Changes in the physical properties of two Acacia compost-based growing media and their effects on carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) seedling development

In arid zones, the use of compost for plant production in forest nurseries is hindered by a lack of water. The main objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the physical stability of composts produced from shredded branches of Acacia cyanophylla and A. cyclops subjected to a repeated drying and wetting cycles, similar to those used at the operational scale in nurseries in arid regions and to compare these composts with a standard peat-vermiculite (PV) substrate; (2) to identify the relevant substrate physical variables that correlate with seedling growth. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) was cultivated during a production cycle of 27 weeks in a completely randomized block experiment. Substrate physical variables were measured at the beginning, middle and end of the experiment. Seedling growth variables were evaluated over the course of the production cycle, while gas exchange and water-relation variables were measured during a wetting and drying cycle at the end of the experiment. All three substrates produced vigorous seedlings with well-developed root systems that colonized the entire root plug. The growth of seedlings produced in the PV substrate was better than those grown in the compost-based substrates. No significant differences in gas exchange capacities and water relation variables were observed among the three substrates at the end of experiment with the exception of net photosynthesis, which was higher for the PV substrate at high substrate matric potential. Excessive drainage was negatively correlated with growth variables while water availability in the early growth phase and air porosity towards the end of experiment were positively correlated. Performance of the two composts could be increased by improving their initial structure and stability and by adjusting the irrigation regime.     

A major QTL for gluten strength in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum)

Gluten strength is an important characteristic, determining the end product quality of durum wheat semolina. To identify the genetic basis of gluten strength in North Dakota durum cultivars, a doubled haploid population was developed from the cross of a weak gluten cultivar ‘Rugby’ and a strong gluten cultivar ‘Maier’. A framework linkage map consisting of 228 markers was constructed and used with phenotypic data on gluten strength (measured by sedimentation volume) to conduct single- and two-locus QTL analyses. Only one consistent QTL (QGs.ndsu-1B) contributing up to 90% of the phenotypic or 93% of the genotypic variation was detected on 1BS. No QTL × QTL or QTL × environment interactions were observed. The QGs.ndsu-1B was flanked by two DArT markers which were converted to STS markers and used along with SSR and EST-SSRs to develop a map of 1BS. QTL analysis delineated QGs.ndsu-1B in a 7.3 cM region flanked by an STS marker (STS-wPt2395) and a SSR marker (wmc85). The adapted background of this material and availability of PCR-based markers closely associated with this locus represent invaluable resources for marker-assisted introgression of gluten strength into other durum wheat varieties. A single QTL segregating in this population also makes it an ideal target for map-based cloning.     

Egg production, egg quality and crop content of Rhode Island Red hens grazing on natural tropical vegetation

The aim of this experiment was to study the suitability of the outdoor system for Rhode Island Red hens under the tropical conditions of southern Mexico. Twelve floor pens, each containing four birds, were divided randomly into two groups. The first group was raised indoors only, while each of the second group replicates had access to an outdoor area with natural-grown vegetation from 0800 to 1700 hours daily. Both groups fed ad libitum on a commercial layers diet. The results revealed no differences in body weight between treatments. The outdoor group recorded significantly higher egg laying rate (86.90 vs. 78.05 %), higher egg mass (50.66 vs. 45.30 g egg/hen/day), and higher feed intake (103.70 vs. 97.67 g/day) versus the indoor group. The outdoor group had eggs with darker yellow yolks (9.46 vs. 5.46), lower yolk, and higher albumen proportions (P?<?0.05) versus the indoor group. The crop content of the outdoor hens consisted of 86.55 % concentrated feed, 6.30 % plant material, 2.27 % grit stones, 1.69 % snails and oyster shells, 1.25 % seeds, 0.95 % farm wastes, and 0.99 % insects, worms, and larvae. Of the outdoor hens, 43.1 % was observed to be in the range at each scanning time. The outdoor system in the tropics had beneficial effects on Rhode Island Red hen performance, and the hens utilized the outdoor area effectively and obtained various feed items.     

