Colostrum Quality Assessment in Dairy Goats: Use of an On-Farm Optical Refractometer.

Failure of passive immunity transfer is one of the main causes of increased susceptibility to infectious agents in newborn kids. To ensure successful transfer of passive immunity, kids need to be fed high-quality colostrum, containing an adequate concentration of IgG. This work evaluated the quality of colostrum obtained in the first 3 days postpartum from Malagueña dairy goats.

Potential of Stainless Steel Slag Waste in Manufacturing Self-Compacting Concrete.

The volume of slags generated from the steel industry is a source of possible resources which is constantly increasing. Specifically, in the production of stainless steel, specific and singular slags with unique characteristics are obtained, which allows considering an approach aimed at their use in new recycling ways. This work shows the feasibility of using stainless steel slag as a substitute for limestone filler in the manufacture of self-compacting concrete.

Diverging Effects of Landscape Factors and Inter-Row Management on the Abundance of Beneficial and Herbivorous Arthropods in Andalusian Vineyards (Spain).

Land use at landscape and field scales can increase the diversity and abundance of natural enemies for pest control. In this study, we investigated interactions between landscape elements (semi-natural vegetation, olive orchards, vineyards, other agricultural areas) and inter-row management (vegetation cover vs. bare soil) in relation to arthropod populations in Andalusian vineyards.

Response of wild bee diversity, abundance, and functional traits to vineyard inter-row management intensity and landscape diversity across Europe.

Agricultural intensification is a major driver of wild bee decline. Vineyards may be inhabited by plant and animal species, especially when the inter-row space is vegetated with spontaneous vegetation or cover crops. Wild bees depend on floral resources and suitable nesting sites which may be found in vineyard inter-rows or in viticultural landscapes.