4629 research outputs found
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Impacte de la sequera en els primers estadis del cereal d'hivern
Get PDFEls primers estadis de desenvolupament del cultiu és un moment clau en què es determina bona part del potencial productiu que tindrà la parcel·la. Un dèficit hídric durant el període d’afillament pot penalitzar el desenvolupament vegetatiu i la formació de fillols, i pot afectar l’inici d’encanyat. L’estadi dels cultius a finals de febrer varia en funció de la zona i la localitat, des de 3 fillols (23 BBCH) a la zona de l’interior de Girona fins a dos nusos (32 BBCH) a la zona dels secans àrids i semiàridsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Erysipelas with preferential brain and skin involvement in a Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Get PDFInfections by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae occur in domestic animals and cause the
disease known as ‘erysipelas’. The ubiquity of Erysipelothrix spp. makes infection possible in a
wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Cetaceans are highly susceptible to erysipelas, especially those under human care. The number of cases documented in wild cetaceans is low, the
pathogenesis is incompletely understood, and the full spectrum of lesions is not well defined. The
possible serotypes and species of the genus that can cause disease are unknown. In October 2022,
a common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus stranded in Vilassar de Mar (Catalonia) showing
skin lesions consistent with ‘diamond skin disease’, a characteristic lesion of erysipelas shared by
swine and cetaceans. Necropsy was performed following standardized procedures, and multiple
samples were taken for histopathology and bacteriology. Erysipelothrix sp. grew in pure culture in
many tissue samples. Genetic characterization by multi-locus sequence analysis identified the species as E. rhusiopathiae. Histologically, the main lesions were an intense suppurative vasculitis of
leptomeningeal arteries and veins with abundant intramural Gram-positive bacilli and meningeal
hemorrhages. Meningeal lesions were considered the cause of death. The affected skin showed
moderate suppurative dermatitis. Herein we document a case of erysipelas in a Mediterranean
common bottlenose dolphin with unusual lesions in the leptomeningeal vessels and marked skin
tropism. To our knowledge, this is the first case of severe brain involvement in erysipelas in a cetacean. We also provide a review of available cases in wild cetaceans, to highlight the characteristics
of the disease and improve future diagnosis.This research was conducted under a permit from the Direcció General de Medi Natural i Biodiversitat. Financial support came from the Direcció General de Medi Natural i Biodiversitat, Generalitat de Catalunya. We thank also Blanca Pérez and Aida Neira from the Servei de Diagnòstic de Patologia Veterinària, Universitat Autò- noma de Barcelona, and finally, we thank the Xarxa de Rescat de Mamífers Marins de la Generalitat de Catalunya and Cos d’Agents Rurals for their invaluable collaboration.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Lobularia maritima as a nutrient-rich floral food source for two parasitoid wasps of Tuta absoluta
Get PDFTuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the main pests threatening tomato production worldwide. Since its detection in the Mediterranean basin, it has been the target of research aiming to reduce damage in tomato crops. Current conservation biological control approaches focus on the polyphagous predators Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae), which are very effective predators of the pest’s eggs but have little effect on T. absoluta larvae. Surveys conducted in northeast of Spain have concluded that the eulophid Necremnus tutae Ribes & Bernardo and the braconid Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris (Marsh) are the most abundant larval parasitoids. It is well known that adding floral resources near crops can provide high-quality food for natural enemies and thus enhance biological control. Previous studies showed that Lobularia maritima L. (Brassicaceae) flowers are a reliable food source for N. tutae. The present study examines whether the availability of L. maritima flowers positively influences the fitness of D. gelechiidivoris and the biological control of T. absoluta by parasitoids. To study this aspect, the performance of both wasps was evaluated in a simple and complex arena at high and low densities of T. absoluta, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the nectar of L. maritima is a nutrient-rich food source for both N. tutae and D. gelechiidivoris with profound implications on the biological control of T. absoluta in tomatoes.This research was supported by the ADOPT-
IPM project funded by the European Union programmer Horizon
Europe (grant Number 101060430) and the Spanish Ministry of
Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2016-77373-C2-1-R). The
authors were also funded by the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de
