Black soldier fly and yellow mealworm live larvae for broiler chickens: Effects on bird performance and health status

The commercial broiler chicken strains are the result of successful selection programmes. Most of the problems related to welfare arise from the high growth rate and body weight. The use of environmental enrichments in intensive farming could have a positive effect on birds by increasing animal welfare. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of Hermetia illucens (HI) and Tenebrio molitor (TM) live larvae in the diets of broiler chickens on growth performance, carcass yield and health status. A total of 180 four-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 18 pens. Each pen was assigned to one of the three dietary treatments (6 replicates/treatment, 10 birds/replicate) as follows: (i) control diet (C): commercial feed (two feeding phases: starter [4–11 days] and grower [12–38 days]), (ii) HI: C + 5% of the expected daily feed intake (DFI) HI live larvae (calculated on dry matter [DM]) and (iii) TM: C + 5% of DFI TM live larvae (DM). At 39 days of age, birds were slaughtered. Growth performance parameters were overall not affected by dietary treatments, except for the grower phase feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the overall FCR being better in the TM broilers than the others (p < 0.01). No differences were observed for slaughtering performance and haematological and serum parameters, except for the spleen relative weight being higher (p < 0.01) in the birds administered with larvae when compared to the C group. Gut morphometric indexes and histopathological alterations were not influenced by insect larvae administration. In conclusion, the administration in limited quantities of HI and TM live larvae as environmental enrichment has no negative effects on broiler chicken growth performance and health status. A behavioural study could confirm that live insect larvae represent a novel natural environmental enrichment in broiler farming.     

中兽医药技术是猪只康养最佳供给体系

在我国养猪业面临产品安全和环境污染两大瓶颈的情势下,如何使所生产的猪肉食用卫生,所排粪污环境安全,纯天然、无污染、广效低毒、绿色环保的中兽医药学为破解这两大瓶颈提供了技术支撑。充分发挥我国传统的中兽医药技术的特色和优势,构建以中兽医药为主体的猪只康养技术供给体系,旨在集生产管理"适其天性"、所喂药料"无污染"、治疗药物"纯天然"、预防措施治"未病"、治疗方法"和谐调节"和四季保健"药饲同源"于一体的技术供给体系,从源头上破解这两大难题,从而实现猪只康养,环境安全,猪肉安康,凸显出中兽医药是猪只康养的最佳供给体系。     

干旱矿区不同干扰强度下土壤种子库特征

土壤种子库是矿区植被恢复的重要因素,其特征在一定程度上反映了区域的植被恢复潜力。本研究通过样地调查和室内萌发法对乌海新星煤矿区3种不同干扰条件下的土壤种子库及与其地表植被之间的关系进行分析。结果表明:1)新星矿区土壤种子库共有18种植物,隶属于7科16属,物种生活型以多年生草本植物为主;2)新星矿区土壤种子库平均储量较小(226.51~739.17粒·m^?2),并且随着土层深度增加而呈递减趋势,其90%以上的种子储藏在0?10 cm的表层土壤;3)研究区土壤种子库植物与地上植被的共有物种数少,土壤种子库与地上植被的植物群落相似性较低;4)随着干扰强度的增大,种子库的植被恢复潜力呈现先增大后减少的趋势:道路周边受到中度干扰的自然植被区朝着有利的方向发展,而采矿周边受重度干扰的自然植被区会受到较大负面影响,其多样性以及与其他分区植物群落的相似性较小,种子密度显著降低(P<0.05)。     

我国柴油轿车的发展现状及展望

随着汽车工业的不断发展，轿车动力柴油化已成为行业发展的必然。总结了我国柴油轿车的发展现状，指出了柴油轿车的优势，论述了制约柴油轿车发展的因素，提出了促进柴油轿车未来发展的几点建议。     

The nearest-plant method is robust and powerful enough for different survey teams to monitor change in mesic grassland species composition

A long-term rangeland monitoring programme needs to employ a field survey technique that is practicable, precise, powerful enough to distinguish change, not prone to worker bias, and able to distinguish real change from operator error arising from staff turnover. These criteria were used to evaluate a widely used grassland sampling technique in South Africa – the nearest-plant (with 200 points) method (NP) – against common alternatives, namely NP excluding forbs (NP-nf), the plant number scale (PNS; a cover-abundance method) and quadrat frequency (QF), using multivariate ordination and permutation tests. Four trained teams surveyed four grasslands using each method. PNS took more than twice as long as the other techniques, which were similarly rapid. Estimates of composition using NP methods were the most precise and PNS was least repeatable, with QF intermediate. Compositional differences between sites were most finely distinguished using NP-nf, followed by NP and QF. PNS was able to detect only marked differences and had the greatest potential for surveyor bias. The NP method, with or without including forbs, is therefore recommended for monitoring the species composition of mesic, dense grassland. Some suggestions for monitoring agencies on how best to use multivariate methods are presented.     

