Prediction of Genetic Gain in Sweet Corn using Selection Indexes

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - The cultivation of sweet corn is expanding in Brazil, but there are serious constraints about the availability of commercial cultivars. The selection of...     

Spring invasion of Heterodera schachtii in sugarbeet; a simulation study

A simulation model was developed for the spring invasion of the beet cyst nematode,Heterodera schachtii Schmidt, into sugarbeet roots, according to the state variable approach. This model describes the processes of egghatch, emergence of second stage larvae from cysts, migration to roots and penetration into roots quantitatively, using published data.In 1983 a field experiment was conducted to test this model.H. schachtii cysts were introduced at depths 6–29 cm in PVC-cylinders, buried in the soil. The rooting depth of sugarbeet seedlings, growing in these cylinders, was limited to 5 cm by 50 m mesh nylon gauze. Every 10 days the second stage larvae, which had penetrated into the roots of these seedlings were counted. After 50 days, about 40% of the eggs had hatched. More than 20% of the emerged larvae penetrated if the cysts had been buried undeeply, and only 4% if the cysts had been buried at 29 cm depth.The model predicted the course of penetration into the root during the first 40 days with reasonable accuracy (r²=0.79), but in the 5th period of 10 days the model made an overestimation of more than 100%. Egghatch after 50 days was correctly simulated. The differences in penetration into the root between the model and the experiment might result from an oversimplified simulation of the penetration success or the neglection of mortality of second stage larvae. Detailed experiments should be done to provide better parameters for these factors.Samenvatting Volgens de toestandsvariabele-benadering werd een simulatiemodel ontwikkeld van de voorjaarspenetratie van het bietecystenaaltje. Het model beschrijft aan de hand van literatuurgegevens het uikomen van de eieren, het verlaten van de cyst door de larven, de migratie naar en de penetratie in de wortel.In 1983 werd een veldproef uitgevoerd om het model te toetsen. Cysten vanH. schachtii werden op 5 dieptes tussen 6 en 29 cm ingegraven in PVC-cylinders, welke waren verzonken in de bodem. De bewortelingsdiepte van de suikerbiete-zaailingen die hierin groeiden werd beperkt tot 5 cm door nylon gaas van 50 m maaswijdte. Elke 10 dagen werden de larven geteld die in de wortels van deze plantjes waren gepenetreerd. Na 50 dagen was 40% van de eieren uitgekomen. Meer dan 20% van de gelokte larven penetreerden als de cysten ondiep waren ingegraven, en slechts 4% als de cysten op 29 cm diepte waren ingegraven.Gedurende de eerste 40 dagen werd het verloop van de penetratie in de wortel met redelijke nauwkeurigheid door het model voorspeld (r²=0.79). In de 5e periode van 10 dagen maakte het model echter een overschatting van meer dan 100%. Het uitkomen van de eieren werd correct gesimuleerd. De verschillen in penetratie tussen het model en de proef zouden het gevolg kunnen zijn van een oververeenvoudigde simulatie van het penetratiesucces of van het verwaarlozen van de mortaliteit van de migrerende larven. Betere gegevens hierover zullen moeten komen uit detailproeven.     

Heat resistance,biology and prevention of Diehliomyces microsporus in crops of Agaricus species

