Search results for " zero"
showing 10 items of 1421 documents
Comparative study of the efficiency of buffer zones and harvest discarding on gene flow containment in oilseed rape. A modelling approach
2009
International audience; Oilseed rape (OSR) genes can escape fields in space via pollen and seeds and in time via volunteers resulting from seeds lost before or during oilseed rape harvests. Previous simulation studies and field observations showed that co-existence at the landscape level of contrasting OSR varieties such as genetically modified (GM) and non-GM varieties require costly measures that are difficult to implement, such as isolation distances between OSR fields and stringent volunteer control in all fields and road margins. In the present study, two local strategies, non-GM buffer zones aroundGMfields and discarding the harvest of boundary plants of non-GM fields, were tested in …
Fruit size in relation to competition for resources: A common model shared by two species and several genotypes grown under contrasted carbohydrate l…
2012
International audience; Fruit size is one important criterion of fruit external quality affecting consumer acceptance. The effects of seed number on fruit size in two fleshy fruits, grape and tomato, of different genotypes and grown under distinct carbohydrate availability levels were analyzed with a model. The two-parameter model described within-fruit resource competition and was able to well represent the commonly observed decrease in fresh weight per seed along with the increase in number of seeds, regardless of species, genotypes, and carbohydrate levels that were evaluated in this study. However, carbohydrate levels largely modified the correlation between seed number and fresh weight…
Sustainable production of fennel and dill by intercropping
2008
Intercropping is claimed to be one of the most significant cropping techniques in sustainable agriculture, and much research and many reviews attribute to its utilization a number of environmental benefits, from promoting land biodiversity to diversifying agricultural outcome. In this sense, intercropping is thought to be a useful means of minimizing the risks of agricultural production in many environments, including those typical of under-developed or marginal areas. In order to validate this hypothesis in a representative area of the semiarid Mediterranean environment, we evaluated the possibility of growing dill and fennel, both belonging to the family Apiaceae, in temporary intercroppi…
Nonchemical weeding of medicinal and aromatic plants
2013
International audience; Medicinal and aromatic plants are major crops of domestic and industrial interest. Medicinal and aromatic plants are increasingly organically grown to enhance profitability. However, the presence of weeds may lead to a decrease in both yield and quality. Therefore, nonchemical methods of weed control are needed. In this study, mechanical weeding, flaming, stale seedbed, and biodegradable mulch were tested from 2003/2004 to 2006/2007 on coriander, fennel, and psyllium. Biomass and seed yield were measured. The biomass of weeds remaining at harvest was also measured. Results show a high sensitivity of coriander, fennel, and psyllium crops to the presence of weeds. Stal…
History of chemical weeding from 1944 to 2011 in France: Changes and evolution of herbicide molecules
2012
International audience; Herbicide development in France has been analysed from a historical and agronomical perspective. A database was built up from data collected from the archives of the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries and from French phytosanitary compendia edited since 1961 by the Association de Coordination Technique Agricole. Only herbicides used in cultivated areas were retained. The first organic synthetic herbicides were registered on cereals after the Second World War. Since 1944, a total of 225 herbicidal active ingredients have been registered in France. The number of active ingredients regularly increased with a maximum of 138 in 2002; 104 were still authorized in 2…
Pseudomonas salomonii sp. nov., pathogenic on garlic, and Pseudomonas palleroniara sp. nov., isolated from rice
2002
International audience; A total of 26 strains, including 15 strains isolated from garlic plants with the typical symptoms of 'Café au lait' disease and 11 strains isolated from diseased or healthy rice seeds and sheaths infested by Pseudomonas fuscovaginae, were compared with 70 type or reference strains of oxidase-positive pathogenic or non-pathogenic fluorescent pseudomonads. The strains were characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Numerical taxonomy of phenotypic characteristics showed that the garlic and rice strains were related to each other. However, they clustered into separate phenons, distinct from those of the other strains tested, and were different in several nu…
Prospects of herbivore egg-killing plant defenses for sustainable crop protection
2016
Abstract Due to a growing demand of food production worldwide, new strategies are suggested to allow for sustainable production of food with minimal effects on natural resources. A promising alternative to the application of chemical pesticides is the implementation of crops resistant to insect pests. Plants produce compounds that are harmful to a wide range of attackers, including insect pests; thus, exploitation of their natural defense system can be the key for the development of pest‐resistant crops. Interestingly, some plants possess a unique first line of defense that eliminates the enemy before it becomes destructive: egg‐killing. Insect eggs can trigger (1) direct defenses, mostly i…
Phytotoxicity and metabolism of chlortoluron in two wheat varieties
1985
Abstract Varietal susceptibility of winter wheat to chlortoluron, 1-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-3,3 dimethylurea, has been studied in two varieties, Corin (susceptible) and Clement (tolerant). After a 24-hr root absorption of the herbicide, phytotoxicity was estimated from growth measurements. When administered at 12 to 96 μM concentrations, the herbicide reduced the growth of both varieties. A significant selective effect was found at 96 μM. Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence-induction kinetics allowed to discriminate between the two varieties treated with 12 to 48 μM chlortoluron. The metabolism of chlortoluron was studied following absorption of 24 μM solutions. Both varieties produc…
The beneficial rhizosphere : a necessary strategy for microplant production
2000
Society's expectation that plant production systems will become more compatible with the environment requires the development of an agriculture with low chemical inputs. With microplants, this can be achieved successfully by the introduction of beneficial microorganisms, particularly those developing in the rhizosphere. Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi has provided a wide range of examples of the usefulness of this technology. Recent results indicate that this application could be improved by combining mycorrhizal inoculation with other soil microbes with complementary beneficial effects. It is proposed that multimicrobial biotization is a valuable development for microplant technology.
Spatio-temporal pattern of Pentastiridius leporinus migration in an ephemeral cropping system
2010
International audience; * 1 Cixiid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) are considered to be important economic pests because of their ability to transmit phloem-restricted prokaryotes causing emerging plant diseases worldwide. However, little information is available on the biology and ecology of such species. This is the case for Pentastiridius leporinus (Linnaeus), a cixiid planthopper reported to live on common reed across Countries of Central and Northern Europe. However, in the east of France, the same planthopper species appears to complete its life cycle in the sugar beet-wheat cropping system and has been repeatedly shown to transmit prokaryotic plant pathogens that ar…