EFFECTS OF DESICCATION AND TEMPERATURE ON SURVIVAL OF CYPERUS ESCULENTUS TUBERS AND CYNODON DACTYLON RHIZOMES

Summary. The effects of all combinations of five desiccation treatments, two temperatures and three durations of desiccation on the survival of Cyperus esculentus tubers and two-node Cynodon dactylon rhizome fragments were examined in laboratory and glasshouse experiments.
Cyperus esculentus tuber survival was greater at 22°C than at 4°C. Duration of desiccation did not influence tuber survival, except at the lower temperature.
Survival of Cynodon dactylon rhizome fragments was greatly influenced by desiccation treatment, duration of desiccation and the interaction of these two factors. No buds survived when rhizomes reached 50% of their original weight, indicating good tolerance of desiccation since the original dry-matter content of rhizomes in this experiment was 41·2%.     

Some Aspects of the Growth and Spread of Fire in the Open

This paper describes some recent experimental and theoreticalwork on the growth and spread of fire in the open and discussessome examples of field data in terms of the theoretical calculationspresented. The lengths of flames from laboratory fires have been relatedto the size and rate of burning of the fuel by formulae derivedfrom a simplified dimensional analysis. The effects of a windblowing across a long fuel bed on the length and orientationof flames are also described. The scaling laws for flame heightsuggest that in the horizontal spread of fire, heat transferfrom the flames above the fuel bed is important primarily withshallow fuel beds. It is suggested that the main effect of a wind on crib firesis aerodynamic. The wind deflects the advancing fire front fromthe vertical, but perpendicular to this deflected front therate of spread of fire, at least for cribs, is roughly the sameas in still air. However, a theory of spread allowing for heattransfer through the fuel bed and radiation from the flamespredicts that there can be a stable ‘fast‘ spreadas well as a ‘slow’ spread. In ‘fast’spread the flames are thick and control the spread. In ‘slow’ spread radiant heat transfer from theburning zone is usually responsible for the spread. The flamesare thin and of low emissivity. The most important factors determiningthe rate of ‘slow’ spread R are ^pb the bulk densityof the fuel bed and ø the deflection from the verticalof the front of burning fuel which varies with wind speed. Rpb cos ø is approximately constant over a wide rangeof conditions with an order of magnitude of 5–10 mg cm^–2s^–1.     

Induction of adventitious buds on roots of the potato

Auxin treatment of de-eyed potato slices induced root formation. When the roots were exposed to light, adventitious buds were formed.This method for bud formation may be used to produce non-chimerical potato mutants, when the buds can be obtained from mutagenically treated tissue. An additional purpose is the investigation of the L₃ of existing mutants.This investigation was supported by the EURATOM-ITAL Association, Wageningen, The Netherlands.     

The absolute configuration of chiral organophosphorus anticholinesterases

Contrary to an earlier report in this journal by Wustner and Fukuto (1), bovine erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase is inhibited preferentially by the same (S)_P-isomers of the two closely related anticholinesterases O-2-butyl S-2-(dimethylammonium)-ethyl ethylphosphonothioate hydrogen oxalate(I) and O-isopropyl S-2-(trimethylammonio)ethyl methylphosphonothioate iodide(II).     

Factors influencing the proportion of natural hybrids between Lolium perenne L. and Festuca pratensis Huds. in permanent pastures

Hybrids between ryegrass and meadow fescue form rarely but occur widely in old pastures. In one experiment six different hybrid genotypes were able to compete, on equal terms, with members of their parental species. In two others the proportion of the total yield due to one hybrid genotype was increased by added fertilizer or by reduced water supply.     

Influence of field-applied linuron and paraquat on the microflora of an organic soil

In a field experiment on an organic soil, a pre-emergence application of paraquat at 2–24 kg a.i. (active ingredient)/ha was made to a plot on which onions and lettuce were grown; and similar broadcast applications of linuron, both with and without carbofuran, at two field rates, to plots on which carrots were grown. Paraquat generally increased the bacterial and actinomycetal populations while linuron inhibited the same but enhanced the numbers of fungal propagules, although it decreased the proportion of soil penicillia in the population. The overall effect of linuron was not changed by the admixture of carbofuran. However, the changes in microbial populations by either herbicides were not substantial enough to make gross or lasting differences in levels of available N and P, and in the CO₂ evolution rate.     

Some aspects of the absorption of picloram by gorse (Ulex europaeus L.)

Plants of Ulex europaeus were grown from cuttings and studies made of the absorption of 14C-picloram applied with unlabelled 2,4,5-T. In vivo experiments in a growth chamber showed that absorption ceased after 10 h, but was resumed on wetting. In in vitro experiments the Q10 and the activation energy for uptake decreased with increasing temperature. Absorption was increased by addition of non-ionic surfactants, by lowering the pH and by removal of cuticular wax. Gorse shoots were shown to have a high wax content but scanning electron microscopy revealed no obvious wax structures and the contact angle of spray droplets was less than 900, indicating that the surfaces were not difficult to wet.