Rates of inbreeding and genetic diversity in Iranian Holstein Cattle

The accumulation of inbreeding and the loss of genetic diversity is a potential problem in Holstein dairy cattle. The goal of this study was to estimate inbreeding levels and other measures of genetic diversity, using pedigree information from Iranian Holstein cattle. Edited pedigree included 1 048 572 animals. The average number of discrete generation equivalents and pedigree completeness index reached 13.4 and 90%, respectively. The rate of inbreeding was 0.3% per year. Effective number of founders, founder genomes, non‐founders and ancestors of animals born between 2003 and 2011 were 503, 15.6, 16.1 and 25.7, respectively. It was proven that the unequal founder contributions as well as bottlenecks and genetic drift were important reasons for the loss of genetic diversity in the population. The top 10 ancestors with the highest marginal genetic contributions to animals born between 2003 and 2011 and with the highest contributions to inbreeding were 48.20% and 63.94%, respectively. Analyses revealed that the most important cause of genetic diversity loss was genetic drift accumulated over non‐founder generations, which occurred due to small effective population size. Therefore, it seems that managing selection and mating decisions are controlling future co‐ancestry and inbreeding, which would lead to better handling of the effective population size.     

Correction to: Factors affecting reproductive performance in dromedary camel herds in Saudi Arabia

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This article was originally published with incorrect affiliation 1. The correction affiliation is presented below.     

Detection of Antibodies Against Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus in Sera of Cattle,Camels, Sheep and Goats in Sudan

Detection of antibodies against peste des petits ruminants virus in sera of cattle, camels, sheep and goats in Sudan.     

中国华北地区瓜类尖孢镰刀菌对咪鲜胺的敏感性及抗药突变株生物学性状研究

为明确中国华北地区瓜类尖孢镰刀菌Fusarium oxysporum Schl.对咪鲜胺的抗药性现状及抗药突变株的生物学性状,采用菌丝生长速率法,分别测定了采自北京、山东、河北等地未使用过咪鲜胺的112株瓜类尖孢镰刀菌对咪鲜胺的敏感性,并通过药剂驯化的方法获得尖孢镰刀菌抗咪鲜胺突变株。结果表明:咪鲜胺对112株瓜类尖孢镰刀菌的平均EC50值为（0.030 1±0.030 4）μg/mL,菌株频率呈连续单峰曲线分布,未发现敏感性明显下降的亚群体,因此,可将该EC50值作为瓜类尖孢镰刀菌对咪鲜胺的敏感基线。药剂驯化共获得7株抗咪鲜胺突变株,其抗性倍数介于6.2~26.8之间;突变株在菌丝生长速率、菌丝干重和致病力等方面均明显低于亲本菌株,差异显著;仅突变株HG13052701-R1的抗药性可以稳定遗传,其他6株抗咪鲜胺突变株的抗药性均不能稳定遗传。室内交互抗性测定结果表明,咪鲜胺仅与戊唑醇之间有交互抗性,与多菌灵和齅霉灵之间均无交互抗性关系。研究表明,瓜类尖孢镰刀菌在药剂选择压下可以形成抗咪鲜胺群体,具有低等抗药性风险。     

Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Colic Horses

The use of echocardiography to study hemodynamic disturbances in colic horses has not been reported. The aim of this study was to noninvasively assess the effect of colic-related endotoxin shock on equine cardiac function. Fifty horses were admitted to the clinic on emergency for colic. A shock score from 1 to 4 was established for each horse on the basis of clinical evaluation, noninvasive systolic blood pressure, and blood tests. Left ventricular echocardiographic and Doppler parameters were compared between the four groups according to the shock score (1 = no or discrete signs of shock, n = 11; 2 = mild shock, n = 17; 3 = moderate shock, n = 12; 4 = severe shock, n = 10), using a multivariate analysis. Horses with a shock score of 1 were considered as controls. Significance was set at P < .05. The stroke volume, stroke index, ejection time, ejection time index corrected for heart rate, aortic velocity time integral, aortic flow acceleration time, and aortic flow deceleration time were significantly lower, whereas acceleration rate of aortic flow ejection and heart rate were significantly higher in shocked horses, as compared with the horses in the control group. Cardiac output was not significantly different between groups. Although these results are difficult to interpret because of the shock-induced changes in loading conditions of the heart, they suggest that alterations in some indicators of systolic function can be quantified by Doppler echocardiography in horses with colic-induced endotoxemic shock. Ultrasonographic monitoring of cardiovascular function could therefore be of interest in equine intensive care.     

