A participatory farming system approach for sustainable broomrape (Orobanche spp.) management in the Near East and North Africa

Broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) are aggressive and damaging parasitic weeds which have a tremendous impact on agriculture in East Africa, the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Despite the availability of technologies to control broomrapes in economically important crops, Orobanche infestation continues to increase, threatening the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Many of the technologies developed have not been effectively disseminated and there has been little or zero adoption by farmers—who continue to use ineffective management practices that exacerbate the problem. The adaptation and dissemination of appropriate management practices are major priorities in broomrape control. However, such work must take into consideration the specific socio-economic characteristics of individual farming systems. Orobanche is a community threat and effective management requires a community-based integrated management approach. Recognizing the central role of farmers in parasitic weed management, a technical cooperation project (TCP) involving FAO, ICARDA and seven countries in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region was implemented to improve the dissemination of knowledge and skills by using a farmer field school approach: a form of education that uses experiential learning methods to build farmers’ expertise. This paper reviews conventional Orobanche research and development approaches, and highlights weaknesses in the management of the parasitic weed using these approaches as opposed to participatory approaches. The benefits and challenges of participatory farming system approaches in relation to integrated broomrape management (IBM) are also discussed. Lessons learned from achieving community ownership of, and institutional support for, IBM could be applied to other sectors (e.g. public health) in which there is a need for institutional learning and reform. Recommendations are made that include regional collaboration within the framework of a proposed Near East and North Africa Orobanche Management Network (NENAOMAN).     

An unusual source of lead causing poisoning

Extract

Sir,—I recently added two nine-month-old heifers showing typical symptoms of lead poisoning, but when the usual search for the source was found. On my third visit the owner produced a half-chewed tape measure which he remembered having mislaid the day before the oneset of the illness of the heifers. Although not expecting it to be the source of the lead, I examined it and found a residue of silvery threads after the organic matter had been calcined. These threads, when dissolved in nitric acid and tested with a solution of potassium iodide, gave a heavy precipitate of “golden spangles” of lead iodide. The heifers had chewed about two feet of tape, which apparently contained enough lead cause the very severe symptoms. After three weeks, they are now recovering.     

Acellular Dermal Matrix for Surgical Repair of Ventral Hernia in Horses

The aim of the present study was to evaluate acellular dermal matrix (ADM) of rat origin for the repair of ventral hernia in horses. The skin from rats, to be used as a graft, was de-epithelialized using hypertonic solution and further decellularized with 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate and 0.25% tri-(n-butyl)-phosphate. Under general anesthesia, the hernial ring was exposed and repaired with the ADM graft using inlay graft technique. Blood samples were collected at postimplantation days 0, 15, and 30 and were used for sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis to assess the serum protein concentration of the animals, as well as for gelatin zymography for the identification of matrix metalloproteinases. All animals had an uneventful recovery without clinical signs of wound dehiscence, infection, or recurrence of hernias during 6-month follow-up period. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of concentration of the serum proteins revealed that this was increased at day 15 and had decreased again at day 30. Gelatin zymography showed only one major band of 92 kDa in the serum of all the horses with the implant, but the relative amount of 92 kDa was higher at day 15 as compared with day 0 and day 30. It may be concluded that ADM of rat origin can be used safely in horses for repair of ventral hernia.     

Nanofibers from bagasse and rice straw: process optimization and properties

Nanofibers (NF) were isolated from bleached bagasse and rice straw pulps. The pulps were refined using high-shear ultrafine grinder and then homogenized using high-pressure homogenizer. The efficiency of the used isolation processes was studied by optical microscopy (OM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and testing the tensile properties (wet and dry) of nanopaper sheets made from the nanofibers. In addition, opacity and porosity of nanopaper sheets made after different processing steps were investigated. The microscopy studies showed that the processes used resulted in nanofibers with diameters ranging from 3.5 to 60?nm. The results indicated that main isolation of nanofibers took place during refining using the ultrafine grinding process, while high-pressure homogenization resulted in smaller and more homogeneous size of nanofibers. Nanopaper sheets made from bagasse showed better wet and dry tensile strength properties than those made of rice straw.     

