Endocrine and gonadal changes during the annual reproductive cycle of the freshwater teleost,Stizostedion vitreum

The annual reproductive cycle of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) was characterized by documenting changes in gonadal development and serum levels of estradiol-17β (E₂), testosterone (T), 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20-P), and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) in wild fish captured from upper midwestern lakes and rivers throughout the year. Fish from the populations used in this study spawn annually in early- to mid-April. Walleye showed group synchronous ovarian development with exogenous vitellogenesis beginning in autumn. Oocyte diameters increased rapidly from ∼ 200 μm in October to ∼ 1,000 μm in November, and reached a maximum of 1,500 μm just prior to spawning. Changes in gonadosomatic indices (GSIs) paralleled changes in oocyte diameters. Serum E₂ levels in females increased rapidly from low values in October (< 0.1 ng ml⁻¹) to peak levels of 3.7 ng ml⁻¹ in November, coinciding with the period of the most rapid ovarian growth. Subsequently, E₂ levels decreased from December through spawning. Serum T levels exhibited a bimodal pattern, increasing to 1.6 ng ml⁻¹ in November, and peaking again at 3.3 ng ml⁻¹ just prior to spawning. We detected 11-KT in the serum of some females at concentrations up to 5.6 ng ml⁻¹, but no seasonal pattern was apparent. In this study (unlike our results in a related study) 17,20-P was not detected. In males, differentiation of spermatogonia began in late August, and by January the testes were filled (> 95% of germ cells) with spermatozoa. Mature spermatozoa could be expressed from males from January through April. GSIs ranged from 0.2% (post-spawn) to 3.2% (pre-spawn). Serum T levels rose from undetectable levels in post-spawn males to 1.6 ng ml⁻¹ by November, remained elevated throughout the winter, and peaked at 2.8 ng ml⁻¹ I prior to spawning. Levels of 11-KT in males remained low (< 10 ng ml⁻¹, from post-spawning through January, then increased significantly by March and peaked just prior to spawning at 39.7 ng ml⁻¹. Our results indicate that vitellogenesis and spermatogenesis are complete or nearly so, in walleye by early winter, and suggest that it may be possible to induce spawning in this species several months prior to the normal spawning season by subjecting fish to relatively simple environmental and hormonal treatments.     

Effects of Restored Stream Buffers on Water Quality in Non-tidal Streams in the Choptank River Basin

Restoration of riparian buffers is an important component of nutrient reduction strategies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In 1998, Maryland adopted a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which provides financial incentives to take agricultural land out of production to plant streamside vegetation. Between 1998 and 2005, 1–30% of streamside vegetation (average?=?11%), was restored to forest or managed grass in 15 agriculturally dominated sub-basins in the Choptank River basin, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay. Pre-existing forested buffers represented 10–48% of the streamside (average?=?33%), for a total of 12–61% buffered streamsides (average?=?44%). Using multi-year water quality data collected before and after CREP implementation (1986, 2003–2006), we were unable to detect significant effects of CREP on baseflow nutrient concentrations based on the area of restored buffer, the percentage of restored streamside, or the percentage of total riparian buffer in the sub-basins (p?>?0.05). Although CREP increased the average buffered streamside from 33% in the 1990s to 44% by 2005, N and P concentrations have not changed or have increased in some streams over the last 20 years. Reductions may not have occurred for the following reasons: (1) buffer age, width, and connectivity (gaps) between buffers are also important to nutrient reductions; (2) agricultural nutrient inputs may have increased during this period; and (3) riparian buffer restoration was not extensive enough by 2005 to have measurable affects on the stream water quality in these sub-basins. Significant effects of CREP may yet be resolved as the current CREP buffers mature; however, water quality data through 2006 in the Choptank basin do not yet show any significant effects.     

