Selective and on-demand drenching of lambs: Impact on parasite populations and performance of lambs

AIM: To determine whether drenching regimes for lambs by which a proportion (10%) of the heaviest animals was selectively left untreated, or animals are only drenched ‘on demand’ when faecal nematode egg counts (FEC) exceeded a threshold level, would result in measurable increases in parasite larval challenge in the autumn and/or decreases in the performance of lambs.

METHODS: A replicated study compared three drenching strategies in which mobs of lambs (n=360 in total) received either: a five-drench preventive programme, administered to all animals (Treatment 1); a five-drench preventive programme, but the 10% heaviest animals left untreated each time (Treatment 2); or drench treatments administered only when FEC exceeded 500 eggs per gram of faeces (epg) (Treatment 3). After the five-drench programme, animals in Treatments 1 and 2 were treated according to FEC as for Treatment 3. A triple-combination drench containing ivermectin, oxfendazole and levamisole, administered orally, was used for all treatments. There were nine farmlets, allowing three replicates of each treatment, in a completely randomised design. Parasite infestations on pasture were measured in autumn by pasture plucks, and worm burdens were monitored in tracer lambs, while the performance of lambs was assessed by liveweight gains, fleece weights, and body condition and dag scores.

RESULTS: Increased numbers of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae on pasture were found in the autumn on farmlets treating selectively or on-demand (Treatments 2 and 3). No differences were detected in other parasite species. Mean liveweight gains did not differ between treatments but some differences were detected between drenched and undrenched lambs in Treatment 2. Mean body condition and mean dag scores of lambs in Treatment 3 tended to be lower and higher, respectively, than those of lambs in Treatment 1; Treatment 2 was generally intermediate.

CONCLUSIONS: Drenching strategies for lambs designed to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance, by increasing the pool of susceptible worms available to dilute resistant survivors after treatment, resulted in increased numbers of H. contortus and T. colubriformis but not other species of parasite on pasture. The increased parasite challenge to lambs in the autumn was associated with small production losses, which may be acceptable to farmers wishing to implement such strategies. It is clear that further work is required on the interaction between management practices and the population dynamics of parasites, especially with regard to creating pools of susceptible genotypes to slow the development of drench resistance.     

青贮对天然草原牧草长链脂肪酸的影响

以呼伦贝尔草原四种不同草地类型牧草为研究对象,分别对其进行单贮、混贮处理,研究不同青贮处理对不同草地类型牧草长链脂肪酸的构成及含量的影响.结果表明:四种草地类型不同处理样品所含长链脂肪酸的成分相同,都以亚麻酸和棕榈酸为主,亚油酸含量也比较高;四种草地类型不同处理间各长链脂肪酸的含量均有所差异,混贮处理对各长链脂肪酸含量变化的影响最大.混贮处理后贝加尔针茅硬脂酸(P＜0.01)、亚油酸(P＜0.05)的含量明显升高,油酸明显下降(P＜0.05);四种草地经不同处理后同一草地类型取样点之间长链脂肪酸含量的差异不大.     

内蒙古自治区区域协调问题与对策研究

内蒙古自治区与相关区域构成了一个复杂、开放的区域系统,其内部主要由自然区、行政区、主体功能区等组成;区域协调内容包括内蒙古自治区与全国的协调、内蒙古自治区东部与西部的协调、呼和浩特、包头、鄂尔多斯(简称呼包鄂,下同)三市协调、内蒙古自治区与俄罗斯等国家的协调、内蒙古自治区与相关省市自治区的协调、自然区与行政区的协调、行政区与主体功能区的协调、城市与农牧区的协调等;存在着许多社会经济指标低于全国平均水平、东部与西部社会经济等方面差距过大、出口依存度太低与外贸逆差过大、与相关省市自治区自然资源及产业的互补性差、地方利益与流域全局利益矛盾尖锐、主体功能区跨界缺乏统一领导、呼包鄂三市产业同构化现象趋于明显、城乡差距过大等问题;应该采取加强内蒙古自治区区域协调研究、编制区域协调规划、建立区域协调组织、利用调控手段促进区域协调发展和构建区域协调内在机制等对策.     

A description and evaluation of the physical and financial characteristics of dairy farms operating on soil types classified as poorly drained and associated with high rainfall

The physical and financial performance data used for analysis were obtained over a 6‐year period (2010–2015), from two different databases including a nationally representative data set of dairy farmers and a detailed data set of seven individual farms. Initial analysis indicated significant variations across soil type and region, across a wide range of physical and financial parameters. Further detailed analysis was completed using a group of seven farms participating in a Heavy Soils Programme (HSP), which were compared to different cohorts of the nationally representative database (National Farm Survey [NFS]), ranked on net profit per ha. The HSP farms utilized larger quantities of grass DM per ha per year than the median of the NFS farms, at similar grazing season lengths, but were using lower levels of purchased feed. Economic analysis indicated the HSP farmers achieved significantly lower net profits per hectare to the NFS median group but significantly higher net profits per kg of fat and protein. The HSP farms also achieved significantly greater overall net farm income per year (€83,788), when compared to the median nationally (€67,898), over the 6‐year period (excluding owned land and labour). The mean return on assets ascertained by the HSP farmers was also significantly greater, at 5.75% per year compared to 3.49% achieved by the median of NFS farms. In conclusion, this study has indicated that efficient dairy businesses operating on poorly drained soils can be as profitable as those across all ranges of soil types.     

