Development of glasshouse pests of cucumber under different conditions,in relation to possibilities for their biological control1

Experiments were performed under controlled conditions on the development of four cucumber pests (Trialeurodes uaporariorum, Tetranychus urticae, Aphis gossypii and Thrips tabaci). The main variables were temperature, photoperiod and light intensity. The effect of these factors on the natural enemies Encarsia formosa and Amblyseius mckenziei was also assessed. Comparison of the results allows recommendations on manipulation of the glasshouse environment to favour biological control.     

Effect of Heterodera cajani on biomass and grain yield of pigeon pea on vertisol in pot and field experiments

Glasshouse and field trials were conducted to determine the effects of the cyst nematode, Heterodera cajani on biomass and grain yield of pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan. Shoot length, fresh and dry shoot masses, leaf area and pod yields of pigeon pea were significantly reduced by H. cajani. In glasshouse pot experiments, an initial density of 1.0 juveniles per cm³ soil caused 14 to 24% reduction in plant height, root and shoot mass and leaf area. Application of carbofuran 3G (1·5, 3·0 and 6·0 kg a.i./ha) in H. autoclaved soil in pots did not improve growth of pigeon pea; however, its application (6 kg a.i./ha) in H. cajani -infested fields reduced the nematode density ( P < 0·05) and improved plant growth and yield. The densities of eggs and juveniles of H. cajani were 72 and 48% lower in the carbofuran-treated plots than in the control plots 35 and 52 days, respectively, after sowing. No such differences were observed at 70 days after sowing. The tolerance limit for pod yield in field experiments was 2·6 eggs and juveniles of H. cajani per cm³ soil at sowing time. Grain yield was 20 to 25% higher in the carbofuran-treated plots than in the control plots. Application of carbofuran protected the roots from nematode damage during the early stages of plant growth and resulted in good plant growth and yield.     

Efficacité de quelques fongicides cupriques à l'égard de Spilocaea oleagina

Spilocuea oleagina provoque en Crète des dégâts importants sur les cultivars d'olivier Mastoidis et Kalamon. Les fongicides cupriques suivants ont été testés contre la maladie: sulfate de cuivre (BBS 25), oxychlorure de cuivre (Virifix 50), sels cupriques des acides gras et résineux (Tenn Cop 5E) et sulfate ammoniacal de cuivre (Copac E). Deux traitements ont été effectués pendant les périodes critiques pour la Crète (début octobre, fin février) sur des arbres du cv. Kalamon. L'efficacité a étéévaluée par dénombrement des feuilles infectéès et des taches par feuille, sur échantillons prélevés dans la couronne des arbres traités. Pour estimer l'action phytotoxique des fongicides testés, on a ramasséà l'aide d'un filet plastique toutes les feuilles tombées. Les sels cupriques et le sulfate de cuivre ont montré la meilleure efficacitéà l'egard du pathogène. On a constaté de plus, 8 mois après le premier traitement chimique, une chute négligeable des feuilles saines.     

A histological study of the effect of glyphosate on seed development in the wild oat (Avena fatua L.)

