Reduction in bacterial ooze formation on immature fruitlets after preventive treatments of Fosethyl-Al against fire blight Erwinia amylovora

Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora (Burill Winslow et al.), is a very important bacterial disease on apple and pear orchards with devastating effects in some production area and in some years. Fire blight control consists in a whole strategy of measures that should start with control measures in and around the fruit tree nurseries. Only the use of Vacciplant (Laminarin), an inducer of the self-defence mechanism, is registered in Belgium since 2009. In other European countries Fosethyl-Al has been registered for fire blight control. Recently, research trials have been done at Pcfruit research station for several years on the activity of ALiette (fosethyl-Al) against fire blight. Fosethyl-Al, also a plant defence enhancing molecule, applied preventively 3 times at a dose of 3.75 kg/ha standard orchard (3 x 3000 g a.i./ha standard orchard), showed a reduction in the host susceptibility and decreased the disease development on artificial inoculated flower clusters and shoots. Also a clear reduction in the ooze droplet formation on artificially inoculated immature fruitlets has been observed with this molecule. This reduction in the bacterial ooze formation is considered as a very important factor in the spread of the disease in the orchard.     

In Defence of the Vegan Project

The vegan project is defined as the project that strives for radical legal reform to pass laws that would reserve the consumption of animal products to a very narrow range of situations, resulting in vegan diets being the default diets for the majority of human beings. Two objections that have been raised against such a project are described. The first is that such a project would jeopardise the nutritional adequacy of human diets. The second is that it would alienate human beings from nature. It is argued that neither undermines the vegan project.     

Obesity, Public Health, and the Consumption of Animal Products

Partly in response to rising rates of obesity, many governments have published healthy eating advice. Focusing on health advice related to the consumption of animal products (APs), I argue that the individualistic paradigm that prevails must be replaced by a radically new approach that emphasizes the duty of all human beings to restrict their negative “Global Health Impacts” (GHIs). If they take human rights seriously, many governments from nations with relatively large negative GHIs—including the Australian example provided here—must develop strategies to reduce their citizens’ negative GHIs. As the negative GHIs associated with the consumption of many APs are excessive, it is my view that many governments ought to adopt a qualified ban on the consumption of APs.     

Influence of permanent raised bed planting and residue management on physical and chemical soil quality in rain fed maize/wheat systems

Densely populated, intensively cropped highland areas in the tropics and subtropics are prone to erosion and declining soil fertility, making agriculture unsustainable. Conservation agriculture in its version of permanent raised bed planting with crop residue retention has been proposed as an alternative wheat production system for this agro-ecological zone. A five years field experiment comparing permanent and tilled raised beds with different residue management under rainfed conditions was started at El Batán (Mexico) (2,240 m asl; 19.31°N, 98.50°W; Cumulic Phaeozem) in 1999. The objective of this study was to determine the soil quality status after five years of different management practices. The K concentration was 1.65 times and 1.43 times larger in the 0–5 cm and 5–20 cm profiles, respectively, for permanent raised beds compared to conventionally tilled raised beds. The Na concentration showed the opposite trend. Sodicity was highest for conventionally tilled raised beds and for permanent raised beds it increased with decreasing amounts of residue retained on the surface. Permanent raised beds with full residue retention increased soil organic matter content 1.4 times in the 0–5 cm layer compared to conventionally tilled raised beds with straw incorporated and it increased significantly with increasing amounts of residue retained on the soil surface for permanent raised beds. Soil from permanent raised beds with full residue retention had significantly higher mean weight diameter for wet and dry sieving compared to conventionally tilled raised beds. Permanent raised beds with full residue retention had significantly higher aggregate stability compared to those with residue removal. A lower aggregation resulted in a reduction of infiltration. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using these soil physicochemical variables that were significantly influenced by tillage or residue management. The PC1 and PC2 separated the conventionally tilled raised beds from the permanent raised beds and PC3 separated permanent raised beds with at least partial residue retention from permanent raised beds with no residue retention. These clear separations suggest that tillage and residue management have an effect on soil processes. The research indicates that permanent raised bed planting increases the soil quality and can be a sustainable production alternative for the (sub)tropical highlands. Extensive tillage with its associated high costs can be reduced by the use of permanent raised beds while at least partial surface residue retention is needed to insure production sustainability.     

Effects of recombinant adenovirus-mediated expression of IL-2 and IL-12 in human B lymphoma cells on co-cultured PBMC

Background  

Modulation of the immune system by genetically modified lymphoma cell vaccines is of potential therapeutic value in the treatment of B cell lymphoma. However, the anti-tumor effect of any single immunogene transfer has so far been limited. Combination treatment of recombinant IL-2 and IL-12 has been reported to be synergistic for inducing anti-tumor responses in solid tumors but the potential of IL-2/IL-12 gene modified B cell lymphoma cells has not been explored yet.     

Conventionally Tilled and Permanent Raised Beds with Different Crop Residue Management: Effects on Soil C and N Dynamics

Conservation tillage in its version of permanent bed planting under zero-tillage with crop residue retention has been proposed as an alternative wheat production system for northwest Mexico. However, little is known about the dynamics of C and N in soils under wheat/maize on permanent beds (PB) where straw was burned, removed, partly removed or retained, as opposed to conventionally tilled beds (CTB) where straw was incorporated. We investigated the dynamics of soil C and N and normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) crop values in zero-tilled PB and CTB after 26 successive maize and wheat crops. Organic C and total N were respectively, 1.15 and 1.17 times greater in PB with straw partly removed and with straw retained on the surface, than in CTB with straw incorporated. Organic C and total N were 1.10 times greater in soils with 300 kg N ha⁻¹ added than in unfertilized soil. Cumulative production of CO₂ was lower under CTB with straw incorporated than under PB treatments, and CO₂ production increased with increments in inorganic fertilizer. The N-mineralization rate was 1.18 times greater than in unamended soils when 150 kg inorganic N ha⁻¹ was applied, and 1.48 times greater when 300 kg inorganic N ha⁻¹ was added. The N-mineralization rate was significantly (1.66 times) greater in PB where the straw was burned or retained on the surface than in CTB where the straw was incorporated, but significantly (1.25 times) lower than in PB with straw partly removed. The NDVI values reached a maximum 56 days after planting and decreased thereafter. The NDVI for unfertilized soil were similar for CTB with straw incorporated, PB with straw partly removed, and PB with straw retained on the surface, but significantly lower for PB with straw burned and PB with straw removed. In soils to which 150 or 300 kg N ha⁻¹ was added, NDVI was significantly lower for PB with straw burned than for other treatments. Among other things, this suggests the utility of rotating maize or wheat with crops whose residues have lower C–N ratios, thus avoiding immobilization of large amounts of N for extended periods. PB with residue burning, however, is an unsustainable practice leading to low crop performance and soil and environmental degradation.