Determination of petroleum oil deposits on Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck leaves

Oil deposited on citrus leaves when sprayed with oil-in-water emulsions was measured by gas-liquid chromatography of a hexane/acetone/water/ethyl acetate extract of the leaves. To overcome the problem of decreased recoveries with increased time between spraying and extraction, a refluxing step was included in the procedure followed by Florisil clean-up prior to analysis. Mean oil recoveries of 81% were obtained and, unlike recoveries using published methods, they were independent of time between application and extraction. The method is intended to be used in trials to determine the relationship between spray volume, Chinese wax scale mortality and petroleum oil deposition on citrus leaves sprayed by low-, medium- and high-volume sprayers.     

Bacterial colonization of leaves: a spectrum of strategies

ABSTRACT Bacteria associated with plant leaves, or phyllobacteria, probably employ a range of colonization strategies. Steps in these colonization strategies include modification of the leaf habitat, aggregation, ingression, and egression. Considerable evidence indicates that bacteria can modify their environment to enhance their colonization of plants, such as by increasing local nutrient concentrations or by producing a layer of extracellular polysaccharides. This local habitat modification may occur on the surface of leaves, as well as in the leaf interior, and may be enhanced by the formation of bacterial aggregates. The conspicuous presence of bacterial aggregates on leaves and the finding that the behavior of bacteria on plants varies in a density-dependent manner indicate the potential importance of cooperative interactions among phyllobacteria. Such cooperative interactions may occur among both homogeneous and heterogeneous populations, thus influencing the development of microbial communities. While the sites commonly colonized by most phyllobacteria have not been unambiguously identified, there is strong circumstantial evidence that a sizable proportion of cells, particularly of phytopathogenic strains, are localized within "protected sites" on plants. The likelihood that these protected sites are located in the interior of leaves indicates that phytopathogenic bacteria have access to more resources and greater protection from stresses associated with the leaf surface than bacteria that are restricted to the leaf surface. The internal and external leaf-associated populations probably form a continuum due to the processes of ingression and egression. For a specific pathogen, however, the extent of egression that occurs prior to disease induction is likely to influence the success of disease predictions based on external population size, i.e., the number of bacteria in leaf washings. In this review, we illustrate the complexity of the ecology of leaf-associated bacteria and propose a model of leaf colonization that emphasizes the common elements in bacterial colonization strategies, as well as allows for distinct behavior of different phyllobacterial species.     

Post-harvest disinfestation of lightbrown apple moth,Epiphyas postvittana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), with an alkane

Lightbrown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana Walker was used as a test insect to evaluate a post-harvest oil, C15 Ampol CPD, and a spray oil, C23 Ampol DC-Tron NR, both applied as dips. CPD was much more efficacious than C23 DC-Tron NR against exposed third-instar larvae. Higher oil concentrations were required to penetrate and kill larvae sheltering under the calyx of oranges. LBAM eggs were more susceptible to CPD oil than larval stages. LBAM larvae dipped in sub-lethal doses of oil continued to develop, but the fecundity of both males and females was reduced. DC-Tron had a significant effect on egglaying. CPD and C23 DC-Tron NR affected the fertility of eggs laid. CPD oil sprayed at 50 ml litre⁻¹ on adult LBAM moths reduced their fertility. Factors contributing to the higher efficacy of CPD and its potential use as a post-harvest treatment are discussed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Case series of equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in a tropical climate

The clinical manifestations of equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in temperate climates are well described. The classic presentation is that of an older animal with hirsutism, laminitis, poor muscle tone, pendulous abdomen and weight loss. This case series highlights the additional clinical signs of anhidrosis and heat stress with secondary exercise intolerance that were seen as primary presenting problems in equids with PPID in the hot, humid conditions of a tropical climate. The clinical signs resolved with medical treatment for PPID.     

The effect on creatinine kinase activity of freezing plasma from healthy foals

Abstract

AIM: To assess the stability of creatine kinase (CK) activity in plasma collected from healthy foals and frozen at ?20°C for up to 12 weeks.

METHODS: Samples of venous blood drawn from 25 foals were analysed for CK activity soon after collection, and again after 1 and 12 weeks of freezing at ?20°C.

RESULTS: CK activity decreased (p<0.001) between Week 0 and Week 1 and between Week 0 and Week 12.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Decreases in CK activity were statistically significant but clinically insignificant.     

Assessment of zinc and copper status in weaned piglets in relation to dietary zinc and copper supply

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of weaning and the effect of increasing dietary zinc concentrations on the zinc and copper status of weaned piglets (study 1) and to study the effect of high concentrations of dietary zinc and/or copper on zinc and copper status of weaned piglets (study 2). Study 1 included 54 piglets (six litters of nine piglets). One piglet from every litter was killed 1 day before weaning. The remaining 48 piglets were allocated at weaning (28 days) to four dietary zinc treatments (100, 250, 1000 or 2500 ppm) and subsequently killed 1-2, 5-6 or 14-15 days after weaning. Study 2 included 48 piglets (six litters of eight piglets) allocated to four dietary treatments, consisting of low or high dietary zinc (100 or 2500 ppm) in combination with low or high dietary copper (20 or 175 ppm). All piglets in study 2 were killed 5-7 days after weaning. In both studies, the trace mineral status was assessed by zinc and copper concentrations and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in plasma and mucosal tissue. In study 2, lymphocyte metallothionein (MT) mRNA and intestinal mucosa MT mRNA concentrations were included as zinc status markers. The results showed that the zinc status, measured as zinc in plasma and mucosa, was not affected by weaning of the piglets. Plasma copper concentrations decreased during the first 2 weeks after weaning. High dietary copper concentrations did not affect the concentration of copper in plasma, but increased the concentration of copper in mucosa and the concentration of zinc in plasma. The dietary zinc treatments increased the zinc concentration in plasma as well as the zinc and MT mRNA concentration in mucosa. Lymphocyte MT mRNA concentrations did not reflect the differences in dietary zinc supplementation.     

Evaluation of Galium species and populations using morphological characters and molecular markers

Three Galium species are believed to be present across western Canada: Galium aparine, Galium spurium and Galium boreale. Galium spurium and G. aparine are very difficult to distinguish morphologically, which is problematic for crop consultants and weed surveyors, and could have implications for control measures. Molecular techniques could potentially make identification easier and more rapid than using chromosome counts, as is currently done. The objective of this study was to identify morphological traits and/or genetic polymorphisms capable of species differentiation. To this end, Galium seed of unknown speciation were collected from nine field populations across western Canada and, along with two reference samples of G. spurium and G. aparine, were characterised for both morphological traits and their ribosomal ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 genomic sequence. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism variation within the highly conserved 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene was identified that could consistently differentiate Galium species. Sequence analysis of the ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 region of field collections from western Canada indicated that all samples were G. spurium and all were highly related to each other. These results were supported by a distinct lack of variation in morphological traits, as nearly all plant traits measured did not differ between populations. This suggests that all sampled populations, and perhaps most of the Galium populations across western Canada, are derived from a single species, G. spurium.