Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV, Baculoviridae) is one of the most important agents for the control of codling moth (CM, Cydia pomonella, L.) in both biological and integrated pest management. The rapid emergence of resistance against CpGV-M, which was observed in about 40 European CM field populations from 2003 on, could be traced back to a single, dominant, sex-linked gene. Since then, resistance management has been based on mixtures of new CpGV isolates (CpGV-I12, -S), which are able to overcome this resistance. Recently, resistance even to these novel isolates was observed in CM field populations. This resistance does not follow the described dominant, sex-linked inheritance trait. At the same time, another isolate CpGV-V15 was identified showing high virulence against these resistant populations. To elucidate this novel resistance mechanism and to identify the resistance gene(s) involved, we propose a comprehensive analysis of this resistance on the cellular and genomic level of codling moth. Because of the lack of previous knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of virus resistance in insects, several different and complementary approaches will be pursued. This study will not only give an in-depth insight into the genetic possibilities for development of baculovirus resistance in CM field populations and how the virus overcomes it, but can also serve as an important model for other baculovirus-host interaction systems.
Changes in agroecosystem management (e.g. landscape diversity, management intensity) affect the natural control of pests. The effects of agricultural change on this ecosystem service, however, are not universal and the mechanisms affecting it remain to be understood. As biological control is effectively the product of networks of interactions between pests and their natural enemies, food web analysis provides a versatile tool to address this gap of knowledge. The proposed project will utilize a molecular food web approach and examine, for the first time, how changes in plant fertilisation and landscape complexity affect quantitative aphid-parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food webs on a species-specific level to unravel how changes in food web interactions affect parasitoid aphid control. Based on the fieldderived data, cage experiments will be conducted to assess how parasitoid diversity and identity affect parasitoid interactions and pest control, complementing the field results. The work proposed here will take research on parasitoid aphid control one step further, as it will provide a clearer understanding of how plant fertilization affects whole aphid-parasitoid food webs in both simple and complex landscapes, allowing for further improvements in natural pest control.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is one major source of subsoil organic matter (OM). P5 aims at quantifying the impact of DOM input, transport, and transformation to the OC storage in the subsoil environment. The central hypotheses of this proposal are that in matric soil the increasing 14C age of organic carbon (OC) with soil depth is due to a cascade effect, thus, leading to old OC in young subsoil, whereas within preferential flowpaths sorptive stabilization is weak, and young and bioa-vailable DOM is translocated to the subsoil at high quantities. These hypotheses will be tested by a combination of DOC flux measurements with the comparative analysis of the composition and the turnover of DOM and mineral-associated OM. The work programme utilizes a DOM monitoring at the Grinderwald subsoil observatory, supplemented by defined experiments under field and labora-tory conditions, and laboratory DOM leaching experiments on soils of regional variability. A central aspect of the experiments is the link of a 13C-leaf litter labelling experiment to the 14C age of DOM and OM. With that P5 contributes to the grand goal of the research unit and addresses the general hypotheses that subsoil OM largely consists of displaced and old OM from overlying horizons, the sorption capacity of DOM and the pool size of mineral-associated OM are controlled by interaction with minerals, and that preferential flowpaths represent 'hot spots' of high substrate availability.
BACKGROUND: The Kingdom of Jordan belongs to the ten water scarcest countries in the world, and climate change is likely to increase the frequency of future droughts. Jordan is considered among the 10 most water impoverished countries in the world, with per capita water availability estimated at 170 m per annum, compared to an average of 1,000 m per annum in other countries. Jordan Government has taken the strategic decision to develop a conveyor system including a 325 km pipe to pump 100 million cubic meters per year of potable water from Disi-Mudawwara close to the Saudi Border in the south, to the Greater Amman area in the north. The construction of the water pipeline has started end of 2009 and shall be finished in 2013. Later on, the pipeline could serve as a major part of a national water carrier in order to convey desalinated water from the Red Sea to the economically most important central region of the country. The conveyor project will not only significantly increase water supplies to the capital, but also provide for the re-allocation of current supplies to other governorates, and for the conservation of aquifers. In the context of the Disi project that is co-funded by EIB two Environmental and Social Management Plans have been prepared: one for the private project partners and one for the Jordan Government. The latter includes the Governments obligation to re-balance water allocations to irrigation and to gradually restore the protected wetlands of Azraq (Ramsar site) east of Amman that has been depleted due to over-abstraction by re-directing discharge of highland aquifers after the Disi pipeline becomes operational. The Water Strategy recognizes that groundwater extraction for irrigation is beyond acceptable limits. Since the source is finite and priority should be given to human consumption it proposes to tackle the demand for irrigation through tariff adjustments, improved irrigation technology and disincentive to water intensive crops. The Disi aquifer is currently used for irrigation by farms producing all kinds of fruits and vegetables on a large scale and exporting most of their products to the Saudi and European markets and it is almost a third of Jordan's total consumption. The licenses for that commercial irrigation were finished by 2011/12. Whilst the licenses will be not renewed the difficulty will be the enforcement and satellite based information become an important supporting tool for monitoring. OUTLOOK: The ESA funded project Water management had the objective to support the South-North conveyor project and the activities of EIB together with the MWI in Jordan to ensure the supply of water for the increasing demand. EO Information provides a baseline for land cover and elevation and support the monitoring of further stages. usw.
