Untersucht wurde die Verbreitung der meldepflichtigen Krankheiten Apfeltriebsucht und Birnenverfall in Anlagen mit integrierter und ökologischer Produktion. Anhand der Krankheitssymptome wurde der Einfluss auf Ertrag und Fruchtqualität erfasst, die Populationsentwicklung der Phytoplasma übertragenden Blattsauger und die Wirkung von Insektiziden beurteilt. In älteren Apfel- und Birnenanlagen waren bis zu 20% der Bäume erkrankt. Die Äpfel der erkrankten Bäume der Sorte Jonagored hatten ein deutlich geringeres Einzelfruchtgewicht und schlechter ausgefärbte Früchte. Die Übertragung der Apfeltriebsucht durch den Vektor Cacopsylla picta fand von Ende Mai bis Anfang Juli statt. Spritzungen im April mit den Insektiziden Calypso und Spruzit reduzierten deutlich die Population der Blattsauger.

The rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea, (Homoptera: Aphididae) is a serious pest of apples in British Columbia (BC), Canada and especially in organic orchards where conventional controls cannot be used. The goals of this study were to determine the environmental or management factors of an orchard that lead to high aphid populations, to conduct an economic assessment of the damage, to determine the timing of autumn migration, and to test several autumn and spring chemical control methods and two novel autumn mechanical control methods targeting the aphids while on their alternate host, Plantago major. To explain the variation among orchards, I evaluated several potential correlates of aphid density: abundance of the alternate host (plantain, Plantago major), foliar tree nitrogen, tree age, tree planting density, and the application of an oil treatment in spring. Stepwise regression indicated that foliar nitrogen and tree age explain 27% of the variation. Orchards receiving a spring oil application had a 53% lower average aphid infestation level. Plantain abundance was not related to aphid population on apple. However, experimental manipulation of leaf angle from the ground and size showed that significantly more alate and apterous aphids occurred on large, low angle leaves. Mowing prior to spring aphid migration was associated with 75% fewer alatae and apterae on the plantain. The loss in harvest resulting from aphid damage ranged from 3% to 76% of the crop. Effective autumn control depends on accurate timing of aphid flight. The peak of female flight occurred on the 27th of September, 2007 at 11:56 hours daylength (sunrise to sunset) and the peak of male flight occurred on the12th of October, 2007 at 11:02 hours daylength. Aphid densities in the spring of 2008 were very low, making comparisons between treatments and controls difficult. Autumn applications of Superior dormant oil and kaolin clay were not effective. The PureSpray Green treatments of two October applications and one April application showed a significant reduction in rosy apple aphid infested clusters compared with the untreated control. Mowing and rotavating did not result in a significant reduction in aphid infestation level.

A functional beverage, designed to be cardio-protective, was formulated, using a blend of juices of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon L), blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton.), apple (Malus domestica L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and selected cardio-protective ingredients. Membrane filtration enhanced the antioxidant properties of the fruit juices. Ultrasound-assisted water extract of ginger showed potential antioxidant activities. The selected fruit juice combination, 50% blueberry; 12.5% cranberry; and 37.5% apple, showed higher consumer acceptability. Incorporation of functional ingredients at 10% RDI and 2% (v/v) ginger extract did not affect the sensory properties of the beverage. Phenolic concentration, FRAP value, and % LDL oxidation inhibition of the formulation were 1024 mg GAE/L, 3114 mg TE/L and 45%, respectively. Diet supplementation with the formulation resulted in lower serum and liver lipid levels in spontaneously hypotensive rats. Blood pressure was reduced by the formulation after two but not four weeks supplementation.