Glyphosate was applied to panicles of wild oats (Avena fatua L.) before, at and after anthesis. The florets in spikelets exposed to the herbicide before, at and immediately after anthesis produced seeds with abnormal embryos and endosperm. Histological and embryological studies showed that in all cases the chemical did not stop the normal process of double fertilization in the florets. The zygote divided, but did not proceed beyond the proembryo stage. The development of both the proembryo and the endosperm was abnormal. The proembryos and the early stages of embryos showed no normal provascular or vascular tissue differentiation. Externally also there was no proper development of embryo parts, such as the scutellum, epiblast, shoot and root apices. The embryonic tissues showed considerable obliteration and shrinkage and the nuclei in cells appeared small and shrunken. The cells, especially in the meristem regions, appeared lacunose. The embryo and the endosperm in the caryopses treated with glyphosate 9 days after anthesis or later, were morphologically and structurally very similar to those of the controls of comparable age. It was concluded that the greater the delay of glyphosate application after anthesis, the less was the effect on seed development. Une étude histologique de l'effet du glyphosate sur le developpement des graines de folle avoine (Avena fatua L.) Du glyphosate a été appliquéà des panicules de folle avoine (Avena fatua L.), avant, pendant et après l'anthèse. Les fleurs dans les epillets exposés à l'herbicide avant, et pendant immédiatement après l'anthese ont donné des graines avec des embryons et des endospermes anormaux, Des études histologiques et embryologiques ont montré que dans tous les cas le produit n'a pas arrêté le processus normal de double fertilisation au niveau des florets. Le zygote s'est divisé mais n'a pas été au-delà du stade proembryon, Les développements du proembryon et de l'endosperme ont été anormaux. Les proembryons et les stades précoces des embryons n'ont pas montré de différenciations normales des tissus provasculaires ou vasculaires, Extérieurement également, il n'y a pas eu un développement plus correct des parties embryonnaires comme le scutellum, epiblast les ébauches racinaires et tigellaires. Leurs tissus embryonnaires ont montré des manques considérables et des rétrécissements et les noyaux dans les cellules sont apparus petits et rétrécis. Les cellules, particulièerement dans les régions méristématiques semblaient pleines de lacune. L'embryon et l'endosperme chez les caryopses traités au glyphosate 9 jours après l'anthèse ou plus tard, étaient structurellement et morphologiquement très voisins de ceux des témoins à un âge comparable. II en est conclu que plus le délai après l'anthèse de l'application du glyphosate était élevé, moins l'effet était fort sur le développement de la graine. Eine histologische Untersuchung der Wirkung von Glyphosat auf die Samenbildung des Flug-Hafers (Avena fatua L.) Glyphosat wurde auf die Rispen von Flug-Hafer (Avena fatua L.) vor, während und unmittelbar nach der Blüte appliziert, woraufhin die Embryos und das Endosperm sich anormal entwickelten. In histologischen und embryologischen Untersuchungen zeigte sich, daß der Wirkstoff in allen Fällen den normalen Befruchtungsprozeß nicht beeinträchtigte. Die Zygote teilte sich, doch kam sie nicht über das Proembryo-Stadium hinaus. Die Entwicklung sowohl des Proembryos als auch des Endosperms war anormal. Die Proembryonen und ersten Embryo-Stadien zeigten keine normale Entwicklung des Provascular-bzw. Leitungsgewebes. Auch äußerlich waren die Embryonen nicht ordentlich entwickelt, was sich am Scutellum sowie Epiblast und an den Sproß-und Wurzelspitzen zeigte. Die Embryo-Gewebe hatten beträchtliche Lücken und Schrump-fungen, und die Nuclei waren klein und geschrumpft. Die Zellen, besonders in den Meristemen, erschienen lückig. Nach Glyphosat-Behandlungen 9 Tage oder später nach der Blüte entwickelten sich Embryo und Endosperm sowohl morphologisch als auch struk-turell sehr ähnlich wie in Kontrollpflanzen gleichen Alters. Daraus ließ sich schließen, daß die Wirkung von Glyphosat auf die Samenent-wicklung umso geringer ist, je später die Behandlung erfolgt.     

The dietary toxicity of flocoumafen to hens: Elimination and accumulation following repeated oral administration

In a dietary toxicity study, laying hens received a diet containing the rodenticide flocoumafen at concentrations of 1.5, 5, 10 and 50 mg kg^?1 for five consecutive days. The LC₅₀ at termination following a 28-day observation period was 16.4 mg kg^?1. Livers of birds which received doses of flocoumafen between 5 and 50 mg kg^?1 had concentrations of flocoumafen (1.5 nmol g^?1) that were independent of dose. The data indicate the presence in hen liver of a saturable high-affinity flocoumafen binding site with similar characteristics and capacity to that of the quail and rat. Residues of flocoumafen in samples of breast and leg muscle were low in all exposure groups. Higher, dose-related residues were found in samples of abdominal fat and skin-associated fat and there was a clear demonstration of the transfer of dose-related residues into eggs. In a separate study in which hens were dosed with [¹⁴C]flocoumafen for five consecutive days at a daily rate of 1 and 4 mg kg^?1 body weight, the majority (68 %) of the daily radioactive dose was eliminated over the following 24 hours via excreta. Residues in liver at death or when killed accounted for < 1 % of the cumulative administered radioactivity. Residues in eggs were located primarily in the yolk with maximum concentrations 1.0 mg kg^?1 or 0.18% of the low dose; 2.1 mg kg^?1 or 0.06% of the high dose as [¹⁴C]flocoumafen equivalents were observed at 10 days after start of dosing. Some 40 % of the total activity in the yolk was unchanged flocoumafen.     

