Monitoring of stored tobacco insect pests by means of pheromones: the case ofEphestia elutella (Hübner) andLasioderma serricorne Fabricius in South Europe

Results obtained in the monitoring of stored tobacco pests by pheromones are reported. In GreeceEphestia elutella (Hübner) is likely to have at least 3 generations per year: the first one appears in early May, the second one during the last week of June and the third one— the most populated and the longer lasting—in August. In the same environmentsPlodia interpunctella (Hübner) has shown about 5 generations per year. The first on appeared in late May; the remaining 4—definitely overlapping—are placed in mid-June, in July, in early August and early September. In Italy four commercial pheromone dispensers effective in trappingLasioderma serricorne Fabricius have been compared. The results pointed out highly significant differences of the efficacy of the four different dispensers tested.L. serricorne was present in the tobacco store from June to October with a quite remarkable increase between August and early September.     

Application of enzymes during bulb tissue extraction for detection of lily symptomless virus by ELISA in Lilium spp

Lily symptomless virus (LSV) was readily detected with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in leaves ofLilium Mid-Century hybrids cvs Enchantment and Destiny andLilium speciosum cv. Brabander. In bulbs of cv. Enchantment LSV could be detected without any additional treatment of the extracts, but for reliable results in cv. Destiny it was necessary to pre-incubate the bulb extracts with cellulase or hemicellulase.Samenvatting In de bladeren van secundair geïnfecteerde planten van de leliecultivars Enchantment, Destiny en Brabander kon LSV met ELISA gemakkelijk worden aangetoond. In bladextracten van Enchantment kon nog ca. 100 ng LSV/ml extract worden teruggevonden. Bij toepassing van de standaard-methode van extraheren (2 g weefsel malen in 4 ml extractiebuffer) kon ook in de bolschubben van Enchantment LSV worden aangetoond; bij Destiny gelukte dat aanzienlijk minder goed. Wijzigingen in de extractie-procedure of een speciale behandeling van het standaard-extract (dialyseren, verhitten tot 50°C etc.) leidde niet tot een betere aantoonbaarheid van het virus met ELISA. Enzymen als hemicellulase, cellulase en pectinase, toegevoegd aan het standaard-extract van bolschubben van Destiny vóór de toetsing (incubatie gedurende 18 h bij kamertemperatuur), verbeteren de aantoonbaarheid van het LSV aanzienlijk.     

Southern bean Mosaic Virus the Causal Agent of a New Disease of Phaseolus vulgaris beans in Spain

Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) has been identified as the cause of a new disease in greenhouse-cultivated common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), in the south-east of Spain. The identification was based on host range comparisons, morphological and serological characteristics of the virus, the size of its dsRNA species and the nucleotide sequence of an 810-bp fragment from ORF2. The virus could be clearly discriminated from the related sobemovirus Southern cowpea mosaic virus. This is the first report of SBMV in Spain.     

Disinfection of pepper seed infected with different strains of capsicum mosaic virus by trisodium phosphate and dry heat treatment

Disinfection of pepper seed infected with capsicum mosaic virus (CaMV) by immersion in 100 g/1 Na₃ P0₄ solution was compared with dry heat treatment at 76°C. The virus content of the seed varied with the CaMV strains used to infect the pepper cultivars and the time of harvest of seeds from infected plants. Immersion times in Na₃PO₄ had to be increased from 15 min to 2 h to obtain near-complete virus inactivation; these treatments had no effects on germination.
Heating seed in an oven at 76°C for 3 days following a waiting period of 3 months after harvest always eliminated all the virus present, but adversely affected germination. This resulted in delayed emergence and a reduction in the number of seedlings suitable for further raising. The viability of heat-treated seeds also decreased with continued storage after treatment.
There were inconsistent differences in germination of seed from healthy plants and plants infected with the CaMV strains P8 or P11. The possibility of internal seed infection and practical consequences are discussed.     

