Some observations on the desorption and distribution behaviour of copper with soil components

The ability of copper adsorbed by soil components to desorb back into solution was studied by means of experiments using radioactive ⁶⁴Cu. It was demonstrated that the amounts of copper which can be readily desorbed from soil components are very small. A dialysis equilibration technique was used to examine the distribution of adsorbed copper between individual materials in a multi-component system. Where only adsorption of copper was involved, the distribution of copper between soil materials was found to agree with predictions based on adsorption studies with individual materials. However, where desorption was involved, as in the experiments on the redistribution of copper between components after an initial adsorption, the results were strongly governed by the poor reversibility of copper adsorption. It is clear that desorption or lack of desorption is very important in affecting plant availability of indigenous or added soil copper and in controlling the distribution of copper added to soils.     

THE EFFECT OF FARMYARD MANURE ON MATRIC SUCTIONS PREVAILING IN A SANDY LOAM SOIL

Soil matric suctions under a crop of ryegrass on farmyard manure-treated and untreated plots were determined over a total period of 24 weeks from March to November. The soil moisture characteristic of each plot was determined five times throughout this period, and for each plot and on every occasion a linear relationship was found between moisture content and log matric suction. A formula was derived to account for the seasonal changes in moisture characteristic and it was then possible to obtain matric suction values from the soil moisture contents obtained from twice-weekly sampling of each plot. Although differences between available-water capacity of the manured and unmanured plots were small throughout the 6-month period of sampling, the soil matric suctions of the manured plots were almost always lower than those of the unmanured plots. The lower suctions prevailing in the manured soil could be a factor contributing to the higher yields of ryegrass obtained from the manured plots as compared with those obtained from the unmanured plots.     

Increased tolerance to annual ryegrass toxicity in sheep given a supplement of cobalt

SUMMARY To determine whether oral cobalt supplements could modify the clinical onset of annual ryegrass toxicity, groups (n = 5) of sheep were dosed orally with 0, 4 or 16 mg cobalt/day. After 3 weeks on this treatment, toxic ryegrass seed was added to their feed to provide 0, 0.15 and 0.30 mg corynetoxins/kg body weight, daily. Sheep receiving cobalt ingested 30% more toxin than did unsupplemented sheep before clinical signs developed (P = 0.03). There was no significant difference between groups receiving 4 and 16 mg cobalt. The results showed that cobalt delayed, but did not prevent, the onset of clinical signs of annual ryegrass toxicity.     

Akabane disease in sheep

Perinatal lamb mortality, associated with malformations of the CNS due to Akabane viral infection, occurred in 4 of 9 flocks of ewes lambing on 3 farms between 26 May and 14 November, 1976. Cases were restricted to ewes conceiving prior to the second week of March and lambing between 26 May and 19 July. As judged by seroconversion in sentinel flocks on 2 of the farms, field infection with Akabane virus occurred mainly between mid-February and mid-April. Malformations of the CNS occurred in 42.5%, 51.2%, 100% and 31.0% of the dead lambs examined in the affected flocks respectively. Prevalence in the 4 affected flocks, expressed as the proportion of ewes lambing which delivered at least one malformed foetus, was 6.1%, 8.4%, 88.9% and 5.7% respectively. Lamb mortality due to malformations of the CNS was 7.1%, 5.5%, 92.3% and 5.7% of lambs born. Age-specific prevalence was calculated for 3 of the 4 flocks and 2-year-old ewes accounted for 71.4% and 76.9% of total cases respectively in 2 flocks, whereas in one flock malformations occurred at equivalent frequencies throughout several older age groups. Birthweights of affected lambs were usually significantly lighter than those of unaffected lambs of similar sex and birth-type, and their mean duration of gestation was slightly, and significantly, prolonged. Micrencephaly (88.1% of cases) and hydrocephalus (68.7% of cases) were the outstanding pathological features of the malformations with hydranencephaly, microgyria, porencephaly and attenuation of the spinal cord occurring at much lower frequencies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The survival of platypus in captivity: a reappraisal with recommendations for veterinary management and future research

SUMMARY: Data are presented on the duration of survival of platypus held in the collections of the 5 Australian zoos displaying the species over the period 1987–1991. Of 10 living platypus, five had survived for 7 or more years. Similarly, of 10 captive animals that died during the period, six had survived for 6 or more years. Five purpose-caught animals were integrated into captive collections over the period; all of these were alive at the end of 1991. The high survival of captive platypus documented in this study contrasts with the conclusion of Whittington (1991) that the duration of survival of platypus in captivity is generally short. This primarily reflects differences in the nature of the two sets of data: Whittington's analysis was based on incomplete records dating back to 1934, and also categorised as managed in captivity those wild platypus that died at zoos while under veterinary care. A series of recommendations on current captive management issues includes the need for improved veterinary knowledge of platypus.