Slug damage and control of field slug (Deroceras reticulatum (Müller)) by carvone in stored potatoes

Summary After a wet autumn and harvesting under wet conditions, slugs brought into potato stores via clods and soil adhering to tubers may cause substantial damage by feeding on the tubers. A carvone sprout inhibitor, Talent^?, applied in the potato stores at a dose of 50 ml per tonne potatoes, controlled slugs within a few days. A dose of 25 ml carvone was insufficient. Using a laboratory box test, the slug (Deroceras reticulatum) affected only wounded tubers and, although slime was present on the unwounded potatoes, they were not damaged by slugs.     

Toxicity and persistence of three pyrethroids for the control of cereal bugs on common wheat

Journal of Pest Science - Sunn pests are responsible for serious kernel damage on wheat (Triticum aestivum L., Poaceae), affecting bread-making quality from their feeding at the late milk-ripe...     

Evaluation of antioxidant activity of some natural polyphenolic compounds using the Briggs-Rauscher reaction method

A new method based on the inhibitory effects of antioxidants on the oscillations of the hydrogen peroxide, acidic iodate, malonic acid, and Mn(II)-catalyzed system (known as the Briggs-Rauscher reaction), was used for the evaluation of antioxidative capacity. With this method, which works near the pH of the fluids in the stomach (pH approximately 2), a group of natural compounds present in fruits and vegetables or in medicinal plants assumed to have antioxidant capacity, was tested successfully. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antioxidative properties of some active principles contained in vegetables and aromatic plants, namely, cynarin (from Cynara scolymus), rosmarinic acid (from Rosmarinus officinalis), echinacoside (from Echinacea species), puerarin (from Pueraria lobata), and oleuropein (from Olea europea). Also studied with the Briggs-Rauscher reaction method was the antioxidant activity of cyanidin 3-O-beta-glucopyranoside (from Citrus aurantium) in order to compare the results with those obtained by other methods. The conclusions on the dependency of the antioxidative activity on the pH of the testing system are given.     

Developmental and varietal differences in volatile ester formation and acetyl-CoA: alcohol acetyl transferase activities in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) fruit

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivars differ in their aroma and composition of volatile acetates in their fruit flesh and peel. Cv. Fuji flesh contains substantial levels of 2-methyl butyl acetate (fruity banana-like odor), while the flesh of cv. Granny Smith apples lacks this compound. Granny Smith apples accumulate mainly hexyl acetate (apple-pear odor) in their peel. Feeding experiments indicated that Fuji apples were able to convert hexanol and 2-methyl butanol to their respective acetate derivatives in vivo, while Granny Smith apples could only convert exogenous hexanol to hexyl acetate. Differential substrate specificities of the in vitro acetyl-CoA:alcohol acetyl transferase (AAT) activities were also detected among cultivars. In Granny Smith apples, the AAT activity was detected only in the peel, and its specificity was almost exclusively restricted to hexanol and cis-3-hexenol. In Fuji apples, the AAT activity was detected in both peel and flesh and apparently accepted a broader range of alcohols as substrates than the Granny Smith enzyme activity. Our data strongly suggest that different AAT activities are operational in apple tissues and cultivars and that these differences contribute to the variation observed in the accumulation of volatile acetates.     

BORON APPLICATION ON A CHESTNUT ORCHARD: EFFECT ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF NUTS

Although boron (B) deficiency in chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) has been identified in Portugal and B fertilization was carried out in some orchards, the post-treatment evaluations have not been made to date. So the objective of this trial was to confirm the B deficiency and to quantify the effect of B applications to the soil on nut yield and quality. In October 2006, a fertilizer trial was established in a 15 year-old orchard in a very acid soil derived from siliceous schists. Soil liming and a basal fertilization were carried out in 16 trees and two levels of sodium tetraborate (Granubor, 14.6% B) were applied to eight trees: control (B0) and 100 g of Granubor per tree (B1). In the beginning of September chestnut leaves were collected from five trees and analyzed for macro- and micronutrients. Nut productivity was measured per tree and some nut quality parameters were evaluated, including the chemical composition of the kernel (soluble sugars, starch, total fiber, crude protein, and crude fat) in 2007, and dry matter, nut caliber, and fruit damage in 2007 and 2008. Boron fertilization of chestnuts significantly increased nut production: 75% in the first year (8 kg and 14 kg per tree, respectively, in the B0 and B1) and, in the second year, was over four times higher (4 kg and 17 kg per tree, respectively, in the B0 and B1). No significant differences were found in dry matter, nut caliber, nut damage and chemical composition of the kernel in the first year, but in the second year lower fruit damage by chestnut tortrix (P<0.0089) was observed. Foliar analyses exhibit relatively low B concentrations in the control trees (average value of 8 mg kg^?1) in both years, while in the fertilized trees the foliar B concentration were in average 61 mg kg^?1 in the first year, and 34 mg kg^?1 in the second year. The large drop in the foliar B concentration in the second year suggests the need to monitoring the nutrient status of chestnut orchards or more frequent of B application than usual practice.     

