Resistance to yellow rust in Triticum dicoccoides. II. Crosses with resistant Triticum dicoccoides sel. G-25

A comparison was made between the genes in 29 new selections of wild emmer wheat resistant to yellow rust over wide geographic areas and the previously extensively studied selectionTriticum dicoccoides G-25. In 23 selections the resistance may be conferred by 1 dominant gene; these include 11 selections in which the gene is different from the dominant gene in sel. G-25 and two others in which the genes were closely linked or allelic to the gene in G-25, differing from sel. G-25 by race-specificity. Two dominant genes different from the gene in sel. G-25, seem to be present in one selection. In five selections the resistance may be conferred by one or two recessive genes, including three instances in which the recessive gene was associated with a dominat gene. Our findings show that at least 19 out of the 29 selections studied possess genes which are different from the gene inT. dicoccoides sel. G-25.Samenvatting In dit onderzoek werden 29 nieuwe resistente wilde-emmer selecties (Triticum dicoccoides) gekruist met de reeds uitvoerig bestudeerde resistente selectie G-25, om na te gaan of de resistentie van de nieuwe selecties wordt veroorzaakt door genen op dezelfde locus als het dominante gen in sel. G-25 of dat er andere loci bij zijn betrokken. De ouders, de F₁-en F₂-populaties van een bepaalade selectie werden in het kiemplantstadium getoetst met één Israëlisch gele-roest isolaat van fysio 2E0 of van fysio 2E18. In de uitsplitsende F₂-populaties werden de niet-sporulerende planten als resistent beschouwd en de sporulerende als vatbaar.In de F₂-populaties van 12 herkomsten werden geen vatbare planten gevonden, hetgeen er op duidt dat de resistentie wordt veroorzaakt door een gen op dezelfde locus als het gen in G-25 of door een gen dat neuw gekoppeld is aan het gen in G-25. Voor twee van deze herkomsten kan op basis van een fysio-specifieke interactie worden vastgesteld dat de resistentie berust op allelen die verschillen van het allel in sel. G-25. In 11 herkomsten werd een uitsplitsing voor twee dominante gene gevonden (RS=151), waarbij het tweede dominante gen uit de getoetste nieuwe selectie afkomstig is. De aanwezigheid van twee dominante genen verschillend van het gen in sel. G-25 werd gevonden in één herkomst (631). In de overige vijf selecties bleek de resistentie te worden veroorzaakt door één of twee recessieve genen waarnaast in drie gevallen ook nog een dominant gen werd gevonden.De resultaten tonen aan dat tenminste 19 van de 29 bestudeerde selecties resistentiegenen bezitten die verschillen van het gen inT. dicoccoides sel. G-25. Slechts in twee van deze selecties kan het gen allel zijn met het gen in sel. G-25.     

Identification of Landscape Elements Related to Local Declines of a Boreal Grey-sided Vole Population

Several studies indicate a long-term decline in numbers of different species of voles in northern Fennoscandia. In boreal Sweden, the long-term decline is most pronounced in the grey-sided vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus). Altered forest landscape structure has been suggested as a possible cause of the decline. However, habitat responses of grey-sided voles at the landscape scale have never been studied. We analyzed such responses of this species in lowland forests in Västerbotten, northern Sweden. Cumulated spring densities representing 22 local time series from 1980–1999 were obtained by a landscape sampling design and were related to the surrounding landscape structure of 2.5×2.5 km plots centred on each of the 22 1-ha trapping plots. In accordance with general knowledge on local habitat preferences of grey-sided voles, our study supported the importance of habitat variables such as boulder fields and old-growth pine forest at the landscape scale. Densities were negatively related to clear cuts. Habitat associations were primarily those of landscape structure related to habitat fragmentation, distance between habitat patches and patch interspersion rather than habitat patch type quantity. Local densities of the grey-sided vole were positively and exponentially correlated with spatial contiguity (measured with the fragmentation index) of old-growth pine forest, indicating critical forest fragmentation thresholds. Our results indicate that altered land use might be involved in the long-term decline of the grey-sided vole in managed forest areas of Fennoscandia. We propose two further approaches to reveal and test responses of this species to changes in landscape structure.     

Hepatic emphysema associated with ultrasound-guided liver biopsy in a dog

An eleven-year-old Chinese Crested Powder Puff dog presented with polydipsia/polyuria, inappetence, diarrhea and vomiting underwent an ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy. Two days post-biopsy the clinical condition of the dog acutely deteriorated with fever, dyspnea, ataxia and subcutaneous emphysema. Radiographs and ultrasound showed focal severe hepatic emphysema in the region of the previous liver biopsy. Post-mortem examination revealed chronic hepatitis with dissecting fibrosis, acute hepatitis with hemorrhage and in the hindlimb musculature extensive hemorrhage and necrosis. Pure cultures of the gas producing bacteria Clostridium perfringens were isolated in samples from the hind limb musculature. We propose that the hepatic emphysema in the region of the biopsy site was a result of a clostridial infection.     

