ALBERT

Notes: This is a preliminary report on an instrument being developed for the measurement of pasture yield in situ. In essence the instrument is an electrical capacitance measuring unit in which the introduction of herbage to a measuring head causes a change in the electrical capacitance of the system. This capacitance change is measured at a radio frequency and used as an indicator of the mass of herbage contained within the measuring head.The development and construction of the instrument is described and data are presented for 15 calibration series in which frequency change has been related to pasture yield.Within series the instrument accounts for approximately 90% of the variation in pasture sample yield measured either as wet, dry or organic matter. However, significant differences exist between series. These differences would give rise to bias if pasture yield were estimated from a prediction equation derived from the pooled data.Possible sources of the differences between series are discussed and avenues for further development indicated.

Notes: Pod rot and stem canker, caused by Phytophthora palmivora, are serious diseases of cocoa causing pod losses of up to 63% and the death of up to 10% of trees annually on Kar Kar Island. Papua New Guinea. Trials were conducted on commercial cocoa plantations to compare the effectiveness of potassium phosphonate when applied as trunk injections, trunk paints and foliar sprays, and trunk injections of Aliette CA and of Ridomil 250EC, with conventional Ridomil-based spray programmes. The results show that, in trials conducted over 5 years, injections of potassium phosphonate give the highest healthy pod yield and lowest incidence of Phytophthora pod rot and stem canker when compared with Ridomil-based spray programmes or trunk injections of Ridomil 250EC or Aliette CA. The increase in ripe healthy pod yields was due to both pod rot and stem canker control. The level of control is independent of the seasonal timing of injection. Optimum control was achieved with annual injections of 15 g a. i. per tree, and varied with tree size and disease severity. Injections of phosphonate will, under the range of conditions found in our trials. provide the most cost-effective control of Phytophthora diseases.

Notes: Two biotypes of Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., (Johnson grass) one which overwinters and one which does not overwinter from rhizomes at the northern limit of their North American ranges, were compared for rhizome production, rhizome survival and physiological tolerance to cold. The two biotypes differed in both the amount and depth of rhizome production under field conditions, with the non-overwintering biotype producing very few rhizomes 20 cm below the soil surface. Rhizome survival was clearly related to depth of burial for both biotypes. Survival was much reduced in the top 20 cm of soil and increased at greater depths to nearly 100% survival at depths of 40 to 50 cm. Differences in rhizome survival were apparent between the two biotypes and under the two climatic conditions tested, with greatly reduced survival of the overwintering biotype in the more extreme northern field plot. Similar levels of cold hardiness were observed in both hardened seedlings and rhizomes of the two biotypes. These levels were low and, in general, would not provide major protection against freezing temperatures. La profondeur des rhizomes; facteur critique de la siurvie hivernale de Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. (Sorgho d'Alep)Deux biotypes de Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. (Sorgho d'Alep), l'un capable et l'autre incapable d'hiverner à l'état de rhizomes à la limite septentrionale de leurs aires nord-américaines, ont été comparés pour leur production en rhizomes, la survie de ces rhizomes et la tolérance physiologique au froid. Les deux biotypes différaient à la fois par la quantité et le niveau de profondeur de leur production de rhizomes au champ :le biotype incapable d'hiverner produisait très peu de rhizomes à une profondeur de 20 cm. La survie des rhizomes était clairement reliée à la profondeur d'enfouissement pour les deux biotypes. La survie était réduite dans les premiers 20 cm de sol et augmentait avec la profondeur jusqu'à presque 100%à des profondeurs de 40 à 50 cm. Des différences de survie des rhizomes étaient apparentes entre les deux biotypes sous les deux conditions climatiques étudiées, le biotype capable d'hiverner présentant un taux de survie fortement réduit dans la parcelle expérimentale située le plus au Nord. Des niveaux similaires d'endurcissement au froid ont été observés dans des plantules et des rhizomes endurcis des deux biotypes. Ces niveaux étaient bas et en général ne fournissaient pas de protection majeure contre le gel. Tiefenlage der Rhizome: der kritische Faktor fur das Ueberleben von Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. während des WintersZwei Biotypen von Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. von der nördlichen Grenze ihres Verbreitungsgebietes in N-Amerika wurden in Bezug auf Rhizomproduktion, Ueberleben ihrer Rhizome und physiologisch bedingte Kälteresistenz miteinander verglichen. Der eine der beiden Biotype überwintert nicht, der andere überwintert, d.h. reproduziert neues Wachstum aus den bestehen-den Rhizomen. Die beiden Typen zeigten unter Feldbedingungen Unterschiede in der Rhizom-bildung, sowohl bezüglich Menge und Tiefenlage der neubildung, wobei der nicht überwinternde Biotype sehr wenig Rhizome tiefer als 20 cm unter der Bodenorberfläche bildet. Das Ueberleben während des Winters war für beide Biotypen eindeutig mit der Tiefenlage der Rhizomasse korreliert. Die Uebelebensrate war in den obersten 20 cm sehr reduziert und nahm mit zunehmen der Tiefe bis zu fast 100% in 40–50 cm Tiefe zu. Es wurden eindeutige Unterschiede in der Ueberlebensrate zwischen den beiden Biotype unter den zwei untersuchten Klimabedingungen festgestellt, wobei ein stark verringertes Ueberle-benspotential des überwinternden Typs unter den extremeren nördlicheren Feldbedingungen beobachtet wurde. Abgehärtete Sämlinge und Rhizome beider Biotypen wiesen einen ähnlichen Grad von Kälteresistenz auf. Diese Resistenz war relativ gering und stellte in der Regel keinen genügenden Schutz gegen Frost dar.

