Single season effects of mixed-species cover crops on tomato health (cultivar Celebrity) in multi-state field trials

Cover crop use can help mitigate the deleterious effects of common cropping practices (e.g., tillage) and is, therefore, an important component of soil health maintenance. While known to be beneficial in the long-term, the short-term effects of cover crops, specifically mixed-species cover crops in organic systems are less clear. Cover crop effects on tomato productivity and disease severity were recorded over three field seasons (2010, 2011 and 2012) at sixteen field sites in three states, Maryland, New York and Ohio (MD, NY and OH), each with distinct soilborne disease pressure. Plots of five state-specific cover crop treatments were established the season prior to tomato production; the resulting plant residue was incorporated the following spring approximately four weeks before tomato planting. Total fruit yields along with early-season shoot height and fresh weight were used to compare treatment effects on productivity. Treatment disease severity ratings relied on natural inoculum. Interestingly, the effect of a single season of cover cropping on total yield was significant in no more than 25% of all site years. Similarly, cover crop effects on tomato disease levels were significant in 0–44% of the sixteen field sites. However, significant field-specific patterns were observed in every state across multiple years for some treatments. For example, in New York in 2010, tomato yields following all mixed cover crops were greater than the single rye cover crop in one field, but this pattern was reversed in the adjacent field. Thus, no general recommendation of a specific cover crop mixture can be made for near-term enhancement of tomato productivity or for reduction of disease. Therefore, growers should focus on location and operation-specific variables when choosing cover crops.     

一种使用新型润滑剂压制高密度磁体的方法

文章涉及一种磁体的制作方法，尤其是使用新型润滑剂模压制作高密度磁体的方法。包括造粒、模压固化等六个步骤。文章的方法生产制作高密度磁体，在压制过程中新型润滑剂能从固体变成粘性液体，并在文章方法作用下流动到阴模壁，既能润滑模壁，又能润滑磁粉颗粒，从而使磁粉颗粒间的空隙被压缩，使其运动并达到磁粉颗粒的最佳排列，有效地提高磁件毛坯密度以及保证磁件的密度均匀。不但成型压力大大减小，节约了能源，而且有效地保护了模具，使生产磁体的成本大大降低。     

我国有机水稻发展对策探析

阐述了我国发展有机水稻的积极意义，分析了有机水稻发展的制约因素，并提出了我国政府提高对有机水稻生产的支撑、扶持龙头企业的壮大发展、加强市场监管、采用合理的方式组织规模生产、实行科学种田等措施促进有机水稻良性发展。     

Estimation of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) leaf nitrogen content at different growth stages using canopy reflectance spectra

The estimation of crop nitrogen status in fresh vegetation leaf using field spectroscopy is challenging due to the weak responses on leaf/canopy reflectance and the overlapping with the absorption features of other compounds. Although the spectral indices were proposed in the literature to predict leaf nitrogen content (LNC), the performance of selected spectral indices to estimate the LNC is often inconsistent. Moreover, the models for nitrogen content estimation changed with the growth stage. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of published indices, ratio of data difference index (RDDI) and ratio of data index (RDI) developed by band iterative-optimization algorithm in LNC estimation. The correlation analysis, linear regression and cross validation were used to analyze the relationship between spectral data and LNC and construct the best performed estimation model. The study was conducted by the data of five growing seasons of litchi from the orchards in Guangdong Province of China. Results showed that the relationship between chlorophyll (Chl) related spectral indices and LNC varied with the growth stage. Even in flower bud morphological differentiation stage and autumn shoot maturation stage, there were not significant correlations between the proposed spectral indices and LNC. Besides it is difficult to estimate the LNC by the general model across the growth stages due to the integrated effects of cultivar, biochemical, canopy structure, etc. The band iterative-optimization algorithm can improve the sensitivity of spectral data to LNC to some extent. The optimal RDDI performed better than other indices for the synthetic dataset and the dataset in each growth stage. And the sensitive bands selected in the optimal indices at each growth stage are not consistent, which are not only related to the Chl absorption but also other biochemical components, such as starch, lignin, cellulose, protein, etc. In general, the LNC can be estimated by the optimized CR-based RDDI indices in autumn shoot maturation stage, flower spike stage, fruit maturation stage, and flowering stage with the R² > 0.50 and RMSE < 0.14. Although there were the significant relationship between RDIs and RDDIs in flower bud morphological differentiation stage, the highest R²s of the model developed by RDDIs and RDIs were less than 0.50 in cross validation. This study indicated that the applicability of canopy reflectance to estimate litchi LNC was closely related to the growth stage of litchi. Growth stage-specific models will be preferred for estimating litchi LNC estimation.     

The Humus Content and Soil Biological Properties as a Function of Organic and Mineral Fertilization

There is a growing recognition for the need to develop sensitive indicators of soil quality that reflect the effects of land management on soil and assist land users in promoting sustainability of agro-ecosystems. Three soil enzymes (dehydrogenase, phosphatase and invertase) microbial biomass as biological variables and soil organic matter content (SOM) were investigated relative to fertilization and soil fertility (estimated by crop yield) at a long-term fertilization trial (Keszthely, Hungary). 0-34.7-69.4-104.1t farmyard manure (FYM) ha m 1 5 yr m 1 and the corresponding amount of mineral fertilizers (NPK) were applied in two different crop rotation systems. There were four straw and/or stalk incorporating treatments in the second crop rotation 'B'. Enzyme activities, microbial biomass and the amount of SOM were generally higher in the fertilized soils than in the unfertilized soils. The type of amendments (mineral, FYM or mixed) had significant effects only on the amount of SOM. The correlations among the biological variables and the crop yield were generally low (r < 0.250. The differences in field management resulted only in the invertase activity.     

