Metabolic disorders in poultry (review)

The rapid growth of demand for poultry products requires its sufficient production by specialized farms of various forms of ownership. However, such production needs are not always adequate to the selection approach, the incubation component, the basic requirements of veterinary and sanitary and zoohygienic support, breed and age characteristics of keeping and raising poultry. Therefore, one of the crucial components of obtaining biologically complete, high-quality and fast-paying products of the poultry industry, including all stages of its production, is human support of the main links of ontogenesis (development after birth) of the bird. The issue of not only the creation of the genetic potential of the parent bird of different species and areas of productivity, but also the provision of veterinary and sanitary conditions for their maintenance, breeding and breeding remains relevant. However, the current economic conditions have forced the heads of enterprises and veterinary departments to some extent bypass the planned laboratory tests of feed, water and blood, which, although not complete, but informative enough to trace the main periods of growth and development of the bird. Slight deterioration of the mode and quality of feeding, changes in the parameters of the microclimate are reflected in changes in blood parameters. And what about the spoilage of feed, water, violation of veterinary and sanitary maintenance of poultry: the lack of preventive treatments with vitamin-mineral, hepatoprotective and enzyme preparations, pre- and probiotics. Which can lead to metabolic disorders in poultry. Which can occur due to disorders of protein, lipid, carbohydrate, vitamin, macro- and micromineral metabolism. As a result, there are significantly popular diseases such as: uric acid diathesis, cannibalism, osteoporosis and osteomalacia, perosis, rickets, obesity, E-hypovitaminosis. Further reducing productivity, which leads to large economic losses on farms.

Diversity and Relationships among Neglected Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Landraces Using Morphological Traits and SSR Markers: Implications for Agro-Biodiversity Conservation

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is an economically important tree species globally cultivated in temperate areas. Italy has an ample number of traditional varieties, but numerous landraces are abandoned and at risk of extinction because of increasing urbanization, agricultural intensification, and varietal renewal. In this work, we investigated the morphological and genetic diversity present in an ex-situ collection of 28 neglected varieties belonging to the so-called “Vesuvian apricot”. Our aim was to understand the level of diversity and the possible link between the promotion of specific fruit types (e.g., by public policies) and the intraspecific variation in apricot. The combination of five continuous and seven categorical traits allowed us to phenotypically distinguish the varieties; while fruit quality-related attributes displayed high variation, both apricot size and skin colour were more uniform. The twelve fluorescent-based Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) markers identified cultivar-specific molecular profiles and revealed a high molecular diversity, which poorly correlated with that described by the morphological analysis. Our results highlighted the complementary information provided by the two sets of descriptors and that DNA markers are necessary to separate morphologically related apricot landraces. The observed morphological and genetic differences suggest a loss of diversity influenced by maintenance breeding of specific pomological traits (e.g., skin colour and size). Finally, our study provided evidence to recommend complementary strategies to avoid the loss of diversity in apricot. Actions should pivot on both the promotion of easily identified premium products and more inclusive biodiversity-centred on-farm strategies.

Essential oils in Czech hop varieties

Czech hop varieties were evaluated as part of maintenance breeding. The evaluation was performed in a single location between 2011 and 2020. The average weight of hop essential oils (HEOs) is 0.43 to 2.28% w/w. The Saaz, Saaz Brilliant, Mimosa, Saaz Shine and Saaz Comfort hop varieties have a low amount of HEOs. Their maximum content of these compounds amounts to 1.1% w/w. The average proportion of myrcene is between 23.42 and 45.14% rel. Only the Agnus, Vital and Boomerang hop varieties have the maximum myrcene proportion above 50% rel. The average share of caryophyllene ranges between 6.19 and 13.15% rel. Saaz Late has a broad range of caryophyllene percentage – from 5.39% rel. to 15.53% rel. The average percenatge of farnesene is between 0.14 and 16.91% rel. Only the Saaz Comfort and Saaz Shine hop varieties have the maximum farnesene share above 20% rel. The average humulene content has a very broad range between 2.23 and 35.79% rel. The Vital, Mimosa, Gaia and Saaz Comfort hop varieties are in a group with a low humulene percentage, which is clearly different from other hop varieties. The average share of selinenes ranges broadly from 0.97 to 33.56% rel. Mimosa differs from the before mentioned varieties with its proportion of selinenes between 23.08 and 43.75% rel. The aim was to characterize and compare Czech hop varieties in terms of content and composition of HEOs.

