Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium tricinctum as causal agents of pink rot of onion bulbs and the effect of soil solarization combined with compost amendment in controlling their infections in field

Laboratory tests and field trials were conducted in 2010 and 2011 in Salerno province, Southern Italy, to determine the causal agent(s) of pink rot of roots and bulbs of onion and the effects of soil solarization combined with municipal food waste compost amendment in reducing their infections on bulbs of onion. Three fungi were mainly isolated: Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium tricinctum on bulbs and roots and Pyrenochaeta terrestris exclusively on roots. P. terrestris produce symptoms on roots, but it was not able to cause damage on unwounded bulbs. F. proliferatum and F. tricinctum were able to induce symptoms when inoculated separately and showed no synergistic effects on severity of symptoms on bulbs. They induced symptoms on roots at a lesser extent. Combined inoculations of P. terrestris with both Fusarium species on roots have not increased symptoms severity of pink rot of onion. This is the first report of F. tricinctum as agent of pink rot of onion bulbs. Two years field trials have been carried out from 2009 to 2011 to evaluate the efficacy of soil solarization, applied alone or in combination with municipal food waste compost amendment, for controlling pink rot of onion bulb caused by F. proliferatum and F. tricinctum. For this purpose, soil solarization, alone and combined with compost amendment, were compared with metham sodium and an untreated control. The results of both trials demonstrated that, in presence of pink rot of onion bulbs, compost amendments, applied after solarization, strongly reduced the efficacy of soil solarization from 68.7% to 16.3% in 2010 and from 76.9% to 4.6% in 2011. Organic amendments applied before soil solarization significantly reduced the efficacy of this technique only in 2011. Significant yield increases were detected at the end of both trials in plots treated with solarization alone, metham sodium and compost applied after solarization. The highest incidence of unmarketable infected plants recorded in plots solarized and then amended with compost was compensated by the increase of bulb size and plant weight. These results demonstrated as the benefits achieved with compost amendments in controlling pink rot of onion are not easily predictable and applicable on large scale.     

Identification and quantification of phenolic acids and anthocyanins as antioxidants in bran,embryo and endosperm of white,red and black rice kernels (Oryza sativa L.)

Whole rice grain comprising endosperm, embryo (or germ), and bran has potential beneficial health effects in addition to provision of nutrients. The distribution of phenolic acids and anthocyanins in endosperm, embryo, and bran of white, red, and black rice grains was investigated in this study. The total phenolic content (TPC) was highest in the bran, averaging 7.35 mg GAE/g and contributing 60%, 86% and 84% of phenolics in white, red and black rice. The average TPC of the embryo and endosperm were 2.79 and 0.11 mg GAE/g accounting for 17% and 23%, 4% and 10% and 7% and 9% in white, red and black rice, respectively. The antioxidant capacity determined using DPPH and ORAC displayed a trend similar to TPC. Free/conjugated phenolic acids in white, red and black rice bran accounted for 41%, 65% and 85% of total acids. Bound phenolic acids in rice bran accounted for 90% of total acids in whole grain. Cis-p-coumaric was detected in bound form in bran while cis-sinapic acid was detected in the free/conjugated form in embryo and bran. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and peonidin-3-O-glucoside were identified mainly in black rice bran as the total anthocyanins. Cyanindin-3-O-rutinoside was also detected in black rice bran.     

Effect of mulch on soil temperature,moisture, weed infestation and yield of groundnut in northern Vietnam