The optimal nutrition of maize in the hungarian national long‐term field experimental network

In Hungary, maize is grown on 1 million ha and occupies more than 20% of the arable land. The rich assortment of maize cultivars of different vegetation periods and different responses to nutritional effects, water supply etc. gives the growers the possibility to choose the cultivars suiting best the site characteristics (Jolânkai et al. 1999). Among the cereals maize has the highest genetical potential. To utilize its yield and quality potential, soil types of high nutrient content and regular nutrient supply are required (Gyõrffy, 1979). Both over‐ and under‐fertilization have an unfavourable effect on the yield and quality of maize (Debreczeni, 1985). Crops can be supplied with the appropriate nutrient amounts only with the knowledge of soil characteristics in the different agro‐ecological regions (nutrient content, water supply, soil compactness, pH, nutrient supplying capacity etc.). In Hungary, a network of long‐term field fertilization trials with uniform fertilizer treatments has been maintained at nine experimental sites representing different agro‐ecological regions of the country. This experimental network gives a basis to test the nutrient responses of our main crops and calibrate their optimal nutrient supply (Kismányoky, 1991).     

Soybean yield and yield components as influenced by the single and repeated flaming

Field experiments were conducted to study the impact of single and multiple flaming on crop injury, yield components, and yield of soybean. The goal of this experiment was to determine the number of the maximum flaming treatments which soybean could tolerate without any yield loss. The treatments consisted of a non-flamed control, and broadcast flaming conducted one time (at VC-unfolded cotyledon, V2-second trifoliate, and V5-fifth trifoliate), two times (each at VC and V2, VC and V5, and V2 and V5 stages), and three times (at VC, V2, and V5 stages) resulting in a total of eight treatments. All plots were kept weed-free for the entire growing season by hand hoeing. A propane dose of 50 kg ha⁻¹ was applied with torches parallel to the crop row and at an operating speed of 4.8 km h⁻¹ for all treatments. The response of soybean was measured as visual injury ratings (at 7 and 28 days after treatment – DAT) as well as effects on yield components and yield. Broadcast flaming conducted once (at VC or V5 stage), as well as twice (at VC and V5 stages) exhibited the lowest injury of about 8% at 28 DAT. Any treatment that contained flaming at V2 stage resulted in more than 70% injury at 28 DAT. The highest crop yields were obtained from the non-flamed control (3.45 t ha⁻¹) and the plots flamed once at VC (3.35 t ha⁻¹), V5 (3.32 t ha⁻¹), and two times at VC and V5 (3.24 t ha⁻¹), which were all statistically similar. Soybean flamed at V2 stage had lower yields (1.03 t ha⁻¹ at V2, 0.46 t ha⁻¹ at VC and V2, and 0.38 t ha⁻¹ at V2 and V5). The lowest yields were in soybean flamed three times (VC, V2, and V5 stages), which yielded only 0.36 t ha⁻¹. These results indicate that soybean could tolerate a maximum of two flaming treatments at VC and V5 growth stages per season without any yield reduction.     

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.     

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.     

复合双歧杆菌制剂对肉羊生长性能、养分表观消化率及血液生化指标的影响

为研究复合双歧杆菌制剂对肉羊生长性能、养分表观消化率及血液生化指标的影响,试验选择健康、体重相近的杜寒杂交肉羊60只随机分成4组,每组15个重复,每个重复1只,1组为对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验2、3、4组分别在基础日粮中添加2.5%、5.0%、10%的复合双歧杆菌制剂,预试验7 d,试验期56 d。结果表明:(1)试验3、4组的平均日增重较1组比分别提高13.5%、9.3%(P<0.05),料重比较1组比分别降低10.3%、9.4%(P<0.05),试验2、3、4组的干物质采食量均高于1组(P>0.05);(2)试验2、3、4组的干物质、钙、磷、酸性洗涤纤维表观消化率均高于1组(P>0.05),试验3、4组的粗蛋白质、中性洗涤纤维消化率较1组比分别提高17.2%、15.3%、12.5%、9.1%(P<0.05);(3)试验3、4组血清中的总蛋白(TP)含量较1组比分别提高16.0%、12.9%(P<0.05),试验2、3、4组血清中的白蛋白(ALB)含量均高于1组(P>0.05),试验2、3、4组血清中谷丙转氨酶(GPT)、谷草转氨酶(GOT)含量均低于1组(P>0.05),试验3、4组血清中尿素氮(BUN)含量较1组比分别降低15.4%、13.8%(P<0.05)。综上,不同水平的复合双歧杆菌制剂可以提高肉羊生长性能、养分表观消化率,且对血液生化指标无明显影响,以5.0%添加为适宜。