氮沉降对杉木人工林土壤可溶性有机质数量和结构的影响

氮沉降作为现在乃至未来气候变化的趋势之一,其可能深刻影响土壤可溶性有机质的数量和结构。选取我国中亚热带杉木人工林不同深度土壤（0-10 cm和10-20 cm）进行氮沉降试验,利用光谱技术研究氮沉降对土壤可溶性有机质数量和结构的影响。试验设对照（CT,0 kg hm^-2 a^-1）、高氮（HN：80 kg hm^-2 a^-1）、低氮（LN：40 kg hm^-2 a^-1）3种处理。结果表明：（1）在0-10 cm和10-20 cm土层,HN、LN处理的土壤可溶性有机碳和可溶性有机氮含量显著高于CT。（2）在0-10 cm和10-20 cm土层,1月时HN、LN处理的芳香性指数和腐殖化程度都显著高于CT,而4月时HN、LN处理的芳香性指数和腐殖化程度都显著低于CT。除了氮含量的直接影响外,RDA （冗余分析）表明,两土层中土壤含水量、pH和土壤有机碳是驱动氮沉降对土壤DOM数量和结构的重要环境因子。因此,氮沉降对土壤DOM的影响是复杂的,未来尤其应该注重氮沉降对生态系统影响的季节模式。     

Biological control of snow mould (Microdochium nivale) in winter cereals by Pseudomonas brassicacearum, MA250

Seed lots of winter wheat and rye, naturally infested with Microdochium nivale and Fusarium spp., were treated with an isolate of Pseudomonas, which was recovered from roots of Brassica napus. Seeds were treated with bacterial fermentate and dried before sowing or they were directly sprayed in the furrow-opener at the moment of sowing. Besides field experiments, parallel climate chamber bioassays were performed to assess the effect of bacterial treatment on snow mould caused by seed-borne M. nivale and Fusarium spp. The biocontrol effect was assessed by plant density counts and by measuring yield. Significant biocontrol activity, measured by plant density counts, was detected both in field and climate chamber experiments sown with wheat. Biocontrol effect after spray application at sowing was less pronounced, although a slight increase in plant density was observed. The cell concentration required to obtain adequate biocontrol effect was 10⁹ CFU per ml for the dose used. The bacterial isolate was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical tests as a Pseudomonas brassicacearum strain.     

Ovipositional Phenology and Behavior of the Spruce Cone Fly, Strobilomyia neanthracina (Diptera: Anthomyiidae)

The behavior of Strobilomyia neanthracina Michelsen, a phytophage infesting spruce (Picea spp.) seed cones, was observed at a field site in northern Ontario and in cages in a greenhouse to investigate spatiotemporal aspects of mating, host location, and oviposition. In the field, adults emerged from 21 to 24 May 1996, which coincided with bud burst of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss seed cones. For 4 days following emergence, Strobilomyia flies could no longer be seen at a monitored P. glauca tree and may have been on a mating or dispersal flight. Subsequently, females but not males were seen again and the oviposition period of ca. 3 weeks began. Mating was observed only in the greenhouse, mostly (i.e., 65%) at age 5–9 days. Although copulations lasted 11–45 min, these females laid infertile eggs only, beginning at age 4 days. No sperm was found in the spermathecal capsules of females, suggesting that no sperm had been transferred during these copulations. In both the field and the greenhouse, ovipositional sequences that resulted in egg deposition occurred throughout the day but few sequences were observed before 1000, probably because flies were not very active at air temperatures below 14°C (most sequences occurred at 25–27°C). In the greenhouse, the typical ovipositional sequence lasted an average of 7 min and consisted of landing on the cone and examining it with the proboscis and sometimes the ovipositor, egg deposition, and postovipositional behaviors such as tapping (touching the cone surface with the flabellum ca. 5 times s ^–1 ), which possibly represents a host marking behavior. In the field, tapping was seen less frequently than in the greenhouse but occurred significantly (P = 0.014) more often after sequences that resulted in egg deposition than after sequences that did not. Eggs hatched after 4–5 days at 20°C. In the greenhouse, the median longevity of females and males was 24 and 17 days, respectively.     

