A sublethal dose of thiamethoxam causes a reduction in xylem feeding by the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), which is associated with dehydration and reduced performance

The active ingestion of xylem sap by aphids is hypothesised to be an important mechanism for rehydration. When starved bird cherry-oat aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi) were allowed to feed on wheat (Triticum aestivum) treated with a sublethal dose of the xylem-mobile neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, analysis of feeding behaviours using the electrical penetration graph revealed a reduction in xylem feeding that was reversed on removal of the toxin. To test the importance of xylem-feeding behaviour as a rehydration mechanism, the effects of the sublethal dose of thiamethoxam on aphid water content, honeydew excretion, growth and fecundity were investigated. Body water contents of starved R. padi feeding on wheat treated with thiamethoxam were significantly reduced compared to aphids feeding on wheat treated with distilled water (74.5 ± 0.23 and 75.6 ± 0.18%, respectively). In addition, the sublethal dose of thiamethoxam had detrimental effects on aphid performance. At reproductive maturity, aphids that had been born on wheat treated with thiamethoxam were significantly smaller (as measured by body plan area; 1.07 ± 0.03 mm²), lighter (0.31 ± 0.04 mg) and less fecund (2.85 ± 0.36 nymphs/day) than aphids born on wheat treated with distilled water (1.87 ± 0.02 mm², 0.72 ± 0.03 mg, 11.28 ± 0.58 nymphs/day, respectively). Regardless of whether the observed impairment of xylem feeding is due to a neurotoxic or an antifeedant effect, these results have important implications for commercial crop protection as the behaviour-modifying effects of the sublethal dose of thiamethoxam may change the efficacy of this pesticide throughout the growing season.     

辽宁省主栽水稻品种抗稻瘟病基因的鉴定及分析

鉴定主栽水稻品种及育种骨干亲本的抗瘟基因型,有助于了解不同抗病基因在品种中的分布,为抗病品种选育及品种布局提供参考。本研究选取辽宁省24份水稻材料,根据7个抗稻瘟病基因的保守区设计引物,扩增各品种的编码区序列,对扩增的序列进行对比分析,鉴定各基因在24个品种中的分布情况。结果表明:辽宁省24个主栽水稻品种均不携带Pi21、Pi36、Pi37或其抗病等位基因,而Pid2、Pid3、Pita和Pik/Piks/Pikm/Pikp在24个品种中以不同突变类型及不同频率出现,其中,在2个品种中检测到Pid2抗病基因及Pid3的抗病等位基因;4个品种检测到Pita的抗病等位基因,Pita的等位基因中新发现的几处碱基突变并未影响抗病基因的功能;所有品种中均无与Pik及其复等位基因完全一致的序列,但利用携带AVR-pik的稻瘟病菌接种鉴定结果表明,辽粳454和沈农265携带的Pik等位基因可能仍具有抗病基因功能。     

Correlations of cibarial muscle activities of Homalodisca spp. sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with EPG ingestion waveform and excretion

Fluid flow into and out of the stylets of xylem-ingesting sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) is powered by muscles of the cibarial pump. Such fluid flow is crucial for transmission of Xylella fastidiosa, the Pierce’s Disease bacterium, yet has not been rigorously studied via electrical penetration graph (EPG) technology. We correlated EPG waveforms with electromyographically (EMG) recorded muscle potentials from the cibarial dilator muscles, which power the piston-like cibarial diaphragm. There was a 1:1 correspondence of each cycle of cibarial muscle contraction/relaxation with each plateau of EPG waveform C. Results definitively showed that the C waveform represents active ingestion, i.e. fluid flow is propelled by cibarial muscle contraction. Moreover, each C waveform episode represents muscular diaphragm uplift, probably combined with a “bounce” from cuticular elasticity, to provide the suction that pulls fluid into the stylets. Fine structure of the EPG ingestion waveform represents directionality of fluid flow, supporting the primary role of streaming potentials as the electrical origin of the C waveform. Rhythmic bouts of cibarial pumping were generally correlated with sustained production of excretory droplets. However, neither the onset nor cessation of ingestion was correlated with onset or cessation of excretion, respectively. Volume of excreta is an inexact measure of ingestion. Implications for using EPG to understand the mechanism of X. fastidiosa transmission are discussed.     

