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During the early months of 2020, the world experienced a novel, violent, and relentless pandemic era. By the end of the year more than seventy-seven million cases of COVID-19 had been reported around the globe. Due to it being a highly contagious disease, the recommended measures adopted by most nations to prevent infection include social distancing and quarantine. How did these measures affect people's relationship with alcohol consumption in cultures where alcohol plays an important social role? A questionnaire-based study, designed to follow the drinking behaviour of people before and during lockdown was applied to two different cultural groups impacted by the pandemic during the strict phase of lockdown. These are the British and Spanish populations (179 participants from each country were interviewed). Considering the frequency of consumption of the alcoholic beverages evaluated (wine, beer, cider, whisky and spirits), the results showed that a significant lockdown*country interaction was observed. Overall, Spanish participants consumed alcoholic beverages less frequently during lockdown than before, while British participants reported no change in their consumption habits. Spaniards’ decrease in alcohol consumption is related to the absence of a social contexts while Britons seems to have adapted their consumption to the modified context. Results suggest that, alcohol consumption is a central core of the British culture, while for the Spanish, socialization is more a cultural characteristic than the alcohol itself., MPSN acknowledges the Spanish National Research Agency, the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities and the European Social Fund for her postdoctoral fellowship: Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC2019-027995-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). The authors warmly thank Mr. Jeremy Kerswell for his help on participants’ recruitment, Miss Dona Frost and Mister Philip Hedger for the English proof reading as well as all the anonymous participants in this study.

The coronavirus outbreak in December 2019 completely changed the dynamic of consumption in different sectors of industry. The food and beverage industries have been profoundly affected, from production, to modifications in consumers’ choices. Among the different reasons behind those modifications is confinement, which forces consumers to stay at home for an extended period and just go out to perform essential tasks, such as going to the supermarket. We hypothesized that this new dynamic of consumption could create a situation of fear that changes food choice. To test this hypothesis, two studies were conducted in three countries with a different degree of confinement: Mexico (flexible), Spain (strict), and Peru (hard). Study one consisted of a free association task with 60 participants in each country with the inductor word “coronavirus and food”. The different associations served as the basis to build a structured questionnaire, which was used in the second study focused on fear and food choice. The second study was applied to 450 participants in the same three countries. Results showed that fear can be separated into nine dimensions: social, emotional, food supply, government, basic needs, food-delivery, overeating, immunity, and family conflicts. The participants could also be clustered into four different groups that differ in their country of origin and sex, but also in their food choice. Overall, the results showed that fear influenced consumer’s food choices during a confinement period., Third author acknowledges the Spanish National Research Agency, the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities and the European Social Fund for her postdoctoral fellowship: Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC2019-027995-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).

In 2020, we developed a comprehensive methodology (henceforth, the methodology) to assess flood-related economic costs. The methodology covers direct damages, indirect effects, and losses and additional costs across 105 social, infrastructure, economic, and emergency response indicators. As a companion paper, this study presents findings from analysis of applying the methodology to investigate economic costs for major flood events between 2013 and 2017 and to assess gaps in the existing datasets across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In addition, we conducted one case study from each country for an in-depth examination of the applicability of the methodology. Applying the methodology, Mexico showed the most complete flood indicator data availability and accessibility among the three countries. We found that most flood-related economic cost assessments evaluated only direct damages, and indirect effect data were rarely included in datasets in the three countries. Moreover, few of the records from Canada and the United States captured the losses and additional costs. Flood-related economic cost data at the municipal or county level were easily accessible in Mexico and the United States. Mexico’s National Center for Prevention of Disasters (Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres), unique among the three nations, provided access to centralized and comprehensive flood cost data. In the United States and Canada, data collection by multiple agencies that focus on different jurisdictions and scales of flood damage complicated comprehensive data collection and led to incomplete economic cost assessments. Our analysis strongly suggests that countries should aim to expand the set of data indicators available and become more granular across space and time while maintaining data quality. This study provides significant insights about approaches for collating spatial, temporal, and outcome-specific localized flood economic costs and the major data gaps across the three countries.

Global, large-scale surveys of phylogenetically diverse plant and lichen hosts have revealed an extremely high richness of endophytes in the Xylariales, one of the largest clades of filamentous fungi and a significant source of novel secondary metabolites (SMs). Endophytes may produce host protective antimicrobial or insecticidal SMs, as well as compounds that facilitate symbiotic establishment through suppression or degradation of host immune response, but the ecological roles of most SMs are unknown. Here we characterized metabolic gene clusters in 96 genomes of endophytes and closely related saprotrophs and pathogens in two clades of Xylariales (Xylariaceae s.l. and Hypoxylaceae). Hundreds of genes appear horizontally transferred to xylarialean fungi from distantly related fungi and bacteria, including numerous genes in secondary metabolite gene clusters (SMGCs). Although all xylarialean genomes contain hyperabundant SMGCs, we show that increased gene duplications, horizontal gene transfers (HGTs), and SMGC content in Xylariaceae s.l. taxa are linked to greater phylogenetic host breadth, larger biogeographic distributions, and increased capacity for lignocellulose decomposition compared to Hypoxylaceae taxa. Overall, our results suggest that xylarialean endophytes capable of dual ecological modes (symbiotic and saprotrophic) experience greater selection to diversify SMGCs to both increase competitiveness within microbial communities and facilitate diverse symbiotic interactions.

