Assessment of physiological races of Exserohilum turcicum isolates from maize in Argentina and Brazil

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) is one of the most important diseases in maize worldwide. It is caused by the fungus Exserohilum turcicum, which exhibits a high genetic variability for virulence, and hence physiological races have been reported. Disease control is based mainly on fungicide application and host resistance. Qualitative resistance has been widely used to control NCLB through the deployment of Ht genes. Known pathogen races are designated according to their virulence to the corresponding Ht gene. Knowledge about of E. turcicum race distribution in maize-producing areas is essential to develop and exploit resistant genotypes. Maize leaves showing distinct elliptical grey-green lesions were collected from maize-producing areas of Argentina and Brazil, and 184 monosporic E. turcicum isolates were obtained. A total of 66 isolates were collected from Argentina during 2015, 2018 and 2019, while 118 isolates from Brazil were collected during 2017, 2018 and 2019. All isolates were screened on maize differential lines containing Ht1, Ht2, Ht3 and Htn1 resistance genes. In greenhouse experiments, inoculated maize plants were evaluated at 14 days after inoculation. Resistance reaction was characterized by chlorosis, and susceptibility was defined by necrosis in the absence of chlorosis. The most frequent race was 0 in both Argentina (83%) and Brazil (65%). Frequencies of race 1 (6% and 24%) and race 23N (5% and 10%) were very low in Argentina and Brazil, respectively. The high frequency of race 0 isolates provides evidence that qualitative resistance based on the tested Ht genes is not being used extensively in Argentina and Brazil to control NCLB. This information may be relevant for growers and breeding programs as the incidence of NCLB is increasing in both countries.EEA PergaminoFil: Navarro, Barbara Ludwig. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Division of Plant Pathology and Crop Protection. Department of Crop Sciences; AlemaniaFil: Ramos Romero, Lucía. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Division of Plant Pathology and Crop Protection. Department of Crop Sciences; AlemaniaFil: Ramos Romero, Lucía. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited; Nueva ZelandaFil: Kistner, María Belén. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Departamento de Maíz; ArgentinaFil: Kistner, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Iglesias, Juliana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Departamento de Maíz; Argentina.Fil: Iglesias, Juliana. Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Escuela de Agrarias, Naturales y Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Von Tiedemann, Andreas. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Division of Plant Pathology and Crop Protection. Department of Crop Sciences; Alemani

Alternating Influence of Northern Versus Southern-Sourced Water Masses on the Equatorial Pacific Subthermocline During the Past 240 ka

The eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) is a key area to understand past oceanic processes that control atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Many studies argue for higher nutrient concentrations by enhanced nutrient transfer via Southern Ocean Intermediate Water (SOIW) to the low-latitude Pacific during glacials. Recent studies, however, argue against SOIW as the primary nutrient source, at least during early Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2), as proxy data indicate that nutrients are better utilized in the Southern Ocean under glacial conditions. New results from the subarctic Pacific suggest that enhanced convection of nutrient-rich Glacial North Pacific Intermediate Water (GNPIW) contributes to changes in nutrient concentrations in equatorial subthermocline water masses during MIS 2. However, the interplay between SOIW versus GNPIW and its influence on the nutrient distribution in the EEP spanning more than one glacial cycle are still not understood. We present a carbon isotope (delta C-13) record of subthermocline waters derived from deep-dwelling planktonic foraminifera Globorotaloides hexagonus in the EEP, which is compared with published delta C-13 records around the Pacific. Results indicate enhanced influence of GNPIW during MIS 6 and MIS 2 compared to today with largest contributions of northern-sourced intermediate waters during glacial maxima. These observations suggest a mechanistic link between relative contributions of northern and southern intermediate waters and past EEP nutrient concentrations. A switch from increased GNPIW (decreased SOIW) to diminished GNPIW (enhanced SOIW) influence on equatorial subthermocline waters is recognized during glacial terminations and marks changes to modern-like conditions in nutrient concentrations and biological productivity in the EEP

Pre-site Study for Deep Geological Drilling below Ekström Ice Shelf, Sub-EIS-Obs

During the last seasons and ongoing, pre-site seismic surveys have taken place in the Ekströmisen region of Dronning Maud Land, with the primary of building a stratigraphic age framework of the under-ice-shelf sediments. These sediments are overlying the Explora Wedge, a syn- or post-rift volcanic deposit. Expected ages range from Late Mesozoic to Quaternary. From new vibroseismic profiles we will select sites for short core seafloor sampling through Hot Water Drill (HWD) holes of the oldest and of the youngest sediment sequences to confine their age time span. There is further potential for drilling deeper sediment cores with the support of international partner. Deep drilling should recover the sediments overlying the Explora Escarpment, in order to discover the nature of the Explora Wedge. We expect the overlying sediment sequences to reveal the history of polar amplification and climate changes in this part of Antarctica, the build-up of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during past warmer climates, and its Cenozoic and future variability. Having HWD holes through the shelf ice and sampling the sea floor will provide the unique opportunity for further piggy back experiments consisting of multi-disciplinary nature. Experiments and measuring setup for oceanography, sea and ice shelf physics, geophysics, geology, hydrography, biogeochemistry could be planned to characterize the ocean-ice-sediment interactions, processes and ecosystem observations

Occurrence of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, the causal agent of bacterial canker of tomato, in Syria

Several surveys were carried out to evaluate the occurrence of bacterial canker of tomato caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm) in Syria, especially in the North-West provinces Latakiaand Tartous. The surveys revealed typical disease symptoms in greenhouses where the tomato cvs. Dima, Huda and Astona were grown, such as dark brown to black lesions on the leaf margins, wilting of whole plants, stunting, and vascular discoloration. The disease incidence in such greenhouses was 15% in the spring of 2007, and up to 70% by the end of July. Ten isolates obtained from diseased plants at different locations in these two provinces were identified as Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis using classical microbiological tests as well as PCR. This is the first detailed proof of the occurrence of bacterial canker of tomato in Syria

Relevance of field observations as boundary conditions for understanding ice-sheet-ocean interactions

The direct contact of warm ocean water with the front and base of ice shelves is the main driver for accelerated mass loss of the Antarctic ice sheet. We present a compilation of observations from various projects and methodological approaches applied over the last decade along the Dronning Maud Land coast and highlight their importance for understanding the ice-ocean interactions. With a focus on the Ekström ice shelf, these include spatially continuous seismic observations in combination with airborne gravity inversion to yield sub-shelf bathymetry and geomorphological evidence of past ice-flow activity; ice-dynamic numerical modelling to investigate the role of seafloor/subglacial substrate characteristics to enhance or reduce ice-sheet extent and advance/retreat rates; sub-shelf CTD measurements to determine ocean properties driving basal melting; satellitebased remote sensing to determine ice-shelf height changes and spatially-distributed basal melting; and point measurements of basal melt with surface-based phase-sensitive radar to determine ocean-driven melt and validate remote-sensing products. As the Dronning Maud Land coast plays a critical role in preconditioning the water mass of the coastal current before it enters the Filcher ice-shelf cavity, we argue that a coordinated inter- and transdisciplinary observational network is required to facilitate monitoring a potential ice-sheet mass loss in this part of Antarctica