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the chief foreign exchange earning crops for Vietnam. However, owing to lack of appropriate management practices, the production and the area under cultivation of groundnut have remained low. Mulches increase the soil temperature, retard the loss of soil moisture, and check the weed growth, which are the key factors contributing to the production of groundnut. On-farm trials were conducted in northern Vietnam to study the impact of mulch treatments and explore economically feasible and eco-friendly mulching options. The effect of three mulching materials (polythene, rice straw and chemical) on weed infestation, soil temperature, soil moisture and pod yield were studied. Polythene and straw mulch were effective in suppressing the weed infestation. Different mulching materials showed different effects on soil temperature. Polythene mulch increased the soil temperature by about 6 °C at 5 cm depth and by 4 °C at 10 cm depth. Mulches prevent soil water evaporation retaining soil moisture. Groundnut plants in polythene and straw mulched plots were generally tall, vigorous and reached early flowering. Use of straw as mulch provides an attractive and an environment friendly option in Vietnam, as it is one of the largest rice growing countries with the least use of rice straw. Besides, it recycles plant nutrients effectively.     

Soil suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica as induced by organic amendments and solarization in greenhouse crops

We assessed soil suppressiveness against root-knot caused by Meloidogyne javanica, following the incorporation of crop residues (organic amendments [OA]) and soil solarization, under agricultural conditions. Two field experiments were established in tomato greenhouses and a third in a nethouse for growing Antirrhinums, all infested with M. javanica. Dried residues of wild rocket (WR) were incorporated into the soil and then it was solarized to moderate temperatures to partially effect the pathogen population. Root galling on the roots of the successive tomato crop was significantly reduced to different levels by WR, solarization or their combination, in two experiments. Solarization, alone or combined with WR amendment, significantly reduced root knot incidence in the roots of snapdragon, but suppression of root galling in the roots of snapdragon in the following crop was not evident. We further assessed the potential of various herb residues, incorporated in small plots, and solarization to induce soil suppressiveness against root-knot caused by M. javanica. Amending soil with residues of WR, tarragon, peppermint or sage induced soil suppressiveness to root knot even when M. javanica was introduced into the soil after the termination of the treatment, and reduced the galling index in subsequently grown tomato plants, compared with non-amended soil. Our findings further validate the potential role of OA and solarization in inducing soil suppressiveness, which contributes to sustainable management of soilborne pathogens.     

Effect of phenyl,allyl, and methyl isothiocyanate on Cyperus rotundus tubers under LDPE and VIF mulch

Cyperus rotundus (Purple nutsedge) is the most troublesome weed of vegetable crops in the US and a major limitation to the adoption of methyl bromide alternatives due to their ineffectiveness on this weed. Thus, other effective alternatives are needed. Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effect of phenyl, allyl, and methyl isothiocyanate (ITC) at two concentrations (1000 and 3000 nmol g⁻¹ in dry soil) on C. rotundus tubers under low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and virtually impermeable film (VIF) mulch. ITC treated soil containing C. rotundus tubers was filled in glass jars and covered with LDPE or VIF mulch for 21 days, followed by nutsedge tuber viability evaluations. Efficacy of all three ITCs increased with increase in concentration from 1000 to 3000 nmol g⁻¹. All ITCs significantly reduced tuber viability, tuber dry weight, and shoot emergence, but methyl ITC was most effective followed by allyl ITC followed by phenyl ITC. Mulch type did not affect efficacy of allyl and methyl ITC, but phenyl ITC efficacy against C. rotundus was improved by using VIF mulch over LDPE mulch. Overall, methyl ITC at 3000 nmol g⁻¹ was the most efficacious control option among three ITC tested regardless of mulch type.     

Influence of slitted polyethylene mulch,nitrogen rates,and trickle irrigation on potatoes

In 1974, potatoes(Solanum tuberosum L.) were grown on unmulched, clear, and black slitted polyethylene. Production and tuber specific gravity of the potatoes were determined at four nitrogen rates (0, 75, 150 and 225 lb/A) and with two varieties (Superior and Katahdin). In 1975, potatoes were grown on unmulched and clear slitted polyethylene with and without trickle irrigation. Nitrogen increased marketable yields up to 150 lb/A on the unmulched potatoes. Irrigation increased the marketable yields of potatoes on both unmulched and mulched plots. However, no advantage was found in marketable yields, specific gravities or tuber sizes of the potatoes grown on either clear or black slitted polyethylene mulch over conventional unmulched soil for the ‘Superior’ or ‘Katahdin’ varieties.     

