C-Pro (grapefruit seed extract) as supplement or replacement against rose- and cucumber powdery mildew

Abstract

Numerous fungicide applications are often needed to control powdery mildews in greenhouse-grown crops, and consequently there is an increasing demand for alternative means to control them. In commercial greenhouses, attack of powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii in cucumbers and P. pannosa in cut roses was controlled by weekly sprays of C-Pro CE601, a dilution of grapefruit seed extract (GSE). The raw material of GSE, delivered by Citricidal®, is a glycerolic extract from seed and juiceless pulp of grapefruits (Citrus paradise). In both cultures C-Pro at 2000 ppm achieved as good control as treatments with penconazole or triforine. The mean level of attack by powdery mildew on leaves of cut roses one week after the last of three weekly treatments, was 9.8, 12.9 and 40.5% for penconazole, C-Pro (2000 ppm), and untreated, respectively. In cucumbers, there was less difference between the untreated control and the different treatments, but for all times of assessments, C-Pro and triforine were better than untreated (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in cucumber between C-Pro and triforine. Phytotoxicity symptoms such as leaf twisting and rolling in roses (cv. Jade and Cezann) and dark green leaves and indications of growth retardation in cucumbers (cv. Ventura) were observed at the higher concentrations used (3000–4000 ppm). Thin layer chromatography of C-Pro CE601 has previously shown presence of benzethonium chloride, a synthetic antiseptic agent. Further research is necessary to determine if the observed effects of the product tested are due to natural compounds or are merely due to a synthetic preservative agent added. Our results revealed that C-Pro might be a supplement or even a replacement to some of the current fungicides used against powdery mildew.     

Influence of salt stress on stock plant growth and cutting performance of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat

Summary

In hydroponically grown stock plants, growth was reduced by 7 d stress treatments with NaCl at concentrations of 2, 4 or 6 g l²¹. The uptake of other ions (except Mg) was unaffected. Rooting of cuttings from the stressed plants was depressed, with a 45% decrease in root numbers, almost 70% in root length and 52% for root weights. This drastic effect on the rooting was overcome after two weeks of postpropagation growth, when the cuttings had recovered, except for those from the highest salt stress treatment.     

Novel reference gene, PKABA1, used in a duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection and quantitation of wheat- and barley-derived DNA

We report the development of a duplex real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the simultaneous detection and quantification of wheat- and barley-derived DNA. We used a single primer pair to amplify the single-copy gene PKABA1 from wheat and barley, using minor-groove-binding probes to distinguish between the two cereals. The assay was fully specific, and different wheat and barley cultivars exhibited similar Ct values, indicating stability across cultivars with respect to allelic and copy number composition. The limits of detection were 5 and 10 PCR-forming units for wheat and barley, respectively, making the duplex assay as sensitive as other singleplex reference gene systems published. We were able to detect both wheat and barley simultaneously in real food samples, and the duplex assay is considered to be suitable as an endogenous reference gene system for the detection and quantification of wheat and barley in genetically modified organisms (GMO) and other food and feed analyses.     

Effects of three commercial diets on growth,cataract development and histopathology of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.)

Three duplicate groups of individually tagged lumpfish (mean initial weight: 20.0 ± 4.0 g) were fed three commercially available diets (A, B and C) for a period of 147 days. There were significant differences in growth rates between the groups with fish fed diet A having the highest growth rates whilst fish fed diet C achieved the lowest growth. Lumpfish fed diets A and B had lower prevalence and severity of cataracts compared with fish fed diet C, suggesting a possible dietary effect on cataract, alone or in combination with other environmental factors. There was a significant difference in the degree of liver vacuolization between the three dietary treatments at the end of the study period with fish fed diets A and B showing moderate to severe vacuolization compared with liver tissue from fish fed diet C, which had milder vacuolizations. There was little or no inflammation in pyloric caeca, midgut and hindgut and similarly for epithelial necrosis or vacuolization for all three dietary treatments at the end of the study. Fish fed diet A had the longest intestinal folds whilst fish fed diet C had the shortest.     

