Scientific Journals of INIA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria)
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Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), a monomorphic or polymorphic species?
Get PDFSaffron (Crocus sativus L.) which contains exceptional anti-cancer properties is presently the world's most expensive spice. Iran is known as the original habitat of Crocus L. and a significant source of high-quality cultivated saffron production and export. Considering the importance of this species, we used 27 microsatellite markers to assess molecular variability and discriminating capacity of markers regarding their effectiveness in establishing genetic relationships in Iranian Crocus ecotypes. Thirty eight Iranian cultivated saffron ecotypes and 29 wild allies were evaluated in this research. The results from molecular analyses, including a molecular phylogenetic network and RB analysis, revealed two major groups and five subgroups, regardless of their geographical origins. Also, the results showed a clear distinction between C. sativus and other species of Crocus genus, taking into account their close relationship with C. speciosus and C. hausknechtii, which are assumed to be the two closest relatives of Iranian cultivated saffron among species studied. In this paper, we observed for the first time extensive genetic diversity among Iranian C. sativus despite their asexual reproduction. Considering suitable climatic conditions in Iran for cultivating saffron and the country’s leading high-quality production of Crocus sativus worldwide, studies on great genetic variability among Iranian C. sativus ecotypes as well as wild relatives native to Iran will further highlight the value of this crop. In addition, our results provide valuable information for genetic improvement, reduction of strong genetic erosion, and conservation of costly heritable resources of C. sativus in future breeding programs
Short communication. A survey of potential insect vectors of the plant pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in three regions of Spain
No full textThe emergence of a rapid-spreading olive disease associated with Xylella fastidiosa in southern Italy represents a high risk to susceptible crops in other countries of the Mediterranean basin, if insect vectors occur in the region. The goal of this study was to identify xylem-feeding Auchenorrhyncha that could potentially act as vectors of X. fastidiosa in three regions of Spain (Andalucía, Murcia and Madrid). Samplings with sweep net and stem tap were carried out in October/2004 on grapevines and adjacent crops (olives, nectarine, citrus, Prunus spp.), ornamental trees and herbaceous weeds. Yellow sticky cards were placed in ten vineyards located across 100 km in Andalucía and in three vineyards distant 10-15 km apart in Murcia. Specimens of frequently-trapped species were tested by nested- or multiplex-PCR for the presence of X. fastidiosa. The Typhlocybinae leafhopper, Austroasca (Jacobiasca) lybica (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) was the most abundant species in vineyards and citrus orchards. Planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) and psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) were prevalent on olives. Cicadellinae leafhoppers (known as sharpshooters), which are major vectors of X. fastidiosa in the Americas, were not found in the samples. The only potential vectors were spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea) collected on Populus sp., herbaceous and on conifer trees (Pinus halepense); the spittlebug Neophileanus sp. was common on conifer trees adjacent to a vineyard in Jumilla. None of the insect samples tested positive for X. fastidiosa by PCR assays. However, spittlebugs already associated with susceptible crops in Spain may allow fast spread of X. fastidiosa in case this pathogen is introduced
Reduced tillage for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) production in East Cuba. Soil physical properties and crop yield
Get PDFThe area devoted to growing tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in the province of Granma, Cuba, accounted for nearly 2600 ha in the year 1997, which represented the 4% of the total tobacco plantation area on the island in that year. Tobacco is tillage-intensive since traditional production systems entail seven or eight cultivation operations before transplanting. The objective of this study was to evaluate two alternative tillage systems in comparison with conventional tillage for tobacco production with the aim to improve soil conditions, reduce the number of tillage operations for soil preparation for transplanting, and increase yields. The treatments studied were: (T1) conventional or traditional tillage, (T2) reduced tillage with a multi-tiller plough, and (T3) reduced tillage with a chisel plough. T1 consisted in disc ploughing twice and disc harrowing twice for primary tillage, while before transplanting plots were ploughed twice with a horse-drawn mouldboard plough and harrowed twice with a horse-drawn spike-tooth harrow. In T2 primary tillage was accomplished with two passes with the multi-tiller followed by disc harrowing twice before transplanting. In T3 chisel ploughing was substituted for multi-tiller ploughing. The two reduced tillage systems improved the physical conditions of the soil, which resulted in: lower bulk density, with average values across the 0-30 cm soil profile of 1.48, 1.34 and 1.30 Mg m-3 in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, at the end of the growing season; higher soil water content in the soil profile in all four sampling dates per season; greater porosity; and lower resistance to penetration with values of 2.48, 2.15 and 1.71 MPa in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, before crop harvesting. Tillage system T3 provided the highest crop yields (2.26 Mg ha-1) compared with T2 (2.14 Mg ha-1) and T1 (1.95 Mg ha-1), for the plants grown on T3 plots had the largest number of leaves. The size of the leaves was similar in all three systems, however
