Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:37:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Francielle_Fiorentin.pdf: 823255 bytes, checksum: f5dcc6af10e39ff6f305e5ceea972339 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The Nematóides pertaining to the Meloidogyne kind are among the greatest agents responsible of damage in plants, because of its wide geographic distribution and difficult control. There is a great justification on studies that involve the diversity of fitonematoides, both in the agricultural areas and in areas covered with primary vegetation, where the increase of economic losses caused to the agricultural activity has aroused increasing interest. With the aim to identify populations of Meloidogyne pertaining to legal Reserves in the counties of Cascavel, Terra Roxa and Marechal Cândido Rondon PR, collects were made in five areas pertaining to each county, with the purpose to find plants naturally parasitized. Through identifications based on the technique of perineal configuration and fenotipo enzimatic for esterase, M. incognita and M. javanica were identified for naturally parasitizing the plants in these reserves. The plants that were naturally infected were Emilia sonchifolia, Ipomea triloba, Solanum americanum, tibouchina herbacea and Leonorus sibiricus. In relation to the parasitism of Meloidogyne, plants of 32 species had been collected and analyzed as for the natural occurrence of meloidoginose, as well as its reaction to inoculation with M. incognita 3 race and M. javanica. It was observed that native species like Rollinia mucosa, Cariniana rubra, jaracatiá spinosa, Citharexylum myriantum, Aspidosperma subicanum, Peltophorum dubium and Ruprechtia laxiflora presented natural infection with M. incognita. The plants which did not present symptoms of root-knots in the radicular system had been inoculated with Meloidogyne spp. The analyzed variables were total gall number(IG), J/2 egg number by radicular system (EGGS/RS) and calculus of Reproduction Factor (RF). The ones resistant to M. incognita race 03 were species like tabebuia impetiginosa, Chorisia speciosa, Galipea jasminflora, Machaerum villosum, Ingá laurina, Allophylus edulius, Campomanesia guazummaefolia, Lueha candicans, Archontophoenix alexandre, Shinus terebinthifolha and Pterogyne nitens and species like Psidium cattleianum, Cedrelo fissilis and Eugenia involucrate were immune. In relation to inoculated species with M. javanica, Jacaranda micrantha, tabebuia heptaphylla, Endliicheria paniculata, Cabralea canjerana, Tabebuia crysotricha, Genipa infudiboboliformis, Bastardiopsis densiflora, Eugenia pyriforms, Balfourodendron riedelianum and Patagonula americana revealed to be resistant, and Caesalpinia ferrea was immune. / Os nematóides pertencentes ao gênero Meloidogyne estão entre os maiores agentes causadores de danos em plantas, pois possuem ampla distribuição geográfica e são de difícil controle. Há uma grande justificativa sobre estudos que envolvam a diversidade de fitonematóides, tanto nas áreas agrícolas como em áreas cobertas com vegetação primária, onde o aumento das perdas econômicas causadas à atividade agrícola tem despertado crescente interesse. Com o objetivo de identificar populações de Meloidogyne em reservas legais pertencentes aos municípios de Cascavel, Terra Roxa e Marechal Cândido Rondon PR foram realizadas coletas em cinco áreas pertencentes a cada município, objetivando encontrar plantas parasitadas naturalmente. Através de identificações baseadas na técnica da configuração perineal e fenótipo enzimático para esterase identificou-se populações de M. incognita e M. javanica parasitando naturalmente as plantas nestas reservas. As plantas encontradas naturalmente infectadas foram Emilia sonchifolia, Ipomea triloba, Solanum americanum, Tibouchina herbacea e Leonorus sibiricus. Em relação ao parasitismo de Meloidogyne, mudas de 32 espécies arbóreas foram coletadas e analisadas quanto a ocorrência natural de meloidoginose, bem como sua reação a inoculação com M. incognita raça 03 e M. javanica. As espécies nativas Rollinia mucosa, Cariniana rubra, jaracatiá spinosa, Citharexylum myriantum, Aspidosperma subicanum, Peltophorum dubium e Ruprechtia laxiflora apresentaram infecção natural com M. incognita. As mudas ao qual não apresentavam sintomas de galhas no sistema radicular foram inoculadas com Meloidogyne spp. sendo realizados dois experimentos, um com inoculações com M. incognita raça 03 e outro com inoculações com M. javanica, As variáveis analisadas foram número total de galhas (IG), número de ovos e J/2 por sistema radicular (Ovos/SR) e o cálculo do Fator de Reprodução (FR). Comportaram-se como resistentes à M. incognita raça 03 as espécies Tabebuia impetiginosa, Chorisia speciosa, Galipea jasminflora, Machaerum villosum , Ingá laurina, Allophyllus edulis, Campomanesia guazummaefolia, Luehea candicans, Archontophoenix alexandre, Schinus terebinthifolia e Pterogyne nitens, e as espécies Psidium cattleianum, Cedrelo fissilis e Euginia involucrata mostraram-se imunes. Em relação as espécies inoculadas com M. javanica, Jacaranda micrantha, Tabebuia heptaphylla, Endlicheria paniculata, Cabralea canjerana, Tabebuia crysotrycha, Genipa infudiboliformis, Bastardiopsis densiflora, Eugenia pyriforms, Balfourodendron riedelianum e Patagonula americana mostraram-se resistentes, e Caesalpinia ferrea apresentou-se imune.

