Root distribution patterns of peanut genotypes with different drought resistance levels under early‐season drought stress

Drought severely limits crop yield of peanut. Yet cultivars with enhanced root development enable the exploration of a greater volume of soil for water and nutrients, helping the plant survive. Root distribution patterns of three genotypes (ICGV 98305, ICGV 98324 and Tifton‐8) were compared when grown in well‐watered rhizoboxes and when grown in rhizoboxes where an early‐season drought was imposed using rain‐exclusion shelters. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications, and the experiment was conducted during two seasons at the Field Crop Research Station of Khon Kaen University, in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The root system of ICGV 98305, when grown under drought, had a significantly higher root length in the 30–110 cm deep soil layers and less roots in the 0–30 cm soil layers when under drought than when grown under well‐watered conditions. Roots of Tifton‐8 had the largest reductions in root length in upper soil layer and reduced in most soil layers. Tifton‐8 grown under drought was smaller than under well‐watered control for all root traits, showing negative response to drought. The peanut genotypes with high root traits in deeper soil layer under early‐season drought might contribute to drought avoidance mechanism.     

Assessing vulnerability of New Zealand lakes to loss of conservation value from invasive fish impacts

1. Predictions of invasion risk for seven non‐indigenous fish species, ecological impact scores for individual species, and lake conservation rankings were linked to develop Invasion Risk Impact (IRI) and Lake Vulnerability (LV) indices that help identify New Zealand lakes most at risk of loss of conservation value from potential multi‐species invasions.
2. Species‐specific IRI scores (the product of predicted invasion risk and species impact) highlighted Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), as the species most likely to spread and cause ecological harm in lakes. For 3431 lakes >1 ha throughout New Zealand, total IRI tended to be highest for lowland riverine and dune lakes most of which are already colonized by multiple invasive fish species.
3. The LV index indicated that lakes most at risk of loss of conservation value from invasive fish impacts were predominantly (i) in the northern half of the North Island where several uncommon lake types occur, and (ii) along the west coast of the South Island where conservation value is often greater, largely because of low catchment modification.
4. The IRI and LV indices can be used to assist with setting priorities for surveillance monitoring, advocacy, and response planning targeted at preventing the establishment of invasive fish in moderate‐to‐high value lakes most susceptible to ecological impacts. Both indices can be adapted to accommodate alternative impact and conservation scoring systems, providing a flexible tool for local‐ and national‐scale assessments of lake vulnerability to fish invasion impacts.

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of food type (formulated diet vs. natural) and fish size on feed utilization in common sole,Solea solea (L.)

This study compares the effect of food type (formulated diet vs. natural food) and fish size on protein and energy utilization efficiencies for growth in common sole, Solea solea (L.). Replicate groups of common sole (mean initial body weight ± SD was 45.7 g ± 2.1 and 111.2 g ± 4.2) received the diets at five (natural feed) or four (formulated diet) feeding levels. The protein utilization efficiency for growth (k_gCP) was higher (P > 0.001) in common sole fed ragworms than in common sole fed the formulated diet (respectively, 0.40 and 0.31). Likewise, the energy utilization efficiency for growth (k_gGE) was higher (P = 0.001) in common sole fed ragworms than in common sole fed the formulated diet (respectively, 0.57 and 0.33). The protein maintenance requirement was not different between food types (P = 0.64) or fish size (P = 0.41) being on average 0.82 g kg^?0.8 day^?1. The energy maintenance requirement was not different between food type (P = 0.390) but differed between fish size (P = 0.036). The gross energy maintenance requirement of small common sole was 35 kJ g^?0.8 day^?1. The gross energy maintenance requirement of large common sole was 25 kJ g^?0.8 day^?1. In conclusion, the low growth of common sole fed formulated diets was related to reduced feed utilization.     

Influence of climate and abundance on migration timing of adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) among rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador

Evidence mounts for the influence of climate variability on temporal trends in the phenology of many organisms including various species of fish. Accordingly, we examined variation in adult Atlantic salmon Salmo salar run timing in thirteen Newfoundland and Labrador rivers where returns were monitored at fishways or fish‐counting fences. Run timing varied significantly among rivers with the median date of return differing by up to 5 weeks. Duration of runs was generally short with most adults returning over a period of three to 5 weeks. A mixed model analysis incorporating a first‐order autoregressive error structure was used to generalise changes in run timing among all monitored rivers. Results indicated that the median date of return has advanced by almost 12 days over a 35‐year interval from 1978 to 2012, while several individual rivers have advanced by almost 21 days. The influence of climate on median timing was evident when the simultaneous effects of both climate and salmon abundance were controlled. We found earlier runs associated with overall warmer climate conditions on the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelf. Results contrast with those from the north‐east Atlantic where Atlantic salmon are returning later in some rivers coincident with warming climate conditions.     

