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Honey bee colony loss rates in 37 countries using the COLOSS survey for winter 2019–2020: the combined effects of operation size, migration and queen replacement
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 12 July 2022; Published online - 6 September 2022.This article presents managed honey bee colony loss rates over winter 2019/20 resulting
from using the standardised COLOSS questionnaire in 37 countries. Six countries were from
outside Europe, including, for the first time in this series of articles, New Zealand. The 30,491
beekeepers outside New Zealand reported 4.5% of colonies with unsolvable queen problems,
11.1% of colonies dead after winter and 2.6% lost through natural disaster. This gave
an overall colony winter loss rate of 18.1%, higher than in the previous year. The winter loss
rates varied greatly between countries, from 7.4% to 36.5%. 3216 beekeepers from New
Zealand managing 297,345 colonies reported 10.5% losses for their 2019 winter (six months
earlier than for other, Northern Hemisphere, countries). We modelled the risk of loss as a
dead/empty colony or from unresolvable queen problems, for all countries except New
Zealand. Overall, larger beekeeping operations with more than 50 colonies experienced significantly
lower losses (p<0.001). Migration was also highly significant (p<0.001), with
lower loss rates for operations migrating their colonies in the previous season. A higher proportion
of new queens reduced the risk of colony winter loss (p<0.001), suggesting that
more queen replacement is better. All three factors, operation size, migration and proportion
of young queens, were also included in a multivariable main effects quasi-binomial GLM and
all three remained highly significant (p<0.001). Detailed results for each country and overall
are given in a table, and a map shows relative risks of winter loss at the regional level.Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (BO-43-011.03-005);
Republic of Serbia, MPNTR-RS, through Grant No. III46002; Slovakia the project "Sustainable smart farming
systems taking into account the future challenges
313011W112"; Slovenian Research Program P1-0164; Danish Beekeepers Association for their funding and
support of the international LimeSurvey platform used by
many participating countries; “Zukunft Biene 2” (grant
number 101295/2) in Austria; University of Graz for open access
The Environmental Impact of Lowering Dietary Crude Protein in Finishing Pig Diets—The Effect on Ammonia, Odour and Slurry Production
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 20 September 2022; Published - 23 September 2022.Excess nitrogen excretion, ammonia and odour are environmental pollutants associated
with pig production. Reducing dietary crude protein (CP) will lower the amount of nitrogen excreted,
reducing the potential for ammonia emissions, if diets are adequately formulated to supply amino
acids and production performance is maintained. Crude protein content in diets for finishing pigs
has been lowered recently, but the quantitative effect of this reduction on ammonia, odour, and
slurry output is not well-established. The relationship between ammonia and odour is equivocal,
and the effect on slurry production is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect
of lowering dietary CP on ammonia emission, odour emission and slurry output of finishing pigs.
Thirty entire boar pigs were individually housed in groups of six, from 10 weeks of age (30 3.0 kg)
and offered standard diets. At 75 kg ( 1.5 kg) pigs were assigned to one of three treatment diets;
(1) 180 g/kg CP, 11.0 g/kg total lysine (High CP), (2) 150 g/kg CP, 11.1 g/kg total lysine (Medium
CP), and (3) 130 g/kg CP, 9.0 g/kg total lysine (Low CP). After three weeks on the experimental
diets pigs were moved, six each week, to individual calorimetry chambers to measure ammonia and
odour emissions. Pigs were offered treatment diets ad libitum. At the end of the recording period,
the pigs were removed from the chamber, weighed and feed disappearance recorded to calculate
intake. The slurry in each chamber was collected and analysed. The reduction in CP in the diet
from 180 g/kg to 150 g/kg resulted in a 22% reduction in ammonia emissions, and from 180 g/kg
to 130 g/kg resulted in a 47% reduction (p < 0.001). Slurry output from pigs offered the 130 g/kg
CP diet was reduced by 39% (p < 0.001) and dry matter increased by 35% compared to slurry from
pigs offered the 180 g/kg CP diet (p < 0.05). Water usage (p = 0.017), slurry output and nitrogen