Experimental evidence supporting the concept of light-mediated modulation of stem hydraulic conductance

It is a well-described phenomenon that plant leaves respond to changes in light intensity and duration by adjusting leaf hydraulic efficiency, and there is current consensus that up- or down-regulation of water channels (aquaporins) in the plasma membrane of the bundle sheath and mesophyll cells play a central role in the underlying mechanisms. Recently, experimental evidence has been provided also for light-mediated changes of stem hydraulic conductance (K(stem)) in field-grown laurel plants. This effect was attributed to differences in potassium ion concentration of xylem sap as a function of light conditions. In the present article, we report evidence obtained in silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), supporting the concept of light-mediated modulation of K(stem). Both canopy position (long-term effect) and current photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD; short-term effect) had a significant impact (P < 0.001) on K(stem) measured in shoots taken from the lower (shade shoots) and upper (sun shoots) third of the crowns of ～25-year-old trees growing in a natural forest stand. The shade shoots responded more sensitively to light manipulation: K(stem) increased by 51% in shade shoots and 26% in sun shoots when PPFD increased from 70 to 330 μmol m?2 s?1. In 4-year-old trees growing in a dense experimental plantation, K(stem), specific conductivity of branch-wood (k(bw)) and potassium ion concentration ([K(+)]) in xylem sap varied in accordance with canopy position (P < 0.001). Both K(stem) and k(bw) increased considerably with light availability, increasing within the tree crowns from bottom to top; there was a strong relationship between mean values of K(stem) and [K(+)] in hydraulically sampled branches.     

Analysis of genetic diversity in a sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) germplasm collection from Tanzania as revealed by AFLP

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is the fifth most important crop in the developing countries after rice, wheat, maize and cassava. The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) method was used to study the genetic diversity and relationships of sweet potato accessions in the germplasm collection of Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro and Sugarcane Research Institute, Kibaha, Tanzania. AFLP analysis of 97 sweet potato accessions using ten primer combinations gave a total of 202 clear polymorphic bands. Each one of the 97 sweet potato accessions could be distinguished based on these primer combinations. Estimates of genetic similarities were obtained by the Dice coefficient, and a final dendrogram was constructed with the un-weight pair-group method using arithmetic average. AFLP-based genetic similarity varied from 0.388 to 0.941, with a mean of 0.709. Cluster analysis using genetic similarity divided the accessions into two main groups suggesting that there are genetic relationships among the accessions. Principal Coordinate analysis confirmed the pattern of the cluster analysis. Analysis of molecular variance revealed greater variation within regions (96.19%) than among regions (3.81%). The results from the AFLP analysis revealed a relatively low genetic diversity among the germplasm accessions and the genetic distances between regions were low. A maximally diverse subset of 13 accessions capturing 97% of the molecular markers diversity was identified. We were able to detect duplicates accessions in the germplasm collection using the highly polymorphic markers obtained by AFLP, which were found to be an efficient tool to characterize the genetic diversity and relationships of sweet potato accessions in the germplasm collection in Tanzania.     

Modelling the epigenetic response of increased temperature during reproduction on Norway spruce phenology

Temperature during seed maturation can induce an epigenetic memory effect in growth phenology of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) that lasts for several years. To quantify the epigenetic modifications induced by natural climatic variation, common garden experiments with plants originating from different provenances and seed years were performed. Plants from warmer seed years showed delayed phenology with later bud flush, bud set and growth cessation. This effect was quantified by linear models of phenology traits as a function of climate indices for the origin and seed year of the plants. Significant effects of the temperature during seed production (seed year) was found for the bud set in seedlings in their first growing season and for bud flush and growth cessation in the 7th-8th growing season from seed. The models suggest that growth start and growth cessation are delayed 0.7–1.8 days per 100 additional degree days experienced by the seed during embryo development and seed maturation. Models that include factors that are known to induce epigenetic effects could be used to better predict future performance of forest reproductive material.     

