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Effect of genotype on the hematological parameter of TETRA-SL and Hungarian Partridge coloured chickens at young age
99-104Views:263Indigenous chickens are well known for their dual-purpose function and palatable meat. However, the information on their hematology parameters is lacking and hence hampering the poultry industry production of local breeds. The main objective of this study was to examine the hematological parameters of Hungarian Partridge Coloured hen (HPC) and TETRA-SL (TSL) genotype and determine the hematological reference interval values. This trial was part of the larger experiment where a total of 200 chicks (HPC + TSL) were reared. For this trial the blood samples were obtained from brachial wing veins of 8 chicks of each genotype for blood hematological analysis. The results indicated that some of the hematological parameters such as red blood cells-RBC, white blood cells-WBC, hemoglobin-Hb, hematocrit-Ht, platelets-Plt, lymphocytes-LYM, and granulocytes-GRAN were significantly affected by the genotypes (p < 0.05). The genotype did not affect the mean corpuscular volume-MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin-MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration-MCHC, and GRAN (p > 0.05). The hematological reference interval values were slightly higher in the TSL genotype compared to HPC chicks. It is concluded that genotype has a significant effect on the hematological parameters. The results from this trial will be help and design the baseline reference values for the HPC genotype which will be useful in assessing the health status of these indigenous chickens.
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Preliminary data on the effect of semi-synthetic baits for Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) on the non-target Lepidoptera species
71-80Views:239Noctuidae are one of the most important Lepidoptera groups containing dangerous pest species. Monitoring and detection of these pest species is routinely performed by traps baited with sex-pheromones. Baits that attract both males and females were developed for improved pest management. First the effectiveness of different synthetic compounds was evaluated. We also tested semi-synthetic baits that contained both synthetic and natural components (wine and beer). These were more attractive for moths considering species richness and abundance. Disadvantage of this increased effectiveness is that the traps catch more non target, rare and even protected species. In this study we analysed the effect of semi-synthetic baits developed for Noctuid moths containing wine on other non-target Lepidopterans. In the six sampling sites traps caught 17158 individuals of 183 Lepidoptera species. The number of Noctuidae species was 124, while their proportion was 84.4%. The traps caught 813 individuals of 9 protected and 20 valuable species, which was only 4.7% of all Lepidopterans. In contrast the mean proportion of 33 dangerous and potential pest species was 31.3% (5375 individuals). Number and abundance of both protected and pest species were affected by landscape structure. The risks of catching non-target species was higher in species rich natural and semi-natural landscape. In homogenous arable lands the number and proportion of valuable Lepidopterans was not significant.
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Review of research on salt-affected soils in the Debrecen agricultural high educational institutions, with special focus on the mapping of Hortobágy
471-484Views:88The history of the research of Debrecen scholars on salt-affected soils of Hortobágy and the region is very rich and diverse.
Focusing on mapping, the following stages can be distinguished, indicating the completeness of the maps and the purpose of the performed work
− First, quantitative maps (Arany, 1926) for the utilization of the lands at 1:75,000 (Figure 1).
− Second, quantitative map (Kreybig, 1943) for the utilization of the lands at 1:25,000.
− Third, category map (Kreybig et al., 1935) testing the suitability of the classification system at :75,000.
− Fourth, partial category map (Szabolcs, 1954), showing the reasons of unsuccessful management at 1:10,000.
− Fifth, partial quantitative map (Csillag et al., 1996), showing the utility of digital sampling at 1:25,000.
− Sixth, partial quantitative map (Tamás and Lénárt, 2006), showing the capacity of multispectral remote imagery at 1:100.
− Seventh, partial quantitative map (Douaik et al., 2006), showing the usefulness of geostatistical mapping at 1:10,000.
− Eight, national quantitative maps (Pásztor et al., 2016), showing the applicability of geostatistics for administrative purposes at 1:10,000.
