Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for the control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina on carrot seeds

The current study was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of physical methods (hot water, aerated steam, electron treatment) and agents of natural origin (resistance inducers, plant derived products, micro-organisms) as seed treatments of carrots for control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina. Control of both Alternaria species by seed treatment with the resistance inducers was generally poor. Results were also not satisfactory with most of the formulated commercial micro-organism preparations. Based on the average of five field trials, one of these, BA 2552 (Pseudomonas chlororaphis), provided a low but significant increase in plant stand. Among the experimental micro-organisms, the best results were obtained with Pseudomonas sp. strain MF 416 and Clonostachys rosea strain IK726. A similar level of efficacy was provided by seed treatment with an emulsion (1%) of thyme oil in water. Good and consistent control was generally achieved with the physical methods aerated steam, hot water and electron treatment. Aerated steam treatment was, apart from the thiram-containing chemical standard, the best single treatment, and its performance may at least partially be due to extensive pre-testing, resulting in dosages optimally adapted to the respective seed lot. In some of the experiments the effect of the hot water treatment, which was tested at a fixed, not specifically adapted dosage, was significantly improved when combined with a Pseudomonas sp. MF 416 or C. rosea IK726 treatment. The results are discussed in relation to the outcome of experiments in which the same seed treatment methods and agents were tested in other seed-borne vegetable pathosystems.     

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Reovirus infection in psittacine birds (Psittacus erithacus): morphologic and immunohistochemical study

In this paper we report on an outbreak of reovirus, herpesvirus (Pacheco disease), and/or mycosis infection (Aspergillus spp. and Zygomyces spp.) affecting a batch of young African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), with 80% morbidity and 30% mortality. Study material was taken from five birds (four dead and one euthanatized) with a range of clinical symptoms (depression, diarrhea, respiratory symptoms). Diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical detection of avian reovirus, electron microscopy, and virus isolation. Viral antigen of reovirus was detected mainly in large mononuclear cells in the bursa of Fabricius and the spleen, pancreas epithelial cells, and circulating cells; lymphoid organs displayed the largest number of immunopositive cells and severe lymphocyte depletion. Bacteriologic study was negative. Reovirus infection was common in all birds studied, whereas Pacheco disease and mycosis were found in only some, suggesting that reovirus could be the initial cause triggering the outbreak and facilitating infection by other agents and their swift spread through the batch.     

Familial narcolepsy in the Lipizzaner horse: a report of three fillies born to the same sire

The occurrence of sleep disorder in three half sibling Lipizzaner is described. Sleepiness, swaying, stumbling, carpal joints buckling and falling down onto the carpal joints had been present since early foal age in all of them. Clinical signs had gradually reduced since the age of 2 years in cases 1 and 3. Sleepiness was induced by going out from the stable in adulthood. A physostigmine test was performed in all three affected horses and produced positive results in cases 1 and 3. The result of the test in case 2 was unclear due to the almost continuous sleepiness of the foal. Hypocretin-1 concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid was established using a standardised radioimmunoassay in case 1 (317.85?pg/mL), case 2 (303.43?pg/mL) and five adult control horses (275.2?±?47.9 [SD] pg/mL) and was considered as normal in all horses. The sire of the affected horses has had 19 other registered offspring who did not show clinical signs of sleep disorder and also dams of all three cases produced healthy foals. Based on the demographic and clinical data together with the responses to the physostigmine challenges, the diagnosis of familial equine narcolepsy was made.     

An Andosol from Eastern Saxony,Germany

We tested whether a ‘Lockerbraunerde’ from the heights of the Zittauer Gebirge in Eastern Saxony exhibited andic properties and classified it according to the rules of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB, 1998). To achieve this, we characterized a selected soil by means of routine soil analysis; selective dissolution procedures; X‐ray diffraction (XRD); X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We used field criteria (Thixotropy; NaF‐field test) to obtain a map of the spatial distribution of soils with potential andic properties. We found that the soil fulfilled all requirements to be classified as an Andosol. The composition of the colloidal phases was exactly intermediate between sil‐andic and alu‐andic. At the same time, the soil had a spodic horizon [determined through the depth function of the Al_o+½Fe_o criterion]. As there was no indication of vertical translocation of metal‐organic complexes, but sufficient evidence to suggest the downward movement of mobile Al/Si‐phases, we maintain to classify the soil as an Endoskeleti‐Umbric Andosol and propose the existence of a pedogenetic pathway intermediate between Podsolisation and Andosolization. We conclude that the spodic horizon in the WRB is not well defined because of the dominance of the Al_o+½Fe_o criterion over morphological evidence. We further suggest the German soil taxonomy to be modified to better represent soils containing short range order minerals.     

黄瓜全雌性基因连锁的AFLP和SCAR分子标记

 本研究以全雌品种‘戴多星’自交系和弱雌品种‘北京截头’自交系为双亲杂交获得F₁ ,然后得到F₂ 性型分离群体, 利用分离群体分组分析法(Bulked Segregant Analysis, BSA) 构建全雌和弱雌两个基因池, 筛选了64对AFLP选择性引物EcoR I-NN +Mse I-NNN组合, 发现EcoR I-TG +Mse I-CAC引物组合在全雌基因池中扩增出一条分子量为234 bp的特异带。经F₂ 代单株验证, 该特异条带能在全雌单株中稳定出现。以MAP MAKER (Version 310) 软件分析, 该标记与全雌性位点的连锁距离在617 cM。命名该连锁标记为TG/CAC₂₃₄。将该特异条带回收、克隆、测序, 设计特异SCAR引物, 再对F₂ 代单株基因组DNA进行扩增, 仅在全雌单株中扩增出1条分子量为166 bp 的特异带, 表明已成功地将与黄瓜全雌性连锁的AFLP标记转化为操作简便、表现稳定的SCAR标记, 该标记命名为SA₁₆₆。