Postharvest conditioning temperatures and fruit maturity on flavedo soluble sugars of coastal and desert lemons

Summary

The content and changes in flavedo soluble sugars of Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F. of different maturity derived from coastal and desert climatic regions to two postharvest conditioning temperatures of 158C and 108C were determined. Conditioning caused significant changes of flavedo soluble sugars in lemons of the two geographic areas. Raffinose level increased with duration of conditioning in both desert and coastal lemons and was slightly higher at 108C than at 158C conditioning. The flavedo sucrose content of green coastal lemons was greater than silver or yellow lemons and increased significantly in silver and yellow lemons after conditioning for 3 d at 158Cor108C, but declined significantly in all maturity classes to a low level with conditioning of more than 3 d. In contrast, the flavedo sucrose content of green and yellow desert lemons was 2.8–fold and 1.7–fold greater, respectively, than comparable coastal lemon flavedo, with the green lemon flavedo showing a significant gradual decrease with increasing duration of conditioning at 158C and 108C, but not in yellow lemon flavedo. The flavedo glucose and fructose contents of desert lemons remained relatively unchanged with conditioning at 158C and 108C, but their contents in yellow, silver and green coastal lemon flavedo increased after prolonged conditioning. The flavedo fructose content of yellow coastal lemons was significantly greater than green lemons, but there was no difference in flavedo fructose content of green and yellow desert lemons. The observed alteration of flavedo soluble sugars associated with conditioning provided an insight of cellular response to temperature, and emphasized the importance of climatic origin on lemon flavedo sugar composition.     

Exposure of domestic swine to influenza A viruses in Ghana suggests unidirectional,reverse zoonotic transmission at the human–animal interface

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) have both zoonotic and anthroponotic potential and are of public and veterinary importance. Swine are intermediate hosts and ‘mixing vessels’ for generating reassortants, progenies of which may harbour pandemic propensity. Swine handlers are at the highest risk of becoming infected with IAVs from swine but there is little information on the ecology of IAVs at the human–animal interface in Africa. We analysed and characterized nasal and throat swabs from swine and farmers respectively, for IAVs using RT‐qPCR, from swine farms in the Ashanti region, Ghana. Sera were also analysed for IAVs antibodies and serotyped using ELISA and HI assays. IAV was detected in 1.4% (n = 17/1,200) and 2.0% (n = 2/99) of swine and farmers samples, respectively. Viral subtypes H3N2 and H1N1pdm09 were found in human samples. All virus‐positive swine samples were subtyped as H1N1pdm09 phylogenetically clustering closely with H1N1pdm09 that circulated among humans during the study period. Phenotypic markers that confer sensitivity to Oseltamivir were found. Serological prevalence of IAVs in swine and farmers by ELISA was 3.2% (n = 38/1,200) and 18.2% (n = 18/99), respectively. Human H1N1pdm09 and H3N2 antibodies were found in both swine and farmers sera. Indigenous swine influenza A viruses and/or antibodies were not detected in swine or farmers samples. Majority (98%, n = 147/150) of farmers reported of not wearing surgical mask and few (4%, n = 6) reported to wear gloves when working. Most (n = 74, 87.7%) farmers reported of working on the farm when experiencing influenza‐like illness. Poor husbandry and biosafety practices of farmers could facilitate virus transmission across the human–swine interface. Farmers should be educated on the importance of good farm practices to mitigate influenza transmission at the human–animal interface.     

Decadal changes in the rice-cropping system in the Ayeyarwady Delta using a large archive of satellite imagery from 1981 to 2020

In the last 40 years, the rice-cropping system has considerably changed in the Ayeyarwady Delta. The large archive of satellite imagery provides a history of how land and water resource managements have changed in the face of growing populations, resource demand, and climate change. This study aimed to assess the decadal changes in the rice-cropping system in the Ayeyarwady Delta by using the large archive of satellite imagery for the last 40 years (1981???2020). The long-term NDVI dataset provided various information on rice cultivation. Signal processing techniques were used to detect on the historical changes in the rice-cropping system, and the impact of climate change was assessed by using trend analysis. Until the 1980s, single-cropping of summer rice was dominant in the Delta. To enhance the grain yield of rice, the irrigation facilities were introduced in 1992 under an initiative of the Myanmar government. As a result, the annual cropping intensities increased from 1.087?±?0.390 in the 1980s to 1.422?±?0.499 in the 2010s. The information on historical change in the rice-cropping system would be useful to consider the practical and cost-effective utilization of remaining land and water resources. Moreover, the trend analysis of NDVI time-series showed negative trends in coastal areas. This indicates that the rice production in coastal areas has been constrained by the saline intrusion. The salt-affected areas are expected to expand under future climate change scenarios. Government support is highly required for sustainable rice production in the Delta.

