Urban Landscaping Research Articles

Sex-determining region complements traditionally used in phylogenetic studies nuclear and chloroplast sequences in investigation of Aigeiros Duby and Tacamahaca Spach poplars (genus Populus L., Salicaceae).

Members of the genus Populus L. play an important role in the formation of forests in the northern hemisphere and are used in urban landscaping and timber production. Populus species of closely related sections show extensive hybridization. Therefore, the systematics of the genus is rather complicated, especially for poplars of hybrid origin. We aimed to assess the efficiency of application of the sex-determining region (SDR) in addition to the nuclear and chloroplast genome loci traditionally used in phylogenetic studies of poplars to investigate relationships in sections Aigeiros Duby and Tacamahaca Spach. Targeted deep sequencing of NTS 5S rDNA, ITS, DSH 2, DSH 5, DSH 8, DSH 12, DSH 29, 6, 15, 16, X18, trnG-psbK-psbI, rps2-rpoC2, rpoC2-rpoC1, as well as SDR and ARR17 gene was performed for 379 poplars. The SDR and ARR17 gene together with traditionally used multicopy and single-copy loci of nuclear and chloroplast DNA allowed us to obtain a clustering that is most consistent with poplar systematics based on morphological data and to shed light on several controversial hypotheses about the origin of the studied taxa (for example, the inexpediency of separating P. koreana, P. maximowiczii, and P. suaveolens into different species). We present a scheme of relationships between species and hybrids of sections Aigeiros and Tacamahaca based on molecular genetic, morphological, and geographical data. The geographical proximity of species and, therefore, the possibility of hybridization between them appear to be more important than the affiliation of species to the same section. We speculate that sections Aigeiros and Tacamahaca are distinguished primarily on an ecological principle (plain and mountain poplars) rather than on a genetic basis. Joint analysis of sequencing data for the SDR and chloroplast genome loci allowed us to determine the ancestors of P. × petrovskoe - P. laurifolia (female tree) × P. × canadensis (male tree), and P. × rasumovskoe - P. nigra (female tree) × P. suaveolens (male tree). Thus, the efficiency of using the SDR for the study of poplars of sections Aigeiros and Tacamahaca and the prospects of its use for the investigation of species of the genus Populus were shown.

The Impact of Urbanization on the Distribution of Spontaneous Herbaceous Plants in an Ancient City: A Pilot Case Study in Jingzhou, China.

Spontaneous herbaceous plants (SHPs) play an essential role in urban biodiversity. Research on the diversity of SHPs has profound implications for the conservation of urban biodiversity and green space management in the process of urbanization. We investigated the habitat, life form, and growth form of SHPs by combining samples and inspections in Jingzhou, in central southern China. Additionally, we chose three typical regions-Ji'nan, Gucheng, and Shashi-for the examination and comparison of biodiversity. The results showed that diverse habitats provided abundant living space for SHPs of different growth forms and life forms in Jingzhou. Water edges with higher humidity do not significantly support more SHP growth forms and life forms, except for pseudo-rosette, partial-rosette, and perennial plants. In addition, both wasteland and road gaps and slopes support significantly more SHP growth forms, including erect, tussock, and others. Wasteland supported the vast majority of species, both growth forms and life forms. In the diverse habitats, there are 352 plant species belonging to 70 families and 236 genera in Jingzhou (Ji'nan 184 species, Gucheng 157 species, and Shashi 127 species). Plant species diversity differed according to the level of management. The Ji'nan region had a large number of SHP species because of the less disruptive and milder management implemented in this region. SHPs show good performance and can provide wild landscape effects; therefore, they have the potential to be used in many urban landscaping applications. In the process of urbanization expansion, we should implement the concept of protection and coordinated development in new construction areas. Our study has important implications for the support of SHPs in urban areas.

