Competition and dispersal in the pea aphid: clonal variation and correlations across traits

1. The presence of an across-species trade-off between dispersal ability and competitive ability has been proposed as a mechanism that facilitates coexistence. It is not clear if a similar trade-off exists within species. Such a trade-off would constrain the evolution of either trait and, given appropriate selection pressures, promote local adaptation in these traits. 2. This study found substantial levels of heritable variation in competitive ability of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Homoptera: Aphididae), measured in terms of relative survival when reared with a single clone of the vetch aphid, Megoura viciae Buckton (Homoptera: Aphididae). 3. Pea aphids can move to new patches by either flying (longer distance dispersal) or walking (local dispersal) from plant to plant. There was considerable clonal variation in dispersal ability, measured in terms of the proportion of winged offspring produced, and ability to survive away from their host plant. 4. Winged individuals showed longer off-plant survival times than wingless forms of the same pea aphid clone. 5. There was no evidence of a relationship between clonal competitive ability and either measure of dispersal ability, although the power of the test is limited by the number of pea aphid clones used in the trial. 6. However, there was a positive correlation between clonal fecundity and the proportion of winged offspring produced. Although speculative, it is suggested that clones that are more likely to either overwhelm their host plant or attract higher numbers of natural enemies as a result of having higher fecundity are more likely to produce winged morphs.

Mutant alleles at the rugosus loci in pea affect seed moisture sorption isotherms and the relations between seed longevity and moisture content

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) mutant near-isogenic lines (RRrbrb, rrRbRb, rrrbrb) with lower starch but higher lipid contents, brought about by lesions in the starch biosynthetic pathway, had seed moisture sorption isotherms displaced below that of the wild type (RRRbRb). The negative logarithmic relationship between seed longevity and seed storage moisture content (%, f.wt basis), determined in hermetic storage at 65 °C, also differed: longevity in the mutant near-isogenic lines was poorer and less sensitive to moisture content than in the wild type (i.e. CW was lower). The low-moisture-content limit (mc) to this relation also differed, being lower in the mutant near-isogenic lines (5.4–5.9%) than in the wild type (6.1%). In contrast, all four near-isogenic lines showed no difference (P >0.25) in the negative semi-logarithmic relationship between equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) and seed longevity. It is concluded that the effect of these alleles at the r and rb loci on seed longevity was largely indirect; a consequence of their effect on seed composition and hence on moisture sorption isotherms. However, this explanation could not be invoked at moisture contents below mc where differences in longevity remained substantial (RRRbRb double that of rrrbrb). Hence, these mutant alleles affected seed longevity directly at very low moisture contents.

Genotype and temperature influence pea aphid resistance to a fungal entomopathogen

The influence of temperature on life history traits of four Acyrthosiphon pisum clones was investigated, together with their resistance to one genotype of the fungal entomopathogen Erynia neoaphidis . There was no difference among aphid clones in development rate, but they did differ in fecundity. Both development rate and fecundity were influenced by temperature, but all clones showed similar responses to the changes in temperature (i.e. the interaction term was nonsignificant). However, there were significant differences among clones in susceptibility to the pathogen, and this was influenced by temperature. Furthermore, the clones differed in how temperature influenced susceptibility, with susceptibility rankings changing with temperature. Two clones showed changes in susceptibility which mirrored changes in the in vitro vegetative growth rate of E. neoaphidis at different temperatures, whereas two other clones differed considerably from this expected response. Such interactions between genotype and temperature may help maintain heritable variation in aphid susceptibility to fungal pathogen attack and have implications for our understanding of disease dynamics in natural populations. This study also highlights the difficulties of drawing conclusions about the efficacy of a biological control agent when only a restricted range of pest genotypes or environmental conditions are considered.

