Selecting anemona coronaria. The results of intervarietal crossing

Anemone coronaria is a promising flower crop for cultivation with the lowest energy costs in the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, since it does not require additional heating in winter. The aim of the research was to develop new Anemone coronaria varieties. The paper presents the results of 30 crossing combinations of Anemone coronaria L. Inheritance of ornamental features of a flower (flower diameter, height and strength of peduncle) by seedlings of the first generation was studied. When crossing varieties of the De Caen group, the highest percentage of seedlings with a different perianth diameter was found in the combination Sylphide×The Bride (82.3 %). A high percentage of seedlings inheriting the paternal size of the flower was found in the crosses The Bride×Mr. Fokker (33.3 %) and The Bride×Hollandia (43.5 %). From 2/3 to 4/5 of the studied seedlings did not inherit the parental size of the flower during intravarietal crosses in the De Caen group. In the crosses Hollandia×Hollandia, Sylphide×Sylphide, the propagules were showed an increase in the diameter of the perianth. Having studied the possibility of transferring certain features to the first generation by group of the St. Brigid varieties, the highest percentage of seedlings with a different perianth diameter was found in the combinations Admiral × Mount Everest (65.0 %), Admiral×The Governor (66.2 %) and Lord Lieutenant×Mount Everest (70.6 %). When crossing varieties with a semi-double perianth, the highest percentage of seedlings repeating the size of the mother variety in flower size was observed in the combination the Governor×Mount Everest (47.0 %). The highest percentage of seedlings with a perianth diameter characterized by the parent variety was observed in the combination Moynt Everest×Lord Lieutenant (66.7 %). When varieties with different perianth colors of the De Caen group were crossed, the habitus of the obtained seedlings of the Anemone coronaria was larger and the peduncle strength either remained parental or exceeded it. The peduncle diameter increased by 1-2 mm. The largest number of seedlings with a large perianth and a high, strong peduncle was obtained by hybridizing the following varieties: Sylphide×The Bride, Sylphide×Sylphide, The Governor×The Governor, Hollandia×The Bride, Mr. Fokker×Hollandia, Sylphide×Hollandia, Hollandia×The Governor, Sylphide×Admiral, The Bride×The Governor, Lord Lieutenant×Mount Everest.

Impact of mulch-based cropping systems using green mulch and residues on the performance of advanced mutant lines of maize (Zea mays (L.)) under infested field with the parasitic weed Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze in Madagascar.

In Madagascar, cereal yields remain insufficient due to various biotic and abiotic constraints, including Striga asiatica, a parasitic weed that has contributed to decreased maize yield up to 100%. This work aims to assess the impact of the practice of two cropping systems on the maize crop infested by S. asiatica. PLATA maize seed of the putative tolerant mutant line from the M5 generation after gamma irradiation at 100, 200 and 300 Gy and of the sensitive parent variety were grown in fields naturally infested or artificially inoculated with one pinch of around 3000 ready-to-germinate seeds of S. asiatica. The cropping system (SCV) is a community of plants that is managed by a farm unit to achieve various human goals. The residue of Stylosanthes sp. legumes was used as mulch SCVm and the legume cowpea was planted with the host plant for the intercropping system SCVv. Results have shown that the use of mulch, either residue SCVm or green mulch SCVv, minimizes S. asiatica infestation on maize plants. The SCV reduces significantly the number of emerging Striga plants with an emergence of 1.33 ± 0.36 for SCVm, 4.33 ± 0.27 for SCVv and 15.00 ± 1.08 for the control. Moreover, M5 lines have shown significant differences in plant survival rate of 50.57 ± 1.25% to 80.00 ± 0.91%, versus 13.50 ± 0.47% for the parent variety. Yields of the parent and M5 lines on SCVm are, respectively, 3.46 ± 0.02 t/ha and 4.64 ± 0.01 t/ha, and 2.30 ± 0.04 t/ha and 3.61 ± 0.05 t/ha for SCVv, while that of the control plot remains low, varying from 0.50 ± 0.04 t/ha to 2.29 ± 0.01 t/ha. Cover increases soil humidity and delays the development of S. asiatica and infection of the host plant, thus improving host plant yield. These results demonstrate the benefit of the integrated approach of mutation breeding and cultural practice to ensure more durable crop production under heavy Striga infestation.

Genetic Study of Native Grapevine Varieties of Northern, Western and Central Greece with the Use of Ampelographic and Molecular Methods

The aim of this study was the identification and discrimination of 49 grapevine varieties that are cultivated in northern, western and central Greece with the use of the ampelographic description and the molecular method RAPD. The grapevine varieties were located in their cultivation centers and the studied samples were collected from productive vineyards of these regions. For the ampelographic description, 22 ampelographic characters were used following a list of descriptors developed by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), while for the molecular analysis 8 of the most polymorphic primers were used. The results showed that: (a) there is high degree of genetic heterogeneity among most of the varieties studied, (b) grapevine varieties ‘Xinomavro’ and ‘Zalovitiko’ exhibited identity with both methods used, therefore the latter constitutes a synonym/clone of the former, (c) high degree of genetic similarity was recorded between cv ‘Stavroto’ and ‘Abelakiotiko’, a result enhancing the view that they constitute biotypes/clones of an original/parent variety and originated through the accumulation of mutations, (d) a previous hypothesis is confirmed. This hypothesis states that in the vineyards of northern Greece, different varieties of Vitis vinifera L. as well as hybrids (direct producers) were imported. Names/synonyms were given to these imported varieties and hybrids related to their place of origin or the morphological traits of the grape/berries implying identity among them (‘Mavroudi’, ‘Voulgariko’, ‘Voulgaroudia’, ‘Vapsa’ etc.), while they are different varieties, (e) the combination of the ampelographic description and the molecular method RAPD is very effective in the identification and discrimination of grapevine cultivars.

Utilisation Des Caractères Biochimiques, Agronomiques Et Morphologiques Pour L’évaluation De La Diversité Génétique Des Variants D’orangers Dans La Région Du Gharb, Maroc

20 clones of orange trees, identified at the level of the collection of nucellar citrus varieties, have been the subject of several tests of behavior at the level of different citrus fruit sites in Morocco. Indeed, the present work aims to evaluate these variants on a clay soil at the Gharb region (INRA/Kenitra). The variants grafted on Citrange troyer were divided into three groups. Each group contains variants, genetically similar, from seedlings of the same parent variety. Clonal selection is based on the synthesis of the results of the study of the variability of the criteria of fruit quality and production. The average yield varies from 44.25 kg / tree to 217.30 kg / tree. While the average weight of a fruit varies from 95 g to 360 g. The results showed a predominance of juicy and medium-sized fruits with an equatorial diameter greater than 56 mm, acceptable for the fresh fruit market or the juice industry. The maturity coefficient study of the variants within each group, or between the three groups, showed that the harvest period extends over four months, from December to March. The final selection was focused on six productive and good quality variants. These promising variants have been described according to UPOV, and then presented for registration in the official catalog.