Development of a synthetic dataset generation method for deep learning of real urban landscapes using a 3D model of a non-existing realistic city

In the urban landscaping field, training datasets for instance segmentation in the detection of building facades are needed for complex analysis and simulation based on data. Manual dataset generation methods are costly, so automatic generation is preferred. However, previous methods are costly and are more reliant on 3D real-city models than LOD2. The objective of this research is to propose a method for automatically generating synthetic datasets for instance segmentation using an image translation technique and procedural modeling. The image translation technique is used to generate street view images for training data, and procedural modeling can automatically specify the composition of generated street view images and generate annotation data, as well as a variety of 3D models. The proposed method generates various kinds of synthetic data at a rate of 4.45 s per set, and the model trained on the generated dataset can detect real buildings for each instance.

EFFECTS OF MIXING ADDITION OF THE GREENERY WASTES ON THEIR REMEDIATING EFFECTS ON PETROLEUM POLLUTED SOIL

In this study, greenery wastes of Platycladus orientalis (Po) and the other 5 species which are commonly used in urban landscaping were collected. Monospecific greenery wastes and their 1:1 mixtures containing Po waste were used to treat contaminated soil with a petroleum content of 15.00 g/kg, to conduct a 150-day laboratory remediating experiment at 20-25℃, under a soil moisture of 50% of the saturated water holding capacity. The effects of mixed addition of greenery wastes on their re-mediating effects on contaminated soil were detected, to provide scientific basis for the reasonable utilization of greenery waste in contaminated soil remediation. The results indicated that: (1) Mixed addition of Po waste with Picea asperata (Pa), Acer truncatum (At), Ginkgo biloba (Gb) or Juniperus formosana (Jf) waste significantly enhanced their effect of removing petroleum contaminants, espe-cially for removing aromatic and non-hydrocarbon substances; while the mixed addition of Po waste with Pinus tabuliformis (Pt) waste significantly weakened their remediating effects. The mixed addition of Po waste with Gb or Jf waste significantly enhanced their effects of replenishing soil available N and P; the mixed addition of it with Pa, Pt, Gb or Jf waste tended to enhance their effects of stimulating the activities of soil invertase, urease, phosphatase and dehydrogenase, while the mixed of it with At waste tended to weaken their simulating effects. (2) Mixed litters with high contents of C, N, terpenoids and amino acids, and chemical dispersion facilitated the degradation of petroleum contaminants, while those with high contents of soluble saccharides and total organic acids/terpenoids led to contrast effects; mixed litters with high N content facilitated the increment of soil enzymatic activities, while those with high contents of total organic acids and terpenoids led to contrast effects. In conclusion, mixed addition of Po and Jf, Po and Gb, and Po and Pa wastes might enhance their overall remediating effects on petroleum contaminated soil, while mixed addition of Po and Pt wastes might weaken their ability of removing the contaminants, and this mixing form of greenery wastes should be avoided.

Isolation and characterization of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria from rhizosphere of poplar on road verge and their antagonistic potential against various phytopathogens

BackgroundPhosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can solubilize insoluble phosphate compounds and improve phosphate availability in soil. Road verges are important in urban landscaping, but the population structure of PSB and their ecological functions in the road verge soil is still unclear.ResultsTwenty-one mineral PSB strains and 14 organic PSB strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of poplar on urban road verge. All the mineral PSB strains showed better solubilization to Ca3(PO4)2 than FePO4 or AlPO4. Among them, 7 strains showed high phosphate-solubilizing (PS) activities to Ca3(PO4)2 (150–453 mg/L). All the organic PSB strains displayed weak solubilization to lecithin. 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis showed good species diversity of the PSB strains, which belongs to 12 genera: Bacillus, Cedecea, Cellulosimicrobium, Delftia, Ensifer, Paenibacillus, Pantoea, Phyllobacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Staphylococcus. Moreover, 8 PSB strains showed various degrees of growth inhibition against 4 plant pathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum S1, F. oxysporum S2, Pythium deliense Meurs Z4, Phomopsis sp. AC1 and a plant pathogenic bacterium, Pectobacterium carotovorum TP1.ConclusionsThe results indicated that these PSB strains could perform multiple ecological functions on road verge. The development and application of bio-agents based on the strains would provide a new strategy for maintaining and improving the ecosystem stability of road verges.

