EFFECTS OF FOLIAR AND SOIL CALCIUM APPLICATION ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF TABLE GRAPE CV. ‘THOMPSON SEEDLESS’

Table grape quality and firmness are key parameters for Chile's export, given distances from the main markets. As a consequence, calcium (Ca) fertilization has become a standard practice in the country, although its effects have not been fully evaluated. The objectives in this study were to investigate the effects of calcium fertilization on table grape nutrition and quality. A two-year field trial was conducted in central Chile, using grapevines (Vitis vinifera) cv. ‘Thompson seedless’, grown on an overhead trellis system. Calcium (CaCl₂) application treatments included foliar, soil, foliar plus soil, and a control without Ca fertilization. Calcium and other nutrients concentration were determined afterwards in soil, leaves, and berries. Also, yield and some fruit quality parameters were evaluated. Calcium application method did not have an effect on soil, leaf or fruit Ca content, neither on yield and berry sugar concentration, with levels being similar to the control treatment. Additionally, in treatments where CaCl₂ was applied to soil, chlorides concentration in soil, leaves, and berries were higher. Also, berries were larger, more turgent, with lower dry matter and larger cells. In the second season, in these same treatments, berry firmness at harvest was higher, but this effect disappeared after the storage simulation period. These results question the validity that Ca applications might improve table grape postharvest quality for growing conditions similar to the ones in this experiment. The temporal changes in berry quality parameters were attributed to higher Cl soil content and the associated plant osmoregulatory mechanisms.     

Precision phenotyping of imidazolinone-induced chlorosis in sunflower

Chlorosis level is a useful parameter to assess imidazolinone resistance in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The aim of this study was to quantify chlorosis through two different methods in sunflower plantlets treated with imazapyr. The genotypes used in this study were two inbred lines reported to be different in their resistance to imidazolinones. Chlorosis was evaluated by spectrophotometrical quantification of photosynthetic leaf pigments and by a bioinformatics-based color analysis. A protocol for pigment extraction was presented which improved pigment stability. Chlorophyll amount decreased significantly when both genotypes were treated with 10 μM of imazapyr. Leaf color was characterized using Tomato Analyzer^® color test software. A significant positive correlation between color reduction and chlorophyll concentration was found. It suggests that leaf color measurement could be an accurate method to estimate chlorosis and infer chlorophyll levels in sunflower plants. These results highlight a strong relationship between imidazolinone-induced chlorosis and variations in leaf color and in chlorophyll concentration. Both methods are quantitative, rapid, simple, and reproducible. Thus, they could be useful tools for phenotyping and screening large number of plants when breeding for imidazolinone resistance in this species.     

Fourteen years of applying zero and conventional tillage,crop rotation and residue management systems and its effect on physical and chemical soil quality

Soil management systems may negatively affect the quality of the soil. Policymakers and farmers need scientific information to make appropriate land management decisions. Conventional (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) are two common soil management systems. Comparative field studies under controlled conditions are required to determine the impact of these systems on soil quality and yields. The research presented studied plant and soil physical and chemical characteristics as affected by different agricultural management practices, i.e. ZT and CT, cropped with continuous wheat or maize in monoculture (M) or in a yearly rotation (R) of these two crops, either with residue retention (+r) or without residues retention (?r), in an experimental field in the Transvolcanic Belt of Mexico after 14 years. The dominant factors defining soil quality were organic C, total N, moisture, aggregate stability, mechanical resistance, pH and EC. The principal component combining the variables organic C, total N, aggregate stability and moisture content showed the highest correlations with final yield (R = 0.85 for wheat and 0.87 for maize).After 14 years of continuous practice, ZTM + r and ZTR + r had the best soil quality and produced the highest wheat and maize yields of average 2001–2004 (6683 and 7672 kg ha^?1 and 5085 and 5667 kg ha^?1, respectively). Removing the residues, i.e. treatments ZTM ? r with maize (average 2001–2004: 1388 kg ha^?1) and ZTR ? r and CTR ? r with wheat (average 2001–2004: 3949 and 5121 kg ha^?1), gave the lowest yields and less favourable soil physical and chemical characteristics compared to the other practices. It was found that zero tillage with residue retention is a feasible management technology for farmers producing maize and wheat in the agro-ecological zone studied, resulting in a better soil quality and higher yields than with the conventional farmer practice (maize monoculture, conventional tillage and residue removal).     

