The effects of various plant protection methods on the development of Zymoseptoria tritici and Cephalosporium gramineum,grain yield and protein profile

Septoria leaf blotch progresses rapidly, leading to the development of Zymoseptoria titici forms resistant to fungicides. Cephalosporium stripe is caused by Cephalosporium gramineum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of selected pesticides in limiting the symptoms of both diseases on winter wheat leaves, and to determine their influence on grain yield and the content and composition of protein fractions in wheat kernels. Propiconazoles were most effective in inhibiting the development of Septoria leaf blotch (symptoms were reduced from 54.7% to 78.6%). Strobilurins were less effective due to the presence of isolates with the G143A mutation. Symptoms of Cephalosporium stripe were rarely observed, and protective treatments did not reduce their severity. The highest content of grain protein (14.81%) was found in plants most intensely protected with the fungicides containing fenpropimorph, pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole. The principal component analysis revealed that the plant protection method influenced the grain protein profile. The accumulation of HMW glutenins and α/β gliadins was mutually interrelated and higher in high-input treatments; control grain was characterized by close relationships between ω-gliadins, LMW glutenins, albumins and globulins, whereas low-input treatments influenced mostly γ-gliadins.     

Sesquiterpenoids and phenolics from roots of Taraxacum udum

From roots of Taraxacum udum, two new and four known sesquiterpene lactones were isolated, together with five known phenolic compounds. The new compounds were characterized as 11β, 13-dihydrotaraxinic acid and taraxinic acid 6-O-acetyl-β-glucopyranosyl ester by spectroscopic methods, especially 1D and 2D NMR, and by comparison with structurally related compounds. The plant material was shown to be a good source of taraxinic acid derivatives.     

A systematic survey of loss-of-function variants in human protein-coding genes

Genome-sequencing studies indicate that all humans carry many genetic variants predicted to cause loss of function (LoF) of protein-coding genes, suggesting unexpected redundancy in the human genome. Here we apply stringent filters to 2951 putative LoF variants obtained from 185 human genomes to determine their true prevalence and properties. We estimate that human genomes typically contain ~100 genuine LoF variants with ~20 genes completely inactivated. We identify rare and likely deleterious LoF alleles, including 26 known and 21 predicted severe disease-causing variants, as well as common LoF variants in nonessential genes. We describe functional and evolutionary differences between LoF-tolerant and recessive disease genes and a method for using these differences to prioritize candidate genes found in clinical sequencing studies.     

Probability density function: A tool for simultaneous monitoring of pore/solid roughness and moisture content

We present a novel approach to multiscale fractal image analysis for monitoring the dynamics of the soil pore/solid network roughness due to moisture content changes. Roughness of the gray-level probability density function (PDF) of subsequent images of the drying soil was expressed in terms of its Hurst exponent (H_PDF), which correlated significantly with the soil dielectric permittivity and gravimetric water content, as well as with micro-horizon depth and the temporal progress of drying. We documented an intermittent character of the water content dynamics, correlating with oscillations of the pore/solid interface roughness. Our technique of PDF roughness analysis of digital images, exemplified here for soil moisture monitoring, can be applied for monitoring the other complex systems, for instance plant growth in greenhouse.     

From fractal analysis along a line to fractals on the plane

Self-similar fractals are useful models for soil solid and pore sets. The scaling properties of these fractals along a line and across an area can be described by the fractal dimensions. One method, for estimating the soil areal fractal dimension from the solid and pore set distributions along the lines, was proposed and tested with real macro- and micromorphological data on three soils of Mexico. The soil areal fractal dimension (D_a) was compared with the soil mass fractal dimension (D_m) estimated by two-dimensional binary image analysis, separately for solids and pores. Both methods are based on the box-counting technique and are suitable for determining the soil ‘box' or ‘capacity' fractal dimension, that seems to be apt to estimate the alternative filling of an area by a fractal set of solids and pores. This paper examines the relations between the fractal dimensions obtained along a line, across an area and directly from the image. Analysis of D_a and D_m data seems to suggest that both soil genesis and management practice can contribute to areal fractal dimension dynamics. It was shown that fractal dimensions are useful parameters able to monitor tillage influence on soil properties and to estimate the degree of soil compaction.     

Evaluation of fertilizers solubility and phosphate release in slightly acidic arable soil

The geochemical reactivity of single superphosphate (SSP), triple superphosphate (TSP), phosphate rock (PR), partially acidulated phosphate rock (PAPR) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH₂PO₄) was evaluated in an incubation trial. The soil was Anthrosols, Ap horizon (Sandy loam). Solubility equilibrium of phosphates was calculated by phosphate (P_Pot = logH₂PO₄ – pH) and calcium (Ca_Pot = logCa + 2pH) potentials. Next, activity ratio (AR°) and Woodruff potential (ΔF) were considered for estimating phosphate dynamics in the soil. Data showed that phosphate potentials stressed on significant solubility process and varied accordingly to the rates of the fertilizers: ?5.50, ?4.81, ?4.47 and ?4.09 for 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg P ha^?1. The values of the Woodruff potential (ΔF) varied widely from ?1929 to 8573 cal mol^?1, i.e., from marginal supplying power in the case of the control treatment to very high supplying power for the TSP (Triple superphosphate). These findings are of practical value for the following reasons: TSP and KH₂PO₄ are recommended for quick and high P supply to plants; SSP and PAPR for moderate supply and finally PR for slow and low supply. Phosphorus efficiency should be treated with priority particularly for areas with intensive cropping and susceptibility to runoffs.     

Delesse principle and statistical fractal sets: 2. Unified Fractal Model for soil porosity

Self-similar fractals are useful models of the soil solid and pore sets along lines, across areas and inside volumes. The scaling properties of these sets, analysed by the divider method within the known scale range over which the fractal extends, were described by three parameters, the solid (D_s) and pore (D_p) linear box or capacity empirical fractal dimensions, and the total number of rulers that covered the line (N_t). The empirical fractal model for soil porosity was developed and compared with the more commonly used theoretical one, and the Unified Fractal Model (UFM) for soil porosity was proposed. This model extracts the soil linear (NL), areal (AP) and volumetric (VP) porosity from the solid and pore distributions along the lines. The accuracy of the empirical model was tested for NL, AP and VP, within the scale range from 0.008 to 3 mm, by using the real macro and micromorphological images of soils and sediments with contrasting genesis, available from field experiments and published by other researchers. It was shown that the proposed model offers a rapid and statistically coherent solution to porosity estimation. The UFM for soil porosity was derived starting from the theoretical and empirical ones. The UFM is useful to solve the relationship between NL, AP and VP, and to estimate the alternative space filling ability of solid and pore sets along a line, across an area and inside a volume.     

Sesquiterpenoids and phenolics from Taraxacum hondoense

Eleven sesquiterpene lactones, including the new guaianolide 11beta-hydroxydeacetylmatricarin-8-O-beta-glucopyranoside, along with four known phenolic glucosides were isolated from Taraxacum hondoense. The compounds were characterized by spectral methods.