A comparative study of the influences of park physical factors on summer outdoor thermal environment, a pilot study of Mianyang, China

Along with global climate change and urbanisation, the thermal environment is increasingly worse in summer, especially (sub)tropical regions. In recent decades, approaches improving the thermal environment have been frequently investigated. Factors of urban design, planning, and landscaping have been found thermal relevant. These factors were indicated by sky view factor (SVF), vegetation cover, leaf area index (LAI) etc. However, most studies focused one single factor, thermal performance difference between various factors were rarely explored. This study compared park canopy closure (PCC) and LAI about their effects on park thermal comfort indicated by various indices (air temperature, Ta; mean radiant temperature, MRT; and physiological equivalent temperature, PET). The PCC was different from LAI by leaf layer quantity (overlapping). Through a field measurement conducting in 8 parks around Mianyang (a subtropical riverside city, China; summer of 2018). The results revealed, both PCC and LAI were significantly thermal effective, LAI showed less significant thermal effects than PCC in linear models. That is to say, leaf layers had little effect linearly. The effects of PCC on the various indices varied for daily periods, with a significant effect on MRT during the day, Ta in the evening, and PET throughout the day. Increasing PCC from 0 to 1 could reduce PET by 29.44 °C (afternoon, R2 = 0.4928). Findings of this study confirmed the different environmental factors’ impacts on microclimates and distinguished the characteristics of various thermal indices.

Brown leaf spot of Cunninghamia lanceolata Caused by Colletotrichum kahawae in Sichuan province, China.

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is an important timber species that has been widely cultivated in southern China. It is extensively applied in medicine, environmental monitoring, furniture, urban (e.g., street trees) and rural landscaping, windbreak forest, soil and water conservation. In January 2022, distinct leaf spot symptoms were observed in Chinese fir in Hongya Forestry (29°45'N, 103°11'E) Meishan City, Sichuan Province, China. Field surveys showed that the disease was widespread, with around 70% disease incidence. The typical symptoms initially appeared as yellowish-brown necrotic lesions on the margin of the leaves. Subsequently, lesions gradually expanded and developed into larger necrotic areas with red-brown irregular shape. The lesions later expanded throughout the leaf. Infected leaves turned dark brown and wilted, leading to seeding's death. Diseased leaves with typical symptoms were collected for pathogen isolation and identification. Infected tissues from ten samples were cut into small pieces of 2 × 2 mm. Infected tissues were surface disinfected with 3% sodium hypochlorite and 75% ethanol for 30s and 60s, respectively, and rinsed with sterile water 3 times. They were blotted dry with autoclaved paper towels and incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) with streptomycin sulfate (50 μg/mL) for 5 ~ 8 days at 25°C. and 12 h light/dark period. The diameter of the colonies reached 65.7 to 75.9 mm, with a gray to black center, and white edges while the reverse sides were gray to orange. Conidia were single-celled, colorless, straight, cylindrical, bluntly rounded at both ends, Conidia dimensions varied from, 7.3 μm to 15.7 μm in length and 3.3 μm to 6.1 μm in width (n = 100). For molecular identification, the genomic DNA of isolate SM2290708, SM229070801 and SM229070802 were extracted using a fungal genomic DNA extraction kit (Beijing Solarbio Science & Technology Co., Ltd., City, China). The internal transcribed spacers of the ribosomal RNA (ITS) [ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), calmodulin (CAL) (Weir et al., 2012), β-tubulin (TUB2) (O'Donnell et al., 1997), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (Templeton et al. 1992) were amplified. Sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: ON564877, OQ535027 and OQ535028; CAL: ON583827, OQ538101 and OQ538102; TUB2: ON583830, OQ538104 and OQ538105; and GAPDH: ON583831, OQ538108 and OQ538109). BLAST results showed that our ITS, CAL, TUB2 and GAPDH sequences were >99% identical to the corresponding sequences of Colletotrichum kahawae deposited at NCBI (GenBank JX010231, JX009642, JX010444, and JX010012). Identification was confirmed by Bayesian inference using MrBayes (Fig 2). The conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/ml) was used for inoculation by spraying leaves of ten 3-year-old Chinese fir plants for pathogenicity test. Fifteen leaves of each plant were inoculated. An equal number of control leaves was sprayed with sterilized distilled water as a control. Finally, all potted plants were placed in a greenhouse at 28°C under a 16 h/8 h photoperiod and in 73% to 79% relative humidity. After fifteen days, the symptoms observed on the inoculated plants were similar to those of the original diseased plants, but the controls remained asymptomatic. Colletotrichum kahawae was re-isolated from the infected leaves and identified by both morphological characteristics and DNA sequence analysis. The pathogenicity test was repeated three times, which showed similar results, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown leaf spot on C. lanceolata caused by C. kahawae in China. The results of this study provide basic information for diagnosis of the pathogen and developing prevention strategies to manage C. lanceolata leaf spot disease.

