Herbicide tank-mixing for post-emergence weed control in sugar beets

Tank-mixtures of selective herbicides were evaluated for 2 years on field-grown sugarbeets under two weed flora situations: (a) mixed floras of broad-leaved and grass weeds and (b) weed floras of broadleaves grown beyond their stages of greatest sensitivity to herbicides. In these situations single herbicides usually fail to provide satisfactory post-emergence weed control in sugarbeets. Of several tank-mixtures, which could be devised for use in the first situation, ethofurnesate + Betanal AM 11, diclofop-methyl + Betanal AM 11 and diclofop-methyl + metamitron gave synergistic phytotoxicity to sugarbeet seedlings. Synergism in weed control, becoming apparent by an accelerated appearance of the herbicidal effects, was obtained with the mixture alloxydimeton + Betanal AM 11. This mixture was not phytotoxic and appears to be the most efficient for simultaneous control of broad-leaved and grass weeds. From trials in the second situation it became apparent that the activity of metamitron, which was reduced on older weeds, could be restored by mixing with a non-phytotoxic oil or a low dose of Betanal AM 11. These mixtures should be useful when growth of sugarbeets has been retarded by carried-over herbicides, drought, frost, etc.     

Innovative methods in soil phosphorus research: A review

Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable element for all life on Earth and, during the past decade, concerns about the future of its global supply have stimulated much research on soil P and method development. This review provides an overview of advanced state‐of‐the‐art methods currently used in soil P research. These involve bulk and spatially resolved spectroscopic and spectrometric P speciation methods (1 and 2D NMR, IR, Raman, Q‐TOF MS/MS, high resolution‐MS, NanoSIMS, XRF, XPS, (µ)XAS) as well as methods for assessing soil P reactions (sorption isotherms, quantum‐chemical modeling, microbial biomass P, enzymes activity, DGT, ³³P isotopic exchange, ¹⁸O isotope ratios). Required experimental set‐ups and the potentials and limitations of individual methods present a guide for the selection of most suitable methods or combinations.     

Optimisation of the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test to reduce urinary glucose spilling in horses

Reasons for performing study: The frequently sampled i.v. glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT) is used to evaluate glucose and insulin dynamics in horses, but it has not been determined whether urinary glucose spilling (UGS) affects results. Hypothesis: UGS occurs in horses during the FSIGTT and this problem can be minimised by adjusting the dextrose and insulin dosages used. Methods: Six mature mares were included in this study. In the first phase, 6 FSIGTT procedures were performed in each horse to evaluate 6 different dextrose dosages. Six different insulin dosages were evaluated during the second phase of the study after administration of 300 mg/kg bwt dextrose. Area under the glucose (AUCg) and insulin (AUCi) curves were calculated and minimal model analyses performed. UGS was measured in the third and fourth phases of the study during the combined glucose insulin test and established FSIGTT. A new FSIGTT was developed and evaluated. Results: Positive linear effects of dextrose dosage on AUCg, AUCi and acute insulin response to glucose were detected, with AUCg reaching a plateau at doses 200 mg/kg bwt. Insulin dosage had an inverse linear effect on AUCg, but other values remained unaffected. UGS occurred during all 3 tests and was the highest for the established FSIGTT and the lowest for the new FSIGTT. The type of FSIGTT performed did not affect minimal model results. Conclusions: Results indicate that the dextrose dosage of 300 mg/kg bwt used in the established FSIGTT is too high. UGS can be reduced by lowering the dextrose dosage to 100 mg/kg bwt. Potential relevance: A new FSIGTT involving the administration of 100 mg/kg bwt dextrose followed by 20 mu/kg bwt insulin 20 min later is recommended for use in horses because this test provides adequate data for minimal model analysis while minimising UGS.     

