Spring Clipping,Fire, and Simulated Increased Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Tallgrass Prairie Vegetation

Defoliation aimed at introduced cool-season grasses, which uses similar resources of native grasses, could substantially reduce their competitiveness and improve the quality of the northern tallgrass prairie. The objective was to evaluate the use of early season clipping and fire in conjunction with simulated increased levels of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on foliar canopy cover of tallgrass prairie vegetation. This study was conducted from 2009 to 2012 at two locations in eastern South Dakota. Small plots arranged in a split-plot treatment design were randomized in four complete blocks on a warm-season grass interseeded and a native prairie site in east-central South Dakota. The whole plot consisted of seven treatments: annual clip, biennial clip, triennial clip, annual fire, biennial fire, triennial fire, and undefoliated control. The clip plots consisted of weekly clipping in May to simulate heavy grazing. Fire was applied in late April or early May. The subplot consisted of nitrogen applied at 0 or 15 kg N · ha^?1 in early June. All treatments were initially applied in 2009. Biennial and triennial treatments were reapplied in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Canopy cover of species/major plant functional groups was estimated in late August/early September. Annual clipping was just as effective as annual fire in increasing native warm-season grass and decreasing introduced cool-season grass cover. Annual defoliation resulted in greater native warm-season grass cover, less introduced cool-season grass cover, and less native cool-season grass cover than biennial or triennial defoliation applications. Low levels of nitrogen did not affect native warm-season grass or introduced cool-season cover for any of the defoliation treatments, but it increased introduced cool-season grass cover in the undefoliated control at the native prairie site. This study supports the hypothesis that appropriately applied management results in consistent desired outcomes regardless of increased simulated atmospheric nitrogen depositions.     

Multimodel approaches in shark and ray growth studies: strengths,weaknesses and the future

Multimodel frameworks are common in contemporary elasmobranch growth literature. These techniques offer a proposed improvement over individual growth functions by incorporating additional candidate models with alternative characteristics. Sigmoid functions (e.g. Gompertz and logistic) are a popular alternative to the commonly used von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) as they are hypothesized to better suit certain taxa based on body shape (such as batoids) or reproductive mode (such as egg‐layers). However, this hypothesis has never been tested. This study examined 74 elasmobranch multimodel growth studies by comparing the growth curves of their respective candidate models. Hypotheses regarding model performances were rejected as the VBGF was equally likely to fit best for all taxa and reproductive modes. Subsequently, no individual model was suited to be used a priori. Differences between candidate model fits were greatest at age zero with Gompertz and logistic functions providing estimates that were 15% and 23% larger on average than the VBGF, respectively. However, length‐at‐age estimates of the different models became negligible at older ages. Differences between candidate models were mostly small (≤5%), and the multimodel framework only marginally affected length‐at‐age estimates. However, there were cases where some candidate models provided inappropriate fits that contrasted considerably to the best fitting model. In some of these instances, a single‐model framework could have yielded biologically unrealistic growth estimates. Therefore, no study could pre‐empt whether or not it required a multimodel framework. A framework was subsequently recommended to maximize the accuracy of model fits for elasmobranch length‐at‐age estimates using multimodel approaches.     

Depth Distribution of Rotylenchulus reniformis Under Different Tillage and Crop Sequence Systems

ABSTRACT The population density of the reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis, was monitored at depths of 0 to 30, 30 to 60, 60 to 90, and 90 to 120 cm in a tillage and crop sequence trial in south Texas in 2000 and 2001. Main plots were subjected to three different tillage systems: conventional tillage (moldboard plowing and disking), ridge tillage, and no-tillage. Subplots were planted with three different crop sequences: spring cotton and fall corn every year; spring cotton and fall corn in one year, followed by corn for two years; and cotton followed by corn and then grain sorghum, one spring crop per year. The population density of R. reniformis on corn and grain sorghum was low throughout the soil profile. In plots planted with spring cotton and fall corn every year, fewer nematodes were found at depths of 60 to 120 cm in the no-tillage and ridge tillage systems than in the conventional tillage system. Population densities were lower at depths of 0 to 60 cm than at 60 to 120 cm. Soil moisture and cotton root length did not affect nematode population densities in the field. When soil was placed in pots and planted with cotton in the greenhouse, lower population densities developed in soil taken from depths of 0 to 60 cm than in soil from depths of 60 to 120 cm. Final nematode populations were similar in size in soil from the different tillage systems, but reproductive factors were higher in soil from plots with reduced-tillage systems than in soil from plots with conventional tillage. Reduced-tillage practices lowered the risk of increases in R. reniformis populations and reduced population densities following 2 years of non-hosts throughout soil depths, but population densities resurged to the same high levels as in soil planted with cotton every year during one season of cotton.     

cis-Jasmone treatment induces resistance in wheat plants against the grain aphid,Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

cis-Jasmone is a plant volatile known to have roles as an insect semiochemical and in inducing plant defence. It was evaluated in laboratory and field trials for control of cereal aphids. In an olfactometer bioassay cis-jasmone was repellent to alatae of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Moreover, wheat, Triticum aestivum (L), seedlings sprayed with formulated cis-jasmone 24 h previously were less susceptible to attack by S. avenae than control plants. In field simulator studies, significantly fewer alate S. avenae settled on cis-jasmone-treated plants over a 24-h period. In addition, the intrinsic rate of population increase, r(m), of S. avenae apterae was reduced on cis-jasmone treated seedlings. In a series of small-plot experiments conducted over four years, cis-jasmone applications reduced cereal aphid populations infesting wheat in the field.     

A descriptive study of the frequency and characteristics of proliferative enteropathy in swine in Ontario by analyzing routine animal health surveillance data

Routine surveillance data, collected on pathology submissions at the Animal Health Laboratory in Guelph between 1992 and 1997, were analyzed to determine demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics of cases of proliferative enteropathy and the frequency of this condition relative to other infectious enteric diseases in swine in Ontario. The most commonly reported disease was Escherichia coli enteritis (average cases/year = 70.0). Among infectious enteropathies that occur typically in neonatal pigs, coccidiosis (28.4 cases/year) and rotaviral enteritis (5.6 cases/year) were reported. Among infectious enteropathies generally associated with diarrhea in weaner and grower/finisher pigs, the most frequently reported was proliferative enteropathy (27.6 cases/year), followed by swine dysentery (23.3 cases/year), transmissible gastroenteritis (19.6 cases/year), and salmonellosis (8.4 cases/year). Diarrhea and bloody diarrhea were reported in 29% and 31%, respectively, of herds diagnosed with proliferative enteropathy. Important gross intestinal lesions included mucosal hypertrophy (62% of cases), hemorrhage (47%), and mucosal necrosis (34%). Histologic intestinal lesions included epithelial hyperplasia (90% of cases), mucosal necrosis (59%), and inflammation (49%). Our results suggest that proliferative enteropathy is a major infectious enteric disease in grower/finisher pigs in Ontario.     

Effects on cattle and their calves of tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) fed in early gestation

Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) fed to pregnant cows on gestation days 15 through 30 in lethal and near-lethal doses did not cause detectable damage to 100-day-old or to full-term fetuses as determined by gross examinations, serum enzyme tests chosen to detect hepatic changes, and by histopathologic examinations. Some cows that appeared normal during gestation expired soon after parturition from typical seneciosis apparently triggered by parturition stress. Pregnant cows fed 12% smaller tansy ragwort doses on gestation days 30 through 45 had only minimal serum enzyme changes and gave birth to normal calves that had normal serum enzymes up to 64 days after parturition.     

Residues of some chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in milk and milk products after their addition to the feed of cows

Lactating cows fed 0.05 part/million aldrin, 0.2 part/million γ-BHC and 2.0 parts/million pp'-DDT in their concentrate ration gave detectable residues of dieldrin, γ-BHC, pp'-DDE, pp'-TDE and pp'-DDT in the milk and also aldrin in the butter and cheese. The levels found after 28 days of feeding were not significantly greater than those after 14 days. Subsequent increase of the pesticide content of the feed increased the residue content of the milk, butter and cheese. Only a small percentage of pesticide residue was found in the buttermilk, separated milk and the whey.