UNDERGRADUATE ORAL PRESENTATIONS AGRO-SCIENCES In vitro Effects of Hemp Extract on Eimeria Species from Goats Ms. Ayiana James, Kwame Matthews, Ph.D. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University Small ruminants act as multipurpose animals, providing the world with meat, fiber, skins, and milk. Unfortunately, coccidiosis stands as an ongoing issue for small ruminants like sheep and goats. Coccidiosis is a disease caused by the intestinal parasitic protozoa in the genus Eimeria (coccidia). When having the proper temperature, oxygen, and moisture, coccidia produces many eggs called oocysts that are released into the environment from feces. The oocysts become sporulated and infective in two to seven days in contaminated feed and water. Coccidiosis impacts the small intestine of sheep and goats and may cause diarrhea (sometimes having blood or mucus), dehydration, fever, weight loss, anemia, wool breaking, and death. Therefore, it is important to prevent coccidia infection or treat animals immediately if infected. The use of plant extracts is a promising alternative for the chemical control of coccidia which can be used by both conventional and organic farmers. Hemp extract is one plant extract that may reduce coccidia load as its cannabinoid properties are known to reduce bacterial, viral, parasitic, and protozoal activity. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of hemp extract on the prevention of Eimeria spp. sporulation. To complete this study, four grams of fecal samples will be added to 30 ml of distilled water, ground to a slurry and then filtered using cheesecloth. The unsporulated oocysts will then be placed in 12-well plates in triplicate wells per treatment. The treatments will be divided into negative control, positive control, and hemp treatments at varying concentrations of extract. Wells will consist of 100µl of unsporulated oocysts, 100µl of 2% potassium dichromate, and 100 µl of distilled water (control) or 100 µl of sulfa drugs (positive control). The treatment wells will consist of 100µl of unsporulated oocysts, 100µl of 2% potassium dichromate, and varying concentrations of hemp extract (25µl, 50µl, 75µl, 100µl, 125µl, and 150µl). Plates will then be incubated for 48 hours at 4°C and then sporulated and unsporulated oocysts be observed and counted via microscopy. It is expected that hemp extract will have anticoccidial impacts on coccidia sporulation Funder Acknowledgment: This study was supported by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University.
Examining Differences in Water Quality and how it Affects Oyster Growth in Rehoboth Bay, DE Kevin Knight, Aaron Bland, Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay Rehoboth Bay, one of the three Delaware Inland Bays, is a site of recently implemented oyster aquaculture and oyster artificial reefs. Oyster aquaculture is the farming of oysters to eat and artificial reefs help restore the wild oyster population. Oysters, both wild and farmed, help filter nutrients in the water and provide habitat to fishes and invertebrates. Oysters in Rehoboth Bay may help manage the excessive nutrient pollution affecting the Bay. Water quality can affect oyster growth, but it is not clear whether water quality changes across the Bay. This information could help oyster farmers and conservation managers find the best areas for oysters to grow. The objectives of this project are to figure out if throughout the bay there are major differences in water quality and whether those differences may impact how oysters grow. To test the hypothesis that there would be significant differences in water quality across Rehoboth Bay, seven sites in Rehoboth Bay were visited approximately every two weeks, weather permitting, from July to November 2020. Sites were either an aquaculture site, artificial reef site or a control site without oysters. Water quality was determined using a YSI 556 multiprobe system, an AquaFluor Handheld Fluorometer, and a Global Water WQ770 Turbidimeter, taking three readings per site visit. Collected water samples were filtered through a pre-weighed filter to determine Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Temperature, TSS, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen were the main factors used to determine whether or not the hypothesis was correct. The data were averaged out for each site by each month. Four two-factor ANOVA tests were used to determine if there were significant differences in the parameters between the months and across sites. It was determined that, for each parameter, there was a significant difference by month and site. Differences between months were generally greater than those across sites. Based on literature values, it is unlikely that there would be significant differences in oyster growing suitability across the different sites. Funder Acknowledgment: Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Delaware State University
FIFTH ANNUAL DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH DAY | APRIL 13, 2022
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