Resistant Starch and Total Dietary Fiber Content of Oatrim Muffins with Different Levels of Amylose,Amylopectin, and β‐Glucan

Nine types of muffins made with three levels of β‐glucan and three amylose‐amylopectin ratios were prepared at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture. They were fed to human subjects to study effects of starch composition and dietary fiber content on the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in normal and overweight women. The main objective of this study was to determine resistant starch (RS) and total dietary fiber (TDF) content of the muffins 1) using AACC Approved Method 32‐07 and AOAC method 991.43, incorporating a pretreatment step with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) before enzyme incubation, 2) with pretreatment at 100 and 121°C before incubation with amyloglucosidase, and 3) using samples chewed by human subjects before incubation with pancreatin and amyloglucosidase. For method 1, on an as‐eaten basis, TDF content was 2.81 to 9.64 g/100 g for samples without DMSO pretreatment and 1.66 to 4.06 g/100 g with DMSO pretreatment. RS content was 0.30 to 11.18 g/100 g for methods 1 and 2, respectively. Methods 2 and 3 had the best correlation for all muffins tested (r² = 0.97).     

Disinfection of almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes) eggs: Evaluation of three chemicals

Almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes) is an excellent candidate for aquaculture due to its fast growth rate and high market value. While S. rivoliana have adapted well to captivity, survival at early life stages can be improved to increase profitability during production. A wide range of variables cause larval mortalities but high bacterial loads in rearing tanks are often correlated with these losses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of egg disinfection on bacterial load and hatch rate of S. rivoliana. Disinfectants tested included formalin (F100 and F200; 100 and 200 mg/L, respectively, for 60 min), hydrogen peroxide (HPO; 300 mg/L for 10 min) and peracetic acid/hydrogen peroxide (PAA/HPO; 15.7 mg/L/39.6 mg/L for 1 min). Concentrations and contact times were determined based on current use in marine aquaculture and preliminary trials. Eggs treated with HPO and F100 had significantly higher hatch rates than the untreated control group. All treatments significantly decreased total Vibrio counts compared to untreated eggs; however, total bacterial counts were only decreased following treatments with PAA/HPO and F200. To prevent egg mortality due to bacterial overgrowth, consideration should be given to the use of surface disinfection using HPO or F100. Future studies should investigate the use of peracetic‐based products at lower doses.     

Stability analysis of yield and aflatoxin accumulation resistance in maize using GGE biplot

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its production is constrained by many factors including low yields...     

HT-2 and T-2 toxins in Norwegian oat grains related to weather conditions at different growth stages

High concentrations of the mycotoxins HT-2 and T-2 (HT2?+?T2), primarily produced by Fusarium langsethiae, have occasionally been detected in Norwegian oat grains. In this study, we identified weather variables influencing accumulation of HT2?+?T2 in Norwegian oat grains. Oat grain samples from farmers’ fields were collected together with weather data (2004–2013). Spearman rank correlation coefficients were calculated between the HT2?+?T2 contamination in oats at harvest and a range of weather summarisations within estimated phenological windows of growth stages in oats (tillering, flowering etc.). Furthermore, we developed a mathematical model to predict the risk of HT2?+?T2 in oat grains. Our data show that adequate predictions of the risk of HT2?+?T2 in oat grains at harvest can be achieved, based upon weather data observed during the growing season. Humid and cool conditions, in addition to moderate temperatures during booting, were associated with increased HT2?+?T2 accumulation in harvested oat grains, whereas warm and humid weather during stem elongation and inflorescence emergence, or cool weather and absence of rain during booting reduced the risk of HT2?+?T2 accumulation. Warm and humid weather immediately after flowering increased the risk, while moderate to warm temperatures and absence of rain during dough development, reduced the risk of HT2?+?T2 accumulation in oat grains. Our data indicated that HT2?+?T2 contamination in oats is influenced by weather conditions both pre- and post-flowering. These findings are in contrast with a previous study examining the risk of deoxynivalenol contamination in oat reporting that toxin accumulation was mostly influenced by weather conditions from flowering onwards.     

Exploring drivers of the usage of anticoagulant rodenticides on UK farms

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are considered inhumane, show increasingly limited efficacy due to acquired resistance, and carry environmental consequences associated with non-target species uptake. In a questionnaire study of 499 UK farms that all deployed chemical rodenticide we found a high mean reliance (79%), on second generation ARs with just over half of the respondents using no other rodent control methods. Additional methods where deployed, alone or in combination, included predation (41%), kill-trap deployment (16%) and shooting (1%). Nearly 40% of all respondents deployed rodenticides year-round. There was no evidence to suggest that “tidy-farm” measures, such as clearing food spills and minimising on-farm rodent harbourage sites aimed at minimising rodent-associated problems, were associated with a lower likelihood of year-round deployment; in fact trends in our analyses suggested the opposite. We therefore encourage operators to fully evaluate the true necessity of rodenticide deployment before AR use.     

