Variation in dormancy duration of the U.K. wheat cultivar Hornet due to environmental conditions during grain development

Dormancy of wheat grains, the property conferring sprouting resistance, is affected by environmental conditions experienced during grain development. We investigated the hypothesis that short dormancy duration in U.K. wheat grain (thus a high risk of post-maturity sprouting) is related to weather conditions, i.e. high temperatures during grain development. Four wheat varieties were grown at four sites ranging from the far south to the far north of the country in the years 1995–1997,ensuring different temperature and rainfall conditions during grain development. This paper focuses on one variety, Hornet, which has a high sprouting resistance rating. Other varieties gave similar results. Serial laboratory germination tests (seven days, 20°C) at 100°C-dayintervals were used to measure dormancy duration, which was assessed from logistic curves fitted to the data. During the experiment the mean temperatures during grain development differed by over4°C, due to the site × year effect. Significant effects (p>0.05) of site and year (i.e. weather) on dormancy were found, when definitions of dormancy duration of D_A (number of days from anthesis to 50% germination in seven days at 20°C) or D_P (number of days from physiological maturity at 45% grain moisture to 50% germination) were used. Dormancy was markedly shorter in the hot, dry year 1995 compared to the cooler, wetter years 1996 and 1997. A relationship, as postulated by Belderok, between accumulated temperature during the dough stage of grain filling and dormancy duration was not found. However, a relationship of dormancy duration to the mean temperature during grain development was found, with short dormancy periods occurring after high mean temperatures were experienced. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cattle, ethanol, and biogas: Does closing the loop make economic sense?

The recent surge in US ethanol production has led to an increase in the amount of byproduct feed available to cattle producers. The impetus behind the increase in ethanol production is US policy to increase the production and use of renewable fuels. Manure from cattle production can also be used to produce a renewable fuel: methane. By co-locating a cattle feedlot with an existing ethanol plant, there may be synergies between ethanol, methane and cattle production. Byproduct from the ethanol plant can be fed to feeder cattle, manure from the cattle used in methane production, and the methane used as an energy source in the ethanol plant. Alternatively, methane can be used to generate electricity. We investigate the economic advisability of these systems. Using cost estimates for construction and operating a feedlot and anaerobic digester for methane production, we project revenues and costs over a 20-year time period. Our findings are consistent with studies that have considered just cattle production and methane production. The investment required to build a slatted-floor feedlot and concrete anaerobic digester cannot be justified under existing economic conditions. An increase in renewable fuel/electricity subsidies of at least $0.053 per kW h or $72 per 1000 m³ of methane are required to just break even when methane is used to produce electricity or is burned for thermal energy, respectively.     

Hemilaminectomy for the treatment of thoracolumbar disc disease in the dog: a follow-uo studv of 40 cases

A study was made of dogs with Hansen type I thoracolumbar disc extrusions that had been treated by hemilaminectomy and fenestration of the affected disc. Follow-up information was available for 40 dogs undergoing treatment over a five-year period. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 72 months (mean 34 months). The case details and the results of treatment of these 40 dogs are presented. All dogs were graded according to the degree of neurological dysfunction at the time of initial presentation and at the conclusion of the study period. Twenty-seven dogs (68 per cent) had no detectable signs of neurological dysfunction or thoracolumbar pain at the final assessment and a further eight dogs (20 per cent) had mild ambulatory paraparesis but were regarded by their owners as functional pets. Recurrence of neurological signs consistent with thoracolumbar disc disease was seen in five dogs (13 per cent) and was successfully resolved completely in one of three dogs that were treated.     

Tagging effects on three non-native fish species in England (Lepomis gibbosus, Pseudorasbora parva, Sander lucioperca) and of native Salmo trutta

Abstract –  To address the dearth of information on tagging effects and long-term survivorship of tagged fish in native and introduced species, laboratory and field investigations were undertaken on three non-native fish species (pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus ; topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva ; pikeperch Sander lucioperca ) tagged with coded-wire (CW), passive integrated transponder (PIT), radio (RT) telemetry and/or acoustic tags (AT), with survivorship of native brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) examined in the field. Laboratory results revealed high survivorship following tag attachment/insertion and resumption of feeding within 24–48 h of tagging (all mortalities could be attributed to an unrelated outbreak of fungal infection), with retention rates being high in both pumpkinseed and pikeperch but low in topmouth gudgeon (excluded from field studies). In the field, short-term post-operation survival was high in pikeperch, pumpkinseed and brown trout. In pumpkinseed and trout, 100% of RT fish survived a 24–30 day tracking study, with 60% and 80%, respectively, recaptured alive at least 3 months post-tagging. Of PIT tagged pumpkinseed, 44% were recaptured (after 6–18 months), with small-sized, CW-tagged fish (0.38 g weight) captured up to 1 year after tagging. In pikeperch, all AT fish except one (the smallest specimen) survived their full expected tracking period (i.e. tag life) – the single lost specimen survived at least half of its expected tracking period (i.e. 6 month battery life). Overall, the tagging methods used were highly effective in pumpkinseed and pikeperch, showing good retention and survival, but PIT tagging of topmouth gudgeon was plagued by low survivorship and tag rejection.     

Investigations of toxicity episodes involving chemotherapeutic agents in Victorian poultry and pigeons

This series of case reports details observations on toxicity episodes in poultry due to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. These problems arose owing to overdosage, variation in species susceptibility, potentiation of the toxic effects of one substance by the presence of another substance, and particular disease or other on-farm factors. Ignorance and accident were responsible for some of these situations. The episodes involved monensin, salinomycin, nicarbazin, sulphaquinoxaline, dinitolmide, dimetridazole, nitrofurans, streptomycin, and 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid.