Effects of Farm Yard Manure and Lime on Cadmium Uptake by Rice Grown in Two Contaminated Soils of Chittagong

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of farm yard manure （FYM） and lime （calcium carbonate） on reducing the uptake of Cd by rice in two Cd contaminated soils of Chittagong. The effects of farm yard manure, lime and farm yard manure mixed with lime （FYM ＋ Lime） on rice （Oryza sativa L.） growth, Cd uptake by rice and 0.1 N HC1 extractable Cd in soil were investigated. Results showed that addition of lime and farm yard manure mixed with lime significantly decreased 0.1 N HCl extractable Cd in the city sewage soil. Application of farm yard manure significantly decreased Cd concentration in rice in the city sewage soil. Lime and farm yard manure mixed with lime significantly reduced Cd concentration in rice m both the contaminated soils. Lime was more efficient than farm yard manure in reducing the uptake of Cd by rice.     

Study on Agronomic Characters and Storage Durability of a New Line of Endurable Storage Hybrid Rice Chucangyou No.1

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the storage durability of a new line of endurable storage hybrid rice Chucangyou No.1 selected by endurable storage genes of Yunhui 290.[Method] Agronomic characters of the new line and the control II you 838 and Shanyou 63 were comparatively studied,and storage durability of the new line and indica,japonica or hybrid rice were also comparatively analyzed by the accelerated ageing test.[Result] Agronomic characters of the new line were excellent,and germination rate in the artificial accelerated ageing test was significantly higher than those in other materials.[Conclusion] Chucangyou No.1 has the better storage durability,which can be used in large scale of extention.     

Some Aspects of Biology and Control Methods of Fruit Stalk Borer Oryctes elegans Prell （Coleoptera： Scarabaeidae）

Laboratory and field studies were conducted on some aspects of biology and control methods of fruit stalk borer Oryctes elegans Prell., the study was conducted in date palm orchards in south Baghdad during the years 2009 and 2010. The laboratory rearing result ofO. elegans indicated that the larval stage period was very long reached 6 months, the body weight of the mature larva was 7.61 gm, the length and body circumference were 7.58 and 5.23 cm respectively. The period of pupa stage was 19 day and 2.97 gm body weight, while the length and body circumference were 3.74 and 3.21 cm respectively .While the weight of adult stage was 1.67 gm and 3.14 cm, 2.71 cm for the length and circumference body respectively. Results of hand collection larvae in palm trees during the regular annual service, showed reduction in population density of adults to 1.4 adult/trap per week compared with 3.3 and 14.0 adult/trap per week in the orchards were larvae collected partially and without hand collection by using the light traps with solar energy （Magna Traps, Russell IPM） respectively. Also, the study proved the existence of an inverse relation between the moon light and adult activity, which affected on the adult number cough in light traps. These results indicated that the hand collection of larvae works during months January, February, March and April at synchronized with the larval stage on palm trees, and use Magna Traps as an effective method to control O. elegans through IPM programs in palm orchards.     

Milk Production Practices on Family Farms Located North of the State of Espirito Santo,Brazil

In Brazil, milk production is a key sector for income generation, tax collection and much of the milk produced comes from family farms. The present study was aimed to assess the conditions of milk production on 30 farms in the city of S~ Mateus, to the North of the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Data were obtained through questionnaires sent to producers according to the legislation of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. The questions included type of milking, hygiene practices and health status of milkers, mastitis control and source and others. Milking was manually done in all farms, and only 40,0% of milkers washed their hands and forearms before milking, and 13.0% used antiseptic solutions after washing. None of the farms performed the pre-dipping and post-dipping procedures. Control of mastitis was not performed in 94.0% of the farms and none of them performed the CMT test. A high degree of non-conformity was observed in the family farms. These data demonstrate the need for training farmers in good agricultural practices. This would contribute to achieving better quality milk, and ensure the sustainability of the segment in the Northern region of the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil.     

