Serologic and molecular survey of horses to Coxiella burnetii in East of Iran a highly endemic area

There are few reports about Q fever in horse populations worldwide. This study aimed to detect the C. burnetii infection by serologic and molecular confirmation using commercial ELISA kit and real-time PCR in the East of Iran a region highly endemic. A total of 177 blood samples and 115 vaginal swabs were randomly collected from horses in East of Iran. The sera samples were analyzed for anti C.burnetii Ig G antibodies by a commercial ELISA kit and nucleic acid extraxted from vaginal samples were used to determine the C. burnetii DNA by real-time PCR assay. Antibodies were detected in 5.64 % (10/177) of sera samples and C. burnetii DNA was detected in 7.82 % (9/115) of horse vaginal samples. There was no significant difference in seroprevalence in different sex, age and breed groups. Our study showed that horses could be considered as a mild potential reservoir of C. burnetii which may be effective on horse health status. However, additional studies are needed to assess whether the horse could be considered as a relevant transmission risk indicator for Q fever.     

Simulating the Production of Rice Genotypes by Flood Management and End-Season Water Stress Conditions Using AquaCrop Model

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to assess the ability of AquaCrop model in predicting of grain and biological yield of rice genotypes in water management. A two-year field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of the Iranian Rice Research Institute in Rasht, Iran from 2016 to 2017. The experiment was established in a split-plot design with two irrigation management (continuous submergence and end season water stress) as the main plot, fourth rice genotypes as the sub-plot and three replications. The goodness-of-fit between observed and simulated grain yield and final biomass was assessed by means of the coefficient of determination (R ²), the absolute and normalized root mean square errors (RMSE). The RMSE_n of predicting grain yield at calibration and evaluation stages was in the range of 6–12% and 6–8% for biological yield. The results indicated that AquaCrop model is suitable to predict grain yield and biological yield of rice genotypes in northern Iran. AquaCrop model can be used to determine optimization strategies to improve the water consumption of rice genotypes.     

The effect of some watershed,soil characteristics and morphometric factors on the relationship between the gully volume and length in Fars Province,Iran

A survey consisting of 146 first order gullies selected from five sites with different land use, soil and watershed properties was carried out to estimate the parameters of the empirical power function in order to describe the relationship between the gully volume and length in Fars province, Iran. Subsequently, the gullies were clustered into seven groups (“A” to “G”) based on nine morphometric factors. The linearized functions were fitted to the natural logarithms of the volume and length in each group and the parameters “a” and “b” were determined. The obtained “a” and “b” parameters are in the ranges of 1.0–10.8 and 0.8–1.4, respectively. Comparison of “a” and “b” parameters in each group with the mean of nine factors and the mean soil, watershed and land use characteristics in each group showed that the gully volume and average cross section are correlated with the gully depths in different sections and the gully head slopes. Also it was shown that the parameters of fitted functions to the plots of gully volumes versus gully lengths are proportional to width at the gully heads. The gully widths at the top and bottom of the five meter sections are correlated with the average upstream watershed area of the gullies.     

Mapping the current and future distributions of Onosma species endemic to Iran

Climate change may cause shifts in the natural range of species especially for those that are geographically restricted and/or endemic species. In this study, the spatial distribution of five endemic and threatened species belonging to the genus Onosma (including O. asperrima, O. bisotunensis, O. kotschyi, O. platyphylla, and O. straussii) was investigated under present and future climate change scenarios: RCP2.6 (RCP, representative concentration pathway; optimistic scenario) and RCP8.5 (pessimistic scenario) for the years 2050 and 2080 in Iran. Analysis was conducted using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to provide a basis for the protection and conservation of these species. Seven environmental variables including aspect, depth of soil, silt content, slope, annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month, and annual temperature range were used as main predictors in this study. The model output for the potential habitat suitability of the studied species showed acceptable performance for all species (i.e., the area under the curve (AUC)>0.800). According to the models generated by MaxEnt, the potential current patterns of the species were consistent with the observed areas of distributions. The projected climate maps under optimistic and pessimistic scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively) of 2050 and 2080 resulted in reductions and expansions as well as positive range changes for all species in comparison to their current predicted distributions. Among all species, O. bisotunensis showed the most significant and highest increase under the pessimistic scenario of 2050 and 2080. Finally, the results of this study revealed that the studied plant species have shown an acute adaptability to environmental changes. The results can provide useful information to managers to apply appropriate strategies for the management and conservation of these valuable Iranian medicinal and threatened plant species in the future.     

Characterization of citrus germplasm including unknown variants by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers

Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to study phylogenetic relationships among 33 citrus genotypes including several undefined local or native varieties as well as some known varieties in the Fars Province of Iran.     

