Characterization of Growth, Nitrogen Accumulation and Competitive Ability of Six Tropical Legumes for Potential Use in Intercropping Systems

Legume cover crops can be successfully used as intercrop or relay crops in low-input farming systems. To select appropriate species for intercropping, experiments were conducted in the savannah zone of Côte d'Ivoire during the wet seasons of 1997 and 1998 to determine the growth and nitrogen (N) accumulation of six cover legumes as well as the characteristics indicative of competitive ability. The species included the erect growing Crotalaria juncea and Cajanus cajan , the creeping species Mucuna pruriens var. cochinchinensis and Calopogonium mucunoides and the bushy herbaceous species Aeschynomene histrix and Stylosanthes hamata . Marked differences in phenology were observed as S. hamata and C. juncea flowered around 45–55 days after sowing (DAS) and the other species around 80–95 DAS. C. juncea and C. cajan produced close to 9 ton dry matter ha^–1, whereas the other species produced less than half this amount. The average estimated amount of accumulated N, based on leaf material, was around 70 kg ha^–1 for all species except S. hamata and A. histrix , which only produced around 25 kg ha^–1. Based on morphological characteristics, C. juncea , C. cajan and the short-lived M. pruriens were identified as potentially most competitive, indicating that productivity and competitive ability are strongly linked. The implications of these findings for intercropping systems in upland rice production are discussed.     

Ovarian remnant syndrome: revascularization of free-floating ovarian tissue in the feline abdominal cavity

Nine, healthy, intact female domestic shorthair cats were ovariohysterectomized. At the time of surgery and following removal, the major portion of one ovary was loosely sutured to the mesentery and replaced in the abdominal cavity. Six months later, an abdominal laparotomy was performed in order to retrieve the ovarian remnants. Histopathological examination of the remnants showed viable tissue and evidence of ovarian follicles or corpora lutea in eight of nine (88.9%) cats. The ninth ovarian remnant was atrophied and fibrotic. Measurement of serum estradiol and progesterone, vaginal cytology, and stimulation of estrus and ovulation with a protocol using pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were unreliable indicators of ovarian activity in this study. Revitalization of an ovarian remnant was shown to occur in the absence of surgical implantation.     

Systemic aspergillosis in an oiled magallanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)

This report describes a case of fatal aspergillosis caused by A. fumigatus during the recovery of an oiled Magallanic penguin. The possible role of aspergillosis as a possible complication responsible for the mortality of penguins surviving the first days of treatment for oil is emphasized.