Evaluation of the temporal distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium graminearum</Emphasis> airborne inoculum above the wheat canopy and its relationship with Fusarium head blight and DON concentration

With the aim of unravelling the role of airborne Fusarium graminearum inoculum in the epidemic of Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by this species in wheat spikes, a network of Burkard air samplers was set up in five wheat fields distributed in Belgium from 2011 to 2013. Each year from April to July, the daily amounts of F. graminearum inoculum above the wheat canopy were quantified using a newly developed TaqMan qPCR assay. The pattern of spore trapping observed was drastically different per year and per location with a frequency of detection between 9 and 66% and a mean daily concentration between 0.8 and 10.2 conidia-equivalent/m³. In one location, air was sampled for a whole year. Inoculum was frequently detected from the wheat stem elongation stage until the end of the harvesting period, but high inoculum levels were also observed during the fall. Using a window-pane analysis, different periods of time around wheat flowering (varying in length and starting date) were investigated for their importance in the relation between airborne inoculum and FHB parameters (FHB severity, frequency of F. graminearum infection and DON). For almost all the combinations of variables, strong and significant correlations were found for multiple window lengths and starting times. Inoculum quantities trapped around flowering were highly correlated with F. graminearum infection (up to R?=?0.84) and DON (up to R?=?0.9). Frequencies of detection were also well correlated with both of these parameters. DON concentrations at harvest could even be significantly associated with the F. graminearum inoculum trapped during periods finishing before the beginning of the anthesis (R?=?0.77). Overall, these results highlight the key role of the airborne inoculum in F. graminearum epidemics and underline the importance of monitoring it for the development of disease forecasting tools.     

Evaluation of the durability of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Barley yellow dwarf virus</Emphasis>-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zhong ZH</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">TC14</Emphasis> wheat lines

Serial passage experiments (SPE) of a Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) isolate were performed on Zhong ZH and TC14 wheat lines to evaluate the durability of their resistance to BYDV. At different passage numbers (from the 2nd to the 114th), biological properties of the produced isolates were recorded either by monitoring infection percentages and virus titers of the first 3 weeks of viral infection or by measuring their impact on yield components. Statistical analyses using the area under pathogen progress curves and the area under concentration progress curves demonstrated that these two resistant lines induce, after only a few passages, a selection of variant(s) with significantly modified infection abilities. Isolates resulting from SPE performed on these lines induced important decreases of yield components. These results indicate that the use of Zhong ZH and TC14 lines in BYDV-resistant breeding programmes should be approached with caution.     

Variability in response to toosendanin in a laboratory colony of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoplusia ni</Emphasis>

Laboratory rearing of insects for scientific research ensures a constant supply of insects. However, laboratory colonies may diverge genetically and/or phenotypically from wild populations due to selection pressures in their artificial environment. This study examined how variation in a colony ofTrichoplusia ni influenced reproducibility over time of bioassays of toosendanin (a limonoid extracted from the bark ofMelia azedarach). In four of five experiments insect growth was reduced significantly (P=0.05) by the presence of toosendanin in the diet. The fifth experiment showed the same trend, but the effect was not significant. Mean larval mass of both control and treated insects also varied greatly among experiments. The considerable variability observed in this population highlights the importance of replicating experiments in time, and not just space, to confirm reproducibility of treatment effects. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 23, 2007.     

Multi-scale study of bird species distribution and of their response to vegetation change: a Mediterranean example

