Dark Green Research Articles

Analisis Kandungan Klorofil pada Tingkat Perkembangan Daun Kopi Robusta (Coffea canephora)

Coffee (Coffea sp) is one of the commodities that plays an important role in the economy in Indonesia. The coffee commodity is considered promising and able to survive in the global market because coffee is a plantation product that is still very much needed by people around the world. One type of coffee that dominates people's coffee plantations in Indonesia is robusta coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre). This type of coffee is generally cultivated because it has a higher production than Arabica and Liberica coffee. Robusta coffee cultivation is inseparable from an understanding of the growth and development of these plants. Plant growth and development is strongly influenced by many factors, both factors originating from within the plant (internal) and from outside (external). The main external factors that affect plant growth and development are soil, moisture, light and water, while internal factors can include genes, hormones, anatomical structure and morphology of plant organs and chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll is one of the main factors in the growth and development of robusta coffee because it plays an important role in plant metabolism. Robusta coffee plants show color differences in the growth of their leaves. The leaves on the shoots are usually yellowish green, young leaves are light green, and old leaves are dark green. The difference in leaf color indicates differences in the content of leaf pigments, including chlorophyll pigments. This study of chlorophyll content analysis is still limited, so this research was conducted to provide scientific information about the chlorophyll content of robusta coffee leaves at different levels of leaf development. This information is initial data or comparison for research related to chlorophyll content in a plant. This research was conducted in Silo Village, Silo District, Jember Regency from April to July 2019. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 treatments with 6 replications, the treatment consisted of yellowish green, light green, and dark green coffee leaves. The parameters observed were the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll. The results showed that the average chlorophyll content of robusta coffee leaves yellowish green was 264.73 mol/m2, light green was 361.25 mol/m2 and dark green was 508.81 mol/m2. The content of chlorophyll and robusta coffee increases with increasing leaf age (level of leaf development).

Potassium-Deficient Nutrient Solution Affects the Yield, Morphology, and Tissue Mineral Elements for Hydroponic Baby Leaf Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

Nutrient supply in hydroponics can significantly influence the nutrition, taste, texture, color, and other characteristics of fruit and vegetable crops. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem that frequently restricts a patient’s consumption of high-potassium foods. CKD patients are advised to limit their consumption of many vegetables that are potassium (K)-rich. At the same time, reducing vegetable intake reduces the intake of healthy compounds such as vitamins, fibers and antioxidants, which are beneficial to CKD patients. In our study, we investigated the reduction of the K concentration in a hydroponic nutrient solution as a possible technique to decrease the K tissue concentration of baby leaf spinach, a dark green that is frequently recommended to be consumed in moderation for patients with CKD. A previously developed hydroponic fertilizer recipe that provides a platform to adjust individual nutrients was used to adjust K to 0, 10, 25, and 100% of the control K concentration. Tissue K levels were reduced by up to 91% with a consequent 61% reduction in dry weight and 76% reduction in fresh weight (yield) with respect to the control treatment. Overall, the results suggest that using a nutrient solution without K can significantly reduce K concentrations in baby spinach, although this will consequently reduce yields.

PENERIMAAN SENSORI ROTI JAGUNG YANG DIFORTIFIKASI TEPUNG DAUN KELOR (Moringa oleifera)

This study aims at evaluating the level of preference for Moringa cornbread. The research was conducted with variations in the concentration of Moringa leaf flour (KK): KK1 = 1%; KK2 = 3%; KK3 = 5%; KK4 = 7%. The parameters analyzed included the level of preference for color, texture, taste, aroma. The results showed that the hedonic value of color, texture, taste, and aroma was highest in 5% Moringa leaf flour and was not significantly different from the addition of 3% Moringa leaf flour, meaning that the panelists liked the bright green color, soft texture, sweet and not bitter taste with a little unpleasant aroma The lowest hedonic value was the addition of 7% Moringa leaf flour, which means that the panelist didn’t like dark green, the texture was rather hard, rough, inelastic, bitter taste and a dry impression wrinkled in the mouth and smelled unpleasant. Key Words : Reception, Sensoric, Bread, Corn, Moringa

