Mitochondrial DNA analysis of Nepalese domestic dwarf cattle Lulu*

Dwarf Lulu cattle, the only Bos Taurus type of cattle in Nepal, are raised under severe environments in the mountainous zone of that country. In the present study, the body measurement traits, cytogenetic and molecular genetic characteristics of the Lulu cattle are investigated. Blood samples were collected from 31 animals in four villages (altitudes 2590–3550 m) in the southern part of Mustang. The Lulu cattle had a normal karyotype with 2n = 60, XY or XX. Only one male examined had a large submetacentric X‐chromosome and a small submetacentric taurine type Y‐chromosome. The mitochodrial DNA (mtDNA) genotypes were analyzed by PCR mediated restriction fragment length polymorphisms, displacement (D)‐loop region PCR mediated single strand conformation polymorphisms, and D‐loop region sequences. Many base substitutions were found in the D‐loop region, suggesting that the Lulu cattle originated from at least 10 maternal lines. Three types of mtDNA from these cattle were found, the Bos taurus type (n = 23), the Bos indicus type (n = 6), and the Bos grunniens type (n = 2). In the village at the lowest altitude, four of the five cows were of the Bos indicus type. These results indicated that mtDNA types of the Lulu cattle mostly belong to Bos taurus, but have been hybridized with Bos indicus cattle in lower‐elevation regions in their maternal lineage.     

A perspective on the measurement of time in plant disease epidemiology

The growth and development of plant pathogens and their hosts generally respond strongly to the temperature of their environment. However, most studies of plant pathology record pathogen/host measurements against physical time (e.g. hours or days) rather than thermal time (e.g. degree-days or degree-hours). This confounds the comparison of epidemiological measurements across experiments and limits the value of the scientific literature.     

Effects of straw and silicon soil amendments on some foliar and stem-base diseases in pot-grown winter wheat

Four foliar and two stem-base pathogens were inoculated onto wheat plants grown in different substrates in pot experiments. Soils from four different UK locations were each treated in three ways: (i) straw incorporated in the field at 10 t ha⁻¹ several months previously; (ii) silicon fertilization at 100 mg L⁻¹ during the experiment; and (iii) no amendments. A sand and vermiculite mix was used with and without silicon amendment. The silicon treatment increased plant silica concentrations in all experiments, but incorporating straw was not associated with raised plant silica concentrations. Blumeria graminis and Puccinia recondita were inoculated by shaking infected plants over the test plants, followed by suitable humid periods. The silicon treatment reduced powdery mildew ( B. graminis ) substantially in sand and vermiculite and in two of the soils, but there were no effects on the slight infection by brown rust ( P. recondita ). Phaeosphaeria nodorum and Mycosphaerella graminicola were inoculated as conidial suspensions. Leaf spot caused by P. nodorum was reduced in silicon-amended sand and vermiculite; soil was not tested. Symptoms of septoria leaf blotch caused by M. graminicola were reduced by silicon amendment in a severely infected sand and vermiculite experiment but not in soil or a slightly infected sand and vermiculite experiment. Oculimacula yallundae (eyespot) and Fusarium culmorum (brown foot rot) were inoculated as agar plugs on the stem base. Severity of O. yallundae was reduced by silicon amendment of two of the soils but not sand and vermiculite; brown foot rot symptoms caused by F. culmorum were unaffected by silicon amendment. The straw treatment reduced severity of powdery mildew but did not detectably affect the other pathogens. Both straw and silicon treatments appeared to increase plant resistance to all diseases only under high disease pressure.     

Germination ecology of Leptochloa chinensis: a new weed in the Italian rice agro-environment

Leptochloa chinensis is a new weed that has been found with increasing frequency in Italian rice paddies. The germination ecology of L. chinensis seeds was studied in order to investigate the development mechanisms and survival strategy of this weed in rice paddies of northern Italy. Leptochloa chinensis seeds showed no dormancy and exhibited germination even in anoxic conditions. Germination was strongly influenced by temperature (minimum around 15°C; optimal 25–35°C) and light (phytochrome dependent). Temperature fluctuation caused an increase of seed germination in the dark. Seed burial also strongly inhibited germination and emergence of this species. At 5 cm seed burial only 5% of seedlings emerged in flooded conditions, while at the same depth, but with no flooding, no seedling emergence was observed. This phenomenon was not due to oxygen depletion, as germination was not inhibited by complete anoxia, as demonstrated by the fact that some seedlings did emerge in flooding conditions when water was no deeper than 6 cm. Seed burial and concomitant flooding induced an unusual germination: first coleoptile emergence and subsequently emergence of the radicle was observed. The possible exploitation of this knowledge for weed management is discussed.     