Comparison of nearest neighbour approaches for small area estimation of tree species-specific forest inventory attributes in central Europe using airborne laser scanner data

The three nonparametric k nearest neighbour (kNN) approaches, most similar neighbour inference (MSN), random forests (RF) and random forests based on conditional inference trees (CF) were compared for spatial predictions of standing timber volume with respect to tree species compositions and for predictions of stem number distributions over diameter classes. Various metrics derived from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data and the characteristics of tree species composition obtained from coarse stand level ground surveys were applied as auxiliary variables. Due to the results of iterative variable selections, only the ALS data proved to be a relevant predictor variable set. The three applied NN approaches were tested in terms of bias and root mean squared difference (RMSD) at the plot level and standard errors at the stand level. Spatial correlations were considered in the statistical models. While CF and MSN performed almost similarly well, large biases were observed for RF. The obtained results suggest that biases in the RF predictions were caused by inherent problems of the RF approach. Maps for Norway spruce and European beech timber volume were exemplarily created. The RMSD values of CF at the plot level for total volume and the species-specific volumes for European beech, Norway spruce, European silver fir and Douglas fir were 32.8, 80.5, 99.0, 137.0 and 261.1%. These RMSD values were smaller than the standard deviation, although Douglas fir volume did not belong to the actual response variables. All three non-parametric approaches were also capable of predicting diameter distributions. The standard errors of the nearest neighbour predictions on the stand level were generally smaller than the standard error of the sample plot inventory. In addition, the employed model-based approach allowed kNN predictions of means and standard errors for stands without sample plots.     

Individual feeding specialisation of a naïve vs. veteran predators

Abstract – We explored the incidence of individual feeding specialisation among a naïve predator (non‐native rainbow trout postsmolts) and two native experienced predators (sea‐run Arctic charr and sea‐trout) in a subarctic Norwegian fjord. Interindividual foraging niche stability was obtained by combining information on stomach contents (recent dietary niche) with trophically transmitted parasite infestation (time‐integrated historical dietary niche) of individual predators. Individual fish showed a high degree of resource specialisation as prey items such as gammarids and small fish (both potential intermediate host of parasites) rarely co‐occurred in stomachs. In both naïve and veteran predators, positive associations between the intensity of a specific parasite species and the occurrence of their respective intermediate host (gammarids or fish) in the stomachs of individual predators demonstrated temporally interindividual feeding specialisations. Several behavioural phenotypes clearly co‐existed in both naïve and veteran predator populations, including gammaridivore (benthic feeders), piscivore (pelagic feeders) or insectivore (pleuston feeders) individuals. The likely mechanism of this observed interindividual resource specialisation in the non‐native naïve predators involves a behavioural component of which rapid learning seems to be a key factor.     

Influence of temperature,humidity and inoculation on the degradation of14C-labeled 2-aminobenzimidazole in soil

Degradation of¹⁴C-labeled 2-aminobenzimidazole was measured in sandy loam soils by means of the evolution of¹⁴C into CO₂. The correlation between soil temperature and 2-AB-degradation was investigated utilizing a temperature gradient incubator for temperatures between 1 and 40°C with a water content of 100% of field capacity. Within the temperature interval 1 to 20°C, the evolution of¹⁴C was exponentially related to the inverse of the absolute temperature, in accordance with the Arrhenius' equation. Maximum evolution of¹⁴C was at 22°C while between 25 and 35°C the evolution remained almost constant and at 40°C it was almost nil. The correlation between soil water content and 2-AB-degradation was measured at 25°C in air dry soil and with water contents varying from 5 to 41% (equivalent to 28 to 227% of field capacity (FC)). From 28 to 94% of FC an exponential increase in the evolution of¹⁴C was observed while the evolution was slightly decreasing in soil with water contents above this level. Degradation of 2-AB in soil was greatly enhanced when the soil was inoculated with liquid or with soil aliquots from a soil perfusion apparatus through which 2-AB had been percolating for 6 mo. This indicates the presence of organisms able to decompose 2-AB in the pre-treated soil and in the perfusing water.