516 results match your criteria: "Flanders research Institute for Agriculture[Affiliation]"

Comparison of shrimp waste-derived chitosan produced through conventional and microwave-assisted extraction processes: Physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity assessment.

Int J Biol Macromol

July 2023

Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-Added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 600 077, India. Electronic address:

Depending on its physicochemical properties and antibacterial activities, chitosan can have a wide range of applications in food, pharmaceutical, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, and aquaculture. In this experimental study, chitosan was extracted from shrimp waste through conventional extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and conventional extraction under microwave process conditions. The effects of the heating source on the physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity were investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) is an important pathogen that causes disease in peaches. Control of this viroid remains problematic because most PLMVd variants are symptomless, and although there are many detection tests in use, the reliability of PCR-based methods is compromised by the complex, branched secondary RNA structure of the viroid and its genetic diversity. In this study, a duplex RT-qPCR method was developed and validated against two previously published single RT-qPCRs, which were potentially able to detect all known PLMVd variants when used in tandem.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nematodes are the most abundant and diverse animals on the planet but lack representation in biodiversity research. This presents a problem for studying nematode diversity, particularly when molecular tools (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Most biofilms within the food industry are formed by multiple bacterial species which co-exist on surfaces as a result of interspecies interactions. These ecological interactions often make these communities tolerant against antimicrobials. Our previous work led to the identification of a large number (327) of highly diverse bacterial species on food contact surfaces of the dairy, meat, and egg industries after routine cleaning and disinfection (C&D) regimes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pesticide resistance relies on a myriad of mechanisms, ranging from single mutations to a complex and polygenic architecture, and it involves mechanisms such as target-site insensitivity, metabolic detoxification, or a combination of these, with either additive or synergistic effects. Several resistance mechanisms against abamectin, a macrocyclic lactone widely used in crop protection, have been reported in the cosmopolitan pest . However, it has been shown that a single mechanism cannot account for the high levels of abamectin resistance found across different mite populations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recombinant expression and characterization of GSTd3 from a resistant population of Anopheles arabiensis and comparison of DDTase activity with GSTe2.

Pestic Biochem Physiol

May 2023

Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Plant Sciences Unit, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address:

The development of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors is a challenge for the global effort to control and eradicate malaria. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes involved in the detoxification of many classes of insecticides. For mosquitoes, it is known that overexpression of an epsilon GST, GSTe2, confers resistance towards DDT and pyrethroids.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Assessment of transcriptional reprogramming of lettuce roots in response to chitin soil amendment.

Front Plant Sci

April 2023

Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Chitin soil amendment is known to improve soil quality, plant growth and stress resilience, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we monitored chitin's effect on lettuce physiology every two weeks through an eight-week growth period, analyzed the early transcriptional reprogramming and related metabolomic changes of lettuce, in response to crab chitin treatment in peat-based potting soil. In commercial growth conditions, chitin amendment still promoted lettuce growth, increased chlorophyll content, the number of leaves and crop head weight from week six.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Monitoring fish communities is central to the evaluation of ecological health of rivers. Both presence/absence of fish species and their relative quantity in local fish assemblages are crucial parameters to measure. Fish communities in lotic systems are traditionally monitored via electrofishing, characterized by a known limited efficiency and high survey costs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Effects of Mild Disturbances on Sleep Behaviour in Laying Hens.

Animals (Basel)

April 2023

Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK.

The positive welfare of commercial animals presents many benefits, making the accurate assessment of welfare important. Assessments frequently use behaviour to determine welfare state; however, nighttime behaviours are often ignored. Sleep behaviour may offer new insights into welfare assessments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Current study evaluated the effect of a fine and coarsely ground insoluble dietary fibre source on the gastrointestinal development of suckling pigs. Oat hulls (OH) were selected as a model feedstuff, rich in cellulose, lignin, and insoluble dietary fibre. Three experimental supplemental diets were formulated: a finely ground, low fibre and nutrient dense diet served as control (CON).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Biovar 1 is a soilborne pathogen that causes hairy root disease (HRD) in greenhouse plants, and current management strategies, like using hydrogen peroxide, face challenges due to resistant strains.
  • Six specific phages were isolated from biovar 1-infected greenhouses, which have a strict lytic lifestyle and remain stable in greenhouse conditions.
  • Testing on these phages revealed that while some effectively reduced bacterial concentrations without resistance, others led to phage resistance, indicating that these phages could potentially serve as an innovative solution for managing HRD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Food allergen analysis is essential for the development of a risk-based approach for allergen management and labeling. MS has become a method of choice for allergen analysis, even if quantification remains challenging. Moreover, harmonization is still lacking between laboratories, while interlaboratory validation of analytical methods is necessary for such harmonization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Red clover ( L.) is an outcrossing forage legume that has adapted to a wide range of climatic and growing conditions across Europe. Red clover is valued for its high yield potential and its forage quality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Viability and function dynamics of circulating versus endometrial polymorphonuclear leukocytes in postpartum dairy cows with subclinical or clinical endometritis.

