Mechanisms Involved in the Growth Promotion of Weaned Piglets by High-level Zinc Oxide

Dietary supplementation with high levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) is an effective method to prevent diarrhea and promote growth in weaned piglets. However, the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects are not well understood. Recent advances in this field indicated that the effects of ZnO on piglet growth are achieved through multiple regulatory pathways rather than a single pathway. This review focuses on recent advances in the effects of high level ZnO on:1) Zn status in weaned piglets;2) intestinal microbe flora regulation;3)intestinal structure and function;4 )ion secretion in the intestine epithelium;5) intestinal immunology; and 6) secretion of brain-intestine peptides. ZnO appears to regulate the intestinal microflora and decreases the release of histamine to prevent diarrhea. ZnO also increases the expression of intestinal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the IGF-1 receptor to ameliorate intestinal injury associated with weaning, and mediates secretion of brain-gut peptides to stimulate food intake, to promote the growth of piglets. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms should inspire us to supplement the diet for weaned piglets with ZnO and investigate new approaches to prevent diarrhea and enhance growth.     

Measuring yield-reducing plant water potential depressions in wheat by infrared thermometry

Summary Measurements of foliage and air wet- and dry-bulb temperatures were made over six differentially irrigated plots of Produra wheat grown at Phoenix, Arizona, in the spring of 1976. These data were used to evaluate a newly developed plant water stress index each day from the initiation of heading to the commencement of senescence. Daily measurements on total plant water potential were also obtained over this period; and after demonstrating how the atmospheric-induced component can be removed from these data, the resultant soil-induced component was plotted as a function of the new water stress index. The result was a simple linear relationship, which was found to be identical to one previously derived for alfalfa. Finally, it was shown that grain yield was directly related to the mean plant water stress index over the reproductive growth period from heading to senescence.Contribution from Agricultural Research, Science and Education Administration, US Department of AgricultureResearch physicist, soil scientist, research physicist, and research entomologist, respectively     

The use of digital image analysis and real‐time PCR fine‐tunes bioassays for quantification of Cercospora leaf spot disease in sugar beet breeding

Cercospora leaf spot, caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola, is a major fungal sugar beet disease worldwide and the cause of significant yield losses. The disease is most successfully countered by the introduction of genetic tolerance into elite sugar beet hybrids. To this end, breeding programmes require high quality biological assays allowing discrimination of minor differences between plants within a segregating population. This study describes the successful implementation of image analysis software in the bioassays for quantification of necrotic lesions at different stages of C. beticola infection, allowing selection on minor phenotypic differences during the sugar beet breeding process for C. beticola resistance. In addition, a real‐time PCR assay was developed for the quantification of C. beticola pathogen biomass in infected beet canopy. The use of both techniques, even in an early stage of infection, fine‐tunes current bioassays, allowing more accurate and efficient selection of resistant breeding material.     

Lignin als biologische Barriere gegen Schimmelpilze in Innenräumen

Many different fungi grow indoors as mold in the presence of moisture. Some of these fungi can cause allergic or toxic reactions, while a few may cause infections in susceptible individuals. A comprehensive treatment of this complex topic would take volumes. Therefore many groups search for alternative management strategies of these fungi. It has been tested if the growth of nine fungi (Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium culmorum, F. solani, F. verticillioides, Mucor sp., Penicillium sp. and Trichoderma sp.) which are common in interior buildings could be inhibited by mixing lignin into wall plaster. In maltextract agar lignin concentrations above 10 % inhibited mould growth except for Penicillium sp. However, none of the mould species showed and degradation of lignin. Further investigations on a lignin-plaster-agar, which contained only plaster as nutrient and had a high pH at 8, showed no inhibition on the tested fungi (Alternaria alternata, Fusarium verticillioides, Mucor sp., Trichoderma sp. and Penicillium sp.) at concentrations up to 5 %. Higher lignin concentrations lead to insufficient quality of building materials, e. g. cracking. Furthermore the color of the building materials turned from greyish-white in an exotherm reaction into brown, become not any more suitable for construction purposed.     

Biological control of the millet head miner Heliocheilus albipunctella in the Sahelian region by augmentative releases of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor: effectiveness and farmers’ perceptions

On-farm augmentative releases of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) for controlling the millet head miner (MHM) Heliocheilus albipunctella (de Joannis) were tested in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from 2007 to 2009. In addition, a survey of farmers’ perceptions of insect pests, with particular focus on MHM, and the biological control program (BCP) was carried out. There was a significant increase of MHM parasitization rate after the releases, with up to 97% mortality. The survey on farmers’ perceptions revealed a fair knowledge of the MHM and the ability of farmers to describe the pest and the damage it caused. Farmers claimed that the biocontrol agent H. hebetor is effective and perceived a significant gain in grain yield due to this control strategy. Implications of these findings for a large extension of the MHM biocontrol program are discussed.     