Language contact in Gibraltar English: A pilot study with ICE-GBR

The variety of English used in Gibraltar has been in contact with a number of European languages, such as Spanish, Italian, Hebrew and Arabic (Moyer, 1998: 216; Suárez-Gómez, 2012: 1746), for more than 300 years. Studies of this variety have traditionally been based on interviews and observation (e.g. Moyer, 1993, 1998; Cal Varela, 1996; Levey, 2008 2015; Weston, 2011, 2013, etc.), and a detailed morphosyntactic description is yet to be published. In this context, the compilation of a reliable Gibraltar corpus using the standards of the International Corpus of English (ICE) will constitute a landmark in the analysis of this lesser known variety of English. In the present paper we describe the ICE project and the current state of the compilation of ICE-GBR. In addition, we present a detailed comparison between the section on press news reports of ICE-GB (standard British English) and ICE-GBR, with the aim of identifying morphosyntactic features that reveal the influence of language contact with Spanish in this territory. We explore variables such as the choice of relativizer (assuming a higher preference for that in GBR, in agreement with Spanish que, the most frequent relativizer, Brucart, 1999: 490), the use of titles and pseudo-titles preceding proper names (which, as shown by Hundt and Kabatek, 2015, are very frequent in English journalese and extremely infrequent in Spanish), and the frequency of the passive voice (expected to be lower in ICE-GBR), among others. A preliminary analysis of these variables reveals that the influence of Spanish on the variety of English used in the Gibraltarian press, at the morphosyntactic level, is almost non-existent, limited to occasional cases of code-switching between the two varieties. We hypothesize that a possible explanation for this strong exonormative allegiance to British English, at least in press news reports, can be found in a strong editorial pressure to reflect the prestigious parent-variety.

Ampelographic and Genetic Characterization of Grapevine Varieties (Vitis vinifera L.) of the ‘Mavroudia’ Group Cultivated in Greece

Twenty-one grapevine varieties grown all over Greece and belonging to ‘Mavroudia’ group were ampelographically described and genotyped by AFLP molecular analysis in order to discriminate the varieties, synonyms, homonyms and variations of the group. In most cases, the molecular findings confirmed the results of the ampelographic description. In general, and despite the high degree of genetic similarity between certain pairs of the studied cultivars, the group of ‘Mavroudia’ was characterized as being heterogeneous. From the studied cultivars, ‘Kountoura mavri’, ‘Mavro Spetson’ and ‘Pappoudes’ showed very high degree of genetic similarity, sustaining the hypothesis that the last two are clones of the first. Grapevine cultivar ‘Pappoudes’ was for the first time ampelographically described and identified as being closely related to ‘Kountoura mavri’. High degree of genetic similarity was observed between cultivars ‘Gaidouricha’ and ‘Agiomavritiko’, suggesting that they probably originated from the same parent variety through the accumulation of mutations. This may also be true for cultivars ‘Mavrokorakas’ and ‘Kartsiotis’. Also, the results from the statistical analysis showed that ‘Mavro Arachovis’, ‘Mavroudi Voulgarias’ and ‘Voulgaroudes’, despite the relatively high genetic similarity between them, are different. The same applies for the rest of the cultivars studied, while ‘Mavro Kalavriton’, the most widespread variety of the ‘Mavroudia’ group, showed the lowest degree of genetic similarity within the all the cultivars studied. The ampelographic description in combination with the molecular method AFLP are effective for the study of the between and within genetic diversity of grapevine cultivars as well as for their identification and discrimination.

Exploring grammatical colloquialisation in non-native English: a case study of Philippine English

Colloquialisation, a process by which ‘writing becomes more like speech’, has been identified as a powerful discourse-pragmatic mechanism driving grammatical change in native English varieties. The extent to which colloquialisation is a factor in change in non-native varieties has seldom been explored. This article reports the findings of a corpus-based study of colloquialisation in Philippine English (PhilE), alongside its ‘parent variety’, American English (AmE). Adopting a bottom-up approach, a comprehensive measure was derived to determine the degree to which a text prefers grammatical features typical of speech and disprefers those typical of writing. This measure was then used to compare and contrast texts in a parallel, multi-register corpus of PhilE and AmE sampled for the 1960s and 1990s. Evidence for colloquialisation was found to vary across registers. While Philippine press editorials and American fiction show a clear colloquialising tendency, learned writing does not show remarkable changes irrespective of variety. The evolution of PhilE registers cannot be explained by a simple process involving emulation of AmE. The patterns uncovered reflect the uniqueness of the sociohistorical circumstances in which PhilE has evolved.

