Basis for the selective action of fluroxypyr

The dose-response, foliar uptake, translocation and metabolism of the methylheptyl ester (MHE) of fluroxypyr were examined in lambs-quarters (Chenopodium album L.), wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus L.), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense L. Scop.) and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.). Under controlled environment growth room conditions, E₅₀ values, determined from shoot dry weights of the susceptible species, wild buckwheat (16 g ha^?1) and field bindweed (40 g ha^?1), were markedly different than those of the tolerant species, lambsquarters (331 g ha^?1) and Canada thistle (800 g ha^?1). Regardless of species, more than 80% of applied [¹⁴C]fluroxypyr-MHE was absorbed by foliar surfaces 120 h after treatment. Translocation of radioactivity out of the treated leaves of susceptible species was significantly greater than that of tolerant species. For example, 120 h after treatment with [¹⁴C]-fluroxypyr-MHE, the proportion of applied radioactivity translocated in tolerant Canada thistle and lambsquarters was 15 and 10%, respectively, whereas in susceptible wild buckwheat and field bindweed it was 41 and 40% of applied radioactivity, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of plant extracts indicated four distinct chroma-tographic peaks common to all four species. More fluroxypyr was recovered in the susceptible species (70%) than in the tolerant species (30%), 120 h after application. Selectivity differences between the tolerant and susceptible species may be the result of enhanced metabolic transformation of the herbicide to more polar, non-phytotoxic compounds with limited mobility within the tolerant species. Les bases de la sélectivité du fluroxypyr La courbe dose effet, la pénétration foliaire, la migration et le métabolisme de Tester méthyle-heptyle (MHE) du fluroxypyr ont étéétudiés chez le chénopode blanc (Chenopodium album L.), la renouée faux-liseron (Polygonum con-vulvulus L.), le chardon des champs (Cirsium arvense L. Scop.) et le liseron des champs (Convolvulus arvensis L.). En conditions de crois-sance contrôlées, les valeurs ED₅₀, déterminées à partir du poids de matière sèche des parties aériennes étaient nettement différentes chez les plantes sensibles et chez les plantes résistan-tes:renouée faux-liseron, 16 g ha^?1; liseron des champs, 40 g ha^?1; chénopode blanc, 331 g ha^?1; chardon des champs, 800 g ha^?1. Quelle que soit 1'espèce, plus de 80% du [¹⁴C]fluroxypyr-MHE pénétrait dans les feuilles en 120 h. La migration de la radioactivité hors des feuilles traitérs était significativement plus importante chez les plantes sensibles que chez les plantes tolérantes. Par exemple, 120 h après le traite-ment avec du [¹⁴C]fluroxypyr-MHE, la proportion de radioactivité appliquée qui avait migré dans le chardon des champs et le chénopode, tolérants, était respectivement 15 et 10%, alors que chez la renouée faux-liseron et le liseron des champs, sensibles, elle était respectivement 41 et 40%. Des analyses par HPLC des extraits de plantes montraient quatre pics chro-matographiques distincts dans chacune des quatre espèces. Davantage de fluroxypyr était retrouvé 120 h après 1'application chez les plantes sensibles que chez les plantes résistantes (70% contre 30%). Les différences de sensibilité entre espèces pourraient être dues chez les plantes tolérantes à un métabolisme plus important de l'herbicide en composés plus polaires, non phytotoxiques et peu mobiles. Grundlagen für die selektive Wirkung von Fluroxypyr Die Dosis/Wirkungs-Beziehung, Blattaufnahme, Translokation und Metabolismus des Methylheptyl-Esters (MHE) von Fluroxypyr wurden bei Weißem Gänsefuß (Chenopodium album L.), Gemeinem Windenknöterich (Polygonum convolvulus L.), Acker-Kratzdistel (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) und Gemeiner Ackerwinde (Convolvulus arvensis L.) untersucht. Unter den kontrollierten Umweltbedingungen eines Phytotrons wurden anhand des Trockengewichts die ED₅₀-Werte bestimmt, die bei den empfindlichen Arten Polygonum convolvulus mit 16 g ha^?1 und Convolvulus arvensis mit 40 g ha^?1 sich deutlich von denen der toleranten Arten Chenopodium album mit 331 g ha^?1 und Cirsium arvense mit 800 g ha^?1 unterschieden. Unabhängig von der Art waren mehr als 80 % der Aufwandmenge von [¹⁴C]-Fluroxypyr-MHE durch die Blattoberflächen 120 h nach der Behandlung aufgenommen. Die Translokation der Radioaktivität aus den behandelten Blättern war bei den empfindlichen Arten signifikant größer als bei den toleranten. Z. B. waren 120 h nach der Behandlung bei den toleranten Arten Cirsium arvense und Chenopodium album 15 bzw. 10 % der Radioaktivität transloziert, während es bei den empfindlichen Arten Polygonum convolvulus und Convolvulus arvensis 41 bzw. 40 % waren. Bei allen 4 Arten ergab eine HPLC-Untersuchung der Pflanzenextrakte 4 distinkte Peaks. Bei den empfindlichen Arten wurde 120 h nach der Anwendung mit 70 % mehr Fluroxypyr wiedergefunden als bei den toleranten (30 %). Die Selektivitätsunterschiede zwischen den toleranten und empfindlichen Arten könnten auf einen beschleunigten Metabolismus des Herbizids zu stärker polaren, nichphytotoxischen Stoffen mit eingeschränkter Mobilität bei den toleranten Arten zurückgeführt werden.     

