Soil quality assessments in integrated crop–livestock–forest systems: A review

Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform, and the following information was analysed: publication year, institution, region of the studied site, type of integrated system, soil type, tillage system, maximum soil depth and the soil quality indicators assessed. Most studies were published in the second half of the 2010s. Brazil is a prominent focus of research about soil quality and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems, with significant contribution from its central and southern regions. The Embrapa was the main publishing institution, present in over one‐third of the studies. Crop–livestock was the most common integrated system, Ferralsols was the most common soil group, and most of the studied soils were clayey. No tillage was the main tillage system. Most studies focused on the topsoil, assessing physical and/or chemical soil quality indicators. More emphasis on biological indicators of soil quality is required, as well as assessments integrating biological, physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Future works should compare different integrated systems, including assessments deeper in the soil profile, especially in systems with the forest component, and also in sandy and silty soils. Soil quality indicators that have been rarely used should be further tested. Novel indicators should be added to better understand the promotion of soil quality by integrated crop–livestock–forest systems.     

In vitro activity of danofloxacin, tylosin and oxytetracycline against mycoplasmas of veterinary importance

The activities of danofloxacin, a novel fluoroquinolone, and two other antimicrobials were determined in vitro against field isolates of seven Mycoplasma species of veterinary importance isolated from cattle, swine and poultry in five European countries. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of danofloxacin, tylosin and oxytetracycline were determined against a total of 68 isolates. Danofloxacin showed excellent activity against isolates of all Mycoplasma species (range 0·008 to 0·5 μg ml⁻¹), but in some isolates there was evidence of reduced sensitivity to tylosin (range 0·008 to 2·0 μg ml⁻¹) and oxytetracycline (range 0·008 to over 16·0 μg ml⁻¹). Danofloxacin was more active than other antimicrobials against, M hyopneumoniae, M dispar and M bovigenitalium, and showed activity similar to that of tylosin against M bovis and M gallisepticum. Tylosin was the most active against M synoviae and M hyosynoviae. Generally, oxytetracycline showed the poorest activity, but was superior to tylosin against M bovigenitalium. A second (final) MIC reading was taken for all isolates 14 or 21 days after the initial reading, and MIC values rose during that time. However, the increase seen in danofloxacin values (typically one to two dilutions) was less than that seen for tylosin and oxytetracycline. It is concluded that danofloxacin is highly active in vitro against all of the Mycoplasma species tested, and thus shows great potential for the treatment of respiratory and other infections caused by Mycoplasma species in cattle, pigs and poultry.     

Transmutation and functional representation of heterogeneous landscapes

Models of local small-scale ecological processes can be used to describe related processes at larger spatial scales if the influences of increased scale and heterogeneity are carefully considered. In this paper we consider the changes in the functional representation of an ecological process that can occur as one moves from a local small-scale model to a model of the aggregate expression of that process for a larger spatial extent. We call these changes spatial transmutation. We specifically examine landscape heterogeneity as a cause of transmutation. Spatial transmutation as a consequence of landscape heterogeneity is a source of error in the prediction of aggregate landscape behavior from smaller scale models. However, we also demonstrate a procedure for taking advantage of spatial transmutation to develop appropriately scaled landscape functions. First a mathematical function describing the process of interest as a local function of local variables is defined. The spatial heterogeneity of the local variables is described by their statistical distribution in the landscape. The aggregate landscape expression of the local process is then predicted by calculating the expected value of the local function, explicitly integrating landscape heterogeneity. Monte Carlo simulation is used to repeat the local-to-landscape extrapolation for a variety of landscape patterns. Finally, the extrapolated landscape results are regressed on landscape variables to define response functions that explain a useful fraction of the total variation in landscape behavior. The response functions are hypotheses about the functional representation of the local process at the larger spatial scale.     

Individual variation in prelaying behaviour and the incidence of floor eggs

1. Floor eggs are a problem in non‐cage systems for laying hens, as they require secondary egg collecting. Failure to lay in a well‐defined nest site may also be a welfare problem for the hens, but only if their nesting motivation has been thwarted.

2. We investigated the relationships between a hen's prelaying behaviour and its tendency to lay on the floor by recording the behaviour of 20 hens housed individually in wire cages with single littered nest boxes.

3. Most floor eggs (80%) were laid by the same 6 hens. These 6 “floor‐layers” performed more nest seeking behaviour, less nest‐building behaviour and less sitting prior to oviposition than the 14 hens that consistently laid in nest boxes.

4. The incidence of floor eggs declined with age. Both nest and floor laying hens performed less nest seeking behaviour with age. Floor layers, however, increased their performance of nesting behaviour, whilst nest layers performed less nesting behaviour with age.

5. Floor laying hens behaved as if they found the nest box less attractive than nest‐laying hens; perhaps because they had lower nesting motivation, or perhaps because their nesting motivation was as high, but they less readily perceived the nest box as an appropriate nest site.     

