bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Levels of first winter feeding in relation to performance of Cheviot hill ewes. I. Body growth and development during treatment period
Authors: Gunn R. G. 
Published: March 2009

1. Over 3 years, different levels of first winter nutrition were imposed on groups of North and South Country Cheviot ewe hoggs (lambs). In 1956–57, three levels, high, mid and low, were fed indoors. In 1957-58, only two levels, high and mid, were fed indoors, with the low level being represented by hill wintering. In 1958–59, two levels were represented by away wintering and hill wintering.2. Low-plane feeding was designed to simulate average hill wintering, creating a 10% loss in live weight. Mid-plane feeding was designed to maintain live weight at approximately the same level throughout the winter. High-plane feeding was designed to produce a live-weight gain of 15–20% in 1956–57 and the maximum gain possible in 1957–58.
Comparative feeding value of expeller-processed undecorticated and decorticated cottonseed cakes for growing chicks
Authors: Sharma N. K. , Lodhi G. N. , Ichhponani J. S. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryExperiments were made to evaluate the feeding value of undecorticated (UCS) and decorticated (DCS) cottonseed cakes and defatted DCS for egg-type starter, broiler starter and finisher diets for chicks. The results showed that UCS on average contained 22% crude protein, 0·06% free- and 0·33% bound-gossypol and 4·9% available carbohydrate. The corresponding values for DCS were 38, 0·04, 0·63 and 9·5%, respectively. Average metabolizable energy (ME) content of UCS, DCS and defatted DCS was 7·94, 11·77 and 9·42 MJ/kg, respectively. Apparent protein digestibilities of UCS, DCS and defatted DCS were 42, 47 and 36%, respectively. Although UCS had no effect on growth rate of egg-type and meat-type chicks when fed as 15% of the diet, feed conversion was adversely affected. Feeding DCS to broiler starter and finisher chicks as 30% of the diet, replacing groundnut cake (GN) had no effect on growth rate and efficiency of protein utilization but feed conversion was affected. The chicks of either breed were able to tolerate 0·02% free-gossypol of the diet derived from UCS or DCS without any adverse effect on growth rate and internal organs.
Statistics and statisticians in agricultural research
Authors: Finney D. J. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryAgricultural research now has a long tradition of being served by statisticians, both those who are professionally trained and others who (in no derogatory sense) may be described as amateurs because their primary scientific training is in some other discipline. This paper urges that, as part of good research management, more attention be given to the numbers of statisticians needed and the responsibilities they should undertake.Questions to be considered include not only ‘Who should analyse specified bodies of data?’ but also ‘Which data require full statistical treatment?’. Poor judgement here can mean that the pattern of statistical activity is governed by the forceful approaches of other scientists more than by the scientific content of a problem; moreover, statisticians may be left with no time for the vital tasks of collaborating with others in the planning of research and displaying initiative in new approaches to quantitative problems. Not all research institutes have yet made their statisticians collaborators and partners in research rather than technicians with sharply delimited duties.Agricultural statisticians today should be deeply involved in research in cooperation with other disciplines, as innovators in statistical technique, and to some extent in development of statistical theory. They must be encouraged to publish, as partners in research teams and individually, to produce and document computer programs that implement methods required in agricultural research, and to improve statistical understanding among their colleagues in other disciplines. They are scientists whose responsibilities and rights are equivalent to those of other disciplines but need to be interpreted in relation to the research role of their subject. This paper asks for their proper integration into agricultural research, and not for special privilege.
Studies on the Hyparrhenia Veld of Zambia. VII. The effect of Cattle Grazing Veld and Dambo at different stockinǵ-rates
Authors: Smith C. A. 
