Responding to Economic Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Farmer-Developed Pest Management Strategies in Cocoa-Based Plantations in Southern Cameroon

Cocoa is a key or source of income and poverty reduction in the humid forest of Southern Cameroon. Cameroon like other African countries went through a major economic crisis in the early 1980s with a decline in international commodity prices and significant changes in macroeconomic policies. Structural adjustment reforms following the economic crisis led to removal of fertilizers and pesticides subsidies, cocoa price liberalization and the overall withdraw of Government interventions from the cocoa sub-sector. Cocoa input price increases have been compounded by the devaluation of the CFA Franc, which doubled the prices of the imported pesticides which were considered key to the control of cocoa pests. This overall economic shock led to changes in cocoa producer's production decisions as a response to minimize cost. Among the changes the use of alternatives to imported chemicals for cocoa pest control. Farmers responded to the high prices of pesticides by developing, from local botanical knowledge and pest management strategies, which include plant extracts and plant extracts mixed with pesticides at different proportions. This is a major decision given the importance of imported chemical in the cost of production of cocoa. Valuable indigenous knowledge from farmers could be used also as an effective support system for communicating and diffusing modern knowledge and technologies to farmers. The paper describes the farmer knowledge-based alternatives to chemical pesticides for pest control in cocoa fields as a response to high pest control costs. Pest management specialists are urged to take advantage of this shift in practice and assess their effectiveness for further use. Two sets of questions are posed: (1) were the conventional insecticides, with all their problems, really necessary? and (2) are the materials derived from locally grown plants effective pest management agents or are they, in some way, placebos?     

The genetic susceptibility of HLA-DRB1 alleles in esophageal neoplasm of Hubei Han Chinese

AIM: To probe into the genetic susceptibility of HLA-DRB1 alleles to esophageal neoplasm in Hubei Han Chinese. METHODS: HLA-DRB1 gene polymorphism in 42 patients with esophageal neoplasm and 136 normal control subjects was studied by PCR and sequence. RESULTS: Allele frequency of HLA-DRB1 *0901 allele was significantly higher in esophageal cancer patients than those in normal controls(0.2500 vs 0.1397, P =0.028; the odds ratiO².053; etiologic fraction 0.1282).There were no association between the rested HLA-DRB1 alleles with patients. CONCLUSION: Individuals carrying HLA-DRB1 *0901 may be susceptible to esophagealo carcinoma, its nucleotide sepuence approachs to the corresponded allele sequence(exoN²)published in GenBank.     

Simulating evolution of glyphosate resistance in Lolium rigidum II: past, present and future glyphosate use in Australian cropping

Glyphosate is a key component of weed control strategies in Australia and worldwide. Despite widespread and frequent use, evolved resistance to glyphosate is rare. A herbicide resistance model, parameterized for Lolium rigidum has been used to perform a number of simulations to compare predicted rates of evolution of glyphosate resistance under past, present and projected future use strategies. In a 30‐year wheat, lupin, wheat, oilseed rape crop rotation with minimum tillage (100% shallow depth soil disturbance at sowing) and annual use of glyphosate pre‐sowing, L. rigidum control was sustainable with no predicted glyphosate resistance. When the crop establishment system was changed to annual no‐tillage (15% soil disturbance at sowing), glyphosate resistance was predicted in 90% of populations, with resistance becoming apparent after between 10 and 18 years when sowing was delayed. Resistance was predicted in 20% of populations after 25–30 years with early sowing. Risks of glyphosate resistance could be reduced by rotating between no‐tillage and minimum‐tillage establishment systems, or by rotating between glyphosate and paraquat for pre‐sowing weed control. The double knockdown strategy (sequential full rate applications of glyphosate and paraquat) reduced risks of glyphosate and paraquat resistance to <2%. Introduction of glyphosate‐resistant oilseed rape significantly increased predicted risks of glyphosate resistance in no‐tillage systems even when the double knockdown was practised. These increased risks could be offset by high crop sowing rates and weed seed collection at harvest. When no selective herbicides were available in wheat crops, the introduction of glyphosate‐resistant oilseed rape necessitated a return to a minimum‐tillage crop establishment system.     

