Molecular genetic and chemical assessment of radix Angelica (Danggui) in China

The roots of Angelica sinensis (Danggui), a traditional Chinese medicine, have been used for invigorating blood circulation for over 2000 years in China. Three common species of Angelica roots are found in Asia: A. sinensis from China, A. acutiloba from Japan, and A. gigas from Korea. By using a molecular genetic approach, the 5S-rRNA spacer domains of the three species of Angelica were amplified, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Diversity in DNA sequences among various species was found in their 5S-rRNA spacer domains, which could serve as markers for authentic identification of Angelica roots. In chemical analyses, the main constituents of Angelica roots including ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide were determined by HPLC; roots of A. sinensis were clearly distinct in that they contained approximately 10-fold higher levels of ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide as compared to roots of A. acutiloba and A. gigas. In addition, the amounts of main constituents in roots of A. sinensis varied according to different regions of cultivation and different methods of preservation. The chemical profile determined by HPLC therefore could serve as a fingerprint for quality control of Angelica roots.     

New versus old scientific names in strawberries (Fragaria L.)

New Potentilla synonyms of the Fragaria species names are discussed and considered to be dispensable. Further unnecessary nomenclatural changes based on the argument to recognize monophyletic but not paraphyletic taxa should be avoided to maintain nomenclatural stability for global communication about plant genetic resources. The new combination Fragaria×rosea (Mabb.) K. Hammer et Pistrick is presented for the hybrid Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop. ×Fragaria×ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier.     

Spectral fingerprinting: characterizing suspended sediment sources by the use of VNIR-SWIR spectral information

Purpose

Knowledge of sediment sources is a prerequisite for sustainable management practices and may furthermore improve our understanding of water and sediment fluxes. Investigations have shown that a number of characteristic soil properties can be used as “fingerprints” to trace back the sources of river sediments. Spectral properties have recently been successfully used as such characteristics in fingerprinting studies. Despite being less labour-intensive than geochemical analyses, for example, spectroscopy allows measurements of small amounts of sediment material (>60 mg), thus enabling inexpensive analyses even of intra-event variability. The focus of this study is on the examination of spectral properties of fluvial sediment samples to detect changes in source contributions, both between and within individual flood events.

Materials and methods

Sediment samples from the following three different origins were collected in the Isábena catchment (445 km²) in the central Spanish Pyrenees: (1) soil samples from the main potential source areas, (2) stored fine sediment from the channel bed once each season in 2011 and (3) suspended sediment samples during four flood events in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 at the catchment outlet as well as at several subcatchment outlets. All samples were dried and measured for spectral properties in the laboratory using an ASD spectroradiometer. Colour parameters and physically based features (e.g. organic carbon, iron oxide and clay content) were calculated from the spectra. Principal component analyses (PCA) were applied to all three types of samples to determine natural clustering of samples, and a mixing model was applied to determine source contributions.

Results and discussion

We found that fine sediment stored in the river bed seems to be mainly influenced by grain size and seasonal variability, while sampling location—and thus the effect of individual tributaries or subcatchments—seem to be of minor importance. Suspended sediment sources were found to vary between, as well as within, flood events; although badlands were always the major source. Forests and grasslands contributed little (<10 %), and other sources (not further determinable) contributed up to 40 %. The analyses further suggested that sediment sources differ among the subcatchments and that subcatchments comprising relatively large proportions of badlands contributed most to the four flood events analyzed.

Conclusions

Spectral fingerprints provide a rapid and cost-efficient alternative to conventional fingerprint properties. However, a combination of spectral and conventional fingerprint properties could potentially permit discrimination of a larger number of source types.     

Comparison of German and Swiss Rainfall Simulators - Utility,Labour Demands and Costs

The utility, vehicle required, the time needed for assembly and relocation and the costs associated with six different rainfall simulators were studied. The results can be summarized as follows:

• 1 The simulator designed by Kainz & Eicher (1990) is the least expensive to operate. This simulator also has excellent experimental versatility. Its only restriction is a short slope length.
• 2 The rainfall simulator of Karl & Toldrian (1973) is also inexpensive to operate, but because of disadvantages such as low falling height, wind susceptibility, and the need for more workers than other simulators, it should be used mainly where other simulators are not practical (forests, steep slopes, or long slopes).
• 3 The rainfall simulator of Richter et al. (1988) has limited mobility in the field and is highly susceptible to wind drift. Moreover, its narrow plots do not cover a representative unit of a cultivated field.
• 4 The modified Swanson-type simulator (Auerswald, (1986) is suitable for large plots if a sufficient water supply is available.
• 5 The simulator of Kromer & Vöhringer (1988) has the highest fixed costs, but labour is used efficiently.
• 6 The simulator of Schmidt (1983) can only be considered for stationary use because of its long assembly time. Other disadvantages are narrow plot size and high wind susceptibility.

Depending on the selection of the simulator, total costs of between 400 DM and 2000 DM per plot should be expected even with high use rates.     

Long-term trapping efficiency of a vegetated filter strip under agricultural use

In a hops-producing area long-term average trapping-effectiveness of a grassed filterstrip under agricultural use was measured. Copper, applied as fungicide, was used to identify the colluvium in a meadow below a hop garden. 9,5 t material were trapped during 17 years per m width of the filterstrip. This annual accumulation of 540 kg/m width represents a trapping efficiency of 55% of the computed annual soil loss of the hop garden. The results agree with other publications which report the trapping efficiency for a longer period, whereas the reported results of short-term experiments largely overestimate the efficiency.     

