Effect of fruit load on oil yield components and dynamics of fruit growth and oil accumulation in olive (Olea europaea L.)

Olive oil yield and its components (fruit number, average fruit weight and fruit oil concentration) depend on crop load and source–sink ratios as affected by environmental conditions, management and the alternate bearing typical of the species. The aims of this work were to: (i) establish quantitative relationships between oil yield and its components as affected by fruit load in a high-yielding production system, (ii) analyse the dynamics of fruit weight and fruit oil concentration in terms of rates and durations, and (iii) explore the relationships between the dynamics of oil and water in fruit. In a fully irrigated olive orchard in Mendoza (32° S), Argentina, cv. Arbequina trees with similar crown volume and three fruit loads (3-fold range) were monitored during two seasons. Oil yield was positively associated with both fruit number and fruit fresh weight, but not with fruit oil concentration. Across seasons and fruit loads, fruit yield increased linearly with fruit number at ～1.5 kg per thousand fruit and reached a maximum ～60 kg tree^?1 (or 25 t ha^?1) at a fruit load of 32,700 fruit tree^?1. The fruit filling rate was affected by fruit load, while the duration of fruit growth and the dynamics of oil and water concentration were unaffected by fruit load. Fruit water concentration reached a minimum at the onset of Stage III of fruit growth, which was marked by a rapid increase in oil concentration. Fruit fresh weight and oil weight increased with source–sink ratio from ～0.5 up to a threshold ～2 m³ crown per thousand fruit. In contrast, a 8-fold range of source–sink ratio did not affect fruit oil concentration.     

Resistance to the South American tomato pinworm <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tuta absoluta</Emphasis> in high acylsugar and/or high zingiberene tomato genotypes

Zingiberene (ZGB) and acylsugars (AS) are allelochemicals responsible for high levels of arthropod resistance found in Solanum habrochaites (= Lycopersicon hirsutum) var. hirsutum ‘PI 127826’ and S. (= L.) pennelli ‘LA 716’, respectively. These accessions were used to develop commercial lines with good levels of pest resistance. The objective of the present work was to assess the ZGB and AS contents and the levels of resistance to Tuta absoluta in tomato hybrids between high ZGB × high AS lines, as compared with their parental lines and with commercial checks. High AS homozygous lines [TOM-688 and TOM-689, both originated from the interspecific cross S. lycopersicum (= L. esculentum) × S. pennelli], high ZGB homozygous lines (ZGB-703 and ZGB-704, both derived from the interspecific cross S. lycopersicum × S. habrochaites var. hirsutum), double heterozygotes for both ZGB and AS, single heterozygotes for ZGB, and single heterozygotes for AS were assessed for AS and ZGB contents. Low-ZGB low-AS checks ‘Débora Max’ and ‘TOM-684’ were used, as well as checks with high ZGB (PI 127826) and high AS (LA 716). The genotypes were submitted to infestation with South American tomato pinworm adults in a screenhouse, and oviposition counts were taken 10 days after the initial infestation date. Plants were scored for overall plant damage and percent leaflets attacked up to the 38th day after infestation. Genotypes heterozygous for ZGB or AS showed allelochemical contents intermediate to those of their high and low content parents, indicating incompletely dominant gene action for contents of each of the allelochemicals. There were no significant differences in T. absoluta oviposition between high-AS homozygous genotypes, high-ZGB homozygotes, single heterozygotes for AS, single heterozygotes for ZGB and double heterozygotes for ZGB and AS, but all these genotypes showed egg counts significantly lower than the low-ZGB low-AS checks. Feeding damage of T. absoluta was higher in the low-ZGB low-AS checks than in any other ZGB-rich or AS-rich tomato genotype. Relative to ZGB or AS single heterozygotes, the heterozygotes for both ZGB and AS showed higher levels of resistance to the insect, as measured by overall plant damage, indicating a synergic effect of the allelochemicals on resistance.     

Effect of restricted suckling on milk yield,composition and flow,udder health,and postpartum anoestrus in grazing Holstein cows

