Mycorrhizal Associations and Their Manipulation for Long-Term Agricultural Stability and Productivity

Summary

Mycorrhizae refer to an association (largely symbiotic) between plants and fungi that colonize the cortical root tissue of most agricultural crops during the period of active plant growth. The contribution of these symbioses to plant growth and soil fertility maintenance has been well-recognized for past several years. In spite of these benefits to agriculture, at present, the realization of the full potential of these fungi has not yet been reached. It must also be recognized that recent research on the possible application of the mycorrhizal symbiosis in agriculture has revealed many gaps in knowledge of fungal biology and ecology. Scientific knowledge on the role of these fungi in plant development and protection, soil stabilization, aggregate formation and creation of nutrient reserves is still limited. For efficient use and manipulation of these fungal symbioses for long-term agricultural stability and productivity, our understanding of their physiology, function and interactions with existing crops and environmental conditions should be improved. Besides, effects of different agronomic practices, application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on their ecology and function should be elucidated before their successful utilization in agriculture.

This paper presents information on the morphology of different my-corrhizal fungi, their physiology and functions. Methods presently used to produce mycorrhizal inocula, their application in the field, problems to be resolved for their massive exploitation and future research needs have also been described. References have been selected to explain the recent advances in our understanding on these beneficial fungi.     

Male pseudohermaphroditism in a Labrador Retriever,and a review of mammalian sexual differentiation

CASE HISTORY: An 8-month-old Labrador Retriever was referred with a history of ambiguous external genitalia.

CLINICAL FINDINGS AND TREATMENT: Clitoromegaly within apparent vulval folds, and an adjacent subcutaneous mass were noticed on external examination. An intra-abdominal testicle, with epididymis and suspected vas deferens ducts, was found during exploratory celiotomy. Incision over the subcutaneous mass revealed the accompanying testicle. Clitoridectomy was performed and an os clitoris removed. Normal juvenile testes were diagnosed on histology of the gonads. Chromosomal studies revealed a normal 78, XY male chromosomal constitution. Due to the combination of a male karyotype (78, XY), the presence of testicular tissue in the gonads, and the appearance of the external genitalia, a diagnosis of male pseudohermaphroditism (MPH) was made.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case presents the first report of MPH in a Labrador Retriever, and highlights the diagnostic steps recommended when confronted with a dog with ambiguous external genitalia.     

快速鉴定瓜类疫病抗性方法的建立及黄瓜种质资源鉴定

【目的】为方便研究瓜类疫病,快速筛选抗疫病的瓜类材料,建立快速安全有效的瓜类疫病抗性鉴定体系。【方法】通过灌根、喷雾、浸根、菌块离体接种等4种接种方法对黄瓜抗病材料和感病材料幼苗进行接种,通过比较发病率、发病时间及操作程序等确定最简便有效的鉴定方法。【结果】4种接种方法均能鉴定黄瓜疫病抗感情况,但是鉴定效果差异显著。浸根法、喷雾法、灌根法接种合适浓度均为10~2个孢子/mL,操作复杂,接种效率低。菌块离体接种方法利用2 mm直径菌块直接接种于离体子叶背面,放置于有润湿滤纸的培养皿中,保湿24 h即可观察表型,通过计算病斑大小快速鉴定瓜类材料的抗性;利用该方法对40份不同抗性的黄瓜材料进行鉴定,发现栽培黄瓜抗疫病材料极少,只有PE40、PE119、PE120、PE185等4份材料具有抗性,90%的材料均为感病或高感。【结论】菌块子叶离体接种法是瓜类疫病鉴定的快捷有效方法,该方法无需诱孢,能够一次性鉴定数百份材料,且能够保存感病材料或中间材料,大大提高鉴定效率,为瓜类疫病抗性育种奠定基础。     

华山新麦草易位系抗黄矮病的鉴定

小麦黄矮病在田间由麦蚜传播大麦黄矮病毒(BYDV)感染引起。为给优质抗BYDV小麦新品种提供重要种质资源,采用堆测法种植材料,利用饲毒蚜虫接种病毒BYDV-GAV的方式,对27份华山新麦草易位系材料进行了抗病性鉴定,比较了接种病毒后各材料的病情指数及其千粒重。结果表明,27份华山新麦草易位系中,5份材料的病情指数介于13.56～18.89,表现为抗BYDV-GAV;9份材料的病情指数是介于27.78～48.89,表现为感BYDV-GAV;其余13份材料的病情指数均大于50.0,表现高感BYDV-GAV。不同华山新麦草易位系对BYDV-GAV抗性差异较大,筛选出的5份抗黄矮病材料可为培育优质抗病毒新品种提供重要种质资源。     

Differential structure and physiological response to canker challenge between ‘Meiwa’ kumquat and ‘Newhall’ navel orange with contrasting resistance

