Rate of gastric evacuation in brown trout (Salmo trutta l.) in acidified and non-acidified water

Gastric evacuation rate in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) was studied in water qualities characteristic of non-acidified and acidified waters. The level of plasma chloride was reduced and hematocrit increased in the group exposed to acid water. The gastric evacuation rate was described by an exponential function. Instantaneous rates of gastric evacuation were not significantly different between the two groups. In both of the groups the rates were lower than observed in corresponding studies of brown trout. This was most likely caused by handling stress during the experiment.     

Stocking of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) cohorts after liming- effects on survival and growth during five years of reacidification

The chronically acid Hovvatn and the adjoining pond Pollen were limed in March 1981. During the first 4 yr after the liming, a total of 11 437 brown trout were stocked in the two locations. The fish population was monitored by annual testfishing in a five yr period following the liming. The stocking material constituted 6 cohorts and included fish stocked at age 0+, 1+ and 2+. The stocking program assured a 7.9 times higher density of fish ha^?1 in Pollen than in Hovvatn. Consequently, the fish from Hovvatn grew significantly better and had a significantly higher condition factor than fish in Pollen. Monitoring of water chemistry showed that the cohorts were exposed to a gradual reacidification process, abrupted by episodic events of severe acidification. Within 2–3 yr after the liming, the locations had reacidified to conditions which were considered critical for fish. However, the acidinduced increase in mortality appeared 1–2 yr later than what was expected from water chemistry data. This discrepancy could most likely be ascribed to the existence of water chemical refugia which enhanced the survival of the fish. Recaptures were significantly correlated to pH, Ca, labile-Al and ANC. Growth were significantly reduced throughout the reacidification period. Estimated yield showed that fish stocked at age 2+, as opposed to fish stocked at a younger age, managed to turn the high food availability into high growthrates before the reacidification retarded growth and survival.     

Changes in fruitbody production of mycorrhizal and litter decomposing macromycetes in heavy metal polluted coniferous forests in North Sweden

Basidiomycete fruitbodies growing in coniferous forests along a complex heavy metal pollution gradient in north Sweden were identified and counted over a 4 yr period. The dominant metals in the humus layer were As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Pb occurred at the highest levels in a range of 80 to 8500 μg g^?1 dry wt. Both the number of fruitbodies and the number of fruiting species decreased strongly with increasing pollution level. A few species appeared to sustain the metal loads. Many of these were ectomycorrhizal fungi. The relationship between fruitbody frequencies and plant species composition were also studied statistically although no obvious relations were found. Metal content of the fruitbodies of six species were also analyzed and their bioaccumulation calculated. Amanita muscaria accumulated Cd efficiently.     

Heavy metal deposition in Scandinavia

Maps showing the regional differences in the atmospheric deposition of Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Fe have been prepared for Finland, Norway and Sweden from data obtained by means of moss analysis, a method previously shown to be a sensitive and reliable tool in measuring heavy metal deposition. In all elements the minima were recorded in northern Norway, the maxima in south-central or south-western Sweden and southernmost Norway. The greatest regional differences were measured in Pb and Cd.     

“Facilitated access” to plant genetic resources: does it work?

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture entered into force in 2004 and is an important instrument by which plant breeders can access crop genetic diversity on the basis of multilateral “facilitated access”. To test how well access works, we sent seed requests to 121 countries that are Contracting Parties to the Treaty. Seeds were received from 44 countries, 54 countries did not respond, while for 23 countries contacts stopped for various reasons: loss of communication, the accessions we requested did not exist or were not in the multilateral system, or conditions or standard material transfer agreements were different from those specified in the Treaty. It is concluded that after nearly 10 years, “facilitated access” is not straightforward.     

Some chemical and biological properties of a protein concentrate from nigerseed (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.)

A protein concentrate has been prepared from nigerseed (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) by a method involving extraction of the protein with NaCl-solution.The protein concentrate contains about 65% of protein (N×5.5) calculated from the dry weight, and the amino acid pattern is fairly well balanced. The chemical score is 82 calculated from the A/E values.The nutritional value of the product has been tested on young rats. These tests revealed the presence of antinutritional factors in the protein concentrate. The PER was only 1.5.It was also found that the rate of digestion by pancreatin was much slower for the protein concentrate than for casein, possibly due to enzyme resistent linkages.The protein concentrate seems to be devoid of hemagglutinin activity. Antibodies against the nug extracts could not be found.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Proteinkonzentrat wurde aus Nug-Samen (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) durch eine Methode gewonnen, die eine Extraktion des Proteins mit NaCl-Lösung einschließt.Das Proteinkonzentrat enthalt etwa 65% Protein (N x 5,5), berechnet auf das Trockengewicht. Das Aminosäuregleichgewicht ist relativ gut balanziert. Die chemical score nach den A/E Werten berechnet, beträgt 82.Der Nährwert des Produktes ist an jungen Ratten getestet worden. Diese Tests zeigten das Vorhandensein von Antinähr-Faktoren im Proteinkonzentrat. Die PER (protein efficiency ratio) betrug nur 1,5.Es wurde außerdem festgestellt, daß die Geschwindigkeit der enzymatischen Verdauung (mit Pankreatin) für das Proteinkonzentrat viel langsamer abläuft als für Casein. Dieses ist vielleicht bedingt durch Enzymresistente Bindungen.Das Proteinkonzentrat scheint von Hämagglutininaktivität frei zu sein. Es wurden keine Antikörper gegen Nug-Extrakte gefunden.