The effect of restricted suckling on milk yield and composition, udder health, and postpartum anoestrus in dairy cows in pasture-based systems, was studied in 32 Holstein multiparous cows and their calves. At calving, each cow–calf pair was randomly assigned to one of two treatments: restricted suckling (RS) of the cows by her own or another calf, twice daily for 30 min or artificial rearing (AR) of the calves with milk obtained from the bulk tank, offered twice a day in buckets. Treatments were applied until week 8 after calving. The diet of the cows consisted of direct grazing in improved pastures, corn silage and a commercial concentrate which was offered at milking. Milk production and composition, udder health, body condition score of the cows, body weight and milk intake of the calves were measured weekly, and the first postpartum ovulation was determined three times a week by ovarian ultrasonography. Cows with RS management had a lower machine-milked milk yield (17.9 vs. 24.8 kg/d), a lower fat percentage (3.21 vs. 4.11%) and 4% fat-corrected milk yield (16.2 vs. 25.7 kg/d), and also a lower average milk flow (1.35 vs. 1.76 kg/min) than cows in the AR treatment. There was no effect of treatment on milk protein percentage or udder health as measured by milk electrical conductivity. The interval from calving to first postpartum ovulation was shorter in the AR cows than in the RS cows (18.5 vs. 21.8 days). The RS calves consumed more milk (7.2 vs. 5.4 kg/d), gained more body weight (0.813 vs. 0.656 kg/d), and had a higher body weight at weaning (84.3 vs. 73.3 kg) than AR calves. Restricted suckling of grazing dairy cows had a negative effect on machine-milked milk yield, fat percentage and 4% fat-corrected milk yield, but had no effect on udder health or on improved weight gain and body weight at weaning of the calves.     

Azospirillum inoculation and nitrogen fertilization effect on grain yield and on the diversity of endophytic bacteria in the phyllosphere of rice rainfed crop

We assessed the Azospirillum inoculation and N-fertilization effect on grain yield and on the phyllosphere endophytic diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in a rice rainfed crop. We used cultivation-based techniques and cultivation-independent methods involving PCR-16S rRNA and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In general, we observed that grain yield was improved when inoculated with Azospirillum (depending on the genotype) and/or fertilized with urea. A similar behavior was observed in total N-content in grain and the MPN determination, as the highest values occurred when seeds were inoculated with A. brasilense REC3 (S1) than with A brasilense 13-2C (S2). A positive nitrogenase activity and PCR-nifH amplification suggests that the bacteria associated to inner tissues of rice phyllosphere could have contributed to the different N-contents detected. The bacterial diversity, observed in the number and intensity of DGGE profiles, showed a higher number of bands when total DNA was obtained using only CTAB than with CTAB + PVP. The DGGE profiles revealed great stability in the dominating bands, which presumably represent numerically dominant species. Application of A. brasilense strains as inoculants did not influence the dominant members of the endophytic microbial communities in the phyllosphere, but improved N-content and production of rainfed rice crop.     

Quantitative reconstruction of the nonvolatile sensometabolome of a red wine

The first comprehensive quantitative determination of 82 putative taste-active metabolites and mineral salts, the ranking of these compounds in their sensory impact based on dose-over-threshold (DoT) factors, followed by the confirmation of their sensory relevance by taste reconstruction and omission experiments enabled the decoding of the nonvolatile sensometabolome of a red wine. For the first time, the bitterness of the red wine could be demonstrated to be induced by subthreshold concentrations of phenolic acid ethyl esters and flavan-3-ols. Whereas the velvety astringent onset was imparted by three flavon-3-ol glucosides and dihydroflavon-3-ol rhamnosides, the puckering astringent offset was caused by a polymeric fraction exhibiting molecular masses above >5 kDa and was found to be amplified by the organic acids. The perceived sourness was imparted by l-tartaric acid, d-galacturonic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, l-malic acid, and l-lactic acid and was slightly suppressed by the chlorides of potassium, magnesium, and ammonium, respectively. In addition, d-fructose and glycerol as well as subthreshold concentrations of glucose, 1,2-propandiol, and myo-inositol were found to be responsible for the sweetness, whereas the mouthfulness and body of the red wine were induced only by glycerol, 1,2-propandiol, and myo-inositol.     

Monitoring the benzene contents in soft drinks using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: a survey of the situation on the belgian market

Whenever benzoic acid is combined with ascorbic acid in acidic beverages such as soft drinks, benzene can be formed. To determine the current situation on the Belgian market, a headspace gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method was developed, which needs little to no sample preparation. This method was then used to analyze 134 soft drinks sampled on the Belgian market by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain. Thirty-three percent of the samples contained no detectable benzene, whereas the majority of the samples (47%) contained trace amounts below the limit of quantification of the method (0.3 microg L (-1)). Ten samples were above the European limit for benzene in drinking water of 1 microg L (-1), and one sample had a concentration of 10.98 microg L (-1), thereby exceeding the action limit for benzene in soft drinks of 10 microg L (-1) discussed at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health of the European Commission. Statistical analyses revealed that besides benzoic acid, ascorbic acid, and acidity regulators, the packing may also play an important role in benzene formation.     

