Common Couch Research Articles

New records of false spider mites (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae) in Greece

Two false spider mite species (Tetranychoidea: Tenuipalpidae) are reported in Greece. One new species, Aegyptobia insularis Stathakis and Vrettos sp. nov., collected from the Mediterranean shrub Phagnalon rupestre ssp. graecum (Asteraceae), is described. Dolichotetranychus summersi Pritchard and Baker is found on a new and probably natural host plant, the common couch grass Elymus repens (Poaceae); this is the first record of this mite in the Palearctic region. Females and deutonymphs of D. summersi are redescribed, based on the specimens from Greece.

Application of semiconductor matrix in synchronization test in helical tomotherapy

Objective To investigate how to use the ArcCHECK to complete synchronization test in helical tomotherapy (HT). Methods According to the synchronization test suggested by AAPM TG148, three aspects should be tested.(1) Gantry angle consistency: ArcCHECK device in the long axis was perpendicular to the rotation plane using virtual isocenter positioning. A delivery sequence was defined with a slice width of 2.5 cm, a pitch of 0.1, and a minimum of 40 rotations. The control sinogram was set to open the middle two leaves (No. 32 and 33) at projections centered at 0°, 120°, and 240°.(2) Couch speed uniformity: The ArcCHECK was fixed on the treatment couch by positioning the long axis in the movement direction of couch. An irradiation was done with a static gantry in the 0° position, the collimation set to 1 cm, and all MLC leaves open. A couch travel distance of 20 cm was programmed using a clinically common couch speed (0.3-0.5 mm/s for 2.5 cm treatment slice width) in the course of irradiation.(3) Synchronization of couch translation and gantry rotation: In this test, a rotational irradiation was used with the nominal 1.0 cm beam and a pitch of 1 for 13 rotations. The control sonogram was set to open all the leaves for a half rotation on the second, seventh, and twelfth rotations. The initial collected data were used as the baseline data of parameters. The subsequent measurements were compared with the baseline data using the point to point absolute dose pass rates of DD (dose difference, 1%). Results The gantry angle consistency could check the correct initial angles at the beginning of the treatment and the ability to reproduce the projection every rotation. There were six parallel and straight high-dose regions in ArcCHECK software. In the couch speed uniformity test, the relative dose in the long axis in the high-dose regions was changed less than 2%. In the synchronization test of couch translation and gantry rotation, three parallel high-dose regions with the same separation spacing were present in the ArcCHECK software. The synchronization tests were done twenty-eight times in the second, seventh, and twelfth irradiation rotations and the average pass rates were 93.2%±1.5%, 93.7%±1.1%, and 93.5%±1.3%, respectively. Conclusions The ArcCHECK device is a suitable alternative method for performing the synchronization test in HT due to its lower workload and costs compared with the film. Key words: Helical tomotherapy; Synchronicity test; Semiconductor matrix

Effect of Cover Crops, and the Management Thereof, on the Weed Spectrum in a Drip-irrigated Vineyard: 2. Weeds Growing From Grapevine Berry Set to Post-harvest

A five-year trial (2009 to 2013) was executed in a drip-irrigated seven-year-old Shiraz/101-14 Mgt vineyard established on a sandy to sandy clay loam soil at Blaauwklippen Farm (33°58’S, 18°50’E) near Stellenbosch, South Africa. Fourteen treatments, consisting of two management practices applied to five cover crop species, as well as winter-growing weeds (no cover crop) and winter-growing weeds (no cover crop) with nematicide applied in the vine row, were applied. The weeds and cover crop species were eithercontrolled chemically (CC) or mechanically (MC) during grapevine bud break, followed by full-surface chemical control during berry set (for both CC and MC treatments). Rhynchelytrum repens (Natal redtop)dominated the post-harvest pre-treatment weed spectrum in all the treatments except Eruca sativa cv. Nemat (Nemat) (MC). This species lost its post-harvest dominance from 2010 onwards. It seems that the relatively low summer rainfall during the 2010/2011 season allowed Anagallis arvensis to appear in April 2011 and dominate some of the treatments, which coincided with the disappearance of Cynodon dactylon (common couch) and Polygonum aviculare (prostrate knotweed). Digitaria sanguinalis, common couch and prostrate knotweed seemed to establish better during late summer where MC was applied. The pre-treatment average post-harvest weed stand of 5.53 t/ha was reduced to 0.53 t/ha within one season, illustrating the benefit of full-surface chemical weed control applied during grapevine berry set.

