Effects of intensification of pastoral farming on greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand

Abstract

AIMS: The aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate the herd and cow-level prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in dairy farms in the northern Taranaki region of New Zealand, and to identify whether there was any spatial clustering of herds with the disease.

METHODS: A survey of 224 dairy farms in the northern Taranaki region of New Zealand was undertaken from September 2014 to February 2015. Following training in robust criteria to confirm BDD visually, a technician inspected the rear feet of every milking cow on the farms during milking. The identity of cows with lesions and the feet involved were recorded. The proportion of cows affected among the inspected population (cow-level prevalence), the proportion of a herd affected (farm-level prevalence), and proportion of farms with ≥1 cow with lesions, were calculated. A bivariate K function analysis was then used to assess whether farms with ≥1 cow with lesions were clustered, after accounting for the distribution of the farms involved in the study.

RESULTS: Bovine digital dermatitis lesions were observed on 143/224 (63.8 (95% CI=57.5–70.1)%) farms. Within-farm prevalence was 0% on 81 (36.2%) farms, between >0 and <3% on 120 (53.5%) farms, with a maximum prevalence of 12.7% on one farm. Overall, cow-level prevalence was 707/60,455 (1.2 (95% CI=0.9–3.0)%), and on affected farms was 707/41,116 (1.7 (95% CI=1.4–2.1)%). In affected cows, 268/707 (37.9%) had a lesion on left foot only, 262/707 (37.1%) on the right foot only and 177/707 (25.0%) on both feet. The K function analysis showed no evidence of clustering of farms with BDD.

CONCLUSIONS: Bovine digital dermatitis was widespread among the survey farms, but there was no evidence that there was any clustering of herds with BDD. The cow-level prevalence on affected farms was much lower than reported elsewhere.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although the prevalence at the cow level was low, if these data are representative of other regions of New Zealand, BDD could easily become a major problem on dairy farms in New Zealand, as has been observed in other countries.     

休闲期耕作对旱地小麦籽粒蛋白质形成及其相关酶活性的影响

为给旱地小麦高产优质栽培提供理论依据,通过大田试验研究了旱地小麦休闲期不同时间深翻、深松对0～300 cm土壤蓄水量、小麦籽粒蛋白质形成及其与氮代谢相关酶活性关系的影响.结果表明,休闲期深翻或深松均可提高旱地小麦播前0～300 cm土壤蓄水量,且欠水年效果明显,以前茬小麦收获后45 d深翻效果较好.休闲期耕作均显著提高了小麦蛋白质产量.耕作时间对籽粒蛋白质含量的影响因降雨年型不同而异,欠水年的休闲期耕作均显著降低了籽粒蛋白质含量;丰水年在麦收后15d耕作显著降低了籽粒蛋白质含量,而麦收后45 d耕作则显著提高了籽粒蛋白质含量,尤其显著提高了醇溶蛋白和麦谷蛋白含量,从而改善了品质.此外,丰水年麦收后45 d耕作可提高花后旗叶和籽粒谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性、旗叶和籽粒谷氨酸合成酶(GOGAT)活性,降低花后旗叶和籽粒谷氨酸脱氢酶(GDH)活性;籽粒蛋白质的累积在麦收后15d耕作条件下与籽粒GDH活性关系密切,而麦收后45 d耕作条件下与旗叶GS和GOGAT活性相关性较大.总之,旱地小麦休闲期耕作在不同降雨年型下均可起到良好的蓄水保墒作用,且欠水年效果较明显;耕作时间对土壤水分、小麦氮代谢酶活性、籽粒蛋白质及其组分含量具有较大的调控效应,休闲期雨后耕作有利于籽粒蛋白质形成,且深翻效果较好.     

海南岛繁殖加代在大豆辐射育种中的应用研究

用五种剂量＾６０Ｃｏγ射线辐射４个大豆稳定品系的风干种子,研究海南繁殖岛加代在大豆辐射育种中的可行性,结果表明,海南岛种植Ｍ１比北方各上可获得更高的存活率放出现较多的不孕、半不孕植株。北方种植Ｍ１的半致死剂量为１６ＫＲ左右,海南岛种植Ｍ１时可加大剂量至２０ＫＲ。经南方加代后的Ｍ２在成熟期、百粒重及蛋白质含量方面比北方Ｍ１产生的Ｍ２变异幅度更大,出现早熟、大粒、高蛋白质含量植株机率高。     

不同光谱能量分布对冬青试管苗生长的影响

 采用发光二极管(Light-Emitting Diode,LED)调制光质和光量,研究光谱能量分布对冬青试管苗生长的影响,以荧光灯为对照。结果表明：红光LED处理下试管苗的干样质量、生根率、根冠比和根长指标最高;而蓝光LED处理下则最低。绿光LED有利于叶片质量增加。单色红光LED导致试管苗徒长,根系活力和移栽成活率最低,最高值出现在复合光质LED组合中。与荧光灯相比,在能效、干样质量、碳水化合物含量以及SOD和CAT抗氧化酶活性指标上,复合光质LED具有明显优势,有利于培育壮苗并、提高移栽成活率并降低能耗成本。     