− Ninth, partial quantitative/category map (authors, 2019), finding the optimal methods at 1:10,000. -
Biomethane production monitoring and data analysis based on the practical operation experiences of an innovative power-to-gas benchscale prototype
399-410Views:419Power-to-gas (P2G) is referred to technologies that convert carbon dioxide into methane. Both bio- and chemical catalysts may be used for conversion purposes. One of the most disruptive biotechnologies was developed by the University of Chicago (IL) (publication number: EP2661511B1), using a robust, highly selective, patented strain of Archaea. Electrochaea GmbH has developed an innovative bench-scale P2G prototype unit, which uses this highly efficient Archaea strain, specialized components and specifically developed control strategies. The structure and the components of the prototype are equivalent with the functional parts of the currently largest commercial scale biomethanation BioCat plant located in Avedøre, Denmark (www.biocat-project.com). Power-to-Gas Hungary Kft. has committed to further develop this innovative technology. The first steps of this development have been taken by operating the benchscale unit and analyzing the data of the operating periods.
The prototype is operated based on weekly campaigns. During continuous operation, H2O is generated as a by-product of methane. Therefore, approximately 200 ml of biocatalyst is discharged each day and concentrated media containing macro and micronutrients are injected into the reactor to maintain media composition. The laboratory staff records all gas composition data each morning. The gas composition is measured every 12 minutes by an Awite AwiFlex Cool+ gas analyzer. Within this article, we analyze the collected datasets containing more than 12 000 records and present the first practical experiences of the operations of the innovative power-to-gas bench-scale prototype.
The analysis of the collected gas composition data of the product gas already provides important data for modelling the commercial-scaled processes. The average value of VVD was about 40 l/l/d in the period under review. Further increase of the methane content can be achieved by introduction of higher mixing energy and by increasing pressure levels in the bioreactor (as demonstrated in the BioCat plant – data not shown here) – both of which are strategies envisioned for the commercial plant. In routine activities (turn on, shut down, continuous operation) we could verify the high robustness of the biocatalyst and the base connection between the registered datasets and performed test results.
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Organic soybean production in Hungary
45-52Views:216Organic soy production, particularly for feedstuff in organic animal husbandry, is needed in Hungary and the EU regions. Soybean producing crop area in Hungary has increased in the last years, however, the agroecological potential would allow for a larger soybean production area. This study presents the soybean market in Hungary, and the role of soybeans in protein supply in food and feed, summarising the critical elements of organic soybean production from variety selection to marketing. During the field research, the effects of the agronomical environment on yield potential factors were examined. We aimed to determine how different row spacing and tillage systems affect organic soybean yields of different varieties, with particular attention to the dry region, and determine the specific methods and varieties of soybean that favour these areas. We found that the tillage (plough/grubber), the spacing (wide/narrow), and the variety effects were all significant on morphological variables. The most remarkable difference was seen in plant height and the number of pods per plant, while the number of nodes was also highly impacted by tillage treatment and variety. The nutrition variables were significantly different, mainly as an effect of tillage and spacing interaction with significantly different plant responses of varieties.
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Individual cage housing affects feed intake and induces sex-specific effects on body weight in Japanese quails
137-142Views:179Individual cage housing in poultry production could be a potentially stressful environment for the birds that can alter feed intake, consequently induce negative effects on performance. Previous studies used individual bird-based experiments to extract the detailed molecular, physiological, and fitness outcomes of treatments. Understanding sex-specific effects of isolation on social birds such as Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) may reveal important considerations. To understand this phenomenon, birds were kept in groups of 10 for one week and they were kept in individual cages for another week. Daily feed intake (DFI) was measured each day and body weight was measured at the beginning, middle, and end of group rearing and at the beginning and end of individual rearing. It was found that both males and females showed a reduction DFI in response to individual rearing (p<0.0001). Females consumed on average 29.38% higher amount of feed than males. Additionally, females showed a pronounced reduction in body weight after isolation, while the effect on males was not significant. Similarly, females had on average 17.61% higher body weight than males. The body weight to DFI ratio was higher in males than females. The finding of this research revealed an important implication of isolation and sex differences.
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An advanced classification method for urban land cover classification
51-57Views:220This manuscript presents a detailed comparative analysis of three advanced classification techniques that were used between 2018 and 2020 to classify land cover using Landsat8 imagery, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLSC), and Random Forests (RF). The study focuses on evaluating the accuracy of these methods by comparing the classified maps with a higher-resolution ground truth map, utilising 500 randomly selected points for assessment.
The obtained results show that, compared to MLSC and RT, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) approach performs better. The SVM model demonstrates enhanced precision in land cover classification, showcasing its effectiveness in discerning subtle differences in landscape features.
Furthermore, using the precise classification results produced by the SVM method, this study examines the temporal variations in land cover between 2018 and 2020. The results provide insight into dynamic land cover changes and highlight the significance of applying reliable classification techniques for thorough temporal analysis with Landsat8 images.
