Genome sequence of Rhizobium sullae HCNT1 isolated from Hedysarum coronarium nodules and featuring peculiar denitrification phenotypes

The genome sequence of Rhizobium sullae strain HCNT1, isolated from root nodules of the legume Hedysarum coronarium growing in wild stands in Tuscany, Italy, is described here. Unlike other R. sullae strains, this isolate features a truncated denitrification pathway lacking NO/N2O reductase activity and displaying high sensitivity to nitrite under anaerobic conditions

Novosti iz adventivne flore Slovenske Istre

V članku je predstavljenih nekaj novih nahajališč adventivnih vrst v Slovenski Istri. Najverjetneje prehodno pojavljanje na južni meji areala imajo vrste Dasypyrum villosum, Hedysarum coronarium in Piptatherum miliaceum s po enim novoodkritim nahajališčem, medtem ko so najverjetneje z vrtov ušle Iris foetidissima, Periploca graeca in Soleirolia soleirolii, prvi dve s po enim in slednja z več novimi nahajališči. Hedysarum coronarium in Periploca graeca sta bili prvič zabeleženi v flori SlovenijeArticle briefly discusses the occurrence of 6 adventitious species in the flora of Slovenian part of Istria. Dasypyrum villosum, Hedysarum coronarium and Piptatherum miliaceum are most probably recorded as casuals on the northern border of their native distribution range, each in one new locality. On the other hand, Iris foetidissima, Periploca graeca and Soleirolia soleirolii escaped from cultivation and established in one to more localities. Hedysarum coronarium and Periploca graeca were recorded for the first time in the flora of Sloveni

Bioactive forage and phytotherapy to cure and control endo-parasite diseases in sheep and goat farming systems – a review of current scientific knowledge

Infestation with gastro-intestinal nematodes (GIN) in small ruminants can cause severe economic losses and endanger animal welfare. The development of organic farming systems, the increased public awareness for drug residues in agricultural products and the development of resistant strains of parasites have enforced the search for sustainable alternatives. The aim of this review is to summarise the current scientific knowledge of alternative strategies to prevent and control endo-parasitic diseases in organic sheep and goat farming systems. The conducted literature evaluation has revealed the major potential to be within the field of bioactive forages, phytotherapy, homeopathy and copper-oxide wire particles. Alternative management pattern like grazing management, nematophagous fungi, improved fodder and breeding are not considered. The administration and cultivation of bioactive forages and phytotherapy are displaying promise potential for endo-parasite control in organic sheep and goat farming. Scientific research has mainly concentrated on the extracts of the plant species chicory, Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) and Quebracho (Schinopsis ssp.). The analysis of these plants showed all plants to have some positive potential, but also highlighted individual limitations in application. However from the results of this literature review none of the investigated plants have been researched sufficiently in on farm experiments to recommend any for implementation at this stage. No concrete recommendation for a single plant can be given, further research on promising species for the commercial use is strongly recommended, as is the review of the law concerning the appliance of plant based remedies

In vitro effects of three woody plant and sainfoin extracts on two parasitic stage of 3 parasitic nematode species

Most studies on the effects of tanniferous plants on nematodes have examined forages but have neglected the woody plants. Therefore, in vitro effects of extracts from 3 woody plants (Rubus fructicosus, Quercus robur, Corylus avellana) have been tested on trichostrongyles and compared to sainfoin, a legume forage. Because some in vivo results indicated that the effects of tannins differed depending on the parasitic species and/or stages, the effects were measured on third-stage larvae (L3) and adult worms of Teladorsagia circumcincta, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The effects of plant extracts varied according to the plant sources, the parasite species and stages. For the woody plants, significant inhibitory effects were obtained on both stages of abomasal species. Results for T. colubriformis were more variable. Effects of sainfoin extracts were significant on T. colubriformis and H.contortus L3, and on abomasal adult worms. In order to assess the implications of tannins, polyethylene glycol (PEG), an inhibitor of tannins, was added to hazel tree, oak and sainfoin extracts. Without PEG, significant inhibitory effects on L3 and adult worms were confirmed. After addition of PEG, the larval migration and motility of adult worms were restored in most cases. These results confirm variations in effects depending on factors related to plants or parasites and suggest that tannins are partly responsible for the effects

High-quality permanent draft genome sequence of <i>Rhizobium sullae</i> strain WSM1592; a <i>Hedysarum coronarium</i> microsymbiont from Sassari, Italy

Rhizobium sullae strain WSM1592 is an aerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that was isolated from an effective nitrogen (N2) fixing root nodule formed on the short-lived perennial legume Hedysarum coronarium (also known as Sulla coronaria or Sulla). WSM1592 was isolated from a nodule recovered from H. coronarium roots located in Ottava, bordering Sassari, Sardinia in 1995. WSM1592 is highly effective at fixing nitrogen with H. coronarium, and is currently the commercial Sulla inoculant strain in Australia. Here we describe the features of R. sullae strain WSM1592, together with genome sequence information and its annotation. The 7,530,820 bp high-quality permanent draft genome is arranged into 118 scaffolds of 118 contigs containing 7.453 protein-coding genes and 73 RNA-only encoding genes. This rhizobial genome is sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Genomic Encyclopedia for Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria (GEBA-RNB) project

Green Composites Based on Hedysarum coronarium with Outstanding FDM Printability and Mechanical Performance

