Breeding Farms Research Articles

Aspects of the application of precision agriculture in the conditions of intensification of grain production in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia

The results of three-year research during 2019-2021 on the study of the effectiveness of precision farming elements in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia are presented. The experiments were carried out on leached chernozem at the Irmen breeding farm, Ordynsky district, Novosibirsk region. Elements of precision farming were tested on grain crops: spring wheat: varieties Likamero, Novosibirskaya 31 and Omskaya 36; spring barley varieties: Paustian and Margret and oats varieties Rovestnik. Navigation and drones of varying degrees of complexity were used, as well as a complex of differentiated fertilization. The aim of the work was to improve the technology of precision farming in the production of grain crops in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia. The effectiveness of the use of precision farming elements has been established. Due to the introduction of differentiated doses of mineral fertilizers, the grain yield of wheat varieties increased by 27%, spring barley 33% and oats - 23%. Against the background of the use of geolocation technologies in combination with differentiated application of mineral fertilizers, the yield level reached 7 t/ha for spring soft wheat of the Licamero variety, 8 t/ha for spring barley Paustian, and 5.6 t/ha for oats. In order to obtain a high yield of grain crops, doses of mineral fertilizers were applied differentially according to elementary fields up to 25 Oct. per 1 hectare and liquid nitrogen fertilizers up to 200 l/ha UAN-32, which ensured not only a yield of up to 7 t/ha, but also high technological quality of grain with a gluten level in spring soft wheat of the Licamero variety - 36%.

Keklikte (Alectoris chukar) Özofagus’un Histolojik Yapısı ve Bezlerdeki Müsinlerin Histokimyasal Profili

Mucins secreted by mucus-producing cells are glycoproteins with many important functions such as antimi crobial effect, lubricity and physical barrier. The structure and function of mucins may be different in various tissues. Therefore, we designed our study to reveal the current state of mucin chemistry in the glands located in the partridge's esophagus. The esophagus of total 10 adult partridges, five female and five male, whose carcasses were slaughtered in a private breeding farm were used. The extracted esophageal tissues were fixed in 10% formol-alcohol. Tissues were blocked following routine histologicalprocedures, and histological and histochemical staining techniques were applied to 5 μm thick sections from the blocks. While distinguishing the cervical and thoracic parts of the esophagus, it was observed that the glands were localized in the lamina propria and had the characteristics of simple alveolar glands or simple branched alveolar glands containing two or three secretory units. It was also determined that esophageal glands contain neutral, acidic (COOH and sulfate groups) and N-acetylsialomucins. Thus, it was concluded that the histological structure of the esophagus and the histochemical properties of mucins were relatively similar to other poul- try species.

Distribution of helminths of the gastrointestinal tract of horses in Central Altai

The results of the studies (2021, 2022) on the spread of helminth infectious agents in horse breeding farms are presented. Parasitic worms of two classes Nematoda and Cestoda participate in the formation of the helminthic complex of Central Altai animals. Nematodes of two suborders Strongylata and Ascaridata (Parascaris equorum) were recorded. Two species Anoplocephalaperfoliata and Paranoplocephalamamillana were identified in cestodes represented by the tapeworms of suborder Anoplocephalata. In the province (87.8%) and in some administrative districts, infestation of whole-hoofed animals with gastrointestinal strongylates is much higher than infection with helminthes of suborder Ascaridata (14.1%) and cestodes of suborder Anoplocephalata (10.9%). Nematodes of suborder Strongylata play the main role in forming the nosological profile of intestinal helminth infections. Strongylates form the core of the helminthocomplex of the digestive system, and the infestation of whole-hoofed animals with them and their share in the structure of the helminthocomplex both in the province and in individual administrative districts is the highest. The values of IP (invasion prevalence) and PCI (parasite complex index) of strongyloides vary by administrative regions from 53,3 and 69,1% to 95,2 and 80,8%, respectively, and amount to 87,8 and 77,8% on average in the Central Altai. It was found that in most areas, the infestation of whole-hoofed animals with helminths of the digestive system in general and nematodes of suborder Strongylata differs insignificantly. Infestation of whole-hoofed animals by Parascaris equorum and cestodes of suborder Anoplocephalata is registered in the region at 14,1 and 10,9% with PCI 12,5 and 9,7 respectively, which is 6-8 times lower than analogous indices for strongylatosis of animals. Reliable direct correlation between the release of strongylate eggs into the external environment and the index of animal infestation was established. The number of propagative forms released into the environment increases with increasing values of animal infestation with strongylates.