Comparison of aerosol and bioaerosol collection on air filters

Air filters efficiency is usually determined by non-biological test aerosols, such as potassium chloride particles, Arizona dust or di-ethyl-hexyl-sebacate (DEHS) oily liquid. This research was undertaken to asses, if application of non-biological aerosols reflects air filters capacity to collect particles of biological origin. The collection efficiency for non-biological aerosol was tested with the PALAS set and ISO Fine Test Dust. Flow rate during the filtration process was 720 l/h, and particles size ranged 0.246–17.165 μm. The upstream and downstream concentration of the aerosol was measured with a laser particle counter PCS-2010. Tested bioaerosol contained 4 bacterial strains of different shape and size: Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus varians, Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis. Number of the biological particles was estimated with a culture-based method. Results obtained with bioaerosol did not confirmed 100% filters efficiency noted for the mineral test dust of the same aerodynamic diameter. Maximum efficiency tested with bacterial cells was 99.8%. Additionally, cells reemission from filters into air was also studied. Bioaerosol contained 3 bacterial strains: Micrococcus varians, Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis. It was proved that the highest intensity of the reemission process was during the first 5 min. and reached maximum 0.63% of total number of bacteria retained in filters. Spherical cells adhered stronger to the filter fibres than cylindrical ones. It was concluded that non-biological aerosol containing particles of the same shape and surface characteristics (like DEHS spherical particles) can not give representative results for all particles present in the filtered air.     

On the criteria for comparing the ability of compounds for retardation of nitrification in soil

Summary A field experiment was conducted with ADT-31 rice variety. Foliar spray ofAzotobacter chroococcum was applied on 15^th, 30^th and 45^th day after transplanting of rice crop. The foliar spray of Azotobacter culture significantly increased the grain and straw yield of rice crop.     

Laboratory and field evaluation of different formulations of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum submerged spores and aerial conidia for the control of locusts and grasshoppers

Two emulsions and two water-based-formulations of freeze dried submerged spores of Metarhiziumanisopliae var. acridum (Metch.) Sorokin(isolate IMI 330189) were compared with aerialconidia (GREEN MUSCLE^TM) for their efficacyagainst Hieroglyphus daganensis (Krauss)and Locusta migratoria (R. & F.). Thefield experiments were conducted in East Nigeron H. daganensis whereas the laboratoryinvestigations were carried out in Germanyusing L. migratoria. In the fields, allformulations were applied on one hectare plotsusing ULV application techniques. Direct andresidual spray effects were assessed. In allcases there were highly significant (p < 0.001) differences between formulations asregards to total mortalities and mediansurvival times (MST). In both direct and sprayresidue effect assessments, aerial conidiaformulated in diesel oil showed over 95%mortality with significantly shorter MST (3 to8 days) under field conditions. These werefollowed by emulsions of submerged spores,which resulted in a mortality ranging from 56to 92% (MST = 8 to 16 days) for the directspray and 90 to 97% (MST = 7 to 12 days) forspray residue effect assessments. Experimentsin the laboratory positively confirmed theseresults. There were no apparent differencesbetween water-based formulations and thecontrol with respect to mortality and MST.These results emphasize the importance ofemploying oil carriers to protect spores fromenvironmental stress and thus enhance efficacy.The study also demonstrated the importance ofsecondary spore pick up from the sprayresidues. Spores in all formulations persistedover five days and caused mortalities rangingfrom 62 to 100% on healthy grasshoppersexposed to the spray residue from treatedvegetation. The results of this researchsuggest that emulsions may be an effectiveoption to improve efficacy of submerged sporesfor ultra low volume application under Sahelianconditions.     

