Daily variations in water relations of apricot trees under different irrigation regimes

Mature apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. cv. Búlida) trees, growing under field conditions, were submitted to two drip irrigation treatments: a control (T1), irrigated to 100 % of seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and a continuous deficit (T2), irrigated to 50 % of the control throughout the year. The behaviour of leaf water potential and its components, leaf conductance and net photosynthesis were studied at three different times during the growing season, when they revealed a diurnal and seasonal pattern in response to water stress, evaporative demand of the atmosphere and leaf age. The deficit-irrigated trees showed, among other effects, a pronounced decrease in leaf water potential (ψ_w), decreased in leaf conductance (g_s) and no osmotic adjustment. For this reason, g_l and ψ_w can be considered good indicators of mature apricot tree water status and can therefore be used for irrigation scheduling.     

Chickpea varietal response to integrated weed management under different irrigation regimes

Pakistan ranks third among the chickpea growing countries of the world. Chickpea need less water that is why it is preferred by the farmers of the arid and semi- arid zone. The chickpea crop is severely infested by many weeds which reduce its yield and also deteriorate the quality of the grains. The un-availability of high competitive cultivars also had impact on the annual yield production of chickpea crop. The focus of the study was to evaluate sound, feasible and economic weed management strategies to uplift the yield of chickpea crop. The Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the major producer of chickpea crop. Therefore keeping in view the importance of the crop and as well as the problems associated with the crops, the experiments were conducted at Ahmad Wala Research Station Karak during years 2011^–12 and 2012–13 with Randomized Complete Block design with split split arrangement having four replications. Sowing was done on October 16th during both the studied years. To evaluate the potential of irrigation verses rainfed conditions five cultivars i.e. Karak-1, Karak-2, Sheenghar, Lawaghar and KC-98 and ten weed management techniques i.e. Stomp 330 EC (Pendimethalin), Stomp 330 EC + Hand Weeding (HW) at 60 DAS, Dual Gold 960 EC (S-Metolachlor), Dual Gold 960 EC + HW at 60 DAS, HW one time at (30 DAS), HW two times at (30 and 60 DAS), HW three times at (30, 60 and 90 DAS), White plastic mulch, Black plastic mulch and weedy check were tested. The data was recorded on the below mentioned parameters i.e. weed density m^?2 at 60 DAS, number of productive branches plant^?1, number of pods plant^?1, number of grain pods^?1, number of nodules plant^?1, grain yield (kg ha^?1) and Cost-benefit ratio (CBR). Results of the two years study revealed that with the exception of number of grains pods^?1, and cost benefit ratio, all the vegetative and yield parameters were significantly different during both the studied years. Comparing the effect of irrigation regimes versus rainfed conditions significantly (p < .05) difference was recorded in all parameters while the maximum values were in irrigated plots as compared to rainfed conditions. Significant (p < .05) difference was recorded in weeds density at 60 DAS (64.13 m^?2) found in irrigated plots as compared to rainfed conditions. The year wise comparison of the varieties was significant (p < .05) in number of pods plant^?1, grain yield (kg ha^?1). The varieties were also found with significant difference. After 60 days the minimum weed density (60.68 m^?2) was found in Karak-2 and the maximum weed density at 60 DAS (62.42 m^?2) was recorded in Sheenghar. Among the varieties the maximum values were found number of productive branches plant^?1 (15.89), number of pods plant^?1 (45.52), was found in Karak-1.The maximum number of grains pod^?1 (l.93) was found in Karak-2. The maximum number of nodules plant^?1 (28.54) in Sheenghar and grain yield (1484.1 kg ha^?1) and cost benefit ratio (3.32) was recorded in Lawaghar. The year wise comparison of weed management parameters was also significant in different parameters. However among the treatments after 60 DAS the minimum weed density (51.15 m^?2) was recorded in black and white plastic and the maximum weed density (99.54 m^?2) was recorded in the weedy check. Among the applied treatments for weed management the maximum number of productive branches plant^?1 (16.83), number of pods plant^?1 (52.46), number of grains pod^?1 (2.16) and grain yield (1659.75 kg ha^?1) was recorded in HW three times treatments while on the other hand maximum number of nodules plant^?1 (29.96) was recorded in both black and white plastic mulches. The maximum cost benefit ratio (3.39) was recorded in Stomp 330 EC. The minimum number of nodules plant^?1 (25.35) was found in Dual Gold EC 960 treated plots. The minimum number of productive branches plant^?1 (13.32), number of pods plant^?1 (31.47), number of grains pod^?1 (l.68) and grain yield (1148.4 kg ha^?1) was found in weedy check. The minimum cost benefit ratio (2.54) was found in black plastic mulches treated plots. From the above findings it is concluded that chickpea variety Lawaghar grown in the arid zone need subsequent irrigation. HW, black and white plastic mulches were found efficient for weed management but costly. However, the herbicide Stomp 330 EC was found efficient in weed control and gained maximum CBR in the experimental trial at Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.     