Exterior profile of Saanen goats with different genotypes of the <i>SPAG17</i> gene

The exterior is formed in the process of growth and development of the animal and is a reflection of the appearance and proportions of the body. Genetic factors play a significant role in the formation of the exterior. The protein sperm-associated antigen 17, encoded by the SPAG17 gene, performs a number of important biological functions in the process of growth and development of the mammalian organism, as well as affecting the growth and development of bones. The aim of our work was to analyze the polymorphic variants (indel) of the SPAG17 gene in connection with the body measurements of mature Saanen goats. The sample included 43 goats aged 3-5 years from one of the breeding farms of the Leningrad region. Phenol extraction was used to isolate DNA samples. Genotyping was performed for rs659761737 (indel 14 bp, intron 22) and rs647063466 (indel 17 bp, intron 47) of the SPAG17 gene by AS-PCR method. Before the start of the breeding season, sexually mature goats of the Saanen breed were once measured with the calculation of body built indices. The analysis of the genotypes and alleles frequency showed that, according to rs659761737 (indel 14 bp), the DD genotype was determined at the level of 0.186, ID - 0.419, and II - 0.395. For rs647063466 (indel 17 bp) of the SPAG17 gene, the opposite pattern was observed. The frequency of DD, ID, and II genotypes was 0.326, 0.512, and 0.163, respectively. Animals with genotype II for rs659761737 (indel 14 bp) of the SPAG17 gene had significantly high metacarpus girth values (p˂0.01), and the individuals with genotype ID for rs647063466 (indel 17 bp) were distinguished by high values of the index of leg height (p˂0.05) and chest index (p˂0.05). The obtained data suggest that the studied SNPs of the SPAG17 gene make a significant contribution to the formation of the exterior profile of the Saanen goats.

Prevalence of Campylobacter Species on Cattle Breeding Farms in Zimbabwe.

Infertility remains a challenge in breeding herds in most developing countries. In the current study, 104 penile sheath washes were collected from bulls of different breeds and ages from different cattle breeding farms in Zimbabwe. The samples were submitted to the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Zimbabwe, for screening of Campylobacter species using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Based on the PCR results, the animal-level prevalence was 25.96% (range 0-73.98%) and all the positive samples came from four (57.14%) of the 7 herds tested. The current study shows that Campylobacter spp. could be a causative agent in infertility observed in a number of herds in Zimbabwe. Strategies for treatment and control of campylobacteriosis should be enhanced in the country. More research and surveillance are needed to determine the epidemiology of Campylobacter species in Zimbabwean cattle herds.

Strongyloides westeri infection on a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Ireland (2014–2019): Prevalence, risk factors and peripartum ivermectin

SummaryBackgroundThe mean proportion of Strongyloides westeri (S. westeri) infected foals on Thoroughbred breeding farms in central Kentucky has been reported as 30%. The prevalence of S. westeri in Ireland and the effect of peripartum ivermectin treatment of the dam are unknown.ObjectivesThe objectives of the study were to determine the proportion of foals infected and the prevalence of positive S. westeri faecal egg count (FEC) tests within defined age groups on a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Ireland between 2014 and 2019 inclusive and, furthermore, to identify risk factors for infection and the effect of peripartum ivermectin treatment. We hypothesised no significant difference in S. westeri infection in progeny <365 days of age, where the dam received peripartum ivermectin treatment between 30 days pre‐ and 7 days post‐foaling, versus no treatment.Study designRetrospective observational cohort.MethodsFarm records of 1420 FECs for 459 foals were reviewed. Positive test prevalence and proportion of foals infected were determined using days between birth and each FEC result, up to 365 days. A mixed effects logistic regression model was constructed to examine the association between date of sample collection, year, age at sampling, peripartum dam ivermectin treatment and S. westeri patent infection in progeny <365 days of age.ResultsTest prevalence and proportion of foals infected increased from 0.09 to 0.43 and 0.17 to 0.52, respectively. The risk of positive S. westeri infection was linearly and positively associated with day of the year (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.7; p = 0.01) and negatively associated with age (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.59; p = <0.001). Peripartum ivermectin treatment was associated with reduced S. westeri infection in progeny <365 days of age (OR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.79; p = 0.02).Main limitationsFaecal egg counts performed by trained lay personnel. Dynamic population.ConclusionsIncreasing prevalence of S. westeri infection may reflect cumulative environmental contamination.