Development of resistance to thiabendazole in Helminthosporium solani (silver scurf) as a result of potato seed tuber treatment

Applying thiabendazole to potato seed tubers affected with silver scurf caused by Helminthosporium solani sensitive to thiabendazole decreased the severity of disease on progeny tubers at harvest, but about 50% of the isolates from these were resistant to the fungicide. The disease was not decreased when samples of the progeny tubers were treated with thiabendazole and planted in the following year, and the incidence of resistant isolates increased. Resistant isolates continued to be present when tubers were planted in the next 2 years without fungicide treatment. Treatment with a mixture of thiabendazole and imazalil also decreased the disease and fewer isolates were resistant than when treated with thiabendazole alone, although the proportion increased after treatment with the mixture in the following year. When seed tubers were infected with thiabendazole-resistant H. solani , silver scurf on progeny tubers was not affected by thiabendazole applied to the seed tubers but was decreased by the mixture of thiabendazole and imazalil. Imazalil was equally effective against H. solani sensitive or resistant to thiabendazole.
Some isolates of H. solani had grey aerial mycelium and of 516 of these isolates obtained in 4 years 29% were resistant to the fungicide. Other isolates produced small, black colonies and their frequency increased with thiabendazole treatment of seed tubers. Of 244 of these isolates, 62% were resistant.     

Penetration of clopyralid and related weak acid herbicides into and through isolated cuticular membranes of Euonymus fortunei

A model system consisting of chemically isolated cuticular membranes placed on agar was used to study the penetration of various formulations of ¹⁴C-labelled clopyralid, fluroxypyr, triclopyr, picloram, and 2,4-D into and through cuticular membranes. Clopyralid, commercially formulated as the acid, or 1-decyl ester was rapidly absorbed after 12 h by isolated cuticles of Euonymus fortunei. There was less absorption of the monoethanolamine and potassium salt formulations when compared to the acid and 1-decyl ester. However, in terms of the absorbed ¹⁴C-activity that partitioned into the agar, there was no difference between the acid and salt formulations with approximately 90% being partitioned after 48 h. Conversely, the 1-decyl ester formulation of clopyralid was retained in the cuticle; less than 5% of the absorbed fraction was recovered in the agar after 48 h. When the acid forms of clopyralid, fluroxypyr, triclopyr, picloram, and 2,4-D were compared, there was little or no difference in absorption among the herbicides. However, the ¹⁴C-activity from clopyralid partitioned the most (90%) and triclopyr the least (50%) into the agar. When ester formulations of clopyralid, fluroxypyr, and triclopyr were compared, at least 95% of the ¹⁴C-activity was absorbed 24 h after application. However, of the amount absorbed, significantly more of the butoxyethyl ester of triclopyr (36%) partitioned into the agar than did the 1-decyl ester of clopyralid (6%) or the 1-methylheptyl ester of fluroxypyr (5%). Differential retention of various herbicide formulations in this model system may explain, in part, the differences in absorption and translocation among radiolabelled clopyralid formulations observed in previous research (Kloppenburg & Hall, 1990).     

