How does protein supplementation affect the selectivity and performance of Charolais cows on extensively grazed pastures in late autumn?

Management of beef cows grazing extensively grazed semi-natural pastures in temperate regions in late autumn can require supplements to be offered. The effects of supplementation with soya bean meal on the diet selected by Charolais cows and on their subsequent performance were examined for an 8-week period in late autumn in 2 years. Three groups of eight cows were compared: non-supplemented dry cows (D), non-supplemented (L) and supplemented (LS) lactating cows. The amount of soya bean meal supplement offered per cow was 250 g d⁻¹ in year 1 and 800 g d⁻¹ in year 2. Dietary choices were measured by direct observations and herbage intake was estimated in year 2. Supplementation affected neither diet selection (L: 0·42 vs. LS: 0·43 for the proportion of bites on green patches in year 1; 0·24 vs. 0·22 in year 2) nor daily organic matter intake of herbage (L: 15·6 vs. LS: 15·9 kg d⁻¹), which may have resulted from an adequate crude protein concentration of herbage. The higher total dry matter intake by cows offered the supplement reduced losses in live weight (L: −1212 vs. LS: −828 g d⁻¹; P  < 0·01) rather than increased milk production (L: 5·1 vs. LS: 5·0 kg d⁻¹). This may be linked to the low milk yield potential of the Charolais cows. The use of lactating cows rather than dry cows for pasture management in late autumn would increase the utilization of herbage but a reduction in liveweight losses of cows by supplementation is unlikely to be economic.     

Estimation of nitrogen concentration and in vitro dry matter digestibility of herbage of warm-season grass pastures from canopy hyperspectral reflectance measurements

Remote sensing of nitrogen (N) concentration and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) in herbage can help livestock managers make timely decisions for adjusting stocking rate and managing pastures during the grazing season. Traditional laboratory analyses of N and IVDMD are time-consuming and costly. Non-destructive measurements of canopy hyperspectral reflectance of pasture may provide a rapid and inexpensive means of estimating these measures of nutritive value. Using a portable spectroradiometer, canopy reflectance was measured in eight warm-season grass pastures in the USA in June and July in 2002 and 2003 to develop and validate algorithms for estimating N concentration and IVDMD of herbage. Nitrogen concentration of herbage was linearly correlated (r = 0·82; P < 0·001) with a ratio of reflectance in the 705- and 1685-nm wavebands (R₇₀₅/R₁₆₈₅) and IVDMD was correlated with R₇₀₅/R₅₃₅ (r = 0·74; P < 0·001). Compared with simple linear regressions of N concentration and IVDMD in herbage with two-waveband reflectance ratios, multiple regression, using maximum r² improvement, band-depth analysis with step-wise regression, and partial least-squares regression enhanced the correlation between N concentration and IVDMD of herbage and canopy reflectance values (0·81 ≤ |r| ≤ 0·90; P < 0·001). Validation of the prediction equations indicated that multiple regression only slightly improved accuracy of a model for predicting N concentration and IVDMD of herbage compared with simple linear regression of reflectance ratios. Results suggest that the N concentration and IVDMD of herbage of warm-season grass pastures can be rapidly and non-destructively estimated during the grazing season using canopy reflectance in a few narrow wavebands.     

A case of multiple cutaneous malignant lymphoma in reindeer, probably of immunologic-parasitic origin

In a reindeer herd brought in for slaughter in February 1977 in Finnmark county, one animal about 11/2 years old, was found to have about 20 hairless nodules, each about 5 cm in diameter, in the skin. The nodules were of discoid shape and well demarcated, and made only slight impressions in the underlying muscles. They were found to be neoplasms, and should probably be classified as a malignant lymphoma of histiocytic type (Smith et al. 1972). Metastases were found in the prescapular lymph nodes. The animal was well-fed and without clinical signs of general disease. The distribution of the nodules and the absence of subcutaneous larvae of the very common reindeer grub fly (Oedemagena tarandi) led to the conclusion that the condition was most probably a result of a pathological immune reaction to parasitic larvae.     

Physiological responses and effects on meat quality in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) transported on lorries

Reindeer transported on lorries to the slaughterhouse showed strongly elevated plasma noradrenaline, adrenaline and Cortisol values. Plasma creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase activity measurements gave no evidence of muscle damage, but by cooking ammonia-like and another taint were observed in the meat from about 25 % of the transported reindeer. A control group consisting of reindeer slaughtered from the gathering corral also showed a high prevalence of these meat taints. Plasma and meat urea values were elevated in the transported reindeer, but there was no correlation between the meat urea values and the intensities of ammonia-like taint. The character of the other observed taint was not defined.     

反向嵌套PCR技术扩增驯鹿Ghrelin cDNA 5′末端序列

为了研究Ghrelin在驯鹿生长发育过程中的作用和功能,以驯鹿为研究对象,采用反向嵌套PCR RACE技术原理,根据已知的序列设计1条5′末端磷酸化的特异性反转录引物和2对特异性反向嵌套PCR引物,首先进行反转录(RT),然后将反转录成的cDNA进行环化,最后进行反向嵌套巢式PCR,成功地扩增了驯鹿Ghrelin cDNA 5′末端序列。与锚定PCR相比,反向嵌套PCR法具有特异性强、扩增效率高等优点,是一种非常有效的扩增cDNA 5′末端序列的方法。     

我国驯鹿起源、历史变迁与现状

简要概述了我国驯鹿起源、驯鹿种群的历史变迁和现状,并提出了开发利用驯鹿文化、经济的若干建议。     

中国北方农牧交错带植被动态研究进展

通过回顾植被动态研究的历史,简要概述了植被动态的发展。综述了我国北方农牧交错带历年来植被动态的研究现状。研究指出植被动态变化与农牧交错带内气候、自然环境演变、农牧业经营方式的转变及土地利用有着密切的关系。结合前人的研究,根据农牧交错带内存在的生态环境问题,提出应从北方农牧交错带植被动态与生物多样性、生态环境、生态系统健康以及对全球变化响应的关系进行研究,揭示其受损及恢复机理,为农牧交错带受损的生态系统恢复与重建、区域可持续发展提供理论依据。     

Investigating preferential flow in a large intact soil block under pasture

Abstract. A large soil block was constructed to determine the importance of preferential flow routes compared with matric flow pathways at a pasture site in mid-Devon. The sandy loam soil was well structured and uniform. The soil block measured 5 m×3 m×1 m and was instrumented with an array of 54 tensiometers, TDR wave guides and suction samplers connected to an in situ chloride analysis system. Four steady state irrigation experiments were conducted with a range of rainfall intensities. During each experiment chloride and nitrate tracers were applied and the patterns of movement were observed. Although the application of tracer was uniform and the soil was relatively homogeneous, there was large variability across the block in terms of time taken to reach the peak concentration (TPC) and the peak concentration itself. About 44 samplers operated at the greatest intensities (10–2 mm h⁻¹) and only 35 at the smallest (1 mm h⁻¹). No relationship was found between TPC and depth. The fastest TPC and largest concentrations were associated with the greatest rainfall intensities. Relative importance of the individual water pathways was a function of soil heterogeneity: parts of the soil block were highly active with several pathways having short TPCs and conductivities in excess of 4 m day⁻¹ whereas other areas had longer TPCs and conductivities of 1–2 m day⁻¹. The pattern was also dynamic, with conductivities of the pathways changing through time, though most of the faster pathways maintained their greater conductivities for more than one year.