Adams conjectured that unknotting tunnels of tunnel number 1 manifolds are always isotopic to a geodesic. We generalize this question to tunnel number n manifolds. We find that there exist complete hyperbolic structures and a choice of spine of a compression body with genus 1 negative boundary and genus n ≥ 3 outer boundary for which (n−2) edges of the spine self-intersect. We use this to show that there exist finite volume one-cusped hyperbolic manifolds with a system of n tunnels for which (n−1) of the tunnels are homotopic to geodesics arbitrarily close to self-intersecting. This gives evidence that the generalization of Adam's conjecture to tunnel number n ≥ 2 manifolds may be false.

Thesis (MSc. Agriculture (Horticulture)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The production of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants had been crucial in various parts of the world since tomato fruit contribute widely to human health. However, most tomato cultivars had been shown to be highly susceptible to plant-parasitic nematodes, especially the root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes. Two cucurbitacin-containing phytonematicides, namely, Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides, manufactured from fruits of Cucumis species, are being researched and developed in South Africa as an alternative for management of Meloidogyne species. Most trials on tomato plants and cucurbitacin-containing phytonematicides had been under greenhouse conditions, with limited information on their interactive effects under microplot and field conditions. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the interactive effects of Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides on growth and accumulation of nutrient elements in leaf tissues of tomato plants under microplot conditions and (2) to investigate the interactive effects of Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides on growth and accumulation of nutrient elements in leaf tissues of tomato plants under field conditions. In the microplot study, uniform four-week-old tomato cv. 'HTX 14' seedlings were transplanted in 4 L plastic bags containing loam soil and Hygromix-T at the 3:1 ratio (v/v). Plastic bags were inserted into holes at 0.50 m inter-row spacing and 0.60 m intra-row spacing. The 2 x 2 factorial trial, with the first and second factors being Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides, respectively, each at two levels. The four treatments, namely, AL0BL0, AL0AL1, BL0BL1 and AL1BL1, were arranged in a randomised complete block design. Treatments were xxiv applied seven days after transplanting and repeated weekly until harvest. Under field conditions, uniform four-week-old tomato cv. 'HTX 14' seedlings were transplanted into the field at 0.50 m inter-row spacing and 0.60 m intra-row spacing. Treatments, experimental designs and application interval were as those under microplot conditions. At 60 days after the treatments, seedlings AL × BL interaction was not significant on all plant variables in Experiment 1 under microplot conditions, whereas in Experiment 2 the interaction was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) on dry shoot mass, contributing 72% in total treatment variation (TTV) of the variable. Relative to untreated control, the two-way matrix showed that the interaction reduced dry shoot mass by 8%. Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide had a significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect on stem diameter in Experiment 1 under field conditions, whereas Nemafric-BL phytonematicide had significant effects on plant height in Experiment 2, contributing 39 and 56% in TTV of the respective variables. Relative to untreated control, Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide increased stem diameter by 4%, whereas Nemafric-BL phytonematicide increased plant height by 2%. The interaction was also significant (P ≤ 0.05) on Na and S and highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) on Zn, contributing 76, 26 and 6%, respectively, in TTV of the respective variables in Experiment 1 under field conditions. Using a two-way matrix, the interaction increased Na and S by 12 and 41%, respectively, but reduced Zn by 52%. In Experiment 2, the interaction was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) on P alone, contributing 16% in TTV of the variable, with the interaction reducing P by 76%. Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide had significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) on Ca and highly significant effects (P ≤ 0.01) on S, contributing 31 and 58% in TTV of the respective variables in Experiment 1. Relative to untreated control, Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide increased P by 39%. In xxv Experiment 2, Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide had significant effects on Ca and highly significant effects (P ≤ 0.01) on S, contributing 66 and 49% in TTV of the respective variables. Relative to untreated control, Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide reduced Ca by 19% and S by 36%, respectively. Nemafric-BL phytonematicide had a significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on P, contributing 33% in TTV of the variable in Experiment 1. Relative to untreated control, Nemafric-BL phytonematicide increased P by 41%. In Experiment 2, Nemafric-BL phytonematicide had significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) on S, contributing 40% in TTV of the variable. Relative to untreated control, Nemafric-BL phytonematicide reduced S by 33%. At 74 days after initiating the treatments under field conditions, the interaction of Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides were not significant for plant height, stem diameter, fresh fruit and dry shoot mass in both experiments. Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide was also not significant in all plant variables in both experiments. Effects of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide were highly significant on dry shoot mass in Experiment 1 and stem diameter in Experiment 2, contributing 60 and 67% in TTV of the respective variables. Relative to untreated control, Nemafric-BL phytonematicide reduced dry shoot mass by 28% and increased stem diameter by 11% in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, respectively. The AL × BL interaction had significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) on P, contributing 57% in TTV of the variable in Experiment 1. Relative to untreated control, the interaction increased P by 12%. In Experiment 2, the interaction had significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) on K, Mg, S and Mn, contributing 78, 65, 74 and 68% in TTV of the respective variables. Using a two-way matrix, relative to untreated control, the interaction increased K by 8%, but reduced Mg, Mn and S by 14, 82 and 1%, respectively. Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide was not significant in both the xxvi experiments, whereas Nemafric-BL phytonematicide had significant effects on Mg in Experiment 1, contributing 68% in TTV of the variable. Relative to untreated control, Nemafric-BL phytonematicide increased Mg by 15%. In conclusion, the interaction of Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides were not compatible with each other as they had undesirable effects on growth of tomato plants and accumulation of most essential nutrient elements in leaf tissues of this plant. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Thesis (M.Agric. (Plant Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Meloidogyne incognita race 2 is internationally recognised as one of the most aggressive Meloidogyne species and it is also widely distributed in Limpopo Province, where it occurs alone or as mixed populations with other Meloidogyne species. Traditionally, Meloidogyne species had been managed using synthetic chemical nematicides, most of these products had been withdrawn from agro-chemical markets due to their environment-unfriendliness. Following the withdrawal of synthetic chemical nematicides, nematode resistance had been the most preferred strategy for managing high nematode population densities. The availability of nematode resistant genotypes in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) would enhance the use of resistance in managing Meloidogyne species and races in Limpopo Province. Generally, should post-infectional nematode resistance be available in the test sweet potato cultivars, the information would be relayed to plant breeders for use as source of introgression in various commercial cultivars where nematode-resistant genotypes do not exist. The objectives of the study, were to determine: (1) Host-status and host-sensitivity in sweet potato cv. ʹBopheloʹ, ʹBosbokʹ and ʹMvuvheloʹ to M. incognita race 2. (2) the existing nematode resistance mechanism in any of the test cultivars that had resistance to M. incognita race 2. For achieving Objective 1, eight treatments namely, 0, 25, 50, 125, 250, 625, 1250 and 3125 eggs and second stage-juveniles (J2) M. incognita race 2 were used under greenhouse trials for each cultivar. To achieve Objective 2, sweet potato plants were inoculated with 100 J2 with four plants harvested every other day for 30 days counting to 15 harvesting times. At 56 days after inoculation, cv. ʹBopheloʹ had reproductive factor (RF) values above unity for M. incognita race 2 and plant growth variables were reduced. Therefore, the cultivar was a susceptible host to M. incognita race 2 and mechanism trial was not conducted for this cultivar. Meloidogyne incognita race 2 failed to reproduce on cultivars ʹBosbokʹ and ʹMvuvheloʹ whereas nematode infection did not affect plant growth and therefore, the two cultivars were resistant to M. incognita race 2. Mechanisms of resistance to M. incognita race 2 on cultivars ʹBosbokʹ and ʹMvuvheloʹ demonstrated significance existence of (1) necrotic spots, (2) poorly developed giant cells, (3) formation of rootlet interferences (4) absence of root galls and (5) non-detectable J2 in roots. All these features suggested the existence of post-infectional nematode resistance in the two cultivars to M. incognita race 2. In conclusion, cultivar ʹBopheloʹ was susceptible to M. incognita race 2, whereas cultivars ʹBosbokʹ and ʹMvuvheloʹ were resistant to M. incognita race 2, with the evidence of post-infectional nematode resistance to the nematode species

