Evaluation of Multi-Mixtures of Acids for the Sample Preparation of Organic Soil Amendments for Multi-Element Determination by ICP OES

A method for the simultaneous determination of aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) in organic soil amendments using microwave-assisted acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP OES) is proposed. Concentrated or diluted acids mixtures (HNO₃, HF, HBF₄, and H₃BO₃) combined or not with H₂O₂ were systematically evaluated in order to achieve the best digestion procedure for masses of around 150 mg of samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied in order to choose the best acid mixture for digestion (3 mL HNO₃ + 1 mL HBF₄ + 2 mL H₂O). The determined concentrations were in accordance with certified values of CRM 029 at the 95% confidence level, according to the Student-t test. This acid mixture was successfully applied for the digestion of four organic soil amendment samples (organic fertilizers, substrates, and soil conditioners) and element determination.     

Re-ensiling effects on inoculated sorghum: Intake,apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance,and animal feeding behaviour

This study aimed to determine whether using inoculants and re-ensiling in sorghum silages affect the intake and feeding behaviour, apparent digestibility, digestible energy, and nitrogen balance of sheep in maintenance. Half the sorghum was inoculated on the day of harvest, and the other half received the same inoculation volume but with water. Sorghum was ensiled in 100 experimental metal drum silos of 200 L covered with plastic: 50 silos with inoculants and 50 without them. After 56 days, 25 drums with inoculants and 25 without were exposed to air for 48 h. The other silos remained closed. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme with inoculation and re-ensiling. The sheep received the silages after 211 days of ensiling and 155 days of re-ensiling to determine the intake, apparent digestibility, and feeding behaviour of animals. The experimental design was a simultaneous double 4 × 4 Latin square. The re-ensiling process increased silage pH, N-NH₃.TN⁻¹, butyric acid, and propionic acid. The inoculant increased propionic acid in ensiled and re-ensiled silages. Lactic acid concentration presented a statistical interaction with the inoculated and ensiled silage, 58% higher than the other treatment averages. The ADFap digestibility showed a complex interaction, in which the control ensiled and the inoculated and re-ensiled silages were about 35% lower than the inoculated ensiled silage. The Nbal:Nint ratio (g.g⁻¹) in the inoculated and re-ensiled silage had lower nitrogen retention than intake compared with the other treatments. These results indicate that exposing inoculated silages to air does not compromise their use in sheep feeding.     

Note on Onchocerca armillata in the Sudanese camel (C. dromedarius). A histological and anatomo-pathological approach

Aortic onchocercosis due to O. armillata was diagnosed in 45 (41%) out of 109 Sudanese camels. Although the thoracic aorta was regularly affected, involvement of other vessels such as the abdominal aorta, brachiocephalic, pulmonary and costocervical arteries was not excluded. Gross examination of the affected blood vessels revealed tortuous tunnels of parasitic tracks readily visible in the intimal surface of the vessels. Nodular lesions were more common on the adventitia. Microscopically, the lesions showed irregulary elevated intimal surfaces. The underlying tunica media contained a varying number of encapsulated and partially mineralized parasitic fragments. The inflammatory response varied in intensity and location and consisted of eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages and occasional giant cells.     

Predatory capability of the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys robusta preserved in silica gel on infecting larvae of Haemonchus contortus

Biological control of gastrointestinal nematodiasis in ruminants is an alternative to reduce the number of infective larvae. The fungal isolates predatory activity preservation is a basic requirement for the success of this control type. The aim of this work is to evaluate the predatory capacity of the fungus Arthrobotrys robusta (isolate I-31), preserved on silica gel on infective larvae of Haemonchus contortus under laboratory conditions on 2 % water agar (2 % WA). In this essay, A. robusta storage on silica gel showed successful predatory activity on H. contortus L₃ larvae (p?<?0.01) compared to the control group. Nematophagous fungi were not observed in the control group during the experiment. There was a significant reduction (p?<?0.01) of 73.84 % in the means of H. contortus (L₃) recovered from treatment with isolate I-31 compared to the control without fungi. Results indicate that A. robusta (I-31) could survive stored on silica gel for at least 7 years and keep its predatory activity on H. contortus (L₃).     

Methane emission by Nellore cattle subjected to different nutritional plans

The objective was to evaluate the emission of enteric methane by Nellore cattle subjected to different nutritional plans, as well as the intake and digestibility of nutrients from the diets supplied. Forty-seven animals in a confinement system (feedlot) were fed a corn silage-based diet for 35 days. Afterwards, these animals were evaluated in a grazing system during the rainy periods, in Urochloa brizantha cv Marandu paddocks, for 44 days. Chromic oxide was used as external marker to estimate the fecal production of animals. Samples of feces, ingredients, and pasture were collected and sampled for subsequent chemical analyses. The SF₆ tracer gas technique was adopted to quantify the methane gas emitted by the animals. The experimental design was completely randomized, using procedure GLM of software SAS (9.2), including the fixed effects of sex and nutritional plan and the linear effect of the co-variable weights. Means were analyzed by Tukey’s test at 5 % probability. The intakes of total dry matter and organic matter were greater for the animals subjected to the feedlot diet (P?P?P?4/day (104.01 g) by the animals fed the feedlot diet (P?4/CEB) and methane emission per dry matter consumed were lower in relation to the grazing treatment (3.75 vs 4.23 % and 11.67 vs 15.71 g/kg). The better quality of the diet in the feedlot promoted lower energy losses as methane.     

