Social and ecological synergy: local rulemaking, forest livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation

Causal pathways to achieve social and ecological benefits from forests are unclear, because there are few systematic multicountry empirical analyses that identify important factors and their complex relationships with social and ecological outcomes. This study examines biodiversity conservation and forest-based livelihood outcomes using a data set on 84 sites from six countries in East Africa and South Asia. We find both positive and negative relationships, leading to joint wins, losses, and trade-offs depending on specific contextual factors; participation in forest governance institutions by local forest users is strongly associated with jointly positive outcomes for forests in our study.     

Effect of residual sodium carbonate in irrigation water on the soil sodication and yield of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinni) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus)

The effects of residual sodium carbonate (RSC) in irrigation water on soil sodication and yield and cation composition of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii Roxb. Wats) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Steud Wats) were studied in the open bottom reinforced concrete cemented (RCC) cylindrical barrels embedded in the field and filled with sandy loam soils. The results indicated that the increasing RSC in irrigation water significantly increased the pH, electrolyte conductivity (ECe) and SARe of the soil and, hence, considerably decreased the herb and oil yield of both the palmarosa and lemongrass. The reduction in total herb yield was 14.5, 18.3, 28.8 and 32.0% in palmarosa and 38.6, 46.0, 57.7 and 62.6% in the lemongrass over control at 4.0, 8.0, 12.0 and 16.0 meq/l of RSC, respectively. The total oil yield of palmarosa increased by 22.6% with the increase in RSC from 2.0 (control) to 4.0 meq/l and further increase in RSC decreased the oil yield by 13.0, 22.4 and 22.9% over control at 8,12 and 16 meq/l of RSC, respectively. The total oil yield of lemongrass was decreased by 27.0, 39.4, 47.7 and 50.8% over control at 4, 8, 12 and 16 meq/l, respectively. The concentration of Na increased significantly and K and Ca decreased with increase in RSC of irrigation water in vegetative tissues of both species. The lemongrass accumulates significantly greater amount of Na in shoot tissues as compared to palmarosa and it failed to survive at high RSC after 21 months of transplanting. The results suggests that palmarosa is more tolerant to irrigation water sodicity than the lemongrass.     

Alternate designs of stilling basins for pipe outlets

An experimental work leading to the development of economical and improved stilling basin designs for circular pipe outlet in comparison to Garde's stilling basin [Garde, R.J. & Saraf, P.D., Journal of Irrigation and Power 1986, 145–154], is reported in this paper. In the present study, attempts are made to develop efficient and shorter stilling basin models keeping the basin floor at the invert level of the pipe outlet for inflow Froude number Fr = 5.50. The new designs are arrived at by conducting a systematic experiments on the stilling basin models having appurtenances like a wedge-shaped splitter block, a modified grid, an intermediate sill and a rounded step. Scour index, a non-dimensional number has been defined to compare the performance of the stilling basin models using the same erodible material and time of experimental run. The performance of the newly developed stilling basin models has been compared with that of Garde's stilling basin model G-D^∗. The proposed model M is also compared with the earlier stilling basin model M-12, as suggested by Goel & Verma [Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Systems 15(1), 2001, 81–91].     

Challenges and opportunities to livestock breeding programmes in India

Animal breeding in India has a long and chequered history. High pressure on agricultural land and increasing human population opened a new opportunity for the livestock and poultry sector as a promising food industry. Productivity of livestock in India is low due to less coverage of livestock under structured breeding programmes, inadequate nutrition and its entanglement with several socio‐economic issues. A bottom‐up approach to breeding policy formulation addressing local needs is required with assured flow of investments. Cattle slaughter is banned in India; hence, a legal policy to curb widespread indiscriminate mating is required which may incur substantial financial and infrastructural burdens for castration of stray males and strengthening of cow rehabilitation centres. Genetic evaluation of indigenous cattle with progeny testing (PT) requires substantial financial support, without affecting the already existing PT for exotic cattle breeds used in the local cross‐breeding programmes and PT of new genotypes obtained from crosses of exotic and local breeds of cattle and for purebred buffaloes. Small ruminants need special attention due to their socio‐economic importance in rural and often highly disadvantaged communities and because they are the second most important meat‐producing species after poultry. Genetic improvement of small ruminants should be accompanied by attention to shrinking grazing resources which would require strong political will together with financial support. The outreach of breeding programmes for small ruminants is currently limited; there is also a lack of linkage between the market and producers that discourages farmers from adopting clear breeding objectives like improvement in growth rate, as animals are seldom sold on weight basis. Apart from government agencies, involvement of private sector, non‐government organizations, local co‐operatives, self‐help groups and self‐sustainable community‐based breeding programmes can strengthen market linkages. Strengthening of the existing infrastructure along with technical input and skilled manpower is essential for achieving the breeding objectives.     

