The identification of grey mullet species by disc electrophoresis

Electrophoresis was carried out on the water-soluble muscle protein (myogen) of six grey mullets (Mugilidae), caught off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. With the obtained electropherograms it was possible to identify the adults and juveniles of five species of grey mullet. A tentative key for species determination based on the myogen electrophoretic pattern of five species (Liza ramada (Risso, 1826), L. aurata (Risso, 1810), L. provensalis (Risso, 1826), L. saliens (Risso, 1810) and Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) is given. Of the sixth species, Oedalechilus labeo (Cuvier, 1829), only one small adult and six juvenile specimens were obtained.A fast moving band occurred in the pattern of all juveniles of the investigated species. This fraction decreased during growth of all species, it became faint in adults of L. saliens, L. provensalis and L. ramada and was not observed in adult L. aurata and M. cephalus.     

THE INFLUENCE OF PHOSPHATE AND LIME ON THE GROWTH AND N FIXATION OF LOTUS ULIGINOSUS AND TRIFOLIUM REPENS UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

Shoot dry weight, leaf area, leaf lamina dry weight and N-fixation of L. uliginosus cv. Grasslands 4705 were compared with those of T. repens S184 over a 90-day period frotn sowing, in pots in a greenhouse. Three P and three pH levels were imposed and there were three destructive harvests at 30-day intervals. N-fixation was estimated by the acetylene reduction technique prior to the last harvest. L. uliginosus had higjier means than T. repens for all characters measured under all treatments at all harvests. Large increases in shoot weight and leaf area were associated with addition of P, particularly with the first increment of P to L. uliginosus. High P reduced the contribution of lamina to total shoot weight in T. repens more than in L. uliginosus at the second harvest. Raising pH increased shoot weight and leaf area in both species. N-fixation was low in both species at low pH and low P. This was increased by addition of P, a smaller quantity being necessary for the same response in L. uliginosus compared with T. repens. At the higher P levels, the high pH gave rise to lower N-fixation than at the medium pH. Results are discussed in relation to field trials of other workers and the possible suitability of L. uliginosus for low fertility upland conditions.     

SWARD PRODUCTIVITY UNDER ALTERNATE OR REPEATED CUTTING OF ADJACENT SMALL AREAS

Cutting patterns producing high and low areas were imposed on swards of Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne to test whether output could be increased when compared with traditional uniform cutting methods. In two experiments, swards of both grasses were divided into parallel 9 cm strips which were cut alternately on different occasions to a height of 5 cm. These swards yielded a similar quantity of herbage DM to that from other swards cut uniformly at the same height and frequency. In a third experiment, swards of Lolium perenne were divided into alternate strips of unequal width (9 and 4.5 cm). The narrow strips were allowed to grow to a height of 15 cm and were occasionally trimmed at this height. The wide strips were cut to 5 cm at 2–or 4–weekly intervals. Areas cut to 5 cm every 2 weeks yielded significantly more DM when adjacent to high areas than when adjacent to areas cut to 5 cm every 2 weeks (i.e. under uniform cutting). The interaction between adjacent areas having different defoliation regimes is discussed in relation to the possibility of obtaining some additional output from a suitable no niform cutting system compared with uniform cutting. Sward productivity under no niform grazing patterns of livestock is also discussed.     

Thermal decomposition of protein in soil organic matter

Infrared spectroscopy and nitrogen analyses suggest that secondary amide groups in protein-like components of soil clay-organic complexes and extracted organic matter decompose above 100°C to yield ammonia which is retained as NH₄⁺ by acid-washed clay-organic complexes. Above about 400°C, other volatile nitrogenous decomposition products are released. Clay surfaces in the clay-organic complexes may catalyse the decomposition.     

Electrofocusing: A new method for characterization of soil humic matter

Electrofocusing in polyacrylamide gel was carried out on humic substances extracted by 0.1 n NaOH, 0.1m Na₄P₂O₇, and by the method of Burns, El Sayed and McLaren (1972) from the upper and lower organic horizons of an alpine podsol. The electrophoretic patterns were characteristic of both humus origin and extractions procedure. The best resolution of the isoelectric bands for the humus were obtained by the Burns-McLaren procedure. The ionic component does not have much influence on the distribution of humus constituents within the electrophoretic pattern, but the presence of phosphate appears to be essential to obtain good separations.