Herbicide resistant confectionary sunflower variety Aladdin

The variety Aladdin is the new confectionary sunflower variety. It is developed in the laboratory of OP-sunflower breeding jointly with the laboratory of genetic at the V.S. Pustovoit AllRussian Research Institute of Oil Crops in 2014– 2020. It is developed by crossing plants of a line VK 1-imi (Imr Imr) used as a maternal form and a pollen mixture of an early maturing confectionary sunflower variety, with the further treatment by the herbicide Euro-Lightning. Later, there were conducted a multiple individual selection and estimation in progenies of families that were the best by their morphometric and economically valuable traits, tolerance to broomrape races E, F, and G and to downy mildew. The variety belongs to the middle maturity group, confectionary type. The major features of the cultivar Aladdin are its resistance to imi-herbicides, high productivity, tolerance to the main races of broomrape and downy mildew, increased level of autofertility. The variety is suitable for cultivation by Clearfield (BASF) technology. It is uniformed by plants height, flowering and maturing. A period emergence – physiological maturity is equal to 97–99 days. Weight of 1000 seeds at plant population of 25–30 thousand plants/ha exceeds 130 g.

Lidar depolarization ratio of atmospheric pollen at multiple wavelengths

Lidar observations during the pollen season 2019 at the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) station in Kuopio, Finland, were analyzed in order to optically characterize atmospheric pollen. Pollen concentration and type information were obtained by a Hirst-type volumetric air sampler. Previous studies showed the detectability of non-spherical pollen using depolarization ratio measurements. We present lidar depolarization ratio measurements at three wavelengths of atmospheric pollen in ambient conditions. In addition to the depolarization ratio detected with the multiwavelength Raman polarization lidar PollyXT at 355 and 532 nm, depolarization measurements of a co-located Halo Doppler lidar at 1565 nm were utilized. During a 4 d period of high birch (Betula) and spruce (Picea abies) pollen concentrations, unusually high depolarization ratios were observed within the boundary layer. Detected layers were investigated regarding the share of spruce pollen to the total pollen number concentration. Daily mean linear particle depolarization ratios of the pollen layers on the day with the highest spruce pollen share are 0.10 ± 0.02, 0.38 ± 0.23 and 0.29 ± 0.10 at 355, 532 and 1565 nm, respectively, whereas on days with lower spruce pollen share, depolarization ratios are lower with less wavelength dependence. This spectral dependence of the depolarization ratios could be indicative of big, non-spherical spruce pollen. The depolarization ratio of pollen particles was investigated by applying a newly developed method and assuming a backscatter-related Ångström exponent of zero. Depolarization ratios of 0.44 and 0.16 at 532 and 355 nm for the birch and spruce pollen mixture were determined.

Lidar Depolarization Ratio of Atmospheric Pollen at Multiple Wavelengths

Lidar observations during the pollen season 2019 at the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) station in Kuopio, Finland were analyzed in order to optically characterize atmospheric pollen. Previous studies showed the detectability of non-spherical pollen using depolarization ratio measurements. We present lidar depolarization ratio measurements at three wavelengths of atmospheric pollen in ambient conditions. In addition to the depolarization ratio detected with the multiwavelength Raman polarization lidar PollyXT at 355 and 532 nm, depolarization measurements of a co-located HALO Photonics Streamline Doppler lidar at 1565 nm were utilized. During a four days period of high birch (Betula) and spruce (Picea abies) pollen concentrations, unusually high depolarization ratios were observed within the boundary layer. Detected layers were investigated regarding the share of spruce pollen to the total pollen number concentration. Daily mean particle depolarization ratios of the pollen layers on the day with the highest spruce pollen share are 0.10 ± 0.02, 0.38 ± 0.23 and 0.29 ± 0.10 at 355, 532 and 1565 nm, respectively. Whereas on days with lower spruce pollen share, depolarization ratios are lower with less wavelength dependence. This spectral dependence of the depolarization ratios could be indicative of big, non-spherical spruce pollen. The depolarization ratio of pollen particles was investigated by applying a newly developed method and assuming a backscatter-related Ångström exponent of zero. Depolarization ratios of 0.44 and 0.16 at 532 and 355 nm for the birch and spruce pollen mixture were determined.

