Evaluation of organic insecticides for management of spotted‐wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in berry crops

Spotted‐wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), is an invasive pest affecting fruit production in many regions of the world. Insecticides are the primary tactic for controlling D. suzukii in organic as well as conventional production systems. Organic growers have a greater challenge because fewer insecticides are approved for use in organic agriculture. The most effective organically approved product is spinosad, but alternatives are needed because of label restrictions limiting the number of applications per year, toxicity to beneficial arthropods and the risk of developing resistance. We evaluated several organically approved insecticides against D. suzukii in laboratory assays and field trials conducted on organic blueberry and raspberry farms. Spinosad was consistently the most effective insecticide, but a few other insecticides such as azadirachtin + pyrethrins, Chromobacterium subtsugae and sabadilla alkaloids showed moderate activity. None of the treatments had long residual activity. Mortality started to decline by 3 days after treatment, and by 5 days after application, the treatments were not different from the controls. These products may be useful in rotation programmes, necessary for reducing reliance on spinosad and mitigating resistance. Cultural and biological control approaches are needed in fruit production for D. suzukii management, but insecticides will likely continue to be the dominant management tactic while these other approaches are being optimized and adopted.     

Fragments and dust after Holmium laser lithotripsy with or without “Moses technology”: How are they different?

Urinary stones can be readily disintegrated by Holmium:YAG laser (Holmium laser lithotripsy), resulting in a mixture of small stone dust particles, which will spontaneously evacuate with urine and larger residual fragments (RF) requiring mechanical retrieval. Differences between fragments and dust have not been well characterized. Also, it remains unknown how the recently introduced “Moses technology” may alter stone disintegration products. Three complementary analytical techniques have been used in this study to offer an in‐depth characterization of disintegration products after in vitro Holmium laser lithotripsy: stereoscopic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. Dust was separated from fragments based on its floating ability in saline irrigation. Depending on initial crystalline constituents, stone dust either conserved attributes found in larger RFs or showed changes in crystalline organization. These included conversion of calcium oxalate dihydrate towards calcium oxalate monohydrate, changes in carbapatite spectra towards an amorphous phase, changes of magnesium ammonium phosphate towards a differing amorphous and crystalline phase and the appearance of hydroxyapatite on brushite fragments. Comparatively, “Moses technology” produced more pronounced changes. These findings provide new insights suggesting a photothermal effect occurring in Holmium laser lithotripsy. Figure: Appearance of hydroxyapatite hexagons on stone dust collected after Holmium laser lithotripsy of a brushite stone using “Moses technology.”      

‘赛蜜酥1号’枣及其芽变品系果实的性状差异北大核心CSCD

该试验以‘赛蜜酥1号’枣及其芽变品系‘赛蜜酥2号’果实为试验材料,运用流式细胞术对它们的倍性进行鉴定,采用石蜡切片法进行果实细胞组学的观察,并对两者果实生长发育过程中的内外观品质及决定果实口感的蔗糖代谢相关酶活性进行比较分析,为深入研究芽变对枣果实口感、品质造成的影响提供理论支持。结果表明:(1)‘赛蜜酥2号’芽变品系的细胞倍性未发生改变,仍为二倍体。(2)两个枣品种(系)果实在外部形态上有明显区别,‘赛蜜酥1号’为卵圆型,‘赛蜜酥2号’为扁圆型,且后者的果形指数成熟时大于1,单果质量高于前者,核小、可食率更高,皮薄果实更加酥脆;‘赛蜜酥1号’果皮的蜡质层厚度一直大于其芽变枣,两者角质层厚度和表皮层厚度的变化趋势基本一致,但厚度之间具有显著差异。(3)影响果实细胞生长、分裂,果实脱落的各类激素水平在品种间均存在显著差异,‘赛蜜酥2号’IAA和GA_(3)含量显著高于‘赛蜜酥1号’,使之果形更大。(4)两个枣品种(系)果实可溶性糖、可滴定酸、维生素C、植物淀粉、可溶性蛋白含量等随发育时期的变化趋势一致,但含量水平之间存在差异,‘赛蜜酥2号’果实的糖含量、维生素C含量更高,可滴定酸含量更低,口感更甘甜。(5)两品种枣果实的蔗糖代谢相关酶活性在果实迅速生长的膨大期都存在着显著差异,也导致‘赛蜜酥2号’果实甜度明显高于‘赛蜜酥1号’。研究发现,两个枣品种均为二倍体,它们在果实外部形态上存在明显区别,易于分辨;芽变品系‘赛蜜酥2号’果实更大,核小、可食率更高,皮薄更加酥脆,口感更甘甜。     

