Suppression of atmospheric corrosion of brass using volatile inhibitors

It is known that brass is the construction material widely used when manufacturing agricultural equipment. An effective volatile inhibitor is offered to protect it from corrosion in the atmosphere of the livestock premises with 100% and close to it relative humidity of the air containing the stimulators of this process—CO₂, NH₃, H2S—in the concentrations that multiply exceed the background ones. A range of methods—weight corrosion tests and electrochemical measurements (potentiodynamic polarization, polarization resistance, fixed in the automatic mode)—define the conditions under which the inhibitors of the IFKHAN series multiply slow down the corrosion of brass. The general corrosion rate of L62 brass is decreased ten times in the presence of all studied inhibitors of this series in the atmosphere containing up to 20 mg/m³ of H₂S and 100% relative humidity. It is most reasonable to use the IFKHAN-112 inhibitor with the ammonia content up to 30 mg/m₃ in the maximum humid atmosphere.     

Use of Ribav and succinate for stimulating natural resistance of chicks at different stages of ontogeny

The aerosol use of Ribav before incubation and succinic acid on the 19th day of incubation of eggs leads to optimizing metabolic processes in embryos, which promotes an increase of viability of chicks both in early and late stages of embryogenesis.     

Relation between grain weight and falling number in soft spring wheat

The relation between 1000 grain weight and falling number in soft spring wheat varieties and lines is studied in years with a different temperature regime, precipitation amount, and time of its fall. Differently directed correlations (from weak negative to weak positive) between 1000 grain weight and falling number are established.     

Polyphenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of White and Blue Corns Processed into Tortillas and Chips

White and blue corns of Mexican and American origins were lime-cooked to obtain nixtamals with optimal moisture (48–50%) for tortillas and chips. Blue kernels had less bulk density, softer endosperm and, consequently, required less cooking time than the white kernels. The optimum cooking regime for the white kernels was 100°C for 20 min, while the optimum for both pigmented genotypes was 90°C for 0 min (until the lime-cooking solution reached 90°C). Doughs, tortillas, and chips were characterized by total soluble phenolics (TSP), anthocyanins (ACN), and antioxidant capacity (AOX). A dough acidification procedure using fumaric acid (pH 5.2) was assessed as a means to improve TSP, ACN, and AOX retention. The Mexican blue corn had higher AOX (16%) than the American blue genotype, although the latter had a threefold higher TSP content (12.1 g/kg, dwb). Mexican and American blue corns had higher AOX capacity (29.6 and 25.6 μM trolox equivalents [TE]/g dwb), respectively, than the white corn (17.4 μM TE/g). White corns did not have detectable amounts of ACN, while blue Mexican and American kernels contained 342 and 261 mg/kg. Lime cooking had the greatest negative impact on the stability of TSP, ACN, and AOX. However, the acidification reduced ACN, TSP, and AOX losses by 8–23, 3–14, and 4–15%, respectively. Similar ACN losses were observed for both types of blue kernels when processed into nixtamal/dough (47%); however, ACN losses in tortillas and chips manufactured from the American blue genotype were higher (63 and 81%, respectively) than those of Mexican blue corn products (54 and 75%). ACN losses were highly correlated to TSP (r = 0.91) and AOX capacity losses (r = 0.94).     

Influence of variety on the within-plant distribution of cassava green spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae), and leaf anatomical characteristics and chemical components in relation to varietal resistance

The within-plant distribution of the cassava green spider mite, Mononychellus tanajoa Bondar, and the anatomical characteristics and the chemical components relating to varietal resistance of cassava, were studied using 11 cassava genotypes with varying levels of resistance for two dry seasons and one wet season. The results show that M. tanajoa aggregates on the top leaves of cassava at low levels of resistance as compared with a more even within-plant distribution at higher levels of resistance. Thus, for accurate sampling of mite populations, it might be important to consider young and old leaves, not just the young leaves, in fields containing resistant and susceptible cassava genotypes. Correlations between the anatomical characteristics and mite population density and damage scores were not consistent across months, either within or over seasons. This suggests that leaf anatomical characteristics may not be important in the varietal resistance of cassava to M. tanajoa. During the dry season, mite population density was positively correlated with leaf nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and negatively correlated with leaf calcium and fat. Only calcium was negatively associated with mite damage at the peak of the dry season (January 1993 and 1994). Breeding cassava genotypes with high levels of leaf calcium and fat, and low levels of leaf nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, may improve the level of resistance to M. tanajoa.     