Diallel analysis of the duration of vegetation period in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with increased lycopene content in the fruit

Five parental forms of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and twenty hybrids F1, were studied which were obtained by the complete diallel scheme (5 x 5). For genetic analysis (by Hayman, 1954; Jinks,1954) was used line №477 (sp,u), variety Alya (sp) with reduced duration of vegetation period and three collection samples with the high lycopene content in fruits: Dark Green (hp-2dg), МО 112 (hp), Т˗3627 (Bc). The effects of the general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of the duration of vegetation period were determined and established character of inheritance. According to the results of research, the duration of vegetation period is controlled by additive-dominant genetic system. Inheritance occurs by type of over dominance, and in dry and hot summers which led to the prolongation of the duration of vegetation period, there is a tendency to incomplete dominance, but it is apocryphal. In genetic control a major role play non-additive effects of genes. The best reliable effects of the general combining ability (GCA) had line №477 and variety Alya. They can be recommended for the creation of heterotic hybrids and varieties.

Exploration and Characterization of Entomopathogenic Fungi Metarhizium sp. Local In Several Districts In East Kalimantan

Entomopathogenic fungi are microorganisms that can be used as bioinsecticides. The effectiveness of fungi is influenced by the surrounding environment so that it is necessary to explore specific local entomopathogenic fungi. Larva of Tenebrio molitor Linn was used as the insect bait, to isolate the fungi. The Soil for trapping entomopathogenic fungi was taken by purposive sampling from the field of staple food, horticulture, and estate crops in six districts of the East Kalimantan. The observation showed that ten isolates of Metarhizium sp. were very high pathogenicity, five isolates were moderates, and three isolates were very low. The characteristics of Metarhizium sp. isolates grown in GYA medium were
 0.25 cm per day of colony growth, initially white colonies, 3-7 days started green from the edges, 14 days the entire colony was dark green. Hyaline hyphae, insulated, rigid conidiophoreser, cylindrical and single-celled conidia. The T. molitor larvae attacked by Metarhizium sp. were stiff in three days after application (daa), grew white hyphae in 6 daa, and grew dark green colony in 9 daa.
 Keywords: Entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium, East Kalimantan isolate.

Fabrication of Magnetic Ink Chromium Ferrite Using Iron Sand

In this research iron sand was used as raw material for fabrication of magnetic ink of chromium ferrite. The first step of research was synthesizing iron sand into pigment of chromium ferrite using powder metallurgy method. The second step was processing pigment into magnetic ink. The ink was produced by mixture pigment into binder solution of polyvinyl alcohol and heated. While stirring the mixture was added alcohol as a solvent and additives of polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerine by certain composition. The variation of pigment mass was 6 g, 8 g, 10 g, 12 g, 14 g, and 14 g. The produced ink was characterized its properties, those were structure using XRD method, colour, density, viscosity, organoleptic, CCD microscope, and magnetic susceptibility. Using XRD was found that the pigment have a structure of CrO.Fe2O3 with size of 84.81nm. The colour of ink was dark green. The brightness of the ink decreases with increasing pigment mass. The coordinates values of a* and b* was fluctuated. The ink viscosity was around 7.64 cP until 19.59 cP, the density was around 0.954 gr/cm3 until 1.007 gr/cm3. By organoleptic study was found that the ink can be used on the whiteboard. From CCD microscope was known that distribution of ink more evenly white increasing of pigment mass. The value of magnetic susceptibility was around of 1.500175×10−5 m3/kg until 1.504662×10−5 m3/kg.

