Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on in vivo organic matter digestibility and milk yield in buffalo cows

The influence of a dietary supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) during the first and the second phase of lactation on dry matter (DM) intake, organic matter digestibility, milk yield and quality and haematological profile was evaluated in buffalo cows. Lactating buffaloes (n = 190), 118.7 days in milk (DIM), were randomly divided into Group C (control, n = 95) and Group T (fed diet supplemented with 98 billion CFU of S. cerevisiae, n = 95). Eight buffaloes for each group (Groups T1 and C1), 85.4 DIM, were used to study the in vivo digestibility and the haematological profile. No differences were found for DM intake (16.5 kg·day^− 1) and haematological profile. The SC supplementation increased milk yield (7.9 ± 0.2 vs. 7.4 ± 0.2; P < 0.01) but did not affect milk fat and protein. SC supplementation increased OM digestibility, mainly, in the first phase of lactation (< 135 days), thus allowing a higher energy availability for milk yield and reduced fat mobilization.     

Effect of herbage allowance and concentrate supplementation on dry matter intake, milk production and energy balance of early lactating dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of daily herbage allowance and concentrate supplementation level offered at approximately 40 and 80 days in milk (DIM) and the carryover effects at 120 DIM on the production performance of spring calving dairy cows. Sixty-six (30 primiparous and 36 multiparous) Holstein–Friesian dairy cows (mean calving date — 7 Feb ± 9.9 days) were randomly assigned to a 6 treatment (n = 11) grazing study. The experiment was a randomised block design with a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (3 daily herbage allowances (DHA's; approximately 13, 16 and 19 kg DM/cow/day; > 4 cm) and 2 concentrate allowances (0 and 4 kg DM/day). Treatments were imposed from 21 February to 8 May. Following this period (subsequent 4-weeks) animals were offered a daily herbage allowance of 20 kg DM/cow/day and no concentrate. Milk production, total dry matter intake (TDMI), energy balance (EB) and blood metabolites were measured on three occasions — at approximately 40, 80 and 120 days in milk, R1, R2 and the carryover period, respectively. Cows offered a low DHA had a lower post-grazing sward height but increased sward utilisation (> 4 cm) during R1 and R2, there was no difference during the carryover period. Concentrate supplementation increased post-grazing sward height by 11% during R2 but had no effect during R1 and the carryover period. Daily herbage allowance had no effect on milk yield or composition during R1 however a low DHA tended to reduce milk yield in R2. Concentrate supplementation increased milk and solids corrected milk (SCM) yield by 4.1 and 2.8 kg/cow/day, respectively during R1 and also increased R2 milk production performance, this effect extended into the carryover period. Offering a low DHA restricted grass dry matter intake (DMI) during R1 and R2 yet concentrate supplementation significantly increased total DMI (2.3 (R1) and 3.0 (R2) kg DM/cow). Animals offered a low DHA had a significantly lower bodyweight (BW) than those offered a medium or high DHA during P1 and P2. Concentrate supplementation increased BW during P1 and P2 (+ 9 and + 14 kg/cow, respectively). There was no effect of treatment on BW during P3. There was no effect of DHA on EB in R1; during R2 animals offered a low DHA had the lowest EB. Concentrate significantly increased EB in R1 and R2 and increased plasma glucose concentration while it decreased plasma NEFA and BHB concentrations. The results of this study indicate that animals should be offered a low DHA up to 80 DIM after which DHA should be increased however animals should also be supplemented with concentrate during the early post-partum period.     

A validated mechanistic model of carrot (Daucus carota L.) growth

A mechanistic model of carrot vegetative and root development was constructed. This model determined canopy photosynthesis over a day, assimilates were then partitioned into either roots or leaves via temperature dependent partitioning coefficients. Assimilates were lost via terms describing growth and maintenance respiration. The model was calibrated on data from four different carrot cultivars, originating from the UK (Autumn King), Syria (Carrot_S), Poland (Dolanka) and Russia (Hibinskaja), grown in controlled environment glasshouse compartments at one of six temperatures (9–30 °C) repeated over three sowing dates. Calibration of the model showed that it could account for between 83 and 95% of the variance in carrot plant and root dry weights. The model was then validated using independent data from the same cultivars of carrots grown in the field at Reading. In this instance, the model accounted for 75 and 79% of the variance in plant and root weight, respectively. Two other independent data sets were used to validate the model, including carrot of a different cultivar (Panther) grown in phytotrons at temperatures between 9 and 21 °C, at two different locations and over a three sowing dates. In this instance, the model accounted for between 63 and 69% of the variance in root weight. The model also predicted that if ambient carbon dioxide levels increased from 348 to 551 μmol mol⁻¹, root dry weight would increase by 12%, which is within the margin of error of the experimental value of 16% reported in the literature. The model can therefore be used to study the potential impacts of global climate change on carrot production, as well as to rapidly predict whether germplasm is suited to any particular environment.     

Comparative effects of deficit irrigation (DI) and partial rootzone drying (PRD) on soil water distribution,water use,growth and yield in greenhouse grown hot pepper

This study was conducted to compare two water-saving practices, deficit irrigation (DI) and partial rootzone drying (PRD), and examine how they affected soil water distribution, water use, growth and yield of greenhouse grown hot pepper compared to commercial irrigation (CI). Control (CI) in which irrigation water was applied to both sides of the system when soil water content was lower by 80% of field capacity; deficit irrigation (DI50, DI75) in which 50% and 75% irrigation water of CI supplied to both sides of the root system; 1PRD with half of the root system exposed to soil drying and other half kept well-watered with 50% irrigation water of CI, and 2PRD with 50% irrigation water of CI supplied, half to fixed side of the root system. The results showed mean soil volumetric water content of DI75, DI50, 1PRD and 2PRD were lower by 21.06%, 28.32%, 24.48% and 34.76%, respectively than that of CI after starting the experiment. Water consumption showed some significant effect of irrigation treatments during the growing period of drought stress application, and therefore decreased in DI75, DI50, 1PRD and 2PRD to a level around 75% and 50% of CI. All the DI and PRD treatments resulted in a reduction of total dry mass of 7.29–44.10%, shoot biomass of 24.97–47.72% compared to CI, but an increase in the root–shoot ratio of 12.50–35.42% compared to the control and with significant differences between 2PRD, 1PRD, DI50 and CI. The yield of 1PRD was significantly reduced by 23.98% compared to CI (19,566 kg hm⁻²) over a period of 109 days after transplanting. However, the 1PRD treatment had 17.21% and 24.54% additional yield over the DI50 and 2PRD treatments and had 52.05% higher irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) than CI treatment. At harvest, although there was a significant difference recorded as single fruit weight and single fruit volume were reduced under the DI and PRD treatments, total soluble solids concentration of fruit harvested under the water-deficit treatments were higher compared to CI. Stomatal conductance measured in fresh leaf was the lowest under 1PRD treatment relative to CI and other treatments. The low stomatal conductance of fresh-leaf issue observed in the work supported the root signaling mechanism reported earlier in plants having undergone partial root drying cycles.     

内蒙古红干椒RAPD反应体系的正交优化

以内蒙古开鲁县12个红干椒品种为材料,采用改良的CTAB法提取基因组DNA,通过采用正交优化设计方法,对红干椒RAPD反应条件进行了优化。试验结果表明,最佳红干椒RAPD的反应体系(25μL)为:PCR染料2.0μL,MgCl22.0 mmol·L-1,dNTPs0.6 mmol·L-1,引物0.5μmol·L-1,DNA模板125ng,Taq酶1.25U,超纯水14.9μL;适宜扩增条件为:94℃预变性4min,40个PCR循环94℃变性1min,37℃退火1min,72℃延伸1.5min,72℃复延伸5min,4℃保存。     

马铃薯干物质积累及氮、磷、钾营养特征研究

研究马铃薯会-2的干物质积累及氮、磷、钾养分的吸收、积累和分配特征,结果表明,会-2叶片对氮、磷、钾的吸收速率与干物质积累速率的变化同步,呈双峰曲线变化,分别在现蕾期和终花期间出现峰值;块茎干物质积累及养分吸收速率呈单峰曲线,块茎干物质主要在盛花期至茎叶枯萎期形成,该期也是块茎养分积累的主要时期;终花期以前,干物质及养分主要分配在地上部分,终花期以后,主要分配在块茎中;会-2对氮(N)、磷(P2O5)、钾(K2O)的吸收比例为1∶0.140∶1.919;生产500kg块茎,需吸收N2.756kg,P2O50.310kg,K2O4.256kg。     

伊犁绢蒿荒漠草地围封后的土壤动态

本研究对伊犁绢蒿(Seriphidium transiliense)荒漠草地的土壤理化性质及光谱进行测定,探讨围封对土壤理化性质的影响和草地光谱的响应。结果表明,土壤含水量在各土层随植物生长期呈递减趋势,5月与9月土壤含水量随围封年限的延长总体上呈增加趋势,并对群落光谱和土壤含水量间关系进行建模,R2=0.63;土壤有机质随封育年限增加呈升-降-升的趋势,围栏内外有机质差值在5月随封育年限的增加而增加,封育7年、10年草地有机质差值,植物生长期内呈线性递减。通过室内土壤光谱及野外裸地光谱对土壤有机质进行建模,均取得较好效果,R2分别为0.64与0.38。研究表明,草地土壤含水量及有机质对于草地恢复状况较为敏感,可用于该类草地封育状况的监测。     

全混合日粮中添加牛至精油对泌乳期荷斯坦奶牛生产性能和蹄病发生率的影响

本研究旨在探讨向全混合日粮(TMR)中添加牛至精油对日粮温度、荷斯坦奶牛干物质采食量、产奶量和蹄病发生率的影响。选择72头健康荷斯坦奶牛,根据生产性能、泌乳天数和胎次相近原则进行配对试验设计分为试验组[产奶量(29.88±8.55)kg·d-1,TMR中添加牛至精油]和对照组[产奶量(29.15±7.07)kg·d-1,TMR中未添加牛至精油],每组36头牛。试验组奶牛按每天每头0.028 kg添加牛至精油。结果表明,在6月份17:00,7月份13:00、17:00,8月份13:00、17:00试验组TMR日粮温度升高幅度显著低于对照组(P0.05);5月份试验组奶牛干物质采食量显著高于对照组(P0.05),6、7、8月份极显著高于对照组(P0.01);6、7、8、9月份试验组产奶量极显著高于对照组(P0.01)。因此,牛至精油可降低TMR温度、改善适口性、提高新鲜度;同时还可增加奶牛干物质采食量及产奶量,尤其当奶牛处于北方夏季高温天气下,这一效果尤为显著。     

Comparison of organic matter dynamics in soil between Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest and adjacent Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest established on flatland

In order to clarify the effects of tree species on organic matter dynamics in soil, we investigated the amount of forest floor material, leaf litter decomposition rate, soil chemical characteristics, soil respiration rate and cellulose decomposition rate in a Japanese cedar forest (cedar plot) and an adjacent Japanese red pine forest (pine plot) established on a flatland. The amount of forest floor material in the cedar plot was 34.5 Mg ha⁻¹ which was greater than that in the pine plot. Because the leaf litter decomposition rate was higher in the pine plot than in the cedar plot, it is likely that the difference in the amount of forest floor material between the plots is caused by the difference in the leaf litter decomposition rate. The C concentrations of soil in the cedar plot were 1.2–2.1 times higher than those in the pine plot. Soil pH(H₂O)s in the cedar plot were significantly higher than those in the pine plot. The soil respiration rates and the rates of mineralized C in the cedar plot byin vitro incubation were higher than those in the pine plot. From this result, it is assumed that soil organic matter in the cedar plot was decomposed relatively faster compared with the pine plot. Furthermore, microbial activities, which were reflected as cellulose decomposition rates in the cedar plot, were higher than those in the pine plot. A part of this paper was presented at the 109th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Forestry Society (1998).     

Effect of support on the growth of a woody vine,Wisteria floribunda DC. (Leguminosae)

Seedling ofWisteria floribunda, which belongs to the twiner type of climbing plants, were planted in nursery and the effect of support on the growth of the seedlings was tested. The seedlings were grown with 240 cm-height and 120 cm-height supports (the culms of a dwarf bamboo), and without support. Positive effect of the supports and its length were observed for stem length ofW. floribunda at the end of the growing season. The positive effect of support was also observed for total dry weight. Total dry weight with 240 cm-height support reached more than the double of the seedlings without support. These effects of the support were attributed to die-back behavior of the twining stem, which detached from the support or did not encounter the support. Diameter of the stems without support showed a rapid decrease toward the stem tip, while that with support were relatively constant when they were twining around the support. The existence of the support also affected the dry matter allocation in this species; supported seedlings allocated larger proportion of biomass to current-year stems than unsupported seedlings, although the allocation to the roots was smaller in the supported treatments. Support availability may be critical for the establishment and further growth of the seedlings ofW. floribunda which regenerate at the forest edge and canopy gaps. A part of this report was presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Forestry Society, at Tsukuba, April, 1996.