Effect of silicon on antioxidant and stomatal response of two grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) rootstocks grown in boron toxic,saline and boron toxic-saline soil

We investigated individual and combined effects of B toxicity and salinity in the presence or absence of silicon on the shoot growth, concentrations of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), boron (B) and silicon (Si), and stomatal resistance (SR), lipid peroxidation (MDA), proline accumulation, H₂O₂ accumulation and the activities of major antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT and ascorbate peroxidase, APX) activity grapevine rootstocks of 41B (V. Vinifera × V. Berlandieri) and 1103P (V. Berlandieri × V. Rupestris). Applied Si counteracted the deleterious effects of salinity and boron toxicity on shoot growth by lowering the accumulation of Na in 1103P, and B and Cl in the both rootstocks. Stomatal resistance, MDA, and the concentrations of H₂O₂ and proline were higher in the plants grown in conditions of B toxicity, salinity and their combination while applied Si lowered these parameters. Lowering SOD and CAT but increasing APX, Si treatment significantly affected the enzyme activities of both rootstocks. Based on the present work, it can be concluded that Si alleviates the adverse effects of salinity, B toxicity and combined salinity-B toxicity on grapevine rootstocks by preventing both oxidative membrane damage and translocation of Na and B from root to shoots and/or soil to plant, and also lowering the phytotoxic effects of Na and B within plant tissues. When considering the antioxidative response and membrane systems, it was concluded that the rootstock 1103P was responsive to Si under stress conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first report that Si improves the combined salt and B tolerance of grapevine grown under saline, B toxic, and B toxic and saline conditions which describes membrane related parameters and antioxidant responses.     

Changes in Phenolic Compounds Profile and Anthocyanin Content of cv. Cabernet Sauvignon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">V. vinifera</Emphasis> L.) Induced by Different Doses of Foliar Oak Applications with Urea

Phenolic compounds and anthocyanins had pivotal roles on wine grape quality. In order to enhance contents of these substances, several techniques have been applied to grapevines. In recent years, there has been an increasing concern about using of foliar oak applications for improving wine grape quality. In this study, it was used a low concentration (0.6%) of urea for increasing efficiency of different doses of oak applications. For this aim, it was benefited from different doses of foliar oak applications with or without urea, including: 0?ppm oak (Oa), 1250?ppm oak (Oa), 2500?ppm (Oa), 5000?ppm (Oa), 0?ppm oak (Oa)?+?0.6% Urea (Ur), 1250?ppm oak (Oa)?+?0.6% Urea (Ur), 2500?ppm oak (Oa)?+?0.6% Urea (Ur), 5000?ppm oak (Oa)?+?0.6% Urea (Ur). Although yield and wine grape quality characteristics were favorably affected by increasing doses of oak applications; urea added oak applications were especially found to be more effective for both characteristics. As a result, application of 5000?ppm oak (Oa)?+?0.6% Urea (Ur) led to best results in terms of yield and wine grape characteristics of cv. Cabernet Sauvignon.     

Investigation on the storage possibilities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhyzobius lophantae</Emphasis> Blaisdell (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) at different temperatures and periods

Storage of natural enemies at low temperatures has an important role in biological control programs. It is an very critical factor that the stored individuals is used without losing their characters such as longevity, survival, fecundity, etc. In this study, the storage possibilities of Rhyzobius lophantae Blaisdell (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) adults under low temperatures (4 °C and 12 °C) for four different periods (10, 20, 30 and 40 days) were investigated. The survival rates and life span of adults (male and female), daily and total egg numbers laid by females stored at 4 °C and 12 °C for 10, 20, 30 and 40 days were determined. The survival rates of adults stored at 4 °C for 10 and 20 days were found to be 94.54% and 58.02% respectively. However, no adults stored at 4 °C for 30 and 40 days were observed to survive. The highest survival rate was 88% for the adults stored at 12 °C for 10 days. The average daily laid egg numbers were 12.51 and 9.37, and total egg numbers were 850.30 and 738.30 of adults stored at 4 °C for 10 and 20 days, respectively. The decrease in daily and total egg numbers of females stored at 12 °C was observed with increasing storage period. There was no significant difference in longevities of male and female stored at 4 °C and 12 °C. These results show that short-term storage at low temperatures does not affect certain properties of the predator when compared to 12 °C and storage periods.     

Evaluation of entomopathogenic nematodes and their combined application against Curculio elephas and Polyphylla fullo larvae

Journal of Pest Science - The larvae of Curculio elephas (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Polyphylla fullo (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are major agricultural pests of chestnut and roots of cultivated...     

Improvement of okra seed germination by drying within the fruit during development and after-ripening treatment

Abstract

The inverse linear competition model and three non-linear hyperbolic models were tested on two years' results from field experiments with barley and oilseed rape. Densities ranged from 1/9 to 3 times the normal seed rate (i.e. 350 barley plants m^?2 and 100 oilseed rape plants m^?2). A log transformation of both sides was necessary to ensure homogeneity of variance. The best precision of parameter estimates was found using the non-linear hyperbolic model:

where w is the individual plant weight and N is the plant density. A _{N 0} is the dry matter production per plant at a density N ₀, and B is the potential biomass production per unit area under the actual growth conditions. The estimated values of parameters AA _{N 0} and B agreed well with the values actually measured. The computational, as well as the biological, implications of introducing a threshold density, N ₀ are discussed.     