Effects of Water Application Rates and Sawdust Biochar on the Physicochemical Properties of Soil and Performance of Five Tree Species Used in Urban Landscaping in Ondo, Nigeria

Effects of Water Application Rates and Sawdust Biochar on the Physicochemical Properties of Soil and Performance of Five Tree Species Used in Urban Landscaping in Ondo, Nigeria

Specialized objects of landscape architecture of the city of Novosibirsk

Today, a modern large city can only be imagined with specialised landscape objects. They belong to the group of public facilities, the functional feature of which is formed, as a rule, under the pressure of the city’s cultural, social and historical environment. The presence of such facilities provides a wide range of recreational activities and contributes to the multifaceted development of the personality of visitors. The article presents a methodology developed by the authors for assessing the attractiveness and integration into the urban gardening system of specialised objects of landscape architecture in Novosibirsk. The proposed method makes it possible to determine the popularity of an entity among the population, its accessibility, its performance of the prevailing function, the possibility of social integration of people with disabilities, and the organisation of the landscape on the territory. Five specialised objects of various functional orientations were identified in the structure of Novosibirsk. Among them, parks of communication with nature and protect flora and fauna prevail in number (Central Siberian Botanical Garden, Dendrological Park, Novosibirsk Zoo named after R.A. Shilo). These objects are also the most popular among the residents of the city. The main factor in attracting visitors to such sites is the cognitive function. The historical and architectural open-air museum needs to be better integrated into the system of urban landscaping due to poor awareness of citizens about this object, the lack of developed transport and pedestrian communications and unhindered access for all categories of citizens. The dendrological park needs a reconstruction of the landscape organisation and functional zoning of the territory; for this object, the problem of popularization among the city’s residents is also relevant in the course of the analysis of specialized landscape objects of Novosibirsk, the Central Siberian Botanical Garden, the Central Park, the Novosibirsk Zoo named after N.N. R.A. Awl. However, none of them fully meets all the necessary criteria. Reconstruction of varying degrees is required for each facility, considering social trends and modern processes.

Application of Remote Sensing Technology in Sustainable Urban Planning and Development

Urban planning is super vital for cities. Good planning for the city would provide more convenience and benefits to citizens through economic effects, beautiful scenery and so on. This study analyses the application of remote sensing technologies in urban landscaping planning, transportation, and environmental protection. The combination of remote sensing and GIS technologies makes urban landscaping planning more accessible in urban landscaping planning. Usually, remote sensing provides satellite images, while the GIS processes the image and compares the target region for analysis. The combination method could predict urban green spaces. In urban transportation planning, remote sensing technology could combine with Artificial intelligence smart video technology to protect peoples safety in transportation, such as observing traffic violations by capturing videos or images and protecting traffic safety. In environmental protection, remote sensing could monitor the area change of wetlands and solve the natural disasters around the city. Different approaches have their benefits and disadvantages, and thus making urban plans by combining various techniques is essential.