Interaction between alfalfa cultivars and Rhizobium strains for nitrogen Fixation

Summary Two experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to study the interaction between alfalfa cultivars (Medicago sativa L. and M. falcata L.) and strains of Rhizobium meliloti Dang. for acetylene reduction rate, plant height and dry weights of shoot, root and whole plant. Fifteen alfalfa cultivars were inoculated with 10 strains of Rhizobium in Experiment I. Variance component analysis revealed that more than 30% of the total variance was due to alfalfa cultivars for acetylene reduction rate and 26% was accounted for by Rhizobium strains. More than 36% of the total variation was attributed to the interaction between alfalfa cultivars and Rhizobium strains for this character. Twenty-five host cultivars and 11 Rhizobium strains were included in Experiment II. The results also showed that the interaction of alfalfa cultivars and Rhizobium strains contributed the largest portion of the total variation for dry weights of shoot, root and whole plant and acetylene reduction rate. The results clearly demonstrated that the non-additive effects were the major component of variation for these characters associated with nitrogen fixation in alfalfa. Therefore, an effective way of improving nitrogen fixation in alfalfa is to select for a favourable combination of specific Rhizobium strains and alfalfa cultivars.     

Stylet penetration behaviors of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii on transgenic Bt cotton

Stylet penetration behaviors of cotton aphids Aphis gossypii Glover on a transgenic cotton line GK-12 expressing Bt toxic protein of Cry1A (Bt cotton) and a non-Bt conventional cotton line Simian-3 (CK cotton) were recorded with the direct current electrical penetration graph (DC-EPG) technique. Cotton aphids reared on Bt cotton (abbreviated as Bt-aphids) and its parental non-Bt control line (CK-aphids) for more than 20 generations each, were used for recordings on two cotton lines. Among 47 selected parameters reflecting the activities of aphid stylets within plant tissues, there were eight parameters of CK-aphids showing significant differences between the performances of CK-aphids on Bt cotton and CK cotton, while for Bt-aphids, all the parameters were statistically equal between the performances on the two cotton lines. All parameters with significant differences indicated that CK-aphids could penetrate into Bt cotton more easily, but the phloem saps of Bt cotton were not as good as those of regular cotton for CK-aphids. Based on the present results, we concluded that there were some factors in Bt cotton affecting penetration behaviors of CK-aphids, but it just took several generations for CK-aphids to completely adapt Bt cotton, and Bt-aphids could feed on two cotton lines without difficulty.     

电阻抗法在植物根系生物学研究中的应用

因受限于检测方法,对埋藏于土壤中植物根系研究的深入程度远低于其地上部分。传统获取根系的方法不仅费时费力,而且对根系原位分布和生存微环境具有明显的扰动破坏,故随着根系研究的不断深入,迫切需要寻求一种非破坏性的根系检测方法。电阻抗法是在一定频率的外加电源下,测量电路中的根系电学特征(电容、电阻和电阻抗图谱),并且电学特征与根系生物量和形态指标之间存在较好的相关性,然而,由于对电阻抗法基于电路中电流流向等的关键机理尚不清楚,有些学者对该方法的大范围应用提出了质疑。本文首先对生物电阻抗法测量根系的原理和模型进行阐述,然后重点综述根系电阻抗法研究的不同理论方法及存在的问题,最后提出电阻抗法研究植物根系应该解决的重要科学问题,并展望电阻抗法更加广泛的研究和应用前景,以期为获取非破坏性的根系研究技术提供参考。     

Impacts of transgenic Bt cotton on the stylet penetration behaviors of Bemisia tabaci biotype B: Evidence from laboratory experiments

Abstract Stylet penetration behaviors of Bemisia tabaci biotype B on two transgenic cotton lines “GK12” and “GK19” expressing Bt toxic protein Cry1A (Bt cotton) and a non-Bt conventional cotton line “Simian-3” (CK cotton) were recorded with the direct current electrical penetration graph (DC-EPG) technique. Our results suggested that EPG waveform patterns, types and characteristics [non-probe (NP), pathway (C), potential drops (pd) and phloem phase (E(pd))] of Bemisia tabaci biotype B were very similar on the three cotton lines. There were no obvious differences of pathway variables among whiteflies on the three cotton lines. Some phloem variables related to E(pd)₁ differed. Duration of 1st E(pd)₁ and mean duration of E(pd)₁ on both GK12 and GK19 were significantly shorter than that on CK cotton (P < 0.05). Fewer whiteflies on GK have long E(pd)₁. Other phloem variables including total duration of E(pd) summed, mean E(pd) duration and percentage of whiteflies reaching the phloem phase were similar among the three cotton lines.     

