Hydraulic conductance exerts a strong influence on many aspects of plant physiology, namely: transpiration, CO2 assimilation, growth, productivity or stress response. However we lack full understanding of the contribution of root or shoot water transport capacity to the total water balance, something which is difficult to study in trees. Here we tested the hypothesis that whole plant hydraulic ...

Floral nectar is considered the most important reward animal-pollinated plants offer to attract pollinators. Here we explore whether honeybees, which act as pollinators, affect the composition of bacterial communities in the nectar. Nectar and honeybees were sampled from two plant species: Amygdalus communis and Citrus paradisi. To prevent the contact of nectar with pollinators, C. paradisi flo...

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is an important worldwide pest of citrus that vectors bacteria (Candidatus Liberibacter spp.) responsible for huanglongbing (citrus greening disease). We examined the behavioral responses of mated and unmated D. citri of both sexes to odors from host plants in a Y-tube olfactometer, with and without visual cues. The host plants tested were 'Dunca...

An inverse association between flavonoid intake and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been suggested by a number of epidemiological studies (42,44,54,78). As a consequence, there is considerable interest in investigating the antiatherogenic nature of these compounds. Flavonoids are naturally occurring molecules abundant in fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beverages, such as tea and wine. Over...

The antifungal activity and the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) from some Mediterranean autochthonous plants were investigated against Malassezia pachydermatis, a fastidious opportunistic yeast usually involved in canine external otitis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Anthemis nobilis, Citrus limon, Citrus paradisi, Illicium verum, Lavandula hybrida, Mentha piperita, O...

The search for new antimicrobial compounds is ongoing. Its importance cannot be overemphasized in an era of emerging resistant pathogenic organisms. This study therefore investigated the phytochemical composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of different citrus juice concentrates. Fruit juices of Citrus tangerine (tangerine), Citrus paradisi (grape), Citrus limon (lemon), and Ci...

Putrescine (Put) increased 68% in lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. cv Bearss) flavedo, 39% in grapefruit (C. paradisi Macf. cv Marsh) flavedo, 49% in grapefruit juice, and 149% in pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv Early Calwonder) pericarp when fruits were stored at chilling temperatures. In lemon flavedo, the coefficient of correlation (r(2)) between Put concentration with severity of chilling wa...

The citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), is a world-wide pest of citrus (Heppner 1993) described originally in India (Stainton 1856). In the USA, it was initially found in Homestead, Florida and parts of Dade, Broward and Collier counties in 1993 (Heppner 1993). Its distribution is now widespread across Florida in citrus-growing regions, and is spread...

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri, Hemiptera: Liviidae), is the principal vector of the phloem-limited bacteria strongly associated with huanglongbing (HLB), the world's most serious disease of citrus. Host plant resistance may provide an environmentally safe and sustainable method of controlling ACP and/or HLB. Two xCitroncirus accessions (hybrids of Poncirus trifoliata and Citru...

BACKGROUND Vector-borne plant disease management can be enhanced by deployment of antifeedants in addition to the use of broad-spectrum neurotoxic insecticides. The effects of pymetrozine on Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, feeding behaviour, survival and transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the presumed causal pathogen of huanglongbing, were investigat...