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Comparison of sample preparation methods for the identification of Staphylococcus Aureus by MALDI-FOF MS
9-14Views:299Coagulase-positive staphylococci include 3 species, Staphylococcus aureus, S. hyicus and S. intermedius. Of these three species, S. aureus is the most well-known human pathogen. S. aureus is part of the human and animal normal microbiota, however, it is capable of producing several staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) that cause intoxication symptoms of varying intensity in humans after consuming contaminated food. Selective media which are used for the determination of coagulase-positive staphylococci from foods are not able to identify isolates at a species. With the MALDI-TOF MS technique, we can identify S. aureus cheaper and faster than by using molecular methods. This paper describes the results of the study of the presence of coagulase-positive staphylococci and S. aureus in many food products, and the application of three sample preparation methods: direct sample preparation, formic acid suspension and ethanol extraction.
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Recovery and confirmation of Haemonchus contortus from abomasal contents of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Eastern-Hungary (Biharugra): A diagnostic case study
59-62Views:172Gastrointestinal parasites are ubiquitous. They occur both in wild and domesticated animals. Among such parasites of veterinary importance is the trichostrongyle worms, out of which the Haemonchus contortus species is regarded as the most pathogenic one in the small ruminant industry. The occurrence of this parasite in the sheep flock is now very well documented and an established fact in Europe, although the parasite was original of the warmer climatic region. Studies on the cross-transmission of H. contortus between the wild and domesticated animals are also on the rise although the question of the direction of transmission is still debated. This is an important area that needs to be addressed as it could potentially contribute indirectly to mitigating anthelmintic resistance. Hungary also has reported its share of the occurrence of the parasite, mainly in the sheep flock and a certain population of roe deer. The study presented here is the preliminary results of a diagnostic case study that confirms the presence of H. contortus in wild ruminant deer species that are close to the domesticated sheep population.
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Fusarium culmorum isolated from rhizosphere of wooly cupgrass (Eriochloa villosa) in Debrecen (East Hungary)
93-96Views:172Wooly cupgrass (Eriochloa villosa) is an East-Asian originated weed species and it has been spreaded worldwide by now. The first occurrence of this species in Hungary was observed and published in 2008 nearby Gesztely village (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, North-East Hungary) than in the summer of 2011 a significant population was discovered next to Debrecen city (Hajdú-Bihar county, East Hungary).
In 2013 this weed was also reported from Szentborbás village, Somogy county (South-West Hungary). These observations of spreading and its biological features (production of stolons and large number of seeds, moreover herbicide tolerance) indicate that wooly cupgrass (E. villosa) has a great potential of invasiveness, so it may become a hazardous weed not only in Hungary but in all over the world.
The objective of this study was to identify the fungus which was isolated from wooly cupgrass (E. villosa) root residue samples which were collected after maize harvesting on arable land in late autumn, near Debrecen. The identification of the fungus based on morphological characters of colonies and the features of conidia developed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. After the examination of axenic culture we revealed that the fungus from rhizosphere of wooly cupgrass was Fusarium culmorum. Pathogenicity and/or endophytic relationship between the fungus and wooly cupgrass is still uncertain so pathogenicity tests and reisolations from plants are in progress.
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The effect of different dietary manipulations on haematological properties in Japanese quail
35-41Views:6Quantitative and qualitative dietary conditions are crucial for physiological functions. Blood haematology, the indicator of immune regulation, is critically affected by dietary conditions. Despite their importance, the effect of macro- and micronutrient manipulation remains unknown. We used feed restriction, energy or protein restriction, and supplementation of leucine, methionine, or both on top of restricted-feeding to study the effect on haematological properties in Japanese quail. Fifty-six birds of six weeks of age were distributed into seven treatments; control, 20% feed restriction, 20% energy restriction, 20% protein restriction, supplementing 20% leucine, 20% methionine, or both on top of restricted feeding. Haematological properties, including white blood cell count, number and percent of lymphocytes, mid-range (eosinophil + basophil), granulocytes, red blood cell count, haemoglobin levels, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin were analysed. We found that quantitative feed restriction, energy restriction, and amino acid supplementations showed no significant effect compared to the control group. However, protein restriction reduced all indices, suggesting the importance of proteins in maintaining leukocyte and erythrocyte indices. The present study revealed that neither moderate calorie restriction nor moderate specific amino acid supplementation have an impact on blood haematology, while 20% protein restriction has a notable effect.