Functional characterization of extruded rice noodles with corn bran: Xanthophyll content and rheology

The rheological changes in rice noodles by the substitution of corn bran and the effect of temperature on the xanthophyll content (lutein and zeaxanthin) of the corn bran-rice flour noodles were evaluated. The use of corn bran increased the water holding capacity of rice flour at room temperature while the opposite results were observed after heating. The pasting parameters of rice flour-corn bran mixture were reduced with increasing levels of corn bran and the mixture paste exhibited more dominant liquid-like behavior. The noodles containing corn bran exhibited lower expansion ratio and softer textural properties. The levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in raw corn bran were 336.9 and 123.1 μg/100 g, respectively and were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) by heating. While lutein and zeaxanthin were not detected in the control noodles without corn bran, their levels in corn bran-incorporated noodles ranged from 56.2 to 137.3 μg/100 g and from 37.9 to 61.9 μg/100 g, respectively and were significantly reduced by 37.7–45.4% (P < 0.05) after cooking. Thus, the heat-labile characteristics of two xanthophylls were clearly observed. This study provides useful information on the processing performance and xanthophyll content of corn bran, possibly extending its use in a wider variety of foods.     

Increasing oxidative stability in corn oils through extraction of γ-oryzanol from heat treated rice bran

Corn oil was mixed with heated rice bran with different extraction periods and ratios of rice bran to corn oil to extract γ-oryzanol from rice bran. Selected corn oils based on the content of γ-oryzanol were heated at 180 °C for 100 min or 60 °C for 16 days, and oxidative stability was evaluated. Corn oils recovered from the mixture of rice bran showed higher oxidative stability at both 60 and 180 °C treatment compared to control corn oils. At 180 °C, corn oils of a 1:5 ratio of rice bran to corn oil (w/w) showed higher oxidative stability than did those of 1:3 and 1:7 (w/w), whereas at 60 °C, corn oils of 1:7 (w/w) showed higher oxidative stability than did others. γ-Oryzanol can be extracted through a corn-oil mixture at 80–90 mg/100 g oil, which is about 4.0% recovery of 2244 mg/100 g crude rice-bran oil. Oxidative stability of corn oils increased significantly, partly because of the extraction of γ-oryzanol under current experimental conditions.     

Repeated solarization and long-term effects on soil microbiological parameters and agronomic traits

Innovative methods less invasive for man and environment are needed to solve the problem of weeds, pests and diseases in cropping systems. Soil solarization is one practice that involves passively heating soil covered by a thin clear plastic film for several weeks during the periods of high solar radiation before the crop is planted. Soil solarization treatments were repeated to verify their long-term effectiveness on soil microbial biomass and its respiration activities, in addition to yield response and root-knot nematodes control in tomato and melon crops following soil heating. Experiments in greenhouse were carried out in Southern Italy (40°24′ N, 16°28′ E) during the summer of 1998, 1999 and 2000 on soil infested by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica. Crop yields and fruit quality of all vegetable crops were positively affected by repeating solarization for two and three years, compared to an untreated soil and soil treated once in 1998. Solarization was effective in controlling root-knot nematode damage, but solarization affected the soil biota populations and their activities as a consequence of repeated treatments.     

Rice straw mulching and nitrogen response of no-till wheat following rice in Bangladesh

