Malassezia spp. overgrowth in allergic cats

A series of 18 allergic cats with multifocal Malassezia spp. overgrowth is reported: atopic dermatitis was diagnosed in 16, an adverse food reaction in another and one was euthanized 2 months after diagnosis of Malassezia overgrowth. All the cats were otherwise healthy and those tested (16 out of 18) for feline leukaemia or feline immunodeficiency virus infections were all negative. At dermatological examination, multifocal alopecia, erythema, crusting and greasy adherent brownish scales were variably distributed on all cats. Cytological examination revealed Malassezia spp. overgrowth with/without bacterial infection in facial skin (n = 11), ventral neck (n = 6), abdomen (n = 6), ear canal (n = 4), chin (n = 2), ear pinnae (n = 2), interdigital (n = 1) and claw folds skin (n = 1). Moreover, in two cats Malassezia pachydermatis was isolated in fungal cultures from lesional skin. Azoles therapy alone was prescribed in seven, azoles and antibacterial therapy in eight and azoles with both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy in three of the cats. After 3-4 weeks of treatment, substantial reduction of pruritus and skin lesions was observed in all 11 cats treated with a combined therapy and in five of seven treated solely with azoles. Malassezia spp. overgrowth may represent a secondary cutaneous problem in allergic cats particularly in those presented for dermatological examination displaying greasy adherent brownish scales. The favourable response to treatment with antifungal treatments alone suggests that, as in dogs, Malassezia spp. may be partly responsible for both pruritus and cutaneous lesions in allergic cats.     

Yellow Pigment Determination for Single Kernels of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.)

The carotenoid concentration of durum wheat is a criterion for the assessment of semolina quality, and it is of particular importance in determining the color of pasta. Thus, the development of a rapid screening method for kernel and semolina color has facilitated increasing the yellow color in durum wheat cultivars. However, the distribution of the pigment might vary within the ear of the wheat. The micromethod for the determination of yellow pigment concentration (YPC) of single wheat kernels now allows the discovery of whether this variation is the same for cultivars with different carotenoid concentrations. All of the cultivars investigated showed similar trends in the arrangements of the kernels within the ears, with the central positions of the ears being the most stable for YPC. Indeed, the best combination of higher YPC and larger kernel size is seen for the basal‐central region of the ear, which can be used for the selection during wheat‐breeding programs of cultivars with a more intense yellow color.     

Animal poisoning in Europe. Part 2: Companion animals

This is the second in a series of three review articles on animal poisoning in Europe and focuses on cases in pet animals and horses in five European countries (Belgium, France, Greece, Italy and Spain) reported over the last decade. In the participating countries, dogs were the most commonly poisoned species, particularly younger animals. The majority of cases in companion animals resulted from exposure to insecticides, although rodenticides (especially anticoagulants and strychnine) posed a significant risk. In all five countries, horses and cats appeared to be more susceptible to plant toxins. Intoxications with herbicides, metals, household products and drugs for veterinary and human use were reported sporadically. The review demonstrates the importance of increased awareness so as to minimise poisoning episodes and emphasises the need to establish a European system for the recording of poisoning data.     

Anticoccidial effects of coumestans from Eclipta alba for sustainable control of Eimeria tenella parasitosis in poultry production

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of a product containing coumestans from Eclipta alba. Experimental conditions were set up as to reproduce the environment conditions for husbandry adopted in commercial broiler farms. Broilers were raised in broiler chicken shed provided with feeders, drinkers, illumination and temperature control systems and floor covering to afford an adequate nourishing environment. Male Cobb broilers (240) were assigned to four experimental groups being each experimental group set apart in rice straw-covered shed isolated with wire mesh. One-day-old broilers were reared in a coccidian-free environment with ad libitum supply of filtered water and freely available standard feed, from the 1st to the 35th day of life. The T1 group received standard feed (negative control); T2 was treated with standard feed supplemented with 66 ppm of salinomycin (positive control); groups T3 and T4 had standard feed supplemented with the ethyl acetate fraction from methanolic extract of E. alba aerial parts, which contains the coumestans WL and DWL (120 and 180 ppm, respectively). The chicken broilers were individually infected with 2 × 104 oocysts of Eimeria tenella when they were 14 days old and were monitored weekly to evaluate zootechnical parameters such as weight gain and food conversion ratio. Counting of coccidial oocyst in chicken feces was assessed from random samples, from the 21st to 28th days of life, which corresponded to 7-14 days after the infection. Five chickens selected at random from each experimental group were subsequently euthanized at 21, 28 or 35 days of life to determine the lesion score in the cecal region and to excise a cecum portion for histopathological evaluation. The group treated with coumestans from E. alba presented an average weight gain and food conversion ratio higher than the negative control group and similar to the mean value of the positive control group. Coumestan-treated groups showed a significant decrease in the oocyst counting since the 21 th day of life and displayed a reduced number of macroscopic lesions. Histopathological evaluations of cecum fragments showed that both treatments induced the migration of defense cells at the site of infection. A severe destruction of the cecal lining was found in the intestinal tract of broilers fed with a coumestans dose of 180 ppm. Overall, our results validate the use of a phytotherapy containing E. alba coumestans at a dose of 120 ppm as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent against avian coccidiosis.     

