Effect of nitrogen root zone fertilization on rice yield,uptake and utilization of macronutrient in lower reaches of Yangtze River,China

Improper application of nitrogen (N) has led to high N losses and low N use efficiency in the lower reaches of Yangtze River in China. An effective method to solve such problems is the deep fertilized N in root zone (RZF). Limited information is available on the effect of RZF on the uptake of macronutrients (N, P and K) and rice yield. Field experiments, conducted from 2014 to 2015, compared the farmer fertilizer practice (FFP, with 225 kg ha^?1 of N, split into three doses) and RZF using the same rate but placing N 5 cm away from rice roots in holes 10 cm deep (RZF10) or 5 cm deep (RZF5) as a single application. The highest mean yield (10.0 t ha^?1) was obtained in RZF10, which was 19.5% more than that in FFP. Root zone fertilization of urea (whether 10 cm deep or 5 cm deep) resulted in greater accumulation of N, P and K in stem, leaf sheaths, leaf blades and grains compared to that in FFP in sandy and in loam soils. The uptake of N, P and K was the highest in RZF10 (average at 176.7, 66.2 and 179.1 kg ha^?1, respectively), higher than that in FFP by 45.0, 17.0 and 22.6%, respectively. N apparent recovery efficiency was markedly higher in RZF10 (53.1%) than in FFP (27.5%). RZF10 significantly increased the N, P, K uptake compared with FFP under different N rates in both sandy and loam soils. These results suggest that the N, P and K input amount should be re-determined under RZF.     

Embodied Resources in Fish and Shrimp Feeds

Global averages were obtained for amounts of energy, land, water, wildfish, nitrogen, and phosphorus embodied in aquaculture feed ingredients. These data allowed amounts of these embodied resources to be calculated for typical feed formulations for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus; hybrid catfish, I. punctatus♀ × I. furcatus♂; Vietnamese catfish, Pangasius spp.; Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar; rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss; tilapia, Oreochromis spp.; whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei; and black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Embodied resource use per m.t. of feed varied among species: energy, 4.90–12.48 GJ/m.t.; land, 0.082–0.312 ha/m.t.; water, 502–1227 m³/m.t.; wildfish, 0–2880 kg/m.t.; nitrogen, 3.08–8.63 kg/m.t.; phosphorus, 1.16–5.62 kg/m.t. These calculations did not account for variations in site‐specific factors related to embodied resources and feed composition and use. But they suggest that reducing feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 0.1 unit for the seven species (species groups) could potentially reduce feed use by around 1.1 million tonne (Mt) while conserving 9.8 million GJ of energy, 270,000 ha of agricultural land, 1.4 billion m³ of freshwater, and 1.24 Mt of wildfish. Reduction of the FCR is a powerful means of lessening farm‐level production costs and negative impacts of feed production and use.     

Evaluation of mechanical properties of jute/glass/carbon fibers reinforced hybrid composites

A study on the tensile and flexural properties of jute-glass-carbon fibers reinforced epoxy hybrid composites in inter-ply configuration is presented in this paper. Test specimens were manufactured by hand lay-up process and their tensile and flexural properties were obtained. The effects of the hybridization, different fibers content and plies stacking sequence on the mechanical properties of the tested hybrid composites were investigated. Two-parameter Weibull distribution function was used to statistically analyze the experimental results. The failure probability graphs for the tested composites were drawn. These graphs are important tools for helping the designers to understand and choose the suitable material for the required design and development. Results showed that the hybridization process can potentially improve the tensile and flexural properties of jute reinforced composite. The flexural strength decreases when partial laminas from a carbon/epoxy laminate are replaced by glass/epoxy or jute/epoxy laminas. Also, it is realized that incorporating high strength fibers to the outer layers of the composite leads to higher flexural resistance, whilst the order of the layers doesn’t affect the tensile properties.     

