Detection and characterization of fungicide resistant phenotypes of Botrytis cinerea in lettuce crops in Greece

The development of resistance to chemical control agents needs continuous monitoring in Botrytis cinerea. 790 isolates from lettuce and other vegetable crops were collected from six widely separated sites in Greece and tested for their sensitivity to 11 fungicides from nine unrelated chemical groups. 44 of the isolates exhibited multiple resistance to fenhexamid (hydroxyanilides), azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin (QoI’s), boscalid (SDHI’s), cyprodinil and pyrimethanil (anilinopyrimidines), fludioxonil (phenylpyrroles), carbendazim (benzimidazoles) and iprodione (dicarboximides). Thirty per cent of such phenotypes were detected in an experimental glasshouse with lettuce crops, the third year after commencing fungicide applications. The average resistance factor (R_f) for mycelial growth to fenhexamid, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, cyprodinil and fludioxonil, was over 40, 1,000, 100, 700 and 50, respectively. Some strains with high resistance to anilinopyrimidines (14 %) or moderate to fludioxonil (7 %) were detected even in isolates collected from vegetable crops prior to commercial use of these fungicides in Greece. Isolates with fludioxonil moderate resistance and fenhexamid high resistance, were detected for the first time in Greece. The results suggested the high risk in chemical control of grey mould due to development of resistance to most fungicides with site-specific modes of action. Isolates with resistance to fluazinam (phenylpyridinamines) and to chlorothalonil (phthalonitriles) were not found. The inclusion of appropriate multi-site inhibitors like chlorothalonil in fungicide anti-resistance strategies was indispensable.     

Agroforestry as a sustainable land use option to reduce wildfires risk in European Mediterranean areas

Agroforestry Systems - Wildfires have always been an integral part of the ecology of many terrestrial ecosystems, but their frequency is increasing in many parts of the world. Wildfires were once a...     

Agroforestry Systems as Alternative Land-Use Options in the Arid Zone of Thal,Pakistan

Agroforestry offers unique opportunities for increasing biodiversity, preventing land degradation, and alleviating poverty, particularly in developing countries, but factors explaining the adoption by farmers are not well understood. A survey of 524 farm households was conducted in Bhakkar district of Punjab, Pakistan to study factors that determine the adoption of agroforestry on the sand dunes in the resource-deficient region of Thal. Two types of agroforestry systems were studied: intercropping and border cropping (also known as boundary or perimeter planting). Both agroforestry systems included irrigated cultivation of the timber trees Eucalyptus camaldulensis (local name: sufeda) and Tamarix aphylla (local name: sars) with wheat, chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) (local name: chana) or cluster beans (Cyamous tetragocalobe) (local name: guars). The majority of the farmers was in favour of intercropping and border cropping. Most farmers reported the protection of nearby crops from dust storms as the most important positive perception about both agroforestry systems. Age, education, and farm to market distance were significant determinants of agroforestry adoption. Older and less-educated farmers, with farms closer to markets were less likely to adopt tree planting or border cropping in Thal. In general, the agroforestry systems examined were more likely to be adopted by farmers who can wait 3–4 years for harvesting crop outputs, but not by poorer farmers who are totally dependent on subsistence agriculture and cannot afford the high initial cost of agroforestry establishment, nor can they wait for crop output for extended periods. Furthermore, the adoption of both agroforestry systems was more likely in remote marginal areas than in areas close to markets. To increase agroforestry adoption rates, government policies should strengthen farmers’ knowledge of every stage of agroforestry through extension services, focusing particularly among the prime prospects, i.e. farmers who will be most likely to adopt agroforestry. Once the prime prospects have adopted it, the older, less-educated, and poor farmers of the rural population can be also focused on to motivate adoption.     

Cadmium fractions in an acid sandy soil and Cd in soil solution as affected by plant growth

In a previous experiment, plants were able to immobilize or solubilize Cadmium (Cd) in a sandy acid soil enriched with 40 μmol Cd kg^–1, because Cd solution concentration was decreased by maize (Zea mays) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and increased by flax (Linum usitatissimum L. ssp. usitatissimum) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea). It is assumed that the equilibrium with Cd fractions in the soil solid phase and the chemical form of Cd in the soil solution were affected. In the present study, the effect of the four plant species mentioned above on Cd binding in soil was investigated by means of a fractionation of soil Cd with a sequential extraction of seven steps. The seven fractions of Cd are operationally defined by the extraction sequence that follows the order of increasing acidity with extractants of different complexing and redox properties. In the unplanted soil, Cd was predominantly present in the exchangeable Fraction I (F. I) and easily mobilizable Fraction II (F. II) (64%). Significant concentrations of Cd were found in F. III (occluded in Mn oxides; 22%) and F. IV (organically bound; 10%). Fractions V (occluded in poorly crystalline Fe oxides), F. VI (occluded in well crystallized Fe oxides), and F. VII (residual fraction) amounted to less than 5% of the total soil Cd concentration. The plants changed the binding of Cd in soil in a different manner. All plants decreased F. I, but F. II was increased by maize and spinach, decreased by flax or remained unaffected by sunflower. Fraction III was not affected by maize and flax, but decreased by sunflower and spinach, and F. IV was not affected by sunflower and spinach, but was increased by maize and flax. These changes of Cd fractions were not related to the changes the plants had caused in total Cd or Cd²⁺ concentration of the soil solution. These results show that plant species differ in how they affect Cd binding to the soil solid phase, but this effect is not related to how they affect Cd in soil solution. The mechanisms by which plants affect the relationship between the soil solid and liquid phase are still unclear.     

Scaling of body‐shape quality in reared gilthead seabream Sparus aurata L. Consumer preference assessment,wild standard and variability in reared phenotype

In this study, a scale of quality for the body shape of Gilthead seabream was developed. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was carried out to study the preferences of consumers for the body shape of seabream. Furthermore, the variation in body shape in reared seabream was studied under two rearing environments (sea cages vs. tanks) and in comparison with wild‐caught individuals. Following the test–retest analysis of reliability, the 22 of 65 participants in the survey presented a significant correlation between repeated evaluations of the same subjects and were classified as responders of high discrimination efficiency or/and reliability (HDR). Geometric morphometric analysis on the evaluation of HDR responders revealed that compared with the fish of fair body shape, fish with preferred body shape were characterized mainly by a more proximal position of the base of the pelvic fins, the anterior base of the anal fin and the anterior dorsal fin. Of the 45 wild‐caught specimens examined, 26 presented a normal lateral line and no obvious skeletal deformities. The body shape of the normal wild‐caught fish was compared with the shape of reared seabream. Results showed that both the origin of fish (wild vs. reared) and the rearing methodology during the on‐growing phase significantly affected the body shape of seabream (P < 0.001). Compared with the reared fish, the wild‐caught fish were characterized mainly by a less prominent belly, slender trunk, smaller head, shorter caudal peduncle and a more posterior‐ventral position of the upper jaw.