Effects of supplemental alfalfa hay on the digestion of soybean hull-based diets by cattle

We evaluated the optimal level of alfalfa inclusion in soybean hull-based diets. In Exp. 1, 20 Holstein steers (319 kg of BW) were used in a complete block design. Treatments included a soybean hull mix (95.7% soybean hulls, 3% molasses, 0.5% urea, 0.8% mineral mix; DM basis) fed alone (100:0) or with 10.4, 20.7, or 30.9% (DM basis) coarsely chopped alfalfa hay (90:10, 80:20, and 70:30, respectively) or alfalfa alone (0:100). Diets were fed once daily at 1.75% (DM basis) of BW. In some cases, orts were present, which caused DM, OM, and NDF intakes to decrease (linear, P < 0.05) as alfalfa was added to the diets. Digestibilities of DM, OM, and NDF decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as alfalfa was added to the diets, but quadratic responses (P < 0.05) indicated that positive associative effects occurred between soybean hulls and alfalfa. Liquid dilution rates increased (linear, P < 0.05) with alfalfa additions to the diets and also demonstrated positive associative effects between soybean hulls and alfalfa (quadratic, P < 0.05). Solid passage rates were similar for 100:0 and 0:100 but were increased (quadratically and cubically, P < 0.05) when combinations of soybean hulls and alfalfa were fed. In Exp. 2, in vitro NDF digestibilities were measured for soybean hulls, alfalfa, and a blend of 85% soybean hulls and 15% alfalfa, each with no N source or supplemented with casein or urea to ascertain the effects of protein from alfalfa on digestibility. Disappearances were increased (P < 0.05) by addition of urea or casein, but no interactions between substrate and N supplement were observed. Addition of 30% alfalfa to diets consisting primarily of soybean hulls led to positive associative effects on diet digestibility, but alfalfa additions led to increased liquid and solid passage rates, suggesting that the benefit was not a result of slower passage of soybean hulls from the rumen.     

Canine renal pathology associated with grape or raisin ingestion: 10 cases.

Ten dogs suffered acute renal failure after ingesting > or = 3 g/kg (dry matter) of grapes or raisins. All dogs had degeneration or necrosis (or both) of proximal renal tubules with basement membranes remaining intact, and epithelial regeneration was observed in 5 out of 10 cases. Mineralized tubular debris or granular to proteinaceous casts (or both) were present in all cases. A golden-brown, globular, intracellular pigment of varying amounts and sizes was observed in 6 out of 10 cases with variable reaction with Prussian blue. Multifocal fibrinous arteritis of the large colon was seen in 2 out of 5 cases with globulin insudation of vessel wall demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining for immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM. Mineral analysis on frozen renal tissue from 2 out of 2 cases revealed mildly elevated Ca:P ratio in both. Clinically significant observations were preservation of the integrity of basement membranes after grape-induced tubular injury and presence of early epithelial regeneration. Thus, recovery may be possible if anuria is aggressively managed. With respect to potential pathophysiologic mechanisms, further research into the roles of calcium homeostasis, vascular reactivity, and the significance of the golden-brown pigment is indicated.     

Nutritional Enhancement of Biocontrol Activity of Candida sake (CPA-1) against Penicillium expansum on Apples and Pears

Pome fruits are poor in nitrogenous compounds and the addition of nitrogen can improve colonisation of the fruits by antagonists. Twenty-two nitrogenous compounds were evaluated for their effect on Candida sake (CPA-1) growth in vitro. Ten compounds that induced greater growth were applied with the antagonist to wounded fruits to evaluate their effect on enhancing control of Penicillium expansum. Calcium chloride and 2-deoxy-D-glucose were also tested. L-serine and L-aspartic acid enhanced biocontrol by C. sake against P. expansum on apples. On apples and pears, ammonium molybdate, calcium chloride and 2-deoxy-D-glucose improved the capacity of the antagonist to control P. expansum. The addition of ammonium molybdate at 1 mM allowed C. sake to be used on apples and pears at a lower concentration without diminishing control. Similar results were observed with the addition of calcium chloride to the antagonist. 2-deoxy-D-glucose at 6 and 18 mM enhanced biocontrol on pears by over 81%, but on apples the improvement of biocontrol was observed only at 6 mM. In cold storage, the combination of ammonium molybdate and C. sake completely eliminated the incidence of blue mould on pears, and reduced its severity and incidence by more than 80% on apples.     

Studies on the mode of action of diflufenican in selected crop and weed species: Basis of selectivity of pre- and early post-emergence applications

Diflufenican, a pre- and early post-emergence herbicide, was found to be highly active against a wide range of weeds at application rates of 50–250 g ha-1. Studies on the mode of selectivity with [14C]diflufenican have demonstrated that selectivity between cereal crops and selected weed species is primarily due to differential uptake and indirectly to translocation; ‘depth protection’ appears to be the major reason for selectivity of soil-applied diflufenican.     

