Characterization of metabolites of fungicidal cymoxanil in a sensitive strain of Botrytis cinerea

The metabolism of cymoxanil [1-(2-cyano-2-methoxyiminoacetyl)-3-ethyl urea] by a very sensitive strain of Botrytis cinerea toward this fungicide was studied by using [2-(14)C]-cymoxanil. Labeled cymoxanil was added either in a culture of this strain or in its enzymatic extract. The main metabolites, detected in biological samples, were isolated and identified by mass and NMR spectrometry. Their identification allowed us to show that this strain quickly metabolized cymoxanil according to at least three enzymatic pathways: (i) cyclization leading, after hydrolysis, to ethyl parabanic acid, (ii) reduction giving demethoxylated cymoxanil, and (iii) hydrolysis and reduction followed by acetylation leading to N-acetylcyanoglycine. In a cell-free extract of the same strain, only the first and the second enzymatic reactions, quoted above, occurred. Biological tests showed that, among all the metabolites, only N-acetylcyanoglycine is fungitoxic toward this sensitive strain.     

Dynamics of mycotoxin and Aspergillus flavus levels in aging Bt and non-Bt corn residues under Mississippi no-till conditions

Mycotoxin and Aspergillus flavus levels in soil-surface corn debris left by no-till agriculture methods (stover, cobs, and cobs with grain) were determined during the December-March fallow period for near-isogenic Bt and non-Bt hybrid corn. By December, average mycotoxin levels in non-Bt corn were many times higher in cobs with grain than in grain harvested in September (total aflatoxins, 774 vs 211 ng/g; total fumonisins, 216 vs 3.5 microg/g; cyclopiazonic acid, 4102 vs 72.2 microg/g; zearalenone, 0.2 vs < 0.1 microg/g). No trichothecenes were detected. Levels of mycotoxins and A. flavus propagules were approximately 10- to 50-fold lower in cobs without grain and stover, respectively, for all mycotoxins except zearalenone. Mycotoxin levels in corn debris fractions decreased during winter but began to rise in March. Levels of all mycotoxins and A. flavus propagules were lower in harvested grain and debris from Bt than non-Bt corn, but differences were significant (p < 0.05) only for aflatoxins.     

Evaluation of different litter materials for broiler production in a hot and humid environment: 2. Productive performance and carcass characteristics

The availability of wood by-products for bedding material is falling in many regions due to rising demand for other uses. The objective of this study was to evaluate six alternative litter sources—river bed sand, coconut husk, rice hulls, Guinea grass, newspaper, and corncob—as a substitute for wood shavings (WS). The trial was carried out over 35 days in an open-sided and naturally ventilated broiler house under conditions of high ambient temperatures and relative humidity. During the brooding period (0 to 14 days), chicks raised on grass had lower (P?<?0.05) footpad temperature than those grown on WS. After the brooding period (15 to 35 days), the temperatures of both litter and birds were higher (P?<?0.05) for coconut husk than for WS. Grass litter resulted in lower (P?<?0.05) final BW, FCR, and production efficiency. Sand and rice hulls were associated with lower (P?<?0.05) survival rate and higher (P?<?0.05) gizzard weight. Litter type did not affect carcass and meat yields. The footpad dermatitis score, associating incidence and severity, was not statistically different among the litter substrates tested, although numerically higher in coconut husk, grass, and corncob. The results obtained in this experiment indicate that, in a hot and humid environment, all materials except grass can be used as a substitute for wood shavings with comparable production efficiency.     

Expression and biochemical characteristics of two different aldosterone receptors in both healthy and dilated cardiomyopathy dog heart tissue

Recently, replicates of the aldosterone receptor expression have been done in healthy heart dog tissues through immunohistochemistry, showing an apparent heterogeneous distribution in the four chambers. Recent studies have also identified immediate effects of aldosterone, suggesting aldosterone also produces non-genomic effects caused by an unidentified receptor. In order to study the molecular and quantitative expression characteristics of aldosterone binding receptors in the canine heart, we conducted studies, using Western Blot, in the heart from both healthy animals and animals with dilated cardiomyopathy. The results show the presence and distribution of two aldosterone receptors; one of 110/120 kDa molecular weight, suggested as cytosolic/nuclear and the other of undetermined location with a 250 kDa molecular weight.     

Predicting anthesis date of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with growing degree‐days at heading

The agronomic significance of heading date in crop species is well documented; however, the date of anthesis is often less emphasized even though it has important applications for seed quality and yield. Moreover, the relationship between heading and anthesis is not well defined. We propose that growing degree‐days to heading can be used as a good predictor of anthesis date. Using a broad range of 520 diploid perennial ryegrass accessions, anthesis was found to be highly correlated with growing degree‐days to heading, and growing degree‐days to heading could be used to predict anthesis date in historical data sets collected over many years. The ability to adequately predict anthesis will allow seed‐producing farmers to improve seed quality by identifying times when high disease pressure will coincide with anthesis, thus allowing control measures to be applied.     

