Effect of peripartal administration of mycobacterium cell wall fraction on health and fertility of Holstein cows under organic-certified management

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of peripartal administration of a commercially available nonspecific immune stimulant (mycobacterium cell wall fraction; MCWF [Amplimune, NovaVive Inc., Napanee, ON, Canada]) on the incidence of disease during early lactation and subsequent fertility of dairy cows. A second objective was to characterize the dynamics of circulating white blood cells (WBC) and metabolic markers following treatment administration. Cows in an United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic-certified dairy herd were blocked by parity and, based on sequential calving dates, randomly assigned to receive two injections (5 mL s.c.) of either a placebo (saline solution) as a control (CON; n = 71) or MCWF (n = 65) at enrollment (7 d before expected calving) and within 24 h after calving. Blood samples were collected from a subsample of the study population (MCWF = 16; CON = 18) for WBC count at enrollment, at day 2 post enrollment, and at days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after calving. Serum fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and Ca concentrations were determined at days 1 and 7 postpartum (MCWF = 21; CON = 21). Main outcome variables included incidence risk of peripartal and early lactation health disorders and pregnancy at first artificial insemination (AI), at 100, and at 150 days in milk (DIM). In addition, the average daily milk yield up to 90 DIM and death and live culling before 305 DIM were compared. Treatment effects were assessed using multivariable logistic regression, time-to-event analyses, and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). A treatment effect on the incidence risk of some of the health disorders in the study was established. Incidence risk of metritis and clinical mastitis <28 DIM was smaller in MCWF than in CON cows (36.9% vs. 50.7% and 6.3% vs. 19.7%, respectively). On the contrary, the incidence risk of respiratory disease <28 DIM was smaller in CON (0%) than in MCWF (7.7%). Reproductive performance of multiparous cows was affected by MCWF administration: pregnancy at first AI and pregnancy at 100 and 150 DIM were greater in MCWF than in CON (35.6% vs. 19.2%; 51.1% vs. 25.0%; and 64.4% vs. 40.4%, respectively). Overall, median intervals from calving to pregnancy were 90 vs. 121 d in MCWF and CON cows, respectively. No treatment effects on the dynamics of circulating WBC or in postpartum metabolic status were established. No differences for milk yield or for the proportion of cows that survived up to 305 DIM were determined, although cows in MCWF left the herd earlier than cows in CON. In conclusion, incidence risks of metritis and mastitis in early lactation were smaller in cows receiving MCWF, whereas the incidence risk of respiratory disease was smaller in CON. Fertility significantly improved in MCWF compared with CON cows. As this study was performed in an organic-certified dairy, specific health and reproductive management practices may affect the external validity of the current findings.     

兽用繁殖控制疫苗研究现状

兽用繁殖控制疫苗研究发展迅速,本文阐述了兽用繁殖控制疫苗的研制以及抑制生殖激素的疫苗、抗配子抗原疫苗、增加受精率的疫苗等方面的研究现状,并介绍了相关的商品化产品。     

甘肃省不同区域人工草地土壤肥力特征研究

以甘肃省不同区域人工草地土壤样品为研究对象,测定12个不同区域[民乐县(ML1、ML2)、安定区(AD)、通渭县(TW1、TW2、TW3、TW4)、宁县(NX1、NX2)、靖远县(JY1、JY2、JY3)]人工草地土壤的pH值、有机质、全氮、速效磷、速效氮、速效钾。结果表明:AD的p H值最大,JY3的pH值最小;TW2有机质含量最高,AD有机质含量最低,TW2较AD提高了78.95%,在TW2种植陇东苜蓿对土壤有机质影响大;TW2、TW3速效氮含量较高,约为AD速效氮含量的3倍,在TW2、TW3种植陇东苜蓿对土壤速效氮影响大;JY2速效钾含量是AD的3倍,TW2速效钾的含量最低,在JY2种植陇东苜蓿对速效钾影响大;ML1、ML2速效磷含量较高,NX1、NX2速效磷含量较小,在NX1、NX2种植陇东苜蓿对土壤速效磷影响小;TW2全氮含量最高,较AD提高了85.07%,在TW2种植陇东苜蓿对土壤全氮影响大。综合分析结果显示,TW2土样的关联度值最大(0.787 9),综合肥力最好,为最优土样;NX2土样的关联度最小(0.500 7),综合肥力最差。     

紫花苜蓿绿肥对水稻产量和土壤肥力的影响

以紫花苜蓿（Medicago sativa）为绿肥植物,利用南方冬闲田种植紫花苜蓿绿肥,研究紫花苜蓿绿肥（茎叶粉碎还田）和氮肥处理对水稻（Oryza sativa）生长、土壤有机质、土壤总氮、土壤速效磷和土壤速效钾含量的影响。结果表明,紫花苜蓿绿肥和紫花苜蓿绿肥+氮肥处理的水稻产量分别比不施氮肥处理增加了48.2%和72.1%,同时绿肥+氮肥处理的水稻产量比施氮肥处理增加了8.6%。苜蓿绿肥处理显著提高了土壤有机质、总氮、速效磷和速效钾的含量,改善了稻田土壤的理化性状;同时,苜蓿绿肥+氮肥处理对增加土壤有机质的作用效果最为明显,并且有效促进了土壤磷和钾的活性,增加了水稻对土壤磷和钾的吸收,从而促进水稻增产。研究反映出紫花苜蓿作为绿肥能够有效改善稻田土壤营养,提高氮肥利用效率,促进水稻增产,是我国南方利用冬闲田种植绿肥、改良农田土壤的又一重要绿肥植物资源。     