Identification and Field Bioassay of Rusicada privata (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) Sex Pheromone

Rusicada privata (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is a major pest insect on Hibiscus syriacus L. (Malvaceae: Malvales), which is usually planted in urban landscapes. Insecticidal control of R. privata is not ideal for urban landscaping due to its harmful effects and risk to human health. Therefore, nonchemical and ecofriendly alternatives are needed. To identify the sex pheromone of R. privata, abdominal tip extracts of male and female R. privata were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The abundance of 7-methylheptadecane (7Me-17Hy) in female R. privata abdominal tip extracts led us to hypothesize that it is the major sex pheromone. The compound was tentatively identified by a mass spectral library and confirmed by matching retention times and mass spectra of the female-produced compound with those of a synthetic standard. The compounds elicited electroantennographic (EAG) activity. In a field trapping experiment, only synthetic lures containing 7Me-17Hy attracted R. privata males. The EAG activity and field trapping results confirmed that 7Me-17Hy is the sex pheromone of female R. privata. The results will aid in developing sex pheromone-based R. privata control techniques, such as mating disruption.

Issues of public participation in the management of urban space development

The subject of the study is public participation in solving issues of urban environment development. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as: the role, significance and benefits of public participation in urban planning, forms of public participation in the development of the urban environment and factors that positively affect the level of involvement of residents, as well as restrictions on participation. The author notes that effective interaction between authorities and the population can help to qualitatively identify the main problems and tasks of management in the field of urban environment development, identify the needs of local communities, public sentiment and in the future minimize urban conflicts.The author's contribution to the research of the topic is to conduct a survey of residents in the city of Tyumen to study their readiness to participate in solving issues of urban environment development. The survey of respondents showed that more than half of the respondents are interested in participating in urban planning and landscaping. The survey also revealed the main reasons limiting participation, such as: uncertainty that the opinion of residents will be taken into account and will affect the final decision, misunderstanding of the forms and methods of participation. The difference between the real and potential activity of residents in relation to the improvement of their yard, area of residence is revealed. The factors that can contribute to an increase in the share of citizens participating in urban development and improvement projects are highlighted.

Spatial variability of diurnal temperature range and its associations with local climate zone, neighborhood environment and mortality in Los Angeles

Urbanization alters the Earth’s emissivity and leads to intraurban differences in temperature variations, including diurnal temperature range (DTR). Despite DTR as a factor of thermal discomfort and mortality risk worldwide, its spatial variability and intraurban associations with local climate zone (LCZ), neighborhood environment and mortality risk have not been investigated. This study first applied the LCZ framework to evaluate associations between climate-sensitive urban design and long-term DTR exposure in Los Angeles, a megacity with the largest DTR in the United States. Using fine-scale daytime and nighttime Landsat thermal imagery to quantify DTR, we found that compact low-rise areas had high DTR, high-rise areas with moderate DTR, and natural areas with the lowest. Young-age, non-white and low-income populations were vulnerable and exposed to high DTR. A spatial Bayesian Poisson regression confirmed that neighborhoods with higher DTR exhibited higher mortality risk after controlling for socioeconomic factors (relative risk: 1.047, 95% credibility interval 1.013–1.082). We did not observe a significant association between mean temperature and mortality in our study. As spatial variability of DTR induces heterogeneous exposure and the evidence that long-term DTR exposure is positively associated with mortality across neighborhoods, planners and policymakers should consider urban landscaping to mitigate large DTR for risk reduction.

