Features of small holder goat farming from Chitwan district of Bagmati province in Nepal

An assessment was done to analyze the status of small scale goat production system in Chitwan, Nepal. A semi-structured questionnaire having both open ended and close ended questions were interviewed to 147 farmers (69 males, 78 females). The average goat holding was 5.48±0.15 head with female: male ratio of 6: 5. Mainly women folks in the household were involved in husbandry of the raised goats. In this research, we realized that goats were a valuable commodity for the community in the survey area. Grazing in public forest, fallow lands, tree leaves, shrubs and bushes were the main sources of feed for goats throughout the year. When inquired about vaccination, 92.51% of the farmers did not vaccinate their goats and were not aware about its importance. The high index obtained was for health care constraints, followed by feeding constraints, breeding constraints, miscellaneous and marketing constraints. The findings of this survey are not very encouraging as even from one of the developed parts of the country, small scale farmers raising small small scale farmers raising goats seem to be struggling both in terms of technical and logistic inputs. There is need of awareness on improved care and management practices of goat.

Did The Animal Move? A Cross-Wavelet Approach to Qeolocation Data Reveals Year-Round Whereabouts of A Resident Seabird

Considerable progress in our understanding of long-distance migration has been achieved thanks to the use of small lightweight geolocator devices (GLS). Errors of geolocation are however important, difficult to estimate, have a complex structure leading to poor precision and accuracy. Thus, the study of short-distance migrants or resident birds remains challenging. Here we aimed at elucidating the sex-specific marine space uses of a resident tropical seabird, the masked booby ( Sula dactylatra ) over the full annual life cycle at the Fernando de Noronha archipelago (Brazil), using GLS and synchronicity analyses between movement and saltwater immersion data. Masked boobies (n = 31) showed a resident behaviour over their entire annual cycle. We inferred from the wavelet analysis that birds traveled way and back from the colony on consecutive trips of short length (~ 2-4 days) and short range (~ 100-300 km) from the east of the colony. Duration and range of trips depended on the sex of the individual and on the time of the year. Trip duration increased gradually from the end of the breeding period to the post-breeding period, probably due to the release of the central-place breeding constraints. During the pre-breeding period, females had farther ranges eastward and spent more time in water than males. Despite inherent limits of light-based geolocation, synchronicity analysis of geolocation data revealed year round whereabouts of the resident tropical masked booby and sex-specific movement behaviour, which could be used more broadly to investigate resident or short-migrants animal movement based on GLS data.

Integrating genomics and multi-platform metabolomics enables metabolite QTL detection in breeding-relevant apple germplasm

SummaryResearch ConductedApple (Malus × domestica) has commercial and nutritional value, but breeding constraints of tree crops limit varietal improvement. Marker-assisted selection minimizes these drawbacks, but breeders lack applications for targeting fruit phytochemicals. To understand genotype-phytochemical associations in apples, we have developed a high-throughput integration strategy for genomic and multi-platform metabolomics data.Methods124 apple genotypes, including members of three pedigree-connected breeding families alongside diverse cultivars and wild selections, were genotyped and phenotyped. Metabolite genome-wide association studies (mGWAS) were conducted with 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms and phenotypic data acquired via LC-MS and 1H NMR untargeted metabolomics. Putative metabolite quantitative trait loci (mQTL) were then validated via pedigree-based analyses (PBA).Key ResultsUsing our developed method, 519, 726, and 177 putative mQTL were detected in LC-MS positive and negative ionization modes and NMR, respectively. mQTL were indicated on each chromosome, with hotspots on linkage groups 16 and 17. A chlorogenic acid mQTL was discovered on chromosome 17 via mGWAS and validated with a two-step PBA, enabling discovery of novel candidate gene-metabolite relationships.Main ConclusionComplementary data from three metabolomics approaches and dual genomics analyses increased confidence in validity of compound annotation and mQTL detection. Our platform demonstrates the utility of multi-omics integration to advance data-driven, phytochemicalbased plant breeding.

Exogenous corticosterone mimics a late fasting stage in captive Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)

Fasting is part of penguin's breeding constraints. During prolonged fasting, three metabolic phases occur successively. Below a threshold in body reserves, birds enter phase III (PIII), which is characterized by hormonal and metabolic shifts. These changes are concomitant with egg abandonment in the wild and increased locomotor activity in captivity. Because corticosterone (CORT) enhances foraging activity, we investigated the variations of endogenous CORT, and the effects of exogenous CORT on the behavioral, hormonal, and metabolic responses of failed breeder Adélie penguins. Untreated and treated captive male birds were regularly weighed and sampled for blood while fasting, and locomotor activity was recorded daily. Treated birds were implanted with various doses of CORT during phase II. Untreated penguins entering PIII had increased CORT (3.5-fold) and uric acid (4-fold; reflecting protein catabolism) levels, concomitantly with a rise in locomotor activity (2-fold), while prolactin (involved in parental care in birds) levels declined by 33%. In CORT-treated birds, an inverted-U relationship was obtained between CORT levels and locomotor activity. The greatest increase in locomotor activity was observed in birds implanted with a high dose of CORT (C100), locomotor activity showing a 2.5-fold increase, 4 days after implantation to a level similar to that of birds in PIII. Moreover, uric acid levels increased three-fold in C100-birds, while prolactin levels declined by 30%. The experimentally induced rise in CORT levels mimicked metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral changes, characterizing late fasting, thus supporting a role for this hormone in the enhanced drive for refeeding occurring in long-term fasting birds.