Changes in Carbohydrate, Amino Acid and Phenol Contents in Cocoa Pods from Three Clones after Infection with Phytophthora megakarya Bra. and Grif.

Mature pods from three clones ofTheobroma cacaoL., differingin their susceptibility toPhytophthora megakaryaBra. and Grif.,were infected with the fungal mycelium. Variations of the contentsin carbohydrates, ketohexoses, amino acids, phenols and flavonol,and hydroxycinnamic derivatives were followed in the cortexfor 4d. After pod infection, the amount of carbohydrates decreasedmore rapidly in the clone SNK10 (highly susceptible) than inthe clones SNK413 (low susceptibility) and ICS95 (mildly susceptible),suggesting their utilization by the fungus. At the same time,the amount of ketohexoses decreased by 22% in the clone SNK10,remained almost constant in the clone SNK413, and increasedby 53% in the clone ICS95. The content of amino acids increasedwith time in the pods of the three clones. The results suggestthat the amino acid variation is related to pod aging and tothe infection. Four days after treatment, an increase in phenolicswas measured in all cases. The increase in flavonol and hydroxycinnamicderivatives was related to the wounding and to the infectionof the pods. DuringPhytophthorablack pod development, variationsof the contents in the biochemicals studied herein were genotype-dependent,and the patterns of the changes could be related, at least inpart, to the susceptibility of the genotype toP. megakarya. Theobroma cacaoL.; cocoa; black pod; plant/fungus interaction; susceptibility     

Effect of Fruiting Traits on the Field Resistance of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Clones to Phytophthora megakarya

The effects of some traits of field resistance (precocity and duration of the fruiting cycle, age of diseased fruit and vertical pod distribution on the tree) to Phytophthora megakarya of four known cocoa clones were studied in an on‐station clonal plot planted in 1982 in the south‐west of Cameroon. Weekly observations of fruit set and development, black pod and rainfall were carried out during three growing seasons (1999, 2000 and 2001). The study confirmed the previous field and laboratory assessments of resistance of these clones based on the mean percentages of rotten pods obtained annually. The present study has permitted the identification of fruit aged 2–3 months as the highly susceptible stage of development in the most susceptible clone. In addition, precocity and pod cycle duration varied significantly among the clones. The earlier the pod cycle began, the more susceptible was the clone: the most resistant clone started flowering 1 month after the most susceptible clone and therefore escaped the peak of disease severity. Rainfall intensity greatly modified the incidence of the disease in 2001, with high yield losses occurring in all four clones (70–93%), but their ranking remained stable over the 3 years. The spatial distribution of pods on the trees showed that pods on the trunk were more likely to become diseased than those on the branches, but its effect as a clone resistance component is variable among the four clones; the resistant clone producing more pods on the trunk and the susceptible clone more in the canopy.     

Triacontanol-Induced Changes in the Growth, Photosynthetic Pigments, Cell Metabolites, Flowering and Yield of Green Gram

Seedlings of green gram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilezek] cultivar KM-2 were sprayed with different concentrations of triacontanol (TRIA) (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg dm^-3) at 15 and 25 days after sowing. Foliar spray of 0.5 mg dm^-3 TRIA significantly promoted the plant height, fresh mass, and contents of chlorophylls, saccharides, starch, soluble proteins, amino acid and phenols. Leaf nitrate content was reduced by 0.5 and 1.0 mg dm^-3 TRIA with a corresponding increase in nitrate reductase activity. TRIA of 0.5 mg dm^-3 stimulated the onset of flowering, pod production and retention, but less number of pods and seeds per plant were observed at 2.0 mg dm^-3 treatment.     

Inheritance of quantitative traits in crosses between two Pisum sativum subspecies with particular reference to their breeding value