Financial and analytical assessment of the costs of maintaining large urban park spaces in the Mediterranean on the example of Barcelona

The relevance of the subject is conditioned upon the fact that large park plantations have a great positive impact on the climate of Mediterranean cities, which increases the comfort of living in them. Such weather conditions as abnormal heat are increasingly manifested in Mediterranean cities due to global warming and other causes. In addition, there is air pollution in cities with solid particles and other impurities harmful to human health. The analysis of scientific literature has demonstrated that in the cities of the Mediterranean, these problems can be solved through urban park plantings and other types of landscaping. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the costs of maintaining large urban park spaces in Barcelona. The leading method to explore this problem is the empirical method, namely, the study of urban landscaping programmes and budget expenditures. The research examines the sources of financing the costs of maintaining urban park spaces and considers urban programmes for the development of landscaping, and their financing. In addition, the influence of green spaces on the comfort of living in the city of Barcelona is explored. As a result of the study, it was found that landscaping in the city of Barcelona is financed for the most part from the city budget, while spending increases annually. It has been identified that the city of Barcelona receives a significant positive effect from investments in green spaces, namely, air pollution decreases, its temperature decreases, people get places for hiking, sports, and other types of activity, the psychological and physiological health of the population improves, the urban environment becomes more comfortable to live in. It is the large park plantings that allow reducing the air temperature, which improves the quality of life in the city

The prevalence of micromycetes of the genera <i>Alternaria</i> and <i>Cladosporium</i> in an urbanized environment using the example of the city of Moscow

Fungi of the genera Alternaria and Cladosporium, can cause mycoses in a significant part of people. To reduce air pollution by spores of fungi dangerous to human health, the degree of involvement of ornamental and fruit crops, lawn grasses, as well as weed plants with fungi from the genera Alternaria and Cladosporium was studied. To determine the prevalence of fungal pathogens during 2017-2020, collection and microscopic analysis of plant samples of 64 species of higher plants from 12 botanical families was carried out in 12 administrative districts of Moscow. Species diagnostics of fungi of the genus Alternaria were carried out according to the morphological features of conidia and the habit of sporulation. It has been found that most species of fungi identified in the urban area belong to the toxic non-specialized species A. tenuissima, A. infectoria and A. alternata. A high degree of lesion with fungi of the genus Alternaria is determined – at the level of 20-40 % – introduced species: Ash maple (Acer negundo), Hawthorn semi-soft (Crataegus submollis), as well as such crops common in urban landscaping as small-leaved Lipa (Tilia cordata). A high degree of damage to Cherry acidic (Prunus cerasus) fungi of the genus Cladosporium has been established, with a maximum degree of development of up to 30 %. The least affected ornamental and fruit crops suitable for urban landscaping have been identified, species suitable for landscaping areas of new buildings and areas with a large wind load have been described.

Morphology, Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum Species Causing Anthracnose in Camellia japonica in China

Camellia japonica is a renowned flower and an influential plant in Chinese urban landscaping. However, Colletotrichum, one of the world’s most commercially important phytopathogenic genera that causes anthracnose on a wide range of plant species, have annually caused significant economic losses to Ca. japonica. In this study, 115 strains were isolated from Ca. japonica leaves with typical symptoms from the provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, Hainan, Guangxi, Hubei, Chongqing, Guizhou, and Shanxi. They were then subjected to pathogen identification and using method of morphology combined with ApMat gene sequence analysis, along with the pathogenicity tests based on Koch’s postulates. The 115 strains were identified as C. gloeosporioides, C. fructicola, C. siamense, C. camelliae or C. aeschynomenes. Pathogenicity tests revealed that all species produced brown lesions on healthy Ca. japonica leaves, indicating significant virulence. Furthermore, C. fructicola had the broadest distribution and the highest isolation rate., Most importantly, this is the first report in China of C. aeschynomenes causing the anthracnose disease in Ca. japonica.