棉蚜寄主专化型及其形成的行为机理

通过生活在甜瓜和棉花上的棉蚜Aphisgossypii Glover的行为,研究棉蚜的寄主专化型及其形成的行为机理。生物学观察显示： 两类棉蚜在寄主植物相互交换以后,定居数显著减少,棉花蚜型棉蚜的繁殖系数及若虫存活率显著下降,说明棉蚜存在甜瓜蚜型和棉花蚜型两种寄主专化型。通过刺探电位技术研究棉蚜的取食行为,以探索其寄主专化型形成的行为机理。结果表明： 甜瓜蚜型棉蚜在棉花上的取食行为容易被中断,但其口针定位韧皮部的能力并没有显著削弱;而棉花蚜型棉蚜在甜瓜上的取食行为受到更大的影响,口针无法顺利定位至韧皮部,并在2 h内根本无法在筛管内取食。生物学观察和EPG取食行为分析都显示： 与甜瓜蚜型棉蚜相比,棉花蚜型棉蚜对寄主的要求更严格-寄主专化程度更高,对寄主的利用率更高。     

The resistance of six potato cultivars to English populations of potato cyst-nematodes, Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis

Six cultivars of potato (Santé, Morag, Paladin, Glenna and Fingal bred for resistance to both potato cyst-nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida) and Valiant bred for resistance to G. pallida alone) were exposed to 28 English populations of G. pallida and eight English populations of G. rostochiensis in pots. Susceptible cv. Désirée potatoes served as controls for all 36 populations. Inoculum (Pi) was 12000 eggs in cysts per 400ml pot of soil. Average increase of G. rostochiensis (Pf/Pi) on cv. Désirée was 23.5 but on cvs Sante, Glenna and Fingal it was < 1.0 and on cv. Morag it was 2.2. In contrast, cvs Paladin and Valiant were susceptible (average Pf/Pi = 17.4 and 26.5, respectively). Against G. pallida populations, average Pf/Pi for cv. Désirée was 21.7; on cvs Paladin, Santé and Glenna it was 2.9, 2.6 and 2.4, respectively; cvs Morag and Fingal were less resistant (7.4 and 5.6, respectively) and cv. Valiant was quite susceptible (11.0). Resistance to the different populations of G. pallida and G. rostochiensis varied but for the most resistant cultivars (Santé, Glenna and Paladin) the variation was usually small. The value of the six resistant cultivars studied to the integrated control of potato cyst-nematodes in England and the genetic diversity of the nematode populations to which they were exposed are discussed.     

蚜虫化学生态学研究进展及展望

昆虫化学生态学主要以化学手段研究昆虫种内、种间以及与其它生物之间的化学信息联系,昆虫对化学因素的适应等,是昆虫的神经生理和感觉生理、生物化学及生态学的交叉学科,也是当前国际昆虫学界最活跃的研究领域之一。蚜虫属于同翅目（Ｈｏｍｏｐｔｅｒａ）蚜总科（Ａｐ...     

Effects of nodulation on resistance to alfalfa sickness among ten alfalfa cultivars

Summary Ten alfalfa cultivars were used to study the effects of nodulation and variations in resistance to alfalfa sickness. The alfalfa seedlings were planted in sick soil with three treatment,,i.e.: pasteurized sick soil inoculated with Rhizobium ‘Nitragin’ which served as the control, the inoculated non-pasteurized sick soil and the non-inoculated non-pasteurized sick soil. None of the alfalfa cultivars were immune from the sickness. Cultivar ‘Anik’ fromMedicago falcata was among the most resistant cultivars. Three Phytophthora root rot resistant cultivars including ‘Agate’, ‘Apollo’ and ‘Ramsey’ were not resistant to the disease. Alfalfa inoculated with Rhizobium showed greatly improved seedling growth. Correlation coefficients showed that those alfalfa cultivars more resistant to alfalfa sickness produced more dry weight. Dry weight increase due to nodulation (82%) had more than compensated for the loss of dry weight due to alfalfa sickness (33%). The present study suggested that the poor growth of alfalfa on sick soil was attributed to both the soil borne pathogens and the poor nodulation of alfalfa, probably due to the absence of effective Rhizobium in sick soil. Highly significant differences were also obtained among olfalfa cultivars for plant dry weight in the inoculation treatment. Selection for effective Rhizobium strains and for alfalfa genotypes which are resistant to alfalfa sickness and are high in nitrogen fixation rates could improve alfalfa yield in sick soil.