Field evaluation of the single intradermal cervical tuberculin test and the interferon-gamma assay for detection and eradication of bovine tuberculosis in Spain

A field comparison of the interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) assay and the single intradermal cervical tuberculin (SICT) test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis was conducted. A total of 1136 cattle belonging to 85 herds placed in 'Castilla y León' (northwestern Spain) were chosen, and 21 of these herds were subjected to the diagnostic assays two or three times at intervals of at least 4 months. All the animals positive to any of the tests were slaughtered and tuberculosis was confirmed by culture isolation method (CIM) and further identification by means of PCR. Only 10.6% of cattle reacted with the bovine PPD in the SICT test, a percentage that increased to 12.8% in the IFN-gamma assay. The sensitivity of the IFN-gamma assay compared to CIM was shown to be higher (84.9%) than that of the SICT test (80.2%), but the combination of both tests offered the highest sensitivity (92.9%). The number of false positive reactors (those animals in which CIM was negative) was considerably higher for the IFN-gamma assay than for the SICT test and, conversely, the number of false negative animals (M. bovis isolation but negative immunological result) was higher for the skin test than for the interferon assay. In the herds tested twice, tuberculosis was eradicated after the second cycle of testing in 50%, and in 75% after the third cycle in herds tested three times. The combination of these two techniques instead of separately seems, therefore, to be useful in eradication programmes against bovine tuberculosis.     

Enhancement of phagocytosis and bacterial killing by heterophils from neonatal chicks after administration of Salmonella enteritidis-immune lymphokines

During the first week post-hatch, chickens demonstrate an increased susceptibility to infection by bacteria such as Salmonella. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of immune lymphokines on phagocytosis and killing activities of heterophils in chicks during the first 1-7 days of life. Lymphokines isolated from chicken splenic T-cells harvested from Salmonella enteriditis (SE)-hyperimmunized hens (SE-ILK), have in past experiments, demonstrated augmentation of heterophil activity in day-of-hatch chicks resulting in protection from SE organ invasion. The present experiments reveal significant increases (p<0.05) in heterophil phagocytosis and killing when comparing chicks treated with SE-ILK to control groups in vitro. In SE-ILK-treated groups, a two-fold or greater increase is noted in heterophil phagocytosis within I h of incubation as compared to controls. Heterophils isolated from 1-day-old and 4-day-old chicks treated with SE-ILK killed significantly greater numbers (p<0.05) of SE than heterophils isolated from control groups. By Day 7 post-hatch, significance is not noted in the killing activity of heterophils from treated groups when compared to control groups. However, heterophils from SE-ILK groups continue to kill greater numbers of SE than control groups. These data support SE-ILK augmentation results in an enhanced heterophil function in chicks during the greatest period of susceptibility to Salmonella invasion.     

Effects of N-methyl-D, L-aspartate on secretion of growth hormone-releasing hormone from the boar hypothalamic-preoptic area and median eminence in vitro

N-methyl-D, L-aspartate (NMA) elicited secretion of growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone from both the hypothalamic-preoptic area and the median eminence that were collected from boars. We suggest that the previously described increase in GH secretion that follows peripheral treatment of swine with NMA is attributable, at least in part, to NMA-stimulated secretion of GH-releasing hormone from the central nervous system.     

Serological survey for antibodies against selected infectious agents among fallow deer (Dama dama) in central Italy

Sera were collected from 224 fallow deer (Dama dama) in reserves in central Italy. Samples were tested for antibodies against Chlamydia spp., Brucella spp. and Coxiella spp. with the complement fixation (CF) test. Indirect immunofluorescence was used to test for antibodies against Borrelia spp. and agglutination tests were conducted for Leptospira interrogans antibodies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests were used to detect antibodies against bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). All samples were negative for antibodies against Brucella spp., L. interrogans, Coxiella spp. and BHV-1. Four samples (1.8%) had antibodies against Chlamydia spp., nine (4%) against Borrelia spp. and 10 (4.5%) against BVDV. These results indicate that fallow deer in central Italy have a low rate of exposure to pathogens typical of domestic livestock.     

Epidemiology of feline leukaemia and feline immunodeficiency virus infections in the Czech Republic

Commercial serological sets were used for the examination of 727 cats kept in larger towns of the Czech Republic. FeLV antigen and antibodies to FIV were demonstrated in 96 (13.2%) and 42 (5.8%) of the animals, respectively. Seven (0.96%) animals were positive for both FeLV and FIV. Most of the FeLV and/or FIV positive patients were intact rambling males aged 1-4 years. Chronic gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases were found in 54.2% and 43.8% of the FeLV-positive patients, respectively. Chronic urinary tract diseases and generalized lymphadenopathy were found in 47.6% and 45.2% of the FIV-positive patients, respectively. The results of this first survey in the Czech Republic have shown prevalence values and clinical patterns similar to those reported formerly from other European countries.