Soon after its introduction the mushroom speciesAgaricus bitorquis, which is immune to virus disease and prefers a warm climate, was threatened by the competitorDiehliomyces microsporus, false truffle. This fungus also likes warmth, and used to occur in crops ofA. bisporus.Mycelium and ascocarps were grown on several nutrient media. Optimum temperatures for mycelial growth were 26°C and 32°C, with a slight depression at 30°C. In trials in isolated growingrooms strain Somycel 2.017 ofA. bitorquis was generally used since it appeared to be highly sensitive to the competition of false truffle. Inoculation with mycelium, ascocarps or ascospores ofD. microsporus nearly always resulted in the presence of the competitor and in decreased mushroom yields. Even ten spores per m² causedD. microsporus. The time of inoculation was most important: irrespective of the kind of inoculum, inoculation only resulted in both false truffle and yeild loss, if applied from spawning until a few days after casing. Inoculation at a later date could result in false truffle, but yield was not decreased.As germination in vitro of ascospores failed, even after addition of various triggers, ascospore suspensions were treated at various temperatures for several periods. Then mushroom growing trays spawned with Somycel 2.017 were inoculated with the treated suspensions giving 7–11×10⁷ spores/m². The ascospores could not withstand 85°C for 0.5 h, 80°C for 1 h and 70°C for 3 h. Spontaneous incidence of false truffle, however, could not always be prevented and interfered with the results of these trials. It is possible that the thermal death-point of the ascospores is below 85°C. Fruiting bodies and ascospores did not survive peak-heating at the beginning and cooking out (compost temperature 12 h at 70°C) at the end of a crop. After cooking out, however,D. microsporus could still be present in the wood of trays and contaminate a following crop if no wood preservative was applied.Yield of Somycel 2.017 was reduced by the competition ofD. microsporus much more than yeilds of other strains ofA. bitorquis. The least sensitive were the highly productive strains Horst K26 and Horst K32.The effects of fungicides onD. microsporus in vitro and in growing trials did not correspond. The fungicides tested so far could not prevent or controlD. microsporus. Growing of less sensitive strains ofA. bitorquis together with sanitary measures early in the crop and at the end of the crop, however, can prevent the competitor. failure to turn up of false truffle. To understand the discrepancy between the in vitro effects of several fungicides and their effect in inoculated mushroom trays, the rate of adsorption of benomyl in the substrate and probably the interrelationships between antagonists andD. microsporus require further research. Other strains ofA. bitorquis than Somycel 2.017 appeared to be less sensitive to the competition. Among these, highly productive strains Horst K26 and Horst K32 will not be hindered byD. microsporus if the following precautions are exercised: cooking out at the end of a crop (compost temperature 70°C for 12 hours), followed by treatment of the wood with SPCP; protection by hygiene early in the crop, i.e. covering of the compost by a thin plastic sheet during mycelial growth followed by a quick execution of casing.Samenvatting De teelt van de warmteminnende champignonsoortAgaricus bitorquis, die immuun is voor virusziekte, werd al spoedig na introductie bedreigd door de eveneens warmteminnende concurrentDiehliomyces microsporus, valse truffel. Deze schimmel kwam vroeger voor in teelten vanA. bisporus; de sporen zouden een temperatuur van 82°C gedurende 5 uur kunnen overleven (Lambert, 1932). Tabel 1 geeft de myceliumgroei op verschillende voedingsbodems en de vorming van vruchtlichamen (Fig. 1A, B) weer. De optimale temperaturen voor myceliumgroei waren 26°C en 32°C, met een licht depressie bij 30°C (Fig. 2). Proeven in geïsoleerde teeltruimten werden voornamelijk uitgevoerd met Somycel 2.017, een ras vanA. bitorquis. Inoculatie met mycelium, vruchtlichamen en/of ascosporen vanD. microsporus, al of niet in reincultuur gekweekt, leidde vrijwel steeds tot de aanwezigheid van de concurrent in de geïnoculeerde teeltkisten (Fig. 1C, D), waarbij vruchtlichamen met ascosporen (Fig. 1E) gevormd werden en tot een reductie van het aantal champignons. Tien sporen per m² waren al voldoende omD. microsporus te doen aanslaan (Fig. 3). Het tijdstip van inoculatie bleek van groot belang te zijn: onafhankelijk van de aard van het inoculum leverde dit slechts zowel valse truffel als oogstreductie op, indien het werd aangebracht in de periode vanaf enten tot enkele dagen na het afdekken (Tabel 2 en Fig. 4). Inoculatie op latere tijdstippen kon wel tot valse truffel leiden, maar niet tot oogstreductie.Aangezien de kieming van ascosporen in vitro slechte resultaten opleverede, ook na toevoeging van diverse stimulantia, werden ascosporensuspensies in vitro gedurende verschillende tijden bij verschillende temperaturen behandeld; vervolgens werden teeltkisten met de behandelde suspensies geïnoculeerd (7 tot 11×10⁷ sporen/m²). De kisten waren tevoren geënt met Somycel 2.017. Een aantal proeven wees uit, dat de ascosporen 1/2 uur 85°C, 1 uur 80°C en 3 uur 70°C, niet overleefden (Tabel 3). Het spontaan optreden van valse truffel kon echter niet altijd worden voorkomen en beïnvloedde de uitkomsten van deze proeven. Daarom is het mogelijk, dat de sporen al bij een lagere temperatuur worden gedood Vruchtlichamen en ascosporen werden gedood door het uitzweten aan het begin van een teelt en door het doodstomen aan het einde van een teelt (composttemperatuur 12 uur 70°C) maar de schimmel bleek in het laatste geval wel over te kunnen blijven in het hout van teeltkisten als er vervolgens geen houtontsmettingsmiddel werd toegepast.Somycel 2.017 leed verhoudingsgewijs meer schade door concurrentie vanD. microsporus dan enkele andere rassen (Tabel 4 en. 5). Inoculatie met ascosporen bleek bij de minst gevoelige en meest produktieve rassen Horst K26 en Horst K32 slechts te gelukken in extreem droge compost; bij Somycel 2.017 daarentegen zowel in compost met een laag als met een hoog vochtgehalte. Inoculatie met mycelium veroorzaakte meer valse truffel en meer schade naarmate de compost natter was (Tabel 5).De werking van een aantal fungiciden in vitro (Tabel 6) en in teeltkisten (Tabel 7) stemde niet overeen. Aangezien de tot nu toe getoetste fungicidenD. microsporus niet kunnen voorkomen of bestrijden, moet preventie van deze concurrent worden gezocht in het telen van weinig gevoelige rassen vanA. bitorquis in combinatie met hygiënische maatregelen vroeg in en aan het eind van de teelt.     

