Survey of residues of organochlorine pesticides in some marketable Egyptian fish

One hundred random samples representing 34 species of marketable fish were collected from 8 Egyptian governorates during the period March 1986 to March 1988 and were analyzed for the presence of some organochlorine pesticides. The results showed the predominance of beta-BHC and lindane at maximum levels of 435.30 and 59.00 micrograms/kg, respectively, for fish samples obtained from Damietta governorate. The corresponding levels of aldrin, and o,p'-DDT were 34.27 and 734.10 micrograms/kg, respectively, for fish from the Red Sea governorate. gamma-Chlordane, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT were found in fish from Ismailia governorate at respective maximum levels of 36.17, 234.40, and 57.19 microgram/kg. Heptachlor was identified at 8.50 micrograms/kg in Port Said governorate fish and o,p'-DDE at 10.59 micrograms/kg in Suez governorate fish. Mirex, on the other hand, could not be detected in any of the samples investigated.     

Seed triglyceride content and glyoxysomal activity variation in sorghum cultivars 1

Three sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench] cultivars (Funk G522DR, SC283, and SC574) were germinated for 4‐days in sand and the isocitric lyase activity of the embryos was assayed. Glyoxysomal activities (nmol/g fresh weight/min) were: Funk G522DR (593.6), SC574 (117.6), and SC283 (6.5). Seed triglyceride contents were 26.96, 14.88, and 10.80 (μ triglyceride fatty acid/g fresh weight) for Funk G522DR, SC574, and SC283, respectively, with approximately 90% of the triglyceride being in the embryos which constituted 15–21% of the total seed weight. SC574 and SC283 are acid soil tolerant cultivars. Association of high glyoxysomal activity and very low amylase activity in SC574 and the reverse relative activities in SC283 explains the differences in growth of these two cultivars during the seedling impact phase under acid soil conditions. High glyoxysomal and amylase activities in acid soil sensitive Funk G522DR indicates that the acid soil response in juvenile sorghum seedlings is a multi‐factorial influence.     

Fractal character of some physical parameters of soils

The concept of soil fertility was defined in agrophysical terms. It was shown that this concept is related to the geometric parameters of soil, and, hence, fractal geometry can be used for its characterization. The main concepts of fractal geometry were considered in this aspect. Analysis of the dependence of the aggregate density and porosity of some soils on their size and water retention curve in the pF range 2–5 showed that these functions can obey the laws of fractal geometry in the entire or specific range or not obey them at all.     

Selenium Distribution,Chemical Fractionation and Adsorption in some Egyptian Alluvial and Lacustrine Soils

Fifty-five soil samples representing Egyptian alluvial and lacustrine soils were chemically analyzed for total Se which was found to vary from 0.18 to 0.85 ppm with an average of 0.45 ppm. These levels are positively correlated with organic matter, total carbonate and clay content of the soils. Minimum variation of total Se with soil depth was found. The chemical fractionation of soil Se, expressed as percent of the total, indicates that on the average about 25.4 % exists in 0.2 M K₂SO₄-extractable form, 18.5 % is extracted with 0.5 N NH₄OH, 9.7 % as 6 N HCl-extractable form and 13.8 % as extractable with 9 N HNO₃. Amounts of K₂SO₄-Se and HNO₃-Se in soils correlated significantly with soil organic matter, total carbonate, free iron oxide and clay content. The NH₄OH-Se and HCl-Se fractions correlated significantly only with organic matter and clay content. There is also significant correlation between total Se and the studied Se fractions. Specific adsorption of Se by soils was low as expressed by the Langmiur adsorption maximum values. The high soil pH has a reducing effect on Se adsorption.     

Patterns of morphological and allozyme variation in sorghum landraces of Northwestern Morocco

Patterns of variation in inflorescence and spikelet morphology and in allozyme markers were studied within and among six fields of sorghum sampled from different areas in Northwestern Morocco. Substantial variation for both types of markers is found within fields. Significant differentiation among fields occurs for both types of traits, with 63% of morphological variation and 20% of allozyme variation expressed among fields. Discrepancies between allozyme studies based on germplasm accessions conserved ex situ and this and other studies involving in situ sampling underline the need to use appropriate sampling schemes for assessing the patterns of genetic variation of local landraces.     

