Increased frequency of phytosanitary pod removal in cacao (Theobroma cacao) increases yield economically in eastern Peru

Diseases caused by Moniliophthora roreri (moniliasis), Crinipellis perniciosa (witches’ broom) and Phytophthora palmivora (black pod) are the most important factors limiting cocoa production in Peru and cultural management is considered to be the only practical means of control for the smallholder. The objective of this study was to develop an epidemiologically and economically sound control recommendation based on the frequency of phytosanitary pod removal. Weekly removal of diseased pods reduced the incidence of diseases significantly in comparison with fortnightly removal. In three fields, moniliasis was decreased by 26–41%, black pod by 35–66% and witches’ broom on pods by 14–57%. The cumulative effect was a consistent yield increase from an average of 504–660 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Returns compensated for increased labour costs. Weekly pod removal was 32% more profitable. Time-course analyses indicated that weekly removal should be practised throughout the year under field conditions of eastern Peru.     

Downstream migration of European lake trout, Salmo trutta f. lacustris L., and resident brown trout, Salmo trutta f. fario L., progeny in a Lake Constance affluent river

Abstract The local migratory behaviour of lake trout, Salmo trutta L., and resident brown trout, S. trutta L., progeny from an inflowing stream of Lake Constance was compared. No differences were detected with respect to emigration rate (3.5% and 4.2% for lake trout and resident trout, respectively), rate of residency (6.8% and 8.2% for lake trout and resident trout, respectively) and rate of survival (12.3% and 12.1% for lake trout and resident trout, respectively) one year after stocking. Some of the resident brown trout offspring became migrants and vice versa . The results indicate that the progeny of riverine brown trout contribute considerable numbers to lake trout stock.     

Correlation of haemostatic abnormalities with tumour stage and characteristics in dogs with mammary carcinoma

Sixty female dogs with untreated mammary carcinoma, comprising equal numbers of dogs in tumour stages I to IV, were evaluated for haemostatic abnormalities using the following tests: platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, plasma activity of factor V, VIII and X, plasma concentration of fibrinogen, fibrin monomers and fibrinogen degradation products, and plasma antithrombin III activity. Two-thirds of all dogs had one or more haemostatic test abnormality of which the likelihood and frequency was increased in those with stage III and IV neoplasia. Haemostatic abnormalities were more frequently observed in dogs which had mammary tumours with distant metastases, extended tumour necrosis, inflammatory carcinomas, tumours fixed to underlying structures, or tumours in which there was penetration of the tumour capsule by tumour cells. As in humans with mammary carcinoma, these haemostatic abnormalities might be used as prognostic indicators, but their clinical importance remains unknown.     

Appraisal and standardization of curvilinear velocity (VCL) cut‐off values for CASA analysis of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) sperm

One of the basic steps in objective analysis of sperm motility is the subdivision of a motile sperm population into slow, medium and rapid categories based on their velocity. However, for CASA analysis of quail sperm, the velocity values for categorization of slow, medium and rapid sperm have not yet been standardized. To identify the cut‐off values of “velocity curvilinear” (VCL) for quail sperm categorization, we captured and analysed 22,300 tracks of quail sperm using SCA^®‐CASA. The median and mean VCL values were 85 and 97 μm/s. To define the VCL cut‐off values, we used two methods. In the first, we identified the upper (rapid sperm) and lower (slow sperm) cut‐off values using: (i) median VCL ± 25% or ± 50% or ± 75% of median VCL value; (ii) first and third quartile values of VCL data (i.e. 25% cut‐off setting); and (iii) 33% and 66% of VCL data. Among these settings, sperm categories and their corresponding motility characteristics recorded using the “25%” setting (i.e. slow ≤36 ≤ medium ≤154 ≤ rapid) were found the most realistic and coherent with male ranking by fertility. In the second method, we calculated heteroscedasticity in the total VCL data using PCA and the two‐step clustering method. With this approach, the mean of the high and low clusters was 165 and 51 μm/s, respectively. Together, the mean from two methods suggested that, for SCA^®‐CASA categorization of quail sperm, sperm should be classed as “rapid” at VCL ≥160 μm/s and “slow” at VCL ≤45 μm/s.     

Phosphorus utilization in juvenile Clarias gariepinus fed phytase-supplemented diets based on soya bean (oil-extracted) and full-fat (roasted): A comparison

The effect of microbial phytase on phosphorus utilization in juvenile Clarias gariepinus (initial fish body weight 11.55 ± 0.2 g) was tested on two different diets based on oil-extracted soya bean (Experiment 1) and roasted soya bean meal (Experiment 2) using a 5 × 5 experimental design for 84 days. The basal isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets for oil-extracted and roasted soya bean were formulated to replace fish meal at 25% (S1E), 50% (S2E), 75% (S3E), 100% (S4E); and 25% (S1), 50% (S2), 75% (S3), 100% (S4), respectively. Each treatment was replicated four times. Microbial phytase was supplemented in each replicate at 250 FTU/g (P1), 500 FTU/g (P2), 750 FTU/g (P3), and 1,000 FTU/g (P4). Basal controls, which included a fish meal-based diet (S0), were not supplemented with phytase (P0). The result in Experiment 1 showed that there was a significant increase in whole-body protein and reduction in fat with phytase compared to a diet without phytase (P < 0.05). Serum total protein declined significantly with phytase supplementation (P < 0.05). Serum phosphorus and glucose were higher with phytase supplementation compared to control (P < 0.05). Bone minerals declined significantly with increasing level of soya bean compared to fish meal diet (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, serum phosphorus was improved with phytase compared to control with no phytase (P > 0.05). A significant reduction in whole-body protein and increase in fat was observed for fish fed phytase diets compared to diets with no phytase, regardless of soya bean level (P < 0.05); however, ash content was improved with phytase (250 FTU/g) compared to control (P < 0.05). Phytase supplementation improved bone phosphorus (250 FTU/g), calcium (250 FTU/g), magnesium (250–500 FTU/g), and zinc (250–1,000 FTU/g) compared to control (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the research has demonstrated that improved bone phosphorus (P) and growth could be achieved with the supplementation of dietary phytase.     

