Effects of cropping history and origin of seed potatoes on population structure of Phytophthora infestans

The effects of origin of seed potatoes and the cropping history on the phenotypic structure of Phytophthora infestans populations was studied in northern Hessia, central Germany, from 2000 to 2002. Populations originating from fields with a history of potato cropping with only short or no rotation (old fields) were compared with populations from new fields, i.e., where no potatoes had been grown for at least 30 years and seed potatoes were either imported from breeders or produced on-farm (certified). The main goal was to determine the importance of seed potato infection in the establishment of new P. infestans populations. Isolates were characterized for mating type, virulences and rep- (repetitive extragenic palindromic) PCR fingerprints. Among a total of 639 isolates sampled from 31 sites, mating types A1 and A2 co-existed in all three years in 60–92% of the sites. Over all three years, 53 pathotypes were detected in a subsample of 272 isolates. Isolates originating from the new fields had significantly higher frequencies of the virulences v1, v2, v3, v6 and v7, indicating general effects of seed introduction into a new region. Thirty-six fingerprints were detected in a subsample of 281 isolates of which 22 were unique while four occurred in all three years and in many sites. Pathogen populations from potato fields that were grown from seed tubers of geographically different origin differed significantly based on χ ² tests. While the Nei genetic distances were less than .1 among the local populations, distances to the US lineages US-1, US-6, US-7 and US-8 ranged from .22 to .47; however, the bootstrap values were not significant. Populations from old fields were more diverse and 14 of the 22 rep-PCR types occurred there among 132 isolates tested in comparison to six in the new fields (n = 140 isolates) and two among six isolates from volunteers. The results also suggest that both sexual and asexual reproduction play a role.     

Density and Organic Matter Influence on Egg‐laying and Hatching of Branchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta)

This study aimed to assess the combined effects of density of adults of Branchiura sowerbyi and the source of organic matter on the production of eggs and young species. The experimental units used were 250‐mL beakers with 100 mL of fine sand (0.074–0.210 mm) and 150 mL of chlorine‐free water with constant aeration at the temperature 25 C. The experiment was conducted based on a two‐factor model with six treatments and three repetitions, applied in a completely random design. The densities 5 individuals/38.5cm² (D5; 1298/m²) and 8 individuals/38.5cm² (D8; 2078/m²) were assessed with commercial fish feed (FF), commercial poultry feed (PF), and turkey manure (TM) as sources of organic matter. A total of 1223 cocoons and 2138 eggs were produced, with average hatching of 40.0 ± 15.1%. The highest number of cocoons and eggs was found with the use of PF, D8 having produced the highest number of cocoons and eggs. The hatching rate was not influenced by the source of organic matter or density and no influence was registered from the density of adults on the survival. The PF provided the highest growth of adults, and generally the use of TM provided the worst performance.     

Effect of chitosan-based edible coatings applied by vacuum impregnation on quality preservation of fresh-cut carrot

Edible coatings based on high molecular weight chitosan, pure or combined with methylcellulose or oleic acid, were applied to fresh-cut carrots cv. Nantesa by simple immersion and by applying a vacuum pulse (5 kPa for 4 min). Water vapour resistance, colour, mechanical properties and respiration rates of non-coated and coated samples were determined. Coatings improved sample appearance, since they diminished the occurrence of the white blush during storage. When applied by simple immersion, they neither conferred significant barrier properties nor the preservation of the mechanical properties of fresh-cut carrot samples. In contrast, coating application with a vacuum pulse enhanced all the positive effects, since the resistance of water vapour transmission of the samples was significantly improved, and better preservation of the sample colour and mechanical response during cold storage was obtained. Differences in film composition did not significantly affect the coating behaviour, probably due to the variability induced by different factors when coatings were applied to the carrot surface.     

Evidence for an expanded host range ofFusarium oxysporum f.sp.raphani

The pathogenicity of four isolates ofFusarium oxysporum obtained from infected cultivated rocket (Eruca vesicaria) and wild (sand) rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) was tested on the following cruciferous hosts: stock, radish, wild and cultivated rockets, and various species in the cabbage tribe: cabbage (Brassica oleracea var.sabauda), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var.botrytis), Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var.gemmifera), broccoli (Brassica oleracea var.italica), turnip (Brassica rapa var.rapa). The results indicated that isolates ofF. oxysporum from cultivated and wild rocket belong to theforma specialis raphani. The isolates from rocket were pathogenic on cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnip, radish and stock; isolates ofF. oxysporum conglutinans from cabbage and radish, and the isolate ofF. oxysporum f.sp.raphani from rape obtained from the ATCC collection, were pathogenic on both cultivated and wild rocket.     