Groundwater contamination by organic compounds represents a widespread environmental problem. The heterogeneity of geological formations and the complexity of physical and biogeochemical subsurface processes, often hamper a quantitative characterization of contaminated aquifers. Compound specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) has emerged as a novel approach to investigate contaminant transformation and to relate contaminant sources to downgradient contamination. This method generally assumes that only (bio)chemical transformations are associated with isotope effects. However, recent studies have revealed isotope fractionation of organic contaminants by physical processes, therefore pointing to the need of further research to determine the influence of both transport and reactive processes on the observed overall isotope fractionation. While the effect of gasphase diffusion on isotope ratios has been studied in detail, possible effects of aqueous phase diffusion and dispersion have received little attention so far.The goals of this study are to quantify carbon (13C/12C) and, for chlorinated compounds, chlorine (37Cl/35Cl) isotope fractionation during diffusive/dispersive transport of organic contaminants in groundwater and to determine its consequences for source allocation and assessment of reactive processes using isotopes. The proposed research is based on the combination of high-resolution experimental studies, both at the laboratory (i.e. zero-, one- and two-dimensional systems) and at the field scales, and solute transport modeling. The project combines the expertise in the field of contaminant transport with the expertise on isotope methods in contaminant hydrogeology.
Die Hanfindustrie hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren aufgrund neuer politischer Rahmenbedingungen und innovativer Produktfelder zu einem stark wachsenden Wirtschaftsbereich entwickelt. Hanfprodukte werden in der Lebensmittel-, Pharma-, Automobil-, Bau-, Textil und Papierindustrie eingesetzt. Das stärkste Wachstum der Hanfindustrie findet in der Produktion von Lebensmittel- und Lebensmittelzusätzen aus Hanfsamen, Hanf- und CBD-Ölen statt. Als Nebenprodukte fallen in diesen Wirtschaftsbereichen Extraktionsreste an, für die es derzeit nur bedingt Verwertungsmöglichkeiten gibt. In der industriellen Hanffaserproduktion werden aus getrocknetem Hanfstroh hochwertige Naturfasern gewonnen, die z.B. im Fahrzeugleichtbau zur Herstellung von Fahrzeugarmaturen und Verkleidungen eingesetzt werden. Hanffasern sind darüber hinaus ein etabliertes ökologisches Dämmstoffmaterial. Hanfdämmstoffe zeichnen sich durch eine bessere CO2 Bilanz gegenüber konventionellen Dämmstoffmaterialien wie Mineralwolle oder Styropor aus und bieten die Möglichkeit CO2 über mehrere Jahrzehnte im Dämmstoff zu fixieren. Im Dämmstoffherstellungsverfahren fallen neben dem Hauptprodukt Hanffasern im etwa gleichen Umfang zellulosehaltige Reststoffe an, die derzeit nur zu einem geringen Teil wirtschaftlich genutzt werden. Im Hinblick auf eine zunehmende regenerative Energieversorgung sowie knapper werdender Ressourcen bzw. der kritischen Diskussion um den Einsatz nachwachsender Rohstoffe zur Energiegewinnung kommt der Erschließung biogener Rest- und Abfallstoffe für die Erzeugung effizienter, speicherbarer, flexibler und dezentraler Bioenergieträger zunehmende Bedeutung zu. Im Vorhaben HanfNRG sollen energetischen Nutzungsoptionen von Reststoffen der Hanfverarbeitung untersucht werden zur exemplarischen Einbindung in das Energiekonzept einer Hanffaserfabrik.
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important cereal grain which serves as major animal fodder crop as well as basis for malt beverages or staple food. Currently barley is ranked fourth in terms of quantity of cereal crops produced worldwide. In times of a constantly growing world population in conjunction with an unforeseeable climate change and groundwater depletion, the accumulation of knowledge concerning cereal growth and rate of yield gain is important. The Nordic Genetic Resource Center holds a major collection of barley mutants produced by irradiation or chemical treatment. One phenotypic group of barley varieties are dwarf mutants (erectoides, brachytic, semidwarf, uzu). They are characterized by a compact spike and high rate of yield while the straw is short and stiff, enhancing the lodging resistance of the plant. Obviously they are of applied interest, but they are also of scientific interest as virtually nothing is known about the genes behind the development of plant dwarfism. The aim of this project is to identify and isolate the genes carrying the mutations by using state of the art techniques for gene cloning at the Carlsberg Laboratory. The identified genes will be connected with the mutant phenotype to reveal the gene function in general. One or two genes will be overexpressed and the resulting recombinant proteins will be biochemically and structurally characterized. The insights how the mutation effects the protein will display the protein function in particular. Identified genes and their mutant alleles will be tested in the barley breeding program of the Carlsberg brewery.
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