Published: March 2009

The effect of stocking-rate was measured on growth of indigenous oxen grazing Hyparrhenia veld and dambo. Stocking-rate had a relatively small effect on weight gain per ox in the rainy season when veld was relatively nutritious, but had a significant linear effect and a lesser quadratic effect on weight loss per ox in the dry season. Oxen stocked leniently on veld in the dry season lost less weight than heavily stocked oxen. Oxen fed a protein supplement, maintained or gained weight when grazing veld in the dry season even at high stocking-rates.In long-term trials, compensatory growth so affected cattle weight gains that heavily stocked oxen which had large weight losses in the dry season compared with leniently stocked oxen, had greater weight gains in the following rainy season. Stocking-rate had a highly significant, linear effect on cumulative weight gain per ox, which was more evident on dambo grazing than on Hyparrhenia veld.
Variation in growth and efficiency in twin cattle with live weight and food intake controlled
Authors: Taylor ST C. S. , Young G. B. 
Published: March 2009

In an experiment to investigate the interrelationships of genetics and nutrition in the growth of cattle up to 2 years of age, five monozygotic and six dizygotic Ayrshire twin heifers were reared under close nutritional control on an all cubed diet.Two control systems were used. Some animals were fed similar amounts of food, and differences in growth rate and efficiency examined while others were made to grow alike and differences in food consumption and efficiency examined. Overall, similarly fed animals had similar growth rates and efficiencies and similarly grown animals similar food intakes and efficiencies. Variation in growth, food consumption and efficiency was much less than in an ad lib. feeding system.
The distribution of Mn, Fe, Gu, and Zn in topsoils and herbage of North West Pembrokeshire
Authors: Wilkins Carolyn 
Published: March 2009

SummaryMn, Fe, Cu and Zn were determined in topsoil and herbage samples from sites in North West Pembrokeshire. Means and ranges for these elements are given and the distribution is shown throughout the sampled area.There are no clear relationships between the total amounts of these elements in the soils and the amounts found in herbage but it is shown that soil drainage strongly influences both soil and plant concentrations, and pH has a strong influence on Mn concentrations in soils and plants.Seasonal variation in plant uptake of these elements is discussed and the effect of soil contamination of herbage, especially on Fe content. It is hoped that data from this area can be used as a guide to the range of values found for Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in soils and herbage of an area relatively unpolluted from industrial sources for comparison with more polluted regions.
Larvae of the pea and bean weevil, Sitona lineatus, and the yield of field beans
Authors: Bardner R. , Fletcher K. E. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryIn 16 experiments with field beans at Rothamsted, Woburn and Saxmundham between 1969 and 1976, seed-bed applications to the soil of dieldrin or γ-HCH were used to control subsequent infestations of the roots by larvae of Sitona lineatus. Rates of between 1·12 and 4·48 kg a.i./ha were used. Larval populations on untreated plots plots were variable, but 70–80% control was usually given by rates of 2·24–4·48 kg a.i./ha. Insecticides nearly always increased yields, the mean increase for all treatments being 0·15 t/ha, but a maximum yield response of over 0·5t/ha was achieved. It is suggested that the importance of S. lineatua larvae as pests of field beans in Britain has been under-rated.
The effect of rearing type and prepartum nutrition on the intake and performance of lactating Greyface ewes at pasture
Authors: Maxwell T. J. , Doney J. M. , Milne J. A. , Peart J. N. , Russel A. J. F. , Sibbald A. R. , MacDonald D. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryEleven single-rearing and 14 twin-rearing Greyface (Border-Leicester × Scottish Blackface) ewes which had previously been individually fed indoors on three nutritional treatments (treatment 1, adequately nourished; treatment 2, moderately undernourished; treatment 3, severely undernourished) during the final 6 weeks of pregnancy, were subsequently grazed with eight non-lactating Greyface ewes on a ryegrass–white clover pasture for the first 14 weeks of lactation.Herbage organic matter (OM) intakes and milk yields of ewes were measured weekly and the herbage OM intakes of lambs from week 7 of lactation.Mean daily OM intakes were 36·6 (± 1·09), 38·9 (± 0·99) and 26·4 (± 0·93) g OM/kg body-weight for single- and twin-rearing, and non-lactating ewes respectively. Prepartum nutrition had no effect on intake. Maximum intakes were achieved in week 5 for twin-rearing ewes (53 g OM/kg) and week 4 for single and non-lactating ewes (54 and 38 g OM/kg respectively).Mean daily weight gains over the period for single-, twin-rearing and non-lactating ewes were 89 (±22·2), 73 (±16·1) and 182 (±22·5)g respectively. There were no differences due to prepartum treatment.There were significant differences (P < 0·05) in milk production between singleand twin-rearing ewes in the first 5 weeks of lactation. Twin-rearing ewes of prepartum treatment 1 produced consistently more milk in weeks 2, 3 and 4 of lactation, whereas ewes from treatment 3 tended to produce more milk than ewes from the other treatment groups thereafter.Milk intakes of single lambs were always significantly greater than individual twin lambs, and single lambs ate significantly less grass during the herbage OM intake measurement period from week 7; their growth rates up to week 7 were also significantly greater.No differences in the intake or growth rate of lambs could be attributed to the prepartum nutritional treatment of their dams.Ewe maintenance requirements during lactation were estimated to be 242 (± 35·1) kJ ME/kg body weight/day; the efficiency with which ME was used for milk production to be 59%; and the efficiency with which ME was used for body-weight gain, 53%.Lamb maintenance requirements were estimated to be 427 (± 143) kJ ME/kg W in weeks 1 and 2 of lactation and 287 (± 44·2) kJ/kg from week 7. Efficiency of utilization of energy for body-weight gain in each period was estimated to be 71 and 80% respectively.
The body composition of growing sheep during milk feeding, and the effect on composition of weaning at various body weights
Authors: Searle T. W. , Griffiths D. A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThirty-four (13♂, 21♀) entire cross-bred lambs were suckled on reconstituted, spray-dried cows' milk from 2 days of age for varying periods of time up to 18 weeks before being weaned on to solid food or slaughtered to determine chemical composition. The body composition of each sheep (water, fat, protein, energy) was also estimated from the tritiated water (TOH) space at 3-weekly intervals during milk feeding, at intervals of 5–8 weeks subsequently and at slaughter. Comparison between. TOH estimates and whole body analysis confirmed the accuracy of the previously-derived prediction equations.The relationship between each of the various body components and body weight for individual sheep during milk feeding was described by a ‘bent’ (non-rectangular) hyperbola. There were no substantial differences between animals in either the position or slope of the lower asymptote nor in the slope of the upper asymptote. There were, however, substantial differences in the point of intersection of the two asymptotes both within and between sexes. The mean intersection points for males and females were 17·7 and 14·4 kg body weight respectively.Sheep weaned at body weights of 11–16 kg subsequently followed the previously defined pattern of growth. Weaning at higher body weights (21–34 kg, body fat not less than 5·5 kg) resulted initially in both fat and/or body weight loss. In the final fattening phase of growth early- and late-weaned sheep of the same sex had similar body composition but females were fatter than males.
In vitro digestibility of the testa in tannin-free field beans (Vicia faba L.)
Authors: Bond D. A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe seed-coat of all white-flowered varieties of Vicia faba and segregants tested was free of tannin. In two field trials, the whole grain of white-flowered varieties wassignificantly higher in in vitro digestibility of the dry matter, on average 4·7% higher, than coloured-flowered varieties of similar seed size. In subsequent trials where the testa and cotyledon were examined separately, this difference was shown to be largely due to a mean D value (digestibility of the organic matter) of the testa in tannin-free varieties of 56·4% compared with 17·2% in tannin-containing varieties. Seed size was positively correlated with D value but not because of differing proportions of testa.Differences between varieties in acid-pepsin solubility and protein content of the testa were much smaller and not associated with presence of tannin. The testa colour of some tannin-free F2 plants was a darker shade of grey than either parental population. An inbred line completely lacking in anthocyanin in flowers and stem but with the normal black wing spot had tannin in its testa.Grains of peas from the coloured-flowered variety, Minerva, reacted to a tannin test wheieas those from white-flowered varieties, Greenshaft and Flavanda, did not.The case for breeding further tannin-free varieties of Vicia faba is discussed.
The development of barley grain: comparisons between cultivars for growth rate and α-amylase activity
Authors: Riggs T. J. , Gothard P. G. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryGrains from ears of known anthesis time in seven spring barley cultivars were measured for dry weight and α-amylase activity at regular intervals during grain maturation. During the period 10–31 days after anthesis, dry weight increase of the grain was found to be substantially linear in all the cultivars. Comparisons between linear slopes fitted for this phase of growth were found to provide an objective means of comparing grain growth rates in different cultivars.α-Amylase activity per grain reached a peak in all except one cultivar at between 10 and 16 days after anthesis but declined rapidly during the linear phase of grain growth. α-Amylase activity per gram grain dry weight decreased exponentially during this period and transformation of the data to logarithms allowed a substantially linear fit to be made. Slopes for each of the cultivars were compared.Differences were found between cultivars in grain growth rates, total α-amylase activity and rates of fall of α-amylase activity per gram for the period 10–31 days after anthesis. No relationship could be found between grain growth rate and either the absolute level of α-amylase activity achieved in the grain or the rate of fall in activity during development.
Plant density studies in maize in India
Authors: Nair K. P. P. , Singh R. P. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryExperiments made over a period of 3 years (1971–73) at Pantnagar, India, on the effect of plant density and spatial arrangement of a hybrid variety of maize (Ganga 2) and a local cultivar (Rudrapur) indicated that a density of (at least) 75000 plants/ha is necessary to obtain maximum grain yield. With increasing density from 25000 to 75000 plants/ha the date when 75 % of plants were silking was delayed 2–5 days and the percentage of barren plants increased from 1·7 to 28·7. In dense stands, grain yield of the hybrid variety was less affected by increasing row width from 60 to 90 cm than it was in the local cultivar.The average increase in yield with narrow (60 cm) row width as compared with wider (75 cm) row width was 6.8 % and it is argued that, in the context of the national need for increased food production, this increase cannot be overlooked.
Performance and heat tolerance of Awassi lambs as affected by early shearing
Authors: Younis A. A. , Al-Mahmoud F. , El-Tawil E. A. , El-Shobokshy A. S. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryForty-two Awassi lambs, 21 males and 21 females, were used to investigate the effect of early shearing, before the hottest months, on their performance and heat tolerance as indicated by rectal temperature and respiration rate.Within each sex, half the number of lambs were sheared and the rest were left unshorn. All lambs were fed for 132 days, covering the hottest period of the year, on a concentrate mixture at the daily rate of 2% of their average live weight plus green roughage offered ad libitum. Rectal temperatures and respiration rates were recorded 1 day of each week on three occasions each day.Shorn lambs of both sexes had significantly (P < 0·01) higher values for body gain and final body weight than the unshorn ones. Average total digestible nutrients intake was slightly higher for shorn lambs. However, average dry-matter intake as a percentage of body weight was almost the same for shorn and unshorn lambs. Shorn lambs of both sexes were more efficient than the unshorn ones in converting food to body gain.Shorn lambs were more heat-tolerant than the unshorn ones as indicated by their significantly (P < 0·01) lower rectal temperature and respiration rate.
Population study of codling moth Cydia (Carpocaps = Laspeyresia) Pomonella L. (Olethreutidae, Lepidoptera) infesting pear orchards in the eastern outskirts of Alexandria, Egypt
Authors: El-Gamil F. M. , Gaaboub I. A. , El-Sawaf S. K. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe codling moth, Cydia pomonella L., achieved four successive generations in Egyptian pear orchards in 1974. Indices of infested fruits showed four peaks of infestation; the first at the end of April, the second during the first week of June, the third during the first week of July and the last at the end of July.
