Variation in cell wall composition among forage maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines and its impact on digestibility: analysis of neutral detergent fiber composition by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Cell wall digestibility is an important determinant of forage quality, but the relationship between cell wall composition and digestibility is poorly understood. We analyzed the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) fraction of nine maize inbred lines and one brown midrib3 mutant with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). Among 29 pyrolysis fragments that were quantified, two carbohydrate-derived and six lignin-derived fragments showed statistically significant genetic variation. The pyrolysis products 4-vinyl phenol and 2,6-dimethoxy-4-vinyl phenol were negatively correlated with digestibility, whereas furfural and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-oxopropanal showed a positive correlation with digestibility. Linear discriminant analysis of the pyrolysis data resulted in the resolution of groups of inbred lines with different digestibility properties based on their chemical composition. These analyses reveal that digestibility is governed by complex interactions between different cell wall compounds, but that several pyrolysis fragments can be used as markers to distinguish between maize lines with different digestibility.     

Whole Forage Barley Crop Quality as Affected by Different Deficit Irrigation and Fertilizing Systems

Effects of organic, biological, and chemical fertilizers along with water-deficit regimes were investigated on forage barley in a field experiment during 2007–2008. Irrigation regimes were nonstressed (NS), moderately stressed (MS), and severely stressed (SS) and fertilizer treatments were no fertilizer (NF), phosphorus and nitrogen biofertilizers (BF), chemical fertilizer (CF), vermicompost (VC), chemical fertilizer + vermicompost (CV), and chemical fertilizer + biofertilizer (CB). Water stress reduced leaf/stem ratio and dry-matter digestibility (DMD), but increased crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). However, the effect of water deficit on DMD, ash, and NDF depended on the fertilizer treatment. In BF and CV, the barley forage had the greatest DMD and least ash and NDF under water-deficit conditions. The integrated fertilizing systems are more reliable than conventional systems to produce high-quality forage barley in arid environments with late water stress or water deficit irrigation system.     

Comparison of the acetyl bromide spectrophotometric method with other analytical lignin methods for determining lignin concentration in forage samples

Present analytical methods to quantify lignin in herbaceous plants are not totally satisfactory. A spectrophotometric method, acetyl bromide soluble lignin (ABSL), has been employed to determine lignin concentration in a range of plant materials. In this work, lignin extracted with acidic dioxane was used to develop standard curves and to calculate the derived linear regression equation (slope equals absorptivity value or extinction coefficient) for determining the lignin concentration of respective cell wall samples. This procedure yielded lignin values that were different from those obtained with Klason lignin, acid detergent acid insoluble lignin, or permanganate lignin procedures. Correlations with in vitro dry matter or cell wall digestibility of samples were highest with data from the spectrophotometric technique. The ABSL method employing as standard lignin extracted with acidic dioxane has the potential to be employed as an analytical method to determine lignin concentration in a range of forage materials. It may be useful in developing a quick and easy method to predict in vitro digestibility on the basis of the total lignin content of a sample.     

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate and Harvest Season on Forage Yield,Quality, and Macronutrient Concentrations in Midland Bermuda Grass

Bermuda grass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is a major forage for grazing and hay production in the southern United States. The objectives of this study were to determine effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization rate (0, 112, 224, 336, and 448 kg ha^?1), split spring and summer applications of N at the 224 and 448 kg ha^?1 rates, and harvest periods (spring and summer) on forage yield, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca in Midland Bermuda grass. Data were collected from 2002 to 2008 as part of an ongoing, long-term soil fertility experiment in southern Oklahoma. Repeated measures analysis of these long-term data showed that forage yield responses to N rate varied with year and harvest time with up to 2.5-fold yield differences among years. Nitrogen fertilization increased CP, TDN, and macronutrient P and Mg and decreased ADF and NDF. Crude protein was increased by ≥50%, and ADF and NDF dropped by up to 25% with the greatest N rate. In general, split N applications did not affect forage yield but produced low-quality forage compared to single N application in spring. Split application of 448 kg N ha^?1 gave forage with CP, TDN, ADF, and NDF similar to the Bermuda grass receiving 336 or 448 kg N ha^?1 as a single application. Spring forage had better forage quality than summer harvests. While N fertilization increased forage Mg and P concentrations by more than 50% during both spring and summer, it had no effect or slight increased K and Ca concentrations. In the southern Great Plains, despite the weather-dependent variability in forage yield of Bermuda grass, N application increase forage quality.     

