In vivo growth and tolerance to lime-induced iron chlorosis of leaf-derived cvs. Tomuri and Hayward kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) somaclones

Summary

The present paper reports on somaclonal variation of leaf-derived ‘Tomuri’ and ‘Hayward’ somaclones regenerated at variable pH, and the effect of the in vitro selection pressure on their tolerance to lime-induced iron chlorosis as adult plants in pots and in the field. In most plants grown in pots, the above ground component length (AGL) and the node number (NN), and also root weight of ‘Hayward’, tended to increase with the regeneration pH (RpH). The higher vigour of ‘Hayward’ somaclones regenerated at high pH seemed to be confirmed in the field. In contrast, the pH selection pressure during regeneration had no clear effect on plant tolerance to lime. For ‘Hayward’, the group of somaclones obtained at pH 5.7 showed at high lime levels higher average AGL and NN than those of plants regenerated at pH 7; while clone 7.5-1, the only surviving somaclone among those obtained at the highest pH, was apparently the most tolerant to lime. The percentage of ‘Tomuri’ somaclones obtained at pH 7.5 that seemed less sensitive to lime was slightly higher than those of somaclones regenerated at pH 5.7 and 7. ‘Tomuri’ and ‘Hayward’ controls were both very sensitive to lime. Some somaclones which had been able to grow at high pH in vitro were also fairly tolerant to lime when cultured in pots and/or in the field, especially ‘Tomuri’ 5.7-5, -6; 7-6, -8, -14 and 7.5-6, and ‘Hayward’ 5.7-5; 7-2, -3, -5 and 7.5-1. The in vitro regeneration and selection methods here described therefore seem useful for creating and selecting new variability in kiwifruit and promising for obtaining plants tolerant to high pH and lime levels in the soil.     

Effect of Processing and Cooking Conditions on Onion ( Allium cepa L.) Induced Antiplatelet Activity and Thiosulfinate Content

Allium vegetables serve as sources of antiplatelet agents that may contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, onion and garlic, the major Allium species, are usually cooked before consumption. Here, we examined the effect of cooking on onion in vitro antiplatelet activity (IVAA). Two different cooking systems (convection oven and microwaves) and several time-temperature variables were tested on whole bulbs, quarters of bulbs, and completely crushed bulbs, monitoring the degradation of sulfur antiplatelet compounds (e.g., thiosulfinates) by analysis of pyruvate levels. Although heating was, in general, detrimental for onion IVAA, the extent of this effect varied greatly, from unaffected antiplatelet activity (AA) (i.e., similar to raw onion) to a complete lost of activity, depending upon the manner in which onions were prepared prior to heating, the cooking method, and the intensity of the heat treatment. "Whole", "quarters", and "crushed" onions lost their IVAA after 30, 20, and 10 min of oven heating, respectively. The longer retainment of AA in intact bulbs was attributed to a later alliinase inactivation. Proaggregatory effects observed in samples subjected to the most intense oven and microwave heat treatments suggest that extensively cooked onions may stimulate rather than inhibit platelet aggregation. The efficacy of Allium species as antiplatelet agents, as affected by preparation and cooking conditions, is discussed.     

Fast field cycling NMR relaxometry characterization of biochars obtained from an industrial thermochemical process

Purpose

Biochar has unique properties which make it a powerful tool to increase soil fertility and to contribute to the decrease of the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide through the mechanisms of C sequestration in soils. Chemical and physical biochar characteristics depend upon the technique used for its production and the biomass nature. For this reason, biochar characterization is very important in order to address its use either for agricultural or environmental purposes.

Materials and methods

Three different biochars obtained from an industrial gasification process were selected in order to establish their chemical and physical peculiarities for a possible use in agronomical practices. They were obtained by charring residues from the wine-making industry (marc) and from poplar and conifer forests. Routine analyses such as pH measurements, elemental composition, and ash and metal contents were performed together with the evaluation of the cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) ¹³C NMR spectra of all the biochar samples. Finally, relaxometry properties of water-saturated biochars were retrieved in order to obtain information on pore size distribution.

