Aiming for the management of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, using relative humidity and diatomaceous earth

Small hive beetles (SHBs) are a global pest of European honeybee colonies. In the laboratory, the survival of adult SHBs was evaluated in relation to relative humidity (RH = 56, 64, 73, 82 and 96 %) and treatment with diatomaceous earth (DE) across 4 days. Low RH reduced survival. The application of DE reduced survival in addition to RH. Adults treated with corn flour (control) showed no difference in survival from untreated beetles. Scanning electron microscopy images showed no scarification of adult beetle cuticle after exposure to DE; therefore, water loss is likely facilitated through non-abrasive means such as the adsorption of cuticular lipids. The data agree with the hypothesis that DE causes mortality through water loss from treated insects. Egress, ingress, mortality and the egg-laying behaviours of beetles were observed in relation to a popular in-hive trench trap with and without the addition of DE. Traps filled with DE resulted in 100 % mortality of beetles compared with 8.6 % mortality when no DE was present. A simple method for visually determining beetle sex was used and documented.

Plantation hardwood resource specifications required for planning small log sawing infrastructure investment in Queensland.

Improved information on the product quality of the plantation resource is needed to allow businesses to consider investing in the development of value-adding processing facilities. These facilities are likely to require customised design that optimises the utilisation of future small diameter plantation hardwood logs. This log resource will become available as wood supply in Queensland transitions from native forests to 100% from sustainable plantations. This resource will be controlled by plantations established prior to 2000. A survey of the three main growers (former Forest Enterprises Australia Pty Ltd, former Forestry Corporation of New South Wales, Hancock Queensland Plantation Pty Ltd) revealed that C. citriodora subsp.variegata – CCV (28.0%), Eucalyptus dunnii (27.5%), E. pilularis (23.0%), E. grandis (11.3%) and E. cloeziana –GMS (7.1%) were the most widely planted species in the southern Queensland and northern New South Wales subtropical hardwood estate and would potentially dominate the supply of plantation hardwoods to sawmill processing facilities.

Phytochemicals in Japanese plums: impact of maturity and bioaccessibility

In recent years there has been increasing consumer interest in the potential health benefits of dietary derived phytochemicals such as polyphenols (including anthocyanins and flavonols) and carotenoids. A new variety of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.), named Queen Garnet (QG), was developed as a high anthocyanin plum in a Queensland (Australia) Government breeding program and may be attractive to consumers, but knowledge of other phytochemical content, and bioaccessibility, is currently limited. As a result, the present study examined (1) the impact of harvest date on anthocyanins, quercetin glycosides and carotenoids in Queen Garnet and another red fleshed commercial Japanese plum variety, Black Diamond (BD), (2) the content of bound phenolics in plum fruit and (3) the in vitro bioaccessibility and release of these phytochemicals as an initial measure to predict their potential bioavailability. For both QG and BD, the last harvest resulted in the highest anthocyanin content in peel, flesh and whole fruit, whereas no significant effects could be observed for quercetin glycosides, and total carotenoids decreased over time. The highest content of bound phenolics (30% of total amount) could be found in BD flesh. Between 53% and 59% of quercetin glycosides and anthocyanins were released from QG after the gastric and small intestinal digestion procedure, whereas the release of carotenoids ranged between 4–6%. A relative high release of anthocyanins and quercetin glycosides could be observed from QG which may result in a higher gastro-intestinal absorption rate of these compounds. However, follow-up studies (clinical trials) are warranted to investigate the in vivo bioavailability and subsequently biological activity of QG.

Comparison of three pollination methods for Eucalyptus argophloia, a small-flowered eucalypt

Context Most studies assess pollination success at capsule maturity, and studies of pre-zygotic processes are often lacking. Aims This study investigates the suitability of controlled pollination for a potential forestry plantation species, Eucalyptus argophloia, by examining pre- and post-zygotic pollination success. Methods Pollen tube development, capsule set and seed set are compared following three-stop pollination, artificially induced protogyny (AIP), AIP unpollinated and open pollination. The fecundity of stored pollen was compared with that of fresh pollen. Results Three-stop pollination, AIP and open pollination had similar numbers of pollen tubes, but AIP unpollinated had none. Open pollination produced significantly more capsules and total number of seeds than the other treatments. There were significantly more seeds per retained capsule for the open pollination and three-stop pollination treatments than for the AIP and AIP unpollinated pollination treatments. There were no significant differences relative to the age of pollen. Conclusions Pre-zygotic success in terms of pollen tubes was similar for open-pollinated, three stop and AIP, but was not reflected in post-zygotic success when the open pollination and three-stop method produced significantly more seeds per retained capsule than the AIP treatments and open pollination yielded more seeds. Capsule set and total seed set for open pollination, and fewer capsules in controlled pollinations, may reflect physical damage to buds because of the small E. argophloia flowers. Suitable alternative breeding strategies other than controlled pollinations are discussed for this species.

