Agroforestry for Livelihood Security in Agrarian Landscapes of the Padma Floodplain in Bangladesh

In the Padma floodplain of Bangladesh, the traditional system of agriculture has become unsustainable due to high population growth. Mango-based agroforestry which has been practiced by the farmers since the 1990s, is a promising alternative and is considered as one of the few options to lift farmers out of poverty and improve livelihood security. This paper examines the potential of mango-based agroforestry to improve livelihoods, using data collected by rapid rural appraisal, farmer participatory research, stakeholder analysis and a farm household survey in six representative villages in the floodplain. Farmers with the least land were found to allocate a higher percentage of their land to agroforestry, and the increased income from agroforestry compared to other agricultural systems helps reduce relative poverty. This income maintains basic household needs, providing food security and fuelwood, and contributes to healthcare, housing and sanitation conditions, and meeting educational expenses.     

Characterization of Capsaicinoids and Antioxidants in Hot Peppers as Influenced by Hybrid and Harvesting Stage

Studies were conducted to investigate the accumulation pattern of capsaicinoids and antioxidants such as carotenoids, ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds in three hot pepper hybrids at five different harvesting stages: immature green, mature green, color break, red ripe and dried fruit. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin contents were maximum at mature green stage in both Sky Red (61.30 and 43.76 mg/100 g) and Wonder King (43.93 and 26.16 mg/100 g) hybrids, whereas Maha hybrid reached top values at color break stage (39.13 and 24.20 mg/100 g). The accumulation of total carotenoids showed an 8-fold increase from red ripe (12 mg/100 g) to dried fruit stage (96 mg/100 g), while a noticeable decline by 76 % was observed for ascorbic acid at same harvesting stages (150 vs. 36 mg/100 g, respectively). The three hot pepper hybrids showed great variations in the evolution of total phenolic contents during harvesting stages. Overall, the mature green stage was ideal to acquire maximum pungency due to capsaicinoids, while peppers at red ripe stage were best sources of ascorbic acid and dried fruits contained higher levels of total carotenoids.     

Responses of energy balance, physiology, and production for transition dairy cows fed with a low-energy prepartum diet during hot season

Twenty multiparous Chinese Holstein dairy cows calving in hot summer (S group), were compared with 20 similar control cows calving in cool autumn (C group). Diets were the same for both groups; prepartum diets had relatively low energy density. Average temperature–humidity index was 76.5 and 53.0 in summer and autumn, respectively. S group cows had significantly higher rectal temperatures (39.6 vs. 39.0 °C) and respiration rates (79.0 vs. 31.3 breaths/min) than C group, and consumed less feed (prepartum 8.0 vs. 12.3 kg/day, postpartum 16.3 vs. 21.2 kg/day). Calculated energy balance (EB) was ?7.98 vs. ?5.15 Mcal/day for S group prepartum and postpartum, respectively. In contrast, EB was 1.36 vs. ?2.03 Mcal/day for C group prepartum and postpartum, respectively. S group produced significantly less milk than C group by 15.4 % (5.2 kg/day) and 26.8 % (10.2 kg/d) for milk yield and energy-corrected milk, respectively. Percentages of milk fat (3.28 vs. 4.29 %), protein (3.08 vs. 3.33 %), and solids-not-fat (8.46 vs. 8.78 %) were significantly lower for S group. Milk urea nitrogen (19.54 vs. 13.31 mg/dL) was significantly higher in S group. Significantly lower feed efficiency was observed in S group (1.56 vs. 1.66). During the entire transition period, S group had significantly lower circulating glucose levels. S group had significantly higher levels of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) prepartum, but after 14 days in milk, NEFA was significantly lower. We conclude that increasing dietary energy density during transition period (especially prepartum) is necessary to minimize adverse effects of hot season.     

Effect of vitamins,probiotics and protein level on semen traits and seminal plasma biochemical parameters of post-moult male broiler breeders

1. A study was designed to investigate the comparative effect of supplementary vitamin E, vitamin C, probiotics and dietary crude protein concentration on semen traits and seminal plasma biochemical parameters in male broiler breeders after Zn-induced moulting.

2. A total of 180 male broiler breeders were induced to moult at 65 weeks of age by mixing ZnO in diet at the rate 3000?mg/kg of feed. After moulting, the males were divided into six groups that were given feed supplemented with: vitamin C (500?IU/kg), vitamin E (100?IU/kg), protein (140?g CP/kg), probiotics (50?mg/kg) and the combination of these components, while one group was kept as a control. Semen samples were collected weekly and semen volume, spermatozoa concentration, motility and dead spermatozoa percentage were determined. Seminal plasma was separated to determine the concentration of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), homocysteine, paraoxonase (PON1), arylesterase, ceruloplasmin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities.