水稻生产机械专利技术分析

在水稻生产机械的产业化中,相关的知识产权问题乃是众多法律问题中的基础性问题,而所进行的与水稻生产机械相关的专利权检索则为黑龙江省制定相应的知识产权战略提供了基础性数据,使最终的战略制定更为科学。在对相应检索范围进行框定,检索数据进行筛选、整理与分析的基础上,得出相应的科学结论,并从如何提高黑龙江省专利申请水平、加强各方主体的职能与合作、保护农民权益等角度提出了建议。     

Optimizing ex situ genetic resource collections for European livestock conservation

Ex situ collections offer the potential to reduce extinction risks, affording option to society in maintaining future breeding opportunities for productivity and heritage traits. However, how much should we be seeking to collect and conserve in gene banks, and where? We developed a mathematical model to optimize logistical decisions of breed conservation choices and to evaluate alternative scenarios for efficiently re‐allocating genetic materials currently stored in different European gene banks, allowing for cross‐country collections, cost and cryogenic capacity differentials. We show how alternative allocations for the breeds that are currently stored in 11 European gene banks could reduce overall conservation costs by around 20% by selecting cryogenic banks that have relatively lower combination of fixed and collection costs, and are geographically closer to collection regions. Our results show that centralizing collections in one gene bank would double the costs, relative to collective European collections approaches. We also calculate marginal costs of collections and show that increasing diversity within the gene banks implies in higher costs per conserved breed.     

AMMI双标图在马铃薯区域试验产量分析中的应用

运用AMMI模型.结合双标图对2007年国家中晚熟西北组马铃薯品种区域试验各承试点的平均产量结果进行分析.试验结果表明,在参试品种中,L0031-17、青薯6号高产但不稳产,陇薯3号为高产稳产型,品种960102、中9931-48稳产但不高产,8025-1不稳产又不高产.AMMI模型具体、直观、有效的综合评价,为马铃薯品种提供了一种比较好的分析方法.     

马铃薯新品种青薯11号的选育

青薯11号是以同薯23号为母本,以青薯168为父本,通过有性杂交和系统选育育成的鲜食马铃薯新品种。中晚熟,出苗至收获107 d(天)左右;薯块椭圆形,粉红皮,薯肉黄色带红晕,芽眼浅;块茎淀粉含量17.96%,粗蛋白3.17%,VC240.3 mg·kg~(-1),还原糖0.279%。抗晚疫病。一般肥力条件下每667 m~2产量2 200~2 500 kg,高肥力条件下产量2 500~3 000kg。适宜在青海省各类地区种植。     

Genetic‐Quantitative Study of the First‐Service Pregnancy Probability of Murrah Heifers

Because of the importance of reproduction in stock breeding systems, it is necessary to find selection criteria that increase reproductive efficiency. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for the probability of conception on first service (PROB) in Murrah heifers, and its association with other traits of economic interest [age at first calving (AFC), service period, calving interval and milk yield at 270 days], with the purpose of evaluating their use as selection criteria. Reproductive information and first lactation records of 1200 Murrah heifers were used to perform two‐trait analyses between PROB and the other characteristics. Bayesian inference was used to estimate the variance components, considering PROB as threshold and the other as linear factors. The results demonstrate that this trait has heritability of 0.15, indicating the possibility of a genetic gain by using it for selection. With respect to the genetic correlation estimates, the only high‐magnitude association was with AFC (?0.899), which is the current criterion indicating sexual precocity of females. In the light of the parameters estimated, the first‐service pregnancy rate is an alternative for indication of sexual precocity, although presenting a smaller genetic gain than the current standard AFC. Nevertheless, additional research should be conducted regarding this trait to assess the economic importance of its use in dairy buffalo production systems.     

Rejection of dyed field rodent baits by Feral Pigeons and Chukar Partridges

Whole wheat grain bait, treated with sodium fluoroacetate, is used to control field rodents in Israel. However, this bait constitutes a potential primary non-target hazard to seed-eating birds. In the present study black-, red-, green- and yellow-dyed whole wheat and sorghum grains, as well as undyed ones, were offered to feral pigeons,Columba livia, and to chukar partridges,Alectoris chukar, in the laboratory during 4 days. Grains were offered either piled on trays, or scattered. Consumption levels varied significantly (P<0.05) among varieties. The pigeons preferred undyed grain; black and yellow grains were consumed the least. The partridges preferred the undyed and black grains to all the other colored grains. When no undyed alternative was offered, the pigeons preferred red and green, and the partridges — black wheat. The pigeons preferred wheat whole grain, and the partridges — sorghum whole grain. When the pigeons received sorghum, a disliked grain, no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in the consumption of the differently dyed grains.