Relationship between calving difficulty and fertility traits in first‐parity Iranian Holsteins under standard and recursive models

The main objective of this study was to estimate the genetic and phenotypic relationships between calving difficulty (CD) and fertility traits, including success at first service (SF), number of inseminations to conception (INS), interval from calving to first service (CTFS), interval between first and last service (IFL) and days open (DO), in first‐parity Iranian Holsteins under standard (SMMs) and recursive (RMMs) mixed models. The data analysed in this paper included 29 950 records on CD and fertility traits, collected in the time period from 1995 to 2014 by the Animal Breeding and Improvement Center of Iran. Under all observed SMMs and RMMs, five bivariate sire‐maternal grandsire models (ten bivariate analyses in total) were used for the analyses. Recursive models were applied with a view to consider that CD influences the fertility traits in the subsequent reproductive cycle and the genetic determination of CD and fertility traits by fitting CD as covariate for any of the fertility traits studied. The existence of such cause‐and‐effect is considered in RMMs but not in SMMs. Our results implied a statistically non‐zero magnitude of the causal relationships between CD and all the fertility traits studied, with the former influencing the latter. The causal effects of CD on SF (on the observed scale, %), INS, CTFS, IFL and DO were ?2.23%, 0.10 services, 1.93 days, 3.76 days and 5.61 days, respectively. Direct genetic correlations between CD and the fertility traits under both models were not statistically different from zero (95% HPD interval included zero), except for the correlation between CD and CTFS, which were 0.197 and 0.134 under SMM and RMM, respectively, indicating that genes associated with difficult births also increase intervals between calving and the first insemination afterwards. Comparison of both models by the deviance information criterion (DIC) demonstrated the plausibility of RMMs over SMMs.     

Assessing the within-herd prevalence of Coxiella burnetii milk-shedder cows using a real-time PCR applied to bulk tank milk

Thirty-seven bulk tank milk (BTM) and individual milk samples of all contributing cows were tested for Coxiella burnetii detection by a real-time PCR assay and used to assess the relationship between the BTM PCR-response and (i) the within-herd prevalence of milk-shedder cows and (ii) the proportion of heavy milk-shedder cows. The within-herd prevalence of milk-shedder cows (i) was found to be significantly higher in herds with a positive BTM and (ii) increased significantly with the estimated titre in Coxiella burnetii obtained in positive BTM. The proportion of heavy milk-shedder cows among the milk-shedder cows increased significantly with an increased estimated titre in Coxiella burnetii in positive BTM. Therefore, a real-time PCR assay applied to BTM samples collected repeatedly over time appears to be a valuable tool to assess on a larger scale the status of herds towards Coxiella shedding, and to evaluate the efficiency of control actions aimed at controlling and/or preventing Coxiella shedding in dairy herds.     

蒜和葱上二斑叶螨的发生为害及其抗药性监测

二斑叶螨寄主植物范围极广, 但其对百合科蔬菜造成危害的研究报道极少?本研究采集了来自北京海淀百合科蔬菜蒜和葱上的2个二斑叶螨种群, 生物测定结果显示, 2个种群对阿维菌素呈现出极高水平抗性, 对哒螨灵为中等以上抗性(LC50>5 000 mg/L), 对新型药剂联苯肼酯?虫螨腈和腈吡螨酯也表现出中等到高水平抗性?抗性基因突变频率检测发现, 与阿维菌素抗性相关基因G314D和G326E位点以及和哒螨灵抗性相关基因H92R位点的突变频率均高达100%, 为纯合抗性种群?因此, 本研究所测试的2个二斑叶螨种群对阿维菌素和哒螨灵单剂的敏感性极低, 需慎重选用这2种药剂, 而3种新型杀螨剂联苯肼酯?虫螨腈和腈吡螨酯在田间需轮换使用?     

Challenges and opportunities of unmanned aerial vehicles as a new tool for crop pest control

The application of pesticides is not simply delivering chemicals to the target area. It also involves considering the negative aspects and developing strategies to deal with them during the application process, to ensure the maximization of pesticides use efficiency and the maintenance of the ecosystem. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sprayers demonstrate unique advantages compared to traditional ground sprayers, particularly in terms of maneuverability and labor intensity reduction, showed great potential for chemical application in pest control. It is undeniable that there exist challenges in the practice of UAV spraying, such as higher potential risks of pesticide drift or pathogen transmission, uncertainty canopy deposition for different crops, and unexpected leaf breakage induced by downwash flow. Maximizing the utilization of downwash flow while avoiding lateral air movement outside the intended target crop area is a major issue for chemical application with UAV sprayers, particularly in light of the increasingly apparent consensus on the need for enhanced environmental protection during the chemical application process. It must be considered that the operation strategy in different scenarios and for different crop targets is not the same, unique requirements should be given on nozzle atomization, flight parameters, adjuvants and aircraft types in specific working situations. In future, the implementation of spray drift prediction, technical procedures development, and other solutions aimed at reducing pesticide drift and improving deposition quality, is expected to promote the adoption of UAV sprayers by more farmers. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.     