Seasonal distribution of phytoplasmas in Australian grapevines

The distribution and persistence of phytoplasmas were determined in Australian grapevines. Phytoplasmas could be detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from shoots, cordons, trunks and roots throughout the year, and phytoplasmas appear to persistently infect Australian grapevines from year to year. Phytoplasmas were not always detected in samples from the same sampling area from one sampling period to the next. Phytoplasma detection by PCR was improved by sampling from shoots, cordons and trunks, especially during October (early spring). The diseases expressed by the 20 grapevines used in the distribution and persistence studies were monitored. Australian grapevine yellows disease (AGY) was expressed by 17/20 grapevines at some time during the study, whilst only 4/20 and 15/20 grapevines expressed restricted growth disease (RG) and late season leaf curl disease (LSLC), respectively. All grapevines with RG and LSLC also had AGY. The three diseases were persistently expressed in some grapevines and remission of disease was observed in others. The results of PCR detection in the same grapevines indicated that phytoplasmas were more frequently detected in AGY-affected grapevines that also expressed RG and LSLC compared with grapevines expressing AGY alone. Phytoplasmas were detected in symptomless plant material but less frequently compared with AGY-affected material.     

新疆淡水藻类研究：乌鲁木齐南山八一林场绿藻初报

本文首镒报道乌鲁木齐南山八一林场山区的绿藻１１属，１２种，其中１０属，１０种为新疆新记录。这些结果是对１９９１年７月采集的２０号标本经鉴定后获得的。     

农村肉狗绿色养殖模式刍议

近年来，农村肉狗养殖成为农民增收致富新的亮点，但也存在着一些误区。本文就农村肉狗养殖现状，分析了存在的主要问题，并提出绿色养殖肉狗的建议与对策。     

京郊保护地秋季番茄的氮素供应及利用

研究了氮素供应水平对保护地番茄产量、养分吸收和氮素利用的影响。结果表明,氮素供应量(N)为225kg·hm~(-2)时番茄的产量最高,但随着施氮量的增加,番茄产量反而有所下降。增施氮肥对番茄地上部N、P、K的吸收没有明显的影响。在京郊传统生产条件下,保护地番茄生产相对合适的氮素供应水平(播前根层起始土壤无机氮含量+化学氮素用量)为510 kg·hm~(-2),但如果考虑番茄生长期间土壤氮素的矿化作用,番茄生产的氮素供应水平应为584kg·hm~(-2)。     

芽孢杆菌绿色荧光蛋白标记及其在小麦体表定殖的初探

 将来自质粒pAD4412的启动子和绿色荧光蛋白基因gfpmut3a插入大肠杆菌-枯草芽孢杆菌穿梭载体pBE2,构建成芽孢杆菌表达载体pGF P4412,用其转化野生型生防芽孢杆菌83-6和A-47等8个菌株,均得到良好的发光表型。质粒稳定性实验表明重组质粒pG FP4412稳定性为92%。借助荧光显微镜对gfp标记的菌株A-47-gfp在小麦体表的定殖进行初步的研究。结果表明:A-47-gfp能够在小麦根际及小麦体表定殖(包括根表和茎叶表面);相对于在茎叶表面定殖的A-47-gf p在根表定殖的菌体与根的结合更为牢固;从根基到根尖A-47-gfp的定殖量有明显的减少趋势。     

利用人工增雨为农田需水服务的信息系统框架

针对我国北方地区水资源严重短缺、农田水分供需矛盾日益尖锐的现状 ,提出了首选人工增雨为农田补水的思路 ,并初步设计了一个利用人工增雨为农田需水服务的农田需水信息系统框架。     

金昌水资源特点及供需平衡研究

本文通过建立金昌市人口与牲畜增长规律 ,第二、三产业的GDP增长率规律数学模型 ,计算出在长时间序列中的用水量持续增长状况及根据金昌市农业节水技术和城市生态规划 ,得到农业、生态用水量规划数据。根据水量平衡原理 ,分析了金昌市未来水量供需平衡问题 ,对指导金昌水资源利用 ,具有一定的现实意义。