A New Approach for Minimizing Ammonia Emissions from Poultry Houses

The paper describes a novel approach to reduce ammonia emissions from Concentrated Animal and Feeding Operations (CAFO) in general, and from poultry houses in particular. The approach is based on installing a dedicated air capturing system on the feeding infrastructure that draws air from close to the litter. Air at these locations has NH_3(g) concentrations an order of magnitude higher than at the vents of the ventilation system. Moreover, while the dedicated waste air drawing system can work continuously, the operation of the ventilation system is intermittent and directed towards maintaining the birds climatically-comfort. The NH_3(g) rich waste air is conveyed to an acidic (0?<?pH?<?~5) bubble column reactor in which ammonia is converted to ${\text{NH}}_4^ + $ . The reactor operates in a batch mode, starting at pH?0 (1?N HCl solution) and is switched to a new acidic absorption solution just before NH_3(g) breakthrough occurs, at around pH 5. Experiments with a wide range of NH_3(g) concentrations showed that the absorption efficiency is practically 100% throughout the process as long as the face velocity is below 4 cm/s. The advantages of the method include high absorption efficiency, lower NH_3(g) concentrations in the vicinity of the birds, generation of a valuable product (a high concentration ammonia solution) and the separation between the ventilation and ammonia treatment systems. A small scale pilot operation conducted for 5 weeks in a broiler house showed the approach to be technically feasible. A larger scale pilot study is required for fine-tuned cost estimation.     

Decomposition and macroinvertebrates in experimental litter along a secondary chronosequence of tropical montane forest

This paper presents the results of a decomposition experiment performed in a secondary chronosequence of tropical montane cloud forest in Mexico. The experiment was designed to explore whether the age of the forest influences the decomposition process and macroinvertebrate community independently of the quality of the decomposition resources. Fresh Pinus chiapensis needles and Persea americana leaves were set to decompose in each of four successional stages (15, 45, 75 and 100 years old). Results do not support the hypothesis that decomposition rate declines with increasing nutrient deficiency as forest succession proceeds. However, the chemical composition in decomposing leaves differed between successional stages. Higher availability of Ca in the 15-year-old forest appears to promote a positive feedback in the release of this nutrient from Persea americana leaves. Additionally, in old forests, a soil community that is more capable of breaking down recalcitrant material (acid detergent lignin) appears to have developed compared to early successional stages. The diversity of macroinvertebrates and abundance of predatory (Aranea and Diplura), detrivorous (Diplopoda) and geophagous (Enchytaeidae) taxa were different between boxes placed in different successional stages. We conclude that the decomposition and associated biota differ between successional stages. Apart from differences in litter quality, other factors associated with the age of the forest, such as small differences in soil temperature and long-lasting effects of disturbance, may also play influential roles.     

Social perceptions of the impacts and benefits of invasive alien species: Implications for management

Research on biological invasions has traditionally focused on the ecological component of invasive alien species, either without considering or by considering in a restricted way, the knowledge of the social component. An understanding of the human dimension of invasions is critical to effectively tackle the problems associated with invasive alien species. We distributed questionnaires to evaluate the social perceptions and attitudes of different stakeholder groups affected by invasive alien species in the Doñana social-ecological system (SW Spain). Our analysis served to characterize respondents based on their knowledge and perceptions of the impacts of invasive alien species, and the attitudes toward their introduction and eradication. Hierarchical cluster and principal component analyses identified five categories of respondents, and potential support of eradication programs was assessed using a contingent valuation approach. The five stakeholder groups differed in their degree of knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to pay for eradication. The fact that different stakeholders have remarkably different perceptions about the impacts and benefits caused by invasive alien species, and different attitudes toward their introduction or eradication should be considered in any decision-making process regarding their management, particularly when developing appropriate educational and informative programs. Consultation with different stakeholders should also be encouraged from the onset of any decision-making process. In this way, trade-offs involved in IAS management are directly addressed and successful implementation of management practices is facilitated.     

Nutritional responses of rats to diets based on chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) seed meal or its protein fractions

The aim of this study was to isolate the protein fractions from chickpea, var. IAC-Marrocos, as well as to evaluate its in vivo nutritional protein quality. Among the proteins, albumins showed better nutritional value in the in vivo assays and amino acid contents, despite their higher trypsin inhibitor contents. Trypsin inhibitors were found to be heat labile in all samples, but the digestibility results for unheated and heated flour and albumins suggest that their contents are not very decisive. The PER values for casein (not supplemented) were very similar to those of heated flour and unheated or heated albumin and total globulins. The albumin and glutelin fractions showed the best results for PDCAAS, however, lower than those of casein. Despite the high digestibility of the globulin the very low essential amino acid content lowered its PDCAAS, and it had the lowest values.