Soil carbon change across ten New South Wales farms under different farm management regimes in Australia

This paper examines the potential influence of soil management and land use on soil carbon on cropping farms in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Soil organic carbon (SOC) data from ten farms spatially distributed across NSW were examined on two occasions. Soil cores to a depth 0–30 cm were measured for SOC and, as expected, SOC in the A horizon (1.16%) was significantly (p < .001) greater than in the B horizon (0.74%) of all profiles. Analysis of the 2013 and 2015 SOC data indicated that in many ways, the results runs counter to other SOC studies in Australia. Importantly, the mean SOC concentration in these agricultural soils was significantly (p < .001) less under cropping (2013-1.05%, 2015-0.97%) than in native sites (2013-1.20%, 2015-1.16%). Out of the total of 35 sites sampled from 10 farms, SOC in 49% of sites did not change significantly over 2 years, in 17% it increased significantly, whereas in 34% it decreased. Further, a clear implication of drought on SOC was seen on sites that were uncropped based on a critical value for a 95% confidence interval (p < .05) and complemented by the significant correlation (p < .05) between average annual precipitation deficit (ANPD) and SOC across the state with R² = 0.39. The mean SOC was found to be directly proportional to standard deviation and standard error. In terms of spatial variability, the C0 (nugget) value was greatest for farms with a large mean SOC and the average variogram in this study has a range of approximately 200 m which is potentially useful in determining sampling spacing for soil carbon auditing purpose. Similar empirical data over more years are required to better estimate SOC levels and to determine whether at a farm scale, factors such as land management, land use and climate can be related to soil carbon change and variability.     

Conspecific negative density dependence in a long-lived conifer,yew <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus baccata</Emphasis> L.

Conspecific negative density dependence in tree species can have major consequences for structuring of communities, yet in temperate forests this phenomenon remains largely unexplored. We investigated density-dependent recruitment in the long-lived conifer yew (Taxus baccata L.), for which low levels of regeneration have been linked with reduced light availability beneath conspecific canopies and speculative autotoxic effects. We combined in situ assessment of yew regeneration in a temperate forest in southwest Ireland with ex situ pot experiments to assess whether light and/or beneath conspecific canopy conditions inhibit the germination and early growth of yew. In field experiments, recruitment was related to distance from adult conspecifics, with higher levels of regeneration found in areas not beneath yew canopies. However, reduced light availability beneath the dense yew canopy was not responsible for this pattern, with abundant seedlings found in areas of equivalent or even lower light availability. Pot experiments showed that seedling survival was highest in deep shade treatments. Experiments also demonstrated that the addition of yew needles negatively affected seedling growth, but not seed germination. Together, our results suggest that under natural forest conditions, the absence of regeneration beneath mature yew canopies, often attributed to low light availability, may at least be partly related to substances in yew canopy or leaf leachates.     

Selection of ancillary data to derive production management units in sweet corn (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea Mays</Emphasis> var. rugosa) using MANOVA and an information criterion

In production systems where high-resolution harvest data are unavailable there is often a reliance on ancillary information to generate potential management units. In these situations correct identification of relevant sources of data is important to minimize cost to the grower. For three fields in a sweet corn production system in central NSW, Australia, several sets of high-resolution data were obtained using soil and crop canopy sensors. Management units were derived by k-means classification for 2–5 classes using three approaches: (1) with soil data, (2) with crop data and (3) a combination of both soil and crop data. Crop quantity and quality were sampled manually, and the sample data were related to the different management units using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc) was then used to rank the different sources of data and the different orders of management units. For irrigated, short-season sweet corn production the management units derived from the crop canopy sensor data explained more variation in key harvest variables than management units derived from an apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC_a) survey or a mixture of crop and soil sensor data. Management units derived from crop data recorded just prior to side-dressing outperformed management units derived from data recorded earlier in the season. However, multi-temporal classification of early and mid-season crop data gave better results than single layer classification at any time. For all three fields in this study, a 3- or 4-unit classification gave the best results according to the information criterion (AICc). For growers interested in adopting differential management in irrigated sweet corn, investment in a crop canopy sensor will provide more useful high-resolution information than that in a high-resolution EC_a survey.     

Fournier's gangrene in a cat

Objective – To describe the clinical course of a cat diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene.
Case Summary – A 2-year-old castrated male cat was presented to an emergency hospital for evaluation of acute onset of lethargy, mucoid anal discharge, and fever. During hospitalization, with provision of supportive care, an area of necrotizing fasciitis around the prepuce and anus developed and surgical debridement was performed. Severe sepsis developed secondary to the necrotizing fasciitis and the cat was eventually euthanized.
New Information Provided – The purpose of this report is to document the first case of Fournier's gangrene in a cat that presented for mucoid anal discharge, lethargy, and mild ataxia, and to alert emergency clinicians to this disease process. Early detection of the disease with prompt, aggressive supportive care and surgical debridement is necessary for successful treatment.     