Effects of endotoxaemia and carbohydrate overload on glucose and insulin dynamics and the development of laminitis in horses

Reasons for performing study: Insulin resistance (IR) is a risk factor for pasture‐associated laminitis in equids and alimentary carbohydrate overload may trigger laminitis. Whether glucose metabolism responses to carbohydrate overload are more pronounced in insulin‐resistant horses requires further study. Hypothesis: Horses pretreated with endotoxin to alter insulin sensitivity differ significantly in their glucose and insulin responses to carbohydrate overload. Methods: Horses (n = 24) were divided into 3 groups. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS; n = 8) group that received endotoxin as an 8 h 7.5 ng/kg bwt/h i.v. continuous rate infusion, an oligofructose (OF; n = 8) group that received an infusion of saline followed by 5 g/kg bwt OF via nasogastric intubation, and a LPS/OF (n = 8) group that received LPS followed 16 h later by OF. Glucose and insulin dynamics were evaluated at ‐24 h and 48 h using the frequently sampled i.v. glucose tolerance test and minimal model analysis. Physical examinations and haematology were performed and the severity of laminitis assessed. Results: Horses receiving LPS developed leucopenia and both LPS and OF induced clinical signs consistent with systemic inflammation. Insulin sensitivity significantly decreased (P<0.001) over time, but responses did not differ significantly among groups. Time (P<0.001) and treatment × time (P = 0.038) effects were detected for the acute insulin response to glucose, with mean values significantly increasing in LPS and LPS/OF groups, but not the OF group. Five horses in the LPS/OF group developed clinical laminitis compared with 0 and 2 horses in the LPS and OF groups, respectively. Conclusions: Endotoxaemia and carbohydrate overload reduce insulin sensitivity in horses. Endotoxin pretreatment does not affect the alterations in glucose metabolism induced by carbohydrate overload. Potential relevance: Insulin sensitivity decreases after carbohydrate overload in horses, which may be relevant to the development of pasture‐associated laminitis.     

Speciation of Phosphorus and Cadmium in a Contaminated Soil Amended with Bone Char: Sequential Fractionations and XANES Spectroscopy

In this work, photocatalytic degradation of two reactive dyes, Reactive Yellow 84 (RY 84) and Reactive Black 5 (RB 5), on FeTiO₃/TiO₂ heterojunction in the presence of UV–visible radiation and H₂O₂ has been reported. FeTiO₃/TiO₂ heterojunction has been prepared from ilmenite FeTiO₃ and anatase TiO₂ by employing oxalic acid as an organic linker. FeTiO₃/TiO₂ ratios have been varied from 1 to 5 wt.%, and the materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and diffused reflectance UV–visible spectroscopic analysis. The photocatalytic activity of FeTiO₃/TiO₂ heterojunction for the degradation of the organic dyes RY 84 and RB 5 in the presence of UV–visible light was found to be higher than that of pure TiO₂. The addition of H₂O₂ increases the rate of degradation of both dyes on FeTiO₃/TiO₂ heterojunction. It facilitates the fast degradation of dye solutions even when their concentration was above 100 mg/l, which is otherwise very slow due to the low transmittance of light by the dye solution. The extent of mineralisation of the reactive dye during photocatalytic degradation was estimated from chemical oxygen demand analysis. FeTiO₃/TiO₂ heterojunction photocatalyst was also found to have good photostability; the material retains almost 97 % of its initial activity even in the fifth cycle.     

The Use of a Technical Device for Testing the Sport-Functional Properties of Riding Surfaces

The riding surface is an important and modifiable factor in the development injuries in sport horses. An objective and simple examination of the sport-functional properties of riding surfaces, such as shock absorption, is thus desirable. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of a handy device to test the sport-functional properties of riding surfaces. Therefore, a technical device, called Artificial Athlete, was used on five riding surfaces: two sand–synthetic indoor arenas, one sand–sawdust indoor arena, and two outdoor arenas, one with a sand footing layer and one with a grass surface. The shock absorption, the energy restitution, and the vertical deformation measurements were acquired by the Artificial Athlete. Additionally, the hoof acceleration of six warmblood horses trotting by hand on the five investigated riding surfaces was recorded. The parameters of the Artificial Athlete and the acceleration data during hoof landing were compared. The outcome of the statistical analysis illustrated that the shock absorbing parameter was not in agreement with the results of the acceleration data, whereas the results of the vertical deformation parameter were mostly in accordance with the results of the hoof-acceleration measurement. In conclusion, the use of the Artificial Athlete for testing the sport-functional properties of riding surfaces was assessed as unsuitable because of the large deviations between the results of the shock absorption measured by the Artificial Athlete and the hoof-acceleration data. However, it could be shown that the vertical deformation parameter could be helpful in the assessment of the sport-functional quality of riding surfaces.     

