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.     

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.     

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.     

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。     

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.     

遮荫处理对铁尾矿基质臭柏实生苗快速叶绿素荧光特性的影响

【目的】通过比较分析铁尾矿基质下不同遮荫处理间臭柏实生苗叶片原初光化学反应的差异,揭示臭柏在不同光照条件下的光保护机制,从理论上解释其天然更新过程,为臭柏光胁迫的研究提供理论依据,也为臭柏在铁尾矿废弃地造林提供技术依据。【方法】以唐山迁安铁尾矿为基质,通过盆栽遮荫试验,利用快速叶绿荧光诱导动力学测定与 JIP-test数据分析方法,分别测定0,25%,50%,75%和90%5个遮荫处理下臭柏叶绿素8项荧光参数。【结果】1)全光照条件下Fo 增大,Fm 减小,而叶片光合系统量子产额和能量分配比率(φPo,Ψo和φEo)、单位面积光合机构的比活性参数(Fm,ETo/CSm和 TRo/CSm)和单位面积内反应中心的数量(RC/CSm)均最小,且各个遮荫处理组间差异均达到显著(P＜0.05)或极显著水平(P＜0.01),表明全光照条件下臭柏实生苗反应中心失活,受到光抑制,而全光照下快速叶绿素荧光诱导动力学曲线中 K 点与 J 点明显高于其他遮荫处理,而且光抑制对臭柏叶片PSⅡ的供体侧(OEC)有伤害,造成PSⅡ受体侧(Q －A )的大量积累,阻碍电子传递链向Q －A 下游传递。2)全光照条件下叶片热耗散的量子比率(φDo )和单位面积光合机构的比活性参数( DIo/CSm )均最大,且与其他遮荫处理组间差异也均达到显著(P＜0.05)或极显著水平(P＜0.01),表明全光照条件下臭柏在遭受光抑制后,通过增加天线色素的热耗散,增加非辐射能量耗散等一系列机制来保护光合机构免受过量光能的危害。3)随着遮荫率增加,φPo ,Ψo和φEo,Fm(ABS/CSm),ETo/CSm和TRo/CSm,RC/CSm随之上升,而φDo和Fo(ABS/CSo),DIo/CSm随之下降,90%遮荫处理表现出明显的光捕捉特征,50%遮荫处理 Fm ,PIABS的平均值最大,说明该遮荫条件下臭柏叶片光抑制最小,光合能力最强,其他参数在不同遮荫处理组间无明显差异( P＜0.05)。【结论】臭柏幼苗若无遮荫措施,受到光胁迫,而其通过增加非辐射能量耗散途径达到光抑制防御的机制。因此臭柏天然更新从乌柳灌丛下开始,逐渐脱离乌柳灌丛的保护,完全暴露在全光照条件下,进而实现自身的不断生长、壮大,但在废弃地上植苗造林初期尚需采取一定的遮荫措施,以提高造林成活率。     

Insights into the differences in leaf functional traits of heterophyllous Syringa oblata under different light intensities

Many plants exhibit heterophylly; the spatially and temporally remarkable ontogenetic differences in leaf morphology may play an adaptative role in their success under diverse habitats. Thus, this stud...     

A geographical approach to identify phosphorus-efficient genotypes among landraces and wild ancestors of common bean

Cultivars of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) capable of yielding well at low levels of native or added phosphorus (P) are highly desirable in many tropical production systems. The objective of the present study was to identify geographical regions which might be sources of such genotypes. A total of 364 landraces, cultivars and wild genotypes, drawn from a broad geographic range, were divided on the basis of growth habit into four field trials, each comprising two levels of P, stressed and unstressed, on an infertile Andosol in Popayan, Colombia. The regression relationship between grain yield per plant in the presence and in the absence of stress was determined, and each genotype's deviation from this relationship was used as a measure of P-efficiency. There was highly significant variation in efficiency among genotypes in all growth habits, and in climbing beans there were consistent regional differences, superior genotypes being identified with greater frequency among those from Bolivia, West Mexico and South Mexico-West Guatemala. The latter region was promising for prostrate bush genotypes also. Wild beans in general performed relatively poorly; it appears that P-efficiency traits in P. vulgaris have been acquired during or after domestication. These results confirm that genetic differences in P-efficiency exist among common bean genotypes and suggest that these are related to geographic origin. Furthermore, the use of a representative sample of germplasm can help to identify segments of the gene bank that are especially promising as sources of desirable traits. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nematode Resistance and Meiotic Abnormality in Diploid Sugar Beet Selected from Interspecific Beta vulgaris×B. procumbens Hybrids*

Two nematode-resistant trisomic lines which were derived from interspecific Beta, vulgaris × B. procumbens hybrids were intercrossed or backcrossed with susceptible diploid sugar beer and their progenies were screened for nematode resistance. The transmission rate of resistance varied from 1.5 % to 47.6 % with an average of 20.4 % in the progenies of individual insomics derived from the two trisomic lines. Eleven resistant diploads were selected with a frequency of 0.2 %. These resistant diploids were classified into two groups, i.e., one group showed relatively high transmission rates of resistance with an average of 25.4 % and the other extremely low with an average of 1.2 % in their backcrossed and s el fed progenies., Meiotic chromosome behavior in a resistant diploid group with high transmission rates was considerably normal as compared to that in a resistant diploid group with low transmission rates. Chromatid bridges and acertric fragments were detected in 93 % of resistant diploids and in 46 % of susceptible diploids. Two different sized fragments occurred in resistant diploids, while only a smaller fragment was present in susceptible diploids. A frequency of sporocytes with bridges-fragments was 17.4% at anaphase I and 13.9 % at anaphase II in resistant diploids, while in susceptible diploids a frequency was 2.9 % and 5.3 % at the respective stages. These results suggest that at least two paracentric inversions are present in resistant diploids, one of which is linked to nernatode resistance and may be responsible for the low transmission rate of resistance.