The effects of different maternal dietary iodine concentrations on Japanese quail II. Thyroid function in embryos and hatchlingsi

Embryos (day I4 of the 16.5 day incubation period) and I day old chicks of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were used to study the effects of egg I on thyroid development. The maternal diets were supplemented with 0–1200 μg I/kg of purified diet. Thyroid function, of embryos and chicks (before feeding), adapted to a wide range of egg I availability.We measured body weights, thyroid weights, thyroidal ¹²⁵I uptakes, stable I concentrations in thyroid glands and triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄) concentrations in the serum.With low egg I (maternal diets with <50 μg I/kg) embryonic and chick thyroid glands were hypertrophied, thyroidal I content was very low and thyroidal radioiodine uptakes were high. Serum hormone concentrations were not significantly different from those of embryos and chicks from eggs with higher I contents. Thyroid weights were lowest in young from eggs of hens on the 150 μg I/kg diet, and the other variables studied also indicated this maternal diet provided sufficient egg I for the thyroid function of embryos and hatchlings.With high egg I (maternal diets with 300–1200 μg I/kg) thyroidal radioiodine uptakes were low but thyroidal I incorporation was related to egg I content. Serum hormone concentrations were not significantly altered by high I availability except that serum T₄ concentrations differed in a comparison of the extremes (0 vs 1200 μg I/kg in the maternal diet). As expected, from the consistency of serum hormone concentrations, embryonic growth was not affected by the I content of the eggs.In agreement with earlier studies on quail hens, our results indicate that feed supplementation of 150 μg I/kg is sufficient to meet needs without requiring alterations in thyroid function to maintain serum hormone concentrations. Developing thyroid glands adapt effectively to egg I concentrations of 0.2 to 4.1 μg I/g yolk which result from maternal diets with 0–1200 μg I/kg.     

Evaluation of Plant and Animal Source Proteins for Replacement of Fish Meal in Practical Diets for the Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides

Two feeding trials were conducted with juvenile largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides to evaluate alternative plant and animal source proteins for their ability to replace fish meal in practical diets. The first trial was designed to identify the most promising candidates. The second trial was conducted to evaluate how much of the fish meal could be replaced by those candidates. In Study 1, feed‐trained largemouth bass (3.1 ± 0.7 g) were randomly stocked into 18114‐L glass aquaria at 25 fish per aquarium. Fish were fed one of six experimental diets, each containing approximately 38% crude protein and 10% crude lipid, to apparent satiation twice daily. The control diet (CTL) contained 30% fish meal and 34.5% soybean meal. Diets 2–6 each contained 15% fish meal and at least 34.5% soybean meal with the remainder of the protein made up of either meat and bone meal (MBM), soybean meal (SBM), poultry by‐product meal (PBM), a 50150 mixture of blood meal and corn gluten meal (BM/CG), or 50150 mixture of hydrolyzed feather meal and soybean meal (FMISBM). There were three replicate aquaria per dietary treatment. After 12 wk, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) among treatments in survival which averaged 92% overall. Only fish fed the PBM or BM/CG diets had average individual weights and feed conversion efficiencies that were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the control diet (CTL). In Study 2, the formulation of the control diet (CTL) remained the same. Based on their performance in the first trial, PBM and BM/CG were chosen to now replace 75 or 100% of the fish meal. Fish were stocked at an average weight of 6.9 ± 1.7 g. After 11 wk, fish fed diets containing the BM/CG mixture at both levels were significantly smaller (P 5 0.05) than fish fed other diets and at 100% replacement survival was reduced. Fish fed diets containing poultry meal as the primary protein source performed as well as those fed the control diet (CTL). It appears that PBM can completely replace fish meal in diets for juvenile largemouth bass without adverse effects on growth, feed efficiency, or body composition.     

