Morphological variability of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown trout Salmo trutta in different river environments

Abstract – The morphologies of sympatric juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr and brown trout Salmo trutta parr were compared between Irish rivers with contrasting hydraulic environments – a high‐gradient and a low‐gradient tributary from the River Barrow catchment, south‐east Ireland and a high‐gradient river from the Burrishoole catchment, west of Ireland. The two catchments differ markedly in mean annual precipitation (849.0 mm year^?1 and 1370.3 mm year^?1 for the Barrow and Burrishoole catchments, respectively). Parr of both species demonstrated morphological variation between and within catchments. Changes in metrics such as pectoral fin length, body depth and body length between and within catchments suggest that hydraulic forces were a major determinant of morphological variation. Both species from the Burrishoole catchment had relatively larger pectoral fins, longer heads, larger eyes and shallower bodies than conspecifics from the Barrow catchment. In rivers subject to frequent rainfall‐driven high discharges, such as those in the Burrishoole catchment, a more fusiform body and head shape coupled with larger pectoral fins may reduce the energetic cost of maintaining position in the water column, as well as increase stability and manoeuvrability. The larger eyes in both parr species in the Burrishoole catchment could further be a response to the lower visibility of the more turbid and peat‐stained waters or to the reduced prey availability. The results of this study demonstrate that local adaptation to flow conditions can yield morphologically distinct populations and that multiple species can exhibit parallel phenotypic responses to changing environmental conditions.     

Improvement of biomolecular methods for the identification and typing of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from raw meat

The aim of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity of two m-PCR methods for the quantitative determination of E. coli O157:H7 in foodstuffs. Genomic serotyping was carried out on bacterial cultures, and the necessary time was optimized to increase the resolution of the method. Subsequently, artificial contamination trials using meat were conducted to assess method accuracy in foodstuffs and pursue the genetic typing of pathogens. Measurement thresholds were shown to range between 10⁵ and 10⁶ CFU/mL, but were reduced by four logarithmic cycles in 80% of samples. Relative to the meat contamination trials, serotypes were identified after 24 hours, corresponding to 10 CFU/mL inoculum, with higher rates seen when m-TSB was used for enrichment. Inoculated samples were found to contain three virulence factors (hlyA, eaeA, and stx1).

     

Artificial soil-like bodies of a river valley and their evolution in an urban environment (Based on the example of the Moscow River valley)

Technogenic soil-like bodies and raw soils on technogenic sediments in the valley of the Moscow River in the city territory were investigated. Soil destruction and the accumulation of techogenic sediments, as well as their remediation, result in the formation of soil-like bodies called replantozems. Spontaneous overgrowth and the formation of raw soils that gradually evolve into mature urban soils result in soils called urbanozems. It is shown that the best foundation for replantozems in river valleys is in situ alluvium with relatively favorable physical and physical-chemical properties.     

Effects of photoperiod on leaf greenness of four bedding plant species

Summary

Short-day (SD) and long-day (LD) photoperiodic treatments were compared, at equal light integral, for their effects on the seedling growth of four bedding plant species: geranium, impatiens, pansy and petunia. Total leaf area was frequently increased by LD given either by day-extension lighting or night-break lighting, but this response was inconsistent and varied greatly between species and experiments. In contrast, leaf greenness measured using a SPAD-502 meter, a measure of chlorophyll content per unit area of leaf, was consistently and significantly increased in LD in all four species. However, night-break lighting may have been somewhat less effective than day-extension lighting. Increasing the day-extension lighting from 16 h to 24 h gave no further intensification of greenness. Consistent with increases in leaf greenness, total dry weight was generally increased in LD, and increases were of a similar magnitude to those given by doubling the daily light integral. The promotional effect of LD on chlorophyll content appears to have been largely ignored or overlooked in recent years, but this may be because simple methods for measuring ‘greenness’ have only recently become widely available.     

Effectiveness of different sources of manganese foliar sprays in alleviating manganese deficiency of Lupinus angustifolius L. grown on manganese deficient soils in western Australia

Responses of narrow‐leafed sweet lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L.) to foliar sprays of different sources of manganese (Mn) were compared in field experiments in three years at six sites in Western Australia. The relative effectiveness of manganese chelate (EDTA; 14% Mn) and manganese sulfate (25% Mn) applied as foliar sprays for alleviating Mn deficiency of lupins was assessed. Each source was sprayed at six levels of Mn (0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.50, 1.0, and 2 kg Mn/ha) when pods on the main stem were 2–3 cm long to define the relationship between seed and the amount of foliar Mn applied for lupins grown on Mn‐deficient soil. Manganese chelate, manganese sulfate, and the Mangasol sprays were equally effective. For all sources, 1.0 kg Mn/ha sprayed on the foliage was required to produce maximum seed yield and reduce split seed to an acceptable level (<4%). In all years, manganese sulfate banded with the seed produced similar seed yields as Mn sprayed on the foliage.     

