Margasis asiūklis (Equisetum variegatum Schleicher) Lietuvoje: paplitimas ir populiacijų struktūra apleistuose smėlio karjeruose SANTRAUKA Margojo asiūklio (E. variegatum) paplitimas ir populiacijų struktūra apleistuose smėlio karjeruose buvo tiriama 2008 metais. Bendrasis dažnumas Beržupio karjere tirtas – 2005-2006 metais. Remiantis literatūriniais duomenimis buvo nustatyta, kad specialūs E. variegatum paplitimo ir populiacijų struktūros tyrimai karjeruose nebuvo atliekami nei Europoje, nei kitur pasaulyje. E. variegatum herbariumo pavyzdžių etikečių analizė parodė, kad šis asiūklis mūsų krašte dažniausiai tarpsta įvairiose antropogenizuotose vietose. Tirtuose karjeruose E. variegatum ekologinės amplitudės ribos, lyginant su natūraliomis augavietėmis yra akivaizdžiai praplatėjusios. Natūraliose augavietėse šis asiūklis paprastai elgiasi kaip mezofitas ar mezohigrofitas, tuo tarpu apleistuose karjeruose kaip kserofitas, mezofitas, higrofitas ir net hidrofitas. E. variegatum populiacijų sandaros esminiai elementai yra iš visžalių sterilių, fertilių ir neaiškaus statuso ūglių sudaryti daugianariai parcialiniai kerai. Visose tirtose cenopopuliacijose E. variegatum parcialiniai kerai dažniausiai buvo sudaryti iš 2-4 sterilių ar fertilių ūglių. Didžiausias fertilių ūglių dalyvavimas parcialinių kerų sudėtyje būdingas atvirų smėlių augavietėms. Seklių vandens telkinių augavietėse E. variegatum sporifikacija yra itin žemo lygio. Į E. variegatum parcialinių kerų sudėtį įeina pirmų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Variegated Horesatal's (Equisetum variegatum Schleicher) in Lithuania: Distribution and populiation's Structure in Deserted Quary of Sand SUMMARY The distribution and the structure of the populations of Variegated Horsetail (E. variegatum) have been researched in the sand quarry during the year 2008. The common incidence in the Beržupis quarry has been researched through the years 2005-2006. On the strength of the data provided in the special literature it was determined that there were no special researches of the E. variegatum distribution and structure of the populations neither in Europe nor somewhere else in the world. The analysis of the labels of E. variegatu‘s herbarium examples has shown that this horsetail thrive in the anthropogenical places. The amplitude of the ecological radius of E. variegatum in the quarry inspected are much wider than in the natural growing environments of E. variegatum. In the natural groing places this horsetail usually tends to act as a mezofits or mezohigrofits, whereas in the abandoned quarry as kserofits, mezofits, higrofits or even hidrofits.The essential elements of the E. variegatum‘s population are polynomial bush which are made out of sterile, fertil and out of the sprouts of unclear status. In the inspected population E. Variegatum’s bush usually were composed out of the 2-4 sterile or fertile sprouts. The greatest participation of the fertils sprouts in the composition of bush is characteristic to the growing place with open... [to full text]

