DEGRADATION AND MOBILITY OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN OILSANDS WASTE AT THE AURORA FORT HILLS DISPOSAL AREA

Surface mining in the Athabasca oil sands region of Northern Alberta, Canada, results in the disturbance of significant areas of boreal forest landscape. The Aurora Soil Capping Study is a reclamation research project that aims to find the optimal soil capping (cover) material and thickness to re-establish a boreal forest ecosystem above a lean oil sands (LOS) disposal area at Syncrude's Aurora North mine. The objectives of this laboratory and field-based study are to (1) characterize the in-situ hydrocarbon composition of the LOS material, (2) determine the effect of temperature on rates of gas flux and the biodegradation potential of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) as a result of microbial activity and (3) determine the potential for PHC to leach into the groundwater system. The results of the laboratory-study show that temperature has a significant effect on the rate of PHC degradation as indicated by the linear relationship observed between temperature and CO2 gas flux rates. The respiratory results from the laboratory-based study were consistent and relatively comparable with data from the field study, which indicates that the column study could be useful in estimating in situ PHC degradation

Eyespot resistance of winter wheat breeding lines evaluated with marker-assisted selection and inoculation tests at the seedling and adult plant stages

Eyespot is one of the most important fungal diseases of the stem base of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The presented study clearly demonstrated that the Pch1 gene was the main effective source for reducing the eyespot disease score in the analyzed winter wheat lines. Nevertheless, Pch1 was present only in 8−9% of the investigated lines. Using an isoenzymatic marker and molecular markers, the presence of the Pch1 gene and lack of the Pch2 gene was identified in six lines. Two lines, SMH 9409 and DL 358/13/4, were polymorphic in an isoenzymatic marker study. In the remaining three lines, C 3373/11-1, KBH 15.15 and KBP 1416, the Pch1 gene was identified only with the use of an isoenzymatic marker. Both genes Pch1 and Pch2, as well as the resistant variety Rendezvous, were found in three lines: DD 248/12, KBP 15.2 and STH 4431. In line DD 708/13, the presence of the Pch1 and Pch2 genes was identified, where the association between the Pch1 and the locus of the Xorw5 marker was broken. It was shown that the presence or absence of Pch1 and Pch2 genes did not significantly affect the grain yield (from the plot), although the yield was highest in the presence of both genes. A significant effect of the presence of the Pch1 gene on thousand kernel weight (TKW) was observed. Lines with the Pch1 gene showed significantly higher TKW values than lines without both genes or with the Pch2 gene only

Use of molecular and phenotypic markers to identify wheat eyespot resistance genes caused by Oculimacula yallundae and O. acuformis

Łamliwość źdźbła to jedna z ważniejszych chorób pszenicy uprawnej (Triticum aestivum L.) powodowana przez dwa grzyby patogeniczne Oculimacula yallundae i Oculimacula acuformis. Istnieje kilka źródeł odporności na ten patogen, lecz jak dotąd tylko dwa geny Pch1 i Pch2 zostały przniesione do pszenicy uprawnej i warunkują odporność. Wybranie najkorzystniejszych markerów molekularnych dla określenia obecności genów odporności na łamliwość źdźbła u pszenicy może poprawić skuteczność i dokładność przy wyborze genotypów odpornych na tę chorobę. Celem pracy było określenie efektywności markerów molekularnych i markera izoenzymatycznego dla genów Pch1 i Pch2 oraz wytypowanie genotypów pszenicy ozimej o podwyższonej odporności w odniesieniu do porażenia roślin w testach inokulacyjnych przeprowadzonych w fazie siewki oraz rośliny dojrzałej. Materiał badawczy stanowiło 159 linii hodowlanych pszenicy ozimej oraz pięć odmian kontrolnych: Artist, Kilimanjaro, Kometa, Patras i Rendezvous. Do identyfikacji genów odporności wykorzystano pięć markerów, trzy do identyfikacji genu Pch1 (EpD1b, XustSSR2001-7DL, Xorw1) oraz dwa dla genu Pch2 (Xcfa2040, Xwmc525). Biorąc pod uwagę analizę molekularną genów, wyniki inokulacji siewek oraz wyniki porażenia źdźbeł dojrzałych roślin, stwierdzono brak objawów porażenia źdźbeł u linii/odmian pszenicy ozimej, u których zidentyfikowano oba geny Pch1 i Pch2. Stwierdzono u nich również najniższe porażenie siewek. Najwyższy procent porażonych źdźbeł odnotowano u genotypów, gdzie nie stwierdzono genów Pch1 i Pch2. U tych genotypów zaobserwowano również najwyższe porażenie w teście siewkowym. Wykazano, że obecność genów Pch1 i Pch2 lub ich brak nie wpływała istotnie na plon ziarna oraz na masę tysiąca ziarniaków (MTZ). U genotypów z genami Pch1 i Pch2 stwierdzono nieznacznie wyższe wartości dla obu parametrów technologicznych.  Eyespot is one of the most important diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), caused by two pathogenic fungi Oculimacula yallundae and Oculimacula acuformis. There are several sources of resistance to this pathogen, but so far only two genes Pch1 and Pch2 have been transferred to wheat and confer the resistance. The selection of the most favorable genetic markers for determining the presence of eyespot resistance genes may improve the efficiency and accuracy in the selection of wheat genotypes resistant for this disease. The aim of the work was to determine the effectiveness of molecular markers and protein marker for Pch1 and Pch2 genes and to select genotypes of winter wheat with increased resistance in relation to plant infection in inoculation tests carried out at the seedling and adult plant stage. Plant material consist of 159 breeding lines of winter wheat and five control varieties: Artist, Kilimanjaro, Kometa, Patras and Rendezvous. To identify resistant genes, five molecular markers were used. Three for Pch1 gene (EpD1b, XustSSR2001-7DL, Xorw1) and two for Pch2 gene (Xcfa2040, Xwmc525). Considering the molecular analysis of genes, results of seedlings inoculation and the results of plant stem infestation, it was found that there were no infection symptoms of stalks in the winter wheat lines and/or varieties, in which both Pch1 and Pch2 genes were identified. In these lines/varieties, the lowest infection of seedlings was also observed. The highest percentage of infected sheaths was identified in genotypes where Pch1 and Pch2 genes were not found. The highest seedling infection was also observed for these genotypes. It was shown that the presence of Pch1 and Pch2 genes or their absence did not significantly affect the grain yield and the thousands kernels weight (TKW). Genotypes with the Pch1 and Pch2 genes showed slightly higher values for both technological parameters.