Influence of anions on dispersion and physical properties of the A horizon of a Red-brown earth

Three groups of anions were distinguished in order of effectiveness with respect to the dispersion and flocculation of soil samples treated with Fe(III) polycations: phosphate and fulvate citrate, oxalate, silicate and tartrate and salicylate, catechol, aspartate, lactate and acetate. This was also the order of the amount of anion adsorbed by the soil. The addition of phosphate and fulvate to soil samples with a net charge of zero lowered the zero point of charge producing particles with a net negative charge. This increased the amount of dispersible clay present from 0 to 9% by weight of soil. The sorption of phosphate and fulvate by soil samples with a net positive charge reduced the zero point of charge and caused flocculation of dispersed clay. Electrophoretic and electron microscopic studies confirmed the dispersion-flocculation phenomena.Treatments which produced dispersed clay led to increased bulk densities, plastic limits and moduli of rupture but lower porosities, water holding capacities and hydraulic conductivities. The sorption of anions on soil samples with a net charge of zero reduced friability.     

Attraction ofTrichogramma platneri to eggs of some lepidopterous pests of avocado

The attraction ofTrichogramma platneri Nagarkatti (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) to eggs of two lepidopterous avocado pests,Boarmia sel-enaria (Schiffermüller) (Geometridae) andCryptoblabes gnidiella (Millière) (Phycitidae), was evaluated in olfactometer tests. The mobility of the wasp as measured by a mobility index was 0.6 for males and 1.8 for females; the males had a lower mobility and a lower search capacity index than the females. Frozen and fresh youngB. selenaria eggs had the greatest attraction forT. platneri, which diminished with increasing age of the eggs. The eggs ofC. gnidiella were also attractive to the parasitoid. Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization. No. 2704-E, 1989 series.     

Effects of recombinant porcine somatotropin on metabolic rate in growing pigs

Effects of recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) on metabolic rate were studied in two trials with 24 crossbred barrows (Yorkshire x Landrace) in each. The barrows weighed about 80 kg (SE within trials 2.2 kg) at the start of the measurements and in each trial 12 pigs received 4 mg of rpST and 12 received a placebo. The diet contained 2.57 Mcal NE/kg and 20% CP (about 1% lysine). Animals were fed approximately 2.8 times maintenance (280 kcal ME.kg-.75.d-1). Heat production (gaseous exchange of CO2 and O2) and activity were measured continuously. Heat production associated with activity was calculated from the regression of heat production on activity. Animals treated with rpST exceeded controls in rate of gain by 252 g/d (P less than .001) and in metabolic rate by 14.5 kcal.kg-.75.d-1 (P less than .01). The rpST treatment increased rectal (+ .2 degrees C) and surface (+ .8 degrees C) temperatures. Activity-related heat production in treated pigs was increased, but this was only partly related to the increase in metabolic rate with rpST. The daily patterns of total and activity-related heat production were similar between pigs in both experimental treatments.     

Genetic Differentiation of Puccinia triticina Populations in Central Asia and the Caucasus

ABSTRACT Isolates of Puccinia triticina collected from common wheat in the Central Asia countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan and the Caucasus countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia were tested for virulence to 20 isolines of Thatcher wheat with different leaf rust resistance genes and molecular genotype at 23 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. After clone correction within each country, 99 isolates were analyzed for measures of population diversity, variation at single SSR loci, and for genetic differentiation of virulence phenotypes and SSR genotypes. Isolates from Central Asia and the Caucasus were also compared with 16 P. triticina isolates collected from common wheat in North America that were representative of the virulence and molecular variation in this region and two isolates collected from durum wheat in France and the United States. Populations from the Caucasus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan were not significantly (P > 0.05) differentiated for SSR variation with F(st) and R(st) statistics. Populations from the Caucasus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan were significantly (P < 0.05) differentiated from the populations in South and North Kazakhstan for SSR variation. All populations from Central Asia and the Caucasus were significantly differentiated from the North American isolates and isolates from durum wheat for SSR variation and virulence phenotypes. There was a correlation between virulence phenotype and SSR genotype among individual isolates and at the population level. Mountain barriers may account for the differentiation of P. triticina geographic populations in Central Asia and the Caucasus.     

