Hybridization between wild and cultivated potato species in the Peruvian Andes and biosafety implications for deployment of GM potatoes

The nature and extent of past and current hybridization between cultivated potato and wild relatives in nature is of interest to crop evolutionists, taxonomists, breeders and recently to molecular biologists because of the possibilities of inverse gene flow in the deployment of genetically-modified (GM) crops. This research proves that natural hybridization occurs in areas of potato diversity in the Andes, the possibilities for survival of these new hybrids, and shows a possible way forward in case of GM potatoes should prove advantageous in such areas

Integrated Control of Nematodes of Cool Season Food Legumes

Production of cool season food legumes can be severely limited by nematode attack. Symptoms are yellowing, wilting, stunting, decreased biomass and seed yield. The most damaging nematodes are root-knot (Meloidogyne spp.), cyst (Heterodera spp.), root-lesion (Pratylenchus spp.) and stem (Ditylenchus dipsaci). Integrated control is required where profit margins and environmental considerations preclude the use of nematicides. The main factors for effective integrated control are: correct diagnosis of the nematode problems, use of tolerant and resistant cultivars of the main crops, rotation with resistant cultivars of other crops, fallowing, control of weed hosts, choice of sowing time, soil amendment, and sanitation. Present knowledge and future requirements for effective integrated control of the main nematode diseases of each of the cool season food legume crops are discussed

Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy: home visit versus telephone follow-up

Objectives: To investigate the post-discharge follow-up required for patients who have undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy on an outpatient basis and to determine if there was a significant difference in mean concern scores and satisfaction level of patients followed up by a home visit versus a telephone call. Design: Prospective 2-group comparison. Setting: A 221-bed acute care community hospital in western Canada. Patients: One hundred and forty-nine patients who had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy and agreed to be discharged on the day of operation. Interventions: Subjects were systematically allocated to receive either a home visit (HV, n = 72) or a telephone call (TC, n = 77) from a registered nurse on the evening of operation. During the follow-up, patient concerns were self-rated, interventions provided by the nurse were recorded, and nurses' perceptions of the need for the home visit were reported. A 48-hour telephone survey was used to determine patient satisfaction. Outcome measures: Patient concern scores, patient satisfaction with follow-up, readmission rates and use of emergency room services within 30 days of operation. Results: Subjects in the TC group had a significantly lower mean concern score (p < 0.001) and were significantly more satisfied with their follow-up (p = 0.034) than those in the HV group. Nurses perceived that 75% of the home visits were not necessary. Readmission rate was less than 1% (1 HV) and use of emergency room services was 6% (3 HV, 6 TC). Conclusions: Telephone contact is an acceptable method of follow-up for patients who have undergone outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The call should be made later in the evening on the day of operation or the next morning. Objectifs : Enquêter sur le suivi qui s'impose après la sortie de l'hôpital dans le cas des patients qui ont subi une cholécystectomie par laparoscopie en chirurgie d'un jour et déterminer s'il y avait une différence significative entre les taux moyens de préoccupation et de satisfaction des patients visités à domicile par rapport à ceux des patients qui ont reçu un appel téléphonique. Conception : Comparaison prospective entre deux groupes. Contexte : Hôpital communautaire de soins actifs de 221 lits de l'ouest du Canada. Patients : Cent quarante-neuf patients qui avaient subi une cholécystectomie par laparoscopie et qui avaient convenu de recevoir leur congé le jour même de l'intervention. Interventions : On a réparti systématiquement les sujets de façon à ce qu'ils reçoivent une visite à domicile (VD, n = 72) ou un appel téléphonique (AT, n = 77) d'une infirmière autorisée le soir de l'intervention. Pendant le suivi, le patient a évalué lui-même ses préoccupations, on a consigné les interventions de l'infirmière et fait rapport des perceptions de celle-ci quant à la nécessité de la visite à domicile. On a réalisé un sondage téléphonique après 48 heures pour déterminer la satisfaction des patients. Mesures de résultats : Taux de préoccupation des patients, satisfaction des patients à l'égard du suivi, taux de réadmission et utilisation de services d'urgence dans les 30 jours suivant l'intervention. Résultats : Les sujets du groupe AT présentaient un taux moyen de préoccupation beaucoup moins élevé (p < 0,001) et étaient beaucoup plus satisfaits de leur suivi (p = 0,034) que ceux du groupe VD. Les infirmières pensaient que 75 % des visites à domicile n'étaient pas nécessaires. Le taux de réadmission n'a pas atteint 1 % (1 VD) et le recours aux services d'urgence s'est établi à 6 % (3 VD, 6 AT). Conclusions : Le contact par téléphone représentait un suivi acceptable dans le cas des patients qui ont subi une cholécystectomie par laparoscopie en chirurgie d'un jour. Il faudrait effectuer l'appel dans la soirée de la journée de l'intervention ou le lendemain matin

Traditional soil fertility management ameliorates climate change impacts on traditional Andean crops within smallholder farming systems

