Due to the important role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in ecosystem functioning, determination of the effect of management practices on the AMF diversity in agricultural soils is essential for the sustainability of these agro-ecosystems. The objective of this study was to compare the AMF diversity in Prunus persica roots under two types of fertilisation (inorganic, with or without manu...

Despite intensive research effort, many uncertainties remain in the field of gamete-level sexual selection, particularly in understanding how sperm from different males interact when competing for fertilisations. Here, we demonstrate the utility of broadcast spawning marine invertebrates for unravelling these mysteries, highlighting their mode of reproduction and, in some species, unusual patte...

Optimised insemination strategies on pig farms aim at reducing the number of inseminations, without reducing reproductive performance. At the moment, one insemination with good quality semen can result in good fertilisation results when insemination takes place in a 24 h period before ovulation. However, knowledge of this optimal period is not sufficient to limit the number of inseminations to ...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of different doses of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on maturation and fertilisation of bovine oocytes in vitro. A total of 1209 high quality oocytes (follicles 2-8 mm in diameter, with unexpanded cumulus cells) were obtained by aspiration from ovaries collected at a slaughterhouse. The oocytes were then assigned into 6 groups: 1, 10, 1...