Evaluating evaporation from field crops using airborne radiometry and ground-based meteorological data

Summary Airborne measurements of reflected solar and emitted thermal radiation were combined with ground-based measurements of incoming solar radiation, air temperature, windspeed, and vapor pressure to calculate instantaneous evaporation (LE) rates using a form of the Penman equation. Estimates of evaporation over cotton, wheat, and alfalfa fields were obtained on 5 days during a one-year period. A Bowen ratio apparatus, employed simultaneously, provided ground-based measurements of evaporation. Comparison of the airborne and ground techniques showed good agreement, with the greatest difference being about 12% for the instantaneous values. Estimates of daily (24 h) evaporation were made from the instantaneous data. On three of the five days, the difference between the two techniques was less than 8%, with the greatest difference being 25%. The results demonstrate that airborne remote sensing techniques can be used to obtain spatially distributed values of evaporation over agricultural fields.     

Orthopedic Infections in Equine Long Bone Fractures and Arthrodeses Treated by Internal Fixation: 192 Cases (1990–2006)

Objective: To determine the rate of postoperative infection (POI) for internal fixation repaired equine long bone fractures and arthrodeses and identify associated risk factors. Study Design: Case series. Animals: Horses (n=192) with fracture repair of the third metacarpal and metatarsal bones, radius, ulna, humerus, tibia, and femur, or arthrodesis with internal fixation. Methods: Medical records (1990–2006) were reviewed for signalment, anatomic location, fracture classification and method of repair, technique and surgical duration, bacterial species isolated, postoperative care, onset of POI, and outcome. Results: Of 192 horses (171 [89%] closed, 21 [11%] open fractures), 157 (82%) were discharged from the hospital. Infection occurred in 53 (28% horses), of which 31 (59%) were discharged. Repairs without POI were 7.25 times more likely to be discharged from the hospital. Closed fractures were 4.23 times more likely to remain uninfected and 4.59 times more likely to be discharged from the hospital compared with open fractures. Closed reduction and internal fixation was associated with a 2.5‐fold reduction in rate of POI and a 5.9 times greater chance for discharge from the hospital compared with open reduction and internal fixation. Females had a strong trend for increased POI when compared with colts and stallion but not geldings. Conclusions: Overall rate of POI was 28%. Fracture classification, method of repair, gender, and surgical duration were significant risk factors.     

From shallow to deep waters: habitats used by larval lampreys (genus Petromyzon and Lampetra) over a western European basin

Abstract –  Habitat requirements of lamprey ammocoetes (Petromyzon marinus and Lampetra genus) were investigated, for the first time, from shallow to deep waters, at different spatial scales across the Gironde‐Dordogne continuum, thanks to a water suction dredge. Fish‐habitat relationships were assessed through two complementary statistical analyses: habitat‐use curves and habitat suitability models using the Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) technique. Analyses were performed on a small‐size data set that was characterised by the low prevalence of lamprey. The sea lamprey larvae occurred in deeper areas than their Lampetra genus counterparts. ‘Pools’ of 2 m’ depth and more were optimal habitats for the former species. Among the environmental variables retained to model lamprey occurrences, the mesohabitat (a categorical variable) was demonstrated to be highly influential, in terms of fine grain‐size substratum and vegetation cover. These preliminary results suggest that monitoring using the water suction dredge method may contribute to sea lamprey conservation.     

Soil microbial community response to land-management and depth,related to the degradation of organic matter in English wetlands: Implications for the in situ preservation of archaeological remains

Wetlands are important habitats not only for their unique ecological value but also because they contain organic material that is fundamental to our understanding of precedent landscape and human past. This study compares the effects of two different land-management regimes on metabolic diversity and bacterial community structure with depth in order to relate them to the process of organic matter degradation and the potential for preservation in situ of organic archaeological artefacts in wetland soils. Soil cores were collected at five depths down to 100 cm from two wetlands sites in England. Environmental variables were monitored and the metabolic capabilities of the microbial community were studied using Biolog Ecoplates^®. DNA was extracted from soil, and the bacterial community structure was examined by polymerase chain reaction followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). To determine compositional changes in the bacterial community with depth, information about specific groups of bacteria at the site with higher water table (Hatfield Moor) was obtained by cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Biolog and DGGE analyses showed depth variation and between-site variation. Carbon substrate utilization and bacterial diversity decreased with increasing depth. The wetland soil under an arable regime in which the water levels were kept elevated, showed higher metabolic capability and bacterial richness when compared with the soil under pasture and subjected to long-standing drainage. Cloning and sequencing showed that Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were the predominant taxa within the soil profile, but there was a clear shift in bacterial community composition with increasing depth as several taxonomic groups (δ-Proteobacteria and Spirochaetes) were only detectable at 50 cm depth. Because the site with a high and stable water table presented higher metabolic activity and bacterial diversity, it may be that saturated conditions and a high water table are not sufficient to guarantee the preservation in situ of organic material such as archaeological artefacts.     

