Partial replacement of fishmeal with corn protein concentrate in diets for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Effects on growth performance,physiometabolic responses,and fillet quality

An 8‐week feeding trial was run to investigate the replacement of fishmeal with corn protein concentrate (CPC; Empyreal^®) in rainbow trou (100.5 ± 2.3 g) diet. Fishmeal was increasingly replaced with 0 (Control), 30 (CPC₃), 60 (CPC₆), 90 (CPC₉) and 120 (CPC₁₂) g/kg CPC. The results showed that the substitution of fishmeal with CPC up to 90 g/kg did not cause significant differences in the growth indices as compared to the control group, while further replacement resulted in the reduction of the growth performance. The fillet crude protein showed no significant difference between the control diet and diets containing up to 90 g/kg CPC (p > .05). Serum biochemical parameters such as albumin and glucose did not change notably, while the highest levels of alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase were seen in the CPC₁₂ group (p < .05). Also, serum lysozyme activity was increased with the elevation of dietary CPC up to 90 g/kg (p < .05). The redness and yellowness of the fillet were markedly elevated with the dietary incorporation of CPC (p < .05). Taken together, the optimum range of fishmeal substitution with CPC was 81.0–82.2 g/kg CPC in rainbow diet based on the broken‐line regression analysis.     

Investigating monthly precipitation variability using a multiscale approach based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition

Paddy and Water Environment - In environmental and hydrological studies, the issue of variability in precipitation is of great importance, particularly for regions situated in arid and semiarid...     

Interactive Effect of Fluorescent Pseudomonads Rhizobacteria and Zn on the Growth,Chemical Composition,and Water Relations of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Seedlings under NaCl Stress

The role of fluorescent pseudomonads isolates (pf₀, pf₁, pf₂, and pf₃) and zinc (Zn) (0 and 5 mg kg^?1 soil) interactions in alleviating salinity in pistachio seedlings were investigated. The experiment was conducted following completely randomized design with three replicates. The results revealed that salinity decreased the growth parameters, while application of PGPR (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) and Zn increased these parameters. Application of PGPR significantly enhanced phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), Zn, Ca/sodium (Na), and K/Na contents, while decreased the accumulation of Na and chloride (Cl). Application of PGPR and Zn increased the phenolic compounds, sucrose, membrane stability index (MSI), and relative water content (RWC) but reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) amount. A positive correlation was observed between Zn concentrations with seedling dry weights, phenolic compounds, MSI, and RWC contents. These results indicated that the combined application of PGPR and Zn could be a simple treatment for growth and establishment of pistachio seedlings under Zn deficiency and soil salinity.     

The Effect of Precipitation Amount and Atmospheric Concentrations on Wet Deposition Fluxes of Oxidized and Reduced Nitrogen Species in Connecticut

The effects of precipitation amount and atmospheric concentrations of inorganic nitrogen species on precipitationconcentrations and wet fluxes of oxidized and reduced nitrogen inConnecticut were studied for a period of 152 weeks (7 February,1997 through 31 December, 1999). The annual volume weighted mean(VWM) concentration in precipitation of oxidized and reducednitrogen varied with precipitation amount between sites andyears. To investigate the effect of varying precipitation amountand mean monthly temperatures on concentrations of inorganicnitrogen species in precipitation, the precipitation events wereclassified into seven groups and each year was divided into twowarm and cold sampling periods. Increasing precipitation amounthad a substantial decreasing effect on the VWM concentration ofnitrate and ammonium ions in precipitation. The highest VWMconcentrations of oxidized and reduced nitrogen in precipitationwere found in the lower weekly precipitation range of 0 to 0.5 cm. The results of this study indicated that precipitationamount was one of the main factors affecting volume weighted meanconcentrations and fluxes of oxidized and reduced nitrogen. Chemical composition of inorganic nitrogen species in theatmosphere showed that during warm and cold sampling periodsreduced nitrogen was the predominant atmospheric specie, andoxidized nitrogen was the predominant wet specie in precipitationat all sampling sites.     

Prunus arabica (Olivier) Meikle,an important genetic resource for breeding of almond: morphological and pomological characterizations

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Phenotypic variation of 75 accessions of wild Prunus arabica (Olivier) Meikle species was assessed. There were significant variations among the accessions...     

Evaluation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aloe vera</Emphasis> Gel as an Alternative Edible Coating for Peach Fruits During Cold Storage Period

Application of bio-based edible coatings, which are in line with sustainable agriculture practices, has been a hot topic in recent years. In order to evaluate the effect of Aloe vera L. gel coating, on the store ability of peach fruits, a 30-day postharvest experiment with 10-day sampling intervals was performed. A. vera gel coating had significant positive effects on the weight loss, color change, and sensory evaluation. The amount of weight loss, color change, Total Soluble Solids (TSS) and Titratable Acidity (TA) in coating was lower than control. Furthermore, our results showed that A. vera gel coating can enhance visual properties, and could also lead in more favourable taste and texture. Regarding the obtained results, it can be suggested that A. vera gel coating can enhance the qualitative and quantitative post-harvest traits of fruits, hence, it could be a suitable alternative for chemicals preservative in commercial storage of peach fruits.     

Application of response surface methodology for evaluating particleboard properties made from cotton stalk particles

High-quality wood resource scarcity as well as population growth and demand of wood have encouraged the use of alternative sources of lignocellulosic materials. In this study, the possibility of producing particleboard from waste cotton stalks is evaluated. The effects of the independent variables included weight ratio of melamine-formaldehyde to urea-formaldehyde, shelling ratio and the percentage of cotton stalks to poplar in the core layer were analyzed in the form of response surface methodology based on second-order multiple linear regression model. The results showed that there was perfect agreement between the estimated values and observed data, as with an increase in the ratio of melamine-formaldehyde resin to urea-formaldehyde, shelling ration and amount of poplar in the core layer of panels, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity and internal bonding increase. The optimal point of use of investigated variables included 18.30% melamine-formaldehyde, 30.35% thickness of the surface layers and 10.70% of poplar in the core layer.     

Projected impacts of global warming on cropping calendar and water requirement of maize in a humid climate

In this research, the influence of climate change on maize cultivation was investigated and then, the possible solutions for adopting this natural hazard in the coasts of Caspian Sea in Iran was assessed. Weather data were generated for the 2011–2100 period using a statistical downscaling model under different climatic scenarios. Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was calculated using a Neuro-fuzzy inference system. Cop water requirement was calculated by multiplying ETo by crop coefficients. Increased cardinal temperatures during 2011–2100 led to shifting in the planting date backward by 10–26 days. In addition, the projected global warming has a considerable effect on the duration of the vegetative growth stage resulting in earlier harvesting. However, the duration of the reproductive stage is less affected. Despite the obvious reduction in the length of the growing season, crop water requirement will increase by 10.6–15.3% in the future due to 1.64–28.4% increase in ETo. However, changing the cultivation time may lead to 11.2–264.5 m³ ha^?1 water saving during the whole cropping cycle through affecting both ETo and the crop growth cycle. This result demonstrates that management of the maize cropping calendar can be an effective way to achieve sustainable agriculture under future climate conditions in the study area.     

Investigating impact of converging training walls of the ogee spillways on hydraulic performance

Paddy and Water Environment - Due to their economical and structural aspects, ogee-crested spillways can be constructed and operated in a wide variety of situations. In this study, a...