An Evaluation of the Acceptability as Forage of Some Nutritive and Antinutritive Components and of the Dry Matter Degradation Profiles of Five Species of Ficus

The suitability of five species of Ficus, F. mucoso, F. thonningii, F. polita, F. religiosa and F. benjamina, for feeding ruminant livestock was studied. The nutritive and antinutritive components were determined and the acceptability of the forages to livestock was assessed using a cafeteria method in 8 adult small ruminants. Also, the degradation potential of the dry matter of the five Ficus species was investigated using 3 fistulated sheep. The crude protein (CP) content of the Ficus species varied significantly (p < 0.05), ranging from 130 to 180 g/kg DM. The content of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) also varied significantly (p < 0.05), ranging from 650 to 710 g/kg DM. The organic matter (OM) contents did not differ significantly (p > 0.05), having a mean value of 916 g/kg DM. The concentrations of tannin, saponin, phytic acid and oxalic acid were low. The acceptability of the forage was similar for four of the species but poor for F. polita. The extent of DM degradation varied significant among the Ficus species, the ranking order being F. benjamina > F. thonningii > F. mucoso > F. religiosa > F. polita.     

The potential of some neotropical Albizia species and close relatives as fodder resources

Six neotropical woody Mimosoid legume species, in the genera Albizia, Hesperalbizia, Pseudosamanea and Samanea, were evaluated for potential as animal fodder, using a combination of analytical techniques, in vitro digestibility, and assessment of relative palatability to sheep in a preference test in Honduras. Leaf chemical composition was evaluated in terms of content of crude protein, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, condensed tannins (acid butanol assay) and total tannins (protein precipitation: radial diffusion assay). Crude protein and digestibility data were combined into an ‘index’ by which the species could be ranked; according to this criterion the most promising species were Pseudosamanea guachapele, Albizia adinocephala and Hesperalbizia occidentalis. In the preference test, however, Pseudosamanea guachapele and Albizia niopoides appeared much more palatable to sheep than any of the other species. A small amount of H. occidentalis was also eaten, but the other species were completely refused throughout the 16 day experiment. H. occidentalis was the fastest-growing species on this site. Using a combination of these evaluation criteria, H. occidentalis and P. guachapele appear to be the species with the greatest potential for fodder use. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of genetic and environmental factors on muscle glycogen content in Japanese Black cattle

Monosaccharides such as glucose contribute to the development of meat flavor upon heating via the Maillard reaction; therefore, monosaccharide content is related to beef palatability. Here, we analyzed the effects of genetic and environmental factors on the content of glycogen, one of the precursors of monosaccharides, in the muscles of 958 fattened Japanese Black cattle from Yamagata Prefecture. Analysis of variance showed that muscle glycogen content was affected by the farm and postmortem periods, but not by sex, slaughter age, slaughter month or number of days detained at the slaughter yard. Additionally, consumption of digestible brown rice feed elevated muscle glycogen levels. Glycogen heritability was estimated to be 0.34, and genetic correlations between glycogen and carcass weight (CW) or beef marbling standard (BMS) were weak. The predicted breeding values varied among paternal lines. These results demonstrated that genetic factors might improve muscle glycogen content and therefore beef palatability, but do not influence CW or BMS.     

低直链淀粉含量晚粳稻选育及食味品尝结果分析

长江中下游地区城乡居民生活水平日益提高,对稻米口味提出了新要求。笔者就此从品种食味品质方面做了一些探索性尝试。通过选用晚粳品种嘉33与直链淀粉含量较低的美国光叶稻Rico No.1改良后代嘉06-64、WP177与晚粳光身稻品系DC92配制2个组合,在后代中定向选育直链淀粉含量较低的品系,结合食味品尝,择优汰劣,育成嘉58、嘉66等直链淀粉含量较低(10%左右)且适口性好的新品系。经杭州市推荐,嘉58进入2011年浙江省单季晚粳稻区试,2012年生产试验与区试续试同步进行,2013年通过浙江省农作物新品种审定(审定编号:浙审稻2013011),并申请植物新品种保护。2010-2013年各地示范试种1 000多hm2,因食味好、产量高,深受长江中下游地区生产者和消费者的喜爱。     

Evaluation of the grazing potential of grass species in Tarchonanthus veld of the northern cape 1

Abstract

The grazing value of the seven most prominent grass species in Tarchonanthus‐limeveld was investigated from 1977 to 1981.

