Skin and plumage changes in domestic birds. II. Plumage changes]

The study describes plumage modifications and specific feather malformations, as related to the domestication process of different poultry species. The modifications include naked necks, leg feathering, frizzle feathering, silky feathering, fat quills, and feather abnormalities caused by behavioural hypertrophies. Most of these plumage modifications correspond to the breed standard for exhibition poultry fancy. However, they impair the normal function of these animals. The negative influences comprise disorders in social behaviour, loss of typical plumage functions and disabilities of normal mobility, as well as genetic defects and pathogenic predispositions.     

Effectiveness of Cabergoline for Termination of Pregnancy in Silver Fox (Vulpes vulpes fulva)

Red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) are a major pest species in Europe and Australia. Traditional methods of control such as hunting or poisoning are no longer sufficient or feasible. As with domestic dogs and cats, prolactin (PRL) in the vixen is an essential luteotropin during the second half of gestation. Hence, PRL inhibitors such as cabergoline have been used to induce abortions. Eighteen mated silver fox vixens (three groups of six foxes each) were treated orally with a placebo of paraffin oil (I), or with 15  μ g/kg cabergoline in feed once (II) or twice (III), on day 30 (I and II) or days 30 and 32 (III) post-coitum. Blood samples were taken prior to and after treatments and concentrations of PRL and progesterone (P₄) were determined. Normal parturitions were observed in five of six, five of six and two of six vixens in groups I, II and III, respectively. In group III plasma concentrations of PRL and P₄ decreased significantly but only temporarily. This drop in hormone concentrations was more pronounced in the vixens that did not carry to term. In conclusion, doses in excess of 15  μ g/kg of cabergoline are likely to prevent the development of fetuses to term in pregnant vixens.     

Untersuchungen über Maikäfer und Engerlinge

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Roots in irrigated clay soils: Measurement techniques and responses to rootzone conditions

Summary This paper reviews research carried out at the Griffith Laboratory in Australia over the last decade on techniques for, and results of, observations of roots in irrigated clay soils. Our results emphasise the adaptability of root systems to rootzone conditions. Experiences with techniques for observing roots non-destructively in the field and both non-destructively and destructively in lysimeters are described. We concluded that the minirhizotron technique, applied in the field, was unreliable under our conditions. Horizontal root observation tubes were used in lysimeters to measure root length density (RLD) and to assess whether roots were clumped together or randomly distributed. Destructive sampling and measurement of RLD was used to establish a theoretical relationship between root intercept counts along the tubes and RLD. The application of image analysis to both destructive and non-destructive sampling in the lysimeters is outlined. The non-destructive lysimeter studies showed that roots were significantly clumped. Analysis of root intercept and root hole counts on the faces of sample cubes taken from the lysimeters showed root distribution was anisotropic over the whole soil profile for both safflower and wheat. There were many more roots and root holes present in the sampled soil cubes than was indicated by independent sampling for washed out RLD. Safflower appeared to have a faster turnover of roots than did wheat or maize. Lysimeters, equipped with horizontal root observation tubes, enabled studies to be made of many factors affecting root growth. Soils affect where and how fast roots grow, although there is also a strong species interaction. For example, soybean roots proliferated above a fresh water table in one soil but not in another; wheat had little tendency to proliferate above the water table in either soil. In wet soils, roots cease to grow once soil oxygen levels decrease below 10 mg O₂ l _soil ^-1 . This level should form the basis for soil drainage criteria. In drying soils, roots will grow successively into soil regions containing soil water: the level of adaptation being determined by soil conditions, crop growth stage and level of evaporative demand. The methods of root observation used in our studies have given quantitative assessment of root distribution. However, further research is needed to link horizontal and vertical root distribution and root adaptation more strongly to crop development and soil conditions.     

Effects of soil type on soybean crop water use in weighing lysimeters

Summary Different soils are known to affect the amount and distribution of both available water and roots. Optimising irrigation water use, especially when shallow water-tables are present requires accurate knowledge of the root zone dynamics. This study was conducted to determine the effect of two soil types on root growth, soil water extraction patterns, and contributions of a water-table to crop evaporation (E). Two weighing lysimeters (L1 and L2) with undisturbed blocks of soil were used. The soil in L1 had higher hydraulic conductivity and lower bulk density than that in L2. Well watered conditions were maintained by irrigation for the first 110 days from sowing (DFS). Root length density (RLD) was calculated from observations made in clear acrylic tubes installed into the sides of the lysimeters. Volumetric soil water contents were measured with a neutron probe. A water-table (EC = 0.01 S m^-1) was established 1 m below the soil surface 18 DFS. RLD values were greater in L1 than L2 at any depth. In L1, maximum RLD values (3 × 10⁴ m m^-3) were measured immediately above the water-table at physiological maturity (133 DFS). In L2, maximum RLD values (1.5 × 10⁴ m m^-3) were measured at 0.42 m on 120 DFS and few roots were present above the water-table. From 71 to 74 DFS, 55 and 64% of E was extracted from above 0.2 m for L1 and L2, respectively. In L2, extraction was essentially limited to the upper 0.4 m, while L1 extraction was to 0.8 m depth. Around 100 DFS the water-table contributed 29% (L1) and 7% (L2) of the water evaporated. This proportion increased rapidly as the upper soil layers dried following the last substantial irrigation 106 DFS. Over the whole season the water-table contributed 24% in L1 and 6.5% in L2 of total E.     

