The bile acids binding of the fibre-rich fractions of three starchy legumes

The bile acid binding to undigestible fibre has a significance on bile acids excretion. This was known to result in lowering blood cholesterol (for the use of cholesterol in bile acid formation) as well as reducing the colorectal cancer risk (through decreased formation of secondary bile acids). Compared to the model fibres Solka floc and carboxymethylcelulose (CMC), the investigated fibre fractions of lentils, broad beans and butter beans, were found to bind more cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid under conditions simulating the small intestine.     

Variation in root traits associated with nutrient foraging among temperate pasture legumes and grasses

Temperate pasture legumes (e.g. Trifolium and Medicago spp.) often have a higher phosphorus (P) requirement for maximum productivity than pasture grasses. This is partly attributed to differences between legumes and grasses in their ability to acquire P from soil. We are the first to report differences in root morphology traits important for soil P acquisition in a range of novel pasture legumes being developed for use in temperate pastures of southern Australia. Up to a 3·6‐fold range in specific root length (SRL) (79–281 m root g^?1 root) and 6·1‐fold range in root hair length (RHL) (0·12–0·75 mm) was found between the pasture species. The commonly used Trifolium subterraneum and Medicago sativa had relatively low SRLs and short root hairs, while Ornithopus compressus, O. sativus and Biserrula pelecinus had RHLs and SRLs more similar to those of two grass species that were also assessed. Specific root length was highly correlated with average root diameter, and root traits were relatively stable at different plant ages. We surmise that large differences among pasture legume species in the effective volume of soil explored could translate into significant differences in their critical P requirements (i.e. soil P concentration to achieve 90% of maximum shoot yield).     

Variation in the contents of crude protein fractions of different forage legumes during the spring growth

The pattern of crude protein (CP) fractions with advancing maturity during a primary spring growth of forage legumes was investigated on freeze‐dried samples of fresh forage using the method of chemical CP fractionation according to the ‘Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System’ (CNCPS). The CP of white clover (WC), red clover (RC), lucerne (LU), birdsfoot trefoil (BT) and Kura clover (KC) was separated into five fractions (A, B₁, B₂, B₃ and C), which are assumed to have different rates and extents of ruminal degradation. Ruminally undegraded dietary CP (RUP) was predicted on the basis of the CP fractions using regression equations that were developed for fresh forage assuming ruminal passage rates of 2, 5 and 8% h^?1 (RUP_2,5,8). Maturity stage did not affect the soluble CP fractions of the legumes but increased fraction B₃ in RC and WC and fraction C of all forages except WC. The estimated RUP values of the legumes increased with advancing maturity. The mean values for RUP₅ across all harvest dates for WC, RC, LU, BT and KU were 154, 271, 226, 287 and 212 g kg^?1 CP respectively. BT and RC had the highest amount of RUP across all harvest dates and passage rates (159–372 and 134–324 g kg^?1 CP respectively). This observation may be related to the advanced stage of vegetation of both species at the harvest dates compared with the other legumes and to condensed tannins in BT and to products of polyphenol oxidase activity in RC.     

Prediction of the nutrient content of botanical fractions from annual legumes by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Procedures used to determine chemical composition and digestible organic matter in dry matter (DOMD) are slow and expensive. The possibility of using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as an alternative procedure was investigated with annual legumes. Material from cultivars of Medicago murex, Trifolium balansae, T. resupinatum and T. subterraneum was harvested soon after plants had matured. Samples were sorted into stem, leaf and burr fractions and analysed chemically and by NIRS. Data were then sorted into two similar sets, one of which was for calibration and the other for validation. Data for each chemical fraction, in samples used for calibration, were regressed sequentially against the corresponding reflectance spectral data, the log of there reciprocal of which was transformed to first or second derivatives. Equations of best fit were then used to predict the composition of samples in the validation set.
Standard errors of calibration and validation respectively, expressed as percentages of the mean, were 0·5 and 0·6 for dry matter (DM), 2·0 and 2·6 for organic matter (OM), 4·8 and 4·3 for DOMD, 6·0 and 7·2 for crude protein, 4·1 and 4·4 for acid-detergent fibre (ADF), 2·5 and 3·1 for neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) and 8·9 and 10·9 for lignin.     

