Field trapping of male Phyllonorycter ringoniella using variable ratios of pheromone components

The sex pheromone of Phyllonorycter ringoniella (Matsumura) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) has been identified to be a blend of (Z)‐10‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z10‐14:OAc) and E4,Z10‐tetradecadienyl acetate (E4,Z10‐14:OAc) in Japan, Korea, and China. However, the commercial product based on previous results is not attractive enough to be used for monitoring and controlling apple leafminer populations in the field. We re‐investigated the attractiveness of the two pheromone components, singly and in blends, in apple orchards in Shangdong and Shaanxi, the main apple‐growing provinces in China. Our results revealed that Z10‐14:OAc alone was not attractive to P. ringoniella male moths in the field, but E4,Z10‐14:OAc alone not only was strongly attractive but caught more males than any of the blends of Z10‐14:OAc and E4,Z10‐14:OAc tested. The most attractive blend ratios differed slightly for the two locations. No clear dose–response relationship was obtained for the 2:8 blend of Z10‐14:OAc and E4,Z10‐14:OAc. However, the dose–response field study of E4,Z10‐14:OAc alone showed that 1 mg per lure achieved the highest moth catch. These findings differ from the previous report of the best pheromone blend in China. Our data showed that E4,Z10‐14:OAc is the major component of the pheromone of P. ringoniella.     

The influence of the progamic phase for fruiting in the apple tree

Final fruit production is the result of a number of processes, over which several environmental circumstances interact. But it is often difficult to disentangle the part played by each of these factors in the final crop. The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of the progamic phase for fruiting in the apple tree. For this purpose we track back the process that goes from flower to fruit, identifying the inflection points where the final crop is reduced. We evaluate early versus late fruit development, pollination versus non‐pollination, and the effect of the progamic phase that goes from pollination to fertilization. From flowers to fruits 15 weeks elapsed, but the final fruit set settled 8 weeks after flowering, and the main flower–fruit drop occurred 3–4 weeks after flowering. Differences between dropped fruits and those that remained in the tree emerged earlier, and the onset of fruiting started 7 days after pollination. This time was coincident with the time lapse of the progamic phase. These results show that fruiting gets established well ahead of cropping, but also that the progamic phase is the main determinant of the final fruit set in apple trees.     

授粉处理对红富士苹果果实品质影响的综合评价

以“长富2号”红富士苹果(Malus domestica ‘Red Fuji',Nagafu No. 2)为母本,9个授粉品种为父本,进行人工授粉,研究授粉处理对红富士苹果成熟期果实品质的影响,并构建基于主成分分析的综合评价函数。结果表明:果实的花青苷、单果重、维生素C、固酸比、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白、可滴定酸等主要经济性状,各授粉处理间差异较大,果形指数、硬度差异较小; 主成分分析提取6个主成分,累计方差贡献率达96.02%,根据主成分得分和方差相对贡献率构建综合评价函数,由综合评价函数确定9个授粉处理果实的综合品质由高到低的排序为雪球、美红、火焰、红星、道格、全家红、绚丽、荷红、粉芽。     

MHO对苹果虎皮病发生和果皮活性氧代谢的影响

为研究6-甲基-5-庚烯-2酮(MHO)诱导苹果虎皮病发病以及对果皮活性氧代谢的影响,该实验将冷藏210d的红星苹果用0.5、1.0、2.0mL/L的MHO进行外源处理后,测定其内源MHO含量,在25℃下放置10d后,期间定期测定货架期果皮中的MDA、O2.-、H2O2含量,以及PPO、SOD、CAT、POD活性的变化。结果表明,随着MHO处理浓度的增加,红星苹果果皮中MDA、O2.-、H2O2的含量也随之增加;果皮中的PPO活性逐渐上升,SOD、CAT、POD的活性随着MHO的处理浓度增加而降低;随着MHO处理浓度的增加,果实虎皮病的发病率也随之升高,同时果皮内源MHO含量也随之逐渐增加。研究认为,外源MHO可能通过降低抗氧化酶活性进而参与苹果虎皮病的发病过程。     

Evaluation of an indigenous parasitoid Habrobracon gelechiae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for biological control of light brown apple moth Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in California

Light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), is a newly invasive pest in California. Habrobracon gelechiae Ashmead is an indigenous North American ectoparasitoid of lepidopterans. Using E. postvittana as the host, we determined H. gelechiae host stage preference for oviposition and suitability for larval growth: the parasitoid attacked second to fifth instars, but preferred older (third to fifth) host larvae for oviposition, laying more eggs per clutch on the largest (fifth instar). Offspring survival was better on larger (third to fifth instars) hosts. Adult survival and fecundity and immature temperature development were studied at three key temperatures. At 12°C, H. gelechiae failed to oviposit. At 22 and 30°C, H. gelechiae had, respectively, egg to adult developmental times of 15.4 and 8.7 days, adult female survival of 54.8 and 27.2 days, lifetime parasitism of 39.9 and 21.8 hosts and 181 and 151 eggs per female, an intrinsic rate of increase of 0.107 and 0.165, and mean generation time 30.7 and 18.9 days. We studied intraguild interactions with the endoparasitoid Meteorus ictericus Nees, and found that H. gelechiae did not discriminate against hosts that were parasitised by M. ictericus. Neither the paralysing venom injected by H. gelechiae or the presence of the ectoparasitoid's eggs or larvae arrested M. ictericus development. We also conducted a field release of H. gelechiae on two plant species commonly infested by E. postvittana and showed that H. gelechiae was able to locate and attack moth larvae on both hosts.     

