Evaluation of bermuda and paspalum grass types for urban landscapes under saline water irrigation

In the arid regions, turfgrass cover is an integral part of landscape to protect the soil from erosion, enhance the aesthetic value, and improve the microclimate. The salinity and the scarcity of fresh water of the arid region are the major challenging factors in turfgrass production. Therefore, the need for salt tolerant turfgrass with functional quality is necessary to improve the turf performance. The detrimental effects of salinity include growth suppression, and lowered osmotic potential ultimately leading to firing of the leaf blades. In this context, the study was undertaken to determine the relative salt tolerance and growth response of turfgrass genotypes in order to recommend turfgrass cultivars that can tolerate high salinity irrigation and maintain excellent visual and functional qualities under United Arab Emirates (UAE) condition. The paspalum cultivars maintained the highest succulence percentage compared to the bermudagrass cultivars under enhanced salinity levels. The shoots count, fresh weight (FW), and dry weight (DW) were found highest in paspalum types. The chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and the total chlorophyll content was found higher in bermuda grass types under high salinity levels. The bermudagrass cultivars showed significantly higher carotenoids, anthocyanins and proline compared to the paspalum types under salt stress condition. In the case of princess 77 and Yukon, an inherently high amount of proline was recorded which confirmed an increase up to 10,000 ppm and drastically declined beyond this concentration. Sea Dwarf paspalum and Sea Isle 2000 maintained uniformity in the proline level at all levels of salinity without significant variation. These findings point to the fact that both paspalum and bermuda types exhibited varied responses to different physiological and biochemical parameters under the saline conditions. Paspalum types have an edge over the bermudagrass in terms of shoot density, which is a potential factor in determining the high-quality turfs. Bermudagrass types can be applied in lower salinity conditions based on the responses as evidenced from the present results.     

Cold storage of oil rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) flowers

Oil rose flowers were stored at 0 °C in four different packaging materials [plastic box + stretch film (PB + SF), Xtend^®, Smartbag^® and polyethylene (PE)] for 60 days. During storage, weight loss, O₂ and CO₂ concentrations in the packages, petal color and sensorial attributes were investigated besides essential oil content and composition. Storage duration and packages had significant (p < 0.01) effects on weight loss. At the end of storage, the lowest weight loss was in PE package (1.696%) whereas the highest weight loss was in Xtend^® (10.081%). The essential oil content was significantly (p < 0.01) affected by storage duration and packages. In addition, the essential oil contents obtained from all packages for a storage period of 10 days and the essential oil contents obtained from unstored (control) petals were included in the same group. At the end of storage, the essential oil contents decreased by 91.3, 57.7, 80.0 and 64.3% in PB + SF, Xtend^®, Smartbag^® and PE packages, respectively as compared to control. In addition, storage duration and package types significantly (p < 0.01) affected petal color, O₂ and CO₂ concentrations in the packages and sensorial scores. The concentration of citronellol, a main component of rose oil, increased in all packages during storage of 10 days in comparison to the control group while it varied in other storage durations and package types. However, nerol and geraniol were lower than the control group during storage while concentrations of nonadecane, heneicosane and eicosane were higher. In conclusion, loss of oil yield and quality, due to various reasons and particularly due to fermentation in oil rose from the harvest of petals to their distillation, can be minimized with storage of petals in all package types for up to 10 days.     

Inheritance of race 1.2 Fusarium wilt resistance in four melon cultivars

The resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis (Fom) race 1.2 has been studied in melons, such as the Portuguese accession ‘BG-5384’ and in the Japanese ‘Shiro Uri Okayama’, ‘Kogane Nashi Makuwa’, and ‘C-211’, since a good characterization of the resistance is necessary before its introgression into commercial varieties. These four melon accessions showed a high level of resistance to races 0, 1, and 2 of Fom, indicating that the partial resistance to the race 1.2 previously detected may not have been race specific. To determine the mode of inheritance of the resistance to Fom race 1.2, the F₁, F₂, BCP_R, and BCP_S generations from the crosses between the four resistant accessions above and ‘Piel de Sapo’, a Fom race 1.2 susceptible melon, were developed. They were subsequently inoculated with two Fom isolates, one from the pathotype 1.2Y and the other from the pathotype 1.2W. The area under the disease progress curve was determined for each inoculated plant, and the data were analyzed. We show that the resistance seen in these accessions is polygenically inherited with a complex genetic control because many epistatic interactions were detected. The three epistatic effects; additivity × additivity, dominance × dominance, and dominance × additivity are present and significant, with differing magnitudes from one cross to the next. The relatively low heritabilities, and these epistatic effects make difficult the improvement of the resistance, from these sources, through a standard selection procedure.     