The aim of this work was to study further the population of Fulvia fulva [syn. Cladosporium fulvum, Passalora fulva] in Argentina particularly in terms of diversity at the genetic level by means of ISSR. Also, we studied polymorphisms within avr and ecp sequences, what incidentally might lead to the development of new races. Argentinian tomato cultivars only are affected by two races of F. fulva and the data we provide here indicates that the populations of these two races are under an evolutionary process. Representatives of them had several polymorphisms within the coding sequences of effectors, but they are not constrained to avr genes, probably because, based on field data, resistant cultivars are not available. Most polymorphisms observed in avr and ecp genes were deletions or insertions (INDELs) or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Therefore, probably the environment and management practices are the most important factors driving evolution of these races in Argentina and this might explain why the pathogen population is not driven at the pathogenic or race level., Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

The aim of this work was to characterize the secondary metabolite (SMs) profile of Stemphylium lycopersici, a necrotrophic fungus that causes the disease known as grey leaf spot. We detected twenty-four SMs in cultures of S. lycopercisi within the extracts of 19 isolates. Each of them presented a characteristic unique profile. While highly virulent isolates synthesized a high number of metabolites (15), the low virulent ones synthesized a low number of SMs (2). However, a PCA analysis could not establish the relationship between SMs and virulence. Infectopyrone was the most frequent metabolite produced by the isolates (89%)., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

Here we analyze the microbial community of healthy and diseased tomato plants to evaluate its impact on plant health. The organisms found in all samples mainly belonged to 4 phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The Proteobacteria were the highest relative abundant within the endophytic communities of different plant organs of diseased tomato. Among endophytic bacteria of tomato, only a few taxa could be cultured. Here we showed that only a few taxa of bacteria inhabiting tomato plants could be cultured and that all plant organs have a highly diverse endophytic bacterial, whose activity might affect plant growth and development as well as health. The roots seem to be an important barrier for microbes and leaves appear to be the organs with the higher diversity which is incidentally related to plant health. Fruits also contain a complex bacterial community that appeared to be unaffected by foliar diseases such as gray leaf spot at least under the conditions studied., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

A metabarcoding approach was performed aimed at identifying fungi associated with Delphacodes kuscheli (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), the main vector of “Mal de Río Cuarto” disease in Argentina. A total of 91 fungal genera were found, and among them, 24 were previously identified for Delphacidae. The detection of fungi that are frequently associated with the phylloplane or are endophytes, as well as their presence in digestive tracts of other insects, suggest that feeding might be an important mechanism of their horizontal transfer in planthoppers. This study draws the baseline for future research regarding mutualistic associations present in D. kuscheli as well as their physiological role in the life cycle of this important pest that might lead to developing new management strategies to keep insects populations under control., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología, Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini", Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales

Mitochondrial genomes (mt-genomes) are characterized by a distinct codon usage and their autonomous replication. Mt-genomes encode highly conserved genes (mt-genes), like proteins involved in electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation but they also carry highly variable regions that are in part responsible for their high plasticity. The degree of conservation of their genes is such that they allow the establishment of phylogenetic relationships even across distantly related species. Here, we describe the mechanisms that generate changes along mt-genomes, which play key roles at enlarging the ability of fungi to adapt to changing environments. Within mt-genomes of fungal pathogens, there are dispensable as well as indispensable genes for survival, virulence and/or pathogenicity. We also describe the different complexes or mechanisms targeted by fungicides, thus addressing a relevant issue regarding disease management. Despite the controversial origin and evolution of fungal mt-genomes, the intrinsic mechanisms and molecular biology involved in their evolution will help to understand, at the molecular level, the strategies for fungal disease management., Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología, Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales

Melanin is a secondary metabolite made up by complex heterogeneous polymers. Several classes of fungal melanins have been described like γ-glutaminyl-3,4-dihydroxy-benzene (GDHB)-, L-DOPA-(eumelanin), DHN-, catechol-melanin, pyomelanin, p-aminophenol (PAP)-melanin, heterogeneous melanins as well as two others based on 5-deoxybostrycoidin and aspulvinone E. They have been mostly localized in cell walls of different structures of fungi, which suggest that they play a different biological role. They have been related mostly with morphogenesis, stress resistance, virulence and energy transduction. However, an enormous amount of work remains to be done to clarify, among other things, the role melanins play in fungi., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología, Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini"

