Dispersal and colonization risk of the Walnut Twig Beetle,Pityophthorus juglandis,in southern Europe

Journal of Pest Science - The Walnut Twig Beetle (WTB), Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman, is a small bark beetle native to Mexico and Southwestern USA recorded for the first time in Europe (NE...     

Antibacterial and allelopathic activity of extract from Castanea sativa leaves

Following the extraction of Castanea sativa with an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid (pH 3.0), the ethyl acetate soluble fraction was tested for its antibacterial and allelopathic activity. The extract was shown to have pronounced antibacterial effects against seven of the eight strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria used (MIC in the range of 64-256 microg/ml and MBC in the range of 256-512 microg/ml). The active fraction was analyzed by TLC and HPLC showing the presence of rutin, hesperidin, quercetin, apigenin, morin, naringin, galangin and kaempferol. Standards of the identified flavonoids were tested against the same bacterial strains. The highest activity was shown by quercetin, rutin and apigenin. The allelopathic effect was tested against Raphanus sativus seed germination. The extract, quercetin, rutin and apigenin caused a decrease in the percentage of seed germination and root and epicotyl growth.     

Mercury in abiotic and biotic compartments of an area affected by a geochemical anomaly (Mt. Amiata,Italy)

Data both from the literature and from our own research are reported on the Hg levels in the soil, waters, sediment , atmosphere and some plants of the mineralized Monte Amiata region (Italy) with the aim of evidencing the interactions between the different environmental compartments. The presence of cinnabar in the soil affects the whole area, particularly near the mines, roasted cinnabar deposits and at the steam jets used for the geothermal power plants. Soil degassing represents the main source of atmospheric Hg which shows a concentration range of 5 to 200 ng m^?3. Vegetables display high Hg levels (0.06 to 9.80 µg g^?1) especially in the leaves. The aqueous transport of dissolved mercury is of no importance; suspended particulate matter, however, is able to carry a significant load of Hg.     

Evaluation of the antifungal susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis to clotrimazole, miconazole and thiabendazole using a modified CLSI M27-A3 microdilution method

Background – In this study, we evaluated the antifungal susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis to clotrimazole (CTZ), miconazole (MCZ), and thiabendazole (TBD), azole derivatives employed in aural formulations labeled for treatment of canine otitis. Methods – The procedure for in vitro testing was based on the indications of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M27‐A3 microdilution method. A lipid‐enriched medium was employed to enhance the yeast growth (Christensen’s urea broth, with 0.1% Tween 80 and 0.5% Tween 40 as the lipid sources), while the inoculums size corresponded to approximately 1–5 × 10⁵ yeast cells/mL. Microplates were incubated at 37°C and read 48 h after inoculation. Azole MICs inhibiting fungal growth were the lowest drug concentrations that showed an optical density of ≤50% of the (drug‐free) growth control, as assessed by spectrophotometer (630 nm filter). Results – All isolates were inhibited by the three azoles, with different minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. Most isolates were inhibited by drug concentrations of 2–8 (CTZ), 1–4 (MCZ), or 16–32 (TBD) μg/mL. These results are partially in agreement with the findings of previous studies, in which substantially higher/lower MICs were occasionally reported. This is likely because of the different methodologies employed. Such discrepancies may not apply to clinical situations, where the compounds are applied topically. Conclusion and clinical importance – The concept that clinical failure is linked to increased MICs is debatable, because significantly higher concentrations (in most cases at least 1,000 × the MIC) of the antifungals that were included in our study are routinely used in formulated products.     

Devices to detect red palm weevil infestation on palm species

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and other palm species have recently been threatened by the red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, which is very difficult to be detected at early stage. This research tested non invasive approaches to detecting RPW including: a TreeRadarUnit? (TRU); a densitometer, a penetrometer used for evaluation of the standing trees stability; a thermal camera and a digital camera. The technologies were applied in Italy on 715 palms (173 P. dactylifera, 453 Phoenix canariensis Chabaud and 311 of other palm species), and on 86 adult date palms in Saudi Arabia. In Italy, the thermal camera showed a high accuracy (96.29%) compared to close visual observation over the following nine months. The digital camera did almost as well (92.57%). Tree Radar Unit and densitometer also showed good accuracy (83.33 and 88.89% respectively). In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the thermal camera showed a good accuracy (77.73%) when compared to invasive diagnosis (i.e. cutting down and opening up palm trunks). The digital camera showed a lower accuracy of 66.67% due to the fact that the red weevil mainly attacks the base of the stem and therefore there are no visible symptoms on the crown shape that would be picked up in image analysis. TRU gave good results (74.73% compared to invasive diagnosis), with the best accuracy at ground level (80.65%). The densitometer results were similar to the TRU case, with higher accuracy (82.26% compared to invasive diagnosis) and the highest at ground level (87.10%).     

In Vitro Starch Digestibility and Expected Glycemic Index of Kodo Millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) as Affected by Starch–Protein–Lipid Interactions

The effect of starch–protein–lipid interaction on the in vitro starch digestibility and expected glycemic index (eGI) of kodo millet flour (MF) was investigated. Debranned MF and the flour with lipid removed, protein removed, or both lipid and protein removed (MF‐L‐P) were subjected to digestion assays. The in vitro starch digestibility and eGI of the millet samples and millet starch were compared with rice or wheat flour. Rapidly digestible starch, slowly digestible starch, and resistant starch (RS) of the samples were also calculated. Protease treatment and defatting resulted in significant reduction (P < 0.05) in protein and lipid contents of samples. Significant increases in the in vitro starch digestibility and eGI of samples were observed after removal of protein, lipid, or both. The effect of lipid removal on in vitro starch digestibility of kodo millet was found to be more significant, compared with when proteins were removed. The eGI increased from 49.4 for cooked MF to 62.5 for MF‐L‐P. The eGI of cooked kodo millet starch was significantly lower than that of cooked rice flour. The RS (1.61%) of cooked rice was the least among the samples. The in vitro starch digestibility and eGI of rice were significantly higher than those of MF. Processes applied to kodo millet, such as decortication, that result in the removal of proteins, lipids, or both (especially lipids) would result in an increase in its in vitro starch digestibility and eGI. We therefore advocate for the development of acceptable products from whole millets to maintain its hypoglycemic property.     

