Showing papers on "Compensatory growth (organism) published in 2021"

Waterlogging stress in cotton: Damage, adaptability, alleviation strategies, and mechanisms

Abstract: Over the last few decades, waterlogging stress has increasingly threatened global cotton production. Waterlogging results in reduced soil oxygen, impairing the growth and development of this valuable crop and often resulting in severe yield loss or crop failure. However, as cotton has an indeterminate growth habit, it is able to adapt to waterlogging stress by activating three mechanisms: the escape, quiescence, and self-regulating compensation mechanisms. The escape mechanism includes accelerated growth, formation of adventitious roots, and production of aerenchyma. The quiescence mechanism involves reduced biomass accumulation and energy dissipation via physiological, biochemical, and molecular events. The self-regulation compensation mechanism allows plants to exploit their indeterminate growth habit and compensatory growth ability by accelerating growth and development following relief from waterlogging stress. We review how the growth and development of cotton is impaired by waterlogging, focusing on the three strategies associated with tolerance and adaptation to the stress. We discuss agronomic measures and prospects for mitigating the adverse effects of waterlogging stress.

Effects of genetics and early-life mild hypoxia on size variation in farmed gilthead sea bream ( Sparus aurata )

Abstract: The present study evaluated, in an 18-month gilthead sea bream trial, the time course effects of genetics on individual size variation and growth compensation processes in families selected by heritable growth in the PROGENSA® breeding program. Families categorized as fast, intermediate, and slow growing had different growth trajectories with a more continuous growth in fast growth families. This feature was coincident with a reduced size variation at the beginning of the trial that clustered together the half-sib families sharing the same father. Regression analysis evidenced that the magnitude of compensatory growth was proportional to the initial size variation with no rescaling of families at this stage. By contrast, the finishing growth depensation process can mask, at least partially, the previous size convergence. This reflects the different contribution across the production cycle of genetics in growth. How early-life experiences affect growth compensation at juvenile stages was also evaluated in a separate cohort, and intriguingly, a first mild-hypoxia pulse at 60–81 days post-hatching (dph) increased survival rates by 10%, preventing growth impairment when fish were exposed to a second hypoxia episode (112–127 dph). The early hypoxia experience did not have a negative impact on growth compensatory processes at juvenile stages. By contrast, a diminished capacity for growth compensation was found with repeated or late hypoxia experiences. All this reinforces the use of size variation as a main criterion for improving intensive fish farming and selective breeding.

Silicon Fertilisation Affects Morphological and Immune Defences of an Insect Pest and Enhances Plant Compensatory Growth

Abstract: Insect herbivores employ various defences, including morphological, behavioural, and immune responses against their natural enemies (e.g., predators, parasitoids) which can make biocontrol of herbivorous pests challenging. Silicon (Si) accumulation in plants is a potent physical defence against herbivores. However, it remains uncertain how Si affects pest defences to their enemies and plant defences following herbivore attack. We grew the model grass, Brachypodium distachyon, hydroponically with (+Si) or without (–Si) Si and investigated the impacts of Si on morphological (integument resistance and thickness), behavioural (flee, headrear, thrash, and regurgitation), and immune defences of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. We further examined the effects of Si on plant compensatory growth and leaf trichome production. Larval growth, leaf consumption, and integument resistance were lower when feeding on +Si plants compared to when feeding on –Si plants. Larval integument thickness, defensive behaviours, hemocyte density and lysozyme-like activity in the hemolymph were unaffected by Si. Larvae fed on +Si plants had higher hemolymph phenoloxidase (PO) and total-PO activities than larvae fed on –Si plants, although this did not enhance larval melanisation response. Furthermore, Si supply increased plant compensatory growth and constitutive trichome production whereas herbivory induced trichome production only on –Si plants. We provide the first evidence that Si fertilisation affects insect defences in addition to reducing their growth and feeding. Lower integument resistance might enhance larval vulnerability to parasitoids and pathogens and higher PO activities could impose fitness costs (e.g., delayed development), potentially increasing overall insect susceptibility to enemies.

