Glasshouse experiments on apple scab

Dilutions of various fungicides were compared on potted MM 109 clonal rootstocks in the glasshouse for protective (pre-infection) and curative (post-infection) activity against apple scab. The materials, as commercial preparations, included captan, copper (as ‘dry’ Bordeaux mixture), dichlofluanid, didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), dispersible sulphur, dithianon, dodine acetate, lime-sulphur (LS), phenylmercury chloride (PMC), and thiram; they were assessed on the basis of percentage active ingredient in the dilutions. When acting at normal rates of use, many of the fungicides were much more effective protectively than curatively, but this contrast was less applicable to DDAB, dodine acetate, LS, and dichlofluanid. PMC, however, was an especially notable exception in proving curatively superior at unusually low rates. In addition, it was particularly active in vapour form, and was effectively translocated not only from one leaf surface to the other, but, especially at 0.005%, from sprayed to younger unsprayed leaves on the same shoots. Other standard fungicides showed little or no translocated activity, but isobutyl-o-coumarate was effective at the growing shoot-tips in spring from a spray applied to the lower leaves. PMC reduced infection when applied once at any time during the scab-incubation period, and especially 24 hr. after infection, when the control was almost complete. Longer intervals before spraying reduced the curative action, but not in proportion to the intervals; the infection pattern showed multi-peak fungicidal activity and, after the later sprays, many lesions were practically infertile. The curative properties of PMC were matched by several other formulated phenylmercury salts compared at equivalent percentage mercury content, but the dimethyldithiocarbamate proved rather less effective. A preliminary attempt to supplement the curative properties of PMC with the protective properties of LS, by mixing these fungicides at low rates, showed evidence of fungicidal antagonism, and this needs further investigation. Several fungicides, notably the inorganic sulphurs, thiram, the phenylmercury compounds, dichlofluanid, and DDAB showed incidental activity against natural infection by powdery mildew.     

Glasshouse experiments on apple scab

Experiments with fungicide mixtures used protectively and curatively against apple scab showed no advantage from adding phenylmercury chloride (PMC) to certain protective fungicides. Sulphur fungicides greatly impaired the curative activity of PMC, especially in mixtures applied 24 hr. after infection, but captan showed little and dodine acetate no such effect. PMC, however, contributed appreciably to the curative effectiveness of mixtures with captan or dodine acetate. Commercially prepared mixtures of dispersible sulphur with phenylmercury dimethyldithiocarbamate and of zineb with mancozeb gave promising results, and an experimental mixture of dodine/glyodin acetates at low rates was effective protectively and especially curatively. Dodine acetate, dichlofluanid, lime-sulphur, and isobutyl-o-coumarate showed little translocated activity against scab when applied after infection, and PMC, which earlier showed strong translocated activity when applied in summer before infection, was much less effective when applied in spring 24 hr. after infection. Uncontrolled powdery mildew early in the scab-incubation period greatly reduced the establishment of scab infection on the test plants (clonal root-stocks); methods of mildew control in such experiments are suggested.     

Phenolic compounds in apple leaves after infection with apple scab

Leaves of the scab-susceptible apple (Malus domestica) cultivar Golden Delicious were harvested from May to August 2008 and 2009. Some leaves were healthy and some infected with fungus Venturia inaequalis. The phenolic compounds were analysed in healthy leaves, infected leaves and in the scab spot tissue. In comparison to healthy leaves, the infected leaves showed higher contents of hydroxycinnamic acid, flavanols and phloridzin, while lower contents on procyanidins, quercetins and phloretin. The total amount of phenolic compounds in the infected tissue was 10 to 20 % higher than in the healthy leaves. Accumulation of phenolic compounds is a post-infection response, and probably their further transformation is a prerequisite for plant resistance.     

Overwintering of Venturia inaequalis the causal agent of apple scab in relation to weather

Apple leaves collected at East Mailing and bearing colonies of Venturia inaequalis were exposed outdoors from November 1978 to May 1979 at 12 United Kingdom sites. Pseudothecial development and abundance were recorded from samples returned to East Mailing every 2 wk. Pseudothecia matured most rapidly with high rainfall in November and high temperatures in spring. Mature pseudothecia were most abundant with low temperatures in November and low rainfall in spring. In 1979-80 a cross-over experiment, in which scabbed leaves spent either November-January or February-April at a common site, and the other half of the winter at one of five sites, demonstrated the separate effects of weather following leaf-fall and in the spring. Equations for forecasting the time to pseudothecial maturity, but not the numbers of mature pseudothecia, were obtained. Experiments in controlled environments demonstrated the importance of low temperature and high moisture for initiation and early development of pseudothecia, but a controlled increase of temperature in the spring did not result in faster rates of maturation compared with lower temperatures outdoors. Ascospore production from leaves kept in controlled environments in spring was consistently lower than from leaves kept outside.     