Using Static and Dynamic Indicators to Evaluate Soil Physical Quality in a Sicilian Area

Both capacitive indicators derived from the water retention curve and dynamic measurements of the flow‐weighted mean pore radius, R₀, were used to assess the soil physical quality of two agricultural areas (cropland and olive orchard) and two natural areas (grassland and managed woodlot plantation) potentially subject to soil degradation. The overall idea of the study was to investigate whether a dynamic indicator quantitatively derived from hydraulic conductivity measurements could be used to supplement the traditionally applied capacitive indicators retrieved from water retention measurements. According to the available criteria, only the surface layer of the cropland site showed optimal soil physical quality. In the grassland and woodlot sites, the physical quality was deteriorated also as a consequence of compaction because of grazing. Overall, the physical quality was better in tilled than nontilled soils. The optimal soil in terms of capacitive indicators had hydraulic conductivity close to saturation that was intermediate among the different land uses, and it remained 1·3–1·9 times higher than that observed in the natural sites even when the largest pores emptied. A depth effect on R₀ was observed only when larger macropores were activated. It was suggested that water transmission parameters are more affected by changes in large pore domain. The plant available water content and Dexter's S‐index showed inverse statistically significant regressions with R₀. The empirical relationships were physically convincing given that, at increasing R₀, the contribution of macropores increases, water is transmitted faster below the root zone and the soil's ability to store water is reduced. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐temporal Digital Photogrammetric Analysis for Quantitative Assessment of Soil Erosion Rates in the Landola Catchment of the Upper Orcia Valley (Tuscany,Italy)

This paper focuses on the analysis of the slope and catchment erosion dynamics in a typical Mediterranean context and its sensitivity to recent climatic and socio‐economic changes. The main objective of the present study is to test the reliability of digital photogrammetric analysis to evaluate the time and space evolution of erosion processes mainly triggered by surface running waters and landslides for about the last 60 years. The selected test area is the Landola catchment, a minor tributary of the Upper Orcia River Valley (Southern Tuscany). The Upper Orcia valley is a key site for the comprehension of denudation processes typically acting in Mediterranean badland areas thanks to the following: (i) the availability of long‐lasting erosion monitoring datasets (20 years' long direct measurements at erosion ‘hot spots’); (ii) its representativeness as a sub‐humid Mediterranean badland area; and (iii) the rapidity of development of erosion processes, which makes it suitable as an open‐air laboratory for the study of badland dynamics. The outputs of this work highlight that the application of high‐resolution digital photogrammetric methodologies can represent a powerful and low‐cost tool to evaluate rates and spatial–temporal distribution of denudation processes, as confirmed by the validation through field point monitoring in areas close to the study area. The results obtained for the study area confirm that high erosion rates are a persistent environmental problem for the Upper Orcia Valley, which is not solved up to now, despite various land conservation interventions. The performed multi‐temporal analysis shows a slight decrease in the average water erosion rate during the last 60 years and a parallel increase in the frequency of mass wasting events. These variations are most likely related to a complex interplay between land use changes that have affected the study area during the studied period, revealing a very delicate equilibrium between farming activities and erosion processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Technologies for the diagnosis and remediation of Fe deficiency

The objective of this paper is to review the developments in the last few years in two important issues related to Fe deficiency in plants. First, the current knowledge on the possible ways to carry out the diagnosis and prognosis of Fe deficiency in plants is discussed. This includes discussion on the best ways to carry out a meaningful analysis of Fe-containing compounds in different plant parts. We will also discuss other measurement techniques that can permit to assess the Fe nutritional status in plants, including leaf chlorophyll concentrations and others. Second, the new developments in management techniques to control and remediate iron deficiency are discussed. This includes possible improved ways to supply Fe compounds available to plants, both to the soil and to the irrigation water. We also discuss possible ways to supply directly the plant with Fe containing compounds, either to the foliage or to the stem. A particular emphasis is given throughout the paper to fruit tree crops growing in Mediterranean areas.     

Effect of pruning-derived biochar on heavy metals removal and water dynamics

Biomass-derived biochar is considered as a promising heavy metal adsorbent, due to abundance of polar functional groups, such as carboxylic, hydroxyl, and amino groups, which are available for heavy metal removal. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of an orchard pruning-derived biochar in removing some heavy metals (through the evaluation of isotherms) and to study water dynamics at the solid-liquid interface as affected by heavy metal adsorption (through an innovative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry approach). Both isotherms and NMR spectra revealed that Pb and Cr showed a good affinity for the biochar surface (Pb > Cr), while Cu was less affine. Accordingly, higher amounts of Pb and Cr were adsorbed by biochar as compared to those of Cu in the single systems. In binary systems (i.e., when two metals were applied simultaneously), Pb showed the highest inhibition of the adsorption of the other two metals, whereas the opposite was evidenced when Cu was used; the competitive adsorption was also strongly influenced by the metal residence time on biochar surface. In ternary systems (i.e., when all metals were applied simultaneously), even in the presence of high amounts of Pb and Cr, considerable adsorption of Cu occurred, indicating that some biochar adsorption sites were highly specific for a single metal.