Carbon source assimilation and fermentation tests: study of 77 animal Pasteurella strains by a microtechnique

77 strains of Pasteurella from various animal species were tested using the API micromethod for their ability to assimilate 147 carbon substrates and ferment 49 carbohydrates. Typical profiles of P. multocida and P. haemolytica were determined. This micromethod should prove useful in establishing the biotypes of Pasteurella species and in studying their epidemiology and pathogenicity.     

Food medicine and minor nourishment in the folk traditions of Central Italy (Marche,Abruzzo and Latium)

A series of research projects on wild plants used in Central Italy (Marche, Latium and Abruzzo) as food medicine and for minor nourishment was carried out in the years 1979-2000. This study reports a summary of the data personally collected in the field. Minor nourishment appears to be still consistently utilised: wild plants are consumed preferably in salads, boiled or in omelettes. Some therapeutic properties are attributed by people to the alimentary plants, often documented by the scientific literature. In this study, folk alimentary and/or therapeutic food uses of 126 entities distributed among 39 families are described. Particular folk uses concerning cultivated plants are also reported. In this paper, for the first time pharmacobotanical properties are systematically emphasised for the folk food species of Central Italy. References to analogous alimentary uses in Central Italy are documented. Comparisons among different food traditions are also discussed.     

Infektionsversuche mit Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii und Lophodermium piceae an unterschiedlich gestreßten Jungfichten (Picea abies [L.] Karst.)

Young spruce trees [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] artificially inoculated with Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii B. and Lophodermium piceae (F.) v. H. were exposed to fumigations with O₃ and SO₂ and drought. These treatments showed no influence on the infection-rates of the fungi. R. kalkhoffii proved to be a saprophyte living for a long period as an epiphyte on the needle surfaces.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus halepensis</Emphasis> somatic embryogenesis is affected by the physical and chemical conditions at the initial stages of the process

Pinus halepensis has been described as a drought-tolerant species with high plasticity to growth in different environments. Its eco-physiological characteristics could facilitate the use of this species in large afforestations in the future scenery of climate change. Somatic embryogenesis is a biotechnological tool with potential for large-scale clonal propagation. In order to establish an improved regeneration protocol for Pinus halepensis, the effects of different temperatures (18, 23, and 28 °C) and water availability conditions (2, 3, and 4 g L^?1 Gelrite^®), during initiation of embryonal masses on the rate of initiation, proliferation, maturation, and the number of embryos developed, were evaluated. It was found that environmental conditions during the initiation stage of Pinus halepensis somatic embryogenesis influence the success of initiation and proliferation. In contrast, there was no effect of these conditions on the maturation rates and the number of somatic embryos. Somatic embryos were obtained in all treatments tested, indicating that plants can be produced from extreme conditions of induction, such as high temperatures (28 °C) and low water availability conditions (4 g L^?1).     

First report on Meloidogyne chitwoodi hatching inhibition activity of essential oils and essential oils fractions

The Columbia root-knot nematode (CRKN), Meloidogyne chitwoodi, is an EPPO A2 type quarantine pest since 1998. This nematode causes severe damage in economically important crops such as potato and tomato, making agricultural products unacceptable for the fresh market and food processing. Commonly used nematicidal synthetic chemicals are often environmentally unsafe. Essential oils (EOs) may constitute safer alternatives against RKN. EOs, isolated from 56 plant samples, were tested against CRKN hatching, in direct contact bioassays. Some of the most successful EOs were fractionated and the hydrocarbon molecules (HM) and oxygen-containing molecules (OCM) fractions tested separately. 24 EOs displayed very strong hatching inhibitions (≥90 %) at 2 µL mL^?1 and were further tested at lower concentrations. Dysphaniaambrosioides, Filipendula ulmaria, Ruta graveolens, Satureja montana and Thymbra capitata EOs revealed the lowest EC₅₀ values (<0.15 µL mL^?1). The main compounds of these EOs, namely 2-undecanone, ascaridol, carvacrol, isoascaridol, methyl salicylate, p-cymene and/or γ-terpinene, were putatively considered responsible for CRKN hatching inhibition. S. montana and T. capitata OCM fractions showed hatching inhibitions higher than HM fractions. The comparison of EO and corresponding fractions EC₅₀ values suggests interactions between OCM and HM fractions against CRKN hatching. These species EOs showed to be potential environmentally friendly CRKN hatching inhibitors; nonetheless, bioactivity should be considered globally, since its HM and OCM fractions may contribute, diversely, to the full anti-hatching activity.