Two-year surveillance of tilapia lake virus (TiLV) reveals its wide circulation in tilapia farms and hatcheries from multiple districts of Bangladesh

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) is an emerging pathogen in aquaculture, reportedly affecting farmed tilapia in 16 countries across multiple continents. Following an early warning in 2017 that TiLV might be widespread, we executed a surveillance programme on tilapia grow-out farms and hatcheries from 10 districts of Bangladesh in 2017 and 2019. Among farms experiencing unusual mortality, eight out of 11 farms tested positive for TiLV in 2017, and two out of seven tested positive in 2019. Investigation of asymptomatic broodstock collected from 16 tilapia hatcheries revealed that six hatcheries tested positive for TiLV. Representative samples subjected to histopathology confirmed pathognomonic lesions of syncytial hepatitis. We recovered three complete genomes of TiLV from infected fish, one from 2017 and two from 2019. Phylogenetic analyses based on both the concatenated coding sequences of 10 segments and only segment 1 consistently revealed that Bangladeshi TiLV isolates formed a unique cluster within Thai clade, suggesting a close genetic relation. In summary, this study revealed the circulation of TiLV in 10 farms and six hatcheries located in eight districts of Bangladesh. We recommend continuing TiLV-targeted surveillance efforts to identify contaminated sources to minimize the countrywide spread and severity of TiLV infection.     

Predicting adoption of double cropping in paddy fields of northern Iran: a comparison of statistical methods

Factors affecting the adoption of double cropping were explored in rice farms of Fouman County of Guilan Province in northern Iran using artificial neural networks (ANNs), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and logistic regression (LGR). Eleven factors (age, education, occupation, family size, type of farm ownership, distance to the agricultural service center, attending agricultural extension courses, use of financial resources and bank loans, number of domestic animals, area under cultivation, and social participation) were examined. An additional objective was to compare the ability of the three models in predicting the adoption of double cropping. ANNs showed an overall predictive power of 89.8%. LDA showed an overall predictive power of 83.2%, with seven of the eleven independent variables being effective on the adoption of double cropping. LGR indicated an overall predictive power of 87.6%, with eight of the eleven independent variables being effective on the adoption of double-rice cropping. ANNs showed higher power than LGR and LDA in predicting the adoption of double cropping. Based on all three methods used for analysis, the most important independent variables were social participation and area under cultivation (positive factors) as well as distance to the agricultural service center and family members (negative factors). Establishment of cooperatives or other kinds of farmers’ associations to foster social participation could motivate adoption of double cropping, particularly among small-scale farmers. To increase agricultural services, more local centers should be created in rural areas. The government should promote double cropping through effective incentives and technology transfer to small-scale farmers.     

Simulation of over-exploitation of ornamental fish and its consequences for the functional structure of assemblages of Amazonian streams

The consequences of over-exploitation may seriously impair the integrity and functioning of ecosystems. When loss of species is accompanied by the loss of ecological processes, the effects are no longer just taxonomic and may affect the stability of the environments. Ornamental fishing is one of the main economic activities of the middle Negro River. Such activity is directed to a small number of species and has the Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) as the main target species. Given the potential effects this pressure and the lack of information on its consequences, the present study analysed, through simulations, the possible effects of depletion of ornamental fish populations on the functional structure of fish assemblages, represented by functional diversity (FD) and functional redundancy (FR) indexes. We sampled 13 streams exploited by the ornamental fishery, where we collected 4,286 specimens of 110 species, of which 22 were targeted as ornamental fishing. We found that the ornamental species corresponded, on average, to 27.8% of the species and 33.3% of the FD of the assemblages. In a scenario of complete exclusion of ornamental species, local communities would lose 24.6% of the FD and reduce up to 12% of the FR. With these results, it is possible to infer that the local extinction of exploited species would cause negative impacts on the multifunctionality and the resilience of the streams ecosystems. In this way, we emphasise the need for proper management of the ornamental fisheries aiming to the sustainability of the activity and to the conservation of ecosystem functionality.     

The addition of lysolecithin to broiler diets improves growth performance across fat levels and sources: a meta-analysis of 33 trials

ABSTRACT

1. This study aimed to quantify the effect of fat type (including unsaturated to saturated ratio (U:S)) and increasing doses of lysolecithin-based products on nutrient availability and growth performance in broiler chickens.

2. A total of 33 separate experimental reports were collated according to predetermined selection criteria to provide 16 performance trials with ‘on top’ application, and 17 performance trials using reformulated diets, where the contribution of the lysolecithin was taken into account. Data on average daily gain (ADG) and body weight corrected FCR (FCRc) were analysed using the REML method with trial as a random effect.

3. Across the constituent trials, average added dietary fat and oil inclusion was 4.42% (min 1.15%, max 7.00%), with varied U:S ratio (min 0.94, avg 2.50, max 7.65), reflecting diverse fat sources. Overall, neither bird growth performance nor response to lysolecithin supplementation were significantly affected by the U:S ratio of the diets.

