Agro-morphological characterization is the first step for the assessment of genetic variability and the identification of desirable traits of interest in crops. A study was conducted to determine an appropriate planting method and suitable spacing for the improvement of the agro-morphological attributes of three Bambara groundnut cultivars in two agro-climatic zones of Sierra Leone. The treatments consisted of two planting methods, three inter-row spacing, and three Bambara groundnut cultivars. The results show that all the agro-morphological traits were not significant with respect to planting methods and spacing at the two locations. For the planting method, the values of these agro-morphological traits were generally higher at Lungi when planting was done on a mound whilst values of these traits were higher when planting was done on a flat in Kabala. The results further show that higher agro-morphological traits were recorded for the narrowest inter-row spacing (50 cm x 10cm) in Lungi contrary to the widest inter-row spacing (50cm x 20cm) in Kabala. In addition, the results show that grain yield and biomass were strongly and positively correlated with the agro-morphological parameters.

This study was focused on developing a micropropagation protocol for Aquilaria crassna. In experiment 01, four treatments (T1- 0.1% Captan, T2- 0.5% Captan, T3- 1.0% Captan, T4- 1.5% Captan together with 30% Clorox) were tested to identify the appropriate sterilization procedure using seeds on Woody Plant Medium. After 4 weeks, T3 performed the best (4.67±1.53). In experiment 02, four treatments (T1- 0.5% Carbendazim, T2- 1.0% Carbendazim, T3- 0.8% Mercuric Chloride, T4- 1.0% HgCl2 together with 30% Clorox) were tested to identify the best sterilization procedure for Aquilaria shoot tips. After 4 weeks, T3 performed the best (9.33±0.58). In experiment 03, different hormonal combinations (T1- 1.5 mg/L BA + 0.25 mg/L NAA, T2- 1.5 mg/L BA + 0.5 mg/L NAA, T3- 3.0 mg/L BA + 0.25 mg/L NAA, T4- 3.0 mg/L BA + 0.5 mg/L NAA) were tested for Aquilaria shoot multiplication. The highest shoot number (8.40±2.50) and leaves (10.3±3.15) were recorded in T3 after 12 weeks. The results revealed, T3 was the best treatment for Aquilaria in vitro multiplication. In experiment 04, different hormonal concentrations tested (T1- 20 mg/L NAA, T2- 40 mg/L NAA, T3- 20 mg/L IBA, T4- 40 mg/L IBA and T5- Control) revealed that T2 was the best treatment for Aquilaria crassna root induction.

The study aimed to examine the effects of the inclusion of humic substances (HS) to feed mixtures (FM) for turkeys (Hybrid Converter) on excretion of crude protein (CP) in faeces. The control and experimental groups of birds (n=40), aged 6 weeks, were provided with FM: a grower FM (CP 238.8 g.kg -1 ) till 12 weeks, and a finisher FM (CP 195.7 g.kg -1 ) till day 70 of the experiment. A supplement of 5 g.kg -1 of HS (minimum of 650 g.kg -1 humic acids and minimum of 50 g.kg -1 fulvic acids in dry matter (DM)) was added to feed mixtures of experimental group. The excreta from both groups were sampled on days 27, 30, 34, 42 and 57. The chemical analyses of DM, crude protein (CP), ash, and ash insoluble in HCl were performed. The ratio of CP to ash insoluble in HCl was calculated. The results were assessed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test. In the case of ratio of CP excretion to ash insoluble in HCl, higher values were observed in the control group in all sampling periods with statistical differences on days 34 and 42 (p<0.05). The addition of HS into feed has a beneficial environmental impact on the reduction of CP excretion.

