Do cover crops change the lability of phosphorus in a clayey subtropical soil under different phosphate fertilizers?

Plants have developed different mechanisms to absorb and solubilize phosphorus (P) in the soil, especially in environments with low P availability. This study evaluated the effects of different winter cover crops on soil P availability in a clayey subtropical (Hapludox) soil receiving soluble P fertilizer and a rock phosphate applied to the summer crop, under no‐tillage. The experiment was carried out over 3 yrs (2009–2011) with five different cover crop species: common vetch, fodder radish, ryegrass, black oat, white clover and fallow as control. The soil was sampled after the third year of cover crop cultivation and analysed for inorganic and organic P forms according to the well‐established Hedley fractionation procedure. Phosphate fertilizers promoted accumulation of both labile and nonlabile P pools in soil in the near surface layer, especially under rock phosphate. Fertilizer applications were not able to change P fractions in deeper layers, emphasizing that the Brazilian clayey soils are a sink of P from fertilizer and its mobility is almost nil. Although the cover crops recycled a great amount of P in tissue, in a short‐term evaluation (3 yrs) they only changed the content of moderately labile P in soil, indicating that long‐term studies are needed for more conclusive results.     

Three SNPs within exons of INHA and ACVR2B genes are significantly associated with litter size in Dazu black goats

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms within INHA and ACVR2B and litter size in Dazu black goats. In total, twenty-two SNPs were genotyped in 190 individuals by SNaPshot and resequencing. The results showed that three SNPs (SNP_1, SNP_12 and SNP_13 in this study) were detected to have significant additive genetic effect on the recorded goat litter size (p < .05). The SNP_1 (NC_030809.1), a non-synonymous substitution of G for T at chr2-g. 28314990 in the exon 2 of INHA gene (NM_001285606.1), resulted in homozygote 2 (HOM2) contributed 0.25 and heterozygote (HET) contributed 0.12 larger litter than homozygote 1 (HOM1). Meanwhile, SNP_12 (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T) and SNP_13 (Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) (NC_030829.1) simultaneously mutated at the first and third position of a triplet AAA (lysine, K) in the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene (XM_018066623.1) had estimated genetic effects of HOM1 (0.00) and HOM2 (0.03) larger than HET (−0.12). In conclusion, one SNPs (chr2-g. 28314990 T > G) within the exon 2 of INHA and two SNPs (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T and Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) i n the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene were highly recommended as candidate markers of litter size in Dazu black goats. A large-scale association study to assess the impact of these variants on litter size is still necessary.     

Embodied Resources in Fish and Shrimp Feeds

Global averages were obtained for amounts of energy, land, water, wildfish, nitrogen, and phosphorus embodied in aquaculture feed ingredients. These data allowed amounts of these embodied resources to be calculated for typical feed formulations for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus; hybrid catfish, I. punctatus♀ × I. furcatus♂; Vietnamese catfish, Pangasius spp.; Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar; rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss; tilapia, Oreochromis spp.; whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei; and black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Embodied resource use per m.t. of feed varied among species: energy, 4.90–12.48 GJ/m.t.; land, 0.082–0.312 ha/m.t.; water, 502–1227 m³/m.t.; wildfish, 0–2880 kg/m.t.; nitrogen, 3.08–8.63 kg/m.t.; phosphorus, 1.16–5.62 kg/m.t. These calculations did not account for variations in site‐specific factors related to embodied resources and feed composition and use. But they suggest that reducing feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 0.1 unit for the seven species (species groups) could potentially reduce feed use by around 1.1 million tonne (Mt) while conserving 9.8 million GJ of energy, 270,000 ha of agricultural land, 1.4 billion m³ of freshwater, and 1.24 Mt of wildfish. Reduction of the FCR is a powerful means of lessening farm‐level production costs and negative impacts of feed production and use.     

Soil protection for a sustainable future: options for a soil monitoring network for Ireland

The increased recognition of the importance of soil is reflected in the UN Post‐2015 Development Agenda with sustainable development goals that directly and indirectly relate to soil quality and protection. Despite a lack of legally binding legislation for soil protection, the European Commission remains committed to the objective of soil protection. However, the achievement of a legally binding framework for soil protection relies on the implementation of a soil monitoring network (SMN) that can detect changes to soil quality over time. As beneficiaries do not pay for the provision of soil information, the options for soil monitoring are limited. The use of existing data sets should be considered first. Using Ireland as an example, this research explored the opportunities for a SMN for Ireland considering three existing national data sets. The options for a SMN are considered in terms of their spatial and stratified distribution, the parameters to be measured and an economic analysis of the options proposed. This research finds that for Ireland, either a 10 or a 16 km² grid interval stratified by land use and drainage class offers the best potential in relation to the spatial distribution of existing data sets to reflect local data at a national level. With existing data, the stratified SIS data using the 16 km² grid offers the best value for money, with baseline costs for analysis, excluding field costs, of between €706 481 and €2.8 million. Acknowledging the impossibility of measuring all parameters with ideal frequency, this study proposes a two‐tier system for optimized monitoring frequency. Parameters must anticipate future policy requirements. Finally, the implementation of a SMN must be accompanied by standardized methods, defined thresholds and action mandates to maintain soil quality within allowable limits.     

