PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE TRANSLOCATION OF 14C-LABELLED HERBICIDES IN BRACKEN (PTERIDIUM AQUILINUM)

Summary. The translocation of ¹⁴C-labelled herbieides in field bracken has been sludied in some preliminary experiments by means of autoradiography. A detailed account is given of the methods employed. It is shown that when 2,4-D is applied to fronds at different stages of development movement of the tracer into the rhizome is considerably greater from parts of the frond which are still immature. Trasnslocation within the frond is predominantly basipetal at all stages of development; within the rhizome the direction of movement appears to be determined primarily by the nature of the vascular connections with the treated pinna.
In a comparison between the translocation of 2,4-D, 4-CPA and dalapon no difference was apparent after 24 hours, but when the treatment period was extended to 96 hours there was evidence that 4-CPA bad been translocated in a considerably greater amount than either of the other two herbicides.
Rechrches iréliminaires sur la migration des herbieides marqués am ¹⁴ C dans la fougrère algle (Pteridium aquilinum)     

STUDIES ON THE TRANSLOCATION IN AGROPYRON REPENS OF 14C-LABELLED 2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONIC ACID

Summary. Previous findings suggested that the translocation in Agropyron repens of 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (dalapon) may be considerably affected by the transpiration rate. This relationship has been studied further in the present investigation using ¹⁴C-labelled material and autoradiography.
It was found that when dalapon was applied to the leaves and the treated plants were placed in darkness a reduction in the transpiration rate of ca. 90% was associated with a marked increase in the amount of dalapon translocation into the roots and tillers. The evidence provided by the autoradiographs was confirmed by a quantitative assay of the ¹⁴C present in the roots. It was also found, however, that translocation was not appreciably affected either by a 50% reduction in the light intensity or when the transpiration rate was reduced by placing the plaints under conditions of high humidity in the light or by the application of white petroleum jelly to the leaves. An alternative hypothesis, namely that the effect of darkness on the movement of the herbicide might be due to changes induced in the normal pattern of assimilate translocation was also investigated but was not supported by the results obtained. Further experimentss, in which various parts of the treated shoot were placed in the dark, suggested that the effect of darkness on the translocation of dalapon is exerted primarily on the treated leaf itself.
Etudes sur to migration dans Agropyron repens de l'acide 2,2-dichloropropionique marqué avec ¹⁴C     

Methods of analysis for toxic elements in food products. 3. Limit of determination of methods for assuring safety

To evaluate the suitability of the analytical methods used in determining food safety, a new metrological characteristic "MQS" is suggested. MQS is defined as the absolute minimum quantity in micrograms of a substance that can be determined in a test solution (solubilized test portion). MQS accounts for 2 factors: (a) the necessity for a reliable determination of ML (maximum permitted level, i.e., regulatory tolerance), and (b) the optimum quantity of test portion of a food product to be analyzed, and thus assists in evaluating the suitability of a method to assure food safety. The MQS of 8 toxic elements in any food are As, 3; Cd, 0.5; Cu, 20; Fe, 50; Hg, 0.2; Pb, 4; Sn, 200; Zn, 100 micrograms. To characterize the applicability of any given method, the specific minimum limit of determination, MQSM, must be established for each method. The method in question may be used to control food safety only if MQSM is less than MQS. MQSM values are given for the common polarographic and colorimetric methods for determining these elements.     

Effects of triazole fungicides on sterol biosynthesis during spore germination of Botrytis cinerea,Venturia inaequalis and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici

With three plant pathogens,Botrytis cinerea, Venturia inaequalis and Puccinia graminis f. sp.tritici, the time course of sterol biosynthesis during spore germination was examined by labeling experiments along with the question whether this pathway could be inhibited by triazole fungicides. Conidia ofB. cinerea andV. inaequalis are able to synthesize sterols immediately after the beginning of the germination process when the germ tubes have not yet emerged. On the contrary uredospores ofP. graminis start sterol biosynthesis after 6 to 8 h germination time almost at the end of the germ tube phase, indicating that sterol reserves of the spores are likely to be used for the germ tube growth.The sterol C-14 demethylation appeared to be the rate limiting step within the sterol biosynthetic pathway: the half life of 24-methylenedihydrolanosterol was less than 1 h forB. cinerea. It was more than 1 h forV. inaequalis and 3 h forP. graminis. Independent of these differences in the time course of sterol biosynthesis and in the C-14 demethylation rate, the synthesis of sterols in germinating spores was strongly inhibited by triazole fungicides in all three pathogens examined. In contrast toP. graminis, this inhibition could be demonstrated withB. cinerea andV. inaequalis even in ungerminated conidia, indicating that the fungicides were rapidly taken up and reached their target within 1 or 2 h. These results are discussed along with the question whether spore germination can be used as a bioassay for the estimation of sensitivities of triazole fungicides.     

In vitro selection of sterol-biosynthesis-inhibitor (SBI)-resistant mutants in Monilinia fructicola (Wint.) Honey

The inherent resistance risk forMonilinia fructicola against sterol-biosynthesis inhibitors (SBIs) was estimated inin vitro andin vivo laboratory studies. Several mutant strains were selected on media amended with the triazole fungicides penconazole, etaconazole or the morpholine fungicide fenpropimorph.The potential forM. fructicola to develop resistance to the triazoles or to the morpholines was similar.The level of resistance attained did not differ for the two classes of fungicides after a single cycle of treatment with nitrosoguanidine (NTG). Attemps to select mutants with a higher level of resistance to penconazole after successive mutagenic treatments were successful. Most of the mutants were less fit than wild-type strains. Mutants with a low level of resistance had an almost normal mycelial growth rate, whereas growth of mutants with a higher level of resistance was significantly reduced. Spore production was highest in the wild-type strains, similar to the latter in a few resistant strains and less in most others. Only one mutant with an intermediate level of resistance could successfully compete in a mixed population with a wild type strain during successive infection cycles on peaches. Resistance was not stable in highly resistant mutants. Cross resistance to the inhibitors of 14-methylsterol demethylation (DMIs) tested was confirmedin vitro andin vivo for all mutant strains. One DMI-resistant mutant was also resistant to fenpropimorph and two fenpropimorph-resistant mutants were resistant to penconazole.