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.     

The role of reforestation in carbon sequestration

New Forests - In the United States (U.S.), the maintenance of forest cover is a legal mandate for federally managed forest lands. More broadly, reforestation following harvesting, recent or...     

The interaction between temperature and dose on the efficacy and biochemical response of Atlantic salmon to hydrogen peroxide treatment for amoebic gill disease

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a commonly used treatment for a range of parasitic diseases of marine finfish, including amoebic gill disease (AGD). While this treatment is partially effective at reducing parasite load, H₂O₂ can have detrimental effects on the host under certain conditions. Treatment temperature and dose concentration are two factors that are known to influence the toxicity of H₂O₂; however, their impact on the outcome of AGD treatment remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of treatment temperature (8, 12 or 16°C) and dose concentration (750, 1,000, 1,250 mg/L) on the efficacy of H₂O₂ to treat AGD. We demonstrated that a 20-min bath treatment of H₂O₂ at all doses reduced both parasite load and gross gill score significantly. Parasite load and gross gill score were lowest in the 1,000 mg/L treatment performed at 12°C. At the high dose and temperature combinations, H₂O₂ caused moderate gill damage and a significant increase in the plasma concentration of electrolytes (sodium, chloride and potassium). Taken together, our study demonstrates that higher H₂O₂ treatment temperatures can adversely affect the host and do not improve the effectiveness of the treatment.     

Comparative performance of the highly invasive Mimosa invisa and its less invasive subspecies under different nutrient and light conditions

Invasive plants may be more plastic than non‐invasive plants and maintain high fitness under various environmental conditions. Previous studies mainly focused on the comparisons between invasive and native plants, and comparisons between highly invasive and less invasive exotic species are still relatively rare, especially for comparisons at the subspecies level. This study examined the effects of nutrient addition and shading on the performance of the highly invasive Mimosa invisa and its less invasive subspecies M. invisa var. inermis under either isolated or competitive conditions. Nutrient addition increased biomass and plant height and decreased root‐to‐shoot ratio (R/S). Shading decreased biomass and R/S and increased plant height. Under isolated conditions, the two invaders did not differ in R/S, plant height and plasticity of these traits in response to nutrient addition or shading, and the two invaders also did not differ in biomass production under each of the nutrient and light treatments. When the two invaders competed with each other, M. invisa outcompeted M. invisa var. inermis under high soil nutrient conditions, and the two invaders did not differ in performance under other growth conditions. Thus, only considering competition may we find out the difference between highly invasive species and their closely related, less invasive subspecies. Management of M. invisa should focus on habitats with high soil nutrient availability, in which M. invisa is more likely to dominate.     

Crude garlic extract significantly inhibits replication of grapevine viruses

Efforts to control viral diseases of grapevine include the production of certified material and development of virus-resistant transgenic grapevines. However, effective antiviral agents, once the viruses have infected the plants, are still lacking. This study shows that a crude garlic extract has significant antiviral activity against grapevine viruses. Replication of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2) was obviously inhibited in grapevine cv. Cabernet Sauvignon calli treated with diluted (1:100) garlic extract. The relative RNA levels of GLRaV-2 and grapevine fleck virus (GFkV) in cv. Summer Black grapevine in in vitro-grown plantlets 10 days after treatment with diluted (1:100) garlic extract were about 22% and 20%, respectively, of that in controls. The viral RNA accumulation of GLRaV-2, GFkV, grapevine virus A (GVA), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) and grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV) in field-grown grapevine cv. Centennial Seedless plants sprayed with diluted (1:100) garlic extract were about 31–40%, 26–38%, 18–31%, 17–42% and 15–18%, respectively, of that in controls. Moreover, the garlic extract treatment led to a significant decrease in viral RNA accumulation of GLRaV-3, GLRaV-2, GVA, GFkV, GFLV, GRSPaV and grapevine Pinot Gris virus in pot-grown grapevine cv. Shine Muscat plants, and viral disease symptoms in these plants were obviously attenuated. In addition, this extract significantly induced expression of pathogenesis-related protein genes and stimulated activity of antioxidant enzymes in grapevines. Taken together, these results indicate that the crude garlic extract acts as a significant inhibitor against a broad range of grapevine viruses.     

