Forecasting Crop Damage by Nematodes: Nematode Population Dynamics1

Factors affecting the ease or difficulty of forecasting and modelling cyst, root-ectoparasitic and soil surface nematodes are mentioned. To relate pre-planting to post-harvest populations of cyst nematodes, a version of the logistic curve is derived from first principles and modified to take account of the injury done to root systems as numbers increase, and of eggs carried over to the following year. Egg hatch, when potato or other crops are grown, appears to be independent of population density. So also does root invasion over the population densities encountered in field plots. In the absence of enemies, population density is determined by competition for feeding sites induced by females in the root system, and by the size of the root system. Population oscillations about the equilibrium point are affected mainly by the proportion of the population that fails to hatch and the damage to the root system. The process of model building and the parameters required are outlined. The model includes hypotheses relating to intraspecific (genetic) competition and interspecific competition. The limitations of models and the need to make them stochastic are discussed. L'article fait état des possibilites et difficultés rencontrees dam la prévision et la modelisation des populations de nematodes a kystes, de nematodes ectoparasites des racines, et de nematodes de surface. Afin detablir la relation entre les populations de nematodes a kystes avant le semis et apres la recolte, il est recouru a la courbe logistique, derivee des principes fondamentaux. Celle-ci se trouve modifiee afin de tenir compte des degits croissants subis par les racines en fonction de I'augmentation des populations et de la survie d'une partie des ceufs d'une annee a I'autre. L'eclosion des ceufs semble être independante de la densite des populations dans les champs de pommes de terre et de toute autre culture. Ceci s'applique egalement a I'invasion des racines, dans le cas des densites de populations observees dans les parcelles experimentales. En I'absence dennemis, la densite est determinee par la competition pour L'acces aux sites de nutrition que les femelles preparent dans les racines, et par L'importance du systeme radiculaire. Les ecarts de population observes a partir dun equilibre sont principalement dus a la proportion de la population non eclose et aux deggts subis par les racines. I1 est fait etat d'une modelisation, basee sur certains parametres essentiels. Le modele repose sur L'hypothese d'une concurrence intraspecifique (genetique) et interspecifique. Les limites des modeles sont considerees, ainsi que la necessite de passer a une approche stochastique.     

施用竹炭对卷心菜叶绿素含量和荧光参数的影响

为探究人工施用竹炭对卷心菜叶绿素含量和荧光参数的影响,进而明确卷心菜的最适竹炭有机肥施用量,在田间试验条件下设置了无碳(CK)、中碳(MC)和高碳(SC)3个处理,对卷心菜莲座期和结球期的叶绿素含量及荧光参数进行测量研究.结果表明:(1)结球期的卷心菜叶绿素含量极显著高于莲座期(p0.01),且随着竹炭量的增加,两个时期的叶绿素含量变化趋势一致,从高到低依次为:MC,CK,SC.(2)结球期的卷心菜初始最小荧光Fo、初始最大荧光Fm、PSⅡ的最大光化学效率Fv/Fm,PSⅡ的潜在活性Fv/Fo、非光化学猝灭系数qN均低于莲座期,而PSⅡ实际光化学效率ΦPSⅡ、光化学猝灭系数qP高于莲座期,且随着竹炭量的增加,两个时期的这些参数均表现出一致的变化趋势,Fo和qN均呈"V"型变化,而Fm,Fv/Fm,Fv/Fo,ΦPSⅡ和qP均呈现倒"V"趋势,但对ΦPSⅡ和qP没有显著影响(p0.05).说明结球期的卷心菜光合作用高于莲座期;当竹炭量由CK增加到MC,有利于提高叶片叶绿素含量,增强光能利用率,减少植株热耗散,提高植株光合作用;但随着竹炭量进一步增加到SC,卷心菜叶片叶绿素含量降低,光能利用率减弱,热耗散增加,光合作用受到抑制,即中炭(MC)处理条件下,此卷心菜长势最优,表明中炭是该卷心菜生长的最适竹炭有机肥施用量.     

PG99S智能型喷灌机的调试及维护

在蔬菜、花卉的工厂化育苗生产中,准确控制肥水的浓度和喷洒的均匀性显得尤为重要,而喷灌设备作为智能型连栋育苗温室的主要浇灌设备,被广泛应用于现代化育苗温室中。该设备自动作业,水量控制精准。本文就PG99S型智能喷灌机介绍其调试方法和故障维修。     

Trivalent metal (Cr, Y, Rh, La, Pr, Gd) sorption in two acid soils and its consequences for bioremediation

The recent addition of trivalent metals to soil and their subsequent movement within the biosphere are of concern. For this reason, the sorption of chromium (Cr), yttrium (Y). rhodium (Rh), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr) and gadolinium (Gd) in two contrasting acid soils has been determined. Except for Rh, the sorption of the other trivalent metals conformed well to the Langmuir equation with derived sorption parameters similar for all the trivalent species tested. Calculation of the buffer powers indicated that under both small (0·01 mmol kg^?1) and large (1 mmol kg^?1) trivalent metal soil loadings > 99·5% of the metals will be associated with the exchange phase with small quantities present in the bulk soil solution (<0·5%). It seems that the slight availability of metals within the bulk soil solution will slow the rate of trivalent metal bioremediation of contaminated sites.     