Characterisation of a Quantitative Resistance to Vector Transmission of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus in Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium

Two wild genotypes from the same species Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium, WVA106 (susceptible) and INRA-Hirsute (so-called ‘resistant’), were compared with respect to their reaction to Tomato yellow leaf curl virus isolate Réunion (TYLCV-Mld[RE]), using both whitefly-mediated inoculation and graft inoculation. Disease incidence and symptom severity were scored. Presence and quantification of viral DNA were assessed by dot blot hybridisation. Upon insect inoculation, accession INRA-Hirsute showed a moderate resistance against TYLCV that was overcome by a high inoculation pressure obtained by increasing the cumulative number of inoculative whiteflies. Temporal analyses of the disease progress in relation to this criterion exhibited that the protection was quantitative, mainly reducing the TYLCV-Mld[RE] incidence by at maximum 50% at low inoculation pressure. When graft inoculated, the final TYLCV-Mld[RE] disease incidence was 100% in both susceptible and resistant genotypes with severe symptoms, suggesting a reduction of virus transmission by a vector resistance as a possible mechanism. Implications of using such type of resistance in breeding programmes are discussed.     

Variation in the development of secondary dormancy in oilseed rape genotypes under conditions of stress

Summary A substantial amount of seed is left in the fields before and during harvest of oilseed rape. Although this crop exhibits little or no primary dormancy, the absence of certain environmental cues that promote germination of imbibed seeds induces secondary dormancy. The work reported investigated the extent to which environmental stress conditions, including osmotic stress, low oxygen stress and anaerobiosis, induce secondary dormancy in oilseed rape, and examined the variation in development of secondary dormancy between and within genotypes. Osmotic stress was most effective in inducing dormancy. Anaerobic treatment produced very few dormant seeds, as did an atmosphere low in oxygen and high in nitrogen. The development of secondary dormancy under osmotic stress varied considerably between and within genotypes. Dormancy ranged from almost zero to about 60% for winter genotypes and about 85% for spring types. Within genotypes, variations occurred between seed lots and years of harvest. Temperature variations affected the percentage of dormant seeds. More dormant seeds were likely to be produced with incubation under water stress at 20 °C than at 12 °C. In winter genotypes, fewer dormant seeds were produced when incubation temperature and germination test temperatures differed. Thus, incubating at 20 °C and 12 °C, followed by germination tests at 20 °C and 12 °C, respectively, produced most dormant seeds. Also, in the winter genotypes, the potential development of secondary dormancy was positively correlated with the pattern and speed of germination of untreated seeds.     

Physiologic races ofFusarium oxysporum f.sp.melonis in the southeastern anatolia region of turkey and varietal reactions to races of the pathogen

Thirty-four isolates ofFusarium oxysporum f.sp.melonis (F.o.m.) obtained from 205 fields in melon-producing areas in the southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey were identified on the basis of colony morphology and pathogenicity by the root dip method. In this region the mean prevalence of wilt disease was 88.1% and the mean incidence of disease was 47.5%. Physiologic races 0, 1, 2, and 1,2 of the pathogen were determined by their reactions on differential melon cultivars ‘Charentais T,’ ‘Isoblon’, ‘Isovac’ and ‘Margot’ in the greenhouse. Race 1,2, representating 58.8% (20/34) of all isolates, was widely distributed. Of the other pathogenic isolates, eight were identified as race 0, five as race 1, and one as race 2. This is the first report of physiologic races ofF.o.m. in Turkey. Of 44 melon cultivars tested in the greenhouse for resistance toF.o.m. races, 36 were found to be moderately resistant to race 0, 17 were susceptible to race 1,2, 34.1% were highly resistant to race 1, and 52.2% had moderate resistance to race 2. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 16, 2002.     

Pymetrozine: Selectivity spectrum to beneficial arthropods and fitness for integrated pest management

Pymetrozine is the first and only substance from the group of azomethine pyridines, a novel class of insecticides. The spectrum of activity covers sucking pests such as aphids, whiteflies and planthoppers.Tests were carried out in the laboratory and under field conditions to evaluate its impact on beneficial arthropods.In laboratory tests it demonstrated full selectivity against predaceous Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Neuroptera and the predatory mite Typhlodromus pyri.Following a single application at 250/200g a.i./ha on cotton in Egypt and in the USA, the regular sampling of predators over a period of three weeks revealed a similar population development in the pymetrozine and the untreated control plots. On okra, a vegetable crop in Egypt, it suppressed populations of Aphis gossypii with two sprays at 100g a.i./ha for the whole observation period of 23 days. It also allowed the survival of predators.These positive features make pymetrozine an ideal component in situations where sucking pests have to be controlled and natural enemies can play a substantial role as complementary control tools.