CREA Journals (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria)
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The b-32 ribosome inactivating protein from maize influences fumonisin accumulation in in-vitro bioassays
Get PDFFungi of the genus Fusarium are common plant pathogens mainly associated with cereal crops. In particular, Fusarium verticillioides Sacc. is the most common toxigenic fungus in maize worldwide, causing root, stalk, and ear rot. Fusarium spp. can produce a wide range of secondary metabolites, some of which can unfavourably affect human and animal health. Owing to the potential risks of fumonisins F. verticillioides secondary metabolites, new regulations for the allowable mycotoxin limit in food and feed have been put in place by most agencies worldwide. Plants act on the attack of pathogenic fungi through a complex network of active responses such as the production of proteins toxic or inhibitory to pathogens such as RIP (Ribosome-Inactivating-Protein). The RIP present in maize endosperm (termed b-32) has been widely investigated. Similarly to other RIPs, is accumulated in the seed as an inactive pro-RIP precursor, which is converted into an active form by proteolytic processing. To understand the relationships between structure and substrate specificity of the maize b-32 RIP protein, a series of recombinant b-32 sequences, by selective deleting of different domains (RIP b-32, RIP ∆N, RIP ∆C and RIP-∆C (Ala), were prepared. Recombinant sequences were expressed in Escherichia coli to obtain high levels of recombinant proteins, which were subsequently tested for their potential ability to reduce both the colonization of F. verticillioides and fumonisin accumulation
The 1936 Italian Kingdom Forest Map reviewed: a dataset for landscape and ecological research
Get PDFThe recovery of the 1936 Italian Kingdom Forest Map (IKFM) (276 sheets 1:100,000) is described. It is a unique document that describes the forest extent and species composition for the whole of Italy. The original document is available in paper format using a datum and a map projection no longer in use, therefore it is not suitable for analysis using current digital tools. Therefore, this map has been firstly converted to a digital image, georeferenced and reprojected as a raster map in the official Italian datum; secondly, has been digitalized in vector format. This map provides historical, ecological and landscape information and fills a great temporal gap in those portions of Italy where landscape maps are available for some earlier periods. Its importance is extended to parts of Croatia, Slovenia and France. The technical problems faced in the recovery and transformation of the cartography into a usable format are described and discussed. A first data overview and analysis based on a test study, and comparisons with current national forest inventory data aimed to highlight potential and limits of IKFM are presented. The map is available on-line through a WebGIS at the address carta1936.dicam.unitn.i
INSECTS AND FUNGI ON THE RELICT ZELKOVA SICULA(ROSALES, ULMACEAE)IN SICILY (ITALY): NEW RECORDS AND KNOWN SPECIES IN A SHORT REVIEW
Get PDFThe Authors report the results of a study conducted with the purpose of increasing the knowledge about theinsects and fungi living on Zelkova siculaDi Pasquale, Garfì & Quézel, 1992 (Rosales, Ulmaceae). The plant is a veryrare relict of the Tertiary period, belonging to a genus of trees extinct in continental Europe. Only two small populationsare known living in a restricted woodland in the province of Syracuse, Sicily. The results concern both the insectspicked up during surveys that were carried out in 2014 and 2015, and the species of fungi and insects already known onZelkova siculafrom literature. As a result of surveys, two species of Buprestidae, two species of Cerambycidae, andtwo of Lepidoptera have been recognized. From literature, seven species of phytophagous insects are reported onZelkova sicula, they belong to Hemiptera: Aphididae (1 sp.), Diaspididae (1 sp.), Coccidae (1 sp.); Coleoptera:Buprestidae (1 sp.), Cerambycidae (2 spp.); and Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae (1 sp.). Five species of fungi are knownfrom literature and they belong to: Botryosphaeriales (3 spp.), Pleosporales (1 sp.), and Diaporthales (1 sp.)
Prospecting high oil in corn (Zea mays L.) germplasm for better quality breeding
Get PDFThe present study was undertaken to assess genetic variability among oil content and agronomic traits in a set of corn inbreds. Oil content and plot yield ranged from 2.41 to 7.34% and 1.53 to 0.33kg, respectively. HKI-Tall-8-1-1, (TemperatexTropical(HO)QPM)-B-B-B-100-B-B, DMHOC4, (TemperatexTropical (HO)QPM)-B-B-B-
57-B-B, HKI Talar, (TemperatexTropical (HO)QPM)-B-B-B-60-B-B and AF-04-b-5796-a-7-1-1 among 108 inbreds recorded above 6 per cent oil. AF-04-b-5796-a-7-1-1 was identified as an elite inbred with high oil and better yield for improvement of high oil corn. Wide range in performance was observed in oil and other phenotypic traits including yield. Principal Component analysis, regression and correlation coefficient facilitated sorting of inbreds and identification of related useful traits
How different management regimes of chestnut forests affect diversity and abundance of moth communities?
