Purple nutsedge tuber sprouting

Purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus L.) tubers remain viable for several years and serve as its principal means of survival. The maintenance of high moisture content is essential to tuber survival. Apical dominance influences bud dormancy within a tuber and in a chain of tubers, and dormancy increases with tuber age. Several growth inhibitors were identified in tubers, but their role in tuber dormancy has not been established. Moisture levels in soil must increase to a critical level before sprouting occurs, but excess soil moisture deters sprouting. Oxygen may be a limiting factor for tuber sprouting in waterlogged soils. Although light is not a requirement for sprouting, it has promoted sprouting. Temperature regulates sprouting; no sprouting occured below 10°C and above 45°C. Optimum sprouting occurred between 25 and 35°C when provided with constant temperatures. However, daily alternating temperatures greatly stimulated sprouting. A daily short duration (0.5 h) of high temperature increased sprouting to nearly 100%, whereas less than 50% sprouting occurred without the daily high temperature pulse. Bud break occurred readily for most tubers at 20°C and in nearly 100% of the tubers with a single 0.5 h exposure to a high temperature (35°C) pulse. However, most buds did not elongate if the tuber remained at 20°C. Bud elongation occurred at higher temperatures, and daily alternating temperatures stimulated shoot elongation up to eightfold greater than at the respective mean constant temperatures. Daily soil temperature fluctuation may be a major signal for purple nutsedge emergence, such as when the plant canopy is removed, or when soils are solarized. Future research is needed to determine tuber sprouting for different ecotypes, and on the role of the rhizome chain. Systems to manipulate sprouting may provide new strategies for purple nutsedge management.     

Development of a rapid assay for the diagnosis of Myxobolus cerebralis in fish and oligochaetes using loop-mediated isothermal amplification

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay was developed for the rapid detection of Myxobolus cerebralis in both fish and oligochaete hosts. The assay was optimized to amplify parasitic DNA by incubation with Bst DNA polymerase and a set of six specially constructed primers at 65 degrees C for 60 min. The amplification products were detected visually using SYBR Green I dye which gave identical results to gel electrophoresis analysis. Parasite DNA was detected from infected oligochaetes, and from the anal fin, caudal fin, dorsal fin and operculum of clinically infected fish. This 'Myxo-LAMP' assay has a detection limit similar to that of a polymerase chain reaction assay (10(-6)), but is more rapid and only requires a water bath for amplification and is therefore practical for simple and rapid diagnosis of infected tissue.     

Myxobolid parasites infecting the gills of the Iberian nase, Chondrostoma polylepis (Steindachner), in Galicia (NW Spain), with a description of Myxobolus gallaicus sp. nov.

Three species of myxobolid parasites were found infecting the gills of the Iberian nase, Chondrostoma polylepis , in the River Ulla (Galicia, NW Spain), Myxobolus leuciscini , M. impressus and M. gallaicus sp. nov., which is described herein. Myxobolus leuciscini locates in the intralamellar space and the plasmodium begins to develop in the endothelium of the capillaries of the secondary lamellae. Myxobolus impressus plasmodia are located in the interlamellar multilayered epithelium. Myxobolus gallaicus plasmodia are elongated and are located exclusively in the central venous sinus of the branchial filament, suggesting that they begin their development in branchial endothelial tissue. We also present data on spore size and morphology, plasmodium and pansporoblast characteristics and pathological effects of the three species in the host branchial tissues.     

Complete developmental cycle of Myxobolus pseudodispar (Gorbunova) (Myxosporea: Myxobolidae)

Myxobolus pseudodispar (Gorbunova) is a common parasite of the muscle of roach, Rutilus rutilus L., whereas its actinosporean development occurs in two oligochaete alternate hosts. This paper reports the complete developmental cycle of this parasite in the oligochaete alternate host Tubifex tubifex and the roach. In laboratory experiments, parasite-free T. tubifex specimens were infected by myxospores of M. pseudodispar collected from roach in Lake Balaton. Parasite-free roach fingerlings were infected with floating triactinospores (TAMs) released from oligochaetes on day 69 after challenge. Young plasmodia and spores in roach were first recorded on day 80 post-exposure (p.e.). Myxospores collected from experimentally infected roach initiated a new development in T. tubifex and the resulting TAMs infected roach. No infection of roach resulted from feeding oligochaetes containing mature triactinospores.     

