BARRENACIÓN DEL TALLO DE AMARANTO POR HYPOLIXUS TRUNCATULUS (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) Y AMAUROMYZA ABNORMALIS (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE)

In the amaranth growing region of Tulyehualco (Valley of Mexico) stem tunneling attributed to larvae of the curculionid Hypolixus truncatulus has been reported. The aim of this study was to test the effect of cultivar and plant densities on stem tunnelling. A bifactorial experiment with two cultivars and two plant density was carried out. The cultivars were Frondosa and Tulyehualco, and plant densities were 62 500 and 380 000 plants ha-1. Vegetative growth, number or larvae, percentage of stem tunnelling and yield data were collected from 10 plants in each of 16 experimental plots. All sampled plants showed stem tunnelling damage. Hypolixus truncatulus and Amauromyza abnormalis were identified from larvae stages. Both species have been reported in Mexican Amaranth cultures. The shorter cultivar (Frondosa) had 70% of the stem affected by larvae tunnelling, in contrast to 80% in the taller cultivar (Tulyehualco); statistical differences were significant (P<0.05). The number of larvae at harvest was significantly larger in the taller cultivar (18 larvae) compared to Frondosa (12.5 larvae). High plant density resulted in a significant reduction of stem diameter for both cultivars; however, there were no differences (P>0.05) in number of larvae per plant and in stem tunnelling damage in the two plant densities. These results are in disagreement with the hypothesis that a reduction in stem diameter caused by a change in amaranth canopy should result in a smaller larvae population and damage by stem borers. The number of larvae and percentage of stem tunnelling damage did not affect grain yield and biomass production parameters. Results suggest that the shorter length of the production cycle for the early cultivar (Frondosa) might favour a smaller larvae population and a lesser damage in stem tunnelling.En la zona productora de amaranto (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) en Tulyehualco (Distrito Federal) se ha observado daño por barrenación del tallo, atribuido a larvas del curculiónido Hypolixus truncatulus. Con el propósito de conocer el efecto del cultivar y la densidad de siembra sobre la barrenación del tallo, se diseñó un experimento en el cual se probaron dos cultivares y dos densidades de siembra. Los cultivares fueron Frondosa (baja y precoz) y Tulyehualco (alta y tardía) y las densidades de siembra 62 500 y 380 000 plantas ha-1. Los resultados indican una infestación de 100% de las plantas muestreadas en ambos cultivares. Las larvas correspondieron a Hypolixus truncatulus y a Amauromyza abnormalis, ambas ya reportadas en el cultivo de amaranto. El cultivar con menor altura de planta (Frondosa) presentó en promedio 70% de la longitud del tallo con barrenación, contra 80% del cultivar local y de mayor altura (Tulyehualco), siendo significativas las diferencias (P<0.05). El número promedio de larvas fue significativamente mayor en el cultivar Tulyehualco (18 larvas) respecto al cultivar Frondosa (12.5 larvas). La mayor densidad de siembra se tradujo en una reducción significativa en el diámetro del tallo para ambos cultivares; sin embargo no se observaron diferencias estadísticas en el número de larvas y en el daño por barrenación entre ambas densidades de siembra. Este resultado contradice la hipótesis inicial de que una reducción del diámetro del tallo causada por cambios en la población del dosel vegetal debería traducirse en una reducción de la presencia de larvas y del daño por barrenación. El número de larvas y el porcentaje de tallo barrenado no afectaron negativamente los parámetros de rendimiento en grano y producción de biomasa de las plantas de amaranto. La menor duración del ciclo del cultivar Frondosa y su menor altura pudieron contribuir a una menor población y daño causado por las larvas del barrenador

Especies de picudos (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) asociados a limón persa en Tabasco, México

Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are one of the main pests in citrus production systems due to their distribution and way of feeding. The objective of this work was to morphologically identify the species of weevils associated with the cultivation of Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) in the citrus zone of the municipality of Huimanguillo, Tabasco, Mexico. The captures of weevils were made directly in the canopy, from September 2019 to February 2021, for a total of 17 collected in three Persian lemon plantations, two with conventional management and one with organic management, each one with useful plots of two hectares (624 plants). A total of 1,039 weevils corresponding to four morphospecies were collected, of which 240 were morphologically identified as Epicaerus sp. (1), 355 as Epicaerus sp. (2), 112 as Exophthalmus opulentus and 332 as Cleistolophus subfasciatus.Los picudos (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) son una de las principales plagas en los sistemas de producción citrícola debido a su distribución y forma de alimentación. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue identificar morfológicamente las especies de picudos asociados al cultivo de limón persa (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) en la zona citrícola del municipio de Huimanguillo, Tabasco, México. Las capturas de picudos se realizaron de manera directa en la copa de los árboles, de septiembre de 2019 a febrero de 2021, para un total de 17 muestreos en tres plantaciones de limón persa, dos con manejo convencional y una con manejo orgánico, cada una con parcelas útiles de dos hectáreas (624 plantas). Se colectaron 1,039 picudos correspondientes a cuatro morfoespecies, de las cuales 240 se identificaron morfológicamente como Epicaerus sp. (1), 355 como Epicaerus sp. (2), 112 como Exophthalmus opulentus y 332 como Cleistolophus subfasciatus

Characterization of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) fruits from outstanding mexican selections

