Enhanced tomato resistance to bacterial canker by application of turtle oil

Pretreatment with oil of sea turtle Caretta caretta protected tomato plants against bacterial canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm). The turtle oil was ineffective in inhibiting Cmm in an agar diffusion test, suggesting a mechanism of induced resistance. Under controlled conditions in the greenhouse, turtle oil lowered the disease index and had reduced the growth of bacteria up to 50.4% by 7 days after inoculation. Applying turtle oil to the foliage of tomato plants increased per-oxidase and lipoxygenase activities. Gas chromatography analyses of turtle oil indicated the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. These fatty acids may lead to the higher activity of the enzymes and probably induced plant resistance against the pathogen.     

The Prevalence of Bovine Hypodermosis in Kars Province,Turkey

A total of 1276 cattle from 76 farms in 8 villages were examined by palpation of the skin for evidence of hypodermosis. The effects of age, sex, breed, and colour of cattle on hypodermosis were investigated. The overall prevalence was 31.9%. The mean number of warble fly larvae on infested animals was 8.46. Hypodermosis infestations were encountered in all the villages visited. Within a herd, the intensity of infestion decreased with the age of cattle. Infestation rates of warble fly larvae were lower in native cattle, in females, and in piebald animals.     

Detection of rabies viral antigens in non-autolysed and autolysed tissues by using an immunoperoxidase technique

The objectives of this study were to determine the potential of an immunoperoxidase technique involving the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) stain for the diagnosis of rabies in fresh tissues and compare it with other standard methods, including the fluorescent antibody test (FAT), haematoxylin and eosin and Seller's stain, and to investigate its capacity to detect rabies antigen in autolysed tissues. Samples of non-autolysed brain from 81 domestic and wild animals suspected of having rabies were examined. Rabies antigen was detected by FAT in 41 of these samples and Negri bodies were detected in 40 (97.6 per cent) of them by the immunoperoxidase technique, in 25 by haematoxylin and eosin and in 22 by Seller's stain. The sensitivity of the immunoperoxidase technique decreased as the tissues were left to autolyse; after two days it was 91.2 per cent, after four days 70.6 per cent, and after seven days 11.8 per cent.     

Soil sodicity is more detrimental than salinity for quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): A multivariate comparison of physiological,biochemical and nutritional quality attributes

Soil salinization is a serious environmental problem worldwide. To explore the comparative effects of soil salinity and sodicity on physiological, biochemical and nutritional quality attributes of four quinoa genotypes (A1, A7, Puno, Vikinga), pot and field experiments were performed on non‐saline soil and two types of salt‐affected soils designated as SS1 (saline) and SS2 (saline‐sodic). The results of both the experiments showed similar reduction pattern in biomass (11%–44%), chlorophyll content (10%–36%), stomatal conductance (18%–32%) and grain yield (30%–47%) of four genotypes on SS2 compared with SS1. Higher sodicity level of SS2 resulted in more Na accumulation (23%–40%) and oxidative damage (12%–35% decrease in membrane stability) leading to an increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) in all the genotypes. Grain mineral contents (except Na and Mg) were decreased more in SS2 than SS1. Multivariate analysis revealed that grain Na content has negative correlation with all the nutritional quality attributes except Mg and fibre contents. Genotypes A1 and A7 were more salt tolerant with better grain nutritional quality than Puno and Vikinga. It is concluded that soil sodicity is more detrimental than salinity, and quinoa genotypes A1 and A7 are better than Puno and Vikinga for cultivation on saline and saline‐sodic soils.     

Directing gonadal differentiation in bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque), and black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur), by periodic estradiol-17β immersions

We investigated the feminization of bluegill and black crappie by short periodic immersions in an aqueous estradiol‐17β (E₂) solution. Bluegill fry (13.8 mm) were immersed in a 1 mg L^?1 E₂ solution every 5 days on three occasions over an 11‐day period. In the positive control treatment, the same cohort of fry was fed 200 mg kg^?1 E₂ diet for 45 days. Two different size (26.1 and 20.1 mm) but the same age (45 days old) black crappie fry were immersed in the same concentration of E₂ solution for 5 h a day every 3–5 days on 10 occasions between 45 and 86 days post hatch. Both modes of E₂ administration were effective to induce feminization in bluegill. Feeding fry E₂ impregnated diet for 45 days yielded 99.3% female populations from a 38.8% female experimental population. Only three short‐time E₂ immersions of fry over a much shorter treatment period also produced 76.9% female populations. E₂ immersions had no effect on sex ratios of larger black crappie fry and produced variable levels of feminization (60–82% female) in smaller black crappie fry. Results of the present study showed that feminization in both species can be achieved by periodic immersions of fry in a 1 mg L^?1 E₂ solution with no adverse effects on survival. Yet, further researches on timing and intensity of immersion treatments are still needed for optimization of the procedures.     