Dietary ginger administration attenuates oxidative stress and immunosuppression caused by oxytetracycline in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

In the present study, potential ameliorative effects of dietary ginger (GN) were investigated on antioxidant and immune responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during oxytetracycline (OX) administration. As a 2 × 3 factorial design, the fish were orally treated with OX (a daily dose of 100 mg/kg) and GN (either 10 or 20 g/kg diet) for 10 days. Then, blood samples were taken from each treatment to monitor plasma lysozyme, complement (ACH50), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST) activities, and reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), total immunoglobulin (Ig) and globulin levels. OX treatment significantly decreased SOD (30%), GPx, (10%) and lysozyme (23%) activities, and GSH (19%) levels; however, it increased GST (16%) activity and MDA (28%) levels. Ten grams GN per kg levels significantly decreased SOD (35%), CAT (13%), GST (20%) and MDA (30%), but increased GSH (30%), lysozyme (48%) and globulin (16%). Twenty grams GN per kg diet significantly decreased SOD (26%) and MDA (17%), but increased lysozyme (31%) levels. Interaction effects of dietary GN and OX were observed on plasma MDA and GPx levels, as 10 g GN per kg diet prevented the OTC‐induced changes in these parameters. Moreover, 20 g GN per kg diet prevented the OX‐induced change in GPx activity and mitigated the MDA elevation by 20%. It is concluded that GN administration at 10 g/kg diet is beneficial in mitigating oxidative stress and immunosuppression of rainbow trout during OX administration.     

Effect of transferring lignocellulose-degrading bacteria from termite to rumen fluid of sheep on in vitro gas production,fermentation parameters,microbial populations and enzyme activity

The digestive tract of termite(Microcerotermes diversus) contains a variety of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria with exocellulases enzyme activity, not found in the rumen, which could potentially improve fiber degradation in the rumen. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effect of inoculation of rumen fluid(RF) with three species of bacteria isolated from termite digestive tract, Bacillus licheniformis, Ochrobactrum intermedium, and Microbacterium paludicola, on in vitro gas production(IVGP), fermentation parameters, nutrient disappearance, microbial populations, and hydrolytic enzyme activities with fibrous wheat straw(WS) and date leaf(DL) as incubation substrate. Inoculation of RF with either of three termite bacteria increased(P0.05) ammonia-N concentration compared with the control group(free of termite gut bacteria). Termite bacteria inoculation had no effect(P0.05) on gas production characteristics, dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber disappearance, pH, and concentration and composition of volatile fatty acids. Population of proteolytic bacteria and protozoa, but not cellulolytic bacteria, were increased(P0.05) when RF was inoculated with termite bacteria with both WS and DL substrates. Inoculation of RF with termite bacteria increased protease activity, while activities of carboxymethyl-cellulase, microcrystalline-cellulase, α-amylase and filter paper degrading activity remained unchanged(P0.05). Overall, the results of this study indicated that transferring lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, isolated from digestive tract of termite, to rumen liquid increased protozoa and proteolytic bacteria population and consequently increased protease activity and ammonia-N concentration in vitro, however, no effect on fermentation and fiber degradation parameters were detected. These results suggest that the termite bacteria might be rapidly lysed by the rumen microbes before beneficial effects on the rumen fermentation process could occur.     