Get PDFChestnut forests were exploited from centuries for several uses and are still nowadays managed under coppice and orchard regimes. The different management practices created a typical mosaic-like structure in landscapes in which alternate different kind of habitat represented by young and mature coppices, old thinned coppices with the physiognomy of high forest, and managed or abandoned orchards. The aim of our study was to evaluate how the different kind of management could affect the hosted biodiversity. We used nocturnal Lepidoptera as indicators, sampled in different woodlots along an altitudinal gradient in the chestnut forests of the Catena Costiera Mountains, southern Italy. We analyzed a published dataset concerning 15 stands subjected to different management regimes. We found that the main variables affecting moth communities distribution were (i) the elevation at which the stands were located and (ii) the time elapsed from the last human intervention. In fact, the stands subjected to recent intervention (young coppices and managed orchards) showed low values of moth richness and abundance, on the contrary the stands subjected to old interventions (mature and old coppices and abandoned orchards) registered a high number of species and individuals, mainly due to their greater structural complexity. Despite the quantitative differences, in woodlots recently managed were collected exclusive species that increased the diversity at a landscape level. Our results underlined the importance to maintain a mosaic-like landscape taking into account also the altitude when interventions are planned in order to improve the ecological sustainability of chestnut forest exploitation
MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERISATIONOF ECUMENICUS MONOHYSTERA(NEMATODA DORYLAIMIDA QUDSIANEMATIDAE)AND ITS PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONS FROM IRAN
No full textEcumenicus monohysterawas collected from the rhizosphere of faba bean (Vicia fabaL.) fields in Khuzestanprovince, south-western Iran. Morphological and morphometric data are provided for this species. Additionally,sequence of the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene for this species wasalso used for molecularphylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic relationships of E. monohysterain relation to representatives of the orderDorylaimida, obtained from Bayesian inference (BI) analysis of the D2-D3 sequences, are presented and discussed
DNA BARCODES REVEAL A NEW HOST RECORD FOR CARCELIA ATRICOSTAHERTING (DIPTERA TACHINIDAE) IN ITALY
No full textThe parasitoid-host association between Orgyia antiqua(Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) and Carceliaatricosta Herting (Diptera: Tachinidae) is recorded here for the first time in Italy. A single caterpillar of O. antiqua wascollected in Northern Italy (Arzergrande, Padua, Veneto Region) in June 2015. After the specimen died, a single tachinidlarva emerged and pupariated. The emerged parasitoid was identified using DNA barcoding, with DNA extracted from thetachinid pupa. This is the first distributional record of C. atricostain Northern Italy and the second for Italy, only two otherspecimens having being recorded previously (Abruzzo Region, Central Italy)
MORPHOLOGY AND ETHOLOGY OF THAUMETOPOEA HELLENICAAND THAUMETOPOEA MEDITERRANEA(LEPIDOPTERA NOTODONTIDAE THAUMETOPOEINAE)
Get PDFThaumetopoea hellenicaand Thaumetopoea mediterraneawere recently described from Central Greece andPantelleria Island (Italy), respectively. In this paper, we reported some information on their morphology, biological cycleand ecology. T. hellenicaand T. mediterraneaare closely related to T. pityocampa differing mainly ingenetic characters.Morphologically, the three species resemble each other, and can be mainly differentiated by observing wing patterns, can-thus, and the male and female genitalia. Some data on egg batches, mature larvae, pupae, flight period, host plants andcolonized environments were reported
MANAGEMENT OF THE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITAON TOMATO WITH DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF NEMATICIDESAND A RESISTANT ROOTSTOCK: PRELIMINARY DATA
Get PDFIn south Italy, tomato growers commonly face severe root-knot nematode infestations. Alternative methods ofcontrol are required because of the high toxicity of current pesticides. Therefore, the potential of an integrated pestmanagement strategy for the control of root-knot nematodes on tomato in greenhouse was investigated. The nematodesusceptible tomato cv. Ikram, non-grafted or grafted onto the tomato rootstock cv. Armstrong, with intermediate resistanceto the nematode, in combination with soil applications of the nematicides fosthiazate, oxamyl, and abamectin were tested.The resistant rootstock significantly reduced nematode soil population levels and root galling index until one month aftertransplanting, when soil temperature was below 28°C, but not by harvest due to increased soil temperature. Fosthiazate,abamectin and oxamyl increased tomato yield and reduced root galling caused by Meloidogyne incognita. The synergisticeffect of the rootstock resistant to root-knot nematodes and soil treatments of fosthiazate in combination with abamectin oroxamyl could successfully be employed in integrated pest management programs to control M. incognita in tomato
BLUP assessment of maize single-crosses performance using similarity in state and relationship coefficients
No full textWhereas pedigree information is not always known in plant breeding, it is increasingly common the use of molecular markers to estimate the relationship used genomic selection studies, leading to biased estimates of kinship. This study aimed to investigate the effect of similarity in state and relationship coefficients in the assess- ment of single-crosses performance, and to verify the efficiency of genomic selection using these coefficients in identifying superior maize single-crosses. Five inbred lines were crossed to other 50 inbred lines to obtain 250 maize single-crosses that were evaluated for grain yield in 13 environments. 614 AFLP markers were used to ob- tain the molecular matrices used in the estimation of Queller and Goodnight, Ritland, Lynch and Rytland, Wang, and VanRaden relationship coefficients, and Jaccard, Sorensen-Dice, and Modified Rogers similarity coefficients, subsequently used in a mixed model based on additive and dominance relationship matrices for the assessment of maize single-crosses performance. Then, it was performed the phenotypic selection (PS) and the genomic se- lection (GS) of the 25 best single-crosses using each coefficient. Results showed that the conceptual difference between similarity and relatedness coefficients do not have much importance in the context of plant breeding, since both approaches do not consider single-crosses genealogy, but only their molecular information. The mod- els using Wang and Modified Rogers coefficients were superior both in assessing single-crosses performance and in performing genomic selection, suggesting the potential of these approaches to be used in maize breeding programs