The frequency of utilization of Chrysopogon serrulatus was exceptionally high (93%), while Sporobolus fimbriatus, Themeda triandra and Digitaria seriata were intermediate (50–60%) followed by Cymbopogon plurinodis (34%). Eragrotis lehmanniana and Fingerhuthia africana were poorly grazed (12 to 16%). The utilization of species was influenced by stocking rate. Statistical differences between species indicated a relatively high biomass production (600 to 740 g DM/m² per year) for E. lehmanniana, C. plurinodis and T. triandra, while F. africana, S. fimbriatus and D. seriata were intermediate (320 to 420 g DM/m² per year). E. lehmanniana, C. plurinodis and T. triandra produced the highest above‐ground phytomass, but had a lower crude protein content (2,9 to 7,4%) and digestibility (46,1 to 61,3%) than the other four species (3,8 to 9,7% crude protein and 50,5 to 68,4% digestibility).     

Presidentielerede

Abstract

Present methods of evaluating veld composition in relation to grazing capacity can be criticised on grounds of subjectivity, especially with regard to the assignment of relative values to the constituent species. Data relating to botanical composition and estimated grazing capacity, derived from long‐term animal production systems trials, were used to examine the possibility of increasing objectivity. A “multiplier‐correlation” method involving four palatability classes was devised, which appears to provide valid estimates of the status of different species in term of grazing capacity. Multivariate analysis of the proportional species composition, classified into four palatability classes, provided confirmation of the validity of the multiplier‐correlation method.     

Water Management for Improvement of Rice Yield,Appearance Quality and Palatability with High Temperature During Ripening Period

To clarify the optimal water management in large-scale fields under high temperatures at the ripening period, effective water managements during this period for improvement of yield, appearance quality and palatability were investigated. Compared with intermittent irrigation and flooded irrigation, the soil temperature with saturated irrigation remained low throughout the day, and the decrease rate of the bleeding rate of hills was the lowest. These results suggested that the saturated irrigation maintained root activity. For the three irrigation types, the number of spikelets per m² and 1000-grain weight were similar, however, saturated irrigation resulted in significantly higher rice yield due to improvement in the percentage of ripened grains. The saturated irrigation produced a high percentage of perfect rice grains and thicker brown rice grain, furthermore, the palatability of cooked rice was excellent because protein content and hardness/adhesion ratio were both low. Thus, under high-temperature ripening conditions, soil temperature was lowered and root activity was maintained when applying saturated irrigation after heading time. The results indicated that saturated irrigation is an effective countermeasure against high-temperature ripening damage.     

中日泰优质稻米的外观及食味差异性研究

选用中国、日本和泰国有代表性的6个主栽水稻品种,对其稻米外观、食味特性值和品尝评价值进行了分析,结果显示:3个国家的稻米品种间在外观、蛋白质含量、直链淀粉含量和淀粉糊化特性方面均存在显著差异;蛋白质含量和淀粉糊化特性值间不存在显著的相关关系,而直链淀粉含量和最高粘度、最低粘度以及最终粘度间呈现出显著负相关,但与崩解值以及消减值间的相关性并不显著;食味品尝评价方面,中、日、泰3国稻米除硬度外,米饭的外观、香气、味道、粘度和综合评价值均存在显著差异。日本"越光"稻米品质综合评价为最优,中国"稻花香"、"隆粳香1号"和"津川1号"稻米品质其次,而中国"津原45"及泰国"Hom Mali105"稻米品质处于第三档次。对中日泰代表性稻米品质的综合评价为水稻品质育种及稻米加工产业的发展提供了有益参考。     

诱食剂影响乌鳢膨化饲料适口性的研究

试验以乌鳢为研究对象,考察不同浓度的诱食剂的诱食效果,提高乌鳢膨化饲料的适口性。试验结果表明:添加0.075%DMPT(二甲基-β-丙酸噻亭)、0.12%鱼溶肽蛋白、5.5%甜菜碱、0.1%肌醇能显著提高乌鳢饲料的诱食效果,增大乌鳢的摄食量。     

Preliminary evaluation of potential fodder quality in a range of Leucaena species

Twenty-two taxa and five interspecific hybrids of Leucaena, grown together on a site in Houduras, were evaluated in terms of their potential value as tropical fodder crops. Content of crude protein, organic matter, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, total tannin and condensed tannin (proanthocyanidin), as well as in vitro digestibility, were estimated in dried leaf samples, and the accessions ranked according to each of these criteria. The relative palatability of thirteen of the taxa and two of the hybrids was also assessed in a 'cafeteria' trial using fresh leaf material fed to sheep over an 18 day period. Protein, digestibility and palatability estimates, together with previously published yield data, were used to construct three indices of fodder potential, to allow direct comparisons between taxa. The most promising taxa according to these criteria included L. shannonii subsp. shannonii, L. collinsii subsp. zacapana and L. multicapitula, all of which achieved higher scores than the much better-known L. leucocephala subsp. glabrata in the index derived from crude protein and digestibility. When yield and palatability were included in the indices, the very high palatability of L. leucocephala gave it the highest score overall. The most unpromising taxa included L. pulverulenta, L. trichandra, L. esculenta (subsp. esculenta and subsp. matudae), and L. greggii. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.