La mancha gris de la hoja del tomate es una enfermedad causada por tres especies del género Stemphylium: S. botryosum, S. solani y S. lycopersici. De amplia distribución mundial, fue reportada por primera vez en Argentina en 1990. Desde entonces, no solo ha aumentado en las áreas endémicas, sino que también se ha diseminado a nuevas regiones de cultivo. En base a la premisa que la patogenicidad de Stemphylium en plantas de tomate se debe a la expresión de efectores que vulneran los mecanismos de defensa del hospedador, en la presente tesis se indagó sobre la biología y genómica del agente etiológico con particular énfasis en el repertorio de efectores. Como primer paso, se comprobó que S. lycopersici es el principal agente causal de la mancha gris de la hoja del tomate en Argentina. Los aislados exhibieron una gran diversidad según lo evaluado mediante su morfología, genética y agresividad en tomate. Luego, se seleccionó un representante a partir del cual se generó el primer genoma borrador de S. lycopersici mediante secuenciación de segunda generación. Se utilizó al genoma mitocondrial para inferir la historia evolutiva de este fitopatógeno. El mitogenoma reveló una estructura dinámica, rica en secuencias repetitivas y elementos móviles, con algunas particularidades como la ausencia de los genes atp8 y atp9 y la fusión de los genes cox1 y cox2. Finalmente, el genoma borrador fue utilizado como insumo en la identificación y caracterización del secretoma in silico y de los clusters de genes de metabolitos secundarios. De esta manera, se determinó que el secretoma de S. lycopersici está compuesto por 1005 proteínas (11,12 % del proteoma), 363 de las cuales presentan características de efectores. En general, se encontró un repertorio de proteínas típico al de un hongo necrótrofo; variedad y cantidad de enzimas que degradan la pared celular, efectores LysM y enzimas que intervienen en la eliminación de las especies reactivas del oxígeno. Por otra parte, se identificaron 36 clusters de genes de metabolitos secundarios, con predominio de clusters de genes biosintéticos de policétidos. Se encontró que el genoma de S. lycopersici contiene genes claves para la biosíntesis de melanina vía 1,8-dihidroxinaftaleno y L-dihidroxifenilalanina. Asimismo, posee el gen codificante de la 4-hidroxifenilpiruvato dioxigenasa, enzima clave en la biosíntesis de piomelanina. Estos datos sientan bases sólidas para el desarrollo de estudios funcionales dirigidos a caracterizar tanto el metabolismo secundario como así también el secretoma in vivo de S. lycopersici bajo cualquier condición fisiológica, siendo de particular interés durante su interacción con el tomate. El conocimiento de las moléculas intervinientes en esta interacción será clave para el diseño racional de estrategias para el manejo de la mancha gris de la hoja del tomate., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo

Recombination mediated through a parasexual cycle is a potential source of genetic diversity among mitosporic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana. Knowledge of this diversity is critical to understand the structure of the population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity within 36 Argentinean isolates of B. bassiana collected from different geographical regions and insect hosts; and to assess by means of ITS sequences the preliminary taxonomic position of the isolates that might be related to the phenotypic and genotypic differences. The results demonstrate that the fingerprints generated with four ISSR markers were enough to detect significant genetic diversity among Argentinean isolates, which was unrelated neither with the geographical origin nor with insect hosts., Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología

Fulvia fulva (syn. Cladosporium fulvum, Mycosphaerellaceae) is a dematiaceous fungus that causes tomato leaf mould. It is characterized by its biotrophic lifestyle and the synthesis of the bianthraquinone secondary metabolite, cladofulvin. The aim of the study was to characterize the dark pigment photochemically synthesized by F. fulva and to elucidate its biochemical pathway. We isolated a black pigment from in vitro cultures of the fungus. We determined the pigment to be 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin based on its chemical and photochemical characteristics, as well as the presence of flaviolin, when fungal reductases were inhibited by tricyclazole. Furthermore, the pks1 gene involved in pigment synthesis has a KS domain already associated with DHN-melanin. Our findings support the relevance of studying melanization in F. fulva., Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas, Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini"

Assessing the true economic costs of floods is central to addressing their impacts, allocating adequate resources for monitoring and preparedness, assessing their changes over time, and building resilient communities. Considerable variability exists in the choice and implementation of methods used in Canada, Mexico, and the United States at national and sub-national levels for estimating the direct damages and indirect losses caused by floods. This inter- and intra-national variability leads to information gaps when prioritizing development investments, for example, for infrastructure renewal, institutional development, or community enhancements. This paper provides an overview of the range of approaches used in the three countries and analyzes their strengths and weaknesses. It then presents a proposed comprehensive and inclusive methodology that has been developed in close collaboration with a range of stakeholders and domain experts. This methodology builds on existing approaches and offers a comprehensive accounting of costs related to flooding. We offer insights into potential challenges for implementing this methodology across the three countries, particularly related to data availability, access, quality, and spatial coverage. We recommend enhanced gathering data and metadata, and storing it in an information warehouse for their timely dissemination. We also identify the need for further investigation into the definition for “extreme flooding” that incorporates hydrological, societal and economic thresholds, in collaboration between government agencies and the research community.

