Hepatic lipidosis in pregnant cows on a dairy farm.

A syndrome very similar to hepatic lipidosis is described in dairy cows during the dry period. After being sent to pasture the animals did not eat well for undetermined reasons. The disease phenomena were mainly observed in animals carrying twins. At post mortem examination severe falty infiltration was found in the 3 animals made available for post mortem examination. Increase of the energy supply to the dry cows by addition of maize silage to the ration prevented new cases.     

A streak disease of pearl millet caused by a leafhopper-transmitted geminivirus

The cause of a streak disease of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), originating from Nigeria, has been attributed to a geminivirus belonging to the African streak virus cluster. A full-length, infectious clone of the virus was obtained which was transmissible by the vectorCicadulina mbila (Naudé). Analysis of the complete nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene of this virus shows it to be most closely related to sugarcane streak virus. The possible evolutionary implications of this finding are discussed.     

Growth and development of Cirsium arvense in relation to herbicide dose,timing of herbicide application and crop presence

The aim of this study is to assess control effects of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) dosage, application timing and crop presence on the weed Cirsium arvense. Swedish farmers are recommended to control C. arvense chemically when most shoots are 10-20 cm tall, and mechanically at the compensation point (CP). Recent studies have shown that the CP occurs before shoots reach the three-leaf stage. We hypothesised that (i) herbicide application near the three-leaf stage gives the strongest control, (ii) crop presence increases herbicide effects, and (iii) a 50% herbicide dose gives the same effect as 100%. Treatments of the pot experiment consisted of MCPA 750; 0%, 50% and 100% of the recommended dose applied at leaf stages 3-8, with and without barley. The strongest control was obtained at four leaves and a maximum shoot height of 13 cm, using the recommended dose and with spring barley. In a field population, a maximum shoot height of 13 cm corresponded to a medium height of 6 cm. The 50% dose gave poorer control. Spraying with the recommended dose at the four-leaf stage reduced the development of C. arvense most effectively. Based on this, we recommend that herbicide spraying should be performed at earlier leaf stages/median heights than previously recommended.     

A Greenhouse Test for Screening Sugar Beet (Beta Vulgaris) for Resistance to Rhizoctonia Solani

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn is a serious plant pathogenic fungus, causing various types of damage to sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). In Europe, the disease is spreading and becoming a threat for the growing of this crop. Plant resistance seems to be the most practical and economical way to control the disease. Experiments were carried out to optimise a greenhouse procedure to screen plants of sugar beet for resistance to R. solani. In the first experiment, two susceptible accessions were evaluated for root and leaf symptoms, after being grown in seven different soil mixtures and inoculated with R. solani. The fungus infected all plants. It was concluded that leaf symptoms were not reliable for the rating of disease severity. Statistically significant differences between the soil mixtures were observed, and there were no significant differences between the two accessions. The two soil mixtures, showing the most severe disease symptoms, were selected for a second experiment, including both resistant and susceptible accessions. As in the first experiment, root symptoms were recorded using a 1–7 scale, and a significant expression of resistance was observed. The average severity of the disease in the greenhouse experiment generally was comparable with the infection in field experiments, and the ranking of the accessions was the same in the two types of experiments. It was concluded that evaluation procedures in the greenhouse could be used as a rapid assay to screen sugar beet plants for resistance to R. solani.     

Heparinised blood ionised calcium concentrations in horses with colic or diarrhoea compared to normal subjects

Our objectives were to 1) establish ionised calcium (ICa), C-terminal PTH and biologically active PTH (intact molecule) concentrations in blood from normal horses, 2) examine the stability of ionised calcium and acid-base values in stored equine heparinised blood and serum and 3) check the applicability of the formulas based on these parameters in certain disease states. Mean +/- s.d. % ionised calcium in heparinised blood of normal Warmbloods was 51 +/- 2.7 (n = 20) of total calcium, range 1.45-1.75 mmol/l (n = 15) at Michigan State University and 1.43-1.69 mmol/l (n = 20) at Utrecht University. Mean +/- s.d. EDTA plasma concentration for intact +/PTH in normal horses measured 0.6 +/- 0.3 pmol/l (n = 11). Both mean serum and the heparinised blood ionised calcium concentrations changed (not significantly) after 102 h storage at room temperature. Six cycles of freezing and thawing did not affect serum ionised calcium concentration significantly. Ionised calcium concentration and pH in heparinised blood of 20 normal Warmbloods were used to calculate the regression equation for the prediction of the adjusted ionised calcium concentration to a pH of 7.4. The linear regression equation found was: adjusted plasma ICa at pH 7.4 mmol/l = -6.4570 + 0.8739 x (measured pH) + 0.9944 x (measured ICa mmol/l). By means of this formula, mean adjusted ionised calcium concentration in heparinised blood calculated was 100% of the actual value given by the analyser in the normal horses. When using this formula in horses with colic or diarrhoea, mean adjusted ionised calcium concentration was underestimated by 0.2 and 0.3%, respectively. Furthermore, to adjust the measured ionised calcium concentration in heparinised blood to a pH of 7.4 in healthy as well as in 2 groups of diseased horses 2 formulas with a good prediction are now available.     

