Aggressive behavior in the English cocker spaniel

A high percentage of aggression problems and a tendency to display noninhibited aggression in the English cocker spaniel (ECS) have been suggested by many authors. The authors of this paper designed a retrospective study to analyze the aggressive behavior of 145 ECSs presented for aggression problems to the Animal Behavior Service at the Barcelona School of Veterinary Medicine's veterinary teaching hospital. Aggressive ECSs were compared with a population of dogs of the same breed presented for a behavior problem other than aggression and with a population of aggressive dogs of other breeds. The most common forms of aggression in the ECS were owner-directed aggression (67.6%), aggression toward unfamiliar people (18.4%), aggression toward unfamiliar dogs (10.1%), and aggression toward family dogs (3.3%).Owner-directed aggression was more common in the ECS than in other breeds, although in similar contexts. In the ECS, the golden coat color was more common in the aggressive dogs than in nonaggressive dogs. ECSs showed impulsive aggression more frequently than aggressive dogs of other breeds. The aim of the study was to analyze cases of aggressive ECSs seen in a referral practice.     

Effect of fertilizers, lime, and inoculation with rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of four leguminous tree species in a low-fertility soil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lime, fertilizers, mycorrhizal fungi, and selected rhizobia strains on the growth of four woody legume species, Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth., Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong., Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, and Sesbania virgata (Cav.) Pers. in a low-fertility soil. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse condition in plastic pots (4 kg). Eight treatments and eight replicates per treatment were performed in a completely randomized design. The treatments were: (1) complete treatment (C) (NPK fertilization?+?micronutrients?+?liming?+?MR that is inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia); (2) C minus N (C???N that is as C without the addition of N); (3) C???N???M (as C???N without inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)); (4) C???N??R (as C???N without inoculation of rhizobia); (5) C???N???liming (as C???N without liming); (6) C???N???micro (as C???N without addition of micronutrients); (7) C???N???P (as C???N without addition of P); (8) control without fertilization, liming, and without inoculation with AMF and rhizobia. After 4 months of growth, we determined the yield of individual plants, nodulation, mycorrhizal colonization, and nutrient contents. Phosphorus was the most limiting nutrient for plant growth, followed by nitrogen. L. leucocephala and S. virgata had the most robust response to the addition of micronutrients and liming, showing an increase in nutrient content, plant height, and root and shoot dry matter. When compared to the single inoculation, the dual inoculation increased growth of all plants, except that of A. lebbeck, which did not respond to either rhizobia or mycorrhizal fungi inoculation.     

The influence of European and American wild germplasm in hop (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Humulus lupulus</Emphasis> L.) cultivars

Microsatellite variation at the nuclear and chloroplast genomes was evaluated for wild European and wild American hops, in order to assess the genetic diversity and origin of cultivated hops. Seven nuclear loci and 32 chloroplast loci were used in the analysis of 182 hop accessions including wild European (68), wild American (48), and cultivars (66). A total of 116 alleles were identified using 7 nuclear microsatellites showing different averages of polymorphism and distribution in the wild American and European accessions and cultivars. Two main groups were established as revealed by several statistical analyses; one including European wild accessions and cultivars and a second group consisting of American wild accessions. Three polymorphic chloroplast microsatellite loci were detected, six alleles were scored which defined a total of five haplotypes that were exclusive or presented different distribution between American and European wild accessions. A major influence of the wild European haplotypes was detected among hop cultivars. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work reporting the use of chloroplast microsatellites in hops.     

Essential oils for preventative treatment and control of Asian soybean rust

The objective of the work was to evaluate the effect of essential oils as a preventive treatment to control Asian soybean rust. Initially the fungitoxic effect of the essential oils of Hyptis marrubioides, Aloysia gratissima and Cordia verbenacea was tested on the urediniospores of Phakopsora pachyrhizi, through in vitro tests. The in vivo test was set up in a greenhouse, using cultivar MGBR-46. The treatments consisted of the three oils at different concentrations, a fungicide based on pyraclostrobin + epoxyconazole and a control. To verify the potential of the essential oils in preventive treatment, inoculation was conducted at 0, 6, 12 and 24?h intervals, after application of the treatments. All treatments inhibited 100% of Phakopsora pachyrhizi germination. In the in vivo test, it was observed that all of the oils were efficient in controlling soybean rust, by preventive treatment, mainly at the higher concentrations. Efficiency of the oils was reduced with the increase of the interval between the application of the treatments and the onset of the pathogen. The essential oils, at the tested dosages, were not as efficient as the pyraclostrobin + epoxyconazole based fungicide.     

