Indirect solid-phase microradioimmunoassay for detection of pseudorabies virus antibody in swine sera.

An indirect solid-phase microradioimmunoassay (IRIA) was developed for detection and quantitation of antibodies to pseudorabies virus (PRV) in swine serum. Qualitative results of the IRIA compared closely with results of the serum neutralization test (NT) and the microimmunodiffusion test (MIDT). The IRIA was more sensitive than the NT for detection of antibodies to PRV in swine serum. The IRIA result is expressed numerically. With the IRIA and NT, antibody to PRV was first detectable in 3 experimentally infected pigs at 9 days after inoculation. With MIDT, antibody was detected in the 3 experimentally infected pigs at 9 days after inoculation. With the MIDT, antibody was detected in the 3 experimentally infected pigs at 7, 8, and 9 days after inoculation. The IRIA results are obtainable within a few hours; the NT and MIDT require 48 hours for completion.     

Influence of phosphorus nutrition on sulfur uptake by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae of onion

Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal onions were grown in pots containing soil at two P concentrations. Following ³⁵S injection into the soil, both mycorrhiza) and non-mycorrhizal plants from high P treatments had significantly higher ³⁵S concentrations in roots compared to non-mycorrhizal, low P controls. Mycorrhizal, low P plants had higher concentrations of ³⁵S in shoots than did non-mycorrhizal, low P plants. In a second experiment detached non-mycorrhizal onion roots from plants given a nutrient solution containing P for 26 days before short-term uptake experiments absorbed at greater rates from solution than roots from plants given a complete minus-P nutrient solution. This occurred at all three concentrations of S tested. 1 mM. 10μM, and 0.1 μM. Increased S uptake by mycorrhizal plants can result from increased S absorbing power of roots with enhanced P status.     

Use of Dried Fermented Biomass as a Fish Meal Replacement in Practical Diets of Florida Pompano,Trachinotus carolinus

Substitution of fish meal (FM) as a protein source in aquaculture diets is required to reduce cost and promote a sustainable industry. Potential protein sources include a range of traditional products from agricultural production such as plant or animal proteins. However, there are also a number of manufacturing coproducts, including bacterial dried fermented biomass (DFB,) for which there is an increased interest. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate DFB as a replacement for FM in practical diets for Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Four diets were prepared in which different levels of FM (15%, 10%, 5%, and 0% of the diet) were replaced with DFB (0%, 4.27%, 8.54%, and 12.82%) on an iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic basis, to contain 40% crude protein and 10% lipid. A 10-week growth trial was conducted in a recirculating system consisting of 12 indoor 1.0 m³ tanks, stocked with 20 juvenile pompano (mean initial weight 8.1 g) per tank. There were no significant differences in final weight (64.5 g?79.5 g), survival (81.7%–96.7%), percent weight gain (711.6%–879.0%), FCR (2.1–2.0), or thermal-unit growth coefficient (0.1013?0.1149), regardless of the levels of dietary FM or DFB tested. Based on these results, it is recommended that DFB can be included up to 12.8% in practical diets for Florida pompano without significantly reducing growth performance. The response to higher levels of DFB inclusion should be evaluated.     

Treatment of anovulatory anoestrous postpartum dairy cows with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), prostaglandin F2 alpha, GnRH regimen or with progesterone and oestradiol benzoate

AIM: To compare 2 treatments for anovulatory anoestrus (AA) in postpartum dairy cows. The treatments were combinations of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2 (PG) or progesterone (P4) and oestradiol benzoate (ODB). METHODS: Forty AA cows from each of 5 herds were blocked by age (2 or 2 years old) and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments. The first group (GPG) were treated with 250 mug of a GnRH analogue, gonadorelin, followed 7 days later by 15 mg of the PG analogue, luprostiol. Two days later the cows were injected with 250 mug of gonadorelin. Cows were artificially inseminated 16-24 h after the second GnRH injection. The second group (P4+ODB) were treated with an intravaginal P4 releasing device for 6 days, followed 24 h after device removal by injection of 1 mg of ODB. Cows were pregnancy tested 35-40 days after the initial insemination and twice again at 6-8 week intervals thereafter. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between P4+ODB and GPG groups in the percentage of cows submitted for insemination in the first 7 days (94.0% vs 100% for P4+ODB vs GPG, respectively; p>0.3), in conception rate to first insemination within the first 7 days (43.6% vs 35.0% for P4+ODB vs GPG, respectively; p>0.2), in the percentage of cows conceiving in the first 28 days of the breeding period (68.0% vs 58.3%, P4+ODB vs GPG, respectively; p>0.1), or in median interval from the end of treatment to conception (20 vs 21 days; p>0.1). CONCLUSIONS: No differences in the reproductive performance of AA cows treated with either P4+ODB or GPG were detected. However, given the small number of animals enrolled, further data are required before the GPG protocol can be recommended for treatment of AA cows.     

Detection of a corpus luteum in apparently anoestrous cows by manual palpation, transrectal ultrasonography and plasma progesterone concentration

AIMS: To determine the level of agreement between transrectal ultrasonography, manual palpation and measurement of progesterone in the detection of corpora lutea in post-partum cows. To evaluate the reproductive performance of cows not detected in oestrus prior to mating, but detected with a corpus luteum at the start of mating. METHODS: Cows from seven herds which were not detected in oestrus were examined between 5 and 7 days before the herd's planned start of mating. Ovaries were examined by palpation and ultrasonography in 160 cows and plasma progesterone concentrations were also measured in 103 cows. Insemination dates and pregnancy data were recorded in 159 cows not detected in oestrus but having a corpus luteum and 1405 cycling herd mates. RESULTS: The level of agreement between ultrasonography and measurement of progesterone (kappa = 0.74) was higher than with manual palpation (kappa = 0.67) although it was significant for both techniques (p <0.001). Cows which were not detected in oestrus, but detected with a corpus luteum had a longer interval to first service (12 v. 10 days, p <0.05) and conception (19 v. 15 days, p = 0.01) than cycling herd mates and had a higher empty rate (9.7% v. 3.8%, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that ultrasonography may provide a better diagnostic tool for examining cows not detected in oestrus than manual palpation or measurement of progesterone concentration. Cows not detected in oestrus but having a corpus luteum were shown to have significantly poorer reproductive performance than cycling herd mates.     

Farmers' perspectives of rodent damage and management from the highlands of Tigray,Northern Ethiopian

A farmers' knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) survey was conducted in the highlands of Tigray, northern Ethiopia, to better understand rodent damage and rodent management from the farmers' perspective. Farmers (n = 191) from Dogu'a Temben district, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The large majority of the farmers stated that rodents are the main pests in crop fields (92.1%) and storage (88.5%). The farmers (64.2%) reported they experienced 100–500 kg ha⁻¹ damage in crop fields, which is equivalent to 8.9–44.7% loss in annual production. There was some overlap between the most common crops grown in the highlands and the most common crops susceptible to rodent attack. Farmers identified barley as the crop most susceptible to rodent attack (76.4%) and the booting stage as the crop developmental stage with the highest rodent abundance and damage. Rodenticide application was the most commonly practiced management strategy in crop fields (51.8%); in storage, farmers mainly keep domestic cats around granaries (80.6%). We recommend a reduction in reliance on chemical rodenticide in crop fields and a shift to a more sustainable rodent management approach to reduce rodent numbers and damage.