两个氮素利用率不同的水稻品种根系形态及生理特性的差异

The variation in nitrogen (N) uptake by rice has been widely studied but differences in rice root morphology that may contribute to this variation are not completely understood. Field and greenhouse experiments were carried out to study N accumulation, root dry weights, total root lengths, root surface areas, and root bleeding rates of two rice cultivars, Elio with low N-use efficiency and Nanguang with high N-use efficiency. Low (1 mmol N L^-1) and high (5 mmol N L^-1) N applications were established in the greenhouse experiment, and the N rates were 0, 120, and 240 kg ha^-1 in the field experiments at Jiangning and Jiangpu farms, Nanjing, China. The results showed that the N accumulation, root dry weight, total root length, and root surface area increased with an increase in N application. At the heading stage, N accumulation in the shoots and roots of Nanguang was greater than that of Elio in the field experiments and that of Elio at 5 mmol N L^-1 in the greenhouse experiment. After the heading stage, N accumulation was higher for Nanguang at both 1 and 5 mmol N L^-1 in the greenhouse experiment. The total root length and root surface area were significantly different between the two cultivars. Over the range of the fertilizer application rates, the root lengths of Nanguang at Jiangning Farm were 49%-61% greater at booting and 26%-39% greater at heading than those of Elio, and at Jiangpu Farm they were 22%-42% and 26%-38% greater, respectively. Nanguang had a greater root bleeding rate than Elio. It was concluded that the N-use efficiency of the two rice cultivars studied depended to a great extent on the root morphological parameters and root physiological characteristics at different growth stages.     

Assessment of variation in drought tolerance using some key physiological criteria in potential wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars of different geographic origins

The present experiment comprised seven wheat cultivars, two drought levels (0 and 17% PEG-8000) and four replicates. The seeds of six wheat cultivars (Al-lugaimi, Bonus, Kronos, Yecora-rojo, Irena and Sama) were supplied by the King Saud University, Riyaz, Saudi Arabia, whereas S-24 was obtained from the Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The seeds were allowed to germinate and grow for 20 days in medium having full-strength Hoagland's nutrient solution or Hoagland's solution with 17% PEG-8000. For the appraisal of drought tolerance, various physiological traits such as gas-exchange attributes (A, E, C_i, g_s , and A/E), leaf water relations (ψ_w, ψ_s and ψ_p) and the activities of key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT) were determined. On the basis of biomass and gas-exchange attributes (A, E, and g_s ), cultivars Al-lugaimi and Sama were found to be drought tolerant, cultivars Yecora-rojo and Irena moderately drought tolerant, and cultivars S-24, Bonus and Kronos drought sensitive. However, plant osmotic adjustment and the activities of potential antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT) were not found to be associated with drought tolerance of the different wheat cultivars.     

Nitrogen physiological efficiency index in some selected spring barley cultivars

Abstract

The efficient use of nitrogen is one of the most important goals in crop and soil management. The physiological efficiency index of absorbed nitrogen (PEN) is defined as the ratio of kg grain production to kg of nitrogen absorbed in the above‐ground (grain and straw) dry matter production at maturity. If the grain yields of cultivars are related to the PEN, which is a genetic trait of the genotype, than this index can be used in the breeding program to detect the high yielding potential genotypes. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic variation in nitrogen physiological efficiency and its relation with grain yield in spring barley (Hordeum vulRare. L.) cultivars. Seven cultivars were used in greenhouse conditions with two nitrogen fertility levels: unfertilized (check) and fertilized with 160 mg of N kg^‐1 of dry soil. The results showed that there was a highly significant variation among cultivars in both yield (F=23.1???) and PEN (F=20.5???) values. The EEN varied from 54.6 to 66.2 and from 44.9 to 57.4 g grain g^‐1 of absorbed nitrogen in the check and in the fertilized treatment respectively. Furthermore, the grain yield was significantly related to PEN (r=0.81? and r=0.98??? for the two fertility levels respectively). The absorbed nitrogen varied much less among the cultivars (F=2.9?) and was also less related to grain yield. These results suggest that the FEN can be successfully used in the breeding program to detect the potentially high yielding cultivars.     

