Diversity,spatial variation,and temporal dynamics of virulences in the German leaf rust (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia recondita</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">secalis</Emphasis>) population in winter rye

A large collection of German rye leaf rust isolates was analysed to characterize the diversity, spatial variation and temporal dynamics of virulences. Virulence-avirulence phenotypes (=pathotypes) were determined on 23 host differentials. We found 93 pathotypes among 177 single-uredinial isolates in 2000, 201 pathotypes among 437 isolates in 2001, and 125 pathotypes among 213 isolates in 2002. In total, the 827 analyzed isolates represented 317 pathotypes. Frequency of virulences on the individual differentials varied from 2% to 97%. Eight of the differentials showed a high resistance level with virulence frequencies <10%. Virulence complexity of the isolates ranged from 3 to 21 with a mean of nine. The percentages of highly virulent isolates (>14 virulences) increased from 4 to 15% during the sampling period. A high level of virulence diversity was observed within and between individual sampling sites with Simpson indices around 0.9. Evenness indices ranged from 0.88 to 0.92. Four of the five most frequent pathotypes were found in each year but their frequency never exceeded 10%. Isolates with unusual virulence combinations could be clearly separated by principal component analysis. Location-specific pathotype frequencies were revealed in each year, but the frequency patterns varied across years. On four fields a considerable increase of highly virulent pathotypes occurred within 6 weeks during the epidemic. The high diversity of pathotypes as well as the fast accumulation of highly virulent pathotypes favour the adaptation of the pathogen to race-specific host resistances. More durable resistance might be achievable by combining new effective race-specific resistances with adult-plant and/or race-non-specific quantitative resistances.     

Dinitrogen Fixation by Winter Chickpea Across Scales in Waterlogged Soil in a Mediterranean Climate

Studies on N₂ fixation by grain legumes during periods of winter waterlogging prone Mediterranean regions have rarely been performed across scales. Here, we quantified the spatial variability of N₂ fixation by rain‐fed chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at the field‐ and micro‐scales (0.15 m spacing) after waterlogging during the vegetative growth phase in the winter. We also determined effects of tillage (standard and minimum) and crop and soil variables on N₂ fixation in water stressed conditions. After waterlogging, yield was greatly reduced but there were no visible signs of water stress or tillage effects on N₂ fixation. At the field scale, percent N derived from N₂ fixation (%Ndfa) ranged from 51 to 93 % and was related to the amount of soil‐derived N in the plant. Total grain N did not increase when N₂ fixation increased and the amount of N derived from the soil was replaced with fixed N. In contrast, %Ndfa at the micro‐scale, ranging between 0 to 72 %, was primarily related to yield and total plant N whereas available soil N or any of the other measured soil properties were not significant predictors of %Ndfa. Total N in the grain increased solely due to N₂ fixation as the contribution from soil N remained constant. Although %Ndfa had a nearly pure nugget variance across the scales, total N derived from N₂ fixation (gNdfa) showed a relatively high level of spatial correlation. The range of available soil N pools was likely different at the two scales, leading to differences in the responses of chickpea N₂ fixation to available soil N.     

Carbon isotope discrimination and indirect selection for transpiration efficiency at flowering in lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus), spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) durum wheat (T. turgidum L.), and canola (Brassica napus L.)

Summary Carbon isotope discrimination has been proposed to indirectly select for transpiration efficiency in several C₃ species. To determine the effectiveness of carbon isotope discrimination to indirectly select for transpiration efficiency at flowering we measured: (i) variability for carbon isotope discrimination, (ii) the magnitude of the genotype-by-water regime interaction for carbon isotope discrimination, and (iii) the magnitude of the correlation between carbon isotope discrimination and both transpiration efficiency and dry matter at flowering. Ten lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) genotypes, ten wheat genotypes (eight spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.)), and ten canola (Brassica napus L.) genotypes were grown in a greenhouse at 80, 50 and 30% field capacity. Above ground dry matter was harvested at 80% flowering and dry matter at flowering, water used, and carbon isotope discrimination determined. Genotype variation for carbon isotope discrimination was observed in lentil, spring wheat and canola at each water regime, and when averaged over the three water regimes. The largest range in carbon isotope discrimination among lentil and spring wheat genotypes was observed using the wet regime; whereas, the dry regime provided the largest range for CID in canola genotypes. In all species the genotype-by-water regime interaction for carbon isotope discrimination was nonsignificant. The correlation between carbon isotope discrimination and dry matter at flowering was inconsistent across water regimes and years. In addition, in all three crops, no correlation was observed between carbon isotope discrimination and transpiration efficiency at any of the water regimes, and when averaged over water regimes and years. These results suggests that under the conditions reported here, carbon isotope discrimination cannot be used effectively to indirectly select for transpiration efficiency in lentil, spring wheat, and canola.Abbreviations CID carbon isotope discrimination - DMF dry matter at flowering     

Landscape-scale estimates of dinitrogen fixation by Pisum sativum by nitrogen-15 natural abundance and enriched isotope dilution