Short communication. First report in Cuba of bovine coronavirus detection in a winter dysentery outbreak
Get PDFBovine coronavirus (BCoV) infection causes epidemics of acute diarrhea in calves and winter dysentery (WD) in adult cattle. The disease in adult cattle can cause a decrease in milk production resulting in serious economic losses. In Cuba, BCoV infections have not been previously reported. During 2004, many outbreaks of enteric disease have occurred in adult cattle from thirteen dairy farms in the central and western part of the island. The clinical features of the outbreaks resembled those of WD, such as decrease in milk production and, 24 hours later, diarrhea, sometimes bloody, that lasted until the animals recovered in about 7-15 days. Laboratory confirmation of BCoV infection was provided by hemagglutination test (HAT) in 24 samples from four dairy farms from three provinces; RT-PCR assays confirmed the presence of BCoV in three of these samples. Cell culture isolation in secondary calf kidney cells was obtained from four pools of fecal diarrheic samples from each dairy farm. It was remarkable that the disease was also observed during summer. Studies of molecular characterization of the viral strain are in progress
New tools for extracting cork from Quercus suber L.: increasing productivity and reducing damage
No full textAim of study: The aim of this study is to test new tools designed to debark cork oak trees: mechanized tools to perform cutting operations (IPLA-Morell, Stihl MC200 and COVELESS) and manual tools to separate and extract the cork (cork pincers, MIJURO).Area of study: Southwestern Spain.Material and methods: One of the longstanding problems affecting the sector is the shortage of skilled labor to perform debarking due to the difficulty of handling axes and the temporary nature of the work. To overcome these problems, four debarking systems using the new tools were designed according to the morphological properties of cork oak. The viability of the debarking systems were evaluated based on productivity (kg · person–1 · hour–1), production costs (€ · t1) and percentage of pieces smaller than 400 cm2 (%), and compared with the traditional system. Debarking quality and operator experience were also evaluated. A total of 204 trees were debarked.Main results: The new systems obtain better results: productivity is higher, the percentage of pieces is slightly lower and production costs are reduced, except for one system. Debarking quality improves with the new tools as cork is extracted in a more precise and cleaner manner, thus permitting cork manufacturers to obtain higher yields from the cork planks.Research highlights: Semi-skilled operators using the new tools obtain very similar results to skilled operators using axes. This would therefore resolve the problem of the lack of skilled labor, while improving the working conditions of operators. The results demonstrate that the new tools are viable for cork debarking and can bring potential benefits to the sector.Key words: Q. suber L.; cork debarking; mechanization; productivity; cork stripping damage; axe; IPLA_Morell, Sthil MC 200, COVELESS
Estimating the population density of Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica and mouflon Ovis aries in a Mediterranean forest environment
No full textAim of study: To manage and conserve wild populations effectively, a good understating of population density is critical. During 2010, the density of Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica and mouflon Ovis aries were estimated.Area of study: The area is situated in Muela de Cortes Game Reservation (Spain), a Mediterranean forest plateau, after a mange Sarcoptes scabiei outbreak that affected both species. Material and methods: To measure the abundance, sex ratio and productivity of the Iberian wild goat and mouflon. Field work was conducted during spring (after parturition) and autumn (during rut) by walking along itineraries, using a Distance Sampling approach. Main results: Based on DS, the best relative fit of model and adjustment term for Iberian wild goat was hazard-rate cosine, based on the lowest AIC score. The average density for Iberian wild goat was 4 km-2 (95% CI: 2,3 – 6,9) (after parturition) and 3,6 km-2 (95% CI: 2 – 6.6) (during rut). Average estimation was 1,422 goats (95% CI: 813 – 2,487) after parturition and 1,308 during rut (95% CI: 725 – 2,362). Mouflon best relative fit of model and adjustment term was uniform cosine after parturition, based on the lowest AIC score. The best relative fit of model and adjustment term for mouflon was hazard-rate cosine, based on the lowest AIC score. The average density was 6.8 mouflon km-2 (95% CI: 4.7 – 9,9) after parturition and 7,4 mouflon km-2 (95% CI: 4,4 – 12,5) during rut. Average estimation was 2,440 mouflon after parturition (95% CI: 1,673 – 3,558) and 2,678 during rut (95% CI: 1,589 – 4,515). Research highlights: The area represents one of the largest continental free-living populations of mouflon in Europe and a relevant area for Iberian wild goat, where it has survived for centuries and spread into the East Iberia. This study suggests that the survey methods used are suitable and sustainable with available field personnel for quantifying changes in wild goat and mouflon populations, particularly in rugged forest environments. Monitoring should be continued and be part of the development of a comprehensive management programme for Iberian wild goat and mouflon.Keywords: Itineraries; Distance Sampling; sustainable monitoring; Capra pyrenaica; Ovis aries; Game Reservation
Simulation of Gash Model to Rainfall Interception of Pinus tabulaeformis