     

Potato cultivars: Genetic variation within putative clones

Four of five major cultivars of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L. ssp.tuberosum) from different sources were found to vary genetically. This variability was detected by an electrophoretic study of enzymatic activity for alkaline phosphatase and glucosephosphate isomerase. An examination of red cultivars from Beltsville, Md. suggests that the apparent intracultivar variability observed for Red Pontiac may be due to cultivar mislabeling rather than mutation or mitotic recombination. The results of this study raise concerns about potato cultivar certification and interpretations of some of the previous cultivar work. We suggest that a more extensive survey of intracultivar variability be carried out. Further, we suggest that these genetic markers and others could be used in cultivar identification.     

Effect of pea plant architecture on spatiotemporal epidemic development of ascochyta blight (Mycosphaerella pinodes) in the field

The effect of pea canopy structure on epidemics of Mycosphaerella pinodes was investigated in four spring pea cultivars (Bridge, Obelisque, Solara and Athos) in two field experiments. These cultivars had similar levels of susceptibility to ascochyta blight and presented different architectural features (branching, standing ability and stem height). Stem height ranged from 77 to 95 cm in 1999 and from 72 to 92 cm in 2000, while leaf area index (LAI) ranged from 3·8 to 5·1 in 1999 and from 3·8 to 4·7 in 2000. Internode lengths varied from 4·6 to 6·0 in 1999 and from 3·8 to 4·7 in 2000. Mean distance between nodes in the canopy (MDN) ranged from 12·2 to 15·3 cm in 1999 and from 11·2 to 13·9 cm in 2000. Canopies with different architecture differed in disease progression on stipules and mainly on pods. The levels of disease on stipules and pods were strongly correlated. Moreover, if disease was considered as a function of stipule height up the stem, large differences in vertical disease distribution were observed between cultivars. Three architectural features acted on disease development: cumulative LAI above the node on which disease was assessed (LAIcum) and large MDN favouring disease development, and large internode length reducing disease severity. Modifying LAI distribution and plant organization could be one way to reduce the impact of ascochyta blight, by direct or indirect effects on environmental and dispersal conditions.     

Influence of the D genome in conferring resistance to fusarium head blight in spring wheat

Reciprocal crosses were made between resistant hexaploid spring wheat cultivars/lines Sumai 3, Ning8331, and 93FHB21, and susceptible tetraploids Stewart 63 and DT486 to generate 35 chromosome pentaploids. Four heads from each of five F₁ pentaploid plants from each cross were screened with Fusarium graminearum for fusarium head blight (FHB) reaction. No pentaploid was as resistant to FHB as the resistant parents. Pentaploids derived from several crosses were more resistant than the susceptible parents, a few were more susceptible, and all plants from crosses with 93FHB21 failed to survive. Most viable seeds were obtained from the cross Sumai 3 × DT486. From this cross four of the five F₁ pentaploid parents were fertile and 354F₂ seeds derived from these four pentaploids were sown and evaluated for their FHB reaction. The majority of F₂ plants from pentaploids 1 and 3had the visual appearance and level of resistance of Sumai 3, whereas progeny from pentaploids 4 and 5 were more varied morphologically and generally more susceptible. Forty-three of the screened F₂ plants were tested for the presence of specific D chromosomes by wheat microsatellite analysis. There was no relationship between presence/absence of D chromosomes and FHB reaction. Twenty-four lines had all D chromosomes present of which 10 were intermediate-susceptible and 14 were resistant to FHB. Three lines, one resistant and two intermediate, had no D chromosomes. The remainder had between 1 and 6 of the D chromosomes present and ranged from resistant to susceptible in FHB reaction. It appears that FHB resistance is not conferred by the D genome of Sumai 3. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.