The Effects of Intercrop Spacing Patterns on the Silage Yield of Maize and Soybean

The effects of intercrop spacing patterns on the silage yields of both maize (lea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) were examined from 1985 to 1987. Dwarf maize was intercropped with nonnodulatmg or nodulating soybean in the spacing patterns, S_40same (two crops in the same row, 40 cm row width) and S_20ait or S_40ak (two crops in alternate rows, 20 cm or 40 cm row width, respectively). Tall maize was intercropped with nodulating soybean in S_40sames S_40alt and S_40pair (maize in 40 cm paired rows, soybean rows 20 cm outside each maize row and 80 cm from the next set of four rows) at 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ and at population densities of 67% maize: 67% soybean or 50 % maize: 50% soybean. Maize and soybean were also intercropped and stripcropped on a farm-scale. The only difference between intercrops arranged in the same rows versus those in alternate rows was that the average soybean protein yields were higher in S_40same than in S_40alt. In 1986, the S_40alt maize-soybean intercrops produced higher maize yields, total biomass yields and Land Equivalent Ratios (LERs) than in S_40pirs, and in 1987, these responses were higher in intercrops than in stripcrops. In 1986, at 0 kg N ha⁻¹, the soybean biomass and protein yields were lower in S_40alt, than in S_40pairs and in 1987, these responses were lower in intercrops than in stripcrops.     

Characterization of soybean proteins by HPLC

Proteins extracted from five soybean cultivars were separated by reversed-phase (RP) and size exclusion (SE) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A RP-HPLC method was developed that permits protein separation of nondefatted flours from soybean clutivars. RP-HPLC showed that protein of these cultivars could be classified into two groups, one of which contained intermediate component peaks under identical conditions. Genetically closely related cultivars exhibited only small differences in their RP-HPLC chromatograms. Size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) resolved extracts of nondefatted flours from various soybean cultivars into six common peaks which accounted for 80 to 94% of the total peak area. Soybean cultivars were primarily identified by the percent area of their fifth peak (fraction F5) which had the highest variability of the total peak area. Seed protein of the cultivars was closely related with the area percent of peak F2 (r=0.91). SE-HPLC proved to be a rapid one step quantitative method with potential for assessing soybean cultivars on the basis of protein content.     

High Protein Soybean Performance Under Field Conditions

An early maturing soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar has been developed with substantially higher seed protein concentration than previously available cultivars. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of the high protein line under field conditions in Eastern Canada, and to investigate the interrelationships between protein and oil concentrations, seed weight and yield. A field experiment, including the high protein line OT89-16 and its recurrent backcross parent Maple Arrow grown side by side, was conducted at McGill University, during 1990 and 1991. The protein concentration of OT89-16 was 17 % greater than that of Maple Arrow for both years. However, the protein yield of OT89-16 was not significantly increased, the oil content was 19 to 23 % lower, and oil yield per ha was over 30 % lower than those of Maple Arrow. The lower yield of OT89-16 was closely associated with its lighter seeds. Further efforts to improve the high protein line should attempt to maintain the same high protein levels but achieve yield equal to that of the parent line through selection for heavier seeds.     

Assessment of the protein quality of nine northern adapted yellow and brown seed coated soybean cultivars by amino acid analysis

Accurate and detailed amino acid determinations were carried out on nine northern adapted soybean cultivars to ascertain whether their amino acid profiles could be used as potentially useful indices for assessing their protein quality. The cultivars were Maple Amber, Maple Donovan, Maple Glen, Maple Isle, Maple Presto, Maple Ridge, and three brown seed coat near-isogenic lines, Maple Presto Brown, Maple Ridge Brown, and Maple Arrow Brown. Their total protein and amino acid composition were compared with those of an established cultivar, Maple Arrow. Mean protein values for the new cultivars ranged from 30.1 to 33.1% compared to Maple Arrow, which was 33.2%. The total nitrogen content was also variable among these cultivars, ranging from 5.0 to 5.4%. All nine Maple series soybean cultivars were higher in their essential amino acid (EAA) content, that is, EAA(9) = 45.2-46.5%, than the FAO/WHO reference protein pattern value of EAA(9) = 33.9%, for a 2-5-year-old child. Each of the nine new soybean cultivars was limited only in methionine and to a lesser extent in valine and isoleucine and had a protein digestibility corrected amino acid score of 91% for all cultivars, compared to the value of egg protein (97%). These results suggest that the most accurate evaluation of protein quality in soybeans, and possibly other legumes and cereals, is by the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score.     

