Genetic parameters for type classification of Nelore cattle on central performance tests at pasture in Brazil

The objective of this study was to characterize Nelore cattle on central performance tests in pasture, ranked by the visual classification method EPMURAS (structure, precocity, muscle, navel, breed, posture, and sexual characteristics), and to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between these parameters, including visual as well as production traits (initial and final weight on test, weight gain, and weight corrected for 550 days). The information used in the study was obtained on 21,032 Nelore bulls which were participants in the central performance test at pasture of the Brazilian Association for Zebu Breeders (ABCZ). Heritabilities obtained were from 0.19 to 0.50. Phenotypic correlations were positive from 0.70 to 0.97 between the weight traits, from 0.65 to 0.74 between visual characteristics, and from 0.29 to 0.47 between visual characteristics and weight traits. The genetic correlations were positive ranging from 0.80 to 0.98 between the characteristics of structure, precocity and musculature, from 0.13 to 0.64 between the growth characteristics, and from 0.41 to 0.97 between visual scores and weight gains. Heritability and genetic correlations indicate that the use of visual scores, along with the selection for growth characteristics, can bring positive results in selection of beef cattle for rearing on pasture.     

Behavior and salivary cortisol of captive dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) kept in open and closed facilities

Few studies have been carried out on the welfare of captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Of these, most include information on animals kept in closed facilities or pools. The aim of this study was to assess the welfare of captive bottlenose dolphins in open and closed facilities by measuring states of individual behavior and salivary cortisol concentrations. A total of 23 bottlenose dolphins were studied in 4 different dolphinaria. Dolphinaria A and B have closed facilities, whereas dolphinaria C and D have open facilities. A total of 152 hours of behavioral observations were analyzed using a combination of behavior and scan sampling to obtain information on individual time budgets. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured using radioimmunoassay in 96 and 180 saliva samples of dolphins kept in closed and open facilities, respectively. In general, the results found that dolphins kept in open facilities spent less time floating (P < 0.05) and swimming in circular patterns than linear ones (P < 0.05) compared with dolphins in closed facilities. Dolphins kept in open facilities also had lower salivary cortisol concentrations than dolphins kept in closed facilities (P < 0.05). For this reason, we suggest that further research should include other welfare indicators such as reproductive function and health measurements to know more about the relationships between the design of pools and dolphin welfare.     

Reciprocal recurrent selection in maize enhances heterosis and ears yield

The objective of the research was to evaluate recurrent selection strategies in maize (Zea mays L.) by determining the expected and realized responses to selection, as well as the alterations in heterosis, of hybrids from the cross between the original populations (C0) and the third cycle (C3). The genetic variances and covariances were obtained for intrapopulational (P₁₁ and P₂₂) and interpopulational (P₁₂ and P₂₁) half-sib progenies from populations 1 and 2 in cycles C0 and C3. One-hundred progenies of each type were evaluated [husked ear weight (g plant^?1)] at two separate locations by conducting 10 × 10 triple lattice design experiments contiguous for each cycle. Four different recurrent selection strategies were investigated: reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS), interpopulation testcross half-sib selection (THS 1 and THS 2) and intrapopulational half-sib recurrent selection (HSS). THS 1, which employed population 1 (with the lowest frequency of favorable alleles) as tester, was most efficient in the simultaneous improvement of the hybrid and the two populations per se. RRS showed the highest efficiency in improving the interpopulational hybrid but not in the parental populations. In order to estimate heterosis and realized responses to RRS, representative samples of seed from intra and inter-populational half-sib progenies from C0 and C3 were employed in randomized block design experiments with 10 repetitions carried out at two separate locations. RRS increased heterosis in the interpopulational hybrid from 12.3 % (C0) to 24.9 % (C3), and the productivity gain [husked ear weight (t ha^?1)] was 13.5 % over the three cycles.     

Soil and plant N-budget 1 year after planting of a slash-and-mulch agroforestry system in the eastern Amazon of Brazil

Nutrient losses during slash-and-burn clearing in tropical forests, coupled with demand by food crops, can deplete nutrients and result in crop abandonment after 1–2 years. Slash-and-mulch technology prevents nutrient losses from burning, while mulch decomposition may serve as a nutrient source. This research investigates the release of nutrients from the mulch and potential uptake of released N by plant biomass after a multi-species agroforestry system was planted in June 2005, following the clearing of a 1 ha of 7-year-old forest with a mulching tractor in Igarapé Açu, Brazil. The study evaluated soil conditions, mulch decomposition, and nutrient concentrations of Manihot esculenta and native vegetation under treatments of P+K fertilization in combination with four native tree species and N-fixing Inga edulis, or with three native tree species without I. edulis. Mulch layer N, Ca and Mg content decreased in response to fertilization, while mulch layer P and K content increased. Nutrient content increased in M. esculenta stems and tubers with fertilization and in the presence of I. edulis, and in competing vegetation with fertilization. Estimated tree N content increased 311 % with fertilization, but by 154 % in the presence of I. edulis. Fertilization with P+K, as well as the presence of I. edulis, increased N stocks in total biomass.     