Pseudomonas fluorescens NZI7 repels grazing by C. elegans,a natural predator

The bacteriovorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to investigate many aspects of animal biology, including interactions with pathogenic bacteria. However, studies examining C. elegans interactions with bacteria isolated from environments in which it is found naturally are relatively scarce. C. elegans is frequently associated with cultivation of the edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus, and has been reported to increase the severity of bacterial blotch of mushrooms, a disease caused by bacteria from the Pseudomonas fluorescens complex. We observed that pseudomonads isolated from mushroom farms showed differential resistance to nematode predation. Under nutrient poor conditions, in which most pseudomonads were consumed, the mushroom pathogenic isolate P. fluorescens NZI7 was able to repel C. elegans without causing nematode death. A draft genome sequence of NZI7 showed it to be related to the biocontrol strain P. protegens Pf-5. To identify the genetic basis of nematode repellence in NZI7, we developed a grid-based screen for mutants that lacked the ability to repel C. elegans. The mutants isolated in this screen included strains with insertions in the global regulator GacS and in a previously undescribed GacS-regulated gene cluster, ‘EDB'' (‘edible''). Our results suggest that the product of the EDB cluster is a poorly diffusible or cell-associated factor that acts together with other features of NZI7 to provide a novel mechanism to deter nematode grazing. As nematodes interact with NZI7 colonies before being repelled, the EDB factor may enable NZI7 to come into contact with and be disseminated by C. elegans without being subject to intensive predation.     

外寄生菌——煤污病菌研究进展

煤污病菌生活在寄主组织表面,形成黑色的污斑和污点,影响果实外观,降低商品价值。煤污病菌能够利用植物的外渗物,也可以分解表皮的蜡质层,属于外寄生菌(ectophyte)。本文综述了煤污病菌的多样性、病征类型、分类鉴定研究方法、寄主范围、地理分布及其研究价值等方面的研究进展。     

Secretome analysis of virulent Pyrenophora teres f. teres isolates

Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt) causes net form net blotch disease of barley, partially by producing necrosis‐inducing proteins. The protein profiles of the culture filtrates of 28 virulent isolates were compared by a combination of 2DE and 1D‐PAGE with 105 spots and 51 bands chosen for analysis by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 259 individual proteins were identified with 63 of these proteins being common to the selected virulent isolates. Ptt secretes a broad spectrum of proteins including cell wall degrading enzymes; virulence factors and effectors; proteins associated with fungal pathogenesis and development; and proteins related to oxidation–reduction processes. Potential virulence factors and effectors identified included proteins with glucosidase activity, ricin B and concanavalin A‐like lectins, glucanases, spherulin, cutinase, pectin lyase, leucine‐rich repeat protein, and ceratoplatanin. Small proteins with unknown function but cysteine‐rich, common to effectors, were also identified. Differences in the secretion profile of the Ptt isolates have also provided important insight into the different mechanisms contributing to virulence and the development of net form net blotch symptoms.     

5-氨基乙酰丙酸对苹果叶片耐弱光能力的影响

为了探讨5-氨基乙酰丙酸(ALA)对苹果耐弱光性的影响,以‘润太2号’和‘郑优3号’两个品种苹果为材料,设置露天对照(CK)、轻度遮荫(LS)和重度遮荫(SS)3种光照条件,通过根际浇灌法研究了10mg·L~(-1) ALA处理对弱光条件下苹果叶片活性氧代谢与叶绿素荧光特性的影响。结果显示:(1)与CK相比,弱光胁迫显著降低了两品种苹果叶片的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)与过氧化物酶(POD)的活性,增大了超氧阴离子(O_2~(-·))产生速率以及过氧化氢(H2O2)和丙二醛(MDA)含量,且‘郑优3号’的活性氧产生速率及MDA含量在弱光下的升高幅度更大;ALA处理显著提高了弱光胁迫下两品种的保护酶活性,降低了活性氧产生速率和MDA含量,并以耐弱光性较差的‘郑优3号’的变化更显著。(2)在弱光胁迫下,苹果叶片的叶绿素含量和叶绿素b/a升高,而ALA处理使二者进一步显著升高。(3)弱光胁迫下,苹果叶片的叶绿素荧光参数V_J、M_o、DI_o/RC显著升高,而ψ_o、ψE_o、ψR_o、PI_(ABS)、PI_(CS)和PI_(total)显著降低;ALA处理抑制了叶绿素荧光参数在弱光胁迫下的变化,甚至使其达到优于对照的水平。研究表明,弱光条件下苹果的抗氧化能力较差,受到明显的氧化伤害,且‘郑优3号’的耐弱光能力比‘润太2号’差;ALA处理提高了苹果在弱光下的抗氧化能力,降低了弱光对苹果叶片的氧化伤害,同时还提高了弱光条件下苹果叶片捕捉、传递和转化光能的效率,改善了光合电子传递情况,增大了苹果叶片在弱光胁迫下的光能利用效率,改善了光合性能;根灌ALA可以明显提高苹果的耐弱光性。