The relation of rat liver wet weight to dry weight

Summary To assess a reliable relation between the dry and wet weight of rat livers, the water content of liver samples was determined by freeze drying. The ratio between wet and dry weight of the livers turned out as 3.33±0.3 for male and 3.28±0.24 for female rats. Thus for calculations a value of 3.3 can be used irrespective of the sex of rats.Supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Sa 127/8-4)     

The relation of rat liver wet weight to dry weight

To assess a reliable relation between the dry and wet weight of rat livers, the water content of liver samples was determined by freeze drying. The ratio between wet and dry weight of the livers turned out as 3.33 +/- 0.3 for male and 3.28 +/- 0.24 for female rats. Thus for calculations a value of 3.3 can be used irrespective of the sex of rats.     

Enzyme activity of the phenylpropanoid pathway as a response to apple scab infection

The study was performed on apple trees, ‘Golden Delicious' cv., which is a scab-susceptible cultivar. The phenolic content of apple fruit was determined in different parts of the peel. The phenolic compounds were analysed in the scab spot, in the tissue around the spot and in the healthy tissue. We determined the concentration of various phenolic compounds and related enzyme activities. Infection with the Venturia inaequalis fungus enhanced the metabolism of phenolic compounds at the scab spot, around the spot and in healthy peel. Compared with the healthy tissue and the tissue around the spot, the scab spot showed higher enzyme activity for all tested enzymes, except for dihydrochalcone 2′-O-glucosyltransferase, which had lower activity in the scab spot. In comparison to the healthy peel, the scab spot showed up to 3.4 times more hydroxycinnamic acids, up to 1.1 times more dihydrochalcones and up to 1.4 times more flavan-3-ols. In contrast, the healthy peel showed up to 1.6 times more flavonols than the scab spot.     

The effect of carbamide and thiocarbamide on the resistance of apple to apple scab

Carbamide and thiocarbamide decreased the resistance of apple to apple scab when infiltrated into apple leaves prior to infection with the disease. In three apple varieties these two substances strikingly stimulated infection with two monosporic isolates of the fungusVenturia inaequalis (Cke.) Wint. It was established that both carbamide and thiocarbamide inhibited polyphenol oxidase activity in apple leavesin vivo, butin vitro only thiocarbamide was inhibitory. It can be concluded that the effect on apple resistance to apple scab is based on an inhibition of polyphenol oxidase.     

Studies on the lenticel development, surface microflora and infection by common scab (Streptomyces scabies) of potato tubers growing in wet and dry soils

The mechanisms of control of potato common scab (Streptomyces scabies) by irrigation were investigated in 5 years by studying the growth and surface microflora of young potato tubers developing in wet or dry soils. Direct examination of the tuber surface by light or scanning electron microscopy showed that the newly formed internodes near the apex, which carry stomata, had a very sparse microflora. In dry soil the older internodes, which carry lenticels at a susceptible stage, were increasingly colonised by actinomycete hyphae and discrete, although sometimes large, bacterial colonies. In wet soil, actinomycetes were rarely seen on tuber surfaces but bacteria were generally scattered over them, differences not always shown by isolation from periderm pieces onto water agar. When dry scab-infested soil was wetted, scabs did not subsequently develop on the two youngest tuber internodes (A-1, A-2), which may be an example of disease escape rather than inherent resistance of the stomata. The scab control achieved in wet soil was probably caused by some form of microbial antagonism, but whether through competition or antibiosis was not established.     

