Towards sweet cherry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus avium</Emphasis> L.) breeding: phenotyping evaluation of newly developed hybrids

An increasing demand for cherry production (Prunus avium L.) in Greece led to the development of new high quality sweet cherry cultivars. Self-incompatibility in cherry is one of the most challenging issues for the species’ cultivation and top breeding priority. Τhe present study focuses on the development of new hybrids with improved traits such as productivity, fruit size, organoleptic characteristics and self-compatibility. For this purpose, thirty different cultivars were crossed and produced hybrids that were evaluated according to 34 morpho-physiological characteristics. The results were analyzed using the XLSTAT (version 2014.1) software and a dendrogram was constructed using the agglomerative hierarchical clustering method. Optimal hybrid clustering was achieved when characteristics of great economic importance such as fruit shape and size, growth habit and days to blooming were included in the analysis. Based on the results, new sweet cherry hybrids with the special character of self-compatibility were developed. Our findings provide crucial new information for sweet cherry future breeding programs and cultivation.     

Evaluation of a portable glucose meter for use in cattle and sheep

Background: In farm animal practice, determination of blood glucose concentration under field conditions is often necessary. Objective: As there is no portable glucose meter device developed for use in farm animals, the analytical accuracy of a portable glucometer designed for people was evaluated for its use in cattle and sheep. Methods: Blood samples from 90 cattle and 101 sheep were used in the study. Glucose concentration was determined in whole blood immediately after blood collection from the jugular vein with the One Touch Vita portable glucometer and in serum with an enzymatic colorimetric method. The agreement between methods was assessed by Passing and Bablok regression analysis. The precision and the accuracy of the measurements were determined using the concordance correlation coefficient. Results: There was a strong linear relationship between the glucose values obtained using the portable glucometer and those obtained by the bench method in both cattle and sheep. Precision was 95% for cattle and 88% for sheep, whereas accuracy was 92% and 99%, respectively. The mean glucose values obtained using the portable glucometer were significantly lower by 8.3% in cattle and 3.2% in sheep than those determined by the bench method. Conclusion: The One Touch Vita portable glucometer can be used in clinical practice to determine blood glucose concentrations in cattle and sheep, but reference intervals (RI) must be corrected to allow for negative bias. Based on these equations the RI for blood glucose in cattle and sheep using the portable glucometer were corrected to 1.84–4.17 and 2.41–4.35 mmol/L, respectively.     

Chemical Evaluation of Compost Produced at a Large Greek Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant: Metal Availability and Phytotoxicity

ABSTRACT

The present work investigates the impact of municipal solid waste mechanical separation and industrial composting on the metal content of composts and assesses the availability of Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn at different maturation stages of compost produced at the largest mechanical biological treatment plant in Greece. Substantial metal contamination of composts was found to take place within the industrial facility, attributed to segmentation and sorption mechanisms during composting. In fresh compost, Zn is present in mobile fractions (41%), Cu is mostly held on the less mobile organic phases (57%), Cd is mostly present in bioavailable forms (51%), whereas Pb and Cr are associated with less mobile phases, such as Fe-Mn oxides and organic molecules. Cd, Cu, and Zn migrate to more inert phases during compost maturation, paralleled by the decrease of overall metal leachability. Cu and Pb concentrations (mg kg^?1) exceeded the permissible limits in both composts (Fresh: Cu: 213 ± 48, Pb: 128 ± 69; Mature: Cu: 263 ± 1, Pb: 158 ± 29) and water leachates (Fresh: Cu: 106 ± 4, Zn: 126 ± 13; Mature: Cu: 50 ± 0.50, Zn: 118 ± 20). Nevertheless, toxic effects were not observed in monocot, dicot, or aquatic biosensor plants as indicated by radicle and shoot growth and visual quality ratings. Since metal availability in composts is related to their leaching potential, metal speciation studies should be conducted in leachates for the appropriate characterization of industrial composts.     

Mono- and duoculture of juvenile sharpsnout seabream Diplodus puntazzo (Cetti) and gilthead seabream Sparus aurata L. in a recirculated water system

Although the growth of intensively reared sharpsnout seabream Diplodus puntazzo (DP) has been suggested to improve in duoculture with gilthead seabream Sparus aurata (SA), the stocking ratio for most effective duoculture rearing has not been investigated. For this purpose, juvenile D. puntazzo (1.68±0.011 g) and S. aurata (1.43±0.007 g) were reared in duplicated groups of 165 specimens each, in two monoculture (100% DP, 100% SA) and four duoculture combinations (80% DP–20% SA, 60% DP–40% SA, 40% DP–60% SA, 20% DP–80% SA) for 96 days under recirculated water system conditions. Both species exhibited the highest growth when stocked at 20% and the poorest growth when stocked at 80%. For each species, no major differences for coefficient of weight variation and carcass proximate composition were detected. As the percentage of stocked S. aurata increased, D. puntazzo aggressiveness and weight variability of whole population were reduced, while total biomass, food consumption and food conversion ratio were increased. The results obtained are discussed in relation to fish behaviour and social interactions. From the fish farming point of view, it is indicated that under the present experimental conditions, juvenile S. aurata should be reared in monoculture and D. puntazzo in duoculture 40% DP–60% SA.     

Simulated Summertime Regional Ground-Level Ozone Concentrations over Greece

Ground-level ozone concentrations were estimated for Greece during a summer period of the year 2000 using the regional air quality model UAM-V off-line coupled with the mesoscale meteorological model MM5. An anthropogenic NOx, NMVOCs and CO emission inventory and biogenic NMVOCs emission data were used to support model simulations. The evaluation analysis indicates a quite satisfactory model performance in reproducing ozone levels. The simulated mean ozone concentrations are above the 32-ppb EU phytotoxicity limit over almost all continental and maritime areas of Greece. Over the greater part of the country, the background mean ozone levels range from 40 to 55 ppb. Ozone values higher than the 55-ppb EU human health protection limit reaching 60 ppb dominate part of the southern Aegean Sea that is influenced by the Athens urban plume. In the areas where anthropogenic emission densities are high, the mean ozone levels vary between 20 and 40 ppb. Over the greater part of Greece, the simulated mean daily maximum ozone concentrations range from 50 to 65 ppb. More enhanced maximum ozone concentrations up to 95 ppb mainly dominate over the greater areas of the two largest Greek urban centres (Athens and Thessaloniki) and over the continental and maritime areas south of Athens which are under the influence of the urban plume.     

Elemental Relationships and Growth and Development of Spinach Grown with Sewage Sludge

A pot experiment with spinach (Spinacia oleraceae L. Fam.: Chenopodiaceae) was conducted aiming to investigate the effect of the addition of sewage sludge (SS) on soil substrate, the growth of spinach, and the plant interactions of CaxCd and ZnxCd. There were six substrates obtained by mixing soil and sludge in different proportions by volume (20:1, 10:1, 6.7:1, 5.0:1, 4.0:1, 3.3:1) and a control (only soil). The highest biomass was achieved in treatments 20:1 and 10:1. There was not a linear increase due to toxicity when SS was added in higher proportions. Sludge improved soil fertility by increasing organic matter and total N. Furthermore, in all plant parts of spinach, the Ca and Zn contents were synergistically interrelated with the Cd content, facilitating Cd uptake. The use of sewage sludge as soil amendment is not applicable on agricultural land due to the accumulation of Cd in plant.