Characterisation of a maize-infecting potyvirus from Spain

In order to characterise and classify an unknown maize-infecting potyvirus isolated from fields in northeast Spain, the entire coat protein gene and the C-terminal twothirds of the large nuclear inclusion protein (NIb) gene were cloned and sequenced. Protein sequencing enabled the cleavage site between the two proteins to be deduced and also revealed that on storage the viral coat protein undergoes a specific degradation in which the N-terminal 39 amino acids are removed. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the 3 non-coding region of the viral RNA and the predicted amino acid sequence of the coat protein with the equivalent regions of other members of the potyvirus group revealed that the Spanish virus is closely related to maize dwarf mosaic virus strain A.     

The metabolism of R-20458 [(E)-6,7-epoxy-1-(4-ethylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene] in rat hepatocyte suspensions

The metabolism of R-20458 [(E)-6,7-epoxy-1-(4-ethylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene] by rat hepatocytes has been analyzed and compared with that of juvenile hormone I [methyl-(E,E)-cis-10,11-epoxy-7-ethyl-3,11-dimethyl-2,6-tridecadienoate] under identical conditions. The metabolism of R-20458 is characterized by the predominance of NADPH-dependent cytochrome P-450 and epoxide hydrolase reactions; whereas, JH I is metabolized mainly by carboxylesterase, epoxide hydrolase, and glutathione S-transferases. The metabolites of R-20458 have been shown to correspond to (E)-6,7-epoxy-1-(4-hydroxyethylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene; (E)-6,7-epoxy-1-(4-acetylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene; (E)-6,7-dihydroxy-1-(4-ethylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene; and, (E)-6,7-dihydroxy-1-(4-acetylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene. The production of the α-hydroxyethyl, p-acetylphenoxy, and acetylphenoxy-6,7-diol metabolites is markedly inhibited by SKF 525-A. No dramatic effects are produced by diethylmaleate and 1,2-epoxy-3,3,3-trichloropropane.     

Toxigenic Fusarium species and Mycotoxins Associated with Head Blight in Small-Grain Cereals in Europe

The Fusarium species predominantly found associated with Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat and other small-grain cereals all over Europe are F. graminearum, F. avenaceum and F. culmorum. Among the less frequently encountered species are several others which are less pathogenic or opportunistic, but also toxigenic. These include F. poae, F. cerealis F. equiseti F. sporotrichioides F. tricinctum and, to a lesser extent, F. acuminatum F. subglutinans F. solani F. oxysporum F. verticillioides F. semitectum and F. proliferatum. The species profile of FHB is due to several factors, primarily climatic conditions, particularly rain and the temperature at flowering stage, but also agronomic factors, such as soil cultivation, nitrogen fertilization, fungicides, crop rotation, and host genotype. The most frequently encountered Fusarium mycotoxins in FHB in Europe has proved to be deoxynivalenol and zearalenone produced by F. graminearum and F. culmorum with the former more common in southern (warmer) and the latter in northern (colder) European areas. Nivalenol was usually found associated with deoxynivalenol and its derivatives (mono-acetyldeoxynivalenols), together with fusarenone-X, formed by F. graminearum F. cerealis F. culmorum and, in northern areas, by F. poae. Moreover, from central to northern European countries, moniliformin has been consistently reported, as a consequence of the widespread distribution of F. avenaceum whereas the occurrence of T-2 toxin derivatives, such as T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin, and diacetoxyscirpenol have been recorded in conjunction with sporadic epidemics of F. sporotrichioides and F. poae. Finally, beauvericin and various enniatins have recently been found in Finnish wheat colonized by F.avenaceum and F. poae.     

Heritability of the resistance to pepper huasteco yellow vein virus in wild genotypes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis>

Pepper huasteco yellow vein virus (PHYVV) is the main virus of pepper crop in Mexico. No resistant cultivars are available and resistance breeding is hampered by the lack of knowledge of heritability (h ²) of PHYVV resistance. This is a continuation of previous studies and the objectives were to analyze the h ² and the behavior of the resistant trait to PHYVV. Four resistant assays were done with three resistant wild lines (UAS12, UAS13 and UAS10) of Capsicum annuum in the S4, S5, S6 and S7 generation under greenhouse conditions. Plants from all tests were inoculated with PHYVV through Bemisia tabaci. Line UAS12 was the most resistant showing a significantly proportion of resistant plants, less disease symptoms and longer incubation time, followed by the lines UAS13 and UAS10 in all assays. Distribution of symptoms showed a bimodal tendency in all the trials, suggesting that two groups of genes are involved in this resistance trait. The lines UAS12, UAS13 and UAS10 showed the same pattern of response to selection with an average of h ² of 0.17, 0.06, 0.02 and 0.00 in the S4, S5, S6 and S7, respectively. These results indicate that all lines responded positively to the selection in the S4, S5 and S6, whereas in the S7 there was no response by the possible exhaustion of variation. Line UAS12 is the most promising genotype and the lines UAS13 and UAS10 are genetic resources that can be supplemented to breed the resistance of PHYVV. These results provides basic information for resistance breeding.     

Effects of spent mushroom substrates and inorganic fertilizer on the characteristics of a calcareous clayey‐loam soil and lettuce production

We evaluated the effects of the addition of two types of spent mushroom substrate (SMS), SMS from an Agaricus bisporus crop (SMS1) and a mixture of SMSs from an A. bisporus crop and a Pleurotus crop (50% v/v each) (SMS2), on the characteristics of a calcareous clayey‐loam soil and the yield and nutritional status of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), relative to crops receiving mineral fertilizer (M) and a control (C) without amendment. The application of SMS, especially SMS1, improved soil fertility compared with C and M soils. Moreover, the use of these organic substrates as soil amendments did not harm the plants and gave yields similar to that obtained with mineral fertilizer. The nutritional contents of the lettuce plants were greater than or similar to those of the plants from treatment C or M, except for the plant tissue concentrations of K, Fe and Zn, which were significantly reduced by SMS application. However, this latter fact did not reduce the lettuce yield in the amended soils. Therefore, the use of SMSs as organic amendments contributes to residue utilization, in an environmentally friendly way, and to improved soil fertility and crop yield.     

Dynamics and efficacy of sulfentrazone,flumioxazin, and isoxaflutole herbicides applied on eucalyptus harvest residues

New Forests - Eucalyptus harvests generate residues that remain on the soil and affect the efficacy of preemergent herbicides in the following planting cycle. The objective of this work was to...     

Characterization of common bean wild populations for their in situ conservation in Northwestern Argentina

In situ conservation of wild species is a method of conservation that allows keeping populations in their natural environments, and set the strategies for maintaining the natural populations. The Active Bank of Northwestern Argentina (BANOA) is in charge of the in situ conservation of wild populations of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Northwestern Argentina (NOA), and has an ex situ collection of 401 landraces and 221 wild accessions from the NOA. We evaluated the phenotypic diversity of 68 common bean wild populations from the NOA both in protected and unprotected areas, finding a moderate variation among them. Ten phenotypic reproductive characteristics related to pod and seed displayed significant differences in the analysis of variance; these traits together with the seed weight were the basis for the multivariate analysis. The cluster analysis ordered the populations in 12 groups but trends in geographical distribution or phenotypical variation were not recognized. For the conservation in situ of the wild bean populations, their diversity should be considered. Two types of populations can be highlighted: (i) candidates for in situ conservation in order to preserve the novel variation generated by convergence with cultivated sympatric germplasm (populations 433, 437, 471, 509, 513 and 517) and (ii) those whose phenotype represents clearly the wild status and should be preserved in situ as such in their current status (populations 480, 495, 496, 525 and 533).