Evaluation of the European Green Deal Policy in the Context of Agricultural Support Payments in Latvia

The European Green Deal policy will significantly affect the resilience and development of agriculture, which will be determined by the 2021–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms, entering into force in 2023. Therefore, the European Commission determines that at least 25% of the direct payments should be earmarked for eco-schemes, while 35% of the funding for rural development should be allocated to climate and environmental support measures. Support payments constitute a significant part of farmers’ income and guide their decision-making for production development. Therefore, the goal of the research was set by analysing the existing CAP support payment system in 2019 to determine the possible impact of the reform envisaged for 2023 on farms of various specialisations and sizes in Latvia. The analysis revealed that in Latvia in 2019, 83% of the total number of farms received support, the amount of the support was EUR 5616 per year per farm on average, and within the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS), the support was higher by 24%. Among the funding recipient farms, the support accounted for 28% of the farms’ income, calculated per 1 hectare. The detailed calculations carried out indicate that the possible base support payments as a result of the CAP 2023 reform are expected to be higher specifically in cattle breeding and dairy farming, which may contribute to even greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the future and thus reduce the likelihood of achieving the goals of the European Green Deal policy.

Breeding work with lines and families of the large white breed of pig factory type «Bahachansky»

The results of the study of the genealogical structure and the current state of productivity of various structural elements of the "Bagachanskyi" factory type ten years after its approval and approval are presented. The research was conducted in the conditions of the large white breeding plant of PAF "Ukraine" of the Poltava region and in the selection laboratory of the Institute of Pig Breeding and Agro-Industrial Production. The purpose of the research was to develop a program of selection measures to increase the productivity of pigs of the factory type "Bagachanskyi" of the large white breed. It was established that compared to 2015, the share of animals imported from other farms decreased from 4.3% to zero in sow pedigrees, and from 27.5% to zero in boar pedigrees.This is due to the fact that PAF "Ukraine" acquired the status of a breeding farm, and the pig herd of this farm was involved in the creation and approval of the factory type of pigs "Bagachanskyi". Therefore, after 2010, the importation of boars from other farms took place in a limited number and exclusively for breeding purposes, and after 2014, the stud farm completely switched to self-repair not only with pigs, but also with boars. Thanks to the purposeful breeding work in the herd on development indicators and meat qualities, the consolidation of repair young animals according to these characteristics reached the maximum level (the coefficient of variation is in the range from 0.33 to 1.62%).At the same time, the absence of a significant difference between families complicates the breeding work and reduces the opportunities for intrabreedheterosis. The use of index selection, including based on linear BLUP models, contributed to the achievement of a high level of indicators of reproductive qualities (+14.8-16.0% compared to the requirements for the elite class) without deterioration of indicators based on the characteristics of bacon thickness and the age of reaching a weight of 100 kg . When evaluating the genotype by the BLUP method, it was found that the most productive offspring in terms of reproductive qualities are predicted to be obtained from sows of the Ella family. At the same time, the most significant improvement will occur at the expense of the trait of nest mass, while the sows of the Beatrice family have the highest genetic potential for multifertility. Among boars, the Slavutych line is characterized by the best BLUP breeding value index.

Assessment of Genetic Variability in Cytoplasmic Male Sterility based Wheat Hybrid

Present study was carried out to evaluate genetic variability and inheritance of yield contributing traits using fifteen cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) based F1 hybrid of wheat involving fifteen CMS based lines and one restorer line received from IIWBR, Karnal and Division of Genetics, IARI under CRP on hybrid wheat programme along with five wheat checks. Experiment was conducted during Rabi 2019-20 in randomized block design with two replications in three different sowing dates at Seed Breeding Farm, JNKVV, Jabalpur. Analysis of variance revealed that, significant differences among the crosses for all the traits indicated that the presence of sufficient amount of genetic variability. High GCV% and PCV % accounted for the traits number of effective tillers/plant and number of spikes/plant, thousand grain weights, spike weight and grain yield/plant in EI, EII, EIII and pooled environment. Genetic advance as percentage of mean estimate was highest for biological yield/plant (33.99%) and mean noted respectively number of effective tillers/plant, thousand grain weight, number of spikes/plant and grain yield/plant in different environment conditions. Hence, selection of these traits would be effective for further crop improvement programme. On the basis of mean and range, maximum mean value noted in respective CMS based hybrids viz., grain yield/plant (CMS96A*Res-37), thousand grain weights and grains/ear (CMS86A*Res-37), harvest index (CMS85A*Res-37), number of effective tillers/plant (CMS95A*Res-37). These crosses contributed directly for yield improvement and to meet the demand of increasing population to make India self sufficient in food security.

Analysis of Family Structure and Paternity Test of Tan Sheep in Yanchi Area, China.

Tan sheep is a special breed of locally protected sheep in China, one of the best quality meat sheep in the world. Due to the unclear pedigree of the rams on the Ningxia Tan sheep breeding farm, we investigated 74 rams in the field and explored a new method for family division. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood of breeding rams. Using Plink software, GCTA tools and R language, we analyzed the genetic structure, kinship, and inbreeding coefficient of the breeding sheep, which revealed the genetic relationship between the individuals. The results showed that there was no obvious clustering phenomenon in the PCA, and the genetic background of the samples was similar. The G matrix and IBS distance matrix indicated that most individuals were far away from each other. Paternity testing identified 24 pairs of unknown parent-child pairs, and all the Tan sheep could be divided into 12 families, which provided a reference for sheep breeding. The average inbreeding coefficient based on the ROH of this population was 0.049, so there was a low degree of inbreeding and the rams in the field were able to maintain high genetic diversity. Overall, we explored a more accurate method through paternity and kinship analysis; it provides a scientific basis for pedigree construction, which has an important application value for Tan sheep breeding.

Curcumin Supplementation in Semen Extender Improves Post-Thaw Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of Gir Bull Spermatozoa

This investigation was carried out on semen of three Gir bulls at Cattle Breeding Farm, Junagadh (India) for a period of 6 months. The aim was to assess the effect of different concentrations of Curcumin, viz., 0 µM (Control), 5 µM, 10 µM, and 15 µM in Andromed extender on sperm quality along with oxidative stress parameters of cryopreserved semen. Semen ejaculates (n=30, 10/bull) with >70% initial motility were included in the study. Soon after initial evaluation, the semen was extended in Andromed extender @ 80 million sperm per ml and was divided into four equal aliquots. The Curcumin stock solution (10 mM) was added in these aliquots to get a final concentration of 0, 5, 10, and 15 µM and sperm motility was checked. It was soon filled and sealed in medium French straws (0.5 ml), equilibrated at 4°C for 4 h and frozen in LN2 vapour using conventional wide mouth freezer. Thawing of straws was done next day in water bath at 37°C for 30 seconds, and various sperm quality parameters including oxidative markers were assessed. The results showed that supplementation of Curcumin to freezing extender improved semen quality and antioxidant capacity. The post-thaw sperm motility, sperm viability, HOST reactive sperm and acrosomal integrity in semen extended with 15 µM Curcumin concentration (57.33±0.67, 73.20±1.05, 64.77±1.56 and 72.43±1.38 %, respectively) were significantly (p<0.05) higher and sperm abnormality (18.00±0.41%) was significantly (p<0.05) lower as compared to those of control extender and the 5 µM Curcumin group. Mean malondialdehyde (MDA) level in post-thaw seminal plasma did not differ significantly (p>0.05) among the groups, while total antioxidants activity (TAC) with 15 µM Curcumin (476.36±16.52 μmol/L) was significantly (p<0.05) higher as compared to control and 5 µM Curcumin group. It is concluded that Curcumin @ 15 µM in semen extender improves post-thaw sperm quality and antioxidant capacity of cryopreserved Gir bull semen.