Cover crop management in the vineyards of the Lower Orange River region, South Africa: 1. Performance of grass and broadleaf species

This trial was conducted over a period of four years on a sandy soil in a Sultanina vineyard on own roots in Keimoes (28o40’S, 20o54’E), situated in the semi-arid Lower Orange River region. Eighteen treatments, consisting of three cover crop management practices applied selectively to ten cover crop species, as well as two treatments in which the weeds were managed in accordance with two management practices generally applied by producers in the region, were applied. The average dry matter production (DMP) of the cover crop species sown annually (SA) and controlled chemically before bud break (BB), as determined during bud break (beginning of August) was: Medicago truncatula Gaertn. v. Paraggio > Vicia dasycarpa Ten. (grazing vetch) > Secale cereale L. v. Henog (rye) > Ornithopus sativus L. v. Emena > Avena sativa L. v. Overberg > Lolium multiflorum Lam. v. Midmar (‘Midmar’ ryegrass) > Avena strigosa L. v. Saia (‘Saia’ oats) > Trifolium subterraneum L. v. Woogenellup. ‘Midmar’ ryegrass and grazing vetch re-established successfully. Winter growing weeds were effectively suppressed (weed stand less than 10% of that of the control) by rye (BB/SA) and ‘Saia’ oats (BB/SA) for the duration of the trial. Weed growth from veraison to harvest (mid-November to the end of December) was effectively reduced in all the annual cover crop treatments compared with the treatment in which the weeds were controlled mechanically from bud break during the 1997/98 season. Festuca arundinaceae L. v. Cochise, slashed regularly throughout the season, suppressed the winter and summer growing weeds effectively during the trial, but eventually got infested with common couch.

Allelopatic potential of weeds under the minimalization of soil treatment

The content of water-dispersible phenol substances in rhizosphere both of annual and perennial species of weeds ( Cirsium arvense, Sonchus arvensis ) increases under soil treatment minimalization. The higher content of phenol substances of researched weeds is defined in rhizosphere of Common Couch ( Agropyrum repens ). The absence of intensive anthropogenic treatment of plowing layer which accumulates the significant mass of weed’s roots in the cause of much more higher allelopathic potential of some species’ of weeds. The high level of saturation by weeds in agrophytocoenosis under non-tillage soil treatment is defines the competitiveness between certain sepsis’ of weeds, especially, at the beginning of the vegetation. In this case, increasing the secretion of phenol substances is one of the physiological screenings of such competitiveness.

Phyto-oestrogens and their metabolites in milk produced on two pastures with different botanical compositions

Phyto-oestrogens are a group of secondary plant metabolites that may bind to oestrogen receptors and exert oestrogenic or anti-oestrogenic effects in humans and can protect against cancer diseases. When ingested by dairy cows, phyto-oestrogens can be metabolised and transferred to the milk. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of grazing a recently established pasture containing red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and an older pasture containing a variety of sown and unsown plant species on milk concentrations of phyto-oestrogens. Sixteen Norwegian Red dairy cows [mean (standard deviation); body weight 599 (45.1)kg, stage of lactation 73 (15.0) d in milk, milk yield 29.9 (2.90) kg/d at the start of the experiment] were divided into two groups and grazed either a short-term pasture (SP) or a long-term pasture (LP). The SP was representative of organically managed leys in Norway, which are frequently, approximately every third year, renewed by soil tillage and seeding, whereas LP was representative of organically managed grasslands that are less frequently renewed. The SP contained meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) (mean 34%), timothy (Phleum pratense L.) (mean 19%), red clover (mean 28%), shepherd׳s-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.) (mean 6%), pineappleweed (Matricaria matricarioides Porter ex Britton) (mean 5%) and scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) Laínz) (mean 4%), and LP contained mainly white clover (Trifolium repens L.) (mean 21%), smooth meadowgrass (Poa pratensis L.) (mean 19%), timothy (mean 17%), meadow fescue (mean 15%), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (mean 6%), tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv.) (mean 5%), northern dock (Rumex longifolius DC.) (mean 4%), common couch (Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. Ex Nevski) (mean 4%), red clover (mean 3%) and dandelion (Taraxacum spp.) (mean 3%). In addition to a daily pasture allowance of 20kg dry matter per cow, supplements of 3.0kg barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) concentrate were fed. Herbage, concentrates and milk was sampled during the last week of three experimental periods and analysed for phyto-oestrogens using LC-MS/MS technology. Herbage from SP had 19 times higher concentration of isoflavones than herbage from LP, whereas only small differences were found for lignans. Milk produced on SP had 14 times higher concentrations of the mammalian isoflavonoid equol, and the concentrations of equol were higher than found in most other studies. This study confirms that grazing pastures containing red clover increases concentrations of isoflavones and especially equol in bovine milk compared to grazing pastures with other botanical composition. The higher milk concentrations of the lignan metabolite enterodiol in milk from SP compared to LP could not be related to differences in intake of the analysed lignans and may therefore be related to unidentified lignans.

