Survival of Leptosphaeria maculans in soil on residues of Brassica napus in South Australia

The survival of Leptosphaeria maculans , which causes phoma stem canker (blackleg), on oilseed rape residues ( Brassica napus ) in South Australia was investigated. Using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for L. maculans DNA, the pathogen was mainly detected in the upper 5 cm of the soil profile, including residues on the soil surface. As the size of organic matter particles in the soil decreased, so did the quantity of L. maculans detected in them. To obtain representative data for a field, at least 30 subsamples needed to be collected over the 0·81 ha area studied. In a survey of 49 commercial fields in South Australia, most L. maculans was detected in fields 1 year after oilseed rape had been grown, with less detected after 2 years and negligible amounts 3 years or more after cropping. The diagnostic DNA-based assay for L. maculans reduced the time and cost of studying L. maculans survival in soil and increased the sensitivity and accuracy of results compared with estimates of propagule number of colony-forming units on a semiselective medium.     

Effect of Completion of Vernalization on Generative Development of Winter Rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) Plants

Germinating seeds and young plants of winter rape var. Górczañski were vernalized for 56–63 days under conditions of 9-hour day, at the temperature 2 and 5 °C and in continuous darkness at the temperature 2 °C. After vernalization the plants grew under conditions enabling to complete vernalization: in a glass-house at the temperature day/night 15/10 °C and in semi natural conditions of open vegetation hall in the period from June till August. After sub-optimal vernalization further growth of the plants at lowered temperature increased its effectiveness (completion of vernalization). Depending on the degree of the vernalization of the plants the completion of their vernalization was both obligatory, i.e. conditioning the acquisition of the ability of generative development, and facultative i.e. accelerating this development. It has been demonstrated that the population of plants of the examined variety is strongly differentiated not only with respect of vernalization requirements in the particular plants, but also what regards the effectiveness of vernalization completion. New observations have been made indicating that the mechanisms controlling the successive phases of generative development, i.e. phase of forming flower buds and the flowering phase are not identical which may be interpreted as indicating that the "flowering factor" is polymorphous.     

Acquired resistance triggered by elicitins in tobacco and other plants

Elicitins are a family of proteins excreted byPhytophthora spp. They exhibit high sequence homology but large net charge differences. They induce necrosis in tobacco plants which then become resistant to the tobacco pathogenPhytophthora parasitica var.nicotianae. In stem-treated plants, resistance was not restricted to the site of elicitin application, but could be demonstrated by petiole inoculation at all levels on the stem. Resistance was already maximum after two days and lasted for at least two weeks. It was effective not only towardsP. p. var.nicotianae infection, but also against the unrelated pathogenSclerotinia sclerotiorum. In contrast to dichloroisonicotinic acid, an artificial inducer of systemic acquired resistance, which was increasingly effective with doses ranging from 0.25 to 5mole per plant, the basic elicitin cryptogein exhibited a threshold effect, inducing near total resistance and extensive leaf necrosis above 0.1 nmole per plant. Between 1 and 5 nmole, acidic elicitins (capsicein and parasiticein) protected tobacco plants with hardly any necrotic symptom. Elicitins exhibited similar effects in various tobacco cultivars andNicotiana species, although with quantitative differences, but induced neither necrosis nor protection in other SolanaceÆ (tomato, petunia and pepper). Among 24 additional species tested belonging to 18 botanical families, only some BrassicaceÆ, noticeably rape, exhibited symptoms in response to elicitins, in a cultivar-specific manner. Elicitins appear to be natural specific triggers for systemic acquired resistance and provide a tool for unraveling the mechanisms leading to its establishment.Abbreviations AR acquired resistance - HR hypersensitive response - INA 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid - Ppn Phytophthora parasitica var.nicotianae - SAR systemic acquired resistance     

新疆山地鸟类和哺乳类多样性及其区系特征

新疆各类陆栖脊椎动物近 70 0种 ,占中国这一类动物种数的 32 %,其中鸟兽资源尤其丰富 ,计有 42 5种鸟类和 1 5 5种兽类 (哺乳类 ) ,占中国鸟兽种数的 31 %。本文主要以新疆三大山区———阿尔泰山、天山、昆仑 -阿尔金山地区鸟类和哺乳类动物的多样性及区系分布作综合性介绍和分析。根据实地考察和以往文献资料 ,新疆阿尔泰山区记录在 1 2 4种鸟类 ,其中古北界北方型鸟类 5 1种 (占 41 .1 %) ,中亚型鸟类 31种 (占 2 5 .0 %) ,广布种鸟类 2 7种 (占 2 1 .8%) ,其他类型1 5种 (占 1 2 .1 %) ,显出以北方型泰加林鸟类为主的鸟类区系特征 ;分布的 5 0种兽类 ,区系上以古北界北方泰加林为主 ,即北方型兽类占该山区种数的 5 2 %。天山山区记录的鸟类大约2 81种 ,北方型种类占绝对优势 ,即北方型 1 0 6种 (占 37.72 %) ,北方广布型 76种 (占 2 7.0 4 %) ,中亚型 39种 (占 1 3.88%) ,高地型 1 8种 (占 6.41 %) ,广布型 33种 (占 1 1 .74%) ,东北型 9种 (占 3.2 1 %)。兽类分布有 62种 ,北方型兽类区系占优势 ,有 30种 (占 48.40 %) ,广布型 1 2种 (占 1 9.40 %) ,中亚型 1 1种 (占 1 7.70 %) ,特有种 9种 (占 1 4.5 0 %)。昆仑—阿尔金山地区 96种鸟类中 ,中亚类型成份占 2 8.1 %,高地型成分占 2 6%,北方型成?     