Productive and reproductive qualities of animals of the Ukrainian black and spotted dairy breed in breeding farms of the western region of Ukraine

Productive and reproductive qualities of animals of the Ukrainian black and spotted dairy breed in breeding farms of the western region of Ukraine

Effects of mothers of different productivity on the body weight and metabolic profile of daughters

The results of the study conducted at the “Pchany-Denkovych” stud farm of the Stryi district of the Lviv region on heifers of the Simmental breed obtained from cows with different productivity are described. The dynamics of animal growth and the biochemical composition of the blood of heifers obtained from low-productive and high-productive mothers were studied. In the process of studying the dynamics of the live weight of calves from birth to 6 months of age, a tendency to increase the body weight of calves of the first group, obtained from highly productive mothers, at the age of 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively, was established – by 1.2 kg, 5.3 kg and 4.8 kg to the body weight index of heifers obtained from low-yielding cows. Experimental groups of heifers at the age of 6 months corresponded to the live weight of the Simmental breed standard. It was established that the total protein content in the blood serum of heifers obtained from cows with different milk productivity from birth to 6 months of age was within the physiological norm and increased gradually with the advantage of its level in analogs obtained from highly productive cows. Comparing the indicators of total protein in the dynamics from the first to the sixth month, it was found that it increased by 33.9 % in the first group and 25.5 % in the second group, respectively. The level of total cholesterol in the blood serum of experimental heifers during six months increased with age, with a slight advantage of indicators in heifers from the first group, which came from highly productive mothers (Р > 0.05). The increase in total cholesterol from one month to 6 months of age in the first and second groups of heifers was 38.5 % and 20.0 %, respectively. A higher concentration of total lipids was noted in the blood of experimental daughters of highly productive cows. The minimum indicators of the level of total lipids were established in the first month of life of experimental heifers of the first and second groups, respectively – at 2.7 and 2.6 g/l, with the same level (3.5 g/l) in the second month and an increase in indicators in the third-month life (4.5 vs. 4.1 g/l) (Р > 0.05). It was established that the activity of aspartate aminotransferase in all periods of growth of Simmental breed heifers significantly exceeds the activity of alanine aminotransferase. Characteristic features of the dynamics of this indicator are the maximum activity of AST and ALT in the first two months of the animal's life, which then gradually decreases.

Overexpression of the SiLEA5 Gene in Saussurea involucrata Increases the Low-Temperature Tolerance of Transgenic Tomatoes

The late embryonic development abundant protein (LEA) is a family of proteins widely present in the body and related to osmoregulation. Saussurea involucrata is an extremely cold-tolerant plant. In our previous studies, we found that the LEAs gene in Saussurea involucrata has up-regulated expression under low temperature. To evaluate the biological function of SiLEA5 protein under low-temperature stress and its potential in agricultural breeding, we isolated the SiLEA5 gene from Saussurea involucrata, constructed a plant overexpression vector, and transformed tomato. We found that SiLEA5 protein significantly increased the yield of transgenic tomatoes by increasing their photosynthetic capacity, including net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO2 concentration. Under low-temperature stress, the SiLEA5 protein can regulate proline metabolism and oxidative stress, which confers transgenic tomatos with cold resistance. Thus, our work provided evidence for the role of SiLEA5 protein in low-temperature stress resistance in plants, as well as potential applications in crop breeding and cold stress resistance research.

Fenbendazole resistance in Heterakis gallinarum, the vector of Histomonas meleagridis, on a broiler breeder farm in South Carolina.