Fruits of five regional selections of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) were characterized to identify those with international marketing quality to promote their propagation in Mexico, improvement and conservation in germoplasm bank. The fruits were harvested in June, July, and August 2008 and, after each harvest, were assessed for shape (length/diameter), firmness, fruit weight, number of fruits per kilogram, weight and percentage of pericarp, seed and aril, total soluble solids, total sugars, vitamin C content, pH, and titratable acidity. In addition, a sensorial evaluation was carried out with 31 panelists who graded each selection for color, sweetness, and acidity. Fruits of five selections were ovoid, and with the following characteristics: firmness values from 43.7 to 51.0 N, fruit weight ranged from 22.4 to 34.7 g, registering from 28.9 to 45.0 fruits per kg; pericarp weight from 10.5 to 17.3 g (45.9 to 49.9% of the total fruit weight); total seed weight from 2.2 to 2.5 g (7.0 to 10.0%); average arils weight from 8.9 to 13.1 g (37.5 to 41.4%). The fruits had high contents of total soluble solids (17.8 to 20.4 ºBrix), total sugars (211.95 to 242.70 mg/100g in the edible portion), vitamin C (37.9 to 69.1 mg/100 g), pH 5.0, and titratable acidity of 0.20 to 0.28%. The fruits from the RT-01 and RT-05 selections had better attributes in fruit weight, total soluble solids and titratable acidity and were better accepted by the panelists. Harvest date significantly affects rambutan fruit quality; at the middle and end of the season harvested fruits had better qualitative characteristics for the marketing

Efficacy and safety of the CVnCoV SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine candidate in ten countries in Europe and Latin America (HERALD): a randomised, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 2b/3 trial

Background: Additional safe and efficacious vaccines are needed to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to analyse the efficacy and safety of the CVnCoV SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine candidate. Methods: HERALD is a randomised, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 2b/3 clinical trial conducted in 47 centres in ten countries in Europe and Latin America. By use of an interactive web response system and stratification by country and age group (18–60 years and ≥61 years), adults with no history of virologically confirmed COVID-19 were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intramuscularly either two 0·6 mL doses of CVnCoV containing 12 μg of mRNA or two 0·6 mL doses of 0·9% NaCl (placebo) on days 1 and 29. The primary efficacy endpoint was the occurrence of a first episode of virologically confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 of any severity and caused by any strain from 15 days after the second dose. For the primary endpoint, the trial was considered successful if the lower limit of the CI was greater than 30%. Key secondary endpoints were the occurrence of a first episode of virologically confirmed moderate-to-severe COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and COVID-19 of any severity by age group. Primary safety outcomes were solicited local and systemic adverse events within 7 days after each dose and unsolicited adverse events within 28 days after each dose in phase 2b participants, and serious adverse events and adverse events of special interest up to 1 year after the second dose in phase 2b and phase 3 participants. Here, we report data up to June 18, 2021. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04652102, and EudraCT, 2020–003998–22, and is ongoing. Findings: Between Dec 11, 2020, and April 12, 2021, 39 680 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either CVnCoV (n=19 846) or placebo (n=19 834), of whom 19 783 received at least one dose of CVnCoV and 19 746 received at least one dose of placebo. After a mean observation period of 48·2 days (SE 0·2), 83 cases of COVID-19 occurred in the CVnCoV group (n=12 851) in 1735·29 person-years and 145 cases occurred in the placebo group (n=12 211) in 1569·87 person-years, resulting in an overall vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 of 48·2% (95·826% CI 31·0–61·4; p=0·016). Vaccine efficacy against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 was 70·7% (95% CI 42·5–86·1; CVnCoV 12 cases in 1735·29 person-years, placebo 37 cases in 1569·87 person-years). In participants aged 18–60 years, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease was 52·5% (95% CI 36·2–64·8; CVnCoV 71 cases in 1591·47 person-years, placebo, 136 cases in 1449·23 person-years). Too few cases occurred in participants aged 61 years or older (CVnCoV 12, placebo nine) to allow meaningful assessment of vaccine efficacy. Solicited adverse events, which were mostly systemic, were more common in CVnCoV recipients (1933 [96·5%] of 2003) than in placebo recipients (1344 [67·9%] of 1978), with 542 (27·1%) CVnCoV recipients and 61 (3·1%) placebo recipients reporting grade 3 solicited adverse events. The most frequently reported local reaction after any dose in the CVnCoV group was injection-site pain (1678 [83·6%] of 2007), with 22 grade 3 reactions, and the most frequently reported systematic reactions were fatigue (1603 [80·0%] of 2003) and headache (1541 [76·9%] of 2003). 82 (0·4%) of 19 783 CVnCoV recipients reported 100 serious adverse events and 66 (0·3%) of 19 746 placebo recipients reported 76 serious adverse events. Eight serious adverse events in five CVnCoV recipients and two serious adverse events in two placebo recipients were considered vaccination-related. None of the fatal serious adverse events reported (eight in the CVnCoV group and six in the placebo group) were considered to be related to study vaccination. Adverse events of special interest were reported for 38 (0·2%) participants in the CVnCoV group and 31 (0·2%) participants in the placebo group. These events were considered to be related to the trial vaccine for 14 (<0·1%) participants in the CVnCoV group and for five (<0·1%) participants in the placebo group. Interpretation: CVnCoV was efficacious in the prevention of COVID-19 of any severity and had an acceptable safety profile. Taking into account the changing environment, including the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and timelines for further development, the decision has been made to cease activities on the CVnCoV candidate and to focus efforts on the development of next-generation vaccine candidates. Funding: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and CureVac