Short term soil priming effects and the mineralisation of biochar following its incorporation to soils of different pH

The aim of this work was to determine the magnitude of the priming effect, i.e. short-term changes in the rate (negative or positive) of mineralisation of native soil organic carbon (C), following addition of biochars. The biochars were made from Miscanthus giganteus, a C4 plant, naturally enriched with ¹³C. The biochars were produced at 350 °C (biochar350) and 700 °C (biochar700) and applied with and without ryegrass as a substrate to a clay-loam soil at pH 3.7 and 7.6. A secondary aim was to determine the effect of ryegrass addition on the mineralisation of the two biochars.After 87 days, biochar350 addition caused priming effects equivalent to 250 and 319 μg CO₂-C g⁻¹ soil, in the low and high pH soil, respectively. The largest priming effects occurred at the start of the incubations. The size of the priming effect was decreased at higher biochar pyrolysis temperatures, which may be a way of controlling priming effects following biochar incorporation to soil, if desired. The priming effect was probably induced by the water soluble components of the biochar. At 87 days of incubation, 0.14% and 0.18% of biochar700 and 0.61% and 0.84% of biochar350 were mineralized in the low and high pH soil, respectively. Ryegrass addition gave an increased biochar350 mineralisation of 33% and 40%, and increased biochar700 at 137% and 70%, in the low and high pH soils, respectively. Certainly, on the basis of our results, if biochar is used to sequester carbon a priming effect may occur, increasing CO₂-C evolved from soil and decreasing soil organic C. However, this will be more than compensated for by the increased soil C caused by biochar incorporation. A similar conclusion holds for accelerated mineralisation of biochar due to incorporation of fresh labile substrates. We consider that our results are the first to unequivocally demonstrate the initiation, progress and termination of a true positive priming effect by biochar on native soil organic C.     

短芒大麦草青贮微生物特性研究及优良乳酸菌筛选

以短芒大麦草为研究对象,利用传统培养法从叶围和青贮发酵体系中分离出乳酸菌、大肠杆菌、好氧细菌、酵母菌和霉菌,并计数;结合细菌形态学、生理生化特征及16S rDNA序列分析鉴定分离出的乳酸菌菌株;通过研究乳酸菌的生长曲线、产酸特性及耐酸性,筛选优质乳酸菌。以期探明短芒大麦草叶围及青贮发酵体系中微生物菌群特性及青贮料中乳酸菌多样性,筛选出具有促发酵效果的乳酸菌菌株,为有益微生物饲料研发奠定基础。试验结果表明,短芒大麦草经青贮发酵后各微生物菌群数量发生不同程度变化,乳酸菌数量由0 cfu/g FM增加到4.00×10⁸ cfu/g FM,酵母菌数量由8.50×10⁵ cfu/g FM增加到1.02×10⁸ cfu/g FM,而好氧细菌、大肠杆菌和霉菌数量变化不明显;从短芒大麦草青贮发酵体系分离得到4株乳酸菌,经鉴定Lx36为Lactobacillus pentosus,Lx37为Lactobacillus brevis,Lx53为Pediococcus pentosaceus,Lx54为Lactobacillus parabuchneri;筛选得到1株益于青贮的乳酸菌株Lx36,约在20 h后进入稳定生长期,OD值达到4.21,且发酵12 h的pH仅为4.08,并可以在pH=3.0环境条件下生长。综上所述,青贮发酵是体系中各种微生物相互作用的过程,微生物菌群的数量及变化直接影响青贮饲料发酵品质。短芒大麦草青贮饲料中乳酸菌种类较丰富,筛选得到的戊糖乳杆菌繁殖速度快、产酸能力强同时表现出了较强的耐酸性,具有潜在的生产应用价值,适宜用作促发酵的青贮添加剂菌种。     

营养素对水生经济动物免疫机能的影响

优质饲料中的营养素不仅可满足水生经济动物的营养需求,还对其特异性和非特异性免疫反应起到非常重要的作用。本文综述了饲料中各种营养素对水生经济动物免疫系统的作用,详细阐述了维生素、多糖、矿物质、脂类和蛋白质对水生经济动物免疫功能的影响。     