Resistance to thiabendazole in isolates of Helminthosporium solani, the cause of silver scurf disease of potatoes

Isolates of Helminthosporium solani were obtained from potato tubers and cultured on agar containing thiabendazole. Some grew on agar containing 100 mg/l and these were classified as resistant, whereas sensitive isolates produced no mycelial growth on agar containing 5 mg/l. Isolates were also found that were intermediate in their sensitivity to the fungicide. All isolates from Scottish virus tested stem cutting stocks (VTSC) on two farms were resistant whereas those from another farm were sensitive to the fungicide. The proportion of resistant isolates from eight English once-grown seed stocks ranged from 0 to 96%. There has been no previous report of fungicide resistance in H. solani and the possible reasons for these results and their implications are discussed.     

Evaluation of the peroral string test in the diagnosis of canine giardiasis

The peroral string test (Entero-Test; HDC Corporation, USA) has been shown to be a practicable method for the diagnosis of Giardia infection in dogs. It may be indicated in cases where faecal examination is negative, before more complex and invasive techniques are used.     

Gastric Myoelectric and Motor Activity in Dogs After Isoflurane Anesthesia

To characterize the effects of isoflurane on gastric motility, gastric electrical and contractile activities were assessed in six healthy adult dogs before and after recovery from anesthesia. Baseline recordings (fasting and fed state) were obtained in unanesthetized dogs 8 days after implantation of serosal electrodes and strain-gauge force transducers. After an overnight fast, dogs were anesthetized with 1.3 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) isoflurane for 4.5 hours (approximately 6 MAC hours). No other anesthetic or sedative drugs were administered. During anesthesia, ventilation was mechanically controlled to maintain arterial carbon dioxide tension at 36 ± 4 mm Hg. Gastric electrical and contractile activities (fasting and fed state) were recorded again 18 hours after recovery from isoflurane anesthesia. Recordings were analyzed to determine gastric slow-wave frequency, presence of slow-wave dysrhythmias, slow-wave propagation velocity, coupling of contractions to slow waves, a motility index based on relative contractile amplitudes, and onset and duration of contractions after a standardized meal. The only variable that was significantly decreased 18 hours after 6 MAC hours of isoflurane anesthesia was the gastric motility index during fasting-state phase III. This decrease was not apparent in the fed-state test periods. Our results suggest that, with the exception of gastric motility index during fasting-state phase III, variables for gastric electrical and contractile activities in dogs are unaffected by isoflurane 18 hours after anesthesia.     

Preliminary investigations of the effects of injury on the body fluids of cats and dogs

Water, sodium, potassium and nitrogen balances were determined in two dogs and two young kittens suffering from fractures and in two bitches subjected to ovarohysterectomy. Water retention was demonstrated after the initial trauma and after operation but no evidence of sodium retention was obtained. All except one of the fracture cases maintained positive nitrogen balance and, except in this one dog, the potassium and nitrogen balances ran in parallel. It is suggested that the practice of giving intravenous fluids during operation as a routine may be biologically unsound and requires careful control. No special care appeared to be needed in the administration of limited amounts of sodium to surgical cases.