Variation in the development of secondary dormancy in oilseed rape genotypes under conditions of stress

Summary A substantial amount of seed is left in the fields before and during harvest of oilseed rape. Although this crop exhibits little or no primary dormancy, the absence of certain environmental cues that promote germination of imbibed seeds induces secondary dormancy. The work reported investigated the extent to which environmental stress conditions, including osmotic stress, low oxygen stress and anaerobiosis, induce secondary dormancy in oilseed rape, and examined the variation in development of secondary dormancy between and within genotypes. Osmotic stress was most effective in inducing dormancy. Anaerobic treatment produced very few dormant seeds, as did an atmosphere low in oxygen and high in nitrogen. The development of secondary dormancy under osmotic stress varied considerably between and within genotypes. Dormancy ranged from almost zero to about 60% for winter genotypes and about 85% for spring types. Within genotypes, variations occurred between seed lots and years of harvest. Temperature variations affected the percentage of dormant seeds. More dormant seeds were likely to be produced with incubation under water stress at 20 °C than at 12 °C. In winter genotypes, fewer dormant seeds were produced when incubation temperature and germination test temperatures differed. Thus, incubating at 20 °C and 12 °C, followed by germination tests at 20 °C and 12 °C, respectively, produced most dormant seeds. Also, in the winter genotypes, the potential development of secondary dormancy was positively correlated with the pattern and speed of germination of untreated seeds.     

Sporulation of Pyrenopeziza brassicae (light leaf spot) on oilseed rape (Brassica napus) leaves inoculated with ascospores or conidia at different temperatures and wetness durations

In controlled environment experiments, sporulation of Pyrenopeziza brassicae was observed on leaves of oilseed rape inoculated with ascospores or conidia at temperatures from 8 to 20°C at all leaf wetness durations from 6 to 72 h, except after 6 h leaf wetness duration at 8°C. The shortest times from inoculation to first observed sporulation ( l ₀), for both ascospore and conidial inoculum, were 11–12 days at 16°C after 48 h wetness duration. For both ascospore and conidial inoculum (48 h wetness duration), the number of conidia produced per cm² leaf area with sporulation was seven to eight times less at 20°C than at 8, 12 or 16°C. Values of Gompertz parameters c (maximum percentage leaf area with sporulation), r (maximum rate of increase in percentage leaf area with sporulation) and l ₃₇ (days from inoculation to 37% of maximum sporulation), estimated by fitting the equation to the observed data, were linearly related to values predicted by inserting temperature and wetness duration treatment values into existing equations. The observed data were fitted better by logistic equations than by Gompertz equations (which overestimated at low temperatures). For both ascospore and conidial inoculum, the latent period derived from the logistic equation (days from inoculation to 50% of maximum sporulation, l ₅₀) of P. brassicae was generally shortest at 16°C, and increased as temperature increased to 20°C or decreased to 8°C. Minimum numbers of spores needed to produce sporulation on leaves were ≈25 ascospores per leaf and ≈700 conidia per leaf, at 16°C after 48 h leaf wetness duration.     

Study of Resistance to Orobanche ramosa in Host (Oilseed Rape and Carrot) and Non-host (Maize) Plants

Orobanche ramosa is a parasitic Angiosperm responsible for severe yield losses in several economical crops. It is a serious threat in oilseed rape in France and Morocco and is appearing in carrot crops in Morocco. In this study, several varieties of oilseed rape and carrot were screened in order to identify resistant cultivars and to characterize the resistance mechanisms involved. All the 15 oilseed rape varieties tested were susceptible. In carrot, the varieties 'Colmar à coeur rouge' and 'Nantaise demi-longue' were susceptible, whereas 'Palaiseau' and 'Buror' were resistant. In the susceptible 'Colmar à coeur rouge' carrot no defence reactions were found and the development of the parasite inhibited carrot tap root formation. In the resistant carrot varieties, the parasite germinated, became attached to the host root but became necrotic before emergence. In 'Buror' carrot, formation of a mechanical barrier was associated with the restriction to the cortex of the parasite. In maize cv. 'Vigni', a non-host of O. ramosa, thickening of xylem vessels, cell divisions in the central cylinder and formation of an encapsulation layer were observed in association with restricted development of Orobanche haustoria.     

Bird flu (H7N9) outbreak and its implications on the supply chain of poultry meat in China

During the past two decades, food safety issues in China not only posed serious threats to Chinese consumers but also damaged the image of Chinese products internationally. In China, food safety is not only about scientific discoveries, advanced laboratories, and sanitation equipment; it is more about the role of different players in the food supply chain. The poultry meat supply chain is instrumental in the spread of the avian influenza A virus (H7N9), raising questions about how policymakers respond to such threats and whether industries need to be restructured to manage and control this epidemic so that it does not recur. As a short-term measure, to prevent the spread of this disease, government authorities enforced the closure of live bird markets (LBM) in disease-affected areas of China. However, in the long term, the poultry meat supply chain needs to be restructured. The aim of the current study was to analyze distribution channels for chicken meat in China and then describe arrangements in poultry meat sectors that incorporate small- and medium-scale producers into the supply chain while responding to shifts in LBMs. We also assessed the role of LBMs in spreading H7N9 and how these interventions affect the poultry meat supply chain in the Chinese market.     

两系杂交油菜早中熟组合精量直播栽培性状比较研究

开展优质核不育两系杂交油菜早中熟新组合比较试验,结果表明:2种熟期类型杂交组合间产量差异明显,中熟组合单位面积产量极显著高于早熟组合,对比分析产量构成因子,主要是平均角粒数多和千粒重重,2种熟期类型组合间株高和一次分枝数差异较小,油菜菌核病感病程度中熟组合相对较轻。因此,油菜生产不可一味选择和使用早熟类型品种或组合,不然将较难获得理想产量和生产效益。