and phosphate in the slurry (p < 0.05, respectively) were found to decrease linearly with decreasing
dietary CP content. There was no significant effect of reducing CP on performance or odour emission
but hydrogen sulphide emissions decreased linearly (p < 0.010) with decreasing dietary CP. There was
a weak positive relationship between odour emission and ammonia (linear: R2 = 0.25, p = 0.005) with
odour emission reduced as ammonia emission reduced. Reducing dietary CP in finishing pig diets
could reduce ammonia emissions, water usage and slurry and nutrient output from pig production.This work was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
under Evidence and Innovation Project 15/01/01 with industry contribution from the partners of the
Pig Research Consortium
The Effects of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb, Anemone chinensis Bunge, and Smilax glabra Roxb on Broiler Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Gastrointestinal Tract Microorganisms
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 21 April 2022; Published - 26 April 2022.Poultry farming is growing globally, particularly in developing countries, to meet the demands of growing populations for poultry meat and eggs. This is likely to lead to an increase in the use of antibiotics in poultry feed, thus contributing to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance which, poses a serious threat to human and animal health worldwide. One way of reducing this threat is to reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry production by finding effective and sustainable antibiotic alternatives that can be used to support poultry health and productivity. Therefore, this study evaluates the incorporation of three medicinal plants, Anemone chinensis Bunge, Smilax glabra Roxb, and Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb, in poultry feed on production performance, nutrient digestibility, and bacteria in the chicken caecum in a 35-day performance trial with 420-day-old male Ross 308 broilers. Groups of randomly selected chicks received one of six dietary treatments. These included five experimental diets of reduced nutrient specifications as a negative control (NC); with amoxicillin as a positive antibiotic control (PC1); with A. pilosa Ledeb (NC1); with A. chinensis Bunge (NC2); and with S. glabra Roxb (NC3). One other positive control diet contained the recommended nutrient specification (PC2). Weight gain and feed intake were measured weekly and used to calculate the feed conversion ratio as performance parameters. Bacteria were enumerated from chicken caecum using a traditional plating method and selective agar. S. glabra Roxb and A. chinensis Bunge showed comparable effects to amoxicillin with significantly increased weight gain in birds offered these diets, compared to those offered the negative control from days 0 to 35 (p < 0.001). S. glabra Roxb exhibited effects similar to the amoxicillin control group with an improved feed conversion ratio (p < 0.001). In addition, S. glabra Roxb decreased numbers of E. coli and Campylobacter spp. on days 21 (p < 0.05) and 35 (p < 0.01) and increased numbers of lactic acid bacteria comparable to the antibiotic group on days 14 (p < 0.001) and 35 (p < 0.01). The findings of this in vivo trial highlight the potential of S. glabra Roxb and A. chinensis Bunge as beneficial feed material to promote poultry health and productivity in the absence of antibiotics.This research was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
for Northern Ireland (DAERA). The work was conducted under Evidence and Innovation Project
17/4/03—Evaluation of ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock production sector
in Northern Ireland. R.L. McMurray received a DAERA studentship to complete a PhD programme
Evaluating scenarios to reduce phosphorus transport in surface waters from slurry applications in temperate grasslands
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 7 April 2022; Published online - 30 May 2022.This study evaluates a range of scenarios to reduce soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) losses using the
surface runoff phosphorus transport model (Surphos) to simulate the application of liquid manure (slurry)
to grassland catchments. Surphos was applied using data from two contrasting sites in the Republic of
Ireland and Northern Ireland. It explored scenarios that investigated changes to the timing of slurry
applications, based both on policy (i.e. a “closed” period where regulations prohibit any slurry spreading)
and on climate-based restrictions, where soil moisture and antecedent rainfall were important factors.
The observed data showed a considerable spatial variability in runoff at both sites, which resulted in a
corresponding variable range of SRP losses predicted by the model. However, at both sites the model
results showed that maintaining a closed period led to a greater reduction in SRP losses than opening this
period up to slurry applications under climate-based restrictions.This work was supported in part by the Department of Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) under an Evidence and
Innovation Grant [Award No. 17-4-08]
Rhamnolipids Mediate the Effects of a Gastropod Grazer in Regards to Carbon–Nitrogen Stoichiometry of Intertidal Microbial Biofilms
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 9 December 2022; Published online - 12 December 2022Microbial biofilms have co-evolved with grazing animals, such as gastropods, to develop mutually beneficial relationships. Although microbial biofilms demonstrate resilience and resistance to chemical exposure, pre-existing relationships can be negatively affected by chemical input. In this study, we determined how the grazer, Littorina littorea (common periwinkle sea snail), and a biological surfactant (rhamnolipid) interact on a phototrophic marine biofilm. Biofilms were cultured in 32 twenty-liter buckets at the Queen’s University Marine Laboratory in Portaferry, Northern Ireland on clay tiles that were either exposed to 150 ppm of a rhamnolipid solution or that had no chemical exposure. L. littorea were added into half of the buckets, and biofilms were developed over 14 days. Biofilms exposed to grazing alone demonstrated high tolerance to the disturbance, while those growing on rhamnolipid-exposed substrate demonstrated resistance but experienced slight declines in carbon and stoichiometric ratios. However, when exposed to both, biofilms had significant decreases in stoichiometry and declined in productivity and respiration. This is problematic, as continuing marine pollution increases the likelihood that biofilms will be exposed to combinations of stressors and disturbances. Loss of biofilm productivity within these areas could lead to the loss of an important food source and nutrient cycler within the marine ecosystem.SG is funded by an Ulster University Vice Chancellors Doctoral Research Fellowship and received additional support through the G and M Williams Fund. Analytical costs were partly supported by core funding from the AFBI Aquatic Chemistry Laboratory (BH
The Effect Citrox BCL on Legionella pneumophila Mechanisms of Biofilm Formation, Oxidative Stress and Virulence
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 1 November 2022; Published online - 4 November 2022Legionella pneumophila is responsible for causing Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever, also known as legionellosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanistic effect of a mixture of natural antimicrobials (Citrox BCL) in preventing L. pneumophila biofilm formation and reducing its in vitro virulence. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were detected at 0.06%, and the MBC was established at 0.125%. Based on the growth curve profile, the sub-inhibitory concentration of 0.02% was further used to study the mechanistic implications in the absence of a cytotoxic effect on A549 cells. At 24 h post-infection, Citrox BCL reduced (p = 0.005) the intracellular growth of L. pneumophila when the A549 cells or the bacteria were pre-treated with 0.02% Citrox BCL. This result was replicated when Citrox BCL was added during the 24 h infection assay leading to a reduction in intracellular growth (p = 0.003). Herein we show that at the sub-inhibitory concentration of 0.02%, Citrox CBL lowers the ROS levels in infected A549 cells and causes a 45% reduction in L. pneumophila EPS production, a reduction associated with the decline in biofilm formation. Overall, our results corroborate the low c-di-GMP production with the decrease in biofilm formation and low EPS levels. The low EPS levels seemed to be caused by the downregulation of the tatB and tatC gene expressions. Moreover, inhibition of pvcA and pvcB gene expressions, leading to lower siderophore levels, suggests that Citrox BCL reduces the ability of L. pneumophila to sequester iron and reduce biofilm formation through iron starvation.We acknowledge Environtech, Dublin, Ireland, for funding the Ph.D. of Eugenia Butucel. Grant number 49650
A comparison of the behaviour and survival of angling vs. trap-sampled S. salar smolts.
No full textPublication history: Accepted - 7 June 2022; Published online - 15 June 2022An experiment was undertaken, using acoustic telemetry, to compare the survival and migratory timing of Salmo salar L. smolts sampled, under optimal conditions, in a traditional fixed Wolf trap against a sample of rod-caught fish captured using a sensitive angling technique. No significant difference was evident in survival with 83% of both samples detected in the river outflow, 67% of the trap and 76% of the rod samples were detected in coastal waters and finally 43% of the trap and 35% of the rod samples were detected on an offshore array c. 50 km from the river outlet. No significant difference was evident in the time taken for trap- and rod-sampled fish to reach either the river outflow, coastal or offshore waters. Angling, if undertaken sensitively, can provide an effective, resource-efficient and ethically justifiable sampling tool for juvenile salmonid age classes.This work was funded by Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs for N. Ireland and by the Seamonitor project (EU INTERREG VA Programme)
MRM3-based UHPLC-MS/MS method for quantitation of total florfenicol residue content in milk and withdrawal study of profile of milk from treated cows
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 3 Jan 2022; Published online - 6 Jan 2022Florfenicol is a broad spectrum antibacterial, licensed globally for treatment of animal and aquaculture diseases. In the EU, Canada and US it is not permitted for use in animals producing milk or eggs. There are no published methods for analysis of total florfenicol content in milk/milk products as these lack a hydrolysis step, failing to meet the marker residue definition. A method for determining total florfenicol content in milk that meets this definition is reported for the first time. Use of a UHPLC-MS/MS multiple reaction monitoring-cubed method improved the selective detection and quantitation of lower levels of florfenicol amine in milk compared to MRM only. Single laboratory validation data and withdrawal profile in bovine milk are presented. A withdrawal period of over 50 days is indicated in case of off-label use. Requirement for hydrolysis is demonstrated
Interactive effects of straw management, tillage, and a cover crop on nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching from a sandy loam soil
No full textPublication history: Accepted - 1 March 2022; Published online - 5 March 2022.Minimum tillage, residue recycling and the use of cover crops are key elements of conservation agriculture that play important roles in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. This study determined the long-term effects of tillage practice (conventional ploughing vs. direct seeding), straw management (retained vs. removed), and the presence of a cover crop (CC; fodder radish in this study) on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, nitrate (NO3−) leaching, and soil mineral N dynamics between October 2019 and June 2020. In the factorial experiment with eight treatment combinations, cumulative N2O emissions ranged from 0.04 to 0.8 kg N ha−1, whereas NO3− leaching varied between 4 and 28 kg N ha−1. The study did not find effects of straw retention on NO3− leaching or N2O emissions. No-till reduced N2O emissions by on average 46% compared to ploughing. Fodder radish reduced NO3− leaching by 80–84%, and there was little N2O emission in the presence of the cover crop; however, after termination in spring there was a flush of N2O, cumulative N2O-N averaged 0.1 and 0.5 kg N ha−1 without and with a cover crop. With information about long-term soil C retention from straw and fodder radish, an overall greenhouse (GHG) balance was calculated for each system. Without straw retention after harvest, there was always a positive net GHG emission, and the indirect N2O emission from NO3− leaching was similar to, or greater than direct N2O emissions. However, in the presence of fodder radish, the direct N2O emissions after termination were much more important than indirect emissions, and negated the C input from fodder radish. Direct seeding, straw retention and the use of a cover crop showed positive effects on N retention and/or GHG balance and could substantially improve the carbon footprint of agroecosystems on sandy soil in a wet temperate climate
Investigating the phenology of juvenile potamodromous brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) in two large lake catchments
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 21 December 2021; Published online - 5 January 2022.There is growing interest in the phenology of juvenile Salmo trutta and evidence of
significant downstream migration during the autumn in some anadromous
populations. The present study used acoustic telemetry to examine the phenology of
potamodromous trout parr across a region encompassing two large lake catchments.
One hundred sixty-seven trout parr were tagged in late summer across four lake tributaries
between 2018 and 2020. In total, 75 tagged parr migrated into the lakes with
67 (89%) migrating between September and December and 8 (11%) migrating
between March and June. Autumn migration was highly prevalent across all the
tributaries, with 16%–66% of each tagged sample exhibiting autumn migration, and
0%–15% of each tagged sample exhibiting spring migration. Autumn migrants were
significantly longer and heavier than spring migrants, but condition factor was similar.
Autumn migrants were associated with higher river discharge levels and lower water
temperatures than spring migrants. The management challenges posed by extensive
autumn migration behaviour in migratory trout stocks are examined and discussed.DAERA N