Maturity and quality of alfalfa as affected by phosphorus fertility

Abstract

Environmental stresses adversely affect alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) forage quality through altered plant development; however, the effects of soil nutrient stress on forage quality are not well known. The objective of this study was to determine what effect low soil phosphorus (P) had on alfalfa forage quality. Three preplant incorporated rates of P (0, 29, or 59 kg/ha) followed by five topdressed (during each production year) rates of P (0, 7, 15, 29, or 59 kg/ha)were applied to alfalfa established in two experiments in fall of 1988 and 1989. At each harvest in 1989 and 1990, mean stage by weight (MSW) was determined and forage samples were taken for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) analysis. In the 0‐ to 15‐cm soil layer, soil P concentrations averaged 6, 11, and 22 mg/kg of dry soil with 0, 29, and 59 kg P, respectively, incorporated. Soil P was not changed in the 15‐ to 30‐cm soil layer. Alfalfa herbage increased in P concentration with increasing P fertility level at some, but not all, harvests analyzed. Alfalfa maturity at harvest and NDF concentration increased with increasing P fertilizer rate, whereas IVTD decreased. Differences among treatments in NDF and IVTD probably were due to differences in plant maturity.     

Winter annual small grain forage potential. II. Quantification of nutritive characteristics of four small grain species at six growth stages

Abstract

Four small grain species, barley, oat, rye, and wheat were harvested at six growth stages to investigate their nutritive quality as a possible replacement for corn silage. Crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin contents were measured on fresh and ensiled samples. The IVDMD, an estimate of forage ruminant digestibility, of all species generally decreased from the vegetative (765–854 g kg^‐1) through the milk stage (505–662 g kg^‐1) and then remained unchanged or increased slightly through hard dough with the exception of oats which often decreased during later stages of growth. The IVDMD of rye was usually lower than the other species from the milk to hard dough stage. The IVDMD of barley was generally higher than the other species at the soft and hard dough stages. The NDF, ADF, and lignin fractions usually increased from the vegetative to milk stages and remained unchanged or increased slightly through the hard dough stage. The ADF and lignin are negatively associated with forage digestibility while NDF values are negatively related to dry matter intake. The ADF of rye was generally higher than the other species at the milk and soft dough stages. Rye and barley contained more lignin than the other species from the heading through hard dough stage. Crude protein content generally decreased from the vegetative through milk stages and then leveled off or decreased slightly through the hard dough stage. Crude protein of oats was lower than other species at the vegetative stage, while rye generally contained more crude protein than the other species at the vegetative and boot stages. These data in combination with forage yield data reported in an associated paper suggest that small grains can offer a nutritious source of animal feed for farmers in the southeastern United States. Rye tended to stand out among the species at the early stages of growth (vegetative to boot) as a highly digestible green chop or grazing crop that is also high in protein. Barley and wheat stand out as excellent high yielding, nutritious silage choices at the soft dough stage.     

Effect of Selenium on Mineral Content and Nutritive Value of Melilotus officinalis L.

Plants of Melilotus officinalis L. were subjected to two different treatments: a) no selenium (Se), and b) addition of 3 mg Se L^?1 irrigation water for 45 days and samples of leaves, stems and roots were analyzed for Se, potassium (K), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). Crude protein (CP) content, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) were also estimated for the aerial plant tissues. In Se-treated plants Se mainly accumulated in leaf tissues, various changes in macronutrient concentrations were detected, while the micronutrient content decreased significantly. In addition, leaf CP, NDF and ADF content decreased, while IVOMD increased, possibly indicating ameliorated nutritive value. According to our findings, M. officinalis could be used either as a dietary supplement, in mixture with non-accumulator species, for livestock feed deficient in Se or for restoration of grasslands in seleniferous soils.     