APPLICATION OF THE PIN-HOLE COLLIMATOR IN SMALL ANIMAL NUCLEAR SCINTIGRAPHY: A REVIEW

The pin-hole collimator is used to improve spatial resolution and magnify areas of interest. The pin-hole collimator has many applications in small animal veterinary scintigraphy. The principles of image formation for the pin-hole and parallel hole collimators are reviewed. The effects of distance on resolution and sensitivity are presented for the pin-hole and parallel hole collimators. Specific application of the pin-hole and parallel hole collimators. Specific application of the pin-hole collimator in veternary scintigraphy are discussed.     

Comparison of leaf and pod disease reactions of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) inoculated by different methods with strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. Phaseoli (Smith) dye

Summary Common blight disease in beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli, reduces crop yield and seed quality. Information is needed on the variation of leaves and pods disease reaction to strains of the bacterium after different inoculation methods. Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars Red Kidney Charlevoix, GN Harris, GN 1140, and GN Emerson were inoculated with three different strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli at two inoculum concentrations (10⁸ and 10⁶ bacterial cells/ml) using water soaking, multiple needle, and razor blade inoculation on leaves, and razor blade scratch, dissecting needle, and razor blade cut inoculation on pods. Differential cultivar disease reactions of leaves, pods, or both to the bacterial strains were observed in some cases. Significant interactions among cultivars, inoculation methods, strains, and inoculum concentrations (leaves) were found. A rapid leaf chlorosis developed 6 to 7 days after inoculation. Strains of bacteria did not show specificity in inducing this reaction, but rapid leaf chlorosis was associated with high inoculum concentration and with the water soaking and multiple needle methods. Another experiment was conducted to count the number of living bacterial cells deposited in the leaf tissue after inoculation by different methods. The number of bacteria deposited by water soaking or multiple needle was higher than that deposited by razor blade.Published as Paper No. 8584, Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. Research was conducted under Project No. 20–36.     

Durum wheat landraces from Syria

Syrian durum wheat landraces from diverse collection sites were evaluated for agronomic performance under arid conditions over two seasons at four locations, at two levels of nutrient availability.Grain yield differed considerably among locations. Within locations, significant population and fertilizer effects were demonstrated. In most cases, maximum yield was achieved by landraces, which demonstrates the breeding value of local germplasm. In a particular environment, the population effect was nonsignificant for total dry matter production, but significant for straw and grain yield. Nitrogen application was ineffective if moisture availability was the dominant growth limiting factor.Correlations between plant characteristics at evaluation and collection site characteristics were limited, and therefore, their utilization in germplasm evaluation appear limited. The negative relation between grain yield and soil nitrogen content at the collection site may be caused by the comparative disadvantage that germplasm from regions with favourable growing conditions has under low-yielding conditions.Particular environmental conditions at the collection site were no indicator for the response to changed growing conditions. Relatively high grain yields under good and adverse growing conditions excluded each other in all but two cases. Also, it was difficult to relate grain yield to regions of collection, as the response of individual landraces from a certain region to changing growing conditions differed strongly. Differentiation on the basis of landrace groups appears more promising. The Hauran landrace group provided the largest number of populations with relatively high grain yields over diverse environments.     

Breeding maize lines for complete and partial resistance to maize streak virus (MSV)

Summary S₁ to S₅ inbred lines, derived from a maize population bred for its overall resistance to three tropical viruses, were screened for resistance to maize streak virus (MSV) by artificial plant infection using viruliferous leafhoppers. Symptoms were rated and intra-line frequency distributions studied for all pedigree inbred lines. Mortality due to MSV was very low among these inbreds. Symptoms appeared later, developed slower and were less severe than in the susceptible control hybrid. Results of a study of 500 S₁ and 93 S₂ lines suggested that resistance is under genetic control via a system involving loci with major genes (with dominance for resistance) controlling high to complete resistance, associated with a genetic system involving loci with minor genes controlling partial resistance. Lines expressing complete resistance to MSV were developed from 5 cycles of inbreeding and selection. The relevance of such complete and partial resistance is discussed.Abbreviations MRPS Mean Rating for Plants exhibiting Symptoms