The effect of salt stress on Arabidopsis thaliana and Phelipanche ramosa interaction

Salinity and Orobanche or Phelipanche spp. infection are important crop stress factors in agricultural areas. In this study, we investigated the effect of salt stress on Phelipanche ramosa seed germination and its attachment onto Arabidopsis thaliana roots. We also evaluated the effect of both stresses on the expression of genes regulated by abiotic and biotic stresses. According to our results, high concentration of NaCl delayed P. ramosa seed germination in the presence of a strigolactone analogue (GR24). A similar pattern was observed in the presence of A. thaliana plants. Furthermore, we found that salt‐treated A. thaliana seedlings were more sensitive to P. ramosa attachment compared with the untreated plants, indicating that there was a positive correlation between salt sensitivity and the ability of P. ramosa to infect A. thaliana plants. At the molecular level, a synergystic effect of both salt and P. ramosa stresses was observed on the cold‐regulated (COR) gene expression profile of treated A. thaliana seedlings. Our data clarify the interaction between parasitic plants and their hosts under abiotic stress conditions.     

Management practices to control premature senescence in Bt cotton

Commercial cultivation of Bt cotton produced higher boll load which led to stiff inter-original competition for photosynthates, resulting in early cessation of growth (premature senescence) due to more availability of sink and less sources. To overcome this problem, field experiment was conducted during 2011 and 2012 using five treatments of plant growth manipulation viz. no fruiting branch removal (F₁), removal of first fruiting branch (F₂), removal of first and second fruiting branch (F₃), removal of all squares from first fruiting branch (F₄), removal of all squares from first and second fruiting branches (F₅), and three potassium (K) application rates viz. 50 kg ha^?1 (K₁), 100 kg ha^?1 (K₂), and 150 kg ha^?1 (K₃). More nodes above white flower were recorded in F₅, followed by F₃, while minimum were recorded in F₁. Among potassium levels, maximum nodes above white flower were recorded in K₃ followed by K₂ and K₁ during both years of study. Plant height recorded at physiological cutout stage or at maturity stage showed that plants gained more height with removal of all squares from first tosecond fruiting branches with higher potassium dose. Leaf K increased with increasing applied potassium and also with square/branch removal. So early removal of squares/fruiting branches along with higher potassium dose helped in delaying canopy senescence in Bt cotton.     

Ongoing Activity of Toscana Virus Genotype A and West Nile Virus Lineage 1 Strains in Turkey: A Clinical and Field Survey

Toscana virus (TOSV), West Nile virus (WNV) and tickborne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are among major viral pathogens causing febrile disease and meningitis/encephalitis. The impact of these viruses was investigated at a referral centre in Ankara Province, Central Anatolia in 2012, where previous reports suggested virus circulation but with scarce information on clinical cases and vector activity. Serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid samples from 94 individuals were evaluated, in addition to field‐collected arthropod specimens that included 767 sandflies and 239 mosquitoes. Viral nucleic acids in clinical samples and arthropods were sought via specific and generic nested/real‐time PCRs, and antibody responses in clinical samples were investigated via commercial indirect immunofluorescence tests (IIFTs) and virus neutralization. A WNV antigen assay was also employed for mosquitoes. WNV neuroinvasive disease has been identified in a 63‐year‐old male via RNA detection, and the WNV strain was characterized as lineage 1. TOSV infections were diagnosed in six individuals (6.3%) via RNA or IgM detection. Partial sequences in a 23‐year‐old female, presented with fever and transient pancytopenia, were characterized as TOSV genotype A. Febrile disease with arthralgia and/or peripheral cranial nerve involvement was noted in cases with TOSV infections. Previous WNV and TOSV exposures have been observed in 5.3% and 2.1% of the subjects, respectively. No confirmed TBEV exposure could be identified. Morphological identification of the field‐collected mosquitoes revealed Culex pipiens sensu lato (74.4%), Anopheles maculipennis (20.9%), An. claviger (2.1%) and others. Sandfly species were determined as Phlebotomus papatasi (36.2%), P. halepensis (27.3%), P. major s. l. (19.3%), P. sergenti (8.9%), P. perfiliewi (4.4%), P. simici (2.6%) and others. Viral infections in arthropods could not be demonstrated. TOSV genotype A and WNV lineage 1 activity have been demonstrated as well as serologically proven exposure in patients. Presence of sandfly and mosquito species capable of virus transmission has also been revealed.     

Biosorption of Ce(III) onto modified Pinus brutia leaf powder using central composite design

The biosorption of Ce(III) from aqueous solution by citric acid-modified Pinus brutia leaf powder was studied in a batch system as a function of initial pH, temperature, initial concentration of adsorbate, and contact time. Central composite design method was used in the experiments. Thermodynamic parameters such as standard enthalpy (ΔH ⁰), entropy (ΔS ⁰), and free energy (ΔG ⁰) were calculated, and the results indicated that biosorption was exothermic. The biosorption of Ce(III) on modified Pinus brutia leaf powder was investigated by Freundlich, Langmuir, and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherms. The results show that Ce(III) adsorption can be explained by Langmuir isotherm model, and monolayer capacity was found as 62.1?mg/g. The results suggested that the modification process enhances the biosorption capacity of the adsorbent, and modified Pinus brutia leaf powder may find promising applications for the recovery of Ce(III) from aqueous effluents.     