Identification of Health and Welfare Parameters for Rabbit Production and Definition of an Evaluation Score

The knowledge on rabbit welfare may be improved by the use of correct tools for monitoring the different aspects of rabbit industrial farming. Therefore, the aim of this study was to define parameters related to health and welfare of animals in industrial farms with intensive husbandry. Health, management, environmental and productive parameters were firstly characterized and then a protocol to assess welfare of rabbits was define. The research was conducted on 8 industrial farms from 2004 to 2007 and around 30 inspections were done in each farm. At each visit, the health conditions were established by： （1） necropsy on animals of different productive category; （2） specific laboratory investigations based on the lesions observed; （3） checking the presence of parasites in environmental faecal samples; （4） bacteriological examination of vaginal, nasal and rectal swabs of rabbit of different age. The immune conditions and the efficacy of vaccinations were measured by determining anti-Myxomatosis and anti-Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease antibodies using competitive ELISAs, and anti-Encephalitozoon cunicoli antibodies by immunocarbonassay. The environmental conditions were evaluated by measuring air temperature, relative humidity, ammonia concentration and bacterial/fungal count. Finally the productive parameters were also recorded and elaborated. All the entered values were then utilized for defining a score system to establish health and welfare conditions.     

Toxicity of selected insecticides against nymph of whitefly （Bemisia tabaci Gennadius）

Bemisia tabaci is one of serious insect pests attacking vegetables and has been difficult to control using conventional insecticides. In the past 10 years, new insecticides have been introduced that provide a diversity of novel modes of action and routes of activity to effectively control whitefly. Consequently, intensive used of insecticides in vegetable cultivation has resulted in reduced susceptibility and develops resistance in agriculture industry. In controlling B. tabaci population, insecticides are the common method used by farmers. This study aimed to determine the most effective insecticide against B tabaci by using LC5o value. This study was conducted at the Crop Protection Laboratory, Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia with the controlled room temperature of 24.33 ± 0.14℃ with dark and light ratio of 1：1 （12 hours： 12 hours） is an ideal condition for rearing the insect. The hypothesis of the study is to test if insecticides can control the nymph of whitefly. A total of 50 two-day-old nymphs were treated with insecticides using leaf-dip bioassay procedure. This experiment was replicated three times. The survival rates of the nymphs were analyzed using analysis of variance （ANOVA）. Data on toxicity was analyzed by a special Probit Programme-Single Line Analysis based on Finney （1971）. There was a significant difference （df = 8, F = 85.84, P = 0.000） in survival rate of nymph ofB. tabaci to eight insecticides tested. Among the insecticides tested, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos ＋ cypermethrin and diafenthiuron showed significantly higher survival rate of nymph compared to other treatments. When LC50 values were compared for diafenthiuron which is less potent （LCs0 ---- 2.44）, abamectin was found to be 3.44 times more potent than diafenthiuron, followed by esfenvalerate,acetamiprid, profenofos, chlorpyrifos ＋ cypermethrin and dimethoate, and the least potent was deltamethrin. The toxicity of eight insecticides tested against nymphs was in the following     

Pathogenicity of Septoria carvi Syd. towards Caraway Carum carvi L, （Apiaceae）

Septoria carvi belong to the fungi recently detected on caraway plants in the Polish climatic conditions. In many European countries, this fungus causes significant losses in caraway cultivation and decreases the quality and quantity of the herb material. The aim of the present work was to study the fungus harmfulness towards the sowing materials, stems, leaves and umbels of caraway. The pathogenicity tests according to Koch＇s postulates were carried out for isolates ofS. carvi using post-culture liquids and a water suspension of conidia to inoculate the plants＇ parts. The studies were conducted in the laboratory, the climatic chamber and in field conditions. S. carvi caused disease symptoms in the form of spots and necrosis on all tested plants organs. The infection was followed by natural openings what was shown by scanning electron microscope （SEM） microscopic observations. The efficiency of inoculation increased injuries and anatomical dipping of plant epidermal tissue. The study showed the ability for asymptomatic S. carvi colonization of inoculated plants＇ parts. The performed pathogenicity tests and microscopic observations SEM showed that the tested isolates of S. carvi were occasional pathogens of caraway.     