Consuming Costly Prey: Optimal Foraging and the Role of Compensatory Growth

Abstract: Some prey are exceptionally difficult to digest, and yet even non-specialized animals may consume them—why? Durophagy, the consumption of hard-shelled prey, is thought to require special adaptations for crushing or digesting the hard shells to avoid the many potential costs of this prey type. But many animals lacking specializations nevertheless include hard-bodied prey in their diets. We describe several non-mutually exclusive adaptive mechanisms that could explain such a pattern, and point to optimal foraging and compensatory growth as potentially having widespread importance in explaining costly-prey consumption. We first conducted a literature survey to quantify the regularity with which non-specialized teleost fishes consume hard-shelled prey: stomach-content data from 325 teleost fish species spanning 82 families (57,233 stomach samples) demonstrated that non-specialized species comprise approximately 75% of the total species exhibiting durophagy, commonly consuming hard-shelled prey at low to moderate levels (~10–40% as much as specialists). We then performed a non-invasive diet survey to assess the frequency of molluscivory across the native latitudinal range of a small livebearing fish, Gambusia holbrooki, lacking durophagy specializations. Molluscivory was regionally widespread, spanning their entire native latitudinal range (> 14° latitude). Third, we tested for a higher frequency of molluscivory under conditions of higher intraspecific resource competition in Bahamian mosquitofish (Gambusia spp.). Examining over 5,300 individuals, we found that molluscivory was more common in populations with higher population density, suggesting that food limitation is important in eliciting molluscivory. Finally, we experimentally tested in G. holbrooki whether molluscivory reduces growth rate and whether compensatory growth follows a period of molluscivory. We found that consumption of hard-shelled gastropods results in significantly reduced growth rate, but compensatory growth following prior snail consumption can quickly mitigate growth costs. Our results suggest that the widespread phenomenon of costly-prey consumption may be partially explained by its relative benefits when few alternative prey options exist, combined with compensatory growth that alleviates temporary costs.

Metabolic and molecular signatures of improved growth in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed surplus levels of methionine, folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 throughout smoltification.

Abstract: A moderate surplus of the one carbon (1C) nutrients methionine, folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 above dietary recommendations for Atlantic salmon has shown to improve growth and reduce hepatosomatic index in the on-growing saltwater period when fed throughout smoltification. Metabolic properties and molecular mechanisms determining the improved growth are unexplored. Here, we investigate metabolic and transcriptional signatures in skeletal muscle taken before and after smoltification to acquire deeper insight into pathways and possible nutrient-gene interactions. A control feed (Ctrl) or 1C nutrient surplus feed (1C+) were fed to Atlantic salmon 6 weeks prior to smoltification until 3 months after saltwater transfer. Both metabolic and gene expression signatures revealed significant 1C nutrient-dependent changes already at pre-smolt, but differences intensified when analysing post-smolt muscle. Transcriptional differences revealed lower expression of genes related to translation, growth and amino acid metabolisation in post-smolt muscle when fed additional 1C nutrients. The 1C+ group showed less free amino acid and putrescine levels, and higher methionine and glutathione amounts in muscle. For Ctrl muscle, the overall metabolic profile suggests a lower amino acid utilisation for protein synthesis, and increased methionine metabolisation in polyamine and redox homoeostasis, whereas transcription changes are indicative of compensatory growth regulation at local tissue level. These findings point to fine-tuned nutrient-gene interactions fundamental for improved growth capacity through better amino acid utilisation for protein accretion when salmon was fed additional 1C nutrients throughout smoltification. It also highlights potential nutritional programming strategies on improved post-smolt growth through 1C+ supplementation before and throughout smoltification.

The degree of maternal nutrient restriction during late gestation influences the growth and endocrine profiles of offspring from beef cows

