Österreichisches Projekt Grundlagen zur Züchtung, Vermehrung und Sorten-/Saatgutprüfung für den Biolandbau: Ergebnisübersicht

In the Austrian research project “Basic principles for breeding, multiplication and variety testing for organic agriculture” (from 2004 until 2008) novel methods for the assessment of the suitability of seed and cultivars for organic farming were developed and evaluated by an interdisciplinary co-operation of researchers, breeders and variety testers. Organic farming requires specific combinations of crop plant characters, especially seed health and resistance against seed-borne diseases. Another crucial feature is the competitive ability against weeds. Early development was found to significantly increase the competitiveness of different crop plants. Genotypic variation in characters necessary for an efficient utilisation of below-ground resources was also investigated, e.g. interrelations between root development and drought stress tolerance and between mycorrhiza formation and nutrient use efficiency. Based on the results obtained in various cultivar trials, it can be concluded that genotypes suitable for organic growing conditions may be pre-selected from early breeding material of conventional breeding programmes. The selected breeding material must subsequently be rigorously tested on organically managed fields starting from the first yield trials at the latest. The project results were communicated to farmers and advisors during field days and excursions. They will be applied in the breeding of new cultivars

Increasing frailty is associated with higher prevalence and reduced recognition of delirium in older hospitalised inpatients: results of a multi-centre study

Purpose Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder delineated by an acute change in cognition, attention, and consciousness. It is common, particularly in older adults, but poorly recognised. Frailty is the accumulation of deficits conferring an increased risk of adverse outcomes. We set out to determine how severity of frailty, as measured using the CFS, affected delirium rates, and recognition in hospitalised older people in the United Kingdom. Methods Adults over 65 years were included in an observational multi-centre audit across UK hospitals, two prospective rounds, and one retrospective note review. Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), delirium status, and 30-day outcomes were recorded. Results The overall prevalence of delirium was 16.3% (483). Patients with delirium were more frail than patients without delirium (median CFS 6 vs 4). The risk of delirium was greater with increasing frailty [OR 2.9 (1.8–4.6) in CFS 4 vs 1–3; OR 12.4 (6.2–24.5) in CFS 8 vs 1–3]. Higher CFS was associated with reduced recognition of delirium (OR of 0.7 (0.3–1.9) in CFS 4 compared to 0.2 (0.1–0.7) in CFS 8). These risks were both independent of age and dementia. Conclusion We have demonstrated an incremental increase in risk of delirium with increasing frailty. This has important clinical implications, suggesting that frailty may provide a more nuanced measure of vulnerability to delirium and poor outcomes. However, the most frail patients are least likely to have their delirium diagnosed and there is a significant lack of research into the underlying pathophysiology of both of these common geriatric syndromes

Mycorrhization of winter wheat cultivars in organic farming

The root length density, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation and the total AM root length density of 12 winter wheat cultivars have been studied at seven sites in eastern Austria under organic farming. Root length density did not differ between the cultivars whereas AM colonisation and total AM root density did. Site effects were more pronounced than cultivar effects. All three traits generally were on a higher level in calcaric Phaeozems than in Cambisols. The AM colonisation and total AM root density decreased with increasing plant height and were positively correlated with crop yield. On calcaric Phaeozems, root length density in the subsoil was obviously more important for drought tolerance than AM colonisation in the topsoil