Pulverizing Soils for Laboratory Analysis

Soil-testing laboratories utilize a range of grinder types to pulverize soils for laboratory analysis. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of soil particle diameter and laboratory subsample size on analysis variability on nitrate, Bray 1 extractable phosphorus (P), extractable potassium (K), and soil organic matter (SOM). Four soils collected for the Agricultural Laboratory Proficiency Program were pulverized using four types of commercial grinders and analyzed for particle-size distribution, P, and K. In a second study, soils were pulverized to pass sieves of 2.0, 1.0, and 0.50 mm and subsampled for P, K, and SOM. Results of the commercial grinders indicate a range in mean particle diameters from 0.15 to 0.60 mm, with the lowest for the grinder utilizing a hammer mill design. Sieve-size analysis results indicate that the coarsest 2.0-mm fraction had the largest variability for all soil analyses evaluated. Analyte variability decreased with decreasing sieve size. Mean Bray P, K, and SOM-LOI (Loss-on-Ignition) mean concentrations were not statistically significantly different across the sieve sizes evaluated. Laboratory analysis variability for extractable Bray P increased as subsample size was reduced.     

Hip dysplasia and dog breeding

Summary

Hip dysplasia is considered to be one of the most serious problems in dog breeding. In the past 20 years the studies of, and the attempts to control, this condition have been directed mainly to the overall picture of the abnormality of the hips. The various efforts have resulted in a decrease in the incidence of HD in several breeds of dogs. For other breeds the results have not been very convincing, however. In some instances they are even said to be conflicting with other aims of breeding. Based on these data some separate studies have recently been performded in respect of the details of the disorders in the hip joints and of the heritability of these elements.

The present study concerns itself with the roots of the disorders as they are observed in the various breeds. A great variety of data indicates that selection within the canine species for specific morphological traits must be considered as one of the most important roots of the occurrence of HD. The collected data strongly indicate that improvements in the HD status in the various breeds can be reached by selection against specific disorders of the hip joints in these breeds.     

Citric acid extraction—An underestimated method in forest nutrition?

Since recent studies reveal citric acid to be favorable for estimating plant‐available P in soils, we investigated if it can also be used for assessing other nutrients. According to our results, it provides stronger correlations with the tree nutrition for Mg (beech, spruce), Ca+K (beech) and Fe (spruce) than the standard methods for determining exchangeable cations. Thus, when estimating plant‐available P by citric acid‐extraction, these cations should be additionally measured in ICP analysis.     

原料表面碱液处理对稻草碎料板力学性能的影响

在实验室条件下探索了稻草原料表面碱液处理对稻草碎料板力学性能的影响.试验表明,处理后的稻草碎料板的内结合强度比处理前有大幅度提高,弯曲弹性模量和静曲强度比处理前则有所下降,但都达到了相关的国家标准;2h吸水厚度膨胀率升高,超过国家标准.因此稻草表面碱液处理提高了稻草原料表面润湿性和胶合强度,但对稻草碎料板的力学性能有影响.     

黑河流域草地资源保护与建设

黑河流域除绿洲地区外有160万hm2的草地,进行草地分户、围栏封育、人工改良草地;牧户按地定畜、优化牧场、推广良种、改良畜群;按草定牧、实行休牧和轮牧;革新观念、子羔出栏、加速出栏周期、保障牧民增收等措施可保护草地资源,加速草地建设,繁荣牧区经济.     

Which source and level of dietary sodium is appropriate for broiler chickens reared in a high‐altitude area?

This study investigated effect of increasing level of dietary sodium using sodium bicarbonate or sodium chloride on growth performance, mortality, characteristics of carcass, organs and tibia, calcium and phosphorus of serum in broilers reared in a high‐altitude area (1,700 m above sea level). A total of 588 Ross 308 male broiler chicks were used in seven treatments, six replicates per treatment of 14 birds per each from 1 to 38 d of age. Seven dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (with 0.16% sodium and 0.23% chloride), top‐dressed for six diets to give three supplementary levels of sodium (0.07%, 0.14% and 0.21%) from sodium bicarbonate (respectively by 0.26%, 0.52% and 0.78%) or sodium chloride (respectively by 0.18%, 0.36% and 0.54%), resulting in seven diets with total sodium and chloride levels of 0.16% and 0.23%, 0.23% and 0.23%, 0.30% and 0.23%, 0.37% and 0.23%, 0.23% and 0.33%, 0.30% and 0.44%, 0.37% and 0.55% respectively. Increasing sodium level improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) linearly and quadratically. However, when FCR was calculated without adjusting for feed intake of mortalities, the enhanced sodium level did not improve this parameter. Increasing sodium level via sodium chloride enhanced ascites mortality, total mortality, relative weight of heart and right ventricle linearly. Increasing sodium level reduced serum calcium and enhanced serum phosphorus linearly; however, there was a linear tendency to increase tibia ash when sodium level was enhanced by sodium bicarbonate (p = 0.08) or sodium chloride (p = 0.07). Increasing sodium level via sodium bicarbonate tended (p = 0.08) to reduce tibia strength linearly. In conclusion, a diet with 0.16% sodium and 0.23% chloride is enough for broiler chicken reared in a high‐altitude area, and increasing dietary sodium level via sodium chloride has detrimental effect on survivability of broiler in such condition.