The competitive ability of pea-barley intercrops against weeds and the interactions with crop productivity and soil N availability

Grain legumes, such as peas (Pisum sativum L.), are known to be weak competitors against weeds when grown as the sole crop. In this study, the weed-suppression effect of pea–barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)intercropping compared to the respective sole crops was examined in organic field experiments across Western Europe (i.e., Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy). Spring pea (P) and barley(B) were sown either as the sole crop, at the recommended plant density (P100 and B100, respectively), or in replacement (P50B50) or additive (P100B50)intercropping designs for three seasons (2003–2005). The weed biomass was three times higher under the pea sole crops than under both the intercrops and barley sole crops at maturity. The inclusion of joint experiments in several countries and various growing conditions showed that intercrops maintain a highly asymmetric competition over weeds, regardless of the particular weed infestation (species and productivity), the crop biomass or the soil nitrogen availability. The intercropping weed suppression was highly resilient, whereas the weed suppression in pea sole crops was lower and more variable. The pea–barley intercrops exhibited high levels of weed suppression, even with a low percentage of barley in the total biomass. Despite a reduced leaf area in the case of a low soil N availability, the barley sole crops and intercrops displayed high weed suppression, probably because of their strong competitive capability to absorb soil N. Higher soil N availabilities entailed increased leaf areas and competitive ability for light, which contributed to the overall competitive ability against weeds for all of the treatments. The contribution of the weeds in the total dry matter and soil N acquisition was higher in the pea sole crop than in the other treatments, in spite of the higher leaf areas in the pea crops.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola: from ‘has bean’ to supermodel

Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola causes halo blight of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, worldwide and remains difficult to control. Races of the pathogen cause either disease symptoms or a resistant hypersensitive response on a series of differentially reacting bean cultivars. The molecular genetics of the interaction between P. syringae pv. phaseolicola and bean, and the evolution of bacterial virulence, have been investigated in depth and this research has led to important discoveries in the field of plant-microbe interactions. In this review, we discuss several of the areas of study that chart the rise of P. syringae pv. phaseolicola from a common pathogen of bean plants to a molecular plant-pathogen supermodel bacterium. Taxonomy: Bacteria; Proteobacteria, gamma subdivision; order Pseudomonadales; family Pseudomonadaceae; genus Pseudomonas; species Pseudomonas syringae; Genomospecies 2; pathogenic variety phaseolicola. Microbiological properties: Gram-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped, 1.5 µm long, 0.7-1.2 µm in diameter, at least one polar flagellum, optimal temperatures for growth of 25-30 °C, oxidase negative, arginine dihydrolase negative, levan positive and elicits the hypersensitive response on tobacco. Host range: Major bacterial disease of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in temperate regions and above medium altitudes in the tropics. Natural infections have been recorded on several other legume species, including all members of the tribe Phaseoleae with the exception of Desmodium spp. and Pisum sativum. Disease symptoms: Water-soaked lesions on leaves, pods, stems or petioles, that quickly develop greenish-yellow haloes on leaves at temperatures of less than 23 °C. Infected seeds may be symptomless, or have wrinkled or buttery-yellow patches on the seed coat. Seedling infection is recognized by general chlorosis, stunting and distortion of growth. Epidemiology: Seed borne and disseminated from exudation by water-splash and wind occurring during rainfall. Bacteria invade through wounds and natural openings (notably stomata). Weedy and cultivated alternative hosts may also harbour the bacterium. Disease control: Some measure of control is achieved with copper formulations and streptomycin. Pathogen-free seed and resistant cultivars are recommended. Useful websites: Pseudomonas-plant interaction http://www.pseudomonas-syringae.org/; PseudoDB http://xbase.bham.ac.uk/pseudodb/; Plant Associated and Environmental Microbes Database (PAMDB) http://genome.ppws.vt.edu/cgi-bin/MLST/home.pl; PseudoMLSA Database http://www.uib.es/microbiologiaBD/Welcome.html.

