Lure-and-infect and lure-and-kill devices based on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium brunneum</Emphasis> for spotted wing Drosophila control

In the current study, we have designed two experimental devices to study the potential of Metarhizium brunneum (Petch) and its crude extract (filtered growth medium) for the control of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura). An experimental autoinoculation device impregnated with conidia of EAMa 01/58-Su strain was designed for a lure-and-infect strategy. D. suzukii adult mortality resulted in a 62.2% with an average survival time of 3.6 days, with no significant differences among attractiveness to adults of red and black colours used in the devices. Nevertheless, a 48.0% mortality of untreated males was obtained after being coupled with inoculated females, whereas only 24.0% of untreated females was killed after being coupled with inoculated males, thereby revealing the horizontal transmission potential of the strain in these inoculation devices. We observed an 84.7% reduction in fecundity in M. brunneum-challenged D. suzukii females. Finally, we designed a lure-and-kill device to dispense a crude extract of the EAMb 09/01-Su strain that had previously shown acute mortality in D. suzukii, with an exposure time of 6.9 h required to achieve 50.0% mortality. Mixing the extract with feeding attractant caused a 61.6% D. suzukii adult mortality rate. These results show the high potential of using M. brunneum in lure-and-infect and lure-and-kill strategies contributing to an integrated pest management program for D. suzukii control.     

First report of leaf spot caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drimia maritima</Emphasis>

Drimia maritima (squill) is a historically important medicinal plant. During the spring of 2016, small, yellow leaf spots, which became brown and finally necrotic, were observed on squill plants in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces in Iran. A fungus was consistently isolated from infected leaves and identified as Alternaria alternata based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests confirmed A. alternata to be the causal agent of the newly observed leaf spot disease. This is the first report of leaf spot on D. maritima caused by A. alternata in the world.     

Apparent metabolizable energy value of whole date palm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoenix dactylifera</Emphasis> L.) and its possible use as a feedstuff for aged laying hens

This study was conducted to evaluate the feeding value of whole date palm (WDP) with and without enzyme supplementation on aged laying hen’s performance. Apparent metabolizable energy value of WDP was determined by the total collection method using ten adult leghorn cockerels. WDP was substituted with a corn-soybean meal basal diet at 40% level, and then the metabolizable energy of this experimental diet and basal diet was determined. After that, a total number of 256 Bovanz 95-week-old hens were randomly allocated into eight groups consisting of four replicates of eight birds each, based on a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of the treatments. Eight iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets including one corn-soybean meal-based control diet and two, three, and four corn-soybean meal-based diets included 70, 140, and 210 g/kg ground WDP, respectively. Each of the diets supplemented with two levels of an enzyme (0.0 and 0.07 g/kg Natozim Plus). There was no significant difference in feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production, egg mass, eggshell thickness, and Haugh unit among the treatments (P > 0.05). However, yolk color score significantly decreased as dietary WDP level increased. The serum biochemical metabolites were not significantly affected by WDP and enzyme supplementation (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the relative weight of different organs except for abdominal fat. Our findings show that using WDP up to 21% of the diet was more economic and had no adverse effect on productive performance and serum metabolites of laying hens. However, WDP had an adverse effect on yolk color which can be ameliorated by carotenoid supplementation.     

Recent advances in the understanding of Chlamydophila pecorum infections, sixteen years after it was named as the fourth species of the Chlamydiaceae family

Chlamydophila pecorum found in the intestine and vaginal mucus of asymptomatic ruminants has also been associated with different pathological conditions in ruminants, swine and koalas. Some endangered species such as water buffalos and bandicoots have also been found to be infected by C. pecorum. The persistence of C. pecorum strains in the intestine and vaginal mucus of ruminants could cause long-term sub-clinical infection affecting the animal’s health. C. pecorum strains present many genetic and antigenic variations, but coding tandem repeats have recently been found in some C. pecorum genes, allowing C. pecorum strains isolated from sick animals to be differentiated from those isolated from asymptomatic animals. This review provides an update on C. pecorum infections in different animal hosts and the implications for animal health. The taxonomy, typing and genetic aspects of C. pecorum are also reviewed.     

