Sorological evaluation of commercial vaccines against enterotoxemia in goats.

Enterotoxemia in sheep and in goats is caused by the effects of the epsilon toxin of C/ostridium perfringens type D, being considered the main infectious cause of mortality in those animal species. The main prophylactic measures include adequate nutritional management and vaccination of ali animais using vaccines of high immunogenic power. Six commercial vaccines containing in its formulation the epsilon toxoid of C. perfringens type D were sorogically evaluated. Eighty four female goat kids, whose mothers had no previous vaccination history against clostridioses were used. They were divided into six groups of 14 animais each. The animais of the control group didn't receive any vaccine dose and the animais from the groups 1 to 5 received two vaccine doses, The first vaccine dose was applied at 45 days of life (day zero) and the second dose at 75 days (30 days after the first dose). Blood samples were collected from the goat kids at the days zero, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 after the beginning of the experiment, in order to evaluate the immunologic response. The Indirect ELlSA technique was used for the quantification of the antibodies against epsilon toxin in the samples of blood serum of the animais. In day zero, no animal presented titre considered protector. The largest number of animais considered protected was found at day 60, in response to the two initial doses of the vaccine (days O and 30, first and second doses, respectively). Only tive animaIs which received the vaccine 1 and one animal which received the vaccine 3 stayed wilh titres of antibodies considered up to 150 days after the first vaccine dose. Based on the results, it was concluded lhat the evaluated vaccines showed small amount of epsilon toxoid in the commercial formulations, a crucial fact for lhe low efficiency of. the vaccines. For commercial reasons, the vaccines against the clostridioses present versatile formulations, with several toxoid types, used for various animal species, which certainly contributed to reduce their effectiveness in preventing the iIInesses caused by the clostridia or their toxins.

Restricted intake and lipid inclusion: effects on ovarian follicular development in Santa Inês ewe lambs.

The reproductive efficiency is directly related to the nutritional management. The diet lipid inclusion, especially with enhanced sources of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids, is positively associated to the ovarian follicular development of ruminants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of toasted soybean grain addition on restricted or ad libitum feeding on ovarian follicular development of Santa Inês ewe lambs In conclusion, the diameter of the largest follicle and the number of >5 mm follicles were not influenced by the restricted intake diet nor the lipid inclusion; however, they increased in a direct relationship with the age of the animals.

Soil management systems for sustainable melon cropping in the Submedian of the São Francisco Valley.

Changes in soils management systems, including the application of green manure, are able to increase crop productivity. The aim of this study was to propose a soil management system with the use of green manure to improve the nutritional status and melon productivity in the submedian of the São Francisco Valley. The experiment was installed in Typic Plinthustalf and conducted in split plot. There were two soil tillage systems, tillage (T) and no tillage (NT), and three types of green manure (two vegetal cocktails: VC1- 75% legumes (L) + 25% non-legumes (NL); VC2- 25% L+ 75% NL and spontaneous vegetation (SV)). The experimental design was a randomised block with four replications. Fourteen species of legumes, grasses and oilseeds were used for the composition of the plant cocktails. We evaluated production of the dry shoot and root biomass and carbon and nutrient accumulation by green manures and melon plant. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and the treatment means were compared by Tukey´s test (P<0.05). Shoot biomass production and carbon and nutrient accumulation were higher in plant mixtures compared to spontaneous vegetation. The root system of the plant cocktails added larger quantities of biomass and nutrients to the soil to a depth of 0.60 m when compared to the spontaneous vegetation. The cultivation of plant cocktails with soil tillage, regardless of their composition, is a viable alternative for adding biomass and nutrients to the soil in melon crops in semi-arid conditions, providing productivity increases.