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Sensitivity of maize to herbicides in experiments in Martonvásár in 2015
47-52Views:226The phytotoxic effect of herbicides applied post-emergence was investigated in a herbicide sensitivity experiment set up on parental maize genotypes in Martonvásár. A total of 48 Martonvásár inbred lines and 12 single line crosses were included in small-plot experiments set up in two replications. Ten herbicides were applied at the normal authorised rate and at twice this quantity. Compounds intended for pre-emergence application were applied when maize was in the 3–4-leaf stage and post-emergence herbicides in the 7–8-leaf stage of development. The extent of phytotoxicity was scored two weeks after treatment. Some of the herbicides tested are not authorised for use in seed production fields, but it is important to know how the parental genotypes respond to all types of herbicides. Phytotoxic symptoms of varying intensity were only observed on a third of the 60 parental genotypes examined; the majority of the lines exhibited no reaction to any of the herbicides. Averaged over the 60 genotypes the level of phytotoxic damage was less than 10% for the single dose. When the double dose was applied somewhat more severe damage was induced by products containing Mesotrione + Nicosulfuron or Foramsulfuron + Isoxadifen-ethyl, but this was still below 15%. The herbicide dose had a three times stronger influence on the intensity of the symptoms than the type of herbicide. With the exception of Topramezone, there was a significant difference between the effects of the normal and double doses. The greatest dose effect differences, in decreasing order, were observed for Mesotrione + Nicosulfuron, Foramsulfuron + Isoxadifen-ethyl. Nicosulfuron and Mesotrione + Terbutylazine. The Mesotrione + Terbutylazine active ingredient combination only caused mild (<10%) symptoms on a total of 11 genotypes, while the Mesotrione + Nicosulfuron combination induced more severe phytotoxic symptoms on 26 lines. When Nicosulfuron was applied alone it caused milder symptoms on fewer genotypes than in combination with Mesotrione. Among compounds of the sulphonyl-urea type, the least severe symptoms on the fewest genotypes were recorded in the case of Prosulfuron.
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Examination of the efficacy of different fungicides against Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in laboratory conditions
21-24Views:264Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are two significant fungal pathogens of sunflower. M. phaseolina causes charcoal rot and ashy stem blight in several important crop species. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold disease which can occur as middle stalk rot, head rot and premature plant death. Due to the wide host range of the two pathogens and their survival structures, crop rotation cannot provide sufficient protection against them. In our experiment, we selected two fungicides, Mirage and Prosaro, which are widely used in practice, and we tested their efficacy against the two pathogens. The efficiency of these fungicides was tested at a concentration of 10; 20; 50; 100 and 500 ppm. The Prosaro totally inhibited the mycelial growth of both pathogens at a concentration of 50 ppm, 100 ppm and 500 ppm. The Mirage caused total mycelial growth inhibition in all treatments against both pathogens.
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Cytochrome b diversity of Hungarian Botrytis cinerea strains
18-21Views:121In the mitochondrion of eukaryotes, cytochrome b is a component of respiratory chain complex III. Cytochrome b is encoded by the
cytochrome b (CYTB) gene located in the mitochondrial genome. The fungicidal activity of QoIs relies on their ability to inhibit mitochondrial respiration by binding at the so-called Qo site (the outer quinol-oxidation site) of the complex III. Since their introduction, QoIs (like azoxystrobin) have become essential components of plant disease control programs because of their wide-ranging efficacy against many agriculturally important fungal diseases like grey mould on various crops. QoI resistance primarily arises from a target-site-based mechanism involving mutations in the mitochondrial CYTB. As the management of grey mould is often dependent on chemicals, the rational design of control programs requires the information about the diversity of genes connected with resistance in field populations of the pathogen.
Monospore B. cinerea field isolates has been collected during 2008-2009 from different hosts in Hungary. PCR fragment length analysis
indicated the high frequency presence of type large intron in the isolates while in a few strains G143A substitution could also be detected.
These results indicated the heterogeneity of CYTB in the Hungarian B. cinerea populations, which possibly involve the heteroplasmy of this
mitochondrial gene, moreover indicates the existence op azoxystrobin resistant populations in Hungary.
