Enhancing coral larval supply and seedling production using a special bundle collection system “coral larval cradle” for large‐scale coral restoration

Larval recruitment is essential for sustaining coral communities and a fundamental tool in some interventions for reef restoration. To improve larval supply and post‐settlement survival in sexually assisted coral restoration efforts, an integrated in situ collector system, the larval cradle, was designed to collect spawned gametes then culture the resulting larvae until settled on artificial substrates. The final design of the larval cradle was cylindrical, a nylon mesh structure with a volume of 9 m³, suspended in the sea and extending vertically toward the seabed. We found three key design features that improved the efficiency of the apparatus: (1) an open area of sea surface and mesh size of less than 100 μm produced high fertilization and optimal survival (>90%), (2) a special skirt‐shaped net (3 m in diameter) with a connection hose for attaching the cradle to collect bundles from many adult colonies over a wide area and at various depths, and (3) adding short square tube pieces, called square hollow sections, as a substrate for enhancing larval settlement and survival, to a larval cradle at 4 days after spawning was optimal for uniform settlement. This system allowed not only the collection of several million eggs, but also subsequent production of several thousand settled juvenile corals, without land facilities. Our design achieved several hundred times higher survival for early life stages of Acropora tenuis compared to nature.     

Genetic diversity of Puccinia kuehnii,the causal agent of orange rust of sugarcane,from Brazil

The use of resistant genotypes is the preferred method to control orange rust of sugarcane (Saccharum spp) caused by Puccinia kuehnii. This approach has been adopted in Brazil but outbreaks of the disease on previously resistant varieties showed that the efficacy of this method is limited and requires a better understanding of pathogen diversity. Nevertheless, adequate molecular markers for examining pathogen diversity at population level are not available, which limits the success of orange rust control by genetic resistance. Therefore, two independent investigations were conducted to examine genetic diversity of P. kuehnii from São Paulo state, the most important sugarcane growing state of Brazil. First, simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed in the present work and genotypic diversity of orange rust isolates from different locations investigated. Second, phenotypic diversity was examined by the single-pustule inoculation technique on P. kuehnii isolates retrieved from three susceptible commercial sugarcane cultivars. A total of 96 SSR markers were generated and tested for this species. Subsequently, 29 isolates of P. kuehnii were fingerprinted with nine SSR markers to estimate the genotypic diversity by neighbour-joining and 3D principal coordinates. The 29 isolates of the pathogen clustered into four main groups, which were identified by three SSR markers (NPRL_PK_108a, NPRL_PK_162_spka and NPRL_PK_221_spka). Phenotypic data at 21 days after the single-pustule inoculation showed that P. kuehnii from highly susceptible commercial cultivars harboured a small proportion of variants capable of causing disease on resistant cultivars. A differential reaction was demonstrated for the most virulent variant in a repeated experiment confirming the existence of races within P. kuehnii in Brazil.     

Rapid reversal of a potentially constraining genetic covariance between leaf and flower traits in Silene latifolia

Genetic covariance between two traits generates correlated responses to selection, and may either enhance or constrain adaptation. Silene latifolia exhibits potentially constraining genetic covariance between specific leaf area (SLA) and flower number in males. Flower number is likely to increase via fecundity selection but the correlated increase in SLA increases mortality, and SLA is under selection to decrease in dry habitats. We selected on trait combinations in two selection lines for four generations to test whether genetic covariance could be reduced without significantly altering trait means. In one selection line, the genetic covariance changed sign and eigenstructure changed significantly, while in the other selection line eigenstructure remained similar to the control line. Changes in genetic variance–covariance structure are therefore possible without the introduction of new alleles, and the responses we observed suggest that founder effects and changes in frequency of alleles of major effect may be acting to produce the changes.     

Predation of potential insect pests in oil palm plantations,rubber tree plantations,and fruit orchards

In human‐modified landscapes, important ecological functions such as predation are negatively affected by anthropogenic activities, including the use of pesticides and habitat degradation. Predation of insect pests is an indicator of healthy ecosystem functioning, which provides important ecosystem services, especially for agricultural systems. In this study, we compare predation attempts from arthropods, mammals, and birds on artificial caterpillars in the understory, between three tropical agricultural land‐use types: oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards. We collected a range of local and landscape‐scale data including undergrowth vegetation structure; elevation; proximity to forest; and canopy cover in order to understand how environmental variables can affect predation. In all three land‐use types, our results showed that arthropods and mammals were important predators of artificial caterpillars and there was little predation by birds. We did not find any effect of the environmental variables on predation. There was an interactive effect between land‐use type and predator type. Predation by mammals was considerably higher in fruit orchards and rubber tree than in oil palm plantations, likely due to their ability to support higher abundances of insectivorous mammals. In order to maintain or enhance natural pest control in these common tropical agricultural land‐use types, management practices that benefit insectivorous animals should be introduced, such as the reduction of pesticides, improvement of understory vegetation, and local and landscape heterogeneity.     

基于植保大数据的病虫害移动智能采集新设备

为提高农作物重大病虫害发生信息自动化、智能化采集能力,全面提升监测预警水平,笔者基于大数据、人工智能和深度学习技术,研发了一款农作物病虫害移动智能采集设备——智宝,主要实现了3个方面的功能:一是病虫害发生信息自动采集上报.通过该产品进行人工拍照,可实现对田间农作物重大病虫害发生图像、发生位置、发生数量、微环境因子等数据的实时采集和上报.二是自动识别计数.基于植保大数据与人工智能技术,通过构建病虫害自动识别系统,可实现重大病虫害精准识别与分析,只要拍摄照片,即可快速、精确地识别病虫害种类,并自动计数、上报到指定的测报系统.三是自动分析判别分级.针对拍摄采集上报的重大病虫害发生信息,系统可在自动识别和计数的基础上,进一步对病虫害发生严重程度进行智能判别分级,甚至根据相关预测模型,对病虫害的发生趋势进行辅助分析预测,提出预测建议.通过2016—2019年组织多地植保机构进行试验改进,该技术产品日趋成熟,有望在未来的农作物病虫害发生信息采集和预测预报工作中推广使用.     