An outbreak of Potato spindle tuber viroid in tomato is linked to imported seed

In 2011, an outbreak of the quarantine-regulated pathogen Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) occurred in a commercial glasshouse-grown tomato crop in Queensland, Australia. Phylogenetic studies showed that the genotype of this isolate grouped in a cluster of PSTVd genotypes from tomato and Physalis peruviana, and exhibited an interesting mutation (U₂₅₇→A) that has previously been linked to lethal symptom expression in tomato. Transmission studies showed that the viroid could be mechanically transmitted from crushed fruit sap, but not from undamaged fruits. A low rate of asymptomatic infection was determined for plants in the affected glasshouse, demonstrating the efficacy of using symptoms to detect PSTVd infections in tomato. No PSTVd infections were detected in solanaceous weeds located outside of the infected glasshouse, excluding them from playing a role in the viroid epidemiology. Monitoring and subsequent testing of new tomato crops grown in the facility demonstrated successful eradication of the pathogen. A trace-back analysis linked the outbreak of PSTVd to an infected imported tomato seed-lot, indicating that PSTVd is transmitted internationally through contaminated seed.     

Germination and appressorium formation of wheat leaf rust on susceptible,partially resistant and resistant wheat seedlings and on seedlings of other Gramineae

Germination and appressorium formation of wheat leaf rust urediospores were studied in two experiments. No consistent differences could be detected between 11 genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum), two of barley, one ofTriticum dicoccum, one ofT. dicoccoides, one ofT. boeoticum and one ofAegilops squarrosa. Host genotypes and non-hosts gave similar results, suggesting that the phases before penetration of the host leaf are not affected by the resistance mechanisms operating in hosts and non-host genotypes.Samenvatting Kieming en de vorming van appressoria is bestudeerd in twee experimenten. Er zijn geen systematische verschillen waargenomen tussen 11 genotypen van tarwe, twee van gerst, een vanTriticum dicoccum, een vanT. dicoccoides, een vanT. boeoticum en een vanAegilops squarrosa. Waard en niet-waard genotypen gaven overeenkomstige resultaten, dit suggereert dat de fasen voor penetratie van het gastheerblad niet beïnvloed worden door de resistentiemechanismen werkzaam in waard en niet-waard.     

Isolation and identification of pathogenic strains of tomato mosaic virus by host passage

Three isolates of tomato mosaic virus, A.8, SJ-64 and SL^a, assumed to contain the pathogenic strains 1 and 2, were each subjected to selection pressure by passage through different hosts in concurrent series. The sub-isolated obtained were tested at intervals on differential tomato lines heterozygous for each of the resistance genes Tm-1 and Tm-2 and for the combination of Tm-1 and Tm-2.Three preliminary passages throughSolanum pennellii followed by 22 passages through the tomato line CStMW-18 (Tm-1/Tm-1) resulted for A.8, SJ-64 and SL^a in sub-iolates, of strain 1. Three preliminary passages throughL. peruvianum P. I. 128655 followed by 22 passages through the tomato line Pérou-2 (Tm-2/Tm-2) resulted for A.8 and SL^a in sub-isolates of strain 2 and for SJ-64 in a sub-isolate of strain 1.2. Twenty passages through Pérou-2, followed by two additional passages through the tomato line Craigella Tm-1/+Tm-2/+ resulted for SJ-64 and SL^a in sub-isolates of strain 1.2 and for A.8 in a sub-isolate of strain 2.Samenvatting Op drie isolaten van het tomatemozaïekvirus, A.8, SJ-64 en SL^a, die naar alle waarschijnlijkheid de pathogene stammen 1 en 2 bevatten, werd selectiedruk uitgeoefend door een herhaalde waardplantpassage. Voor de afscheiding van stam 1 onderging elk van de isolaten eerst driemaal een passage doorSolanum pennellii en vervolgens 22 maal door de tomaatselectie CStMW-18 (Tm-1/Tm-1). Voor stam 2 passeerde elk isolaat eerst driemaalLycopersicon peruvianum P.I. 128655 en vervolgens 22 maal de tomaatselectie Pérou-2 (Tm-2/Tm-2). Op gezette tijden werden de sub-isolaten, verkregen uit de gelijktijdig verlopende passageproeven, getoetst op een differentiële reeks tomaatselecties. Deze waren heterozygoot en homozygoot voor de resistentiegenen Tm-1 en Tm-2 en voor de combinatie van Tm-1 en Tm-2.Voor elk van de isolaten A.8, SJ-64 en SL^a werden na passage door CStMW-18 sub-isolaten verkregen van stam 1. Terwijl voor A.8 en SL^a na passage door Pérou-2 sub-isolaten van stam 2 werden verkregen, leverde dezelfde passage voor SJ-64 een sub-isolaat, op van stam 1.2. Voor SJ-64 en SL^a gaven, twee passages door de tomaatselectie Craigella Tm-1/2 Tm-2/+ in aansluiting op 20 passages door Pérou-2 aanleiding tot de vorming van stam 1.2.In de discussie wordt op de mogelijke ontstaanswijze van stam 1.2 ingegaan.     