Abstract: Context Cow–calf operations in Argentina are managed under extensive grazing condition and the quality of forages is often poor during the second half of gestation. The severity of nutrient restriction in bovine gestation, caused by seasonal pasture production, often results in poor production traits in progeny. Aims The objective of the current study was to determine whether different levels of maternal nutrient intake in beef cows during late gestation affect fetal and postnatal growth, glucose metabolism, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) concentrations in offspring of beef cattle. Methods At 180±4days of gestation, multiparous Angus cows (n=56) were blocked by bodyweight (BW) and expected calving date, and assigned to pens (2 or 3 cows/pen). Pens (n=8 per treatment) were then randomly assigned to the following treatments: severely restricted (SR; 50% of net energy and 58% of CP requirements), moderately restricted (MR; 75% of net energy and 85% of CP requirements), or control (CON; 100% of net energy and 116% of CP requirements). Pen was the experimental unit and data were analysed by ANOVA or repeated measures analysis, as appropriate. After calving, all cows were managed in a single group until weaning. Key results Cow BW and body condition score decreased as nutritional restriction increased (P 0.10) or glucose–insulin metabolism of offspring during lactation (P>0.10). Concentration of IGF1 tended to be lower in MR progeny than in SR and CON progeny during lactation (P=0.09). Conclusions Late gestation maternal nutrient restriction, irrespective of the severity of the restriction, decreased birth weight of offspring; however, severe nutrient restriction induced early postnatal compensatory growth. Implications The severe nutritional restriction produced calves with weaning weights indistinguishable from the control cows due to early postnatal compensatory growth. However, the longer-term effects of nutritional restriction of the dam in the second half of pregnancy on metabolic and reproductive performance in replacement heifers or meat production/quality in steers is yet to be determined.

Assessment of compensatory growth in stunted fingerlings of Snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii (Lacepede, 1801), in marine conditions

Abstract: Compensatory growth has been reported in stunted fish by several researchers, and the same has been applied at field level for enhancing the fish production. Many of the commercially important marine finfishes such as European seabass (Adakli & Tasbozan, 2015), Gilthead sea bream (Bavcevic, Klanjscek, Karamarko, Anicic, & Legovic, 2010), Atlantic halibut (Foss et al., 2009), Atlantic cod (Jobling, Meloey, Santos, & Christiansen, 1994) and Alaska yellowfin sole (Paul, Paul, & Smith, 1995) have exhibited compensatory growth after stunting. Hyperphagia in stunted fish has been successfully applied for growth enhancement (Charan, Suresh Babu, Venugopal, Chadha, & Sreeramamurthy, 2014; Limbue & Jumanne, 2014), better feed utilization (Morshedi, Kochanian, Ahmadi-Niko, Azodi, & Pasha-Zanoosi, 2013; Ruan et al., 2015) and also to tide over unfavourable environmental conditions (Cho & Cho, 2009). Snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii, is a potential candidate species for mariculture as its seed production technology has been standardized, possess good market demand and it readily accepts pellet feed (Abdul Nazar et al., 2012; Jayakumar et al.., 2014; Kalidas et al., 2012). Even though the fish fetches better price in the market, the culture duration to attain marketable size needs to be reduced to improve economic benefits in the farming facilities such as ponds, cages and recirculating aquaculture systems. One proven approach to reduce the culture duration is to use stunted fingerlings as the stocking material, which is widely being practised in many farming systems (Bavcevic et al., 2010; Charan et al., 2014; Radheshyam & Saha, 2009; Santiago, Gonzal, Aralar, & Arcilla, 2004; Tian & Qin, 2003). Compensatory growth pattern varies from species to species and depends on the mode of growth deprivation. Ali, Nicieza, and Wootton, (2003) have summarized different pattern of compensatory growth in various fish. However, studies on compensatory growth pattern in stunted Snubnose pompano in marine conditions have not been reported so far. The present study was carried out to assess and delineate the compensatory growth pattern in T. blochii at varying stunting durations. Snubnose pompano fingerlings (<5 g size) produced at the marine finfish hatchery of Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mandapam, Tamil Nadu, India, were used for the experiment. The fingerlings were produced through captive breeding as per Abdul Nazar et al. (2012). Briefly, the eggs obtained after induced spawning were transferred to hatching tanks and larval rearing was carried out in Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) tanks. Larvae were fed on rotifers (Brachionus rotundiformis and B plicatilis) followed by Artemia nauplii under green water technique. Weaning to artificial feed commenced from 15-day posthatch (DPH) and larval metamorphosis occurred during 20–25 DPH. Nursery rearing of the fingerlings was carried out in FRP tanks by feeding with commercial pellet feed (Nutrila, Growel India Pvt. Ltd; 45% crude protein; 0.8 mm size).

Effect of short‐term fasting and re-feeding on growth performance of larvae and juveniles Pyrrhulina brevis, an amazon ornamental fish

Abstract: This study evaluated short cycles of feed deprivation on the growth performance and survival of larvae and juveniles of the ornamental fish Pyrrhulina brevis. The first experiment used larvae fed w...