Response of a rising 2-year-old natural Piedmont upland stand to fertilization

Hardwood stands in the southern U.S. are often regenerated naturally following clearcutting, with little or no silvicultural intervention in the early stages of stand development. Fertilizer was applied to a young naturally regenerating stand in order to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient addition as a silvicultural tool in recently clearcut stands and to better understand the ecological relationships between site fertility and stand development. The study was installed on a rising 2-year-old naturally regenerated mixed pine-hardwood stand in the Hill Demonstration Forest in the Piedmont region (Durham County) of North Carolina. Fertilizer treatments were control, N, N + P, and N + P + K (at 200 kg N per ha, 50 kg P per ha and 100 kg K per ha). On a whole stand basis, increased growth rates were observed for trees on N + P and N + P + K plots. Fertilizer treatments did not affect total stand density, but the density of loblolly pine significantly decreased in N + P plots compared to the Control. The density of stems of stump origin also increased in plots receiving N + P. Density of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) significantly increased and hickory (Carya spp.) density decreased with the application of N + P. Dominant hardwood species with the exception of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) responded with an increase in height to only N + P fertilizer treatments. Yellow-poplar increased in groundline diameter, height and mean tree volume index with the application of N + P. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) responded to N + P + K fertilizer treatment with an increase in height, diameter and volume index over the Control. There was no growth response among treatments for the 16 largest trees per species per plot, with the exception of red oak (Quercus rubra) which responded with an increase in height in N + P plots. Projected growth responses were modeled on a whole stand level and indicate that the use of N + P fertilizer may be an effective silvicultural instrument to increase growth, accelerate stand development, and shorten rotation length.     

Laboratory and environmental decay of wood–plastic composite boards: flexural properties

The flexural properties of wood–plastic composite (WPC) deck boards exposed to 9.5 years of environmental decay in Hilo, Hawaii, were compared to samples exposed to moisture and decay fungi for 12 weeks in the laboratory, to establish a correlation between sample flexural properties and calculated void volume. Specimens were tested for flexural strength and modulus, both wet and dry, at 23°C and 52°C. Some specimens degenerated to only 15% of original flexural strength. UV radiation had no impact on flexural properties of field-exposed boards; loss occurred mainly on the side opposite to the sun-exposed surface. The mechanism of the aging process on colonization of WPC by fungi was examined and is consistent with development of slow crack growth in the polyethylene matrix combined with wood decay by fungi. Wood particle decay, moisture, and elevated temperature were the major factors causing composite degradation, indicated by accumulation of voids and a severe decrease in flexural properties. To simulate long-term field impact (including decay) on WPC flexural properties in the laboratory, conditioning of specimens in hot water for an extended period of time is required. Exposure to water (70°C/5 days) was adequate for simulating long-term composite exposure in Hawaii of 4?×?15?×?86 mm³ specimens.     

Development of CGMS system in ridge gourd [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Luffa acutangula</Emphasis> (Roxb.) L.] for production of F<Subscript>1</Subscript> hybrids

Cytoplasmic male sterile system in ridge gourd has been converted to cytoplasmic genetic male sterile (CGMS) system through the development of analogues of male sterile (MS) line, maintainer line and fertility restorer line. These lines were developed by crossing the MS mutant, regenerated through in vitro culture, with monoecious pollen parents Deepthi, Haritham, LA 101, CO 2, IC 92761 and IC 92685. All hybrids and the BC₁ generation developed by crossing with the recurring pollen parents Deepthi, Haritham and LA 101 were male sterile. Male sterile BC₁ plants have been advanced to BC₆ generation and the parental line LA 101 was proved to be a successful maintainer line, producing male sterile progeny in successive back cross generations. Analogue of cytoplasmic male sterile line, MS LA 101, was developed through back crossing and on crossing with fertility restorer lines Arka Sumeet and LA 102, this line excelled as female parent, resulting heterotic combinations. Mitochondrial marker rpS14 and SCAR Tm-53 were identified to yield male sterility specific markers whereas SSR marker 18956 has generated the male fertility specific marker. These primers are recommended for marker assisted selection of ridge gourd, for utilizing male sterility for hybrid seed production and for developing A, B and C lines in CGMS system.     

Combination of Trabectedin and Gemcitabine for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Results of a Phase I Dose Escalating Trial of the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG)

Background: Evaluation of the potential efficacy and safety of combination therapies for advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS) has increased substantially after approval of trabectedin and pazopanib. Trabectedin’s introduction in Europe in 2007 depended mainly on its activity in so-called L-sarcomas (liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma); combination of trabectedin with other chemotherapies used in STS seems of particular interest. Methods: We initiated within the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG) a phase I dose escalating trial evaluating the combination of trabectedin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced and/or metastatic L-sarcomas (GISG-02; ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01426633","term_id":"NCT01426633"}}NCT01426633). Patients were treated with increasing doses of trabectedin and gemcitabine. The primary endpoint was to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Results: Five patients were included in the study. Two patients were treated on dose level 1 comprising trabectedin 0.9 mg/m² on day 1 and gemcitabine 700 mg/m² on days 1 + 8, every 3 weeks. Due to dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in both patients (elevated transaminases and thrombocytopenia), an additional three patients were treated on dose level −1 with trabectedin 0.7 mg/m² plus gemcitabine 700 mg/m². Of these three patients, two demonstrated another DLT; therefore, the trial was stopped and none of the dose levels could be recommended for phase II testing. Conclusion: The GISG-02 phase I study was stopped with the conclusion that the combination of gemcitabine and trabectedin is generally not recommended for the treatment of patients with advanced and/or metastatic leiomyosarcoma or liposarcoma. Also, this phase I study strongly supports the necessity for careful evaluation of combination therapies.