Tree Species for Recovering Nitrogen from Dairy-Farm Effluent in New Zealand

2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1064-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon K.F. Roygard ◽  
Brent E. Clothier ◽  
Steve R. Green ◽  
Nanthi S. Bolan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Dairy Farm

scholarly journals Still ‘dairy farm fever’? A Bayesian model for leptospirosis notification data in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (175) ◽  
pp. 20200964
Author(s):  
Jackie Benschop ◽  
Shahista Nisa ◽  
Simon E. F. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Nucleic Acid Detection ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Specific Occupation ◽  
Health Surveillance Data ◽  
Notification Data ◽  
Important Evidence

Routinely collected public health surveillance data are often partially complete, yet remain a useful source by which to monitor incidence and track progress during disease intervention. In the 1970s, leptospirosis in New Zealand (NZ) was known as ‘dairy farm fever’ and the disease was frequently associated with serovars Hardjo and Pomona. To reduce infection, interventions such as vaccination of dairy cattle with these two serovars was implemented. These interventions have been associated with significant reduction in leptospirosis incidence, however, livestock-based occupations continue to predominate notifications. In recent years, diagnosis is increasingly made by nucleic acid detection which currently does not provide serovar information. Serovar information can assist in linking the recognized maintenance host, such as livestock and wildlife, to infecting serovars in human cases which can feed back into the design of intervention strategies. In this study, confirmed and probable leptospirosis notification data from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2016 were used to build a model to impute the number of cases from different occupational groups based on serovar and month of occurrence. We imputed missing occupation and serovar data within a Bayesian framework assuming a Poisson process for the occurrence of notified cases. The dataset contained 1430 notified cases, of which 927 had a specific occupation (181 dairy farmers, 45 dry stock farmers, 454 meatworkers, 247 other) while the remaining 503 had non-specified occupations. Of the 1430 cases, 1036 had specified serovars (231 Ballum, 460 Hardjo, 249 Pomona, 96 Tarassovi) while the remaining 394 had an unknown serovar. Thus, 47% (674/1430) of observations had both a serovar and a specific occupation. The results show that although all occupations have some degree of under-reporting, dry stock farmers were most strongly affected and were inferred to contribute as many cases as dairy farmers to the burden of disease, despite dairy farmer being recorded much more frequently. Rather than discard records with some missingness, we have illustrated how mathematical modelling can be used to leverage information from these partially complete cases. Our finding provides important evidence for reassessing the current minimal use of animal vaccinations in dry stock. Improving the capture of specific farming type in case report forms is an important next step.

Evolution of the south-western Pacific genus Melicytus (Violaceae): evidence from DNA sequence data, cytology and sex expression

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Mitchell ◽  
P. B. Heenan ◽  
B. G. Murray ◽  
B. P. J. Molloy ◽  
P. J. de Lange
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Chromosome Numbers ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Sex Expression ◽  
The South ◽  
Shrub Species ◽  
Biogeographic Patterns ◽  
Norfolk Island

Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear DNA external transcribed spacer (ETS) and chloroplast DNA trnL–trnF markers were undertaken to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the South Pacific genus Melicytus. Bayesian analyses of the ETS sequence data produced a phylogenetic tree with several well supported groups, including clades comprising: (1) species from Australia, Tasmania and Lord Howe Island; (2) the Norfolk Island M. latifolius and New Zealand off-shore island M. novae-zelandiae subsp. novae-zelandiae; (3) the large-leaved M. ramiflorus complex; (4) M. fasciger and M. micranthus; and (5) M. obovatus and allies from the Cook Strait region. Phylogenetic analysis of trnL–trnF sequence data also retrieved some of these groups although, in general, was not as well resolved. The relationships of M. lanceolatus are equivocal, as in the ETS phylogeny it is sister to a clade comprising the large-leaved tree species M. fasciger and M. ramiflorus complex and the small-leaved M. micranthus, whereas in the trnL–trnF phylogeny it is sister to a clade of small-leaved shrub species such as M. alpinus and M. crassifolius. Several biogeographic patterns are evident, with dispersal to the west from New Zealand, to Australia, involving small-leaved shrub species. Dispersal to the north from New Zealand, to Norfolk Island and Fiji, involves large-leaved tree species. The sex expression is documented for all named species and undescribed entities, with these being either hermaphroditic or dioecious. When sex expression is mapped onto the phylogeny, the hermaphroditic system is inferred to have evolved from the dioecious system. New chromosome counts are presented for M. angustifolius (2n = 64) and M. dentatus (2n = 32), and earlier counts of 2n = 64 are confirmed for M. crassifolius and M. alpinus. An additional 17 counts are provided for two natural hybrids and several undescribed entities from Australia and New Zealand. The polyploid chromosome number of 2n = 64 occurs most frequently in small-leaved divariate plants with hermaphroditic flowers. When chromosome numbers are plotted onto the phylogeny it is inferred that high polyploids (e.g. 2n = 64) and small-leaved shrubs have evolved from large-leaved trees with functional diploid (e.g. 2n = 32) chromosome numbers.

scholarly journals An optimization model of a New Zealand dairy farm

2013 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 2147-2160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme J. Doole ◽  
Alvaro J. Romera ◽  
Alfredo A. Adler
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Optimization Model ◽  
Dairy Farm

scholarly journals Resistance and resilience of New Zealand tree species to browsing

2007 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 1014-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIE N. BEE ◽  
GEORGES KUNSTLER ◽  
DAVID A. COOMES
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Tree Species

