Insecticidal properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thymus persicus</Emphasis> essential oil against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tribolium castaneum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitophilus oryzae</Emphasis>

Red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) are considered to be the major insect pests in storage. Essential oils from aromatic plants are recognized as proper alternatives to fumigants. Thymus persicus (Ronniger ex Rech. f.) is one of these plants that have medicinal properties and is indigenous to Iran. The essential oil was obtained from aerial parts of the plant and analyzed by GC and GC–MS. Carvacrol (44.69%) and thymol (11.05%) were the major constituents of the oil extracted. In this experiment, fumigant toxicity of the essential oil was studied against T. castaneum, S. oryzae at 27 ± 1°C and 60 ± 5% RH in dark condition. The adult insects were exposed to the concentrations of 51.9, 111.1, 207.4 and 370.4 μl/l air to estimate median lethal time (LT₅₀) values. The fumigant toxicity was increased in response to increased essential oil concentrations. The LT₅₀ values at the lowest and the highest concentrations tested were ranged from 28.09 to 13.47 h for T. castaneum, and 3.86 to 2.30 h for S. oryzae. It was found that S. oryzae adults were much more susceptible to the oil than T. castaneum. After 24 h of exposure, the LC₅₀ values (95% fiducial limit) for T. castaneum and S. oryzae were estimated to be 236.9 (186.27–292.81) and 3.34 (2.62–4.28) μl/l air, respectively. These results suggest that T. persicus essential oil merits further study as potential fumigant for the management of these stored-product insects.     

Determinants of the biodiversity patterns of ammonia-oxidizing archaea community in two contrasting forest stands

Purpose

The variation in soil microbial community patterns is primarily influenced by ecological processes associated with spatial distance and environmental heterogeneities. However, the relative importance of these processes in determining the patterns of soil microbial biodiversity in different successional forests remains unclear.

Materials and methods

Based on the species data from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, we described the composition and beta diversity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) community, an important functional microbial group in regulating nitrogen cycle, in a middle-succeed stand (60 years of secondary succession) and an undisturbed native stand in a subtropical forest in southern China. The composition pattern was examined using a multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP), and the beta diversity was described using the Sørensen index. The relative influence of edaphic, vegetational, spatial, and topographical factors on AOA composition and beta diversity was assessed by variation partitioning and multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM), respectively.

Results and discussion

We did not find any stand-specific patterns in AOA community composition in the two stands; however, the influential variables were different between the two stands; 7.3 and 4.5 % of the total variation in AOA community composition could be explained by edaphic (i.e., available potassium and total phosphorus) and spatial variables, respectively, in the middle-succeed stand, while 3.7 and 2.8 % of the variation were explained by spatial variable and available phosphorus, respectively, in the native stand. Soil total phosphorus influenced the beta diversity of AOA community most in the middle-succeed stand, while genetic distance of tree species was found to be the most important factor in driving the beta diversity pattern in the native stand.

Conclusions

Soil nutrients influenced the beta diversity of AOA community in the middle-succeed stand more than that in the native stand, while vegetation is more important in the native stand. The substantial unexplained variations were possibly due to the effects of other unmeasured variables. Nevertheless, dispersal process is more important in controlling AOA community composition in the native stand, while processes associated with environmental heterogeneities are more important in the middle-succeed stand in this subtropical forest.

     

高压脉冲电场辅助提取鱼骨钙工艺优化

为了提高鱼骨钙的提取效果,利用高压脉冲电场从淡水鱼骨中辅助提取鱼骨钙制备高钙鱼骨水解液。单因素试验和二次通用旋转组合设计试验表明,脉冲数、电场强度、柠檬酸与苹果酸比对鱼骨钙的提取率影响显著;建立鱼骨钙提取率与各影响因子间关系的回归数学模型;确定了高压脉冲电场辅助提取鱼骨钙的最佳工艺参数为电场强度为25kV/cm、脉冲数为8个、柠檬酸与苹果酸的质量比为1:1g/g、酸料比为1:1g/g、水料比为12:1mL/g,此时处理4g鱼骨粉所得的鱼骨水解液中钙提取率达84.2%。与超声波辅助提取鱼骨钙对比试验表明,高压脉冲电场辅助提取鱼骨钙的得率较超声波辅助提取提高了17%,且其耗时短。该研究可为高压脉冲电场辅助提取鱼骨钙深入研究及其高钙鱼骨口服液的研制提供借鉴参考。     

蒜头果叶绿体基因组密码子偏好性分析

为了解蒜头果叶绿体基因组密码子的使用偏性,利用Codon W 1.4.2和CUSP软件对蒜头果叶绿体基因组中33个基因的密码子进行中性绘图,应用ENC−plot、PR2−plot绘图分析并确定了其最优密码子。结果表明：蒜头果叶绿体基因组密码子的第3位碱基GC含量为28.43%,远低于第1位（47.74%）和第2位（41.05%）,RSCU值大于1的密码子有30个,其中12个以A结尾,16个以U结尾,说明蒜头果叶绿体基因组的编码基因偏好以A和U结尾。GC₁₂和GC₃的相关系数为0.1646,相关性不显著,回归系数为0.0004;有效密码子数（ENC）范围为40.39～54.86,大于45的有25个,ENC比值主要分布在−0.05～0.05之外。蒜头果叶绿体基因组中的大部分基因分布在PR2平面图的下半部或右下半部,说明蒜头果叶绿体基因组密码子偏好性更多地受选择的影响,同时亦受其他因素的影响。蒜头果叶绿体基因组的最优密码子确定为UUU、UUA、GUA等18个。     