Get PDFAim of study: In order to test the adaptability of revised Gash analytical model to canopy interception of Pinus tabulaeformis plantation, determine local parameters in the model, and analyze the sensitivity of the parameters to the simulated interception.Area of study: The throughfall experiment has been completed in Hebei province of China during 2010.Material and methods: During the experiment process, rainfall，throughfall and stemflow were measured and canopy interception was simulated with the revised Gash analytical model.Main results: The results show that the rate of measured throughfall, stem flow and canopy interception occupied to rainfall were 67.08%, 3.10% and 29.82%. Canopy storage capacity, stem storage capacity and Stemflow partitioning coefficient was 2.68 mm, 1.22mm and 0.03. Evaporation rate varied from 0.01 to 0.37 mm•h-1 and the ratio of evaporation and rainfall (E/R) ranged from 0.01 to 0.19 in rainfall periods.Research highlights: The revised gash model was able to accurately simulate the weekly canopy interception of Pinus tabulaeformis forest.Key words: Gash analytical model; Throughfall; Canopy interception; Pinus tabulaeformis plantation
Detection of ambrosia beetles using a pan-sharpened image generated from ALOS/AVNIR-2 and ALOS/PRISM imagery
Get PDFAim of study: The ambrosia beetle, Platypus quercivorus, is a vector of Japanese oak wilt, which causes massive mortality of oak trees in Japan. ALOS/AVNIR-2 true color images can be used to help detect areas of oak wilt, although such detection by inventory surveys is not realistic. Applying pan-sharpening techniques, a higher spatial resolution multispectral image can be generated from lower-resolution multispectral images and higher-resolution panchromatic images. In this study, some pan-sharpening algorithms were considered and evaluated for the detection of damage points.Area of study: The oak forests in Kanazawa prefecture, Japan.Materials and methods: The ALOS/AVNIR-2 and ALOS/PRISM sensors were used. The pan-sharpening algorithms adopted were: Brovey transformation, Modified IHS transformation, Wavelet transformation, Ehlers fusion and High Pass Filter Resolution Merge. Four types of quantitative spectral analyses and visual detection were conducted to evaluate these algorithms.Main results: The Brovey transformation was the most useful algorithm to detect damage points, although it had an issue with the preservation of spectral characteristics.Research highlights: The detection rate of damage points was improved in 50% by applying the Brovey algorithm to a 10 m panchromatic image and 62.5 m multispectral image.Key words: ambrosia beetle; oak wilt; pan-sharpening; satellite imagery; visual detection
Temporal evolution of litterfall and potential bio-element return in a successional forest sequence of the Espinal Ecoregion, Argentina
Get PDFAim of study: The aim of this work was to assess the litterfall contribution and the return of bioelements of a successional forest sequence from the Mesopotamian Espinal (Argentina) which was associated with livestock production.Area of study: Mesopotamian Espinal, Argentina.Material and methods: Litterfall samples were taken and a chemical characterization of their fractions was determined in three stages: a) in the initial successional stage (IF); b) in an intermediate secondary forest (SF); and c) in a mature forest (MF).Main results: The litterfall contribution of the three forests was 1140 ±98, 2947 ±154, and 2911 ±57 kg DM ha-1 yr-1; respectively. The IF showed a seasonal pattern of contribution with a peak occurring during summer (528 ±85 kg DM ha-1 yr-1), then decreasing during autumn, winter, and spring (241 ±30, 165 ±27, and 207 ±29 kg DM ha-1 season-1,respectively). The SF showed a rather constant seasonal pattern (about 750 kg DM season-1). The MF showed significant differences among seasons, the maximum and minimum contributions ranging between 846 ±29 and 598 ±33 kg DM ha-1 season-1 in summer and spring, respectively. The litterfall leaves/branch ratio decreased as ecological succession advanced, being lower as the forest gets more mature. As a consequence, this ratio can be used as an indicator of maturity in the sequence. The potential return of bio-elements of the successional forest sequence was proportional to the litterfall input, with a maximum amount of N in the Fabaceae species. Research highlights: The litterfall assessment and the leaves/branch ratio allowed the characterization of the successional stages in Xerophytic forest used for livestock production. Keywords: Semi-xerophytic trees; tree production pattern; plant organ contribution; leaf/branch ratio; return of bio-elements; tree nutrients
Soil properties and understory herbaceous biomass in forests of three species of Quercus in Northeast Portugal
Get PDFAim of study: This paper aims to characterize some soil properties within the first 25 cm of the soil profile and the herbaceous biomass in Quercus forests, and the possible relationships between soil properties and understory standing biomass.Area of study: Three monoespecific Quercus forests (Q. suber L., Q. ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam. and Q. pyrenaica Willd) in NE Portugal.Material and methods: During 1999 and 2000 soil properties (pH-KCl, total soil nitrogen (N), soil organic carbon (SOC), C/N ratio, available phosphorus (P), and available potassium (K)) and herbaceous biomass production of three forest types: Quercus suber L., Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam. and Quercus pyrenaica Willd were studied.Main results: The results showed a different pattern of soil fertility (N, SOC, P, K) in Quercus forests in NE of Portugal. The C/N ratio and the herbaceous biomass confirmed this pattern. Research highlights: There is a pattern of Quercus sp. distribution that correlates with different soil characteristics by soil characteristics in NE Portugal. Q. pyrenaica ecosystems were found in more favoured areas (mesic conditions); Q. rotundifolia developed in nutrient-poor soils (oligotrophic conditions); and Q. suber were found in intermediate zones.Keywords: fertility; biomass; C/N ratio; cork oak; holm oak; pyrenean oak