New AMS 14C dates track the arrival and spread of broomcorn millet cultivation and agricultural change in prehistoric Europe

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is not one of the founder crops domesticated in Southwest Asia in the early Holocene, but was domesticated in northeast China by 6000 bc. In Europe, millet was reported in Early Neolithic contexts formed by 6000 bc, but recent radiocarbon dating of a dozen 'early' grains cast doubt on these claims. Archaeobotanical evidence reveals that millet was common in Europe from the 2nd millennium bc, when major societal and economic transformations took place in the Bronze Age. We conducted an extensive programme of AMS-dating of charred broomcorn millet grains from 75 prehistoric sites in Europe. Our Bayesian model reveals that millet cultivation began in Europe at the earliest during the sixteenth century bc, and spread rapidly during the fifteenth/fourteenth centuries bc. Broomcorn millet succeeds in exceptionally wide range of growing conditions and completes its lifecycle in less than three summer months. Offering an additional harvest and thus surplus food/fodder, it likely was a transformative innovation in European prehistoric agriculture previously based mainly on (winter) cropping of wheat and barley. We provide a new, high-resolution chronological framework for this key agricultural development that likely contributed to far-reaching changes in lifestyle in late 2nd millennium bc Europe

The archaeology of the military orders: the material culture of holy war

This paper reviews the current state of research into the archaeology of the military orders. It contrasts the advances made by historians and archaeologists, with the latter continuing to focus on the particularism of individual sites, with an emphasis on architectural analyses. Historians have contributed new insights by adopting a supranational approach. This paper argues that archaeologists can build on this by adopting a more problem-oriented, comparative approach. Drawing on examples from frontier and heartland territories, archaeological approaches are subdivided into material investment, material identity and cultural landscapes, to place sites of the military orders within a long-term, multi-scalar contexts. This contributes to a broader social and economic understanding of the orders, who contributed significantly to urbanisation, rural development and trade, and invested in material expressions of their authority and ideology. The paper concludes that more holistic, inter-regional approaches will move the archaeological study of the military orders forward

Diversity of Pseudomonas species associated with soft rot of plants in Poland

A total of 94 pectolytic and 60 nonpectolytic Pseudomonas isolates were obtained from 250 samples of rotted vegetable specimens representing various economically important vegetables. The isolates were identified on the basis of standard biochemical tests. Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar V and II and Pseudomonas putida were the most abundant species among pectolytic isolates and Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar I among nonpectolytic ones. Only 3 Pseudomonas viridiflava isolates were identified and all of them were obtained from potato. Isolates of pectolytic phenotype were scattered among nonpectolytic ones irrespective of their taxonomical status. Isolates identified biochemically, as Pseudomonas marginalis were also present in nonpectolytic group. PCR method is unsuitable for identification and differentiation of bacteria belonging to pectolytic fluorescens Pseudomonas group due to great diversity of species. However, the results of PCR amplification of the genes encoding pectate lyase suggest that genes responsible for production of this enzyme may also be present in isolates of nonpectolytic phenotype.Z 250 prób, z różnych gatunków roślin warzywnych z objawami mokrej zgnilizny wyodrębniono 94 izolaty pektynolitycznych i 60 izolatów nie pektynolitycznych bakterii z rodzaju Pseudomonas. Identyfikację i różnicowanie izolatów przeprowadzono przy zastosowaniu standardowych testów fizjologiczno-biochemicznych. Spośród izolatów z grupy pektolitycznych Pseudomonas najliczniej występował gatunek P. fluorescens, który był reprezentowany przez 4 biowary (oprócz czwartego), przy czym dominowały biowary II i V. Mniej licznie występował gatunek P. putida, a P. viridiflava był reprezentowany jedynie przez 3 izolaty, pochodzące z ziemniaka. Podobna była struktura populacji izolatów z grupy niepektolitycznych Pseudomonas. Metoda PCR okazała się być mało przydatna do wykrywania i różnicowania izolatów z grupy pektolitycznych Pseudomonas ze względu na duże ich zróżnicowanie. Amplifikacja DNA metodą PCR wykazała, że geny kodujące enzym liazy pektynowej występują także w izolatach niepektolitycznych rodzaju Pseudomonas

Susceptibility of potato cultivars to bacterial soft rot - Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora

During our study we examined 19 most popular Polish potato cultivars. Susceptibility of tubers to bacterial infection was assessed by two methods: direct injection of bacterial suspension into tuber tissue and clay-inoculation method. The cultivars were divided into three groups: tolerant, relatively susceptible and susceptible. Elida, Bila and Vistula proved to be the most susceptible potato cultivars whereas Ekra and Mila the most resistant. Some of the cultivars such as Oda had resistant peel and susceptible tissue. Therefore during storage of Oda-like cultivars healthy and undamaged tubers are so important.Najważniejszą rolę w ograniczaniu chorób bakteryjnych odgrywa profilaktyka, między innymi stosowanie odmian odpornych lub wykazujących wysoką tolerancję w stosunku do patogena. Nasze badania objęły 19 powszechnie uprawianych w Polsce odmian ziemniaka. Ocenę podatności bulw ziemniaka na infekcję bakteryjną oraz gnicie przeprowadzono dwiema metodami: metodą powierzchniowej inokulacji przy pomocy gliny zawierającej bakterie oraz metodą iniekcji miąższu zawiesiną bakteryjną końcówkami pipet. Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników badane odmiany zostały zaliczone do trzech grup: tolerancyjne, średnio wrażliwe i podatne. Najwrażliwszymi odmianami okazały się Elida, Bila i Vistula, zaś najodporniejsze były Ekra i Mila. Niektóre odmiany, takie jak np. Oda, charakteryzowały się odporną skórką i podatnym miąższem. W ich przypadku szczególnie ważne jest więc przechowywanie zdrowych i nieuszkodzonych mechanicznie bulw. Opisane badania mogą być wykorzystane przy doborze odmian ziemniaka w uprawie w zależności od warunków klimatycznych, a także w przechowalnictwie

Seed transmission of Pepino mosaic virus in tomato

In this manuscript we provide evidence for the seed transmission of Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) in tomato. Fruit was harvested from a tomato crop artificially infected with both European and CH2 genotypes of PepMV and more than 100,000 seeds were extracted and cleaned using an enzymatic treatment without disinfection. Infection assays using indicator plants confirmed the presence of viable virus on the seeds. Seeds were distributed to ten different laboratories in three separate batches, where they were germinated and the young plants tested by ELISA. In total over 87,000 plants were tested and 23 positives detected, indicating an overall transmission rate of 0.026%. However, the observed seed transmission rates varied from 0.005% to 0.057%, depending on the seed batch used. Results clearly showed that PepMV can be transmitted from seeds contaminated with virus to seedlings, highlighting the risk of using seeds from PepMV-infected plants and the potential for seed transmission to contribute to the further spread of PepM