Some coat protein constituents from strawberry latent ringspot virus expressed in transgenic tobacco protect plants against systematic invasion following root inoculation by nematode vectors

The coding sequences in RNA2 for the coat proteins (CP) of strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRSV) were modified and amplified using polymerase chain amplification reactions (PCR) to facilitate their expression inAgrobacterium tumefaciens-transformedNicotiana tabacum Xanthi-nc. The coding sequences for the smaller capsid protein (S, 29kDa) and that for the theoretical precursor of L and S (P, 73kDa) had ATG initiation codon sequences added at the 5-proximal Ser/Gly (S/G) cleavage site in the unmodified sequence. The sequence coding for the larger of the two proteins of mature SLRSV capsids (L, 44kDa) had an ATG codon added at its 5 S/G site and a TAG stop codon sequence added at the 3-proximal S/G site. The P, L and S proteins were expressedin planta to a maximum concentration of 0.01 % of total extractable proteins but did not assemble into virus-like particles. When challenged by mechanical inoculation with virus particles or viral RNA, and compared with control plants, tobacco plants (primary transgenic clones or S1 and S2, kanamycin-resistant seedlings) expressing the virus capsid subunits separately, or their precursor, decreased the accumulation of SLRSV particles in inoculated leaves and fewer plants became invaded systemically. In experiments in which the roots of seedlings were exposed to SLRSV-carrying vector nematodes (Xiphinema diversicaudatum), SLRSV was detected in the roots of non-transformed control tobacco plants (6/20) and in transgenic tobacco expressing the L protein (7/40), but not in any of 25 tobacco plants expressing the S protein or in 35 expressing the P protein. This is the second example of CP-mediated resistance to virus inoculation by nematode vectors.     

The effect of in vitro antibacterial properties of bovine milk diets on the natural colonisation of newborn piglets with coliform bacteria.

The diets suitable for the hand rearing of piglets in incubators were examined. Diet A was based on cows' milk heated to 56 degrees C and had bacteriostatic and antiadhesive properties against Escherichia coli. Diet B was based on evaporated cows' milk and did not have these properties. The numbers of coliform bacteria naturally colonising the small intestines of newborn piglets fed entirely on these diets for one week did not differ significantly, however both were significantly higher than in control piglets suckled from birth. Faecal counts of coliforms were similar in all three groups. Examination of the bacteriostatic sensitivity of the isolated strains to sows' milk indicated a predominance of milk-sensitive strains colonising the suckled piglets and a predominance of milk-resistant strains in the piglets fed diet B. This diet-dependent colonisation could not be explained by the in vitro bacteriostatic properties of the diets alone.     

Influence of age,sex, capture technique,and restraint on hematologic measurements and serum chemistries of wild California sea otters

Hematologic and/or serum chemical analyses were done on a total of 27 non-tranquilized adult and juvenile wild sea otters, 66 tranquilized adult and juvenile wild sea otters, and 26 wild sea otter pups. The median and inner 90 percentile range were determined for the adult, juvenile, and pup groups and for the following subgroups: adult male versus adult female, juvenile male versus juvenile female, pup male versus pup female, captured with dip net versus captured with Wilson trap, and tranquilized adults and juveniles versus non-tranquilized adults and juveniles. When values for adults were compared to values for juveniles and pups, hematocrits, red blood cell counts, and hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in pups. This is consistent with documented findings in other species. White cell counts were also somewhat lower in younger animals. Among the subgroups, significantly higher hemoglobin levels, white cell counts and neutrophil counts were found in adult females than in adult males. This is in direct contrast to what is seen in other mammalian species and warrants further documentation. Method of capture and tranquilization did not appear to influence either hematologic or serum biochemical determinations from a clinical perspective.     

膨胀素在果实完熟中的作用

 概述了细胞壁蛋白质膨胀素(Expansin)的发现、作用机制、基因家族、功能和研究现状。重点论述了膨胀素在果实完熟中的作用及其与细胞壁酶之间的相互关系，提出了利用转基因技术调节果实完熟和软化的新策略。关键词：中图分类号：     

Footsteps from Insect Larvae Damage Leaf Surfaces and Initiate Rapid Responses

Plant resistance to insect herbivory involves gene expression in response to wounding and the detection of insect elicitors in oral secretions (Kessler and Baldwin, 2002, Ann. Rev. Plant/ Biol. 53: 299–328). However, crawling insect larvae stimulate the synthesis of 4-aminobutyrate within minutes and imprints of larval footsteps can be visualized within seconds through superoxide production or transient increases in chlorophyll fluorescence (Bown et al., 2002, Plant Physiol. 129: 1430–1434). Here cryo-scanning electron microscopy was used to demonstrate that larval feet, which are equipped with a perimeter row of hook-like crochets, damage leaf tissue and result in larval footprints. Staining for cell death shows that areas of wounding correspond to footsteps detected through increased chlorophyll fluorescence. Superoxide production in response to footsteps was inhibited by diphenyleneiodonium, an inhibitor of the plasma membrane NADPH oxidase enzyme. Inhibition of superoxide production, however, did not eliminate the detection of cell death. The results demonstrate that larval footsteps damage leaf tissue, and initiate rapid local responses which are not dependent on herbivory or oral secretions. It is proposed that superoxide production at the wound site prevents opportunistic pathogen infection.