The effect of ethylene and abscisic acid on symptom expression of bacterial ring rot in eggplant and potato

Studies were performed to determine the effect that plant hormones involved with plant senescence (i.e., ethylene and abscisic acid) and photoperiod have on disease development and symptom expression of bacterial ring rot (BRR) caused byCorynebacterium sepedonicum (Spieck & Kotth.) Skapt & Burkh. Potato plants were grown either under a long (14 hr.) or short (10 hr.) photoperiod, while eggplants were grown only under a short (10 hr.) photoperiod. Disease severity ratings of BRR were found to be significantly higher (P=0.05) on potato plants grown under a short photoperiod compared to a long photoperiod. Plant heights of BRR infected plants were found to be significantly greater under the long photoperiod. Endogenous levels of ethylene were found to be significantly (P=0.05) greater in inoculated potato plants grown under a long photoperiod than inoculated plants grown under a short photoperiod. Results suggest that the plant hormones ethylene and abscisic acid do not significantly affect the disease development and symptom expression of BRR.     

Conifer leader browsing by roe deer in English upland forests: Effects of deer density and understorey vegetation

At moderate to high densities ungulates can impact negatively on forest crops and these may be managed by lethal control. In production forestry an understanding of the relationship between ungulate density, habitat-related factors and the incidence of tree damage may promote more efficient ungulate damage management than by lethal control alone. In plantation forests in the north east of England, the incidence of conifer leader browsing by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) was positively associated with an index of deer density (at the site scale) and planted crop tree density (at the feeding patch scale) and was negatively associated with the relative abundance of palatable understorey vegetation (at the site scale). An interaction between the deer density index and palatable understorey browse abundance was positively associated with leader browsing. Coefficients from the optimal model were used to construct a browse probability surface across a matrix of values of deer dung density and palatable understorey vegetation abundance. This illustrated a very different relationship between dung density and conifer leader browsing probability across the various levels of palatable understorey vegetation abundance. From this we hypothesise that in areas of limited palatable understorey vegetation abundance, higher levels of culling may be required to achieve reductions in the incidence of conifer leader browsing than would be necessary in areas with moderate to high palatable understorey vegetation abundance. Improvements to understorey vegetation in concert with roe deer population control may enhance the efficiency of deer damage management in upland areas with nutrient-poor soils.     

Development of a One-Step Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Diagnosis of Phytophthora ramorum

ABSTRACT Phytophthora ramorum is a recently described pathogen causing bleeding cankers, dieback, and leaf blight on trees and shrubs in parts of Europe and North America, where the disease is commonly known as sudden oak death. This article describes the development of a single-round real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on TaqMan chemistry, designed within the internal transcribed spacer 1 region of the nuclear ribosomal (nr)RNA gene for detection of P. ramorum in plant material. Unlike previously described methods for the molecular detection of P. ramorum, this assay involves no post amplification steps or multiple rounds of PCR. The assay was found to have a limit of detection of 10 pg of P. ramorum DNA, and could detect P. ramorum in plant material containing 1% infected material by weight within 36 cycles of PCR. The assay also was used to test DNA from 28 other Phytophthora spp. to establish its specificity for P. ramorum. A quick and simple method was used to extract DNA directly from host plant material, and detection of P. ramorum was carried out in multiplex with an assay for a gene from the host plant in order to demonstrate whether amplifiable DNA had been extracted. Amplifiable DNA was extracted from 84.4% of samples, as demonstrated by amplification of host plant DNA. The real-time protocol was used to test 320 plant samples (from 19 different plant species) from which DNA extraction had been successful, and was shown to give results comparable with a traditional isolation technique for diagnosis of P. ramorum in plant material from common U.K. hosts.     

Seasonal patterns of cytokinins and microclimate and the mediation of gas exchange among canopy layers of mature Acer saccharum trees

Seasonal patterns of cytokinins (CKs) and microclimate were examined in the upper, middle and lower canopy layers of mature Acer saccharum Marsh. (sugar maple) trees to elucidate the potential role of CKs in the mediation of gas exchange. The upper canopy showed a distinctly dissimilar microclimate from the middle and lower canopy layers with higher photosynthetically active radiation and wind speed, but showed no corresponding differences in transpiration (E) or stomatal conductance (g(s)). Although E and g(s) tended to be higher in the upper canopy than in the middle and lower canopies, the differences were not significant, indicating regulation beyond the passive response to changes in microclimate. The upper canopy accumulated significantly higher concentrations of CKs, predominantly as ribosides, and all canopy layers showed distinct seasonal patterns in CK profiles. Multiple regression models showed significant relationships between both g(s) and E and foliar CK concentration, although these relationships varied among canopy layers. The relationships were strongest in the middle and lower canopy layers where there was less fluctuation in leaf water status and less variability in abiotic variables. The relationships between gas exchange parameters and leaf CK concentration began to decouple near the end of the growing season as foliar phytohormone concentrations changed with the approach of dormancy.     