Control of Lipid Oxidation and Texture Changes in Frozen Sardine Mince by Combined Use of Milk Protein Concentrate and Caffeic Acid

The effectiveness of milk protein concentrate (MPC) and caffeic acid in controlling lipid oxidation and texture changes in 6-month frozen stored sardine mince was investigated using two different concentrations of caffeic acid (200 and 400 ppm) with and without MPC (4%). The extent of lipid oxidation was monitored by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) while changes in the texture of mince due to frozen storage were assessed using Texture Analyzer (TA.XT Plus) and sensory analysis. Cooking loss upon frozen storage was also determined. The addition of MPC and/or caffeic acid significantly reduced lipid oxidation throughout the storage period. However, neither added benefit nor synergistic effect in retarding lipid oxidation was shown by caffeic acid. MPC not only retarded lipid oxidation but also moderated texture hardening, cooking loss, and moistness during frozen storage. No improvement by caffeic acid alone and no significant differences in sensory firmness and moistness between MPC-added mince with and without caffeic acid indicate that caffeic acid did not play any role in texture and moisture control. This study suggests that lipid oxidation and texture of frozen sardine mince can be better controlled by using MPC alone.     

Effects of dietary lipid levels on growth, nutrient utilization, and nitrogen and carbon balances in shi drum (Umbrina cirrosa L.)

Shi drum (Umbrina cirrosa L.) is regarded as a promising new candidate for Mediterranean mariculture but specifically formulated feeds are not yet available due to knowledge gaps in its basic nutritional requirements. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the effects of dietary lipid levels on growth and feed utilization in shi drum (72.6 g average weight). Four isonitrogenic diets differing in dietary lipid levels between 10 and 19% (named 10L, 13L, 16L, and 19L, respectively) were fed to triplicate groups of fish for 8 weeks. Growth was not affected by treatment whereas feed efficiency was significantly deteriorated in fish fed diets containing lipid higher than 13%. Whole body dry matter and lipid contents were significantly higher in fish fed 19L compared with fish fed the 10L, while whole body protein, ash, and total carbon (C) were statistically unaffected by the dietary treatment. A significant increase in feed, lipid, energy, nitrogen (N), and carbon (C) intake was recorded in fish fed 16L and 19L when compared with 10L. Carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio was significantly higher in fish fed 19L than 10L. Moreover, the N and C losses significantly increased in fish fed 19L compared with 10L and 13L. It was concluded that high dietary lipid did neither had any protein-sparing effect nor other positive result, and diets for shi drum are not recommended to contain more than 13% lipid.     

TEMPO-treated CNF Composites: Pulp and Matrix Effect

This study examined the effects of matrix (PVA and Si) on the properties of TEMPO-treated nanocomposites preparing from different pulp sources (Kraft and NaBH₄ treated Kraft). Chemical characterization and crystallization were determined via FT-IR, thermal stability via TGA and morphological alterations via SEM. UTM and DTMA were used to measure the Young’s and storage moduli. The real and imaginary parts of permittivity and electric modulus were evaluated using an impedance analyzer. After interaction, prominent vibrations and alteration of crystallinity were seen. Storage and Young’s moduli decreased after Si and PVA interaction. The Si-TOCN films showed higher permittivity properties and all of the films followed a similar trend of significantly dropping ε' and ε'' values at high frequency. The PVA-TOCN films had mechanical advantages at room temperature compared to the Si-TOCN films. However, the Si-TOCN films had better thermomechanical properties at high temperatures. NaBH₄ revealed favorable effects on mechanical properties of the films.     

Using UAVs for detection of trees from digital surface models

A difficult problem in forestry is tree inventory.In this study, a GoProHero attached to a small unmanned aerial vehicle was used to capture images of a small area covered by pinus pinea trees. Then, a digital surface model was generated with image matching. The elevation model representing the terrain surface, a ‘digital terrain model’,was extracted from the digital surface model using morphological filtering. Individual trees were extracted by analyzing elevation flow on the digital elevation model because the elevation reached the highest value on the tree peaks compared to the neighborhood elevation pixels. The quality of the results was assessed by comparison with reference data for correctness of the estimated number of trees. The tree heights were calculated and evaluated with ground truth dataset. The results showed 80% correctness and 90% completeness.     

Analyzing dynamic curve widening on forest roads

Forest roads require important design specifications to ensure all-season access for various vehicles. Long and heavy log trucks can face serious maneuvering problems on forest roads due to insufficient amount of area to the left for road widening on horizontal curves. In order to provide safe and continuous shipment and transportation,appropriate curve widening areas should be provided for long vehicles along horizontal curves. In this study, a statistical model was developed to provide curve-widening solutions for long trucks(e.g., those with 18 wheels) considering various curve radius and deflection angles. The dynamic curve widening feature of Plateia 2013 program was employed to calculate curve widening for the specified vehicle. During the solution process, nine different horizontal curve diameters from 10 to 50 m(by 5 m intervals)and 17 different deflection angles from 90° to 170°(by 5°intervals) were evaluated to run horizontal curve-widening analysis. Using a multiple regression model, we made suitable predictions about curve widening. The curvewidening areas decrease as the horizontal curve radius increases, while increasing the deflection angle on horizontal curves increases curve widening areas. Clearly, the computer-based dynamic curve widening model developed in this study can be effectively used in determining optimum widening for horizontal curves by evaluating the number of alternatives that fit geometrical specifications and vehicle types.