非洲黑鸵鸟人工饲养条件下繁殖性能的观察

14只2岁非洲黑鸵鸟按公母比例1:2～3分成4个繁殖组合,对产蛋、受精、孵化情况进行观察分析。结果显示,每只母鸵鸟年平均产蛋量为55.2枚,最高约为73枚,最低为39枚。4个组合鸟群之间种蛋的受精率存在显著的差异P<0.01,I组的受精率最高,为59.6%;IV组的受精率最低,仅8.9%。各组的受精率、孵化率差异不显著P>0.05,平均受精蛋孵化率达到92.6%。本次受精率较低的原因为公鸟年龄小,没有完全达到性成熟。     

Implications of on-farm research for local knowledge related to fruit flies and the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda in mango production

We interviewed half of the mango-growers in northern Benin, including 15 farmers involved in a regional fruit fly project, and held focus group discussions with women fruit-pickers. They were asked about pest management and their knowledge of a weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda. All considered low yields due to fruit flies to be the principal constraint upon mango production, estimating economic losses to be between 20 and 45%. None could recognize damage during the first 2 days after fruit fly egg deposition. On-farm research persuaded farmers to stop using insecticides and it also changed negative perceptions of Oecophylla. Over 80% of the farmers involved in on-farm research, compared to 25% of those not involved, reported Oecophylla to be beneficial. All fruit-pickers knew that ants protected mango from fruit flies, with 60% attributing better mango quality in terms of appearance, shelf-life and sweetness to the presence of Oecophylla. Nevertheless, 40% of the pickers still considered weaver ants a nuisance pest during harvest. Ways of reducing this nuisance need to be developed for Oecophylla to gain wider acceptance by mango-growers.     

New evidence of homoplasy within the African genus Varicorhinus (Cyprinidae): an independent origin of specialized scraping forms in the adjacent drainage systems of Ethiopia inferred from mtDNA analysis

Interrelationships of the two specialized scraping periphyton-feeders, Varicorhinus beso and V. jubae, and some large African barbs, Labeobarbus spp., inhabiting three main regions of Ethiopia (the Western and Eastern Plateaus, and the Rift Valley separating them) were investigated using the sequence analysis of a fragment (609 base pairs) of the mtDNA control region. The two scraping forms in question appeared to be phylogenetically distant: V. beso had branched off before the main radiation of the Ethiopian Labeobarbus took place, whereas V. jubae is a sister group of the Labeobarbus gananensis complex sympatrically occurring with it in the south of the Eastern Plateau. For geographical reasons, among the congeneric species, V. jubae could be considered as the most closely related to V. beso, the type species of the genus, but judging from the available data this genus seems to be monotypic, while jubae should be classified as a member of Labeobarbus.     

援非农业技术示范中心可持续发展途径思考

中国援非农业技术示范中心陆续完成技术合作阶段,并逐步进入可持续发展期。顺利完成这个过渡期,需要前期大量的准备工作,如:中心选址、项目内容确定、专家遴选、项目设计及认真的实施过程等。     

Intensification or extensification? Factors affecting technology use in peri-urban lowlands along an agro-ecological gradient in West Africa

The paper analyses whether the increased use of lowlands in proximity to urban centres in West Africa is associated with technological intensification or extensification. Technologies are typified in terms of their orientation – land or labour saving – and market dependence for their procurement and reviews the factors driving and modifying their use in lowlands. The factors associated with technology use are analyzed empirically using geo-referenced lowland data around four urban centers along an ecological gradient in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. The technologies analyzed include both external inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, improved varieties) and crop management practices (plot level bunding, rice transplanting and rice direct seeding). Results from binomial logit models highlight the prominent positive and non-linear role of proximity to urban markets for the technological intensification of lowlands – an issue associated with factor scarcities and the transaction costs for procurement and marketing. Technology use in lowlands is also associated with the agro-ecological gradient, lowland development and non-native lowland users. A common thread linking these variables is that they modify resource scarcity and therefore intensification incentives. Lowlands are not always as valuable as they may seem and there may be limited incentives to intensify. Instances of significant lowland cultivation and intensification in the study sites tend to be associated with specific opportunities – driven by market opportunities and modified by seasonal, institutional or development-induced relative land scarcity. Market access is therefore a necessary but not sufficient factor for the technological intensification of lowland use. There is a need for better targeting of development efforts in terms of enabling lowland intensification or extensification as appropriate.     