Antagonism of local isolates of Trichoderna spp. on citrus root rot disease by Fusarium solani in the mekong delta of vietnam

The local isolates of Trichoderrma spp. and Fusariun solani were colected from citrus orchards in the Mekong delta of Vietnam and isolated on PDA, PDB and TSM medium for antagonism and Koch's postulate testing. The results showed that the high chitinolytic enzymes content of Trichoderma isolates can antagonise with Fusarium solani isolates by preventing the germination of Fusarium macroconidia in in-vitro condition. There are five promising isolates of Trichoderna spp. having high antagonism with Fusarium solani. These Trichoderma isolates also grew well in rice straws, maize stems, weeds and water hyacinth biowaste materials. These results supply the promising trend for biological control of root rot disease on citrus orchards of the Mekong delta.     

Insoluble Carob Fiber Rich in Polyphenols Lowers Total and LDL Cholesterol in Hypercholesterolemic Sujects

Recently, polyphenols have been found to affect blood lipids in animals in a similar manner as soluble dietary fibre. The aim was to assess whether an insoluble dietary fiber very rich in polyphenols has a beneficial effect on serum lipids in humans. In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical study with parallel arms, 88 volunteers with hypercholesterolemia were randomly assigned to consume daily either, fiber with insoluble 84% polyphenols 4 g twice a day (n = 43) or placebo (n = 45). Serum total, LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks. The insoluble polyphenols consumption reduced the total cholesterol by 17.8 ± 6.1% (p < 0.05), LDL cholesterol by 22.5 ± 8.9% (p < 0.001), LDL: HDL cholesterol ratio by 26.2 ± 14.3% (p < 0.001) and triglycerides by 16.3 ± 23.4% (p < 0.05) at the end of the study compared with baseline. No significant differences were found during the study time in the placebo group for the lipid profile. The consumption of fiber very rich in insoluble polyphenols shows beneficial effects on human blood lipid profile and may be effective in prevention and treatment of hyperlipemia.     

Effect of dietary canthaxanthin on the growth and lipid composition of red porgy (Pagrus pagrus)

A 24‐week feeding trial was conducted to study the possible effect of dietary canthaxanthin on red porgy growth and lipid composition. Two triplicate groups were established to test two experimental diets: (1) Control group fed a diet with no added carotenoids, and (2) canthaxanthin group (CTX100) fed a diet with 100 mg of synthetic canthaxanthin per kilogram of diet (CTX). Final and eviscerated weight were increased (P < 0.05) in the CTX100 treatment. The rest of growth performance parameters were not affected by the CTX diet. Whole‐fish total lipid content was decreased (P < 0.05) in CTX100 fish. In the liver, total lipids were not affected; however, saturated fatty acids in CTX100 treatment were significantly lower together with a higher n‐3 PUFA and a lower n‐6 PUFA, therefore increasing the n‐3/n‐6 ratio. Liver histology of CTX100 fish revealed decreased lipid vacuolization thus, significantly lowering hepatocyte area. In the muscle, total lipids were not affected. Similar to the liver, an increase of n‐3 PUFA and decrease n‐6 PUFA, led to a significant increase of the n‐3/n‐6 ratio. Concerning plasma, only total cholesterol (TC) was significantly affected by the CTX diet. Dietary canthaxanthin has an effect on red porgy lipid composition.     

Changes in Eye Temperature and Stress Assessment in Horses During Show Jumping Competitions

High stress levels in horses during sporting events can influence the animal’s performance in competitions as well as their welfare. This study investigated the use of infrared thermography (IRT) measurement as a rapid, noninvasive, and accurate method for stress assessment in horses during sport competitions and compared IRT with a commonly used physiological method used for stress assessment and salivary cortisol. IRT and salivary cortisol responses were measured 3 hours before the competition, immediately following the competition, and 3 hours after the competition, each day during the 3 days of a show jumping event. Salivary cortisol values ranged from −0.11 ± 4.51 ng/mL in 5-year-old animals to 1.10 ± 2.20 ng/mL in 4-year-old animals, whereas eye temperature values ranged from 35.84 ± 1.16°C in 6-year-old animals to 36.08 ± 1.11°C in 5-year-old animals. The results obtained suggested that IRT measurements constitute an effective method for detecting stress in horses subjected to the acute events of show jumping.     

Provirus variants of bovine leukemia virus in naturally infected cattle from Argentina and Japan

A serologic subgroup of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) has not been identified, whereas genetic diversity among BLVs has been reported by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). To investigate the distribution of BLV provirus variants, 42 isolates from Argentina and Japan were examined by nested PCR for a segment of the env gene, followed by DNA sequencing. The nucleotide sequences were compared with other previously characterized BLV variants from different geographical areas (Belgium, France, Italy, North America, Australia, Japan and Argentina). The majority of analyzed segments had a tendency for nucleotide substitution without changing the amino acid. The constructed phylogenetic tree showed the relations and differences between proviruses and within each one. Most of the samples in Argentina formed one cluster. The samples in Japan, except one, also formed one cluster and some of them showed high homology with the isolates from Australia and the USA. Considering the sequence analysis of env PCR products of all Japanese and Argentine samples and comparing them with the other previously isolated sequences, the variation was up to 3.5% and was characterized geographically in each area.