The market of flowers and ornamentals such as croton (Codiaeum variegatum) and petunia (Petunia×hybrida Vilm.-Andr) have been created new technologies to constantly development, as one of the most promising segments of horticulture. Fertilization providing adequate nutrition and less leaching to the environment is the objective of numerous studies around the world. Therefore, two studies were conducted to evaluate the use of controlled release fertilizer (CRF) on the growth of two ornamental species, and N loss by leaching. The first experiment aim to evaluate sources and rates of CRF and water soluble fertilizer (WSF) on croton growth and nitrogen concentration on drained solution. Results showed that treatments with WSF and low rates of CRF provided higher plants growth, and the amount of N leached was higher for WSF treatments. The second experiment objective to compare plant performance and cost for strategies that potentially provide adequate nutrition during both the production and consumer phases for container-grown Petunia plants. In addition, two experiments were conducted to evaluate nutrient release in sand containers inside of the greenhouse and under controlled temperature conditions without plants. Results showed that during production phase all fertilizer treatments produced high quality plants, and during consumer phase, plants grown with WSF only during the production phase were nutrient-deficient, while plants receiving CRFs were still growing vigorously, especially in a high rate. The release rates of all CRF products were temperature-dependent. In conclusion CRF provided plant growth at the same rate that WSF, with less N leaching and extra cost less than U$0.065 per plant with CRF during production. / O mercado de flores e plantas ornamentais tais como cróton (Codiaeum variegatum) e petúnia (Petunia×hybrida Vilm.-Andr) apresenta-se em constante desenvolvimento tecnológico, caracterizando-se como um dos mais promissores segmentos da horticultura. A adubação, visando o aumento da eficiência do fertilizante e redução de perdas, são temas de estudos em todo o mundo. Assim, foram realizados dois experimentos para avaliar o uso de fertilizantes de liberação controlada (FLC) no crescimento de duas espécies de plantas ornamentais e a perda de nitrogênio por lixiviação. O primeiro experimento teve como objetivo avaliar fontes e doses de FLC e solução nutritiva no crescimento de cróton e a concentração de nitrogênio (N) na solução drenada dos vasos. Os resultados revelaram que a solução nutritiva e as menores concentrações de FLC proporcionaram o maior crescimento das plantas, e as taxas de N perdidas por lixiviação foram superiores para o tratamento com solução. O segundo experimento objetivou comparar estratégias de adubação que proporcionem nutrição adequada durante a fase de produção e do consumidor com menor custo, as quais incluíam FLC e solução nutritiva. Simultaneamente, foram realizados dois experimentos para avaliar a liberação de nitrogênio pelos fertilizantes, sem as plantas, nas condições de cultivo das plantas (estufa) e em câmaras de crescimento sob três temperaturas de incubação. Os resultados mostraram que durante a fase de produção todos os tratamentos resultaram em plantas nos padrões comerciais, e no período que simulou a fase do consumidor as plantas que receberam apenas solução nutritiva durante a fase de produção apresentaram deficiência nutricional, enquanto com os FLC as plantas cresceram vigorosamente, principalmente para os tratamentos com as maiores doses. Os fertilizantes avaliados apresentaram diferença quanto à temperatura na liberação dos nutrientes, sendo maior a taxa de liberação quanto maior a temperatura. De acordo com os resultados o FLC proporcionou o crescimento das plantas na mesma proporção que a solução nutritiva, com uma redução na concentração de N por lixiviação e acréscimo inferior a U$0.065 no custo por planta quando utilizado FLC durante a produção.

