A light and scanning-electron microscopic study of infection of tomato plants by virulent and avirulent races of Cladosporium fulvum

Infection of tomato plants byCladosporium fulvum Cooke was studied using light and scanning-electron microscopy. Races 1.2.3 and 4 ofCladosporium fulvum were used, whereas tomato cultivars, carrying the Cf2 gene (susceptible to race 1.2.3 and immune to race 4) and the Cf4 gene (immune to race 1.2.3 and susceptible to race 4) served as differentials. No differences were observed in growth between compatible and incompatible combinations during germination, subsequent formation of runner hyphae and stomatal penetration. Runner hyphae did not show directional growth towards stomata. Penetration usually occurred on the third or fourth day after inoculation. In compatible combinations the fungus grew intercellularly, often in close contact with spongy mesophyll cells. Under optimal conditions it did not cause visible damage to plant cells during early stages of infection. Under suboptimal conditions in winter, the host cells often reacted with callose deposition, but growth of the fungus did not appear to be inhibited. Ten to twelve days after inoculation conidiophores emerged through the stomata and produced conidia. In incompatible combinations fungal growth was arrested one to two days after penetration and confined to stomata and surrounding cells. Very soon the host cells, in contact with the fungus, deposited extensive amounts of callose. Later these cells turned brown and collapsed. At the surface of the host cells, contacted by fungal hyphae, abundant extracellular material could be observed by scanning-electron microscopy. Removing the epidermis of leaves before inoculation delayed the resistant response. On stripped leaves the rate of fungal growth was equal for both interactions up to ten days after inoculation, but the incompatible combination lacked sporulation.     

GIS在环保型养猪业区域规划中的应用

快速发展的养猪业在带来巨大社会效益和经济效益的同时也带来了许多环境问题,FAO从1998年开始启动了养殖业环境与发展项目,目的是为了在促进养殖业发展、增加经济效益的同时大幅度减少养殖业对环境的不利影响。该文是FAO项目中的一部分,主要是应用GIS技术工具,通过建立养猪业选址的指标体系,发展了可持续的畜牧业生产建设区域规划的决策辅助工具,以减少养猪业发展对环境带来的负面影响;并且将该技术在江西省的养猪大县万年县进行了具体的应用。     

Linking water market functioning, access to water resources and farm production strategies: example from Pakistan

As a response to inadequacy in canal water supplies, farmers in Pakistan have invested in private tubewells to control irrigation water resources. Also, they participate in surface water and groundwater markets that take place within tertiary units of the irrigation system.The present paper describes the functioning and organization of these water markets, using information collected in sample watercourses of the Fordwah Branch irrigation system, South-Punjab, Pakistan. The variability in type and intensity of water markets is investigated with regard to access to water resources and farm production strategies and constraints.     

Inherent bias in using aggregate CPUE to characterize abundance of fish species assemblages

We have analyzed the practice of assessing an assemblage of fish species in a multispecies fishery on the basis of aggregate catch per unit effort (CPUE), which is the summed catch of all species per unit of effort. We show that at the onset of fishing or of a large positive or negative change in fishing effort, aggregate CPUE will be hyper-responsive, that is, relative change of aggregate CPUE will be greater than that of aggregate abundance. We also show that as the fishery reaches equilibrium, the aggregate CPUE in most circumstances will continue to be hyper-responsive, with a greater relative change from its value at the start than the aggregate abundance. However, there are less likely circumstances in which the aggregate CPUE will be hyper-stable compared to aggregate abundance. The circumstances leading to hyper-responsiveness or hyper-stability depend on the distribution of productivity and fishery vulnerability parameters among the species in the aggregation.     

Soil properties and the macrofauna community in abandoned irrigated rice fields of northeastern Argentina

This study compared soil physical, chemical, and biological characteristics between natural grassland and recently abandoned rice fields in order to identify those variables that might explain the observed increase of Camponotus punctulatus anthills in abandoned rice paddy fields from Northern Argentina. Mainly due to a reduction of macropores and mesopores, overall porosity decreased by around 6% and bulk density was about 7% greater, in the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm layers of the abandoned rice fields. Carbon and nitrogen content from organic matter increased (29% and 41% respectively for the 0- to 20-cm horizon) during cultivation but decreased (38% and 24%) 2 years after the last rice harvest. Forty percent of natural grassland-organic matter and 30% of abandoned rice-organic matter mineralized in less than 2 years. There was a different community structure between the abandoned rice fields and the undisturbed natural grassland and only a 20.6% (i.e. only 19 species from a total of 92) overlap in species composition. The abundance of macrofauna was greater in abandoned rice fields (2,208 individuals m^–2) in comparison to natural grasslands (288 ind m^–2) due to higher densities of small earthworms and Camponotus punctulatus ants; however, the Shannon index showed lower values in comparison to natural grasslands. Earthworms and C. punctulatus in the abandoned rice fields showed a change in their ¹³C signature indicating a switch in diet from natural grassland organic matter (C4) to organic matter from rice (C3). Our results indicate that the effects of rice cultivation practices did not seem to produce any physical or trophic limitations to recolonization by the macrofauna. It seems that changes in overall soil conditions have favored a change in the construction behavior of C. punctulatus which, in combination with population increases, could explain the explosion in number of anthills.