Random sample estimates of tree mean for fruit size and colour in apple

Data obtained in 2005 from thinning experiments with ‘Ariane’ and ‘Pitchounette’ apples (Malus × domestica L. Borkh.) were used to estimate tree mean fruit diameter (MD), weight (MW) and proportion of red overcolour (MC) using random samples. Twenty fruit per tree were taken from the boxes containing the fruit harvested at each picking. To avoid taking only fruit in the upper layers of the boxes, fruit from each tree were spread out on a table beforehand. The estimated values were compared with the true MD, MW or MC calculated from each picking and from the entire crop. Statistical techniques were used to assess agreement between the values obtained with estimation methods and the true values. Estimates obtained from a sample averaging ∼15–20% of total crop may range from 2 to 3% of the true mean diameter, and from 6.0 to 8.5% of the true mean weight. Estimates for MC obtained from the same samples may range from 10 to 25% of the true mean overcolour. The error margin associated with estimating fruit diameter and weight from the sampling method employed in this study seems to be small enough to consider it reasonably adequate to detect treatment differences that would be considered biologically or economically significant. Blind sampling and colour determination through image analysis are suggested as a means to obtain unbiased and objective data for fruit colour determinations.     

Roadside Scots Pine as an Indicator of Deicing Salt Use – A Comparative Study from Two Consecutive Winters

The accumulation of salt and visibleinjuries on Scots pine needles (Pinus sylvestris) were investigated in a field study duringtwo years 1992–1994. Two sampling plots 4 km apart alongthe highway 9 in eastern Finland were selected. AtSavo-Karjala region, the use of road salt was reducedto about one tenth from normal (slightly salted site),whereas, the use of road salt continued normally atthe Central Finland region (heavily salted site).Current, one-year and two-year-old needles weresampled eight times during years 1992–1994. Visibleinjuries in the pine needles were recorded and sodium,chloride and calcium concentrations analysed. Duringthe two-year study, reduced use of deicing saltclearly reduced the accumulation of salt components,sodium and chloride, and induction of visible injuriesin the pine needles growing closest to the roadside.No changes in needle calcium concentrations wereobserved. In the sampling plot along the heavilysalted site, browning and premature needle loss wasdetected especially during late spring. Deleteriouseffects of road salt did not reach far from the road,since at distances of 20 to 30 m, the saltconcentrations and visible injuries in needles wereinsignificant. Since no changes in soil saltconcentrations between sites were observed, aerialsalt spray is considered more important to saltaccumulation in needles than root uptake. The changesin weather conditions have a significant effect on theaccumulation of salt in needles and occurrence of thevisible injuries. Great fluctuations in temperatureand salt use during winter exacerbate the needleinjuries. Thus, the salt concentrations and visibleinjuries caused by such concentrations of salt shouldalways be considered with respect to the climatic conditions.     

Starch Lipids of Barley and Malt

Barley and malt starches were compared with respect to their lipid content and composition. The starch lipids were first fractionated into internal and surface lipid fractions followed by lipid class and fatty acid analyses of each fraction. Barley starch contained 13 mg/g lipids, of which 9.3 mg were internal lipids and 3.7 mg were surface lipids. The total lipid content of malt starches varied between 11 and 13 mg/g of starch. However, malt starch contained only 1 mg of surface lipids; therefore, the internal lipid contents were as high as or even higher than those in the corresponding fraction of barley starch. Lipid class analyses suggested that the ability for hydrolysis of starch surface lipids was increased in malt. The hydrolysis occurred during the malting or the isolation process, resulting in reduced surface lipid content in malt starch. However, no reduction in the portion of polyunsaturated fatty acids was seen; therefore, lipid oxidation could not have been responsible for the lower content of malt starch surface lipids. Also, not only was the content of starch internal lipids higher in malt, but the composition of these lipids was different when compared to barley starch. The increase in starch internal lipids during malting may be due to transportation and reacylation of free fatty acids that had been liberated by hydrolysis from surface lipids.     

Detomidine and the combination of detomidine and MK‐467, a peripheral alpha‐2 adrenoceptor antagonist,as premedication in horses anaesthetized with isoflurane

ObjectiveTo investigate MK-467 as part of premedication in horses anaesthetized with isoflurane.Study designExperimental, crossover study with a 14 day wash-out period.AnimalsSeven healthy horses.MethodsThe horses received either detomidine (20 μg kg⁻¹ IV) and butorphanol (20 μg kg⁻¹ IV) alone (DET) or with MK-467 (200 μg kg⁻¹ IV; DET + MK) as premedication. Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine (2.2 mg kg⁻¹) and midazolam (0.06 mg kg⁻¹) IV and maintained with isoflurane. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), end-tidal isoflurane concentration, end-tidal carbon dioxide tension, central venous pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) and cardiac output were recorded. Blood samples were taken for blood gas analysis and to determine plasma drug concentrations. The cardiac index (CI), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), ratio of arterial oxygen tension to inspired oxygen (P_aO₂/FiO₂) and tissue oxygen delivery (DO₂) were calculated. Repeated measures anova was applied for HR, CI, MAP, SVR, lactate and blood gas variables. The Student's t-test was used for pairwise comparisons of drug concentrations, induction times and the amount of dobutamine administered. Significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsThe induction time was shorter, reduction in MAP was detected, more dobutamine was given and HR and CI were higher after DET+MK, while SVR was higher with DET. Arterial oxygen tension and P_aO₂/FiO₂ (40 minutes after induction), DO₂ and venous partial pressure of oxygen (40 and 60 minutes after induction) were higher with DET+MK. Plasma detomidine concentrations were reduced in the group receiving MK-467. After DET+MK, the area under the plasma concentration time curve of butorphanol was smaller.Conclusions and clinical relevanceMK-467 enhances cardiac function and tissue oxygen delivery in horses sedated with detomidine before isoflurane anaesthesia. This finding could improve patient safety in the perioperative period. The dosage of MK-467 needs to be investigated to minimise the effect of MK-467 on MAP.     

