Monoamniotic twins discordant for body stalk anomaly

Body stalk anomaly is a rare malformation. This anomaly in monozygotic twins is extremely unusual. We describe a case of monoamniotic pregnancy discordant for body stalk anomaly diagnosed at 11 weeks. Ultrasound showed a fetus with a large anterior abdominal wall defect, anomaly of the spine and no evidence of lower extremities and other with a normal morphology. As far as our concern, only three monoamniotic pregnancies discordant for this malformation were reported. Our case represents the fourth reported monoamniotic pregnancy discordant for body stalk anomaly with diagnosis made by ultrasound and the second diagnosed in the first trimester.

Markers for seedling and adult plant crown rot resistance in four partially resistant bread wheat sources

QTL identified for seedling and adult plant crown rot resistance in four partially resistant hexaploid wheat sources. PCR-based markers identified for use in marker-assisted selection. Crown rot, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is an important disease of wheat in many wheat-growing regions globally. Complete resistance to infection by F. pseudograminearum has not been observed in a wheat host, but germplasm with partial resistance to this pathogen has been identified. The partially resistant wheat hexaploid germplasm sources 2-49, Sunco, IRN497 and CPI133817 were investigated in both seedling and adult plant field trials to identify markers associated with the resistance which could be used in marker-assisted selection programs. Thirteen different quantitative trait loci (QTL) conditioning crown rot resistance were identified in the four different sources. Some QTL were only observed in seedling trials whereas others appeared to be adult plant specific. For example while the QTL on chromosomes 1AS, 1BS, and 4BS contributed by 2-49 and on 2BS contributed by Sunco were detected in both seedling and field trials, the QTL on 1DL present in 2-49 and the QTL on 3BL in IRN497 were only detected in seedling trials. Genetic correlations between field trials of the same population were strong, as were correlations between seedling trials of the same population. Low to moderate correlations were observed between seedling and field trials. Flanking markers, most of which are less than 10 cM apart, have now been identified for each of the regions associated with crown rot resistance.

An assessment of Pythium spp. associated with soft rot disease of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in Queensland, Australia

In Australia, Pythium soft rot (PSR) outbreaks caused by P. myriotylum were reported in 2009 and since then this disease has remained as a major concern for the ginger industry. From 2012 to 2015, a number of Pythium spp. were isolated from ginger rhizomes and soil from farms affected by PSR disease and assessed for their pathogenicity on ginger. In this study, 11 distinct Pythium spp. were recovered from ginger farms in Queensland, Australia and species identification and confirmation were based on morphology, growth rate and ITS sequences. These Pythium spp. when tested showed different levels of aggressiveness on excised ginger rhizome. P. aphanidemartum, P. deliense, P. myriotylum, P. splendens, P. spinosum and P. ultimum were the most pathogenic when assessed in vitro on an array of plant species. However, P. myriotylum was the only pathogen, which was capable of inducing PSR symptoms on ginger at a temperature range from 20 to 35 °C. Whereas, P. aphanidermatum only attacked and induced PSR on ginger at 30 to 35 °C in pot trials. This is the first report of P. aphanidermatum inducing PSR of ginger in Australia at high temperatures. Only P. oligandrum and P. perplexum, which had been recovered only from soils and not plant tissue, appeared non-pathogenic in all assays.

Research into crown rot and wilt diseases of strawberries in Queensland

Plant losses due to fungal diseases in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) can potentially cause total loss of production. Three fungal pathogens, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Macrophomina phaseolina, cause similar crown rot and wilt symptoms in strawberries in Queensland. Since the withdrawal of methyl bromide in 2005, no effective chemical control of any of the three pathogens has been available. This study aims at identifying sources of plant genetic resistance that can be used in the breeding program to develop resistant cultivars for use as part of an integrated disease management plan in commercial strawberry production. Results from glasshouse pathogenicity and screening trials on the three pathogens showed that when breeding for resistance against a pathogen, resistance to other pathogens also needs to be considered, e.g., cultivar 'Festival' is resistant to F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, but is highly susceptible to C. gloeosporioides. The cultivars 'Earlisweet', 'Kabarla' and 'Phenomenal', two seedling clones and four DAFF breeding lines were resistant to C. gloeosporioides. Cultivar 'Suncoast Delight' showed the most promising level of resistance to M. phaseolina. These cultivars, breeding lines and seedling selections have been made available for incorporation into the crossing program to support the Queensland strawberry breeding program.

Analyses of the community compositions of root rot pathogenic fungi in the soybean rhizosphere soil

Soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merr.) root rot is an important disease of soybean under continuous cropping, and root rot is widely distributed throughout the world. This disease is extremely harmful, and it is difficult to prevent and control. The study aimed to elucidate the composition of root rot pathogenic fungal communities in the continuous cropping of soybean. In this study, we employed PCRDGGE technology to analyze the communities of root rot pathogenic fungi in soybean rhizosphere soil subjected to continuous cropping during a season with a high incidence of root rot in Heilongjiang province, China, the main soybean producing area in China. The results of 13 DGGE bands were analyzed by phylogenetic revealed that the predominant root rot pathogenic fungi in rhizosphere soil in the test area were Pythium ultimum and Fusarium species. The results of cluster analysis showed that the duration of continuous cropping, the soybean variety and the plant growth stage all had significant effects on the diversity of root rot pathogenic fungi in rhizosphere soil.

Control of grey mould and stem-end rot in strawberry plants growing in a subtropical environment

The effect of different fungicide programs on grey mould (caused by Botrytis cinerea) and stem-end rot (caused by Gnomoniopsis fructicola) affecting strawberry plants (Fragaria ×ananassa cv. Festival) was studied in subtropical Australia over three years. The treatments involved a range of different synthetic multi- and single-site fungicides with different modes of action, a plant-defence promoter, plant extracts (lupin and rhubarb), organic acids, fatty acids, a salt, two strains of Bacillus subtilis, and single strains of B. amyloliquefaciens, Streptomyces lydicus and Trichoderma harzianum. Standard programs based on captan and thiram alternated, and applied with iprodione, fenhexamid, cyprodinil + fludioxonil, and penthiopyrad resulted in 3–4 % of unmarketable fruit compared with 25–38 % in the water-treated controls. There was no difference in the level of disease suppression when five or thirteen applications of single-site fungicides were rotated with the two multi-site fungicides. The incidence of unmarketable fruit was similar to the standard programs using isopyrazam (in 1 year out of 2), or penthiopyrad, fluazinam, chlorothalonil or thiram alone (in 1 year out of 1). The other fungicide programs were generally less effective. There were strong relationships between marketable yield and the incidence of unmarketable fruit over the three years (R2s = 0.82–0.93). A strategy based on thiram and captan applied alternately, with reduced applications of single-site fungicides is recommended and should reduce the chance of resistance to single-site fungicides becoming widespread in populations of the grey mould fungus. Although the program based on thiram alone had a similar incidence of unmarketable fruit as the standard program, repeated weekly applications of thiram are not recommended as they may cause unacceptable residues in the fruit. There were issues with some of the other fungicides due to phytotoxicity, residues, or difficulties with registering new fungicides that are in the same chemical group as currently registered products.

In vitro technique for selecting onion FOR white rot disease- resistance

In vitro selection is one of the most effective and efficient techniques for plant improvement. This is due to its ability to isolate plants with the desired character(s), either by applying a selection agent on the culture media to drive the selection of somaclones with the required character(s), or by establishing particular conditions that change in the genomes of somaclones toward the required character. The objective of this study was to identify a suitable protocol for in vitro selection of Allium white rot disease ( Sclerotium cepivorum ) tolerance in commercial Egyptian onion varieties, namely Giza 20, Giza 6 and Beheri Red. Oxalic acid (OA), the phytotoxin produced by Sclerotium cepivorum, was used as the selective agent. Seeds of the three Egyptian varieties were germinated on four concentrations (0.0, 0.02, 0.2, 2 and 20 mM) of Oxalic acid. Among the tested cultivars, Beheri Red had the highest germination frequency (52%) at all concentrations tested, followed by Giza 20 (42.6%), and Giza 6 at (32%). Cotyledon explants from the varieties were cultured on toxic MSBDK medium, supplemented with 0, 3, 6 and 12 mM OA. The survival of calli on MSBDK free toxic medium was 70.7% for all tested cultivars; however, MSBDK-stressed medium, with 3 mM OA reduced the viable calli to 42.1%. The highest OA concentration (12 mM) completely inhibited calli induction from cotyledons explants. A medium supplement with 3 mM OA retarded 80% of calli growth. Among 156 tested calli of Beheri Red, only 23 calli (14.7%) survived on toxic medium for 45 days. Similarly, there was 15.6% survival for Giza 20 calli, while 40.1% of the Giza 6 calli survived. Plantlets were regenerated from surviving calli and transplanted onto ex vitro, and formed bulb after acclimatisation.