Dormancy Characteristics of Malus ‘Snowdrift’ and Effects of Spraying 6-benzyladenine on Its Germination and Flowering in Long-day Treatment

[Objective] The dormancy characteristics of Malus ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment were studied, and 6-BA was used to break the dormancy, with the aim to achieve the purpose of flowering in autumn. [Method] The new shoots of ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment were conducted with hydroponics to investigate their dormancy time. And cytokinin 6-benzyladenine(6-BA)was used to treat the dormant shoots, to investigate the budding, flowering and flower bud differentiation. [Result] The shoots in long-day treatment entered endodormancy after August 7~(th) and the shoots in the natural daylight entered endodormancy before July 18~(th). In long-day treatment, 116 buds, 198 flowers were observed after 6-BA spraying. [Conclusion] The optimum concentration of 6-BA was 300 mg/L. And the flower bud differentiation of ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment was faster than those in natural daylight after 6-BA spraying.     

Phosphorus Status and Risk of Phosphate Leaching Loss From Vegetable Soils of Different Planting Years in Suburbs of Changsha,China

The aim of the study was to develop an index to assess the environmental risk of P loss potential in vegetable soils with chronic difference of plantation in the suburbs of Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Chemical methodology was used to study soil phosphorus status and the relationships between available P in soil and potential soil leaching P. The results showed that there was a significant linear relationship between Olsen P and CaC12-P or P concentration in soil solution. Olsen P increased sharply when either CaCI2-P or P concentration in soil solution reached a certain level. It was confirmed that 80 mg kg-t of Olsen P was the critical value of soil P leaching in the vegetable soils. P leaching probability over the critical was assessed by GIS and indicator Kriging and four secondary risks of phosphorus leaching loss were defined. In the area with vegetable cropping for over 30 yr （Chenjiadu） and 10-15 planting years （Huangxingzhen）, the indices of phosphorus leaching loss risk were 3 and 2.93, respectively. These two areas belonged to strong secondary of risk of phosphate leaching loss. In the new vegetable planting field less than 2 yr （Ningxiang）, the index was 0.06, which had almost no risk of phosphorus leaching. In vegetable soils in the suburban region of Changsha, the phosphorus leaching peotential is high and the phosphorus leaching loss is related to chronic length of vegetable cropping.     

Identification of Behavior of Voluntary Traceability and Analysis of Its Determinants： A Case Study of Hog Slaughtering and Processing Firms in Zhejiang Province, China

In recent years, the Chinese government has highlighted the importance of adopting hog safety/quality traceability, and a growing amount of research continues to entice firms to adopt traceability systems. In this study, a survey was conducted on a sample of pig slaughtering and processing firms in Zhejiang, China through personal interviews and emails. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of firm behavior on the implementation of voluntary traceability systems with more stringent standards and controls than those of the mandatory system in China. The results revealed that motivation based on product quality improvement, capital ability and role perception (business type) had significantly positive relationships with a firm’s voluntary traceability. Other incentives, such as operation improvement, recall risk reduction, reduced occurrence of safety issues, and technical strength were not found to be supportive in our study. This study provides an opportunity to better understand the determinants of firm behavior on voluntary traceability, particularly in light of the fact that some Chinese firms are facing the threat of criminal action for the use of illegal additives and the abuse of Clenbuterol. Policy recommendations on encouraging the implementation of pork safety voluntary traceability by hog slaughtering and processing firms are also discussed.     

