Effect of silicon and acibenzolar-s-methyl on colored cotton plants infested or not with Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera, Aphididae)

Effect of silicon and acibenzolar-s-methyl on colored cotton plants infested or not with Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera, Aphididae). The aphid Aphis gossypii is an insect pest that causes damage mainly at the beginning of the cotton plant development. The effect of resistance inductors silicon and acibenzolar-s-methyl (ASM) on the development of colored cotton plants were researched in the presence and absence of A. gossypii. Three colored cotton cultivars were sown in pots and individually infested with 25 apterous aphids, 13 days after the application of the inductors. Fifteen days after plant emergence, the silicon was applied at a dosage equivalent to 3 t/ha and acibenzolar-s-methyl in 0.2% solution of the product BION 500®. After 21 days of infestation the following parameters were evaluated: plant height, stem diameter, dry matter of aerial part and root, and total number of aphids replaced. It was verified that the plant height was reduced in the presence of aphids and all variables were negatively affected by the application of ASM. However, silicon did not affect plant development.

Host plants of Cerambycidae and Vesperidae (Coleoptera, Chrysomeloidea) from South America

Host plants of Cerambycidae and Vesperidae (Coleoptera, Chrysomeloidea) from South America. This paper offers a contribution to the knowledge on host plants of Cerambycidae and Vesperidae (Coleoptera, Chrysomeloidea) from South America. A total of 211 species of longhorn beetles belonging to 111 genera, 49 tribes, five subfamilies and two families are presented with records of host plants. Data on 259 species of host plants distributed among 188 genera and 69 families are listed with the beetle species.

Uranium-enrichment in soils and plants in the vicinity of a pitchblende vein at La Creusaz-Les Marecottes (W of Martigny, Valais, Switzerland)

In the NE part of the Aiguilles Rouges Massif near Martigny, at the eastern contact of the Variscan Vallorcine granite to adjacent gneisses, a series of pitchblende (UO2)-veins occur. This paper determines the level of enrichment and mobility of uranium in soils situated in the vicinity of such a UO2-vein 7 km west of Martigny. Within an area of 50 x 100 m, situated on a relatively steep slope and characterized by a strong gramma-ray anomaly, six soil profiles including their plant cover and a reference soil profile outside the influence of the UO2-vein have been examined. The soil shows pH-values between 4 and 5 and is colluvial. The applied analytical methods for the metal contents include extraction methods, common for soil studies, and bulk analysis performed with X-ray fluorescence and ICP-MS. Uranium contents found in the uppermost 20 cm of the soil profiles vary from 2,500 ppm close to the vein to 15 ppm at the lowermost point of the study area. The reference soil has around 3 ppm uranium. At greater depth (20 to 40 cm) the U-content decreases to about half of the surface values, indicating a vertical transport of uranium within the soil profile. No systematic dependance of uranium-contents to grain size (amount of clay) nor to the amount of organic matter has been found. However, the good correlation between uranium and free iron oxide concentration suggests adsorption of uranium on iron oxy-hydroxides. The ashes of grass and mosses contain up to 90 ppm U, the blueberry and redwood only up to 3 ppm. Our observations suggest that at the surface the uranium is transported by downhill creep (solifluxion) of uranium-rich rock fragments. Liberated by oxidation of the uppermost fragments in a given soil column, the uranium migrates vertically until the conditions are favourable to adsorption onto Fe-oxy-hydroxides. However, as high U-contents of local surface water show, this adsorption does not lead to a significant retention of the uranium.

The aquatic habit and host plants of Paracles klagesi (Rothschild) (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) in Brazil

The aquatic habit and host plants of Paracles klagesi (Rothschild) (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) in Brazil. The aquatic caterpillar Paracles klagesi (Rothschild, 1910) was collected from the headwaters of a stream in an ecotone between Cerrado and Babaçu forest in northeastern Brazil. The single caterpillar found was observed feeding on the macrophyte Tonina fluviatilis Aubl. (Eriocaulaceae) and other aquatic plants of the family Nymphaeaceae present in the area, but also accepted as food Elodea canadensis Michx. (Hydrocharitaceae) and Cabomba sp. (Cabombaceae) under laboratory conditions.