Catalunya. A PhD grant from BECAL-PY supported Carmen Denis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Electrochemical Biosensor for the Assessment of Cell Viability Using Methylene Blue. Application to the Detection of Ciguatoxins in Fish from the Canary Islands
Get PDFCell-based biosensors (CBBs) for the detection of marine neurotoxins such as ciguatoxins (CTXs) are of high interest due to the composite toxicological response they can provide and the low limits of quantification (LOQs) they can achieve with the use of sensitive neural cells. However, the development and validation of CBBs are challenging due to the use of living material and the need for appropriate signal transduction strategies. In this work, Neuro-2a cells have been immobilized on thin-film gold electrodes, and their viability after exposure to CTX1B has been evaluated with light optical microscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using methylene blue (MB) as a redox indicator. An LOQ of 0.93 pg CTX1B/mL has been obtained. The CBB has been applied to the analysis of fish samples from the Canary Islands, one of them implicated in a ciguatera poisoning (CP) outbreak, and results have been compared with those obtained with a conventional cell-based assay (CBA), showing a very good agreement. The combination of the benefits of cells with those provided by biosensor platforms in terms of ease of use, miniaturization, automatization, and portability could result in the ideal analytical tool for CP management. Additionally, this is the first time MB is used as a cell viability indicator in a CBB, providing a new versatile approach for multiple applications.The research has received funding from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN) and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (CELLECTRA PID2020-112976RB-C21), EFSA (EuroCigua II GP/EFSA/KNOW/2022/03) and the Consejería de Economía, Industria, Comercio y Conocimiento del Gobierno de Canarias (CEI2022-03). The authors acknowledge the General Directorate of Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands as responsible for the Official Control Program for the Prevention of Ciguatera. A.S.H. acknowledges the Canary Islands Research Agency (Catalina Ruiz APCR2022010011). The authors acknowledge support from CERCA/Generalitat de Catalunya.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Development of a Feasible and Efficient In Vitro Rescue Protocol for Immature Prunus spp. Embryos
Get PDFThe major factors affecting the in vitro immature embryo rescue efficiencies from Prunus
persica or P. armeniaca accessions have been identified, along with improving the feasibility. Variations
in the woody plant medium (WPM) were used depending on the embryo size. Embryos less than
5 mm long were cultured in WPM supplemented with 1 µM BAP and 1 µM GA3, while embryos
bigger than 5 mm long were cultured in hormone-free medium, with or without vermiculite. The
environmental in vitro culture conditions consisted of three phases: a (I) stratification at 4 ◦C during
a 3- to 5-month-long period in the dark, followed by (II) growth of germinated embryos at 14 ◦C
for a 4-week-long period, with 12 h light a day, which favors plantlet development, and finally, (III)
growth at 24 ◦C, with 16 h light a day, until the plantlets were acclimatized in the greenhouse. The
germination of smaller embryos, at the end of phase I, ranged from 82.2% to 22.1% for apricots and
flat peaches, respectively, whereas for bigger embryos, the germination varied from 97.3% to 53.2% for
the same species. The embryo germination for peaches and nectarines ranged from 40.1% to 30.3% for
smaller embryos, and from 91.9% to 63.0% for bigger embryos. Endo- and epiphytic contamination,
affecting from 7.4% to 52.9% of cultured embryos, depending on the fruit type and conservation
conditions, and the capacity to acclimate to soil conditions, ranging from 50.4% to 93.2%, were the
two most important factors influencing the protocol’s efficiency and feasibility. Considering the
overall efficiencies, expressed as hardened plants transferred to field plots over clean uncontaminated
embryo, the values ranged from 55.8% for nectarines, 54.0% for peaches, 45.6% for apricots, and
23.3% for flat fruits. The addition of vermiculite to the culture medium significantly improved the
plantlet development, avoiding subculture to fresh medium when an extension of phase III was
required before acclimatization. Compared to laboratory glassware, the use of food glass containers
with air-permeable sealing film, along with vermiculite-containing medium, significantly reduced
the costs when handling the large number of embryos required for breeding programs.This research was funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya, and IRTA.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Chironomid sentinel cards: an easy-to-apply method for assessing predation rates freshwater (agro)ecosystems
