Tulip Fields Research Articles

Ethnofestivals in Chernivtsi Region as Indicators of Polyethnic Identity and Components of Community Development Potential

This article examines the spatio-temporal (historical-geographical) features of holding ethnofestivals in the Chernivtsi region, which are important indicators of its features such as polyethnicity and ethno-contact. Such events not only celebrate the cultural heritage of various ethnic communities living in the region but also serve as significant indicators of the ethno-cultural potential for the development of individual settlements, territorial communities, territories, and the region as a whole. It is also worth emphasizing the importance of holding ethnofestivals in the cross-border region, as it expands the inflow of investments into the region, as well as the possibility of jointly organizing such events between Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. Many ethnocultural festivals of poetic, ethnographic, artistic, spiritual, gastronomic, and other directions are held in the Chernivtsi region. The largest number of ethnofestivals is held in the regional center – the city of Chernivtsi. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been ongoing since March 2020, and immediately after the start of a full-scale war with the Russian Federation, the number of held ethnofestivals has decreased significantly. Festivals such as "Bukovynska Malanka" ("Malanka Fest"), the ethno-spiritual festival "Onova-fest", "International Hutsul Festival", "Colors of Storozhinechchyna", and others were practically not held in those years. However, despite the difficulties, ethnofestivals like the ethno-festival of theatrical art "Golden Applause of Bukovyna", the poetry festival "Meridian Czernowitz", "Tulip Field", "Pumpkin Field", and others are still being held. Each ethnographic festival has its own characteristics of being held both in Ukraine in general and in the region in general, which relate not only to the venue, meaningful content, but also to the peculiarities of the terrain and weather conditions, seasonality of the climate. Another important factor is the number of festivals and the ability of the infrastructure to meet the needs of tourists. It should be noted that each ethnofestival held in the Chernivtsi region is primarily aimed at uniting different ethnic groups of the population of the multi-ethnic region, as well as popularizing the material and spiritual culture, ethno-landscapes of Northern Bukovina, and Northern Bessarabia. Ukrainians, Romanians, and Moldovans, who have compact settlements in the region, are the most active in holding ethnofestivals, which gives reason to call the region an ethno-contact area.

Epidemiological Studies of Pan-Azole Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus Populations Sampled during Tulip Cultivation Show Clonal Expansion with Acquisition of Multi-Fungicide Resistance as Potential Driver.

Pan-azole resistant isolates are found in clinical and environmental Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) populations. Azole resistance can evolve in both settings, with Af directly targeted by antifungals in patients and, in the environment, Af unintendedly exposed to fungicides used for material preservation and plant disease control. Resistance to non-azole fungicides, including methyl benzimidazole carbamates (MBCs), quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs) and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs), has recently been reported. These fungicide groups are not used in medicine but can play an important role in the further spread of pan-azole resistant genotypes. We investigated the multi-fungicide resistance status and the genetic diversity of Af populations sampled from tulip field soils, tulip peel waste and flower compost heaps using fungicide sensitivity testing and a range of genotyping tools, including STRAf typing and sequencing of fungicide resistant alleles. Two major clones were present in the tulip bulb population. Comparisons with clinical isolates and literature data revealed that several common clonal lineages of TR34/L98H and TR46/Y121F/T289A strains that have expanded successfully in the environment have also acquired resistance to MBC, QoI and/or SDHI fungicides. Strains carrying multiple fungicide resistant alleles have a competitive advantage in environments where residues of multiple fungicides belonging to different modes of action are present.

Studying Gardens of the World with Students of Higher Education Establishments

The image of one of the greatest actresses, Audrey Hepburn, is presented in different ways: actress, model, dancer, the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Audrey Hepburn, who loved nature and gardens, saw a rare opportunity to bring forth their beauty in poetic and meaningful ways in Gardens of the World. Her unique vision of the series included fusing the historical and aesthetic aspects with the arts of literature, music and painting. Gardens of the World was filmed on location around the world, including:- Claude Monet s garden at Giverny; George Washington s Estate at Mount Vernon; the ancient moss temple garden Saiho-ji in Kyoto Japan; gardens at Mottisfont Abbey, Tintinhull House, Chilcombe Garden, Hidcote Bartram Village and Hidcote Manor in England; the Keukenhof Garden and the Tulip Fields of Lisse in the Netherlands, Villa Pancha in the Dominican Republic; Giardini di Ninfa and Villa Gamberaia in Italy; La-Roseraie de L Haÿ-les-Roses, Chateau de Courances, Jardin du Luxembourg, and Jardin du Luxembourg in France. The 8 episodes explore: Roses & Rose Gardens, Formal Gardens, Tulips and Spring Bulbs, Country Gardens Japanese Gardens Flower Gardens, Tropical Gardens, Public Gardens and Trees. Each episode presents a different garden theme as well as broader concepts of aesthetic, botanical, cultural or environmental significance.

Automatic Detection of Tulip Breaking Virus (TBV) Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Tulip crop production in the Netherlands suffers from severe economic losses caused by virus diseases such as the Tulip Breaking Virus (TBV). Infected plants which can spread the disease by aphids must be removed from the field as soon as possible. As the availability of human experts for visual inspection in the field is limited, there is an urgent need for a rapid, automated and objective method of screening. From 2009-2012, we developed an automatic machine-vision-based system, using classical machine-learning algorithms. In 2012, the experiment conducted a tulip field planted at production density of 100 and 125 plants per square meter, resulting in images with overlapping plants. Experiments based on multispectral images resulted in scores that approached results obtained by experienced crop experts. The method, however, needed to be tuned specifically for each of the data trails, and a NIR band was needed for background segmentation. Recent developments in artificial intelligence and specifically in the area of convolutional neural networks, allow the development of more generic solutions for the detection of TBV. In this study, a Faster R-CNN network is applied on part of the data from the 2012 experiment. The outcomes show that the results are almost the same compared to the previous method using only RGB data.

Advances in automatic detection of tulip breaking virus (TBV) using machine vision

Tulip breaking virus (TBV) causes severe economic losses in flower bulbs in the Netherlands. To prevent further spread by aphids, infected plants must be removed from the field as soon as possible. Until now screening is done by visual inspection in the field. As the availability of human experts is limited there is an urgent need for a rapid, automated and objective method of screening. Based on laboratory experiments, we developed a vision method for use in the open field. From 2009 - 2012 field trials were carried out and the techniques were tested and improved. First field trails were on single plant density where plants does not overlap in the images. In 2012 the experiment conducted a tulip field planted at production density of 100 and 125 plants per square meter, resulting in images with overlapping plants. The final score of our system in this production density experiment approached the scores obtained by the experienced crop experts.

NON-PERSISTENT TBV TRANSMISSION IN CORRELATION TO APHID POPULATION DYNAMICS IN TULIP FLOWER BULBS

Virus transmission by aphids causes millions of Euro’s damage in the flower bulb sector annually. Mineral oils and pyrethroids are applied weekly during the growth season to decrease the virus transmission by aphids in flower bulbs. Currently, little is known about the dynamics of aphid populations during the growth season of tulips and the accompanying risk of the non-persistent virus transmission of for example Tulip breaking virus (TBV). Therefore, population dynamics of aphids in tulip fields was monitored during three growing seasons. Simultaneously, the period of TBV transmission by aphids was investigated experimentally by exposing small tulip plots during specified intervals to naturally occurring aphids. Finally, timing of virus spread was correlated with aphid population dynamics and weather conditions. In 2007, TBV transmission started in April while the first aphids were found in May. Apparently, the first aphids of the season already contributed in great extend to the virus transmission and virus transmission was observed very locally in the tulip plots. A second, distinct TBV isolate was identified which resulted in the design of an improved TBV detection assay. The main objective of this research project is to enhance the knowledge about the risk of non-persistent virus transmission in relation to aphid population dynamics. This knowledge should enable us to formulate crop protection guidelines that are better fine-tuned with the risk of virus transmission and thereby decreasing the environmental damage caused by chemical crop protection.