Chemical control of tomato basal rot caused by Pythiuma phanidermatum

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UNDERSTANDING LATE SEASON FRUIT ROT PATHOSYSTEMS AND INSECT INTERACTIONS IN MID-ATLANTIC VINEYARDS

Fungal fruit rots and insect pests are among the most important problems negatively affecting the yield and quality of mid-Atlantic wine. In pathogenicity trials of fungi recovered from diseased Chardonnay and Vidal blanc grapes, Alternaria alternata, Pestalotiopsis telopeae, and Aspergillus japonicus were found to be unreported fruit rot pathogens in the region. Additionally, P. telopeae and A. japonicus had comparable virulence to the region’s common fruit rot pathogens. Furthermore, a timed-exclusion field study was implemented to evaluate vineyard insect-fruit rot relationships. It was found that clusters exposed to early-season insect communities that included Paralobesia viteana had a significantly greater incidence of sour rot than clusters protected from insects all season. These results were contrary to the current assumption that fall insects are the primary drivers of sour rot in the region. This research provides diagnostic tools and information to develop management-strategies against fungal and insect pests for mid-Atlantic grape growers.

Pyrolysis of rice husk and corn stalk in auger reactor:Part 1. Characterization of char and gas at various temperatures

In this study, rice husk and corn stalk have been pyrolyzed in an auger pyrolysis reactor at pyrolysis temperatures of 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C in order to investigate the effect of the pyrolysis temperature on the pyrolysis performance of the reactor and physicochemical properties of pyrolysis products (this paper focuses on char and gas). The results have shown that the pyrolysis temperature significantly affects the mass yields and properties of the pyrolysis products. The mass yields of pyrolysis liquid and char are comparable to those reported for the same feedstocks processed in fluidized bed reactors. With the increase of the pyrolysis temperature, the pyrolysis liquid yield shows a peak at 500 °C, the char yield decreases, and the gas yield increases for both feedstocks. The higher heating value (HHV) and volatile matter content of char increase as the pyrolysis temperature increases from 350 to 600 °C. The gases obtained from the pyrolysis of rice husk and corn stalk mainly contain CO2, CO, CH4, H2, and other light hydrocarbons; the molar fractions of combustible gases increase and therefore their HHVs subsequently increase with the increase of the pyrolysis temperature.

Assessment of Injuries Caused by Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) on the Incidence of Bunch Rot Diseases in Table Grape.

Resumo: Anastrepha fraterculus (. Wied) é a principal praga de uvas de mesa (Vitis vinifera) na Região Sul do Brasil. Neste estudo, o objetivo foi investigar o efeito da punção de frutas por fêmeas adultas e infestação larvária por A. fraterculus na ocorrência da doença podridões na uva (cultivar "Itália"). Abstract: Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) is the main insect pest of table grapes (Vitis vinifera) in the Southern Region of Brazil. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of fruit puncturing by adult females and larval infestation by A. fraterculus on the occurrence of bunch rot disease in the grape (cultivar ?Itália?) by evaluating grapes (a) punctured for oviposition by females of A. fraterculus, sterilized in laboratory with novaluron (40 mg L−1) and further spray-inoculated separately with Botrytis cinerea (1 × 106 conidia mL−1), Glomerella cingulata (1 × 106 conidia mL−1), and bacteria and yeast that cause sour rot (1 × 105 cells mL−1), (b) grapes punctured for oviposition by non-sterilized females with pathogen spraying, (c) grapes with mechanical wounds and pathogen spraying, (d) grapes with no wounds and with pathogen spraying, (e) grapes punctured for oviposition by A. fraterculus chemically sterilized in laboratory with novaluron, (f) grapes punctured for oviposition by A. fraterculus non-sterilized in laboratory with novaluron, (g) grapes with mechanical wounds, and (h) grapes with no sterilization or pathogen spraying. Our data indicated that the mechanical and oviposition wounds caused by A. fraterculus increased the percentage of grapes infected by B. cinerea, G. cingulata, and microorganisms of acid rot. The grape puncturing by A. fraterculus and the mechanical wound allows the penetration of B. cinerea and microorganisms leading to acid rot. We conclude that the fruit fly A. fraterculus may facilitate phytopathogens penetration leading to bunch rots in the table grape Itália.

The Characterization Of The Endoglucanase Cel12a From Gloeophyllum Trabeum Reveals An Enzyme Highly Active On β-glucan.

