Exogenous application of allelopathic water extracts helps improving tolerance against terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.)

The allelopathic water extracts (AWEs) may help improve the tolerance of crop plants against abiotic stresses owing to the presence of the secondary metabolites (i.e., allelochemicals). We conducted four independent experiments to evaluate the influence of exogenous application of AWEs (applied through seed priming or foliage spray) in improving the terminal heat and drought tolerance in bread wheat. In all the experiments, two wheat cultivars, viz. Mairaj‐2008 (drought and heat tolerant) and Faisalabad‐2008 (drought and heat sensitive), were raised in pots. Both wheat cultivars were raised under ambient conditions in the wire house till leaf boot stage (booting) by maintaining the pots at 75% water‐holding capacity (WHC). Then, managed drought and heat stresses were imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% WHC, or shifting the pots inside the glass canopies (at 75% WHC), at booting, anthesis and the grain filling stages. Drought stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 39%–49%. Foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield of wheat by 26%–31%, while seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 18%–26%, respectively, than drought stress. Terminal heat stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 38%. Seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 21%–27%; while foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield by 25%–29% than the heat stress treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous application of AWEs improved the stay green, accumulation of proline, soluble phenolics and glycine betaine, which helped to stabilize the biological membranes and improved the tolerance against terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal,Russia

Background

High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia.

Results

Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km² and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer.

Conclusions

The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based monitoring will reveal their fate in a changing tundra ecosystem.

     

Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.     

Synchytrium endobioticum – risk from biogas plants?

Synchytrium endobioticum is one of the most important pathogens of potato and is known for its persistent propagation structures. Under favourable conditions, infection of highly susceptible potato cultivars leads to clearly visible cauliflower‐like tissue warts, the typical symptom of potato wart disease. However, unfavourable infection conditions or low infection pressure may result in symptoms being overlooked. Thus, the introduction of pathogen structures into stages of the processing industry cannot be ruled out. As the amounts of processed potato products continue to rise, phytosanitary risks from processing discarded potatoes and potato waste in biogas plants have to be considered. Hence, the resilience of resting spores against mesophilic anaerobic digestion was analysed in stirred tank reactors. Laboratory‐scale results show that S. endobioticum not only withstands mesophilic anaerobic digestion but also subsequent storage of the digestate for at least 4 weeks. Large numbers of viable resting spores were detectable by microscopic assessment in all samples. Viability was proved and verified additionally by bioassay. Consequently, potatoes, potato waste and processing water from potato processing industries used in biogas plants pose a phytosanitary risk if the accruing digestates are returned as fertilizer to arable land.     

Revisiting rice breeding methods – evaluating the use of rapid generation advance (RGA) for routine rice breeding

Rice production needs to increase in the future in order to meet increasing demands. The development of new improved and higher yielding varieties more quickly will be needed to meet this demand. However, most rice breeding programmes in the world have not changed in several decades. In this article, we revisit the evidence in favour of using rapid generation advance (RGA) as a routine breeding method. We describe preliminary activities at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to re-establish RGA on a large scale as the main breeding method for irrigated rice breeding. We also describe experiences from the early adoption at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Evaluation of RGA breeding lines at IRRI for yield, flowering time and plant height indicated transgressive segregation for all traits. Some RGA lines were also higher yielding than the check varieties. The cost advantages of using RGA compared to the pedigree method were also empirically determined by performing an economic analysis. This indicated that RGA is several times more cost effective and advantages will be realized after 1 year even if facilities need to be built. Based on our experience, and previous independent research empirically testing the RGA method in rice, we recommend that this method should be implemented for routine rice breeding in order to improve breeding efficiency.     

Staining pattern of the brush border and detection of cytoplasmic granules in the uriniferous tubules of female DBA/2Cr mouse kidney: comparison among various fixations and stains.

The proximal straight tubules of the female mouse kidney exhibit heavy periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining in their brush borders and numerous cytoplasmic granules. In the present study, the female DBA/2Cr mouse kidney was examined, using various fixatives (formalin, PFA, PLP, Zamboni's, Bouin, or Carnoy solution) and various staining methods (HE, PAS, alcian blue, periodic acid methenamine-silver (PAM), toluidine blue, azan, or Congo red). Under azan and PAM, the staining pattern of the brush border was similar to that of PAS, and few effects of the fixative were observed. Cytoplasmic granules were clearly detected with PAM as well as PAS. However, these granules were not detected with Carnoy solution. Furthermore, distribution of granules differed between PAS and PAM.     

The effect of porcine somatotropin supplementation in pigs on the lipid profile of subcutaneous and intermuscular adipose tissue and longissimus muscle.

The effect of porcine somatotropin (pST) on the lipid profiles of adipose tissue and muscle was investigated. Sixteen crossbred barrows were injected daily with either 3 mg of pST or a placebo. After slaughter, total lipid and fatty acid composition of raw subcutaneous (SC) adipose and intermuscular (IM) adipose tissue and longissimus muscle were determined. The SC adipose tissue from pST-treated pigs had a 7.5% decrease in total lipid content; specific fatty acids 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1(n-9)c decreased most. The IM fat from pST-treated pigs had lower levels of 16:0 and 20:0. There was no effect of pST treatment on the lipid profile of the longissimus muscle. The data suggest that pST treatment produces small but significant changes in the saturated fatty acid content of adipose tissue in pigs.     

Antitumor effect of adriamycin entrapped in liposomes conjugated with anti-bovine tumor antigen monoclonal antibody in leukemic cows

Monoclonal antibody c143 against tumor-associated antigen (TAA) expressed on bovine leukemia cells was conjugated to liposomes containing adriamycin (ADM), and therapeutic effects of conjugates were examined in leukemic or preleukemic cows to prevent the progression of the disease. Five cows with TAA-positive in their peripheral blood lymphocytes were divided into two groups. Each group of cows received 4 injections of ADM alone (0.4 mg/kg) or c143-conjugated liposomes containing the same dose of ADM (L-AMD-c143) through the jugular vein at about 4 day intervals. In three animals treated with L-ADM-c143, the TAA-positive cells gradually decreased with treatment and finally two animals became TAA-negative during a 6 week period and a 14 week period after treatment, respectively. In the control, two animals treated with ADM alone showed only a slight decrease of TAA-positive cells.     

Plasma digoxin concentration in dogs with mitral regurgitation.

Fifteen and eight mature beagles, without (normal group) and with experimental mitral regurgitation (MR group), respectively, were given 0.02 mg/kg/day digoxin powder for 10 days orally. The optimum time for sample collection after administration of digoxin was observed to be 8-18 hr and 10-22 hr in the normal and MR groups, respectively. In both groups, a stable concentration was reached after 3-5 days of treatment. No differences in plasma level were observed between sexes. The optimum concentration of digoxin was attained at an earlier stage than has been previously reported for both dogs and humans.     

Seasonal changes in serum total thyroxine, free thyroxine, and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone in clinically healthy beagles in Hokkaido.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate seasonal influences on thyroid hormone levels of healthy outdoor dogs in Hokkaido. We surveyed serum basal total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone (cTSH) levels, and tT4 levels after administration of TSH for a year. Basal tT4 levels decreased in January, and increased in August and September. fT4 levels increased in January and November. No significant seasonal variation was found in cTSH. tT4 levels after administration of TSH in August and November increased. These results suggested that the thyroid gland may have been activated in November. We should take seasonal variation into consideration when thyroid function is tested.