An outbreak of gizzard erosion and ulceration in chicks in Zambia

An outbreak of gizzard erosion and ulceration in broilers in Zambia is described. Approximately 100,000 chickens in the age group of 2-9 weeks were affected. Mortality ranged from 5 to 30%. In a majority of cases, crops, oesophaguses and gizzards were engorged with dark brown to black watery material. Lesions were mainly in the gizzard comprising erosions and ulcers. High levels of fish meal in the ration is indicated as a causative factor.     

Reclamation of saline‐sodic soil under a rice–wheat system by horizontal surface flushing

Saline sodic soil with a high content of soluble carbonates is one of the important agricultural soils on the Central Indo‐Gangetic plains and elsewhere. Conventional reclamation procedures using gypsum application followed by vertical leaching (GC) is uneconomic; high ECe and precipitation of applied gypsum, reacting with soluble carbonates, reduce the efficacy of gypsum in these soils. This paper reports results from a project designed to evaluate reclamation by irrigation of the ploughed soil and turning of soil with a power tiller followed by flushing of standing water after 24 h, a second flushing after 7 days and subsequent application of gypsum and vertical leaching (GF2). Average rice and wheat production after GF2 significantly increased (25 and 62%, respectively) over the conventional practice. Compared with conventional treatment, GF2 significantly reduced the ECe and SAR of the soil and improved physical properties such as ζ‐potential, dispersible clay content, water stable aggregates expressed as MWD, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Split application of gypsum between flushing (GF1/2 and GF2/3) gave similar results to GF2 in terms of soil amelioration and crop production.     

Effect of Gypsum Application on Long Term Changes in Soil Properties and Crop Growth in Sodic Soils under Field Conditions

In a field study, conducted on farmer's waste sodic soils, Aquic Natrustalf, 12.5 t/ha gypsum was surface mixed. Effect of gypsum application on soil properties and crop yields of rice and wheat grown in succession was evaluated after one to five years of gypsum application. The results showed that soil pH, electrical conductivity, calcium carbonate and soil dispersion decreased, whereas organic carbon, hydraulic conductivity, water infiltration and storage increased considerably after five years of gypsum application. In the initial years the improvement in soil properties was more in the surface layers and extended to lower layers slowly in the following years. Average grain yields of rice and wheat in the first year were 4.2 and 1.8 t/ha, respectively. The yields further increased to 6.1 and 2.5 t/ha in the 5th year, but the yields were lower than the yields obtained in research experiment. Relationships between wheat grain yield and pH of 0–15 and 15–30 cm layers were established. Wheat yield reduced by 45 percent when pH of 0–15 cm layer increased from 9.0 to 9.5. The sodicity of sub soil was still too high to permit the cultivation of deep rooted crops even after five years of gypsum application. Normal crop production is possible in these sodic soils, given sufficient time to reduce the sub soil sodicity.     

Effect of bronchodilator and intravascular oxygen releaser on the course of Dictyocaulus filaria infection in lambs

The effect of a bronchodilator (or ciprenaline sulphate) and intravascular oxygen releaser (sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate) on the host in experimental Dictyocaulus filaria infection was studied. Fifteen male lambs of Dorset-Muzaffarnagri breed, aged 4-6 months, were divided into four groups of four (infected bronchodilator), four (infected i.v. O2 releaser), four (infected untreated controls) and three (uninfected controls). The administration of i.v. O2 releaser helped in increasing the length of useful patency, estimated total larval production and survival rate of D. filaria producer lambs. The administration of I.V. O2 releaser and bronchodilator helped in efficiently restoring the altered values of blood pH, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and osmotic fragility of erythrocytes to near normal levels. However, the blood clotting time and level of lactate dehydrogenase activity remained altered and followed a course typical of ovine dictyocauliosis.     

Immune response of chicks to oral vaccination against Newcastle disease and fowl pox

The humoral immune response and immunity conferred in chicks were compared following separate and combined oral vaccination with F strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and HP1 strain of fowl pox virus. The haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titre against NDV and passive haemagglutination (PHA) antibody titre against fowl pox virus were comparable in two respective groups. The serum IgG concentration increased significantly after the second vaccination in all the groups. The NDV vaccine induced significantly higher IgG production as compared to fowl pox virus vaccine. There was no significant difference in serum IgG concentration produced by combined vaccine and separate F strain vaccine. The protection afforded by combined and separate vaccinations did not vary significantly against challenge with virulent strains of NDV and fowl pox virus at different stages.     

