Nitrogen supply associated with rhizobacteria in the first productive cycle of Marandu grass

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - The rhizobacteria of genus Azospirillum and Bacillus are effective at fixing atmospheric nitrogen, promote plant growth and can largely contribute to...     

Interactive effects of a high-quality protein diet and high stocking density on the stress response and some innate immune parameters of Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis

Amino acids (AA) regulate key metabolic pathways, including some immune responses. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether an increased availability of dietary AA can mitigate the expected increase in plasma cortisol and metabolites levels due to high stocking density and its subsequent immunosuppression. Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) were maintained at low stocking density (LSD; 3.5 kg m^?2) or high stocking density (HSD; 12 kg m^?2) for 18 days. Additionally, both treatments were fed a control or a high protein (HP) diet (LSD, LSD HP, HSD and HSD HP). The HP diet slightly increased the levels of digestible indispensable AA, together with tyrosine and cysteine. HSD was effective in inducing a chronic stress response after 18 days of treatment since fish held at HSD presented higher plasma cortisol, glucose and lactate levels. Moreover, this increase in stress indicators translated in a decrease in plasma lysozyme, alternative complement pathway (ACP) and peroxidase activities, suggesting some degree of immunosuppression. Interestingly, while plasma glucose and lactate levels in HSD HP specimens decreased to similar values than LSD fish, plasma lysozyme, ACP and peroxidase activities increased, with even higher values than LSD groups for ACP activity. It is suggested that the HP diet may be used as functional feed since it may represent a metabolic advantage during stressful events and may counteract immunosuppression in sole.     

Leaf position,leaf age and plant age affect the expression of downy mildew resistance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis>

Downy mildew caused by the oomycete Hyaloperonospora parasitica (formerly Peronospora parasitica) is a worldwide foliar disease of Brassica vegetables, which may cause seedling loss in the nurseries and damage to adult plants in the field. Disease symptoms start from the lower leaves and progress upwards. Three experiments were conducted under controlled environment conditions, using inoculated leaf discs, to determine the influence of leaf position, plant age, and leaf age on the expression of resistance to downy mildew in various Brassica oleracea genotypes. The upper leaves were more resistant than the lower leaves when 7–19 week-old plants of broccoli and Tronchuda cabbage were tested. Broccoli lines ‘PCB21.32’ and ‘OL87123-2’ were fully susceptible at the cotyledon stage, showed a clear resistance increase from lower to upper leaves at 6 weeks and ‘PCB21.32’ was fully resistant 16 weeks after sowing. Immature leaves were more resistant than adjacent fully expanded mature leaves. Susceptibility increased with leaf age when the same leaf was tested at two to 4-week intervals. Leaf age and upper-leaf position on the stem had opposite effects on disease score, since younger leaves collected from lower positions and older leaves collected from upper positions tended to score similarly in compatible interactions. The progression of downy mildew from the base of the plant upwards on B. oleracea in the field could be due to differences in leaf resistance in addition to environmental variation. To maximise the expression of a compatible reaction in adult plants lower leaves of Brassica plants that are at least 12 weeks-old should be used.     

Diversity and potential impact of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus globulus</Emphasis> plantations in Portugal

Eucalyptus globulus, a non-native species, is currently the most abundant forest species in Portugal. This economically important forest tree is exploited mainly for the production of pulp for the paper industry. The community of Botryosphaeriaceae species occurring on diseased and healthy E. globulus trees was studied on plantations throughout the country. Nine species from three different genera were identified, namely Botryosphaeria (B. dothidea), Diplodia (D. corticola and D. seriata) and Neofusicoccum (N. australe, N. algeriense, N. eucalyptorum, N. kwambonambiense, N. parvum and Neofusicoccum sp.). Of these, N. algeriense, D. corticola and D. seriata are reported for the first time on E. globulus, while N. algeriense, N. eucalyptorum and N. kwambonambiense correspond to first reports in Portugal. The genus Neofusicoccum was clearly dominant with N. australe and N. eucalyptorum being the most abundant species on both diseased and healthy trees. In artificial inoculation trials representative isolates from all nine species were shown to be pathogenic to E. globulus but there were marked differences in aggressiveness between them. Thus, D. corticola and N. kwambonambiense were the most aggressive while B. dothidea and D. seriata were the least aggressive of the species studied.     

