Silage and milk production: a comparison between concentrates containing different amounts of protected protein as supplements for silage of high digestibility

Grass silage made in late May from S24 perennial ryegrass was offered ad libitum to eight Ayshire cows in a 16-week feeding experiment. The silage had a DM concentration of 244 g kg⁻¹, contained 163 g crude protein (kg DM)⁻¹ with a ruminal degradability of 0.77 and had an in vitro DOMD concentration of 678 g kg⁻¹. In addition, four concentrates each containing 167 g soya-bean meal kg⁻¹ were consumed at a mean daily rate of 6.43 kg DM per cow. The soya-bean meal was either untreated, or 'protected' by formalin and mixed in the following proportions, 100:0; 66:34; 34:66; and 0:100 respectively, in the four concentrates. The daily intakes of silage DM were not significantly different on the four treatments and averaged 90 kg DM per cow, giving a mean total daily DM intake of 32.4 g kg⁻¹ live weight. The milk yields were not significantly different on the four treatments and averaged 23.9 kg ⁻¹ The treatments had small and non-significant effects on milk composition and live weight. It is concluded that with a high-digestibility, well-preserved grass silage of satisfactory protein content the inclusion of 'protected' protein in the supplementary concentrate had no beneficial effects on milk production.     

Silage and milk production: a comparison between supplements of barley and soybean meal offered with white clover silage

Silage made from Blanca white clover was offered ad libitum to four Friesian cows in a 12-week changeover experiment. The silage contained 990 g white clover DM (kg DM)⁻¹ with 254 g DM kg⁻¹ and 243 g CP (kg DM)⁻¹ The pH was 3.98 and the in vitro DOMD concentration 680 g kg⁻¹. The silage was the sole feed in the control treatment; in the other three treatments it was supplemented with barley, soybean meal, and a mixture of these feeds supplying 8.1, 2.7 and 7.8 kg DM per cow respectively. The daily intakes of silage DM were 19.3, 13.5, 17.5 and 13.5 kg per cow, and the daily milk yields were 26.3, 28.0, 28.6 and 27.6 kg per cow on the control, barley, soybean and barley plus soybean treatments respectively. It is concluded that the white clover silage had an excellent fermentation and a large potential for milk production.     

Effects of raw soy flour feeding in weanling pigs: comparison with rats and monkeys

Feeding of raw and heated soy flour (RSF & HSF) for 4 or 8 weeks to weanling swine was compared with feeding of casein diets. There was essentially no growth in pigs fed RSF, whereas body weight increased 4.5 fold over 8 weeks with either casein or HSF. No change in pancrease weight as percent body weight was found in any group in either experiment. Both total pancreatic RNA and DNA were decreased in RSF groups, although RNA and DNA/mg pancreas were increased by the RSF diets. Total pancreatic protein, as well as protein/mg, were decreased in RSF-fed pigs compared to casein and HSF. Pancreatic trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, and amylase, and fecal trypsin were decreased in RSF-fed pigs to varying degrees compared to either HSF or casein. HSF and casein performance was equivalent in all parameters measured. Results of these experiments are compared with results of feeding similar diets to rats and monkeys.     

Digestive enzymes of the crustaceans Munida and their application in cheese manufacturing: a review

Crustaceans Munida (fam. Galatheideae, ord. Decapodi) were fished in the Southern Adriatic Sea and their proteolytic activities were characterized and tested for potential application in cheese manufacturing. Enzymes extracted from whole crustaceans, mainly serine proteases, showed high caseinolytic and moderate clotting activities. Analysis by 2D zymography of the digestive enzymes extracted from Munida hepatopancreas, showed the presence of several isotrypsin- and isochymotrypsin-like enzymes in the range of 20-34 kDa and 4.1-5.8 pI. Moreover, specific enzymatic assays showed the presence of aminopeptidases and carboxypeptidases A and B. Overall, optimum activity was achieved at pH 7.5 and 40-45 °C. Caseinolytic activity, determined both spectrophotometrically and by SDS gel electrophoresis, indicated higher activity on β-casein than on α-casein. Miniature cheddar-type cheeses and Pecorino-type cheeses were manufactured by adding starter, rennet and Munida extracts to milk. Reverse-phase HPLC and MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry showed a more complex pattern of proteolytic products in cheeses made using Munida instead of chymosin. Munida extracts were found to degrade the chymosin-derived β-casein fragment f193-209, one of the peptides associated with bitterness in cheese. In conclusion, Munida digestive enzymes represent a promising tool for development of new cheese products and shorten cheese ripening when used either alone or in addition to calf rennet.     

