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Expression of Ht2-related genes in response to the HT-Toxin of Exserohilum turcicum in MaizeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Complementary DNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) analysis was conducted to analyze differential expression of Ht2-related genes between maize (Zea mays) near-isogenic lines (NILs), Huangzaosi (HZS) and HuangzaosiHt2 (HZSHt2), following treatment with a crude extract of the HT-toxin. Twenty-one transcript-derived fragments (TDFs), designated H1 to H21, were specifically expressed or upregulated in HZSHt2 following exposure to the HT-toxin. Among them, 4, 7, 4, 2, 2 and 2 TDFs were detected at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment, respectively. BLAST analysis showed that H1, H11, H13 and H15 are rela...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - November 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: H. Wang, H. Li, Z. Zhu, X. Wang Source Type: journals

Resource distribution and the trade-off between seed number and seed weight: a comparison across crop speciesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In grain crops, total sink capacity is usually analysed in terms of two components, seed number and individual seed weight. Seed number and potential individual seed weight are established at a similar timing, around the flowering period, and seed weight at maturity is highly correlated with the potential established earlier. It is known that, within a species, available resources during the seed set period are distributed between both yield components, resulting in a trade-off between seed number and seed weight. Here we tested if this concept could apply for interspecific comparisons, where combinations of numbers and si...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - October 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: B.L. Gambín, L. Borrás Source Type: journals

Dispersal kernels of the invasive alien western corn rootworm and the effectiveness of buffer zones in eradication programmes in EuropeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Europe is attempting to contain or, in some regions, to eradicate the invading and maize destroying western corn rootworm (WCR). Eradication and containment measures include crop rotation and insecticide treatments within different types of buffer zones surrounding new introduction points. However, quantitative estimates of the relationship between the probability of adult dispersal and distance from an introduction point have not been used to determine the width of buffer zones. We address this by fitting dispersal models of the negative exponential and negative power law families in logarithmic and non-logarithmic form t...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - October 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: L.R. Carrasco, T.D. Harwood, S. Toepfer, A. MacLeod, N. Levay, J. Kiss, R.H.A. Baker, J.D. Mumford, J.D. Knight Source Type: journals

Susceptibility of six Lilium to damage by the lily beetle, Lilioceris lilii (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii, Chrysomelidae) feeds on Lilium, Fritillaria and Cardiocrinum plants and is a serious pest in gardens and amenity plantings in parts of Northern Europe and North America. Previous studies have indicated that within the beetle's host range there is variation in susceptibility, although thorough field investigation is lacking. Therefore a 3-year field trial was carried out to assess the susceptibility of six different Lilium to the beetle. The trial was laid out over two replicate blocks, with each block divided into a six by six grid, giving 36 plots; each plot contained nine Lilium of the ...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - October 20, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A. Salisbury, S.J. Clark, W. Powell, J. Hardie Source Type: journals

Factors affecting adventitious regeneration from in vitro leaf explants of 'Improved French' plum, the most important dried plum cultivar in the USAEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An adventitious shoot regeneration protocol from in vitro leaves of the most important dried plum cultivar in the USA, 'Improved French', has been established. Factors affecting regeneration were studied in order to optimise regeneration. The proliferation medium in which the shoots, used as the source of leaf explants, were cultured had a strong influence on subsequent regeneration. Shoot regeneration was observed at a mean frequency of 52% when a Murashige-based and Skoog-based shoot culture medium with 3 [mu]M N6-benzylaminopurine and 0.25 [mu]M indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was employed compared with shoot regeneration f...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - October 19, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. Petri, R. Scorza Source Type: journals

Differential indirect effects of two plant viruses on an invasive and an indigenous whitefly vector: implications for competitive displacementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The role of vector[ndash]begomovirus[ndash]plant interactions in the widespread invasion by some members of the whitefly species complex Bemisia tabaci is poorly understood. The invasive B biotype of B. tabaci entered China in the late 1990s and had become the predominant or only biotype of the whitefly in many regions of the country by 2005[ndash]2006. Meanwhile epidemics of begomoviruses have been observed in many crops including tomato for which Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) have been identified as two major disease-causing agents. Here, we conducted laboratory e...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - October 19, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. Liu, H. Zhao, K. Jiang, X.-P. Zhou, S.-S. Liu Source Type: journals