Urban Waterfront Park Plant Landscape Design—Take Ganjiang Citizen Park as an Example

The design of waterfront parks is discussed with the aim of enhancing the ornamental nature of waterfront landscape greenery and enriching urban public space. In the urban waterfront, vegetation is a kind of landscape with various functions such as ecological, ornamental and aesthetic, which plays a pivotal role in improving people’s quality of life, ecological quality of life and urban image. Through the study of the basic principles and arrangement of waterfront urban landscaping, it has certain guiding significance for the planning and arrangement of waterfront park greenery.

Estudo das características quantitativas de três culturas (peônias, hostas, íris) para uso em paisagismo urbano

Abstract The purpose of this study is a scientifically based selection of representatives of the genera Paeonia L., Hosta L. and Iris L., promising for use in urban landscaping. The choice of research objects is determined by three criteria. These are: 1) representatives of the genera Paeonia, Hosta and Iris - large generic complexes with a large number of cultivars; 2) their cultivars are characterized by a wide morphological diversity; 3) in Russia, these cultures have long been actively used in landscape design. Their own set of characteristics has been studied for them. These signs are important for the selection of plants used in the greened objects of the city. The genus Paeonia is represented by a sample of 19 cultivars of P. lactiflora Pall. with a Japanese flower shape. The variability of three quantitative characteristics was studied - the length of the stem, its thickness at the base and the diameter of the flower. The genus Hosta is represented by a sample of 23 names. The variability was studied according to four characteristics - the length and width of the leaf blade, the leaf area, and the length of the petiole. The genus Iris is represented by a selection of 10 names. The variability of six characteristics was studied - the height of the plant, the number of flowers on the peduncle, the length of the flower and the width of the flower, the length and width of the leaf blade. Statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using the program “Statistica Base”. Classical methods of data processing are used. The development of models of flower beds is carried out using the AutoCAD program. From the total composition of the sample, promising varieties and forms were selected for each culture under study. In representatives of the genus Paeonia - this is the cultivar ‘Bu-Te’. For the genus Hosta, these are the cultivars ‘Frances Williams’ and ‘Liberty’. In the genus Iris, it is a form of natural origin I. sibirica f. albiflora. Based on the data obtained, 3 mixborders were designed with the participation of these cultivars and one form of natural origin.

Comprehensive assessment of varieties of garden roses in the conditions of the Udmurt Republic

The article presents the results of the introduction study of varieties of garden roses in the central part of the Udmurt Republic. A comprehensive assessment of varieties of garden roses was carried out on the collection plot of roses of the Department of Introduction and Acclimatization of Plants of the Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, founded in 2018 from 26 varieties of different garden groups (climbing, hybrid tea, scrubs, floribunda, Musk rose hybrids) . In the Udmurt Republic, at present, the assortment of roses for flower decoration of settlements is very scarce and is mainly represented by obsolete varieties, which is also an important aspect in the relevance of these studies. The varieties studied by us were grown in compliance with generally accepted agrotechnical measures. Phenomenological observations were carried out, taking into account the winter hardiness of varieties, taking into account susceptibility to diseases and pests, as well as an analysis of decorative features, which were evaluated on a 100-point scale. The assessment of winter hardiness of varieties was carried out in the spring, in the phase of mass bud break. Summary indicators of characteristics for these traits were used to determine the group of prospects. A comprehensive assessment of varieties of garden roses has identified promising varieties for industrial floriculture (Patte da Velours, Reine Sammut, Leonardo da Vinci, Trende Babylon Eyes, Fancy Babylon Eyes), recommended for landscaping in the conditions of the Udmurt Republic. These varieties are characterized by high decorative qualities, abundant and long flowering, high winter hardiness, relatively low susceptibility to diseases and pests. A promising group of rose varieties can be recommended for private horticulture, as well as using these varieties in urban landscaping using a high level of agricultural technology and special structures for shelter in the winter.

Brown leaf spot of Prunus serrulata Caused by Colletotrichum fioriniae in Sichuan, China.

