Effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake,digestibility, chewing,and performance of Holstein dairy cows

To investigate the effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance, nine lactating Holstein dairy cows (day in milk= 100±21 d; body weight=645.7 ± 26.5 kg) were allotted to a 3 × 3 Latin square design at three 23-d periods. The three treatments included 34.91% (B), 18.87% (BC), and 18.86% (BB) barley that in treatment B was partially replaced with only corn or corn plus beet pulp in treatments BC and BB, respectively. The concentration of starch and neutral detergent soluble carbohydrate varied (22.2, 20.2, and 14.5; 13.6, 15.9, and 20.1% of DM in treatments B, BC, and BB, respectively). Cows in treatment BB showed a higher DMI and improved digestibility of DM, NDF, and EE compared with treatments B or BC. Ruminal pH was higher in cows fed on BB (6.83) compared with those that received B or BC treatments (6.62 and 6.73, respectively). A lower proportion of propionate accompanied the higher pH in the BB group; however, a greater proportion of acetate and acetate: propionate ratio was observed compared with cows fed either on the B or BC diet. Moreover, cows fed on the BB diet showed the lowest ruminal passage rate and longest ruminal and total retention time. Eating time did not differ among treatments, rumination time was greater among cows fed on the BB diet compared with the others, whereas total chewing activity was greater than those fed on BC, but similar to those fed on B. The treatments showed no effect on milk yield. Partially replacing barley with corn or beet pulp resulted in an increase in milk fat and a lower protein concentration. Changing dietary NFC with that of a different degradability thus altered intake, chewing activity, ruminal environment, retention time or passage rate, and lactation performance. The results of this study showed that beet pulp with a higher NDF and a detergent-soluble carbohydrate or pectin established a more consistent ruminal mat than barley and corn, thus resulting in higher mean retention time and chewing activity, whereas no changes in 3.5% FCM and milk fat were observed.     

Evaluating Beech Tree Phenology in a Deciduous Broadleaf Forest in Northern Iran Using Ground Observation and MODIS Images

We selected 15 beech trees (Fagus orientalis) from the study area in a mountainous region from 520 to 1310 m above sea level. Ground observations of the beech tree growth process from January to December 2004 in 7- to 15-day intervals were performed both visually and by measuring leaf chlorophyll concentration (chlorophyll meter SPAD-502). Results for the regression analysis showed that the leaved period positively correlated with the air temperature (r?=?.894). Anthesis and SPAD measurements have a negative relationship with air temperature and as temperature increases they appear earlier in the year. Anthesis and SPAD measurements had correlation coefficients of r?=??.883 and r?=??.855, respectively. The anthesis and bud bursting and leaf tip appearance have a negative relationship with increasing altitude from sea level and as altitude increases they appear later in the year. To make phenological events in deciduous broadleaf forests recognizable, we used a seasonal 8-day composite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer/Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (MODIS/NDVI). Prior to leaf expansion, NDVI increased from the 109th day of the year or earlier. Existence of the evergreen plants (Ruscus hyrcanus) on the ground and snow-melting exert an influence on inconsistency of phenology monitoring of MODIS/NDVI images. Regression analysis showed that there is a positive relationship between NDVI and SPAD measurements (chlorophyll content) in beech trees.     

Application of the consolidated species concept to identify the causal agent of strawberry anthracnose in Iran and initial molecular dating of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum acutatum</Emphasis> species complex

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. is one of main strawberry diseases worldwide. The disease recently arrived in Iran and become epidemic in the Kurdistan province. A combination of morphological, molecular and pathogen-host interaction approaches (referred to the consolidated species concept) were applied to isolates from symptomatic strawberry tissues collected in Iran. Multi-gene phylogenetic analysis based on ITS-rDNA, beta-tubulin (TUB2) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) identified the species as the S5 clade of Colletotrichum nymphaeae. No significant intraspecies variation was observed in terms of morphology and pathogenicity. No significant genetic variation was observed among the isolates using inter simple sequence repeat analysis (ISSR) and primer pair combination of ERIC1/BOX and ERIC2/BOX fingerprinting markers. Based on the results of this study, it can be postulated that the C. nymphaeae population in Iran established itself from a single origin due to a founder effect. More generally, molecular dating based on relaxed clocks indicates co-radiation of C. nymphaeae S5 and strawberry plants and suggests high reciprocal specificity between the host and pathogen.     