Endoreduplication in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seeds during development, after processing and storage, and during germinationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Flow cytometry was used to study endoreduplication in developing, stored and germinating seeds of cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Fruits growing in a commercial seed production field were collected every 7 days, starting 14 days after pollination (DAP) up to 63 DAP (commercial harvest time). Seeds were isolated and the proportion of nuclei with different DNA contents in the whole seeds and in the embryos was analysed. Germination capacity of fresh and dried seeds at 25°C was established. In addition, the same analyses were performed on the seeds after processing (fermentation, drying and cleaning), following 1 and 2 years of ...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - October 1, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. Rewers, J. Sadowski, E. Sliwinska Source Type: journals

Comparison of the effects of different virus infections on performance of three Majorcan grapevine cultivars in field conditionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, the evaluation of the impact of different virus infections on performance of the main autochthonous grapevine varieties of Mallorca (Callet, Manto Negro and Moll) was pursued. Therefore, a large number of vines were observed in field conditions over 4 years and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for viruses listed by the international certification programmes. In each variety, some specific virus infections resulted to be more effective than the others in inducing losses in production. In Callet, yield (Y) reduction was over 20% in plants infected by Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV). In Moll, plants s...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. Enrico, P. Carlos, C. Cecilia, H. Isidro, S. Eliseo, C. Josep Source Type: journals

Relationships between the genetic distance of Epichloë festucae isolates and the ergovaline and peramine contents of their Festuca rubra hostsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The objectives of this paper were to estimate the variability in the content of ergovaline and peramine in plants of Festuca rubra from natural populations and to determine the relationship between the genetic distance among Epichloë strains and the alkaloid contents of plants infected by them. The results showed that a significant variation exits in the ergovaline and peramine contents of infected F. rubra plants, and that variation patterns are different for each alkaloid. Ergovaline content showed a significant variation between years. In contrast, most variation observed in the concentration of peramine occurred betwe...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: B.R. Vázquez-de-Aldana, I. Zabalgogeazcoa, R. Rubio de Casas, A. García-Ciudad, B. García-Criado Source Type: journals

Phenotyping approaches for physiological breeding and gene discovery in wheatEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conceptual models of drought-adaptive traits have been used in breeding to accumulate complementary physiological traits (PT) in selected progeny, resulting in distribution of advanced lines to rain-fed environments worldwide by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Key steps in PT breeding at CIMMYT include characterisation of crossing block lines for stress adaptive mechanisms, strategic crossing among parents that encompass as many target traits as possible and early generation selection (EGS) of bulks for canopy temperature (CT). The approach has been successful using both elite × elite crosse...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. Reynolds, Y. Manes, A. Izanloo, P. Langridge Source Type: journals

Effect of organic fertilisers on the greening quality, shoot and root growth, and shoot nutrient and alkaloid contents of turf-type endophytic tall fescue, Festuca arundinaceaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study compared the effect of 11 organic fertilisers, applied at manufacturer's recommended rates, on greening quality, shoot and root growth, and shoot nutrient (an indication of nutrient uptake) and alkaloid content (an indication of insect resistance) in endophytic (infected with the fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue in the greenhouse. We measured turfgrass greening quality on a 1[ndash]9 scale weekly (9 being the highest), shoot and root growth monthly, and shoot contents of macro- and micronutrients and of various alkaloids at the end of 4 months. The results show that Corn Gluten and Cockadoodle Doo p...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 24, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Z. Cheng, S. O. Salminen, P. S. Grewal Source Type: journals

Allometric growth relationships of East Africa highland bananas (Musa AAA-EAHB) cv. Kisansa and MbwazirumeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article shows that allometric relationship can be derived and used to assess biomass production and for developing banana growth models, which can help breeders and agronomists to further exploit the crop's potential. (Source: Annals of Applied Biology)
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: K. Nyombi, P.J.A. van Asten, P.A. Leffelaar, M. Corbeels, C.K. Kaizzi, K.E. Giller Source Type: journals

Key phenological events in globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var.scolymus) developmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A priority for the field vegetable grower is to be able to schedule a regular supply of product throughout the growing season. This requires a predictive framework, based on the identification of key developmental events of the crop, and an understanding of how genotypic and environmental factors interact to determine plant development. Four globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) cultivars, representing the existing phenological range, were grown in a field experiment, and a range of environmental conditions was imposed by varying both the timing of the first irrigation (which determines the initiation of regro...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A. Virdis, R. Motzo, F. Giunta Source Type: journals