Parasites are highly prevalent in poultry; thus, the management of parasites is a key component in the profitable production of poultry. The most common nematode parasite of poultry, Heterakis gallinarum, typically causes no direct pathology but is the vector of Histomonas meleagridis, a highly pathogenic protozoan parasite that causes blackhead disease. There are no approved treatments for H. meleagridis, making control reliant on controlling the helminth vector. In the United States, the benzimidazole anthelmintic fenbendazole (FBZ) is the only approved treatment for H. gallinarum. We were contacted by an industry veterinarian regarding clinical problems with histomoniasis despite frequent anthelmintic treatments. Given that we had recently diagnosed FBZ resistance in the closely related parasite Ascaridia dissimilis, we were interested to determine if H. gallinarum had also evolved resistance. An initial on-farm pilot study using 20 birds suggested that FBZ was poorly effective, therefore a larger controlled study was initiated. Heterakis gallinarum eggs were isolated from litter at the farm and used to infect 118 chicks. Treatment groups included a non-treated control, a label-, and a 2×-label dose of FBZ, with 36 birds per group divided into two replicates of 18 birds. Three weeks post-hatch, birds were infected with 150 embryonated eggs. Two weeks post-infection treated birds were administered either a label- or 2× label-dose of FBZ in water for five days (SafeGuard® Aquasol, 1mg/kg BW). To increase the likelihood that all birds consumed the full intended dose, the dosage was calculated using 1.25 times the average body weight. One-week post-treatment, birds were euthanized, and parasites enumerated. There were no significant differences in worm numbers recovered from any of the three groups (p-value=0.3426), indicating that both dosages of FBZ failed to provide the expected levels of efficacy. These data provide strong evidence that H. gallinarum has developed resistance to FBZ on this farm. Consequently, on this farm, or any farm with FBZ-resistant H. gallinarum, H. meleagridis will continue to cycle in an unrestricted manner despite administration of anthelmintic treatments. Given recent evidence of increasing problems with histomoniasis, and the fact that resistance was documented on the first farm we investigated, further investigations are needed to determine the prevalence of resistance in H. gallinarum on poultry farms. These data, when viewed together with our recent findings of FBZ resistance in A. dissimilis on multiple farms, suggest that drug resistance in ascarid nematodes may be an emerging problem in the US poultry industry.

Association of ?-lactoglobulin gene polymorphism with biochemical parameters of blood and qualitative composition of milk of Holstein cattle

The ?-lactoglobulin (BLG) gene, which is responsible for the biological value indicator that affects the ratio of protein fractions, the level composition and technological characteristics of milk presents of considerable interest for dairy cattle breeding. The purpose of our work was to identify the relationship with the polymorphism of the beta-lactoglobulin gene and the biochemical blood parameters and dairy productivity of Holstein cattle. This research was carried out in 2020-2021 on 148 Holstein cows in the Integrated Agricultural Production Centre “Stud farm named after Lenin” of Atninsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. As an effect of the studies, it was shown that the animal herd is polymorphic in the ?-lactoglobulin gene. Population is represented by three genotypes: AA - 24.3, AB - 47.3 and BB - 28.4%. The frequency of occurrence of alleles A and B was 0.480 and 0.520, respectively. In group of animals with AB genotype of BLG gene in the blood serum was detected an increased content of indicators of protein metabolism (total protein, albumin, ALT) and the minimum level of urea. Cows whit BLG AB genotypes are characterized by an increased mass fraction fat and protein, MSNF (milk solids non-fat) and dry matter. This research was supported by FASO Russia project number: 122011800138-7.

Biometric facial identification using attention module optimized YOLOv4 for sheep

Automatic identification of individual animals is an important step in modern farm breeding. Current best practice involves the use of RFID tags which are time-consuming for the farmer and distressing for the animal. To overcome this, we developed a sheep face recognition model through deep learning method, and realized individual identity recognition through sheep facial images. Considering the unstable recognition effect caused by the single angle of sheep facial images in the training set, we collected five kinds of sheep facial images to extract more robust facial features. Data from 67 Small-tailed Han breed sheep, aged one to two years, from two different groups of sheep, were collected over a period of one month. To recognize the identity of sheep, the YOLOv4 model was applied, and the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) was further introduced to enhance the feature extraction ability of the model. We compared the improved model with different object detection models, and the results showed that the mAP@0.5 of group1 and group2 were 91.58% and 90.61% respectively, which proved that the improved model had good recognition performance. The findings of this research could provide technical support for biometric facial recognition of sheep.

Chromosome-Level Genome Sequences, Comparative Genomic Analyses, and Secondary-Metabolite Biosynthesis Evaluation of the Medicinal Edible Mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus.

