Sow housing: opportunities, constraints, and unknowns

As Webster has stated, we have real opportunities to provide incremental improvements to a whole range of welfare factors. We need a disciplined approach that takes into account the skills of farmers, veterinarians, and the whole range of other specialists involved in animal agriculture. Improvement is best based on a model of discovery, transparency, and dialogue. Combative models impede discovery and dialogue, and the animals are the most likely to suffer when we create such a scenario. Veterinarians have a real opportunity to aid swine farms in identifying opportunities and allowing for a transparent portrayal of activities on the farm.     

Differential expression of endometrial toll-like receptors (TLRs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) with endometritis

Veterinary Research Communications - Toll like receptors (TLRs) and β-defensins expressed in the endometrium are part of the innate uterine defense mechanism (UDM). In the present study,...     

Gene expression and silencing of activin receptor type 2A (ACVR2A) in myoblast cells of chicken

1. Activin receptor type 2A (ACVR2A) acts as receptor for myostatin (MSTN) protein involved in inhibiting satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. The importance of the ACVR2A gene during embryonic and post-hatch periods in broiler and layer chicken was studied in an in vitro cell culture system.

2. The expression pattern of the ACVR2A gene during embryonic stages was similar in broiler and layer lines. Post-hatch expression of the ACVR2A gene varied significantly between broiler and layer lines.

3. Five shRNA molecules were designed to knockdown expression of the ACVR2A gene in chicken myoblast cells. The silencing of the ACVR2A gene in a cell culture system varied from 60% to 82%.

4. It is concluded that between broiler and layer lines, there were no significant changes in expression of the ACVR2A gene during embryonic stages but it varied significantly during the post-hatch period. The shRNA showed silencing of the ACVR2A gene under an in vitro cell culture system.

     

Dimensional issues in agricultural data warehouse designs

Recently, the government of India embarked on an ambitious project of designing and deploying the Integrated National Agricultural Resources Information System (INARIS) data warehouse for the agricultural sector. The system's purpose is to support macro level planning. This paper presents some of the challenges faced in designing the data warehouse, specifically dimensional and deployment challenges of the warehouse. We also present some early user evaluations of the warehouse. Governmental data warehouse implementations are rare, especially at the national level. Furthermore, the motivations are significantly different from private sectors. Designing the INARIS agricultural data warehouse posed unique and significant challenges because, traditionally, the collection and dissemination of information are localized.     

Tripartite symbiosis of Pisum–Glomus–Rhizobium leads to enhanced productivity,nitrogen and phosphorus economy,quality, and biofortification in garden pea in a Himalayan acid Alfisol

The present study was carried out to assess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) economy, quality, and productivity of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) through dual-inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Rhizobium in an acid Alfisol. Experiment was laid out in randomized block design replicated thrice comprising 13 treatments viz. Rhizobium along with three graded N levels (25%, 50%, and 75% soil-test-based recommended N), AMF along with three graded P levels (25%, 50%, and 75% soil-test-based recommended P), dual-inoculation of AMF and Rhizobium conjoint with four graded N and P levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% soil-test-based recommended N and P), and three other treatments viz. generalized recommended NP potassium (K) dose (GRD), farmers' practice, and absolute control. The results revealed that dual-inoculation of AMF and Rhizobium enhanced the pea productivity, macronutrient (NPK) and micronutrient iron, copper, zinc, and manganese (Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn) concentrations, and their uptake besides enhancing garden pea quality. Also, dual-inoculation of both symbionts at 75% and 100% soil-test-based N and P dose behaved statistically alike with respect to pea pod yield, NPK uptake, and quality parameters like total soluble solids (TSS) and crude protein (CP), thus indicating an economy of about 25% soil-test-based N and P dose through co-inoculation. AMF and Rhizobium dual-inoculated treatments led to enhanced TSS and CP in pea pods by 4.2% and 6.2%, respectively, over GRD, while sole application of AMF- or Rhizobium-imbedded treatments could enhance these quality parameters by 2.1% only in each case. Similarly, the highest N and P response ratio was registered in dual-inoculated treatments. Overall, dual-inoculation of AMF and Rhizobium with 75% soil-test-based N and P dose in pea can save up to 25% fertilizer N and P dose in acid Alfisol.Also, this tripartite symbiosis besides enhancing pea quality led to better bio-fortified pea seeds with micronutrients especially Fe and Zn, which can greatly curtail the widespread anemia and Zn deficiency in humans living in Himalayan acid Alfisol.     