The distribution of wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella) lineages in Australia and their potential to transmit wheat streak mosaic virusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella, is an eriophyid pest of cereals, and the vector responsible for the transmission of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV). In a previous study, the taxonomic status of A. tosichella in Australia was assessed using molecular markers. A. tosichella was shown to consist of two genetically distinct lineages likely to represent different species. Here we show that both lineages occupy similar distributions, occurring throughout the entire Australian wheat belt, and that the lineages are often found in sympatry. CLIMEX analysis suggests that tolerance to heat and desiccation limit the dis...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. Schiffer, P. Umina, M. Carew, A. Hoffmann, B. Rodoni, A. Miller Source Type: journals

Colonisation of barley roots by endophytic Fusarium equiseti and Pochonia chlamydosporia: Effects on plant growth and diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Colonisation of plant roots by endophytic fungi may confer benefits to the host such as protection against abiotic or biotic stresses or plant growth promotion. The exploitation of these properties is of great relevance at an applied level, either to increase yields of agricultural crops or in reforestation activities. Fusarium equiseti is a naturally occurring endophyte in vegetation under stress in Mediterranean ecosystems. Pochonia chlamydosporia is a nematode egg-parasitic fungus with a worldwide distribution. Both fungi have the capacity to colonise roots of non-host plants endophytically and to protect them against p...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 22, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J.G. Maciá-Vicente, L.C. Rosso, A. Ciancio, H.-B. Jansson, L.V. Lopez-Llorca Source Type: journals

Determination of aphid transmission efficiencies for N, NTN and Wilga strains of Potato virus YEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Potato virus Y (PVY, genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae) causes high economic losses worldwide, especially in the production of seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). PVY control systems rely on measuring virus pressure and vector pressure in the field. Calculation of the vector pressure is based on the relative efficiency factors (REFs) of aphid species. These REFs express the transmission efficiency of aphid species in relation to the transmission efficiency of Myzus persicae, the most efficient vector of PVY. In this paper, we report on the determination of aphids' relative transmission efficiency factors (REFs) for isolat...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 15, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. Verbeek, P.G.M. Piron, A.M. Dullemans, C. Cuperus, R.A.A. van der Vlugt Source Type: journals

Phenological growth stages of cacao plants (Theobroma sp.): codification and description according to the BBCH scaleEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe the growth stages of the worldwide species of cacao trees (Theobroma sp.) to prepare the basis for production management, comparisons of epidemiological studies of disease, of growth patterns under different environmental factors and of genetically clone specific parameters. The codification follows the 'extended BBCH (BBCH, Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and CHemische Industrie, Germany) scale', a numerical system that differentiates between principal, secondary and tertiary growth stages. Each growth stage presented from seed germination to crown development and harvest is correlated with general m...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 14, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: N. Niemenak, C. Cilas, C. Rohsius, H. Bleiholder, U. Meier, R. Lieberei Source Type: journals

Toxicity of citrus essential oils against Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) larvaeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Citrus peel essential oils are considered to constitute the most important resistance factor of citrus fruits against fruit flies. Essential oils were obtained from three sweet orange varieties, one bitter orange and one lemon variety. Yield, chemical composition and toxicity against neonates of the Mediterranean fruit fly were determined. Based on chemical analysis, the toxicity of commercially purchased major and minor components (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) of essential oils was determined. In addition, fractions were prepared to evaluate the role of minor components in the toxicity of crude essential oils. Limonen...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - September 13, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: D.P. Papachristos, A.C. Kimbaris, N.T. Papadopoulos, M.G. Polissiou Source Type: journals

Differential gene expression of rice in response to silicon and rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzaeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study described the relationship between silicon and M. oryzae in terms of whole-genome gene expression. By assessing gene expression patterns in the rice cultivar Monko-to using microarray technology, the physiological basis for silicon-induced resistance was investigated. Silicon amendment resulted in the differential regulation of 221 genes in rice without being challenged with the pathogen. This means that silicon had an observable effect on rice metabolism, as opposed to playing a simple passive role in the resistance response of rice. Compared with control plants, silicon-amended rice differentially regulated 60...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - August 26, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A.M. Brunings, L.E. Datnoff, J.F. Ma, N. Mitani, Y. Nagamura, B. Rathinasabapathi, M. Kirst Source Type: journals