This work was supported by NKFP-A2-2006/0017 grant. Erzsébet Fekete is a grantee of the János Bolyai Scholarship (BO/00519/09/8). -
Effect of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRS) on yield and quality of processing tomato under water deficiency
19-22Views:234Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured of H1015 tomato hybrid with different bacterial treatments (B0–B1–B2–B3) and three irrigation treatments: regular irrigated (RI), deficit irrigated (DI) and non-irrigated conditions (I0). The aim of the experiments was to show the effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on the yield, dry matter and vitamin C content of processing tomato during different irrigation treatments, and measuring the chlorophyll fluorescence during the ripening and development stages. According to the results, none of the bacterial treatments had a statistical effect on the quantity and quality of the tomato and on the chlorophyll fluorescence, only the irrigation. Further studies are needed.
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Effects of diets with different fibre content on the performance of rabbit does and on parasitological infection
41-44Views:132The effect of two diets with different fibre contents was examined on rabbit does’ performance and parasitological infection. Diet P2 had 1% higher crude fibre, ADF and starch contents than that of diet P1. The performance of 12–12 does and litters per group were examined during two consecutive inseminations. In both dietary groups, according to a 49-day reproduction rhythm, the does were artificially inseminated 18 days after kindling. Most production traits were not affected by the diets (kindling rate, weight of does and their kits, feed intake, mortality; P>0.05). Significant differences were only found in litter sizes as the number of kits was lower in P1 diet fed group at all examined days of lactation. The significant “Diet x Reproduction cycle” interaction showed that the litter sizes of dietary groups did not differ at the first examined insemination, however at the subsequent reproduction cycle 6–8% lower litter sizes were counted in P1 fed does compared to group P2 (litter size at 4 day: 9.00 vs 9.58–9.92, P = 0.004; litter size at 11 day: 8.83 vs 9.58–9.92, P = 0.037 for diet P1 at the 2nd reproductive cycle compared to all the other cases, respectively). The two diets with different compositions did not affect most of the production results of the rabbit does and their kits, but the lower litter size of does consuming P1 diet at the second examined lactation suggests the adverse effect of P1 diet’s long-term use. From the collected manure samples not any parasites were detected which presents a very favourable picture of farm from the point of view of hygiene and animal health.
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Comparison of the technological background of aquaponic systems
47-52Views:325Aquaponics is the combined culture of fish and plants in recirculating aquaculture systems, an ecologically sustainable horticultural production technique with long traditions.
The objective of this study is to compare flood-and- drain, and the water crossflow system and examine the differences in the water quality, fish yield and plant growth parameters for Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and basil (Ocimum basilicum). During the study, water quality parameters of two treatments were compared in temperatures, pH, EC and NO3¯N were significantly different (p <0.05). Leaf area of the basil plants grew to an average of 20.37 cm2 (± 9.02 cm2). The plants’ biomass production was significantly different (p< 0.05) in the two systems. The biomass production showed lower yield, 458.22 g (± 214.59 g) in the constant flow system that in the flood- and- drain system 692.9 g (± 175.82 g). Fish Growth parameters were better in constant flow system (FCR 5.48 g/g ± 0.19). However, the specific growth rate (SGR) demonstrated that fish grew faster in flood- and- drain system 1.38 %/day (± 0.29).
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Effect of harvesting time on the vitamin C content and yield of chili pepper
101-104Views:187For thousands of years, chili pepper has been used in cooking intensifying the aroma, colouring, and even flavouring with its pungency. Today ,it is also of interest for the various food and pharmaceutical industries due to its intrinsic characteristics. These characteristics of pepper and its yield can be affected by both the variety and the temperature fluctuation throughout the harvest period. The current work's objective was to investigate the effect of harvest time on vitamin C of different varieties of chili pepper C. frutescens and C. annuum cultivated in Hungary, as well as the yield of pepper in different harvesting periods. Vitamin C was determined by HPLC protocols. The differences between harvest times and varieties were analysed using Tukey post hoc test at 5%. All varieties showed fluctuation of vitamin C level, depending on the given harvest date. At the last harvest, all varieties had higher vitamin C content. All varieties had the same yield trend throughout the year but with different yields between each. Variety Hetényi Parázs had the highest vitamin C content and yield: 3720.53 µg g-1 vitamin C and 18.63 t ha-1 average yield, respectively.
