Lithic soils in the semi-arid region of Brazil: edaphic characterization and susceptibility to erosion

Soils(Leptosols or Epileptic Regosols)with lithic contact at a depth of 50 cm occupy almost 20%of the Brazilian semi-arid region.These lithic soils are susceptible to erosion due to faster saturation of water-holding capacity during rainfall,which accelerates the beginning of runoff.However,erosion traits of lithic soils in the semi-arid region of Brazil are less studied.The aim of this study was to characterize the soil and landscape attributes in areas with Neossolos Litólicos(Entisols)in the Caatinga biome to identify region of high susceptibility to erosion.Results showed that the soils were characterized by a sandy texture,soil structure with poor development and low content of organic carbon.These attributes increase susceptibility to erosion and reduce water storage capacity,especially in the states of Cearáand Sergipe.In these states,the content of rock fragments in the soil reaches 790 g/kg.High contents of silt and fine sand,high silt/clay ratio,predominance of Leptosols and strong rainfall erosivity were observed in Piauíand northwestern Ceará.A very high degree of water erosion was observed in the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba.Despite the low degree of erosion observed in the state of Bahia,it is highly susceptible to erosion due to the predominance of very shallow soils,rugged relief and high values of rainfall erosivity.Lower vulnerability was observed in the state of Alagoas because of its more smoothed relief,greater effective soil depth,thicker A horizon of soil and lower rainfall erosivity.In general,the characteristics that intensify the susceptibility to erosion in the Caatinga biome are those soil structures with poor development or without aggregation,low contents of organic carbon,high contents of silt and fine sand,high values of silt/clay ratio and rugged relief in some regions.This study collected information contributing to a better characterization of soils with lithic contact in the semi-arid region of Brazil.In addition,regions with a higher susceptibility to erosion were identified,revealing insights that could help develop strategies for environmental risk mitigation.     

Timing and temperature thresholds of heat stress effects on fertility performance of different parity sows in Spanish herds

High temperature is an environmental factor that impairs sow fertility. In this study, we identified the critical weeks for heat stress effects on aspects of fertility performance, namely weaning-to-first-service interval (WSI) and farrowing rate (FR). We also examined the threshold temperatures above which the fertility performance deteriorated and whether there were any differences between parities regarding heat stress effects or thresholds. Performance data of sows in 142 herds from 2011 to 2016 were matched to appropriate weekly averaged daily maximum temperatures (T_max) from weather stations close to the herds. Two types of ratios (i.e., ratio for WSI and odds ratio for FR) were used to identify the critical weeks for heat stress by comparing the respective measures for two sow groups based on T_max in different weeks around weaning or service events. The ratios for WSI were calculated between groups of sows exposed to T_max ≥ 27 °C or <27 °C in each week before weaning, with the T_max cutoff value based on a recent review study. Similarly, the odds ratios for FR for the two groups were calculated in weeks around service. The weeks with the largest differences in the fertility measures between the two T_max groups (i.e., the highest ratio for WSI and the lowest odds ratio for FR) were considered to be the critical weeks for heat stress. Also, piecewise models with different breakpoints were constructed to identify the threshold T_max in the critical week. The breakpoint in the best-fit model was considered to be the threshold T_max. The highest ratios for WSI were obtained at 1 to 3 wk before weaning in parity 1 and 2 or higher sow groups. The threshold T_max leading to prolonged WSI was 17 °C for parity 1 sows and 25 °C for parity 2 or higher sows. Increasing T_max by 10 °C above these thresholds increased WSI by 0.65, and 0.33 to 0.35 d, respectively (P < 0.01). For FR, the lowest odds ratios were obtained at 2 to 3 wk before service in parity 0, 1, and 2 or higher sow groups. The threshold T_max leading to reductions in FR was 20, 21, and 24 to 25 °C for parity 0, 1, and 2 or higher sow groups, respectively. Increasing T_max by 10 °C above these thresholds decreased FR by 3.0%, 4.3%, and 1.9% to 2.8%, respectively (P < 0.01). These results indicate that the critical weeks for heat stress were 2 to 3 wk before service for FR and 1 to 3 wk before weaning for WSI. The decreases in fertility performance in parity 0 to 1 sows started at temperatures 3 to 8 °C lower than in parity 2 or higher sows.     

Influence of storage time and processing on chemical composition and in vitro ruminal fermentation of olive cake

Olive oil extraction generates olive cake (OC) that could be used in ruminant feeding. However, the chemical composition of OC is affected by multiple factors, being therefore highly variable. The objective of this study was to analyse the influence of storage time and further processing: crude, exhausted (subjected to a second oil extraction) and cyclone (obtained from a cyclone separator) on nutritive value of OC samples. Twelve samples (six crude and six exhausted) were obtained monthly from the same pond from 1 to 6 storage months, and nine samples (three crude, three exhausted and three cyclone) were obtained monthly from a different pond from 6 to 9 months storage. Chemical composition was analysed, and OC samples were fermented in vitro with sheep rumen fluid. Increasing storage time up to 6 months decreased sugars and total soluble polyphenols content but increased fibre content in OC. Dry matter effective degradability (DMED) decreased linearly (p < 0.001) by 35.9 and 45.5% as storage time augmented from 1 to 6 months for crude and exhausted OC, respectively. Crude OC had lower DMED values than exhausted OC (averaged values 0.255 and 0.294 g/g, respectively). Both potential production and rate of gas production were lower (p ≤ 0.018) in crude compared with exhausted OC, which was attributed to the high fat content of crude OC (≥86 g/kg dry matter). For samples stored longer than 6 months, cyclone had greater (p < 0.05) DMED than crude and exhausted OC (averaged values 0.207, 0.164 and 0.164 g/g, respectively). The results indicate that ruminal degradability of OC is reduced with advancing storage time, but only subtle changes were observed during the first two months. Cyclone showed greater degradability than crude and exhausted OC, but differences between crude and exhausted OC became negligible after five storage months.     