Do positive interactions between marine invaders increase likelihood of invasion into natural and artificial habitats?

Positive species interactions such as facilitation are important for enabling species to persist, especially in stressful conditions, and the nature and strength of facilitation varies along physical and biological gradients. Expansion of coastal infrastructure is creating hotspots of invasive species which can spillover into natural habitats, but the role of positive species interactions associated with biological invasions remains understudied. Theory suggests that stronger biotic pressure in natural habitats inhibits invasion success. In space-limited marine systems, sessile organisms can overcome this limiting resource by settling as an epibiont on a substrate organism – basibiont. Using a series of spatially extensive surveys, we explored the role of invasive and native basibionts in providing habitat for other invasive and native epibionts, and tested whether environmental context (i.e. if the receiving habitat was natural or artificial), altered ecological outcomes. Overall, provision of space by basibionts was more important for invasive epibionts than for native epibionts but was dependent on the environmental context. Invasive basibionts facilitated invasive epibionts in natural habitats, and appeared to be more important for native epibionts in artificial habitats respectively. Native basibionts facilitated invasive, but not native epibionts in both natural and artificial habitats. These results advance our understanding of facilitation and highlight the idiosyncratic nature of biofouling and epibiosis, and the potentially important influence of environmental context. The degree to which native habitat-forming species versus invasive habitat-forming species either do or do not facilitate other native or non-native species is a rich area for investigation. Experimental work is required to disentangle the processes underpinning these patterns.     

Length-weight relationship of fish species captured around an artificial offshore reef (northern Rio de Janeiro,Brazil)

The present work provides length-weight relationships (LWRs) for fish species captured around artificial offshore reef deployed 5 km from Guaxindiba Port, northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fish were captured during two sampling periods each year between 1996 and 2017 using bottom gill nets (25 m_length × 3 m_depth; 30 mm mesh). The fish were kept on ice and the biometric data, including total length (cm) and total wet weight (g) were determined in the laboratory. A total of 16 species belonging to 10 families were analyzed with Sciaenidae being the species richest family (5 spp) in the samples. The new value of LWRs for Sphyraena guachancho and new maximum sizes recorded for seven species highlight the scarcity of information on biological aspects of South America coastal fishes. These LWRs should assist fisheries scientist and managers to complement their further studies of population parameters to improve management decisions.     

利用细菌人工染色体技术构建整合F基因的重组MDV疫苗株*

目的:预防马立克氏病病毒(MDV)和新城疫病毒(NDV)混合感染鸡引起的疾病,构建表达NDV F蛋白的MDV疫苗株CVI988 BAC重组载体,并包装成重组病毒,为疫苗免疫提供更多的重组疫苗选择。方法:首先利用PCR扩增带有卡那霉素(Kanamycin,Kana)抗性基因片段的F基因,采用同源重组的方法将其整合到CVI988 BAC上,进一步诱导I-SceI表达敲除Kana基因而获得重组质粒CVI988 BAC-F。通过磷酸钙法转染鸡胚成纤维细胞获得重组病毒。结果:Western blot和间接免疫荧光实验证实重组病毒能够表达F蛋白。病毒生长曲线和蚀斑大小测定结果表明,F基因的插入不影响病毒的体外增殖。结论:利用BAC技术成功构建了整合F基因的重组MDV病毒CVI988 BAC-F,为MDV重组疫苗研发,防控NDV与MDV共感染奠定了基础。     

Fixed-time artificial insemination protocols on brazilian locally adapted breed gilts on ovulatory response and embryo production

The aim of this study was to use estrus synchronization protocols to favor fixed-time artificial insemination and consequently fixed-time embryo collection, and increase embryo production using eCG, in gits. In a cross over design, nine Piau breed gilts were subjected to 18 days of oral progesterone; P4 group did not receive any further; GnRH group received 25µg of GnRH 104 hours after the final application of P4; and eCG+GnRH group received 1000IU of eCG 24 hours after the final P4 in addition to GnRH for subsequent embryo collection, that was performed six days after first AI, by laparotomy. Artificial insemination was performed after 12 and 24 hours of estrus in P4 group, and 128 and 144 hours in GnRH and eCG+GnRH groups. The number of CL (8.6±3.9; 8.3±2.1; 26.7±15.0) and anovulatory follicles (4.3±3.7; 3.9±3.9; 17.2±9.5) was higher in the eCG+GnRH gilts (P<0.05). However, the use of 1000 IU of eCG reduced (P<0.05) the number of total structures (5.2±3.6; 5.1±3.1; 1.7±2.7), viable embryos (5.0±3.5; 4.8±3.3; 0.4±0.7), freezable embryos (3.6±3.4; 3.3±3.8; 0.1±0.3) and recovery rate (63.7±38.9; 58.6±24.7; 5.38±9.5). P4 and GnRH protocols were effective in the production and recovery of embryos. However, the use of 1000 IU of eCG, 24 hours after P4, was not effective in promoting the production of embryos, although the animals had superovulated.