Comparison of Epidemics of Botrytis Fruit Rot and Powdery Mildew of Strawberry in Large Plastic Tunnel and Field Production Systems.

Epidemics of Botrytis fruit rot (Botrytis cinerea) and powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis f. sp. fragariae) in annual strawberry were compared in large plastic tunnel and field production systems during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. Treatments were factorial combinations of two main plots (field and tunnel) and four subplots, including combinations of two cultivars (Camarosa and Sweet Charlie) and two captan schedules arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The mean incidence of Botrytis fruit rot was 88 to 94% lower in tunnels than in the field. The incidence of Botrytis fruit rot for the untreated control in tunnels was less than 2%, which was 89% lower than that of the 7-day captan schedule in the field. This indicates that Botrytis fruit rot can be controlled effectively without fungicides in a tunnel cultural system. Powdery mildew was severe on susceptible cultivar Camarosa in tunnels. Early season yields of cultivar Sweet Charlie were significantly higher in tunnels than in the field. Shorter periods of leaf wetness and higher temperatures in tunnels may have contributed to a lower incidence of Botrytis fruit rot and a higher incidence of powdery mildew on fruit in tunnels compared with open field plots.

[In vitro activity of carumonam (RO 17-2301) on hospital bacteria]. / Activité in vitro du carumonam (RO 17-2301) sur les bactéries hospitalières.

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of carumonam (RO 17-2301), a new synthetic antibacterial agent of the monobactam group, were evaluated by agar dilution for 399 hospital isolates. RO 17-2301 was inactive against Gram positive and anaerobic bacteria. Most Enterobacteriaceae were inhibited by concentrations less than 1 microgram/ml, with mode MICs approximating 0.03 micrograms/ml except for Providencia (0.016), Citrobacter (0.06), Serratia (0.06) and Enterobacter (0.12). A few strains, most of which were Enterobacter or Citrobacter, had high MICs (greater than 8 micrograms/ml). RO 17-2301 was less active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (mode MIC 2 micrograms/ml) and Acinetobacter (mode MIC 8-16 micrograms/ml). Haemophilus influenzae sp. were sensitive to RO 17-2301 (mode MIC 0.12-0.25), regardless of beta-lactamase production status; MICs ranged from 0.06 to 0.25 micrograms/ml for Meningococci, and from 0.008 to 0.06 for Gonococci except for a few strains that had higher MICs (0.25 to 0.5 and even 4 micrograms/ml). In vitro activity of RO 17-2301 on Gram negative bacteria proved similar to that of third-generation cephalosporins; cefotaxime-resistant Enterobacteriaceae are resistant to RO 17-2301.