Antagonistic effect of two isolates of Trichoderma harzianum against postharvest pathogens of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Pathogenicity test of all fungi (14 different isolates) isolated from both infected tomato fruits and the surface wash of other healthy fruits had different pathogenicity rates. The genus Rhizopus sp. was the most pathogenic one followed by Fusarium sp. Trichoderma harzianum isolates (T3 and T4) had a different pattern of antagonism against the tested pathogens. In dual plate test of the antagonistic action of T3 and T24 against the postharvest pathogens, clear zone size ranged between 1 and 4 and 3 and 6 mm by T3 and T24, respectively. The antagonists (T3 and T24) didn't show inhibition zone against Rhizopus sp., but they could overgrow it by 100% after 9 days of incubation. Mostly, all the other postharvest isolates showed high degree of overgrowth by T3 than T24. The two antagonists failed to overgrow Aspergillus species except for A. niger (3) which was overgrown by T3. Volatile and non-volatile metabolite tests indicated that mycelial growth of Penicillium stekii was significantly inhibited by T3 and T24 more than the other tested pathogens. The inhibition of A. niger (1) was 12% by non-volatile metabolites of T24 produced after 1 day incubation, and reached to 97% inhibition by the metabolites of 3 days. Interestingly, inhibition of Aspergillus sp. by volatile compounds of T3 and T24 was 2% and 20%, respectively, whereas the inhibition of the same pathogen by non-volatile compounds reached 75% and 87%, respectively. The results of slice assay clearly indicate that T. harzianum (T3 and T24) could provide a complete protection to tomato slices from the infection of the tested pathogens. After 3 days of incubation, Trichoderma suppressed the linear growth of these pathogens on tomato slices and the percentage of suppression was significant and ranged between 80 and 100%, except with Rhizopus sp. the suppression reached 33% only.     

2004 SIVB Congress Symposium Proceedings “Thinking Outside the Cell”: Applications of Somatic Hybridization and Cybridization in Crop Improvement,with Citrus as a Model

Summary Although somatic hybridization techniques are being ignored by variety improvement programs for most commodities, their contribution to citrus variety improvement continnes to expland and with increasing complexity. Citrus is, one of the few commodities where somatic hybridization is reaching its predicted potential, as somatic hybrids are now possible from most desirable parental combinations. Somatic hybrid citrus plants have been produced from more than 250 parental combinations, including more than 130 at the CREC. The CREC hybrids include 34 from sexually compatible intergeneric combinations, 16 from sexually incompatible combinations, and 81 interspecific combinations. The objective of this report is to demonstrate the impact of somatic hybridization on citrus improvement programs, and to discuss its potential with other commodities. For citrus scion improvement, several applications are aimed at the development of improved seedless fresh fruit varieties, and these include symmetric somatic hybridization, haploid+diploid fusion, targeted cybridization to transfer cytoplasmic male sterility (mtCMS) from Satsuma mandarin, and triploidy via interploid crosses using somatic hybrid allotetrapoid breeding parents. For rootstock improvement symmetric somatic hybridization provides an opportunity to hybridize complementary rootstocks without breaking up successful gene combinations. Rootstock somatic hybridization is providing opportunities for improving disease and inseet resistance, soil adaptation, and tree size control. Wide somatic hybridization provides an opportunity for gene transfer from related species, including some that are sexually incompatible. Extensive field research on citrus somatic hybrid rootstocks combined with emerging molecular analyses of citrus has allowed for the development of additional strategies for rootstock improvement. These include rootstock breeding and selection, at the tetraploid level using somatic hybrid parents, and the resynthesis of important rootstocks at the tetraploid level via fusion of selected superior parents. Ongoing examples of each strategy will be provided, along with ideas for extending the technology to other commodities.     

几个引进枣品种枣头及果实生长发育规律的研究

研究得知湘南地区引进沾化冬枣、梨枣和骏枣的枣头一次枝(下简称枣头)伸长生长节律与本地品种鸡蛋枣相似,幼树期枣头有两次明显的伸长生长过程,其间出现生长暂缓期。从枣头年生长量看,三个引进品种均比本地品种鸡蛋枣要小,但秋季生长量比重均比鸡蛋枣还要大。三个引进品种果实均较鸡蛋枣大,果实生长规律均与鸡蛋枣相似。但各个品种果实生育期均长于鸡蛋枣。冬枣果实生育期最长为100天~110天,梨枣与骏枣果实生育较短,梨枣70天~75天,骏枣约85天,而鸡蛋枣只有65天~70天。     

Geographic Variation in the Prevalence of Obesity,Diabetes, and Obesity‐Related Behaviors**

Objective: To examine the variation in the prevalences of obesity and type 2 diabetes in weight loss counseling by health providers and in other potential obesity‐related determinants in 100 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. Research Methods and Procedures: We performed a cross‐sectional study using data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the largest telephone survey of health behaviors in the United States, of age‐adjusted prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, intake of ≥five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, participation in 150 minutes of leisure‐time physical activity per week, receipt of weight management advice, and reports of trying to lose or maintain weight among men and women more than 18 years old. Results: The age‐adjusted prevalence of obesity ranged from 13.1% to 30.0% and that of type 2 diabetes from 3.3% to 9.2%. Among participants who had visited a physician for a routine checkup in the previous 12 months, 13.1% to 27.1% of all participants recalled receiving advice from a health professional about their weight, and 11.7% to 34.6% of overweight or obese participants recalled receiving advice to maintain or lose weight. Discussion: Significant differences in the prevalence of obesity and self‐reported type 2 diabetes and in medical practice patterns regarding weight management advice exist among metropolitan statistical areas. These results suggest important opportunities to investigate reasons for these variations that could potentially be used to mitigate the current epidemic of obesity and to identify areas where obesity and diabetes prevention efforts may need to be targeted.     

豚草叶片和果实气体交换特性与11种土壤重金属相关性

对10个样地中Cu、Pb、Zn、Mn、Cr、Co、Ni、Cd、As、Sb和Hg11种土壤重金属含量及样地内豚草叶片和果实气体交换特性进行测定.结果表明,样地内豚草叶片的净光合速率在1·88~9·41μmol·m-2·s-1,而果实的净光合速率最高可达2·81μmol·m-2·s-1.叶片的呼吸速率、气孔导度、光合速率和水分利用效率的平均值分别为1·81μmol·m-2·s-1、75·7mmol·m-2·s-1、6·05μmol·m-2·s-1和4·72μmol·mmol-1,分别是果实的5·26、0·64、1·31和1·69倍,说明非同化器官幼嫩果实具有与叶片相当,甚至更强的呼吸、光合能力和水分利用效率;研究地点重金属Ni达到轻微污染水平,其它重金属含量都接近或者显著低于重金属污染的阈值.相关分析和多元回归分析显示,大部分土壤重金属(如Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、As、Sb和Hg)含量的高低对豚草气体交换特性没有显著影响,仅部分重金属含量与豚草的叶片、果实气体交换特性密切相关,如Ni和Cr对豚草叶片、果实的气孔导度及水分利用效率显著相关;Cr与豚草叶片饱和光合速率显著相关;而As与豚草果实的气孔导度显著相关.表明大部分土壤重金属对叶片和球果的气体交换没有直接影响,而Ni、Cr和As可以在轻微污染甚至没有达到污染水平时影响豚草的气体交换特性.     