The lipid compositions of two isolates of Cladosporium cucumerinum do not explain their differences in sensitivity to fungicides which inhibit sterol biosynthesis

Isolate 840905 of Cladosporium cucumerinum, when grown on agar or in liqiud medium, was sensitive to triadimenol, HWG 1608 (tebuconazole), fenpropimorph and pimaricin but relatively resistant to terbinafine. Conversely, isolate 49628 was sensitive to terbinafine but relatively resistant to the other fungicides. Changes in sterol composition following treatment with the fungicides reflected the known modes of action of each fungicide. When individual enantiomers of triadimenol were tested against isolate 840905 the order of activity in reducing mycelial growth was 1 S, 2R > 1R, 2R > 1R, 2S ≈? 1S, 2S, and this was paralleled by the depletion of ergosterol and the appearance of 14α-methyl sterols. Isolate 49628 had a greater saturated:unsaturated fatty acid ratio than did isolate 840905 but no major changes in fatty acid composition of either isolate were induced by fungicide treatment. There appears to be no obvious explanation for the differences in fungicide sensitivity of the isolates in terms of their lipid compositions.     

Review—mechanism of action of herbicidal and fungicidal compounds on cell membranes

The eukaryotic cell membrane is thought to consist of a mobile bilayer of phospholipid, sometimes intercalated with sterols, in which peripheral and transmembrane proteins are embedded. This provides a model whereby the mode of action of many fungicidal and herbicidal compounds can be rationalised and understood. Some compounds, such as the polyene antibiotics, steroidal saponins and certain phytoalexins, induce membrane malfunction by direct insertion, often complexing with vital components. Others, such as paraquat and the nitrodiphenyl ether herbicides, cause membrane damage by inducing lipid peroxidations. Furthermore, there are many compounds, including the sterol-biosynthesis-inhibiting fungicides and the aryloxyphenoxypropionate and cyclohexanedione herbicides, which interfere with the biosynthesis of membrane components. Because membrane structure is fundamentally similar in eukaryotes, it is important to discover the reasons for any differential toxicity displayed by these compounds and, if necessary, to find ways of optimising desirable patterns of selectivity.     

Prospects and progress for Bacillus thuringiensis-based pesticides

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-based insecticide products constitute the overwhelming majority of biopesticides but, despite having been commercially available for over 30 years, they have made little impact (<1%) on the crop-protection market as a whole. This has been largely due to poor cost-performance factors relative to synthetic organic pesticides. However, recent biotechnological advances—including genetic modification—combined with a variety of emerging opportunities, have created the prospect of the commercialisation of a new range of highly effective Bt-based biopesticides. Bioencapsulation of single-gene products—delta-endotoxins from selected Bt isolates—in killed Pseudomonad cells (Mycogen Corporation's ‘CellCap’ technology), offers a flexible delivery system with enhanced persistence. This versatile approach selects only the most appropriate biotoxins, which can be used to target a number of pest species. It is anticipated that Bt-based pesticides will continue to fill an increasing number of gaps in the panoply of synthetic crop-protection chemicals. Genetically modified products offer advantages in terms of efficacy, flexibility and safety but public concerns regarding perceived risks need to be addressed.     

Monitoring of atrazine treatment on soil bacterial,fungal and atrazine-degrading communities by quantitative competitive PCR

We report the development of quantitative competitive (QC) PCR assays for quantifying the 16S, 18S ribosomal and atzC genes in nucleic acids directly extracted from soil. QC-PCR assays were standardised, calibrated and evaluated with an experimental study aiming to evaluate the impact of atrazine application on soil microflora. Comparison of QC-PCR 16S and 18S results with those of soil microbial biomass showed that, following atrazine application, the microbial biomass was not affected and that the amount of 16S rDNA gene representing 'bacteria' increased transitorily, while the amount of 18S rDNA gene representing fungi decreased in soil. In addition, comparison of atzC QC-PCR results with those of atrazine mineralisation revealed that, in response to atrazine treatment, the amount of atzC gene increased transitorily in soil pre-treated with atrazine, suggesting that accelerated atrazine biodegradation in soil could be due to a transient increase in the size of the atrazine mineralising community.