Diversity for abiotic and biotic stress resistance in the wild annual Cicer species

Data on 228 accessions of eight annual wild Cicer species and 20 cultivated chickpea check lines were evaluated for diversity in response to six of the most serious biotic and abiotic stresses which reduce crop yield and production stability of chickpea, i.e., ascochyta blight, fusarium wilt, leaf miner, bruchid, cyst nematode, and cold. Relative frequencies of score reactions to the above six stresses were recorded from all the annual wild Cicer species and the cultivated taxon. Patterns of distribution and amount of variation of the resistance reactions differed between stresses and species. C. bijugum, C. pinnatifidum and C. echinospermum showed accessions with at least one source of resistance (1 to 4 score reactions) to each stress. Overall, C. bijugum showed the highest frequencies of the highest categories of resistance. Next in performance was C. pinnatifidum followed by C. judaicum, C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum. Furthermore, C. bijugum had the highest number of accessions with multiple resistance to the six stresses; two accessions were resistant to five stresses and 16 to four. According to the Shannon-Weaver diversity indices (H), five species showed discrete mean diversity indices which varied from 0.649 in C. pinnatifidum to 0.526 in C. judaicum, whereas C. chorassanicum, C. cuneatum and C. yamashitae showed the lowest Hs, which were respectively 0.119, 0.174 and 0.216. Pair-wise correlations among the six biotic and abiotic stresses showed the possibility of combining these resistances. Interestingly, multiple resistant accessions were predominantly of Turkish origin.     

Estimates of denitrification in soil by remote sensing of thermal infrared emission at different moisture levels

Remote sensing techniques may be one way to narrow the range of uncertainty in extrapolating N₂ emissions from small-scale to large-scale terrestrial ecosystems. In the present work we investigated the correlations between denitrification activity, soil moisture, and soil thermal infrared emissions. A field experiment was performed on two different agricultural soils, one loam and one silty clay. The results indicated that thermal infrared emissions can only be used to estimate the denitrification rate in soil within a limited range of soil moisture levels. Estimates of denitrification activity based on soil texture and moisture are, however, very likely to be a fruitful approach to generating large-scale N fluxes.     

A new analgesic drug combination in the horse

A xylazine and butorphanol drug combination produced minimal and transient hemodynamic effects and no significant respiratory depression when administered to 6 healthy horses. Combining xylazine and butorphanol produced a synergistic analgesic effect and provided good chemical restraint for a standing surgical procedure.     

Effects of prostaglandin F2 alpha and pregnant mares' serum gonadotropin (PMSG) on the reproductive performance of fluorogestone acetate PMSG-treated ewes

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and pregnant mares' serum gonadotropin (PMSG) on the reproductive performance (fertility, prolificacy and fecundity) of ewes previously treated with fluorogestone acetate (FGA) and PMSG. In the first experiment, 29 ewes were synchronized for estrus with FGA and PMSG but not bred at the postsynchronization estrus. On day 10 of the first post-synchronization estrous cycle, they were injected IM with 15 mg PGF2 alpha and 500 IU PMSG and exposed to experienced, fertile, raddled rams. Twenty-four of the 29 ewes (83%) had viable fetuses 9 weeks after the PGF2 alpha-PMSG treatment. In the second experiment, 64 ewes were treated with FGA-PMSG, and 33 were exposed to fertile, raddled rams at the synchronized estrus. A second group of 31 ewes was not bred at the synchronized estrus, but on day 12 of the postsynchronized estrous cycle, they were injected IM with 15 mg PGF2 alpha and 500 IU PMSG and exposed to fertile, raddled rams. Sixty-six percent of the 33 ewes lambed in the FGA-PMSG-treated group and 60% of the 31 ewes lambed in the PGF2 alpha-PMSG-treated group. Differences in reproductive performance between these two treatment groups were not statistically significant. The results suggest that the PGF2 alpha-PMSG treatment combination does not adversely affect reproductive performance of ewes.