ABSTRACTLaetiporus sulphureus mushroom is a complementary and alternative medicine that has anticancer, antioxidation, and analgesic effects and immunomodulatory activity; it is used as a treatment for cough and rheumatism and is a functional food that can improve physical fitness. Even though L. sulphureus has garnered considerable biotechnological and pharmacological interest due to its excellent cellulose-degrading ability and diverse biological activities, its biosynthetic potential regarding polysaccharides and secondary metabolites has not been thoroughly examined. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the whole genome of a wild L. sulphureus isolate, NWAFU-1, from the Qinling Mountains in China. Comparative genomes analysis revealed genomic differences between subspecies, and phylogenomic analysis revealed evolutionary divergence as well as genome expansion and contraction of individual Polyporaceae family species. Bioinformatics investigation identified candidate genes associated with mating type, polysaccharide synthesis, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and secondary-metabolite biosynthesis, which included multiple terpenoids, nonribosomal peptides, and polyketides. The locations of biosynthetic core genes were mapped and displayed on chromosomes and contigs. Totals of 143 proteins from 126 coding genes were identified and divided into 14 cytochrome P450 families. Furthermore, the biosynthetic network of tetracyclic triterpenoid active components was postulated by genome mining of related genes combined with the molecular network of metabolites. The genome analysis of L. sulphureus in this study improves the understanding of the biosynthesis of active compounds, which will lay a theoretical foundation for subsequent research on active-compound biosynthesis and promote the application of Laetiporus in the field of drug research and functional-food creation.IMPORTANCE L. sulphureus is a parasitic basidiomycete fungus that causes brown rot. The fruiting bodies of L. sulphureus are used as ancient medicines in China and Europe to cure cancer, analgesia, cough, and rheumatism and are considered a functional food that regulates the body and improves health. L. sulphureus was inferred to be a tetrapolar system based on a high-quality genome, which will aid molecular breeding and artificial farming. Screening polysaccharide synthesis candidate genes and comparing carbohydrate-associated genes in brown-rot basidiomycetes help understand their growth. Identifying core genes for secondary-metabolite biosynthesis, gene cluster family analysis, and comparative cluster analysis will guide heterologous-biosynthesis investigations of these genes and help elucidate the biosynthetic pathways for L. sulphureus bioactive natural components. The biosynthesis network of tetracyclic triterpenes was mapped using metabolite profiling and genome scanning. This work explores the biosynthetic capacity of L. sulphureus-derived natural products and lays the foundation for biosynthetic studies of them.

Senecavirus A seroprevalence and risk factors in United States pig farms.

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a non-enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family. Senecavirus A is constantly associated with outbreaks of vesicular disease in pigs and has been reported in several countries since its first large-scale outbreak in 2014. Senecavirus A's clinical disease and lesions are indistinguishable from other vesicular foreign animal diseases (FAD). Therefore, an FAD investigation needs to be conducted for every SVA case. For this reason, SVA has been attributed as the cause of an alarming increase in the number of yearly FAD investigations performed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objectives of this study were to estimate the seroprevalence of SVA antibodies in breeding and growing pig farms in the United States and to determine the farm-level risk factors associated with seropositivity. A total of 5,794 blood samples were collected from 98 and 95 breeding and growing pig farms in 17 states. A farm characteristics questionnaire was sent to all farms, to which 80% responded. The responses were used to conduct logistic regression analyses to assess the risk factors associated with SVA seropositivity. The estimated farm-level seroprevalences were 17.3% and 7.4% in breeding and growing pig farms, respectively. Breeding farms had 2.64 times higher odds of SVA seropositivity than growing pig farms. One key risk factor identified in breeding farms was the practice of rendering dead animal carcasses. However, the adoption of a higher number of farm biosecurity measures was associated with a protective effect against SVA seropositivity in breeding farms.

The Perspective of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Rice Domestication and Breeding.

In nature, symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contributes to sustainable acquisition of phosphorus and other elements in over 80% of plant species; improving interactions with AM symbionts may mitigate some of the environmental problems associated with fertilizer application in grain crops such as rice. Recent developments of high-throughput genome sequencing projects of thousands of rice cultivars and the discovery of the molecular mechanisms underlying AM symbiosis suggest that interactions with AM fungi might have been an overlooked critical trait in rice domestication and breeding. In this review, we discuss genetic variation in the ability of rice to form AM symbioses and how this might have affected rice domestication. Finally, we discuss potential applications of AM symbiosis in rice breeding for more sustainable agriculture.