Meta-analysis of fungicide efficacy on soybean target spot and cost–benefit assessment

Target spot of soybean has spread in Brazil, the southeastern United States and Argentina in the last decade. A collaborative network of field Uniform Fungicide Trials (UFT) in Brazil was created in 2011 to study the target spot control efficacy of fungicides, including azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr (AZ_BF), carbendazim (CZM), fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin (FLUX_PYRA), epoxiconazole + FLUX_PYRA (EPO_FLUX_PYRA), mancozeb (MZB) and prothioconazole + trifloxystrobin (PROT_TRIF). Network meta-analysis was used to conduct a quantitative synthesis of UFT data collected from 2012 to 2016 and to evaluate the effects of disease pressure (DP, low ≤ 35% target spot severity in the nontreated control < high) and year of experiment on the overall mean efficacy and yield response to each of the tested fungicides. Based on mean percentage control of target spot severity, the tested fungicides fall into three efficacy groups (EG): high EG, FLUX_PYRA (76.2% control relative to the nontreated control) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (75.7% control); intermediate EG, PROT_TRIF (66.5% control) and low EG, MZB (49.6% control), AZ_BF (46.7% control) and CZM (32.4% control). DP had a significant effect on yield response. At DP_Low, the highest response was due to PROT_TRIF (+342 kg ha⁻¹, +12.8%) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (+295.5 kg ha⁻¹, +11.2%), whereas at DP_High, EPO_FLUX_PYRA and FLUX_PYRA outperformed the other treatments, with yield responses of 503 kg ha⁻¹ (+20.2%) and 469 kg ha⁻¹ (+19.1%), respectively. The probability of a positive return on fungicide investment ranged from 0.26 to 0.56 at DP_Low and from 0.34 to 0.66 at DP_High.     

Effect of Extraction Temperature on Pressurized Liquid Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Fucus vesiculosus

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of low polarity water (LPW) on the extraction of bioactive compounds from Fucus vesiculosus and to examine the influence of temperature on the extraction yield, total phenolic content, crude alginate, fucoidan content, and antioxidant activity. The extractions were performed at the temperature range of 120–200 °C with 10 °C increments, and the extraction yield increased linearly with the increasing extraction temperature, with the highest yields at 170–200 °C and with the maximum extraction yield (25.99 ± 2.22%) at 190 °C. The total phenolic content also increased with increasing temperature. The extracts showed a high antioxidant activity, measured with DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals scavenging and metal-chelating activities of 0.14 mg/mL and 1.39 mg/mL, respectively. The highest yield of alginate and crude fucoidan were found at 140 °C and 160 °C, respectively. The alginate and crude fucoidan contents of the extract were 2.13% and 22.3%, respectively. This study showed that the extraction of bioactive compounds from seaweed could be selectively maximized by controlling the polarity of an environmentally friendly solvent.     

Preputial fibroma in a gelding

An 11‐year‐old gelding presented with a large mass located in the dermis of his preputium that surrounded the penis completely. This mass was first noted years ago but did not increase in size. Histological examination diagnosed a fibroma. No treatment was initiated since no signs of discomfort were noticed and the gelding was performing at a high level in competitive showjumping. Next to skin tumours, tumours of the penis and preputium are most common. Most frequently, squamous cell carcinomas and sarcomas are diagnosed. Although fibromas can develop anywhere in connective tissue, a preputial location of a fibroma in a gelding is rare. Differential diagnosis and possible treatment options are discussed.     

Haematological analysis of calves with bovine neonatal pancytopenia

Blood was obtained from 61 neonatal Holstein calves originating from a farm in Germany with a high incidence of bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP). In order to detect alterations that might be related to BNP, selected haematological analytes were determined. Haematological examinations demonstrated alterations in at least two of the three cell lineages in 10 calves (16.39 per cent). Six animals (9.84 per cent) developed a bleeding disorder indicative of BNP at approximately two weeks of age. None of these animals showed alterations in complete blood cell count at sampling in the first week of life. In weeks when calves with BNP were born, an increase in the number of apparently healthy calves demonstrating decreases in blood cell counts was observed.