Comparison ofPotato Virus Y andPlum Pox Virus transmission by two aphid species in relation to their probing behavior

Two different aphid species,Myzus persicae (Sulzer) andHyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy) (Homoptera: Aphididae), were used to analyze their ability to transmit two different potyviruses,Potato virus Y (PVY) andPlum pox virus (PPV), to pepper (Capsicum annuum) andNicotiana benthamiana plants, respectively. In parallel experiments,M. persicae consistently transmitted both viruses with high efficiency, whereasH. pruni always failed to transmit either virus. This is in contrast to previous reports describingH. pruni as a vector of these potyviruses. Different aphid probing behavior among individual aphids of each species was obtained in electrical penetration graph (EPG) experiments performed on pepper plants. This suggested thatH. pruni did not transmit these potyviruses due to behavioral differences during probing that impeded virus acquisition and/or inoculation. It was found thatM. persicae usually makes its first probe within the first 2 min, whereasH. pruni individuals remained for more than 10 min on the plant before starting to probe. Furthermore,M. persicae individuals displayed their first intracellular puncture during the first minute of probing whereasH. pruni needed ∼ 15 min to penetrate the cell plasmalemma with their stylets. In addition, intracellular stylet punctures occurred very frequently forM. persicae but was a rare event, never exceeding a single one, forH. pruni. The relevance of these findings for the epidemiological spread of potyviruses by different aphid species is discussed. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting May 14, 2006.     

Ineffectiveness of pruning to control citrus huanglongbing caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candidatus</Emphasis> Liberibacter americanus

The huanglongbing (HLB) disease of citrus trees, caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and Ca. Liberibacter americanus, was first reported in Brazil in March, 2004. The presence of the disease has caused serious concerns among growers. Pruning experiments were conducted to determine if removal of symptomatic branches or the entire canopy (decapitation) would eliminate infected tissues and save HLB-affected trees. Pruning was done in five blocks on a total of 592 3- to 16 year-old ‘Valência’, ‘Hamlin’ or ‘Pêra’ sweet orange trees showing no symptoms or with two levels of symptom severity. Ten decapitated trees per block were caged and all trees were treated with insecticides to control the psyllid vector, Diaphorina citri. Mottled leaves reappeared on most symptomatic (69.2%) as well on some asymptomatic (7.6%) pruned trees, regardless of age, variety, and pruning procedure. Presence of the pathogen (Ca. Liberibacter americanus) in all symptomatic trees was confirmed by PCR. In general, the greater the symptom severity before pruning the lower the percentage of trees that remained asymptomatic after pruning.     

The effect of being housed with adult female flock-mates on the age at puberty of autumn-born ewe-lambs

Veterinary Research Communications - Twenty-five ewe-lambs born in November were used to measure the effect of the presence of cyclic or non-cyclic adult ewes on the age at first fertile estrus....     

Relationships between nutrient composition of flowers and fruit quality in orange trees grown in calcareous soil

To determine if flower nutrient composition can be used to predict fruit quality, a field experiment was conducted over three seasons (1996-1999) in a commercial orange orchard (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv. 'Valencia Late', budded on Troyer citrange rootstock) established on a calcareous soil in southern Portugal. Flowers were collected from 20 trees during full bloom in April and their nutrient composition determined, and fruits were harvested the following March and their quality evaluated. Patterns of covariation in flower nutrient concentrations and in fruit quality variables were evaluated by principal component analysis. Regression models relating fruit quality variables to flower nutrient composition were developed by stepwise selection procedures. The predictive power of the regression models was evaluated with an independent data set. Nutrient composition of flowers at full bloom could be used to predict the fruit quality variables fresh fruit mass and maturation index in the following year. Magnesium, Ca and Zn concentrations measured in flowers were related to fruit fresh mass estimations and N, P, Mg and Fe concentrations were related to fruit maturation index. We also established reference values for the nutrient composition of flowers based on measurements made in trees that produced large (> 76 mm in diameter) fruit.     

Potential errors in measurement of nonuniform sap flow using heat dissipation probes