Plasticity in stomatal size and density of potato leaves under different irrigation and phosphorus regimes

The morphological features of stomata including their size and density could be modulated by environmental cues; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. Here, the effect of different irrigation and phosphorus (P) regimes on stomatal size (SS) and stomatal density (SD) of potato leaves was investigated. The plants were grown in split-root pots under two P fertilization rates (viz., 0 and 100 mg kg⁻¹ soil, denoted as P0 and P1, respectively) and subjected to full (FI), deficit (DI), and partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation regimes. Results showed that SS and SD were unresponsive to P but significantly affected by the irrigation treatment. FI plants had the largest SS, followed by DI, and PRD the smallest; and the reverse was the case for SD. Compared to FI and DI, PRD plants had significantly lower values of specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf carbon isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C) under P0. Midday leaf water potential (Ψ_leaf) and stomatal conductance (g_s) was similar for DI and PRD, which was significantly lower than that of FI. Leaf contents of C, N, K, Ca and Mg were higher in PRD than in DI plants, particularly under P0. When analyzed across the three irrigation regimes, it was found that the P1 plants had significantly higher leaf contents of P and Mg, but significantly lower leaf K content compared to the P0 plants. Linear correlation analyses revealed that SS was positively correlated with Ψ_leaf and Δ¹³C; whereas SD was negatively correlated with Ψ_leaf, Δ¹³C and SLA, and positively correlated with leaf C, N and Ca contents. And g_s was positively correlated with SS but negatively correlated with SD. Collectively, under low P level, the smaller and denser stomata in PRD plants may bring about a more efficient stomatal control over gas exchange, hereby potentially enhance water-use efficiency as exemplified by the lowered leaf Δ¹³C under fluctuating soil moisture conditions.     

Leaf water potential and leaf conductance during the growing season in almond trees under different irrigation regimes

Seasonal changes in leaf water potential (Φ) and leaf conductance (g₁) were determined in almond trees under different irrigation regimes. The development of water stress in the rainfed treatment induced a specific seasonal dynamics of Φ values and an important reduction in g₁ values. A decrease in g₁ values occurred independently of the irrigation treatment through the growing season. No statistically significant differences were obtained in g₁ values within the drip irrigated treatments.     