Clinical response of nasal adenocarcinoma to cisplatin chemotherapy in 11 dogs.

In 11 dogs with nasal adenocarcinoma, IV treatment with 2 to 8 cycles of cisplatin at a dosage of 60 mg/m2 of body surface, given at 3-week intervals, resulted in a survival time of 8 to 128 weeks (mean, 32.7 weeks; median, 20 weeks). Radiography revealed complete remission in 2 dogs and partial remission in 1 dog, for an overall response rate of 27%. Clinical problems such as nasal discharge (n = 11), sneezing (n = 6), and epistaxis (n = 4) resolved in 1 to 2 weeks in all dogs after beginning chemotherapy.     

Effect of a supply of raw or extruded rapeseeds on digestion in dairy cows.

The influence of extruded oilseeds on total tract digestibility and ruminal digestion in dairy cows was studied in three cows fed a hay-concentrate (60.5/39.5; 3.7% fatty acids in diet on DM basis) control diet (C) or the same diet supplemented with raw (R) or extruded (ER) rapeseeds (8.0% fatty acids in diet DM). The experimental design was a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Compared with diet C, diets containing rapeseed decreased ruminal OM digestibility (9.5%, P less than .10) and increased (P less than .05) the proportion of propionate in ruminal fluid VFA. Extrusion had no effect on DM and OM total tract digestibilities and increased (P less than .10) N digestion. Microbial N flow at the duodenum was calculated taking into account solid-adherent bacteria (SAB) and liquid-associated bacteria (LAB). Duodenal flows of total, SAB, and LAB of OM and N did not change with diet. Extrusion of the rapeseeds did not modify (P less than .10) the proportion of bacterial N at the duodenum and had no effect on crude fiber digestibility. This trial demonstrates that rapeseeds in hay-based diets can be fed at levels of up to 14% of the diet without adversely affecting crude fiber digestibility.     

Factors affecting skim milk progesterone assay results.

Five studies were performed to determine factors affecting progesterone concentration in skim milk. Results of the first study indicated that progesterone concentration was higher in skim milk of samples kept 16 hours in an ice bath (0 C) than of those left at room temperature (21 C). In the second study, this temperature effect was found to be reversible, with skim milk progesterone concentration increasing when whole milk samples were cooled prior to centrifugation. In the third study, [3H]-labeled progesterone was used to determine the relationship between fat content of foremilk (the first milk obtained from the teats), midmilk (milk obtained midway through milking), and strippings (milk obtained immediately after milking machines have been removed) samples and temperature (4 C and 21 C) on the percentage of progesterone in the skim milk fraction. The relationship between percentage of butterfat and percentage of progesterone in skim milk was linear when the log of these variables was used for calculations. In the fourth study, assayable progesterone in the skim milk fraction of foremilk, midmilk, and strippings was affected by temperature. In the fifth study, a multiple-regression procedure was used to determine the amount of variation in percentage of radioactive progesterone in the skim milk fraction. Independent variables (whole milk butterfat and temperature of incubation [1, 3, 13, 22, 37, and 50 C]) and the natural log of each variable, were entered into a stepwise multiple-regression analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparative virulence of Haemophilus parasuis serovars 1 to 7 in guinea pigs.

Reference strains for Haemophilus parasuis serovars 1 to 7 were examined for virulence by inoculation of guinea pigs. Guinea pig response to intraperitoneal inoculation was similar for the 7 reference strains. However, apparent differences in virulence were detected after intratracheal inoculation. Cells of the references strains for serovars 1 and 5 were most invasive, causing moribundity or death at higher doses and a persistent septicemia at lower doses. Haemophilus parasuis could be isolated from respiratory and systemic sites; purulent bronchopneumonia, pericarditis, and pleuritis were apparent in infected guinea pigs. Inoculation of cells of the reference strains for serovars 2 and 6 also resulted in bronchopneumonia and moribundity or death in some guinea pigs; however, reisolation of H parasuis and microscopic lesions at necropsy were less pronounced than those observed with serovars 1 and 5. Inoculation of cells of serovars 3, 4 and 7 induced only transient clinical signs and minimal evidence of H parasuis infection at necropsy. The data from intratracheal inoculation of guinea pigs are similar to data from other investigations in swine, indicating differences in the pathogenic potential of H parasuis strains. Thus, guinea pigs may be useful as a laboratory animal model for examining cellular factors associated with virulence and immunogenicity of H parasuis.