Assessing the effects of site factors on the productivity of a feller buncher:a time and motion analysis

We evaluated,for the first time in Turkey,the productivity of a feller buncher during clear-cut operations of two Brutian pine stands located in Canakkale,northwestern Turkey with different diameter classes and terrain conditions.In the first stand with 24.6 cm average DBH,the feller buncher cut full trees and moved them to roadside.In the second stand with 34.3 cm average DBH,the feller buncher cut trees in two stages due to their larger diameters and the relatively steep and rough terrain conditions of the site.The effects of specific stand features,DBH and tree height measurements were assessed through statistical analysis in relation to productivity.The results indicate that the average productivity for the first stand was about 118 m^3h^-1,while it was about 80 m3h-1 in the second stand.Even though tree diameter and volume were higher in the second stand,productivity decreased by32.3%due to extra time spent on the two-stage cutting operation.The results revealed that harvesting operations should be planned carefully and the right equipment selected by accounting for different tree sizes,terrain conditions and machine specifications in order to better understand their effects on production.     

Voracious invader or benign feline? A review of the environmental biology of European catfish Silurus glanis in its native and introduced ranges*

A popular species for food and sport, the European catfish (Silurus glanis) is well‐studied in its native range, but little studied in its introduced range. Silurus glanis is the largest‐bodied freshwater fish of Europe and is historically known to take a wide range of food items including human remains. As a result of its piscivorous diet, S. glanis is assumed to be an invasive fish species presenting a risk to native species and ecosystems. To assess the potential risks of S. glanis introductions, published and ‘grey’ literature on the species’ environmental biology (but not aquaculture) was extensively reviewed. Silurus glanis appears well adapted to, and sufficiently robust for, translocation and introduction outside its native range. A nest‐guarding species, S. glanis is long‐lived, rather sedentary and produces relatively fewer eggs per body mass than many fish species. It appears to establish relatively easily, although more so in warmer (i.e. Mediterranean) than in northern countries (e.g. Belgium, UK). Telemetry data suggest that dispersal is linked to flooding/spates and human translation of the species. Potential impacts in its introduced European range include disease transmission, hybridization (in Greece with native endemic Aristotle’s catfish [Silurus aristotelis]), predation on native species and possibly the modification of food web structure in some regions. However, S. glanis has also been reported (France, Spain, Turkmenistan) to prey intensively on other non‐native species and in its native Germany to be a poor biomanipulation tool for top‐down predation of zooplanktivorous fishes. As such, S. glanis is unlikely to exert trophic pressure on native fishes except in circumstances where other human impacts are already in force. In summary, virtually all aspects of the environmental biology of introduced S. glanis require further study to determine the potential risks of its introduction to novel environments.     

Two-year surveillance of tilapia lake virus (TiLV) reveals its wide circulation in tilapia farms and hatcheries from multiple districts of Bangladesh

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) is an emerging pathogen in aquaculture, reportedly affecting farmed tilapia in 16 countries across multiple continents. Following an early warning in 2017 that TiLV might be widespread, we executed a surveillance programme on tilapia grow-out farms and hatcheries from 10 districts of Bangladesh in 2017 and 2019. Among farms experiencing unusual mortality, eight out of 11 farms tested positive for TiLV in 2017, and two out of seven tested positive in 2019. Investigation of asymptomatic broodstock collected from 16 tilapia hatcheries revealed that six hatcheries tested positive for TiLV. Representative samples subjected to histopathology confirmed pathognomonic lesions of syncytial hepatitis. We recovered three complete genomes of TiLV from infected fish, one from 2017 and two from 2019. Phylogenetic analyses based on both the concatenated coding sequences of 10 segments and only segment 1 consistently revealed that Bangladeshi TiLV isolates formed a unique cluster within Thai clade, suggesting a close genetic relation. In summary, this study revealed the circulation of TiLV in 10 farms and six hatcheries located in eight districts of Bangladesh. We recommend continuing TiLV-targeted surveillance efforts to identify contaminated sources to minimize the countrywide spread and severity of TiLV infection.     