西北灌区薯/豆连续套作对系统产量及土壤肥力的影响

探求马铃薯/大豆连续套作下复合群体产量优势,为实现持续高产的生产目标提供理论和技术依据。2011-2014年,在西北沿黄灌区会宁县郭城镇,选用马铃薯品种克新4号和大豆品种冀豆17作为试验材料,设置马铃薯连作(PM)、大豆连作(SM)、薯-豆轮作(P-S)、薯/豆套作连作(IC)和薯/豆套作轮作(IR)5种种植方式开展大田定位试验,研究不同种植模式连续种植4年对系统产量及产量构成的影响,分析系统生产力及土壤肥力的变化特点,进而揭示薯/豆套作系统的生产价值。结果表明, 1)薯/豆套作具有明显的产量优势,4年间,IC和IR系统产量与连作相比,分别提高了28.54%~254.07%和39.39%~283.98%,与轮作相比,分别提高了57.51%和70.81%。2011和2012年,IC与IR系统产量间差异不显著,但IC和IR与PM、SM、P-S处理间系统产量差异达到显著水平(P<0.05),2013和2014年IR系统产量均最高,分别达到9912.79和9589.90 kg/hm²,较IC处理分别提高了15.38%和8.45%,且与其他处理间均差异达到显著水平(P<0.05)。2)不同种植模式在年际间变化显著,对于PM,2012年(连作1年)与2011年(正茬)产量差异不显著,而2013年(连作2年)和2014年(连作3年)产量较2011年分别下降了22.07%和42.11%;SM和IC变化趋势与PM表现一致,连作2年后,降幅分别为31.15%~53.60%和13.91%~24.17%;对于P-S和IR而言,年际间系统产量无显著变化。3)不同种植模式对耕层土壤肥力性质指标的影响程度是:有效磷>碱解氮>全氮>全磷>速效钾>有机质>全钾>pH。较PM、SM和P-M,IC和IR连续套作4年,耕层土壤全氮、全磷、全钾、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾呈下降趋势,尤其是有效磷和速效钾,下降幅度分别达到26.24%~42.87%和18.48%~30.22%。马铃薯和大豆连作2年后产量显著下降,薯/豆连续套作4年(IC或IR),相对于连作或轮作具有明显的生产力优势,尤其是薯/豆套作轮作模式,基于养分吸收量的增加和养分利用效率的提高,连续4年系统产量相对稳定。     

松嫩草原盐碱土过氧化物酶活性及其与肥力因素的关系

2007年5-9月,对松嫩草原盐碱土过氧化物酶活性及肥力因素进行测定,为改良利用盐碱草地提供理论依据。结果表明:研究样地内过氧化物酶活性变化范围较大,8月份变异系数最高;随着植被盖度的增加,酶活性呈现逐渐降低的趋势;在植被生长季内酶活性5月较高,而在8月较低;过氧化物酶活性和全氮呈显著负相关;和速效磷、全盐、pH值有显著的正相关关系;和其他肥力因素相关性因月份而异。主成份分析结果表明可以用过氧化物酶活性作为盐碱土肥力变化的指示指标。     

不同钙镁磷肥用量对混播放牧草地的影响

钙镁磷肥是南方人工草地较为理想的维持肥,投入低、产出高.通过年对白三叶/禾草混播放牧人工草地推荐施维持肥试验,初步探索了不同用量钙镁磷肥对人工草地土壤肥力、牧草产量、质量等的影响,试验表明600 kg/hm2维持肥用量是提高白三叶/禾草混播放牧人工草地生产力、降低成本,增加效益的理想施肥量.     

Artificial insemination in pigs: predicting male fertility

Efficient artificial insemination (AI) is essential for future challenges in the pig industry. Knowledge on the exact relation between semen quality characteristics and fertility can have a major impact on both the genetic merit of future animals and the efficiency of AI. Variation in fertility is caused not only by farm- or sow-related parameters but also by boar- and semen-related parameters. In pig AI there is no gold standard concerning semen quality assessment. Assessing semen quality characteristics objectively and relating them to large field fertility datasets leads to an efficient production of insemination doses, which results in an efficient dissemination/descent of the breeding program required genes. Overall, this contributes to the development of semen quality assessments, which improves the prediction of porcine male fertility. Knowing which semen characteristics, and to what extent, contribute to male fertility and makes the field fertility more predictable.     

LRH-3、PMSG、HCG对人工授精母蓝狐产仔效果影响的比较(Ⅲ)

通过PMSG +LRH - 3和PMSG +HCG的组合使用 ,结果表明 ,使用PMSG +LRH - 3的试验组母狐的产仔率比对照组提高了 2 0 % ,胎平均产仔数提高了 0 2只。而使用PMSG +HCG组合母狐的产仔率与对照组相同 ,但胎平均产仔数提高了 0 5只。     

Genetic trends for fertility,udder health and protein yield in Swedish red cattle estimated with different models

The aim of this study was to estimate and compare genetic trends in Swedish Red cattle using a full multiple-trait (MT) model and trait-group-wise models for female fertility, udder health and protein yield. Field data for maiden heifers from 1989 and cows with a first and second lactation between 1990 and 2007 were included. (Co)variance components were estimated prior to prediction of breeding values. The estimated genetic trends were clearly favourable for protein yield and udder conformation, and in most cases neutral to favourable for clinical mastitis and calving to first insemination. In maiden heifers, the trends were neutral for number of inseminations per service period. Unfavourable genetic trends were estimated for number of inseminations in the first two lactations, but the trends seemed less unfavourable from evaluations within trait groups compared with when using the full MT model. Excluding maiden heifer data affected genetic trends less than using trait-group-wise analyses instead of a full MT model. Unfavourable genetic trends in functional traits may be missed unless the traits are evaluated in a MT model including traits under strong selection.