The Removal of Subterranean Stormwater Drain Sumps as Mosquito Breeding Sites in Darwin, Australia

The Northern Territory Top End Health Service, Medical Entomology Section and the City of Darwin council carry out a joint Mosquito Engineering Program targeting the rectification of mosquito breeding sites in the City of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. In 2005, an investigation into potential subterranean stormwater breeding sites in the City of Darwin commenced, specifically targeting roadside stormwater side entry pits. There were 79 side entry pits randomly investigated for mosquito breeding in the Darwin suburbs of Nightcliff and Rapid Creek, with 69.6% of the pits containing water holding sumps, and 45.6% of those water holding sumps breeding endemic mosquitoes. Culex quinquefasciatus was the most common mosquito collected, accounting for 73% of all mosquito identifications, with the potential vector mosquito Aedes notoscriptus also recovered from a small number of sumps. The sumps were also considered potential dry season maintenance breeding sites for important exotic Aedes mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which are potential vectors of dengue, chickungunya and Zika virus. Overall, 1229 side entry pits were inspected in ten Darwin suburbs from 2005 to 2008, with 180 water holding sumps identified and rectified by concrete filling.

In vitro conservation of taro (Colocasia esculenta Var. Globulifera) as influenced by mannitol

In vitro conservation of germplasm plays a vital role in maintenance breeding and also has many advantages over the conventional system. The experimental results for conservation of Colocasia sp. also proved this. In relation to explants and osmoticum, meristem and axillary bud could be conserved for 24 months while meristem-base died after 6 months. Mannitol as osmoticum @ 4% performed nicely to conserve Colocasia upto 24 months. Only meristem and axillary bud could be conserved for 24 months with the use of 4 % mannitol. But other level of mannitol remained culture alive for varying periods (6 to 12 months). After 24 months, the plant height was 6.5 cm for the meristem and 6.4 for axillary bud.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(1): 67-74, March 2016

Precocious beginning of blossoming and tree decline in apricot cultivar Bergeron

Tree mortality was recorded in a selection orchard of maintenance breeding of cv. Bergeron LE-2 in 1993&ndash;2002. The beginning of blossoming was examined in individual trees in the same orchard in 1999&ndash;2002. Considering the effect of year, a maximum difference in the average beginning of blossoming was 10 days in the whole set of trees. The beginning of blossoming of individual trees was not identical in the same year. A difference in the onset of phenophase &ldquo;beginning of blossoming&rdquo; between early and late blossoming trees was 1&ndash;4 days in the particular years. The trees maintained their early or late blossoming for the whole period of evaluation. No tree died in the orchard by 1998. From 1999 to 2002 50% of early blossoming trees died and only 2.38% of late blossoming ones (average of three replications). Two thirds of early blossoming trees died during vegetation, a third died during vegetation rest. No commercially important viroses were proved to be present. It is the reason why viruses could not be a potential cause of the above-mentioned facts. The presence of phytoplasm (ESFY) was confirmed by the method NESTED PCR in one case in a randomly selected early blossoming tree. The test was negative in two randomly selected late blossoming trees from underplanting. The early beginning of blossoming did not influence productivity. Correlations between the beginning of tree blossoming and blossom abundance, or between the beginning of blossoming and productivity, were insignificant (r = 0.12 or <br />r = &ndash;0.13). Even though the causative agent of higher mortality in early blossoming trees was not confirmed unambiguously, it is desirable to select the best individuals only from the group of late blossoming ones during maintenance breeding of cv. Bergeron. These individuals should be used as prebasic material in a certification process and as basic material after prescribed repeated testing. &nbsp;