Livestock grazing has minimal effect on the species richness and diversity of semi-arid shrubland in the Western Little Karoo,South Africa

The Succulent Karoo, one of two arid biodiversity hotspots in the world, is known for its high plant species richness, but little is known about the influence of topography and how it mediates the potentially deleterious effects of grazing. Changes in vegetation species composition, cover and species diversity were examined along piosphere gradients on northerly slopes, bottomlands and low-lying plains on 45 farms. Landscapes differed in the plant speciesand life-form composition, species richness and cover, with the more species-rich, heterogeneous grassy northerly slopes distinct from the plains and bottomlands, which were dominated by Pteronia pallens, Psilocaulon junceum and Drosanthenum spp. with more annual and ephemeral species. Overall, species richness declined linearly with decreasing rangeland condition. A weak grazing effect was detected only on the north-facing slopes, where shrubs and grass decreased with intense grazing. Years of overgrazing have resulted in the widespread dominance of P. pallens, especially on the plains and bottomlands, rendering them insensitive to grazing. The current condition of the northern slopes should be maintained and managed such that palatable species can spread to more degraded areas of the landscape.     

新疆喀什地区濒危物种裂盖马鞍菌生态因子调查

在2013～2015年期间,每年3月31日到5月28日,调查新疆喀什地区裂盖马鞍菌(Helvella leucopus)的发生情况和环境因子,持续3年调查结果表明:在胡杨林和毛白杨中均有子实体发生,裂盖马鞍菌子实体发生在土壤pH 8.0左右、有机质含量20～36 g/kg、全氮含量0.8～1.3 g/kg和速效钾含量189～293mg/kg的地区;野生子实体形成期的土壤温度5.0～26.4℃,空气湿度20％～35％,光照3000～8000 lux.     

Differences between primiparous and multiparous dairy cows in the inter-relationships between metabolic traits, milk yield and body condition score in the periparturient period

During the early postpartum period dairy cows mobilize fat and muscle to support lactation. This is associated with alterations in blood metabolite and hormone profiles which in turn influence milk yield and fertility. This study developed models to determine how metabolic traits, milk yield and body condition score were inter-related at different times in the periparturient period and to compare these relationships in primiparous (PP, n=188) and multiparous (MP, n=312) cows. Data from four previous studies which included information on blood metabolic parameters, parity, milk yield, body condition score and diet were collated into a single dataset. Coefficients of polynomial equations were calculated for each trait between -1 week pre-calving and week +7 postpartum using residual maximum likelihood modelling. The completed dataset was used in a multiple correlation model to determine how the best fit curves were related to each other over time. PP cows had higher concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I and lower beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations throughout, higher leptin concentrations pre-partum and both the peak in non-esterified fatty acids and the nadir in urea concentration occurred earlier after calving. These differences were associated with significantly lower milk production. Leptin concentrations fell at calving and were related to body condition score. Insulin was negatively correlated with yield in MP cows only. In MP cows the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-I and yield switched from negative to positive between weeks +4 and +7. Both beta-hydroxybutyrate and urea were positively related to yield in PP cows. In contrast, in MP cows beta-hydroxybutyrate was negatively correlated with yield and urea was strongly related to body condition score but not yield. These results suggest that there are differences in the control of tissue mobilization between PP and MP cows which may promote nutrient partitioning into growth as well as milk during the first lactation.     

Pre-partum monensin supplementation improves body reserves at calving and milk yield in Holstein cows dried-off with low body condition score

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a monensin controlled-release capsule administered intraruminally at drying-off on body condition score (BCS) at calving, milk yield, fertility and concentration of energy-related blood metabolites in Holstein cows dried-off with low BCS (< or = 3.0, scale 1 to 5 with a 0.25 point of increment). Between July and August, 2001, 220 cows from parity 2 or more and dried-off 50-70 days before expected parturition, with a BCS < or = 3.0 were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n=110; oral capsule of monensin releasing 335 mg/day for 95 days) or a control group (no capsule, n=110). At assignment, on day 21 before expected parturition, at calving, and at 7, 14, and 21 days in milk a blood sample was obtained from a random sub sample of 10 cows per group. Effects of monensin on serum NEFA, BHBA and glucose were measured. Milk yield, milk fat and protein content (%) at DHIA test days during the entire lactation, 305 ME milk production and reproductive responses were compared. Monensin significantly improved BCS at calving, increased milk yield at test days 4 and 8, decreased the percentage of milk protein, did not change the percentage of milk fat, and decreased NEFA and BHBA during the post-partum period.     

除草剂莠去津降解菌SFAD3的分离鉴定及其土壤修复潜力

为获得能够修复除草剂莠去津污染土壤的高效降解菌,采用摇瓶富集法、平板分离法从莠去津过量使用的土壤中分离得到降解菌SFAD3,通过形态学、生理生化特征观察以及16S rDNA和ITS序列分析进行种类鉴定,测定获得菌株的最适降解条件,并通过土壤接种和盆栽试验验证菌株对莠去津污染土壤的修复作用。结果表明,菌株SFAD3最终被鉴定为门多萨假单胞菌Pseudomonas mendocina,该菌株培养30 d时对污染土壤中50 mg/kg莠去津的降解率可达72.6%;菌株SFAD3在MM液体培养基中最适降解条件为温度37℃、pH 7、莠去津初始浓度6.25 mg/L、接种量2%,对莠去津降的降解率为50.0%～72.2%;与仅有莠去津的处理相比,添加有SFAD3发酵液的处理20 d后芝麻的株高、根长、湿重和干重能够显著恢复,并且该菌对芝麻还具有一定的促生作用。表明降解菌SFAD3在修复莠去津污染土壤方面具有潜在的应用价值。