Field scale row unit vibration affecting planting quality

Precision Agriculture - With recent developments allowing increased planter speeds, improving spatial uniformity of crop emergence will continue to be an important focus of research. Vertical...     

Cherry picking by pseudomonads: After a century of research on canker,genomics provides insights into the evolution of pathogenicity towards stone fruits

Bacterial canker disease is a major limiting factor in the growing of cherry and other Prunus species worldwide. At least five distinct clades within the bacterial species complex Pseudomonas syringae are known to be causal agents of the disease. The different pathogens commonly coexist in the field. Reducing canker is a challenging prospect as the efficacy of chemical controls and host resistance may vary against each of the diverse clades involved. Genomic analysis has revealed that the pathogens use a variable repertoire of virulence factors to cause the disease. Significantly, strains of P. syringae pv. syringae possess more genes for toxin biosynthesis and fewer encoding type III effector proteins. There is also a shared pool of key effector genes present on mobile elements such as plasmids and prophages that may have roles in virulence. By contrast, there is evidence that absence or truncation of certain effector genes, such as hopAB, is characteristic of cherry pathogens. Here we highlight how recent research, underpinned by the earlier epidemiological studies, is allowing significant progress in our understanding of the canker pathogens. This fundamental knowledge, combined with emerging insights into host genetics, provides the groundwork for development of precise control measures and informed approaches to breed for disease resistance.     

Foliar lifespan,phenology and seasonal dynamics of the invasive shrub Schinus terebinthifolia

Schinus terebinthifolia is a dioecious tree native to South America that has become an invasive weed in Florida, southern California, southern Arizona, Texas and Hawaii and has been naturalised in over 20 countries. Biological control is considered a viable long-term control option for S. terebinthifolia because release from natural enemies appears to be at least partly responsible for its success in Florida. We examined leaf phenology of S. terebinthifolia over a period of 15 months at five sites in central and southern Florida to provide information that may help in predicting the impacts of potential biocontrol agents for this weed. We documented leaf lifespan, the seasonality of leaf development and abscission and the survivorship of leaves that emerged during either spring, summer or autumn. Average leaf lifespan was >4.5 months at all sites, and leaf phenology followed the seasons closely. Although S. terebinthifolia possesses leaves throughout the year, leaf production was greatest from April to September, and most leaves were abscised in February and March. Spring- and summer-emerging leaves were also longer-lived than leaves produced during autumn. These results suggest that leaves of S. terebinthifolia would be most vulnerable to herbivory during the spring and summer months when newly growing leaf tissue is most plentiful. Biocontrol agents capable of damaging these tissues during spring/summer might be an effective means of controlling this invasive weed.     

Growth and Biochmical Studies of Mrigal Fish (Cirrhinus mrigala) Fed Graded Levels of Oil

A 45-day experiment was carried out to evaluate the growth performance,digestive enzymes activity and biochemical response of Cirrhinus mrigala fed graded levels of oil.Three isonitrogenous purified diets(6%,8%and 10%of oil)were formulated.A total of 108 juveniles of Cirrhinus mrigala(5.95±0.25)g were equally distributed in triplicate groups in nine plastic tanks of 100 L capacity and fed under natural light cycle.Growth performance of the fish significantly reflected the effect of inclusion levels of oil tested but the diet with 8%lipid had the best significant growth performance[%weight gain,Feed Conversion Ratio(FCR)and Specific Growth Rate(SGR)],across different experimental groups.Levels of secretion of digestive enzymes in the fish fed different experimental diets resulted in significant values of(p0.05)amylase and lipase,while Aspartate transaminase(AST),Alanine transaminase(ALT),Lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and Malate dehydrogenase(MDH)values in the muscle and liver decreased significantly(p0.05)as the levels of oil in the diet increased.However,serum biochemical parameters did not record any significant difference(p0.05)with the exception of the total lipid across diets.The study confirmed the inclusion effect of graded levels of oil in juvenile Mrigal diet,but the inclusion should not be more than 8%to avert growth depression.     

Microtubule stabilization reduces scarring and causes axon regeneration after spinal cord injury

Hypertrophic scarring and poor intrinsic axon growth capacity constitute major obstacles for spinal cord repair. These processes are tightly regulated by microtubule dynamics. Here, moderate microtubule stabilization decreased scar formation after spinal cord injury in rodents through various cellular mechanisms, including dampening of transforming growth factor-β signaling. It prevented accumulation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and rendered the lesion site permissive for axon regeneration of growth-competent sensory neurons. Microtubule stabilization also promoted growth of central nervous system axons of the Raphe-spinal tract and led to functional improvement. Thus, microtubule stabilization reduces fibrotic scarring and enhances the capacity of axons to grow.     

Rapid wastage of Alaska glaciers and their contribution to rising sea level

We have used airborne laser altimetry to estimate volume changes of 67 glaciers in Alaska from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. The average rate of thickness change of these glaciers was -0.52 m/year. Extrapolation to all glaciers in Alaska yields an estimated total annual volume change of -52 +/- 15 km3/year (water equivalent), equivalent to a rise in sea level (SLE) of 0.14 +/- 0.04 mm/year. Repeat measurements of 28 glaciers from the mid-1990s to 2000-2001 suggest an increased average rate of thinning, -1.8 m/year. This leads to an extrapolated annual volume loss from Alaska glaciers equal to -96 +/- 35 km3/year, or 0.27 +/- 0.10 mm/year SLE, during the past decade. These recent losses are nearly double the estimated annual loss from the entire Greenland Ice Sheet during the same time period and are much higher than previously published loss estimates for Alaska glaciers. They form the largest glaciological contribution to rising sea level yet measured.     

Genetic Advancement of Newly Developed Wheat Populations Under Drought-Stressed and Non-Stressed Conditions

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Genetic variation and heritability estimates in early generations are important in identifying superior families that can be targeted for genetic...     

Control of insect pests using trunk injection in a newly established apple orchard

We evaluated the potential for using preplant trunk injections of emamectin benzoate in nonbearing apple trees. Trees were evaluated for pest injury and emamectin residues throughout the planting season and into the following year. Injections into the trunk best delivered emamectin benzoate to the canopy compared with injections into the taproot, and the higher rate reduced insect pests more than the lower rate. In the following year, differences in insect control between trunk and root injections were less pronounced, but the higher rate of emamectin benzoate persisted longer and better reduced pests relative to the other treatments.