Effects of deficit irrigation strategies on cluster microclimate for improving fruit composition of Moscatel field-grown grapevines

The grapevine plays a very important role in the economic, social and cultural sectors of many regions; however vineyards are often grown in regions under stressful conditions and thus they are vulnerable to climate change. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation on vine water relations, vegetative growth, plant microclimate, berry composition and yield components, compared to conventional deficit irrigation (DI, 50% ETc), full irrigation (FI, 100% of ETc) and non-irrigated vines (NI). The study was undertaken in mature ‘Moscatel’ grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in Pegões, South of Portugal. Compared to the other irrigated treatments, PRD vines showed a better microclimate at the cluster zone with higher incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Within the more open canopies of NI and PRD treatments, berry temperatures were higher than those of denser ones (DI and FI). Compared to the conventional irrigation technique the better microclimate observed in PRD vines was a consequence of a reduction in vine growth, where lower values of leaf layer number, leaf area, canopy wideness, water shoots and shoot weight were observed. In PRD vines we observed a tendency to a development of a deeper root system, while DI and FI showed a more homogeneous root distribution throughout the different soil layers. PRD showed an improvement in berry quality with higher values of flavour precursors, and total phenols concentration without any significant yield reduction compared to DI and FI.     

Growth and Feeding Level in Pre-Weaning Tambaqui Colossoma macropomurn Larvae

The relation between growth, feed utilization and feed ration was assessed during the first 15 feeding days in Colossoma macropomum larvae fed with Artemia nauplii. Maintenance, optimum and maximum feeding rations (1.23; 5.48 and 27.2% body weight/d, dry feed, respectively) and feed conversions (0.4 and 0.78 optimum and maximum, respectively) were determined. At maximum feeding the larvae grew 2.6 times faster that at optimum feeding, but the feeding costs increased 1.94 times. Two commonly used growth rates (specific growth rate, SGR and coefficient G) were compared for the modelling of larval growth. The maximum specific growth rate (SGR, growth rate at maximum feeding) remained relatively constant during the first 15 d of feeding and is thus much more adequate to model the growth of tambaqui larvae, than the coefficient G, which increased more than four times in this period.     

Cell wall disassembly during papaya softening: Role of ethylene in changes in composition,pectin-derived oligomers (PDOs) production and wall hydrolases

Cell wall disassembly in ripening climacteric fruit is a highly complex process where ethylene plays a crucial role. Ethylene inhibitors can be used to explore the changes in the cell wall matrix and cross-linked polysaccharides in ethylene-regulated processes. The results of applying the ethylene receptor blocking inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and the ethylene-releasing compound ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) indicate that softening of ‘Maradol’ papaya fruit is dependent on ethylene. When fruit were induced to ripen extensively by exposure to a high dose of ethephon, 1-MCP inhibited the subsequent softening dramatically, but when inhibition of the ethylene response was caused by application of 1-MCP, subsequent fruit treatment with ethephon promoted extensive loss of galactose from the water-soluble polysaccharides, but this was not accompanied by fruit softening. The cell wall changes accompanying normal fruit softening were pectin solubilization and polyuronide depolymerization and these processes occurred simultaneously. Polygalacturonase likely is responsible for the ripening-associated changes in ‘Maradol’ papaya fruit texture and pectin polymer integrity. An increase in extractable fruit polygalacturonase follows the increased presence of pectin-derived oligosaccharides.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus halepensis</Emphasis> somatic embryogenesis is affected by the physical and chemical conditions at the initial stages of the process

Pinus halepensis has been described as a drought-tolerant species with high plasticity to growth in different environments. Its eco-physiological characteristics could facilitate the use of this species in large afforestations in the future scenery of climate change. Somatic embryogenesis is a biotechnological tool with potential for large-scale clonal propagation. In order to establish an improved regeneration protocol for Pinus halepensis, the effects of different temperatures (18, 23, and 28 °C) and water availability conditions (2, 3, and 4 g L^?1 Gelrite^®), during initiation of embryonal masses on the rate of initiation, proliferation, maturation, and the number of embryos developed, were evaluated. It was found that environmental conditions during the initiation stage of Pinus halepensis somatic embryogenesis influence the success of initiation and proliferation. In contrast, there was no effect of these conditions on the maturation rates and the number of somatic embryos. Somatic embryos were obtained in all treatments tested, indicating that plants can be produced from extreme conditions of induction, such as high temperatures (28 °C) and low water availability conditions (4 g L^?1).     