家蚕品种茧层生产效率的调查及相关分析

251个家蚕品种的茧层生产效率平均为10．11％，最高12．19％，最低6．71％。二化性品种较高，一化性和多化性较低。中系二化种最高，平均10．54％，日二化种次之，平均10．39％，欧一化平均9.08％，日一化8．90％，多化平均8．72％。茧层生产效率与茧层量、茧层率、5龄一日茧层量成正相关，达显著或极显著水平；与5龄经过、全龄经过有正相关倾向，但不显著；与虫蛹率、死笼率、全茧量、消化率无一致倾向的相关。还调查了消化率和茧层转换率。     

微灌毛管水力学研究——微灌水力设计计算方法探讨之一

本文不采用缝隙管的假定,提出毛管水头线的多段折线模型;在此基础上,定义了降比r和压比G,根据r的大小,讨论了均匀坡毛管压力水头的分布;讨论了总水头损失计算方法;导出诸水力特征量的计算公式。     

气相色谱法测定苦参苍术口服液中三氯甲烷残留量

建立了苦参苍术口服液中三氯甲烷残留量的气相色谱检测方法,采用DB—FFAP毛细管柱,柱温为程序升温,氢火焰离子化检测器（FID）,检测器温度为250℃,进样口温度为220oC,载气为氮气。试验结果三氯甲烷在6．0464～120．928μg／mL浓度范围内呈良好的线性关系（r=0．99995）,加样回收实验平均回收率为98．01％（RSD=1．6％）。本方法简便、快速、准确、重现性好,可作为苦参苍术口服液中三氯甲烷残留量的检测方法。     

中国荷斯坦牛步态评分及其对生产性能和血常规指标的影响

为探究荷斯坦牛步态评分（locomotion score,LS）影响因素及其对生产性能和血常规指标的影响,本研究收集测定了北京地区2个规模化牧场1 486头泌乳牛的体况评分（body condition score,BCS）、LS和DHI（dairy herd improvement）数据,并测定了101头泌乳牛的血常规指标。采用固定模型分析了牧场、胎次和泌乳阶段对LS的影响,以及LS和BCS等因素对日产奶量、体细胞评分、乳成分和血常规指标的影响。结果表明,试验牛的胎次和泌乳阶段均对LS有极显著影响,LS随胎次的升高而增加,从1胎至5胎及以上,LS升高了0.71分;泌乳阶段Ⅲ（100~199 d）、Ⅵ（350 d以后）的LS均显著高于阶段Ⅱ（45~99 d）（P<0.05）,且均高于2分。LS对日产奶量、乳成分和体细胞评分均无显著影响（P>0.05）,但LS≥4分的奶牛日产奶量最低,较LS=1分的奶牛日产奶量降低了2.29 kg。各项血常规指标中,LS对奶牛红细胞数、血红蛋白含量、红细胞平均血红蛋白浓度、淋巴细胞数均有显著影响（P<0.05）,而对白细胞数无显著影响（P>0.05）。随LS升高,奶牛红细胞数、淋巴细胞数、血红蛋白含量和红细胞平均血红蛋白浓度均表现出不同程度的降低。LS较差的奶牛,其机体的免疫力和造血功能会受到不同程度的影响。在规模化牧场中,定期评估牛群的LS能及时发现牛群肢蹄管理的问题,对减少因肢蹄问题引起的生产性能损失和过早淘汰等具有重要意义。     

绵羊体内外受精胚胎玻璃化冷冻保存

用 EFS4 0溶液对绵羊体内外受精的早期囊胚进行了玻璃化冷冻保存的研究。经卵母细胞体外成熟、体外受精和体外培养获得的早期囊胚 ,分别作如下处理 :( A) 1 0 %EG中预处理 5min后 ,在 EFS4 0平衡 3 0 s(两步法 ) ;( B) EFS4 0中平衡 1 min(一步法 ) ;( C) EFS4 0中平衡 2 min(一步法 )。然后投入液氮中冷冻保存 ,解冻胚胎的继续发育率分别为 80 %、78%和 50 %,A、B2组的结果与对照组 ( 88%)无显著性差异 ( P >0 .0 5)。经超数排卵获得的体内受精早期囊胚用两步法冷冻保存 ,解冻后胚胎发育继续率为 89%,与对照组( 93 %)也无显著性差异 ( P >0 .0 5)     

Breeding objectives of Brangus cattle in Brazil

Our goal was to define a breeding objective for Brangus beef cattle in Brazil. Bioeconomic models were produced and used to estimate economic values (EVs). The scenarios simulated were typical full-cycle beef production systems that are used in tropical and subtropical regions. The breeding objective contained pregnancy rate (PR), warm carcass weight (WCW), mature cow weight (MCW), number of nematode eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) and tick count (TICK). Two models were used in series to estimate the EV. A deterministic model was used to simulate effects of PR, WCW and MCW on profitability with a constant parasite load. Subsequently, stochastic models were used to estimate economic values for TICK and EPG as consequences of their environmental effects on weight gains, mortality and health costs. The EV of PR, WCW, MCW, EPG and TICK, was US$1.59, US$2.11, −US$0.24, −US$5.35 and −US$20.88, respectively. Results indicate positive emphasis should be placed on PR (12.49%) and WCW (65.07%) with negative emphasis on MCW (13.92%), EPG (2.77%) and TICK (5.75%). In comparison with the indexes usually used, these results suggest a reformulation in the selection indexes of the beef production system in tropical and subtropical regions in order to obtain greater profitability.