Notes: The influence of prolonged dark periods on the concentration of pinitol in white clover (Trifolium repens L. ev. Regal Ladino) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] tissue was investigated. Clover and soybean plants were harvested periodically throughout continuous dark periods of 40 and 44 h, respectively, followed by 24 h of continuous light. The foliage and root tissue of clover and foliage tissue of soybeans were analyzed for the concentration of glucose, fructose, sucrose and pinitol. Pinitol concentration (mg/g dry weight tissue) was unchanged by the prolonged dark period followed by 24 h of continuous light compared to tissue of plants harvested at 0-h and plants receiving normal photoperiods. Concentrations of the carbohydrates, in the tissue were depleted by the prolonged dark period. However after 6 h of light, the concentration of these sugars increased to concentrations equal to 0-h harvested plant tissue and tissue of plants receiving normal photoperiods. These results indicate that pinitol probably does not function as a source of reserve energy comparable to sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

Notes: The levels of the enzyme ribonuclease (RNase) were determined in primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris in an attempt to correlate changes in RNA with maturation and senescence. RNase, RNA and chlorophyll levels increased in expanding and maturing tissue and subsequently declined in senescing tissue. Senescence of the primary leaves started with the onset of flowering. A simultaneous increase of RNA and RNase in maturing tissue and a decrease during senescence suggests that the enzyme activity is correlated with the rate of‘turnover’of RNA rather than the absolute levels of RNA present in the tissue.

Notes: The auxin to cytokinin ratios are described for promoting growth in the in vitro cultures of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Bragg) and perennial clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Regal Ladinc). Callus growth was induced on somatic tissue with 50:1 auxin to cytokinin (w/w) ratio. A 5:1 ratio served for initiation of cell suspensions from callus and for subsequent growth of callus from cells in suspension. A 1:2 ratio served for regeneration of buds and plantlets from the callus grown from cells. Although (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid was the auxin for suspension and regenerative cultures, (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid was the more effective auxin for initiation of callus on somatic tissue. All cultures were grown with 6-furfurylaminopurine as the cytokinin.The phytohormones strongly influenced the rates of culture growth, but determination of culture type was augmented by dl-alpha tocopherol acetate and iron. Tocopherol and a relatively high complement of iron promoted growth of juvenile cultures, whereas low level of iron and absence of tocopherol favored growth to comparatively more differentiated cultures. Without tocopherol, no callus formed on somatic tissue during the allotted period of incubation. Tocopherol plus a complement of low iron enabled growth of callus on rapidly growing somatic tissue. A high level of iron enabled comparatively more callus growth but suppressed growth of somatic tissue. In suspension cultures tocopherol and a high iron level enhanced dispersion of cells. A low iron complement in the absence of tocopherol induced growth of callus from cells and subsequent regeneration of buds and plantlets from the callus.

Notes: The activities of two enzymes, ribonuclease and chlorophyllase were investigated during the senescence of leaves. Ribonuclease activities were measured in primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris, and related to the levels of nucleic acid, protein and chlorophyll. Similarly, changes in chlorophyllase activity during senescence of leaves of Raphanus sativus were measured and related to chlorophyll. During senescence the levels of each enzyme as well as its respective substrate declined. Retardation of senescence, by excision of young tissue from intact plants or by treatment of detached leaves with cytokinins resulted in a maintainace of both the substrate and enzyme levels. It was concluded that high levels of ribonuclease and chlorophyllase activity are not linked directly with the degradation of RNA and chlorophyll during leaf senescence.