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.     

Yield Stability of Winter Wheat (Triticum sp.) Cultivars and Lines

The purpose of this study was to compare responsiveness to environment as well as the stability of newly developed promising lines with traditional commercial cultivars. Subject research was conducted in Ankara between 1983-1989 on common and durum wheat cultivars and lines. Regression coefficient (b) was used as the criterion of genotypes' responsiveness to environment whereas deviation from regression (S²d) and coefficient of determination (r²) were used as stability parameters. Each experiment year was regarded as an environment and yield average of each year was used as the environmental index.
In consequence of the research, it was determined that new varieties with high yield, adaptable to diverse environments could be developed by means of hybridizations between parents having different genetic characteristics which were provided from diverse ecological regions.     

希拉穆仁草原不同放牧强度对植被群落特征和土壤团聚体的影响

[目的] 为探究草原不同放牧强度下植被群落的改变,解析群落特征变化对土壤团聚体的影响。[方法] 以希拉穆仁荒漠草原控制放牧试验区为研究对象,采用野外调查、室内分析相结合的方法,分析轻度放牧(LG)、中度放牧(MG)、重度放牧(HG)和禁牧(CK)下植被群落特征和土壤团聚体特征及二者的关系,揭示植物群落变化对土壤团聚体的影响。[结果] (1)植物群落物种数随放牧强度的增加而增加,LG的群落Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H'')和Simpson优势度指数(D)显著低于其他放牧强度(p＜0.05)。地上生物量随放牧强度的增加而降低,HG的地上生物量显著低于其他放牧强度(p＜0.05)。不同放牧强度下地下生物量差异显著,且不同土层的地下生物量均以LG最高。(2)平均重量直径(MWD)和几何平均直径(GMD)的变化趋势与大团聚体含量一致,在0—5, 5—10 cm土层表现为随放牧强度的增加先增加后降低再增加(LG最高、MG最低)。(3)群落Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H'')、Pielous均匀度指数(J'')、地上生物量、容重是影响大团聚体含量、MWD和GMD的显著性因子(p＜0.05)。[结论] 放牧强度对土壤团聚体稳定性具有负反馈调节作用,主要通过影响植被群落多样性指数(H''和J'')、地上生物量、土壤容重的变化而引起土壤团聚体稳定性的变化。该结果为希拉穆仁草原放牧强度选择及生态恢复工作提供理论支撑和科学依据。     

民勤荒漠区主要植物的物候特性与牧草利用

通过设置样方、样点和运用物候观测,对退化荒漠植物群落进行轻度放牧利用分析,即运用植被状况与降水量的关系,分析限制植物生长的因素;运用不同稳定性沙丘的植被状况和土壤种子库资料,分析荒漠草地的可利用性和可利用程度;运用物候资料分析民勤荒漠区(灌木和草本植物)牧草利用的主要季节。结果表明:民勤荒漠草地土壤种子库中植物种子丰富,影响当地植物密度和植被盖度的关键因素是降水,可进行轻度放牧。轻度放牧时,要依据牧草展叶盛期的开始序列和果熟期的开始序列选择植物群落,实行小规模、间歇式轮牧。展叶盛期为一年中牧草的第1个利用季节,果熟期为一年中的第2个利用季节。     

Analysis of a site x year experiment with timothy polycross progeny

Summary Results from a cooperative breeding programme with timothy for the northern areas of Scandinavia are presented. The main aim of the programme was to identify genotypes for synthetic populations that are high yielding, adapted over the whole area and stable over years. A polycross comprising 12 genotypes from each of five sites within the region was formed. The subsequent 60 half-sib families and four reference varieties were then compared under sward conditions at the same sites. The trials lasted for three years and results for total dry matter yields are presented.Significant differences in yield between lines were found. There were also significant two and three factor interactions between lines, sites and years. A new two-step procedure is presented to select the genotypes to make up a synthetic variety. Firstly, a superiority measure (Q-value) is used to select a group of genotypes that are high yielding and stable over sites and years. Secondly, the GxE part of the Q-value is split into two terms. One measures adaptation to predictable environmental conditions. The other one measures stability to unpredictable changes in the environment. A plot of these two measures provides a tool for discarding unstable or poorly adapted genotypes. The statistical properties of the selection parameters are discussed.     