“Summer sowing”: A successful innovation to increase the adoption of key species of annual forage legumes for agriculture in Mediterranean and temperate environments

This paper reports on the evaluation of “summer sowing,” an innovative approach to increase the adoption of recently domesticated species of hard seeded annual legumes in Mediterranean and temperate Agriculture. The research revealed that several species of annual legumes whose seed can be readily harvested on‐farm and which possess natural hard seed dormancy, may be sown into dry soil in late summer without additional processing. These studies proved that the hard seed dormancy was broken down sufficiently in the soil over 4–6 weeks to produce robust legume pastures with more than 150 seedlings per m² following the first winter rains, in replicated field sites established across wide agro‐ecological zones in Western Australia (WA) and New South Wales (NSW). Ornithopus sativus Brot., O. compressus L. and Trifolium spumosum L. were suitable for summer sowing based on both hard seed breakdown patterns and subsequent seedling survival in WA. While in NSW, in addition to these legumes, Biserrula pelecinus L., T. vesiculosum Savi. and T. glanduliferum Boiss. were also suitable for summer sowing. A 1.5‐ to 10‐fold increase in herbage production was achieved relative to conventionally sown T. subterraneum L. This development represents a step change in forage legume development for renovated pastures in these environments. Importantly, the experiments revealed differences in G x E effects on seedling establishment, total herbage production and seed yield in different climatic zones. The summer sowing approach is presented as a revolutionary method for pasture renovation that overcomes significant barriers to adoption.     

Nitrogen flows and balances in four grassland‐based systems of dairy production on a clay‐loam soil in a moist temperate climate

This study examined productivity, nitrogen (N) flows and N balances in grassland‐based systems of dairy production in Ireland. There were four stocking densities of dairy cows on grass/white clover pastures and four inputs of N as fertilizers, concentrates and biological fixation over 2 years; 2001 and 2002. Annual stocking densities were 1·75, 2·10, 2·50 and 2·50 cows ha^?1. Associated N inputs were 205, 230, 300 and 400 kg ha^?1 respectively. There were eighteen cows per system. Cows calved within a 12‐week interval in spring with a mean calving date of 28 February and lactation extended until mid‐December in each year. There were no differences in annual milk yield (6337 kg cow^?1; s.e.m. 106·1), live weight or body condition score. Pre‐grazing N concentrations in herbage increased (P < 0·001) with increasing N input, whereas there were no differences in N concentrations in silage reflecting optimum N inputs for silage production. Grazed herbage accounted for 0·64, silage 0·26 and concentrates 0·10 of annual dry matter consumed by the cows. Annual intakes of N ranged from 144 to 158 kg cow^?1 and were mostly influenced by N concentration in grazed herbage. Annual output of N in milk and liveweight change was 38 kg cow^?1 and was not different between systems. Annual N surpluses increased with increasing N inputs from 137 to 307 kg ha^?1, whereas the proportion of N inputs recovered in products declined from 0·34 to 0·24. More efficient N use was associated with lower N inputs and in particular lower N concentrations in grazed herbage.     

Nitrogen uptake and leaching loss of thirteen temperate grass species under high N loading

The intensification of grazed pasture systems in New Zealand has resulted in increased nitrate () leaching and associated significant reductions in water quality, resulting from high N loading in the cow urine patch. A glasshouse soil column experiment was conducted at Lincoln University examining the N uptake capacities and leaching losses of sixteen commercial and ‘weed’ pasture grasses, comprising thirteen species. Three dairy cow urine N treatments (N loading rates) were applied in May 2010: 0 (N0), 300 (N300) and 700 (N700) kg N ha^?1. Grass was harvested at 21‐d intervals, leachates collected to quantify N leaching losses and root mass measured. Shoot yield, root mass, N uptake and N leaching loss varied significantly between species (P < 0·001) and were strongly driven by N loading rate. The highest yielding species at N700 were Lolium multiflorum ‘Feast 2’ and ‘Tama’ (782 and 743 g DM m^?2), while Festuca arundinacea ‘Flecha’ and Lolium perenne ‘Alto' were lowest yielding (375 and 419 g DM m^?2). Plant N uptake and root mass followed a similar trend, and only moderate increases in total plant N uptake were observed for most species when urine N application rate was increased from N300 to N700. N leaching loss was highest at N700 for F. arundinacea ‘Flecha’ (378 kg N ha^?1) and lowest for L. multiflorum ‘Feast 2’ and ‘Tama’ (134 and 130 kg N ha^?1). Strong negative linear relationships were observed between N leaching loss, plant N uptake and root mass. The results indicate that species such as L. multiflorum may play a critical role in reducing pasture N leaching losses, while traditionally sown L. perenne, and also F. arundinacea, may be less suitable.     

Quality improvement of rice-based gluten-free bread using different dietary fibre fractions of rice bran

Gluten-free (GF) breads are often characterised by low nutritional quality as they are mainly starch based and contain low amounts of vitamins, minerals and in particular dietary fibre. The objective of this study was to improve the physical, nutritional and sensory quality and shelf life of rice-based GF bread by adding different fractions of rice bran, containing different amounts of protein, fat, dietary fibre (DF) and different ratios of insoluble (IDF) to soluble (SDF) DF.     