Interaction between Eimeria uzura infection and aflatoxicosis in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

The clinical signs and gross lesions caused by Eimeria uzura (10(5) oocysts) in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exhibited little or no influence in the face of intercurrent dietary aflatoxicosis (1 p.p.m. of aflatoxin B1 from Day 0 to 55). Similarly, no significant differences in the mucosal morphology of the intestine were evident histologically between the two groups of Japanese quail. The nervous signs of ataxia, leg weakness, incoordination of movement, torticollis and terminal opisthotonos were toxin-induced manifestations. In the aflatoxic quail, hypoplastic changes and selective depletion of lymphocytes were more prominent in the bursa of fabricius. Increased relative mean weights of liver, kidney, spleen, crop, proventriculus and gizzard were observed in birds due to aflatoxin sensitivity. The combination of E. uzura infection and aflatoxicosis in Japanese quail may cause significant weight loss, and increased oocyst production and reproductive potential.     

Shot-hole disease of Terminalia paniculata caused by Cylindrocladium quinqueseptatum - a new record1

A shot-hole leaf disease Terminalia paniculata caused by Cylindrocladion quinqueseplatium is reported from Kerala, India. Symptoms of the disease and pathogenicity of the isolate are described.     

Traditional medicinal plants in Mizoram, India

In rural societies of Mizoram, India, traditional methods of treatment are followed in the majority of the populace. Information on 135 plant species from 122 genera and 65 families is presented here.     

A study of the potential of hedgerow intercropping in semi-arid India using a two-way systematic design

The potential of hedgerow intecrropping with Leucaena leucocephala was explored on vertic Inceptisols over 4 years at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India. The study was conducted using a systematic layout involving different alley widths ranging from 1.35 to 4.95 m and with varying distances between hedge and crops. The alleys were cropped with alternate rows of sorghum and pigeonpea. Hedges composed double Leucaena hedgerows 60 cm apart were periodically harvested for fodder. Sole crops of all components and a sorghum/pigeonpea intercrop were included in all four replications of the study.Starting in the second year, Leucaena was progressively more competitive to annual crops, causing substantial yield reduction. Competition (primarily for moisture) was most severe in narrow alleys and was greatest on pigeonpea.The growth of Leucaena was not sufficient to compensate for reduced crop yields. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) calculated on the basis of grain yield of crops and Leucaena fodder yields showed that hedgerow intercropping (HI) was advantageous over sole crops only during the first two years using wide alleys, but disadvantegeous in the last two years. LERs calculated on the basis of total dry matter indicated only a small advantage for HI (13–17 percent) over sole crops in wider (>4 m) alleys. Average returns per year from HI exceeded those of the most productive annual crop system (sorghum/pigeonpea intercropping) by 8 percent in 4.05 m alleys, and by 16 percent in 4.95 m alleys. Fodder production during the dry season was 40 percent of the annual total in these alley widths. Thus hedgerow intercropping at 4–5 m alley width is not very attractive for farmers in semi-arid India, which has 600–700 mm of annual rainfall. There is a need to examine the potential of HI in wider alleys. The merits and limitations of the systematic design are discussed.     

Development of Melampsora ciliata rust on nursery‐grown poplars in north‐western Himalayas

Development of leaf rust (Melampsora ciliata) in different species, hybrids and cultivars of poplar (Populus spp.) was studied in nursery‐grown plants. Five different criteria were used to assess the disease development. The mean disease index on 10 August was 9.4% which increased to 70.0% on 10 October. The lowest disease index (5.5%) was recorded in P. yunnanensis whereas the maximum was recorded in P. × euramericana‘Rubra‐Poiret’ (59.5%). The apparent infection rate per unit per day was highest in P. nigra × P. trichocarpa (9.7 × 10^–2) whereas the minimum occurred in P. maximowiczii × P. berolinensis‘Oxford’ (3.3 × 10^–2). The area under the disease progress curve was a maximum in P. × euramericana‘Rubra‐Poiret’ (26.7) and a minimum in P. yunnanensis (1.6). Complete defoliation by the first half of October occurred in P. nigra × P. trichocarpa, which also had the maximum apparent infection rate and area under the disease progress curve. Inoculum production was highest in P. nigra × P. trichocarpa and lowest in P. maximowiczii × P. berolinensis‘Oxford’.