Three phase elimination of oxytetracycline in veal calves; the presence of an extended terminal elimination phase

The pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline were studied after both intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration to a group of five veal calves. Blood samples were taken frequently during the terminal elimination phase in order to calculate a reliable elimination rate constant. Because of the low limit of quantification of the method of analysis used, oxytetracycline plasma concentrations could be monitored over a 12-day period of time.
After the intravenous administration of oxytetracycline, data were fitted according a three-compartment model. After i.m. administration, plasma-concentration-time curves could best be described by a two-compartment model. It was demonstrated that a very slow terminal elimination phase was present both after i.v. and i.m. administration with a half-life of approximately 95 h. The data show that this phase cannot be explained by slow absorption from the injection site and that release of oxytetracycline incorporated into bone is not a likely explanation.     

Histomorphometrische und histologische Untersuchungen zur morphokinetischen Wirkung von Furazolidon auf die Spermiogenese geschlechtsreifer Ratten

The antispermatongenic effects of furazolidone on the testes of mature Wistar rats were investigated using histological and morphometric methods. The sections showed a varying degree of depopulation of the germinal epithelium, a shrinking and a deformation of the Tubuli contorti, and an enlargement of the intertubular lymphatic sinuses. The strain led to a standstill in the spermatogenesis at the primary-spermatocyte stage. After administering furazolidone, the following results could be seen: – a weightloss of up to 42.1% and a decrease in testes volume by up to 30.2% – a decrease in the volume of the nuclei of the Leydig-cells by up to 51.6% – a reduction in the diameter, perimeter and area covered by Tubuli seminiferi contorti of up to 33.5%, 30.8%, and 53.4%, respectively – an increase in the number of Tubuli seminiferi contorti per mm2 by up to 44.8% – a decrease in the percentage of Tubuli seminiferi contorti of the total testes tissue by up to 39.1%     

What has happened in norway after the ban of avoparcin? Consumption of antimicrobials by poultry

When avoparcin was prohibited for use as feed additive in poultry in Norway on 31 May 1995, an increased incidence of Clostridium perfringens-associated necrotic enteritis (NE) and an increase in the use of antibacterial (AB) drug therapy in meat-type poultry was expected. The consumption of AB drugs for use against NE in poultry in the period 1990-2001 was investigated by use of sales statistics at the drug-wholesaler level. Defined daily dose (DDD) per kg live weight poultry was the unit of measurement for drug use (to correct for differences in the dosages). Sales figures of the AB drugs were converted to number of DDDpoultry sold for the numbers of broilers at risk (broilers were 97% of the slaughter poultry). Estimated annual percentages of the broilers treated against NE increased abruptly after the avoparcin ban--but in 1996, this figure declined to the same level as before the ban and has remained at that low level since then. In November 1995, narasin was approved temporarily as an ionophore feed additive (IFA) in broilers. The usage patterns of IFAs in broilers were measured as the weight of feed to which an IFA was added per broiler chicken produced. In 1996-2001, the IFAs used in broilers were predominantly narasin. We note that the temporary increase in NE after the avoparcin ban coincide with the period before narasin became available. The increase in the consumption of AB drugs for the treatment of NE in poultry following the avoparcin ban has been negligible.     

Associations between Energy Metabolism, LH Pulsatility and First Ovulation in early Lactating Cows

This study was designed to elucidate associations between energy metabolism and LH pulsatility characteristics in early lactation, and days to first ovulation, in order to explain the relationship between energy balance and fertility observed in epidemiological studies. To this end, 10 multiparous HF cows were monitored during lactation, after the application of two different feeding strategies during the dry period. Days to first ovulation was assessed using blood progesterone measurements and LH pulsatility was measured in 8-h windows in the third week postpartum. The association between depth of negative energy balance and days to ovulation was confirmed. However, this study does not support the idea that LH pulsatility characteristics in early lactation are predictive for the interval between parturition and first ovulation.