Investigation of developmental toxicity and teratogenicity of macrolide antibiotics in cultured rat embryos

Macrolides are considered to be one of the safest anti-infective groups in clinical use, with severe adverse reactions being rare. However, there are limited data about their embryotoxicity and teratogenicity. We aimed to investigate and compare the effects of these agents on embryonic growth and development. Rat embryos were cultured in vitro for 48 h in rat serum. Whole rat serum was used as a culture medium for the control group while different concentrations of spiramycin and azithromycin (1.25-6.25 microg/ml), and clarithromycin (2.5-30 microg/ml) were added to rat serum for the experimental groups. Dose-dependent effects of macrolides on embryonic developmental parameters were compared using morphological methods. Embryos were evaluated for the presence of any malformations. After morphological examination of the embryos, total DNA was extracted from the cells using standard procedures to determine fragmentation of nuclear DNA of embryonic cells. When compared with the control embryos, the macrolides significantly decreased all growth and developmental parameters dose dependently. While clarithromycin was found to cause more developmental toxicity than spiramycin and azithromycin, azitromycin was determined to have more teratogenicity potential. Compared with controls, there was no difference regarding the fragmentation of nuclear DNA of all the agents used. According to these results, when the toxic and teratogenic potential of the used agents compared, because of the lower toxic and teratogenic effects observed with spiramycin, this agent may be preferred for parturients.     

Nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer improve pastures naturally growing under hazelnut trees

Abstract

This three-year study (2003–2005) aimed to improve the yield and quality of pastures growing naturally that are colonized by naturally occurring vegetation without agricultural input under hazelnut (Corylus sp.) orchards in the middle and eastern Black Sea regions of Turkey. There were eight treatments: 1) control; 2) fertilizer only (triple superphosphate 44% and calcium ammonium nitrate 26%) (80kg ha^?1 P and 60 kg ha^?1 N in Samsun; 100 kg ha^?1 P and 80 kg ha^?1 N in Ordu; 100 kg ha^?1 P and 40 kg ha^?1 N in Giresun); 3) lime only (calcium carbonate 94%) (3.0 t ha^?1 lime in Samsun; 4.5 t ha^?1 lime in Ordu and Giresun); 4) early cut only; 5) soil aeration only; 6) fertilizer+lime; 7) fertilizer+lime+early cut; 8) fertilizer+lime+soil aeration, laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates at each location. The highest dry matter (DM) yield of kg ha^?1 and crude protein content (%) was obtained from the treatments that included fertilizer. There was no difference in DM production between any of the combination treatments that involved fertilizer and the fertilizer alone treatment. Only lime and aeration applications also increased yield compared to control, but not as much as did any treatment including fertilizer. Crude protein content of the pasture ranged from 13.3 to 18.1% across locations. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer are recommended to improve DM yields and herbage quality for pastures under hazelnut orchards.     

Effect of Fruiting Branch/Square Removal on Growth and Quality of Bt Cotton under Different Potassium Rates

Removal of early fruiting branches with greater potassium doses caused more source and no sink at early stages of growth, leading to improved yield, yield components, and fiber quality traits in Bt cotton. The study used manual alteration of plant architecture (F₁, no branch removal; F₂, removal of first fruiting branch; F₃, removal of first and second fruiting branches; F₄, removal of all squares from first fruiting branch; F₅, removal of all squares from first and second fruiting branches) and potassium rates (50, 100, and 150 kg ha^?1) in a randomized complete block design and was repeated for 2 years (2011 and 2012). Increasing potassium application increased total bolls per plant and cotton yield to the greatest levels in F₃ and F₅, against lowest level in the control. Ginning out turn, fiber length, seed oil, and seed protein content were influenced by fruiting branch or square removal but the difference was less. Increasing potassium improved seed and fiber quality.     

First documentation on status of barley diseases from the high altitude cold arid Trans-Himalayan Ladakh region of India

Cold arid trans-Himalayan Ladakh region of India bordering with Pakistan and China is one of most elevated inhabited regions of the world. This region is highly vulnerable to climate change and serious environmental threats resulting in reduction in crop productivity due to risk of agricultural pest and plant pathogens. The present work describes the various diseases attacking barley from this region where the status of barley diseases has not yet been explored. Extensive field surveys were conducted for the first time during 2004-2005 and 475 fields were inspected at the 95 locations. Yellow rust, powdery mildew, leaf spot blotch/blight, covered smut, loose smut, foot/root rot and cereal cyst nematode causing molya disease were encountered during the survey. However, yellow rust, molya and foot/root rot were found as the most destructive diseases. Excellent hotspots of the encountered diseases were identified and marked which may be used for the screening of barley genotypes and determining the impact of climate change on plant diseases.