Characteristics and Warning Indexes of Rice Seeds Viability Loss During Storage at 45℃ Constant Temperature

Seed aging characteristics of rice was investigated in this study. Seeds of 34 japonica rice (O-ryza sativa subsp. japonica) varieties were held at 45℃ constant temperature. Changes in seed viability and seed vigor during aging process were measured to study seed viability-losing characteristic and to determine warning index for seed viability loss. As a result, seed viability survival curves were obtained across different rice accessions at 45℃ constant temperature. The curves appeared to be contra-sigmoid survival curves. The loss of seed viability in the aging process consisted of two phases. The first phase took a long duration, in which the viability of vigorous seeds declined slowly. In the second phase, seed viability declined rapidly. It was obvious that seed viability declined inconsistently during storage. It also showed that seed germination was prolonged and the seedling was significantly weakened before the coming of the rapid declining phase of seed viability. These two parameters could be used to indicate seed quality during storage. The rate of compatibility of tests (RCT), coefficient of variation (CV), vigor of seedling, the day the seeds start to germinate could be used as warning indexes to indicate overall quality of a mass of accessions. These warning indexes could also be used in monitoring the viability of seeds stored in the seed genebank.     

The Effects of Different Fertilizing Methods on Nitrification and Denitrification in Black Soil in Songnen Plain

The paper compared the effects of application of farm manure with chemical fertilizers on nitrification and denitrification in black soil, the result showed that the numbers of nitrobacterias and denitrobacterias in farm manure treatment were both higher than that of other treatments. The intensity of denitrification in chemical treatment was higher than that of manure treatment. The content of organic matter in soil was correlated with the intensity of nitrification and denitrification, and the coefficients were resnectively 0.9981 and 0.8693.     

Effect of Bospro on High and Mid-to-Low Milk Yielding Chinese-Holstein Cow

A total of 90 cows from two farms (farm A 30 cows, farm B 60 cows) were used to study the effect of Bospro on milk production, milk quality and subclinical mastitis incidence. The cows in the test group were supplied with 20 g of Bospro per head per day and meanwhile, the percentage of milk fat, protein and lactose and moisture of the milk samples were analysed. The results showed that the milk yield of both high production and mid-to-low milk producting cows increased by 3.3% to 5.3% respectively compared with their control group of cows, but there was no changes on the milk content between the treated and the control cows. The treated cows also showed an increased body weight (P>0.05) and significantly reduced incidence of mastitis, as Compared with that of the control group. The experiment dcmonstrats that Bospro can increase milk yield, but not at the expense of milk quality and body weight.     

Stability of PAC(Psy-2A-Crt I) gene and agronomic traits in the F_(2:3) of IR36/PAC transgenic plants

This study was carried out to evaluate the expression of yellow endosperm color in the progeny of Psy-2A-Crt I(β-carotene gene, PAC) transgenic plants crossed with IR36. The selected 25 lines of F2 progeny exhibited stable expression of yellow endosperm color and high agronomic characteristics. IR36 and PAC transgenic plant of the grain length, width and ratio showed the same tendency of normal distribution. For progeny selection, colorimeters were as employed to distinguish differing visible colors. Correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between b* value and the expression of specific genes. b* value was associated with the relative expression of the PAC-Rev and MAR product by real-time PCR and t-test revealed significant difference. Based on this study, correlation between colorimetric values and real-time PCR was effective to detect gene expression. Yellow endosperm progenies represent a new genetic pool that might be useful to increase the genetic diversity of yellow endosperm rice.     

In Vitro Activity of Lawsonia inermis （Henna） on Some Pathogenic Fungi

The present study was conducted to investigate antifungal activity ofLawsonia inermis （Henna plant）. Leaf samples of the plants were collected from Eastern Nile of Khartoum state, Sudan. Ethanol and petroleum ether extracts in various concentrations were obtained by maceration （cold method）. The extracts were bioassay in vitro to know their bioactivity to inhibit the growth of tested fungi. The cup plate agar diffusion method was adopted to assess the antifungal activity of the extracts against tested yeasts while agar incorporated method was used for other molds. Both extracts revealed anti fungal activity against all yeast strains except Pichiafabianii which was found resistant to both ethanol and ether extracts. The results displayed antifungal activity against tested fungi. Minimum mould concentration （MMC） of the extracts was determined. The obtained results revealed antifungal activity of henna leaves extracts which support the traditional use of the Henna in therapy of fungal infections. The possibility of therapeutic use of Sudanese henna as antifungal agents is recommended.     