贮备饲料近红外光谱模型快速预测青绿饲料营养成分含量

为快速检测饲料的营养成分,该研究利用贮备饲料的近红处技术(near-infrared,NIR)快速分析模型预测青绿饲料的营养成分含量。基于贮备饲料的NIR定标模型,将建模优化模式转移应用到青绿饲料的营养成分定量检测,以判断模型转移能力。在实验室环境下扫描并记录新鲜的青绿饲料样本和储存的贮备饲料样本的近红外反射光谱,利用230个贮备饲料样本进行光谱定标训练,以修正偏最小二乘(modified-partial least squares,M-PLS)建模方法,结合随机局部样本、局部选参、局部非连续性可调、交叉检验等技术相结合的方式建立局部优化模型,分别测试120个贮备饲料样本和120个青绿饲料样本中的氮(nitrogen,N)、中性洗涤纤维(neutral detergent fiber,NDF)、酸性洗涤纤维(acid detergent fiber,ADF)含量。将贮备饲料的定标校正模型应用于贮备饲料验证样本的营养成分测定,其标准误差(square error of prediction,SEP):N为1.02、NDF为16.56和ADF为13.47,相关系数均在0.9以上,相对预测偏差(relative prediction derivation,RPD)均大于3;该模型具有对青绿饲料样本的营养成分预测能力,其预测SEP:N为0.90、NDF为14.11和ADF为9.98,预测相关系数均在0.9以上,预测RPD均大于3,达到快速检测误差标准。由于局部建模过程中考虑了数据的潜在非线性结构和具有近似光谱响应的样本之间的不均匀性,相对全局建模方式而言具有更好的数据驱动性质,其建模效果优于全局建模方法。结果表明,基于贮备饲料样本建立的NIR定标校正模型可以用于青绿饲料营养成分的预测,特别是局部分析模型的应用能够提高NIR快速分析的预测精度。     

Effect of topographic and temporal (maturity) gradients on the nutritive quality of semiarid herbaceous communities

Abstract

Five slopes representative of the “dehesa”; grassland communities in the semi‐arid zones of Central‐Western Spain (province of Salamanca) were studied. Above‐ground biomass production was recorded from April to June and the NDF (neutral detergent fibre), ADF (acid detergent fibre), hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and digestibility were determined in the dry matter. Principal component analysis was applied to the data. The changes with time along the growth period show a parallel effect on the three positions of the slope, although the effect tended to be greater on the middle and upper zones. There were decreases in the levels of protein, cellular content, and digestibility, and an increase in cell wall components. The variability in nutritive characteristics induced by the phenology and time changes in the communities was reflected in the first factor of analysis, whereas the topographic gradient was related to the second component.     

缺硼对脐橙幼苗硼分配及叶片细胞壁组分硼含量的影响

【目的】 硼在维持细胞壁正常结构方面具有重要的作用,前期结果证实缺硼严重的脐橙叶片细胞壁结构改变程度也更大,但这种变化与细胞壁组分中硼的含量变化是否有关尚不清楚。本研究通过分析缺硼对脐橙幼苗各部分硼分配及叶片细胞壁组分硼含量的影响,明确缺硼症状表现及细胞壁结构变化程度与细胞壁各组分中硼含量变化之间的关系。 【方法】 以纽荷尔脐橙幼苗为试材,利用营养液培养方法进行缺硼处理,测定根、砧木茎、接穗茎、上部叶、下部叶、叶片细胞壁以及细胞壁各组分硼含量的变化情况。 【结果】 缺硼处理9周后上部叶出现叶片卷曲及叶片失绿等症状,而下部叶没有出现任何可见的症状。缺硼处理的脐橙幼苗各部位硼含量和硼吸收量均显著降低,缺硼降低了硼向地上部的相对分配比例且上部叶受到的影响程度更大。在硼正常供应条件下,上部叶和下部叶游离态硼、原生质体硼和细胞壁硼的含量和相对分配比例没有显著差异,说明硼在不同类型脐橙叶片细胞各组分中的分配是相对稳定的。缺硼后水溶性硼 (包括游离态硼和原生质体硼) 在脐橙上部叶和下部叶中都降到极低的水平,尤其是原生质体硼百分含量下部叶甚至是低于上部叶的。缺硼后细胞壁硼占总硼的比例则由22%左右增加到80%以上。与叶片中硼含量的变化趋势一致,缺硼以后虽然上部叶和下部叶细胞壁硼含量都显著降低,但上部叶降低的程度远大于下部叶。进一步分析细胞壁组分硼含量变化,发现缺硼显著降低了上部叶细胞壁中离子结合态果胶硼含量而对下部叶的无明显影响,其他组分硼含量的变化趋势下部叶和上部叶一致。 【结论】 原生质体硼含量的高低并不是决定缺硼症状的主要因素,离子结合态果胶与硼的结合能力对缺硼条件下细胞壁的结构及缺硼症状表现起着至关重要的作用。      