Cold tolerance during juvenile development in sorghum: a comparative analysis by genomewide association and linkage mapping

Improved cold tolerance during the juvenile phase is a major breeding goal to develop new sorghum cultivars suitable as an alternative energy crop in temperate regions. The objectives of this study were to identify marker‐trait associations for cold tolerance in a sorghum diversity panel fingerprinted with 2620 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) in two F_2:3 populations. Traits of interest were dry matter growth rate (DMGR), leaf appearance rate (LAR), chlorophyll content (SPAD) and chlorophyll fluorescence (F_v′/F_m′ and Ф_PSII) in relation to temperature. The association panel comprised 194 genotypes, while the F_2:3 populations consisted of 80 and 92 genotypes. All populations were tested under controlled conditions in a minimum of four temperature regimes ranging from 9.4°C to 20.8°C. QTL were identified for means across environments and regression parameters describing temperature effects. Several marker‐trait associations for mean (m) DMGR, base temperature (T_b) of SPAD and Ф_PSII and temperature effect on LAR were validated by QTL detected in population 1 or 2. Promising QTL regions were found on chromosomes SBI‐01, SBI‐02, SBI‐03, SBI‐04, SBI‐06 and SBI‐09, among them genomic regions where candidate genes involved in the C‐repeat binding pathway or encoding cold‐shock proteins are located.     

IGF-I- and EGF-dependent DNA synthesis of porcine myoblasts is influenced by the dietary isoflavones genistein and daidzein

Soy-derived isoflavones have been reported to be specific inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases like the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This study was conducted to investigate, whether IGF-I and EGF stimulate porcine myoblast growth and whether the responses are influenced by isoflavones. Satellite cell-born myoblasts derived from the semimembranosus muscle of newborn piglets were treated for 26h with IGF-I or EGF alone and in combination with genistein or daidzein. The DNA amount was measured and DNA synthesis was recorded as 6 h-[(3)H]thymidine incorporation during exponential growth in serum-free basal medium. IGF-I and EGF synergistically stimulated DNA synthesis of porcine myoblast with EGF causing a greater response. Genistein (100mumol/l) effectively reduced the growth factor-mediated DNA synthesis, which was associated with an inhibition of growth factor receptor protein expression. In response to daidzein no reduction in growth factor-mediated DNA synthesis was found. Daidzein (1; 10mumol/l) combined with IGF-I caused even a slight increase in DNA amount compared with the untreated control. The expression of the IGF-1R precursor protein was reduced with 10 and 100mumol/l daidzein, whereas the EGFR expression remained unchanged with daidzein. The results suggest that dietary isoflavones may interact with growth factor-induced stimulation of pig skeletal muscle growth.     

Patterns of amphibian diversity in Brazilian Amazonia: conservation implications

A literature survey was conducted to determine the amphibian diversity and distribution in Brazilian Amazonia. Patterns of endemisms and similarity of fauna between localities were also addressed. Twenty-eight inventories were found for the region, the majority localized in areas with easier access by road or river. A minimum of 163 amphibian species was recorded for Brazilian Amazonia. Although many species are endemic to the Amazonian lowlands as an entity, the patterns of species uniqueness among sites suggested low endemic distribution within the lowlands of the Amazon Basin. The mean similarity between localities varied from low to intermediate (mean=0.40), indicating that the Brazilian Amazonia is characterized by distinctive assemblages of amphibians throughout its extension. Localities further apart had lower similarity. No threatened species were recorded. These results contribute to determine priority areas for new inventories and establishment of conservation units. We suggest that areas next to the Amazon deforestation frontier should be prioritized for new studies due to the high rate of alteration and potential loss of species. Additionally, studies on amphibian population dynamics are few in Brazilian Amazonia and more of them should be emphasized to help to draw a better picture of the status of amphibians in this region.     

Temperature responses of NO and N2O emissions from boreal organic soil

Both NO and N₂O are produced in soil microbial processes and have importance in atmospheric physics and chemistry. In recent years several studies have shown that N₂O emissions from organic soils can be high at low temperatures. However, the effects of low temperature on NO emissions from soil are unknown. We studied in laboratory conditions, using undisturbed soil cores, the emissions of NO and N₂O from organic soils at various temperatures, with an emphasis on processes and emissions during soil freezing and thawing periods. We found no soil freezing- or thawing-related emission maxima for NO, while the N₂O emissions were higher both during soil freezing and thawing periods. The results suggest that different factors are involved in the regulation of NO and N₂O emissions at low temperatures.