Nasal immunization with inhibin DNA vaccine delivered by attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis for improving ovarian responses and fertility in cross‐bred buffaloes

This study was conducted to determine the effect of immunization with inhibin DNA vaccine delivered by attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis on ovarian responses and fertility in cross‐bred buffaloes. A total of 134 cross‐bred buffaloes were divided into four groups: groups T1 (n = 34), T2 (n = 35) and T3 (n = 31) were nasal immunized twice a day with 10 ml of 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/ml of the C501 (pVAX‐asd‐IS) vaccine for 5, 3 and 1 day, respectively. Group C (n = 34) was nasal immunized with 10 ml PBS for 5 days. All animals were immunized twice with an interval of 14 days and administered with 200 μg of a GnRH analogue on day 28, 0.5 mg PGF_2α on day 35 and 200 μg of the same GnRH analogue on day 37. TAI was performed at 18 and 24 hr after the second GnRH treatment. Fourteen days after primary immunization, C501 (pVAX‐asd‐IS) elicited significant immune responses, and anti‐inhibin IgG antibody titres in group T1 were significantly higher (p < .01) than groups T3 and C. After the second GnRH treatment, the growth speed of the dominant follicles in group T1 was significantly faster (p < .05) than groups T3 and C. The number and diameter of large follicles (≥10 mm) as well as ovulatory follicles in group T1 were the greatest in all groups, resulting in a greater conception rate in buffaloes with positive anti‐inhibin antibodies. These results demonstrate that immunization with the C501 (pVAX‐asd‐IS) vaccine, coupled with the Ovsynch protocol, could be used as an alternative approach to improve reproductive performance in cross‐bred buffaloes.     

Development of UV Protective,Superhydrophobic and Antibacterial Textiles Using ZnO and TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanoparticles

In this research work, multifunctional cotton fabric comprising of UV protection, superhydrophobicity and antibacterial activity has been developed using facile pad-dry-cure method. In the first step, the concentration of repellent chemical has been optimized. Then, formulations containing nanoparticles of ZnO or TiO₂ along with optimized concentration of repellent chemical and organic-inorganic binder have been applied to cotton fabric followed by the evaluation of functional properties. The surface morphology and elemental composition of treated fabric has been characterized through SEM and EDX, respectively. The treated samples have shown promising UV protection, superhydrophobicity and antibacterial properties durable upto 20 washing cycles.     

Seed priming improves early seedling vigor,growth and productivity of spring maize

Potential of seed priming treatments in improving the performance of early planted maize was evaluated against timely planting. Seeds of maize hybrid FH-810 were soaked in water(hydropriming), Ca Cl2(2.2%, osmopriming), moringa leaf extracts(MLE 3.3%, osmopriming) and salicylic acid(SA, 50 mg L–1, hormonal priming) each for 18 h. Untreated and hydroprimed seeds were taken as control. Seeds primed with SA took less time in emergence and had high vigor in early planted maize. Amongst treatments, hormonal priming, reduced the electrical conductivity, increased the leaf relative and chlorophyll contents followed by osmopriming with Ca Cl2 at seedling stage. Likewise, plant height, grain rows and 1 000-grain weight, grain and biological yield and harvest index were also improved by seed priming; however hormonal priming and osmopriming with MLE were more effective in this regard. Improved yield performance by hormonal priming or osmopriming with MLE in early planting primarily owed to increased leaf area index, crop growth and net assimilation rates, and maintenance of green leaf area at maturity. In conclusion, osmopriming with MLE and hormonal priming with SA were the most economical treatments in improving productivity of early planted spring maize through stimulation of early seedling growth at low temperature.     

Influence of Seed Priming on Performance and Water Productivity of Direct Seeded Rice in Alternating Wetting and Drying

Direct seeded rice is promising alternative to traditional transplanting, but requires appropriate crop and water management to maintain yield performance and achieve high water productivity. Present study evaluated the effect of seed priming and irrigation on crop establishment, tillering, agronomic traits, paddy yield, grain quality and water productivity of direct seeded rice in alternate wetting and drying(DSR-AWD) in comparison with direct seeded rice at field capacity(DSRFC). Seed priming treatments were osmo-priming with KCl(2.2%), Ca Cl2(2.2%) and moringa leaf extracts(MLE, 3.3%) including hydro-priming as control. Among the treatments, seed osmo-primed with MLE emerged earlier and had higher final emergence, followed by osmo-priming with Ca Cl2. Tillering emergence rate and number of tillers per plant were the highest for seed priming with Ca Cl2 in DSRAWD. Total productive and non-productive tillers, panicle length, biological and grain yields, harvest index were highest for seed priming with MLE or Ca Cl2 in DSR-AWD. Similarly, grain quality, estimated in terms of normal grains, abortive and chalky grains, was also the highest in DSR-AWD with MLE osmo-priming. Benefit cost ratio and water productivity was also the highest in DSR-AWD for seed priming with MLE. In conclusion, seed priming with MLE or Ca Cl2 can be successfully employed to improve the direct seeded rice performance when practiced with alternate wetting and drying irrigation.     