Can mineral and organic fertilization help sequestrate carbon dioxide in cropland?

The soil organic matter content represents a huge reservoir of plant nutrients and an effective safeguard against pollution; beside it can sequestrate atmospheric CO₂. Since 1966 up to now in the Southeast Po valley (Italy), the soil organic C (SOC) and total N (TN) dynamics in the 0–0.40 m soil layer under a maize–wheat rainfed rotation are studied as influenced by organic and mineral N fertilizations. Every year in the same plots cattle manure, cattle slurry, and crop residues (i.e. wheat straw and maize stalk) are ploughed under to 0.40 m depth at a same dry matter rate (6.0 and 7.5 t DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ after wheat and maize, respectively) and are compared to an unamended control. Each plot is splitted to receive four rates of mineral fertilizer (0–100–200–300 kg N ha⁻¹). In the whole experiment, in 2000 SOC concentration was lower than in 1966 (6.77 and 7.72 g kg⁻¹, respectively), likely for the deeper tillage that diluted SOC and favoured mineralization in deeper soil layer. From 1972 to 2000 SOC stock did not change in the control and N fertilized plots, while it increased at mean rates of 0.16, 0.18, and 0.26 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ with the incorporation of residues, slurry and manure, corresponding to sequestration efficiencies of 3.7, 3.8 and 8.1% of added C with the various materials. TN followed the same SOC dynamic, demonstrating how it depends on the soil organic matter. Manure thus confirmed its efficacy in increasing both SOC content and soil fertility on the long-term. In developed countries, however, this material has become scarcely available; slurry management is expensive and implies high environmental risks. Moreover, in a C balance at a farm (or regional) scale, the CO₂ lost during manure and slurry stocking should be considered. For these reasons, the incorporation of cereal residues, even if only a little of their C content was found capable of soil accumulation, appears the best way to obtain a significant CO₂ sequestration in developed countries. Our long-term experiment clearly shows how difficult it is to modify SOC content. Moreover, because climate and soil type can greatly influence SOC dynamic, to increase CO₂ sequestration in cropland, it is important to optimize the fertilization within an agricultural management that includes all the agronomic practices (e.g. tillage, water management, cover crops, etc.) favouring the organic matter build up in the soil.     

Concentrated flow erosion rates as affected by rock fragment cover and initial soil moisture content

Concentrated flow experiments using a small hydraulic flume and a constant flow discharge and bed slope have been conducted in order to investigate the effects of rock fragment cover (Rc) on sediment yield for an initially wet and an initially air-dry loamy topsoil. The experimental results indicate that Rc reduces concentrated flow erosion rates (E) in an exponential way (i.e., E=e^−bRc), which is similar to previously reported relations for other water erosion processes such as interrill erosion and sheet-rill erosion measured on runoff plots. The decay rate (b) of this exponential relationship increased throughout the experiments because of scour-hole development and bed armouring. The concentrated flow erosion rates and b-values also depend on the initial moisture content of the topsoil. Depending on Rc, mean concentrated flow erosion rates were 20% to 65% less on initially wet compared to initially air-dry topsoils. The mean value for b was 0.032 for the initially wet, but only 0.017 for the initially air-dry topsoil, indicating that a rock fragment cover is less efficient in reducing concentrated flow erosion rates when the topsoil is initially air-dry than when it is initially wet. The results help explain the data scatter in reported relationships between Rc and interrill–rill erosion rates. They also indicate that a given surface rock fragment cover will offer more protection to wet topsoils than to dry topsoils, which are very common in Mediterranean environments. Event-based water erosion models should incorporate effects of antecedent soil moisture content as well as those of Rc on concentrated flow erosion rates.     

Heritability of thrips resistance in the ‘IPA-3’ onion cultivar in South Texas

A two season study was conducted to compare the onion cultivars TG1015Y and IPA-3 for resistance to thrips in South Texas. Narrow and broad sense heritabilities were estimated from populations developed from the cross, ‘IPA-3’ × ‘TG1015Y’. Parents, F1, F2, and the respective backcross populations were evaluated for thrips numbers at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Weslaco, TX. ‘IPA-3’ had significantly fewer thrips than ‘TG1015Y’ in both seasons. Yield was significantly different only in the 1996–97 season. The heritability of thrips resistance in this study was very low. Depending on the methods of estimation h ² was 5.3% and 4.0%, and H ² was 4.1% and 8.0%. These results suggest that greater genetic gains for thrips resistance in onion can be achieved by selection on a family basis rather than using single plant selection. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.