The effect of drying techniques on formononetin concentration in red clover

Oven-drying at 60°, 80° or 105°C was compared with microwave and freeze-drying as a method of preparing samples for the estimation of formononetin, the major oestrogenic factor in red clover. There was no significant difference in the formononetin concentration of clover samples either oven-dried at 60°C or freeze-dried. The formononetin concentration was reduced by drying at higher temperatures and by microwave-drying but was not affected by wilting for up to 8 h after harvesting. The routine determination of formononetin in ten varieties of red clover showed no significant differences between samples cold stored at – 18°C prior to oven-drying at 60°C and samples freeze-dried.     

Comparison of responses to floret and seedling inoculation in wheat- Ustilago tritici and barley- U. nuda combinations

The floret and seedling methods for inoculating wheat and barley with Ustilago tritici and U. nuda, respectively, were optimized and then compared. Floret inoculation gave higher infection levels than did seedling inoculation, especially for wheat, but problems of plant mortality and standardization of tissue age were greater with the former method. Floret inoculation identified wheat and barley varieties exhibiting embryo resistance (class 1 or 2 resistance) or seedling resistance (class 3), but only class 3 wheat and barley varieties (and one class 2 wheat variety) were resistant to seedling inoculation. Using near-isogenic wheat lines expressing different levels of partial resistance to floret inoculation, positive correlations were obtained between percentage infection levels resulting from the two inoculation protocols. In addition, race-specific host-pathogen interactions such as hypersensitivity and partial smutting were expressed following both floret and seedling inoculation, indicating that these interactions operate in the developing plant. The potential value of the seedling inoculation method in fundamental and applied research into the cereal-loose smut interaction is discussed.     

Problems associated with potyviruses in potato certification-field inspection and serological testing1

In UK, the tobacco veinal necrosis strain of potato virus Y (PVY^N), potato virus A (PVA) and potato virus V (PVV) each occur in the field only in limited ranges of potato cultivars in which they mostly cause mild symptoms or even symptomless infection; little is known about incidence of strain C of PVY (PVY^C). The ordinary strain of PVY (PVY°), however, is widespread causing symptoms ranging in severity from very severe through to very mild, depending on cultivar sensitivity/tolerance. During field inspections, very mild potyvirus symptoms may be missed, so inspectors are trained to be particularly vigilant when examining problem cultivars which react in this way. PVA is almost invariably treated, along with PVX, as a mild kind of virus infection, but infections with PVY°, PVY^N and PVV are treated as severe with stricter tolerances being applied for them (especially for PVY^N) regardless of symptom severity. Wide variation within the same cultivar in the behaviour of variants within the PVY° strain group also sometimes causes difficulties in interpretation at inspection. To detect PVY, PVA and PVV in routine serological testing on potato certification samples, it is necessary to employ specific antisera to each of them. PVY^N-specific monoclonal antibodies can be used in ELISA to distinguish PVY^N from PVY°.     

Leptin, GH, PRL, Insulin and Metabolic Parameters Throughout the Dry Period and Lactation in Dairy Cows

Leptin may play a role in the endocrine-metabolic processes that guarantee the physiological course of lactation in dairy cattle. This study was aimed at determining the changes in plasma concentrations of leptin and some of the main hormones and metabolites involved in the lactogenetic process in high-yielding dairy cows throughout lactation; we also wanted to assess whether leptin secretion is subjected to seasonal influences. Blood samples were collected from 23 Italian Friesian dairy cows from the end of a lactation to the ninth month of the subsequent one; in addition, blood was sampled from 47 dairy cows in different phases of lactation during February and July. Plasma concentrations of leptin, growth hormone (GH), insulin, prolactin (PRL), glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and urea were quantified by either validated radioimmunoassay (RIA) or enzymatic colorimetric methods. At the beginning of lactation, GH concentrations significantly increased, while a significant reduction occurred in leptin and insulin. This endocrine condition, such as the significant increase in NEFA plasma concentrations, is indicative of a marked lipid mobilization. In the more advanced stages of lactation, when both energy and protein balances become positive, leptin plasma concentrations increased, whereas GH and NEFA concentrations declined. During the summer months, a significant increase in leptin plasma concentrations, irrespective of the phase of lactation, was observed. Collectively, our findings suggest that, in dairy cows, leptin may represent a 'metabolic signal' of animal's status of fattening and nutritional level; in addition, leptin seems to be influenced by photoperiod and environmental temperature.