Biology of Centistes delusorius, a parasitoid of adult apple blossom weevil

Abstract

• 1 Natural control of apple blossom weevil, Anthonomus pomorum (L.), deserves attention, as the pest is regaining importance with the declining use of non‐selective pesticides in apple and pear orchards. In this study the biology of Centistes delusorius (Förster), a specific parasitoid of adult apple blossom weevil, is investigated.
• 2 The parasitoid hibernates as young larva in an adult weevil, and juvenile development is resumed in early spring. The fully grown parasitoid larvae leave their hosts during full bloom at the end of April and early May, to pupate. The adults emerging in May oviposit into the newly emerged weevils, which initially feed on apple leaves.
• 3 Centistes delusorius was detected in six out of 15 host‐weevil infested orchards, but was only common in two with larger apple trees standing in grass. There, parasitism levels of around 30% were usual in hosts taken from treebands in winter.
• 4 The delicate larva is vulnerable, and the thin cocoon provides little protection against either desiccation or drowning on a weedless orchard floor. Observations indicate that successful pupation of C. delusorius demands stable humid conditions and some shelter, such as that found in grass or woodland soils.
• 5 Parasitoid females, provided with honey, lived for a mean of 6.3 ± 2.1 days under outdoor conditions in June. Their life span was similar whether they had access to and oviposited in hosts, or not. The species is pro‐ovigenic, and potential fecundity is about 40 eggs. Oviposition usually takes a few seconds. Parasitized female hosts do not reproduce.
• 6 Up to 95% of the parasitoid eggs laid in May develop into a second generation, the adults of which appear in July, when the host has entered aestivation. Older (British) records of C. delusorius outside orchards suggest that some parasitized hosts, like the healthy ones, leave the orchard prior to aestivo‐hibernation, so that the latter do not escape parasitoid attack in July.
• 7 A trapping sample in late June, when most non‐parasitized weevils have gone into aestivo‐hibernation, is probably the most efficient method to detect parasitized weevils.
• 8 The (near‐)absence of C. delusorius in many orchards is probably due not only to pesticide side‐effects, or scarcity of its host, but also to the absence of suitable pupation sites for the wasp.

     

Comparison of selection methods for optimizing genetic gain and gene diversity in a red pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus resinosa</Emphasis> Ait.) seedling seed orchard

Four selection methods, individual selection (IS), family selection (FS), family plus within-family selection (FWFS) and combined selection (CS), were used to estimate genetic gain [E(g)] for stem volume and gene diversity (GD) for ten theoretical selection intensities in a 108-family, 12-year-old red pine seedling seed orchard. Estimated genetic gain for stem volume ranged from 4.6% to 11.8% across all selection methods and intensities with CS consistently having the highest gains and FS the lowest for any given selection intensity. Genetic diversity ranged from 0.9797 to 0.9954 across all selection methods and intensities. Individual selection was the best selection method for retaining GD, especially at the higher selection intensities, while FWFS was more efficient at the lowest selection intensity. An optimization point, which maximized E(g) and GD relative to each other, was calculated for each selection method. In all cases the optimization point indicated that both E(g) and GD would be favorably high when optimized relative to each other. The implications for volume gain, genetic diversity and potential inbreeding in red pine, a species with inherently low levels of genetic variation, are discussed.Communicated by D.B. Neale     

Pecan phenology in Southeastern China

Pecan (Carya illinoensis) is heterodicogamous, which often leads to unstable yield of its nut crops. Relating pecan orchard management to the phenological stage of the trees is the key to increasing yields; however, describing morphology alone does not lead to an orchard management system that is simple and practical. In this work, we extend the BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie) coding method to describe the morphology of the protogynous Mahan pecan cultivar over two consecutive years in southern China. Eight main growth stages, from vegetative bud dormancy to fruit harvest, were described and each phenological period was photographed. Pecan orchard management activities were listed for each stage in pecan BBCH scale to allow orchard managers to better manage their trees. This codification will facilitate breeding, conservation of genetic resources and general orchard management of this commercial crop. As well, recording the dates of various morphological stages over time will allow the influence of global climate change on pecan development to be tracked.     

柑橘园土壤中丛枝菌根真菌土著菌株的促生效应研究

柑橘对丛枝菌根(AM)真菌具有较高的依赖性,从柑橘园土壤中分离筛选的高效促生AM真菌菌株具有重要的应用价值。本研究从广东增城柑橘园(酸橘砧‘红江橙’)土壤中分离的4个AM真菌土著菌株对‘红江橙’幼苗的促生效应。结果表明,4个土著菌株分别是Scutellospora属和Glomus属菌株,根系侵染率为12.7%～29.3%;与不接种对照相比,4个土著菌株不同程度地促进‘红江橙’幼苗的株高、生物量和N、P、K养分含量,菌根依赖性达9.4%～37.1%;主成分分析表明,土著菌株ZCSP-D的促生效应达到常用优良菌株Rhizophagus irregularis的水平。     

