The mode of action of chlorsulfuron: The lack of direct inhibition of plant DNA synthesis

Chlorsulfuron (2-chloro-N-[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)aminocarbonyl]benzene-sulfonamide), the active ingredient in DuPont Glean Weed Killer, has been proposed to act by inhibiting plant cell division. In order to further define the mode of action of this new herbicide, studies were made of the effects of chlorsulfuron on processes associated with plant DNA synthesis. No inhibitory effects were observed on DNA synthesis in isolated plant nuclei, and the enzymes DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase. Nucleoside precursors of DNA were not effective in lessening chlorsulfuron inhibition of thymidine incorporation into DNA of corn root tips. These results indicate that chlorsulfuron does not inhibit plant cell division by a direct inhibition of DNA synthesis.     

Ripening influences banana and plantain peels composition and energy content

Musa sp. peels are widely used by smallholders as complementary feeds for cattle in the tropics. A study of the influence of the variety and the maturation stage of the fruit on fermentability and metabolisable energy (ME) content of the peels was performed using banana (Yangambi Km5) and plantain (Big Ebanga) peels at three stages of maturation in an in vitro model of the rumen. Peel samples were analysed for starch, free sugars and fibre composition. Samples were incubated in the presence of rumen fluid. Kinetics of gas production were modelled, ME content was calculated using prediction equation and short-chain fatty acids production and molar ratio were measured after 72 h of fermentation. Final gas production was higher in plantain (269–339 ml g⁻¹) compared to banana (237–328 ml g⁻¹) and plantain exhibited higher ME contents (8.9–9.7 MJ/kg of dry matter, DM) compared to banana (7.7–8.8 MJ/kg of DM). Butyrate molar ratio decreased with maturity of the peels. The main influence of the variety and the stage of maturation on all fermentation parameters as well as ME contents of the peels was correlated to changes in the carbohydrate fraction of the peels, including starch and fibre.     

Predicting effective doses for the joint action of two fungicide applications

A function was derived to predict fungicide efficacy when more than one application of a single active ingredient is made to a crop, given parameters describing the dose–response curves of the component single-spray applications. In the function, a second application is considered to act on that proportion of the total pathogen population which was uncontrollable at the time of the first application (represented by the lower asymptote of the dose–response curve for the first treatment), plus any additional part of the population which survived the first application as a result of a finite dose being applied. Data to estimate the single-spray dose–response curve parameters and validate predictions of two-spray programme efficacy were obtained from separate subsets of treatments in four field experiments. A systemic fungicide spray was applied to wheat at a range of doses, at one or both of two times (t₁ and t₂), in all dose combinations. Observed values of the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) for septoria leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola) were used to construct response surfaces of dose at t₁ by dose at t₂ for each culm leaf layer. Parameters were estimated from single-spray and zero-dose treatment data only. The model predicted a high proportion (R² = 71–95%) of the variation in efficacy of the two-spray programmes. AUDPC isobols showed that the dose required at t₂ was inversely related to the dose at t₁, but the slope of the relationship varied with the relative timings of t₁ and t₂ in relation to culm leaf emergence. Isobols were curved, so the effective dose – the total dose required to achieve a given level of disease suppression – was lower when administered as two applications.     

Survival and Growth of Isolated Polyps of Galaxea fascicularis (Linnaeus 1767) on Six Kinds of Culture Substrates: Implications for Mariculture,Aquarium Culture,and Conservation

Coral aquaculture is viewed as a sustainable method of providing colonies for use in the aquarium trade, pharmacological studies, and coral reef rehabilitation. The production of large, healthy specimens depends on providing conditions that mimic or surpass natural reef environments. Materials with a high degree of variability in physical and chemical properties are utilized as substrates in coral aquaculture, but until fragment–substrate interactions are isolated and independently studied, the possible inhibitory and facilitative effects of each material will remain unclear. To understand potential key roles that substrates can play in coral culture, a comparison was made about the role of various materials on fragment survival and growth. The experiment examined the interactions between isolates of a common scleractinian coral, Galaxea fascicularis, and six commonly used substrates (coral rock, terracotta, polyvinyl chloride, steel, rubber tire, and concrete) and how these affected survival and growth. No differences were observed in the survival, colony size, and polyp production of the resulting microcolonies. The results show that, for G. fascicularis, growth is not affected by substrate type. The results demonstrate the use of a wide variety of materials for the successful aquaculture of scleractinian corals.