Desert rose witches’ broom disease associated with ‘<Emphasis Type="Italic">Candidatus</Emphasis> Phytoplasma aurantifolia’

In March 2011, witches’ brooms comprising many small shoots were observed on desert rose plants, Adenium obesum, in PyinOoLwin, Myanmar. The causal agent of the symptomatic leaves was diagnosed as a phytoplasma by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Sequence analysis of the PCR product (1.8 kbp) showed the closest phylogenic relationships with members of the peanut witches’ broom phytoplasma group. Additionally, phylogenetic analyses revealed the phytoplasma is a member of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’. This is the first report of desert rose plant as a new host for ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’.     

自然生草对渭北旱塬苹果园土壤氮及果实品质的影响

为了减少土壤硝态氮的积累,防止苹果缺钙症状的发生,该研究以果园清耕为对照,探讨渭北旱塬果园自然生草(繁缕和牛繁缕群落,自然生草2、4、6和8a)对土壤有机质、全氮、硝态氮、铵态氮、水溶性钙含量和苹果果实中的氮、磷、钾、钙含量及果实缺钙症状和果实品质等的影响。结果表明果园自然生草可提高0～40cm土层土壤有机质、全氮和水溶性钙的含量,略微提高40～60cm土层土壤水溶性钙含量,且自然生草年限越长,土壤有机质、全氮和水溶性钙含量越高,但对40 cm土层以下的土壤有机质、全氮和60 cm土层以下的土壤水溶性钙含量无显著影响。自然生草2和4 a 0～60 cm土层土壤铵态氮略低于清耕,6和8 a的略高于清耕,自然生草对土壤铵态氮无显著影响。自然生草2、4、6和8 a 0～80 cm土层土壤硝态氮较清耕分别降低16.28%,31.31%,40.13%和47.41%,均极显著低于(P0.01)清耕;80～240 cm土层分别降低4.38%,12.41%,16.90%和19.39%,自然生草4、6和8 a的均极显著低于(P0.01)清耕;但自然生草对240 cm以下土层土壤硝态氮基本无影响。不同生长年限自然生草的生物量、全碳、全氮、全磷、全钾和全钙均基本相同。自然生草提高了果实中的钙含量,降低了果实中的氮钙比、磷钙比和钾钙比,降低了果实缺钙症状的发生率,提高了果实着色面积、果实硬度和果实可溶性固形物含量。渭北旱塬果园自然生草,可有效提高果园土壤有机质,减少硝态氮积累,减少缺钙症状发生,提高果实品质。     

Soil soluble organic nitrogen and active microbial characteristics under adjacent coniferous and broadleaf plantation forests

Purpose  

Soil soluble organic nitrogen (SON) is considered as a sensitive indicator of soil nitrogen (N) status and plays an important role in N cycling in forest ecosystems. Most work on forest soil SON to date has been conducted in temperate areas. The information about soil SON pools and dynamics in tropical and subtropical areas is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different forest types on soil SON availability and associated microbial properties.     

Molecular analysis of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ associated with phytoplasma diseases in Myanmar

During 2010 and 2011, typical phytoplasma disease symptoms such as little leaves, phyllody and witches’ brooms were observed on black gram, green gram, long bean, shaggy button weed and sesame plants from different regions of Myanmar. The symptomatic samples were analyzed by PCR using universal phytoplasma primers and characterized by sequencing 16S rRNA, ribosomal protein and translocase protein genes. Based on sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the three genes, the phytoplasmas associated with those plants belonged to members of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’. To our knowledge, black gram and shaggy button are new hosts for ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’.     

Reclassification of aster yellows group phytoplasmas in Korea

Aster yellows group phytoplasmas were reclassified by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, their phylogeny and the presence of interoperon heterogeneity. Nine phytoplasmas were classified into subgroups 16SrI-B and 16SrI-D using the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Then, based on the presence of interoperon heterogeneity, subgroup 16SrI-B phytoplasmas were differentiated into three subunits as 16SrI-B(a): mulberry dwarf, sumac witches’ broom and porcelain vine witches’ broom; 16SrI-B(b): angustata ash witches’ broom and Japanese spurge yellows; and 16SrI-B(c): onion yellow dwarf, water dropwort witches’ broom and hare’s ear yellow dwarf phytoplasma.     