Estimating leaf area of warm‐season perennial legumes

Refining mathematical models may decrease labour and generate accurate estimates of leaf area in warm‐season perennial legumes. The aim of this study was to assess the use of mathematical models to determine the leaf area of four tropical forage legumes. Perennial legumes (Arachis pintoi, Stylosanthes spp., Calopogonium mucunoides and Neonotonia wightii) were collected, and an elliptical model and a corrected elliptical model were used to estimate leaf area. For comparison, linear models were also generated based on the leaflet area. The elliptical model was suitable for the initial forage peanut leaflets, while the corrected elliptical model proved suitable for estimating the area of the initial leaflets of all species as well as the terminal leaflets of forage peanut and stylo. The elliptical model could be used to estimate the area of both the initial and terminal leaflets only in stylo. Models were generated to estimate leaf area of all legumes requiring only the measurement of length and width from a single initial leaflet. In all of the studied legumes, the leaflet pairs were symmetrical, meaning the corrected elliptical model allows for the estimation of the leaflet area of each plant.     

The accuracy of using the ratio of nitrogen to acid detergent fibre in faeces to partition nitrogen between faeces and urine in total excreta collections from ewes

A comparison was made of the estimates of the outputs of nitrogen (N) in faeces and urine on Awassi ewes using two methods: (1) conventional collection in digestibility crates, with urine acidified to prevent volatilization (separation method); (2) collection of both faeces and urine together in bags placed over the tail of the ewe and using the ratio between N and acid detergent fibre (ADF) in samples taken from the rectum to partition the total N output between faeces and urine (N:ADF method). The comparison was made on eight ewes in a crossover design using three collection periods of 5 d. There were no significant differences between the methods in the estimates of nitrogen in urine and faeces, although differences between methods in the estimation of total N output were close to being significant. The precision of the estimates was lower with the N:ADF method.     

Role of legumes and Rhizobium in solving the protein problem in India

The inadequate supply of protein is the major problem not only in India but in all the developing countries of world. The cheap and easily available source of proteins are legumes which compare very well in the nutritive values with other sources of proteins, the cereals and animal proteins. Legumes occupy an extensive area in India but the yields are low compared to other countries. For increasing the production of legumes and consequently their protein content,Rhizobium inoculation practice should invariably be used along with the use of other improved practices and varieties. By resorting to a package programme for increasing the production of legume crops throughRhizobium inoculation and other agricultural practices and by increasing the consumption of legume through improved methods of processing by solving the problems of digestibility of legumes which will automatically increase the intake of legume protein by the people; the problem of protein can, to a great extent, be eradicated from this country.

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Zusammenfassung Das unzulängliche Angebot von Protein ist nicht nur in Indien das Hauptproblem, sondern in allen Entwicklungsländern der Erde. Die billigste und leicht zugängliche Quelle für Protein sind Hülsenfrüchte, die im ernährungsphysiologischen Wert sehr gut vergleichbar sind mit anderen Protein-Quellen, dem Getreide und dem tierischen Protein. Der Hülsenfruchtanbau nimmt ein großes Areal in Indien ein, die Ernten sind jedoch im Vergleich zu anderen Ländern sehr niedrig. Um die Produktion von Hülsenfrüchten zu erhöhen und somit den Proteingehalt, müßtenRhizobium Impfungen in Gemeinschaft mit anderen Verbesserungsmaßnahmen sowie einer Wahl anderer Sorten erfolgen.Das Eiweißproblem kann in Indien im wesentlichen durch Aufstellung eines Gesamtprogramms gelöst werden. Einerseits ist die Erhöhung der Hülsenfruchtproduktion durch Impfung mitRhizobium und durch andere geeignete Kulturmaßnahmen möglich, andererseits können Hülsenfrüchte durch verbesserte Verarbeitungsmethoden in ihrem Verzehrswert gesteigert werden womit auch Probleme der Verdauung gelöst werden können.

     

Nitrogen fertilization and row width affect self-thinning and productivity of fibre hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

In fibre hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) a high plant density is desirable, but inter-plant competition may cause self-thinning, which reduces stem yield and quality. We investigated whether agronomic factors could reduce self-thinning in hemp. The effects of soil nitrogen level (80 and 200 kg ha⁻¹), row width (12.5, 25 and 50 cm), type of sowing implement, and thinning method on self-thinning, growth, yield and quality of hemp were determined in field experiments in 1991 and 1992. Soil nitrogen level affected plant morphology before self-thinning occurred. Due to enhanced competition for light more plants died from self-thinning at 200 than at 80 kg N ha⁻¹. In August, stem yield of living plants was similar at the two nitrogen levels, but 5% of the plants had died at 80 kg N ha⁻¹ and 25% at 200 kg N ha⁻¹. Although dry matter losses resulting from self-thinning were greater at 200 than at 80 kg N ha⁻¹, crop growth rate was greater at 200 than at 80 kg N ha⁻¹. Apparently, the crop growth at 80 kg N ha⁻¹ was affected by a lack of nitrogen. At final harvest in September stem yield of living plants was 10.4 t ha⁻¹ at 80 and 11.3 t ha⁻¹ at 200 kg N ha⁻¹, bark content in the stem was 35.6% at 80 and 34.0% at 200 kg N ha⁻¹. The effect of row width on self-thinning was small relative to that of nitrogen level. More self-thinning took place at 50 cm row width than at 12.5 and 25 cm. During early growth and also in August stem yield was smaller when row width was larger; in September row width did not affect stem yield or quality. Type of sowing implement and thinning method did not affect self-thinning or stem yield.     

Aspects of the productivity of forage legumes in Northern Europe

A database on the productivity of red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (Trifolium repens), lucerne (Medicago sativa), lotus (Lotus corniculatus) and galega (Galega orientalis) was compiled. It contains 1852 observations for 330 trials at fifty‐three sites in eight north European countries for the period from 1977 to 1997. The database includes information on climatic and site characteristics, as well as agronomic data, collated into four smaller data sets. This has permitted four key agronomic issues to be examined, namely: (i) how yield for a given variety varies under different environmental conditions; (ii) how the relative performance of different species varies between sites; (iii) how persistence varies between species and sites; and (iv) what the nature of the relationship is between varieties, yield and sites within a species? Cluster analysis revealed that geographical location had a fairly strong influence on yield. Across sites for an individual variety, the cumulative day‐degrees during the regrowth period had the highest correlation with total yield. In terms of the relative performance of different forage legume species across sites, red clover and lucerne were estimated to yield about 2·5 t DM ha^?1 more than white clover and there was a significant impact of cumulative day‐degrees during regrowth and the age of ley on the total yield. It was found that red clover had the lowest persistence index and lucerne the highest. As regards the interaction between yield, varieties and sites, the length of growth period and the age of the ley explained two‐thirds of the variation in total yield in red clover varieties of contrasting maturity types.     

Pasture production,persistence of legumes and lamb growth in summer‐dry hill pastures

Pasture legumes that persist under challenging agroecological conditions are crucial to ensure high lamb growth rates in dryland pastures. Pasture and lamb production from binary and diverse mixtures (Mix) of tall fescue (TF) with white clover (Whc), balansa clover (Bc), subterranean clover (Sc) and birdsfoot trefoil (Bft) were compared in a summer‐dry hill site in Corvallis, Oregon over a two‐year period. In 2018, all pasture combinations provided similar lamb liveweight gains (LWG, mean 177 g/day) in the first half of spring. Lambs in TF‐Bc and TF‐Mix pastures grew 31 to 41 g/day faster than those grazing TF‐Sc, TF‐Whc and TF‐Bft in the second half of spring (p < .05). Overall, TF‐Bc and TF‐Mix had higher (p < .05) legume contents (32% and 37% respectively) compared to other pasture combinations. In spring 2019, lambs that grazed the TF‐Mix and TF‐Whc pastures had higher LWG than those on other pastures (p < .05). The superior lamb growth rates were associated with the higher legume content and pasture quality maintained into the late spring period. Overall, the legume content of all pastures decreased over the course of the two‐year trial, with the decline being substantial for balansa clover. The present study confirmed that a high legume content of pastures leads to greater lamb growth rates. Total annual yields of pastures that had greater legume contents were superior to others (p < .05). Thus, a combination of self‐regenerating annual clovers with perennial legumes in pasture mixtures may ensure a higher legume content and longer persistence in dryland hill pastures.     

病毒诱导基因沉默技术在豆科植物中的应用

病毒诱导基因沉默（virus-induced gene silencing, VIGS）是一种基于转录后基因沉默的反向遗传学研究方法,用于快速鉴定基因功能。该技术具有实验周期短、操作简便、低成本、高效率、获得表型快以及高通量等优点,被广泛地应用于植物基因功能研究。豆科植物作为人类食品中淀粉、蛋白质、油和蔬菜的重要来源之一,具有重要的经济价值。本文从VIGS的技术原理、VIGS载体的开发和改良、VIGS在豆科植物中的应用等方面进行了综述,分析了VIGS技术在豆科植物中存在的问题,并展望了其应用前景。     

宝鸡市豆类产业现状及发展对策探讨

通过对宝鸡市豆类产业化现状的分析研究,找出了存在问题和不足,并针对性地提出了今后的发展对策,以促进豆类产业健康、快速向前发展.     