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation in no-till soil of a postrice harvest field utilizes residual soil moisture and reduces the time period from rice harvest to wheat seeding in intensive rice-wheat cropping systems. Some of the major constraints in no-till wheat production are high weed infestation, poor stand establishment due to rapid drying of topsoil and low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). A field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the Wheat Research Centre, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, for two consecutive years to overcome those constraints, to evaluate rice straw as mulch, and to determine the optimum application rate of nitrogen (N) for no-till wheat. The treatments included 12 factorial combinations of three levels of mulching: no mulch (M₀), surface application of rice straw mulch at 4.0 Mg ha⁻¹ that was withdrawn at 20 days after sowing (M₁), the same level of mulch as M₁ but allowed to be retained on the soil surface (M₂), and four nitrogen levels (control 80, 120 and 160 kg ha⁻¹). Rice straw mulching had a significant effect on conserving initial soil moisture and reducing weed growth. Root length density and root weight density of wheat were positively influenced both by straw mulching and N levels. N uptake and apparent nitrogen recovery of applied N fertilizer were higher in mulch treatments M₁ and M₂ as compared to M₀. Also mulch treatment of M₁ and M₂ were equally effective at conserving soil moisture, suppressing growth of weed flora, promoting root development and thereby improved grain yield of no-till wheat. N application of 120 kg ha⁻¹ with straw mulch was found to be suitable for no-till wheat in experimental field condition.     

Effects of soil amendment with poultry manure on carnation Fusarium wilt in greenhouses in southwest Spain

In a search for alternatives to methyl bromide for controlling carnation vascular wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi (Fod), poultry manure plus soil solarization was studied in soil under greenhouse conditions in four 2-year experiments. These were conducted in naturally infested soil to compare the effects of this treatment with soil solarization alone and methyl bromide. Soil treatments were performed during June 2000 for Experiment 1, from July to mid-August 2002 for Experiment 2, from late July to late August 2006 for Experiment 3 and from late May to late June 2008 for Experiment 4. Additionally, a treatment with commercial poultry manure pellet plus soil solarization was included in the two latter experiments. Poultry manure caused reductions of Fod viability in soil samples at depths of 15 and 30 cm, ranging respectively from 93 to 100% and 89 to 100% for Experiments 1, 2 and 3. Carnations planted in plots treated either with poultry manure, methyl bromide or soil solarization had lower final disease incidences, smaller areas under their disease progress curves and higher yields in comparison with untreated plots in Experiments 2, 3 and 4. In Experiment 1, soil solarization was performed under suboptimal conditions, and it provided disease levels and yields similar to those of the untreated control plots. Nevertheless, under the same conditions, previous amendment of Fod-infested soil with poultry manure increased disease control over soil solarization alone, improved carnation yield and quality and also increased plant vigor, thus providing a satisfactory alternative to methyl bromide. The application of organic amendment to the same plot before every crop cycle is recommended to ensure continuous disease control, but the rates of application could be reduced to half for the third and fourth crop cycles, thereby reducing undesirable environmental effects.     

不同覆盖物对红壤旱坡地土壤环境和花生生长的影响

以种植花生的红壤旱坡地为对象,研究液态地膜覆盖(LFM)、塑料地膜覆盖(PFM)、稻草覆盖(SM)和无覆盖(NM)对土壤环境和花生生长效应的影响。结果表明:有覆盖物可以显著增加土壤含水量,调节土壤温度,加快花生光合作用,使花生干物质的分配更合理,且提高花生产量;不同覆盖物对土壤和花生生长等各项指标的综合效应不同,表现为稻草覆盖塑料地膜液态地膜无覆盖。     

膜下滴灌水稻栽培技术对降低甲烷气体排放以及化肥、农药施用污染的探讨

对当前传统水稻栽培技术对稻田甲烷气体排放以及化肥、农药施用后造成环境污染的现状进行了分析.采用膜下滴灌水稻栽培技术能够有效降低甲烷气体排放,减少施用化肥、农药对环境的污染;同时,膜下滴灌水稻比传统水稻在节水、增产方面有明显优势.     