The experimental study was conducted during the period of 2008-2010 at the experimental field of the Institute of Forage Crops in Pleven. The hybridization scheme included direct and back crosses covering four varieties of forage pea (Pisum sativum L.), namely two spring ones, Usatii 90 and Kamerton from Ukraine, and a winter one from Bulgaria, Pleven 10. There was analyzed the inheritance of quantitative traits such as plant height, height to first pod, pod number per plant, seed number per plant, seed number per pod, seed weight per plant and number of fertile nodes per plant of parental components (P1 and P2) and both first (F1) and second (F2) hybrid generations. The cross Usatii 90 x Pleven 10 showed the highest real heterosis effect for plant height (8.26%), pods per plant (158.79%), seeds per plant (272.16%), seeds per pod (42.09%), seed weight per plant (432.43%) and number of fertile nodes per plant (117.14%). The cross Pleven 10 x Usatii 90 had the highest real heterosis effect height to first pod (11.06%). In F2 plants, the strongest depression for plant height (5.88%), seeds per plant (57.88%), seeds per pod (55.93%) and seed weight per plant (55.99%) was in the cross Usatii 90 x Pleven 10, for height to first pod (1.47%) in the cross Kamerton x Pleven 10 and for number of fertile nodes per plant (15.91%) in the cross Pleven 10 x Usatii 90. The highest positive degree of transgression for number of fertile nodes per plant (165.64%) and seed weight per plant (162.10%) was in the cross Pleven 10 x Kamerton and for pod number per plant (102.54%) and seeds per plant (99.13%) in Kamerton x Pleven 10. The stability of the characters was determined. Low variability in F1 and F2 was found in plant height (3.97-6.85%). Variability of number seeds per plant in F1 was highest (11.86-33.23%). For all other traits, the variability varied from average to high. A lower narrow-sense heritability coefficient was observed for plant height, height to first pod, pods per plant, seeds per plant and seed weight per plant (from 0.001 to 0.230). In few cases, such as in fertile nodes per plant (0.39 and 0.81) and seeds per pod (0.44), the coefficients ofbroad-sense heritability were higher.     

Phenol content, acidic peroxidase and IAA-oxidase during somatic embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao L.

Calli were induced in cacao cotyledon explants on a half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium containing 6 × 10-2 g m-3 saccharose and various combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) with kinetin (kin), benzylaminopurine (BAP) or 2-isopentenylphosphate (2-iP). Experiments were carried out on two clones of cacao differing in their susceptibility to black pod disease. The highest percentage of explants forming callus and the most rapid callus development were obtained with 10-6 g m-3 2,4-D and 0.5× 10-6 g m-3 kin. Somatic embryogenesis and rhizogenesis were induced by transferring 3-week-old callus in a half strength Murashige and Skoog medium containing 3 × 10-2 g m-3 saccharose and NAA or IBA in the 0 to 5 × 10-6 g m-3 concentration range. No differentiation could be observed when the medium was supplemented with kin or BAP. The conversion of callus into somatic embryos and roots was accompanied by a drop in phenol content and an increase in peroxidase and IAA-oxidase activities. Moreover, cell differentiation was characterized by the persistence in the callus of one acidic soluble isoperoxidase which was not detected in nondifferentiating callus. Although some differences were noticed between the clones, alterations responsible for cell differentiation were the same in both genotypes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Relations between several traits linked to sexual plant reproduction in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theobroma cacao</Emphasis> L.: number of ovules per ovary,number of seeds per pod,and seed weight

Tropical perennial plants cultivated outside their place of origin call for major germplasm characterization and prebreeding work. For cacao breeding, the selection process has to optimize the weight of cacao beans produced per tree by increasing the number of pods produced, the number of seeds per pod (NoSP), and the mean weight of seeds produced (SW). NoSP and SW were studied over nine consecutive years in a collection of more than 200 clones. The number of ovules per ovary (NoOV) was also examined in a subsample of this collection in order to evaluate the ability to predict NoSP. NoSP and SW showed a relatively normal distribution with heritabilities of 0.29 and 0.51, respectively. The composite trait “mean seed weight per pod” showed a generalized extreme value distribution of intermediate heritability (0.43). NoSP and SW were found to be genetically independent. NoOV was highly heritable (h ² = 0.810), but it did not provide good prediction of NoSP. The largest seeds were observed in genotypes derived from crosses between cultivated cacao trees, which had been formerly domesticated. Domestication therefore favored seed size, while for the other traits examined, similar variation was found between wild and domesticated populations.     

A new oil-based formulation of Trichoderma asperellum for the biological control of cacao black pod disease caused by Phytophthora megakarya

In African cacao-producing countries, control of cacao black pod disease caused by Phytophthora megakarya is a priority. Introducing biological control agents as part of a P. megakarya control strategy is highly desirable, especially in a perspective of pesticide reduction. Trichoderma species are among the most used biological control agents. In Cameroon, Trichoderma asperellum formulated in wettable powder has produced positive effects against this disease. However, with this type of formulation, shelf-life and persistence of conidia on pods are limited. Our study therefore sought to develop a new T. asperellum formulation that would be more effective and better suited to the conditions of field application by small-scale producers in Cameroon. We selected a soybean oil-based oil dispersion, in which the half-life of the conidia reached 22.5 weeks, versus 5 weeks in aqueous suspension. Tested on detached pods, the formulation completely inhibited the development of the disease. When sprayed in the field on cacao clones highly sensitive to P. megakarya, the formulation resulted in 90% protection of treated pods after 1 week, and 50% after 3.2 weeks. The formulations exercised a measurable effect for up to 7 weeks, versus 2 weeks in the case of an aqueous conidial suspension and 5 weeks for that of a conventional fungicide (Kocide). Trichoderma asperellum formulated in oil dispersion has therefore great potential for the control of cacao black pod disease with less recourse to synthetic fungicides. Moreover, this formulation is well adapted to the types of sprayers used by small-scale cacao producers in Cameroon.     

