Cooperative management and its effects on shade tree diversity,soil properties and ecosystem services of coffee plantations in western El Salvador

We compared how management approaches affected shade tree diversity, soil properties, and provisioning and carbon sequestration ecosystem services in three shade coffee cooperatives. Collectively managed cooperatives utilized less diverse shade, and pruned coffee and shade trees more intensively, than individual farms. Soil properties showed significant differences among the cooperatives, with the following properties contributing to differentiation: N, pH, P, K, and Ca. Higher tree richness was associated with higher soil pH, CEC, Ca, and Mg, and lower K. Higher tree densities were associated with lower N, K, and organic matter. Although we found differences in the incidence of provisioning services (e.g., fruit), all plantations generated products other than coffee. No differences were observed between C-stocks. The history and institutional arrangements of cooperatives can influence management approaches, which affect ecosystem properties and services. Our study corroborates that interdisciplinary investigations are essential to understand the socio-ecological context of tropical shade coffee landscapes.     

Recovery of Serratia marcescens in Hemolymph of Macrobrachium rosenbergii from Experimentally Seeded Water

Seratia marcescens was used as an indicator to determine if different concentrations of bacteria in water relate to concentrations in the hemolymph of Macrobrachium rosenbergii . Prawns were exposed to high (10⁵ to 10⁶ cells/ml), low (10³ to 10⁴ cells/ml) and control (no S. marcescens ) treatments with S. marcescens inoculated in aquaria water. S. marcescens ranged from 10 to 9.9 ± 10³ cells/ml from the high concentration group; a single isolate and zero S. marcescens were recovered from the low and control groups, respectively.     

Synthesis and herbicidal activity of novel heterocyclic protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors

Protox inhibitors are applied as foliar sprays, thus causing very rapid cellular collapse and desiccation of many troublesome weeds in the presence of light. In many respects, they appear to be ideal herbicides, because they act rapidly and do not harm mammals under normal conditions. The main limitation to their widespread adoption is that few crops are naturally resistant to them. Crop tolerance has mainly been pursued with the synthesis of the cyclic imide classes containing 5- and 6-membered heterocycles, including pyrazole, pyridazine, 1,2,4-triazine, triazolinone and trifluoromethyluracil derivatives. Because of their structural novelties and biological performance, active investigations on heterocyclic protox inhibitors have been carried out in our laboratories and we have found 3-arylpyrroles to be a new class of light-activated, membrane-disrupting herbicides. They are active on both grass and broadleaf weeds at low rates. The synthesis and structure-activity relationships are presented.     

Carcass condemnation causes of growth retarded pigs at slaughter

Condemnation causes of growth retarded pigs were studied in a Spanish abattoir. A total of 513 carcasses out of 6017 (8.5%) were rejected during inspection. The main reasons for condemnation were abscesses, cachexia, catarrhal bronchopneumonia, vertebral osteomyelitis, arthritis, pleuritis, peritonitis and pleuropneumonia. Positive relationships were found between tail lesions and arthritis (OR=5.23) or vertebral osteomyelitis (OR=24.81), while no relationships were found between tail lesions and abscesses. Lower risks were observed among carcasses condemned for cachexia, and were as follows: abscesses (OR=0.18), arthritis (OR=0.32), vertebral osteomyelitis (OR=0.06). Arcanobacterium pyogenes, either alone or in combination with other agents, was the main bacterial species isolated from abscesses, osteomyelitis and arthritis (73.5% of lesions). Direct economical losses associated with condemnation were calculated to be 30,000 Euro.     

Extensive 200-million-year-Old continental flood basalts of the central atlantic magmatic province

The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) is defined by tholeiitic basalts that crop out in once-contiguous parts of North America, Europe, Africa, and South America and is associated with the breakup of Pangea. 40Ar/39Ar and paleomagnetic data indicate that CAMP magmatism extended over an area of 2.5 million square kilometers in north and central Brazil, and the total aerial extent of the magmatism exceeded 7 million square kilometers in a few million years, with peak activity at 200 million years ago. The magmatism coincided closely in time with a major mass extinction at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary.     

Effects of organic chromium supplementation to ifnishing lambs diet on growth performance,carcass characteristics and meat quality

The objective of this study was to evaluate supplemental organic chromium (Cr) to ifnishing lambs on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Eighteen Suffolk lambs (age (4.5±0.2)...     

Pollen-style compatibility relations in natural populations of the wild diploid potato species Solanum spegazzinii Bitt.

Solanum spegazzinii Bitt., a wild diploid potato species endemic to Argentina, possesses resistance to adverse biotic and abiotic agents. Northwestern Argentinean populations grouped according to their morphological variability (G1 = localities East of the Calchaquí Valley, G2 = Calchaquí Valley and G3 = locality Belén) presented problems in seed set following controlled crosses. Thus, to evaluate if the morphological variability previously reported was sustained on a genetic basis, three introductions per group and five plants per introduction were used in controlled crosses (genotypic combinations). These were classified according to the number of seeds produced per fruit. Pollen-style compatibility relations were studied in those crosses that did not set seeds or that produced less than 30 seeds each. Within groups, G1 produced seeds normally, whereas hybridization barriers were found in 71.4% and 50.0% of the combinations within G2 and G3, respectively; on the other hand, from 46.7% to 73.3% of the combinations among groups exhibited similar barriers. Variability in the expression of the sites of pollen tube inhibition in the style was observed both within and among groups. Speculations are made on the possible hybrid origin of the populations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.