The aim of this of this retrospective study was to investigate the causes and effects of retained fetal membranes (RFM) after parturition on postpartum first estrus and Days Open (DO) in subsequent lactation of Holstein Friesian cows. A total of 1731 calving from a research dairy farm were used. All RFM cases were defined as failure to expel fetal membranes within 12 hours after calving. During the period from January 2006 to December 2017 a percent of 93.58% of the calving were with normal placental expulsion, and 6.42%were with RFM. The major causes of RFMs were: parity of the cows, stillbirths at calving, calf sex at calving difficulty and Twinning calving. The associations of this causal factors with RFMs were analyzed by logistic regression. Overall the incidence of RFMs was 6.42%. The odds ratio (OR) for RFM cases was: 2.17 for primiparous cows, 1.79 for cows with male at calving, 6.3 for cows with stillbirths at calving, 6.67 for cows assisted at calving and 20.67 for cows with Twinning calvings. The RFMs influenced some of reproductive performance. Postpartum first estrus was longer with approximately 3 to15 days and DO with 25-33 days. Overall results suggest that appropriate control of causative factors of RFM must be found to reduce occurrence of RFM in a dairy farm

Gastrointestinal strongyles are one of the main pathological constraints in small ruminant farming. The importance of these parasites has an impact on animal health and on the economic situation of livestock farmers. Antihelminthic action is one of the solutions to avoid these constraints. The overall aim of this work is to assess whether Carica papaya seed is effective as an antiparasitic agent against gastrointestinal strongyles in sheep. The experiment was carried out over 28 days. The study involved 24 sheep divided into 4 batches of 6 animals: an untreated control batch, a batch treated with albendazole at a dose of 5mg/kg, and a batch that received papaya seed powder at doses of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg orally. Treatment in two batches was repeated weekly. The results showed that the most effective treatment was the batch treated with albendazole with a rate of 92.6%, followed by the batch treated with papaya seed at a dose of 200mg/kg of live weight with a rate of 59.21% and finally the batch treated with papaya seed at a dose of 400mg/kg of live weight with a rate of 28.57%. Fecal egg counts also showed a remarkable and significant reduction in helminth levels

The requirement for cold chains sometimes prevents samples from being sent from the field to the laboratory, which is necessary for diagnosing this disease. The method using Whatman 3MM blotting paper to transport and analyse African Swine Fever during sporadic cases has been put forward for the diagnosis of ASF in three localities in Madagascar. It involves a direct PCR test (conventional) and an ELISA test on blood samples taken on blotting paper. After impregnation, the blotting paper was dried and a fragment of approximately 2mm2 or 40mm2 was placed directly into a PCR tube or ELISA plate respectively, into which the reaction mixture was added. A total of 65 pigs were analysed in this study. The overall prevalence of infection was 40% (CI95%: 27.85 - 52.15) for viral detection by direct PCR using Whatman 3MM blotting paper, and 0% for antibody detection by ELISA serology. The use of this technique has produced promising results and has saved several farms in Madagascar since 2019. In this study, the Whatman 3MM blotting paper proved to be a medium for collecting and storing pig blood from a distant locality without using the cold chain to detect the presence of African swine fever in 2021.

In Madagascar, the reptile is important in terms of species richness and represents a high rate of endemism up to 92%. The radiated turtle or Astrochelys radiata is one of five endemic species that are highly threatened due to illegal exploitation and habitat loss. Conserving the turtles in the Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park is one way of protecting the Astrochelys radiata species from human threats. But parasites could infest them, which is the reason for our study. The aim of this experiment was to find out about the types of parasites and the rate of infestation in these turtles. Twenty parasites were detected, of which the species belonging to the nematode class are the most common. All radiata turtles in the Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park are infested with parasites at different rates. In addition, a proposal for treatment and improvement of turtle breeding in captivity was put forward

Hypoglycemia is a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood, which can lead to the death of neonatal piglets. In this experimental work, we focused on the evaluation of the techniques, advantages, disadvantages and possible complications of intravenous (i.v.), intraperitoneal (i.p.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of 5% glucose in baby piglets. Infusion therapy was evaluated by examining the application site and comparing changes in blood glucose concentration before administration and subsequently in four fifteen-minute intervals after infusion therapy. By comparing the dynamics of the investigated administrations, we found the highest concentration of glucose in the blood after i.v. administration in 15 minutes – an increase of 36.04%. After s.c. administration, the highest concentration was reached after 30 minutes – an increase of 21.86%. After i.p. administration, we reached the highest average concentration after 45 minutes – an increase of 10.0%

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of forage type and concentrated type of feed rations in the antepartum period (three weeks before calving) and in the postpartum period (three weeks after calving) on rumen fermentation and intermediate metabolism in dairy cows. The limited content of starch and non-fiber carbohydrates in the straw diet before calving directly correlates with increased values of pH, acetic acid, and reduced values of propionic acid in the rumen content, as well as an increased value of non-esterified fatty acids and liver enzymes in the blood serum. This state of metabolism indicates a negative energy balance, where the transplacental transfer of glucose for the development of the fetus is not compensated by energy intake, and increased lipomobilization with symptoms of metabolic load on the liver confirms the insufficient adaptation in close-up dairy cows. The optimal representation of energy in the adaptation diet before calving directly correlates with the values of rumen content and blood serum and confirms optimal adaptation before calving.