Floristic composition and pasture condition of Aristida/Bothriochloa pastures in central Queensland. I. Pasture floristics

A survey was conducted in central inland Queensland, Australia of 108 sites that were deemed to contain Aristida/Bothriochloa native pastures to quantitatively describe the pastures and attempt to delineate possible sub-types. The pastures were described in terms of their floristic composition, plant density and crown cover. There were generally ~20 (range 5–33) main pasture species at a site. A single dominant perennial grass was rare with three to six prominent species the norm. Chrysopogon fallax (golden-beard grass) was the perennial grass most consistently found in all pastures whereas Aristida calycina (dark wiregrass), Enneapogon spp. (bottlewasher grasses), Brunoniella australis (blue trumpet) and Panicum effusum (hairy panic) were all regularly present. The pastures did not readily separate into broad floristic sub-groups, but three groups that landholders could recognise from a combination of the dominant tree and soil type were identified. The three groups were Eucalyptus crebra (narrow-leaved ironbark), E. melanophloia (silver-leaved ironbark) and E. populnea (poplar box). The pastures of the three main sub-groups were then characterised by the prominent presence, singly or in combination, of Bothriochloa ewartiana (desert bluegrass), Eremochloa bimaculata (poverty grass), Bothriochloa decipiens (pitted bluegrass) or Heteropogon contortus (black speargrass). The poplar box group had the greatest diversity of prominent grasses whereas the narrow-leaved ironbark group had the least. Non-native Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass) and Melinis repens (red Natal grass) were generally present at low densities. Describing pastures in terms of frequency of a few species or species groups sometimes failed to capture the true nature of the pasture but plant abundance for most species, as density, herbage mass of dry matter or plant crown cover, was correlated with its recorded frequency. A quantitative description of an average pasture in fair condition is provided but it was not possible to explain why some species often occur together or fail to co-exist in Aristida/Bothriochloa pastures, for example C. ciliaris and E. bimaculata rarely co-exist whereas Tragus australianus (small burrgrass) and Enneapogon spp. are frequently recorded together. Most crown cover was provided by perennial grasses but many of these are Aristida spp. (wiregrasses) and not regarded as useful forage for livestock. No new or improved categorisation of the great variation evident in the Aristida/Bothriochloa native pasture type can be given despite the much improved detail provided of the floristic composition by this survey.

Increased attractiveness of honeybee hive product volatiles to adult small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, resulting from small hive beetle larval infestation

The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is a recent but significant pest of honeybee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) hives in various regions throughout the world, including Eastern Australia. The larval stage of this beetle damages hives when they feed on brood, pollen, and honeycomb, leaving behind fermented wastes. In cases of extreme damage, hives collapse and are turned to an odorous mass of larvae in fermenting hive products. The yeast Kodamaea ohmeri (Etchells & Bell) Yamada et al. (Ascomycota) has been consistently isolated from the fermenting material as well as each life stage of this beetle. Various studies have noted that the small hive beetle is attracted to volatiles from hive products and those of the yeast K. ohmeri, although earlier studies have not used naturally occurring hive products as their source of fermentation. This study investigated changes through time in the attractiveness of natural honeybee hive products to the small hive beetle as the hive products were altered by the action of beetle larvae and fermentation by K. ohmeri. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and choice-test behavioural assays to investigate these changes using products sampled from three apiaries. Attractiveness of the fermenting hive products (‘slime’) increased as fermentation progressed, and volatile profiles became more complex. Fermenting hive products remained extremely attractive for more than 30 days, significantly longer than previous reports. These results have strong implications for the development of an external attractant trap to assist in the management of this invasive pest.

Evaluation and histological examination of a Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis small animal infection model

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC), caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis, is associated with production losses in cattle worldwide. This study aimed to develop a reliable BGC guinea pig model to facilitate future studies of pathogenicity, abortion mechanisms and vaccine efficacy. Seven groups of five pregnant guinea pigs (1 control per group) were inoculated with one of three strains via intra-peritoneal (IP) or intra-vaginal routes. Samples were examined using culture, PCR and histology. Abortions ranged from 0 to 100 and re-isolation of causative bacteria from sampled sites varied with strain, dose of bacteria and time to abortion. Histology indicated metritis and placentitis, suggesting that the bacteria induce inflammation, placental detachment and subsequent abortion. Variation of virulence between strains was observed and determined by culture and abortion rates. IP administration of C. fetus subsp. venerealis to pregnant guinea pigs is a promising small animal model for the investigation of BGC abortion.

Contemplating Knudsen's Baseline: Where small is not so beautiful

Does the Internet's World Wide Web (the web) represent an opportunity or threat to the small firms of the world? In line with recent calls for entrepreneurship research to adopt a more evolutionary approach, this article considers the context, process, and possible outcomes of small place-based firms operating in a web-impacted environment. Despite initial optimism that the web would provide a level-playing field for firms of all sizes, little evidence exist to support such a notion. When the learning abilities deemed necessary to exploit the web are considered, it would seem that only the most entrepreneurial of small firms would likely adapt to web-impacted environments. It is concluded that the present rate of web-based change represents a unique and valuable research opportunity for entrepreneurship researchers.

An alternative view of small firm adaptation

Increasingly, small firms with a history tied to a specific geographic location are having their survival threatened by new and innovative web-based entrants. This paper considers the plight of such firms and proposes an alternative means to reflect on how they may or may not learn about such threats. Adopting an evolutionary perspective, the construct absorptive capacity is used to highlight the deficiencies of current market orientation theory to explain the process of firm learning. The conceptual model of evolutionary potential provides a framework through which both the firm and its owner/s' abilities to learn can be taken into account.

Small firm internet adoption: opportunities forgone, a journey not begun

This paper explores the endeavours of five small firms to develop web-based commerce capabilities within their existing operations. The focus is upon the strategic acquisition and exploitation of knowledge which underpins new value creating activates related to web-based commerce. A normative web-based commerce adoption model developed from a review of the extant literature related to electronic marketing, entrepreneurship, and the diffusion of new innovations was empirically tested. A multiple case study design enabled the exploration of contemporary marketing and entrepreneurship issues within the real life context of five small firms. The model aimed to emphasis best-practice adoption methods emphasizing the value of a firm's market orientation and entrepreneurial capabilities. A preliminary test of the model's theoretical contentions lent support to its overall focus, but found that the firm's existing learning capabilities were diminished during the adoption of web-based commerce, and that a lack of vision and prior knowledge produced sub-optimal adoption outcomes.

Small firm internet adoption: A market oriented approach

Fundamental to the development of new customer value offerings via web-based commerce is a small firm's ability to strategically acquire and exploit knowledge. The focus of this paper is the empirical testing of a normative web-based commerce adoption model developed from a review of the extant literature related to electronic marketing, the Internet and the diffusion of new innovations. A preliminary test of the model's theoretical contentions lent support to its overall focus, but found that the firm's existing learning capabilities were diminished during the adoption of web-based commerce. Consequently, sub-optimal adoption outcomes were associated with insufficient knowledge development.

Welfare outcomes for 3- and 6-month-old beef calves in a tropical environment castrated surgically or by applying rubber rings

Castration of cattle using rubber rings is becoming increasingly popular due to the perceived ease of the procedure and greater operator safety when compared with surgical castration. Few comparative studies have investigated the effects of different castration methods and calf age on welfare outcomes, particularly in a tropical environment. Thirty Belmont Red (a tropically adapted breed), 3-month-old (liveweight 71–119 kg) and 30, 6-month-old (liveweight 141–189 kg) calves were assigned to a two age × three castration (surgical, ring and sham) treatment factorial study (Surg3, Surg6, Ring3, Ring6, Sham3 and Sham6, n = 10 for each treatment group). Welfare outcomes were assessed post-castration using: behaviour for 2 weeks; blood parameters (cortisol and haptoglobin concentrations) to 4 weeks; wound healing to 5 weeks; and liveweights to 6 weeks. More Surg calves struggled during castration compared with Sham and Ring (P < 0.05, 90 ± 7% vs. 20 ± 9% and 24 ± 10%) and performed more struggles (1.9 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.3 for Surg, Sham and Ring, respectively), suggesting that surgical castration caused most pain during performance of the procedure. A significant (P < 0.05) time × castration method × age interaction for plasma cortisol revealed that concentrations decreased most rapidly in Sham; the Ring6 calves failed to show reduced cortisol concentrations at 2 h post-castration, unlike other treatment groups. By 7 h post-castration, all treatment groups had similar concentrations. A significant (P < 0.01) interaction between time and castration method showed that haptoglobin concentrations increased slightly to 0.89 and 0.84 mg/mL for Surg and Ring, respectively over the first 3 days post-castration. Concentrations for Surg then decreased to levels similar to Sham by day 21 and, although concentrations for Ring decreased on day 7 to 0.76 mg/mL, they increased significantly on day 14 to 0.97 mg/mL before reducing to concentrations similar to the other groups (0.66 mg/mL) by day 21. Significantly (P < 0.05) more of the wounds of the 3-month compared with the 6-month calves scored as ‘healed’ at day 7 (74% vs. 39%), while more (P = 0.062) of the Surg than Ring scored as ‘healed’ at day 21 (60% vs. 29%). At day 14 there were significantly (P < 0.05) fewer healed wounds in Ring6 compared with other treatment groups (13% vs. 40–60%). Liveweight gain was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in 3-month (0.53 kg/day) than in 6-month calves (0.44 kg/day) and in Sham calves (P < 0.001, 0.54 kg/day), than in Ring (0.44 kg/day) and Surg (0.48 kg/day) calves. Overall, welfare outcomes were slightly better for Surg than Ring calves due to reduced inflammation and faster wound healing, with little difference between age groups.