Überleben von Ralstonia solanacearum Biovar 2 (Rasse 3), dem Erreger der Schleimkrankheit der Kartoffel, in Boden und auf verschiedenen Materialien (Mikrokosmos)

Microcosm studies were carried out to test the survival of Ralstonia solanacearum biovar 2 (race 3) in soil at the permanent wilting point (wp) water content and at field capacity (fc) water content and on various material. Soils were placed at permanent ?5°C, 4°C, 15°C and 20°C and weekly fluctuating ?10/0/+10°C and the material at 5, 15 °C, 20°C with relative humidity (rh) uncontrolled or at constant 10% or 90%. In soil, survival was clearly dependent on temperature independent of water content. At 20°C Ralstonia solanacearum could be reisolated up to 364 days, at 15°C up to 290 days, at 4°C up to 209 days and at fluctuating temperatures (?10/0/+10°C) only up to 18 days. The lower the temperature, the more the population declined. At 15°C and 20°C appr. 10⁷ cfu/g soil were detected after 100 days, whereas at ?5°C only 10² cfu/g soil were detected after only 18 days. The pathogen was longer detectable in sandy-clay loam than in lighter sandy soil. It could be longer reisolated at wilting point and the populations did not decline as rapidly as at field capacity. Ralstonia solanacearum could best survive on material surfaces like rubber, plastic and varnished metal with maximum survival of 40 days at 5°C and 10% rh. In general there is a low risk of Ralstonia solanacearum overwintering under European climatic conditions when the fields are cleared of plant debris and the soil is frozen. Contamined material surfaces pose the risk of pathogen transmission to healthy tubers.     

Attempted transmission of Ehrlichia risticii by field-captured Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae)

The capability of field-collected American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis, to infect horses with Ehrlichia risticii, causative agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF), was examined by allowing adult ticks collected from horse farms with a history of PHF to feed on susceptible horses. More than 500 male and female ticks attached and fed on 3 test horses; however, no clinical or serologic evidence of PHF was observed in treated or control horses. All horses were challenge exposed with E risticii-infective blood by inoculation at 60 to 65 days after ticks fed, and all developed clinical PHF with subsequent seroconversion. The data, therefore, indicated that adult D variabilis, a common parasite of horses on Maryland premises where PHF is enzootic, may not serve as a vector of E risticii.     

Meta‐analysis of the energy and protein requirements of hair sheep raised in the tropical region of Brazil

The objective of this study was to estimate, through mathematical models, energy and protein requirements for maintenance and gain of hair sheep raised in the tropical region of Brazil. To determine the equation parameters, a meta‐analysis of seven independent experiments of nutrient requirements was performed, comprising a total of 243 experimental units (animals), which were conducted under tropical conditions, using hair sheep in growing and finishing phases and endowed of the following quantitative data for each animal: body weight (BW ), empty body weight (EBW ), average daily gain (ADG ), empty body gain (EBG ), heat production (HP ), metabolizable energy intake (MEI ), retained energy (RE ), metabolizable protein intake (MPI ) and body protein content. The regression equations generated were as follows: for Net Energy for maintenance, (NE _m): ; for Net Energy for gain, (NE _g): ; for Metabolizable Protein for maintenance,(MP _m): MPI _(g/day) = 24.8470 (±7.3646) + 560.28 (±99.6582) × EBG _(kg/day); for Net Protein for gain, (NP _g): . The NE _m requirement was 0.246 MJ EBW^?0.75 day^?1. The metabolizable energy for maintenance requirement was 0.391 MJ EBW^?0.75 day^?1. Considering an ADG of 100 g, the NE _g requirement ranged from 0.496 to 1.701 MJ/day for animals with BW ranging from 10 to 40 kg respectively. The efficiencies of use of the metabolizable energy for maintenance and gain were 0.63 and 0.36 respectively. The MP _m requirement was 3.097 g EBW^?0.75 day^?1. Considering an ADG of 100 g, the NP _g requirement ranged from 12.4 to 10.5 g/day for animals with BW ranging from 10 to 40 kg respectively. The total metabolizable energy and protein requirements were lower than those reported by the NRC and AFRC systems. Thus, our results support the hypothesis that nutrient requirements of hair sheep raised in tropical regions differ from wool sheep raised in temperate regions. Therefore, the use of the equations designed in this study is recommended.     

Development of a clinical prediction score for detection of suspected cases of equine grass sickness (dysautonomia) in France

Equine grass sickness (EGS) (equine dysautonomia) is a neurodegenerative condition of grazing equines. Pre-mortem diagnosis of EGS is a challenge for practitioners as definitive diagnosis requires ileal/myenteric lymph node biopsies. This study aimed to develop a clinical score that could be used by practitioners to improve the detection of acute or subacute EGS cases in the field. Suspected EGS cases were declared by veterinary practitioners. A case was classified as confirmed positive if ileal or rectal biopsy samples showed neuronal degeneration typical of EGS. A semi-quantitative scoring system, including epidemiological and clinical data, was created to attempt to classify suspected EGS horses into confirmed positive or negative cases. Each variable was weighted based on a boosted regression trees model, while taking into account its clinical relevance. Twenty-eight EGS cases were confirmed by biopsy during the entire study period. The best cut-off value for the score to have a high sensitivity while maximizing specificity was 8, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 53%. In our dataset, 77% of animals would be correctly classified with this cut-off value of 8. Highest sensitivity was chosen in order to detect the highest number of potential cases. Our score represents an inexpensive and useful tool to aid in the identification of suspected EGS cases in the field and selection for further diagnostics procedures to confirm or rule out the disease. Application of the score to larger populations of animals would be required to further adapt and refine the score.