Biological control of cereal seed-borne diseases by seed bacterization with greenhouse-selected bacteria

About 400 bacterial strains, isolated from roots of wild and cultivated plants, were screened for effects against diseases caused by Drechslera teres and/or Microdochium nivale in greenhouse tests and against common bunt caused by Tilletia caries in field tests. Four of the strains showed good biocontrol activity <70% disease reduction) against D. teres and T. caries both in screenings and field tests. One Pseudomonas isolate, MA 342, strongly and reliably suppressed both D. teres and T. caries in the field, while effects against M. nivale were weaker. The effects could not be enhanced by varying pre-application or seed application procedures. This isolate could be stored as a suspension in a refrigerator, frozen or applied to seeds for at least one month without loosing its disease controlling ability.     

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.     

Bats limit arthropods and herbivory in a tropical forest

Previous exclosure studies measuring the top-down control of arthropod abundance and herbivory combined the effects of birds and bats. We experimentally partitioned bird predation from bat predation in a lowland tropical forest in Panama and measured the direct effects (arthropod abundance) and indirect effects (herbivory). The exclusion of birds and bats each directly increased arthropod abundance on plants: Bird-exclosed plants contained 65% more, and bat-exclosed plants 153% more, arthropods than controls. Birds and bats also indirectly increased herbivory: Bird-exclosed plants suffered 67% more, and bat-exclosed plants 209% more, herbivory than controls. We conclude that bats have dramatic ecological effects that were previously overlooked.     

Antioxidants, low molecular weight carbohydrates, and total antioxidant capacity in strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa): effects of cultivar, ripening, and storage

Four cultivars of strawberries (Senga Sengana, BFr77111, Elsanta, and Honeoye) were studied for their content of antioxidants, total antioxidant capacity, and low molecular weight carbohydrates in relation to harvest year, ripening stage, and cold storage. For ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, and total antioxidative capacity, measured in both water-soluble and water-insoluble extracts, there was a 2-5-fold variation among cultivars. Unripe berries contained lower concentrations of chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid and also quercetin and kaempferol compared with riper berries. During cold storage for up to 3 days, relatively few changes in the concentration of the different antioxidants occurred. The concentrations of several investigated parameters were interrelated, for example, for ascorbic acid and water-soluble antioxidant capacity and for ellagic acid and water-insoluble antioxidant capacity. The dominating sugars in strawberries were fructose and glucose, but considerable amounts of sucrose were also present, and their contents varied among cultivars, giving a predicted glycemic index of approximately 81. Verbascose, raffinose, and stachyose were found in only minor amounts. The study shows that the concentration of a number of bioactive compounds in strawberries varied according to cultivar, ripening stage, and storage. This information should make it possible to select strawberries with an optimal content of bioactive compounds.     

Adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf segments of in vitro cultured shoots of the apple rootstock Jork 9

SUMMARY

Adventitious shoot formation was investigated using leaf segments of in vitro cultured shoots of the apple rootstock Jork 9. Regeneration capacity was influenced by the pretreatment of the mother shoots, macroelements, hormone concentrations, the gelling agent and the carbohydrate source. The highest regeneration rate and most shoots per leaf explant resulted from young leaves on a medium based on MS macroelements supplemented with 22 µM BAP and 0.1 µM_NAA together with sorbitol, at concentrations of 165 mM or 220 mM. Sorbitol was more effective than sucrose, glucose, fructose or a combination of these sugars. A cold and dark pretreatment of the shoots enhanced the formation of adventitious shoots.     

Influence of Harvest Time and Stubble Height on Weed Seedling Recruitment in a Green Cereal

A long-term field experiment was conducted in southern Sweden to evaluate the effect of harvest before crop ripeness on weed infestation. In addition, two stubble heights, 10 cm and 30 cm, were compared. The aim was to determine the potential of the treatments in weed regulation. The harvests were performed on three occasions: milk-ripeness (I), which is the normal harvest time for a green cereal, yellow-ripeness (II) and binder-ripeness (III). In control plots, harvested at full ripeness, herbicides were used in all years. Weed density initially increased exponentially in all treatments except for the control, but had a tendency to level off after 4 years. In all years weed density was higher when harvest was delayed and the stubble was high. Harvest at milk ripeness (I) favoured short-season annuals such as Stellaria media (L) Vill and worked against late-maturing species such as Polygonum tomentosum (Schrank). Weed density differed between the treatment plots during the last year of the experiment. In the treatment harvested at stage I combined with low stubble height, weed density was only slightly higher than in the control. Thus, when harvesting a green cereal, herbicides can be avoided.     

Micropropagation of gooseberry, Ribes grossularia

A method for rapid micropropagation of gooseberry (Ribes grossularia cultivar ‘Hinnonmäki Yellow’) was established. The optimum concentration for shoot production was obtained at 2.2 μM BAP and 0.05 μM IBA with MS nutrient medium. The Lepoivre salt medium with no hormones was used for elongation of shoot clusters, and in this medium about 50% of the shoots formed roots. For both rooted and unrooted shoots, 100% survival was obtained after transfer to soil. It was possible to store shoots in vitro for 130 days without any sub-culture and with 100% survival if the temperature was increased successively after cold storage.     

Performance of the Pseudomonas chlororaphis biocontrol agent MA 342 against cereal seed-borne diseases in field experiments

The bacterial biocontrol agent Pseudomonas chlororaphis, strain MA 342, was tested for activity against a number of cereal seed-borne diseases in a total of 105 field experiments carried out at different locations in Sweden during the years 1991-1996. Bacterial liquid culture was directly applied to pathogen-infested seeds of barley, oats, wheat and rye without additives. The seeds were then dried and sown in field together with fungicide-treated and untreated seeds used as controls. The bacterization controlled seed-borne diseases caused by Drechslera (Pyrenophora) graminea, D. teres, D. avenae, Ustilago avenae, U. hordei, and Tilletia caries, as effectively as guazatine + imazalil, and these effects were consistent over the years and over varying climatic zones. Diseases caused by pathogens like U. nuda, soil-borne T. caries and T. contraversa were not controlled and the bacterization gave less than full effect against diseases caused by Microdochium (Fusarium) nivale, and Bipolaris sorokiniana (Cochliobolus sativus). Bacterized seeds could be stored dry for at least two years without losing the disease suppressing effect of the bacterial treatment, when tested in the field.