Preharvest applications of growth regulators and their effect on postharvest quality of table grapes during cold storage

Over 54,600 ha of table grapes (Vitis vinifera), mainly cvs. ‘Thompson Seedless’, ‘Flame Seedless’ and ‘Redglobe’, are planted in Chile. Almost the entire production is exported to the USA, Europe, Asia, or one of several Latin American countries, which typically requires 15–40 d of maritime transportation. During this period, several physical, physiological, and pathological factors cause table grape deterioration. Because berry size is the main quality factor in international markets, farmers often overuse the growth regulators, gibberellic acid (GA₃) and forchlorfenuron (CPPU), in an effort to increase berry size. We examined the effect of preharvest growth regulators on seedless (‘Thompson Seedless’, and ‘Ruby Seedless’) and seeded (‘Redglobe’) table grape cultivars during cold (0 °C) storage plus a shelf life period of 3 d at 20 °C. The overuse of GA₃, eight instead of two GA₃ applications on Thompson Seedless, and the use of one GA₃ application on Redglobe and ‘Ruby Seedless’, increased berry pedicel thickness and lowered cuticle content but induced shatter and predisposed grapes to gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. In contrast, CPPU increased berry pedicel thickness and cuticle content but did not increase shatter or gray mold incidence. Clusters that were subjected to overuse of combined GA₃ and CPPU were highly sensitive to shatter, had the thickest pedicel, and developed a high gray mold incidence during cold storage. Hairline, a fine cracking developed during cold storage, was induced on ‘Thompson Seedless’ and ‘Ruby Seedless’ by growth regulators, but no hairline occurred on ‘Redglobe’ table grapes. Therefore, berry quality during cold storage is greatly influenced by growth regulator management in the vineyard.     

Differential leucocyte responses to various degrees of food restriction in broilers, turkeys and ducks.

1. White blood cell responses of broilers, turkeys and ducks were examined at regular intervals after being subjected to various degrees of food restriction. 2. Restricted-fed broilers showed increases in heterophil and basophil numbers, together with a corresponding decrease in lymphocytes. The heterophil/lymphocyte ratio was raised. There were no differences between broiler strains. 3. After only one week of feeding restricted diets, heterophils were significantly raised in selected and unselected 2-week-old ducks. At 21 weeks of age, those ducks receiving 50% of food required to achieve their ad libitum-fed body weight had raised heterophils. 4. Ducks receiving food to achieve 25% of ad libitum-fed birds produced a marked basophilia, but no heterophilia. 5. After two weeks of food restriction, turkeys responded with significant heterophil/lymphocyte ratios following two degrees of restricted feeding. 6. It was concluded that in some poultry, a heterophilia may be the response to mild to moderate stress but a basophilia may result after severely stressing birds.     

Estrogen and progesterone receptor status of mammary carcinomas and correlation with clinical outcome in dogs.

Estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR) were measured in cytosol fractions from 18 primary canine mammary carcinomas by use of biochemical assays. One or both receptors were detected (> 10 fmol/mg of cytosol protein) in 11 tumors: 5 ER and PR; 2 ER only; 4 PR only. Mean cytoplasmic receptor concentrations (fmol/mg of cytosol protein) were 22.8 +/- 2.9 (SEM) for ER and 51.0 +/- 10.3 for PR in tumors containing ER and PR, 28.8 +/- 12.1 for ER in tumors containing only ER and 13.2 +/- 1.5 for PR in tumors containing only PR. Estrogen or progesterone receptors or both were identified in 6 of 9 tubular adenocarcinomas, 4 of 5 papillary adenocarcinomas, and 1 of 1 squamous cell carcinoma. These receptors were not identified in solid carcinomas (n = 2) or a single spindle cell carcinoma. Although the number of cases was limited, survival times of dogs tended to be longest in those with tumors containing ER alone or in combination with PR, intermediate in those with tumors containing only PR, and shortest in those with tumors without ER or PR. A correlation was not apparent between receptor status and age, presence of ovaries, tumor size, or histologic classification of the tumor. In the analysis of this series, the extent of surgery (mastectomy of the involved gland vs unilateral or bilateral mastectomy) did not appear to influence the outcome of the disease, and metastasis to regional lymph nodes did not appear to be a reliable prognostic indicator.     

Infection of bovine fetuses at 120 days' gestation with virulent and avirulent strains of bluetongue virus serotype 11.

Bluetongue virus infection in sheep and cattle during fetal development causes neuropathology. Two strains of bluetongue virus serotype 11 designated as UC-2 and UC-8 have different virulence patterns in newborn mice. These viruses have distinctly different electropherotype patterns on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicating a genetic difference in these two viruses of the same serotype. Four bovine fetuses each were inoculated intramuscularly with either UC-2 or UC-8, and one fetus was inoculated with placebo. The inoculation was made intramuscularly through the uterine wall at 120 days' gestation, and the bovine fetuses were recovered by cesarean section 12 or 20 days after inoculation. Fetal blood was collected for virus isolation and serology. Virus was reisolated from brain, blood, lung and liver. Both strains, UC-2 and UC-8, cause severe lesions in the 120 day fetuses. The encephalomalacic lesions occurred earlier and were more severe in fetuses inoculated with UC-8 as compared to those inoculated with UC-2. The subtle differences observed in the fetuses inoculated with the two different strains suggest that there is a difference in pathogenic potential of the two viruses. These differences do not appear to be completely dependent upon the host species.     

Narbon Vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.): A Potential Feed Legume Crop for Dry Areas in West Asia

Provision of feed supplies for the rapidly growing livestock population is essential in West Asia. Shortages can be alleviated by growing forage crops in the existing fallow lands.
Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is a leguminous species with high yield potential, drought tolerance and cold resistance. It could be used for grain and straw production as source for animal feed in dry areas. It is good source of protein with seeds contain 28 % protein yielding 364 kg per hectare protein, whilst straw contains 9 % protein and yields a similar amounts of digestible protein per hectare.
Nine promising lines of Narbon vetch developed at ICARDA were tested at two sites over four years under rainfed conditions. Since climatic conditions were considered to be of considerable importance, each site in each year was treated as a separate environment to give eight environments with annual rainfall varied from 195 to 504 mm.
Narbon vetch possessed high seedling vigour with rapid winter growth and negligible cold damage. Grain yield varied form 0.47 to 1.90 t/ha, with a harvest index varying from 30 to 40 %. The data indicated that below 300 mm rainfall the grain yield varied from 0.47 t/ha when rain fall was 195 mm to 1.4 t/ha when rainfall was 245 mm. Most of the lines had wide adaptation to dry areas in terms of both grain yield and stability. Climate, except early spring rains had little effect on biological and grain yields.     

Induced Maturation and Spawning of the Chinese Catfish Clarias fuscus

Chinese catfish ( Clarias fuscus ) were successfully spawned in Hawaii using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) at dosage rates of two and four international units (IU) per gram body weight. Fish not injected with HCG did not produce viable eggs. Successful spawns with HCG occurred between May and October. Hatch rates of up to 80% were obtained during June, July, and August for those fish given either a 2 or 4 IU per gram body weight injection of HCG. Fish spawned in either May or October yielded significantly higher hatch rates when injected with 4 rather than 2 IU per gram body weight. Fish held at elevated temperatures (28 to 30 C) prior to the normal spawning season developed significantly larger oocyte diameters, 60 days earlier than fish held under ambient temperature conditions (21.5 to 24 C). Photoperiod manipulation at ambient temperature conditions was associated with earlier oocyte maturation, but photoperiod effects were much less important than temperature.