Effet de la dose de semis et de l’écartement entre les rangs sur l’interférence entre le Chenopodium album et le Triticum aestivum

Un essai répété 4 années a permis d'évaluer l'effet de la présence du chénopode (Chenopodium album) sur la productivité du blé (Triticum aestivum 'Max'). La céréale a été ensemencée à cinq doses de semis (100, 200,300, 400 et 500 grains viables m-2) et à deux écartements entre les rangs (10 et 18 cm). Une réduction de l'écartement entre les rangs a permis d'accroître les rendements en blé de 16 % en présence ou non du chénopode. La dose de semis est un facteur plus important que l'écartement entre les rangs. À une dose de semis de 100 grains m-2, la présence du chénopode a causé une réduction du rendement en grain de 23 % tandis que cette réduction était de 11 % avec une dose de semis de 500 grains m-2. La baisse de rendement en blé provoquée par la présence de chénopode est surtout attribuable à une réduction du nombre d'épis par unité de surface. Le chénopode a également réduit le nombre d'épis par plant et le nombre de grains par épi tandis que le poids de 1000 grains et l'indice de récolte ont été peu affectés. Les contenus en azote et en phosphore du grain de blé ont été réduits par la présence du chénopode. Une réduction de l'écartement entre les rangs ou une augmentation de la dose de semis du blé n'a pas permis de réduire le nombre de plants mais a réduit la biomasse du chénopode.A 4-yr study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two row spacings (10 and 18 cm) and five seeding rates (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 viable seeds m-2) of wheat (Triticum aestivum 'Max') on the interference between lamb's-quarters (Chenopodium album) and the crop. Narrow row spacing increased wheat yield by 16% regardless of the presence or absence of lamb's-quarters. Seeding rate was a more important factor than row spacing. At a seeding rate of 100 seeds m-2, the yield reduction caused by lamb's-quarters was 23% whereas it was 11 % when wheat was seeded at 500 seeds m-2. Yield reductions were attributed to a decrease in the number of spikes m-2. Lamb's-quarters also reduced the number of spikes per plant and the number of kernels per spike, and, to a lesser extent, the 1000 kernel weight and the harvest index. Nitrogen and phosphorus content of wheat grain were reduced by the presence of Chenopodium. High seeding rates or narrow row spacing did not reduce the density of lamb's-quarters but did reduce the weed biomass

Une note sur la résistance à l’ergot chez le blé tendre, le blé dur et le triticale

Un essai d'une durée de trois ans a permis d'évaluer la sensibilité de cultivars de céréales au champignon responsable de l'ergot (Claviceps purpurea). Les cultivars ont été évalués sous les conditions naturelles d'infection caractéristiques de la région du Lac Saint-Jean, au Québec. Lestriticales (X Triticosecale) ont montré une plus grande sensibilité à l'ergot que les blés durs (Triticum durum), qui à leur tour ont été plus sensibles que les blés tendres (Triticum aestivum). Le triticale cv. Bura était plus résistant à l'ergot que le cultivar Beaguelita. Le cultivar de blé dur Medora était plus résistant que le cultivar Kyle. Aucune différence significative n'a été observée parmi huit cultivars de blé tendre. La résistance à l'ergot est donc un facteur important à considérer dans le choix d'une espèce ou d'un cultivar destiné à une région où l'ergot est endémique.A three-year study was conducted to evaluate the susceptibility of cereal cultivars to the fungus Claviceps purpurea. The cultivars were evaluated under the natural conditions of infection found in the Lac Saint-Jean region in Quebec. The triticale (X Triticosecale) cultivars were more susceptible to ergot than the durum wheat (Triticum durum) cultivars, which were in turn more susceptible than the soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars. The triticale cv. Bura was more resistant to ergot than cultivar Beaguelita. The durum wheat cultivar Medora was more resistant than cultivar Kyle. No significant difference was observed among the soft wheat cultivars. Ergot resistance is thus an important factor to consider in the choice of a cultivar or a species to be grown in a region where ergot is endemic