The purpose of the work was to monitor the effects of humic acids on the biochemical parameters and growth of piglets. In our work, we monitored three litters of piglets. In group A, both sows and piglets received humic acids. In group B, only piglets received humic acids. The last group (C group) served as a control; it did not receive humic acids. We carried out blood sampling from piglets and sows to determine biochemical indicators and weighing all piglets on the 0th, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th and 42nd day of life. The results of biochemical examinations of the piglets´ blood did not show any significant differences between the groups, although there were slightly lower values of blood serum total proteins and albumin levels in the control group. Biochemical examination of the sows´ blood showed different levels of cholesterol and urea between the experimental sow and the control sows, the results were better in sow fed with humic acids. Piglets of group A showed the best growth ability of all groups, they achieved the highest weight among all groups at the end of the experiment. In the piglets, on the 5th day, we recorded a significantly higher total phagocytic activity (PhA) and the mean fluorescence intensity(MFI) (p < 0.001) in experimental groups compared to the control. Also between days 14 and day 28, we observed a significantly increased mean fluorescence value (p<0.001) in the humic acid groups compared to the control. On the 21st day, we measured significantly higher (p < 0.001) values of the metabolic activity index (MAI) of phagocytes in both experimental groups compared to the control.

The present work compares oxidative stress in two groups of dogs fed two different diets. Sixteen castrated bitches were divided into two groups. The first group was fed commercially balanced feed, and the second group of dogs was fed home-prepared feed without information on the nutritional composition. After two months of feeding, blood was taken and then the serum was examined for the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs). A higher amount of TBARs was recorded in the group of dogs fed home-prepared diets than in the group of dogs fed commercial diets (p<0.01). These findings indicate the importance of correct nutritional balancing in dog food, especially with regard to the amount of fat and its composition of fatty acids. Last but not least, it is necessary to mention the addition of antioxidants to feed, which help reduce this oxidative stress

The use of quality and safe feed is the basic element of prosperous livestock farming. Microscopic fungi can produce secondary metabolites - mycotoxins. The most common contaminant of cereals is zearalenone and its occurrence has been confirmed mainly in corn. In this study, a total of 24 poultry feeds (20 broiler feeds and 4 turkey feeds) consisting mainly of maize and wheat were investigated. Zearalenone was found in 18 broiler feed samples with an average concentration value of 163.937 μg.kg-1. In turkey feed samples, zearalenone was present in 3 samples and the average concentration value was 18.896 μg.kg-1. The determined values were in accordance with the valid EC Recommendation 2006/576/EC

Humate substances (HS) are naturally occurring organic molecules found in soil as a result of the humification of dead organic components, which are relatively easy to get as raw materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of humic substances combined with urea as feed additives on the rumen fermentation indicators (pH, concentration of volatile fatty acids VFAs, and ammonia concentration) in the rumen fluid of 12 female crossbred merino sheep (n = 6 in each group; test and control). The daily ration for both groups consisted of grass hay and a cereal grain mixture. Urea was fed to both groups at a dose of 10 g/day/animal and mixed into a cereal grain mixture. The humic substances were mixed into a daily grain mixture at a dose of 20 g/day in the test group. Rumen samples were taken on days 4 and 18 at 3, 6, and 9 hours post-morning feeding. The results revealed that HS increased ammonia concentration on day 4, while the total VFA concentration as well as pH values of the rumen fluid were not changed. Ammonia was higher (P<0.05) in the test group at 6 hours after feeding on day 4. The differences in ammonia concentration on day 18 were not statistically significant among the groups. Results suggest humic substance addition with urea as a non-protein dietary nitrogen source may improve nitrogen retention in the rumen early after their supplementation to diet.