The association of culm anatomy with lodging susceptibility in modern spring wheat genotypes

Selection for lodging resistant cultivars in cereal breeding programs is difficult due to the challenge of screening for this trait under natural field conditions. The identification of easily measurable culm traits related to lodging resistance would simplify the selection process. The present study was conducted to determine if differences in culm anatomy exist among modern wheat genotypes differing in lodging susceptibility, and to determine the association between culm characters and lodging. From a 2-year field study conducted in Edmonton, Alberta, 13 spring wheat cultivars were chosen based on predetermined susceptibility to artificially induced lodging. Morphological and anatomical culm measurements were made visually and with an environmental scanning electron microscope. Genotypes differed (P < 0.05) for plant height, number of internodes per culm, basal internode length and diameter, culm wall thickness and the number of vascular bundles, but not for adventitious root frequency, lumen diameter or sclerenchyma ring thickness. Mean genotype field scores for artificially induced lodging were correlated (P < 0.05) with plant height (r= 0.51) and the length of the fourth basal internode (r= 0.51). Short, wide basal internodes and thick culm walls were characteristic of three lodging tolerant genotypes: Kohika, Sapphire and Olso. Nevertheless, despite such apparent genotype specific association between culm anatomy and field lodging, general applicable associations were not observed for most traits. The most practical and easily selectable trait for lodging resistance within a wheat breeding program remains plant height. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Resistance to Sappaphis devecta (Wlk.) in apple

Summary Simple methods of selection for resistance to Sappaphis devecta (Wlk.), the rosy leaf-curling aphid, are described. Cox's Orange Pippin was shown to carry a single dominant resistance gene, for which the symbol Sd is suggested. There was clear evidence that the apple varieties James Grieve, Northern Spy and Ashmead's Kernel also provide monogenic sources of resistance, and there were similar indications for Gascoyne's Scarlet and ST 14/20.     

Convenient large-scale purification of yessotoxin from Protoceratium reticulatum culture and isolation of a novel furanoyessotoxin

Yessotoxins from a large-scale culture (226 L) of Protoceratium reticulatum strain CAWD129 were harvested by filtration followed by solid-phase extraction. The extract was purified by column chromatography over basic alumina and reverse-phase flash chromatography to afford pure yessotoxin (193 mg). Isolation of yessotoxin was greatly facilitated by selection of a strain which did not produce analogues that interfered with yessotoxin isolation. In addition to yessotoxin, numerous minor yessotoxins were detected by LC-MS in other fractions. From one of these, an early eluting minor analogue with the same molecular weight as yessotoxin and a similar mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern was isolated. This analogue was identified by NMR and mass spectrometry as a novel yessotoxin analogue containing a furan ring in the side chain. This finding reveals biosynthetic flexibility of the yessotoxin pathway in P. reticulatum and confirms earlier findings of production of many minor yessotoxin analogues by this alga. Production of these analogues appeared to be a constitutive trait of P. reticulatum CAWD129.     

Differential inhibition of human platelet aggregation by selected Allium thiosulfinates

Thiosulfinates (TSs) have been implicated as a principle source of the antiplatelet property of raw onion and garlic juice. The in vitro responses of human platelets to dosages of four TSs were measured using whole blood aggregometry and compared by regression analysis. Of the compounds evaluated, methyl methane-TS (MMTS), propyl propane-TS (PPTS), and 2-propenyl 2-propene-TS (allicin) are present in freshly cut Allium vegetables, whereas ethyl ethane-TS (EETS) has not been detected. All TSs were synthesized using a model reaction system. PPTS and allicin had the strongest antiplatelet activity at 0.4 mM, inhibiting aggregation by 90 and 89%, respectively. At the same concentration, EETS and MMTS were significantly weaker, inhibiting 74 and 26%, respectively. Combinations of TSs were not additive in their inhibition of aggregation, indicating that the antiplatelet potential of Allium extracts cannot be easily predicted by quantifying organosulfur components. EETS, PPTS, and allicin were significantly more potent platelet inhibitors than aspirin at nearly equivalent concentrations.     

用计算机模拟农药在土壤中的移动和降解

本文应用CALF模式,用计算机模拟杀螨剂NC13292在淤积粘壤土中的移动和降解并与田间的实际测定进行比较,结果表明:当仅用吸附系数进行模拟时,经过一段时间以后,模拟的农药移动速度往往大于田间实际移动速度.它暗示农药在土壤中的移动可能存在着两个过程.一是农药在土壤固相与土壤水相之间的分配过程.这一过程对于农药在土壤中的移动起主导作用.二是扩散过程.只有在团粒结构或粘性土壤中,特别是对于极性农药,这一过程才相当重要,在应用吸附系数的同时,再引入一个经验扩散比率常数(0.0125/天),则NC13292在该土壤中移动速度的模拟结果与田间实际测定非常接近.