City–forest relationship in Nagpur: One of the greenest cities of India

There are sporadic reports on urban forests in Indian cities. Nagpur is one of the greenest cities of India with 18 per cent of its area under forests and plantations, 17 per cent under cultivation and 2 per cent under water bodies. The present study showed that natural vegetation of the city is very well diversified with a representation of 59 per cent vegetation including 124 trees species belonging to 38 families as compared with the overall district vegetation statistics. Air quality in the city is relatively better with lower SO₂ (6 μg/m³), NO₂ (18 μg/m³) and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matters (RSPM, 53 μg/m³) as against National Ambient Air Quality Standards (2009) for cities in India of 80, 80 and 100 μg/m³, respectively. It was also noted that the diversity in natural forests which are being protected is greater than the plantations undertaken by the civic authorities and private sector efforts. The study thus demonstrated the positive relationship of the city with diversified vegetation cover for cleaner environment. The analysis is expected to guide formulation of strategies for maintaining green space in the city.     

Effect of nutrient density on production performance, egg quality and humoral immune response of brown laying (Dahlem Red) hens in the tropics

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of various concentrations of metabolizable energy (ME) with graded incremental levels of crude protein (CP) and essential amino acids (lysine and methionine) on production performance, egg quality and humoral immune response of Dahlem Red laying hens. Four experimental diets based on maize–soybean meal-deoiled rice bran were prepared. Diet 1 was fed as a control diet containing 2,600 kcal ME/kg, 15% CP, 0.75% Lys and 0.36% Met, and in the other three diets (D2, D3 and D4), concentrations of the above nutrients were increased by 2.5%, 5.0% and 7.5%, respectively. The levels of Ca (3.5%) and available P (0.32) were constant in all the diets. Each diet was offered ad libitum from 28 to 40 weeks of age to eight replicates containing six birds in each replicate. The egg production, egg weight and egg mass (in grams of egg per hen per day) were not affected by increasing the nutrient density up to 7.5% (2,795 kcal ME/kg diet) compared to the control group (2,600 ME/kg diet). However, feed consumption and feed efficiency (in grams of egg per gram of feed) were influenced by the variation in the nutrient density of diets. As the nutrient density increased by 5% (2,730 ME/kg diet), birds consumed significantly (P < 0.001) less feed. The birds in the 7.5% higher density group produced significantly (P < 0.05) higher egg mass per unit feed consumption compared to the control diet. Increasing nutrient density up to 7.5% had no effect on relative weight of albumen, yolk or shell. The Haugh unit, yolk colour and shell thickness were also not affected due to variation in the nutrient density. The humoral immune response measured at 34 and 40 weeks was progressively improved by increasing the nutrient density up to 5%. Increasing the nutrient density beyond 5% in the diet had no further influence on the humoral immune response. Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that Dahlem Red laying hens required 2,795 kcal/kg ME, 16% CP, 0.8% lysine and 0.4% methionine for eliciting optimum performance and immune response during 28 to 40 weeks of age.     

Microwave-assisted efficient extraction of different parts of Hippophae rhamnoides for the comparative evaluation of antioxidant activity and quantification of its phenolic constituents by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)

The outcome of different extraction procedures (microwave, ultrasound, Soxhlet, and maceration) on the antioxidant activity of seeds, leaves, pulp, and fruits of Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn or SBT) was investigated by two different bioassays: 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. The SBT extracts were found to possess strong antioxidant activity measured in terms of TEAC (2.03-182.13 and 6.97-282.75 mg/g) with ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. In general, the antioxidant capacity of microwave-assisted extracts was found to be significantly higher than those obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and maceration while being slightly higher than Soxhlet extracts. Further, microwave extracts of seeds were found to possess maximum antioxidant capacity followed by leaves, fruits, and pulp. Also, the chemical composition of extracts, studied in terms of the total phenolic content, was found to be in the range of 1.9-23.5 mg/g Gallic acid equivalent (GAE), which indicates a strong correlation between antioxidant activity and phenolic content present in the SBT. In addition, some of its bioactive phenolic constituents, such as rutin ( 1), quercetin-3- O-galactoside ( 2), quercetin ( 3), myricetin ( 4), kaempferol ( 5), and isorhamnetin ( 6), were also quantified in different extracts by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).     