不同供水条件下冬小麦叶与非叶绿色 器官光合日变化特征

为揭示小麦叶片与非叶绿色器官的光合活性在一日中的变化特性及其在器官间的差异性,探讨群体及不同器官光合日变化对不同供水条件的响应特征,在田间设置生育期不灌水(I0)、灌2水(I2,拔节水＋开花水)和灌4水(I4,起身水+孕穗水+开花水+灌浆水)3个处理,于灌浆期测定了群体光合与呼吸速率的日变化, 旗叶片、叶鞘、穗、穗下节间各器官光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度及叶绿素荧光参数的日变化。结果表明,灌浆期小麦穗和穗下节间光合速率日变化呈单峰曲线,而旗叶叶片与旗叶鞘光合速率均呈双峰型,表现出不同程度的午休。随着灌水次数减少,各器官光合速率降低,叶片对严重水分亏缺的反应大于各非叶器官。器官光合速率的日变化与F_v/F_m变化相一致,而与气孔导度日变化有较大差异。各器官上午的累积光合量均高于下午,上午光合量占日总光合量的比例为51％-62％,随着灌水次数减少而增大。不同灌水处理群体光合速率、呼吸速率日变化均未出现午休现象。春季浇2水处理与春浇4水处理相比,灌浆期群体光合速率及日光合积累量没有显著差异。综合研究认为,小麦叶与非叶器官光合性能及其日变化特征有较大不同,非叶光合对水分亏缺的敏感性低于叶片,生育期浇2水可以获得与浇4水相似的群体日光合积累量。     

Soil microbial community responses to antibiotic-contaminated manure under different soil moisture regimes

Sulfadiazine (SDZ) is an antibiotic frequently administered to livestock, and it alters microbial communities when entering soils with animal manure, but understanding the interactions of these effects to the prevailing climatic regime has eluded researchers. A climatic factor that strongly controls microbial activity is soil moisture. Here, we hypothesized that the effects of SDZ on soil microbial communities will be modulated depending on the soil moisture conditions. To test this hypothesis, we performed a 49-day fully controlled climate chamber pot experiments with soil grown with Dactylis glomerata (L.). Manure-amended pots without or with SDZ contamination were incubated under a dynamic moisture regime (DMR) with repeated drying and rewetting changes of >20 % maximum water holding capacity (WHC_max) in comparison to a control moisture regime (CMR) at an average soil moisture of 38 % WHC_max. We then monitored changes in SDZ concentration as well as in the phenotypic phospholipid fatty acid and genotypic 16S rRNA gene fragment patterns of the microbial community after 7, 20, 27, 34, and 49 days of incubation. The results showed that strongly changing water supply made SDZ accessible to mild extraction in the short term. As a result, and despite rather small SDZ effects on community structures, the PLFA-derived microbial biomass was suppressed in the SDZ-contaminated DMR soils relative to the CMR ones, indicating that dynamic moisture changes accelerate the susceptibility of the soil microbial community to antibiotics.     

不同水稻品种对虫害胁迫的生理响应

以褐飞虱-水稻为模式,研究虫害胁迫下植物的化学防御生理生态特征,测定了可溶性糖含量、叶绿素含量、光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度以及细胞间隙二氧化碳浓度、防御酶的时间变化特征.结果表明,经虫害诱导,不同品种水稻可溶性糖含量降低;同时,光合速率以及叶绿素含量也相应下降;蒸腾速率、气孔导度和细胞间隙二氧化碳浓度的变化不显著。虫害对水稻叶片多酚氧化酶、过氧化物酶和脂氧合酶均具有诱导作用.这种诱导作用具有时间效应,且不同品种诱导作用不一致.     

Physiological behaviour, oxidative damage and antioxidative protection of olive trees grown under different irrigation regimes