Removal and Preconcentration of Cobalt Ions from Aqueous Media Using ImHA Packed Column by On-Line SPE System

This work assesses the use of immobilized humic acid (ImHA) onto aminopropyl silica (APS) as a sorbent for the removal and preconcentration of trace amounts of cobalt ions by on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) technique in the column system prepared in our laboratory. Different parameters, such as the effect of the pH, concentration, and flow rate, were studied and throughput was observed by a UV detector. All SPE steps were monitored by breakthrough curves used to visualize distribution of cobalt concentration between mobile and solid phase. The solutions collected from stripping steps were analyzed in atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) and the amount of sorbed ions was calculated. Sorption characteristics were evaluated by using common adsorption isotherms and Scatchard plot analysis. From the obtained results, it was seen that sorption mechanism of cobalt ions were fitted to Langmuir model on a large scale and thought to be localized. Mean free energy (E?=?40.82?kJ?mol^?1) calculated from D-R isotherm showed that chemical interactions are more effective than physical interactions. This investigation reveals a new, simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective method for removal and preconcentration of cobalt ions from aqueous solutions by a new aminopropyl silica-immobilized humic acid material.     

Experimental observation of nonlinear traveling waves in turbulent pipe flow

Transition to turbulence in pipe flow is one of the most fundamental and longest-standing problems in fluid dynamics. Stability theory suggests that the flow remains laminar for all flow rates, but in practice pipe flow becomes turbulent even at moderate speeds. This transition drastically affects the transport efficiency of mass, momentum, and heat. On the basis of the recent discovery of unstable traveling waves in computational studies of the Navier-Stokes equations and ideas from dynamical systems theory, a model for the transition process has been suggested. We report experimental observation of these traveling waves in pipe flow, confirming the proposed transition scenario and suggesting that the dynamics associated with these unstable states may indeed capture the nature of fluid turbulence.     

Sodicity‐induced land degradation and its sustainable management: problems and prospects

Currently at least 20 per cent of the world's irrigated land is salt‐affected. However, projections of global population growth, and of an increased demand for food and fibre, suggest that larger areas of salt‐affected soil will need to be cropped in the future. About 60 per cent of salt‐affected soils are sodic, and much of this land is farmed by smallholders. Ameliorating such soils requires the application of a source of calcium (Ca²⁺), which replaces excess sodium (Na⁺) at the cation exchange sites. The displaced Na⁺ is then leached from the root zone through excess irrigation, a process that requires adequate flows of water through the soil. However, it must now be recognized that we can no longer conduct sodic soil amelioration and management solely with the aim of achieving high levels of crop productivity. The economic, social, and environmental impacts of different soil‐amelioration options must also be considered. A holistic approach is therefore needed. This should consider the cost and availability of the inputs needed for amelioration, the soil depth, the level to which sodicity needs to be reduced to allow cropping, the volume and quality of drainage water generated during amelioration, and the options available for drainage‐water disposal or reuse. The quality and cost of water available for post‐amelioration crops, and the economic value of the crops grown during and after amelioration should also be taken into account, as should farmers' livelihoods, the environmental implications of amelioration (such as carbon sequestration), and the long‐term sustainable use of the ameliorated site (in terms of productivity and market value). Consideration of these factors, with the participation of key stakeholders, could sustainably improve sodic soil productivity and help to transform such soils into a useful economic resource. Such an approach would also aid environmental conservation, by minimizing the chances of secondary sodicity developing in soils, particularly under irrigated agriculture. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development,characterization and mapping of microsatellite markers for lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Lentil is the sixth most important pulse crop terms of production in the world, but the number of available and mapped SSR markers are limited. To develop SSR markers in lentil, four genomic libraries for (CA)n, (GA)n, (AAC)n and (ATG)n repeats were constructed. A total of 360 SSR primers were designed and validated using 15 Turkish lentil cultivars and genotypes. The most polymorphic repeat motifs were GA and CT, with a mean number of alleles per locus of 7.80 and 6.55, respectively. Seventy‐eight SSR primers amplified a total of 400 polymorphic alleles, whereas 71 SSR primers produced markers within the expected size range. For 78 polymorphic SSR primers, the average number of alleles per locus was 5.1 and PIC value ranged from 0.07 to 0.89, with an average of 0.58. A linkage map was constructed using 92 individual F₂ plants derived from a cross between Karacada? × Silvan, with 47 SSR markers. The SSR markers developed in this study could be used for germplasm classification and identification and mapping of QTL in lentil.