Soil Microbial Communities Reflect both Inherent Soil Properties and Management Practices in Wisconsin Potato Fields

Microbial communities in soils provide numerous functions vital to agricultural productivity, and there is growing interest in understanding and manipulating these communities to achieve more sustainable production systems. We investigated microbial communities in potato fields in Wisconsin to determine the extent to which microbial communities were structured by inherent soil properties versus factors under grower control. We found that soil properties, including texture and chemistry, shaped microbial communities at broad levels, determining the diversity and abundance of phyla. Organic versus conventional management, however, correlated with finer scale differences in microbial communities, while crop variety was not associated with microbial community composition in this study. These results suggest that grower practices have the potential to alter microbial communities, but these effects will take place within an existing soil context. Future research is necessary to determine how these patterns in microbial community structure relate to functional outcomes for plant health.     

Vernalization response of domesticated × wild chickpea progeny is subject to strong genotype by environment interaction

Vernalization insensitivity is a key feature of domesticated chickpea, and its genetic basis is not well understood. We studied vernalization response among hybrid progeny derived from two domesticated × wild crosses. The wild parents are vernalization‐sensitive, late‐flowering genotypes while both domesticated parents are vernalization insensitive. Parental lines and hybrid progeny were tested with (28 days at 4°C) and without vernalization (control). The difference in mean days to flower (?DTF) between control and vernalization treatments was used to assess the flowering vernalization response. A wide range of ?DTF values was observed among the hybrid progeny. Strong genotype by environment interaction effect on ?DTF was observed for the parental accessions and hybrid progeny. We used the ?DTF values to select vernalization responsive and non‐responsive progeny lines. However, the genotype × environment interaction strongly interfered with our selection. Chickpea breeders interested in using the wild progenitor as a donor of exotic traits should be aware of the possibility of introducing vernalization response alleles that may alter the phenology of their breeding materials in an unpredictable manner.     

Origins of the bottom trawling controversy in the British Isles: 19th century witness testimonies reveal evidence of early fishery declines

Bottom trawling (nets towed along the seabed) spread around the British Isles from the 1820s, yet the collection of national fisheries statistics did not begin until 1886. Consequently, analysis of the impacts of trawling on fish stocks and habitats during this early period is difficult, yet without this information, we risk underestimating the extent of changes that have occurred as a result of trawling activities. We examined witness testimonies recorded during two Royal Commissions of Enquiry (1863–66 and 1883–85). These enquiries interviewed hundreds of fishers about the early effects of sail trawling and the changes they were witnessing to fish stocks, habitats and fishing practises during this time. We converted all quantitative statements of perceived change in fish stocks and fishing practices to relative change. Witnesses from the north‐east of England interviewed during 1863 revealed an average perceived decline in whitefish of 64% during their careers, which many blamed upon trawling. Between 1867 and 1892, trawl‐landing records from the same location suggest that this trajectory continued, with fish availability declining by 66% during the period. Fishers adapted to these declines by increasing distances travelled to fishing grounds and increasing gear size and quantity. However, inshore declines continued and by the early 1880s even trawl owners were calling for closures of territorial waters to trawling in order to protect fish nursery and spawning grounds. Until now, these testimonies have been largely forgotten, yet they reveal that alterations to near‐shore habitats as a result of trawling began long before official data collection was initiated.     

CNS mastitis: nothing to worry about?

In this paper, we analyzed a very large field data set on intramammary infections (IMI) and the associated somatic cell count (SCC) in dairy cows. The objective of the study was to analyze the impact of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) IMI on cow SCC, both mean and variability, and on the potential of these infections to have a major impact on the bulk milk SCC (BMSCC). Data and milk samples for bacterial culture were collected by Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS) between 1992 and March of 2007. The QMPS program services dairy farms in New York State and other states in the Northeastern USA and operates in conjunction with Cornell University. Only records from cows where SCC and milk production data were available, and where only one organism was isolated from bacterial cultures of milk samples (or where culture was negative) were used for this analysis. A total of 352,614 records from 4200 whole herd mastitis screening sampling qualified for this study. Within herds an average of 15% (S.D. 12%) of cows sampled were infected with CNS, ranging between 0 and 100%. Average within herd prevalence of cows with a CNS IMI and an SCC over 200,000 cells/ml was 2% (S.D. 4%) with a minimum of 0% and a maximum of 50%. Results of linear mixed models showed three distinct populations of IMI statuses: negative cultures with the lowest SCC; CNS and Corynebacterium bovis with a moderate increase in SCC, and Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus showing an important increase in SCC. Surprisingly, milk production was slightly but significantly higher in CNS infected cows compared to culture-negative cows, whereas it was strongly reduced in cows with a major pathogen IMI. The percentage contribution of CNS infections to the BMSCC was 17.9% in herds with a BMSCC less than 200,000 cells/ml. This value decreased to 11.9 and 7.9% in herds with bulk milk SCC between 200,000 and 400,000 and over 400,000 cells/ml, respectively. We concluded that very few herds with milk quality problems would have an important increase in BMSCC that could be mostly attributed to CNS infections. On the other hand, in herds with low BMSCC, CNS infections may be an important contributor to the total number of somatic cells in the bulk milk.