Biocontrol options for Cirsium arvense with indigenous fungal pathogens

As a first step in the development of a mycoherbicide for biological control of Cirsium arvense indigenous fungal pathogens that had been isolated from diseased hosts were tested both singly and in combination on potted plants under environmental conditions. Disease symptoms (necroses, chloroses and macerations) and parameters of growth and development were evaluated to determine the potential for weed control. During 1998, Phoma destructiva, Phoma hedericola, a Mycelia sterilia and Puccinia punctiformis were inoculated singly. With the exception of the obligate biotroph P. punctiformis (local infections), the single inoculations reduced the measured parameters. A combined inoculum of P. punctiformis and Ph. hedericola was less effective than Ph. hedericola alone. In 1999, Ph. hedericola, Ph. destructiva, Ph. nebulosa and the Mycelia sterila were applied both singly and as a combined inoculum. Of all the tested inocula, the mixture of four pathogens had the greatest potential for biocontrol, significantly reducing reproductive capacity of the plants. These results demonstrate the importance of taking advantage of synergisms in developing a mycoherbicide.     

Recovery of non-target plants affected by airborne bromoxynil-octanoate and metribuzin

The present study was conducted to evaluate the recovery potential of non‐target plants affected by two airborne herbicides. Sunflower at the two‐leaf stage was used as a test plant and exposed for 24 h in a wind tunnel to a range of concentrations of airborne bromoxynil‐octanoate and metribuzin. Quantum yield (φ_PSII) of exposed leaves and of the second leaf pair developed after exposure was determined at a particular time up to 16 days following exposure. Maximum depression in quantum yield of exposed leaves from which a complete recovery occurred within 16 days was 63% for bromoxynil‐octanoate and 60% for metribuzin respectively. The corresponding maximum concentrations were 1.310 and 0.390 μg m^?3 respectively. The second leaf pair was also affected and showed a similar recovery potential. From the results it can be concluded that the significance of airborne bromoxynil‐octanoate and metribuzin must not be overestimated, as sunflower and non‐target plants with a similar sensitivity are likely to recover from air concentrations of both herbicides reported under field conditions.     

Seed production of Chenopodium album in competition with field vegetables

Total weed control within a crop is both difficult and expensive to achieve, so that some weeds will often remain to set seed. The seed production resulting from these weeds will ultimately affect the sustainability of the weed control strategy. If too much is allowed to return each season there could be a gradual, but significant, increase in the potential weed flora over a number of seasons. Field trials were carried out in 2000 and 2001 to quantify the potential magnitude of this weed seed return from Chenopodium album L., grown at two planting densities either in pure stands or in competition with one of two crops (cabbage or onion). Crop and weed weights and weed seed production were notably greater in 2001. Both dry weight and seed production of C. album were suppressed by increasing planting density or by the presence of crop, with cabbage having a more suppressive effect. Despite the plasticity in seed production, a linear relationship was demonstrated between log weed seed production and log weed biomass that was robust over a range of competitive situations with onion and cabbage, at different planting densities and in growing seasons. The study also demonstrated that the relationship could be combined with an existing simple competition model to allow the consequences of incomplete weed control to be assessed in terms of potential weed seed return.     

Yeasts as antagonists against fireblight

Yeasts are potential antagonists of microorganisms in the phyllosphere. Due to their osmotolerance, they should also be able to colonize apple flowers. In field experiments, we applied yeast agents against fireblight at two different sites in the southern part of Germany. They showed efficiencies 0–20% below Plantomycin (streptomycin). Co-culture experiments in liquid basal media with synthetic nectar resulted in suppression of Erwinia amylovora by yeast. This effect could not be confirmed with population studies of yeasts and E. amylovora in flower clusters. Field and laboratory experiments indicated that yeasts have antagonistic properties against fireblight but further research is needed to investigate this potential.     

A modified fluorometric method to quantify the concentration effect (pI50) of photosystem II-inhibiting herbicides

Chlorophyll fluorescence induction curves of isolated thylakoids were measured in the absence and in the presence of various concentrations of photosystem II-inhibiting herbicides. A mathematical program was applied to simulate the curves. Based on these simulated curves a new method is developed to determine the concentration effect (pI₅₀) of the herbicides. The results of the new method correspond well with reported values in the literature. The method is very convenient and time-saving.     

Identification and Characterisation of Bacteria Causing Soft-rot in Agave tequilana

Agave tequilana is the raw material for the production of the alcoholic beverage tequila. A bacterial disease has affected the A. tequilana crop in recent years. Previous reports based on colony and cell morphology, Gram stain and potato rot indicated that Erwinia sp. is the main pathogen. We isolated a several bacterial isolates capable of producing soft-rot symptoms in greenhouse pathogenicity assays. An extensive characterisation involving pathogenicity tests, fatty acid profile, metabolic and physiological properties, ribosomal DNA sequence and intergenic transcribed spacer amplification (ITS-PCR) and restriction banding pattern (ITS-RFLP) was made of each isolate. Three different species: Erwinia cacticida, Pantoea agglomerans and Pseudomonas sp. were identified. Fatty acid and metabolic profiles gave low similarity values of identification but 16S rDNA sequence, ITS-PCR and ITS-RFLP confirmed the identification of E. cacticida. In the phylogenetic tree, E. cacticida from blue agave was grouped neither with E. cacticida type strains nor with Erwinia carotovora. This is the first report that associates E. cacticida with A. tequilana soft-rot symptoms.