Effects of music stimulus on behavior response,cortisol level,and horizontal immunity of growing pigs

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals’ welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.     

Effects of three methionine sources in diets on temporal B0AT1 and ASCT2 mRNA expression in different intestinal segments of cobia,Rachycentron canadum

A 4‐week feeding trial was conducted using five groups of hybrid grouper (61.15 ± 0.15 g) to explore the potential effects of three methionine (Met) sources. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated that included a fishmeal (FM) diet; nonsupplemented (NS) diet; or NS diets with the addition of the L‐methionine (L‐Met), DL‐methionine (DL‐Met), or coated Met (Co‐Met) to obtain the same Met level as the FM diet. Fish were randomly distributed into sea cages (30 fish per cage). Weight gain and specific growth rate in the DL‐Met group and FM group were significantly higher than those in all other groups (p < .05). In the proximal and distal intestines, of the 20 gene and time combinations (10 per gene), there were 14 combinations (70%) in which there were no significant differences in gene expression levels between the FM and DL‐Met groups (p > .05). The main reason for the same growth effect between the DL‐Met and FM groups may be attributed to the synchronized absorption at most time points after feeding, which had similar expression patterns of B⁰AT1 and ASCT2 of the proximal and distal intestines between two groups.     

何刚德《抚郡农产考略》农业经济思想初探

《抚郡农产考略》是清末江西有代表性的农学著作,不仅保存有抚州地区大量农产种类、栽培与加工技术等资料,还包含了大量的商品经济信息。作者何刚德已经认识到自给自足的自然经济会对生产有束缚作用,他在记载各类农产品时,提出“价值”的概念且用货币价格对其衡量,并深入揭示了农产品上市时间、供求、地理、交通条件等因素对价格的影响,进而寻求增值之道。何氏提倡多种经营,大力种植棉花、烟叶等经济作物,发挥柑橘、甘蔗等名优特产优势,促进农业的商品化生产。他还建议通过深加工的方式获取更高利润,并对未能引进西方的先进加工技术而感到惋惜。《抚郡农产考略》体现了中国近代官僚知识分子对农业经济转型的探索,具有重要的历史价值与现实意义。     

我国黄瓜抗病品种选育技术研究进展

黄瓜在我国蔬菜产业中占有重要地位,然而连片种植、重茬栽培等条件下容易滋生病菌,尤其是随着我国保护地蔬菜生产规模的扩大,棚室内的温湿度条件更利于病害的发生与流行,黄瓜生产上面临着严重的病虫害威胁,包括生理性病害、感染性病害及虫害等。本文从抗病品种选育的角度分析了黄瓜病害抗病品种选育技术,并简要介绍了其他防治方法,展望了相关研究的发展方向,为黄瓜病虫害的防治提供参考。     

5种生物制剂对马铃薯种薯萌芽、极端天气下植株生长和产量性状的影响

旨在满足马铃薯生产中茬口衔接、机械化生产技术应用、不利气候下稳产等对马铃薯出苗早、齐、壮的需求,以‘费乌瑞它’为供试品种,用基于有益活菌或工程菌提取物的5种生物制剂进行种薯处理,对多重性状进行了对比分析。5种生物制剂较常规化学制剂,均能够不同程度地促进种薯萌芽和芽根同生,出苗期提前2~7天,播种后49天的出苗率提高3.33%~17.78%。其中,表现最好的为酵母核苷酸衍生物和VDAL,种薯萌发和生根均显著高于对照。霜冻后,生物剂拌种处理在恢复前期促进植株生长,由此促进恢复后期的块茎发育,较常规化学处理增产8.39%~24.03%,体现了不同程度的保产效果。多马道黑、酵母核苷酸衍生物、根肽和VDAL体现出较好的保产效果,可作为种薯处理剂投入马铃薯生产。     

11个葡萄品种在乐山地区的花芽分化规律

研究了11个葡萄品种3年生树在四川乐山地区避雨栽培条件下的花芽分化表现。结果表明,结果母枝的花芽分化率,魏可、维多利亚、黑芭拉多、金手指、金优2号和巨玫瑰6个品种的都高于50%,较易形成花芽;户太8号、巨峰、夏黑的在43%~48%;美人指和红指较难形成花芽。结果母枝不同节位的花芽分化率,多数品种在第3节位≥50%;结果枝上花穗着生节位在第3.8~4.9节,其中双花率以巨玫瑰、巨峰和户太8号较高,分别为83.45%、73.61%和73.06%。以结果母枝的花芽分化率≥50%节位作为冬剪的最低节位,则金优2号、户太8号、巨玫瑰、金手指、维多利亚5个品种在第3~4节,黑芭拉多和巨峰2个品种在第2~3节,魏可在1~2节。夏黑表现花芽分化率较低,为43.33%,可能与夏黑不耐弱光有关,设施栽培时应加强透光性。     

体外产气法评价全株藜麦与全株玉米混合青贮饲料饲用价值

为提高全株藜麦的饲料化利用率，寻找其与全株玉米的最佳青贮比，试验共设全株藜麦与全株玉米比为100：0，90：10，80：20等11个组合进行青贮发酵，发酵60 d后测定各组青贮料的体外产气发酵指标，使用灰色关联度分析筛选出最佳青贮比例。结果表明，体外发酵至36 h时，各处理组GP趋于稳定，体外发酵减弱接近停止；全株藜麦与全株玉米比例为90：10时，该青贮饲料组合的粗蛋白（CP）和粗脂肪（EE）含量显著高于其他各组（P<0.05），乙酸（AA）、总挥发性脂肪酸（TVFA）含量以及氨态氮（NH₃-N）浓度显著高于其他各处理（P<0.05）。分析表明，全株藜麦与全株玉米比例为90：10时，混合青贮饲料的营养品质和产气发酵特性综合表现最好，可作为优质混合青贮饲料在家畜养殖中推广使用。     

优质国审棉品种——ZHM19

概述了ZHM19的选育过程、特征特性、产量、纤维品质和抗病性等特点及主要栽培技术措施。     

磷供应水平对盆花月季'仙境'生长和品质的影响

以盆花月季'仙境'为试材,采用根部浇灌方式,设置0(P0)、10 (P10)、20(P20)、30(P30)g·柱-14个磷供应水平,研究了磷水平对盆花月季'仙境'根系生长、不同器官氮磷养分吸收、叶片SPAD值以及开花品质(花朵数量、花径、花朵干质量等)的影响,以期为月季养分管理提供参考依据.结果 表明:磷不同供应水平明显改变了'仙境'的根系形态,P20和P30处理较P0和P10处理,总根长增加了81％～111％,总根表面积扩大了133％～196％,细根总长度增加了95％～119％.植株不同器官(新生叶片、新生枝条和根系)生物量和氮、磷养分积累量表现出与根系生长类似的趋势.与P0和P10处理相比,P20和P30处理单株花朵数量增加128％～206％,叶片SPAD值增加16％～21％.与对照P0相比,P10、P20和P30花径分别增加12％、19％和24％.植株总根长与总氮和总磷吸收量表现出显著的正相关关系.综上所述,盆花月季'仙境'对不同磷供应水平表现出高度的根形态可塑性,适宜的磷供应水平促进根系生长和养分吸收,提高开花数量和品质.