J Dairy Sci

May 2023

Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan, Merelbeke, 9820, Belgium.

We aimed to compare the viability of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocyte (cPMN) and endometrial PMN (ePMN) and their function dynamics in postpartum dairy cows with subclinical (SCE) or clinical endometritis (CE). To do so, blood samples from 38 Holstein cows were collected at -7, 9, 21, and 36 d relative to calving, and endometrial cytology samples from 32 Holstein cows were harvested at 9, 21, and 36 d postpartum. Uterine health status was assessed at 36 d postpartum, and cows were classified as healthy (absence of abnormal vaginal discharge and ≤5% ePMN), SCE (absence of abnormal vaginal discharge and >5% ePMN), or CE (mucopurulent or purulent vaginal discharge and >5% ePMN).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Many new circular economy technologies are gaining momentum, yet research on the complexity of adoption decisions driven by uncertainties, both at technology and ecosystem level, is lacking. In the present study, an agent-based model was developed to study factors that influence the adoption of emerging circular technologies. The case of the waste treatment industry was chosen, specifically its (non-) adoption of the so-called "Volatile Fatty Acid Platform", a circular economy technology that facilitates both the valorization of organic waste into high-end products as well as their sale on global markets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Improved cattle behaviour monitoring by combining Ultra-Wideband location and accelerometer data.

Animal

April 2023

Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium; Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.

Cattle behaviour is fundamentally linked to the cows' health, (re)production, and welfare. The aim of this study was to present an efficient method to incorporate Ultra-Wideband (UWB) indoor location and accelerometer data for improved cattle behaviour monitoring systems. In total, 30 dairy cows were fitted with UWB Pozyx wearable tracking tags (Pozyx, Ghent, Belgium) on the upper (dorsal) side of the cow's neck.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Effect of Extended Photoperiod on Performance, Health, and Behavioural Parameters in Nursery Pigs.

Vet Sci

February 2023

Unit of Porcine Health Management, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

Lighting influences the circadian rhythm and physiology of animals. Yet, the influence of light on nursery pigs is not fully understood and results remain controversial. The present study investigated the effects of a prolonged photoperiod on the performance, health, and behaviour of nursery pigs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exploiting Rye in Wheat Quality Breeding: The Case of Arabinoxylan Content.

Plants (Basel)

February 2023

Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

Rye ( subsp. L.) has long been exploited as a valuable alternative genetic resource in wheat ( L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

So-called meat hybrids are a new class of products where a fraction of the meat product (e.g., 20%) is replaced with alternative protein sources, such as plant-based ones.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Invasive, exotic plant pathogens pose a major threat to native and agricultural ecosystems. Phytophthora × cambivora is an invasive, destructive pathogen of forest and fruit trees causing severe damage worldwide to chestnuts (Castanea), apricots, peaches, plums, almonds and cherries (Prunus), apples (Malus), oaks (Quercus), and beech (Fagus). It was one of the first damaging invasive Phytophthora species to be introduced to Europe and North America, although its origin is unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis related Enterococcus cecorum isolates are genetically distinct from the commensal population and are more virulent in an embryo mortality model.

Vet Res

February 2023

Livestock Gut Health Team (LiGHT), Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) is a common cause of broiler lameness. Bacteria that are found in BCO lesions are intestinal bacteria that are proposed to have translocated through the intestinal epithelium and have spread systemically. One of the specific bacterial species frequently isolated in BCO cases is Enterococcus cecorum.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nozzles are the most critical component of a sprayer for pesticide applications. Recently, air-induction nozzles and twin flat-fan air-induction nozzles have started to be used for herbicide applications. In order to evaluate the potential of compact air-induction nozzles for herbicide spraying, this paper compares the effects of air-induction nozzles and standard flat-fan nozzles on spray atomization, deposition, drift, and weed control efficacy in maize and wheat.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SMAP design: a multiplex PCR amplicon and gRNA design tool to screen for natural and CRISPR-induced genetic variation.

Nucleic Acids Res

April 2023

Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, (Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 71) 9052, Ghent, Belgium.

Multiplex amplicon sequencing is a versatile method to identify genetic variation in natural or mutagenized populations through eco-tilling or multiplex CRISPR screens. Such genotyping screens require reliable and specific primer designs, combined with simultaneous gRNA design for CRISPR screens. Unfortunately, current tools are unable to combine multiplex gRNA and primer design in a high-throughput and easy-to-use manner with high design flexibility.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mus musculusRattus norvegicusRattus rattus.

Anim Welf

January 2023

Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ethology and Animal Welfare Research Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

Population control of the house mouse (), Norway rat () and black rat () is common practice worldwide. Our objective was to assess the impact on animal welfare of lethal and non-lethal control methods, including three dispatch methods. We used the Sharp and Saunders welfare assessment model with eight experts scoring eleven control methods and three dispatch methods used on the three species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cereal forages, such as triticale forage, progressively gain interest as alternative crop for maize. The main study objective was to investigate the variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among maturity stage, growing season and genotype, using total plant and stem fractions. Therefore, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was evaluated as fast screening tool.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF