Effect of CCC and daminozide on growth of silver birch container seedlings during three years after spraying

Applications of growth retardants, daminozide and CCC (chlormequatchloride), were studied in order to determine their effects on morphology and post-planting growth of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) container seedlings. Daminozide was sprayed once (on 28 June at concentrations of 1.0 – 6.0 g l^–1) and CCC was sprayed twice (on 29 June and 27 July at concentrations of 0.5–3.0 gl^–1). Height growth, morphology of seedlings at the end of the growing season, the shoot and root growth potential the following spring and field performance during the following seasons were measured. During the first summer in the nursery, both daminozide and CCC retarded height growth,but daminozide was more effective. The effects of compounds on stem diameter during the summer of application were small. Neither of the compounds affected the field performance of seedlings. The most suitable applications for retardation of height growth, without negative effects on other morphological variables, were 4 g l^–1 (32 mg per seedling) for daminozide and 2 g l^–1 (16 mg per seedling), sprayed in two applications, for CCC.     

Needle Structures and Epiphytic Microflora of Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris L.) under Heavy Ammonia Deposition from Fur Farming

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles from forest sites differing in distance from big fur farms emitting large amounts of ammonia and ammonium (=NH_y) were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Specific features indicating an ammonium-nitrogen overload, such as an abundance of needle surface organisms and modifications in cellular and wax structures, were classified. Throughout the study area (up to 1000 m from the farms), mesophyll cells had thin cytoplasm and folding plasmalemma indicating frost damage. Phloem damage attributable to a possible nutrient imbalance was also observed. Chloroplast membranes were undulating and the occurrence of leaf surface organisms (e.g. aerophilic algae) was more abundant at the closest sites. The changes were related both to the direct effects of dry NH_y deposition on the needles, and to the effects operating via soil acidification. The needle epicuticular waxes proved to be structurally rather inert against the influence of ammonium compounds, since no significant changes due to NH_y were observed.     

Projecting global and regional outlooks for planted forests under the shared socio-economic pathways

New Forests - There is rising global interest in growing more trees in order to meet growing population, climate change, and wood energy needs. Using recently published data on planted forests by...     

Prevalence and identification of fungal DNA in the small intestine of healthy dogs and dogs with chronic enteropathies

Limited information is available about the prevalence and phylogenetic classification of fungal organisms in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs. Also, the impact of fungal organisms on gastrointestinal health and disease is not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of fungal DNA in the small intestine of healthy dogs and dogs with chronic enteropathies. Small intestinal content was analyzed from 64 healthy and 71 diseased dogs from five different geographic locations in Europe and the USA. Fungal DNA was amplified with panfungal primers targeting the internal transcriber spacer (ITS) region. PCR amplicons were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Fungal DNA was detected in 60.9% of healthy dogs and in 76.1% of dogs with chronic enteropathies. This prevalence was not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.065). Fungal DNA was significantly more prevalent in mucosal brush samples (82.8%) than in luminal samples (42.9%; p=0.002). Sequencing results revealed a total of 51 different phylotypes. All sequences belonged to two phyla and were classified as either Ascomycota (32 phylotypes) or Basidiomycota (19 phylotypes). Three major classes were identified: Saccharomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Hymenomycetes. The most commonly observed sequences were classified as Pichia spp., Cryptococcus spp., Candida spp., and Trichosporon spp. Species believed to be clinically more important were more commonly observed in diseased dogs. These results indicate a high prevalence and diversity of fungal DNA in the small intestine of both healthy dogs and dogs with chronic enteropathies. The canine gastrointestinal tract of diseased dogs may harbor opportunistic fungal pathogens.     

Use of short-day treatment in the production of Norway spruce mini-plug seedlings under plant factory conditions

Mini-plug transplant seedlings of Norway spruce have been cultivated in closed growth systems, so-called plant factories, for few years. The aim of the experiment was to define a short-day treatment (SD) that harden seedlings to sustain 3 months of cold storage, but does not have adverse effects on growth, morphology, and vitality. The seedlings were subjected to one of the following treatments: (1) 12?h photoperiod + 3 weeks duration; (2) 8?h photoperiod + 3?wk duration; (3) 12?h photoperiod + 5?wk duration; and (4) 8?h photoperiod + 5?wk SD. All the SD treatments yielded healthy seedlings that grew well after the cold storage. The frost hardiness of the seedlings improved when the photoperiod was reduced from 12 to 8?h, and when the SD duration was increased from 3 weeks to 5 weeks, but reducing the photoperiod from 12?h to 8?h caused growth reductions. The root and shoot regrowth after cold storage was highest in seedlings that had received 12?h photoperiod and 5?wk duration. However, 12?h photoperiod and 3?wk duration may be an adequate practice for nurseries that treat multiple crops in their SD facilities.     

Promoting interculturalism by planning of urban nature

Immigration in Finland has increased significantly in the last decades. The integration of immigrants and autochthonous Finns poses new challenges to the society. Nevertheless, the resulting cultural diversity creates opportunities for intercultural social development. According to previous studies, urban nature can benefit human well-being and it can also play a role in integration processes. However, the role urban nature can potentially play in integration is largely overlooked, and immigrants are rarely involved in the planning of urban nature. This paper presents the main results of a qualitative study carried out in Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. The aim was to understand the role of urban nature in integration, and to address how the planning of urban nature can support integration and interculturalism. We found that using urban nature helps immigrants feel comfortable and enjoy their living environment. The interviewed immigrants were interested in getting information on urban planning, especially in their own neighbourhood, and many of them wanted to participate in planning, although they were unsure of their right to do so, and access to planning processes appeared problematic in many ways. To support integration and interculturalism, urban planning should take the opportunity to enhance intercultural understanding. Adhering to culturally sensitive processes, and developing trust with local residents by taking their views seriously, can do this. Nature has the potential to inspire people to connect with one another.     

Symptoms and yield reduction caused by Dickeya spp. strains isolated from potato and river water in Finland

Biochemical characterisation of Dickeya strains isolated from potato plants and river water samples in Finland showed that the majority of the strains were biovar 3. They thus resembled the strains recently isolated from potato in the Netherlands, Poland and Israel and form a new clade within the Dickeya genus. About half of the Finnish isolates resembling strains within this new clade were virulent and caused wilting, necrotic lesions and rotting of leaves and stems. Similar symptoms were caused by D. dianthicola strains isolated from one potato sample and from several river water samples. Frequently, the rotting caused by the Dickeya strains was visible in the upper parts of the stem, while the stem base was necrotic from the pith but hard and green on the outside, resulting in symptoms quite different from the blackleg caused by Pectobacterium atrosepticum. The presence of Dickeya in the symptomatic plants in the field assay was verified with a conventional PCR and with a real-time PCR test developed for the purpose. The virulent Dickeya strains reduced the yield of individual plants by up to 50% and caused rotting of the daughter tubers in the field and in storage. Management of Dickeya spp. in the potato production chain requires awareness of the symptoms and extensive knowledge about the epidemiology of the disease.     

Covering Norway spruce container seedlings with reflective shading cloth during field storage affects seedling post-planting growth

New Forests - The field storage of container seedlings is often a necessity after the seedlings have been transported from nurseries close to the regeneration area. Suboptimal storage conditions...     

Evaluation of pancreatic forceps biopsy by laparoscopy in healthy beagles

The effects of laparoscopic biopsies were determined in four healthy laboratory beagles. Biopsies were taken from the pancreas of three dogs and from the peripancreatic fat of one dog. Clinical examinations and blood sampling for hematologic and biochemical tests were performed before laparoscopy and weekly throughout each dog's participation in the study (7 or 21 days). No clinical signs of pancreatitis were observed, and hematologic and biochemical parameters remained within normal limits in three dogs. One dog exhibited a transient increase in trypsinlike immunoreactivity, amylase, and lipase. Minor adhesions between the pancreas, small intestine, and peritoneum were observed macroscopically in this dog. Histologically, granulation tissue and a mild nonsuppurative inflammation in the pancreas were present. No abnormal changes were seen macroscopically or histologically in the other two dogs for which pancreatic biopsies were performed. Thus, laparoscopy appears to be safe, with neither permanent abnormalities in blood parameters nor changes in clinical health occurring during or after the procedure in healthy beagles.