A comparison of dairy cattle systems in an irrigated perimeter and in a suburban region: case study from Morocco

Multivariate analyses were used to compare dairy production practices and their consequences on milk yield and profitability in cattle farms from two representative regions of Morocco. A regular follow-up of 118 farms (48 in the Rabat-Salé suburban belt and 70 in the Gharb irrigated perimeter) was undertaken to obtain accurate data. Results show significant differences between the two regions. Intensive milk production was more frequent in the suburban zone (more concentrates and better annual milk yield per cow). When conducting a “within-region” principal components analysis, farms’ discrimination appeared to take into account all management variables (feeding, cattle sales, profitability), with no reference to farms’ structural parameters (arable land and number of cattle). A typology of farms was then established using cluster analysis, with 4 distinct groups, namely: a) concentrates wasters, b) farms with a relatively important milk yield per cow, c) deficit dairy farms and d) beef oriented farms. The last group included almost exclusively farms from the irrigated perimeter (5 out of 7). These results indicate that dairy production promotion in Morocco requires more than just the intensification of forage production, but should focus also on improving management practices. The extension of complete and balanced dairy rations is urgently needed to enhance milk yield and profitability.     

Effect of cattle management practices on raw milk quality on farms operating in a two-stage dairy chain

In many developing countries, milk production varies greatly according to farm size, cattle breed, and milking practices. However, production systems often are dominated by smallholder farms. Therefore, relatively small volumes of milk are delivered daily from numerous farms to intermediate cooperatives which supply industrial units. This paper argues that in such two-stage dairy chains, milk quality could be improved by focusing on farming practices rather than on the testing of individual deliveries. Indeed, it is difficult to analyze their quality due to technical, economic, and logistic limitations. The objective of this study is to link on-farm practices with milk chemical quality parameters (fat and protein) and hygienic quality criteria (Aerobic Plate Count, APC and Coliforms). Cattle management practices were monitored monthly over one year on 23 farms located on an irrigation scheme in Morocco. 276 milk samples were analyzed. The monthly variability of milk quality parameters was then characterized. Results show that average cow milk chemical parameters vary within a normal range. They remain primarily linked to the genetic type of cows, the lactation stage, and the conversion of feed concentrates’ net energy into milk. Overall milk hygienic quality was poor (APC and Coliforms counts were 100 fold international norms), due essentially to a lack of hygiene and inadequate milking conditions (hands, udder, and teat washing, type of bucket used, dirtiness of cows...). It is suggested that a close monitoring of herd management practices may allow the indirect control of milk quality parameters, thereby avoiding costly analyses of numerous smallholder milk deliveries.     

Beetles (Coleoptera) caught with pheromones of Gnathotrichus retusus and G. sulcatus (Col., Scolytidae) in southern Finland

The ambrosia beetle Gnathotrichus materiarius, which originally came from North America, was discovered in southern Finland in 1996. In 1997, using Norwegian drainpipe traps baited with pheromones of Gnathotrichus retusus and G. sulcatus, we collected beetles in the region where the first specimen had been caught in order to determine whether this potential pest species had become established in the area. Samples from a total of 16 traps included 79 species of beetles and 719 individuals, but no specimens of G. materiarius. The most abundant species in the samples were the ambrosia beetles Xyleborus dispar and Trypodendron lineatum. Several predators and other associates of bark beetles were also captured. The majority of the beetles caught were saproxylic species.     

Incidence of canine rabies in N'Djaména, Chad

This work describes for the first time the incidence risk of passively reported canine rabies, and quantifies reported human exposure in N'Djaména (the capital of Chad). To diagnose rabies, we used a direct immunofluorescent-antibody test (IFAT). From January 2001 to March 2002, we were brought 34 rabies cases in dogs and three cases in cats. Canine cases were geographically clustered. The annual incidence risk of canine rabies was 1.4 (95% CI: 1.2, 1.7) per 1000 unvaccinated dogs. Most of the rabid dogs were owned-although free-roaming and not vaccinated against rabies. Most showed increased aggressiveness and attacked people without being provoked. Eighty-one persons were exposed to rabid dogs and four persons to rabid cats (mostly children<15 years old). Most of the exposed persons were neighbours or family members of the animal owner. Most exposures were transdermal bites, but nearly half of all exposed persons did not apply any first wound care or only applied a traditional treatment. In N'Djaména, humans are often exposed to canine rabies but do not use the full-course post-exposure treatment and wound care is insufficient. Most rabid dogs would be accessible to parenteral vaccination. Pilot vaccination campaigns are needed to determine the success of dog mass vaccination in N'Djaména as a way to prevent animal and human rabies.     

Effects of dietary fiber on performance of multiparous lactating sows in a tropical climate

