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Biosecurity aspects in commercial Kappaphycus alvarezii farming industry: An India case study
Full text linkThe commercial farming of Kappaphycus alvarezii in Indian waters has provided diversifying livelihood to the low-income artisanal fishermen for last 15 years. The sector has got commercial setback due to mass mortality of germplasm during 2013 – 2014. But considering its potential to provide inclusive economic growth in coastal rural settings, the government has renewed its interest in this activity. At the cusp of the strategic expansion of the seaweed sector understanding biosecurity risks, strategies and enforcement of framework is pivotal in reducing the impact of disease outbreaks, epiphytic infestations and pest attacks. The key category aspects include identification of the risks, evaluate the national health management for seaweed aquaculture, and providing potential biosecurity strategy for expanding commercial farming operations. Additionally we also enlisted the biosecurity strategy from other eucheumatoid-producing countries and nations involved in seaweed aquaculture for comparison. In-spite of advancements in science and technology, particularly in seaweed application-based solutions, health management and seaweed aquaculture biosecurity, still remain in their infancy in India. The analysis revealed that there is a complete absence of a national database of diseases, epiphytes, and grazers outbreak. Further limited clarity on a legal administrative procedures for the import of seaweed germplasm for commercial exploitation and its subsequent quarantine is a critical biosecurity risk. There is an urgent need to invest considerably in research and development related to the biosecurity of seaweeds. The rapid internet based technological development could be effectively utilised in disease reporting as well as developing farmer centric syndromic surveillance. The strengthening of regulatory frameworks and policy should be given the highest priority, as application of biosecurity has indirect effects in domains such as products development, food security, agriculture productivity, economic growth and potential regulatory ecosystem services.publishedVersio
A generalized risk assessment index for forecasting insect population under the effect of temperature
Full text linkLife history traits have been studied under various environmental factors, but the ability to combine them into a simple function to assess pest response to climate is still lacking complete understanding. This study proposed a risk index derived by combining development, mortality, and fertility rates from a stage-structured dynamic mathematical model. The first part presents the theoretical framework behind the risk index. The second part of the study is concerned with the application of the index in two case studies of major economic pest: the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) and the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), pests of rice crops and soft fruits, respectively. The mathematical calculations provided a single function composed of the main thermal biodemographic rates. This function has a threshold value that determines the possibility of population increase as a function of temperature. The tests carried out on the two pest species showed the capability of the index to describe the range of favourable conditions. With this approach, we were able to identify areas where pests are tolerant to climatic conditions and to project them on a geospatial risk map. The theoretical background developed here provided a tool for understanding the biogeography of Nilaparvata lugens and Drosophila suzukii. It is flexible enough to deal with mathematically simple (N. lugens) and complex (D. Suzukii) case studies of crop insect pests. It produces biologically sound indices that behave like thermal performance curves. These theoretical results also provide a reasonable basis for addressing the challenge of pest management in the context of seasonal weather variations and climate change. This may help to improve monitoring and design management strategies to limit the spread of pests in invaded areas, as some non-invaded areas may be suitable for the species to develop.publishedVersio
Enhancing Water Barriers by Protein-Based Surface Treatments for Cellulose-Based Materials
Full text linkThe global packaging sector has grown consistently, and the use of sustainable materials, including recycled and biodegradable products, is expected to rise. This study focuses on the potential of producing barriers for water and water in moist air (water vapor) from proteins to protect cellulosic materials. Owing to the specific requirements of packaging materials, the main subject of this research was their barrier and strength properties. The scope of this work includes selecting components and their physicochemical treatment to produce functionalized coatings on sprayed paper and pure films, as well as film-coated samples (paper laminated with film). The following tests were used to estimate the hydrophobic, hygroscopic, and strength properties: Cobb absorption, contact angle testing, dynamic vapor sorption, and dynamic mechanical analysis. In most cases, the spray-coated paper and film-coated samples absorbed less liquid water than untreated paper. Wheat gluten protein was the most effective water barrier. In all variants, the vapor sorption, desorption, and hysteresis effects (or the lack thereof) showed significant differences compared to those of cellulosic materials. All variants of the spray-coated and film-coated samples in the dynamic mechanical analysis showed an increase in the strength properties of the samples in comparison to the untreated paper. The increased humidity caused a significant loss in the mechanical properties of all variants, exceeding the strength loss of the untreated control samples.publishedVersio
ScabyNet, a user-friendly application for detecting common scab in potato tubers using deep learning and morphological traits