Supplementary feeding of wild birds indirectly affects the local abundance of arthropod prey

Providing supplementary food for wild birds is a globally popular past-time; almost half of the households in many developed countries participate and billions of US dollars are spent annually. Although the direct influence of this additional resource on bird survivorship and fecundity has been studied, there is little understanding of the wider ecological consequences of this massive perturbation to (what are usually) urban ecosystems. We investigated the possible effects of wild bird feeding on the size and survivorship of colonies of a widespread arthropod prey species of many small passerine birds, the pea aphid [Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris); Hemiptera: Aphididae], in suburban gardens in a large town in southern England. We found significantly fewer aphids and shorter colony survival times in colonies exposed to avian predation compared to protected controls in gardens with a bird feeder but no such differences between exposed and protected colonies in gardens that did not feed birds. Our work therefore suggests that supplementary feeding of wild birds in gardens may indirectly influence population sizes and survivorship of their arthropod prey and highlights the need for further research into the potential effects on other species.

Effects of discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation on the quality of bovine spermatozoa evaluated with computer-assisted semen analysis and fluorescent probes association

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of bovine frozen-thawed sperm cells after Percoll gradient centrifugation. Frozen semen doses were obtained from six bulls of different breeds, including three taurine and three Zebu animals. Four ejaculates per bull were evaluated before and after discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation. Sperm motility was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis and the integrity of the plasma and acrosomal membranes, as well as mitochondrial function, were evaluated using a combination of fluorescent probes propidium iodide, fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Pisum sativum agglutinin and 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide. The procedure of Percoll gradient centrifugation increased the percentage of total and progressive sperm motility, beat frequency, rectilinear motility, linearity and rapidly moving cells. In addition, the percentage of cells with intact plasma membrane and mitochondrial membrane potential was increased in post-centrifugation samples. However, the percentage of sperm cells with intact acrosomal membrane was markedly reduced. The method used selected the motile cells with intact plasma membrane and higher mitochondrial functionality in frozen-thawed bull semen, but processing, centrifugation and/or the Percoll medium caused damage to the acrosomal membrane.

Electrical conductivity as an indicator of pea seed aging of stored at different temperatures

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Alternative procedure for the cold test for soybean seeds

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desempenho de cultivares transgênicas de soja em sucessão a culturas de inverno em semeadura direta

The objective of this research was to evaluate crop yield and some characteristics and yield components of transgenic soybean cultivars sown after different winter cover crops in the first year under no tillage system. The experimental design was the completely randomized block with split plots and four replications. The main plots consisted of five winter cover crops, white oat (Avena sativa L.), forage turnip (Raphanus sativus L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and ground pea (Pisum sativum L.) and an area under fallow (spontaneous vegetation). The subplots consisted of six soybean cultivars (BRS 243 RR, BRS 245 RR, BRS 247 RR, BRS 255 RR, BRS 256 RR and BRS 244 RR). Variance analysis for agronomic characteristics showed that soybean yield components were influenced by the interaction between winter crop and soybean cultivar. Thus, final population, number of nodes and pods per plant, nodes dry matter per plant, number of grains per pod and grain yield were affected significantly. When soybean nodulation was evaluated, the treatment with the area under fallow showed lower values. There was difference among winter crops for BRS 243 RR grain yield, white oat showed the highest values.

Caracterização de um isolado de Bidens mosaic virus proveniente de alface

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Diversidade de pulgões e de seus parasitóides e predadores na cultura da alfafa

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a diversidade de pulgões, seus predadores e parasitóides, e a influência de fatores climáticos nas suas populações. Foram realizadas coletas semanais no período de abril/1995 a março/1996, no campo de alfafa da Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), em Lavras, MG. As espécies de pulgões coletadas foram Therioaphis trifolii (Monel) f. maculata, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), A. kondoi Shinji e Aphis craccivora Kock, presentes na cultura durante todo o período de estudo, com picos populacionais em novembro/1995, julho/1995, dezembro/1995 e abril/1996, respectivamente. Foram amostrados insetos predadores das famílias Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, Anthocoridae, Geocoridae e Chrysopidae, tendo as duas últimas ocorrência esporádica. Espécies da família Coccinellidae ocorreram durante todo o período amostral, apresentando o pico populacional no final de dezembro/1995, com precipitação de 20 mm e temperatura de 22,6ºC. A família Syrphidae alcançou maiores números em abril, à precipitação de 53 mm e temperatura de 21ºC. A família Anthocoridae não se manteve por todo o período amostral, porém um pico populacional ocorreu no final de dezembro nas mesmas condições que aquele apresentado pela família Coccinellidae. Os parasitóides da família Aphididae alcançaram pico em junho/1995, à temperatura de 16ºC.