Contents of Sugars, Fruit Acids, Amino Acids and Phenolic Compounds of Apple Fruits i n Relation to their Susceptibility to Botryosphaeria ribis

Five apple cultivars showing different levels of susceptibility to Botryosphaeria ribis were used to study the relationship between susceptibility and contents of sugars, fruit acids, amino acids and phenolic compounds in the fruits at various stages of maturity. Immature fruits of all the cultivars tested were completely resistant until 10 July. The fungus grew better on the yellow-coloured cultivars than the red-coloured cultivars. The low amount of reducing sugars and also the high levels of fruit acids, amino acids and total phenols were found in immature apple fruits, irrespective of cultivar. No consistent differences between the cultivars were recognized with regard to the contents of soluble sugars, fruit acids and phenols in fruit flesh during the maturity of fruits. However, only the levels of total soluble amino acids in fruit flesh and of total phenols in fruit peel at late stage of maturity consistently varied between the cultivars. The dark red-coloured, resistant cultivars Miller spur and Starkrimson showed higher contents of amino acids and phenols in fruit tissues than did the yellow-coloured, susceptible cultivars.     

Effect of cocoa pod age on egg distribution and egg parasitism of the cocoa pod borer in Malaysia

The effects of pod age on oviposition, and on egg and larval survival of the cocoa pod borer (CPB), Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen), were investigated. CPB were allowed to oviposit on a batch of 50 pods for a period of 7 days over several exposure dates. Numbers of CPB eggs/pod and survival to larval emergence from the pods were recorded. Pods were harvested when ripe and analyzed for larval survival within the pod. The oviposition pattern varied with pod age. Older pods less than 7 weeks before ripening (WBR) were preferred, suggesting greater nutritional value or chemical attraction of the older pods. The proportion of eggs parasitized by Trichogrammtoidea bactrae fumata Nagaraja (TBF), the number of eggs lost and the proportion surviving to larval emergence from the pod were independent of pod age. Egg parasitism was low, implying that TBF was not an effective natural enemy. Mass-releases of TBF should be intensified during cropping periods with higher proportions of susceptible pods (<10 WBR). Survival of larvae in the presclerotic layer (preSCL) was high and independent of pod age. Larval mortality at the SCL (sclerotic layer) was dependent on pod age and was high in older pods. Larval density influenced the survival of larvae inside the pod and was dependent on pod age. Larval mortality associated with SCL hardness and thickness is one of the criteria for the selection of CPB resistant cocoa clones.     

我国格木的地理分布与种实表型变异

在调查格木（Erythrophleum fordii）主要天然分布区及资源现状的基础上,研究了荚果和种子的11个表型性状在8个格木天然群体内和群体间的变异规律,探讨了种实表型变异与地理、环境因子的相关性。结果显示：格木天然林主要分布在广西、广东和福建3省区北回归线附近低海拔地区,大部分呈散生状态或小群体：格木荚果和种子的长度、宽度、形态指数以及每个荚果内种子数、种子厚度和千粒重在群体间和群体内单株间均存在显著差异：荚果性状在群体间和群体内的变异均大于种子性状：每个荚果内种子数与荚果的长度、形态指数以及种子的长度、大小呈显著正相关,种子长度和宽度与荚果大小、种子千粒重与荚果宽度均呈显著正相关：荚果形态指数与经度呈显著负相关,种子千粒重与纬度、种子宽度与海拔和年降雨量、种子形态指数与年均气温、种子大小与年降雨量均呈显著正相关。通过聚类分析可将8个格木群体分为3类：GX03单独为1类,GX01与GX02聚为1类,其余5个群体聚为1类。研究结果为进一步开展格木保护生物学和遗传育种研究奠定了基础。     

Multiple paternity in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae)