Cell wall disruption: An effective strategy to improve the nutritive quality of microalgae in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

The rigid cell walls of microalgae may hinder their utilization in fish feeds. The current experiment assessed the correlation between the accessibility of microalgae nutrients and their in vivo digestibility in African catfish. Nannochloropsis gaditana biomass was subjected to physical or mechanical treatments to weaken its cell wall; untreated—no disruption treatment (UNT), pasteurization (PAS), freezing (FRO), freeze‐drying (FRD), cold pasteurization (L40) and bead milling (BEM). Six experimental diets formulated from differently treated and untreated microalgae (at 30% diet inclusion level) were tested on growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility (ADCs) in juvenile African catfish. A basal diet (REF) containing no microalgae was used as reference diet. Results showed that biomass gain and feed conversion ratio of fish fed L40 and BEM diets increased by 13% and 11%, respectively, relative to the UNT diet. Additionally, FRD, FRO, L40 and BEM cell wall disruption treatments improved protein digestibility by 0.5%, 5.9%, 8.4% and 16.3%, respectively, compared to the UNT treatment. There was a positive correlation between accessibility of microalgal nutrients and their digestibility in African catfish. Nutrient digestibility of microalgae was dependent on extent of cell disruption. Also, the impact of cell disruption on nutrient digestibility of microalgae differs between African catfish and Nile tilapia.     

Assessing seed desiccation responses of native trees in the Caribbean

New Forests - Native trees from the Caribbean were tested for seed desiccation responses, by adapting the “100-seed test” protocol. Ninety-seven seed lots of 91 species were collected...     

Production of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus grown in BFT using two aeration systems

Aeration systems used in BFT farming need to meet the dissolved oxygen demand from the biota present in the tank, as well as to keep the particulate matter in suspension. In BFT systems, it is common to use blowers, but the choice of an aerator with better efficiency in oxygen transfer and in electric energy consumption is indispensable. The vertical pump model (VPM) aerator is the most used in intensive tilapia production systems in southern Brazil. The objective of this research was to verify if this aerator model can support Nile tilapia farming under BFT system without producing negative impacts on the functionality neither of the biofloc nor in the production indexes. Simultaneous farming on BFT using blowers served as control. Oreochromis niloticus juveniles with an initial density of 7 kg/m³ were used. After 56 days of farming, the VPM aerator obtained significantly better results, both in water quality parameters and in production indexes, when compared to those obtained in the control treatment. The temperature was higher in the treatment of the blowers due to the lower thermal exchange between the atmospheric air and the tank water. Although the VPM caused lower temperatures, it obtained a productivity of 21.2 kg/m³, compared to 20.2 kg/m³ of the blowers. It was concluded that the use of the VPM aerator had no negative influence on both the formation and functionality of the biofloc, obtaining even higher production rates.     

Understanding root,tuber, and banana seed systems and coordination breakdown: a multi-stakeholder framework

Vegetatively propagated crop (VPC) seed tends to remain true to varietal type but is bulky, often carries disease, and is slow to produce. So VPC seed needs to be handled differently than that of other crops, e.g., it tends to be sourced locally, often must be fresh, and it is less often sold on the market. Hence, a framework was adapted to describe and support interventions in such seed systems. The framework was used with 13 case studies to understand VPC seed systems for roots, tubers, and bananas, including differing roles and sometimes conflicting goals of stakeholders, and to identify potential coordination breakdowns when actors fail to develop a shared understanding and vision. In this article, we review those case studies. The framework is a critical tool to (a) document VPC seed systems and build evidence; (b) diagnose and treat coordination breakdown and (c) guide decision-makers and donors on the design of more sustainable seed system interventions for VPCs. The framework can be used to analyze past interventions and will be useful for planning future VPC seed programs.