Metallic coloration with Cu/CuO coating on polypropylene nonwoven fabric via a physical vapor deposition method and its multifunctional properties

A single-layer film of copper and/or copper oxide was deposited on a polypropylene nonwoven fabric substrate to prepare multifunctional textiles with a metallic color appearance. The pristine uncoated nonwoven fabric was gray, the copper film-coated fabric was orange-red, and the copper oxide film-coated fabrics were dark red and dark green. With the increase of flowing oxygen, the Cu content of the film decreased and changed into Cu2O, after which it gradually changed to CuO. The color lightened as the color brightness increased, while the K/S value decreased as the CuO content increased. The hydrophobicity of the copper oxide film-coated samples slightly increased while the ultraviolet (UV) protection performance (UPF) was overall reduced as the oxygen flowing rate increased and the film thickness decreased. The copper film-coated sample exhibited momentary electrostatic attenuation, but the electrostatic elimination ability of the copper oxide film-coated samples decreased owing to the conversion of elemental Cu to Cu2O and then CuO.

Studies on Physico-chemical characters of Thai Apple ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) grown in Assam

An experiment was carried out during 2017-19 to study the morpho-physical and bio-chemical characters of Thai Apple ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) grown in Assam. The leaves of Thai Apple ber fruits collected from different locations of Assam showed elliptic shape with serrate leaf margin, obtuse apex and oblique base. The colour of mature leaves was observed to be dark green. The leaf length, leaf breadth and petiole length of Thai Apple ber fruits shows a great variations among all collection. The plant of Gela Pukhuri and Simen Chapori recorded early flowering and harvesting among the Thai Apple ber plants of other locations in the present study. The fruits of Boitamari (BC-8) recorded longest fruit (5.10cm) while, maximum fruit weight (53.08g) was recorded in BC-1 (Simen Chapori). The shape and surface of seeds was found to be ovate and warty and pulp-stone ratio ranged from 18.76 - 23.28.The biochemical analysis reveals that the quality characters like moisture content, TSS, titratable acidity, TSS-acid ratio and ascorbic acid content differed. Total sugar (6.37 - 7.81%) and reducing sugar (2.44 - 3.06%) contents varied significantly among the Thai Apple ber fruits of different locations. The highest vitamin A (16.08 μg/100g) were found in Gela Pukhuri (BC-3) and highest protein (0.87g/100g) was found in BC-2 (Bongalmora). The calcium and phosphorus contents of the Thai Apple ber fruits ranged from 20.48mg/100g to 23.50mg/100g and 24.08mg/100g to 25.25mg/100g, respectively. It can be concluded that Thai Apple apple ber fruits can successfully be grown under sub-tropical area of Assam. The ber fruits collected from Simen Chapori (BC-1) was found best in terms of biochemical composition i.e. TSS, TSS/ acid ratio, total sugar, reducing sugar and moisture content.

Development of tetra-primer amplicon refractory mutation system (T-ARMS) strategy for identification of the dark green mutant allele in tomato.

The high pigment (hp) tomato mutants increase the fruit pigment content in tomato. The dark green (dg) tomato mutant belonging to this category contains the hp-2 dg recessive allele, resulting from a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the DEETIOLATED1 (DET1) gene. Naturally, identification of this functional SNP is crucial for introgression of this important mutant allele in suitable tomato cultivar(s). Hence, we developed a functional co-dominant marker for detecting the hp-2 dg mutant allele using the tetra-primer amplicon refractory mutation system (T-ARMS) strategy. Although the other available techniques for identification of SNPs require specialized costly equipments and reagents, our method allows the reliable identification of this functional SNP in time-, labour- and cost-effective manner, using standard molecular biology equipments and reagents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T-ARMS strategy for the detection of the dg mutant allele in tomato, which will definitely help in identification and introgression of this allele by the breeders, working even under limited fund and resources.

First Report of Wilt of Rubber Tree Caused by Chalaropsis thielavioides in China.

