Production of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus grown in BFT using two aeration systems

Aeration systems used in BFT farming need to meet the dissolved oxygen demand from the biota present in the tank, as well as to keep the particulate matter in suspension. In BFT systems, it is common to use blowers, but the choice of an aerator with better efficiency in oxygen transfer and in electric energy consumption is indispensable. The vertical pump model (VPM) aerator is the most used in intensive tilapia production systems in southern Brazil. The objective of this research was to verify if this aerator model can support Nile tilapia farming under BFT system without producing negative impacts on the functionality neither of the biofloc nor in the production indexes. Simultaneous farming on BFT using blowers served as control. Oreochromis niloticus juveniles with an initial density of 7 kg/m³ were used. After 56 days of farming, the VPM aerator obtained significantly better results, both in water quality parameters and in production indexes, when compared to those obtained in the control treatment. The temperature was higher in the treatment of the blowers due to the lower thermal exchange between the atmospheric air and the tank water. Although the VPM caused lower temperatures, it obtained a productivity of 21.2 kg/m³, compared to 20.2 kg/m³ of the blowers. It was concluded that the use of the VPM aerator had no negative influence on both the formation and functionality of the biofloc, obtaining even higher production rates.     

Does afforestation increase bird nest predation risk in surrounding farmland?

Afforestation of agricultural land is increasingly used to deliver environmental benefits, but their effects on biodiversity remain poorly understood. This paper tests the hypothesis that afforestation changes predation processes in surrounding farmland, examining how the characteristics and landscape context of forest plantations affect predator (birds and mammalian carnivores) and key prey (rabbits and hares) abundances, and bird nest predation rates in Iberian cereal-steppes. Lagomorphs and predators were surveyed in fallow fields around 50 forest plantations, where predation rates were estimated using artificial nests set at 0, 100, 200 and 300 m from the forest edge. Recent plantations structurally similar to sparse (oak) or dense (pine) shrublands were associated with the highest hare and rabbit abundances, respectively, whereas both species avoided landscapes with high eucalyptus cover. In contrast, mature eucalyptus plantations showed strong positive effects on typical nest predators such as corvids and carnivores. Open farmland fragmentation favoured the abundance of lagomorphs and carnivores. Despite these effects and the high predation rate on artificial nests (49%), there was neither evidence for increased predation near plantation edges nor higher predation in fields with more lagomorphs and predators. However, predation tended to increase with cover by young oak plantations and overall forest plantation cover, to decrease with eucalyptus cover at both the local and landscape scales, and to peak in landscapes with intermediate edge densities. These results suggest that afforestation may have strong effects on bird nest predation rates by changing landscape composition and configuration, rather than by inducing local increases in predator and prey populations. Nevertheless, increased abundances of generalist predators associated with forest plantations may still be considered of conservation concern, thus supporting the recommendation for strongly restricting afforestation in areas important for open grassland birds. Where this is unavoidable, monitoring should be undertaken to provide early signals for bird population declines associated with predator increases, eventually triggering conservation action such as predator exclusion or removal.     

YELLOW PASSION FRUIT PLANT NUTRITIONAL DIAGNOSIS AT DIFFERENT PHENOLOGICAL STAGES BY THE DIAGNOSIS AND RECOMMENDATION INTEGRATED SYSTEM METHOD

This work was performed in the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, with the objective to evaluate the nutritional status of yellow passion fruit plants along different phenological stages, using the DRIS method. Fifty-four passion fruit cultivated areas with an annual yield productivity ranging from 6.95 to 33.8 t ha^?1 year^?1 and average productivity of 16.9 t ha^?1 year^?1 were selected in the region. The contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and boron (B) were evaluated. The reference standards were established (mean and variation coefficient) for the values of the nutrient concentration ratios, two by two, on samples from high yield productivity plantations and analyzed by the DRIS index of nutrients for the medium and low yield productivity areas. The established standards differed according with the phenological stage of the culture. In a general way, the mean content of the evaluated nutrients did not differed between the two productivity levels into each phonological stage. There was a difference for the Nutritional Limitation Order between different phenological stages of yellow passion fruit plants. The most negative DRIS indexes and the highest absolute values for the Average Nutritional Balance on yellow passion fruit plants in the region, were found for potassium in May, phosphorus in October and iron in January.     