Using data collected at a world wine trade fair, we study how the country-of-origin impacts wine traders’ mental representation about wines. In the analysis we use traditional exporters in Old (France) and New (Argentina) world wine countries in comparison to non-traditional exporters in Old (Switzerland) and New (Brazil) world wine countries. Three main findings are reported. First, the country-of-origin of wines was more important on guiding participants’ representations, than the category of countries the traders came from. Second, participants’ evocations were more precise and specific for traditional wine-exporting countries than for less traditional wine exporting countries. Finally, the lack of traders’ knowledge of wines from non-traditional wine-exporting countries produced associations and beliefs related to the image of the country itself. Our findings have important implications for the marketing and export activities of the wine industry., This work was funded by the University of St. Gallen & the Swiss Leading House for Latin America, Switzerland and by The Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil (Finance Code 001). Authors want to warmly thank IBRAVIN (Diogo Bortolini and the Diretor Sr. Carlos Paviani), EMME Brazil (Rico Azeredo) and Professor Carlos Eugenio Daudt for all logistical support. EFL acknowledges the financial support of Fundación Alfonso Martín Escudero for his postdoctoral fellowship. MPSN acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for her contract (project AGL2017-87373-C3).

We report here the 6,092,003-bp draft genome sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis strain m401, a tetracycline-resistant isolate recovered from honey. The isolate contained three plasmids of 8,307 bp, 9,934 bp, and 69,561 bp and a tetracycline resistance gene with high homology to tet45 in a contig of 236,180 bp.

This paper summarizes, discusses, and complements recent findings about the fate of H2S and methanethiol (MeSH) during wine storage. Analytical assays to determine free volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) and brine-releasable (BR-) VSCs in combination with accelerated reductive (AR) aging and micro-oxygenation (MOX) assays allow characterizing the different categories of species able to produce H2S and MeSH and the processes of interconversion. Each wine seems to contain a specific total amount of H2S and MeSH distributed into free, metal-complexed, and oxidized forms (di and polysulfides) interconnected through reversible redox equilibria whose external expression is wine redox potential. Oxidation transforms all mercaptans likely into nonvolatile disulfides and hydrodisulfides. In anoxia, these molecules are spontaneously and quantitatively reduced back. The concomitant accumulation of major wine thiols would provoke complex dissociation and the release of free H2S and MeSH. Additionally, total amounts can increase due to the metal-catalyzed desulfhydration of cysteine and methionine.

Stemphylium lycopersici (Pleosporales) is a pathogenic fungus found on a broad range of plant hosts. It is one of the causal agents of gray leaf spot disease in tomato that causes severe yield reductions and economic losses worldwide. Here, we present the draft genome sequences and the gene annotations of two strains of S. lycopersici, nonsporulating strain CIDEFI-212 and sporulating strain CIDEFI-213., Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini", Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

The purpose of this work was to study further two Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains with high nitrogen-fixing capacity that were identified within a collection of approximately 200 isolates from the soils of Argentina. Nodulation and nitrogen-fixing capacity and the level of expression of regulatory as well as structural genes of nitrogen fixation and the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase gene of the isolates were compared with that of E109-inoculated plants. Both isolates of B. japonicum, 163 and 366, were highly efficient to fix nitrogen compared to commercial strain E109. Isolate 366 developed a higher number and larger biomass of nodules and because of this fixed more nitrogen. Isolate 163 developed the same number and nodule biomass than E109. However, nodules developed by isolate 163 had red interiors for a longer period, had a higher leghemoglobin content, and presented high levels of expression of acdS gene, that codes for an ACC deaminase. In conclusion, naturalized rhizobia of the soils of Argentina hold a diverse population that might be the source of highly active nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, a process that appears to be based on different strategies., Funding Funding was provided by Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Grant No. Subsidio Incentivos 2015), Comision de Investigaciones de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (Subsidio 2015) and Jefatura de Gabinete de Ministros de la Nación (Grant No. BECAR2014).

