Narbon Vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.): A Potential Feed Legume Crop for Dry Areas in West Asia

Provision of feed supplies for the rapidly growing livestock population is essential in West Asia. Shortages can be alleviated by growing forage crops in the existing fallow lands.
Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is a leguminous species with high yield potential, drought tolerance and cold resistance. It could be used for grain and straw production as source for animal feed in dry areas. It is good source of protein with seeds contain 28 % protein yielding 364 kg per hectare protein, whilst straw contains 9 % protein and yields a similar amounts of digestible protein per hectare.
Nine promising lines of Narbon vetch developed at ICARDA were tested at two sites over four years under rainfed conditions. Since climatic conditions were considered to be of considerable importance, each site in each year was treated as a separate environment to give eight environments with annual rainfall varied from 195 to 504 mm.
Narbon vetch possessed high seedling vigour with rapid winter growth and negligible cold damage. Grain yield varied form 0.47 to 1.90 t/ha, with a harvest index varying from 30 to 40 %. The data indicated that below 300 mm rainfall the grain yield varied from 0.47 t/ha when rain fall was 195 mm to 1.4 t/ha when rainfall was 245 mm. Most of the lines had wide adaptation to dry areas in terms of both grain yield and stability. Climate, except early spring rains had little effect on biological and grain yields.     

Influence of death struggle on the structural changes in chub mackerel muscle during chilled storage

ABSTRACT: Chub mackerel (34–35 cm, approximately 500 g), which were caught by fishing with a rod and line at the Bungo Channel, Oita prefecture, were rested overnight in a fish preserve and either killed by decapitation (control group) or allowed to struggle in air for 30 min (struggled group). Muscle samples were excised every 4 h, and measurements on breaking strength and histological observations were done for both groups. The breaking strength of muscle in the control group was significantly higher than that in the struggled group, whereby a decrease in breaking strength was delayed for 12 h compared to the struggled group. Light microscopy showed space extension among muscle cells in association with a decrease in breaking strength. Especially in the struggled group, the extended area was larger and the difference in area was significant at the time when breaking strength showed a significant difference. Using electron microscopy, the extended area showed cut and/or disappeared collagen fibrils. From these results, it was demonstrated that struggling to death promoted the degradation of collagen fibrils and the weakening of connective tissue and, resultantly, led to the faster softening of muscle of chub mackerel.     

棉花混选-混交育种体系遗传改良效应研究——Ⅰ.主要育种目标性状的响应

研究了陆地棉主要性状对混选—混交育种体系的响应。两轮群体提高了产量、早熟性和降低了麦克隆值的平均数;扩大了纤维品质的变幅;增加了高产株率,但对改进抗枯黄萎病性不明显。一轮群体的效果低于二轮。两次混交扩大了产量和纤维品质的变幅,增加了正末端的个体频率。一次混交的作用不及两次。早代混选相对缩小了群体变幅。一次混交后再经两代开放授粉和对一轮群体再混选,均表现出有益的反响。     

Analysis of Growth and Productivity of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea) in Relation to FYM, Nitrogen and Source of Fertilizer

A field experiment was conducted during the winter seasons of 1992–93 and 1993–94 at Anand to study the effect of FYM, nitrogen and source of fertilizer on growth and yield of mustard [ Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj & Cosson]. The results showed significant variation in leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), dry matter production and seed yield. The direct effect of farmyard manure (FYM) was conspicuous in improving the growth of mustard. FYM application at 10 tonnes ha⁻¹ significantly increased the LAI, CGR and dry matter accumulation per plant at almost all the stages during first year study (1992–93) and in pooled analysis. Similarly, nitrogen application registered maximum LAI, CGR at 75 kg level and RGR and NAR at 50 kg level at almost all the during both years. Sulphur carrying source (Ammonium sulphate plus single super phosphate) increased all stages growth characters. Maximum dry matter accumulation per plant and seed yield were recorded with highest levels of FYM (20 tonnes ha⁻¹), N (75 kg ha⁻¹) and source having S. Seed yield was strongly associated with LAI and dry matter accumulation per plant at all the stages.     

合作学习理论对研究生综合英语课教学的启示

综合英语课是研究生英语学习的基础课。笔者从教学实践论证了把合作学习理论引入综合英语教学的必要性和可行性。研究结果表明,通过合作学习有利于转变研究生英语学习理念,将语言学习与发展语言能力有机结合起来,有助于研究生综合语言能力的提高,为更高层次的英语选修课学习打好基础。     

Relationships among condition indices, feeding and growth of walleye in Lake Erie

Abstract  Condition indices are often used as surrogates of fish health, growth, and feeding and to compare ecological well-being among fish populations. In an effort to identify easily measured indices, growth and food consumption were compared with gonadal-somatic index, liver-somatic index (LSI), fat-somatic index and relative weight ( W _r) for ages 1–3 walleye, Sander vitreus (Mitchill), in Lake Erie from 1986 to 1988. The LSI and W _r were significantly correlated with growth rate or food consumption, but correlations were too small to be considered biologically meaningful. Furthermore, no consistent relationships between condition indices and growth or consumption were found among combinations of fish age and season. None of the indices are considered reliable surrogates for more laborious estimates of growth and food consumption for Lake Erie walleye. Significant relationships between W _r and relative abundance of key prey species warrant further investigation.     

Reproductive biology of the commercial sea cucumber <Emphasis Type="Italic">Holothuria spinifera</Emphasis> (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from Tuticorin,Tamil Nadu,India

The annual reproductive cycle of the commercial sea cucumber Holothuria spinifera was studied in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India, from September 2000 to October 2001, by macroscopic and microscopic examination of gonad tubule, gonad index and histology of gametogenic stages, to determine the spawning pattern. The gonad consists of long tubules with uniform development. It does not confirm the progressive tubule recruitment model described for other holothurians. The maximum percentage of mature animals, gonad and fecundity indices, tubule length and diameter, with the observations on gonad histology, ascertained that H. spinifera had the peak gametogenic activity during September and October 2001 followed by a prolonged spawning period from November 2000–March 2001.     

Energy Productivity Potential Assessment of Saccharum spontaneum L.Germplasm Resources

[Objective]The energy productivity potential of Saccharum spontaneum L.germplasm resources as energy plants was discussed in this paper.[Method]The energy productivity potential of Saccharum spontaneum L.germplasm resources collected from the wild was assessed from the aspects of cellulose,semicellulose,lignin and crude ash contents and caloric value.[Result]The total content of cellulose and semicellulose ranged from 41.75%to 69.13%,the lignin content ranged from 2.16%to 11.75%,the crude ash content ranged from 4.79%to 9.34%and the caloric value ranged from 16.00 to 17.69 MJ/kg among the 30 Saccharum spontaneum L.germplasms.Compared to other plants,Saccharum spontaneum L.had higher contents of cellulose and semicellulose,a higher caloric value but lower contents of lignin and crude ash.[Conclusion]From the perspective of producing fuel ethanol with lignocellulose,Saccharum spontaneum L.has a great potential for development as an energy plant.