A phenetic analysis of morphological variation in Citrullus lanatus in Namibia

Morphological data recorded from field trials using Citrullus lanatus germplasm collected in Namibia were used to analyse and compare the various morphotypes of this species. The experiment comprised wild types and local landraces as well as commercial cultivars. Cluster analysis supported the indigenous classification system used in Namibia, in which Citrullus types are distinguished based on gross morphology, ecology and usage and grouped into seed, cooking and fresh-eating (watermelon) types. Commercial watermelon cultivars formed a distinct cluster. Wide variation was found within the local types whereas the genetic basis of the commercial type appears to be narrow. The commercial cultivars were most closely related to local watermelon types and more distantly related to the wild types, whereas the cooking melons form an intermediate group.     

Assessing genetic diversity in 23 early Polish oat cultivars based on molecular and morphological studies

In Poland oat breeding began at the late nineteenth century. During the World War II almost all of Polish breeding materials were lost, and then were replaced by German cultivars. The main aim of this paper was to show the level of genetic diversity of Polish oat cultivars which were bred before 1939. Simultaneously usefulness and informativeness of molecular and morphological methods were tested and compared. This study involved 23 cultivars, which were described by 25 morphological traits and three types of molecular markers (AFLP, ISSR and RAPD). Based on Dice coefficient, genetic distance between cultivars ranged from 0.17 to 0.44. The degree of morphological differentiation within the collection varied depending on trait. Nei’s genetic diversity for the combined results for the whole collection was equal to 0.202. Neither unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean nor principal coordinate analysis showed any discrimination of cultivars according to breeding period and morphological trait. Part of morphological diversity has been preserved in the Polish early oat cultivars, do not exist anymore in contemporary cultivars, and also in landraces. The interest of breeders in early cultivars germplasm stored in genebank was and still is negligible. Breeding is confined to a few preferred by market morphotypes. So, it is very probable that the gene pools of early and contemporary cultivars could be separable.     

Isozyme variation in some races of maize from Argentina

Summary Forty one populations of sixteen Argentine races of maize were studied with electrophoretic techniques. Seven isozyme systems coded by fifteen gene loci were used for studying the genetic variability within and among races and populations. In the whole sample was found that the variation within populations represented 78% of the isozymic variability, the variation among races was 14% while the variation among populations within races was only 8%. Cluster analysis and Principal Component analysis indicated that most races were closely related. Cateto Amarillo, Cravo and Perla Mediano were the most distinctive of the Argentine races.Germplasm Paper no. 10     

Differences in the apportionment of molecular and morphological variation in North American strawberry and the consequences for genetic resource management

Variation for 24 morphological traits measured in a greenhouse environment and 36 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers was assessed among 318 wild octoploid strawberry (Fragariaspp.) genotypes from diverse habitats across the northern USA. RAPD marker frequencies and certain leaf and flower morphology traits (petiole color, leaf mass/area ratio, leaflet length and width, flower and receptacle diameter, petal width, flowers/inflorescence) were significantly different between the F. chiloensis-platypetala and F. virginiana-glauca species complexes. The proportion of variation accounted for by provenance effects was lower for the RAPD markers than for most morphological traits, especially in the F. virginiana-glauca species complex. Morphological traits of potential adaptive importance group the collection into provenances within each species-complex, and reflect the significant habitat and geographic differences across the region from which the germplasm was collected. Variation among populations within provenances was low for the molecular and most morphological traits, with a much larger amount of variability among plants within populations. Most of the variation for the presumably more selectively-neutral RAPD data was among plants within populations and populations within provenances rather than among the provenances that were recognized based on morphological traits, especially in the F. virginiana-glauca complex. Patterns of diversity for morphological traits must be considered, along with more selectively-neutral molecular characters such as RAPDs, to formulate effective sampling strategies and to properly estimate the quantity and apportionment of diversity within this germplasm.     

Analysis of morphological,pomological and yield characteristics of some apricot germplasm in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to characterize the Irano-Caucasian apricot germplasm that was collected in Anatolia, Turkey. Fifteen (pomological, phenological, and yield) parameters were studied in this germplasm, consisting of 128 apricot cultivars and types. A wide variation was found in harvest season, fruit yield, total solids soluble (TSS), total acidity, fruit, pit, and kernel mass. Most of the cultivars and types had a relatively small fruit size; only seven had a fruit mass ≥50 g. In general, fruits had yellow skin ground color and flesh color as well as mostly sweet kernels and high TSS. While there was a high correlation between fruit, pit and kernel mass and also between TSS and total acidity, a low or no significant correlation was determined between other pomological or phenological characteristics. The Levent apricot type possessed a substantially late ripening with a total period of 190–200 days for fruit development, a characteristic that makes this apricot type highly suitable for breeding studies.     