Soil fertility effects on growth and nutrient uptake of rhizoma peanut

Expansion of forage production acreage for rhizoma peanut (RP ‐ Arachis glabrata Benth.), a persistent perennial, warm‐season forage legume adapted to the Gulf Coast region of the southeastern United States, is limited primarily by establishment rate, often taking up to three years. The objective was to determine the effects of two divergent soil environments on the dry matter production and nutrient uptake of RP in the first year following establishment. Five Arachis genotypes, ‘Arbrook’, ‘Florigraze’, and experimental lines 423, 575, and 616, were established during March 1995 at Clinton and Olive Branch, LA. Soils were a Dexter silt loam (Ultic Hapludalf) and a Loring silt loam (Typic Fragiudalf, fine‐silty, mixed, thermic) with mean pH values of 6.8 and 4.7, respectively. Soils also differed for extractable potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), sulfur (S), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and organic matter (OM). Tissue samples were taken at three week intervals in 1996 and yield and quality were evaluated at six week intervals. Locations differed significantly for dry matter production, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD). Entries also differed within locations for yield, CP, NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and IVTD. Tissue nitrogen (N), K, Ca, S, Mn, boron (B), and zinc (Zn) were significantly different between locations, but phosphorous (P), magnesium (Mg), Fe, Cu, and Al were not different. Yield and forage quality were both inversely correlated with pH and, with the exception of N, none of the other nutrients were low enough to account for the differences observed in growth between the two locations.     

Differential Changes in Cell-Wall Content and Boron and Calcium Concentration in Newhall Navel Orange Grafted on Two Rootstocks Differing in Boron-Deficiency Responses

The study aimed to determine if the variability of the effect of boron (B) deficiency on Newhall navel orange grafted on trifoliate orange (deficient-B-sensitive) and on citrange (deficient-B-tolerant) can be explained on the basis of changes in cell-wall content and in cell-wall B and calcium (Ca) concentrations. The plants were cultured in the nutrient solution (with or without B) for 65 days. Boron deficiency increased the cell-wall content in old leaves (leaves from last season) of trifoliate orange but had no impact on citrange. Boron deficiency did not reduce B concentration in cell walls of old leaves of citrange-grafted plants but increased their Ca concentration. For trifoliate-orange-grafted plants, however, B deficiency decreased the B concentration in cell walls of old leaves and did not increase their Ca concentration. The changes of B and Ca concentrations between with and without B supply in pectin were in good agreement with the changes of those in cell walls. The relatively greater ability of citrange-grafted plants to maintain B and Ca in the cell wall may contribute to their tolerance to low external B.     

Forage Nutritional Quality Evaluation of Bahiagrass Selections during Autumn in Florida

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) is the major pasture forage in the southern Gulf Coast, USA. A bahiagrass selection breeding program has been ongoing since 1960 at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton, Georgia, USA, to increase forage yield in Pensacola (P. notatum var. sanese) bahiagrass. However, the impact of selecting for forage yield on forage nutritional quality is unknown. Forage quality was evaluated on four Pensacola derived selection cycles (C) of bahiagrass [C0 (Pensacola), C4, C9 (Tifton 9), and C23]. A total of 175 plants per cycle were grown. Forage from individual 1-year-old plants was harvested by hand on 3 October and again on 15 November 2000. The samples were dried, ground, and analyzed using internally calibrated near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for dry matter (DM), in vitro–digestible organic matter (IVDOM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and crude protein (CP). Cycle means (g kg^–1 DM basis combined over both harvest dates) for IVDOM, NDF, and CP were 497, 810, and 142; 503, 797, and 137; 528, 787, and 132; and 520, 785, and 129 for C0, C4, C9, and C23, respectively. The average IVDOM of C4 was greater than for C0 (P = 0.03) and that for C9 was greater than for C4 (P < 0.001). Results indicated that forage quality also increased with advancing selection cycles for increasing yield.     