The empirical calibration of Granier-type heat dissipation sap flow probes that relate temperature difference (DeltaT) to sap velocity (v) was reevaluated in stems of three tropical tree species. The original calibration was confirmed when the entire heated probe was in contact with conducting xylem, but mean v was underestimated when part of the probe was in contact with nonconducting xylem or bark. Analysis of the effects of nonuniform sap velocity profiles on heat dissipation estimates showed that errors increased as v and the proportion of the probe in nonconducting wood increased. If half of a 20-mm probe is in sapwood with a v of 0.15 mm s(-1) and the other half is in nonconducting wood, then mean v for the whole probe can be underestimated by as much as 50%. A correction was developed that can be used if the proportion of the probe in nonconducting wood is known. Even with the entire heated probe in contact with conducting xylem, v would be underestimated when radial velocity gradients are present. In this case, the error would be smaller except when velocity gradients are very steep, as can occur in species with ring-porous wood anatomy. Errors occur because the relationship between DeltaT and v is nonlinear. Mean DeltaT along the probe is therefore not a measure of mean v, and users of heat dissipation probes should not assume that v is integrated along the length of the probe. The same type of error can occur when DeltaT is averaged through time while v is changing, but the error is small unless there are sudden, step changes between zero and high sap velocity. It is recommended that relatively short probes (20 mm or less) be used and that probes longer than the depth of conducting sapwood be avoided. Multiple probes inserted to a range of depths should be used in situations where steep gradients in v are expected. If these conditions are met, heat dissipation probes remain useful and widely applicable for measuring sap flow in woody stems.     

Effect of water stress conditioning on morphology,physiology and field performance of Pinus halepensis Mill. seedlings

Five-month-old Pinus halepensis Mill. seedlings were subjected to 4 irrigation treatments for 8 weeks. After the treatments, morphological and physiologicalattributes assessed included height, diameter, dry weight, water relations parameters, and determination of N, P, K, soluble carbohydrates, and starch concentrations. The remaining seedlings were field planted. Survival and height growth were recorded forfour growing seasons after planting. The mostsignificant effect of irrigation was onmorphology. Increased irrigation lead toseedlings with significantly higher height,root collar diameter and shoot and rootbiomass. Starch and soluble carbohydrateconcentrations were also affected byirrigation. However, parameters derived frompressure-volume curves were not significantlydifferent among treatments, nor were N, P, andK concentrations. There were no differencesamong treatments for survival in the field,which was highly related to summer rainfall. Incomparison, absolute and relative heightgrowth showed some significant but minordifferences among treatments.     

Field attraction of Cerambyx welensii to fermentation odors and host monoterpenes

Cerambyx welensii Küster is one of the greatest threats to Quercus suber L. and Quercus ilex L. in Spain. Efficient control methods for this species are currently being tested, and the use of traps baited with food-related products for their monitoring and control has been proposed. Cerambyx welensii adults prefer to colonize old or decayed trees, in which cortical exudates frequently release fermentation odors. Fermentation-related compounds, such as ethanol, have been cited as attractants to various hardwood woodborers (as Cerambyx cerdo L.), used either alone or sometimes in combination with other host odors. In this work, we conducted field experiments to ascertain whether chemical blends mimicking fermentation odors were attractive for C. welensii. To this end, we used three types of traps (multiple funnel, cross-vane and single-funnel) baited with six synthetic blends including one or more fermentation-related chemicals (ethanol, ethyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, acetaldehyde, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 2-methyl-1-butanol), various food-related products (beer, melon and red wine mixed with peach juice) and host monoterpenes (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, α-phellandrene and camphene). At high release rates (5–11 g/day), various synthetic blends proved attractive irrespective of trap type. Our results contribute to understand the impact of volatile organic compounds in host selection by woodborers infesting deciduous trees. The results hold promise for optimizing trapping strategies to control C. welensii within an integrated pest management framework.     

Mineral nutrition and adventitious rooting in microcuttings of Eucalyptus globulus

We characterized the adventitious rooting response of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. to various concentrations of calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, manganese, zinc, boron and copper. The parameters analyzed were percent rooting, root number, root length and mean rooting time. Root number and root length were significantly affected by mineral nutrition, whereas mean rooting time and rooting percentage seemed to be closely related to auxin availability. Root number was affected by calcium, nitrogen source and zinc, whereas root length was influenced by concentrations of phosphorus, iron and manganese, and by nitrogen source. Based on these results, we evaluated various combinations of several concentrations of these minerals in each rooting phase. Cuttings that were rooted in an optimized mineral nutrient medium and acclimatized to ex-vitro conditions for two months showed significantly higher survival after transplanting and drought stress than cuttings rooted in basal medium and treated in the same way.     

A new Delta7,22 sterol from the bulbs of Autonoë madeirensis

The spectral data of a new Δ^7,22 sterol, 24S-ethyl-5α-cholesta-7,22E-dien-3α-ol β-galactopyranoside, isolated from the bulbs of Autonoë madeirensis, are reported.     

A new acylated quercetin glycoside from Ranunculus lanuginosus

A new acylated quercetin glycoside, quercetin 3-O-(2-t-p-coumaroyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), together with the known 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactic acid (2) were isolated from Ranunculus lanuginosus leaves and identified on the basis of detailed spectral analysis, including 2D-NMR spectrometry and ESI-MS.