Soil quality assessments in integrated crop–livestock–forest systems: A review

Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform, and the following information was analysed: publication year, institution, region of the studied site, type of integrated system, soil type, tillage system, maximum soil depth and the soil quality indicators assessed. Most studies were published in the second half of the 2010s. Brazil is a prominent focus of research about soil quality and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems, with significant contribution from its central and southern regions. The Embrapa was the main publishing institution, present in over one‐third of the studies. Crop–livestock was the most common integrated system, Ferralsols was the most common soil group, and most of the studied soils were clayey. No tillage was the main tillage system. Most studies focused on the topsoil, assessing physical and/or chemical soil quality indicators. More emphasis on biological indicators of soil quality is required, as well as assessments integrating biological, physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Future works should compare different integrated systems, including assessments deeper in the soil profile, especially in systems with the forest component, and also in sandy and silty soils. Soil quality indicators that have been rarely used should be further tested. Novel indicators should be added to better understand the promotion of soil quality by integrated crop–livestock–forest systems.     

Renal ultrasonographic evaluation in the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus).

Ultrasonography is currently used in veterinary medicine to examine the anatomy and physiology of internal organs and to establish normal standards for exotic animal species. Specifically, the kidneys may be evaluated and measured in length, width, and height. The kidneys in 33 oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), including 20 males and 13 females, were opportunistically located, characterized, and measured by ultrasound using a 7.5-MHz linear transducer at two different zoologic facilities in S?o Paulo, Brazil. Renal volume was calculated from these linear measurements. The mean linear measurements and volume of the right and left kidneys were not significantly different.     

Use of computer tomography for imaging of Crassicauda grampicola in a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus).

A mature male Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) stranded along the coasts of Friuli Venezia Giulia, northeast Italy, in May 2001. Parasitic infection with Crassicauda grampicola is often found in the tympanic bullae and pterygoid sinuses in many of the Risso's dolphins examined from the same area. For this reason, it was decided to perform computed tomography of the head to assess this imaging technique for the diagnosis of crassicaudosis in dolphins. A full postmortem examination confirmed the pathologic findings of the computed tomography scan. This technique can be considered a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of cranial crassicaudosis in live dolphins.     

Adherence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 to swine buccal epithelial cells involves fibronectin

The swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 was investigated for its ability to adhere to swine, rat, and human buccal epithelial cells (BEC). The highest number of bacteria adhered was to swine BEC. This binding ability was affected by heating, extreme pH, treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, ethylenediamine tetraacetate, or periodate, and proteolysis, suggesting that cell-surface glycoproteins participate in adherence and that adherence is based mostly on ionic interactions. Mannose and swine fibronectin may play a direct role in this interaction. Convalescent-phase serum from naturally infected pigs inhibited the adhesion. There was a correlation between bacterial pathogenicity as well as host specificity and the capacity for adherence to swine BEC. Adhesion to swine BEC provides a convenient method to study in vitro the adherence of A. pleuropneumoniae and other pathogens of the pig respiratory tract.     

Resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Solanum lycopersicoides is Dominant in Hybrids with Tomato, and Involves induced Hyphal Death

Botrytis cinerea causes gray mold disease and affects hundreds of plant species, including tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). The wild nightshade, Solanum lycopersicoides, is cross compatible with tomato and is more resistant to B. cinerea, thus representing a potential source for crop improvement. Tests involving droplet inoculation of detached leaves and spray inoculation of entire seedlings demonstrated that resistance to B. cinerea varies among S. lycopersicoides accessions, with S. lycopersicoides LA2951 being the most resistant accession tested. Expression of resistance in the intergeneric hybrid (L. esculentum cv. 'VF36' × S. lycopersicoides LA2951) suggested that resistance is at least partially dominant in tomato. A green fluorescent protein-tagged B. cinerea strain was used for confocal microscopic comparison of infection in leaves of S. lycopersicoides and tomato. Even though S. lycopersicoides supported spore germination, there was evidence for hyphal lysis and death 3 days after inoculation, at a time when lesions were expanding on susceptible tomato plants. The reduced frequency of B. cinerea lesion spread on S. lycopersicoides explains why this fungus produced fewer spores in this wild nightshade than in tomato.     

Caprine toxoplasmosis in Southern Brazil: a comparative seroepidemiological study between the indirect immunofluorescence assay,the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and the modified agglutination test

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study investigated the prevalence of caprine toxoplasmosis in goat herds from Southern Brazil by the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and...     

Use of two doses of cloprostenol in different intervals for estrus synchronization in hair sheep under tropical conditions

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study evaluated the effect of two doses of prostaglandin at different intervals on reproductive parameters of crossbred ewes. In Experiment 1, 30 ewes...     

Bovine viral diarrhea virus subgenotype 1b in water buffalos (Bubalus bubalis) from Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Serological studies have characterized the presence of the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in water buffalo herds worldwide. However, the...