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TSTs: Where are we at and where might we go
No full textDrench failure, or anthelmintic resistance, is not a new phenomenon. Since the introduction of broad-spectrum anthelmintics in the middle of last century resistance has commonly developed. As any new active or combination has become available the threat of resistance has not dissipated and each new class or combination simply serves to buy more time before their eventual failure. During this time practices on-farm and the way we have used anthelmintics has largely remained the same, with a focus on whole flock/mob neo-suppressive treatments. Albert Einstein reportedly once said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Without a step-change in how and when we use anthelmintics, resistance to our current suite of drenches is inevitable. With that in mind, the provision of refugia may not prevent the eventual development of resistance, but it can help slow the failure of our existing anthelmintics. A number of approaches and ways through which this can be achieved exist but fitting them into existing systems in a way that is both practical and reliable invariably requires greater consideration and inputs, whether that be time, labour or investment in technology
Indigenous food sources as vectors of Escherichia coli and antibiotic resistance
Get PDFThe contamination of surface waters by fecal bacteria, measured by the number of Escherichia coli, is a significant public health issue. When these bacteria are also resistant to antimicrobials, infections are more complicated to treat. While water is regularly tested at recreational sites, wild-harvested foods, known as mahinga kai by the indigenous Māori people of Aotearoa New Zealand, are commonly overlooked as a source of exposure to potential pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We investigate two likely sources of risk from harvesting aquatic wild foods. The first is water contact, and the second is contact with/ingestion of the harvest. We used E. coli as a proxy for microbial water quality at harvesting sites. Two popular mahinga kai species were also harvested and assessed. We found antibiotic-resistant bacteria on watercress (Nasturtium officinale) and cockles (Austrovenus stutchburyi). One-third of E. coli isolates were conjugative donors of at least one resistance phenotype. Tank experiments were used to track the internalization of E. coli by Greenshell/lip mussels (Perna canaliculus). Greenshell mussels kept at environmentally relevant concentrations of E. coli were colonized to levels considered unsafe for human consumption in 24 h. Finally, we measured horizontal gene transfer between bacteria within the shellfish, what we termed ‘intra-shellular’ conjugation. The transmission frequency of plasmid RP4 was significantly higher in mussels than in water alone. Our results indicate that shellfish could promote the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. They highlight the need to limit or reduce human pathogenic bacteria where food is gathered
The making of a globally-recognised wine region: A case study of Ningxia, China : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
Get PDFRecent theorising about place-making – a key element of regional development and a core theoretical construct in the field of human geography – emphasises the need for researchers to adopt a relational perspective and a naturalistic methodology to understand how, through action and interactions, people create new economic spaces. Building on this literature, this study examines the implication of the commodification of place based on the global countryside and rural culture economy in the context of a wine region in China. The study interprets how local, regional and national actors and agencies in China are working in concert to create a globally-recognised wine region. The study’s location is Ningxia – a rural area with established vineyards and boutique winery clusters. The place-making process involves the local implementation of central government policies and initiatives designed to raise the region’s international profile as a place of high quality wine production and associated wine tourism opportunities for visitors.
Throughout the process of commodifying place, this wine region is marked by evidence of global connectivity and flows but, at the same time, this study reveals that these global forces intersect with, and are modified by, local contingencies and specificities including political, economic, physical, cultural and technological elements. The political influences are mainly framed around the regional government and the government authority, the Administration of Development of Grape Industry of Ningxia (ADGIN), as well as regional policies and regulations from the central Chinese government. Economic influences are primarily recognised through financial transactions and capital investment, and marketing activities. The physical characteristics of the location are fundamental to any wine industry and, in this context, have been largely explained in terms of the physical elements of terroir, a French term, further reflecting the influence of the global in the local. Local cultural influences are manifest in the interpretation of the concept of terroir through a traditional Chinese culture and philosophy lens, so that the physical elements of terroir are influenced by local cultural elements. The technological forces discussed mainly relate to the adoption, at a local level, of technological knowledge and equipment in grape growing and wine production. Thus, global forces are interwoven with the local development of the wine industry, through industrial (capital investment), technical and cultural attributes, and new social relationships associated with wine originating beyond the regional level influence the development of a collective regional body.