Long-term foliar persistence and efficacy of spinosad against beet armyworm under greenhouse conditions

BACKGROUND: The immediate lethality caused by spinosad has been widely studied on Spodoptera exigua (Hübner). However, long‐term effects can also provide valuable information on insecticide toxic action. Here, the persistence of spinosad on Capsicum annuum L. foliage and the lethal and sublethal effects of greenhouse‐aged foliar residues of this insecticide on third instars of S. exigua are reported. RESULTS: Foliage was collected at 0, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 days after application, and spinosad residues were measured. Residues decreased over time according to first‐order kinetics. The average rate constant and half‐life of disappearance were 4.44 × 10^?3 and 156 days and 5.80 × 10^?3 and 120 days for 60 and 120 mg L^?1 respectively. Larval mortality gradually decreased, corresponding to the residues, but was still appreciable (35 and 65% for 60 and 120 mg L^?1 respectively) when the larvae were fed with foliage collected 50 days after treatment. Subsequently, pupal development was reduced and varied between 20 and 60% and between 21 and 41% for 60 and 120 mg L^?1, respectively, in all ages of leaf residues that were bioassayed. At all time points, the consumption rate by the larvae was reduced between 62 and 84% for both concentrations that were bioassayed. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that, under the present greenhouse conditions, the degradation of spinosad was slower than that reported by other authors in the field, and, because of that, its residues could cause lethal and sublethal effects to S. exigua larvae. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Variation for resistance to kernel infection and toxin accumulation in winter wheat infected with Fusarium graminearum

Host resistance is the main way to control Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. Despite improved levels of resistance to infection and spread in vegetative tissue, the toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) can still accumulate to unacceptable concentration levels. In this study, our objectives were to assess the genetic variation for resistance to kernel infection (RKI) and resistance to toxin accumulation (RTA) and their role in controlling DON. We collected spikes with different levels of visual symptoms from each of 32 wheat genotypes and at four environments and determined DON and fungal biomass (FB) from each sample. We assessed RKI by regressing FB on the level of visual symptoms and RTA by regressing DON on FB for each genotype. Significant genetic effects were found for RKI and RTA. Some genotypes consistently had low FB in their grain despite increasing visual symptoms suggesting RKI. Additionally, some genotypes consistently had low DON in their grain despite increasing FB levels suggesting a higher RTA in these genotypes. The variation for RKI and RTA explained a significant fraction of the variation for DON among genotypes with moderate visual symptoms using independent grain samples. Although RKI and RTA were significantly correlated (r = 0.58, P = 0.05), RTA was more predictive of DON accumulation because it modeled 32 to 44% of the genotype sum of squares for DON, while only 9 to 10% were predicted using RKI. Thus, variation for RTA was important in explaining variation for DON among genotypes with acceptable levels of resistance to fungal infection and spread. This work indicates that there is a need to develop a better understanding of RTA and rapid screening methods for this trait.     

Successful eradication of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and house mouse (Mus musculus) from the island of Selvagem Grande (Macaronesian archipelago), in the Eastern Atlantic

The Portuguese island of Selvagem Grande (Great Salvage) in Macaronesia is an important seabird breeding station in the eastern Atlantic. Significant populations of Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli, 1769), Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulweria (Jardine & Selby, 1828) and little shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli (Bonaparte, 1857) are present, and white-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina (Latham, 1790) and Madeiran storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt, 1851) populations are of global significance. Selvagem Grande also provides diverse habitats for an extensive flora, including 11 endemic species. The 270-ha island was also inhabited by two alien invasive mammals: the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and the house mouse Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758). Both are known to have had adverse impacts on breeding seabirds and island vegetation. In 2002, the Natural Park of Madeira conducted a program using brodifacoum bait formulations aimed at rabbit and mouse eradication. Approximately 17 000 individual baiting points were established on a 12.5 × 12.5 m grid. Baits were also applied by hand “seeding” on steep slopes and cliffs where bait stations could not be placed. Rabbits were removed after a month. However, mice persisted for considerably longer and strategic bait applications against them continued for a further six months. Subsequent assessments by trapping, bait takes and systematic observation of signs over three years, has confirmed the removal of both alien invasive species. This paper presents information on these operations, on measures adopted to mitigate adverse impacts of the eradication program on important vertebrate non-target species, including Berthelot's pipit Anthus berthelotii Bolle, 1862 and a species of gecko Tarentola bischoffi Joger, 1984 and on the initial response of the island's ecosystem to the eradication of rabbits and mice.