Early plastic mulching increases stand establishment and lint yield of cotton in saline fields

Row covering with polyethylene film (plastic mulching) is a common practice for improving emergence, plant growth and yield of cotton in China. This is usually applied after sowing (conventional mulching, CM), but pre-sowing evaporation in spring would cause accumulation of salts and moisture loss in the surface layer of saline soils. Two experiments were conducted in Yellow River delta from 2004 to 2005 and during 2006, respectively to determine if row covering with plastic film 30 d before sowing (early mulching, EM) supports better productivity of cotton than CM in saline fields. In the first experiment, we studied the effects of EM versus CM and no-mulching (NM), on soil microclimate, seedling physiology, cotton yield and earliness. The second experiment was conducted in seven sites to compare cotton yield between the two mulching systems. Results from the first experiment showed that both EM and CM could effectively improve stand establishment, plant growth, earliness and lint yield of cotton relative to NM control. However, compared with CM, EM increased stand establishment rate by 11.4% and plant biomass by 9.9% and lint yield by 7.1%. EM, relative to CM and NM, increased the photosynthesis (Pn) rate 6.8% and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration 7.4% and Na⁺ level 8%. These improvements were due mainly to delayed accumulation of salts, elevation of soil temperature and reduction of moisture loss with EM. The revenue from EM was higher than that from CM and NM, suggesting the increased yield by EM was enough compensate for additional costs. The multi-site experiment in 2006 showed that the yield advantage of EM over CM was not significant in two sites with lower salinity (ECe = ∼6 dS/m), but substantial (from 9 to 14%) in five sites with higher salinity (ECe = 10–12 dS/m). The overall results suggest that EM is a promising cotton production technique in the saline Yellow River Delta and other cotton-growing areas with similar ecologies.     

Effects of visible light irradiation on the oxidative stability in rice bran

Raw rice bran was treated with or without visible light exposure at room temperature or stored at 40 °C in the dark for 10 days and rice bran oil (RBO) was recovered from each rice bran. Headspace oxygen content from rice bran and conjugated dienoic acid (CDA) value, acid value, content of γ-oryzanol, and fluorescence intensity in RBO were analyzed to determine the effects of visible light on the oxidative stability in rice bran. Headspace oxygen content in visible light irradiated rice bran (RBL) decreased by 12.8% for 10 days while those in the dark (RBD) and stored at 40 °C (RBT) decreased by 5.87 and 5.35%, respectively, implying visible light irradiation accelerates the consumption of oxygen. CDA values in RBO from RBL were significantly higher than those in RBO from RBD and RBT (p < 0.05). However, acid values in RBO were not significantly different among samples (p > 0.05). Both γ-oryzanol content and fluorescence intensity in RBO from RBL were significantly lower than those in RBO from RBD and RBT (p < 0.05). Fluorescence intensity, which is related to the content of chlorophylls, decreased in samples under light only, implying that chlorophyll photosensitization may play important roles in the acceleration of lipid oxidation in rice bran.     

Interaction of soil solarization and metham-sodium in the destruction of Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum

The effects of solarization, metham-sodium (12·5 or 25 ml/m²) and combined action of the two treatments (soil solarization plus metham-sodium) on the viability of Verticillium dahliae (VD) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) added to field soil were compared in two successive field experiments. In both experiments solarization combined with metham-sodium was more effective in destroying both pathogens as compared with solarization or metham-sodium alone. In the earlier experiment, when soil temperatures were higher, soil solarization and combined treatments were more effective in controlling VD and FOV than in the later experiment. The effect of metham-sodium on V. dahliae microsclerotia was studied in open and sealed containers incubated at 25° and 35°C. The fumigant dose required to kill 50% of the microsclerotia at 25°C was four times higher at 25°C than at 35°C. Toxicity of the chemical was similar in open and sealed containers. This and field experiment results suggest that the higher toxicity observed under plastic cover in the field is due to synergistic interaction between solarization and metham-sodium. Combined solarization and metham-sodium killed more propagules more quickly than solarization alone; these results suggested that the period over which effective solarization can be used is longer than previously thought and that the time needed to solarize the soil for control of these pathogens is less.     

