Food Production and Water Conservation in a Recirculating Aquaponic System in Saudi Arabia at Different Ratios of Fish Feed to Plants

An indoor aquaponic system (i.e., the integration of fish culture with hydroponic plant production in a recirculating setup) was operated for maximizing water reuse and year-round intensive food production (Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , and leaf lettuce) at different fish feed to plants ratios. The system consisted of a fish culture component, solid removal component, and hydroponic component comprising six long channels with floating styrofoam rafts for holding plants. Fish culture effluents flowed by gravity from the fish culture component to the solid removal component and then to the hydroponic component. Effluents were collected in a sump from which a 1-horsepower in-line pump recirculated the water back to the fish culture tanks at a rate of about 250 L/min. The hydroponic component performed as biofilter and effectively managed the water quality. Fish production was staggered to harvest one of the four fish tanks at regular intervals when fish attained a minimum weight of 250 g. Out of the total eight harvests in 13 mo, net fish production per harvest averaged 33.5 kg/m³ of water with an overall water consumption of 320 L/kg of fish produced along with the production of leaf lettuce at 42 heads/m² of hydroponic surface area. Only 1.4% of the total system water was added daily to compensate the evaporation and transpiration losses. A ratio of 56 g fish feed/m² of hydroponic surface effectively controlled nutrient buildup in the effluents. However, plant density could be decreased from 42 to 25–30 plants/m² to produce a better quality lettuce.     

Phenotypic variation within a Hungarian landrace of runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.)

Summary A landrace seed lot of runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.), obtained from the Budapest region, Hungary, was separated into five seed groups according to seed coat colour. 131 plants were grown randomly, and observed for 27 morphological and physiological characters. The collected data were analysed by ANOVA.Numerical taxonomy of the data employed Principal Components Analysis to generate scatter diagrams and Cluster Analysis to generate dendrograms, both before and after removing data on the four anthocyanin colour characters (seed coat, calyx, stem and flower colour) as these characters are probably controlled by a single major gene. The progenies from the five distinct parental seed groups showed much overlap in characteristics, indicating that they were not distinct lines but comprised a largely panmictic population.Some character associations were detected: plants from white seeds matured significantly later than those from black seeds, plants from white seeds with a few dark spots produced seeds significantly heavier than average, whereas those from white or black seeds produced significantly lighter seeds, although the average seed yield per plant did not differ significatly.     

Evaluation of 2 cement techniques for augmentation of stripped 1.5 mm screw sites in the distal metaphysis of feline radii

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of 2 cement augmentation techniques on pullout strength of 1.5 mm screws placed in stripped 1.5 mm screw sites in the distal metaphysis of feline radii. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Feline radii (21 pairs). METHODS: Treatment groups (n=4) were allocated according to a Latin square design to 4 sites in each pair of radii. Positive and negative controls were a 1.5 mm screw and a screw of the same diameter in a previously stripped screw hole, respectively. Treatment groups were a 1.5 mm screw implanted in a previously stripped screw hole after injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or a bioresorbable calcium phosphate cement (CPC, Norian skeletal repair system (SRS)). The ultimate pullout strength was compared between groups. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SEM) pullout strength of screws augmented with either bone cement was less than that of the positive control group and greater than that of the negative control. Injection of CPC or PMMA before screw implantation increased the pullout strength of the negative control by 86.8+/-22.9% and 104.1+/-32.1%, respectively. Holding power of the positive control screws differed from these 2 groups, and was 274.8+/-39.17% higher than that of the negative control. CONCLUSION: Injection of CPC or PMMA increases but does not restore the holding power of stripped 1.5 mm diameter screws. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of CPC (Norian SRS) augmentation of stripped 1.5 mm diameter screws warrants clinical investigation as it combines biomechanical results similar to PMMA with osteoconduction and resorbability.     

Response of wheat growth and productivity to exogenous polyamines under lead stress

Polyamines [i.e. spermine (Spm), spermidine (Spd) and putrescine (Put)] antagonistic effects on stress imposed by 2.0 mM lead (Pb²⁺) on growth, yield and its components and changes in the osmoprotectant and endogenous Pb²⁺ concentrations, the contents of some nutrients and tissue health in wheat plants were evaluated. Under the three applied polyamine (PAs) applications, the efficiency of wheat plants to tolerate Pb²⁺ stress in terms of growth and yield characteristics was noticed to varying degrees. The enhancements in osmoprotectant concentrations and plant health [in terms of relative water content (RWC) and membrane stability index (MSI)], and reductions in electrolyte leakage (EL) and plant Pb²⁺ concentration were correlated with the reasonable growth of Pb²⁺-stressed plants and their grain yield. Results point out that, better growth and yield characteristics, MSI, RWC, leaf photosynthetic pigment and osmoprotectant concentrations, and nutrient contents were obtained with seed soaking in 0.25 mM Spm, 0.50 mM Spd or 1.0 mM Put than those generated with seed soaking in water under 2.0 mM Pb²⁺ stress. In contrast, EL and the concentration of endogenous Pb²⁺ were significantly reduced. However, the Pb²⁺-free control positively exceeded the all stressed treatments. Among all tested PAs, 1.0 mM Put showed the best results and thus is recommended, as seed soaking, for wheat to grow well under Pb²⁺ stress.     