Inositol phosphates from barley low-phytate grain mutants analysed by metal-dye detection HPLC and NMR

Inositol phosphates from barley low-phytate grain mutants and their parent variety were analysed by metal-dye detection HPLC and NMR. Compound assignment was carried out by comparison of retention times using a chemical hydrolysate of phytate [Ins(1,2,3,4,5,6)P6] as a reference. Co-inciding retention times indicated the presence of phytate, D/L-Ins(1,2,3,4,5)P5, Ins(1,2,3,4,6)P5, D/L-(1,2,4,5,6)P5, D/L-(1,2,3,4)P4, D/L-Ins(1,2,5,6)P4 and D/L-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 in PLP1B mutants as well as the parent variety. In grain extracts from mutant lines PLP1A, PLP2A and PLP3A unusual accumulations of D/L-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 were observed whereas phytate and the above-mentioned inositol phosphates were present in relatively small amounts. Assignment of D/L-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was corroborated by precise co-chromatography with a commercial Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 standard and by NMR spectroscopy. Analysis of inositol phosphates during grain development revealed accumulation of phytate and D/L-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, which suggested the tetrakisphosphate compound to be an intermediate of phytate synthesis. This assumption was strengthened further by phytate degradation assays showing that D/L-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 did not belong to the spectrum of degradation products generated by endogenous phytase activity. Metabolic scenarios leading to accumulation of D/L-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 in barley low-phytate mutants are discussed.

The role of drift in the formation of native-speaker southern hemisphere Englishes

SUMMARY Similarities between different geographically separated varieties of a single language may in some cases be due not to characteristics inherited directly from some parent variety, nor to any diffusion or direct contact between them, but to processes of the type which Sapir labelled ‘drift’. We argue that there are clear examples of drift phenomena in modern English and that it is possible in the case of recently formed colonial Englishes to confirm that drift occurs, and to produce contemporary illustrations of how it operates. Sapir’s argument was that language varieties may resemble one another because, having derived from some common source, they continue to evolve linguistically in similar directions by undergoing similar linguistic changes. We amplify Sapir’s approach by showing that drift in our data is of two major types. In the first, linguistic changes that are already in progress in the common source may be continued even after separation. In the second, varieties with a common source inherit shared tendencies or propensities which may lead to the development of similar but new changes and hence similar but new characteristics, even after separation. These propensities lie in that fact that the related varieities inherit the same general structural properties which can interact with one another in a way which involves tensions which are the “seeds” which can bring about parallel changes in the distinct languages. RÉSUMÉ Les similitudes qui existent entre différentes variétés géographiques d’une même langue peuvent dans certains cas être dues non pas à des caractéristiques héritées directement d’une variété parente, ni à une situation de diffusion ou de contact direct entre elles, mais à un type de processus que Sapir appelle ‘drift’. Nous formons l’hypothèse qu’il y a des exemples évidents de drift en anglais moderne et qu’il est possible, pour des variétés d’anglais colonial d’origine récente, de confirmer qu’un drift est en cours et de fournir une illustration contemporaine du phénomène. L’idée de Sapir consistait à envisager que les variétés linguistiques puissent se ressembler l’une l’autre, du fait que — étant issues d’une même source commune — elles continuent à évoluer linguistiquement dans des directions similaires au travers de changements linguistiques semblables. Nous généralisons l’approche de Sapir en montrant que nos données tendent à identifier deux types principaux de drift. Dans le premier cas, les changements linguistiques qui sont déjà en cours dans la langue-source commune peuvent se poursuivre même après séparation. Dans le second cas, des variétés issues d’une source commune héritent de tendances ou d’une propension qui peuvent conduire à l’apparition de changements similaires, bien que nouveaux, et de ce fait à des caractéristiques semblables, quoique nouvelles, ceci même après séparation. Cette propension s’explique du fait que ces variétés apparentées héritent des mêmes propriétés structurelles générales qui vont ensuite interagir les unes avec les autres, donnant lieu à des tensions qui seront le “ferment” potentiel de changements parallèles dans des langues pourtant distinctes. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Ähnlichkeiten zwischen geographisch getrennten Dialekten einer selben Sprache können in gewissen Fällen weder mit den Eigenschaften der ursprünglichen Varietät erklärt werden, noch durch Diffusion oder direkten Kontakt zwischen diesen, sondern mit Prozessen welche Sapir als “Drift” bezeichnet hat. Wir argumentieren dass es eindeutige Beispiele von Driftvorgängen im modernen Englisch gibt und dass es möglich ist, diese Prozesse in kolonialen Varietäten der Englischen Sprache nachzuweisen und deren Funktionsweise zu erklären. Sapir glaubte dass Sprachvarietäten Parallelen aufweisen können weil sie ursprünglich von der gleichen Sprache abstammen und sich dementsprechend auf ähnliche Weise linguistisch weiterentwickeln indem sie ähnlich Sprachveränderungen durchgehen. Wir amplifizieren Sapir’s Theorie indem wir zeigen dass es in unseren Daten zwei verschieden Arten von Drift gibt. Zum ersten sprachliche Veränderungen, die schon in der Ursprungsvarietät aktualisiert wurden und die nach der räumlichen Trennung weitergehen. Zum zweiten, Varietäten die von einer gemeinsamen Sprache gewisse Eigenschaften erben welche nach deren Verbreitung zur Entwicklung von ähnlichen aber neuartigen Vorgängen führen. Diese Eigenschaften können damit erklärt werden dass verwandte Varietäten die gleichen strukturellen Charakteristika erben, und diese können unabhängig von anderen Varietäten miteinander agieren. Diese Prozesse sind die Ursache von parallelen Veränderungen in verschiedenen Sprachen.

The nutritional value of new high-lysine barley varieties determined with rats and young pigs

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of four new high-lysine barley mutants, their parent variety Sultan and the high-lysine variety Lysimax. The problem of low yield, frequently encountered in previous studies with high-lysine barley, was overcome for Lysimax in this study; cv. Lysimax yielded 4% more than cv. Sultan. The highest lysine levels: 4.87, 4.75 and 3.96 g 16 g−1 N occurred in cv. Lysimax and Risø mutants (RM) 609 and 1405 compared with 3.48, 3.43 and 3.55 g 16 g−1 N in cv. Sultan and RM 1242 and 1385, respectively. Compared with cv. Sultan, the glutamic acid levels in RM 1405 and 609 and cv. Lysimax were 7.2, 25.8 and 31.3% lower, respectively. Likewise, the proline levels in RM 1405 and 609 and cv. Lysimax were 10.3, 32.2 and 37.9% lower, respectively. In the first experiment, with rats, the barleys were the sole protein sources in the diets. In the second experiment, with young pigs, only cv. Lysimax and RM 1405 were used (700 g kg−1 diet) in two starter diets. In the third experiment, the diets fed to the pigs in the second experiment were diluted with an N-free mixture and fed to rats. In the first experiment, biological values (BV) of cv. Lysimax and RM 609 (89.0% and 91.0%, respectively) were significantly greater than that of cv. Sultan (73.9%). Compared with Sultan true protein digestiblities (TD) and energy digestibility (ED) were slightly lower (P < 0.05), at most 3.6 and 4.2 percentage units, in RM 609, 1385 and 1405 and cv. Lysimax, respectively. In the second experiment with young pigs, the apparent BV of the Lysimax diet (84.1%) was higher (P < 0.05) than that of the RM 1405 diet (77.4%). The ED was 2.1 percentage units lower (P < 0.05) for the Lysimax diet than for the RM 1405 diet. In the third experiment with rats, the BV for the Lysimax diet was higher (P < 0.05) than for the RM 1405 diets, TD and ED were similar (P > 0.05). It is concluded that the development of high-lysine barley varieties is beneficial for meeting the requirements of indispensable amino acids for monogastric animals. Moreover, N excretion into the environment is substantially reduced due to a reduction in the prolamin protein fraction which is rich in glutamic acid and proline. Key words: Rats, pigs, barley, amino acids, digestibility