Gas chromatography for detection of citrus infestation by fruit fly larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Tephritid fruit flies are serious economic pests worldwide. As larvae, they feed and develop within the pulp of host fruits, making infestation difficult to detect by visual inspection. At U.S. ports of entry, incoming produce shipments are checked for infestation by manually cutting open a small sample of fruit and searching for tephritid larvae. Consequently, there is a need for more sensitive, high-throughput screening methods. This study evaluated gas chromatography (GC) as a potential technology for improved detection of hidden infestation. Grapefruits (Citrus × paradisi Macfad.) infested with immature stages of the Caribbean fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) were examined to determine if infested fruit emitted a chemical profile distinct from that of non-infested fruit. Peaks identified by GC analysis were grouped into three classes. Chemicals detected in similar quantities in all samples, or slightly elevated in infested samples, were regarded as non-diagnostic background volatiles. Chemicals highly elevated after oviposition, during the last instar exit stage, and in experimentally-pierced fruit were interpreted to be indicators of citrus peel injury, and included d-limonene and β-ocimene. Chemicals elevated exclusively in the larval infestation stages were considered indicators of feeding damage and potentially diagnostic of infestation, and included hexyl butanoate and an unidentified compound. The peaks associated with injury and feeding were also detectable with a portable ultra-fast GC analyzer that required less than 80 s per sample. Further studies will investigate the potential application of these results for development of a rapid, non-destructive screening method for detection of tephritid infestation.     

Development of a marker assisted selection program for cacao

ABSTRACT Production of cacao in tropical America has been severely affected by fungal pathogens causing diseases known as witches' broom (WB, caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa), frosty pod (FP, caused by M. roreri) and black pod (BP, caused by Phytophthora spp.). BP is pan-tropical and causes losses in all producing areas. WB is found in South America and parts of the Caribbean, while FP is found in Central America and parts of South America. Together, these diseases were responsible for over 700 million US dollars in losses in 2001 (4). Commercial cacao production in West Africa and South Asia are not yet affected by WB and FP, but cacao grown in these regions is susceptible to both. With the goal of providing new disease resistant cultivars the USDA-ARS and Mars, Inc. have developed a marker assisted selection (MAS) program. Quantitative trait loci have been identified for resistance to WB, FP, and BP. The potential usefulness of these markers in identifying resistant individuals has been confirmed in an experimental F(1) family in Ecuador.     

夏季的池塘

池塘中形形色色的生物在夏季达到了生命活动的高峰。植物在炎热的天气和强烈的阳光下生长快速，并且会开出美艳的花朵，吸引那些以植物为生存环境的动物。您看那蜻蜓，它的变形过程是多么美妙迷人，从生存在水中的幼虫-变为贴附在植物上的蛹-最后成为了一个会飞的昆虫，它在离开水之后依然是您池塘忠实的客人（和捕蝇能手）。     

水稻土中铁氧化物的厌氧还原及其对微生物过程的影响

采用厌氧泥浆恒温培养实验 ,测定了添加 6种外源氧化铁后土壤中Fe(Ⅱ )和Fe(Ⅲ )浓度的变化 ,探讨了不同氧化铁的还原能力及其对土壤产H2 、产CO2 、产乙酸和产CH4 过程的影响。结果表明 :无定形氧化铁和纤铁矿易于被还原 ,两者的最终还原程度大体相同 ,但无定形氧化铁存在还原滞后现象 ;针铁矿、赤铁矿、Al取代针铁矿和Al取代赤铁矿难以被还原 ,表现出与对照相同的还原特征 ;铁还原能导致土壤中H2 和乙酸稳态浓度的降低 ,有效抑制了甲烷产生 ;添加Fe(OH) 3和纤铁矿后 ,Fe(Ⅲ )还原占总电子传递的贡献率由对照的 1 8.3 0 %增至 63 .3 2 %和 46.90 % ,而形成甲烷的电子传递贡献率由对照的 80 .92 %降至 3 5 .85 %和 5 2 .3 2 % ,Fe(Ⅲ )还原对电子的竞争消耗 ,使土壤产甲烷过程被强烈抑制     

Plasma replacement for in vitro culture of Plasmodium knowlesi

Of six fractions of human plasma tested, only Cohn's fraction IV-4 was effective for the replacement of whole plasma from monkey (Macaca mulatta) for the in vitro culture of Plasmodium knowlesi. The effects observed on multiplication and morphology of parasites suggest a specific role of some substance or substances in fraction IV-4.     