Prevalence and molecular variability of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus capsid protein genes in Lithuania

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) is a most common pathogen of apples in the world. The occurrence, genetic diversity, recombination patterns and...     

Evaluation of extreme resistance genes of Potato virus X (Rx1 and Rx2) in different potato genotypes

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is considered as one of the most important staple foods in the world. Classical breeding for resistance to pests, pathogens...     

Bioremediation of the soil contaminated with petroleum oil products using sewage sludge

ABSTRACT

The remediation technologies of soils contaminated with petroleum products are developed in two main directions: the first one encompasses searching for new effective bioagents and the other one explores the ways to activate those microorganisms present in the soil that are capable of degrading oil. The objective of this research was to determine if it is possible to increase the effectiveness of biodegradation of petroleum products by using chemical additives. The soil was supplemented with additives: CuSO4, MnSO4, KMnO4, H2O2, 5% and 10% chemical industry plants sludge, 5% and 10% Stock Company ‘Klaipedos vanduo’ (SC‘KV’) municipal wastewater treatment plants sludge. The data suggest that all the additives statistically significantly stimulated the degradation of diesel fuel (F = 12.01; p = .001) and black oil (F = 9.93; p = .001) compared with the control. It was determined that diesel fuel was degraded the fastest in samples with KMnO4, where efficiency of degradation was 90%, and 88% efficency in samples with 10% chemical industry plants sludge. Black oil was degraded the best in samples, where KMnO4 was added: efficiency of degradation was up to 63%. In the samples with 10% of sewage sludge from chemical industry plant degradation efficiency was 62%.     

The impact of storm water runoff on a small urban stream

Background, aim, and scope  In urban areas, storm water runoff often transports various pollutants, some of which settle and form sediments. In order to have the comprehensive view of the ecological state of storm water runoff recipients, both water and sediments of the stream must be assessed. In the Baltic Sea Area, the Water Framework Directive & HELCOM Recommendations aim to prevent or minimise pollution caused by harmful substances arising from storm water runoff, in order to promote the ecological restoration of the Baltic Sea—one of the most vulnerable seas. The aim of the study was to investigate the toxicity of bottom sediments of a small storm water runoff recipient focusing on the potential impact of successive discharges of urban storm water. Some storm water runoff quality parameters and the toxicity of bottom sediments of recipients was studied in this research. Materials and methods  During 9 years, at four discharge points, minimum four grab samples per year at each discharge point were taken for chemical characterisation. General parameters (pH, SS, BOD₇, COD_Cr and TPH) in liquid phase samples were analysed according to standard methods. Annual limit values were taken from the Lithuanian EPA requirements for the management of storm water runoff with a focus on prevention and control of contamination. Eleven composite samples of stream bottom sediments, each consisting of ten sub-samples, were collected in 2006. Toxicity screening from sediments was performed using the plant Lepidium sativum according to modified I. Magone’s methodology (Magone I, Bioindication of phytotoxicity of transport emission. In: Kachalova O-L, Zinatne (eds) Bioindication of toxicity of transport emissions in the impact of highway emissions on natural environment. Riga, pp 108–116, 1989). The level of toxic impact of Lepidium sativum (compared to control) was assessed according to the modified method of Wang (Rev Environ Contam Toxicol 126:88–127, 1992). Results  The mean pH of urban storm water runoff does not vary much from neutral, but range values are quite different, from 4.0 up to 8.7. The highest concentration of SS reached 800 mg L⁻¹, TPH—2.4 mg L⁻¹, BOD₇—300 mg O₂ L⁻¹ and COD_Cr—1,400 mg L⁻¹. The SS was above the limit in 64% of total amount of grab samples, TPH—37%, BOD₇—41% and COD_Cr—55%. The toxicity analysis of the bottom sediments showed varying toxicity of bottom sediments along the stream. From nine analysed samples of bottom sediments, 30% had weak toxicity, 30% medium and 30% strong toxicity on the test organism plant L. sativum. There was one single sample with no toxic effects, so that the results showed that urban storm water has an unacceptable environmental impact on recipients. It was also indicated that storm water runoff discharge alone is not the potential source of toxicity of bottom sediments. The litter demonstrated a weak toxicity of bottom sediments as well. Discussion  Most local authorities do not consider storm water runoff discharges to be a matter of great concern because they believe that surface runoff arising from rainfall is still relatively clean. The study showed that the current method of monitoring storm water runoff quality by chemical analyses is not the best tool for environmental impact assessment and must be combined with toxicity tests of bottom sediments of recipients. Recommendations and perspectives  To avoid the environmental impact of storm water runoff more attention should be paid to the development and implementation of storm water runoff pollution prevention measures. The study implies that future research concerning the relationships between storm water runoff deposit characteristics and biological activities must be developed to evaluate the contamination potential of stream sediment deposits for local aquatic ecosystems. Further studies should be developed to characterise the activities of the microbial community of storm water runoff sediments, and to monitor bioremediation in situ.     

