Potential enhancement of degradation of the nematicides aldicarb,oxamyl and fosthiazate in UK agricultural soils through repeated applications

BACKGROUND: The potential for enhanced degradation of the carbamoyloxime nematicides aldicarb and oxamyl and the organophosphate fosthiazate was investigated in 35 UK agricultural soils. Under laboratory conditions, soil samples received three successive applications of nematicide at 25 day intervals. RESULTS: The second and third applications of aldicarb were degraded at a faster rate than the first application in six of the 15 aldicarb‐treated soils, and a further three soils demonstrated rapid degradation of all three applications. High organic matter content and low pH had an inhibitory effect on the rate of aldicarb degradation. Rapid degradation was observed in nine out of the ten soils treated with oxamyl. In contrast, none of the fosthiazate‐treated soils demonstrated enhanced degradation. CONCLUSION: The potential for enhanced degradation of aldicarb and oxamyl was demonstrated in nine out of 15 and nine out of ten soils respectively that had previously been treated with these active substances. Degradation of fosthiazate occurred at a much slower rate, with no evidence of enhanced degradation. Fosthiazate may provide a useful alternative in cases where the efficacy of aldicarb and oxamyl has been reduced as a result of enhanced degradation. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Serovar profiling of Haemophilus parasuis on Australian farms by sampling live pigs

Objective Investigate the diversity of serovars of Haemophilus parasuis (Hps) present in Australian pig herds. Design Nasal swabs were used to obtain multiple isolates of Hps, which were grouped first by genotyping and then by serotyping representative isolates. Procedure Swabs were taken from the nasal cavity of just-weaned healthy pigs from multiparous sows on 12 farms and from post-weaned pigs of multiparous sows on 1 farm. On 5 of the 13 farms, nasal swabs were also obtained from pigs showing clinical signs suggestive of Glässer's disease. On a further 7 farms, nasal swabs were obtained only from pigs with clinical signs suggestive of Glässer's disease. Results A total of 556 Hps isolates were genotyped, and 150 isolates were serotyped. Hps was detected on 19 of the 20 farms, including 2 farms with a long history of freedom from Glässer's disease. Isolates of Hps belonging to serovars regarded as potentially pathogenic were obtained from healthy pigs at weaning on 8 of the 10 farms with a history of Glässer's disease outbreaks. Sampling 213 sick pigs yielded 115 isolates of Hps, 99 of which belonged to serovars that were either potentially pathogenic or of unknown pathogenicity. Only 16 isolates from these 213 sick pigs were of a serovar known to be non-pathogenic. Conclusion Healthy pigs contain a range of Hps serovars, even on farms free of Glässer's disease. Nasal swabbing of both healthy and sick pigs seems a useful method of serovar profiling of farms.     

Effects of increasing days of exposure to prepartum diets on the concentration of certain blood metabolites in dairy cows

Objective To evaluate the effect of the number of days exposure to a prepartum transition diet on mineral, energy and protein metabolism in dairy cows. Design A prospective cohort study. Procedures The prepartum transition diet consisted of ryegrass pasture, cereal hay, grain, grain by-product, protein meals, BioChlor®, rumen modifiers, minerals and vitamins and contained 13.9% crude protein, 10.0 MJ metabolisable energy/kg and a dietary cation anion difference of −35 meq/kg dry matter. Forty cows were bled bi-weekly from their introduction to the prepartum transition diet until day 35 of lactation. Blood samples were submitted for estimation of a range of metabolites. Cubic smoothed splines were fitted to scatterplots of metabolite concentration as a function of day relative to calving and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Linear regression modelling determined the effect of days exposed, age, body condition score (BSC) and calving day on AUC. Results The prepartum AUC of blood phosphorus and beta-hydroxybutyrate increased and the AUC of blood calcium and cholesterol decreased with increasing days exposed to the diet. The postpartum AUC of beta-hydroxybutyrate and non-esterified fatty acids decreased with increasing days exposed but increased with days exposed × age and days exposed × BCS, respectively. The AUC of other metabolites did not vary significantly with number of days exposed. Conclusions Increasing exposure to the prepartum diet significantly altered the AUC of blood metabolites associated with mineral, energy and protein metabolism in ways consistent with improvements in production and reproduction previously reported and the result suggests links between energy, protein and skeletal metabolism.     

Apparatus for measuring change in the potato soil bed profile and relationship of change to soil density and air permeability

A profilometer was constructed to measure changes occurring in the potato soil bed profile during growth of a potato crop. Changes in bed cross sectional area were found to be closely related to changes in soil bulk density and air permeability. The instrument was helpful in rapid approximation of these parameters of the physical condition of a Hesperia sandy loam soil.     

Efficiency of nitrogen uptake by potatoes

White Rose potatoes were fertilized with isotopically labeled ammonium sulfate at rates of 67, 134, 202 and 270 kg N/ha to evaluate N uptake efficiency. All N application increased yields above the control, however the 3 higher N rates produced the same yields statistically. All N rates which maximized yields maintained petiole levels of total N above 600 ppm. Rapid changes in petiole inorganic N occurred during the growing season. Fertilizer derived inorganic N decreased at rates ranging from 67 to 518 ppm/day during the third month after planting. Total inorganic N in petioles during the same period dropped at rates ranging from 500 to 880 ppm/ day. Tubers grown in N-fertilized plots assimilated total N in a nearly linear pattern during the period 82 to 125 days after planting. Uptake of total N ranged from 142 to 233 kg/ha. In assessing N utilization by 3 methods, good agreement was achieved between the isotope and difference method in the first and third (last) samplings, however, agreement was poor between the two in the second sampling. With N rates to 202 kg/ha the uptake efficiency was about 57% but dropped to 39% with application of 270 kg N/ha. When uptake efficiency was measured by dry matter production in relation to units of N fertilizer, the 67 kg N rate was superior to other rates. Inorganic N levels in the surface meter of soil were higher before planting and fertilizer application than after harvest. Following harvest the control plots had more N below 1.5 m than did the N fertilized plots. In control plots, the total inorganic N between 1.5 and 2.5 m depths was equivalent to 170 kg N/ha. Virtually none of the accumulated N below 1 m was due to labeled N applied in the experiment. Using 134 kg N/ha as the optimum rate, tubers removed 178 kg N/ha of which 78 kg was derived from the applied fertilizer. With total N input of 191 kg/ha (57 kg N/ha from irrigation water) the N rate required for maximum yield would pose no risk of nitrate pollution since it represents only 13 kg more than crop removal (191 vs 178 kg N/ha).     

Comparison of water trap pans and leaf counts as sampling techniques for green peach aphids on potatoes

Green peach aphid populations were monitored by using water trap pans and by taking leaf samples in 38 southwestern Idaho potato fields from 1972 to 1975. Numbers of winged aphids in trap pans were correlated with populations of aphids developing in adjacent fields but were not predictive of future population trends. Trap pan data are, however, useful in alerting growers to the possibility of damaging field populations which exist in a field at the time of sampling.