The effects of okra leaf shape on boll rot, yield, and other important characters of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), were investigated at three locations in Louisiana and on three varietal backgrounds. Varieties responded in a similar manner to the leaf shape treatments for all characters studied, but the location ✕ leaf shape interaction was significant in some cases.The okra leaf shape character, as an average of varieties and locations, caused a significant reduction in the incidence of boll rot in comparison with normal leaf cotton. It was associated with a significant increase in yield, earliness, lint percentage and micronaire value, and a substantial increase in fruiting rate. Okra leaf shape had no effect on boll weight, fiber length, fiber length uniformity, or fiber strength, but caused a reduction in fiber elongation and total leaf area.A mixed population of okra leaf and normal leaf plants in a 1:1 ratio was investigated. The mixed population was found to have no advantage over the pure populations of the contrasting leaf shapes.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of anticoccidial agents on production and reproduction of broiler breeders. In Experiment 1, nicarbazin (NCZ) was fed at 20, 50, and 100 ppm. There was no depression in egg production, egg weight, or fertility from feeding these levels. As level of NCZ increased, there was a linear decrease in hatchability. The amount of 4,4'-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC) in the egg yolks increased linearly as the levels of NCZ went up; the degree of egg-shell depigmentation was directly related to the level of NCZ fed starting at 50 ppm. Experiment 2 utilized a different strain of broiler breeders. Halofuginone (3 ppm), maduramicin (5 ppm), monensin (100 ppm), narasin (70 ppm), NCZ (125 ppm), robenidine (33 ppm), and salinomycin (60 ppm) were fed to broiler breeders at the levels listed. Only NCZ reduced egg production. Narasin induced a reduction in egg weight. Both narasin and salinomycin caused a significant drop in hatchability. Feeding NCZ also induced a rapid and more severe decrease in hatchability. Monensin was the only anticoccidial agent that reduced fertility. Halofuginone, maduramicin, and robenidine had no biologically significant effect on henday production, egg weight, hatch of fertile eggs, or shell depigmentation. Feeding NCZ at 125 ppm caused a complete bleaching of brown-shell eggs by the 3rd consecutive day of treatment; but 7 days after NCZ was withdrawn from the feed, pigmentation returned to the pretreatment level.

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of anticoccidial agents on the production and reproduction of White Leghorns. In Experiment 1, nicarbazin (NCZ) was fed at 0, 20, 50, and 100 ppm. Hen-day egg production, egg weight, the egg-yolk DNC (4-4'-dinitrocarbanilide) level, and egg-yolk mottling were affected by the treatments. When response was evidenced, the relationship between those variables and the level of NCZ was basically linear. Decreased egg production occurred from Days 5 and 6 of the treatment through Days 1 and 2 of withdrawal. On Days 9 and 10 of treatment, the control hens peaked at 92% hen-day production, while hens fed 20, 50, and 100 ppm of NCZ peaked late--at 90, 82, and 80%, respectively. Compared to the controls, egg weight was reduced linearly as the level of dietary NCZ increased. The egg-yolk DNC level increased from Days 3 and 4 of treatment through Days 9 and 10 of withdrawal. Egg yolk mottling generally increased along with the level and duration of feeding NCZ. If the NCZ was mistakenly fed to White Leghorn layers, ill effects would be alleviated within 10 days after drug withdrawal. In Experiment 2, halofuginone (3 ppm), maduramicin (5 ppm), monensin (100 ppm), narasin (70 ppm), nicarbazin (125 ppm), robenidine (33 ppm), and salinomycin (60 ppm) were fed to White Leghorn hens at the levels specified in parentheses. Nicarbazin reduced egg production, depressed egg weight, reduced shell thickness, and caused egg-yolk mottling; but internal egg quality, as measured by Haugh Units, was unaffected. Halofuginone, maduramicin, monensin, narasin, robenidine, and salinomycin did not have a meaningful effect on the variables measured when fed to White Leghorn layers.

In certain environments, reduced leaf‐open canopy cottons (Gossypium hirsutum L.) allow more light penetration and air circulation within their canopies than do normal leaf types. However, too much reduction in canopy can reduce overall productivity and economic yield. Removal of floral buds (squares) early in the season has been shown to result in larger plant size. Square removal was carried out in the field (fine‐silty, mixed, thermic, Aquic Fragiudalf soil type) on normal, okra, and super okra leaf type near‐isogenic lines of a ‘Stoneville 213’ background cotton for 3 and 6 weeks to determine i) if improved yield could be obtained in one or both open canopy types by enlarging the canopy and ii) if delaying fruit set produced differential responses in these leaf types. Results would form a basis for development of a boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boh.) trap crop system using exogenous chemicals to effect square abscission. Removal of squares increased plant height, leaf area index (LAI) and number of sympodial branches. The super okra leaf type produced the greatest responses to square removal. Fruit set was more rapid and occurred during a shorter interval for all leaf types undergoing square removal for 3 weeks, but the greatest response was obtained from super okra. Comprehensive analysis in 1983 indicated the rapid fruit set was due primarily to more sympodia fruiting simultaneously. The 3‐week treatment was more consistent in this response than the 6‐week treatment because of the generally shorter horizontal and vertical flowering intervals. Economic yield of normal and okra leaf types was generally not improved by square removal, whereas the super okra leaf type in the 3‐week square removal treatment produced an average 23.5% greater lint yield than its control. Differences in lint percentage were significant between treatments in 1981 with significant leaf type by treatment interactions in 1983. The data indicate that the super okra leaf type had the most consistent responses to 3 weeks of manual square removal. These results imply that this leaf type would produce the best response to exogenous chemical abscission of squares and the greatest chance of recovery from early season insect pressure.

Ten-mo-old broiler feeds were fed nicarbazin (NCZ) at 0, 25, 50 and 100 ppm of their diet for 2, 4, or 6 days to simulate accidental contamination of their feed with the medicant. Reduced egg production was observed in all treatments except 25 and 50 ppm NCZ for 2 days. A consistent reduction in egg weight occurred only at the maximum treatment level of 100 ppm for 6 days. Reduction in hatchability was generally evident by Days 5 and 6 of the experiment except for the lowest treatment of 25 ppm NCZ for 2 days. Due partially to the low number of eggs set, no statistically significant reduction in hatchability was seen for the group receiving 50 ppm NCZ for 4 days, but hatchability had dropped over 17 percentage points (from 93.3 to 75.5%) by Days 5 and 6 of the experiment, and continued to drop to a low of 31% on Days 11 and 12 of the experiment. Shell pigmentation was the most sensitive characteristic measured, with significant depigmentation occurring after only 2 days of feeding 25 ppm NCZ. Generally, the severity and duration of effects were in proportion to medicant concentration and length of treatment time. Fertility was not influenced by the medicant.