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Effect of different production types on the yield and ß-carotene content of sweet potato /cultivar Ásotthalmi- 12/
45-49Views:171Production of sweet potato is extending in Hungary, despite the fact that there is no field-specific production technology. Therefore, many growers cannot utilize potential yields and quality. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal production method of the Ásotthalmi 12, a Hungarian sweet potato cultivar which can adapt to the Hungarian climate. The effect of single and twin rows production on the yield of this cultivar was examined. The planting was carried out on June 24th, the harvesting on October 20th and the growing-season was 120 days long. Uniform nutrient supply was applied to the whole field experiment. During basic fertilization, 206 kg Knd 20 kg N, 36 kg P ha-1 were used on the soil. While forming the ridges, we used an additional 25 kg N, 45 kg P and 62.5 kg K ha-1. We adopted drip tape irrigation on the experimental field. After the planting, from the 8th week of the vegetation, another 21 kg ha-1 K, 10 kg ha-1 MgSO4, and 2 kg ha-1 Ca(NO3)2 was added in one dosage weekly, until the 13th week of vegetation. At the evaluation of the experiment, we examined the yield regarding the whole experimental plot. SPAD and fluorescence measurements were carried out on 08.16. 2019, 08.28.2019, and on 09.13.2019, during the watering break. To demonstrate the difference between the dates, we applied ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests. For the measurement of phytonutrients HPLC, a liquid chromatograph was used, where the carotenoid content of the Ásotthalmi 12 cultivar was determined in connection with the different production methods. Test results showed that twin rows production leads to a nearly 30% greater yield, than single row production. We determined, that the growth of yield correlates negatively to the ß-carotene content of the Ásotthalmi 12 cultivar sweet potato.
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The effect of dissolved oxygen on common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) in the aquaponics system
89-96Views:428Aquaponics is an integrated system that combines fish farming (aquaculture) and hydroponic plant production. The objective of this study was to examine how the level of dissolved oxygen with or without an air pump affects water quality, fish output and plant growth parameters for common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and basil (Ocimum basilicum).
Ebb – and flood aquaponics systems (with automatic syphon) was used. Two treatments were set in this experiment, one of which was the aquaponics system without air pump (unit I), where water of the plant bed was pumped two directions, one falling back to the fish tank oxygenating the water the other was pumped to the hydroponics unit. The other system (unit II) was designed with an air pump.
In the course of the study, water quality parameters, such as oxygen saturation, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC) and nitrite were significantly different (p<0.05). Total basil biomass was higher in unit II. (5367.41 g). The final biomass of common carp were
2829.45 g ± 79.24 and 2980.6 g ± 64.13 g in unit I and unit II respectively. Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) showed no significant differences (p>0.05) between the treatments. -
Climatic water balance in Hamelmalo, Eritrea
69-76Views:212Agricultural production is an important sector for peoples to live, but it is highly affected by climate change. To have a good production we need to understand the climatic parameters which adversely affect production. Hamelmalo, which is located in the semi-arid area of Eritrea, is vulnerable to climate change and this is realised in the total production loss. Nevertheless, there is no concrete reference about the climate of the region due to lack of data for a long time. Changes in precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (ET) and, implicitly, in the climatic water balance (CWB), are imminent effects of climate change. However, changes in the CWB, as a response to changes in P and ET, have not yet been analysed thoroughly enough in many parts of the world, including Eritrea. This study also explores the changes of the CWB in the Hamelmalo region, based on a wide range of climatic data (P, relative air humidity and evaporation pan necessary for computing potential evapotranspiration (PET) with the pan evaporation method) recorded at Hamelmalo from 2015-2019. This analysis shows that the annual cumulative CWB for Hamelmalo is negative in 67% of the years. The dry season without precipitation leads to negative CWB and the change in CWB only starts from the raining or crop season. Based on this recent study, 2015 had the highest PET and lowest P, and this resulted in the lowest CWB in the investigated period. Opposite to this, 2019 had lower PET and highest P, which led to the highest CWB. However, the monthly values of CWB did not correlate with the annual P or ET. On the base of our study, it can be concluded that PET and P were very variable in the investigated years and P was the most influential elements of CWB.
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Development of an InDel marker set to establish hybridization between wild boar and domestic pig (Sus scrofa) breeds
21-25Views:308Wild boar and domestic pig breeds belong to the same species (Sus scrofa), so they can easily have viable offspring. This could be a problem in preserving the genetic lines of wild boars, keeping clean the food industry from lower-grade hybrid boar meat, and „producing” ethically questionable trophies, too. The aim of our study was to develop a cost-efficient, fast, easy and accurate marker set which can separate the wild boars from hybrids and domestic pig breeds.
