Latent infection by bovine herpesvirus type-5 in experimentally infected rabbits: virus reactivation, shedding and recrudescence of neurological disease.

Latent infection with bovine herpesvirus type-5 (BHV-5) was established in rabbits inoculated with two South American isolates (EVI-88 and 613) by intranasal or conjunctival routes. Nine rabbits (613, 8/27; EVI-88, 1/34) developed neurological disease and died during acute infection and other three (613, n=2; EVI-88, n=1) developed a delayed neurological disease, at days 34, 41 and 56 post-inoculation (p.i.). Between days 56 and 62 p.i., the remaining rabbits were submitted to five daily administrations of dexamethasone (Dx) to reactivate the infection. Twenty-five out of 44 rabbits (56.8%) shed virus in nasal or ocular secretions after Dx treatment. Virus shedding was first detected at day two post-Dx and lasted from one to 11 days. The highest frequencies of virus reactivation were observed in rabbits inoculated conjunctivally (10/15 versus 15/29); and among rabbits infected with isolate 613 (12/16 versus 13/28). Virus reactivation upon Dx treatment was accompanied by neurological disease in nine rabbits (20.4%), resulting in six deaths (13.6%). Virus in moderate titers and mild to moderate non-suppurative inflammatory changes in the brain characterized the neurological infection. Three other rabbits showed severe neurological signs followed by death after 31 to 54 days of Dx treatment. Virus, viral nucleic acids and inflammatory changes were detected in their brains. The late-onset neurological disease, after acute infection or Dx treatment, was probably a consequence of spontaneous virus reactivation. These results demonstrate that BHV-5 does establish a latent infection in rabbits and that clinical recrudescence may occur upon reactivation.     

Repellent effects of different products of the neem tree on the red locust,Nomadacris septemfasciata Serv., in maize fields in the southwestern parts of Madagascar

The repellent effect of 3 different neem formulations was tested on red locust,Nomadacris septemfasciata Serv., in a maize field in the southwest of madagascar. A simple water extract from neem seed kernels (200 l and 600 l per ha), an enriched neem ULV-formulation (2 l per ha) and a dust, prepared on the base of neem seed cake (5 kg per ha) were applied. All four treatment provided protection from attack for at least five days. The water extract was significantly active until 7 days, the neem-ULV-formulation until 9 days after treatment. The application of neem seed kernel water extract could be a simple means for Malagasy farmers to protect their fields against red locust. N. septemfaxciata is a very interesting test organism because it is much easier to work with this species compared to the taxonomical closely related desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forsk.).

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Zusammenfassung Drei verschiedene Niemprodukte wurden auf ihre fraßabschreckende Wirkung auf die rote WanderheuschreckeNomadacris septemfasciata in einem Maisfeld im Südwesten Madagaskars überprüft. Ein einfacher Wasserextrakt aus 50 g gemahlenen Niemsamen pro Liter wurde in zwei Applikationsvolumina (200 l und 600 l pro ha) gespritzt. Eine angereicherte Niem-ULV-Formulierung wurde mit Hilfe eines ULV-Spritzgerätes bei 2 l/ha appliziert. Fünf kg aus Niempreßkuchen hergestellter Puder pro ha wurde ebenfalls ausgebracht. Alle 4 Behandlungen schützten den Mais mindestens für 5 Tage vor Fraßschäden durchN. septemfasciata. Der Wasserextrakt verminderte den Befall über 7 Tage und die Niem-ULV-Formulierung über 9 Tage signifikant. Der leicht herzustellende Wasserextrakt könnte ein für die Maisbauern geeignetes Mittel sein, um ihre Felder vor dem Befall vonN. septemfasciata wirksam zu schützen. Da es auf Grund ihrer Biologie viel einfacher ist, mitN. septemfasciata als mit der taxonomisch sehr eng verwandten Wüstenheuschrecke (Schistocerca gregaria Forsk.) zu arbeiten, eignet sichN. septemfasciata hervorragend als Modellorganismus für Versuche mit Niemprodukten im Freiland.

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Phosphorus fractions and phosphorus delivery potential of a luvisol derived from loess amended with organic materials

In a long-term field experiment, started in 1962, the fate of P applied with different organic materials [farmyard manure (FYM), compost and sewage sludge] in comparison to mineral fertilizer was investigated. Soil samples were collected after 38 years' continuous addition of these amendments to a luvisol derived from loess and cultivated to a cereal-root crop sequence. The total P (P_t) content of all treatments increased compared with the original soil; NaOH-inorganic P (NaOH-P_i) representing Fe- and Al-bound P was the dominant inorganic fraction. At the beginning of the experiment the various P pools could be quantitatively ranked in the following order: NaOH-P_i>residual P~NaHCO₃-P_i>H₂O-P>HCl-P. The order changed as follows: NaOH-P_i>NaHCO₃-P_i>residual P~H₂O-P>HCl-P, with transformations of non-labile residual P to the labile NaHCO₃-P_i pool with continued P fertilization and cropping. In addition, the content of organic P (P_o) forms (NaOH-P_o and NaHCO₃-P_o) increased. P_t delivery potential (desorbable P pool) increased between 35% and 185% compared to the P delivery potential in 1962. Compared to mineral fertilizer application, the application of organics resulted in a significantly higher, and FYM in a lower, P adsorption capacity of soils. The calcium lactate-extractable P (plant-available P) increased from 43.1 mg kg^-1 soil in 1962 to 175.9 mg kg^-1 soil in the treatment with 49 t compost ha^-1. The increase in the citrate-dithionate Fe-O ranged between 44% and 154% in the different treatments compared to the Fe-O content in 1962. In a pot experiment with soil from the field experiment, P removal by ryegrass was in the following sequence: FYM>compost=sewage sludge>mineral fertilizer.     

