Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Managing fescue toxicosis through forage canopy, limestone application, and novel endophytes

xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW . 1 Tall Fescue . 1 Endophyte . 1 Fescue Toxicosis . 3 Endophyte-Free and Novel Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue . 6 Management of Existing Toxic Tall Fescue Stands . 8 Soil Conditions . 10 Soil Acidity . 14 Alkaloid Distribution within the Plant . 15 Seasonal Fluctuation of Alkaloids . 16 Persistence of Novel Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue . 18 Grazing Preference . 20 OBJECTIVE . 26 HYPOTHESES . 26 REFERENCES . 27 CHAPTER 2: DISTRIBUTION OF ERGOVALINE AND TOTAL ERGOT ALKALOIDS IN THE VEGETATIVE TALL FESCUE CANOPY . 37 INTRODUCTION . 39 MATERIALS AND METHODS . 41 RESULTS . 45 DISCUSSION . 46
Nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of the hybrid fungal plant pathogen Verticillium longisporum display a mosaic structure

Allopolyploidization, genome duplication through interspecific hybridization, is an important evolutionary mechanism that can enable organisms to adapt to environmental changes or stresses. This increased adaptive potential of allopolyploids can be particularly relevant for plant pathogens in their quest for host immune response evasion. Allodiploidization likely caused the shift in host range of the fungal pathogen plant Verticillium longisporum, as V. longisporum mainly infects Brassicaceae plants in contrast to haploid Verticillium spp. In this study, we investigated the allodiploid genome structure of V. longisporum and its evolution in the hybridization aftermath. The nuclear genome of V. longisporum displays a mosaic structure, as numerous contigs consists of sections of both parental origins. V. longisporum encountered extensive genome rearrangements, whereas the contribution of gene conversion is negligible. Thus, the mosaic genome structure mainly resulted from genomic rearrangements between parental chromosome sets. Furthermore, a mosaic structure was also found in the mitochondrial genome, demonstrating its bi-parental inheritance. In conclusion, the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of V. longisporum parents interacted dynamically in the hybridization aftermath. Conceivably, novel combinations of DNA sequence of different parental origin facilitated genome stability after hybridization and consecutive niche adaptation of V. longisporum.
Diversity of non–Laboulbenialean fungi on millipedes

New records are given for secondary capilliconidia of Basidiobolus from several species of millipedes (Diplopoda) belonging to three different orders. The anamorph ‘Thaxteriola ‟ stage of Rhynchomyces is recorded (with doubt) from a Brazilian millipede belonging to the order Spirostreptida. An enigmatic fungus showing characteristics of Coreomycetopsis , Hormiscioideus and Antennopsis is recorded from two species of Danish millipedes of the order Julida. Peculiar structures, tentatively referred to fungi are recorded from several millipede orders where they occur between micro–scutes of the external cuticle.
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of different plant communities in an urban environment

Abstract A study was carried out in different type of habitats in an urban ecosystem of Bydgoszcz. The aim of the study was to determine aphid species spectrum and to compare dominance and species richness of the two aphid communities connected with the two different plant community structures in an urban ecosystem. There were two types of habitats: so-called southern slope, it was a part of the city on the hill, and so-called downtown – middle-northern part of the city. The differences were evaluated taking into consideration plant community structures. Observations of the occurrence of aphids were conducted every seven-ten days by monitoring of aphid host plants from the beginning of the appearance of aphids, that is from the end of April to the beginning of August, when aphids disappear. Aphids were counted in three replications: on the same host plant species, each time on different plant individuals bearing aphids in a given habitat. Based on the collected material, 32 aphid species were found on 31 plant species on southern slope areas, and 24 species of aphids on 23 plant species in downtown environments. In both years of the study of aphid species feeding on plants, Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763, Aphis sambuci L. , 1758, Brachycaudus prunicola (Kaltenbach, 1843) and Hyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy, 1762) were most numerous. The city on the hill was characterized by a larger number of aphids colonizing host plants and a higher species diversity in the communities than in the downtown.
Notes on Southeast Asian Stingless Bees of the Genus Tetragonula (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with the Description of a New Species from Thailand

