Boldo (Peumus boldus) cultivated under different light conditions, soil humidity and plantation density

Boldo (Peumus boldus Mol.) is a medicinal plant native to the central zone of Chile and part of the sclerophyll forest. More than 2000 tons of dried leaves exported annually are wild collected. To develop a cultivation system that supports sustainable production of boldo leaves, we have studied growth and harvest of boldo under different light and soil water conditions. The leaf yield per plant as well as the alkaloid and essential oil content were the same for plants grown under shade and for plants exposed to full sun. The only difference between the shaded and the full sun plants was a higher percentage of stem in the harvested product of shade grown plants. This result would permit the intercropping of boldo in forest plantations without affecting the leaf yield and medicinal quality. The excellent adaptation to dry conditions was confirmed, as the different treatments of soil water led to similar leaf yields and plant heights. Plants submitted to water stress produced fewer but longer shoots and contained less essential oil. None of the treatments except water stress affected the medicinal quality requirements of alkaloid or essential oil concentration in the leaves. Wild collected leaves are inexpensive because of low production costs. To be able to compete with wild supplied leaves in the international market, we have evaluated high density plantings as a way to lower costs of a cultivated product by mechanizing harvest. High planting densities led to loweryielding individuals, but leaf yield per area increased. Plant height and the percentage of leaves in the harvested product was the same for densities of 8- and 16 plants m⁻². The leaves produced by cultivated boldo generally fulfill the requirements described in the European Pharmacopoeia. We conclude that boldo can be successfully cultivated under the described cultivation conditions.     

Acidification of mixtures of granite powder and compost for reuse in plant production

We evaluated the utilization of granite powder—a residue of stone cutting and polishing resulting from its preparation for construction and ornamental use—in the preparation of nursery potting mixtures, within a general objective of waste recycling and reuse. Granite powder was blended with two composts of different origins and properties: one elaborated from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), and another from pine bark. Since all materials presented pH values over 8, which are excessive for growing most vegetal species, the use of iron sulphate to acidify them has been assessed. Three doses of iron sulphate (14, 69, and 97 g kg^?1, equivalent to 0.1, 0.5, and 0.7 meq H⁺ g^?1) were added to the granitic powder and mixtures with 25 or 75% (v/v) of each compost, which were incubated in the laboratory during 30 days. Doses of iron sulphate above 0.1 meq H⁺ g^?1 resulted in excessive electrical conductivity (>2 dS m^?1) in all the samples, and too low pH values (<5) in most of them. The productivity of granite powder/compost mixtures acidified with 0.1 meq H⁺ g^?1 was tested in a greenhouse experiment with ryegrass, where it was observed that plant productivity increased with respect to a control commercial substrate based on peat, in particular when the MSW compost was employed. On the basis of the physicochemical properties of the mixtures and the results of the greenhouse experiment, the use of granite powder mixed with 75% of MSW compost (v/v), acidified with 14 g kg^?1 of iron sulphate (0.1 meq H⁺ g^?1) is recommended.     

Rowanberry phenolics: compositional analysis and bioactivities

Berries contain a large variety of different phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins, flavonols, tannins, and phenolic acids. Due to variation in the nature and content of the phenolic compounds, the antioxidant effect and other bioactivities of berry phenolics are strongly dependent on the berry raw material as the activities differ between the different phenolic constituents. In the present study, wild rowanberries ( Sorbus aucuparia ) and four cultivated sweet rowanberries, Burka, Granatnaja, Titan, and Zoltaja, were characterized for their phenolic composition and screened for antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiadhesive activities. The HPLC and LC-MS analyses of phenolic composition revealed that the main phenolic constituents were caffeoylquinic acids, varying from 56 to 80% total phenolics. The cultivated species contained less caffeoylquinic acids and more anthocyanins (up to 28.5%). The phenolics derived from wild rowanberries were significantly effective at inhibiting lipid oxidation both in liposomes and in emulsions, especially when assessed by inhibition of the formation of hexanal (86-97% inhibition depending on concentration). The increase in anthocyanin content in the cultivated species did not result in significantly increased antioxidant activity. Both wild and cultivated rowanberry phenolics exhibited a bacteriostatic effect toward Staphylococcus aureus . In addition, the phenolic extract from Zoltaja was weakly inhibitory toward Salmonella sv. Typhimurium, whereas both Zoltaja- and Granatnaja-derived phenolics retarded Escherichia coli growth. The phenolic extracts of wild rowanberries and Burka showed an inhibitory effect on hemagglutination of E. coli HB101 (pRR7), which expresses the M hemagglutinin. It can be concluded that cultivation of rowanberries resulted in increased anthocyanin content, but this did not diminish their bioactivity in comparison to wild rowanberries rich in caffeoylquinic acids.     

Drought priming effects on alleviating the photosynthetic limitations of wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) with contrasting tolerance to abiotic stresses

Abiotic stress tolerance in plants is said to be induced by pre-stress events (priming) during the vegetative phase. We aimed to test whether drought priming could improve the heat and drought tolerance in wheat cultivars. Two wheat cultivars “Gladius” and “Paragon” were grown in a fully controlled gravimetric platform and subjected to either no stress or two drought cycles during the tillering stage. At anthesis, both batches were either subjected to high temperature stress, drought stress or kept as control. No alleviation of grain yield reduction due to priming was observed. Higher CO₂ assimilation rates were achieved due to priming under drought stress. Yield results showed that priming was not damage cumulative to wheat. Priming was responsible to alleviated biochemical photosynthetic limitations under drought stress and sustained photochemical utilization under heat stress in “Paragon.” Priming as a strategy in abiotic stress alleviation was better evidenced in the stress susceptible cultivar “Paragon” than tolerant cultivar “Gladius”; therefore, the type of response to priming appears to be cultivar dependable, and thus phenotypical variation should be expected when studying the effects of abiotic priming.     