The brown lacewings (Neuroptera, Hemerobiidae) of northwestern Turkey with new records, their spatio-temporal distribution and harbouring plants

The brown lacewings (Neuroptera, Hemerobiidae) of northwestern Turkey with new records, their spatio-temporal distribution and harbouring plants. The occurrence and spatio-temporal distribution of brown lacewing species (Neuroptera, Hemerobiidae) in Bursa province, northwestern Turkey, was investigated during 1999-2011. A total of 852 brown lacewing specimens of 20 species, including the genera of Hemerobius, Megalomus, Micromus, Sympherobius, and Wesmaelius were collected. Of these, 12 species were new records for northwestern Turkey while Sympherobius klapaleki is a new record for the Neuroptera fauna of Turkey. The most widespread species were Hemerobius handschini and Sympherobius pygmaeus with percent dominance values of 42.00 and 15.96%, respectively. Wesmaelius subnebulosus was the earliest emerging hemerobiid species and had the longest flight activity lasting from March to October. The species of southern origin characterized by the Mediterranean elements constituted 55% of the hemerobiid fauna and prevailed over the species of northern origin that belong to the Siberian centres. The total number of hemerobiid species reached a peak in July with captures of 15 species per month. There were 11, 13, 18 and 5 hemerobiid species occurring at altitudes between 1-500, 501-1000, 1001-1500 and 1500-2000 m, respectively. In addition, plant species harbouring hemerobiids are given for each species, and their association with the hemerobiid fauna is discussed.

Interaction between Tephritidae (Insecta, Diptera) and plants of the family Asteraceae: new host and distribution records for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Twenty species of Tephritidae (Diptera) are recorded in association with capitula of plants in the family Asteraceae. The Tephritidae genus Tetreuarestais registered for Rio Grande do Sul for the first time. Five species of Tephritidae are newly recorded for Rio Grande do Sul, and new hosts are recorded for the following fly species: Dioxyna chilensis (Macquart), Plaumannimyia dolores (Hering), Plaumannimyia imitatrix (Hering), Plaumannimyia miseta(Hering), Plaumannimyia pallensHering, Tomoplagia incompleta (Williston), Tomoplagia matzenbacheriPrado, Norrbom & Lewinsohn, Tomoplagia reimoseriHendel, Xanthaciura biocellata(Thomson) and Xanthaciura chrysura(Thomson).

Host plants of Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Plusiinae)

ABSTRACT This work has the objective to catalogue the information of Chrysodeixis includens (Walker, [1858]) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Plusiinae) host plants. The list of plants comprehends new reports of host plants in Brazil and information from literature review around the world. It is listed 174 plants which are from 39 botanic families. The higher number of host plants of C. includens are in Asteraceae (29), Solanaceae (21), Fabaceae (18) and Lamiaceae (12).

Extraction of soil water by plants: development and validation of a model

A quantitative model of water movement within the immediate vicinity of an individual root is developed and results of an experiment to validate the model are presented. The model is based on the assumption that the amount of water transpired by a plant in a certain period is replaced by an equal volume entering its root system during the same time. The model is based on the Darcy-Buckingham equation to calculate the soil water matric potential at any distance from a plant root as a function of parameters related to crop, soil and atmospheric conditions. The model output is compared against measurements of soil water depletion by rice roots monitored using γ-beam attenuation in a greenhouse of the Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz"/Universidade de São Paulo(ESALQ/USP) in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 1993. The experimental results are in agreement with the output from the model. Model simulations show that a single plant root is able to withdraw water from more than 0.1 m away within a few days. We therefore can assume that root distribution is a less important factor for soil water extraction efficiency.

