bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the effect of copper status and therapy on fertility in beef suckler herds
Authors: Phillippo M. , Humphries W. R. , Lawrence C. B. , Price J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA survey on 17 beef suckler herds in the north-east of Scotland showed that there was no relationship between herd serum copper concentration (range 0·16–0·92 μg/ml) measured within 1 month of mating and the conception rate of the herd calculated from the pattern of calving to that mating. Cows treated with 100 mg copper before mating, in trials on four farms with low copper status and involving 221 animals, did not have an improved conception rate compared with control animals on the same farm. Copperper sewould therefore not appear to be a major factor in determining the fertility of beef suckler herds.
Nitrogenous manuring of grass-clover leys for conservation, with particular reference to ‘late’ top-dressing
Authors: Hood A. E. M. 
Published: March 2009

Results are recorded of experiments over four years to study the effects of various rates of N fertilizer applied early (soon after each cut) and late (1 or 2 weeks before cutting) to grass-clover swards cut repeatedly for conservation.N fertilizer proved essential for high yields of dry matter and protein per acre. It reduced the amount of clover, but it is clear that clovers are not as productive as grasses adequately manured, and that any N excreted by clovers into the soil is far from enough to enable associated grasses to make full growth.The amount of N fertilizer applied proved more important than the time of its application. Early N gave higher yields of dry matter but rather lower percentages of crude protein in the herbage than late N dressings.To increase yields substantially and at the same time to maintain the protein content of the herbage on a par with a grass-clover ley it seems necessary to apply a minimum of 4 cwt. ‘Nitro -Chalk’/acre as an early dressing before each cut. An additional 2 or 3 cwt. ‘Nitro-Chalk’/acre may be applied from one to two weeks before cutting if even higher crude protein values are required.
The effects of cutting on regrowth of perennial ryegrass selections exposed to drought conditions
Authors: Norris I. B. , Thomas H. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effect of drought on the growth and subsequent recovery growth of containergrown perennial ryegrass plants was assessed in a glasshouse. Dry-matter production and percentage of water-soluble carbohydrates were measured, and non-destructive measurements of growth components (leaf extension, leaf appearance and tillering) were made.Drought had an effect upon all the variables recorded. Selecting for improved recovery growth was considered to be of more economic importance than selecting for improved growth during drought and the implications of defoliation are discussed in relation to drought recovery.It was concluded that subjecting pot-grown plants to drought was a useful technique when screening selections for response to drought.
Response of snake cucumber (Cucumis melovar. pubescens) to some plant regulators
Authors: El-Kholy E. , Hafez H. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTrials were conducted during the summer seasons (1978 and 1979) at the Faculty of Agriculture, Elminia University, to evaluate the effect of some growth regulators on sex expression, sex ratio and yield production of snake cucumber. The results obtained showed that both sex expression and ratio could be modified with plant regulator sprays even under the long and high temperature conditions of Elminia governorate. All plant regulators induced the formation of the first female flower at lower nodes compared with the control. There was significant suppression of male flowers in plants sprayed with plant regulators. All the treatments gave an increase in total yield and improved fruit characters.
The chemical composition of the straw and grain of some varieties of spring oats in relation to time of harvesting, nitrogen treatment and environment
Authors: Dent J. W. 
Published: March 2009

1. Three contrasting varieties of spring oats were grown at six centres in England and Wales for three seasons, at two levels of manuring. They were harvested at two stages of ripeness, and both straw and grain were analysed for all treatments.2. Varietal differences in composition between samples of straw grown under similar conditions and harvested at comparable stages of ripeness were negligible. In this respect there was no relationship between quality of straw and that of grain.3. Differences in composition attributable to environment were very large. Crude protein content ranged from 1·9 to 7·6%, and crops grown under cool and wet conditions always yielded a better quality straw than those grown under the warmer and drier conditions in the south of England.4. The chemical composition of oat straw changed very little between the early ‘binder-ripe’ stage and the fully ripe ‘combine’ stage, although physically it tended to become more brittle and less attractive in appearance. The grain also showed little change in composition between the two times of harvesting.5. A spring dressing of 2 cwt. per acre of nitrochalk increased the protein content of the straw very considerably, but the response varied widely with conditions. The average increase at all centres over three years was 20%.6. Under cool and moist conditions the composition of oat straw was comparable with that of meadow hay.
