Wet deposition of non sea-salt sulphate in the United Kingdom: The influence of natural sources

Because of its position to the west of Europe, much of the wet sulphur deposition in the west of the UK is background in the sense that it is not attributable to pollutants emitted within Europe less than four days previously. There are both natural and anthropogenic sources of this sulphur. An important natural source, especially during the summer, is dimethylsulphide (DMS) produced by marine phytoplankton. To identify the contribution of marine biogenic sulphur we have measured stable sulphur isotope ratios in precipitation. We show that biogenic sulphur is significant in summer but contributes little in winter and that around 5–10% of the annual background wet sulphur deposition is due to biogenic sources. During July and December 1993, airflow across the UK was predominantly westerly. The measured biogenic component of precipitation sulphate accounted for around 30 % of background sulphate in July but was negligible in December. Investigation of five day back-trajectories for the period indicated little opportunity for re-circulation of European emissions, suggesting that other (non-DMS) natural sources and non-European anthropogenic emissions were responsible for most of the background sulphur.     

Completion of the agronomic evaluations of Medicago ruthenica [(L.) Ledebour] germplasm collected in Inner Mongolia

Because Medicago ruthenica [(L.) Ledebour] is a potential new forage legume, we collected 90 accessions in Inner Mongolia in 1991. The 40 accessions evaluated in this study (E2) trace to 13 collection sites ranging from 40° 40 (N) × 111° 15 (E) to 42° 55 (N) × 122° 20 (E) and to altitudes ranging from 175 to 1493 m. Nineteen of these accessions were collected from new or under-represented sites in generally milder and drier climates (temperate desert steppes), compared to the 50 accessions evaluated earlier (E1). All accessions were evaluated at Beltsville, MD (USA) on a B and K deficient Iuka sandy loam (coarse-loamy, siliceous, acid, thermic, Aquic Udigluvent; pH 6.4) in two-year studies. Significant variation was noted in E1 and E2 for dry matter yield, growth habit, leaf shape, and plant height and width. Upright growth habit and leaf narrowness, and procumbency and yield were positively correlated in both evaluations, but no particular leaf shape or growth habit was correlated with tolerance to winter conditions. In E2, leaf:stem ratios of four M. ruthenica accessions and a cultivated alfalfa (M. sativa L.) check were not significantly different, but M. ruthenica was significantly more tolerant of potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae Harris) feeding than was M. sativa. Second-year alfalfa dry matter yield was about five times larger than that of M. ruthenica. Many of the highest yielding accessions were collected near cultivated fields and/or buildings. Although data for both evaluations demonstrated the same basic trends, there were sufficient deviations to emphasize the value of evaluating the entire germplasm collection.     

Studies on rye (Secale cereale L.) lines exhibiting a range of extract viscosities. 2. Rheological and baking characteristics of rye and rye/wheat blends and feeding value for chicks of wholemeals and breads

Five rye lines exhibiting a wide range of extract viscosities were evaluated for the rheological and baking properties of their flours, individually and in blends with hard red spring wheat flour. Commercial cultivars of rye and triticale were included in the study as controls. Extract viscosities of rye flours were higher than those of corresponding wholemeals, indicating shifting of water-extractable arabinoxylan into flour during roller milling. Falling numbers of the rye flours correlated positively with their extract viscosities in the presence (r = 0.73, p < 0.05) or absence (r = 0.65, p < 0.05) of an enzyme inhibitor. Farinograms revealed the weakness of rye and triticale flours compared to wheat flour. Extract viscosities of rye flours were negatively correlated (r = -0.65, p < 0.05) with mixing tolerance index and positively correlated (r = 0.64, p < 0.05) with dough stability, suggesting a positive impact of extract viscosity on dough strength. Extract viscosity was negatively correlated (r = -0.74, p < 0.05) with loaf volume and specific volume (r = -0.73, p < 0.05) and positively correlated (r = 0.73, p < 0.05) with loaf weight of rye/wheat bread. Overall, the results indicated that 30% of flour from high or low extract viscosity rye could be incorporated into rye/wheat breads without seriously compromising bread quality. Inclusion of rye, particularly high extract viscosity rye, in chick diets seriously impeded growth performance and feed efficiency. Part of the arabinoxylan survived bread-making and exerted an effect on chicks, although substantially lower digesta viscosities were observed in chicks fed rye bread diets than in those fed rye wholemeals.     

Modeling First Break Milling of Debranned Wheat Using the Double Normalized Kumaraswamy Breakage Function

Debranning of wheat affects flour quality, initially by altering the breakage of wheat kernels during first break. The double normalized Kumaraswamy breakage function was applied to model the effect of debranning on wheat breakage during first break milling, in which type 1 breakage describes a relatively narrow distribution of midsized particles, whereas type 2 breakage describes a wide size range of predominantly small particles extending to very large particles. Mallacca (hard) and Consort (soft) wheats were debranned and milled at three roll gaps under sharp‐to‐sharp and dull‐to‐dull dispositions. Type 1 breakage increased at longer debranning times, whereas type 2 breakage decreased, for both wheat varieties under both dispositions. Sharp‐to‐sharp milling tended to produce more type 1 breakage than dull‐to‐dull. A mechanism of wheat breakage is proposed to explain the coproduction of very large and small particles via type 2 breakage and, hence, the effect of debranning. The proposed mechanism is that small particles of endosperm arise from scraping of large flat particles of wheat bran under the differential action of the rolls, such that removal of the bran reduces the production of the large bran particles and thus reduces the opportunity for the scraping mechanism that produces the very small particles.     

Current status of biological control of soil-borne diseases

Abstract. Biological control by manipulating agricultural practices has been used for thousands of years. In the more restricted sense, of adding antagonistic micro-organisms, biological control is still a very small part of the chemical pesticide market, but reliable products are becoming available. Achieving consistent results in realistic agricultural conditions is a problem, but there is a good possibility of controlling root diseases, especially where the soil characteristics or the environmental conditions can be controlled. The use of biological control in integrated control is successful, and in the long-term genetic engineering techniques will be important in the development of biological control. Environmental safety and effective patent protection are still being developed, but there seem to be no insuperable problems.