Forage crops alter soil bacterial and fungal communities in an apple orchard

In this study, we investigated the effects of planting three types of forage crops in an apple orchard on the soil microbial community structure. The apple orchard was intercropped with native grasses (NG), red clover (RC; Trifolium pratense L.), ryegrass (RE; Trifolium repens L.), and no vegetation (CT control; clean tillage). We obtained soil samples from depths of 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60?cm from the different treatment plots in the orchard and analysed them using a high-throughput DNA sequencing technique. The three forage crops had affected the soil bacterial and fungal community structures. Compared with CT control, intercropping with NG increased the proportion of Acidobacteria and reduced those of Nitrospirae and Verrucomicrobia, whereas intercropping with RC increased the proportions of Nitrospirae and Verrucomicrobia and reduced that of Planctomycetes. Intercropping with RE increased the proportions of Nitrospirae and Chloroflexi, whereas reduced that of Acidobacteria. Furthermore, unlike in the other treatments, intercropping with NG increased the proportion of Zygomycota in the 0–20-cm soil layer. Intercropping with RC increased the proportion of Chytridiomycota in all the three soil layers, whereas intercropping with RE increased the proportion of Basidiomycota in the 20–40-cm soil layer. Collectively, these findings suggest that intercropping with forage crops, especially RC, in an apple orchard, could alter soil microbial community structure. In our previous study, we showed that microbial sole-carbon-source utilisation is changed by intercropping with forage crops; thus, it can be considered as an effective approach to improve the efficiency of soil C cycling in the apple orchard by altering the microbial community structure.     

Prediction of nutritive values,morphology and agronomic characteristics in forage maize using two applications of NIRS spectrometry

This study evaluates nutritive, morphological and agronomic characteristics of forage maize predicted by using a high-quality near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer and an NIR hyperspectral-imaging technique using partial least squares (PLS) regression models. The study includes 132 samples of dried milled whole-plant homogenates of forage maize with variation in maturity, representing two growing seasons, three locations in Sweden and three commercial maize hybrids. The samples were measured by a classical sample cup NIR spectrometer and by a pushbroom hyperspectral-imaging instrument. The spectra and a number of variables (crude protein, CP, neutral detergent fibre, starch, water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and organic matter digestibility), morphological variables (leaves, stems & ears) and crop yield were used to make PLS calibration models. Using PLS modelling allowed the determination of how well maize variables can be predicted from NIR spectra and a comparison of the two types of instruments. Most examined variables could be determined equally well, by both instruments, but the pushbroom technique gave slightly better predictions and had higher analytical capacity. Predictions of CP, starch, WSC and the proportions of ears in the maize gave robust. The findings open new possibilities to further utilise the technology in plant breeding, crop management, modelling and forage evaluation.     

Comparison of the volatile composition in thyme honeys from several origins in Greece

Thyme honey is the most appreciated unifloral Greek honey in Greece as well as around the world. In an effort to investigate the headspace composition of this type of honey, 28 samples were analyzed by means of solid-phase microextraction coupled to a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system. The botanical origin of the samples was ascertained by pollen analysis, and samples displayed relative frequencies of thyme pollen between 18 and 41%. A total of 62 compounds were isolated, and phenylacetaldehyde was the most abundant (32.9% of the total peak area). Possible botanical markers are 1-phenyl-2,3-butanedione (13.4%), 3-hydroxy-4-phenyl-2-butanone, 3-hydroxy-1-phenyl-2-butanone (14.7%), phenylacetonitrile (4.8%), and carvacrol (0.9%), since these compounds are found only in thyme honey. Additionally, high proportions of phenylacetaldehyde are also characteristic ( F = 12.282, p < 0.001). The average concentrations of seven compounds were significantly different ( p < 0.05), namely phenylacetaldehyde, acetophenone, octanoic acid, carvacrol, phenylethyl alcohol, nonanal, and hexadecane. Applying principal component analysis to the data, six components were extracted, explaining 85.4% of the total variance. The first component explained 46.2% of the total variance and was positively correlated to phenylacetaldehyde, nonanoic acid, acetophenone, decanoic acid, benzaldehyde, phenylacetonitrile, isophorone, and nonanal. The extracted components were used as variables to the discriminant analysis, which showed good discrimination, especially for samples from Crete. A leave-one-out classification showed 85.7% of cross-validated grouped cases correctly classified. These results are promising to establish a discrimination model for these geographical regions. This is crucial for local beekeeper corporations on their effort to produce honey with geographical origin label.     

