New Pseudococcidae species on Cupressus macrocarpa in Tunisia: first report of Planococcus vovae

In May 2017 and 2018, Planococcus vovae (Nasonov) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was collected in Hammam Sousse (Tunisia) on the ornamental plant Cupressus macrocarpa (Cupressaceae). The infestation was observed on needles which showed symptoms of desiccation and chlorosis. This is the first record of P. vovae in Tunisia and in North Africa.     

Etiology of potato soft rot and blackleg diseases complex in Egypt

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Recent observations of increasing incidences of potato plants showing blackleg symptoms have caused serious concern for potato growers and traders in...     

Effect of gamma-irradiated entomopathogenic nematodeSteinernema carpocapsae (Fil.) on the larvae of the potato tuber moth,Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.)

The effect of gamma irradiation on the pathogenicity of the entomopathogenic nematodeSteinernema carposapsae was studied by infecting the larvae of the potato tuber moth,Phthorimaea operculella. Full grown larvae of the host were gamma-irradiated with different doses ranged from 2.5 to 160 Gray (Gy) and subsequently infected with either unirradiated or irradiated infective juveniles (IJs) ofS. carpocapsae using the same doses. For comparison, two groups of unirradiated and irradiated host larvae were left without nematode infection. Another group of larval host was also infected with nematodes either unexposed or exposed to the previous doses.The results revealed that there was a rapid mortality in the irradiated host infected with either unexposed nematodes or nematodes irradiated with different doses similar to the mortality in the nematode treatment alone. On the other hand, the pathogenicity of the nematodes was affected as a result of gamma irradiation with high doses, i. e. irradiation of nematodes delayed their efficiencyvis à vis the unirradiated host. However, lower doses of gamma irradiation exhibited worthily stimulating effect on the pathogenic nematodes, one week post irradiation, as it reduced by half the period of time required for killing all irradiated host larvae with regard to nematode treatment alone. Furthermore, nematode treatment whether applied alone or combined with gamma irradiation appears very promising as compared with single irradiation treatment of the host.With 3 tables     

Management of pigeon pea in short fallows for crop-livestock production systems in the Guinea savanna zone of northern Ghana

Crop and livestock production in the Guinea savanna zone of northern Ghana has been declining over the past years as a result of increasing pressure on land. To sustain soil productivity, pigeon pea(Cajanus cajan), a leguminous perennial crop was evaluated for its potential as a short duration fallow crop for fodder and grain, and maize (Zea mays)production. It involved comparing a natural fallow (i.e., control) and four improved fallows of pigeon pea pruned annually at 30 cm, 60 cm and 90 cm from the ground, and unpruned pigeon pea over a two-year period. After this time, the land was cleared manually and planted to maize. The highest mean annual biomass of pigeon pea over the two-year period of 6.1 t ha⁻¹ dry matter (DM) was obtained by pruning at 60 cm. The highest leaf litter production and pigeon pea seed yield was obtained from the no pruning treatment. The mean maize grain yield from the improved fallow (3.02 t ha⁻¹) in the first year after clearing was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that of the natural fallow (1.54 t ha⁻¹). Considering the biomass of pigeon pea from pruning, pigeon pea seed yield and maize grain yield after the pigeon pea, pruning pigeon pea at 60 cm is the most promising regime for crop-livestock production systems. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Zingiber officinale and Glycyrrhiza glabra,individually or in combination,reduce heavy metal accumulation and improve growth performance and immune status in Nile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus

This study evaluated the impact of dietary ginger and liquorice supplementation on growth performance, physiological and histopathological profiles and heavy metal accumulation in Nile tilapia fingerlings. Fish (n = 1,800, 17.5 ± 0.11 g BW) were randomly distributed into four treatment groups in triplicates and received no supplementation (control group), 5 ml aqueous ginger extract/kg feed (ginger group), 4 ml aqueous liquorice extract/kg feed (liquorice group) or 2.5 ml ginger plus 2 ml liquorice aqueous extracts/kg feed (mix group). The ginger‐liquorice mix supply improved the growth performance and feed efficiency (p < .05), increased the haematocrit and haemoglobin (p < .05), leucocytes (p = .108), neutrophils (p = .054), serum total protein (p < .05), albumin (p = .011) and globulin (p = .094) but decreased (p < .05) the blood urea nitrogen and creatinine than feeding liquorice or ginger lonely compared to the control. Heavy metal loads in pond water induced lamellar telangiectasis of gills and necrosis with sloughing of intestinal villi tips. These detrimental effects were alleviated, and the intestinal villus length (p = .041) and crypt depth (p = .069) were increased with liquorice supply. In all treatment groups, heavy metal contents in fish flesh were lower compared to the control. Thus, using ginger and/or liquorice aqueous extracts can decrease heavy metal accumulation in the fish flesh and exert positive effects on growth performance, metabolic profile and the intestinal and gill morphology of Nile tilapia.     

Genetic diversity of wheat wild relatives in the Near East detected by AFLP

In order to reveal the molecular genetic diversity of wheat wild relatives, an AFLP analysis was conducted with 16 accessions of five Triticum andAegilops species originating from the Near East. Variation within population was studied with at least seven individuals per accession. Four primer combinations were used for selective amplification. Based on the scored bands, we estimated percentage of polymorphic bands, 1 – proportion of shared bands (1-psb) and nucleotide diversity (π). Of the five species used in this study, Ae. speltoides had the highest level of `within population' variation. This species had also the highest value of the variation among populations. As for Triticum species, the level of variation within population was low in diploid species (T. urartu and T. boeoticum),whereas two tetraploid species (T. dicoccoides and T. araraticum) had relatively high levels of variation within population. While the two diploid Triticum indicated a clear interspecific divergence, the two tetraploid wild wheats were not clearly divergent in this study. The variance portioning analysis indicated that the variation detected for diploid Triticum species was mainly composed of `between species' variation, on the other hand that for tetraploid Triticum was mostly composed of `within population' variation. In conclusion, AFLP analysis reveals molecular variation in all accessions used in this study, suggesting a potential genetic diversity of the wheat wild relatives in natural populations. These results have implications for the design of strategies to maintain genetic diversity within genebank collections. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nutritional and economic benefits ofLeucaena andGliricidia as feed supplements for small ruminants in humid West Africa

Summary Considering leguminous trees Leucaenaand Gliricidiaas good sources of quality food, on-station and on-farm studies were conducted in the humid zone of West Africa to establish animal responses to levels, times and forms of browse supplementation, to develop alternative feeding strategies for utilising limited feed supply and to assess the economic benefits of feed supplements as against the use of tree foliage as mulch for crop production. Results indicate that at any level of supplement, sheep grew twice as fast as goats. The main benefits of supplementation came through increased growth and survival. Form and level of supplementation had significant effect on intake. Economic analyses showed that crop response to mulching was the principal competing determinant of whether the use of tree foliage as feed supplement was economic.

---

Beneficios Nutricionales Y Economicos De La Utilizacion DeLeucaena YGliricidia Como Suplementos Para Pequenos Rumiantes En Zonas Humedas Del Africa Occidental

Resumen Considerando que los árboles de los génerosLeucaena y Gliricidia son fuentes de alimento de buena calidad, se llevaron a cabo estudios en granjas y estaciones experimentales en zonas húmedas del Africa Occidental para determinar (1) la respuesta de los animales a diferentes niveles, momentos y formas de suplementación, (2) desarrollar estrategias de alimentación alternativas para aprovechar alimentos escasos y (3) determinar los beneficios económicos de la utilización de las hojas de los árboles mencionados como suplemento en lugar de como sistema de protección de los cultivos. Los resultados indicaron que, para cualquier nivel de suplementación, las ovejas crecieron dos veces más deprisa que las cabras. Los principales beneficios de la suplementación fueron un aumento en el crecimiento y en la supervivencia. La forma y el nivel de suplementación tuvieron efectos significativos sobre la ingestión. Los análisis económicos indicaron que la respuesta de los cultivos a la protección con hojas y estiercol fue el pricipal factor a tener en cuenta a la hora de decidir acerca de si la utilización de las hojas como suplemento para el ganado resultaba económica.

---

Interets Economiques Et Nutritionnels DeLeucaena EtGliricidia En Tant Qu’Apports Alimentaires Pour Les Petits Ruminants De L’Afrique Humide De l’Ouest

Résumé Considerées comme des sources nutritionnelles de qualité, des études furent menées surLeucaena etGliricidia dans les fermes et les lieux d’élevage dans la zone humide d’Afrique de l’ouest dans le but d’établir les résponses des animaux aux niveaux, durées et formes du broutage, pour développer des stratégies alternatives d’alimentation pour l’utilisation limitée d’apports alimentaires et pour estimer les avantages économiques des suppléments nutritionnels par opposition à l’utilisation de ces legumineuses comme terreau pour la production de récolte. Les resultats montrent que quel que soit le niveau d’apport nutritionnel, la croissance des moutons fut deux fois plus rapide que celle des chèvres. Les principaux intérêts de l’apport nutritionnel résiderent dans l’augmentation de croissance et de la survie des animaux. La nature et le niveau de l’apporteurent un effet significatif sur la consommation. Des analyses économiques montrérent que la résponse des récoltes après apport en terreau fut le principal facteur en compétition d’un point de vue économique, pour l’utilisation de ces légumineuses comme supplément alimentaire.

     

Editing of CD1d-bound lipid antigens by endosomal lipid transfer proteins

It is now established that CD1 molecules present lipid antigens to T cells, although it is not clear how the exchange of lipids between membrane compartments and the CD1 binding groove is assisted. We report that mice deficient in prosaposin, the precursor to a family of endosomal lipid transfer proteins (LTP), exhibit specific defects in CD1d-mediated antigen presentation and lack Valpha14 NKT cells. In vitro, saposins extracted monomeric lipids from membranes and from CD1, thereby promoting the loading as well as the editing of lipids on CD1. Transient complexes between CD1, lipid, and LTP suggested a "tug-of-war" model in which lipid exchange between CD1 and LTP is on the basis of their respective affinities for lipids. LTPs constitute a previously unknown link between lipid metabolism and immunity and are likely to exert a profound influence on the repertoire of self, tumor, and microbial lipid antigens.     

Amazon forests green-up during 2005 drought

Coupled climate-carbon cycle models suggest that Amazon forests are vulnerable to both long- and short-term droughts, but satellite observations showed a large-scale photosynthetic green-up in intact evergreen forests of the Amazon in response to a short, intense drought in 2005. These findings suggest that Amazon forests, although threatened by human-caused deforestation and fire and possibly by more severe long-term droughts, may be more resilient to climate changes than ecosystem models assume.     

"Hemoglobin alpha2beta2-121ys" chemical identification in an egyptian family

Stuidy of the amino acid composition and amino-terminal residue in the abnormal peptide of an electrophoretically slow hemoglobin revealed that the globin's structure was alpha(2)beta(2)(121 Lys) (Obeta). This hemoglobin had been provisionally classified as Hb E or as a new heemoglobin. The clinical significance of this abnormality is not yet defined.