Toxicity of cyanogen to insects of stored grain

Range-finding studies on the toxicity of cyanogen to all stages of five species of stored product Coleoptera are reported. The species were Rhyzopertha dominica (F), Sitophilus granarius (L), Sitophilus Oryzae (L), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val and Ephestia cautella (Walker). Exposures for 24 h to cyanogen at 1.3 mg litre(-1) controlled all external stages. Control of internal stages of Sitophilus species was achieved by a 5-day exposure to initial concentrations between 13.7 and 27.4 mg litre(-1), whereas R. dominica was controlled at 13.7 mg litre(-1). Cyanogen showed similar toxicity to all tested external stages and, in this respect, was more similar to methyl bromide than to phosphine. Its toxicity to insects increased with both relative humidity and concentration of carbon dioxide. Cyanogen was toxic to insects whether applied as a gas or in an aqueous solution.     

Learning performances of honeybees (Apis mellifera L) are differentially affected by imidacloprid according to the season

To establish the sublethal concentrations domain, acute and chronic oral tests were conducted on caged honeybee workers (Apis mellifera L) using imidacloprid and a metabolite, 5-OH-imidacloprid, under laboratory conditions. The latter showed a 48-h oral LD50 value (153 ng per bee) five times higher than that of imidacloprid (30 ng per bee). Chronic feeding tests indicated that the lowest observed effect concentrations (LOEC) of imidacloprid and of 5-OH-imidacloprid on mortality of winter bees were 24 and 120 microg kg(-1) respectively. Behavioural effects of imidacloprid and 5-OH-imidacloprid were studied using the olfactory conditioning of proboscis extension response at two periods of the year. Winter bees surviving chronic treatment with imidacloprid and 5-OH-imidacloprid had reduced learning performances. The LOEC of imidacloprid was lower in summer bees (12 microg kg(-1)) than in winter bees (48 microg kg(-1)), which points to a greater sensitivity of honeybees behaviour in summer bees, compared to winter bees.     

Stimulating effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos on host searching and infestation efficacy of a parasitoid wasp

Hymenopterous parasitoids play an important role in the control of insect populations. During oviposition, Hymenopterous parasitoids use cues such as odours from their environment to locate their specific host. Leptopilina heterotoma (parasitoid of Drosophila larvae) locate their host by probing the substrate with the ovipositor. This behaviour can be induced by the odour of the host substrate alone. We analysed the sub-lethal effects of chlorpyrifos at LD20 on the probing activity in response to a fruit odour (banana). The insecticide increased the percentage of females spontaneously probing in response to the odour. Parasitoid females were then conditioned to associate banana odour with the oviposition in host larvae. This conditioning enables parasitoids to memorize the odour and to increase their probing response to this odour. During the olfactory conditioning, females exposed to the insecticide found and oviposited in host larvae more quickly than control females. One hour after the olfactory conditioning, females exposed to the insecticide presented a higher increase of their probing response to the odour than controls. Twenty-four hours after conditioning, the stimulation produced by chlorpyrifos was no longer perceptible, but the level of response of conditioned females was still higher than that of non-conditioned females, showing that odour memory was not impaired by the insecticide treatment. These sub-lethal effects, that stimulate host searching by parasitoids without impairing odour memorization, could increase their parasitic efficiency.     

不同杀菌剂对草坪草病原菌毒力的作用测定

采用生长速率法测定了不同杀菌剂对3种主要引起坪草病害的褐斑病菌、腐霉枯萎菌、夏季斑枯病菌的毒力。结果表明,烯唑醇、甲基硫菌灵、代森锰锌、咪鲜胺对立枯丝核菌的EC50值分别为0.078 3,5.968 4,7.181 2和11.386 8 mg/L,以烯唑醇对立枯丝核菌的毒力最高。烯唑醇、咪鲜胺、代森锰锌、甲基硫菌灵对夏季斑枯病菌的EC50值分别为0.016 2,0.554 4,6.035 3,1 218.497 8 mg/L,以烯唑醇抑菌效果显著优于其它3种杀菌剂。采用菌丝干重测定法测定了阿米西达、霜脲氰、霜克、咪鲜胺、代森锰锌对腐霉枯萎病菌的毒力,其EC50值依次为0.053 3,7.837 4,13.310 7,19.715 1,29.771 5 mg/L,以阿米西达的抑菌效果最好。     

四氯联苯对鸡胚性腺原始生殖细胞的毒性影响

采用四氯联苯处理发育至Ⅹ期的白来航鸡种蛋,孵化5.5天后取出胚胎进行全固定,用石蜡切片和PAS染色(高碘酸希夫试剂)研究四氯联苯对鸡胚性腺原始生殖细胞(PGCs)的影响.结果表明,四氯联苯对发育至5.5日胚龄的鸡胚性腺PGCs数量和结构有明显影响,但雌二醇处理的5.5日胚龄鸡胚PGCs数量变化不显著,其结构无明显变化.表明四氯联苯对5.5日胚龄的鸡胚性腺PGCs的影响主要来自于其毒性作用.     