A rapid onset, post-capture muscle necrosis in the Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus (L.) from the West coast of Scotland

A post-capture, abdominal muscle necrosis of rapid onset has been identified in Norway lobsters, Nephrops norvegicus (L.), captured off the West coast of Scotland. Economic losses, as a result of the mortality of these animals in transport, were encountered by Scottish wholesalers during the summer and autumn of 1999. Affected animals show a characteristic whitening of individual muscle fibres and fibre bundles of the abdomen within hours of capture, with a progression towards complete opacity of the abdominal musculature within a number of days. The pathology causes a loss of the normal function of the abdomen; thus, preventing the normal 'tail flip' swimming. Electron microscopy failed to reveal any obvious causative agent but showed that affected tissue displayed a progressive disruption of sarcomere organization, loss of Z-line material, condensation of myofibrils and infiltration of necrotic regions by granulocytes. SDS–PAGE of affected muscle tissue showed that there was a great reduction of most of the major contractile proteins. The condition most closely resembles idiopathic or spontaneous muscle necrosis, a pathology previously reported from both wild and cultured crustaceans. Damage to the integument in conjunction with exposure to various stressors during and immediately after capture is the most likely cause of the pathology. The rapid onset of the pathology has implications for the post-capture handling procedure for N. norvegicus and their subsequent vivier transport to market. It may also be partially responsible for the high mortality rate of undersized N. norvegicus returned to the sea after capture and aerial emersion.     

Angling for endangered fish: conservation problem or conservation action?

Recreational angling has been implicated in population declines of some marine and freshwater fish, but this activity is rarely considered as a threat or even halted when endangered species are targeted. Indeed, in some cases, anglers are drawn to fish for rare or endangered species. Conservation‐oriented behaviours such as catch‐and‐release are often practiced voluntarily due to the ethics of anglers, yet even in these cases, some fishing mortality occurs. Nonetheless, there are many indirect conservation benefits associated with recreational angling. Here, we present a series of case‐studies and consider whether catch‐and‐release angling for endangered fish is a conservation problem or a conservation action. If recreational angling activities contribute to population‐level consequences that are contrary to recovery strategies, then angling for endangered species would seem to be a poor option. However, as revealed by several case‐studies, there is much evidence that anglers are vocal and effective proponents of fish and habitat conservation, and for endangered species, they are often the only voice when other stakeholders are not engaged. Anglers may contribute directly to conservation actions via user fees (e.g. licences), philanthropic donations or by volunteering in research, education and restoration activities. However, it is important to quantify post‐release mortality as well as understand the full suite of factors influencing a given population or species to know the potential risks. A risk assessment approach outlined in the paper may be used by managers to determine when the benefits of angling for endangered species outweigh the risks.     

Bentonite-humic acid improves soil organic carbon,microbial biomass,enzyme activities and grain quality in a sandy soil cropped to maize (Zea mays L.) in a semi-arid region

A bentonite-humic acid(B-HA) mixture added to degraded soils may improve soil physical and hydraulic properties, due to effects such as improved soil structure and increased water and nutrient retention, but its effect on soil physicochemical and biological properties, and grain quality is largely unknown. The effect of B-HA, added at 30 Mg ha-1, was studied at 1,3, 5 and 7 years after its addition to a degraded sandy soil in a semi-arid region of China. The addition of B-HA significantly increa...     

Enhancement after feline immunodeficiency virus vaccination.

Cats were vaccinated with one of the three preparations: purified feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) incorporated into immune stimulating complexes (ISCOMs), recombinant FIV p24 ISCOMs, or a fixed, inactivated cell vaccine in quil A. Cats inoculated with the FIV ISCOMs or the recombinant p24 ISCOMs developed high titres of antibodies against the core protein p24 but had no detectable antibodies against the env protein gp120 or virus neutralising antibodies. In contrast, all of the cats inoculated with the fixed, inactivated cell vaccine developed anti-env antibodies and four of five had detectable levels of neutralising antibody. However, none of the vaccinated cats were protected from infection after intraperitoneal challenge with 20 infectious units of FIV. Indeed there appeared to be enhancement of infection after vaccination as the vaccinated cats become viraemic sooner than the unvaccinated controls, and 100% of the vaccinated cats became viraemic compared with 78% of the controls. The mechanism responsible for this enhancement remains unknown.