Seed longevity and dormancy of four summer annual grass weeds in turf

Digitaria sanguinalis, Eleusine indica, Setaria glauca and S. viridis are troublesome summer annual weeds in turf. For taking rational decisions on the necessity for the level and type of weed management, it is important to know when weeds are ready to emerge (dormancy status) and also how long weed seeds can survive in the soil. Seeds of these four species were buried 4.0–4.5 cm deep in steel mesh net bags placed under permanent turf and periodically exhumed for 3 years to evaluate viability and determine the dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle. D. sanguinalis, S. glauca and S. viridis showed the typical dormancy cycle of summer annual species, and their seed viability declined completely after 3 years of burial. In contrast, E. indica demonstrated unusual behaviour, with long persistence and no dormancy.     

Percolation of core melts at lower mantle conditions

Experiments at high pressure and temperature to determine the dihedral angle of core melts in lower mantle phases yielded a value of approximately 71 degrees for perovskite-dominated matrices. This angle, although greater than the 60 degrees required for completely efficient percolation, is considerably less than the angles observed in mineral matrices at upper mantle pressure-temperature conditions in experiments. In other words, molten iron alloy can flow much more easily in lower mantle mineralogies than in upper mantle mineralogies. Accordingly, although segregation of core material by melt percolation is probably not feasible in the upper mantle, core formation by percolation may be possible in the lower mantle.     

In situ adherence of Vibrio spp. to cryosections of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., tissue.

Pathogenic and presumed non-pathogenic bacteria isolated from fish were tested for their adhesion to cryosections from different mucosal surfaces of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Adhered bacteria were detected by immunohistochemistry. Mucus was stained and fixed with Alcian blue after incubation of bacteria. The majority of the bacteria tested, i.e. Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 , Vibrio salmonicida , Vibrio viscosus, Flexibacter maritimus and 'gut vibrios', i.e. Vibrio iliopiscarius and intestinal isolates of V. salmonicida , all adhered to mucus on all salmon epithelial surfaces tested, including sections from the foregut, hindgut, pyloric caeca, gills and skin. In contrast, V. anguillarum serotype O2, including both serotypes O2a and O2b, did not adhere to mucus, but did adhere to all other components of the tissues. As a positive control for adhesion of bacteria on cryosections, Escherichia coli was bound to piglet ileal mucosal lining, and as a negative control for adhesion, Staphylococcus aureus was found not to bind to any of the tissues tested. The present study shows that adhesion to mucus was not restricted to pathogenic bacteria, and furthermore, that not all pathogenic bacteria studied adhered to mucus. Hence, on the basis of these findings, the present authors suggest that V. anguillarum O2 may have an invasion strategy which does not involve adhesion to mucus, and thus, differs from the other pathogenic bacteria in the present study, which all bound to salmon mucus.     

Potato germplasm poses the highest risk of introducing potato spindle tuber viroid in potatoes in the Netherlands: analysis and evaluation of an outbreak in potato breeding

In 2014, potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) was identified in a potato clone originating from a breeding company in the Netherlands. This clone was submitted for micro propagation and therefore tested for PSTVd and a number of other pathogens. This finding of PSTVd initiated actions to track and eradicate the infections. In addition to the finding at the breeding company, PSTVd was also found at a research institute. At both locations the viroid was eradicated following extended testing and discarding of infected plants. Additional surveys including testing of each individual plant in all crossing glasshouses and random samples of pre-basic and basic seed potatoes, revealed no further infections in the Netherlands. This result concurred with the fact that mechanical spread of PSTVd in the field is not likely under climatic conditions in the Netherlands. Therefore, vegetative propagation seems the most important pathway for maintaining and spreading of PSTVd. Based on the evaluation of this outbreak, it was concluded that potato germplasm poses the highest risk of introducing this viroid in potatoes in the Netherlands.     