The market of flowers and ornamentals such as croton (Codiaeum variegatum) and petunia (Petunia×hybrida Vilm.-Andr) have been created new technologies to constantly development, as one of the most promising segments of horticulture. Fertilization providing adequate nutrition and less leaching to the environment is the objective of numerous studies around the world. Therefore, two studies were conducted to evaluate the use of controlled release fertilizer (CRF) on the growth of two ornamental species, and N loss by leaching. The first experiment aim to evaluate sources and rates of CRF and water soluble fertilizer (WSF) on croton growth and nitrogen concentration on drained solution. Results showed that treatments with WSF and low rates of CRF provided higher plants growth, and the amount of N leached was higher for WSF treatments. The second experiment objective to compare plant performance and cost for strategies that potentially provide adequate nutrition during both the production and consumer phases for container-grown Petunia plants. In addition, two experiments were conducted to evaluate nutrient release in sand containers inside of the greenhouse and under controlled temperature conditions without plants. Results showed that during production phase all fertilizer treatments produced high quality plants, and during consumer phase, plants grown with WSF only during the production phase were nutrient-deficient, while plants receiving CRFs were still growing vigorously, especially in a high rate. The release rates of all CRF products were temperature-dependent. In conclusion CRF provided plant growth at the same rate that WSF, with less N leaching and extra cost less than U$0.065 per plant with CRF during production. / O mercado de flores e plantas ornamentais tais como cróton (Codiaeum variegatum) e petúnia (Petunia×hybrida Vilm.-Andr) apresenta-se em constante desenvolvimento tecnológico, caracterizando-se como um dos mais promissores segmentos da horticultura. A adubação, visando o aumento da eficiência do fertilizante e redução de perdas, são temas de estudos em todo o mundo. Assim, foram realizados dois experimentos para avaliar o uso de fertilizantes de liberação controlada (FLC) no crescimento de duas espécies de plantas ornamentais e a perda de nitrogênio por lixiviação. O primeiro experimento teve como objetivo avaliar fontes e doses de FLC e solução nutritiva no crescimento de cróton e a concentração de nitrogênio (N) na solução drenada dos vasos. Os resultados revelaram que a solução nutritiva e as menores concentrações de FLC proporcionaram o maior crescimento das plantas, e as taxas de N perdidas por lixiviação foram superiores para o tratamento com solução. O segundo experimento objetivou comparar estratégias de adubação que proporcionem nutrição adequada durante a fase de produção e do consumidor com menor custo, as quais incluíam FLC e solução nutritiva. Simultaneamente, foram realizados dois experimentos para avaliar a liberação de nitrogênio pelos fertilizantes, sem as plantas, nas condições de cultivo das plantas (estufa) e em câmaras de crescimento sob três temperaturas de incubação. Os resultados mostraram que durante a fase de produção todos os tratamentos resultaram em plantas nos padrões comerciais, e no período que simulou a fase do consumidor as plantas que receberam apenas solução nutritiva durante a fase de produção apresentaram deficiência nutricional, enquanto com os FLC as plantas cresceram vigorosamente, principalmente para os tratamentos com as maiores doses. Os fertilizantes avaliados apresentaram diferença quanto à temperatura na liberação dos nutrientes, sendo maior a taxa de liberação quanto maior a temperatura. De acordo com os resultados o FLC proporcionou o crescimento das plantas na mesma proporção que a solução nutritiva, com uma redução na concentração de N por lixiviação e acréscimo inferior a U$0.065 no custo por planta quando utilizado FLC durante a produção.

La connaissance des facteurs qui influent sur les populations de tiques et en particulier sur leurs distributions est un préalable indispensable à l’étude des maladies qu’elles transmettent. Parmi eux, l’importance des facteurs biotiques et en particulier celle de la compétition interspécifique est peu connue et souvent négligée. L’objectif de ce travail était d’évaluer le rôle de la compétition interspécifique sur la distribution de deux espèces de tiques d’importance vétérinaire, Amblyomma variegatum et A. hebraeum. Alors que seule A. variegatum favorise la transmission de la dermatophilose, une maladie de peau débilitante pour les ruminants, les deux espèces sont vectrices de la cowdriose, maladie due à une bactérie Ehrlichia ruminantium qui représente une contrainte économique majeure pour l’élevage. L’impact de l’espèce vectrice dans l’épidémiologie de la cowdriose (différences de souches circulantes, sévérité des cas,…) est inconnu bien qu’ayant potentiellement des conséquences en termes de surveillance (risque épidémiologique à l’introduction d’animaux) et de contrôle (développement de vaccin régional adapté aux souches circulantes) de la maladie. Ces deux espèces ont une distribution contiguë en Afrique australe avec peu de chevauchement (distribution parapatrique) suggérant une préférence environnementale différentielle ou une compétition exclusive entre elles. Une revue des données de la littérature a permis de mettre en évidence un chevauchement de leur niche trophique, climatique, et temporelle, et une interférence comportementale via la production de leurs phéromones. Les deux espèces pourraient donc rentrer en compétition directement par interférence communicative ou reproductive (hybridation stérile), ou indirectement via le partage de ressources, prédateurs ou pathogènes communs. Le rôle des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques sur le maintien de