Occurrence of couch grass [Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex Nevski] under different grassland management

The objective of this research was to investigate occurrence of common couch grass (Elytrigia repens(L.) Desv. ex Nevski) under different grassland management by means of a small-plot trial. The trial was managed during 2003–2011 with four levels of utilisation: intensive (4 cuts per year, 1stcut on 15 May), medium intensive (3 cuts per year, 1stcut on 30 May), low intensive (2 cuts per year, 1stcut on 15 June), and extensive (2 cuts per year, 1stcut on 30 June). Four rates of fertilisation were applied for each utilisation treatment: nil-fertilisation, P30K60, N90P30K60, and N180P30K60(pure nutrients). The intensively utilised treatments without N fertilisation showed the lowest mean percentage cover of couch (3.0 %, and 2.8 %, respectively). Further, we found a significant increase in couch grass cover (up to about 30 %) as a response to nitrogen fertilisation and it was most significant in grasslands utilised with two cuts per year. It can be concluded that grassland utilisation in three cuts per year and the dose 90 kg.ha−1of nitrogen led to the maintenance of the occurrence of couch at the reasonable level up to 10–15 %.

An Investigation into the Effect of Soil and Vegetation on the Successful Creation of a Hay Meadow on a Clay‐Capped Landfill

This paper investigates the effect that manipulation of soil and vegetation conditions has on plant community development during attempts to create neutral hay meadow communities on a clay‐capped landfill in Somerset, United Kingdom. The objectives are (1) to determine the effect of manipulation of soil and vegetation on the development of the target plant community, (2) to identify whether these treatments had an effect on edaphic factors (physical and chemical properties, earthworm populations), and (3) to establish which, if any, of these edaphic parameters are underlying factors in determining the vascular plant community composition. In 2001 a commercial hay meadow seed mix was sown on three substrate treatments: (i) bare clay, (ii) a mixture of topsoil and compost ameliorant in equal proportions, and (iii) over naturally colonized vegetation. Plant community development and edaphic factors were monitored between 2001 and 2007. Although initially the presence of ameliorant promoted germination and growth of seeded species, after 2004 nonseeded competitive grasses dominated the sward. Where ameliorant was removed the target community continued to develop proving this to be the most successful treatment. This was found to be a due to suppression of competition fromElytrigia repens(Common couch), which grew most abundantly on soils with high organic matter and high soil water levels within the soil. Contrary to previous research,Trifolium repens(white clover) was not found to reduce forb diversity in this study. No evidence was found of earthworm abundance affecting plant community development.

Direct drilling of cereals after ley and slurry spreading

The goals of the study were to explore the suitability of direct drilling for Nordic soil and climatic conditions, the suitability of manure use in direct drilling, and the availability of direct drilling after a ley period. In spring 2003, two direct drilling experiments were established on fine sand and organic soils in northern Finland. In the three-year experiments, autumn and spring ploughing were compared with direct drilling. The crop was spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) each year, and it was fertilised with cattle slurry or artificial fertiliser. In the first experiment the previous crop was always cereal and in the second experiment it was always ley. Direct-drilled barley normally produced yields as high as those for ploughed barley (3500–5000 kg/ha). In some years, the hectolitre weight and thousand-grain weight of the direct-drilled barley were a little lower compared with those for the ploughed barley, but not in others. These results are very similar to the results of previous direct drilling experiments done in clay soils in southern Finland and in Scandinavia. Slurry spread before direct drilling probably lost part of its soluble nitrogen, because the yield of direct-drilled barley that was fertilised with slurry was in two years 20–40% lower than that of ploughed barley. The direct drill machine did not mix the slurry and the soil sufficiently. Controlling Elymus repens L. (common couch) was also very important in direct drilling. If E. repens was not controlled every year, the yield of direct-drilled barley decreased by more than 40% in the second year. When the ley period was ended properly by treating with glyphosate, direct drilled barley yields were good. We can conclude that direct drilling is a suitable method for Nordic soil and climatic conditions, if perennial weeds or old ley are controlled chemically and manure is mulched beforehand.