Effect of feeding time on dietary protein utilization and growth of juvenile Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis)

The present study aimed to determine the effect of feeding time on growth and nitrogen excretion in juvenile sole. An 84‐day growth trial was conducted, in which food was supplied to three triplicate groups of juvenile Senegalese sole (3 g wet weight) at different schedules – diurnal, nocturnal and mixed. At the end of the growth trial, ammonia and urea excretion was assessed during a 24 h cycle. Improved growth (1.3% vs. 0.9% day^?1, specific growth rate), higher nitrogen retention (0.35 vs. 0.27 g N kg^?1 day^?1), lower ammonia excretion (209 vs. 272 mg N‐NH₄ kg^?1 day^?1) and lower total nitrogen excretion (278 vs. 352 mg N kg^?1 day^?1) were found in daytime‐fed fish compared with night‐fed fish. Fish in the mixed feeding regime showed intermediate values of ammonia and total nitrogen excretion, but did not differ from day‐fed fish regarding the other parameters. Results indicate that juvenile sole at a period of their life cycle appear to use more efficiently dietary protein for somatic growth under a diurnal than under a nocturnal feeding regime. This suggest that at least during a time‐window in the juvenile rearing a diurnal feeding regime might be more effective in the production of this species.     

Oviposition preference assessment of Diabrotica speciosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) for different soybean genotypes

This study assessed current research methods and applied them to tests of oviposition preference by Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) for different soybean genotypes; the correlation between the number of eggs per plant and leaf intake was evaluated. The experiments were divided into four parts: (i) assessing the preferred oviposition substrate; (ii) standardizing the number of D. speciosa pairs, (iii) evaluating the preferred soybean plant age, and (iv) testing the preference for oviposition on different soybean genotypes, and evaluating its correlation with leaf intake under laboratory conditions. Females of D. speciosa preferred to lay eggs in the soil, with the highest number of eggs laid in the presence of a growing soybean plant. The genotypes PI 227687, DM 339, and PI 274454 were the least preferred varieties for oviposition, while BRSGO 8360 was the most preferred genotype. Egg counts were not correlated with leaf intake, except for the variety IGRA RA 626 RR, which showed positive correlation. Our discoveries may be helpful for second-crop use of resistant genotypes in areas where different crops are cultivated, by reducing the pest density off-season.     

Can spleen aspirations be safely used for the parasitological diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniosis? A study on assymptomatic and polysymptomatic animals

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of spleen aspiration as a sampling technique for the parasitological detection by culture and microscopy of Leishmania (chagasi) infantum. Two hundred and nine domiciled dogs from an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis in Bahia State, Brazil, were studied. Most dogs (87%) were seropositive for anti-L. chagasi antibodies by ELISA. Clinical signs of disease were recorded and the animals monitored during and after spleen puncture in order to detect possible complications associated with the procedure. From a total of 257 splenic punctures in the 209 animals, only three minor events occurred, with no significant consequence for the animals and no association with risk factors. Leishmania was isolated from 149/180 (83%) seropositive dogs, and from 6/26 (23%) seronegative animals. The procedure did not cause adverse side effects or unnecessary suffering and confirmed the diagnosis in a large percentage of dogs. We conclude that spleen aspiration can be considered an effective and safe procedure for the definitive diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniosis.     

Biochemical composition and indigestible oligosaccharides in Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds

Common beans have a high nutritional value, but contain galactooligosaccharides (GO), which cause flatulence and intestinal discomfort in humans. The biochemical composition of ten bean cultivars was determined to select those of high protein and low GO contents. The cultivars varied in carbohydrate (47.02-60.17%), GO (3.12-5.71%), protein (22.17-33.50%), lipid (1.13-1.81%), moisture (11.42-12.93%) and ash contents (4.08-5.61%). 'Mexico 222' presented the highest alpha-galactosidase activity. Protein and GO contents were positively correlated. 'Perry Marrow' combined high protein and low GO concentrations, indicating it can be used in improvement programs aiming at high-quality cultivars for human consumption.     

Meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri in cattle of northeast Brazil

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is an acute disease of the central nervous system of humans and animals caused by Naegleria fowleri. This report describes a case of meningoencephalitis caused by N. fowleri in a crossbred, one-year-old bovine with progressive neurological signs. At necropsy there was thickening of the meninges and multifocal areas of malacia in the thalamus, caudal and rostral colliculi, parietal and occipital cortex, and cerebellum. Histologically there was multifocal necrosupurative meningoencephalitis associated with areas of malacia containing amoebic trophozoites. Immunohistochemistry of the brain was positive for N. fowleri. The disease should be included among the differential diagnosis of diseases of the central nervous system in cattle in areas where animals are exposed to hot, stagnant water.