九寨沟两种常见藓类植物对模拟氮沉降的生理响应

为探讨氮沉降对九寨沟藓类植物的影响，该研究以当地优势藓类植物锦丝藓(Actinothuidium hookeri)和塔藓(Hylocomium splendens)为对象，以NH₄NO₃为氮源，设置对照(0 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1)、低浓度(20 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1)、高浓度(50 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1)3种处理，开展为期6个月的氮沉降模拟实验。结果表明：(1)氮沉降处理导致两种藓类植物的活性氧、丙二醛、叶绿素、脯氨酸和可溶性蛋白含量显著增加，同时锦丝藓过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶、超氧化物歧化酶、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶活性增加。(2)对于生长旺期和生长末期的塔藓，氮沉降导致其过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶活性降低。(3)锦丝藓的综合隶属函数值随氮沉降浓度增大而增加，在生长旺期和生长末期，塔藓综合隶属函数值对氮沉降的响应存在差异。综上认为，两种藓类植物对氮沉降处理的生理响应存在差异，高浓度氮沉...     

Studies on transvection at the bithorax complex in Drosophila melanogaster

Summary We have studied the influence of some mutations in the bithorax complex on the observed synapsis dependent phenotype of the genotypes Cbx ¹Ubx¹/+ and bx ^34e/Ubx¹. The effect of these mutations is similar to that introduced by disruption of pairing or by the z ^a mutation. Among the bx mutations, we find that bx ⁸ behaves differently from most other bx mutations in its influence on the synapsis dependent phenotype. This observation induced us to map the position of bx ⁸ with respect to other bx mutations; we find that it maps between bx ^34e and bx ³. We show how some of the observations reported here can be fitted into a model of activation of the bithorax complex proposed by one of us.     

Influence of temporal heterogeneity in nitrogen supply on competitive interactions in a desert shrub community

Soil nutrients in arid systems are supplied to plants in brief pulses following precipitation inputs. While these resource dynamics have been well documented, little is known about how this temporal heterogeneity influences competitive interactions. We examined the impacts of the temporal pattern of N supply on competitive intensity and ability in an N-limited desert shrub community. At our field site, the three codominant shrubs, Atriplex confertifolia, A. parryi, and Sarcobatus vermiculatus, differ in seasonal growth patterns, with A. confertifolia and S. vermiculatus achieving higher growth rates earlier in the growing season than A. parryi. We predicted that these timing differences in maximum growth rate may interact with temporal variation in N supply to alter competitive abilities over time. Seedlings of the two Atriplex species were planted either individually in field plots or as target plants surrounded by neighbor seedlings. After one year of establishment, the same amount of ¹⁵N was applied to plots either as early spring pulses, mid spring pulses or continuously through the second growing season. Competitive effects were observed under continuous and pulsed N supply. Averaged across all target–neighbor treatments, competitive intensity was ∼1.8-fold greater when N was pulsed compared to when N was supplied continuously, but overall, the outcome of competitive interactions was not influenced by N pulse timing. While the timing of resource supply did not differentially influence the competitive abilities of coexisting species in this system, the temporal pattern of resource supply did alter the intensity of competitive interactions among species. While additional studies in other systems are needed to evaluate the generality of these results, this study suggests that competitive intensity may not necessarily be a direct function of productivity or resource availability as traditionally assumed. Instead, the intensity of competitive interactions in resource-poor systems may depend upon the temporal pattern of resource supply.     

Hybridisation,genomic constitution and generic delimitation inElymus s. l. (Poaceae: Triticeae)

Intergeneric crosses were made between representatives of the genomically-defined generaElymus, Agropyron, Elytrigia, Pseudoroegneria, andThinopyrum. The genomic constitution ofElytrigia repens, the type species ofElytrigia, is shown to be SSH, a genomic combination otherwise found only inElymus. The S genome ofPseudoroegneria has almost always a dominant influence on the morphology of the taxa of which it is a component.Wang (1989) showed that the J genome inThinopyrum and the S genome have considerable homoeology, with a mean c-value of 0.35 in diploid SJ hybrids. A genetic coherence from S to SJ^e, J^e, J^eJ^b, and J^b can be expected, agreeing with the continuous morphologic variation pattern observed. Because of the absence of morphological discontinuities between the taxa,Pseudoroegneria (S),Elymus (SH, SY, sometimes with additional genomes),Elytrigia (SSH, SSHX), andThinopyrum (SJ, SJJ, J) are best treated as a single genus,Elymus, following the generic concept ofMelderis in Flora Europaea and Flora of Turkey. The basic genomic constituents ofElymus will then be the S and/or J genomes.Agropyron, with diploids, tetraploids, and hexaploids based on the P genome is morphologically distinct from other genera inTriticeae. In a few species ofElymus andPseudoroegneria, a P genome is an additional constituent. In these cases the P genome has a negligible morphological influence. Therefore, it seems reasonable to maintainAgropyron as a separate genus.     

Procedures for the characterisation of bioaerosol particles. Part II: Effects of environment on culturability

The behaviour of bioaerosol particles in industrial and health-careapplications may be most effectively understood once they have beenquantitatively assessed using well-characterised sampling and assaytechniques. However, the large number of different conditions possiblein this wide range of applications makes the assessment of bioaerosolparticles very difficult. In addition to the effects of differentsampling and assay technologies, the mechanism of aerosolisation andenvironmental conditions can influence bioaerosol behaviour. The effectsof sampler selection and suspension aerosolisation on bioaerosolviability were reported earlier as ``Part I' of two papers, and theeffects of the environment on the culturability of three different typesof microorganism are reported here as ``Part II'. The environmentalrelative factors considered in the present study are: relativehumidity (RH), aerosol-age, and a number of gaseous pollutants. A smallnumber of additional tests, examining the effects of aerosolisationmethod on culturability, are also reported. A combination of anenvironmentally controlled Bioaerosol Test Chamber and Goldberg RotatingDrum were shown to be an appropriate facility to carry out the study.Changing RH was shown to have a considerable effect on the culturablefraction of aerosolised Sacharomyces cerevisiae cells but notPenicillium expansum spores or Bacillus subtilis var.niger spores. In this text, ``culturable fraction' is definedas the fraction of the total number of microorganisms in a sample thatwill form colonies (i.e. grow and reproduce) on a suitably preparedculture plate under optimum conditions for the species of microorganismunder consideration. After the initial shock of aerosolisation, theculturable fraction of S. cerevisiae cells and P.expansum spores is not further affected by increasing aerosol age.Results from an earlier study have shown spray suspension and collectedaerosol age also have no effect on culturability of P. expansumspores. The effects of gaseous pollutants are reflected in the reductionin culturability of P. expansum spores following exposure tosulphur dioxide, ozone and ozone hydrocarbon cocktail. This reductionwas never to less than 30% of the unpolluted control. All thetests show that P. expansum spores are fairly robust andbiologically stable. Examination of the effects of aerosolisationtechnique on the culturability of S. cerevisiae shows theCollison nebuliser produces aerosols with the highest culturabilitycompared with either a plain glass atomiser or a Unimed nebuliser usedin these tests.     