Treatment of drainage from acidic canelands using a constructed wetland

This paper describes trials of a constructed freshwater wetland to treat highly acidic drainage from acid Sulfate soil in a sugarcane farm. A constructed freshwater wetland was used to treat acidic discharge from drained acid sulfate soils on a sugar cane farm in the Tweed River flood plain, northern New South Wales (NSW). The bunded 1.44 ha wetland was laser levelled into 6 segmented bays with an overall hydraulic gradient of 0.13%. Water retention time varies between 19 and 82 days dependent on the prevailing evapotranspiration rate. The wetland, which receives about 12% of runoff from a hydraulically isolated 100 ha sugarcane area by pumping, is designed to treat the highly acidic groundwater-dominated recession phase of drainage with large concentrations of dissolved aluminium, iron and manganese. Common couch grass (Cynodon dactylon) and Eleocharis reeds were established in the wetland by natural recruitment. Transects of water quality wetland during filling and while in operation revealed that pH increased while electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), redox potential (RP), dissolved sulfate, total potential and total actual acidity (TPA and TAA) decreased dramatically through the wetland. Iron oxyhydroxide flocks are deposited in the inlet bay of the wetland and the redox-pH relation is consistent with ferrolysis. As water moves further into the wetland it is titrated by the organic matter present, resulting in the reduction of protonic acidity, sulfate, dissolved metal concentrations and EC. The advantages and disadvantages of using the wetland as a practical method to treat drainage within a farming system are discussed. The wetland successfully treated acid drainage.

Skład gatunkowy populacji drobnych ssaków na ekstensywnie wykorzystywanych łąkach Basenu Czarnocińskiego nad Zalewem Szczecińskim

Czarnocin and the surroundings meadows are located in the Skoszewskie Meadows district. These permanent grasslands, very abundant in the past, are now dominated by the sedges, reeds and phytocenosis with Reed Canary-grass, Wood Small-reed and Common Couch. These areas are still very valuable, and were included into the Nature 2000. The main aim of the protection is to increase biodiversity of flora and fauna in these areas. Till now the research has included mostly flora and avifauna. There are no records about other vertebrates’ species. In the present paper the authors tried to estimate the composition of the small mammals’ species living on this tract. The bone material, skeletonized from the pellets of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) was used. Research results show 12 species of small mammals, including 5 protected species. A big percentage of Soricidae and Arvicolidae families are connected with environmental conditions (mostly high soil moisture) and extensive forms of grasslands management.

Native couch grasses for revegetating severely salinised sites on the inland slopes of NSW

Two scalded saline sites on the inland slopes of NSW were selected for an evaluation of ten accessions of warm-season stoloniferous/rhizomatous grass species: common couch (Cynodon dactylon), marine couch (Sporobolus virginicus), rats-tail couch (S. mitchellii), salt-water couch (Paspalum vaginatum), water couch (P. distichum) and one exotic, kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum). Most species performed well at Wagga Wagga but only common couch, marine couch and salt-water couch did at Manildra, where they consistently outperformed the other native species in terms of survival, groundcover and vigour. Salt-water couch had the highest mean vegetative cover at both sites. Differences in salinity, pH (acid cf. alkaline) and particularly topsoil moisture probably accounted for differing plant performances at the two sites. In a follow-up production study of the most successful accessions under relatively dry conditions at Manildra, the 'Yamba' accession of marine couch consistently produced more leaf/seedhead dry matter (1057 � 172 kg/ha) during the growing season than the others. However, salt-water couch consistently produced more ex-plot stolon/rhizome dry matter (974 � 127 kg/ha) than the other two species. This probably explained its ability, unlike marine couch, to maintain groundcover during a regime of regular cutting. Further evaluation under grazing and recreational uses is recommended. The genetic material evaluated was only a small sample of salt-tolerant native grasses. The variable performance of the four accessions of rats-tail couch, for example, suggested that more salt-tolerant types are likely to be found.

