Soybean Researcher Hunts Genetics Of Drought Tolerance From The Air CONT. FROM PREV. PAGE


to move drought-toler- ance traits into im- proved varieties that also offer high yields, disease resistance and other desirable traits.


To simplify the breed-


ers’ process, Purcell works with a team of geneticists and breed- ers to combine many of the desired gene loci for a specific trait, like effi- cient water use, into a


single breeding line in a process called pyramid- ing. They are now stacking cooler canopy temperature and other drought-tolerance traits into a single breeding line.


The process of pyra-


miding loci and stack- ing several drought tolerance traits into a single elite breeding line increases the likeli- hood that crossbreeding can pass on improved


An Unwanted Scourge – Scours In Calves


CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE and


quantity of


colostrum are adversely affected by inadequate intake of energy and pro- tein. (b) Inadequate envi- ronment for the newborn calf. Muddy lots, crowd- ing, contaminated lots, calving heifers and cows together, wintering and calving in the same area, storms, heavy snow or rainfall, etc. are stressful to the newborn calf and may increase the chance for easy exposure to infec- tious agents. The wet and chilled newborn calf can become chilled quickly, become se- verely stressed and fre- quently lacks the vigor to nurse in life. (c) In- sufficient attention to the newborn calf, par- ticularly during difficult birth


or scours-fighting by adverse


weather conditions. The calf


is born without anti-


bodies. The calf will ac- quire these antibodies only


nursing


colostrum early in life. Any effort to prevent scours by vaccinating cows is wasted unless the


calf nurses


colostrum, preferably before it is 2-4 hours old. As the calf grows older, it loses its ability to absorb colostral anti- bodies by the hour. Colostrum given to calves 24-36 hours old is practical0ly useless; antibodies are seldom absorbed this late in life. Infectious causes of


calf scours are caused by the following: Bacterial


(a) (Escherichia


Coli, Salmonella spp., Clostridium Perfrin- gens, and other bacte- ria); (b) Viral (Rotavirus, Coronavirus,


BVD


virus, IBR virus; (c) Pro- tozoan parasites (Cryp- tosporidium, Coccidia); and (d) Yeasts and molds. Bacteria, such as Es-


cherichia coli and Sal- monella, are common in newborn calves (usually


younger than 2 weeks old), although Salmo- nella can affect cattle of any age. Viruses, such as Rotavirus and Coro- navirus, commonly af- fect calves in their first few weeks of life (usu- ally 1 to 3 weeks). Para- sites, namely Coccidia and Cryptosporidium parvum, can cause di- arrhea in young calves (usually older than 2 weeks old). Calves can be infected with multi- ple infectious agents at the same time – for ex- ample, Rotavirus, Coro- navirus,


and


Cryptosporidia. Some of these organisms can also cause disease in people working with calves. Treatment of calves


for scours is very simi- lar regardless of cause. Treatment should be di- rected toward correc- tion of the dehydration, acidosis and electrolyte loss. The best treatment is prompt and complete and should be aimed at correcting the clinical signs. The most impor- tant treatment is to cor- rect dehydration and metabolic acidosis. If they are not corrected, the calf will die. Both are treated simultane- ously by administering electrolytes. Oral electrolytes can


keep acidosis under control in a calf that is strong enough to stand and suckle. When the calf is down, oral elec- trolytes are not enough, and intravenous ther- apy is needed. Intra- venous


fluids are


necessary to correct acidosis and dehydra- tion in calves at this stage of the disease. Systemic


(injectable)


antimicrobials will help eliminate bacteria but do not work against viruses. Keep feeding the calf; milk is its only source of energy.


If


body cells don’t get en- ergy, the calf will die. If you cannot feed milk, use a good milk re-


14• MidAmerica Farmer Grower www.mafg.net / January 15, 2021


placer. If the calf does not suckle, you will need to feed milk via a tube or administer in- travenous therapy. Pro- vide supportive care: protect sick calves from the cold (minimum 50°F), wind, and rain. Several steps can be


taken to help prevent calf scours: (1) Ensure that all newborn calves receive colostrum. If the delivery was difficult, the dam may be tired or painful, and the calf may be weakened as well; this may result in a failure of the calf to nurse colostrum.


In


such cases, it is pru- dent


to milk the


colostrum from the dam and feed it to the calf via


an esophageal


feeder. How much colostrum should a calf receive? The calf must nurse or be given 2 quarts of colostrum during the first 2-4 hours after being born and a total of 4 quarts in 12 hours. (2) It is often a good plan to ob- tain fresh colostrum from a local dairy and freeze it or purchase a colostrum replacer for occasions when the dam does not have colostrum. If sourcing colostrum from a local dairy farm, beware of potential


that can be transmitted through


pathogens colostrum


such as Johne’s disease and Bovine Leukosis Virus. (3) Consider a vaccination program for your cow herd. Be sure to consult your local veterinarian about vac- cine products and time of administration. Tim- ing


is colostral


critical as antibodies


need to be in adequate concentrations


in


colostrums to provide ample passive immu- nity to the calf.


(4)


Maintain a clean calv- ing area. Do not calve on pastures where cows have been kept in large numbers for long peri- ods of time or sours has


been recently diag- nosed. (5) Calve in dry areas and drain pas- tures or corrals to min- imize accumulation of moisture. (6) Segregate calves by age to prevent passage of


infectious


agents from apparently healthy older calves to newborns. (7) Maintain adequate protein, en- ergy, and micronutrient nutrition for the dam during gestation. Many products are


sold for supportive care of calves with diarrhea. These include gut pro- tectants such as kaolin and pectin, toxin adsor- bents such as activated charcoal, and probi- otics. Efficacy of these products is debated. They are beneficial only when the three main el- ements of


treatment


have been addressed: correcting dehydration and acidosis, treating infections, and provid- ing energy. Not all prod- ucts


– whether electrolytes, antimicro- SW Center CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE


two groups the mainte- nance requirement on the inefficient cattle de- clines by 18 percent with a 32 percent decrease for the efficient or low RFI cattle. Justin did make an as-


tute observation that ap- plies for a lot of traits in cattle, building efficiency into a herd is not a short-term process. However, we will be in- terested in this project and other work around the state including the University’s herds in Co- lumbia, Spickard and the Southwest Center. Green Springs continues to offer GrowSafe testing at Nevada and there’s work on one in the Salem area. That I’m aware of.


∆ ELDON COLE: Exten-


sion Livetock Specialist, University of Missouri


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bials, or milk replacers – work the same. Do not mix electrolytes with milk; they may interfere with curd formation and cause diarrhea due to digestive upset, worsening the problem. Ask your herd veteri- narian which products are the best for your situation and adminis- ter all products accord- ing to manufacturer instructions (read the label). DR.


∆ TERESA L.


STECKLER: Extension Specialist, Animal Sys- tems/Beef, Springs


Dixon Agricultural


Center, University of Illi- nois


drought tolerance to


advanced lines, Purcell said. “My goal is to have


one elite breeding line that would recover as many of the favorable


markers as we can,” Purcell said. “If suc- cessful, the final cross will capture 50 percent or more of those favored loci.” The long road Purcell is closing in on


a long-term goal that began in September 1993. “I’ve been in- volved in this project since coming here,” he said. “That’s 27 years, so far.” It will conclude, Pur-


cell said, when he has all the pieces in place to provide public and pri- vate soybean breeders throughout Arkansas and the South with all the tools needed to add drought tolerance to the agronomic traits they are chasing for im- proved varieties. To learn more about


Division of Agriculture research,


visit w e b s i the


Arkansas Agricultural Experiment


Station t e :


https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at ArkAgRe- search.


∆


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