Introgression in black poplar (Populus nigra L. ssp. nigra) and its transmission

: Introgression was studied in the offspring of P. nigra and P. × canadensis female trees using 3 enzymatic patterns (6-PGD, LAP and GPI). Our investigations were aimed at the offspring from open pollination and controlled pollination by the pollen mixture from 3 clones of P. nigra and 3 clones of P. × canadensis. The rate of introgression in <br /> P. nigra offspring from open pollination was 0.67%. Introgression in 3 offsprings of P. nigra from controlled pollination was 7.14%. In P. × canadensis the heterozygous: homozygous phenotype ratio in 2 offsprings from open pollination was 1:1; it documents prevailing fertilization by P. nigra pollen. After fertilization by the pollen mixture this segregation ratio was 1:1 (6-PGD; GPI) or 3:1 (LAP). The offspring of P. × canadensis maternal components are assumed to have a major share in introgression.

Heterospecific pollen deposition among plants sharing hummingbird pollinators in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Hummingbirds are the most important group of pollinating birds in the Neotropics and tend to use, concomitantly, more than one plant species as food source. Pollen may be mixed on hummingbirds' body due to the visits to different plant species; therefore, these birds may promote heterospecific pollen deposition (HPD). The hummingbirds potential to promote HPD, the occurrence of HPD and its implications in plant reproduction are scarcely known in the Atlantic Forest. We have studied the transport of pollen by three hummingbird species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We have also checked the actual HPD occurrence under natural conditions in two plant species, namely Canistropsis seidelii and Psychotria nuda. Moreover, we investigated Nidularium innocentii reproductive system evaluating the effect of HPD on its reproduction by simulating a pollen mixture pollination. We found hummingbirds transporting heterospecific pollen mixtures on their bodies, which in turn were deposited onto stigmas of different species. We have also found that mixed pollen deposition had negative effect on the fitness of N. innocentii. We conclude that hummingbirds carry pollen mixtures at the same body parts, leading to potential HPD at the community level. Moreover, hummingbird-plant communities in the Atlantic Rainforest show remarkable similarities in temporal organization and interaction pattern. This suggests that HPD may be a widespread phenomena in these communities.

Omega-3 deficiency impairs honey bee learning

Deficiency in essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly the long-chain form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has been linked to health problems in mammals, including many mental disorders and reduced cognitive performance. Insects have very low long-chain PUFA concentrations, and the effect of omega-3 deficiency on cognition in insects has not been studied. We show a low omega-6:3 ratio of pollen collected by honey bee colonies in heterogenous landscapes and in many hand-collected pollens that we analyzed. We identified Eucalyptus as an important bee-forage plant particularly poor in omega-3 and high in the omega-6:3 ratio. We tested the effect of dietary omega-3 deficiency on olfactory and tactile associative learning of the economically highly valued honey bee. Bees fed either of two omega-3–poor diets, or Eucalyptus pollen, showed greatly reduced learning abilities in conditioned proboscis-extension assays compared with those fed omega-3–rich diets, or omega-3–rich pollen mixture. The effect on performance was not due to reduced sucrose sensitivity. Omega-3 deficiency also led to smaller hypopharyngeal glands. Bee brains contained high omega-3 concentrations, which were only slightly affected by diet, suggesting additional peripheral effects on learning. The shift from a low to high omega-6:3 ratio in the Western human diet is deemed a primary cause of many diseases and reduced mental health. A similar shift seems to be occurring in bee forage, possibly an important factor in colony declines. Our study shows the detrimental effect on cognitive performance of omega-3 deficiency in a nonmammal.

Self-fertility Evaluations of Northern-adapted Rabbiteye Blueberry Hybrids

Rabbiteye blueberry hybrids that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) program has bred for northern adaptation are combinations of 6x V. ashei Reade, 6x V. constablaei Gray, 4x V. corymbosum L., and 2x V. darrowii Camp germplasm at the hexaploid level and are generally composed of 50% or greater V. ashei (rabbiteye) germplasm. Four northern-adapted rabbiteye (NRE) selections (US 1043, US 1045, US 1056, US 1057), four rabbiteye standards (‘Brightwell’, ‘Climax’, ‘Tifblue’, ‘Woodard’), two rabbiteye × V. constablaei derivatives (‘Little Giant’, ‘Snowflake’), and two highbush standards (‘Duke’, ‘Bluecrop’) were pollinated under greenhouse conditions with either self-pollen or a multicultivar, bulk-pollen mixture (appropriate to ploidy level and species) to determine the relative requirements for cross-pollination among NRE selections. Fruit set, berry weight, and seed set were subsequently evaluated. The results suggest that NRE selections, in general, exhibit cross-pollination needs intermediate to the parent types such that: rabbiteye > northern rabbiteye > highbush (i.e., rabbiteye has the lowest self-fertility and the greatest need for cross-pollination). Considerable variation existed among the NRE selections tested, which suggests that it might be possible to select clones with good levels of self-fertility, potentially equivalent to that of highbush blueberry.