印度南瓜梭形果突变体的发现及遗传分析

从印度南瓜自交系HL中发现了一个梭形果突变体HL-fu。该突变体的花、果、茎等多器官的生物学特性同时发生了明显变异:雌花及雄花花器中异性花蕊的残存度较野生型高;果实为梭形,果形指数达野生型5倍;节间呈现长短交替分布的排列状态,叶序类似于对生。以突变体HL-fu与野生型HL杂交分别构建了正、反交F1,正交F2,BC1(P1)F1、BC1(P2)F1群体进行遗传分析,推测该变异类型为隐性多效单基因突变,突变性状受1对隐性核基因fu控制。探讨了梭形果突变体在南瓜育种及相关基础研究方面的潜在价值。     

Rapid shifting of foraging pattern by Yakushima macaques ( Macaca fuscata yakui ) in response to heavy fruiting of Myrica rubra

We describe short-term changes in foraging behavior by wild Yakushima macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui),which inhabit a warm-temperate broad—leaved forest on Yakushima Island (30°N, 131°E), Japan. Rapid changes of dietary composition, activity budget, and range use by the monkeys occurred from May to June, apparently associated with changes in the availability of the fruit of Myrica rubraBefore the fruit ripened, monkeys spent less time moving and more time feeding on many species of leaves, which accounted for 40% of feeding time. However, when M. rubrabegan to ripen, they fed intensively on the fruit, which accounted for three-fourths of feeding time,though the activity budget remained unaffected As fiuit of M. rubradecreased,the monkeys fed more on the fruit of other species and on insects, and spent more time moving at higher speeds. There marked shifts in foraging pattern occurred within only two months. In terms of moving cost and dietary quality,Yakushima macaques shifted their foraging pattern according to the availability of M. rubrafrom a “low-cost, low-yield” strategy to a “low-cost, high-yield” strategy, and then to a more costly strategy. The ability to make such rapid shifts in foraging pattern may allow the macaques to effectively use the highly variable food supply within their small range.     

Exploiting the complete yeast genome sequence

The completion of the genome sequence of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae marks the dawn of an exciting new era in eukaryotic biology that will bring with it a new understanding of yeast, other model organisms, and human beings. This body of sequence data benefits yeast researchers by obviating the need for piecemeal sequencing of genes, and allows researchers working with other organisms to tap into experimental advantages inherent in the yeast system and learn from functionally characterized yeast gene products which are their proteins of interest. In addition, the yeast post-genome sequence era is serving as a testing ground for powerful new technologies, and proven experimental approaches are being applied for the first time in a comprehensive fashion on a complete eukaryotic gene repertoire.     

Protein profiling in F<Subscript>1</Subscript> and F<Subscript>2</Subscript> generations of two tomato genotypes differing in ripening time

Pericarp polypeptide profiles were analyzed at three ripening stages in the F₁ hybrid and the F₂ population from the cross between the accessions: LA1385 (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) and 804627 (L. esculentum, a homozygous genotype for the nor mutant). Six polymorphic polypeptides were observed in LA1385, while no polymorphic polypeptides among ripening stages was observed in 804627. On the other hand, some polypeptides in the F₁ hybrid were not observed in the parents whereas others were present in both parental genotypes and were unnoticeable in the hybrid genotype. From a cluster analysis on the protein profiles of the F₂ population, the differential expression of proteins allowed to distinguish mature green (MG) stage from the others two stages, while for breaker stage (BR) and red ripe stage, the genetic background was more important in forming groups. The differential expression of proteins could be associated with fruit morphology traits such as a 72 kDa polypeptide present in MG stage with fruit diameter, height and mass and a 47 kDa polypeptide found in BR with fruit shelf life.     

Evidence for the involvement of ethylene in the expression of specific RNAs during maturation of the orange,a non-climacteric fruit

Twelve cDNAs corresponding to mRNAs inducible by ethylene were isolated by differential screening of a cDNA library from ethylene-treated Citrus sinensis fruits. Northern analysis of RNA extracted from flavedo of ethylene-treated fruits and from fruits at different maturation stages showed that some of the mRNAs corresponding to these cDNAs were regulated both by ethylene treatment and during fruit maturation. The effect of exogenous ethylene on leaves and of endogenous ethylene on flowers showed that gene induction was not restricted to the flavedo tissue. The possible role of ethylene during maturation of the non-climacteric Citrus fruit is discussed.