Recreational fisheries in Portofino Marine Protected Area,Italy: Some implications for the management

Since the 1970s, recreational fishing has become a mass hobby in Italy, reaching a large number of people, who, using modern equipment, increased their harvesting capacity, provoking serious conflicts with the professional fisheries. Recreational fishing is strictly regulated inside Italian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and is generally allocated to local residents, mainly to reduce the tensions caused by limitations of access to the resources. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of recreational fishing activities within the Portofino MPA (Mediterranean Sea), to assess the possible impact on the local fish stocks and to plan potential management actions. Furthermore, some serious inconsistencies on the minimum lengths of fish caught as defined by law relative to the minimum size of first reproduction are discussed. Since 2014, all anglers exploiting the Portofino MPA have been obliged to fill out a logbook. The compilation of these was not completely satisfactory, when compared with a group of reliable anglers whose catches were accurately monitored, but allowed for estimated yields of about 24 kg/angler/yr. After 15 years of protection, the fish biomass has increased within the Portofino MPA, generating a positive spillover effect. At the same time, it has attracted many anglers whose gross harvesting was estimated at about 8 t/year, representing about the 8% of the total yield of the local small‐scale fishery.     

Effect of cultivated copepods (Acartia tonsa) in first‐feeding of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) larvae

The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional composition and effects of short periods with cultivated copepod nauplii versus rotifers in first‐feeding. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) larvae were given four different dietary regimes in the earliest start‐feeding period. One group was fed the copepod Acartia tonsa nauplii (Cop), a second fed enriched rotifers (RotMG), a third fed unenriched rotifers (RotChl) and a fourth copepods for the seven first days of feeding and enriched rotifers the rest of the period (Cop7). Cod larvae were fed Artemia sp. between 20 and 40 dph (days posthatching), and ballan wrasse between 36 and 40 dph, with weaning to a formulated diet thereafter. In addition to assessing growth and survival, response to handling stress was measured. This study showed that even short periods of feeding with cultivated copepod nauplii (7 days) had positive long‐term effects on the growth and viability of the fish larvae. At the end of both studies (60 days posthatching), fish larvae fed copepods showed higher survival, better growth and viability than larvae fed rotifers. This underlines the importance of early larval nutrition.     

An assessment of carcass counting surveys with increasing time lapse following a simulated fish kill on a small upland stream

A simulated fish kill was conducted on a small upland stream in Northern Ireland by planting out hatchery‐produced brown trout Salmo trutta L. carcasses of various size categories. Standard, post‐fish kill, assessment walkover surveys were conducted over time intervals to determine the number of carcasses visible. The sample variance between individual surveyors was generally low, with good agreement between the observed counts for the three, discrete, size fractions of fish up to 72 hr after the simulated fish kill. Despite low discharge rates, shallow water and good accessibility to the experimental stream, only 52% of the small category fish (<8 cm L_F) were recorded 4 hr after the start of the simulated fish kill. Larger carcasses (>17 cm L_F) were more visible, and >90% were detected 48 hr after the start of the simulated fish kill. After 96 hr, all size fractions of carcasses had reduced significantly, and the variability between replicate surveys increased markedly.     

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.     

Effects of egg stocking density on egg hatchability,larval quality and water quality for pinfish,Lagodon rhomboides,and pigfish,Orthopristis chrysoptera

Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides Linnaeus) and pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera L.) are relatively new, cultured species commonly used as marine baitfish in the south‐eastern United States and currently have no defined protocols for egg incubation. Thus, experiments were conducted to determine efficient egg stocking densities during static and flow‐through incubation that yielded higher quality larvae. Eggs of each species were incubated statically at 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 eggs L^?1, and after incubation, egg hatching success, larval survival to first feeding, larval morphometrics and water quality were assessed. Stocking densities above 250 eggs L^?1 led to significant reductions in pinfish hatching success and water quality degradation, evident from decreased dissolved oxygen and pH levels and increased nitrogenous wastes. Increased stocking densities for pigfish also resulted in significant water quality degradation, although hatching success was unaffected up to a density of 1000 eggs L^?1. A high flow‐through water exchange rate of 2000% daily resulted in significant reductions in nitrogenous wastes and greater stability in dissolved oxygen and pH levels during incubation when compared to static treatments of the same egg density. Additionally, the high exchange rate of 2000% was critical in maintaining high hatching success and larval survival to first feeding at stocking densities of 1000 eggs L^?1 for pinfish and up to 4000 eggs L^?1 for pigfish. No clear patterns in larval morphometrics were observed among stocking densities. Static incubation densities of 250 and 1000 eggs L^?1 are recommended for pinfish and pigfish, respectively.