耐储藏杂交水稻新品系储藏优1号农艺性状及耐储藏特性研究(英文)

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the storage durability of a new line of endurable storage hybrid rice Chucangyou No.1 selected by endurable storage genes of Yunhui 290.[Method] Agronomic characters of the new line and the control II you 838 and Shanyou 63 were comparatively studied,and storage durability of the new line and indica,japonica or hybrid rice were also comparatively analyzed by the accelerated ageing test.[Result] Agronomic characters of the new line were excellent,and germination rate in the artificial accelerated ageing test was significantly higher than those in other materials.[Conclusion] Chucangyou No.1 has the better storage durability,which can be used in large scale of extention.     

Analyses of the Temporal Development and Yield Losses due to Sheath Blight of Rice （Rhizoctonia solani AG 1.1 a）

Sheath blight of rice, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG 1. 1a, has become the most important disease and caused serious yield losses in some major rice-growing regions in China in recent years. In the present study, field plot experiment was conducted to examine the relationships between disease intensity and inoculum density （ID）, the seasonal disease epidemic dynamics, and yield reductions due to disease damages. Results from the experiment demonstrated that the areas under progress curves of disease severity and those of percent rice tillers diseased were positively and closely related to the relative initial ID of the pathogen. The inoculum density-disease （IDD） relationships were simulated and the impractical linear models were obtained. Both logistic and Gompertz functions could be used to simulate the disease progress dynamics in time, but the progress curves of the disease severity were modeled better by the Gompertz than by logistic function. However, the Richards function was found to be the best in simulating the disease progress curves when a most appropriate value was chosen for the shape parameter m by using the computer software Epitimulator. Sheath blight infection decreased rice yield very significantly and a yield reduction of 40% was recorded in rice crop with the highest inoculum density. Rice yield was linearly and negatively correlated with the disease severity and the percent tillers affected. The simulated models for all these relationships were computed through executing Epitimulator software and were presented in this paper.     

Maize Contract Farming Experience in Delta State,Nigeria

Many reviews and evaluations of contract farming and its importance for small-scale farmers in the developing nations have been conducted. While some scholars opined that contractual terms were unfavourable to farmers, others considerd them as being beneficial to them. These contrasting views were not likely to discourage it since it provided encouragement for farmers' involvement in markets. It was therefore worthwhile to investigate previous experiences with the aim of improving on it. This study investigated contract farming entered into by farmers in Delta State of Nigeria and livestock feed companies with the objective of seeking ways to make such contractual agreements beneficial to small-scale farmers. The study utilized convergence of science approach. The study unveiled the constraints experienced by farmers and they included technical and institutional challenges. The technical problem was the planting date, while the institutional problem was the contractual arrangements. It was recommended that all the stakeholders in the contract should converge and negotiate technological adoptions of the improved maize varieties; contract needed to be clearly defined and risks and uncertainties should be parts of the contract; scientific investigations should be carried out to determine the best planting date; and there was need for legislation to particularly protect farmers in contract farming.     

Effects of Water Stress on the Protective Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation in Roots and Leaves of Summer Maize

A systematic study was conducted to determine the effects of water stress on the activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in maize. The results showed that, under water stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, and peroxidase （POD） in leaves and roots increased sharply at prophase and metaphase growth stages, such as, male tetrad stage, but then declined towards the physiological maturity. The protective enzyme activities in roots were lower than those in leaves. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） increased according to the severity of water stress. The content of MDA in roots was lower than that in leaves. The activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in roots were positively related to that in leaves with most of the correlation coefficients being significant. The content of soluble proteins in roots and leaves decreased with increasing drought stress. The ear characteristics deteriorated and the economic yields of maize decreased significantly under water stress. The main factors that caused reduction of yields were the decrease in the number of ear kernels and 100-kernel weight.