Resistance to barley yellow-dwarf-virus disease in derivatives of crosses between hexaploid wheat and species of Lophopyrum (Triticeae; Poaceae)

Among the wheatgrasses that are possible sources of genetic resistance for wheat to barley yellow-dwarf-virus disease (BYD) are those that have been commonly subsumed under the name Agropyron elongatum (Host) P. Beauv. Two of these wheatgrass species are the diploid Lophopymm elongatum (Host) Á. Löve (2n = 2x = 14) and the decaploid L. ponticum (Podp.) Á. Löve (2n = 10x = 70). These two species, the addition and substitution lines of L. elongatum chromosomes in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and derivatives of hybrids between hexaploid wheat and L. ponticum, were screened for resistance to BYD, as defined by visual symptoms in field-grown plants. The two species, an amphiploid derived from L. elongatumבChinese Spring’ wheat, and the derivatives involving L. ponticum chromosomes were all highly resistant. The substitution and addition lines of L. elongatum chromosomes in ‘Chinese Spring’ revealed that the genetic control of resistance in L. elongatum must be complex, with more than one critical locus involved. Chromosomes 2E and 5E are involved and there are lesser contributions to resistance from the remaining wheatgrass chromosomes. One highly resistant derivative was determined to have only three pairs of L. ponticum chromosomes. It has a wheat-like morphology and shows promise for further characterization.     

Estimating the pleiotropic effect of the jointless-2 gene on the processing and agronomic traits of tomato by using near-isogenic lines

Two near-isogenic lines of the processing tomato cv. ‘IPA-5’, pheno-typically distinct from each other only in terms of the presence or absence of a jointless fruit pedicel, were used to estimate pleiotropic effects of the recessive gene j-2 on 15 processing and agronomic parameters. Total yield, total yield of mature fruit, total yield of green fruit, total number of fruit, total number of mature fruit, total number of green fruit, mean weight of mature fruit, mean weight of green fruit, mean weight of mature plus green fruit, soluble solids, fruit colour, pH, titratable acidity, sugar: acid ratio, and fruit firmness were compared in jointed (J-2/J-2) and jointless pedicel (J-2/J-2) lines. Statistically significant differences were detected between both isolines for the following parameters: total number of fruit, total yield, total yield of green fruit, and total number of green fruit. In all cases, smaller values were observed in the isoline with the genetic constitution J-2/J-2. These data reinforce the view that they j-2 gene may cause, in some specific tomato backgrounds, significant yield constraints. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that this gene cannot exert any important pleiotropic influence on any of the processing characteristics evaluated.     

Natural degradation of low-level petroleum hydrocarbon contamination under crop management

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Natural degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) is a crucial process to consider when managing contaminated soils. However, the degradation rate is dictated by...     

Ecotoxicological Assessment of Phosphate Recyclates from Sewage Sludges

Sewage sludge contains valuable plant nutrients, especially phosphorus. But unfortunately, it also contains pollutants which are hazardous for the environment. Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge and its agricultural valorisation in recycling fertilisers based or containing recovered phosphate provides opportunities to minimise negative environmental effects caused by direct sludge application or conventional fertilisation. For validation, crystallised (struvite) and thermally treated phosphate recyclates (PRs) were chemically analysed, ecotoxicologically assessed and compared with a conventional phosphate fertiliser (triple superphosphate (TSP)). Three test species covering the environmental compartments water, sediment and soil were applied to evaluate the acute toxic effects of the phosphate fertiliser samples in laboratory tests (Lemna minor, Gammarus fossarum, Eisenia fetida). The assessment and comparison showed that TSP was more toxic than the PRs at the higher tested concentrations, probably due to a higher water solubility and not to chemical composition. Higher concentrations of the crystallised PRs caused mostly a slightly higher negative effect on tested parameters of the duckweed and the freshwater amphipod than the thermally treated PRs. Agronomical relevant application amounts of all PRs and TSP (worst-case scenario) might not have an acute toxic effect on the soil invertebrates. The PRs might have minor effects on the growth of L. minor, and TSP might negatively affect the survival of the freshwater amphipods. Recovered phosphate-containing materials (PRs), in particular struvite, proved to be of high quality and low hazard in a relative risk ranking; thus, it could be one of the future alternatives of phosphorus fertilisation in agriculture.     

Influence of partial replacement of NaCl with KCl and CaCl(2) on texture and color of dry fermented sausages.

A Spanish type of dry fermented sausage, Chorizo de Pamplona, was manufactured with a mixture of (2.29%) different salts (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl(2)) with an equivalent ionic strength to that of the control manufactured with 2.6% NaCl. The use of this salt mixture affected the texture profile analysis (TPA), giving rise to a significant reduction in hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness. Instrumental color values showed higher b (yellowness) and L (lightness) values. Sensory texture and color intensity yielded lower scores, but they were classified as acceptable. Principal component analysis was carried out with the instrumental measures. The two principal components explained 76.9% of the variance. Modified and control samples were separated by the first component, which explained 57.1% of the variance and was defined basically by texture parameters.     