Full text linkCommon scab (CS) is a major bacterial disease causing lesions on potato tubers, degrading their appearance and reducing their market value. To accurately grade scab-infected potato tubers, this study introduces “ScabyNet”, an image processing approach combining color-morphology analysis with deep learning techniques. ScabyNet estimates tuber quality traits and accurately detects and quantifies CS severity levels from color images. It is presented as a standalone application with a graphical user interface comprising two main modules. One module identifies and separates tubers on images and estimates quality-related morphological features. In addition, it enables the extraction of tubers as standard tiles for the deep-learning module. The deep-learning module detects and quantifies the scab infection into five severity classes related to the relative infected area. The analysis was performed on a dataset of 7154 images of individual tiles collected from field and glasshouse experiments. Combining the two modules yields essential parameters for quality and disease inspection. The first module simplifies imaging by replacing the region proposal step of instance segmentation networks. Furthermore, the approach is an operational tool for an affordable phenotyping system that selects scab-resistant genotypes while maintaining their market standards.publishedVersio
Effects of dry matter concentration in grass silage on milk production of dairy cows fed concentrates high or low in metabolizable protein concentration
Full text linkStudies have shown that extended wilting of grass before ensiling can improve the metabolizable protein (MP) value of the grass silage, both from increased rumen microbial crude protein (MCP) yield and ruminally undegraded crude protein (RUP). We hypothesised that extending the wilting of grass before ensiling can increase milk and milk protein production in dairy cows. Consequently, increased silage MP can reduce the need for MP in concentrate, estimated as amino acids absorbed in the small intestine (AAT20). To test this, a continuous feeding experiment was conducted, with 48 early- to mid-lactation Norwegian Red dairy cows. Treatments were 2 wilting levels of grass silages: 260 vs. 417 g dry matter (DM) per kg, and 2 qualities of concentrates differing in MP, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n = 12). The concentrates were low MP (LMP); 104 g AAT20/kg DM, and high MP (HMP); 123 g AAT20/kg DM, supplied at 8.75 kg DM/cow per day. The cows had ad libitum access to the grass silages. The experiment lasted for 11 weeks. The first 2 weeks, where cows received identical diets, were used as the covariate period. Those data together with data collected the last 4 weeks were used for statistical evaluation of treatments. Increasing DM concentration in silage reduced lactic acid, ammonia nitrogen and proportion of methionine in the grass silage, while it increased residual water-soluble carbohydrates, pH, proportion of aspartic acid and rumen degradability of NDF. There was no difference between treatments in daily silage DM intake (13.1 kg), milk yield (30.2 kg) or milk composition. However, feeding HMP increased urea and uric acid in urine, and urea in blood plasma, thereby reduced N efficiency. No major differences were found for rumen pH, or purine derivatives to creatinine index in urine, as indication for MCP. There was significantly more histidine in blood plasma when cows were fed HMP concentrate. In conclusion, increased DM concentration in silage and HMP concentrate did not increase milk production or milk protein yield in this study.publishedVersio
Biochar effect on sheep feed intake, growth rate and ruminant in vitro and in vivo methane production
Full text linkBiochar, which is the product of biomass pyrolysis, has been suggested as a feed supplement to improve performance in livestock systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of the current study was to investigate in vitro and in vivo potential of biochar to favourably modify rumen fermentation (e.g., an increase in total Short Chained Fatty Acid (SCFA) concentration and a change in SCFA profile), reduce methane emission and increase sheep growth performance. Four concentrates were produced with biochar inclusion of 0, 10, 23 and 46 g/kg DM. The experimental diets for the in vitro experiments consisted of straw and concentrate in a 60:40 ratio and included measurements of total gas and methane (CH4) production, pH, ammonia nitrogen, SCFA, and microbial assays (total bacteria and methanogenic archaea). Two in vivo experiments were performed where the animals received ad libitum forage with 0.4 kg concentrate daily. Experiment 1 investigated the daily DM intake of sheep while experiment 2 investigated daily growth rate and CH4 emission of lambs. The inclusion of biochar had no impact on in vitro total gas production (ml/200 mg DM substrate) (P = 0.81) and CH4 production (ml/200 mg DM substrate) (P = 0.93). In vitro total SCFA concentration increased (P < 0.05) while acetate to propionate ratio (A:P) tended to decrease (P = 0.05) with both doses of biochar. Total bacteria decreased with the highest biochar inclusion in vitro (P < 0.05). Sheep’s DM intake (kg/d) increased when low and medium levels but not when a higher level of biochar was added to the diet (P < 0.001). The inclusion of biochar did not significantly impact the lamb’s daily growth rate (g/d) (P = 0.61) or enteric CH4 emissions (g/kg DM) (P = 0.43). We conclude that biochar supplementation had no favourable impacts on in vitro and in vivo CH4 production or on lamb’s growth rate. Further research with well-characterised biochar is needed to gain a better understanding of the potential of biochar as a feed additive for ruminant livestock.publishedVersio
Complex Genomic Landscape of Inversion Polymorphism in Europe’s Most Destructive Forest Pest
Full text linkIn many species, polymorphic genomic inversions underlie complex phenotypic polymorphisms and facilitate local adaptation in the face of gene flow. Multiple polymorphic inversions can co-occur in a genome, but the prevalence, evolutionary significance, and limits to complexity of genomic inversion landscapes remain poorly understood. Here, we examine genome-wide genetic variation in one of Europe's most destructive forest pests, the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus, scan for polymorphic inversions, and test whether inversions are associated with key traits in this species. We analyzed 240 individuals from 18 populations across the species' European range and, using a whole-genome resequencing approach, identified 27 polymorphic inversions covering ∼28% of the genome. The inversions vary in size and in levels of intra-inversion recombination, are highly polymorphic across the species range, and often overlap, forming a complex genomic architecture. We found no support for mechanisms such as directional selection, overdominance, and associative overdominance that are often invoked to explain the presence of large inversion polymorphisms in the genome. This suggests that inversions are either neutral or maintained by the combined action of multiple evolutionary forces. We also found that inversions are enriched in odorant receptor genes encoding elements of recognition pathways for host plants, mates, and symbiotic fungi. Our results indicate that the genome of this major forest pest of growing social, political, and economic importance harbors one of the most complex inversion landscapes described to date and raise questions about the limits of intraspecific genomic architecture complexity.publishedVersio
Phylogeography, origin and population structure of the self-fertile emerging plant pathogen Phytophthora pseudosyringae
Full text linkPhytophthora pseudosyringae is a self-fertile pathogen of woody plants, particularly associated with tree species from the genera Fagus, Notholithocarpus, Nothofagus and Quercus, which is found across Europe and in parts of North America and Chile. It can behave as a soil pathogen infecting roots and the stem collar region, as well as an aerial pathogen infecting leaves, twigs and stem barks, causing particular damage in the United Kingdom and western North America. The population structure, migration and potential outcrossing of a worldwide collection of isolates were investigated using genotyping-by-sequencing. Coalescent-based migration analysis revealed that the North American population originated from Europe. Historical gene flow has occurred between the continents in both directions to some extent, yet contemporary migration is overwhelmingly from Europe to North America. Two broad population clusters dominate the global population of the pathogen, with a subgroup derived from one of the main clusters found only in western North America. Index of association and network analyses indicate an influential level of outcrossing has occurred in this preferentially inbreeding, homothallic oomycete. Outcrossing between the two main population clusters has created distinct subgroups of admixed individuals that are, however, less common than the main population clusters. Differences in life history traits between the two main population clusters should be further investigated together with virulence and host range tests to evaluate the risk each population poses to natural environments worldwide.publishedVersio
Climate change and deer in boreal and temperate regions: From physiology to population dynamics and species distributions
Full text linkClimate change causes far-reaching disruption in nature, where tolerance thresholds already have been exceeded for some plants and animals. In the short term, deer may respond to climate through individual physiological and behavioral responses. Over time, individual responses can aggregate to the population level and ultimately lead to evolutionary adaptations. We systematically reviewed the literature (published 2000–2022) to summarize the effect of temperature, rainfall, snow, combined measures (e.g., the North Atlantic Oscillation), and extreme events, on deer species inhabiting boreal and temperate forests in terms of their physiology, spatial use, and population dynamics. We targeted deer species that inhabit relevant biomes in North America, Europe, and Asia: moose, roe deer, wapiti, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, and reindeer. Our review (218 papers) shows that many deer populations will likely benefit in part from warmer winters, but hotter and drier summers may exceed their physiological tolerances. We found support for deer expressing both morphological, physiological, and behavioral plasticity in response to climate variability. For example, some deer species can limit the effects of harsh weather conditions by modifying habitat use and daily activity patterns, while the physiological responses of female deer can lead to long-lasting effects on population dynamics. We identified 20 patterns, among which some illustrate antagonistic pathways, suggesting that detrimental effects will cancel out some of the benefits of climate change. Our findings highlight the influence of local variables (e.g., population density and predation) on how deer will respond to climatic conditions. We identified several knowledge gaps, such as studies regarding the potential impact on these animals of extreme weather events, snow type, and wetter autumns. The patterns we have identified in this literature review should help managers understand how populations of deer may be affected by regionally projected futures regarding temperature, rainfall, and snow.publishedVersio
Transforming ranching: Precision livestock management in the Internet of Things era
Full text linkOn the Ground: -Precision livestock management through sensor technology using the Internet of Things offers enhanced surveillance and monitoring of the ranching operations. -At the ranch scale, the integration of sensor technology, including on-animal sensors, environmental monitoring equipment, and remote sensing can shift livestock operations from a solely reactive, traditional, knowledge-based approach toward a proactive, data-driven, decision-making process. -Leveraging data from sensors at the ranch scale can address logistical challenges and create efficiency in decision-making processes concerning resource management.publishedVersio