Ectomycorrhizal responses to organic and inorganic nitrogen sources when associating with two host species

While it is established that increasing atmospheric inorganic nitrogen (N) deposition reduces ectomycorrhizal fungal biomass and shifts the relative abundances of fungal species, little is known about effects of organic N deposition. The effects of organic and inorganic N deposition on ectomycorrhizal fungi may differ because responses to inorganic N deposition may reflect C-limitation. To compare the effects of organic and inorganic N additions on ectomycorrhizal fungi, and to assess whether host species may influence the response of ectomycorrhizal fungi to N additions, we conducted an N addition experiment at a field site in the New Jersey pine barrens. Seedlings of two host species, Quercus velutina (black oak) and Pinus rigida (pitch pine), were planted at the base of randomly-selected mature pitch pine trees. Nitrogen was added as glutamic acid, ammonium, or nitrate at a rate equivalent to 227.5 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for eight weeks, to achieve a total application of 35 kg ha⁻¹ during the 10-week study period. Organic and inorganic N additions differed in their effects on total ectomycorrhizal root tip abundance across hosts, and these effects differed for individual morphotypes between oak and pine seedlings. Mycorrhizal root tip abundance across hosts was 90 % higher on seedlings receiving organic N compared to seedlings in the control treatment, while abundances were similar among seedlings receiving the inorganic N treatments and seedlings in the control. On oak, 33–83 % of the most-common morphotypes exhibited increased root tip abundances in response to the three forms of N, relative to the control. On pine, 33–66 % of the most-common morphotypes exhibited decreased root tip abundance in response to inorganic N, while responses to organic N were mixed. Plant chemistry and regression analyses suggested that, on oak seedlings, mycorrhizal colonization increased in response to N limitation. In contrast, pine root and shoot N and C contents did not vary in response to any form of N added, and mycorrhizal root tip abundance was not associated with seedling N or C status, indicating that pine received sufficient N. These results suggest that in situ organic and inorganic N additions differentially affect ectomycorrhizal root tip abundance and that ectomycorrhizal fungal responses to N addition may be mediated by host tree species.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of Perilla (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Perilla frutescens</Emphasis>)

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system for perilla (Perilla frutescens Britt) was developed. Agrobacterium strain EHA105 harboring binary vector pBK I containing bar and γ-tmt cassettes or pIG121Hm containing nptII, hpt, and gusA cassettes were used for transformation. Three different types of explant, hypocotyl, cotyledon and leaf, were evaluated for transformation and hypocotyl explants resulted in the highest transformation efficiency with an average of 3.1 and 2.2%, with pBK I and pIG121Hm, respectively. The Perilla spp. displayed genotype-response for transformation. The effective concentrations of selective agents were 2 mg l⁻¹ phosphinothricin (PPT) and 150 mg l⁻¹ kanamycin, respectively, for shoot induction and 1 mg l⁻¹ PPT and 125 mg l⁻¹ kanamycin, respectively, for shoot elongation. The transformation events were confirmed by herbicide Basta spray or histochemical GUS staining of T₀ and T₁ plants. The T-DNA integration and transgene inheritance were confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis of random samples of T₀ and T₁ transgenic plants.     

The relative contribution of symbiotic N2 fixation and other nitrogen sources to grassland ecosystems along an altitudinal gradient in the Alps