Effect of virginiamycin supplementation on the performance of young grazing cattle

Three experiments have been conducted to study the effect of virginiamycin in young grazing-bulls (Experiment 1) and heifers (Experiments 2 and 3). Rotational grazing on permanent grassland was practised and animals were supplemented with 1 kg dried sugarbeet pulp per head daily. Control groups did not receive virginiamycin via the supplement, while it was incorporated at 120, 300 and 200 mg kg⁻¹ for the treatment groups in Experiments 1 to 3 respectively.
Average daily liveweight gain was significantly increased from 0·59 to 0·72 kg in Experiment 1 and from 0·73 to 0·81 kg in Experiment 3, but was not affected in Experiment 2 (0·51 vs 0·55 kg). Virginiamycin also increased liveweight gain per ha by 12, 7 and 13%, respectively, for the three experiments. Grazed area per animal was not enlarged to the same extent as the calculated daily energy allowances, which may suggest an improved digestibility and/or rumen fermentation.     

A seasonal survey of surface water habitats within the River Spey basin,Scotland: major nutrient properties

• 1. Current monitoring strategies of governmental organizations tend to be focused on relatively large flowing and standing waters, and until recently those polluted by point sources. Consequently areas of high conservation interest tend to be understudied, and defining reference conditions, as required by current legislation, is difficult to achieve.
• 2. In order to address this imbalance, water samples have been collected and analysed once in each of four seasons during 2003 from 72 locations within a 100 km² area of the oligotrophic River Spey catchment in NE Scotland. The sampling design included examples of running water (headwater streams and the main rivers) and standing water (lochs, lochans, pools, ditches, backwaters, bogs). Altitude ranged from 220 to 980 m and incorporated a climatic regime from cool temperate to sub‐alpine. Each sampling campaign targeted low‐flow conditions to evaluate steady‐state nutrient concentrations.
• 3. Concentrations of the major soluble nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus demonstrated high spatial and temporal variability, with soluble organic and molybdate unreactive forms generally being dominant. Concentrations of ammonium‐N, nitrate‐N and soluble reactive phosphorus were extremely small, with 50% of samples falling below 8, 5 and 1 µg L^?1, respectively, during spring and summer.
• 4. Sampling sites were grouped either by water‐body type or by the properties of their immediate biophysical zone. Together these two groupings explained 33–38% of the variance in water chemistry. Certain changes were detectable across most habitats and biophysical zones.
• 5. A decline in the concentration of nitrate that occurred in reaches downstream from certain headwater streams draining the mountain areas indicated the potential for its within‐stream utilization. Inorganic N dynamics differed between small streams and large rivers.
• 6. Landscape‐scale patterns were recorded in spring and summer nutrient availability with inorganic N and P thresholds (arbitrarily defined) of 10 and 1 µg L^?1, respectively.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Resorption and incorporation of radioactive-labeled amino acids during the administration of various protein carriers in rats. 2. Uptake of radioactivity by tissues of the gastrointestinal tract after intragastric administration of 14C-L-U-leucine and 3H-glycine]

Male Albino rats (weighing 90-100 gms) were fed ad libitum for 14 days with limited periods of access to food. Powdered whole egg (V), fish meal (F), yeats (H), and gelatine (10% protein in dry matter) used as protein sources. Additionally, one group of rats received a protein-free (e). Radioactive tracers were administered by intragastric infusion of 25 mu Ci 3H glycine and 5 mu Ci 14C L-leucine per 100 gm of body weight 2 hrs after the feeding of 2 gm of the experimental diet per 100 gms of body weight. The level of uptake of radioactive tracers from the different sections of the gastro-intestinal tract was measurels of 3H and 14C labelling in intestinal tissues were observed 3 hrs and 7 hrs after infusion. The level of 14C labelling was found to be negatively correlated and the level of 3H labelling was positively correlated with the biological value of the diet. Intestinal tissues are capable of storing considerable amounts of 14C radioactivity. So, 72 hrs after infusion, the following levels of 14C radioactivity (expressed as percentage of the total dose of radioactivity) were found in tissues of the gastro-intestinal tract: whole egg: 8.4%, fish meal: 9.6%, yeast: 13.1%, gelatine: 14.9%; protein-free diet; 14.2%. The quotients correlating the levels of radioactivity from the intestinal contents with that found in the intestinal wall suggest that the walls of the small intestine possess a high capacity for absorption. At all times of radioactive measurements the walls of the small intestine were found to contain higher levels of both 14C and 3H radioactivity than the contents of small intestine.     

Effect of copper on formation of green mass and nutritional qualities of broad beans

It is shown on the basis pot experiment data that, depending on the concentration and length of effect of copper, not only the magnitude but also the direction of the effect can change. A dose-dependent accumulation of the metal and an increase in crude protein content are noted in the green mass of broad beans at a copper pollution level in sod-podzolic soil of 100–300 mg/kg.