Pre-determination of survival rate of apple and pear scions after X-ray treatment

Summary A simple method is described which makes it possible to pre-determine the survival rate of dormant scions of woody crops such as apple and pear after X-ray treatment.During early spring irradiated scions were kept on water in a warm glasshouse and the buds were left to sprout. It appeared that the relation between X-ray dose and percentage of buds surviving on the scions after 3–4 weeks was similar to the relation between dose and the percentage of irradiated grafts surviving after two growing seasons in the field. In sofar the dose at which 50% survival occurs is presumed to be the most efficient one, the method enables speedy determination of the most effective dose of X-ray treatment.     

Analysis of fat-soluble vitamins. XIX. Collaborative studies on the chemical assay for vitamin D concentrates

In 1971, a chemical method for the assay of vitamin D in concentrates containing only vitamin D was collaboratively studied by 14 laboratories, using 6 different samples from 2 European manufacturers. On the basis of these results, the laboratories were divided into 2 groups: 5 with significant laboratory biases of greater than or equal to 2%, and 9 laboratories with nonsignificant bias. The 9 laboratories were subdivided into 2 groups which differed significantly as to reproducibility within laboratories. The reproducibility between laboratories, expressed as a standard deviation in per cent with 95% confidence limits, was 1.2% (confidence range 0.6-7.3) and 4.7% (confidence range 2.4-29.3) for 3 and 6 laboratories, respectively. A second collaborative test was performed in 1974, using 12 vitamin D resin samples in oil from 3 United States manufacturers, to compare 2 chemical vitamin D assay methods (with and without maleic anhydride) and to compare results from the chemical and biological methods; 9 laboratories participated in the chemical method study and 3 in the rat bioassay study. The correlation of results of the chemical method including maleic anhydride treatment and the rat bioassays was satisfactory. The reproducibility of the chemical method was about the same as that in the first collaborative test.     

Structure assignment to biologically produced malathion monocarboxylic acid isomers with 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance

Chemical synthesis of malathion α- and β-monocarboxylic acid yields a mixture of the two structural isomers. These two isomers were separated by preparative anion-exchange chromatography on QAE-Sephadex. ¹³C-Nuclear magnetic resonance of the pure components shows that the main product is the β-isomer, with the α-isomer being present in much smaller quantities. This result was used for identification of hydrolytic malathion metabolites produced by rat tissues. On incubation of malathion with rat liver fractions in vitro it was found that α- and β-monoacid are formed in a ratio of 3:2, whereas this ratio is 9:2 for the metabolites excreted into the urine after intraperitoneal injection of malathion in rats.     

Effects of Environmental Stress on Forest Crown Condition in Europe. Part IV: Statistical Analysis of Relationships

Site-specific estimates for various environmentalstress factors were related with measured crowncondition data at a systematic 16 ×: 16 km² gridover Europe, according to previously statedhypotheses, using a multiple regression approach,including interactions, and lagged effects of stressfactors. Methodological differences among countriesaccounted for >30% of the variation in defoliation.Nevertheless, crown condition was found to varynaturally with tree age, altitude, drought stress and,most likely, also pathogenic fungi and insects.Significant impacts of air pollution (specificallyozone but also NO_x, SO_x and acid deposition)were found at regional levels in parts of centralEurope, particularly for deciduous species. Impactsseemed less significant for conifers, especially forspruce, but this might be affected by confoundingeffects or strong correlations between (a harsh)climate and (low) atmospheric deposition in the areawhere spruce predominates. National studies indicatethat ozone and acid deposition can have a significanteffect on the defoliation of spruce as well. Weconclude that while forest condition varies naturally,continued emissions will contribute further to forestdecline in the long term.     

High pressure liquid chromatographic determination of carbohydrates in food products: evaluation of method

A high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for determining 5 common carbohydrates in food products was evaluated. Reproducibility data were generated showing a relative standard deviation of 2.8%. Recovery studies on a variety of foods gave an average recovery of 98.8%. The HPLC data for 3 varieties of ready-to-eat cereals were compared with data from 4 independent laboratories using current AOAC chemical methods. The HPLC mean values differed from the chemical mean values by 3.2%.     

Breeding research on rose pigments. 1. The occurrence of flavonoids and carotenoids in rose petals

Summary As a preamble to a breeding programme for colour in roses, the relative quantities of carotenoids, cyanidin, pelargonidin, quercetin and kaempferol were determined in about 200 varieties and some species. Cyanidin was about normally distributed among red varieties, as were carotenoids and flavonols among white and yellow varieties. A positive relationship between pelargonidin and kaempferol was established, and a negative one between pelargonidin and quercetin. No other relations were found between the pigments.     

Juvenility in Hybrid Tea-roses

Summary In Hybrid Tea-roses relations between growth and juvenile period (J.P. = number of days from seed germination to flower bud appearance) were studied for three years.Plants showing a flower bud for the first time are significantly longer than those without a bud. In comparison with plants with long J.P.'s, plants with short J.P.'s have shorter shoots both at bud appearance and at first flowering, flower sooner, are significantly longer when measured on one date, and yield about three times more cut flowers in 6 months. It was shown that the J.P. depends on plant development and does not govern this process.Also presented at the Juvenility Symposium held at West-Berlin, November 1976.     

Precocity and productivity of propagated apple and pear seedlings as dependent on the juvenile period

Summary Adult apple and pear seedlings varying in juvenile period were propagated on rootstocks. They were subsequently found to be more precocious and more productive when the juvenile period had been shorter. In view of the significant relation between vigour measured by stem diameter) and precocity of both seedlings and propagated trees, it is possible to pre-select for the potentially more precocious seedlings on the basis of vigour.Samenvatting De vruchtbaarheid van vegetatief vermeerderde appel- en peerzaailingen in verband met hun jeugdperiode Reeds vruchtdragende appel- en perezaailingen, waarvan de voormalige jeugdperiode sterk varieerde, werden op onderstam geoculeerd. Het bleek dat de bomen gemiddeld vroeger vruchtbaar en productiever waren naarmate de voormalige jeugdperiode korter was geweest.De al eerder geconstateerde relatie tussen groeikracht en jeugdperiode (kortere jeugdperiode naarmate de bommen dikker zijn), bleek ook na vermeerdering te bestaan, d.w.z. de dikkere bomen bloeiden eerder dan de dunnere. Daar deze samenhang erfelijk bepaald is, biedt dit de mogelijkheid om de potentieel vroeg-vruchtbare zaailingen reeds in het kwekerijstadium op basis van groeikracht te selecteren.