Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cepae and its interaction with Pyrenochaeta terrestris on onion

Onion breeding lines known to be resistant to Pyrenochaeta terrestris showed, in several locations, root-pruning symptoms that have been usually associated with only the action of P. terrestris. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae was invariably isolated from affected roots and the stem-plate area of these pink-root-resistant lines. Symptoms not commonly associated with the action of Fusarium, including darkening of dry scales of yellow bulbs and a reddening of scales of white bulbs, were noted. Controlled tests were conducted to establish (a) the pathogenicity of four isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae, (b) the reaction of onion breeding lines to inoculation at various temperatures with both the pink root and the Fusarium bulb rot organism, and (c) the pathogenic interaction of F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae with P. terrestris. The Fusarium isolates were pathogenic over a wide range of temperatures (20 to 38°C.). Host reaction to the organisms in combination depended on the level of susceptibility that was the greater to one or the other organism. Resistance to one did not markedly modify susceptibility to the other when both were present. Resistance to F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae was found in several onion lines.Horticulturist, Pathologist, and Horticulturist, respectively, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A.     

Long-term consequences of topsoil mining on select biological and physical characteristics of two New Zealand loessial soils under grazed pasture

Soil chemical, biochemical, biological and structural properties were measured in two New Zealand loessial soils that were topsoil-mined 10 and 25 years ago respectively. Measurements at the 10-year site were compared to some earlier measurements made at this site and the data combined in a chronological sequence for analysis. Topsoil mining had a large, detrimental impact on the soil microbial biomass, the earthworm populations, easily mineralizable N and soil enzyme activities. However, most of these properties substantially recovered, to 80-90 per cent of the levels in unmined soils, within 10-25 years of restoration under pasture. In contrast, while total soil C and N were less affected by topsoil mining, their recovery was much slower. Stabilities of macro-aggregates of soil had fully recovered within 10-25 years after topsoil mining. The apparent changes in all the measured properties between 10 and 25 years of restoration were small in comparison with changes between 0-10 years of restoration after topsoil mining. The total C content of both soils under pasture appeared unlikely to attain the levels present in unmined soils. In soils undergoing restoration, the ratio of microbial C/total soil C may be a useful index of soil ‘biological stability’. Sulphatase activity may reflect the recovery of pasture production.     

Über das Verhalten von Hausbockkäfer-Larven in verschiedenen Splintholzzonen

Zusammenfassung Hausbocklarven verschiedenen Gewichtes wurden in ungleich großen Abständen von der Rinde bzw. der Kerngrenze in den Splint hauptsächlich von Kiefernkantholzabschnitten verbracht. Nach mehrmonatiger Haltung unter kontrollierten Feuchtigkeits- und Temperaturbedingungen wurden der Verlauf der Fraßgänge festgestellt und — soweit es sich um Eilarven handelte — einige Ermittlungen über das Gedeihen der Tiere vorgenommen. Als Ergebnis war folgendes zu verbuchen:Die Larven waren nicht in ihrer jeweiligen Einsetzzone verblieben, sondern hatten das Splintholz regellos, aber unter gelegentlicher Bevorzugung der peripher gelegenen Schichten mit Bohrgängen durchzogen.Ein Einfluß geotaktischer Reaktionen auf die Wanderung der Larven konnte bei horizontaler Lagerung der Kanthölzer nicht eindeutig festgestellt werden.Mehrere Zentimeter tief in das Holz gesetzte Eilarven zeigten nur geringes Wachstum und hohe Sterblichkeitsziffern.Die Bedeutung der Versuchsresultate für die chemische Bekämpfung des Schädlings wird diskutiert.

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Summary In experiments larvae of the house longhorn beetle were brought at different distances from the bark or the heartwood-limit into the sapwood of pine logs mainly. After a feeding period of several months the following could be stated:The larvae did not stay in the zones where they had been put in but had crossed irregularly through the whole sapwood constructing their food-galleries.Egg-larvae put into the wood to a depth of several centimeters had but a slow growth and a high mortality.The importance of the results is discussed with regard to the chemical pest control.

