Some Agronomic Strategies for Organic Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Quinoa is a potential new seed crop for protein feed and human consumption in Europe, with tolerance to a range of abiotic stresses. For this purpose the study was planned to analyse the effect of important agronomic strategies like nitrogen level, N application strategy, row spacing and harvest time on yield and quality of quinoa. The experiments took place in the field of the experimental station of the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. Three levels of organic nitrogen from slurry was used (60, 120 and 180 kg N ha^?1), supplied either all at once at sowing, or split between sowing and beginning of the reproductive phase. The effect of row spacing and harvest time was studied by harvesting seeds at seed maturity, which occurred 2–3 weeks prior to the mechanical harvest by threshing, and a couple of months after. Yield increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with an application up to 180 kg N ha^?1, reaching 2200 kg ha^?1. Increasing N also caused a significantly increased seed weight (up to 3.3 mg) and protein content (up to 17 %). N level did not affect number and amount of weeds. Split application with part of the N applied at bud formation did not have a significant effect on yield. Delayed harvest had a negative influence on seed weight, whereas protein content was stable after harvesting even a month after seed maturity. A late harvest significantly reduced seed germination, being reduced by 50 % after a 2‐month delay. A conclusion from this study is that both yield and protein content of seed can be manipulated by N level and application strategy. Harvest time is important for securing a high seed quality measured as seed germination, seed weight and protein content. A fast germination of quinoa is an important characteristic demonstrating that the crop has good possibilities for being well‐established in the field when free from weeds at the time of sowing. The choice of row spacing is important and depends on weed control method. Weed control strategy should be developed based on modern precision tools.     

Muscular dystrophy in female dogs

The most common form of muscular dystrophy in dogs and humans is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. The dystrophin gene is located on the X chromosome, and, therefore, disease-causing mutations in dystrophin occur most often in males. Therefore, females with dystrophin deficiency or other forms of muscular dystrophy may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze dystrophin and a number of other muscle proteins associated with muscular dystrophy in humans, including sarcoglycans and laminin alpha2, in muscle biopsy specimens from 5 female dogs with pathologic changes consistent with muscular dystrophy. The female dogs were presented with a variety of clinical signs including generalized weakness, muscle wasting, tremors, exercise intolerance, gait abnormalities, and limb deformity. Serum creatine kinase activity was variably high. One dog had no detectable dystrophin in the muscle; another was mosaic, with some fibers normal and others partly dystrophin-deficient. A 3rd dog had normal dystrophin but no detectable laminin alpha2. Two dogs could not be classified. This study demonstrates the occurrence of dystrophin- and laminin alpha2-associated muscular dystrophy and the difficulty in clinical diagnosis of these disorders in female dogs.     

Hepatic microvascular dysplasia in dogs: a retrospective study of 24 cases (1987-1995)

Hepatic microvascular dysplasia (HMD) is a disease involving a microscopic shunting of blood through the liver without the presence of a macroscopic portosystemic shunt (PSS). Data was collected from medical records and telephone conversations with referring veterinarians and owners of 24 dogs diagnosed with HMD. Criteria for diagnosis included histopathological evidence of microvascular dysplasia on hepatic biopsy as well as surgical exploration and a normal mesenteric portogram to rule out a macroscopic PSS. Dogs with HMD frequently have less severe clinical signs and a better long-term prognosis than do those with a PSS that are managed medically.     

Ceratocysts polonica inoculated in Norway spruce: Blue-staining in relation to inoculum density,resinosis and tree growth

When Norway spruce trees were inoculated with Ceratocystis polonica, a dose-dependent response was recorded. Local resinosis near the inoculation sites decreased with increasing inoculum density; parallelled by an increasing degree of sapwood staining, and tree mortality. Suppressed trees, and trees showing growth decline appeared more susceptible than trees suffering less competition.     

Phenol-formaldehyde resin curing and bonding under dynamic conditions

Summary To better understand the curing and bonding behavior of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin under dynamic conditions, flakeboards were manufactured either by conventional pressing at 7% or 12% mat moisture content or by steam injection pressing with 10 or 20 seconds steaming duration. Resin-impregnated glass-cloth samples and lap-shear tension specimens were embedded in the core of each flakeboard. After the flakeboards were pressed for various periods of times, the samples and specimens were quickly retrieved. The degree of resin cure was determined on the resin-impregnated glass-cloth samples by dynamic mechanical analysis. The bond strengths were measured from the lap-shear tension specimens on a mechanical testing machine. The results of resin curing and bonding were then correlated to the performance of the resin-bonded boards, which were evaluated by internal bond, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and thickness swelling. Resin curing and lap-shear bonding did not proceed simultaneously. In conventional pressing, the mat moisture content (MC) at 12% favored resin curing, but slightly retarded lap-shear bonding, as compared to 7%MC. In steam injection pressing, the rates of resin curing and lap-shear bond strength development were much faster for 20 seconds than for 10 seconds of steaming duration. Longer press times were needed to obtain boards with maximum strength in the 12%MC conventional pressing and the 20-s steam duration steam injection pressing than in those conditions where moisture content was lower or steam time was less. The need for longer press times must be attributed to higher internal vapor pressures and/or lower wood and resin component strengths, rather than to incomplete cure or bonding.This material is based on work supported by the Ministry of International Affairs, Quebec Government, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Laval University (Quebec City). The work was also supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under research joint venture agreement FP-92-1835     