Immunocytochemical localization of the Bacillus sphaericus binary toxin components in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae midgut

This study describes the immunocytochemical localization of the Bacillus sphaericus 2362 binary toxin components, BinA and BinB, in Culex quinquefasciatus larvae that had been intoxicated with this entomopathogen. Ultrathin sections of C. quinquefasciatus larvae midgut embedded in the hydrophilic resin L.R. White were incubated with the antibodies anti-BinA or anti-BinB and then revealed with goat anti-rabbit IgG coupled to gold particles. Immunocytochemical detection demonstrated the presence of specific labeling in ultra-thin sections that had been incubated with the BinA antiserum. Gold particles were detected on the apical areas of cell membranes and inside the epithelial cell cytoplasm, particularly the mitochondria, of cells from the gastric caeca and posterior stomach in larvae exposed during 2 or 24 h to the entomopathogen. A similar labeling pattern was observed in ultrathin sections from both midgut regions when incubated with BinB antiserum.     

Caprine toxoplasmosis in Southern Brazil: a comparative seroepidemiological study between the indirect immunofluorescence assay,the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and the modified agglutination test

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study investigated the prevalence of caprine toxoplasmosis in goat herds from Southern Brazil by the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and...     

Use of two doses of cloprostenol in different intervals for estrus synchronization in hair sheep under tropical conditions

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study evaluated the effect of two doses of prostaglandin at different intervals on reproductive parameters of crossbred ewes. In Experiment 1, 30 ewes...     

Heritability and genetic correlations between rumination time and production traits in Holstein dairy cows during different lactation phases

So far, rumination has been used as a proxy for monitoring dairy cow health at farm level. However, investigating its genetic aspects as well as its correlation with other important productive traits may turn this management tool into a new informative selection criterion. However, scientific evidences on genetic correlation among rumination time (RT) and milk production and milk composition are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the heritability of RT across three lactation phases and its genetic correlation with milk production, milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC). Results of our study showed that heritability for RT was 0.34 and was constant across lactation. The mean genetic correlations between RT and milk production and composition traits were 0.07 (milk production), ?0.07 (protein yield), ?0.31 (fat yield), and ?0.32 (fat/protein ratio). The mean genetic correlation between RT and the SCC was 0.05.     

Aboveground biomass,transpiration and water use efficiency in eucalypt plantation fertilized with KCl,NaCl and phonolite rock powder

Potassium has important physiological functions in eucalypt plantations, increasing their productivity when applied to soil via mineral fertilizers. There is interest in identifying alternative sources to KCl owing to its high cost and limited reserves. The aim of the study was to test the effect of replacing KCl with NaCl and phonolite rock powder. Two comparisons were made: (1) application of 283 kg ha^?1 of KCl compared with that of 2125 kg ha^?1 of phonolite rock powder (equivalent to 170 kg ha^?1 of K₂O in both treatments); (2) application of 139 kg ha^?1 of NaCl compared with that of 183 kg ha^?1 of KCl (equivalent to 2.33 kmol Na and K, respectively). Radial growth, soil water content, leaf water potential (Ψ), accumulated transpiration, stem volume and biomass increment, as well as water use efficiency (WUE) were evaluated. In the first comparison, both fertilizations presented equal values for all characteristics evaluated. In the second, the accumulated transpiration in trees fertilized with KCl was 17% higher than that in plants fertilized with NaCl. In contrast, the WUE was 20% higher in the trees fertilized with NaCl than in those fertilized with KCl, reflecting the lower water consumption for the same increment in stem volume and biomass. We conclude that phonolite rock powder and NaCl are possible substitutes for conventional K fertilization performed with KCl.