Use of metabolic profiles for the assessment of dietary adequacy in UK dairy herds

Between April 1999 and March 2004, metabolic profile analyses were performed on individual blood samples from 35,506 dairy cattle in the UK. Assessment of the cows' energy status by the analysis of plasma samples for beta-hydroxybutyrate, glucose and non-esterified fatty acids showed that 70.4 per cent of the cows in early lactation (10 to 20 days calved), 57.1 per cent of the cows in mid-lactation (51 to 120 days calved) and 57.7 per cent of the dry cows within 10 days of their predicted calving date had one or more energy metabolites outside the optimum range; in addition, 16 per cent of the cows in early lactation, 5.6 per cent of those in mid-lactation and 20.5 per cent of the dry cows within 10 days of their predicted calving date had a low plasma urea nitrogen concentration, indicating poor intakes of effective rumen-degradable protein. Abnormalities in the concentrations of magnesium, inorganic phosphate, copper, selenium and iodine were relatively uncommon. The transitional period, particularly in late pregnancy, was commonly identified as a constraint on productivity. Nutritional problems were most commonly associated with poor feed intakes and poor feed management, rather than with the formulation of the rations.     

Estimation of genetic parameters and gains for color traits of strawberry

Cassava is an important food security crop in the developing world, as it is adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions including marginal semi-arid agro-ecologies. Cassava is a starchy staple and the storage roots of commercial cassava cultivar are very low in protein content (0.5–2%, dry weight basis). A diet predominantly based on cassava, as is the case in several sub-Saharan countries, could lead to malnutrition, especially in young children over time. A wild progenitor of cassava, Manihot esculenta ssp. flabellifolia have been found to have high root protein content, up to 18% (dry weight basis) and is excellent source of genetic variability for this important trait. Accessions of M. esculenta ssp. flabellifolia with high storage root protein content were crossed with commercial cassava cultivars. High content of storage root protein ranged from 2.87 to 11.25% could be recovered in the F₁ progenies. The F₁ families had an average dry matter content of 29.6%. These F₁ interspecific hybrids would be an entry point for improvement of cassava storage root protein content. A brief discussion of the strategy to be followed is presented.