bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Animal production from rotationally-grazed natural and sown pastures under coconuts at three stocking rates in the Solomon Islands
Authors: Smith M. A. , Whiteman P. C. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryA continuously grazed trial on natural and sown pastures under coconuts was reported by Watson & Whiteman (1981). This has been continued for another 3 years as a rotationally grazed trial. The paddocks were divided down the centre and three animals grazed for 28 days in one half and were transferred to the other half for 28days. The same three stocking rates of 1·5, 2·5 and 3·5 steers/ha were maintained. In the sown pasture paddocks Brachiaria decumbensand Brachiaria miliiformis were planted in rows from rooted cuttings, while Centrosema pubescens (centro) and Pueraria phaseoloides (puero) were sown, with seed at 4 and 3 kg/ha, respectively. Naturalized pastures were maintained by grazing at 2·5 steers/ha during the establishment of the sown pasture. Light transmission was 62 %. Sown grasses were lost after 4 months from the start of rotational grazing. In the sown pastures puero became dominant. Animal live-weight gain (LWG) on puero was poor in the first 140 days of grazing in each year, but after this time it increased. Centro was the dominant species in the natural pasture of 2·5 and 3·5 steers/ha. However, there was little difference in yearly LWG except in year 3 when the 2·5 steers/ha had higher gains in the natural (363 kg/ha) than in the sown pasture (250 kg/ha). Th9 mean live-weight gain (kg/ha) in the first 2 years of the rotationally grazed trial (315 kg/ha) was lower than in the continuously grazed trial (364 kg/ha) at 3·5 steers/ha. The time and efficiency of collecting fallen coconuts was lower at 1·5 steers/ha in both pastures, but not different between 2·5 and 3·5 steers/ha. In continuous and rotational grazing there is little point in planting Brachiaria species. Productive pastures in plantations oan be obtained by conti oiling weeds and sowing centro and puero into the naturalized Axonopus compressus and stocking at 2–5–3–0 steers/ha. Further research on other grasses such as Ischaemum aristatum and Stenotaphrumsecundatum may lead to better grass persistence.
Working rules for determining the plot size and numbers of plots per block in field experiments
Authors: Lin C. S. , Binns M. R. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryWorking rules for determining plot size and number of plots within a block in field experiments are proposed based on the value of the intrablock correlation (ρ), which can be obtained from the analysis of variance of a randomized-block experiment. The method uses Binns' (1982) equation to relate this correlation to Smith's (1938) empirical law. The rules are: (1) if ρ is greater than 0·5, use an incomplete block design or reduce the plot size in order to increase the number of replications; (2) if ρ is less than 0·1, an increase in plot size is effective; (3) if ρ is between 0·1 and 0·5, an increase in plot size and a decrease in the number of plots per block may be helpful in combination.
Assessing the need of maincrop potatoes for late nitrogen by using isobutylidene di-urea, by injecting trification inhibitors with aqueous N fertilizers and by dividing dressings of ‘Nitro-Chalk’
Authors: Penny A. , Addiscott T. M. , Widdowson F. V. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryIn experiments with maincrop potatoes at Rothamsted in 1976, 1977 and 1978 ‘Nitro-Chalk’ was broadcast, either as a single dressing on the seed bed, or half on the seed bed and half at tuber initiation. Isobutylidene di-urea was broadcast on the seed bed and aqueous ammonia was injected into the seed bed, without a nitrification inhibitor or with either ‘N-Serve’ (nitrapyrin) or sodium trithiocarbonate; all were compared with ‘Nitro-Chalk’ at rates of 200 or 300 kg N/ha. Additionally, single dressings of ‘Nitro-Chalk’ supplied 150, 250, 350 and 400 kg N/ha. In similar experiments at Woburn in 1979 and 1980 aqueous urea replaced aqueous ammonia and the additional amounts of ‘Nitro-Chalk’ (100 and 400 kg N/ha) were tested as both single and divided dressings. Winter wheat was grown in each of the following years to measure residual effects.Retaining half of the total N dressing of 200 or 300 kg N/ha as ‘Nitro-Chalk’ until tuber initiation improved yields at Rothamsted in 1976 and 1978 when irrigation was applied but not in 1977 when it was not. Dividing the N at Woburn improved yields at 100 and 400 kg N/ha but not at 200 or 300 kg N/ha. At Rothamsted injected aqueous ammonia was on average similar in effect to the undivided ‘Nitro-Chalk’ dressing at 300 kg N/ha, but less effective at 200 kg N/ha. In 1977, the wettest summer, it was, however, the most effective of the N-sources, provided that an inhibitor had been applied with it. At Woburn, injected aqueous urea did not differ consistently in effectiveness from ‘Nitro-Chalk’ and inhibitors did not improve its performance. Isobutylidene di-urea (IBDU) gave the smallest yields at both farms, apparently because it was too slowly available. Tuber size distributions were affected little by the amount or the form of N.IBDU residues increased wheat yields the most following the potatoes at Rothamsted. This apart, the N-sources had similar residual values.