First report on Meloidogyne chitwoodi hatching inhibition activity of essential oils and essential oils fractions

The Columbia root-knot nematode (CRKN), Meloidogyne chitwoodi, is an EPPO A2 type quarantine pest since 1998. This nematode causes severe damage in economically important crops such as potato and tomato, making agricultural products unacceptable for the fresh market and food processing. Commonly used nematicidal synthetic chemicals are often environmentally unsafe. Essential oils (EOs) may constitute safer alternatives against RKN. EOs, isolated from 56 plant samples, were tested against CRKN hatching, in direct contact bioassays. Some of the most successful EOs were fractionated and the hydrocarbon molecules (HM) and oxygen-containing molecules (OCM) fractions tested separately. 24 EOs displayed very strong hatching inhibitions (≥90 %) at 2 µL mL^?1 and were further tested at lower concentrations. Dysphaniaambrosioides, Filipendula ulmaria, Ruta graveolens, Satureja montana and Thymbra capitata EOs revealed the lowest EC₅₀ values (<0.15 µL mL^?1). The main compounds of these EOs, namely 2-undecanone, ascaridol, carvacrol, isoascaridol, methyl salicylate, p-cymene and/or γ-terpinene, were putatively considered responsible for CRKN hatching inhibition. S. montana and T. capitata OCM fractions showed hatching inhibitions higher than HM fractions. The comparison of EO and corresponding fractions EC₅₀ values suggests interactions between OCM and HM fractions against CRKN hatching. These species EOs showed to be potential environmentally friendly CRKN hatching inhibitors; nonetheless, bioactivity should be considered globally, since its HM and OCM fractions may contribute, diversely, to the full anti-hatching activity.     

A new dihydroxysterol from the marine phytoplankton Diacronema sp

Diacronema sp. was cultured and its sterols were separated by column chromatography on silica gel. The new sterol 24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-cholestane-3,20-diol (1) was characterised by NMR and MS spectrometry, as well as (22E)-24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-5alpha-cholest-22-en-3beta-ol (2) and beta-sitosterol, the major components of the sterol fractions. Neither the biosynthetic origin of the new dihydroxysterol nor its role in the biochemistry of Diacronema is known.     

Influence of forage harvesting regimes on dynamics of biological dinitrogen fixation of a tropical woody legume

Effects of three forage harvesting regimes-total removal of foliage and branches once (T-12) or twice a year (T-6) and 50% removal every 2 months (P-2)-on growth and biological dinitrogen fixation of Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp were studied under subhumid tropical conditions in Guadeloupe, French Antilles. Gliricidia sepium was grown in association with the perennial C(4) grass Dichantium aristatum (Poir) C.E. Hubbard in a two-storied fodder production system. The medium-term effects of pruning on N(2) fixation were assessed by the (15)N natural abundance method. Gmelina arborea Roxb. was used as the non-fixing reference. The trees in the T-12 regime followed the natural phenological cycle, and flowering and podfilling at the beginning of the dry season reduced both foliage and nodule biomass. The T-6 regime impeded flowering, and only a few flowers, on older branches, were produced in the P-2 regime. In trees in the T-12, T-6, and P-2 regimes, fixed N comprised 54-87, 54-92, and 60-87%, respectively, of the total N in aboveground biomass, depending on sampling date. Total annual accumulation of N in harvestable aboveground biomass was highest in trees in the T-6 regime at 313 kg ha(-1), of which 204 kg ha(-1) of N was fixed from the atmosphere. In all treatments, about 70% of the N exported per year from the plot in the fodder harvest came from N(2) fixation. Thus, N(2) fixation makes an important contribution to the N economy of the G. sepium-D. aristatum forage production system, and greatly reduces the need for fertilizer application.     

6-Phenylpyrones and 5-methylchromones from Kenya aloe

Two new compounds, 10-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl aloenin (4) and 8-C-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-7-O-methyl-(R)-aloesol (6), were isolated from a commercial sample of Kenya aloe together with the known products aloenin (2), aloenin 2'-p-coumaroyl ester (3), aloenin aglycone (1), orcinol and acetylorcinol. All structures were determined or confirmed by spectral analyses.     

Exothermic heat released during catalytic polymerization of basswood-methyl methacrylate composites

Summary Oven dried basswood was vacuum impregnated with methyl methacrylate monomer containing various amounts of free radical catalyst and trifunctional crosslinking agent. The wood-monomer composite was polymerized at 60°C in an air oven and the rate of heat generated was followed by means of a thermocouple placed in the center of the sample.Increasing the concentration of Vazo free radical catalyst in the basswood-MMA impregnated samples reduces the time to the exothermic peak and increases the exothermic peak temperature. High Vazo concentrations also decraase the percentage conversion of monomer to polymer.Trimethyl propane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) crosslinker reduces the time to the exothermic peak and dramatically increases the exothermic peak temperature. The use of a crosslinker rapidly increases the initial viscosity of the system, and therefore, the autoacceleration of the polymerization is more pronounced.Our thanks are due to DuPont Company and Sartomer Resins for supplying the monomers and catalysts. Research funds were provided by Organized Research Budget of the College of Forestry.