Morphological characterization of the IVIA persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) germplasm collection by multivariate analysis

Diospyros kaki Thunb. originated in Eastern Asia, as evidenced of its culture in China as early as several centuries B.C. In the seventh century, persimmon was introduced to Japan and later, in the fourteenth century to Korea. There is no information about persimmon culture in Europe until the seventeenth century, with the spread over the world occurring in the eighteenth century. The genus Diospyros contains more than 400 species, with levels of ploidy ranging from diploid (2n = 2x = 30) up to nonaploid (2n = 9x = 135). The primary economic crop species is Diospyros kaki Thunb., which is mainly hexaploid (2n = 6x = 90) and includes hundreds of cultivars. Although a relatively recent introduction in Europe, the species has adapted well, and the genetic diversity have been expanded with culture and selection for the past 200 years in the Mediterranean basin. These locally adapted cultivars were evaluated with cultivars from Asian origin in a germplasm collection established at IVIA in Valencia, Spain. In this paper 27 cultivars from the IVIA collection were studied by multivariate analysis, and 37 variables were analyzed using a Principal Components Analysis and cluster analysis following the method UPGMA. Studies on correlations and significance among variables identified the most relevant ones, and thus provided information for a future core collection.     

Application to soil of disinfectants through irrigation reduces Verticillium dahliae in the soil and verticillium wilt of olive

The application of disinfectants through drip irrigation could be a feasible practice against verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) of olive. OX-VIRIN (activated peroxide) and OX-AGUA AL25 (quaternary ammonium compounds) are two disinfectants that have shown efficacy against V. dahliae in irrigation water and potential for reducing the disease in young olive plants. In this work, various post-planting application strategies incorporating OX-VIRIN (once a month, or twice a month on alternate or successive weeks) or OX-AGUA AL25 (once a month, or twice a month on alternate weeks) were assessed for their effect on V. dahliae in soil, disease in olive trees, and olive yield, in a 2-year pot-experiment under natural environmental conditions. The disinfectants were injected via metering pumps into a drip irrigation system that irrigated olive trees planted in V. dahliae-inoculated soil. All the application strategies significantly reduced the total inoculum density in soil compared to controls with no disinfectants and noninoculated soil. The microsclerotia density was also significantly reduced in disinfested soils by 73.6–86.8%, depending on the strategy. The symptoms and infection incidence were always lower in treatments subjected to disinfestation. The treatment with OX-AGUA AL25 applied twice a month on alternate weeks most reduced the symptoms (by 53.0%) and colonization index (by 70.8%) with respect to untreated water control. This soil disinfestation also significantly strengthened the symptom remission. Tree growth and production were negatively affected by soil inoculation (reduced by 45.6% and 88.7%, respectively), but not so by disinfectants, which even relieved the reduction in inoculated soils, especially when OX-AGUA AL25 was applied.     

Contamination of soil with Toxocara eggs in urban (Prague) and rural areas in the Czech Republic

Contamination of soil with feline and canine ascarid eggs in public parks, backyards and sand pits in Prague, Czech Republic was investigated in this work. Soil samples from shelters and rural areas were also collected. The comparison of soil from different areas (urban, rural, backyards and shelters) exhibited significant difference (chi(2)=32.16, d.f.=3 and p<0.0001). The highest rate of contamination (45%) was found in backyards inhabited by feral cats. The eggs of Toxocara spp. were found in 20.4% of parks, 10% of shelters and 5% of rural samples. Mean egg density per sample from Prague parks was 6.2 eggs/100g of soil. In 126 composite samples from children's and pits, the prevalence of Toxocara eggs was 11.90%. The number of eggs in positive samples varied from 2 to 22 (per 100g). A high proportion (46.9%) of eggs was fully embryonated. There was no difference between the sand pits with or without formal exclusion of dogs (chi(2)=0.6, d.f.=1 and p<0.0001).     

Direct penetration of Rhizopus stolonifer into stone fruits causing rhizopus rot

Rhizopus rot, caused by Rhizopus stolonifer, is a major postharvest disease of stone fruits. The disease is related to the occurrence of mechanical and physical damage; however, observations at a Brazilian wholesale market suggest that direct penetration can occur. Therefore, the penetration mechanisms of R. stolonifer in stone fruits were evaluated. To identify the production of enzymes that help with direct penetration by the pathogen, esterase activity, both in mycelial discs and in spore suspensions of the fungus in water and in modified Van Etten nutrient solution, was measured. Assays were also conducted to evaluate the growth of R. stolonifer on glucose or cutin as a sole carbon source. The pathogen grew on both media, and higher esterase activity was observed in the cutin medium. Wounded and unwounded peaches and nectarines were inoculated with R. stolonifer spore suspensions in water or in modified Van Etten nutrient solution. Wounded fruit inoculated with either of the R. stolonifer spore suspensions developed rhizopus rot, whereas unwounded fruit developed the rot only in the presence of spores in the modified Van Etten nutrient solution. Scanning electron and light microscopic examination showed the fungus can directly penetrate the nectarine cuticle. Diisopropyl fluorophosphate, a serine hydrolase inhibitor, prevented rot development in peaches. The results provide valuable evidence for the ability of R. stolonifer to directly penetrate unwounded stone fruits, probably due to the production of esterase enzymes.     

Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Traditional Vegetables from Southern Chile as Potential Sources of Natural Ingredients

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - There is an increasing interest in consuming healthy foods motivated by the need of boosting the immune system naturally. In this sense, vegetables rich in...     

Effects of various densities of Ophiostoma ips inoculations on Pinus sylvestris in north‐western Spain

The aim was to determine the inoculation density above which Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is overcome by the blue‐stain fungus Ophiostoma ips that is associated with the bark beetle Ips sexdentatus. In north‐western Spain, stems of 16 Scots pines were inoculated at various densities (0, 400, 800 or 1600 inoculi/m²) along circumferential 100 or 150 cm wide inoculation belts. Each inoculum consisted of a 5 mm diameter cylinder of malt extract agar colonized by the fungus. Three months later, all trees were harvested and trunk resinosis and foliage colour were visually assessed. The percentage of healthy, desiccated, resin soaked, and blue‐stained sapwood, as well as growth productivity indices, were calculated from stem disks cut from within the inoculated zone of each tree. Sapwood‐specific hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of each tree was measured in the middle of the inoculated zone. All parameters of tree vigour changed dramatically to the worse when inoculation densities were above 400 inoculi/m², and foliage changed from green to yellow‐green or yellow when an inoculation density of 800 instead of 400 was used. The percentage loss of sapwood‐specific conductivity (PLC) increased from 30 to 90% and the percentage of healthy, conductive sapwood dropped from 85 to 35% at 800 inoculi/m². No effect of the width of the inoculation belt was observed, and there was no relationship between tree productivity indices and the level of resistance. A non‐linear negative relationship was found between PLC and the percentage of healthy sapwood. It is concluded that tree resistance was overcome and that trees were going to die when the inoculation density was ≥800 inoculi/m².     

Ecological impacts of small hydropower plants on headwater stream fish: from individual to community effects

Hydroelectricity is increasingly used worldwide as a source of renewable energy, and many mountain ranges have dozens or hundreds of hydropower plants, with many more being under construction or planned. Although the ecological impacts of large dams are relatively well known, the effects of small hydropower plants and their weirs have been much less investigated. We studied the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants on fish assemblages in the upper Ter river basin (Catalonia, NE Spain), which has headwater reaches with good water quality and no large dams but many of such plants. We studied fish populations and habitat features on control and impacted reaches for water diversion of 16 hydropower plants. In the impacted reaches, there was a significantly lower presence of refuges for fish, poorer habitat quality, more pools and less riffles and macrophytes, and shallower water levels. We also observed higher fish abundance, larger mean fish size and better fish condition in the control than in impacted reaches, although the results were species‐specific. Accordingly, species composition was also affected, with lower relative abundance of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Pyrenean minnow (Phoxinus bigerri) in the impacted reaches and higher presence of stone loach (Barbatula quignardi) and Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis). Our study highlights the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants from the individual to the population and community levels but probably underestimates them, urging for further assessment and mitigation of these ecological impacts.     

Aflatoxin B<Subscript>1</Subscript> (AFB<Subscript>1</Subscript>) reduces growth performance,physiological response,and disease resistance in Tra catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pangasius hypophthalmus</Emphasis>)

Triplicate groups of one hundred Tra catfish (8 g?±?0.2) were fed seven test diets containing increasing levels of AFB₁ (0, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 μg AFB₁ kg^?1). Additionally Mycofix® Secure was added at 1.5% to one diet containing 500 μg AFB₁ kg^?1. Results showed that Tra catfish are sensitive to AFB₁. Reduction in weight gain (P?<?0.05) was observed for fish fed 50 μg AFB₁ kg^?1 and declined further with increasing levels of AFB₁ in the diets. Fish fed diets contaminated with 500 and 1000 μg AFB₁ kg^?1 showed increased (P?>?0.05) hepatosomatic index (HIS), while an increase in adipose somatic index (ASI) was observed in fish fed 50 μg AFB₁ kg^?1 and above when compared to the control and Mycofix® diets. After 12 weeks, blood serum analysis revealed higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in fish fed the 50, 100, and 250 μg AFB₁ kg^?1 suggesting occurrence of liver damage. Disease resistance of fish exposed to Edwardsiella ictaluri was also compromised by the presence of AFB₁ in the feed and was directly related to the contamination level. Seven days after Edwardsiella ictaluri exposure, survival rates were 50, 41.7, 31.7, and 8.3% for fish fed control, 50, 100, and 250 μg AFB₁ kg^?1, respectively. This trial shows that AFB₁ at a level of 50 μg AFB₁ kg^?1 and above can affect fish performance and disease resistance. Application of an effective mycotoxin management in the feed seems to be useful to prevent the negative effects of AFB₁.