We report on two field experiments that were conducted in 1991 and 1992 at the South Coast Extension and Research Center, Irvine, CA, to study the incidence of multiple paternity in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Hypocotyl color and shikimate dehydrogenase (Skdh) isozymes were used as genetic markers. The white-seeded cultivar ‘Ferry Morse 53’ (FM 53) was used as the female parent. This cultivar is homozygous recessive (pp) for hypocotyl color. The pollen source parents were three homozygous dominant (PP) purple-hypocotyled, black-seeded cultivars. Three cultivars, ‘ICA Pijao,’ G4459, and the maternal parent FM 53, are of Mesoamerican origin and homozygous for the fast (F) allele at the Skdh locus. The other cultivar, Black Valentine, is of Andean origin and is homozygous for the slow (S) allele at the Skdh locus. Overall, 6 125 pods were obtained from 57 and 111 plants harvested individually in 1991 and 1992, respectively. All progeny, 28938 seeds, were scored for hypocotyl color at the seedling stage. The purple-hypocotyled seedlings were genotyped for the Skdh locus to identify their pollen parents. Multiple paternity was identified in all the pods with hybrid seeds (i.e., those of intercultivar crosses) at 5.8% and 8.1% in 1991 and 1992, respectively. All multiply sired pods produced both nonhybrid and hybrid seeds. As many as three successful fathers per pod were identified, but the number of markers limited measuring higher levels of multiple paternity. Most multiply sired pods (≈70%) were filled by nonhybrid seeds plus a single hybrid seed. Ovule position effect within multiply sired pods was inferred from the nonrandom distribution of hybrid seeds within a pod. On average, hybrid seeds occurred more frequently in ovules in position 7 (most basal) and in position 1 (most stylar) than in ovules in the middle positions of the pod.     

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE PATHOGENICITY OF CALONECTRIA RIGIDIUSCULA (BERK. & BR.) SACC. TO THEOBROMA CACAO L

Quantitative data are provided for the occurrence of Calonectria rigidiuscula and other fungi in occluded Mirid lesions and other sites in shoots of cacao plants. Mirid lesions appear to be particularly favourable for the development of C. rigidiuscula. The fungus also occurs as a saprophyte on cacao pods, and as a wound parasite in woody plants other than cacao; it was successfully introduced into plants of varied affinities by inoculation. C. rigidiuscula spreads from inoculations in cacao stems much more rapidly than other fungi. The results confirm that it is the most important fungus infecting Mirid lesions and causing dieback of cacao in West Africa.
Inoculation tests with a range of Amelonado and Trinitario clones suggested that the clones vary in their susceptibility to C. rigidiuscula , but the plant-to-plant variation was too great to conclude that any one is highly resistant. Various types of introduced cacao were also tested; preliminary experiments indicate that certain types of Upper Amazon cacao may be resistant, but they need further investigation.     

Additive inheritance of resistance to pod rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora in cocoa

Summary Quantitative inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora pod rot (Ppr) was studied in cocoa hybrid progeny from 12 Trinitario x Amazonian crosses and their reciprocal crosses. The crossing scheme was similar to a factorial design. Disease was assessed by the number and percentage of infected pods on each tree. Highly significant differences due to general combining abilities (GCA) were obtained for all characters, except for the GCA of Trinitario on total pod production. Differences for specific combining ability (SCA) were not significant for all characters. There were no significant differences between reciprocal crosses. The Trinitario clone K82 provided the only source for the hybrid progenies of strong Ppr resistance to the hybrid progenies, while K20 provided moderate resistance. Other parental clones — KA2-101, KA5-201, KEE 2, KEE 5, and KEE 52 — produced progenies which were susceptible to Ppr. It is evident that resistance to Ppr in cocoa is inherited additively. Maternal and cytoplasmic effects were assumed to have no influence on inheritance of resistance. It is also concluded that resistance to Ppr of the kind shown by K82 is likely to be horizontal resistance. Breeding for high-yielding cultivars combined with Ppr resistance is the most effective way of controlling Ppr of cocoa on the crops of growers with small holdings in Papua New Guinea.     

Correlations and heritability of the characters determining the seed yield of the long-raceme alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Phenotypic correlation coefficients and heritability of the characters controlling seed yield of long-raceme forms of alfalfa was determined. It was found that seed yield per plant, which was positively correlated with 10 out of 12 analysed characters, depended upon the number of pods per raceme and the number of seeds per pod. Variability of these characters determined about 60% of the variability of seed yield. Multiple linear regression and phenotypic correlations show that simultaneous selection for increased pod number per raceme and increased seed number per pod and raceme length resulted in enhanced seed yield potential. The share of the additive genetic effects in the phenotypic variance for number of pods per raceme was low and about 21-23%, while for number of seeds per pod and per raceme amounted to about 50%. The expected genetic progress in recombination breeding for number of seeds per pod and number of seeds per raceme will be of medium magnitude, while one cannot expect any rapid and considerable progress in the number of pods per raceme. Considering the high positive correlation between raceme length and number of pods and seeds per raceme, one should conclude that raceme length can be an important criterion in selection of plants showing a high seed productivity.     

