Effects of iron injection timing on suckling and subsequent nursery and growing-finishing performance and hematological criteria

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Fe injection timing after birth on suckling and subsequent nursery and growing-finishing pig performance. The injectable Fe source used in both experiments was GleptoForte (Ceva Animal Health, LLC., Lenexa, KS). GleptoForte contains gleptoferron which is a Fe macromolecule complex. In Exp. 1, a total of 324 newborn pigs (DNA 241 × 600, initially 1.6 ± 0.04 kg body weight [BW]) within 27 litters were used. Two days after birth, all piglets were weighed, and six barrows and six gilts per litter were allotted to 1 of 6 treatments consisting of no Fe injection or 200 mg of injectable Fe provided in a single injection on d 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 of age. Pigs were weaned (~21 d of age) and allotted to nursery pens with all pigs in each pen having received the same Fe treatment. In Exp. 2, a total of 1,892 newborn pigs (PIC 359 × C40; initially 1.5 ± 0.02 kg BW) within 172 litters were used. One day after birth, piglets were weighed, and 11 pigs within each litter were allotted to 1 of 6 treatments consisting of no Fe injection or 200 mg of injectable Fe provided on d 1, 3, 5, or 7 of age, or 200 mg on d 1 plus 200 mg on d 12 of age. Pigs were weaned (19 d of age) and placed in a commercial wean-to-finish facility in a total of 15 pens with equal representation of treatments in each pen. In both experiments, not providing an Fe injection after birth decreased (P < 0.05) preweaning average daily gain (ADG), weaning weight, and hemoglobin and hematocrit values compared with all other treatments. In Exp. 1, increasing the age that piglets received an Fe injection until 4 or 6 d after birth provided marginal evidence for an improvement (quadratic; P = 0.070) in preweaning ADG. For the nursery period, increasing the age that piglets received an Fe injection improved (quadratic; P = 0.013) d 80 BW, but there was no evidence of a difference (P > 0.10) in d 173 BW at the end of the grow-finish period. In Exp. 2, increasing the age that piglets received a 200 mg Fe injection showed no evidence of difference (P > 0.10) for subsequent nursery and growing-finishing ADG. In both experiments, hemoglobin and hematocrit values were decreased (linear; P < 0.05) at weaning with increasing age when pigs received an Fe injection. These experiments suggest that providing a 200 mg Fe injection within 7 d after farrowing is sufficient for optimizing preweaning and subsequent growth performance.     

Potential of several native and introduced warm season grasses as components of Silvopastures in the Southeastern United States

The goal of this study was to evaluate growth and nutritional characteristics of seven warm season grasses, including several natives, produced under simulated partial shading (50%) typical of loblolly pine silvopastoral systems in the southeastern United States. Forages included ‘Tifton 9’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), ‘Tifton 85’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), ‘Alamo’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), ‘Kaw’ Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), ‘Americus’ Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), ‘Harrison’ Florida paspalum (Paspalum floridanum), and Nacogdoches Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides). Shade affected several quality parameters, including crude protein (CP) (p?<?0.0001), acid detergent fiber (ADF) (p?=?0.0413), in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) (p?<?0.0001), and total digestible nutrients (TDN) (p?=?0.0132). Shade affected the parameters differently depending on forage type, but generally improved quality by increasing CP, IVTD, and TDN; however, shade significantly increased ADF (p?=?0.0413), though the magnitude was small (344.2 vs. 351.1 g kg^?1), and increases were isolated to big bluestem and bahiagrass. Shade reduced dry matter yield (DMY) (p?<?0.0001), and there were differences among forage species (p?<?0.0001). Bahiagrass and Florida paspalum showed the highest yields, regardless of shade treatment. Gamagrass and Florida paspalum would likely have performed better if harvested by days of rest, instead of by height. These could be viable forage species to a silvopasture system, but further studies should be conducted. Based on overall quality and yield, potential beef cattle gains, and persistence under intensive defoliation, the best forage was bahiagrass (introduced), and the best selections for native grasses were switchgrass and Indiangrass. These results indicate that there is potential for several warm season forages, including native grasses, to maintain productivity and quality under shade, which would increase the site-specific options for forage selections in this system.

     

Fungicide application practices and personal protective equipment use among orchard farmers in the agricultural health study

Fungicides are routinely applied to deciduous tree fruits for disease management. Seventy-four private orchard applicators enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study participated in the Orchard Fungicide Exposure Study in 2002-2003. During 144 days of observation, information was obtained on chemicals applied and applicator mixing, application, personal protective, and hygiene practices. At least half of the applicators had orchards with <100 trees. Air blast was the most frequent application method used (55%), followed by hand spray (44%). Rubber gloves were the most frequently worn protective equipment (68% mix; 59% apply), followed by respirators (45% mix; 49% apply), protective outerwear (36% mix; 37% apply), and rubber boots (35% mix; 36% apply). Eye protection was worn while mixing and applying on only 35% and 41% of the days, respectively. Bivariate analyses were performed using repeated logistic or repeated linear regression. Mean duration of mixing, pounds of captan applied, total acres sprayed, and number of tank mixes sprayed were greater for air blast than for hand spray (p < 0.05). Spraying from a tractor/vehicle without an enclosed cab was associated with wearing some type of coverall (p < 0.05). Applicators often did not wash their hands after mixing (77%), a finding not explained by glove use. Glove use during mixing was associated with younger age, while wearing long-sleeve shirts was associated with older age (p < 0.05 each). Self-reported unusually high fungicide exposures were more likely on days applicators performed repairs (p < 0.05). These data will be useful for evaluating fungicide exposure determinants among orchard applicators.     

Determinants of high pesticide exposure events in the agricultural health cohort study from enrollment (1993-1997) through phase II (1999-2003)

We conducted an analysis of the determinants of high pesticide exposure events (HPEEs), which are defined as self-reported incidents of high exposure to pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals in the Agricultural Health Study, a cohort of private applicators and their spouses residing in North Carolina or Iowa, and commercial applicators residing in Iowa. We examined the risk of HPEEs occurring between enrollment (phase 1: 1993-1997) and follow-up (phase II: 1999-2003) among participants who completed the phase II questionnaire (n=43,149) by calculating hazard rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals using Cox proportional-hazard regression. During the followup period, 1,582 HPEEs were reported (3.8%). HPEE risk was significantly higher among Iowa residents, younger participants, those with a hearing deficit, a risk-taking personality, and an HPEE prior to enrollment. Among private applicators (n=30,102), larger farm size, higher frequency and duration of pesticide use, spraying pesticides with open cab windows, using a tractor cab without a charcoal filter, repairing spray equipment, wearing work clothing more than two days without changing, not removing work boots before entering the home, and storing pesticides in the home were associated with significantly higher HPEE risk. Among commercial applicators (n=2326), higher frequency of pesticide use was associated with a significantly higher HPEE risk. Among spouses (n=10,721), higher frequency of pesticide use, using an application vehicle with a cab, and storing pesticides in the home were associated with a significantly higher HPEE risk. Our findings indicate that HPEEs were associated with several modifiable pesticide handling procedures that can be targeted in safety training and education.     

Benchmark study on glyphosate-resistant cropping systems in the United States. Part 6: Timeliness of economic decision-making in implementing weed resistance management strategies

BACKGROUND: The introduction of glyphosate‐resistant (GR) crops in the late 1990s made weed control in maize, cotton and soybean simple. With the rapid adoption of GR crops, many growers began to rely solely on glyphosate for weed control. This eventually led to the evolution of GR weeds. Growers are often reluctant to adopt a weed resistance best management practice (BMP) because of the added cost of additional herbicides to weed control programs which would reduce short‐term revenue. This study was designed to evaluate when a grower that is risk neutral (profit maximizing) or risk averse should adopt a weed resistance BMP. RESULTS: Whether a grower is risk neutral or risk averse, the optimal decision would be to adopt a weed resistance BMP when the expected loss in revenue is greater than 30% and the probability of resistance evolution is 0.1 or greater. However, if the probability of developing resistance increases to 0.3, then the best decision would be to adopt a weed resistance BMP when the expected loss is 10% or greater. CONCLUSION: Given the scenarios analyzed, risk‐neutral or risk‐averse growers should implement a weed resistance BMP with confidence that they have made the right decision economically and avoided the risk of lost revenue from resistance. If the grower wants to continue to see the same level of return, adoption of BMP is required. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Soil Leachate Responses During 10 Years of Induced Whole-Watershed Acidification

Soil solution was collected from zero-tension lysimeters for 10 yr on two small central Appalachian watersheds in West Virginia, U.S.A. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer was applied to onecatchment 3 times per year during each year. The other watershedwas used as a reference to account for ambient baseline conditions. Ca and Mg concentrations collected below the A- andB-horizons of the treated watershed increased and then decreasedover time as a result of the treatment. By contrast, Ca and Mgconcentrations in the C-horizon continued to increase throughoutthe study period. The depletion in Ca and Mg that occurred inthe upper levels apparently occurred due to charge pairing andleaching of those base cations with NO₃ and SO₄. Theprogressively greater amounts of Ca and Mg carried through thesoil with these acid anions provided their continued increasingconcentrations in the C-horizon. NO₃ concentrations increased progressively with depth due to both the assimilationof NO₃ by vegetation and microorganisms in the upper soillayers and leaching of NO₃ into deeper soils by mesoporeflow. NO₃ became a more important ion over time with respectto pairing and leaching with base cations because its concentrations continued to increase in all soil layers, whereasSO₄ became retained in all soil layers after after severalyears of treatment, presumably induced by adsorption from increasing SO₃ concentrations.     