Lamb survival as affected by inbreeding and cross-breeding
Authors: Galal E. S. E. , Afifi E. A. , El-Kimary I. S. , Ahmad I. A. , Shawar A. F. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYData representing 1928 lambing records were analysed to study the effects of inbreeding and cross-breeding on lamb survival to the ages of 7, 30, 120 and 180 days. The sheep flock consisted of two native breeds, Barki (B) and Rahmani (R); and the imported Fleisch Merino (M) as well as the crosses M × B and M × MB. Analysis was made by fitting a least-squares linear model that included the main effects of year and season of birth, sex, age of dam, type of birth, inbreeding of the lamb (Fd) and the dam (Fd) and breed group and the interactions season × type of birth, season × Fo and season × breed group. Lambs were classified into six groups according to the magnitude of the inbreeding coefficient: F ≤ 0·05, 0·05 < F ≤S 0·10, 0·10 < F ≤ 0·15, 0·15 < F ≤ 0·20, 0·20 < F ≤ 0·25 and F > 0·25. The average inbreeding coefficient in the flock was 0·12 and 0·08 For the lambs and their dams, respectively.Sex of lamb and age of dam had no significant effect on lamb survival at any age while single-born lambs had a higher (P < 0·01 or P < 0·05) survival than twins at all ages except 7 days. Inbreeding of the lambs showed significant effect at 7 and 120 days. Increase in inbreeding of the dams was associated with higher mortality at all ages but the trend was not significant.Differences among breed groups were not significant at 7 and 30 days, but were highly significant at later ages. The contribution of breed group to the total variance in survival increased with age. Hybrid vigour was highly significant in both crosses at 120 and 180 days.
Copper, molybdenum and sulphur contents of oats and barley in relation to chronic copper poisoning in housed sheep
Authors: Todd J. R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe copper, molybdenum, and total sulphur contents were estimated in 124 samples of oats and 67 samples of barley obtained from various parts of Northern Ireland. Copper contents were in the low-normal range, the average of all oat samples being 3–9 ppm and of barley samples 4–9 ppm, and the range 1–5 to 8–4 ppm covering all samples analysed. The corresponding averages for molybdenum were 0–25 ppm and 0–30 ppm, about 10% of the samples in each case containing less than 0–02 ppm. Sulphur contents (expressed as sulphate) ranged from 0–23 to 0–46 %. The low molybdenum contents are considered to be of significance in the copper metabolism of housed sheep.
A theoretical appraisal of the relative merits of 50 % hybrid and synthetic varieties of grasses
Authors: Wright A. J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe expected merits of the semi-hybrid variety, produced by bulk interpollination of two populations (Foster, 1971a, 6, c), are examined in relation to those of the synthetic variety. With diploid inheritance, the mean expression of both types of variety is seen to be the same. Any postulated difference in productivity must depend not only on the preferential establishment and survival of a small fraction of the total population, but on the existence of a correlation between characters determining productivity and establishment. For two populations producing a heterotic hybrid, a correlation due to loose linkage or gene association without linkage may result in the superiority of the semi-hybrid, but tight linkage or pleiotropy are more likely to favour the synthetic variety. It is concluded that superiority of the semi-hybrid mode of varietal production can only be established by means of a direct comparison with its synthetic counterpart, and not solely by the demonstration of upper-parent heterosis for productivity.
