Fusarium oxysporum- und F. proliferatum-Isolate aus Spargel und deren Pathogenit?ts��berpr��fung in einer modifizierten in vitro-Schnelltestmethode

Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium proliferatum are important causal agents of crown and root rot of asparagus. In order to detect differences in pathogenicity and aggressiveness, two F. proliferatum and five F. oxysporum single spore isolates from asparagus spears from plantings in Austria and Germany, 55 pure cultures of F. oxysporum from asparagus roots from a planting in Hesse, Germany, and a single F. oxysporum isolate from an asparagus shoot collected in Austria were evaluated in a 28-day quick test on Hoagland??s agar in glass culture tubes. Plantlets were inoculated with spore suspensions from each respective isolate after 14 days of growth under sterile, controlled conditions in a growth chamber. A severity scale was used to assess symptoms on roots two weeks after inoculation. The effects of the single-spore isolates on root and shoot fresh weights of the plantlets were also determined. The pathogenicity of the majority of the F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum isolates included in this study was confirmed. Inoculation with pure and single-spore cultures resulted in elevated disease severity in comparison to non-inoculated controls. In particular, the two F. proliferatum isolates were found to be more aggressive than the F. oxysporum isolates. Moreover, all single spore isolates caused a reduction in fresh weight of roots and shoots in comparison to the controls. With respect to differences among asparagus cultivars, ??Ramos??, was found to be more susceptible than ??Ravel??. Overall, the quick test method was found to be capable of evaluating the pathogenicity and aggressiveness of the tested F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum isolates towards asparagus within 28 days.     

Ultrastructure of the excretory system of Brachylaimus aequans (Trematoda: Brachylaimoidea)

The ultrastructure of the flame cell, excretory capillaries, ducts, collecting ducts, excretory bladder, and excretory pore of Brachylaimus aequans was studied 6-8 days p.i. The excretory ducts, collecting ducts and excretory bladder are provided with numerous lamellae on the luminal side. The cilia of lateral flames in the excretory ducts have a triated rootlet. The excretory pore is covered by a tegument identical with the body tegument. The syncytium of the excretory bladder is connected with the tegument of the excretory pore by means of a septate desmosome. No lipid or excretory corpuscles have been demonstrated in the excretory system.     

Establishment of diagnostic criteria for feline nonflea-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis

Hypersensitivity dermatitides (HD) are commonly seen in cats, and they are usually caused by environmental, food and/or flea allergens. Affected cats normally present with one of the following clinical reaction patterns: head and neck excoriations, usually symmetrical self-induced alopecia, eosinophilic skin lesions or miliary dermatitis. Importantly, none of these clinical presentations is considered to be pathognomonic for HD skin diseases, and the diagnosis of HD is usually based on the exclusion of other pruritic diseases and on a positive response to therapy. The objectives of this study were to propose sets of criteria for the diagnosis of nonflea-induced HD (NFHD). We recruited 501 cats with pruritus and skin lesions and compared clinical parameters between cats with NFHD (encompassing those with nonflea, nonfood HD and those with food HD), flea HD and other pruritic conditions. Using simulated annealing techniques, we established two sets of proposed criteria for the following two different clinical situations: (i) the diagnosis of NFHD in a population of pruritic cats; and (ii) the diagnosis of NFHD after exclusion of cats with flea HD. These criteria sets were associated with good sensitivity and specificity and may be useful for homogeneity of enrolment in clinical trials and to evaluate the probability of diagnosis of NFHD in clinical practice. Finally, these criteria were not useful to differentiate cats with NFHD from those with food HD.     

INTRA- AND INTEROBSERVER VARIABILITY OF ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS OF THE THYROID GLAND IN HEALTHY BEAGLES

The repeatability of ultrasonographic measurements of the canine thyroid gland was evaluated. The variability of three different parameters (the maximal length, width, and height) within observer, between observer and between dogs was assessed based on three different measurements made by each of three observers infive healthy beagle dogs. From the three parameters, the volume of the gland was estimated using a formula of a rotation ellipse. The height and the volume had the lowest intra- and interobserver variability, while measurements of the length had the biggest intra- and interobserver variability. The mean values, with their 90% confidence interval were: height = 0.53cm [0.33-0.73], length = 2.45cm [2.04-2.85], width = 0.62cm [0.46- 0.78], volume = 0.38 cm3 [0.20-0.55].     

An in vitro study of hematopoietic progenitor cells from peripheral blood of rabbits

The purpose of this study was to isolate and cultivate a subpopulation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) from the peripheral blood of rabbits, which are frequently used in veterinary research as an animal model. Pluripotent stem cells, as described in human beings, are fibroblast-like cells that exhibit a CD34 marker, specific from other hematopoietic stem cells. Commonly used human commercial media has been researched for culturing rabbit PSCs. These findings allow us to contemplate the direct application of this simple and standardized methodology in several areas of study, such as of the pharmacological effect of many drugs on hematopoietic cells, veterinary practice, and even the study of new strategies in cellular therapy for some human diseases.     