Differences in ecological and allelopathic traits among Alternanthera philoxeroides populations

Based on a field investigation and laboratory trials, this study compared the invasive ecology of aquatic and terrestrial alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides G.) ecotypes. The aquatic ecotype showed a stronger eco‐adaptation than the terrestrial ecotype. Alligator weed performed well in wetland and riparian habitats, where it was so competitive that only one‐to‐three other plant types grew successfully in its company. In contrast, it exhibited poor growth in upland fields and parks, where the terrestrial ecotype was dominated by 6–11 other alien plant species. The aquatic ecotype exhibited significantly greater growth inhibition of Microcystis aeruginosa. The ecotypes differed in their pattern of allelopathic inhibition of water blooms. The allelopathic effect of the aquatic ecotype persisted for a period exceeding 20 days, whereas the terrestrial ecotype's allelopathic effect subsided in <5 days. The aquatic ecotype had higher levels of antioxidant compounds, including soluble protein and flavones, and the activity of protective enzymes was also higher, which included superoxidase dismutase, peroxidase and catalase. Alligator weed's unique characteristics derive mainly from its strong allelopathic potential and tolerance of eutrophication in aquatic habitats.     

Sheep performance under intensive continuous grazing of native grasslands of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paspalum notatum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Axonopus compressus</Emphasis> in the subtropical region of the Highlands of Central Mexico

Liveweight gain was evaluated in tropical Dorper X Pelibuey lambs under intensive continuous grazing of native grasslands dominated by Paspalum notatum (PN) or Axonopus compressus (AC) in the subtropics of Central Mexico. Two trials were undertaken. Trial 1 lasted 12 weeks with 10 lambs (initial weight 18 +/- 2.57 kg, 3 months old) per treatment in 2002, and Trial 2 for 13 weeks with 8 lambs (initial weight 24.0 +/- 2.0 kg, 4 months old) per treatment. Lambs were weighed once per week, and liveweight change was estimated by linear regression over day of the experiment, using individual regression coefficients as unbiased estimates of daily liveweight change; analysed in a random block design. Lambs on Trial 1 gained 0.061 kg/lamb/day on PN and 0.047 kg/lamb/day on AC (P > 0.05) at an overall mean stocking rate of 25 lambs/ha. In Trial 2, liveweight gain was significantly larger in PN (0.060 kg/lamb/day) than on AC (0.043 kg/lamb/day) (P < 0.05), at a mean stocking rate of 21.5 lambs/ha. It is concluded that intensive continuous grazing of native grasslands in the subtropics of the highlands of Central Mexico enables moderate liveweight gains for weaned lambs during the rainy season; with better results in grasslands dominated by Paspalum notatum.     

黑河流域草地资源保护与建设

黑河流域除绿洲地区外有160万hm2的草地,进行草地分户、围栏封育、人工改良草地;牧户按地定畜、优化牧场、推广良种、改良畜群;按草定牧、实行休牧和轮牧;革新观念、子羔出栏、加速出栏周期、保障牧民增收等措施可保护草地资源,加速草地建设,繁荣牧区经济.     

菊苣酸对围产期放牧牦牛生长性能、血清生化指标及抗氧化能力的影响

试验旨在研究菊苣酸对放牧牦牛围产期生长性能、血清生化指标及抗氧化能力的影响。选择体况良好、体重接近(195～205kg)的围产期牦牛16头,随机分为2组,每组8头,对照组饲喂精料补充料+燕麦青干草,试验组饲喂精料补充料+燕麦青干草+0.15kg/d菊苣酸。试验期60d(从产前30d到产后30d),于产前第15天、产前第7天、分娩当天、产后第7天、产后第15天采集血液,进行相应指标的测定。结果显示:在产后第15天,试验组牦牛血清尿素氮(BUN)显著低于对照组(P<0.05);在分娩当天和产后第7天,试验组牦牛血清葡萄糖(GLU)含量、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)活性及总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)显著高于对照组(P<0.05),谷草转氨酶(AST)活性显著低于对照组(P<0.05);在分娩当天,试验组牦牛血清谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)、超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)活性显著高于对照组(P<0.05),血清丙二醛(MDA)含量显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。综合试验结果,添加菊苣酸能有效缓解围产期放牧牦牛氧化应激状态,提高其抗氧化能力。