Acute toxoplasmosis in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) in Mexico

Toxoplasma gondii causes fatal multisystemic disease in New World primates, with respiratory failure and multifocal necrotic lesions. Although cases and outbreaks of toxoplasmosis have been described, there are few genotyping studies and none has included parasite load quantification. In this article, we describe two cases of lethal acute toxoplasmosis in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) of Mexico city. The main pathological findings included pulmonary edema, interstitial pneumonia, hepatitis and necrotizing lymphadenitis, and structures similar to T. gondii tachyzoites observed by histopathology in these organs. Diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy and both end point and real time PCR. The load was between <14 and 23 parasites/mg tissue. Digestion of the SAG3 gene amplicon showed similar bands to type I reference strains. These are the first cases of toxoplasmosis in primates studied in Mexico, with clinical features similar to others reported in Israel and French Guiana, although apparently caused by a different T. gondii variant.     

Relationships among age, body weight, scrotal circumference, semen quality and peripheral testosterone and estradiol concentrations in pubertal and postpubertal Holstein bulls

In the present study, the correlations among age, body weight, scrotal circumference (SC), semen quality and peripheral testosterone and estradiol-17beta (E(2)) concentrations were investigated in pubertal (n=5) and postpubertal (n=7) groups of Holstein bulls over a 6 week period. There were significant positive correlations (P<0.01) among age, body weight and SC in both groups, and similar significant correlations between sperm motility and SC in pubertal bulls (P<0.01) and between sperm concentration and SC in postpubertal bulls (P<0.05). The sperm motility after collection (P<0.05) and after freezing and thawing (P<0.01) of the postpubertal bulls correlated positively with the E(2) concentration. Estrogen may be important for the function of postpubertal bull testes, in which it may regulate spermatozoa motility in vivo.     

Contribution of family labour to the profitability and competitiveness of small-scale dairy production systems in central Mexico

The objective of this work was to determine the effect of family labour on the profitability and competitiveness of small-scale dairy farms in the highlands of Central Mexico. Economic data from 37 farms were analysed from a stratified statistical sampling with a Neyman assignment. Three strata were defined taking herd size as criterion. Stratum 1: herds from 3 to 9 cows plus replacements, Stratum 2: herds from 10 to 19 cows and Stratum 3: herds from 20 to 30 cows. The policy analysis matrix was used as the method to determine profitability and competitiveness. The coefficient of private profitability (CPP) when the economic cost of family labour is included in the cost structure was 8.0 %, 31.0 % and 46.0 %. When the economic cost of family labour is not included, CPP increase to 47.0 %, 57.0 % and 66.0 % for each strata, respectively. The private cost ratio (PCR) when family labour is included was 0.79, 0.51 and 0.42 for strata 1, 2 and 3, respectively. When family labour is not included, the PCR was 0.07, 0.25 and 0.26. Net profit per litre of milk including family labour was US$0.03 l^-1 for Stratum 1, US$0.09 for Stratum 2 and US$0.12 l^-1 for Stratum 3; but increased to $0.12, 0.14 and 0.15, respectively, when the economic cost of family labour is not included. It is concluded that family labour is a crucial factor in the profitability and competitiveness of small-scale dairy production.     

Morphological study of Socorro Island Merino sheep and its crosses with hair breeds

Tropical Animal Health and Production - A study was conducted with the objective to characterize the morphology of Socorro Island Merino sheep. A total of 67 sheep, 62 females, 26 purebred and 36...     

Remote Sensing of Spatial and Temporal Vegetation Patterns in Two Grazing Systems

One constraint that range scientists must face in grazing studies is the lack of accurate and repeatable techniques for discriminating grazing effects from both temporal variability and spatial heterogeneity of vegetation. Both forms of variability contribute to inconsistent grazing system effects on vegetation response and forage production in semiarid ecosystems. Remote sensing may be an efficient tool for detecting differences in spatial and temporal patterns of grazing impact on vegetation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spectral data derived from satellite images as a tool for comparing grazing system impacts on spatial and temporal vegetation patterns. We evaluated the effect of two grazing systems, “Continuous” (C) and “Two-Paddocks Rest-Rotation” (TPRR), on vegetation cover from 1996 to 2006 in a semiarid ecosystem of Argentina. We compared grazing effects on vegetation cover using two indices derived from the Normalized Difference of Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from Landsat Thematic Mapper images. We observed a slight advantage in NDVI improvement for the TPRR over the C. Even though, in both grazing systems, an upward vegetation trend occurred only in areas located far from the watering points, TPRR showed higher relative vegetation cover near the watering point than C. We consider this methodology an important step for monitoring vegetation changes and making management decisions in livestock systems of semiarid regions because grazing system impacts may be compared for both spatial and temporal vegetation patterns. However, we think that the key next step is to develop procedures that discriminate between forage and nonforage components.