Kinetics of the reaction of the first metabolite of fenitropan with some low molecular weight thiols

2-Nitro-I-phenylpropen-3-yl acetate (NPPA), the first metabolite of the fungicide fenitropan, reacted readily with glutathione in aqueous ethanol solutions at room temperature, producing at least two products. The first reaction step, which is believed to be a bimolecular nucleophilic (Michael) addition, had a strongly pH-dependent reaction rate. Second-order rate constants were calculated for the reactions of NPPA at pH 4 with glutathione and with some other low molecular weight thiols. Nucleophilic reactivity of the reacting thiolate anions is linearly related to the pK_a values of the thiols. However, as the concentration of thiolate anion is also determined by the thiol pK_a, there is no simple relationship between second-order rate constants and thiol pK_a. Thus the blocking rate of the various essential sulphydryl groups in fungi by NPPA is determined by the sulphydryl pK_a values and the ambient pH value.     

Evaluation of the on-line electrical conductivity of milk in mastitic dairy cows

Mastitis is a persistent, inflammatory reaction of the udder tissue, which entails a decline in potassium, and is also responsible for a higher somatic cell count (SCC) and electrical conductivity (EC) of milk. The measurement of EC is an indirect, rapid method to detect subclinical mastitis from milk. The aim of this study was to analyse the EC of milk throughout the lactation, around the day of mastitis detection, and also to estimate its heritability based on data from a large-scale dairy farm. Shortly after calving the EC value generally decreases; however, it was discovered that from the thirteenth week onwards, substantial differences arise between the mastitic and healthy groups of cows. The authors observed a significant (P < 0.001) increase in EC before the detection of clinical mastitis. This higher value (around 11 mS) persisted for 4 days, then it gradually returned to the normal level. The EC of milk from daughters sired by different bulls responded differently in case of mastitis. The heritability of EC seems to be high (h2 = 0.56). Therefore, the EC trait can be a beneficial indicator in detecting mastitis and should be considered in sire selection.     

Lean Six Sigma Projects and IT

Lean Six Sigma operations capitalizing on the benefits of using IT follow the same principle as other process improvement methods where the main goals are maximizing the value, eliminating waste, and minimizing defects. If the transformation has been planned in the appropriate way, customer satisfaction should become higher (e.g., easier to use the web site, safer payment process, shorter waiting time)and the operations will generally be smoother; as a result, the company should be on track to becoming more profitable.     

Relating Ambrosia artemisiifolia and other weeds to the management of Hungarian sunflower crops

The weed control of sunflower is a great challenge for farmers throughout the World. In Hungary, one of the greatest concerns is the pernicious weed Ambrosia artemisiifolia, which produces allergenic pollen. The main goal of this study was to identify cultural, weed-management and environmental factors determining weed species composition and the abundance of A. artemisiifolia in sunflower fields. Altogether 49 sunflower fields across Hungary were surveyed for their weed flora, and 30 environmental, cultural and weed-management factors were measured. Using a minimal adequate model containing 14 terms, 38 % of the total variation in species data could be explained. Soil Mg and Ca content, preceding crop, temperature, and field size had significant effects on species composition. Most of the herbicides were effective against annual grass species, but no herbicide was universally effective against broad-leaved weeds. Almost all types of weeds were efficiently reduced with mechanical weed control. A relatively high share of the explanatory variables were environmental factors, suggesting that the success of weed management in sunflower fields strongly depends on a complex of edaphic and climatic constraints. The abundance of Ambrosia artemisiifolia was positively correlated with high soil Ca content, lower temperature, the preceding crop being a cereal, and smaller field sizes; while considering herbicides it seemed to be most sensitive to fluorchloridon and propisochlor application. To reduce noxious broad-leaved weed species could require specific herbicide mixtures, and mechanical weed control should also be integrated into weed management.     

Molecular markers for the identification of resistance genes and marker-assisted selection in breeding wheat for leaf rust resistance

The resistance genes Lr9, Lr24, Lr25, Lr29, Lr35 and Lr37, which were not previously utilised in Hungary, have been incorporated into four Martonvásár winter wheat cultivars using marker-assisted selection with PCR-based markers. In the course of a backcross programme, the genes were transferred into Martonvásár wheat varieties and various BC generations were produced. Work aimed at pyramiding resistance genes is currently underway in Martonvásár, and plants containing the gene combinations Lr9 + Lr24, Lr9 + Lr25 and Lr9 + Lr29 are now available. From the BC₂F₄ generation of the ‘Mv Emma’*3/’R.L.6010’ combination (‘R.L.6010’ is the donor of the Lr9 gene) 287 lines were tested for leaf rust resistance in an artificially inoculated nursery. A co-dominant primer combination was designed to identify both resistant and susceptible offsprings. The results of resistance tests and molecular marker detection agreed in most cases. Designated leaf rust resistance genes were identified with molecular markers in wheat varieties and breeding lines. The Lr26 and Lr34 resistance genes occur frequently in the Martonvásár gene pool, and the presence of the Lr37 gene has also been detected in a number of Hungarian genotypes.     