Quantifying leaf-scale variations in water absorption in lettuce from hyperspectral imagery: a laboratory study with implications for measuring leaf water content in the context of precision agriculture

Precision Agriculture - Variations in water absorption across lettuce leaves (Latuca sativa L. var. longifolia) were quantified from hyperspectral imagery acquired in the laboratory using selected...     

Repeat tuberculin skin testing leads to desensitisation in naturally infected tuberculous cattle which is associated with elevated interleukin-10 and decreased interleukin-1 beta responses

The principal surveillance tool used to control bovine tuberculosis in cattle is the removal of animals that provide a positive response to the tuberculin skin-test. In this study we performed a longitudinal investigation of the immunological and diagnostic consequences of repeated short-interval skin-tests in cattle naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis. Tuberculin skin-test positive cattle were subjected to up to four further intradermal comparative cervical skin-tests at approximately 60-day intervals. A significant progressive reduction in the strength of the skin-test was observed after successive tests. In contrast, the magnitude of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) responses was not influenced by repeat skin-testing either transiently around the time of each skin-test or longitudinally following repeated tests. A significant boost in blood interleukin-10 (IL-10) production was observed within 3 days following each skin-test although the magnitude of this boosted response returned to lower levels by day 10 post-test. The application of a novel multiplex assay to simultaneously measure seven cytokines and chemokines also identified that skin-testing resulted in a significant and progressive reduction in antigen specific interleukin-1β (IL-1β) whilst confirming stable IFN-γ and elevated IL-10 responses in the blood. Therefore, we have demonstrated that in cattle naturally infected with M. bovis, repeat short-interval skin-testing can lead to a progressive reduction in skin-test responsiveness which has potential negative consequences for the detection of infected animals with marginal or inconclusive skin-test responses. The desensitising effect is associated with decreased IL-1β and elevated IL-10 responses, but importantly, does not influence antigen specific IFN-γ responses.     

Insensitivity of soil biological communities to phosphorus fertilization in intensively managed grassland systems

Efficient soil P cycling is essential for promoting optimal and sustainable grassland growth. The soil biological community is regarded as an important source of available P to the plant community. However, the effects of P fertilization on the soil biota are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of P fertilization on plant and soil biological communities in two intensively managed grassland sites that had been receiving mineral‐based P fertilization over a 14‐year period. Both pastures had been frequently cut and harvested for plant material and had received only inorganic fertilizers from the establishment of the trial. Both sites were sampled four times from October 2009 to April 2011 and plant and a range of soil biological parameters were determined at each sampling period. The main findings of this study showed that soil chemical measures, such as labile inorganic P and total P concentrations, and plant yield and P contents responded as expected to P fertilization. However, all soil biological parameters either showed no response or inconsistent responses to P fertilization over the experimental period. This study indicates that intensive management regimes, for example intensive plant harvesting and fertilizer regimes, appear to override the relationship between plant and soil biological communities with respect to their response to P fertilization, and thus their productivity is apparently not predicated upon biotic activity.     

Identification and breeding behaviour of a major deletion of chromosome 5D ofTriticum aestivum

Summary A study was undertaken to evaluate the breeding behaviour and to identify a spontaneously produced putative chromosomal deletion in the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) cv Norstar. Male and female transmission studies of plants heterozygous for the deletion chromosome indicated 9.5% and 48.8% transmission through the pollen and the egg, respectively. Meiotic analyses of progeny from deletion heterozygotes indicated that the deletion chromosome was eliminated from half of the plants, which agreed with the male and female transmission frequencies. Testcrosses of the deletion chromosome with telocentrics and nullisomic-tetrasomic combinations suggested that the deletion involved the long arm of chromosome 5D. This was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Also, monosomic plants obtained in progeny of deletion heterozygotes were shown to be monosomic for 5D. Studies of plants homozygous for the deletion showed relatively normal pairing between the deletion chromosomes, and with the short arm (5DS), but not the long arm (5DL). Deletion homozygotes were self-sterile, and morphologically similar to plants nullisomic for 5D, but plants that also contained 5DL, or a homoeologous chromosome were self-fertile and had normal morphology. Studies of chromosome morphology indicated that the deletion chromosome was metacentric, and the length of the long arm was reduced by approximately 60%. RFLP studies showed that, in terms of genetic distance, 90% of the arm was missing.