la parapatrie de ces deux espèces a été analysée (i) d’une part par la comparaison de leur niche environnementale réalisée en Afrique australe, et aux deux zones de contact au Zimbabwe et Mozambique, par des méthodes d’ordination et de modèles de niche (Maxent) ; (ii) et d’autre part par l’étude de leurs distributions et de leurs interactions (distribution sur les hôtes, croisements hétérospécifiques) dans la zone de contact au Mozambique. Globalement les résultats montrent qu’en Afrique Sud-Est et au Zimbabwe les deux espèces occupent des niches environnementales distinctes, celle d’A. hebraeum incluant des zones plus chaudes et plus sèches que celle d’A. variegatum. Au contraire au Mozambique les deux niches se chevauchent considérablement. L’enquête de terrain dans cette zone montre que les deux espèces y sont moins souvent trouvées en sympatrie que les données prédites, suggérant une distribution en partie déterminée par des interactions biotiques. Dans les rares sites avec présence des deux espèces, A. variegatum et A. hebraeum partagent les mêmes sites de fixation sur les animaux et forment un pourcentage relativement élevé de couples hétérospécifiques. Ce pourcentage, bien que similaire entre les femelles A. variegatum et A. hebraeum, semble impliquer des processus de discrimination spécifique propres aux deux espèces intervenant au niveau de l’agrégation, de la fixation et du contact des individus. Nos résultats suggèrent l’existence d’une compétition exclusive entre les deux espèces, due à une compétition sexuelle probablement associée à une compétition indirecte. La frontière parapatrique semble occuper une position stable le long d’un gradient environnemental au Zimbabwe mais pas au Mozambique. Les conditions entrainant la coexistence ou l’exclusion des deux espèces avec formation d’une frontière parapatrique sont discutés à l’aide de modèles théoriques de compétition. / Studying the factors that influence tick populations and their distributions is an essential pre-requisite to understanding the dynamics of the diseases they transmit. The relative importance of biotic factors such as interspecific competition is not well known and often neglected. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of interspecific competition on the distribution of two tick species of veterinary importance, Amblyomma variegatum and A. hebraeum. Whereas only A. variegatum is known to favor dermatophilosis, a debilitating skin disease of ruminants, both species are good vectors of Ehrlichia ruminantium, the bacteria causing heartwater, a fatal disease of ruminants that presents a major constraint for livestock development in Africa. The impact of vector species in heartwater epidemiology (differences of circulating strains, severity of clinical cases…) is poorly known but may have important implications for surveillance (epidemiological risk of imported animals) and control (adapting regional vaccine programs to circulating strains) of the disease. These two ticks have abutting and marginally overlapping (i.e. parapatric) distributions in southern Africa, suggesting either differential environmental preferences or exclusive competition between the two species. A review of published data highlighted an important overlap of their trophic, climatic and seasonal niche, and existence of chemical behavior interference through pheromone production. Therefore, the two species might compete either directly by communicative or reproductive interference (sterile hybridization), or indirectly by sharing the same resources, predators or pathogens. The role of biotic and abiotic factors in determining parapatry of these species was assessed by (i) comparing their realized environmental niche in southern Africa, and at contact zones in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, using ordination techniques and environmental niche modeling (Maxent); (ii) studying their distributions and their interactions (distribution on co-infested host, heterospecific mating) at the contact zone in Mozambique. Globally, the results indicated the two species occupied distinctly different environmental niches in southern Africa and at the contact zone in Zimbabwe, with the niche of A. hebraeum including both hotter and drier areas than that of A. variegatum. However, in Mozambique their niches overlapped considerably. Field studies within this zone showed that sympatry was observed less frequently than predicted by niche models, suggesting an importance of biotic interactions. At the rare sites where both species were present, A. variegatum and A. hebraeum were observed to share the same preference sites on hosts and formed a high percentage of heterospecific pairs. Though this cross-mating rate was not significantly different between A. variegatum and A. hebraeum females, our observations suggest different mechanism of species discrimination involved for the two species acting at the aggregation, fixation and partner contact level. Our results strongly suggest exclusive competition between these species may arise from sexual competition probably interacting with other indirect forms of competition. The parapatric boundary apparently occupies a stable location along an environmental gradient at the contact zone in Zimbabwe but not in Mozambique. Conditions inducing coexistence or exclusion of both species with the formation of parapatric distributions are discussed in relation to theoretical models of competition. When sexual competition is introduced in these models, the relative frequency of two species is determined by their endogenous fitness (a function of environmental conditions), density dependent effects of competitive interactions, historical distributions and dispersal rates: survival of the first prevails when the immigration rate of a fitter invading species remains lower than an invasion threshold.