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Die Untersuchungen erfolgten in Rahmen einer vom Bundesministerium für Wohnungswesen, Städtebau und Raumordnung dankenswerterweise finanziell unterstützten Forschungsaufgabe.     

Empirical relationships between land use/cover and estuarine condition in the Northeastern United States

Land–water interactions were examined in three regions in the Virginian Biogeographic Province; the southern shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; the Hudson/Raritan region of New York; and the eastern shore of the Delmarva (Delaware/Maryland/Virginia) Peninsula. Cumulative distribution functions were used to evaluate similarity in environmental condition among estuaries. Spatial-setting variables (location in a river, coastal lagoon, or in open waters) were associated with variation for some measures of estuarine condition. Patterns of coastal urban and agriculture gradients were measured and their relationship with indicators of estuarine condition was modeled statistically. When estuaries were pooled, the highest variation explained by spatial-setting variables was found for dissolved oxygen (DO, R ² = 0.44) and salinity (R ² = 0.58), with DO decreasing in river locations and salinity decreasing with rainfall and sampling locations near rivers. The explanatory power for the other indicator variables was low and varied from 6% to 27%. Rainfall explained some of the variation (R ² = 0.23) in total suspended solids. Moderate (0.4 < | r | < 0.7) to strong (| r | ≥ 0.7) linear associations were found between total urban area and measures of estuarine condition. Within regions, total urban area was positively associated with Silver (r = 0.59), Cadmium (r = 0.65), and Mercury (r = 0.47) in Cape Cod, and inversely related to DO (r = −0.65) in the Hudson/Raritan region. No associations were found in the Delmarva Peninsula study area. Total area of agriculture showed a moderate association with Arsenic in Cape Cod, but no other associations were found in the other two regions. Our analyses show a measurable impact of urban land use on coastal ecosystem condition over large areas of the northeastern United States. This pattern was most evident when many different landscapes were considered simultaneously. The relationship between urban development and estuarine condition were weaker within the individual regions studied. The use of land use/cover models for predicting estuarine condition is a challenging task that warrants enhancements in the type, quantity, and quality of data to improve our ability to discern relationships between anthropogenic activities on land and the condition of coastal environments.     

Fragen der insektiziden Wirkung bifluoridhaltiger Holzschutzmittel

Zusammenfassung Es wurde experimentell untersucht, ob ein bifluoridhaltiges Holzschutzsalz bei Anwendung in der zur vorbeugend-insektiziden Behandlung vorgeschriebenen Dosierung von 50 g/m² Holzoberfläche gleichzeitig eine bekämpfende Wirkung aufweist. Als Versuchstiere dienten im Durchschnitt 7 mg schwere, d. h. verhältnismäßig kleine Larven des Hausbockkäfers (Hylotrupes bajulus L.). Als Ergebnis war zu verbuchen, daß je nach Schärfe der Versuchsbedingungen 77–100% der Larven abstarben. Dieses Resultat wurde mit Holzproben erzielt, deren Behandlung 6 1/2 Jahre zurücklag. Aufgrund der Kenntnis über den Verlauf der Fluorabgabe aus geschütztem Holz ist anzunehmen, daß der ermittelte Bekämpfungseffekt noch eine weitere Reihe von Jahren vorhält.Diese Festellungen beziehen sich ausdrücklich lediglich auf kleinere Larven. Halbwüchsige und größere Larven, gegen die sich in der Baupraxis vorgenommene Bekämpfungsmaßnahmen hauptsächlich richten, bedürfen zur Abtötung stärkerer Dosierungen. Es wird daher davor gewarnt, die vorgeschriebene Bekämpfungsdosis von 100 g/m² zu unterschreiten.

