Xylogenesis of Pinus pinaster under a Mediterranean climate

Context

The knowledge on cambial activity in water-limited environments, such as the Mediterranean, is still fragmentary. Dendrochronological studies have determined that spring precipitation plays an important part in determining tree-ring width and the properties of tracheids. However, the complex relation between cambial phenology and climate is still far from understood.

Aims

We studied the influence of climate, especially water stress, on maritime pine wood formation with the aim of determining the influence of drought on cambial activity.

Methods

A plantation of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) was selected in the west coast of Portugal, to monitor cambial activity and wood formation using anatomical observations and band dendrometers. The trees were monitored weekly over 2 years (2010 and 2011).

Results

Xylem differentiation started earlier when warmer late winter temperatures were observed. Water stress triggered an earlier stop of wood formation and also the formation of tracheids with smaller lumen area. In both years a bimodal pattern of stem radial increment was registered by band dendrometers with two periods of increment: one in spring and another in autumn. The xylem anatomy study suggests that the autumnal increment period corresponded mostly to stem rehydration, since the differentiation of new xylem cells by the cambium was not observed.

Conclusion

Maritime pine cambial activity appears to be under a double climatic control: temperature influences cambial onset and water availability growth cessation.     

Meiotic behavior of passion fruit somatic hybrids, Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Degener + P. amethystina Mikan

Somatic hybrids (SH) obtained by protoplast fusion were investigated for meiotic behavior in order to determine their possible use in breeding programs. Flower buds from four genotypes of SH between P. edulis f. flavicarpa (E) and the wild species P. amethystina (Am) denoted SH (E + Am) # 12, # 13, # 28 and # 35 were collected and the microsporocytes analysed. Meiotic phases showed the presence of abnormalities such as univalents, bivalents and quadrivalents, laggard chromosomes and anaphase bridges. At least 14 bivalents were observed in most of the cells of the hybrid plants. The percentage of cells with quadrivalents ranged from 73.3 in (E + Am) # 13 to 93.3 in (E + Am) # 28 and # 35. Analysis of pollen viability (V) indicated V = 88.23% for # 12, V = 83.86% for # 13, V = 84.20% for # 28, and V = 72.90% for # 35, and fruit development was observed. The high pollen viability, together with the multivalent pairing observed in the four somatic hybrids indicates that these materials can be used for the genetic improvement of yellow passion fruits aiming at introgressions of genes for resistance to diseases and pests. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Additive gene action for resistance to Puccinia striiformis F.SP. Tritici in Triticum dicoccoides

Summary Seven single-plant selections of wild emmer, with temperature-sensitive minor-effect genes for stripe rust resistance, were intercrossed in eight combinations. The resulting progenies were studied for a possible additive gene action.The transgressive segregation towards resistance in F₂ observed in all the combinations indicates that additive gene action for resistance indeed occurs in wild emmer. The common occurrence of this phenomenon in random combinations suggests further that several minor-effect genes are involved.Following selection of the most resistant plants in F₂, a marked shift towards resistance was noted in F₃, which demonstrates a positive response to selection. In some instances, additive resistance selected for (in F₂) at the high temperature-profile was expressed (in F₃) also at the low temperature-profile. This kind of resistance, when utilized in breeding programmes, promises therefore to be effective over a range of temperatures.     

ACCUMULATION OF SILICON IN CYNODON DACTYLON X C. TRANSVAALENSIS AND POA TRIVIALIS USED AS AN OVERSEED GRASS

Calcium silicate has been used to supply silicon (Si) as a plant nutrient for enhancing crop production and the suppression of turf diseases. Research was initiated to determine the effect of calcium silicate on silicon uptake, turf quality, and its residual activity in providing plant available Si in two turfgrass systems. During 2005 and 2006, calcium silicate (CaSi, 12% Si) was applied as a topdressing at eight rates ranging from 0 to 342 kg m^?2 to a ‘Tifdwarf’ (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) green in the spring and to the same plots overseeded with ‘Wintergreen’ rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.) in the fall. At initiation of the study, dolomitic limestone and magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) was applied to equilibrate calcium across all treatments based on the highest rate of CaSi. Every 28 days, treatments were rated for turf quality and then harvested to determine Si accumulation. One month after applying CaSi in 2005, Si concentration in the leaf tissue of Tifdwarf had increased linearly with increasing rates. This response continued through the months of May, June, July, August, and October with a 9%, 21%, 40%, 22% and 21% increase in Si concentration in the leaf tissue between the control and the 342 kg m^?2 rate, respectively. Although the rate response remained, there was an overall drop in average percent Si accumulation in leaf tissue across the treatments beginning three months after the first application. Similar responses were noted with the overseeded rough bluegrass with a 46%, 85%, 69%, 111% and 58% increase in Si concentration in the leaf tissue between the control and the 342 kg m^?2 rate, respectively. In contrast to the bermudagrass, over the five month period following application, the residual activity of Si in rough bluegrass remained high, suggesting that rough bluegrass might be a better Si accumulator in comparison to Tifdwarf bermudagrass. The second run of the experiment (2006–2007) and the residual trial had the same response with Si concentration in the leaf tissue increasing as the amount of CaSi applied increased. Although turfgrass quality was not well correlated to CaSi rate for Tifdwarf bermudagrass, there was an increase in quality ratings for rough bluegrass from December 2005 to April 2006.     

