RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT OF BIRD DEPREDATIONS AT CATFISH FARMS

Depredations by fish-eating birds are a major constraint on production at commercial catfish facilities in the southeastern United States. A recent survey of catfish farmers estimated total losses due to direct predation by birds and costs associated with employing preventive measures at $17 million, or 4% of national sales. In 1988, the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u27s (USDA) National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) established a research station in Mississippi to develop more effective methods for reducing the impact of birds on southeastern aquaculture farms. This paper describes the impact of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus, DCCO) on the catfish industry, describes control methods to reduce depredations by this species, and reviews some research currently being conducted at the NWRC Mississippi research station

Bait Stations for Controlling Voles in Apple Orchards

Bait stations made with polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe were compared with hand-broadcast applications of rodenticides for achieving long-term control of pine and meadow vole populations (Microtus pinetorum and M. pennsylvanicus, respectively) in two apple orchards in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York. The stations were constructed of three pieces of 1.5-in diameter PVC tubing joined together in the shape of an inverted T . Roofing shingles were placed over the entrances to some of the bait stations to encourage use by voles, while others were left uncovered. All stations were tied to trees, with no attempt to place them near runways or burrow entrances. Both pine and meadow voles consumed bait from the stations, regardless of whether the entrances were covered with roofing shingles. However, plugging of entrances with dirt was prevalent during winter in stations with roofing shingles. Vole activity and capture success were consistently lower on the plots with the two types of bait stations than on either the control or broadcast baiting plots 13, 26, 39, and 52 wk posttreatment, although the differences were not statistically different (p \u3e 0.05). The best control was achieved during the winter and early spring. Although spoilage of bait due to high humidity may limit its effectiveness in Eastern New York during the late spring and summer, the inverted T bait station provides a practical means of controlling voles in apple orchards during winter and early spring

A Cost-Effective Method for Applying and Removing Bird-Exclusion Netting in Commercial Vineyards

Bird-exclusion netting can be highly effective for reducing bird damage to agricultural crops, but the high cost of materials and perceived difficulty of applying and removing it has discouraged many growers from using this technique. The expectation of extensive damage to a high-value crop may warrant the implementation of costly protection measures such as bird-exclusion netting. During 1987, we evaluated a method for applying and removing bird-exclusion netting in 4 commercial vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island, New York. The method involved altering a hydraulically-operated, front-end bucket-loader to accommodate loading and applying 5.2-m-wide nets directly over rows of grape vines. Applying the netting, including loading and unloading the rolls of netting, required an average of 2.5 hr/ha for 3 people. Removal required an average of 2.8 hr/ha for 3 people. The single largest cost was the price of the netting, which accounted for approximately 70-74% of the total cost of the program. Four growers have used the netting for 5 seasons with minimal damage and anticipate using the netting for at least 1 additional season. The total cost of modifying the tractor and purchasing, applying, and removing the netting, based on an estimated net life of 5 yr, was $509-$534/ha/yr. Assuming that the netting is 95% effective in preventing bird depredations, it provides cost-effective protection in vineyards where high levels of damage ( \u3e 6%) are anticipated. However, the netting may not be practical in small vineyards or where low levels of damage are expected. An increasing number of vineyard managers on Long Island are using bird-exclusion netting to protect their vineyards from birds

Pregnancy outcome of HIV-infected women on anti-retroviral therapy in a treatment centre in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: a retrospective analysis

Introduction: There are conflicting reports of adverse pregnancy outcomes following the administration of antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) to HIV-positive pregnant women. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of adverse effects of antiretroviral drugs and to underscore their importance in limiting adverse pregnancy outcomes in newborns.Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of medical records of HIV-infected pregnant women who received anti-retroviral treatment at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital between January 2010 and December 2013. Data was analyzed using Epi Info Version 7 Statistical Package. Proportions, measures of centrality/dispersion as well as measures of association between maternal predictors and birth outcomes were computed. The level of significance was set at p≤ 0.05.Results: A total of 290 medical records of women who received anti-retroviral treatment were examined: 68.3% women commenced antiretroviral treatment before pregnancy, 3.8% started in 2nd trimester of pregnancy and 14.1% during labour. Pregnancy outcomes were as follows: 90.7% were live births; 92.4% neonates had Apgar scores ≥7 and 90.7% had birth weights of ≥ 2,500 grams. More than half, 55.9% had haemoglobin levels ≥ 10g/dl, while 84.8% of them were born full term. There were only 9.3% stillbirths and 9.3% low birth weights respectively, and also 15.2% preterm births.Conclusion: The prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the study was minimal and stresses the value of antiretroviral treatment in the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes in newborns. We therefore recommend its intensified utilization for maximum impact in reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes.Keywords: HAART, HIV, PMTCT, pregnancy, Port Harcourt, Nigeri

Agricultural Extension and Market-Led Agrarian Reform: Findings from an Exploratory Case Study in Limpopo Province, South Africa

n 1994, as South Africa was transitioning out of the apartheid era, the new, democratically elected government was forced to confront a largely polarized agricultural sector. Colonial rule and apartheid policies had systematically dispossessed the African majority from land. At the end of apartheid, the white minority, comprising less than 10% of the population, controlled 87% of total agricultural land. To confront the harsh realities of food insecurity and poverty, South Africa’s post-apartheid democracy implemented land and agrarian reform policies. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences and perceptions regarding these policies of emerging black farmers and agricultural extension officers in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The province has been an active participant in land and agrarian reform initiatives, but over 70% of resettlement projects have been deemed as not functioning. With such a high failure rate, the experiences of the people most directly impacted by reform initiatives in Limpopo can help clarify those elements of policy that are currently working and those that are not. This research utilized a qualitative case study approach to data collection. Analysis of data identified a series of consistent themes: Dependency, Knowledge and Skills, Networks, and Realistic Expectations. Based on these findings, a series of implications and recommendations regarding future research and agricultural extension programming are presented