Silicon-augmented resistance of plants to herbivorous insects: a reviewEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Silicon (Si) is one of the most abundant elements in the earth's crust, although its essentiality in plant growth is not clearly established. However, the importance of Si as an element that is particularly beneficial for plants under a range of abiotic and biotic stresses is now beyond doubt. This paper reviews progress in exploring the benefits at two- and three-trophic levels and the underlying mechanism of Si in enhancing the resistance of host plants to herbivorous insects. Numerous studies have shown an enhanced resistance of plants to insect herbivores including folivores, borers, and phloem and xylem feeders. Silic...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - August 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: O.L. Reynolds, M.G. Keeping, J.H. Meyer Source Type: journals

Temperature mediates vector transmission efficiency: inoculum supply and plant infection dynamicsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigated the role of environmental temperature on transmission of the generalist plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa by its leafhopper vectors. In this system temperature is known to influence both vector performance and feeding rate, yet the implications for pathogen transmission have not been documented. Experiments were conducted over a range of temperatures to document effects on transmission efficiency of the California native Graphocephala atropunctata (blue[ndash]green sharpshooter) and the invasive Homalodisca vitripennis (glassy-winged sharpshooter). Inoculation efficiency of H. vitripennis was positi...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - August 22, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M.P. Daugherty, D. Bosco, R.P.P. Almeida Source Type: journals

Interactions between Fusarium species from sugarcane and the stalk borer, Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, beneficial relationships between Fusarium species in sugarcane and the stalk borer, Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were demonstrated in vitro. In addition, Fusarium species with antagonistic properties were found to inhabit sugarcane. Attenuated Fusarium isolates from sugarcane stalks collected across the South African sugar industry were incorporated into diet formulated to mass rear E. saccharina. Of the over 200 Fusarium isolates obtained, 10 that significantly improved the survival and development of E. saccharina larvae and considered to be beneficial were selected for further study, as were...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - July 31, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: S.A. McFarlane, P. Govender, R.S. Rutherford Source Type: journals

Silicon: its manifold roles in plantsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The title of this essay declares that silicon does have roles in plants and all participants in this conference know that that is so. This knowledge, however, is not shared by the general community of plant biologists, who largely ignore the element. This baffling contrast is based on two sets of experience. First, higher plants can grow to maturity in nutrient solutions formulated without silicon. That has led to the conventional wisdom that silicon is not an essential element, or nutrient, and thus can be disregarded. Second, the world's plants do not grow in the benign environment of solution culture in plant biological...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - July 30, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: E. Epstein Source Type: journals

Establishment of an in vitro sciarid fly larvae assay to study plant resistanceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article describes a newly developed in vitro biological assay system that enables the interactions between sciarid larvae and plants, whose roots they feed on, to be studied under highly controlled conditions. The bioassay eliminates the problems created by the often variable environmental factors by providing an aseptic arena where experimental plants can be germinated and grown on agar within a Petri dish. Sciarid fly eggs are then collected, sterilised and added to the Petri dish. The system allows the eggs to hatch and the larvae to feed on the plant roots. A range of developmental parameters can then be recorded ...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. Chabannes, G. Hatt, G. Thébaud, I.D. Bedford, C. Lamb Source Type: journals

Postponed sowing does not alter the fibre/wood ratio or fibre extractability of fibre hemp (Cannabis sativa)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Because hemp is a short-day plant, postponing the sowing date might be a suitable strategy to obtain shorter and smaller plants around flowering, when primary fibres are 'ripe' enough to be harvested. Smaller plants can be processed on existing flax scutching and hackling lines and might have fibre characteristics that are desirable for producing high-quality 'long fibres' for yarn spinning. It was investigated whether sowing beyond the normal sowing period in the Netherlands affects the ratio in which fibres and wood are produced, and what proportion of these fibres are long fibres, suitable for long fibre spinning. About...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 27, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: W. Westerhuis, P.C. Struik, J.E.G. van Dam, T.J. Stomph Source Type: journals

Photosynthesis light curves: a method for screening water deficit resistance in the model legume Medicago truncatulaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The photosynthetic performance of two transgenic Medicago truncatula lines engineered for water deficit (WD) resistance and a non-transformed line was assessed in a growth chamber experiment in well-watered, WD and stress recovery conditions. Direct gas exchange measurements showed that the transgenic plants had lower photosynthetic rates under well-hydrated conditions when compared to the non-transformed line. Photosynthesis light curves confirmed this difference but more importantly showed a progressive change in photosynthetic behaviour with intensity of dehydration. Dehydration led to sharp decreases of maximum photosy...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 24, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C. Nunes, S.S Araújo, J.M. Silva, P. Fevereiro, A.B. Silva Source Type: journals

