Seed transmission of turnip yellow mosaic virus in winter turnip and winter oilseed rapes

This is the first record of seed transmission of turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) in oilseed and turnip rapes. The seed transmission of TYMV in a naturally infected winter turnip rape (Brassica napus var. silvestris) cultivar Perko PVH was investigated. By ELISA 1.6%, 3.2% and 8.3% seed transmission of the virus was found in seed of plants from three localities. The proportion of infected seeds produced by artificially infected plants of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) and winter turnip rape cultivars was determined. The virus transmission rate, expressed as the proportion of virus-infected plants which germinated from the seed was for the oilseed rape cvs Jet Neuf 0.1%, Solida 0.4%, Silesia 0.8%, Darmor 1.2%, SL-507 0.2%, SL-509 0.0% and for the winter turnip rape cv. Perko 1.5%. ELISA cannot be used in direct tests on bulk seed lots to estimate proportion of infected seed, but must be used on germinated seedlings.     

Inferring cultural reproduction from lithic data: A critical review

The cultural reproduction of lithic technology, long an implicit assumption of archaeological theories, has garnered increasing attention over the past decades. Major debates ranging from the origins of the human culture capacity to the interpretation of spatiotemporal patterning now make explicit reference to social learning mechanisms and cultural evolutionary dynamics. This burgeoning literature has produced important insights and methodological innovations. However, this rapid growth has sometimes led to confusion and controversy due to an under-examination of underlying theoretical and methodological assumptions. The time is thus ripe for a critical assessment of progress in the study of the cultural reproduction of lithic technology. Here we review recent work addressing the evolutionary origins of human culture and the meaning of artifact variation at both intrasite and intersite levels. We propose that further progress will require a more extended and context-specific evolutionary approach to address the complexity of real-world cultural reproduction.     

Resource availability at three presumed stages of a heathland succession on the Lüneburger Heide,Germany

Abstract. The availability of maj or plant resources was investigated in three vegetation types that were assumed to represent different stages of a secondary succession on heathland on the Lüneburger Heide, northwestern Germany. Canopy transmission and absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), soil-water availability, and nutrient (Ca, K, Mg, N, P) availability were monitored with high spatial and temporal resolution in (1) a Calluna vulgaris heathland, (2) a pioneer birch-pine forest and (3) a late-successional oak-beech forest, situated close to each other on comparable geological substrate (diluvial). Mean fractional transmission of PAR during summer decreased from 0.48 in the heathland to 0.04 in the oak-beech forest while the fractional canopy absorption increased from 0.49 to 0.92. Soil-water availability as indicated by the soil-water potential, was significantly influenced by differential canopy interception loss and characteristic rooting patterns in the three vegetation types. Annual mean nutrient concentrations in the equilibrium soil solution were similar or, for some elements, increased from the heathland to the birch-pine and the oak-beech forest despite a growing demand. A marked increase was found for the total nutrient pools in the soil-organic layer between early and late successional vegetation types. On the poor glacial parent material, nutrient pools seem to be strongly dependent on stand productivity and litter production which increased with succession. Thus, for nutrients, facilitation seems to be important in this type of succession.     

The rhabditid nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita as a potential biological control agent for slugs

A nematode, Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, known to be associated with slugs but not previously thought to be parasitic, was shown to be a parasite capable of killing the pest slug Deroceras reticulatum. The parasite infects slugs in the area beneath the mantle surrounding the shell, causing a disease with characteristic symptoms, particularly swelling of the mantle. Infection leads to death of the slug, usually between seven and 21 days afterwards. The nematode then spreads and multiplies in the cadaver. In an experiment where individual D. reticulatum were exposed to different numbers of P. hermaphrodita, a significant positive relationship was found between nematode dose and slug mortality. In two experiments on host range, the nematode was found to infect and kill all pest slug species tested: Deroceras caruanae, Arion distinctus, Arion silvaticus, Arion intermedius, Arion ater, Tandonia sowerbyi and T. budapestensis, in addition to D. reticulatum.     

Comparative transmission of, and varietal reaction to, three isolates of rice tungro virus disease

Comparative transmission by leafhoppers of three tungro isolates obtained from the Philippines, India and Malaysia, and of an infectious clone of the Philippine isolate of rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) by agroinoculation, was conducted on 12 rice cultivars. The symptoms, including height of inoculated plants were recorded and the efficiency of RTBV and rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) transmission was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In most cases, the reduction of height and leaf symptoms of plants infected with RTBV and/or RTSV by the three isolates were similar in any given cultivar. On cultivar ASD 7 , the Malaysian isolate showed more severe yellow orange leaf discolouration symptoms than the Indian isolate which in turn had more severe leaf discolouration than the Philippine isolate. On the other hand, cultivars ASD 7 and Ptb 18 produced the most severe yellow orange leaf discolouration when agroinoculated with an infectious RTBV clone of the Philippine isolate. There was some variation in the transmission profile of the two tungro viruses among the three isolates. However, there was no one clear set of characteristics by which one could use cultivars to distinguish isolates. The amount of viral DNA in agroinfected plants of cultivars Utri merah, Balimau putih, Utri Rajapan and ARC 11554 was low, while the amount was high in cultivars TN1, ASD7, Ptb 18 and TKM 6. There was high correlation between the amount of viral coat protein by ELISA and viral nucleic acid by DNA hybridisation on 10 agroinoculated rice cultivars; this might indicate that similar proportions of the total RTBV DNA are encapsidated in each cultivar.     

Broad bean wrinkly seed caused by artichoke yellow ringspot nepovirus

Artichoke yellow ringspot nepovirus (AYRV) was isolated from stunted broad bean plants in Crete showing leaf mottling and deformation and wrinkling of seed testas. AYRV identification was based on host range, behaviour during purification, electron microscopy and serology. AYRV-broad bean isolate was seed-transmitted in broad bean, and embryo infection appeared to be a prerequisite for virus transmission to seedlings. Transmission through pollen was not detected in broad bean plants, although pollen grains were externally contaminated by the virus. Ovule infection occurred in a high proportion of seed and was independent of pollination.     

Genetic and environmental variation in anther,pollen and pistil dimensions in sesame

Measurements of anther (length, width, depth), pollen grain (percent fertility, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, polar diameter/equatorial diameter ratio, volume) and pistil (stigma length, style length, ovary length, total pistil length, stigma width, style width, ovary width) were taken on 12 diverse sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes on each of four collection dates in 1994. Highly significant differences among genotype means were obtained for all characters except polar diameter. Highly significant differences among environment (collection date) means were found for ten of the 15 characters measured. Highly significant genotype x environment interactions were obtained for all characters except anther length. For the anther characters measured, relatively high repeatability values were found, ranging from 99.8% for length to 87.6% for depth. For the pollen grain characters measured, the repeatability values ranged from 67.6% for percent fertility to 23.1% for polar diameter. For the pistil characters measured, the repeatability values ranged from 94.0% for style width to 49.6% for total pistil length. These results indicate that genotype and environment influence anther, pollen grain and pistil characters. Variation in some of these morphological aspects could influence the consistency and interpretation of male transmission studies on both the applied and evolutionary levels.