Genomic Analysis of the Natural Population of Wheat dwarf virus inWheat fromChina and Hungary

During the last decade, the leafhopper transmitted Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) has become a serious problem both in northwestern China and Hungary. In order to study the molecular diversity and population structure of WDV in these two countries, 39 Chinese isolates and 16 Hungarian isolates were collected from different regions of China and Hungary, and their genomes were sequenced. All isolates belonged to the wheat strain of WDV and showed limited genetic diversity. The highest and lowest nucleotide sequence identities among isolates from China and Hungary were 99.9 and 90%, respectively. In all isolates, the lowest nucleotide sequence identity was 89.5% between MO10-1 and KP10-5, which were collected from Martonvásár and Kompolt, Hungary. Phylogenetic analyses showed the genome sequences of 55 WDV isolates belong to two big clades, but no clear correlation to geographical location. Population difference analyses indicated that the Chinese and Hungarian WDV populations have no significant difference. The regions in WDV genome with relatively low nucleotide diversities represented protein coding regions suggested that these regions evolved under negative selection, and might be one of the causes restricting the number of genetic variants.     

Lead uptake,distribution, and remobilization in cucumber

Mobility and distribution of lead (Pb) were investigated in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown in solution culture. Based on the observation that Pb uptake is influenced by the chemical form of iron (Fe) (complexed or ionic) in the solution, Fe distribution was also determined. Iron concentration was even in the stem (separated to internodes) and petioles but slightly increased at the shoot tip while Pb concentration decreased upwards. In the leaves Fe concentration decreased upwards (whereas in the control it increased a little at the youngest leaves) while Pb concentration increased to the largest leaves then decreased towards the shoot tip. It is suggested that the distribution of Pb in cucumber is passive process and it accumulates in the apoplast while Fe distribution is determined by the requirements of synthetic processes in young or photosynthesizing tissues. Lead probably lowers Fe transport into the symplast in the leaves causing slight chlorosis at the youngest leaves. In the plants that were loaded with Pb, decapitated and rooted again in Pb‐free culture solution we found no significant remobilization of Pb which supports that Pb binds strongly to the binding sites in the apoplast or is detoxified in an immobile form.     

Rise and fall of Stachys annua (L.) L. in the Carpathian Basin: a historical review and prospects for its revival

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Stachys annua (L.) L., a melliferous archaeophyte plant became a dominant weed of the cereal stubbles of the Carpathian Basin in the medieval three-field...     

Negative cross-resistance to N-phenylanilines in benzimidazole- resistant strains of Botrytis cinerea,Venturia nashicola and Venturia inaequalis

A new series of compounds with high contra-selective activity against benomyl-resistant fungal strains was found among ring-substituted N-phenyl-anilines. Hydrophobic substitution in one of the benzene rings, together with the secondary amine character of the molecule, are important factors for high fungitoxicity. The sensitivities of benomyl-resistant isolates to some representatives of the N-phenylanilines equal or even surpass their sensitivity to diethofencarb or MDPC. The negative cross-resistance with benzimdazole fungicides is valid for strains of Botrytis cinerea, Venturia nashicola and Venturia inaequalis. The strains of B. cinerea with double insensitivity to benzimidazoles and phenyl-carbamates are insensitive also to N-phenylanilines. However, the similarly double-insensitive strain of V. nashicola was found to be just as sensitive to the N-phenylanilines tested as the strain resistant only to benzimidazoles. The latter result revealed an important bonus compared with diethofencarb. Preventive application of one of the most active representatives of the N-phenylanilines to young cucumber plants was effective against infection with benomyl-resistant isolates of B. cinerea. Moderate apical translocation after root-dipping was also observed.     

Further studies in increased sensitivity to N-phenylanilines in benzimidazole-resistant strains of Botrytis cinerea and Venturia nashicola

The ring-substituted N-phenylanilines, N-(3-chlorophenyl)aniline (MC-1) and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)aniline (MC-2) were tested for their antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr. and Venturia nashicola Tanaka et Yamamoto. In both fungi, increased sensitivity to MC-1 and MC-2 was clearly observed in ‘highly carbendazim-resistant, diethofencarb-sensitive’ (HR, S) phenotypes. Sensitivity was low in ‘carbendazim-sensitive, diethofencarb-resistant’ (S, R) and ‘intermediately carbendazim-resistant, diethofencarb-resistant’ (IR, R) strains. On cucumber cotyledons, other strains of B. cinerea, possessing the phenotype ‘highly carbendazim-resistant, diethofencarb-resistant’ (HR, R) were not controlled by either MC-1 or MC-2. Response to MC-2 was also examined using random ascospore progenies from V. nashicola crosses. In these progenies, high-level carbendazim resistance and MC-2 sensitivity always segregated together. Sensitivity to MC-2 is controlled by a single gene which is either identical to or very closely linked to one conferring high-level resistance to carbendazim.