Anpassung und Eignung von Composite Cross Winterweizen- Populationen und anderen Phänotypen auf unterschiedliche N-Versorgungsniveaus

Evolutionary breeding through the introduction of composite cross populations (CCPs)encourages intra-specific diversity and increases diversity in the agricultural landscape. Increased genetic diversity in crops may help to buffer both biotic and abiotic stresses and will play an increasingly important role in unpredictable climatic conditions become more unpredictable (Østergård et al. 2009). A number of CC winter wheat populations, commercial varieties and CCP line selections were tested at the University of Kassel, under differing N input levels in order to test past adaptation and suitability to differing fertilisation levels. The CCPs have been managed since 2005 under both organic and conventional conditions without conscious selection. Genetically diverse CCPs have the ability to be able to adapt to their environment, which may also include the management system, meaning that CCPs grown under conventional conditions may be better suited to growing conditions with higher N inputs, in comparison to CCPs, which have been managed organically under low N levels

Leistung und agronomisches Potenzial von Composite Cross Winterweizen-Populationen und anderen Phänotypen in einem Mischanbausystem

Unpredictable climatic conditions and increasing pressure on non-renewable resources mean that alternative agricultural systems able to cope with increasing biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as external input costs, are needed. Sustainable agricultural systems should be self-regulating, characterized by a high degree of interand intra-specific diversity (Moreau 2010). Evolutionary breeding through the introduction of Composite Cross Populations (CCPs) increases intra-specific diversity, enabling CCPs to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Increasing interspecific diversity, through mixed cropping, also plays an important role in sustainable systems and suitable crops are needed that are able to cope with the increasing interspecific competition found in these mixed systems. A number of winter wheat CCPs, lines and commercial varieties were tested with white clover as an undersowing in order to test competitive ability and performance

Mycorrhiza-mediated disease resistance

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an essential role as one of the primary mutualistic plant‐microbe symbioses. Oral presentation on mycorrhiza-mediated disease resistance

New species of Asclepias (Apocynaceae), Baphia (Leguminosae), Cochlospermum (Bixaceae) and Endostemon (Lamiaceae) from the Kalahari sands of Angola and NW Zambia, with one new combination in Vangueria (Rubiaceae)

Four new species are described from central and eastern Angola and adjacent NW Zambia. All occur in Kalahari sand savannas rich in endemic and more widely distributed geoxylic suffrutices. Despite being known from very few collections, the conservation status of one of these new species is assessed as Least Concern, as these grasslands are nutrient-poor, are in remote sparsely populated areas, and are not threatened with conversion to agriculture. The remaining three are treated as Data Deficient. In addition, one new combination is provided for Ancylanthos rubiginosus Desf. under Vangueria as V. rubiginosa (Desf.) Lantz is an illegitimate later homonym. We also make orthographic corrections to specific epithets commemorating Ilse von Nolde, a collector who made important collections from Quela in Malange in the 1930s

Optimising Subsidiary Crop Applications in Rotations (OSCAR): A Perspective for the North Africa Region

Background: For sustainable improvement of wheat-based farming systems in the North Africa, there is a need to improve plant health, soil health and fertility. One approach to achieve this is by integrating subsidiary crops (SC) as living or dead mulches or cover crops with the main crops in rotations, which will increase plant species and microbial diversity and reducing water demand in dry climates. Methods: A collaborative research project funded by EU FP 7 (Project No. 289277) was initiated in April 2012, in partnership with European Union (public research organizations and private sector small and medium enterprises of Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherland, UK, Poland, Switzerland and Italy), Brazil and Morocco (INRA-Morocco and ICARDA), in order to enhance understanding and use of SC systems, develop suitable farm technologies, increase the range of SC species, and enhance understanding of impact of SC on soil ecology, biology and microbial diversity and crop pests and diseases. Results: Based on two field experiments in Morocco (Sidi AI-Aidi and Sidi Allal-Tazi), the project will assess the economic and ecological impact including legume root health and soil health, fertility and microbial diversity and compare the results with other sites in Europe. Screening of new species and genotypes will result in identification of range of potentially useful plant species for SC for the North Africa and Europe. The identified SC species will be tested for their potential as forage and for extraction of useful biochemicals. Conclusion: The results of the project as a whole will be of use for and improve sustainability in low-input, organic, and conventional farming systems in the North Africa, Latin America and Europe

Towards identification of novel legume species of potential interest as cover crops and living mulches for the North Africa region.

Subsidiary crops (SC) grown either as cover crops (CC) preceding or following the main crops, or as living mulches (LM) together with the main crops can deliver multiple ecological services within farming systems. These include increasing the duration of soil cover in the rotation, increasing plant and microbial diversity, improving plant health, soil health and fertility, minimizing the use of tillage and agrochemicals, enhancing biological N fixation and soil C content, and reducing water demand in dry climates. However, species available for growing as SC for dry areas are limited. To identify species of potential interest to CC and LM, we screened 197 accessions from the ICARDA genebank, belonging to 142 species/sub-species at Rabat, Morocco in one square meter plots. The preliminary assessments based on visual observations enabled us to identify: (1) 21 accessions belonging to Medicago and Trifolium species with prostrate growth habit, early maturity and senescence, determinate growth cycle and good potential for seed production, as potentially suitable for LM; and (2) 28 accessions belonging to Vicia, Lathyrus, Medicago and Trifolium species with high biomass and competitive ability, and also good potential for seed production, as potentially suitable for CC or green manure crops. Further evaluations in replicated trials are in progress. The selected accessions have been planted in the field during autumn 2013 at Sidi El Aidi

Improved limits on nuebar emission from mu+ decay

We investigated mu+ decays at rest produced at the ISIS beam stop target. Lepton flavor (LF) conservation has been tested by searching for \nueb via the detection reaction p(\nueb,e+)n. No \nueb signal from LF violating mu+ decays was identified. We extract upper limits of the branching ratio for the LF violating decay mu+ -> e+ \nueb \nu compared to the Standard Model (SM) mu+ -> e+ nue numub decay: BR < 0.9(1.7)x10^{-3} (90%CL) depending on the spectral distribution of \nueb characterized by the Michel parameter rho=0.75 (0.0). These results improve earlier limits by one order of magnitude and restrict extensions of the SM in which \nueb emission from mu+ decay is allowed with considerable strength. The decay \mupdeb as source for the \nueb signal observed in the LSND experiment can be excluded.Comment: 10 pages, including 1 figure, 1 tabl

Symptom complexes in patients with seropositive arthralgia and in patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative exploration of symptom development

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore symptoms and symptom development during the earliest phases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with seropositive arthralgia and patients newly diagnosed with RA