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. Juss) Müll. Arg.) is used for the extraction of natural rubber and is an economically and socially important estate crop commodity in many Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, China and several countries in Africa (Pu et al, 2007). Xishuangbanna City and Wenshan City are the main rubber cultivation areas in Yunnan Province, China. In November 2012, rubber tree showing typical wilt symptoms (Fig. 1 A) and vascular stains (Fig. 1 B) were found in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna City. This disease was destructive in these trees and plant wilt death rate reached 5%. The diseased wood pieces (0.5cm long) from trunk of rubber was surface disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30s and 0.1% mercuric chloride (HgCl2) for 2min, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, plated onto malt extract agar medium (MEA), and incubated at 28℃. After 7 days, fungal-like filaments were growing from the diseased trunk. Six cultures from 6 rubber trunk were obtained and incubated on MEA at 28℃, after 7 days to observe the cultural features. The mycelium of each culture was white initially on MEA, and then became dark green. Cylindrical endoconidia apices rounded, non-septate, smooth, single or borne in chains (8.9 to 23.6 × 3.81 to 6.3μm) (Fig. 1 C). Chlamydospores (Fig. 1 D) were abundant, thick walled, smooth, forming singly or in chains (11.1 to 19.2 × 9.4 to 12.0μm). The mould fungus was identifed as Chalaropsis based on morphology (Paulin-Mahady et al. 2002). PCR amplification was carried out for 3 isolates, using rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) primer pairs ITS1F and ITS4 (Thorpe et al. 2005). The nucleotide sequences were deposited in the GenBank data base and used in a Blast search of GenBank. Blast analysis of sequenced isolates XJm8-2-6, XJm8-2 and XJm10-2-6 (accessions KJ511486, KJ511487, KJ511489 respectively) had 99% identity to Ch. thielavioides strains hy (KF356186) and C1630 (AF275491). Thus the pathogen was identified as Ch. thielavioides based on morphological characteristics and rDNA-ITS sequence analysis. Pathogenicity test of the isolate (XJm8-2) was conducted on five 1-year-old rubber seedlings. The soil of 5 rubber seedlings was inoculated by drenching with 40 ml spore suspension (106 spores / ml). Five control seedlings were inoculated with 40 ml of sterile distilled water. All the seedlings were maintained in a controlled greenhouse at 25°C and watered weekly. After inoculated 6 weeks, all the seedlings with spore suspension produced wilt symptoms, as disease progressed, inoculated leaves withered (Fig. 1 E) and vascular stains (Fig. 1 F) by 4 months. While control seedlings inoculated with sterile distilled water remained healthy. The pathogen re-isolated from all inoculated symptomatic trunk was identical to the isolates by morphology and ITS analysis. But no pathogen was isolated from the control seedlings. The pathogenicity assay showed that Ch. thielavioides was pathogenic to rubber trees. Blight caused on rubber tree by Ceratocystis fimbriata previously in Brazil (Valdetaro et al. 2015), and wilt by Ch. thielavioides was not reported. The asexual states of most species in Ceratocystis are "chalara" or "thielaviopsis" (de Beer et al. 2014). To our knowledge, this is the first report of this fungus causing wilt of rubber in China. The spread of this disease may pose a threat to rubber production in China.

Mangrove ecosystem Segmentation from Drone Images using Otsu Method

Mangrove ecosystems are found mainly in tropical and subtropical coastal areas. they are playing a very important ecological role in land-ocean interfaces. These ecosystems are protecting the environment and providing a habitat that supports many living organisms. Identification of area images in mangrove ecosystems is very helpful in monitoring and conservation of this ecosystem. In this study, we will present the segmentation of drone image taken from TAHURA Ngurah Rai mangrove area using otsu method. The otsu method giving well accuracy to segmented image to divide mangrove area and non mangrove area. Because Otsu method operates on a grayscale image so that it cannot distinguish the dark green of the tree canopies from the dark shadows of the trees, then the segmentation accuracy will decrease.

First Report of Colletotrichum aenigma Causing Apple Glomerella Leaf Spot on the Granny Smith Cultivar in China.

Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) is a devastating fungal disease causing pre-mature defoliation on apple (Malus domestica). It was first reported in 1970s and since then has been reported in North America, South America and Asia. GLS disease is caused by Colletotrichum fungi and the pathogens are genetically diverse, encompassing at least nine species belonging to three species complexes (Velho et al. 2018). In August 2018, disease with sudden leaf necrosis symptom, typical of GLS symptom appearance, occurred in a Granny Smith orchard in Wugong county, China, over 70% tree leaves bared brown and necrotic lesions. Small leaf tissues (3-4 mm2) cut from lesion margins were surface sterilized for 30 s in 3% NaClO and 30 s in 75% ethanol, followed by rinsing three times in sterile water before transferring onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates (25 ± 2°C). Seven isolates were obtained, all producing round cottony colonies on PDA, being white to pale on the upper side and dark green on the reverse side. Conidia were single-celled, cylindrical and transparent (17.33 ± 1.29 × 5.11 ± 0.77 μm, n=50). Appressoria were single-celled, thick-walled, dark brown, oval or irregular shaped, sometimes lobed (9.07 ± 0.88 × 6.66 ± 0.33 μm, n=50). The morphological and cultural characteristics of the fungal isolates matched the descriptions of Colletotrichum aenigma (Weir et al. 2012). To confirm the species identity, genomic DNAs were isolated from two representative isolates (QSG1 and QSY1), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), actin (ACT), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), beta-tubulin (TUB2), manganese-superoxide dismutase (SOD2), chitin synthase (CHS), and calmodulin (CAL) regions were amplified by PCR using reported primers (Weir et al. 2012). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (Accession Nos. MT872061, MT873580, MT873581, MT888183, MT888185, MT888187 and MT888189 for QSG1, and MT834933, MT835166, MT873579, MT888182, MT888184, MT888186 and MT888188 for QSY1). BLASTn search against GenBank nr database showed that ITS sequences of the two strains showed high nucleotide identity (over 99%) to sequences derived from the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (CGSC). Further concatenated phylogenetic analysis with reported CGSC strains (Weir et al. 2012) placed QSG1 and QSY1 in the clade of C. aenigma. To fulfill Koch's postulates, field pathogenicity test was performed. The experiment was performed in an orchard located in Yangling in September 2020, with the daily average temperature ranging between 15 - 20 ℃. Healthy 'Granny Smith' leaves were surface sterilized with 70% alcohol and inoculated with conidial suspension (106 conidia/mL) using cotton swabs. For each isolate, 10 leaf inoculations were performed. Inoculation with distilled water served as a negative control. Inoculated leaves were covered with plastic bags to maintain high humidity and the bags were removed at 48 hours post inoculation (hpi). Conidium-inoculated leaves started to exhibit GLS-resembling necrotic lesions from 5 dpi onward. The lesion extent, however, varied among inoculated leaves, ranging from blurry, small-sized lesions to blight of entire leaf. In contrast with conidium inoculations, water-inoculated leaves remained asymptomatic until 14 dpi. Re-isolated fungi from the symptomic leaf tissues were identical to C. aenigma in morphological appearance. Taken together, this is the first report of GLS on 'Granny Smith' apple, and the first report of C. aenigma causing apple GLS in China. This information should provide important guideline for developing field control practices of GLS.

Using endogenous pigments to recolour roasted green tea

Abstract Roasted green tea exhibits undesirable dark green that can seriously affect sensory quality, market price, and consumer acceptance. The aim of this work was to propose a method of improving the appearance of the roasted green tea. In this study, rehydration with freeze-drying (RFD) was used to recolour the tea leaves by redistributing the endogenous pigments. The results indicated that the colour of the roasted green tea changed from dark green to bright green after the RFD treatment, the values of L* and b* were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the value of a* was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In addition, the RFD treatment making the yellow–green pigments transfer onto the surface of the tea leaves also induced a change in pigment contents, including chlorophylls, carotenoids, and flavonoid glycosides. The well-defined optimum parameters for the rehydration process were moisture content of tea leaves at 35 per cent, water temperature 25 °C, and a standing time of 1.5 h.

