In Marrakech, raw sewage has been used for farming purposes for several decades for many types of crops. This study aimed to determine the contamination level of Giardia cysts and Ascaris eggs for crops designated for human consumption. Collected crops in irrigated fields were turnip, marrow, squash, potatoes, pepper and eggplant. Field trials were also carried out on four crops, coriander, carrots, mint and radish, using three water types for irrigation, i.e. raw waste water, treated waste water (sedimentation and 16 days retention) and fresh water. Giardia cysts were detected at a level of 5.1 cysts/kg in potatoes, while Ascaris eggs were observed in numbers varying between 0.18 eggs/kg in potatoes and 0.27 eggs/kg in turnip. Field trials confirmed that irrigation of crops by raw waste water leads to contamination. Giardia and Ascaris were isolated in coriander at concentrations of 254 cysts/kg and 2.7 eggs/kg, respectively; mint was also highly contaminated with numbers reaching 96 cysts/kg and 4.63 eggs/kg. Carrots and radish were contaminated and respective numbers observed for Giardia were 155 and 59.1 cysts/kg; Ascaris was discovered in numbers of 0.7 and 1.64 eggs/kg, respectively, However, cultures irrigated with treated waste water and fresh water were free from contamination. Cysts and eggs on coriander persisted for a maximum of 8 days.

Three experiments were undertaken to assess the Zimbabwean donkey. In the first study, 191 male and 144 female working donkeys from Matopos, Nkayi and Matobo districts were weighed. Age, sex and coat colour were recorded and heart girth, umbilical girth, body length and height were measured. There were no differences (P>0.05) in live weight, 142 and 141 kg, heart girth 115 and 115 cm, body length 89 and 90 cm and height 105 and 105 cm between males and females. This suggests that draught potential might be similar between the sexes. Heart girth was the best single predictor of live weight: live weight (kg) = heart girth (cm)2.83/4786 (R2 = 0.86). Donkeys were similar in size to others in Africa. In the second study, the voluntary dry-matter intake (DMI) of a poor quality hay was measured for 35 days in nine male (mean live weight 150 kg) and nine female donkeys (142 kg) allocated to one of three treatment groups: water available ad libitum, or given every 48 h, or every 72 h. There were significant differences in daily water (P<0.001) and DMIs (P<0.05): 8.5, 4.9 and 5.11 and 3.1, 2.8 and 2.7 kg for the three treatment groups, respectively. However even with restricted access to water, donkeys maintained a relatively high DMI. In the third experiment a 3 X 3 Latin square was designed with three teams of four male donkeys each, either working (5 h/day)/no access to food (5 h/day); not working/no access to food (5 h/day) or not working/access to food 24 h/day, for 63 days. For working and non-working donkeys, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in DMI, DM apparent digestibility and mean retention time (MRT) of hay. Time of access to food did not influence DMI. The apparent lack of response was attributed primarily to the poor quality of the hay.

A rapid and sensitive assay was developed for detection of small numbers of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coil cells in environmental water, sewage, and food samples. Water and sewage samples were filtered, and the filters were enriched overnight in a nonselective medium. The enrichment cultures were prepared for PCR by a rapid and simple procedure consisting of centrifugation, proteinase K treatment, and boiling. A seminested PCR based on specific amplification of the intergenic sequence between the two Campylobacter flagellin genes, flaA and flaB, was performed, and the PCR products were visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. The assay allowed us to detect 3 to 15 CFU of C. jejuni per 100 ml in water samples containing a background flora consisting of up to 8,700 heterotrophic organisms per ml and 10,000 CFU of coliform bacteria per 100 ml. Dilution of the enriched cultures 1:10 with sterile broth prior to the PCR was sometimes necessary to obtain positive results. The assay was also conducted with food samples analyzed with or without overnight enrichment. As few as less than or equal to 3 CFU per g of food could be detected with samples subjected to overnight enrichment, while variable results were obtained for samples analyzed without prior enrichment. This rapid and sensitive nested PCR assay provides a useful tool for specific detection of C. jejuni or C. coli in drinking water, as well as environmental water, sewage, and food samples containing high levels of background organisms.