Diseases of the Oil Palm

Abstract

Thirty two diseases and disorders affecting the oil palm in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America are described with their distribution, economic importance, etiology and control. Of these, nine diseases are considered to be of major economic importance, 19 are of minor importance, and four are due to nutrient deficiencies. The major diseases causing serious economic losses are freckle (Cercospora elaeidis), blast (Pythium splendens and Rhizoctonia lamellifera), vascular wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis). Ganoderma trunk rot (Ganoderma spp.) and Armillaria trunk rot (Armillariella mellea) in Africa; Ganoderma trunk rot, Corticium leaf rot (Corticium solani). Marasmius bunch rot (Marasmius palmivora) in S.E. Asia; sudden wilt and spear rot in S. America. Some of the diseases and disorders of minor economic importance recorded in these areas are anthracnose (Botryodiplodia palmarum, Melanconium sp. and Clomerella cingulata), dry basal rot (Ceratocystis paradoxic), patch yellows (Fusarium oxysporum), crown disease, Cylindrocladium leaf spot (Cylindrocladium macrosporum), algal spot (Cephaleuros virescens), bronze streak, ring spot and little leaf in Africa; Curvularia leaf blight (Curvularia eragrostidis), Leptosphaeria leaf spot (Pestalotiopsis spp.) infectious chlorosis, upper stem rot (Phellinus noxius), stem wet rot, charcoal base rot in S.E. Asia and Leptosphaeria leaf spot and coconut wilt disease in S. America. Little is known, however, about the disease problems in the smaller but rapidly expanding oil palm growing areas of Thailand, Papua New Guinea, India and Sri Lanka. Infectious chlorosis, bronze streak and ring spot have a suspected virus etiology; little leaf, spear rot and stem wet rot are attributed to bacteria and leaf chlorosis, mid-crown yellowing, orange frond and hook leaf to nutrient deficiencies. The etiology of some minor disorders including brown germ, crown disease and several miscellaneous abnormalities is unknown.

Effective control measures, based on the application of various chemicals, have been devised for the leaf diseases but other than precautionary cultural operations, there are no such effective and practical control measures for the root and stem diseases. For this latter group of diseases field transplanting or resistant or tolerant varieties seems to be the best method of control. Seeds selected for tolerance to vascular wilt are being produced on a commercial scale at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Institut de Recherches pour les Huiles et Oleagineux in Ivory Coast and the Unilever Plantations in Cameroun Republic. These efforts need to be supplemented by breeding for resistance to the other major diseases.     

MC顶空萃取-热解吸-GC/MS法研究香附指纹图谱

采用新型搅拌棒萃取器(MC)顶空萃取-热解吸-气相色谱/质谱(TD-GC/MS)方法分析香附中的挥发性成分,优化了MC萃取、解吸等条件,并对方法重现性进行考察,30个峰的相对峰面积的RSD均小于8.6%。继而测定了不同产地的香附样品,建立指纹谱图,标定44个共有峰,占总峰面积90%以上。并对图谱进行相似性评价及聚类分析,研究表明该法可为香附药材质量控制、产地选择提供理论依据。     

3种农药对蔗田杂草香附子的防除效果及其安全性评价

研究旨在明确75%氯吡嘧磺隆WDG、25%硝磺·莠去津OD和73%甲·灭·敌草隆WP等对蔗田香附子的防除效果及其安全性。采用田间试验方法,分别调查了喷施不同药剂处理的甘蔗和香附子的叶色变化情况,香附子地表植株、根和地下球茎（或芽）的死亡率。结果表明,75%氯吡嘧磺隆WDG对香附子地上部分、根和地下球茎（或芽）防效均达90%以上且对甘蔗安全;73%甲·灭·敌草隆WP可有效控制香附子地表植株和根,但对地下球茎（或芽）防效较低;25%硝磺·莠去津OD仅能使香附子地表植株变色,对香附子根和地下球茎（或芽）几乎无效。75%氯吡嘧磺隆WDG对香附子防治效果好且对甘蔗安全,可作为蔗田香附子防治的轮换药剂,使用剂量以90、135 g/hm²为宜。     

4种除草剂防除甘蔗田恶性杂草试验

香附子为甘蔗田间恶性杂草,严重影响甘蔗生产.采用田间小区试验方法进行4种除草剂防除蔗田香附子的田间药效试验,结果表明:56％香莎一剑WP在杂草4～6叶期施用可有效防除香附子,药后45d株防效及鲜重防效均超过92.0％,对甘蔗安全性好,田间推荐剂量在840～1680a.i.g/hm2为宜.