Sublethal effects of nine insecticides on Drosophila suzukii and its major pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae

Background

Although the pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae is used in conservative and augmentative biocontrol of Drosophila suzukii infestations, current pest management strategies mostly rely on multiple insecticide applications. In this context, the aim of the study was to investigate the baseline toxicity of nine insecticides on D. suzukii larvae and their multiple sublethal effects (LC₁₀) on immature stages of the pest feeding on contaminated diet and T. drosophilae developing within the intoxicated host.

Results

Chlorpyriphos and azadirachtin showed the lowest and the highest LC₁₀, the values of which were 9.78 × 10¹³ and 1.46 × 10³ times lower than their recommended label field rate, respectively. Among tested insecticides, imidacloprid, malathion and dimethoate were the only treatments that did not affect the juvenile development time of D. suzukii, while spinosad and the organophosphates chlorpyriphos and dimethoate did not influence fly pupal size. No sublethal effects were recorded on T. drosophilae degree of infestation (DI) and juvenile development time. On the contrary, cyazypyr and dimethoate negatively affected the success of parasitism (SP) and the number of progeny of the pupal parasitoid, in association with malathion for the first parameter and spinosad for the fertility. Compared to the untreated control, more female progeny emerged following azadirachtin exposure, while dimethoate caused the opposite effect. Imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin and spinetoram decreased hind tibia length of emerged parasitoids.

Conclusion

This study provides new insights on the (eco)toxicological profile of nine insecticides and new information needed to support the deployment of T. drosophilae in the field within the sustainable management techniques against D. suzukii. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

The Biological Effects of Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Cells

The biological effects of ELFMES including proliferation and apoptosis of cells as well as the damage of DNA are initially evaluated with the treatment of plant cells and human pulmonary fibroblasts in low frequency magnetic fields with certain intensity and different time intervals in vitro. Cell culture, counting in vitro, fluorescent dyeing analysis and single cell gel electrophoresis are adopted. The results demonstrate that the electromagnetic field with the intensity of 3mT can affect the proliferation and apoptosis of cells significantly.     

Optimum Planting System for Energy Saving and Healthy Demanded

It is proved that planting is effective to improve environment both indoor and outdoor resulted from the functions of plants to clean air and save energy. So the contradiction between saving energy and comfort,healthy demanded by people can be solved by planting. The planting have being emphasized and expanded during recent years,but in the planting plan,just the function of beautifying the environment is concerned and the function of ecological and saving energy are neglected. The analysis on the ooptimum system of planting is to make the planting system as an organic composition in the effectiveness structure and space layout of the city. Based on the study on equivalent relation of different effects on environment, the optimum system of planting structure will be determined in order to achieve the integrated effects of planting on environment.     

高产优质商品玉米生产模式：—三种遗传效应集成利用（TEU）

通过大量详实资料，对玉米杂种优势、雄性不育，油分基因花粉直感等3种遗传效应的研究现状作了详细概述，根据相关的遗传理论与实践，提出了将三种遗传效应进行技术集成的可能性，从而形成一种高产高油玉米生产模式，有可能是未来玉米生产的发展方向。     

人民公社阶段的农地产权制度变迁及其绩效

研究人民公社阶段的农地产权制度变迁与绩效，是为了分析人民公社制度得以长期维持的原因，以期为新时期农村经济体制改革提供启示与借鉴。文章在相关文献资料的基础上，采用实证描述与规范研究分析方法，探讨人民公社阶段的农地产权制度的演进、特征、变迁的原因、内在缺陷以及制度绩效，研究表明，人民公社阶段农地产权严重残缺、缺少激励机制、组织管理费用高昂，这种制度安排实际上一开始就处于非均衡状态，依靠国家主流的意识形态和超经济强制来维持，致使人民公社阶段农地产权制度效率低下。改革开放后，中国社会政治和意识形态方面的约束放松，获取存在于人民公社制度之外的巨大外部利润，推动了农地产权制度创新。     

Agricultural practice changes with cultivating genetically modified herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape

To facilitate weed suppression, oilseed rape or canola (Brassica napus) has been genetically modified (GM) over the last two decades to incorporate herbicide tolerance (HT). The introduction of oilseed rape in commercial agriculture raises concerns about potential adverse agronomic and environmental effects linked to both the genetic modification and altered agricultural practice. How will this new crop modify the existing cropping practice? What are the potential agro-environmental implications of its introduction? This paper analyses and schematises recorded and conceivable agricultural practice changes with GMHT oilseed rape introduction and its likely agro-environmental effects. It develops a conceptual systematics of influencing factors, subsequent practice changes and likely agro-environmental effects. The results can be used to design the mandatory monitoring of adverse GM crop effects.