Effect of farm management on topsoil organic carbon and aggregate stability in water: A case study from Southwest England,UK

There are few reliable data sets to inspire confidence in policymakers that soil organic carbon (SOC) can be measured on farms. We worked with farmers in the Tamar Valley region of southwest England to select sampling sites under similar conditions (soil type, aspect and slope) and management types. Topsoils (2–15 cm) were sampled in autumn 2015, and percentage soil organic matter (%SOM) was determined by loss on ignition and used to calculate %SOC. We also used the stability of macroaggregates in cold water (WSA) (‘soil slaking’) as a measure of ‘soil health’ and investigated its relationship with SOC in the clay‐rich soils. %SOM was significantly different between management types in the order woodland (11.1%) = permanent pasture (9.5%) > ley‐arable rotation (7.7%) = arable (7.3%). This related directly to SOC stocks that were larger in fields under permanent pasture and woodland compared with those under arable or ley‐arable rotation whether corrected for clay content (F = 8.500, p < .0001) or not (F = 8.516, p < .0001). WSA scores were strongly correlated with SOC content whether corrected for clay content (SOC_adj R² = .571, p < .0001) or not (SOC_unadj R² = 0.490, p = .002). Time since tillage controlled SOC stocks and WSA scores, accounting for 75.5% and 51.3% of the total variation, respectively. We conclude that (1) SOC can be reliably measured in farmed soils using accepted protocols and related to land management and (2) WSA scores can be rapidly measured in clay soils and related to SOC stocks and soil management.     

Projecting future habitat quality of three midwestern reservoir fishes under warming conditions

Rising temperatures caused by climate change are likely to affect cool‐water and warm‐water fishes differently. Yet, forecasts of anticipated temperature effects on fishes of different thermal guilds are lacking, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Towards this end, we used spatially explicit, growth rate potential (GRP) models to project changes in seasonal habitat quality for a warm‐water piscivore (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides), a cool‐water piscivore (walleye Sander vitreus) and a hybrid piscivore (saugeye S. vitreus × S. canadensis) in two Midwestern reservoirs. We assessed habitat quality for two periods (early and middle 21st century) under two realistic greenhouse gas emission scenarios (a mid‐century emissions peak and a rapid continuous increase in emissions). Largemouth bass were projected to experience enhanced or slightly reduced habitat during all seasons, and throughout the mid‐21st century. By contrast, walleye habitat was projected to decline with anticipated warming, except during the spring in the smaller of our two study reservoirs and during the fall in the larger of our two study reservoirs. Saugeye habitat was projected to either increase modestly or decline slightly during the spring and fall and declines in habitat quality and quantity that were smaller than those for walleye were identified during summer. Collectively, our findings indicate that climate warming will differentially alter habitat suitability for reservoir piscivores, favouring warm‐water species over cool‐water species. We expect these changes in habitat quality to impact the dynamics of reservoir fish populations to varying degrees necessitating the consideration of climate when making future management decisions.     

Bilateral intracorporeally sutured inguinal herniorrhaphy using 3-dimensional laparoscopy in a dog

A 7-month-old, intact male, mixed breed dog with bilateral inguinal hernias underwent general anesthesia for laparoscopic bilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy via a 3-port approach. A 3-dimensional laparoscopic system was used to perform the procedure immediately following prescrotal open castration. Intracorporeal suturing with polypropylene was performed, and 2 cruciate sutures were placed to close each inguinal ring. The caudal aspect of each inguinal ring was left slightly open so as not to disrupt the passage or patency of vessels and nerves. No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. One year after surgery, the dog has no evidence of recurrence of the inguinal hernias.Key clinical message:This case report demonstrates a novel minimally invasive approach to inguinal herniorrhaphy in a dog with no reported complications and a good long-term outcome. Intracorporeally sutured inguinal herniorrhaphy is feasible in dogs with good results, although additional cases are needed to gain experience with this technique in dogs with varying presentations of inguinal hernias.     