Asiatic citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) is one of the most detrimental diseases affecting citrus production. ‘Meiwa’ kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia) and ‘Newhall’ navel orange (Citrus sinensis) are two genotypes with contrasting Xcc resistance. In the current study, efforts were made to perform pairwise comparison between them in terms of structural difference and biochemical response to Xcc attack. Pinprick inoculation demonstrated that ‘Meiwa’ had lower disease incidence rate and smaller lesion size, concurrent with significantly less bacterial number at the inoculation sites relative to ‘Newhall’. Microscopic observation demonstrated that stomatal density and size of ‘Meiwa’ were significantly smaller than ‘Newhall’. Stomatal apertures of ‘Meiwa’ were smaller than ‘Newhall’ measured at 2 h after their leaves were immersed in Xcc suspension, consistent with the bacteria number in the internal tissues counted at 4 d. Epicuticular wax content of ‘Meiwa’ was significantly higher than that of ‘Newhall’, while no difference in palisade and spongy tissue was observed between them. Enzymatic activity assay showed that after Xcc inoculation, ‘Meiwa’ exhibited significantly higher activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in comparison with ‘Newhall’ at most of the sampling time points. Our data showed that the two genotypes with contrasting Xcc resistance exhibited clear difference in the structure and physiological response, which may provide information to facilitate our understanding of Xcc resistance.     

外植体不同长度及接种方式对马尾松愈伤组织诱导的影响

为研究外植体不同长度及接种方式对马尾松愈伤组织诱导率的影响,将马尾松的外植体按照长度与接种方式的不同分别将其分组,比较组间差异。结果表明:外植体最佳接种长度为0.1~0.2 cm,愈伤组织细胞在切口处大量增殖和生长,外植体全部分化成愈伤组织,愈伤组织诱导率高达84.00%,几乎没有褐化和污染现象发生;外植体最佳接种方式为竖直接种,竖直接种的外植体愈伤组织形成较早,且褐化和污染程度较低。     

圆环病毒攻击下生物素添加水平对仔猪细胞免疫及生产性能的影响

将28d断奶、圆环病毒(PVC2)抗体阴性的(杜×长×大)三元杂交仔猪54头,平均分为6组,每组9头,单笼饲养。试验第1天全部猪口鼻接种圆环病毒,在玉米-豆粕型基础日粮中分别添加生物素0、0.10、0.20、0.30、0.40mg/kg和0.50mg/kg,以确定PCV2攻击下,仔猪饲粮生物素添加水平对细胞免疫及生产性能的影响。结果表明:饲粮中添加生物素0.30mg/kg,仔猪外周血E总花环形成率和T淋巴细胞转化率较高,并可促进外周淋巴器官维持正常形态、提高胸腺生长指数;添加0.50mg/kg提高生产性能的效果最佳。由本试验可得出,添加生物素可促进仔猪淋巴器官生长和细胞免疫反应并能提高生产性能,以添加0.30mg/kg的效果较好。     

相思苗木接种根瘤菌的研究

根瘤菌接种对黑木相思,灰木相思,２银昨黑荆苗木的生长,结瘤及固氮效应的研究结果表明：接种不同根瘤菌的相思苗木其苗高,总生物量和根瘤生物量分别比不接菌的对照苗木增加３５．３８％－１６０．２６％,１７．８５％＿２３８．７９％和２．４％－１０２．６１％。接菌的不同相思树种／种源苗木其苗高,总生物量和根瘤生物量分别比各自不接菌的对照苗木增加２．６４％－１０９．８２％,１．８２％－２８１．４８％和６４．７％     

Successful Back-inoculation Confirms the Role of Black Currant Reversion Associated Virus as the Causal Agent of Reversion Disease

Reversion is the most wide-spread and serious virus-like disease infecting black currant but the causal agent of the disease has not been described. Recently, we have isolated a new nepovirus from reversion-infected black currant and by using immunocapture-RT-PCR detection, we have shown that the virus is consistently associated with reversion disease (Lemmetty et al., Phytopathology 87: 404–413, 1997). These data suggested that the virus, tentatively called black currant reversion associated virus (BRAV), could be the causal agent of reversion disease. Here we report that the isolated virus was successfully inoculated back to healthy black currant plants by slash inoculation of in vitro propagated young recipient plants. Vein pattern symptoms identical or very similar to the reported early symptoms of reversion disease were produced in the virus-infected plants. Using immunocapture-RT-PCR, the virus was again detected from symptomatic but not from inoculated symptomless plants or from the mock-inoculated or uninoculated controls. Production of the acute reversion symptoms demonstrates that BRAV is the causal agent of reversion disease, and we therefore propose that the virus be named black currant reversion virus, abbreviated BRV.     

木麻黄弗兰克氏菌的菌剂类型与保藏方法对接种效果的影响

用弗兰克氏菌 ( Frankia) 90 2 2菌株和 2 87菌株的 3种菌剂类型、2种保藏方法对木麻黄苗木接种效果影响的研究结果表明 :90 2 2菌株的 3种菌剂类型以室温保藏 6～ 9个月的蛭石菌剂的接种效果最好 ,2 87菌株则以 4℃保藏 6～ 9个月的干海藻酸钙菌剂的接种效果最好 ,其苗高生长、生物量、结瘤量和侵染率最高。室温保藏的 90 2 2菌株和 2 87菌株的干海藻酸钙菌剂接种效果最差。应用MPN方法测定了经过 2 4个月室温保藏的 90 2 2菌株蛭石菌剂的活菌数量为 4.8× 10 3个 .g-1。