Wavelet analysis of correlation among Canary Islands octopus captures per unit effort,sea-surface temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation

Short-term fluctuations in the octopus catches off the Canary Islands have been attributed to changes in the sea surface temperature (SST) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) pattern. These results have been found using stationarity assumptions. However, the behavior of environmental systems is not always linear, and environmental time series do not always satisfy the statistical property of stationarity. Wavelet spectral analysis is a methodology which can deal with non-linear, non-stationary and noisy time series. Cross wavelet analysis (wavelet coherence) is applied to investigate the environmental effects (SST, NAO) on octopus abundance fluctuations measured as capture per unit of effort (CPUE) from 1989 to 2007 in the waters of the Canary Islands. A slightly positive correlation exists between NAO and CPUE at lags and leads of a few months. Additionally, a good relationship between SST and CPUE exists on the same seasonal scale, but there is a relatively weak relationship between SST anomalies and the NAO. When the analysis is extended to the interannual scale, the wavelet coherence identifies a statistically significant relationship between CPUE and NAO, but this does not happen when the wavelet coherence between CPUE and SST is computed. These results suggest that fluctuations in octopus catches could be the result of SST fluctuations but in synergy with other unknown environmental variables which are also affected by the NAO pattern.     

Isolation of infectious microalga Prototheca wickerhamii from a carp (Cyprinus carpio) – a first confirmed case report of protothecosis in a fish

Protothecosis is a rare infection caused by environmentally ubiquitous achlorophyllic microalgae of the genus Prototheca. Here, we describe a first case of protothecosis in a carp (Cyprinus carpio), which is at the same time the first case of protothecosis in a fish, confirmed by phenotype‐ and molecular‐based methods, including PCR sequencing of the rDNA cluster and protein profiling using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry.     

Effect of dietary protein content on growth rate,survival and body composition of juvenile cauque river prawn,Macrobrachium americanum (Bate 1868)

We determined the effect of four concentrations of dietary crude protein, 30.7, 37.2, 41.8 and 46.8% on growth rate, survival and body composition of the juvenile cauque river prawn (Macrobrachium americanum). The prawns were hatched in the laboratory from the spawn of one wild ovigerous female. Prawns consuming 37.2% crude protein reached a final weight of 0.58 g (feed conversion ratio of 2.15), which was significantly better than the other treatments. Survival was 100% in all treatments. Protein content in the diets had no significant effect on whole body proximate composition and amino acid profile. Juveniles consuming the 37.2% crude protein diet grew faster than those fed the other diets. Specific growth rate was adjusted to the two‐slope broken‐line regression analysis model to estimate the optimal protein requirement. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that the 37.2% protein level diet is optimal for juvenile cauque river prawn M. americanum in the experimental conditions of this study.     

Revegetation techniques on clay soil slopes in northern Italy

Several standard techniques currently used in the reclamation and revegetation of former quarry land in Italy's northern Apennine region were compared. The trial site, a 40-degree slope with clay soil, high pH and a little organic matter, was arranged in a randomized block design. The techniques assayed were hydro-seeding+tillage, hydro-seeding on sod, straw mulch+tar, jute mats+tillage+hydro-seeding, jute mats+tillage and a control. Each plot was enriched with equal amounts of chopped straw (120 g m⁻²), worm compost (140 g m⁻²) and the fertilizer Biosol^® (140 g m⁻²); the binder Terravest^® (36 g m⁻²) was also used in the three hydro-seeded plots. Ground cover, species, runoff and erosion were compared in each treatment. The overall 3-year data indicate significant differences in the treatments tested. There is a clear distinction between the treatments that promoted good grass cover growth and checked erosion (straw and tar, jute on tilled soil, and hydro-seeding on jute and tilled soil) on the one hand and the hydro-seeded treatments (on sod and on tilled soil), which showed no differences from control, on the other. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of Cooking and Storage on the Amount and Molecular Weight of (1→3)(1→4)-β-d-Glucan Extracted from Oat Products by an In Vitro Digestion System

The extractability and molecular weight of β-glucan in oat bran, oat bran muffins, and oat porridge and the changes taking place during processing and storage were studied. The β-glucan was extracted using hot water and a thermostable α-amylase and by an in vitro system that simulated human digestion. Molecular weight (MW) of the extracted β-glucan was determined using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. Hot-water treatment extracted 50–70% of total β-glucan in oat bran samples and rolled oats. The chromatographic peak MW of extracted β-glucan was in the 1.4–1.8 × 10⁶ range. Using the in vitro digestion system, 12–33% of total β-glucan in bran and rolled oats was solubilized, and peak MW was in the same range as β-glucan extracted by hot-water treatment. In muffins, 30–85% of total β-glucan was solubilized by in vitro digestion, with a major difference in extractability among muffins from different recipes. Peak MW of extracted β-glucan was lower in all muffins when compared to original bran. During frozen storage, extractable β-glucan decreased by >50% in all muffins, but no change in peak MW of extracted β-glucan was detected.