Improved detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis in African wildlife samples using cationic peptide decontamination and mycobacterial culture supplementation

In South Africa, mycobacterial culture is regarded as the gold standard for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) infection in wildlife even though it is regarded as “imperfect.” We compared a novel decontamination and mycobacterial culture technique (TiKa) to the conventional mycobacterium growth indicator tube (MGIT) system using known amounts of bacilli and clinical samples from MTBC-infected African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), and African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Use of the TiKa-KiC decontamination agent on samples spiked with 10,000 to 10 colony forming units (cfu) of M. bovis (SB0121) and M. tuberculosis (H37Rv) had no effect on isolate recovery in culture. In contrast, decontamination with MGIT MycoPrep resulted in no growth of M. bovis samples at concentrations < 1,000 cfu and M. tuberculosis samples < 100 cfu. Subsequently, we used the TiKa system with stored clinical samples (various lymphatic tissues) collected from wildlife and paucibacillary bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, trunk washes, and endotracheal tube washes from 3 species with known MTBC infections. Overall, MTBC recovery by culture was improved significantly (p < 0.01) by using TiKa compared to conventional MGIT, with 54 of 57 positive specimens versus 25 of 57 positive specimens, respectively. The TiKa mycobacterial growth system appears to significantly enhance the recovery of MTBC members from tissue and paucibacillary respiratory samples collected from African buffaloes, African elephants, and white rhinoceros. Moreover, the TiKa system may improve success of MTBC culture from various sample types previously deemed unculturable from other species.     

Food animals as reservoirs and potential sources of multidrug-resistant diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes: Focus on intensive pig farming in South Africa

BackgroundDiarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) strains are a major cause of diarrheal diseases in both developed and developing countries. Healthy asymptomatic animals may be reservoirs of zoonotic DEC, which may enter the food chain via the weak points in hygiene practices.AimWe investigated the prevalence of DEC along the pig production continuum from farm-to-fork.MethodsA total of 417 samples were collected from specific points along the pig production system, that is, farm, transport, abattoir and food. E. coli was isolated and enumerated using Colilert. Ten isolates from each Quanti-tray were selected randomly and phenotypically identified using eosin methylene blue agar selective media. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to confirm the species and to classify them into the various diarrheagenic pathotypes. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined against a panel of 20 antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and EUCAST guideline.ResultsThe final sample size consisted of 1044 isolates, of which 45.40% (474/1044) were DEC and 73% (762/1044) were multidrug-resistant. Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) was the most predominant DEC at all the sampling sites.ConclusionThe presence of DEC in food animal production environments and food of animal origin could serve as reservoirs for transmitting these bacteria to humans, especially in occupationally exposed workers and via food. Adherence to good hygienic practices along the pig production continuum is essential for mitigating the risk of transmission and infection, and ensuring food safety.     

南非红麻产量基因型与环境互作的效应分析

本实验分析了9个红麻品种在南非地区的产量稳定性.结果显示,在南非纳塔尔地区,红麻产量的基因型和环境相互作用显著.在不同的参试地区和年份中,红麻鲜重,鲜茎产量以及干茎产量均为极显著差异.灌溉条件下各产量指标明显高于干旱地区.本实验还应用了3个不同的参数和方案,评估了这9个品种的稳定性.结果表明,综合三个参数,EI Salvador是在不同环境条件下具有丰产潜力的品种.     

Grain Protein Content of Interspecific Progenies Derivedfrom the Cross of African Rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) and Asian Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The protein contents of the grain of 50 interspecific progenies developed from the cross between WAB56-104, an Oryza sativa variety, and CG 14, an Oryza glaberrima line, were investigated. In contrast to the higher protein content of O. glaberrima than O. sativa on the average, the protein content of CG 14 was always lower than that of WAB56-104. However, judging from the average of three seasons, 72% of the interspecific progenies had a higher protein content than the mid-parent and 50% of them had a higher protein content than WAB56-104. Although the actual values of protein content of the interspecific progenies were significantly different among the seasons, a highly significant correlation was always observed in protein content between any two of the three seasons. Protein content therefore was considered character of each interspecific progeny though it was also affected by environment. A significant correlation was not observed between paddy yield and protein content in any season; several interspecific progenies showed higher protein content and paddy yield than the mid-parents. A low paddy yield is likely to be associated with high protein content through physiological regulation without a genetic linkage between the two traits. However, the results suggest that the transgressive segregation of protein content observed in the interspecific progenies is attributed not to this physiological regulation but to a certain mechanism to concentrate protein in grains with a genetic background.