Villus atrophy in ruminal drinking calves and mucosal restoration after reconditioning

Summary

The effect of reconditioning therapy on 7 chronic ruminal drinking veal calves is described. Two calves that were persistent ruminal drinkers were used as controls. In addition to clinical parameters, the morphological features of proximal jejunum biopsies were used to monitor the effect of therapy.

Ruminal drinking calves showed various degrees of hyperplastic villus atrophy. When the reticular groove reflex was restored, clinical recovery was observed within 10 days; the length of villi increased as well as the villus/crypt ratio at the end of the reconditioning period. Crypt depth, however, did not alter, and the mitosis index significantly decreased. Villus atrophy in the controls gradually worsened.

While the calves gained weight after recovery, retarded growth from the ruminal drinking period was not compensated.     

Nitrate poisoning in cattle

Summary

In a series of experiments the effect of administering KNO₂ was studied, during parturition, on the capability of oxygen transport of maternal blood and on oxygen transfer to foetal blood. The following blood parameters were analysed, MHb percentage, pO₂, O₂‐saturation, pH, pCO₂, and (NO₂) in maternal arterial blood (carotid art.) and venous blood (jugular vein) and in foetal arterial blood (umbilical art.) and venous blood (umbilical vein). The relative O₂‐saturation was calculated from the estimated O₂‐saturation by multiplying with the factor Hb (mmol/1) minus MHb (mmol/1), divided by Hb (mmol/1). In addition, blood pressure in the carotid artery, heart rate, and respiration rate in the dam were continuously recorded for some hours.

A dosage of 9 to 12 mg of NO₂/kg body weight intravenously or of 30 mg of NO₂/kg body weight orally to the dam caused much higher MHb percentages and NO₂ contents in the maternal blood than in the foetal blood. In maternal blood the ratio of NO₂ content td MHb percentage was proportional to that in foetal blood. In the arterial blood, MHb percentages were almost as high as in the venous blood. After administering of nitrite, relative O₂‐saturation dropped simultaneously with the increase in methaemoglobin.

Nitrite treatment caused a drop in the maternal blood pressure; heart rate and respiration rate increased. O₂‐saturation in the blood in the umbilical vein was much lower in the animals with nitrite treatment than in those without. These experimental results show clearly that the oxygen capacity of the blood decreases after nitrite treatment. In pregnant cows the oxygen supply to the foetus will be adversely affected after nitrate intake, especially by the lower oxygen transfer via the placenta, though hardly at all by methaemoglobin formation in the foetal blood.

When the oxygen transfer to the foetal blood decreases too sharply, intra‐uterine death and ultimately abortion may result.