Role of basidiomycete fungi in the grapevine trunk disease esca

Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and wood-rotting basidiomycete fungi, namely Fomitiporia spp., are known esca pathogens. However, the effect of their mixed infections and the sequence of infection on disease development is unclear. To determine the effects of single and co-inoculations on symptoms, potted Vitis vinifera ‘Crimson Seedless’ was inoculated with P. chlamydospora either alone or in combination with one of four basidiomycetes: Coprinellus radians, Fomitiporia langloisii, F. polymorpha and the novel species Tropicoporus texanus. Basidiomycetes were isolated from vines with foliar symptoms of esca in California and Texas. In sequential co-inoculations, the effects of different sequences of infection (P. chlamydospora first, basidiomycete 6 months later; and vice versa) were tested, compared to simultaneous co-inoculations. Plants inoculated with P. chlamydospora either alone or in combination with a basidiomycete (in any sequence) did not differ significantly in the length of black-streaking lesions. In plants inoculated only with a basidiomycete, the appearance of large brown lesions, coupled with the absence of this wood symptom from control plants, suggests that C. radians, F. langloisii and T. texanus are pathogenic. Foliar symptoms resembling those of esca in the field (marginal and/or interveinal scorching, combined with red and/or yellow discoloration) were statistically more frequent among plants inoculated with F. polymorpha or T. texanus, either simultaneously or following P. chlamydospora, compared to single inoculations. Sequential co-inoculations of a basidiomycete before or after P. chlamydospora were associated with similar lesion lengths, suggesting that basidiomycetes may not require infection by P. chlamydospora in order to extensively colonize the wood.     

Effects of docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic, and arachidonic acids on the early growth, survival, lipid composition and pigmentation of yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea): a live food enrichment experiment

The role of dietary ratios of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n−3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n−3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n−6) on early growth, survival, lipid composition, and pigmentation of yellowtail flounder was studied. Rotifers were enriched with lipid emulsions containing high DHA (43.3% of total fatty acids), DHA+EPA (37.4% and 14.2%, respectively), DHA+AA (36.0% and 8.9%), or a control emulsion containing only olive oil (no DHA, EPA, or AA). Larvae were fed differently enriched rotifers for 4 weeks post-hatch. At week 4, yellowtail larvae fed the high DHA diet were significantly larger (9.7±0.2 mm, P<0.05) and had higher survival (22.1±0.4%), while larvae fed the control diet were significantly smaller (7.3±0.2 mm, P<0.05) and showed lower survival (5.2±1.9%). Larval lipid class and fatty acid profiles differed significantly among treatments with larvae fed high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) diets having higher relative amounts of triacylglycerols (18–21% of total lipid) than larvae in the control diet (11%). Larval fatty acids reflected dietary levels of DHA, EPA and AA while larvae fed the control diet had reduced amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and increased levels of PUFA relative to dietary levels. A strong relationship was observed between the DHA/EPA ratio in the diet and larval size (r²=0.75, P=0.005) and survival (r²=0.86, P=0.001). Following metamorphosis, the incidence of malpigmentation was higher in the DHA+AA diet (92%) than in all other treatments (50%). Results suggest that yellowtail larvae require a high level of dietary DHA for maximal growth and survival while diets containing elevated AA exert negative effects on larval pigmentation.     

Changes in thyroid hormone levels in eggs and larvae and in iodide uptake by eggs of coho and chinook salmon,Oncorhynchus kisutsch andO. tschawytscha

Developmental profiles of thyroxin (T₄), triiodothyronine (T₃) and radioactive iodide uptake were established for eggs and T₄ and T₃ profiles were established for larvae (whole-body, yolk-only and body-only) of coho and chinook salmon. T₄ and T₃ were consistently present in all samples. In eggs, hormone levels remained fairly constant in all cohorst for at least the first three weeks of incubation, but then fluctuated in both directions in some sample groups. Large increases in T₄ (from 9 ng/g to 245 ng/g) were seen in 1985 chinook eggs 28 days after fertilization. Radioactive iodide uptake (which was used as a possible indicator of thyroxinogenesis) increased at least 10-fold in both 1986 coho and chinook eggs from 23–30 days after fertilization. T₄ (62 ng/g) and T₃ (393 ng/g) were found in the bodies of 28-day-old 1986 chinook embryos. In whole larvae, hormone levels varied depending upon the cohort studied. In general, initial body-only concentrations of both T₄ and T₃ decreased as body weight increased, but before yolksac resorption was completed, both thyroid hormone content and concentration increased (except for chinook T₃). T₄ and T₃ content in larval yolk stayed constant as yolksac size decreased, resulting in increased thyroid hormone concentration in the yolksac. All of these data suggest that the initial source of thyroid hormones in coho and chinook salmon eggs is maternal, but that by approximately 3–4 weeks after fertilization, the developing embryos begin to produce their own thyroid hormones. After hatching, increases in tissue T₄ and T₃ concentration coupled with constant T₄ and T₃ content in diminishing yolksacs suggest that larvae also produce their own thyroid hormones; yolksac content then may reflect both the original maternal hormones and the larva-producted hormones.     

