A scanning electron microscope study of healthy pecan tissues showing the presence or absence of internal fungal contamination

Summary Healthy pecan, Caryaillinoensis (Wang) Koch, tissue was obtained from an 8-year-old grafted Cherokee tree. Dormant buds were gathered and stored until spring growth. After rigorous surface sterilization, halves of both stored and freshly harvested dormant buds and of actively growing shoots were plated onto sterile PDA. Corresponding halves wre fixed in FAA and processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All plated dormant buds (both stored and freshly harvested) showed presence internally of a fungus, and SEM studies revealed hyphalike strands similar to those of the isolated fungi within cells of those buds. The spring flush was sterile in culture, and strands were absent in SEM studies.     

Meloidogyne partityla on Pecan Isozyme Phenotypes and Other Host

Meloidogyne sp. from five pecan (Carya illinoensis) orchards in Texas were distinctive in host range and iszoyme profiles from common species of Meloidogyne but were morphologically congruent with Meloidogyne partityla Kleynhans, a species previously known only in South Africa. In addition to pecan, species of walnut (Juglans hindsii and J. regia) and hickory (C. ovata) also were hosts. No reproduction was observed on 15 other plant species from nine families, including several common hosts of other Meloidogyne spp. Three esterase phenotypes and two malate dehydrogenase phenotypes of M. partityla were identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Each of these isozyme phenotypes was distinct from those of the more common species M. arenaria, M. hapla, M. incognita, and M. javanica.     

不同光环境和发育阶段美国山核桃叶的荧光性状研究

研究美国山核桃同一枝条不同叶位、苗木不同部位、不同方位叶片的叶绿素荧光特性,探讨不同光环境和发育阶段叶片的光合效率,旨在为其高效栽培提供科学依据.以湖南省永州市冷水滩采穗圃中的美国山核桃为试材,系统田间测定了两个品种同一枝条不同叶位、同株苗木不同部位、不同方位叶片叶绿素荧光参数(F0-初始荧光、Fm-最大荧光、Fv/Fm-PSⅡ原初光能转化效率、Fv/F0-PSⅡ潜在活性、Yield-光合量子产额、qp-光化学猝灭系数、qN-非光化学猝灭系数),并测定了苗木不同部位叶片基本性状.结果表明,同一枝条不同叶位、同株苗木不同方位叶片荧光参数末达显著差异,但仍表现一定的规律性;同株苗木不同部位叶片性状与荧光参数Yield、qN均存在显著或极显著差异.相关分析表明,苗木不同部位叶片的Yield、qN与部分叶片性状均呈显著或极显著相关.     

Effect of Oleic Acid Level under Constant n-6/n-3 and P/S Ratios of Dietary Fats on Lipid Metabolism in Rats

The effect of dietary oleate levels (18, 39, 57 and 74% of total fatty acids) on various lipid parameters was studied in rats given cholesterol-enriched diets containing fat with a constant P/S (3.1–3.2) and n-6/n-3 (5.4–6.2) ratio. High-oleic safflower oil was used as a source of oleic acid, and was replaced stepwise with a mixture of cotton seed and perilla seed oils. After three weeks of feeding, there were no significant differences in the concentrations of serum and liver cholesterol, although they tended to increase with an increasing dietary oleate level. A hypotriglyceridemic trend was observed toward an increasing proportion of oleic acid. The linoleate desaturation index, (dihomo-γ-linolenic acid + arachidonic acid)/linoleic acid, in tissue phosphatidylcholine tended to increase with an increasing proportion of oleate, whereas the production of prostacyclin by the aorta and thromboxane A₂ by platelets was independent of the dietary oleate level. These results indicate that dietary oleate did not significantly modify the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids on various lipid parameters under dietary conditions at which the P/S and n-6/n-3 ratios of the dietary fat were kept at an appropriate level to prevent ischemic heart disease.     