Effect of lactation on functional and morphological echocardiographic variables in adult dairy cows

ObjectivesTo study the effect of pregnancy and lactation on echocardiographic parameters in Holstein dairy cows.AnimalsNine multiparous high milk producing (HMP) dairy cows (producing more than 40 kg of milk per day in peak production) and 9 low milk producing (LMP) cows (producing less than 30 kg or milk per day in peak production).MethodsEchocardiography was performed twice; one month before calving and two months after calving.ResultsThe heart rate of HMP cows in the early lactation period was significantly higher than in the dry period. In LMP cows, there was a significant increase in left ventricular dimension in the early lactation period as compared to the dry period, and the interventricular septum in systole (IVSs) in the dry period was significantly thicker than early lactation period. In HMP cows, there was an increase in the right ventricular diameter in systole in the early lactation period as compared to the dry period. Left ventricular and aortic dimensions in the dry period of HMP were significantly higher than those of LMP cows. When the data were corrected for body weight, comparison of values of the dry period of HMP and LMP cows showed that left ventricular volume in systole in HMP was significantly higher and that IVSs, left ventricular fractional shortening and ejection fraction were significantly lower than in LMP cows.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that lactation influences the intracardiac dimensions. The amount of milk production can influence echocardiographic parameters in dairy cows.     

Phosphorus Requirements of Rice Grown in Soils With Different Sodicity

ABSTRACT

Phosphorus (P) fertilization is reported to alleviate the adverse effects of sodicity on survival of the seedlings, growth, and yield of rice. However, it is not known if required levels of Olsen's P to alleviate the adverse sodicity effects varies with increased sodicity stress. The present study, conducted at various pH values (8.0, 9.3, 9.7, and 9.9) with varying levels of P fertilization (P0.0, P0.2, P0.4, P0.6, and P0.8 kg hm^{? 2}), showed that P requirements of rice increased with increases in sodicity stress. At a pH of 8.0, 4.3 mg kg^{? 1} Olsen's P was sufficient for survival of the seedlings, but not for grain weight (6.3 mg kg^{? 1}). Seedlings required 7.0 and 9.5 mg kg^{? 1}Olsen's P to survive at pH 9.7 and 9.9, respectively. Similarly, high P levels were needed for more total and fertile tillers and spikelets numbers. One thousand (1000) grain weight and grain yield responded to 6.3, 7.7, 8.8, and 10.4 mg kg^{? 1} Olsen's P at pH values of 8.0, 9.3, 9.7, and 9.9, respectively. Total chlorophyll in the leaves was significant in P fertilized plants. At a pH of 9.7, plants with 7.9 mg kg^{? 1} Olsen's P had 52% more chlorophyll per 100 ppm sodium (Na) in the leaves compared to those at 6.3 mg kg^{? 1} Olsen's P. This could possibly be due to improved tissue tolerance to Na in P-fertilized plants. Plants fertilized with P had higher P and potassium (K) concentrations in their shoots. Olsen's P levels of 7.7 mg kg^{? 1}, 7.9 mg kg^{? 1}, and 9.5 mg kg^{? 1} were effective in restricting increases of Na (a potentially toxic ion) in shoots at pH 9.3, 9.8, and 9.9, respectively, thus helping plants have better yields.     

