Spray deposit patterns and persistence of diflubenzuron in some terrestrial components of a forest ecosystem after application at three volume rates under field and laboratory conditions

Spray deposit patterns and persistence of diflubenzuron [1-(4-chlorophenyl)- 3-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)urea] in white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) canopies, forest litter and soil were studied after aerial application of a 250 g kg^?1 wettable powder formulation, ‘Dimilin® WP-25’, at 70 g active ingredient (a.i.) ha^?1, using three volume rates (10, 5 and 2.5 liters ha^?1) over three blocks in a mixed forest near Kaladar, Ontario, Canada, during 1986. Spray droplets were sampled at ground level using ‘Kromekote®’ cards, and diflubenzuron deposits were collected on glass plates. Droplets were the largest (with a volume median diameter of 250 μm) at the 10 liters ha^?1 rate, resulting in the highest number of droplets per cm² on the Kromekote cards and deposits of diflubenzuron on glass plates. Deposits on foliage, litter and soil were also correspondingly the highest. At the 5.0 and 2.5 liters ha^?1 rates, volume median diameter values were smaller (195 and 150 μm, respectively) and deposits on the substrates were markedly lower. In the spray block that received 10 liters ha^?1, diflubenzuron persisted in foliage as long as 120 days after treatment, but it lasted for only about a week in forest litter and soil samples. At 5 and 2.5 liters ha^?1, diflubenzuron failed to persist in foliage as long, and residues in litter and soil, which were barely above the quantification limit, persisted only for a few days. Laboratory studies, conducted under constant meteorological conditions using different droplet-size spectra, showed that deposit levels were not affected when the volume median diameter of the spray cloud decreased from 253 μm to 145 μm, but were markedly reduced as this progressively decreased from 92 to 37μm. The dissimilarities between the field and laboratory findings were attributed to meteorological and other factors influencing droplet deposition on tree canopy in aerial applications of pesticides over forests.     

Effects of serum vitamin E levels on skin vitamin E levels in dogs and cats

Skin problems are common in small animal practice. Oxidative stress, or the imbalance between prooxidants and the body's antioxidant defense system, likely plays a role in the development of skin disease. According to this study, increasing amounts of vitamin E in foods for dogs and cats increases serum and cutaneous concentrations of vitamin E. Based on available scientific data, these increases in vitamin E concentration are likely to be beneficial. However, the relationship between increases in serum and skin vitamin E concentrations and the prevention, development, and treatment of skin disease remains to be elucidated by intervention studies.     

Effect of different types of litter material for rearing broilers

1. Coir dust was evaluated as broiler litter in comparison with sawdust and rice husk using 135 commercial broilers. Forty-five broiler chicks were reared to 42 d on a 50 mm layer of each of these litters. 2. Birds reared on coir dust showed no difference in food consumption, body weight gain, food conversion efficiency production number and survivability in comparison to those reared on saw dust and rice husk. 3. It was concluded that coir dust is suitable as broiler litter when cheaply available.     

Characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of biofilm-producing Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli from broiler chickens and their environment in India

Veterinary Research Communications - Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is responsible for colibacillosis in poultry. APEC remains a constant problem for the poultry industry, despite the use...     

A short review on sugarcane: its domestication,molecular manipulations and future perspectives

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a special crop plant that underwent anthropogenic evolution from a wild grass species to an important food, fodder, and energy crop. Unlike any other grass species which were selected for their kernels, sugarcane was selected for its high stem sucrose accumulation. Flowering in sugarcane is not favored since flowering diverts the stored sugar resources for the reproductive and developmental energy needs. Cultivars are vegetatively propagated and sugarcane breeding is still essentially focused on conventional methods, since the knowledge of sugarcane genetics has lagged that of other major crops. Cultivar improvement has been extremely challenging due to its polyploidy and aneuploidy nature derived from a few interspecific hybridizations between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum, revealing the coexistence of two distinct genome organization modes in the modern variety. Alongside implementation of modern agricultural techniques, generation of hybrid clones, transgenics and genome edited events will help to meet the ever-growing bioenergy needs. Additionally, there are two common biotechnological approaches to improve plant stress tolerance, which includes marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genetic transformation. During the past two decades, the use of molecular approaches has contributed greatly to a better understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis of plant stress-tolerance and in some cases, it led to the development of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress. Hence, this review mainly intends on the events that shaped the sugarcane as what it is now and what challenges ahead and measures taken to further improve its yield, production and maximize utilization to beat the growing demands.

     

A unique introgression from Moricandia arvensis confers male fertility upon two different cytoplasmic male-sterile lines of Brassica juncea

A Brassica juncea line carrying an introgression from Moricandia arvensis restored male fertility to two cytoplasmic male‐sterile (CMS) B. juncea lines carrying either M. arvensis or Diplotaxis catholica cytoplasm. Genetics of fertility restoration was studied in the F₁, F₂, F₃ and backcross generations of the cross between CMS and fertility‐restorer lines. No male‐sterile plants were found in F1‐F₃ generations of the cross between CMS [M. arvensis] B. juncea and the restorer. However, a 1: 1 segregation for male sterility and fertility was observed when the F1 was pollinated with non‐restorer pollen from a euplasmic line. These results clearly show that restoration is mono‐genic and gametophytic. In CMS lines carrying D. catholica cytoplasm, the restorer conferred male fertility to the F1 and showed 3: 1 and 1: 1 segregations for male fertility and sterility in F₂ and BC1 generations, respectively, indicating a monogenic, sporophytic mode of fertility restoration. The results were also supported by pollen stainability in the F1 which was about 65% in M. arvensis‐based CMS and >90% in D. catholica‐based CMS. The above results are discussed in the light of previous molecular studies which showed association between CMS and atpA in both systems.     

Influence of chloride and sulphate ions on soil enzymes

Ammonium chloride (AC) and ammonium sulphate (AS) are commonly used nitrogen fertilizers. But the effect of chloride and sulphate ions from these fertilizers on soil enzyme activity has received scant attention. Hence, we conducted a pot culture study to assess the influence of chloride (as AC) and sulphate (as AS) on the activities of urease, amidase, phosphatase and dehydrogenase in soil using rice as the test crop. Chloride and sulphate levels were fixed at 132, 264 and 396 kg ha⁻¹ respectively. Controls were also performed. The enzymes were assayed at three stages of the crop growth viz., active tillering, panicle initiation and harvest.
The enzyme activities decreased with increasing chloride and sulphate levels; however, the degree of inhibition varied among the enzymes assayed and the nature and amounts of salts added. The inhibition may be due to the specific effects of chloride and sulphate ions on microbial growth and subsequent enzyme synthesis, osmotic desiccation leading to microbial cell lysis, and a salting-out effect modifying the ionic conformation of the active site of the enzyme protein.