薄壳山核桃花粉离体萌发和花粉管生长特性研究

以6年生薄壳山核桃优良品种‘金华’的新鲜花粉为试材,采用离体培养法,研究了不同复水时间、不同培养基组分、不同培养温度及培养时间对薄壳山核桃花粉萌发和花粉管生长的影响。结果显示:(1)薄壳山核桃花粉萌发试验前进行4h复水处理可显著提高萌发率,萌发率可达51.78%,为对照(2.51%)的20.68倍。(2)蔗糖、H3BO3、Ca(NO3)2·4H2O在一定浓度范围内均具有促进花粉萌发和花粉管生长的作用,但浓度过高则起抑制作用。(3)正交试验结果经实验验证表明,薄壳山核桃花粉萌发和花粉管生长的最适培养基为20%蔗糖+0.02%~0.03%H3BO3+0.05%Ca(NO3)2·4H2O,最佳培养条件为25℃下恒温培养24h,此时的花粉萌发率高达74.46%,花粉管平均长度为258.84μm。     

不同品种美国山核桃叶绿素荧光参数日变化的研究

以湖南省永州市冷水滩采穗圃中的美国山核桃为试材,研究了叶绿素荧光参数的日变化规律。结果表明:初始荧光(Fo)、最大荧光(Fm)、PSII原初光能转化效率(Fv/Fm)、光合量子产额(Yield)、光化学猝灭系数(qP)、非光化学猝灭系数(qN)和表观电子传递速率(ETR)均存在着明显的日变化。其中Fv/Fm、Fm、Yield、qP均呈先下降后上升的趋势,在中午强光下降低到最低值;qN则呈先上升后下降的趋势,在中午时分达到峰值;Fo呈下降趋势,部分品种傍晚稍有回升,但仍比早晨低;ETR日变化呈双峰曲线。不同品种间Fv/Fm、Yield、ETR、qP、qN对光强和温度的响应也存在着明显差异,可作为鉴定品种耐光抑制能力大小的指标。     

Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Bacteria Applications for Control of the Pecan Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne partityla, in the Greenhouse

Meloidogyne partityla is a parasite of pecan and walnut. Our objective was to determine interactions between the entomopathogenic nematode-bacterium complex and M. partityla. Specifically, we investigated suppressive effects of Steinernema feltiae (strain SN) and S. riobrave (strain 7–12) applied as infective juveniles and in infected host insects, as well as application of S. feltiae''s bacterial symbiont Xenorhabdus bovienii on M. partityla. In two separate greenhouse trials, the treatments were applied to pecan seedlings that were simultaneously infested with M. partityla eggs; controls received only water and M. partityla eggs. Additionally, all treatment applications were re-applied (without M. partityla eggs) two months later. Four months after initial treatment, plants were assessed for number of galls per root system, number of egg masses per root system, number of eggs per root system, number of eggs per egg mass, number of eggs per gram dry root weight, dry shoot weight, and final population density of M. partityla second-stage juveniles (J2). In the first trial, the number of egg masses per plant was lower in the S. riobrave-infected host treatment than in the control (by approximately 18%). In the second trial, dry root weight was higher in the S. feltiae-infected host treatment than in the control (approximately 80% increase). No other treatment effects were detected. The marginal and inconsistent effects observed in our experiments indicate that the treatments we applied are not sufficient for controlling M. partityla.     

Movement of adult pecan weevils Curculio caryae within pecan orchards

1 The pecan weevil Curculio caryae (Horn) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an indigenous pest of pecan Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch, in North America. Understanding the movement of this pest from the orchard floor to host trees could lead to pest management practices that exploit weevil behaviour and thus reduce insecticide application to the entire orchard canopy. Furthermore, no information exists on diel periodicity of pecan weevil movement. 2 Movement of adult pecan weevils crawling and flying to the host trunk, flying to the host canopy, crawling within the host canopy and flying between host trees was studied using four types of passive traps over four seasons. Each type of trap was used to capture weevils at different locations on or near the tree and to discriminate flying versus crawling behaviour. 3 More pecan weevils crawl to the trunk than fly and a proportion of the population flies directly from the orchard floor into the pecan canopy. The majority of this movement occurs at dusk. 4 The vertical distribution of weevils was generally uniform throughout the canopy but more weevils were captured in suspended traps nearest tree tops, rather than traps near the ground, when flying between trees and this was significantly so for two of 4 years. 5 The results of the present study are contrary to previous reports suggesting that most adult pecan weevils fly to the pecan trunk after emergence from the soil; however, our results did indicate that a proportion of the population flies directly from the orchard floor into the pecan canopy and thus would circumvent strategies that attempt to control weevils moving up the trunk.