Rice and soy protein isolate in pre-starter diets for broilers.

Although most industries use a specific diet for the pre-starter phase, ingredients are used in the later phases, primarily corn and soybean meal, which at this stage do not have high digestibility. Three experiments : Exp : were carried out to evaluate the substitution of corn by white or parboiled rice : WR, PR : and the inclusion of 6% soy protein isolate : SPI : in pre-starter diets (1 to 7 d). In Exp 1 (1 to 21 d), WR, PR, and SPI were added to the diets until the birds were 21-day-old, whereas in Exps 2 and 3 (1 to 33 d), only until birds were 7-day-old.

Persistence of naturally occurring and genetically modified Choristoneura fumiferana nucleopolyhedroviruses in outdoor aquatic microcosms.

Background: To assess the persistence of genetically modified and naturally occurring baculoviruses in an aquatic environment, replicate (three) outdoor, aquatic microcosms were spiked with spruce budworm viruses [Ireland strain of Choristoneura fumiferana multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (CfMNPV) and the recombinant CfMNPVegt(-)/lacZ(+)] at a rate of 1.86 x 10(10) occlusion bodies (OBs) m(-2) of surface area. The presence of virus in water samples collected at various times after inoculation was determined by PCR amplification of baculoviral DNA extracted from OBs.

Occurrence of Cystosporogenes sp. (Protozoa, Microsporidia) in a multi-species insect production facility and its elimination from a colony of the eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

We have isolated a microsporidium from a laboratory colony of the eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Light and electron microscopic investigations showed that gross pathology and ultrastructure of our isolate are similar to those described for Cystosporogenes legeri from the European grape vine moth, Lobesia botrana.

Comparative activity of Choristoneura fumiferana nucleopolyhedrovirus propagated in different hosts.

The biological activity of the Ireland strain of Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem) nucleopolyhedrovirus (CfMNPV) propagated in different hosts was determined to provide the basis upon which genetically modified CfMNPV, or other naturally occurring isolates, should be compared. Occlusion bodies (OB) derived from CF-203 cells were significantly larger and more pathogenic than those propagated in vivo when tested against the fifth larval instar of C fumiferana (Clem) and C occidentalis Freeman. The dose-responses (LD50 and LD95, expressed as occlusion bodies per larva) of C fumiferana larvae to in vitro-propagated OBs were 274 and 5785, respectively.

Pathogenicity of Choristoneura fumiferana nucleopolyhedrovirus propagated in vitro at different incubation temperatures.

To optimize the in vitro production of Choristoneura fumiferana nucleopolyhedrovirus (CfMNPV) as a potential microbial pest control agent, the pathogenicity of occlusion bodies (OBs) produced in two cell lines at three incubation temperatures was determined by bioassay. A plaque-purified isolate of CfMNPV was amplified in permissive C. fumiferana cell lines, FPMI-CF-203 and FPMI-CF-2C1, and incubated at 22, 24, and 28 degrees C.