Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

不同蛋白质水平代乳粉对牦犊牛体重及血清生化指标的影响

为探究西藏地区牦牛代乳粉哺育犊牛的适宜蛋白质水平,本试验以藏区高山牦牛为研究对象,研究不同蛋白水平对哺乳期牦犊牛的体重和血清学指标的影响,以筛选出蛋白质水平最佳的代乳粉。选取40头新生当雄县牦犊牛,随机分为4组(n=10):对照组犊牛随母牦牛哺乳(CON),试验组犊牛分别饲喂蛋白水平为21.95%低蛋白组(LP)、24.28%中蛋白组(MP)和26.11%高蛋白组(HP)3种牦牛代乳品。饲喂时间为犊牛30～90d日龄,期间跟踪测定犊牛体重,并分别在30、60和90d日龄采集血清进行分析。结果表明:饲喂3种代乳粉的犊牛体重均显著高于对照组(P0.001),120d日龄时HP组犊牛体重达到最高值;3种代乳粉对犊牛血清抗氧化指标和免疫指标产生一定的影响,其中HP组谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性有高于LP组的趋势(0.05P0.1),且HP组丙二醛含量及肿瘤坏死因子a较其他3组低,而免疫球蛋白(IgG、IgM)及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、丙氨酸氨基转移酶、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶活性均较其他3组高。综合分析显示在西藏地区蛋白水平为26%的牦牛代乳粉饲喂哺乳期牦犊牛的效果较好。     

Seed growth of three perennial ryegrass cultivars sown on two dates and treated with trinexapac ethyl straw shortener

First‐year crops of diploid perennial ryegrass (cvs. Meridian, Bronsyn and Grasslands Impact) were sown on 1 April and 14 May 2008. Applications of trinexapac ethyl (TE) plant growth regulator at 0, 200 and 400 g a.i. ha^?1 were used to shorten stems to examine the impact of seed growth. Seed filling followed a consistent sigmoidal growth pattern with a lag phase of 127°C days, and linear duration of 390°C days. Time to 95% of final seed weight was 517°C days. Seed yield increases from TE were from higher numbers of first‐grade seeds m^?2, achieved by a higher rate of seed filling during the linear phase of 0·115 mg per °C day per spike. For all cultivars, the maximum stem dry weight occurred at 310–400°C days post‐anthesis, which suggest the stem was a strong sink. As seeds developed, their demand for assimilate increased and they drew more from the stem. At harvest, stem weights from TE treatments were 25% heavier than at anthesis, while untreated ‘Bronsyn’ and ‘Grasslands Impact’ stems were similar to those at anthesis. Thus, stems treated with TE contributed assimilates to increase seed yield but were still a net sink with assimilates in the stem at harvest. Trinexapac ethyl rate induced an inverse relationship between seed yield and stem height. This showed that competition for assimilate between stems and growing seeds limited the seed yield. Management or genetic factors that reduce stem height are likely to increase seed yields of perennial ryegrass.     

不同密肥条件下通粳981产量构成因子分析

[目的]探明不同生产条件下穗数、粒数、粒重对产量的影响。[方法]对通粳981在不同密度和肥料条件下形成的产量及其构成因子进行回归、相关和通径分析。[结果]穗数、粒数和粒重对产量均有极显著的增产效应,其增产效应从大到小依次为穗数、粒数、粒重,其中穗数对产量起主要作用;但在基本苗较多或施N量较大的情况下,穗数和粒数的增产作用都很重要。[结论]农业生产中可针对不同生产栽培条件,从产量构成因子中明确主攻目标,合理制定栽培技术措施,提高产量。     

Long-Term and Immediate Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Chronic Lameness in the Horse: A Pilot Study

The effects of whole body vibration (WBV) in horses with chronic lameness were evaluated in an experimental, single subject, repeated measure design. To assess the long-term effect of WBV, eight horses not previously exposed to WBV were subject to WBV, 30 minutes twice daily, five days a week, for 60 days in addition to their regular exercise routine. Lameness was assessed subjectively and objectively 30 days before the start, at the start and 30 and 60 days after the start of the treatment (WBV). The immediate effect of WBV was assessed in four horses accustomed to WBV, by comparing lameness before and within 30 minutes of a single 30-minute WBV session at four different time intervals. Change in lameness was sought using paired t tests on the kinematic data. A P-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. Intraindividual change was sought using a subjective and objective scoring system. No statistically significant change in lameness was seen after 30 or 60 days of WBV, respectively, in the chronically lame horses not previously exposed to WBV. However, a trend toward improvement was observed after the first 30 days of WBV, but this improvement appeared to be lost during the second 30 days of WBV. Although a statistically significant worsening of front limb lameness was seen immediately after a single 30-minute WBV session in the chronically lame horses accustomed to WBV, this result was largely attributed to a very significant worsening of the front limb lameness in one horse within that group.     