Rapid prediction of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin of rice materials by near-infrared spectroscopy

A rapid predictive method based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was developed to measure acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) of rice stem materials. A total of 207 samples were divided into two subsets, one subset (approximately 136 samples) for calibration and cross-validation and the other subset for independent external validation to evaluate the calibration equations. Different mathematical treatments were applied to obtain the best calibration and validation results. The highest coefficient of determination for calibration (R2) and coefficient of determination for cross-validation (1-VR) were 0.968 and 0.949 for ADF, 0.846 and 0.812 for NDF, and 0.897 and 0.843 for ADL, respectively. Independent external validation still gave a high coefficient of determination for external validation (r2) and a low standard error of performance (SEP) for the three parameters; the best validation results were SEP = 0.933 and r2 = 0.959 for ADF, SEP = 2.228 and r2 = 0.775 for NDF, and SEP = 0.616 and r2 = 0.847 for ADL, indicating that NIR gave a sufficiently accurate prediction of ADF and ADL content of rice material but a less satisfactory prediction for NDF. This study suggested that routine screening for these forage quality parameters with large numbers of samples is possible with NIRS in early-generation selection in rice-breeding programs.     

CELL WALL URONIC ACID CONCENTRATIONS OF RESISTANT AND SENSITIVE CULTIVARS OF WHEAT AND BARLEY UNDER BORON TOXICITY

In this study, changes in cell wall uronic acid concentrations of boron (B)-tolerant and B-sensitive cultivars of wheat and barley were analyzed in control (plants that were grown on water and received no B) and B-treated plants. Ten-day-old seedlings of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Atay’ (B-sensitive) and ‘Bolal’ (B-tolerant)) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ‘Hamidiye’ (B-sensitive) and ‘Anadolu’ (B-tolerant)) were grown in H₃BO₃ solution (10 mM final concentration) or water for 3, 5, or 7 days. For determination of changes in cell wall uronic acid concentrations of wheat and barley cultivars, cell walls were extracted from root and leaf tissues of control and B-treated plants. Cell wall uronic acid concentrations of root and leaf tissues of each cultivar were statistically analyzed. Various reciprocal analyses were performed. These analyses were high-B-tolerant versus B-sensitive cultivars and control versus B-treated plants. In all reciprocal analyses, no significant changes were observed. These data, thus, suggest that cell wall uronic acid content does not contribute to detoxification of excess B in wheat and barley.     

红酵母RS1的高耐铝能力与增厚的细胞壁有关而不来自体外铝离子的螯合作用

Aluminum (Al) is very toxic to many living organisms, including plants, animals and microorganisms. However, despite many studies on Al tolerance in plants, little has been reported concerning these mechanisms in microorganisms. In this study, a red yeast, which could tolerate Al 3+ concentrations as high as 200 mmol L-1 , was isolated from acidic soils, identified as Rhodotorula sp. and designated as RS1. As the medium compositions can greatly affect the responses of microorganisms to Al, two culture mediums, glucose medium (GM) and lysogeny broth medium containing soil extract (S-LBM), were used. During growth of RS1, the pH of medium decreased in GM but increased in S-LBM. These changes in the pH of the media were not induced by Al addition. No or little secretion of organic acids was observed in RS1 growth media. Importantly, the thickness of the cell walls and the ratio of cell wall to biomass of RS1 significantly increased in GM with high Al 3+ concentrations. In the presence of 100 mmol Al L-1 , 78.0% of the total Al of whole cells was present in the thickened cell walls. The Al in cell walls was mostly bound to OH, amide and CO groups of polysaccharides. These results suggest that thickening of the cell wall in response to the high Al 3+ concentrations may play an important role in the high tolerance of RS1 to Al and that pH increase of the medium and chelation of Al ions are not involved in Al tolerance of this organism.     