Utilization of the S-locus as a Genetic Marker in Cherry to Differentiate Among Different Pollen Donors

Fruit set in sweet (Prunus avium L.) and sour cherry (P. cerasus L.) is frequently less than adequate for profitable production despite the availability of compatible pollen and abundant flowers. When fruit set consistently falls below acceptable levels, growers may attempt to increase fruit set by increasing the availability of compatible pollen. We describe the use of the self-incompatibility locus (S-locus) as a genetic marker to quantify the relative contributions of competing pollen sources in achieving fruit set in ‘Balaton™’ sour cherry. Pollen race experiments were conducted to determine if nonself-pollen provided in a pollen mixture was more competitive than self-pollen in achieving fruit set in ‘Balaton™’. We further investigated what pollen set the ‘Balaton™’ crop in two commercial ‘Balaton™’ orchards where multiple potential pollinators were planted in adjacent orchards. S-allele genotyping using DNA extracted from the seed was done to discriminate among the competing pollen sources. The results suggest that in certain environmental conditions, nonself-pollen may be more competitive in achieving fruit set in ‘Balaton™’ than self-pollen. These examples illustrate how seed genotyping can be used to further our understanding of the competitive abilities of different pollen sources in both controlled experiments and production orchards.

Crossing Success in Abies nordmanniana Following Artificial Pollination With a Pollen Mixture of A. nordmanniana and A. alba

Controlled crossings were conducted with three Abies nordmanniana genotypes acting as mothers and a pollen mixture of three Abies nordmanniana genotypes and one Abies alba genotype acting as potential fathers. The aim was to investigate hybridization success under circumstances where pollen from both species are present, which is a potential risk in Danish clonal seed orchards of Abies nordmanniana. The number of seeds sired by each father was determined through SSRs and compared to the expected numbers based on the pollen mixture composition. All three mother genotypes of Abies nordmanniana had more progenies with the Abies alba as father (hybrids) than expected, based on proportions in the pollen mix. This indicates that no reproductive barriers between the two species exist, and that seed orchard managers should take precautions to avoid hybrids in seed crops. Furthermore, the experiments revealed quite different siring success of the three Abies nordmanniana genotypes, depending on which clone was the mother. Abies nordmanniana seed orchards should therefore not be established in the vicinity of Abies alba in the flowering age, and if a few-clone set up is chosen, the mating interaction should be investigated beforehand through pollen mix experiments.

A Novel Method to Quantify Transport of Self- and Cross-pollen by Bees in Blueberry Plantings

Blueberry species (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) benefit from cross-pollination. Outcrossing increases fruit set, berry size, and ripening rate. Although knowledge of pollen dispersal is essential for maximizing cross-pollination and achieving optimal planting designs, this process has not been quantified previously in blueberry plantings. A novel method was developed to estimate the proportion of self- and cross-pollen transported by blueberry pollinators. The proposed technique requires a consistent difference in pollen size between two cultivars to predict the composition of a pollen mixture based on frequency distributions of pollen diameter. Vaccinium ashei Reade `Brightwell' and `Climax' were chosen for this study because they produce pollen tetrads of different size. Tetrad diameter and number were analyzed with a particle counter. The technique was validated by predicting the proportion of `Brightwell' in pollen mixtures where the cultivar composition was known, and predicted and actual values were linearly correlated (r = 0.995, P < 0.0001). The technique was then applied to pollen samples extracted from the bodies of pollinators that were collected in a mixed `Brightwell' and `Climax' blueberry plot. Numbers of blueberry tetrads extracted per bumblebee (Bombus spp.) averaged 4595 and 797 in 2003 and 2004, respectively, which was considered adequate to make accurate predictions based on frequency distributions of tetrad diameter. The proportion of `Brightwell' pollen carried by bumblebees changed with the phenology of the crop following an expected pattern, indicating that the method performed well under field conditions. This technique could potentially be used to quantify the likelihood for outcrossing and establish the effect of cultivar arrangements on pollen dispersion, as well as to examine pollen collection and manipulation, and cultivar preference by bees.