Deal stem disease of asparagus caused by Fusarium culmorum

Deal stem disease in asparagus is characterized by yellow dead stems with reddish lesions, mostly at soil level. There are two types of infection. The first one with lesions on the base of the stem at soil level, as a result of which the stem dies off. In the second type of infection the lesions appear higher up on the stems, while stems remain mostly green. The disease was proved to be caused byFusarium culmorum. This fungus is mainly spread through the soil. Air dispersal was demonstrated but seems of little importance to disease incidence.     

Sweet potato stem blight caused by Alternaria sp.: A new disease in Ethiopia

A new sweet potato disease was discovered in Ethiopia. The disease mainly affects the stems and petioles of sweet potato and the name sweet potato stem blight is proposed. The pathogen is a species ofAlternaria, for which no definite name has been found so far. Sweet potatoes were most susceptible, tomatoes were slightly susceptible, and muskmelons and chilli peppers were resistant. Thorn apples and onions showed slight to moderate symptoms, butAlternaria was not reisolated from these two species. Although all sweet potato varieties tested were susceptible, there were significant differences in sensitivity.     

The induction of sporulation in sclerotinia fructicola and some other fungi and the production of “P310”

Evidence is presented suggesting that the sporulation ofS. fructicola probably proceeds by several phases. Light stimulates development of primordia but inhibits conidia formation.P₃₁₀, for the first time mentioned by Leach, does not have a sporogenic character. It is, however, a photo product of a metabolic substance formed by the fungus. The production of P₃₁₀ is much higher in mycelium cultivated in light of short wave-lengths and increases with the intensity of the light.The P₃₁₀-production is not common for all fungi. It is possible that the precursor for the photochemical reaction is missing in the mycelium of fungi, which do not produce the factor.Samenvatting De groeistadia vanSclerotinia fructicola werden bij het kweken in licht en donker bestudeerd. De groei begint met de vorming van hyfen in de agar, daarna treden de toppen van bepaalde hyfen boven de agar uit (primordia) en vormen conidioforen en conidiën. In continu donker verloopt dit proces zoals boven weergegeven, doch in continu licht (4800 Lux of hoger) wordt wel het mycelium in de agar gevormd en de primordia aangelegd, doch dan stopt het groeiproces. Bij lichtintensiteiten lager dan 4800 Lux vindt wel de vorming van conidioforen plaats. Deze verheffen zich boven de agar en zijn spaarzaam vertakt in tegenstelling tot de conidioforen, die in het donker gevormd worden. Deze zijn rijkelijk vertakt en vormen als het ware een mat op de agar.De groiisnelheid van het mycelium is in licht en donker even groot.Gaat aan de donkerperiode een lichtperiode vooraf, dan is deze van geen invloed op de sporulatie, mits de donkerperiode langer dan 48 uur duurt. Is deze korter, dan blijft het mycelium dat vóór de donkerperiode gevormd is, achter in sporulatie.Licht voorfgaande aan een donkerperiode van 15 uur, stimuleert in het jongste mycelium de sporulatie. Het licht heeft zowel een stimulerende als een remmende invloed.P₃₁₀, voor het eerst door Leach vermeld, bleek geen sporegene stof; het is echter een stof, die onder invloed van licht ontstaat uit een stofwisselingsprodukt van de schimmel.Bij de vorming van P₃₁₀ is licht van kortere golflengte van groter invloed dan licht met langere golflengte en de P₃₁₀-productie neemt toe met de intensiteit van het gebruikte licht.De vorming van P₃₁₀ komt niet voor bij alle fungi. Het is mogelijk dat de precursor voor de fotochemische reactie ontbreekt in het mycelium van deze schimmels.     

