Quantitative real-time PCR assay for rapid detection of Pseudomonas amygdali pv. lachrymans in cucumber leaf rinse

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Pseudomonas amygdali pv. lachrymans (Pal) is a bacterium that causes angular leaf spot disease of cucumbers. There is no direct protection against this...     

PRODUCTION,CHEMICAL QUALITY AND USE OF DUCKWEEDS (LEMNACEAE) IN AQUACULTURE,WASTE MANAGEMENT,AND ANIMAL FEEDS

The vascular plants known as duckweeds have been the subject of intense interest during the past decade as an aquacultural crop, part of waste management systems, and as a feed supplement for aquatic and terrestrial animal stocks. Yields in high nutrient lagoons in regions with nine-month growing season average about 10 metric tons (dry)/hectare, with maximum yields of 12 metric tons projected from .04 hectare lagoons. Crude protein for duckweeds cultured on animal waste lagoons has ranged from 35 to 45% of the dry weight and all essential amino acids are present. Lysine is present in sufficient concentration to meet FAO reference standards for animal feeds, and methionine equals or exceeds recommended standards in specific clones of Lemna turionifera, L. minor, and Spirodela polyrrhiza. Minerals, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate levels are not excessive for most animal diets. Successful feeding trials have been conducted with several species of fish, ducks, swine, poultry, and cattle. A review of research indicates this family of plants holds high promise for producing high quality animal and human food world-wide, but the technology for controlled production under full-scale systems is incomplete.     

Distinguishing high and low anopheline-producing rice fields using remote sensing and GIS technologies

Worldwide, 140 million ha are devoted to rice cultivation, mostly in developing countries of the tropics and subtropics where malaria still constitutes a serious human health problem. Because rice fields are flood-irrigated on a semi-permanent basis during each growing season, they provide an ideal breeding habitat for a number of potential mosquito vectors of malaria. One of these vectors, Anopheles freeborni, is distributed throughout nearly 240 000 ha of irrigated rice in northern and central California, and may serve as a model for the study of rice field mosquito population dynamics using spectral and spatial information. Analysis of field data revealed that rice fields with rapid early season vegetation canopy development, located near livestock pastures (i.e. bloodmeal sources), had greater mosquito larval populations than fields with more slowly developing vegetation canopies located further from pastures. Remote sensing reflectance measurements of early season rice canopy development and geographic information system (GIS) measurements of distance to livestock pasture were combined to distinguish between high and low mosquito-producing rice fields. These distinctions were made with 90% accuracy nearly 2 months before anopheline larval populations peaked.     

The effect of water oxygen saturation on growth and haematological profile of juvenile peled Coregonus peled (Gmelin)

The effect of varying oxygen saturation regimes on growth and haematological profiles of peled Coregonus peled was investigated on fish of initial age 90 days post hatching. Eighty‐five juveniles per group (initial body weight 3.09 ± 0.80 g) were submitted to a 63‐day experiment with one of four water saturation regimes: normoxia (NORm, 80%–90%), hypoxia (HYPo, 50%–60%), hyperoxia (HYPe, 150%–160%) and intermittent hyperoxia (iHYPe, 150%–160% ‐ 80%–90%). Survival rate in NORm, HYPe and iHYPe ranged from 96.3 ± 2.1% to 97.7 ± 2.7, but survival 87.5 ± 3.0 was significantly lower in the HYPo group. No differences were observed in feed conversion ratio. The highest final body weight of 18.2 ± 4.6 g and a specific growth rate of 2.81 ± 0.01%/day were seen in the NORm group. Significant differences were found in haemoglobin concentration with increased saturation. The fish had lower haemoglobin 55.00 ± 5.72 and 51.35 ± 10.89 g/L in treatments HYPe, iHYPe with compared to the normoxia (64.22 ± 5.78 g/L). Haematocrit was similar in the groups HYPo, NORm and iHYPe (0.55 ± 0.04, 0.58 ± 0.05 and 0.54 ± 0.09) with the exception of HYPe, which was significantly lower (0.48 ± 0.06). Significantly lower count of erythrocyte was observed in iHYPe group (0.88 ± 0.20) with compared to the normoxia (1.06 ± 0.13). The supersaturation level was not associated with effects on growth and survival, and adding oxygen is not recommended for intensive rearing of peled. The results showed normoxia oxygen level to be the most suitable conditions for peled.