Hormone manipulation to overcome a major barrier in male catfish spawning: The role of oxytocin augmentation in inducing voluntary captive spawning

A major challenge in Clariid catfish seed production is our inability to induce voluntary captive spawning of the brooders. Since voluntary captive spawning had been previously elicited in a Clarias species by simulating natural breeding environment, we speculated that the major obstacle in voluntary spawning might be the absence of an inducing agent that triggers mating response in the brooders. To address the issue, oxytocin was injected to the brooders along with Ovatide (a commercial inducing agent comprising salmon gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analogue and domperidone). Administration of 40 mIU/kg body weight of oxytocin after 12 hr of Ovatide injection resulted in voluntary spawning of the fish (81.5%, i.e. 31 out of 38 trials), with more than 70% hatching rate in simple and low‐cost spawning facilities. Histology of male gonads indicated sustained gamete maturation and the gonads were observed to be visibly turgid in the fish that received both the hormones. In contrast, gamete maturation slackened after 10 hr in the control fish, injected with Ovatide only. Administration of oxytocin along with Ovatide was also observed to induce aggressive sexual behaviour among the males. Neither of the hormones, acting alone, could induce voluntary spawning in the fish or influence sexual behaviour. Our results clearly show that oxytocin plays a significant role in sustaining the male gamete maturation induced by Ovatide and trigger the behavioural mating response, leading to voluntary spawning in C. magur. The results hold potential to make a paradigm shift in the commercial catfish seed production technology.     

Uterine Leiomyoma in a Spayed Poodle Bitch: A Case Report

A 16‐year‐old, spayed, female poodle dog was presented for evaluation of tenesmus, with the ability to attract male dogs and a willingness to mate. The dog had undergone an ovariohysterectomy when it was 7 years old. Haematological and serum biochemistry analyses demonstrated leucocytosis and a mild uraemia. A vaginal smear was predominantly made up of superficial cells, accounting for at least 80% of the cells. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a heterogeneous multicystic mass at the caudal abdomen and two masses with anechoic areas adjacent to the caudal pole of each kidney. A midline exploratory laparotomy identified a uterine mass and residual ovaries that were surgically excised. Histopathological examination of the mass demonstrated that it was a leiomyoma. The left ovary had a cystic structure and the right ovary had a papillary cystic adenoma. Seven months after the surgery, the owner reported that the dog was clinically normal. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of a uterine leiomyoma after an incomplete ovariohysterectomy in the dog.     

Response of white leghorn chickens of various B haplotypes to infection at hatch with subgroup J avian leukosis virus

White leghorn chickens from seven 15.B congenic lines (genetically similar except for genes linked to the major histocompatibility complex [MHC] B haplotype) and two Line 0.B semicongenic lines were infected at hatch with strain ADOL Hc-1 of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J). At 5, 8, 16, and 36 wk of age, chickens were tested for viremia, serum-neutralizing antibody, and cloacal shedding. Chickens were also monitored for development of neoplasia. In the 15.B congenic lines (B*2, B*5, B*12, B*13, B*15, B*19, and B*21) there were no significant differences in the incidence of viremia between B haplotypes. In fact, infection at hatch in all of the 15.B congenic lines induced tolerance to ALV-J because 100% of these chickens were viremic and transient circulating serum-neutralizing antibody was detected in only a few chickens throughout the 36 wk experiment. However, at 16 wk of age more B*15 chickens had antibody and fewer B*15 chickens shed virus than did the 16-wk-old B*2, B*5, or B*13 chickens. Moreover, compared with B*15 chickens, a higher percentage of B*13 chickens consistently shed virus from 8 wk postinfection to termination at 36 wk postinfection. The B haplotype had a transient effect on viral clearance in Line 0.B semicongenics, as more B*13 than B*21 chickens remained viremic through 5 wk of age. Very few (0%-18%) of the Line 0.B semicongenic chickens shed virus. By 36 wk of age, all Line 0 B*13 and B*21 chickens produced serum-neutralizing antibodies and cleared the virus. These results show that following ALV-J infection at hatch the immune response is influenced transiently by the B haplotype and strongly by the line of chicken. Although this study was not designed to study the effect of endogenous virus on ALV-J infection, the data suggest that endogenous virus expression reduced immunity to ALV-J in Line 15I5, compared with Line 0, a line known to lack endogenous virus genes.