Re-examination of the metabolizable energy contents of various rations containing different types and levels of bacterially fermentable substrates in digestibility experiments with growing pigs

Introduction   Feedstuffs with elevated contents of bacterially fermentable substrates (BFS: GFE 1987) offered to pigs have intermediate metabolizable energy (ME) contents compared with feedstuffs mainly composed of starch or hardly fermentable fibre (H adorn et al. 1996a,b). Consequently, BFS-elevated feeds could be used as major components enabling pig fattening rations to obtain the ME values required for feed calculation from tabulated values (DLG 1991) or equations based on nutrient composition (GFE 1996). The main field of application for BFS-elevated feeds is, however, still the feeding of adult, non-lactating sows, with the majority of investigations on fermentation characteristics also being conducted with sows. In fattening pigs a higher accuracy of estimated ME contents is required than in non-lactating sows. Furthermore, the ME values of feeds with elevated BFS contents might be systematically different in sows and fattening pigs because a still incomplete evolution of the fermentative capacity of the hindgut of growing pigs cannot be totally excluded (J entsch et al. 1990). The efficiency of hindgut bacterial protein synthesis might also be different from that being assumed from sow data (e.g. K irchgessner et al. 1989, 1994).
The objective of the present study was to determine the actual ME and BFS contents of rations varying widely in type and level of BFS in three experiments with growing pigs. By comparing these values with those calculated from equations or from tabulated values a re-examination of the currently applied feed evaluation system should be carried out. Furthermore, interactions of BFS with dietary protein reduction were investigated, since in low-protein rations fermentation efficiency might be limited by a lack of nitrogen in the hindgut (M osenthin 1987).     

Phosphorus pool in an alfisol following three years of fallow using different types of legumes

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Leguminous crops not only supply N to the soil but also phosphorus (P). The availability of P in the soil however highly depends on the P fractions,...     

Effects of Bacillus subtilis strains and the prebiotic Previda® on growth,immune parameters and susceptibility to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Nile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus

This study was conducted to evaluate the individual and combined effects of long‐term feeding of diets containing two probiotic Bacillus subtilis group strains (Aqua NZ and AP193) and the prebiotic Previda^®, a commercial hemicellulose extract, on growth performance, immune parameters and Aeromonas hydrophila susceptibility of juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Nile tilapia of average weight 7.47 ± 0.11 g were fed diets formulated with the probiotics and/or the prebiotic, or a control diet for 8 weeks and, subsequently, challenged with A. hydrophila by intragastric gavage at a dosage of 3.9 × 10⁷ CFU per fish. Fish attained a mean weight of 59.5 ± 0.99 g at the end of the growth period. Under the conditions of the present trial, none of the diets significantly improved mean per cent weight gain (P = 0.70), thermal growth coefficient (P = 0.88) or feed conversion ratio (P = 0.87) of Nile tilapia. Except for the diet containing the prebiotic Previda^® only (P = 0.17), all other diets resulted in significantly higher fish survival compared to the control (P < 0.05). The combined effect of the prebiotic and probiotic strains emerged as the most important diet with respect to mortality reduction. The mean lysozyme and respiratory burst activities did not show any significant differences between treatments and control (P = 0.14 and 0.32, respectively). Thus, these probiotic strains used in this study have the potential to prevent disease due to A. hydrophila in O. niloticus.     

Generation mean analysis of phosphorus‐use efficiency in freely nodulating soybean crosses grown in low‐phosphorus soil

Freely nodulating soybean genotypes vary in their phosphorus (P) uptake and P‐use efficiency (PUE) in low‐P soils. Understanding the genetic basis of these genotypes’ performance is essential for effective breeding. To study the inheritance of PUE, we conducted crosses using two high‐PUE genotypes, two moderate‐PUE genotypes and two inefficient‐PUE genotypes, and obtained F₁, F_2, BC₁ and BC₂ populations. The inheritance of PUE was evaluated using a randomized complete block design. A generation mean analysis of phenotypic data showed that PUE was heritable, with complex inheritance patterns and the presence of additive, dominance and epistatic gene effects. Seed P, shoot P, root P, P‐incorporation efficiency and PUE were largely quantitatively inherited traits. There were dominance, additive × additive and dominance × dominance gene effects on PUE, grain yield, shoot dry weight, 100‐seed weight, root dry weight and shoot dry matter per unit P for populations grown under low‐P conditions. Dominance effects were generally greater than additive effects on PUE‐related indices. These PUE indices can be used to select P‐efficient soybean genotypes from segregating populations.