Occurrence of bacterial rot of onion caused by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in Korea

In 2008, bacterial rot on onion bulbs (Allium cepa L.) was observed in several low-temperature warehouses in Changnyeong-gun, Korea. The causal pathogen was isolated and identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on morphological and biochemical characterization and sequence analysis of its genome. The isolated bacteria caused the same rot symptom on inoculated onion bulbs as found in naturally infected onions during storage and was reisolated from these bulbs. This is the first report of bacterial rot of onion caused by B. amyloliquefaciens in Korea.     

The environmental and socio‐economic impacts of Eichhornia crassipes in the Victoria Falls/Mosi‐oa‐Tunya World Heritage Site,Livingstone, Zambia1

The exotic water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has invaded the Maramba River, a tributary of the Zambezi River in the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site in Zambia presenting several negative environmental and economic impacts. The major impacts identified by recent studies are on the generation of hydro electric power, tourism development, native biodiversity, fish catches and human health. Other recorded impacts are reduced quality and quantity of water for domestic use, restricted navigation of waterways and the threat posed to vital infrastructure. This has led to the initiation of efforts to manage this infestation and address the resultant impacts. Methods proposed for control of water hyacinth in the Victoria Falls/Musi‐oa‐Tunya Pilot Site are an integration of mechanical and biological control measures. This paper discusses the impacts of water hyacinth invasion on the Maramba River and isolated clusters on the backwaters of the Zambezi. Two field surveys undertaken over the last three years and recent interviews with resource persons representing interested and affected institutions and local communities impacted by water hyacinth provide the basis for the data in this paper and the current intervention activities. The field surveys and questionnaires targeted government institutions involved in the management of the area and persons from the private sector engaged in tourism activities. Local peoples found in and around the project area were also interviewed. A pioneering effort is made to quantify the impacts and detail the costs arising from these impacts. Recommendations for the future control and management of E. crassipes are also made.     

Ethanol-soluble components in soybean meal influence the digestive physiology,hepatic and intestinal morphologies,and growth performance of the marine fish pompano (Trachinotus blochii)

This study aimed to examine the effects of ethanol-soluble components (Es) in soybean meal (SBM) on gut content transit, bile acid (BA) and pancreatic digestive enzyme secretions, nutrient apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC), liver and intestinal morphologies, and growth performance of pompano (Trachinotus blochii). The SBM was extracted with aqueous ethanol, then the supernatant and residue were separated and dried to produce ethanol-extracted SBM (ESBM) and the Es. Four experimental diets were formulated with fish meal (FM), ESBM and SBM as main dietary protein sources. The diets were denoted as follows: FMD (FM diet), SBMD (SBM diet), ESBMD (ESBM diet) and ESBM + EsD (ESBM plus Es diet). Thirty-five fingerling pompano with an initial body weight (BW) of 18.3 g were allocated to each of 12 polyvinyl chloride tanks (1000-L holding capacity), resulting in triplicate tanks per dietary treatment. For 10 weeks, the fish were hand-fed the experimental diets to apparent satiation twice daily. The results showed that the final BW, weight gain and specific growth rate were significantly lower, while the feed conversion ratio was higher in the SBMD and ESBM + EsD groups than in the ESBMD and FMD groups (p < 0.05). Fish fed SBMD and ESBM + EsD showed accelerated gastric transit, slowed intestinal mobility, and lowered secretions of BAs and pancreatic digestive enzymes as compared to those fed ESBMD and FMD. Morphological abnormalities in mucosal folds of the posterior intestine, but not the liver, were clearly observed in the SBMD and ESBM + EsD groups. These results indicated that the Es in SBM inhibited the digestive system, leading to decreased nutrient digestibility and growth performance in pompano. The findings of the present study suggested that removal of the Es would effectively improve the nutritional quality of SBM and enhance growth performance of pompano fed a SBM-based diet.