Interaction of red raspberry cultivars with isolates of Phragmidium rubi-idaei

Seven cultivars of red raspberry ( Rubus idaeus ) showed different susceptibility to infection by yellow rust ( Phragmidium rubi-idaei ) at two commercial plantations in Scotland and North Wales, The cultivars Latham, Chief and Boyne were completely resistant. Mailing Delight and Glen Clova supported more telial more than Mailing Jewel. In contrast the last named was the most susceptible cultivar at the aecial stage in Scotland but developed similar numbers of aecia to Glen Clova and Mailing Delight in Wales.
Meeker had an extended latent period, fewer and smaller pustules and a very small yield of urediniospores compared to the other susceptible cultivars, thus showing the characteristics of slow-rusting genotypes. At the Scottish site in 1982, where rust was less than in Wales, Meeker and Mailing Jewel performed differently to the other cultivars at the telial stage. Inoculation studies under controlled environmental conditions with urediniospores from each site revealed an interaction between cultivars and isolates suggesting that variation in pathogenicity is present in populations of P. rubi-idaei in the UK.     

Inheritance of virulence in Fusarium circinatum,the cause of pitch canker in pines

Wildtype strains of Fusarium circinatum, the causal agent of pitch canker, were crossed to obtain an F₁ generation. Progeny of this cross were tested for virulence by inoculating Pinus radiata seedlings, and were found to induce a wide range of lesion lengths. Two strains from the F₁ generation that induced long lesions (= high virulence) were used as parents to produce an F₂ generation, followed by a second round of selection for high virulence to obtain an F₃ generation. Mean lesion lengths were not significantly different between the three generations (P ≥ 0.196). A parallel set of crosses was performed to select for low virulence by using progeny in the F₁ and F₂ generations that induced short lesions as parents for F₂ and F₃ generations, respectively. In this case, both rounds of selection resulted in a significant reduction in mean lesion length, from 33.8 ± 0.8 mm in the F₁ generation, to 19.7 ± 0.7 and 12.9 ± 0.7 mm in the F₂ and F₃ generations, respectively. Thus it is apparent that F. circinatum retains the genetic capacity for avirulence to pines, which could reflect a lack of strong selection for virulence in nature. Progeny of a cross between high and low virulence parents manifested nearly continuous variation in lesion lengths, consistent with virulence being a quantitatively inherited trait. Based on this cross, broad‐sense heritability (H²) was determined to be 0.74, which suggests that virulence is under strong genetic control.     

Assessment of the ultrasonographic characteristics of the podotrochlear apparatus in clinically normal horses and horses with navicular syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the normal ultrasonographic appearance of the podotrochlear apparatus in horses by use of standardized measurements and identify soft tissue changes associated with navicular syndrome. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 7 clinically normal horses and 28 horses with navicular syndrome. PROCEDURE: The feasibility of identifying and measuring the soft tissue structures of the podotrochlear apparatus ultrasonographically via the transcuneal approach was assessed in 2 additional horses without navicular syndrome; both horses were euthanatized, and the structures identified ultrasonographically were confirmed at necropsy. Ultrasonographs were obtained in the study horses. Objective and subjective data were obtained to characterize ultrasonographic changes associated with navicular syndrome. RESULTS: Abnormalities of the flexor surface of the distal sesamoid (navicular) bone, the impar ligament, the distal digital annular ligament, deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), and the podotrochlear (navicular) bursa were assessed via the transcuneal ultrasonographic approach. No significant differences were found between the measurements of the podotrochlear apparatus in normal horses and those with navicular syndrome; however, important subjective differences were detected ultrasonographically in horses with navicular syndrome. In horses with navicular syndrome, ultrasonographic findings were indicative of navicular bursitis, dystrophic mineralization of the DDFT and impar ligament, tendonitis and insertional tenopathy of the DDFT, desmitis of the impar ligament, and cortical changes in the flexor surface of the navicular bone. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings of ultrasonographic evaluation of the hoof appear to be useful in determining the cause of caudal heel pain and characterizing the components of navicular syndrome in horses.     

A linear functional relationship model for circular data with an application to the assessment of ocean wave measurements

This article suggests a linear functional relationship model for comparing two sets of circular data subject to unobservable errors. Unlike the corresponding and relatively well-studied model for linear data, maximum likelihood estimation for this model is very complicated and no explicit solutions are possible. Using a numerical approximation, we are able to solve the likelihood equations approximately, and to obtain good approximations to the likelihood estimates of the parameters. The quality of our estimates and the feasibility of the estimation method are illustrated via simulation. By establishing a parallel with the model for linear data, we are able to explain the various problems occurring in the process of estimation and to substantiate our numerical results. The interest in the model arose in connection with the study of ocean wave data; an application to such data is also given.     

Regulation of urease production in soil by microbial assimilation of nitrogen

Summary Studies of the effects of different forms of N on urease production in soils amended with organic C showed that although microbial activity, as measured by CO₂ production, was stimulated by the addition of NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ^- to C-amended soils (200 mol glucose-C g^–1 soil), urease production was repressed by these forms of N. The addition of L-methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of inorganic N assimilation by microorganisms, relieved the NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^- repression of urease production in C-amended soil. The addition of sodium chlorate, an inhibitor of NO₃ ^- reduction to NH₄ ⁺ by microorganisms, relieved the NO₃ ^- repression of urease production, but did not eliminate the repression associated with NH₄ ⁺. These observations indicate that microbial production of urease in C-amended soils is not directly repressed by NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ^-, but by products formed by microbial assimilation of these forms of N. This conclusion is supported by our finding that the biologically active L-isomers of alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartate, and glutamine, repressed urease production in C-amended soil, whereas the D-isomers of these amino acids had little or no influence on urease production. This work suggests that urease synthesis by soil microorganisms is controlled by the global N regulon.