Effective Management of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phthorimaea operculella</Emphasis> (Zeller) Using PVA Nanofibers Loaded with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cinnamomum zeylanicum</Emphasis> Essential Oil

Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) is one of the most common insect pests of cultivated potato in tropical and subtropical regions. In this research, a potential strategy to improve the insecticidal activity of plant essential oils for the effective management of P. operculella was studied. The insecticidal and residual effects of nanofiber oil (NFO) and pure essential oil (PEO) of Cinnamomum zeylanicum were assessed on PTM under laboratory conditions. The nanofibers were made by the electrospinning method using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer. The morphological characteristics of the nanofibers were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The chemical constituents of cinnamon essential oil (EO) were detected by GC/MS. Fumigant toxicity of NFO and PEO were evaluated on different growth stages (egg, male and female adults) of P. operculella. SEM and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of EO on the nanofiber structure. The yield of the EO from C. zelanicum on the nanofibers was 1.86%. GC/MS analysis showed that cinnamaldehyde was the primary constituent (69.88%) of cinnamon EO. LC₅₀ values of C. zelanicum EO and NFO were 4.92 and 1.76 μl/l air for eggs, 0.444 and 0.212 μl/l air for female adults, and 0.424 and 0.192 μl/l air for male adults, respectively. Fumigant bioassays revealed that NFO was more toxic than C. zeylanicum oil against at all stages of P. operculella. The residual effect of PEO and NFO was evaluated against the egg stage of the P. operculella. NFO lost insecticidal effectiveness 47 days after application, while the efficacy of PEO decreased 15 days after application. Our results suggest that NFO of C. zeylanicum can be used as an effective new tool for the management of P. operculella.     

INVESTIGATION OF SALINITY STRESS AND POTASSIUM LEVELS ON MORPHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SAFFRON

A greenhouse research experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of salinity stress and potassium (K) fertilization on biomass accumulation of roots and shoot of saffron plants. Treatments were four levels salinity in the form of sodium chloride (NaCl; 3.4, 6.4, 9.4 and 12.4 dS m^?1) and three levels of potassium (50, 100, and 150 % of Hoagland's nutrition solution base). Results indicated that higher levels of potassium significantly controlled the negative effects of NaCl on length and number of roots as well as fresh weight and number of leaves per plant. Increase in salinity and potassium levels caused a reduction in leaf water content, and enhancement in electrolyte leakage. It seems that in the presence of salinity increasing 50% extra potassium (Based on Hoagland's nutrient solution) in the rhizosphere of saffron can improve damaging effects of NaCl up to 9.4 dS m^?1 of soil solution.     

Effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake,digestibility, chewing,and performance of Holstein dairy cows

To investigate the effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance, nine lactating Holstein dairy cows （day in milk= 100±21 d; body weight=645.7 ± 26.5 kg） were allotted to a 3 × 3 Latin square design at three 23-d periods. The three treatments included 34.91% （B）, 18.87% （BC）, and 18.86% （BB） barley that in treatment B was partially replaced with only corn or corn plus beet pulp in treatments BC and BB, respectively. The concentration of starch and neutral detergent soluble carbohydrate varied （22.2, 20.2, and 14.5; 13.6, 15.9, and 20.1% of DM in treatments B, BC, and BB, respectively）. Cows in treatment BB showed a higher DMI and improved digestibility of DM, NDF, and EE compared with treatments B or BC Ruminal pH was higher in cows fed on BB （6.83） compared with those that received B or BC treatments （6.62 and 6.73, respectively）. A lower proportion of propionate accompanied the higher pH in the BB group; however, a greater proportion of acetate and acetate： propionate ratio was observed compared with cows fed either on the B or BC diet. Moreover, cows fed on the BB diet showed the lowest ruminal passage rate and longest ruminal and total retention time. Eating time did not differ among treatments, rumination time was greater among cows fed on the BB diet compared with the others, whereas total chewing activity was greater than those fed on BC, but similar to those fed on B. The treatments showed no effect on milk yield. Partially replacing barley with corn or beet pulp resulted in an increase in milk fat and a lower protein concentration. Changing dietary NFC with that of a different degradability thus altered intake, chewing activity, ruminal environment, retention time or passage rate, and lactation performance. The results of this study showed that beet pulp with a higher NDF and a detergent-soluble carbohydrate or pectin established a more consistent ruminal mat than barley and corn, thus resulting in higher mean retention t     

Significance of Nickel Supply for Growth and Chlorophyll Content of Wheat Supplied with Urea or Ammonium Nitrate