Assessing regional species pools for restoration programs in Spain

The relationship between current and potential distribution in 34 main Spanish forest tree species (data from the Third Spanish Forest Inventory) was determined using a Maximum Entropy functional approximation with climatic data as predictive variables. A method for detecting regional species pools at two different scales: biogeoclimatic classes (CLATERES classification), and forest landscape types (WWF classification) has been proposed. Then, the Absence percentage for a species (i.e. the proportion of landscapes types or biogeoclimatic classes in which the species is included in the regional species pool but is actually not present) was determined. Results show higher figures of Potential Species Richness in the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Range, while inland or coastal Mediterranean semiarid landscapes have lower figures. Using a classification based on biogeoclimatic variables (CLATERES) improves precision when estimating Absent Species Richness. Absence percentage is zero or close to zero for five species (Pinus uncinata, Quercus robur, Quercus ilex, Quercus humilis and Juniperus communis), while for other six species (Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus angustifolia, Alnus glutinosa, Populus alba, Sorbus aucuparia and Pinus pinea) the figures are higher than 0.6, which means the species is absent in more than 60 % of the landscapes or biogeoclimatic classes that it could inhabit. The relationships between tree life traits and the absence of species from the ecosystems studied is slight but non-dominant species, species not subjected to forest management, or zonal species are less widely distributed that their climatic potentiality indicates.     

Mechanized Direct-Seeding of Native Forests in Xingu,Central Brazil

The Y Ikatu Xingu Campaign brought together indigenous people, farmers, researchers, governmental, and non-governmental organizations seeking riparian forest restoration in the Xingu watershed, in west-central Brazil. Forest restoration is challenging in the region because of scarce nurseries, long distances, and high costs associated with the usual technique of planting nursery-raised seedlings. This article describes mechanized direct seeding and compares it with the planting of seedlings, in terms of cost and tree densities at ages of 0.5 until 5.5 yr after planting. Direct-seeding was mechanized using common agricultural machines designed for sowing cereals or grasses, which were loaded with 200,000 seeds of native trees and 150,000 seeds of annual and sub-perennial legumes, plus 50–150 kg sand ha^?1. The Campaign restored more than 900 ha by direct-seeding and 300 ha by planting seedlings. The great demand for native seeds was met by the Xingu Seed Network, formed by Indians, small landholders, and peasants, which commercialized 98 tons of native seeds and earned US$500,000 since 2006. Direct-seeding costs less per hectare than planting seedlings (US$1,845 ha^?1 against US$5,106 ha^?1), results in higher tree densities (2,500–32,250 trees ha^?1 against 1,500–1,650 trees ha^?1), is more practical, and creates layers of dense vegetation that better resembles natural forest succession.     

Benchmarking Food Crop Markets in Southern Africa: The Case of Potatoes and Potato Products 1961–2010

Pressures and opportunities in food systems across Southern Africa have generated renewed interest in potatoes both as a food crop and a source of income in recent years. With populations growing at over 2.0 %/year in several countries and urban consumers often eager to diversify their diets, new markets are also opening up. Given these trends, growers, traders and governments are seeking out new ways to capitalize on these developments. This paper examines the evolution of growth rates in potato production, utilization and trade in Southern Africa over nearly the last half century using FAO annual secondary data. After highlighting the different roles that potatoes have played in crop diversification across the sub-region, the paper identifies some key issues for future research as well as some opportunities for industry both large and small.     

Effect of the foam core density on the bending response on sandwich composites

This paper presents the results of a current study of sandwich panels manufactured by using homogeneous and multilayer core foams with the purpose of improving specific flexural stiffness modulus. In the present study, the core foams were produced by using Verre ScotchitTM-K20 hollow microspheres manufactured by 3M and the selected binder resin was epoxy 520 with hardener 523. The skin was a 2 mm thick carbon/epoxy laminate. The ARAMIS technique was used as an alternative technique to obtain accurate displacement fields. It was concluded that the multilayered panels with different loads of microspheres, putting higher percentage of microsphere in the center and lower in the outer layers, have also higher resistance and stiffness than the panels with homogeneous microsphere percentage cores. It was observed that both properties have a tendency to increase when the displacement rate increases from 0.5 mm/min to 10 mm/min for all architectures. Experimental stiffness agrees well with analytical model predictions.     

Effects of combined use of keratinolytic enzymes and sugarcane fibre on the hairball excretion in cats

Grooming is a natural hygienic behaviour of cats that favours the formation of hairballs. Increased fibre concentration in the diets is a strategy to minimize hairball formation, but it is not fully effective. Because cat hair is formed mostly by keratin, the addition of keratinases in the diets might be an alternative for hairball control. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of the combined use of sugarcane fibre and a protease complex to reduce the hairball excretion in cats. Twenty-four adult cats were divided into four treatment groups (n = 6 per treatment) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Treatments were as follows: control diet (Control; containing low concentration of insoluble fibre, 5.34% of total dietary fibre), control diet plus enzyme (Co-e), high-fibre diet (HF; containing high amounts of insoluble fibre, 17.8% of total dietary fibre), and HF diet plus enzyme (HF-e). Proteases from Bacillus licheniformis PWD-1 were administered orally (5 mg/day) as gastro-resistant capsules. Total collection of faeces was carried out to determine the number of excreted hairballs and the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibilities (CTTAD) of the diets. Separate addition of insoluble fibre (HF; p = .5947) or enzyme complex (Co-e; p = .3633) had no effect on the hairballs excreted in the faeces. However, the combined use of insoluble fibre and enzymes (HF-e) reduced (p = .0344) the total number of hairballs excreted. The size distribution of hairballs (small, medium, or large) was not affected by treatments (p = .3763). The CTTAD of crude protein was not affected by protease addition (p = .781) but was reduced by HF and HF-e treatments. Sugarcane fibre associated to keratinolytic enzymes reduces the hairball excretion in cats. This strategy can be adopted for this purpose; however, methods for faecal hairball quantification must be improved. If you have not already completed a Copyright Transfer Agreement, please log on to Wiley Author Serivices, https://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/ , sign-in and complete the License Agreement form"