Temporal and spatial progress of the diseases caused by the crinivirus tomato chlorosis virus and the begomovirus tomato severe rugose virus in tomatoes in Brazil

Efficient management of whitefly-borne diseases remains a challenge due to the lack of a comprehensive understanding of their epidemiology, particularly of the diseases tomato golden mosaic and tomato yellowing. Here, by monitoring 16 plots in four commercial fields, the temporal and spatial distribution of these two diseases were studied in tomato fields in Brazil. In the experimental plots these diseases were caused by tomato severe rugose virus (ToSRV) and tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), respectively. The incidence of each virus was similar in the plots within a field but varied greatly among fields. Plants with symptoms for both diseases were randomly distributed in three of four spatial analyses. The curves representing the progress of both diseases were similar and contained small fluctuations, indicating that the spread of both viruses was similar under field conditions. In transmission experiments of ToSRV and ToCV by Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 (former biotype B), these viruses had a similar transmission rate in single or mixed infections. It was then shown that primary and secondary spread of ToCV were not efficiently controlled by insecticide applications. Finally, in a typical monomolecular model of disease progress, simulation of the primary dissemination of ToSRV and ToCV showed that infected plants were predominantly randomly distributed. It is concluded that, although the manner of vector transmission differs between ToSRV (persistent) and ToCV (semipersistent), the main dispersal mechanisms are most probably similar for these two diseases: primary spread is the predominant mechanism, and epidemics of these diseases have been caused by several influxes of viruliferous whiteflies.     

Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.     

Neuroprotective Metabolites from Vietnamese Marine Derived Fungi of Aspergillus and Penicillium Genera

Low molecular weight secondary metabolites of marine fungi Aspergillus flocculosus, Aspergillus terreus and Penicillium sp. from Van Phong and Nha Trang Bays (Vietnam) were studied and a number of polyketides, bis-indole quinones and terpenoids were isolated. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS techniques. Stereochemistry of some compounds was established based on ECD data. A chemical structure of asterriquinone F (6) was thoroughly described for the first time. Anthraquinone (13) was firstly obtained from a natural source. Neuroprotective influences of the isolated compounds against 6-OHDA, paraquat and rotenone toxicity were investigated. 4-Hydroxyscytalone (1), 4-hydroxy-6-dehydroxyscytalone (2) and demethylcitreoviranol (3) have shown significant increasing of paraquat- and rotenone-treated Neuro-2a cell viability and anti-ROS activity.     

Ray blight of pyrethrum in Australia: a review of the current status and future opportunities

Ray blight caused by Stagonosporopsis tanaceti is one of the most important diseases of pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium), a perennial herbaceous plant cultivated for the extraction of insecticidal pyrethrins in Australia. The disease is responsible for complete yield loss in severe outbreaks. Infected seed is considered as the principal source of S. tanaceti. Infection hyphae remain only in the seed coat and not in the embryo, resulting in pre- and post-emergence death of seedlings and latent infection. Therefore, quantification of the level of infection by S. tanaceti within seed using a qPCR assay is important for efficient management of the disease. Stagonosporopsis tanaceti completes its life cycle within 12 days after leaf infection through production of pycnidia and can infect every tissue of the pyrethrum plant except the vascular and root tissues. Ray blight epidemics occur in pyrethrum fields through splash dispersal of pycnidiospores between adjacent plants. Besides steam sterilization, thiabendazole/thiram and fludioxonil are effective seed-treating chemicals in controlling S. tanaceti before planting begins. Ray blight is currently managed in the field through the foliar application of strobilurin fungicides in the first 1–2 years of crop establishment. Later on, difenoconazole and multisite specific fungicides in the next 2–3 years during early spring successfully reduce ray blight infestation. Avoiding development of resistance to fungicides will require more sustainable management of ray blight including the development and deployment of resistant cultivars.     

马铃薯AP2/ERF转录因子的克隆及植物表达载体构建

AP2/ERF基因家族转录因子普遍存在于植物中,参与植物体内的各种生物学过程,包括植物的生长发育、生物和非生物胁迫响应等。前期转录组测序的结果发现马铃薯‘加湘1号’一个AP2/ERF家族基因(PGSC0003DMG400012154)在接种晚疫病菌(Phytophthora infestans)24 h后被显著激活。从接种P.infestans 24 h的‘加湘1号’的总RNA中通过RT-PCR获得了该基因CDS序列为885 bp,BLAST分析显示该基因编码一个295个氨基酸残基的蛋白,并且含有1个AP2/ERF结构域,是AP2/ERF转录因子家族中的ERF亚家族的一员。本研究将该基因与XcmⅠ酶切的表达载体pCXSN连接,转化大肠杆菌,通过测序挑选插入正确克隆酶切验证,并成功转化农杆菌。本研究结果为进一步研究该基因的功能提供了帮助。     

生物炭对Bt Cry1Ac蛋白抗紫外能力影响

为了研究生物炭对紫外线的防护作用，以豆壳烧制的生物炭作为载体，研究生物炭对Bt Cry1Ac蛋白的吸附行为以及生物炭对Cry1Ac蛋白的紫外保护作用。使用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、X-射线粉末衍射以及傅立叶红外光谱等手段对生物炭的形貌和结构进行表征。结果表明，生物炭是典型的多孔结构材料，表面具有丰富的官能团。Cry1Ac蛋白与生物炭吸附平衡时间为50 min，最合适的吸附浓度比（生物炭：蛋白）为1：100，二者吸附符合准二级动力学模型和Langmuir模型。在UVB紫外照射4 h后，生物炭与Cry1Ac蛋白复合物对棉铃虫的生物活性是单纯蛋白的4.93倍，显示生物炭具有较好的紫外抵抗效果。研究结果初步表明，制备得到的生物炭能够显著提高Cry1Ac蛋白的抗紫外能力，为后续研发耐受紫外线的农药剂型提供新材料。     

Pigeonpea improvement: An amalgam of breeding and genomic research

In the past five decades, constant research has been directed towards yield improvement in pigeonpea resulting in the deployment of several commercially acceptable cultivars in India. Though, the genesis of hybrid technology, the biggest breakthrough, enigma of stagnant productivity still remains unsolved. To sort this productivity disparity, genomic research along with conventional breeding was successfully initiated at ICRISAT. It endowed ample genomic resource providing insight in the pigeonpea genome combating production constraints in a precise and speedy manner. The availability of the draft genome sequence with a large‐scale marker resource, oriented the research towards trait mapping for flowering time, determinacy, fertility restoration, yield attributing traits and photo‐insensitivity. Defined core and mini‐core collection, still eased the pigeonpea breeding being accessible for existing genetic diversity and developing stress resistance. Modern genomic tools like next‐generation sequencing, genome‐wide selection helping in the appraisal of selection efficiency is leading towards next‐generation breeding, an awaited milestone in pigeonpea genetic enhancement. This paper emphasizes the ongoing genetic improvement in pigeonpea with an amalgam of conventional breeding as well as genomic research.