Impact of organic residues and mineral fertilizer application on soil–crop system: II soil attributes

The effects of crop residues alone (Cr⁺) or combined with inorganic fertilizer (FCr⁺) sewage sludge (SS) and humentos (H) on soil properties were studied in a five-season wheat–guar rotation. Incorporation of Cr⁺ and SS significantly decreased pH by 5–9%. Highest organic carbon (OC) was observed in SS plots, whereas Cr⁺ resulted in values threefold that of the control. The added effect of Cr⁺ (46%) combined with fertilizer on total nitrogen (TN) was greater than Cr⁺ by 28%. The fraction of total residue N mineralized was 71%, whereas net N mineralized in Cr⁺, SS, H and FCr⁺ plots at 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths were 39.8, 52.3, 11.4, 66.7 mg kg^?1 and 21.2, 27.9, 8.2, 41.2 mg kg^?1, respectively. Integrated application of Cr⁺ with fertilizer had a synergistic effect on P content (3.49–3.69 units), but soil levels has never exceeded 13 mg P kg ^?1. Sole Cr⁺ significantly increased topsoil cation-exchange capacity (CEC) compared with the control treatment (9.39–21.59%). Application of SS, FCr⁺ and Cr⁺ significantly increased water-holding capacity and decreased bulk density by 9–15% and 8–9%, respectively, suggesting that such practice can restore the productivity of degraded soils and improve crop yields.     

Inflammation and wound healing in cats with chronic gingivitis/stomatitis after extraction of all premolars and molars were not affected by feeding of two diets with different omega‐6/omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios

Feline chronic gingivitis/stomatitis (FCGS) is a painful inflammatory disease in cats. Extraction of teeth, including all premolars and molars, has been shown to be the therapy of choice in cats not responding sufficiently to home care (e.g. tooth brushing) and/or medical treatment (corticosteroids and/or antibiotics). In this study, we hypothesize that a cat food with an omega‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω6 PUFA) to ω3 PUFA ratio of 10:1 reduces inflammation of the FCGS and accelerates soft tissue wound healing of the gingiva after dental extractions, compared to a cat food with a ω6:ω3 PUFA ratio of 40:1. The cats were fed diets with chicken fat and fish oil as sources of fatty acids. In one diet, part of the fish oil was replaced by safflower oil, resulting in two diets with ω6:ω3 PUFA ratios of 10:1 and 40:1. This double‐blinded study in two groups of seven cats revealed that dietary fatty acids influence the composition of plasma cholesteryl esters and plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines. The diet with the 10:1 ratio lowered PGD₂, PGE₂ and LTB₄ plasma levels significantly, compared to the diet with the 40:1 ratio (p = 0.05, p = 0.04, and p = 0.02 respectively). However, feeding diets with dietary ω6:ω3 PUFA ratios of 10:1 and 40:1, given to cats with FCGS for 4 weeks after extraction of all premolars and molars, did not alter the degree of inflammation or wound healing.     

Effects of Kocide 101® on the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)‐Rhizobium symbiosis

A glasshouse study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the copper fungicide Kocide 101 and its residues in soil on the growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixation of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The soil used was a sandy clay loam classified as Typic Rhodustalf. The bean variety SUA 90 was used as test crop. The bean rhizobia strains CIAT 899, PV, and a local isolate were used. Kocide 101 applied at the recommended rate (equivalent to 1.7 mg kg^‐1 soil) had no significant negative effects on the growth, nodulation or nitrogen fixation of bean plants. Higher levels of Kocide 101 significantly (P < 0.05) reduced plant growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixation. The bean plants inoculated with the “local isolate”; rhizobia had the highest dry matter weights, nodule numbers and nodule dry weights, and also had more N fixation. They were followed by those inoculated with the PV, strain and, lastly, those inoculated with CIAT 899. The growth and nodulation of bean plants were still curtailed by the Kocide 101 residues four months after the fungicide was first applied to the soil. Therefore, occurrence of high levels of Kocide 101 in soils can have long‐term effects on the performance of the bean‐rhizobia symbiosis.