The effect of selected preparations for the protection of draft horses against dipterous blood-sucking insects

Dipterous blood-sucking insects (horseflies, black flies, gnats, midges) have negative impacts on the performance of draught horses in forest enterprises. For the protection of these animals, the following preparations were applied at the interval of 24 hours: diethyltoluamide, Oxamat (N,N-diethyloxamine acid, USSR) and Stomoxin (synthetic pyrethroid, product of the firm Wellcome, England). In the course of 66 working days, the performance of test animals treated with 10% water emulsion of diethyltoluamide increased by 49.25 cu. m. of skidded wood, i.e. by 0.74 cu. m. wood per horse/day (21.65%), as compared with the control group. The daily savings of prime costs per test horse/day made 16.99 Kcs (Czechoslovak crowns). In comparison with the control group, the performance of horses treated with 5% water emulsion of Oxamat increased by 85.50 cu. m. wood, i.e. by 1.29 cu. m. wood per horse/day (38.00%). Stomoxin at the concentration of 0.05% acted as a good insecticide but had no marked repellent effect. The results of this study document that the production of effective repellents should be introduced in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.     

Rate of stomatal opening, shoot hydraulic conductance and photosynthetic characteristics in relation to leaf abscisic acid concentration in six temperate deciduous trees

Correlations between leaf abscisic acid concentration ([ABA]), stomatal conductance (gs), rate of stomatal opening in response to an increase in leaf water potential (si), shoot hydraulic conductance (L) and photosynthetic characteristics were examined in saplings of six temperate deciduous tree species: Acer platanoides L., Padus avium Mill., Populus tremula L., Quercus robur L., Salix caprea L. and Tilia cordata Mill. Species-specific values of foliar [ABA] were negatively related to the mean values of gs, si, L and light- and CO2- saturated net photosynthesis (P(max)), thus providing strong correlative evidence of a scaling of foliar gas exchange and hydraulic characteristics with leaf endogenous [ABA]. In addition, we suggest that mean gs, si, L and Pmax for mature leaves may partly be determined by the species-specific [ABA] during leaf growth. The most drought-intolerant species had the lowest [ABA] and the highest gs, suggesting that interspecific differences in [ABA] may be linked to differences in species-specific water-use efficiency. Application of high concentrations of exogenous ABA led to large decreases in gs, si and P(max), further underscoring the direct role of ABA in regulating stomatal opening and photosynthetic rate. Exogenous ABA also decreased L, but the decreases were considerably smaller than the decreases in gs, si and Pmax. Thus, exogenous ABA predominantly affected the stomata directly, but modification of L by ABA may also be an important mechanism of ABA action. We conclude that interspecific variability in endogenous [ABA] during foliage growth and in mature leaves provides an important factor explaining observed differences in L, gs, si and Pmax among temperate deciduous tree species.     

Genetic parameters for resistance to Haemonchus contortus in Merino sheep in South Africa

Resistance to natural infections of Haemonchus contortus (wireworm) was studied in Merino sheep. From February 1995 to July 1996 data were collected from the OTK Merino Stud on the farm Wildebeesfontein near Hendrina in Mpumalanga province. From March 1998 to January 2000 another Merino flock at Irene in Gauteng province was included in the study. In both cases, 50 randomly-chosen animals from each group of lambs weaned were sampled weekly for faecal egg count (FEC) until a mean of 2500 eggs per gram faeces (epg) was reached. At this stage, all lambs in the group were sampled for FEC, packed cell volume (PCV) and live mass in the case of the Wildebeesfontein flock. Animals were monitored from weaning to about 1 year of age. Data from 5 different groups of lambs (583 animals and 1722 records in total) with genetic links were accumulated and analysed. Variance components and resulting heritabilities for logFEC and PCV were estimated using a bivariate animal model with repeated records. The estimated heritabilities were 0.24 +/- 0.02 for logFEC and 0.14 +/- 0.02 for PCV. A strong negative correlation (-0.84 +/- 0.06) existed between the 2 traits. The genetic correlation between PCV and live mass for the Wildebeesfontein flock was low (0.28 +/- 0.09), while that between logFEC and live mass was negative, although not significantly different from zero (-0.13 +/- 0.09). These results suggest that FEC can be used as a selection criterion for resistance to H. contortus infections in Merino sheep.     

Litterarische Berichte

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Development and application of functional markers in maize

Summary Functional markers (FMs) are derived from polymorphic sites within genes causally involved in phenotypic trait variation (Andersen, J.R. & T. Lübberstedt, 2003. Trends Plant Sci 8: 554–560). FM development requires allele sequences of functionally characterized genes from which polymorphic, functional motifs affecting plant phenotype can be identified. In maize and other species with low levels of linkage disequilibrium, association studies have the potential to identify sequence motifs, such as a few nucleotides or insertions/deletions, affecting trait expression. In one of the pioneering studies, nine sequence motifs in the dwarf8 gene of maize were shown to be associated with variation for flowering time (Thornsberry, J.M., M.M. Goodman, J. Doebley, S. Kresovich, D. Nielsen & E.S. Buckler, 2001. Nat Genet 28: 286–289). Proof of sequence motif function can be obtained by comparing isogenic genotypes differing in single sequence motifs. At current, the most appropriate approach for this purpose in crops is targeting induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING) (McCallum, C.M., L. Comai, E.A. Greene & S. Henikoff, 2000. Nat Biotechnol 18: 455–457). In central Europe, maize is mainly grown as forage crop, with forage quality as major trait, which can be determined as proportion of digestible neutral detergent fiber (DNDF). Brown midrib gene knock out mutations have been shown to be beneficial for forage quality but disadvantageous for overall agronomic performance. Two brown midrib genes (bm1 and bm3) have been shown to be involved in monolignol biosynthesis. These two and additional lignin biosynthesis genes have been isolated based on sequence homology. Additional candidate genes putatively affecting forage quality have been identified by expression profiling using, e.g., isogenic bm lines. Furthermore, we identified an association between a polymorphism at the COMT locus and DNDF in a collection of European elite inbred lines.     