Structure and Expression In planta of Botrytis cinerea Ubiquitin Genes

To identify genes of the necrotrophic pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea that are expressed during infection of tomato leaves, a differential screening of a genomic library with radioactively labelled cDNA was performed. This resulted in the identification of a B. cinerea gene, denominated Bcubi4, which encodes a precursor protein consisting of four identical head-to-tail repeats of a 76aa ubiquitin unit. Subsequently a gene denominated Bcubi1CEP79, encoding a single ubiquitin unit joined to a Carboxyl Extension Protein of 79 amino acids, was isolated. The expression of the two ubiquitin genes was studied during pathogenesis of B. cinerea on tomato. Bcubi1CEP79, but not Bcubi4, mRNA was transiently induced at 16h after inoculation. The increased expression of the Bcubi1CEP79 gene at this stage of pathogenesis might be required for enhanced ribosomal biogenesis.     

Assessment of Partial Resistance to Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera pannosa) in a Tetraploid Rose Population Using a Spore-suspension Inoculation Method

Powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa) is the most important fungal disease in greenhouse roses and is in practice controlled by fungicides. The creation of novel cultivars with durable resistance to powdery mildew is highly desirable. To understand the inheritance of mildew resistance, a tetraploid rose population with a size of 181 seedlings was obtained by crossing two tetraploid genotypes each having partial resistance. The population and its parents were tested under greenhouse conditions with two well-defined monospore isolates (2 and F1) using artificial inoculation with spore suspensions. Disease score at 11 days post-inoculation, latent period and rate of symptom development were used to describe seedling resistance. The tests for both isolates exhibited a wide and significant variation among genotypes for resistance. The distribution of the genotypic means of the disease scores was continuous and showed a considerable transgression. Statistical analysis, scatter plot of disease scores for the isolates, and correlation analyses indicated that the two isolates differed in pathogenicity. The outcome of the tests showed that the inoculation assay with spore suspensions was a reliable and effective way to screen large numbers of genotypes under greenhouse conditions for genetic and breeding studies. This is the first report on spore-suspension inoculation to be used successfully in rose.     

Response of black rot in cabbage to spatial distribution of inoculum

Disease progress of black rot in cabbage crop was studied over three years in field plots to compare the effects of uni-focal and multi-focal inoculum applied in equal amounts per plot. Disease progress (plant incidence and leaf incidence) was plotted over time, three dimensional maps were made, and disease aggregation was studied by means of geostatistics, black-black counts and Moran's I statistic. Black rot progress was primarily due to focus expansion. Secondary foci may appear at short distances from the initial focus but they usually merge with the expanding initial focus. Anisotropy occurred occasionally but was of minor importance. Disease proceeds faster in plots with multi-focal inoculation than in those with uni-focal inoculation. Probably, serious epidemics in Dutch cabbage fields originate from large numbers of foci.     

Effects of Feed in the Dry Period on Fertility of Dairy Cows Post Partum

It has been hypothesized that the decrease in fertility of dairy cows is related to the increase in milk yield and associated with fatty liver and increased vulnerability for both infection and metabolic diseases. To elucidate the mechanisms behind this complex of health and reproductive problems an Animal Model, based on overfeeding in the dry period, has been developed. In an experiment carried out in 1996 sixteen animals were fed 119 MJ/d net energy to lactation (NEL) (experimental group) and another sixteen just 49 MJ/d NEL (control group) in the last 8 weeks before parturition. During lactation the cows from both groups were given the lactation ration ad libitum. After parturition both groups differed significantly in level and duration of the NEB, in weight loss, increased concentrations of NEFAs and bHBB in the blood and TAG in the liver. Although the insulin level was lower in the experimental animals during the first week, the difference was not significant. The number of ovulations within the first 100 days pp was significant lower in the experimental group and was related to depth and duration of the NEB and the weight loss: more NEB leads to less ovulations. The interval partus-le ovulation was also significant different but related to the TAG level in the liver: more TAG leads to a longer interval. The experimental group with the fatty liver suffered more incidenses of metabolic diseases. It has been concluded that the Model leads to a severe NEB, to Fatty Liver and to more incidences of diseases. Both the NEB and the fatty liver influence the fertility of the cows pp and it can not be excluded that some diseases have an effect too. More studies are planned to unravel the factors that affect the fertility of high yielding cows.