The sugarcane aphid [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)] has become a persistent problem to sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] producers in the United States since its first identification on grain sorghum near Beaumont, TX, in 2013. Since then, this aphid “super‐clone” has spread to almost all sorghum‐growing areas of the country. Growers have managed the sugarcane aphid using Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Group 4 insecticides and the use of resistant hybrids. In order to provide additional methods of control especially for organic sorghum production, two strains of the fungal entomopathogens Beauveria bassiana and one strain of Isaria fumosorosea as well as water and Sivanto (flupyradifurone) were applied to the sugarcane aphid susceptible sorghum hybrid DKS53‐53 in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications at Tifton and Fort Valley, GA. Aphid number, plant damage, grain yield, plant dry biomass, and plant height were measured for each treatment. As compared to the treatment with water, only the plots treated with Sivanto had significantly less aphid number and plant damage and significantly more grain yield and increased plant height. Thus, the applied entomopathogens did not reduce sugarcane aphid number, did not reduce plant damage, and did not increase grain yield in either location as compared to the treatment with water (the negative control). Thus, these three strains of entomopathogens were ineffective for controlling the sugarcane aphid under these field conditions.
Fetal microchimerism has been detected in maternal tissues of humans and rodents during and after pregnancy. Studies focusing on fetal DNA transfer to maternal tissues in domestic animals are limited, especially in sheep. Fetal ram DNA was observed in the maternal circulation during pregnancy, but it is not known if this chimerism persists in soft tissues after parturition. The objectives of this exploratory study were to: 1) determine if male fetal DNA is detectable in soft tissues of mature ewes after parturition and if so, determine if detection repeatability differed with lifetime offspring sex ratio and 2) determine if male fetal DNA was present in soft tissues of yearling (primiparous) ewes shortly after parturition. Eight mature (open, non-lactating) and 8 yearling (primiparous, periparturient) Rambouillet ewes were used. Mature ewes (5- to 7- years old) had given birth to primarily 82% males (n = 4) or 71% female (n = 4) over a lifetime. Yearling ewes had birthed either a singleton male (n = 4) or female (n = 4) lambs. DNA was extracted from 10 and 11 different soft tissues from the mature and yearling ewes, respectively. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to identify the presence of the SRY gene in each tissue sample. Male DNA was detected in the brain and liver from 1 mature open ewe that had given birth to 2 males and 6 females during her lifetime. In younger ewes that gave birth to a ram lamb, male DNA was observed in the thyroid of 1 ewe and the pancreas and brain of a second ewe. Male DNA was detected in the ovary of 1 ewe that had given birth to a female lamb. Based on these data, we suggest fetal microchimerism in soft maternal tissues is possible in sheep and may remain after pregnancy has ended. The detection repeatability of male fetal DNA was not associated with sex ratio of lifetime offspring. Male DNA was observed in maternal soft tissues collected shortly after parturition. The greater detection of fetal male DNA found in younger ewes shortly after parturition may be due to not having enough time for fetal DNA clearance to occur. Future studies are warranted to further study XY chimerism in maternal tissues of the ewe and its potential role in ovine physiology.
Ponds in rural ecosystems may provide valuable habitat for a variety of cosmopolitan species, including those that are either fully aquatic or pond associated species in riparian habitats of mixed agricultural/wooded areas. We assessed the diversity of three rural ponds on private property (Southern 8’s Farm; Chesterfield, South Carolina), with different management histories using rapid species assessments. Surveys included aquatic dip-netting, sweep netting, acoustic surveys, camera trapping, and visual encounters. Identifications of organisms were performed using iNaturalist. In total, we compiled 240 unique taxonomic observations of different taxa across all ponds, representing 165 fully identified species (68.8% of observations). This consisted of 166 animal observations (largely arthropods, with some chordates), and 70 plant observations (mostly dicot flowering plants) and only 4 fungi observations. We found that iNaturalist provided a reliable method for identification of flora and fauna pond-associated species and should be considered for bioblitz surveys and rapid biological inventories to document species presence in riparian zones of agricultural ecosystems.
The presence of a male co-twin during pregnancy has been found to impact lifetime reproductive performance in the sibling ewe. XY chimerism, thought to originate from a male co-twin, has been observed in ewes, and may be associated with the rare development of freemartins. Fetal ram DNA has been observed in the maternal circulation during pregnancy, but it is unknown if this chimerism persists after parturition. The objective of this study was to determine if fetal male cells were present in soft tissues of older ewes and if so, does the occurrence differ with lifetime offspring sex ratio. Eight ewes approximately 7-years-old and having given birth to at least 71% female (n = 4) or 82% males (n = 4) were tested. DNA was extracted from 10 different tissues from each ewe (n = 80). In triplicate, real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to identify the presence of the SRY gene in each sample. Using the SRY primer pair, male DNA was identified in the brain (between 1.25 ng / µL and 125 pg / µL) and liver (between 125 and 12.5 pg / µL) from a ewe that had given birth to two males during her lifetime. If any additional male fetal DNA was present, it was below the detectable limits. In addition to giving birth to two males, this ewe was also born with two male co-siblings, thus the origin (sibling or offspring) of the male DNA is not known. These data suggest fetal cell transfer in sheep is possible and the frequency of fetal microchimerism is not associated with sex ratio of lifetime offspring.
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