Disease and injury among participants in the Agricultural Health Study

The Agricultural Health Study (www.aghealth.org) is a cohort of 89,658 pesticide applicators and their spouses from Iowa and North Carolina assembled between 1993 and 1997 to evaluate riskfactorsfor disease in ruralfarm populations. This prospective study is just now reaching sufficient maturity for analysis of many disease endpoints. Nonetheless, several analyses have already provided interesting and important leads regarding disease patterns in agricultural populations and etiologic clues for the general population. Compared to the mortality experience of the general population in the two states (adjusted for race, gender, age and calendar time), the cohort experienced a very low mortality rate overall and for many specific causes and a low rate of overall cancer incidence. A few cancers, however, appear elevated, including multiple myeloma and cancers of the lip, gallbladder, ovary, prostate, and thyroid, but numbers are small for many cancers. A study of prostate cancer found associations with exposure to several pesticides, particularly among individuals with a family history of prostate cancer. Links to pesticides and other agricultural factors have been found for injuries, retinal degeneration, and respiratory wheeze. Methodological studies have determined that information collected by interview is unbiased and reliable. A third round of interviews scheduled to begin in 2005 will collect additional information on agricultural exposures and health outcomes. The study can provide data to address many health issues in the agricultural community. The study investigators welcome collaboration with interested scientists.     

Effect of dietary phosphoric acid supplementation on acid-base balance and mineral and bone metabolism in adult cats.

Experimental evidence indicates that maintenance of urinary pH < or = 6.4 is the single most effective means of preventing feline struvite crystalluria or urolithiasis of noninfectious causes. This may be accomplished by dietary acidification, but must be moderated to avoid potential adverse effects of excessive acidification, including bone demineralization, negative calcium balance, potassium depletion, and renal disease. Effects of chronic dietary phosphoric acid supplementation on acid-base balance and on mineral and bone metabolism were investigated in adult, domestic cats. One group of 6 cats was fed a basal, naturally acidifying diet without added acidifiers, and another group of 6 cats was fed 1.7% dietary phosphoric acid. Changes observed during 12 months of study included development of noncompensated metabolic acidosis, increased urinary calcium excretion, and lower but positive calcium balance in cats of both groups. Urinary pH decreased in cats of both groups, but was significantly (P < 0.05) and consistently maintained < or = 6.4 in cats given dietary phosphoric acid. Urinary phosphorus excretion increased in cats of both groups, but was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in phosphoric acid-supplemented cats, leading to lower overall phosphorus balance as well. Potassium balance decreased in cats of both groups, but was only transiently negative in the phosphoric acid-supplemented cats midway through the study, and normalized at positive values thereafter. Plasma taurine concentration was not affected by dietary acidification, and remained well within the acceptable reference range for taurine metabolism. Double labeling of bone in vivo with fluorescent markers was followed by bone biopsy and histomorphometric measurement of several static and dynamic variables of bone formation. Overall indices of bone formation decreased in cats of both groups with age and confinement, but were not affected by dietary phosphoric acid supplementation. Dietary supplementation with phosphoric acid used as the principal inorganic P source to achieve moderate and stable degree of urinary acidification, did not appear over the course of 1 year, to have induced adverse effects on mineral, bone, or taurine balance in these adult domestic cats.     

Nutrient culture medium components affecting plant recovery from immature embryos of three Glycine genotypes and an interspecific hybrid grown in vitro

Summary Immature embryos of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Bay, G. tabacina (Labill.) Benth. and G. tomentella Hayata were cultured on 72 media combinations to identify a nutrient medium which would allow a greater percentage of interspecific plants to be recovered from cultured embryos of G. max × various perennial Glycine species. The highest mean plant recovery rate of 79% was from a medium containing B5 nutrient salts as reported by Gamborg et al. (1968), vitamin components according to Williams (1978) and 30 g/l sucrose. This is as compared with 25% from a medium used previously. In an additional test, 67% of hybrid embryos of G. max × G. tomentella were recovered from the same medium, from which G. tomentella was most effectively recovered in all testing.Contribution No. 89-276-J of the Kansas Agric. Exp. Stn., Manhattan.     

Contribution of Stocked Legal-sized Trout to the Sport Fishery of Three Small Wisconsin (U.S.A.) Lakes*

Legal-sized trout stocked in spring in three lakes in Wisconsin U.S.A. provided a short-term, popular, sport fishery. Frequently, half or more of the stocked fish were caught in the first month of the Fishing season, and few were caught thereafter. Separate estimates of the percentage of numbers (and weight) returned in the first month of the fishing season were 46 (47), 73 (76), 62 (113), and 31 (22) for rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and 64 (81) for brook trout (Salvelinus foutinalis). Most anglers interviewed at two of the lakes were fishing primarily for trout, including in one case 95% of the anglers interviewed over the 9-month season, even though the trout fishery persisted for less than 2 months. Fishing pressure also was highest at the opening of the angling season and declined exponentially thereafter. Of an estimated total of 7,906 angler-hours in one lake, 67% occurred in the first month of the season and 79% in the first 2 months. Because the trout were harvested rapidly, relatively little of the productive capacity of the lakes were channelled into production of trout flesh. Therefore, the stocked trout provided a put-and-take fishery at tittle expense to the existent warmwater fishery.