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is probably the most important vegetable consumed around the world, and like other produce is affected by stresses and diseases that reduce the yield and production. The purpose of this work was to study the phytobiome of the tomato seeds of two hybrids in order to understand first of all whether tomato cultivars host similar groups of organisms, as well as their effect on the community structure, particularly of those microbes with the potential to promote growth and/or control plant pathogens. Different cultivars of tomato (genotypes) host significantly different endophytic communities, which is also reflected at the order level. These communities are particularly rich in spore-forming bacteria that have the ability either to promote plant growth or synthetize antimicrobial compounds that deter plant pathogens. We conclude that the seeds of the tomato cultivars Elpida and Silverio are sources of endophytic bacteria capable of synthetizing antifungal substances that could potentially be used for biocontrol against plant-pathogenic fungi., Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is widely consumed around the world is mostly affected by stresses and diseases that reduce yield and production. Research on sustainable technologies like the use of beneficial microorganismsis crucial to development sustainable management strategies. Endophytic bacteria might increase production as well as plant health.. In this work we studied the endobiome of tomato seeds of different cultivars since the plant genotype might affect the microbial community structure in terms of plant growth promoters as well as organisms for biocontrol. The conditions prevailing within seeds along the maturation period might have affected bacterial survival. This is such that seed endophytes share features, which are different from those of bacteria from other plant tissues. The community associated with different cultivars reflects the different resources available in the seed and its potential to prevent the attack of pathogens and to promote plant growth.

Mediante los conservatorios de variedades y la colaboración ciudadana se han identificado más de un centenar de variedades minoritarias procedentes de las regiones que rodean los Pirineos. Con 78 de dichas variedades identificadas se han realizado más de 200 microvinificaciones que han permitido, por una parte, evaluar su potencial enológico y, por otra, caracterizar sensorial y químicamente dichas variedades.

The Regulatory Council of the DOP Campo de Borja (Spain) promoted a zoning study aimed at knowing the geographical environment and its effect on the quality of wines, in order to delimit the space in Units of Terroir (UT) base to apply a model Productive and commercial reasoned following the concept terroir. It was to seek the specialization and recognition of wine values linked to the territory of origin. The study of the medium, reflected in a map of cartographic soil units (SMU) to scale 1:25.000, was accompanied by an oenological study carried out during three vintages to know the variability of the oenological capacities of the SMU. The results indicate that in the DOP have obtained different types of units of terroir depending on the characteristics of the mistelas used to classify and delimit territorially Units of Terroir.

Stemphylium lycopersici (Pleosporales) is a plant-pathogenic fungus that has been associated with a broad range of plant-hosts worldwide. It is one of the causative agents of gray leaf spot disease in tomato and pepper. The aim of this work was to characterize the mitochondrial genome of S. lycopersici CIDEFI-216, to use it to trace taxonomic relationships with other fungal taxa and to get insights into the evolutionary history of this phytopathogen. The complete mitochondrial genome was assembled into a circular double-stranded DNA molecule of 75,911 bp that harbors a set of 37 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes (rns and rnl) and 28 tRNA genes, which are transcribed from both sense and antisense strands. Remarkably, its gene repertoire lacks both atp8 and atp9, contains a free-standing gene for the ribosomal protein S3 (rps3) and includes 13 genes with homing endonuclease domains that are mostly located within its 15 group I introns. Strikingly, subunits 1 and 2 of cytochrome oxidase are encoded by a single continuous open reading frame (ORF). A comparative mitogenomic analysis revealed the large extent of structural rearrangements among representatives of Pleosporales, showing the plasticity of their mitochondrial genomes. Finally, an exhaustive phylogenetic analysis of the subphylum Pezizomycotina based on mitochondrial data reconstructed their relationships in concordance with several studies based on nuclear data. This is the first report of a mitochondrial genome belonging to a representative of the family Pleosporaceae., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales

The goal of this work was to evaluate the effect of vineyard position on the minerality of wines and to establish relationships between minerality scores, sensory descriptors and chemical composition. Sensory analyses included minerality rating and free description performed by wine professionals under two conditions: orthonasal olfaction alone and global tasting. Chemical characterization included analysis of major and minor volatile compounds, volatile sulphur compounds, mercaptans, metals, anions and cations. Results showed a significant effect of the river bank on wine minerality scores only in the orthonasal olfaction condition, samples from the left being more mineral than those from the right bank. Methanethiol, involved in shellfish aroma, was significantly higher in wines from the left (more mineral) than from the right bank. Contrary, copper levels, related to lower levels of free MeSH, and norisoprenoids, responsible for white fruit and floral aromas, were higher in wines from the right bank (less mineral)., This work was funded by Burgundy Regional Conseil, Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne, France and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), programa “Ciência sem Fronteiras”, Brazil. M.P.S.N. and E.F.L acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for her postdoctoral (Formación Posdoctoral 2013 and Juan de la Cierva Incorporación 2015) and predoctoral fellowship, respectively

The role of microorganisms in litter degradation in arid and semi-arid zones, where soil and water salinization is one of the main factors limiting carbon turnover and decay, remains obscure. Heterostachys ritteriana (Amaranthaceae), a halophyte shrub growing in arid environments such as “Salinas Grandes” (Córdoba, Argentina), appears to be the main source of organic matter in the area. Little is known regarding the microorganisms associated with H. ritteriana, although they are a potential source of enzymes such as cellulolytic ones, which might be important in biotechnological fields such as bioethanol production using ionic liquids. In the present study, by studying the microbiota growing on H. ritteriana leaf litter in “Salinas Grandes,” we isolated the cellulolytic fungus Fusarium equiseti LPSC 1166, which grew and degraded leaf litter under salt stress. The growth of this fungus was a function of the C substrate and the presence of NaCl. Although in vitro the fungus used both soluble and polymeric compounds from H. ritteriana litter and synthesized extracellular β-1,4 endoglucanases, its activity was reduced by 10% NaCl. Based on these results, F. equiseti LPSC 1166 can be described as a halotolerant cellulolytic fungus most probably playing a key role in the decay of H. ritteriana leaf litter in “Salinas Grandes.”, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini"

Over the last decade, Ecuador experienced inclusive growth fueled by a favorable external environment that financed a vast expansion of the public sector. The country is now facing severe external and fiscal challenges due to the significant extended fall in oil prices and the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. Since mid-2014, Ecuador has lost almost half of its merchandise export income due to the decline in oil prices. Oil revenues averaged 13.2 percent of GDP between 2011 and 2014 and one-third of total fiscal revenues. The fall in oil and other commodity prices on global markets has opened broad macroeconomic imbalances and exposed Ecuador's pre-existing vulnerabilities. As a fully dollarized economy with limited savings from the boom years, Ecuador cannot soften adjustment via a nominal depreciation or a drawdown of macroeconomic buffers. The strengthening of the U.S. dollar and the major currency depreciations in neighboring trading partners also place pressures on external competitiveness. Furthermore, access to foreign borrowing has become more limited. Consequently, the burden of the adjustment falls on fiscal and income policies.

In this study, we surveyed the bacteriome-associated microbiota of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis by means of histological, ultrastructural, and molecular analyses. Amplification and sequencing of 16S rDNA genes revealed that the endosymbiont “Candidatus Sulcia muelleri” (Phylum Bacteroidetes) resides in bacteriomes of D. maidis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence was closely allied to others found in representatives of the subfamily Deltocephalinae. We failed to amplify other sequences as “Candidatus Nasuia deltocephalinicola,” a co-primary symbiont frequently associated to deltocephaline leafhoppers. In addition, a metagenetic analysis carried out in order to investigate the presence of other bacteriome-associated bacteria of D. maidis showed that the sequence of Sulcia accounted for 98.56 % of all the sequences. Histological and ultrastructural observations showed that microorganisms harbored in bacteriomes (central syncytium and cytoplasm of uninucleate bacteriocytes) look like others Sulcia described in hemipteran species and they were transovarially transmitted from mother to offspring which is typical of obligate endosymbionts. The only presence of Sulcia in the bacteriomes of D. maidis was discussed., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales

Three different red wines with reductive character have been treated with two different doses of copper sulfate (0.06 and 0.5 mg/L) and with a commercial copper-containing product at the recommended dose (0.6 mg/L). Wines were in contact with copper one week, centrifuged and stored at 50 °C in strict anoxia for 2 weeks (up to 7 in one case). Brine-releasable (BR-) and free fractions of Volatile Sulfur Compounds were determined throughout the process. Relevant increases of BR-H2S suggest that those wines contained other H2S precursors non-detectable by the brine dilution method. Copper treatments had two major effects: 1) immediate decrease the levels of free H2S and methanethiol (MeSH); 2) slow the rate at which free H2S (not MeSH) increases during anoxic storage. After 7 weeks of anoxia levels of free H2S and MeSH were high and similar regardless of the copper treatment. Higher copper doses could induce the accumulation of BR-H2S.

Two pathogens were isolated from tomatoes with severe chlorosis and necrosis in northwestern Argentina. Monosporic cultures were morphologically characterised and molecularly identified as Stemphylium lycopersici and Corynespora cassiicola. This is the first report of C. cassiicola infecting tomato in Argentina., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal, Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini"

Wine aging in barrels is carried out to increase stability and achieve more complex aromas. In the last few years, however, the practice of macerating wine with small fragments of toasted oak (chips) has become increasingly common. This conveys similar tastes, aromas, and wooden notes to the wine as those obtained with traditional barrel aging, but much faster and at a fraction of the cost. Without proper regulation, this could lead to fraud if wine macerated with chips is offered as barrel aged wine. In the present study, 75 volatile compounds have been determined by applying gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (MS) and flame ionization detection (FID). It has been found that compounds directly related to the wood have greater discriminative power for telling apart wines aged in barrels from those macerated with oak fragments, but no single compound permits flawless classification. Therefore, we have studied the effect of the addition of oak fragments of different origins, different oak types, different formats and subjected to different toasting processes on a set of 231 samples from 6 Spanish Denominations of Origin wines (DOs), and compared them to those same wines aged in oak barrels. In light of the results, we have developed a set of criteria which allows distinguishing with high degree of accuracy between wines which have been aged in barrels and those macerated with oak fragments. The application of these criteria to different wines allows correct classification in over 90% of cases. Peer Reviewed Published

