Fertilization regulates soil enzymatic activity and fertility dynamics in a cucumber field

Different fertilizers may affect soil enzymatic activity and soil fertility dynamics. These effects were investigated in a field experiment with cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and the relationship with yield and soil nutrient availability was assessed. Soil enzymatic activity, measured as phosphatase, catalase, invertase and urease activities, decreased in the early growth stages of cucumber, but increased in the late ones, when plant were supplied with partially decomposed horse manure. Chemical N fertilizer inhibited soil enzymatic activity but P and K fertilizers enhanced it. Activity of different soil enzymes was positively correlated with soil NH₄⁺–N and available P concentration, but negatively correlated with leaf N and P concentration. Cucumber yield was also positively correlated with the soil enzymatic activity. Our results demonstrate that soil enzymatic activity acted as a useful indicator of soil fertility dynamics.     

Influence of eCG and breed on the number of oocytes collected and the production of in vitro embryos of young goats during the reproductive season

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to determine the effect of breed and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) on ovarian response and in vitro embryo production...     

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Crassostrea spp. oysters cultured in an estuarine region in eastern Amazon

The aim of the present study was to detect DNA of Toxoplasma gondii in Crassostrea spp. oysters cultured in the state of Pará, Brazil. A total of 400 oysters were directly collected from a fixed rack system. Gills, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and intervalvular liquid were separated and grouped into pool samples of 10 animals, resulting in 40 samples each of gills, GIT and intervalvular liquid. DNA extraction was performed using a commercial kit, and T. gondii DNA was detected by nested PCR using the primers Toxo3 and Toxo4, which produced an amplification product of 155 bp of the T. gondii gene B1. Nucleotide sequencing was performed for positive samples, and the obtained sequences were identified by comparison with sequences in GenBank. The DNA of T. gondii was detected in 5.8% (7/120) of the pool samples, of which 7.5% (3/40) was in the GIT, 5% (2/40) in the gills, and 5% (2/40) was in the intervalvular liquid. The obtained sequences presented 100% identity and overlap with T. gondii DNA sequences. This is the report of detection of T. gondii DNA in oysters from genus Crassostrea spp. originating from the state of Pará, eastern Amazon.     

Expression of TGFBR1, TGFBR2, TGFBR3, ACVR1B and ACVR2B is altered in ovaries of cows with cystic ovarian disease

The objective of this study was to examine the expression of transforming growth factor beta receptor (TGFBR)1, TGFBR2, TGFBR3, activin receptor (ACVR)1B and ACVR2B in ovaries of cows with cystic ovarian disease (COD). The expression of the selected receptors was determined by immunohistochemistry in sections of ovaries from cows with ACTH‐induced and spontaneous COD. Expression of TGFBR1 and TGFBR3 was higher in granulosa cells of cysts from cows with spontaneous COD than in tertiary follicles from the control group. Additionally, TGFBR3 expression was higher in granulosa cells of cysts from cows with ACTH‐induced COD than in those from the control group and lower in theca cells of spontaneous and ACTH‐induced cysts than in tertiary control follicles. There were no changes in the expression of TGFBR2. ACVR1B expression was higher in granulosa cells of tertiary follicles of cows with spontaneous COD than in the control group, whereas ACVR2B expression was higher in cysts of the spontaneous COD group than in tertiary follicles from the control group. The alterations here detected, together with the altered expression of the ligands previously reported, indicate alterations in the response of the ligands in the target cells, modifying their actions at cellular level.     

Clinical findings, lesions, and viral antigen distribution in great gray owls (Strix nebulosa) and barred owls (Strix varia) with spontaneous West Nile virus infection

West Nile Virus (WNV) infection manifests itself clinically a nd pathologically differently in various species of birds. The clinicopathologic findings and WNV antigen tissue distribution of six great gray owls (Strix nebulosa) and two barred owls (Strix varia) with WNV infection are described in this report. Great gray owls usually live in northern Canada, whereas the phylogenetically related barred owls are native to the midwestern and eastern United States and southern Canada. Naturally acquired WNV infection caused death essentially without previous signs of disease in the six great gray owls during a mortality event. Lesions of WNV infection we re dominated by hepatic and splenic necrosis, with evidence o f disseminatedintravascular coagulation in the great gray owls. WNV antigen was widely distributed in th e organs of the great gray owls and appeared totarget endothelial cells, macrophages, and hepatocytes. The barred owls represented two sporadic cases. They had neurologic disease with mental dullness that led to euthanasia. These birds had mild to moderate lymphoplasmacytic encephalitis with glial nodules and lymphoplasmacytic pectenitis. WNV antigen was sparse in barred owls and only present in a few brain neurons and renaltubular epithelial cells. The cause of the different manifestations of WNV disease in these fairly closely related owl species is uncertain.     

Soil erosion evaluation in a small basin through the use of Cs technique

Soil erosion significantly affects the most productive lands in Argentina, particularly the region called “Pampa Ondulada”. Quantification of the actual rates and patterns of soil loss is necessary for designing efficient degradation control strategies. The aim of this investigation was to gather using the ¹³⁷Cs technique a reliable set of data of erosion and sedimentation rates, in order to describe the long-term erosive landscape dynamic in a 300 ha basin representative for the “Pampa Ondulada” region of Argentina. The general topography of the basin is undulated with slopes gradients between 0 and 2.5% and slope lengths up to 800 m long. The main land use consisted in annual cropping under conventional tillage.For the soil erosion study in the basin the ¹³⁷Cs technique was used, which is based on the comparison between the ¹³⁷Cs inventories surveyed with a local reference ¹³⁷Cs profile. The sampling strategy was based on a multiple transect approach.The estimated mean soil erosion rates obtained applying Mass Balance Model 2 for the studied hillslopes ranged between −11.5 and −36 t ha⁻¹ per year and fitted the low and moderate erosion classes according to FAO. These values ranged beyond the admitted tolerance. Sedimentation was observed at the lower landscape positions probably related to changes from convex to concave slopes. The application of the ¹³⁷Cs technique in the studied basin proved to be a useful and sensible tool for assessing erosion/deposition rates. In areas with low topographic gradients like the Pampa Ondulada region, the slope length appears to be an important property for predicting spatial patterns of erosion rates.     

Impact of direct drilling and conventional tillage on seasonal changes of soil water content in Chromic Haploxerert (south-west Spain)

A continuous monitoring of spatial and temporal variability of soil water content was studied under two soil management systems: direct drilling (DD) and conventional tillage (CT), during four consecutive seasons. The soil water content was read at different soil depths using multisensor capacitance probes in each soil-management treatment. During the first season (2003–2004), soil water content dynamics for both treatments were similar during the rainy season, although the DD plot was able to retain more water in the soil profile, and during the maximum evapotranspirative period faster soil water depletion took place in the CT plot. The 2004–2005 season registered a high evapotranspiration rate (1741 mm) with low rainfall (228 mm), promoting a low soil water recharge for both treatments. The 2005–2006 season registered an increase in rainfall, promoting a greater recovery of the soil water reserve in DD than CC plot. Finally, during the 2006–2007 season with an evapotranspiration rate ET₀ and rainfall of 1504 and 560 mm, respectively, DD retained more soil water content, mainly in the deeper zones, with progressive soil water depletion during the maximum evapotranspirative period in comparison to CT. Thus, DD was demonstrated to be a promising soil management technique for improving the soil water content.     

Remnant genetic diversity detected in an ancient crop: Triticum dicoccon Schrank landraces from Asturias, Spain

Emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccon Schrank was one of the founder crops of Neolithic agriculture. Though its cultivation was largely replaced by hexaploid wheats 2000 years ago, pockets of small scale cultivation can still be found. One such area is the Asturias region of Northern Spain, where emmer wheat remains a traditional crop for high value specialist culinary uses, and farmers grow locally adapted landraces. In order to study the diversity of these landraces, we sampled emmer wheat from different regions of Asturias, and genotyped multiple plants from each village using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites. A high level of variation was observed with markers from both genomes, including a novel chloroplast haplotype. A strong geographic structure was observed in the Asturian emmer wheats in both the chloroplast markers and the nuclear microsatellite data.     

Chemical Characterization of Sewage Sludges in Chile and Their Potential Utilization as Amendment to Reclaim Soils for Forestation Purposes

Soils open for forestation in Chile are characterized by their very low organic carbon content; therefore, new forest plantations, needed to restore soil ecological equilibria, are scarcely developed. Stabilized sewage sludge contain organic compounds which have been demonstrated can serve as good soil amendments. To evaluate their actual uses in Chile it is necessary to characterize the carbon (C)-distribution pattern of such sludges in order to foresee their potential contribution for soil reclamation and plant growth, acting both as a source of stable C-reservoir and as readily available C-source.

The molecular weight (m.w.) distribution and carbon balance in Chilean sewage sludges are quite similar to soil humus and some woody by-products, as sawdust and bark dust. Total C varies from 30 to 35%, N from 5 to 9%, and P from 10,000 to 12,000 ppm. No significant content was found for heavy metals.

The C-balance indicates that around 70% of total-C is under stabilized forms as humine and humic macromolecule structures. The sewage sludge can be considered as good amendments for forest soils, especially in areas heavily eroded and depleted of natural humus. Their soluble-C fractions (13% of total-C) will serve as good energy starter source to strengthen indigenous soil microbial ecology, while their high m.w. fractions (humic acid-like and humine-like macromolecules) will serve both as good humus reservoir and as microelement frame in soils treated with such sewage sludges.