Different methods of evaluation of Monilinia laxa on apricot flowers and branches

- Organic apricot production is currently not profitable. - The main obstacle to sustainable profitability is brown rot caused by the fungus Monilinia laxa (Aderh. & Ruhl). - In the current apricot germplasm no source of total resistance has been shown, but some varieties are expressing interesting levels of tolerance. - A good evaluation of the M. laxa symptoms is essential for a precise diagnosis of the infection and to appreciate differences between tolerant and susceptible varieties and genotypes

Identification and quantification of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’ in declining trees of a Swiss cider pear orchard after incision treatment at the stem base

Candidatus Orchards of 30 to >100 years old fruit trees used for cider production are endangered by an accumulation of abiotic and biotic stress factors. Among biotic stress factors, diseases such as pear decline (PD) caused by the bacterial pathogen ' Phytoplasma ' contributes to a weakening and reduced life time of affected trees. Since direct treatment of this disease is not possible, approaches have gained attention, which might lead to an increased resilience against this pathogen, such as incisions of the cambium at the graft union at the stem base. Six 35 years old pear trees () of a Swiss cider production orchard, all affected by mild decline were chosen for this study. Four out of them were treated with 2-4 incisions per tree in February 2016. Symptoms were visually assessed during summer and autumn 2016 and 2017, respectively, and ' P ' measured in branch samples with a newly developed duplex TaqMan qPCR assay. No effect could be determined within these two subsequent growing seasons after treatment. Both, visual assessment of symptoms and qPCR measurement of the pathogen in branches did not show any difference between treated and untreated trees. The sequencing of two marker genes of the pathogen detected in this orchard confirmed its identity as ' ' and revealed that it belongs to the major genotype present in Europe

Pushing forward white lupin as a local source for protein and nitrogen in Central Europe

White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is a promising leguminous crop. Europe is fully dependent on protein and nitrogen fertilizer imports. This has tremendous negative effects both in Europe and the producing countries, such as loss of terrestrial biodiversity, pollution of freshwater, increase of greenhouse gases and soil acidification. Diverse crop-rotations with a substantial amount of pulses are a proven solution. The protein composition and yield potential of white lupin suggest that it could become the ‘Soy of the North’. Currently, the seed-borne pathogen Colletotrichum lupini is substantially impeding the cultivation of white lupin in Central Europe. We developed a DNA-based diagnostic test to identify and quantify the fungal pathogen in plants and seeds. This technique will allow us to improve our understanding of the Colletotrichum lupini life cycle and, thereby, lay the basis for an advanced resistance breeding approach

Acute coronary syndrome in patients younger than 30 years--aetiologies, baseline characteristics and long-term clinical outcome.

Coronary atherosclerosis begins early in life, but acute coronary syndromes in adults aged <30 years are exceptional. We aimed to investigate the rate of occurrence, clinical and angiographic characteristics, and long-term clinical outcome of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in young patients who were referred to two Swiss hospitals. From 1994 to 2010, data on all patients with ACS aged <30 years were retrospectively retrieved from our database and the patients were contacted by phone or physician's visit. Baseline, lesion and procedural characteristics, and clinical outcome were compared between patients in whom an underlying atypical aetiology was found (non-ATS group; ATS: atherosclerosis) and patients in whom no such aetiology was detected (ATS group). The clinical endpoint was freedom from any major adverse cardiac event (MACE) during follow-up. A total of 27 young patients with ACS aged <30 years were admitted during the study period. They accounted for 0.05% of all coronary angiograms performed. Mean patient age was 26.8 ± 3.5 years and 22 patients (81%) were men. Current smoking (81%) and dyslipidaemia (59%) were the most frequent risk factors. Typical chest pain (n = 23; 85%) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; n = 18 [67%]) were most often found. The ATS group consisted of 17 patients (63%) and the non-ATS group of 10 patients (37%). Hereditary thrombophilia was the most frequently encountered atypical aetiology (n = 4; 15%). At 5 years, mortality and MACE rate were 7% and 19%, respectively. ACS in young patients is an uncommon condition with a variety of possible aetiologies and distinct risk factors. In-hospital and 5-year clinical outcome is satisfactory

Diplocarpon coronariae, ein neuer Krankheitserreger im extensiven Apfelanbau

Einleitung - Die Marssonina Blattfallkrankheit (Diplocarpon coronariae, früher Marssonina coronaria) verursacht vorzeitigen Blattfall bei Apfelbäumen. - In Asien wurde die Bildung von Ascosporen beobachtet, in Europa verbreitet sich der Pilz vermutlich v.a. über Konidien. - Erste Infektionen können nach heutigem Wissensstand von überwintertem Falllaub ausgehen. - Wann und unter welchen Bedingungen der Sporenflug beginnt wurde bis anhin in Europa nicht erforscht

Variability in precipitation, temperature and river runoff in W Central Asia during the past ~2000yrs

The tributary rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya contribute major amounts of water to the hydrological budget of the endorheic Aral Sea. Processes controlling the flow of water into rivers in the headwater systems in Tien Shan (Kyrgyzstan) and Pamir (Tajikistan) are therefore most relevant. Lake water mineralization is strongly dependent on river discharge and has been inferred from spectrometrically determined gypsum and other salt contents. Comparison of high-resolution mineralization data with tree ring data, other proxies for tracing temperature and snow cover in NW China, and accumulation rates in the Guliya Ice Core indicate that mineralization over the past ~2000. yrs in the Aral Sea reflects snow cover variability and glacier extent in Tien Shan and Pamir (at the NW and W edges of the Tibetan Plateau). Snow cover in W Central Asia is preferentially a winter expression controlled by temperature patterns that impact the moisture-loading capacity over N Europe and NW Asia (Clark et al., 1999). We observed that the runoff, resulting from warmer winter temperatures in W Central Asia and resulting in a reduction of snow cover, decreased between AD 100-300, AD 1150-1250, AD 1380-1450, AD 1580-1680 and during several low frequency events after AD 1800. Furthermore, we observed a negative relationship between the amount of mineralization in the Aral Sea and SW summer monsoon intensity starting with the Little Ice Age. Based on these observations, we conclude that the lake level changes during the past ~. 2000. yrs were mostly climatically controlled. Around AD 200, AD 1400 and during the late 20th century AD, human activities (namely irrigation) may also have synergistically influenced discharge dynamics in the lower river courses. © 2011 Elsevier B.V

Ocean acidification and temperature rise: effects on calcification during early development of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis

This study investigated the effects of seawater pH (i.e., 8.10, 7.85 and 7.60) and temperature (16 and 19 °C) on (a) the abiotic conditions in the fluid surrounding the embryo (viz. the perivitelline fluid), (b) growth, development and (c) cuttlebone calcification of embryonic and juvenile stages of the cephalopod Sepia officinalis. Egg swelling increased in response to acidification or warming, leading to an increase in egg surface while the interactive effects suggested a limited plasticity of the swelling modulation. Embryos experienced elevated pCO2 conditions in the perivitelline fluid (>3-fold higher pCO2 than that of ambient seawater), rendering the medium under-saturated even under ambient conditions. The growth of both embryos and juveniles was unaffected by pH, whereas 45Ca incorporation in cuttlebone increased significantly with decreasing pH at both temperatures. This phenomenon of hypercalcification is limited to only a number of animals but does not guarantee functional performance and calls for better mechanistic understanding of calcification processes