HPLC法测定大果山楂果实中八种酚酸类成分的含量

建立HPLC法同时测定大果山楂果实中原儿茶酸、绿原酸、二氢咖啡酸、咖啡酸、根皮酸、p-香豆酸、阿魏酸和肉桂酸的方法,并通过HPLC法分析这八种酚酸在不同产地大果山楂果实中的含量。采用ZORBAX SB-C18色谱柱,以甲醇/1.5%甲酸水溶液(v/v)为流动相,梯度洗脱,柱温35℃,流速1.0 m L·min~(-1),检测波长280、320 nm。结果表明:(1)在线性范围内八种酚酸质量浓度与色谱峰峰面积的线性关系良好,相关系数均0.997,检出限0.08～0.20μg·m L~(-1),定量下限0.27～0.67μg·m L~(-1),变异系数均5.0%,加标回收率99.3%～103.3%;(2) 10个不同产地的大果山楂果实中酚酸含量丰富,均检出原儿茶酸、绿原酸、二氢咖啡酸、咖啡酸、根皮酸、阿魏酸和肉桂酸七种酚酸,其中,二氢咖啡酸、根皮酸、阿魏酸均为首次检出,以绿原酸为主(8 410.2～13 826.7μg·g~(-1)),占总酚酸的80%以上,总酚酸的质量分数在10 187.8～15 583.9μg·g~(-1)之间,其中广西百色靖西和桂林恭城产的果实总酚酸质量分数相对较高,均大于15 000μg·g~(-1)。综上结果表明,该研究的HPLC法适用于大果山楂果实中酚酸含量的测定,可为大果山楂优良品种的选育、产品质量控制及深度开发利用提供方法和科学参考。     

Wild plants eaten in childhood: a retrospective of Estonia in the 1970s–1990s

In this ethnobotanical study, the authors provide the first quantitative analysis of the use of wild edible plants in Estonia, describing the domains and assessing the food importance of different species. The information was collected using free‐listing written questionnaires and concerned plants used by the respondents in their childhood. As part of a major study, this article covers the responses of professionals with some botanical education at vocational or university level, to ensure the greatest possible reliability without using voucher specimens. Fifty‐eight respondents provided information on the use of 137 plant taxa, corresponding to approximately 6% of the native and naturalized vascular plants of Estonia. According to use frequency, the most typical wild food plant of Estonia is a fruit, eaten raw as a snack. The results clearly signal that the majority of famine and food shortage plants had already been forgotten by the end of the 20^th century, but new plants have been introduced as green vegetables for making salads. Despite changes in the nomenclature of the plants, the use of wild food plants in Estonia was still thriving at the turn of the 20^th century, covering many domains already forgotten in urbanized modern Europe. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 172 , 239–253.     

Structure--activity relationships of chemical inducers of carotenoid biosynthesis

Fifteen amines having a profound effect on carotenogenesis in Marsh seedless grapefruit are reported. The compounds fall into three series: Et₂N(CH₂)_nMe (n = 4–8), Et₂N(CH₂)_nPh (n = 1–5), and Et₂NCH₂CH₂OC₆H₄R (R=H, p-Me, p-Et, p-iso-Pr, p-tert-Bu), There was up to an 11-fold increase in the total carotene content. Lycopene, not normally accumulated, became a major pigment. The inducing ability of the amines on carotenoid biosynthesis is correlated with the octanol-water partition coefficient. The mode of action appears to be similar to that of 2-(4-chlorophenylthio)triethylamine hydrochloride.     

Radical disinfestation protocol eliminates in vitro contamination in Guava (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Psidium guajava </Emphasis>L.) seeds

Controlling contamination in vitro is one of the basic requirements for successful tissue culture technology. In preliminary studies, in vitro contamination of guava seeds was almost 100%, even when disinfested with bleach. To overcome this problem, we developed a unique method to control contamination using bleach and strong acids. Submerging guava seeds in 10% HCl for 24–72 h followed by a 30 min treatment with 10% bleach (NaOCl) reduced contamination rates from 98 to 0%. Substituting 5% H₂SO₄ for 12 h for 10% HCL gave similar results. In addition to eliminating contamination, acid-treated seeds germinated faster in vitro than control seeds germinated in a greenhouse (15 vs. 40 days, respectively).