The significance of symbiotic N₂ fixation in legumes (Trifolium alpinum L., T. nivale Sieber, T. pratense L., T. badium Schreber, T. thalii Vill., T. repens L., Lotus alpinus [DC.] Schleicher, L. corniculatus L., Vicia sativa L.) and other N sources for the N budget of grassland ecosystems was studied along an altitudinal gradient in the Swiss Alps. The total annual symbiotic N₂ fixation was compared with other sources of N for plant growth of the total plant community (mineralisation and wet deposition). The contribution of symbiotically fixed N to total above-ground N yield of the swards decreased from at least 16% to 9% with increasing altitude where legumes were present. This decrease was due to a decrease in the yield proportion of legumes from 15% at 900 and 1380 m a.s.l. to 5% at 2100 and 2300 m a.s.l. (no legumes were found above 2750 m a.s.l.) and not to a decline in the activity of symbiotic N₂ fixation. With increasing altitude legumes are more patchily distributed. The high symbiotic N₂ fixation of individual plants up to their altitudinal limit is not primarily the result of low mineral N availability since an addition of NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ⁻ fertiliser at 2300 m a.s.l. led either to no decrease or only to a minor decrease in symbiotic N₂ fixation. At 1380 m a.s.l., N mineralisation (13.45 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹) appeared to be the main source of N for growth of the sward; N from symbiosis (at least 1.0 g to 2.6 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹) and wet deposition (0.4 g to 0.6 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) was not a significant N source for plant growth at this altitude. At 2100 m a.s.l., the combined amounts of N from symbiotic N₂ fixation (at least 0.1 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹) and wet deposition (0.3 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹) appeared to be similarly important for plant growth as soil N mineralisation (0.47 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹). At high altitudes, wet N deposition and symbiotic N₂ fixation together represent a significant source of N for the grassland ecosystem while at low altitudes these N inputs appear to be much less important. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Visualisation of metal deposition in biofilm reactors by three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to visualise polyurethane foam-immobilised Citrobacter after challenging with La³⁺ and/or Cu²⁺ in citrate buffer supplemented with glycerol 2-phosphate. Extensive phosphatase-mediated bioaccumulation of LaPO₄ was observed but no evidence for deposition of Cu₃(PO₄)₂ was obtained by X-ray diffraction and proton-induced X-ray emission analyses. Image analysis showed that La³⁺/Cu²⁺ is a good model system to study the function of this biofilm reactor non-invasively by MRI.     

Effects of different Beauveria bassiana isolates on field populations of Lygus lineolaris in pigweed (Amaranthus spp.)

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is a pest of various fruit, vegetable, fiber, and seed crops; including cotton. Lygus spp. populations often build on alternate host plants before moving to cotton, and in the midsouthern U.S. wild host plants, such as pigweed (Amaranthus spp.), play a major role in L. lineolaris population development. Three isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) were evaluated for L. lineolaris control in redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.): one from L. lineolaris in Mississippi (TPB3); one from Lygus hesperus (Knight) in California (WTPB2); and one commercial isolate from Mycotrol^® (GHA). Fungal applications resulted in moderate to high mycosis in adults (33 to 80%) and moderate mycosis in nymphs (36 to 53%) that were collected from field plots at 2 days post-treatment and incubated under laboratory conditions. Although TPB3 was previously found to be more pathogenic in laboratory bioassays, there was not a consistent separation of this isolate from the other two isolates in field trials. Where differences in adult mycosis or mortality were observed, TPB3 was the most pathogenic. However, in one field trial 7 day mortality for nymphs treated with GHA was higher than those treated with TPB3 or WTPB2. Infection rates at 2, 7, and 14 days post-treatment from caged and non-caged adults suggested that movement of adults among plots occurred, which could have masked some treatment effects. Fungal treatments did not significantly reduce populations relative to controls. This may have been caused by delayed mortality rates under field conditions and/or difficulties with estimating population change under field conditions characteristic of wild host plant populations (e.g., heterogeneous populations, adult movement, and small plot size). Further work evaluating time–dose–mortality over dynamic temperatures, spring and fall field trials on this and other wild hosts, and improved methods for estimating populations on wild hosts are needed.     

Effect of water stress mediated through agar on <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> growth of potato

With the objective to develop a practical method of screening potato for drought tolerance, shoot and root growth in plantlets raised in vitro (from nodal cuttings drawn from in vivo as well as in vitro grown plantlets) were studied in three genotypes with known root mass production under field conditions. Different levels of water stress were induced using five concentrations of agar in MS (Murashige and Skoog in Physiol Plant 15:473–497, 1962) medium. Water potential of various media ranged from −0.70 MPa to −0.98 MPa. Water stress in culture adversely affected plantlet growth, and the responses varied with genotype and explant source. Genotype IWA-1 was less affected than Konafubuki and Norin-1. In the experiment with explants from in vivo grown plants, the time to rooting was considerably delayed in Konafubuki and Norin-1 by an increase in agar concentration, but no such effect was observed in IWA-1. In all media, the mean number of roots and root length was greater in IWA-1 than Konafubuki and Norin-1, and the latter two genotypes were at par. At 10 gl⁻¹ agar, IWA-1 had taller plantlets, heavier foliage dry weight, root volume, as well as root dry weight than Konafubuki and Norin-1, whereas the latter two genotypes were at par for all these characteristics. This pattern was similar to the reported pattern of these genotypes for root dry weight under field conditions. However, such similarity in the in vitro and field behavior of the tested genotypes was not observed when nodal cuttings drawn from in vitro plantlets were used as explants. It is concluded that in vitro screening of potato under specific and limited water stress conditions by raising plantlets from nodal cuttings drawn from in vivo grown plants may provide a system for effectively differentiating the genotypes for their expected root mass production under field conditions.     

