Formulation challenges of organic poultry diets with readily available ingredients and limited synthetic methionine

Organic agriculture has increased greatly over the past several years as consumer demand for these products has risen. Organic meat production, including poultry, has grown especially quickly, resulting in increasingly stringent guidelines being put in place to ensure safe, uniform, and ideal products for these consumers. Feed formulation and manufacturing for organic poultry in the United States are strictly regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. Currently, no synthetic amino acids are allowed to be used in organic poultry diets in the United States except for limited quantities of synthetic methionine since it is typically considered the first or second limiting amino acid in corn and soybean meal based poultry diets and it is a critical nutrient for maintaining bird growth and productive performance, especially regarding egg size in laying hens. The aim of the review herein is to discuss the impacts that current organic regulations on synthetic methionine have on diet formulation when using readily available ingredients. High levels of crude protein must be used to meet bird methionine requirements with this restriction in place, which both increases feed costs and can have negative impacts on bird health and on air quality and the surrounding environment due to increased ammonia emissions. Atypical feed formulation strategies have been explored to address this issue, including such methods as feeding alternative ingredients and providing forage materials. Another possibility would be to use an average lifetime maximum inclusion rate for synthetic methionine, which may allow for better flexibility to provide sufficient methionine throughout various phases of growth and production since the requirements of the bird change with age.     

Grazing behaviour,physical activity and metabolic profile of two Holstein strains in an organic grazing system

The challenge for sustainable organic dairy farming is identification of cows that are well adapted to forage‐based production systems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the grazing behaviour, physical activity and metabolic profile of two different Holstein strains kept in an organic grazing system without concentrate supplementation. Twelve Swiss (H_CH; 566 kg body weight (BW) and 12 New Zealand Holstein‐Friesian (H_NZ; 530 kg BW) cows in mid‐lactation were kept in a rotational grazing system. After an adaptation period, the milk yield, nutrient intake, physical activity and grazing behaviour were recorded for each cow for 7 days. On three consecutive days, blood was sampled at 07:00, 12:00 and 17:00 h from each cow by jugular vein puncture. Data were analysed using linear mixed models. No differences were found in milk yield, but milk fat (3.69 vs. 4.05%, P = 0.05) and milk protein percentage (2.92 vs. 3.20%, P < 0.01) were lower in H_CH than in H_NZ cows. Herbage intake did not differ between strains, but organic matter digestibility was greater (P = 0.01) in H_CH compared to H_NZ cows. The H_CH cows spent less (P = 0.04) time ruminating (439 vs. 469 min/day) and had a lower (P = 0.02) number of ruminating boli when compared to the H_NZ cows. The time spent eating and physical activity did not differ between strains. Concentrations of IGF‐1 and T3 were lower (P ≤ 0.05) in H_CH than H_NZ cows. In conclusion, H_CH cows were not able to increase dry matter intake in order to express their full genetic potential for milk production when kept in an organic grazing system without concentrate supplementation. On the other hand, H_NZ cows seem to compensate for the reduced nutrient availability better than H_CH cows but could not use that advantage for increased production efficiency.     

用外翻肠囊法研究高钙条件下有机锰在肉仔鸡小肠中的吸收特点

本试验用外翻肠囊法研究高钙对肉仔鸡不同肠段(十二指肠、空肠和回肠)吸收不同形态锰的影响,以比较有机锰和无机锰在高钙条件下吸收特点的差异。采用单因子完全随机设计,培养液中添加的4种锰源分别为:硫酸锰、弱络合强度的蛋氨酸锰(Mn-MetE)、中等络合强度的氨基酸锰(Mn-AAA)和强络合强度的氨基酸锰(Mn-AAB)。为了扣除内源的影响,设置1个零添加锰水平处理。将40只31日龄AA肉公鸡随机分到以上5个组,每组8个重复,每个重复1只鸡,每只鸡的十二指肠、空肠和回肠分别作为相应肠段外翻肠囊的一个重复。结果表明:1)体外培养回肠肠囊对锰的吸收率显著高于十二指肠(P<0.01);2)回肠肠囊对强络合强度的Mn-AAB中锰的吸收率显著高于硫酸锰或中等络合强度的Mn-AAA(P<0.05)。本试验结果表明:在高钙条件下,络合形态的有机锰在体外培养的肉仔鸡肠囊中的吸收率显著高于无机形态的锰;强络合强度有机锰源中的锰能更强地抵抗小肠内的解离,比弱或中等络合强度的有机锰源更有利于锰的吸收。     

祁连山东段不同退化高寒草甸土壤有机碳密度研究

于2008年在祁连山东段天祝地区选取轻度、中度和重度3个不同退化程度的高寒草地,以土壤有机碳密度为研究对象,探讨高寒草地在不同退化程度干扰下土壤有机碳密度的变化特征。结果表明:随着高寒草地退化程度的加重,土壤含水量降低,容重和pH值增大;土壤有机质和全氮有相似的变化趋势,中度与轻度或重度退化草地土壤有机质和全氮差异显著(P<0.05);土壤有机碳密度在0-10 cm土层显著高于其他土层(P<0.05),并随着土层加深有显著的垂直变化趋势;不同退化程度草地在0-30 cm土层总土壤有机碳密度表现为中度>轻度>重度退化草地。     

