A multi-criteria approach to identify favorable areas for goat production systems in Veracruz,México

This research identifies favorable areas for goat production systems in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Through the use of the analytic hierarchy process, layers of biophysical and soil information were combined to generate a model of favorability. Model validation was performed by calculating the area under the curve, the true skill statistic, and a qualitative comparison with census records. The results showed the existence of regions with high (4494.3 km²) and moderate (2985.8 km²) favorability, and these areas correspond to 6.25 and 4.15%, respectively, of the state territory and are located in the regions of Sierra de Huayacocotla, Perote, and Orizaba. These regions are characterized as mountainous and having predominantly temperate-wet or cold climates, and having montane mesophilic forests, containing pine, fir, and desert scrub. The reliability of the distribution model was supported by the area under the curve value (0.96), the true skill statistic (0.86), and consistency with census records.     

Assessment of different anther culture approaches to produce doubled haploids in cucumber (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis sativus</Emphasis> L.)

Cucumber is one of the most important vegetable crops worldwide, which makes it a good candidate to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines to accelerate plant breeding. Traditionally, these approaches involved induction of gynogenesis or parthenogenesis with irradiated pollen, which carries some disadvantages compared to androgenesis. Despite this, studies on anther/microspore cultures in cucumber are surprisingly scarce. Furthermore, most of them failed to unambiguously demonstrate the haploid origin of the individuals obtained. In this work we focused on anther cultures using two cucumber genotypes, different previously published protocols for anther culture, different in vitro culture variants to make it more efficient, and most importantly, a combination of flow cytometry and microsatellite molecular markers to evaluate the real androgenic potential and the impact of anther wall tissue proliferation. We developed a method to produce DH plants involving a bud pretreatment at 4 °C, a 35 °C treatment to anthers, culture with BAP and 2,4-D, and induction of callus morphogenesis by an additional 35 °C treatment and sequential culture first in liquid medium in darkness and second in solid medium with light. We also found that factors such as genotype, proliferation of anther wall tissues, orientation of anthers in the culture medium and growth regulator composition of the initial anther culture medium have a remarkable impact. Our rate of chromosome doubling (81%) was high enough to exclude additional chromosome doubling steps. Together, our results present androgenesis as an improvable but yet more convenient alternative to traditional gynogenesis and parthenogenesis-based approaches.     

Genetic analyses for bioactive potential in tetraploid potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

A total of four traits related to bioactive potential of the tetraploid potato were studied in a North Carolina II cross‐experiment. The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for target bioactive compounds in a tetraploid potato population, to determine phenotypic and genotypic correlations and to calculate combining ability effects of cultivars and breeding lines included in the crossing scheme. Total monomeric anthocyanins, phenolics, carotenoids and hydrophilic antioxidant capacity were measured by spectrophotometric methods. The sources of variation female (GCA_f), male (GCA_m) and their interaction (SCA) were significant for bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. Narrow‐sense heritability estimates (h²) were moderate for all the traits (0.413–0.657). Both phenotypic and genotypic correlations were highly significant for phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. As regards combining ability, positive and negative GCA and also SCA effects have been identified for bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. These results indicate that hybrid breeding lines can be obtained by choosing parents with significant GCA, whose bioactive potential can also be further enhanced if the crosses have a significant SCA.     

Genetic structure and phylogeography of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Juniperus phoenicea</Emphasis> complex throughout Mediterranean and Macaronesian regions: different stories in one

Key message

The genetic structure of Juniperus phoenicea in the Mediterranean Basin is inferred using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (AFLP) markers. As other Mediterranean conifers, J. phoenicea populations show moderate levels of genetic diversity and interpopulational differentiation. The pattern of distribution of genetic diversity seems highly influenced by the climatic fluctuations which occurred in the Pleistocene.

Context

It has been stated that the genetic structure of Mediterranean conifers is mediated by the historical climatic changes and the geological rearrangements which occurred in the Mediterranean Basin. J. phoenicea provides an excellent example to test how its genetic structure is influenced by these events.

Aims

In this work, we study the amount and distribution of genetic diversity of J. phoenicea complex, in order to evaluate its taxonomic status and to reveal underlying phylogeographic patterns.

Methods

The molecular diversity was analyzed for 805 individuals from 46 populations throughout its distribution range using AFLP markers. Principal coordinate analysis, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), and Bayesian-based analysis were applied to examine the population structure.

Results

AFLP markers revealed moderate levels of intrapopulation genetic diversity, pairwise genetic differentiation, and a clear pattern of isolation by distance. Bayesian analysis of population structure showed five clusters related to the taxonomic status of J. phoenicea and J. turbinata, and a geographic pattern of genetic structure in J. turbinata.