Floral Spray Transformation Can Efficiently Generate Arabidopsis

In this study, floral spray and floral dip were used to replace the vacuum step in the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene into Arabidopsis. The transgene was constructed by using a CaMV 35S promoter to drive a rice cytosolic CuZnSOD coding sequence in Arabidopsis. The transgene construct was developed in binary vectors and mobilized into Agrobacterium. When Arabidopsis plants started to initiate flower buds, the primary inflorescence shoots were removed and then transformed by floral spray or floral dip. More than 300 transgenic plants were generated to assess the feasibility of floral spray used in the in planta transformation. The result indicates that the floral spray method of Agrobacterium can achieve rates of in planta transformation comparable to the vacuum-infiltration and floral dip methods. The floral spray method opens up the possibility of in planta transformation of plant species which are too large for dipping or vacuum infiltration.     

Effects of Selected Fungicides and the Timing of Fungicide Application on Beauveria bassiana-Induced Mortality of the Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Four fungicides used for controlling foliar diseases of potato (Solanum tuberosum) were evaluated under field and laboratory conditions for their effects on the infectivity and sporulation of Beauveria bassiana when used as a control for the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (CPB). We investigated the direct effects of fungicides on B. bassiana-induced CPB mortality and the effect of time between fungicide and B. bassiana application. Effects of fungicide on conidial survival in the soil and on foliage were examined in the field. Significantly more larval mortality was observed when larvae were sprayed with B. bassiana than with the water control. Fungicide had no significant effect on larval mortality in the field. In the laboratory, survival of larvae was significantly lower among larvae fed fungicide-treated foliage. B. bassiana-induced mortality in the laboratory was observed only when larvae were fed foliage treated with copper hydroxide or water. Larvae fed mancozeb- or chlorothalonil-treated foliage experienced high mortality regardless of B. bassiana treatment. While there was no significant effect of fungicide on B. bassiana sporulation on cadavers in the field, a pattern emerged that indicated higher proportions of cadavers producing conidia in plots sprayed with water or copper hydroxide than in plots sprayed with chlorothalonil or mancozeb. Survival of B. bassiana conidia in the soil and on foliage was significantly greater in plots treated with copper hydroxide or water than in plots treated with mancozeb or chlorothalonil. Fungicides such as copper hydroxide may be less deleterious to the fungus than mancozeb and chlorothalonil.     

Preventive and Curative Biological Treatments for Control of Botrytis cinerea Stem Canker of Greenhouse Tomatoes

The effects of biological treatments with PlantShield^®, Prestop^®, Quadra 136, RootShield^®, and S33 (Rhodosporidium diobovatum) and chemical treatment with Decree^® applied as a preventive or curative sprays on stem canker caused by Botrytis cinerea on tomato plants grown in sawdust were studied under near-commercial greenhouse conditions. Prestop^® and Decree^®, applied as preventive or curative sprays, PlantShield^® applied as curative spray, and S33 and Q-136 applied as preventive or preventive plus one spray to wounded surface provided season-long protection from B. cinerea stem canker. These treatments also increased fruit yield and decreased the number of dead plants compared with the inoculated control.