Soil factors affecting the yield of winter wheat: analysis of results from I.C.I. surveys 1979–80
Authors: Weir A. H. , Rayner J. H. , Catt J. A. , Shipley D. G. , Hollies J. D. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe soils of fields where winter wheat yields were measured for the I.C.I. Ten Tonne Club Survey in 1979 and 1980 were identified according to the soil series recognized by the Soil Survey of England and Wales. The yield distributions were almost normal, with means 1·49 and 1·60 t/ha greater than the national average. Soil series accounted for 18–19% of the yield variance in both years, which was much more than any other single factor measured. If introduced in best order, soil series, crop variety, previous crop and sowing date accounted for 31% of the variance in both years. However, classes based on soil particle size and drainage, as derived from series identifications, accounted for very little of the variance. Only thick brickearth (loess) soils gave greater mean yields in both years than the overall means of all sites where series were identified. The same soil types provided 35% of the sites where > 10 t/ha was achieved in either year, though a wide range of soil types gave such large yields.Yields were greater in 1980 than in 1979 in almost all parts of the country. Although rainfall was only slightly less in the spring and early summer of 1980 than in the same period in 1979, many parts of the country suffered large potential soil moisture deficits in 1980, but these decreased yields slightly on a few series only. Factors other than rainfall used to calculate soil moisture deficits (radiation or wind) probably affected yields much more than rainfall itself.
The relationship between ultrasonic point readings in live cattle and carcass fat cover
Authors: Greathead K. D. , Barker D. J. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryFour inexperienced operators used a Smith's Essem Metatest ultrasonic grader and a Philips Sonatest instrument to estimate the thickness of tissue overlying the M. longissimus dorsi at three sites over the tenth intercostal space of live steers. They also measured skin fold thickness over the central site using a micrometer. Suprafascial (selvedge) and total carcass fat were measured at corresponding sites on the chilled carcasses.The residual standard deviations from multiple and simple regressions of suprafascial and total carcass fat thickness on the ultrasonic readings of different operators, using both instruments over the three sites with and without a measurement of skin thickness were compared.The following conclusions were drawn. Use of a constant distance from the midline of the live animal to locate the site for ultrasonic point measurement would lead to errors in estimating fat thickness at a specific anatomical location. If the edge of the M. 1. dorsi is palpated to locate the measurement site, estimates of carcass fat thickness with a residual standard deviation of 2·5 mm are possible by relatively inexperienced operators using single point reading ultrasonic instruments. Fat deposition between the fascial sheath and the underlying M. 1. dorsi is a source of inaccuracy when estimating carcass fat cover particularly at sites closer to the midline and on fatter animals.Using the Metatest instrument, fat cover could bo estimated in the live animal with an accuracy similar to that reported by other workers using the Scanogram. Using the Sonatest instrument the estimates were generally slightly less accurate especially at the most lateral site. Inclusion of a measurement of skin thickness gave a very slight but consistent improvement in accuracy of estimation of carcass fat cover.