黄瓜绿斑驳花叶病毒低风险参照物质的研制

采用RT-PCR方法扩增黄瓜绿斑驳花叶病毒的外壳蛋白基因与3,非编码区,并将其构建到马铃薯X病毒(PVX)载体中.重组质粒经线性化及体外转录后接种烟草,获得含有病毒外壳蛋白基因的感病植株.感病组织可用于分子检测的质控,也可作为毒源来繁殖阳性参照物质.基于PVX载体制备的参照物质可降低检疫性病毒的生物安全风险,尤其对稳定性强、可造成严重经济损失的高风险病毒的检疫更具实用价值.     

Bioassays and application of olive pomace compost on emmer: effects on yield and soil properties in organic farming

Abstract

Composting olive oil pomace could solve the problem of disposal, by recycling this organic waste for agricultural purposes. Furthermore, application of composted organic waste could be a way to sustain both soil fertility and production, especially in organic farming. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the phytotoxicity and the effects of application of olive pomace composts on emmer performance and soil properties. Two types of olive pomace composts, with a different initial C/N ratio, were stopped at the active phase and processed until maturation. The obtained four olive pomace composts were compared with a commercial fertilizer in a two-year field experiment. Before the field trial, a bioassay was performed to assess phytotoxicity both for the raw pomace and the not-stabilized composts. Growing and yielding data for emmer were determined during the two-year period and soil characteristics were measured at the start and at the end of the experiment.

The composts were not phytotoxic (germination index was higher than 90%) and their total organic carbon content was always higher than the minimum values established by the Italian fertilizers legislation. The emmer protein content was significantly higher in the matured compost treatment with low C/N, than in the other compost treatments. Its value was comparable with that of the commercial fertilizer, suggesting a good performance on crop yield quality. Although not significant, this compost showed an increase of 9.8% in grain yield compared with commercial fertilizer treatment. On the whole, it can be suggested that repeated compost application might preserve the soil organic carbon content and supply macronutrients to a crop.     

商品有机肥对水稻生长、产量及稻米品质影响

以上海目前正在推广的商品有机肥为研究对象,以有机无机结合施肥的方式,围绕高产、优质、安全的生产目标,通过田间小区试验,表明在一定量的氮化肥条件下,增施商品有机肥对水稻有显著的增产作用。土壤肥力中等地区,水稻田以基施商品有机肥4500~6000 kg/hm2,再施氮化肥225~255 kg/hm2为宜,从而大幅度地降低氮化肥的用量;通过对稻米品质和土壤分析,明确了增施商品有机肥可提高稻米品质,改善土壤理化性状。     

不同类型土壤的光谱特征及其有机质含量预测

 【目的】构建适合土壤有机质含量估测的高光谱参数及定量反演模型。【方法】系统分析中国中、东部地区5种不同类型土壤风干样本有机质含量与350～2 500 nm波段范围高光谱反射率之间的关系,利用特征光谱参数和BP神经网络建立土壤有机质的定量估测模型。【结果】光谱一阶导数构成的两波段光谱参数与土壤有机质含量的相关性明显优于原始光谱,尤其采用Norris平滑滤波后导数光谱效果更好。光谱参数构成形式以差值指数最好,其次为比值和归一化指数。与土壤有机质含量相关程度最高的光谱参数是由可见光区554 nm和近红外区1 398 nm两个波段的一阶导数组合而成的差值指数DI(D554,D1398),两者呈显著指数曲线关系,拟合方程为y= 184.2 ×exp[-1297×DI(D554,D1398)],决定系数为0.90。经不同类型土壤的观测资料检验,模型预测决定系数为0.84,均方根误差RMSE为3.64,相对分析误差RPD为2.98,显示估测模型具有较好的预测精度。另外,利用BP神经网络结合偏最小二乘法(PLS)对导数光谱进行分析,提取贡献率达到99.56 %的前6个主成分建立了三层BP 神经网络模型,模型决定系数为0.98,经不同类型土壤的观测资料检验,模型预测决定系数为0.96,RMSE为2.24,相对偏差RPD为4.83。比较利用DI(D554,D1398)和BP网络进行土壤有机质含量的预测结果,前者精度低于后者,但可以满足土壤有机质监测的需要。【结论】利用差值光谱指数DI(D554,D1398)和BP神经网络模型均可实现对土壤有机质的精确估测。     

有机锌对哺乳动物先天性免疫的调控机制研究进展

锌作为动物机体一种不可缺少的微量元素,在加强机体免疫方面起着重要作用。基于微量元素锌对动物机体免疫功能的调节作用机理研究的日益深入,文中通过阐述有机锌作用、功效以及在哺乳动物生产中的应用,探究有机锌单独添加对哺乳动物先天性免疫的影响,旨在探究锌对动物机体先天性免疫的调控机制。