Grow fast, die young: Does compensatory growth reduce survival of juvenile blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in the western Gulf of Mexico?

Abstract: Effective conservation and management necessitate an understanding of the ecological mechanisms that shape species life histories in order to predict how variability in natural and anthropogenic impacts will alter growth rates, recruitment, and survival. Among these mechanisms, the interaction between parturition timing and prey availability frequently influences offspring success, particularly when postnatal care is absent. Here, we assess how parturition timing and nursery conditions, including prey abundance and environmental conditions, influence the growth and potential survival of blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) estuaries over their first year. Catch data from long-term gillnet monitoring allowed for clear delineation of cohorts based on size frequency distribution plots, and showed that late parturition cohorts born in estuaries with fewer prey resources exhibited more rapid growth than early parturition cohorts that experienced more abundant prey. Compensatory behaviors that promoted accelerated growth led to reduced second year residency, likely due to reduced survival resultant from greater risk taking and potentially due to reduced site fidelity attributed to larger body size. Water temperatures influenced blacktip growth rates through physiological increases in metabolism and potential premigratory foraging cues associated with cooling temperatures. Gradual warming of the GOM (0.03°C year-1) was also correlated with earlier parturition across the study period (1982-2017), similar to other migratory species. Considering current trends in climate and associated phenological shifts in many animals, testing hypotheses assessing compensatory growth-risk trade-offs is important moving forward to predict changes in life histories and associated recruitment in concert with current and future conservation actions, like wildlife management.

Life after recovery: new insights into post-drought compensatory growth and forest recovery dynamics

Abstract:

Large scale losses in forest productivity linked to extreme drought are now being documented globally. With climate change set to increase the frequency, intensity and duration of future extreme events, understanding the impact of drought on forest productivity and the post-drought recovery dynamics of these systems is becoming increasingly important. However, current approaches to quantifying resilience limit our understanding of forest response dynamics, recovery trajectories and drought legacies by constraining and simplifying the temporal scale and resolution of assessment. To advance beyond one of the most commonly used approaches to estimating resilience, we first compared estimates of resilience for Pinus sylvestris trees following an extreme drought by comparing the same resilience index calculated over different pre- and post-drought time scales. We then developed an alternative approach using dynamic regression to capture each individual tree’s relationship between climate and growth, which was then used to forecast tree growth annually for the drought year and nine subsequent years, in a scenario where no drought had occurred. Here we present the results of this work, comparing observed tree growth with growth forecasted using dynamic regression at multiple stem heights and stand densities. This approach allowed us to increase the temporal scale and resolution of resilience assessment and follow tree and stand level growth relative to a no-drought scenario throughout recovery and into a post-recovery phase, where we find evidence for significant compensatory growth. The existence of compensatory growth post-recovery reduced estimates of drought induced losses of radial growth, indicating that current approaches risk underestimating tree and stand resilience to drought and overestimate losses in above-ground biomass. Similarly, we provide evidence for a temporal dependency in the stage during recovery at which pre-drought tree and stand attributes such as growth rates, basal area and stand densities were associated with growth resilience. Our results have wide reaching implications for both forest management targeted at increasing resilience, carbon budgeting and our understanding of drought legacy.

Effect of periodic feed retrictions and refeeding on compensatory growth and blood physiology of of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)

Abstract: Red tilapia is a one of the economically important fish species. In order to increase growth and feed efficiency, feed restriction strategies can be carried out. This study aims to determine the effect of periodic (weekly) restriction of feed on compensatory growth and physiological responses of red tilapia during the enlargement phase. The activity was carried out at the Fish Breeding Research Center for 4 months. The research method used a completely randomized design (CRD) 4 treatments with 3 replications, namely control (fish were fed daily), 1 (1 fasting day a week), 2 (2 fasting days a week), and 3 (3 fasting days a week). Fish rearing was conducted on the concrete tub measuring 2 x 1 x 0.8 m3 with a stocking density of 10 fish m-2. During the maintenance period of 120 days the fish were fed satiation twice a day. The results showed significant differences (P 0.05), which was at normal values. Restriction of feed to 1 day a week showed partial compensatory growth with better feed efficiency than fish fed daily.