Water and oil-repellent coatings of perfluoro-polyacrylate resins on cotton fibers: UV curing in comparison with thermal polymerization

UV curing of perfluoro-alkyl-polyacrylate resins able to impart water as well as oil-repellency to cotton fabrics was studied in comparison with conventional thermal polymerization. The process was assessed through weight gain and gel content measurements while the properties conferred to cotton fabrics were determined in terms of water and oil contact angles, moisture adsorption, and water vapor permeability. The polymerization yields were of the same order (>80 %) of those obtained with thermal curing as well as the high contact angles with water (>127°) and oil (>118°) even at low resin add-on (3 %). UV cured resins yielded oil contact angles mostly higher than 120° denoting super oil-repellent surfaces. Moreover the water and oil-repellency was adequately maintained after washing. The moisture adsorption of finished fabrics was lower than that of untreated cotton, but slightly higher for UV cured than thermally treated fabrics. Water vapor transmission rate showed that the finish treatment, thermal as well as by UV curing, does not reduce the breathability of the original cotton. DSC analysis demonstrated that the fiber pyrolysis is affected by the polymer add-on, while FTIR-ATR spectra of all finished fabrics showed typical peaks of ester and C-F groups. XPS analysis showed small differences between thermal and UV curing coatings with each resin, while coatings with the lowest percentage of fluorine groups did not affect the water and oil-repellency.     

Progeny testing for resistance to potato virus Y: a comparison of susceptible potato cultivars for use in testcrosses with resistant parents

Summary For potato breeding or genetical research purposes, the number of copies of a dominant major gene for resistance to potato virus Y in a parent clone can be determined by test-crossing with a susceptible parent and observing the segregation ratio of resistant to susceptible seedlings in the progeny. In a comparison of different susceptible cultivars for use in test-crosses for this purpose, their progenies differed in the clarity of symptoms and parental phenotype proved an unreliable guide. Cvs Maris Piper, Arran Peak and Dr MacIntosh were found to be suitable tester parents, Pentland Squire less so and cv. Désirée was confirmed as having a major gene conferring incomplete resistance. It was found advisable to test-cross with more than one susceptible parent.     

Factors influencing the response in intake of silage and animal performance after wilting of grass before ensiling: a review

This review examines the response in intake of silage and animal performance after wilting of grass before ensiling. It uses data from eighty‐five published comparisons. Initial analysis identified those variables having the greatest influence on the increase in dry‐matter (DM) intake of grass silage owing to wilting. Total water loss, drying rate of the wilted material and ammonia‐N concentration of the unwilted material were the variables most closely and positively correlated to the proportional increase in DM intake as a result of wilting, with r² values of 0·344, 0·393 and 0·240 respectively. There was little evidence of curvilinearity in any of the relationships. Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the best multiple linear regressions for predicting the proportional increase in intake owing to wilting. Factors associated with the extent and rate of water loss in the field (total water loss and drying rate) and the quality of the unwilted material ensiled and its subsequent fermentation pattern (DM digestibility, crude protein, ammonia‐N content of unwilted silage) were the key variables in the relationship. Subsequent analysis related the increase in output of milk energy of dairy cows and liveweight gain of beef cattle to the same independent variables. This indicated that variables shown to describe the response in DM intake in the previous analysis were among those most closely related to the increases in animal performance owing to wilting of grass. To assess whether the increase in animal performance owing to wilting could be explained as a direct response to increased metabolizable energy (ME) intake of wilted compared with unwilted silages, linear relationships were derived between the increase in milk and beef production parameters and the increase in ME intake owing to wilting. From these, it was concluded that there was no clear evidence that wilting reduced the efficiency of utilization of ME in beef or dairy cattle. The present study showed that the increase in milk energy output (measured in MJ) per increase in ME intake (measured in MJ) owing to wilting was linear, with a slope of 0·19. This response from additional ME intake owing to wilting is in line with what would be anticipated when increasing ME intake by other methods.     

Superior bio-efficacy of a combined formulation of carbendazim and mancozeb in inducing defense responses in chilli seedlings against Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. in comparison with methyl jasmonate

The objective of this work was to investigate the efficacy of a prepackaged combined formulation, Companion (carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63% WP), sole application of carbendazim 50% WP, manozeb 75% WP and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), an inducer of systemic acquired resistance on disease severity and their role in post-infectional defense responses in chilli seedlings against Sclerotium rolfsii. Seeds were treated for 8 h with MeJA (2.5 mM and 5.0 mM) and each of fungicides (500 ppm), and were sown in pots containing soil and fungal inocula (95:5 w/w). At 15 days after sowing maximum defense against fungal infection was exhibited by Companion comparably followed by the sole application of carbendazim and mancozeb. MeJA reduced percent mortality of S. rolfsii-infected chilli seedlings significantly as compared to the inoculated control. Assessment of peroxidase (POX) and esterase (EST) at 15 days after sowing revealed the increased activity under inoculated condition. Highest POX activity in MeJA treatments (5 mM > 2.5 mM) was followed by the Companion treatment. Highest EST activity was registered in Companion treatment. The zymogram of POX isozymes showed over-expression of POX 2 and POX 4 isoforms, and induction of POX 1 isoform in inoculated treatments. On the other hand, that of EST isozymes showed induction of EST 1 isoform in Companion, carbendazim and MeJA treatments. All EST isoforms were over-expressed in Companion-treated seedlings. Both fungicides and MeJA showed significant effects on disease severity, induction of defense enzymes and isozyme pattern in S. rolfsii-infected chilli seedlings. Contact and systemic fungicides under the experiment demonstrated differential responses. The combination formulation was superior in disease control to application of the fungicide components individually. They compared favourably with MeJA in induction of defense-related enzyme activities. All these findings are new with respect to the chilli-S. rolfsii host–pathogen interaction system, S. rolfsii representing the sclerotial basidiomycetes in particular.     

The practical and economic consequences of integrating maize with grass production on dairy farms in southern England: a computer simulation

A mathematical model of the production, harvesting and utilization of maize and grass silage on a dairy farm with an autumn-calving herd is described. Using the model the comparative costs and benefits of growing and feeding maize in place of grass silage are examined for three sites in southern England. It is concluded that a winter milk production system based on maize rather than grass should improve profits by at least £30, and possibly by as much as £80 cow^-1. This financial improvement is attributable to higher feed intakes and lower harvesting and fertilizer costs with maize silage. Simulating the results over a 10-year period also revealed that the switch from grass to maize should lower the risks in terms of the annual variability of silage yields and herd profits. Furthermore, it would appear unnecessary to completely turn over from grass to maize production to realize a significant financial benefit. Setting aside just 25% of the conservation area to maize and feeding a mixture of maize and grass silage is projected to increase profits from winter milk production by £30 to £45 cow^-1.     

Development of a sustainable evaluation indicator for livestock farming system on the basis of nitrogen flow: a case study on the material flow in livestock farming along with fodder crop production and grazing on abandoned paddy fields

This study was conducted to identify the differences of characteristics of nitrogen flow on the cattle fattening breeders in different types of feeding system. Targeted breeders were classified into fodder-product type and grazing type. In both types, the nitrogen flow during livestock farming was estimated based on the inputs and outputs of materials, and summarized with following three indicators: (1) Flow-Drive Indicator (FDI), indicator for the amplified nitrogen flow per unit of external commercial materials, (2) Artificial Resources Utilization Indicator (AUI), indicator for effects of the inputs of artificial resources on nitrogen flow, and (3) Sustainability Indicator (SI = FDI/AUI), indicator for sustainability of resource utilization. As the results of nitrogen flow analysis, higher average FDI value in the grazing type (2.09) than in the fodder-product type (1.90) showed that the nitrogen from external commercial materials contributed efficiently to increase the nitrogen flow in the grazing type. The average AUI value in the fodder-product type (24.27) was clearly higher than in the grazing types (1.90). It is suggested that fodder-product type was operated by higher dependency of the inputs of utilization of artificial resources. The value of SI was less than 0.2 in the fodder-product type, and it ranged from 1.00 to 1.36 in the grazing type, respectively. It was suggested that the nitrogen flow was completely different in both types of systems, and the grazing type well utilized natural process. Moreover, by comparing the AUI and SI values, it was found that the fodder-product type was operated depending on nitrogen inputs from commercial products. In contrast, the grazing type operated well utilization of nitrogen from natural resources with less input from commercial feed.     

The effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trial

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is strongly associated with cardiovascular risk. Inflammation is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In this study, hydro alcoholic extract of Nettle (Urtica dioica) on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in type 2 diabetic patients were studied. A randomized double-blind clinical trial on 50 men and women with type 2 diabetes was done for 8 weeks. Patients were adjusted by age, sex and duration of diabetes, then randomly divided into two groups, an intervention and control group. They received, 100 mg kg-1nettle extract or placebo in three portions a day for 8 weeks. Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), High Sensitive C-Reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Fasting Insulin concentration were measured. Insulin Sensitivity was calculated, at the beginning and the end of the study. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 18, p<0.05 was considered significant for all variables. After 8 weeks, IL-6 and hs-CRP showed a significant decrease in the intervention group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The findings showed that the hydro alcoholic extract of nettle has decreasing effects on IL-6 and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes after eight weeks intervention.