Seed Development in Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Seminole: I. Developmental Independence of Seed Maturation

Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Seminole pods removed from the plant continued their development when incubated in suitable conditions. Seeds continued to grow and develop and pods and seeds passed through an apparently normal developmental sequence to dryness. Seed growth was at the expense of pod dry weight (DW) reserves. Losses of pod DW paralleled DW gains by seeds in detached pods and in pod cylinders containing a seed. The transfer activity was apparent only within the period 10 to 30 days after anthesis (DAA) with maximal activity between 15 to 20 DAA. This period corresponds to maximum pod growth and the attainment of maximal DW. Seeds are in only the early phase of seed growth at this time. No DW transfer was observed at developmental stages beyond 30 to 35 DAA when normal senescence DW losses in pods became evident and seeds were in the later phase of seed fill. Pods or pod cylinders remained green and succulent over the transfer period, later passing through yellowing and drying phases characteristic of normal development. DW transfer was dependent on funicle integrity and was readily detectable in pod cylinders after 7 days incubation. The DW transfer activity may contribute to continuing nutrition of seeds under conditions where the normal assimilate supply to seeds becomes limiting. Defoliation and water stress treatments applied to Phaseolus plants reduced seed yields but allowed persistence of seed maturation processes such that all seeds developing to dryness were capable of germination.     

Mapping QTL for yield components, vigor, and resistance to Phytophthora palmivora in Theobroma cacao L.

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for agronomic traits was carried out in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.). Regions of the genome involved in yield, vigor, and resistance to Phytophthora palmivora were identified. Three heterozygous clones, one upper Amazon Forastero (IMC78) and two Trinitario (DR1 and S52), were crossed with the same male parent, a lower Amazon Forastero (Catongo), known to be highly homozygous. Observations were made on progeny over nine consecutive years. One to three QTL related to yield were detected in each of the three populations, located on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, and 10. They explained between 8.1 and 19.3% of the phenotypic variation and showed various levels of repeatability. In IMC78, the QTL detected on chromosome 5 was the most repeatable over years. The QTL for the average individual pod weight on chromosome 4 was the most significant with an LOD of 17.3 and an R2 of 43.7. QTL related to these traits were identified in the same region of the genome in clones of different genetic groups. This suggests that molecular markers can be used to improve cocoa varieties.     

Variation in the Agronomic and Morphological Traits of Iranian Chickpea Accessions

Landraces of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in Iran have not been adequately characterized for their agronomic and morphological traits. Such characterization would be helpful in the development of improved cultivars, so in this study 362 chickpea accessions, collected from the major chickpea growing areas of Iran, were evaluated to determine their phenotypic diversity. High coefficients of variation (CVs)were recorded in pods/branch, seeds/pod, yield/plant, seeds/plant, pods/plant and branches/plant. Using principal component (PC) analysis, the first four PCs with eigenvalues more than 1 contributed 84.10% of the variability among accessions, whereas PC5 to PC10 were less than unity. PC1 was positively related to days to first maturity, days to 50% flowering and days to 50% maturity. The characters with the greatest weight on PC2 were seeds/plant and yield/plant, whereas PC3 was mainly related to pods/plant, seeds/pod and 100-seed weight, and PC4 was positively related to pods/branch and negatively to branches/plant. The germplasm was grouped into four clusters using cluster analysis. Each cluster had some specific characteristics of its own and the cluster I was clearly separated from clusters Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ. These accessions are an important resource for the establishment of a core collection of chickpeas in the world.     

Maternal effects on progeny size, number and body color in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria: Density- and reproductive cycle-dependent variation

The effects of rearing density and maternal age on the progeny size, number and coloration of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, were investigated. Isolated-reared females deposited smaller, but more eggs than crowd-reared females. The former produced smaller and more eggs with age, whereas the latter showed a tendency to produce larger and fewer eggs over time. A similar tendency was also observed with virgin females, indicating that mating or the presence of males was not important. The first egg pod produced by each mated crowd-reared female contained significantly smaller and more eggs than did the subsequent egg pods. The former often produced many green hatchlings (0-100%) characteristic of solitarious forms, whereas the egg pods deposited after the first pod produced predominantly black hatchlings typical of gregarious forms. Adults were highly sensitive to a shift in rearing density and quickly modified the quality and quantity of their progeny depending on the density encountered. The number of eggs per pod was influenced not only by the mother's rearing density but also by rearing density of the grandmother. The present results demonstrated that the characteristics of progeny are influenced not only by the crowding conditions experienced by the mother and grandmother but also by the mother's reproductive cycle.