Thesis (MTech (Horticulture))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Ticks and tick-borne diseases are important limiting factors to the attainment of sustainable animal and human health, affecting livelihood of resource poor farming communities in developing countries. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Amblyomma variegatum (Ixodidae) are among the most troubling tick species in Africa. While ticks can be controlled by applying chemical acaricides, these chemicals are quite expensive, especially, for small-scale famers in developing countries. Hence, the quest for alternative tick control over the years have revealed that entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and plant extracts have huge prospects as sustainable alternatives for tick control. Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales) is a fungal entomopathogen with the ability to colonize plants endophytically and induce secondary metabolite production in plants, and it has been found to be a potential biological control agent against a wide range of arthropods. Several plant species including plant species belonging to the family Alliaceae possess anti-tick activities (repellent and toxic); therefore, integrating the two strategies by inoculating Tulbaghia violacea with B. bassiana could enhance secondary metabolite contents in extracts obtained from the plant and increase medicinal materials. The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of indigenous endophytic entomopathogens inoculation of T. violacea on the plant growth, tissue nutrient contents and secondary metabolites, and anti-tick activities of extracts of T. violacea. The specific objectives were: (i) to carry out a study on the effects of inoculating T. violacea with fungal strains of B. bassiana and Clonostachys rosea on plant growth and tissue nutrient contents in extracts of T. violacea with the view of selecting one of the two fungi for further investigation (ii) to compare secondary metabolite profiles of extracts obtained from plants exposed to fungus (EPF) inoculum and control treatment during cultivation, and (iii) to determine whether exposure of T. violacea to an endophytic fungus (B. bassiana) during cultivation affects the repellent and acaricidal activities of extracts of T. violacea on A. variegatum and R. appendiculatus. The study had two experiments, presented in chapters two and three. In the first experiment, eight weeks old potted seedlings of T. violacea were inoculated separately with B. bassiana (strain SM3) and C. rosea (strain SM8) conidia suspended at concentrations of 1 x 106 conidia mL-1. Plant growth parameters, such as number of leaves, plant height (aerial part), fresh weights of aerial parts, and tissue nutrient contents were assessed. Results indicated that B. bassiana induced higher growth of plants than C. rosea. Inoculation with B. bassiana did not significantly (P ˃ 0.05) influence most of the growth parameters, number of leaves, fresht weight of roots and of fresh weight aerial parts (leaves) of T. violacea assessed in the current study. However, mean plant heights and root lengths were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in favour of B. bassiana treated plants compared to those in C. rosea. Fe contents in the roots (1416.3 ± 305.10 mg/kg) were found to be positively influenced (P < 0.05) by the fungal inoculation. There was a significant difference in roots (P < 0.05) on the uptake of Mn in C. rosea treated plants (243 ± 19 mg/kg) compared to the control group (169 ± 16.37 mg/kg) and B. bassiana treated roots (161.3 ± 14.44 mg/kg). Macro nutrients up take did not differ significantly among treatments on both leaves and roots (P > 0.05).