The aim of this experiment was to determine the productive performance and egg quality of Japanese quails fed different types of processed rations (mash, extruded, or pelleted). One hundred and fortyfour 18-w-old quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were housed in galvanized wire cages and fed a 21.50% CP and 2850 kcal ME/kg basal feed supplied in mash, extruded, or pelleted form. Experimental d...

It was unknown if a mitochondria-targeted nitroxide (JP4-039) could augment potentially lethal damage repair (PLDR) of cells in quiescence. We evaluated 32D cl 3 murine hematopoietic progenitor cells which were irradiated and then either centrifuged to pellets (to simulate PLDR conditions) or left in exponential growth for 0, 24, 48 or 72 h. Pelleted cells demonstrated cell cycle arrest with a ...

Rapid post-introduction evolution has been found in many invasive plant species, and includes changes in defence (resistance and tolerance) and competitive ability traits. Here, we explored the post-introduction evolution of a trade-off between resistance to and tolerance of herbivory, which has received little attention. In a common garden experiment in a native range, nine invasive and 16 nat...

Cyanophos is commonly used in Egypt to control various agricultural and horticultural pests. It is not easily hydrolyzed and thus they are highly persistent and accumulate in various aquatic compartments such as rivers and lakes. Such issues may be solved by phytoremediation, which is the use of plants for the cleanup of pollutants. Here, we tested Plantago major L. to clean water polluted with...

The death of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., and the consequent colony collapse disorder causes major losses in agriculture and plant pollination worldwide. The phenomenon showed increasing rates in the past years, although its causes are still awaiting a clear answer. Although neonicotinoid systemic insecticides used for seed coating of agricultural crops were suspected as possible reason, stud...

Nonlethal alternatives are needed to manage blackbird (Icterids) damage to rice and sunflower production in the United States. We evaluated 4 registered fungicides on rice seeds (i.e., AllegianceH FL, Thiram 42-S, TrilexH, and VitavaxH 200 preplant seed treatments) and 2 foliar pesticides on sunflower seeds (Cobalt insecticide and Flock Buster bird repellent) as candidate blackbird repellents. ...

BACKGROUND In 2013, the European Commission restricted the use of three neonicotinoids (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) and the pyrazole fipronil, which are widely used to control early-season pests. Here, we used original farm survey data to examine the impact of the restrictions on pest management practices in eight regional case studies including maize, oilseed rape and sunflowe...

Germination from the soil seed bank (SSB) is an important determinant of species composition in tropical forest gaps, with seed persistence in the SSB allowing trees to recruit even decades after dispersal. The capacity to form a persistent SSB is often associated with physical dormancy, where seed coats are impermeable at the time of dispersal. Germination literature often speculates, without ...

While the area of organic crop production increases at a global scale, the potential interactions between pest management in organic and conventionally managed systems have so far received little attention. Here, we evaluate the landscape-level codependence of insecticide-based and natural enemy-based pest management using a simulation model for parasitoid-host interactions in landscapes consis...

Regarding the hypothesis that neonicotinoid insecticides used for seed coating of agricultural crops - mainly corn, sunflower and seed rape - are related to the extensive death of honey bees, the phenomenon of corn seedling guttation has been recently considered as a possible route of exposure of bees to these systemic insecticides. In the present study, guttation drops of corn plants obtained ...