Serological Prevalence of Brucellosis among Donkeys (Equus asinus) in Some Local Government Areas of Yobe State,Nigeria

A cross-sectional study of prevalence of antibody against Brucella organisms was conducted among donkeys in three local government areas of Yobe State, northeastern Nigeria. Three hundred adult donkeys of both sexes were sampled, with 100 samples each from local government areas Bursari, Gaidam, and Machina. The overall serological prevalence of brucellosis among donkeys in the three local government areas by both rose bengal plate test (RBPT) and microtiter serum agglutination test (MSAT) was 15 (5.0%), of which five (1.7%) were male and 10 (3.3%) were female donkeys. The overall prevalence by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was 10 (3.3%), of which four (1.33%) were male and six (2.0%) were female donkeys. There was a significant association between the female sex of the donkeys and the serological reaction to RBPT, MSAT, and cELISA (P < .05). Of the 100 sera sampled from Bursari, five (5%) were positive by RBPT/MSAT, which comprised two (2%) male and three (3.0%) female donkeys. There was no significant association between the sex of the donkeys and the serological reaction (P > .05). Of the 100 samples from Gaidam, four (4.0%) tested positive by RBPT/MSAT, of which one (1.0%) was male and three (3.0%) were female donkeys (P < .05). Six (6.0%) of the 100 donkey sera samples from Machina tested positive by both RBPT and MSAT, which comprised two (2.0%) male and four (4.0%) female donkeys. There was no significant association between the male sex of the donkeys and the serological reaction (P > .05); however, there was a significant association between the female sex of the donkeys and the serological reaction to both RBPT and MSAT (P < .05). Of the 100 samples from Bursari and the 100 samples from Gaidam, three (3%) from each were positive by cELISA, which comprised one (1%) male and two (2%) female donkeys. There was no statistically significant association between the sex of donkeys and the serological reaction (P > .05). Of the 100 samples tested from Machina, two (2%) male and two (2%) female donkeys were positive for Brucella antibodies by cELISA. No statistically significant association was demonstrated between the sex of the donkeys and the serological reaction to cELISA (P > .05). Because of the importance of donkeys to humans as a source of draft power, infected donkeys could be a source of Brucella infection to humans through close contact, through the respiratory system via contaminated dust or droplets, and through aborted fetuses and discharges from the genitalia.     

High diversity, low spatial structure and rapid pathotype evolution in Moroccan populations of Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei

Limited information is available about the spatial distribution and evolution of Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei populations in North African countries, such as Morocco. Frequencies of virulence alleles in B. graminis populations are mainly driven by selection exerted by host resistance genes in addition to neutral processes such as migration and genetic drift. In Morocco, in contrast to Europe, there has been no systematic deployment of resistant cultivars, although some R genes are present in the traditional varieties. This is expected to result in the evolution of pathotypes with virulence to different R genes, and higher diversity in Morocco compared to Europe. To test this, we used 24 differential cultivars to characterise 72 isolates from Morocco in 2009. We assessed diversity and spatial structure of pathotypes and compared them to past isolates from the same area (collected in 1992). There was a high diversity of pathotypes. Isolates from 2009 were distinct from isolates from 1992, due to loss of virulence to Mla12, increased virulence to Mla8, Mla3 and Mlk1, and decreased virulence to Mla6, Ml(Ru2), Mlg and MlLa. Many virulences were different from those observed in European and Asian populations of B. graminis. At the spatial scale investigated, airborne dispersal and a lack of strong selection in the host population likely prevented the formation of population structure and allowed the accumulation of high isolate diversity. The evolution of novel and distinct pathotypes since 1992 is likely attributable to gene flow from Europe and selection by the host population in Morocco.     