Antagonismo y mecanismos de acción de hongos del grupo de especies Chaetomium globosum, potenciales biocontroladores de enfermedades fúngicas foliares de la cebada. La “mancha en red y la “mancha borrosa” son enfermedades foliares de cebada causadas por Drechslera teres y Bipolaris sorokiniana, respectivamente. Una alternativa para su manejo es el control biológico. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar dos aislamientos del género Chaetomium (C2 y C5), endofíticos de plántulas de cebada y estudiar sus interacciónes in vitro con D. teres y B. sorokiniana, aisladas de semillas del mismo hospedante. Todos los microorganismos se caracterizaron cultural y morfológicamente. Los aislamientos de Chaetomium además se caracterizaron molecularmente. Se realizaron pruebas de cultivos duales y se registraron los efectos del antagonista a nivel microscópico en la morfología de los patógenos. Los resultados confirmaron la identidad de los patógenos y de los aislamientos de Chaetomium spp. como Chaetomium globosum grupo de especies. Bipolaris sorokiniana fue inhibida en un 30% por C2 y en un 31.2 % por C5 respecto al control. D.teres fue inhibida en un 40% por C2 y en un 36% por C5 en referencia al control. Los mecanismos de acción frente a B. sorokiniana fueron antibiosis y competencia. Microscopicamente se observaron conidios aberrantes. Frente a D. teres se registró competencia y micoparasitismo. Microscópicamente se evidenció plasmólisis, enrollamiento y pigmentación anaranjada., “Net blotch” (Drechslera teres) and “Bipolaris spot blotch” (Bipolaris sorokiniana) are foliar diseases of barley. Biological control is currently considered as an efficient alternative to chemical management of these plant diseases. The aim of the present study was to identify 2 isolates of Chaetomium (C2 and C5), endophytics on barley seedlings and to study the in vitro interactions with D. teres and B. sorokiniana, isolated from seeds of the same host. Cultural and morphological characterization of all microorganisms was done. In addition, molecular characterization of Chaetomium spp. was conducted and dual culture tests were carried out to find, by microscopic observations, the effects of the antagonist on the morphology of the pathogens. The results confirm the identity of the pathogens and the isolates of Chaetomium spp. as Chaetomium globosum species group. Inhibition of B. sorokiniana and D. teres by C2 and C5 accounted for 30% and 31.2 %, and 40% and 36% respectively, compared with the control. The mechanisms of action against B. sorokiniana and D. teres were antibiosis and competition and mycoparasitism, respectively. Microscopic observation revealed deformed conidia in B. sorokiniana and plasmolisis, coiling and orange pigmentation in D. teres., Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

The effect of hydrogen sulfide (HS), methanethiol (MeSH) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) on the odor properties of three wine models-WM- (young white, young red and oaked red wines) was studied. Wine models were built by mixing a pool of common wine volatile and non-volatile compounds and further spiked with eight different combinations of the three sulfur compounds present at two levels (level 0: 0 μg L and level 1: 40 μg L of HS, 12 μg L of MeSH; 55 μg L of DMS). For each wine matrix eight WMs were produced and further submitted to sensory description by Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method. Hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol were clearly involved in the formation of reductive aromas and shared the ability to act as strong suppressors of fruity and floral attributes. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide generated aromas of rotten eggs, while methanethiol generated significant increases in camembert and decreases in citrus, smoky/roasted and oxidation aromas. The simultaneous presence of hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol enhanced the intensity of the unspecific term reduction, while the specific nuances individually imparted by each of the two compounds could not be further identified. DMS did not exert any outstanding effect on the reductive character of wines and its sensory effect was matrix-dependent. It was involved in the formation of fruity notes such as cooked/candied and red/black fruits in young wines, and vegetal notes (canned vegetables) in oaked red WMs., Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) (projects AGL2010-22355 and AGL2014-59840). E.F, M.P.S.N. and H.R. acknowledge the Diputación General de Aragón, MINECO and Centro Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for their predoctoral (FPI), postdoctoral (Formación Posdoctoral 2013) and predoctoral fellowships, respectively. LAAE acknowledges the continuous support of Diputación General de Aragón (T53) and European Social Fund.