This study contributes to the conceptualisation of a relational sense of place in a particular Chinese wine region and the examination of the process of making a wine region by discussing the construction of a wine region from the perspective of key supply-side stakeholders; by understanding the role of Chinese political and cultural values in making a wine region; and by addressing the interaction of local and global forces in the locality. This study also contributes to the creation or interpretation of local terroir from local-global nexus by investigating a wine region with its specific features in the Chinese context. Finally, his study contributes to providing a reflection of the fact that the global-local nexus means that the emergence of a wine region is not uniform and that global factors and local/regional factors are manifest in different ways. These global-relational perspectives provide insights into how the Ningxia wine region can be perceived as a “newly differentiated global countryside”, being transformed by the interaction of global forces with extant local elements
Market participation and subjective well-being of maize farmers
Get PDFThis study explores how maize farmers’ market participation influences their subjective well-being, utilizing the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey data collected by the Chinese Academy of Social Science. Three variables, including market participation (a binary variable), sales ratio (a continuous variable), and sales frequency (a categorical variable), are utilized to measure maize farmers’ market participation patterns comprehensively By estimating a conditional mixed process model, this study finds that maize farmers’ market participation significantly improves their subjective well-being captured by happiness, life satisfaction, and confidence about the future by 0.672, 0.925, and 1.125 points, respectively. Maize income mediates the positive association between farmers’ market participation and their subjective well-being. The disaggregated analyses reveal that farmers at the household income tertiles 2 and 3 obtain a higher level of happiness, life satisfaction, and confidence about the future. Meanwhile, market participation significantly improves life satisfaction and confidence about the future of farmers experiencing natural disasters, while it increases the happiness of farmers who do not have such experiences. Farmers’ market participation significantly improves their objective well-being regarding pork consumption and milk consumption by 68 g/capita/day and 56 g/capita/day, respectively. Further analysis confirms that market participation intensity, reflected by sales ratio and frequency, significantly increases farmers’ subjective well-being. These findings highlight that the government should devote more efforts to inciting maize farmers to participate in market transactions to increase farmers’ incomes and subjective well-being
Pour une gestion intégrée et inclusive du milieu ripicole en Nouvelle-Calédonie : une étude des représentations, des valeurs et des usages associés au mulet noir sur la côte Est de la Grande Terre
No full textIn New Caledonia, rivers are undergoing considerable environmental changes, particularly due to
mining. These changes are disrupting the riparian environment and the fauna that inhabit it. Black
mullets are one such species that are much talked about by clans in the valleys of New Caledonia
because they are frequently caught and eaten. Scientists identify three species of black mullet in New
Caledonia: Cestraeus oxyrhyncus, Cestraeus plicatilis and Cestraeus goldiei. In the local authorities
where we worked, 2 to 5 different fish called "black mullets" in French were named. In Ponerihouen,
black mullets are mainly called jèmêê and denâ but 5 entities were nevertheless distinguished which
correspond to stages of two different species, or to different species, or report the links between entities.
In Hienghène, black mullets are called diook/bii and kapum. In Thio, only one type of black mullet is
identified by the inhabitants we met, it is called dàxù. Biological and ecological data are insufficient,
while the local populations have a lot of knowledge about these fish. In the north-east of New Caledonia
in particular, requests for the protection of the denâ have been made, while the jèmêê has apparently
disappeared from the rivers. These fish have a strong cultural and food value in the Kanak world and
are also victims of the environmental degradation of rivers. The study financed by the CNRT Nickel and
its Environment describes the knowledge and expertise of both scientists and local populations and
discusses the interest of using these species as bio-cultural indicators of river health. This report also
attempts to report on the opportunities and constraints that this ambition raise
Reducing phosphate losses into water by treating farm dairy effluent before application to land : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textIntensive dairy farming has resulted in the production of large amounts of farm dairy effluent (FDE). FDE is a mixture of water, urine, dung, soil, feed, cleaning chemicals, and milk. Land application of FDE has become a primary method of FDE management in many countries due to its high nutrient content. However, this method can result in high concentrations of phosphorus (P) in the soil, which increases the risk of P losses from the agricultural system and eutrophication of waterways. This poses a threat to water quality, especially through subsurface tile-drain systems. Additionally, FDE contains a large number of pathogenic bacteria that can pose a risk to human health. To address these issues, a new FDE treatment method using poly-ferric sulphate (PFS) has been developed. This new method can clarify water for recycling; reduce water wastage, and reduce health risks and environmental contamination from FDE applied to land. However, there is a lack of detailed knowledge on the effect of applying treated FDE (TE) on the P leaching losses through soil with tile drains. This research aims to improve knowledge and understanding of the effects on P and Escherichia coli (E. coli) leaching losses, soil P fractions, pasture yield, and plant P uptake following the application of TE. To achieve this aim, two drainage model studies were conducted at Lincoln University and a soil and pasture study was conducted at Lincoln University Research Dairy Farm (LURDF).
The objective of drainage experiment 1 was to determine the impact of applying fresh TE and pond-stored TE (TE-S) compared to untreated FDE on P and E. coli leaching losses through subsurface drainage model units. The study found that the cumulative dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) lost to drainage water from the TE and TE-S treatments was significantly lower by 93.1% and 92.2%, respectively, compared to the untreated FDE treatment. Additionally, the drainage water from the TE and TE-S treatments showed a significant reduction of 98.3% and 99.9% in E. coli concentrations compared to the FDE treatment. The different treatments did not affect plant biomass and P uptake. The reduction in P and E. coli leaching loss was due to the formation of insoluble iron phosphate in TE, resulting in a decrease in DRP concentration and amount in the drainage water. The acidic nature of PFS and the encapsulation of bacteria within the floc also contributed to the reduction of E. coli. These results demonstrate that PFS-treated effluent application on drained pasture soils can significantly reduce P and E. coli concentrations and amounts in drainage water resulting in substantial environmental benefits, without negatively impacting plant growth.
The objective of drainage experiment 2 was to determine the effect of soil compaction by simulated cattle treading on the P leaching losses following repeated TE application to the soil with subsurface drains. Drainage experiment 2 found that repeated application of TE significantly reduced amounts of P leaching losses by 87.1 to 99.6% compared to the repeated application of FDE, both with or without soil compaction by cattle treading. These reductions were attributed to the less soluble P form in TE compared to FDE and that the less soluble P compounds were less prone to being leached. Soil compaction by simulated cattle treading significantly reduced P leaching losses only with the repeated FDE application but did not affect the P loss from TE applied soil. The compaction induced reduction in P leaching loss from the FDE was attributed to a reduction in macroporosity and preferential flow through the soil.
The objective of the soil and pasture study was to determine the soil P fractions, pasture biomass, and plant P uptake with repeated application of TE compared to repeated application of FDE. This study found that the repeated application of TE resulted in no significant differences in most soil properties, soil P fractionations, pasture biomass and plant P uptake, except significantly increasing concentrations of soil labile P compared with repeated application of FDE.
In summary, this research has improved knowledge and understanding of the benefits of applying treated effluent in reducing P and E. coli leaching losses through the subsurface drains, both fresh or stored TE, and with or without soil compaction by animal treading. The application of TE can, therefore, be used as an effective tool to help protect surface water quality without creating adverse impacts on soil P fractionations, pasture productivity or quality and repeat application of TE has the potential to improve soil fertility
Genetic characterization and prevalence of Pseudomonas syringae strains from sweet cherry orchards in New Zealand
No full textBacterial canker of cherry, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovars, is a major constraint to cherry growing in New Zealand. The prevalence of strains from cherry orchards in Central Otago, the main growing area for cherries in New Zealand, was studied, to better understand the epidemiology of the disease. Pseudomonas spp. isolates were collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic cherry tissue from 23 commercial cherry orchards in 2015. Isolates were classified into strains belonging to three different taxonomic groups by determining their phylogeny using the gltA gene sequence for all the strains and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of four housekeeping genes for 35 strains. Pathogenicity of all Central Otago strains was tested on immature cherry fruit to support the phylogenetic classification. The two main taxonomic groups were P. syringae pv. syringae (Pss) and P. syringae pv. morsprunorum race 1 (Psm1), in Phylogroup 2 (PG2) and Phylogroup 3 (PG3), respectively. The third group comprised nonpathogenic strains classified as Pseudomonas spp. Strains of Psm1 formed a monophyletic group, representing an almost clonal population. There was more variation detected within strains of Pss, although they were restricted to group PG2d. Nonpathogenic Pseudomonas spp. and pathogenic Pss and Psm1 strains coexisted in the same orchard. It was concluded that Pss is the predominant pathovar in Central Otago. This is the first detailed study of the P. syringae species complex in cherry orchards in New Zealand and provides the basis for future epidemiology studies
Newly-claimed seascapes: Options and potential applications : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Environmental Management at Lincoln University
No full textWorldwide, communities and natural ecosystems are challenged by rising seas. Understandably, much of the response has focused on hazard mitigation to protect human populations, investment and infrastructure. As communities are forced to retreat from coastal areas and as inundation occurs, our coastal margins will change. I term these newly inundated areas “newly-claimed seascapes” (NCSs). The available options for NCSs are currently unclear. For some places, where the social, political and environmental conditions permit, there may be opportunities to repurpose them. For example, for sheltered coastal areas, shallow estuaries and harbours, they could be repurposed for aquaculture, fisheries, wetlands, and/or blue carbon. To aid policy and community preparation, this research used a global systematic literature review to identify options for NSCs. Thirty-nine potential options were identified and categorised to aid policy reform and coastal adaptation. Using Aotearoa/New Zealand as a case study to explore whether repurposing is feasible under current legislative frameworks, I undertook a content analysis of applicable legislation and policy. Finally, to determine the current state of play for local planning in this context, I interviewed a representative of regional councils currently reviewing their regional coastal plans to ascertain whether they are considering repurposing NCSs. Whilst repurposing is implicitly enabled under the current legislation, it is not explicitly directed. As a result, the interviewed regional councils were not preparing to repurpose NCSs at the time of this research. Given that the time to find solutions for coastal areas is becoming increasingly constrained, I argue that the PARA (protect, accommodate, retreat, avoid) management framework currently being promoted as best practice in responding to sea-level rise could be extended to PARAR to include the term Repurpose. Repurposing could help to broaden perspectives on sea-level rise from a sense of fear and loss to positive solutions and opportunities
Application of zymetin and super PS probiotics in hatchery, nursery, and grow-out phases of Macrobrachium rosenbergii and their impact on culture environment, production, and economics
No full textThis study evaluated the effect of two commercial probiotics, zymetin, and super PS, on the culture environment, production, and economics of Macrobrachium rosenbergii aquaculture. The experiment was conducted using three treatments, including T₁, probiotics applied in all culture phases; T₂, during grow-out; and a control (C). Prawns were fed commercial pelleted diets. Earthen ponds were used at a stocking density of two juveniles/m². Water concentrations of non-ionized ammonia and nitrite-nitrogen were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in T₁ than in T₂ and C. Probiotic application significantly (p < 0.05) reduced phosphate content and balanced soil pH. Growth performance, condition factor, survival, protein utilization, and production were significantly higher in T₁ followed by T₂ compared to C by the end of grow-out. Application of zymetin and super PS in all culture phases significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the feed conversion ratio in T₁compared to T₂ and C. Positive allometric growth was observed in T₁, whereas growth was isometric in C and T₂. Probiotic treatment during all culture phases achieved the highest net returns to land, family labor, and management. Application of probiotics during the entire culture cycle could be the best practice for improving production and economics in M. rosenbergii aquaculture
Assessing the likely impacts of removing minimum parking requirements in New Zealand : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
No full textMinimum Parking Requirements (MPRs) determine the minimum number of car parks developers must provide based on the development, land use or activity occurring. Initially developed to manage car ownership growth and prevent the overspill of private vehicles onto surrounding streets, it has become increasingly evident that these requirements are unnecessary, and in fact, have resulted in more negative consequences than benefits. Planners and developers believe MPRs are overly restrictive, lack flexibility, and contribute to inefficient use of valuable land by providing excessive car parking rather than allocating this for housing or commercial development. Therefore, there has been a global shift toward gradually removing MPRs, with this change incorporated by New Zealand through the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD). Under the NPS-UD, MPRs are no longer allowed within district plans of tier 1, 2 and 3 territorial authorities, with all MPRs required to be removed by February 2022. Given the recent adoption of this change, a substantial knowledge gap exists in the research regarding implications in the New Zealand context. This research examines the potential positive and negative impacts of this policy change and how it will affect communities differently throughout New Zealand, with a specific focus on Christchurch, Auckland and Whangarei. Additionally, the research provides recommendations for complementary policies to accompany the removal of MPRs. The primary research method used was semi-structured interviews, analysed through in-depth thematic analysis. Interviewees included planners and developers from Auckland, Whangarei, and Christchurch. The findings from these interviews were compared and contrasted to existing literature and categorised into three overarching research questions. To ensure that communities gain maximum benefit from the policy change, four key recommendations are proposed to implement alongside the removal of MPRs. These recommendations include adopting a flexible and targeted approach, increasing alternative transport modes, strengthening on-street parking management and enforcement, and suggesting additional design criteria to be implemented with the removal of MPRs