Immunisation against ovine caseous lymphadenitis: efficacy of monocomponent Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis toxoid vaccine and combined clostridial-corynebacterial vaccines

Sheep were immunised with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis toxoid formulated as a monocomponent vaccine with aluminium adjuvant or in combination with 5 clostridial antigens, and also in the combined form with sodium selenate. Immunised and control sheep were experimentally infected 16 days after vaccination and slaughtered and inspected after a further 3 months to determine their resistance to infection. All 3 vaccines afforded an equal and high level of protection; 91% of vaccinated sheep exhibiting no lesions of caseous lymphadenitis compared with 51.5% affected sheep in the control group. Average lesion counts were 1.2 per affected vaccinated sheep and 4.5 per affected control sheep. Antitoxin responses to the clostridial toxoids incorporated in the combined vaccines were not affected by inclusion of the C pseudotuberculosis toxoid or the sodium selenate.     

Immunisation against ovine caseous lymphadenitis: comparison of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis vaccines with and without bacterial cells

Sheep were immunised with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis vaccines prepared from cell-free toxoid or from toxoid with formalin-killed cells of C pseudotuberculosis added. Resistance of sheep to infection was tested 6 months after immunisation by inoculation with caseous lymphadenitis pus. The outcome was assessed 3 months later by slaughter and inspection of the sheep for lesions of caseous lymphadenitis. immunised sheep were adequately protected against infection as shown by a significant reduction in the number of sheep exhibiting lesions compared with control sheep, and by fewer abscesses in affected vaccinated sheep than in affected control sheep. The protective potency of the vaccines was not improved by the inclusion of cells of C pseudotuberculosis.     

NITROGEN NUTRITION ON LEAF CHLOROPHYLL,CANOPY REFLECTANCE,GRAIN PROTEIN AND GRAIN YIELD OF WHEAT VARIETIES WITH CONTRASTING GRAIN PROTEIN CONCENTRATION

Wheat cultivars (‘AC Barrie’, ‘Brook Field’, ‘Hoffman’, and ‘Norwell’) with different protein concentrations were compared under four nitrogen (N) levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha^?1) in an environment-controlled greenhouse, and the same experiment with an additional N level (200 kg N ha^?1) was repeated in the field in 2007. In the greenhouse experiment, application of 100 kg N ha^?1 resulted in significantly greater grain yield due mainly to higher number of grains per spike and heavier mean grain weight; in the field study, the 150 kg N ha^?1 treatment produced the greatest yield (P<0.01) primarily due to more number of grains per spike. Crude grain protein percentage was increased significantly with each increment of N up to the highest level; however, protein yield (kg ha^?1) increased significantly with fertilizer up to 150 kg N ha^?1. Leaf chlorophyll contents were increased linearly with increment of N levels up to 150 kg ha^?1 both in the greenhouse and field trials while leaf area indices continued to increase up to the highest application rate (200 kg N ha^?1). Canopy reflectance, expressed as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), attained maximum value with 150 kg N ha^?1 in the field experiment. Among the varieties tested, “Hoffman” out-yielded other three varieties due to heavier grain weight. Although highest grain and/or plant crude protein content were recorded in ‘AC Barrie’, it was the variety ‘Hoffman’ that produced the highest total protein (kg ha^?1) with largest NDVI and leaf area index (LAI) values.