Decomposition of peat,biogenic municipal waste compost,and shrub/grass compost added in different rates to a silt loam

An incubation experiment was carried out to test the effects of biogenic municipal waste (compost I) and shrub/grass (compost II) composts in comparison to peat on respiration and microbial biomass in soil. The amounts of these three substrates added were linearly increased in the range of field application rates (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%). The sum of CO₂ evolved during the incubation was markedly raised by the three substrates and increased with the rate of substrate concentration. However, the percentage of substrate mineralized to CO₂ decreased with the addition rate from 103 to 56% for compost I, from 81 to 56% for compost II, and from 21 to 8% for peat. During the first 25 days of incubation, compost I enlarged the biomass C content, which remained constant until the end. In contrast, compost II did not raise biomass C initially. But at the end of the incubation, the biomass C content of all 4 compost II treatments almost reached the level of the respective compost I treatment. The increase was significantly larger the more of the two composts was added. In contrast to the two composts, the addition of peat did not have any significant effect on microbial biomass C. The average qCO₂ values at day 25 declined in the order compost I > compost II > peat, at day 92 the order was changed to compost II > peat > compost 1. This change in the order was caused by a significant decrease in qCO₂ values of the compost I treatments, a significant increase in qCO₂ values of the peat treatments and constant qCO₂ values in the compost II treatments.     

微生态制剂在海参养殖中的应用

本文就微生态制剂在海参养殖中的应用及应用中应注意的问题作一综述。     

准噶尔荒漠区域尺度浅层土壤化学计量特征及其空间分布格局

干旱荒漠生态系统具有降水稀少、土壤贫瘠、生物多样性低的特点,对荒漠土壤生态化学计量特征的研究有助于深入了解荒漠土壤养分供给能力及其对生物多样性和生态系统稳定性的影响。对准噶尔荒漠79个样点浅层(0~10cm)土壤及环境因子进行调查取样,分析了土壤有机碳(C)、全氮(N)及全磷(P)化学计量特征、空间分布及其影响因素。结果表明,准噶尔荒漠土壤C、N、P平均含量分别为(5.73±0.49),(0.207±0.009)和(0.347±0.004)g/kg,C∶N、C∶P、N∶P分别为(29.92±2.55),(15.97±1.23)和(0.498±0.024)。土壤P稳定性最高(CV=0.098),而C、C∶N和C∶P的变异性较强(CV=0.687~0.758)。C、P、C∶N及C∶P在不同生境(沙漠、戈壁和盐碱荒漠)、不同群落(白梭梭、梭梭及小灌木)间均存在差异。与全国及全球平均水平相比,准噶尔荒漠土壤C、N、P含量、C∶P及N∶P均较低而C∶N较高,养分元素缺乏程度表现为NCP。土壤养分元素及其化学计量比之间多具有显著的二次函数关系,且化学计量比主要受C和N的制约。在区域尺度上,各化学计量参数表现出明显的空间异质性,其中C、C∶N和C∶P分布格局相似,并受年降水量、纬度和经度的影响;N与N∶P分布格局相似,受经度、海拔和年均温的影响。     

乳酸菌与中药合生元对肉鸡生长性能及饲料利用率的影响

本试验分别向肉仔鸡日粮中添加等量的抗生素和乳酸菌与中药合生元制剂,通过测定肉仔鸡的各项生长指标和饲料利用率指标,探讨乳酸菌与中药合生元在肉鸡生长和饲料利用率方面替代抗生素的优势.结果表明,试验组与对照组在生长性能和饲料利用率上各指标均差异不显著（P〉0.05）,说明乳酸菌与中药合生元可以替代抗生素饲喂给肉仔鸡.     