A new irradiation unit constructed of self-moving gantry-CT and linac

Purpose: To improve reproducibility in stereotactic irradiation (STI) without using noninvasive immobilization devices or body frames, we have developed an integrated computed tomography (CT)-linac irradiation system connecting CT scanner and linac via a common treatment couch. Methods and Materials: This system consists of a linac, a CT scanner, and a common treatment couch. The linac and the CT gantry are positioned on opposite ends of the couch so that, by rotating the treatment couch, linac radiotherapy or CT scanning can be performed. The rotational axis of the linac gantry is coaxial with that of the CT gantry, and the position of the linac isocenter on the couch matches the origin of the coordinate system for CT scanning when the couch is rotated 180° toward the CT side. Instead of the couch moving into the gantry, as in conventional CT, in this case the table is fixed and scanning is accomplished by moving the gantry. We evaluated the rotational accuracy of the common couch and the scan-position accuracy of the self-moving gantry CT. Results: The positional accuracy of the common couch was 0.20, 0.18, and 0.39 mm in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions, respectively. The scan-position accuracy of the CT gantry was less than 0.4 mm in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions. Conclusion: This irradiation system has a high accuracy and is useful for noninvasive STI and for verification of the position of a target in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.

陽子線治療におけるCT-治療共通ベッドを使用した患者位置決めシステムの概要と検討

Exact reproducibility of patient positioning is a critical issue for proton therapy because of the sharp dose distribution. We constructed the first proton therapy system with a common couch for both CT and proton irradiation. In this paper, we report a brief overview of the instruments and the accuracy of mechanical positioning reproducibility.

Documentary of inter and intra-fractional prostate motion using self-moving CT scanner combined with linear accelerator, and cine-MRI: what moves the prostate

Documentary of inter and intra-fractional prostate motion using self-moving CT scanner combined with linear accelerator, and cine-MRI: what moves the prostate

Development of a new linac system combined with a self-moving CT and a single common couch

Development of a new linac system combined with a self-moving CT and a single common couch

Hybrid Bermudagrass compared with Kikuyu and common couch in coastal New South Wales. 2. Crude protein content, and estimated in vivo digestibility

In a previous study it was found that four ecotypes of hybrid Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) (ecotypes 632, 692, 6389 and 719) outyielded kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) and common couch (C. dactylon) at three sites in New South Wales. The relative feeding value of these grasses was compared in terms of their crude protein content and organic matter digestibility when grown for two years at Mitchells Island, New South Wales (Lat. 32�S). Over the two years, kikuyu had the highest crude protein content, averaging 124 g kg-1 compared with 11 6,115,ll 1, 103 and 108, respectively, for the ecotypes 632, 692, 6389, 719 and common couch. Mean digestibilities of ecotypes 632, 692, 6389 and 719 were 63, 60, 61 and 58% respectively, compared with 60% for kikuyu and 57% for common couch. The crude protein content and digestibility of all ecotypes tended to be highest in early spring and late autumn and lower in summer, trends which were opposite to dry matter production rates. It was concluded that the quality of hybrid Bermudagrass forage was comparable with that of other sub-tropical grasses now being used in subcoastal New South Wales. However, careful pasture management would be required to maintain herbage quality during summer.

Hybrid Bermudagrass compared with Kikuyu and common couch in coastal New South Wales. 1. Establishment, dry matter production and persistence

Four ecotypes of hybrid Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) were compared with common couch (C. dactylon) and kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) at five sites in coastal districts of New South Wales. The sites were Grafton and Coaldale (Lat. 30�S), Mitchells Island (Lat. 32�S) and Richmond and Badgerys Creek (Lat. 34�S). Hybrid Bermudagrass ecotypes 6389 and 692 were established quickly at all sites while ecotypes 71 9 and 632 were satsifactory. Kikuyu was strong at all sites except Grafton but the rate of establishment of common couch was poor. At the frost-free sandy site of Mitchells Island, Bermudagrass ecotypes 719, 692, 6389, and 632 outyielded kikuyu by 75, 65, 65 and 35%, respectively. However, at Grafton and Coaldale, the highest yielding Bermudagrass ecotype, 719, had only 35% higher production than kikuyu. At the frost prone southern sites of Richmond and Badgerys Creek, the annual production of kikuyu was equal to that of ecotypes 719, 6389, 692 and 632. Common couch yields were equal to kikuyu at all sites except at Richmond. At Mitchells Island, the hybrid Bermudagrasses outyielded kikuyu in spring, summer and early autumn but in the late autumn kikuyu had equal and sometimes higher growth rates than the best Bermudagrasses. In winter, the growth of both species was negligible, although kikuyu, unlike the Bermudagrasses, did produce some new shoots at the base of the sward. Data on persistence under grazing were collected from only three of the sites but trends were similar to establishment. Ecotype 6389 had the highest persistence rating of the Bermudagrasses. Kikuyu failed at the poorly drained sandy site of Grafton but remained strong at the other sites. It was concluded that hybrid Bermudagrasses were of potential value for pastures in New South Wales, especially for sites with sandy soils and low frost incidence.