Nitrogen use efficiency. 3. Nitrogen fixation: genes and costsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The nitrogen use efficiencies (NUE) of N2 fixation, primary NH 4+ assimilation and NO 3[minus] assimilation are compared. The photon and water costs of the various biochemical and transport processes involved in plant growth, N-assimilation, pH regulation and osmolarity generation, per unit N assimilated are respectively likely to be around 5 and 7% greater for N2 fixation than for a combination of NH 4+ and root and shoot NO 3[minus] assimilation as occurs with most crops. Studies on plant and rhizobial genes involved in nodulation and N2 fixation may lead to more rapid nodulation, production of more stress-tolerant N2 fi...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 22, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M. Andrews, P.J. Lea, J.A. Raven, R.A. Azevedo Source Type: journals

Enhanced crop productivity and compatibility through intercropping of sesame and sunflower varietiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Field trials were conducted during 2002 and 2003 to determine the productivity and compatibility of the cropping systems obtained from intercropping varieties of sesame (E8, PBTil and 530-6-1) and sunflower (Funtua, Record and Isaanka) in the humid forest[ndash]savanna transition zone which is outside the current growing areas. Intercropping did not affect the number of branches per plant, number and weight of capsules per plant, weight of seeds per plant, 1000 seed weight or seed production efficiency (SPE) of all sesame varieties in both years, except SPE in 2003. In both years, intercropping sesame with sunflower variet...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 21, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: V.I.O. Olowe, A.Y. Adeyemo Source Type: journals

Investigating the effects of crop type, fertility management and crop protection on the activity of beneficial invertebrates in an extensive farm management comparison trialEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The activity of 11 groups of invertebrates, mainly predators and parasites, was investigated in 2005 and 2006 in a plot trial system on a farm in northern England, where the effects of organic and conventional fertility and crop protection management were separated within different crop types. Invertebrate activity was assessed using pitfall traps and suction sampling. Mixed effects models indicated that crop type significantly affected activity in all 11 groups. Crop protection applications had only a limited impact on activity but fertility management had considerable effects in some crops. Most differences were in barle...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M.D. Eyre, R.A. Sanderson, P.N. Shotton, C. Leifert Source Type: journals

Infestation of coconut fruits by Aceria guerreronis enhances the pest status of the coconut moth Atheloca subrufellaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae) and the coconut moth, Atheloca subrufella (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae), exploit the same habitat[mdash]meristematic region underneath the coconut fruit perianth. The coconut fruit perianth, however, is a tight structure allowing free colonisation of the meristematic region of the fruit only by small arthropods such as the eriophyid and tarsonemid mites. Fruits infested by the mites develop different levels of necrosis around the perianth providing access to colonising larvae of the coconut moth, which bore the fruit under the perianth resulting in fruit abortion. Based...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - June 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: S.W.J. de Santana, J.B. Torres, M.G.C. Gondim Jr, R. Barros Source Type: journals

Narrow rows reduce biomass and seed production of weeds and increase maize yieldEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Smallholder farmers in southern African countries rely primarily on cultural control and hoe weeding to combat weeds, but often times, they are unable to keep up with the weeding requirements of the crop because of its laboriousness, causing them to incur major yield losses. Optimisation of crop planting pattern could help to increase yield and suppress weeds and to reduce the critical period of weed control and the weeding requirements to attain maximum yield. Experiments were carried out in Zimbabwe during two growing seasons to assess the effect of maize density and spatial arrangement on crop yield, growth and seed pro...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - May 1, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A.B. Mashingaidze, W. van der Werf, L.A.P. Lotz, J. Chipomho, M.J. Kropff Source Type: journals

Fungal community diversity and soil health in intensive potato cropping systems of the east Po valley, northern ItalyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An ecological approach was used to investigate the relationship between diversity of soil fungal communities and soil-borne pathogen inoculum in a potato growing area of northern Italy affected by yield decline. The study was performed in 14 sites with the same tillage management practices: 10 named 'potato sites', that for many years had been intensely cultivated with potatoes, and 4 named 'rotation sites', subject to a 4-year rotation without potatoes or any recurrent crop for many years. Fungal communities were recorded using conventional (soil fungi by plate count and endophytic fungi as infection frequency on pot-grow...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 29, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: L.M. Manici, F. Caputo Source Type: journals