3. Semen volume was significantly higher in the vitamin E and C groups compared to the control. Spermatozoa motility was higher in the vitamin E group and dead spermatozoa percentage was significantly lower in the vitamin C group compared with the control group.

4. Seminal plasma TAC was higher in the vitamin E group, homocysteine was lower in the vitamin C and E groups. PON1 was higher in the combination group. Arylesterase increased significantly in the vitamin C and combination groups over time. Seminal plasma AST was significantly lower in the vitamin C and E supplemented groups whereas ALT decreased significantly only in the vitamin E group compared with the control. Higher concentrations of ceruloplasmin were observed in the combination group compared with the other treatments.

5. It was concluded that additional vitamin E and C or their combination was the most potent nutrient treatment for improving the semen traits and seminal plasma biochemical characteristics in male broiler breeders after Zn-induced moulting.     

Growth response of the salt-sensitive and the salt-tolerant sugarcane genotypes to potassium nutrition under salt stress

Adequate regulation of mineral nutrients plays a fundamental role in sustaining crop productivity and quality under salt stress. We investigated the ameliorative role of potassium (K as K₂SO₄) in overcoming the detrimental effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) on sugarcane genotypes differing in salt tolerance. Four levels of NaCl (0, 100, 130 and 160 mM) were imposed in triplicate on plants grown in gravel by supplying 0 and 3 mM K. The results revealed that application of NaCl significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased sodium (Na⁺) but decreased K⁺ concentrations in shoots and roots of both genotypes with a resultant decrease in K⁺/Na⁺ ratios. Physical growth parameters and juice quality were also markedly reduced with increasing NaCl concentrations compared with controls. However, addition of K alleviated the deleterious effects of NaCl and improved plant growth under salt stress. Cane yield and yield attributes of both genotypes were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher where K was added. Juice quality was also significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved with the application of K at various NaCl levels. The results suggested that added K interfered with Na⁺, reduced its uptake and accumulation in plant tissues and consequently improved plant growth and juice quality in sugarcane.     

Physiological mechanisms for antagonistic interaction of manganese and aluminum in barley

In a previous study, we found that the combined addition of Al and Mn in the culture solution could alleviate the inhibition of barley growth by addition of Al or Mn alone. The current experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to investigate the physiological mechanisms of the antagonistic interaction using two barley genotypes, XZ16 (both Al and Mn tolerant) and ZU9 (both Al and Mn sensitive). The treatments consisted of three Al levels (0, 0.1, and 0.5?mM) and three Mn levels (0, 0.2, and 1.0?mM) and their combinations, and a completely randomized block design was used with three replications. The combined treatments had larger plant biomass, lower Al and Mn concentrations and accumulation in plant tissues, lower malondialdehyde content, and higher root ATPases activities, compared with Al or Mn alone treatment. The two genotypes had the similar trend in the antagonistic interaction, with ZU9 being more predominant than XZ16.     

The residual level of isoprothiolane in paddy field surface water and its acute toxicity level on freshwater prawn,Macrobrachium lanchesteri

Paddy and Water Environment - The application of isoprothiolane in rice cultivation may give a risk to the aquatic ecosystem. The present study was undertaken to determine the level of...     

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia – a comprehensive review

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a serious disease of goats, occasionally sheep and wild ruminants, caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp). The disease is characterized by severe serofibrinous pleuropneumonia, very high morbidity (～100%), and mortality (80–100%). CCPP affects goats in more than 40 countries of the world thereby posing a serious threat to goat farming around the globe. The characteristic clinical signs of CCPP are severe respiratory distress associated with sero-mucoid nasal discharge, coughing, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleurodynia, and general malaise. In later stages, severe lobar fibrinous pleuropneumonia, profuse fluid accumulation in pleural cavity, severe congestion of lungs and adhesion formation is observed. Mycoplasmal antigen interactions with host immune system and its role in CCPP pathogenesis are not clearly understood. CCPP is not a zoonotic disease. Diagnosis has overcome cumbersome and lengthy conventional tests involving culture, isolation, and identification by advanced serological (LAT, cELISA) or gene-based amplification of DNA (PCR, RFLP, and hybridization) and sequencing. The latex agglutination test (LAT) is rapid, simple, and better test for field and real-time diagnosis applicable to whole blood or serum and is more sensitive than the CFT and easier than the cELISA. Moreover, the studies on antibiotic sensitivity and exploration of novel antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, macrolides) can help in better therapeutic management besides preventing menace of antibiotic resistance. Re-visiting conventional prophylactic measures focussing on developing novel strain-based or recombinant vaccines using specific antigens (capsular or cellular) should be the most important strategy for controlling the disease worldwide.     

Comparative evaluation of different therapeutic protocols for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in Himalayan Pashmina goats

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Therapeutic management of contagious caprine pleuroneumonia (CCPP) involves mostly the use of oxytetracycline followed by enrofloxacin and rarely tylosin. In...