶图像体系,通过对不同种类树叶的边缘提取来识别每种树叶的特征点,从而得到树叶的外部轮廓来区分树木种类:给出了相应的改进型神经网络算法,并给出详细的论述过程:最后,通过Java语言给出了系统实现并做了大量的数值仿真。结果证明本文方法是可行有效的。图4表1参8。     

防疲劳驾驶系统的设计

设计一套集疲劳驾驶计时功能、疲劳驾驶检测功能、疲劳驾驶警示灯显示功能、GPS疲劳语音提示功能及GPS定位功能于一体的防疲劳驾驶系统,绘制工作流程图.通过模拟驾驶器模拟实际驾驶,对比分析头部位置检测系统、车道偏离报警系统、转向盘监测系统、驾驶员警示系统及PERCLOS系统检测疲劳驾驶的优缺点,得出了PERCLOS系统为最优疲劳驾驶检测方法.依据人因工程理论,给出了车体外部警示灯的位置和颜色的设计方案.     

Detection of cigarettes and other tobacco products by giant African pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus)

If the illicit tobacco trade were eliminated, governments could gain at least $31.3 billion a year, and more than 164,000 premature deaths a year could be avoided after 2030 (Joossens, Merriman, Ross, and Raw, 2009). Dogs have been used successfully in tobacco control programs, and there is a good chance that rats could also play an important role. In the present experiment, giant African pouched rats were trained to respond to filters that had been stored together with cigarettes (i.e., soaked) and to not respond to filters that had been soaked with noncigarette items. Generalization to untrained types of tobacco was then tested. The sensitivity of 4 rats trained on filters soaked with 1 of 7 types of cigarettes ranged from 86% to 100% (mean, 95%). There was very little evidence of generalization when the rats were tested on tobacco leaves and snuff but good evidence of generalization when the rats were tested on cigarettes that had been soaked with strong-smelling additives. These findings suggest that rats may be a valuable asset in the global effort to control illicit cigarette trade.