Genetic variation of chloroplast DNA in Zingiberaceae taxa from Myanmar assessed by PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism analysisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined genetic variation in 22 accessions belonging to 11 species in four genera of the Zingiberaceae, mainly from Myanmar, by PCR[ndash]restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to investigate their relationships within this family. Two of 10 chloroplast gene regions (trnS-trnfM and trnK2[ndash]trnQr) showed differential PCR amplification across the taxa. Restriction enzyme digestion of the PCR products revealed interspecific variability. The restriction patterns were used to classify the regions as either highly conserved or variable across the taxa. None of the regions was highly conserved across the four g...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 24, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: D. Ahmad, A. Kikuchi, S.A. Jatoi, M. Mimura, K.N. Watanabe Source Type: journals

Responses of genotypes from species of Trifolium, Ornithopus, Biserrula and Hedysarum to a highly virulent race of Phytophthora clandestina and new sources of resistanceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Thirty-six genotypes, including 15 cultivars and 10 breeding lines of Trifolium subterraneum, a single genotype of each of seven other species of Trifolium (viz. Trifolium dasyurum, Trifolium glanduliferum, Trifolium incarnatum, Trifolium michelanium, Trifolium purpureum, Trifolium spumosum and Trifolium vesiculosum), Biserrula pelecinus, Hedysarum coronarium, Ornithopus compressus and Ornithopus sativus were screened under controlled environmental conditions for resistance to root disease caused by the most pathogenic race of Phytophthora clandestina occurring in Australia, namely race 177. This is the first time any of t...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 22, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: H. Li, S. Han, P.G.H. Nichols, C.K. Revell, K. Sivasithamparam, M.J. Barbetti Source Type: journals

Sowing density and harvest time affect fibre content in hemp (Cannabis sativa) through their effects on stem weightEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Sowing density and harvest time are considered important crop management factors influencing fibre quantity and quality in hemp (Cannabis sativa). We investigated whether the effects of these factors are essentially different or that both factors affect stem weight and thereby total and long-fibre content. The effects of all combinations of three sowing densities and three harvest times were studied for six different stem parts. Almost 500 samples consisting of stem parts from 50 plants and with a length of 50 cm were tested. Fibres were extracted by a controlled warm-water retting procedure, followed by breaking and scutc...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 18, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: W. Westerhuis, S. Amaducci, P.C. Struik, A. Zatta, J.E.G. van Dam, T.J. Stomph Source Type: journals

Genetic differentiation analysis of African cassava (Manihot esculenta) landraces and elite germplasm using amplified fragment length polymorphism and simple sequence repeat markersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Molecular-marker-aided evaluation of germplasm plays an important role in defining the genetic diversity of plant genotypes for genetic and population improvement studies. A collection of African cassava landraces and elite cultivars was analysed for genetic diversity using 20 amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) DNA primer combinations and 50 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Within-population diversity estimates obtained with both markers were correlated, showing little variation in their fixation index. The amount of within-population variation was higher for landraces as illustrated by both markers, allowin...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 17, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A.A.J. Raji, I. Fawole, M. Gedil, A.G.O. Dixon Source Type: journals

Leaf vascular dimensions associated with freeze tolerance in bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Foliage damage as a result of individual freeze events is a major limitation to the expansion of bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) pastures and hay production in Southeastern USA. Greater tolerance to such freeze events would allow production deeper into the fall and winter and allow expansion of this species into colder regions. While it has been reported that small cells are more tolerant to freeze damage, this possibility has not been explored in bahiagrass. Specifically, the hypothesis was examined that xylem vessels with smaller diameter in the midrib of leaves are associated with freeze tolerance among bahiagrass genotyp...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 17, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J.W. Breman, T.R. Sinclair, A.R. Blount, K.H. Quesenberry, M.M. Brennan Source Type: journals

