Host Range of Meloidogyne Arenaria (NEAL, 1889) Chitwood, 1949 (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae) in Spain

11 páginas, ilustraciones y tablas estadísticas.The distribution of Meloidogyne arenaria in Spain was revised and new samples collected from representative areas. Species and races of the populations were determined by morphometrics, differential host tests and SCAR-PCR. Meloidogyne arenaria was found most often in warm areas, but it can occur in Northern Spain in greenhouses. A total of 125 citations were found, corresponding to 45 different host plants, of which 41 new reports (32.8%) are from this study. The populations studied belong to race 2, which reproduces on tomato plants carrying the Mi gene, or race 3, which reproduces on both resistant pepper and tomato. The most frequent hosts were vegetables, fruit trees, tobacco, grapevine, and weeds.INIA OT- 03-006C7-4 and RTA2007-00099-C00-00; Castilla La Mancha PAI09-0010-4701, INCRECYT CICyT CTM2006-07309.Peer reviewe

Transformations in carbon and nitrogen forms in peat subjected to progressive thermal stress as revealed by analytical pyrolysis

21 páginas, 5 figuras, 1 tabla, 20 referencias.To study the characteristic N-forms of humic-type materials, samples of sapric peat from Galicia (northern Spain) were heated at 350 °C for 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 s, and studied by Curie-point Py-GC/MS, solid-state CPMAS 13C-NMR and 15N-NMR spectroscopies. NMR analysis of the peat samples in the progressive heating stages showed the concentration of heterocyclic N-forms, the maximum structural transition amide-to-heterocyclic forms being observed in samples heated for 120 s (56% heterocyclic N and 34% aromatic C). Under more drastic conditions all N-forms were depleted. Correlation between spectroscopic and pyrolytic data betrayed specific pyrolytic markers for the different N-forms. The intensity of the 15N-NMR amide peak tended to be positively correlated to the yield of indoles, imidazoles and pyrazoles, and negatively correlated to those of benzonitriles and pyrazines. Analytical pyrolysis also showed a progressive enrichment in lipids and alkyl macromolecules with increasing heating intensity, and a decrease in lignin-derived, polysaccharide-derived and N-containing compounds. The relative abundance of non-methoxyphenolic aromatic compounds did not change. The N-compounds in peat samples unheated or heated for 60–90 s released methylpyrazole, dimethylpyrroline, methyldiphenylindole and pyrazole, whereas peat samples heated for 120 s mainly yielded methylpyrazine and methyldiphenylindole. Dimethylpyrroline and pyrazine prevailed in samples heated for 150 s, whereas samples heated for 180 s yielded mainly pyrrole. Pyrolysis data presented low possibilities for forecasting the extent of the O-alkyl domain, but reflected quantitatively the transformations in the lignin-like moiety. Both techniques coincide in pointing out the accumulation of a recalcitrant alkyl domain possibly derived from abiotic condensations or inherited lipid biomacromolecules.The Spanish CICYT for grant CGL-2008-04296. Dra. Ana Piedra Buena has been contracted by the CCMA-CSIC via the I3P Program, which is funded by the European Social Fund.Peer reviewe

Postharvest Biological Control of Guatemalan Potato Moth, Tecia solanivora, by Trichogramma euproctidis and Blattisocius tarsalis

Tecia solanivora (Povolný 1973), is a quarantine pest in Europe. Identified in Guatemala in the 1970s, it spread throughout Central and South America, reaching the Canary Islands in 1999 and mainland Spain in 2015. The pest has caused prohibitive economic losses both in the field and in storage, where losses can reach 100%. In the absence of approved chemical treatments, the use of an egg predatory mite, Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese 1918), and the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma euproctidis (Girault 1911), is being studied for use in storage. Previous laboratory studies have confirmed their potential for use in non-refrigerated stores, typically between 15 and 20 °C. In the present work, we compared the efficacy of both natural enemies under semi-storage conditions. We observed that while both T. euproctidis and B. tarsalis reduced the T. solanivora populations (with an efficacy of 82.95 ± 7.32% and 49.06 ± 2.69%, respectively) and the number of mites per tuber, only B. tarsalis resulted in undamaged tubers (65%). For this reason, the mite was selected and tested in storage conditions, obtaining promising results in the protection of infested tubers, suggesting potential for further investigation, adaptation and standardization of its use in real conditions

