Abiotic soil properties and the occurrence of Rhizoctonia crown and root rot in sugar beet

Since 1993, Rhizoctonia crown and root rot (Rhizoctonia solani AG 2–2 IIIB) has represented an increasing problem for sugar beet production in Germany. Up to now, the outbreak of the infection and the spread of the disease within a field cannot be predicted and effective countermeasures are not available. Although little is known about the living conditions of R. solani in soils, abiotic soil properties are likely to influence the disease occurrence. Investigations were carried out based on 60 pairwise comparisons, each consisting of a disease‐affected and an adjacent nonaffected patch on farmers' fields in 2002 and 2003. Soil samples from the top soil layer (0–30 cm) were collected before harvest, and eight of the most frequently mentioned soil properties potentially influencing Rhizoctonia crown and root rot infection were examined: bulk density, texture, carbonate carbon, potassium, phosphorus, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and pH. The occurrence of the disease was significantly related to the soil C : N ratio, indicating the influence of soil organic matter on the disease occurrence. Examinations of soil thin sections showed that organic‐matter particles in the soil serve as a substrate for R. solani. All other soil physical and chemical properties examined did not differ between the disease‐affected and nonaffected patches and seem to be of minor importance.     

Site‐specific effects of variable water supply and nitrogen fertilisation on winter wheat

The plant‐available soil water, amount and distribution of rainfall or irrigation are primary factors that may affect yield and quality of winter wheat in heterogeneous fields. The objective of this 2‐y study was to vary N application and water supply in order to achieve a more mechanistic insight into the effects of underlying differences in the site‐specific productivity on heterogeneous fields. Two N fertilizer rates (120 and 180 kg N ha^–1) and three different water supply treatments (rain sheltering, irrigation, rain‐fed) were compared on field sites with lower or higher plant available soil water capacities. On the whole, the site, rather than rainfall or N fertilisation, was the primary factor that accounted for variability in grain yield. Rainfall distribution during the growing season affected the overall yield level in a given year. The sites characterised by lower plant available water capacity did not show higher grain yield and improved quality with the increased N rate. This suggests that the reduced N rate should be recommended on these sites to take into account the environmental sustainability of N fertilisation. With respect to the higher N application at sites of high plant available soil water capacity, although the already high yield levels were not increased further, the protein quality was significantly improved in the first season within all treatments and in the second season in the irrigated treatments. Therefore, a higher N‐rate proved to be advantageous, especially considering that the residual nitrate levels after harvest were low. The study demonstrated that the response of winter wheat to water shortage or abundance and N fertilisation is site‐specific and dependent on the availability of soil water.     

DUPLEX-ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY IN THE RESTING, SEDATED AND ANESTHETIZED HORSE

The aim of this study was to determine the blood flow in the carotid artery during halothane anaesthesia by means of duplex-sonography. Seventeen warm blood horses were evaluated in dorsal and lateral recumbency and the results were compared with the values of the same horses resting and under sedation. The cross sectional area of the vessels, the time-averaged maximal blood velocity, time-averaged maximal blood flow and the resistance index were determined and the flow profile was evaluated. During halothane anesthesia the total blood flow shows a significant increase which is not dependent on the positioning of the horse. Mean blood velocity is decreased by sedation and significantly increased during anesthesia. Reduced peripheral resistance is expressed by a decline of the resistance index. After sedation and during recumbency there is an increase in diameter of the carotid artery.     

