Land degradation,stocking rates and conservation policies in the communal rangelands of Botswana and Zimbabwe

Communal rangeland management policies in Botswana and Zimbabwe are based on incorrect technical assumptions about the stability of semiarid rangeland, the nature of rangeland degradation, and the benefits of destocking. Consequently, inappropriate policies, stressing the need to destock and stabilise the rangelands, are pursued. Acknowledgement of the great instability but intrinsic resilience of rangeland would encourage the Governments to more favourably regard the opportunistic stocking strategies of the agro-pastoralists of the Communal Areas. However, degradation of rangelands is occurring, although at varying rates. This justifies the promotion of a ‘tracking strategy’, in which livestock densities are encouraged to follow, more closely that at present, variations in rainfall. The establishment of grazing territories controlled by specific ‘communities’ may be a prerequisite for the promotion of the tracking strategy, and for communal rangeland management and improvement. However, the establishment of such territories must take into account social equity, institutional problems and transaction costs, as well as spatial and temporal variation in rangeland resources.     

Improved detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis in African wildlife samples using cationic peptide decontamination and mycobacterial culture supplementation

In South Africa, mycobacterial culture is regarded as the gold standard for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) infection in wildlife even though it is regarded as “imperfect.” We compared a novel decontamination and mycobacterial culture technique (TiKa) to the conventional mycobacterium growth indicator tube (MGIT) system using known amounts of bacilli and clinical samples from MTBC-infected African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), and African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Use of the TiKa-KiC decontamination agent on samples spiked with 10,000 to 10 colony forming units (cfu) of M. bovis (SB0121) and M. tuberculosis (H37Rv) had no effect on isolate recovery in culture. In contrast, decontamination with MGIT MycoPrep resulted in no growth of M. bovis samples at concentrations < 1,000 cfu and M. tuberculosis samples < 100 cfu. Subsequently, we used the TiKa system with stored clinical samples (various lymphatic tissues) collected from wildlife and paucibacillary bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, trunk washes, and endotracheal tube washes from 3 species with known MTBC infections. Overall, MTBC recovery by culture was improved significantly (p < 0.01) by using TiKa compared to conventional MGIT, with 54 of 57 positive specimens versus 25 of 57 positive specimens, respectively. The TiKa mycobacterial growth system appears to significantly enhance the recovery of MTBC members from tissue and paucibacillary respiratory samples collected from African buffaloes, African elephants, and white rhinoceros. Moreover, the TiKa system may improve success of MTBC culture from various sample types previously deemed unculturable from other species.     

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus found in milk macrophages but not in milk lymphocytes or mammary gland epithelia of naturally infected sheep

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) causes ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. JSRV can be transmitted via infected colostrum or milk, which contain somatic cells (SCs) harboring JSRV provirus. Nevertheless, the cell types involved in this form of transmission and the involvement of the mammary gland remain unknown. We separated adherent cells (macrophages and monocytes) by plastic adherence, and lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and B cells) by flow cytometry, from SCs in milk samples from 12 naturally infected, PCR blood test JSRV–positive, subclinical ewes. These cell populations were tested by PCR to detect JSRV provirus. The ewes were euthanized, and mammary gland samples were analyzed immunohistochemically to detect JSRV surface protein. We did not detect JSRV provirus in any milk lymphocyte population, but milk adherent cells were positive in 3 of 12 sheep, suggesting a potential major role of this population in the lactogenic transmission of JSRV. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal positive results in mammary epithelial cells, pointing to a lack of participation of the mammary gland in the biological cycle of JSRV and reducing the probability of excretion of free viral particles in colostrum or milk.     

Mycobacterium fortuitum abortion in a sow

Two aborted Chester White pig fetuses were presented to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Illinois. Postmortem examination identified no gross abnormalities. Histologic evaluation revealed multifocal necrosis of chorionic epithelial cells, coalescing areas of mineralization in the placenta, and focal accumulations of viable and degenerate neutrophils in the lung. Intra- and extracellular acid-fast bacilli were identified in the lesions in both the placenta and lungs. Bacterial culture of stomach contents yielded heavy growth of Mycobacterium fortuitum, a rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), which was further confirmed through whole-genome sequencing. NTM are opportunistic pathogens commonly found in the soil and in contaminated water supplies. In animals, M. fortuitum is typically introduced through cutaneous wounds leading to infections limited to the skin, with systemic infection being uncommon. To our knowledge, abortion caused by M. fortuitum has not been reported previously.     

Trends in natural resource use and prospects for sustainable resource management in Kenya's Arid and Semiarid Lands

This paper describes the environmental problems facing the development of Kenya's Arid and Semiarid lands (ASAL) today. The problems arise because of a rapidly declining resource base in the ASAL as a result of overexploitation and misuse, following basic land use conflicts. The extent of the overutilization or resource damage is not well known and varies a great deal from one agroecological zone to another and from resource to resource in the ASAL; those most affected include: soil, water, range, forest, livestock and wildlife. As a result of increased population growth in the ASAL, these resources are under stress. This paper argues that many of the environmental problems in the ASAL cannot be solved if the development programme does not address the needs of the people who live in the ASAL. There is a need to shift the objective of ASAL development from a preoccupation with economic growth and the idea that the ASAL should make a contribution to GNP through interregional trade and export to sustainable development that enables the communities in the ASAL to support themselves at as good a standard of living as possible. The last part of this paper outlines a strategy to promote such sustainable development.     