Hedysarum phylogeny mediated by RFLP analysis of nuclear ribosomal DNA – RFLP and Hedysarum phylogeny

The RFLP technique has been employed to investigate phylogenetic relationships between species of the Hedysarum genus. Homologous DNA probes were used to generate patterns from a set of the Mediterranean group. The degree of band sharing was used to estimate genetic distances between species and to draw phylogenetic trees. These are in good agreement with phylogeny based on morphological and isozyme markers, but contain novel insights. The results are discussed in the context of current work in molecular biosystematics in Hedysarum complex. Attempts made in this approach to access the extent of variability at the DNA level occurring with the domestication process have been investigated. With the availability of the tested probes, it has been assumed that the genetic structure is not affected by the domestication process.     

Screening techniques and sources of resistance to root diseases in cool season food legumes

Summary Soil-borne fungal diseases are among the most important factors, limiting the yield of grain legumes in many countries worldwide. Root rot, caused by Aphanomyces euteiches, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani and wilt, caused by several formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum are the most destructive soil-borne diseases of pea, chickpea, lentil, fababean and lupin. The most effective control of these diseases is achieved through the use of resistant varieties. In this paper, recent advances in conventional and innovative screening methods for disease resistance are presented. Many grain legume accessions, which are maintained in national and international germplasm collections, have been evaluated for disease resistance and numerous resistant varieties have been released following incorporation of identified resistance genes from these sources. Recent identification of molecular markers tightly linked to resistance genes has greatly enhanced breeding programs by making marker assisted selection (MAS) possible and allowing the development of varieties with multiple disease resistance. Progress in the understanding of the biology of soil-borne fungal pathogens of grain legumes is also reviewed with particular reference to the genetic structure of their populations, diagnosis and host–pathogen interaction.     

Evaluation of several selection procedures for predicting yield performance of progenies in two populations of cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.)

Average, combined and specific indices involving lint yield and its components “seeds per boll” and “lint per seed” were computed for two populations of cotton (Gossypium barbadense) evaluated in two seasons. All indices were constructed to maximize advance in “lint yield”. Indices were evaluated as to their usefulness in identifying high yielding genotypes. Within the limits of this experiment it was shown that:

1. 1.
   Specific indices were superior to yield as criteria for selection in both predicted and actual gains.     

Genetics of resistance to 3 isolates of Ascochyta fabae on Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in controlled conditions

Summary Genetics of resistance to Ascochyta fabae Speg. in Vicia faba L. was studied with a final objective to develop resistant faba bean varieties to Ascochyta blight. The study was conducted separately on 3 single spore isolates (AF10-2 and AF13-2 from Tunisia and AF4-3 from France) and belonging to different groups of virulence (GV1 and GV2). Important general combining ability (GCA) effects were found especially with isolates AF10-2 and AF4-3. Specific combining ability (SCA), although significant for the 3 isolates, was important only with AF13 -2, but less important than GCA. Additive gene effects were predominant to non-additive effects. Lines 29H and A8817 transmitted to their progenies resistance to the 3 isolates, whereas 14–12 and 19TB conferred resistance to their progenies only with isolates AF13-2 and AF4-3, respectively. In the material studied, resistance was generally controlled by dominant genes but also could be attributed to recessive genes although less frequent. Analysis of segregation in the F2 of 2 crosses between the resistant lines (A8817 and 29H) and the susceptible line (14–12) with isolate AF4-3 revealed dominant monogenic control at the level of leaves in the 2 resistant lines and, in addition, a recessive gene controlling resistance of stems. Non-allelic interactions were occasionally manifested and their origin appeared to be due to line 19TB. A recurrent selection scheme was proposed with the objective to develop improved open-pollination populations and synthetic varieties responding to the objective of the national Tunisian research programme on faba bean.     

Structure-physicochemical function relationships of soybean beta-conglycinin heterotrimers

We purified four single molecular species of beta-conglycinin heterotrimers consisting of the alpha and beta subunits or the alpha' and beta subunits from mutant soybean cultivars lacking the alpha or alpha' subunit, respectively, and examined their structural features and physicochemical functions. The extent of the hydrophobicities of the heterotrimers was related to the number of the alpha or alpha' subunit. The thermal stabilities of the heterotrimers were mainly conferred by the subunit which had lower thermal stability. Solubilities at low ionic strength (mu = 0.08) of the heterotrimers containing the alpha or alpha' subunit were very similar to those of the alpha and alpha' homotrimers, respectively. Emulsifying abilities and heat-induced associations of the heterotrimers containing one beta subunit were similar to those of the alpha or alpha' homotrimer, whereas those of the heterotrimers containing two beta subunits were similar to those of the beta homotrimer.