Reconstructing the collapse of wetland networks in the Swiss lowlands 1850–2000

In Central Europe vast wetland areas have been converted into agricultural land over the past few centuries. Long-term spatially explicit reconstructions of wetland cover changes at regional scale are rare but such information is vital for setting appropriate wetland conservation and restoration goals. In this study wetland cover change over the past 150 years was analyzed for the Canton Zurich (Switzerland) using information from historical and current topographical maps. Mapping instructions changed significantly over time, i.e., wetlands were mapped more conservatively on older maps. Therefore a technique was developed to account for changes in mapping instructions and to reconstruct a series of comparable maps spanning 1850–2000. Wetland cover dramatically decreased from 13,759 ha in 1850 (more than 8% of the total study area) to 1,233 ha in 2000 (less than 1%). Largest loss is observed for the first half of the twentieth century when more than 50% of the total wetland loss occurred. In 1850, almost all wetland patches were connected in two large networks defined by a 500 m buffer around all wetland patches to account for typical dispersal distances of wetland animals. Despite extensive wetland loss, this networks remained largely intact until 1950, but then collapsed into many medium and small networks consisting of only few wetland patches. In addition to the direct loss of wetland habitats increased habitat fragmentation is limiting metapopulation dynamics and hindering genetic exchange between populations. Amphibians and other wetland animals are particularly prone to habitat fragmentation because of their limited migration abilities. This may lead to time-delayed extinction in the future because current species occurrence might rather reflect historical than current wetland cover and habitat configuration. Future restoration efforts should focus on reestablishing connectivity between remaining smaller wetland networks.     

An Aqueous Extract of the Dry Mycelium of Penicillium chrysogenum Induces Resistance in Several Crops under Controlled and Field Conditions

We have examined the effect of Pen, an aqueous extract of the dry mycelium of Penicillium chrysogenum, on plant–pathogen interactions. Pen controlled a broad range of pathogens on several crop plants under greenhouse and field conditions. Pen protected grapevine from downy and powdery mildew (caused by Plasmopara viticola and Uncinula necator), tomato from early blight (caused by Phytophthora infestans), onion from downy mildew (Peronospora destructor) and apple trees from apple scab (caused by Venturia inaequalis) to a similar extent as fungicides such as copper and sulphur or well-known inducers such as benzothiadiazole or β-aminobutyric acid. Pen had no major direct fungicidal effect and is thus supposed to protect plants by activating their defense mechanisms. The raw material for extraction of Pen was available in constant quality, a prerequisite for commercial application. Under certain conditions, Pen caused phytotoxic side effects. The symptoms mostly consisted of small necrotic spots or, more rarely, of larger necrotic areas. The development of the symptoms was dependent on several parameters, including concentration of Pen, the number of applications, the persistence on the plant tissue, the plant species and variety and environmental conditions. In grapevine, a partially purified fraction of Pen was much less toxic than the crude Pen extract, but protected the plants to a similar extent against P. viticola. Our data show that Pen has interesting and unique properties as a plant protection agent, but more research is needed to further reduce its phytotoxic side effects.     

Effect of desmopressin acetate administration on primary hemostasis in Doberman Pinschers with type-1 von Willebrand disease as assessed by a point-of-care instrument

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate primary hemostasis following administration of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) to Doberman Pinschers with type-1 von Willebrand disease (vWD). ANIMALS: 16 nonanemic Doberman Pinschers with type-1 vWD. PROCEDURE: Closure time (CT), defined as time required for occlusion of an aperture by a platelet plug assessed within the point-of-care instrument, plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentration, and buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) were determined before and 1 hour after administration of DDAVP (1 microg/kg, SC). RESULTS: Baseline closure times measured with adenosine diphosphate ([ADP-CT], 108 to > 300 seconds; reference range, 52 to 86 seconds) and epinephrine ([EPI-CT], 285 to > 300 seconds; 97 to 225 seconds) as platelet agonists were prolonged in all dogs. Following DDAVP administration, ADP-CT (59 to 186 seconds) was significantly shortened from baseline, but there was no decrease in EPI-CT. Although mean plasma vWF concentration increased significantly after DDAVP administration, only 1 dog had an increase of > 35 U/dL. There was no correlation between increase in plasma vWF concentration and shortening of the ADP-CT. Baseline BMBT was prolonged in 12 of 14 dogs, with significant shortening of BMBT after DDAVP administration in 6 of 7 dogs. In vitro replacement of vWF-deficient plasma with plasma from an unaffected dog shortened the ADP-CT whereas in vitro addition of DDAVP had no effect. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Administration of DDAVP to Doberman Pinschers with type-1 vWD resulted in improved hemostatic function, as assessed by the point-of-care instrument and shortening of BMBT, despite minimal increase in plasma vWF concentration.