A pith necrosis caused by Xanthomonas perforans on tomato plants

Pith necrosis is a common disease of tomato in Europe, mainly caused by Pseudomonas corrugata and other soil-borne species of Pseudomonas. During 2011–2012 a survey was conducted in soil-grown tomato crops in southeastern Sicily (Italy). Plants showed pith necrosis, brown discolouration of the vascular tissues, leaf chlorosis and sometimes wilting of leaves. Thirty bacterial isolates from symptomatic tissues, forming colonies on NA and KB, were identified by morphological, biochemical and physiological tests. Among them, seven isolates were analyzed for their 16S rDNA and 16S–23S spacer region sequence that resulted in 99 % identity to that of the Xanthomonas perforans type strain (GenBank accession number GQ46173over 2.085 bp.). Additional sequences of fusA, gapA, gltA, gyrB, lacF, and lepA from one selected isolate were 100% identical to sequences of the Xanthomonas perforans type strain. X. perforans local isolates showed similar genomic patterns with REP-PCR and fAFLP, and were clearly distinguished from other Xanthomonas spp. type strains. In stem-inoculation assays, bacteria isolated from symptomatic tomato plants identified as P. fluorescens, P. putida, P. marginalis, P. citronellolis, P. straminea, and Pantoea agglomerans induced discolouration of vascular tissues, while Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. atrosepticum isolates induced soft rot. Conversely, the isolates here identified as Xanthomonas perforans were able to induce pith necrosis, vascular discolouration, longitudinal splits and external lesions on stems. This report of X. perforans causing pith necrosis on tomato represents a potentially serious problem that may limit the productivity of tomato crops.     

Evaluation of the Biochemical Components and Chromatic Properties of the Juice of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vaccinium macrocarpon</Emphasis> Aiton and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vaccinium oxycoccos</Emphasis> L.

Benzoic acid, total anthocyanins, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and colour properties in juice of the American cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon and the European cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos were investigated. Berry juices of V. macrocarpon cultivars were distinguished by their higher total anthocyanin and benzoic acid amounts. These cultivars accumulated on average 43.11 mg/l of benzoic acid and 92.45 mg/l of total anthocyanins. The levels of benzoic acid and total anthocyanins in V. oxycoccos cultivars were 17.52 mg/l and 42.54 mg/l, respectively. The V. macrocarpon cultivars ‘Franklin’, ‘Le Munyon’, ‘Searles’, and ‘Early Richard’ were selected as the best according to the enhanced total anthocyanins and benzoic acid amounts. The separation of anthocyanins by HPLC-UV-VIS revealed the presence of six anthocyanins, with peonidin-3-galactoside being the most prevalent. Galactoside together with glucoside conjugates comprised the largest percentage of total anthocyanins in the juices of V. macrocarpon and V. oxycoccos cultivars.