First Portuguese isolate of Neospora caninum from an aborted fetus from a dairy herd with endemic neosporosis

Neospora caninum was isolated from the brain of an aborted 4-month-old fetus from a dairy cow herd with endemic neosporosis in Porto, Portugal. The fetal brain homogenate was inoculated interperitoneally first into outbred Swiss Webster mice given dexamethasone and then the peritoneal exudates from these mice was co-inoculated with mouse sarcoma cells in the peritoneal cavity of mice given dexamethasone. N. caninum tachyzoites were seen in peritoneal exudate of the second passage. Tachyzoites from the peritoneal exudate reacted positively with anti-N. caninum antibodies and not with anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and contained N. caninum specific DNA. This Portuguese isolate of N. caninum has been successfully maintained in cell culture. The dam of the aborted fetus had an antibody titer of 1:10240 in the Neospora agglutination test (NAT). Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 76 of 106 cows from this herd in titers of 1:40 in 31, 1:80 in 22, > or =1:160 or more in 23 in the Neospora agglutination test. This is the first isolation of a viable N. caninum-like parasite from any host in Portugal.     

Improved Control of Postharvest Decay of Pears by the Combination of Candida sake (CPA-1) and Ammonium Molybdate

ABSTRACT The potential enhancement of Candida sake (CPA-1) by ammonium molybdate to control blue and gray mold caused by Penicillium expansum and Botrytis cinerea, respectively, on Blanquilla pears was investigated. In laboratory trials, improved control of blue and gray molds was obtained with the application of ammonium molybdate (1, 5, 10, and 15 mM) alone or in combination with C. sake at 2 x 10(6) or 2 x 10(7) CFU ml(-1) on Blanquilla pears stored at 20 degrees C. In semicommercial trials at 1 degrees C for 5 months, the efficacy of C. sake at 2 x 10(6) CFU ml(-1) on reducing P. expansum and B. cinerea decay was enhanced more than 88% with the addition of ammonium molybdate 5 mM in the 1999-2000 season. In two seasons, the performance C. sake at 2 x 10(6) CFU ml(-1) plus ammonium molybdate was similar to or greater than that of C. sake at 2 x 10(7) CFU ml(-1). Similar control of blue mold was obtained on pears stored under low oxygen conditions. The preharvest application of ammonium molybdate did not reduce postharvest blue mold decay. The population of C. sake on pear wounds significantly decreased in the presence of ammonium molybdate 1 and 5 mM at 20 and 1 degrees C.     

First report on Meloidogyne chitwoodi hatching inhibition activity of essential oils and essential oils fractions

The Columbia root-knot nematode (CRKN), Meloidogyne chitwoodi, is an EPPO A2 type quarantine pest since 1998. This nematode causes severe damage in economically important crops such as potato and tomato, making agricultural products unacceptable for the fresh market and food processing. Commonly used nematicidal synthetic chemicals are often environmentally unsafe. Essential oils (EOs) may constitute safer alternatives against RKN. EOs, isolated from 56 plant samples, were tested against CRKN hatching, in direct contact bioassays. Some of the most successful EOs were fractionated and the hydrocarbon molecules (HM) and oxygen-containing molecules (OCM) fractions tested separately. 24 EOs displayed very strong hatching inhibitions (≥90 %) at 2 µL mL^?1 and were further tested at lower concentrations. Dysphaniaambrosioides, Filipendula ulmaria, Ruta graveolens, Satureja montana and Thymbra capitata EOs revealed the lowest EC₅₀ values (<0.15 µL mL^?1). The main compounds of these EOs, namely 2-undecanone, ascaridol, carvacrol, isoascaridol, methyl salicylate, p-cymene and/or γ-terpinene, were putatively considered responsible for CRKN hatching inhibition. S. montana and T. capitata OCM fractions showed hatching inhibitions higher than HM fractions. The comparison of EO and corresponding fractions EC₅₀ values suggests interactions between OCM and HM fractions against CRKN hatching. These species EOs showed to be potential environmentally friendly CRKN hatching inhibitors; nonetheless, bioactivity should be considered globally, since its HM and OCM fractions may contribute, diversely, to the full anti-hatching activity.     

A new dihydroxysterol from the marine phytoplankton Diacronema sp

Diacronema sp. was cultured and its sterols were separated by column chromatography on silica gel. The new sterol 24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-cholestane-3,20-diol (1) was characterised by NMR and MS spectrometry, as well as (22E)-24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-5alpha-cholest-22-en-3beta-ol (2) and beta-sitosterol, the major components of the sterol fractions. Neither the biosynthetic origin of the new dihydroxysterol nor its role in the biochemistry of Diacronema is known.