Inheritance of race 1.2 Fusarium wilt resistance in four melon cultivars

The resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis (Fom) race 1.2 has been studied in melons, such as the Portuguese accession ‘BG-5384’ and in the Japanese ‘Shiro Uri Okayama’, ‘Kogane Nashi Makuwa’, and ‘C-211’, since a good characterization of the resistance is necessary before its introgression into commercial varieties. These four melon accessions showed a high level of resistance to races 0, 1, and 2 of Fom, indicating that the partial resistance to the race 1.2 previously detected may not have been race specific. To determine the mode of inheritance of the resistance to Fom race 1.2, the F₁, F₂, BCP_R, and BCP_S generations from the crosses between the four resistant accessions above and ‘Piel de Sapo’, a Fom race 1.2 susceptible melon, were developed. They were subsequently inoculated with two Fom isolates, one from the pathotype 1.2Y and the other from the pathotype 1.2W. The area under the disease progress curve was determined for each inoculated plant, and the data were analyzed. We show that the resistance seen in these accessions is polygenically inherited with a complex genetic control because many epistatic interactions were detected. The three epistatic effects; additivity × additivity, dominance × dominance, and dominance × additivity are present and significant, with differing magnitudes from one cross to the next. The relatively low heritabilities, and these epistatic effects make difficult the improvement of the resistance, from these sources, through a standard selection procedure.     

Comparing Genotypes of Different Body Sizes for Growth-related Traits in Chickens. II. Feed Consumption Performance under Choice Feeding Using Commercial Starter Ration and Whole-grain Wheat

Three genotypes of chickens including one commercial broiler (CB) and two others from the Norwegian gene bank [Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR) and Jærhøn (JH)] were raised from 1 day to 20 weeks of age with a free choice of a commercial starter ration and whole-grain wheat. Body weights and pen-feed intakes were recorded every 2 weeks. The weight–age data were fitted to a Gompertz growth equation where, among other parameters, adult body weights were estimated and used for size scaling. The heavier CB chickens consumed more food (starter and wheat) than the other two genotypes. The maximum proportions of whole-grain wheat in the diet were 0.56, 0.68 and 0.75 for BPR, CB and JH birds, respectively. Although the proportions of whole-grain wheat were similar between the genotypes as age progressed, their maintenance requirement and feed intakes relative to body weight suggested a major genetic role and a possible interplay of both genetic potential and body size.     

Comparative efficacy of standard AGID and precipitinogen inhibition test with monoclonal antibodies based competitive ELISA for the serology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peste des Petits Ruminants</Emphasis> in sheep and goats

This project was conducted to investigate the comparative efficiency of competitive ELISA (cELISA), standard Agar Gel Immunodiffusion Test (AGID) and Precipitinogen Inhibition Test (PIT) for the diagnosis of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Pakistan. To deal with this, serum samples from 198 sheep and 82 goats were collected from three different government livestock farms and all the samples were run simultaneously with the three serological tests. The samples found positive for PPR antibodies through cELISA, AGID and PIT were 96 (34.2%), 60 (21.4%) and 72 (25.7%), respectively. Kappa statistics were applied to evaluate the concordance between the laboratory-based test (cELISA) and field-based tests (AGID and PIT). Kappa statistics scores for cELISA versus AGID and PIT were 0.6343 (95% Confidence Interval CI 0.5231–0.7456) and 0.7134 (95% Confidence Interval CI 0.5987–0.8281), respectively, which indicate a “substantial” agreement between cELISA and AGID and “significant” agreement between cELISA and PIT. AGID and PIT revealed relative diagnostic sensitivities with cELISA of 59.3% and 69.7% and relative diagnostic specificities of 98.3% and 97.2%, respectively. The data suggested that for mass screening and control of PPR, these serological tests proved practical in the absence of cELISA since they have high relative diagnostic specificities and a satisfactory relative diagnostic sensitivities.