A large outbreak of suspected botulism occurred on a dairy farm. The affected animals were listless and showed signs ranging from hindlimb unsteadiness to lateral recumbency, although the most common presentation was sternal recumbency with an apparent hindlimb weakness when stimulated to rise. Postmortem examinations revealed no conclusive gross pathology or histopathology. The affected cattle were found to have neutrophilia and hyperglycaemia with no other consistent haematological or biochemical abnormalities. The combination of clinical signs, disease epidemiology and the ruling out of other differential diagnoses strongly supported a diagnosis of unconfirmed botulism; however, the source of toxin was not demonstrated. Botulism is a severe disease in human beings and there are uncertainties about the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Clostridium botulinum toxins. In such circumstances, a precautionary approach to food safety is essential. Restrictions were placed on the movement of livestock and sale of milk from the farm premises until 14 days after the onset of the last clinical case.

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A 3-year experiment was conducted to identify problems in Coachella Valley date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) orchards that limit vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality. Major problems that were identified included soil compaction and stratification that restrict water permeation into the root zone, and low fertility as reflected by the low organic -matter content of the sandy soils. To eliminate the impact of these stresses on plant growth, yield, and fruit quality, a no-tillage alternative management system was introduced to replace the conventional practice of tillage that compacts the soil. No-till was coupled with the use of cover crops to enrich the soil with organic matter, fix N, recycle nutrients, and improve water holding capacity of the sandy soil. In already established orchards, an additional treatment—slip plowing—was also implemented to loosen the soil at lower depths to facilitate water permeation. The positive effects of the alternative system on the soil, tree growth, yield, and fruit quality will be presented.

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