Phenotyping of faba beans (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia faba</Emphasis> L.) under cold and heat stresses using chlorophyll fluorescence

Temperature stress including low and high temperature adversely affect the growth, development and productivity of crops. Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important crop as both human food source and animal feed, which contains a range of varieties that are sensitive to cold and heat stresses. In this study, 127 faba bean genotypes were collected from gene banks based on differences in geographical origin. The 127 genotypes were treated by single cold stress (2/2 °C day/night temperature (DT/NT)) and 42 genotypes were treated by either single episode of cold or heat (38/30 °C DT/NT) stress, or a combination of both at photosynthetic photon flux density of 250 µmol m^?2 s^?1. Chlorophyll fluorescence was used to detect the tolerance of faba beans to low and high temperatures. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), F_v/F_m, revealed pronounced differences in cold tolerance among the faba bean genotypes. The 42 genotypes were clustered into four groups according to cold and heat stresses, respectively, and the susceptibilities of faba beans under temperature stress could be distinguished. The combination of cold and heat stresses could aggravate the damage on reproductive organs, but not on the leaves, as indicated by the F_v/F_m. These results confirm that the use of F_v/F_m is a useful approach for detecting low and high temperature damage to photosystem II and to identify tolerant faba bean genotypes, however the results also indicate that the geographical origin of the genotypes could not directly be used to predict climate resilience. These sources of cold- and heat-tolerance could improve the temperature tolerance of faba bean in breeding programs.     

Zur Wirkung von Follikelflüssigkeit auf die Befruchtung in vitro gereifter Oozyten des Rindes

Inhalt Follikelflüssigkeit aus Follikeln des Rindes am Tag des Östrus gewonnen, wurde als Serumanalogon zum Kultivierungsmedium TCM 199 zugesetzt. Die Supplementierung des TCM mit 20%östrischer Follikelflüssigkeit (ÖFF) in der Reifungsphase und während der Zygotenkultivierung erbrachte 6–7 Tage post inseminationem einen Anteil an Morulae und Blastozysten von 41,7% (30,8–47,8%). Eine Reduzierung des Anteils ÖFF auf 10% zog einen Abfall transfertauglicher Rinderembryonen auf 9,2% (2,6–16,9%) nach sich. In einer Kurzzeitkultivierung von bis zu 90 h post inseminationem wurden außerdem verschiedene Serumanaloga, im Anteil von 10%, wie fetales Kälberserum (FKS), ÖFF und Follikelflüssigkeit (NÖFF) aus nicht östrischen Follikeln (≥ 10mm Durchmesser) auf ihre Wirksamkeit während verschiedener In-vitro-Phasen verglichen. Von den drei getesteten Seren erwies sich die ÖFF als der wirksamste Zusatz mit 19,9% morphologisch intakten 8- bis 16-Zeller. Das Ergebnis scheint unabhängig davon, ob die Applikation kontinuierlich während aller In-vitro-Phasen oder nur in der Reifungsphase erfolgte. Eine Schlüsselposition der Oozy tenreifung für die In-vitro-Fertilisation wird besonders deutlich. Contents: Influence of follicular fluid on fertilization of in vitro matured bovine oocytes Follicular fluid obtained from bovine follicles on the day of estrus was added to TCM 199 culture medium as a serum analogue. TCM supplementation with 20% estric follicular fluid (EFF) during maturation and zygote cultivation produced a morulae and blastozyst yield of 41,7% (30,8–47,8%) 6–7 days after insemination. Reduction of the EFF fraction to 10% reduced the yield of transferable bovine embryos to 9,2% (2,6–16,9%). In a short term cultivation experiment lasting up to 90 h after insemination, the effects of 10% supplementation with different serum analogues fetal calf serum (FCS), EFF and follicular fluid (NEFF) fiom non-estric follicles (≥10mm diameter) during various in vitro phases were compared. EFF with a yield of 19,9% morphologically intact 8 to 16 cell stages proved to be the most effective of the three sera. This yield is not apparently affected by whether the serum is applied continuously during all phases of in vitro development or only during the maturation phase. The oocyte maturation phase is obviously the key phase for successful in vitro fertilization.     

Serovars of Salmonella from captive reptiles

The distribution on serovars of 60 Salmonella isolates from reptiles kept in captivity in Denmark during the period 1995–2006 was investigated. The isolates were all recovered from clinical specimens submitted to the National Veterinary Institute. A majority of the samples were from reptiles in zoological gardens or similar, while a minor number was from reptiles kept in private homes. A total of 43 serovars were detected, most of them being what is usually called exotic serotypes, and many not having a trivial name, while a few isolates belonged to well‐known human pathogenic serovars, such as S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Bovismorbificans. One isolate was rough and two were non‐typeable. Isolates from turtles belonged to the subspecies enterica, while many isolates from both sauria and snakes belonged to other subspecies. The findings underline the potential zoonotic risk by handling reptiles in zoological garden or other public settings, or keeping pet reptiles in private homes.