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Résumé Une solution concentrée de protéine a été préparée de grains de nug (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) par une méthode contenant l'extraction de la protéine avec la solution NaCl.La solution concentrée contient environ 65% de protéine (N X 5,5) calculée du poids sec, et le modèle des aminoacides est assez bien balancé. Le chemical score est 82 calculé des valeurs A/E. La valeur nutritive du produit a été éprouvé à de jeunes rats. Ces épreuves ont révélé la présence d'éléments antinutritives dans la solution concentrée de protéine. La PER (protein efficiency ratio) était seulement 1,5.On a aussi trouvé que la rapidité de digestion enzymatique (avec la pancréatine) pour la solution concentrée de protéine était beaucoup plus lente que pour le casein. Ceci est peut-être du à des liaisons qui résistent aux enzymes.Il semble que la solution concentrée de protéine manque d'activité hemagglutinine. On n'a pas pu trouver des anticorps dirigés contre les extraits de nug.

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CNU Report No. 34.     

Digestive Tract Anatomy of Norwegian Sheep: Difference Between Breeds

Data on 216,428 Danish Red, 798,152 Danish Friesian and 232,953 Danish Jersey cows were used to estimate phenotypic and genetic parameters for actual and production‐corrected survival traits and for milk production. Genetic effects of imported breeds were also estimated. Phenotypic trends in days in milk were similar for Danish Red and Danish Friesian, and showed influences of the milk quota system, whereas Danish Jersey showed a continuous downwards trend. Significant additive and non‐additive effects due to imported breeds were found. Heritabilities differed between breeds, ranging from 0.072 to 0.122 for actual continuous lifetime traits, and from 0.048 to 0.076 for production‐corrected continuous lifetime traits. Binary stayability traits showed lower heritability. Genetic correlations between milk production and actual or production‐corrected days in milk were 0.63 and 0.31 respectively. Genetic correlations between binary stayabilities and continuous lifetime traits were high (>0.78), which indicates that stayabilities can be used as early predictors of the lifetime traits.     

Indications of breed by environment interaction for lamb weights in Norwegian sheep breeds

With high variation in environmental conditions, especially during the extensive grazing season, genotype by environment interaction is potentially important to lamb production in Norway. Using breed as an indicator of genotype, the interaction between breed and environment, i.e. production level of farm and year calculated as solutions of a random farm*year variable, on 52 farms keeping both long-tailed Dala and short-tailed Spæl during 1989–98 was studied. The dataset included 48,946 Dala lambs and 38,299 Spæl lambs. The breed by environment interaction affected lamb autumn weights, and though Dala lambs were always heavier, the difference was substantially smaller at lower than at higher production levels: 1 kg increase in production level was related to Dala lambs’ weights increasing 0.09 kg more than the Spæl lambs’ weights. The results indicate that breed by environment interaction may be of importance, and potential bias in the data and need for further research is discussed.     

Effects of concentrate feeding systems,genotype and sex on productive performance and meat quality of Norwegian lambs

Abstract

Two factorial experiments, I and II, were carried out in this study using 84 lambs (140±1.24 days old, 40.00±0.75 kg live weight) divided into six groups. Two levels of concentrate supplementation; restricted (0.4 kg concentrate/lamb/day) or ad libitum, two breed types; Norwegian White lamb or Nor-X and two sex types; ram or ewe lambs, were investigated. In experiment I, a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments (level of supplementation, sex, and breed) was imposed whereas a 2×2 arrangement of treatments (level of supplementation and breeds) was studied in Experiment II. Each of the two experiments lasted for four weeks. Lambs on ad libitum access to concentrate grew at 231 g d^–1 and 125 g d^–1 faster than those on restricted access in Experiment I and II, respectively. Moreover, ram lambs grew at 64 g d^–1 faster than ewe lambs. Lambs on ad libitum access to concentrate had about 5 kg heavier carcasses than that on restricted access. Ewe and ram lambs on ad libitum allowance to concentrate had 4.2 kg and 5.6 kg, respectively, higher carcass weight than those on restricted allowance. The two levels of concentrate supplementation had limited effects on the meat sensory qualities. Meat taste intensity increased with level of concentrate supplementation. Difference in meat tenderness between ram and ewe lambs was only evidenced on ad libitum concentrate feeding. Irrespective of stage of growth (Experiment I vs. II) and concentrate supplementation level, Nor-X lambs were superior to Norwegian White lambs with respect to carcass conformation scores. Based on results from sensory assessments of meat, ram lambs should be slaughtered before October to avoid off-flavour on meat.