Efeito da utilização de diferentes diluidores para a produção in vitro de embriões bovinos

Objetivou-se avaliar as características morfológica e funcional do sêmen bovino congelado comparando-se a eficácia de dois diferentes diluidores. O ejaculado de quatro touros foi dividido em duas partes iguais, uma submetida ao diluidor Tris e gema de ovo (A) e outra ao diluidor à base de lecitina de soja (Andromed®) (B). No experimento I, cinco palhetas dos diluidores A e B de cada touro foram descongeladas e avaliadas quanto à motilidade, vigor, concentração, morfologia espermática e teste de termor-resistência lento. Foram feitas, ainda, avaliação da integridade de membranas, por meio da associação das sondas iodeto de propídio, isotiocionato de fluoresceína - Pisum sativum e carbocianina catiônica lipofílica, e avaliação funcional da membrana plasmática com teste hiposmótico. A avaliação da integridade da cromatina foi realizada pelo método de coloração com laranja de acridina. No experimento II, o sêmen com os diferentes diluidores foi utilizado na fecundação in vitro, sendo observadas taxas de clivagem e desenvolvimento embrionário in vitro. em relação aos resultados obtidos, apenas a porcentagem de espermatozoides no sêmen congelado foi discretamente maior com o diluidor A, concluindo-se que o diluidor composto por lecitina de soja pode substituir o composto por Tris e gema de ovo, respeitando-se as variações individuais de cada touro utilizado no presente experimento.

Substituição do farelo de soja pelo de guandu na alimentação de frangos de corte

The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutritive value of pigeon pea meal (PPM) with methionine substituting soybean meal (SM) in diets for 1-28 day-old broiler chicks. The experimental design was that of random blocks, in a 3 × 3 factorial scheme with three substitution levels - 15,30 and 45% - and three methionine supplementation levels in relation to the requirements, that is: 100, 66 and 33%, with four repetitions. It was found that PPM treated for 20 minutes at 100°C substituted up to 30% of the SM, even without methionine supplementation, in relation to liveweight (p<0.01), to food conversion and to the efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy and to protein (p<0.05). At the 66% level of methionine supplementation, the same results as for these parameters were obtained at all of the levels of substitution of SM by PPM. The 30% or 45% substitution of SM protein by that of PPM affected (p<0.01) the efficiency of methionine utilization. The sulphur amino acid utilization efficiency was affected (p<0.01) beginning at 66% methionine supplementation in the diets.

Doses de zinco e nitrogênio na produtividade e qualidade de grãos de ervilha

Peas present a potential to be cultivated in the winter, in Brazil, and also a great importance, especially in human feeding, due to its high protein content. However, its yield is still low and there are just a few studies aiming at improving pea grains quality and yield. This study aimed at evaluating the nitrogen and zinc fertilization effect on the pea grains (Utrillo cultivar) chemical quality and yield. The experiment was carried out in a dystrophic clayey Latosol-Haplustox, in Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, in 2005. A randomized blocks design was used, in a 4×4 factorial scheme, totaling 16 treatments and 3 replications, including four nitrogen doses (0 kg ha-1, 60 kg ha-1, 120 kg ha-1, and 240 kg ha-1), as urea, via ground, at 30 days after sowing (DAS), and four zinc doses (0 kg ha-1, 1,5 kg ha-1, 3 kg ha-1, and 6 kg ha-1), as zinc sulphate, via leaf, at 45 DAS. The combination of zinc and nitrogen doses improved the grains chemical quality. Zinc had no effect on grain yield, however, high nitrogen doses negatively affected yield.