饲粮蛋白质水平对鹅生产性能及养分代谢率的影响

选取2 8日龄、体重相近的合浦灰鹅6 0只,随机分为3组,每组2 0只(1 0公,1 0母),饲粮(精料)粗蛋白质(CP)分别为12.50%(第1组),15.80%(第2组)和17.83%(第3组)。采用精料 青料(黑麦草等)混合方式饲喂,进行两阶段为期42 d的饲养试验。5周龄和9周龄时从饲养试验3个组中各选取4只体重接近的试鹅,测定鹅对饲粮(精料 青料)养分的代谢率。结果表明:(1)生长前期(28~49日龄),第2组日增重较高,但组间差异不显著;饲粮粗脂肪(EE)、中性洗涤纤维(NDF)、半纤维素和无氮浸出物(NFE)的代谢率显著高于其他两组(P<0.05)。(2)生长后期(50~70日龄)第1组日增重较高,但组间差异不显著;干物质(DM)、CP、EE的代谢率显著高于其他两组(P<0.05);粗纤维(CF)代谢率显著高于第2组(P<0.05)而与第3组无显著差异。(3)血清尿素氮含量随饲粮CP水平的降低而下降(P<0.05);血清转氨酶活性、脂类和脂蛋白含量等组间无显著差异;(4)饲粮粗蛋白质水平对肉鹅屠宰性能无显著影响。     

Intercropping winter cereals with Caucasian clover for forage in northern Europe

Intercropping cereal crops with perennial legumes for forage has been demonstrated as a means to improve nutritive value compared to cereal crops alone. Our objective was to determine whether sowing winter rye (Secale cereale L.) or winter triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) into living Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) improves yield or nutritive value compared to monoculture cereal crop forage in northern Europe. The experiments were conducted near Moche?ek and Fal?cin, Poland. In autumn 2010 and 2011, winter rye was sown into existing Caucasian clover or in monoculture at Moche?ek, and winter triticale was sown into Caucasian clover or in monoculture at Fal?cin, with monoculture clover as a third crop treatment at both locations. The following spring, first harvest of forage from the three crop treatments was taken at two maturities: when monoculture cereals reached heading (BBCH 51) or grain milk stage (BBCH 71), and two additional harvests were taken from mixture plots and monoculture clover before autumn. First harvest forage yields of mixtures were similar to monoculture cereal at Fal?cin, less than monoculture cereal at Moche?ek, and greater than monoculture clover at both locations. Full season forage yields of mixtures were greater than both monoculture cereal and clover crops at both locations. The proportion of clover in mixtures was 20–31% in the first harvest, resulting in slightly lower neutral detergent fiber concentrations than in monoculture cereal crop at Fal?cin, but no improvement in nutritive value at Moche?ek. By spring 2012, most Caucasian clover had died from Sclerotinia trifoliorum infection at both locations, so forage was not harvested in the second year of the experiment. Although total season forage yields were greater for mixtures than for either monoculture cereal or Caucasian clover, this system cannot be recommended for northern Europe because of failure for Caucasian clover to persist.     

Application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite profiling techniques to the analysis of heathland plant diets of sheep

Little is known about how plant biochemistry influences the grazing behavior of animals consuming heterogeneous plant communities. The biochemical profiles of grassland species are mostly restricted to major nutritional characteristics, although recent developments in analytical techniques and data analysis have made possible the detailed analysis of minor components that may influence animal feeding preferences, performance, and health. In the present study, gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) was used to profile the abundances of metabolites in nine specific heathland plant groups and in three mixed forage diets containing 10, 20, or 30% heather (Calluna vulgaris) and also in plasma and feces from sheep offered one of the three diets. Statistical and chemometric approaches, that is, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), were used to discriminate between these diets and between individual animals maintained on these diets. It is shown that GC-TOF/MS analysis of sheep plasma allowed distinction between the very similar diets by PCA and HCA, and, moreover, the plant metabolites responsible for the differences observed have been identified. Furthermore, metabolite markers of herbage mixtures and individual plant groups have been identified, and markers have been detected in sheep plasma and feces.     