Report on a travel to the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 1983 for the collection of indigenous taxa of cultivated plants

Summary The mission was carried out within the Mediterranean Programme of the IBPGR in April/May 1983 with participants from the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Agricultural Research Centre, Tarabulus), the Istituto del Germoplasma, Bari, and the Zentralinstitut für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben. In Tripolitania, the Fezzan- and Ghadmis-areas 316 samples, mostly cereals and vegetables, have been collected. In Tripolitania and the Ghadmis-area the land-races have been nearly completely replaced by new varieties. In the Fezzan genetic erosion is in progress. There, several cereal- and vegetable-land-races could still be collected. The land-races may be useful for breeding programmes.

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Bericht über eine Reise in die Sozialistische Libysche Arabische Volksjamahiriya 1983 zur Sammlung autochthoner Sippen von Kulturpflanzen

Zusammenfassung Die Reise erfolgte im Rahmen des Mediterranean Programme des IBPGR im April/Mai 1983 mit Teilnehmern aus der Sozialistischen Libyschen Arabischen Volksjamahiriya (Agricultural Research Centre, Tarbulus), des Istituto del Germoplasma, Bari, und des Zentralinstituts für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben. In Tripolitanien, dem Fezzan und dem Gebiet von Ghadmis wurden 316 Proben, meist von Getrieden und Gemüsen, gesammelt. In Tripolitanien und dem Gebiet von Ghadmis sind die Landsorten fast vollständig von neueren Sorten verdrängt worden. Im Fezzan schreitet die Generosion fort. Hier konnten noch zahlreiche Getreide- und Gemüselandsorten gesammelt werden. Die Landsorten können für Züchtungsprogramme nützlich sein.

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1983 .

— 1983 . ( .-. ), . , 316 , . . , . .

     

Chemical stratification in the Seneca/Oswego rivers (NY)

The occurrence and characteristics of chemically-based density stratification in portions of the Seneca and Oswego Rivers, downstream of ion-polluted Onondaga Lake, are described for seven different days in the summer and fall of 1978 and 1981, which covered a wide range of river flows. The results indicate that chemically-based density stratification occurs routinely in the Seneca River downstream of the lake inflow, in response to a continuous chemically-based density difference between the two systems of 0.0015 to 0.0030 g cm^?3. The persistence of the phenomenon, and therefore the longitudinal range over which the river stratification occurred, was dependent on the velocity of river flow and the magnitude of the density gradient that bordered the upper river water and the lower released lake water. During the low flows common to summer the stratification extended approximately 14 km downstream to a dam, and 3 km upstream, of the lake outlet — river junction. Vertical mixing between the stratified layers increased as the flow in the Seneca River increased, and as the vertical density gradient decreased. A dimensionless group, $$\frac{D}{{V\left( {\frac{\rho }{{\Delta _\rho /\Delta _z }}} \right)}}$$ where: D = apparent vertical diffusion (m² hr^?1), V = average velocity of the overlying river flow (m hr^?1 ), p = density at the interface between the stratified layers (g cm^?3), and Ap/Az = density gradient between the stratified layers (g cm^?3 m^?1), was found to be constant for summer low flow conditions for a 6.5 km length of the Seneca River, thus quantifying the interaction between vertical mixing and the included influences for that portion of the river. The occurrence of chemical stratification in the river had dramatic implications on the corresponding distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO). The isolation of the organically enriched lake water in the lower layer enhanced the depletion of DO there, which resulted in the development of substantial (> 4.0 mg 1^?1 ) DO stratification downstream of the discharge from the lake during summer low flow periods.     

Ammonium‐driven nitrification plays a key role in increasing Mn availability in calcareous soils

Background : Manganese deficiency often becomes a yield limiting factor, particularly on calcareous soils, even though the total soil manganese content is usually sufficient. Although it is known that acidifying N fertilizers can improve Mn availability, the reason of this effect is still unknown. Aim : Our aim was to investigate the effect of stabilized ammonium fertilizers as a tool to distinguish between physiological‐ and nitrification‐induced acidification. Method : Two pot experiments with Triticum aestivum L. and one soil incubation experiment using different nitrogen forms (CN = calcium nitrate, AN = ammonium nitrate, AS = ammonium sulfate, ATS = ammonium thiosulfate) with and without addition of nitrification inhibitors (DCD, Nitrapyrin, Piadin, DMPP) were conducted to examine the effect on Mn availability in the soil and Mn uptake by the plants at different development stages (EC 31 und 39). Results : With increasing fertilizer ${\mathrm{NH}}_4^{+}$ content a higher Mn concentration was detected: CN: 32 µg Mn g^?1 DM, AN: 39 µg Mn g^?1 DW, AS: 55 µg Mn g^?1 DM, ATS: 109 µg Mn g^?1 DM. The addition of a nitrification inhibitor resulted in a significantly lower rhizosphere pH compared to the non‐stabilized fertilizer. Surprisingly, the use of different nitrification inhibitors led to unchanged (CN, AN) or lower Mn concentrations of wheat. Especially in the ${\mathrm{NH}}_4^{+}$ treatments (AS and ATS), this negative effect was very evident (AS+DCD: 42 µg Mn g^?1 DM; ATS+DCD: 55 µg Mn g^?1 DM). Conclusions : Mn availability was enhanced by ongoing nitrification process rather than physiological acidification. Compared to other N forms, ammonium thiosulfate led to the highest Mn availability in bulk soil.