The basidiomycete fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum causes a typical brown rot and is known to use reactive oxygen species in the degradation of cellulose. The extracellular Cel12A is one of the few endo-1,4-β-glucanase produced by G. trabeum. Here we cloned cel12A and heterologously expressed it in Aspergillus niger. The identity of the resulting recombinant protein was confirmed by mass spectrometry. We used the purified GtCel12A to determine its substrate specificity and basic biochemical properties. The G. trabeum Cel12A showed highest activity on β-glucan, followed by lichenan, carboxymethylcellulose, phosphoric acid swollen cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, and filter paper. The optimal pH and temperature for enzymatic activity were, respectively, 4.5 and 50 °C on β-glucan. Under these conditions specific activity was 239.2 ± 9.1 U mg(-1) and the half-life of the enzyme was 84.6 ± 3.5 hours. Thermofluor studies revealed that the enzyme was most thermal stable at pH 3. Using β-glucan as a substrate, the Km was 3.2 ± 0.5 mg mL(-1) and the Vmax was 0.41 ± 0.02 µmol min(-1). Analysis of the effects of GtCel12A on oat spelt and filter paper by scanning electron microscopy revealed the morphological changes taking place during the process.

Oligomerization, Membrane Association, And In Vivo Phosphorylation Of Sugarcane Udp-glucose Pyrophosphorylase.

Sugarcane is a monocot plant that accumulates sucrose to levels of up to 50% of dry weight in the stalk. The mechanisms that are involved in sucrose accumulation in sugarcane are not well understood, and little is known with regard to factors that control the extent of sucrose storage in the stalks. UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase; EC 2.7.7.9) is an enzyme that produces UDP-glucose, a key precursor for sucrose metabolism and cell wall biosynthesis. The objective of this work was to gain insights into the ScUGPase-1 expression pattern and regulatory mechanisms that control protein activity. ScUGPase-1 expression was negatively correlated with the sucrose content in the internodes during development, and only slight differences in the expression patterns were observed between two cultivars that differ in sucrose content. The intracellular localization of ScUGPase-1 indicated partial membrane association of this soluble protein in both the leaves and internodes. Using a phospho-specific antibody, we observed that ScUGPase-1 was phosphorylated in vivo at the Ser-419 site in the soluble and membrane fractions from the leaves but not from the internodes. The purified recombinant enzyme was kinetically characterized in the direction of UDP-glucose formation, and the enzyme activity was affected by redox modification. Preincubation with H2O2 strongly inhibited this activity, which could be reversed by DTT. Small angle x-ray scattering analysis indicated that the dimer interface is located at the C terminus and provided the first structural model of the dimer of sugarcane UGPase in solution.

Resistência à compressão e remoção de folhas da cana-de-açúcar visando à colheita mecânica

Sugarcane holds an important place in the Brazilian economy. Grate part of the sugarcane harvested still accomplished largely manually. Sugarcane harvesters available in Brazil use the technology to chop the cane into 200 to 300 mm billets to allow on the go cane transferring to transport, contradicting the traditional method of whole stalk sugarcane harvesting system. In order to make whole stalk mechanical harvesting system possible, one of the barriers to be expired is the mechanical removal of the straw. The design of a mechanism that accomplishes this operation depends directly on the knowledge of the mechanical properties of the sugarcane related to its resistance to compression and the forces necessary to remove the leaves from the stalk. Compression tests were conducted using the universal testing machine. For leaves removal test by friction, a special apparatus was designed to allow the registration of the normal and traction force. The sugarcane stalk can resist up to 4.9 MPa. With a normal pressure of 0.8 MPa, which correspond to a friction force of 315 N, it is possible to remove the leaves, independent of its location in the sugarcane stalk.

Influência da embalagem de polietileno de baixa densidade e da temperatura na conservação do repolho minimamente processado

This research studied the effect of low density polyethylene packaging and storage temperature on the preservation of fresh-cut (minimally processed) cabbage. The cabbages, previously cooled to a temperature of 10 ºC, were selected, washed, cut in four parts (with the central stalk removed), sanitized, cut in strips, rinsed, put in the centrifuge, weighed and stored in plastic packaging of low density polyethylene (70 µm), and then stored in cold chambers at temperatures of 1 and 10 ºC for 20 days. The following aspects were evaluated: carbon dioxide, oxygen and ethylene in the internal atmosphere of the package as well as, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, vitamin C, loss of fresh mass and the total soluble solids/acidity in the fresh-cut cabbage ratio. The experimental design was entirely casual, with three repetitions. The analysis parameters, except for the vitamin C, loss of fresh mass and ethylene, presented significant variation between the temperatures and days of storage. The cabbage stored at a temperature of 1 ºC presented a shelf life of around 15 days, significantly higher than that stored at 10 ºC. At this temperature, on the 8th day of storage, the product was completely decayed, unfit for commercialization or consumption.