桂北丰水梨园土壤养分与叶片营养的相关性分析

选取桂北地区有生理异常现象发生的丰水梨园,以成年结果树为研究对象,通过检测年生长周期内梨树叶片矿质营养元素、土壤养分的含量,分析不同时期梨树叶片营养元素和土壤养分含量及其动态变化规律,探讨年生长季内叶片营养与土壤养分之间的相关关系。结果表明:(1)在生长季节内,丰水梨叶片中N、P、K含量丰富;营养元素含量随时间的变化幅度均为P最大,N、K较小,但均未达到显著水平(P>0.05)。(2)梨园土壤中有机质、水解性N含量丰富,有效P、速效K含量普遍偏高;年生长周期内土壤速效N、P、K含量随时间的推移变化较大,均达显著水平(P<0.05),而有机质含量则相对稳定。(3)梨树叶片N含量与土壤有机质、水解性N、有效P、速效K含量呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05);叶片P和K含量与土壤水解性N含量分别呈显著负相关和正相关关系(P<0.05),而与土壤有机质、有效P、速效K相关关系不明显。     

Comparative Molecular Analyses of Phytoplasmas infecting Sophora japonica cv. golden and Robinia pseudoacacia

Phytoplasmas were detected in Sophora japonica cv. golden and Robinia pseudoacacia with diseased branches of witches'‐broom collected in Haidian district, Beijing, China. Phytoplasma cells were observed in phloem sieve elements of symptomatic S. japonica cv. golden by transmission electron microscopy. The presence of phytoplasmas was further confirmed by sequence determination of partial gene sequences of 16S rDNA, rp (ribosomal protein) and secY. Phylogenetic trees and virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses indicated that the phytoplasmas causing S. japonica cv. golden witches'‐broom (SJGWB) and R. pseudoacacia witches'‐broom (RPWB) belong to the 16SrV (elm yellows) group, and they are most closely related to subgroup 16SrV‐B, rpV‐C and secYV‐C jujube witches'‐broom (JWB) phytoplasma. Comparative analyses indicated that the phytoplasma of RPWB was closer to the JWB and that R. pseudoacacia might serve as an alternative host plant of JWB phytoplasma.     

CaCl2浸果对新疆枣裂果率及钙钾镁含量的影响

以新疆产不同抗裂性枣品种‘骏枣’、‘哈密大枣’、‘灰枣’、‘金铃圆枣’果实为试验材料,用不同浓度CaCl2(0、2.5、25g/L)分别浸泡12、36、60h,研究CaCl2对枣裂果率及果肉、果皮中Ca、K、Mg含量的影响。结果显示:(1)2.5、25g/L CaCl2均能有效降低枣裂果率,且25g/L CaCl2对各品种枣的防裂效果均优于2.5g/L CaCl2。(2)极抗裂品种枣的果皮、果肉中Ca显著高于极易裂品种,且各品种Ca含量均随CaCl2浓度增加而增加。(3)极抗裂品种枣的果皮、果肉中K含量高于极易裂品种,其Mg含量则表现出相反趋势,但不同浓度CaCl2处理的枣果肉、果皮中Mg、K升降幅度变化不同。(4)枣果肉、果皮中Ca、K含量与裂果率呈负相关关系,Mg含量与裂果率呈正相关关系。研究认为,CaCl2浸果能有效增加枣果肉、果皮中钙含量,影响各品种枣果实的钾镁含量,显著降低枣裂果率,并以25g/L CaCl2效果最好。     

酸枣叶片不定梢形成及玻璃化的影响因素

以酸枣无菌苗叶片为外植体,研究了培养条件对不定梢再生及不定梢玻璃化的影响.结果表明,叶片在加有细胞分裂素TDZ的诱导培养基(培养基Ⅰ)上连续培养,可诱导不定芽形成,但不能进一步发育成不定梢;而在诱导培养基Ⅰ上培养2周后转移到不加TDZ的培养基Ⅱ上,可获得不定芽伸长的不定梢.培养基Ⅱ的基本培养基组成影响不定芽(梢)的玻璃化症状:MS培养基产生玻璃化的不定芽(梢),而WPM培养基产生正常不定芽梢;光培养条件的变化对玻璃化症状的发生没有影响.不定芽(梢)玻璃化的发生可能与培养基中铵或硝酸铵的浓度有关,在不定芽伸长发育阶段,培养基中高浓度的铵导致了玻璃化苗的发生.     

捕食线虫真菌在北京地区果园中的季节性分布

通过对北京海淀区2个苹果园和2个葡萄园根际捕食线虫真菌2年的季节性变化调查,共分离到199个捕食线虫真菌菌株,隶属3个属16个种,Arthrobotrysdactyloides分离频率最高,其次是A.oligospora,A.conoides和Stylopagesp.。捕食线虫真菌的数量在晚春夏初最丰富,秋季次之,冬夏最少。通过统计分析,捕食线虫真菌数量的季节性变化与温度线性相关,而与线虫总数S形相关,与土壤湿度和植物寄生线虫数量无显著相关。