Fish Silage as Replacement of Fishmeal in Red Tilapia Feeds

We estimated the effect on growth and nutrient efficiency of replacing fishmeal with silage incorporated with rice bran in diets for fingerling red tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × Oreochromis niloticus × Oreochromis aureus) over 12 weeks. Isonitrogenous (300 g kg−1 protein dry matter basis) and isoenergetic (4450 Kcal gross energy kg−1) feed formulations with increasing levels of tilapia silage as a replacement for fishmeal were prepared: Diet 1 with no silage (0 g Kg−1), Diet 2 (250 g Kg−1), Diet 3 (500 g Kg−1), and Diet 4 (750 g Kg−1). Feed intake was similar among Diets 1, 2, and 3, while Diet 4 had a significantly lower intake. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in weight gain or specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER), among fish fed Diets 1, 2, and 3. Fish fed with Diet 4 had significantly lower weight gain; SGR and PER and significantly higher FCR. Organoleptic properties of the fish were not affected by the diets. The results of this study indicate that less expensive dried fish silage with rice bran is an alternative protein source for tilapia feed up to 50% of fishmeal replacement.

Welfare outcomes for 3- and 6-month-old beef calves in a tropical environment castrated surgically or by applying rubber rings

Castration of cattle using rubber rings is becoming increasingly popular due to the perceived ease of the procedure and greater operator safety when compared with surgical castration. Few comparative studies have investigated the effects of different castration methods and calf age on welfare outcomes, particularly in a tropical environment. Thirty Belmont Red (a tropically adapted breed), 3-month-old (liveweight 71–119 kg) and 30, 6-month-old (liveweight 141–189 kg) calves were assigned to a two age × three castration (surgical, ring and sham) treatment factorial study (Surg3, Surg6, Ring3, Ring6, Sham3 and Sham6, n = 10 for each treatment group). Welfare outcomes were assessed post-castration using: behaviour for 2 weeks; blood parameters (cortisol and haptoglobin concentrations) to 4 weeks; wound healing to 5 weeks; and liveweights to 6 weeks. More Surg calves struggled during castration compared with Sham and Ring (P < 0.05, 90 ± 7% vs. 20 ± 9% and 24 ± 10%) and performed more struggles (1.9 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.3 for Surg, Sham and Ring, respectively), suggesting that surgical castration caused most pain during performance of the procedure. A significant (P < 0.05) time × castration method × age interaction for plasma cortisol revealed that concentrations decreased most rapidly in Sham; the Ring6 calves failed to show reduced cortisol concentrations at 2 h post-castration, unlike other treatment groups. By 7 h post-castration, all treatment groups had similar concentrations. A significant (P < 0.01) interaction between time and castration method showed that haptoglobin concentrations increased slightly to 0.89 and 0.84 mg/mL for Surg and Ring, respectively over the first 3 days post-castration. Concentrations for Surg then decreased to levels similar to Sham by day 21 and, although concentrations for Ring decreased on day 7 to 0.76 mg/mL, they increased significantly on day 14 to 0.97 mg/mL before reducing to concentrations similar to the other groups (0.66 mg/mL) by day 21. Significantly (P < 0.05) more of the wounds of the 3-month compared with the 6-month calves scored as ‘healed’ at day 7 (74% vs. 39%), while more (P = 0.062) of the Surg than Ring scored as ‘healed’ at day 21 (60% vs. 29%). At day 14 there were significantly (P < 0.05) fewer healed wounds in Ring6 compared with other treatment groups (13% vs. 40–60%). Liveweight gain was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in 3-month (0.53 kg/day) than in 6-month calves (0.44 kg/day) and in Sham calves (P < 0.001, 0.54 kg/day), than in Ring (0.44 kg/day) and Surg (0.48 kg/day) calves. Overall, welfare outcomes were slightly better for Surg than Ring calves due to reduced inflammation and faster wound healing, with little difference between age groups.