Use of real-time quantitative PCR to investigate root and gall colonisation by co-inoculated isolates of the nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, primers to discriminate P. chlamydosporia var. chlamydosporia and P.chlamydosporia var. catenulata were used to measure the relative abundance of isolates of the two varieties when inoculated singly or together on tomato plants. Also, sequence-characterised amplified polymorphic regions were identified to distinguish two different isolates of P. chlamydosporia var. chlamydosporia. Individual 1-cm root segments and nematode galls were excised, DNA extracted and subjected to real-time qPCR with the discriminatory primers. The qPCR method proved sensitive and reproducible and demonstrated that roots and nematod...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 11, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: S.D. Atkins, B. Peteira, I.M. Clark, B.R. Kerry, P.R. Hirsch Source Type: journals

Relationship between saprotrophic growth in soil of different biotypes of Pochonia chlamydosporia and the infection of nematode eggsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The ecology of Pochonia chlamydosporia in soil and its interaction with both plant and nematode hosts are important for the successful exploitation of the fungus as a biological control agent. Differences in saprotrophism and parasitism were assessed for biotypes of P. chlamydosporia, which had originated from the eggs of cyst or root-knot nematodes. Colonisation in soils of different textures (compost, sandy loam and loamy sand) measured by the numbers of colony-forming units, differed greatly. Most biotypes were more abundant in sterilised soil of the different textures compared with non-sterilised soils. The proportion ...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 9, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: I.A. Siddiqui, S.D. Atkins, B.R. Kerry Source Type: journals

Atmospheric nitric oxide stimulates plant growth and improves the quality of spinach (Spinacia oleracea)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous signalling molecule implicated in a growing number of plant processes and has been recognised as a plant hormone. The present research employed spinach plant (Spinacia oleracea cv. Huangjia) and closed growth chambers to investigate the effects of gaseous NO application on vegetable production in greenhouses. Treatment of low concentration of NO gas (ambient atmosphere with 200 nL L[minus]1 NO gas) significantly increased the shoot biomass of the soil-cultivated plants as compared with the control treatment (ambient atmosphere). In addition, the NO treatment also increased the photosynthe...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - April 6, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: C.W. Jin, S.T. Du, Y.S. Zhang, C. Tang, X.Y. Lin Source Type: journals

Contribution of small insects to pollination of common buckwheat, a distylous cropEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Crop pollination by animals is an essential ecosystem service. Among animal-pollinated crops, distylous plants strongly depend on animal pollination. In distylous pollination systems, pollinator species are usually limited, although flowers of some distylous plants are visited by diverse animals. We studied the pollination biology of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), a distylous crop mainly pollinated by honeybees and visited by many insect species, to evaluate the effects of non-honeybee species on pollination services. We focused on insects smaller than honeybees to determine their contribution to pollination. We ...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 31, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Hisatomo Taki, Kimiko Okabe, Shunichi Makino, Yuichi Yamaura, Masahino Sueyoshi Source Type: journals

Influence of minisett sizes on dry matter accumulation and fresh tuber yield of white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Studies were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at Irrua, Nigeria, to determine the performance of various sizes of minisetts of Dioscorea rotundata cv. 'Obiaoturugo' evaluated for size and yield of yield matter and seed yams. These trials involved a macrosett (250 g) and six minisett sizes (25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 g) in a randomised block design with four replicates. The results indicated that larger minisetts had higher degree of field establishment, foliation, leaf area index, total dry weight, percentage of leaf dry matter and net assimilation rate. These growth parameters influenced higher crop growth rate, which was respon...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: K.E. Law-Ogbomo, S.U. Remison Source Type: journals

Ecological studies on Cyperus difformis, Cyperus iria and Fimbristylis miliacea: three troublesome annual sedge weeds of riceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cyperus difformis, Cyperus iria and Fimbristylis miliacea are troublesome annual sedges of rice grown in many countries. Laboratory and screenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effects of temperature, light, salt and water stress, seed burial depth, and flooding time, duration and depth on germination, emergence and growth of these three species. Germination of all the three species was stimulated by light and warm fluctuating temperatures. Germination of C. difformis was influenced to a greater degree by increasing salt and water stress than C. iria and F. miliacea. In all three species, seeds sown on the s...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 25, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: B.S. Chauhan, D.E. Johnson Source Type: journals

