The hosts and potential geographic range of Dothistroma needle blight

Dothistroma needle blight, one of the most important foliar diseases of Pinus spp., is caused primarily by the fungus Dothistroma septosporum (Dorog.) Morelet, and to a lesser extent by Dothistroma pini Hulbary. The potential distribution and abundance of Dothistroma spp. was determined by (i) developing a process-oriented model of potential distribution of Dothistroma spp. from known locations, (ii) compiling a comprehensive list of susceptible host species from existing scientific literature and (iii) determining the distribution of susceptible hosts in areas predicted to be suitable for range expansion of Dothistroma spp. Using these three sources of information regions at risk were identified as those that were predicted to be suitable for range expansion by Dothistroma spp. and included significant areas of susceptible host species.     

Chronic desmitis and enthesiophytosis of the radio-ulnar interosseous ligament in a dog

A 10-year-old golden retriever dog was presented for chronic right forelimb lameness associated with a painful swelling at the lateral aspect of the proximal ulna. Proximal ulnar ostectomy and stabilization resulted in a good clinical outcome. The proposed diagnosis is chronic desmitis and enthesiophytosis of the radio-ulnar interosseous ligament.     

Effects of chronic obesity and weight loss on plasma ghrelin and leptin concentrations in dogs

The objective of this study was to evaluate, in dogs, the effects of obesity and weight loss on plasma total ghrelin and leptin concentrations. Twenty-four Beagle dogs, 12 control lean and 12 obese dogs of both genders and aged between 1 and 9 years, were used for the experiments. Mean body weight was 12.7+/-0.7 kg for the lean group and 21.9+/-0.8 kg for the obese group. The trial was divided into three phases. During phase 1, all 24 Beagle dogs were fed a maintenance diet. During phase 2, the obese dogs were submitted to a weight loss protocol with a high protein-low energy diet. The weight loss protocol ended once dogs reached optimal body weight. During phase 3, the dogs that were submitted to the weight loss protocol were maintained at their optimal body weight for 6 months. Plasma total ghrelin, leptin, insulin and glucose concentrations were measured to evaluate the effects of obesity and weight loss on these parameters in dogs. Body weight, body condition score, thoracic and pelvic perimeters, and ingested food amounts were also recorded during the study. Obese dogs demonstrated a significant decrease in plasma ghrelin and a significant increase in plasma leptin and insulin concentrations when compared with control dogs. During weight loss, significant increases in plasma total ghrelin and glucose and significant decreases in plasma leptin and insulin were observed. The increase in plasma ghrelin concentrations seemed to be transient. Body weight and the morphometric parameters correlated positively with leptin concentrations and negatively with total ghrelin concentrations. These results suggest that ghrelin and leptin could play a role in dogs in the adaptation to a positive or negative energy balance, as observed in humans.     

Life history traits and trade-offs between two species of the ascochyta blight disease complex of pea

Plant disease complexes are a playground to investigate coinfections in natural or cultivated systems. Pathogens of such complexes may affect each other through direct and/or indirect interactions and lead to changes in virulence or aggressiveness, offspring production, and transmission. As coinfections by sympatric host-pathogens can strongly influence pathogen dynamics and their evolutionary trajectories, new insights into the mechanisms of their coexistence is thus of critical importance. In order to characterize differences in ecological niches liable to explain species coexistence on the same host, the inter- and intraspecific diversity of the life history traits in natural collections of the two main pathogens (Peyronellaea (formerly Didymella) pinodes [Dp] and Phoma medicaginis var. pinodella [Pmp]) of the ascochyta blight disease complex of pea was evaluated under controlled conditions. Dp strains developed 1.3 times faster and produced longer, mainly bicellular spores and in lower amounts (3.7 times less) than Pmp strains. Pmp strains were separated into two groups, one producing more pycnidiospores, mainly bicellular, with less resources, and the other with mainly unicellular ones. These three groups can be interpreted as three distinct life history strategies: pioneer colonizer (Dp), scavenger (large-spored Pmp), and intermediate (small-spored Pmp), allowing differentiation in access to and use of resources. While this experimental work provides new insight into coexistence of two species of the ascochyta blight disease complex of pea, it also raises the question of the benefit of having two distinct life history strategies for one species (Pmp).     

A sensitive real-time PCR assay for the detection of the two Melampsora medusae formae speciales on infected poplar leaves

Melampsora medusae is a quarantine fungus in the European Union (EU) that causes a damaging leaf rust disease on poplars. Two formae speciales of the pathogen can be distinguished, M. medusae f. sp. deltoidae and M. medusae f. sp. tremuloidae, but the EU plant health directive 2000/29/EC currently in force does not make the distinction between them. EU countries must have the ability to detect and identify rapidly the introduction of these quarantine fungi and to conduct extensive surveys in case of outbreaks. Efficient detection tools are thus needed. In this study, a sensitive real-time PCR assay was developed to detect the presence of M. medusae in poplar leaf samples. A unique primer/hydrolysis probe combination targeting both formae speciales was designed using species-specific polymorphisms observed within the internal transcribed spacer region. An additional primer/hydrolysis probe combination was designed from a region of the 28S rDNA that is highly conserved in the genus Melampsora and used in a separate real-time PCR assay in order to check the quality of the DNA extracted from Melampsora urediniospores. The test developed demonstrated a high sensitivity since it enables the reproducible detection of two M. medusae urediniospore in a mixture of 2 mg of urediniospores (ca 800 000 urediniospores) of other Melampsora species. This new real-time PCR tool should be useful for laboratories in charge of official analyses since it has many advantages over the techniques currently used to monitor this quarantine pathogen in Europe.     