Antioxidant and stomatal responses of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) to boron toxicity

Although of considerable agronomic importance, our understanding of B toxicity mechanism in plants is still not completely understood, and remains an open question. Therefore, we investigated the effect of increasing levels of B (0, 10, 20 and 30 mg kg⁻¹) on the growth, boron (B) concentrations, stomatal resistance, lipid peroxidation (MDA), membrane permeability (MP), lypoxygenase activity (LOX), proline (PRO) and H₂O₂ accumulation, and the activities of major antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT and ascorbate peroxidase, APX) of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Kalecik Karasi) grafted on 5BB rootstock (V. berlandieri × V. riparia) was investigated. Applied toxic levels of B significantly reduced leaf and root growth and increased the B concentration of the leaf, and stem, bark and root of rootstock. In the all B levels leaf tissues of grapevine accumulated more B than that of the other plant parts. In order to restrict excessive uptake of B, stomatal resistance of the leaves increased especially at high B treatments (20 and 30 mg kg⁻¹). The concentrations of H₂O₂, MDA and membrane permeability were increased as the result of B toxicity while proline and the activity of lypoxygenase were decreased. Compared with control plants, the activities of SOD and CAT were increased by B treatments while the activity of APX was decreased. To our knowledge, this is the first report that B toxicity elevated the antioxidant enzymes to protect the membrane functions from reactive oxygen species (ROS) injury in grapevine and it was hoped that this study would provide a basis for developing strategies for reducing the risks associated with B toxicity.     

纳他霉素防治苹果贮运期病害的初步研究

采用生长速率法测定了纳他霉素对苹果轮纹病菌、苹果黑星病菌、苹果黑斑病菌、苹果腐烂病菌的室内毒力,结果表明,该制剂对各病菌的抑制有效中浓度EC50分别为18.44、49.43、32.08、29.87μg/mL,并用病原菌感染方法测定了制剂对贮运期苹果的实物防治效果。纳他霉素浓度为200μg/mL的制剂各处理组在10d、14d、18d的防效分别达到52.91%、55.02%、54.12%,显著高于多菌灵对照的防效。     

动物专用头孢喹诺的研究进展

头孢喹诺是动物专用的第4代头孢菌素类抗生素,具有广泛的抗菌和强大的杀菌作用。其抗菌活性极强,对临床分离的各种革兰氏阳性菌、革兰氏阴性菌的MIC50、MIC90值均较小;其药动学特点优良,吸收快,达峰时间短,生物利用度较高,药时曲线下面积较大,表现分布容积也很大;头孢喹诺毒性低,在动物的可食用组织中残留较少,安全性较高。国外已将该药应用于猪、牛的呼吸系统感染及牛乳房炎的治疗。为指导头孢喹诺在我国兽医临床上的合理应用,现对其抗菌活性、药动学、残留及毒性、临床应用等最新资料进行综述。     

Detection of lethal yellowing phytoplasma in embryos from coconut palms infected with Cape St Paul wilt disease in Ghana

This study investigated the potential of seed transmission of Cape St. Paul wilt disease (CSPWD) in coconuts. PCR amplification was used to assess the distribution of phytoplasmas in parts of West African Tall (WAT) palms infected with CSPWD. Employing phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 in standard PCR, or followed with a nested PCR using CSPWD–specific primer pair G813f/AwkaSR, phytoplasma infection was detected in the trunks, peduncles, spikelets, male and female flowers of four infected WAT coconut palms. Through nested PCR, phytoplasma was also detected in four of 19 embryo DNA samples extracted individually from fruits harvested from three of the four infected palms and was confirmed as CSPWD by cloning and sequencing. Subsequently, CSPWD phytoplasma was again detected in five of 33 embryos from nine infected palms, and in one of eight fruits from two symptomless palms. Fruits from infected palms recorded higher percentage germinations in two field nurseries (average of 71·0%) compared to fruits from healthy palms (average of 57·6%), and matured fruits that had dropped from infected palms showed the same levels of germination as those harvested directly from the palms. This indicates that infected fruits retain the ability to germinate whether harvested or dropped. No phytoplasmas were detected in any of the resulting seedlings and plantlets obtained through embryo in-vitro culture. Therefore, although phytoplasma DNA can be detected in embryos, there is as yet no evidence that the pathogen is seed transmitted through to the seedling to cause disease in progeny palms.     

红果米仔兰杀虫活性成分及毒力的初步研究

为探索楝科植物红果米仔兰的杀虫活性,本以生物活性跟踪法对该种植物的叶的活性成分进行了初步研究,并测定了活性物质对斜纹夜蛾幼虫的毒力。叶的甲醇抽提物活性高于氯仿抽提物和石油醚抽提物。甲醇抽提物经氯仿萃取,所得萃取物通过柱层析,分离得到的４号流份Ｆ４有最高活性。Ｆ４对斜纹夜蛾４龄幼虫的拒食中浓度（ＡＦＣ５０）为０．１２％,致死中浓度（ＬＣ５０）为０．１３％,抑制生长发育中浓度（ＥＣ５０）为０．２１％。