Inheritance of characters determining growth and development of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under low energy conditions

Summary Diallel crosses were made between 15 tomato genotypes with varying performance under a low energy regime. It appeared that differences between genotypes for 11 vegetative and generative plant characters are determined mainly by additive genetic variation. For breeding cultivars adapted to low energy conditions, crossing genotypes with a high GCA for weight of trusses and fruits (WTF) and genotypes with a high GCA for weight of vegetative plant parts (WVP) seems most promising. Complications may arise from the negative correlation between GCA values for WTF and WVP, and the strong positive correlation between GCA values for fruit number and WTF, causing small fruits.     

Statistical analysis of growth curves in plant breeding

Summary In the first part of this paper some experimental conditions necessary for a valid statistical analysis of differences in growth curves are discussed.Next the multivariate character of growth curves is considered. Data on the growth curves of three genotypes of an experiment with tomatoes of the IVT are used for illustrating the computational procedure and some aspects of interpretation.The growth curves of log dry leaf weight for each plot could be described by a quadratic function of time and were characterised by three components: mean level m, slope 1 (linear component) and curvature q (quadratic component).Univariate analyses of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences between cultivars for each growth component: however, this is only part of the information as the correlation between the components is not involved. From a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) it appeared that in this experiment the differences in growth between the cultivars were best expressed by using mean level m only.An estimate of the final (reduced) statistical model underlying the tomato example is derived.It is advised to split up growth into different phases of development each with its own analysis. At least four harvest dates for every phase seem desirable.     

Nitrogen availability decreases prokaryotic diversity in sandy soils

In this study, the interrelation between nitrogen availability and prokaryotic diversity are studied using a well-characterised system from a long-term field experiment on a loamy sandy soil. The prokaryotic potential functional diversity and community composition were assessed using community-level physiological profiling (CLPP), and their phylogenetic diversity was analysed using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) in combination with sequencing analysis. Highest prokaryotic potential functional diversity was measured in the control soil receiving no N fertilisation, indicating an efficient as well as versatile utilisation of the substrates in this soil. Both substrate utilisation richness and substrate utilisation evenness, the two constituents of the functional diversity, were decreased with increasing N supply. Furthermore, distinct prokaryotic community compositions were generated in N-enriched soils compared to unfertilised control soils. These differences suggest a dominance of populations adapted to utilising readily available substrates. We demonstrated that the shift in prokaryotic functional diversity was connected to a shift in the phylogenetic structure of the bacterial and archaeal communities. Taken together, our data clearly show that, for the sandy soil system, prokaryotic diversity and N availability were interrelated.     

Episodic Events in Water Chemistry and Metals in Streams in Northern Sweden during Spring Flood

Thirteen streams in the province of Jämtland in northern Sweden were monitored during spring in 1995 (December 94 – July 95) to study changes in water chemistry and metal concentrations during snow melt. The brooks are not treated with lime, with one exception, and can be approximately divided into three groups according to watershed characteristics; A) > 65% above tree line, B) > 65 % wetland, C) > 55% forested. During peak flow, pH dropped 0.5–2.5 units and alkalinity generally to zero. The brooks above tree line were lowest in base cations and reached the lowest pH-values (4.4–4.6) during peak flow, while sulphate levels were about the same as in the forested watersheds. During peak flow, organic anions showed the highest increase in the wetland and forested catchments. Compared to base flow, Al, Zn, Pb and to some extent Mn was enriched during peak flow. The results also illustrate the difficulties in generalising the reasons for alkalinity losses during spring flood in this kind of streams. In some of the brooks, the use of either base cations or silica, when calculating dilution effects, gave deviating results concerning the relative contribution of strong acids in the snow pack.     

Tracking Phytophthora infestans with SSR markers within and between seasons – a field study in Sweden

The dynamics of a late blight epidemic and sexual reproduction in Phytophthora infestans were studied in an experimental field in mid‐Sweden. The field was inoculated with six isolates of P. infestans taken from another potato field where sexual reproduction of the pathogen was suspected. Three weeks after inoculation single‐lesion leaflets were sampled and the resulting isolates characterized using microsatellites (SSRs) and mating type as markers. Among the 151 isolates analysed, the inoculum genotypes constituted more than 80% of the genotypes found, with three other genotypes making up the remainder. The following year, P. infestans obtained from soil samples taken from this field were analysed, and six novel genotypes were identified. Genotypes from the previous summer’s population were not detected. Analysis of the genotypes recovered was consistent with them being recombinants, with the previous summer’s population acting as parents. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that oospores produced during a summer epidemic in Sweden can overwinter and cause infection the next year.