Effects of pretreatment of soil samples on N mineralization in incubation experiments

Summary We studied the effects of pretreating soil samples (field-fresh, drying at 40° and 105°C, freezing/thawing) on N mineralization in an incubation experiment and on the dynamics of the organic N fraction extracted by K₂SO₄ solution. The soil samples were collected from plots in a long-term field experiment with the application of mineral fertilizer and farmyard manure. Compared with the field-fresh soil samples, freezing/thawing resulted in higher NO ₃ ^– -N contents while the NH ₄ ⁺ -N and the organic N content were increased by drying at 105°C. During the incubation period N mineralization was highest after the samples were dried at 105°C and a little lower in those dried at 40°C. After freezing/thawing the order of magnitude of N mineralization remained the same. The difference in organic N between the beginning and the end of the incubation experiment and the mineral N content at the end of the experiment were correlated significantly. Despite this correlation, however, the change in the organic N content underestimated the N mineralization rates.     

Mechanisms of fixation and release of ammonium in paddy soils after flooding. IV. Significance of oxygen secretion from rice roots on the availability of non-exchangeable ammonium – a model experiment

In a model experiment the effect of O₂ secretion from imitated rice roots on the availability of non-exchangeable NH₄⁺ and N uptake by imitated roots under flooding conditions was investigated. O₂ secretion favoured the mobilization of non-exchangeable NH₄⁺ and increased N uptake by increasing the uptake of NO₃^--N. O₂ secretion resulted in a significant decrease in the concentration of exchangeable NH₄⁺ due to nitrification and in a lower pH of the rhizosphere. The protons are derived from the oxidation of Fe²⁺. In contrast, coating of clay minerals with Fe oxides, which is promoted by O₂ secretion and formation of free Fe oxides in the rhizosphere, may hinder the release of non-exchangeable NH₄⁺.     

Einfluß langjähriger Gülledüngung auf den Nährstoffhaushalt des Bodens. 1. Mitteilung: N-Akkumulation und N-Nachlieferungsvermögen

Influence of long-term slurry application on soil nutrients. 1. N accumulation and N mineralization potential The influence of longterm slurry applications on the total N content, N fractions and N mobilization potential of the soil was investigated. The following results were obtained:

• – Application of high amounts of slurry over a long period of time resulted in higher total N contents not only in the upper soil layers but also in the layer 60–90 cm.
• – In two sites the higher total N contents are mainly resulting from higher contents of hydrolyzable organic N compounds and in one site of higher contents of non hydrolyzable organic N compounds.
• – The influence of the slurry application on the content of non exchangeable NH₄⁺ is depending on the K saturation of the clay minerals.
• – In incubation experiments N mobilization of the soils supplied with slurry was higher as compared to soils supplied with mineral fertilizer.
• – A highly significant correlation is existing between N mobilization and the content of hydrolyzable organic N compounds and the N_org fraction, determined by means of EUF, respectively.
• – The N_min content of the soils supplied with slurry was higher during the whole growing season.

     

Fixation and release of ammonium in flooded rice soils as affected by redox potential

In pot experiments with two typical paddy soils, we studied the significance of ammonium fixation under waterlogged conditions and the availability of this N fraction for wetland rice. Special attention was given to the influence of redox potential (E_h) on the fixation and release of NH⁺₄, since the E_h has been shown to affect the charge conditions of certain expandable clay minerals and may alter their cation exchange capacity (CEC). The results demonstrate that ammonium formed by mineralization after flooding was converted, to a substantial degree, into a non-exchangeable form when sufficient amounts of expandable 2:1 minerals were present. The newly fixed NH⁺₄ was protected from N losses via nitrification-denitrification processes, which may occur, especially during the drying and rewetting of the soil, but was completely available to the following rice crop. The release of fixed NH⁺₄ was highest in the rhizosphere of rice plants (where the E_h was greatly increased by the O₂ secretion of the roots) and decreased with growing distance from the roots. Correlations between the E_h and the concentration of non-exchangeable NH⁺₄ indicate that fixation and mobilization of ammonium are strongly influenced by the redox potential in paddy soils.     

Fit of four curve-linear models to decay profiles for pest control substances in soil

Experiments that investigate the pattern of degradation of pest control substances in soil are often undertaken to estimate the persistence of compounds in the environment. Mathematical models are typically fit to decay data to facilitate the interpretation of the results and make predictions concerning the environmental fate of xenobiotics in soil. Four mathematical models were fit to 61 data sets to compare their performance in conforming to empirical patterns of degradation of pest control substances in soil. The use of composite residual plots allowed comparisons of the performance of the different models over many data sets. While an exponential model, estimated using nonlinear regression, fit many data sets very well, a shift-log, biexponential, and Monod equation appears superior in many cases, and systematic deviations from data sets are often less evident with the latter models. A knowledge of the patterns of bias typically exhibited by each model across many data sets may be useful for selecting models with reduced bias when fitting individual data sets.