Retention capacity of biochar-amended New Zealand dairy farm soil for an estrogenic steroid hormone and its primary metabolite

Soil Research ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit K. Sarmah ◽  
Prakash Srinivasan ◽  
Ronald J. Smernik ◽  
Merilyn Manley-Harris ◽  
Michael Jerry Antal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Steroid Hormone ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Equilibrium Concentration ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Sorptive Capacity ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Sorption Ability ◽  
13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

We examined the retention ability of a New Zealand dairy farm soil amended with 3 types of biochar produced from a variety of feedstocks for a steroid hormone (oestradiol, E2) and its primary transformation product (estrone, E1). Biochars produced from corn cob (CC), pine sawdust (PSD) and green waste (GW) were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Batch sorption studies were performed on soil amended with each biochar (0.5% and 1% by weight) using a complex solvent extraction scheme, and isotherms were fitted to the Freundlich model. All isotherms were highly non-linear, with N values in the range 0.46–0.83 (E2) and 0.66–0.88 (E1) in soil amended with different percentages of biochars. Overall, addition of all 3 biochars was found to increase the soil sorption affinity for the hormones, with E2 sorption being the highest in the soil amended with 1% PSD biochar. There was no marked difference in hormone sorption ability in the other 2 treatments (soil treated with 1% CC biochar and 1% GW biochar). Overall, the effective distribution coefficient (Kdeff) values for E2 at the lowest equilibrium concentration (Cw 0.5 mg/L) ranged from 35 to 311 L/kg in soil amended with the 3 types of biochar. Addition of 0.5% of PSD biochar resulted in ~560% increase in the Kdeff value for E2, while at 1% addition of PSD biochar, uptake of E2 was nearly 1400% higher than the control. For E1, the percentage increase in Kdeff was comparatively smaller than E2; however, it still ranged from 40 to 280%, and 60 to >320% at addition of 0.5% and 1% PSD biochar, respectively, compared with the control soil. Highest treatment temperature and associated greater surface area, low ash content, higher carbon content, and the abundance of polar functional groups (e.g. –OH, C=O) may explain why the soil amended with PSD biochar exhibited high sorptive capacity for the hormones.

Empowering farmers for increased resilience in uncertain times

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 843 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Nettle ◽  
M. Ayre ◽  
R. Beilin ◽  
S. Waller ◽  
L. Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Research Development ◽  
The Past ◽  
Level Of Activity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Designs

As farmers continue to face increasingly uncertain and often rapidly changing conditions related to markets, climate or the policy environment, people involved in agricultural research, development and extension (RD&E) are also challenged to consider how their work can contribute to supporting farmer resilience. Research from the social sciences conducted in the past decade has focussed on adaptability or adaptive capacity as a key attribute for individuals and groups to possess for managing resilience. It is, therefore, timely to ask the following: do current ways of doing and organising RD&E in the dairy sector in New Zealand and Australia contribute to supporting farm adaptability? This paper reports on results from an examination of case studies of challenges to resilience in the dairy sector in Australia and New Zealand (i.e. dairy farm conversion, climate-change adaptation, consent to farm) and the contribution of dairy RD&E in enhancing resilience of farmers, their farms and the broader industry. Drawing on concepts from resilience studies and considering an empowerment perspective, the analysis of these cases suggest that, currently, agricultural RD&E supports adaptability in general, but varies in the strength of its presence and level of activity in the areas known to enhance adaptability. This analysis is used to generate principles for dairy scientists and others in the RD&E system to consider in (1) research designs, (2) engaging different farmers in research and (3) presenting research results differently. This represents a significant shift for the science and advisory communities to move to methods that acknowledge uncertainty and facilitate learning.

Basidiomycete decay fungi within stems of Nothofagus windfalls in a Southern Hemisphere beech forest

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1897-1910 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Hood ◽  
P. N. Beets ◽  
J. F. Gardner ◽  
M. O. Kimberley ◽  
M. W.P. Power ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Decay Fungi ◽  
Mean Diameter

Fungi were isolated to determine the predominant decomposer species active in the coarse woody debris in a beech forest in the central North Island of New Zealand. Basidiomycetes were obtained in 55% of 4569 isolation attempts from discs cut from six trees each of Nothofagus fusca (Hook. F.) Oerst. and Nothofagus menziesii (Hook. F.) Oerst. uprooted during a storm 24 years earlier. Percentage yields varied significantly among trees but not between tree species. However, for N. fusca, basidiomycetes were obtained less frequently from stems of greater mean diameter. In total, 96% of basidiomycete isolates were composed of 18 species, the most abundant being Armillaria novae-zelandiae (G. Stev.) Herink, mainly present in the outer 12 cm, and Ganoderma cf. applanatum sensu Wakef. and Cyclomyces tabacinus (Mont.) Pat., which penetrated more deeply. These fungi were distributed along the stems as somatically incompatible colonies reaching lengths of 11, 2, and 3 m for each species, respectively; those of G. cf. applanatum were separated by brown pseudosclerotial plates. Fruiting of these species was significantly associated with isolation of cultures and, for G. cf. applanatum and C. tabacinus, provided a reliable guide to stem colonization. Basidiomycete diversity in the Nothofagus stems was greater than in two podocarp species in an earlier study. Data from this investigation are being used to assess how decay fungi, together with other factors, influence rates of decomposition of indigenous coarse woody debris.

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