Get PDFGlobal change is eroding freshwater biodiversity at higher rates than in any other ecosystem, potentially entailing a parallel degradation of ecosystem functions such as the predation function. However, the relationships between biodiversity and predation effectiveness remain poorly explored in freshwater ecosystems, largely due to the unavailability of easy-to-apply methods that allow to characterize the predation function under real-field conditions. Here we proposed the chironomid sentinel cards as a fast, reliable, and standardized method to estimate predation rates in aquatic ecosystems. Briefly, by easily gluing a set of commercially available chironomid larvae to a plastic card and offering them to aquatic predators during a timelapse we can quantify removal rates, and hence the predation function. As an indicator of the usefulness of the method, we additionally assessed whether the use of chironomid sentinel cards allows to link the estimated predation rates to three descriptors of predator assemblages: i) taxa richness, ii) Hill evenness, and iii) abundance of aquatic predators. To do that, we combined a thorough sampling of aquatic macroinvertebrate predators with a large deployment of chironomid sentinel cards across 12 flooded rice fields during three different stages of the rice phenological cycle. Our results show that the three biodiversity indexes were positively related to the predation rate estimates, highlighting the sensibility of the method to changes in predator assemblages. We therefore conclude that the methodology is suitable to assess potential biodiversity-predation links under field aquatic conditions. We advocate to use the chironomid sentinel cards as an easy-to-apply, fast, and standardized method that allows comparisons of predation effectiveness across different shallow freshwater ecosystems.The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación from Spain PID2020-118650RR-C31 and PID2023-151621OR-I00, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, EU MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Néstor Pérez-Méndez was granted with a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC2021-033599-I) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Influencia de la variedad y de la meteorología en la sintomatología de la mancha ocre del almendro
No full textLa mancha ocre del almendro es una enfermedad foliar muy importante en la cuenca del Mediterráneo y en Oriente Medio. En los últimos años, la incidencia de esta enfermedad ha aumentado en España debido al aumento de la superfície de nuevas plantaciones y al uso de variedades susceptibles. En una parcela experimental del IRTA con21 variedades de almendro localizada en Les Borges Blanque (Lleida), se ha estudiado entre 2011 y 2018 la incidencia de esta enfermedad en árboles infectados de forma natural. Los resultados nos han permitido clasificar las variedades en cinco grupos de susceptibilidad. Las más susceptibles fueron "Tarraco", "Guara", "Tuono", "Marinada", "Desmayo", "Largueta" y "Soleta" mientras que "Mardía" fué la más tolerante. La incidencia anual de la enfermedad se correlacionó positivamente con las precipitaciones acumuladas en primavera, espercialmente en abril, mientras que se correlacionó negativamente conlas altas temperaturas de primavera y vrano, especialmente de mayo. Los resultados obtenidos contribuirán a mejorar las estrategias de manejo de la enfermedad
Fundamentals of Edible Coatings and Combination with Biocontrol Agents: A Strategy to Improve Postharvest Fruit Preservation
Get PDFChallenges in global food supply chains include preserving postharvest quality and
extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The utilization of edible coatings (ECs) combined
with biocontrol agents (BCAs) represents a promising strategy to enhance the postharvest quality
and shelf life of these commodities. This review analyzes the most recent developments in EC
technologies and their combination with BCAs, highlighting their synergistic effects on postharvest
pathogen control and quality maintenance. Various types of ECs, including polysaccharides, proteins,
and lipids, are discussed alongside coating fundamentals and the mechanisms through which BCAs
contribute to pathogen suppression. The review also highlights the efficacy of these combined
approaches in maintaining the physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, and nutritional value
of fruits. Key challenges such as regulatory requirements, consumer acceptance, and the scalability of
these technologies are addressed. Future research directions are proposed to optimize formulations,
improve application techniques, and enhance the overall efficacy of these biocomposite coatings
and multifunctional coatings. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying gaps, this review
provides a comprehensive understanding of the potential and limitations of using ECs and BCAs for
sustainable postharvest management.This research was funded by ‘Generalitat de Catalunya’ (SGR:2021SGR01477, Programa CERCA).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Control de la població de saltiró de la colza mitjançant la sembra de cultius atraients
No full textUna de les principals problemàtiques de la colza és el dany que li produeix el saltiró (Psylliodes chrysocephalus) durant els primers estadis de desenvolupament del cultiu. La sembra de cultius coberta amb altres espècies de crucíferes atraients per aquesta plaga, pot contribuir a disminuir-ne les poblacions. Això a nivell de territori, ajudaria a reduir els danys d’adults de saltiró la campanya següent.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio