Integrated disease management

Integrated disease management in organic farming combines the use of various measures. The usefulness of certain measures depends on the specific crop-pathogen combination. In many crops, preventative measures can control diseases without the need of plant protection products. However, for certain disease problems, preventative measures are not sufficient. For example, organic apple production strongly depends on the multiple use plant protection products

Screening of micro-organisms for Venturia inaequalis control by means of DGGE

Venturia inaequalis causes apple scab. The control of the disease in organic apple production depends on the use of copper which will be restricted in future for environmental reasons. In the search for environmental friendly microbial biocontrol agents and stimulation of antagonistic populations in situ the molecular technique of DGGE fingerprinting can is applied. This fingerprinting technique allows to bypass culturing techniques and even can identify not yet culturable organisms. Comparison of microbial fingerprints and pathogen development in the leaf samples during winter and spring has been performed to identify populations with antagonistic potential. Such potential antagonistic organisms can be further identified by their specific DNA sequence. Preliminary results identify possible antagonists. The identification based on the sequence can help to focus on specific isolation or stimulation of a possible antagonist or a consortium of antagonists

Documentation system for plant transformation service and research

Background: In plant transformation, method compliance is critical for success. Transformation methods are complicated and tend to evolve over time. Until the complete method is published, method details are often partially orally transmitted and thus bound to a few people. Their documentation in text files are often a mixture of material and method description with many references to other sources especially to media description. These media are complex and often composed from several commercially available mixtures plus individually prepared stocks. The actual transformation experiment is generally documented in lab books, in which deviations from the methods and results are reported. Additionally, work schedules are planned in diaries. Both paper-based sources lack backup copies and miss unambiguous links to method descriptions and media recipes. Description: To solve the problem, we devised a standard-operation-procedure system based on a Microsoft Access database containing the interlinked modules 'Media', 'Methods' and 'Experiments'. The Media module contains all basic chemicals, stocks and complex media. In this module, complex media are composed from other elements of the Media module, thus mimicking the workflows of media preparation in the lab. The Media module is made attractive to the user by functions that generate file cards and labels. The Methods module describes each method stepwise and links the steps to the media. Copy functions allow cloning of old methods to document method evolution without alteration of the old methods. Activation and inactivation functions in the Media and the Methods module remove outdated entries from active use. The Experiments module links the method to experiment specific information. This module generates a lab-book like user interface and a work schedule, and it contains a simple result section. Conclusion: The system has been evolved and tested over several years in a transformation service unit, where it increased efficiency. Additionally, the system provided rapid access to data for quality control and decision making. The system can be easily modified for the use in other research environments

Contributions of EU-project REPCO to apple scab control

The objective of REPCO is to contribute to the replacement of copper fungicides in organic agriculture by new measures for control of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) in grapevine and scab (Venturia inaequalis) in apple. Both major European organic crops strongly depend on copper fungicides. Permitted amounts will be reduced stepwise during the following years (Council Regulation (EEC) 2092/91, Annex II) to avoid environmental risks. In European countries where copper fungicides are already out of use, production of organic apples suffers severe economical problems because of insufficient scab control. Potentiators of resistance, organically based fungicides and biocontrol agents are screened and evaluated in apple. Effects of crop management practices in organic agriculture on overwintering of Venturia inaequalis are assessed. Novel disease control measures and knowledge are integrated into organic management systems. 'Pipeline' products already under development elsewhere are included and where necessary optimised in their use

Black spot diseases in carrot

An important problem in organic carrot production in the Netherlands is the occurrence of black spots during storage. Several different fungal pathogens cause similar symptoms, which are collectively known as black spot diseases. We identified Alternaria radicina, A. dauci and Rhexocercosporidium carotae (syn. Acrothecium carotae) as the most prevalent black spot pathogens. We developed laboratory test methods for resistance to A. radicina and R. carotae, and assessed resistance in a collection of cultivated varieties and more exotic material

Occurrence of Rhexocercosporidium carotae on cold stored carrot roots in the Netherlands

Winter carrot for the fresh market is an important cash crop for many organic arable farms in the Netherlands. In recent years carrot roots from cold stores have been affected by superficial dark brown to black spots. To gain insight into the pathogens causing the blemish and the effect of agronomic practices on their occurrence, surveys were carried out among crops harvested in 2001 and 2002. In addition carrots harvested in 2003 were screened for root spotting pathogens. Rhexocercosporidium carotae (syn. Acrothecium carotae and Pseudocercosporidium carotae) was the dominant pathogen in blackish spots on carrots harvested in 2001. On carrots harvested in 2002 and 2003 Alternaria radicina was detected more frequently. Multiple regression analysis indicated that a higher occurrence of the blemish may be linked with harvest conditions and presence of umbelliferous plants. The effect of the temperature on conidial germination, mycelial growth and pathogenicity of R. carotae was studied. The estimated optimum and maximum temperature for growth of R. carotae was 19 and 29°C, respectively. Inoculation experiments demonstrated that wounds are good invasion routes. Infection occurred at 3, 10 and 20°C, but not at 30°C. Penetration into wounds was greatest at 20°

Обоснование способов локализации взрывов на предприятиях

Объектом выпускной квалификационной работы является ООО "Кокс – Майнинг" Шахта "Бутовская". Цель выпускной квалификационной работы: провести анализ существующих способов предупреждения и локализации взрывов на шахте . В результате выполнения выпускной квалификационной работы выполнен анализ водяных, сланцевых и автоматических заслонов, была рассмотрена характеристика пластов по метану, опасность образования скоплений горючих газов и взрывов скопления метана.The object of final qualifying work is LLC "Cox - Mining" Mine "Butovskaya". The purpose of final qualifying work: an analysis of the existing methods of prevention and localization of explosions at the mine. As a result of final qualifying work the analysis of water, shale and automatic barriers, characteristic layers of methane, a risk of accumulations of combustible gases and methane concentrations of explosions has been considered

MiKlip - a National Research Project on Decadal Climate Prediction

A German national project coordinates research on improving a global decadal climate prediction system for future operational use. MiKlip, an eight-year German national research project on decadal climate prediction, is organized around a global prediction system comprising the climate model MPI-ESM together with an initialization procedure and a model evaluation system. This paper summarizes the lessons learned from MiKlip so far; some are purely scientific, others concern strategies and structures of research that targets future operational use. Three prediction-system generations have been constructed, characterized by alternative initialization strategies; the later generations show a marked improvement in hindcast skill for surface temperature. Hindcast skill is also identified for multi-year-mean European summer surface temperatures, extra-tropical cyclone tracks, the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, and ocean carbon uptake, among others. Regionalization maintains or slightly enhances the skill in European surface temperature inherited from the global model and also displays hindcast skill for wind-energy output. A new volcano code package permits rapid modification of the predictions in response to a future eruption. MiKlip has demonstrated the efficacy of subjecting a single global prediction system to a major research effort. The benefits of this strategy include the rapid cycling through the prediction-system generations, the development of a sophisticated evaluation package usable by all MiKlip researchers, and regional applications of the global predictions. Open research questions include the optimal balance between model resolution and ensemble size, the appropriate method for constructing a prediction ensemble, and the decision between full-field and anomaly initialization. Operational use of the MiKlip system is targeted for the end of the current decade, with a recommended generational cycle of two to three years

CO-FREE Alternative Test Products for Copper Reduction in Agriculture

The project CO-FREE (2012-2016) aimed to develop strategies to replace/reduce copper use in organic, integrated and conventional farming. CO-FREE alternative test products (CTPs) were tested and integrated together with decision support systems, disease-tolerant varieties, and innovative breeding goals (ideotypes) into improved management strategies. CO-FREE focused on apple/apple scab (Venturia inaequalis), grape/downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and tomato and potato/late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Starting point of the project were ten CTPs with direct or indirect modes of action including Trichoderma atroviride SC1 and protein extract SCNB, Lysobacter spp., yeast-based derivatives, Cladosporium cladosporioides H39, the oligosaccharidic complex COS-OGA, Aneurinibacillus migulanus and Xenorhabdus bovienii, sage (Salvia officinalis) extract, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract, PLEX- and seaweed plant extracts. As the project progressed, further promising CTPs were included by the partners. Field trials were performed in different European countries in 2012-2015 following EPPO standards. In the first years, stand-alone applications of CTPs were tested. In the following years these were integrated into complete strategies. Effects on main and further diseases, on yield and on non-target organisms were assessed. Here, field trial results with CTPs are summarized