The effect of sowing date, stale seedbed, row width and mechanical weed control on weeds and yields of organic winter wheat

Three field experiments were carried out in organically grown winter wheat in Denmark. The treatments were sowing time (normal or late sowing) and false seedbed, row width (12 and 24 cm) and weed control method [untreated; mechanical weed control (weed harrowing at 12 cm supplemented with inter‐row hoeing at 24 cm); and herbicide weed control]. Weed biomass in midsummer was greatest on plots sown at the normal sowing time (compared with delayed sowing) and was reduced by mechanical or chemical weed control (compared with untreated plots). Row width alone had no influence on weed biomass, but in the experiment with high weed pressure, the more intensive mechanical weed control used at a row width of 24 cm reduced weed biomass. Normal sowing time tended to give higher yields, but this was only statistically significant in one of the three experiments. Wide rows gave a yield decrease in the experiment with low weed pressure. The effect of weed control on yield was dependent on the weed pressure. At low weed pressure, mechanical weed control caused a yield decrease compared with untreated or herbicide treated. At intermediate weed levels there were no differences, whereas at high weed pressure, mechanical weed control and herbicide treatment caused a yield increase compared with untreated. False seedbeds were shown to contribute to a decrease in the soil seed reserve.     

A long term feed supplementation based on phosphate binders in Feline Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very common disorder in elderly cats. A proper renal diet represents the most efficient therapeutic intervention to improve survival and life quality in feline patients with 3 and 4 International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stages. Twenty cats were selected in this study. Ten were administered the dietary supplementation for 360 days and the other ten, whose owners did not give consent for any supplemental therapies apart from the renal diet, were selected from a clinical database and used as control group. The present study is a long term study (360 days) aiming to evaluate the efficacy and palatability of a dietary supplementation containing calcium carbonate, calcium-lactate gluconate, chitosan and sodium bicarbonate in cats diagnosed with 3 and 4 IRIS stages of CKD. The owners were asked to fill in questionnaires to get information on the cat’s appetite, the palatability of the given supplement, the presence of vomit and/or diarrhoea, general health and vitality. Hematochemical, biochemical and urinary analyses were performed on day 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150,180 and 360. GraphPad Prism® software was used to perform statistical analysis. Our study shows that the given dietary supplement reduced serum phosphorus and increased serum bicarbonate values in cats with CKD. In turn, this supplement could be used as a support therapy in cats with advanced CKD improving their clinical conditions without any adverse reaction. Finally, it is important to underline that all the animals completed the study and the owners reported a good palatability of the feed supplement.     

Metabolic Profiling and In Vitro Assessment of the Biological Activities of the Ethyl Acetate Extract of Penicillium chrysogenum “Endozoic of Cliona sp. Marine Sponge” from the Red Sea (Egypt)

Marine sponge-derived endozoic fungi have been gaining increasing importance as promising sources of numerous and unique bioactive compounds. This study investigates the phytochemical profile and biological activities of the ethyl acetate extract of Penicillium chrysogenum derived from Cliona sp. sponge. Thirty-six compounds were tentatively identified from P. chrysogenum ethyl acetate extract along with the kojic acid (KA) isolation. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS positive ionization mode was used to analyze and identify the extract constituents while 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy were used for kojic acid (KA) structure confirmation. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities were assessed in vitro. Both the extract and kojic acid showed potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC 250 ± 0.82 µg/mL. Interestingly, the extract showed strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 93.75 ± 0.55 and 19.53 ± 0.48 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, KA showed the same potency against Fusarium oxysporum and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 39.06 ± 0.85 and 39.06 ± 0.98 µg/mL, respectively. Ultimately, KA showed strong antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ 33.7 ± 0.8 µg/mL. Moreover, the extract and KA showed strong cytotoxic activity against colon carcinoma (with IC₅₀ 22.6 ± 0.8 and 23.4 ± 1.4 µg/mL, respectively) and human larynx carcinoma (with equal IC₅₀ 30.8 ± 1.3 and ± 2.1 µg/mL, respectively), respectively. The current study represents the first insights into the phytochemical profile and biological properties of P. chrysoenum ethyl acetate extract, which could be a promising source of valuable secondary metabolites with potent biological potentials.     

The Impact of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents and Extraction Method on the Co-Extraction of Trace Metals from Fucus vesiculosus

In recent years, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have been widely investigated for the extraction of food and medicinal plants as well as seaweeds. However, the ability of NADES for trace elements co-extraction from natural sources is not well investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of common NADES for trace elements co-extraction from Fucus vesiculosus. All of the tested NADES did not recover As and Co (concentration <LOQ). Moreover, all of the tested NADES provided a low recovery (<9%) of Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Sr, and Zn. The method of extraction had not shown a statistically significant effect on the co-extraction of all elements (excluding Ba and Ca). In contrast, the water content in NADES was significantly affected on the recovery of Ba, Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr, and Zn. The recovery of Al and Cr was relatively high and considerably varied (from 1.5 to 59.9%). NADES comprising lactic acid:glucose:H₂O (5:3:1) provided the lowest contents of all elements, and the highest extracted amounts were obtained employing water contents of 60–80%. The calculated daily intake of all the elements contained in NADES extracts were less than the daily dose risk estimators. The hazard quotients, hazard indexes, and carcinogenic risk calculated for all trace elements and their combination were considerably less than 1. This evidences no health risk, and carcinogenic risk after topical application of all studied NADES. For the first time, the results of the current study demonstrated that NADES extracts of F. vesiculosus contain a lower amount of trace metals and are safer than the extracts obtained with water and 70% acetone. This indicates a significant advantage for NADES compared with the other solvents.     

Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown, 1931) (Dinoflagellida) infestations in cultured marine fish at Eilat, Red Sea: epizootiology and pathology

Abstract. Since 1977, repeated outbreaks of infestation by Amyloodinium ocellatum (Dinoflagellida) in cultured gilthead bream Sparus aurata L. and seabass Dicen-trarchus labrax (L.) resulted in sporadic and mass mortalities. Fingerlings and yearlings as well as breeders were affected and, since 1978, larval and post-larval S. aurata in the hatchery. Infestations in juvenile and breeder fish were located predominantly on the gills and mucosal integument but in larval fish only the skin rather than the gills was infested. Histopathological changes of the infested gills are described. Vacuolar degeneration of the cells penetrated by the parasites' rhizoids was evident at the site of attachment and cloudy swelling was apparent in the surrounding epithelial cells. In heavy infestations the entire epithelium of the gill filaments underwent hyperplasia with consequent fusion of the lamellae. Where hyperplasia was extensive the cells gradually degenerated while the inner epithelial layer showed distinct spongiosis and in some cases completely disintegrated. All heavily infested gills lacked mucous cells.     

Regrowth of ryegrass swards subject to different cutting regimes and stocking densities

A cutting experiment was carried out on a sward of S23 perennial ryegrass to study the effect of different defoliation regimes on regrowth and the factors affecting regrowth. The defoliation frequencies and intensities encompassed the range commonly found on continuously stocked pastures. The defoliation regimes produced swards of contrasting growth form with regrowth characteristics which differed in respect of senescence loss, fall in water-soluble carbohydrate concentration, residual leaf area index, photosynthesis per unit leaf area index and photosynthesis per unit area of land. Regrowth was most closely related to the latter. These results were used to interpret data for net canopy photosynthesis of continuously grazed pastures.     

The effect of propionic acid on the storage losses of hay

Storage losses in moist hay treated with propionic acid were compared with those occurring in untreated moist hay in two experiments and with field-cured hay in three experiments. Dry matter losses in treated hays ranged from 41 to 8.6% and from 1.7 to 12.6% in untreated hays. Digestible organic matter losses in both treated and untreated hays were generally greater than dry matter losses. Only in one experiment did propionic acid application significantly reduce nutrient losses in moist hays. Nutrient losses, and water-soluble carbohydrate losses in particular, were shown to be correlated with maximum and cumulative bale temperatures during storage in two of the experiments. The rise in hale temperatures during storage was reduced in all three experiments, to a greater or lesser extent, by application of the additive. Loss of propionic acid from the hay during and after application was very large. In the three experiments 86.2, 85.3 and 85.6% of the acid applied was lost by the end of the storage period. Acid distribution studies indicated that variation in acid concentration within bales was as great as between bales. It was concluded that more research is needed into applicator design and position on the baler and into alternative application methods if the benefits of propionic acid as a moist hay preservative are to be fully exploited.     

The effect of delayed autumn harvest on the survival of varieties of perennial ryegrass

The reactions of five early and five late varieties of perennial ryegrass to stimulation of bulky autumn growth and deferment of harvesting were compared in terms of spring growth and subsequent recovery during three winters. Winterkill was marked in 1971–72, particularly when harvesting was deferred to late November, in early varieties S24 and Presto Pajbjerg and in the late variety S23. Least affected among early varieties were Premo and Barvestra (tetraploid) and among late varieties, Perma and Barpastra (tetraploid). All varieties showed rapid recovery. The results are discussed in terms of the significance of winterkill, and the effects of age of sward, variety susceptibility and deferment of autumn defoliation. It is concluded that the form of winterkill which occurs in the west of Scotland can have serious consequences to farm productivity in severe winters. Autumn growth left standing into November can also lead to winterkill. Under good management, varietal differences are unimportant. In a severe winter, no varieties of perennial ryegrass are reliable.     

Some observations on plant lectins and Rhizobium specificity

The ability of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled lectins extracted from the legumes Aspalathus linearis, Glycine max, Lotononis bainesii, Phaseolus vulgaris and Pisum sativum, respectively, to react with strains of various Rhizobium spp. was studied. With the exception of six out of ten strains of R. phaseoli and two out of ten strains of R. japonicum, none of the Rhizobium strains tested were able to bind lectin from their normal host plants. Many strains of R. leguminosarum, R. trifolii and R. phaseoli bound each of the plant lectins studied with the exception of the P. sativum lectin. This lectin was only bound by two strains of R. meliloti and a slow-growing strain isolated from Macroptilium atropurpureum. These results do not support suggestions by other workers that plant lectins play an important role in Rhizobium specificity.     

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND APPLICATIONS OF FERTILIZER NITROGEN AND IMPLICATIONS IN EFFICIENCY OF NITROGEN USE

DM yield and N uptake data are presented from primary growth and two successive regrowths of perennial ryegrass treated with combinations of three N treatments for the primary growth viz. 0, 50 and 100 kg N/ha (PN) and four N treatments applied for the second growths, viz. 0, 33, 66 and 100 kg N/ha (SN). Primary growth gave a response of 24·2 kg DM/kg applied N to PN50 with only a further l±0 kg DM/kg applied N from the second PN increment. A significant interaction between PN and SN treatments was shown in second growth. The residual DM response to PN was highest at SN0 and reduced as the level of SN was raised. Substantially greater residual responses to PN treatments were shown in the third growth. Third growth DM responses to SN treatments were high. High apparent recovery of fertilizer N reached 111% of primary N where SN66 followed PN50. High available soil N is partly responsible for both high apparent recovery of N and high DM response. The latter appears to be associated with inclusion of growths given no fertilizer N so that the full residual effects of fertilizer N and ‘priming’ of available soil N can be realised.