Database derived microsatellite markers (SSRs) for cultivar differentiation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis>

Fifty-nine Brassica oleracea cultivars, belonging to five botanical varieties, were evaluated for microsatellite (SSR) polymorphisms using 11 database sequence derived primer pairs. The cultivars represented 12 broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), ten Brussels sprouts (B. o. var. gemmifera), 21 cabbage (B. o. var. capitata, including the groups white and red cabbage), six savoy cabbage (B. o. var. sabauda), and ten cauliflower (B. o. var. botrytis) cultivars from 13 seed suppliers. The 11 primer pairs amplified in total 47 fragments, and differentiated 51 of the cultivars, whereas the remaining eight cultivars were differentiated from the rest in four inseparable pairs. All SSR markers, except one, produced a polymorphic information content (PIC value) of 0.5 or above. The average diversity for all markers within the tested material was 0.64. There was no major difference in the diversity within botanical varieties and groups. The cluster analysis and the resulting dendrogram showed that the cultivars tended to group within these taxonomic units. The present study substantiates the use of microsatellite markers as a powerful tool for cultivar differentiation and identification in vegetable brassicas.     

Quantitative analysis of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) lint trash by fluorescence spectroscopy

The presence of cotton plant botanical components, or trash, embedded in lint subsequent to harvesting and ginning is an important criterion in the classification of baled cotton by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. The trash particles may be reduced in size to the point that specific trash types are not identifiable by image or gravimetric analysis, and it is desirable to quantify different trash types so that processing lines may be optimized for removal of the most problematic trash to enhance processing performance and cotton lint quality. Currently, there are no methods available to adequately quantify cotton lint trash based on botanical origin. The present work attempts to address this issue through the analysis by fluorescence spectroscopy of dimethyl sulfoxide extracts of mixtures of six botanical trash types. The fluorescence data are subsequently subjected to chemometric analysis. The resulting 6 partial least-squares calibration models obtained from 128 mixtures are demonstrated in the case of leaf and hull to be capable of predicting individual trash component concentrations with a high degree of confidence.     

耕作和施肥方式对土壤水分及饲用玉米产量的影响

为探究耕作和施肥方式对西北半干旱区饲用玉米(Zea may L.)土壤水分和产量的影响,以饲用玉米陇饲1号为材料,设置传统旋耕、立式深旋耕2种耕作方式以及单施化肥、有机肥替代化肥2种施肥方式组合,共4个处理,研究不同的耕作和施肥方式对饲用玉米土壤贮水量、花前花后耗水量、单株鲜重和干重以及产量的影响。结果表明,与传统旋耕相比,立式深旋耕能够降低饲用玉米0~300 cm土层土壤贮水量,提高花前耗水量,降低花后耗水量,增加生育期总耗水量,而有机肥替代化肥能够降低立式深旋耕方式下土壤总耗水量;立式深旋耕使成熟期单株干重增加1.3%~10.6%,单株鲜重增加4.9%~21.9%,而且不同程度增加了饲用玉米株高、穗长、穗粗、行粒数、百粒重、双穗率,降低了秃顶长,以上指标的变化均有利于高产试验形成。3年试验中立式深旋耕化肥处理较其他处理的籽粒产量增加1.8%~38.6%,丰水年生物量增加1.2%~15.1%,立式深旋耕有机肥处理较其他处理提高了干旱年生物量4.9%~21.9%、籽粒产量水分利用效率6.3%~34.8%、生物量水分利用效率7.1%~21.5%。综上,立式深旋耕能够改善作物生长土壤环境,有利于饲用玉米对土壤水分的吸收以及干物质量的积累,其组合化肥处理可以增加饲用玉米籽粒产量和丰水年生物量,组合有机肥替代处理可增加干旱年饲用玉米生物量和水分利用效率。本研究为西北半干旱区饲用玉米高产高效可持续生产提供了理论依据。     

Forage yield and crude protein of interseeded legume‐bermudagrass mixtures as affected by phosphorus fertilizer 1

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) is a warm season perennial that is well adapted in the southern Great Plains. It is one of the region's most important forage crops used for livestock production, and is commonly grown without legume interseeding. Recent research has investigated ways of improving the quality and quantity of this forage. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of interseeded legumes and phosphorus (P) fertilizer on bermudagrass pasture forage yield and crude protein content. One experiment was initiated in 1993 in eastern Oklahoma in an established bermudagrass pasture. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.), and two varieties of alfalfa (Medicago sativah), ’alfagraze’ and'common’, were interseeded by hand into an established stand of bermudagrass. The effect of P on forage yield and crude protein was evaluated using a 30‐kg P ha^‐1 rate applied at establishment versus no applied P. Forage yield was collected three times throughout the growing season each year from 1994 through 1997. When both alfalfa varieties were interseeded into a bermudagrass pasture without applying additional P fertilizer, forage yields for the legume‐grass mixtures decreased below those obtained from the monoculture bermudagrass in the first year of the stand. The alfalfa variety ‘alfagraze’ interseeded into established bermudagrass decreased total forage yield over the entire 4‐yr study. Interseeded red clover and ladino clover increased crude protein of the forage compared with monoculture bermudagrass the first two years of the study, with red clover continuing to increase crude protein in the fourth year. However, when 30 kg P ha^‐1 was applied to the bermudagrass prior to establishment of the legumes, no change in yield or protein was observed for both alfalfa varieties’ interseeding treatments versus the unfertilized mixtures. Although forage yield may not be increased, interseeding legumes into established bermudagrass could provide an efficient way to improve pasture crude protein without the use of inorganic fertilizers. However, if alfalfa ('common’ or ‘alfagraze') is interseeded, additional P may need to be applied at legume establishment to prevent possible yield decreases.     

水氮梯度对饲用甜高粱生长和水分利用效率的影响

【目的】探究不同灌溉量和施氮水平对饲用甜高粱生长特性、单株耗水规律以及水分利用效率的影响,为确定饲用甜高粱适宜种植密度、优化水氮管理措施以及提高栽培生产潜力提供理论支撑。【方法】在温室条件下进行二因素三水平随机区组试验,供试饲用甜高粱品种为‘大力士’。设置了3个灌溉量,分别为达到田间持水量的30%～50%(I1)、50%～70%(I2)、70%～90%(I3);设置了3个施氮水平,分别为0 kg/hm² (N0)、200kg/hm² (N1)、400 kg/hm² (N2)。在饲用甜高粱拔节期取样,测定甜高粱株高、茎粗、鲜重与干重。同时,采用自动称重式蒸渗仪测定单株耗水动态,计算了干物质水分利用效率。【结果】1)增加灌溉量显著增加了饲用甜高粱株高和茎粗,与I1相比,I2、I3灌溉量下甜高粱株高分别提高了20.0%和34.5%,茎粗分别增加了18.0%和36.6%。施氮对株高和茎粗无显著影响。2)增加灌溉量显著提高甜高粱植株茎、叶及地上部鲜重和干重,施氮水平仅显著影响叶的鲜重和茎的干重。与I1相比,I2、I3灌溉量下地上部...     

The influence of mount St. Helens volcanic ash on alfalfa growth and nutrient uptake

Abstract

Concern has been expressed that large amounts of volcanic ash from the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens may have created potential nutritional problems associated with forage production in northern Idaho and eastern Washington to the extent that adjustments need to be made in soil test correlation data. The objectives of this greenhouse study were to: (1) determine the effect of varying amounts of volcanic ash mixed into soils of northern Idaho on total alfalfa biomass production, and (2) to determine the effect of various soil/ash mixtures on the nutrient concentrations of P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Mn and Zn in alfalfa.

Alfalfa was grown in eight different northern Idaho soils amended with differing levels of volcanic ash (0, 20, 35, 50 and 75%) in the greenhouse. The alfalfa seeds were inoculated and fertilizer P and S were added to all treatments. Total plant biomass and P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Mn and Zn plant concentrations were measured.

The eight soils were pooled for analysis and it was found that increasing amounts of volcanic ash increased alfalfa biomass production. Plant P, S, Ca, Mg and Zn concentrations also increased with increasing levels of ash. Conversely, increasing levels of ash resulted in lower alfalfa tissue K and Mn concentrations. There is no evidence to suggest that the highest levels of ash which fell in northern Idaho (700,000 kg/ha) inhibited alfalfa production. Consequently, there is no need for adjustments in soil test calibration data presently used for fertilizer recommendations for alfalfa.     

Modelling species competition in mixtures of perennial sow-thistle and spring barley based on shoot radiation use efficiency

Abstract

Perennial sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis L.) may be a serious weed in organic and conventional farming. To assess the effects of radiation acquisition and resource allocation on competitive ability, S. arvensis was grown together with spring barley (Hordeum distichon L.) in six mixtures in a replacement series with initial above-ground biomass proportions of S. arvensis ranging from 2% to 96%. A one-season experiment was made outdoors in boxes in Uppsala, Sweden, at a low level of nitrogen supply (5 g N m^?2). The study tested the predictability of shoot biomass of each species based on two principal assumptions: (i) growth model parameters derived from species in monocultures could be applied in mixtures, and (ii) radiation in the mixed stand was partitioned between species proportional to their leaf area. Calibration of two parameters, for scaling of shoot radiation use efficiency and radiation partitioning respectively, were the base for the evaluation. When the coefficients were close to unity, which was the case for all mixtures dominated by barley, and for one of the mixtures with high proportion of S. arvensis in the early season, observed and predicted shoot biomass coincided well. For the evenly composed mixtures, total shoot biomass was underestimated (the scaling coefficient of shoot radiation use efficiency was>1), whereas the relative composition among species was predicted well. In the late season the principal model assumptions were not applicable to S. arvensis, likely due to increasing root allocation not accounted for in the model. Sonchus arvensis in mixtures with high proportions was planted early in relation to sowing of barley, which resulted in a comparably late development stage of S. arvensis. Consequently the relation between species development stages varied with species composition suggesting a need to introduce effects of differences in development stage into the model.     

近红外光谱法测定玉米秸秆饲用品质

为了对玉米秸秆的饲用品质进行可靠、便捷、快速的分析和评价,该研究以不同品种、密度、氮肥和水分处理的不同发育时期和不同部位玉米秸秆为试验材料,应用近红外光谱（NIRS）技术和偏最小二乘法（PLS）,采用一阶导数+中心化+多元散射校正的光谱数据预处理方法,构建了玉米秸秆体外干物质消化率（IVDMD）、酸性洗涤纤维（ADF）、中性洗涤纤维（NDF） 和可溶性糖（WSC）含量的NIRS分析模型。所建立的IVDMD、ADF、NDF和WSC含量的NIRS校正模型决定系数（R2cal）分别为0.9906、0.9870、0.9931和0.9802,交叉验证决定系数（R2cv）分别为0.9593、0.9413 、0.9678和0.9342,外部验证决定系数（R2val）分别为0.9549、0.9353、0.9519和0.9191,各项标准差（SEC、SECV和SEP）为0.935～1.904,相对分析误差（RPD）均大于3。结果表明,各参数的NIRS分析模型可用于玉米秸秆饲用品质的分析和品种选育的快速鉴定。     

Assessment of the species composition of forest floor horizons in mixed spruce-beech stands by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS)

How the mixture of tree species modifies short-term decomposition has been well documented using litterbag studies. However, how litter of different tree species interact in the long-term is obscured by our inability to visually recognize the species identity of residual decomposition products in the two most decomposed layers of the forest floor (i.e. the Oe and Oa layers respectively). To overcome this problem, we used Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to determine indirectly the species composition of forest floor layers. For this purpose, controlled mixtures of increasing complexity comprising beech and spruce foliage materials at various stages of decomposition from sites differing in soil acid-base status were created. In addition to the controlled mixtures, natural mixtures of litterfall from mixed stands were used to develop prediction models. Following a calibration/validation procedure, the best regression models to predict the actual species proportion from spectral properties were selected for each tree species based on the highest coefficient of determination (R²) and the lowest root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP). For the validation, the R² (predictions versus true proportions) were 0.95 and 0.94 for both beech and spruce components in mixtures of materials at all stages of decomposition from the gradient of sites. The R² decreased only marginally by 0.04 when models were tested on independent samples of similar composition. The best models were used to predict the beech-spruce proportion in Oe and Oa layers of unknown composition. They provided in most cases plausible predictions when compared to the composition of the canopy above the sampling points. Thus, tedious and potentially erroneous hand sorting of forest floor layers may be replaced by the use of NIRS models to determine species composition, even at late stages of decomposition.     

Early plant height: A defining factor for yields of silage maize with contrasting phosphorus supply

Silage maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop for forage on Northwestern European dairy cattle farms. We examined the effect of readily available soil phosphorus (P) on early maize growth and linked in-season height growth to final harvest yield using field plots with contrasting P supply in a one-year study embedded in a long-term experiment. Water-extractable P (Pw) was used as a proxy for readily available P in soil. Plant height, dry matter (DM) accumulation, P and nitrogen (N) uptakes were determined eight times from the two-leaf stage until final whole-crop harvest and fitted to logistic growth models. The models revealed that the final yield was significantly related to the time required to reach the maximum rate of height growth (occurring from 330 to 485 accumulated growing degree units, GDU), but not the time required to reach the maximum rate of DM accumulation (occurring from 561 to 649 GDU). Furthermore, plant height at the four-leaf stage and onwards was significantly related to the final harvest yield. Soil Pw linked closely to height growth parameters; higher levels of Pw gave earlier peaks in height growth. For this light sandy loam with a wide gradient in P content, we conclude that suboptimal P supply postpones height growth and reduces final yields. A sufficient P supply links to an early rapid increase in plant height and forms the potential for optimum nutrient uptake and high forage yields. Thus, early-season plant height may serve as a simple morphometric indicator for final yields.     

Estimating hydrogen cyanide in forage sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) by near-infrared spectroscopy

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a toxic chemical that can potentially cause mild to severe reactions in animals when grazing forage sorghum. Developing technologies to monitor the level of HCN in the growing crop would benefit graziers, so that they can move cattle into paddocks with acceptable levels of HCN. In this study, we developed near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations to estimate HCN in forage sorghum and hay. The full spectral NIRS range (400-2498 nm) was used as well as specific spectral ranges within the full spectral range, i.e., visible (400-750 nm), shortwave (800-1100 nm) and near-infrared (NIR) (1100-2498 nm). Using the full spectrum approach and partial least-squares (PLS), the calibration produced a coefficient of determination (R(2)) = 0.838 and standard error of cross-validation (SECV) = 0.040%, while the validation set had a R(2) = 0.824 with a low standard error of prediction (SEP = 0.047%). When using a multiple linear regression (MLR) approach, the best model (NIR spectra) produced a R(2) = 0.847 and standard error of calibration (SEC) = 0.050% and a R(2) = 0.829 and SEP = 0.057% for the validation set. The MLR models built from these spectral regions all used nine wavelengths. Two specific wavelengths 2034 and 2458 nm were of interest, with the former associated with C═O carbonyl stretch and the latter associated with C-N-C stretching. The most accurate PLS and MLR models produced a ratio of standard error of prediction to standard deviation of 3.4 and 3.0, respectively, suggesting that the calibrations could be used for screening breeding material. The results indicated that it should be feasible to develop calibrations using PLS or MLR models for a number of users, including breeding programs to screen for genotypes with low HCN, as well as graziers to monitor crop status to help with grazing efficiency.     

Observation strategies for morphological characterisation of forages

Several different methods using different numbers of plants and observations have been used for characterisation of germplasm. In this study, two different observation strategies for characterisation were tested in order to determine the minimum number of observations and plants per accession whilst still obtaining accurate results using eight forage legume species, eight forage grass species multiplied from seeds and eight clonally propagated forage grass species. In most cases, 10 observations, with 1 observation per plant would be sufficient to reach an acceptable error percentage. Observations taken on a plant basis with one observation per plant appears to be the most efficient way of scoring morphological characters. If less than 10 plants per accession are available, the reduced number of plants can be compensated by taking more observations per plant. An acceptable error percentage can often not be reached when the number of plants is less than four or five, even if many observations per plant are taken.     

Group-type and fingerprint analysis of roasted food matrices (coffee and hazelnut samples) by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

The present study is focused on the volatile fraction of roasted hazelnut and coffee samples, differing in botanical origins, morphological characteristics, and roasting treatments, selected as challenging matrices. Volatile components, sampled by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), were analyzed by GC x GC-qMS, and separation results were adopted to classify, correlate, and/or compare samples and evaluate processing effects. The high-complexity sample profiles were interpreted through different methods: a group-type characterization, a direct fingerprint comparison, and a template matching to extract useful and consistent information, and advantages and limits of each specific approach were critically evaluated. The group-type analysis, focused on several known botanical and technological markers, enabled sample comparison and characterization based on their quali-quantitative distribution; it is highly reliable, because of the authentic standard confirmation, and extends the comparative procedure to trace and minor components. Fingerprint approaches (i.e., direct fingerprint comparison and template matching), on the other hand, extended sample comparisons and correlations to the whole volatiles offering an increased discrimination potential and improved sensitivity due to the wider analyte pattern considered. This study demonstrates the ability of comprehensive GC to further explore the complexity of roasted samples and emphasizes the advantages of, and the need for, a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to interpret the increased level of information provided by GC x GC separation in its full complexity.     

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.