Growth and metabolic activity of the extramatrical mycelium of endomycorrhizal maize plants

The objective of this experiment was to quantify the extramatrical mycelium of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus etunicatum (Becker & Gerdemann) grown on maize (Zea mays L. var. Piranão) provided with various levels of phosphate fertilizer and harvested at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting (DAP). Total extramatrical mycelium (TEM) was extracted from soil using a modified membrane filtration method, followed by quantification using a grid intersection technique. Active extramatrical mycelium (AEM) proportion was determined using an enzymatic method which measured dehydrogenase activity by following iodonitrotetrazolium reduction. At low levels of added P, there was relatively less TEM than at high levels of added P, but the AEM proportion at low soil P availability was significantly greater than at high soil P.

Broad-scale adaptive genetic variation in alpine plants is driven by temperature and precipitation.

Identifying adaptive genetic variation is a challenging task, in particular in non-model species for which genomic information is still limited or absent. Here, we studied distribution patterns of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) in response to environmental variation, in 13 alpine plant species consistently sampled across the entire European Alps. Multiple linear regressions were performed between AFLP allele frequencies per site as dependent variables and two categories of independent variables, namely Moran's eigenvector map MEM variables (to account for spatial and unaccounted environmental variation, and historical demographic processes) and environmental variables. These associations allowed the identification of 153 loci of ecological relevance. Univariate regressions between allele frequency and each environmental factor further showed that loci of ecological relevance were mainly correlated with MEM variables. We found that precipitation and temperature were the best environmental predictors, whereas topographic factors were rarely involved in environmental associations. Climatic factors, subject to rapid variation as a result of the current global warming, are known to strongly influence the fate of alpine plants. Our study shows, for the first time for a large number of species, that the same environmental variables are drivers of plant adaptation at the scale of a whole biome, here the European Alps.

Iowa Biodiesel and Ethanol Processing Plants, July 1, 2008

Iowa Grain Facilities Map

Growth, crown structure and seed production of birch seedlings, grafts and micropropagated plants

Summary

Prediction of the bulking phenomenon in wastewater treatment plants

The control and prediction of wastewater treatment plants poses an important goal: to avoid breaking the environmental balance by always keeping the system in stable operating conditions. It is known that qualitative information — coming from microscopic examinations and subjective remarks — has a deep influence on the activated sludge process. In particular, on the total amount of effluent suspended solids, one of the measures of overall plant performance. The search for an input–output model of this variable and the prediction of sudden increases (bulking episodes) is thus a central concern to ensure the fulfillment of current discharge limitations. Unfortunately, the strong interrelationbetween variables, their heterogeneity and the very high amount of missing information makes the use of traditional techniques difficult, or even impossible. Through the combined use of several methods — rough set theory and artificial neural networks, mainly — reasonable prediction models are found, which also serve to show the different importance of variables and provide insight into the process dynamics

Application of a support system to the design of wastewater treatment plants

This paper presents a case study that explores the advantages that can be derived from the use of a design support system during the design of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). With this objective in mind a simplified but plausible WWTP design case study has been generated with KBDS, a computer-based support system that maintains a historical record of the design process. The study shows how, by employing such a historical record, it is possible to: (1) rank different design proposals responding to a design problem; (2) study the influence of changing the weight of the arguments used in the selection of the most adequate proposal; (3) take advantage of keywords to assist the designer in the search of specific items within the historical records; (4) evaluate automatically thecompliance of alternative design proposals with respect to the design objectives; (5) verify the validity of previous decisions after the modification of the current constraints or specifications; (6) re-use the design records when upgrading an existing WWTP or when designing similar facilities; (7) generate documentation of the decision making process; and (8) associate a variety of documents as annotations to any component in the design history. The paper also shows one possible future role of design support systems as they outgrow their current reactive role as repositories of historical information and start to proactively support the generation of new knowledge during the design process