Optimum temperatures for soil respiration along a semi-arid elevation gradient in southern California

Soil respiration (R) has not been adequately studied at temperatures above 35 °C, which are common temperatures for soils in the southwestern United States and may be important for C dynamics in semi-arid regions. While frequently excluded from ecosystem models or set to 35 °C, the optimum temperature for soil R is poorly understood. Optimum temperatures are likely controlled by substrate availability, soil moisture content, and previous climate. To quantify the optimal temperature for soil R and hypothesized relationships, we collected soils from beneath and between plant canopies at three sites along a semi-arid elevation gradient. Processed soil samples were incubated at three soil moisture contents and soil R was measured at 6 temperatures, successively (25–55 °C). From these data, an activation energy for reaction kinetics and deactivation energy for enzyme functionality model was used to generate soil R curves from which two parameters were derived: R_max, the maximum rate of soil R and T_opt, the optimum temperature for soil R. R_max was significantly greater for soils at the highest elevation and at medium soil moisture content. T_opt was greater than 35 °C at all locations. In addition, T_opt was significantly greater for soils with greater amounts of SOM but not significantly different along the elevation gradient or at different moisture contents. These results support inclusion of much higher optimum temperatures than currently used in many ecosystem and land-surface models and provide support for explaining variation in T_opt as regulated by substrate quantity within a site and general insensitivity across climate differences.     

Co-inoculation of the endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica with the phosphate-solubilising bacterium Pseudomonas striata affects population dynamics and plant growth in chickpea

In this study, inoculation of the chickpea (Cicer arietinum) with the novel symbiotic fungus (Piriformospora indica) was analysed in combination with the Tn5-lacZ-tagged phosphate-solubilising bacterium Pseudomonas striata. This study aims to evaluate whether the co-inoculation of these two species would enhance the population buildup of P. striata in the rhizosphere, P uptake, growth and yield of chickpea. Single inoculation of P. indica and P. striata has a negative effect on plant growth and yield of chickpea. Data showed that the combination of the two microorganisms had a synergistic effect on population buildup of P. striata and plant dry biomass with respect to their single inoculation. However, the P uptake was not significantly influenced by single or combined inoculation of two species. At 20 days after sowing, the influence of combined inoculation on the population of P. striata was positive; at 60 days after sowing, it was neutral as the populations in treatments with single and combined inoculation were at par; and at harvest, it was negative The population of P. striata was higher at flowering stage as compared to 20 days after sowing and at harvest.     

Non-exchangeable potassium release and its removal in foot-hill soils of North-west Himalayas

In the present investigation, soils representing ten locations and three agro-climatic zones of foot-hills of north-west Himalayas were studied to assess Non-exchangeable Potassium (NEK) reserves, its release and influence of K-fixing capacity and clay minerals on NEK release. Maximum release of non-exchangeable K was obtained in temperate zone soils (295 mg kg^− 1) followed by intermediate zone (227 mg kg^− 1) and sub-tropical zone soils (106 mg kg^− 1), having relative soil quality index (RSQI) values of 85, 80 and 65, respectively. The quantitative analysis of clay minerals, through XRD technique, revealed that the temperate soils have more illite (averaging 62%) which holds well as a reason for high NEK reserves of 1556 mg kg^− 1 in these soils in comparison to intermediate (having illite averaging 53%) and sub-tropical (having illite averaging to 49%) soils having NEK amounting to 1022 and 918 mg kg^− 1, respectively. In order to study the NEK removal from the soils under investigation, maize was grown as a test crop and potassium was applied through four treatments having four levels of K (0, 15, 30 and 60 mg kg^− 1) applied as KCl. The crop demonstrated significant response in terms of dry matter yield up to 30 mg kg^− 1 in sub-tropical and intermediate soils while no such response was obtained in temperate soils. The percent NEK removed by maize crop from NEK reserves was 14, 25 and 20% in sub-tropical, intermediate and temperate soils, respectively. The information about NEK release, its removal as well as its relationship with K fixing capacity, clay minerals and RSQI can be used for understanding the K buffering potential of soils especially under adverse soil and climatic conditions that prevail in southwest India. Besides, the regression equations developed can be used for predicting NEK release on the basis of K fixing capacity and clay mineralogical composition.