Performance of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl in non-puddled transplanted rainy season rice and its residual effect on growth of the succeeding crop in rice-wheat cropping pattern

Abstract

A study was carried out in sandy clay loam textured soil of Mymensingh, Bangladesh to evaluate weed control efficiency of pre-emergence herbicide pyrazosulfuron-ethyl either alone or in sequential application with post-emergence herbicide in transplanted rainy season rice under non-puddled strip-tilled (NPST) field condition and also to examine the residual effect of those herbicides on germination and growth of the subsequently grown wheat crop. Five treatment combinations of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl were tested against one weedy check and one weed-free check. The study revealed that NPST rice field was mostly infested by grass and sedge weeds and herbicide treatments offered a wide range of control (above 50% to 95%) on all types of weeds. Application of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl followed by (fb) orthosulfamuron fb butachlor plus propanil provided the most effective and economic weed control over two years of the study. Moreover, micro-plot bioassay study claimed germination and growth of subsequently grown wheat were not adversely affected by herbicides that were applied in rice. Therefore, application of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl followed by post-emergence herbicide could be effective and economic to control weeds in NPST rice under rice-wheat system, but proper rate and time of application should strictly be followed.     

Agrocenosis Stability during Long-Term Application of Fertilizers on Soddy-Podzolic Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - In a long-term field experiment in the western part of the nonchernozemic zone of Russia (Smolensk oblast) on sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soil (Albic Glossic Retisol...     

Preliminary assessment of large‐scale co‐culture of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) with the Babylon snail (Babylonia areolata) in earthen ponds and in raceways

Holothuria scabra (sandfish) and Babylonia areolata were trialed in two large‐scale co‐culture experiments. Experiment 1 assessed co‐culture in 4 × 400 m² earthen ponds where Babylonia were cultured in a central pen at a density of 400 individuals/m² with sandfish occupying the remaining pond space at 1.1 individuals/m². Sandfish grew from 18.20 ± 6.67 g to 119.03 ± 17.74 g in 92 days and Babylonia (fed trash fish in both experiments) grew from 0.90 ± 0.38 g to 4.93 ± 1.44 g, but Babylonia growth was not increased in co‐culture compared to monoculture. Water and sediment quality varied between co‐culture and monoculture ponds. Neither showed clear improvement due to sandfish culture. Experiment 2 compared non‐segregated sandfish‐Babylonia co‐culture with Babylonia monoculture in 20 m² concrete raceways. Sandfish were cultured at 2 individuals/m² and Babylonia at 300 individuals/m². Sandfish grew up to 1.91 g.day^?1 with 100% survival. Babylonia weight gain was significantly greater in co‐culture raceways (3.35 ± 0.64 g over 61 days), which was double that of Babylonia in monoculture. Substrate total N was reduced by 20% in co‐culture compared with monoculture (p = .032). This provisional study of commercial scale sandfish‐Babylonia co‐culture demonstrates culture compatibility, providing a basis for further system development.     

Poorly crystalline iron and aluminium oxides contribute to the carbon saturation and sorption of dissolved organic carbon in the soil

Soil carbon (C) saturation implies an upper limit to a soil's capacity to store C depending on the contents of silt + clay and poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides. We hypothesized that the poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides in silt + clay fraction increased the C saturation and thus reduced the capacity of the soil to sorb additional C input. To test the hypothesis, we studied the sorption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on silt + clay fractions (<53 µm) of highly weathered oxic soils, collected from three different land uses (i.e., improved pasture, cropping and forest). Soils with high carbon saturation desorbed 38% more C than soils with low C saturation upon addition of DOC, whereas adsorption of DOC was only observed at higher concentration (>15 g kg^?1). While high Al oxide concentration significantly increased both the saturation and desorption of DOC, the high Fe oxide concentration significantly increased the desorption of DOC, supporting the proposition that both oxides have influence on the DOC sorption in soil. Our findings provide a new insight into the chemical control of stabilization and destabilization of DOC in soil.     

Direct and indirect efficacy of truck-mounted applications of s-methoprene against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is a globally significant vector that complexifies management programs already contending with Aedes aegypti (L.). The Ae. albopictus mosquito is a daytime biting, container breeding, anthropophilic mosquito that is generally considered unresponsive to operational larviciding that does not also incorporate source reduction. S-methoprene is a readily available juvenile hormone mimic common to pest management. This 14-week study examines direct and indirect treatment efficacy using s-methoprene as an ultra-low volume (ULV) truck spray in area-wide operations against Ae. albopictus in the southeastern United States. An overall 63.3% reduction of Ae. albopictus adults and 47.8% reduction of deposited eggs in treatment areas were observed compared with control. Indirect plots saw reduction in Ae. albopictus adults by 32.7% and eggs by 32.3%. Using insect growth regulator bioassays, truck-mounted ULV application of s-methoprene was effective to an inhibition of emergence (IE) of ≥92% within directly treated (sprayed) areas and >65% IE among containers placed up to 90 m away. S-methoprene could still benefit urban vector management programs when applied at an operational scale.