Drivers,challenges and opportunities of forage technology adoption by smallholder cattle households in Cambodia

Forage technology has been successfully introduced into smallholder cattle systems in Cambodia as an alternative feed source to the traditional rice straw and native pastures, improving animal nutrition and reducing labour requirements of feeding cattle. Previous research has highlighted the positive impacts of forage technology including improved growth rates of cattle and household time savings. However, further research is required to understand the drivers, challenges and opportunities of forage technology for smallholder cattle households in Cambodia to facilitate widespread adoption and identify areas for further improvement. A survey of forage-growing households (n = 40) in July–September 2016 examined forage technology adoption experiences, including reasons for forage establishment, use of inputs and labour requirements of forage plot maintenance and use of forages (feeding, fattening, sale of grass or seedlings and silage). Time savings was reported as the main driver of forage adoption with household members spending approximately 1 h per day maintaining forages and feeding it to cattle. Water availability was reported as the main challenge to this activity. A small number of households also reported lack of labour, lack of fencing, competition from natural grasses, cost of irrigation and lack of experience as challenges to forage growing. Cattle fattening and sale of cut forage grass and seedlings was not found to be a widespread activity by interviewed households, with 25 and 10% of households reporting use of forages for these activities, respectively. Currently, opportunities exist for these households to better utilise forages through expansion of forage plots and cattle activities, although assistance is required to support these households in addressing current constraints, particularly availability of water, if the sustainability of this feed technology for smallholder cattle household is to be established in Cambodia.     

Leptin, GH, PRL, Insulin and Metabolic Parameters Throughout the Dry Period and Lactation in Dairy Cows

Leptin may play a role in the endocrine-metabolic processes that guarantee the physiological course of lactation in dairy cattle. This study was aimed at determining the changes in plasma concentrations of leptin and some of the main hormones and metabolites involved in the lactogenetic process in high-yielding dairy cows throughout lactation; we also wanted to assess whether leptin secretion is subjected to seasonal influences. Blood samples were collected from 23 Italian Friesian dairy cows from the end of a lactation to the ninth month of the subsequent one; in addition, blood was sampled from 47 dairy cows in different phases of lactation during February and July. Plasma concentrations of leptin, growth hormone (GH), insulin, prolactin (PRL), glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and urea were quantified by either validated radioimmunoassay (RIA) or enzymatic colorimetric methods. At the beginning of lactation, GH concentrations significantly increased, while a significant reduction occurred in leptin and insulin. This endocrine condition, such as the significant increase in NEFA plasma concentrations, is indicative of a marked lipid mobilization. In the more advanced stages of lactation, when both energy and protein balances become positive, leptin plasma concentrations increased, whereas GH and NEFA concentrations declined. During the summer months, a significant increase in leptin plasma concentrations, irrespective of the phase of lactation, was observed. Collectively, our findings suggest that, in dairy cows, leptin may represent a 'metabolic signal' of animal's status of fattening and nutritional level; in addition, leptin seems to be influenced by photoperiod and environmental temperature.     

Effects of immune challenge on concentrations of serum insulin-like growth factor-I and growth performance in pigs

This study was designed to determine the long-term effects of repeated endotoxin treatment or immunization against human serum albumin on concentrations of serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and other indicators of growth performance in growing pigs. Thirty gilts (38.5 +/- 0.9 kg) were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups (n = 6 animals/group): 1) lipopolysaccharide injections, 2) lipopolysaccharide pair-fed, 3) human serum albumin immunization, 4) human serum albumin pair-fed, and 5) control. Pigs in the lipopolysaccharide group were treated intramuscularly with lipopolysaccharide on Days 0-3. The pigs in the human serum albumin group were immunized with human serum albumin emulsified in Freund's adjuvant on Day 0 and administered a booster on Day 28. The lipopolysaccharide pair-fed pigs were matched by body weight and pair-wise fed with pigs treated with lipopolysaccharide. Similarly, human serum albumin pair-fed pigs were matched to human serum albumin immunized pigs. Serum IGF-I concentrations did not differ between or within groups. There was no difference in feed disappearance between groups prior to the initiation of treatments. The lipopolysaccharide group had a decrease (P = 0.013) in feed disappearance on Day 0 compared with control and human serum albumin groups. On Day 1, both lipopolysaccharide and human serum albumin groups differed (P < 0.05) from control. Average daily gain and total weight gain did not differ between groups; however, feed efficiency differed (P < 0.05) between lipopolysaccharide and control groups. Long-term effects of repeated endotoxin challenge or immunization on IGF-I concentrations and growth were not evident in the present study. This failure presumably was due to the development of endotoxin tolerance and a relatively innocuous vaccination against human serum albumin.     

Use of Degenerate Primers in a RT-PCR Assay for the Identification and Analysis of Some Filamentous Viruses, with Special Reference to Clostero- and Vitiviruses of the Grapevine

RT-PCR with degenerate primers was used for the screening of the genome of some members of the Closterovirus, Vitivirus and Trichovirus genera. Two sets of primers, targeted to conserved sequences of the heat shock protein 70 homologue of closteroviruses or to the RNA dependent RNA polymerase genes of tricho- and vitiviruses, amplified the expected fragments from total RNA extracts or double-stranded RNAs of infected plants. Amplified cDNAs were cloned, sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Results support the allocation of grapevine viruses A, B, D and heracleum latent virus (HLV) in the genus Vitivirus, whereas, the detection of a HSP70 homologue in grapevine leafroll-associated viruses agrees with their assignment in the genus Closterovirus. The use of degenerate primers for the identification of grapevine viruses belonging to Vitivirus and Closterovirus genera is envisaged.