Non-chemical approach to soilborne pest management – organic amendments

Chemical soil disinfestation often leads to the eradication of most microbial residents. This creates a microbial vacuum, which often leads to a rebounding of pathogens. This in turn may cause even more damage than those originally targeted for control. Soils, especially those with low microbial populations are more vulnerable to pathogen reinvasion following fumigation. A non-chemical approach to improve the control of soilborne pests involves combining organic amendments with soil solarization. Heating soils, that have been covered with plastic film and amended with suitable organic materials, actuates a chain reaction of chemical and microbial degradation, which leads to the generation of toxic compounds in vapor and liquid phases in the soil. The generation of toxic compounds increases with temperature. These compounds accumulate under the plastic mulch, and enhance toxicity against soil flora and fauna, especially soilborne plant pathogens. The plastic mulch traps the volatile compounds and creates an atmosphere in the soil that enhances degradation of the organic matter. The toxicity of the generated volatile compounds is expected to be higher at the high soil temperature prevailing during solarization. At the end of the process, the soil contains less pathogens, and different microflora, which may suppress reestablishment of pathogens in the soil. The effect of solarizing organically amended soil as a control method was validated under commercial field conditions. A long-term effect of the combined treatments was also evident.     

Direct measurement of rice bran lipase activity for inactivation kinetics and storage stability prediction

Rice bran is a rich source of valuable nutrients and has potential for high-value applications. Endogenous lipases catalyze the hydrolysis of rice bran oil to free fatty acids, which initiates lipid oxidation. The evaluation of the success of rice bran stabilization processes in terms of the degree of lipid oxidation and shelf-life has so far relied on the measurement of free fatty acid content over a storage period of 3–6 months. In the present study, a photometric and a titrimetric pH-stat method for direct lipase activity measurement immediately after debranning were adapted to rice bran. The photometric method was further applied to determine rice bran lipase/esterase inactivation kinetics, which are useful to optimize stabilization treatments in order to prevent overprocessing and retain maximum level of nutrients. Rice bran was heat-treated in a specialized, hermetically sealable reactor at controlled holding times (5–40 min), temperatures (70–145 °C) and moisture contents (10–20%). Temperature dependency of the lipase/esterase inactivation rate could be described by the Arrhenius equation. Empirical findings on the importance of moisture content for effective rice bran stabilization could be quantified. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the great potential of the method to predict the shelf-life of stabilized rice bran without time-consuming storage tests.     

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of rice bran protein and its hydrolysates properties

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was applied for extracting rice bran protein with a response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal condition was 1000 W of microwave power, 90 s of extraction time, and a solid to liquid ratio of 0.89 g rice bran/10 mL of distilled water. The protein yield of MAE was higher than that of alkaline extraction (ALK) by about 1.54-fold (P < 0.05), while the protein digestibility was similar. The protein hydrolysates (PHs) with at different degrees of hydrolysis (DH) (5.04, 10.37 and 15.04%) were produced by alcalase. The molecular weight (MW) of the rice bran protein concentrates (RBPC) and the PHs ranged between <11 kDa and 100 kDa. The excessive enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in a negative effect on water and oil absorption capacities. The PHs with DH15.04% acted as the strongest DPPH radical scavenger, ferric reducing agent, and also metal ion chelator (P < 0.05). However, a DH of 5.04% was sufficient for improving the functional properties of RBPC, especially foam ability and the emulsion activity index. This study suggests that the desirable properties of rice bran protein can be controlled with enzymatic modification.     

新型酸碱平衡剂对膜下滴灌水稻土壤盐渍化的改良效果及对产量的影响

土壤盐渍化加剧会导致稻田水肥利用效率下降,对水稻产量造成较大影响.针对这一现象,利用市场上已有的新型酸碱平衡剂,试验分析施用不同用量(7.5 kg/hm2、15.0 kg/hm2、22.5 kg/hm2)酸碱平衡剂后稻田土壤pH值和电导率的变化,及对膜下滴灌水稻产量的影响.结果 表明,施用新型酸碱平衡剂能显著降低土壤p...