Parasitoid complex (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) of Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) in Iran

The parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) of the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, were investigated throughout two far distant provinces, Tehran and Sistan-Baluchestan. Colonies of the cowpea aphid were collected from different host plants and reared under laboratory conditions until the parasitoids emerged. The aphids were parasitized by an expected range of parasitoids. The species were Aphidius colemani Viereck, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall), Lysiphlebus confusus Tremblay and Eady, Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson), Binodoxys acalephae (Marshall), Binodoxys angelicae (Haliday), Praon volucre (Haliday) and Ephedrus persicae Froggatt. L. testaceipes is reported here for the first time in Iran. The most common species was L. fabarum followed by B. acalephae and L. confusus. A key is provided for identification and host plant associations are considered.     

Quantitative Mapping and Assessment of Environmentally Sensitive Areas to Desertification in Central Iran

Desertification is one of the main environmental and also social and economic problems facing Iran. Seventeen out of 31 Iranian provinces, which are home to approximately 70% of the total population, are affected by desertification. This study aimed to use geographic information system (GIS) and fuzzy logic for mapping environmentally sensitive areas to desertification based on Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use approach in Isfahan province, central Iran. Six desertification indicators including climate, soil, vegetation, soil erosion, groundwater, and management and policy quality were used to determine various types of environmentally sensitive areas to desertification. Seventeen desertification indices affecting the quality of each indicator were spatially mapped and assigned a value between 0 and 1 using a fuzzy logic option of ArcSDM3 software in GIS environment. Results showed that a 21·7% of the study area was classified as critical, 70% as fragile and 5·5% as potential, and 2·9% of the area was not affected by desertification. In the town of Borkhar, 64·2% of the area was classified as critical, followed by the towns of Isfahan and Nayin with 40·2% and 31·8%, respectively. Results at provincial scale indicated that the climate indicator and humidity index with a weighting mean of 0·71 and 0·77 were the most affective factors in the desertification of the study area. The developed model in this study can be used for mapping desertification status in other 16 provinces that contain desert areas. These assessments provide a GIS‐based desertification database that Iran as a member of the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification can use to report the condition of desertification at national scale. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variability of soil microbial indices in common alder COMMON ALDER(Alnus glutinosa) stands using a geostatistical approach in northern Iran

Microbial indices and their spatial patterns are strongly affected by environmental factors. Spatial variability of soil properties is one of the most important causes of variability in soil microbial indices. This research was conducted in the Caspian forest to assess spatial variabilities and frequency distributions of microbial properties.Ninety soil samples were taken using a grid sampling design 40 9 40 m. Microbial indices, organic carbon,nitrogen and pH were determined. Soil variable distributions showed that microbial indices had abnormal distributions. Logarithmic transformation produced normal distribution. Spatial continuity using geostatistical(variogram) was studied and maps obtained by point kriging.The variograms revealed the presence of spatial autocorrelation. The results indicate that spatial dependence of soil microbial indices was affected by non-intrinsic factors and forest management procedures. The maps show that soil microbial indices and soil properties have spatial variability. The spatial pattern of microbial indices was correlated to organic carbon and nitrogen.     

Brenneria spp. and Rahnella victoriana associated with acute oak decline symptoms on oak and hornbeam in Iran

Decline diseases of forest trees are complex syndromes not attributable to single causal factors. In Iran, symptoms of decline disease have been observed in a number of native forest species including Quercus castaneifolia (chestnut‐leaved oak), Q. brantii (Persian oak) and Carpinus betulus (hornbeam). The symptoms are prevalent in the northern forests and the Zagros mountain forests. There are parallels between the disease in Iran and acute oak decline (AOD) reported in the UK, specifically the presence of weeping cankers, which have been attributed to a polybacterial complex wherein Brenneria goodwinii is considered a key necrogen. Based on the AOD symptomatology, and as a first step towards discovering potential causal agents of the stem weeping symptoms of affected trees in Iran, necrotic tissues were tested primarily for the presence of B. goodwinii. Symptomatic Q. castaneifolia and C. betulus from the Mazandaran Province and symptomatic Q. brantii from Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad Province were sampled. Isolation and culture on a selective medium yielded uniform bacterial colonies. Isolates were characterized using phenotypic and genotypic (DNA sequencing) tests. The isolates were phenotypically identical to members of Pectobacteriaceae and Yersiniaceae, specifically Brenneria and Rahnella spp. The nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA and housekeeping genes gyrB, infB and atpD (MLSA) amplified via PCR demonstrated that the isolates from the trees in Iran were indeed B. goodwinii, B. roseae subsp. roseae, Rahnella victoriana and an unknown species of Brenneria. Most bacteria isolated from non‐symptomatic trees were Gram‐positive, and Pseudomonas spp. were dominant, but bacterial species isolated from the diseased trees were not detected in healthy trees. Hypersensitivity response tests were positive, but inoculation on saplings was more variable with internal necrosis developing only once in the test period. Therefore, further testing is required. This is the first report of the incidence of B. goodwinii, B. roseae subsp. roseae, R. victoriana and Brenneria sp. associated with acute oak decline‐like symptoms on Q. castaneifolia, Q. brantii and C. betulus across the western forests of Iran and in the world.