Assessing potato cultivars in Tunisia for susceptibility to leak caused byPythium aphanidermatum

Summary The susceptibility of 21 potato cultivars to leak (watery wound rot) caused byPythium aphanidermatum was compared. Whole tubers were inoculated after wounding by dipping into a water suspension of 10³ oospores/ml and incubated for 3 days at 25°C. The mean penetration of tissue calculated from the recording of lesion width and depth and the qualitative assessment of rot extension were highly correlated. For 10 of 12 cultivars tested at least twice, consistent reactions were obtained: cvs Korrigane. Superstar, Safrane and Yesmina were moderately susceptible, whereas Atlas, Diamant, Mondial, Obélix, Spunta and Timate were susceptible to highly susceptible. Tubers originated from two locations and/or two cropping seasons: thus, the performance of these cultivars under different production conditions reveals a satisfactory level of agreement with the test. Moreover, ratings assigned are supported by field or store observations.     

Assessment of latent infection frequency in progeny tubers of advanced potatoclones resistant to bacterial wilt: A new selection criterion

Summary This paper reports results of a 3-year evaluation of CIP advanced potato clones in a bacterial wilt-infested field (race 3) in Peru. Clones resistant or moderately resistant to wilt were selected and all tubers harvested from each clone were tested for latent infection byRalstonia solanacearum using a sensitive serological technique developed at CIP. A sampling strategy to estimate accurately the frequency of infected tubers in the clones has been evaluated. This method will allow consideration of tuber latent infection as a new selection criterion in breeding for resistance to bacterial wilt. Thirteen clones were found resistant to wilt in all three evaluations (i.e.≤6% wilt), from which five had no wilt in all trials. However, all clones harboured latent infection in tubers averaging 30%. Analysing 30 tubers/clone provides an accurate estimation of the proportion of infected tubers with a high precision level.     

Long-term feeding ecology and habitat use in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena from Scandinavian waters inferred from trace elements and stable isotopes

Background  

We investigated the feeding ecology and habitat use of 32 harbour porpoises by-caught in 4 localities along the Scandinavian coast from the North Sea to the Barents Sea using time-integrative markers: stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) and trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Se, total Hg and Cd), in relation to habitat characteristics (bathymetry) and geographic position (latitude).     

Cultural ecosystem services in an urban park: understanding bundles,trade-offs,and synergies

Landscape Ecology - Sets of ecosystem services that occur together across space or time are called ‘bundles’, and the interactions among them can result in synergies or trade-offs....     

Water for irrigation or hydropower generation?—Complex questions regarding water allocation in Tanzania

The need for achieving efficient, equitable and sustainable use of water resources to meet water demands of different sectors is pressing, particularly in areas where water resources are dwindling. Along with this is the quest for having a good understanding of the value of water in its different uses. Using a simplified model derived from the residual imputation approach (the Change in Net Income Model) we assess the value of water in irrigated paddy and hydropower generation in the Great Ruaha River Catchment (GRRC) in Tanzania. The estimated productivity of water (PW) in irrigated paddy ranges from 0.059 to 0.250 kg/m³ (for withdrawn water) and 0.126 to 0.265 kg/m³ (for consumed water). The PW in hydropower generation is estimated to range from 0.45 to 1.68 kWh/m³. In monetary terms the value of water in irrigated paddy is estimated at 15.3 Tanzanian shilling (Tsh)/m³ (for water withdrawn) and 0.19 Tsh/m³ (for water consumed). The values of water for hydropower generation are relatively higher than for irrigated paddy, ranging from 59 to 226 Tsh/m³. Yet, irrigated paddy also supports livelihoods of about 30,000 agrarian families in the GRRC, with gross revenue of about Tsh 15.9 million per annum and GRCC paddy contributes about 14–24% of national rice production. We conclude that understanding the value of water in its alternative uses is key to fostering informed debate on water management and allocation, identifying the basis for making ‘agreeable’ trade-offs, the potential for improvement and creating linkages with water allocation options particularly in agricultural-based economies, where agriculture competes with other sectors and where water re-allocation decisions may involve large transfers of water from the sector generating the highest pro-poor returns (agriculture for this case) to the sectors generating the highest economic returns (hydropower generation and industrial uses).     

Caractérisation directe deRhizoctonia solani Kühn AG3 à partir de sclérotes sur tubercules de pomme de terre par deux méthodes sérologiques

Résumé Les antisérums sont obtenus en immunisant deux lapins par voie intraveineuse avec des antigènes purifiés par chromatographie d'échange d'ions. On utilise deux préparations d'extraits mycéliens: normale et chauffée. La spécificité des anticorps obtenus est appréciée sur différentes souches deRhizoctonia. Deux techniques sérologiques sont utilisées: immunodiffusion et ELISA indirect. Les deux immunsérums obtenus présentent la même spécificité vis-à-vis du groupe AG3. Les deux techniques permettent la reconnaissance du groupe AG3 à partir des sclérotes formés sur tubercules.

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Summary Total mycelial extract ofR. solani AG3 was purified by ion-exchange chromatography. Beforehand part of the extract was heat-treated at 60°C for 10 min (Ch) and the rest left untreated (N). Results of the chromatographic analysis are given in Fig. 3. Electrophoretic analysis of the peak fractions is shown in Fig. 2. Peak C was chosen as antigen for the preparation of the two antisera by intravenous injections in two rabbits. Antibodies obtained were titrated in both cases by immunodiffusion and in indirect ELISA (Fig. 4). Specificity was examined by immunodiffusion and ELISA on heat-treated extracts of reference strains listed in Table 1. Similar results were obtained for the two antisera which were both specific to AG3 (Fig. 1 and Table 2). Characterisation tests were done by the two methods directly on sclerotia of tubers of different cultivars and origins harvested in 1991 (Table 3). The purified antigens appeared to be of a complex nature (peptides-polysaccharides) and were very immunogenic. Antibodies raised against them were sufficiently specific as to allow the identification ofR. solani AG3 sclerotica on tubers.

     

METASTATIC GRANULOSA CELL TUMOR IN A MANGROVE SNAKE (BOIGA DENDROPHILA MELANOTA)

A 12-year-old, female mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila melanota) was presented with a 1-month history of anorexia, lethargy, and progressive distention of the caudal coelomic cavity. Based on ultrasonographic and cytological examination, an ovarian neoplasia was considered to be the presumptive antemortem diagnosis. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a granulosa cell tumor (GCT) with metastatic tumors in the coelomic fat bodies. Four months following oophorectomy and surgical removal of the distant metastasis, the snake was euthanized because of sudden onset of lethargy, cardiomegaly, and dyspnea. Postmortem examination revealed the presence of metastatic tumors in the lung, liver, and kidneys. Primary ovarian neoplasms are relatively rare in reptiles. Although GCTs have been documented in snakes, definitive diagnosis is typically determined through postmortem histopathological examination. The present case describes a suitable antemortem diagnostic approach of a malignant GCT in a mangrove snake with distant metastases.     

Détection par piégeage du Ceratocystis fimbriata f. platani

Application of the technique of trapping Ceratocystis fimbriata f. platani for the study of the persistance in affected trees . The study of the persistance of Ceratocystis fimbriata f. platani in affected trees is achieved by trapping of the fungus which is carried out on small branches of London plane, stripped of their bark. If C. fimbriata is present in samples of wood to be tested, it becomes visible after a few days when numerous perithecia form on the trap. Trapping the fungus by this method has been systematically achieved with young, artificially inoculated trees: in many cases, C. fimbriata persists in the wood after a period of about 19 to 22 months.