Long‐term storage of forage legumes greatly alters the hard seed breakdown pattern in situ

Knowledge of the hard seed content of annual legumes, and its pattern of breakdown, is critical to the understanding of their ecology and management within farming and natural ecosystems. For logistical reasons, seed that has been stored for varying lengths of time is often used for pasture establishment and agronomy experiments. However, the implications of storage on hard seed physiology are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of seed storage on its subsequent pattern of hard seed breakdown when exposed to field conditions. Experiments examined seed from six different annual legume cultivars that had been either produced the prior year or stored under ambient conditions for 11–22 years. Comparisons were then made between the two seed sources on hard seed breakdown patterns in situ. Although initial hard seed levels were mostly unaffected by storage (seed of five cultivars remained over 93% hard after more than 11 years of storage), the patterns of release from dormancy during exposure to hard seed breakdown conditions of stored seed differed greatly (p < .05) from freshly produced seed. Hard seed in the stored seed of most cultivars was reduced from >90% to <10% within 68 days over autumn, with shallow burial, whereas fresh seed remained >90% hard during the same period. Given this large and consistent impact, it is recommended that studies of the patterns of hard seed breakdown in legumes compare seed stored under consistent and well‐defined conditions.     

Digestibility of legumes and available lysine content

While legumes are regarded as good sources of protein they are poorly digested so improved digestibility would be a desirable objective in a breeding programme. From the point of view of protein quality they are limited by the sulphur amino acids (SAA) so an increase in these is a primary nutritional objective of a breeding programme and their lysine content is regarded as being of secondary importance. However, some traditional methods of preparation are far more severe than that necessary to cook the food and may result in loss of lysine. These two problems are being investigated. (1) True digestibility of the nitrogen (TD-N) of cooked, white haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) was measured by feeding to rats at 20, 40 and 80% levels in the diet (5, 10 and 20% protein), for 10 days periods when 23 days old and again when 63 days old. TD-N at the three dietary levels was 80, 74 and 67% for the young animals and 63, 55 and 51% when more mature. True digestibility of dry matter (TD-DM) was very much higher at 97, 92 and 83% for younger and 95, 90 and 81% for older animals. The considerable difference between TD-N and TD-DM together with the apparently greater TD-N by the younger rats suggests that the extra faecal N does not come from the undigested food but possibly from residues of digestive juices. Results suggest that it is necessary to standardise the conditions for measuring TD. Five legumes were boiled for 2 h and 8 h; available lysine fell by 5–10% after 2 h and by 15–20% after 8 h. Improvement in flavour appeared to parallel development of the Maillard reaction and loss of available lysine. SAA were still limiting so that NPU does not reveal loss of available lysine. However, in diets where legumes are used to supplement cereals in such proportions that lysine is limiting this loss may become of nutritional importance.     

2020年我国水稻产业形势分析及2021年展望

在国家政策支持下,2020年我国水稻面积恢复增长至3 007.6万hm2,比2019年增加38.2万hm2;受灾害偏重发生影响,水稻平均单产7 044.0 kg/hm2,降低15.0 kg/hm2,但仍为历史第2高;水稻总产2.1186亿t,增加225.0万t,连续10年稳定在2亿t以上.国内稻米市场价格持续上涨,特别...     

Starchy legumes in human nutrition,health and culture

Starchy legumes have been consumed by humans since the earliest practice of agriculture and have been ascribed medicinal and cultural as well as nutritional roles. They are an important component of the diet in the developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia where they are especially valuable as a source of dietary protein to complement cereals, starchy roots and tubers. Legumes contain 20–30% protein which is generally rich in lysine and limiting in sulfur amino acids. The nutritional quality of legume protein is limited by the presence of both heat labile and heat stable antinutrients as well as an inherent resistance to digestion of the major globulins. In addition to its nutritional impact, legume protein has been shown to reduce plasma low density lipoprotein when consumed. Legume starch is more slowly digested than starch from cereals and tubers and produces less abrupt changes in plasma glucose and insulin upon ingestion. Starchy legumes are also valuable sources of dietary fiber as well as thiamin and riboflavin. Starchy legumes are a valuable component of a prudent diet, but their consumption is constrained by low yields, the lack of convenient food applications, and flatulence.