Irrigation effects were investigated on an 8-year-old olive (Olea europaea L., cv. Cobrançosa) commercial orchard located in northeast Portugal. Trees were subjected to a rainfed control (T0) and three treatments (T1, T2, T3) that received a seasonal water amount equivalent to 30%, 60% and 100% of the estimated local evaporative demand by a drip irrigation system. Irrigation increases the photosynthetic activity of olive trees, in association with increases in water status, and reduces the midday and afternoon depression in gas exchange. The closely association between photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (g _s) revealed that the decline in net photosynthesis over the course of the day was largely a consequence of stomatal limitation. However, the ratio of intercellular to atmospheric CO₂ concentration increased markedly from morning to midday in non-irrigated plants, in spite of lower g _s, suggesting that non-stomatal limitations of photosynthesis also occur when environmental conditions become more stressful. The occurrence of perturbations at chloroplastic level in rainfed plants was demonstrated by a lower maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II during the afternoon. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements also revealed the occurrence of a dynamic photoinhibition in irrigated trees, mainly in T2 and T3, which seemed to be effective in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage. Irrigation enhances antioxidant protection and decreases the oxidative damage at leaf level. Leaves grown under rainfed conditions revealed symptoms of oxidative stress, like the reduction (14%) in chlorophyll concentration and the increased levels (57%) of lipid peroxidation. We also found that the scavenging function of superoxide dismutase was impaired in rainfed plants. In contrast, the low thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration in T3 indicates that irrigation enhances the repairing mechanisms and decreases the oxidative damage by lipid peroxidation. Accordingly, leaves in T3 treatment had high levels of –SH compounds and the highest antioxidant potential. Meanwhile, the finding that guaiacol peroxidase activity increased in rainfed plants, associated with the appearance of oxidative damage, suggests that this enzyme has no major antioxidative function in olive.     

Population growth of Rhopalosiphum padi under different thermal regimes: an agent-based model approach

1. Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus, 1758) is abundant and has a broad geographic distribution. It is one of the most important cereal pests. In Brazil, the economic losses associated with this aphid result mainly from the transmission of the barley yellow dwarf viruses.
2. Decision-making for the adoption of management measures must consider the initial population size, the potential for population increase, and the time when this population will reach levels at which the resulting damage is equal to the costs of control measures. Consequently, the establishment of management programmes and decision support systems should be based on models that estimate the potential population growth of this pest species.
3. Temperature is one of the main factors that determine the growth rate of insect populations. Generally, controlled experiments are designed to examine the relationship of temperature at fixed intervals in relation to the development phases of insects. In nature, thermal regimes are not constant, and population growth is the result of a series of combined events.
4. In this work, the effects of different thermal regimes on the population growth of R. padi were compared.
5. An agent-based model was used to estimate population growth, and the parameters defined in controlled regimes were compared with fluctuating temperatures under natural conditions.
6. The temperature-driven model presented here can serve as a tool to predict population growth and decision-making for aphid management.
7. The model structure and the proposed experimental design allow the addition of modules and layers of factors that can progressively affect the populations of aphids to gradually improve the model.

     

Vole mound effects and disturbance rate in a mediterranean plant community under different grazing and irrigation regimes

A factorial field experiment was used to assess the influence of soil-disturber mammals in the structure of a 9-year-old Mediterranean annual plant community subjected to different sheep grazing and irrigation regimes. We estimated the disturbance rate (mound building activity) by Mediterranean voles, their effects on vegetation and the mechanisms of these effects during a period of vole outbreak. The effects on vegetation were analysed at the levels of species, functional groups and plant community. Disturbance rate was high and voles can disturb the entire soil surface once every four or five years. The availability of certain trophic resources (perennial plants) appeared to drive vole expansion in the experimental plots and it was independent of the irrigation and grazing treatments. Mound building activities largely affected vegetation but conserved plot differences. Total vegetation cover, absolute cover of all functional groups, mean vegetation height and species richness were less on mounds than on undisturbed ground. These effects did not change the relative abundance of annuals, perennials, grasses and forbs. Only the relative abundance of small-seeded species decreased on mounds. As the proportion of these seeds was similar in both types of patches, we suggest that small-seeded species had more difficulties for germinating or emerging when they are buried during mound formation. Irrigation and sheep grazing promoted large changes in the vegetation parameters but these effects were, in general, similar on mounds and undisturbed ground. Our results show that the availability of germinable seeds may be the major limitation for mound revegetation, probably due to the scarcity of seeds existing at the depths from which soils are excavated. Our results also suggested a resource limitation on mounds. The results provide additional evidence that soil disturbances by small herbivore mammals exert relevant ecological effects on abandoned Mediterranean croplands. We discuss the ecological implications of vole mound-building activities for plant succession, plant species conservation and forage resource availability for livestock. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Phytochemical and physiological changes in Salvia officinalis L. under different irrigation regimes by exogenous applications of putrescine

Water stress is the major factor limiting plant productivity and quality in most regions of the world. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to determine the influence of putrescine (Put) on phytochemical, physiological, and growth parameters of Salvia officinalis L. under different irrigation regimes. The highest stem dry weight (56.05 and 65.21 g m⁻²) plus leaf dry weight (124.51 g m⁻²) were predicted in irrigation regimes of (20 and 40%) plus 20% available soil water was depleted (ASWD), respectively. Total phenolic content (TPC) was increased significantly under the irrigation regime of 80% with the application of distilled water in spring. TPC showed an increasing trend with increases in Put concentration under all irrigation regimes in both spring and summer. The highest total flavonoids content (TFC) in wavelengths of 415 and 367 nm were predicted in 2.25 mM Put. The highest ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity (0.13 μmol mg⁻¹ protein) was predicted in the irrigation regime of 20% with the application of distilled water in spring and summer. There was a significantly negative correlation coefficient between APX, TPC, and TFC. Indeed, there was a decreasing trend in APX and an increasing trend in TPC and TFC with increases in Put concentration under the irrigation regime of 20% ASWD. The highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (HRSA) values were obtained under irrigation regimes of 49.27% and 20% ASWD in spring and summer, respectively. There was an increasing trend in endogenous Put with increases in the Put concentration. The responses of compatible osmolytes to irrigation regime can be expressed by quadratic model, suggesting maximum proline (0.52 mg g⁻¹), total reducing sugars (TRS) (0.37 mg g⁻¹), xylose (0.68 mg g⁻¹), and mannose (0.37 mg g⁻¹) values would be obtained in irrigation regimes of 68.33%, 48.33%, 53.75%, and 56.25% ASWD, respectively.     

Morphological responses to different flooding regimes in Carex brevicuspis

Water regime can be described by the depth, duration, frequency, and timing and predictability of flooded and dry phases. Despite growing recognition of the importance of water regimes in the regulation of plant growth and distribution, which components of water regimes that determine plant growth are not well known. To identify the causative components, 72 ramets of Carex brevicuspis were grown under six different water regime treatments (treatment A: constant 0 cm water level; treatment B: constant 30 cm water level; treatment C: 0 cm water level to 30 cm water level for 30 days, repeated 2 times; treatment D: 30 cm water level to 0 cm water level for 30 days, repeated 2 times; treatment E: 0 cm water level to 30 cm water level for 5 days, repeated 12 times; and treatment F: 30 cm water level to 0 cm water level for 5 days, repeated 12 times). Biomass accumulation, below:above ground biomass ratio, number of ramets, and proportions of spreading and clumping ramet were assessed. Biomass accumulation decreased only in relation to length of flooding. The highest biomass accumulation occurred in the 120‐day + 0 cm water level treatment, it was intermediate in the four 60 day + 30 cm water level treatments, and lowest in the 120 day + 30 cm water level treatment. Likewise, the below:above ground ratio decreased only with increasing length of flooding. Ramet number was highest in the 120 day + 0 cm water level treatment, intermediate in the four 60 day + 30 cm water level treatments, and lowest in the 120 day + 30 cm water level treatment. The proportion of spreading ramets increased from 28.0% in the 120 day + 0 cm water level treatment to 76.4% in the 120 day + 30 cm water level treatment. These data suggest that the growth of C. brevicuspis was only limited by the duration of flooding. Reduction of the below:above ground ratio and change from phalanx to guerrilla growth form are effective strategies for C. brevicuspis to acclimate to flooding stress, because they allow the plant to grow above the water surface and escape from anoxic conditions. Our study provides experimental information on the role of different components of water regimes in regulating plant growth, and may assist in protection and restoration of the C. brevicuspis community.     

Effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on ecophysiological responses of pistachio plants grown under different water regimes

In a greenhouse experiment, the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices) and water stress [100% field capacity (FC), 75% FC, 50% FC and 25% FC] on maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (F_v/F_m) and some other ecophysiological characteristics of two pistachio cultivar (Pistacia vera cv. Badami-Riz-Zarand and Pistacia vera cv. Qazvini) were investigated.     

Population responses and fatty acid profiles of Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) in relation to different thermal regimes

Diurnal temperature fluctuations affect ectothermic species more than endothermic taxa. We tested the effect of three fixed temperatures (20, 25 and 30 °C) and a 24 h variable (20–30 °C) on the population growth and fatty acid profiles of the common rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Depending on the temperature treatment, the peak population abundances of B. calyciflorus varied from 65 to 80 ind./ml, the lowest being on variable temperature range. The rate of population increase varied from 0.31 to 0.52 per day, highest being at 30 °C. There was a curvilinear relationship between the population density and the egg ratio (number of eggs/female) in all the tested temperature regimes. The egg ratio was higher (>0.6) for treatments involving fixed temperatures, but for variable temperature regime, the egg ratios were lower (<0.5). Temperature also induced changes in the fatty acid content of B. calyciflorus. While the total saturated fatty acids increased, both mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids decreased with increasing temperature regime. These results have been interpreted in relation to the role of temperature (both intensity and mode of exposure) on the population growth characteristics of rotifers.     

Metabolic responses of Eucalyptus species to different temperature regimes

Species and hybrids of Eucalyptus are the world's most widely planted hardwood trees. They are cultivated across a wide range of latitudes and therefore environmental conditions. In this context, comprehensive metabolomics approaches have been used to assess how different temperature regimes may affect the metabolism of three species of Eucalyptus, E. dunnii, E. grandis and E. pellita.Young plants were grown for 53 d in the greenhouse and then transferred to growth chambers at 10°C, 20°C or30°C for another 7 d. In all three species the leaf chlorophyll content was positively correlated to temperature, and in E.pellita the highest temperature also resulted in a significant increase in stem biomass. Comprehensive metabolomics was performed using untargeted gas chromatography mass spectrometry(GC-MS) and liquid chromatography(LC)-MS.This approach enabled the comparison of the relativeabundance of 88 polar primary metabolites from GC-MS and625 semi-polar secondary metabolites from LC-MS. Using principal components analysis, a major effect of temperature was observed in each species which was larger than that resulting from the genetic background. Compounds mostly affected by temperature treatment were subsequently selected using partial least squares discriminant analysis and were further identified. These putative annotations indicated that soluble sugars and several polyphenols, including tannins, triterpenes and alkaloids were mostly influenced.     

Physiological responses in Nile tilapia exposed to different photoperiod regimes

After conditioning Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus for 2 weeks, the photoperiod regime of 12 tanks of fish was changed to a 6L : 6D photoperiod while 12 further tanks were retained on the conditioning photoperiod regime (12L : 12D). Blood samples were collected 3 days (first sampling) and 3 months (second sampling) after changing the photoperiod regime. Blood was collected at 6 h intervals from both photoperiod regimes (1000, 1600, 2200 and 0400 hours). At the first sampling time, fish in the 6L : 6D had significantly higher cortisol both in the light and dark phases than levels in fish in the 12L : 12D photoperiod. At the second sampling time, the levels were significantly higher only in the light phase. The levels of cortisol, glucose and Cl⁻ in fish exposed to the 6L : 6D photoperiod, however, were far lower than those of acute stress‐induced levels observed in fish exposed to a stress experiment. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in overall values of all the variables between the photoperiod regimes at the second sampling time. This indicated that the fish exposed to the 6L : 6D photoperiod were not chronically stressed. Significantly higher blood lymphocyte counts were observed in fish exposed to the 6L : 6D compared to those of the 12L : 12D photoperiod during the light phase at the second sampling time. Other variables (glucose, Cl⁻, haematocrit and neutrophil) did not show a significant difference between the treatments at either sampling time. These results demonstrated that the artificial photoperiod regime did not cause a significant acute or chronic stress response in Nile tilapia.     