In order to better understand the processes involved in the development of H2S and methanethiol (MeSH) along anoxic storage of wines, 24 wines were stored in strict anoxia at 50 °C for 3 weeks. Free and total forms of H2S and MeSH were measured at different times. Results showed that: (1) all wines contain relevant proportions of bonded forms of H2S and MeSH (93% and 47% on average); (2) such % decreases with age; (3) levels of total forms are related to wine metal composition; (4) anoxic storage brings about an increase of free forms, a strong decrease in the percentage of bonded forms, and except for H2S in red wines, an increase in total forms. Both de novo formation and release contribute to reductive off-odors. Release is predominant for reds and H2S, while at 50 °C, de novo formation dominates for whites and rosés and MeSH.

The characterization of biomass and its dynamics provides valuable information for the assessment of natural and transplanted eelgrass populations. The need for simple, nondestructive assessments has led to the use of the leaf biomass-to-length ratio for converting leaf-length measurements, which can be easily obtained, to leaf growth rates through the plastochrone method. Using data on leaf biomass and length collected in three natural eelgrass populations and a mesocosm, we evaluated the suitability of a leaf weight-to-length ratio for nondestructive assessments. For the data sets considered, the isometric scaling that sustains the weight-to-length proxy always produced inconsistent fittings, and for leaf-lengths greater than a threshold value, the conversion of leaf length to biomass generated biased estimations. In contrast, an allometric scaling of leaf biomass and length was highly consistent in all the cases considered. And these nondestructive assessments generated reliable levels of reproducibility in leaf biomass for all the ranges of variability in leaf lengths. We argue that the use of allometric scaling for the representation of leaf biomass in terms of length provides a more reliable approach for estimating eelgrass biomass.

The presence of Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Passalora fulva), causal agent of tomato leaf mold, was confirmed in the two main greenhouseproduction areas for tomato in Argentina. Using both morphological characters and internal transcribed spacer sequencing, we confirmed the presence of physiological races of this pathogen. A diagnostic multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also developed, using primers derived from C. fulvum avirulence (Avr) genes. In all, 20 isolates of Cladosporium spp. were obtained as monospore cultures and 12 were identified as C. fulvum. By this method, we showed that, of these 12 isolates, 5 were race 0 (carrying functional Avr2, Avr4, Avr4E, and Avr9 genes) and 7 were race 2 (lacking the Avr2 gene). Race identity was confirmed by testing their virulence on a set of tomato differentials carrying different Cf resistance genes. All Avr genes could be amplified in single or multiplex PCR using DNA isolated from in vitro grown monospore cultures but only three Avr could be amplified when genomic DNA was isolated from C. fulvum-infected necrotic leaf tissue., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales

The native fan palms of the Baja California peninsula (Mexico) and neighboring southern California (USA) comprise two species each in Washingtonia and Brahea. While these are among the most familiar ornamental palms in the world, many features of their taxonomy, distribution, and environmental relationships remain unresolved. We utilized Google Earth Digital Globe imagery (and limited surveys by air and land) to develop the first map detailing the geographic distribution of palm populations in the Peninsular Range Province (PRP) and used these data to formulate new hypotheses on their biotic and abiotic relationships. We inventoried 15,216 populations covering an area of 8533 ha, containing an estimated 1.31 million trees. Tree populations estimated by manual tallies from Google Earth images closely matched direct counts published by previous workers. We documented significant extensions in the distributions of both Washingtonia species, as well as 66 hitherto unreported W. robusta oases in the Sierra La Asamblea. We also recorded thousands of upland populations of dwarf B. armata. Google Earth imagery shows that native fan palms are widespread in remote mountains of the entire peninsula, but in Baja California Sur W. robusta is mostly restricted to a few highly altered agricultural landscapes associated with extensive wetlands. It has long been assumed that the center of W. robusta distribution is in the tropical southern peninsula. Our observations suggest it may have been dispersed there by indigenous peoples before European contact, and its center of genetic diversity may instead lie in the Central Desert (ca. lat 28u–30uN).

Ecological boundaries have been of interest to naturalists since the time of Darwin and Wallace because they are transitional zones on the landscape across which distinct changes occur in constitution of plant and animal communities. In the xeric landscapes of the central Baja California Peninsula, fan palm (Erythea armata and Washingtonia robusta) oases are small (usually

En el marco del proyecto VALOVITIS (Programa POCTEFA 2014-2020) de identificación y evaluación de variedades minoritarias en el Piedemonte Pirenaico, se está trabajando y sometiendo a estudio la variedad PARREL. Tras los resultados obtenidos en sucesivas campañas de vendimia y vinificación semi-industrial, la variedad Parrel destaca como una de las variedades autóctonas de la región de Aragón con mayor potencial para su posterior desarrollo comercial atendiendo a sus propiedades agronómicas, enológicas a su resistencia a enfermedades como el oídio y a su capacidad de adaptación a condiciones climáticas continentales caracterizadas por elevadas oscilaciones térmicas a lo largo del año.