Meta-analysis of fungicide efficacy on soybean target spot and cost–benefit assessment

Target spot of soybean has spread in Brazil, the southeastern United States and Argentina in the last decade. A collaborative network of field Uniform Fungicide Trials (UFT) in Brazil was created in 2011 to study the target spot control efficacy of fungicides, including azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr (AZ_BF), carbendazim (CZM), fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin (FLUX_PYRA), epoxiconazole + FLUX_PYRA (EPO_FLUX_PYRA), mancozeb (MZB) and prothioconazole + trifloxystrobin (PROT_TRIF). Network meta-analysis was used to conduct a quantitative synthesis of UFT data collected from 2012 to 2016 and to evaluate the effects of disease pressure (DP, low ≤ 35% target spot severity in the nontreated control < high) and year of experiment on the overall mean efficacy and yield response to each of the tested fungicides. Based on mean percentage control of target spot severity, the tested fungicides fall into three efficacy groups (EG): high EG, FLUX_PYRA (76.2% control relative to the nontreated control) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (75.7% control); intermediate EG, PROT_TRIF (66.5% control) and low EG, MZB (49.6% control), AZ_BF (46.7% control) and CZM (32.4% control). DP had a significant effect on yield response. At DP_Low, the highest response was due to PROT_TRIF (+342 kg ha⁻¹, +12.8%) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (+295.5 kg ha⁻¹, +11.2%), whereas at DP_High, EPO_FLUX_PYRA and FLUX_PYRA outperformed the other treatments, with yield responses of 503 kg ha⁻¹ (+20.2%) and 469 kg ha⁻¹ (+19.1%), respectively. The probability of a positive return on fungicide investment ranged from 0.26 to 0.56 at DP_Low and from 0.34 to 0.66 at DP_High.     

Trichoderma species associated with green mould disease of Pleurotus ostreatus and their sensitivity to prochloraz

Green mould disease causes serious economic losses in Pleurotus ostreatus crops worldwide, including in Italy, where prochloraz is the only chemical fungicide allowed to control the disease. The effectiveness of the doses 0.01, 0.05, 0.25 and 1.25 μL L⁻¹ (field dose) of prochloraz (Sponix Flow, 450 g L⁻¹), against colony growth rate and spore germination of Trichoderma pleuroti, T. pleuroticola and T. guizhouense strains on wheat straw extract agar plates were evaluated. Complete inhibition of Trichoderma pleuroti and T. pleuroticola growth was shown by the field dose of prochloraz, and also by the 0.25 μL L⁻¹ dose for T. pleuroti. Complete inhibition of spore germination occurred for all Trichoderma strains at field dose, and at 0.25 μL L⁻¹ for T. pleuroti strains. In in vivo assays, the effect of prochloraz doses 0.05, 0.25 and 1.25 μL L⁻¹ on colonization of straw substrate by T. pleuroti, T. pleuroticola and T. guizhouense inoculated at two spore densities (10² and 10⁵ spores mL⁻¹) immediately after P. ostreatus spawn was studied. Trichoderma pleuroti and T. pleuroticola were both responsible for green mould disease, whereas T. guizhouense was not pathogenic. Trichoderma pleuroti was more aggressive than T. pleuroticola. Prochloraz was effective against T. pleuroti at the field dose, and against T. pleuroticola at 0.25 and 1.25 μL L⁻¹. The study on Trichoderma × Pleurotus interaction type showed that Trichoderma species were active against the mycelial growth of P. ostreatus by competition for space and nutrients, and neither hyphal interaction nor effect by volatile or nonvolatile metabolites occurred.     

Phytophthora urerae sp. nov., a new clade 1c relative of the Irish famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans from South America

An unknown Phytophthora species was discovered in the central Peruvian Andes on blighted foliage of the native South American plant species Urera lacineata. Urera is a genus of native flowering shrubs in the nettle family Urticaceae. This new taxon Phytophthora urerae sp. nov. is herewith formally described based on extensive morphological analysis, phylogenetic analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial loci, and AFLP analysis. Phytophthora urerae sp. nov. is a close relative of the Irish famine pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, and only the third clade 1c taxon described from South America to date. In contrast to the clade 1c taxon Phytophthora andina, first described in South America as a hybrid, P. urerae does not appear to be a hybrid based on cloning and sequencing nuclear loci. Findings of new species in South America may provide novel insights into the origin and evolutionary history of clade 1c Phytophthora species.     

An isolate of Wheat streak mosaic virus from foxtail overcomes Wsm2 resistance in wheat

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is an economically important pathogen of wheat (Triticum aestivum) causing major yield losses in regions where severe infection occurs. To detect the presence of any new virus or new WSMV isolates, green foxtail (Setaria viridis) plants exhibiting virus-like symptoms were sampled in a summer-fallowed wheat field at the Agricultural Research Center-Hays, Kansas State University, Hays, Kansas. These plants were tested serologically for four wheat viruses: WSMV, Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV) and Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV). Among 38 plant samples exhibiting virus-like symptoms, 29 contained WSMV as indicated by ELISA. Four isolates from samples with relatively strong reactions were transferred to healthy wheat seedlings by mechanical inoculation in a growth chamber for pathogenicity testing. Three isolates were avirulent to a wheat variety RonL, which contains Wsm2, a gene providing temperature-sensitive resistance to currently prevalent isolates of WSMV. However, one isolate, KSH294, was able to infect RonL and showed more virulence on two other varieties/lines containing Wsm2. Further sequence and phylogenetic analysis of KSH294 confirmed that this isolate displays a sequence homology with WSMV, but has sequence differences making it distinct from previously identified WSMV isolates included in the phylogenetic analysis.