Controlled water table management as a strategy for reducing salt loads from subsurface drainage under perennial agriculture in semi-arid Australia

Recent community based actions to ensure the sustainability of irrigation and protection of associated ecosystems in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) of Australia has seen the implementation of a regional Land and Water Management Plan. This aims to improve land and water management within the irrigation area and minimise downstream impacts associated with irrigation. One of the plan objectives is to decrease current salt loads generated from subsurface drainage in perennial horticulture within the area from 20 000 tonnes/year to 17 000 tonnes/year. In order to meet such objectives Controlled Water table Management (CWM) is being investigated as a possible ‘Best Management Practice’, to reduce drainage volumes and salt loads.During 2000–2002 a trial was conducted on a 15 ha subsurface drained vineyard. This compared a traditional unmanaged subsurface drainage system with a controlled drainage system utilizing weirs to maintain water tables and changes in irrigation scheduling to maximize the potential crop use of a shallow water table. Drainage volumes, salt loads and water table elevations throughout the field were monitored to investigate the effects of controlled drainage on drain flows and salt loads.Results from the experiment showed that controlled drainage significantly reduced drainage volumes and salt loads compared to unmanaged systems. However, there were marked increases in soil salinity which will need to be carefully monitored and managed.     

Organic amendments affecting sorption, leaching and dissipation of fungicides in soils

Metalaxyl and tricyclazole are two fungicides widely used in Spain in vineyard and rice crops respectively. In this study an investigation has been made of the effect of three organic amendments [two commercial amendments, solid fertiormont (SF) and liquid fertiormont (LF), and a residue from the olive oil production industry, alperujo (OW)] on fungicide fate in soils. Changes in soil porosity on amendment were studied by mercury intrusion porosimetry, sorption-desorption studies were performed by the batch equilibration method, dissipation of metalaxyl and tricyclazole in the soil was studied at - 33 kPa moisture content and 20 degrees C and leaching was studied in hand-packed soil columns. Amendments with SF and LF reduced soil porosity, while OW increased porosity through an increase in pore volume in the highest range studied. Tricyclazole sorbed to soils to a much higher extent than metalaxyl. With some exceptions, sorption of both fungicides increased on amendment, especially in the case of SF-amended soils, which rendered the highest K(oc) values. In soils amended with the liquid amendment LF, sorption either remained unaffected or decreased, and this decrease was much higher in the case of metalaxyl and a soil with 70% clay. In this clay soil, amendment with OW, of very high soluble organic matter content, also decreased metalaxyl sorption. Tricyclazole is more persistent in soil than metalaxyl, and both fungicides were found to be more persistent in amended soils than in unamended soils. Leaching of metalaxyl and tricyclazole in soil columns was inversely related to sorption capacity. The low recoveries of tricyclazole in leachates and in soil columns when compared with metalaxyl, a less persistent fungicide, were attributed to diffusion into micropores and to increase in sorption with residence time in the soil, both processes favoured by the low mobility of tricyclazole.     

Three<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orobanche</Emphasis> species newly found on crops in israel

Orobanche amethystea Thuill.,O. loricata Reichenb. andO. pubescens D’Urv. were found to parasitize the roots of cultivated plants in Israel.Orobanche pubescens is known from the local flora, and was now found to cause damage in parsley fields and toTropaeolum majus L. (nasturtium) in ornamental gardens.Orobanche amethystea andO. loricata are known as occasional weeds in Europe and were recently found for the first time in Israel.Orobanche amethystea densely populated vetch fields in Israel, andO. loricata was found in ornamental gardens. A key for the identification ofOrobanche species in cultivated areas in Israel is given, based on morphological features. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 13, 2002.     

Fusarium temperatum, a mycotoxin-producing pathogen of maize

In a recent study, a population of Fusarium strains isolated from maize in Belgium was described as a new species, F. temperatum, that is morphologically similar and phylogenetically closely related to F. subglutinans, a species in the American clade of the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex. In fields, the F. temperatum:F. subglutinans ratio was very high, suggesting that F. temperatum outcompetes its sister species F. subglutinans. This raised the question whether this novel species contributes to the final rot symptoms observed on maize plants at harvest, as well as to the potential mycotoxin contamination. Results of the pathogenicity tests by soil and toothpick inoculation demonstrate the ability of F. temperatum to cause seedling malformation and stalk rot under greenhouse conditions. Screening of 15 Fusarium mycotoxins showed the ability of F. temperatum to produce moniliformin, beauvericin, enniatins and fumonisin B₁. The results indicate that F. temperatum can produce mycotoxins and cause maize diseases and, therefore, poses a potential risk to maize production and to the safety of human food and animal feed.     

Molecular characterization of Pseudomonas syringae isolates from fruit trees and raspberry in Serbia

Infection of fruit trees by Pseudomonas syringae is a potentially serious problem that may limit the establishment and sustained productivity of pome and stone fruit orchards in Serbia. To estimate possible diversity of Pseudomonas syringae fruit trees strains, we collected a set of strains in several areas of Serbia. The samples were taken from infected orchards with raspberry, plum, cherry, sour cherry, peach, pear and apple trees. Genetic diversity of P. syringae strains isolated from fruit trees was determined by using SpeI macrorestriction analysis of genomic DNAs by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and REP-PCR. Molecular analysis showed that most of isolates had unique profiles, with the exception of isolates from plum and cherry that displayed profiles identical to each other and similar to P. syringae pv. morsprunorum. The study presented here clearly demonstrates the discriminative power of molecular techniques in enabling a detailed analysis of the genetic variations between strains of P. syringae from different pome and stone fruit hosts in Serbia.