Effect of calciferol injections on bovine fertility. 2

Extract

Reports on successful caesarian operations on mares where both the dam and the foal survive are not common, and, on these grounds, it is felt this case is worth recording.     

Models to quantify excretion of dry matter,nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon in growing pigs fed regional diets

Modern pig production contributes to many environmental problems that relate to manure, especially in areas with highly intensive production systems and in regions like Asia where the regulative control is not effective. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use three different pig diets varying in dietary protein, fibre and fat as representative for Danish (DK), Thai (TH) and Vietnamese (VN) pig production to develop and evaluate different approaches to predict/calculate excretion from growing pigs in comparison with the experimentally determined values.Nine female growing pigs were used in a digestibility and balance experiment. Excretion of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) of the experimental diets were determined.Due to the highest dietary fibre content, VN had the lowest digestibility of N, P and C (73, 49, and 73%, respectively) compared with the DK and TH pig diets. From the known diet composition using standard table values on chemical and nutrient digestibly, high accuracy (bias) and low variation was found and the results could be used for prediction on chemical composition and excretion in faeces and urine in growing pigs. Calculation based on standard values regarding nutrient retention in the pig body as used in the Danish manure normative system (DMNS) showed likewise to be quite useful for quantifying the total excretion of N and P.Overall, the results demonstrate that simple models that require cheap and normally available information on dietary nutrients can give useful information on nutrient excretion in growing pigs.     

Sproßentwicklung und knollenerträge mehrerer Kartoffelsorten bei hohen Salzkonzentrationen zu verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien

Zusammenfassung Die Auswirkung von Salzstre? in drei verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien auf die Vegetationsdauer, die Pflanzenentwicklung und den Knollenertrag wurde bei den mittelfrühen Sorten Hansa, Grata Clivia und Erntestolz untersucht. Salzl?sungen (NaCL+Na₂SO₄) in Konzentrationen von 4, 8 und 12 mS/cm wurden einmalig appliziert, und zwar eine Woche nach Aufgang, zu Beginn der Knollenbildung und w?hrend der Knollenentwicklung. Bei Salzapplikation eine Woche nach Aufgang zeigte sich zun?chst eine Hemmung der Spro?entwicklung, die durch anschlie?ende hohe Wachstumsraten kompensiert wurde. Zu Beginn der Knollenbildung einsetzende Versalzung wirkte sich am st?rksten aus und hatte bei hohen Salzkonzentrationen eine, Beendigung der oberirdischen Entwicklung, früheres Absterben und hohe Ertragseinbu?en zur Folge. W?hrend der Knollenentwicklung einsetzende Versalzung hatte nur geringfügigen Einflu? auf die Spro?entwicklung, führte aber zu früherem Absterben der Pflanzen und geringerem Knollenertrag. ‘Clivia’ und ‘Erntestolz’ bildeten bei hohen Salzkonzentrationen und ungünstiger Witterung überwiegend h?here Ertr?ge als ‘Hansa’ und ‘Grata’.

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Summary The sensitivity to salt of the medium-early potato cultivars Hansa, Grata, Clivia and Erntestolz was studied in relation to vegetation period, shoot development and tuber yield. Two pot experiments (1985 and 1986) were done in an enclosed vegetation hall. Salt was applied once: a week after emergence, at the beginning of tuber formation, or during tuber development. The salt solutions (conductivities 4, 8 and 12 mS/cm) contained NaCl and Na₂SO₄. The results show that sensitivity to salt altered from one development stage to another for all four cultivars. Salt applied a week after emergence delayed senescence of the plants (Figure 1). An initial delay of shoot development, especially at high salt concentrations was compensated later by higher growth rates. Figure 2 gives the example of cv Hansa. Plants were most sensitive to the application of salt at the begin of tuber formation: there was a slowing down of the growth rate, and at higher salt concentrations an immediate standstill in growth processes, which resulted in smaller plants (Fig. 3). Moreover all four cultivars showed earlier senescence and large yield reductions, especially in the first experimental year (Table 1). When applied during tuber development salt had only a marginal effect on shoot development, but it did shorten the vegetation period. Damage to or restriction of assimilate transport in the tubers is probably the cause of the reduced yield. Salt at 4 mS/cm had no significant effect on yield, but at 8 mS/cm and especially 12 mS/cm there were drastic reductions, depending on cultivar, weather and application time. ‘Clivia’ and ‘Erntestolz’ generally yielded better than ‘Hansa’ and ‘Grata’ at high salt concentrations and unfavourable weather conditions (Table 1). The difference in the results from the two experimental years highlights the influence of weather conditions on the effect of salt treatment. Under the conditions in the first year, which were relatively favourable for development and yield, clear differences emerged with respect to salt concentration and application time. High temperatures and radiation in the second year resulted in lower yields and smaller differences between the controls and plants treated with salt.

     

Influence of growth conditions on the value of crisphead lettuce

The marketable and nutritional quality of crisphead lettuce as affected by nitrogen supply, cultivar, and plant age at harvest was investigated in six plantings during 1989 and 1990. The optimum yield of marketable heads was obtained at a total nitrogen supply of 150 kg N per ha although only small differences were observed to the yield at 100 and 200 kg total N per ha. The total nitrogen supply included the amount of mineral nitrogen within the rhizosphere. The incidence of dry tipburn in older leaves was clearly decreased by an increased nitrogen supply, especially at late planting. The content of nitrate was increased and the content of dry matter and vitamin C decreased with increased nitrogen supply. The vitamin C content was higher for the cultivar Marius than for Saladin. As plants got older, the nutritional quality of crisphead lettuce decreased because the content of nutrients, especially vitamin C, decreased with increased plant age at harvest.     

Applications of pedigree-based genome mapping in wheat and barley breeding programs

The aim of the pedigree-based genome mapping project is to investigate and develop systems for implementing marker assisted selection to improve the efficiency of selection and increase the rate of genetic gain in breeding programs. Pedigree-based whole genome marker application provides a vehicle for incorporating marker technologies into applied breeding programs by bridging the gap between marker–trait association and marker implementation. We report on the development of protocols for implementation of pedigree-based whole genome marker analysis in breeding programs within the Australian northern winter cereals region. Examples of applications from the Queensland DPI&F wheat and barley breeding programs are provided, commenting on the use of microsatellites and other types of molecular markers for routine genomic analysis, the integration of genotypic, phenotypic and pedigree information for targeted wheat and barley lines, the genomic impacts of strong selection pressure in case study pedigrees, and directions for future pedigree-based marker development and analysis.     

Recycling of livestock manure in a whole-farm perspective

Intensification increases the environmental impact of livestock production systems. Efforts to recycle nutrients in livestock manure for crop production will effectively reduce several pollution problems, although general solutions are difficult to devise in view of the diversity in production systems, management strategies and legislation between countries and regions. This paper argues that a whole-farm perspective taking side-effects and on-farm interactions into account is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of strategies to mitigate pollution from livestock manure management. Animal feeding plays a key role in the control of nutrient flows on livestock farms, since the diet affects the composition of excreta. There is a great potential for manipulating manure composition by diet manipulations. Manure is a significant source of heavy metals in soil, and in Europe the permitted levels of Cu and Zn in livestock diets have been lowered to reduce their environmental impact. A variety of environmental technologies are being developed for treatment of manure, many of which have a significant potential for reducing nutrient losses. Internationally agreed and enforced regulations that link pollution control with the adoption of best available technologies could provide the demand that is needed to drive research and development. In the past, policy-makers have typically focused on individual environmental problems. It is essential, however, that the efforts to close nutrient cycles on the farm are accompanied by a corresponding reduction in total inputs, otherwise losses after field application will increase. Integrated assessment tools are needed which can evaluate all internal flows of nutrients, imports and exports, energy use, hygienic risks and contaminants, as well as costs, at the farm-scale and beyond. It is important to consider pollution control strategies for a farm in the framework of local and regional pollution control planning.     

Super ENSO and global climate oscillations at millennial time scales

The late Pleistocene history of seawater temperature and salinity variability in the western tropical Pacific warm pool is reconstructed from oxygen isotope (delta18O) and magnesium/calcium composition of planktonic foraminifera. Differentiating the calcite delta18O record into components of temperature and local water delta18O reveals a dominant salinity signal that varied in accord with Dansgaard/Oeschger cycles over Greenland. Salinities were higher at times of high-latitude cooling and were lower during interstadials. The pattern and magnitude of the salinity variations imply shifts in the tropical Pacific ocean/atmosphere system analogous to modern El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Ni?o conditions correlate with stadials at high latitudes, whereas La Ni?a conditions correlate with interstadials. Millennial-scale shifts in atmospheric convection away from the western tropical Pacific may explain many paleo-observations, including lower atmospheric CO2, N2O, and CH4 during stadials and patterns of extratropical ocean variability that have tropical source functions that are negatively correlated with El Ni?o.     

Effects of hot water treatment,biocontrol agents,disinfectants and a fungicide on storability of English oak acorns and control of the pathogen,Ciboria batschiana

Eight biological control agents (BCAs; Clonostachys rosea, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma polysporum, Phlebiopsis gigantea, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Streptomyces griseoviridis), five disinfectants and a fungicide (Prochloras‐Mangan^TM) were evaluated for the control of harmful mycoflora on Ciboria batschiana‐infected English oak (Quercus robur) acorns during storage at ?1°C. All treatments were tested on both hot water‐treated (HW) and untreated acorns. HW‐treated acorns generally stored better than untreated acorns as a result of elimination of C. batschiana. The HW treatment increased the germination percentage before storage from 60 to 85%. Germination of HW‐treated acorns decreased from 85 to 40% after 16.5 months of storage, whereas germination of untreated acorns decreased from 60 to 20% after a similar time. Ciboria batschiana infection of untreated acorns increased from 14% before storage to 55% after 16 months of storage. All disinfectants and BCAs had a positive effect on viability and particularly on control of C. batschiana in untreated acorns. Best control of C. batschiana occurred with C. rosea, Mycostop^TM (S. griseoviridis), Binab TF^TM (T. polysporum + T. harzianum), and P. chlororaphis. For HW‐treated acorns, there was only a small effect of BCAs on acorn viability while the fungicide and the disinfectants had no effect. Treatments also affected the saprophytic mycoflora with the HW treatment reducing the frequency of Cladosporium spp. and Papulaspora spp., but enhancing Alternaria spp., Mucoraceae and Penicillium spp. However, when combined with HW treatment, several BCAs significantly reduced the prevalence of these fungi. Also, C. rosea reduced the growth of Fusarium spp. Significant negative correlations (p < 0.001) were found between acorn germination and certain storage fungi such as Acremoniella atra, Cladosporium spp. and dematiaceous mycelia.     

The ethnic geography of New Zealand: A decade of growth and change, 1991–2001

Abstract: New Zealand's population growth of 10 per cent over the decade 1991–2001 resulted substantially from an increasing number of those claiming Pacific Island and Asian ethnicity, and to a lesser extent of the New Zealand Maori. Using census data for a comparable set of small areas with average populations of just over 100, this paper examines the changing geography of the four main ethnic categories – New Zealand European, New Zealand Maori, Pacific Island Peoples, and Asians – across the country as a whole and in its major settlements, especially Auckland. There is little extreme segregation of the three minority groups, but most of the Europeans live in areas where there is little exposure to those of other ethnicities. Most of the changes in segregation reflect the growth of Auckland's Pacific Island and, especially, Asian populations.     

Development of yellow-seeded Brassica napus of double low quality

Two yellow‐seeded white‐petalled Brassica napus F₇ inbred lines, developed from interspecific crosses, containing 26–28% emcic acid and more than 40 μmol glucosinolates (GLS)/g seed were crossed with two black/dark brown seeded B. napus varieties of double low quality and 287 doubled haploid (DH) lines were produced. The segregation in the DH lines indicated that three to four gene loci are involved in the determination of seed colour, and yellow seeds are formed when all alleles in all loci are in the homozygous recessive state. A dominant gene governed white petal colour and is linked with an erucic acid allele that, in the homozygous condition, produces 26–28% erucic acid. Four gene loci are involved in the control of total GLS content where low GLS was due to the presence of recessive alleles in the homozygous condition in all loci. From the DH breeding population a yellow‐seeded, yellow‐petalled, zero erucic acid line was obtained. This line was further crossed with conventional B. napus varieties of double low quality and, following pedigree selection, a yellow seeded B. napus of double low quality was obtained. The yellow seeds had higher oil plus protein content and lower fibre content than black seeds. A reduction of the concentration of chromogenic substances was found in the transparent seed coat of the yellow‐seeded B. napus.