The impact of environmental lead exposure on Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus): Pathological and immunohistochemical studies

This study was carried out to investigate the pathology of environmental lead (Pb) poisoning in Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus). A number of 12 out 54 swans (22.2%) randomly collected from Honshu, Japan from June 2005 to July 2007 were affected with Pb poisoning. Affected swans showed stained vent with greenish watery diarrhoea and impacted crop. The presence of Pb shots in the gizzard (50%) was confirmed by X-ray, and all cases showed a dark greenish coloured liver. Microscopically, the pathology of Pb poisoning in swans was multisystemic. The severity of the lesions was the highest in the CNS followed by the liver, kidney, spleen, lungs, gizzard, heart, bone marrow respectively and was the least in the peripheral nervous system. CNS lesions were cerebral haemorrhage, malacia, and spongiosis with astrocytic activation and increased neurofilaments accumulations. In addition, there were hepatic and renal hemosiderosis and apoptosis, hepatic granuloma, interstitial pneumonia, gizzard and myocardial necrosis and bone marrow hypoplasia. Chemical analysis of the Pb content in liver and kidneys ranged from 8.18 to 60.6 µg/g, respectively. The extent and severity of lesions varied among individuals and were mostly dose-dependent. Finally, these findings improved the diagnostic procedure of Pb poisoning in free-living Whooper swans.

Conductive Polyaniline Doped with Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid: Synthesis, Characterization, and Antistatic Application.

A novel method was conducted to synthesize conductive polyaniline (PANI) doped with dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) (PANDB) in xylene by using chemical oxidative polymerization at 25 °C. Meanwhile, the synthesis process was photographed. Results showed as the reaction time was increased, and the color of the product was gradually turned into dark green. The influence of different synthesis time on properties of synthesized PANDB was then examined by a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis), a four-point measurement method, and a Field-emittance scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The result indicated that the optimum reaction time was 24 h with conductivity at around 2.03 S/cm. FE-SEM images and the conductivity testing showed that the more needle-like shapes in resulted PANDB, the higher the conductivity. The synthesized PANDB solution was blended with UV curable coating firstly and then coated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet. The UV coating/PANDB conductive composite films displayed an impressive translucency along with an adequate flexibility at room temperature. The UV coating/PANDB conductive composite film on PET sheet was flexible, transparent, and with antistatic function.

Molecular profile of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus isolated from stored maize

Maize is a significant staple crop and utilized in Saudi Arabia as food and feed, but maize is often infected with Aspergillus flavus in tropical and subtropical climates, especially during storage. This study intended at a polyphasic approach, consisting of microscopic morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterizations that were applied to 29 of A. flavus isolates of stored maize, with the goal of characterization and identification of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates. The technique of real-time PCR (RTi-PCR) was used to detection of A. flavus in stored maize samples, the findings have been very accurate. Centered on macroscopic morphological (primarily colony color and morphology of conidia) and microscopic (morphology of conidia and size) characteristics. Results have shown 23 A. flavus isolates (80%) were categorized as the dark green of colonies also all isolates were rough conidia. The isolates have been two different groups, 16 isolates (62%) had sclerotium-forming and the remaining 13 isolates (38%) had no sclerotium-forming isolates. To the identification of aflatoxigenic isolates of A. flavus in stored maize, we utilized the qualitative methods (easy and inexpensive) like UV test, yellow pigmentation, and ammonia vapor and quantitative method as HPLC (accurate and expensive). the accuracy methods to the identification aflatoxigenicity isolates, vary, and classified in the following descending order: HPLC (100%) > UV method (81%) > yellow pigmentation (YP) and ammonia vapor (AV) (63%). The profile of Aflatoxigenicity of A. flavus isolates by HPLC has been involved in two types first of 11 isolates (38%) have been aflatoxigenic isolates while 18 isolates (62%) were non-aflatoxigenic isolates. The expression of six aflatoxins (AFs) genes (aflD, aflM, aflO, aflP, aflR, and aflQ) was estimated using PCR and RT-PCR. PCR of all genes did not correspond to the aflatoxigenic isolates. The transcriptional analysis of aflO and aflQ was a beneficial marker for discriminating aflatoxigenic from non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates. Also, qRT-PCR indicated that non-aflatoxigenic isolates had a high incidence of defect or downregulation in late AF-genes contrast with early AF-genes. therefore, these non-aflatoxigenic isolates could be critical factors for an efficient and competent strategy for the control of aflatoxin contamination pre-harvest can be considered.

NICANDER'S JAUNDICE

At Alexipharmaca 472–5, Nicander compares the sea hare to the cuttlefish and describes the latter's defensive mechanism of ink emission before turning to a symptom of sea hare poisoning, a change of skin colour:οἷά τε σηπιάδος φυξήλιδος ἥ τε μελαίνειοἶδμα χολῇ δολόεντα μαθοῦσ’ ἀγρώστορος ὁρμήν.τῶν ἤτοι ζοφόεις μὲν ἐπὶ χλόος ἔδραμε γυίοιςἰκτερόεις […][the sea hare also resembles] the cowardly cuttlefish, which blackens the swell with its bile upon learning of the fisherman's crafty attack. A dark green, indeed, runs over the limbs of [those who ingest sea hare], similar to that of jaundice.

First Report of Bipolaris cactivora Causing Flower Rot of Pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis) in China.

Pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis), belonging to the Cactaceae family, has rich functional substances, such as a variety of amino acids, which are popular with consumers (Wichienchot et al. 2010). In May 2019, flowers showed symptoms of rot, with an incidence of 15% in a plantation (233.3 ha) in Changjiang (19°46'N; 108°93'E) (Hainan province), China. The initial disease symptoms of flower were small scattered purple-red spot (1~2 mm), including circular, long oval or irregular in shape. The spots were gradually expanded and coalesced, forming abundant reddish-brown lesions. Later, this disease resulted in rotting and blackening of the whole flower. Many black mildew layers (conidiophores and conidia) on the surface of the lesions were observed under compound microscopy. Symptomatic flower tissue (4 cm2) from collecting samples was disinfected in 75% ethanol for 25 s, followed by 1 min in 5% sodium hypochlorite, rinsed 3 times with sterile water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) for 3 days, and incubated at 28ºC. A fungus was consistently isolated from symptomatic flower samples with 90% isolation rate. Resultant colony of the fungus was circular, dark green, velvety, hairy, after 7 days, incubated at 28ºC. Hyphae were septate, 6.2-8.9 μm (average 7.6±0.5) in diameter. Conidia were straight, obclavate, pale to mid brown, 2-6 septate, 23.0 to 42.2 μm (average 31.0±3.2) × 6.5 to 9.8 μm (average 8.0±0.6) (n = 100). The conidia were normally produced germ tubes from one end or both ends. The width of conidiophore was 5.1 to 6.6 μm (average 5.8±0.4) (n = 50). Sequences were generated from the isolate using primers for the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) (ITS1/ITS4) (White et al. 1990), ribosomal large subunit (LSU) (LROR/LR5) (Vilgalys et al. 1990), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (GPD1/GPD2) (Berbee et al. 1999) loci. The resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MN960109, MN966852, and MT542865. BLAST analysis demonstrated that these sequences were 99% similar to ITS (HM193535), LSU (MH869295), and GAPDH (HM598681) of Bipolaris cactivora. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on combined dataset of ITS, LSU, and GAPDH sequences using MEGA7.0 revealed that the isolate was placed in the same clade as B. cactivora with 100% bootstrap support. A conidial suspension (1 × 105 conidia/ml) of the fungal isolate was prepared by harvesting conidia from pure culture of the fungus grown on PDA 25 days. The 10 mL suspension was sprayed onto ten flowers with no wounding. Ten additional flowers sprayed with sterile distilled water were served as controls. All flowers were covered with plastic bags to maintain high humidity and incubated under natural condition. Typical symptoms of purple-red spot were observed on all the inoculated flowers on the third day. Abundant dark-brown to dark lesions were observed on the surface of flowers and were similar to those observed on the naturally infected flowers after 5 days. The control flowers remained asymptomatic. The fungal isolate of B. cactivora was reisolated from lesion of the flowers and reidentified by morphological and molecular characteristics, thus fulfilled Koch's postulates. Pathogenicity tests were repeated thrice with the same results. B. cactivora had been reported causing flowers and fruit rot of pitaya in South Florida (Tarnowski et al. 2010). This is the first report of B. cactivora causing flower rot of pitaya (H. costaricensis) in China. The flower rot may provide inoculum for the fruit rot, which will cause reduction of pitaya yield.