Aims of this experiment, to examined the effects of food density and water salinity on filtration rate of oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) for fundamental data on assessing the suitable use of oyster as an alternative of biofilter in wastewater from an intensive shrimp pond. From the experimentation showed that an average of filtration rate within 24 hours of both size of oysters at different food density were significantly different (p0.01). The Filtration rate of oysters were decreased with increasing the food density. The average of filtration rate of oysters when exposed to different water salinity were significantly different (p0.01). The decrease in filtration rate of oyster was correlated with water salinity. The average filtration rate of oyster was high at water salinity range 15-25 ppt for small size and 10-25 ppt for large size.

Par son pouvoir solvant et les interactions qu'elle developpe avec les composants des produits alimentaires, l'eau joue role essentiel dans le deroulement des reactions biologiques et physico-chimiques au cours de la transformation ou de conservation de l'aliment. Elle permet de piloter les caracteristiques physico-chimiques de macromolecules qui conditionnent la structure, la texture et la stabilisation des systemes alimentaires. Ses differents etats thermodynamiques conditionnent ses proprietes solvantes et l'activite qui en decoule. Connaitre le statut de l'eau et sa dynamique dans les matrices alimentaires complexes permet de mieux mairiser les reactions et les transferts (deshydratation, rehydratation, migration, diffusion). Par ailleurs, l'eau matiere premiere necessite une gestion rigoureuse quantitative et qualitative de sa ressource. Ceci impose a l'unite de production la recherche permanente d'un equilibre entre approvisionnement et reutilisation conciliant securite et cout, l'objectif prioritaire etant la maitrise de la qualite. Les Rencontres AGORAL ont traite de ce theme en le declinant en trois chapitres: - Etat de l'eau et sa dynamique dans les aliments, - Changement d'etat et transferts; - l'eau matiere premiere. En sont presentees ici les resumes des communications

Les possibiltés variées d'utilisation des plastiques, leurs qualités d'adaptation, leur facilité de transformation et leurs avantages technologiques les ont fait rechercher, en particulier dans les secteurs d'activité touchant à l'emballage des denrées alimentaires et au conditionnement de l'eau. Afin de mieux comprendre les choix effectués pour préserver la santé de l'homme, on a rassemblé dans cet article les bases réglementaires, les procédures d'élaboration de la réglementation, son état d'avancement, ses perspectives, etc., dans les domaines d'application qui viennent d'être rappelés

L'impact de la moule mediterraneenne (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck) sur les flux de matiere particulaire dans la colonne d'eau a ete mesure au laboratoire pour differentes vitesses de courant. Les experiences en laboratoire dans un canal a courant montrent qu'a 20 degres C, le taux de filtration augmente avec la vitesse de courant jusqu'a des vitesses de courant de 20 a 25 cm/s. Le taux de filtration reste semblable a 26 degres C. Lorsque la concentration phytoplanctonique dans la colonne d'eau est elevee (8 500-11 000 cell/mL de Cryptomonas sp., Cryptophyceae), les taux de filtration sont faibles (0,2 0,4 L/h pour un individu standard de 1 g de poids sec). Des taux de filtration plus eleves (0,5-2,5 L/h pour un individu standard) sont observes avec des concentrations phytoplanctoniques plus faibles (1 300-5 800 cell/mL de Prorocentrum minimum, Dinophyceae). Ainsi, les taux de filtration mesures pour Mytilus galloprovincialis varient avec la charge phytoplanctonique et avec la vitesse du courant. Ces resultats suggerent que les moules mediterraneennes, provenant d'un milieu ou les variations de charges sestoniques et de vitesses de courant sont de grande amplitude, ont de grandes capacites d'adaptation

This book discusses general concept and management issues of deficient irrigation practices, covering a wide range of field crops including cotton, maize, soybean, wheat, sugarcane, and the like, based on five years of field research implemented in fourteen different countries, in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Additionally, guidelines are given for experimental methodology and data analysis for evaluating crop yield response to deficient irrigation. Experimental data, discussions and cited references will be an asset not only to field irrigation engineers but also to research scientists including soil and irrigation scientists and agronomists, for whom the book would be an invaluable reference source.