ABSTRACT A new species of stingless bee (Apinae: Meliponini) is described from workers and two males recovered from nests in tree trunks in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Tetragonula (Tetragonula) malaipanae, new species, resembles T. (T.) laeviceps (Smith), T. (T.) pagdeni (Schwarz), T. (T.) testaceitarsis (Cameron), and similar species, but is particularly similar to T. (T.) drescheri (Schwarz). Unlike T. drescheri, the new species lacks a defined black stripe on the underside of the metafemur, has the metatibia reddish brown to testaceous (rather than uniformly chestnut brown, and black with a yellow mark on the inner surface in T. drescheri). Characters of the uncommonly encountered T. (T.) sarawakensis (Schwarz) are also recorded.
Infections, fisheries capture, temperature, and host responses: multistressor influences on survival and behaviour of adult Chinook salmon

Infectious disease dynamics of wild Pacific salmon are poorly understood and may play a prominent role in recent declines of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations. Multiple stressors influence migration success of adult salmon, such as rising river temperatures and capture and release by fisheries, and likely modulate infection development. To understand how these factors impact survival and migration behaviour of adult salmon in fresh water, we conducted simultaneous holding and telemetry studies with gillnet treatments and nonlethal biopsy. Laboratory fish were held and treated in either cool (9 °C) or warm (14 °C) water. High temperature reduced survival but did not amplify simulated gillnetting effects. Gillnetting reduced migration rate and distance traveled upriver and increased infection burdens, but had no effect on longevity. Heavy infections were associated with reduced longevity and faster migrations. Blood properties and immunity were associated with stressors, survival, and infections. These results improve our predictive capability regarding how stressors can reduce migration success and longevity of Pacific salmon, demonstrating multiple impacts of infections and adding to growing knowledge of disease dynamics in wild fish populations.
The biotechnological potential of the seaweed Gracilariopsis longissima (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales)

The adoption of the ideal conditions is of utmost importance in any seaweed farming system, in order to achieve high biomass production and lucrative yields for the species target, which will ultimately translate into a successful and profitable business. In this sense, the survival and growth performance of the red seaweed Gracilariopsis longissima was evaluated, under a wide range of salinities and in small-scaled, controlled laboratory conditions. Clean G. longissima thalli was grown under controlled conditions (24 ± 1oC, photoperiod set at 12:12 (Light:Dark) and provided by daylight cool white fluorescent lamps (10-15 μmol photons m2 s), in Von Stosch Media enriched seawater at distinct salinities, ranging from 0 to 35‰, for 44 days. Daily growth rates were assessed having the initial and final length of the thalli, measured at day 0 and day 44, respectively, and number of new ramifications were also counted. The seaweed G. longissima is highly tolerant to a wide range of salinities, namely from 20 to 35‰, although being unfit to survive at salinities below 20‰. The seaweed presented the maximum fitness at 35‰, observed by a growth rate of 1.611%. day, and also revealed 16 new ramifications throughout the length of the assay. Insights on the influence and possible solutions on contaminations such as those caused by fungi and epiphytes, which are unquestionably hazardous to any seaweed culture system, are also provided. The present study offers therefore the first steps towards a throughout assessment of the ideal conditions, which must be applied into a culture system dedicated to the growth of G. longissima, in order to ensure that the maximum performance for the species is achieved.
Impact of climate change on cereal production in the highlands of eastern Algeria

The results obtained indicate a favorable climate change for cereal yields. This change in climate was expressed by increase in maximum temperature of 1.45°C, minimum temperature of 1.26°C and 2.5 mm increase in precipitation. It was also observed that change in climate increased the total production of wheat to 16544.4 tonnes during the studied periods of 1990 to 2004 and 2004 to 2014 due to improved productivity of wheat to 6.33 tonnes/ha. It was also observed that different durum wheat producing regions in eastern Algeria did not differ significantly in respect to production. On the basis of this study, it can be concluded that climate change had positive effect on durum wheat production in the Bordj Bou Arreridj province of Algeria.
Short communication: Melatonin implantation during the non-growing period of cashmere increases the cashmere yield of female Inner Mongolian cashmere goats by increasing fiber length and density

This study aimed to evaluate if melatonin implantation at the end of April and June was able to increase cashmere production in female Inner Mongolian cashmere goats and to search for contributing factors accounting for the melatonin increasing in cashmere production. One hundred and fifty female Inner Mongolian cashmere goats (initial body weight 37.2 ± 3.3 kg) were randomly assigned to either a control (n=75) or a treatment (n=75) group. Goats in the treatment group were implanted with melatonin (2 mg/kg of body weight) on April 30 and June 30, 2014 while goats in the control received no treatment. Melatonin implantation increased cashmere yield by 23.4% while increasing the length and density of the cashmere fiber by 19.8% and 11.4%, whereas it decreased cashmere fiber diameter by 4.4%. Melatonin treatment had no effect on doe growth, litter size or birth and weaning weights of kid. Melatonin implantation promoted cashmere yield by increasing fiber length and density without impacting the performance of goats and their offspring. Therefore, melatonin implantation during the cashmere non-growing period (late April and June) is an effective way to increase cashmere yield and improve cashmere characteristics of goats.
Range extensions for the rare moss Plagiothecium handelii, and its transfer to the resurrected genus Ortholimnobium

Plagiothecium handelii is newly recorded for Europe (Austria and Romania) and eastern North America (Tennessee, USA). This dainty species was previously known only from Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, China. Morphologically, the disjunctive populations belong to a single species. A 27-taxon phylogeny of Plagiothecium based on nuclear ITS and plastid rpl16 intron DNA sequence data resolved Austrian and Chinese populations of P. handelii as sisters, in a clade with P. paleaceum, a julaceous Himalayan species with cochleariform leaves. In contrast, P. handelii is a filiform plant with distant, ovate-acuminate leaves. In sequence identity the three terminals have a similar level of variation, suggesting that the geographic disjunction between the two populations of P. handelii is quite old. Morphologically and genetically the clade is a well defined lineage (Ortholimnobium) that is transitional between Plagiothecium s.str. and Struckia. The new combinations O. paleaceum and O. handelii are made. In Europe, O. handelii should be classified as vulnerable.
The effect of peanut pod on performance, small intestine pH and ileum bacteria population in broiler chickens

This experiment was designed to assess the hypothesis that feeding broilers with peanut pod as an insoluble fibre source will result in improved gut digestive capacity growth performance. The experimental diets consisted of a control diet and three diets containing 25, 50, or 75 g peanut pod /kg. The dietary peanut pod, especially at the 50 g/kg level decreased feed intake of the experimental groups. In grower phase, the best weight gain was recorded in the broiler chickens fed the diet containing 75 g peanut pod /kg. All the peanut pod containing diets decreased grower phase feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. In the finisher phase, the growth rate and feed conversion ratio were not affected by the experimental diets. The gizzard weight and gastrointestinal length was increased in the chickens fed 75 g peanut pod /kg, and these groups showed the lowest pH for gizzard content. In the ileum, the birds fed 25 g peanut pod /kg had a higher Lactobacillus population than the 75 g peanut pod /kg group; and the birds fed 25 g peanut pod had lower Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) population, compared to the control group. The positive effects of dietary insoluble fibre on the growth performance of broilers in this study were probably a result of favourable changes in the bacteria populations and also an increase in digestive capacity of gastrointestinal. Keywords: Broilers, gut pH, ileum bacteria, peanut pod
Biological Pretreatment of Mexican Caribbean Macroalgae Consortiums Using Bm-2 Strain (Trametes hirsuta) and Its Enzymatic Broth to Improve Biomethane Potential