Perception of biodiversity in arable production systems in the Netherlands

Until recently, arable production systems in the Netherlands were solely based on their production function, while ecological and societal functions were not or hardly taken into account. However, the Netherlands is a small and densely populated country that requires a well-planned management of the landscape if more functions are to be fulfilled. In an attempt to utilize the available space in a more efficient way, we designed Dutch arable production systems with a production, an ecological and a societal function, and tested systems differing in level of biodiversity in long-term field experiments. In this article special attention is paid to systems' societal function, which is attained when productive and biodiverse systems make the landscape more attractive than conventional ones. To explain differences in appreciation of arable production systems as elements of the Dutch landscape a study was carried out consisting of interviews combined with an appraisal of contrasting conventional and biodiverse systems and of field margins on the basis of colour photographs taken when the crops and the wild plants flowered. The pictures included fields with rye, barley, cereal-pea and cereal-pea-wild flower mixtures. In addition, pictures of other arable production systems in the Netherlands were used as a contrasting reference; these included forage maize, tulip fields and biodiverse field margins. The photographed systems were evaluated by a group of 30 interviewees, using the qualitative dialogue method. Each of the respondents was offered the possibility to express his feelings and to explain underlying thoughts when ranking and classifying the photographed systems. Most respondents appreciated the presence of wild flowers, but the farmers amongst them were hesitant as they feared yield loss. Barley was preferred to rye. Pea in mixtures was not liked much but was appreciated more in mixtures with rye than with barley. Also the reference systems provoked mixed feelings. Respondents engaged with nature or agriculture appreciated biodiversity in fields more than respondents not engaged with these sectors.

Bacterial leaf and peduncle soft rot caused byPectobacterium carotovorum on tulips in Konya, Turkey

The etiology of a new soft rot disease of tulips, causing leaf spots, leaf blight, neck and bulb rot in Konya, Turkey, was investigated. This disease occurred in tulip fields grown for seed bulbs of various varieties in 2002. Bacteria were isolated from the lesions on leaf, bud neck and bulbs and the causal bacterium was identified asPectobacterium carotovorum on the basis of biochemical and physiological tests. Cells were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, fermentative, potato-rot positive. Colonies were capable of growth at 37°C. On nutrient agar the colonies were creamy-white. The isolates were non-fluorescent on King’s B medium, positive for acetoin production, gelatin liquefaction, acid-production-from-lactose, and catalase; and negative for gas from glucose, reducing substances from sucrose, and phosphatase activity. Additionally, tests for egg yolk (lecithin), sensitivity to erythromycin, and pigmentation on yeast dextrose carbonate agar were negative; growth on 5% sodium chloride was positive. All the bacterial isolates obtained from the leaf, bud neck and bulbs produced the original symptoms following inoculation to the susceptible tulip variety ‘Gander’. The rate of damage caused by this bacterium was evaluated on several tulip varieties under field and storage conditions. Gander was the most susceptible variety in the field whereas ‘Salmon Parrot’ exhibited the highest rate of bulb rot in storage. Disease severity was lower in 2003 than 2002.

チューリップの生育障害(色抜け•首折れなど)の発生原因究明とその防止に関する研究

The relationships between the occurrence of boron deficiency of tulips, characters of cultivated soils and boron contents in tulip plants were investigated at tulip bulb growing areas in Niigata and Toyama prefectures, at the time of flowering.It became clear through our investigation in the tulip fields that characteristic symptoms of boron deficiency of tulips such as disappearance of flower pigment (“Ironuke”) and transverse break of stem (“Kubiore”) occurred widely and strikingly in the field tulips of Niigata and Toyama.At the same time, the basis of diagnosis on boron deficiency in field tulips was established by using soil testing and plant analysis. The main results are summarized as follows.1) Tulips raised on sand and sandy loam soils and on highly water-permeable loam soil were inclined to develop boron deficiency.2) On sand dunes tulips were inclined to develop boron deficiency on their tops and slopes.3) Tulip fields in which hot-water-soluble born in soils was lower than about 0.2ppm engendered tulip boron deficiency.4) Boron deficiency of tulips occured easily on strongly acid soils, though hot-water-soluble boron in soils was more than 0.2ppm.5) The critical concentrations of total boron in tulip plant tissues were considered as follows; flower: 14-15ppm, upper stem : 12-13ppm, new main bulb: about 5ppm. But it was difficult to accurately diagnose the boron deficiency of the tulip plant only on the basis of levels of total boron concentration in plant tissues.6) Calcium-boron molar ratio in boron deficient tulip flowers was more than 25, but the ratio in healthy ones was less than 20. Therefore boron deficiency in tulips may be effectively diagnosed by the level of calcium-boron molar ratio in flowers at the blooming time.