The effects of PPR on the reproductive health of Black Bengal goats and the possible role played by oxidative stress

Outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) viral disease in Black Bengal goats were investigated from the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Clinical profile of PPR-affected flocks was recorded from four different outbreak sites of the region. The PPR outbreak was diagnosed serologically using commercially available sandwich ELISA kit. Relatively, low mortality rate (mean 26.75%) for PPR outbreak was recorded due to the endemic status of the disease. To understand the role of oxidative stress in PPR virus pathogenesis, various oxidant and antioxidant parameters in goats infected with PPR were estimated and compared with the uninfected/healthy goats of the same flock. The measured high level of pro-oxidant malondialdehyde (MDA) obtained from lipid peroxidation along with lower levels of anti-oxidants viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) in PPR-affected Black Bengal goats suggests oxidative stress as one of the mechanism of pathogenesis of PPR virus. In addition, the correlation of oxidative stress due to PPR and the resulting reproductive disorders in the female goats were evaluated. The abortion in pregnant does observed during PPR outbreak was proportional to debility and oxidative stress manifested during PPR infection. The reproductive performance of recovered female goats in the period of 18 months of monitoring was significantly compromised in terms of kidding and twinning frequency. The mortality rate in kids born from PPR-recovered goats was significantly higher compared to those from health goats in the first 9 months post-recovery. From the present study, it may be concluded that together with the PPR virus, infection in goats and the resulting oxidative stress play a vital role for abortion and reduced post-reproductive performance in Black Bengal female goat.     

Effects of 41 Years of Application of Inorganic Fertilizers and Farm Yard Manure on Crop Yields,Soil Quality,and Sustainable Yield Index under a Rice-Wheat Cropping System on Mollisols of North India

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on crop yield sustainability and soil quality in a long-term trial initiated during the wet season of 1971 under a humid subtropical climate. Over 41 years of study, 100% nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) + farm yard manure (FYM) at 15 t ha^?1 recorded the most sustainable grain yields. Optimal and superoptimal NPK fertilizers gave quite similar crop yields to that of 100% NPK + FYM at 15 t ha^–1 up to two decades but thereafter yields declined sharply due to emergence of zinc (Zn) deficiency. The sustainable yield index (SYI) values indicated that wheat yields were more sustainable than rice. Soil organic carbon and available N, P, K, and Zn in the control plot decreased the most, whereas 100% NPK + FYM at 15 t ha^–1 improved available N, P and K, maintained soil organic carbon, and decreased Zn over initial levels. Grain yield and SYI were more significantly correlated with Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). Continuous application of FYM contributed the maximum Soil Quality Index (SQI) (0.94), followed by Zn.     

Oxygen consumption in trilobite larvae of the mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda; Latreille, 1802): effect of temperature,salinity, pH,and light–dark cycle

A set of feeding trials was carried out for different microalgal species and processed diets for the culture of the New Zealand pipi, Paphies australis. Five microalgal species (Isochrysis galbana clone T-ISO, Pavlova lutheri, Tetraselmis suecica, Chaetoceros muelleri, and Thalassiora pseudonana clone 3H) and three formulated diets (baker's yeast, wheat flour, and corn flour) were fed to spat, juvenile, and adult pipi for 21 days. Unfed pipi were used in the control group. The spat and juvenile pipi showed a major shell increase with I. galbana while the greatest wet weight increase was obtained with P. lutheri. The shells of adult pipi grew better with corn flour, and the P. lutheri-fed group obtained the greatest wet weight. Results of proximate analysis in adult pipi revealed that proteins and lipids were accumulated in the tissue for all fed groups, while carbohydrate levels were depleted in all treatments including the control group. It is suggested that the gonads have developed during the experiment.     

Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from five contrasting rice production systems in the tropics

Carbon footprint (CF) quantification of major rice production systems (RPSs) is a prerequisite for developing strategies for climate change mitigation in agriculture. Total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (LC-GHGs) from rice production to consumption might provide precise CFs for RPSs. Therefore, we assessed three segments (pre-farm, on-farm, and post-farm) of LC-GHGs under five major contrasting RPSs, i.e., aerobic rice (AR), shallow lowland rice(SLR), system of rice intensification (SRI), ...     

Operationalizing a Framework for Assessing the Enabling Environment for Community Forest Enterprises: A Case Study from Nepal

Small-scale Forestry - We demonstrate how Baynes et al.’s (Glob Environ Change 35:226–238, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.09.011) framework can be operationalized as a...     

Effect of a probiotic bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus circulans</Emphasis> PB7 in the formulated diets: on growth,nutritional quality and immunity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Catla catla</Emphasis> (Ham.)

Bacillus circulans PB7, isolated from the intestine of Catla catla, was evaluated for use as a probiotic supplement in the feeds for the fingerlings of Catla catla. The effect of supplement on the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency, and immune response was evaluated. Catla fingerlings (ave. wt. 6.48 ± 0.43 g) were fed diets supplemented with 2 × 10⁴ (feed C1), 2 × 10⁵ (feed C2), and 2 × 10⁶ (feed C3) B. circulans PB 7 cells per 100 g feed for 60 days at 5% of the body weight per day in two equal instalments in triplicate treatments. The control feed (CC) was not supplemented with the B. circulans. All the feeds were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Fish fed with feed C2 displayed better growth, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) highest RNA/DNA ratio, a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), and a higher protein efficiency ratio (PER) than the other experimental diets. Highest carcass protein and lipid was also observed in the fish fed C2 feed compared to the others. Significantly (P ≤ 0.05), highest protease was recorded in fish fed feed C2 (47.9 ± 0.016) and lowest in fish fed feed C3 (32.10 ± 0.009), where α-amylase activity did not differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05) beyond the lowest inclusion level. ALP, ACP, GOT, and GPT in the liver of Catla catla were the highest (P ≤ 0.05) in fish fed C2 feed. The highest TSP, albumin, and globulin was observed in fish treated with C2 feed after 60 days feeding trial, but the lowest glucose level was observed in the same treatment. After the feeding trial, the non-specific immunity levels and disease resistance of fish were also studied. Phagocytic ratio, phagocytic index, and leucocrit value were the highest in fish fed feed C2. After the feeding trial, the fish were challenged for 10 days by bath exposure to Aeromonas hydrophila (AH1) (10⁵c.f.u. ml⁻¹ for 1 h, and, after 7 days, 10⁷c.f.u. ml⁻¹ for 1 h). Highest survival percentage was observed in fish fed with feed C2 compared with only 6.66% in the controls, which indicated the effectiveness of B. circulans PB 7 in reducing disease caused by A. hydrophila.     

Fluorescent caged compounds of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d): photorelease technology for controlled release of 2,4-D

A novel controlled-release formulation (CRF) of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was developed to reduce its negative environmental impacts by improving its herbicidal efficacy. The 2,4-D was chemically caged by coupling with photoremovable protecting groups (PRPGs) of coumarin derivatives. Photophysical studies of caged compounds showed that they all exhibited strong fluorescence properties. Controlled release of 2,4-D was achieved by irradiating the caged compounds using UV-vis light (310, 350, and 410 nm). The effect of various factors such as pH, solvent, and different substituents at the seventh position of coumarin moiety on the rate of photorelease was studied. The herbicidal activity of caged compounds and 4-(hydroxymethyl)-7-substituted coumarins was studied against Vigna radiata . The new formulation provided greater control over the release of 2,4-D by UV-vis light and also demonstrated the potential of the PRPGs not only to act as a delivery device but also to possess herbicidal activity after photorelease.     

Soil quality indicator responses to row crop,grazed pasture,and agroforestry buffer management

Soil enzyme activities and water stable aggregates have been identified as sensitive soil quality indicators, but few studies exist comparing those parameters within buffers, grazed pastures and row-crop systems. Our objective was to examine the effects of these land uses on the activities of selected enzymes (β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase, and dehydrogenase), proportion of water stable aggregates (WSA), soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content. Four management treatments [grazed pasture (GP), agroforestry buffer (AgB), grass buffer (GB) and row crop (RC)] were sampled in 2009 and 2010 at two depths (0 to 10- and 10 to 20-cm) and analyzed. Most of the soil quality indicators were significantly greater under perennial vegetation when compared to row crop treatments. Although there were numerical variations, soil quality response trends were consistent between years. The β-glucosaminidase activity increased slightly from 156 to 177 μg PNP g⁻¹ dry soil while β-glucosidase activity slightly decreased from 248 to 237 μg PNP g⁻¹ dry soil in GB treatment during 2 years. The surface (0–10 cm depth) had greater enzyme activities and WSA than sub-surface (10–20 cm) samples. WSA increased from 178 to 314 g kg⁻¹ in row crop areas while all other treatments had similar values during the 2 year study. The treatment by depth interaction was significant (P < 0.05) for β-glucosidase and β-glucosaminidase enzymes in 2009 and for dehydrogenase and β-glucosaminidase in 2010. Soil enzyme activities were significantly correlated with soil organic carbon content (r ≥ 0.94, P < 0.0001). This is important because soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass can be enhanced by perennial vegetation and thus improve several other soil quality parameters. These results also support the hypothesis that positive interactions among management practices, soil biota and subsequent environmental quality effects are of great agricultural and ecological importance.     

RESPONSE OF YOUNG BEARING PECAN TREES TO SPRING FOLIAR NICKEL APPLICATIONS

The lower critical leaf concentration for nickel (Ni) has not been fully determined for commercial pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch.] orchards. In a two-year study, foliar Ni was applied to orchard trees in early spring beginning at the parachute stage of leaf development and followed by two additional applications at two week intervals. Yield, yield efficiency (ratio of yield to trunk area), trunk growth, leaf area, specific leaf weight, nut weight, nut quality, and kernel percentage were unaffected by treatment. Leaf Ni was increased, but leaf zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) concentrations were reduced by foliar Ni application. The lack of a detectable response to Ni treatment indicates that a July leaflet Ni concentration in the control (2.87 μg g^?1) met this pecan orchard's Ni requirement, establishing a lower critical threshold for leaf Ni than proposed elsewhere.     

The impact of cloud chemistry on photochemical oxidant formation

Photochemical smog formation at the regional scale is a phenomenon of concern in northern America and Europe. It is important to include a treatment of cloud processes in regional photochemical oxidant models because clouds may affect the overall chemistry of regional photochemical oxidant formation. This paper focuses on the development and application of a model that describes the chemistry of oxidant formation in clouds. The model consists of a chemical kinetic mechanism for the gas phase, mass transfer and thermodynamic equilibrium between the bulk gas phase and the cloud droplets, and a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism for the aqueous phase. Model simulations were conducted for typical conditions in the northeastern U.S. using (1) gas-phase chemistry only and (2) gas-phase and cloud droplet chemistry. Comparisons of these two sets of model simulations show that O₃ formation is considerably reduced in clouds despite its low solubility. The principal causes of lower O₃ formation rates are (1) the high solubility of aldehydes, which are a main source of HO₂ radicals, (2) the scavenging of radicals by cloud droplets, and (3) the lower photolytic rates inside the cloud.