Impact of climate change on maize yield in China from 1979 to 2016

Climate change severely impacts agricultural production, which jeopardizes food security. China is the second largest maize producer in the world and also the largest consumer of maize. Analyzing the impact of climate change on maize yields can provide effective guidance to national and international economics and politics. Panel models are unable to determine the group-wise heteroscedasticity, cross-sectional correlation and autocorrelation of datasets, therefore we adopted the feasible generalized least square(FGLS) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on maize yields in China from 1979–2016 and got the following results:(1) During the 1979–2016 period, increases in temperature negatively impacted the maize yield of China. For every 1°C increase in temperature, the maize yield was reduced by 5.19 kg 667 m–2(1.7%). Precipitation increased only marginally during this time, and therefore its impact on the maize yield was negligible. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by an insignificant amount of 0.043 kg 667 m–2(0.014%).(2) The impacts of climate change on maize yield differ spatially, with more significant impacts experienced in southern China. In this region, a 1°C increase in temperature resulted in a 7.49 kg 667 m–2 decrease in the maize yield, while the impact of temperature on the maize yield in northern China was insignificant. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by 0.013 kg 667 m–2 in southern China and 0.066 kg 667 m–2 in northern China.(3) The resilience of the maize crop to climate change is strong. The marginal effect of temperature in both southern and northern China during the 1990–2016 period was smaller than that for the 1979–2016 period.     

不同用量纳米材料对生菜种子发芽的影响

以意大利生菜和红脆香生菜种子为试验材料,研究不同用量石墨相氮化碳纳米材料(0、50、100、150、200 mg/L)对2种生菜种子萌发的影响。结果表明:纳米材料用量在50～150 mg/L时对2种生菜发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数均有促进作用,用量在100 mg/L时,意大利生菜的发芽率、发芽指数最高;用量在150 mg/L时,红脆香生菜发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数最高。纳米材料用量达到200 mg/L时,对生菜种子萌发的促进效果减小,甚至出现抑制萌发的现象。较高用量(150、200 mg/L)的纳米材料可以促进生菜胚根的伸长,用量在150 mg/L时,意大利生菜胚根最长,比对照(CK)增加了24.80%;用量在200 mg/L时,红脆香生菜胚根最长,比对照增加了37.20%。施加纳米材料对生菜胚芽长度的影响不显著。总之,纳米材料用量在50～150 mg/L时,可以促进生菜种子的萌发;较高用量(150、200 mg/L)的纳米材料可以促进生菜种子胚根的伸长;施加纳米材料对胚芽长的影响不显著。     

Replacing Soybean Meal with Alternative Protein Sources in Diets for Pond‐raised Hybrid Catfish, ♀ Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Ictalurus furcatus

The present study investigated the replacement of soybean meal with combinations of two or three alternative protein sources in diets for pond‐raised hybrid catfish, ♀ Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Ictalurus furcatus. Alternative protein sources evaluated included cottonseed meal, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), peanut meal, and porcine meat and bone meal (PMBM). Hybrid catfish fingerlings with a mean initial weight of 35 g/fish were stocked into 25 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of 14,826 fish/ha. Fish were fed once daily to apparent satiation for 166 d. No significant differences were observed for total diet fed, net yield, weight gain, survival, carcass yield, fillet yield, or fillet proximate composition among dietary treatments. Results show soybean meal may be completely replaced by combinations of cottonseed meal and one or two other alternative protein sources including DDGS, peanut meal, and PMBM in the diet without markedly affecting production and processing characteristics and fillet proximate composition of pond‐raised hybrid catfish. These alternative diets may be used during foodfish production when prices are favorable.     

Compatibility of root growth and tuber production of potato cultivars with dynamic and static water‐saving irrigation managements

The important root characteristics of root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) generally differ among irrigation managements and potato cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the RLD and RMD variations and their functional relationships with gross potato tuber yield for two commercial potato cultivars, Agria and Sante, under different irrigation strategies. Full irrigation and water‐saving irrigation strategies, deficit and partial root drying irrigations, were applied statically (S) and dynamically (D) based on daily crop evapotranspiration. Results showed that SPRD had significantly greater RLD (3.64 cm/cm³) and RMD (132.7 μg/cm³) than other irrigation treatments. Between the potato cultivars, Agria had significantly larger values of RLD (3.50 cm/cm³) and RMD (138.7 μg/cm³) than Sante. The functional relationship between the root growth characteristics and tuber yield showed that under water‐saving irrigations, Agria increased root mass at the expense of gross tuber yield but Sante increased root mass to maintain larger gross tuber yields. However, Agria produced more roots and gross tuber yield than Sante, and it is concluded that Agria is a more drought‐tolerant potato cultivar, which is recommended for tuber production in regions where water might be scarce. It was shown that larger root production in potatoes was associated with improved tolerance to water stress.     

Effects of Feeding Frequency on Apparent Energy and Nutrient Digestibility/Availability of Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Reared at Optimal and Suboptimal Temperatures

This study examined the effects of feeding frequency (daily versus every other day [EOD]) on nutrient digestibility/availability of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, reared at optimal (30 C) and suboptimal (24 C) temperatures. A 28% protein practical diet was used as the test diet, and chromic oxide was used at 0.75% of the diet as a maker. Twenty channel catfish of a mean weight of 141 g/fish were stocked into 12 flow‐through aquaria (110 L). Fish were fed daily or EOD to apparent satiation for 7 d before fecal samples were collected by the dissection method. Fish fed EOD to apparent satiation consumed more diet on days fed than those fed daily, and fish reared at 30 C consumed more diet than those reared at 24 C. Neither feeding frequency nor water temperature significantly affected apparent digestibility coefficients for energy and protein and apparent availability coefficients for total amino acids. Results show no advantage by feeding EOD over feeding daily on nutrient digestibility and diet utilization efficiency.     

Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Prebiotic Mixture of Mannan Oligosaccharide and Poly‐β‐Hydroxybutyrate on the Growth Performance,Immunity, and Survival of Rainbow Trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792), Fingerlings

This study investigated the effects of dietary poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and disease resistance of rainbow trout fingerlings. A total of 420 fingerlings, distributed equally into four different groups, each with three replicates, were fed a basal diet (control), 2% PHB (PHB), 0.2% MOS (MOS), or a diet supplemented with a mixture of 2% PHB and 0.2% MOS (PHB+MOS) for 60 d. Results showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS did not cause significant improvement in the growth performance of the fingerlings. The gut pH was markedly reduced; however, the activities of the digestive enzymes (except for pepsin and amylase by dietary PHB) were not significantly improved by the dietary supplements. Results also showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS markedly increased the resistance of the fingerlings toward Yersinia ruckeri infection, while the lowest total antibody was observed in fish fed control and MOS, indicating that MOS exerts its protective effects by modulating other mechanisms. Overall, this study provided a first screening effort to determine the effects of PHB and/or MOS as dietary supplements in rainbow trout fingerlings to develop an optimal prebiotic mix for improving the growth and health status of rainbow trout.     

中药对肉仔鸡脂质代谢及肉品质的影响

将120只1周龄肉仔鸡随机分成4组,每组30只,前3组(试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组)分别喂以含1%的3种不同中药组方的饲粮,第Ⅳ组为对照组,只喂基础日粮.试验期6周.结果(1)与对照组相比,Ⅰ组血清TC、LDL-C极显著下降(P＜0.01);Ⅱ组血清TC、LDL-C极显著下降(P＜0.01),TG也下降(P＜0.05),HDL-C显著升高(P＜0.01);Ⅲ组血清LDL-C极显著下降(P＜0.01),HDL-C则显著升高(P＜0.01);试验Ⅰ～Ⅲ组血清总脂都极显著下降(P＜0.01);与Ⅱ组相比,Ⅰ组血清LDL-C、Ⅲ组TC存在显著差异(P＜0.01).(2)与对照组相比,胸肌组织中,各试验组TG极显著下降(P＜0.01),Ⅱ组TC显著下降(P＜0.05);腿肌中,各组TC显著下降(P＜0.05),TG下降极显著(P＜0.01);肝脏中各组TC、TG均极显著下降(P＜0.01);与Ⅱ组相比,Ⅰ组肝TG差异极显著(P＜0.01);Ⅲ组胸肌TG、肝TG有显著差异性(P＜0.05).(3)7周龄末鸡体重与对照组相比,Ⅱ组差异极显著(P＜0.01),Ⅲ组差异显著(P＜0.05);Ⅱ组料肉比比对照组极显著下降(P＜0.01).(4)肌肉中的营养成分,Ⅰ、Ⅱ组腿肌中粗脂肪比对照组极显著下降(P＜0.01),Ⅱ组腿肌中粗蛋白含量显著升高(P＜0.01).结论中药组方能不同程度地调整鸡脂质代谢,提高生产性能和改善鸡肉品质.在3个不同中药组方中,综合效果Ⅱ方最优.     

The advantages of the use of vitamin E and selenium for the prevention and therapy of porcine stress syndrome

In a feeding trial lasting for months Halothane-positive fattening pigs were put on a diet containing different concentrations of vitamin E and selenium. After a Myostress application vitamin E and selenium were additionally injected in order to examine stress resistance (CK-test) and regenerative capacity (histological examination of Musculus longissimus dorsi) of skeletal muscle. The study revealed that neither high dietary levels of vitamin E/selenium nor a vitamin E/selenium treatment applied after stress are capable of preventing stress related myopathy nor can they influence its healing up favourably.     

Effect of the manganese content in laying hen feed with different Ca and mineral levels on the egg shell quality and bone mineralization of hens]

Four experiments with 270, 44, 432 and 66800 Leghorn hens were carried out to investigate the influence of various Mn additions to diets differed in mineral or Ca contents on egg shell quality. The addition of 300 mg Mn/kg diet improved significantly egg shell breaking strength by 4 N over one year. The supply of 50-500 mg Mn/kg diet for 10-24 weeks of the second half of laying year did not influence the egg shell quality. Addition of mineral mixture or Ca grit to layer rations with adequate or higher Mn levels did not influence egg shell strength. High mineral content in a low manganese diet increased number of cracks by 3%. Strength, weight and ash content of tibia were significantly reduced by feeding a low mineral level. Addition of 50-150 mg Mn per kg low mineral diet normalized partially tibia stability in young hens. It was concluded that supplied dietary Manganese influences calcification positively only in young hens. High levels of Ca did not influence the effects of Mn. 50 mg Mn per kg layers mixture have been considered as an essential supply.     

Glutathione peroxidase activity in whole blood and plasma of horses of different ages, sexes and different use]

GSH-Px activity in blood and plasma of 269 horses was determined and interrelated to age, sex, and type of use or breed. Furthermore values in blood were related to hematocrit and hemoglobin contents. Trotters and riding horses had higher GSH-Px activities in plasma as well as in blood (0.83 +/- 0.22 and 0.79 +/- 0.23 U/ml plasma or 27.2 +/- 4.3 and 24.0 +/- 7.0 U/ml blood) than Thoroughbreds in training and yearlings (0.61 +/- 0.,14 and 0.56 +/- 0.16 U/ml plasma or 20.6 2 +/- 6.9 and 24.6 +/- 4.3 U/ml blood). 3 to 6 years old Thoroughbreds had higher GSH-Px-activities than 1 to 2 years old ones. Colts and fillies did not have differing values.