Landowner perceptions and the adoption of agroforestry practices in southern Ontario,Canada

A mail-out survey questionnaire was developed by the Agroforestry group at the University of Guelph to determine the level of awareness and interest in the adoption of agroforestry systems by landusers from four townships in Wellington County, Ontario. The questionnaire investigated: (1) the current level of knowledge regarding windbreaks, woodlots and plantations, intereropping, riparian plantations and silvipasture, (2) the present level of participation in each of these systems on-farm, (3) the perceived benefits and/or drawbacks of each of these initiatives with respect to total farm income, income diversity, land rehabilitation, land value/equity, soil/water conservation, labour intensity, overhead and return on the term of investment.The majority of respondents were familiar with conventional agroforestry systems such as windbreaks and woodlots/plantations (80%, 62% respectively), therefore the level of interest in the adoption of these practices was significant (74%, 66% respectively). Response rates were lower for silvipasture, riparian plantations and intercropping, most likely as result of the low level of familiarity with these practices (20%, 32%, 4% respectively). Respondents commented that agroforestry systems would have a neutral effect on farm income, and would increase land stewardship. In some cases, interested landusers indicated a willingness to participate in agroforestry systems even though they anticipated increases in overhead and labour intensity; however, this was only true if they held land stewardship as a priority. Landusers were more concerned with the economic aspects of agroforestry, as a determinant to the future adoptability of particular practices. Age, gender, farm operation and farm size were not correlated with the adoption of agroforestry systems.The success of agroforestry programs on farms in the study area is largely dependent on the attitudes and willingness of landusers to participate in non-traditional agricultural systems.     

Policies Affecting Forestry Entrepreneurship

Many demand and supply-side policies impede or foster forestry entrepreneurship. A study was conducted to consolidate existing knowledge on policies influencing forestry entrepreneurship in Finland, Norway, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and the USA, and to draw conclusions on these impeding and fostering factors. From the country studies it was difficult to find common structures on policies affecting forestry entrepreneurship. This is understandable because most policies in forestry are aimed at supporting sustainable forest management, wood production and ecological services of the forests rather than entrepreneurship as such. Despite the high variety of policies applied in the study countries, it can be concluded that strict public control on forests’ use and management potentially impedes forestry entrepreneurship. While these policies assist to correct market failure and to promote sustainability of forest management, they may also result into unnecessary and ineffective regulations that limit the opportunities for forestry entrepreneurship. A common feature promoting the demand for forestry entrepreneurship in some of the countries studied is the strong emphasis on forestry cooperatives, which were important institutions to support small-scale forestry entrepreneurship. In many study countries, different ad hoc programs are implemented to find new economic and entrepreneurial opportunities aside from the current use of wood and forests. Subsidies and tax incentives are commonly applied to reduce risks from making forestry investments or otherwise increase the economic return from timber production.     

SNP genetic polymorphisms of MDR-1, CYP1A2 and CYPB11 genes in four canine breeds upon toxicological evaluation

The fields of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics have become increasingly promising regarding the clinical application of genetic data to aid in prevention of adverse reactions. Specific screening tests can predict which animals express modified proteins or genetic sequences responsible for adverse effects associated with a drug. Among the genetic variations that have been investigated in dogs, the multidrug resistance gene (MDR) is the best studied. However, other genes such as CYP1A2 and CYP2B11 control the protein syntheses involved in the metabolism of many drugs. In the present study, the MDR-1, CYP1A2 and CYP2B11 genes were examined to identify SNP polymorphisms associated with these genes in the following four canine breeds: Uruguayan Cimarron, Border Collie, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd. The results revealed that several SNPs of the CYP1A2 and CYP2B11 genes are potential targets for drug sensitivity investigations.     

Molecular Marker Analysis of Soybean Plant Introductions with Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

ABSTRACT Molecular analysis of sources of resistance to plant pathogens should expedite and confirm novel gene discovery and consequently the development of disease resistant cultivars. Recently, soybean plant introductions (PIs) were identified that contain putative novel Rps genes for resistance to Phytophthora sojae. The number of resistance genes that confer resistance to P. sojae isolates OH17 (1b,1d,2,3a,3b,3c,4,5,6,7) and OH25 (1a,1b,1c,1k,7) was then determined in several of the PIs. The objective of this study was to determine if the Rps genes present in these PIs were associated with eight described Rps loci that have been mapped on soybean molecular linkage groups F, G, J, and N. Nine F(2:3) soybean populations were genotyped with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers linked to previously mapped Rps loci. The nine PI populations all had SSR markers associated (P < 0.01) with resistance to P. sojae isolate OH17 in the Rps1 region. Rps1c is a likely candidate in eight PIs but novel genes may also be possible, while novel genes may confer resistance in one PI to P. sojae isolate OHI7. Two or more Rps genes, including some that are potentially novel, confer resistance to P. sojae isolate OH25 in eight of the populations. However, based on the response to these two isolates, virulence already exists for at least some of the novel genes identified in this study.     

Genetic Analysis of Soybean Plant Introductions with Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

ABSTRACT Phytophthora sojae, which causes Phytophthora root and stem rot of soybean, is a serious disease worldwide and is managed primarily by deploying cultivars with resistance. Thirty-two soybean plant introductions (PIs), all but three of which were from South Korea, were proposed as new sources of single-gene resistance to P. sojae. The objective of this study was to characterize the inheritance of resistance to P. sojae in these PIs. Twenty-two soybean populations from crosses of these PIs and the susceptible cv. Williams were inoculated with P. sojae OH17 (vir 1b, 1d, 2, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4, 5, 6, 7), and OH25 (vir 1a, 1b, 1c, 1k, 7). These isolates were selected because they are virulent on soybeans with all known Rps genes and many Rps gene combinations. Thirteen of the twenty-two populations had consistent segregation responses following inoculations between the two generations. In two PIs, resistance was conferred by two genes to OH17 and three genes to OH25. Resistance to both isolates was conferred by a single gene in PI 398440 although the individual families were not resistant to the same isolates. The data suggest that six of the populations have three-Rps gene combinations as previously proposed, while another four may have either a novel Rps gene or a four-Rps gene combination. Based on this phenotypic analysis, novel and uncharacterized Rps genes may be present in this material. More importantly, these PIs may serve as sources of novel Rps genes that can be used to more effectively manage Phytophthora root and stem rot.     

Contrasting the financial efficiency of agroforestry practices in buffer zone management of Madhupur National Park, Bangladesh

This research contrasts the financial profitability of different agroforestry practices in community-based buffer zone management of Madhupur National Park (MNP), Bangladesh. This park is the second largest in Bangladesh and subjected to enormous anthropogenic pressure and land rights-related conflicts. This paper reports the different agroforestry practices of villagers in different modules of the buffer zone of MNP, identified by a participatory research approach. It then assesses the profitability of each module on the basis of cost–benefit analysis, net present value, internal rate of return, and annualized income. Results indicate three agroforestry systems were being practised in the buffer zone by the participants: agro-silviculture, agro-silvo-horticulture, and combined woodlot and agroforestry. Among these modules, agro-silvo-horticulture was the most profitable, followed by agro-silviculture then combined woodlot and agroforestry. We recognize that not all of the participants can practise intensive agroforestry; our results suggest that the community-based buffer zone management strategy for MNP would benefit from prioritizing agroforestry practices where possible. This will lead to more successful buffer zone management for the conservation of natural forests while supporting the development of local resource-dependent communities.     

Effect of dietary echium oil on growth, fatty acid composition and metabolism, gill prostaglandin production and macrophage activity in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.)

Echium oil (EO) is a vegetable oil in which percentages of stearidonic acid (STA, 18:4n‐3) often exceed those of its n‐6 series equivalent γ‐linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n‐6). Stearidonic acid is elongated to 20:4n‐3 in fish cell cultures, suggesting that EO could be included in diets for marine fish to increase tissue 20:4n‐3 and 20:3n‐6 and, thereby, modulate eicosanoid metabolism. Thus, the present study aimed to test the hypotheses that dietary EO would increase tissue 20:4n‐3 and 20:3n‐6 and modulate immune function and eicosanoid production in juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) fed a diet where fish oil (FO) was replaced by EO. Duplicate groups of juvenile cod (initial weight ca. 4 g) were fed for 18 weeks on fish meal‐based diets (55% protein and 16% lipid) that differed in oil source (FO or EO). There were no significant differences in growth and feed efficiency, hepato‐somatic index, percentages of liver and flesh lipids and lipid class compositions for cod fed FO and EO. Percentages of 18:4n‐3, 18:3n‐6 and 20:3n‐6 in the total lipids of flesh and liver were higher, and percentages of 20:5n‐3 and 20:4n‐6 were both lower in fish fed EO than in those given FO. In flesh, the increased 18:3n‐6 and 18:4n‐3 were primarily located in phosphatidylcholine and, to a lesser extent, phosphatidylethanolamine, whereas 20:3n‐6 concentration was highest in phosphatidylinositol. Desaturation of 18:3n‐3 (to tetraene products) and 20:5n‐3 to 22:6n‐3 in hepatocytes was very low but was increased by dietary EO. Echium oil significantly decreased the production of prostaglandin F from gill cells stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, and reduced head kidney macrophage activity, but had no effect on serum lysozyme activity or basic haematology. In conclusion, dietary EO may have beneficial effects on some immune parameters including eicosanoid metabolism in marine fish although this may be primarily because of decreased 20:4n‐6 rather than increasing tissue levels of 20:3n‐6 or 20:4n‐3.