快速获得葫芦科核糖体失活蛋白新基因

根据葫芦科核糖体失活蛋白(ribosome-inactivating protein，RIP)上、下游两段高度保守的氨基酸序列设计简并引物对LYI／LY2，对基因组DNA进行PCR扩增，快速获得了3种RIP新基因，分别是冬瓜(Benincasa hispida)来源的benincasin(AF453777)、南瓜(Cucurbita moschata)来源的moschatin Ⅰ(AF462349)和moschatin Ⅱ(AF504011)。它们的编码区与葫芦科6个代表RIP对应区段的同源性分别为：trichosanthin(61％、69％和55％)、α-momorcharin(63％、72％和69％)、α-Iuffin(72％、83％和72％)、RIP from Cucumis figarei(80％、69％和79％)、sechiumin(43％、43％和44％)以及bryodin Ⅰ(62％、65％和58％)。葫芦科RIP的LYI／LY2区段存在43个完全一样的氨基酸残基，其中8个残基在其它科属来源的8个Ⅰ型和3个Ⅱ型RIP中也完全保守，包括构成活性中心的4个关键残基。     

Comparative study on baobab fruit morphological variation between western and south-eastern Africa: opportunities for domestication

The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) is one of the key species for domestication in the semi-arid regions of Africa. In order to help select superior materials for cultivation, fruit morphological variation focussing on pulp content was studied in two physically isolated genetically different baobab populations: Mali and Malawi (West and south-eastern Africa, respectively). In each country eight study sites were selected following a climatic gradient, and their fruit characteristics were measured. Fruit morphology was correlated with climatic and soil data. Significant differences in fruit characteristics between countries and study sites within one country were observed. In general, fruits from Mali tended to be more elongated and their seeds were lighter than those from Malawi. Some sites had significantly high fruit weight and pulp percentage. The general trend (in both countries) was the hotter the environment the lower the pulp percentage, the more spherical the fruits and the smaller the seeds. Moreover, the wetter the environment, the higher the pulp percentage. Results from this study suggest that both genetics and the environment play roles in baobab fruit morphology. Although further research is needed to confirm whether baobabs producing desirable fruits keep producing the same fruits when grown in another environment, it seems that there is room for selecting high quality planting materials.     

Effect of Biuret Content in Urea on the Growth and Nitrogen uptake of some Grain Crops in Egyptian Soils

Seven pot experiments were conducted to study the direct and the accumulative effect of urea containing (0.4, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 %) biuret on the growth of rice, wheat, and maize plants and their N content and N uptake in two fine textured alluvial soils and one sandy clay loam (highly calcareous) soil. It was found that both rice and wheat grain yields were not significantly reduced in all soils where urea containing high percentage of biuret was used namely 3 % and 4 %. Ammonium sulphate fertilizer was superior to urea in plant production only in the sandy clay loam. Moreover, the N recovery was higher in the alluvial soils in comparison to the sandy clay loam. The accumulative addition of biuret to the soils did not further reduce either the growth rate or the N uptake of the plants.     

Characterization of the lipoxygenases in some olive cultivars and determination of their role in volatile compounds formation

Enzymatic extracts from olive pulp (Olea europea L.) were used to characterize lipoxygenase (LOX) activity in order to determine its role in the biogenesis of the volatile compounds that influence the aroma of extra virgin olive oil. The LOX activity was tested spectrophotometrically at an optimal pH of 6.0 in three olive cultivars, Ascolana Tenera, Kalamata, and FS17. The trend of the LOX activity was determined as a function of pH and temperature; the kinetic constants of the enzyme were also determined. The highest LOX activity was observed in the FS17 fruit, which had the highest concentrations of C(5) and C(6) compounds (aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones), followed by Kalamata and Ascolana T., respectively. Given the direct relationship between enzymatic activity and the quantity of aromas measured in the fruit, it is hypothesized that olive LOX is involved in the formation of C(5) and C(6) volatile compounds. To study the mechanism of the movement of the aromas from the fruit to the oil, which was obtained by simple mechanical extraction, the headspace of the oil for each cultivar was analyzed as well as the aromatic composition in order to compare it with the aromas of the fruit.