Potential for the Postharvest Biological Control of Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) by Blattisocius tarsalis (Mesostigmata, Blattisociidae)

Phthorimaea operculella is one of the most important pests causing damage to stored potatoes. In this work, the effect of temperature (at 10, 20 and 30 °C) on the predation of pest eggs by Blattisocius tarsalis was studied in the laboratory. In addition, the effect of three predatory release rates on two pest densities was studied under microcosm conditions. The results showed that B. tarsalis maintains its predatory capacity at low temperatures (10 °C), obtaining an efficiency of 49.66 ± 5.06% compared to the control. In turn, at 20 °C, a maximum efficacy of 78.17 ± 4.77% was achieved, very similar to that presented at 30 °C (75.57 ± 4.34%). Under microcosm conditions and at low pest density (10 eggs/container), the mortality due to the mite was 96.97 ± 3.03%, 81.82 ± 8.84%, and 84.85 ± 8.30%, respectively, for the three predatory release rates (5, 10 or 20 mites/container). At the high infestation level, the pest control ranged from 61.54 ± 9.21% to 92.31 ± 2.74%, depending on the predatory release rate. The results obtained show that B. tarsalis could be a relevant control agent against P. operculella under non-refrigerated potato storage conditions, as well as in the first stages of their storage under refrigerated conditions

Agricultura, medio ambiente y desarrollo social. Un proyecto agroenergético integrador en Uruguay

El uso de combustibles fósiles, base del modelo energético mundial de las últimas décadas, presenta conocidos efectos negativos tanto desde el punto de vista ambiental, como es el deterioro ocasionado por los elevados volúmenes de CO2 liberados en su combustión, como desde el punto de vista económico, con la creciente dependencia de los países importadores de petróleo con respecto a los países exportadores. La búsqueda de alternativas energéticas a los combustibles fósiles se ha visto impulsada por estos efectos negativos, junto al previsible descenso en sus reservas. Esto, por una parte, ha incrementado notablemente el precio del petróleo en los últimos años, ejerciendo una presión económica cada vez más intensa sobre sectores como la agricultura y el transporte, en especial en los países importadores. Por otra parte, ha puesto en evidencia la necesidad de encontrar una solución al posible agotamiento de estos recursos antes de que éste se produzca. Un tercer factor que ha intervenido, aunque con un menor peso con respecto a los imperativos de orden económico, ha sido la concienciación ciudadana acerca de la importancia de la protección del medio ambiente, con la consecuente presión que la sociedad civil ha comenzado a ejercer sobre los centros de decisión. Todos estos aspectos han influido en el cambio de modelo que se vislumbra en relación con la matriz energética futura, especialmente en los países desarrollados, como es la Política Energética Común (PEC) de la Unión Europea.Peer reviewe

Interaction between two Meloidogyne incognita (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) biotypes and the enthomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae and S. carpocapsae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae)

Poster presentado en el 5th International Congress of Nematology, Brisbane (Australia)Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) from Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae families, in association with enteric bacteria, are considered one of the best non-chemical alternatives for insect pest control (Boemare, 2002; Kaya et al., 2006). Moreover, several studies have suggested that EPNs could be applied against plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) such as Meloidogyne spp. As the effect might be affected by the interaction between EPNs species and PPNs species/biotypes, as well as the plant host, the aim of this survey was to evaluate the application of EPNs native strains against virulent and avirulent biotypes of Meloidogyne incognita (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) race 1 on tomato under laboratory conditions.This research was supported by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of Spain (DGL–2005–07661/BOS). Dr. R. Campos Herrera and Dr. A. Piedra Buena were supported by two I3P postgraduate fellowships from CSIC (Spain)Peer reviewe