Silage and total mixed ration hygienic quality on commercial farms: implications for animal production

Implications of silage hygienic quality for animal production were investigated on forty‐five dairy farms in South West England. Samples of grass and maize silages and of total mixed rations (TMR) were obtained together with information on silage technology, herd size and animal production. Samples were analysed for mycotoxins, bacteria, yeasts, moulds and chemical composition. Thirteen mycotoxins were assayed, but none were detected in the samples of grass silage. However, mycotoxins were found in 0·9 of all maize and other silage samples, with deoxynivalenol and zearalenone predominating. There was no relationship between total mycotoxin concentration and mean lactation milk yield per cow. Enterobacteria counts tended to be higher in maize silage than in grass silage and higher still in TMR – a cause for concern. There were no relationships between mould counts and mycotoxin concentrations in silages, implying that mycotoxins may have been produced in the field pre‐ensiling.     

Evaluation of Particle Size Influence on Proximate Composition,Physicochemical, Techno-Functional and Physio-Functional Properties of Flours Obtained from Persimmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Diospyros kaki</Emphasis> Trumb.) Coproducts

The aim of the work was to study the influence of particle size in the composition, physicochemical, techno-functional and physio-functional properties of two flours obtained from persimmon (Diospyros kaki Trumb. cvs. ‘Rojo Brillante’ (RBF) and ‘Triump’ (THF) coproducts. The cultivar (RBF and THF) and particle size significantly affected all parameters under study, although depending on the evaluated property, only one of these effects predominated. Carbohydrates (38.07–46.98 g/100 g) and total dietary fiber (32.07–43.57 g/100 g) were the main components in both flours (RBF and THF). Furthermore, insoluble dietary fiber represented more than 68% of total dietary fiber content. All color properties studied were influenced by cultivar and particle size. For both cultivars, the lower particle size, the higher lightness and hue values. RBF flours showed high values for emulsifying activity (69.33–74.00 mL/mL), while THF presented high values for water holding capacity (WHC: 9.47–12.19 g water/g sample). The bile holding capacity (BHC) and fat/oil binding values were, in general, higher in RBF (19.61–12.19 g bile/g sample and 11.98–9.07, respectively) than THF (16.12–12.40 g bile/g sample and 9.78–7.96, respectively). The effect of particle size was really evident in both WHC and BHC. Due to their dietary fiber content, techno-functional and physio-functional properties, persimmon flours seem to have a good profile to be used as potential functional ingredient.     

Improvement of ink-jet printing performances using β-cyclodextrin forming inclusion complex on cotton fabric

Cotton fabric was modified with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) forming inclusion complex to yield color strength, pattern sharpness, and color fastness for ink-jet printing. The modified cotton fabric was confirmed with the presence of new strong absorption peaks around 1713 cm^-1 and 1243 cm^-1 in FT-IR. β-CD had been covalently grafted on cotton fabric via the esterification reaction of citric acid (CTR) with cellulose and β-CD. The results indicated that printing performances of the ink-jet printed fabric were enhanced through β-CD modification. The K/S value was enhanced from 4.21 to 6.72, the width of printed line was decreased from 1.48 mm to 1.25 mm, and the color fastness was improved to 3-4 level. These improvements were due to the truncated cone structure of β-CD, which can form inclusions with water-based pigment. Meanwhile, the crease recovery performance was also improved with the aid of CTR. A comparison between the unmodified and modified cotton fabric suggested that the crease recovery angle of β-CD modified cotton fabric was increased by 25.0 % in the warp direction. Therefore, printing performance and crease recovery performance of β-CD modified and water-based pigment printed cotton fabric were enhanced remarkably.     

一种面向育种家的新型台式棉籽脱绒机

正棉籽酸脱绒会危害育种家人身安全和潜在环境。需要1种无需用酸,能有效去除棉短绒且对棉种萌发无不利影响的脱绒方法。为了优化棉籽机械脱绒流程,美国农业部农业研究中心(USDA-ARS)棉花生产与加工部门(Lubbock,Texas)研发创制了一台棉籽机械脱绒样机(图1,图2)。测试设计了应用7种滚筒衬垫(1种是不用任何研磨材料,其余6种分别采用不同的研磨材料)、1个或2个辊刷"擦