Proteomic analysis of Tunisian grapevine cultivar Razegui under salt stress

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses in agriculture worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean area. We report here a proteomic approach to investigate the salt stress-responsive proteins in grapevine (Vitis vinifera). Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to analyze the proteome of the salt-tolerant Tunisian grapevine cultivar Razegui, subjected to a supply of 100mm NaCl over 15d. Analysis of 2-DE gels derived from stressed plants revealed more than 800 reproducibly detected protein spots, with 48 proteins displaying a differential expression pattern, including 32 up-regulated, 9 down-regulated and 7 new protein spots induced after salt treatment. The presence of stress-responsive proteins in the different plant organs suggests that salt spreads systemically. Edman degradation analysis and database searching aided us in identifying a major protein GP. Database analysis revealed that this peptide has a 98% sequence similarity with a pathogenesis-related (PR) protein 10 (V. vinifera). A full-length cDNA encoding the GP protein was isolated from grapevine salt-stressed leaves and sequenced. The predicted protein contained 158 amino acids and showed 98% identity with PR10 protein of of V. vinifera (accession no. Cac16165).     

Variability in responses to thermal stress in parasitoids

Abstract 1. To study phenotypic effects of stress, a stress is applied to cohorts of organisms with an increasing intensity. In the absence of mortality the response of traits will be a decreasing function of stress intensity because of increasing physiological costs. We call such decreasing functions type A responses. 2. However, when stress caused mortality, some studies have found that for high stress intensities, survivors performed as well as control individuals (type B responses). We proposed that type A responses are caused by the physiological cost of stress whereas type B responses are caused by a mixture of physiological costs and selection. 3. The present study exposed Aphidius picipes wasps to an increasing duration of cold storage (cold stress), and obtained variable responses as predicted when both physiological costs and selection of resistant individuals determine the outcome. 4. When cold storage of parasitoids for biological control is desirable, research should be carried out to find (i) the temperature regime and duration of storage and (ii) the least sensitive stage for storage to minimise losses from mortality and reduction of fitness of survivors. 5. Selection by cold stress as observed in the present study could result in rapid adaptation of populations exposed to such stress.     

Water relations and xylem transport of nutrients in pepper plants grown under two different salts stress regimes

Two iso-osmotic concentrations of NaCl and Na₂SO₄ were used for discriminating between the effects of specific ion toxicities of salt stress on pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) grown in hydroponic conditions, in a controlled-environment greenhouse. The two salts were applied to plants at different electrical conductivities, and leaf water relations, osmotic adjustment and root hydraulic conductance were measured. Leaf water potential (_w), leaf osmotic potential (_o) and leaf turgor potential (_p) decreased significantly when EC increased, but the decrease was less for NaCl- than for Na₂SO₄-treated plants. The reduction in stomatal conductance was higher for NaCl-treated plants. There were no differences in the effect of both treatments on the osmotic adjustment, and a reduction in root hydraulic conductance and the flux of solutes into the xylem was observed, except for the saline ions (Na⁺, Cl^– and SO₄ ^2–). Therefore, pepper growth decreased with increasing salinity because the plants were unable to adjust osmotically or because of the toxic effects of Cl^–, SO₄ ^2– and/or Na⁺. However, turgor of NaCl-treated plants was maintained at low EC (3 and 4 dS m^–1) probably due to the maintenance of water transport into the plant (decrease of stomatal conductance), which, together with the lower concentration of Na⁺ in the plant tissues compared with the Na₂SO₄ treatment, could be the cause of the smaller decrease in growth.