In this thesis, topologically massive Yang-Mills theory is studied in the framework of geometric quantization. This theory has a mass gap that is proportional to the topological mass m. Thus, Yang-Mills contribution decays exponentially at very large distances compared to 1/m, leaving a pure Chern-Simons theory with level number k. The focus of this research is the near Chern-Simons limit of the theory, where the distance is large enough to give an almost topological theory, with a small contribution from the Yang-Mills term. It is shown that this almost topological theory consists of two copies of Chern-Simons with level number k/2, very similar to the Chern-Simons splitting of topologically massive AdS gravity model. As m approaches to infinity, the split parts add up to give the original Chern-Simons term with level k. Also, gauge invariance of the split CS theories is discussed for odd values of k. Furthermore, a relation between the observables of topologically massive Yang-Mills theory and Chern-Simons theory is obtained. It is shown that one of the two split Chern-Simons pieces is associated with Wilson loops while the other with 't Hooft loops. This allows one to use skein relations to calculate topologically massive Yang-Mills theory observables in the near Chern-Simons limit. Finally, motivated with the topologically massive AdS gravity model, Chern-Simons splitting concept is extended to pure Yang-Mills theory at large distances. It is shown that pure Yang-Mills theory acts like two Chern-Simons theories with level numbers k/2 and -k/2 at large scales. At very large scales, these two terms cancel to make the theory trivial, as required by the existence of a mass gap.

My research area is applications of topology to biology, especially DNA topology. DNA topology studies the shape and path of DNA in three dimensional space. My thesis relates to the study of DNA topology in a protein-DNA complex by solving tangle equations and calculating distances between DNA knots.

A homology theory is defined for equivalence classes of links under isotopy in the 3-sphere. Chain modules for a link L are generated by certain surfaces whose boundary is L, using surface signature as the homological grading. In the end, the diagramless homology of a link is found to be equal to some number of copies of the Khovanov homology of that link. There is also a discussion of how one would generalize the diagramless homology theory (hence the theory of Khovanov homology) to links in arbitrary closed oriented 3-manifolds.

The interaction of herbicides and Northern root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne hapla Chitwood) on onions and beans was studied in the greenhouse. Seeds of onions (Allium cepa L.) were planted in soil treated with defferent levels of dimethyl 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA). Seeds of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were planted in soil treated with different levels of DCPA or α, α, α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine (trifluralin). Seedlings were inoculated with root-knot nematode larvae after 2 week's growth. DCPA reduced root and shoot growth on onions but did not significantly affect bean growth. Trifluralin significantly reduced root and shoot growth of beans. Growth reduction was directly related to the concentration of DCPA or trifluralin. Anatomical studies on onion roots indicated that the epidermal cells were seriously affected by DCPA treatment. They were greatly misshapen, overlapped, and in various stages of apparent dissolution or collapse. Symptoms were more severe under higher concentrations. Macroscopic examination of roots treated with DCPA or trifluralin showed soil particles strongly adhered to root tissue. DCPA-treated and non-treated nematode larvae were equally pathogenic on onions. Both DCPA and trifluralin significantly reduced the number of nematode galls formed on beans and onions grown in treated soil.

In this thesis a method for direct evaluation of Generalized B-splines (GB-splines) via the representation of these curves as piecewise functions is presented. A local structure is introduced that makes the GB-spline curves more amenable to the integration used in constructing bases of higher degree. This basis is used to perform direct computation of piecewise representation of GB-spline bases and curves. Algorithms for refinement using these local structures are also developed.

Abamectin is a blend of B1a and B1b avermectins that is being used as a seed treatment to control plant-parasitic nematodes on cotton. Data on the toxicity of abamectin and its effectiveness as a seed treatment to control Meloidogyne incognita or Rotylenchulus reniformis on cotton are lacking. The toxicity of abamectin was based on an assay of nematode mobility, LD50 values of 1.56 µg/ml and 32.9 µg/ml were calculated based on 2 hr exposure for M. incognita and R. reniformis, respectively. There was no recovery of either nematode after exposure for 1 hr to its LD50 concentration. Sublethal concentrations greater than 0.39 µg/ml for M. incognita and 8.2 µg/ml for R. reniformis reduced (P = 0.05) infectivity on tomato. In field trials, suppression (P = 0.05) of M. incognita was observed 32 DAP by abamectin seed treatment whereas no suppression of R. reniformis was observed. No suppression of M. incognita was perceived by abamectin seed treatment in microplots. Suppression of M. incognita was observed in microplots by harpinEA and harpingαβ as a seed treatment and foliar spray, respectively. Seed cotton yields were variable for abamectin-treated seed, but numerically positive for harpin-treated cotton. Initial gall formation on developing taproots was suppressed (P = 0.001), and penetration of 5-cm long taproots by M. incognita and R. reniformis was numerically suppressed by abamectin-treated compared to non-treated seed, but infection increased with root development. Using an assay of nematode mobility, the proportion of dead second-stage juveniles (J2) was higher (P = 0.05) following exposure to an excised radicle from abamectin-treated seed than non-treated seed, but lower (P = 0.05) than J2 exposed to the abamectin-treated seed coat. Thus a higher concentration of abamectin remained on the seed coat than emerging radicle. The concentration of abamectin transferred from the seed coat to the developing roots was limited, which contributed to the variability in suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes on cotton.