Results and discussion

All the biochars revealed basic pH values due to their large content of alkaline metals. The quality of CPMAS ¹³C NMR spectra, which showed the typical signal pattern for charred systems, was not affected by the presence of paramagnetic centers. Although paramagnetism was negligible for the acquisition of solid state spectra, it was effective in some of the relaxometry experiments. For this reason, no useful information could be retrieved about water dynamics in marc char. Conversely, both relaxograms and nuclear magnetic resonance dispersion profiles of poplar and conifer chars indicated that poplar char is richer in small-sized pores, while larger pores appear to be characteristic for the conifer char.

Conclusions

This study showed the potential of relaxometry in revealing chemical?Cphysical information on industrially produced biochar. This knowledge is of paramount importance to properly direct biochar agronomical uses.     

Effects of afforestation with four unmixed plant species on the soil–water interactions in a semiarid Mediterranean region (Sicily, Italy)

Purpose

An assessment of the effect of plant cover on the properties of four afforested soils in central Sicily was performed with the aim of discriminating among them after 60?years of afforestation.

Materials and methods

Chemical and biochemical soil analyses were coupled to fast field cycling (FFC) NMR relaxation investigations in order to monitor surface interactions of water in water-saturated soils.

Results and discussion

The traditional soil analyses revealed that the most stable soil properties such as soil texture and pH are not affected by 60?years of afforestation. Soils developed under eucalyptus trees showed larger amounts of hydrophilic organic matter as compared to the soils under pines and cypresses. FFC-NMR relaxometry data revealed that water, partitioned in clay-, loam-, and sand-type pores, showed longitudinal relaxation time values affected by the interactions with the soluble carbon content.

Conclusions

The results of the present study evidenced the potential of FFC-NMR relaxometry in differentiating the effect of diverse plant cover on chemical and hydrological properties of soils developed on the same parent material. In fact, in contrast with the traditional physicochemical and biochemical soil characterizations, which were unable to reveal differences among soils afforested with different plant species, FFC-NMR was capable of monitoring differences in water dynamics as affected by the presence of the most soluble soil organic material.     

Bioeconomic effect from the size selection in red abalone intensive culture Haliotis rufescens as a production strategy

The variability in growth is a common characteristic in mollusks breeding. Effects rising from the variability in the individual growth rate and the consequent dispersion of sizes in cultivation are important in financial terms. To manage this heterogeneity many firms use size selection, which can happen in two stages: toward the end of the stage of growing, or in the phase of growing of seeds. A bioeconomic model simulating the operation of a firm producing red abalone was implemented in spreadsheets. The firm produces 70 tons yearly. The model was structured in three sub-models. A biological sub-model detailed a batch’s dynamics, in terms of survival and growth, considering individual variation of size around a central value for each age. A technological sub-model described raw materials, the quantity of food and the energy required. Finally, the simulation model is completed with an economic integrated sub-model, where net present value is calculated considering income and costs over the time. Results of the alternative production strategies (with or without selection) are assessed according to: quantity of larvae and necessary spawners to reach the desired level of production; net present value (NPV) and necessary time to recover the investment. The number of larvae was approximately 17 millions larger for the case of the strategy of production with sizes selection and 73% more of available spawners is required for this larger amount of larvae. In the short term, the size-selection strategy increases the production costs at the initial time, compared with the strategy without selection. However, in the long term, this strategy generates greater NPV. The span for investment recovery was shorter for the case of the strategy with size selection and living product (nearly 2,140 days) than frozen (nearly 2,232 days); while without sizes selection a 15-year simulation showed the investment is not recovered. Finally, could be verified that size selection can be an interesting strategy to explore, since it improves the financial result, the same way other more expensive technological changes would.     

Illegal trade of the guitarfish Rhinobatos horkelii on the coasts of central and southern Brazil: genetic identification to aid conservation

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