Effects of huanglongbing on fruit quality of sweet orange cultivars in Brazil

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), associated with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and Ca. L. americanus and transmitted by the Asian psyllid Diaphorina citri, is the most serious disease of citrus worldwide because of crop devastation and difficulty to control. Since 2004, approximately 3 million trees were eliminated in attempts to limit its spread in Brazil. Where HLB becomes endemic, the disease progression in the orchard and the increasing symptom severity throughout the tree canopy can be relatively fast, greatly reducing the economic life of affected orchards because of tree decline and yield reduction. Although the majority of the fruit from symptomatic branches drop before harvest, a significant amount of affected fruit remain attached, are available for harvest, and can affect juice quality. To quantify and compare the effects of HLB on fruit quality of the most important sweet orange cultivars grown in São Paulo State, 4–6 year-old sweet orange trees from 26 blocks (two of ‘Valencia Americana’, eight of ‘Hamlin’, four of ‘Westin’, seven of ‘Pera’, and five of ‘Valencia’) were selected prior to harvest. In each block, 14–21 HLB-symptomatic trees were chosen. In each tree, the quality of 20 fruit normal in appearance from asymptomatic branches and 20 symptomatic fruit from symptomatic branches were assessed. In general, compared to normal fruit, the symptomatic fruit were small, light, more acidic, and had lower juice percentage, Brix, total soluble solids per box, total soluble solids per fruit, and Brix/acidity ratio. These effects of fruit quality were less pronounced on early and mid season sweet orange cultivars than on late season cv. Valencia.     

Radiation-Induced Breeding in Camelina Sativa

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - The ionizing radiation methods, including X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons to create variation is well established and used in major crops. Many...     

Detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella</Emphasis> sp. infection through serological,microbiological, and molecular methods applied to buffaloes in Maranhão State,Brazil

The aim of the current study is to diagnose Brucella spp. infection using methods such as serology, bacterial isolation, and molecular analysis in buffaloes bred in Maranhão State. In order to do so, 390 samples of buffalo serum were subjected to serological tests, to Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and to 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) combined with slow agglutination test (SAT). Vaginal swabs were collected from seropositive animals and subjected to bacterial isolation and to generic PCR. According to the serological test, 16 animals had a positive reaction to the confirmatory test (2-ME/SAT). As for bacterial isolation, three samples resulted in the isolation of Brucella spp.-characteristic colonies, which were confirmed through PCR. These results confirmed Brucella spp. infection in the buffalo herd from Maranhão State.     

Soybean cultivar performance in the presence of soybean Asian rust,in relation to chemical control programs

Soybean rust is caused by an obligate parasite (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) which has spread in Brazil in each new season since 2001 and, despite the efforts to control the disease, losses have occurred every year. Its control demands several tactics amongst which chemical control with fungicides is the main method and remains indispensable. Control strategies such as the use of cultivars with partial resistance are desirable, but are not yet commercially available. The present study analyzed the existing differences in the reactions of short, medium and long cycle soybean cultivars against Asian rust and their responses to fungicide sprays. The experiment was conducted at Uberlandia-MG, Brazil, under field conditions from December 2007 to May 2008, in the Syngenta Seeds Experimental Station. The high pressure of the disease in the experiment simulated the natural pressure that the disease often reaches in Brazil. The studied variables were: visual severity (percentage of infected leaf area), percentage defoliation and productivity (kg ha⁻¹). Disease severity was expressed as AUDPC (area under disease progress curve). Variance analysis and comparison of means by the Tukey test (5% significance) were done for all variables studied. Significant differences were observed between cultivar effects and chemical control programs. The results obtained here indicate that the cultivars M-Soy 8199RR and Emgopa 315RR were less susceptible to disease, and that a control program termed “monitoring” (in which the appearance of new pustules of the pathogen were monitored to make the decision at each fungicide spray) was the most effective.     

Isolation and characterization of a Mn(II)-oxidizing Bacillus strain from the demosponge Suberites domuncula