Agricultural production and post-harvest supply systems are major causes of resource and energy consumption throughout the world, with associated emissions contributing to global scale environmental burdens. Focusing on apple systems in Nova Scotia, Canada, this project used life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental performance of conventional and organic orchards, as well as post-production systems of storage and transportation. Results indicate that on-orchard hotspots include fuel use, fertilizers, and inputs to pest and disease management on both conventional and organic orchards. Extending system boundaries to cradle-to-retail locations revealed that electricity required for storage caused substantial burdens, highlighting the problem of coal-based electricity generation in Nova Scotia. Findings also illustrate that the relative impact of transportation changes according to distance travelled and mode of delivery. Consuming locally produced apples when in season was found to be environmentally preferable than those requiring year round storage, while transport by freight ship is more favourable than long distance transport truck delivery.

Biennial bearing, low precocity, and vigorous vegetative growth are major production constraints of ‘Northern Spy’ apple trees. Experiments were conducted in bearing and non-bearing ‘Northern Spy’/M.9 orchards to determine whether plant bioregulator applications of ethephon (ETH), napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), prohexadione-calcium (P-Ca), and/or benzyladenine (BA) could be used to overcome these production constraints of ‘Northern Spy’. Ethephon application at 150, 300, or 450 mg∙L-1 in the ‘on’ year increased return bloom, fruit yield, and alleviated biennial bearing in the ‘off’ year in a positive linear relationship to concentration when trees were moderately biennial in cropping. Applications applied 22 June were more effective than 27 July or 31 Aug. applications. However, single or multiple (2, 3, or 4) application(s) of 150 mg∙L-1 ETH or 5 mg∙L-1 NAA were ineffective when trees were not biennial. Two ETH applications at 1500 mg∙L-1 to non-bearing trees significantly increased flowering and fruit yield the year following treatment. The combination of P-Ca with ETH had an additive effect on shoot growth and improved growth control compared to P-Ca alone. Two BA applications at 500 mg∙L-1 had no effect on lateral branching of young trees. / Chudleigh's Limited, MITACS Accelerate

No description available.

In 1992, a research program was initiated to select suitable antagonists against the saprophytic (or winter) phase of the apple scab pathogen, Venturia inaequalis. An improved method for the mass screening of a vast collection of fungi was developed for this purpose. Some of the previously reported criteria such as leaf rheology and overwintering structure production proved unreliable or fastidious and cannot be used for in vitro antagonist selection. The main antagonism selection criterium retained was the in vitro inhibition of ascospore formation. To measure ascospore production, a simplified method of in vitro pseudothecia production was devised. This new method eliminates the need for prior conidia production by using a mycelial suspension and greatly reduces the risks of sterile mating by using a cocktail of Venturia inaequalis strains of different origins. Finally, the production cycle duration was reduced by varying the incubation temperature during the simulated winter. Moreover, a quick and efficient method of ascospore collection was developed. Ascospores were forcibly ejected in a large scale bubbler type apparatus in only one hour. This bubbler can be used for other studies including axenically produced ascospores. This new method compared favourably to the previously reported method and was used to screen a collection of about forty-two fungi. Six proved to significantly reduce the ascospore production of Venturia inaequalis. Two were as effective as Athelia bombacina, a previously reported antagonist of pseudothecia formation and inhibited over 98% of the ascospore production. These new organisms are now available for future field tests. Future selections from a large collection of saprophytes can now be based on a reliable and simple in vitro screening methodology.

Venturia inaequalis, the causal agent of apple scab, overwinters in apple leaves on the orchard floor. To develop a control strategy based on the prevention of the maturation of overwintering pseudothecia, a sampling of fungi colonizing dead apple leaves was conducted from different orchard floors in Quebec during the spring and fall of 1993. A total of 345 different isolates were obtained, from which fifteen genera have never been previously recorded as colonizers of apple leaves in North America. Small differences were detected in genera richness among orchards but the fungal composition of each orchard was fairly unique. Different tests on growth on amended media and leaf decomposition demonstrated that leaf degradation is not a reliable parameter alone to screen antagonist against V. inaequalis. No significant relation between growth on amended media, leaf rheology and ascospore inhibition was detected. However, 40 fungi reduced significantly ascospore production more than 87% compared to the control (V. inaequalis only). Of these antagonists, 30% decomposed apple leaves, suggesting that competition for the substrate is involved in the mode of action of at least one third of the antagonits detected. Other possible modes of antagonism are discussed.