Conclusion

All the analysis separate J. phoenicea from J. turbinata. For J. turbinata, up to four groups can be distinguished from a phylogeographic point of view. The genetic structure of J. turbinata seems highly influenced by climatic and geologic fluctuations occurring since the Oligocene.

     

Effects of pH and titratable acidity on the growth and development of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monilinia laxa</Emphasis> (Aderh. &amp; Ruhl.) <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis>.

This investigation examines the effects of pH and titratable acidity on the growth and developments of a strain of Monilinia laxa (Aderhold & Ruhland) at seven different pH levels in Potato Dextrose Agar media and on peach fruit from formation to commercial maturity. The fungi growth was obtained by daily measurement of mycelia on the pH amended Potato Dextrose Agar. The sporulation performance was determined after 30 days of culture incubation. Fruits were inoculated with M. laxa, from fruit set to maturity, on weekly basis for brown rot susceptibility. The pathogen development, in vitro, was affected, by the pH (2.4–11.52) amended nutrient media. M. laxa exhibited variation in its growth and sporulation capacities on the seven pH amended PDA, preferring relatively moderate acidic conditions for optimum performance. In the in vitro analysis, there was mycelia growth at pH 2.40 to 8.84, while pH 11.52 did not support any mycelia growth. There was a continuous and stable increase in weight of fruit as it developed whereas the fruit size increased, then decreased and finally increased as the fruit develops. The acidity dynamics exhibited a non-sinusoidal waveform through the growth and development of the fruit. In all these characteristic variations, M. laxa did not develop infection or shown any brown rot incidence in the fruit until the period of commercial maturity.     

Correction to: Incidence and characterization of the presence of phytoplasmas in Fraxinus uhdei related with Ash Yellow disease in Colombia

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - In the article mentioned above, an author’s name was misspelled.     

Phenolic profiles and their contribution to the antioxidant activity of selected chickpea genotypes from Mexico and ICRISAT collections

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, nine kabuli from Mexico and 9 desi from other countries, were investigated for their phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity (AA). Phenolics in methanol extracts (ME) were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-MS), whereas the AA was measured as Trolox equivalents (TE) by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods. Twenty phenolic compounds were identified in the ME and their levels showed a great variability among the chickpea genotypes. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were the most abundant compounds in kabuli and desi genotypes, respectively. The AA values (μmol TE/ 100 g dw) by ABTS (278–2417), DPPH (52–1650), and FRAP (41–1181) were mainly associated with the content of sinapic acid hexoside, gallic acid, myricetin, quercetin, catechin, and isorhamnetin, suggesting they are the main compounds responsible for the AA. The sum of the AA obtained for standards of these compounds evaluated at the concentration found in the extracts accounted for 34.3, 69.8, and 47.0% of the AA in the extract by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP, respectively. In the AA by DPPH, most of the mixtures of these compounds resulted in synergistic interactions. Three desi genotypes with black seeds (ICC 4418, ICC 6306, and ICC 3761) showed the highest AA and flavonoids content, whereas the most promising kabuli genotypes were Surutato 77, Bco. Sin. 92, and Blanoro that showed the highest values of phenolic acids. These genotypes represent good sources of antioxidants for the improvement of nutraceutical properties in chickpea.     

Maximum Influent Salinity Affects the Diversity of Mineral-Precipitation-Mediating Bacterial Communities in Membrane Biofilm of Hybrid Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor-Membrane Bioreactor

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - A novel bacterium, Bacillus megaterium strain ISO-2, capable of the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA), was isolated from wastewater collected from a polycarbonate...     

Effects of Cover Crops on Soil Quality: Selected Chemical and Biological Parameters

Cover crops improve soil quality properties and thus land productivity. We compared soil chemical and biological changes influenced by hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) and cereal rye (Secale cereal) cover crops grown in Menfro silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs), Mexico silt loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Epiaqualfs), or sand in the greenhouse. Cover crop biomass, soil β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase activities, and soil chemical properties were measured at six, nine, and twelve weeks after planting. Cover crop biomass increased with highest (p < 0.0001) yields for hairy vetch and cereal rye in Menfro and Mexico soils, respectively. β-glucosaminidase, FDA, organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) contents significantly decreased in all soils for both cover crops. However, β-glucosidase activity significantly increased (p < 0.0001). Long-term field studies are needed to evaluate soil quality improvement under cover crops, especially for soils with marginal organic matter and fertility.