Application of factorial designs to study factors involved in the determination of aldehydes present in beer by on-fiber derivatization in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

With the aim of studying the factors involved in on-fiber derivatization of Strecker aldehydes, furfural, and (E)-2-nonenal with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine in beer, factorial designs were applied. The effect of the temperature, time, and NaCl addition on the analytes' derivatization/extraction efficiency was studied through a factorial 2(3) randomized-block design; all of the factors and their interactions were significant at the 95% confidence level for most of the analytes. The effect of temperature and its interactions separated the analytes in two groups. However, a single sampling condition was selected that optimized response for most aldehydes. The resulting method, combining on-fiber derivatization with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was validated. Limits of detections were between 0.015 and 1.60 μg/L, and relative standard deviations were between 1.1 and 12.2%. The efficacy of the internal standardization method was confirmed by recovery percentage (73-117%). The method was applied to the determination of aldehydes in fresh beer and after storage at 28 °C.     

Title: priority areas for genetic conservation of Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) MacLeish in Brazil

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) MacLeish, commonly known as candeia, is a threatened tree species that occurs in Seasonal Semideciduous Forests in Brazil. The...     

Ultraviolet spectrophotometric evaluation of corn oil oxidative stability during microwave heating and oven test

The effect of microwave heating on the oxidative stability of corn oil was determined by absorptivity in the UV spectrum and by peroxide and acid values. Oil samples with antioxidants BHA/BHT (1:1; 200 mg kg(-)(1)), with and without citric acid, were heated in a microwave oven (800 W, 2450 MHz) for 0-36 min. Absorptivity at 232 and 270 nm increased during microwave exposure. Control values of absorptivity at 232 nm increased from 3.568 to 12.874 after 36 min of heating. Peroxide value showed a significant difference in the initial stage of heating (0-6 min), but after this time, the peroxide value decreased due to the instability of hydroperoxides at high temperatures. Control 232 nm absorptivities after 6 days in the oven test were similar to those after 32-36 min of microwave heating. Effective antioxidants in the oven test did not show any protection during microwave heating. UV spectrophotometry is a suitable tool for microwave oxidation monitoring.     

Synthesis of a combinatorial library of amides and its evaluation against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is a polyphagous pest that causes important damage in different regions of America and mainly affects corn crops in both tropical and subtropical areas. Currently, control relies on both transgenic plants and/or chemical pesticides. In this work we describe the preparation of an indexed combinatorial library of amides and its toxic effect by contact against S. frugiperda . (E)-1-(1-Piperidinyl)-3-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-2-propen-1-one was the most active compound with an LD(50) = 0.793 μg mg(-1) of larva. This amide was also evaluated by ingestion and at the lowest concentration (1 mg kg(-1)) achieved 83.3% mortality.     

Assessing soil erosion after fire and rehabilitation treatments in NW Spain: Performance of rusle and revised Morgan–Morgan–Finney models

Although the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the revised Morgan–Morgan–Finney (MMF) are well‐known models, not much information is available as regards their suitability in predicting post‐fire soil erosion in forest soils. The lack of information is even more pronounced as regards post‐fire rehabilitation treatments. This study compared the soil erosion predicted by the RUSLE and the revised MMF model with the observed values of soil losses, for the first year following fire, in two burned areas in NW of Spain with different levels of fire severity. The applicability of both models to estimate soil losses after three rehabilitation treatments applied in a severely burned area was also tested. The MMF model presented reasonable accuracy in the predictions while the RUSLE clearly overestimated the observed erosion rates. When the R and C factors obtained by the RUSLE formulation were multiplied by 0·7 and 0.865, respectively, the efficiency of the equation improved. Both models showed their capability to be used as operational tools to help managers to determine action priorities in areas of high risk of degradation by erosion after fire. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.