Spatial variability of the physical quality of soil from management zones

Precision Agriculture - The uniform management of soil, without considering the local soil spatial variability of its properties, may accelerate its degradation process. The objectives of this...     

IBR and BVD control: the key to successful herd management

Control of IBR and BVD should be possible in Europe. Effective vaccines and reliable tools for monitoring are available. Systematic approach and strict implementation of control measures are essential. Voluntary or mandatory programs are ongoing on regional or national level in a lot of countries. Successful programs put pressure on surrounding regions/countries to initiate control program as well.     

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Analysis Reveals Both Broad-Spectrum and Isolate-Specific QTL for Scab Resistance in an Apple Progeny Challenged with Eight Isolates of Venturia inaequalis

ABSTRACT The major scab resistance gene Vf, extensively used in apple breeding programs, was recently overcome by the new races 6 and 7 of the fungal pathogen Venturia inaequalis. New, more durable, scab resistance genes are needed in apple breeding programs. F(1) progeny derived from the cross between partially resistant apple cv. Discovery and apple hybrid 'TN10-8' were inoculated in the greenhouse with eight isolates of V. inaequalis, including isolates able to overcome Vf. One major resistance gene, Vg, and seven quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified for resistance to these isolates. Three QTL on linkage group (LG)12, LG13, and LG15 were clearly isolate-specific. Another QTL on LG5 was detected with two isolates. Three QTL on LG1, LG2, and LG17 were identified with most isolates tested, but not with every isolate. The QTL on LG2 displayed alleles conferring different specificities. This QTL co-localized with the major scab resistance genes Vr and Vh8, whereas the QTL on LG1 colocalized with Vf. These results contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of the V. inaequalis-Malus x domestica interaction.     

An outbreak of equine influenza virus in vaccinated horses in Italy is due to an H3N8 strain closely related to recent North American representatives of the Florida sub-lineage

In December 2005, equine influenza virus infection was confirmed as the cause of clinical respiratory disease in vaccinated horses in Apulia, Italy. The infected horses had been vaccinated with a vaccine that contained strains representatives from both the European (A/eq/Suffolk/89) and American (A/eq/Newmarket/1/93) H3N8 influenza virus lineages, and the H7N7 strain A/eq/Praga/56. Genetic characterization of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the virus from the outbreak, indicated that the isolate (A/eq/Bari/2005) was an H3N8 strain closely related to recent representatives (Kentucky/5/02-like) of the American sub-lineage Florida, that was introduced in Italy through movement of infected horses from a large outbreak described in 2003 in United Kingdom. Strain A/eq/Bari/2005 displayed 9 amino acid changes in the HA1 subunit protein with respect to the reference American strain A/eq/Newmarket/1/93 contained in the vaccine. Four changes were localized in the antigenic regions C-D and likely accounted for the vaccine failure.     

Fish welfare and quality as affected by pre-slaughter and slaughter management

. A reliable assessment of animal welfare-suffering and of its impact on product quality requires a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account fish behaviour and the different biochemical and physiological processes involved. This might be done by the contemporary study of changes of indicators of brain function, endocrine responses, post mortem tissue biochemical processes and quality changes. This work reviewed some of the most used indices of stress at the time of slaughter, commercial slaughter methods and related stress effects on physical and biochemical parameters of fish quality. The set of the available data seemed to indicate that, although of some results appear contradictory, pre-slaughter and slaughter stressful practices could have an important effect on the flesh quality in fish. A clear effect emerged mostly on the physical properties of flesh, because severe stress at slaughter time exhausted muscular energies, produced more lactic acid, reduced muscular pH, increased the rate of rigor mortis onset. In this way they could have significant negative effects on technological traits, flesh quality and keeping quality of fish. Asphyxia and electrically stunned fish were more stressed than spiked, knocked and live chilled fish. Combining various methods together might be a more satisfactory strategy for both animal welfare and product quality.     

Concentrate: forage ratio in the diet of dairy cows does not alter milk physical attributes

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of concentrate-to-forage ratio (C:F) on the performance, blood profile, and milk physicochemical characteristics of mid-lactation cows fed a corn silage-based diet. Twenty four Holstein cows, with BW 575?±?70 kg, body condition score (BCS) 3.1?±?0.2, milk yield 18.4?±?3.0 kg, and days in milk (DIM) 121?±?21 were randomly allocated into three treatments with C:F ratios of 35:65, 45:55, and 55:45 on a dry matter (DM) basis. Data was submitted to analyses of variance and regression. Increasing C:F from 35 to 55 % linearly enhanced milk production (22 to 23.6 kg day^?1) and serum urea nitrogen (16.8 to 19.6 mg/dL), while it linearly reduced lactose and fat in milk (4.8 to 4.6 %; 3.9 to 3.6 %, respectively). Body weight, BCS, milk acidity, ethanol stability, coagulation time, and milk and blood mineral contents did not differ among treatments. During the last period of measurements, increased C:F reduced urinary pH and milk urea nitrogen. Changes of concentrate-to-forage proportion from 35 to 55 % increased milk yield, altered chemical composition without changing BW, BCS, acidity, stability, and mineral content of milk and blood attributes.     

Development of apple powdery mildew on sources of resistance to Podosphaera leucotricha, exposed to an inoculum virulent against the major resistance gene Pl-2

The major resistance gene Pl-2 in apple has recently been shown to be overcome by a virulent population of powdery mildew, Podosphaera leucotricha , in genotypes of the fourth generation after introgression of Pl-2 from crab apple, Malus zumi . Tests of pathogenicity in controlled conditions and observations in an orchard showed that the initial progenitor of Pl-2 , MAL 68/1, was overcome by a virulent inoculum. As a consequence, all selections derived from MAL 68/1 may lose their resistance to powdery mildew, if Pl-2 is used alone. Sources of resistance other than Pl-2 remained efficient to the virulent population: M. hupehensis , M. mandshurica , M. robusta , M. sargentii , M. sieboldii , D12, Mildew Immune Selection and 'White Angel'. The combination of Pl-2 with quantitative resistance genes resulted in a high level of resistance.     

Defining and designing plant architectural ideotypes to control epidemics?

Ideotypes are a popular concept for plant breeders, who designate as such the ideal combinations of traits in a particular genotype to reach a pre-set production objective within a given socio-economic context. The historical, ‘genetic’ view of ideotypes has been more recently extended to cover the design of plant genotypes for specific cropping systems (the ‘agronomic’ view), or even the ideal combination of parameters, identified from formal or simulation modeling, to a specific agronomic problem (the ‘modelling’ view). These different forms of ideotypes in turn lead to different strategies for breeding plants. This paper will briefly describe, analyse and discuss some applications of these ideotype views, using the specific case of architectural traits of plant and crop canopies to limit the epidemic development of pests and diseases in crops. It is not intended to be an exhaustive and objective review of the existing literature on plant ideotypes, but rather to express as an ‘opinion’ paper the views discussed and elaborated among participants to the EpiArch network.     

Sequence analysis of rDNA intergenic spacer region (IGS) as a tool for phylogenetic studies in Trichoderma spp.

Different from ribosomal genes, which contain highly conserved sequences that are detected in all organisms, the intergenic spacer of rDNA (IGS) appears to be the most rapidly-evolving spacer region. For this reason we tested this region for phylogenetic studies. This report focuses on the study of IGS sequences of isolates belonging to Trichoderma section (T. viride, T. koningii, T. hamatum, T. erinaceus, T. asperellum) and Pachybasium section (T. harzianum, T. crassum, T. fascicu…