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamajame darbe pateikiami internetinės prognozavimo „iMETOS®sm“ sistema atlikti bakterinės degligės rizikos faktorių analizė bei prognozavimo galimybes Lietuvos versliniuose soduose Darbo objektas –. obelys (Malus); ligos sukėlėja - bakterinė degligė (Erwinia amylovora Burr.). Darbo metodai: tiriamas meteorologinės stotelės Pessl Instruments „iMETOS®sm“ Erwinia amylovora Burr. infekcijos rizikos prognozavimo modelio pritaikymas Lietuvos versliniuose soduose. Darbo rezultatai. 2011 m. Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centro filialo Sodininkystės ir daržininkystės institute atlikti tyrimai prognuozuojant bakterinės degligės (Erwinia amylovora Burr.) pasireiškimo galimybes Lietuvos versliniuose soduose taikant internetinę „iMETOS®sm‘‘prognozavimo sistemą. Bakterinės degligės prognozavimo modelis numato skirtingus ligos pasireiškimo fonus (PETΣ): 1) paskutinius du sezonus degligės nebuvo; 2) paskutinius du sezonus degligė pasireiškė atskirose vietose; 3) praeitą sezoną degligė pasireiškė atskirose vietose; 4) bakterinė degligė aptikta šalia sodo; 5) netoliese dabar aktyvios degligės žaizdos. Visuose stebėtuose ūkiuose per 2011 m. vegetacijos periodą bakterinės degligės prognozavimo modelis apskaičiavo iš viso 310 dienų, kai bakterinės degligės infekcijos rizikos indeksas DIV rodė didžiausią E. amylovora pasireiškimo galimybę pagal PETΣ. Stebėtuose obelų soduose, kai paskutinius du sezonus degligės sode nebuvo, nustatyta, kad didžiausia patogeno... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Master’s thesis submitted to the online prediction "sand'' iMETOS ® forecasting system to perform fire blight risk factor analysis and the predictive ability of Lithuanian business orchards. Object of the work- apple (Malus) to cause disease - a fire blight (Erwinia amylovora Burr.). Method of the work: working methods studied meteorological station Pessl Instruments iMETOS ® sm 'Erwinia amylovora Burr. infection risk prediction model for Lithuanian business orchards. The results of work. In 2011. Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian and Forest Sciences Centre branch of the Institute of Horticulture forecasting studies of fire blight (Erwinia amylovora Burr.) The possibility of a Lithuanian business orchards using an online "sand'' iMETOS ® forecasting system. Fire blight forecasting model for the different disease backgrounds (PETΣ): 1) the last two seasons were not fire blight, 2) the last two seasons fire blight occurred in different places, and 3) last season fire blight occurred in different places, 4) fire blight found near the orchards, 5) nearby is now active fire blight wounds. All the observed farms in 2011. fire blight vegetation period forecasting model documented a total of 310 days after infection, fire blight DIV risk index showed the highest E amylovora by PETΣ to occur. Apple orchards in all observed the last two seasons did not fire blight the garden, it was found that the greatest manifestation of the pathogen by orchards PETΣ option was: „Luksnėnų sodai” UAB... [to full text]

Swift is a new programming language developed by Apple for creating iOS and Mac OS X applications. Intended to eventually replace Objective-C as Apple’s language of choice, Swift needs to convince developers to switch over to the new language. Apple has promised that Swift will be faster than Objective-C, as well as offer more modern language features, be very safe, and be easy to learn and use. In this thesis I test these claims by creating an iOS application entirely in Swift as well as benchmarking two different algorithms. I find that while Swift is faster than Objective-C, it does not see the speedup projected by Apple. I also conclude that Swift offers many advantages over Objective-C, and is easy for developers to learn and use. However there are some weak areas of Swift involving interactions with Objective-C and the strictness of the compiler that can make the language difficult to work with. Despite these difficulties Swift is overall a successful project for Apple and should attract new developers to their platform.