Drought and biostimulant impacts on mineral nutrients,ambient and reflected light-based chlorophyll index,and performance of perennial ryegrass

Water shortage is a critical issue worldwide, and it may adversely impact non-food landscape plants. Thus, the impact of two levels of evapotranspiration-based (ETc) water stresses and two biostimulants consisting of s-abscisic acid (s-ABA) and glycine betaine (GB), and their combined applications on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) under climatic and soil conditions of the Intermountain West, USA, were studied. Clippings with 50% ETc had higher percentage dry weight (DW) but lower fresh weight (FW) and chlorophyll index (CI) than those with 75% ETc. The performance rating of plots with 75% ETc was significantly higher (better) than those receiving the 50% ETc treatment. Clippings with the 75% ETc treatment had higher concentrations of nitrogen (N), nitrate, phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), potassium (K), sodium (Na), and copper (Cu) than those with the 50% ETc treatment. Considering all mineral nutrient values, CIs, and performance ratings, we conclude that the application of 75% ETc is sufficient for maintaining a healthy turfgrass with a satisfactory appearance, while we can save 25% water as compared to the application of water at 100%. The application of biostimulants had no effect on clipping or root FWs, DWs, or percentage DWs. Clippings from GB-treated turfgrass had significantly higher N than those from all other biostimulants or non-treated control. Additionally, clippings from the plots with the GB treatment had significantly higher S, K, and Cl but lower Zn. Clippings from the s-ABA-treated turfgrass also had significantly higher K than those in non-treated control. Average performance ratings in s-ABA and GB, and s-ABA and GB were significantly higher than those in non-treated control, underscoring the values of these biostimulants in the reduction of drought stress.     

Cluster Management to Improve Berry Quality in Young ‘Alborz’ Table Grape in the Intermountain West Region,USA

Cluster management in table grapes is an essential cultural practice for production of high quality table grapes. This issue has not been studied in the Intermountain West region in the United States. Thus, the objective of this project was to study the effects of cluster removal, cluster shortening, and vine girdling on yield and quality attributes of ‘Alborz’ table grape during 2012–14 growing seasons. Vines that did not receive cluster removal and cluster cutting (NoClRemNoClCut) tended to have a higher yield but smaller berry weight than those with other cluster managements every year. Vines receiving cluster removal, cluster shortening, and a trunk girdling (ClRemShort&Gird) regime tended to have larger berries and cluster weight than those with other treatments. However, girdled vines were more susceptible to cold damage. Vines receiving cluster removal and cluster shortening had slightly larger berries, better appearance, and marketability than those without cluster removal and without cluster shortening.     

Dairy cow defecation and urination frequency and spatial distribution in relation to time-limited grazing

The objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of limited grazing time on urination and defecation frequency, spatial distribution of excrement in the paddock, and the resulting nitrogen balance at animal and field level. During a 6-week period in early summer, 60 Holstein Frisian dairy cows (31.0 ± 5.4 kg ECM) were randomly allocated to three different treatments, with grazing at clover-grass pasture during daytime for 4, 6.5 or 9 h daily. Indoor feeding, with a mixture of roughage and concentrates (13% crude protein), was restricted for treatment 4 and 6.5 h to the amount the 9-h treatment could eat. Cows allowed grazing at pasture for 4 h moved more rapidly during pasture, moved longer distance per active hour and used a higher proportion of the time eating, both at pasture and indoor, than the cows allowed longer time at pasture. Limiting the grazing time had no influence on the urination (mean = 0.26) and defecation (mean = 0.37) frequency per cow per hour during pasture. Even though the proportion of time active (eating, drinking, standing or walking), and the actual time active during pasture was different for the treatments, the frequency of urination and defecation per active hour was also unaffected by the treatments. Urine and faeces were distributed in the pasture, without specific hot-spots. The estimated daily N-balance at animal level showed increased N excretion with time at pasture. Assuming that excretion follows the active periods during the day and 7000 kg DM foliage is available on yearly basis, this would result in total excretion at field level of 58, 86 and 108 kg N per ha respectively for treatment 4, 6.5 and 9 h. The results of this experiment show that it is possible to reduce the nitrogen excretion in a grazing system by restricting the grazing time of dairy cows together with restricted indoor feeding while maintaining high foliage intake.     

Effect of different dietary zinc sources on seminal plasma enzymatic activity,antioxidant, and immune-related gene expression in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Aquaculture International - The objective of the present work was to survey the effects of different sources of zinc supplements on serum enzymatic activities, the expression of genes related to...     

