Banishing barberry: The history of Berberis vulgaris prevalence and wheat stem rust incidence across Britain

Wheat stem rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), is a notoriously damaging disease of wheat and barley. Pgt requires two hosts to complete its lifecycle; undergoing asexual reproduction on cereal crops and completing sexual reproduction on Berberis spp. The latter stage of its lifecycle is of particular importance in temperate regions such as western Europe, where asexual urediniospores are unable to survive cold winter weather. In the past, the crucial role of Berberis in the lifecycle of stem rust led to intensive eradication campaigns, initially carried out by farmers in the face of hostile scientific opinion. In the United Kingdom, common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is today a relatively rare plant. Stem rust is, however, currently experiencing a resurgence; at the same time, there has been a general increase in the prevalence of barberry and an upsurge in its planting which, in the United Kingdom, is associated with attempts to encourage the endangered barberry carpet moth (Pareulype berberata). This article situates current developments within a broader chronological framework, examining changing attitudes towards barberry and rust in England in the past and the history of the plant's use and cultivation. It assesses how widespread B. vulgaris really was in the environment historically, and thus the scale of its eradication. We suggest that Berberis was never widely established as an archaeophyte in the United Kingdom. Current attempts to re-establish it are based on a misunderstanding of the plant's historical status and could potentially pose a serious threat to food security.     

Relationships of Spectral Reflectance with Plant Tissue Mineral Elements of Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Under Drought and Salinity Stresses

ABSTRACT

Salinity and drought stresses are critical for Phaseolus vulgaris L. growth and development. They affect plants in various ways, including tissue mineral element content. Micro- and macro-elements in leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (cv. ‘Blue lake’ and cv. ‘Terli’) subjected to deficit irrigation and salinity treatments were investigated, both analytically and with regards to their effect on the leaves’ spectral reflectance. B (boron), K (potassium), Mn (manganese), Na (sodium), Si (silicon) and Zn (zinc) appeared to be influenced by stress factors, mainly responding to salinity increase. The leaf spectral reflectance of the plants appeared to be significantly correlated with most of the elements under investigation. Multivariate regression identified a relationship of the reflectance at particular regions of the spectrum with phosphorus and NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and indicated a significant correlation with B, Fe (iron), K, Mn, P (phosphorus) and Zn. Moreover, customized spectral indices, exhibiting significantly high correlation with B, Fe, K, Mg (magnesium), Mn, Na, P, Zn and N (nitrogen), were developed.     

Strategy to identify resistance to white mould associated with high yield for irrigated common bean in Brazil

Development of common bean cultivars with partial white mould resistance through breeding techniques has been a challenge in Brazil. As yet, lines/cultivars from breeding programmes have not been investigated for resistance; therefore, this study screened 107 lines/cultivars for their reactions to white mould in 14 preliminary trials conducted under irrigation. Thirteen resistant lines/cultivars (three of Andean origin) and six Mesoamerican cultivars (three intermediately resistant and three susceptible) were selected for further investigation. These lines/cultivars and the resistant control A195 were evaluated in six advanced trials and two straw tests to assess the effectiveness of the screening procedure. In 11 preliminary trials, screenings were performed under moderate/high or higher disease pressure. These pressures occurred in two advanced trials in which, when yields were averaged across moderate/high and high pressures, 10 Mesoamerican lines/cultivars selected for resistance yielded 14%, 23%, and 38% more than intermediately resistant cultivars, A195, and susceptible cultivars, with median disease ratings (1–9 scale) of 4.5, 5.7, 5.7, and 6.7, respectively. In the straw test, three Andean lines/cultivars (A195 included) and two susceptible cultivars in the field were among those with the highest levels of physiological resistance. Thus, field rating under high disease pressure and greenhouse rating did not correlate significantly, suggesting that field trials are critical to evaluating resistance and to identifying high-yielding beans. Therefore, lines/cultivars from breeding programmes assessed in field trials may provide a low cost and fast way to identify high-yielding bean cultivars with partial resistance to white mould in the subtropical southern hemisphere.     

Living on the edge: morphological and behavioral adaptations to a marginal high-elevation habitat in an arboreal mammal

Habitats are characterized by different local environmental conditions that influence both behavior and morphology of species, which can result in habitat-dependent phenotypic differences among animals living in heterogeneous environments. We studied 3 alpine populations of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), 1 living in a marginal high-elevation habitat at the edge of the species’ altitudinal distribution, and 2 occurring in higher-quality habitats. Here, we investigated whether squirrels living in the marginal area differed in 2 morphological parameters (body size and body mass) and/or in the expression of 4 personality traits estimated with an open field test and a mirror image stimulation test (activity, exploration, activity-exploration, and social tendency). Furthermore, we tested whether within-individual variance of the traits (behavioral plasticity) was higher in the edge habitat. Male squirrels in the edge habitat were smaller and weighed less than in the other study areas, while among females, size–habitat relationships were less marked. These sex-specific patterns were explained by a strong association between body mass and reproductive success in female squirrels. Squirrels in the marginal habitat were more active, explorative, and had a more social personality than in the other habitats. However, in contrast to our predictions, behavioral plasticity was smaller in the marginal habitat, but only for the trait exploration. Our results suggest that animals choose the habitat that best fits their personality, and that habitat-related differences in selective pressures may shape animals’ morphology.     

内蒙古普通菜豆枯萎病病原菌鉴定

<正>普通菜豆(Common bean),俗称芸豆(Kidney bean),为豆科(Fabaceae)菜豆属一年生草本植物,营养丰富,蛋白质含量高,既是蔬菜又是粮食,是重要的农副产品。内蒙古自治区是我国种植普通菜豆的主要地区之一。随着普通菜豆栽培面积以及连作年限不断增加,病虫害问题日益突出,尤其是枯萎病,严重影响了普通菜豆的产量和品质,已成为限制普通菜豆产业可持续发展的主要因素之一。2021年7月,     

PEG与低温对法国百里香种子萌发的影响

以法国百里香(Thymus vulgaris)为材料,研究了PEG模拟干旱胁迫和低温对种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响,旨在探索进口百里香种子播种育苗的适宜条件。结果表明,温度、干旱及其互作对法国百里香种子萌发和幼苗生长均有显著影响。0~10%PEG-6000水分条件下,8~24℃下法国百里香种子均能良好萌发,其中在10~12℃时发芽率最高,达79.3%,显著高于其余各处理(P0.05)。当PEG-6000达15%时显著抑制其萌发,至30%PEG-6000时仅在22~24℃下少量萌发。萌发后,当温度为22~24℃,根长、茎长均显著高于其他处理。种子和幼苗生长均表现出对PEG模拟干旱胁迫和低温不同的响应。     

毛乌素沙地臭柏年轮生长动态的研究

以毛乌素沙地天然臭柏为材料 ,用实体解剖镜和光学显微镜研究观察臭柏的年轮形态特征 ,应用树干解析法研究毛乌素沙地沙丘顶部臭柏和滩地臭柏的径向生长和伸长生长动态。结果表明 :沙丘顶部臭柏偏心生长明显 ,长径与短径比为 14 0 .36 % ,伪年轮发生频率为 12 .0 7% ;滩地臭柏偏心生长不明显 ,长径与短径比为 10 5 .2 2 % ,伪年轮发生频率为 1.80 % ;根据年轮数推断 ,沙丘顶部臭柏群落的年龄至少有 12 3a以上 ,滩地臭柏年龄有 5 0a以上 ;沙丘顶部臭柏径生长缓慢 ,生长过程中没有明显的峰值 ,年平均生长量为 0 .94mm ,累积生长曲线的S型特征不明显 ;滩地臭柏的径生长高峰出现在 35年 ,年平均生长量为 1.5 1mm ,是沙丘顶部臭柏的 1.6倍 ,累积生长曲线的S型特征也不明显 ;沙丘顶部臭柏的匍匐茎长度与年龄之间表现出指数函数关系 ,而滩地臭柏的匍匐茎长度与年龄之间存在着显著的线性相关关系     

我国3种杏的地理分布及其植物学性状

杏属植物为蔷薇科李亚科杏属木本植物,本文研究的西伯利亚杏(Armeniaca sibirica (L.) Lam.)、东北杏(Armeniaca mandshurica (Maxim.) Skv.)和普通杏的野生类型-野杏(Armeniaca vulgaris Lam. Var.ansu (Maxim.) Yü et Lu),通常为落叶乔木或灌木,原产于大陆性干燥山区,多分布于半干旱、半湿润的风沙平原、山地和丘陵地区[1],喜光、抗寒、耐旱、耐瘠薄、耐风沙、根系发达、萌蘖能力强、容易繁殖、生长快、病虫害少,是固沙保土、涵养水源、改善生态环境的优良乡土树种,并且有较高的经济价值及药用价值[2-6],其中杏仁油可以作为功能性食品保健植物油、高级润滑油、高级化妆品和高级涂料的优质原料[7],也是值得推广种植的木本生物柴油物种[8],杏仁蛋白是一种食用价值极高的植物蛋白[9],杏壳作为优质活性炭的原料也是其重要的副产品[10].     

不同菜豆品种4种抗营养因子水平差异分析

菜豆中植物凝集素、皂苷、胰蛋白酶抑制剂和植酸等抗营养因子是引起菜豆食物中毒的内源物。以56份食荚菜豆品种为材料,测定了鲜荚中4种抗营养因子含量或活性。结果表明,供试菜豆品种群体4种抗营养因子水平均存在极显著差异。植物凝集素含量(均值为1.743 mg·g~(-1))和胰蛋白酶抑制剂活性(均值为1.680 mg·g~(-1))变异系数均在100%以上,品种频率分布曲线主峰明显,但在极高和极低区域均有品种间断分布,出现了品种水平的数量等级差异;皂苷含量(均值为3.730 mg·g~(-1))和植酸含量(均值为3.102 mg·g~(-1))变异系数均低于41%,品种频率分布曲线呈近正态分布,主峰明显,双尾有低频率连续分布。相关分析表明,植物凝集素含量与胰蛋白酶抑制剂活性呈极显著正相关。聚类分析将供试56份菜豆品种划分为3个品种群,近80%品种聚于抗营养因子中等水平品种群,近12%品种居于较低水平。由于菜豆植物凝集素是食用致毒性的主要内源物,同时其和胰蛋白酶抑制剂等均与菜豆田间抗病虫性密切相关,预示着筛选出极低水平植物凝集素的菜豆品种是可行的,但同时可能会降低其田间抗病虫性。     

黄金间碧玉竹引种试验

通过对黄金间碧玉竹的繁殖和适应性试验，认为黄金间碧玉竹繁殖容易，适应性强．在亚热带轻霜地区种植，生长良好，可作观赏和材用。影响其生长发育的主要限制因子是霜冻，若定檀当年和次年采取防护措施，待其根系、地下茎和茎杆抗性增强后，便可抵御一定程度的寒窖。