Enhanced resistance to foliar fungal pathogens in carrot by application of elicitorsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Treatment of greenhouse-grown carrot plants with salicylic acid (SA) (100 [mu]m), chitosan (0.02%) and the nutrient-chelate product Alexin (1%) followed 10 h later by inoculation with the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Alternaria radicina and Botrytis cinerea significantly reduced disease development 10 days after inoculation (d.a.i.) compared with control plants sprayed with water. The most effective treatment was chitosan, followed by Alexin and SA. Additional sprays of elicitors resulted in significantly lower disease development 25 d.a.i. Treated plants had elevated transcript levels of pathogenesis-related protein 1 (P...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. Jayaraj, M. Rahman, A. Wan, Z.K. Punja Source Type: journals

Grape powdery mildew as a food source for generalist predatory mites occurring in vineyards: effects on life-history traitsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In several perennial cropping systems, generalist or omnivorous species represent important biocontrol agents. They can persist on plants by feeding on alternative foods when prey is scarce and potentially limit pest outbreaks. Among beneficials characterised by a wide food range, those belonging to the acarine family Phytoseiidae represent important biocontrol agents. Generalist predatory mites can develop and reproduce using various food sources as alternatives to their tetranychid prey. The presence of alternative food sources can also induce switching feeding behaviour of generalist predators from prey to alternative f...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 23, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: A. Pozzebon, G.M. Loeb, C. Duso Source Type: journals

Viruses in soils: morphological diversity and abundance in the rhizosphereEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this report, we also present observations and characterisation of viruses from different soil functional domains surrounding wheat roots: rhizosheath, rhizosphere and bulk soil. In spite of the differences in abundance of bacterial communities in these domains, no significant variations in viral population structure in terms of morphology and abundance were found. Typically, there were approximately 1.1[ndash]1.2 × 109 virions g[minus]1 dry weight, implicating remarkable differences in virus-to-bacteria ratios in domains close to roots, rhizosphere and rhizosheath (approximately 0.27) and in bulk soil (approximately 4....
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 16, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: M.M. Swanson, G. Fraser, T.J. Daniell, L. Torrance, P.J. Gregory, M. Taliansky Source Type: journals

Seed germination ecology of Portulaca oleracea L.: an important weed of rice and upland cropsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study identifies some of the factors enabling P. oleracea to be a widespread weed in the humid tropics, and the information could contribute to improved control strategies. (Source: Annals of Applied Biology)
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 4, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: B.S. Chauhan, D.E. Johnson Source Type: journals

Pistil traits and flower fate in apricot (Prunus armeniaca)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although pollination is essential for both seed and fruit set in most angiosperms, even after an adequate pollination, only a fraction of the flowers develop into fruits. The role played by floral traits on reproductive success is well known, but the possible influence of pistil traits has been overlooked, probably because of the difficulty of non-destructive pistil examination. The aim of this work was to examine the influence of several pistil traits on reproductive success in apricot (Prunus armeniaca). For this purpose, in a population of individually labelled flowers, the styles were cut off once the pollen tubes had ...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 2, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: J. Rodrigo, M. Herrero, J.I. Hormaza Source Type: journals

Long-term changes of aphid vectors of Barley yellow dwarf viruses in north-eastern Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Migrations of aphid vectors of Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDV) were monitored using a Rothamsted Insect Survey suction trap in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (north-eastern Italy). Catches from 1983 to 2002 were studied for trends, correlations of total catches of each year with those of previous years, correlations between the autumn and the spring + summer catches of the same year and between spring + summer catches of one year with catches of the previous autumn. Infectivity of autumn alates was studied using biological tests, and infectivity indexes were calculated for all vector species and for Rhopalosiphum padi alone. Col...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - March 2, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: P.G. Coceano, S. Peressini, G.L. Bianchi, P. Caciagli Source Type: journals

Enhanced proliferation and efficient transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by adult Diaphorina citri after acquisition feeding in the nymphal stageEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We carried out a quantitative detection of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the bacterium associated with the disease of huanglongbing, in the vector psyllid Diaphorina citri by using a TaqMan real-time PCR assay. The concentration of the bacterium was monitored at 5-day intervals for a period of 20 days after psyllids were exposed as fifth instar nymphs or adults to a Ca. L. asiaticus-infected plant for an acquisition access period of 24 h. When adults fed on Ca. L. asiaticus-infected plant, the concentration of the bacterium did not increase significantly and the pathogen was not transmitted to any citrus seedlings. In...
Source: Annals of Applied Biology - February 28, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: H. Inoue, J. Ohnishi, T. Ito, K. Tomimura, S. Miyata, T. Iwanami, W. Ashihara Source Type: journals