Land use changes operate at different scales. They trigger a cascade of effects that simultaneously modify the composition or structure of the landscape and of the local vegetation. Mobil animals, and birds in particular, can respond quickly to such multi-scalar changes. We took advantage of a long term study on the response of songbirds to land-use changes on four Mediterranean islands in Corsica and Sardinia to explore the benefits of a multi-scale analysis of the relationships between songbird distribution, vegetation structure and landscape dynamics. Field data and aerial photographs were used to describe the vegetation at three different scales. Birds were censused by point counts. We used statistical variance decomposition to study how bird distribution and vegetation at various scales were linked. We analysed multi-scale vegetation changes (floristic composition, plot vegetation type, and landscape structure) and their consequences on bird distribution with multivariate and non-parametrical tests. The distribution of most species was linked to at least two spatial scales. The weight of a given scale was consistent with life-history traits for species whose biology was well-known. In the examples studied, vegetation composition, vegetation type and landscape changes that resulted from land abandonment negatively affected birds depending on open or heterogeneous areas. Our results emphasize that multi-scale analyses can greatly enhance our understanding of bird distribution and of their changes. Management of these populations should take into account measures at various spatial scales depending on the sensitivity of the species.     

Response of snails and slugs to fragmentation of lowland forests in NW Germany

Habitat fragmentation is a major cause for species loss, but its effect on invertebrates with low active dispersal power, like terrestrial gastropods, has rarely been studied. Such species can not cross a hostile habitat matrix, for which the predictions of island theory, such as positive relations between species richness and patch size, should apply. In order to test this prediction, we studied gastropod species diversity by assessing gastropod assemblage characteristics from 35 sites in 19 fragments of deciduous old-growth forests in the Lower Rhine Embayment, Germany. Assemblages differed between larger (≥700 ha) and smaller forests (<400 ha), those of large forests held a higher percentage of forest species. Although α-diversity was similar between the two forest size classes, small forests often comprised matrix species, resulting in a higher β-diversity. Edge effects on the species richness of matrix species were noticeable up to 250 m into the forest. Hierarchical partitioning revealed that distance to disturbances (external edge, internal edges like roads) explained most assemblage variables, whereas forest size and woodland cover within a 1 km radius from the sites explained only a few assemblage variables. Densities of two forest-associated species, Discus rotundatus and Arion fuscus, decreased with forest size. Yet, forest size was positively correlated with richness of typical forest species and densities of Limax cinereoniger. The latter species seems to need forests of >1,000 ha, i.e., well above the size of most fragments. In conclusion, the prediction is valid only for forest species. The response to fragmentation is species specific and seems to depend on habitat specialization and macroclimatic conditions. Jean-Pierre Maelfait: Deceased.     

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.     

Tracking fungi in soil with monoclonal antibodies

Species of the genus Trichoderma are ubiquitous soil-borne fungi that exhibit antagonism towards a number of economically important plant-pathogenic fungi and oomycetes. This review discusses recent developments in the use of monoclonal antibodies to detect these fungi in their natural soil environments and to quantify their population dynamics during antagonistic interactions with saprotrophic competitors in soil-based systems. Immunological approaches to detection and quantification are examined in relation to conventional plate enrichment techniques and to nucleic acid-based procedures. An example of recent research using a mAb-based assay to quantify the effects of saprotrophic competition on the growth of Trichoderma isolates in mixed species, soil-based, microcosms is presented. Future technological developments in immunoassays for tracking Trichoderma populations in soil are discussed and results presented showing the accurate detection and visualization of a plant growth-promoting isolate of T. hamatum in the rhizosphere of lettuce using mAb-based immunodiagnostic assays.     

The impact of MK-467 on sedation,heart rate and arterial blood pressure after intramuscular coadministration with dexmedetomidine in conscious cats

Objective

To study the effects of MK-467, a peripheral α₂-adrenoceptor antagonist, on sedation, heart rate and blood pressure after intramuscular (IM) coadministration with 25 μg kg^?1 of dexmedetomidine in cats.

制剂中大黄与山大黄的鉴别

选用企业报批的大黄末为供试品,对2010年版《中国兽药典》收载的大黄、山大黄单味制剂的鉴别和检查项目以及大黄复方制剂的检查项目进行了研究和分析,认为用纸层析、硅胶薄层鉴别的技术检查土大黄苷是制剂中大黄与山大黄鉴别的关键,建议在样品检验和标准制定时加以重视。