Direct and Residual Contributions of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Legumes to the Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Maize (Zea mays L.) in the Nigerian Savannah

Field experiments were conducted to determine the direct and residual contributions of legumes to the yield and nitrogen (N) uptake of maize during the wet seasons of 1994 and 1995 at the University Farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, located in the Northern Guinea savannah of Nigeria. Nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram contributed to the yield and N uptake of maize either intercropped with the legumes or grown after legumes as a sole crop. Direct transfer of N from the nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram to the intercropped maize was 24.9–28.1, 23.8–29.2, 19.7–22.1 and 18.4–18.6 kg N ha^–1, respectively. However, the transfer of residual N from these legumes to the succeeding maize crop was 18.4–20.0, 19.5–29.9, 12.0–13.7 and 9.3–10.3 kg N ha^–1, respectively. Four years of continuous lablab cropping resulted in yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop grown without fertilizer N that were comparable to the yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop supplied with 40–45 kg N ha^–1 and grown after 4 years of continuous sorghum cropping. It may therefore be concluded that nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram may be either intercropped or grown in rotation with cereals in order to economize the use of fertilizer N for maize production in the Nigerian savannah.     

Vaccination of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) against Mycobacterium bovis infection with bacille Calmette-Guérin: the response to multiple doses.

In New Zealand, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is the principal wildlife vector of bovine tuberculosis. Control of infected possum populations contributes to the control of tuberculosis in domestic livestock. Vaccination is potentially a complementary strategy to population control, but to be cost-effective, administration of the vaccine to possums would need to be from an appropriately designed automatic vaccinator. Possums themselves would activate the vaccinator so that it would deliver an aerosol spray of vaccine. There would be no direct way to prevent possums receiving multiple doses of vaccine. This study examined the effect on protective immunity of repeated vaccination. Captive possums were vaccinated with BCG strain pasteur 1173P2 either 12 times at weekly intervals, twice at 6-weekly intervals, or once. Vaccination was by a combination of intranasal aerosol and conjunctival instillation. Eight weeks after the last dose of vaccine, all possums were challenged intratracheally with Mycobacterium bovis strain 83/6235. Vaccination induced a significant immune response as measured by the lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA). A significant level of protection, as measured by the response to challenge, developed in all the vaccinated possum groups, but protection was greatest in the group vaccinated 12 times. It was concluded that protection would be enhanced if vaccinations were repeated at short intervals (weekly), but no benefit or detriment resulted from revaccination after longer intervals (1-2 months).     

Use of synthetic peptides in virology

A survey of the potential use of synthetic oligopeptides in the field of virology is given. The potential value of synthetic peptides as vaccines and diagnostic antigens is discussed. The advantages compared to conventional vaccines as well as the limitations, e.g. the poor efficiency of immune response, are described.     

Einfluß von nutritiven Faktoren während einer Lernphase auf die Entstehung eines spezifischen Lysinhungers bei Legehennen

Bei 72 einzeln gehaltenen Legehennen wurde die Fähigkeit zur selektiven Lysinaufnahme überprüft. 2 unterschiedliche Alleinfutter auf der Basis von Federmehl (A) oder Maiskleber (B), aber mit dem gleichen defizitären Lysingehalt (0,36%), wurden während einer zweiwöchigen Lernphase jeweils an eine Hälfte der Tiere verfuttert. Anschließend wurden beide Vorbehandlungen in je 4 Gruppen geteilt, und eine der Mangelrationen und eine mit Lysin bedarfsgerecht supplementierte Ration (A+ bzw. B+, 0,64%) in folgenden Kombinationen zur Selbstauswahl über 14 Tage angeboten: A/A+, A/B+, B/A+ und B/B+. Über den prozentualen Rationsanteil am Gesamtfutterverzehr wurde die selektierte Lysinaufnahme ermittelt. Mit beiden Mangelrationen wurde eine Anorexie und in Folge eine Leistungsdepression ausgelöst, die jedoch bei B stärker ausgeprägt war. Die lysinangereicherte Ration wurde in fast allen Fällen innerhalb weniger Tage signifikant und stetig zunehmend bevorzugt, was für einen erlernten Lysinappetit bzw. -hunger spricht. Gleichzeitig wurde eine deutlichere Präferenz für die Federmehlration beobachtet, die bei Gruppe A/B+ nach B sogar zu einer Ablehnung der ergänzten Maiskleberration führte. Vertrautheit bzw. Neuartigkeit und sensorische Qualitäten einer Ration spielten neben den physiologischen Effekten eine bedeutende Rolle bei der Selbstauswahl. Die komplexen Wechselbeziehungen zwischen Futter, hedonistischen Komponenten und Erfahrung für die Entwicklung eines spezifischen Hungers wurden diskutiert.     

Literarische Berichte

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Swinepox--skin disease with sporadic occurrence

Swinepox virus infection results in an acute, mild or subclinical course and is characterised by typical poxvirus skin lesions in affected pigs. Additionally, sporadic vertical swinepox virus transmission leads to congenital generalised infection and subsequent abortion or stillbirth. The present report describes the occurrence of epidermal efflorescences in two piglets after intrauterine natural suipoxvirus infection. No clinical abnormalities of the gilt and littermates as well as in other pigs from this herd were present. One of the affected piglets was stillborn and submitted for necropsy, the other animal was alive at birth, but died 3 days later. Histologically, a proliferative to ulcerative dermatitis with epithelial ballooning degeneration and characteristic intracytoplasmatic inclusion bodies was observed. The pathomorphological and histopathological suspected diagnosis of a poxvirus infection was confirmed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, the agent was identified as suipoxvirus by polymerase chain reaction. As demonstrated here, obvious skin lesions in suipoxvirus infection leads to a suspected diagnosis in newborn piglets on macroscopic examination. However, further post mortem examinations, including electron microscopy as well as molecular techniques are essential for the identification of the aetiology and the exclusion of differential diagnoses. Because the disease only affected two pigs there was only a small economic loss. A valid diagnostic plays an important role in advising farmers and for herd health monitoring.     

Substitution of vaccinia virus Elstree by modified vaccinia virus Ankara to test the virucidal efficacy of chemical disinfectants

After the eradication of variola in 1980, the smallpox vaccination was considered to be no longer required and was subsequently abandoned mainly because of possible adverse effects of vaccinia virus especially in first‐time vaccinees. Despite a growing number of humans without immunity against vaccinia virus, vaccinia virus Lister Elstree (VACV) is still prescribed for testing virucidal efficacy of chemical disinfectants in the guidelines of the German Veterinary Medical Society [Deutsche Veterinärmedizinische Gesellschaft (DVG)], the German Association for the Control of Virus Diseases [Deutsche Vereinigung zur Bekämpfung der Viruskrankheiten (DVV)] and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). To evaluate a possible substitution of VACV, with the attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) the virucidal efficacy of four different DVG‐listed commercially available chemical disinfectants representing different groups of chemicals was tested against these two viruses. Quantitative suspension tests and qualitative carrier tests with poplar wood and gauze were performed. Distinction of VACV and MVA was confirmed by cytopathogenic effects, such as differences in plaque morphology. No significant difference in disinfection efficacy between VACV and MVA was observed for any of the disinfectants tested. Implying that vaccinia virus poses a risk after inadvertent inoculation, our results show that MVA, which does not replicate in humans, should replace VACV in the chemical disinfectant testing guidelines.     

D-lactate-induced neurotoxicity in calves

D-lactic acidosis occurs as a complication of short-bowel syndrome in humans and in a variety of other gastrointestinal disorders in monogastrics and ruminants. It is associated with signs of impaired central nervous system (CNS) function including ataxia and coma. The objective of this experiment was to determine if either acidification of nervous tissue or D-lactic acid is responsible for decreased neurological function. Eight Holstein calves (32 ± 11 d) were surgically catheterized with indwelling intravenous jugular and atlanto-occipital space cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) catheters and infused for 6 h in random order with iso-molar DL-lactic acid (DL-LA), L-lactic acid (L-LA), hydrochloric acid (HCl) or saline. DL-LA induced ataxia after 4 h of infusion and produced the greatest obtunding of CNS function (at 7 h, score 8.0 ± 0.4), whereas, the other infusions caused neither ataxia nor scores over 1.5 (p < 0.01 from DL-LA). After 6 h, DL-LA induced significantly less acidemia than HCl (pH 7.13 ± 0.06 and 7.00 ± 0.04, base excess −16 ± 1 and −23 ± 3 mmol/l, bicarbonate 11 ± 1 and 8 ± 1 mmol/L respectively, all p < 0.01), but greater than L-LA and saline (p < 0.01). CSF changes followed a similar but less pronounced pattern. Although HCl infusion produced a severe acidemia and CSF acidosis, only minor effects on neurological function were evident suggesting that D-lactate has a direct neurotoxic effect that is independent of acidosis. Conversely, L-LA produced only minor neurological changes.