大豆、玉米幼苗根细胞壁的制备与表面性质

根细胞壁对于植物养分吸收积累以及植物的环境抗性或耐性方面的作用和影响与细胞壁表面性质密切相关。本研究采用改进的匀浆洗涤法提取大豆（Glycine max L.,Type I细胞壁类型植物）、玉米（Zea mays L.,Type II细胞壁类型植物）幼苗的根细胞壁物质,获得了较好的细胞壁材料纯度。测定了根细胞壁材料以及整根的阳离子交换量（CEC）,并通过拟合解析根细胞壁的电位滴定曲线求解根细胞壁表面基团的解离常数pKa以及数量。结果表明,大豆的根细胞壁CEC显著（p0.05）高于玉米的根细胞壁CEC,分别为425±5、162±7 μmol/g,DW;大豆的根CEC也显著（p0.05）高于玉米根,与两种植物根细胞壁CEC的差异一致。从两种植物的根细胞壁上均识别出一种表观pKa值约为5.78的羧基基团。大豆根细胞壁的羧基含量也显著（p0.05）高于玉米根细胞壁,分别为604±15、252±4 μmol/g,DW,大豆根或根细胞壁的CEC较高与Type I细胞壁富含羧基有关。本文还进一步讨论了不同细胞壁类型植物的根细胞壁表面性质对于植物的营养过程以及环境胁迫抗性或耐性方面的影响与意义。     

Tissue-specific and developmental modifications of grape cell walls influence the adsorption of proanthocyanidins

Cell wall material from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon grape skin and flesh was isolated at different stages of grape maturity to determine whether developmental changes in cell wall composition in different tissue types influence the binding of proanthocyanidins (PAs). Trends in cell wall adsorption of, and selectivity for, PAs were determined using two skin PAs that differed in their average molecular masses. Flesh cell walls consistently bound a higher amount of PA than those from skin. Key structural differences that reduced PA adsorption in skin cell walls by comparison with flesh cell walls were endogenously higher concentrations of insoluble PA, Klason lignin, and lower cell wall-bound protein. These differences may confer reduced flexibility and porosity of skin cell walls relative to flesh cell walls. Analysis of skin and flesh cell wall properties revealed that the onset of ripening was associated with a loss of type I arabinogalactan and galacturonic acid, which indicated a degradation of pectin within the cell wall. Flesh cell walls consistently bound PAs of larger molecular mass, and changes in PA adsorption properties after the onset of ripening were minor. For skin cell walls, adsorption of PA was lowest immediately following solubilization of galacturonic acid, and high molecular mass PAs were poorly bound. As ripening progressed, PAs of higher molecular mass were selectively adsorbed by skin cell walls, which indicates that ongoing cell wall remodeling during ripening may confer an increased porosity within the skin cell wall matrix, resulting in a greater adsorption of PA within a permeable structure.     

Spectral Measurements of Alfalfa/Grass Fields Related to Forage Properties and Species Composition

The relationship between plant canopy reflectance and plant nutritive value has not been extensively investigated. The goal of this study was to relate spectral canopy reflectance to plant nutritive value and species composition. Multiple grass/alfalfa fields were analyzed using a field spectrometer, and then species composition, forage nutritive quality, and plant biomass were determined. Derivative analyses of spectra as well as narrow-band vegetation indices were used to examine the relationship between canopy reflectance and plant biophysical properties. Derivative analysis found a high correlation between high-order derivatives at multiple wavelengths and some plant properties, which include species composition and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Wavelengths in the red region and between the red and near-infrared region of the spectrum showed the highest correlation in the derivative analysis. Analysis of whole canopy reflectance using spectroscopy may provide a quick, nondestructive method to determine plant characteristics.     

Effects of organic solid cattle manure application on nutritive value of winter cereal forages

Nutritive value of winter cereal forages is one of interested subjects of farmers for animal feeding. Field experiments were established in 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 growing seasons in northeast Turkey to investigate the effect of organic solid cattle manure application (0, 10 and 20 Mg ha^?1 yr^?1) on nutritive value of three annual cereals for forage. The winter cereal forages were: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and rye (Secela cereale L.). ADF (acid detergent fiber), NDF (neutral detergent fiber) CP (crude protein), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc and boron (N, P, K, S, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Zn and B) concentrations were researched in this study. Wheat had the highest CP, N, Ca, Cu, Na and Zn concentration, whereas oat had the lowest ADF and NDF and the highest K, Fe and Mn concentrations. The greatest Mg and P concentrations were determined in rye. Organic solid cattle manure applications had no effect on N and CP contents, but it decreased ADF and NDF contents. However, in most cases it positively affected the P, B, Cu, Fe, Mg and Na concentrations, whereas it decreased K, Ca, Mn and Zn concentrations. The results showed that wheat and oat are more nutritive species than rye in terms of animal feeding and the organic solid cattle manure, in some cases increased the nutritive values of wheat, oat and rye under organic agriculture conditions.