Sensitivity towards DMI fungicides and haplotypic diversity of their CYP51 target in the Mycosphaerella graminicola population of Flanders

Septoria leaf blotch, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola, is the most important wheat disease in Northwestern Europe, and is currently controlled by fungicide applications. Since the spread of resistance to methyl benzimidazole carbamates (MBCs) and quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs) in European countries, reliable control is mainly dependent upon sterol 14 alpha-demethylation inhibitors (DMIs). In the last decades however, a slow shift towards reduced sensitivity of M. graminicola to DMIs has been observed. This shift is caused mainly by mutations in the CYP51 gene encoding the 14 alpha-demethylase target protein for these fungicides. In this work, M. graminicola isolates were sampled at fields spread over Flanders, Belgium. In vitro assays were used to analyze the sensitivity of the Flemish M. graminicola population towards different DMIs. Sequencing of the CYP51 gene of these isolates allowed us to identify and map the haplotypes in this population. The results showed that there is a large variability in DMI sensitivity between the isolates, even within one field, which is reflected in a high diversity in CYP51 haplotypes within the M. graminicola population in Flanders. Next to some haplotypes that were not described in literature before, we found that the population is dominated by CYP51 haplotypes which were previously associated with increased resistance towards DMIs

Effect of adjuvants on the efficiency of benthiavalicarb plus mancozeb (Valbon 1.6 kg/ha) on the control of late blight in potato

Industrial adjuvants were tested in combination with benthiavalicarb plus mancozeb (Valbon 1.6 kg/ha) in the field to investigate their efficacy on foliar late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans. The tested adjuvant-fungicide treatments for late blight control were applied 6 times at 7-day intervals. The effect of the adjuvant-fungicide treatments on epidemic development, tuber blight and tuber yields were determined. Because of the favourable weather conditions a high disease pressure could be observed. The incidence of foliage blight was scored and at the end of the growing season the disease level was lower in plots sprayed with the Valbon-adjuvant combinations than in plots treated with only Valbon. The addition of an adjuvant had a clearly positive effect on the tuber yield although the differences were not significant. In the plots treated with Valbon 6.9 % infected tubers were observed. The mean tuber infection of plots sprayed with the Valbon-adjuvant combinations fluctuated between 2.3 and 15.6 %

An add-on nitrifying membrane bioreactor as effluent polishing technique for 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol

17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), the active compound of the contraceptive pill, is a recalcitrant estrogen with a high endocrine disrupting potency. This compound is not adequately removed in the current wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Increasing concern about the fate of low-level concentrations of endocrine disruptors stimulates research on alternative methods for WWTP effluent polishing. The aim of this study was to establish an innovative and effective biological removal technique for EE2 by means of a nitrifier enrichment culture (NEC) applied in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). In batch incubation tests, the NEC was able to remove EE2 from both synthetic minimal medium and WWTP effluent (maximum removal rate of 9 mu g EE2 g(-1) VSS h(-1)). The role of nitrification was demonstrated by means of a specific test in which nitrification was selectively inhibited. Application of the nitrifying consortium in a MBR resulted in a continuous removal of EE2, in combination with a complete nitrification. Variation of the ammonium concentration in the influent pointed out that an optimal EE2 removal efficiency of 99% was possible at an environmentally relevant influent concentration of 83 ng EE2 L-1 and a minimal ammonium concentration of 1 NH4+-N mg L-1. Consequently, the advanced removal of EE2 from WWTP effluent can be achieved without the addition of supplementary nitrogen. This research opens new perspectives to remove estrogenic compounds from WWTP effluents. The application of nitrifying consortia in an add-on MBR system can offer a sustainable solution for these point sources of endocrine disruptors in the environment

Falling behind in innovation The 1996 report on the European manufacturing futures survey

SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : DO 4822 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Separating the fads from the facts : trends in manufacturing action programmes and competitive priorities from 1986 till 1994

SIGLEAvailable at INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : DO 4395 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc