Effects of low temperature on sprout growth of several potato varieties

Summary Two experiments are reported which compared the effects of a period of low temperature (3 C). before placing to sprout at ambient temperature, with continuous storage at ambient temperature, on sprout growth in thirteen potato varieties. In four varieties. Désirée, Majestic, Pentland Meteor and Vanessa, the period of low temperature induced an earlier onset of sprout growth and increased total and individual sprout length per tuber. In the varieties Civa, Craig’s Alliance, Dunluce. Home Guard. Arran Comet and Ulster Sceptre, the period of cold did not hasten the onset of sprout growth but markedly increased the numbers of growing sprouts and total sprout length, although individual sprout length was reduced. In the remaining varieties the period of low temperature had no effects on onset of sprout growth or sprout lengths at the end of storage.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird über zwei Versuche berichtet, die den Einfluss einer Periode niedriger Temperatur (3 C) vor dem Beginn normaler Keimungsbedingungen mit fortw?hrender normaler Lagerung auf das Keimwachstum vergleichen. In vier Sorten, Désirée (mittelfrüh). Majestic (mittelfrüh). Pentland Meteor (früh) und Vanessa (früh), induzierte die Periode niedriger Temperatur einen früheren Beginn des Keimwachstums als fortw?hrende Lagerung unter normalen Bedingungen (Abb. 1). Bei diesen Sorten waren die Gesamtl?nge und die individuelle Keiml?nge am Ende der Keimung gesteigert (Tabellen 1 und 2). Bei Civa, Craig’s Alliance. Dunluce. Home Guard. Arran Comet und Ulster Sceptre (alles frühe Sorten) führte die K?lteperiode nicht zu einem früheren Keimungsbeginn, aber die Zahl der wachsenden Keime stieg an und dadurch die Gesamtkeiml?nge pro Knolle. In diesen Sorten wurde die L?nge des l?ngsten keims pro Knolle durch eine K?lteperiode verringert (Tabellen 1 und 2). Bei den übrigen Sorten hatte die K?lteperiode weder einen Einfluss auf den Keimungsbeginn noch auf die Keiml?ngen am Ende der Lagerung.

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Résumé Dans deux essais sont comparés les effets d’un entreposage à basse température (3 C) suivi d’une mise en germoir, d’une part, et les effets d’une conservation uniquement en germoir, d’autre part, sur la croissance des germes de 13 variétés de pomme de terre. Pour quatre variétés. Désirée, Majestic (demitardives). Pentland Meteor et Vanessa (hatives) le passage au froid induit un départ de germination plus précoce qu’un stockage continu dans les conditions ambiantes (fig. 1). Pour ces variétés, la longueur des germes, totale et individuelle, est augmentée en fin de germination (tableaux 1 et 2). Pour Civa, Craig’s Alliance, Dunluce, Home Guard, Arran Comet et Ulster Sceptre (variétés hatives) le passage au froid ne hate pas le départ de la germination mais augmente de fa?on marquée le nombre de germes et donc la longuer totale de germe par tubercule. Dans ces variétés, la longueur du plus long germe par tubercule est réduite par le passage à basse température (tableaux 1 et 2). Pour les variétés restantes, le froid n’a pas d’effet ni sur le départ de germination, ni sur la longueur des germes à la fin du stockage.

     

木霉菌对大豆幼苗生长的影响及在根部定殖研究

分析木霉菌MM35、MM7、MM8、MM9、ZT1、ZT2对大豆幼苗生长的影响,其中MM7、ZT1和ZT2的孢子悬浮液在104cfu·mL-1和105cfu·mL-1的浓度下对大豆发芽不会产生影响,其代谢产物对大豆发芽没有抑制作用.盆栽试验表明:木霉菌MM7不对大豆幼苗产生致病性,且使株高增加13%.盆栽灭菌条件下研究木霉MM7在大豆根部定殖能力表明:木霉菌MM7可随大豆主根和侧根的生长而不断繁殖,且在土壤表面以下0～5 cm大豆根际土壤中MM7孢子数量明显高于5～10 cm和10～15 cm的土层,随着生育时间的延长,不同土层大豆主根和侧根表面木霉菌数量均可在12 d～22 d之间达到最高值,在根的表面形成保护层,对于大豆苗期病原菌起到一定抑制作用.     

A comparison of the autecology of Quercus robur L. and Q. pyrenaica Wild.: present habitat in Galicia, NW Spain

The biotopes occupied by pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.)and rebollo oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) in Galicia were characterizedusing different parameters, enabling a comparative analysisof its habitats. Thirty-nine plots of pedunculate oak and 40of rebollo oak were inventoried and 25 ecological parameters(physiographic, climatic and edaphic) were measured to describethe biotopes, along with 14 stand parameters to characterizethe structure and the silviculture of these forests; some ofthem were used in previous works about the autecology of bothspecies. Quercus robur was found to occupy a wider range ofecological habitats and their distribution is oceanic; Q. pyrenaicapresents a more Mediterranean phytoclimatic position. The resultsindicated that the distribution of oak forests in Galicia ismore closely related to physiographic and climatic featuresthan to edaphic, because the nature of the substrates that theyoccupy is similar. Analysis of fragility/aggressiveness betweenboth species and chestnut shows that the aggressiveness of bothoaks, mainly pedunculate, was much higher, except at high altitudes,and in areas with a high mean temperature, where rebollo ismore aggressiveness. Comparison of the two Quercus shows formost of the parameters that Q. robur is the more aggressivespecies.     

Effects of cryptic mortality and the hidden costs of using length limits in fishery management

Fishery collapses cause substantial economic and ecological harm, but common management actions often fail to prevent overfishing. Minimum length limits are perhaps the most common fishing regulation used in both commercial and recreational fisheries, but their conservation benefits can be influenced by discard mortality of fish caught and released below the legal length. We constructed a computer model to evaluate how discard mortality could influence the conservation utility of minimum length regulations. We evaluated policy performance across two disparate fish life‐history types: short‐lived high‐productivity (SLHP) and long‐lived low‐productivity (LLLP) species. For the life‐history types, fishing mortality rates and minimum length limits that we examined, length limits alone generally failed to achieve sustainability when discard mortality rate exceeded about 0.2 for SLHP species and 0.05 for LLLP species. At these levels of discard mortality, reductions in overall fishing mortality (e.g. lower fishing effort) were required to prevent recruitment overfishing if fishing mortality was high. Similarly, relatively low discard mortality rates (>0.05) rendered maximum yield unobtainable and caused a substantial shift in the shape of the yield response surfaces. An analysis of fishery efficiency showed that length limits caused the simulated fisheries to be much less efficient, potentially exposing the target species and ecosystem to increased negative effects of the fishing process. Our findings suggest that for overexploited fisheries with moderate‐to‐high discard mortality rates, reductions in fishing mortality will be required to meet management goals. Resource managers should carefully consider impacts of cryptic mortality sources (e.g. discard mortality) on fishery sustainability, especially in recreational fisheries where release rates are high and effort is increasing in many areas of the world.     

An assessment of carcass counting surveys with increasing time lapse following a simulated fish kill on a small upland stream

A simulated fish kill was conducted on a small upland stream in Northern Ireland by planting out hatchery‐produced brown trout Salmo trutta L. carcasses of various size categories. Standard, post‐fish kill, assessment walkover surveys were conducted over time intervals to determine the number of carcasses visible. The sample variance between individual surveyors was generally low, with good agreement between the observed counts for the three, discrete, size fractions of fish up to 72 hr after the simulated fish kill. Despite low discharge rates, shallow water and good accessibility to the experimental stream, only 52% of the small category fish (<8 cm L_F) were recorded 4 hr after the start of the simulated fish kill. Larger carcasses (>17 cm L_F) were more visible, and >90% were detected 48 hr after the start of the simulated fish kill. After 96 hr, all size fractions of carcasses had reduced significantly, and the variability between replicate surveys increased markedly.     

Evidence for long‐term spatial displacement of breeding and pupping harbour seals by shellfish aquaculture over three decades

• 1. Shellfish mariculture is increasing worldwide and often occurs adjacent to marine mammal breeding and feeding habitat. To better understand breeding pinniped vulnerability to potential shellfish mariculture disturbance and displacement effects in a US National Park, potential mechanisms were explored that may affect the proportion of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) selecting high quality haul‐out sites near shellfish aquaculture within a large colony, and overall seal utilization of that colony in relation to other regional colonies.
• 2. Seal haul‐out sites isolated from the mainland (no predator access) had higher pup:adult ratios, indicating they are generally more important for pupping. Short‐term human disturbance did not have a significant effect on spatial use, but rather spatial use was pre‐determined by general sandbar isolation. Using multiple competing hypothesis and an information‐theoretic approach, it was found that within the estuary, after removing effects of El Niño, the proportion of seals (total seals and pups only) hauled out near mariculture sites was 8 ± 2% lower during years of higher oyster harvest. Annual oyster harvest was used as a measure of aquaculture activity that could result in direct disturbance or indirect displacement of harbour seals.
• 3. At the regional scale, oyster harvest, seal counts at a nearby colony, and loss of a major haul‐out site within the estuary, best explained pup and total seal use compared with the region. Regional population size, short‐term human disturbance rate, and other factors were not important. Concurrent with higher oyster harvest, the proportion of regional seals using the estuary declined by 7 ± 2% for seal pups (–65 ± 18 total pups), and 5 ± 2% for total counts ( ? 192 ± 58 total seals). These findings (both within the estuary and at the regional scale) were essentially identical whether modelling oyster harvest as either a continuous or categorical (low/high) variable and when using either frequentist or Bayesian statistical analyses.
• 4. Marine reserves set aside for wildlife may be less effective when the highest quality breeding and pupping sites are adjacent to regular aquaculture activities. These effects may not be detectable until additional natural variation lowers the quality of nearby habitats. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

     

Use of Dried Fermented Biomass as a Fish Meal Replacement in Practical Diets of Florida Pompano,Trachinotus carolinus

Substitution of fish meal (FM) as a protein source in aquaculture diets is required to reduce cost and promote a sustainable industry. Potential protein sources include a range of traditional products from agricultural production such as plant or animal proteins. However, there are also a number of manufacturing coproducts, including bacterial dried fermented biomass (DFB,) for which there is an increased interest. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate DFB as a replacement for FM in practical diets for Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Four diets were prepared in which different levels of FM (15%, 10%, 5%, and 0% of the diet) were replaced with DFB (0%, 4.27%, 8.54%, and 12.82%) on an iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic basis, to contain 40% crude protein and 10% lipid. A 10-week growth trial was conducted in a recirculating system consisting of 12 indoor 1.0 m³ tanks, stocked with 20 juvenile pompano (mean initial weight 8.1 g) per tank. There were no significant differences in final weight (64.5 g?79.5 g), survival (81.7%–96.7%), percent weight gain (711.6%–879.0%), FCR (2.1–2.0), or thermal-unit growth coefficient (0.1013?0.1149), regardless of the levels of dietary FM or DFB tested. Based on these results, it is recommended that DFB can be included up to 12.8% in practical diets for Florida pompano without significantly reducing growth performance. The response to higher levels of DFB inclusion should be evaluated.     

A mobile rain exclusion canopy system to determine dose-response relationships for crops and forest species

A fully automated rain exclusion canopy system has been designed and constructed to study the impact of simulated acid rain on the growth and yield of agricultural crops. The system consists of three, mobile greenhouse shelters which exclude ambient rainfall and apply simulated acid rain (SAR) treatments to crops established in field plots. All aspects of the field system are controlled by a microcomputer and data acquisition system. In addition, elevated ambient levels of gaseous pollutants (e.g. O₃, SO₂, NO_x) are reduced in field plots via an air exclusion system consisting of large blowers, potassium permanganate-treated alumina filters and perforated polyethylene tubes. Gaseous pollutants can be injected into the treatment plots via the blowers.     

Review of chromatographic methods for chloramphenicol residues in milk, eggs, and tissues from food-producing animals

Although chloramphenicol is not approved for use in food-producing animals in the United States, this broad spectrum antibiotic has been widely used to treat diseases in such animals including the lactating dairy cow. Extremely low ophthalmologic doses of chloramphenicol are known to cause aplastic anemia in humans. The residues in meat, milk, and eggs intended for human consumption cause particular public health concern because the bone marrow aplasia is not dose dependent. Furthermore, chloramphenicol, a known inhibitor of protein synthesis, also retards erythropoiesis, a condition that is dose dependent and may cause allergic hypersensitivity reactions. This paper is a review of sensitive methods that use gas, liquid, thin layer, and simple column chromatography as both determinative and cleanup steps for detecting and quantitating chloramphenicol in edible animal tissues, milk, and eggs.     

Clinical efficacy of diclofenac sodium and flunixin meglumine as adjuncts to antibacterial treatment of respiratory disease of calves

Objective To compare the efficacy of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, diclofenac sodium and flunixin meglumine as adjuncts to the antibiotic treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Procedure We randomly allocated 80 Holstein calves with BRD to three groups. All the calves received a dose of 2.5 mg/kg tulathromycin by single subcutaneous injection and two of the groups received, in addition, either 2.5 mg/kg diclofenac sodium as a single intramuscular injection (diclofenac group, n = 30) or 2.2 mg/kg flunixin meglumine as an intravenous injection on the first three consecutive days after tulathromycin administration (flunixin group, n = 30). All calves were given a clinical score prior to initial treatment (day 0) and after treatment (days 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14) by observing appetite, demeanour, rectal temperature, the rate and type of respiration, presence or absence of coughing, and nasal discharge. Results During the first 48 h, improvement of adverse signs of respiratory disease, such as pyrexia and elevated respiratory rate, and of a high clinical index score was significant in the two adjunct groups compared with the calves receiving antibiotic alone. The reduction in pyrexia was greatest in the diclofenac group. There were no statically significant differences between treatment groups with regard to eventual perceived recovery from respiratory disease in 14 days. Conclusion In this trial, a single intramuscular dose of diclofenac sodium was equally effective as three intravenous injections of flunixin meglumine given on consecutive days as adjunctive therapy for BRD.