放牧对草地土壤微生物的影响

土壤质量是草地生态系统生产力可持续发展的关键所在。健康的土壤必定拥有丰富的物种多样性、活跃的生命体、高效的内部养分循环及较好的抗干扰能力。土壤微生物作为土壤系统中各种生物进程的主要推动者,其作用不可小觑。因此,我们可以利用土壤微生物的数量、群落结构和多样性等特征监测土壤质量。本文综述了放牧对草地土壤微生物数量、生物量、群落结构和多样性的影响。指出通过了解土壤微生物与放牧行为间的关系,如何评估土壤质量,选取适宜的放牧梯度,完善草地管理模式,并介绍了土壤微生物群落结构和多样性研究方法的利弊。解决两个关键问题：1）土壤微生物的各种特征是如何响应放牧行为的。2）如何通过这些指标评价土壤质量,然后提出合理的放牧模式,改善和维护草地的生产力。     

Relationship between a plant-based ‘vegan’ pet food and clinical manifestation of multiple nutrient deficiencies in two cats

A topical subject in human nutrition is the steadily growing number of people choosing to limit or completely avoid all animal-derived food products either for moral dilemma, health concerns or both. To meet people's will of applying their dietary choices to their domestic animals, the pet food industry answered by launching on the market some plant-based diets. This leads to concerns about whether these diets are adequately formulated to satisfy the target species nutritional requirements, especially for cats which are still considered strict carnivores. This case report follows a 2-year-old male neutered Main Coon and a 1-year-old female spayed Domestic Shorthair cat, presented to the nutrition service of the University of Toulouse, France. Reason for consultation was lethargy with in anamnesis a recent dietary transition to a plant-based pet food. Dysorexia, lethargy and muscle waste were present at first consultation. Progressive weight loss developed during follow-ups. A macrocytic, non-regenerative anaemia with serum folates below reference were the main clinical features. Analysis of pet food showed multiple nutrients below minimum recommendation at the average daily intake of both cats. Folic acid supplementation improved dysorexia, and subsequent reintroduction of animal-derived ingredients in the diet restored appetite, weight and a normal mentation in both cases.     

Influence of amount and frequency of protein supplementation to ruminants consuming low-quality cool-season forages: efficiency of nitrogen utilization in lambs and performance of gestating beef cows

We evaluated the influence of amount and crude protein (CP) supplementation frequency (SF) on nitrogen (N) use by wethers and the performance of late-gestation beef cows. In exp. 1, seven Western whiteface wethers (31.8 ± 1.4 kg) were used in an incomplete 7 × 4 Latin square to evaluate intake and N use. Wethers received one of the seven treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial design containing two levels of supplemental soybean meal offered at a rate of 100% (F) or 50% (H; 50% of F) of the estimated CP requirement daily, once every 5, or once every 10 d, plus a non-supplemented control (CON). Low-quality cool-season forage (4.9 % CP; dry matter [DM] basis) was provided daily for ad libitum intake. Experimental periods lasted 30 d. In exp. 2, 84 Angus × Hereford cows (560 ± 35 kg) were stratified by age, body condition score (BCS), and expected calving date and allocated to 1 of the 21 feedlot pens (three pens per treatment). Pens were randomly assigned to receive the same treatments as in exp. 1 and cows had free access to low-quality cool-season forage (2.9% CP; DM basis). Cow body weight (BW) and BCS were measured every 14 d until calving and within 24 h after calving. In exp. 1, supplementation did not alter total DM and organic matter (OM) intake (P ≥ 0.26), but both parameters linearly decreased as SF decreased (P = 0.02). Supplementation increased DM, OM, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (P ≤ 0.02). Additionally, F feeding linearly increased DM, OM, and NDF digestibility as SF decreased (P ≤ 0.04). Digestibility of N, N balance, and digested N retained were greater with supplementation (P < 0.01), and N digestibility linearly increased as SF decreased (P = 0.01). Mean plasma urea-N concentration was not only greater (P < 0.01) for supplemented vs. CON wethers but also greater (P = 0.03) for F vs. H. In exp. 2, pre-calving BCS change was greater (P = 0.03) for supplemented cows. A linear effect of SF × supplementation rate for pre-calving BCS change was noted (P = 0.05), as F-supplemented cows lost more BCS compared with H as SF decreased. When considering supplementation intervals greater than 5 d, reducing the quantity of supplement provided, compared with daily supplementation, may be a feasible management strategy to maintain acceptable nutrient use and animal performance while reducing supplement and labor costs.