Seroprevalence of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus in goats in the Cariri region, Paraiba state, Brazil

The seroprevalence of caprine arthritis–encephalitis virus (CAEV) in the Cariri Region of Paraíba State, Brazil, was determined in 60 goat herds using the agar gel immunodiffusion test. The overall seroprevalence was 8.2%, with seropositivity in 21/60 (35%) herds and 13/15 (86.6%) municipalities. Bucks had a significantly higher frequency of infection (28.3%) than does (5.9%), and bucks that originated in other states had a significantly higher frequency of infection (76.5%) than those from Paraíba State (9.3%).     

Intra and interlocus interactions between alcobaça (alc), crimson (og c ), and high pigment (hp) loci in tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

The ripening mutant allele alcobaça (alc/alc) may be deployed to extend shelf life in tomatoes, but has reportedly negative effects on fruit colour development. Colour enhancing mutants crimson (og ^c /og ^c) and high pigment (hp/hp) could potentially overcome this limitation, but a detailed account of their interactions with alc is not available. In this paper, we report on intra-allelic (additive and dominant) interactions within these 3 loci, and on their possible interallelic (epistatic) interactions. Eight near-isogenic (NIL) tomato lines in background Flora-Dade were obtained, representing all possible 2ⁿhomozygous combinations in the n = 3 loci. The 8 NIL were crossed in all possible combinations (reciprocals excluded), to obtain 28 hybrids that were heterozygous in at least one locus. The 36 treatments (= 8NIL + 28 hybrids) were grown in a randomized complete block design with 4replications, and the following traits were evaluated: total yield, average fruit mass, fruit firmness at harvest (= breakerstage) and 6 days after harvest (d.a.h)., % coloured fruit surface, fruit lycopene and beta-carotene contents, fruit % soluble solids and solids/acidity ratio, internal and external fruit colour. The loci alcobaça, crimson and high pigment or their epistatic interactions had significant influence on the expression of all traits measured. Epistatic effects were responsible for most of the variation among genotypes (with a minimum of 48.1%of the total sum of squares for % coloured fruit surface and a maximum of 82.8% for total yield). External fruit colour was defficient in all alc/alc genotypes, and their commercial use is impaired, in spite of improvements in fruit internal and external colour brought about by deployment of specific genotypic constitutions in lociog ^c and hp. Some but not all alc ⁺ /alc genotypes were firmer and showed improved fruit quality over the normal Flora-Dade (alc ⁺ /alc ⁺ og ^c+ /og ^c+ hp ⁺ /hp ⁺) background. The following genotypic combinations represented good compromises between yield, long shelf life and fruit quality traits: alc ⁺ /alc og ^c+ /og ^c hp ⁺ /hp, alc ⁺ /alc og ^c /og ^c hp ⁺ /hp ⁺ and alc ⁺/alc og ^c+/og ^c+ hp ⁺ /hp     

Tree species composition and similarity in semideciduous forest fragments of southeastern Brazil

This study investigates the influence of fragment size on tree species composition, species richness and on individual groups of species within 11 semideciduous forest fragments in southeastern Brazil. We compared same-sized samples of 500 trees from 10 fragments <100 ha, allocated to three size categories, with three 500-tree samples collected in different areas within a large forest, used as a reference forest. The variation in species richness, in the proportion of species/individuals in dispersal modes, and in the proportion of rare species was not related to fragment size. Nonetheless, comparisons between the mean values of these variables of each fragment size categories, using 95% confidence intervals, showed a wider range of variation within the category of small-sized fragments than in the other size categories. NMS ordination plot also suggested the absence of a relationship between fragment area and tree species composition. However, multiple regressions using the scores from the NMS ordination as response variables, and area and disturbance intensities as predictor variables, suggested that the interaction of area and disturbance might be a good predictor of species composition. Pre-existing environmental heterogeneity and geographical proximity also appeared to play a role in the variations of forest composition among the fragments studied. Our results demonstrated the high conservation value of small forest fragments.     

Combination of pelleting and monensin does not affect antioxidant properties and fatty acids in milk of grazing dairy cows supplemented with a concentrate containing soybean seeds

This study was performed with the main objective of evaluating the effect of the combination of pelleting and monensin on fatty acids (FA) composition, the concentration of total polyphenols and flavonoids, and the oxidative stability of milk in cows fed a concentrate containing soybean seeds. Eight Holstein multiparous cows were distributed in a replicated Latin square design. The four supplement treatments consisted of the combination of two factors (pelleting and monensin) and one concentrate as follows: (1) unpelleted concentrate with no monensin (CO); (2) pelleted concentrate with no monensin (PE); (3) unpelleted concentrate with 96 mg of monensin/kg of dry matter, DM (MO); and (4) pelleted concentrate with 96 mg of monensin/kg of DM (PM). There was no interaction between pelleting and monensin for milk production and concentration of milk protein, lactose, total polyphenols, flavonoids, conjugated dienes (CD), and reducing power. Fat and total solids concentration in milk were decreased when cows were fed pelleted (PE and PM) concentrates. Feeding cows with PE and PM concentrates increased the CD concentration in milk. Regarding milk FA concentration, there was no difference among treatments for total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FA. The most prominent result was that pelleting increased the milk concentration of omega-3 FA. Altogether, the present study suggests that the pelleting process can improve the milk fat quality by increasing the omega-3 FA, while the combination of pelleting and monensin in the diet of grazing dairy cows fed soybean-based concentrate adds no further improvements to FA profiles and oxidative stability of milk.