Pushing precipitation to the extremes in distributed experiments: recommendations for simulating wet and dry years

Intensification of the global hydrological cycle, ranging from larger individual precipitation events to more extreme multiyear droughts, has the potential to cause widespread alterations in ecosystem structure and function. With evidence that the incidence of extreme precipitation years (defined statistically from historical precipitation records) is increasing, there is a clear need to identify ecosystems that are most vulnerable to these changes and understand why some ecosystems are more sensitive to extremes than others. To date, opportunistic studies of naturally occurring extreme precipitation years, combined with results from a relatively small number of experiments, have provided limited mechanistic understanding of differences in ecosystem sensitivity, suggesting that new approaches are needed. Coordinated distributed experiments (CDEs) arrayed across multiple ecosystem types and focused on water can enhance our understanding of differential ecosystem sensitivity to precipitation extremes, but there are many design challenges to overcome (e.g., cost, comparability, standardization). Here, we evaluate contemporary experimental approaches for manipulating precipitation under field conditions to inform the design of ‘Drought‐Net’, a relatively low‐cost CDE that simulates extreme precipitation years. A common method for imposing both dry and wet years is to alter each ambient precipitation event. We endorse this approach for imposing extreme precipitation years because it simultaneously alters other precipitation characteristics (i.e., event size) consistent with natural precipitation patterns. However, we do not advocate applying identical treatment levels at all sites – a common approach to standardization in CDEs. This is because precipitation variability varies >fivefold globally resulting in a wide range of ecosystem‐specific thresholds for defining extreme precipitation years. For CDEs focused on precipitation extremes, treatments should be based on each site's past climatic characteristics. This approach, though not often used by ecologists, allows ecological responses to be directly compared across disparate ecosystems and climates, facilitating process‐level understanding of ecosystem sensitivity to precipitation extremes.     

Sclerotinia fructigena infection and chlorogenic acid content in relation to antifungal compounds in apple fruits

Several organic acids, known to occur in many apple varieties, were shown to be present in the juice of the variety Edward VII. When these were supplied separately to the brown rot pathogen, Sclerotinia fructigena, growing in culture, chlorogenic acid and quinic acid were both readily converted to compounds of higher antifungal activity, one of which was 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. The chlorogenic acid content of concentrated healthy fruit juice was ?6 mg/g, whereas the corresponding syrup from diseased fruit contained only ?2 mg/g. The possible significance of this metabolism of chlorogenic acid by the fungus is discussed.     

RAPD markers linked to the Vf gene for scab resistance in apple

Scab (Venturia inaequalis) is one of the most harmful diseases of apple, significantly affecting world apple production. The identification and early selection of resistant genotypes by molecular markers would greatly improve breeding strategies. Bulked segregant analysis was chosen for the identification of RAPD markers linked to the Vf scab resistant gene. Five different RAPD markers, derived from the wild species Malus floribunda. 821, were identified, and their genetic distance from Vf gene was estimated. The markers OPAM19₂₂₀₀ and OPAL07₅₈₀ were found to be very closely linked to the Vf gene. This result was indirectly confirmed by the analysis of resistant genotypes collected from various breeding programmes. Except for cv Murray, which carries the Vm gene, all these resistant genotypes showed the markers OPAM19₂₂₀₀ and OPAL07₅₈₀.     

Molecular selection in apple for resistance to scab caused by Venturia inaequalis

Large-scale marker-assisted selection requires highly reproducible, consistent and simple markers. The use of genetic markers is important in woody plant breeding in general, and in apple in particular, because of the high level of heterozygosity present in Malus species. We present here the transformation of two RAPD markers, which we found previously to be linked to the major scab resistance gene Vf, into more reliable and reproducible markers that can be applied directly to apple breeding. We give an example of how the use of such markers can speed up selection for the introduction of scab resistance genes into the same plant, reducing labour and avoiding time-consuming test crosses. We discuss the nature and relationship of the scab resistance gene Vf to the one present in Nova Easygro, thought to be Vr.     

Four-hourly fluctuations in grass-pollen concentrations in relation to wet versus dry weather,and to short versus long over-land advection

Four-hourly volumetric measurements of airborne grass-pollen concentrations at Leiden, near the west coast of the Netherlands, were analyzed according to wet-versus-dry meteorological conditions in the pollen source area, and according to the distance of the over-land advection to the pollen sampler. Airborne pollen concentrations appear to be low when the source surface is wet by past or present rain, fog, or dew; and high when the source area is dry. Air adverted over long over-land distances from dry source areas contains much pollen, especially in the afternoon, due to pollen release and decreasing air turbulence. High nightly pollen concentrations are observed after a warm and dry day with much pollen release in distant source areas when the nocturnal meteorological conditions stimulate concentration of pollen grains into the lower layers of the atmosphere.Presented at the Sixth International Palynological Conference, 26 August – 1 September 1984, Calgary, Canada.     