In this study we demonstrate that the demosponge Suberites domuncula harbors a Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium, a Bacillus strain, termed BAC-SubDo-03. Our studies showed that Mn(II) stimulates bacterial growth and induces sporulation. Moreover, we show that these bacteria immobilize manganese on their cell surface. Comparison of the 16S rDNA sequence allowed the grouping of BAC-SubDo-03 to the Mn-precipitating bacteria. Analysis of the spore cell wall revealed that it contains an Mn(II)-oxidizing enzyme. Co-incubation studies of BAC-SubDo-03 with 100 μM MnCl(2) and >1 μM of CuCl(2) showed an increase in their Mn(II)-oxidizing capacity. In order to prove that a multicopper oxidase-like enzyme(s) (MCO) exists in the cell wall of the S. domuncula-associated BAC-SubDo-03 Bacillus strain, the gene encoding this enzyme was cloned (mnxG-SubDo-03). Sequence alignment of the deduced MCO protein (MnxG-SubDo-03) revealed that the sponge bacterium clusters together with known Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria. The expression of the mnxG-SubDo-03 gene is under strong control of extracellular Mn(II). Based on these findings, we assume that BAC-SubDo-03 might serve as a Mn reserve in the sponge providing the animal with the capacity to detoxify Mn in the environment. Applying the in vitro primmorph cell culture system we could demonstrate that sponge cells, that were co-incubated with BAC-SubDo-03 in the presence of Mn(II), show an increased proliferation potential.     

Updated Trends on the Biodiscovery of New Marine Natural Products from Invertebrates

From 1990–2019, a total of 15,442 New Marine Natural Products from Invertebrates (NMNPIs) were reported. The 2010s saw the most prolific decade of biodiscovery, with 5630 NMNPIs recorded. The phyla that contributed most biomolecules were the Porifera (sponges) (47.2%, 2659 NMNPIs) and the Cnidaria (35.3%, 1989 NMNPIs). The prevalence of these two phyla as the main sources of NMNPIs became more pronounced in the 2010s. The tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean yielded more NMNPIs, most likely due to the remarkable biodiversity of coral reefs. The Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot (BH) was the most relevant area for the biodiscovery of NMNPIs in the 2010s, accounting for nearly one-third (1819 NMNPIs) of the total and surpassing the top BH from the 1990s and the 2000s (the Sea of Japan and the Caribbean Islands, respectively). The Chinese exclusive economic zone (EEZ) alone contributed nearly one-quarter (24.7%) of all NMNPIs recorded during the 2010s, displacing Japan’s leading role from the 1990s and the 2000s. With the biodiscovery of these biomolecules steadily decreasing since 2012, it is uncertain whether this decline has been caused by lower bioprospecting efforts or the potential exhaustion of chemodiversity from traditional marine invertebrate sources.     

Productivity and nutritive value of Brachiaria decumbens and performance of dairy heifers in a long‐term silvopastoral system

Silvopastoral system (SPS) has been suggested to ensure sustainability in animal production systems in tropical ecosystems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive and nutritive value traits of Brachiaria decumbens and performance of dairy heifers in SPS and open pasture (OP) during the summer and autumn of two consecutive years in the SPS and OP (17th and 18th years after establishment). Experimental design was a randomized complete block with two treatments (SPS and OP) and three replications in subdivided plots with repeated measures in time. There was reduction in the tiller population density, total and green forage mass, and total and green forage bulk density in the SPS when compared to the OP in the summer. In the autumn, no difference was observed between the systems. Shading in SPS increased crude protein content of the grass pasture by 25% and 33% when compared to the OP during the first and second experimental years, respectively, and reduced neutral detergent fibre content. However, it did not change acid detergent fibre or lignin content. OP provided higher stocking rate and weight gain per area than the SPS. Average daily gain was higher in the OP in the second experimental year. Severe shading conditions should be avoided, because in the long ‐ term they may threaten the persistence and sustainability of pasture in the SPS. It is recommended to plant a low density of trees or implement management strategies of the tree component by either thinning or pruning over the years after planting.     

Distribution patterns of acorns after primary dispersion in a fragmented oak forest and their consequences on predators and dispersers

Forest fragmentation affects seed production, but little is known about how seeds are distributed in fragmented forests after primary dispersion and how this affects their interactions with other organisms. This study addressed these issues in a fragmented oak forest of Quercus laeta where four habitat types were recognized: interior and edge of patches, deforested matrix around patches, and an abandoned field. Areas and distances to the abandoned field were measured for 40 patches, and acorns were sampled in all habitats. Only samples from the interior and edge of patches had acorns, which were classified as aborted, viable, and parasitized by insects or fungi. Acorns in all these classes were regressed against patch area and distance to the abandoned field. Field experiments were also conducted to determine whether acorn removal rates varied across habitats. Aborted acorns within patches were not related to area or distance, but they decreased with increasing values of both variables at patch edges. Within patches, viable acorns were positively related to increases in area and distance, while the converse occurred for insect-damaged acorns; fungal-infested acorns were not related to patch variables in this habitat. Complex interactions between area and distance explained how acorns in these classes were distributed across patch edges. Acorn removal was higher within patches and their edges when compared to human-disturbed habitats; both mice and birds were identified as potential acorn dispersers. These results suggest that forest fragmentation affects acorn-mediated processes and that this may influence the recovery of patch connectivity in the landscape.