Aspects of nitrogen utilization in Asiatic water buffalo and Zebu cattle
Authors: Moran J. B. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe results of 62 comparative digestibility and nitrogen balance trials of Asiatic water buffalo and Zebu cattle fed the same roughage or mixed diet were analysed to test for species differences in various nitrogen input-output relationships. The influence of dietary metabolizable energy content on the utilization of dietary or apparently digested nitrogen (ADN) was also investigated.There was no difference between buffaloes and Zebus in their ability to digest dietary nitrogen. The true nitrogen digestibility was calculated to be 81% and the metabolic faecal nitrogen excretion to be 0·36 g N/lOOg dry-matter intake. The buffaloes had lower rates of excretion of urinary nitrogen per unit increase in ADN, and at the same intake of ADN (143 mg/kg live weight/day), they had the higher nitrogen balance: 58v.48 mg/kg live weight/day. Dietary metabolizable energy content did not affect the utilization of digested nitrogen.Estimates of metabolic faecal nitrogen and endogenous urinary nitrogen excretions and of maintenance requirements for digested nitrogen were similar to those of tropical large ruminants reported by other workers. On low-quality (0·8% N) or medium-quality (1·6% N) diets, it was calculated that buffaloes would have nitrogen balances.
The salt tolerance ofRhizobiumstrains and lentil genotypes and the effect of salinity on aspects of symbiotic N-fixation
Authors: Rai R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThreeRhizobiumstrains and four lentil genotypes were more salt tolerant under different salt stress conditions. Saline-resistant strains were more antibiotic resistant and showed higher relative rates of oxidation of carbohydrate and tricarboxylic acid intermediates. Under salt stress, significant interactions between strains and genotypes resulted in a differential response of N2·fixation and glutamine synthetase activity.
Estimates of combining ability, reciprocal effects and heterosis for yield and yield components in a common bean diallel cross
Authors: Foolad M. R. , Bassiri A. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA diallel crossing system involving two Pinto and two Kidney common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) cultivars was evaluated in the field. Pin toes were significantly different from the Kidneys in seed yield and numbers of pods and seeds per plant and 100·seed weight. All the traits showed statistical significance among crosses and in comparisons involving parentalv.cross means. Heterosis values were large and significant for yield, numbers of pods and seeds per plant, number of seeds per pod and number of days from planting to flowering. The ratio of general to specific combining ability mean squares was low for yield, numbers of pods and seeds per plant and high for 100·seed weight and number of days to flowering. Significant reciprocal effects were found for seed yield and number of seeds per plant, but this effect was completely absent for 100·seed weight.
Effect of mulches and antitranspirants on the grain yield of sorghum grown under limited irrigations on a deep vertisol
Authors: De R. , Bheemiah G. , Ramsheshiah K. , Rao Y. Yogeswara 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYField experiments made for 2 years on a deep vertisol under semi-arid conditions showed that soil-surface evaporation control by mulching with rice straw or transpiration suppression by foliar application of kaolin or atrazine increased the yield of grain sorghum. These materials decreased soil moisture depletion and thus increased water-use efficiency. Application of one irrigation at the boot-leaf stage was beneficial. No additional advantage was noted with two irrigations, one given 45 days after seeding and the other at anthesis.
Weight, size and shape relationships and their uses in the study of graded yield data
Authors: Morris G. E. L. , Currah I. E. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYFor many horticultural crops the distribution of weight over size grades is of more importance than the total weight. This paper shows how simply determined features of interrelationships of the weight, size and shape of an individual in the crop can be combined to provide estimates of various aspects of the distribution of crop weight over size grades. The two relationships required are (i) the probability density function of the grading variable for the crop; (ii) a function relating the weight of an individual to the corresponding value of the grading variable.The paper shows how each of these can be determined either from published data or by simple experiment. Examples using data on onions and carrots are given to illustrate this and also to show some of the more important practical applications of the methods. For example, they allow the results of grading with one set of size grades to be extrapolated to a different set of grades without recourse to further measurement or experimentation and this is illustrated using published data on carrots. Other possible uses are also discussed and outlined.
Studies on the cattle of Northern Rhodesia. II. The carcass characters of steers from normal veld grazing and supplemented with salt and protein
Authors: Walker C. A. 
Published: March 2009

1. The effect upon the carcass characters of indigenous steers of supplementing veld grazing with two levels of salt with and without protein in the dry season has been investigated.2. The feeding of 1 oz. of salt, found in part I (Walker, 1958) to speed up growth to a significant degree, was shown also to have speeded up maturity in carcass characters.3. No benefit was obtained from adding a dry season protein supplement to the salt; the feeding of protein without salt produced only slight insignificant effects.4. The addition of 2 oz. supplementary salt noted in part I as having an inhibitory effect on growth by comparison with the lower salt level has been shown to extend to the carcass characters.5. Additional evidence has been found in the carcass characters to give further support to the suggestion that the tropical indigenous animal possesses the capacity for stopping growth during adverse nutritional conditions and continuing again afterwards.
Nodulation and nitrogen fixation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under salt stress
Authors: Balasubramanian V. , Sinha S. K. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe effects of salt stress on the growth, nodulation and N accumulation during the vegetative phase was studied in chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Growth and N accumulation were adversely affected by salinity. The larger control plants produced new nodules but the existing nodules on stressed plants grew larger than those of control plants. All plants had similar %N contents but the total plant N was less in stressed plants due to the reduced growth of these plants. Reduced plant vigour was the primary effect of salt stress and was mediated through processes other than symbiotic N fixation.
Effect of genotype and rainfall on yield and quality of forage barley and wheat varieties in a semi-arid region
Authors: Hadjichristodoulou A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe effect of rainfall on dry-matter (D.M.) yield, D.M. content and crude protein (CP) content of eight barley and three wheat varieties was studied under semi-arid conditions in Cyprus for 5 years. The best variety was 628 barley, which gave the highest mean yields (6·7 and 0·69 t/ha of D.M. and CP respectively), showed the highest response to annual rainfall (33 g D.M./mm rainfall) and gave high yields in all environments, D.M. yield was not affected significantly by earliness but late varieties had higher D.M. and lower CP contents than early varieties. All varieties showed around average stability. Regression coefficients between D.M. yield and mean yield of varieties for all environments ranged from 0·81 to 1·14 and were not related to D.M. yield of varieties.The fraction of the variation in D.M. yield explained by the variation in annual rainfall varied with variety from 25% to 67%. Multiple regression analysis using the annual rainfall and the rainfall 1 and 2 months before harvesting produced a slightly, but not significantly, higher correlation over the simple correlation between D.M. yield and annual rainfall. Varietal response to annual rainfall, as expressed by the regression coefficient between D.M. yield and annual rainfall, was positively related to D.M. yield (r = 0·84, P < 0·01).The correlation coefficients between D.M. content and annual rainfall ranged from −0·46 to −0·92 while that of CP content and annual rainfall, though not significant in most cases, also tended to be negative.
A technique for determining the proportion of C3 and C4 species in plant samples using stable natural isotope's of carbon
Authors: Ludlow M. M. , Troughton J. H. , Jones R. J. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryA technique is described which uses the ratio of the natural 12C and 13C isotopes of carbon to calculate the proportions of Calvin pathway (or C3) species and C4 dicarboxylic acid pathway (or C4) species in mixed samples of shoots, roots or seeds. Mean percentage of a particular component can be predicted to within ± 2% of actual values with average standard errors of less than 1% with two component mixtures under good conditions using threefold replication. The technique is particularly useful for estimating the proportion of C3 and C4 species in samples of visually indistinguishable, intermingled root systems from mixed field communities or from competition experiments. The proportion of C3 and C4 species in both oesophageal fistula and feed samples can be obtained using this technique, and it is proposed that data from fistula and pasture samples could be used to determine the extent to which animals selectively eat C3 or C4 species. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique are discussed.
The digestion of untreated and formaldehyde-treated soya-bean and rapeseed meals by cattle fed a basal silage diet
Authors: Rooke J. A. , Brookes I. M. , Armstrong D. G. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effect of pretreating soya-bean and rapeseed meals with formaldehyde was studied. Soya-bean and rapeseed meals, both untreated and formaldehyde-treated, were fed to cattle receiving a basal diet of silage in a 4 × 4 latin square. Formaldehyde treatment of both meals significantly reduced apparent N digestibility. All four protein supplements increased the amounts of non-ammonia N and amino acid N entering the small intestine over those obtained when silage was fed alone. Formaldehyde treatment of the meals increased the amounts of non-ammonia N and amino acid N entering the small intestine; this effect was significant, however, for only the formaldehyde treatment of the soya-bean meal. The low efficiency of microbial N synthesis observed when silage was fed alone was increased by the inclusion of both of the soyabean meals in the diet but not by the inclusion of the rapeseed meals. Formaldehyde treatment reduced the apparent degradability of the soya-bean meal N, determined in vivo, from 0·90 for the untreated meal to 0·40 for the formaldehyde-treated meal; similarly the degradability of the untreated rapeseed meal was reduced from 0·77 to 0·41 by the formaldehyde treatment. The in sacco technique gave values for degradability for the protein supplements which ranked them in a similar manner as did the in vivo technique; however, for any one meal the in sacco value for degradability was lower than that determined in vivo.
A comparison of two methods of NaOH treatment of spring barley straw with untreated straw and hay
Authors: Smith T. , Siviter J. W. , Broster W. H. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYSpring barley straw treated with NaOH, either chopped and ensiled or ground and pelleted, was compared with long untreated straw and hay, in mixed diets of compound and forage fed to yearling dairy heifers. Protein allowance and source were varied by the inclusion of either fishmeal, soya-bean meal or urea in the diet.Growth rate was improved in two out of three trials by chopped ensiled straw treated with NaOH, compared with long untreated straw, and equalled that supported by hay. Dry-matter intake and digestibility were also improved, although rumen NH3-N concentrations were low. With ground pelleted straw treated with NaOH the effects were less decisive: growth rate was increased once and reduced once compared with long untreated straw, but dry-matter intake was substantially increased. Digestibility remained similar to that of long untreated straw, and was unchanged by rate of feeding. NaOH treatment resulted in small changes in molar proportions of VFA. Digestibility of hay fell when concentrates were added to the diet.Fishmeal increased growth rate with all forms of straw and hay and was more efficient in this respect than either soya-bean meal or urea.
The effects of dietary phosphorus inadequacy during pregnancy and lactation on the voluntary intake and digestibility of oat straw by beef cows and the performance of their calves
Authors: Fishwick G. , Fraser J. , Hemingway R. G. , Parkins J. J. , Ritchie N. S. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTwo groups of nine in-calf beef cows were given daily for the last 16 weeks of pregnancy and the first 6 weeks of lactation 1·35 increasing to 3·15 kg molassed sugarbeet pulp dry matter containing added urea together with oat strawad libitum. Additionally, one group of cows received supplementary dicalcium phosphate which increased their total phosphorus intake from about 12 to 28 g P/day.In the absence of phosphorus supplementation, there was a marked and significant reduction in the concentration of phosphorus in the blood, and by the 4th week of lactation this was reflected in a decrease in radiographic density of the tail bones but not in a depletion of rib bone ash.During pregnancy a severely reduced phosphorus intake did not reduce either calf birth weight or the digestibility and voluntary intake of straw. An inadequate phosphorus intake during lactation resulted in a significant decline in voluntary straw consumption and digestibility. There was an accompanying decrease in metabolizable energy intake from about 78 to 55 MJ/day, an increased weight loss in the cows and a depression in their milk yield such as to significantly reduce calf live-weight gain.The long period of phosphorus inadequacy did not affect the subsequent satisfactory reproductive performance of the cows when both groups were transferred to grass and mated with a bull.