Total and inorganic arsenic in fresh and processed fish products

Total arsenic and inorganic arsenic contents were determined in 153 samples of seafood products consumed in the Basque Country (Spain): fish (white fish and blue fish), mollusks, crustaceans, and preserved fish. White fish presented higher levels of total arsenic and lower levels of inorganic arsenic than the blue fish, indicating possible differences in the metabolization of inorganic arsenic. For total arsenic, 66% of the samples exceeded the maximum permitted level by the strictest international legislation in seafood products [1 microg g(-)(1), wet weight (ww)]. The levels of inorganic arsenic were considerably lower than the maximum authorized in New Zealand (2 microg g(-)(1), ww), the only country with legislation for inorganic arsenic in fish and fish products. It is recommended that legislation based on levels of inorganic arsenic should be established.     

Enzyme-mediated solvent extraction of carotenoids from marigold flower (Tagetes erecta)

Marigold flowers are the most important source of carotenoids for application in the food industry. However, the extraction gives almost 50% losses of the carotenoids depending on conditions for silaging, drying, and solvent extraction. In the past decades, macerating enzymes have been successfully applied to improve the extraction yield of valued compounds from natural products. In this work, an alternative extraction process for carotenoids is proposed, consisting of a simultaneous enzymatic treatment and solvent extraction. The proposed process employs milled fresh flowers directly as raw material, eliminating the inefficient silage and drying operations as well as the generation of hard to deal with aqueous effluents present in traditional processes. The process developed was tested at the 80 L scale, where under optimal conditions a carotenoid recovery yield of 97% was obtained.     

Methanotroph abundance not affected by applications of animal urine and a nitrification inhibitor,dicyandiamide, in six grazed grassland soils

Purpose  

Methanotrophs are an important group of methane (CH₄)-oxidizing bacteria in the soil, which act as a major sink for the greenhouse gas, CH₄. In grazed grassland, one of the ecologically most sensitive areas is the animal urine patch soil, which is a major source of both nitrate (NO₃ ⁻) leaching and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. Nitrification inhibitors, such as dicyandiamide (DCD), have been used to mitigate NO₃ ⁻ leaching and N₂O emissions in grazed pastures. However, it is not clear if the high nitrogen loading rate in the animal urine patch soil and the use of nitrification inhibitors would have an impact on the abundance of methanotrophs in grazed grassland soils. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of animal urine and DCD on methanotroph abundance in grazed grassland soils.     

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation of Peanut in Low-Fertile Tropical Soil. II. Alleviation of Drought Stress

The effect of drought stress and inoculation with an indigenous Mozambican and a commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculant on root colonization and plant growth and yield was studied in two peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars—a traditional, low-yielding Mozambican landrace (Local) and a modern, high-yielding cultivar (Falcon)—grown in a non-sterile Mozambican soil. In these cultivars, AM mycorrhizal colonization was not substantially reduced by drought stress. Growth and yield of inoculated plants subjected to drought stress were increased in comparison with non-inoculated ones. The indigenous Mozambique inoculant significantly increased leaf and root growth in both cultivars under drought stress by preventing an increase in root weight ratio (RWR) and maximum root-length to leaf-area ratio (MRLAR). The commercial Hannover inoculant had a positive effect on growth only under well-watered conditions, this result was due most likely to a lesser ability to adapt to drought conditions to which the AM fungal strains in Mozambique inoculant are frequently exposed. Such drought-stress effects on growth could be alleviated by inoculation with Mozambique inoculant, particularly because of its ability to decrease sensitivity of the host plant to reduction in leaf expansion. Therefore, an adequate management of the AM symbiosis may improve peanut productivity, particularly under drought stress and in small-scale farming systems.     

Zinc-Induced Changes in Growth Characters,Foliar Properties,and Zn-Accumulation Capacity of Pigeon Pea at Different Stages of Plant Growth

Application of zinc (Zn) [50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 μ g zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄)/g of soil] reduced the foliage and the total growth of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (Linn.) Huth]. The root-shoot length ratio, varying little with age, was relatively low in the treated plants. Decrease in dry weights of stem and root was more pronounced in the late stages of plant development. The root-shoot dry weight ratio, maximum in the flowering stage, was lower in treated plants than in the control. Number of pods per plant declined, showing a positive correlation with Zn concentration. Net photosynthetic rate, declining with plant age, was significantly low in the treated plants. Density and size of stomata and trichomes, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, quantity of green pigments, nitrate reductase activity, and the nitrate and protein contents in the leaves also declined significantly. Proportion of vascular tissues both in stems and roots increased with plant age with a concomitant reduction of pith and cortex. Under zinc stress, the relative proportion of tissues varied inconsistently. Dimensions of vessel elements and fibers in stems and roots, increasing with the plant age, were always smaller in the treated plants. The vulnerability factor and mesomorphic ratio of treated plants declined, suggesting induction of water stress due to zinc treatments. Accumulation of Zn^{2 +} in different plant parts was considerably high at each developmental stage of the treated plants, and showed a positive correlation with Zn in the soil.