Rotational diversity effects in a triticale-based cropping system

Research indicates that not all crops respond similarly to cropping diversity and the response of triticale (× Triticosecale ssp.) has not been documented. We investigated the effects of rotational diversity on cereals in cropping sequences with canola (Brassica napus L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), or an intercrop (triticale:field pea). Six crop rotations were established consisting of two, 2-yr low diversity rotations (LDR) (continuous triticale (T-T_LDR) and triticale-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (T-W_LDR)); three, 2-yr moderate diversity rotations (MDR) (triticale-field pea (T-P_MDR), triticale-canola (T-C_MDR), and a triticale: field pea intercrop (T- in P_MDR)); and one, 3-yr high diversity rotation (HDR) (canola-triticale-field pea (C-T-P_HDR)). The study was established in Lethbridge, Alberta (irrigated and rainfed); Swift Current (rainfed) and Canora (rainfed), Saskatchewan, Canada; and carried out from 2008 to 2014. Triticale grain yield for the 3-yr HDR was superior over the LDR rotations and the MDR triticale-field pea system; however, results were similar for triticale-canola, and removal of canola from the system caused a yield drag in triticale. Triticale biomass was superior for the 3-yr HDR. Moreover, along with improved triticale grain yield, the 3-yr HDR provided greater yield stability across environments. High rotational diversity (C-T-P_HDR) resulted in the highest soil microbial community and soil carbon concentration, whereas continuous triticale provided the lowest. Net economic returns were also superior for C-T-P_HDR ($670 ha–1) and the lowest for T-W_LDR ($458 ha–1). Overall, triticale responded positively to increased rotational diversity and displayed greater stability with the inclusion of field pea, leading to improved profitability and sustainability of the system

Use of cultivar resistance and crop rotation with Bacillus subtilis for clubroot control in canola

Non-Peer ReviewedThis study was conducted to assess additional strategies potentially complimentary to cultivar resistance or biocontrol in control of clubroot. New granular Bacillus subtilis formulations and a seed dressing method were developed to facilitate biofungicide delivery in field trials. The granular formulations were applied in furrow during seeding at 50 kg/ha to a clubroot resistant (CR) and susceptible (CS) canola cultivar, respectively, in three field trials. The seed dressing applied approximately 1×105 to 5×106 cfu/seed doses of the biocontrol agent, and was evaluated on the CS cultivar seeded to different crop-rotation scenarios where the plots had a 1-year, 3-year, or 11-year break from last canola crop. Clubroot disease pressure was high at all trial sites with disease severity indexes (DSI) ranging from 69% to 98% on the CS cultivar. None of the granular formulations reduced clubroot substantially, whereas the CR cultivar showed a high effect, reducing DSI to below 15% and doubling the yield over that of CS cultivar. Plots of varying rotation showed a pattern of clubroot pathogen pressure, with those of 1-year break from canola being the highest. The DSI for all rotational scenarios was high, reaching 100% in short-rotation plots. Biofungicide seed dressing did not reduce DSI, but longer crop rotation often reduced gall size slightly, showed much milder above-ground damage, and increased the yield significantly relative to short rotation in two separate trials. Even a 3-year break from canola was highly beneficial, with the yield doubled as opposed to that with only 1-year break from canola

Length of carotid stenosis predicts peri-procedural stroke or death and restenosis in patients randomized to endovascular treatment or endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: The anatomy of carotid stenosis may influence the outcome of endovascular treatment or carotid endarterectomy. Whether anatomy favors one treatment over the other in terms of safety or efficacy has not been investigated in randomized trials. METHODS: In 414 patients with mostly symptomatic carotid stenosis randomized to endovascular treatment (angioplasty or stenting; n = 213) or carotid endarterectomy (n = 211) in the Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study (CAVATAS), the degree and length of stenosis and plaque surface irregularity were assessed on baseline intraarterial angiography. Outcome measures were stroke or death occurring between randomization and 30 days after treatment, and ipsilateral stroke and restenosis ≥50% during follow-up. RESULTS: Carotid stenosis longer than 0.65 times the common carotid artery diameter was associated with increased risk of peri-procedural stroke or death after both endovascular treatment [odds ratio 2.79 (1.17-6.65), P = 0.02] and carotid endarterectomy [2.43 (1.03-5.73), P = 0.04], and with increased long-term risk of restenosis in endovascular treatment [hazard ratio 1.68 (1.12-2.53), P = 0.01]. The excess in restenosis after endovascular treatment compared with carotid endarterectomy was significantly greater in patients with long stenosis than with short stenosis at baseline (interaction P = 0.003). Results remained significant after multivariate adjustment. No associations were found for degree of stenosis and plaque surface. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing stenosis length is an independent risk factor for peri-procedural stroke or death in endovascular treatment and carotid endarterectomy, without favoring one treatment over the other. However, the excess restenosis rate after endovascular treatment compared with carotid endarterectomy increases with longer stenosis at baseline. Stenosis length merits further investigation in carotid revascularisation trials

Antibody Responses to NY-ESO-1 in Primary Breast Cancer Identify a Subtype Target for Immunotherapy

The highly immunogenic human tumor antigen NY-ESO-1 (ESO) is a target of choice for anti-cancer immune therapy. In this study, we assessed spontaneous antibody (Ab) responses to ESO in a large cohort of patients with primary breast cancer (BC) and addressed the correlation between the presence of anti-ESO Ab, the expression of ESO in the tumors and their characteristics. We found detectable Ab responses to ESO in 1% of the patients. Tumors from patients with circulating Ab to ESO exhibited common characteristics, being mainly hormone receptor (HR)− invasive ductal carcinomas of high grade, including both HER2− and HER2+ tumors. In line with these results, we detected ESO expression in 20% of primary HR− BC, including both ESO Ab+ and Ab− patients, but not in HR+ BC. Interestingly, whereas expression levels in ESO+ BC were not significantly different between ESO Ab+ and Ab− patients, the former had, in average, significantly higher numbers of tumor-infiltrated lymph nodes, indicating that lymph node invasion may be required for the development of spontaneous anti-tumor immune responses. Thus, the presence of ESO Ab identifies a tumor subtype of HR− (HER2− or HER2+) primary BC with frequent ESO expression and, together with the assessment of antigen expression in the tumor, may be instrumental for the selection of patients for whom ESO-based immunotherapy may complement standard therapy

The identification of QTL controlling ergot sclerotia size in hexaploid wheat implicates a role for the Rht dwarfing alleles

The fungal pathogen Claviceps purpurea infects ovaries of a broad range of temperate grasses and cereals, including hexaploid wheat, causing a disease commonly known as ergot. Sclerotia produced in place of seed carry a cocktail of harmful alkaloid compounds that result in a range of symptoms in humans and animals, causing ergotism. Following a field assessment of C. purpurea infection in winter wheat, two varieties ‘Robigus’ and ‘Solstice’ were selected which consistently produced the largest differential effect on ergot sclerotia weights. They were crossed to produce a doubled haploid mapping population, and a marker map, consisting of 714 genetic loci and a total length of 2895 cM was produced. Four ergot reducing QTL were identified using both sclerotia weight and size as phenotypic parameters; QCp.niab.2A and QCp.niab.4B being detected in the wheat variety ‘Robigus’, and QCp.niab.6A and QCp.niab.4D in the variety ‘Solstice’. The ergot resistance QTL QCp.niab.4B and QCp.niab.4D peaks mapped to the same markers as the known reduced height (Rht) loci on chromosomes 4B and 4D, Rht-B1 and Rht-D1, respectively. In both cases, the reduction in sclerotia weight and size was associated with the semi-dwarfing alleles, Rht-B1b from ‘Robigus’ and Rht-D1b from ‘Solstice’. Two-dimensional, two-QTL scans identified significant additive interactions between QTL QCp.niab.4B and QCp.niab.4D, and between QCp.niab.2A and QCp.niab.4B when looking at sclerotia size, but not between QCp.niab.2A and QCp.niab.4D. The two plant height QTL, QPh.niab.4B and QPh.niab.4D, which mapped to the same locations as QCp.niab.4B and QCp.niab.4D, also displayed significant genetic interactions

PI 3 Kinase Related Kinases-Independent Proteolysis of BRCA1 Regulates Rad51 Recruitment during Genotoxic Stress in Human Cells

The function of BRCA1 in response to ionizing radiation, which directly generates DNA double strand breaks, has been extensively characterized. However previous investigations have produced conflicting data on mutagens that initially induce other classes of DNA adducts. Because of the fundamental and clinical importance of understanding BRCA1 function, we sought to rigorously evaluate the role of this tumor suppressor in response to diverse forms of genotoxic stress.We investigated BRCA1 stability and localization in various human cells treated with model mutagens that trigger different DNA damage signaling pathways. We established that, unlike ionizing radiation, either UVC or methylmethanesulfonate (MMS) (generating bulky DNA adducts or alkylated bases respectively) induces a transient downregulation of BRCA1 protein which is neither prevented nor enhanced by inhibition of PIKKs. Moreover, we found that the proteasome mediates early degradation of BRCA1, BARD1, BACH1, and Rad52 implying that critical components of the homologous recombination machinery need to be functionally abrogated as part of the early response to UV or MMS. Significantly, we found that inhibition of BRCA1/BARD1 downregulation is accompanied by the unscheduled recruitment of both proteins to chromatin along with Rad51. Consistently, treatment of cells with MMS engendered complete disassembly of Rad51 from pre-formed ionizing radiation-induced foci. Following the initial phase of BRCA1/BARD1 downregulation, we found that the recovery of these proteins in foci coincides with the formation of RPA and Rad51 foci. This indicates that homologous recombination is reactivated at later stage of the cellular response to MMS, most likely to repair DSBs generated by replication blocks.Taken together our results demonstrate that (i) the stabilities of BRCA1/BARD1 complexes are regulated in a mutagen-specific manner, and (ii) indicate the existence of mechanisms that may be required to prevent the simultaneous recruitment of conflicting signaling pathways to sites of DNA damage