Pustules on wood as sources of inoculum in apple scab and their response to chemical treatments

The green stems and leaves of potted Cox's Orange Pippin trees were susceptible to infection by Venturia inaequalis from June to August. Some isolates of the fungus showed conspicuous ability to attack the wood. In the orchard, many conidia were released from pustules in early March (2—3 wk before bud-burst) but in the 3 years examined (1967—9) most were liberated in April and May. In 1969 it was shown that a decline in numbers in June was accompanied by a decrease in viability of conidia. Infections near the tips of leading shoots were partially controlled by a single treatment with 5% urea (aqueous solution) in October 1966 or 2% urea or 0·01% phenylmercuric chloride (PMC) in March 1967. The subsequent reduction in inoculum was correlated with a reduction in the numbers of primary infections developing on leaves. Basal infections on leading shoots were not susceptible to treatment in October 1967 or March 1968, but in 1969 similar infections were controlled with PMC applied mid-April when the pustules had burst and were actively sporulating.     

Characterizing differences in precipitation regimes of extreme wet and dry years: implications for climate change experiments

Climate change is intensifying the hydrologic cycle and is expected to increase the frequency of extreme wet and dry years. Beyond precipitation amount, extreme wet and dry years may differ in other ways, such as the number of precipitation events, event size, and the time between events. We assessed 1614 long‐term (100 year) precipitation records from around the world to identify key attributes of precipitation regimes, besides amount, that distinguish statistically extreme wet from extreme dry years. In general, in regions where mean annual precipitation (MAP) exceeded 1000 mm, precipitation amounts in extreme wet and dry years differed from average years by ~40% and 30%, respectively. The magnitude of these deviations increased to >60% for dry years and to >150% for wet years in arid regions (MAP<500 mm). Extreme wet years were primarily distinguished from average and extreme dry years by the presence of multiple extreme (large) daily precipitation events (events >99th percentile of all events); these occurred twice as often in extreme wet years compared to average years. In contrast, these large precipitation events were rare in extreme dry years. Less important for distinguishing extreme wet from dry years were mean event size and frequency, or the number of dry days between events. However, extreme dry years were distinguished from average years by an increase in the number of dry days between events. These precipitation regime attributes consistently differed between extreme wet and dry years across 12 major terrestrial ecoregions from around the world, from deserts to the tropics. Thus, we recommend that climate change experiments and model simulations incorporate these differences in key precipitation regime attributes, as well as amount into treatments. This will allow experiments to more realistically simulate extreme precipitation years and more accurately assess the ecological consequences.     

Divergent response of seasonally dry tropical vegetation to climatic variations in dry and wet seasons

Interannual variations of photosynthesis in tropical seasonally dry vegetation are one of the dominant drivers to interannual variations of atmospheric CO₂ growth rate. Yet, the seasonal differences in the response of photosynthesis to climate variations in these ecosystems remain poorly understood. Here using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), we explored the response of photosynthesis of seasonally dry tropical vegetation to climatic variations in the dry and the wet seasons during the past three decades. We found significant (p < 0.01) differences between dry and wet seasons in the interannual response of photosynthesis to temperature (γ^int) and to precipitation (δ^int). γ^int is ~1% °C^?1 more negative and δ^int is ~8% 100 mm^?1 more positive in the dry season than in the wet season. Further analyses show that the seasonal difference in γ^int can be explained by background moisture and temperature conditions. Positive γ^int occurred in wet season where mean temperature is lower than 27°C and precipitation is at least 60 mm larger than potential evapotranspiration. Two widely used Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) estimates (empirical modeling by machine‐learning algorithm applied to flux tower measurements, and nine process‐based carbon cycle models) were examined for the GPP–climate relationship over wet and dry seasons. The GPP derived from empirical modeling can partly reproduce the divergence of γ^int, while most process models cannot. The overestimate by process models on negative impacts by warmer temperature during the wet season highlights the shortcomings of current carbon cycle models in representing interactive impacts of temperature and moisture on photosynthesis. Improving representations on soil water uptake, leaf temperature, nitrogen cycling, and soil moisture may help improve modeling skills in reproducing seasonal differences of photosynthesis–climate relationship and thus the projection for impacts of climate change on tropical carbon cycle.