Efficiency of working dogs undergoing a new Human Familiarization and Training Program

The study of human-dog interaction has increased over the past several years. It has been demonstrated that dogs can use a number of human social cues to successfully accomplish a task, and that they do so better than apes. Many authors agree that these abilities are a result of 10,000 years of domestication by humans. Domestication may have genetically predisposed dogs to accurately recognize human communication signals. However, only a few authors have studied the performance of working dogs, implying recognition of human communication signals. Haverbeke et al. (2008) found that military working dogs do not always perform as they are expected to. To investigate this finding, we studied the performance of obedience and protection work exercises between 2 groups of dog-handler teams: a control group (CG), trained using the current training method used by the Belgian Defense, and an experimental group (EG) that underwent a new human familiarization and training program. During obedience and protection work exercises, EG teams obtained better results than CG teams and EG dogs exhibited a higher body posture than CG dogs. The results suggest that even if dogs are genetically predisposed toward the recognition of human communication signals, this aptitude alone does not explain the dogs' performance and their interactions with humans in this study. Regular training combined with positive dog-handler interaction is also required to increase the dog-handler (DH) team's performances.     

Effect of fipronil seed treatments on the germination and early growth of rice

Fipronil seed treatments were evaluated to determine whether they directly influence germination and subsequent seedling growth in rice (Oryza sativa L). Continuous seed exposure to fipronil (four days) at 2 000 mg litre⁻¹ significantly impaired germination (P < 0.001). When exposure was restricted to a 1-h period 48 h after the initiation of germination, early post-germination growth was also impaired (assessment two days after exposure, P < 0.05). The proportion of seeds satisfying our criteria for normal germination fell by 2.3 and 2.6% respectively across 17 cultivars. Cultivar effects were highly significant (P < 0.001). When exposure to fipronil (2 000 mg litre⁻¹) was restricted to 2 h at initial seed wetting no significant growth impairment occurred. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found between shoot lengths or root system dry weights of control plants and plants developing from seed exposed continuously (two days) to fipronil at rates of up to 2 000 mg litre⁻¹ during germination and harvested nine days after sowing. Treating germinated seed with fipronil for 1 h immediately prior to sowing at rates of up to 4 000 mg litre⁻¹ did not result in significant changes (P < 0.05) in plant growth parameters at either nine or 25 days after sowing. No evidence of fipronil having a direct phytostimulatory effect on rice was obtained. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Aspergillus niger and a Penicillium sp. are not directly involved in the degradation of chlorsulfuron

When Aspergillus niger or a Penicillium sp. were grown in potato dextrose broth supplemented with chlorsulfuron, the herbicide concentration decreased by 97–99% within 78–96 h and the pH of the medium fell from 7.2 to between 2.4 and 3.1. If, during growth, the pH was maintained at or near neutrality, no decrease in herbicide concentration occurred. When sterile medium containing the herbicide was titrated with acid to mimic acid formation during fungal growth, the herbicide concentration again declined. Precipitation was not responsible for the observed decrease. The data indicate that, in laboratory media, these fungi do not directly metabolise the herbicide as previously thought. Chlorsulfuron degradation in perfused soil cores was not enhanced by inoculation with A. niger. Our results show that A. niger and a Penicillium sp. do not degrade chlorsulfuron.     

The impacts of atmospheric n inputs on throughfall,soil and stream water interactions for different aged forest and moorland catchments in Wales

A study of inorganic-N concentrations in streams, soil waters, throughfall and rainfall was conducted for one year in five moorland and 20 Sitka spruce plantation catchments in upland Wales. The forest ages ranged from 10 to 55 yr. Highly significant positive relationships with forest stand age existed for inorganic-N concentrations in streamwater, B and O horizon soil waters and throughfall. Inorganic-N in streams and B horizon waters was entirely NO₃ ^?. Inorganic-N fluxes in throughfall also showed a significant, positive relationship with stand age. Throughfall flux of inorganic-N in the oldest stand was 25.1 kgN ha^?1 yr^?1, double that in incident rainfall. The older forest stands appear unable to utilise the available N. Nitrification is very active in the soils of these older stands, resulting in significant soil acidification. The processes responsible for the observed NO₃ ^? leaching losses, and the implications for the debate on Nitrogen Critical Loads are discussed.     

Performance of Avena sativa L./Avena fatua L. Backcross lines

Summary Although wild oats (Avena fatua L.) have been considered a potential source of genes for cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) improvement, most progenies of A. sativa/A. fatua crosses have weak straw and are very susceptible to crown rust (Puccinia coronata CDA. var. avenae Fraser and Led.). Backcrossing to A. sativa has been suggested as a method of improving progeny lines while introducing new genes from wild oats to cultivated oats. In this study, A. sativa/A. fatua F₁ hybrids were backcrossed twice to A. sativa, and lines from three backcross populations were selected on the basis of agronomic performance in segregating generations. The A. sativa recurrent parents were Dal (tall and late) and Stout (short and early).Backcross lines and recurrent parents were evaluated in five performance trails from 1983 through 1985. There was significant variation among backcross lines for most traits, but most backcross lines did not produce higher grain and straw yields than their A. sativa parent. Several backcross lines were higher than their recurrent parent in test weight and groat percentage. A line derived from Stout, 175BC2-6, was considered the most promising backcross line in the study. This line produced more grain, had heavier kernels, and headed 3.3 days earlier than Stout. Although 175BC2-6 does not have sufficient straw strength and crown rust resistance to be released as a cultivar, it is considered to be a new source of high grain yield, high test weight and earliness for oat breeding.     

The restoration and re-creation of species-rich lowland grassland on land formerly managed for intensive agriculture in the UK

Intensive agriculture has resulted in the loss of biodiversity and the specialist flora and fauna associated with the semi-natural grasslands of low-intensity pastoral systems throughout northwest Europe. Techniques employed to restore and re-create these grasslands on agricultural land in the UK are reviewed. Extensive cutting and grazing management have been shown to diversify improved swards and facilitate re-colonisation on ex-arable soils, although rates of re-assembly of plant communities with affinity to existing semi-natural grasslands have generally been slow. On former agriculturally improved swards, nutrient depletion has accelerated this process, especially where “gaps” for establishment have been created. Similarly, on ex-arable soils “nutrient stripping” and sowing with diverse seed mixtures has led to the rapid development of species-rich swards. On free draining brown earths such an approach may be required to restore grassland communities where soil phosphorous concentrations exceed semi-natural levels by more than 10 mg/l (using Olsen's bicarbonate extractant). However, the appropriateness of this threshold for other soil types requires further sampling. Although restored grasslands are likely to contribute to national biodiversity targets success will ultimately depend on the reinstatement of the communities and ecological functions of semi-natural references. Although this is technically feasible for a few plant assemblages, less is known about the re-assembly of microbial and faunal communities, or the importance of trophic interactions during grassland succession. As a consequence, more research is required on the functional attributes of semi-natural grasslands, as well as the methods required to restore localised types, novel nutrient depletion techniques, the “phased” introduction of desirable but poor-performing species and the performance of different genotypes during grassland restoration.