Fasciation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassula argentea</Emphasis>: molecular identification of phytoplasmas and associated antioxidative capacity

The present study reports on phytoplasma induced fasciation in Crassula argintea (Crassulaceae). DNA was extracted from symptomless and fasciated tissues and amplified by nested PCR using universal primers P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 produced amplicons of 1.2 Kb. The nucleotide sequence analyses of the amplicons indicated that fasciated plants were infected by phytoplasma. Phylogenetic analysis placed the Crassula fasciation phytoplasmas in 16SrII-D group. Histochemical staining for reactive oxygen species indicated that phytoplasma infected (PI) tissues possess significantly higher levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) rather than superoxide (O₂ ^·-) as compared with symptomless tissues. PI tissues were also associated with a significant increase in antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and glutathione reductase) and electrolyte leakage as compared with symptomless tissues.     

A review of the contemporary knowledge of bovine tuberculosis and government policy in Iran

In 1931 Carpantier reported bovine TB (BTB) in Iranian cattle. Some eighty years on with a national test-and-slaughter programme in place for over four decades, the efforts to vanquish Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection in cattle have been in vain as the vast majority of the 30 Iranian provinces still have reports of BTB in their cattle herds every year. This paper reviews the present epidemiology of BTB in Iran and in the region and evaluates the success of government policy in controlling this disease.     

Variation in autosomal and sex-linked genetic effects for growth traits in Markhoz goat using multivariate animal models

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The present study was conducted to estimate autosomal and sex-linked genetic parameters by restricted maximum likelihood method using four different...     

Crop sequences and fertilization affect soil vital enzyme activities

This experiment was conducted in split plots based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Three crop sequences: (R1): chickpea, sunflower, wheat, and canola; (R2): green manure, chickpea, green manure, wheat, green manure, and canola; (R3): canola, wheat, and canola were used as main plots. Sub plots consisted of six methods of fertilization: (N1): farmyard manure; (N2): compost; (N3): chemical fertilizers; (N4): farmyard manure + compost; (N5): farmyard manure + compost + chemical fertilizers; and (N6): control. Results showed that the enzyme activities were higher in the N4 treatment. The highest amount of acid phosphatase, protease, dehydrogenase activity, and grain yield was observed in R2 sequence. The highest urease activity (58.6 µg g^?1 h^?1) was obtained in R2N4 treatment. In R2N4 treatment using in-farm inputs, a non chemical fertilizer system can be carried out to improve soil biological activity.     

Antiradical Capacity and Induction of Apoptosis on HeLa Cells by a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaseolus vulgaris</Emphasis> Extract

Jamapa bean is a black Phaseolus vulgaris variety rich in condensed tannins, anthocyanins and flavonols with interesting biological activities. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antiradical capacity (ARC) of a Jamapa bean methanolic extract (BME) and some of the proanthocyanidin-rich fractions derived from it, using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The effect of the BME on some proteins involved in apoptosis on HeLa cells was also evaluated. A strong correlation between proanthocyanidin concentration in BME and antiradical capacity was found, suggesting that these compounds contribute significantly to antiradical activity. BME was a better radical scavenger than butylated hydroxytoluene (45.6 and 33.9% ARC at 400 μM, respectively). Two proanthocyanidin-rich fractions obtained after a preliminary separation of the BME using Toyopearl (TP4 and TP6) exhibited a higher antiradical activity than the parent extract. The treatment of HeLa cells with 35 μg BME/ml/24 h increased the expression of Bax and Caspase-3, pro-apoptotic proteins (6.13 and 1.2 times for Caspase-3 and Bax, respectively). The mechanism of action of some proteins involved in apoptosis was also evaluated, and the results suggest that black Jamapa bean could be an important source of polyphenolic compounds with potential biological use as antioxidant and anticancer agents.     

智能氮肥在干湿交替灌溉下对水稻产量与水分利用率的影响

为探究智能氮肥(pH响应性控释氮肥)在干湿交替灌溉模式下的适宜性,设置3种程度的干湿交替灌溉W1(灌水下限100％饱和含水率)、W2(灌水下限90％饱和含水率)、W3(灌水下限70％饱和含水率),3种施肥形式智能氮肥(SF)、普通无机氮肥(MF)以及不施氮肥(NF)的桶栽试验,分析其对水稻产量及水分利用效率的影响.结果...