Effects of seed pre-soaking on the emergence and early growth of containerized Norway spruce seedlings

To study the effects of seed soaking on seedling emergence and development in Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] two commercial seed lots were soaked for 15 h in aerated water. After soaking, floating and sunken seeds were separated and analyzed prior to being sown in peat-filled containers. Seedling development was followed for one growing season. All sunken seeds were viable according to radiography whereas the floating seeds contained a considerable number of larvae filled and empty seeds. Mean time of emergence of the sunken seeds was approximately 1.5 days shorter than control (i.e. dry) seeds and floating seeds. Soaking had no effect on the time taken for most germinants to emerge in both seed lots, thus failing to synchronize seedling emergence. The later a seedling would emerge, the more likely it was for it to die during the growing season or to be culled at the end of the growing season. Soaking had an inconsistent effect on stem diameter at the end of the growing season and no effect on stem or root biomass. Seedling size uniformity was equal in all treatments. This study suggests that soaking and seed sorting does not guarantee a more uniform seedling crop, but this technique may be useful in upgrading poor quality seed lots of Norway spruce containing a high number of empty or larva infested seeds.     

Serum Vitamin E Concentration of Horses on Different Vitamin E Supplementation Levels

Abstract

The influence of vitamin E supplementation on blood serum vitamin E concentration as well as the seasonal variation of serum vitamin concentration was investigated. Forty horses were divided into a control and three vitamin E supplementation (experimental) groups. The levels of the vitamin E supplementation in the three experimental groups were 1, 3 or 5 mg/kg body weight (bwt) per day. The vitamin was dosed orally. The supplementation was started either at the beginning or in the middle of the indoor (winter) feeding period. There was seasonal variation in the serum vitamin E content; the serum vitamin concentration increased during the grazing and decreased during the indoor feeding period. The basal feeding and a daily supplement of 1 mg/kg bwt were not adequate to maintain or increase the serum vitamin E concentration during the indoor feeding period in an exercising horse. The minimum daily intake of vitamin E would seem to be greater than 1.5 mg/kg bwt. It is suggested that a daily supplement of 3 to 5 mg/kg bwt may be required by horses in training to increase the serum vitamin E levels. This amounts to 1500–2500 mg/day for a horse weighing 500 kg. Supplementation should be started at the beginning of the indoor feeding period.     

Factors associated with suckling piglet average daily gain

Low piglet weight at weaning implies a loss of income for the farmer and might influence the welfare of the affected animals negatively. The objective of our cohort study was to identify risk factors in the farrowing section associated with average daily weight gain (ADG) of piglets from birth to weaning. The study was done in 3 Danish farrow-to-finish herds and included 581 sows, 277 pens, 814 farrowings, and 8241 piglets. The data were analysed with a linear mixed model where the response was ADG, and sow and litter were random effects. Piglet treatments for arthritis (-38 g per day), diarrhoea (-8 g per day) and other infections (-21 g per day) were the major infectious contributors to lower ADG. Forelimb-skin abrasions on a piglet (-5 g per day), weak pasterns of sows on concrete slats (-34 g per day), suckling a sow with poor milking 3 weeks after farrowing (-14 g per day), low birth weight (-8.4 g per day per 100 g), male compared to female (-4 g per day) also were associated with lower ADG in the suckling period.     

Acid products adsorbed in diatomaceous earth beneficially influence the microbial environment in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets post-weaning

The effect of two acid products, CH01-141 and CH01-186 on the microbial ecosystem and on survival of the diarrhoea causing E. coli O149:K88 in the gastrointestinal tract of newly weaned four-week-old piglets was investigated. The results showed that piglets fed with the CH01-141 and CH01-186 products had a significantly lower pH and significantly higher concentration of lactic acid in the distal small intestine as compared with piglets fed the control diet without any acid product. The CH01-141 product also tended to increase the number of lactobacilli in the small intestine and decreased the number of yeasts throughout the gastrointestinal tract as compared with the control group. Besides this, the in vitro survival rate of E. coli O149:K88 tended to be lower in content from the distal small intestine of the CH01-141 fed piglets. In conclusion, the acid products, especially CH01-141, may have a beneficial effect on diminishing pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli O149:K88, and thus improving gut health of piglets around weaning.     

An overview of salmon trout aquaculture in Finland

Abstract

In this case study, we describe the evolution of Finnish salmon trout aquaculture; how salmon trout farming grew as a vital industry, how Finland became the world's leading producer of salmon trout, and how the opening of markets to international competition led to a decline of the industry. The focus is on the continuous interaction between the changing market situation and production decisions. The study reveals the impact of national environmental policy on the competitiveness of the industry. At the moment, the industry is undergoing major structural changes; production has moved to neighbouring countries, and the value chain is concentrated. In future, closer interaction and co‐operation between the actors along the entire fish value chain will be the key factors for success.     

The effect of scalping on seedling establishment after seed tree cutting of Scots pine stands in drained peatlands in northern Finland

We studied the establishment of natural seedlings after seed tree cutting and scalping in two drained Scots pine peatland stands in northern Finland (Simo and Sievi). Approximately, 50?ha^?1 of Scots pine stems were retained on both sites. During the six subsequent years, five seedling surveys were conducted. The effect of site preparation was analysed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). The mean density of pine seedlings increased more quickly in the scalped plots and was ca. 1.1?m^?2 after six years compared to 0.87?m^?2 in the non-scalped plots, on average. Scalping increased the number of pine seedlings 2-fold compared to that in non-treated plots in Simo, however, in Sievi non-treated plots had 30% higher pine seedling density after six years. Downy birch seedling density was 9–10-fold compared to that of non-treated plots in both sites. In terms of seedling density, seed tree cutting led to satisfactory pine regeneration after just two growing seasons in drained pine peatlands, even without scalping. Scalping significantly increased the number of pine seedlings, but it also enhanced the germination of birch seedlings strongly.     