Fertility of Technosols constructed with dam sediments for urban greening and land reclamation

Purpose

Fine sediment accumulates upstream of hydroelectric dams. To ensure that dams can operate properly, part of the sediment has to be dredged and land managed. In parallel, using topsoil from agricultural parcels for urban greening or land restoration is currently controversial because arable surface areas are decreasing. An alternative idea for protecting these natural resources consists in reusing fine dredged sediment to construct multifunctional soils. This agronomic use is only possible if sediment can provide acceptable physical and chemical properties for plant growth.

Materials and methods

Four dredged sediments with contrasted initial agronomic properties and one control soil were mixed or not with green waste compost (40% v/v) and used to construct triplicate 30-cm depth soils in lysimetric containers (1.11?×?0.71 m). The 30 constructed soils were exposed to the in situ conditions and sown with ryegrass (Lolium perenne). The evolution of soil chemical and physical properties and plant development were studied every 6 months for 18 months.

Results and discussion

Above- and below-ground biomass production of the constructed soils contrasted according to the sediment properties and to compost addition. A statistical approach identified eight soil parameters linked to biomass production. Among these parameters, soil structure, quantified from aggregate stability, played a fundamental role. A focus on physical properties confirmed that some sediments were only partially adapted to ryegrass support. Compost addition improved sediment physical properties over time, but caused temporary N deficiency during the first months after installation which limited shoot biomass production. Exogenous plant species developed on the constructed Technosols, especially on the soils where the lack of structure and N deficiency had the strongest effect.

Conclusions

All sediments were suitable for plant growth over the 18 months of the study. A few soil properties emerged as markers of the fertility of sediment-made Technosols. Among them, the soil structure was one of the most determining parameters. It can be assessed by measuring aggregate stability, macroporosity, the crustability index, and bulk density, while available nutrients (N, P, K) and pH seem sufficient to assess chemical fertility. The balance between the properties of the sediment-made Technosols and the needs of the plants seems to be an essential lever for the establishment of functional soil-plant systems for urban greening or for ecological restoration.

     

Efficiency of neem and groundnut oils in protecting leguminous tree seeds against seed beetles in the Sahel

The objective of our study was to test the comparative efficiency of neem (Azadirachta indica) kernel oil, groundnut oil and a synthetic insecticide, K-Othrine®, in protecting stocks of leguminous tree seeds against seed beetles under Sahelian conditions. The following insect/seed combinations were used as models: Caryedon acaciae/Acacia nilotica, C. longispinosus/A. raddiana and C. serratus/Tamarindus indica. Neem oil, when used at concentrations of 5 to 20 ml per kg of seeds, had pronounced adulticidal and ovicidal effects which were maintained for five months. No significant fall in seed viability was observed except in the case of C. acaciae/A. nilotica. Groundnut oil, when used at concentrations of 5 to 20 ml per kg of seeds, had pronounced adulticidal and ovicidal effects which were relatively short-lived. A significant fall in seed viability was observed over five months. K-Othrine®, when used at concentrations ranging from 25 to 100 mg per kg, had high adulticidal effects which were maintained for five months. However, K-Othrine® was found to have no ovicide properties. No significant fall in seed viability was observed. This study concluded that it is possible to use neem oil, a product that can be obtained locally at low cost, to efficiently protect tree seed stocks in the Sahel.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Artificial daily fluctuations of river discharge affect the larval drift and survival of a tropical amphidromous goby

Amphidromous fish species reproduce in rivers, and their larvae immediately drift to the sea after hatching. Most of these larvae survive in freshwater for a few days only, rapidly reaching sea water is thus essential. Being of small size, especially among species of the Sicydiinae subfamily, the larvae possess poor swimming abilities; their drift dynamics is considered to be mainly passive and influenced by flow conditions. The influence of daily fluctuations in flow regime on Sicyopterus lagocephalus (Sicydiinae) larval drift patterns was studied using drift nets at three sites along the dammed Langevin River in Reunion Island. The river flow was stable at the upstream site when frequent anthropogenic river flow fluctuations were observed at the two sites downstream to the dam. Weak diel larval drift dynamics were detected at the upstream site and the first site under anthropogenic river flow conditions. In contrast, larval drift dynamics at the most downstream site was strongly influenced by anthropogenic daily fluctuations of discharge: the abundance of drifting larvae increased with peaks of discharge, regardless of the time. As higher mortality rates of drifting larvae were observed during discharge peaks, the benefit of a more rapid travel to the ocean associated with these peaks should be lower than expected. It is concluded that peaks of discharge increase the number of larvae drifting to the sea probably due to higher physical constraints on the egg clutches, but also decrease the chance of survival for larvae that may be nonfully developed.     

Linseed oil supplementation in diet for horses: Effects on palatability and digestibility

Feed palatability and in vivo apparent digestibility of nutrients were compared in horses fed concentrates in which barley was, or not, partially substituted by 8% linseed oil. According to a cross-over design, three geldings and one stallion were fed at near maintenance level hay plus low or high fat diet (50/50). The last days of each 3-months sub-periods, partial faeces collections were performed and concentrate intake rate was measured to estimate the digestibility and the palatability of the diet. The inclusion of linseed oil did not affect the palatability of the diet and increased significantly (P < 0.05) the apparent digestibility of DM (66.5 vs 64.1%), CF (83.7 vs 57.3%) and NDF (53.0 vs 50.7%) but not of CP and ADF.