Prunus serrulate Lindl is widely cultivated in urban areas of China. It is mainly used for wood cultivation and urban landscaping. In May 2021, new leaf spot disease was observed in Chengdu city (30°42' to 30°45'N, 103°51' to 104°7'E), with 69.3% disease incidence, which could inhibit leaf growth and reduce their biomass. A planting area of more than 1000 square meters was investigated. The diseased leaves were mostly concentrated in the lower position of plants, where the humidity was higher. The disease infected P. serrulata leaves and occurred in the field from March to October, with the highest incidence in early May. The typical symptoms initially appeared as brown necrotic lesions on the margin of the leaves. The lesions then enlarged gradually and developed into reddish brown spots, eventually coalescing into large irregular, necrotic lesions with dark brown margins. Finally, the diseased leaves withered and died. Conidiomata were not formed on the diseased tissue. Ten symptomatic leaves were collected from 5 different trees in the planting area. Infected tissues from ten samples were cut into small pieces of 3 × 3 mm. The infected tissues were surface-sterilized by 3% sodium hypochlorite and 75% ethanol respectively for 30s and 60s, and rinsed three times in sterile water. Then they were blot-dried with autoclaved paper towels and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with streptomycin sulfate (50 μg/mL), and incubated at 25°C for 4 to 8 days. After culturing for 8 days at 25℃ and 12 h/12 h light/dark on PDA, the colony diameter reached 67.5 to 78.6 mm. The colonies were initially white, cottony, then became light pink to misty rose at the center, and the reverse side of the colony turned dark red to red and had pale yellowish borders. The conidia were straight, smooth-walled, colorless, fusiform with acute ends, measuring 8.2 to 16.7 × 3.1 to 5.9 μm in size (n = 100). For molecular identification, the genomic DNA of the representative isolate RBWY202105 was extracted using a fungal genomic DNA extraction kit (Solarbio, Beijing). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) [ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990)], histone3 (HIS3) [CYLH3F/CYLH3R (Crous et al. 2004)], chitin synthase (CHS-1) [CHS-79F/CHS-345R (Carbone & Kohn, 1999)], actin (ACT) [ACT512F/ACT (Carbone & Kohn, 1999)], β-tubulin (TUB2) [BT2A/BT2B (O'Donnell et al., 1997)], and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) [GDF/GDR (Templeton et al. 1992)] were amplified. Sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: ON000436, HIS3: ON014581, CHS-1: ON014579, ACT: ON014583, TUB2: ON014582, and GAPDH: ON014580). BLAST results indicated that the ITS, HIS3, CHS-1, ACT, TUB2 and GAPDH sequences showed >99% identity with Colletotrichum fioriniae (Marcelino & Gouli) R.G. Shivas & Y.P sequences at NCBI (GenBank MW497230 (561/582), MT740312 (415/415), KU736865 (258/258), MK680659 (246/246), MK967342 (757/757), and MW656269 (263/263)). The conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/ml) was used for inoculation by spraying leaves of ten 4-year-old P. serrulata plants for pathogenicity test. Fifteen leaves of each plant were inoculated with spore suspensions on the leaves (600 μl per leaf). The same amount of control leaves was sprayed with sterilized distilled water as a control. Finally, all potted plants were placed in a greenhouse at 25°C under a 16 h/8 h photoperiod and 67 to 78% relative humidity. After ten days, the symptoms observed on the inoculated plants were similar to those of the original diseased plants, but the controls remained asymptomatic. Colletotrichum fioriniae was re-isolated from the infected leaves and identified by both morphological characteristics and DNA sequence analysis (The ITS, HIS3, TUB2, CHS-1, GAPDH and ACT genes). The pathogenicity test was repeated thrice, which showed similar results, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown leaf spot on P. serrulata caused by C. fioriniae in China. The identification of C. fioriniae could provide relevant information for taking management strategies and further research on the Prunus serrulata disease.