Variable response of open-pollinated seedling progeny of avocado to Phytophthora root rot

Phytophthora root rot, caused byPhytophthora cinnamomi Rands, is the most important disease of avocado (Persea americana Miller). In an attempt to identify root rot-resistant rootstocks that could ultimately be used under conditions in southern Florida, we screened open-pollinated progeny of avocado from the National Germplasm Repository in Miami. From 1996 to 1998, a total of 2,355 seedlings from 51 accessions were examined in potting mix artificially infested withP. cinnamomi. Most seedlings developed severe root rot, but tolerance was observed in some families (i.e., progeny of certain accessions). Although the most susceptible families developed mean disease ratings of up to 97% root necrosis, mean ratings for the most tolerant families were less than 60%. There was also a strong relationship between the racial background of the female parent and the tolerance of seedlings. Seedlings of the West Indian race and hybrids between it and the Guatemalan race were significantly more tolerant than those from other parents (P< 0.05). Individuals in several families developed < 50% root necrosis, the arbitrary standard of tolerance in this study. Twelve families accounted for 82% (188 of 229) of the tolerant seedlings, and only two of these did not have a West Indian or Guatemalan × West Indian pedigree. Broad-sense heritability for PRR tolerance was 0.45. This is the first report on the inheritance of PRR tolerance in avocado and on the influence of genotype and racial pedigree under controlled conditions.     

Stand Density Management Diagrams for Three Exotic Tree Species in Smallholder Plantations in Vietnam

When smallholder farmers establish tree plantations to sell wood to the wood industry, they may run into problems when the plantations are mature and to be marketed because these farmers usually (1) do not know how to estimate the growing stock and (2) do not have sufficient knowledge of the wood markets. In this study, we tackle problem (1) and present stand density management diagrams (SDMDs) as a simple tool that allows rapid estimation of standing volume from data that stem from very basic inventory. Our data come from smallholder plantations in Vietnam, from four communes in the provinces of Binh Dinh and Phu Tho. Immense afforestation activities have been taken place in the country during the past two decades and it is special to Vietnam that a large share of these afforestations are under smallholder management with the goal to generate an additional source of income for these rural poor. A certain type of SDMDs is elaborated for three important exotic tree species commonly used for establishing industrial tree plantations (Acacia hybrid, Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus urophylla). They can be used for volume estimation and are also a tool to guide stand management and silvicultural treatments in general. Both implementation of the inventory and usage of the SDMDs are straightforward and simple so that this tool may be well suited to support smallholders in a better informed marketing of their wood, as well as, a better informed silvicultural management of their plantations.     

On some aspects of reciprocal recurrent selection

Comments are given on several critical points regarding the merits of reciprocal recurrent selection as a method in hybrid breeding. A review of definitions reveals that the method utilizes general combining ability only. In simplified terms some theory of population genetics is presented and used in comparing the effectiveness of reciprocal recurrent selection with that of recurrent selection for specific combining ability to a single cross. It is found that the latter method need not be inferior if at loci exhibiting overdominance multiple alleles mutually interacting in this way may be assumed to exist. Further comments concern the use of a constant tester, the expected interactions of testcrosses with years and places, and the possibilities of an immediate utilization of testcrosses in commercial hybrids.It is concluded that reciprocal recurrent selection should not be regarded as a shortcut but as a way to enhance the genetic diversity of breeding stocks for the future. Other methods may be preferable if one has the twofold need for an early output of better hybrids and a long-sighted improvement of the same material.Paper presented at the First Meeting of the Maize Section of Eucarpia, Rome, February 23–26, 1960.