What do mad cow disease and stem cell research have in common? Whitehead Institute scientists have found that the same protein that causes neurodegenerative conditions such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) is also important for helping certain adult stem cells maintain themselves.

"For years we've wondered why evolution has preserved this protein, what positive role it could possibly be playing," says Whitehead Member Susan Lindquist. Along with Whitehead Member Harvey Lodish, Lindquist is a coauthor on the paper which will published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of January 30. "With these findings, we have our first answer," she says.

Source: Whitehead Institute/ News Release/ David Cameron, Jan. 30, 2006
Source URL: http://www.wi.mit.edu/news/archives/2006/sl_0130.html

Sampling of water running through the St. Joseph River watershed in northeast Indiana is showing glyphosate herbicide contamination to be minimal, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies. Glyphosate levels exceeded the federal limit for drinking water only once during three years of testing.

That’s good news to about 200,000 residents of Fort Wayne, Ind., and to some two dozen other small, rural communities that rely on this watershed for their drinking water.

Source: USDA/ ARS/ Don Comis, Jan. 30, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2006/060130.htm

Agri-Mark dairy cooperative and Allied Federation of Cooperatives are negotiating to become allies and offer farmer-members more clout in the Northeastern milk market.

The two cooperatives would form a new entity called Allied-Agri-Mark, and have up to 2,100 members in New England and New York. Agri-Mark is based in Massachusetts, while Allied is based in New York state.

Source: Burlington Free Press/ Candace Page, Feb. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060201/BUSINESS/602010301/1003&theme

Land O'Lakes today announced plans to close its Greenwood, Wisconsin cheese manufacturing facility.

The Greenwood facility closing will affect approximately 30 employees. Land O'Lakes would work with employees on outplacement services as well as other benefits.

Company officials indicated the plant would be offered for sale.

Source: Land O’Lakes Inc./ News Release, Feb. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.landolakesinc.com

Corn production rose in 2005 with record yields in Ontario and a return to more normal production in the West following the 2004 Manitoba crop failure. As a result, total stocks of grain corn rose 8.9% to a record 8.5 million tonnes, breaking the previous record set in 2004. This estimate is well above the 10-year average of 6.7 million tonnes.

On-farm stocks also reached record territory, up 481,000 tonnes from the 2004 record to 6.6 million tonnes. The 10-year average is 5.0 million tonnes. Corn feeding sagged in 2004/05 but rebounded in 2005/06 with higher supplies and despite lower imports.

Total stocks of soybeans were a record 2.3 million tonnes, up 8.3% from the 2004 record of 2.1 million tonnes. The 10-year average is 1.6 million tonnes. The strong showing in 2005 is primarily the result of record soybean production.

Source: Statistics Canada, Feb. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060201/d060201a.htm

This observational study followed 30 dairy heifers from birth to breeding to identify when exposure to potential respiratory pathogens occurred.

In conclusion, transmission of potential respiratory pathogens was documented in young dairy heifers despite commonly accepted health management programs, including vaccination.

Source: Respiratory tract infections in dairy calves from birth to breeding age: Detection by laboratory isolation and antibody responses. Bovine Practitioner 39 (1): 44-53, 2005. Step, D.L.; Confer, A.W.; Kirkpatrick, J.G.; Richards, J.B.; et al.

Colostrum is critical to protect the newborn calf, as it provides crucial antibodies to combat bacteria and viruses for the first several weeks, perhaps months, of life. Thus, it is essential that adequate (4 to 6 quarts in the first 6 hours) good quality (preferably tested with a colostrometer) colostrum, collected only from the first milking of cows, is a consistent part of a calf raising program. Antibodies generated by the cow from every day exposure to infectious agents are “passively transferred” via colostrum to the calf. Vaccination of cows to elevate immune protection from commonly transmitted diseases, such as Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), and Para-Influenza (PI-3), also can bolster the antibody “package” in the colostrum.

Source: Michigan State University/ Michigan Dairy Review/ Ron Erskine, January 2006
Source URL: http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/archives/mdrvol11no1.pdf

There has been concern that the shape and colour of the teats of the cow may predispose some cows with certain types of teat characteristics to mastitis.

The results of this research show that there is no association between the frequency of infection and teat shape, teat-end, teat type or pigmentation of cows’ teats.

Source: Scoop New Zealand/ Lincoln University/ News Release, Feb. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0602/S00004.htm

Trying to diagnose the type of mastitis by its clinical signs is not accurate and often incorrect. Almost anyone can use milk cultures to make current clinical mastitis decisions when choosing the best antibiotics for the farm or choosing cows to treat. However, culturing cow’s milk to make future treatment decisions can be misleading. The next case of clinical mastitis may not be the same organism as the one you just cultured. Using a milk culture to identify the bacteria before treating requires withholding antibiotic treatment for 24 hours before starting antibiotic treatment.

Source: Michigan State University/ Michigan Dairy Review/ Phil Sears, January 2006
Source URL: http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/archives/mdrvol11no1.pdf

Records are the next leg in the mastitis treatment framework. Keeping the records plan simple and easy, yet comprehensive enough to be of value for the management of individual cases and useful in managing the herd mastitis pattern is a challenge. Both can happen easily with a bit of organization and discipline.

Source: University of Wisconsin/ David Rhoda, January 2006
Source URL: http://www.uwex.edu/milkquality/