Persistence and colonization of gaps in sown swards of grass and clover under different sward managements

The effects of extensive sward management and patch size on the persistence and colonization of gaps in sown swards was examined by creating gaps of five different sizes (2·3, 7, 10, 14 and 19 cm in diameter) in four different sward treatments: a fertilized sward grazed to 4 cm, i.e. relatively intensive management, and three extensively managed unfertilized swards, which were not grazed or grazed to 4 cm or 8 cm. The swards were originally sown with ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), but had developed differences in species composition as a result of the management treatments imposed 2 years before and during the experiment. Light quality measurements, i.e. red-far red (R/FR) ratio, were used to determine when the light environment in the gaps no longer differed from that in control, uncut patches and this was used as an estimate of gap persistence. Persistence of gaps depended on both sward management and gap size. Gaps disappeared most rapidly in the ungrazed sward and fertilized 4-cm sward, and most slowly in the unfertilized 8-cm sward. Small gaps persisted for up to 2 weeks in all but 8-cm swards, whereas larger gaps were estimated to persist for up to 20–25 weeks in unfertilized, grazed swards. There was no evidence that the number of grass or dicotyledonous species increased in the gaps compared with the control areas. There were significant positive linear relationships between the vegetation that developed in gaps and that in the control, uncut patches, reflecting the different species composition of the established sward of the grazed (grass-dominant) and ungrazed (Ranunculus repens-dominant) treatments. For total grass dry matter and tiller numbers, as well as L. perenne tiller numbers, there was a small, but significant, effect of both patch size and sward management on the slopes of the regressions between the controls and gaps. The results are discussed in relation to the potential for species composition of sown swards to change as a result of gap creation.     

Seedling emergence,coleoptile length,and plant height relationships in crosses of dwarf and standard-height wheats

Summary Seedling emergence was closely correlated with coleoptile length and plant height among parents, F₂ and F₃, populations of crosses involving dwarf wheats Olesen Dwarf (CI 14497), Norin 10 derivative D6301, Tom Thumb derivative D6899, and the standard-height varieties Ramona 50 and Nainari 60. Genetic mechanisms that governed plant height also influenced coleoptile length, but the relative effects of genes showing dominant or epistatic effects appeared to be different. With respect to the two parents involved in each of 15 crosses, mean F₂ coleoptile lengths were consistently closer to the low parent value than were corresponding mean F₂ plant heights. A slight curvilinear relationship was also found between coleoptile length and plant height of F₃ lines. The results suggest that selection of semidwarf wheats with long coleoptiles and improved emergence properties from crosses involving the dwarf wheats of this study would be unlikely.     

Identification of resistance gene analogue markers closely linked to wheat powdery mildew resistance gene Pm31

Specific oligonucleotide primers, designed for the sequences of known plant disease resistance genes, were used to amplify resistance gene analogues (RGAs) from wheat genomic DNA. This method was applied in a bulked segregant analysis to screen for the RGA markers linked to the powdery mildew resistance gene Pm31, introgressed into common wheat from wild emmer. Two RGA markers (RGA200 and RGA390) were found to be closely linked to Pm31 and completely co‐segregating with the marker allele of Xpsp3029 linked to Pm31, with a genetic distance of 0.6 cM. These two RGA markers were then integrated into the formerly established microsatellite map of Pm31 region. The result showed the effectiveness of the RGA approach for developing molecular markers linked to disease resistance genes and demonstrated the efficiency of denaturing polyacrylamide‐gel electrophoresis for detecting polymerase chain reaction polymorphism.     

Biochemical changes during the development of cork spot of apples

Biochemical changes occurring during the development of cork spot of York Imperial were investigated. At the first visible sign of the disorder, the rate of ethylene production increases in the affected tissue. Respiration also increases, acetate being the major respiratory substrate rather than glucose. Protein synthesis, pectin synthesis, and the movement of inorganic ions into the tissue follow. During the time the chemical changes are taking place in the tissue, abnormal cell division is initiated, packing the newly-formed cells into the intercellular spaces. At the final stage of development, the tissue becomes brown and appears as a firm brown spot in the flesh of the apple. Cork spot is somewhat different from bitter pit in that the spots appear early in the season, the affected tissue is deeper in the flesh, and firmer. The chemical changes discovered so far in both disorders, however, appear to be similar. We consider the abnormal chemical changes that occur in both disorders to be common to diseases and injuries and not specific for either cork spot or bitter pit.

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Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchungen erstreckten sich auf biochemische Veränderungen, die während der Entwicklung von cork spot bei Äpfeln der Sorte York Imperial auftreten. Beim ersten sichtbaren Anzeichen der Störung steigt die Rate der Äthylenbildung im befallenen Gewebe an. Auch die Atmung nimmt zu, wobei Acetat das grössere Atmungsprodukt darstellt als Glucose. Protein- und Pektin-Synthese sowie Bewegung anorganischer Ionen in das Gewebe folgen. Während der Zeit chemischer Veränderungen im Gewebe beginnt eine abnorme Zellteilung, indem die neugebildeten Zellen in die interzellularen Zwischenräume eingebaut werden. Im Endstadium der Entwicklung wird das Gewebe braun und erscheint als fester Fleck im Fleisch des Apfels. Cork spot unterscheidet sich etwas von der Stippigkeit dadurch, dass die Flecken früher in der Saison erscheinen, sich die befallenen Gewebe tiefer im Fleisch befinden und fester sind. Die chemischen Veränderungen beider Störungen scheinen sich — soweit sie bekannt sind — zu ähneln. Wir glauben, dass die chemischen Veränderungen, die bei beiden Störungen auftreten, allgemein für Krankheiten und Verletzungen zutreffen und nicht entweder für Stippigkeit oder cork spot spezifisch sind.

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Resume Quelques changements biochimiques se produisant pendant le développement du cork spot chez la York Imperial ont été étudiés.Au premier signe visible de désordre, la vitesse de production d'éthylène augmente dans le tissu atteint. La respiration augmente également; l'acétate devient le substrat principal de la respiration, plutôt que le glucose. Une synthèse de protéines, de pectine, ainsi que des déplacements d'ions inorganiques dans le tissu se produisent ensuite.Pendant que les changements biochimiques ont lieu, une division cellulaire anormale est initiée, et les cellules nouvellement formées s'accumulent dans les espaces intercellulaires.Au stade final de développement, le tissu devient brun et apparaît comme une tache brune et ferme, dans la chair de la pomme. Le cork spot diffère quelque peu du bitter pit par le fait que les taches apparaissent tôt dans la saison, le tissu malade étant localisé plus profondément dans la chair, et plus ferme. Les modifications chimiques trouvées dans les deux maladies paraissent cependant être similaires. Nous considérons ces changements chimiques comme propres aux maladies et blessures en général et comme non spécifiques, ni du cork spot, ni du bitter pit en particulier.