Influence of certain agricultural practices on the cowpea aphid,Aphis craccivora Koch,infesting broad bean crops and the relation between the infestation and yield of plants in upper Egypt

Abstract

The effect of certain agriculture practices such as susceptibility of six broad bean varieties, space of planting, nitrogen fertilization levels, first irrigation and farmyard manure on the infestation of broad bean crop with the Aphis craccivora Koch was studied at El-Kawsar region, Sohag Governorate (about 495 km south of Cairo, Egypt) throughout the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons. The results obtained revealed that A. craccivora appeared from November until the second week of April. Also, the faba bean varieties were different in their susceptibility to the infestation with A. craccivora, dividing into three groups: the first one which was susceptible included Giza 674 and Giza Blanka; the second had low resistance and included Giza 843, Giza 2 and Giza 40; and the third group was moderate including Giza 429. The numbers of A. craccivora was significantly increased at 70 kg chemical nitrogen plus farmyard manure than at 40 or 55 units/feddan of chemical nitrogen during the two seasons. The population density of A. craccivora was significantly higher when decreasing the planting space. The population density of A. craccivora increased significantly with an increase of nitrogen fertilization levels during both seasons. The broad bean plants sown on 10 cm and which received N at a rate of 90 kg/fed. harboured the highest numbers of A. craccivora as compared with the other treatment (20 and 30 cm). The results show also that the broad bean plants which were irrigated at 56 and 63 days as a first irrigation harboured highly significant numbers of A. craccivora compared with the plants irrigated at 14, 21 and 28 days. These results also show significant negative correlation between the infestation of A. craccivora and the yield of broad bean plants.     

Phase diagram of stigmasterol-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine mixtures dispersed in excess water

As a simple model of rafts in plant cells, the effect of stigmasterol, one of the predominant sterols in plant plasma membranes, on the phase behavior of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilayers has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and freeze-fracture electron microscopy (FFEM) techniques. A partial phase diagram of the binary system has been constructed. Particularly, the stigmasterol concentrations of the “left endpoint” and “right endpoint” of the three-phase line have been determined using the newly developed linear and nonlinear fitting method. They are 6.2 and 23.7 mol%, respectively. Furthermore, the resemblance and difference of phase diagrams of DPPC/stigmasterol, DPPC/cholesterol, and DPPC/ergosterol have been compared and the efficiency of these sterols in promoting the formation of the liquid-ordered domains (rafts) have also been discussed.     

Comparative calorimetric and spectroscopic studies of the effects of lanosterol and cholesterol on the thermotropic phase behavior and organization of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer membranes

We carried out comparative DSC and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies of the effects of cholesterol and lanosterol on the thermotropic phase behavior and organization of DPPC bilayers. Lanosterol is the biosynthetic precursor of cholesterol and differs in having three rather than two axial methyl groups projecting from the β-face of the planar steroid ring system and one axial methyl group projecting from the α-face, whereas cholesterol has none. Our DSC studies indicate that the incorporation of lanosterol is more effective than cholesterol is in reducing the enthalpy of the pretransition. Lanosterol is also initially more effective than cholesterol in reducing the enthalpies of both the sharp and broad components of the main phase transition. However, at sterol concentrations of 50 mol %, lanosterol does not abolish the cooperative hydrocarbon chain-melting phase transition as does cholesterol. Moreover, at higher lanosterol concentrations (~30–50 mol %), both sharp and broad low-temperature endotherms appear in the DSC heating scans, suggestive of the formation of lanosterol crystallites, and of the lateral phase separation of lanosterol-enriched phospholipid domains, respectively, at low temperatures, whereas such behavior is not observed with cholesterol at comparable concentrations. Our Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies demonstrate that lanosterol incorporation produces a less tightly packed bilayer than does cholesterol, which is characterized by increased hydration in the glycerol backbone region of the DPPC bilayer. These and other results indicate that lanosterol is less miscible in DPPC bilayers than is cholesterol, but perturbs their organization to a greater extent, probably due primarily to the rougher faces and larger cross-sectional area of the lanosterol molecule and perhaps secondarily to its decreased ability to form hydrogen bonds with adjacent DPPC molecules. Nevertheless, lanosterol does appear to produce a lamellar liquid-ordered phase in DPPC bilayers, although this phase is not as tightly packed as comparable cholesterol/DPPC mixtures.     

长白山阔叶红松林生长季反射率特征

根据长白山阔叶红松林气象观测塔上太阳总辐射和反射辐射资料 ,计算了 2 0 0 1年 5月 2 2日～10月 14日森林下垫面的每日整点反射率 .结果表明 ,森林的反射率与太阳高度角有关 ,在太阳高度角很小的日出和日落附近反射率较高 ,太阳高度角大于 30°时反射率变化不大 ,反射率的日变化曲线为U形 .森林的反射率与天空状况有关 ,晴天条件下低太阳高度时的反射率高值明显 ,U形曲线突出 ,昙天时曲线两端高值相对较低 ,U形曲线也相对平坦 ,阴天的日变化曲线则没有明显的规律 ,在某范围内波动 .生长季反射率的变化特点为 6月上旬较高 ,6月下旬稍有下降 ,7～ 9月较稳定 ,10月上旬则逐渐下降 ,反映了冠层叶片物候变化特征 .     