Meat colour,fatty acid profile and carcass characteristics of Hereford bulls finished on grazed pasture or grass silage-based diets with similar concentrate allowance

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of grazed grass (PAS bulls) and grass silage-based (UB bulls) diets on muscle colour, intramuscular fatty acid composition and carcass characteristics of Hereford bulls with similar concentrate allowances, ages, growth rates and carcass weights. The carcass fat score of the UB bulls was 14% higher than that of the PAS bulls (P < 0.05). Muscle lightness was 5%, redness 5% and yellowness 8% higher in the UB bulls than in the PAS bulls (P < 0.05). The Longissimus muscle (LM) of the UB bulls contained a higher proportion of 14:1 and 16:0 fatty acids compared to that of the PAS bulls (P < 0.05). In contrast, the LM of the PAS bulls contained a higher proportion of 18:3n-3 fatty acid and 18:2 cis-9 trans-11 CLA compared to that of the UB bulls (P < 0.01). There were no differences in saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid or polyunsaturated fatty acid proportions of the LM muscle between treatments.     

Degradation of HMW Glutenins During Wheat Sourdough Fermentations

Bakeries use sourdoughs to improve bread properties such as flavor and shelf life. The degradation of gluten proteins during fermentation may, however, crucially alter the gluten network formation. We observed changes that occurred in the HMW glutenins during wheat sourdough fermentations. As fermentation starters, we used either rye sourdough or pure cultures of lactobacilli and yeast. In addition, we incubated wheat flour (WF) in the presence of antibiotics under different pH conditions. The proteolytic activities of cereal and sourdough‐derived proteinases were studied with edestin and casein. During sourdough fermentations, most of the highly polymerized HMW glutenins degraded. A new area of alcohol‐soluble proteins (≈30.000 MW) appeared as a result of the proteolytic breakdown of gluten proteins. Very similar changes were observable as WF was incubated in the presence of antibiotics at pH 3.7. Cereal and sourdough‐derived proteinases hydrolyzed edestin at pH 3.5 but showed no activity at pH 5.5. An aspartic proteinase inhibitor (pepstatin A) arrested 88–100% of the activities of sourdough enzymes. According to these results, the most active proteinases in wheat sourdoughs were the cereal aspartic proteinases. Acidic conditions present in sourdoughs create an ideal environment for cereal aspartic proteinases to be active against gluten proteins.     

Frost hardiness of nutrient-loaded two-year-old <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis> seedlings in autumn and at the end of freezer storage

The effects of nutrient loading (NLOAD) on the frost hardening and dehardening of Picea abies (L.) Karst. seedlings were investigated under nursery conditions. Before NLOAD, second-year container seedlings were either short-day (SD) treated for 3 weeks in July or left for the natural photoperiod (CO). By mid-September, after 5 weeks of NLOAD, the fertilization of three foliar nutrient concentration levels (low = L-SD, medium = M-SD, and high = H-SD) for the SD-treated seedlings and one (medium = M-CO) for the CO-seedlings was completed. The NLOAD resulted in foliar nitrogen concentration 10.6, 16.1, 22.3, and 17.5 g kg⁻¹ for L-SD, M-SD, H-SD and M-CO seedlings, respectively. The NLOAD had no effects on the morphology or dry mass variables of the seedlings, while SD-treatment reduced the dry mass of shoots, but not that of roots. The frost hardiness (FH) of different batches of the seedlings was assessed by the visual scoring of damage in their needles, stems and buds after their controlled exposure to freezing during frost hardening and dehardening. The low nutrient concentration in the SD-treated seedlings (L-SD seedlings) resulted in poor FH, to an even lower extent than that of the M-CO seedlings. The NLOAD did not affect the dehardening of the seedlings at the end of the freezer storage in the following spring.     

Characterization of Oat Endoproteinases that Hydrolyze Oat Avenins

During oat seed germination, the insoluble storage proteins must be solubilized and transported to the embryo for use by the developing plantlet. We showed earlier that pH 6.2 active serine and metalloproteinases were the predominant gelatin‐hydrolyzing enzymes of oats, while the oat globulins were degraded by pH 3.8 active cysteine proteases. The pH of the endosperms of germinating oats is 6.2. We have continued our characterization of the germinated oat proteinases by determining which hydrolyze avenins, the oat storage prolamins. Avenins of resting seeds were purified and hydrolyzed with proteinases that were extracted from oat seeds that were germinated for various periods. The peptides released were analyzed using SDS‐PAGE. The α‐avenins were hydrolyzed at pH 3.8 by cysteine proteinases from four‐day germinated seeds and the β‐avenins were hydrolyzed by similar enzymes from eight‐day germinated seeds. At pH 6.2 or pH 5.0, the avenins were not degraded by any of the germinated oats endoproteinases. It is probable that some kind of pH compartmentalization occurs within germinating oat seed. After four days of germination, either new proteinases form or some preexisting proteinases are activated. The cysteine proteinases are apparently responsible for the majority of the storage protein hydrolysis that occurs during oat germination.