福瑞鲤选育家系不同养殖阶段的生长差异分析

为了进一步观察最佳线性无偏预测(best linear unbiased prediction,BLUP)家系选育方法在福瑞鲤(Cyprinus carpio)继代选育中的潜力,该研究测量了继续选育第2代家系群体不同养殖阶段的体质量和形态性状。结果表明,生长快速家系群福瑞鲤早期(4月龄)生长速度较慢,到后期则生长加快,其体质量增长表现出明显的优势。在体型方面,随着养殖时间的延长,福瑞鲤各选育家系群的体厚/体长增加,体高/体长降低,逐渐呈现其体型修长的特征;同时2个越冬期的成活率均达到了94%以上。结果表明通过BLUP家系选育对福瑞鲤长期选育是可行的。在此基础上,通过主成分分析发现,福瑞鲤生长性状第一主成分是体质量;对不同生长时期的体质量进行相关性分析,发现9月龄、14月龄、21月龄鱼的体质量与24月龄的相关系数均达到极显著水平(P0.01),分别为0.851、0.897和0.957。因此,在福瑞鲤继续选育过程中,进行早期个体选择值得尝试。     

Kernel vitreousness and protein content: Relationship,interaction and synergistic effects on durum wheat quality

Four sets of durum samples were used in this study to further understand the interrelationships among hard vitreous kernels (HVK), protein content, and pigment concentration, with a focus on the interaction and synergistic effects of protein content and vitreousness on durum quality. HVK level increases with higher protein content in the range of 9.5–12.5%, but this relationship is less evident in durum samples with high protein content (12.5–14.5%). Both protein content and kernel vitreousness can significantly affect durum milling quality. White starchy kernels (WSK) in low protein durum have a very detrimental impact on milling and pasta processing quality, but high protein content can mitigate the adverse impact of WSK on durum quality. Although protein content plays a dominant role, higher HVK might contribute positively to pasta firmness. There was no significant difference in yellow pigment content between HVK and WSK. However, pigment loss from semolina to dough was higher for WSK than HVK. Despite the difference in protein content, HVK and WSK have little difference in gluten strength. The monomeric protein was preferentially accumulated in HVK. The glutenin proteins of HVK and WSK were similar in the ratios of 1Bx/1By and HMW/LMW-GS.     

Effect of l‐ascorbyl‐2‐polyphosphate supplementation on growth performance,body composition,antioxidative capacity and salinity stress tolerance of juvenile Pacific white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of ascorbic acid (AsA), in the form of l ‐ascorbyl‐2‐polyphosphate (LAPP) on growth performance, body composition, antioxidative capacity and salinity stress tolerance of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Five practical diets (46% crude protein and 7.6% lipid) supplemented with graded levels of AsA (14.64, 48.55, 84.98, 308.36 and 639.27 mg kg^?1 diet) were fed to five replicate groups of L. vannamei (mean initial wet weight 0.57 g). No significant differences were found on growth performance among all treatments. However, whole body lipid content significantly decreased with dietary AsA levels increasing. Activities of total antioxidant capacity, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly affected by dietary AsA levels. Shrimp fed LAPP‐free diet had higher malondialdehyde content than those fed the diets supplemented with LAPP. Dietary AsA levels higher than 308.36 mg kg^?1 diet increased the survival of shrimps after 1, 2 and 3 h of acute salinity change. Broken‐line regression analysis on survival after 3 h of salinity stress and second‐degree polynomial regression analysis on glutathione reductase data indicated that the optimal dietary AsA requirement of L. vannamei was estimated to be 306.39, 319.75 mg kg^?1 diet respectively.     

Effects of starvation,subsequent feeding and photoperiod on flesh quality in farmed cod (Gadus morhua)

The study was designed to investigate the effect of four cycles of 5 weeks starvation followed by 10‐week refeeding compared with daily feeding under either natural photoperiod or continuous light (LL) regime on body composition and flesh quality in Atlantic cod in sea cages, northern Norway. The fish were sampled for body composition and flesh quality parameters at the start of the trial, twice at the end of a 10‐week feeding period and twice at the end of a 5‐week starvation period. There was effect of both feeding and light regime on growth, the two starving groups losing weight during starvation and regaining weight during refeeding, and the group under LL being heavier. But, the mean overall growth did not vary between groups. Starvation/refeeding regime resulted in higher slaughter yield, but no overall effect was seen on hepatosomatic index, water content, water holding capacity (WHC), muscle pH, hardness or flesh colour compared with control groups. Continuous light increased gutted weight and slaughter yield, lowered WHC and depressed maturation compared with fish under natural light regime. Increased growth rate resulted in softer fillets and lower muscle pH.