Wyerone Acid Phytoalexin Synthesis and Peroxidase Activity as Markers for Resistance of Broad Beans to Chocolate Spot Disease

Infection of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) leaves with Botrytis fabae (Sard.) resulted in wyerone acid phytoalexin accumulation and increase in peroxidase activities in resistant and susceptible broad bean cultivars. Rapid wyerone acid accumulation was observed in leaves of resistant cultivars that reached levels greater than twofold of the susceptible cultivars. Following infection of broad bean cultivars, either resistant or susceptible to B. fabae, wyerone acid synthesis in resistant cultivars peaked at 5 days then declined, whereas in susceptible cultivars synthesis gradually decreased. While the ethanol‐extract of wyerone acid significantly reduced B. fabae spore germination with increased concentrations, the phytoalexin had no effect on in vitro B. fabae germ‐tube growth. Peroxidase activity in infected leaves of resistant was 10 times higher than the susceptible cultivars and eight times higher in uninfected leaves of the resistant than the susceptible cultivars. Peroxidase activity in infected leaves was greater than twofold in resistant cultivars and less than twofold in susceptible cultivars, when compared with uninfected leaves. The ratio of peroxidase activity in infected to uninfected leaves increased over time in susceptible cultivars but remained unchanged in resistant cultivars. Peroxidase activity in uninfected and infected leaves and wyerone acid biosynthesis in infected broad bean plants were successfully used to ascertain the resistance and susceptibility of four broad bean cultivars to B. fabae. Using wyerone acid synthesis and peroxidase activity as preliminary markers for resistance of broad bean to chocolate spot disease, caused by B. fabae, is suggested in this study.     

How species-specific is the phoretic relationship between the broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Acari: Tarsonemidae), and its insect hosts?

Broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Acari: Tarsonemidae), is a serious plant pest in tropical and subtropical regions. Phoretic associations between broad mite and two genera of whiteflies (Insecta: Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), namely Bemisia and Trialeurodes, have been reported from different parts of the world. Our purpose was to determine the specificity of the association between the mite and its phoretic hosts. Two host plants, potatoes and cucumbers, were used to study these relationships in the laboratory. Insects frozen for 24h were used as potential phoretic hosts in all experiments. Attachment levels were monitored by counting the number of mites attached to each insect. All tests were conducted for 4–6h, as attachment to Bemisia tabaci on potato shoots leveled off after 4h, increasing only marginally after 8h. Attachment levels to thrips (the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis) and to allate aphids (Myzus persicae) was negligible relative to the attachment to B. tabaci. Broad mite also attached to the whiteflies Dialeurodes citri, Aleyrodes singularis and Trialeurodes lauri, the latter being the least attractive species (including B. tabaci). Washing B. tabaci with pentane greatly reduced attachment. Using cucumbers as hosts did not substantially change the general trend, but attachment levels were lower. The phoretic relationship between broad mite and its insect hosts appears to be specific to whiteflies, with some whiteflies having a higher potential as phoretic hosts.     

Electroporation and stable maintenance of plasmid DNAs in a biocontrol strain of Pseudomonas syringae

Transformation efficiencies as high as 10⁷ transformants g^–1 DNA have been previously reported for pseudomonads using electroporation protocols established for E. coli with plasmid DNAs prepared from methylation proficient E. coli hosts. We report here a protocol for electroporation of plasmid DNAs into a biocontrol strain of Pseudomonas syringae which could not be electroporated by standard E. coli methods. Transformation efficiencies of 10⁷ or higher were obtained with DNA recovered from initial P. syringae transformation or with DNA prepared from methylation deficient E. coli. Both plasmids used in this study were stably maintained in the absence of selection for at least 50 generations.     

Bio-production of compost with low pH and high soluble phosphorus from sugar cane bagasse enriched with rock phosphate

Summary Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride strains were used together as a fungal activator in the presence or absence of farmyard manure (FM) for composting of bagasse enriched with rock phosphate. Quality of the composts produced was compared with that obtained from non-inoculated bagasse. The composts were evaluated as organic phosphatic fertilizers, for broad bean plants. The results showed that composting of bagasse without microbial inoculation or FM addition was not complete after 105 days of fermentation. An excellent decomposition in a relatively short time however was obtained with the use of A. niger and T. viride as inoculant agents with or without FM. The inoculation with A. niger + T. viridewith or without FM, also represented the most suitable conditions for phosphate solubilization. Acidic conditions (pH 4–5) at the end of the experiment were obtained in all piles receiving Aspergillus niger and there was a correlation between the amounts of soluble phosphorus and the reduction in pH values in the compost piles. There were no phosphate-dissolving fungi present in any composted piles except those treated with Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride. The number of phosphate-dissolving bacteria increased only in the treatments that were treated with FM. The non-fertilized sandy soil and the non-inoculated bagasse compost did not provide broad bean plants with phosphorus while the composts produced by inoculation with A. niger + T. viride provided the plants with the highest amounts of phosphorus.     

Broad-spectrum protein biosensors for class-specific detection of antibiotics

The dramatically increasing prevalence of multi-drug-resistant human pathogenic bacteria and related mortality requires two key actions: (i) decisive initiatives for the detection of novel antibiotics and (ii) a global ban for use of antibiotics as growth promotants in stock farming. Both key actions entail technology for precise, high-sensitive detection of antibiotic substances either to detect and validate novel anti-infective structures or to enforce the non-use of clinically relevant antibiotics. We have engineered prokaryotic antibiotic response regulators into a molecular biosensor configuration able to detect tetracycline, streptogramin, and macrolide antibiotics in spiked liquids including milk and serum at ng/mL concentrations and up to 2 orders of magnitude below current Swiss and EC threshold values. This broad-spectrum, class-specific, biosensor-based assay has been optimized for use in a storable ready-to-use and high-throughput-compatible ELISA-type format. At the center of the assay is an antibiotic sensor protein whose interaction with specific DNA fragments is responsive to a particular class of antibiotics. Binding of biosensor protein to the cognate DNA chemically linked to a solid surface is converted into an immuno-based colorimetric readout correlating with specific antibiotics concentrations.