Global changes, particularly rising temperatures, threaten food security in smallholder mountain communities by impacting the suitability of cultivation areas for many crops. Land-use intensification, associated with agrochemical use and tillage threaten soil health and overall agroecosystem resilience. In the Andean region, farmers often cultivate crops at multiple elevations. Warming climates have led to a shift in cultivation upslope, but this is not feasible in many areas. Traditional soil fertility management practices together with a focus on traditional (orphan) crops offers promise to cope with rapid climate warming in the region. To understand the impacts of warming and changing nutrient management, we established two side-by-side experiments using the traditional Andean crops Oxalis tuberosa (Oca) and Lupinus mutabilis (Tarwi) at three elevations, each with two fertility treatments (organic and synthetic). Soil and climate data (i.e., temperature and precipitation) were collected throughout the growing season, and crop performance was evaluated through impacts on yield and other growth metrics (e.g., biomass, pest incidence). We used two-way ANOVA to assess the influence of site (elevation) and management type (organic vs. synthetic) on crop performance. Results indicated that warmer climates (i.e., lowest elevation) negatively impact the production and performance of O. tuberosa, but that organic fertilization (sheep manure) can help maintain crop yield and biomass production in warmer conditions relatively to synthetic nutrient inputs. In contrast, L. mutabilis showed accelerated growth in warmer conditions, but grain yield and biomass production were not significantly affected by site and showed no interaction with nutrient management. Our findings highlight that climate warming represents a serious threat to small-scale crop production in the Peruvian Andes and could cause severe declines in the production of locally important crops. Additionally, the continued reliance traditional crops with organic inputs, instead of synthetic fertilizers, may help support agricultural productivity and resilience under climate change

Drivers of growth and establishment of the invasive plant Rumex acetosella within Andean fallow systems

Intensification of crop rotations and associated agricultural practices are reducing the capacity of traditional fallows to restore soil fertility and provide forage in Andean cropping systems. While the implementation of improved fallows offers great promise to enhance forage provision and maintain soil productivity, effects of these practices on the establishment of problematic weeds, including non-native plant species, remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we studied: i) how biotic and abiotic environmental factors influence the establishment and productivity of weeds in traditional fallows; and ii) to what extent improved fallows can help control weedy vegetation in smallholder rotations of the high Andes. Specifically, in this research, we focused on the invasive plant species Rumex acetosella L., which is a common concern of farmers throughout the central Peruvian Andes. We leveraged a multi-site, participatory research trial established in 2017 across eight communities in the region to understand the main drivers of R. acetosella presence and productivity. We used a total of 82 sites, each with paired treatments of traditional fallow (control with natural revegetation) and improved fallow (seeded with Vicia sativa L. and Avena sativa L.). Prior to treatment establishment we measured soil texture, pH, soil organic matter content as well as exchangeable macro-nutrients. Vegetation data was recorded in each treatment and divided into four categories: 1) A. sativa, 2) V. sativa, 3) R. acetosella, and 4) other weeds, and weighed to determine the relative biomass contribution of each. From these data, we calculated an index for R. acetosella pressure, weed pressure, and forage productivity. Our findings indicate that improved fallows greatly suppress weedy vegetation relative to unmanaged controls, including the invasive R. acetosella. Multivariate analyses suggested that R. acetosella abundance was associated with the presence of other non-planted weeds and predictors of soil fertility. The mean R. acetosella index in improved fallows was significantly lower compared to traditional fallows. We found R. acetosella biomass to be greater at lower productivity sites, i.e., those at higher elevations with cooler climates and sites with less fertile soils. Our findings indicate that if the fallow portion of a rotation is kept productive via adequate soil fertility inputs, the biomass of weeds, including the alien R. acetosella, is dramatically reduced

Explaining Andean Potato Weevils in Relation to Local and Landscape Features: A Facilitated Ecoinformatics Approach

BACKGROUND: Pest impact on an agricultural field is jointly influenced by local and landscape features. Rarely, however, are these features studied together. The present study applies a "facilitated ecoinformatics" approach to jointly screen many local and landscape features of suspected importance to Andean potato weevils (Premnotrypes spp.), the most serious pests of potatoes in the high Andes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We generated a comprehensive list of predictors of weevil damage, including both local and landscape features deemed important by farmers and researchers. To test their importance, we assembled an observational dataset measuring these features across 138 randomly-selected potato fields in Huancavelica, Peru. Data for local features were generated primarily by participating farmers who were trained to maintain records of their management operations. An information theoretic approach to modeling the data resulted in 131,071 models, the best of which explained 40.2-46.4% of the observed variance in infestations. The best model considering both local and landscape features strongly outperformed the best models considering them in isolation. Multi-model inferences confirmed many, but not all of the expected patterns, and suggested gaps in local knowledge for Andean potato weevils. The most important predictors were the field's perimeter-to-area ratio, the number of nearby potato storage units, the amount of potatoes planted in close proximity to the field, and the number of insecticide treatments made early in the season. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results underscored the need to refine the timing of insecticide applications and to explore adjustments in potato hilling as potential control tactics for Andean weevils. We believe our study illustrates the potential of ecoinformatics research to help streamline IPM learning in agricultural learning collaboratives