Phosphorus utilization in juvenile Clarias gariepinus fed phytase-supplemented diets based on soya bean (oil-extracted) and full-fat (roasted): A comparison

The effect of microbial phytase on phosphorus utilization in juvenile Clarias gariepinus (initial fish body weight 11.55 ± 0.2 g) was tested on two different diets based on oil-extracted soya bean (Experiment 1) and roasted soya bean meal (Experiment 2) using a 5 × 5 experimental design for 84 days. The basal isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets for oil-extracted and roasted soya bean were formulated to replace fish meal at 25% (S1E), 50% (S2E), 75% (S3E), 100% (S4E); and 25% (S1), 50% (S2), 75% (S3), 100% (S4), respectively. Each treatment was replicated four times. Microbial phytase was supplemented in each replicate at 250 FTU/g (P1), 500 FTU/g (P2), 750 FTU/g (P3), and 1,000 FTU/g (P4). Basal controls, which included a fish meal-based diet (S0), were not supplemented with phytase (P0). The result in Experiment 1 showed that there was a significant increase in whole-body protein and reduction in fat with phytase compared to a diet without phytase (P < 0.05). Serum total protein declined significantly with phytase supplementation (P < 0.05). Serum phosphorus and glucose were higher with phytase supplementation compared to control (P < 0.05). Bone minerals declined significantly with increasing level of soya bean compared to fish meal diet (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, serum phosphorus was improved with phytase compared to control with no phytase (P > 0.05). A significant reduction in whole-body protein and increase in fat was observed for fish fed phytase diets compared to diets with no phytase, regardless of soya bean level (P < 0.05); however, ash content was improved with phytase (250 FTU/g) compared to control (P < 0.05). Phytase supplementation improved bone phosphorus (250 FTU/g), calcium (250 FTU/g), magnesium (250–500 FTU/g), and zinc (250–1,000 FTU/g) compared to control (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the research has demonstrated that improved bone phosphorus (P) and growth could be achieved with the supplementation of dietary phytase.     

Modelling and mapping natural hazard regulating ecosystem services in Sapa,Lao Cai province,Vietnam

Land use change due to the development of agriculture and community-based tourism has resulted in an increase in natural hazards (e.g. erosion and landslides) that affect sustainability in the Sapa mountainous area in northern Vietnam. Natural hazard regulating ecosystem services have protected the local people from the destruction of their villages, goods and natural resources, especially in the rainy season. However, it is difficult to identify which kinds of anthropogenic constructions support a co-production of regulating services in human-influenced social–ecological systems and in which specific types of land use and land cover the supply of such services takes place, especially in heterogeneous mountainous areas. Therefore, this research attempts to (1) distinguish between the potential and actual use (flow) of natural hazard regulating ecosystem services and (2) understand how soil erosion and landslide regulating ecosystem services can contribute to a sustainable management of different ecosystems, especially in rice fields and forest areas. Two models (InVEST for soil erosion, Analytic Hierarchy Process for landslide analysis) were used to analyze and map the contributions of natural versus anthropogenic components for regulating natural hazards in Sapa. The results show the incoherent distribution of erosion regulating services and low capacities of landslide regulating services in areas that have seriously been affected by human activities, especially forestry and agricultural development. The contribution of rice ecosystems to soil erosion mitigation is higher than in the case of landslides. Nevertheless, one-third of the area of paddy fields in the case study area have “no” capacity to supply natural hazard regulating ecosystem services and should therefore be re-forested.     

Optimization of carbon stock models to local conditions using farmers' soil tests: A case study with AMGv2 for a cereal plain in central France

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is associated with environmental benefits and crop productivity; therefore, monitoring of SOC stocks is important when assessing the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study applied a hybrid method and the results of on-farm soil tests to calibrate the AMGv2 model and adapt it to local conditions. The method was applied to soils in the Limagne plain (France), which shifted to cereal production since the 1960s. Based on analysing 988 soil test data, covering the period from 1954 to 2019, it was found that SOC stocks showed a significant decrease in the three main soil types of the study area. An optimization procedure estimated that the initial ratios of stable to total carbon fall in the ranges 0.42 and 0.46 for vertisols, 0.48 and 0.52 for calcisols, and 0.56 and 0.60 for fluvisols. Simulations using these values estimated that SOC stocks declined between 1960 and 2018 by between −31 and −17%, depending on soil type. The optimized model was used to forecast the evolution of SOC stocks up to 2050. These simulations showed a further decline in SOC stocks with continuation of current practices, even assuming a 15% increase in crop yields. They indicated that stopping straw exports would stabilize stocks, while a systematic introduction of cover crops would increase stocks about 3.8% over the period considered. It is concluded that this hybrid procedure can improve the adaptation of predictive models to local conditions.     

Quantification of flight times of aerial treatments targeting invasive species: the interplay of helicopter or drone with bait-delivery systems,flight speed and bait form

BACKGROUND

Aerial treatments for invasive species management are now common, but we are unaware of any work published in the scientific literature quantifying how the interplay of numerous factors affects flight time and therefore operational costs. Here, we analyse aerial treatment data collected from two ant-eradication programmes, quantifying how the relationships between flight time and area are influenced by numerous aircraft/delivery system/bait/flight speed combinations.

RESULTS

For bait dispersal by helicopters, and when swath widths are equivalent, side-mounted Isolair was significantly more efficient than the simultaneous use of two underslung buckets, and use of two buckets was slightly but not significantly more efficient than one bucket. In this scenario, delivery by Isolair was, on average, 39.8% and 31.5% more efficient than the use of one or two buckets, respectively. However, when the swath width used with Isolair was halved to 10 m and flight speed was increased slightly, flight time was significantly greater compared to the other configurations. For bait dispersed by drone, flights conducted using an upgraded Flight Management System (FMS) and greater flight speed but smaller swath width were significantly more efficient than flights using the older FMS and lower flight speed. Over 10 and 50 ha the helicopter was 2.87 and 4.82 times more time efficient than the drone.

CONCLUSION

We encourage practitioners to publish data from their aerial treatments, and to try new methods, to accelerate improvements in efficiency and reduce the costs of aerial treatments. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

The neglected role of religion in fisheries management

Religion and spirituality have long played important roles in fishery systems around the world, and yet are often neglected in modern fisheries management and research. We review current literature and analyse the major small‐scale fishery on Lake Tanganyika, Africa, to highlight how religion may mediate fishing behaviours. Our study surveyed 154 fishers across 11 landing sites in Tanzania, followed by 15 semi‐structured interviews with key informants including fishery officers and local religious leaders. We identified key connections between religious beliefs/practices and fisher perceptions, behaviour and compliance with harvest restrictions and regulations. We demonstrate that better understanding and accounting for religious dimensions is critical for engaging with fishery stakeholders more effectively and managing global fisheries more sustainably.     

Using unsupervised learning techniques to assess interactions among complex traits in soybeans

Soybean yield components and agronomic traits are connected through physiological pathways that impose tradeoffs through genetic and environmental constraints. Our primary aim is to assess the interdependence of soybean traits by using unsupervised machine learning techniques to divide phenotypic associations into environmental and genetic associations. This study was performed on large scale, jointly analyzing 14 quantitative traits in a large multi-parental population designed for genetic studies. We collected phenotypes from 2012 to 2015 from a soybean nested association panel with 40 families of approximately 140 individuals each. Pearson and Spearman correlations measured phenotypic associations. A multivariate mixed linear model provided genotypic and environmental correlations. To evaluate relationships among traits, the study used principal component and undirected graphical models from phenotypic, genotypic, and environmental correlation matrices. Results indicate that high phenotypic correlation occurs when traits display both genetic and environmental correlations. In genetic terms, length of reproductive period, node number, and canopy coverage play important roles in determining yield potential. Optimal grain yield production occurs when the growing environment favors faster canopy closure and extended reproductive length. Environmental associations found among yield components give insight into the nature of yield component compensation. The use of unsupervised learning methods provides a good framework for investigating interactions among various quantitative traits and defining target traits for breeding.     

Identifying and exploring significant genomic regions associated with soybean yield,seed fatty acids,protein and oil

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] yield and seed fatty acids, protein, and oil content are important traits for which an improved understanding of significant genomic regions would be useful. To accomplish this, a soybean population consisting of 203 F5 derived recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed and genotyped with 11,633 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Each RIL was grown in a single plot at Knoxville, TN in 2010; followed by replicated, multi-location field trials in 2013 and 2014. The data from 2010, 2013, and 2014 were analyzed together in order to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for these traits, and 30 total QTLs were detected. Five QTLs are candidates for confirmed status and one QTL is a candidate for positional confirmation. Many of the genes with mutations in close proximity to the fatty acid QTLs are involved in biological processes for fatty acids and/or lipids and could be considered possible candidate genes. Similarly, genes with mutations in genomic regions near yield, protein, and oil QTLs were plentiful and may contribute to the variation observed in these traits. Except for yield and stearic acid, each trait displayed pleiotropic effects with other traits in this study. Notable are the pleiotropic effects for oleic and linolenic acid on chromosomes 9, 13, and 19. Overall, the findings from this research contribute new information to the genetic understanding of soybean yield and seed fatty acids, protein and oil content. This understanding will be useful in making trait improvements.