Check-list for scientific names of common parasitic fungi. Series 2b: Fungi on field crops: Cereals and grasses

This list is a continuation of Series 2a (Neth. J. Pl. Path. 82 (1976) 193–214), an account of the nomenclature of common parasitic fungi on field crops as used in official publications of the Netherlands Society of Plant Pathology and the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.Samenvatting In alfabetische volgorde wordt de nomenclatuur behandeld van de parasitaire schimmels bij gerst, haver, maïs, rogge, tarwe en de belangrijkste gekweekte grassen. Deze naamgeving zal worden gebruikt in de officiële publikaties van de Nederlandse Planteziektenkundige Vereniging en het Ministerie van Landbouw en Visserij.     

A new flower breaking tobamovirus ofStreptocarpus

A virus was isolated fromStreptocarpus plants that showed colour breaking of the flowers. Initial diagnostic tests indicated that this virus was a member of the Tobamovirus genus. The virus could be transmitted mechanically to several test plants. Its stability in plant sap was in line with that of other tobamoviruses, i.e. infectivity was lost after 10 min incubation at 90 °C and after dilution to 10^–8. In addition, the morphology of the virus was typical for tobamoviruses. The particles had a length of about 304 nm. On test plants, the virus fromStreptocarpus could be distinguished from 7 well-defined tobamoviruses.Nicotiana glutinosa showed the most characteristic symptoms. In agar double-diffusion tests and/or double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, no cross reactivity was observed in heterologous combinations with these 7 and 3 other tobamoviruses. Mechanical inoculation of the virus to virus-freeStreptocarpus plants resulted in the appearance of flower breaking in about 50% of the plants. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that the virus that causes flower breaking inStreptocarpus is a distinct member of the Tobamovirus genus, and the nameStreptocarpus flower-break virus is proposed.     

The Effects of Cryopreservation on the Morphometric Dimensions of Iberian Red Deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) Epididymal Sperm Heads

Computer-automated sperm-head morphometry was used in this study to determine the effects of cryopreservation on red deer sperm-head morphometry. Epididymal sperm samples were collected from 40 mature stags and were divided. One portion was diluted at room temperature in a Tris-citrate egg yolk medium, containing 6% glycerol. A microscope slide was prepared from single extended sperm samples prior to freezing. The remainder of each sample was frozen in nitrogen vapours. After thawing, sperm smears were prepared as described above. All slides were air dried and stained with Hemacolor. The sperm-head dimensions for length, width, area, perimeter and shape factor (length/width), for a minimum of 135 spermatozoa were determined for each slide by means of the Sperm-Class Analyser (SCA). Firstly, our results show that cryopreservation substantially reduced (p < 0.001) sperm motility and plasma membrane and acrosome integrities. In addition, sperm heads were significantly smaller in cryopreserved spermatozoa than in the companion extended samples for area (32.05 microm2 vs 32.56 microm2; p < 0.05), length (8.46 microm vs 8.53 microm; p < 0.0001) and shape factor (1.833 vs 1.849; p < 0.0001) for all stags. These differences were found within 29 of 40 stags (75%) for at least three of the morphometric parameters. The individual variability (CV) of sperm head measurements from extended samples was negatively correlated (p < 0.005) with the per cent of change in sperm head measurements after cryopreservation for area (r = -0.465), width (r = -0.483) and perimeter (r = -0.375). Thus, the lower the sperm head variability in the extended samples, the greater the sperm change as a consequence of the cryopreservation. These results suggest that the variability (heterogeneity) in sperm head dimensions of individual stags may be a good indicator of sperm freezability.     

Comparison between symptomatic treatment and lomustine supplementation in 71 dogs with intracranial,space‐occupying lesions

Brain neoplasia is diagnosed in an increasing number of dogs. Consequently, there is a higher need for an effective treatment. Chemotherapy is considered in cases where surgery or radiation is not optional. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the difference in median survival time (MST) of dogs with intracranial masses, treated symptomatically with corticosteroids and anti‐epileptic drugs, compared with the same symptomatic treatment supplemented with lomustine. The records of 71 dogs with intracranial masses were retrospectively evaluated. Fifteen dogs were treated symptomatically with corticosteroids and anti‐epileptics, and 56 dogs received additional therapy with lomustine. There was no statistically significant difference in MST between both groups, being 60 and 93 days, respectively. Age, duration of symptoms, intracranial localization of the mass and intra‐ or extra‐axial localization had no influence on survival time. However, female dogs survived significantly longer than male dogs.