The InDel markers were developed using 59 full pig genomes of 17 different breeds (e.g. Duroc, Large White, Landrace, Mangalica, wild boar). Sequence differences between the genomes of wild boars and domestic breeds were identified in variant call files, and verified using the IGV software. Wild boar, mangalica and duroc specific primers to amplify the chosen InDel regions were designed using Primer3.
After preliminary tests five markers were chosen, three wild boar specific, one Mangalica specific and one Duroc specific one. Fluorescently labelled primers were used to make the valuation easier and more accurate with capillary electrophoresis instead of gel-electrophoresis. The markers were optimised individually and in multiplex conditions and tested in samples of 11 breeds.
In conclusion, a new, faster and cheaper set was developed to separate the wild boars from the hybrids and domestic breeds. Based on the preliminary testing on wild boars, duroc and mangalica breeds zero samples resulted false negative, so it is 100% accurate. In addition, it is a much more cost- and time-effective way than testing every single sample with STR sets.
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Routine microscopy examination of faecal samples as a tool for detection of common gastrointestinal parasites: a preliminary report from two Hungarian farms
63-66Views:166Gastrointestinal parasitism in ruminant animals is a cause of major economic loss incurred by the livestock industry. Regardless of the frequency of the adopted therapeutic and prophylactic deworming strategies, the parasitic burden in a farm should be assessed regularly. One of the most widely used techniques to do so is the microscopic faecal egg examination and faecal egg counting method. Despite the technique being almost a century old from its first adoption, the principle behind the newer techniques of faecal egg examination is the same. This technique is still being used in routine farm screening and monitoring gastrointestinal parasitic load and faecal egg count reduction testing to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of the drugs used. Thus, the tool remains a choice for preliminary screening for important parasites and the subsequent deworming strategy. Our study here was part of a larger survey on the treatment efficiency as well as a broad epidemiological study of the trichostrongyle parasites in Hungary. We present a preliminary report on the detection of common gastrointestinal parasites from two farms in Hungary, including a species-specific confirmatory microscopy for Haemonchus contortus eggs.
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The impact of cultivar and irrigation on yield, leaf surface temperature and SPAD readings of chili pepper
103-108Views:247Paprika is an extremely popular and widespread plant species in Hungary. Chili peppers belongs to paprika and it can be consumed fresh or processed. The production of peppers began with the cultivation and control of some parameters for good results of paprika production. The aim of this article is to compare the water supply of four chili pepper hybrids ("Habanero", "Hetényi Parázs", "Unikal" and "Unijol") by means of investigation on open field and to examine how different temperatures and water stress factors influence the yield of chili peppers. The experiment area consisted of four different hybrids in three different irrigation treatments (control, deficit- and regular irrigation). The chlorophyll content was estimated with SPAD and the leaf surface temperature with Raytek MX4 TD. Our research concluded that deficit irrigation produced the highest yields for all cultivars and the lowest yields for the highest water supply.
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Assessment of backfat thickness and its relationship with reproductive performance of sows – preliminary findings
25-30Views:9Backfat thickness (BFT) is an important trait that influences reproductive performance in sows. This study investigated the relationship between sow BFT at farrowing and the number of live born (LB), stillborn (SB), and Mummies (Ms) in different parities (P) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8). Backfat thickness was measured at point P2 (BFT at the last rib, at the junction of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae 3–5 cm from the midline of the spine (mm). In total, 216 sows were measured on day 109 of gestation (when they entered farrowing). Descriptive statistics showed that the mean BFT was 14.55 mm SEM 0.171 SD 2.576. Parity had a significant effect on BFT, with a Kruskal-Wallis chi-squared value of 22.728 (df = 7, p = 0.002). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons using Dunn's test in R revealed that P1 exhibited a significantly higher BFT than P3 (p = 0.001) and P4 (p = 0.025). Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicated a very weak negative relationship between BFT and LB, whereas there was a strong relationship between BFT and SB and Ms. However, the correlations were not significant p>0.05. This finding suggests that assessing the BFT before farrowing is a helpful tool for guiding sow management and pig production. Additionally, these findings offer data that can be used to inform culling policies.