The macroalgae consortium biomass in the Mexican Caribbean represents an emerging and promising biofuel feedstock. Its biological pretreatment and potential for energetic conversion to biomethane were investigated, since some macroalgae have hard cell walls that present an obstacle to efficient methane production when those substrates are used. It has been revealed by anaerobic digestion assays that pretreatment with a Bm-2 strain (Trametes hirsuta) isolated from decaying wood in Yucatan, Mexico was 104 L CH4 kg·VS−1; In fact, the fungal pretreatment produced a 20% increase in methane yield, with important amounts of alkali metals Ca, K, Mg, Na of 78 g/L, ash 35.5% and lignin 15.6%. It is unlikely that high concentrations of ash and alkali metals will produce an ideal feedstock for combustion or pyrolysis, but they can be recommended for a biological process.
Geographic Information System for Pigweed Distribution in the US Southeast

Abstract In the southeastern United States, Amaranthus, or pigweed species, have become troublesome weeds in agricultural systems. To implement management strategies for the control of these species, agriculturalists need information on areas affected by pigweeds. Geographic information systems (GIS) afford users the ability to evaluate agricultural issues at local, county, state, national, and global levels. Also, they allow users to combine different layers of geographic information to help them develop strategic plans to solve problems. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in testing free and open-source GIS software for weed surveys. In this study, the free and open-source software QGIS was used to develop a geographic information database showing the distribution of pigweeds at the county level in the southeastern United States. The maps focused on the following pigweeds: Palmer amaranth, redroot pigweed, and tall waterhemp. Cultivated areas and glyphosate-resistant (GR) pigweed data were added to the GIS database. Database queries were used to demonstrate applications of the GIS for precision agriculture applications at the county level, such as tallying the number of counties affected by the pigweeds, identifying counties reporting GR pigweed, and identifying cultivated areas located in counties with GR pigweeds. This research demonstrated that free and open-source software such as QGIS has strong potential as a decision support tool, with implications for precision weed management at the county scale. Nomenclature: Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats. AMAPA; pigweeds, Amaranthus spp. ; redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. AMARE; tall waterhemp, Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer AMATU
Benthic uptake of phytoplankton and ocean‐reef exchange of particulate nutrients on a tide‐dominated reef

Benthic fluxes of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) were quantified on Tallon reef, a strongly tide‐dominated (spring range > 8 m) reef located in the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia, over a 2‐week period. Extensive hydrodynamic observations were used to construct a reef‐scale mass balance to estimate material exchange between the reef and ocean over individual tidal cycles. Additionally, a one‐dimensional control volume approach was used to estimate fluxes of Chl a in waters traversing the reef platform. Particulate material was delivered to the reef platform in a pulse during flood tide, and benthic uptake of Chl a declined to negligible values toward the end of ebb tide. On the scale of tidal cycles, a net uptake of Chl a was observed on the reef platform (on average 1.3 mg Chl a m−2 d−1), which was lower than previous studies of many reef communities. Fluxes showed variability depending on the magnitude of individual tidal cycles, which was likely related to volumes of oceanic Chl a inputs. Tallon reef was a net source of detrital POC and PON to the surrounding coastal ocean, with average POC exports ∼ 3% of the reef's benthic gross primary production. Seasonal measurements of water quality reported here are among the first records for the coastal Kimberley, and suggest that reefs in the west Kimberley may experience naturally elevated levels of phytoplankton and particulate nutrients, especially during the wet season.
Interaction of polyphenols and wine antioxidants with its sulfur dioxide preservative

Wine is considered to be a significant alcoholic beverage, which is the result of fermentation of grape must or mash. Wine is a must when the substances contained in it play a major role, which are essential inhibiting water, carbohydrates, acids, minerals, nitrates, polyphenols and aromatics. These biochemical components are an important tracking element in wine evaluation in terms of chemical analyzes. An important parameter of monitoring is polyphenolic substances. Polyphenol substances are identified in plant materials as several thousand pieces with a very diverse structure. However, they have a common feature up to one or more aromatic rings substituted with hydroxyl groups. These substances may be present in plant material in a small or large amount. The total daily intake of polyphenols is estimated at 1 g. This is a higher intake than antioxidant vitamin intakes and it is confirmed that their antioxidant activity is higher than that of antioxidant vitamins. When monitoring the content of all polyphenols (TPC) in selected samples using a spectrophotometric method, a higher TPC content of red wines against white white wines can be observed. Total antioxidant activity is introduced to compare antioxidant effects of different mixtures and is based on the ability to eliminate radicals. Antioxidant activity and effects of polyphenols can be inhibited by the addition of preservatives to wine. The preservative is sulfur dioxide (SO2), which has antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. This compound is not harmless because it is a strong allergen, blocks bacteria in the digestive tract and prevents the conversion of sugars and alcohol derivatives in the liver by blocking vitamin B. In the normal life, SO2 is consumed under the E 220 mark. The aim of this work is to monitor the change in the total polyphenols content related to free and bound sulfur dioxide (SO2) content using accredited OIV-MA-AS323-O4B: R, 2009 samples in wine samples. Comparison of organic wines and wines produced by classical, it was found that organic wine have a higher content of biologically active substances and have a strong correlation factor TAA total SO2 (r = 0.77 to 0.91), depending on the wine variety.
Phenology and growth traits response of maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes to semi-arid conditions

Erratic rainfall and extreme weather have put the maize crop at risk in semi-arid regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan in the recent past. To this extent a field experiment was carried out to identify tolerance of maize genotypes to semi-arid conditions at different growth stages of crop development. Eight maize genotypes (8003-4*66211, Babar, Azam, Iqbal, Jalal, Pahari, Pop-2009, and Sarhad White) were screened in a Randomized Complete Block (RCB) Design with three replications. Significant variations were found for days to 50% silk emergence, days to 50% tasseling, anthesis silking interval (ASI), plant height (cm), tassel length (cm), and number of plants plot. The genotype 8003-4*66211 was best for all the studied traits followed by Pop-2009 and Babar. Keeping in view the results of this study, it is concluded that genotype 8003-4*66211 delayed taselling and silking and reduced ASI under water limiting conditions and therefore, is recommended to be grown under semi-arid conditions while fulfilling the required agronomic practices.
Floristics of soil seed banks on agricultural and disturbed land cleared of tropical forests

Little is known about how soil seed banks vary in germination, composition, and density under different land uses after tropical forest conversion. Seed banks can potentially act as one source of regeneration for reforestation of old agricultural lands. Our study documents the composition and density of germinants in soil seed banks from four land uses types surrounding the Sinharaja forest in southwest Sri Lanka. These include: (1) kekilla fern lands; (2) pine plantations; and (3) tea. These were compared to the adjacent (4) mature rainforest. During the 6‐month period of monitoring, we recorded 1,674 germinants (0.036 germinants/cm3 soil), representing 46 species. Germinants of tree and shrub species were restricted to the pine and rainforest soils and all of them are considered pioneers. The soils of the rainforest had the lowest species richness, density, and diversity of germinants; tea lands comprised much higher richness, Shannon diversity, and density. However, almost all germinants in tea were grasses and herbs as compared with other land uses. A multivariate analysis of the germinants of soil seed banks revealed that the four land use types comprise very different compositions and abundances, some of which can be associated with differences in growth habit (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs, grasses). Our results suggest that pine plantations may facilitate some tree and shrub regeneration. However, the seed banks beneath tea and kekilla fern land do not comprise any woody plant species. This may explain why agricultural lands such as tea do not revert back to forest easily.