The effects of temperature and humidity on phenol-formaldehyde resin bonding

Summary The effects of temperature and relative humidity on phenol-formaldehyde resin bonding were evaluated. Two flakes in a lap-shear configuration were bonded under an environment of controlled temperature (110 °C, 120 °C, 130 °C, 140 °C) and relative humidity (41%, 75%, 90%) for a series of time periods (0.25 to 16 min). The lap-shear specimens were then shear-tested on a mechanical testing machine and the results were used to establish a family of bond strength development curves at each temperature and level of relative humidity. At 110°C, the higher relative humidity appeared to retard resin bonding. The effects of relative humidity diminished as temperature increased to 140 °C. Bond strength development was chemical ratecontrolled. The rate of bond strength development at each relative humidity follows a first order reaction mechanism. The activation energy of resin-wood bonding, determined by bonding kinetics, was higher than that of resin alone, determined by differential scanning calorimetry. This comparison indicates that to form a strong resin-wood bond, a higher energy level might be required.This material is based on work supported by the Ministry of International Affairs, Quebec Government, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Laval University (Quebec City). The work was also supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under research joint venture agreement FP-92-1835     

Mechanical injury and fungal infection induce acquired resistance in Norway spruce

Norway spruce trees (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) pretreated by wounding and fungal infection showed highly enhanced resistance to a subsequent challenge inoculation with the pathogenic bluestain fungus Ceratocystis polonica (Siem.) C. Moreau. This is the first time the effectiveness of the constitutive and inducible defenses has been shown to depend on prior wounding and infection in conifers, although such acquired resistance has previously been found in several angiosperms. Trees that were pretreated with a combination of 12 bark wounds (1.6 x 10 cm), four fungal inoculations and four sterile inoculations 1-15 days before mass inoculation with C. polonica at 400 inoculations per square meter over a 0.8 m stem section had significantly shorter necroses in the phloem, less bluestained sapwood, and less dead cambium than untreated control trees. Pretreatment with four fungal or sterile inoculations alone did not lead to enhanced resistance. Pretreatment by bark wounding alone seemed to provide an intermediate degree of resistance compared to bark wounding, fungal inoculations and sterile inoculations combined. All trees had a marked increase in the number of resin ducts in the year of inoculation compared with previous years, suggesting that formation of traumatic resin ducts play an important role in the development and maintainance of enhanced resistance.     

Photoperiodic effect on flowering and seed development in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Abstract

Sensitivity to photoperiod in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) was studied under controlled conditions to enhance crop adaptation to environments outside its centre of origin. Two varieties, a traditional variety from Bolivia (Real), which will not mature under Danish conditions, and an early maturing variety (Q52), developed for Danish climatic conditions, were used in this reciprocal transfer experiment. Plants were moved from a short daylength of 10 h (SD) to a long daylength of 18 h (LD) and vice versa at set intervals from sowing to 100 days after sowing (DAS). A reaction of LD in time to flowering was observed only in the Bolivian variety Real. Under SD both varieties flowered after 39 DAS. For Real the LD regime resulted in a moderate increase in time to flowering to 44 DAS. The non-sensitive, juvenile period in Real was estimated to be approximately 16 days. In Q52 a moderate increase in the number of leaves was formed on the main stem after flowering at LD, which indicates that some daylength sensitivity remains. The most striking difference occurred during seed filling, when going from SD to LD. In Q52 the time from the end of flowering to maturity increased from 39 to 52 days. Under SD, Real had a seed-filling period similar to Q52, but at LD Real remained with green leaves during seed filling. Hard seed was observed in the still green perigonium 57 days after end of flowering. At this moment re-shooting occurred from the inflorescence, and seed maturity was not reached at the termination of the experiment at 150 DAS. This study shows that flower induction is not a major problem for adaptation of quinoa to North European conditions but that a very strong, daylength sensitive, stay green reaction is the main cause of the late maturity of South American introductions.