Comparison of the effects of aqueous and of prilled urea, used alone or with urease or nitrification inhibitors, with those of ‘Nitro-Chalk’ on ryegrass leys
Authors: Rodgers G. A. , Widdowson F. V. , Penny A. , Hewitt M. V. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryField experiments on ryegrass leys at Rothamsted in 1981, 1982 and 1983 examined the eifects of injected aqueous urea and of broadcast prilled urea applied alone or with one of several nitrification or urease inhibitors, on yields and N, K, Ca and Mg uptakes. Aqueous urea, prilled urea or ‘Nitro-Chalk’ were applied as single 375 kg N/ha dressings, and prilled urea or ‘Nitro-Chalk’ as three 125 kg N/ha dressings. The nitrification inhibitors etridiazole or nitrapyrin were injected with aqueous urea, but dicyandiamide (DCD) was broadcast with prilled urea. Neither the urease inhibitor hydroquinone nor the nitrification inhibitors slowed the rate of urea hydrolysis. Neither hydroquinone nor DCD diminished volatilization losses of ammonia from broadcast urea which ranged from 8 to 25 kg N/ha; they were less than 4 kg N/ha from injected urea or broadcast ‘Nitro-Chalk’. Nitrapyrin, etridiazole and DCD effectively inhibited nitrification. DCD, and to a lesser extent hydroquinone, increased yields and nitrogen uptakes from a single broadcast application of prilled urea given either in winter or in spring. However, these yields were still smaller than those given by injected urea or by divided dressings of urea, whether or not an inhibitor was used. The inhibitors did not increase yields with divided broadcast dressings of urea, which were slightly smaller than those with equivalent dressings of ‘Nitro-Chalk’. Inhibitors did not consistently increase yield when injected with aqueous urea. Inhibitors applied with injected or broadcast urea slightly increased K uptakes, and slightly decreased Ca and Mg uptakes.
Carbohydrase activity in the pancreatic tissue and small intestine mucosa of sheep fed dried-grass or ground maize-based diets
Authors: Janes A. N. , Weekes T. E. C. , Armstrong D. G. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryTwo groups of six sheep were fed either dried-grass or ground maize-based diets for at least 4 weeks before slaughter. Samples of the small intestinal mucosa and spancreatic tissue were assayed for a-amylase, glucoamylase, maltase and oligo-l,6-glucosidase.The pancreatic tissue contained high activities of α-amylase and much lower activities of glucoamylase, maltase and oligo-1,6-glucosidase. There was no effect of diet on the specific activities of any of these enzymes in the pancreatic tissue.The activity of α-amylase adsorbed on to the mucosa of the small intestine was greatest in the proximal region of the small intestine, the activity generally declining with increasing distance away from the pylorus. There was no diet effect on the absorbed α-amylase activity.Similar patterns of distribution along the small intestine were observed for maltase, glucoamylase and oligo-1,6-glucosidase with the highest activities in t he jejunum. There was no overall effect of diet on glucoamylase or maltase specific activities and glucoamylase total activity, although the total activities of maltase and oligo-1,6-glucosidase were significantly greater for the sheep fed the ground maize-based diet (P < 0·05).It is suggested that ruminant animals may be capable of digesting large amounts of starch in the small intestine through an adaptation in the activity of the host carbohydrases.
Freezing in oil-seedBrassicaspp.: some factors affecting injury
Authors: Dhawan A. K. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryInvolvement of plant genotype, stage of development of plant and seed, fertilizer and irrigation in frost tolerance of oil-seedBrassicaspp. were examined. The number of apparently frost-killed or undeveloped seeds has been used to assess tolerance. ThreeB. campestrisL. genotypes namely Span, Torch and Bell showed considerable tolerance of frost. Very young and also nearly mature seeds were less affected by freezing than seeds at an intermediate stage of development. The amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied had no effect, but the unirrigated orop was injured by frost more than the irrigated one.
Methods and time of application of labelled nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation
Authors: Papanicolaou E. P. , Skarlou V. D. , Nobeli C. , Katranis N. S. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryIn this study two field experiments were conducted on a heavy to medium heavy, calcareous, recent alluvial soil of Central Greece. The main aim of these experiments was to study the effect of the most common nitrogen sources, applied in one or two doses, on maize growth and fertilizer utilization. Foliar application of urea was also a treatment included in these experiments.Phosphorus alone had no significant effect on maize yield. Nitrogen (various forms), alone or in combination with phosphorus, increased the yield and nitrogen content of maize. Maize yield was not significantly affected by the form of nitrogen or by dividing the application of nitrogen. Foliar applications of urea were as effective as soil applications in increasing maize grain yields.The percentage of fertilizer nitrogen taken up (utilization coefficient) ranged between ca. 58% for sodium nitrate and ammonium nitrate, and ca. 39% for ammonium sulphate and urea, when the fertilizers were applied about 10 weeks after sowing. Foliar urea was nearly as efficiently utilized as urea applied as a sidedressing. Application of the tested fertilizers before sowing was nearly as efficient as or more efficient than application of the fertilizers as a sidedressing at 70 cm plant height (38 days after sowing). Finally, addition of 120 kg N/ha enhanced the amount of soil nitrogen taken up in the maize crop by 33%.
An example of fractional replication in an experiment on sugar cane manuring
Authors: Chinloy T. , Innes R. F. , Finney D. J. 
Published: March 2009

Study of the nutritional requirements of sugar cane on a Jamaican estate necessitated simultaneous experimentation with five manurial factors: sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate, muriate of potash, bagasse, and filter press mud. By adopting a one-third replication of a 35 factorial scheme, each factor could be tested at single and double levels for comparison with the absence of the factor.The structure and confounding system of the design adopted have been described and the method of computing the analysis of variance has been explained. Fractional replication introduces special problems of interpretation, and this experiment illustrates how they may be resolved. Each fertilizer clearly benefited the crop, and several interactions appeared; some ambiguity of meaning is an inevitable concomitant of fractional replication, so that care was needed in order to assign effects to the right causes. The most clearly marked effects were:(i) Without phosphate, nitrogen failed to produce any response; where phosphatic manuring was adequate the crop responded well to nitrogen.(ii) Superphosphate and filter press mud were practically interchangeable as sources of phosphate.(iii) Bagasse appears to act as a source of potash; the interaction of responses is not very clearly established, but little extra response to artificial potash occurred when bagasse was given.(iv) No evidence was obtained that the double level of any fertilizer was superior to the single.There was also a suggestion of a reduced superphosphate response in the presence of bagasse.If a recommendation on manuring were to be based on this experiment, it would be that a maximum of 3 cwt. sulphate of ammonia per acre be used with either 4 cwt. 18% superphosphate and 1 cwt. muriate of potash per acre or 10 tons filter press mud and 20 tons bagasse per acre. In reality, of course, no attempt ought to be made to determine a general manurial policy from results of a single year of experimentation on plant cane at one place.The experiment should be regarded rather as typical of what can be done than as a complete investigation of manurial needs.
Ruminal ammonia formation in relation to the protein requirement of sheep: II. Comparison of casein and herring-meal supplements
Authors: Chalmers Margaret I. , Synge R. L. M. 
Published: March 2009

1. Herring-meal supplements fed to sheep on a basal diet low in protein were more effective than casein supplements in promoting nitrogen retention and growth.2. The herring-meal supplements caused less extensive formation of ammonia in the rumen than did the casein supplements. This is considered responsible for the differences found in the value of the proteins.3. Meat from the sheep fed herring meal was not tainted in flavour.4. The use of formaldehyde to preserve herring before making them into meal had no deleterious effects when the meal was fed to sheep.
On the use of muzzle prints in the diagnosis of monozygosity of cattle twins
Authors: Wiener G. 
Published: March 2009

1. Past work on muzzle patterns of individuals and of twins is reviewed.2. A technique of obtaining muzzle prints by making plaster casts is described.3. Using casts, muzzle patterns from one-egg and two-egg twin pairs were scored for similarity on a 1– 5 scale. Patterns of one-egg twins were significantly more similar than those of two-egg twins, and the largest part of the total variance was due to the difference between these two groups. The score distributions for monozygous and dizygous twins did not completely overlap, indicating that muzzle pattern is inherited. However, the extent of overlap observed confines the usefulness of muzzle pattern in twin diagnosis to confirmatory evidence at the extremes of the similarity scale.4. Parts of the muzzle pattern (central groove, cell length, and cell margins) were judged on an arbitrary scale. Two-egg twins were not found sufficiently less similar than one-egg twins for the characters to be useful in diagnosis. Twins were more alike than random pairs, but significantly so only for central groove and MZ cell length.
Placement of fertilizers for potatoes planted by machines
Authors: Cooke G. W. , Jackson M. V. , Widdowson F. V. 
Published: March 2009

A two-row hand-dropping potato planter was modified by adding fertilizer equipment. The machine was used in thirty-three experiments in 1951 and 1952 to plant potatoes from flat land and compare broadcast dressings of granulated compound fertilizer with dressings placed near to the seed.Fertilizer placed either in one band at the side and below the level of the seed, or in contact with the seed, gave consistently higher yields than broadcast dressings. Broadcast fertilizer gave yields similar to those given by only one-half to two-thirds as much placed fertilizer. On the average of all the experiments, placing fertilizer gave about 1 ton/acre more potatoes than broadcasting. The advantages of placement were greatest when low rates of dressing were used.Broadcast fertilizer was cultivated deeply into the seed-beds in nineteen experiments in 1952 and gave slightly lower average yields than late dressings broadcast on the seed-beds.Fertilizer placed in bands on the soil surface immediately in front of the seed-shoes gave yields similar to those given by dressings broadcast over the seed-beds in fourteen experiments in 1951. In average planting conditions fertilizer broadcast on the seed-beds or placed in front of the seed-shoes was thrown to the middle of the ridges and concentrated above the seed.Fertilizer placed in contact with the seed gave higher average yields than dressings in a sideband at both rates of manuring in the 1951 experiments. In 1952 contact placement was slightly superior to sideband placement at low rates of fertilizer and slightly inferior at high rates. In most experiments in each year emergence was delayed by 10–14 days when the heavy dressing was placed in contact with the seed. Early growth was poor but at most centres the crops recovered later in the season and gave good yields. There is most risk of damage from contact placement on light soils, on badly prepared seed-beds and in dry years. Dressings of 10 to 12 cwt./acre of ordinary-strength compound fertilizers are likely to be quite safe when applied in contact with the seed. If heavier dressings are to be used, part should be applied in contact with the seed and part broadcast, such split applications were satisfactory in experiments in 1951.Farmers planting even moderate acreages of potatoes by machines will benefit by using a suitable fertilizer attachment. Equipment is needed to place fertilizer at the side of the seed so that heavy dressings can be used to secure maximum yields without risk.
Extracted herbage leaf protein for poultry feeding II. The use of leaf protein in chick rations
Authors: Hughes G. Pearson , Eyles Dudley E. 
Published: March 2009

1. Two live-weight gain experiments using dayold chicks are described. A mash containing a basic ration with leaf protein was compared with a control mash containing the basic ration plus fish meal.2. Details of the source of the leaf protein, its extraction and chemical analysis are given.3. The composition and analyses of the mashes are recorded, together with their rate of feeding.4. The live-weight gains at fortnightly intervals are discussed and the results adjusted for sex of chicks, weight at day-old and level of protein in the mash.5. In the first experiment some of the pullets from each treatment were fed on a commercial growers' ration from 6 weeks old to maturity.6. The birds on both treatments in the two experiments were equally healthy. The mortality rates were normal. The leaf-protein chicks had deep yellow pigmentation.7. The results of the experiments are compared. In the first the leaf-protein mash was as valuable as the fish-meal mash; in the second experiment the fish-meal mash proved to be superior.8. A new method of measuring the biological value of the protein of herbage plants is suggested, using extracted protein fed to chicks or rats.9. It is concluded that a mash composed of homegrown cereals plus leaf protein with vitamin supplements, a balance of minerals and additional aminoacid if necessary, would be suitable for rearing chicks.