Physicochemical Variability and Biodiesel Potential of Seed Oils of Two Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Phenotypes.

Considerable interest is being focused on vegetable oils as fuel. Due to their characteristics being close to diesel and their renewable potential, studies recommend their use for agricultural applications. Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa is widely studied for the nutritional properties of its calyces. Although the seeds of this species are known to be rich in fatty acids, their use is little known in Benin Republic. Similarly, a few studies have attempted to characterize the seeds of the green phenotype of this plant species. By following standard methods, the fatty acid profiles of oils extracted from the seeds of the two varieties (red phenotype, sabdariffa (HSS), and green phenotype, altissima (HSA)) of H. sabdariffaL. were established. A comparative study of their physicochemical properties was also performed to highlight their potential use as fuel. It follows that HSS seed oil is yellow while HSA seed oil is dark green. For the two varieties, values obtained for the kinematic viscosity (∼4 mm2/s), cetane number (∼55), and density (0.87 g/cm3) are in accordance with the U.S. and European standards. However, it is observed that HSA oil is significantly more acidic (23.10 ± 0.22 for HSS vs 18.20 ± 0.40 mg KOH/g oil for HSS) with a higher peroxide value (HSA: 0.280 ± 0.002 vs HSS: 0.140 ± 0.001). The major fatty acids are the following: palmitic (HSA: 27.09 vs HSS: 25.48%), oleic (HSA: 31.81 vs HSS: 35.21%), and linoleic (HSA: 31.43 vs HSS: 29.70%) acids. These fatty acid profiles give to the two oils calorific values (∼39.45 MJ/kg) lower than that of diesel but good oxidative stability and cold filter plugging. The two oils could be used as fuel oil, after their transesterification to improve their properties.

Lithostratigraphy of the Siwalik Group along the Muksar Khola section, Siraha-Udayapur District, Eastern Nepal Himalaya

The Siwalik Group extending east to west co-linear to the main Himalayan range is well exposed along the Muksar Khola section, Siraha-Udayapur district, eastern Nepal Himalaya. Siwalik Group in the present study area is divided into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Siwaliks based on grain size and sandstone-mudstone proportion. The Lower Siwaliks is characterized by very fine- to fine-grained, light grey sandstone interbedded with dark grey to olive black mudstone. The Middle Siwaliks, is characterized by the domination of fine- to coarse-grained sandstone, and based on the lithology and bed thickness it is divided into two members. The lower member is dominated by fine- to medium-grained “salt and pepper” sandstone with dark greenish to olive-grey mudstone while, the upper member is dominated by light grey to white medium- to coarse-grained sandstone with grey, dark grey to black mudstone. Increase in the grain size and thickness of sandstone beds, increase in the proportion of mudstone, decrease in induration of sandstone and decrease in the proportion of biotite grain in sandstone makes upper member different from lower member of the Middle Siwaliks. The Upper Siwaliks is characterized by very thick beds of clast supported conglomerate associated with coarse- to very coarse-grained, very thick bedded sandstone and dull yellowish-grey to grey mudstone. The boundary between the Lower Siwaliks and the Middle Siwaliks, lower member and upper member of the Middle Siwaliks, and the Upper Siwaliks are 10.0 Ma, 5.7 Ma, and 3.5 Ma, respectively. The present study records the presence of a large succession of intra-formational conglomerate succession in the Lower Siwaliks.