Sixty-two multiparous Large White sows were used to determine the effect of dietary fiber level on lactation performance according to season under conditions of a humid tropical climate. This experiment was conducted in Guadeloupe (West French Indies, lat 16 degrees N, long 61 degrees W) between October 1999 and January 2001. Two seasons were distinguished a posteriori from climatic measurements parameters continuously recorded in the farrowing room. During the warm season, ambient temperature and relative humidity averaged 25 degrees C and 86.8%, respectively. The corresponding values for the hot season were 27.5 degrees C and 83.5%. Experimental diets fed during lactation were a control diet (C; 14% neutral detergent fiber) and a high-fiber diet (HF; 20% neutral detergent fiber) obtained by substitution of wheat middlings by wheat bran. The two diets were formulated to provide the same ratios between essential amino acids and lysine and between lysine and net energy. No interaction between season and diet composition was found for all criteria studied. Over the 28-d lactation, average daily feed intake (ADFI) was lower and body weight loss was higher (P < 0.001) during the hot season compared to the warm season (3,447 vs 4,907 g/d and 33 vs 17 kg, respectively). The number of stillborn piglets was higher (P < 0.05) during the hot season than during the warm season (2.0 vs 1.1 piglets, respectively). Litter growth rate and mean BW of piglets at weaning were reduced (P < 0.01) during the hot season vs the warm season (2.1 vs 2.3 kg/d and 7.7 vs 8.3 kg, respectively). The ADFI was similar for both diets and digestible energy (DE) intake tended to be lower (P = 0.06) with the HF diet (54.9 vs 59.3 MJ of DE/d for C sows) in relation with its lower DE concentration. The body weight loss was greater (P < 0.01) for HF sows than for C sows (30 vs 21 kg). Compared with the C diet, the HF diet increased (P < 0.05) litter growth rate and piglet body weight at weaning (2.3 vs 2.1 kg/d and 8.3 vs 7.7 kg/d for HF vs C, respectively). Season and diet composition did not affect the weaning-to-estrus interval. In conclusion, the hot season in humid tropical climates, which combines high levels of temperature and humidity, has a major negative effect on the performance of lactating sows.     

Eucalyptus occidentalis plantlets are naturally infected by pathogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens

In the Sidi M’djahed nursery (Algeria), over 60,000 eucalyptus (Eucalyptus occidentalis) plantlets exhibited tumour-like growths localized at the crown of the plants that resembled crown galls caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Bacteria colonizing the galls were isolated and purified. Most (22 out of 24) of the isolates had cultural and biochemical characteristics similar to those of strains of the biovar 1 of A. tumefaciens. Twenty out of 22 Agrobacterium isolates induced tumour formation on various test plants. In PCR experiments, DNA extracted from these virulent strains yielded an amplification signal corresponding to a 247-bp fragment located within the virulence region of nopaline type Ti plasmid. Consistent with this, the opine nopaline was detected in the tumours induced on test plants – but not on eucalyptus plants. Nopaline was degraded by the 20 pathogenic isolates that were also sensitive to agrocin 84, indicating the presence of a nopaline-type pTi in these strains. The chromosomal region encoding the 16S rRNA was analyzed in a sub-population of the pathogenic agrobacterial isolates. The analyzed strains were found to belong to the ribogroup of the reference strain B6. Interestingly, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus cladocalyx grown in the same nursery and in the same soil substrate developed no galls.     

Cross-scale effects of land use on the functional composition of herbivorous insect communities

Landscape Ecology - Insect herbivores comprise the majority of macroinvertebrate communities of temperate grasslands and act as drivers for important ecosystem functions. Landscape- and local-level...     

Long‐term trends and drivers of larval phenology and abundance of dominant brachyuran crabs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada)

Climate change has led to major shifts in the timing of biological events, with many studies demonstrating earlier phenology in response to warming. However, few of these studies have investigated the effects of climate change on the phenology of larvae in marine species. Phenological shifts can result in mismatches between consumers and prey and hence affect growth and survival of individuals, and ultimately population demography. We investigated the temporal changes in phenology and abundance of the larvae of dominant brachyuran crabs in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (eastern Canada) based on plankton collections spanning 1982–2012. The Gulf of St. Lawrence has warmed since the early 1990s, and our analyses revealed that larvae of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and toad crabs (Hyas spp.) exhibited a significant trend towards earlier phenology over the 30‐year study period. This shift in phenology appeared to be a consequence of the effect of climate warming on both the timing of hatching and larval development rate. Larval abundance responded differently by crab taxon to climate warming, likely due to differences in thermal tolerance. The warming trend was unfavourable to snow crab, which is the most cold‐adapted and stenothermic of the taxa examined in this study. The abundance of snow crab larvae was lower when sea ice retreat occurred earlier than day 110 of the year and sea surface temperature was higher than 8.5°C. On the other hand, larval abundance of rock crab (Cancer irroratus), which prefers higher temperatures, was positively related to surface temperature.     

3D fluorescent in situ hybridization using Arabidopsis leaf cryosections and isolated nuclei

Background  

Fluorescent hybridization techniques are widely used to study the functional organization of different compartments within the mammalian nucleus. However, few examples of such studies are known in the plant kingdom. Indeed, preservation of nuclei 3D structure, which is required for nuclear organization studies, is difficult to fulfill.     

Ascorbic acid concentration in Cv. conference pears during fruit development and postharvest storage

L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) concentration changes during the development of cv. Conference pears and the influence of postharvest handlings (gas condition, cooling rate, cooling duration) on L-AA breakdown were studied. L-AA concentration fluctuates in young fruits, remains stable during fruit maturation, and starts to decline 1 week before commercial harvest. The most rapid decrease in L-AA concentration was found during immediate controlled atmosphere. During short-term storage, only the gas condition was found to influence L-AA breakdown; no significant difference between gradually or immediately cooled pears was determined. Under air conditions, both cooling strategies did not differ from the L-AA breakdown in pears allowed to ripen on the tree up until 3 weeks after the optimal harvest date. During long-term storage, the cooling duration (1-3 weeks) had no effect whereas both O2 and CO2 had a significant effect on L-AA retention. After 7 months of storage, no difference was found in dehydroascorbic acid concentration; the L-AA and total L-AA concentrations, in contrast, were significantly lower in the 5% CO2 conditions.