Topography and slope position influence the soil and environmental factors that affect N₂ fixation by legumes. The present study was conducted to (1) estimate N₂ fixation by field peas in a gently rolling farm field using the natural ¹⁵N abundance and the ¹⁵N-enriched isotope dilution techniques and (2) identify soil and environmental factors that influence N₂ fixation at the landscape scale. Whereas soil available water capacity, available NH _inf4 ^sup+ , total crop yield, and percent N derived from N₂ fixation (% Ndfa) estimated using enriched N were significantly affected by landform patterns, soil NO _inf3 ^sup- levels, seed yield, and the % Ndfa estimated using natural abundance did not follow landform patterns. The % Ndfa using natural abundance was correlated with NH _inf4 ^sup+ but not with available soil water, pH, electrical conductivity, NO _inf3 ^sup- , or particle size. Estimates of the % Ndfa using enriched ¹⁵N ranged from 0 to 92.8%. The highest median value (68.6%) for % Ndfa using enriched N occurred on the divergent footslopes, with the lowest value (28.1%) on the convergent shoulders. Estimates of % Ndfa using natural abundance ranged from 13.2% to 96.9%. Smaller fluctuations during the growing season in the ¹⁵N of the available N pool may have resulted in less variability for % Ndfa using natural abundance compared to enriched ¹⁵N. Despite similar mean values for % Ndfa using natural abundance (44.5) and enriched ¹⁵N (49.6), no significant correlation between the two estimates was found. These results suggest that although topography may exert gross controls on N₂ fixation, large variations in N₂ fixation at the microsite level may preclude correlations between individual estimates and limit detection of landscape scale patterns of N₂ fixation.Contribution No. R754 of the Saskatchewan Center of Soil Research     

Model‐based evaluation of agri‐environmental measures in the Federal State of Brandenburg (Germany) concerning N pollution of groundwater and surface water

GIS‐based modeling of soil‐crop interactions and hydrological processes is a valuable instrument to assess land‐use effects on N pollution of water resources from the agricultural sector. A case study is presented using spatial information on soils, climatic zones, land use, and distribution of agri‐environmental measures within the federal State of Brandenburg (Germany) to assess the reduction effect of EU‐funded measures on N pollution of water resources. In a first step, the area was classified concerning the risk for groundwater and surface‐water pollution. For this, spatially distributed model calculations of the soil‐solution exchange frequency were intersected to a vulnerability map for groundwater derived from geological data and zones of different transit times from the root zone into surface waters. In a second step, model calculations of water and N dynamics in the soil‐crop system for different crop and management systems were performed to calculate nitrate leaching from the root zone and to estimate the effect of present agri‐environmental measures to reduce N pollution on groundwater and surface waters. The results indicated that 75% of the agri‐environmental measures were placed in areas with low impact on groundwater and surface waters. Therefore, the effectiveness of the agri‐environmental measures concerning water‐protection aims was moderate.     

Intact carbohydrate structures as part of the melanoidin skeleton

Model melanoidins from monomeric, oligomeric, and polymeric carbohydrates, and amino acids formed under aqueous as well as water-free reaction conditions, were submitted to acidic catalyzed hydrolysis. Their degradation products were detected qualitatively and quantitatively by HPTLC and HPLC-DAD. A considerable amount of monomer carbohydrates from hydrolysis of model melanoidins formed under water-free reaction conditions was detected. It can be seen clearly that the amount of carbohydrates released increased with increasing degree of polymerization of the carbohydrates used as starting material. In comparison, the hydrolysis of melanoidins formed in aqueous condition resulted in only a small glucose release. It seems that in the Maillard reaction under water-free conditions, a significant amount of di- and oligomer carbohydrates were incorporated into the melanoidin skeleton as complete oligomer with intact glycosidic bond, forming side chains at the melanoidin skeleton. Additional side chains could be formed by transglycosylation reactions. With increasing water content, hydrothermolytic as well as retro-aldol reactions of the starting carbonyl components became significant, and therefore the possibility of forming side chains decreased. The results are consistent with the postulated melanoidin structure being built up mainly from sugar degradation products, probably branched via amino compounds.     

Multi‐scale modelling of infection pressure from Phytophthora infestans*

Management of potato late blight could benefit from prediction of the risk posed to potato fields from external inoculum sources of Phytophthora infestans. Influx of inoculum depends on a complex interplay of population biological, atmospheric and spore survival processes, and is difficult to predict. This research aims at building tools for such prediction. BLIGHTSPACE is a spatio‐temporal model (parameterized for potato late blight) that has been developed and utilized to study the progress of epidemics in individual fields and networks of fields. A quasi‐Gaussian plume model was developed to provide long‐range transport of spores within BLIGHTSPACE. Numerical results compared favorably with experimental data. A further submodel for the survival of spores during long‐range transportation has been added. Integration of these three submodels will create an experimental arena for comparing control options for potato late blight.