Photosynthetic Apparatus Responses to Short‐term low‐temperature Flooding May Contribute to Freezing Tolerance Changes in Forage Grasses

Winter conditions are subjected to rapid climate changes. Increased precipitation and snow melting during warmer winters may result in low‐temperature flooding. These factors probably affect plant overwintering strategies. This study investigated the relationships between the photosynthetic adjustment and freezing tolerance following a short‐term low‐temperature flooding in two forage grasses (Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis). The effect of flooding on the photosynthetic apparatus acclimation to cold was determined using chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements. Freezing tolerance was estimated using an electrolyte leakage test. It has been shown that genotypes activating non‐photochemical mechanisms of photosynthetic acclimation to cold during low‐temperature flooding may show increased freezing tolerance. Freezing tolerance reduction observed in Festuca pratensis was probably connected with decreased photochemical activity and photoinhibition of photosynthesis. It can be concluded that photosynthetic apparatus response to low‐temperature flooding may contribute to changes in the freezing tolerance. The direction of the changes is associated with different photosynthetic apparatus performance.     

Is short rotation coppice economically interesting? An application to Germany

Short rotation coppice (SRC) is, from a comparative static point of view, an interesting economic alternative to traditional agricultural land use. Nevertheless, farmers often do not integrate SRC into their land use. Due to the fact that the conversion to SRC can be seen as an investment, it seems as though farmers do not act according to the classical investment theory. A relatively new approach which could help to explain farmers’ inertia is the real options approach (ROA). Compared to the classical investment theory, the investment triggers in general, and conversion triggers in particular, of the ROA are shifted upwards. We want to know if the ROA could be an explanatory approach for farmers’ inertia to integrate SRC into their land use. To do this we develop a model to calculate the conversion triggers at which farmers should switch from rye production to SRC. The results show that the conversion triggers calculated according to the ROA are higher than those of the classical investment theory. In addition, it is shown that risk-averse farmers should convert earlier from rye production to SRC than risk-neutral farmers. It can be concluded that there is an explanatory potential of the ROA for famers’ inertia concerning the conversion to SRC.     

Drivers of bryophyte diversity allow implications for forest management with a focus on climate change

Understanding the major drivers of diversity in forests is crucial for ecologists, conservationists, and particularly forest managers. In most forested habitats, bryophytes are diverse and important primary producers. Here we report the first study of the relative importance of regional macroclimate as compared to local variables on abundance, species richness, and community composition of bryophytes growing in soil and in dead wood in a mountain temperate forest. Using PCA axes, we built predictor sets for macroclimate, microclimate, soil attributes, and dead wood availability. The explanatory power of each set was tested using variance partitioning. Abundance and species richness of soil bryophytes was best explained by microclimate, whereas the community composition did not distinctively differ between the environmental sets. In contrast, dead wood bryophyte abundance, species richness, and community composition was clearly driven by macroclimate. Among the single axes, the component represented best by soil moisture was the main driver for soil bryophyte abundance. In contrast, dead wood bryophyte abundance was mostly affected by components correlated with minimum global radiation and minimum temperatures as well as by the component represented by dead wood. The component represented by canopy openness was superior in explaining the community composition of both soil and dead wood bryophytes. We conclude that (1) dead wood amounts should be increased in closed stands to act as a buffer during climate changes, and (2) open canopy, which provides important habitats for soil-inhabiting bryophytes, should be provided by management with slow reforestation after natural or logging openings.     

Fine-scale spatial genetic structure of sycamore maple (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acer pseudoplatanus</Emphasis> L.)

Knowledge of SGS in plants is vital to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations and to plan conservation strategies. Some of the major factors that can affect spatial genetic structure (SGS) in plants are the level of gene flow, spatial arrangement and life stages of individuals within populations. Applying six highly variable microsatellite markers, we investigated the effect of these factors on spatial genetic structure selecting two natural populations of sycamore maple, which is an insect-pollinated, autotetraploid and an indigenous hardwood species in Germany and in other central European countries. The two study populations had different shapes (“compact” and “elongated”) and tree densities. Significant SGS extended to ~180 m in the elongated population and to ~35 m in the compact population. Juvenile plants of the compact population showed significant SGS up to 40 m. Estimate of Sp statistic in high-density population was almost double of that in the population with low density. Gene dispersal distance in the low-density population was about 9 times higher than in the population with high density. The similar level of significant SGS in both adult and juvenile plants suggested minimal or no effect of life stages of individuals on SGS in the sycamore maple population. The data presented in this study can provide guidelines for seed collection and to establish populations for the conservation and management of genetic resources of the species.