Bioavailability of Calcium,Iron and Zinc Fortified Whole Wheat Flour Chapatti

The bioavailability and interactive effects of calcium, iron and zinc fortified whole wheat flour chapattis on female Sprague–Dawley albino rats were determined. The whole wheat flour was fortified with CaCO₃, FeSO₄ and ZnSO₄ at 1000, 40 and 20 mg/kg, respectively and fed to 64 female Sprague–Dawley rats for 4 weeks. Retention of Ca, Fe and Zn was determined in plasma, femur and liver tissues. Ca levels in plasma and liver did not alter significantly while the Ca retention in femur changed significantly with the change in fortificants. The calcium retention was higher in the femur of rats fed on the diet supplemented with Ca + Zn (221 ± 13.61 mg/g) than the rats fed on the diet supplemented with Ca + Fe (219 ± 18.92 mg/g). The iron in plasma, liver and femur ranged from 2.19 ± 0.11 to 2.77 ± 0.10 μg/ml, 203.5 ± 13.24 to 251.5 ± 17.19 μg/g and 43.5 ± 1.05 to 52 ± 2.07 μg/g while zinc content ranged from 1.31 ± 0.089 to 1.55 ± 0.114 μg/ml, 89.5 ± 3.41 to 132 ± 6.10 μg/g and 175 ± 8.29 to 191 ± 10.85 μg/g, respectively. The minerals interacted with each other resulting in decrease of bioavailability among each other. The absorption was higher in the rats fed on fortified diet than those fed on unfortified chapatti diet. Hence, it is concluded that fortification of whole wheat flour is feasible to overcome the Ca, Fe and Zn malnutrition in the vulnerable groups.     

Multiple-criteria decision-making techniques and their role in livestock ration formulation

The livestock ration formulation problem is postulated within the framework of multiple-criteria decision-making techniques. This exercise is motivated by the fact that the ordinary least-cost approach can, and does, generate solutions that either cannot be implemented or supply nutritionally undesirable levels of various nutrients. This originates from using cost as the criterion for selecting the ingredients of the diet. But in fact, diet formulation problems involve several criteria and should, therefore, be solved using techniques designed for modelling such problems. This paper is an attempt at introducing these techniques to agricultural systems modellers and then demonstrating their use in livestock ration formulation. The multiple-criteria decision-making techniques covered include goal programming and its variants such as weighted and lexicographic approaches and multiple-objective programming.     

不同发酵型碳水化合物对肉仔鸡消化道微生物发酵情况的影响

该试验研究了膳食菊糖和蔗糖对鸡消化道菌群发酵的影响。选择80只1日龄肉仔鸡分为4组,分别饲喂基础日粮;基础日粮＋4％蔗糖＋1％菊糖;基础日粮＋蔗糖;基础日粮＋菊糖。饲养35d后屠宰,测定消化道不同部位的pH值、乳酸、氨、短链不饱和脂肪酸（SCFA）和生物胺的含量。统计分析表明肉仔鸡的终末体重和肝脏、胰脏、嗉囊、肌胃和小肠重没有差异。     

The feasibility of using an industrial sewage sludge produce in Pakistan as agricultural fertilizer used for cultivation of Sorghum bicolor L

Abstract

In the present study we evaluate the feasibility of using untreated industrial sewage sludge by liming before use as a fertilizer, produced in Pakistan. In a pots experiment, limed industrial sewage sludge (LSW) and non-limed sewage sludge (NLSW), were amended with soil separately and grown sorghum. After maturity, the sorghum grains were analysed for total contents of potentially toxic metals (TPTM), As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. The proportion of different mobility fractions of each element in LWS and NLSW, a modified BCR sequential extraction procedure (Community Bureau of Reference) and single extractions with mild extractants (deionized water and CaCl₂) were used. In LSW, the availability of most of the elements under study was reduced, probably due to the increased pH of soil, while this was the reverse in the cases of Cd and Cu, their mobility was slightly increased by lime-treated sludge. The sorghum grains grown in LSW have low level As, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn as compared to grains grown in NLSW, except Cu and Cd, which, however, never exceeded legal limits. Thus the research showed that liming, by augmenting soil alkalinity, allows a safe agricultural use even of industrial sludge, which is environmentally hazardous for its great content of heavy metals.