Relative efficiency of prilled urea, urea supergranules (USG) and USG coated with neem cake or DCD for direct-seeded rice
Authors: Sudhakara K. , Prasad R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYA field experiment was made during the rainy season of 1982 and 1983 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the relative efficiency of prilled urea, urea supergranules (USG) and USG coated with neem cake and DCD. Prilledurea was applied at 60, 120 and 180 kg N/ha, while the other sources of N were applied only at 120 kg N/ha. Nitrogen was added to rice in a single application 20 days after sowing (20 DAS) or in two applications, half 20 DAS and the rest at panicle initiation. Response of rice to prilled urea was linear up to 180 kg N/ha, the highest dose in the present study. Two applications produced more rough rice and straw and resulted in higher nitrogen uptake and apparent recovery than a singleapplication. Neem-cakecoated USG was superior to prilled urea in respect of panicle characters, rough rice and straw yield, nitrogen uptake and apparent nitrogen recovery. Coating USG with DCD also showed some advantage. Uncoated USG was only slightly better than prilled urea.
The effect on the yields of barley and kale of soil conditions induced by cultivation at high moisture content
Authors: Fisher N. M. , Gooderham P. T. , Ingram J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYAn experiment is described in which plots of a silt loam soil were compacted by ploughing and rotary cultivation when the moisture content was high. Kale and barley were grown on these plots in 2 years.Compaction of the soil was not as great as anticipated, but there were marked reductions due to wet cultivation in the dry-matter yield of kale and the vegetative growth of the young barley. Seed yield of barley was relatively unaffected, although there was a significant reduction due to wet ploughing in one year.The implication of these results for experimentation on the effects of soil structure on crop yield are discussed.
An equation to predict the leaching of surface-applied nitrate
Authors: Burns I. G. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe fraction (f) of surface-applied nitrate leached below any depth h cm in a uniform soil profile may be calculated from the equationwhere P is the quantity of water draining through the soil (in cm) and Vm is the percentage volumetric field capacity. The fraction of nitrate retained is then (1—f).This equation has been tested using published data. Values of h corresponding to the mean displacement (f = 0·5) were calculated for a wide range of soil and weather conditions and the results compared with mean displacements measured in the field. Similar comparisons were made with the leaching equation of Rousselle (1913) and Levin (1964). The new equation gives good agreement with the observed data, whereas the Rousselle-Levin equation generally overestimates the mean displacement of nitrate. Methods of applying the equations to field situations are discussed.
Varietal differences in wheat in resistance to germination in the ear and α-amylase content of the grain
Authors: Bingham J. , Whitmore E. T. 
Published: March 2009

1. Three varieties of wheat with white grain and eleven with red grain were examined for a-amylase content of the grain and for resistance to germination in the ear when harvest was delayed.2. There were large differences between varieties in a-amylase activity. These were due partly to differences in susceptibility to germination in the ear, which always resulted in increased a-amylase activity. There were also large differences between varieties in the a-amylase content of grain which had no visible indication of germination. These differences were not related to susceptibility to germination and were confirmed by a glass-house experiment in which the ears were always dry from emergence to harvest.
Comparative performance of indigenous and exotic sheep in the Indian arid zone
Authors: Mittal J. P. , Ghosh P. K. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe body weight and fleece weight of Marwari and Magra sheep (rams) of the desert areas of north-western India are compared with those of Corriedale rams, which are being imported into India for improving the productivity of the local stock through cross-breeding. All three breeds showed marked seasonal fluctuation in their body weight. While the Corriedales lost more body weight than the indigenous breeds during peak summer, they appeared to endure the relatively poor winter pasture conditions somewhat better. Between July and October, with the availability of lush monsoonal pasture, all three breeds increased in body weight.The greasy fleece weight of Corriedale rams was nearly double that of indigenous rams. The potential of the Corriedale ram for improving the productivity of the local stock is discussed.