4. In performance trials where lysolecithin was added ‘on top’ of existing formulations, FCRc was significantly reduced by lysolecithin at 250 g/t inclusion compared to the control, with 125 g/t returning an intermediate value. In reformulated trials, FCRc was not significantly affected, suggesting lysolecithin supplementation at 125 and 250 g/t could recover average dietary energy reductions of 57.88 and 73.11 kcal/kg feed, respectively.

5. In conclusion, this study showed that the addition of lysolecithin at levels of 125 g/t and above to broiler diets consistently improved feed efficiency across a range of basal dietary ingredients and fat sources.     

Establishment limitation of holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp.) in a Mediterranean savanna — forest ecosystem

? Tree recruitment in Mediterranean savannas is generally hampered, in contrast with the original oak forests where these savannas are derived from. We asked whether this difference in recruitment success can be explained by differential post-dispersal survival. For one year we monitored experimentally cached holm oak acorns in a savanna — forest ecosystem in Central Spain, and recorded cache pilferage, type of pilferer, boar rooting, seedling emergence, seedling survival and the cause of mortality.

? Cache pilferage was significantly lower in savanna (8%) than in forest (21%). However, the higher cache survival was more than offset by lower seedling emergence and, particularly, by nine times higher seedling mortality in savanna, mainly due to desiccation. Wild boar rooting did not differ between experimental caches and controls without acorns, indicating that individual cached acorns do not trigger rooting activity.

? Our results indicate that the difference in post-dispersal survival between savanna and forest is due to lower emergence and, primarily, higher seedling mortality in savanna, not to higher cache pilferage. Absence of safe sites such as shrubs, abundantly present in the forest, may well explain the lack of recruitment in the savanna. Management measures appear necessary for long-term persistence of Mediterranean savannas in general.

     

First records of the ash whitefly Siphoninus phillyreae Haliday (Hemiptera,Aleyrodidae) in Belgium

In recent years, a whitefly species has become more abundant in Belgian pear orchards, and a survey over six locations in the province of Limburg in 2017 showed it to be exclusively Siphoninus phillyreae Haliday, the ash whitefly. Although the puparia of the species are fairly easy to recognize in the field, S. phillyreae most probably has previously been overlooked but present in Belgium. Although the species is an important pest in some parts of the world, so far no significant damage has been observed in Belgian pear orchards. This is the first report of this pest in Belgium.     

Assessment of Bioactive Potential of Aqueous Protein Extracts from Diatoms Nitzschia laevis,Spirulina platensis,and Chlorella vulgaris

The bioactivities of protein extracts from Nitzschia laevis, Spirulina platensis, and Chlorella vulgaris were evaluated in vitro. Free radical scavenging potential, reducing power, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, superoxide anion radical, xanthine oxidase inhibition, and potential to inhibit angiotensin 1-converting enzyme (ACE) and acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) were studied. Nitzschia protein extracts showed the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities, reducing power, and ACE inhibitory activity. Spirulina’s proteins showed the highest 2,2′-Azino-bis (3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activity, xanthine oxidase, and AChE inhibition activities. Aqueous protein extracts from Nitzschia, Spirulina, and Chlorella showed in vitro antioxidant, anti-ACE, and anti-AChE activities, suggesting possible new sources of bioactive proteins of different phyla with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potentials.     

Determinants of income-earning strategies and adoption of conservation practices in hillside communities in rural Honduras

Based on the results of participatory diagnostic surveys conducted in 95 rural communities in the hillsides of Honduras, we determine income earning strategies at the community level; identify their main determinants; and analyze the adoption of of conservation practices. Eight income-earning strategies were distinguished that reflect differences in comparative advantage between communities. We explain the choice of income earning strategy using a multinomial logit model that includes biophysical, economic, social and institutional variables. We use a probit model to show that adoption of conservation practices is determined by the type of income earning strategy, population density, market access, and organizational variables.     

Major genes for resistance to beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) in Beta vulgaris

Summary Inheritance of resistance to beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) was studied in segregating F2 and backcross families obtained from crosses between resistant plants of the sugar beet selection Holly-1-4 or the wild beet accession Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima WB42 and susceptible parents. Greenhouse tests were carried out, in which seedlings were grown in a mixture of sand and infested soil. Virus concentrations of BNYVV in the rootlets were estimated by ELISA. To discriminate resistant and susceptible plants, mixtures of normal distributions were fitted to log₁₀ virus concentrations, estimated for segregating F1, F2 and BC populations of both accessions. The hypothesis that Holly-1-4 contained one single dominant major gene was accepted. For WB42, results fitted with the hypotheses that resistance was based on either one (or more) dominant major gene(s) showing distorted segregation, or two complementary dominant genes, which are both required for resistance. Resistance from WB42 appeared to be more effective against BNYVV than resistance from Holly-1-4.This research was carried out as part of a PhD study at the Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences (EPS), Department of Virology, Wageningen, The Netherlands