Evaluation of genetic and non-genetic factors on foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus vaccine-elicited immune response in Hardhenu (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bos taurus</Emphasis> x <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bos indicus</Emphasis>) cattle

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is the most contagious disease of mammals and a major threat to animal husbandry sector. In India, vaccination with the inactivated trivalent (O, A and Asia1) vaccine is one proven way for protecting the livestock from FMD. However, many outbreaks have been reported in different parts of the country. Therefore, present study was aimed at elucidating the effects of genetic and non-genetic factors on FMD viral vaccine-elicited immune response in Hardhenu cattle. The effect of season of vaccination was not consistent. The effect of status of animal was significant for all the pre and post AB titres except for pre AB titre of serotype O and post AB titre of Asia1.The estimates of heritability for response to vaccination were low to high ranging from 0.11 to 0.45. The highest heritability estimate was obtained for serotype O and the lowest for Asia1. The heritability estimates for pre and post AB titres ranged from 0.15 to 0.33. All the pre and post AB titres and responses to vaccination had genetic correlations ranged from high negative to high positive among them. Results of this study highlight the variation in vaccine response which needs to be further exploited on large-scale animal data for better immunization and protection against highly contagious viral vesicular disease of cloven-hoofed animals.     

Achieving food and nutritional security through agroforestry: a case of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Faidherbia albida</Emphasis> in sub-Saharan Africa

Faidherbia albida is an ideal agroforestry tree commonly intercropped with annual crops like millet and groundnuts in the dry and densely populated areas of Africa. With its peculiar reverse phenology, it makes growth demands at a different time from that of crops. In addition, it deposits great amount of organic fertilizer on food crops. Leaves entering soils are comparable to fertilization of almost 50 t·ha 1 ·year 1 of manure in dense stands of 50 large trees per ha. These nutrients help maximize agricultural production and reduce the need for a fallow period on poorer soils. Research has shown that millet grown under F. albida yielded 2.5 and 3.4 fold increases in grain and protein, respectively. Animals eat pods which contain mean amounts of crude protein of 20.63% and carbohydrate of 40.1% in seeds. Moreover, the continued existence of F. albida in agroforestry parklands as in Ethiopia and Mali signifies the success of traditional conservation measures. Modern scientists have also developed much interest in the role of agroforestry in maintaining long-term biological balance between agriculture and livestock production systems. To ensure food security, which still remains a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, and concurrently minimize environmental degradation, promotion of agroforestry that specifically involves indigenous trees is crucial. We discuss the prospective role of F. albida in alleviating poverty while simultaneously protecting the environment from factors associated with, for example, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The overall aim is to promote wide-scale adoption of F. albida as a valuable tree crop in farming systems, particularly in those areas where it remains unexploited.     

Drivers of adoption of eucalypt tree farming by smallholders in Thailand

Eucalypt (Eucalyptus spp.) tree farming is a source of income for many smallholders in developing and emerging countries and critical to the resource supply of many pulp and paper companies. These companies rely on smallholders adopting tree farming, sometimes by offering a contract. This paper reports a study from four regions of Thailand, where smallholder eucalypt tree farming is important, which investigated what characteristics of smallholders were associated with greater adoption of tree farming. A total of 461 eucalypt tree farmers and 171 non-tree farmers were randomly selected and surveyed in these regions, using a door-to-door household survey. A logit analysis corroborated hypotheses about the drivers of adoption. Qualitative analyses were used to inform interpretation of the quantitative results and shed light on the role of eucalypt tree farming in smallholders’ livelihood. Results demonstrate that those with suitable land available are more likely to adopt eucalypt tree farming than others. In addition, perception of land tenure security matters in the adoption of tree growing, but holding a formal land tenure document does not. Adoption of eucalypt tree farming in Thailand is not part of a land use intensification strategy. Instead, eucalypts are used as an alternative crop for low productivity land, on which eucalypts are the most profitable crop. Eucalypt tree farming also gives smallholders an opportunity to diversify their income. In addition, this alternative land use has the advantage of requiring low labour inputs between planting and harvest. This is particularly advantageous for many tree growers who have off-farm income or rely on hired labour for farming their land.     

单萜酚类化合物与苯醚甲环唑和噻呋酰胺混配对立枯丝核菌的抑菌活性研究

为探究单萜酚类化合物与杀菌剂混配对立枯丝核菌的抑制效果,筛选能够防治水稻、玉米纹枯病的药剂,本研究分别将百里香酚、香芹酚与苯醚甲环唑、噻呋酰胺混配,通过菌丝生长速率法测定了其对R. solani的抑菌活性,并以孙云沛法评价了单萜酚与杀菌剂混配的增效作用。试验结果表明:香芹酚、百里香酚与噻呋酰胺以1:5、1:4、2:3、3:2、4:1和5:1比例混配均表现出协同增效作用,其中香芹酚和噻呋酰胺4:1混配的抑菌效果最好,EC50值为0.928 mg/L,共毒系数(CTC)为1397.39;香芹酚与苯醚甲环唑以3:2、4:1和5:1比例混配以及百里香酚与苯醚甲环唑以2:3、4:1和5:1比例混配也表现出协同增效作用。百里香酚和香芹酚对苯醚甲环唑和噻呋酰胺增效作用明显,香芹酚与噻呋酰胺的4:1混剂对R. solani抑菌活性高,具备应用于水稻、玉米纹枯病的防治的潜力。天然单萜酚类化合物与杀菌剂以一定比例混配能够显著提高其抑菌活性,在杀菌剂研发、筛选中具备很高的研究价值。