Comparison of organic cereal varieties - trial synthesis, triticale, spelt, winter barley, spring wheat, durum wheat, 2019

This tool is a synthesis of variety observations conducted all over France on triticale, spelt, winter barley, spring wheat, durum wheat in organic conditions. It is designed to help farmers to choose varieties that are adapted to organic conditions. The results are gathered and presented species by species and provide a wide range of observed characteristics

Assessing varietal resistances to control common wheat bunt under organic cereal production and soft wheat, in particular

Common wheat bunt (caused by the fungus Tilletia caries or Tilletia foetida) is a disease whose incidence is clearly on the rise in organic farming, jeopardising the balance of the French organic cereal sector. Control methods adapted to organic farming must be found, especially since we know that no seed treatment is 100% effective. The use of varietal resistance appears particularly promising for limiting the spread of the disease. Since 2000, an experiment whose purpose is to assess the resistance of soft wheat varieties to Tilletia caries is conducted each year by the French plant institute, ARVALIS. These experiments make it possible to identify the existence of a wide behavioural variability with respect to this pathogen among the different varieties grown in France. However, no variety corresponding to the specific criteria imposed by organic agriculture has yet to show adequate levels of resistance. At the same time, a European testing network revealed a strong genotype X environment interaction, emphasizing the necessity of consolidating these initial observations by increasing the number of test sites and by identifying virulence genes present in France as well as resistance genes present in the different varieties

Acting against common bunt: exploration of various control methods

Common bunt (Tilletia caries, Tilletia foetida) is a fungal disease with a large ability to spread. Consequences may be rejection of grains for sale or even a large decrease of yield. Different trials were carried out in organic farming in a research project (funded by the French Ministry of Agriculture between 2008 and 2011) to achieve a better control of common bunt. Results confirm that the resistance of wheat cultivars is a factor to consider. Despite most varieties currently cultivated in organic farming are sensitive to common bunt, some cultivars appeared to be resistant to the races tested. Concerning seed treatment, no product is available for organic farming and 100% efficient; but several solutions have been identified. Only one product is currently authorized for common bunt control on cereals (cerall), it has a significant but sometimes irregular efficiency. Products with acetic acid (white vinegar) or with a base of mustard flour (Tillecur) have similar results. Copper products at low level (reduced to about 500g Cu/t) give a very good level of protection. Before using those solutions, prevention is essential to mobilise, through diversified crop rotations, field observation, seed choice, regular analysis of farm seed, cleaning of machinery

A reaction norm model for genomic selection using high-dimensional genomic and environmental data

In most agricultural crops the effects of genes on traits are modulated by environmental conditions, leading to genetic by environmental interaction (G × E). Modern genotyping technologies allow characterizing genomes in great detail and modern information systems can generate large volumes of environmental data. In principle, G × E can be accounted for using interactions between markers and environmental covariates (ECs). However, when genotypic and environmental information is high dimensional, modeling all possible interactions explicitly becomes infeasible. In this article we show how to model interactions between high-dimensional sets of markers and ECs using covariance functions. The model presented here consists of (random) reaction norm where the genetic and environmental gradients are described as linear functions of markers and of ECs, respectively. We assessed the proposed method using data from Arvalis, consisting of 139 wheat lines genotyped with 2,395 SNPs and evaluated for grain yield over 8 years and various locations within northern France. A total of 68 ECs, defined based on five phases of the phenology of the crop, were used in the analysis. Interaction terms accounted for a sizable proportion (16 %) of the within-environment yield variance, and the prediction accuracy of models including interaction terms was substantially higher (17–34 %) than that of models based on main effects only. Breeding for target environmental conditions has become a central priority of most breeding programs. Methods, like the one presented here, that can capitalize upon the wealth of genomic and environmental information available, will become increasingly important

Renal replacement therapy in acute kidney injury: controversy and consensus

Renal replacement therapies (RRTs) represent a cornerstone in the management of severe acute kidney injury. This area of intensive care and nephrology has undergone significant improvement and evolution in recent years. Continuous RRTs have been a major focus of new technological and treatment strategies. RRT is being used increasingly in the intensive care unit, not only for renal indications but also for other organ-supportive strategies. Several aspects related to RRT are now well established, but others remain controversial. In this review, we review the available RRT modalities, covering technical and clinical aspects. We discuss several controversial issues, provide some practical recommendations, and where possible suggest a research agenda for the future

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome associated with COVID-19: An Emulated Target Trial Analysis.

RATIONALE: Whether COVID patients may benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared with conventional invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effect of ECMO on 90-Day mortality vs IMV only Methods: Among 4,244 critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 included in a multicenter cohort study, we emulated a target trial comparing the treatment strategies of initiating ECMO vs. no ECMO within 7 days of IMV in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (PaO2/FiO2 <80 or PaCO2 ≥60 mmHg). We controlled for confounding using a multivariable Cox model based on predefined variables. MAIN RESULTS: 1,235 patients met the full eligibility criteria for the emulated trial, among whom 164 patients initiated ECMO. The ECMO strategy had a higher survival probability at Day-7 from the onset of eligibility criteria (87% vs 83%, risk difference: 4%, 95% CI 0;9%) which decreased during follow-up (survival at Day-90: 63% vs 65%, risk difference: -2%, 95% CI -10;5%). However, ECMO was associated with higher survival when performed in high-volume ECMO centers or in regions where a specific ECMO network organization was set up to handle high demand, and when initiated within the first 4 days of MV and in profoundly hypoxemic patients. CONCLUSIONS: In an emulated trial based on a nationwide COVID-19 cohort, we found differential survival over time of an ECMO compared with a no-ECMO strategy. However, ECMO was consistently associated with better outcomes when performed in high-volume centers and in regions with ECMO capacities specifically organized to handle high demand. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Cereal varieties in organic agriculture - memento winter soft wheat 2019

This tool provides the main results of the observations performed in 2019 on diverse experimentation platforms all over France and Belgium thanks to a broad network coordinated by ITAB. It allows organic farmers to choose varieties that are best suited to their conditions, thanks to regional observations and a wide range of observed criteria