Treatment of Olive Oil Mill Wastewater by Silica–Alginate–Fungi Biocomposites

Olive oil mill wastewater (OMW) generates a wide variety of pollutants depending on the production process and other factors such as olive varieties and cultivation system. Efforts to mitigate the impact of these effluents in the environment have been made by developing more efficient treatment systems in terms of removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), color, organic compounds, and toxicity. This study is the first that reports the potential of a treatment of OMW by biocomposites of silica?Calginate?Cfungi (Pleurotus sajor caju and Trametes versicolor). The treatment by biocomposites can be considered as a three-step process responsible for the removal of the compounds: (1) adsorption of reactants on the monolithic structure and diffusion to the biological active sites, (2) biodegradation by the fungi, and (3) diffusion of the products resulting from the biodegradation. Both treatments tested showed potential capacity to remove organic compounds, color, COD, and toxicity. The T. versicolor biocomposites were the most effective and responsible for the reduction in color (from 38.4 to 44.9?%), COD (from 42.8 to 63.8?%), and total phenolic content (from 85.3 to 88.7?%) after 29?days of treatment. The toxicity reduction on Portuguese OMW was minimal, but the use of composites on the Moroccan OMW caused a 9.5- to 19-fold reduction in toxicity. Furthermore, the biocomposites showed potential for re-utilization for more 29?days of treatment.     

Color,Yield, and Texture of Heat and High Pressure Processed Mussels During Ice Storage

High pressure processing (HPP) can shuck (open) shellfish, saving labor while conferring food safety and yield benefits. Mostly male New Zealand Greenshell? mussels (Perna canaliculus) were HPP-shucked (3 min at 500 MPa, 30°C) and assessed during 6-days’ ice storage (0°C) for cooked yield, color, and texture compared with heat processed (1 min at 70°C) and untreated samples. HPP-treated mussels had improved yields but lost more weight during ice storage. Male mussels from all treatments became darker with ice storage. HPP-treated mussels had firmer adductor muscles, while their guts required higher maximum force but less energy to puncture them.     

FISH CONSUMPTION AND FOOD SECURITY: A DISAGGREGATED ANALYSIS BY TYPES OF FISH AND CLASSES OF CONSUMERS IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses fish consumption and preference patterns for fish species by income groups, and by urban/rural divide in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The analysis is based on primary data collected by the WorldFish Center and its partner institutes by means of a survey of 5,931 households in the selected countries. The FAO database and other published materials were also used to analyze trends in fish consumption. Freshwater fish species constitute a major share in total per capita fish consumption in most of these countries. Pelagic and demersal marine fish are the main contributor to per capita total fish consumption in the countries with longer coastal boundaries (such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand), and in the coastal regions within each country. Results suggest that fish contributes between 15% and 53% of the total animal protein intake in these countries. Fish consumption varies widely with economic position of the households, in terms of both per capita consumption and type of fish species. Per capita fish consumption increases with increase in income. The share of fish protein in total animal protein expenditure is higher for lower income groups, demonstrating their dependence on fish as a source of animal protein. Poor people consume mostly low-price fish and rich people spend a significant portion of their fish budget on expensive fish. Per capita fish consumption is substantially higher in rural areas than in urban areas.     

Host and virus effects on reversion in cassava affected by cassava brown streak disease

The phenomenon of virus‐infected plants naturally recovering health is known as ‘reversion’, and is a type of resistance mechanism exploited in some crop plants for disease control. Various parameters were investigated that affect reversion from cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) in three cassava varieties (Albert, Kaleso and Kiroba) that differ in levels of resistance to the disease. Cassava plants were inoculated by grafting with two virus species (Ugandan cassava brown streak virus, UCBSV and Cassava brown streak virus, CBSV) that cause CBSD, and the plants grown from them were subsequently assessed for reversion. The rate of reversion depended on the cassava variety, virus species, and the length and position of the stem cuttings used. A significantly high proportion of progenies were virus‐free (reverted) for the resistant variety Kaleso (64·1% for UCBSV and 54·9% of CBSV), compared to the tolerant variety Kiroba (56·7 and 45·5%) and the susceptible control Albert (38·9 and 35·1%). The highest number of virus‐free plants was generated from short 10 cm long cuttings (e.g. 60·1% for Kaleso for CBSV) compared to 20 cm long stem cuttings (e.g. 21·4% for Albert). Cuttings taken from upper stems of diseased plants produced most virus‐free progenies compared to middle and lower parts. More than 50% virus‐free plants were obtained in the resistant and tolerant varieties. This is a highly valuable finding and could be exploited for developing strategies to control the current CBSD epidemic in eastern and central Africa.