Hammerstein-Wiener model for the prediction of temperature variations inside silage stack-bales using wireless sensor networks

Animal forage plays an important role in agriculture. To maintain the silage quality during storage, preserving it from decomposition by wrapping the harvested crop with plastic stretch film is crucial. Any failure in the preserving process permits the infusion of oxygen, which allows the growth of undesirable aerobic microorganisms and silage decomposition. To study the state of the silage, temperature inside the stack could be used as indicator of decomposition. However, no previous study has developed a model that can detect decomposition based on abnormal temperature variations inside a silage stack. The first objective of this paper was to develop a structured nonlinear model to estimate the dynamics of temperature variations measured by a wireless sensor network-based monitoring system (nRF95E) inside a silage bale and stack prior to the decomposition process. The requirement of a robust nonlinear model is that sensor nonlinearities that are inherent in nature are considered. The results showed that a Hammerstein-Wiener (HW) model with sigmoid network performed the best in terms of percentage of fit (91.70%) between the measured and simulated output. The second objective was to estimate the length of time required to detect the decomposition process after the airtight seal was punctured using the model. The error between the predicted model output and the sensor readings exceeded a preset threshold interval 17 days after the cover film was punctured and 9 days after the decomposition process was detected due to the odour released.     

Impact of Animal Manure on Soil Chemistry,Mineral Nutrients,Yield, and Fruit Quality in ‘Golden Delicious’ Apple

ABSTRACT

Incorporating deep litter cow and deep litter poultry manures with the top 30-cm soil improved orchard soil chemistry, including nutrient availability, soil organic matter, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and biological activity in a ‘Golden Delicious’ apple (Malus domestica Bork) orchard in Zanjan, Iran. Application of deep litter cow manure at 30 t ha^?1 or deep litter poultry manure at 10 t ha^?1 resulted in a higher rate of nitrogen (N) release, and thus increased yield and fruit size, but decreased fruit color. The least leaf minerals were found in the untreated control trees. The control trees showed minor symptoms of N, iron (Fe), and magnesium (Mg) deficiencies during the following season. Positive correlation existed between the rate of manure applied and the content of soil organic matter (OM). The deep litter poultry manure at 10 t ha^?1 increased the soil K, Mg, calcium (Ca), ammonium-N, and EC levels.     

Comparative study of metal micronutrients release from two calcareous soils

Adsorption and release are the most influential reactions controlling zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) availability in soils. Characteristics of native Zn, Mn and Cu release by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in two calcareous soils for periods from 1 min to 24 h were studied. The pattern of Zn, Mn and Cu release from both soils fitted well with power function, Elovich and parabolic diffusion models. The magnitude and rate of release was greatest for Mn, followed by Zn and Cu, respectively. This trend suggests a higher ability of the studied soils to replenish soil solution Mn, compared with Zn and Cu. The results showed that higher Mn release in clay soil compared with sandy loam soil was considerably related to higher initial Mn release rates in the former compared with the latter. However, Cu release rates of the two soils at initial times were not significantly different. Higher Cu release in clay soil was, therefore, attributed tohigher Cu release rates at subsequent time intervals. It is assumed that the different Zn release rates of these soils were due to consistent differences in Zn release rates throughout the release periods.     

Developing an intelligent fiber migration simulator in spun yarns using a genetic fuzzy system

The mechanical and physical properties of spun yarns and fabrics depend not only on mechanical properties of the fibers making up the yarn, but also geometrical arrangement of fibers, known as fiber migration. The main aim of this research is to introduce a new approach to predict migratory behavior of spun yarns. Achieving the objectives of this research, general physical, mechanical and structural properties of spun yarns together with existing standards were thoroughly studied. A hybrid intelligent model was developed based on a Genetic Fuzzy System (GFS) to model the relationships between migration of fibers in spun yarns and some physical and mechanical properties of spun yarns. Results indicated that the developed fuzzy expert system can be used as an intelligent simulator to predict yarn migratory parameters.     

Influence of Mineral Nutrients on Growth,Yield, Berry Quality,and Petiole Mineral Nutrient Concentrations of Table Grape

The effect of various combination of macro (N, Mg, and K) and micronutrients (Fe and Zn) on yield, fruit quality, and tissue mineral concentrations of an important commercial table grape cultivar (Vitis vinifera cv. Bidaneh Qermez) was studied over three growing seasons of 1999–2001. Yield, fruit set, cluster weight, cluster number, berry size and quality attributes (soluble solid concentrations, pH, K-skin) were influenced by N, K, Mg, Fe, and Zn applications. Potassium application increased cluster number and weight, which resulted in a significant increase in the yield. Potassium influenced berry quality attributes more than other applied mineral elements. Yield was positively correlated to the soil total N at 30–60 cm depth. Nitrogen application increased growth of the main and lateral canes. Soil N did not correlate strongly with tissue N status.