The addition of natural scraps to biodegradable polymers has gained particular interest in recent years, allowing reducing environmental pollution related to traditional plastic. In this work, new composites were fabricated by adding 10% or 20% of Hedysarum coronarium (HC) flour to Poly (lactic acid) (PLA). The two formulations were first produced by twin screw extrusion and the obtained filaments were then employed for the fabrication of composites, either for compression molding (CM) or by fused deposition modeling (FDM), and characterized from a morphological and mechanical point of view. Through FDM it was possible to achieve dense structures with good wettability of the filler that, on the contrary, cannot be obtained by CM. The results indicate that the filler effectively acts as reinforcement, especially for FDM composites. The most remarkable enhancement was found in the flexural properties (+100% of modulus and ultimate strength), followed by tensile resistance and stiffness (+60%) and impact strength (+50%), whereas a moderate loss in tensile deformability was observed, especially at the highest loading. By adding HC to the polymeric matrix, it was possible to obtain a green, high-performance, and cost-effective composite, which could find applications for the fabrication of panels for furniture or the automotive industry

Il GIS come strumento di stima delle aree suscettibili alla coltura di Hedysarum coronarium, per la produzione di biodiesel in Sicilia

zonizzazione del territorio siciliano suscettibile di rifornire una filiera bioenergetica che utilizza la sulla, Hedysarum coronarium, per la produzione di biodiesel

The role and management of herbal pastures for animal health, productivity and product quality

This review seeks to address the role and management of herbal pastures for animal health, productivity and product quality. It aims to do this by way of reviewing available Defra funded and other research and identifying key and relevant aspects. In particular the target issues are: •Impact on animal health and growth • Mixtures/varieties • Meat quality • Production/yield; and • Climate change issues. There is however a clear variation in the number of papers focused on these various issues, with the majority of research being concerned with the impact on internal parasites and animal production performance primarily in sheep and deer. There is however more recently some research coming out of New Zealand concerning climate change issues with respect to dairy cows. This review highlights the key findings of individual papers, areas of knowledge and weakness along with opportunities for additional research. In section 2 the key points (in terms of this review) from the relevant papers are identified and presented. In section 3 the key advantages of mixed species pasture (MSP) and individual components are listed along with areas of weakness and opportunities for further research

Improving Forage Production Quantity and Quality Using Native Legume Species in Semi-Arid Agrosilvopastoral System

Agrosilvopastoral systems provide a range of livelihood services, either directly through forage production or indirectly by the beneficial effects on soil conservation, nutrient cycling, pollutant filtering, and biodiversity enhancement. Hence, improved silvopastoral systems have ample scope to rehabilitate degraded pastures to sustain livestock production, which remains a strong pillar for the livelihoods of the agrosilvopastoral communities. To evaluate the impact of Hedysarum coronarium L. (sulla) reseeding on pasture productivity, plant cover and plant density in semi-arid silvopastoral systems, an experiment was carried out in Sbaihia Site, Zaghouan Governorate, Tunisia during 2018-2019 growing season. The experiment was laid out under a randomized complete block design having 3 treatments including reseeding sulla; protection from grazing and control (free grazing) with three replications per treatment. Preliminary results showed that there were significant differences (p\u3c 0.05) among the three treatments. Reseeded sulla and protected plots recorded 100% plant cover while the control plots had less than 60%. The estimated biomass for the reseeded plots was four times higher than the biomass production in the protected plots and eleven times higher than the control plots. The highest plant density was recorded in the reseeded plots (163.2 plants/m2), followed by the protected plots (30.6 plants/m2) while the lowest value was recorded in the control plots (29.8 plants/m2). Based on these findings, it is concluded that reseeding well-adapted native forage species has a great potential to improve productivity of semi-arid silvopastoral systems, which would contribute towards reducing the feeding cost and, therefore, enhancing the income of the agrosilvopastoral communities

Effects of feeding green forage of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) on lamb growth and carcass and meat quality.

The nutritional effects of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) forage containing condensed tannins (CT) on growth of lambs, and carcass and meat quality were investigated. Thirty-two male Comisana lambs aged 100 ± 8 days weighing 19.0 ± 2.8 kg were fed fresh forage of sulla or CT-free annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. subsp. Wersterwoldicum) for 49 days until slaughter; in addition, each lamb was supplied with 200 g/days of concentrate. Eight lambs per diet had been previously treated with anthelmintic drugs to remove nematode parasites. Measurements of BW and feed intake, and counts of faecal nematode eggs were made. Carcass parameters were recorded after slaughter, and tissue components of the hind leg were determined. Longissimus dorsi meat was evaluated for pH, colour, thawing and cooking losses, Warner-Bratzler shear force, chemical composition and sensory properties based on triangle tests. Relative to ryegrass-fed lambs, sulla-fed lambs had significantly greater dry matter (DM) and protein intake, a more favourable feed conversion ratio, and superior growth rate, final BW at 150 days of age, carcass weight, yield and fatness. These results were attributed to the high protein and non-structural carbohydrate content of sulla, and also to the moderate CT content of sulla (16.7 and 20.3 g/kg of DM in offered and consumed sulla forage, respectively). Anthelmintic treatment did not affect lamb growth, as the level of parasitic infection (initial and final) was low. The physical, chemical and sensory properties of the lamb meat were not influenced by diet