bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cell membrane stability, an indicator of drought tolerance, as affected by applied nitrogen in soyabean
Authors: Premachandra G. S. , Saneoka H. , Ogata S. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYFour soyabean cultivars were grown with two N application rates (50 and 300 kg N/ha) in the field at Hiroshima University, Japan, from June to August 1988. Cell membrane stability (CMS) by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) test, leaf water relations and nutrient concentrations in cell sap and leaf tissues were measured when the plants were 50 days old, in the uppermost fully expanded leaves.Cell membrane stability was higher at the higher N rate, the increase over the lower rate being greater in the cultivars Lee+ and Lee–than in Tamahomare and T201. Leaf water potential was not affected by the higher rate of N application. Osmotic adjustment, which was independent of water stress, was observed with the higher rate of N and it was higher in Lee + and Lee–than in Tamahomare and T201. It is suggested that osmotic potential in leaf tissues may influence CMS measured by the PEG test. Solute concentrations in cell sap and leaf tissues were higher at the higher N rate. Sugar and K were the major contributors to osmotic potential.
Culinary quality of tubers derived from Solanum phureja and S. tuberosum × S. phureja hybrids
Authors: De Maine M. J. , Carroll C. P. , Torrance C. J. W. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYClones from the potato species Solanum phureja and 2x and 4x hybrids between S. phureja and S. tuberosum were tested for the culinary quality of their tubers following steaming, frying and baking. The quality of S. phureja tubers was high but material from the F 1 hybrids showed more disintegration or blackening after cooking than either parental species. Tetraploids produced by backcrossing 4x Fl hybrids toS. tuberosum cultivars showed less of these defects.Fourteen S. phureja and 2x F1 hybrid clones selected for their unusual tuber skin pigmentation or shape were found to have a variety of baked flesh colours from orange-yellow to cream with red marbling. Their cooked flesh texture was generally floury and often crumbly. It is suggested that S. phureja material could be exploited as a novel food source for specialized use in North European countries.
Effect of synchronizing the rate of dietary energy and nitrogen release on rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in sheep
Authors: Sinclair L. A. , Garnsworth P. C. , Newbold J. R. , Buttery P. J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effects of two diets formulated to be either synchronous or asynchronous with respect to the hourly supply of energy and nitrogen on rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis were studied in sheep.In Expt 1, the insitudegradation characteristics of nitrogen (N), organic matter (OM) and carbohydrate (CHO) fractions were determined in winter wheat straw, winter barley, malt distillers dark grains rapeseed meal and fishmeal. The feeds exhibited a large range in degradability characteristics of the nitrogen and energy-yielding fractions.A computer program was developed based upon the raw material degradation characteristics obtained from the above studies. The program was used to formulate two diets with similar metabolizable energy (9·5 MJ/kg DM) and rumen degradable protein contents (96 g/kg DM) but to be either synchronous (diet A) or asynchronous (diet B) with respect to the hourly rate of release of N and energy. The program was used to predict the hourly release of N, OM and CHO and the molar production of volatile fatty acids (VFA).In Expt 2, the two diets were fed to four cannulated sheep at the rate of 1 kg/day in four equal portions, in two periods, using a change-over design. Rumen ammonia concentrations followed the predicted rate of N degradation. A maximum concentration of 10·5 and 7 mM for diets A and B respectively was achieved within the first hour of feeding which then fell to 7 and 3 mM respectively. Rumen VFA proportions were more stable for the synchronous diet (A) than the asynchronous diet (B) and were more stable than predicted for both diets. True ruminal degradation of OM and CHO was similar for both diets and close to that predicted, although fibre degradability in diet A was 30% lower than predicted due to a reduction in both cellulose and hemicellulose digested. Microbial protein production was estimated simultaneously with L-[4,5–3H]leucine and a technique based on cytosine. Estimates varied with marker but mean values indicated a 27% greater production of microbial N (g N/kg DM I) with the synchronous diet (A) and an average improvement in microbial protein efficiency (g N/kg OM truly degraded or CHO apparently degraded) of 13%, although neither difference was significant. There was evidence of a greater recycling of N in the animals and a significantly lower content of rumen degradable protein when the sheep were fed the asynchronous diet (B).The results are consistent with the view that synchronizing the rate of supply of N and energyyielding substrates to the rumen micro-organisms based upon ingredientin situdegradation data can improve microbial protein flow at the duodenum and the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis.
Inter-plot interference and nearest-neighbour analysis of field experiments
Authors: Ainsley A. E. , Dyke G. V. , Jenkyn J. F. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYResults obtained from the plots of a field experiment may be subject to’ representational errors'; that is, they may not exactly reproduce the results that would be expected if the same treatments were applied to whole fields. In particular, the treatment applied to one particular plot often has the potential to affect the adjacent plots; such an effect may be positive or negative according to circumstances, and its magnitude cannot easily be estimated. This paper shows, on theoretical grounds and by simulations, that nearest-neighbour (NN) analysis cannot be relied upon to mitigate the effects of such inter-plot interference, even when the residual variance of the NN analysis is substantially, and by normal criteria significantly, smaller than that of conventional (randomized block) analysis. In certain circumstances, NN analysis of data affected by interference produces greater average bias in estimated treatment differences than conventional analysis.
Assessment of groundnut cultivars for end-of-season drought tolerance in a Sahelian environment
Authors: Ndunguru B. J. , Ntare B. R. , Williams J. H. , Greenberg D. C. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA 2–year study (1990 and 1991) was conducted at the ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) Sahelian Centre, near Niamey, Niger, to select groundnut cultivars tolerant to drought and to examine selection techniques. Thirty-six cultivars known to vary in yield potential were grown under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Crop growth rate (C) and partitioning co-efficient (p) were estimated from phenological and final harvest data. The correlation between years was greater for partitioning than for pod yield (implying a higher heritability for p than for yield). Tolerance as determined by a drought susceptibility index for pod yield (SY), crop growth rate (Sc) and partitioning (Sp) to reproductive sinks showed thirteen cultivars as drought tolerant for either C or p or for both. The Sahelian cultivars 796, 55–437 and TS 32–1 were the most consistent for drought tolerance. Partitioning was the most important yield component affecting yield variation among cultivars.
Effects of plant density and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer on field beans (Vicia faba)
Authors: Aguilera-Diaz C. , Recalde-Manrique L. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA factorial experiment on Vicia faba L. cv. Alameda with three plant densities at three levels of nitrogen fertilization was done for three years (1984–87) at Granada. Yield varied markedly from 403 to 579 g/m2 between seasons. The mean increase in plant population density from 10 to 16 plants/m2 raised seed yield, but a further increase to 21 plants/m2 did not increase yield significantly. There was, however, considerable variation in the response to increasing density (Dl to D3) within each N level (N0, N1 and N2). Application of 30 kg N/ha at the start of flowering increased mean seed yield only at the lowest plant density and in 1986, but 60 kg N/ha increased yield by 135% on average over the 3 years. The highest N application rate resulted in consistently higher overall yields at each plant density. Leaf area index (LAI) showed a significant increase at 20 seeds/m2 compared with that at 10 seeds/m2 but there was no further increase at 30 seeds/m2. Harvest index (HI) was mainly affected by the annual weather conditions, and ranged from 47–4 in 1986 to 62–6 in 1987. HI was related to the mean temperature at flowering (April).
Dietary preferences of sambar (Cervus unicolor) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) offered browse, forage legume and grass species
Authors: Semiadil G. , Barry T. N. , Muir P. D. , Hodgson J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYGrazing sambar and red deer in New Zealand were offered a free choice of seven different plant species (forage legumes, browse and grasses) in 1992 and 1993 and dietary preference rankings were determined. Nutritive value of plants on offer and diet selected, plant height, plant species purity and stem diameter selected (browse only) were also determined. Total nitrogen (N) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) were highest for red clover, lowest for grasses and intermediate for browse species (willow, poplar and lupin). Top dietary preference ranking was willow for sambar and red clover for red deer in both years, with Yorkshire fog and prairie grass being lowly preference ranked with both deer species. Sambar selected willow stems up to 38 mm in diameter and poplar stems up to 54 mm in diameter. When the plants were grouped into browse, grass and forage legume categories, both deer species showed a similar preference ranking for grasses. Relative to grasses, sambar showed a strong preference for browse and a low preference for forage legumes, whilst red deer showed a strong preference for forage legumes of high nutritive value and a very low preference for browse. It was calculated that sambar selected a total diet higher in condensed tannins and lignin but lower in nitrogen than that selected by red deer, with similar values for total fibre and OMD. Differences in dietary preference between the two deer species may be linked with the greater ability of sambar deer to neutralize some plant secondary compounds and their more efficient rumination pattern compared with red deer. Both sambar and red deer can be classified as intermediate feeders, having a similar preference for grasses, but differing preferences for forage legumes and browse.
Effects of forage to concentrate ratio in the diet and protein intake on the performance and carcass composition of beef heifers
Authors: Robson A. E. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIsoenergetic diets containing grass silage and concentrates in the ratios 75:25; 50:50 and 30:70 on a dry matter (DM) basis were offered to 42 beef heifers, which were initially 361 kg liveweight, for 115 days in 1987 at Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. Half of the animals given each forage concentrate ratio were given one of two crude protein (CP) intakes in a 3 × 2 factorial design. The silage contained 152 g CP/kg DM, 94 g ammonia-N/kg total N and 734 g digestible organic matter/kg DM. Concentrates were based on barley and soyabean meal and were formulated to equalize CP intakes for the three forage: concentrate ratios. For diets containing 75, 50 and 30% silage, metabolizable energy intakes were 94, 92 and 87 MJ/day; liveweight gains 0·99, 1·07 and 1·12 (S.E. 0·051) kg/day; carcass gains 0·61, 0·64 and 0·67 (S.E. 0·033) kg/day; carcass lean concentrations (estimated from dissection of fore-rib joints) 636, 642 and 648 (S.E. 4·7) g/kg and carcass fat concentrations 204, 199 and 194 (S.E. 5·3) g/kg. Increasing protein intake did not affect performance, but increased carcass fat concentration at all three forage concentrate ratios. It was concluded that increasing the proportion of concentrates in grass silage-based diets increased carcass weight gain per MJ of metabolizable energy consumed and tended to reduce carcass fatness. Contrary to previous findings with young growing cattle, increasing protein intake did not alleviate the problem of greater fat deposition in finishing cattle given high-silage diets, but rather significantly increased carcass fat concentration.
Response of an old pasture to applied nitrogen under steady-state continuous grazing
Authors: Tallowin J. R. B. , Kirkham F. W. , Brookman S. K. E. , Patefield M. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe response of an old, unimproved mixed-species pasture to fertilizer nitrogen was examined under 4-weekly cutting or continuous grazing with young beef cattle. Five N fertilizer rates were applied: zero, 100, 200, 400 or 800 kg/ha per year. The investigation was carried out in Devon, on a heavy clay soil in a region of high winter rainfall in 1984, 1985 and 1986.Annual total herbage dry-matter (DM) production, live weight gain (LWG) and utilized metabolizable energy (UME) output all increased with successive increments of fertilizer N up to 400 kg N/ha per year. Under 4-weekly cutting, the response per kg applied N fell below 10 kg DM at an application rate of 268 kg N/ha per year, giving a yield of 10·6 t/ha per year. Under grazing, the overall response during the grazing season per kg applied N fell below 300 kg live weight carried per ha at a fertilizer rate of 248 kg/ha per year, giving a UME output of 78 GJ/ha over the grazing season. High available soil N contributed to the high productivity from these swards. Animal output at moderate (200 kg N/ha per year) N application rates did not appear to be constrained by the initial botanical composition of this unimproved sward. Repeated high N applications in the 400 kg N/ha per year treatment reduced output in 1986 under grazing and cutting, compared with treatments which had received the lower N applications.The DM yield from the 4-weekly cutting study gave a satisfactory prediction of UME output from this pasture. Climatic conditions, particularly high rainfall, appeared to be an important constraint on animal performance at pasture.The high UME output achieved from this pasture at 200 kg applied N/ha was well above the average UME for commercial farms.
Effects of field beans, fallow, lupins, oats, oilseed rape, peas, ryegrass, sunflowers and wheat on nitrogen residues in the soil and on the growth of a subsequent wheat crop
Authors: McEwen J. , Darby R. J. , Hewitt M. V. , Yeoman D. P. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effects on a winter wheat test crop of a preliminary year of winter or spring field beans (Vicia faba), winter oats, winter oilseed rape, winter or spring peas (Pisum sativum), winter wheat, spring lupins (Lupinus albus), spring sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) or a cultivated fallow were compared in three 2-year experiments on clay-with-flints soil at Rothamsted from 1986 to 1989. In one experiment, autumn-sown ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and an uncultivated fallow, given weedkiller, were also included in the first year. Plots of test-crop wheat were divided to compare no N fertilizer with an optimal amount estimated from a predictive model.Amounts of take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis) in the test crop of wheat following wheat were very slight in the first experiment, but large in the second and third. All the break crops reduced takeall to none or very slight amounts.Amounts of NO3-N in the soil in autumn after the first-year crops ranged from 7 to 95 kg N/ha. On average, they were least after oats, and most after cultivated fallow. In autumn 1988they were least after autumn-sown ryegrass. In early spring, amounts of NO3-N were generally less, ranging from 7 to 55 kg N/ha, depending on preceding crops, sowing date of the wheat and the weather. Amounts of NH4-N in soil were little affected by preceding crops or weather and were generally smaller in spring.The estimated average N fertilizer requirement of test-crop wheat following winter wheat was
230kg N/ha. This was increased by 10 kg N/ha following winter oats, decreased by 40 kg N/ha after spring peas and by 30 kg N/ha after winter rape, winter peas, spring beans and cultivated fallow. Other preliminary crops not represented every year had effects within this range.Grain yields of test-crop wheat given optimal N averaged 7·2 t/ha after winter wheat, c.1·5 t/ha less than the average after most of the break crops. The yield after oats was limited by self-sown ‘volunteers’ and that after ryegrass by limited soil N after ploughing.Of the break crops tested, winter and spring beans, winter oats, winter rape and spring peas all gave satisfactory yields. A farmer should choose between these on the basis of local farm circumstances and current economics of the break crops. Differences between effects on take-all and savings on fertilizer N were too small to influence this decision.
Growth and yield responses of rice to carbon dioxide concentration
Authors: Baker J. T. , Allen L. H. , Boote K. J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYRice plants (Oryza salivaL., cv. IR30) were grown in paddy culture in outdoor, naturally sunlit, controlled-environment, plant growth chambers at Gainesville, Florida, USA, in 1987. The rice plants were exposed throughout the season to subambient (160 and 250), ambient (330) or superambient (500, 660, 900 μmol CO2/mol air) CO2concentrations. Total shoot biomass, root biomass, tillering, and final grain yield increased with increasing CO2concentration, thegreatest increase occurring between the 160 and 500 μmol CO2/mol air treatments. Early in the growing season, root:shoot biomass ratio increased with increasing CO2concentration; although the ratio decreased during the growing season, net assimilation rate increased with increasingCO2concentration and decreased during the growing season. Differences in biomass and lamina area among CO2treatments were largely due to corresponding differences in tillering response. The number of panicles/plant was almost entirely responsible for differences in final grain yield among CO2treatments. Doubling the CO2 concentration from 330 to 660 μmol CO2/mol air resulted in a 32 % increase in grain yield. These results suggest that important changes in the growth and yield of rice may be expected in the future as the CO2concentration of the earth's atmosphere continues to rise.
Effect of untreated or chemically upgraded barley straw with highly digestible grass silage on intake and performance of lactating cows
Authors: Phipps R. H. , Weller R. F. , Elliott R. J. , Givens D. I. , Moss A. R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYBetween weeks 3 and 18 of lactation, 141 British Friesians all received concentrate (metabolizable energy (ME) 12·9 MJ/kg dry matter (DM), 202 g crude protein (CP)/kg DM) at 8·0 kg fresh weight/day. In addition, cows received ad libitum either grass silage (ME 11·7 MJ/kg toluene DM; 219 gCP/kg DM) or a mixture containing grass silage and 15, 25 or 40% (DM basis) of winter barley straw (cv. Igri) either untreated (UTS) or treated (TS) with 4% NaOH. Forage treatments were imposed at either week 3 or week 9 of lactation.The mean forage DM intake of cows receiving grass silage only was 8·60 kg/day. When 15, 25 and 40% UTS was introduced into the rations at week 3 or 9 of lactation, forage DM intakes were 884, 8·43, 7·62 and 8·63, 8·83, 819 kg/day, respectively; the corresponding values for TS were 8·88, 855, 8·99 and 8·97, 8·98, 9·35 kg7sol;day. The milk yield of cows receiving grass silage only was 22·1 kg/day. When 15, 25 and 40% UTS was introduced into the rations at week 3 or 9 of lactation, milk yields were 21·1 kg/3, 20·1 kg/1, 20·1 kg/5 and 20·1 kg/1, 21·4, 20·5 kg/day, respectively; the corresponding values for TS were 21·8, 22·1, 21·3 and 22·5, 21·4, 22·6 kg/day. When averaged across the three inclusion rates, TS significantly increased forage intake (P < 0·05) and milk yield (P < 0·01) compared with UTS. Intermediate values were recorded for the diet with grass silage alone. The inclusion of TS in the ration did not affect milk yield compared with grass silage alone. No major changes in milk composition were recorded by the inclusion of either TS or UTS. However, the yields of milk fat, protein and lactose for the TS treatments were higher than for UTS and were significant for protein (P < 0·01) and lactose (P < 0·001). Cows with UTS in their ration tended to have lower live weight gains than either the control group or treatments with TS.When compared with grass silage only, the inclusion of TS or UTS decreased digestibility coefficients and ME contents, determined in vivo using wether sheep fed at maintenance. However, the treatment of straw with NaOH (4%) increased its digestibility coefficients of dry matter from 0·-393 to 0·668, of organic matter from 0·445 to 0·686, of acid detergent fibre from 0·442 to 0·713, gross energy from 0·438 to 0·640 and ME content from 7·0 to 9·4 MJ/kg DM.
Uptake, cycling and fate of nitrogen in grass-clover swards continuously grazed by sheep
Authors: Parsons A. J. , Orr R. J. , Penning P. D. , Lockyer D. R. , Ryden J. C. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYComponents of the N cycle were studied at Hurley, UK, in 1985–87. In grass-clover (Lolium perenneandTrifolium repens) swards, grazed at three intensities, low total inputs of N were associated with low outputs and losses of N. Nevertheless, the flows (intake and excretion) of N through animals were substantial and gave rise, at the higher intensities of grazing, to an acceptably high agricultural output per hectare. This was considered evidence of a fast and efficient recycling of N between plants, animals and soil. The release of N to the environment (as nitrogenous gases and nitrate) was substantially less from the grass–clover swards than from a grass sward fertilized with 420 kg N/ha, and this was at the expense of only 20% loss in production. The mechanisms which might account for the high efficiency of utilization and recycling of N in grass–clover swards are discussed in the context of the balance of the supply of C and N to plant and soil biomasses under grazing. The results confirm that optimizing agricultural output in grass–clover swards has little adverse effect on the environment, but the importance to this end of sustaining a large proportion of N-deficient grass in grass-clover swards is emphasized.
Use of successional sowing in evaluating cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) adaptation to drought in the Sudan savannah zone. 1. Seed yield response
Authors: Muleba N. , Mwanke M. , Drabo I. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTwo sets of experiments were conducted on oxic Plinthustalf and udic Ustochrept soils in 1983–85 at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. One set tested six daylength-insensitive (DI) cultivars and the other set compared four or five daylength-sensitive (DS) cultivars with one or two DI cultivars as controls, sown on three or four dates. Sowing date, cultivar and their interaction significantly affected seed yield in 1983 and 1985. In 1984, yield was not affected by sowing date in the DI cultivars nor by the sowing date x cultivar interaction in the DS cultivars. Optimum sowing dates were mid- and late July. Sowing earlier gave no yield advantage, whereas sowing later reduced yield severely.The medium-maturing DI cultivar TN88–63 and the DS cultivar Koakin Local, which has a critical photoperiod in late August, exhibited average to below average yield stability but had a high mean yield and were considered well adapted in all conditions. The other cultivars were either moderately or poorly adapted to the Sudan savannah zone. The sowing date experiments were effective in identifying adapted cowpea cultivars, even from a single year's data, and can be used for screening cowpea for adaptation in the Sudan savannah zone.