Defining and designing plant architectural ideotypes to control epidemics?

Ideotypes are a popular concept for plant breeders, who designate as such the ideal combinations of traits in a particular genotype to reach a pre-set production objective within a given socio-economic context. The historical, ‘genetic’ view of ideotypes has been more recently extended to cover the design of plant genotypes for specific cropping systems (the ‘agronomic’ view), or even the ideal combination of parameters, identified from formal or simulation modeling, to a specific agronomic problem (the ‘modelling’ view). These different forms of ideotypes in turn lead to different strategies for breeding plants. This paper will briefly describe, analyse and discuss some applications of these ideotype views, using the specific case of architectural traits of plant and crop canopies to limit the epidemic development of pests and diseases in crops. It is not intended to be an exhaustive and objective review of the existing literature on plant ideotypes, but rather to express as an ‘opinion’ paper the views discussed and elaborated among participants to the EpiArch network.     

Long-term effects of (2RS, 3RS)-paclobutrazol on vegetative and fruiting characteristics of sweet cherry spurs

The long-term effects of an overall foliar paclobutrazol application (750 mg a. i. per tree) was tested on sweet cherry spur growth and fruiting. Leaves and fruits were counted on spurs situated on long upright shoots, during the year of treatment and in the following two years. Paclobutrazol significantly increased the mean number of leaves per spur during the three year study. It also significantly increased the number of fruits per spur on three year old spurs, whereas no differences were observed on two year old spurs. Furthermore, the chemical treatment led to a significant increase in the number of fruits per corymb at the base of one year old long shoots. Otherwise, paclobutrazol appeared to induce spur ramification in the year of treatment. The same year, these ramifications, which did not bear fruits, accounted for 16.5% of the total number of spur leaves. This phenomenon was probably due to a direct action of the chemical spray since almost no new ramifications were produced the following years. In addition to the known retardation of extension shoot growth, foliar application of paclobutrazol thus appeared effectively to enhance leaf and fruit production of the spurs, not only in the year of treatment but also during the two following years.     

Recombinant proteins and peptides as tools for studying IgE reactivity with low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits in some wheat allergies

Two genes of wheat low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS), B16 and P73, were cloned and expressed in E. coli. They were homologous to proteins encoded respectively at Glu-B3 and Glu-D3 loci. The N-terminal and C-terminal halves of B16 (NB16 and B16C) and the two chimeras combining the halves of the two genes (B16-P73 and P73- B16) were also expressed. All these constructs were compared for their reactivity with IgE from 24 patients suffering from different forms of wheat allergies. The results confirmed that LMW-GSs bound IgE in all adult allergies tested. Strong differences in reactivity between all the constructs were observed. They were disease-dependent. In wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA), the reactivity of the constructs depended partly on common epitopes with omega-5 gliadins but also on differences in molecule conformation. The presence of NB16 in the constructs greatly influenced their IgE reactivity.     

Effects of inflorescence removal on the fruit set of the remaining inflorescences and development of the laterals on one year old apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) branches

Summary

Inflorescences are known to be important physiological sinks especially when they set fruit. The effect, over two successive years, of inflorescence removal on one year old wood was investigated on apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). The study was carried out on medium vigour (around 30 cm) branches of cv. Granny Smith. On one set of branches (control) the inflorescences were untreated, while on two other sets, one-third and two-thirds of inflorescences (spur leaves, bourse-shoot and flower cluster) were removed at full bloom. The first analysis investigated the fruit setting ability of remaining inflorescences. The results generally confirmed previous results on the positive correlation between the number of leaves and flowers of the inflorescence and fruit set, and also the higher fruit set on two year old wood as compared with one year old wood. On one year old wood, inflorescence removal treatments tended to increase the fruit set of inflorescences with a low number of leaves and flowers leading to a level of fruit set similar to that of inflorescences with a larger number of leaves and flowers. On two year old wood, in the following year, only the two-thirds treatment increased fruit set consistently compared with the control. A second analysis investigated the effect of inflorescence removal on lateral shoot development. It was shown that the treatments had a little effect on quantitative growth (length, diameter) of the laterals per se. On the other hand, the removal of two-thirds of the inflorescence significantly stimulated the development of fruitful inflorescences the following year. Results are discussed in relation to the local versus global physiological integration at the branch level.     

A comparison of carbon assessment methods for optimizing timber production and carbon sequestration in Scots pine stands

Projected changes in forest carbon stocks and carbon balance differ according to the choice of estimation methods and the carbon pools considered. Here, we compared three carbon assessment methods for optimizing timber production and carbon sequestration in six example Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands in Finland. The forest carbon stock was assessed, with three methods: stem carbon, biomass expansion factors (BEFs), and a process-based model. Given a carbon price of 40 € t⁻¹ (equivalent to 10.9 € t⁻¹ CO₂) and a 3% discount rate, the highest average carbon stock and mean annual increment (MAI) were obtained with the BEF method. Increasing the carbon price from 0 to 200 € t⁻¹ resulted in longer optimal rotations and higher MAI, and increased the average carbon stock, especially when carbon was assessed by the BEF method. Comparison of these carbon assessment methods, using economic sensitivity analyses, indicated that optimal thinning regimes and average carbon stocks are strongly dependent on the assessment method. The process-based method led to less frequent thinnings and shorter rotations than the BEF method, due to different predictions of biomass production. As a cost-effective option, optimal thinning regimes play a very important role in timber production and carbon sequestration.