ABSTRACT

Nickel (Ni) is an essential element for activation of urease in higher plants. The effects of Ni as an essential micronutrient on growth and chlorophyll content of wheat plants grew in nutrient solutions supplied either with ammonium nitrate or urea as two different nitrogen (N) sources were investigated. Plants were allowed to grow for six weeks, then leaf chlorophyll content, shoot and root fresh and dry weights, and Ni concentration in shoots and roots were determined. Shoot and root Ni concentration in both urea and ammonium nitrate-fed plants increased significantly with the increase in Ni concentration. Growth and chlorophyll content in leaves of the urea-fed plants increased when Ni concentration in the solution was as high as 0.05 mg L^?1 and decreased at 0.1 mg Ni L^?1. In ammonium nitrate-fed plants, these parameters increased up to 0.01 mg Ni L^?1 and started to decrease with further increase in Ni concentration. Plants that grew in nutrient solutions containing urea had more shoots and roots fresh and dry weight at third and fourth Ni levels (0.05 and 0.1 mg L^?1) than those that grew in media containing ammonium nitrate with similar Ni levels. Total chlorophyll content was also higher in plants supplied with urea plus Ni. The amount of Ni required for optimum wheat growth was dependent on the forms of N used. When supplied with ammonium nitrate or urea, the amount of Ni needed was 0.01 and 0.05 mgL^?1 of nutrient solutions, respectively.     

Uptake of Heavy Metals by Mycorrhizal Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

It has been previously indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can enhance the bioremediation abilities of their host plant. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a crop plant with some unique physiological properties, such as tolerance to salinity. However, its tolerance to other stresses such as heavy metals must be tested. Accordingly, it was hypothesized that barley can be efficiently used to treat heavy metals in symbiotic and non-symbiotic association with AM fungi. In a greenhouse experiment barley plants were inoculated with the AM species Glomus mosseae and grown in a soil polluted with cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), and lead (Pb). Relative to Cd and Co, mycorrhizal barley absorbed significantly higher amounts of Pb. AM species also significantly decreased Cd and Co uptake by barley indicating the alleviating effects of G. mosseae on the stress of such heavy metals.     

The effects of synthetic pigments on pigmentation of Pethia conchonius (Hamilton, 1822)

This study evaluated the effects of diets containing 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg kg^?1 diet astaxanthin or canthaxanthin on Pethia conchonius (Hamilton, 1822) pigmentation. A completely randomized experimental design was developed with ten treatments and three replicates. Three hundred rosy barb with a mean weight of 0.92 ± 0.06 g were assigned to thirty aquaria for period of eight weeks. Carotenoid contents of fish fed canthaxanthin were always lower than those fed astaxanthin. Yellowness (b*) was not affected by pigments. While Luminosity (L*) decreased in fish fed astaxanthin diets, this parameter increased by feeding on canthaxanthin. The most pronounced effect was higher a* values in fish fed astaxanthin. Astaxanthin retention rate was higher than that of canthaxanthin. The present results demonstrate that canthaxanthin cannot be considered as a proper replacement with astaxanthin. Inclusion of 80 and 100 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 diet can be suitable dietary levels to ensure pigmentation and this condition may improve market value of rosy barb.     

Integrated use of GIS,remote sensing and multi-criteria decision analysis to assess ecological land suitability in multi-functional forestry

The Zagros forests are a treasure of valuable oak forests, but they have been severely degraded from long-term misuse. Geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) have been increasingly used to improve the management of vulnerable ecosystems to prevent further degradation and increase the sustainability of land use. This study presents a methodology to assess land suitability using remote sensing (RS) to obtain wall-to-wall data for the calculations, GIS to analyze the data, and MCDA to rank alternative land uses. The criteria and subcriteria affecting the suitability of land for different uses were identified and weighted using an analytic hierarchy process. Variables used as subcriteria were assessed using satellite data and other sources of information such as existing maps and field surveys. Numerical values for the subcriteria were classified, and each class was given a priority rating according to expert judgments. Based on the ratings and weights of the subcriteria, a priority map was created for each land use using the weighted linear combination method. The priority maps for different land uses were overlaid to obtain a preliminary land use map, which often indicated several simultaneous land uses for the same location. The preliminary map was further edited by removing unrealistic, mutually exclusive land-use combinations. The study tested and demonstrated the potential of integrating RS, GIS and MCDA techniques for solving complicated land allocation problems in forested regions using a scientifically sound and practical approach for efficient and sustainable allocation of forestland for different uses.