Aeration strategy for controlling grain storage based on simulation and on real data acquisition

In this work a new control strategy for grain aeration systems was proposed. This strategy was implemented in a software package called AERO and relates four conditions which depend on real time data acquisition and on the process simulation. The main advantage of AERO controller is that it can be used in different geographic regions, during different seasons and with different aeration systems, automatically adjusting its set points. The objectives of AERO controller are to equalize the temperatures inside the bin, to cool the grain mass whenever is possible and to maintain the moisture content under safe conditions. The results showed that the proposed strategy is efficient to achieve these objectives. Moreover, significant energy saving has been achieved with the AERO controller.     

Molluscicidal activity of Solanum species of the Northeast of Brazil on Biomphalaria glabrata

Seven species of Solanum were screened for their molluscicidal properties against Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediated host of Schistosoma mansoni, Solanum agrarium, S. jabrense, S. melissarum, S. megalonyx, S. paludosum, S. paraibanum and S. stipulaceum. Four extracts showed molluscicidal activity with LC(50) from 22 to 56 microg/ml.     

Molecular data of UL24 homolog gene (ORF37) from Brazilian isolates of equine herpesvirus type 1

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is associated with abortions, respiratory distress, and neurological disturbances in horses. The ORF37 of EHV-1 encodes a protein homolog to UL24 gene product of human herpesvirus that has been associated with neurovirulence. In the present work, ORF37 PCR fragments derived from two Brazilian EHV-1 isolates, a German isolate and an American reference strain were sequenced and characterized by molecular phylogenetic analysis. This genomic region is highly conserved an allowed to infer genetic distances between EHV-1 strains and other animal herpesvirus.     

Density and Organic Matter Influence on Egg‐laying and Hatching of Branchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta)

This study aimed to assess the combined effects of density of adults of Branchiura sowerbyi and the source of organic matter on the production of eggs and young species. The experimental units used were 250‐mL beakers with 100 mL of fine sand (0.074–0.210 mm) and 150 mL of chlorine‐free water with constant aeration at the temperature 25 C. The experiment was conducted based on a two‐factor model with six treatments and three repetitions, applied in a completely random design. The densities 5 individuals/38.5cm² (D5; 1298/m²) and 8 individuals/38.5cm² (D8; 2078/m²) were assessed with commercial fish feed (FF), commercial poultry feed (PF), and turkey manure (TM) as sources of organic matter. A total of 1223 cocoons and 2138 eggs were produced, with average hatching of 40.0 ± 15.1%. The highest number of cocoons and eggs was found with the use of PF, D8 having produced the highest number of cocoons and eggs. The hatching rate was not influenced by the source of organic matter or density and no influence was registered from the density of adults on the survival. The PF provided the highest growth of adults, and generally the use of TM provided the worst performance.     

Modelling cork oak production in Portugal

The layout of 32 permanent plots in the most important cork production regions of Portugal and the measurement of the most representative tree parameters were performed for statistically sound cork weight modelling. The establishment of cork weight equations is presented for the different cork oak study areas considered alone or grouped according to the most representative tree parameters. For the presented cork weight models was chosen independent variable the total stripping surface (artmax). For the selection criteria five statistic were used, including PRESS, APRESS and Mallows's statistic. The crossvalidation of the best classified models was performed and to discuss the importance of the “study area” factor, a regression analysis with “dummy” variables was performed.     

Uptake and translocation of non-ionised pesticides in the emergent aquatic plant parrot feather Myriophyllum aquaticum

The uptake of four (14)C-labelled non-ionised compounds, the methyl carbamoyloxime insecticide/nematicide oxamyl and three model phenylureas, from solution by rooted stems of the aquatic plant parrot feather [Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc], together with translocation to the emergent shoots, was measured over periods of 24 and 48 h. Uptake into the submerged tissues of roots and stem base could be ascribed to two processes: movement into the aqueous phase of cells and then partitioning onto the plant solids. This latter process was related to lipophilicity (as measured by the l-octanol/water partition coefficient, K(ow)) and gave rise to high uptake rates of the most lipophilic compounds. Translocation to shoots was passive and was optimal at log K(ow) approximately 1.8, at which the efficiency of translocation of compound was about 40% of that of water. This optimum log K(ow) was identical to that observed previously in barley, although the translocation efficiency was somewhat less in parrot feather. Solvation parameters were applied to model uptake and translocation of a set of ten compounds by barley with the particular objective of understanding why translocation efficiency is lower at log K(ow) > 1.8.