Inventory of fresh water snails in Mayotte, Comoro Islands

No trematodosis is known at the present time in Mayotte despite the close historical relationships between the Mayotte Archipelago and the neighbouring island of Madagascar, which is heavily infested. It is noteworthy that no intermediate host has been described in previous studies in Mayotte. An inventory of fresh water snails was performed from 1985 to 1988, in 53 experimental stations during the rainy and the dry seasons: 3,940 snails of eight different species were collected and further identified. The sole occurrence of Lymnaea natalensis constitutes a new record in Mayotte where there are now 14 different species of fresh water snails. According to the role of Lymnaea natalensis as a vector of Fasciola gigantica, particularly in Madagascar, the veterinary control of cattle importation into Mayotte is of great interest.     

A Preliminary Comparison of Plasma Fibrinogen Concentrations,Leukocyte Numbers and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate as Non-Specific Indicators of Inflammatory Conditions in Buffalo (Bubalis Bubalis)

Zargham Khan, M., Muhammad, G., Umar, A. and Ali Khan, S., 1997. A preliminary comparison of plasma fibrinogen concentrations, leukocyte numbers and erythrocyte sedimentation rate as non-specific indicators of inflammatory conditions in buffalo (Bubalis bubalis). Veterinary Research Communications, 21 (4), 265-271The plasma fibrinogen concentration (Fib), total leukocyte count (TLC), neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte numbers, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were determined in 153 buffaloes suffering from different clinical conditions. Fib increased significantly (p < 0.05) in chronic mastitis, pyrexia, pyometra, cutaneous abscesses, tail gangrene and acute indigestion, whereas in most of the other conditions studied it varied non-significantly. TLC increased significantly in chronic mastitis, pyrexia, endometritis, cutaneous abscesses and infected skin wounds. An increase in neutrophils was associated with an increased TLC. Numbers of lymphocytes varied non-significantly in most of the conditions. Monocytes decreased significantly in most of the acute conditions. ESR was significantly elevated in all clinical conditions. Significantly increased mean Fib values in the different conditions varied from 703 ± 119 to 725 ± 140 mg/dl, while the maximum individual value was 1510 mg/dl in a case of cutaneous myiasis. The significantly increased mean TLC ranged from 9.48 ± 2.91 to 11.1 ± 3.5 × 103/µl, while it was 21.7 × 103/µl in a case of meningitis. ESR values in sick buffaloes varied from 57 to 111 mm in the first hour.     

番茄对晚疫病的株龄相关抗性及Ph-3的抗性机制

目前已明确番茄抗晚疫病R基因表现明显的株龄相关抗性(Age-related Resistance,ARR),但抗晚疫病QTL的抗性规律尚不明确。以携带抗晚疫病基因Ph-3的栽培种番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)‘CLN2037B’和野生种醋栗番茄(S.pimpinellifolium)‘L3708’以及易感病材料栽培种番茄(S.lycopersicum)‘LA2818’为对照,对含有抗晚疫病QTL的多毛番茄(S.habrochaites)‘LA2099’、‘LA1033’和‘LA1777’是否也存在株龄相关抗性进行了分析。结果表明,携带抗晚疫病QTL的3个材料的6叶期和9叶期植株病情级数均比3叶期明显降低,表明QTL抗性与株龄相关。利用乙烯、水杨酸和茉莉酸素合成或缺失的突变体和病毒诱导基因沉默(Virus Induced Gene Silencing,VIGS)技术,初步明确了乙烯和水杨酸参与6叶期Ph-3基因介导的对晚疫病的抗性,而茉莉酸不参与。     

不同处理对扁桃种子发芽率及幼苗生长的影响

以石头扁桃和桃扁桃为试材,研究了不同浓度的GA3和BA以及不同发芽床(沙床、毛巾和培养皿)对扁桃发芽率及幼苗生长的影响.结果发现:GA3 1.6mg/L与BA0.4mg/L和0.8mg/L对打破石头扁桃休眠效果明显,GA,1.0mg/L与BA 0.4 mg/L能明显提高桃扁桃的发芽率.BA处理可使幼苗出现畸形,叶片卷曲,顶端呈莲座状,经营养液浇灌,症状没有缓解.