Evaluating foliar nitrogen compounds as indicators of nitrogen status in Prunus persica trees

Mobile nitrogen (N) forms may be better N indicators of the N status of trees than total nitrogen (TN) due to their higher sensitivity to increasing N supply. A field experiment was carried out over a 3-year period to compare foliar concentrations of total N (TN), soluble N (SN), chlorophyll (Minolta SPAD readings), NH₄–N and NO₃–N as indicators of soil N availability in nectarine, Prunus persica L. Batsch, cv. ‘Fantasia’ (grafted on ‘Nemaguard’ peach, P. persica × P. davidiana) trees. Young trees were exposed to a range of fertilizer-N application rates. Based on correlation analysis, the best association between leaf N compounds with soil N supply and trunk diameter and/or fruit yield was obtained with TN and chlorophyll SPAD readings. Leaf concentrations of mobile N compounds (NH₄–N and NO₃–N) increased more than any other N compound under high N supply; however, their inconsistency among years and low leaf concentration difficult their use as N indicators. The optimum foliar TN for growth decreased with tree age, 4.4%, 3.6% and 3.3% in non-bearing 1-year-old trees, non-bearing 2-year-old trees and 3.3 fruit-bearing 3-year-old trees. The optimum SPAD readings were 40 in 2-year-old trees and 42 in 3-year-old trees. Stable N compounds (TN and chlorophyll SPAD) could be used to N diagnosis in the zone of N deficiency, and soluble N compounds (NH₄–N and NO₃–N) to diagnoses N excess.     

Effect of electrical stunning at slaughter on the quality of farmed turbot (Psetta maxima)

Food quality aspects of farmed turbot (Psetta maxima) were compared following two methods of slaughter: the current commercial method, by immersion in an ice slurry, which is then dewatered after approximately 20 min, or by first humanely, electrically stunning the fish using a prototype commercial stunner, before immersion in an ice slurry, which is dewatered after 20 min. Quality was assessed for up to 10 days of storage on ice following slaughter. No differences were found between the slaughter methods in terms of an overall carcass quality: overall appearance, haemorrhage, damage, burst gall bladder, staining of the body cavity by leakage from the gut or damage to the spine. No detectable difference was found between the treatments using the industry standard freshness scoring system, the Quality Index Method. Both groups of fish were classified as ‘Fresh’ after 10 days of storage on ice. Using objective measurements of colour, no differences between fish from either treatment were found in fillet colour. Changes in flesh pH were similar in electrically stunned and traditionally killed fish with a mean pH (±SE) at 2 h post‐mortem of 6.80±0.027 declining to 6.44±0.032 at 24 h post‐mortem. Humane electrical stunning of turbot at slaughter neither detectably improved nor decreased product quality as measured between 1 and 10 days of storage on ice.     

Influence of salinity in irrigation water on forage sorghum and soil chemical properties

Abstract

Soluble salts found in wastewater can be toxic when used for irrigation of forages. Thus, two greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate effects of saline [CaCl₂NaCl (3:1, w:w)] treatments on soil chemical properties and ‘Dekalb FS‐5’ forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench]. Treatments for the first experiment consisted of a nonsaline control or 500 mL of a solution with an electrical conductivity (EC) of 10 dS m^?1 applied once. In the second experiment, treatments were salinity levels of 1.7,3.5,5.2,8.5, and 12.2 dS m^?1, applied in non‐nitrogenous Hoagland's solution as the sole source of irrigation. Both experiments were replicated four times. For both experiments forage sorghum was seeded in pots containing 7 kg of air‐dried Amarillo fine sandy loam soil. Sorghum survivability and plant height were measured. In the second experiment, water use by sorghum was also measured. Plants were harvested 7 wk after seeding, weighed, dried at 55°C, weighed, and ground for subsequent mineral analysis. After harvest, soil salinity, pH, and in the second experiment, extractable soil elements were determined. Soil salinity increased, while soil pH decreased, with the salinity treatments. Extracted soil calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), and cadmium (Cd) increased while sulfur (S), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) decreased, and aluminum (Al) and zinc (Zn) exhibited no change with increasing salinity. Sorghum aerial plant and root production decreased with increasing salinity. Plant Ca, strontium (Sr), Mn, and Cd levels increased with increasing salinity. In contrast, sorghum K, P, and S levels declined with increasing salinity.     

Assessment of partial resistance to powdery mildew in Chinese wheat varieties

Field trials in two cropping seasons and two locations in central China were conducted on 60 Chinese autumn‐sown wheat varieties to assess their partial resistance to powdery mildew. Mean levels of disease severity ranged from close to 0 to more than 90%. The method of inoculation and the location in which trials were conducted affected the relative performance of the varieties, but these effects were much smaller than the main effect of variety. The area under the disease progress curve was highly correlated with final disease severity, but both were poorly correlated with apparent infection rate. Disease severity was regressed against frequencies of virulence in the Blumeria graminis (syn. Erysiphe graminis) f sp. tritici populations in the trial plots. A vertical distance (D) from the mean mildew severity to the fitted line was calculated for each variety and was used to quantify partial resistance. Five of the 60 varieties, ‘Hx8541’, ‘E28547’, ‘Chuan1066’, ‘Zhe88pin6’ and ‘Lin5064’, consistently expressed relatively low levels of disease despite high frequencies of virulence in the pathogen and had consistently high D‐values. They may therefore have good levels of partial resistance.     

Loch fleet — a research watershed liming project

A research watershed liming project is being carried out at Loch Fleet in the Galloway District of southwest Scotland. This acid loch originally supported a brown trout fishery, but the number of fish caught by anglers declined during the 1950's and the fishery eventually disappeared about 20 yr ago. After 2 yr of pretreatment data collection, the first set of land time applications took place in the spring of 1986, and the resulting surface water chemical changes are very encouraging. Increases in pH and Ca concentration and decreases in A1 (especially the toxic labile monomeric fraction) concentrations have been observed in the streams and waters draining the treated subcatchments in the loch itself and in the loch outlet. Also, the normal trend for pH and Ca concentration to fall during periods of high flow in the main feeder stream has been reversed. In the spring of 1987, the loch was restocked with brown trout. Initial indications are that there has been very good survival of these fish, and that they managed to spawn during the 1987/88 winter. The chemical and biological changes brought about by the land treatments are described in detail.