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Summary Tests were carried out to show, if a wood-preserving salt containing fluorine, when applied in the dosage of 50 g/m² surface of wood as prescribed for prophylactic insecticide treatment, has also controlling capacities. Larvae of the House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus L.) of an average weight of 7 mg, i. e. relatively small ones, were used as test insects. In the experiments, under conditions of different severity, mortalities of 77–100% of the larvae were registered. These results were attained with pieces of wood which were treated with the wood-preserving agent 6 1/2 years ago. According to our knowledge of the progressive loss of fluorine out of treated wood it can be expected that the controlling effect found in the experiments will last for several more years.It must be emphasized, however, that these results were reached only with relatively small larvae of the House Longhorn Beetle. To kill halfgrown larvae or larger ones, i. e. those, against which pest-control measures in buildings usually are directed, higher dosages of the salt are required. Under these circumstances one should be cautious not to apply less than the dosage of 100 g/m² prescribed for control measures.

     

氯化钾缓解肉仔鸡热应激的研究

120只28日龄艾维茵(AVIAN)肉仔鸡随机分为1、2、3、4组.1组为对照组,饮自来水;2、3、4组为试验组,分别饮添加0.18％、0.26％、0.34％氯化钾的自来水.舍温控制在34±1℃.试验期为4周.结果,各组鸡增重、采食量、饲料效率、饮水量的顺序均为第4组→第3组→第2组→第1组.饮水中添加KCI,肉仔鸡血清K~ 浓度高于对照组,而直肠温度、呼吸率及血清尿酸浓度则相反.血清Na~ 前两周3、4组显著低于1组,以后趋于一致.血细胞压积(PCV)、血液PH、CO_2分压(PCO_2)、氧分压(PO_2)、碳酸氢根(HCO_3)和血清中总蛋白、白蛋白、白/球比以及血糖,组间均差异不显著.本试验表明,饮水中添加KCI能较好地缓解热应激对肉仔鸡生长的影响,增强肉仔鸡对高温的耐受性,并可提高其生产性能.     

A spatial analysis of forest management and its contribution to maintaining the extent of shrubland habitat in southern New England, United States

Conservation organizations in the northeastern United States (US) recommend forest clearcutting to create shrubland habitat, which is required by many wildlife species with declining populations. The planning of habitat management programs is hampered by a lack of information on the current extent of shrubland habitat and the current rate of forest clearcutting that creates shrubland habitat. We addressed these information gaps by using a combination of automated and manual approaches to determine the extent and spatial configuration of shrubland habitat and recent forest clearcuts. We focused on the state of Rhode Island because (a) it is representative of the northeastern US in terms of the prevalence of private ownership of forests, and the ongoing decline in the populations of many shrubland wildlife species; (b) federal, state and private conservation groups are actively promoting clearcuts to create shrubland habitat; (c) many state-wide GIS databases are available; and (d) the spatial extent of the state made our results both generalizable and politically relevant. Our fine-scale mapping allowed a detailed analysis of shrubland distribution in conjunction with other available GIS layers that facilitates identification of priority areas for habitat management. We found that the extent of upland shrubland in non-coastal areas is decreasing by at least 1.5% annually. Considering the lack of consensus about conservation targets for the amount of shrubland, we propose that conservation organizations attempt to stabilize rather than expand the extent of shrubland habitat. This approach would provide an opportunity to assess whether the current extent of shrubland is sufficient to maintain reduced but stable wildlife populations that require this habitat. We propose a coordinated forest management program with targets for increased forest management on conservation lands. We found that the average patch size of shrubland created by recent clearcuts is large enough for most shrubland bird species, but too small for the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis), which has been proposed for threatened and endangered status.     

Otitis externa. A disease of multifactorial etiology

Dogs and cats with long-standing otitis externa pose a difficult diagnostic challenge for the veterinarian, because chronically affected ears usually have the same appearance regardless of the underlying cause(s). In patients with chronic otitis externa, the disease is often caused by different combinations of primary, predisposing, and perpetuating factors. The unique therapeutic needs of each patient may be determined by careful interpretation of historical and physical findings, which should be supported by ancillary diagnostic tests.