Managing the lactating sow for optimal weaning and rebreeding performance.

Management of the lactating sow influences milk production and subsequent reproduction through changes in nutrient intake. The management goal during lactation is to maximize feed intake. Decreasing the effective environmental temperature, increasing the nutrient density of the lactation diet, maintaining fresh adequate supplies of feed and water, and preventing excess weight gain during the prior gestation period will increase nutrient intake during lactation. Effective environmental temperature of the lactating sow can be maintained in the thermoneutral zone by using drip cooling, increased ventilation rates and flooring materials with superior conductive properties. Sow parity, genetics, litter size, and disease level will also influence feed intake. Management practices must account for these factors and, thus, should be tailored to individual farm situations to ensure adequate nutrient intake and prevent aberrations in subsequent reproductive performance.     

Differences in Wheat Cultivar Response to N Supply. I: Differences in Grain Yield Formation

Two-year field trials with winter wheat cultivars Batis and Toronto were conducted in Southern Bavaria, Germany, to investigate the possible causes of cultivar differences in response to N supply varying in total amount and time of application. Cultivar-related differences in grain yields were observed in treatments with low and medium N supply. High doses of N supply resulted in grain yield adjustment or grain yield advantage for cv. Toronto. The results of this study revealed a consistent, genotypic pattern in response to N fertilization in spite of strong seasonal effects. Systematic modifications in canopy growth rates in response to N supply were of particular relevance and a main factor for differences in tillering intensity resulting in modified stand densities. In the present study, cultivar differences in spike development and interactions with N supply related more to abortion than to initiation processes for number of spikelets and number of flowers per spikelet. High grain density (grains per m²) of cv. Toronto was evident during reproduction stages even under conditions of medium N supply. However, decreased growth rates during the later part of grain filling in combination with low 1000 grain weight, which was barely modified by N fertilization, allowed only partial utilization of this potential. It is assumed that sink limitations were of particular relevance for grain yield development in cv. Toronto, while cv. Batis combined a less intense response to N supply with more stability in the development of grain yield components.     

Relationship between blood iron parameters and trichinellosis in swine

Reduced levels of total iron binding capacity and unsaturated iron binding capacity were observed in the blood of trichinous and iron-injected trichinous pigs. No change was observed in their serum iron and saturation concentration levels. Also, reduced iron concentration levels were observed in the livers of trichinous pigs, while increased iron concentration levels were observed in the spleens of trichinous pigs and the livers and spleens of iron-injected pigs. No difference was found with regard to weight gains, number of larvae per gram of tissues, or histologic characteristics of 'nurse cells'.     

Salinity Tolerance of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) with Reference to Endogenous and Exogenous Abscisic Acid

Experiments conducted m a phytotron on three rice varieties of different salinity tolerance revealed an increase in the content of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) with increasing NaCl salinity in IR20 (semi salt-tolerant), but in Pokkali (salt-tolerant) and IR28 (salt-sensitive) the increase in ABA content was marginal. Under sahnity stress, in general, 5 weekly sprayings of ABA (10^-4 mol L^-1) decreased Na and K concentrations in the shoot to the extent of 29.5 % and 3.3 %, respectively. However, ABA application significantly improved the K/Na ratio as well as the chlorophyll fluorescence decrease ratio (Rfd, indicator for potential photosynthetic activity), the number of green leaves per plant and the shoot dry weight. The response of IR20 and IR28 to ABA application was significantly better than that of Pokkali. Increasing salinity caused marked nutrient imbalances, decreased Rfd values and shoot dry weight. The results are discussed in relation to possible mechanism of salinity tolerance.     

A blind test of the serological response of dogs to infection with Taenia ovis

Fifty six dogs of mixed age and sex were acquired from farms in the Otago/Southland region, and maintained at the Hydatid Research Unit, Taieri, where 43 were each fed two Tueniu ovis cysts. All were bled fortnightly for six or 12 weeks. Coded sera were sent to Wallaceville Animal Research Centre for testing using ELISA, with antigen from T. ovis scoleces. Dog treatments were identified after all tests were complete. A discriminant level was derived from the mean absorbance value plus three standard deviations of 56 sera taken at time zero and 78 sera from serially bled uninfected dogs. None of these 134 sera registered as a false positive using this discriminant level. The data showed no significant deviation from normality, and the expected frequency of the occurrence of false positives is therefore less than 0.14%. Four weeks after infection 63% of dogs proved to be infected were serologically positive, rising to 78% after 6 weeks. When worms were removed by anthelmintic treatment, ELISA absorbance levels decreased. Four weeks after removal 70% of previously infected dogs remained positive, decreasing to 30% after 6 weeks. Six weeks after infection the sensitivity of the test was 78%, and the specificity 63%. However, if dogs with positive ELISA absorbance levels, but which did not purge worms, were regarded as having had worms, the respective figures would be 82% and 100%. The latter figures are similar to our previously published laboratory results. The test is of comparable efficiency to arecoline purgation for surveillance, and has the additional advantage of detecting infection in the majority of those dogs that have been infected for three weeks or more but fail to pass worms on purgation, and a substantial proportion of those infected dogs that were treated by their owners prior to presenting them for purgation in order to avoid detection of infection.     

Noninfectious nonerosive arthritis in two dogs

Two cases of noninfectious, nonerosive arthritis are presented. The diagnostic features, clinical course and treatment are reviewed. Potential etiologies are discussed in the light of relatively little current material on this subject in the veterinary literature.