Rhizobia phylogenetically related to common bean symbionts Rhizobium giardinii and Rhizobium tropici isolated from peanut nodules in Central Argentina

Our previous studies of the native rhizobial population associated with peanut nodules in the Córdoba soils of Argentina revealed that this population is highly diverse and includes slow- and fast-growing isolates. The native fast-growing isolates NCHA22 and NET30 were selected on the basis of their plant growth promoting properties and their chromosomal genotypes were determined by 16S rDNA sequencing. NCHA22 and NET30 16S rDNA alleles were found to cluster with those of Rhizobium tropici group IIB and Rhizobium giardinii bv. giardinii strain H152, respectively. We have now characterized these isolates by analyzing the glnA and nifH genes to clarify their taxonomic position. These studies confirmed that fast-growing isolates belonging to species earlier described as bean symbionts were obtained from nodules of a leguminous plant that has been described as efficiently nodulated exclusively by slow-growing rhizobial strains.     

Establishment techniques affect productivity,nutritive value and atmospheric N2 fixation of two sunn hemp cultivars

Nitrogen fertilization is a common practice for sustaining forage production in forage systems in southeastern United States. Warm-season annual legumes may be an alternative forage to warm-season perennial grasses that do not require N fertilization. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is a fast-growing, warm-season annual legume native to India and Pakistan. The objective of this 2-year study was to assess the herbage accumulation (HA), atmospheric N₂ fixation (ANF) and nutritive value of sunn hemp. Treatments were the factorial arrangement of two sunn hemp cultivars (“Crescent Sun” and “Blue Leaf”), three seeding rates (17, 28 and 39 kg seed/ha) and seed inoculation (inoculated or non-inoculated seeds), distributed in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Crescent sun had greater HA (3,218 vs. 1764 kg DM/ha) and ANF (41 vs. 25 kg N/ha). Blue leaf had greater crude protein (CP) (188 vs. 176 g/kg) and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) concentrations (564 vs. 531 g/kg) than crescent sun. Non-inoculated seed had greater CP than inoculated seed, 188 and 177 g/kg, respectively, and inoculation did not affect HA. Intermediate seeding rate (28 kg/ha) decreased HA (2002 kg DM/ha), while HA from high and low seeding rates (17 and 39 kg/ha, respectively) did not differ (2,863 and 2,615 kg DM/ha respectively). Planting non-inoculated crescent sun at 17 kg/ha seeding rate is a feasible management practice to produce sunn hemp in subtropical regions; however, inoculation should always be recommended for proper establishment.     

Occurrence of Pesticides in Water, Sediments, and Fish Tissues in a Lake Surrounded by Agricultural Lands: Concerning Risks to Humans and Ecological Receptors

Lake Vela (Littoral Centre of Portugal) is considered a natural habitat with community interest and consequently was included in the Natura 2000 Network. However, this freshwater ecosystem has been potentially exposed to diffuse pollution generated by agricultural and livestock activities, which seriously compromise its ecological balance. As part of the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) proposed for Lake Vela, this study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of pesticides in different compartments: surface water, groundwater, sediments, and fish tissues. Moreover, to assess potential concerning effects on ecosystem and human health, the measured concentrations of pesticides were compared with regulatory and toxicological benchmarks. The results confirmed the presence of high concentrations of pesticides, including organochloride pesticides banned decades ago, in surface water, groundwater, and sediment. The measured concentrations of pesticides, compared with toxicological benchmarks, indicated that harmful effects are likely for aquatic species due to the presence of alachlor, aldrin, and dieldrin. Additionally, the concentrations of pesticides detected in groundwater were also above the recommended safety levels for drinking water, which constitutes a concern for the local population’s health. Results also showed an accumulation of alachlor in predator and benthic fish species which could represent a risk to human consumers and particularly to the regular fish predators (e.g., otters and birds). This study, as the first exposure characterization performed on the Lake Vela system, constitutes valuable and useful information for the ERA process. Although this preliminary assessment of risks should be continued and confirmed through a weight-of-evidence approach, it had already unraveled how concerning are the problems in this ecosystem and the urgency of implementing restoration measures to guaranty its sustainability. Furthermore, this study reinforces the importance of evaluating similar freshwater ecosystems that are also highly threatened by diffuse pollution.     

Bioactivity of extracts and isolated compounds from Vitex polygama (Verbenaceae) and Siphoneugena densiflora (Myrtaceae) against Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The effects of crude extracts, fractions and isolated compounds from Vitex polygama Cham. and Siphoneugena densiflora Berg were evaluated on the development of Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith, a destructive insect pest of corn and several other crops. The extracts and fractions were incorporated into an artificial diet at 1 mg g(-1) and offered to the insect during its larval stage. Length and viability of larval and pupal stages as well as pupal weight were assessed. Isolated compounds were tested through superficial contamination of the diet at 0.1 mg g(-1). Weight and viability of ten-day-old larvae were determined. Methanolic and hydroalcoholic S. densiflora extracts caused 100% larval mortality, while leaf and fruit hydroalcoholic extracts from V. polygama were the most active. Among the isolated compounds, flavonoids presented the best insecticidal results, and tannins the best larval growth inhibition.     

Landscape composition is the major driver of the taxonomic and functional diversity of tropical frugivorous birds

Landscape Ecology - Anthropogenic land use and cover changes impact biodiversity worldwide. However, ecological groups are differently affected by landscape composition and configuration....     

Contrasting the ability of data to make inferences regarding dispersal: case study of the Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis)

Dispersal is a critical biological process that contributes to the persistence of species in complex and dynamic landscapes. However, little is known about the ability of different types of data to reveal how species interact with landscape patterns during dispersal. Further, application of process-based, landscape-scale models able to capture the influence of land use and climate change are limited by this lack of dispersal knowledge. Here we highlight a method for building such models when dispersal parameters are unknown, but information on the mating system and survival are available. We applied a common statistical framework, rooted in information theory, to contrast the ability of abundance, movement, and genetic data to estimate dispersal parameters for endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW), using an individual-based, spatially-explicit population model. Dispersal was modeled as a multifaceted process in which foray distance, long-distance dispersal, competition for mates, and landscape permeability were treated as uncertain. We found that movement data are three-times more powerful than abundance data collected at the same spatial and temporal scales. However, habitat occupancy data collected over much a shorter time scale but at regional spatial scales were very effective for estimating dispersal. We also found that one-year of abundance data provided a similar reduction in uncertainty as genetic differences among breeding groups estimated using a 24-year pedigree. Substituting population genetic data for movement and abundance data often led to the same parameter values, but not always. Our study highlights important differences in the information content of data commonly collected in the field.     

Cervix–rectum temperature differential at the time of insemination is correlated with the potential for pregnancy in dairy cows

This study sought to establish whether temperature gradients between the cervix, vagina, and rectum at and 7 days post-artificial insemination (AI) were associated with the incidence of pregnancy in lactating dairy cows (Experiment I; n = 90 ovulating cows) and to evaluate temperature gradient dynamics from the time of insemination to 7 days post-AI under heat stress conditions (Experiment II; n = 16 ovulating and 4 non-ovulating cows). In Experiment I, 39 cows (43.3%) became pregnant. The odds ratio for pregnancy was 2.5 for each one-tenth of a degree drop in cervical temperature with reference to the control rectal temperature at the time of AI (P = 0.01), whereas the same decrease in the cervix–rectum temperature differential 7 days post-AI resulted in an odds ratio of 0.44 (P = 0.02). In Experiment II, 5 of the ovulating cows (31.3%) became pregnant. The mean values of the vagina–rectum, vagina–cervix, and cervix–rectum temperature differentials at AI (day 0), 8 h, 24 h, and 7 days post-AI changed significantly from day 0 to day 7 (within-subject effect; P < 0.02) in ovulating cows but not in non-ovulating cows. Temperature differentials on days 0 and 7 were similar between ovulating cows and cows of Experiment I. Overall, our findings support the notion that a temperature differential between the caudal cervical canal and rectum at AI may be an indicator of the likelihood of pregnancy. Possible prospects of confirming estrus at the herd-level are also suggested.