Dry cow nutrition. The key to improving fresh cow performance

Evidence supports the concept of the dry period being a critical component to lactation preparation rather than an insignificant rest period between lactations. Required nutrient amounts for the dry cow are the sum of maintenance, pregnancy, and reserve replenishment needs with additional requirements for growth during the first two pregnancies. Maintenance energy requirements can be dramatically increased by level of activity and adverse environmental conditions. A wide variety of feed ingredients can be successfully fed to dry cows as long as rations are appropriately formulated to meet energy, protein, mineral, and vitamin requirements. A early and close-up dry program best matches increasing pregnancy requirements and declining intake capacity with management capabilities. The early dry cow ration is formulated for high fiber/low energy density while the close-up ration contains higher energy density with less fiber. Both rations contain sufficient other nutrients based on determined intake. This two-group system provides maximal flexibility in managing for optimum body condition at calving. Environmental stresses and dramatic dietary changes should be minimized during the transition period from late gestation to lactation. A sound dry cow program results from integration of quality nutrition and cow management practices as described. A dry cow program that enacts these guidelines should result in reduced incidence of clinical mastitis, successfully complete pregnancy with a viable calf, maximize genetic potential for milk production, minimize incidence of health disorders, and allows cows to breed back within an economically optimum time interval. Overall, a sound dry cow program is a critical key to improved fresh cow performance.     

Identification of halothane gene carriers by use of in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in pigs.

In vivo muscle 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed on 12 homozygous halothane-nonsensitive female pigs and 13 female pigs heterozygous with respect to the halothane gene. Fifteen female pigs of a third line, consisting of heterozygotes and halothane-nonsensitive homozygotes, were also available. Body weight ranged from 12 to 18 kg. Mean decrease in phosphocreatine concentration in the biceps femoris of anesthetized pigs was significantly lower for heterozygous vs homozygous pigs (3.46% vs 5.94%, P less than 0.01) after 40 minutes of halothane exposure (3%; oxygen flow, 3 L/min). Also, a statistically significant difference, with respect to the initial (7.21 vs 7.11, P less than 0.008) and end muscle pH values (7.18 vs 7.06, P less than 0.0002), was observed for homozygous vs heterozygous pigs. By means of canonical discriminant analysis, it was possible to distinguish nonsensitive homozygotes from heterozygotes (P less than 0.0001). When applying this classification method to pigs of the same strain, 2 populations (nonsensitive homozygotes, heterozygotes) emerged, with a proportion of pigs corresponding to the expected value on the basis of breeding records. In contrast to the phenotypic expression of muscular rigidity related to the malignant hyperthermia syndrome, the expression of metabolic variables (phosphocreatine, pH) was shown to be dominant.     

Infection of rabbits with bovine immunodeficiency-like virus.

New Zealand white rabbits, which had been prepared for inoculation by intraperitoneal treatment with thioglycollate, were inoculated intraperitoneally with bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV). Infected materials from various sources were used including cultured cells and culture fluids, peripheral blood leukocytes from infected cattle and spleen tissue from previously infected rabbits. Virus isolations and serological responses detected by western blotting provided clear evidence that infections had been established in inoculated rabbits and that the spleen was an important site of BIV infectivity. These results indicate that rabbits may be a useful species when testing for BIV infectivity in materials too toxic or highly contaminated to be inoculated directly into cell cultures. Furthermore, rabbits may also be useful in testing effects of coinfections with other bovine viruses on progression of BIV infection and for the initial evaluation of therapeutic regimens designed to suppress or eliminate BIV infections.     

Ketoconazole in the treatment of dermatomycosis in cats and dogs

Ketoconazole (Nizoral, Janssen Pharmaceutica) a new systemic antimycotic was tested in dermatomycosis in cats and dogs. The daily dose (10 mg/kg body weight) was administered for 10 or 20 days without any other measures being taken. After the 20-day treatments new hair growth was observed in 96.7 per cent of the cats and 89.9 per cent of the dogs. Clinical cure was complete in 96.8 per cent of the cats and 90.5 per cent of the dogs. Particularly the good tolerance in the cat was appreciated. There were practically no side-effects in dogs (except vomiting in two pups) or in cats.     

Distribution of Ilex and Juniperus roots in three container-media

Ilex crenata Thunb. cultivar ‘Green Luster’ and Juniperus horizontalis Moench. cultivar ‘Plumosa’ were grown in 3 container-media for 13 months. The container-media were dissected by 2 horizontal cuts to yield 3 depth zones, 3 equal concentric areas were outlined on the lower surface of each depth zone and root distribution determined. A greater number of Ilex roots were in the 2 inside concentric areas of the bottom two-thirds of the peat:perlite medium than in the same divisions of soil:peat:sand and pine bark:sand media. Juniperus roots were more evenly distributed through the depth zones of pine bark: sand than soil:peat:sand or peat:perlite media.